♪ ♪ tonight the blockbuster new jobs report just out as we enter the final month

print to the election. the u.s. adding more than 250,000 new jobs in september, blowing past expectations. it comes as dock workers return to work, averting a potential economic disaster. but with the election just over four weeks away, our american consumers are feeling a difference. also tonight, eight days after helene hit the hopes fading for finding hundreds still unaccounted for as deaths soar to more than 220. the race for the white house. donald trump visiting the storm zone in georgia as the white house slams claims he's made about fema relief money going to migrants as, quote, bald-faced lies. kamala harris meantime revealing former president obama will hit the trail for her next week. and mr. trump set to return to the same site in butler, pennsylvania, where he was nearly assassinated in july. how the secret service is tightening security. iran's supreme leader making a new

threat as israel prepares to mark one year since the october 7th terror attack. and art in the aftermath. ashville's creative community coming together after helene. plus, the massive gift from dolly parton. ♪ ♪ >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening. there is welcome news today about the american economy. new numbers showing jobs up, unemployment lower and wages higher. the new labor department data for the month of september coming directly on the heels of a short-lived dock workers' strike that could have crippled the supply chain had it become a lengthy stoppage. by the numbers, last month saw the workplace at 254,000 new jobs, lowering the unplacement rate a tick to just 4.1% while wages increased by 4% from a year ago. the positive new numbers coming with election day just about a month away.

and a rare appearance in the white house press briefing room by president biden who declared we've gone from an economy in crisis to literally having the strongest economy in the world. it is where we start tonight with senior business correspondent christine romans. >> my name is joe biden. >> reporter: the president with a rare visit to the white house briefing room to hail good news on the economy. >> the nation's now created 16 million jobs since i've come into office. >> reporter: 254,000 of them added in september. the unemployment rate of 4.1% near a 50-year low. wages rose 4% over the past year, meaning paychecks are growing faster than overall inflation, and the dow closed today at a record high. >> we've gone from an economy in crisis to literally having the strongest economy in the world. but we've got -- we've got more work to do. >> reporter: more work because many americans feel like they're struggling to make ends meet with rising prices of groceries, housing and child care.

>> it feels like it is harder to live. >> everybody's scratching and scraping just to live. >> reporter: still, some say they're finally starting to feel a difference. >> i feel like it is -- it is getting better. >> reporter: and one of the biggest risks to the economy, the port strike, has been resolved for now. shippers and dock workers agreed to an almost 62% pay raise, bringing long shoremen back on the job, at least until january when they agreed to bargain over automation, ending the port strike critical for the economy and small businesslike three moms organics. this is such a relief knowing that this has been worked out for at least now takes a lot of pressure off, especially going into the holiday season. >> reporter: the timing also key as the southeast picks up the pieces after hurricane helene and will need significant rebuilding. >> christine, i know you and others are watching rising oil prices because of what has happened in the mid east. how does that affect the overall picture? >> oil prices jumped

this week as the conflict in the middle east escalated, and it is a reminder there are big risks to the u.s. economy from outside the u.s. >> christine romans, thank you. one week after the flooding disaster caused by hurricane helene, at least 223 people are now reported dead with many still missing. sam brock is in north carolina with the latest tonight. >> reporter: in the early morning hours, helicopters are already hovering over homes. and private shoppers whisking away supplies to the mountains. the sounds of a frantic search for survivors a week after helene made landfall. >> surreal. >> apocalyptic. >> it is like constantly, and the sirens back and forth. >> reporter: official fatalities standing at more than 220 for six states, and in battered buncombe county alone 70. there are discrepancies over the missing figure which was couched last night. >> it is a communication gap that's not necessarily accounted for. >> reporter:

