i'm free! i'm free! >> we leave you wits beautiful sunset. lester holt is next. breaking news tonight. a bombshell from "the new york times" reporting that president trump wanted to order the justice department to prosecute his rivals, hillary clinton and james comey. the white house counsel reportedly warning the president he could face impeachment if he gave the order. we'll have details. and new fallout tonight after revelations that ivanka trump used privacy e-mail for government work. critics cry hypocrisy after his father's relentless criticism of clinton. also breaking, the lettuce. >> if you have it in your home, go ahead and throw it away. >> don't eat it, don't serve it, and don't g a sweeping alert. it's the biggest holiday travel rush in years, and forecasters say we could be in for the coldest thanksgiving ever.

winds so strong, it could force those iconic parade balloons to be grounded. developing now, four people dead, including children, after a mansion goes up in flames. investigators scrambling to unravel a mysterious tragedy. the video then went viral. the outrage and the restaurant manager fired. why she's now been given her job back. what the investigation revealed. and a 7-year-old toy tycoon, his toy reviews so popular, he's now worth millions. tonight, we're inside ryan's world. good evening. a stunning report out tonight says president trump was poised to order the criminal prosecutions of two of his biggest political adversaries. "the new york times" tonight citing unnamed sources claiming the president told the white house counsel he wanted to order the justice department to prosecute hillary clinton and former fbi director james comey. the idea apparently died, according to the paper, when the president was told

such a move could put him at risk of impeachment. our kristen welker has details. >> reporter: in the explosive, new report, "the new york times" says the conversation happened last spring. president trump telling then white house counsel don mcgahn that he wanted the justice department to prosecute hillary clinton and former fbi director james comey. the newspaper cites two people familiar with the conversation. the "times" says mcgahn told the president he had no authority to order that and that white house lawyers drafted a memo for the president, that if he asked law enforcement to investigate his rivals, he could face a range of consequences, including possible impeachment. even as a presidential candidate, mr. trump hinted at ordering an investigation into clinton. >> but if i win, i am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation. >> reporter: and the new report raising more questions about the president's tense

relationship with his justice department, including firing attorney general jeff sessions to new fears from democrats that his replacement, matt whitaker, might curtail the mueller investigation. >> it's going to be up to him. i think he's very well aware politically. i really believe he's going to do what's right. >> reporter: neither the white house nor don mcgahn responded to our request for comment. all of this comes as the president and his legal team say they have submitted written answers to special counsel robert mueller, though they say much of it was, quote, beyond the scope of legitimate inquiry. lester? >> thank you, kristen welker. there's fallout tonight after the revelation that ivanka trump used private e-mail to conduct government business while working in the white house. critics pouncing, allegie ining hypocrisy after her father's relentless criticism of hillary clinton's e-mails. peter alexander has late details. >> reporter: tonight, the first dad defending his daughter, now under investigation for

violating federal records rules by using her personal e-mail account to conduct government business last year. >> ivanka did some e-mails. they weren't classified like hillary clinton. they weren't deleted like hillary clinton. they're all in presidential records. there was no hiding. >> reporter: ivanka trump today also not hiding, front and center in the rose garden but publicly silent. a spokesperson for mrs. trump telling nbc news she sometimes used her private account, almost always for logistics and scheduling concerning her family. still, house democrats are demanding answers, vowing they'll investigate those hundreds of them that ms. trump sent to white house aides, cabinet officials, and her assistants. >> oh, ivanka can handle herself. ivanka can handle herself. >> reporter: but even a pair of the president's former aides concede it's problematic. she ertainly, i think it's ndt looks bad, for sure. >> reporter: especially given candidate trump's relentless assault on his former opponent. >> how can hillary manage this country when she can't even

manage her e-mail? >> reporter: the argument to launch that famous rallying cry -- >> lock her up! >> reporter: tonight giving critics new ammuniti ammunition. peter alexander, nbc news, the white house. the president is waving aside the conclusion by his own agencies that the crown prince was behind the murder of journalist jamal khashoggi. andrea mitchell reports. >> reporter: the president tonight deciding to side with saudi arabia at all costs. >> if we abandon saudi arabia, it would be a terrible mistake. >> reporter: questioning the cia's conclusion reported by nbc news that saudi crown prince mohammed bin salman ordered the murder of "washington post" writer jamal khashoggi. >> they have nothing definitive. and the fact is,d, may countering iran. >> trump is saying, the other things we get from saudi arabia are more important than establishing the culpability for the murder of khashoggi. >> reporter: but while the president claims $450 billion in saudi

