they are telling tom costello the delay is over. they don't expect to have any further delays, and they are optimistic that this launch is going to happen this morning. the launch won't actually look like a typical space launch, as our viewers are sort of used to seeing with a rocket. this will be a space plane as you guys have alluded to, eve named after richard branson's mother who passed away recently will carry unity to 50,000 feet. branson, his three colleagues, two individuals have done it before, three have not. that unity will fire a booster rocket for one minute, carrying it to speeds of 2300 miles an hour, three times the speed of sound to an altitude of about 55 miles above sea level. they will spend about four minutes, maybe five minutes weight less. that plane will turnover onto its front. it will put it in wings hopefully like a shuttlecock and return to earth. the whole thing should take maybe 90 minutes. as you guys said, the launch moved back to 10:30 eastern, 8:30 here in the morning. again, according to our tom co

joining us from galactic space port in new mexico is correspondent tom costello. tom, last thing we heard this thing is still a go for sometime this hour. what are you hearing and seeing on the ground? >> reporter: just checked a mina go. still on for 8:30 mountain time, 10:30 eastern time, 7:30 pacific. can i just set the scene here for you? this is quintessential richard branson. this is quintessential virgin. we have classic rock playing, guns n' roses. i heard the eagles earlier. this is kind of the branson theme, if you will. right, the music of his life and his generation. this space port america is such an impressive facility. i had the opportunity to tour it earlier in the week. it is a massive space port. it's like -- really it's like an airport terminal designed only for space flights and commercial space flights. there are no hotel rooms inside. it's multiple levels of open meeting space, and there's a great coffee bar and a great place to have a dinner or a lunch. it is designed for the people who are going to be flying on these flights. so you and me,

we have tom costello who is our space race pro here at nbc news. you've been covering this since its inception. you had that exclusive interview with him and all that he was looking forward to. get inside of his mind. what do you think he is feeling right now now that this successful launch and landing has taken place. >> pardon me for turning my head to you but elation is the answer. moments ago -- in fact, he's still on the screen. i'm going to ask my photographer, unfortunately we don't have a live feed but it's on the big screen here. you can see he is hugging his grandchildren. he hugged his son. can you get a sense of that? i wish we had a clean feed but we don't. we're cheating a little bit trying to get it on the big megascreen here. an incredible moment. he just stepped out of the plane and was hugged by family and co-workers and friends. this is -- richard branson has had a lot of fantastic triumphs in his life. he's cheated dead many times. this clearly, he would say, the absolute best moment in terms of accomplishments. walking now into

joining us from galactic space port in new mexico is correspondent tom costello. s hour. what are you hearing and seeing on the ground? >> reporter: just checked a mina go. still on for 8:30 mountain time, 10:30 eastern time, 7:30 pacific. can i just set the scene here for you? this is quintessential richard branson. this is quintessential virgin. we have classic rock playing,

we do not know the exact details of what it is, tom costello has been working this story for years things it's something about winds, atmosphere, that will make sense. we talk about an airplane that will fire its rocket at 50,000 feet, trying to reach that sub ordeal space, guys it should be pretty amazing. >> we are still trying to figure out exactly what is the reason behind this 90 minute delay. there were some military experts, just last night who were saying, there was a 60% chance this launch will not happen today, because of a weather report they have been seeing. >> in the meantime, the backdrop is what appears to be a competition of sorts between two billionaire bros, branson and bezos. he is set for takeoff july 20th of course, talking about basis, brandon moved up his launch, to kind of be into the punch of all of this. but really, there are a lot of people looking at this and wondering, are these the right guys to be doing this sort of thing? >> well, these are the guys who are in this game, right? two of them, bezos and branson are trying to commercialize this. and it has bee

is causing a lot of confusion, covid testing rules for americans traveling abroad this summer tom costellonow. >> reporter: for americans finally taking off for foreign skies, confusing and inconsistent rules some countries do want to see those cdc vaccination cards or a european equivalent. others don't regardless of vaccine status, dozens of countries require a negative covid test from a u.s. pharmacy, clinic or airport test site before passengers ever leave the u.s >> have you ever been diagnosed with covid >> no. >> reporter: at dulles airport in washington, temperature checks and nasal swabs for passengers of all ages the price varies depending on how quickly you want the results. $75 for a two to three-day results. up to $250 for results the same day for a family of four, that can run $1,000. >> definitely worth it i live in egypt. i need to go back to see my family, my kids, my wife. >> reporter: but it's not cheap. >> it's not, no. >> if you're an american heading over to europe right now, france, italy, greece, germany are some of the easiest to get into where you just show your p

