tonigrowing backlash. the president tries to disavow an angry chant now saying he disagrees with the crowd that roared r back" about a somali-born u.s. congresswoman. [ crowd chanting ] >> i was not happy with it. i disagree with it. >> even though the d president pauast night as the crowd yelled its insults. breaking news. gthe president s the u.s. navy destroyed a iranian drone that flew too close to an iranian oil ship. troubling new flash points a tensions continue to escalate. bail denied. a judge says jeffery epstein must remain in jail until his trial icon sex trang charges saying he is a threat to the community and a flight

risk. aoss the country, 200 million under brutal hea alerts. we uncover the dangerous conditions th for some of nation's delivery people. why are ups package trucks not air-coitioned? >> my vision was blurred. i was seeing stars. i was throwing up. >> the nbc news investigation you'll nt wa to see. andol up additional money for health care for 9/11 first responders. ht> announcer: this is "nbc n news" with lester holt. good evening.pr ident trump's attempt to distance himself from the go back controversy is ringing hollow tonight. the fall out from his racist attack on four democratic congresswomen last night when a crowd at a trump rally began outing "send her back" after the president took a swipe at somali born u.s. congresswoman ilhan omar. the president saying he tried to stop the ant, except the video shows he didn't. hallie jackson has details.

>> reporter: the chant easy to hear, but for some hard to listen to. [ crowd chanting ] >> reporter: democrats and a few republicans appalled at the words "send her back" erupting from the crowd at the president's north carolina rally referencing congresswoman ilhan omar who escaped war-torn somalia as a child. >> i am worriedor our country. i really am. >> it is about creating a volatile environmentn this country through violent rhetoric. >> the chant was offensive. it's just wrong. >> reporter: omar quoting maya angeu, like erroll rise, defending her right to make at times controver controversial comments that have angered republicans. >> we tell people in the united states this agreement is welcomed, bate is welcomed. >> reporter: the president today trying to distance himself from the chant. he is the one who initially suggested omarhrnd other democrats, all u.s. ci tizens, go back to their home countries.

>> i was not happy when i heard that chan i didn't like that they did it and i started speaking very quickly. >> reporter: he did not start speaking quickly, instead waiting 13 seconds before continuing on. >> omar has a history of launching vicious anti-semitic screeds. [ crowd chanting ] >> and she talked abou the evil israel. >> reporter: you can see the video there. publicly, some top republicans defended presiden trump. privately a different message. nuns learned from sources familiar with the conversation that gop leaders explained to the vice president that they thought the chant was not helpful and should be discouraged. >> hallie jackson at the white house. thank you. thes breaking news this evening on the u.s. confrontation with iran. a u. warship has

destroyed an iranian drone. the u.s. got way too close and ignored calls to stand dow details from courtney kube. >> reporter: the announcement today from president trump. the warship "uss boxer" took down an iranian drone in the strait of hormuz. >> the boxer took defensive actionag nst an iranian drone which had closed into a very, very near distance approximately 1,000 yards and was ythreatening the safet of the ship and the w. ship's cre athe drone was immediely destroyed. >> reporter: thi one month after iran shot down a u.s. drone in rea. same and today iranian media reports iran seized a sank-tanker ey claim was carrying oil smuggled from smallts. the ship and the crew towed into iranian waters and detained. in an interview monday with lter,ranian prime minister javad

rif said iran is the biggest power in the persian gulf. >> nobody can maintain security in those waters without iran. reporter: with tensions high in the region, commercial slight imagery shows u.s. troops deploying to prince sultan air base in saudi arabia in june. the first time u.s. troops have been there in fmore than 15 years. a u.s. military construction unit expanding a runway and building temrary housing. t >>here is another site where there is a lot of ground clearing going on. we think it might e for patriots or other missile defenses. >> reporter: so far no comment from the pentagonhe deployment. here in new york a federal judge denied bail today for wealthy financier jeffery epstein accused of sexually abusing dozens of young girls. the judge called epstein a flight risk and dger to his accusers and prospective victims. stephanie gosk has the latest. >> reporter: jeffery epstein is not gng back to his $77 million mansion,

