. >> neely has decided to make public this very private family matter. see, in addition to being a, did he just finished his first term as a republican lawmaker in the missouri house of representatives. >> thank you, mr. speaker. >> this year he introduced a bill that would allow terminally ill people to take unapproved experimental medication outside a clinical trial and without the federal deposit's go ahead. it's called the right to try. >> let's try. let a person be in charge of their life. and i'm not saying this is the answer for everybody. but it's an answer out in that if we can move forward and we're going to gain access to care, we want options in life. and that's what this bill is trying to accomplish. >> patients and their doctors can already petition a drug company to try an investigational medicine even outside a trial. but they need approval from the federal food and drug administration. right to try bills are state laws that would bypass that federal approval step and similar measures are gaining ground nationwide. here in missouri, the r

bill neely, nbc news. >>> we'll be back in a moment with a scare on the set of the new star wars film a big star as been airlifted to the hospital. >>> the lights will be dimmed on broadway tomorrow for ruby dee. a lot of things, an american original and well-known and well loved actress for over half a century. she died today at the age of 91. known for her physical beauty on stanl and on on film and her long life of activism. it was her performances that will endure including the first ever production of "a raisin in the sun." she was teamed often with sidney portier and as good as spike lee's material as she was at shakespeare. back in the '60s she came to know dr. king and worked with him. ruby dee was 91 years old. >>> one of our former presidents turned 90 today and celebrated the only way he knows how, by sky diving so we must be talking about 41 turning 90. he took to the air with the golden knights and jumped over a perfectly good helicopter, over the atlantic ocean, and landing on an "x" at the family compound poun compound. after a rough but successful touchdown, he talked

>> bill neely back at the scene of so much suffering yesterday. in brazil, bill, thanks. >>> tonight, record rainfall and flash flooding continue to threaten the american midwest. the most rainfall in the twin cities to start the year since 1871. all of it happening while much of the country is caught in the grip of a history-making drought. our report tonight on all of it from nbc's john yang. >> reporter: minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes. today it looks as if residents are living in the middle of them. outside the twin cities, a race against time as homeowners sandbag their homes. storms spawned funnel clouds over hastings, minnesota. in minneapolis, more heavy rain prompted new concerns over fresh erosion at the mudslide near the university of minnesota's medical center. with some iowa and minnesota crops under water, there's not much those farmers can do. >> hopefully we'll be able to replant some of the soybeans that were damaged. on the corn side, it's late for that. >> reporter: in a matter of days parts of the region got as much as te

bill neely, nbc news. >>> we'll be back in a moment with a scare on the set of the new star wars film a big star as been airlifted to the hospital. [ male announcer ] this is kevin. to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for him, he's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. i was okay, but after lunch my knee started to hurt again. and now i've got to take more pills. ♪ yup. another pill stop. can i get my aleve back yet? ♪ for my pain, i want my aleve. ♪ [ male announcer ] look for the easy-open red arthritis cap. just take a closer look. it works how you want to work. with a fidelity investment professional... or managing your investments on your own. helping you find new ways to plan for retirement. and save on taxes where you can. so you can invest in the life that you want today. tap into the full power of your fidelity greenline. call or come in today for a free one-on-one review. >>> the lights will be dimmed on broadway. a lot of things, an american original and well-known and well loved actre

bill neely, nbc news, rio de janeiro. >>> the selfie that may have saved a life. what this woman captured on her cell phone and her message for other women. >>> and later, the teenaged stowaway who survived what many thought was an impossible flight. what he is now revealing about that astonishing journey. stirred it... mm-hmm. drowned it again... mm-hmm. and now just feel if it's cold. yeah. cool. [camera shutter clicks] [whistling a tune] smokey just gave me a bear hug. i know. i already posted it. ♪ roundup has a sharp-shootin' wand ♪ ♪ just point and shoot, and weeds are gone ♪ ♪ 'round fences, trees, even mulched beds ♪ ♪ 'cause the only good weed is a weed that's dead ♪ ♪ roundup [ male announcer ] with a one-touch wand. [ whip cracks ] i'll help you look. maybe you left them in the bathroom again. it's just the strangest thing... the warning signs of alzheimer's disease, may be right in front of you. it's alright baby. for help and information, call the alzheimer's association or visit alz.org/10signs ...i got lots of advice, but i needed information i coul

