. >>> our tom costello takes us to the astronaut training pool. you see... your gut has good and bad bacteria. and when you get off balance, you may feel it. the bloating, the gas - but align helps me trust my gut again. plus, its recommended by doctors nearly 2x more than any other probiotic brand. just one a day naturally helps promote a balanced gut. and soothe occasional bloating gas and discomfort. align probiotic. welcome to an align gut. does your plug-in fade too fast? try febreze fade defy plug. align probiotic. it has built-in technology to digitally control how much scent is released to smell first day fresh for 50 days. la la la la la. a lot of folks ask me why their dishwasher doesn't get everything clean. i tell them, it may be your detergent— that's why more dishwasher brands recommend cascade platinum... ...with the soaking, scrubbing and rinsing built right in. for sparkling-clean dishes, the first time. cascade platinum. >>> leading the news soaring inflation and a terrible drought in california are taking a big toll on tomatoes

but there is some good news to report at the pump here is tom costello >> reporter: in colorado, this woman and her husband are on a mission, to keep spending down and pay off the last of the $15,000 in credit card debt they ran up after getting married. >> we want to be able to buy a house we don't have a house yet. we're in our 30s that's hard, because we made the choice to use the credit card, thinking we would be able to pay it off easily >> reporter: as inflation soars new data shows many americans are charging it credit card debt has jumped 13% in one year the biggest increase in 20 years. americans opened 233 million new accounts, the most since 2008. while balances still remain below pre-pandemic levels, interest rates now averaging 17.4%, could soon soar to record highs as the fed continues hiking rates to fight inflation if you're carrying heavy credit card debt, financial experts recommend cutting it down as fast as possible >> that rate is probably 3, 4, 5x what you're paying for your mortgage or car loan definitely you want to pay down your credit card debt. >> reporter:

tom costello, nbc news houston. >>> pretty amazing group there. up next, the secret service's mission to get back billions in stolen covid funds >>> now our fleecing of america exclusive the secret service recovering hundreds of millions in stolen covid relief money, but the agency warning billions are still missing. julia ainsley reports. >> reporter: during the depth of the pandemic lockdowns, they were critical government funds designed to keep small businesses afloat. money many scammers instead decided to steal. >> like with any good will, there is some bad actors that take advantage. >> reporter: tonight the secret service revealing it recovered $286 million siphoned off from pandemic relief given out by the small business administration. >> it is probably one of the largest financial crimes investigations we have ever taken on. >> reporter: as part of this scheme, agents say scammers opened fraudulent accounts at greendot bank with fake and stolen personal information the bank says it has partnered with law enforcement to identify and mitig

tom costello is at the kennedy space center >> this is artemis launch control we are currently in an unplanned hold at t minus 40 minutes >> reporter: the problems popped up early this morning with the 32-story-tall artemis on the pad, poised for liftoff first it was the threat of summer weather. then a problem with engine number 3 sitting at the bottom of that super cooled orange fuel tank the artemis rocket uses four rs-25 engines that previously flew on space shuttle missions engine number 3 flew on six shuttle flights. the problem, liquid hydrogen fuel wasn't flowing properly and the engine could not get cold enough, a showstopper. two minutes into the launch window, mission control canceled the attempt. >> the launch director has called a scrub for today. >> reporter: for the hundreds of thousands of spectators who packed nearby bridges and beaches to watch, they found disappointment >> oh, my god. i will try to arrange my schedule to come back here. >> reporter: but excitement for what's to come. >> it's still an adventure and it's still going to be really cool. >> reporter: th