communication in multiple ways. for one, cell service is compromised. >> trying to communicate with my co-workers was really hard. >> reporter: and for another, this church group packing supplies is full of members who aren't fluent in english. they say they're relying on their own text network and door knocking system apart from the counties. >> reporter: you have your method of confirmation and they have theirs and there's not an overlap. >> reporter: as the real number of missing remains anyone's guess. jamison tabelon, a church leader, hands out supplies to those who need them the most. >> here we are not looking at race, color, you know, gender at all, religion, nothing, you know. we are all in this together. >> reporter: you are just trying to help people in need? >> we are just trying to help people in need, exactly. >> reporter: the other reality coming to life that the vast majority of businesses and homeowners here like jodie and steve dunning have no flood insurance. >> reporter: there wasn't a reason to think in this framework? >> there's no reason for the mountains to have floods. we have never had this before. >> reporter: a new

dimension of a flood catastrophe. county officials say the river should be treated as hazardous materials. they're warning residents with no running water not to bathe in toxic river water. lester. >> sam brock, thank you. the federal response to this storm disaster is becoming an issue in the presidential campaign with a new claim by former-president trump facing strong pushback from the white house. garrett haake has more. >> reporter: tonight former-president trump back in the storm zone in must-win georgia, alongside republican governor brian kemp, a sometimes-trump critic now backing the former president. >> i'm not thinking about voters right now. i'm thinking about lives. a lot of lives lost, a lot of people missing. >> reporter: trump also facing new criticism for this false attack on the administration's hurricane response. >> the harris-biden administration says they don't have any money. they stole the fema money just like they stole it from a bank so they could give it to their illegal immigrants. >> reporter: the white house slamming that as a lie. >> it just is

categorically false. it is not true. it is a false statement. >> reporter: in the last two years fema has distributed over $1 billion in taxpayer money to shelter the record numbers of migrants in cities across the u.s., but the white house and fema say that's from a separate government program, not for disaster relief, and there's no evidence funds have been diverted. >> folks. >> reporter: today president biden praising vice president harris's role handling crises this week including the storm response and the now-resolved port strike. >> i'm in constant contact with her. she is aware, we're singing from the same song sheet. she was a major player in everything we've done. >> reporter: it comes as tonight harris campaigned in a must-win state of her own, michigan, hoping to shore up support from organized labor after yesterday's decision by the international association of firefighters not to back a presidential candidate this year. harris has the endorsement of virtually every large union, and today went after trump. >> donald trump's track record is a disaster for working

people. he is an existential threat to america's labor movement. just look at his track record to know. >> reporter: while president biden raising concerns about trump's reaction if he loses. >> i'm confident it will be free and fair. i don't know whether it will be peaceful. >> garrick, vice president harris will be getting high profile help next week. tell us about it? >> reporter: that's right, lester. in a sign of how near we are to the end of this race and how tight it is expected to be, the harris campaign is bringing in someone they hope can be a closer, former president barack obama expected to crisscross the country on harris's behalf beginning with a rally in pittsburgh next week. lester. >> garrett haake, thank you. tomorrow former-president trump returns to butler, pennsylvania, and the site of a july attempt on his life. dasha burns was there that day and spoke with some trump supporters who say they're going back, too. >> look what happened -- oh. get down, get down, get down. >> reporter: nearly

three months after surviving that attempt on his life with those images of blood on his face and his fist in the air, former-president trump is returning to butler, pennsylvania, this weekend. >> i have an obligation to go back to butler. we never finished what we were supposed to do. >> reporter: back then, rally goers watched in horror as the gunman climbed on to an unsecured roof top and opened fire. a scathing senate investigation later detailed massive security failures by the secret service. about 100 yards behind me is the building from where the gunman took shots at former-president trump. last time around people could get pretty close to mr. trump from outside the rally perimeter. this time around, we can't get anywhere near the area. in fact, they're even putting up, you can see the shipping containers that are blocking line of sight from outside the rally perimeter. tonight the secret service telling nbc news they've made comprehensive changes and enhancements, and that the former president is receiving heightened protection. joining trump saturday, the family of corey comparetor,

