. >> blayne alexander joi us now to break it all down. big day on th trail should we say, blayne? >> this is somebody -- a lot of pere pointing to the fact that this is a verbs of former president obama that weaven't en since he left the white house. he typical stays out of the fray of politics, making veilss es but today no ambiguity. two presidents hitting therail and pushing for voters taking swipes at each other. president obama calling out the country's division and his successor by name. >> it did not start with donald trump. he is a symptom, no at the cause. >> reporter: minutes later in a speech of his own, president trump hitting back. >> i'm sorry i watched it. but i fell asleep. >> rep ater: each with different rallying cry ahead of november. >> you need to vote because our democracy depends on it. >> reporter: the president tivating his base with threats. >> you didn't go out to vote that's the only way it happens. >> reporter: at times azrtunning splin. >> the job numbers have been available. >> when you hearow greathe economy is doing right now, let's just remember w

blayne alexander. >>> now to a developing story. frightening moments in dncntown ciinnati after a gunman opened fire inside a bank. people scram belled for cover. it happened at the 30s thifirt bank on the loading dock. police confronted him and he died, but not before killing three innocent people and wounding two others. the motive for the shooting is still unclear. >>> back nowo our ea, a deadly discovery inside a home in herndon. a man coming homein to fd his two young sons st to death. now police are providing some new information about what they think happened inside that house. news 4's mark mark sethaves has details. >> reporter: jus 24 hours since the call first came in, police tape still surrounds this is house here in herndon and polici are t us that they believe what happened inside this ho, murder/suicide. police would not identify any of the victims because of privacy laws regarding children. but basedn what neighbors tell us and what recordings from police dispatches, it appears the 42 jld mothho-year-old mothd here s

blayne alexander is here to break it all down for us. hi, blayne. >> guys, president trump's name has come up several times during today's questioning. now, of course, the big question, will this article specifically be mentioned during tomorrow's round of questioning? now, as for day two on capitol hill withan the kgh hearings, certainly less drama than we saw yesterday and more direct as senators took tesir ons directly to jud ge nakaetva >> reporter: today, more protests. as judge brett kavanaugh answers direct questions for the first time. >> i base my decisions on the law but i do so with an awareness of the and an awareness of the real world consequences. >> reporter: the jge repeatedly grilled on presidential power, promising -- >> no one is above the law. >> reporter: -- but not giving a definitive answer to this question about the president. >> trump claims he has a absolute right to pardon himself, does he? >> that's a hypottical question that i can't begin to answer in this context. >> reporter: a point drilled by democrats who

blayne alexander. >>> people are gearing up to watch the hearing tomorrow morning and here in the bay area friends of dr. ford are among them. they say they've got her back. >> she is reliving the worst moment of her life and reliving it publicly. >> in just about ten minutes nbc bay area low pressure look at the plan some supporters have made for tomorrow morning. nc >>> let's give you a look at sky force ranger. it's been closed for 24 hours as engineers examine all the beams looking for cracks. that's one of the cracks right there. we learned engineers have discovered a second crack. now they say the terminal will be closed for a second week. sam, tell us what the status is right now. >> reporter: the headline today is the transbay authority does not know what caused the crash. they do not know how they will fix it. they believe the problems are localized to specifically this section. the beams affected are huge. they span the entirety. i do say beams plural because as you mentioned there's a second crack. >> inspection last night indicated a different beam to the beam in question

. >> that was blayne alexander reporting. the hearing brought out heated outbursts from senators on both sides of the aisle. boll california's senators, senator kamala harris joined other democrats in asking judge kavanaugh why he wouldn't have the president for an fbi investigation. >> so are you willing to ask the white house to do it? yes or no and we can move on. >> i've had six background investigations over 26 years. >> as it relates to the recent allegations. >> the witness testimony is before you, no witness who was there supports that i was there. >> i'm going to take that as a no and we can move on. >> dianne feinstein outlined claims from two other women who went public. >> each of these stories are troubling on their own, and even of these allegations should be investigated by the fbi. >> now, mentioning the accusations against the other women earned fine tine a rebuke from the chairman, chuck agreesly, who said today's hearing was only about dr. ford's claims. the senator said she had not received permission to t

our coverage begins tonight with nbc's blayne alexander on catol hill. >> reporter: brett kavanaugh's nomination process taking an unexpected pause after a stunning about face by republicans calling for a fbi investigation into the nominee, limited to current credible allegations. it comes after a chaotic committee hearing, some democrats walking out, but it wasef republican make who pushed for the one-week delay. >> the country's being ripped apart here. >> reporter: other republicans quicklyoining him. >> i think it was a fogood step today. >> reporter: putting pressure on president trump who agreed to the senators' request, a victory for democratsho spent days pushing for the investigation. >> the fbi investigation must be penetrating and impartial and objective. >> reporter: on the senate floor,eader mcconnell vowing to push ahead. >> we will keep t process moving. the full senate will begin considering judge kavanaugh's nomination today. >> reporter: but no full vote until after the fbi returns its findings. and once those findingsenave submitted to congress, we've learned all 10