deals, they've promised only $14.5 billion, and the secretary of state, asked about khashoggi's death affecting saudi relations, said -- >> it's a mean, nasty world out there. they're an important partner of ours. >> reporter: mike pompeo also ignoring the cia he once led. tonight top democrats calling it a stain on our democracy and vowing to block arms sales to the saudis. and this warning sunday from republican lindsey graham. >> when it comes to the crown prince, he's irrati, unhinged, and i have no intention of working with him ever again. >> reporter: tonight, khashoggi's employer, the "washington post," calls the president's response a betrayal of american values of human rights. lester? >> andrea, thank you. more breaking news tonight, an alert from the cdc about romaine lettuce -- don't eat it, don't serve it at thanksgiving, and don't buy it until further notice. our gabe gutierrez has more on the sweeping, new warning in the

outbreak that caused it. >> reporter: don't eat, serve, or sell romaine lettuce. that urgent alert tonight from the centers for disease control and prevention comes as it investigates a dangerous e. coli outbreak. 32 people in 11 states have gotten sick from eating contaminated romaine. of those, 13 have been hospitalized, one suffering from kidney failure. the cdc now telling people to throw away any romaine lettuce they may have already bought, chopped or part of a mix. all of it should go. >> if you have it in your home, go ahead and throw it away. and if you go to the store to do some shopping, make sure that you're not buying any romaine. >> reporter: the cdc is also urging consumers to wash and sanitize drawers where the lettuce was stored. earlier this year, five people died in another major outbreak from contaminated romaine, which was traced to arizona, although a precise location was never determined. the origin of this latest outbreak is unknown, but tonight the cdc is investigating as it issues a strong warning to families preparing their

thanksgiving meals. gabe gutierrez, nbc news, new york. now to the major plunge on wall street, stocks sliding another 550 points today, wiping out all of the gains for the year. anne thompson now on what's behind the big hit to your 401(k). >> reporter: two days before thanksgiving, investors lost their appetite for stocks. the dow plunging a stomach-churning 552 points, losing almost 4% in the last two days, the nasdaq off 5%. the white house dismissing talk of a potential economic slowdown. >> as a country, we're doing great. our unemployment is at a record low. i think your tech problems, but that will come back. >> reporter: apple, microsoft, and ibm all losers. retail stocks selling off after target profits disappoint, wiping out the market's gains for the year. >> the thing that's driving prices down the most right now in the stock market is a fear that things will not grow nearly as fast in the future as they have been over the past few years.

>> reporter: wall street heading into the holiday with a bad taste in its mouth. anne thompson, nbc news, new york. americans are on the move tonight in numbers not seen in more than a dozen years. the race to get there by thanksgiving straining capacity on the roads, rails, and at the airports. nbc's tom costello has details on this massive thanksgiving travel rush. >> reporter: 36 hours and counting down. >> group number one for flight -- >> reporter: and on the ramps, rails, and roads, it's a full house. >> one bag to charleston? >> yep. >> reporter: 2.5 million fliers in the air today and tomorrow, 3 million on sunday. >> my biggeonsecurity lines, especially with the two little kids. >> good afternoon from the flight deck. i'm your captain today. >> reporter: not just more passengers, more planes competing for runway space this week. >> so you have to think about when am i going to leave the gate? how long am i going to sit out there? >> reporter: at chicago o'hare -- >> approaching.

>> reporter: -- 900 arrivals and departures today, close to 1,000 tomorrow and sunday. at united's washington dulles hub -- >> about every flight is coming in full and going out full. >> reporter: -- all hands on deck. on a short-haul domestic flight, they've got 40 minutes to turn the plane around, nose in to nose out. on an international flight, 90 minutes. >> it will take us about ten minutes to get everything off the plane. >> reporter: meanwhile, cheaper gas is helping to fuel the busiest travel rush on the roads in 12 years, down 24 cents in a month. ed scunvelt is driving the family from chicago to northern wisconsin. >> having a few extra dollars, and as you approach christmas, it makes a difference for the family. >> reporter: so far, no major storms impacting travel, though wind may keep the balloons from flying in the macy's parade, as subfreezing temps mean a bitter cold thanksgiving for millions. tom costello, nbc news, washington. we're keeping a close watch on a new danger in the aftermath of california's deadly wildfires. heavy rain beginning tonight is bringing

