not demands but requests they just be allowed to leave the area, transit the area without any accountability and at the end of the day we couldn't accommodate that. >> nbc's kathy park is watching developments. she joins us live. what can you tell us? how did this standoff begin and how were police able to bring it to a peaceful end? >> reporter: allison it was a wild incident that took place while both you and i were probably sleeping, around 1:30 in the morning is when state troopers came across two vehicles that were in the breakdown lane on i-95 in wakefield, massachusetts. there were several men outside of the vehicle. they were wearing tactical gear and they were heavily armed. they were asked to show their ids and permits for those firearms but they didn't comply. that's when things quickly escalated. the men took off into the woods.

the trooper called in for backup. initially two men were arrested and it took about nine hours for the rest of the group to be arrested. you mentioned earlier 11 people are now in custody, but this certainly was a scary moment for that entire community. they were placed into a lockdown. they were asked to shelter in place. they received reverse 911 calls asking them to stay inside, lock their doors because of the ongoing situation. >> yeah, it sounds like it was a pretty wild night in wakefield, mass. kathy, thank you so much. all right. let's bring in ben collins. he covers disinformation, extremism and the internet for nbc news. ben, great to see you, my friend. you know all about this kind of stuff. you are the right man to ask. what do you know about this group, rise of the moors? what can you tell us? >> yeah, sure. they're an offshoot of the moorish sovereign citizen movement. the last time they were in the

news was back -- do you remember when qanon said in march there would be a thing when donald trump would be elected president again or whatever? >> i sure do. >> that stemmed also from sovereign citizen movement which is really disparate. it is all over the place but the baseline is people believe they don't have to pay taxes because their true identities are separate from the identities sent on the forms on tax returns. it is basically an anti-tax movement. it is spread out. there are militant versions of this and wackier versions of this as well. last month a member of the moorish operatives tried to -- there's a great tiktok you should look up. they went into someone's house, changed the locks and said, this is my house now. there was a woman taking a tiktok of this who was like, i don't know what is going on here. the swat team had to come in, take the guy out. they say they don't abide by american law. that's what they people said as well. once again, there are many offshoots of this. it is hard to know if they were

part of one specific sect of it but it is basically the moorish sovereign citizens. >> ben, police said the group were traveling or that's what they told police, they were traveling from rhode island to maine for, quote, training. do you have any idea what that means, what kind of training they do and what perhaps they could be training for? >> yeah, it is separate for each group, but, you know, this is like a self-sufficiency style of not necessarily militia movement but extremist group. you know, they reiterate over and over again it is a peaceful thing, we are trying to do peaceful stuff, and the police did a really good job of talking these people down and getting everybody into custody. but they were -- you know, they are training for what they believe is a future in which, you know, there are no laws and these laws do not apply to them. so that's what is going on there generally. >> all right, ben collins. great to see you on a rainy holiday weekend. thanks. >> thank you. now today's other breaking

news. this video in just moments ago of president biden touring a cherry farm in michigan. the visit part of the america's back together tour this holiday weekend. the president, vice president and first lady touting the bipartisan infrastructure plan and our country's progress against covid-19. the white house set to fall short though of the goal of getting at least one covid shot in 70% of adult arms by july 4th. according to the cdc, 67% of adults have gotten at least one shot so far. meanwhile, back in washington the political divide between democrats and republicans deepening as the select committee investigation into the january 6th insurrection gets going. earlier today congresswoman sarah jacobs, who was in the chamber when the riots were happening, slammed her republican colleagues for down playing the events. >> i was in the chamber on january 6th. it was my fourth day in office. >> wow. >> and prior to coming to congress i had worked in conflict prevention and actually on transitions from coup

attempts. what i can tell you is that this kind of accountability and fact finding is incredibly important. on that day as we were running through the hallways, terrified for our lives, i saw many of these people who now were saying it was just a normal tourist incident, and they were terrified and they were running. so i hope that whoever minority leader mccarthy appoints will look at the facts and will get to the bottom of this. >> nbc's mike memily is in travers city. i was promised you would be on a ferris wheel. a little disappointed, but tell me what you can about the second stop from the ground. >> reporter: allison, you mentioned it a few moments ago, the fact that the white house conceded a few weeks ago they were not going to hit the president's goal of having 70% of adults with at least one dose of the vaccination. but if you look here, the sights and sounds around me, this is according to the white house telling a much bigger story

