you can receive extra benefits for a zero dollar monthly premium, like dental, vision, hearing and prescription drugs. call 1-866-336-3448 and make sure you'r tonight, new details about how police tracked down and caught a suspected serial killer. the man suspected of murdering six people in stockton, california, now in jail without bail. police say they arrested him as he was on the hunt, about to kill again. the clues he followed to catch him. >> he was on a mission to kill. he was out hunting. dramatic body cam footage just released. police ambushed in connecticut, two killed. the moment an injured police officer took down the suspect. a massive fire in iran at a prison that holds political

prisoners, including americans. four people killed, dozens injured. as the midterm elections grow closer, polls for key races tightening. early voting starts in georgia tomorrow. our exclusive interview with republican senate candidate herschel walker. where did that badge he held up in the debate come from? >> is that arresting authority or honorary badge? traffic is back with a vengeance. the new data on when and where it's worse. what you need to know to make your commute less miserable. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with kate snow. good evening. we're learning more tonight about how police stopped an alleged serial killer before he could strike again. after six murders, residents in stockton, california, were on high alert. and it was that community that helped locate the suspect with tips. a surveillance team started tracking the man, according to the police chief. they have watched his

patterns and early saturday they believed he was about to kill again, so they moved in. a s.w.a.t team dispatched to search the suspect's home for more clues. tonight, families of those lost hoping the arrest means no one else will have to suffer. we begin tonight with maura barrett in stockton, california. >> reporter: tonight, neighbors breathing a sigh of relief after hearing the suspected stockton serial killer had been arrested. >> does it make you feel a little more at ease? >> i'm at ease, yeah. i'm at ease, yes, i am. i wasn't going out by myself. >> reporter: 43-year-old wesley brownley is booked on suspicion of murder and weapons offenses held without bail. when taken into custody, police said he was wearing dark clothing, a dark around his neck, and was carrying a gun. law enforcement says the suspect's pattern of prey started in his car before he stalked his victims on foot. they said he was on a

mission to kill just blocks from where some of the attacks took place. >> he was out hunting. we are sure we stopped another killing. >> reporter: according to public records, brownley has a criminal record across california and arizona. most of the victims were latino men, several of them homeless. but officials say there's no evidence the killings were race based or targeted. >> i was here at work and got a call from my nephew. he told me that paul had been shot multiple times and that he died in the hospital. >> reporter: greta -- is the mother of paul alexander ya, who was killed in july. >> does this bring any closure for you? >> yes and no. i'm just grateful that they were able to save it from happening to another person and another family having to go through what we've gone through. it's just been horrific. >> reporter: police today examining ballistic evidence from this 9 millimeter

hand gun found in the suspect's gun. >> you don't come into our house and bring this kind of reign of terror. >> reporter: the district attorney promising to bring justice for the victims' families who are aching for accountability. >> have police indicated any motive, maura? >> reporter: that's still unclear. the d.a.'s office telling me there's still no official decision yet on charges either, though that ballistic evidence will help determine that. they tell me they expect to get the report back before the suspect is arraigned on tuesday. kate? >> maura barrett, thank you. to iran, we're getting new details about a deadly fire at a notorious prison in tehran that houses political prisoners, including americans. >> reporter: a raging inferno engulfing a notorious prison housing foreign prisoners, including two americans. massive flames lit up the night sky in tehran. outside the constant

ring of gunfire and explosions. the judiciary saying four prisoners died from smoke inhalation, with 61 others injured, blaming thugs for starting the fire. nbc news is unable to independently verify their claim. this man told his lawyer he was safe and had been moved to a secure unit. on saturday, president biden voiced his support of the ongoing protests in iran. >> iran has to end the violence against their own citizens. >> reporter: today iran's president fired back, accusing biden of inciting chaos and destruction. one year ago today, massa amini was arrested. thousands of young americans have taken to the streets in protest, with women largely leading the charge. since the protests began a month ago according to amnesty

but not verified by nbc news, at least 201 protesters have been killed, including 23 minors. yet the protests are showing no signs of slowing. instead they seem to be growing into a broader rebellion. we are just hours away from the start of georgia's early voting for one of the nation's most watched senate races with control of the senate at stake. and tonight we're hearing exclusively from republican candidate herschel walker. josh lederman has the story. >> reporter: barely three weeks out from election day, who will win control of the senate is anyone's guess, as races tighten across the country, including in georgia, where early voting kicks off tomorrow. the senate race there is key to republicans' push to win back the majority. tonight, republican herschel walker speaking exclusively to nbc kristen welker about why he flashed a badge during friday's debate and whether he's pretending to be a police officer. >> and where is this one from? >> this is from my