tom costello takes us on a tour of u.s. space command as russia does an orbit that has the u.s. on high alert. >> zero, ignition, liftoff of l-87 go, falcon, go, go >> reporter: february 2nd in california spacex launched a classified government satellite into orbit. >> separation confirmed. >> reporter: briefed to be a top secret, state-of-the-art spy satellite that the pentagon says will support its overhead reconnaissance mission also watching that launch, moscow and just last week they launched their own satellite, cosmo, placing it in the same orbit and just beneath the u.s. satellite. >> that's really irresponsible behavior >> reporter: in an exclusive interview news, space command says russia may be trying to get an up close look at oust spy capabilities >> we see that it's in a similar orbit to one of our high-value assets for the u.s. government so we'll continue like we always do to continue to update that and track that >> reporter: last week our cameras were the first ever allowed inside the space command joint operations center in colorado springs >> that's the zenit

here's tom costello. [ sirens ] >> reporter: with cancer deaths among firefighters skyrocketing, the country's biggest firefighter's union and city fire chiefs are tonight issuing a joint warning. the turnout or bunker gear the firefighters wear to protect themselves from fire, smoke and soot may itself be preloaded with cancer causing chemicals. >> every day we put on our personal protective equipment, we're exposing our bodies to toxins that ultimately can result in our deaths. >> reporter: the union and chiefs cite several studies showing their gear is manufactured with so-called pfas, chemicals linked to multiple cancers they're advising firefighters nationwide to only wear bunker gear when it is absolutely necessary. don't take it into the fire station living quarters or home spray down personal after every fire and replace with pfas-free gear when available. >> it's an unnecessary risk and unnecessary toxin that has to be removed because there are plenty of other toxins that we can't control in the fire sense. >> reporter: there are few alternatives bunker gear is heavy there a

tom costello, nbc news, washington. >>> it was a tough week for many of the nation's big retailers. a growing number of them sounding alarms as inflation has so many americans struggling to make ends meet and altering the way they shop. here's maggie vespa. >> reporter: with inflation's grip on american wallets holding strong new numbers from a growing list of retail giants proves spending habits are shifting. what have you cut back on again? >> clothes, shoes, a lot of make-up. >> i was just like, okay, do i really need these -- you know, do the kids really these these sweets? >> reporter: department store khol's saying it will take a hit this year, blaming a drop in demand for clothes and nonessentials. this as target reported a staggering 90% drop in second quarter profits compared to a year ago. and best buy recently announced in-store job cuts nationwide after a summer sales slump. >> everything becomes about do i really need this. >> reporter: the retail red flags waving alongside new federal data showing between june and july spending remained stagnant, consumers putting savi

here's tom costello. >> zero, ignition, liftoff. go falcon, go go >> reporter: february 2nd in california, spacex launched a classified government satellite into orbit >> separation confirmed. >> reporter: believed to be a top-secret, state-of-the-art spy satellite that the pentagon says will support the overhead reconnaissance mission. also watching that launch, moscow and just last week, russia launched its own spy satellite, cosmo 2558, placing it in the same orbit and just beneath the u.s. satellite. >> that's really irresponsible behavior >> reporter: in an exclusive interview with nbc news, space command four star general james dickinson said russia may be trying to get an upclose look at u.s. spy capabilities. >> we see that it is in a similar orbit to one of our high-value assets for the u.s. government and so we'll continue like we always do to continue to update that and track that. >> please respond. >> reporter: last week, our cameras were the first ever allowed inside the space command joint operations center in colorad

kate >> tom costello, thank you. >>> the president marked another bipartisan deal signing the so-called pact act increases access to care for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in iraq and afghanistan it has been a busy week for the president. yesterday he signed the chips bill to boost this country's computer chip industry >>> in indiana today, a deadly house explosion caught on camera officials in evansville say at least three people were killed when the massive blast rocked the neighborhood four homes were destroyed in the explosion. 39 others damaged. cause is yet to be determined. >>> we are trackin severe weather on the move tonight across the midatlantic, flash flood warnings for the areas surrounding washington d.c. in maryland and virginia. after heavy rain dropped several inches late today. flooding on the capital beltway left drivers stranded there. >>> the justice department charged iranian man with plotting to kill former trump national security adviser john bolton, on top of a larger plo targeting more officials. andrea mitchell is here with me andrea, what are we learnin

