> tonight, the escalating war of words and the uproar in congress overum president trs comments. the president says his remarks about four democratic congress women were not racist, as the house erupts over a resolution to condemn his suggestion that they should go back to the countries they came from. no federal civil rights charges against a new york police officer in the d of eric garner as he was restrained by officers. i >> can't breathe. i can't breathe. >> garner's death five years ago ompting national protests over excessive use of for by the police. survivors story, the woman who was missing three days in the california wilderness speaks out, saying she got lost after running away fro a man who threatened her with a knife. >> grabbed hold of me and really

scary and threatened with his knife. >> the flash flood catastrophe in the south. 20 inches of rain leaving townse under forcing children to be rescued from day care. now millions across the country facing the biggest heat wave of the summer. roker will have the latest. lz fighting aheimer's disease. new research and what could be a major factor and some simple things you cano to preventt. and 50 years after the apollo 11 launch,hy we are all still moon struck. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> and good evening, everyone. we start with breaking news tonight. the house of representatives voted tonight to officially condemn president trump for his racist tweets. several republicans joining democrats in ving for the resolution. the vote forced members to take a public position on thees prent's demeaning call for a grou of liberal congress women toheo back and fix tlaces they came from. all of the women are of color and most born in the u.s. but the vote unlikely to shame

mr. trump who called on republicans to not show weakness. our hallie jackson hate details. >> reporter: drama as dtoocrats ght work to put the president's racist attack into the congressional record, voting to approve a resolution that, quote, strongly condemns president donald trump's racist commen that have legitimatized and increased fear and hatred of new americans and people of color. >> join us in condemning the president's racist tweets. to do anything less would be a shocking rejection of our values and a shameful abdication of our oath of office. >> reporter: that comment triggering a rare and remarkable house floor fight.an republics successfully arguing the speaker broke the rules with personal attack. >> i request the gentle woman's words are requested to be taken down. >> reporter: one democrat leaving in disgust. >> no, because we want to just fight. i abandon the chair. >> reporter: the resolution symbolic, meant to put

republicans under pressure to vote on the president's tweet sunday suggesting four freshmen progressives go back to their home coaltries. four lawmakers are women of color and u.s. citizens. only one was not born in the u.s. top republicans, mostly deflecting anden dng president trump. >> this is about socialism versus freedom. >> the president is not a racist, and think the tone of all of this is not good for the country. >> reporter: it's a momen fueling already bitter partisan divisions from the capital to the white houseop where t aide kellyanne conway had thismb coive exchange with reporter andrew feinberg. >> to which countries w he referred? >> which ethnicity? >> why is that relevant to this -- >> because i'm asking you a question. >> reporter: the president for his part tweeting today, i don't have a racist bone in my body. and again attacking the four women lawmakers. >> they can leave. they can stay. but they should love our country and they should work for the good of ourun coy. >> reporter: the president has

rarely shied away from explosive racial politics, dating back to his days plugging the birtherism conspiracy theory. and while fanning those flames may have helped h in 2016, it wasn't all beneficia midterms and may not be effective come 2020. lester? >> all right, hallie jackson at the white house. thank you. there is breaking news tonight of a shake up at planned parenthood. the organization forcing out its president after less than a year on the job, and it comes amid a battle over new and more restrictive abortion laws across the country. nbc's kristen welker has late details for us. >> reporter: tonight with abortion rights under fire, the president of planned parenthood, lena wen says she was forced out of her job today. wen tweeting, i just learned that the board ended my employme at a secret meeting. and in a letter to employees adding, the move comes amidst philosophical differences over the direction of the organization. the board has decided to, quote, double down on abortion rights advocacy. planned parenthood thanked wen for her service. a source familiar with her departure tells nbc news, it was

due to management style and lack of political savvy. wen was the first physician to lead the organation in decades. >> we will win because we are standing on e right side of history. >> reporter: just yesterday the trump administration began nforcing a rule barring federally funded family planninn cls from providing referra forabortion. that means planned parenthood stands to lose about $60 million a year. advocates say that could limit reproductiv services available to low-income women. it also comes as several states ccve passed legislation to restricts to abortion. for president trump opposing abortion rights has long been a key prioritynd campaign promise. >> and we're proudly defending the sanctity of life. >> reporter: planned parenthood changing its leadership at the top as it enters an uncertain new chapter. kristen welker, nbc news, washington. >> federalrs prosecuto said today they will not charge a new york city police officer in the

