America. Nightly news begins right now. From nbc news World Headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. Good evening. President obama today defended his level of response to russian hacking, aimed at influencing the election, while for the first time appearing to directly point a finger of blame at Vladimir Putin. Today acknowledging some of what we reported exclusively this week, the president said at the time, he wanted to play the information straight in the midst of a hyper partisan election. But nbc news has learned of moves to thwart further russian mettling. Reporter nbc news broke the news this week that russian president Vladimir Putin directed russias mettling into the u. S. Election. And this afternoon, president obama all but confirmed it. Not much happens in russia without Vladimir Putin wp what. Reporter what he designed to say is whether Hillary Clinton lost because of the russian mettling. Im going to let all the political pundits in this town have a long discussion about what happened in the election. Reporter officials tell nbc news that the nations intelligence agencies all agree, seeing donald trump elected became one of russias motive, along with undermining confidence in the u. S. Election. While president obama tried to reassure the country today his administration took appropriate steps to warn russia off. I think we handled it the way it should have been handled. Reporter he has still declined to give specifics about what the u. S. Did to protect the nation around the election, but tonight nbc news can report that at least a half dozen clandestine actions were taken by the u. S. To ensure the integrity of the voting process itself. According to a Senior Intelligence official with direct knowledge of these operations, for the first time in american history, hundreds of military intelligence cyber experts, who work out of top secret facilities, including underground bunkers, monitored realtime intelligence and cyber traffic, regarding the election. It was all hands on deck to erect what they thought would be impenetrable. Designed to block anyone from interfering in the american infrastructure, from the u. S. Power grid, to the Nations Communications systems. Every vulnerable path was monitored. The Senior Intelligence official told nbc news, imagine protect being the Rockefeller Center christmas tree, from above, from below, from the sides. Now imagine you had to protect every one of the 50,000 bulbs on the tree from electro magnetic interference. You can do it, but it takes extraordinary resources. But last night at a private party with her top support erds, Hillary Clinton suggested Vladimir Putins vendetta against her, did help shape the outcome. This is not just an attack against me and my campaign, although that may have added fuel to it, this is an attack against our country. Reporter something the president acknowledged today as well. Our goal continues to be to send a clear message to russia, or others, not to do this to us. Because we can do stuff to you. A Senior Intelligence official tells us, the massive u. S. Effort should itself signal to the public how seriously the Obama Administration took the threat. The feeling inside the white house, as we heard from the president today, was that to reveal the details of what was going on, would further alarm the public and undermine american confidence in the electoral process. Lester . Cynthia, thank you. The russians are trying to hit back at the american claims. We want to get reaction there from our chief correspondent in moscow, Richard Engel with new development in a cold war of words. Reporter in russia, the message to washington today was put up, show proof of moscows Election Hacking or shut up. A spokesman for president putin today visiting japan said, without evidence, the u. S. Is embarrassing itself. Tonight, the president also wasnt holding back. They are a smaller country. They are a weaker country. Their economy doesnt produce anything that anybody wants to buy. Reporter this is a low point in u. S. Russia relations that have been steadily getting worse under the Obama Administration. Here in moscow, there is no love lost afor the u. S. President as we found when we visited a kremlinbacked youth group called network. The group makes videos often carried on russian tv. Theyre antiu. S. And often depict president obama as a warmongerer. But times are changing. Yulia is a painter here, where a new face is emerging to claim the hearts of even the most patriotic russians. Why are you painting portraits of donald trump . To me, he has a positive character, unlike, obama, she said. He wants good relations with russia. Russia doesnt seem to care what president obama says. The feeling here is, they only have to wait a few more weeks and then theyll get the president they want. Lester . Richard engel tonight in moscow, thanks. President elect trump has repeatedly rejected u. S. Intelligence estimates blaming russia for the election hacks. Tonight we get reaction from team trump to the message president obama aimed at them today from nbcs kristen welker. Reporter tonight, mounting pressure on president elect donald trump to call out russian hacking in the u. S. Election, after president obama called on his successor to take a hard look at what went wrong. One way i do believe that the president elect can approach this that would be unifying is to say that we welcome a bipartisan, independent process. Reporter but just moments after the president s press conference, one of trumps top advisers digging in, not disputing russias at fault, but instead pointing the finger at Hillary Clinton. This wouldnt have happened if Hillary Clinton didnt have a secret server. Reporter in fact, it was one of clintons top advisers emails that was hacked and exposed, not clintons secret