tonight, the first witness back on the stand in donald trump's hush money trial as the judge considers whether the former president violated his gag order. mr. trump's long-time friend, the former publisher of the "national enquirer" testifying about a secret scheme to catch

and kill stories to help mr. trump's 2016 campaign, including a doorman's claim he fathered a child out of wedlock, and the moment the judge warned his attorney was, quote, losing all credibility. also tonight, college campuses on edge as pro-palestinian protests spread across the country from california to minnesota to new york, where police arrested 120 protesters at nyu overnight. columbia going hybrid the rest of the semester. the new developments tonight. after victims of former usa gymnastics dr. larry nassar accused the fbi of botching the investigation, the major new settlement tonight. the senate advancing a $95 billion foreign aid package that could also potentially ban tiktok. my exclusive interview with fbi director christopher wray on that tiktok firestorm. the unprecedented threat level in the u.s., and donald trump calling the january 6th defendants hostages.

>> do you see those individuals who took part in the january 6th riots as hostages? >> how he answered. and the miracle baby born out of tragedy in gaza. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening and welcome. the jury in the donald trump hush money trial was introduced to the soft underbelly of the supermarket tabloid business today. their guide prosecution witness david pecker, former "national enquirer" publisher. pecker describing made-up stories published to damage trump opponents. he testified about a payment to a new york doorman for a salacious but untrue story about mr. trump and described a key meeting in which he says he pledged to be donald trump's eyes and ears, ready to alert to negative stories that could appear about him during the 2016 presidential campaign. the prosecution hoping to prove it all leads to paying off a porn star and an illegal scheme to disguise the

transaction through altered business records. once again tonight, here is laura jarrett. >> reporter: tonight, mr. trump's long-time friend david pecker, the former publisher of the "national enquirer" offering the jury a rare glimpse into the underworld of tabloid tactics, as the state seeks to prove the former president doctored his internal business records to cover up the payoff of an adult film actress just days before the 2016 election. >> mr. trump, what do you think of david pecker? >> reporter: pecker describing a meeting at trump tower in 2015 with mr. trump and his former fixer michael cohen, where pecker says he agreed to serve as the eyes and ears for rumors that could hurt mr. trump, adding, "what i would do is publish positive stories about trump and publish negative stories about his opponents." the prosecution then showing the jury a series of glowing headlines about then candidate trump and derogatory ones making baseless claims about mr. trump's republican opponents, including ted cruz.

pecker admitting today the enquirer made up a story about cruz's father and the man who assassinated jfk. also testifying his company paid a doorman $30,000 for a completely untrue story about mr. trump fathering a child with his housekeeper so the doorman couldn't take the story elsewhere, trying to save mr. trump and the campaign the potential embarrassment. the day began with the judge taking the defense team to task over mr. trump's posts on social media targeting cohen and stormy daniels. the state seeking to hold mr. trump in criminal contempt for violating the judge's gag order that bars him from attacking trial witnesses. >> so they can talk about me. they can say whatever they want. they can lie. but i'm not allowed to say anything. i would love to say everything that's on my mind. >> reporter: in court, the defense arguing mr. trump should be permitted to respond to political attacks, and the gag order should not cover reposts of someone else.

the judge didn't rule today, but seemed exasperated, telling lead defense attorney todd blanche you are losing all credibility with the court. minutes later during a break, mr. trump back on truth social, falsely writing the judge had taken away his right to free speech. "this is a kangaroo court." >> laura, you were in the courtroom today. what were some of your impressions? >> well, lester, this jury is engaged. they're paying attention. they're looking at the exhibits on the screen in front of them. they're listening carefully to the witness, david pecker. some of them i even saw taking notes. and they will hear more from pecker when he testifies again on thursday. lester? >> laura jarrett tonight, thank you. tonight's other top story, the growing number of pro-palestinian demonstrations and people being arrested on america's college campuses from coast-to-coast, and there is concerns over antisemitic rhetoric. erin mclaughlin now with late developments for us. >> shame on you, shame on you! >> reporter: clashes and arrests from the streets of new york to