about the success in their view of how the president has effectively managed, the president of this country, out of the pandemic. we are at the first day of the national cherry festival here in travers county, michigan. it is one of the biggest drivers of tourism to this area. there was no cherry festival a year ago. you can see around me it is packed. i don't think i have been around this many people probably since well before -- maybe the iowa state fair two years ago. that's really the message the white house is trying to hammer home this weekend, that americans have made a very long journey back to very close to pre-pandemic life. here in michigan alone, the white house saying case rates of covid-19 down 95% since the beginning of the president's term, deaths down 95% as well, hospitalizations down 87%. the president is in a much quieter scene than where i am. he is visiting a cherry farm, cherry agriculture a very big part of the economy of this region as well. the president will be making a pitch while he is here as well

for his infrastructure, for that bigger jobs and families plan while he's here as well. for the white house, they want to ride the momentum that they feel that they're coming off a really good jobs number, really strong statistics, vaccination and otherwise, and carry that momentum forward as the president tries to sell those very, very difficult balancing act in congress, trying to keep that bipartisan coalition together but also keeping democrats all on the same page as they try to push his economic agenda going forward. >> all right, mike. we saw the president eating cherries there. i know much like myself you are a fan of the funnel cake. be sure to grab one while you're out there. >> and the president is probably going to get ice cream before he leaves town, too. i would bet on that, allison. >> that's a safe bet, mike. thanks so much. now to breaking news from surfside, florida. a demolition team on site today at the collapsed champlain south condo tower. the push now on to demolish what remains of the building, maybe

even as early as tomorrow before tropical storm elsa hits the florida coast. at this hour 24 people confirmed dead, 124 remain unaccounted for. nbc's allison barber joining us from surf seed. ellison, how are the families reacting to the news of this demolition? what are you hearing? a pretty big shift there this weekend. >> reporter: yes. initially we're told demolition wouldn't happen, would likely take weeks. now we're told once the engineers give the go-ahead that that building or what remains of champlain towers south could come down within 36 hours. we know the families were told about these plans before the public and the media were. i actually want to turn to someone who has spoken directly with the families and can answer your question i think perhaps better than i can at this point. i want to bring in the mayor of surfside, charles birkett. mr. mayor, tell us, what have the families who have been waiting to hear news of their loved ones, who may still be missing in that rubble, what are

they telling you about the concerns and how did they receive the news about the fact that this building will ultimately be coming down, and sooner. >> i think their primary concern is the work not stop, that nothing interrupt the search for their relatives, and that's our objective also. >> reporter: can you give us a sense of some of the conversations or kind of the reaction immediately when they were told that this could be happening so soon? >> listen, i think it was in conjunction with the discussion about the hurricane. i think the fear was that the hurricane might blow the building down in the direction of the pile which would be catastrophic for the rescue effort. we have been talking about demolition ever since the hurricane came on the map. i sat with governor desantis yesterday morning, and we talked about whether or not it should be demolished. we both agreed if the building is a problem we need to eliminate the problem shall and that means taking the building

down as soon as possible. i give mayor cava a huge amount of credit because she was told that it couldn't be done, and the governor and my sources said that it could, and she listened. she got more information and she has sort of redirected her efforts. now i think the demolition is going to happen as soon as tomorrow, and that's going to remove a big obstacle, not only worry obstacle for us because we were afraid it might fall down in the hurricane on the pile, but also an obstacle to the rescue because that has been hanging over us. the whole western side of the pile has been inaccessible because we've had periodic records of things that were falling down or moving in that area. so we've had to cordon off that whole area. so now that will be wide open and we can put even more people on the pile to dig out those remaining victims. >> reporter: just to give people a sense of how the structure is right now, we know that what remains is not structurally safe, right? workers had to stop for some 15

hours on thursday because they heard a movement, then there was a column that had moved 6 to 12 inches. then you also had structural engineers saying the concrete slabs on what's left, that those were moving as well. at this point before the hurricane, how would you, if you can, rate the structural stability at this point in time and how imperative is it do you feel that this comes down? >> well, after all of those concerns were voiced, i mean the bottom line is it is not going to get better. it is only going to get worse. that was taken into consideration also. so the bottom line is the building is a problem, the problem is going to be eliminated, and we're going to continue on with the work. let's hope the hurricane doesn't come close to us and maybe even goes the other way because it is just another complication. as i have said all along, we don't have a resource problem, we only have a luck problem. this has been a piece of challenging luck -- not luck that we've experienced. >> reporter: in terms of the families in just this community at large, we got another update today that the death toll has

