100 million viewers, many wondering say trump backers if clinton can prove she is health. this is going to be a grueling experience for both candidates and as someone who recently just got off her pneumonia bed this is a lot to ask. projecting honesty is her first goal. she recognizes she needs to earn the voters draft and tonight a great opportunity for her to do that. trump staffering say they are worried clinton will bait trump into turning off women voters he needs. >> him and confuse the people watching in such a way that he was somehow rude it a woman or somehow lied on the stage. >> reporter: a tight epping race adds to the drama. clinton up by five points until we in today's survey monkey poll but in battle ground state polls trump is surging ahead of clinton now in oh i he oh, iowa and north carolina, a tie in florida and colorado. hofstra hosted debates before. here it is extremely high here

the exhibition hall. we'll watch it here in the press filing center and we'll report on what happens over here at some of the press stand up positions. inside the hall only 1,000 people getting in, tickets going to students and to both campaigns. clinton has practiced quick answers. no lectures but aides say she will call trump dangerous. he practiced less and staffers say they don't know if serious trump or name calling attack trump will show the big debate. >> reporter: trough's running mate is expected to be in the audience. bill clinton, hillary's husband, is said to be joining her at the debate but it's not clear if he will be in the hall and at the white house we're told that president obama won't quite be watching tonight. he says he will be working but instead of monday night football on the tv he says the debate will likely be on in the background.

>> anchor: so dan there has been debate over the role of the moderator, whether this person should serve as a fact checker or just keep that debate going. has fact checking issue been settled at this point? folks who run the debate say they will leave the question answering and the question debating to the debators. the moderator will not be fact checking. it's up to each candidate to fact check each other. tonight's debate may be unlike any other we've seen in any past election and both candidates likely have very different strategies and goals. political editor andy hiller joins us with tonight's hiller instinct. i can't wait. kim, i don't care how many debates hilary clinton has been in before because she has never been this one like this because there has never been one like this. this is more than a debate. it's a spectacle. a show. donald trump is the showman who

campaign. they both have dues and don'ts. calmly and with precision clinton needs to provoke trump into saying something he will forever regret. trump hates to be insulted, maybe she should call him little donnie. what did you do when voters don't like you or trust you and you too often come across as cold and entitled? how about a smile? a real smile. for trump convince voters he is fit to be president, that he has a presidential temperaturement. if he acts dignified tonight his answer will be yes. i know politicians believe it or not better than you do. >> reporter: here is a quick specific. you know those faces trump makes during a debate? tonight he should leave them all in the green room. they are useless and only make hillary look good. just as there are opportunities, there are also obstacles for clinton and trump.

getting into a skunk fight with trump. if she gets into one she will smell like one i will only hurt her. before all, hillary cannot show any sign of any health problem. one coughing spell could actually cost her the white house. trump will and should criticize clinton but he must be careful not to cross the line and harass her. the last thing trump wants to create for hillary is sympathy. finally, trump must recognize he historical upset. if he is as good at the at of the deal as he claims, then tonight he has to close it. how big is tonight's debate? well compared to sports it's bigger than big papi and tom brady combined and in term of our country it's as big as our future. live in the newsroom, andy hiller, that's my instinct. >> anchor: all right need to watch this bee bait on 7 nbc and we'll have complete coverage of

dan hausle as you see is in new york around you can count on political editor andy hiller for his instinct and analysis tonight at 11:00. >> anchor: a story you will see on just one station a vfw post in revere vandalized with anti-trump graffiti. an american flag mural covered in curse words all caught on camera when spray was put there. steve cooper willive in revere for to us tell us more. steve? so members of the post are outraged tonight and so too is the police chief who says the i am speechless because it's such a disgrace. >> reporter: anti-trump graffiti with a swear word we blurred out spray painted over the american flag on the side of the vfw post 4524 here in revere outraging everyone. this isn't a joke. you know what i mean? it's not anywhere you joke. it happened early saturday and was caught on camera. first at 4:30 a.m. you can see

