With lester holt. Good evening and thank you for being here. We start with a dramatic white house announcement and pledge for action in the face of a catastrophe literally killing communities and destroying families across the country. No longer a slowmotion disaster, cheap, powerful, and plentiful opioids are taking more than 90 lives a day. Imagine that. And today the administration elevated the fight. The president declaring it a Public Health emergency. As americans we can not allow this to continue. It is time to liberate our communities from the scourge of drug addiction. Never been this way. We can be the generation that ends the opioid epidemic. We can do it. [ applause ] more federal help comes as welcome news to cities and towns struggling under the weight of the burden. Even now, worries that todays declaration may fall short. Our chief White House CorrespondentHallie Jackson has details. I learned myself. I had a brother, fred. Great guy. Reporter the president getting personal. Best personality. He had a very, very, very tough life because of alcohol. Believe me. Very, very tough, tough life. But i learned because of fred. I learned. Reporter Donald Trumps connection to addiction his older brother. An alcoholic who died in his 40s as President Trump now promises to rally the National Family to fight an addiction crisis in this country. We will defeat this opioid epidemic. Reporter the president s directing his administration to declare a Public Health emergency months in the making. He stopped short of a broader National Emergency that could have triggered more money for the crisis. The white house defends the president s move as an impactful first step which will make it easier for people in rural areas far from doctors to get treatment over the phone or computer. And it will let states shift around federal money to focus on the opioid epidemic. This proclamation will not unlock new federal funding and needs to be renewed every three months. What i would say to the president on that is show me the money. Reporter but thats Something Congress has to do. Like democratic senator joe manchin from hardhit west virginia. Its up to us to get the money behind it. Reporter will it be a fight come december . It should not be a fight. Not one states been spared. Reporter states and cities like baltimore desperate for help. Like a hurricane that hit a community. We know that money is needed to rebuild houses and repair infrastructure. Two overdoses and two babies in the back. Reporter the hope fewer incidents like this in florida. Newborns in the car. Their mothers passed out in the front seat. [ crying ] the youngest victims, indiscriminate and inescapable. There you go. Reporter even though todays proclamation doesnt do everything some advocates want, experts say any attention from the president can only help since it gets people talking about the crisis and talking about what else needs to be done to find a solution. Lester . Hallie jackson starting us off from the white house. Off from the white house. Thank you. Lets get out of washington and to the People Living in the epicenter of this opioid crisis. Perhaps no community is harder hit than the area around dayton, ohio, where already this year 517 people have died from an accidental overdose. Nbcs kate snow traveled there to talk to people struggling with addiction either directly or through a loved one about washingtons response to the crisis. Were the experts. Were the ones that know reporter at the weekly families of addicts meeting in dayton, ohio, theyre encouraged the white house is taking notice, but not sure their leaders really get it. How many people here think that washington maybe doesnt understand whats happening here in dayton . Theyd be happy to show the president around, though. He needs to come to my hood and ride around with me. [ laughter ] and see what its like every day. Reporter the president . Yeah. I could see that right out our window every day. Drug drug deals right there, right in front. The supply is so great in dayton that you can drive down many, many roads in this city, and they will give you free samples of drugs. I think with the problem with rehabs around here and the treatment that people receive, the compassions not there. Reporter the overwhelming message from this room to the president when loved ones are desperate for help, its hard to find help quickly. Shes been struggling for 15 years. Reporter bucks stepdaughters 11monthold was born dependent. It takes weeks for any female to get inpatient treatment today. And i think we have to treat it almost like an emergency room. If they have a crisis at 5 00 on a friday, come back monday. How is that helping anybody . They could be dead by then. Reporter the president s commission on opioids notes only one in ten people with Substance Abuse programs get treatment. I cant do it anymore. Im tired of seeing my kids see this. And i have him addicted to heroin. We will overcome addiction in america. Reporter youre saying the government needs to