same day mike pence, his former running mate turned potential 2024 rival also appeared in d.c., their dueling messages. tonight, historic rain causing deadly flooding in st. louis. multiple boat rescues, cars and homes submerged. where the threat is headed next. wnba star brittney griner set to testify in her trial at russia and our exclusive with trevor reed, the american freed from russia in april. why he's criticizing the white house's handling of the griner case. and the long overdue honor for a 102-year-old world war ii veteran. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt good evening, everyone after holding the attention of millions of tv viewers this summer, the recent pause to the january 6th hearings into the attack on the capitol have turned attention now to the department of justice and attorney general merrick garland to

provide what could be the next act in this american, legal, political, and constitutional drama with outside pressure mounting for indictments of mr. trum and some of his inner circle, i sat down with the attorney general today for an exclusive interview. the ag dismissing accusations his office hasn't moved swiftly enough to build cases against those at the top of the ladder and telling me concerns over further tearing the country apart would not deter his office from holding those criminally responsible accountable. let's start off and talk about january 6th. we just watched weeks of some pretty horrific testimony about what led up to january 6th and what happened that day. just as an american, can you tell me what your impression was of what we were witnessing >> it is an important part of democracy that every american recognizes the truth of what happened o january 6th and the time surrounding it. i think that the important part is that

we not downgrade or suppress how important that day was and i think that the hearings did an extremely good job o reminding us, the people who didn't know in the first place, telling us how important that day was and what a risk it meant for our democracy. >> is the committee offering you anything in terms of an informal road map? are you learning things you didn't know >> the justice department has been doing the most wide ranging investigation in its history and the committee is doing an enormously wide ranging investigation as well. it is inevitable that there will be things that they find before we have found them and it is inevitable that there will be things that we find that they haven't found. but the justice department has from the beginning been moving urgently to learn everything we can about this period and to bring to justice anybody who is criminally responsible for interfering with the peaceful transfer

of power from one administration to another, which is th fundamental element of our democracy. >> you said you're moving quickly at this there has been a lot of criticism, a lot of pressure, that the doj is behind the power curve, behind the committee, not moving quickly enough on what appears to be solid evidence in some cases. >> as i said, we have been moving urgently since the very beginning. we have a huge number of prosecutors and agents working on these cases. it is inevitable in this kind of investigation that there will be speculation about what we are doing, who we are investigating. what our theories are. the reason there is this speculation and uncertainty is that some fundamental tenet of what we d as prosecutors and investigators is to do it outside of the public eye we do that for two important reasons. one is to protect the civil liberties of the people and events that we're investigating. the second is to ensure the success and integrity of our investigation. >> would a criminal referral from the

committee carry a lot of weight? would it be welcomed by the department of justice? >> so i think that's totally up to the committee. we will have the evidence that the committee has presented and whatever evidence it gives us i don't think that the nature of how they style the manner in whic information is provided is really of any significance from any legal point of view that is not to downgrade it or disparage it it's just that's not the issue here we have our own investigation pursuing through the principles of prosecution. >> you said in no uncertain terms the other day that no on is above the law that said, the indictment of a former president of perhaps candidate for president would arguably tear the country apart. is that your concern as you make your decision down the road here, do you have to think about things like that >> look, we pursue justice without fear or favor we intend to hold everyone, anyone who

was criminally responsible for events surrounding january 6th or any attempt to interfere with the lawful transfer of power from one administration to another accountable. that's what we do. we don't pay any attention to other issues with respect to that. >> so if donald trump were to become a candidate for president again, that would not change your schedule or how you move forward or don't move forward. >> i'll say again that we will hold accountable anyone who is criminally responsible for attempting to interfere with the transfer, legitimate lawful transfer of power from one administration to the next. >> how is your department dealing with the pressure? every day you wake up there is a column in a newspaper talking about what you will do and when you will do it. >> the only pressure that i or my prosecutors or the agents feel is the pressure to do the right thing. that's the only way we can pursue the rule of law. that's the only way we

can keep the confidence of the american people in the rule of law, which is an essential part of our democratic system. >> i caught up with the attorney general in martinsburg, west virginia as he toured the national tracing center this is where the atf tracks the firearms used in crimes a process still done using mostly paper records. today agents showed the ag how a small piece of plastic can transform a semiautomatic rifle into a military grade assault weapon. >> i want to ask you about mass shootings we have seen, far too many and some of them with people with strong right wing or extremist philosophies how do you intercept those people before they shoot >> this is the most difficult question in a democracy. we have to respect the first amendment. we can't just troll the internet looking at what everybody in the country is doing but we have joint terrorism task forces