the maiden voyage will be un-crewed but as tom costello reports astronauts are already training to walkar surface for the first time in 50 years >> reporter: after a slow overnight crawl artemis is now on the launch pad, the most powerful rocket ever ready for a new chapter in human exploration. >> it's a future where nasa will land the first woman and the first person of color on the moon. >> reporter: but first this critical un-crewed test flight set for august 29th. artemis will carry the orion crew capsule speeding to a 42-day mission orbiting the moon if the flight goes well humans could orbit the moon within two years, then a moon landing in '25 or 2026 an orbiting lunar space station and moon base before going on to mars. >> i can bounce gently in this spacesuit and not very unlike what i can do on earth. >> reporter: at nasa's training pool in houston engineers and astronauts are already testing new spacesuit designs for future moon walks astronauts have been training in this pool since 1996, but they've had to divide it up. half of the pool is dedicated to space station space w

joining us is nbc's tom costello from the kennedy space center. this this morning. you know, waiting to talk to you all day. so tell us how serious is this engine problem? >> reporter: you and me both, we were both disappointed. i don't think he know-- we know the answer to that yet. this is the artemis stack. it weighs 5.7 million pound. it's 322 feet tall, taller than the space shuttle was mounted to its tank. this is the main tank right now. it's filled with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. the problem is at the very bottom of this tank there are four engines. one of those four engines started having a problem this morning. in other words, the liquid hydrogen that goes from that big tank into the engines wasn't flowing into engine number three. there are four engines. each one of them is being reused from the space shuttle days. three of the four worked fine, but in fact, engine number three was not properly getting that super cooled liquid hydrogen into the engine. so as a result, they had to scrub. here's the thing. they have attempted othe

for "the news," i'm tom costello. >>> new tonight, pete arredondo is a no-show over the meeting to decidekeeps his job as police chief >>> marking three decades since hurricane andrew hit south florida. it reduced homes and much of south miami-dade county to ruins. kerry sanders reports tonight just as he did 30 years ago. when we started selling my health products online our shipping process was painfully slow. then we found shipstation. now we're shipping out orders 5 times faster and we're saving a ton. go to shipstation.com /tv and get 2 months free. >>> an intense and emotional school board meeting under way in uvalde, texas parents are outraged school board will decide if it will fire pete arredondo a short time ago, the board went into closed session to make the decision behind closed doors as the crowd jeered and demanded transparency tonight's meeting comes three months after the gunman massacred 19 children and 2 teachers at robb elementary school chief arredondo has come under scrutiny for botched police response parents demanded he be fired for months police waited more than a

tom costello will have everything you need to know with the launch in the orbit to the moon. >>> and a first look at the affidavit used to justify the fbi search of mar-a-lago, its release expected later this morning. for the first time since the search three weeks ago, we could finally learn what sparked it. kristen welker has the latest. good morning >> reporter: good morning to both of you. in just a matter of hours, we could have new information about what led to that unprecedented search of former president trump's florida home it is a high stakes moment for both mr. trump and federal prosecutors. and it all comes as president biden is back on the campaign trail intensifying his rhetoric with the mid-term elections looming large. today, americans will get their first glimpse of the affidavit used to justify that extraordinary search warrant executed by the fbi at mar-a-lago former president trump's florida estate a federal judge in florida has ordered a redacted copy of the affidavit, including blacked-out portions the justice department once kept secret to be made public by noo

nbc's tom costello has everything you need to know on how you can save money. >> reporter: this morningiving with fresh evidence that inflation may have peaked earlier this summer. though prices are still a lot higher than a year ago, there is a silver lang with many new deals available. >> some of the areas we're really seeing good bargains for consumers right now as that demand falls off or the supply picks up, i would say clothing, apparel, foot wear. consumer electronics, personal computers, smart phones. >> reporter: there's more good news at the grocery store, where prices are coming down for many key staples. so far in august, the price of boneless, skinless chicken breast down nearly 24%. the cost of eggs dropping 60%. milk and butter also cheaper. as are prices for hot dogs and tomatoes. the sky high cost of travel is also coming down. gasoline now at $3.90 a gallon nationally down from $5.01 in june. air fares expected to drop 50% after labor day. hotel and car rental rates also slowly coming down. in this volatile economy, consumers are also changing their habits, spending le