risen to 24. there's still at least 124 people unaccounted for. what is the feeling right now in terms of hope that maybe someone might be found alive and just how is this community doing? >> i think the families are resigned and are realistic, but at the same time hopeful, as i am. i expect a miracle. you know, i have constantly been telling the story about the bbc article that did a study of people that survived in building collapses under the rubble. one woman in bangladesh for 17 days, pulled outcrying. so we're not anywhere near that. my expectation is we will have a miracle, and we are just going to get everybody out. that's the bottom line. we're not going to stop. we can't put ourselves in a position where we can say there are no more people in there that are to be saved. that's not a position that i want to take ever. i want to bring everybody out. i want to assume there are people in there waiting and wanting to get out, and we're

going to get them out. >> reporter: thank you so much for your time, mr. mayor. >> you're welcome. >> reporter: we appreciate it. allison, i will say that's one thing, a question that over the last couple of days a lot of people have been asking me, is do the families of those who are still missing still have hope that someone might have survived. >> yes. >> reporter: this is the tenth day of rescue efforts. one thing i keep going back to and keep remembering was the family of a missing couple on lived on the eighth floor, nikki and luiz. the brother told me that his family still believes in miracles and they still have hope and right now they just need other people to believe in miracles, too. they are relying on that hope, the support of other people to get them through this right now. he said the pain of not knowing, of going back and forth is unimaginable, but they have to still have hope to get through it. they want other people to have hope as well. one thing i keep hearing from members of this community, be it the mayor others, is that they are still holding on to hope. that is something that i think many of the families are getting support from as they try to go

through what has just been unimaginable period of their lives. allison. >> ellison, i will not soon forget your interview with that family this week and their incredible, unwavering hope. here is to a miracle. thank you so much. let's bring in carlos castillo, senior vice.at tidal basin group, a former fema acting deputy administrator and played a key role in developing both u.s. and global urban search and rescue response systems. carlos, thanks for being with us today. the news of the weekend, the demolition. how will this demolition impact the search here and what would be your biggest concern about that demo? >> so first of all, i believe it is inevitable that it is something that has to be done and i know that they've deliberated over this. every decision here has been different, every collapse like this is unique. it is going to impact -- it will

slow down the search a little bit while this is done, while it is coordinated in a controlled demolition. i believe that is what is smartest to do, to do a controlled demolition to cut down the risk even more to rescuers, as you have heard recently. everyone still maintains a sense of hope, and when you are in the rescue business that's what you go by. you have some hope. so you want to make it as safe for everyone involved as possible. >> i'm just absolutely blown away by the tireless commitment these rescuers have. can you give us a sense of what their job is like and how they deal with the frustration and perhaps the setbacks when the process starts to slow down? they just seem to be remaining so hopeful in spite of so many difficulties and challenges, when the odds are stacked against them. >> you know, you're right. they do remain hopeful, and it has been one after another. you know, in south florida today

and in these few days there's the incredible heat and humidity along with thunderstorms where you have had to pull out and threats of secondary collapse, but that's what we train for. that's what they train for day in and day out. they want so much to be able to pull someone out alive. just like the canine. the canine is just another member of the team. it is just the four-legged variety, if you will. they need to find life. it is difficult for them, but, you know, you add on top of that it is long days, although they put in enough rest because the one thing that hasn't been lacking here is resources. everybody has come to the table, other departments throughout the county, the state and the world even have come to help, and that helps. they still maintain that hope because it is what we do. you have to. >> you're great to point out the

canine. we absolutely can't forget them. they are so essential in this search and in identifying potential survivors. you spent 26 years with miami-dade fire and emergency services. i know you helped form florida task force one, now renowned as an elite team responding to disasters around the world. considering the expertise involved here that you told us a little bit about, how do you explain how so many people are still unaccounted for? i imagine that's one question their families have. how have we not found more people just yet? >> if you look at the amount of rubble that's still densely packed, that's still remaining and you look at footage that shows both the standing building and the collapsed building, it is just so densely packed they've been tunnelling in from the sides. so you don't see that from above. you see the people above the pile removing the rubble, but they've been working feverishly. but it also has to be done carefully, again, not to result in a secondary collapse or other

hazard. it is just that there's still a lot of debris there, and, you know, the fluid -- the unaccounted for list is going to be fluid. you know, there's been some changes. who knows if it will be the exact number. i think it is pretty close now, but there's still a lot of people that are missing. again, the hope is that some of them will be found alive. i think for the families, they need that hope. you know, i'm sure in the back of their mind there may be some doubt, but the truth is until somebody tells you there is no hope, you know, why not maintain that hope? >> we are holding out hope here for a miracle, and we are so grateful for all of those crews, human and canine alike. carlos, thanks for being with us. >> thank you. it is a story nobody saw coming this week. why it has so many people upset. d

