tonight michael cohen's new guilty plea. president trump's form lawyer and fixer admits to lying in the russia investigation about dealings during the ai ca for a trump tower in moscow. the president now lashing out. >> he's a weak person, and what he's trying to do is get a reduced sentence. >> tonight, trump's business arrangements with russia during the hecampaign now under microscope. also tonight, the president suddenly cancels a ate meeting withutin at a high-stakes summit. breaking right now, a flash flood emergency in the ar wildfire scare of california. a code red rescue mission underway. stunning new

feurder charges in the mansrno mystery. who prosecutors say y executed a famand torched their home. the future of air travel is here, no need to scan your passport or even carry a ticket. wihe airport now allong passengers to check bags, go through securi and get on the plane by scanning their face. handle with care, a postal worker caught on camera throwing a il package on a fs front lawn, then accused of lying about why she did it. the little girl who wanted to know why she couldn't get an nb a super star's shoes in girls' sizes. her lettero steph curry, his letter back and a big change on the way. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening, everyone. unfolding tonight, the mueller investigation, chalking up the seventh guilty plea today. this one putting president trump's business dealings with russia during his es pridential campaign under the spotlight. today's ea came from the president's disgraced former lawyer michael cohen. he admitted he lieed to congress about work on a proposed real

estate project in moscow for the trumpga zation. president trump tonight says cohen is still lying. our pete williams has teetails. >> rep lester, michael cohen revealed in court during the presidential campaign umwhile president was praising vladimir putin, cohen and others in the trump organization were trying to get ssia's help to build a trump tower project in moscow. it's dramatic proof fully with robert g mueller's investigation. michael cohen was back in federal court pleading guilty to a charge saying he lied to congress when he told house and senate investigators about discussions betwthn trump organization and russian government over plans to build a trump tower in moscow. cohen said he lied when he said the dealings with russia ended in january016 fore the presidential campaign was heating up. in fact, he admitted they continued for at least another six months and he briefed o rump family members. he alsed to congress when he said he was not in touch

ussian officials about the project and had no plans to travel there. cohen says he e-ma demetri and talked on the phone with one of his aids0 minutes. cohen said today he did talk to trump campaign officials about going to russia and suggested mr trump could go the there to pursue the project after becoming the republican party's nominee for president in mid july. cohen said today the deal was abandoned june 14th, which is the same day "the washington post" reported that russians hacked into democratic computers. in court, cohen said he made these misstatements to be consistent with mr. trump's political messages and out of trump. in a court filing, special counsel robert mueller said trump lied tcongress in hopes of limiting the on going russian investigations. >> obviously, this is a significant plea and statement. it means that when the

president was g representing dur the campaign that he had no business interest in russia, that that wasn't true. reporter: other than cohen's lies to congress, today's charges don't allege illegal conduct. there was nothing illegally about the trump organization trying to get a project going in moscow. legal experts say today's charges suggest mueller wanted cohen's testimony to build a case against tr others in thp on bit. onbitbit.rbit.bit.rbit. >> additional charges down the road, if any, could include lying to congress as mr. cohen admitt to but could be people involved in transactions in and of themselves were illegal. we don't know yet. team found there was at least some outrea by the trump organization to vladimir putin for business reasons, now ushe question was that condui for anything else? pete williams, nbc news, washington. , >> i'm kristen welkpresident trump today unleashing a new arsenal of attacks against michael cohen. >> he's a weak person,

not a smarperson. what he's trying to do is end and it's very mp , he's got himself a big prison sentence, and he's trying to get a much lesser prison sentence by making up a story. >> reporter: cohen has etbeen a frequent targ of the president since july, when the former fixer who once said he would takelet for mr. trump started cooperating with the special cosel after pleading guilty to violating campaign finance laws stemming fromhe hush money payment to stormy daniels. >> it turned out he wasn't a very go lawyer. >> reporter: tonight, the president's attorney rudy giuliani saying president trump's written answers to mueller about a trump tower in russia were consistent with what cohen said. it comes as the

president has been intensifying his attacks against mueller tweeting today before the cohen news broke, the probe is an illegal joseph mcrthy style witch hunt and asking did you ever see an investigation more in search of a crime? still, today's charges putting a new spotlight on mr. trump's business dealings with russia which he dismissed during the campaign. >> i'll tell you zero, i have nothing to do with russia. >> i have nothing to do with russia. i don't have property us ina. >> reporter: the president saying today, nothing changed. >> i didn'he project. i decided not to do the projec there would be nothing wrong if i did do it. i was running my business while i was waampaigning. thera good chance that i wouldn't have won in which case i would have gotten back into the business and why should i lose opportunities? >> reporter: and yet t another shot mueller, giuliani today accused him of playing politics saying he once again files a charge athe esident is leaving for a meeting with world leaders saying mueller did the same thing beforehe esident's summit with putin in helsinki. lester? >> kristen welker, thanks. oh soon after c's

