liz kreutz, nbc news, san francisco. >> kitesurfing to the american dream.you tomorrow.

here's liz kreutz. >> reporter: a star brittney griner goes for her third olympic gold, this time isve been through the past two years, the gold is going to mean even more? >> oh, 100%. >> reporter: she was sentenced to nine years in a russian prison on drug charges after officials say they found cannabis oil in her luggage. after nearly ten months detained, griner finally released in a high-profile prisoner exchange, much like the one that brought back reporter evan gershkovich and paul whelan. paris is now the first time she's been abroad since returning home. how have you prepared for this moment? >> you know, me and my counselor, we talked a lot about it, you know, triggering things that could happen. but, then also, just staying focussed, you know, i'm thinking about bringing home that gold. >> reporter: and waiting for her at home, wife cherelle and their new baby son bash born less than a month ago. every moment, e 's popping in my head and i'm thinking about him. my world changed. now in paris, winning is griner's sole focus. even after the court where the 33-year-old is plot

>> all right, liz kreutz. thank you. >>> we're back in a moment with the battle for gold. china became a medal-winning powerhouse and the big welcome back for team powerhouse and the big welcome back for team a olympic heroes nus ow ♪ i have type 2 diabetes, but i manage it well ♪ ♪ it's a little pill with a big story to tell ♪ ♪ i take once-daily jardiance ♪ ♪ at each day's staaart ♪ ♪ as time went on, it was easy to seeee ♪ ♪ i'm lowering my a1c ♪ jardiance works 24/7 in your body to flush out some sugar. and for adults with type two diabetes and known heart disease, jardiance can lower the risk of cardiovascular death, too. serious side effects may include ketoacidosis that may be fatal, dehydration that can lead to sudden worsening of kidney function, and genital, yeast, or urinary tract infections. a rare, life threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop jardiance and call your doctor right away. if you have symptoms of this infection, ketoacidosis, or an allergic reaction. you may have an increased risk for lower limb loss. call your

liz kreutz has a closer look. >> reporter: in california, an urgent race to save dozens of sea lions, on beaches along the central coast. >> the marine mammal center is responding to a multitude of calls here and rescuing them. >> reporter: so far, volunteers here have responded to nearly 150 sea lions and at least two dolphins all showing signs of poisoning from domoic acid, a neurotoxin from algae that gets into the fish these imagines eat and can flair up during the summer. the outbreak has been longer and more intense. >> these animals are seizing on the beach. our teams are working overtime. >> reporter: we followed a team as they made a rescue at a beach in morro bay. there on the shore, a stranded sea lion, crowds watching as the crew made their approach. okay. they were successfully able to capture this sea lion here. they're now going to get into it the crate. they're going to then bring to it the truck. we're talking quietly because any loud noise can cause these animals to go into a seizure. >> one, two, three. >> reporter: it's pretty dramatic to see a sick, disoriented an

liz kreutz, nbc news, san francisco. >> that's "nightly news" for this wednesday. each other, and good night from paris. it has to do with what city workers do with the belongings they pick up and

here is liz kreutz. >> reporter: as wnba star brittney griner goes for her third olympic gold -- >> b.gher harrowing ordeal two years ago. >> do you think everything you've been through the past few years, that gold is going to mean even more? >> oh, 100%. >> reporter: in 2022, griner was sentenced to 11 years after officials say they found cannabis in her luggage. >> i made afternoon honest mistake. >> reporter: after ten months detained griner released in a high-profile prisoner exchange, much like the one that brought back evan gershkovich and paul whelan. paris is the first time she has been abroad since returning home. how have you prepared for this moment? >> me and my counselor, we talked a lot about it and triggering things that could happen, but also, just staying focused. i'm thinking about bringing home that gold. >> reporter: and waiting for her at home, wife cherelle and their new baby son bash, born less than a month ago. >> every minute i feel like he is popping in my head, and i'm thinking about him. it's just -- my world changed. >> reporter: now in paris, winning is gr

>> liz kreutz in l.a. thank you. >>> now to the 2024 race. former president trump being interviewed tonight by one of his high-profile supporters. x owner elon musk. and it comes as mr. trump spreads misinformation about vice president harris as she rises in the polls. garrett haake is in washington. >> reporter: former president trump returning tonight to what was once his favorite messaging megaphone. posting on x, formerly twitter, for the first time in more than a year. writing, "are you better off now than you were when i was president? our economy is shattered. our border has been erased." and promoting an interview tonight with the site's outspoken owner and trump supporter, elon musk. the posts come as the former president faces growing criticism from republicans who say he's not spending enough time attacking vice president harris's record. over the weekend trump indulging in a baseless conspiracy theory about president biden at the dnc. >> he's going to walk into the room and he's going to say, "i want my presidency back." >> report

