Transcripts For WRC NBC Nightly News 20140903

Tonight, what our cameras found on the road, what to do and on the road, what to do and what not to do. And a big surprise from Country Music superstar tim mcgraw making a difference for our veterans and their families. Nbc nightly news begins now. From nbc news World Headquarters in new york, this is nbnightly news with bri williams. Good evening. It is among the scariest threats our nation has faced since 9 11. And after the beheading of a second american now by isis, for all those who may be wondering if the u. S. Is going to rise up, take the bait and get into the fight to root them out, the answer today from both the president and Vice President appeared to be clear and unambiguous. We will not be intimidated. Their horrific acts only unite us as a country and stiffen our resolve to take the fight against these terrorists and those who make the mistake of harming americans will learn that we will not forget and that our reach is long and that justice will be served. As a nation were united. And when people harm americans, we dont retreat. We dont forget. We take care of those who are grieving. And when thats finished, they should know we will follow them to the gates of hell until they are brought to justice. The Vice President today at the Portsmouth Naval shipyard. The president before that in astonia. And as the u. S. Decides to go after isis, isis continues to attract and recruit members. Just today the u. S. Secretary of defense said upwards of a hundred americans are believed to be fighting for isis in the middle east. And tonight in an nbc news exclusive Richard Engels been able to find one of those americans. Richards with us tonight from the Syrian Border in turkey. Richard, good evening. Reporter good evening, brian. Weve reported americans have tried to join isis, but we havent been able to hear directly from one of them until now. Isis militants are brutal killers whose victims include americans. Yet there are americans, an unknown number, who are isis recruits including donald morgan. My islamic name abdul raheem. Reporter what attracted him to isis . Someone has to defend islam. And somebody has to defend innocent muslims. Reporter nbc news interviewed morgan in beirut through a freelance journalist. He didnt hide his intention to join isis, which calls itself the islamic state. I purchased the ticket with the intent of entering the syria after joining up with medical and food aid convoys and directly with the islamic state. Reporter don morgan now 44 was educated at a military academy. He was a member of the national guard. A deputy sheriff. A bodybuilder. Raised catholic in salisbury, North Carolina. This is the house where don morgan lived, at the end of a quiet street in a middle class neighborhood. And the question on the minds of his coworkers and neighbors is why would someone want to leave suburban North Carolina to join the vicious fight in syria . This guy is from small town, salisbury, North Carolina, hes not from the middle east. Hes not from a messed up family situation. Hes a hometown guy. Reporter brian beaver has known morgan for 15 years. Do you think he was dangerous toward the end . I can see him being dangerous. I can. Reporter morgan had been in trouble with the law and served time on gun charges. Colleagues and Law Enforcement officials describe an angry man struggling to fit in and finding a cause in radical islam. This is it. This is the path. This is the way youre going to go. Reporter morgan says the change came two years ago. Spending hours on the internet following the wars in the middle east, he got sucked in and started tweeting radical messages under an arabic pseudonym. A push came from being mistreated by people around me who didnt share the views i had. Reporter he decided to join isis last june and began to make his way from beirut to syria. But he was stopped on the way by authorities in turkey and sent back. Soon after our interview, running low on money, morgan returned to the u. S. Knowing the risk. I think theres a strong possibility that theyll charge me with supporting terrorist organizations and participating in terrorist activities. Reporter but does he think hes participating in terrorist activities . Based on the definition, yes. Reporter when morgan returned to the u. S. Last month he was arrested, but not for terrorism. Hes accused of trying to sell a firearm online, which as a convicted felon hes not allowed to own. He remains in custody. Hes pleaded not guilty. Morgan himself says hes not a terrorist and does not pose a threat to the United States. Others dont agree. Richard engel starting us off tonight from the Syrian Border with turkey. Richard, thanks. President obama is about to embark on a nato meeting in wales. These gatherings havent always been considered vitally important. In fact, just a few years back one former u. S. Defense secretary brought crossword puzzles to pass the time. But with trouble around the world, with the isis threat, this gathering of nato has an urgency more of the cold war era. Our senior White House Correspondent Chris Jansing is there and traveling with the president. Chris, good evening. Reporter good evening, brian. What a contrast at the last nato meeting the talk was about winding down the war in afghanistan. Now its about gearing up on two critical fronts. The first is isis and the threat that some of those foreign fighters bring both to europe and the United States should they come back and mount attacks on the homeland. Its not officially an agenda item, but there are expected to be a lot of side talks about it including at a meeting tomorrow morning between president obama and british Prime Minister david cameron. The president wants to form a coalition even as theres mounting pressure at home to take action swiftly. The president also looking for support to form a coalition, what to do about vladimir putin. Hes just come from the baltics. A lot of concern there they could be next in a putin land grab. Really interesting given that one of the original reasons for nato was to fight russian aggression. There have been 17 of these nato summits since the fall of the berlin wall, brian, this one shaping up with these two major issues around the world to be the most consequential yet. Chris jansing covering this nato gathering in cardiff, wales, tonight. Chris, thanks. Another topic at that nato meeting will be the ebola fight. Just today the number of deaths officially topped 1,900. Its still spreading faster than effort to stop it. And an american missionary is speaking for the first time about her battle with the disease as we learn more about another american doctor whos been infected. Weve got the story tonight from our chief medical editor dr. Nancy snyderman. Reporter 51yearold doctor rick sacra from worcester, massachusetts, volunteered to go to liberia a month ago when he heard his colleagues Nancy Writebol and dr. Kent brantly contracted ebola and were