realize that people need help faster . Yes. I would go tomorrow. I would go right now if i could. The folks in that room saying Getting Better treatment will require more money, but they also say their Community Needs more doctors trained in Substance Abuse. And while the president s plan does not call for any new funding, theyre hoping that what he said today, lester, is just a beginning. Its heartbreaking on so many levels. Certainly if people are asking for help and cant get it in time, even more so. Thank you, kate. Breaking news tonight from washington. President trump has just approved the release of thousands of documents held secret for so long about the assassination of president john f. Kennedy. The announcement coming just a short time ago after a long day of waiting. Our justice correspondent Pete Williams has late details now. Take a turn and todays muchanticipated release reporter the drum roll started sounding early for the longawaited disclosure highly anticipated documents documents thousands of neverbeforeseen classified documents today reporter today was to be the big day. The release of all the remaining documents related to the kennedy assassination in november, 1963. Held by the National Archives in secret files outside washington, d. C. , most of the records have already been released except for more than 3,000 documents considered to have National Security information along with thousands of other pages released before only in part. A law passed by congress, Effective Date october 26, 1992, said all those remaining files had to be made public no later than 25 years after the law was passed. In other words, today. The National Archives website for most of the day said simply stay tuned. Weve heard about chaos on this issue the last couple of weeks with agencies going to the president to appeal. I will say, the government has had 25 years to prepare for this release. You got to believe it should have been handled in a more orderly fashion. Now turning on to elm street. Reporter several intelligence officials tell us some intelligence agencies simply hadnt finished deciding whether some of their material in the files should be withheld. To protect, for example, the names of people in mexico who became sources about Lee Harvey Oswalds trip there two months before he killed president kennedy. Very late today, President Trump ordered most of the material to be released starting tonight, saying he wants the veil finally to be lifted. But hes giving intelligence agencies six months to take another look at the documents they want withheld in part before deciding what to do with them. Lester . Thank you. Now to new developments in the hunt for a possible serial killer on the loose. New video of a person of interest and pleas for help from the public with the neighborhood living in fear. Nbcs Kerry Sanders has more on the story for us tonight from tampa, florida. Reporter new video that could break open the case. Just moments after victim number one was shot dead on a quiet tampa street 17 days ago, a Home Security camera recorded what could be the serial killer running away from the scene. Ive come up with four reasons why this person is running. One, they may be late for dinner. Two, theyre out exercising. Three, they heard gunshots. And number four, they just murdered benjamin mitchell. Reporter the chief highlighted a possible telltale signature move the flip of a phone hoping it may be the key to someone recognizing their person of interest. Initially detective released this video of the same person walking toward what would become the crime scene. This is the camera that shot the videos. The homeowner did not want her face to appear on camera. When you saw that footage, you thought that looks suspicious immediately . Immediately. Somebody was running for their life. Reporter with three murders all possibly linked to a serial killer, fearful residents are now adding more Home Security cameras. Karen clay saw us come to her door with a new camera she installed just yesterday. That camera makes me feel a lot safer. Reporter the reward now stands at 35,000. Police hoping that entices even more tips. It is the neighborhood and the city against whoever this is. The more information we get, the closer we get to finding this guy. Reporter tonight, tampa police are signing up residents who have installed the cameras so detectives can review their video in case the killer strikes again and escapes again. Lester . Kerry sanders, thanks. Former president george h. W. Bush has now apologized twice after an actress accused him of sexual assault. In a nowdeleted social media post, heather lind says bush touched her inappropriately and told a dirty joke while posing for a photo four years ago with barbara bush present. A second actress, jordana grolnick, has come forward with a similar groping claim against bush from last year. Bushs Spokesman Says the 93yearold has been confined to a wheelchair for roughly five years, so his arm falls on the lower waist of those he takes pictures with