. >> tom costello reporting there. >>> state police say they're conducting autopsies on the victims, including a full toxicology report on the driver, looking for any evidence of drugs or alcohol. they're also looking at whether

and as tom costello reports, the pilot couldn't see it coming. >> reporter: onboard 1303 the aftermath of a violent encounter with turbulence, dangling oxygen masks, ceiling panels popped open, food and drinks smeared on the aisle and walls. everything flew in the air said once passenger. it happened at 39,000 feet as the airbus a-330 was navigating around severe weather. >> clearer turbulence is not something radar shows so pilots are unable to see it in advance. it can be quite severe and it can be quite sudden. >> reporter: so-called fast-moving jet stream collides with a slower moving air mass. every year passengers and crew members suffer head lacerations, broken bones, and bruises, though it rarely threatens the aircraft itself. >> this is why we tell you to wear your seat belt, because if you're not wearing it when severe turbulence like this happens, it can be deadly. >> reporter: on a miami to buenos aires flight, 15 were injured and eight taken to area hospitals. the number of injuries varies each year depending on the severity of the weather but in the u.s., 151 people have

tom costello, nbc news. >>> we need to tell you about a major recall that's beenwith sa. netes have gotten sick in this outbreak. the products came from an arizona company and were packaged between july 25th and september 7th. the complete list can be found on our facebook page. >>> still ahead, how police cracked a murder mystery using a fitbit the victim was wearing. >>> caught on camera. scary moments on a runway when two planes collide. >>> next tonight, the surprising tool police are using to solve crimes in the digital age. it's a device worn by millions. the fitbit fitness tracker. it could be the key to cracking a murder case in california. here's nbc's gabe gutierrez with more. >> reporter: 90-year-old anthony aiello said he brought homemade pizza to higgs stepdaughter but days after he left a home, the co-worker found her dead. deep cuts on her neck. friends and family stunned. >> i am very devastated. >> reporter: the murder mystery took a dramatic turn when police took a closer look at the fitbit tracker she wore on her left wrist. investigators say it showed

here's nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: for nick hague, two years of training in russia turned into a very close call. >> i imagined that my first trip to outer space was going to be a memorable one. i didn't expect it to be quite this memorable. >> reporter: a sudden rocket failure and automatic abort. >> the first thing i noticed was being shaken violently side to side, as the safety system pulled us away from the rocket. >> reporter: they were in a harrowing steep, uncontrolled free fall. nick hague could only look out the window hoping to survive. >> were we going to land in water? did we make it far enough? >> reporter: 34 minutes later, touchdown in a remote field. he tried calling his wife on a satellite phone. >> unfortunately it went to voice mail. she's got a voice mail that she can keep as a memento the rest of her life. being able to finally hold my wife in my arms and give her a hug was just enormous, and it made me feel like okay, i'm finally back and safe. >> reporter: home, safe, and ready to try again. tom costello, nbc news, washington. >>> a follow-up now just five

our tom costello has the latest. >> reporter: as ntsb drones flew over the crash scene to document where 20 people died, investigators spent the day focusing on the limo operator, prestige limousine chauffeur service. federal records show it had failed 80% of its inspections over the past two years. the driver, 53-year-old scott lisinicchia, died in the crash. >> the driver of the vehicle did not have the appropriate driver's license to be operating that vehicle. second, that vehicle was inspected last month and failed inspection and was not supposed to be on the road. >> reporter: the stretch limo, a modified 2001 ford excursion. witnesses say it was speeding when it came barreling down route 30, blowing through a stop sign at a t-bone intersection, then careening across a country store's driveway, hitting a parked car and killing two pedestrians before slamming into a heavily wooded ravine. the 17 passengers who had rented the limo for a birthday celebration died. two newlywed couples, four sisters, two brothers, family, and friends. >> i just hope they didn't suffer. i want to believe

nbc's tom costello has late details. >> reporter: four days after the horrific crash, police arrested the man who they say run the limo company. 28-year-old nauman hussain. >> the sole responsibility for that motor vehicle saturday rests with nauman hussain. >> reporter: police say hussain had received written notices that driver scott lisnicchia did not have a license to drive the limo which was ordered off the road following multiple safety violations. hussain's attorney says the state bears responsibility for an unsafe intersection. >> this road was a problem. it was a known problem to the state of new york. >> reporter: the limo company is owned by hussain's father shahed, who is in pakistan. meanwhile, the families of the 20 people who died are preparing for funerals, among them michael's parents. >> he was my baby. he was my heart. he was everything to me and now he's gone. >> reporter: tom costello, nbc news. >>> we're getting a look at perhaps the biggest clues in a mystery making headlines around the world. new images of what is being described as an assassination squad "wash

