>>> and there's something about simone, we're with simone biles and aly world. "nightly news" from rio begins right now. >> announcer: this is nbc "nightly news with lester holt" reporting tonight from the olympic summer games in rio. >>> good evening from copacabana beach. now one week into the rio olympic games, several big headlines from here that we will of course get to. >>> but we start back home in the deep south where many areas are under states of emergency tonight. record flooding is mississippi, leaving communities cut off, pressing rescuers into action and plunging many into the dark and it comes as other parts of the country suffer in devastating heat. nbc's gabe gutierrez is watching it all for us tonight. >> reporter: tonight much of louisiana is under water. >> this is my neighborhood right now. water everywhere. in the houses. parish, dozens of stranded residents rescued after being trapped in their homes by the rising water, in some areas, more than a foot of rain fell in 24 hours, this school bus stuck in floodwaters, no children injured. in e

now simone's time is coming up. the podium, as 1976 gold medalist nadia comanec knows, you've got to bring it when it counts. it's not only how good you are technically in gymnastics. how good you are here too. to put your best routine when the judges do this. >> reporter: pressure that simone's mom nelly biles says she's feeling herself. >> i think simone tries hard not to pay attention to what the expectation is of others. i believe there's more pressure on me than on simone because i am so nervous. i mean, i am just a wreck. >> reporter: she says simone was like a spring from the time she was a little girl. >> if i would describe simone, always jumping. always flipping. i don't think simone ever walked up the stairs. >> reporter: discovering gymnastics was an accident that happened after a field trip was canceled. >> they did an indoor trip i still recall simone coming home with a note saying, would we consider her joining the gym? >> reporter: simone's biological grandparents adopted her from foster care at age

instead of her cutout, simone got the real zac when nbc flew him down to rio, hid him as he watched simone's performance... (nat sound) then had him surprise the gymnastics team... (nat sound) and zac seemed honored to meet them. (zac efron/actor) "their story just blew my mind." (zac and simone) "tell me when it's going. it's going. okay. awww!" simone kissed him, pronouncing herself on cloud 9. she may not have needed a lift but she got one. "just call me mrs. efron already" tweeted simone. replied a fan, "no honey, we'll call him mr. biles!!!" simone's gymnast boyfriend jokingly instagrammed at zac "i saw her first." simone biles won four gold medals... (nat sound) and there was only one zac efron. which would she rather kiss? both. jeanne moos, c-n-n (nat sound) new york. the blue cut fire continues to burn out of control in california... how social media is changing the way we process information... a major shake up could be coming to unlv... the changes school administrators could be making, for the next presidential mcmahon/san bernardino county, ca) "we've evacuated nearly 35,000 hom

simon: i don't think so.nk people simply like the its because they stand for civility and manners and all that. i think we are in a very good position wherever we go. francine: we always invite rob just because of his good manners. he's a true gentleman. simon: always useful. francine: talking about politics, what is the next step? rob: theresa may has just got back to britain switzerland, also not in the eu. now we sort of see what happens next. if you think back to july, when we were all running around in a frenzy, trying to work out what was going to happen, there's been a pause. there's been a chance for ministers to catch their breath a bit. the really interesting question is, there's so many moving pieces in this. you've got to get what britain wants lined up. you've got to get what 27 other countries want lined up. you want to move everything at once. nobody quite knows how to do it. the government has been setting up its brexit department. over the coming months, they are going to start to set out wha

. >> if i would describe simone, always jumping.i don't think someoimone ever wd up the stairs. >> reporter: discovering gymnastics was an accident that happened after a field trip was canceled. >> they did an indoor trip instead and ended up going to bannon's gymnastics. i still recall simone coming home with a note saying, would we consider her joining the gym? >> reporter: simone's biological grandparents adopted her from foster care at age 5. with their unwavering support, simone sprouted. >> they always travel to my meets and do whatever i need. i'm really grateful for that. i think every time i go and compete they're so excited whenever i do well, because they know how hard i've put in. >> reporter: her coach, amy boorman, remembers the moment she saw her the first time at age 6. >> i was like, what is with this kid? she did a roundoff backhand spring her very first time in class, said my brother taught it to me in the backyard. >> reporter: it's those handsprings that set her apart, says her coach. >> knowing exactly where yo

