we are going to speak to our correspondent in beijing, tracy chairing. c --hang. tell us a little bit more about what this change means. tracy: it probably refracts more and the status of china's economy. this -- it reflects the chinese economy is in deeper trouble than we previously estimated. if we do not have enough population growth, it is going to exacerbate these problems. china has been relying on cheap labor exports for the past 30 years and that type of model has not been sustainable. this policy has been in place for almost 40 years. i personally have done a story about it. 50% of the about primary and secondary schools in a city were closed for the past 15 years because they simply did not have enough children. furthermore, about 30% of the population are above age 50 and that is a very scary number because that means my niece's generation, when child would have to support about six adult retirees. these numbers are very astonishing. there is also social upsets because my parents' generation, they are the first generation that got hit with this policy. s

these are chairs that were already chairs and very creative people decided to spice them up a little. hey, look at that, that's nbc 10's tracy davidson posing next to one of the chair there is. she's very supportive of this event as well. these are created by local furniture designers? >> it's interesting. we have a lot of people who have done chairs. some are design professionals. some are upholsterers, some are metal workers. this chair in particular was done by two sixth graders. >> the girl scout themed chair here? >> they were so inspired by the mission and they were so inspired by what we were trying to do they asked if they could be a part of it. and absolutely because what we're trying to do is get the word out there and get the mission out there and shouldn't we be starting with our children? so typically we would maybe say, gosh, we don't know. but how can you say know no to two young people who want to be involved. >> and clearly they've earned their chair making badge now. how many chairs do you have if for this auction? >> 27 for the live auction and then we have a silent auction with about 20 items as well whic

then he told her to get back on the chair, and then she tried to climb back on the chair and he shot her. >> reporter: tracy didn't know it yet but the girl in the wheelchair was dead, serena dawn moore. in july moore posted this picture on facebook showing off her new service dog she named bullet. bullet survived. back in snider hall, the shooter continued to kill. did he say anything as he was going and systematically shooting people? >> he seemed like he was excited about everything. he was saying he was going to join us and he specified in one or two minutes and that he'll make it not painful at all for any one of us, he'll make it quick and easy. >> reporter: he turned his attention to professor larry levine. he told the professor to get down on the ground, as well and he climbed down on the ground with us and started shooting everything on the ground and blood started splattering all over the place and that's when i knew that, this is it, i'm probably going to tie. i probably won't see my kids anymore. i probably won't see anybody anymore. >> reporter: face down on the ground hit by a stray bullet in

they may be done with clinton, at least for now, the committee chair said last night more witnesses are on their list. from washington, i'm tracie, back to you. >>> right now, tennessee state university is open and running normally after a shooting on the campus overnight. national police say they are still looking for the shooter and the shooting started over a fight over a dice game. a man not a student died and three students were shot and are recovering right now. >>> we have a lot of road closures happening this weekend because of two different big events in the district. let's start by talking about saturday here. the walk to end hiv, road closures start friday night at 7:00 p.m. and go until saturday at 2:00 p.m., and pennsylvania avenue northwest, and constitution northwest from 7th to 3rd, and we'll have the full list on nbc washingtons.com, and on our app. the red line is running ever 18 minutes and silver line, every 26, and same thing on the blue and orange line, and on the green line, trains run every 16 minutes and yellow line will be normal service, and on sunday metro opening two hours early, 5:00 a.m., because o

because at the end of that marathon hearing, the chair they still got more witnesses to interview. sam? >> tracie potts, thank you very much for that report. >>> and new details on the first u.s. soldier to die in iraq in four years. killed during what's being called one of the largest hostage rescues in recent memory. this nbc animation shows what happened as u.s. commandos led the storming of an isis prison yesterday in northeastern iraq. the unidentified u.s. soldier who died is the first to be killed in american combat against isis. commandos stormed that prison before dawn and the raid led to the rescue of some 75 hostages. about a dozen isis fighters were killed. >>> he made it official. paul ryan in a letter to his gop colleagues declared his candidacy for speaker of the house. the wisconsin congressman wrote "i'm ready and eager to be your speaker." he has support from the republican party's most conservative area, the tea party or the house freedom caucus. two-thirds of that party's members agreed to back him. the full house votes on a speaker next thursday. >>> turning to business news,

tracie potts is monitoring the hearing in washington. << hillary clinton shook hands before what's expected to be a full day of testimony. republican chair trey gowdy slammed eight previous investigations as incomplete. ignoring thousands of emails from hillary clinton's private servrv... he says... wowod've been irresponsible: rep. trey gowdy / (r) south carolina "that may be smart politics, but it is a lousy way to run a serious investigation." the committee's spent nearly a year and a half - and more than four and a half million taxpayer dollars... septememr 11, 2012 investigating why four americans died in the 2012 attacks in benghazi, libya. rep. elijah cummings / (d) maryland "republicans are squandering millions of taxpayer dollars in this ... secretararclinton's campaign." clinton beben by focusing on ambassador chris stevens and the four americans who died. hillary clinton / fmr. secretary of state (d) presidential candidate "i took responsibility, and as part of that before i left office, i launchch reforms to better protect people in the field." but she argues... to keep terrorism from growing, diplomats must continue to work

they're done with clinton for now, the committee chair says they've got more witnesses to interview. we don't know how long this is going to last. traciets, nbc news, washington. >>> now to decision 2016. we're watching the gop race heating up as republican presidential candidate dr. ben carson surges in the key early state of iowa. and you might see this new ad on tv soon. >> people are so concerned about the future, the future for their children, the future for our nation. >> reporter: carson released the new ad on his web site. it shows him talking about the need for an honest government. carson is edging out donald trump in a new poll. quinnipiac university released a new iowa survey yesterday and carson leads trump 28% to 20%. trump has been leading is almost every poll up until now, coming in third in this poll marco rubio with 13%. meanwhile, paul ryan announced last night that he is, indeed, running for speaker of the house. the wisconsin representative sent a letter to members of the house republican conference informing them of his candidacy. the memo called for republicans for a more conservative agenda and a unified gop und

