doris day gone at the age of 97, and cynthia mcfadden looks back at her incredible life. ♪ once i had secret love ♪ >> reporter: we knew her as a sunny, sweet innocent, once one of the most popular and highest paid singers in america ♪ day will break hollywood fell in love, too. soon a whole string of movies capitalizing on her girl next door charm would followfred hitchcow her talent, casting her in "the man who knew too much. in it, the song that would become her signature. ♪ what will b will be ♪ >> did you just ask me to marry you >> reporter: a series of wildly successful romantic comedies followed reflecting irtyut tam. >> don't you find me attractive >> yes, ma'am. only oscar nomination for that one, "pillow talk." in real life things were not always so rosy she was married four times. her third husband squandered for fortune before he died in 1968 without telling her, he signed her to a television series. her only son music producer terry helped her make that show a hit she retired from show business nearly 50 years ago, making a rare appearance in 1989 to accept a lifetime ac

cynthia mcfadden, nbc news, los angeles. >> our best wishes to the new family. can't wait to hear the name. that the "nightly news" for this monday. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night. right now at 6: a well known attorney -- who once ran for mayor of san francisco -- is apologizing. >>> right now at 6:00, a well known attorney who once ran for mayor of san francisco is apologizing the comments that have her in hot water. >>> plus, a ninth dead gray whale found along our coast. looking at the troubling trend. >>> and -- the chinese american community calling for accountability following our exclusive report about firefighters in alameda county. >>> we begin tonight with some breaking news in contra costa county. a deadly crash shut down highway 4 in brentwood. you're looking at footage from our sky chopper. both direction of highway 4 remain closed. now, this is at ball fort road near the golf course. two cars involved. one person died. you can see the white car turned around. also that blue car. it's unclear when t

here is nbc's senior investigative correspondent cynthia mcfadden. >> reporter: tonight, more evidence from the largest voting precinct in the country that the way much of america votes needs desperate attention. >> the current system was becoming obsolete. this is the standard voting booth. >> reporter: dean low g lowgan shows me why. come on, this is circa what? >> 1968. >> reporter: 5.2 million registered voters and 42 states are voting on technology dating back to the year richard nixon defeated hubert humphry. >> the idea it would go through here but this is complicated. logan agrees. ten years ago he and his team decided the voter experience as he calls it needed a total overhaul, not just because the current system isn't user friendly. >> ibm bunch cards aren't used to program computers anymore. so you can't replace it. >> reporter: no spare parts? >> no spare parts. >> reporter: the problem is nationwide and many experts believe is reaching a crisis point. 38 states currently use discontinued voting machines in one or more jurisdictions. another seven states exclusively use suc

cynthia mcfadden introduces us to ester de >> a little girl growing up in the midwest with big, big dreams big, big talent and a gift for song writing. list off for me the women. >> yeah. >> eporter: who you have written music for. >> the women. they are all women. kelly clarkson. rihanna, nicki minaj, katy perry. i have been writing since ias in third ad gr >> reporter: what was your first song? >> gypsy lady. ♪ gypsy lady tell my future ♪ >> reporteer story began in oklahoma raised by a single mother, the youngest of five. her family relied on food stamps and church donations to get by. >> i knew i would sing and that was my way out. >> reporter: at 18 she drove to atlanta to pursue her dreams. >> got in the car. >> reporter: with how much money? >> $500. people keep saying she didn't get in the car th wi500. honey, i did. that's all i had. i>> reporter: didt occur to you the odds were against you? >> nope. i had blind ambition. one so much work on myself and went through enough disappointment to not shoot for the stars. >> reporter: and shoot for the stars she did. not just writing for

