We have an unfolding american hostage situation overseas tonight. Seemingly out of nowhere, over just the past few days, the eyes of the world have been focused on a region in africa where the french have chosen to go to war against islamist rebels. And then in what seemed like an Immediate Reaction to the french attacks, kidnappers grabbed some Foreign Workers at a bp oil facility in the Sahara Desert in nearby algeria. We know there were american hostages along with brits and others. We know there was a Mission Launched today to free them and kill their captors. We dont truly know tonight about casualties or how Many Americans might have made it out of there alive. We begin with nbcs Stephanie Gosk on what we do know. Reporter using tanks and helicopters, the algerian military launched an operation on their own, to retake the remote gas field from the militants and free the hostages. Including at least three americans. Algeria says its over, but details are few, and casualty reports vary widely from a few dead to dozens. U. S. Officials are saying little about the operation or the american hostages. Because of the fluidity and the fact that there is a lot of planning going on, i cannot give you any further details at this time. Reporter the militants attacked the sprawling gas facility in the remote sahara wednesday morning, taking dozens of foreign and algerian hostages. Confirming algerias operation to retake the facility, british Prime MinisterDavid Cameron did not sound hopeful. And i think we have to prepare ourselves for the possibility of bad news ahead. Reporter several hostages did manage to escape the militants. One called his family in ireland. Its like winning the lottery. Getting him home again. I just feel so sorry for everybody else thats still there. Reporter the group claiming responsibility calls itself the signatories of blood brigade, founded by a former afghan gee jihadist, mock tar mum tar bell mukhtar. Kidnapping westerners and trading them for large ransoms. What does that say about their capabilities . Theyre very heavily armed, affiliates all over the place and supporters in europe and other francophone countries. If that isnt a concern, i dont know what is. Reporter a spokesman called the attack let Obama Administration for the conflict in the mali. French military forces have intervened to stop militants from taking over mali and making it a terrorist base. Rohit kachroo is the only American Network correspondent reporting from mali. People here have been flying the french flag to celebrate the military intervention. Overwhelmingly, they want the islamists gone, and they welcome the operation to save them from life under an oppressive regime. Reporter tonight, france continues to press ahead in mali, bringing in more troops. The hostage drama in algeria is a reminder that islamic extremism knows no borders. Stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york. Again, we know americans were among the hostages. The question is, was the u. S. Military involved in the mission to free them and kill their captors. Jim miklashevski covers the pentagon. Hes with us from there tonight. Jim, good evening. Reporter brian, from the very beginning, the u. S. Offered the algerians overhead surveillance, gathered by u. S. Satellites. Today one unarmed u. S. Military drone arrived in algeria to fly surveillance over the hostage site, but it was too late. The algerians have already begun their attack. The u. S. Also offered algeria american combat forces, a rescue hostage team, but the algerians rejected the offer. They wanted to do this themselves. So in the end, the u. S. Military had no direct role in this operation. Tonight, Administration Officials say algeria did not inform the u. S. In advance of todays attack to attempt to rescue those hostages. But in the end it probably wouldnt have mattered. According to one defense official, the algerians were in total control. Brian. Jim miklashevski at the pentagon. Where well keep an eye on it. Another big story today, big progress to report tonight in this countrys specifically a dramatic drop in cancer death rates over the last 20 years. But the news from the American Cancer Society is not all good. It comes with a big warning about the next big risk. Here with that our chief science correspondent, robert bazell. Reporter the report out today illustrates huge strides in the fight against cancer which kills one in four americans. The death rate down more than 20 in the last two decades is attributed to improved survival from the biggest killers, lung and colon cancer, for both men and women. Breast cancer and women and prostate cancer. The public should be ecstatic we are seeing these kind of reductions but they need to realize the battle hasnt been one. Reporter experts emphasize the kind of death rate is not due to the expensive new drugs we hear about. Instead they point to people smoking less and early detection, especially for breast and colon cancer. Still, this year, an estimated 1. 6 million americans will be diagnosed with cancer, and more than 580,000 will die from it. According to the report, the death rate for melanoma, often caused by n exposure, is rising. And there is major concern about obesity, which affects many cancers, including liver, breast and colorectal cancer. Over the next 10 to 15 years, its indeed possible that the obesity epidemic will become the leading cause of cancer, surpassing tobacco abuse. Reporter and that could impact the gains we are seeing now. Robert bazell, nbc news, new york. Now to the bizarre story that broke nationwide last night involving sports and truth and lies and the internet age. At the center of this is a notre dame Football Player named manti teo, a star linebacker, runner up for the heisman and a big part of his dramatic back story was the death of his girlfriend of leukemia until this report surfaced that there was no girlfriend. She was an internet invention. Teo says hes the victim of a hoax. Notre dame is standing behind him. There are still a whole lot of questions here. Nbcs john yang is with us from south bend, indiana