nbc's tom costello spoke with both the artemis and apollo flight directors about how far we have come. >> reporter: step inside one of the most iconic symbols of america's space program, nassau's original mission control, restored as a museum down to the ashtray, rc cola can and slide rule. to that day in 1969 when apollo 11 landed on the moon. nine months later, the drama of apollo 13 played out here. >> okay we have a problem here. houston, we have a problem. >> reporter: what is it like to come back and see this in stand here now? we asked apollo flight directo , 90 years old, to come back. >> it's what the spacecraft is doing, what the systems are doing. >> it is hallowed ground for you walk in here and still have memorabilia on the wall that reminds you of these accomplishments these guys did and apollo days. >> reporter: the lead director for monday's artemis mission to the moon. >> when these guys did it, nobody had done it before. we are writing on their shoulders because they figured it out for us. >> the physics has not changed. so, a lot of the things are different. the too

nbc's tom costello has the very latest from virginia. tom?d space museum here in virginia, because this is really turning the page for nasa, right? 11 years after they retired the space shuttle fleet, nasa is now going back to the moon and eventually to mars. and to get there, they're going on a rocket named after the twin god of apollo, artemis. standing 322 feet tall, nasa's artemis rocket is the biggest to stand on the pad in 50 years. and artemis is different. flanked with two boosters, it will be 15% more powerful than the monster saturn 5 rockets that carried apollo astronauts to the moon. and this morning, all systems are go for a monday morning launch and an uncrewed 42-day test flight to orbit the moon. >> they are pushing the vehicle to its limits. really stressing it to get ready for crew. we have mitigated the risk as far as we can and now it's our time to get to launch so that we get that data that we need to put crew on it. >> reporter: within two years, astronauts will ride on top of the rocket in the orion crew capsule. the en

is it a sign of more trouble ahead for labor day and beyond here's tom costello. >> reporter: in the nation's busiest air space late monday, delays and building frustration. >> it's not just tonight it's been going on for a long time. >> reporter: the problem, too many controllers out sick. the faa says it was an isolated case not organized but it comes as a summer of travel trouble winds down since memorial day weekend flight aware reports 23% of u.s. flights have been delayed an average of 52 minutes. 2.3% canceled. amid violent weather and a national pilot shortage. the faa blamed the airlines for most of the issues earlier this summer and cancellation rate improved once airlines began cutting flights they over scheduled. >> while there are fewer blue sky delays, everything looks fine and the airlines still can't make it happen. >> reporter: going into labor day they are up with nearly every airline trimming their schedules to avoid a repeat of the summer meltdown though american's pilot's union in contract talks warns it may not be enough. >> we are very concerned about the upcom

nbc's tom costello got the exclusive access >> ignition. liftoff. go falcon, go, go. >> february 2nd, in california, spacex launched a classified government satellite into orbit. nrol-87. believed to be a top secret state of the art spy satellite that the pentagon says will support its overhead reconnaissance mission also watching that launch, moscow and just last week, russia launched its own spy satellite, cosmo 2558, placing it in the same orbit and just beneath the u.s. satellite >> that's really irresponsible behavior >> in an exclusive interview with nbc news, space command four star general james dickinson said russia may be trying to get an up close look at u.s. spy capabilities >> we see it's in a similar orbit to one of our high value assets for the u.s. government so we'll continue like we always do to continue to update that and track that >> last week, our cameras were the first ever allowed inside the space command joint operations center in colorado springs. >> at the zenith, the very top of our space operation centers within the depa