nbc's cynthia mcfadden looks back at her incredible life. ♪ once i had a secret love >> reporter: we, once one of the most popular and highest paid singers in america. ♪ day will break >> reporter: hollywood fell in love too soon a whole string of movies capitalizing on her girl next door charm would follow. alfred hitchcock saw her talent, casting her in "the man who knew too much." in it, the song that would become her signature ♪ que sera sera, what will be will be ♪ >> reporter: a series of wildly successful romantic comedies followed, reflecting the era, they were flirty but tame. >> don't you find me attractive? >> reporter: she received her only oscar nomination for that one "pillow talk" in real life, things were not always so rosy she was married four times her third husband squandered her fortune. before he died in 1968 without telling her, he signed her to a television series. her only son, music producer terry melcher, helped her make that show a hit. she retired from show business nearly 50 years ago, making a rare appearance in 1989 to accept a lifetime achievement awar

cynthia mcfadden, nbc news, los angeles. >>> our best wishes to the new family.the name. that the "nightly news" for this monday. i'm lestert, for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night. monday. i'm lester holt, all of us at >>> lights, camera, "access." >> meghan and myself had a baby boy. >> but that's just the beginning windsor about meghanarry'sbe autifully arrival. >> you're the man who knows

cynthia mcfadden introduces us to ester dean. >> a little girl growing up in the midwest with big, bigeams, a big, big talent and a gift for song writing. list off for me the women. >> yeah. >> reporter: who you have written music for. >> the women. they are all women. kelly clarkson. rihanna, nicki minaj, katy perry. i have been writing since i was in third grade. >> reporter: what was your first song? >> gypsy lady. ♪ gypsy lady tell my future ♪ >> reporter: her story began in oklahoma raised by a single mother, the youngest of five. her family relied on food stamps and church donations to get by. >> i knew i would sing and that was my way out. >> reporter: at 18 she drove to atlanta to pursue her dreams. >> got in the car. >> reporter: with how much money? >> $500. people keep saying she didn't get in the car with $500. honey, i did. that's all i had. >> reporter: did it occur to you the odds were against you? >> nope. i had blind ambition. i've done so much work on myself and went through enough disappointment to not shoot for the stars. >> reporter: and shoot for the stars she did

here's cynthia mcfadden. >> this 90,000 square food grave yard of voting machines is testimony to the sorry state of the nation's voting infrastructure. >> we are getting ready to scrap these. when wreplace the system. >> all 11,000? >> all 11,000. >> neal kelly said the scrap heap of 16-year-old equipment is what remains of the country's fifth largest voting system scheduled to be replaced for the 2020 election cycle. >> we are holding it togd-her with band and hope. >> that's not very encraging. >> components are no longer being manufactured. it's impossible to get the parts. >> in truth, they don't have a choice. california's secretary of state, alex padilla has been given all 58 counties in california a deadline. get rid of the aging machines rcand modernize by next mah or else. >> what's the penalty for noncompliance. >> it's not an option. we know the technology that protect our elections the best. >> any county that doesn't comply or get an exemption will face legal action from the state. they reached out to all the jurisdictions and most believe they will make the dead line, b

protect the next election, including uptiy antiquated and dilapidated voting machines here's cynthia mcfadden >> reporter: tonight this 90,000 square foot voting machine graveyard in orange county, california is testimony to the sorry state of the nation's voting infrastructure. >> we're getting ready to scrap these when we replace the system a 11,000 >> all 11,000. >> reporter: registrar 17-yeard equipment is all country's fifth largest voting system, scheduled to be replaced for the 2020 election cycle >> we're holding it together with band-a band-aids and hope it's impossible to get some of these parts anymore. >> reporter: in truth, they don't really have a choice the california secretary of state has given all 50 counties in california a deadline get rid of your aging machines and modernize by next march or else. what's the penalty for noncompliance? >> noncompliance is not an option. >> reporter: secretary padilla tells us anynbnews reat to all of the state's 58 jurisdictions most believe they'll make the deadline. but at least ten of them are requesting exemptions or protective extensi