nbc's bill neely reports from brazil. >> usa. >> reporter: american fans were defiant leaving the game. >> we love you, we love you. >> reporter: this was a tie that felt like a loss. >> really tough. >> the worst thing to ever happen to me. >> so close! it was literally the last play of the game. >> reporter: emotions were high from the start. the u.s. had goals until five minutes put jermaine jones put the u.s. level. captain clint dempsey had players and fans alike believing it was game over until this. there had been just seconds left. the faces said it all, and not just at the stadium. >> usa, usa. >> reporter: in chicago a crowd of 20,000 watched a game that had them gripped. moments from celebrating a famous victory it was snatched away, to their utter disbelief. in brazil today, sore heads and broken hearts for u.s. fans. >> terrible when you think you have something and you lose it. >> how do you process what happened and to be literally like 15 seconds away. >> for me it was an unqualified victory. my girlfriend, she cried. >> reporter: it was the most watched game in u.s. so

bill neely joins us now. >> this is not how it was meant to be.n looking for this since 1950, the last time it was in brazil. the spiritual home of football and there was a sour mood here. yesterday, brazil won so it was lightened, but the first two days of the world cup have listen marked by strife and protests. it doesn't look like it's going to stop because the people who are angry are not going to stop protesting because the world cup has started. they think the world cup is the cause of this. $11.5 billion that should have been spent on infrastructure, but in fact a lot of it -- >> i think we might have lost bill neely's audio. we will go back to bobby who is with me again. that is the crux of what people are angry about. people are saying look, this infrastructure has not gone into the neighborhoods and towns where people are suffering. it's going to half built and unfinished stadiums. >> it speaks to raised expectations. it has been for the last ten years, a developing economy, one that is on the way up. what happens is that expectations ar

bill neely is joining me. bill, with a hello to you, there's some hope the u.s.beat belgium, isn't there? >> reporter: oh, yes. there's a lot of hope. who would have believed we would be at this stage? they survived the so-called group of death. they are alive and kicking. remember the teams sitting at home right now. spain, the world champions. portugal ranked 4. italy and england, former world champions and russia. all eyes are in. they played belgium twice in the last three years and lost both games. let's look at belgium for a moment. an immensely talented group of players. they were many people's dark horses at the beginning of the world cup. they haven't played terribly well. yey, they have won all of their games. but in belgium, they are hammering this team. they have won their games narrowly and in the last few minutes. this is not performing at the height of its powers. in the u.s. many people would say are doing pretty well and coming along quite nicely. yesterday coach jurgen klinsmann told the players i was there at the practice session watching him s

we get a status report tonight from nbc's bill neely. >> reporter: world cup fever has gripped rio. american fans ecstatic after the u.s. team's first win. but not everything here is going well. with protests over the cost of the cup and of the olympic games. and even bigger looming crisis, rio will host the next olympics. but the work has stalled. at the main site, construction is way behind schedule. olympic chief says preparations are the worst ever. at the second biggest site for eight sports, including equestrian, work hasn't even begun. on the bay where sailing and wind surfing will be held, a different problem. >> the bay, unfortunately, can just be described as a pool of sewage. it is frightening. >> the trash in the water led some olympic sailors to call it the worst they've ever trained in. in your view, will this be clean in time for the olympics? >> no. no. it's not possible. >> it is not just sewage and trash. one brazilian olympic sailor says he has come across human corpses on four occasions in this bay. one olympic medallist says rio isn't taking this seriously. >> y

nbc's bill neely is following the action in brazil. hi, bill. >> reporter: mellhello, alex.from the hot and humid amazon, this is the day when america's soccer players can write their name in history. beat portugal, and they will qualify for the knockout stage faster than any u.s. team has ever done. the coach, jurgen klinsmann, is talking tough. he says we want to put portugal in their place. tough coach, tough captain. clint dempsey is bruised. his nose is broken, but his thumb is up. the u.s. team that was given little chance believes its time has come. a final training session in the stadium where tonight they play a weakened portugal team. the coach wants to weaken them just a little bit more. >> this is now the moment where you can prove yourself. this is the moment where you can step up and play those guys and put them in place. so we want to put cristiano and his team in place. >> reporter: portugal fans believe cristiano ronaldo can stop the u.s. he trained, nursing a knee injury and wounded pride after portugal's first game defeat. his coach was blunt. "either we i

brazil, world cup opening ceremonies tonight, they have had a 214 mile traffic jam as reported by bill neelyhat traffic is going to be like going to the opening ceremony tonight? >> the big cities in brazil known for this, man. this is just more. >> is there any positive stories coming out of brazil right now? we'll have to see once it starts. someone is going to win. that will be a positive story. >> let's go to outer space. >> there's no traffic in outer space. the ixx enterprise that was drafted by two people. one was a designer and the other was a graphicer designer from star trek came up with this. this is the new nasa warp drive spaceship. >> i'm sure they'll approve that. won't cost anything. >> thanks for playing. way too early with to thomas roberts starts right now. >> voters are angry. >> people don't like the status quo. >> the big message for washington is nothing is going to get passed in any form of legislation. >> no chance for compromise. >> compromise forget about it. >> immigration reform is dead in congress. >> it's going to be very dangerous now for a republican to talk