server. Trump weighing in on twitter today, again pointing to the dnc hack, ignoring putin who he seemed to have consistently excused. Are we talking about the same cyber attack where it was revealed the head of the dnc illegally gave hillary the questions to the debate. That a reference to one email which shows clinton may have been tipped off about at least one debate question. Mr. Trump likely concerned the hacking charges could undercut his victory, has consistently balked at the idea that russia is to blame. If you dont catch them in the act, youre not going to catch them. They have no idea if its russia or china or somebody, it could be somebody sitting in a bed someplace. Reporter and as a candidate, even seemed to encourage russia to hack clinton during his last News Conference in july. But it would be interesting to see. I will tell you this, russia, if youre listening, i hope youre able to find will the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press. Reporter so will his tone change . Tonight a top transition official telling nbc news, mr. Trump is prepared to address the issue with president obama even if not publicly. The president elect and the president will probably confer about this before anything happens and my guess is because they have the common cause and the common. Of tcommon interest of the American People to connect them. Reporter high stakes as the president elect prepares to take office. As we head into the weekend, millions of americans are headed for the most bitter blast of the season so far. Dangerous cold and snow on the way for some big population centers. First we go to nbcs rehema ellis. Reporter brutal blowing snow. Ice, sleet, and more than one whiteout, all before winters even officially arrived. Its freezing cold. Reporter miserable conditions for boston firefighters, battling this sixalarm blaze in windchills of minus 15 this morning. No cause yet, but plenty of problems. The streets frozen, so theres a lot of danger with it. Reporter also frozen, hoses and ladders covered in ice, stuck in place after dousing the ferocious fire. Travel troubles too. In minnesota, slick roads to blame for more than 200 crashes, just today. The race is on to prevent those types of traffic troubles around the windy city. Preparing for snow and cold temperatures this weekend that could feel like 19 below. Not just uncomfortable, but lifethreatening. Who is most vulnerable . Those who are out for a long time, such as workers. Elderly patients are people who are in their homes and dont have heat, for example. And actually cant get help. And then infants and children. Reporter tonight Authorities Say more than a hundred firefighters faced frigid temperatures battling the blaze here that forced about 20 people out of their homes. Lester . Rehema ellis in boston tonight, thank you. And al roker is here with us again this evening. What are we looking at . Well, weve got more trouble especially with this cold air and a storm system coming right into it. We have this next round of reinforcing cold air bringing windchills from 45 below in billings to minus 9 in minneapolis. Then it starts to move east. Look at these air temperatures, minus 23 on sunday in minneapolis. Minus 12 chicago on monday. Minus 1 in detroit. And the windchills, even more brutal. Minus 27, thats what will it feel like in chicago. Minus 12 in indianapolis. Pierre on schunday, minus 43 degrees. Into that comes a vigorous storm system, four to eight inches, stretching all the way to new york city. And then were also looking at Severe Weather firing up saturday into sunday from new york all the way down into atlanta, lester. On top of that, there could be icing which could cause icy bridges, slippery roads and Power Outages throughout the southeast. Al, thank you. Tonight, weve made the dangerous trek inside aleppo, on the front lines of a horrific battle. For families desperately trying to escape the city, trapped by war for so long, and now on the brink of falling. Nbcs bill neely is there. Reporter it was the day they thought theyd be free. Thousands of civilians were ready to leave rebelheld aleppo when suddenly gunfire. Everyone fled. The ceasefire shattered yet again. Desperate people driven back to what the u. N. Chief today called hell. Among them, 47 children, orphaned by the war. Nbc news has been following their ordeal for months. Initial reports said theyd escaped yesterday. They were close, their caretakers said, but today, there was gunfire at the crossing. We couldnt get through. Thank god we are all good and back at the orphanage. Also still trapped are 7yearold bana and her mother fatima. In desperation, theyve appealed to michelle obama. I talk to you as a mother. Reporter they are surrounded by syrian troops and militias like the iranianbacked hezbollah. For many evacuated yesterday, emotional reunions with families they hadnt seen for the four years theyve been under siege. Most sought refuge in other rebelheld areas. Some in government refugee camps. Many, like this injured child, were finally rushed to a hospital in turkey. There are hopes the evacuation can restart tomorrow. That needs a ceasefire, and trust. And both for now are missing. Here in aleppo tonight, there have been explosions. Its not clear whos firing. But righthand 40,000 people, mostly civilians, and so many of them children, are still trapped in whats left of the rebelheld area. The city is once again teetering on the brink of chaos. Lester . Bill neely in aleppo for us tonight, thank you. Back home, controversies erupting over a political power grab in North Carolina. The republican governor who lost a bitter battle for reelection, began signing laws today that stripped powers from his democratic successor before he could take office. The move triggering furious protests and arrests. Nbcs