the university of minnesota to cal poly humbolt. as more universities crack down on pro-palestinian protests siting safety concerns and anti-semitic rhetoric. pro-palestinian encampments now across more than a dozen campuses as students call for universities to divest from companies connected to israel. >> we're paying a lot of tuition to be here. we want to know where our money is going. we want to know where the investments are going as students. >> reporter: overnight at new york university, police say 120 protesters were taken away in zip ties. 116 were released with summons for trespass, including assistant professor zach samalin. did you have the opportunity to leave? >> i did have the opportunity to leave, yes. but what i did instead is i linked arms with my colleagues on the faculty of new york university in order to protect our students from the police. >> reporter: the university said many of the protesters were not affiliated with the school, and that they'd witnessed disorderly, disruptive and antagonizing behavior, pointing to intimidating chants and several

antisemitic incidents reported. days of protests following congressional testimony from columbia's president, creating a new flash point between free speech and hate special team. why do you believe they stopped this protest? >> nyu has been engaged in a campaign of repressing pro-palestinian speech for six months, seven months. i'm unequivocal about that. >> reporter: students insisting the protest was peaceful. today with the nyu business school barricaded -- >> we'll never be defeated! >> reporter: students gather in nearby washington square park. >> it's really frustrating because they say they're for free speech and they say they're for academic freedom. >> reporter: at nearby columbia university, classes are being offered online the rest of the year. the pro-palestinian encampment still standing following last week's mass arrests. >> it's not safe. >> reporter: associate professor hagar chemali says the university needs to do more for jewish students to feel safe.

>> it shouldn't be we have to shut down classes and go virtual and force us to stay home and encourage jewish students to stay home because the protesters have created an unsafe environment. it should be the other way around. >> reporter: meanwhile, u.s. house republicans demanding columbia's president resign immediately for failing to crack down. >> and erin joining us live now from new york where demonstrations are taking place. erin, the house speaker will visit nearby columbia university tomorrow. >> that's right, lester. according to his office, house speaker mike johnson will meet with jewish students on the columbia university campus tomorrow. he is expected to hold a press conference after. lester? >> erin mclaughlin in new york, thank you. today, the justice department formally announcing it will pay almost $139 million to settle claims by 139 prominent athletes and other women abused by larry nassar, the former usa gymnastics team doctor. the claims allege the fbi failed to conduct

an adequate investigation of nassar. he is serving a 60-year federal prison sentence. the senate tonight is nearing a vote that could eventually lead to the banning of tiktok over national security concerns. savannah sellers joins me from capitol hill. savannah, what's the latest? >> lester, senators are poised to continue debating late into the night before they vote on billions in aid dollars for ukraine's military, the israeli war effort, and taiwan. but wrapped up in that package, the future of tiktok in the u.s., something more than 150 million americans who use the app are paying close attention to. >> tiktok is a major foreign threat. the bill we are passing today puts an end to that. >> reporter: tonight, the senate debating the future of tiktok ahead of a vote that could effectively ban the wildly popular app in the u.s. >> foreign adversaries use technology for social and political control. >> many americans, particularly young americans are

rightfully skeptical. at the end of the day, they've not seen what congress has seen. they've not been in the classified briefings that congress has held. >> reporter: while tic togetherers outside make an urgent plea at the capitol. >> every bit of my livelihood is tethered to tiktok. >> we believe if it were dangerous, we shouldn't be there. but they keep trying to reach us there when it's convenient. >> reporter: this vote the last step before the legislation would head to president biden's desk. he's indicated he'll sign it, triggering a countdown. the chinese company parent company would have at least nine months to sell the platform. if they don't, it would be removed from the app store. it wouldn't disappear from phones, but no new downloads or updates would be possible. but that's likely years away, if at all because of tiktok's promised legal challenge to the potential law. writing in an internal memo "we will move to the courts" and arguing the ban would impede on the free speech of users. but some senators say tiktok's ownership by