now simone's time is coming up. >>eporter: to get a spot on the podi, as 1976 gold to bring when itt counts.got it's not only how good you are technically in mntics. how good you are here too. to put your best routine when the judozen this. >> reporter: pure that simone mom she's feeling herself. >> i think simone tries hard not to pay attention to what expectation is of others. lievbe there's more pressure on me than on simone bau i am so nervous. i am just a wreck. >> reporter: she says simone was like spring from the time she was a lite girl. >> if i would describe simone, al jumping. alwaysliing. i don't thk somimone ever walked gymnastics was an accident that happened after ald tp was canceled. >> they did an in trip instead and ended up going to bannon's gymncs. i still recall simone coming home w note saying, would we consider her joining the gym? >> reporter: simone's biological grandparents adopted her from foster caret age 5. with their unwavering support, simone sprouted. >> they always travel to my ets a

simone's mother struggled with drug and alcohol addiction and her father was never really there. by age 3, she was in foster care. >> i got a call from a social worker saying that simone and her sister and brother, they were in a foster home back in ohio. i said, well, send them to me. >> reporter: ron biles, simone's biological grandfather and his wife nelly brought the kids down to houston, eventually adopting them. not long off, simone was jumping off the walls, the furniture and just about everything else. >> she was so tiny and it scared me to death, but it did not scare her at all. >> reporter: there was no other option, at age 6, she started gymnastics. >> the kids at school could never do like cartwheels and stuff like that, but i could always do them on the playground, so i thought that was pretty cool. >> reporter: younger sister adria is a gymnast too, they are extremely close and typical sisters. family meals are a chorus of giggles. like most teenagers simone's bedroom is her sanctuary, lots of trophies and lots of purple, along with a life-sized poster of actor zac

where's simone? >> there they are. >> okay. >> and here comes the gold. >> going to be kind of emotional. ? >> so crazy. >> but moments later, things were about to get crazier. >> over here -- >> we heard your song at the arena. >> while zac was hidden away, the entire gymnastics team showed up thinking they were just doing another interview with me. they didn't have a clue. when we did the interview last time, you said that if a certain person showed up -- >> stop. >> -- you would need a defibrillator? >> yes, stop. >> do you remember that? >> yes. if you bring him out, i'm going to pass out. >> do you remember that? >> stop. >> wait, do you remember that? >> stop! >> do you remember that? [ screaming ] >> is that the final five? >> just realized. oh, my god, stop. >> wait, i want a hug, too. >> how are you? >> good. >> how did you do this? >> oh, my goodness! >> simone just said, can i ask you one question? what's going on right now? >> i'm shaking, i'm so scared! >> i'm the one with butterflies. >

simon: they did.p.rst $50 million short pier 1 you saw was the market was quite a in terms of volume for parts of the summer. and it was not used to qe. been outof england has of the market for four years. it was just trading desks. a lot of the work done by the bank of england to warm up trade ahead of yesterday's auction was successful in terms of coverage. francine: what are you thinking for retail sales? , we areetail sales looking at around 4% growth. indicator ofged the return of real wage growth, the return of decent summer weather following a difficult start to the summer trading period. problems come later in the year. francine: simon, thank you for now. chief economist at panmure gordon. the bank of england found enough bonds to buy to meet its weekly target. they purchased 1.17 billion pounds of gilt. cisco systems is reportedly to cut off to 20% of its workforce. according to crn, the layoffs will be announced in the next few weeks. cisco has been shifting its business to network-based sof

simone biles has completely upended the sport of gymnastics. >> they call that untouchable. call simone, the michael jordan of her sport, making the 4'9", 19-year-old a little uncomfortable. >> i just don't feel like i'm up to the expectation yet, so i kind of just blow it off. >> reporter: what makes her even more remarkable is her story. simone's mother struggled with drug and alcohol addiction and her father was never really there. by age 3, she was in foster care. >> i got a call from a social worker saying that simone and her sister and ot back in ohio. i said, well, send them to me. >> reporter: ron biles, simone's biological grandfather and his wife nelly brought the kids down to houston, eventually adopting them. not long off, simone was jumping off the walls, the furniture and just about everything else. >> she was so tiny and it scared me to death, but it did not scare her at all. >> reporter: there was no other option, at age 6, she started gymnastics. >> the kids at school could never do like could always do them on the playground, so i thought that was pretty co