the firefighter who was killed. pack then i talked to the doctor who rushed to help, a moment he says he can't remember. >> i saw that stick with me to tend of my life. >> reporter: do you think you are going to go? >> yes. >> reporter: why? >> i refuse to be terrorized to the point where i feel like i'm only safe at home. >> reporter: also returning, mother and son donna and joe hutz. >> i knew my son was scared to death because he was holding my hand. he hasn't held my hand since i was probably 5 or 6 years old. >> reporter: how are you two going to support each other through this? >> hold hands. i don't know. >> reporter: how are you doing now? in i'm doing a lot better. i ended up in trauma therapy. the way i described it to my therapist, i said, i can't get out of the bleachers. >> reporter: they hope to turn a weekend of tragedy into a time of healing. >> not going to scare us away from the rally. >> just defiant. >> you don't get to win. >> reporter: dasha burns, nbc news, butler, pennsylvania. in the middle east new threats against israel by iran's top leader while israel

shows no sign of scaling back its campaign against hezbollah in lebanon. richard engel is there. >> reporter: iran's supreme leader, ayatollah khomeini led priors in tehran for first time in fours years. he said iran is ready to strike israel again if necessary. to drive home the point, the 85-year-old cleric clutched an assault rifle. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu is at war with iran's network of allies. the main battleground is lebanon, against hezbollah, which has been attacking northern israel with rockets for nearly a year in of. in response the group says to israel, war on gaza. beirut is now rocked by israel day and night. here israel targeted what an official said was a meeting of hezbollah leaders. in southern lebanon, israel is trying to carve out a buffer zone free of hezbollah.

israeli strikes are taking their toll here. the city of tyre, one of the biggest cities here in southern lebanon, has effectively been evacuated. there are very few civilians left here. hezbollah has taken a beating in recent days, but the group remains intact and every day down here we have seen and heard outgoing fire. lebanese officials say 1,400 people have been killed. in israel prime minister netanyahu and his war cabinet are still deciding how and when to respond to iran's missile attack. that decision will be felt across the middle east and beyond. lester. >> richard engel, thank you. in 60 seconds, why an infamous murder case from long ago, the menendez brothers, is getting new attention from kim kardashian and prosecutors. vere eczema. and they can show off clearer skin and less itch with dupixent, the #1 prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, that helps heal your child's skin from within. serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems

such as eye pain or vision changes including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. ask your child's eczema . can you do this? as early as your 40s you may lose muscle and strength. protein supports muscle health. ensure max protein has a 30 gram blend of high quality protein to feed muscles for up to seven hours. so take the challenge. ensure, nutrition for strength and energy. back now with the back now with the infamous menendez brothers case, the two convicted of slaying their parents back in the headlines thanks to netflix.

liz kreutz on the new twist in the case and the celebrity-backed push to free them. >> reporter: it's a case back in the spotlight. they're reviewing new evidence to see if the menendez brothers should be resentenced. >> we have not decided on the outcome. we are reviewing the information. >> reporter: the brothers serving life without parole for the murder of their parents in 1989 in their beverly hills mansion. >> it's time for the world to know the truth. >> reporter: but the brothers say evidence in last year's peacock series owned by the same parent company as nbc news proves they acted in self-defense after years of abuse. in that doc, a former band member also alleges jose menendez, head of rca records, molested him. >> this guy, that's the pedophile. >> reporter: and there's this letter eric wrote, i've been trying to avoid dad.

i stay up thinking he might come in. the case gaining new attention, sparked by the popular new netflix series, and now kim kardashian, who said she visited the brothers in prison, penning a personal essay to nbc calling for their release saying at the time of the trial, there was no room for empathy, let alone sympathy. given the cultural >> shift in how we view sexual assault, do you think this case would have been handled differently if we tried it today? >> there is no question to the way the case would be looked at today. >> reporter: a hearing is set for november. liz kreutz, nbc news, los angeles. there is more to tell you about. coming up, the family of an american hostage opens up about the hardest part of the last year as october 7th approaches. breztri gave . better breathing, symptom improvement, and reduced flare-ups. breztri won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. it is not for asthma. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. don't take breztri more than prescribed. breztri may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia,

and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain... mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating,... vision changes, or eye pain occur. ask your doctor about breztri. liberty mutual customized my car insurance so i saved hundreds. with the money i saved i thought i'd get a wax figure of myself. cool right? look at this craftmanship. i mean they even got my nostrils right. it's just nice to know that years after i'm gone this guy will be standing the test of ti... he's melting! oh jeez... nooo... oh gaa... only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ ( ♪ ♪ ) start your day with nature made. the #1 pharmacist recommended vitamin and supplement brand. in 2016, donald trump said he would choose only the best people to work in his white house.