Gabe Gutierrez has details. Reporter at the North Carolina state capital, more arrests, as protests erupted for a second straight day. Its terrible. Its sneaky, and its just not constitutional. Let us in reporter demonstrators banging on the doors of the lenl slature, after outgoing governor pat mccrory signed the first of several controversial bills, aimed at limiting the next governors powers. Theyve decided now to go back and frustrate the will of the voters. Reporter the legislation would slash the new governors ability to appoint state and local board positions, hire and fire government workers and appoint his cabinet without lawmakers approval. This isnt unprecedented, but it is extraordinary. And i think it reflects the polarization of our times. Reporter the debate raging during a special session before governmentelect roy cooper takes office next month. We dont look good to our people here in North Carolina, or to the rest of the country, when laws are passed hastily, with little discussion. Reporter hes threatened to sue, but supporters of the bills argue that while a democrat may have marrowly won the governorship after a contentious recount, republican lawmakers are still in the majority. This is no coup. Every member up there was democratically elected in a constitutional way. No one is challenging that. Reporter tonight, North Carolina, one of the fiercest political battlegrounds, is bracing for a legal fight. Gabe gutierrez, nbc news. Still ahead here this evening, hidden perks from your credit cards. Extended warrantsies and lost protection and much more you may and lost protection and much more you may as after a dvt blood clot,ital i sure had a lot to think about. What about the people i care about . Including this little girl. And what if this happened again . I was given warfarin in the hospital, but wondered, was this the best treatment for me . So i asked my doctor. And he recommended eliquis. Eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots and reduces the risk of them happening again. Yes, eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots. Eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. Both made me turn around my thinking. Dont stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. Eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. Dont take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. If you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. While taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily. And it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. Seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. Eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. Tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. Eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots. Plus had less major bleeding. Both made eliquis the right treatment for me. Ask your doctor if switching to eliquis is right for you. Hi hey you look good. Thank you, i feel good. It all starts with eating right. Thats why i eat amaz n prunes now. Theyre delicious and help keep my body in balance. I love these. Sunsweet amaz n prunes, the feel good fruit. Jack knocked over a candlestick, onto the shag carpeting. And his pants ignited into flames, causing him to stop, drop and roll. Luckily jack recently had geico help him with renters insurance. Because all his belongings went up in flames. Jack got full replacement and now has new pants he ordered from banana republic. Visit geico. Com and see how affordable renters insurance can be. Back now with what you might call the hidden power of plastic. Perks and benefits a lot of credit card holders dont even know they have. Ways to get refunds, get Services Without any charges, saving you money in the process. Nbcs jo ling kent explains. Reporter as you use your credit card this holiday season, you should know, it may have hidden benefits that can save you big money in a pinch. I was super scared, i didnt know what to do. Reporter when lauren bergmans car broke down, she called the number on the back of her American Express card, the company sent a tow truck free of charge. I never in a million years would have imagined may card could do all the things she could do. Reporter when she dropped and shattered her iphone after her warranty was up, her card gave her a 100 refund. According to a recent survey, 81 offer extended warrants, 57 provide purchase protection, like reimbursing you for items that are lost, stolen, or damaged. 47 give price protection. Refunding the difference if the price drops on an item within four months after purchase. And 26 guarantee returns, even when stores dont. You could be missing out on hundreds of dollars a year in extra benefits from your credit card company. Everything from roadside assistance to paying for your hotel if you miss your flight due to weatherrelated travel concerns. Reporter but they dont cover everything. They usually exclude cars, jewelry, medical equipment, and computer software. At the end of the day, you never know when it can help you out. Reporter experts say call or check online to discover the perks that may be hiding in plain sight. Up next tonight, a moving tribute to a hi, im paul. I used to ask if you could hear me now with verizon, but i switched to sprint because their Network Reliability is within 1 of verizon. And get this, sprint has this crazy deal on their new unlimited plan with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th line for free. Yep unlimited data, talk and text for your whole crew. A plan like this with at t would cost you over 200 a month. And verizon. They dont even have an unlimited data plan. Can you hear that . vo buy one Samsung Galaxy s7 or galaxy s7 edge, for people with hearing loss, get one free. Visit sprintrelay. Com just serve classy snacks and bew a gracious host,iday