. >> it is i've got some ideas, though >> reporter: stand by for that cynthia mcfadden, nbc news, new york >>> there is a lot to share with you tonight. a suspected serial killer accused of killing a dozen women. police now reviewing many cases looking for potential links. >>> next tonight, a disturbing case in> next tonig disturbing case in texas. a suspected serial killer now accused of murdering a dozen elderly women and police are looking into whether he's connected with perhaps hundreds more deaths here's gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: doris gleason was inside her apartment in a senior living facility in dallas when police say she was smothered to death. then her daughter made another chilling discovery. >> she had immediate suspicions that something wasn't right. there was a particular piece of jewelry that her mother always wore that was missing >> reporter: now police say she's the victim of a suspected serial killer, a kenyan citizen who officials say was living in the u.s. illegally. he was arrested last year in connection with the death of another 81-year-old woman. this week

nbc news senior legal and investigative correspondent cynthia mcfadden talked to some of the officialsalk about the road ahead. >> reporter: tonight, this 90,000 square foot voting machine graveyard in orange county, california, is testimony to the sorry state of the nation's voting infrastructure. >> we're getting ready to scrap these when we replace the system. >> reporter: all 11,000. >> paall 11,000. >> reporter: orange county rej star of voters neil kelly says the scrap heap of 16-year-old equipment remains of the country's fifth largest voting system scheduled to be replaced for the 2020 election cycle. >> we're holding it together with band-aid and hope. >> reporter: that's not very encouraging. >> components are no longer being manufactured. it's impossible to get some of these parts anymore. >> reporter: in truth, they don't really have a choice. california's secretary of state, alex padilla, has given all 58 counties in california a deadline. get rid of your aging pmachines and modernize by next march or else. penalty for noncompliance? >> noncompliance is not an option. we k

nbc news senior investigative and legal correspondent cynthia mcfadden joins me now from new york. y, cynthia. >> hey, geoff. it's absolutely right. california is really leading the way. the secretary of state in california has ordered that all of the 58 districts, voting districts in the state, all of the counties upgrade all their voting machines. it's expensive. los angeles county is spending $100 million to do it. we did a story about them a couple of weeks ago. this week we look at what's happening in orange county, which is the fifth largest voting center in the country. this 90,000 square foot voting machine graveyard in orange county, california, is testimony to the sorry state of the nation's voting infrastructure. >> we are getting ready to scrap these when we replace the system. >> all 11,000? >> all 11,000. >> reporter: neil kelly says the scrap heap of 16-year-old equipment is what remains of the country's fifth largest voting system, scheduled to be replaced for the 2020 election cycle. >> we're holding it together with band-aid and hope. >> that's not encouraging. >>

. >>> tonight, in our series "her take" with cynthia mcfadden, music star and actress queen latifah on her long, successful career and her mission to help other women succeed in the age of me too. >> i was 17 when my first single came out. ♪ i want you to dance for me >> reporter: success, massive success soon followed. her first album "all hail the queen" in 1989, featuring single "ladies first" is still considered one of the best rap albums of all time. ♪ when you're good to mama, mama's good to you ♪ >> reporter: nearly 20 films followed, as did the slew of awards. what does that do to a 17-year-old girl from new jersey to suddenly have a hit? >> it puts money in her pocket. >> reporter: she started off in her basement dreaming and making music with a bunch of friends, many of whom still work with her today. >> a lot of it was based on us wanting to change the economic status of our families. i wanted to buy my mother a house. i wanted to expand our horizons. >> reporter: you did not grow up as queen latifah. >> who said that? who told you that? >> reporter: that's the rumor. >> tha

cynthia mcfadden looks at why this new one is so state-of-the-art. >> it's touch screen voting. your ballot, once you vote touch screen produces a paper ballot you can look at and review, you can change if you need to and put it right back into the feeder and your vote is registered. it's very user-friendly. >> next, how it could help other cities. at 5:30. >>> another retailer down sizing. cvs has nearly 50 underperforming locations that will be closed. the cuts represent less than 1% of the stores nationwide, but there are three locations here in the bay area that will shut its doors. in san francisco at sutter and van ness and on buchanan and summersville road. >>> rarely do we feature rule breakers. >> breaking the rule yielded the best possible result for this story. garvin thomas joins us tonight with our bay area proud. >> this story centers on the game of challenger baseball. a game for those with challenges. it is run, as you can imagine, by very compassionate people. so i guess it's not too much of a surprise in this case, their compassion trumped all. >> reporter: whe

