lester >> all right kerry sanders in florida. thank you. >>> a battle raging inside netflix for weeks boiled over today. employees staging a walk-out in terms of the streamers latest dave chappelle special in which the comedian mocks transgender people steve patterson now on how the company is reacting >> reporter: tonight netflix employees walking out of the company's hollywood office after weeks of internal backlash. >> reporter: employees angered over netflix's handling of dave chappelle's new comedy special, "the closer," which features jokes centered on his relationship with the trans community. some employees calling the special transphobic. >> we didn't care what dave chappelle was doing until you come for our community. >> reporter: in internal communications with employees, netflix ceo ted sarandos argued it was popular with subscriber and would lead to no real world harm. >> he did not feel it amounts to hate speech. >> reporter: variety reporter matt donnelly broke the story and spoke to sarandos just hours before the

the search for answers in the disappearance and murder of gabby petito narrowed to a florida nature reserve today after human remains belonging to petito's fiance brian laundrie were found. the news raising expectations and speculation. laundrie, a person of interest, in petito's disappearance and death has been on the run for weeks, wanted for a separate offense. authorities directed to the site of today's discovery by the laundrie's parents the couple's cross country odyssey quickly grabbed national attention and spotlighted the epidemic of unsolved missing persons' cases in this country. sam brock now with late details. >> reporter: police and fbi agents have spent weeks combing this reserve searching for brian laundrie his last reported location

the fbi just announced the human remains found in a florida nature reserve are, in fact, those of brian laundrie the 23-year-old man who was suspected in the death of his fiancÉe gabby petito laundrieseen alive. confirmation of his death bringing to an end the manhunt but not the search for answers as to how he died and whether he was involved in petito's death the case that's due in part to an extraordinary amount of video and photos of the two on a recent road trip gained national attention our sam brock is in florida now with late breaking details. >> reporter: as crime scene cars cycle through this florida park all day, the fbi confirming late today with dental records that the partial skull uncovered in this reserve is brian laundrie's a sweeping conclusion to a five-week long man hunt and dramatic search that captured the country's attention. tonight the attorney for the laundrie family speaking for the first time on camera >> i'm sure every parent out there knows th the fact that the laundries have been subjected to these their house for the last four weeks and they continue out

he bought it days after returning to florida without petito catie beck, nbc news. >>> up next for us tonight, postage prices up. how much longer is your mail going to take to get there? what you need to know in the price you pay. price you pay. we've been married 53 years. we love to walk on the beach. i have two daughters and then two granddaughters. i noticed that memories were not there like they were when i was much younger. since taking prevagen, my memory has gotten better and it's like the puzzle pieces have all been [click] put together. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. age is just a number. and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health. versus 16 grams in ensure high protein. boost® high protein also has key nutrients for immune support. boost® high protein. what makes new salonpas arthritis gel so good for arthritis pain? boost® high protein also has key nutrients salonpas contains the most prescribed topical pain relief ingredient. it's clinically proven, reduces inflammation and comes in original prescription strength.

now with late breaking details. >> reporter: as crime scene cars cycle through this florida park all day, the fbi confirming late today with dental records that the partial skull uncovered in this reserve is brian laundrie's a sweeping conclusion to a five-week long man hunt and dramatic search that captured the country's attention. tonight the attorney for the laundrie family speaking for the first time on camera >> i'm sure every parent out there knows that getting the news that your child is no longer, you know, with you is sad under any circumstances. the fact that the laundries have been subjected to these people out in front of their house for the last four weeks and they continue out there today just making it all the more difficult. >> reporter: there was no public comment from the fbi or northport police. though, the lee county sheriffs department from 40 miles away speaking to conditions in the reserve where laundrie's remains were found. >> we're talking about water levels up above almost the chest area. rattlesnakes, moccasins, alligators. >> reporter: from above, a view

laundrie and petito were on a cross country road trip when laundrie returned to florida without her in early september. petito was found dead with an wyoming national forest, an autopsy revealing she was strangled. tonight the laundrie family attorney said in a statement his parents went to the park this morning to search for brian, writing after a brief search off the trial that brian frequented,