tonight. John, good evening. Reporter good evening, brian. Today manti teo was out of sight, hes a florida sports preparing for what he hopes is an nfl career. That as the story that is the centerpiece of his fairy tale final college year has collapsed around him. Manti teo reporter manti teo was a College Football hero, not just to the home crowd here at notre dame, but to fans across the country. Hailed on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a star player who had triumphed over personal tragedy. In a single september day, he said, he lost both his grandmother and his girlfriend, recently diagnosed with leukemia. In an interview posted in november on notre dames youtube channel, he talked about the pain. When i lost my girlfriend and my grandma, that was possibly the hardest time of my life. Reporter the legend grew as teo led notre dame over michigan, the day he says his girlfriend was buried. Now it turns out his girlfriend never existed. As the website deadspin first reported, her identity was created in an elaborate deception. Manti is the victim of that hoax. And he will carry that with him for a while. Reporter in a written statement, teo said he communicated with the woman online and by phone. To realize that i was the victim of what was apparently someones sick joke and constant lies was and is painful and humiliating. While he told others he had discovered the deception on december 6th, he still talked about his illfated girlfriend at the Heisman Trophy ceremony two days later. Ill never forget the time i found out my girlfriend passed away. Reporter and he didnt tell notre dame officials until december 26th, 20 days afterward. The school hired private investigators and got the final report detailing the hoax on january 4th, three days before losing the National Championship game to alabama. Its not the kind of publicity that notre dame is looking for. Not the kind of publicity that teo was looking for. And so its understandable that they kept a lid on this as long as they possibly could. Reporter on campus today, students admiration hasnt dimmed. Its not just like, oh, yeah, hes like a Football Player. Its like hes a fantastic person. He just kind of represents what this campus is all about. Reporter even teos admirers here on campus say they would like to hear him tell a more detailed version of his side of the story as they try to find the big, unanswered question in this hoax. Why. Brian . John yang, headquarters of the fighting irish in south bend tonight, thanks. Hours before his big confessional interview with oprah, set to air tonight, the International Olympic committee has asked Lance Armstrong to send back the bronze medal he won at the 2000 Olympic Games in sydney. He was stripped of his seven Tour De France championships last year by the u. S. Antidoping agency. The head of the anti doping body said today armstrong should have already returned the olympic medal without having to be asked. Its been nearly six months now since a gunman opened fire in the packed Movie Theater in aurora, colorado, killing 12 people, wounding 58 hours. Tonight the theater is reopening for the first time. Private ceremony for victims and first responders. Its not without controversy. Its being boycotted by some of the victims families who say its insensitive to reopen the theater at all. And following the aurora massacre and the m in newtown, connecticut, the president is now trying to build public support for his sweeping plan to curb gun violence. Director and chieft. White house correspondent, chuck todd, has our brand new polling numbers about how americans are feeling about gun laws. Reporter a day after the president unveiled his recommendations to curb gun violence this is our first task as a society. Keeping our children safe. Reporter the new nbc news wall street journal poll shows 56 of americans do want stricter gun laws. 7 say theyre too strict now. And 35 want no changes. 20 years ago, the last time real changes were debated, a full twothirds of americans wanted stricter gun laws. This time, the public appears to be looking at the complex reasons behind the spade of mass shootings. A large majority said they believed lack of parental involvement with their children, Inadequate Mental Health Care and violent video games all contributed more to the gruesome shootings of the past two years than access to guns. And while the president talked a lot about Mental Health issues yesterday we will make sure Mental Health professionals know their options for reporting threats of violence. Reporter he never once mentioned parental involvement. [ gunshot ] reporter so really understand the complexities of the gun debate in america, look who owns guns. Our polls show that 41 of all households have a gun. In rural america, 61 . In urban homes, 29 . And our poll shows a dramatic political divide. 55 of republicans say they have guns. 27 of democrats do. And while the National Rifle association has been a lightning rod, 41 in our poll said they have a positive view of the organization. 34 a negative one. Among gun owners, the nras positive rating is 62 . Among nongun owners, 25 . Were powerful to the extent that we are because there are millions and millions of americans who truly care about Second Amendment issues. Reporter of course, this was part of an extensive look we did in this poll on the president , where he stands going into the second term, as well as all of washington. And it wont surprise you, brian, to find out if its possible, americans have grown more pessimistic about its leaders here in d. C. , and worse, they think washington is hurting the economy. The whole poll is on our website right now. Nbcnews. Com. Boy, those numbers didnt have much far further to go. Chuck todd in our d. C. Newsroom tonight. Thanks for all of it. Weather is making news tonight. A very large winter storm system has left quite a bit of snow on the ground from the deep south, and were talking about mississippi, alabama, rare snow on the ground there, to the mid atlantic tonight. Systems moving fast, but the snowfall where its falling is heavy and intense. There