at least for now. citing his great wealth and vast so reurces, a federal judge ruled epstein must stay in jail before trial. the 66-year-old pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges. if convicted, he could be sentenced to up to 45 years in prison. only by taking away the freedom of jeffery epstein c we restore the freedom of these victims. >> reporter: in his decision, the judge said there was clear cend convincing evidhat epstein was still dangerous, specifically pointing moout the testi of two accusers. one of them courtney wild, who says epstein abused her when she was 14 years old. >> as long as the victims speak up, he isn't going to get away this time. >> reporter: prosecutors argue he is an extreme flight risk, worth more than $405 million, cash, aniamonds, an expired austri passport with a false name found in a safe ihis mansion. the party at mara largo.

in the end the judge ny id i doubt that bail package can overcome danger to the counity. epstein's lawyers say they are considering an appeal. stephanie gosk, nbc ws, new york. tonight some 200 million people are under heat alerts as the heat wave shifts from uncom down right dangerous. the scorching temperatures are not expected to break as we head into the weekend. more from nbc's blayne alexander. >> reporter: the heat wave showing no mercy frometflix to new hampshire, 200 million under a heat alert. in chica ac repair crews are stretched to the max. downtown steamg risin from skyscrapers after a morning rainstorm. here i chicago it's the tale of two extremes. just six months ago this exat was frozen over. now it's on pace to hit near record highs. in south dakota you can actually see the

heat rising. one of the hottest spots, kansas city, where it feels like 110. >> it feels like i'm sitting in a sauna. >> reporter: and in omaha the national weather service tweeting these pictures. biscuits baking inside a car. t ashe heat continues a warning in new york city. run the ac, but keep it above anything lower could cause another blackout. ork and much of the east coast will see the hottest temperatures on saturday. for now it's the midwest that's taking the direct hit here in chicago it will feel like 98 degrees tomorrow with much of the region under an excessive heat warning. >> blayne alexander, thanks. i>> as we said, the heat't expected to let up as the weekend approaches. al roker is us with. where does this go tomorrow and the next few days? >> lest a long time since we have seen this kind of widespread heat. we are talking 34

states, 200 million people under heat alerts going into the weekend. for tomorrow the combination of heat andumidity makes for dangerous heat indexes. it will feel like 107 in des moines,02 in houston, 102 in nashville, 99 in philadelphia, and this weekend air temperatures will be in the uer 90s to low 100s. factor in the humidity and we are talking heat indexes 113 in washington, 112 norfolk, and we are not going to see any relief, lester, until sometime on tuesday. >> all right. al, thank you. the man in charge of homeland security was in the hot seat on capitol hill today trying to explain the troubling images of overcrowded shelters on the border. our geoff bennett has that story. >> reporter: acting homeland security al chief kevin mceenan taking heat over president trump's immigratn policies, including the separation ofigrant children from families. >> the damage t trump administration has inflict continuing to inflict

will impact these children for the rest of their lives. >> i have acknowledged this initiative, while ost l intended, the public trust and that president trump was right to end it. >> reporter: mcaleenan defe ed his agency pinning the blame on congress for not nroviding more money and tackling laws he says incentivize migrants to come the u.s. >> you feel like you o tobare doing a great j? that's what you are uraying? >> oevel best -- t>> t dsthaoe t when a child is sitting in their own feces? hocan't take a sr. come on, man. >> reporter: the hearing comes just days after vice president mike pence toured a migrant ncacility in mcallen, texas,ntering nearly 400 men crammed in cages, some complaining of hunger, wethers saying they hadn'td in weeks. >> this would not be allowed as a kennel for dogs. it's unacceptable a it has to change. >> there is no one in

