nbc steve handelsman reports all 17 major candidates are headed to cleveland to make not one, but two debates. >> reporter: at the sign of the debate in cleveland, tv crews are getting ready. many local residents are happy their ohio governor, john kasich made the top ten cut. >> i was going to watch anyway, but i'm glad he made the cut. >> reporter: chris christie vowed to bring some new jersey. >> that's going to start on thursday night in cleveland, ohio. >> reporter: most of the top ten are off the trail today, preparing for the face-off on fox. >> getting comfortable, going over their answers they think will spike on social media and get play. >> reporter: center stage will be donald trump, his popularity polls are double his closest rivals, but he will be in their world thursday night. and on fox, trump tried to lower expectations. >> i mean, they're going to try and trick you up, which is unfortunate. because all of that has nothing to do with being a great president. but i'm doing it, because it's something you have to do. and, again, i've never debated. >> reporter: one-time

nbc's steve handelsman has more from cleveland. >> reporter: at simon's deli today, not far from the debate site, scott walker campaigned, the center of attentiyo here. but not last night. despite his going in, pulling third or fourth highest. >> reporter: you got fewer minutes than almost any candidate. >> yeah, and in the end, i guess some of the others were eager to take on the others. >> reporter: grabbing the most air time was -- you know. with a record 24 million viewers. and he groused after. >> i thought their questions to me were much tougher than to other people. but maybe i expect that. but i really enjoyed the evening. >> reporter: jeb bush in new hampshire today was polling second to trump. >> saw you on the tv last night. but i thought you were very calm under pressure. that was really good. you held your own, you know? >> that's part of the task of being a president, is not -- you know. >> reporter: in fact, to many, bush looked laid back. >> when you're sitting in the subcommittee -- >> reporter: after his tangle with rand paul on the nsa, chris christie is pleased. >

nbc's steve handelsman is in washington to explain. steve? >> reporter: thanks. it's part of a trend. the senator serves on capitol hill but rages against politics, as usual, has virtually doubled his support in iowa. >> the big bank buster himself -- >> reporter: it's the same liberal bernie sanders attacking the system. >> i hope every man here tonight will stand with women and fight for pay equity. >> reporter: but suddenly, sanders, who leads in new hampshire, is just seven points back in iowa. hillary clinton, who had been steady at 50% in iowa, is down to 37 in the respected bloomberg des moines register survey. >> the big story from this poll is more about hillary clinton's numbers going down rather than bernie sanders' numbers going up. >> reporter: dozens more of her i. mails were declared classified today retroactively. plus, clinton is an establishment. >> what's going on, people understand that there is something fundamentally wrong in this country. >> reporter: 71% nationally in the new quinnipiac poll say they are not satisfied with how things are g

nbc's steve handelsman has the story from washington. >> reporter: donald trump reported for jury dutyyork because everyone has to, even billionaires leading in every republican poll. >> he's going all the way! >> looking very presidential, waving to the crowd. >> reporter: big crowds apparently because of trump's radical stand on key issues. >> it seems as if the people who would otherwise be sort of recoil at some of these positions see it as refreshing. >> reporter: take immigration. trump told chuck todd on nbc's "meet the press" he would end automatic citizenship for every child born in the u.s. and reverse the obama order allowing students brought here illegally as kids to stay. the whole family gets deported. >> we will keep the families together. we have to keep the families together. >> but you will keep them together out. >> they have to go. >> reporter: too strict, and bad for the party, says mercedes. >> it sounds very mitt romney like which did not work in 2012. it would not work in 2016 with the latino community. >> reporter: in iowa, trump's rivals have to play off his e

nbc 10 national correspondent steve handelsman is live outside the quicken loans arena in cleveland with preview. good afternoon, steve. >> reporter: good afternoon to you from cleveland, where no surprise, you ask around and people say, at least most people they most want to see and hear donald trump. this is his first real debate, he says, and he will be up against some seasoned veterans. into cleveland have come the gop candidates. the top polling ten debate tonight. >> we got to look and see how it works. >> reporter: fox is running two debates, one in prime time one earlier for the seven candidates with lower poll numbers. >> it's better to start out in the minors and go to the majors than the other way around. >> reporter: it feels like the world series of politics has come to cleveland. for many voters the first chance to see their favorites in action. >> john kasich. >> reporter: you're from ohio. >> you bet. >> i'm looking forward to seeing donald trump. nobody owns him. >> i think he brings a lot of fresh ideas. then you have the established politicians so i think it will be a