chinese company bytedance raises serious security and data concerns. through this process, have you learned anything about americans' data on tiktok that really does concern you? anything concrete? >> yes. rivers of data are being collected and shared in ways that are not well aligned with american security. >> reporter: tiktok the closest it's been to time running out. savannah sellers, nbc news, washington. while donald trump was in court today, president biden was campaigning on abortion rights in his rival's home state. the president in florida, slamming the state's upcoming six-week abortion ban and saying mr. trump is the, quote, one person responsible. mr. trump, who takes credit for the fall of roe v. wade, recently said he believes abortion rights should be left up to the states. in 60 seconds, the fda finding bird flu traces in the milk supply. what we are learning. plus, intense protests in the tennessee capitol after lawmakers approve letting teachers arm themselves in classrooms. what it means for classrooms. what it means for schools and kids. when i first learned about

my dupuytren's contracture, my physician referred me to a hand specialist. and i'm glad he did, because when i took the tabletop test, i couldn't lay my hand flat anymore. the first hand specialist i saw only offered surgery. so, i went to a second hand specialist who also offered nonsurgical options — which felt more right for me. so, what i'd say to other people with dupuytren's contracture is this: don't wait — find a hand specialist trained in nonsurgical options, today. i found mine at findahandspecialist.com. (vo) want to upgrade but still paying off your locked phone? break free from 3-year device contracts.ions, today. switch to t-mobile, and we'll pay off your phone. and upgrade you to one of the latest 5g phones, free. ugh, when is my allergy spray going to kick in? -you need astepro. -astepro? it's faster, bro. 8x faster than flonase. it's faster, bro! it's faster, bro! it's faster, bro! it's mom to you. astepro starts working in 30 minutes. astepro and go!

the fda today said it has found fragm the fda today said it has found fragments of the bird flu virus in some samples of pasteurized milk in the united states. this comes less than a month after an outbreak of bird flu was found in dairy cows in several states. the fda says the commercial milk supply is safe, that pasteurization is likely to inactivate the virus, but testing is still going on. now to the dramatic day at the tennessee state capitol after a more than a year at a deadly shooting in a nashville, tennessee school, lawmakers passing a bill today that would let teach betters armed. here is priya sridhar. >> reporter: chaos erupting in tennessee state capitol, where lawmakers just passed a bill that would allow teachers to carry concealed handguns in schools. >> this is the reaction of rage and hurt and anger. >> reporter: emotions were high as protesters descended on the house gallery,

waves signs as house representatives voted 68-28 to pass the bill following the state senate's lead. it's one of the biggest pro-gun moves by the states since the tragic shooting in at the covenant school in nashville last year that killed six. >> we're being blamed for putting guns in schools. but the purpose of it is to protect our children. >> reporter: 32 other states passed legislation in the last decade allowing teachers to carry guns in schools as states across the country grapple with how to address school violence. if signed by the governor, the tennessee law would allow teachers to carry guns in schools where top administrators agree. the teachers would be required to have a permit, do training, and get a background check and mental health evaluation. >> currently, it's just one of those gun-free zones where people know they can go there and take advantage of folks. >> reporter: the bill now heads to governor bill lee's desk, who is expected to sign it soon. >> every person that dies at the hand of a gun in this state, it's on their hands.

>> reporter: tennessee becoming the next state to arm educators in america. priya sridhar, nbc news. and up next for us here tonight, my exclusive interview with fbi director christopher wray. his message on tiktok, student protests, and america after january 6th. k, welcome to the wayborhood. with wayfair, finding your style is fun. [ music playing ] yes! when the music stops grab any chair, it doesn't matter if it's your outdoor style or not. [ music stops ] i'm sorry, carl. this is me in chair form. i don't see you. -oh, come on. this one's perfect for you. but you. love it. i told you we should have done a piñata. i explained it so many times. um-hum. they're not sitting. -and it rocks... you need to sit down. ♪ wayfair. every style. every home. ♪ breathing claritin clear is like... is he? claritin clear? yeah. fast relief of your worst allergy symptoms, like nasal congestion.