death of eric garner. his death a five year sparking protests across the country because of the way he was restrained. ron allen has the details. >> he was killed on the streets. and this cop is still hired. >> reporter: the pain still raw for eric garner's family. the video of his arrest for selling untaxed cigarettes five years ago and his plea heard 11 times. >> i can't breathe. i can't breathe. >> reporter: helping ignite a national debate about policing and sparking a movement. >> i can'tea bre. >> reporter: today federal prosecutors said they will not charge officer daniel pantaleo on desk duty since the incident sang they cannotrove he willfully choked garner to death. >> an officer's mistake, fear, misperception, or even poor judgment does not constitute willful conduct under federal criminal civil rights law. >> reporter: officer pan tax leo said he relied on his police

training to arrest garner and garner's resistance and poor health caused his death. in a statement today, the attorney said the decision confirms the fact that officer pantaleo did not violate eric garner's civil rights. garner's family who settled a wrongful death claim with the city for nearly $6 million wants the officer not only prosecuted, but fired. >> this is an outrage, an insult to injury. you killed my son and you won't get away with it. >> reporter: the case is not entirely over. as garner's family and officer pantaleo awaits the out come of a inter police disciplinary hearing. a decision is expected next month. lester? >> all right, ron allen, thanks. intohicago ght, music star r. kelly has been ordered to remainehind bars as he now faces over a dozen federal sex assault charges. ron mott is at the courthouse, and, udron, the ruled kelly is a danger to the community. >> reporter: he did indeed, lester. good evenias to you. this a major setback legally for r. kelly as that judge said

he needs to remain injail. he's a danger to the public. r. kelly could potentially be in jail all the way through not one, but two federal trials and that, of course, could take years. the 52-year-old singer appeared in court wearing an orange jump suit and was shackled at his ankles. he pleaded not guilty to 13 charges surrounding the alleged sexual abuse ofno five mi girls. his attorneys say they are considering an appeal on the bond decision left undecided is when and where r. kelly would be a rained on the new york charges which include racketeering, lester. >> all right, ron, t nnks. here in york, a woman says financier jeffrey epstein a boodsed her as a child spoke out today. calling on more alleged victims to come forward. nbc's stephanie gosk has that story. >> to all the victims of jfrey epstein, my name is courtney wild and i was sexually abused by jeffrey epstein as a child. >> reporter: crtney wild first accused jeffrey epstein ofxu sely abusing her over a decadeago. now she's calling on others to tell their stories. >> you may try to convince

yourself that this is a long time ago and you've moved on, but you are not alonend this was not your fault. >> reporter: epstein pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges in new york. in new mexico, at least three new accusers have com forward according to law enforcement sources. >> this is a case, at least in new mexico, that should have been investigated many decades ago, and it was not and soe are playing catch up at this point. >> epstein owns a sprawling ranch and estate complete with airplane hangar and landing strip where the attorney general says some of the abuse took ple. >> this is very large residence in a very isolated part of new mexico. >> reporter: in court documents in a separate civil case, a woman who works for epstein as a gruate student says in 1996, he flew her 15-year-old sister to the ranch and touched herop inapprriately on the massage table. as new accusers come forward, state law enforcement are forwarding their cases to federal prosecutors in new york.

epstein's next court appearance is thursday morning when a ederal judge will decide whether or not he gets bail. if he doesn't get bail, lester, and is convicted on these charges, he could be in prison for the rest of his igfe. >> all r, stephanie, thanks. let's turn now to the summer of extremes. the way igit heat o across the country. and in the south remains of hurricane barry still carving a path of destruction. severe floodin in parts of arkansas leaving homes and businesses and cars underwater. but that next threat coming is that scorching heat. yes, it's july and it's supposed to be hot, but it's about to get dangerous. al roker joins us w. , lay it out for us. >> lester, a lot of folks are going to be seeing the hottest temperatures of the summer. big dome of high pressure, a heat dome is pushing the jet stream way up to the north and so that combination of heat and humidity means 38 states will be seeing heet indexes of over 100 ongrees. 200 millif us or more will be feeling this dangerous heat.