which evaluate both foreign and domestic terrorists and domestic violent extremists including racially motivated violent extremists. >> but it is s frustrating that after the fact we open up these social media sites and we see the ticking time bomb that was, that has now exploded it's got to be disheartening. >> it is an incredibly worrisome thing. we just saw how in martinsburg, the risk that these very cheap devices that can be made at home, that can transform a semiautomatic rifle or a semiautomatic pistol. >> you just saw a demonstration of that. >> that's right. >> for a few cents, a semiautomatic weapon became a machine gun essentially. >> exactly, exactly. >> i also asked the attorney general about americans' concerns over rising crime. they're concerned about their safety, an they want to make sure that law enforcement is up to the task. is rising crime a crisis in this country? >> look, i think violent crime, as a

matter of considerable concern, a country turns to the justice department as it should be. communities have to trust us they have to trust law enforcement. for that reason, we're pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into police departments and into communities in a joint effort to battle violent crime together. >> some of my conversation with the attorney general today. it was against a backdrop of the january 6th investigation that former president trump returned to washington for the first time since leaving office but his vice president and potential 2024 rival was there as well peter alexander now with details >> reporter: tonight, the return 552 days since leaving the white house after the deadly assault on the capitol in his name, former president trump is back in washington with a dark view of the country. >> our country is now a cesspool of crime. we have blood, death and suffering on a scale once unthinkable. >> again falsely claiming he won the

2020 election. >> we got millions and millions more votes. what a disgrace it was, but we may just have to do it again. >> reporter: still even in the republican party mr. trump has been damaged by the unrelenting revelations of the january 6th committee. >> president trump summoned the mob assembled the mob and lit the flame of this attack. >> reporter: today's visit also shining a light on divisions within the gop with his running mate turned potential 2024 primary rival, former vice president mike pence in washington as well, offering a stark contrast. >> some people may choose to focus on the past but elections are about the future and i believe conservatives must focus on the future to win back america >> reporter: their dueling appearances coming just as pence's publisher announced the title of his upcoming book, "so help me god. where mr. trump's once loyal sidekick chronicles mr. trump's severing of their relationship on january 6th.

among thos welcoming mr. trump back to washington, top republican kevin mccarthy who immediately after january 6th complained, i've had it with this guy and lindsey graham who on the night of the attack said of mr. trump, count me out, but today insisting he hopes the former president runs again lester >> peter alexander at the white house. thank you. the st. louis area is in a state of emergency after catastrophic flooding caused by more than nine inches of rain. that's the most in one day in more than a century there. at least one person is dead maggie vespa is there for us tonight >> that's crazy. it's an island >> reporter: tonight stunning images of the latest american city to get slammed with severe weather across st. louis, historic rainfall an flash flooding. >> we've got stalled out cars here. >> reporter: forcing rescue after rescue. >> i have several people trapped on a roof. >> reporter: roughly 100 people trapped in these apartments

evacuated by boat. >> i was terrified because it is so high. >> reporter: more than 9 inches of rain falling since midnight shattering records set in 1915 and turning highways and roads into raging rivers. >> it was so dangerous with the water, we had to pull them out we couldn't even get our trucks >> reporter: authorities confirming one person trapped in their car has died and in suburban st. peter, the water surged into an animal shelter. staff scrambled, saving mos of the animals, but devastated to learn 10 puppies drowned. reporters from our affiliate ksdk, out covering the chaos, were rescued by firefighters when fast moving water flooded their news car. how insane was it to become a part of the story you're out there trying to cover? >> it is just a testament to the things we warn people about, they're real. it can happen to anybody. >> reporter: the mayhem in missouri marking the latest severe weather event to wallop the u.s. tonight in the pacific northwest and south, 32 million americans remain under heat

alerts dallas hitting its 31st 100-degree day of the year the extreme heat scientists say support morning intense rainfall making flash floods like this one in st. louis more frequent. >> and, maggie, i know this flood largely receded, but more flooding is possible there? >> reporter: yeah, lester, exactly. another round of showers and storms is scheduled for tomorrow this as scientists note more rain fall fell in st. louis last night than typically falls in july and august combined lester >> maggie vespa, thank you. in california, some progress tonight in the battle against the state's biggest wild fire of the year, but thousands of homes are still threatened i'm joined by miguel almaguer miguel, there is good news on the fire front, but it is a desperate situation for so many. >> reporter: that's right, lester. desperate and devastating. the number of structures destroy has been up to 41. that's nearly double was the number was yesterday. and many of those are

homes just like this one. there is still 1,400 other properties that still lie in the path of the fire. in terms of the fire fight, though, there is some good news. i want to show you some video of what that fire fight looks like more or less tonight. this blaze is making deep runs into the forest it is moving towards burn scar areas that have already been torched before that should take away an extreme amount of fuel back here on the ground, lester, while firefighters continue to work to get an upper hand on this blaze, they still don't have a cause for what started it. lester. >> miguel almaguer, thank you. in canada, remarkable scenes as pope francis kissed and blessed babies before leading a mass for an estimated 50,000 people, one day after apologizing to indigenous groups for years of abuses at catholic-run residential schools. the pope prayed that violence and marginalization suffered by indigenous people is never repeated in 60 seconds, our exclusive with trevor reed, the most recent

american to be released from a russian prison his message to wnba star brittney griner, who is about to testify in her trial in moscow.