. >> reporter: again today blamed the trouble on weather-related airport ground stops in florida last friday >> by the end of the day we had significant numbers of airplanes and flight crews that were totally out of position >> reporter: but while other airlines recovered quickly, it took southwest until today to catch up. through the summer many airlines struggled to handle the unexpected surge in passenger traffic >> it seems like southwest was likely, you know, at the max capacity in their schedule with very little margin for error and a lot of their flights do go through florida. >> reporter: both southwest and its pilots union deny suggestions that pilots caused the slowdown to protest the federal vaccine mandate. though southwest pilots have asked a court to temporarily block the mandate. american's pilots union says 30% are still not vaccinated while 84% of delta's employees and 99% of united's are vaccinated between airline staffing shortages, controversy over vaccine mandates, and a surge in passenger traffic, this could be a challenging holiday season ahead lester >> all rig

. >> reporter: in sarasota, florida, mike martin owns reef cakes restaurant, but these days he's juggling multiple jobs himself because he can't find anyone to hire and he's postponed plans to open six days a week. >> i have a head chef here he's working about 65 plus hours a week and i'm working upwards of that, more than that so it's been very challenging. >> reporter: so, peter, what are some of the industries that are still looking to hire right now? >> reporter: yeah, lester among them, retail, restaurants, transportation, health care that have all been raising wages and offering better benefits to try to attract and keep workers. the u.s. right now is still five million jobs below pre-pandemic levels meaning, there's a long way to go. >> all right peter alexander at the white house. thank you. >>> a pillar of the president's plan to get the economy back on track is his push for vaccine mandates still only about 56% of americans fully vaccinated but as covid cases start to drop, there is new pushback and some questions about how soon the pandemic will enter its next phase. here's gab

> reporter: the urgency comes as more men and women in blue are dying from covid recent funerals in florida and alabama highlighting a staggering trend according to the fraternal order of police, more than 700 officers have died from covid-19 since the start of the pandemic making it not only a public health crisis but a public safety crisis, too >> and sam joins us from miami why are these mandates focusing on police? >> reporter: jose, a couple of reasons. one, they're government employees. two, the vaccination rates for many of these departments tends to lag behind the general population here in florida, 66 police officers so far have died from covid, according to the fraternal order of police that is second only to texas. >> thank you there's really good news in the search for a missing boy in texas. the 3-year-old who went missing in the woods has been found safe after a four-day search the emotional reunion with his mother >> it's the good news everyone was praying for. >> to see him and hear the loud cries was just unbelievable >> reporter: 3-year-old christopher ramirez reunited wit

that moves to the southeast tomorrow from the carolinas all the way down to florida, 15 million people wind gusts of 60 miles an hour. tornados and isolated hail we're also looking at rain fall amounts stretching from the gulf all the way into new england, lester. we're talking about 1 to 3 inches of rain and with already clogged storm drains and saturated ground, flooding could be a real problem going into the weekend. >> all right, al we'll see you with more in the morning. thank you. >>> let's turn to some positive news now in the battle against covid. while there are still some troubling spots, new cases have plummeted across the country. but will this trend continue as we head into the holidays? here's gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: after a roller coaster pandemic so far, tonight more positive signs. new covid cases in the u.s. are down 57% since their last peak on september 1st and 16% over the past week hospitalizations have dropped 54% since late august. >> we are now heading in the right direction. and, but, with cases still high, we must remain vigilant heading into the colder,