as liz kreutz reports, the fires there are among almost 100 burning in the west right now. >> reporter: a summer of wildfires not letting up with multiple infernos now raging in colorado. >> if the wind switches direction, i think that we could be in big trouble. >> reporter: the stone canyon fire northwest of denver now deadly, one person was killed after flames tore through homes in the town of lyons. five structures up in smoke, and late today a new fire burning homes in the hills of boulder. further south the quarry fire igniting overnight, almost 600 homes evacuated. >> there was a flashlight shining in the window, and it was the sheriff telling us we had to evacuate. >> reporter: the fire small but challenging with crews and resources stretched thin. jo lorenz has been watching the fire grow. >> what's your biggest concern right now? >> i don't want to lose my home. i don't want to lose my neighbors. >> every neighborhood in this facility is at risk. this fire is not an easy fight. the terrain is treacherous. >> reporter: and this is what they're talking about here, this steep te

here's liz kreutz. >> reporter: southern california shaken, jolted by a 4.4 magnitude earthquake felt throughout the los angeles area. >> an earthquake is happening. everything was shaking. >> reporter: the epicenter near south pasadena, east of l.a. this home surveillance video showing strong shaking as the quake hit around lunchtime. >> wow. let me call my family. you see this stuff is still shaking right here. >> oh, my god, there's an earthquake. >> reporter: people reacting in real time. this espn anchor momentarily pausing the show. >> i just want to make sure that our studio lights, everything stays safe. everything's shaking. >> reporter: the fire department going into earthquake mode, although no injuries. in city hall, a water pipe burst. what's the impact of this quake? >> physically, there's essentially no impact. psychologically, we have millions of people who felt it. >> reporter: for many of them, it's the second quake felt in the region in the past week. the is there a chance this is the sign of a bigger quake to come? >> there's always a chance. we have about a 5% cha

liz kreutz is in los angeles now with the latest. >> reporter: tonight, southern california shaken, jolted by a 4.4 magnitude earthquake felt throughout the los angeles area. >> an earthquake is happening. everything was shaking. >> reporter: the epicenter near pasadena just east of l.a. this home surveillance video showing strong shaking as the quake hit around lunchtime. >> wow. let me call my family you see stuff is still shaking right here. >> oh, my god. there's an earthquake. >> reporter: people reacting in real time. this espn anchor momentarily pausing the show. >> just going to make sure that our studio lights, everything stays safe. everything's shaking. >> reporter: the los angeles fire department going into earthquake mode. although no reports of significant damage or injuries, in pasadena at city hall a water pipe burst. one person rescued after being trapped in an elevator. >> what's the impact of this quake? >> physically there's essentially no impact. psychologically, we have millions of people who felt it. >> reporter: and for many of them it's the second quake in the regi

liz kreutz for us in l.a. nk you. >>> let's go overseas to greece where firefighters are battling a number of fast-moving wild fires near athens. thousands in the path of the flames fuelled by high winds and searing temperatures now being forced to evacuate. nbc's kelly cobiella is covering that story for us. hey, kelly. good morning. >> hi, good morning, hoda. the blaze is racing across bone dry land in greece. the wild fire now just nine miles from the center of athens and its famous ancient sites. it started on sunday after the hottest june and july on record there. and it is fueled by extreme heat and wind gusts up to 40 miles an hour. >> reporter: flames shooting more than 80 feet into the air, as a fast-moving and unpredictable wild fire closed in on the greek capital of athens overnight. the ancient buildings that make the city a tourist hot spot with more than a million americans visiting every year in the path. >> i have never seen anything like it. i've never seen a fire like this or clouds like we ha

nbc's liz kreutz got to meet the vips. that's very important pandas. ment. yes, we got to see the vips up close. they're remarkable animals. only two days from now, the entrance here to panda ridge will open and these beautiful black and white bears will finally get to meet their adoring fans. at the san diego zoo, it's panda moan yum. >> we're excited. we've been waiting. >> you have a panda on your hat. >> i do, yeah. >> reporter: after six weeks in quarantine, the pair will finally make their public debut. how exciting is this for the zoo? >> this is a monumental moment. >> reporter: the adorable bl>> and white bears from china are the first giant pandas to enter the u.s. in more than two decades. and we got a sneak peek ahead of the crowds. sing bao has just woken up. there she is. she is so cute. we watched as the pandas explored their new home. taking bats and chowing down on their favorite foilage. what are their personalities like? >> so he's pretty chill. he loves to just sit, eat his bamboo. as you can see. she's very intelligent and very curi

liz kreutz joins us with more. good morning. >> good morning.bearably adorable. it's official. the pandas are back. finally making their public debut at the san diego zoo. >> you can see how they brought together the whole community. like the zoo is packed. >> there she is. she is so cute. >> nbc news got an early look at the adorable duo, their new habitats designed to replicate their homes in china. >> i hear he's a bit of a picky eater. >> he is. >> the arrival of the pandas are a part of china's diplomacy, a sign of good will and to help with conservation efforts. the first pandas came to the u.s. in the 1970s. >> i think pandaemonium is going to break out right here at the zoo. >> the program was on pause amid tensions between the u.s. and china until now. >> it really highlights how two countries, two peoples can work together to further successful conservation efforts. we have had enormous success. >> part of the success has been with breeding. his mother was born here. and, yes, the zoo is hoping the new pandas on loan for the next ten y