this room that iswa rned more often or more stridently about the overcrowding and the conditions in our facilities than i have. >> reporter: mcaleenan says the efforts to reduce overcrowding are working but he says the situation remains at beyond crisis levels. >> thank you. now to an nbc news investigation finvolving ups. most os have had a package delivered at some point by the company, which has 250,000 delivery and operations employees. but in sweltering summers like this one cynthia mcfadden discovered some of the people delivering those packages are struggling. >> reporter: ups driver jim clink could have losis life. >> my vision was blurred. i was seeing stars. i was throwing up. i just honestly could not drive that vehicle safely anymore. >> reporter: his wife theresa. >> i am a nurse and i was terrified. >> reporter: clink has worked for ups for almost 15 years. >> it's a very good job. f as a matter t, i love the work that i have done for ups. >> reporter: but every

summer he dreaded the heat. >> that a cargorea where all the packages t's pretty much like opening up a big oven and walking into it. >> reporter: clink lives in new jersey, t be discovered it's happening all over the country. t ups packagerucks are not air-conditionedan d drivers say the cargo area can reach temperatures up to 152 degrees. one week in august 2016 clink says the heat became unarable. >> i didn't want to be the complainer, so i just worked. >> reporter: even though you were light headed? >> yeah. >> reporter: the next morning he says he lled in sick and ended up in the emergency room. your kidneys were failing? you almost died? >> yes. >> reporter: he is not alone. an nbc news analysis of federal and state data found 107 reports in 23 states of ups employees being admitted to the hospital for serious

eheat-related illnesses sinc 2015. ups declined our est for an interview, but in a itten statement said this is a small percentage of their work force and says some injuries are caused by workers' personal medical issues. two former departmabt issues say they believe the actual numbe of injuries is much higher. >> it's clearly a big problem. >> reporter: david michaels ran osha, the worker safety agency for eight years under president obama. >> obviously, americans want their packages delivered. they don't want workers to get hurt. ups is a very large profitable company. they can afford to make sure the workers aren't hurt. >> reporter: he admits he was never able to pass a national heat rule while he led the agency, but says it needs to happen now. >> if nothing is done, we'll have workers working harder and faster inotter temperatures. more will be hospitalized. >> reporter: we spoke to 20 upsrivers in 11 states who were injured or spoke out about the heat. while many told us they like their jobs,

they feared retaliation if they complained or took extra breaks in part because they ar constantly monitored. ws>> the company kno when you have your seatbelt on. the company knows how fast you are >> reporter: ups told nbc news it believes air-conditioning would be ineffective in its trucks, said it encourages its drivers to drink water and rest, arodes employees extensive health and safety training. >> it's easy to give that advice, but if the employer doesn't say you have the time to do it and we won'tpe lize you for taking that time, some of them are going to be hospitalized and, sadly, a few may even die. >> cynthia joins us right now. you said the company thinks that the air-conditioning would be ineffective. is itomething they are considering? >> the company made almost $5 billion in profits last year. but they say it hasn't c calculated tt of air-conditioning because they say it wouldn't be effective since the trucks make frequent stops and the doors are often open. some experts say there could be other

solutions like allowing more time for breaks when the stemperatures rise to dangerevels. as for jim clink, he told us he is considering retiring early, even though it's going to mean a cut in his pension. >> thanks. f in southlorida tonight hundreds of thousand and around the city of fort lauderdale are being warned to boil their water a told their taps could run dry. no water for up to a day in the middle of this heat wave is blamed on a contractor who apparently hit a water main during construction. this utage has caused several businesses, even a mall, to shut down. the governor has declared a state of emergency and the ate is sending truckloads of water to fort lauderdale. still ahead as we continue tonight, jon stewart blasting the one senator holding up a health care funding bill for 9/11 first responders. dozens killed at a horrifying inferno. why an arsonist set fire to animation studio. on the next frer as we heprepare to head back to the moon and beyond. stay with us. ve heart disease