party. No matter who shows up. [cricket sound] richard. Didnt think you were going to make it. Hey sorry about last weekend, i dont know what got into me. Well forgive and forget. Kind of. I dont think so do you like nuts . If you have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, isnt it time to let the real you shine through . Introducing Otezla Apremilast . Otezla is not an injection or a cream. Its a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. With otezla, 75 clearer skin is achievable after just 4 months, with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. And the otezla prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. Dont take otezla if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. Otezla may increase the risk of depression. Tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts, or if these feelings develop. Some people taking otezla reported weight loss. Your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. Side effects may include diarrhea, nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, and headache. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, and if youre pregnant or planning to be. Ask your dermatologist about otezla today. Otezla. Show more of you. Back now with a showdown on the high seas between the u. S. And china. The pentagon is demanding the return of an underwater drone it claims was stolen by china. A u. S. Navy Research Vessel was supposed to pick up a drone like this one, in international waters. But u. S. Officials say a chinese warship swooped in and took it first. Ignoring requests to return it. The unmanned vehicle was reportedly on a nonclassified ocean graphic mission. A horrifying scene in san francisco, where at least ten people were injured when a car plowed into a bus stop. A Police Official said two people suffered lifethreatening injuries. The cause is under investigation. Thousands gathered today to pay last respects to an american hero. The public lined up at the ohio state house where the late john glenn was lying in state. Glenn was the First American to orbit the earth and later represented ohio for four terms in the u. S. Senate. Up next here tonight, santas little helpers, asking tonight, santas little helpers, asking for the publics help you totanobodys hurt, new car. But there will still be pain. It comes when your Insurance Company says theyll only pay threequarters of what it takes to replace it. What are you supposed to do . Drive threequarters of a car . Now if you had Liberty Mutual new car replacement™, youd get your whole car back. I guess they dont want you driving around on three wheels. Smart. With Liberty Mutual new car replacement™, well replace the full value of your car. Liberty stands with you™. Liberty mutual insurance. Want lontry. Duo fusion heartburn relief . Duo fusion goes to work in seconds and lasts up to 12 hours. Tums only lasts up to 3. For longer lasting relief. In one chewable tablet try duo fusion from the makers of zantac the market. Redict but through good times and bad. At t. Rowe price. Weve helped our investors stay confident for over 75 years. Call us or your advisor. T. Rowe price. Invest with confidence. A farmers market. Ve whats in this kiester. A fire truck. Even a marching band. And if i can get comfortable talking about this kiester, then you can get comfortable using preparation h. For any sort of discomfort in yours. Preparation h. Get comfortable with it. Finally tonight, they may never know his name, but theyll sure remember his generosity forever. Secret benefactor and his elves are asking the public to help give away 100,000 to people in need, and the response has been pretty overwhelming. Our jacob rascon explains in tonights inspiring america report. Reporter when they knocked on her door how are you, maam . Good to see you. Reporter michelle rich couldnt get up to greet them. Oh, my gosh. Reporter for months, a chronic illness has made it impossible to walk. Michelle couldnt afford the treatment until now. Gosh, youre serious . Were serious. Reporter the gift, delivered whats going on with the hats . By elves. By the east idaho news team. Where did you get those hats . The dollar store. Reporter a local businessman contacted them needing help giving away 100,000. The news asked people to nominate people who needed the money and got more than 1400 names, including the carsons. Jim has stage four cancer. Oh, my gosh, oh my gosh. Reporter krista lefits daughter has spina give spina bifida. What the wolf family wants for christmas is their husband and father nate, whose brain tumor has taken away his speech. Do you want to know what she asked for christmas for santa . To get daddy better and that he can read a story for her and daddy can go sledding with her. Reporter secret santa can only do so much, but the 5,000 gift will help pay off medical bills. I just dont know what to say, just thanks so much. Thank you, im speechless. Reporter when all hope seemed lost this is just the biggest deal. Reporter bringing in the true spirit of the season. Great reminder theres a lot of good out there. Thats going to do for us on a friday night. Im lester holt. For all extra, extra hdtv reality real estate stars reunited, are they trying to save their marriage or big bucks tv deal. Youre still going to be doing the show together, right. Hollywoods hottest mr. And mrs. Blake reynolds and blake lively show off the kids for the first time. The new born. Their holiday plans, revealed. More couples news, gwen and blakes white hot winter heating up as she makes a giant primetime return to the voice. Damn right i want gwen to come back. Then star wars mania strikes again. We got all the break out stars. Are you ready for your life to completely change. He could be the most powerful man on team trump. Our lost interview with jar jared