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72 hours ago bill cosby walked out of a pennsylvania prison a free man. the state supreme court overturned his conviction nearly three years into his sentence. the actor and comedienne found guilty of three counts of aggravated and indecent assault for drugging and sexually assaulting one of dozens of women who accused him of sexual misconduct. he has denied all allegations of wrongdoing. joining me now victoria valentino, one of the accusers. thanks for being with me today. your reaction when the news broke? what went through your head? >> well, first of all, i was totally stunned. i was planning a very quiet day, having heard about the death of a very close bunny friend of 57 years. so it was going to be a day of healing and it certainly turned

around very quickly. i was stunned and dismayed and then outraged. >> i understand you're very close with several other cosby accusers. have you spoken with them this week? how are all of you coping with this? i'm sure they were shocked as well by the news. >> well, i know they were. i think everybody is just pulling together and holding each other up and being supportive and planning on continuing to speak out. you know, the work must go on. we opened the flood gates of the me too movement. a lot of rich, powerful and famous men have gone down literally for their acts of criminalization and victimizing women whose sexual favors were demanded in order to keep their job or get a job, pay the rent,

feed their kid. you know, this kind of stuff has to stop, and we have to also remember, alison, because of this legal issue, and he's now proclaiming his innocence, but this did not mean that he was innocent. he confessed. he confessed under oath in a deposition. so he is not innocent no matter what he says. we know. we know. my sister, survivor jewel allison in brooklyn, has said to one of the apologists who proceed claimed cosby's innocence when we were in court back in 2018 maybe, and she said, you know, if i wasn't alone in that room with that man

i would be you. so let that sink in. >> victoria -- yeah, let that sink in for a moment. victoria, you mentioned the me too movement. this victory, this conviction rather was a huge victory for the me took movement, the first celebrity conviction of that movement. you said it. it showed that powerful, famous men might be held accountable. when you look at this reversal, does this change all of that? how much of a setback do you see this as? >> well, look, we keep having setbacks. women and survivors keep being thrown under the bus. after bill cosby was seen all over the world walking out of montgomery county courtroom a in handcuffs, we thought we had achieved quite a victory. what wound up happening was immediately thereafter we had kavanaugh and ford, and then we were back sliding once again and

outraged. so, you know, this is the way it is. you know, it is like climbing a hill of sand. you go up a few steps and then you go back a few more. but we are going to continue the work. we're going to carry on. we are going to continue to speak out, and we will continue to stand tall and strong and in solidarity with each other and continue working for women's rights, survivor rights. i think the world knows that he is guilty and the world knows what it is like for women, and women are going to progress with or without him. you know, he's an old man and he's not relevant anymore. i mean what does he even say that makes sense? the truth is a situation. excuse me? no, the truth is sacred. the truth stands.

and i think also there are a lot of other young -- >> and to keep making progress -- >> -- to go for this nonsense. you know, they know. >> victoria, a big takeaway from you today that women will keep making progress. thank you for your unwavering commitment and for coming on to talk to us today. >> thank you for having me. believe women! >> thanks, victoria. all right. let's talk about the traffic. on the roads, the beaches, the boardwalks, look at that! but the delta variant is still out there, so how concerned do we need to be outdoors without a mask? we've got some answers from a doctor up next. ♪ when technology is easier to use... ♪