guilty plea, the president abruptly canceled a meeting with vladimir putin at the g 20 summit in argentina. hallie jackson is e. >> the president ly calling off that meeting with vladimir putin less than an hour after calling it the right move. go>> i think it's a time to have the meeting. >> reporter: what changed? the president minutes force one spoke with the secretary of state, his chief of staff and national security advisor andci d to cancel the one on one. the kremlin found out when the president tweeted about it suggesti he's sending a signal after russia fired on and seized three ukrainian ships in a widely condemned act of aggression. >> getting the full report on the plane as to what ppened. >> reporter: the black sea confrontion ppened sunday, and the president said he would get a full report on it tuesday. so it's not clear why he waited to cancel the talks until today. less than three hours after michael cohen's guilty plea. cehile the putin face-t won't happen, another

critical meetingill with china's ping, the threat of more tarif t table. >> i think china wants to make a deal. i'm open to a deal but frankly, i like the deal we have now. >> reporter: another interactn here could get uncomfortable. president trump informally face-to-face with the sa crown prince oi arabia who is under fire after the brutal murder of jamal khashoggi. the president wants to his own allies want n the president to confront the crown prince direcley. er? >> hallie jackson, thanks. ne to breaking ws in california, a flashem flergency in areas just hit by the yeevastating wildfires. joe is in our los angeles wsroom, joe, what are you seeing there? >> lester, swift waterre ue teams are in place ready to jump into action with reports of several funded roads and highways in northern

california, one to two inches of rainfall. the heaviest downpours around paradise, the town devastated by wildfire. there are mandatory evacuations in that area. southernornia is on alert worried about mudslides like that one that shut down a is in the forecast tonight. lester? >> we know this is a he big fear after fires. joe, thanks. a disturbing twist in the case we're following about the family found dead. their mansion set on fire days before thanksgiving. the homeowner's brother charged with murder. here is nbc's ron allen. >> reporter: as a massive fire consumed their new jersey mansion, investigators say keith, wife jennifer and their children jessie and so already.n killed thheir home set ablaze afte were shot and stabbed in the early morning hours of november 20th, allegedly by paul, s older brother. >> this one is the most brutal case that i've seen in my experience here. >> reporter: the two ee brothers hadin business together.

>> do you think you have an idea of why he did this? >> our theory and our belief ithat this was the motive was financial in nature. >> reporter: paul is facing arson and quadruple murder charges. he was already in custody accused of rching his own home that same day. >> the fire at his home served tw purposes, one to destroy evidence and the other was to create an appearance that his larger or overall family was somehow targeted. >> reporter: paul maintains his innocence on all charges. meanwhile, the rest of the family is preparing to bury their relatives, kill allegedly by one of their own. ron allen, nbc news, new jersey. the trial began today for the man accused of killing a woman when he drove into a crowd protesting against a white nationalist rally in charlottesville in 2017. with more on that, here is catie beck. >> reporter: unforgettable, horrific images from charlottesville, virginia in august

2017. white nationalist and counter protesters clashing as a car plows into the crowd killing a woman and ri inng dozens more. tae washington was one of them. >> all i remember was the noise and people sliding down my window. >> reporter: a jury will dece the fate of the driver, james alex fields junior charged with first-degree murder. in opening statements, edboth sides ackno fields was behind the wheel, the prosecution told jurors, fields an admirer of hitler posted images of protesters being hit by a car months before. he said this is about his decision to act on the anger. fields' defense says he was calm that day and fear drove him to speed off. you'll hear james tell the officer that he feared for his safety that was scared to death. on the staoday, marcus martin, seen in this famous photss in the air by the impact. more to come in a at will likely tell two very different sides of the same story. catie beck, nbc news. we'll turn to really distuing news

about life expectancy that's fallen. what's being done to reverse it. >> reporter: we saw the grim reality ourselves in dayton, . ohio last fa >> about how often on a typical shift do you see overdoses? >> every day. s > reporter: the cdc numbt today show more than 70,000 americans died of an overdose in 2017, a 10% increar the year before. that's pulling down our average life expectancy and so are deaths by suicide, the ar highest in 50 and in the most rural communities, suicide rates are twice that of urban couies. >> who is here for the f vest time today? >> reporter: there are signof progress in dayton with substance abuse. we visited laurie's support group, family of addicts.

>> it takes a lot to keep working every day. >> reporter: this year so far the number of deat is less than half what it was last year in the county. >> meeting people where they are at and increasing peer support is what i feel like made a big difference, so that when someone is ready ent, it's there. >> reporter: there are more services for recoveryased availability of narcan, medicaid expansion paying for treatment and a crackdown on dealers >> we made a ioids. difference. we're making an impact but i don't feel like we're winning. >> reporter: a glimmer of hope but not enough. kate snow, nbc news. gh there were t questions in congress today for the department of veterans affairs after an nbc nclusive report about potentially thousands of veterans being d their g.i. bill benefits. here is hans nichols. >> reporter: tonight, americans that fought in iraq and wafghanistan asking they are being shortchanged by the