steve handelsman join us live with more on the race for the white house. range one, steve. >> reporter: it s wendy, such a big shot being called is actuay not such big news in manhattan, where the likes of spike lee, madonna, a couple of sitting new york mayors have already done what the donald today finally did. donald trump reported for jury duty in new york because everyone has to. even billionaires leading in every republican poll. >> he is going all the way! >> turning around, looking very presidential, waving to the crowd. >> reporter: big crowds apparently because of trump's radical stand on key issues. >> it seems as if these people who would otherwise be sort of recoil at some of these positions see it as refreshing. >> reporter: take immigration. trump told chuck todd on nbc's "meet the press," he would end automatic citizenship for every child born in the u.s. and reverse the obama order allowing students brought here illegally as kids to stay. the whole family gets deported. >> we are going to keep the families together. we have to keep the fami

steve handelsman, nbc news, washington. >>> a setback for the obama administration. a second democratic senator has come out in opposition to the iran nuclear deal. today, senator bob menendez from new jersey announced he is rejecting the agreement in his home state. the senior member of the senate foreign relations committee said he's opposed to it because iran has violated a number of u.n. security council resolutions while advancing its nuclear program. senator menendez added that this is not an issue of whether he supports or opposes president obama. >>> you might recall chuck schumer of new york was the first democratic senator to come out against the deal. he said it has too many flaws. president obama has pledged to veto a congressional resolution of this approval should it happen. >>> eliminating those annoying robocalls. two middlesex county men are getting national attention for an app they created. they won a competition put together by the federal trade commission. they developed an app to block robocalls. the calls are made to cell phones and land lines

from washington, steve handelsman, nbc news. >>> coming up on "nbc 10 news at 6:00" -- >> i don't know whether he was real or not. i didn't want no trouble. i gave him my stuff. >> two teenagers become the target of thieves as they visited a popular south jersey park. the warning they have for others. >>> i'm tracking stormgs and more coming tonight. the time you can see the downpours and some relief from the heat, next. >>> a warning for women walking alone. two attacks in one place have police on high alert. what you need to know about the attackers next on "nbc 10 news at 6:00." >>> "nbc 10 news at 6:00" begins with breaking news. and the search for this little girl. police tell us she was kidnapped in atlantic city about two hours ago. this 2-year-old was last seen at arkansas and atlantic avenues. officers say the girl was taken from her mother by her father, who does not have custody of the child. the child was wearing orange shorts and a white teeshirt. >>> also right now at 6:00, tracking storms. some people are seeing a lot of rain. the nbc 10 first alert weather radar shows w

steve handelsman nbc 10 news. >>> the woman whose experience in prison spawned "orange is the new black" testified before the u.s. senate today. lawmakers are holding a hearing on the many challenges facing the federal prison system. piper and another former federal inmate talked about their experiences in prison and told lawmakers how tough it was to re-enter society after they got out. she spent 15 months in federal prison after she was indicted and convicted of transporting drug money. the panel is pushing for better medical care better mental health care and more training programs. >> i saw women in bureau of prisons prisons denied necessary medical care and women with mental health issues wait for months to see the one psychiatrist who was available for 1400 women. >> she has become a fierce advocate for prison reform. she has testified on capitol hill in the past, urging lawmakers to consider reforms that target women in prison. >>> with less than two months to go before the pope's arrival, philadelphia is hosting another global gathering of catholics. the knights of columbus is h

from washington, steve handelsman. news 4 new york. >>> one kentucky sheriff's office is making headlines today for its unusual approach to fighting drugs. this flier is asking drug dealers to turn in their competition. it is no laughing matter. he is hoping the free snitching service will help get more dealers off the street. >>> the zimbabwe guide says he feels he has done nothing wrong. walter palmer paid theo bronkhorst to lure the lion out of the preserve so he could shoot it with a bow. he pleaded not guilty in failing to prevent the unlawful hunt. >>> it is time to clear the shelters and find loving homes for our animals across the area. here are a few photos of the most wanted felines at montclair animal shelter dressed in their prison uniforms. the only crime they'll be guilty of is stealing your heart. many shelters have agreed to cut the cost of adoption for this one event. for more information and to find a participating shelter near you, go to nbcnewyork.com/cleartheshelters. you can share your animal pict

steve handelsman has more. >> reporter: bernie sanderss is part of the trend, a senator, but the vermont socialist, serves here on the hill, rages against politics as usual and now, he has doubled his support in iowa. it's the same liberal bernie sanders attacking the system. >> i hope every man here tonight will stand with women and fight for pay equity. >> reporter: suddenly, sanders, who leads in new hampshire, is just seven points back in iowa. hillary clinton, who had been steady at 50% in iowa, is down to 37 in the respected bloomberg des moines register survey. >> the big story from this new poll is more about hillary clinton's numbers going down rather than bernie sanders' numbers going up. >> reporter: dozens more of her emails are declared classified today, retroactively. plus, clinton is establishment. >> i think what's going on is that understand that there's something fundamentally wrong in this country. >> reporter: 71% nationally in the new quinnipiac poll say they are not satisfied with how things are going. >> yeah. >> 71%. does that include you? >> yes. it does. >> defi