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now to the millions of americans getting away for the holiday weekend. about 44 million of them hitting the roads with gas prices

surging. nbc's gary grumbeck is at a rest stop in delaware. aside from gas prices, why else is traveling so darn expensive this summer? >> reporter: hey there, alison. we know people have been confined to their homes for the past year and a half. they're ready to get out and they want to celebrate 4th of july weekend. that's what 47 million americans are doing, some in traffic behind me on i-95 north here in newark. every part of the journey for those people and people across the country will be more expensive. the hotels are 30% more expensive than the last time you probably took a weekend vacation. rental cars are 80% more expensive than the last time. that's simply because of the supply and demand of the rental cars. gas prices are expensive across the country. here at the welcome center, it is $3.11. the national average is about $3.12, but it is almost a full dollar more than it was this time last year. of course, this time last year there were a whole lot less cars

on the road or on i-95 north right here. it is not just here in delaware, it is across the country. i want to show you this map here. if you are traveling out west in nevada, in washington state, in hawaii or california, you have some of the most expensive gas prices in the entire country. we are talking more than $4 a gallon for gas over there. but if you are in the south, you are in luck. in mississippi, in louisiana, in missouri and texas, that is some of the lowest gas prices in the country. we are talking about $2.70. but it is not deterring anybody from coming out and traveling. here is what some folks i talked to here had to say. >> -- my parents, stay there for a week, haven't seen them in a year because of covid. >> i'm still cautious. i'm concerned about the mutations, of the variants and things. so i still have the mask here. >> it is a blessing. it is really a blessing to be back in the world again, you know, to enjoy, to do the things, you know, we can do.

it is really nice. >> reporter: it is that excitement of being back in the world and out in the world again that really is getting people going. but aaa says not to expect next weekend or the weekend after for the roads to be cleared and the airport lines to be empty. this level of volume is going to continue throughout labor day i'm told. alison. >> it is going to be a busy summer. i do not envy that i-95 traffic. those guys are in for a long haul there. gary, thanks so much. i want to bring in dr. elizabeth claiborne, adjunct assistant professor of emergency medicine at the university of maryland school of medicine. doctor, thanks for being here. throughout the pandemic we have seen this cause and effect, right? we have a holiday, we get a surge in covid cases. what's the risk of a surge after this holiday weekend, especially when you see video like this, people packed on to a new jersey boardwalk this weekend. i mean it is what they want to do on the 4th of july, right? but look at that.

i haven't been in a crowd like that in quite sometime. should we be worried? >> you know, i understand everyone has pandemic fatigue and a lot of us have been trying to be so vigilant for so long, we really just want to enjoy our time, enjoy summertime, get out and see people. but i am concerned. i do think that people need to think seriously about the potential for the variants circulating right now, to have an impact on a spike in covid cases. i think they need to take it into consideration when they're traveling and continue to protect themselves. >> masks have been a big issue this week. there are some conflicting guidance around the delta variant. the world health organization saying this week vaccinated people should go back to wearing masks because of it, but cdc director dr. wilensky still saying if you are vaccinated it is safe to go maskless. a lot of us are scratching our heads here. dr. claiborne, what precautions should americans be taking? should we bewaring masks right now? >> yeah, i know there's a lot of

confusion about this. what people have to understand is that the w.h.o. is making guidelines for the entire world. right now globally just bo 10% have been fully vaccinated. that's much different than the picture we have in the united states where we're approaching 50% vaccination rate. that said, there are huge pockets of our country that look like areas of the world that are not vaccinated, and if you are in one of those pockets then you are at the same risk as everyone else who the w.h.o. was talking to. personally, i think that the mask wearing is a very small ask to protect yourself and protect your family. so i continue to wear a mask when i'm in public places. however, i do think that it is a decision you have to make based on your current health status, the environment that you're living in, what your local public health officials have said, and the willingness of the risk that you want to take. >> throw it in your purse, keep it on your wrist, it can't hurt. dr. claiborne, thanks so much for being with us today. >> thank you. the fall-out from the trump organization indictment.

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♪was like any other...♪ new reaction from a former trump insider to allen weisselberg, the long-time chief financial officer of the trump organization, accused of a 15-year scheme to evade taxes on both executive and employee compensation. in spite of all of that, donald trump will appear at a rally in sarasota later today. msnbc's adam reece and ali vitali have more on this one. we will start with you, adam. what is the latest on the indictment? >> reporter: alison, all eyes on the 26th floor here at trump tower. will allen weisselberg flip or will he remain loyal to his boss, donald trump, or will he listen to his ex daughter-in-law who says he should do the right thing and remain loyal to his wife, his two sons and his grandkids? he can either cooperate, he can plead guilty, or you can go to