the threat of flash floods and mud flow to areas already devastated, as the search continues for nearly 700 people unaccounted for in the camp fire in northern california. tonight, authorities say four people are dead, including children, after a mansion went up in flames in new jersey. investigators now scrambling to unravel a mysterious tragedy. our kristen dahlgren has the breaking details. >> reporter: tonight, a mystery in a new jersey mansion. with the fire still smoldering in the ritzy community of colts neck this evening, police say four people are dead, one adult found shot outside the enormous home, another adult and two children found inside the inferno. >> we are investigating this as an arson, an intentional fire. >> reporter: police are also investigating whether there is a link to a second fire today. that house owned by a relative of the mansion's owner. >> that remains to be seen, but that is an option on angle that we continue to pursue. >> reporter: and as police now search for answers, they are

asking the public for help. >> this is tragic here in colts neck, and we need to pray for these people. >> reporter: while tonight neighbors in this quiet community can only wonder what went so wrong just two days before thanksgiving? kristen dahlgren, nbc news, new york. new troubles tonight for stormy daniels' attorney, michael avenatti. h his girlfriend seeking a restraining order after his arrest last week to domestic violence, an allegation avenatti has denied. nbc's hallie jackson has details. >> reporter: controversial attorney michael avenatti now accused of grabbing his girlfriend by her arm and pulling her out of bed last week, according to court documents obtained by nbc neho.ad a walk-on role on "oceans eight" filed this restraining order. she says during an argument, avenatti at one point, she says, "i was afraid for my safety."

she says he took her phone, describing how he followed her into the elevator as she tried to run away and begged her not to call security. she also cited an incident from february, when she says avenatti pushed her, causing to hit her head. her representatives did not respond to our request for comment. avenatti was arrested but has not been charged and has vehemently denied doing anything wrong. >> i have never struck a woman. >> reporter: tonight he tells nbc news, "when all of the facts and evidence, including the security footage, the instagram posts, and physical evidence is disclosed -- which i desperately want -- i will be proven innocent." he is now calling for the release of security footage from the building that he says will clear his name. avenatti is best known for representing adult film star stormy daniels in her lawsuit against donald trump. the president asked about avenatti today. >> no, i wish him the best of luck. >> reporter: now the lawyer who shot to fame representing one actress in a legal battle with another. hallie jackson, nbc news. just when you

thought the midterm elections were over, think again. there's still one senate race headed to a runoff, wand days to go until voters go to the polls, the race in mississippi has been rocked by controversy. we get details from nbc's kasie hunt. >> reporter: the senate race heating up between republican senator cindy hyde-smith and former democratic cabinet member and congressman mike espy. tonight, a 2014 photo of hyde-smith wearing a confederate cap and carrying a musket, adding to the list of racially charged incidents. today walmart joining other companies pulling support for her after this video surfaced showing her joking about a public hanging. [ inaudible ] but she was defiant, saying "any attempt to turn this into a negative connotation is ridiculous." >> that comment that she made was very disappointing and harmful. >> reporter: video also surfaced earlier this month where hyde-smith seemed to encourage voter suppression. she called those remarks a joke, too.

president trump still supportive, headlining two rallies for hyde-smith on monday. espy's path to victory? he says it will take winning 95% of minority voters and 22% of white votes. kasie hunt, nbc news, washington. also tonight, new controversy for chipotle after this video went viral. then, our exclusive with a kid millionaire whose toy line is flying off shelves. and the stars on their inspiring new feel-good book.

a new twist on an incident caught on camera that went viral. en given her job ager miguel almaguer now has the tale of the tape. back. >> can we get served? >> reporter: she was made to be the villain in the viral video. >> because you never have money when you come in here! >> reporter: a manager at chipotle quickly fired after she asked a group of men in st. paul to prove they could pay for their meals before taking their order.