e .a. and if they will everid back? >> we must get it fixed for veterans. d it's owed to them an in law. >> reporter: an iraq veteran counts on e post 9/11 g.i. bill. >> my budget was tight living in new york city and without that money it won't make the rent. ay> reporter: the missedments were from a computer ur faafter a law changed how housing allowances were calculate. an nbc news exclusive, officials told congressional v.a. would not the reimburse those veterans underpaid. today inublic, a different story. >> each and every veteran on the post 9/11 g.i. bill will be made 100% whole. >> reporter: those who served deserve better. >> the v.a. is not a promise you can take to the bank and that's what theeterans teed now is something they ce to the bank. >> reporter: hans nichols, nbc news, the

pentagon. savannah guthrie has exclusive interview with tom hanks joining forces with the elizabeth doll foundation and hidden heroes foundation to support those who care for wounded veterans tomorrow on "today". we're getting the first look at the next generation of air travel. the first airport terminal in the country to go biometric where your face is your ticket y.o here is tom costello. >> using facial recognition technology. >> reporter: at the busiest airport in the is world, termina as simple as look, smile and click. delta's outbound international edassengers no longer requiro scan their passports or carry a ticket. it's simple, walk up and tap facial gn reion and the camera recognizes your face from the passport photo on file and checks you in. when you check a bag, no need for a passport or ticket. the camera recognizes your face again. by next year, your face will be your boarding pass for tsa. same process for boarding a flight, facial recognition and i'm on the plane. >> nobody wants to trtand in line.

any time, anything speeded up will be great. >> reporr: homeland security already uses athe cameras for intenal passengers scanning their faces. >> how far apart your eyes, ears, chin, mouth. >> reporter: boasting de 98% accuracya is bringing facial recognition to the entire check in process. >> you don't have to fumble for the i.d. and wa for somebody to read it and saves you wait times at the airport. >> reporter: next, delta's international detroit flights and maybe domestic flights within two years but in atlanta the future is here. tom costello, nbc a. news, atlant ahead, the postal worker caught throwing deliveries. also,nba super star's promise after a little girl's plea and the team super star inspiring america.

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video of postal worker hurling a package not once, but twice. >> reporter: the simon family couldn't eybelieve it when th watched their christmas package delivered via airmail, as in under handed heave on to their llawn, all caught on surveiance tape. >> i was angry. i was shocked. i just -- in disbelief. >> reporter: not only does the carrier throw the package, she picks it up and then a hr minute laters it again, harder inside the box clearly marked hand wleh itre. >> it was k for our grandson. >> reporter: the simons say it's haened before. >> this is the third time and enough is enough. >> reporter: the post office is now this is clearly ng unacceptable behavior that does not reflect the effort ts he th professional dedicated starriers. the al worker apparently claiming e the dog and kids w

outside, but the simons say that's not true. >> there was no dogs or kid anywhere. >> reporter: on the tape, you can see mrs. simon giving a piece of her mind to the mail carrier that might make sanity's naughty list this year. kristen dahlgren, nbc news. up next here tonight, the young fan's powerful letter to an nba super star. pills right now. only aleve has the strength stop tough pain for up to 12 hours with just one pill. tylenol can't do that. aleve. all day strong. all day long. now introducing aleve back and muscle pain, for up to 12 hours of pain relief with just one pill. after a scratch so small rocket you could fix it with a pen. how about using that pen to sign up for new insurance instead? for drivers with accident forgiveness, liberty mutual won't raise their rates because of their first accident. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ that skills like teamwork, attention to detail, and customer service are critical to business success.

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m two-time n steph curry delivered in a big way after a little girl asked why his signature sneakers ab are able ava fon available yr boys and how he's leveling the playing field for girls. >> reporter: he's a time champ and two-time mvp and she's a 9-year-old with quick hands and a steady pen. when raleigh morrison learned her idle steph vaurry's shoes were onlyilable in boys' sizes, she asked why. i know you support girl athletes because you have two ht das. curry who played second fiddle to the women in his life knew this is a shot he couldn't miss.

we're correcting this now. i want to make sur you can wear my kicks proudly. curry told us all the women in his life including wife are the real mvps, making his shoes available in girl sizes, a slam dunk. >> thank steph curry and under armor. >> reporter: miguel almaguer, nbc news. speaking of basketball, up next, the teen who beat all the odds and scored a big coach.

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here is kevin tibbles . >> reporter: when you see him on the court, it's no surprise 18-year-old kalob is on his way to play basketball, a dream he didn't always think would come true. he has autism, the towering 6'10" star didn't even walkntil he was 4 or speak until 7. >> i used to not like people at all. i didn't like being around, surrounding myself wh people at all. >> reporter: his hoop dreams brought him out of the shell and in turn, kent sta discovered him, possibly the first athlete with autism to sign a letter of intent with a d 1 school. kalin crits his mom. >> he said i don't think i can do that. i say uh-uh, you can do it and you're going to do it and be great. >> reporter: well wishes flood his instagram, you give a mom like me hope. there was a time when

kalin's mom was told he wou never talk, let alone dunk. so let's give him the final word. >> the reason i'm being recruited is not because of aism. at's not the reason for me. i'm a great basketball player. >> reporter: and a

lights, camerass. from the firhast datet ended with a pat on the back,at wh to the romantic proposal priyanka and nick sharet all in their only interview.k and is nic really riding into the