trial. that would risk either several years or as many as 15 years in jail. for a man who is 73 years old, that could be a life sentence. now, these charges are very serious. $1.7 million in unpaid taxes. he was allegedly charging cars, apartments here in manhattan, and even his grandchildren's private school tuition. the indictment alleges there were two books upstairs, that the company was holding two books and he was charging small things like electricity, cable and internet service to the business. now, for their part, the trump family is standing by him. mr. trump is said to be outraged about these charges, but he says mr. weisselberg is an honorable man and they will stand by him. eric trump and don junior said these charges are outrageous, it is a political indictment of their father just because he is mr. trump. then you have the business. you have a brand that's

critical, the name of trump. could they lose their liquor license? could the banks who are owed hundreds of millions of dollars, could they call in their markers? could there be superseding indictments here against the family, against the three children, don junior, eric and ivanka? all of that remains to be seen. alison >> all right. adam, thank you. donald trump rallying tonight in sarasota. people started lining up yesterday to see the former president. that's where msnbc's ali vitali is to tell us what is happening. ali, what is going on there right now? >> reporter: alison, each of these rallies does feel like a continuation of the one before, and that's to say in how they look, how they feel and certainly in what we're going the hear from the former president. i just got off the phone a little while ago with a trump aide who said substantively he's going to have a script tonight, but expect a lot of off-script remarks. that's something that they're leaning into, especially as trump starts to become much more

public over the course of this summer. last week we saw him really kick off the beginning of a summer where he's going to take a much more public posture out here on the campaign trail. this is a continuation of that. theme attically, what we're going to hear is the former president talking about a lot of the old grievances that we've been hearing from him over the course of the last few months, even years. these rallies really haven't changed that much in terms of substance. at the last one last week actually, he revived something he had done at rallies as far back as 2016 when i used to cover him then. but at the same time one big thing has changed. adam just laid out there what that is, the criminal charges brought against trump's organization as well as its chief financial officer, allen weisselberg, and what i expect the hear today according to the trump source who i just spoke to is that the former president will talk about what he is calling the politicization of the justice system in america. now, of course, there is an actual political backdrop to this is trump is out here on the

campaign trail, yes, trying to play a role in the upcoming midterm election but also teasing another run for president. there is a perk to that, if you will, which is that he can try to get out there and paint all of these investigations as somewhat political in nature when in reality they are the result of legal investigations and probes into his business. so he's able to toggle between those two things, but the reality is that he could talk about it here tonight. certainly it is going to be on his mind as he continues a very public posture throughout the summer. alison. >> ali, i'm having flashbacks to campaign 2020. man, is this a familiar scene. great to see you out there again. this summer's space race a little different than the 1960s. this time it is billionaire versus billionaire. that's coming up next. eryone dos their own laundry, but they all do it a little different. honestly, i add a couple of tide pods and just stuff everything in. it works. and of course, everyone thinks their way is right.

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release, release, release. >> fire. fire. >> new today, a summer space race heats up. virgin galactic founder richard branson says he will be on the next test flight like this one. that next flight set for july 11th. amazon founder jeff bezos planning his own trip to space in blue orbit's first crewed space craft nine days later on jewel 20th. joining me a retired astronaut and author of the book "chasing space." leland, awesome to see you. talk to us. what's behind the new space race? why the rush to get there in 2021? is it a competition between billionaires or something more? >> thank you for having me on. it has always been the billionaire's boys club whether it was the federal government sending up rockets or billionaires having their own rockets. granted, branson has been working at this for a long time,

so has jeff bezos. people want to be the first and i think there's nothing wrong with that. i think what is really exciting is jeff will be going up with someone who i think we have really wanted a woman like this to get her chance to fly in space, you know, in wally. so we're going to get to that. i really believe that, you know, we're at the future of exploration. it is going to be civilians going off the planet, whether it is blue origin, virgin galactic or spacex or another company started by some people who believes they will be the first person on mars >> all right. so let's talk about wally because i'm super excited about this, too. for people who don't know, wally funk is joining jeff bezos on the blue orbit flight. she was supposed to go to space 60 years ago as a member of mercury 13, a group of women trained for nasa's astronaut program at the height of the 1960s space race but she never went. now at 82 years old, she will be the oldest person to reach space. look at the smile on her face. you can tell she is psyched to get up there. leland, are there any specific