live claritin clear® i brought in ensure max protein with 30 grams of protein! those who tried me felt more energy in just two weeks. -ugh. -here, i'll take that. woo hoo! ensure max protein, 30 grams protein, 1 gram sugar, 25 vitamins and minerals. and a new fiber blend with a prebiotic. (♪♪) mike had a heart attack a year ago. and a new fiber blend w but he's still. living in the red. with a very high risk of another attack. with his risk factors his recommended ldl-c level should be below 55. find out if you're living in the red. learn how to get a free ldl-c test. [ cellphone ringing ] phone call from the boss? sorry. outdoor time is me time. i hear that. that's why we protect all your vehicles here. but hey...nothing wrong with sticking it to the boss. ooooh, flo, you gonna take that? why would that concern me? because you're...the... aren't you the..?

huh...we never actually discussed hierarchy. ok, why don't we just stick to letting dave know how much he can save when he bundles his home or auto with his boat or rv. wait, i thought jamie was the boss. [ laughter ] it's funny because i'm not boss material! i suffer with psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis. i was on a journey for a really long time to find some relief. cosentyx works for me. cosentyx helps real people get real relief from the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis or psoriasis. serious allergic reactions, severe skin reactions that look like eczema, and an increased risk of infections, some fatal, have occurred. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine or plan to or if ibd symptoms develop or worsen. i move so much better because of cosentyx. ask your rheumatologist about cosentyx.

we're back now with my exclusive interview today with fbi director christopher wray. we spoke about the multiple national security threats the

country faces, the impact of the israel-hamas war, and january 6th. have you ever seen a threat environment quite like the one we're experiencing? >> as i look back over my career in law enforcement, i'm hard-pressed to come up with a time where i've seen so many different threats, all elevated. all at the same time. whether it's the threats from china, russia, iran, the terrorism threats, both foreign terrorist threats and domestic terrorist threats. >> reporter: among his pressing worry says the fbi director is the spillover from the israel-hamas conflict. >> so we thought that even before october 7th, if you and i were having this conversation then, we would have said that the terrorism threat was already elevated. but post october 7th, it's gone to a whole another level. >> there is an environment we see right now play ought on some college campuses, the protests over what's happening in gaza. are you watching that warily? >> well, of course demonstrations themselves are not something that we the fbi get involved in,

but when violence ensues, that's when we get concerned. when you have threats of violence. so we have seen even before october 7th, we saw a significant increase, especially in anti-semitic threats and anti-semitic violence. >> are you actively monitoring these protests? >> we don't monitor protests, but we do share intelligence about specific threats of violence. >> congress is on the verge of passing legislation that would essentially ban tiktok if it's not sold. you've talked about this, many in the government have talked about the threat of tiktok. can you be specific about what your fear is? >> tiktok for us represents a national security concern. and the reason i say that is that tiktok's parent company is beholden to the chinese government. so that for us manifests itself in three specific ways. it has to do with the data. it has to do with the recommendation algorithm. it has to deal with the software.

the data, we're talking about the ability to control or collect data on millions and millions of users, and to use it for all sorts of influence operations, like driving their ai efforts which are not remotely constrained by the rule of law. >> are they doing that now or simply they have the capability to do that? >> what i would say is they are currently attempting to steal our ai and hack american technology every day. >> what do you say to millions of americans who have likely heard what you and others have to say, but they rejected it. they don't care. they like tiktok. they like making money on tiktok? what would your message be to them? >> my message is you need to take into account who the chinese government is, who the chinese communist party is. even for some reason if you don't care about that, which i would argue that you should, what about all

of your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, et cetera who are also participating and are connected to you through all those same things. maybe they would care about the ability of the chinese government, the chinese intelligence services to access all that. >> let me ask you about january 6th. are you still pursuing january 6th cases? >> we have any number of january 6th cases under way. >> former president trump has referred to those who have been imprisoned or are facing trial as hostages. do you see those individuals who took part in the january 6th riots as hostages? >> i see the defendants in the january 6th cases as criminal defendants who are being charged with federal crimes and are in front of independent courts as part of our legal system. >> former president trump has said that if he's reelected, he would use the fbi and the doj to go after his political opponents. would you be party to that? >> i'm going make sure that as long as i'm fbi director, we do the right thing in the right way. and that means following the law, following our rules,