. >> blayne alexander on a moment of unity and what is oftentimes a divisiv nature in our country. we appreciate it that. we'll continue to check in as the procession continues. i also want to remind you our d digital team is continuing to stream live images. go to our nbc washington app and follow along. >>> we want to cover other top stories on this saturday morning. the university ofaryland football players will take the field in a matter of hours for their first game of the season. but this season begins shrouded in some controversy. news 4'ser ward is live with more.in good mo >> reporter: good morning. well, you know, it was sort of a bumpy road to get to the start of this season, but the fans that are here early now in th parking lot and folks tailgating are looking forward to it. the maryland team takes on the university of texas at noon today. what happened in the off season is heavy on people'smind. first off there was the death of 19-year-old jordan mcnair. he was an offensive lineman who collapsed during a practice and passed away two weeks after the may 29th. practi it

blayne alexander has the latest on this ever-unfoldi story. >> the times of the allegations is what are so they came out, really, just hours before we expected to hear fromkaudge naugh's first accuser. now, keep in mind, even though everince this hearing was first scheduled, two other women testify, are willing to speak under oath about their experience, and it seemed all bute inevita they will not get that opportunity. on the eve of a senate judiciary hearing, a third accuser coming forward with the most explosive and detailed allegations yet against supreme court brett kavanaugh. ke says in 1981 or '82, she was aware thatanaugh and others would spike the punch at house rties with drugs and/or grain alcohol so girls lose their inhibitions and ability to say no. she says she saw kavanaugh and a friend get girls drunk so they could then be gang raped going on to say she was the victim of such an assault and kavanaugh was present. kavanaugh strongly denying all of it writing this is ridiculous and from the twilight zone adding he doesn't even know her. >> there's scores of people supposed

blayne alexander joins with us the blowback and it has been immediate. >> absolutely. even from members of his own party. let's break down the death toll number the president is disputing. he tweeted when he visited puerto rico, that there were 18 deaths mafl. so he's h questioning that number grew to nearly 3,000. the indiana report is looking at died.undreds of people who from things like lack of power and lag of clean water. president trump is looking back arguing 3,000 people did not die during hurricane maria in puerto rico. the death toll, he claims, was inflated by democrats to, quote, make me look as bad as possible. criticism from the man who led the effort in hurricane katrina. >> i would say folks on the future damn storm. stop looking in the rear view mirror. >> today sayin his people's pain should not be questioned. and from house speaker paul ryan. >> there is no reason to dispute these numbers. >> george wasngton university tallied the deaths after maria hit. >> there is a big discrepancy on how people die from buildings collapse versus the secondary dea

blayne alexander joins us. a reporter: we certainly saw lot from president trump on twitter. one of those tweets, he said his white house is a ll-oiled machine. something he's. before. but of course the book paints d veferent picture. on the eve of that book'sre ase, they're going head to head over who is telling the trutul. >> push back from the podiumor >> repr: the white house hoing its first briefing. sarah sanders addressing the new book "fear" which speaks of a tim ittuous white house through un sources. >> it seems incredibly reckless for a book t mak such outrageous claims, to not even take the time get a $10 fact checker to verify. >> reporter: this mo woodward taking a hit at the president. >> this is a war on truth by him. >> reporter: and defending his reporting on "today." >> why should people trust you? >> the incidents are not anonymous. >> reporter: president trump apparently watching, pointing to that question from savannah and calling woodward a lia caught cold. sanders calling out an anonymous senior administration official who wrote a critical "new york ti

blayne alexander has the latest. it is confusing. >> reporter: on top of all that, consider the time line. the supreme court is in session in less than two weeks. the crucial elections two weeks away. the republican party is struggling to keep this nomination on track. president trump refusing to back away from his nominee brett kavanaugh. >> i seal, i feel the republicans, i can speak for myself, we should go through proces there shouldn't even be a little doubt. not even adoubt. >> kavanaugh and the woman accusing him of sexual atsault high school party decades ago, both asked to tell their side of theer story oath in a monday hearing.av >>e you heard back from dr. ford? >> no. >> b republicans say she did not immediate respond. >> my hope is that we'll have an opportunit to learn from her and from judge kavanaugh. >> it is leaving republicans split over who willestify and how they will be .question >> they may be able to elicit more information and then hear from even of the committee members. >> democrats want th