now those people have a warning for america: trump is not fit to be president again. here's his vice president: "anyone who puts himself over the constitution should never be president of the united states." "i cannot in good conscience endorse donald trump this year." his defense secretary: "do you think trump can be trusted with the nation's secrets ever again?" "no. i mean, it's just irresponsible action that places our service members at risk, places our nation's security at risk." his national security advisor: "donald trump will cause a lot of damage." "the only thing he cares about is donald trump." and the nation's former highest ranking military officer: "we don't take an oath to a king or queen. or to a tyrant or a dictator. and we don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator." take it from the people who knew him best: donald trump is too big a risk for america. i'm kamala harris and i approve this message. feeling ughh from a backed up gut? ughh. miralax works naturally with the water in your body

to help you go. free your gut and your mood will follow. for 8 grams of fiber, try mirafiber gummies. ♪ ♪ for 8 grams of fiber, [ gasp ] way day's coming. wayfair's big sale is back. for three days only, october 5th through 7th, get excited to get up to 80% off! ooh, yes! plus, score free shipping on everything! [ grunting ] and surprise flash deals! all way day long! way day starts october 5th, so mark your calendar. and start filling your cart! ♪ wayfair. every style. every home. ♪ does mark farrell have the right experience to shake up city hall? in nearly ten years as supervisor, mark grew the bureaucracy by authorizing or creating a commission almost every year. he rubber stamped hundreds of millions to homeless nonprofits with zero accountability and orchestrated a pay-to-play scheme that sold out taxpayers

to the highest bidder. mark farrell has all the wrong experience for the change we need. israel is preparing to mark one year since the october 7th terror attack. for the families of some 100 hostages still being held, it's been a year of fear and uncertainty. our raf sanchez with one family still waiting to learn the fate of their beloved father. >> reporter: in those playful hours after school and before dinner, they wait for their dad to come home. they've been waiting for 364 days. >> and we miss him so much. my daughters are asking about him every single day. >> reporter: the 36-year-old is a hostage in gaza.

1 of 101 still held captive after being hostage by hamas. he's the only one with young children. 3-year-old galley asks about her dad. but the hardest questions come from her sister. she's 7. >> where is my daddy? mom, why did he not come back? why daddy is not here to celebrate my birthday? >> and what do you tell your daughters? >> my heart is broke, but i need to be strong. so i tell them, i hope daddy is okay. we don't know, but i hope. >> reporter: she grew up between israel and boston. a red sox fanatic, who played center field for israel's junior national team. they were high school sweethearts, together for 20 years. ♪♪ raising their children

in nearby kibbutz two miles from gaza and one of the first communities overrun by hamas on october 7th. he went out to defend the kibbutz, the last time she saw him. with terrorists going house to house, she sheltered their children in a safe room. >> and i said to my daughter, please be quiet. and she asked me, gaza in my house? daddy is dead? >> reporter: when they were finally rescued she narrated this video. "we're worried about our dad," she says. through it all, in the final months of pregnancy. in december, she gave birth to their third child, a name that means dawn in hebrew. today, she's 10 months old. her father has never held her or seen her smile. >> i can't wait for them to meet. every day, i wait for this. that's my wish. >> reporter: he may not know his family survived october 7th. she texts her husband updates about the

kids, knowing he can't read them. >> i do it for him. i write for him what i feel and what i want to tell him. >> reporter: how much i miss you, even after ten months. it feels like the first day. last thanksgiving, a brief cease-fire led to the release of 105 hostages. >> and i remember how bar so cried, why not, why not? why not my daddy? >> reporter: but the deal did offer a glimmer of hope. freed hostages said they had seen him in a tunnel in november, wounded, but alive. you feel in your heart he's still alive? >> yes, yes. almost every day i go to sleep, and i dream about him, and we meet in dreams, and we talk about everything. i feel he is alive, and we must do everything to bring him home. >> reporter: raf sanchez, nbc news, israel. we'll take a break here. coming up, the spirit of asheville, how