wnba star brittney griner back in a russian court today as she prepares to testify at her drug trial. tonight an nbc exclusive, another american freed from russia this year criticizing the white house over griner's case here's hallie jackson. >> reporter: brittney griner in a russian courtroom today holding up pictures of her wife and friends as the u.s. embassy says the wnba superstar is doing okay that's after griner pleaded guilty to having cannabis oil in her luggage, facing up to ten years in prison her defense team today emphasizing it was used medicinally and packed accidentally griner set to testify tomorrow, telling an abc news producer, she has no complaints. do you want to say something to cherelle? >> good luck on the bar exam

>> reporter: pressure now building to free griner and american paul whelan who is being held by the kremlin after an espionage trial the u.s. called a mockery. >> i know what they went through. >> reporter: trevor reed spent nearly three years in russian prison on charges of assaulting a police officer which he denied released in april, the former marine's mission now to push to get others like griner and whelan released. is the white house is the president doing enough in your view to get them out >> i can't say 100% what white house is or is not doing but in my opinion, the white house has the ability to get them out extremely fast, and they clearly have chosen not to do that. >> reporter: making clear he's grateful to president biden for getting him home, but frustrated others still are not. if you could get a message to brittney griner, what would you tell her right now >> that she has a huge base of support in the united states who is

fighting for her and not to give up. >> reporter: the white house tonight tells nbc the president receives regular updates on the status of negotiations to get griner and whelan home and he's been clear about the need to see every american who was wrongfully detained released. lester >> hallie jackson, thank you. up next the newest economic signs wall street watching what americans are spending their money on

back now with those new warning signs for the economy. consumer confidence

dropping again this month with the fed on the eve of another expected rate hike to tame soaring inflation. here's tom costello. >> reporter: it is the third month in a row that the consumer confidence reading shows americans are feeling the inflation squeeze. >> that is the weakest level since february of last year. >> reporter: americans worried about a potential recession as they pay more for gas, food, clothing, housing, cars, just about everything in sacramento, her life has come apart. after earning $100,000 a year, she lost her job. then watched her bank account eaten up by inflation. evicted from her home, her kids stayed with family while she and her partner lived in her car. >> this has been the worst, most challenging part of my life every day i wonder what's going to happen next am i going to be able to make it i'm living paycheck to paycheck >> reporter: inflation effect on display in corporate results

today. walmart says americans are buying more food, but fewer big-ticket items. despite high demand, supply chain kinks are forcing gm to ship fewer vehicles shopify cutting 10% of its workforce. now the federal reserve is poised to raise interest rates yet again tomorrow what's the risk that by raising rates again, the fed could push the economy into recession? >> there is definitely a risk that these rate hikes could result in a recession. the fed is raising rates more quickly than it has in a long time >> reporter: this is not just a u.s. problem. the imf is warning the world may be teetering on the edge of recession. lester >> tom costello, thank you. up next tonight, long overdue honors for a 102-year-old world war ii veteran

nearly 80 years after the end of world war ii, an american hero and her battalion are finally receiving a long overdue salute. here's blayne alexander. >> reporter: at 102 years old, miss davis ha certainly held a lot of titles, but perhaps none harder earned than u.s. soldier. she proudly served in the 6888 central post directory battalion or the 6 triple 8 at more than 800 women

strong, they were the only all black, all female battalion to serve during world war ii their tour began as the war ended, shipping out to england in 1945 and straight to these warehouses there they sorted mountains of backlogged mail addressed to american soldiers, creating a ne tracking system and clearing six months worth of mail in half the time they worked around the clock, sifting through packages while staring down racism, serving in a segregated military, they were excluded from some facilities at times facing open hostility from fellow soldiers so why serve simple. >> it's my country too. >> reporter: and so it is, in the city that helped birth the civil rights movement. miss davis, the oldest living member of the 6 triple 8, is celebrated for breaking barriers of her own. >> i never would have thought that anything like this would have happened to me >> reporter: presented with a world war ii uniform, an american flag and soon the congressional gold medal. >> it's so amazing and

i'm so grateful. >> reporter: and from a grateful county to you, miss davis, a well-earned stamp of approval blayne alexander, nb news. >> a beautiful thought. it's my country, too that's "nightly news" for this tuesday thank you for watching, everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. [cheers and applause] ♪ ♪ ♪♪ you learn my love you hit the target ♪ ♪ you get that rush and then you

