Works. Nbc nightly news begins right now. Good evening. Abortion one of the countrys most divisive and politicallycharged fault lines jolted capitol hill today. With the head of planned parenthood going before congressional critics. Her First Time Since the series of controversial undercover videos were made public. Todays hearing was long and consensus, with the groups president ofrping a spirited defense. We start tonight kelly odonnell. Rallying in houston today. Supporters of planned parenthood took to the streets for what they called nation pinkout day. I feel like women should support women. And the same passion in washington for those that provide Womens Health care services, including abortion. But inside of the capitol, the president of planned parenthood, ses hell richards faced hours, of sometimes confrontational questions. You cant tell me how much you make from abortions . You cant give me that number . Reporter planned parenthood is under political fire from the campaign trail to the capitol. Republicans want to strip federal funding, due to controversial undercover videos made by activists. If this is untrue, then why did you apologize. I think everyone agreed they were heff illy edited. And my question is why did you apologize. Reporter planned parenthood provide services to 2. 7 million each year. Mostly lowincome women. Including 327,000 abortions. No federal money is used for abortions, but planned parenthood does get major taxpayer help. 530 million a year. Much of that through medicaid. For Services Like health screenings, Birth Control and breast exams. We dont just get a big check from the federal government. We like other medicaid providers we are reimbursed for services provided. Democrats defended the planned parenthood work. If we dont continue this Life Saving Service women will be denied health care across this nation. And the leader faced with tough questions irg the disrespect, the miss oth annie ram hasnt here today tells us what is really going on here. Surely you dont expect us to be easier on you because you are a woman . Absolutely not. That is not how my momma raised me. The organization has strong support in the latest nbc news poll. Where 61 say that funding should remain. Tonight Republican Leaders expect the government to keep operating with no imminent change for planned parenthood. Lester. Kelly odonnell, thank knew tonight the state of georgia is going to execute the first woman there in 70 years. Despite a late plea from pope francis to save her life. A letter written on behalf of the pope was made public shortly before the parole board declined to grant her clemency. Gabe guiterrez with more on her crime and punishment. Kelly gissendaner plotted the death of her husband with her boyfriend. And today not only did her Adult Children plea for a reduced sentence, so did the catholic church. The rach bishop of atlanta writing a letter on behalf of pope francis. During his visit to the u. S. , the pontiff made with prisoners and called for a worldwide ban on the death penalty. Just say this punishment must never rebuild the dimension of hope and reality. Papal appeal for individual cases are not unheard of but rarely work. Only john paul ii was successful in getting a missouri inmate oth death row in 1999. His sentence commuted to life without parole. This is consistent with the Catholic Churchs position against the death penalty. But this request was particularly salient given the pope had just issued a statement to congress. This time despite the request, the parole board declined clemency. This is set to be the first woman executed in georgia in 70 years. Executions in the u. S. Has dropped dramatically. Down from 98, 16 years ago, to 20 this year. The 21st is scheduled to take place in the prison behind me by lethal injection within the next half hour, lester. Gabe guiterrez tonight, thank you. Two big weather events were keeping a close eye on. Torrential rain in the south and moving north, triggering flash flood watches and a Tropical Storm churping in the atlantic churning in the atlantic that could become a hurricane as soon as people. Al roker is here with us. There is a lot going on your map there. We have a cold front bringing wet weather from new england all the way down into the deep south by the next two days were talking about from 24 inches of rain. But now we also talk about joaquin. It is out in the atlantic. Currently 405 miles east of the bahamas. It strengthened in the last hour to 65 mileperhour winds moving west southwest at five miles per hour. And it will take a dip to the southwest and slow down and then parallel the coast. It becomes a category one storm tomorrow around 1 00 and then stays along the coast. But look at this, a 520 mile cone of uncertainty. So we dont expect to make landfall but we do expect the moisture to get caught up. Next few days, 24 inches. But look at what happens when we add the joaquin moisture. 