President addresses the nation. Nightly news begins right now. Good evening. We start with the breaking news out of paris and what at least at this moment looks to be a city under terror attack on several fronts. The reports are coming in rapidly. We expect many details will change but what we can piece together so far sh the Associated Press reporting two suicide attacks and one bombing outside of a soccer stadium. There have also been shootings. And a large number of people have been taken hostage. French television citing Police Reporting as many as 60 people are dead. Tonight france has closed the borders with the rest of europe. We have extensive coverage. Lets start with keir simmons on what we know at this hour. Reporter chaos on the streets of paris tonight. Gunfire ringing out and simultaneous explosion at a restaurant. Amid the confusion, there appeared to be four separate incidents. Reports of 100 people taken hostage at a theater where the American Band eagles of death metal out of l. A. Was playing. Witnesses hearing at least 20 shots and seeing more than 15 a shooting in a shopping mall. A separate attack at a restaurant. At least 11 People Killed there alone. And police said two suicide attacks outside of the French National stadium just outside of paris where france and germany were holding a soccer match. An explosion could be heard from inside of the stadium. The game over and fans were held on lockdown as shooting continued across paris. One of the spectators was president hollande hollande, rushed from the stadium and within an hour chairing an emergency meeting. While French Police and military flooded the streets. Some carrying away it injured. Sickening scenes. Echoes of the Charlie Hebdo attack where multiple shooters targeted a magazine office. And twending among isis supporters. In paris there is shock and fear tonight. The french president has declared a state of emergency and has sealed the countrys borders. But lester, were hearing reports of shooters moving through the concert hall where the hostages were taken, killing people one by one. People are taking to social media and saying someone please help us. In the last few minutes reuters reporting that the president of france is saying there is a Police Assault underway. Witnesses saying nev heard they have heard five explosions around the concert hall. Lets hear from a witness in paris. Seth portiones was staying in an apartment near where gunfire erupted. We spoke to him moments ago as he described what he saw. I am staying at a apartment near. There is a busting nightclub area and there are bars and restaurants around and i see a gathering of people in front of me, it is minor Police Activity and no big deal. I saw Police Officers holding guns, hunched behind vans like a scene out of a movie. It was just as this occurred and there were a couple of police cars and a couple of firefighters. And then there were dozens and the police were hiding behind vans. There is a shooter on the loose in the neighborhood and that is when i split and i got out of there. I saw a gentleman about 30 years old with a towel wrapped around his hand and bleeding. You could hear a police car go by right now. They are behind the barricaded area. That car is going very, very fast. It is a neighborhood that has people out and about, getting drunk, partying, doing things. And when you see Police Activity, your first thought is somebody got into a fight at a bar, not there is a shooting. That showing discretion from a freelance american journalist near the attacks in paris. We turn to Richard Engel standing by in istanbul, turkey. Anyone trying to connect the dots would foet the plane that may have been blown out of the sky over egypt a couple of weeks ago, the suicide attacks in lebanon, for anyone trying to link this to isis, what should they know. What are you hearing . Reporter the u. S. Intelligence community is working hard to try to piece this together to fig e out who was responsible. There have no immediate claims of responsibility but one senior u. S. Intelligence and counterterrorism official told me that the suspicion right now is that this was not the work of isis. That it bears more of the hallmarks of al qaeda or an al qaeda affiliate because of the sophistication and the coordination that is involved. Were talking about potentially dozens of terrorists operating in multiple lotions, all across paris. Many of them in that same area where the Charlie Hebdo attacks took place a year ago. That attack claimed by not isis but al qaeda. That is what one official says is the main suspicion right enow. If it were, however, isis, it is still a possibility. It would be, quote, a gamechanger because it would reflect isiss ability to project power, to project its force much more so than weve seen in the past. And isis has been reaching out gointernationally. Just yesterday isis claimed responsibility for that horrific bombing in beirut and brought down the russian jet over the sinai killing more than 200 civilians. So a lot of people trying to figure this out and they are shocked at the degree of sophistication involved. They are calling it an unprecedented attack, not just in