we're talking about triple digit heat right into saturday for oklahoma city, memphis, chicago, cincinnati, omaha, and moving to the east, new york city, philadelphia, chicago, cleveland, washington and nashville. dangerous heat indexes, lester, right into the weekend. >> all righ al, thanks. an update tonight on the louisiana.ery in police in baton rouge say they arrested the man in the digt of community leader and civil rights activist sadie roberts joy self. ron jermaine bel was a tenant in one of her rental homes and owed $12 in rent according to authorities. tonight bell has been charged with first degree murder. tonight a grieving husband and father whose family was killed in the crash of an ethiopian airliner is calling on boeing to scraphe t 737-max and for top executives to face criminal charges. and he's preparing to deliver a strong message to congress tomorrow as he tells our tom costello. r >>eporter: four months since the 737-max crashed in ethiopia,

killing everyone on board, paul says his pain remains unbearable. his wife carol, his three children ryan, kelly and ruby, and his mother-in-law ann, all died. paul, a i canadian now all alone. >> they took my life away because without my family, i don't have a life.>> eporter: the ethiopian crash came months after another 737-max crashed in indonesia. in all, 346 people kill. he blames boeing and the faa. he plansl to tel congress the max should never fly again, and boeing execs should face criminal charges. though thas unlikely. >> for the sake of human life the 737-max should be scrapped. >> reporter: meanwhile, the 737-max remains grounded worlxpide. boeing ets to submit a package of software fixes in september, but under intense scrutiny, faa approval could take time.

u.s. airlines that fly the max are taking it out of service until earlye november at th earliest. but aviation experts believe it could take longer than that. >> it's going to go out to the end of the year at least, in my view, because the eyes of the world are looking at the ungrounding of hisairplane, and there's still a long way to go. >> reporter: again tonight, boeing stss it reg the loss of life and is deeply sorry for the impact to the families and loved ones. a >> tom joins us now. tom, there is news of another plane crash you are reporting on that happened a couple weeks ago in texas. what can you tell us? >> reporter: yeah, this was an addison texas just north of dallas on june 30.ay you m recall this plane had ten people on board. it was taking off and suddenlyo it seemed t rollover and go right into a hangar. newly released video s to show the plane pitching violently over to the left,thnd almost a cork screw right into that hangar. now, we know that the crew had discussed possible engine trouble on the left side. investigators are looking at whether it lost an engine.

and if it did, it would have done exactly that, banking over hard to th left, going straight into a hangar. everybody on board was killed, ten people, eighte members of milies, and the pilot and copilot on their way to st. petersburg. lester? >> terrifying video to watch. all right, tom, thanks. we turn to health news now. a new development to the fight against alzheimer's disease. doctors are now focusing on inflammation as a possible factor andrehey say there a some simple things that people can do to reduce their risk. dr. john torretells us more. >> who is that? >> reporter: connor o'brien is like so ny americans, struggling to take care of a father with alzheimer's. >>rowing up he was the life of the party, you know, class clown. d now i just lookt him. he's my hero, and just cry. >> reporter: after so many drug failures, now scientists have a promising new target, inflammation. >> so this is what a healthy brain should look like. but when there is and disease, the nerve cells are wiped out, decimated, just

threads of the >> reporter: dr. rudy tansy at massachusetts general hospital discovered inflammation kills llions of nerve cells, shutting down the area responble for thinking and memory. and he says there are things you can do now to fight inflammation. >> so these life-style interventions, how do those help your brain prevent alzheimer's? >> each one does something different. sleep clears out the brain. brercise grows new nerve cells in the n. diet helps your bacteria in youp gut to hel your brain. >> reporter: new studies suggest life-style changes can reduce th risk of alzheimer's by up to 60%. dr. tansy says you can ptect yourself with the shield. sleep, handle stress, interact with friends, exercise daily, learn new thin, and eat a healthy diet. >> i want to stay healthy. i hope i'm never in my dad's ees. >> reporter: simpl steps we can all take to fight inflammation, the possible culprit behind this devastating disease. dr. john torres, nbc news, boston.