hometown. this is from johnson county, from the sheriff of johnson county, dhz a legit badge. everyone can make fun. let me finish. if anything happened in this town, i have a right to work with the police getting things done. >> reporter: walker saying he's participated in training and leadership programs with law enforcement for years. >> does that have arresting authority or is it honorary badge? >> it is an honorary badge but they can call me and i have the authority to work with them on things. >> the national sheriff's association said the honorary badge, quote, is for the troph if i case. why make the decision -- >> that is totally not true. >> reporter: the johnson county sheriff confirms to nbc news he gave walker the badge. just one of many races tightening as the race approaches. chuck grassley facing a surprisingly close race, while republican mehmet oz and democrat

john fetterman are running neck and neck. tonight democrats sending in their heavy hitters, president biden and former president barack obama both hitting the campaign trail in the race this week. >> i think it's going to work. >> and josh is with us now. josh, georgia one of the states where former president obama will be hitting the trail, right? >> that's right, kate. he's planning a rally in atlanta along with others in wisconsin and michigan. president biden will be making his own stops in pennsylvania and florida, states that are critical not only in these midterms but also in the presidential race in 2024. kate? >> josh lederman in front of a pink white house for breast cancer awareness. josh, thank you. we'll have more of kristen welker's exclusive interview with herschel walker and what he says about the abortion allegations against him. that's tomorrow on "today" and "nightly news." china's leader today issued a stern warning to the world not to mettle in their internal affairs.

janis mackey frayer was in beijing inside the room when he made the speech. >> reporter: xi jinping is about to take his place in history. such a secure power here for a groundbreaking third term, addressing the congress -- [ speaking non-english ] >> reporter: the ready to withstand high winds, choppy waters, and even dangerous storms, he had warned of tough times ahead. xi mentioned security or safety dozens of times, the biggest applause when he declared taiwan would be part of mainland chi narks even if it means taking by force. a party congress happens only twice in a decade, so there's always a lot of pageantry and rarely surprises. xi's ambitions to build a socialist superpower come at a critical time for china, over ties to russia and relations with the u.s.

>> reporter: here people have been hoping he might ease the stifling zero covid policy. instead, he praised it. just last week, sensors raced to scrub images of a protest banner, a rare sight in beijing that lamented constant lockdowns and said, we want freedom. even to report on the congress -- >> always a covid test. >> reporter: -- meant taking multiple covid tests and spending two days at a quarantine hotel. inside the great hall this week, china's plans will take shape behind firmly closed doors. xi jinping will extend his rule for as long as he chooses, his power uncontested and complete. janis mackey frayer, nbc news, beijing. when we come back, the return of gridlock traffic. but it's now hitting at different times and places. also the newly released video from a shootout caught on ag e-related macular degeneration may lead to severe vision loss. and if you're taking a multivitamin alone,

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>> driving 15 miles per hour on the highway. >> reporter: and seething frustration. >> it's a nightmare. >> reporter: in the wake of peak covid lockdowns, highways across the country are once again slammed by stand-still traffic. >> some days i'm crying. some days i'm cursing mad, swearing because i'm like, oh, my gosh, i can't believe what i'm seeing. >> reporter: the jarring jams enough to break janice stock. >> is that hyperbole or have you actually cried? >> i have actually cried. >> reporter: the chicago's office manager's twice daily hour-commute a quintessential example of the windy city's rebound with commute times up 24% in the last month, just behind new york, d.c., and boston. >> over 100 million data points every single day. >> reporter: chicago's department of transportation tracking traffic's return in real time. >> we believe it's about 92% back to 2019

levels. >> it's 92% back. >> yes. >> reporter: but that headline, which no one disputes, comes with caveats. one tied to when people drive. >> peak travel times are during the middle of the day now? >> peak travel times are seen throughout the day. that's because people who are working from remote locations are probably choosing to run errands in the middle of the day. >> reporter: another shift, mounting congestion not downtown but in the suburbs. experts point to paramount changes in american life. 27.6 million people now working from home, triple pre-pandemic totals. and the way people choose to get to work has transformed. public transit ridership plummeted by nearly half. in chicago, urban planners are scrambling to find solutions, offering cheaper public transit there and altering the timing of traffic signals to try and keep cars moving. but everyone we talked to said change will take time. >> it sounds like

you're saying we don't know if this is a new normal. >> i think what i'm saying is we're in a new normal, but it could change. >> reporter: a crushing status quo for janice scott. >> well, i just have to sit through this. what other choice do i have? >> reporter: another trip home with drivers running on fumes. maggie vespa, nbc news, chicago. still to come for us, helping children in need. one texas judge on a mission determined to make a difference. and bundlep. make a difference. and bundlep. think he's posting about all that ancient roman coinage? no, he's seizing the moment with merrill. moving his money into his investment account in real time and that's... how you collect coins. your money never stops working for you with merrill, a bank of america company. research shows that people remember ads with young people having a good time. so to help you remember that liberty mutual customizes your home insurance, here's a pool party. look what i brought! liberty mutual!

