Nightly news begins right now. From nbc news World Headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. Good evening, a major attack on the internet is under way at this hour. The fbi and Homeland Security are urgently trying to find out who is behind the daylong series of intrusions, targeting a company that acts as an internet switchboard. The attack cutting off access to countless websites, from social media and news sites to music and payment services, and preventing routine transactions. The intermittent outages began this morning, primarily on the east coast, but followup attacks have been felt across the country. It all comes amid heightened anxieties over cyber attacks, leading up to the u. S. Election. Nbcs Miguel Almaguer has late details for us. Reporter the powerful and sophisticated cyber attacks, coming wave after wave. The u. S. , unable to load popular websites like twitter, netflix, amazon, paypal, and a long list of others. What we know is that a cyber criminal group or a group of people created the opportunity where they had web traffic, and they funneled all of that traffic at a particular company, dyn. The attack was aimed a tech Company Based in New Hampshire that serves as an internet switchboard and allows people to connect to websites. It crippled dns, or domain name servers, the socalled address book for the internet, essentially overloading it. The hack will cost major corporations dearly. Its too early to tell whos responsible. Some say based on the methods and magnitude of the attack, it may be russian in origin. But one senior u. S. This is a classic case of internet vandalism, and likely not statesponsored. There are a host of adversaries that can launch these types of attacks, and weve got to make sure that we have a Resilient Network that is able to withstand these types of probes. Reporter with the largest outage in the northeast, a second wave spread west. Tens of millions couldnt check their banking accounts or log on to local news. In los angeles, epic interactive sent empye with paypal and twitter down, nobody could work. I think we should be concerned. Its one thing when theres an attack. Its another thing when an entire day goes by and it seems like the Company Involved cant fix it. Reporter with dyn saying its fighting multiple attacks, the case of cyber warfare comes just before our election. Tonight experts say we are in uncharted territory. While this attack did not target it appears no critical, personal, or Financial Information was lost, but it shows how vulnerable servers can be. Experts say every time security firms make a fix, thieves find another way in. Lester . Miguel almaguer tonight, thank you. Joining us now, nbcs Cyber Security security analyst, shawn henry, hes president and chief Security Officer of crowdstrike. No indications of where this is coming from, or what it could be related to. But with our election just over two weeks away, would there be anything to prevent an attack like this on november 8th, or any day, to potentially disrupt the flow of information . Well, lester, this appears to be a complex botnet, made up of hundreds of thousands of computers, like i. P. Connected security cameras. Its difficult to detect these types of attacks. An attacker with this type of powerful weapon could certainly use it as it relates to our i think the distributed nature of our system doesnt render that specifically susceptible, but attackers will continue to use this device inevitably, or until theyre detected and stopped, or the botnet itself can be disrupted. Lester . All right, shaun henry, thank you very much. Now to the campaign trail, new attacks being launched tonight on both sides, and new fallout after an uncomfortable scene here in new york last night where donald trump and Hillary Clinton shared the stage and traded barbs barely concealed by comedy. Tonight as trump continues to push his message about a socalled rigged system, we have new numbers that show how thats resonating with his supporters. We have it all covered starting with nbcs hallie jackson. Hallie, good evening. Reporter good evening, lester. At that event you referenced, donald trump and Hillary Clinton shared a prayer, a polite pause, a short one, in the attacks. But now some critics are wondering about trumps overall strategy. A battleground blitz for donald trump today with new reflective, real talk. Win, lose, or draw and im almost sure, if the people come out, were going to win. But i will be i will be happy with myself. Reporter his comments capping a 24hour stretch in which many see a series of strategic mistakes, like bringing Michelle Obama into the mix as he did today. We have a president , all he wants to do is campaign. Campaign. Reporter but the first lady is the most popular political figure in the country, potentially risky for trump to take her on. And hes still talking about a rigged system. Our new nbc News Survey Monkey online tracking poll also shows more than 4 in 10 republicans do side with trump and may not accept the results of this election. I imagine that on certain issues, if hes elected, youre going to have Congressional Republicans who are going to be pushing the country potentially reporter and for trump, what many see as another misstep at a political roast in new york, where his rival landed some punches with her punchlines. It is great also to see mayor bloomberg here. Its a shame hes not speaking tonight. Im curious to hear what a billionaire has to say. Reporter and while not everybody laughed, it was trump who struggled more. Despite starting strong. Michelle obama gives a speech, and everyone loves it. My wife melania gives the exact same speech and people get on her case. Reporter a few lines later, much more partisan. Hillary is so corrupt [ audience boos ] reporter the booing, unprecedented at this usually civil charity dinner. To win the election. Hes doing everything the opposite of what i think any seasoned strategist would recommend he do. Reporter hallie jackson, nbc news, newtown, pennsylvania. Reporter im Kristen