35 inches of rain from new england down to washington. But lester, locally, up to 8 inches of rain and that is why 20 Million People are under flood watches tonight and into tomorrow and beyond. Al roker. Al, thank you. Turning to the battle against isis. President obama gathering today with 100 World Leaders to strategize against the terrorist threat but they got the sobering threat of how that continues to grow after a year of u. S. Led airstrikes. Andrea mitchell has the details. Reporter isis is winning. A year after the world came together to combat the terrorist group, no one has answers. And that includes the leaders at a u. N. Terrorist summit today. I have repeatedly said our approach will take time. And that is not an easy task. There will be successies and there will be setbacks. Reporter the numbers tell a frightening story. An estimated 30,000 new recruits, twice as many from year ago, from 500 countries, and 5,000 have western passports, including 250 americans, 50 of which are back in the u. S. Say investigators. Every one of them represents a ticking time bomb. What keeps me up at night is the ones we missed. They are growing despite thousands of airstrikes. Many grown to the online videos like this one aimed at westerners. I come from canada. Reporter this video has slogans like they are regular people today. And they publicize the brutality on media, posting videos of american hostages. James foley, steven sat love and Steven Kasich being beheaded and atver kiezing the beth of kayla mueller. The danger isis poses is one issue barack obama and Vladimir Putin agreed on last night. But not what to do about it. I had a chance to talk with president putin at the end of the meeting. Look this is not easy for putin. Everybody said hes made a big move. Well putin is there now. And if he wants to fight isil alone, that is a challenge, folks. Reporter and just how sophisticated is this terror group. Today the u. S. Froze the Bank Accounts of 25 people considered critical to isis financing. A Financial Network with tent acms in europe, asia and the middle east. Andrea, much of the time the worlds focus fighting isis in iraq. Now afghanistan grabbing control of a key city in that country for the First Time Since before the u. S. Invasion after 9 11. Now Afghan Forces are scrambling to retake it with the help of u. S. Airstrikes. Our pentagon correspondent Jim Miklaszewski has the report. Reporter Afghan Security forces today launched a fear counter attack against the taliban, in a desperate effort to retake the Northern City of kundef. Since American Forces entered their combat role in afghanistan, a u. S. F16 launched airstrikes against a taliban target. 14 years ago the u. S. And Afghan Military drove the taliban out of town. On monday, the taliban retook the city and raised its flag. Some 400 to 500 taliban soldiers swept in in a surprise attack. Drive 3000 Afghan Military and police out of the city. The taliban easily seized government buildings and freed 500 prisoners, including the taliban from the city jail. There was so little resistance, taliban fighters had time to take selfies with local residents. At the pentagon, officials acknowledged this was a stunning defeat. Obviously this is a setback for the Afghan Security forces. Reporter the attack raises serious doubts about the ability of Afghan Forces and president obamas plan to withdraw all american troops from afghanistan. 9800 American Forces are still in afghanistan today. Half of them, scheduled to leave by the end of this year and all would be withdrawn by the end of 2016. But the Afghan Forces are facing a mayorly strong foe that we couldnt even defeat ourselves so the notion we should leave them to prove their own man hood with no american help ive never found very compelling. Late tonight officials here tell us there has now been a second u. S. Air strike near the airport there in afghanistan. But well before this latest taliban attack, u. S. Military officials had feared that the Afghan Military would not be prepared for this fight. And predict that the pentagon will have to ask the president to keep more American Forces in afghanistan well passed his deadline for withdrawal. Jim miklaszewski, thank you. And now to violence and another troubling strike closer to home. This in chicago. 14 people shot in 15 hours, including a family hit by a hail of bullets while walking home from an outing. Say woman and her pregnant daughter were killed. Her 11monthold grandson was wounded but survived. This comes after two weekends in a row in which over 50 people were shot there. One tally by the Chicago Tribune estimates aft least 23 people have been shot in chicago so far this year. Those friday night lights are a little dimmer at High School Football stadiums around the country lately as more and more parents take a hard look at whether the games risks have become too high. After the recent death of a Star High School quarterback during a game, some parents are pulling their son off the field and high schools are canceling games and disbanding teams. Ron mott with the story. Reporter at one missouri high school, friday night lights have gone dark. Game over for football. In its place, soccer. Former state champions Maplewood Richmond heights outside of st. Louis is one of several schools that has given up on americas most popular