europe, not just in france, but in the history of terrorism. And richard, it is not lost on anyone this happens 24 hours is jihadi john, the famous infamous isis execution. You put a report on that. Well get to it in a few minutes. That is worth discussing in connection with this. We want to go to the white house. President obama being briefed on the situation. The president came to the Briefing Room and spoke about the attacks just a shorta time ago. Ron allen is there for us. Ron, what is the latest from there . Reporter good evening, lester. The paris is concerned about paris. Briefed by the Counterterrorism Team as the attacks were unfolding. He called it heartbreaking and outrageous. Sending his deepest condolences to the french people and promising america is ready to help. This is an attack not just on ris, it isng an attack not just on the people of france, but this is an attack on all of humanity and the universal values that we share. We stand prepared and ady to provide whatever assistance that the govybnmen an wd the people of frghance need to respond. Reporter justco incidentally, mr. Obama spoke to the french president hollande this morning. The leaders discussing thedis weekends g20 meeting in turkey which they both plan to attend. With the threat of global terrorism will be at the top of the agenda. Thank you. We want to bring in michael ader, former director of the National Counterterrorism center under president obama and bush. He is now the executive Vice President of lydeos which does National Security work for the forward government. Michael, first of all, what are you hearing . People in was ngton are still really unclear. They are watching tv and following this else. Not aonot of reporting out of the french yet and i think it will be sometime until they have a good feeling this. Why france . We saw it in Charlie Hebdo. We saw the france again . France is deeply engaged in syria and iraq with the u. S. Coalition and france does have a difficult relationship with muslim communities going back to algeria. I think it is too early to say if this is al qaeda or isis. But what we could be confident of is that this is ultimately going to be violent sunni extremists and a level of sophistication we havent seen in urban area since probably 2008 and the attack in mumbai, india, anfi that is and that is what i wanted to follow up. If these are coordinated attacks how does that escape thile radar in this day and age in the vigilance against terror networks. It is surprising. French is effective in counterterrorism and they strengthened the laws after the Charlie Hebdo attack. I think they are probably found to be some communications possibly using encryption which kept the french officials from seeing this. But a lot of soul searching in france and also beyond in the u. K. And the u. S. To understand how an organization could plan this so effectively, to have multiple sites, explosives and small arms. This will be, as others have said, a gamechanger for how the west looks at this threat. Mimal leader, thank you. Lets bring in it andrea mitchell. How are you hearing how the u. S. Is reacting to this. As michael knows well, the Counterterrorism Center he used to head under two administration is going back over electronic surveillance to see if they missed some sort of intelligence, did they miss some intercept and could they reinterpret it. But as michael points out, the u. S. Is blind because it is shocking but american intelligence does not know really whether this is isis or is it al qaeda. You heard the president say he has not spoken to president hollande because officials tell me the french are in response mode. And until and if we find that americans are other hostage or casualties here, the french will not feel compelled to brief the white house about what is going on. Also, it is really striking that only yesterday the president said that we were gaining strength against isis. That we were containing isis. We were making progress against isis. If it is isis, this is an enormous setback to american intelligence and to the president s messaging. He had said previously that the goal was to degrade and destroy isis. Now hes saying to contain isis. Containing isis is not a goal that implicates that suggests getting rid of the Terror Threat that could eventually take the homeland. Time and time again we report about what haurppened over there. We remember 9 11 and that feeling of we could be next again. What kind of alarm bells are being raised in washington about the fact that we could be more vulnerable, that what were seeing there could be here . Right now, Homeland Security officials tell nbc news there is no immediate threat that they have been able to determine to the homeland. But that is exactly why intelligence officials are going back over intelligence. And the Russian Airline was a wakeup call and then bay rut and now this. And as michael suggests, what dont we know. I want to circle back. This all comes after ws b eke that one of the mostin fam ois members of isis was likely taken out in ria. The pentagon today said it is, quote, reasonably certain a u. S. Drone strike killed the man known as jihadi john. The