. >>> we're back with a deepening mystery in a south florida swamp as police gather clues about brian laundrie's final days, the actual cause of his death has frep sick experts baffled. tonight catie beck has our first up-close look at the park where he was found. >> reporter: the search for brian laundrie is over. but the search for answers about his death remain. tonight, the nature reserve where search teams made the grim discovery, now open to the public after being closed for a month. >> this little tiny little park here in north port, florida, who would have thought that this kind of frenzy would be generated. >> reporter: cameras getting a close look at the scene for the first time, seeing how dense the woods are, and how wet the area is. laundrie's remains were found in this area deep in the reserve that was recently under water. much of the reserve is untamed swamp home to alligators, snakes, and wild pigs. while the fbi says dental records confirm his identity more information is needed from his remains which include a portion of a human skull to determine exactly lou the 23

police officers injured, students arrested at this high school in florida. a 13-year-old arrested for allegedly attacking a student with autism in california. >> there is no doubt there's been more fighting and more violence in schools. absolutely. this is across the board. our members everywhere are talking about the challenges. >> wrong place wrong time. >> reporter: back in september jacob was in a bathroom stall at one of connecticut's largest high schools when someone tossed a trash can over hitting him in the head. how due feel about going to school? >> honestly it is still a bit worrying at times. >> reporter: the vandalism and violence so bad the superintendent closed the school and ordered a day of remote learning. there was that much tension in the school? >> yes. yes. i don't want to sugar coat that and say no. >> reporter: she says it is the fallout from students being face to face for the first time in some 18 months with some reacting to the social isolation, stress, and trauma caused by pandemic. family's financial pressures, or even grieving

girl in florida has ended in tragedy. authorities believe they have found the body of miya marcano, a college student who went missing a week ago near an apartment building in orlando. the orange county sheriff has said a maintenance worker who has killed himself is considered a prime suspect in her disappearance. >>> as part of this hispanic heritage month we're going to look at how the latino population is growing not just in size but in wealth. salaries are growing faster for latinos than for any other segment of the population i went to houston to find out why. from artists to construction magnates, dancers to entrepreneurs -- ♪ this is the new latino america. >> more than ever the latino voice is really stronger >> and it's growing. the american dream for many, for millions, is still alive. is it especially alive in houston? >> absolutely alive. and in this city, you have countless numbers of people who have made it, are giving back. >> houston, texas, what u.s. census data shows is the most diverse city in the u.s

in a statement southwest blamed air traffic control issues and bad weather in florida from friday but the faa says its traffic control issues were long resolved. southwest then released another statement saying after cutting back flights during the pandemic recovering during operational challenges is more difficult and prolonged. >> no it is not a good day to be a southwest airlines passenger. >> reporter: some experts blamed shortages. >> what is going on is southwest scheduled too many flights. they are struggling with pilot recruitment. >> reporter: the airline saying tonight we are working diligently to accommodate our customers as quickly as possible. this all comes just hours after the airline's pilots association filed suit over its vaccine mandate for employees which takes effect in two months. tonight the pilots union saying this isn't their fault. they're there and ready to fly. >> joining us from laguardia airport, when will they be able to get back up to speed? >> reporter: i tell you, with an estimated 120,000 passengers impacted by the cancellations, it could be a while

with 600 plus kidnappings through september, including a threefold increase in just three months the florida immigrant coalition was born and raised in haiti. >> it is like living in a war zone. you don't know when you are going to get shot at. you don't know when you are going to get kidnapped. >> reporter: dr. richard f. runs this hospital near port-au-prince it is believed armed gangs control half the city he has to negotiate with them to get oxygen tanks for covid patients. >> it is hair raising because you're going to have 40 dead people in your hospital in a matter of hours if you don't succeed and it's very complex when you have to go through a gang to get the oxygen. >> sam, what do we know about the gang accused of kidnapping the missionaries >> reporter: officials say it is the same gang that kidnapped five priests and two nuns a number of months ago, lester, using tactics like hijacking people from cars and snatching them from busses, taking brutality even in an already lawless country to new levels. lester >> sam brock tonight, thank you. >>> in chicago this evening, thousands of