if all goes well, he will beat amazon founder jeff bezos by just nine days tom costello reports from new mexico, near the site of tomorrow's launch >> reporter: countdown in the new mexico desert the virgin galactic spaceship unity now mounted to its mother ship, primed, ready and rolled out >> nice and smoothly to zero g. it feels wonderful >> reporter: virgin galactic pilots giving their final briefings. >> to me, it's all about the view and it's absolutely amazing and it's spectacular. >> reporter: as richard branson and three fellow employees prepare to strap in for the journey of a lifetime >> release, release, release. >> reporter: that moment when unity drops from the mother ship. >> fire. >> fire. >> reporter: then rockets to more than 50 miles above the earth to what nasa calls the edge of space. fellow space billionaire elon musk tweeting "we'll see you there to wish you the best." while, the jeff bezos' blue origin team tweeted that branson and his passengers aren't going as high as bezos, so might not be considered true-civilian astronauts >> it's definitely a pinch yours

so for some this really struck a raw nerve, lester. >> tom costello in texas. >>> in just 60 seconds stephanie ruhle talks with jeff bezos about today's thriller in space. and keeping american athletes safe in tokyo with the olympics just three days away. >>> it lasted just ten minutes but it changed their lives. what did jeff bezos and the others learn from today's space flight stephanie ruhle spoke to bezos and his brother, mark, just moments after their flight >> jeff bezos, you are an astronaut now how does it feel >> it's amazing. fe mission. we were -- i'm not talented enough to put this into words, the accelerating g forces and how it felt, your skin pulled back and pushed into the seat, and then zero g comes so suddenly and you are just floating. >> surprisingly natural. >> effortless. >> to be in zero g >> you feel comfortable. >> i want to know, what did it feel like to be up there together when you locked eyes? >> it was pretty special. we -- i mean, first of all it just meant a tremendous amount to me to be able to represent my mom and dad, our sister christina. >> we did

tom costello, nbc news, at new mexico space port. >> i don't believe him >>> up next, how to avoid getting priced out when buying a home >>> this month marks 25 years since the twa flight 800 disaster which triggered one of the largest and most expensive investigations in history. but for the families of those lost, a memory seared into their hearts here's peter alexander >> reporter: 25 years later, joe lichner vividly remembers that call his wife with his daughters checking in just before boarding twa flight 800 >> i could hear the girls running and enjoying themselves and having a great time. and they were so excited to be going to paris that's a thought that will always live with me. >> reporter: their flight from jfk exploded shortly after takeoff crashing into the atlantic all 230 people on board lost >> in some ways it seems like it's been the blink of an eye. in other ways, it seems like a very long time >> reporter: the four-year investigation that followed was unprecedented. the ntsb determining the crash was likely the result of an electrical spark that set off fumes in the cent

we get more now from tom costello >> reporter: after months of progress in dramatically slowing the spread of covid, tonight signs of trouble. the cdc reports a 10% increase in new cases in just one week 25% of those linked to the new delta variant, which the cdc director says is highly transmissible, and will likely soon be the dominant variant >> it is clear that communities where people remain unvaccinated are communities that remain vulnerable. >> reporter: while 67% of americans 18 and older have now received at least one shot, many states in the south and midwest are well below that mark those with the lowest vaccination rates at or below 50%, alabama, wyoming, the virgin islands, louisiana at 48%, and mississippi at just 46%. in a thousand counties where the new covid variant is spreading, vaccination rates are under 30%. 43-year-old joshua garza's decision not to get vaccinated nearly killed him. a diabetic, he soon contracted covid, was rushed to a hospital in houston, and eventually required a double lung transplant to save his life it's the worst decision i ever made in my life

>> tom costello, thank you very much. nbc will have live coverage of the launch sunday morning at 9:45 eastern on most nbc stations >>> tonight on our series "priced out," we focus on property taxes and why some homeowners are charged higher rates than others, even in the same neighborhood. meagan fitzgerald explains >> reporter: a home is more than just a place to live. >> my great grandfather purchased the home. >> reporter: this house is a link to jalen stevens' past. but he is fighting for his future, struggling to pay the property taxes. >> i've been risking foreclosure the last six years. >> reporter: he says his home in east detroit was overassessed by the city one study shows nationwide the property tax rate for the least expensive home is more than double than that of the most expensive home in the same jurisdiction and those in predominantly black neighborhoods are assessed at 50% higher than white neighborhoods in the same area. >> this is a story of structural injustice >> reporter: bernadette atuahene studies