tom costello, nbc news, los angeles. >>> up next, "inspiring america." the would be bride who gave her special day away to complete strangers. a fire is burning ina high-rise apartment in san francisco. we )re live at the scene. and a mayor on the peninsula says there )s no traffic problem in her city...but the residents are trying to prove her wrong. next. >>> a texas woman is making headlines with her generosity toward a couple she never met before. instead of giving them a wedding gift, they got an entire wedding. an act of kindness that's "inspiring america." when kolbie sanders called off her wedding >> i didn't want that day to go by andanybody else wedding venue to a complete stranger in need, posting on facebook, thisfo other and will continue to choose each other for the rest of their lives. like hailey hipsher and matt jones. >> i said that my grandfather has stage iv pancreatic cancer and he wasn't even supposed to make it this far. >> so, let's begin. >> after hundreds of entries, she picked a winner from her kitchen come -- collander. >> thi

tom costello, nbc news, washington. >>> the alarm over a market meltdown. the dow plunging 545 points today extending losses to over 1300 points since yesterday. a big part of the selloff blamed on fears of rising interest rates and buying a home is getting more extensive. mortgage rates hitting their highest levels in seven years. nbc's jo ling kent on what it means for you and your family. >> reporter: joshua glover has been hunting for a new home for months, but with rates going up, he's not so sure. >> it's making my options very limited. >> reporter: that's because the average 30-year mortgage jumped to just over 5% this week, the highest in more than 7 years as the federal reserve signalled it plans to raise the key interest rate 1 more time this year. >> i think the fed has gone crazy. >> reporter: the expected hike rattling markets this week. >> we've got unemployment at 3.7%. gpd is over 3%, wages are finally going up and finally, the fed can say, okay, let's stop protecting everything. >> reporter: so for those buying homes, compared to last year,

back to you. >> tom costello with the late word for us. thank you. > there is a disturbing discovery at the vatican embassy in rome and many hope it can solve a baffling 35-year-old cold case mystery. our kelly cobiella is at the vaticto ght. >> reporter: behind the walls of the vatican embassy, an old mystery brought back to life. workers found human bone fragments while re vating a building. the italian media can't stopsking if it's the daughter of a vatican employee that disappeared 35 years ago when was 15. her story one of italy's most increasing cold cases with countless eo thes and rumors, among them she was kidnappein a plat to free the man that shot pope john paul, ii. his brother believes she's still alive and the vatican has answers. the vatican always denied involvement. as for the bones, police forensic experts are trying to determine the age, sex and date ouf death. that take at least a week. lester? >> kelly cobiella, thanks. >>> a new health alert, two major studies in a widely orsed treatment for a commonof cancer in women

tom costello, nbc news, chantilly, virginia. >>> up next, surf's up, way up. the incredible video of a surfer shattering a world record. college roommate and he o knew one of his accusers. we asked this bay area man, who does he >>> he was judge kavanaugh's college roommate and knew one of the accusers. we ask this bay area man who he believes. >>> and the type of crime that's likely to happen right here in the >>> finally, the surfer riding a wave of fame after setting an amazing new world record, and she did it in the same place where she had one of the scariest moments of her career. stephanie gosk now with our nightly snapshot. >> reporter: off the coast of portugal, the ocean converges on an underwater canyon, 1,000 feet deep. it's where sea swells turn into monster waves and surfers come to break records. on january 18th, brazilian surfer maya gabeira caught the break she was waiting for. on monday, the world's surf league and the guinness book of world records called it. that ride broke the record for the biggest wave ever surfed by a woman. 65 feet cal

nbc's tom costello has more. >> reporter: a staggering 150 billionai pieces of move through the u.s. postal system each year. including nearly 6 billion packages. e stal inspectors say therare certain telltale signs of suspect packages. often lopsided with irregular shape, sometimes with wires, foil or stains. suspects often use excessive postage to avoid goi inside. their hand writing off distorted and the return address is often fake. >> this looks very suspicious. >> reporter: this company screens packages from all over the world. x-ray images are transmitted for analysis by veteran bomb squad officers, now high alert. >> the fact that none of these devices have gone off should not ovide comfort. we're not completely sure of what the fusing was. e threat remains and the threat should be considered active and viable. >> reporter: while the postal service has systems to defect os exes or chemical agents, it can be like a needle in a haystack. s the secrvice screens the mail for anyone receiving protection, including former presidents. en and since 9/11, many companies, includingedia