>> we've got a lot more to talk about tonight. up hahead, wer from the woman who was missing in the wilderness for three days. why she say the woods.ased into also how that alligator who showed up in chicago was caught by an out of towner. .timing is . so why wait? start farxiga now. farxiga, along with diet and exercise,... ..although it's notin adults for weight loss,betes. it may help you lose weight. do not take if allergic to farxiga. symptoms of a serious allergic reaction include rash,....s ..welling, difficulty breathing or swallowing. stop taking and seek medical help right away. tell your doctor right away if you have... ...red color in urine, or pain while you urinate... ...or a genital area infection since a rare but serious genital infection may be life-threatening. do not take farxiga if you have severe kidney problems, are on dialysis,... ...or have bladder cancer. other serious side effects include dehydration, genital yeast and bacterial infections in women and men, urinary act infections,... ...low blood sugar, and sudden kidney problems. stop aking farxiga and call your doctor right away et you have symptoms of kcidosis,

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from california tonight, we are learning new details about a harrowing survivor's story. a woman found after four days alone in the wilderness. here's miguel almaguer. >> reporter: tonight cheryl powell is back in the arms of family, out of the hospital, sharing her story of survival. >> the guy comes fm behind, you know, from behind a tree, whatever, and, youkn ow, grabs hold ofe and really scary and threatened with his knife. >> reporter: powell says while at this remote camp site with her w husband, sheked away to use the bathroom with her dog when a man, hiding in the trees, suddenly surprised her, threatening to harm her. >> the first thing that's going to happen here is i'm going to

use this knife on your dog. and then if you don't let me have your way -- my way with you, i'll use it on you. >> reporter: fearing for her life, powell says she and her dog were able to escape into central california's white mountains. her husband says he suspected foul play all along. >> i want thisuy g to be caught. this monster has to be caught. nothing at this point is morean important thatching this guy. >> reporter: for three nights and four days, search teams scoured the mountains finally coming across powell's dog and then her. the powless met with investigator today. authorities will only say, our office is actively investigating the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. we have no further information. >>ucly i'm here and all the great help and support from everybody made it happen.gh >> reporter: t, the powells are headed home with an unforgettable story. miguel almaguer, nbcs. new >> a short break, then the moon close. whate will don't know 50

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it was 50 years ago today, apollo 11 blasted off for the moon on a mi ion that changed history. as joe fryer reports, we are still fascinated. >> reporter: at the griffith observatory in los angeles -- >> can he see it? >> yeah. >> ah! >> reporter: you could say the telescopes are match makers. >> i see the moon. >> reporior: linking curus humans with that bright white orb 238,000 miles away. do you ever get sick of the view up here? >> never. o beautiful. you see the entire los angeles basin and, of course, the beautiful moon. >> reporter: dr. lawyer danley is curator here at griffith home the massive telescope. >> you can see surfaces of other worlds and that's incredible. >> reporter: this week the observatory is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. what was your feeling in that moment? >> ecstain. i don't th there's any other

way to describe it. w ias crying, and i was only 11. >> reporter: since then, we've learned a lot about the moon. one of the most important things he says is that it's really old. >> before apollo, we didn't know whether it was a recent thing or an ancient thing. and, in fact, it was formed in huge impacright after the earth was formed. reporter: but there's still so much more to learn, like are there resources to help us stay alivthere. a dream that hasn't vanished. >> in 50 years, my grand kids are going to be living there. [ laughter ] >> reporter: even after all this time, the moon still has a way of wowg us. long distance relationship that endures. joe fryer, nbc news,os angeles. >> when we come back, chicago's newest star finally emerges. fact is, every insurance company hopes you drive safely. but allstate actually helps you drive safely... with drivewise. it lets you know when you go too fast... ...and brake too hard.

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finally tonight, an update on that t of townuest who became the talk of the town captivating chicago. here's kevin tibbles. >> reporter: the paparut in force for a glimpse of chicago's elusive celeb. >> we have some amazing news for the city of chicago. >> reporter: chance the snapper, all five green feet of him, was nabbed overnightfter week on the lamb. today wearing a red bow tie, introduced to his adoring public. >> it is a beautiful, beautiful alligator. >> reporter: when he was first spotted in a park, local volunteer alligator bob offered to track him down. then specialist frank rob was imported from gator central, florida, where gators belong. >> everybody's got different blessings. this is my blessing. > reporter: in the dead of night, suddenly he appeared, and was snagged with a fishing rod,

unharmed. >> he should run fice here. i think he'd probably win. >> reporter: chicago's resident reptile now awaiting a new home in zoo or sanctuary. and his claw printth on walk of fame. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >> we're glad he'll be safe in those winter months. sure he'll have p

lights, camera, "access." >> are you scared? >> sure. >> let yourself be afraid and then the fear doesn't have you. >> she has survived so many more years than she dare to dream.