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o>> we're back with a fightr funding for 9/11 first responders. many sick and concerned that the money for their health t care is set run out unless congress acts. jon stewart speaking out again as one senator is holding up the money. here's peter alexander. >> reporter: jon stewart unleashing a stinging rebuke on fox news. >> it's an abomination. >> reporte after republican senator rand paul helped delay a bipartisan bill to extend compensationnd victims. >> so if jon stewart could read, he would he read t bill and think who would vote for a bill without a dollar amount? >> reporter: pauargues he is n blocking the legislation but was asking for a vote on an amendment to offset the cost. >> some things they have nouble putting on the credit card. when it comes to the 9/11 first responders community the cops, tthe firefighters, construction workers, the volunteers, the survivors all of a sudden, man, we got to

go through this. >> reporter: the bitter back and forth weeks after stewart, an outspoken advocate for 9/11irst responders, blasted lawmakers. >> your indifference cost these men and women their most valuable commodity.ti . >> reporter: days later, retired nypd detective luis alvarez died, and today news that firefighter richard driscoll became the 200th fdny member to die of a 9/11-related >> at some point we have to stand e people who hav always stood up for us. >> reporteupr: despite , the bill is expected to pass overwhelmingly with a vote scheduled for tuesday.te alexander, nbc news washington. we are going to take a break and be back in a moment with a deadly inferno and what the arsoniswas heard screaming. have to run f. i didn't have to call 911. and i didn't have to come get you. because you didnat have another heart ck.

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mong tonight after a deadly arson attack left dozens dead. here is janice mackey frayer. >> reporter: tonight a tdevastating fire tha authorities say was deliberately set leaving 33 dead, dozens injured, and a country horrified b what appears to be the wors i mass killing decades. i saw some people with burns covered with mething, she said. fire officials say most of the dead at the animation studio re in a stairwell where they had tried to escape to the roof.ky oto police are calling it arson, ying a man poured what appeared to be gasoline and reportedlyuted "you die" as he set it ablaze. the suspect, that's him on the ground, now detained at a hospital. a motive unclear. he is not an employee ofhe studio known as kyoani, a popular producer of animation. on social media an outpouring of grief. japan's prime minister shinzo abe called it too appalling for words. people who went to

work to create colorful stories now a part of one of the un coy's darkest days. janice mackey frayer, nbc news. when we come back the next chaer in space. be right back. with moderateasto sev, i was there, just not always where i needed to b is she alright? i hope so. so i talhud to my doctor about ra. i learned humira is for people who still have symptoms of crohn's disease after trying other medications. and the majority of people on humira saw significant symptom remief and many achieved ion in as little as 4 weeks. y humira can lowerr ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas rt where cen fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have .

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as we mark the 50th anniversary of mi the apollo 11 ion to the moon this week many may wonder en we're going back. could be soon. tom costello looks ou >> reporter: it was 47 years ago when the last astronauts left the lunar surface. sincen humans haven't ventured th beyond the ear orbiting space station, but with the discovery of ice and

water the moon is hot again. on>> this is blue mo >> reporter: billionaire jeff bezos unveiling a spaceship he hopes will land assi t astronauts onhe moon. elon musk's spacex also working on a moon mission. wh e nasa itself powers ahead with project mess. americans back on the moon in five years, bill bill build a houstlunar s.base and head to m former space shutting commander eileen collins. has walkedn on mars. who is going to be the first person on mars? will it be an american? >> reporter: but a omanned mission tars is likely 20 years or more away. the future now isn't just about nasa. it's about other countries and commercial space business. china wants to put its own people on the meanwhile, spacex and boeing will soon fly astronauts to the ace station, taking over from russia. >> it's a very sensitive joystick. >> it is. >> reporter: boeing chief assist now chris ferguson showing me the starliner.

>> i really like it. >> reporter: tonight er apollo a 11 -- >> it's time to go back to the moon. this time to stay. >> reporter: the wld again has its eyes on the stars. tom costello, nbc news at the kennedy space center. >> a lot to explore out there. that's "nightly news" for this ursday. news" for this ursday. th not all water is created equal.

only 1 bnalionth of 1% is filteturally. and emerges crisp and refreshing enough to be called deer parer100% natural spring w born better® lights, camera, access. >> tel me about watching 13 wh reasons y with her. >> none of you cared enough. >> at 13 reasons why,