we get her tome tonight fr cynthia mcfadden >> reporter: life has cert changed over the past year for judge rosemarie agalina. >> i don't get through the grocery store quickly because people stop me all the time. >> reporter: what do they say? >> thank you probably 70% of them say, me, too. they hug me and some people they all have a story and many of tm were not believed. >> reporter: the outspoken michigan judge became an overnight sensation when she lambasted dr. larry nassar at his sentencing >> i wouldn't send my dogs to you, sir >> reporter: he got away with it for a long time. >> nobody listened if one person would have listened 30 years ago, hundreds of girls would have been spared. >> reporter: she decided to allow an ty victim that wantedo to speak it turned out to be 156. >> i know the truth and i know i'm worthy of sharing my story >> reporter: i've doner this fo 20 years, so i know when i talk to a victim it is healing for them because it's the power of the robe i try to use my gavel for justice. sometimes i have to pound it for law and order and sometimes it really shoul

one of the stars you know her music well cynthia mcfadden introduces us to esther dean. >> i knew i wasup in the midwest with big, big dreams, a big, big talent and a gift for song writing >> liftoff for me the women who you have written music for. >> the women, they're all women. kelly clarkson, re-anna, beyonce, nicki minaj, j.lo, mary jay brij, katy perry. ♪ baby you're a firework >> i've been writing since i was in third grade. >> her story began in oklahoma raised by a single mother. the youngest of five her family relied on food stamps and church donations to get by. >> i knew i could sing and that was my way out. >> reporter: at 18 she drove to atlanta to pursue her dreams. >> did it occur to you the odds uc>>h work on myself and went through enough disappointment to nosht for the stars. >> reporter: and for the stars she did not just writing for them but becoming one in "pitch perfect. >> what's that. >> i want to be oprah. >> reporter: on her way, she will be starring in a new television show called "songland" premiering on nbc finding and nurturing young songwriters her way of

joining me is cynthia mcfadden, our senior legal correspondent.re they -- i'm not sure i understand who "they" is because there's so many people involved trying to secure our election. >> that's the problem, who is the they? who has the white house, the administration pointed to say this is the czar of no more of this business. that doesn't mean there aren't agencies working on it, homeland security, the fbi, and no doubt the justice department as well. however the administration has not taken a strong hand regardless of what sarah sanders said outside the white house today. here's the thing, every intelligence expert we talked to said the russians got inside the system, there's no question they're going to be back and probably no question that they left things inside the system the last time they were there. that's how it works. that's how this counter espionage happens. so that's true. we have two problems facing us as we gear up for 2020. one is that the u.s. has an aging and failing physical election voting system in the country. only five sta

c >> reporter:thia mcfadden, nbc news, los angeles. >> cynthia, thanks but i think i'll keep this job. >>> your money, your life, staggering numbers with americans with crushing medil bills. one woman spending $15,000 a year out-of-pt to stay alive. >> the warning from the cdc about washing raw chicken. what you need to know before serving up dinner. hope you can stay with us. ck now with your money, your life and that new look at the financial toll on so many families from rising medical and drug costs. adults under 65 have struggled with medal lls and debt and delays or forgoing care all together. here is tom costello. >> reporter: jackie trapp is facing threats, the gency. >> the biggest fear is leaving my husband bankrupt. my life expectancy isn't that lonto begin with but the longer i do live, the more expensive it is. >> eporter: with insurance, her cancer medications alone cost $15,000 out-of-pocket each year. >> it's probably the most valuable thing i have any single item in the house right now e.in more ways than on >> reporter: they have drained their life savings, sold a cl