. >> bill neely in the steamy amazon tonight. wlnchts >>> when we continue, it's no the your order spoon. how technology is helping people trourn return to a simple task and regain dignity. some thought she had an image problem. now she's proving them wrong all wait to wimbledon. i'm j-a-n-e and i have copd. i'm d-a-v-e and i have copd. i'm k-a-t-e and i have copd, but i don't want my breathing problems to get in the way my volunteering. that's why i asked my doctor about b-r-e-o. once-daily breo ellipta helps increase airflow from the lungs for a full 24 hours. and breo helps reduce symptom flare-ups that last several days and require oral steroids, antibiotics, or hospital stay. breo is not for asthma. breo contains a type of medicine that increases risk of death in people with asthma. it is not known if this risk is increased in copd. breo won't replace rescue inhalers for sudden copd symptoms and should not be used more than once a day. breo may increase your risk of pneumonia, thrush, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tel

nbc's bill neely is in brazil where he met american fans who give new meaning to the word fanatic. bill? >> reporter: good evening, lester. yes, the u.s. team arrived here in salvador a few hours ago for a game they know they must win. they'll train at this stadium tomorrow before the game tuesday. this is the knockout stage. we saw mexico sent home today. tens of thousands of u.s. fans are on their way here. one group decided to do it the hard way. friends from new york here at last after 45 days on the road. >> a lot of people have flown here. we drove here. and -- >> that's unusual. >> yeah, it is. 11,000 miles, 12 countries total. >> today they watched soccer on tv on tuesday it's the u.s. game. >> i think we're going to do good. i think belgium is a good team. they're not experienced. >> reporter: it will be a stretch for the u.s. team, belgium have won all their games in let in just one goal. and offense, the u.s. team rank 31st of 32 teams so far. and then there's remembering whether the game is. >> i will speak to them between now and -- whenever the game, is i lost track o

back to you, lester. >> it has been a fun ride so far, bill neely. thank you. >> that excitement is growing by the second. the host country will come to a complete standstill at noon eastern when the biggest match of the home country will face chili. natalie morales is there with more on the excitement. good morning, neshgsat. >> this is exciting here, and brazil cannot afford to lose this up with or they would be out of this world cup which would be tantamount to a disaster here in the country. and chile has proven to be the dark horse here in the world cup and they have surprised everybody, including spain, the defending world cup champs, and nobody saw it coming. everywhere in brazil, you can imagine that the excitement is building and getting ready for the big game, and the country will come to a standstill and people are going to be fixated on this game, and you can believe nobody will get any work done here. and through the knock-out phase now, the world cup is considered a huge success, and all of the talk of what a disaster it would be and th

nbc's bill neely is in brazil with the very latest. >> it is hot and humid here in the amazon. their team hotel with a spring in their step and a win under their belts. one more win and they're through to the knockout stage. they're excited. and so are the fans here. ♪ i believe that we will win >> spirits are high. hopes too after a first win against ghana. but portugal are no pushovers. >> if we give portugal as many chances as we gave ghana, we're in trouble, but i think we can hold them steady. >> fans and players have come to the heart of the amazon. where temperatures in the 90s will affect both teams. >> you know, both sides are going to have to play in the heat and humidity and the americans will be ready for it. >> i don't think it's going to affect the u.s. as much as it will some other european teams that aren't used to the heat and humidity. >> the u.s. team has lost its star striker jozy altidore injured in the first game. other injuries have healed and the team is upbeat. >> we're excited. we feel like we've put ourselves in a good position. >> captain clint demps

nbc's bill neely introduces us to a paralyzed man who has learned to walk again and will kick the firstball at the opening game. >> reporter: brazil's carnival of soccer is under way. fans from around the world here for a month of sport that kicks off today. but not in the way anyone here is expecting. today's surprise was born here in a brazilian science lab where they're teaching the paralyzed to walk again. one of their patients will step forward at today's opening ceremony and kick the first ball. >> this is what he wants to achieve and the machine is doing what is needed mechanically. >> reporter: the chief scientist explains the patient's brain sends signals to a computerized suit that moves his legs. >> this will be a jaw-dropping moment. >> i hope so. >> before a global audience. >> our jaws have dropped many times in the laboratory. the first time the first patient walked here was one of the greatest moments of our lives. >> reporter: the miracle kick will come in a stadium that has seen its share of tragedy. three lives lost building it. it's still not finished. nor are other