>> yeah. >> y'all basically stereotyping us. >> yeah. >> reporter: but it was chipotle who had to later apologize to the manager, offering her her job back after a rush to judgment over a video many feared would spark a wave of social media outrage. >> unfortunately, this might be a case where the beast has just gotten too big and it's sort of run away from them, and that's the world we're living in now. >> reporter: as the video began amassing millions of views, chipotle discovered the 21-year-old who tweeted the video -- >> why did you not have to pay? >> reporter: -- has eluded to not paying food before, even writing "chipotle catching up to us." the manager, who knew the group from a previous encounter, was just trying to do the right thing. >> she's just making crazy accusations. >> reporter: in a world of viral videos, sometimes the first response may be the wrong one. miguel almaguer, nbc news. up next, our exclusive with the mini mogul who has his own toy empire.

want to know what kids want this holiday? ask the young star of the youtube sensation ryan's world. he's a millionaire, and he's only in first grade. tonight he and his parents talk exclusively to our jo ling kent in their first family interview. >> roblox! >> reporter: youtube star ryan is only 7 years old, but he's already selling out aisles of toys at walmart and target, like a retail veteran. what's it like to see yourself right there? >>o cool myself. >> reporter: his eggs of the hottest toys and squishies are some this holiday season all starte youtube videos he made with his parents at age 3. >> see you next time! >> reporter: they've now been viewed more than 25 billion times, transforming the boy wonder into the eighth highest paid youtube star. he made an estimated $11 million last year. and retailers have now turned to influencers like ryan to get families into their stores. why do you think all

these kids out there like watching your videos? >> because i'm entertaining and i'm funny. >> reporter: but like many first graders, he's just a kid, too, losing his first tooth and avoiding his veggies. >> he is a picky eater, and he's also very sociable at school. >> reporter: and toys are just the beginning. what do you want to be when you grow up? >> i want to be a game developer. >> reporter: with no plans to stop playing any time soon. jo ling kent, nbc news, burbank. >> always fun when work is fun. we're going to take a break. up next, the true story behind a new movie about a enhip. and new questions in the

mysterious death of a mother on the penninsula. the strange circumstances that has police rethinking whether she was really hit by a car. in tonight's "spotlight," at the a time when america can feel so divided, there

is a new movie about an unlikely friendship that reminds us what's possible when people put aside their differences. here is rehema ellis. ♪ >> reporter: the movie "green book" is based on the true story of concert pianist don shirley, who dared to tour the jim crow south in the 1960s. >> this gentleman says i'm not committed to dying here. >> i'm afraid not. >> reporter: oscar winner mahershala ali plays a musician who hired a tough guy as his driver, tony lip lip, played by viggo mortensen. is this a movie for our time? his film fits perfectly in sort of the culture right now as far as something that can serve as an example of what is possible. >> without even realizing it, they're pushed shoulder to shoulder, back to back, by what they face together. >> now i've got to worry about what people think about the way i talk? >> there are simple techniques i can teach you that are

effective. >> reporter: the title comes from the green book they used to find the places that would serve black travelers. gloria gardenner says the book was her family's survival guide. >> it's a matter of life and death. many cities we went through, there was ku klux klan, there were lynchings. >> reporter: in those dark times, tony lipp's son, who co-wrote the film, said his dad's unlikely relationship changed their lives. >> my whole family changed the way we treated people and lived our lives from then on. >> you only win when you maintain your dignity. orte opposites who came together to survive and bonded for life. in these times, that's music to our ears. rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. >> a movie to bring people together this holiday season. that is "nightly news" for this tuesday. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and goodnight. duck hunters fnd a 4o

vanished during last right now at 6:00, duck hunters find a 49ers fan who vanished during last week's game. the texans tell us what they think he was trying to do that led to his death. a new perspective. on board with the california national guard, as they tour the destruction. >> getting ready for the rain, the first storm the baymonths. the news at 6:00 starts right now. good evening. thanks for joining us. i'm jessica aguirre. i'm raj mathai. this is one of the most significant weather events we've had all year. the rain is on the way. the smoke will clear out in less than 24 hours. this is a look at the satellite radar showing that storm heading for the bay area. we have all resources available getting the most up to date information. that includes our storm ranger. atop san bruno mountain.

this gives us a more accurate look at the incoming rain. team coverage on the incoming storm. we begin with chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. you've been tracking the storm for a week now. and the impact to the smoke. we are still right now just a last couple of hours of this air quality alert that's in place with unhealthy air for the north bay, east bay, south bay and peninsula. that expires at 11:00 p.m. it's going to mean different things as we head into your commute tomorrow morning. you'll notice wet weather for the north bay likely dry still for san jose. so not that bad of a commute for the south bay. rainfall in marin, napa, sonoma counties by 8:30. also at the immediate yacht