corrector issued her statements on the e-mail scandal to be truthful. tonight, live from rio. let the games begin. a star studded opening ceremony, wild excitement as team usa goes for and a man killed by police, suspected of stealing a car. sudden change, as his poll numbers plunge, donald trump does an apparent turn got. and a cold-blooded sniper sending a new city deep into fear. tonight a dramatic plea for help. and here in rio, a

light the cauldron. live from copacabana beach, "nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: this is nbc "nightly news with lester holt" reporting tonight from the olympic summer games in rio. good evening, from copacabana beach, the picturesque ocean front skyline ablaze in lights as this city, this country this, lighting the olympic torch began. a lot has happened from this country, in a zika pandemic. it starts just a few miles in from us, at the maracana stadium where the olympic opening ceremonies are

standing in front of the russian teammates, they are among the more than 11,000 athletes from 207 countries that are getting ready to march into maracana stadium. tonight it will be on display like never before. for rio, it all comes down to this. nearly seven years after winning the >> welcome to rio. >> reporter: this week, the first sneak peek of what the opening ceremony is going to look like. from leaked photos of a dress rehearsal. the goal is to re-create that gold on unforgettable moment. queen elizabeth parachuting into the stadium in london. the drums in beijing. but brazil is throwing

political crisis, and the zika outbreak. today thousands demonstrated to show their support for the president, who faces impeachment. the budget for the opening ceremony was significantly cut back to about one-tenth of what was expected. >> even when you go to very poor areas, you and are happy and i guess the spirit is in the ceremony. >> reporter: it's that music, dancing and history. there will even be an appearance by beloved brazilian supermodel gisele bundchen. also the security operation, 88,000 strong, among them 1,000 u.s. intelligence operatives, according to a classified report obtained by nbc news.

specific threats. and this week has been about the fun. >> every time we're in the room, we're like screaming and laughing. >> reporter: the mystery over who will light the cauldron tonight, the rumor is it's going is to be a brazilian tennis legend. the chicago police department released nine videos showing in officers fired at a teenaged suspect in a stolen car. with the chicago police already under intense scrutiny, it's the first time they have released videos so quickly. >> reporter: police in

paul o'neil. he narrowly misses a policeman, he then crashes and then flees on foot. officers chase him, and he's shot. there's some confusion minas. >> he shot at the car, and he almost hit me. >> he shot back, right? >> reporter: the teen gun. his sister, distraught. >> i want everybody to know that paul had goals. >> reporter: the chicago police department acting swiftly, stripping three officers of their power, pending investigation. >> these police officers decided to play judge, jury and executioner. >> reporter: the fatal shot was not caught on camera. authorities are investigating why the body camera of the officer who killed o'neil was not turned on.

disturbing as it is, is not the only evidence to be gathered and analyzed. activists praised the department who have been under scrutiny for releeting the video just eight days after the shooting. and there is a new sense of urgency in phoenix tonight where a serial killer has been on the loose for months. linked the suspect to a ninth shooting, where concerns about his capture increase. >> reporter: a renewed sense of terror in phoenix, as a serial killer sets his sights on a new neighborhood. >> i can't even go out in my front yard. >> reporter: police now linking a ninth shooting on a serial killing suspect, 15 miles away from

occurred. police have widened their search to include this new area. neither victim was injured. nancy lost her twin brother on june 3 when he was walking outside his mother's home. >> we can't let this guy take away our sense of security. >> reporter: police sergeant jamey roth child says the reward has been height >> reporter: police describe the suspect as a light skinned latino or white male in his early 20s. he has used several vehicles including a black sedan, the gunman's motive, unknown. >> this man is a disgusting monster, i don't even know why he's on the state. >> reporter: police here in phoenix are declining to provide

situation, his family's grief and a community searches for answers all the while this serial killer is broadening his path. now to the latest developments in the race for president and a pair of changes for donald trump. and hillary clinton trying once again today to clarify comments about her e-mails as the issue continues to surround her. we have got it all covered starting with nbc's halle jackson. >> reporter: in the last of wisconsin nice, donald trump's playing nice, not with hillary clinton today, a new attack on her in iowa. >> she's really close to unhinged. >> reporter: but trump is expected to endorse paul ryan after refusing. ryan standing by his candidate for now. >> with any

>> reporter: for trump, the endorsement with a rare backtrack. >> taking that money off that airplane. >> reporter: for days, no one's known of what footage he meant of an iranian cash payment. after days of doubling down, today tweeting, the plane i saw on television was the hostage plane in geneva, trump admitting maybe trying to show he can grow. for the first time since january, hillary leads with men, white voters overall and those with no college education. struggling in some battlegrounds, but his team hoping for a turn around before it's too late. >> reporter: i'm kristen welker, tonight hillary clinton on the trust factor. >> people have count on me and trusted me. >> reporter: while

and female journalists, clinton trying to clarify this comment about fbi director james comey. >> director comey said that my answers were truthful and my answers were consistent with what i have told the american people. >> reporter: that debunked by fact checkers. >> is this not under cutting your efforts to rebuild trust with the american people? >> i may have short-circuited and for that i will try to clarify. bringing back one of her previous explanations. >> i never sent or received anything that was marked classified. >> reporter: despite this testimony from the full-blooded italian -- fbi director. >> tonight trump bouncing. >> i may have short-circuited and for that --

trust, hillary all right getting a boost. there is tragic news tonight from georgia, a pair of toddlers, twin girls found dead in a hot car. the latest such tragedy during a stifling summer. as nbc's rehema ellis reports, there are already more cases already this year than all of last >> reporter: tonight a family is mourning the loss of their twin girls who died thursday after they were allegedly left in a sweltering suv by their father. >> i never thought they would come to my doorstep. >> reporter: the 24-year-old father is charged with involuntary manslaughter, the mother who was away visiting teams at the time is devastated.