but that wasn't the end of it. not even four hours later in broad daylight watch as this woman gets out of her car in the back of the vfw post and starts spray painting the wall and before driving off police say she spray paints the side of a van in the parking lot. to do something like this, it's despicable. it's not called for and it's -- i'm surprised it happened. >> anchor: the police chief a decorated war veteran himself is outraged by the vandal imively anybody that would desecrate an american flag. it's something that's important to me. i hold it near and dear to my heart. >> anchor: close members say what's most upsetting is the american flag was painted last summer by a man who that the country painting one flag on one vfw post in every state across the country. it's deplorable. it is. there is no reason for something like that. >> anchor: right now the chief said his deal i are going

suspects. at the same time he is appealing to the public for anyone that may know anything in connection with what happened here to come forward. live in revere tonight, steve cooper, 7 news. >> anchor: and we're following breaking news at 6:00. boston latin school reaches a settlement after an investigation into racism at the school with leaders promising changes to prevent future discrimination. amaka ubaka is live at boston latin now.. >> reporter: well, kim, as almost a year now and today the u.s. attorney's office says that the school did violate a portion of the civil rights act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination based on race. the u.s. tore's office said there was one violation and it involved the school's mishandling of its review of allegations that a male student addressed a female student during class using pro fanity and a racial slur and threatened to lynch her with an electrical

people associated with the school and reviewed thousands of documents. the investigation also raised concerns about two other racially charged incidents and the overall effectiveness to create an inclusive school environment for all students under the agreement with the u.s. attorney general as office boston public schools will develop mandatory annual trainings for students, faculty and staff covering racial harassment. they will also hire a diversity responsible for monitoring any complaints of harassment and they will have to conduct an annual survey of the racial climate of the school. we got reaction from beth parents and a student on the findings of the investigation. take a listen. i am not surprised and i am hopeful that with this type of attention in the spotlight this leads to change. i am not worried but i am worried about other people that i care about who might

just shocking that it happened to such a famous student shouldn't be discriminated order treated differently because of their race, their skin color or whatever. >> reporter: that statement the superintendent says that boston public schools is committed to insuring that boston latin schools along with all our schools fosters a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for each and every student. now right of the acp is meeting to give their reaction to a's findings. they along with several other groups got this whole thing started by sending a letter to the u.s. attorney as office back in february complaining about the school's practices. later tonight we'll also have reaction from the mayor. for now live in boston, amaka ubaka, 7 news. >> anchor: the salem man convicted of killing a u.s. army veteran sentenced to life in prison today. peter castillo found guilty of

it. took a jury only 90 minutes to return that conviction today at the courthouse friends and family of the victim 22-year-old stephen perez spoke out. every song, every wind that passes by strikes my heart and tears form. i have not yet smiled wholeheartedly since the day he left. >> anchor: perez served two tours of active duty in the u.s. articly before he was shot and killed in boston in 2012. >> anchor: a vacant ho fitchburg goes up in flames. fire started at the old vp brown school around 4:00 this morning. school was canceled at the nearby middle school because of all of the smoke. no word yet on a cause but no one was hurt. brockton police removing 18 cats from a home and they say this isn't the first time they have taken animals from the house. there are animal control officials showing up on colgate road this morning wearing body suits and masks. they remove 18 cats and put them

than 50 cats from the same home just a few years ago. no word on whether the homeowner will be facing any charges. >> anchor: all right. coming up, taking your support on the road. how you can help lead the charge to find a cure for a debilitating disease with a brand new license plate. >> anchor: plus, he is not going anywhere. brad marchand's message to boston as he signs a new long

i'm a public school teacher in massachusetts, and i've reviewed question 2. it will make public education even stronger, because question 2 would allow more access to public charter schools, so parents have more choices for their kids' education, and public charter schools don't take funds away from public education. in fact, question 2 will result in more funding for education in massachusetts. please vote yes on question 2