here is tom costello. >> reporter: across the internet today, blackout, including amazon, home depot and lowe's, delta and southwest online check-ins, fedex, american express, chase and schwab, even some 911 service affected twitter lit up with complaints just at the store. unable to process credit card. british airways, please fix this issue. it's not just delta, a whole lot of the internet is down the problem originated with internet service provider akamai which said it was having trouble with its domain name service or dns, a sort of internet phone book that directs all web traffic to the proper addresses. an hour after it started the company tweeted it had implemented a fix. akamai says a software update, not a hack, caused the problem the third major internet outage in two months and the second involving akamai, underscoring the internet's vulnerability. >> we really do need to think long and hard about our ongoing redundancy and reliability because we do have a lot of the internet centralized under just a handful of several major corporations >> reporter: akamai handles up to

tom costello explains. >> fire. >> fire. >> reporter: tonight new onboard video of virgin galactic'sunity" rocketing to space from 46,000 feet the new mexico desert quickly falling away. >> you're clear to unstrap. welcome to space >> reporter: then richard branson realizing his long-held dream of floating weightless. >> this is unbelievable this is too unbelievable >> reporter: the curvature of earth, the darkness of space, and a spaceship full of windows next week fellow space billionaire jeff bezos is set to launch from west texas both men hope to drag down ticket prices to make space tourism far more affordable. but they've also been criticized for not using the money to help desperate people on earth, though the head of nasa says the country needs space entrepreneurs too. >> we never want to lose our character as explorers, as adventurers. that's part of who we are as americans >> reporter: did it live up to your expectations and your hopes? >> i've had a lot of experiences. this was definitely the most incredible experience of all. >> reporter: branson says he is now most focus

tom costello was there for every moment and spoke exclusively with branson and his family. >> under a blazing sun, a new age of space travel lifted off from the new mexico desert today. virgin galactic's unity attached to the belly of its mother ship. inside, virgin founder richard branson, three other employee passengers and two pilots climbing to 46,000 feet. then 45 minutes after liftoff -- >> three, two, one release, release, release. >> a 2300-mile-per-hour rocket ride 3 gs to more than 53 miles high. >> passengers in the back have been cleared tune strap. >> then, the moment that branson has been dreaming of since he was a teen the curvature of the earth and the darkness of space. >> looking down to our beautiful earth. >> after three to four minutes of weightlessness, the journey home safely touching down just over an hour after takeoff. >> a perfect landing >> on the ground, jubilation, triumph, and the famous branson champagne shower finally, 17 years after starting virgin galactic -- >> the wings that are the virgin galactic wings ladies and gentlemen, this here is surir ric

i'm tom costello, nbc news at space port america. >> you can watch the launch tomorrow morning on nbc bay area. nbc news will have live coverage starting at about 6 listen 45 a.m. >>>. >>> teeter totter history has been made in concord. we've been watching and following this all week. two friends set on breaking the record for the longest teeter totter ride. chuck walker and mike hartorn had to ride for 216 hours to break the record. the last record was set in 1971 by walker himself and another friend. they took turns getting a couple of hours of sleep. the pair saying they did it mainly to put a smile on people's faces. >>> when the bay area heats up, there is always an exodus to the beaches. and today was no exception. half moon bay was a popular spot for those looking to cool off without getting in the water. the temperature significantly cooler on the coast than the south bay or the east bay today. >> my house doesn't have ac. so it's either stay inside with the fan on or go to the beach. so we went to the beach. >> by sunset, of course, many people were wearing sweatshirts to kee

eastern tom costello, nbc news, van horn, texas. >>> up next for us tonight, steering through a red hot used car market >>> back now with the price you pay and how your old car may now be worth more than you paid for it in a market that is simply on fire. here is kristen dahlgren >> reporter: when angela hill tried to find a new honda civic -- >> there are none out there. >> reporter: she thought about used, but those cost almost as much as new the only saving grace was that her trade-in went for $1500 more than she planned >> i was happy about that because it has like 100,000 miles so it was a significantly used car. >> reporter: the pandemic combined with a global microchip shortage has slowed new car production now used cars are in such high demand, prices are skyrocketing president biden today. >> that's a real challenge. my administration is doing everything we can to address it. >> reporter: experts say they don't expect new car inventory to get back to normal until 2022 wholesale prices are now up 30% over last year, car dealers desperate for inventory are cold calling previous c