bill neely has a report. >> reporter: what a night of drama. it was billed as the biggest game in u.s. soccer in more than a decade. it left up to that. u.s. and portugal serving up sizzling game in the heat and humidity of the amazon. the u.s. seconds from victory. a tie keeps their dream alive. it had started so badly, the u.s. behind within five minutes. a terrible defensive error seized on by portugal. making no mistake. they almost went two up. one portugal shot rattled the post. the next produced a world class save. then the moment america was waiting for. jones -- yes! >> reporter: jones letting fly and bending the ball in. the relief on the faces of the fans was clear. back home where fans watched in huge numbers, pure joy. wasn't long before it turned into euphoria. captain clint dempsey playing with a broken nose scoring his second in the world cup. across the u.s., an explosion of noise. the usa looking dominant. the writing was on the wall for portugal when suddenly there had been just seconds left. the fans inside the stadium and b

confrontations are looming on and off the field. >> that was nbc's bill neely in brazil.tement about the world cup. and test i for brazil because of the olympics. >> a couple years from now. >>> coming up, an emotional appearance from oscar winner na jie this morning. ll you what if he breaks his arm? or what if he wants a fish? or a dog? or an iguana? what if that iguana breaks his arm? what if he wants to study abroad? or if he needs braces? or she? what if they both need braces? what if there's more than one of them? what if there's six? what if we saved a little today, just in case we need a little more tomorrow? download cartwheel and save on what you want, like essentials. so you's cav most essential to you. and discover an exciting combinof tastes.side, , dark chocolate covering soft nters flavored with exotic fruit juices. it's chocolate and fruit flavors like you've never experienced before. discover brookside. seriously? [ male announcer ] that's why we reimagined the refrigerator, with the industry's first hands-free auto fill. ♪ [ dog barks ] perfect for when

i'm going to be speaking a little bit later on and we'll be live with "closing bell" with neely coorsantime, we'll talk to an interesting group. >> i'll be joining you, as well. i'll look forward to that. we'll catch you later. >>> now, we're also hearing reports of an extensive two-truck crash on the george washington bridge. it's on the eastbound upper level. it took place earlier today according to reports. not immediately known what caused the crash right now. but according to the fdny, one person pronounced dead at the scene. the port authority are currently trying to work to solve the situation. it's causing extensive delays, all the eastbound lanes on the bridge's upper level remain closed right now, but the other lanes are open. we'll continue to keep you abreast of that, but if you're traveling into work using that, expect delays. >>> let's take a look at the u.s. futures right now as we head towards the opening open market. losses yesterday's session despite all-time highs earlier in the week. we do seem to be taking back some of those losses from yesterday's trading session

nbc's bill neely is in sao paulo. bill, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt.hey are battered and they are bruised, but they are front-page news. the u.s. team training here last night, or at least some of them. two of them getting treatment in the hospital, and the captain, clint dempsey, of course, nursing that broken nose after that dramatic win over ghana, a win that has the players buzzing but not the coach. it was back down to earth for america's newest sports heroes after their flying start. put there by their coach. >> there are certainly things we need to improve. we know that we didn't play to our best capabilities, but we still won this game. >> what about that? >> reporter: a game of ecstasy and agony. >> the way that happened. now, that is a problem. >> reporter: jozy altidore carried off. captain clint dempsey's nose nearly taken off. >> that was a jolting blow. >> reporter: in the next game, he may have to wear a mask. >> it was tricky during the game. he barely could breathe. he struggled with that. once it's broken, it's broken. >> reporter: te

bill neely is in rio this morning. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah.hat a roller coaster ride that was. american hearts have been broken by ghana the last two world cups. and they were pounding again until the late dramatic american victory. the u.s. team scarcely finished singing the national anthem when clint dempsey scored the fastest goal of the world cup. 29 seconds in. delirium in rio. flags and hopes were raised. >> you couldn't wish for a better start. >> start strong. finish hard. >> usa! usa! >> reporter: but then came a tense 81 minutes before ghana struck back. >> it's a two-part goal to break american hearts. >> reporter: disbelief as victory snatched away. but only for four minutes. substitute john brooks scoring his first international goal. heart break hotel was left behind. >> let's just hold on now, boys. hold on. >> reporter: and then it was over. a dream start to the game and to the whole u.s. and sweetest of all, revenge against a team that has twice ended american dreams. it was a game and a victory savored throughout america. the