let's start with blayne alexander to break it down. >> reporter: president trump agreeing to a senate request to order an fbi investigation into sexual assault allegations againstupreme court nominee brett kavanaugh whoays he will continue to cooperate. a stunning reversal for the president. bringing the confirmation processo a standstill after mounting pressure from key swi republicans. >> i think it would be proper to delay floor vote up to and not more than one week. >> senator flake -- >> is it going on happen? or did you cut the vote? >> no. this was all gentleman and women's agreement. >> a short time later president trump himself not clear what had happened, reacting to the news.j >> it want to it work wellfo the country. the president commenting othe woman accusing kavanaugh of sexual assault. >> i thought herestimony was very compelling she looks like a very fine woman to me. >> saying that the allegations need a cser look. has president trump ever considered a replacement nominee for judge kavanaugh? the president said not even att li bit. nbc news, washingt. most people cal

blayne alexander has the latest.fusing. >> reporter: on top of all that, consider the time line. the supreme court is in session in less than two weeks. the crucial elections two weeks away. the republican party is struggling to keep

blayne alexander is tracking all that down. >> her attorney said only if they can agree on terms thatand ensur her safety. she is looking to at least walk the the senators on this and see if there is a way she can come before them next week. now we're waiting t see what senator chuck grassley, the leader of the judiciary committee has to say about the possible hearing. >> reporter: as the clock winds down, pressure is ramping up on capitol hill. brett kavanaugh's accusere christasey ford says she is willing to testify next being but not on monday. >> protesters trying to buy her more time. >> theinre g an option. show up monday or not at all of i consider that to be llying. to be disregarding. >> reporter: standing with graduates of 'sford high school, presenting a letter of support signed by 1,000 fellow alums. this as outside groups rushed to air tv ads supporting kavanaugh -- >> he is dedicated to his family. >> reporter: and attacking him. >> we can't let brett kavanaugh decide on our rights forra a geneon. >> in battle mode, eager to defend his reputation. spending a third day th

blayne alexander for us. >> reporter: a lot of pple are commenting and saying this is a former president obama we have not seen since he left the white house. typically he's remained relatively silenthen it comes to the state of politics. he believes the former president should just disappear for a while and p allow the newson to come in and speak uninterrupted. but he said today he was eaking at a citizen and not a former president and it is what he calls the most important election he can remember. what was very notable about today's speech, guys is thater foresident obama shied away from something he did in the past, which is going after his successor by name. not only did hesiay pnt trump's name several times in the speech, but almost ticked down a laundry list of the current president's actions, talking about his meeting with vladimir putin to the border wall tohe response to the hurricane disaster and saying he was not pleased, t put it lightly, with the way president trump handled it. you can imagine president trump had some snide words for obama. he gave a speech shortly after sa

let's start with blayne alexander to break it down. >> reporter: president trump agreeing to a senate request to order an fbi investigation into sexual assault allegations againstupreme court nominee brett kavanaugh whoays he will continue to cooperate. a stunning rer

blayne alexander reports from the white house now. >> reporter: and it appears that is still a very big mystery in the white house and beyond. nobody seemso know who wrote that op-ed, but we have a good idea of who says they did not ec write itse all day long we've been seeing a steady stream of people officials within the administration sending in statements saying they had nothing too with it. it is the frantic white house guessing game. which insider wrote the scathing "new york times" op-ed slamming president trump? >> anonymous meaning gutless. a gutless editorial. >> reporter: a senior official calling out the president's and iorality and claiming to be tsrt of a quiet resistance to frustrate p of the president's agenda and his worst inclinations. >> there is somethinghat we haven't seen before and i have used the words nerional ncy. if this is not a national emergency, i don't know what is. orter: the white house fighting back, attacking the anonymous op-ed wrier and th ea newspaper that published it, president trump suggesting treason. his press secretary slamming the gut restle

blayne alexander has that covethge wit part of the story. >> reporter: the president has a lot to say, not just about hurricane season we're currentll facing, butt year's as well saying he earnea-plus response r his response, even though the death toll was in the thousands. president trump tweeting ining assurances ahead of hurricane flompfl p florence. >> we're fully prered, food, supplies, everything you can imagine. >> reporter: fighting criticism they mishandled thees rnse to hurricane maria last year leaving nearly 3,000 people dead in puerto rico. >> i think that port ree koe was an incredible -- puerto rias an incredible, unsung success. >> reporter: calnng it omappreciated great job despite, quote, a totally itent mayor of san juan, and that mayor called the president's position despicable. >> i don't know where he gets the nerve to call this a success >> reporter: now another wave of criticism after documenp show the trdministration moved nearly $10 million from fema's buets to help fund border enforcement. those documents released by democratic senator jeff merkley. >> certa