staying faithful to our core values, enforcing the law without fear or favor. >> if donald trump is re-elected, will you plan on continuing to serve? >> i'm enjoying doing this job as long as i think i can continue doing that in a way that adheres to all those rules and norms, it's what i'd like to keep doing. >> reporter: aside from national security threats and crime fighting, wray says he wants americans to know the fbi is also focused on standing up for victims. >> we have something like 250 people, an entire division that's just focused on victim services. and while that might not be the first thing that americans think of when they think of the fbi, i can tell you, it's the first thing that victims think of when they engage with the fbi. >> part of my conversation with fbi director christopher wray today. we'll take you inside gaza next, where a remarkable story of one newborn's hope in the midst of so much heartbreak. stay with us. i hope

ugh, when is my allergy spray going to kick in? -you need astepro. -astepro? it's faster, bro. 8x faster than flonase. it's faster, bro! it's faster, bro! it's faster, bro! it's mom to you. astepro starts working in 30 minutes. astepro and go! some people just know there's a better way to do things. like bundling your home and auto insurance with allstate. yeah, she knows. and some people... don't. like... come on.

yikes! ughh... no. you know, there's a better way. save time and money by bundling your home and auto with allstate. you're in good hands with allstate. (angie) tobacco companies target people like me with their menthol cigarette marketing. realizing this made me angry enough to quit. my tip is, this should make everyone angry. (announcer) you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit-now. (vo) want to upgrade but still paying off your locked phone? break free from 3-year device contracts. switch to t-mobile, and we'll pay off your phone. and upgrade you to one of the latest 5g phones, free. everybody wants super straight, super white teeth.

they want that hollywood white smile. new sensodyne clinical white provides 2 shades whiter teeth and 24/7 sensitivity protection. i think it's a great product. it's going to help a lot of patients. ♪(voya)♪ there are some things that work better together. like your workplace benefits and retirement savings. voya helps you choose the right amounts without over or under investing. so you can feel confident in your financial choices voya, well planned, well invested, well protected. type 2 diabetes? discover the ozempic® tri-zone. ♪ ♪ i got the power of 3. i lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight. in studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. i'm under 7. ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known heart disease. i'm lowering my risk. adults lost up to 14 pounds. i lost some weight. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had

medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. gallbladder problems may occur. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. living with type 2 diabetes? ask about the power of 3 with ozempic®. finally tonight, the tiny miracle born out of tragedy in the war in gaza. we get the story from raf sanchez. >> reporter: it's a scene now grimly

familiar in the aftermath of an israeli strike. rafah's kuwait hospital flooded with the wounded, until something extraordinary. a baby girl delivered by emergency c-section from the womb of her dying mother. the first moments of her life a desperate race to the icu. she is two months' premature, and she isn't breathing. this doctor trying to coax air into her tiny lungs. it's only after an oxygen mask is fitted that she cries out for the very first time. but she needs care they can't give her here. our crew follows on a dangerous journey through the darkness to the emirati hospital, where a neonatal ward is at least partially functioning. her weight recorded at just over three pounds. the little girl was born an orphan. her mother sabreen, father shukri and 3-year-old sister malak all killed in the israeli strike. now she is in the care of her grandmother and uncle. we were there for their first glimpse of

her. little atam lifted to see his cousin through the glass. the early birth left the baby's lungs in severe distress, but -- >> now she is doing much better. >> reporter: some comfort for a family deciding what to name a child who lost everything before her life even began. they chose sabreen, her mother's name and arabic for soul. "you are my soul, you're in my heart," she tells the child. sabreen's defiant heart beat a note of hope in gaza's chorus of grief. raf sanchez, nbc news, tel aviv. and that is "nightly news" for this tuesday. thank you for watching. i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night. good night.

a safer street, but at what cost? the fight over changes to san francisco neighborhood. >> good afternoon. i am