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tom costello, thank you.ornia, you have amazon workers calling for more pay and more safety. organizers say more than 150 employees walked out mid-shift that the company's biggest air hub in california according to the "washington post." amazon says the number was actually closer to 74. the workers there say they are facing suffocating temperatures inside this facility. like they are physically hot. they are calling for amazon, which is the country's second biggest private employer to raise their base pay to $22 from $17. this comes as tiktok creators are turning against amazon with a coalition of top influencers saying boycott the company. refusing to work with amazon until it meets the requests of the labor union including a $30 minimum wage. jacob ward is with us. this isn't the first time we have seen amazon workers generally try to come together to say we want safer working conditions and more money for it. we have seen it in staten island. is san bernardino next? >> this is very interesting to watch thi

for the news, i'm tom costello. >>> testing in productivity, how companies are measuring how hard you are working, and whether you can do anything to stop it. in order for small businesses to thrive, they need to be smart. efficient. agile. and that's never been more important than it is right now. so for a limited time, comcast business is introducing small business savings. call now to get powerful internet for just 39 dollars a month. with no contract. and a money back guarantee. all on the largest, fastest reliable network. from the company that powers more businesses than anyone else. call and start saving today. comcast business. powering possibilities. this is xfinity rewards. our way of showing our appreciation. with rewards of all shapes and sizes. [ cheers ] are we actually going? yes!! and once in a lifetime moments. two tickets to nascar! yes! find rewards like these and so many more in the xfinity app. >>> carmaker dodge comping the brakes on some old favorites. the challenger and charger. the automaker announcing it will discontinue its gas powered muscle cars at the end

tom costello has the details. >> good day.ds of people this last summer have experienced this firsthand. delays, cancellations, missing weddings and businessneedings. now the department of transportation says the airlines have to up their game. stop overpromising on flights, they need to meet the schedules they promise, they need to offer clarity on passengers on what policies are and take care of passengers. pete buttigieg says if they don't do it, he'll do it for them. >> reporter: if you've flown this summer, there's a chance you have a story and complaint. >> chaos. i hope people have a better time than we're having. >> reporter: in the first six months of the year, 24% of flights were delayed. 3.2% canceled. the department of transportation says the airlines bear most of the blame. for overscheduling flights despite not having enough pilots to fly them. then offering conflicting and confusing rules on cash refunds and voucher policies. >> three times in the last few weeks i've been canceled. >> reporter: the d.o.t. secret

. >>> coming up, tom costello is taking us inside the may injure rollout for nasa it's happening as we speak to move a landmark mission to the moon one step closer hey, tom >> that's the "artemis" rocket after a slow crawl out to the pad at the kennedy space center this is nasa's return ride to the moon if you're a nasa geek or a space geek, you are about to geek out with this story, and we're going to talk about when americans and humans will be back on the lunar surface. >> geeking out is kind of a theme this morning and we're here for it. also ahead, do you enjoy sauce on your pasta and pizza? >> yes. >> how about ketchup with your fries? >> yes >> in other words, are you a human being? >> yes. >> that key ingredient, tomatoes, very hard to find. tomatoes, very hard to find. what is driving californians have a choice between two initiatives on sports betting. prop 27 generates hundreds of millions every year to permanently fund getting people off the streets a prop 26? not a dime to solve homelessness prop 27 has strong protections to prevent minors from betting. prop 26? no protect

nbc news aviation correspondent tom costello has got this. >> oh my golly!- last walk in the moon. apollo 16 left there footnotes in september 1972. today, another rocket named after another greek got. artemis. nasa's most powerful rocket left. it is poised for liftoff in florida. and unclear testified that will send theorizing crew capsule to orbit the moon for 42 days, before returning to earth. splashing down in the pacific ocean of san diego. if all goes well, astronauts could be on a similar orbital test flights within two years. this morning, nasa says all systems are go for a monday morning lodge. >> this is something that has not been done in over 50 years, it is incredibly difficult. >> we are ready to go. we have identified our teams. we are packed and ready and excited. >> the ultimate goal is a lunar landing before 2025, including the first woman in person of color. >> -- in the space suit. >> and's pool in houston, astronauts are already training for a future moonlight, sand and rocks at the bottom of the pool to recreate the conditions on the l