tom costello, nbc news, washington. >>> coming up, the record-smashing jackpot. will it hit $1 billion? and do you have a shot at it? >>> and the emotional end of an era for "sesame street." >>> all right, let's take a couple minutes here and talk about this lotto fever catching hold across the country tonight. so, the powerball jackpot's at $343 million right now, but it's not often you can say that kind of money pales in comparison to the biggest mega millions prize of all time, also up for grabs. and nbc's matt bradley reports, it's at $900 million and still climbing. >> thank you. >> reporter: tonight, the mega millions jackpot spiraling toward $1 billion. just two days before the next drawing on friday night, we wanted to know, what would you do with all that money? some answers at carlton cards in penn station, known as one of the busiest and luckiest lotto sellers in new york. what are you going to do if you win? >> first of all, quit my job. i don't get enough sleep. >> me and my wife are looking to buy a house. >> i would pay off all my debts. >> i'm goi

tom costello, nbc news, washington. >> and we have to stress, we don't know who sent these bombs and why they sent them, but at times of national crises like this, presidents in the past have made statements to try to unify the nation, and in fact, yesterday president trump called for peace and harmony and then almost immediately returned to his attacks on the news media. here's nbc news white house correspondent peter alexander. >> reporter: even as police investigated another suspicious package, president trump this morning on twitter blaming the press for causing a very big part of the anger we see today in our society. "it has gotten so bad and hateful," he tweets, adding "mainstream media must clean of its act, fast." a criticism he laid out last night in wisconsin. >> the media also has a responsibility to set a civil tone. >> reporter: also taking an apparent swipe at democrats. >> no one should carelessly compare political opponents to historical villains. >> reporter: those comments just moments after calling for americans to come together in peace and harmony.t tmp taking r

tom costello, nbc news, los angeles. >>> up next, inspiring america.be bride who gave her special day away to complete strangers. many d keep us apart. so i talked to my doctor about humira. i learned humira can help get, and keep uc under control when other medications haven't worked well enough. and it helps people achieve control that lasts. so you can experience few or no symptoms. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. be there for you, and them. ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, control is possible. you can do it. we can do this. at fide

>> tom costello, thank you. >>> sheriff's dertment is defending deputies after dashcam video them violently arresting an intoxicated man. miguel almaguer has the tape. >> i've been trying to wake you up for ten minutes, dude. [ laughter ] te> no, no, no way. >> rep when orange county sheriff's deputies asked for an i.d. he was clearly intoxicated and se re >> listen, bro, i just got to where it's 5:00 in the morning. i don't have time for this. >> reporter: their exchange becoming physical. ke>> don't touch me that. suspect abbed his vest. after being repeatedly punched in the face, he was thrown to the ground asking if he was going to be shot one deputy says he'd like to. >> hey, are you going to shoot me? >> nope, i'd like to. . >> you blew you beat him up in a situation you didn't need the level of force. the answer can't be he pays the. >> reporter: he faces a felony charged of resisting arrest but his lawyers say the dashcashows excessive force and a deputy lying to his supervisor. tonight, the sheriff's department says in part the deputy made every attempt to deescalate the situation

here's nbc's tom costello with the latest. >> reporter: days after that horrific crash, state policen who they say runs the limo company. 28-year-old nauman hussain. >> the sole responsibility for that motor vehicle being on the road on saturday rests with nauman hussain. >> reporter: police say hussain had received written notices that driver scott lisnicchia did not have the license to drive the limo, which had been ordered off the road following multiple safety violations. hussain's attorney says the state bears responsibility for an unsafe intersection. >> this road was a problem. it was a known problem to the state of new york. >> reporter: the limo company is owned by nauman hussain's father, shahed, who is in pakistan. the families of the 20 people who died are now preparing for funerals. among them, michael ukai's parents? >> he was my baby. he was my heart. he was everything to me, and now he's gone. >> reporter: tom costello, nbc news. >>> still ahead, why colin kaepernick is heading to harvard. >>> and was the missing saudi journalist targeted by a hit squad from his home

he was everything to me, and now he's gone. >> reporter: tom costello, nbc llnews. >>> s ahead, why colineading to harvard. >>> and was the missing saudi journalist targeted by a hit squad from his home country? the explosive new allegation, next. wi a cord-free vacuum, you need a shark. because only shark's cord-free lineup has duo-clean technology an deep clean carpets and give hard floors a polished look. and with twowappable batteries at maximum suction, our shark ion f80 gives you more run time than theyson v10 absolute. and now shark takes cord-free beyond sti vacuums by introducing a full upright model. shark ion cord-free vacuums avai ble in stick and upright by introducing a full upright model. breathe freely fast, with vicks sinex. my congestion's gone. i can breathe again! ahhhh! i can breathe again! ughh! vicks sinex. breathe on. ♪ she's doing it again. no cover up spray here... cheaper aerosols can cover up odors, burying them in a flowery fog. switch to febreze air effects! febreze eliminates even the toughest odors from the air. freshen up, don't cover up. febreze >>> ft fo