. >> reporter: team usa led by simone biles, the smallest athlete with the biggest impact. today the first ever back-to-back team gold. moments ago, simone biles on the win. >> i felt like i would cry, but i'm too happy to cry right now, but it definitely feels like a dream. >> reporter: with the russians fighting to make the podium, their athletes face backlash >> and you're hearing boos as team russia comes out. >> reporter: the bad blood came to a head last night. >> she is one controversial figure along with an entire country. >> reporter: russian yulia efimova mocked by lilly king before the start of the 100 meter breaststroke. >> you can really feel right now. king exploded through the water and off the wall. the american beating the russian. striking gold, making the statement in the water and taking a stand out of the pool. >> we can still compete clean and do well at the olympic games and that's how it should be. efimova called the drama politics and the open hostility sad. tonight,michael phelps headlines the duel in the pool, the tension with rival south african

instead of her cutout, simone got the real zac when nbc flew him down to rio, hid him as he watched simone's performance... (nat sound) then had him surprise the gymnastics team... (nat sound) and zac seemed honored to meet them. (zac efron/actor) "their story just blew my mind." multiple times... (zac and simone) "tell me when it's going. it's going. okay. awww!" simone kissed him, pronouncing herself on cloud 9. she may not have needed a lift but she got one. "just call me mrs. efron already" tweeted simone. replied a fan, "no honey, we'll call him mr. biles!!!" simone's gymnast boyfriend jokingly instagrammed at zac "i saw her first." simone biles won four gold medals... and there was only one zac efron. which would she rather kiss? both. jeanne moos, c-n-n (nat sound) new york. a re-make of a 19- 59 classic "ben hur" hits theaters this week.... what actor morgan freeman -- who stars in the film -- says about the movie... and why a new report expects it "racing is a blood sport if you lose the movie "ben hur" hits the big screen tomorrow! actor morgan freeman calls it a re-imagining of th

and now simone biles. soaring to new heights and changing the game. 18-year-old maya reimers couldn't be more pleased. a junior olympic qualifier she's college bound on a gymnastics scholarship and grateful to simone and others who helped the sport cross color lines. >> you shouldn't feel like you're not able to join a sport because of your skin color. it's a sport for everyone. so if she's able to inspire, then that's amazing. >> reporter: the changing face of the world's best gymnasts inspiring a new generation of young american girls. rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. >>> we look forward to seeing some of them on the podium someday. that's going to do it for us on a thursday night. i'm lester holt. a reminder, nbc primetime olympic coverage starts at 8:00, 7:00 central with another big night in swimming and gymnastics. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night from rio. >>> right now at 6:00, teammates and friends turn into rivals. four high profile olympians taking to the mat and

simone biles wins the all-around gold for the usa and aly raisman takes silver. a dazzling display as american katie ledecky blows the competition out of the water. phelps versus lochte. one of the greatest rivalries of all time. >>> deadly explosion. a major rescue operation after fire rages through an apartment building. dramatic escapes and a frantic search for the missing. >>> roller coaster horror. a child plunges off a ride in pennsylvania days after shocking incidents at a water slide and a ferris wheel at other parks across the country. >>> and dangerous debris. highway cargo breaking free. drivers dodging missiles on the road. "nightly news" begins right now. >>> this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. reporting tonight from the olympic summer games in rio. >>> good evening here at olympic park, it is gold and silver for team usa tonight in women's gymnastics. most c 19-year-old olympic rookie simone biles seemingly unaffected by the pressure of high expectations just delivered a jaw-dropping performance here to take the gold medal. with fellow amer

and now simone biles. soaring to new heights and changing the game. 18-year-old maya reimers couldn't be more pleased. a junior olympic gymnastics scholarship and grateful to simone and others who helped the sport cross color lines. >> you shouldn't feel like you're not able to join a sport because of your skin color. it's a sport for everyone. so if she's able to inspire, then that's amazing. >> reporter: the changing face of the world's best gymnasts inspiring a new generation of young american girls. rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. >>> 12 news in rio giving you all access to team usa men's basketball practice. >>> recreational pot in arizona one step closer to reality. >>> mccain versus word the senate race. >>> monsoon 2016 relentless rain leads to flooding. >>> two valley cities some of the pet friendly across america. >>> good evening thanks for joining us. it has been another big night for team usa coming up. the rio games, a look at some of the big event. >>> vanessa breweries here with a preview

how happy are we to have simone manual with us this morning. hi, simone. >> hi. >> okay. how crazy was it to see lebron james tweet like that realizing that his daughter is looking up to you? >> it was amazg. time. just after watching him win the finals and hearing his postgame interview, it inspired me a lot. that's something i took with me the whole time in rio. >> random tweet from someone. this is from a mom with her daughter and do you see that little girl standing up front saying my little swimmer says i got next. do you realize how historic this win is not just for you but for a lot of people in the >> i didn't have that many people to look up to when i was younger so hopefully it inspires other african-americans to get involved in the sport. >> do you see this -- i know it's historic. for you as a swimmer, was this something you were conscious of or were you just swimming your races? >> i swim for myself. i love it. i have fun. just representing my country is the greatest honor i could ever had. i went out and had n. crying. after your last race when you made that