nbc news aviation correspondent tom costello has more. >> reporter: in the nation's busiest air spaceon. >> not just tonight, it's been going on for a long time. >> reporter: the problem, too many controllers out sick. the faa says it was an isolated case, not organized, but it comes as a summer of travel trouble winds down. since memorial day weekend, flight aware reports 23% of u.s. flights have been delayed an average of 52 minutes. 2.3% of flights cancelled. amid violent weather and a national pilot shortage, the faa blamed the airlines for most of the issues earlier this summer and the cancellation rate improved once airlines began cutting flights they overscheduled. >> while there are fewer what we call blue sky delays, fewer cases where the weather is fine, everything looks fine and airlines still can't make it happen. >> reporter: going into labor day, air fares up 23% over last year with nearly every airline trimming their schedules this fall and winter to avoid a repeat of the summer meltdowns. though american's pilots union in contract talks warns it may not be enough. >> w

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will return to earth but hotter and faster parachuting into the pacific ocean. >> our thanks to tom costellosusan kilray, thanks for joining us this morning. based on your vast experience, walk us through what today's launch will look like and the possible hurdles standing in its way. >> well, you've already heard that the weather, that's the first big hurdle, and then there's any number of mechanical issues that can happen between now and launch. there is a whole built-in about l-minus 40 to 30 minutes, so that they can try to solve any issues that have arisen, and it gives them a little bit more time. the launch window is two hours long. so they have plenty of time to maybe wait out the weather and fix anything. and then the big decisions will be made at l minus 15, when they will pull or go to launch and six, the engines will light, it is bigger and louder than any rocket launched and i think most of florida will be able to hear it. >> nasa has taken backseat in recent years to more private space exploration. tell us why, is this so important to happen today? >> well, you know, nasa has b

our tom costello has more. >> reporter: the threat of violent morning thunderstorms is hang over nasa's plans to launch artemis early monday after a series of lightning strikes hit lightning towers near the launch pad five times s times on saturday. none of them caused any damage to the rocket named for the sister of the greek god apollo the capsule will be lifted to a 42-day orbit around the moon >> this mission goes with a lot of hopes and dreams of a lot of people and we now are the artemis generation >> reporter: if all goes as planned, astronauts could be on board in 2014. then a moon landing in 2024. >> there's 30% more room inside or orion than apollo. right over there is a retractible rowing machine for exercise and right there is a commode. >> reporter: orion will even eventually dock with a space station called gateway >> reporter: the gateway components are coming together at this facility in houston. eventually four or five of these modules will be linked together orbiting the moon with crews spending on average 30 days on station. they will then use a lunar lander to descen

tom costello is at kennedy space center >> reporter: tonight, the threat of violent morning thunderstorms is hanging over nasa's plans to launch artemis early monday, after a series of lightning strikes hit five times on saturday nasa says none of them caused any damage to the rocket, named after the twin sister to the greek god apollo but artemis is even more powerful than the rockets that carried apollo astronauts to the moon, lifting the 42-day uncrewed around the moon. >> this mission goes with a lot of hopes and dreams of a lot of people we now are the artemis generation >> reporter: if all goes as planned, astronauts could be on board in 2024. and then a moon landing in 2025 or later. just like apollo, the astronauts will lift off on their backs but there's 30% more room inside than apollo, which means there's room for four astronauts instead of three. right over there is a retractable rowing machine for exercise, and right there is a commode. orion will dock with a new space station called gateway orbiting the moon. >> it will let us fly crews from earth to gateway and then to the