nbc's tom costello has details. >> reporter: from coast to coast, the alert came as exactly the same moment. 2:18 p.m. in the east, 1:18 in the midwest and 11:18 pacific time. while fcc rules prohibit us from airing the alert tones, 225 million devices were supposed to have received the first test of the presidential alert system. from new york -- >> i hope it's not a sign of things to come. >> -- to chicago -- >> the president can text us? >> -- to l.a. then at 2:20, it hit every radio and tv nationwide. the ultimate goal, to reach every american simultaneously in the event of a natural emergency. from natural disasters to a terror attack to a disease outbreak. >> information in public safety situations, whether it be a fire, earthquake, terrorist attack, is essential. it's the lifeline, if you will. >> reporter: but not everyone did receive a text. fema says it was hoping for a 75% success rate. it will now review the test to determine who didn't get a message and why, as it brings a 2018 upgrade to the national alert system. tom costello, nbc news, washington. >>> first lady melan

tom costello, nbc news, chantilly, virginia. >>> up next, surf's up, way up.he incredible video of a surfer shattering a world record. up, way up the incredible video up, way up the incredible video no matter how much you clean, does your house still smell stuffy? that's because your home is filled with soft surfaces that trap odors and release them back into the room. so, try febreze fabric refresher. febreze finds odors trapped in fabrics and cleans them away as it dries. use febreze every time you tidy up to keep your whole house smelling fresh air clean. fabric refresher even works for clothes you want to wear another day. make febreze part of your clean routine for whole home freshness. back pain can't win. now introducing aleve back and muscle pain. only aleve targets tough pain for up to 12 hours with just one pill. aleve back & muscle. all day strong. all day long. a car you can command when does that require mind-control? no. just some mind-blowing engineers from the ford motor company and pivotal who developed fordpass, allowing you to reach out to y

tom costello, nbc news, los angeles. >>> now to a theft that may be tough to stomach. of kansas needs help finding a missing inflatable colon. the stolen colon was used to raise awareness for colorectal cancer. the university said in a statement, colon cancer is a tough subject for many to talk about, and the giant 150-pound, ten-foot-long inflatable colon is a great conversation starter. the university is currently raising funds to replace the $4,000 blowup. come on, guys, bring the colon back. it's for cancer awareness. >>> we have an urgent message for any chicken owners that may be watching. the centers for disease control is urging pet owners to refrain from decembering up their chickens in halloween costumes. it will go to help reduce the risk of salmonella infection. the cdc also warns against kissing or snuggling your feathered friends. if you just can't resist that urge to dress up your bird, please, please, be sure to wash your hands. >>> the portland trail blazers got into the halloween spirit by rocking hilarious costume before their game against the wizard

here's nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: it happens so fast. it looks like this plane's wing was hit by a bullet. in fact, it's a two-pound drone test fired into a single engine aircraft wing to mimica a mid-air collision at 238 miles per hour, tearing deep into the wing, fuel lines, and support structure. it likely would have landed safely, but -- >> if you have a significantly heavier drone, absolutely there is a threat of the aircraft being lost. >> reporter: so far this year pilots have reported 2,000 drone sightings. nationwide, 109,000 registered users own more than a million registered drones. required to stay at least five miles away from an airport. but researchers just documented 192 drone flights near daytona beach airport over just 13 days. one in five posing a risk to aircraft. most vulnerable, wings, engines, vertical stabilizers, helicopter rotors, and windshields. >> a drone hitting an aircraft of any size is potentially a life or death situation. >> reporter: one solution, gps-based geo-fencing software to keep drones away from

i'm tom costello in schoharie, new york, back to you. >> that was nbc's tom costel. the intersection has been a problem spot before and ten years ago, it had to be redone. but a manager of a cafe near there says that even after that, three tractor-trailers ran right through the same stop sign and landed in a field. >>> we are working for you this morning with an important health announcement. >> the american cancer society says millions of additional tens would needbe vaccinated against hpv in the coming years. details on this latest push when news 4 midday returns. waiting for a liver transplant.. will die waiting. don't wait. find out about living-donor liver transplants at upmc today. living-donor liver transplants mean less waiting and better outcomes. upmc is the nation's leader in living-donor liver transplants. so, why wait for a liver transplant? call upmc today. upmc. life changing medicine >>> important health news to talk about, kids. well into the school year, it is prime time fords and the flu. >> yes, unfortunately, it's also peak seasonor another illne