is one stormrelated death to report. Thousands are without power. Youre looking at a live picture of the scene outside richmond right now. They could get up to 6 inches there tonight with a rain snow mix, hazardous travel expected tonight, right up through the carolinas. It will all move out to sea by tomorrow. It will knick the jersey shore and at least long island on its way out. Still ahead as our broadcast continues, the mystery coming ashore. The tsunami trash that floated halfway around the world. Tonight, what strange life forms came along for the ride to the u. S. And later, remembering the woman behind dear abby and all that good advice over the years. Keep my eye on her. But, i didnt always watch out for myself. With so much noise about health care. I tuned it all out. With unitedhealthcare, i get information that matters. My individual health profile. Not random statistics. They even reward me for addressing my health risks. So im doing fine. But shes still going to give me a heart attack. Were more than 78,000 people looking out for more than 70 million americans. Thats health in numbers. Unitedhealthcare. If your a man with low testosterone, you should know that axiron is here. The only underarm treatment for low t. Thats right, the one you apply to the underarm. Axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18. Axiron can transfer to others through direct contact. Women, especially those who are or who may become pregnant, and children should avoid contact where axiron is applied as unexpected signs of puberty in children or changes in body hair or increased acne in women may occur. Report these signs and symptoms to your doctor if they occur. Tell your doctor about all medical conditions and medications. Do not use if you have prostate or breast cancer. Serious side effects could include increased risk of prostate cancer; worsening prostate symptoms; decreased sperm count; ankle, feet, or body swelling; enlarged or painful breasts; problems breathing while sleeping; and blood clots in the legs. Common side effects include skin redness or irritation where applied, increased red blood cell count, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and increase in psa. See your doctor, and for a 30day free trial, go to axiron. Com. To help protect your eye health as you age. Would you take it . Well, there is. [ male announcer ] its called ocuvite. A vitamin totally dedicated to your eyes, from the eye care experts at bausch lomb. As you age, eyes can lose vital nutrients. Ocuvite helps replenish key eye nutrients. Ocuvite has a unique formula not found in your multivitamin to help protect your eye health. Now thats a pill worth taking. [ male announcer ] ocuvite. Help protect your eye health. We are going to take you now to a remote stretch of the west coast, the Washington State coastline. And to say this pristine spot is under attack by alien life forms is not much of an exaggeration. A huge piece of debris from the tsunami in japan has made its way across the pacific, carrying with it some potentially Invasive Species never before seen in this part of the world. And now theyre scrambling before it becomes a part of our world. Our report tonight from nbcs miguel almaguer. Reporter Washington States Olympic National park, 73 miles of pristine coastline, is protected land, now under attack. This 66foot dock washed ashore in december. Along for the ride, living organisms, some Invasive Species. This is the first time we ever saw these come across the ocean. Reporter researcher john chatman and his strike team are among the first scientists to reach the remote dock, bringing samples to the lab. It was very much like seeing something from outer space. Reporter foreign plants and animals found here could invade, even kill off, native species. We know that when species come into new habitats, they often cause tremendous amounts of damage. Reporter in oregon, the invasive Northern Pacific sea star was identified in tsunami debris that washed ashore in june. A bottom feeder with a voracious appetite. We have nearly 150 species on these japanese tsunami debris combined. And we cant predict which ones might have a negative impact. But they could be quite catastrophic. Reporter theres a long history of foreign species reeking havoc. The San Francisco bay is the most invaded estuary anywhere in the country. The green crab decimated fisheries and altered the local environment here. Reporter in the mississippi river, asian carp wipe out native fish. In the great lakes, Zebra Mussels are the problem. Today, the challenge, contain Invasive Species before they get out of control. This problem is extremely serious and can cause environmental harm, economic harm, and harm even to human health. Were talking about over 100 billion worth of damage to the u. S. Economy every year. Reporter for now, its unclear what, if any damage, will occur in the pacific northwest. But tonight the experts dont like what they see. Miguel almaguer, nbc news, San Francisco. When we come back, a big birthday for the first lady, though not the big one. And she celebrates with a new look. [ male announcer ] how do you make 70,000 trades a second. Reach one customer at a time . Or help doctors turn billions of bytes of shared information. Into a fifth anniversary of remission . Whatever your business challenge, dell has the technology and services to help you solve it. A body at rest tends to stay at rest. While a body in motion tends to stay in motion. Staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. But if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. Prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. Because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. Plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. Celebrex can be taken with or without food. And its not a narcotic. You and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. All prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. They all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. This chance increases if you have Heart Disease or risk factors such as high Blood Pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. Nsaids, including celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. Patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. Do not take celebrex if youve had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. Get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. Tell your doctor your medical history. And find an Arthritis Treatment for you. Visit celebrex. Com and ask your doctor about celebrex. For a body in motion. My exgirlfriend. 