one in eight women will face breast cancer. early detection can mean the difference between life and death. planned parenthood gives new hampshire women access to life saving cancer screenings. but ayotte voted to defund planned parenthood six times. why? because ayotte opposes a woman's right to choose. in her relentless effort to overturn roe v. wade, ayotte puts critical cancer screenings at risk, hurting new hampshire women. kelly ayotte: putting her personal interests ahead of your health care. independence usa pac is responsible

p have you heard about your way to show support in the als. special license police just unstayed from massachusetts drivers. >> anchor: all proceeds benefit the search for a cure. jadiann thompson reports. >> reporter: the fight against als is hitting the road. anybody looking for a license plate? governor baker and lieutenant governor joined top als affected by the disease to unveil the first-ever massachusetts als license plate. the proceeds from the special plate will benefit als one, a local non-profit with a mission to find a treatment or cure for the disease by 2020. i think the most important thing is progress. this is a disease that is at 57 years people have been trying to figure how some of the secrets and thanks i believe to the wok of a lot of people but

challenge there are now things that people are starting to realize about how this works which for people that have been working on this for years is just a hugely positive sign, gets people hope. this is just more of that. >> anchor: pete inspired the ice budget challenge in 2014 which raised more than 220 million for als research. his families says this is the next step toward a cure. we are just so honored to be here today. this will help raise the funds. it's just another thing for us as our family to be and certainly pete is so honored to be a part of all of this. it's incredible. >> anchor: so the license late has been approved by the state but will need 750 registration applications to begin production and funding so. you can find more information on our web site about how to get one of those if you like on whdh.com. in the newsroom, jadiann thompson, 7 news. >> reporter: nice fall day with lots of sunshine. tomorrow another fall day but

dear fellow citizen, i know what it's like to live a full life. but living for today doesn't mean forgetting about tomorrow. most people spend more time planning their vacation than they do for retirement. but i like to think of retirement like it's a 30-year vacation. so how are you going to get there? don't worry. it just takes some planning. and i can help. so if you have a question about retirement, ask me. sincerely, bernard tynes fellow vacationer and fellow citizen. fios is not cable. we're wired differently. so we wired the wagner's house with 100 meg internet. which means that in the time it takes mrs. wagner's car to arrive for the airport,

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>> reporter: sunshine will fade behind clouds then we have clear skies giving way to clouds. showers after midnight tonight, some rain tomorrow morning and i think we can kind of boot it out of here by midday and tomorrow afternoon but overall an unsettle week ahead from this storm system right here it's

of rain up our way. here is the first one right here move rag cross new york and pennsylvania. what happens is the area of low pressure, the little red l will find a home through west virginia and sit and spin for a few days and heave moisture up in the form of clouds and a few scattered showers an pockets of drizzle and mist. sounds fun, doesn't it? low to mid 60's the city at 61. bedford at 64. we need rain. increasing clouds, showers after midnight. not as cool as it was this morning. some towns down in tomorrow morning in the mid 50's. along with raindrops of you need rain gather tomorrow morning and perhaps even up until lunch time tomorrow and then i do think we'll see some sun tomorrow afternoon especially along west of 495. showers may linger down through the south coast and cape through the afternoon hours tomorrow but tomorrow morning we all get in on the rain shower activity as this weather system slowly begins to move away. how much rain is on the way. i think most towns about a quarter to in some locations a

now on to wednesday cloudy skies and a few isolated showers on wednesday it's technically a cool front moving through tomorrow so the cool air is not here tomorrow but it is here on wednesday with temperatures only in the lower 60's. so again it will be this area of low pressure that kind of wobbles down, ohio, west virginia, kentucky, virginia and as it is doing so lick a big old pin wheel throw moisture off the ocean and up into new england in the form of clouds and again a few isolated showers wednesday and thursday but a higher chance into sunday and perhaps even into early next week the i will see you at 7:00. >> anchor: between his 37 goal season last year and break out performance at the world cup of hobb hockey, brad marchand proved himself to be one of the game's elite wingers. now he is being paid accordingly agreeing to an 8 year, $49 million extension with the