Welker in cleveland where early voting is already under way. Tonight Hillary Clinton rallying the base. I have now spent four and a half hours on stage with donald, proving once again i have the reporter and going after trumps comments about a rigged election. He is threatening our democracy. Reporter a new poll showing ohio is a jump ball. Clinton and donald trump tied. But good news for clinton in our new nbc news analysis. More democrats have voted so far in ohio than republicans. Campaign sources tell nbc news clinton is not just thinking about election day, but beyond. Laying the ground work for she said to him, and donald, whatever happens, we need to Work Together afterwards. Reporter and clinton increasing her outreach to republicans and independents too. This new ad featuring khizr khan, a clinton supporter and goldstar family member, once again going after trump. And joe biden taking shoots too. I wish we were in high school, i could take him behind the gym. Right now, shes a Basketball Team going into the four corners, just not making any clock out. Reporter but tonight, more fallout from the stolen emails from her campaign chairman. Not authenticated by nbc news. A new email showing clintons top aides disagreed with her push to hold a Clinton Global Initiative meeting in morocco in return for a 12 million pledge from the moroccan government. Top aide huma abedin writing, she created this mess, and she knows it. Trump pouncing. She tried to get 12 million from the king of morocco for an appearance. Reporter tonight the Clinton Campaign saying ultimately clinton decided not to attend that meeting and theyre accusing russia of weaponizing wikileaks. Meanwhile, clinton is getting ready for a major swing through battleground states from now until election day. Lester . Kristen welker, thank you. Lets turn overseas now, where Iraqi Forces Say theyre within four miles of mosul. The mission to drive isis out of the city, but isis is fighting back, launching a deadly counterattack in another city our Richard Engel is on the front lines inside iraq with a look at the american role in the offensive. Reporter american jets launching in the mediterranean from the uss eisenhower. Theyre headed for mosul, to attack isis. But once they get to mosul, the mission is extremely difficult. Finding isis fighters among the some one million civilians. It just so happens that the city is run by isis. Reporter and this is not just a ground war. For the first time today, we saw american soldiers in full combat gear, clearing a bomb. One of the most dangerous jobs in a war zone. Its the same job 34yearold chief petty officer jason finan had. He was killed yesterday near mosul when an ied went off by his vehicle. The president said this wouldnt be an american ground war, and fighting. We traveled with them to one of their forward positions east of mosul. The closer iraqi troops get to the center of mosul, the harder isis has been fighting back. Theres been fighting in this front line village today. Isis has been using mortars and snipers, and car bombs like this one. As a vehicle approached the soldiers, they drew down on the driver and shouted for him to identify himself. It turned out, he was one of their own. Mosul, but today, the militants hit back with coordinated attacks in the relatively far away city of kirkuk. More than 20 people were killed. This could be how isis plans to fight, digging in to protect its stronghold city of mosul and key towns around it, while at the same time, launching terrorist attacks on soft targets and civilians. Lester . Richard engel in iraq tonight, thank you. Back in this country this evening, to the weather extremes hitting here in the nohe flash floods triggered by heavy rains, downpours so many have been hoping for, with many areas hit hard by a terrible drought. But there was far too much rain too soon. We get details from nbcs tammy leitner. Reporter in the northeast, a much needed soaking has turned fatal. Today flash flooding in central pennsylvania left at least one dead and nearly two dozen needing rescue. And in new york, a steady reverse a drought that has been building for months. Below normal precipitation has created the worst drought across the northeast in more than a decade. Conditions that could last through the winter. Just the latest part of the country to be hit with water shortages. In upstate new york, existing residential wells are dry. Leaving some homeowners desperate. Without the dug wells, they have no water source. So their only option is for us to come in and drill them a well. Reporter in connecticut, where 89 of the state is under severe drought conditions, an emergency pipeline is being built to pump in water. In massachusetts, the situation is so serious, farmers are being forced to pick cranberries by hand. They probably are down about four feet. So its been difficult trying to harvest this year. Reporter more than half the northeast is under some sort of drought, with areas in red under the good news is, those are the two areas that will see the heaviest rain going into this weekend. Water that may put a small dent in the problem, but wont be enough to quench this historic drought. Tammy leitner, nbc news, new york. Still ahead, some critical news you need to hear tonight if youre worried about how much time your children spend in front of electronic screens. Also, this might spark a lot of arguments at the dinner table tonight. Who has the worst road rage, men were back now with some brandnew research and recommendations that will be of high interest to parents and grandparents worried about how much kids should be exposed to modern electronic media. Cell phones, laptops, tablets, and yes, tv. The American Academy of pediatrics has new recommendations that relax some previous guidance to give families more flexibility while setting limits. Heres nbcs tom costello. Hello. Reporter in virginia this afternoon, 3yearold ari and 18monthold emary were facetiming grandma and grandpa. Now considered good screen time. Our family motto is kind of, everything