7th grade math teacher. Who is this . Thats pete. My. [ dennis voice ] allstate agent. A starving artist has an allstate agent . He got me. [ dennis voice ] the allstate value plan. Its their most affordable Car Insurance and you still get an agent. [ normal voice ] i call it. [ dennis voice ] the protector. Is that what you call it . The protector okay. The allstate value plan. Are you in good hands . American airlines known by that instantly recognizable aa logo for so many years is tonight a little less recognizable because they have changed their look. In a big Rollout Campaign with accompanying gauzy video, they debuted their new logo and their new paint scheme on their planes. Opinions are a little mixed. Some people compared it to the new coke rollout of a few years back. Some said it was a little greyhound busy. They have been in a talk of a mega merger. People know of the foot long commercial jingle on the subway commercials. They show an 11inch model of the foot long. Subway scrambled to say bread length may vary at some of its 38,000 locations. They plan to reinforce their policy. Its their staple. They have offered a footlong sub since the very first subway opened its doors back in 1965. First Lady Michelle obama turned 49 today. But the big news came as the first ladys Office Inaugurated a twitter account and sent out this picture showing the first ladys new bangs. Which vanity fairs website instantly praised, calling them featherly, tracing their lineage in hair terms to bring jet bar dough. And as for her husband, but this on the eve of your second inaugural . An interactive tool thanks to the folks at the Washington Post website to show how much youve aged in four years in office. Of course, weve all aged in four years. Some have more on their plates than others. When we come back, remembering the woman who helped so many others with all those memorable words of wisdom. Memorable words of wisdom. She knows you like no one else. And you wouldnt have it any other way. But your erectile dysfunction you know, that could be a question of blood flow. Cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be Ready Anytime the moments right. You can be more confident in your ability to be ready. And the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. Do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in Blood Pressure. Do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. Side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. To avoid longterm injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. If you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. Ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30tablet free trial. Five days later, i had a massive heart attack. Bayer aspirin was the first thing the emts gave me. Now, im on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. [ woman ] learn from my story. Aww man. [ male announcer ] returns are easy with free pickup from the u. S. Postal service. Well even drop off boxes if you need them. Visit usps. Com pay, print, and have it picked up for free. Any time of year. Nice sweater. Thank you. Diarrhea, gas, bloating . Yes one Phillips Colon Health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues. With three strains of good bacteria. [ Phillips Lady ] live the regular life. Phillips. Finally tonight, we remember the woman who along with her sister, basically invented the business of giving advice. Pauline phillips died today at the age of 94. But you probably know her better by the words thousands of people wrote to her over the years, addressed dear abby. We get a look back at her story tonight from nbcs rehema ellis. Reporter Pauline Phillips was a house wife who got started almost 60 years ago writing for the San Francisco chronicle as dear abby. Phillips redefined advice columns with snappy responses about everything from health, marriage and children. When kay asked, are Birth Control pills deductible, she replied, dear kay, only if they dont work. Dear abby became a trusted household name, reads by tense of millions in hundreds of newspapers worldwide. I get about 300 letters a day that sound just like this one. Dear abby, im a girl of 14 and i like a boy of 15. Reporter even president s took note of her popularity. Abby, thank you. Thank you, mr. President. She wasnt a doctor, physician. She was just a woman from iowa who had great, good common sense. Reporter phillips was also on the radio for 12 years, an author to six books. Famous for oneliners. Dear abby, between you and me, i think the people who write to you are either morons or theyre just plained stupid. Signed henry. She replied, dear henry, which are you . Some confused her with her twin sister, ann landers, also an advice columnist. Both helped raise awareness about health issues. In 2000, phillips started to share the column with her daughter. Soon after, it was revealed phillips had alzheimers. Today, her daughter jeannie who took over the column said my mother leaves very high heels to fill with a legacy of compassion. Asked years ago, has it been a lot of work . Not really, phillips said, its only work if you would rather be doing something else. Rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. And thats our broadcast on our thursday night. Thank you for being here with us. Dont forget, rock Center Tonight will have an exclusive interview with the most famous scientologist to ever leave the church, and a book that investigates life inside the controversial religion. Tonight at 10 00, 9 00 central. Im brian williams. We sure hope to have you back here tomorrow evening. Good night