nbc's tom costello has the latest. tom, good morning. >> reporter: phillip, good morning to you.ic the state p here in new york are very much running the criminal and forensics vestigation here. the ntsb is involved in trying to put all the pieces together and determine what, if anything, can be learned. they have a lot of questions to answer. as ntsb drones flew over thece crash to document where 20 people died, investigators spent the day focusing on the limo operator, prestige limousine chauffeur service. federal records show it had failed 80% of its inspections over the past two years. the driver,3-year-old scott lisnicchia died in the crash. >> the driver of the vehicletid have the appropriate driver's license to be operating that vehicle. second, that vehicle was inspected last month and failed inspection and was not to be on the road. >> reporter: the stretch limo, a modified 2001 ford excursion. witnesses say it waspeeding when it came b reling down route 30, blowing through a stop sign at a t-bone intersection,

nbc's tom costello reports. >> reporter: state police say they have launched a criminal investigation into how 20 people died in that horrific crash on saturday. the focus now on the limo company and its driver. police confirm, the stretch limo involved in the accident had failed its most recent inspection and should not have been on the road. federal records confirm, the company, prestige limousine chauffeur service, had failed four out of five inspections over the last two years. and the driver, 53-year-old scott sinicchia, who died in the crash, should not have been behind the wheel. >> no, it shouldn't have been on the road. >> reporter: ntsb investigators say they found no skid marks on the ground where the 2001 ford excursion limo apparently ran a stop sign, careened across a county highway and through a parking lot, where it hit a car and killed two pedestrians before slamming into a ravine. all 17 passengers and the driver died. witnesses say the limo appeared to have been speeding. >> if an entire engine block has moved back and basically crushed, moved back past the driver's

the office othe president confirming to nbc news as tom costello t durkin's contract has been broughtut. this after mounting pressure. just yesterday, they announced he would stay, thowever,hat the niversity president, dr. wallace lowe, would be retiring in the springtime, and, again, just minutes ago into this news room, the office of the president confirming to nbc news's tom costello, the contract has been bght out and he's out. this is a developing story. stay with us for more on it online and, of course,ly news has much more on this development. back over to you guys in the studio. >> thank you, eric. amazon is doing something that a lot of people thought w impossible. it's bringing both political parties together. 20 north american cit s are vying to win the onlinegi t's second aheadquarters, so-called hq2. northern county and washington, d.c. are among the finalists and rumors have it that crystal city will be the big winner, on today's "ask the governor" segment, he says amazon is w.iting republicans and democrats >> we have had support from both sides of the aisle on this, an

he wants to drop it in the facility and be done with it. >> that was tom costello reporting there. so the postal service processes more than $170 million pieces of mail every year, making it impossible to screen everything. investigators will be going over all video and photos, looking for anything suspicious, as well as anyone suspicious. they're going to look at handwriting, where those individuals were purchased, every possible detail. meanwhile, nbc news has learned that the bombs were all very similar, made of pvc piping, containing a timer and explosion powder. and nbc bay area and nbc news are closely following this breaking news. nbc news will break in for any huge developments and make sure you download our nbc bay area app. this way you can get any updates when we are not on-air. >>> san francisco police reportedly touting a new approach to help defend against car break-ins. "the examiner" reporting chief bill scott yesterday met with supervisors. he says a recent policy change in the mission and taraval district is helping to cut down on break-ins there. it involves dedi

i'm tom costello in skoe harry, new york. back to you. >>> overnight in oakland, police arrested five suspects believed to be involved in a series of robberies. they were taken into custody just after midnight last night. this is near 98th avenue and macarthur boulevard. right now we're working to find out more details on the arrest and those robberies. >>> san francisco is reportedly launching a new policy that may save the lives of inmates released from custody. you may recall this story from july when alameda county authorities released a female inmate from the santa rita jail overnight. that woman, jessica st. louis, was soon found dead at the dublin b.a.r.t. station from an overdose. b.a.r.t. doesn't run at night. the examiner reports san francisco sheriff vicki hennessey plans to allow inmates to delay their own releases until normal business hours, so pickup is easier. they have somewhere to go. a similar statewide measure is now working its way through the length tough. >>> san jose police are in the midst of a new pu

meant to be used as a new way to contact all americans in the event of a national emergency, and tom costello happen, tom? >> well, we are all going to be getting the alert at the same time and 2:18 eastern time, and be clear if you are on the west coast, 11:18 out there in the pacific, and we are going to be receiving the alert and the phone is going to the vibrate and then a message that says this is a test. we have seen them on the phone, and maybe an amber alert or the tornado warning or something of this nature, and it is trying to harness that ability so that whoever is the president, and be clear, it was ordered about 10 or 12 years ago, and whoever is the president can issue an emergency alert to the entire country and it could be about an emergency like a natural di s disaster or the incoming terror attack or war or any of those thing, but it is not supposed to be used and they say so explicitly in the law that outlined this particular technology, and that it is not to be used to send any sort of political messages, and that said, some people have objected saying that the government