tracie potts has the latest from washington. >> reporter: hillary clinton shook hands before what's expected to be a full day of testimony. rm chair slammed eight ignoring thousands of e-mails from clinton's private server, he says, would have been irresponsible. >> that may be smart politics, but it is a lousy way to run a serious investigation. >> reporter: the committee spent nearly a year and a half and more than $4.5 million investigating why four americans died in the 2012 attacks in benghazi, libya. >> republicans are squandering millions of taxpayer dollars on this abusive effort to derail senator... secretary clinton's presidential campaign. >> reporter: clinton began by focusing on ambassador chris stephens and the four americans who died. >> i took responsibility, and as part of that, before i left office, i launched reforms to better protect our people in the field. >> reporter: but she argues to keep terrorism from growing, diplomats must continue to work in dangerous areas. for us from bunkers. retreat from the world is not an option. >> reporter: later this afternoon, tough questions about e-mails, security, and ine

. >> reporter:t chair paul ryan is said to be outgoing speaker john boehner's favorite. >> i have nothing to add. >> reporter: tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >>> happening today, homeland security secretary jay johnson is going to visit the areas hardest hit by flooding in south carolina. he along with fema representatives and state officials are meeting up in columbia and charleston to discuss ongoing response and recovery efforts. many cities you see there are under water. gabe gutierrez is in south carolina this morning where even though the rain has stopped, new evacuation orders are in place. >> there are new developments in that ongoing flood disaster in south carolina. there are new voluntary evacuation orders in place as the governor says this new round of flooding could linger for up to 12 days. much of the rain had fell over the past few days is now rushing down stream. 14 dams have been breached ands are now closely watching 70 others. i'm gabe gutierrez in south carolina. we'll have the very latest on this developing story coming up on "today." >>> at 5:58. bill cosby expected to return to court tod

she tried to climb back on the chair, and he shot her. >> reporter: tracy didn't know it yet, but thewheelchair was dead. he turned his attention to professor larry levine. >> he was trying to crawl down on the ground with us. he shot the professor and started shooting everybody on the ground. that's when i knew that, you know, this is it. i'm probably going to die. i probably won't see my kids anymore. i probably won't see anybody anymore. >> reporter: face down on the ground, hit by a bullet in the hand, she thought about her three children and waited to die. >> the warmth of the blood that was all over me, that's when i knew it was real. i remember whispering to one other person next to me, he's only one person. we have to do something about it or we're all going to die. >> reporter: then she heard the shooter make a promise. he would spare one of the male students. what did he say exactly? >> he said that, you're the lucky one. i'm going to let you live, but i'm going to need you to go and tell the police everything that happened and give them this. >> reporter: he handed the man

the chair said late last night after they wrapped up they have more witnesses to talk to. back to you. >> tracieright. a situation that continues to go on and on. >>> here at home, the shigella outbreak has spread to four bay area counties. the latest area hit, alameda county. alameda joins santa clara, san mateo and santa cruz counties. the major culprit seems to have originated here, mariscos san juan number 3 in downtown san jose. the first few people who got sick ate at that restaurant on friday or saturday last weekend and the illness quickly spread from there. at last update, 110 cases have been reported. 12 people had to go to the icu for treatment. >>> a mobilizing force for el nino ahead of the storms. one bay area county is taking drastic steps. right now a legion of local volunteers in marin county are training for a critical mission that could save lives. the community collaborative rain, hail snow network is recruiting more than 1,300 so-called weather watchers to gather and share vital weather information for first responders. this is all in hopes of preparing far in advance of pot

tracie potts shows us what's happened in that hearing before that break. >> reporter: hillary clinton shook hands before what's expected to be a full day of testimony. republican chair trey gowdy slammed eight previous investigations as incomplete, ignoring thousands of e-mails from clinton's private server, he says, would have been irresponsible. >> that may be smart politics, but it is a lousy way to run a serious investigation. >> reporter: the committee spent nearly a year and a half and more than $4.5 million taxpayer investigating why four americans died in the 2012 attacks in bengha benghazi, libya. >> republicans are squandering millions of taxpayer dollars on this abusive effort to derail secretary clinton's presidential campaign. >> reporter: clinton began by focusing on ambassador chris stevens and the four americans who died. >> i took responsibility. and as part of that before i left office i launched reforms to better protect our people in the field. >> reporter: but she argues to keep terrorism from growing, diplomats must continue to work in dangerous areas. >> they can't do their jobs for us from bunkers. retreat from the world is not an option. >>

tracie. >> reporter: and a long one, too, vai. we've been monitoring this hearing since the beginning. we've been told to prepare for up to eight hours of questioning and, in fact, the republican chair of this committee said he's not going to shut down anyone, including who you're hearing here, elijah cummings as we look live at what's going on right now. he's been questioning secretary clinton about what he says are eight investigations that have already asked and answered every possible question. but the republicans in charge of this committee, well, they have a different opinion about that. trey gowdy the chair, who i just mentioned, earlier in his opening statement said those investigations were insufficient. they were incomplete. they did not have hillary clinton's e-mails. they did not have ambassador chris steven's e-mails. he was killed in benghazi and his e-mails just started coming out of the state department be request recently. they will now be part of this hearing and for the first time lawmakers will get a chance to question hillary clinton about his security concerns at that mission in benghazi before this attack happened. gowdy has said he won't stop any of her answe