blayne alexander has that part of the story, and i bet there's folks in puerto rico having a hard time buying that one. >> reporter: absolutely right. the's pushback to what he's saying, and president trump is tweeting and talking about not one, t but different hurricane seasons. the one we're currently facing, of course,nd last year where he says he earned an a-plus for his response despite a death toll that's in the thousands. president trump tweeting assurances ahead of hurricane florence. >> we're fully prepared, food, medical, everything you can imagine. >> reporter: ready to fight the storm and fight criticism that his administration mishandled thens respoto hurricane maria last year, which left nearly 3,000 people dead in puerto rico. >> i think the puerto rico was an incredible unsung success. >> reporter: the president calling puerto rico an unappreciated great job despite, quote, a totally incompetent mayor of san juan. that mayor calling the president's position dispi dispicketble. >> i don't know where he gets the nerve to say that. >> reporter: now another wave of criticis

blayne alexander has the latest. this caused scrambling today on capitol hill. >> reporter: absolutely. if you're on the hill, there already a push for tomorrow's hearing to be delayed. it's highly itunlikely. as called to hear from christine ford. since then, two more women, a yo mentioned, came forward, and both of them say they are willing to testify, but there's nonclusioindication they'll get chance. on the eve of the senate judiciary hearing, a third accuser coming forwardth wit most explosive and detailed allegations yet against the supreme court nominee brett kavanaugh. julie says in 1981 or '82 she was aware that kavanaugh and others would spike the punch in house parties with drugs and/or alcohol so girls would lose their ability to say no. ae saw kavanaugh and friend get girls drunk so they could be gang rapedaying she was the victim of such an assault and kavanaugh was present. he strongly denies it all writing this is ridiculous and from ttwilight zone adding he r.doesn't even know >> there are scores of

blayne alexander is here to break it all down for us. , blayne. >> guys, president trump's name has come up several times during today's questioning. now, of course, the big question, will this article specifically be mentioned durin

blayne alexander to tracking it all for us on the second day. blayne? >> see despite the fact we're seeing protesters pop up every few minutes, today is still less dramatic than what we saw unfolding yesterday and it's re direct. today for 30 minutes each, senators had the chance to take their questions e raight to juvanaugh. >> reporter: today, mo protests. astt judge b gnaw answers direct questions for the first time. >> i based my decision on the law but i do so with anar ess of the facts and an awareness of the real world consequences. >> reporter: the judge repeatedly grilled on presidentialpower, promising -- >> no one is above the law. >> reporter: but notiving a definitive answer to this question about the president -- >> trump claims he has an absolute right to pardon himself. doese? >> that's a hypothetical question i that can't begin to answer in this context. >> reporter: a point drilled by democrats who fear president trump appointed kavanaugh to protect himself against special counsel robert mueller's investigation. the president today pra

blayne alexander, nbc news. washington. >> bond for a womann charged i a iolent case of apparent road rage in d.c., that incidt was captured and bond was denied rather. that incident was capturedce on ll phone video. today the defense argued thatma riana silver has mental heisth es and had an episode when the video showed her smashing in a greyhound bus window on friday. later we also see her drive off after the bus driver jumped ono her car try to stop her. >> she was not able to use her proper judgment because she didn't have medicine iner system. mental health disorder, senetics, not her fault. schizophrenia i what she's dealing with. >> the busriver is expected to be okay and silver is due back in court later this month. >> nearly a year after a found dead cher was in a shallow grave her boyfriend is now on trial for murder. >> tyler tessier faces life in prison for allegedly killing howard county high schoolteacher uren whalen. jury selection gan in the case. she was pregnant with tessier's child when she d

. >> first, blayne alexander has a look at the fireworks so far. t >> thetimony -- >> under oath and reluctant. >> i am terrified. >> chrisne blasey ford emotionally describing an alleged sexual assault during a high school housearty decades ago. identifying her attacker as supreme court nominee brett kavanaugh. >> i believed he was going to rape me. i tried to yell for help. when i did, brett put his hand over my mouth and stopped me from yellin it was hard for no breathe. and i thought that brett was accidentally going to kill me. >> she said kavanaugh drunkenly attacked her as a friend watche a moment she says is etched into her memory. >> the juproart laughter between two,nd their having fun at my expense. >> ford is one of thr t women publicly accuse kavanaugh of sexual misconduct. kavanaugh vehemently denying it all. >> i was not at the party described b dr. ford. this confirmation process has become a national disgrace. >> and becoming emotional when saying his 10-year-old daughter wants to pray for >>ford. we mean no ill will. >> republican