with an ice pack. >> do you have an emergency? >> we have two babies here that i think are dead, they're not breathing. >> reporter: there are reports that 26 children have died from being left in hot cars, that's already more than all of 20 15. >> one of the reasons it's getting faster is the failure of the brain's memory, and what makes that happen is we're just doing too much. >> reporter: technology m is testing a feature that tells parents to check before getting out of the car. tragedies that didn't have to happen, and warnings tonight to prevent them. rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. >> a thought that makes you shudder. still ahead tonight, we'll take

where millions live in the shadows. also from a war zone, one woman's if you' try clarispray.mes to escape your nasal allergies. new, from the makers of claritin.

return to the world.

with opening ceremony about to get under way, brazil is highlighting its attractions and

poverty can be a way of life. we join paul almaguer on his journey inside a city where so many live. >> reporter: rio is known for its culture, history and city, in this city, there are over 800 sprawling cities called provella's. this is one of rio's notorious favellas. with security, we traveled into one of the few places considered safe enough to enter. some of rio's favellas are literally cities within cities. home to more than

this favella is under police control. this commander tells us police in the community are now working together here. even in the post pacified favellas, people are unarmed. dozens of favellas are under cont effort to bring peace meets with violence. this woman's son was killed by police who swept through her favella. she says her son was an innocent victim of aggressive policing. jose mariano beltrave headed the operation a few years ago.

confrontation is inevitable. >> we expect people not only to be able to see the beautiful side of the city, but actually to see the huge problems we have on the ground. >> reporter: tonight as rio takes the world stage, this is a tale of two cities, one on display, as another sits in the shadows. miguel almaguer, nbc news, rio. and when we come back, i'll have more on how we are covering

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welcome back to rio, a city framed by it's dramatic beaches and it's soaring peaks. to show you a little more closely where our broadcast is positioned, we'll have to take you back a few hours time. it's winter here and dark comes early. so before sunset, i took this short stroll along the beach. school's out on a winter friday on this

kids, surfers, everyone having a good time on copacabana beach. this is a city that has beaches for miles and miles. we're anchored by this giant rock, pedro, leme. as you tilt up, you'll famed sugarloaf. the views there are stupendous, as we continue to move the camera to the left, there are some of the hotels and apartments that frame this gorgeous piece of real estate. and in where we are, we're only about five minutes from one of the most popular beach venues. there's the beach volleyball venue, the beach stretches out

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impressive story to tell. but one of the women on the first refugee team, it's a remarkable story of perseverance. >> reporter: it's in the water where she feels most at peace. >> when i am in the water, i forget about everything. >> reporter: one of syria's stars in the pool, she even completed on the world stage at just 14. but never imagined she would be swimming for her life, as her country crumbled around her. last august, ichra and her sister fled, with plans to join their father who had left them earlier. ichra and her sister escaped damascus, they made it to lebanon and then turkey. after way to greece,

ichra and her sister swam. >> we swam and tugged a boat all that time and you with respect afraid? >> i was afraid, but no one would help me, i had to try. >> reporter: they struggled to survive in waters thousands of others have not. finally on a train germany. >> i am now in munich. this is the train. >> reporter: are you happy now? >> yeah, finally. >> reporter: it took 25 days. the war took two crucial years out of her training. a new coach is showing her the ropes, working on her strength and speed. and she has taught him something too. >> this girl changed my way of thinking

sports and about live too. and now against all odds, ichra has a shot at her olympic dream, on a small team of refugee athletes competing under the olympic flags. >> i'm going to the olympics! >> reporter: her father, a former swim instructor has been by her first stroke. did you think that was r this was possible? >> it's a dream. >> i hope i can give people hope and inspire them, evening if you lose someone, even if it's war, if you lose your house, you have to continue. >> reporter: words to live by from one young woman who never gave up. >> this is about so much more than just sports. and there is much more on the first olympic

opening ceremony tonight at 7:30 eastern and pacific, right here on nbc. that's going to do it for us here tonight from rio.

lights, camera, access. hopefully they'll bring some more light. >> everybody, let's do it! >> as one of brazil's finest wait till you hear the part gisele plays in rio's opening ceremony. i'm natalie morales and it's not as the games begin. >> is anybody going to play music today? >> oh, we can. >> with franklin, phelps and lochte leading the way, maybe the sea directly. i'm billy bush and the u.s. swim team is not stopping there. ? god bless america ? >> been kind of a rough week. >> it's been interesting. >> to say the least. what's jack osbourne ready to