walk out the door ♪ ♪ you kept me small it's what you wanted ♪ ♪ i never noticed ♪ ♪ you held my hand into the darkness ♪ ♪ i didn't care it made me just want you more ♪ ♪ my god your love it seems so harmless ♪ ♪ i never noticed ♪ ♪ and i hate that you're gone ♪ ♪ and i hate that i don't wanna let go ♪ ♪ and i hate that you think that i'm weak ♪ ♪ 'cause i don't wanna let you know ♪ ♪ that i'm gonna build castles ♪ ♪ from the rubble of your love ♪ ♪ from the rubble of your love ♪ ♪ i'm gonna be more than ♪ ♪ you ever thought i was ♪ ♪ you ever thought i was ♪ ♪ oh oh ♪

♪ oh oh ♪ ♪ that i'm gonna build castles ♪ ♪ from the rubble of your love ♪ ♪ from the rubble of your love ♪ ♪ i'm gonna be stronger ♪ ♪ than you ever thought i was ♪ ♪ you ever thought i was ♪♪ [cheers and applause] welcome to "the kelly clarkson show," let's hear it for my band y'all! with "castles" from english singer-songwriter freya ridings, what is your connection to castles, girl? >> hi, kelly. when i listen to "castles," i feel empowered. it takes me back to a time where i was not putting myself first. i was engaged to a man who had tried to support and be there

for him and i just sold my car. >> kelly: no. >> yeah, my mom was not happy. >> kelly: he loved him. >> you live and learn. ♪♪ hey ♪♪ >> and so when i would talk about my dreams to travel the world and to have a nonprofit organization program director, he would tell me that my dreams were not realistic. >> kelly: a downer. >> i know, so it really led me to, you know, think and it led me to realize, and that i should not let something like that stop me and stop my growth. and so i actually took life by storm after we ended our relationship and i did all the things that you said that i could not do. >> kelly: i love that, i love that song too, so thank you so much. we have lots of good things

going on this hour, actress and comedian natasha rothwell is here! [cheers and applause] then we will meet a good neighbor who is helping women out of prison get back on their feet. her story is simply amazing and you will want to hear it. plus we have ben rector performing a song from his new album "the joy of music." so before all of that, we have a man who has been a big part of our lives for the past four decades, you have seen him in "cheers" "becker" and "the good place" you can catch him on "mr. mayor" on nbc and peacock. give it up for ted danson! [cheers and applause] ♪ ♪ [cheers and applause] ♪ ♪ [cheers and applause] >> kelly: [laughs]

you're like hold up, hold up! it never happened. it never happened. >> ted: these are my pretty shoes, those are my really comfortable shoes. >> kelly: i am with you, i just got a pair of comfy tennis shoes and i think that's how you know you are getting to the point where you just don't care what people think. i bought them in like six different colors and it's like all i wear. because my feet hurt sometimes. speak to my feet hurt a lot. >> kelly: you can't expect women to wear heels. >> ted: are you doing that to yourselves? >> kelly: i think a man invented them, so -- and i think it was like back in the day for like royalty, to see if you are taller for the kings. isn't that where heels -- did i make that up? >> ted: at least i am not to man-explaining why you have to wear heels. >> kelly: i know, i know. i don't have to, that's the point. i do have comfy ones now, how is mary?

i love your wife so much. >> ted: she loves you too, we will say that to you in person someday. it's me on how are y'all? i love you guys a couple, are you ever apart? >> ted: we had a two week roll that is gone, she is gone tonight, and we are distraught. speed on what am i going to do. >> ted: it is like i have turned helpless to be honest with you. >> kelly: codependency is awesome coming recently got hearing, are you into this or not into this? are they end today? >> ted: i'm still a smidge vein, so they are not in. >> kelly: what's new? >> ted: i love them, i love my hearing, they are brilliant, they have changed my life. >> kelly: what do you hear that you did not before? >> ted: all the wind that i break that i used to think -- [laughter]

mary would say, ted! i can hear you. and i would be like come on, they can't hear me. and then i had them in and i was like oh, my god! i'm sorry. >> kelly: you are that guy, that's amazing. speaking of breaking wind, i hurt that -- is this true, a psychologist -- >> ted: if you can't have fun with a fart. >> kelly: it is funny. >> ted: i feel sorry for people. >> kelly: everyone does it. i heard that you had a psychologist tell you for theater or something -- >> ted: no, we all went to -- we got out of carnegie mellon university and we all went to new york and it was still like almost living in a dormitory. but we all use the same psychologist, because life is too scary at that moment. anyway, he told us -- told one of us and then i got around, you are too uptight. you should be