we get more on this from nbc's blaine alexander. >>> at a-2 church in birmingham, alabama, worship is a sunday morning ritual, but now there is another piece to this routine. >> how many of you have guns on you? >> mine's in myse three and other members make up the church's volunteer security team, armed with a prayer and a >> reporter: after 30 years in law enforcement, jeff rush leads the team, but not everyone is as experienced. during the week, derek walker works as a warehouse manager. >> what was it that made you raise your hand and say i will do this. i'll volunteer for this. >> the people that i care about which is my church family, i want to protect them. >> they believe keeping parishioners safe from potential attacks is a miventry and they're not alone. more than a thousand places of worship across the country have launched volunteer security teams over the past decade. which is why companies like lycos arc shoot, don't shoot solutions launch specialized training using real glocks in real churches. it is evidence of a grim new reality. eight people were killed in emanuel ag

blaine alexander, nbc news, atlanta. >> still ahead tonight, our exclusive look inside the trump family hideaway. we take you behind the scenes at mar-a-lago. >> also the fireball from down under seen around the world. the incredible footage captured by firefighters as flames soared into the sky. >>> we have another nbc news exclusive tonight. a rare look inside mar-a-lago, the luxurious private club that serves as a florida retreat for president trump and his family. nbc's anna schechter was there last night for a big party. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: a rare look inside the winter white house. given exclusive access to the president's mar-a-lago private club, not usually friendly to the press. ♪ >> the theme, country comes to >> hundreds have come to mar-a-lago to celebrate him, support him and have a big party and they paid big bucks for it. some $500, some of the choice tables up to $20,000. the proceeds go not to charity, but to cover the cost of the party. >> it's a party for the president. the president would never do a party that wasn't the best. >> the grand ballroom outfitted with 16 cry

blaine alexander describes what led to change. >> reporter: good morning to you.sident trump is hoping that a picture i worth 1,000 words. that's what he tweeted out, a picture of him in the oval office, meeting with his intelligence chiefs, essentially trying to show they are on the same page. this comes after earlier in the week, we watched what was a rather stunning briefing on capitol hill, where the heads of the intelligence agencies essentially broke from president trumonadicting him on a number of issues, ranging from russia to iran, t isis and north korea. president trump, late inhe oval office yesterday, essentially said, that he beliefs they were d.misquo heat they were saying was taken out of context and were not, in fact, contradicting him. what we heard from capitol hill was their testimony as they weri it to congress. back to you. >> blayne alexander live for us this morning. >>> the maryland senate prident say he is having good days and bad days as he continues chemotherapy for stage 4 prostate cancer. the cancer has detametastasized his spine and p

blaine alexander has details. reporter: at heart fieldn jackso airport, a special pick up. but without this team, all of it would end up in the trash. >> in this country, we waste 72 billion pounds of perfectly good food every year. this is enough to fill up a b football stadium once day every day. >> yin 2017, she created gooder. an atlanta baseded company helps to combat hunger. d goodervers make the every night picking up food that otherwise would be throughout ou what do you have back here? >> mediterranean? salads and sandwiches and soul food. >> reporter: soul food. >> good for the soul. >> reporter: it's then taken to non-profits across the delivered straight to those who need it most. places like the covenant house, which serve as many as 80 young people every night. >> the variety of food that our youth recei is so important because much of their life, ey've experienced food insecurity. >> hunger is not an issue of scarcity. ha reporter: so far, goode provided more than a million meals on pace to double that by year's end. among her partners, the world's busiest pa

nbc's blaine alexander has the story. >> reporter: after passing the house, clearing the final hurdle on capitol hill -- >> the yea's are 300, the nay's are 128. >> reporter: a compromised spending bill to avert another government shutdown tomorrow now headed to president trump. it sets the stable for a new battle the president planning to sign the bill, but with executive action, a national emergency declaration to bypass congress and get more money for the border wall. democrats already considering a legal challenge. >> we will not have an enron around the congress of the united states. >> reporter: the bill only provides for a fraction of the wall money president trump wanted tonight some republicans firmly backing him. >> i think he has all the legal authority in the world to do this, and i will stand behind him. >> reporter: others in his party calling it a bad idea. >> you know, i have been very clear on my concerns about the president dough clairing this as an emergency >> reporter: the white house says they are prepared for a possible legal challenge and say with this action,