eastern tom costello, nbc news, van horn, texas. >>> up next for us here are the two battling to the line and allyson felix... simone manuel's above her trying to fight on, and above simone... getting an opportunity to show her stuff. nonstop, displayed at the highest performance level... finding something and the us takes gold! ♪ dream on ♪ ♪ dream on ♪ ♪ dream on ♪ ♪ dream on ♪ - yes! ♪ ahhhhhhh ♪ ♪ dream until your dreams come true ♪ >>> back now with the price you pay and how your old car may now be worth more than you paid for it in a market that is simply on fire. here is kristen dahlgren >> reporter: when angela hill tried to find a new honda civic -- >> there are none out there. >> reporter: she thought about used, but those cost almost as much as new the only saving grace was that her trade-in went for $1500 more than she planned >> i was happy about that because it has like 100,000 miles so it was a significantly used car. >> reporter: the pandemic combined with a global microchip shortage has slowed new car production now used cars are in such high demand, prices are skyro

tom costello, nbc news, at new mexico space port. >> i don't believe him >>> up next, how to avoid getting priced out when buying a home here are the two battling to the line and allyson felix... simone manuel's above her trying to fight on, and above simone... getting an opportunity to show her stuff. nonstop, displayed at the highest performance level... finding something and the us takes gold! ♪ dream on ♪ ♪ dream on ♪ ♪ dream on ♪ ♪ dream on ♪ - yes! ♪ ahhhhhhh ♪ ♪ dream until your dreams come true ♪ delicia: this is where all our recycling is sorted -- 1.2 million pounds every day, helping to make san francisco the greenest big city in america. but that's not all you'll find here. there are hundreds of good-paying jobs, with most new workers hired from bayview-hunter's point. we don't just work at recology, we own it, creating opportunity and a better planet. now, that's making a difference. >>> this month marks 25 years since the twa flight 800 disaster which triggered one of the largest and most expensive investigations in history. but for the families of those lost, a memory seared

tom costello, let's go back to you. we are seconds away from the moment. let's watch. >> reporter: release, release, release, right now. >> there's mach 1, trimming now. trim complete. "unity" is facing up and we are 30 seconds to mach 2. everything is looking really good and stable. 40 seconds. 45 seconds. 50 seconds. approaching mach 3. there's mach 3. 60 seconds, and that is a full burn, folks. we are headed to space. the passengers in the back have been cleared to untrap. 279,000 feet and climbing. >> reporter: so this is it. this is where they should be experiencing weightlessness for about three to four minutes. we expect to have a live shot from within the spaceship. they will start feathering the wings back so they can start the very slow process of re-entering. as we have said, you know, this is a critical moment, as they enjoy those few moments of weightlessness. once they cross the boundary to space, richard branson will be speaking and we expect him to make some sort of major announcement from space. i'm l they have been working on for 17 years

abs's tom costello says the test flights are to open the doors for similar flights for everyone else. >> one small step for man. one giant leap for mankind. >> reporter: forget the last space race. neil armstrong and nasa won that hands down. this space race is going to be much closer. in one corner west texas actually amazon's jeff bezos the founder of space tours and business blue origin. in the other corner just up the road in new mexico virgin galactic founder richard branson. both companies have launched a successful test flight, preparing for future paying passengers. bezos' new origin will eventually carry up to six passengers, remote control rocketing into sub orbit for three minutes of flying weightless. virg ip be galactic is building an entire fleet of space ships piloted by astronauts also carrying six passengers for the ride of their lives and a spectacular view. >> wow, look at that view. gorgeous. >> but which billionaire will go first? this week bezos announced he'll join the first passenger flight on july 20th, the anniversary of the first moon landing. >> changing yo

jeff, back to you. >> nbc's tom costello.hat. >>> with us now is former nasa administrator and astronaut charles bolden. it's a real honor to speak with you, sir. glad you made time for us. so you experienced -- >> glad to be with you. >> you experienced a launch in space before. four space shuttle missions. what's this going to be like for richard branson? what is he going to experience as he hurdled towards the stars? >> my hope is that he will find himself thrilled and excited in spice of what he says. it's an exciting thing. it's exhilarating. he won't -- won't quite have all the vibration and rattling that goes on when you launch from a launch pad where you got solid or other kinds of engines going but it will be exciting for him. >> talk about the training that astronauts like yourself would normally undergo for a mission like this. >> yeah. here you're talking about the difference between a nasa astronaut and civilian astronaut or more particularly, what i would call a professional astronaut. someone who is trained to

