Tonight the historic launch Boeing Starliner blasting off on its first long-awaited

crude mission after years of setbacks the moment of lift-off Boeing Starliner

carrying two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, the mission

ushering in a new era of space competition as Boeing looks to take on Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Also tonight, the dangerous heat wave, more than 30 million under alerts from California to Texas,

where temperatures could break records.

The dramatic testimony in Hunter Biden's gun trial, his ex-wife and former girlfriend,

taking the stand what they told the jury about his history of addiction,

as prosecutors argue he lied on a federal form to buy a firearm.

Just in the appeals court halting Donald Trump's Georgia election case

amid scrutiny over D.A. Fani Willis.

And our new reporting, the names of Mr. Trump's

potential VP shortlist. The gunman attacking the US embassy in Beirut,

a 30 minute long shootout in the street before he's captured what we're learning

was it ISIS inspired the deadly house explosion caught on camera children

playing in a nearby driveway running in terror.

And 80 years after they helped turn the tide of war were with four American heroes

as they returned to Normandy.

This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.

Good evening and welcome the words and lift off packing plenty of meaning for

Boeing tonight as its long delayed starliner capsule successfully carried two astronauts into space today

Its third launch attempt in a month and a much needed morale boost for Boeing after a string of misfortunes.

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