here is cnbc's tom costello. >> the cancer deaths among firefighters skyrocketing, the city fire chief joint morning. the turnout, or bunker gear the firefighters wear to protect themselves from fire, smoke, and select may itself b preloaded with cancer-causing chemicals. >> every day, we put on our personal protective equipment, we are exposing ourselves to toxins that ultimately can result in our deaths. >> the union and she said several studies showing gear manufactured with so call forever chemicals linked to multiple cancers. now, wear bunker gear when it is absolutely nece they don't are take it advising firefighters nationwide to only wear bunker you when absolutely necessary, don't take it into the fire station living quarters or home, spray down personnel after every fire and replace with p pass free gear when available. >> it is an unnecessary risk and an unnecessary tocsin that has to be removed because there are plenty of other toxins we can't control. >> but there are few alternatives. there are three layers. the union believes the research shows, all three layers may have

nbc's tom costello takes a closer look. >> standing 322 feet tall, nasa's artemis rocket is the biggestifferent. flanked with two boosters, it will be 15% more powerful than the monster saturn five rocket that carried apollo astronauts to the moon. this morning, all systems are a go for a monday morning launch, and an uncrewed 40-day test flight to orbit the moon. >> we are pushing the vehicle to its limits, really stressing it, to get ready for crew. >> we mitigate the risk as far as we can, now it is time to get to launch, so we get that data that we need to put crew on it. >> within two years, astronauts will ride on top of the rocket in the around crew capsule. the entire artemis ryan stack look something like a pillow on steroids, with a some critical upgrades for future astronauts. >> ryan is a lot bigger than apollo. instead of three astronauts, four astronauts fit in these chairs here. they have a retractable ruling machine right here for exercise. and something apollo did not have, underneath my feet, a -- >> nasa's also testing out a new astronaut suit for future missions, rep

the "today" show's craig melvin and tom costello will provide special coverage from kennedy space center and cape canaveral. due to delays, we're tracking when the blastoff will take place. when it does, we'll carry it live on nbc bay area. >>> this morning, some are calling the tentative new deal to hike cal fire salaries long overdue. the new contract came into place late last week and includes a series of raises over the next year, shorter shifts and a monthly stipend for health insurance costs. cal fire crews are historically some of the lowest paid in the state, something the union has been pushing for, for years. union leaders say the idea is to get pay on par with that of other fire agencies as well as improving staffing shortages and reducing some of the job's most draining demands. >> it is the commitment from the administration to start reducing the work hours cal fire fighters they work a 72-hour shift, the longest in the country. >> firefighters and state lawmakers must approve the deal which will increase annual state spending by $126 million by 2024. >>> the time is running

. >> reporter: good morning, i'm tom costello at the astronaut training pool in houston.n and now they're getting ready to go back to the moon. they put rocks and sand in the pool to replicate the lunar environment, where gravity is one-sixth the gravity pull on earth. coming up on the "today" show we'll show you the training that's already under way as america gets ready to return to the moon. >> how cool is that? >> very fascinating. >>> 4:57 right now. unsealed. still ahead on "today in the bay," a live report from washington as the doj is set to unseal a redacted version of the affidavit it used to search former president trump's mar-a-lago estate. what we can expect to learn from the documents. >>> right now at 5:00, a messy problem on the peninsula. protesters and city leaders clashing over how to handle the growing number of geese around the city. a live report on solutions now being considered. >>> plus, creating healthy sleeping habits. one doctor explains the steps you can take to help your kids get back into their nighttime routine. this is "today in the bay,"

here is tom costello. >> good afternoon from the apollo mission control room. this is where they put neil armstrong and buzz aldrin on the moon, where they said, failure is not an option for apollo 13, and now, america is reaping preparing to return to the moon. we will meet a flight director who was here for apollo 13 and a new flight director getting ready for artemis as america prepares to return to the lunar surface. >> you can see tom's story, as well as the rest of "nightly news" with lester holt after our news cast at 6:30. >>> one of the biggest events of the year for me we are looking to clear the shelters. tomorrow is a big day for us. >> a lot of people adopt puppies and kittens. grow your family. let's bring in chris kammerer, he has a look head to saturday's let splash tomorrow. >> reporter: here, they have named a rabbit after your coanchor. so yes, if you want to adopt janelle, the bunny rabbit, yes, you, that you janelle, not the other janelle . there is a bunny rabbit here named after you. we are here at the cat area. they are taking it easy. s