we appreciate stephanie ruehl and tom costello. our special coverage here of the blue origin flight to space. we expect to give you a sense sometime in the next little bit here those four crew members appearing in front of us live for a news conference in front of reporters, talking about their experience, their journey, answering questions about some of these incredible moments that you're seeing on the left side of your screen and now that jeff bezos is back from the final frontier, we're looking at the business of space, what this means from a corporate perspective on space travel. we've been talking about this billionaire space race between him, between virgin galactic's richard branson, elon musk's spacex and today bezos playing catchup. elon are flying astronauts into orbit, not suborbitally. you have branson who got into space first before jeff bezos earlier this month. now that bezos is taking this step, is this bet on space tourism going to pay off? i want to bring in scott galloway, marketing professor of business and co-

you know, tom costello reporting there. the faa has given virgin approval to fly passengers on future commercial flights. the passenger test flight is set for early sunday, about 5:00 a.m. our time. branson hopes the price for space tourists comes down with more ships. >> i'm a thrill seeker, but that's a little much. >> how cool would that be? talk about a first date. >> that would be awesome. that would be cool. >> i might work on that one, kari. >> better than chili's. >> here i'm good. you go ahead and enjoy your space flight. i wanted to share an update about tropical storm elsa, and the recent update with the maximum sustained winds at 70 miles per hour, 4 miles below hurricane status, just off the coast, and they're seeing really warm water in the gulf. that may intensify that possibly into a hurricane. but right now, the tornado watch is up for that hurricane. so we're seeing this. that will continue to move towards the north. some of the more recent tracks, and we're where expecting it to go, keeps it as a tropical

here's tom costello. >> reporter: on the streets of washington, a burst of gunfire. restaurant customers running for cover. two victims down. one thought to be targeted. the other, an innocent bystander. both survived. police say the suspects seen jumping into a getaway car are still missing. across the street from the restaurant, the evidence is still on the street. the broken glass, the green police-evidence paint. the blood. and the bandages medics used to save the victims. like many cities across the country, this summer, washington is reeling from gun violence. over the weekend, baseball players and fans ran for cover after a shooting near nationals' ballpark. a 6-year-old killed in an unrelated drive-by. murders in d.c. are up 2%, so far, this year, after a dramatic 19% jump last year. >> i see people doing violent crimes and i see them back in my community months later. >> reporter: the police chief walking the neighborhood today. >> i have been talking to residents along the way and people are really mad as hell right now and i don't blame them. i am, too. >>

busiest in years, tom costello, talk about driving. how do we avoid the rush?illion people on the world. the second busiest fourth of july we've ever seen. 91% going by car. so if you're traveling, when you should leave to avoid peak travel times. tonight after 7:00 p.m., says aaa. tomorrow before noon, saturday after 2:00, anytime on the fourth avoid crowds. monday the 5th, before 1:00 p.m. >> all right what about our cars? you recommend check them out before you go? >> reporter: yeah. keep in mind, of course, with this extreme heat. right? not only, of course, your battery. check your fluids. make sure you've got enough fluids tire pressure, keeping in mind tires always get more inflated on hot summer roads. mine were really increasing over the last few weeks i actually had to check and had a nail in the tire at one point. so check all of that before you make a big, long journey. >> tom, you're our man on the road but our man in the air. what about flying? got any tips there >> reporter: well, yeah. we are expecting a really busy fourth of july travel season

tom costello reports. >> reporter: it's a july 4th getaway looking like a thanksgiving travel rush from roads to the airports, 48 million of us, probably more, are on the move. the second busiest independence day weekend ever. >> i'm excited to get out of the house. like everyone else. >> and we're paying more at just about every turn. hotel prices up to 35% more over last year. rental car prices up 86%. and gas prices are rebounding along with the economy. now averaging $3.12 a gallon, nearly a dollar more than a year ago. bob jackson gassing up in philly. >> enough to get over the bridge to new jersey where it's cheaper. >> reporter: californians paying $4.28 a gallon, mississippi paying $2.75. 2.1 million people went through tsa checkpoints on thursday. >> people are ready. can't wait to get out. >> because the surge in airline traffic came on so fast, many airlines weren't ready, didn't have enough planes now they're full. a surge of returning business travelers is expected in the fall. >> i think zoom is a great replacement for phone calls but not for in-person interaction. >> repo

joining us is nbc news correspondent tom costello. this is just one of those things, in your long career, that you're going to look back as a piece of aviation history, space history. been delayed for a little while, but not that big of a deal, really? >> reporter: really not a big deal. 90 minutes. it's a beautiful day. it's 80 degrees, sunny, no rain, but there were some high winds or higher winds than they would like last night on the ground. that delayed them pushing the aircraft out so they could fuel it. that's why we have a delay. everything is pushed back by 90 minutes. it's still supposed to take off 10:30 eastern time. can i show you spaceport america? right behind me this is a $250 million facility that the state of new mexico built in the middle of a desolate piece of new mexico real estate. i used to live just down the road. my first job was in el paso, texas. this place is desolate. the new mexico residents would tell you that. that's why they chose it. it's a perfect place to take off, land and build a commercial space o