night when simone nailed it. describe for us just that feeling you had when you were in the audience watching her. >> speechless. >> very emotional. >> very proud of her. she did it and that's all we could ask for. >> ron, you came here and talked to matt with that big cutout head. where is it? that's a good luck charm? >> i have it in the back. unfortunately it got rained on. >> it still works. >> check his pants out. got the pants working. there you go. >> thank you so much. >> a big thanks to all of you. let's go to nbc's peter alexander up at olympic park with the highlights from one of the most exciting nights of the games so far. peter, good morning again. >> reporter: good morning to you. i hustled over to the aquatic center last night and you could hear that place roaring before you got near it. team usa dominant at the pool and on the mat. michael phelps delivering as well as a pair of simones the american swimmers collecting gold and making history. >> just when you think you've seen it all. >> 20-year-

simon: exactly.ngly, when you do look at the data for july, even looking at the retail sales survey from august, things are looking pretty good. and if you look at the economic surprise index, virtually, many a year which is interesting. because it told you that actually you can consumers seem to be shrugging off brexit, at least for the moment. anna: i had a conversation the last hour about chicken, egg, really manifesting itself in the economy. we have a lot from the commercial real estate sector about slowdowns, but we hear things are on cause rather than getting a lot worse. that seems to be what they're saying. in the conversation i had last hour was last year, when we start to get more details, maybe when brexit looks like, that is when businesses are no longer causing, when they make decisions. that could trigger more weakness for the u.k. edmund: i think that is right. we want to look at that. that is going to be key. does that is going to be the consumer. if companies decide early next year

with more world championship history, simone biles has already raised the bar. what does it take to become such a sensation? >>> rocking the boat. >> that's right. >> what's got dwayne "the rock" johnson fast and furious with male costars? a ringside view of his explosive social media smackdown. first the "nightline 5." >> what's up? >> the new recipe of beneful is excellent. the first ingredient is chicken. >> this clicken is spectacular. >> i had to hide would try to put his face in it all day. you love it so much! i feel when he eats beneful he turns into a puppy again. it's proteins, vegetables, grains, sounds like a dinner i'd make for myself. >> it's a big bag, have some of mine. >> now with real chicken as the number one ingredient. >>> good evening. thank you for joining russ. it's a growing trend in travel, voluntourism, do-gooders hoping to see the world while supporting a worthy cause. but things are not always what they seem. tonight a shocking investigation into suspect orphanages in nepal. here's abc chief foreign correspondent >> reporter: welcome

it's been a big olympics for simons. >> another simone found success. simone biles turned in one of the most impressive performances ever to win gold in the women's all-around. right on her heels of course, teammate aly raisman who took silver. emotion pouring out of them both as they finished their floor routine. we'll talk to simone and aly and the rest of the final five in just a moment. >> look who else is here. ryan lochte. just a moment ago he was greeting fans on our deck and skies opened up and he came inside. he won gold earlier in the week in 4x200 relay. he missed the podium in his final face-off with michael phelps. we'll talk to him coming up. >> you have everybody on the show this morning. we'll do politics from here. donald trump facing a republican revolt this morning. there's word that some republicans want the party to direct resources to spend money on those down ballot races instead of on the presidential race which they fear may be lost already and just this morning, trump is trying to explain his repeated new attack on president ob

simon had famously tweeted about her crush. zac efron gives me breathing problems. >> i got you something to wear at the olympics. >> a leotard with na face all over it. simon has been kissing zach on a regular basis since christmas of 2014 when she received this life size cut out that she keeps in her bedroom. >> sometimes i used to kiss him >> you come in and gave him a little kiss. >> that's a little strange, right. >> yeah. >> instead of the cutout, simon get the real zach when nbc flew him down to rio hidden as he watched simon's performance and had him surprise the gymnastics team. and zach seemed honored to meet them. >> their story blew my mind. >> simon kissed him pronouncing herself on cloud nine, she may not have needed a lift but she got one. just call me mrs. efron already tweeted simon. no honey, we'll call him mr. biles. her gymnist boyfriend instagramed at zach i saw her first. simon won four gold medals and there was only o which would she rather kiss? both. >> kim: still to come this morning a mom uses tooth p