in some hard hit southern states like florida and louisiana, the numbers are falling even more dramatically, which is why dr. anthony fauci's hesitation this weekend when asked about holiday gatherings created confusion. >> it is just too soon to tell. we just have to concentrate on continuing to get those numbers down. >> reporter: social media buzzed people accusing dr. fauci of being a real life grinch meanwhile, the cdc had this holiday guidance on its website, including an image of a virtual thanksgiving today the messaging changed. dr. fauci says his comments were misinterpreted. >> i will be spending christmas with my family i encourage people, particularly the vaccinated people who are protected to have a good, normal christmas with your family. >> reporter: and the cdc has removed holiday guidance altogether from its website saying it is working on an update does the government run the risk of erring so far on the side of being conservative that people just flat-out get alienated from the message? >> yeah. we have already run the risk i think the american public, including many hea

florida panthers coach joel quenneville is gone gm for the chicago blackhawks and a senior vp for the team also gone. fall-out from the release of an independent investigation that concluded blackhawks management ignored a sexual assault allegation against one of its coaches in 2010. >> i felt like i was alone and there was nothing i could do and nobody i could turn to for help. >> reporter: kyle beach was 20 years old, called up to the blackhawks as an alternate during the playoffs that's when he says the video coach brad aldridge threatened to hurt his career if he didn't engage in sexual acts. a week after the incident according to the law firm's report, beach told the team. >> after being informed of aldridge's alleged sexual harassment and misconduct with a player, no action was taken for three weeks. >> reporter: according to the report, quenneville, the coach at the time, wanted to focus on the finals. when they won, aldridge still had his job and his name on the stanley cup. these photos included in the report. >> it made me feel like i didn't exist. it made me feel that i was

>>> news on the gunman charged in the high school massacre in parkland, florida. planning to change his plea >>> and the supply chain gridlock and the major impact on holiday shopping what to do now to get those toys on time >>> this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening and welcome. mixed news tonight for those who got the johnson & johnson covid vaccination. an fda safety panel tonight endorsing booster shots for up to 15 million americans who received the j&j vaccine. but the panel also recognizing shortfalls in the vaccine's effectiveness. today's recommendation less narrow than the group's endorsements of moderna and pfizer boosters, suggesting in the case of johnson & johnson an extra shot for any adult after just two months. but there is also a lot of focus today on the question the fda panel didn't decide on can you mix and match vaccines our gabe gutierrez reports. >> reporter: marking another major step in the booster battle today an fda advisory panel voted unanimously to recommend authorizing an extra shot for johnson & johnson's vacc

covid case numbers are dropping fast in other hard-hit southern states like louisiana and florida. nationwide, the numbers are down nearly 40% since september 1st. can we be hopeful maybe there won't be a surge this fall or winter >> so there are no guarantees by any means. i'm quite encouraged by the decline in cases we're seeing because many have been infected, unfortunately, and now have natural immunity. also we know that vaccinations are increasing. >> reporter: and could go higher when 30 million children between the ages of 5 and 11 become eligible, possibly in the coming weeks is it reasonable to expect that we will reach a point with this virus where it feels less like a deadly pandemic and more like the flu? >> i do think so i think as we view the vaccines, we're taming the virus and taking off the table its ability to put people in the hospital and kill us. >> reporter: a lot of people want to know, when are we going to stop wearing masks on planes when are we going to stop sending our kids to school with masks on do we have any better sense of that? >> well, we don't. t

and today florida filed a lawsuit. >> we do have a responsibility to stand up for our authority here to govern ourselves. >> reporter: here in new york, the city is planning mandatory overtime and canceling vacations to compensate for any staffing issues. lester >> all right, gabe thank you. >>> in new mexico new insights tonight from the santa fe county sheriff about that deadly accidental shooting on a movie set. investigators are focussing on two people who handled the gun given to alec baldwin. miguel almaguer is there. >> reporter: tonight the set of "rust" is no longer a crime scene, but investigators have not cleared anyone on the set of wrongdoing. alec baldwin's fatal shooting of cinematographer halyna hutchins was accidental, but it should have been prevented by assistant director dave halls and armorer hannah gutierrez-reed says the sheriff >> these two people who handled the gun, it is their jobs to ensure safety. how is there a scenario they would not face criminal charges? >> that's still to be determined you know, i think there is a certain direction that needs to be m