dolly parton and so many artists are coming together to help. coming togetheto r (woman) look i got the new iphone 16 pro at verizon. apple intelligence is pret-ty awesome. (man) nice. (woman) you can get it when you trade in any phone. (man) whoa, whoa, whoa! ♪ (vo) at verizon new and existing customers can get iphone 16 pro on us. when you trade in any phone in any condition. only on verizon. (fisher investments) at fisher investments we may look like other money managers, but we're different. (other money manager) how so? (fisher investments) we're a fiduciary, obligated to act in our client'' best interest. (fisher investments) so we don't sell any commission-based products. (other money manager) then how do you make money? (fisher investments) we have a simple management fee, structured so we do better when our clients do better. (other money manager) your clients really come first then, huh? fisher investments: yes. we make them a top priority, by getting to know their finances, family, health, lifestyle and more. (other money manager) wow, maybe we are different.

(fisher investments) at fisher investments, we're clearly different. okay everyone, our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy. yay - woo hoo! ensure, with 27 vitamins and minerals, nutrients for immune health. and ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. (♪♪) always dry scoop before you run. listen to me, the hot dog diet got me shredded. it's time we listen to science. one a day is formulated with key nutrients to support whole body health. one a day. science that matters. [car horn] i'm the team mascot, and boy, am i running late. but i've got lead in my foot and spirit in my fingers. [cheering] [car rev]

ha, ha, what a hit! and if you don't have the right auto insurance coverage, the cost to cover that... might tank your season. ♪♪ so get allstate, save money on auto insurance and be protected from mayhem, like me. [whoo] [cheering] i have dry eye... tired, itchy, burning... my symptoms got worse over time. my eye doctor explained the root was inflammation—so he prescribed xiidra. xiidra works differently. xiidra targets inflammation. over-the-counter drops don't do this. they only hit pause on my symptoms. but twice-daily xiidra gives me lasting relief. xiidra treats the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. don't use if allergic to xiidra and seek medical help if needed. common side effects include eye irritation, discomfort, blurred vision, and unusual taste sensation. don't touch container tip to your eye or any surface. before using xiidra, remove contact lenses and wait fifteen minutes before re-inserting. dry eye over and over? it's time for xiidra.

(♪♪) finally tonight, there is good news in the aftermath of helene. dolly parton announcing she's donating $2 million to in north carolina, asheville's artist community is banding together to come back strong. antonia hylton is there.

>> reporter: mark and julia can still hear the music. >> the only thing that gives me peace. >> reporter: and the dancing and laughter that once filled the asheville guitar bar, a venue in the river arts district. >> what was it like there on a busy night? >> oh, my gosh. i would just look at everyone smiling. >> many bands have been formed out of here. >> many relationships have come and gone and come back again. yeah. >> reporter: hurricane helene may have destroyed almost everything in the neighborhood, but the one thing the storm couldn't touch was its spirit. this is an iconic, creative community. welcoming artists and grammy-winning performers. mark and julia are salvaging many of the 52 guitars that once covered these walls, and accepting help from beloved customers coming to dig them out of the mud. >> so, yes, we haven't really broke down yet. >> no, we haven't. we've just been focused on getting forward and making things happen. >> reporter: they're not alone. artists have

coordinated cleanup crews saving as much as possible. >> check on us. we're going to need help for a long time. ♪♪ >> reporter: at the green room, a small, free-spirited shop spared by helene. owner kitty savage is hosting free jam sessions, trusting in music to help her neighbors get by. >> it's really nice to see people coming back again. to experience a sense of joy, we have a duty of providing joy. >> reporter: this is the spirit that made asheville. do you have faith your >> community will help you bring this place back? >> absolutely. >> absolutely. >> reporter: and it's this art and spirit that will make them whole once again, antonia hylton, nbc news, asheville. >> that is "nightly news" this friday. thank you for watching. i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night. ♪♪