signing for a lot less than what many figured he would get on the open market but marchand maintained all along that reupping with the b's was his top priority and today both sides got what they were looking for. boston has been, it's become my second home. i love it there. i am very excited about what is ahead for our team. i believe in our term and our group and what we're working toward and it's a place the next number of years and potentially my whole career. >> reporter: the rest starting up preseason play tonight against the blue jackets, the group you will see at the garden does not include david back us who is fresh off his stint with team u.s.a. but the former blues captain said he is happy to get going in black and gold. after all of the summer's rig more old it's one of those sighs of relieve okay we're here

couple of guys goofing around, having fun while you are on the ice doing what we will be doing and what we love to do it's something that just has been a long time coming to finally put that jersey on and to go out on the ice was a great day. >> anchor: bruins not the only ones lifting the curtains on their season today. it was media day for the celtics who were smiling for the cameras and taking questions about high expectations for 2016. the celtics are one of just five teams picked by las vegas sports become to win 50 award games this season. the green teal's goal really though is to get out of the first round of the playoffs. something they hope al horford will help them do. the celtics saw boston come alive with post season intensity. the spring it admits he got preferential treatment from the garden faithfuls he prepared to hit free agency. i try not to by attention to a lot of it because you know

would say you are going to be here next year. i am kind of like you know people but i did notice people weren't coming at me like in the past. i think that people here are t a very smart family and i think they were aware of the possibility so they caught me a break. i think they they did. >> anchor: the 2016 season will be paul pierce's last in the n celtics captain announcing today he will retire at the end of year. pierce sin on now with celtics pride. his third on the franchise's all-time scoring list. second in games played. of course he help the team win a title back in 200 . stephen already setting up a header in the match, better make it two beautiful ball to mikhail keen gets a nothing inon it in

the gel and gets our play of the day. the patriots making a swap on their defensive line waving anthony johnson to reportedly bring in former brown's defensive tackle john hues. that's sports. 7 news continues after the interviewer: what would you do with five minutes to kill and a smartphone? man: check the scores. woman 1 : uh, probably post a pic. woman 2: text a friend.

galvin: you can. five minutes online and a massachusetts driver's license is all it takes to register so you can vote for our next president. go to register to vote m-a dot com. it's that easy. woman 2: done. i just registered. man: that was easy. galvin: register by

>> anchor: what r that is our time on a monof thanks so much for watching 7 news at 6:00.

pam griffin: our daughter courtney got caught in a web of opiate and heroin addiction. doug griffin: our insurance company indicated that courtney's problem wasn't a matter of life and death - pam griffin: she told me that she didn't want to live like this anymore... she begged... she begged for help, saying mom - please help me. doug griffin: our family's tragedy could happen to any family... pam griffin: we knew we had to save other families from losing their children. kelly reached out to us. doug griffin: she came to my family to learn more. pam griffin: she listened to what we had to say, who we were -

of addiction so parents can get help. doug griffin: kelly co-authored the comprehensive addiction and recovery act - this act will save kids' lives... ...and enable families to get the help they need. doug griffin: we don't want courtney to be remembered for her substance abuse, but rather for her struggle to achieve recovery. pam griffin: kelly believes recovery is possible. kelly: i'm kelly ayotte and i approved this message. ? why do banks treat you and your money like this? they nickel and dime you with fees and minimum balances. they've reimagined banking, and built a checking account that's free of all that nonsense. no fees. no minimums. no gotchas. at capital one, your money stays your money.

tonight this is it. donald trump is hillary clinton meeting face to face in their first presidential debate, a live 90-minute showdown between two very different candidates with everything on the line. the critical question. can the two most change some minds tonight? a record audience of over 100 million expected to tune in. who will walk away the winner in this first crucial contest? "nightly news" begins right now. this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. substituting tonight and reporting from the campus of hofstra university, savannah guthrie. and good evening.