a very big reason so many colleges are requiring students get the shot. >> tom costello our thanks forturns out not getting vaccinated brings consequences. coming up for us. this statue was unveiled in the uk today. the news had to do with the two men who did the unveiling. d the unveiling. [♪♪] are you constantly cleaning and sanitizing your bathroom? for an easy solution that lasts, try microban24 bathroom cleaner. simply spray and wipe away to easily dissolve soap scum, and kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria initially. then reapply and allow to dry on tile to prevent mold and mildew growth for 7 days, or on countertop surfaces to keep killing bacteria for up to 24 hours. try microban24 bathroom cleaner. brand power. helping you buy better. gillette proglide. five blades and a pivoting flexball designed to get virtually every hair on the first stroke. so you're ready for the day with a fresh face for a fresh start. for a limited time get a 5th cartridge free. >> last thing before we go tonight is easily the most scrutinized piece of video in the world today. the scene in england this

nbc's tom costello was in new mexico for every moment. >> reporter: under a blazing sun, a new plane drifted off. unity attached to the belly of its mother ship. inside, richard branson, three other employees and two pilots climbing to 46,000 feet. then 45 minutes after lift-off. >> three, two, one, release, release, release. >> reporter: 3gs. >> passengers in the back have been cleared to unstrap. >> reporter: the moment branson has been dreaming of since he was a dream, the curvature of the earth and the darkness of space. >> looking down to a beautiful, beautiful earth. >> reporter: after three to four minutes of weightlessness, the journey home. safely touching down just over an hour after takeoff. >> a perfect landing. >> reporter: on the ground, jubilation, triumph, and the famous branson champagne shower. finally 17 years after starting "virgin galactic." >> the wings that are the "virgin galactic" wings, ladies and gentlemen, this, here, is sir richard branson, astronaut. >> i'm never going to be able to do it justice. it's indescribably beautiful. >> reporter: in an exclusiv

tom costello has been covering it all for us from west texas. 's there for us once again this morning. hey, tom. >> reporter: hey, good morning. van horn, texas, good morning, craig. jeff bezos yesterday described it as the best day of his life and the fulfillment of a childhood dream. he's been criticized for e tornado warning -- taking a joy ride for a billionaire. although he did announce a $200 million philanthropic initiative. he said yesterday was about taking a new look at the earth and recognizing how fragile it is. >> is it everything you thought it would be? >> fantastic. >> call it prime delivery, the culmination of a lifelong dream for jeff bezos who reached space with his brother, mark, teenager oliver daemen and 82-year-old veteran pilot wally funk. >> i love it! >> reporter: thrilled by the sensation of weightlessness 66 miles above the earth. >> god speed, first crew of "new shepard," let's light this candle. >> reporter: rocketing into the lower edge of space, the spacecraft pulled off a perfect landing in the west texas desert.

>> hell yes. >> our thanks to nbc's tom costello for that report. >>> still ahead, there's been a shiftmong some republican lawmakers. we'll take a look at that. >>> before we go to break, we want to know, yep, why are you awake? email your reasons at way too early at msnbc.com or tweet me@jonlamere, using the #waytooearly. we'll read our favorite answers later in the show. ad our favori later in t shehow. facing leaks takes strength. so here's to the strong, who trust in our performance and comfortable long-lasting protection. because your strength is supported by ours. depend. the only thing stronger than us, is you. rush hour will never feel the same. experience, thrilling performance from our entire line of vehicles at the lexus golden opportunity sales event. lease the 2021 is 300 for $379 a month for 36 months. experience amazing. of course you've seen underwear for $379 a month for 36 months. that fits like this... but never for bladder leaks. always discreet boutique black. i feel protected all day, in a fit so discreet, you'd never know they're for bladder leaks. always discree

nbc news correspondent tom costello has the worrisome latest. >> reporter: after months of progress ins of trouble. the cdc reports a 10% increase in new cases in just one week. 25% of those linked to the new delta variant, which the cdc director says is highly transmissible and will likely soon be the dominant variant. >> it is clear that communities where people remain unvaccinated are communities that remain vulnerable. >> reporter: while 67% of americans 18 and older have received at least one shot, many states in the south and midwest are well below that mark. those with the lowest vaccination rates at or below 50%, alabama, wyoming, the virgin islands, louisiana at 48% and miss py at just 46%. in a thousand counties where the new covid variant is spreading, vaccination rates are under 30%. 43-year-old joshua garza's decision not to get vaccinated nearly killed him. a diabetic soon contracted covid, was rushed to a hospital in houston and eventually required a double lungs transplant to save his life. >> this is the worst decision i've made in my life. i had to say goodbye to my p