executioner seen in the horrible videos at have terrorized the world. We turn to Richard Engel on that. He tortured victims and taunted the u. S. But last night on a street in raqqa, the socalled capital of the Islamic State in syria, a missile came for him. The few hostages who crossed his path and survived describe the man they call jihadi john as a satist and soako path. Relished his role as isis chief three americans. His real name is muhammed emwazi, a kuwaity born citizen. Late last night u. S. Officials tell nbc officials three reaper drones, two american and one before theish were tracking him when he and another man walked out of a building on raqqas clock tower square and into a car. One of the u. S. Drones fired a hell fire missile. The two men were, quote, incinerated. It does suggest that perhaps the job of coalition and the u. S. Is perhaps going to be a little easier if they do have legitimate credible forces on the ground. Reporter and u. S. Officials were quick to send a message to other isis militants. The terrorists associated with daesh need to know this. Youre days are numbered. Reporter he had been under surveillance, sources say, for a long while. Long enough, according to the white house, to give the families of s victims notice of the operation. But they were not comforted. The father of hostage james foley late this afternoon. Jihadi john makes difference to me. Jim is dead. He wont bring bombing him wont bring jim back. Reporter but night it seems very likely that jihadi john will never be able to destroy another family with his swagger and threats and knife. Lester, just hours before the paris attacks began, counterterrorism officials were sounding fairly confident they dealt a symbolish blow at the very least to isis taking out their most recognizable figure, certainly in the united states, jihadi john. Now there is a concern that isis and al qaeda are trying to send messages of their own, carrying out massive attacks in europe. And they also say that it is no surprise that these attacks are taking place in europe. That it took place in paris. Jihadi john was someone who was radicalized in the u. K. , went to syria to fight and so many of those those extremists have been in syria, in iraq, and then returning home to places just like paris. Richard engel, thanks. As we noted, there is no specific threat aimed at the u. S. But security profiles are being raised. We heard a moment ago that new York City Police are putting more officers on the street and not being more specific than that. But clearly raising the profile in a city that often regards itle is as a potential target. We will continue to follow the breaking news out of paris throughout the broadcast as events warrant. But when we come back, some of the days other major news. Well be hey im here on the red carpet where our next arrival is. Whoa toenail fungus . Fight it with jublia. Jublia is a prescription medicine used to treat toenail fungus. Use jublia as instructed by your doctor. Are you getting this . most common side effects include ingrown toenail, application site redness, itching, swelling, oh, epic moves, big j fight it getting ready for your closeup . Ask your doctor if jublia is right for you. Visit our website for savings on larger size. I brought in some protein to get us moving. Im new ensure active high protein. I help you recharge with Nutritious Energy and strength. Ill take that. Yeeeeeah new ensure active high protein. 16 grams of protein and 23 vitamins and minerals. Ensure. 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R tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. Ti accept i dont have to set records. R but im still going for my personal best. And for eliquis. Reduced risk of stroke plus less major bleeding. P ask your doctor if switching seens from paris tonight where we are continuing to monitoring the breaking news in a series of coordinated terrorist attacks, dozens reported dead. Dozens more being held hostage. We will return to paris, a city under siege in, just a moment. But there are other stories we need to report tonightch a Major Development in this country, in a divisive issue of our time. The Supreme Court is stepping back into the fight over abortion. Agreeing to review a texas law that could force more than three quarters of the states abortion clinics to close. Our Pete Williams reports it promises to be the most important decision on abortion in 25 years. Reporter the court agreed to hear a challenge to the nations toughest abortion law passed two years ago in texas it. Requires abortion clinics to meet the same building standards as Outpatient Surgical Centers and requires their doctors to have hospital admitting privileges. What is at stake right now is whether or not we could put a stop to this and be sure that womens constitutional right to access abortion is safe and secure. Reporter Texas Governor rick perry signed it, supporters say it protects the health of patients. Our objective is to make sure we provide a strong facility that meet those minimal common sense standards for womens health. Since the law was passed, the number after borgs clinics in texas has fallen from 42 to 19 