and to try to put people at ease, the president routinely tells the same joke, and on occasion he has patted womens rears in what he intended to be a goodnatured manner. Adding, to anyone he has offended, president bush apologizes most sincerely. And mark halperin, a senior political analyst for nbc news and msnbc is acknowledging that he engaged in inappropriate behavior around women he worked with while he was with abc news over a decade ago. It comes after five women told cnn that halperin sexually harassed them during his time as a senior political journalist at abc. In a statement, he apologized for his behavior. Msnbc has issued the following statement, we find the story and the allegations very troubling. Mark halperin is leaving his role as a contributor until the questions around his past conduct are fully understood. President trump has signed a 36 million emergency aid bill which includes relief money for puerto rico. Among democrats, growing calls for an investigation into how a Small Company landed the largest government contract to restore the islands power. Now that company is apologizing for feuding with an official who questioned the deal. Nbcs Gabe Gutierrez is in san juan with more. Reporter its now been more than five weeks since maria slammed into puerto rico, and wilda milendez is still without power. I dont wish this on my worst enemy. So many people died. Reporter tonight, whitefish energy, the tiny Montana Company awarded the largest contract to rebuild the islands decimated power grid, is under fire. San juans mayor questioning the transparency around the 300 million deal. The Company Initially asking do you want us to send our workers back or keep working . And later apologized and reaffirmed its commitment to puerto rico. Whitefish insists its ability to mobilize quickly and perform highly specialized work got the company the job. It now has more than 300 contractors like bob burton on the island. The terrain and logistics of moving things around. The terrain is extremely difficult here. Reporter whitefish, montana, is the hometown of u. S. Interior secretary ryan zinke, though his office said he had nothing to do with the contract. A Founding Partner of a private equity firm donated thousands of dollars to the trump campaign. Top democrats demanding an investigation as they ask for more federal aid. This next bill will be very, very substantial. Not at the mercy of cronyism and incompetence as i believe the whitefish contract was. Reporter today puerto ricos financial Oversight Board said it would appoint an emergency manager to oversee the bankrupt power utility which approved the whitefish contract. I dont have an objection to a collaboration. I do have an objection to a takeover. Reporter the governor is calling that appointment a case of federal overreach. About threequarters of this island remains in the dark. The death toll here is up to 51, including two more cases of a rare bacterial disease after the storm. Lester . Gabe gutierrez in san juan, puerto rico, for us. Thanks. Still ahead tonight, dramatic rescue at sea. Two women and their dog saved after they say they were stranded in the Pacific Ocean for nearly five months. How did they survive so long . Also, a car suddenly plowed into a restaurant. The shocking moment caught on camera. Well be right back. All right, were back now with that incredible rescue in the pacific. The u. S. Navy saving two women aboard their sailboat, lost after five months at sea. They had set a course from hawaii to tahiti when they lost power to their engine, drifting for months on end. Tonight they are safely headed home after a harrowing experience. National correspondent Miguel Almaguer has more on the story. Reporter the sailboat was drifting in the ocean of blue 900 miles southeast of japan. This was the moment the u. S. Navy reached two mariners and their dogs, lost at sea for five long months. [ barking ] Jennifer Appel greeted the sailors who brought the architect and her friend, natasha fuiaba, a lifeline. Im grateful for their service to our country, she said in a statement. They saved our lives. The voyage began may 3rd from hawaii to tahiti, 2,600 miles away. Then on may 30th, they hit turbulent weather. The engine failed. Two months later, sending distress signals nobody would hear until this week. Drifting 5,000 miles off course, they survived with a water purifier and a years supply of oatmeal, pasta, and rice. She was so enthusiastic, and she really sounded healthy and in good spirits. Reporter tonight headed to port aboard the uss ashland, what should have been a monthlong trip turned into 176 days. The journey of a lifetime while lost at sea. Miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. Were back in a moment with the airport runway in alaska sealed off by an unexpected visitor. A shocking moment caught on camera in maryland. Diners enjoying food and drinks when suddenly a car comes barreling into the restaurant. People diving out of the way. A miracle everyone survived, though several