nbc's tom costello reports on the reaction and who qualifies. >> reporter: president biden fulfilling a campaign promise, cutting american student loan debt. >> it focuses the benefit on middle class and working families. >> reporter: he's also stirred up a hornet's nest of backlash. >> i feel like it's a little slap in the face to those who worked hard to pay it off. >> reporter: and from republicans who say it unfairly benefits americans who choose to go to college while ignoring those who don't like truckers, plumbers, welders and retail workers. >> a lot of americans choose not to go to college. and then there are those americans who borrowed money to pay for school and paid it back. in what way is it fair to those taxpayers? >> many also argue the president competed his authority by unilaterally slashing federal student loans. the plan affects 43 million americans, forgiving loan debt of up to $10,000 each for those earning less than $125,000. 27 million americans who received need-based pell grants will get an additional $10,000 in loan forgiveness. all of it a big relief for ch

nbc's tom costello is breaking this story this morning for us here on "today" and he spoke with transportationretary pete buttigieg exclusively tom, this is a big deal. >> reporter: it is a big deal, tom. good morning to you. so, hundreds of thousands of passengers have been inconvenienced this summer, right? delays, cancellations, and now these transportation secretary is telling me it's time for the airlines to up their game. don't overpromise. don't overschedule also, provide better customer service, clarity on what your policies are, and if they don't do it, he says, then the government will proceed with the plan to order the changes. if you've flown this summer, there's a good chance you've got a story and a complaint. >> it's chaos. and i hope people have a better time than we are having. >> reporter: in the first six months of the year, 24% of u.s. flights were delayed 3.2%, canceled while violent weather and air traffic control problems contributed, the department of transportation says the airlines bear most of the blame for overscheduling flights despite not having enough pilots to f

tom costello gets exclusive access. lester holt joins us from new york. >>> tonight the head of the cdc ordering drastic changes and her stunning acknowledgement of mistakes in the covid response cdc chief dr. rochelle walensky announcing a major shakeup saying the agency's covid response did not meet expectations it comes amid the rising threat of monkeypox and now growing concerns about a polio resurgence is the cdc prepared? and when will the u.s. roll out omicron specific boosters? dr. jha is here answering your questions. >>> also tonight, former vice president mike pence saying he'd consider testifying before the january 6th committee, and his message to fellow republicans attacking the fbi over the search at mar-a-lago >>> it comes as rudy giuliani appears in court. what we're learning about his six-hour testimony before a special grand jury investigating alleged election meddling by donald trump in georgia. >>> congresswoman liz cheney, mr. trump's most vocal gop critic, losing her primary in a landslide. what's

tom costello has what it all means for your wallet. >> reporter: on a hot and steamy summer day, word that inflation remains hot, but may be losing steam was welcome news at the white house. >> jobs are booming and americans are working. we're seeing some signs that inflation may beginning to moderate. >> reporter: the administration under pressure to tame inflations before midterm elections in november. the good news, gas prices have dropped a dollar after hitting an all time high in june now averaging $4.01 a gallon nationally and could fall below $4 this week and airfares have dropped nearly 8% in a month. but americans are still paying for sticker shock on just about everything compared to a year ago. gas prices still up 44%, those airline ticket prices up 28% food, up 11% and the average household will spend $864 on back to school shopping this year clothing, sneakers, backpacks, all more expensive in miami, the raw ingredients for isabel garcia's chocolat business have dropped 10 to 15%, forcing her to postpone expansion plans and charge customers more. >> i think most people kn