in moderation. You know, you want to have a wellrounded kid, and you cant keep them away from tech you cant keep it away from them. Reporter for nearly 20 years, pediatricians have recommended no screen time for kids under two. But in a world of cell phones, tablets, computers and tvs, the academy is adjusting some for children under 18 months, video chatting is fine, but no other screen time. If you want to start introducing media as young as 18 months, thats fine, but use it together with your child and choose really good media. Reporter heres why. Researchers at Lafayette College have found that starting at 17 months, children can start recognizing faces and learning over video chats. Toddlers learn from meaningful interaction with people who are in social relationships with them. Reporter for 2 to 5yearolds, the academy recommends no more than an hour a day of screen time. Children 6 and older can have more, but they need an hour of exercise. Families should establish mediafree time together, like dinner. And no devices within an hour before bed. When kids consume media, even infants, late into the hours of the day, they have a later sleep onset and fewer hours of sleep per night. Reporter the bottom line, screen time should not be a shes trying to give him a kiss. Reporter tom costello, nbc news, ashburn, virginia. Were back in a moment with a special guest star who crashed there is major news tonight of a mega merger in the business world. Our partners at cnbc have confirmed that at t is in advanced talks to buy media and entertainment giant time warner. A blockbuster deal that would bring together at ts wireless broadband and satellite tv services with time Warner Properties like hbo, cnn, and the Warner Brothers movie who would you say gets angrier behind the wheel, men or women . According to a new study, women tend to get road rage worse than men. Using webcams and hand sensors, researchers found on average women were 12 angrier while driving. But hold on, pump the brakes, because a number of previous studies have pointed the finger overwhelmingly at men. The White House Press corps got a surprise when a special guest star crashed the briefing room. Actor bill murray decked out in chicago cubs gear, dropped in to murrays cubs are chasing their own cinderella story this weekend. Theyre one win away from their first world series since 1945. When we come back, how students are paying back the Unsung Heroes at one of americas most prestigious marie creepy hidden cameras. They reed plus scammers pushing counterf finally tonight, a story about tearing down the invisible barriers that too often decide us. A student at Georgetown University extended a hand to one of the many workers who keep the Esteem School running, and that simple act started a movement that is inspiring america. Heres rehema ellis. Reporter at georgetown jesuit university, learning is fevin bellamy is taking it to heart. I see the same worker. His name is oneil bachelor. I sparked up a conversation with him. Hey, how you doing . Shook his hand. Reporter that handshake happened late at night while fevin was studying in the library. Oneil, the janitor, was cleaning up. They soon discovered they are both immigrants and have big dreams. My dream was to open a restaurant, you know, i love cooking. He supported it. He said, man, im going to do everything i can to help you. Reporter and he did. Fevin started a Facebook Page called Unsung Heroes, telling the stories of the workers who keep the university running. I know theres kind of a wall between the students and the workers sometimes. I wanted to use this opportunity to share his story with other students. To see that theyre human beings just like us, the only difference is the color of their uniforms. Reporter fevin said students responded immediately, welcoming they recently helped raise 2,500 for oneil to start his catering business. Reporter he had to be over the moon with that. He was on a cloud. Reporter so far, Unsung Heroes has profiled 20 campus workers, like umberto, a dining hall cashier. Students raised more than 5,000 so he can visit family in south sudan he hasnt seen in 45 years. Beyond campus. Imagine how much more can happen if we interact more on a daily basis. Reporter confident, Unsung Heroes are everywhere, and so are people who care. Rehema ellis, nbc news, washington. And thats going to do it for us on a friday night. Im lester holt. From all of us at nbc news, marie right now on news 3 live at six. A local man accused of spying on people who rented his home through air bnb. How to protect yourself privacy next time you rent a room. Reed sdamers are trying to cash in on you with fake bills. Experts are weighing in on how you make sure you are spending marie downtown las vegas showing its pride. How the lgbt parade has brought together our community over the years announcer news 3 starts right now. Reed hidden cameras in the spotlight after a las vegas man was indicted for spying on his air bnb guests. Camera expertssy its easier than ever to get these kind of cameras into your home. We thank you for watching tonight. Im reed cowan im Marie Mortera in for jim. With that ease and access that targets of peeping toms. It is our top story tonight. News 3s Antonio Castelan joins us live near main and stewart. Antonio, is there any way people can protect themselves from being caught on a hidden camera . Reporter there are ways. There are gadgets that can sniff out hidden cameras around them. A camera expert tells us more and more people are having their homes swept to make sure there are no spy cameras. This is a good way to hide a foxs spy outlet has just about any hidden camera you can think of. This right here is a great example of a Smoke Detector camera. Very popular. Reporter its the reason fox was not surprised when he heard the allegations against this man, chris rogers. Metro investigators say rogers set up ab elaborate camera system inside a home he was renting. The spy camera hidden inside Smoke Detectors caught very rae revealing images of guests