people were injured. Authorities are investigating what caused that crash. Pretty amazing. Its been a recordbreaking year for brickandmortar stores in america, but not in a good way. More store closings have been announced in 2017 than any year on record according to a think tank. 6,700 locations in all as physical stores struggle to keep up with online retailers. Around here weve covered a lot of reasons for flight delays, but none quite like there one. The folks at the airport in utqiagvik, alaskas northernmost city, found a bearded seal hanging out, catching some rays on the runway. Animal control with the help of a sled gently moved their 450pound friend to go tan itself elsewhere. And airport operations resumed. When we come back, three generations of nurses who have welcomed thousands of new lives into the world. Those who serve is next. Next at six the washington proposal that could cost you a fortune. Yes you. Plus. The federal agent who s gun was used in the kate steinle murder took the stand today does he feel responsible . Finally tonight, from our new series those who serve, i want you to meet three faces who for thousands of people are some of the very first faces they ever saw. They are three women from michigan who have dedicated their lives to new babies and their families. And as youre about to see, family is very important to them. Its music to our ears, the sound of new life. Theres nothing like a baby being born. At Spectrum Health butterworth hospital in grand rapids, another bundle of joy becomes part of one familys remarkable nursing legacy. They are three generations of maternity nurses. We have probably cared for at least 10,000 families and babies. The miracle of birth is just just gives me chills. Matriarch mary lou wilkins, now retired, started her nursing career in the 1950s, back when nurses wore white dresses instead of scrubs, and dads took a seat in the waiting room. When the baby was born, the doctor went and told them what they had. All right. Im going to give you back to your mama. Reporter her daughter, sue hokstra, says it was practically a given that she would join her mom. It just wasnt ever a question. I wanted to follow in my moms footsteps. The torch almost ended with sue, until her daughter, christina, decided to also pursue nursing instead of music. She lit the path. She lit the way for me. Christina and sue were both on hand when little jack vereeken was born. Theyre a dynamic duo. We also became part of their family, and they became part of ours. It was really special. It just doesnt get old. After 36 years, i still love going every day. And with seven decades of infant experience among them, theyve got a lot of baby advice to share. Learn to ride a bike. You got to give yourself lots of practice. Lots of repetition. And it will get better. I tell them to take it a day at a time. Sometimes an hour at a time. And try to take a nap when the baby sleeps. Three nurses devoted to each other and to helping deliver some of lifes most precious moments. And what a wonderful calling theyve answered. If you know someone who serves in medicine, military, law enforcement, or some other capacity, and you think they have a story we should know about, please drop us a note on our facebook page. And by the way, were already following up on some of your earlier suggestions. Thank you. We appreciate you spending part of your evening with us. That is nightly news for this thursday night. Im lester holt. For all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching, and good his steinle. Today, the federal agent who had his gun stolen takes the right now at 6 00, his gun was used to kill kate steinle, today the federal agent who had his weapon stolen takes the stand. The news at 6 00 starts right now. Good evening thanks for everyone. Im jessica aguirre. Raj mathai. Is that federal agent partially to blame for the actions of the murder suspect . More tough questions in day four of the murder trial. Earlier this week we heard from kates father and eye witnesses to the shooting. Today the jury focused on this agent. Sam brock has been covering the trial and joins us this evening in san francisco. Reporter raj, jessica, good evening. It was clear from the get go just how sensitive and important this witness was today and how much interest there is in his weapon and how it was stolen. I is a this based on the act fact that the agent was whisked in through side doors only exposed to the cameras for a matter of seconds before coming into the courtroom. Lets get to what was said in court today. The blm agent held up the weapon to the jury and he was asked specifically if the weapon has a hair pull trigger. He says i dont use that term. But he said it has no modifications. He has never had issues with the gun. He never discharged it accidentally. He is not aware of colleagues who had it discharge accidentally. This contradicts the narrative that the et weapon has had problems. As for how it was stolen we got details on that as well. When he came to the city with