we've got the best of the bunch. >> that was tom costello reporting.ht begins tomorrow morning 8:00 a.m. eastern right here on msnbc. >>> next, dangerous heat in the west. so hot it is cooking marine life alive. the effect the record-breaking temperatures are having on the environment after a short break. first, a look at what's ahead tonight on msnbc. >>> hey there, i'm joshua johnson. tonight at 8:00 eastern, texas governor greg abbott has set the agenda for the special legislative session. voting sessions, critical race theory, rules for transgender student athletes and more. texas state representative jasmine crockett joins us on "the week" tonight at 8:00 eastern here on msnbc. on msnbc. and one we explore. one that's been paved and one that's forever wild. but freedom means you don't have to choose just one adventure. you get both. introducing the wildly civilized all-new 3-row jeep grand cherokee l seeing blood when you brush or floss can be a sign of early gum damage. introducing the wildly civilized new parodontax active gum repair kills plaqu

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. >> we have time for one last question. [ applause ] tom costello with nbc. >> tom costello with nbc news. congratulations to all of you. jeff, to follow up on that question and your discussion there, how do you make this more reasonable for everyday people who would like to fly? it's pretty steep right now. how would you bring the cost down so that this could be more accessible for everybody? >> great question. how do you bring cost down over time so it's more accessible to everyone. you've got to do it the same way we did it with commercial airline travel. we're really almost in the barnstormer phase, right? so this is -- these are byplanes and they're flying into a farmer's field and charging a small price to fly people around for a few minutes in the air. that's what we're doing right now, but you know where that barnstorming phase leads? to 787s and that's what we have to do. >> all right. let's give -- that's all of the time we have for questions today. these astronauts have had a very long day so let's give another round of applause for our astronauts. [ applause ] >> jeff, yo

jeff bezos and elon musk flying to the edge of space this weekend with five other people nbc's tom costello spot in the new mexico desert billionaire richard branson's dreams are about to come true. >> i always envisioned as a kid that a spaceship should look like this. >> are you did you envisioned this when you were a kid. >> i just thought that's how you should fly to space. >> after nearly two decades of hard work and tragedy, branson is about to launch to the edge of space on a ship dubbed unit first carried by a mother ship named after his own mother eve the. >> that's easy >> it's going to be quite a ride. >> branson has wanted to go to space since watching the apollo 11 moon landing. after building his virgin empire, he started virgin galactic with the dream of taking everydaycivilians 50 miles high to the edge of space for a weightless experience and a once in a lifetime view. >> wow look at that view, gorgeous. >> alternate moment we will have become astronauts i will pinch myself and again and again and again. >> you can't wait? >> i can't wait. >> it's taken 17 years to get here

we've got the best of the bunch. >> that was tom costello reporting. flight begins tomorrow morning 8:00 a.m. eastern right here on msnbc. >>> next, dangerous heat in the west. so hot it is cooking marine life alive. the effect the record-breaking temperatures are having on the environment after a short break. first, a look at what's ahead tonight on msnbc. l >>> hey there, i'm joshua johnson. tonight at 8:00 eastern, texas governor greg abbott has set the agenda for the special legislative session. voting sessions, critical race theory, rules for transgender student athletes and more. texas state representative at jasmine crockett joins us on "the week" tonight at 8:00 eastern here on msnbc. with 5g than the other guys. t-mobile. america's largest, fastest, most reliable 5g network. age before beauty? why not both? visibly diminish wrinkled skin in... crepe corrector lotion... only from gold bond. with relapsing forms of ms... there's a lot to deal with. not just unpredictable relapses. all these other things too. it can all add up. kesimpta is a once