tom costello, nbc news, washington. >>> more extreme weather to tell you about tonight. some of the strongest santa ana winds in years have taken a deadly turn in southern california. a woman was killed when a tree fell on her car. and an early winter blast in parts of the rockies and high plains bringing as much as a foot of snow in the mountains. >>> now to senator elizabeth warren doing something unprecedented. after years of ridicule from president trump and republicans over her claims of native american ancestry, today the massachusetts democrat released results of a dna test she says proves it. >> reporter: tonight, ling calling h's claims of native american ancestry. >> they call her pocahontas. >> reporter: warren is now answering. her campaign releasing a dna analysis stating there is strong evidence the senator had a native american in her family going back six to ten generations. today, president trump was dismissive. >> who cares? who cares? >> reporter: and asked if he sees it as a sign warren is serious about challenging him in 2020? >> i hope she's running

tom costello tell us how to spot signs. >> reporter: 150 billion pieces of mail move through the postal system each year including 6 billion packages. postal inspectors say there are certain tell tale signs. lopsided with an irregular shape. sometimes with protruding wires or aluminum foil or stains. suspects often use excessive postage to avoid going distorte. >> the fact that these devices have not gone off should not provide any comfort. we're not completely sure what the fusing was. the threat remains and the let should be considered active. >> reporter: the postal service has systems to detect it can be like a needling in the hay stack. capital police screen mail for congress. since 9/11 many companies including media companies have been scanning their own mail. but most american families and small businesses are on their own to watch for suspect packages. >> this is really going to come down to people being aware of their surroundings, what they are expecting and not expecting. >> reporter: if it doesn't look right isolate the package, evacuate and call abt who may bn president tr

and tom costello reports they could level in four years. >> reporter: it's been four years since the national average for gas was $3 a gallon. but $3 gas may be weeks away the national average now $2.91 a gallon. but californians pay the most. a stunning $3.69. as voters consider repealing a state gas tax. in metro chicago, drivers are paying $3.12 on average. >> with gas prices going up and my check decreasing, it's like i almost got to find another job just to put gas in my car. s>> reporter: her how it affects your wallet. the average car today guzzles a600 gallons each year. americans are now paying 40 cents more per gallon than they did st year. analysts estimate that a two-car family will spend $500 more for gas this year than last year. 3 but if gas goes to a gallon in 2019, that two-car family wil spend $740 more for gas than in 2017. the high prices come just as new u.s. sanctions against iran kick in next month. >> that effectively is going to cut off a good portion of crude oil that flows into the rket. that is also having an impact. >> reporter: with americans literally p

we get those details om bc's tom costello. >> reporter: a staggering 150 billion pieces of mail move through the u.s. postal system each year, including nearly 6 billion packages. postal inspectors say there are certain tale tale signs, often lopsided with an irregular shsue. ects often use excessive postage to avoid going inside the post office. the handwriting distorted and the return addss is often fake. >> this looks very say suspicious. >> reporter: msa screens for governnt encies all over the world. x-ray images are transmitted to the new york command center for analysis by veteran bomb squad officers. now, on hi alert. >> the fact that none of these devices have gone off should not provide any comfort. we're not completely he sure of what fusing was. the threat remains and the threat should be considered active and teiable. >> rr: while the postal service has systems to detect explosives or bio ch ical agents, it can be a needle in a haystack. the secret service fscreens the mail anyone receiving protection like former presidents and members of congress. since 9/11 many compan

tom costello, nbc newswashington. >>> first lady melania trump is in gha on her first solo international tour through africa. today she visited the 17th centuortress where slaves were traded. mrs. trump called it an emotional experience that she'll never forget. >> the prisons that i g aw is really somethople should see and experience and what happened so many years ago. trt's really a tragedy. >> mrsp is scheduled to visit . enya and egypt during her to ng>>> now to a gro mystery in maine, a wife and mother, beloved elementary schoolteacher vanished in the middle the night. authorities with few clues searching through the woods and her family pleading for answs. we get details from nbc's miguel almaguer. >> reporter: in the wooded fields of maine, search teams are growing more th desperate foe days there has been no sign of kristi kristin westra, the 47-year-old mother and beloved elementary school teacher that vanished from her home. worried sick. y >> my wife is loved. my wife is loved dearly. >> reporte westra says his wife was anxious and stressed when she went to bed at 8:00 p.m. s