steve handelsman has more on the front-runner. >> reporter: donald trump reported for jury duty in nework because everyone has to, even billionaires leading in every republican poll. >> he is going all the way! >> turning around, looking very presidential, waving to the crowd. >> reporter: big crowds apparently because of trump's radical stand on key issues. >> it seems as if these people who would otherwise be sort of recoil at some of these positions see it as refreshing. >> reporter: take immigration. trump told chuck todd on nbc's "meet the press," he would end automatic citizenship for every child born in the u.s. and reverse the obama order allowing students brought here illegally as kids to stay. the whole family gets deported. >> we are going to keep the families together. we have to keep the families together. >> but going to keep them together out. >> they have go. >> reporter: too strict said republican mercedes and bad for the party. >> it sounds very mitt romney-like, which we know did not work in 2012. it would not work in 2016 with the latino community. >> reporter: in i

nbc national correspondent steve handelsman reports. >> reporter: today's senate debate echoes the nation's divide over abortion rights. fired up by the videos, said to show planned parenthood officials talking about selling fetal tissue donated by women who had had abortion. planned parenthood's president again insisted it's reimbursement for tissue storage and transport. >> it is absolutely illegal to make any profit and we do not. planned parenthood makes zero profit on any fetal tissue donation. >> reporter: armed with the videos, abortion rights opponents want to put planned parenthood out of business. >> they can't be trusted. the money can better be used for other women's health services and other organizations. >> reporter: senate republicans moved to end a half billion dollar federal payment, 40% of the organization's budget. >> defund planned parenthood while safeguarding funding for women's health services. >> reporter: democrats say you can't separate the two. besides performing more than 300,000 abortions a year, planned parenthood provides health services for more than 2.7 mil

i'm steve handelsman, nbc news, washington. >>> new details about the ashley madison breach. u.s. government employees with jobs in national security and law enforcement were among the hundreds of federal workers using government networks to access the cheating website. that includes at least two assistant u.s. attorneys, a member of the white house's support staff and a counter terrorism employee at the homeland security department. yesterday, nbc 10 told you an investigation is under way to determine whether any philadelphia city employees used city computers to surf ashley madison. a number of e-mail addresses with philly.gov showed up in a list released by hackers. >>> amtrak is getting ready for an influx in riders during pope francis' visit to the states by adding more service. extra trains will operate with added seats and it will make more stops. the additional trains will travel between new york, philadelphia and washington. pope francis will visit all three cities at the end of september. it's important to note you must have a reservation to ride. not many people are exp

nbc 10 national correspondent steve handelsman reports from cleveland. >> reporter: at the deli todaythe debate site, scott walker campaign, the center of attention here. but not last night. despite his going in polling third or fourth highest, you got fewer minutes than almost any candidate. >> in the end i guess some of the others were eager to take on the others. >> reporter: grabing the most air time was, you know, with a record 24 million viewers and he he groused afterward. >> i thought their questions to me were much tougher than to other people but maybe i expect that but i really enjoyed the evening. >> reporter: jeb bush in new hampshire today was polling second to trump. >> i saw you on the tv last night. you looked very calm under pressure. that's really good. you held your own, you know? >> part of the task of being the president is hold your own. >> reporter: in fact, to many, bush looked laid back. >> when you're sitting -- >> reporter: after his tangle with rand paul. chris christie is very pleased. but donald trump made clear he might run as an independent and he won'

steve handelsman, nbc news. >>> the atlantic city air show is making changes to this week's program afterhe death of a stunt pilot who was scheduled to perform. 53-year-old andrew wright was killed when his plane went down while practicing for a weekend air show in orange county, new york. his plane's tail broke off just before the crash. on wednesday, the texas pilot was slated to attempt a new world record for the most inverted flat spins. >> always in the back of your mind. you hate losing a performer, especially one that you know real closely. >> organizers say there's no need for any changes in safety but they have altered the show's lineup, adding a memorial tribute to wright. >>> from the nbc 10 delaware bureau, a military birthday celebration in the first state today. listen. nbc 10 at fort christina in wilmington today for the delaware national guard's 360th birthday ceremony. when it was formed in 1655, the delaware guard was originally called the militia. it was basically locals protecting their swedish colony from dutch invaders. since then, the delaware national guard has ser