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in connect. this is the body cam footage from the two officers were killed. officials say they were lured to a home where the suspect opened fire on them. you can hear some of the 80 rounds the suspect fired at them before he was killed by another officer who was also injured in the shootout. starting tomorrow, 50 million people across the country will be under freeze alerts. it's that time. with record breaking low temperatures up to 25 degrees below average in some places. the brutal cold stretching across the central and eastern parts of the country, even into parts of the south. now to the story of a texas judge who's going above and beyond to help take care of some of the state's most vulnerable children, kids in the foster care system who have no place else to go. blayne alexander with more on her remarkable mission in our series "unprotected: inside the child welfare crisis." >> reporter: as a family court judge in austin texas, judge

aurora martinez jones, is no stranger to difficult cases. recently she started to notice something new, more and more children in the foster care system but nowhere to place them. >> i started having cases and the state was saying, judge, i don't have an option for you to make a decision about where this child should be placed. after hearing that multiple times, i said, what is happening? >> reporter: the state of texas calls them children without placement, kids in custody of the department of family and protective services but without a place to live, no foster home or care facility available. and the judge says they are overwhelmingly children of color. >> who are the children that are the most impacted by this? >> so, the children by far and large are teenagers. and then it increases if they've had involvement with the juvenile justice system, if they have behavioral health needs. >> reporter: texas has seen a sharp rise in children without

placement n 221, more than 400. in some cases it means kids sleeping in motels r oeven government offices. that was sally's reality. >> i was just sleeping in different offices for a month or two. >> reporter: sally says during the worse times they were either there or in juvenile detention. >> i would be in my room and cry. >> because it was that hard? >> yes. >> reporter: judge martina jones says that only scratches the surface of what my heart. i think about it now. it breaks my heart them. i'm their judge. >> reporter: justice has one of the most embattled child protection services in the country. alleging children's constitutional rights had been violated while in state care. according to the texas department of family and protective services, it's working

to increase services in capacity across the state, including offering financial incentives to help place older children in foster homes. sharon burger worked with the department for 23 years. she left in february. >> what made you walk away? >> children sleeping in offices. and the staff who are rendered incapable of doing their jobs effectively. >> reporter: she says caseworkers are forced to become caretakers, all on top of their regular work load. >> what kind of an impact does that have on staff? >> the staff are completely traumatized? >> reporter: both she and the judge say what's desperately needed is more support martinez-jones partnered with austin's safe housing for five children, complete with mentors, ps these kids can thrive if you just give them

the opportunity and some support and stability. >> sally was one of the first residents. >> i have a lot more independence and i have a study psychiatrist, therapist. i have a study school. i chose stability. >> did you start to feel better? >> yeah. >> but that's what kids deserve. if they don't have a mom or a dad who's present in their life, i want them to know they have a judge. >> reporter: blayne alexander, nbc news, austin, texas. >> so important. after the break, >> so important. after the break, an nflream d (b cirds chirping) i missed a lot of things when i was away. you know, cancer, chemo, covid, that kind of away. certainly missed my family, being with them, and i missed my friends, making movies. ♪♪ i love being alive, man.

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how it helped one man pursue his dreams all the way to the nfl. >> airborne and in for the touchdown. >> it was his biggest moment yet. >> i was just trying to get in there. >> you did. >> get some points. >> john waller was watching at home on the edge of his seat. when rashad was eight in kansas city, missouri, john signed up to be his big brother through big brothers/big sisters, an organization dedicated to creating meaningful monitored matches between adults and kids. rashad w a playing football. >> started talking about sports and school and the bond was formed immediately. we would go get ice cream, throw the ball around, shoot the ball, play basketball, play football, catch a lot, run around. >> rashad has a strong family, but he's

experienced gun violence in his life. >> you've had some challenges, right rashad. >> yes. >> reporter: when john moved away, he stayed in touch, helping guide rashad. >> it was a strong relationship. even when he moved, i knew i could strus him. >> they took to calling each other bro ski. >> he started playing running back and excelled immediately in running back. i remembered there was a running back named marcus allen tied to kansas city as well. i said, all right, broski, if you're going to be a running back, study this guy. >> reporter: so of course john was there for the nfl draft. >> he said, i'm going to tampa. i said, i'll be in line. >> reporter: there for his very first bucs game. >> how much pride goes through, john? >> oh, it's the best. it was an honor to be there. it was an honor to be in the huddle with him. and the journey continues. >> reporter: now they swap stories about being dads. >> what would you say to rashad? >> i love you, broski,

and you know where to find me if you ever need me. >> i love you too, broski. i thank you a lot for everything you have done for me. giving me tools that helped guide me to be the man i am to be and plenty in the future. and can't wait to see what the future holds. i feel like it's going to be a great one. >> full disclosure, i am a big sister and i serve on the board here in new york city. stay right here for sunday night football. tonight it is dallas versus philadelphia begins immediately following this broadcast. that's nbc nightly news on this sunday. i'm kate snow. for all of us here on nbc news, stay safe. have a great night.

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