being evacuated. Ironically he was not treating ebola patients when he became infected. He was working in the maternity ward. Heres a doctor bringing new life into liberia as death is surrounding us. Reporter today, Nancy Writebol spoke to the public for the first time, two weeks after quietly leaving Emory University hospital. There were many mornings i woke up and thought im alive. Reporter in liberia, writebol had been working long hours cleaning protective suits for doctors and nurses. After developing a fever, she told matt lauer, her husband broke the news to her. She was infected. I was laying down and david went to hug me and to put his arms around me. And i knew how dangerous that was. And i just said, dave, just dont. How bad did it get for you . How sick did you get . Well, the night i was evacuated and when they put me on the airplane, i was bad. And when i said goodbye to david, i was not sure that i would ever see him again. Reporter now home and getting stronger, both writebol and dr. Brantly say they want the world to do more to help the people of west africa. I hope that my survival can help more people in africa survive by motivating International Community to take action. Action that now includes dealing with another crisis, starvation. Food supplies are not reaching people in isolation. And this situation is growing more dire by the day, brian. Nancy, thank you for that. We want to let the folks watching know well get much more from these american survivors of this Ebola Outbreak in an nbc news primetime special we are calling saving dr. Brantly. Thats friday night at 10 00, 9 00 central. In this country, a major drugstore chain has become the first to make a big change. Cvs has stopped selling cigarettes and other Tobacco Products today saying it will be good for business as it focuses on the health of its customers. We get details tonight from our National Correspondent kate snow. Of course were all going to die some day. But do we have to pay for it . Reporter in the movie clerks, easy access to cigarettes was the butt of a joke. But cvs is the first big retailer to turn those tobacco customers away. And their pr team is playing it up with a 50foot cigarette in new york city park today being constantly snuffed out. We looked in the mirror and ask the hard questions and were proud to say were the First National pharmacy chain to take that step. Somebody had to be first. Were proud to say it was us. Reporter the move was hailed by the obama administration, the first ladyweeting thank you cvs health, but theres more to the decision than health concerns. This is really a business decision for them. They rebranded themselves with cvs health because they want to be seen as a big health player. And they are a very big health player. Its not just their drugstores, they are also the nations largest pharmacy benefit manager. Reporter yes, there are some frustrated customers. I think its a big inconvenience. Because, you know, its like a onestop shop. Reporter but with Tobacco Sales plummeting over the past 30 years, cvs believes customers will come any way. I think its a great thing theyre doing. Reporter many antismoking activists hopes the move encourages other stores to quit the tobacco habit too. But tonight at the other big chains, cigarettes still filled the shelves. Kate snow, nbc news, new york. One more health news item here. Weve all seen the commercials here and elsewhere. And while they will likely continue, the fda says theres little evidence that testosterone boosting drugs taken by millions of american men are actually effective. But they add theres no real evidence to say they pose a serious risk either. The condition has been marketed as low t and the medications are offered to help with low sex drive and fatigue among some men. Still ahead for us tonight, in an emergency, lights and sirens when seconds count. Tonight, why so many drivers dont move out of the way. And later, a big surprise from one of the biggest names in music. Tim mcgraw changing lives for American Veterans and their families. Lives for American Veterans and their families. announcer are you dealing with hot flashes during menopause . Why suffer more than you have to . You can do something different. Because the landscape of options has changed. Brisdelle is the only fda approved, nonhormonal option proven to reduce moderate to severe hot flashes during menopause. And the bedtime dose provides 24 hour relief. Brisdelle is not for everyone. 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Perhaps this has happened to you, youre driving in your car, which is so quiet it serves as a sanctuary from the modern world where you can play music or talk on the phone as you see fit when suddenly in the Rearview Mirror you see strobe lights and you realize the siren you hear is aimed at you and First Responders are trying to get through. Its right at this point where so many otherwise levelheaded drivers often freeze or have no earthly idea what to do. Its part of a big problem involving First Responders getting where they need to go. We get our report tonight from nbcs tom costello. Reporter the bystander who called 911 last may hes shaking. His body is shaking. Reporter was already doing cpr on michael lui who collapsed into cardiac arrest while jogging. Paramedics call it a priority one call. What are you going to now . Reporter a patients chances of surviving drop 10 with every minute that passes. Because nationwide modern ems and Fire Fighting tactics require many more units on the initial response. Back in maryland, michael lui celebrated his 32nd birthday last week with firefighters and the woman who saved him. If the medics had been delayed, what would have happened . I would have died. If they had been any later in getting there, i wouldnt have made it. Reporter but because the system worked, a little boy named nathan has his dad back. Tom costello, nbc news, gaithersburg, maryland. Another break for us. Were back in a moment with a bigamist ri that appears to have been solved at one of the most mysterious places on the planet. Mysterious places on the planet. Afternoon arrives and feeling good, but her knee pain returns. Thats two more pills. The evenings event brings laughter, joy, and more pain. When jamie says. Whats that like six pills today . Yeah. I can take 2 aleve for all day relief. Really, and. And thats it. This is kathleen. For my arthritis pain, i now choose aleve. And designed a comprehensive program to help smokers quit, too. [ knocks ] expanded minuteclinic with over 900 locations for walkin medical care. And created programs that encourage people to take their medications regularly. Introducing cvs health. A new approach. A new purpose. A new promise. To do everything we can. To help all those wishes come true. [ applause ] cvs health. Because health is everything. Finally tonight, one of the biggest names in Country Music is behind a good deed. A life changer actually. For the men and women who have