sport this season and the reason is the interest in serious injury. We were not getting much more interest than 1215 students. Reporter the school board approved a plan to suspend the Football Program this fall after 15 students signed up, short of the 23 players the states governing body recommends. Now that we dont have it, it feels kind of weird. In maine last week a high School Canceled football for the rest of the season after injuries depleted the roster. And yesterday in iowa, a Junior VarsityFootball Game was canceled when 13 athletes got hurt leading up to the game. We ended up with three concussions an a bad back. A good potential acl sprain and another lineman who is probably blown out his knee. Three High School Football players have died this season. The latest new jersey High School Quarterback evan murray whose spleen ruptured after being tackled in a game on friday night. Though the sport is still popular, the number of players competing at High School Level has fallen 2. 4 over five years to 1. 08 million and has growing concerns that has some calling football out of bounds. Ron mott, nbc news, boston. Still ahead tonight, do you really need to take the calcium supplements. New studies calling into question whether they might be doing more harm than good. And also an unbelievable roadside hazard. What l you drop 40 grand on a new set of wheels, then. Wham a minivan tbones you. Guess what your Insurance Company will only give you 37thousand to replace it. Depreciation they claim. How can my car depreciate before its first oil change . You ask. Maybe the better question is, why do you have that Insurance Company . With Liberty Mutual new car replacement, well replace the full value of your car. See Car Insurance in a whole new light. Liberty mutual insurance. We are back now with Important Health news that will be of particular interest to the millions of americans that take calcium supplements that they believe will help strengthen bones and protect against fractures as they age. New Research Shows the extra calcium might not do what we thought it was. We get the details from rehema ellis. 73yearold ellen baker worked hard to keep her bones strong. Her mother and great grandmother had broken hips and she has osteoporosis. Every day i take 1200 milligrams of calcium in addition to a diet rich in calcium. Butta report today suggests that for most americans there is no proof it helps. Those in a journal concluded that most people over 50 wont get stronger bones if they increase the calcium intake, through diet or supplement. This doctor says if your doctor says you have adequate calcium levels, dont worry about adding more. How are you getting the amount of calcium that we think you need every day . Pretty much every day, i have three dairy. For most people over the age of 50, were talking about a thousand to 1200 milligrams of calcium which you can get from your diet or if your diet doesnt give you that much, you can get it from a small amount of calcium supplementation, up to that total. Is a person at risk of doing harm to themselves if they take too much calcium . Too much calcium doesnt help you. And possibly, in some people, might cause a kidney stone. So dont do it. To get the right amount of calcium, doctors say eat dairy products, collared greens and broccoli and oranges are nondairy alternatives. For now, ellen baker is sticking to her routine, but intends to talk it over with her doctor to find out if shes getting more calcium than she really needs. Rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. And were back with a surprise and were back with a surprise this bale of hay cannot be controlled. When a wildfire raged through elkhorn ranch, the sudden loss of pasture became a serious problem for a family business. Faced with horses that needed feeding and a texas drought that sent hay prices soaring, the owners had to act fast. Thankfully, mary miller banks with chase for business. And with greater financial clarity and a relationship built for the unexpected, she could control her cash flow, and keep the ranch running. Chase for business. So you can own it. Chase for business. Song thats life song thats life song thats life song thats life song thats life song thats life thats life. You diet. You exercise. And if you still need help lowering your blood sugar. This is jardiance. Along with diet and exercise, jardiance works around the clock to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. It works by helping your body to get rid of some of the sugar it doesnt need through urination. This can help you lower blood sugar and a1c. And although its not for weight loss or lowering systolic blood pressure, jardiance could help with both. Jardiance can cause serious side effects including dehydration. This may cause you to feel dizzy, faint or lightheaded, or weak upon standing. Other side effects are genital yeast infections, urinary tract infections, changes in urination, kidney problems, and increased bad cholesterol. Do not take jardiance if you are on dialysis or have severe kidney problems. Stop taking jardiance and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of