tom costellos at state police headquarters. mo, he had been hired to take those people to a birthday celebration at a local brewery. they neverade it. now inspection records that we have seen suggest this vehicle hadio s safety problems and the state says it had been ordered off the road. four days since 20 people were kied in that horrific limo crash. the family of the driver is blaming the lo company. scott lisinicchia's family writing in a statement they believe unbeknownst to him he was provided with a vehicle that was neither roadorthy nor safe for any of the occupants. the limousine was owned by prestige limousine chauffeur service. last week it was for sale on craigslist with 180,000 miles. federal safety records show that sameimo racked upumerous safety violations over the past six months. september 4, violations for o defectiv no emergency exhibits, a malfunctioning anti-lock brake indicator ight and too many seats. last march cited for brake violations. the company's attorney insists the repair work was done. t>> any d

nbc's tom costello covers space and aviation for us. tom, what more do we know this morning? reporter: this was a serious emergency. make no doubt about it. one of the booster rockets failed on liftoff on the six-hour journey to the space station. that caused the system to immediately jettison the space capsule that was carrying the astronauts. one of them a russian. one an american. on his first mission into space. they went on very rapid descent, with excessive g-force, and the parachute bringing them back. they landed in kazakhstan. russian forces responded and they got to them quickly. in a nasa tweet they tweeted the search and rescue teams have reached the landing site and report the two members are in good condition and are out of the capsule. search and rescue teams are with the crew now. also this just coming in. russian officials saying they are now suspending all man space launches as they investigate this incident. this was a very close call. it could have ended in tragedy. keep in mind this is the only way americans are able to get to the space station onboard a

nbc's tom costello joins us with that partf the story. >> good morning.ment. theombs weresimilar, made of pvc piping, containing a timer and an explosive powder. the fbi is now examining some of the bombs at the fbi bomb lab in quantico, virginia, from forensic tms will examine every detail of the packaging and bomb compones, looking for clues. amid a national manhunt for whoever is responsible for this week's pipe bomb mailings, investigators will be pulling from past cases. last march the austin bomber killed two people and injured four others over a three-week period. >> a terrifying mystery. >> reporter: investigators zeroed in on the 23-year-old suspect after he was caught on fedex security cameras wearing a wig. eric robert rudolph known as the atlantic olympic park h bomber,e sesveghn-wayeauar ct manhunt. unabomber ted kaczynski killed threend wounded 23. >> another bombing making the news. >> reporter: arrested after 17 years when his brother raised espicions. thould be lessons from the nthrax mailings that killed five and sickened 17 others. the

tom costello has more. >> reporter: days after that horrific crash, state police arrested the man whoy runs the limo company, 28-year-old hussein. >> the sole responsibility for that motor vehicle being on the road on saturday rests with hussein. >> reporter: hussein they said received written notices that the driver did not have the proper licensing. his lawyer says the state bears responsibility for an unsafe intersection. >> this road was a known problem to the state of new york. >> reporter: the limo company is owned by hussein's father in pakistan. meanwhile, the families of the 20 people who died are now preparing for funerals. >> he was my baby. he was my heart. he was everything to me. and now he's gone. >> that's hard. >> heartbreaking story there. >>> let's switch gears and talk about politics. peter smith struck up a professional relationship with michael flynn as early as 2015. the "wall street journal" is reporting that smith told associated that he was using the retired general's connections to help him obtain clinton's e-mails. smith met with flynn in 2015, this accordi

. >> abc's tom costello joins me now, and i understand, tom, from the governor and some of the officialsyou've got an important update? >> reporter: we do. the governor of new york just a few minutes ago said the following, he said the driver of the limo did not have the appropriate license to be driving this vehicle, he needed a commercial driver's license with a passenger endorsement. he said the vehicle was inspected last month by new york state authorities and it failed that inspection. it was not supposed to be on the road, said the governor. they don't yet know the cause of this accident, they don't have the driver officially identified and they don't know if it's a driver or vehicle malfunction. the owner of the limo is stage front li fro front -- prestige limo. he said the owner of the company was out of the country and expressed their extreme sadness about this event. and that the ntsb is taking over the investigation. how this happened on a saturday afternoon, did the driver use his brakes. it would appear that he blew through a stop sign and then he barrelled right through a h

nbc's tom costello is at the scene for us this morning. sters, two newlywed couples, several other family members, and several brothers were killed and now three children have been left without parents. and this is the scene here where the suv limo came barreling all the way down this grassy section here into the ravine, into the creek, and everybody onboard died. on a quiet country road in upstate new york, a gut-wrenching tragedy. >> 20 fatalities is just horrific. >> gonna need multiple ambulances. >> reporter: the voices of emergency responders first on the scene. >> mutt med life on stand by. >> reporter: the question everyone here is asking, how did an suv limousine headed to a birthday party on saturday plow through this intersection taking the lives of 20 people. >> 18 of the victims were in the limousine, including the driver. >> reporter: witnesses say the van came tearing right down that road and blew through that stop sign. there are no skid marks to be seen here on the driveway. he tore right through the apple barrel's driveway