and could drop to ten. Staffers at this womens clinic in fort worth said they want to stop abortions. What they did instead was to go around and make it impossible. They couldnt make it illegal so they made it impanel. Reporter there will be some laws in 12 other states, some on hold because of legal challenges. The judge stices will hear with a decision by late june. And back to the story breaking right terrorist attacks. You have covered the whacka mole terrorist groups, how will they piece together the individuals and the network that made this happen. Lookba through electronic intercepts and look at social media and that exposed a problem that the fbi director has been warning about here. Groups make contact on social media that Law Enforcement could see and then they go into encrypted sites using commonly available applications where Law Enforcement could no longer track them. It is a challenge lester. Pete williams, thank you very much. We are back in a daves been working on his game, and starting each day with a delicious bowl of heart healthy kelloggs raisin bran. Hows your cereal . Sweet tastes like winning. How would you know what winning tastes like . 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Symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. You should tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high Blood Pressure before taking it. Symbicort could mean a day with better breathing. Watch out, piggies children giggle symbicort. Breathe better starting within 5 minutes. Call or go online to learn more about a free trial offer. If you cant afford lets take you now. A city once again scarred by terrorism. We want to get to sam champion of the weather channel. Now. What have you seen and heard . Hey lester. Hosting the 24 hours with al gore this evening, this is supposed to be a 24hour broadcast we carry throughout the night into the morning. When i rapped up, we were walking away from the scene. And just hours before this happened, the mayor of paris, mayor was on our set as well as a number of french dignitaries tonight. Our entire set is now on lockdown. I cannot tell you i could tell you that former Vice President al gore is tine fine. I condition tell you where he is. We were told to come here and talk to you guys. So let me give you an idea of travel ago cross the city. We are below the eiffel tour with our set. And where we are standing right now is just outside of the tour raffle. So all of the action is in the tent. So all of the three areas are closely together. On our way over here, the streets thinned out and cleared out like that. Lester, the only thing moving had flashing lights on, even the one or two taxi cabs trying to get home had red lights and not stopping to pick anyone up. And as we move into position, everybody looking at each other frighteningly with a suspicious stare. People are panicked here. Sam champion with the eyewitness account from paris tonight. exec 1 well, directv beat us in Customer Satisfaction again for the 15th year in a row. But we have a plan. exec 2 when our customers are on hold, lets up their satisfaction with some new hold music. exec 2 thats glenn from the mailroom. He djs on the weekends. exec 3 sorry, who is it . exec 2 its glenn, from the mailroom. He djed bills wedding. exec 3 he what . exec 2 he goes by dj glenn, he works way downstairs. exec 3 whatd he say . exec 2 glenn, from the mailroom vo get rid of cable. And upgrade to directv. Call 1800directv. Its here, the first gummy multivitamin. A complete, and tasty way to. Your energy. And metabolism like never before. Centrum multigummies. See gummies in a whole new light. And starting each day of heart healthy kelloggs raisin bran. Hows your cereal . Sweet tastes like winning. How would you know what winning tastes like . Invest in your heart health, with kelloggs raisin bran. Were back with more on our top story. Multiple massacres across paris. Dozens are dead. Lets go back to keir simmons monitoring developments from our london newsroom. Keer, give us the latest . Well, lester, tonight the death toll in paris could be as high as 60 people. How many attacks have been carried out is still confusing it. May be four, it may be five wife n. One case, we are hearing reports of four men fired into a restaurant for more than a minute and turning and walking away. And a hostage taking where 100 people were said to have been taken hostage. The french president saying an assault is underway. We are hearing from a French Television network that the hostage taking is now over and routers is saying two attackers are dead. President hollande telling his nation tonight, france must be strong, big and firm. The terrorists want to scare us but faced with fear, we are a nation who knows how to defend ourselves. Lester. Keir simmons, thanks. And john kerry has replaced a statement saying the u. S. Is making effort to account for u. S. Citizens who may have been in paris in the site of the attacks. They are determining if any americans were involved. Well have continuing coverage throughout the evening and on nbc news. Com and live more tomorrow morning on today
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