an allergic reaction. Symptoms may include rash, swelling, and difficulty breathing or swallowing. Taking jardiance with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you have any medical conditions. Jardiance is free for one year for eligible patients. So talk to your doctor, and for details, visit jardiance. Com. Beware of bees along a busy highway in oklahoma. It covered a deputys car after a tractortrailer over turned spilling them everywhere. The driver was taken to the hospital. There is no word on how many may have been stung so far. 24 of this countrys best and brightest earned theyve got the right to be called genius. The play right behind hampton and cotes, the journalist who has topped best seller lists about race in america. Each of the winners get 625,000, over five years, to spend any way he or she wants. We putle full list on our website. Late word tonight, ralph lauren announcing he is stepping down as ceo of the fashion umpire that he founded nearly half a century go, handing over the reins to the head of old navy. Lauren will still retain control as executive chairman. When we come back, play it again. In this digital age a decidedly old way of Technology Empowers us to achieve more. It pushes us to go further. Special olympics has almost five million athletes in 170 countries. The microsoft cloud allows us to immediately be able to access information, wherever we are. Information for an athletes medical care, or information to track their personal best. With microsoft cloud, we save millions of man hours, and thats time that we can invest in our athletes and changing the world. The Health Care Law gives us powerful tools to fight it. Were cracking down on Medicare Fraud. To investigate it prosecute it and stop criminals our senior medicare patrol volunteers are teaching seniors across the country to stop, spot and report fraud you can help guard your Medicare Card dont give out your card number over the phone call to report any suspected fraud were cracking down on Medicare Fraud lets make medicare stronger for all of us to help those in need. Here to volunteer when a twinge of back pain surprises him. Morning starts in high spirits but theres a growing pain in his lower back. As lines grow longer, his pain continues to linger. But after a long day of helping others, he gets some helpful advice. Just two aleve have the strength to keep back pain away all day. Today, jason chose aleve. Aleve, all day strong. And try aleve pm, now with an easy open cap. Because at t and directv are now one which means you can access your dvr at the dmv. Change channels while he changes pants. You dont have to be a couch potato, you can be a train potato and let them watch all the shows they love, inside the ride that you really kind of hate. Introducing the all in one plan. Only from directv and at t. Finally tonight, streaming and digital downloads have made it nor convenient than ever to be a music fan. But sales are up more than 50 this year for vinyl records. The hottest way to listen to records in 19151 also one of the hottest ways in 2015. Here is kevin tibbles. Reporter in a cavernous new jersey warehouse, dave miller brings the dawno saurs back to life. Im trying to wake them up after a long sleep. Not so long ago many assumed the oldfashioned viem record was extinct, buried under the cloud of digital music. Go to a turn table and they look at me like they still make them. And that has changed. Dave hanson is firing up machines a half century old. And we use them for spares when things break. It is like your own bone yard. It is a great time for records. Everybody is buying vinyl in the country. He planned to produce a million lps for a year for a few market of young consumers. Down the road at the record collector, owner john said his Online Record sales are booming. Why is vinyl making a comeback . It is more fun. For everyone who thought all of the dusty records in the basement were completely obsolete, think again. Hey, peter frampton. James booker is seeking some rare recordings not available digitally. The warmth that comes out of the sound of vinyl just doesnt compare to anything else. Reporter back at independent records, Quality Control includes listening and looking for any tiny defects. It is tough to make a decent record and when you make decent records, throughout the day, youve done something. Reporter from the scrap heap to the turn table, taking out the vinyl record for another spin. Kevin tibbles, nbc news, bordentown, new jersey. That will do it for us on a tuesday night. Im lester holt. For all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night. Jim carreys first words about his exgirlfriends suicide. Only 30 years old, the latest details on carees tragedy now on extra. Jim carreys onagain offagain girlfriend takes her own life. Her suicide note, the clues in her final tweet. Did their breakup trigger her final act . The latest tragedy for the comedy superstar whose life has been filled with heartbreak. Kim zolciak fighting to get back on dancing with the stars after suffering a stroke. This one time . Is kaley cuocos 30 million big bang fort