tom costello is at state police headquaters following this story. good morning. >> good morning.people to a birthday celebration at a local brewery. they never made it. but now inspection records suggests this vehicle had serious safety problems and the sate says it had been ordered off the road. >> four days since 20 people were killed in that horrific limo crash. the family of the driver who died is blaming the limo company. they wrote in a statement that they believed unbeknownst to him he was provided with a limousine that wasn't safe. just last week it was for sale on craigslist with 180,000 miles. but federal safety records show that same limo racked up numerous safety violations over the past six months. on september 4th, violations for detective or no emergency exits. a malfunctioning anti-lock brake indicator light and too many seats. last march, cited for break violations. though the company's attorney insists the repair work was completed. >> any defects that did exist in the past, the owners went through great pains to make sure that those had been fixed. >> investiga

first, nbc news' tom costello is covering the investigation. hey, tom, good morning. >> reporter: hey, hoda, good morning to you. air, state police now tell us they have recovered the airbag control module. they described that as a sort of black box. they hope it will provide a clue after the vehicle's speed and whether the brakes were applied. they say to reiterate that this driver should not have been behind the wheel the limo should not have been on the road. for now the limo company has been shut down. state police say they've launch a criminal investigation into how 20 people died in that horrific crash on saturday the focus now on the limo company and its driver. police confirm the stretch limo involved in the accident had failed its most recent inspection and should not have been on the road. federal records confirm the company prestige limousine service company out of new york failed four out of five inspections over the last five years. the driver, who died in the crash, should not have been behind the wheel. >> the driver didn't have t

tom costello joins us with that part of the story. >> reporter: we're looking at that and the postalmer and explosive powder. the fbi is examining some of the bombs at the bomb lab in virginia where forensics team will investigate every detail looking for clues. amid a national man hunt for whoever is responsible for the pipe bomb mail, invaes -- investigators will pull from other cases. >> a terrifying mystery in austin, texas. >> investigators zeroed in on the suspect after he was caught on fedex security cameras wearing a wig. erik robert rudolph killed two and injured 120 in a series of bombings. he was caught in 2003 after a seven-year man hunt. the unabomber killed three and wounded 23. >> another bombing is making the news. >> arrested after 17 years when his brother raised suspicions. there could also be lessons from the anthrax mailings. the suspect committed suicide. now investigators are hunting for another potential killer. >> he has a purpose an targets. we haven't found out if they were live or if he's send a message that said these weren't live but the next ones will b

kieshen, jason smith, andrew neeley, chance costello, allison graph, frederick hill, and brie anno manzeli. on senator nelson's starving thanks to kim lipski, tom chapman, chris day, lawrence wildgoose, and denny bloom. and, madam president, i also would like to place in the record instead of probably going through the whole list, the names of the staffers of our partner committees in the house who played key roles in the legislation. of course, chairman shuster's staff, who chairs the t.n.i. committee in the house, which was very instrumental inest going this bill across the floor in the house and ultimately over to us here in the senate. and then also the ranking member, as i mentioned, peter did i fazio's staff. i would ask unanimous consent to be able to include their names in the record. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. thune: thank you. also chairman mccall's staff and then rank member thompson's staff as well. from chairman smith's staff, who chairs the house science committee, and there was a good amount of science policy included in this legislation, and also as i said ranking member johnsons staff. those individuals were

tom ridge and good people like that, and bill scranton. a lot of good republicans. going back a bit, all civil rights guys all the way. thank you so much, congressman ryan costello. ashley parker, as also, "washington post" eugene robinson, thank you. >>> coming up, we'll get to the latest on the investigation. this is hot stuff, a detective story now. those ten bombs, explosive devices sent to president obama, hillary clinton, and other top democrats. plus. one of trump's top rallying cries in 2016 was that hillary clinton was putting national security at risk by using an unsecured e-mail server, but new report out tonight finds that he's using his cell phones to chat with friends despite repeated official warnings from authorities that spies are listening to him as he chats away with his buddies. and while we still don't know who's responsible for those bombings sent to democrats, we do know that trump and his allies are blaming the media. finally, let me finish tonight with trump watch. i don't think he'll like this one. this is "hardball," where the action is. >>> well, cia director gina haspel briefed president trump on her trip to turkey to learn more about