concerns about how space travel could affect an 82-year-old body? and just despite that, i mean what a moment for her. >> well, you know, wally looks like she is in great shape. you know, she has flown over 10,000 hours. she's probably experienced more gs than i have. i only experienced three gs on my space shuttle flight. she probably has done aero battics and all kind of things exceeding those three gs. if anyone can go to face, i think wally at 82 can do it. just to think about what she went through with the mercury 13 women, going through all of these tests just like, you know, the original seven did. she probably exceeded -- i think she was in a dark pool for ten hours as compared to john glenn in a pool for three hours. so, you know, they had the right stuff back then but never got the shot. now that she is getting it i think it is fantastic. >> she's my hero. i'm so psyched for her. i want to ask you about the difference between these two launches because they are different. the blue orbit space craft

launches like a traditional rocket. but the virgin galactic space craft as we saw in the video, it launches from underneath an airplane when it reaches a certain altitude. why the two different methods? what are the risks an benefits of each one? >> so the white knight two on virgin galactic is taking off like a plain. you have a vehicle underneath it launched when it gets to 50,000 feet and the engines from the space ship launch and get you to thigher altitude, which will give you -- it is sub orbital so it is going less than 17,500 miles per hour so you get to space. the benefits of one or the other, both are trying to get to space. virgin galactic has ability to reconfigure the airplane, the space plane in space so that it can come back in a more feathered way getting home, landing like a conventional aircraft. blue origin, on the other hand, is launching like our usual rockets going up, losing the

main segment, first segment, and then going up as a capsule. so that's suborbital two. it doesn't establish an actual orbit around the planet but it will get above 162 miles, and that's what some people, you know, consider space. we consider space at nasa in the military at 50 miles up. so both of them will have you in space, but you just won't be orbiting like a conventional vehicle. and on blue origin you come home and you are coming back in and landing with parachutes. it is a really cool time. i just really feel like, you know, alison, you have to get up there one day soon. >> oh, my god. i love when you say like a conventional vehicle. nothing about this seems conventional to me. it is just mind blowing for someone who has never quite left the earth in that fashion. virgin galactic got the green light last week to send customers to space, speaking of

that. that first trip is likely coming next year. meanwhile, bezos also has the same goal. for someone who has been into space, can you grab what the experience is like for the average rich person? do they need special training? is there anything they need to do in advance? do you think it is a good idea to send them into space in the first place? >> well, i think, you know, sending people to space is a wonderful thing because when i went to space i looked back at the planet and i got this total shift in the way that i look at humanity. it is called the overview effect or the orbital perspective. i think the more people that can get this chance to see our planet in this way will change them, and maybe they will come back and want to do better, want to do more things to help other people, whether it is in stem education for kids or whether it is helping, you know, us help fix the climate. you know, temperatures have been crazy around the country in the last few days. but i think it is a good thing

for people to explore. we are all explorers, in our dna we are wired as explorers. the more people that can do that i think the better. whether it is virgin, spacex or blue origin or the next person who wants to go off, i think we should do this because it is really important we get the perspective shift. >> it is amazing. i love the way you look at it, that it could be better for us to explore a little more and then do better back here on earth. leland, thanks so much for being with us. happy holiday weekend to you. >> you too, alison. thank you. up next, the dramatic video just in from a fire on the water. ♪ ♪ when technology is easier to use... ♪ barriers don't stand a chance. ♪ that's why we'll stop at nothing

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only with xfinity xfi. and see f9 only in theaters. ♪ ♪ this just in. check it out. dramatic new video of a gas pipeline rupture in the gulf of mexico. absolutely wild. you see the flames there boiling up to the surface of the water. crews eventually put out that fire. the mexican company that operates the pembroke pines line says nobody was injured, but no word yet on the extent of any environmental damage. wow, that is something else. all right. that will do it for me on this edition of "alex witt reports." i'm allis morris. my colleague and neighbor yasmin vossoughian picks it up from here. hey, yasmin. ♪ ♪ good afternoon, everybody.

i'm yasmin vossoughian. we have information on a standoff. also, the president on the move in michigan. a man with a message for the country this 4th of july weekend. america is back. that's his message. officials in florida announcing a short time ago that demolition of the collapsed condo, that will start in the next 36 hours with more than 100 people still unaccounted for. i will be talking to the mayor of surfside, florida, just ahead. you don't want to miss that interview. an unbelievable video from japan as a mudslide tears through a town. plus, the olympic committee under fire for suspended american sha'carri richardson over the marijuana she smoked legally, by the way. that story is coming up. we want to start with the breaking situation still unfolding in the state of massachusetts. after an hours-long standoff with law enforcement on i-95, 11 men armed with long guns and donning mill