>> if i were you, i'd just stow away >> for "the news" i'm tom costello what a ride. >>> what do you have contributed a lot. the "the washington post" space writer calls them the space barons >> you know, i remember being at nasa when the last shuttle launch was going up, and i think you were there, too, and everyone from spaceville from titusville to cocoa beach were so sad and to see what's happened since, it's extraordinary. >> it's just extraordinary all of those abandoned launchpads on cape canaveral, they have come to life it's now not unusual that there's a space launch every week and there's an exciting time ahead. we're going to launch the most powerful rocket ever at the end of this year it's going out beyond the moon, come back, and then in two years, 2023, it's going to have a human crew out to the moon and come back. >> incredible. then there's this helicopter the agency called it the most nerve wracking flight so far how important is that technology to our future and space it's out more ation >> this was a demonstration. now it's a regular plan are nas, a. it's out doin

here's nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: from fuel lines, even first responders and the food chain, ransomware attacks up 300% over last. homeland security secretary alejandro mayorkas. >> no business is too small to be a victim. >> reporter: this morning the government is launching a joint effort by homeland security and the justice department stopransomwear.gov, a website with resources for tools for companies to help identify, report and prevent cyber attacks. the what kind of hard core tangible assistance kur offer? >> we have tremendous cyber expertise. we can assist a company from getting it testify out without having to pay the criminal wrong doers. >> the prif sector does not have the opportunity to go over to a foreign government and it -- russia linked cyber criminals now a top cyber security concern creating fuel shortages. meat supplier jbs hit by revil, a hacker group estimated to have netted more than $120 million in ransom, but this morning revil is offline. its online footprint appearing to vanish from the web. that sudden disappearance coming just days after president biden ca

to know about a major backlog on passport renewals it's more fallout from the pandemic here is tom costello> reporter: amid the post pandemic travel boom, a major hang-up could keep many travellers grounded. the state department now says it's taking three to four months to process americans' applications for new passports. >> i put it in for renewal and still pending. so nothing back yet. haven't seen anything in over 45 days. >> reporter: the problem, many americans let their passports expire during the pandemic. now passport offices are swamped with two million renewal applications and slowly processing more as government offices reopen from covid restrictions >> we certainly expect to be able to do more of that as conditions here in this country continue to improve. >> reporter: expedited application processing can still take 12 weeks by mail. americans with urgent travel needs must show proof they're leaving within 72 hours, often for an emergency to get an in-person appointment. rick grobart flew from chicago to seattle for a last-minute appointment before flying to mexico >> the whole

nbc's tom costello has more. >> reporter: after months of progress in dramatically slowing the spread of covid, signs of trouble. the cdc reports a 10% increase in new cases in just one week. 25% of those linked to the new delta variant, which the cdc director says is highly transmissible and will likely soon be the dominant variant >> it is clear that communities where people remain unvaccinated are communities that remain vulnerable >> reporter: while 67% of americans 18 and older have now received at least one shot, many states in the south and midwest are well below that mark those with the lowest vaccination rates at or below 50%, alaba virgin islands, louisiana at ippi at just 46%. in a thousand counties where the new covid variant is spreading, vaccination rates are under 30%. 43-year-old joshua garza's decision not to get vaccinated nearly killed him. a diabetic, he soon contracted covid, was rushed to a hospital in houston, and eventually required a double lung transplant to save his life. >> it's the worst decision i've ever made in my life i had to say good-bye to my parent

nbc's tom costello is at the launch site for us tom, good morning. >> reporter: frances, good morning. we are in a very remote corner of west texas. but out there in the desert, that is the launch pad that we will today see jeff bezos and three others lift off headed for this rendezvous with space 6 # mi -- 62 miles up, an 11-minute trip the launch pad set for billionaire jeff bezos' liftoff. today bezos and his three fellow passengers were giddy with excitement >> people who say they go into space that they come back changed sbachlt wait to see what it's going to do to me >> and we have liftoff >> reporter: while blue origin has flown 15 unmanned test flights, this will be the first to carry passengers. 62 miles high for three minutes of weightlessness and six massive windows. >> as you're ascending, it feels like the earth is falling away from you watching the whole thing roll through your window >> reporter: paying passengers are already signing up eventually blue origin plans to send six passengers at a time into space from this launch pad in the west texas desert there are no pro

days before his historic trip to space, sir richard branson sits down with our tom costello and he hado say about the mission, how he's feeling and the great space race with another billionaire, jeff bezos. tom this unplugged device is protecting our beautiful coastlines and more. put off chores and use less energy from 4 to 9 pm to help keep our state golden. >>> still ahead, gwen stefani and blake shelton make it official, tying the knot over the holiday weekend. >> and guess who officiated that intimate ceremony? there he is. our pal and theirs, carson daly. he can do anything he's going to be here to share about the couple's special day he'll dish a little bit. but first, your local news or fourth time streaming that period drama dan... dan: you just made me miss her best line, dan: so now i'm going to have to start it again. even insisted he didn't need directions dan. dan: okay, i'm not lost. i'm exploring. dan: that said, do you know where i am? from select gas, streaming, travel and more earn 5% cash back that automatically adjusts to your top eligible spend category, up to $50