control? more than 100 woman who use the pill say a packaging error led to pregnancy. now these moms say the company should pay. "nightly news" begins right now. >> in nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." good evening. we start with greig danger the sky which threatened nearly 2 dozen flights last night alone. the fbi is looking for potentially dozens of suspects who lit up the skies with laser pointers in 16 cities. one targeted the helicopter of our nbc station here in new york city which aimed its camera lens at the source catching the alleged culprit in the act. tom costello now with a rare pilot's view of this alarming threat from the ground. it happened 1,500 feet over brooklyn. a bright green laser light suddenly lit up the nbc 4 helicopter cockpit. >> don't look, george. >> reporter: the reporter and his pilot nearly blinded as they hovered above the city. on the ground, a man who appeared to be targeting not only the nbc chopper but nypd chopper, too. >> we can see him standing outside the building in the back with the lacer in his hand shooting at us. >> there's another arrest. >> reporter: police quickly moved in making one arrest. at the same time in dallas -- three aircraft were targeted near lafield. faa reports last night alone more than 20 aircraft were struck by lasers nationwide, from upstate new york to detroit, cincinnati to salt lake, san juan, puerto rico to los angeles. a number of attacks is growing. as of mid october, more than 5,300 strikes this year compared to 3,900 last year. at u.s. park police headquarters today where the s.w.a.t. team practiced repelling, they showed how the laser light can blind the pilot. they are five milla watts or more. the eye damage can be irreversible. >> as we are coming in for a landing, the whole pock pit illuminates in almost like a green haze. >> reporter: no suspect was identified. pointing a laser at a plane is a felony punished by up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine. so far, at least 50 people have been convicted. their sentences ranging from probation to five years. the suspect in last night's case in new york pleading not guilty. bail set at $20,000. by the way, the fbi says it's typically a male in his teens or 20s who is behind this. they generally don't know what they're doing. but as you know, 5 milawatt lacers are illegal, but you can still buy them online. thank you. no one is immediately dismissing a claim by isis thought was behind twin terrorist womaning ing bombings that killed 48 people in lebanon. coming two weeks after the suspected bombing of a russian jetliner over egypt possibly by isis operatives. raising fears isis may be expanding its reach. our chief foreign correspond richard engel has late details. >> reporter: the bomb exploded in the lebanese capital beirut with devastating effects. more than 40 dead, at least 200 injured. the explosions were at a shopping area with cafes in the southern neighborhood. it's also a strong hold of the shiia militia hezbollah. and hezbollah is fighting against isis in syria. so it surprised no one when isis claimed responsibility for this atrocity which lebanese officials say involved at least two suicide bombers and possibly two more. it means isis is now at war n,internationally, bombing those who are fighting the group wherever it can find them. >> isis is expanding. and today, tonight's attacks in beirut if really carried out by isis, this would reenforce its narrative at invincibility. >> reporter: u.s. officials suspect isis bombed the russian plane in egypt two weeks ago in response to air strikes by russian jets in syria. isis specifically called for attacks on russya just this morning in a new video. and now isis apparently brought carnage to lebanon to take revenge against hezbollah. there are other countries attacking isis, as well. including the united states. but there's little common ground on how to deal with the group. >> this internal religious civil war is broadening and getting more cruel and dangerous to all of us. >> reporter: lebanese officials warn the country may be entering a new phase of violence. in the past, similar bombings in lebanon were the work of al qaeda. no hw it cou!d be isis. the group's target list seems to be widening. thanks. there is late word of another black eye for the u.s. secret service. an employee assigned to the white house has been arrested, accused of sending sexual messages to someone he thought was an underage girl. our justice correspondent pete williams is in our d.c. newsroom with details. what can you tell us? >> these charges were filed against a member of an officer assigned to check the i.d.s of people with appointments to visit the white house. prosecutors say the officer, 37-year-old lee robert moore of churchill, maryland, began sending sexually explicit text messages in august to someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl but who was actually an undercover police officer. in one message he said he was, quote, sitting at box office style booth checking i.d.s for entrance into a building. court documents say he sent a sexually explicit photo of himself. he was relieved of duty last week and put on leave. prosecutors say after he was arrested, he admitted sending some explicit messages while he was on duty at the white house. >> pete, thank you. a stunning verdict late today in the sensational trial of an aging mobster accused o playing a part in one of the most infamous heists in history, one that became the basis for the hollywood classic oodfellas." after weeks of testimony revealed deweils about the heist we never knew until now. the jury says he's not guilty. rehema ellis has the courtroom drama. >> reporter: it was a heist so big, so bold they made a movie out of it. oodfellas" told the tale of the daring 1978 heist at the lufthansa airline terminal at kennedy airpor bit that netted $6 million in cash and jewels. was then the biggest cash robbery in u.s. history. for almost 40 years, no one was ever convicted of the crime, and today that remains the case. late this ternoon, the man charged with helping to plan it, 80-year-old reputed mobster vincent asaro walked out of federal court in brooklyn a free man, not guilty of all charges, including racketeering and extortion. >> i'd like to thank my two lawyers. without them i wouldn't be here now. i'd like to thank u.s. marshal service for treating me great. al reporter: it was a stunning defeat for the government and its star witness, asaro's own cousin to turned on him and ore a wire to gather evidence against asaro. asaro said -- >> you don't want to al ow. >> it's probably beyond mob betrayal. it's a blood betrayal. >> reporter: asaro had never been linked to the heist until his arrest last year. based on hose secret recordings in which he complained he never got his fair share of the loot. little of the money was ever recovered, and tonight, still no justice almost four decades later. rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. turmoil at the university of missouri has now led to a major shift in power. days after the school's president resigned following otests over his handling of racial incidents, an african-american has been named as his interi replacement. as jacob rascon reports, the student movement is spreading far beyond t t campus. >> reporter: it was time for new leadership at the university of missouri and they chose michael middleton. >> i completely understand the frustration of our students, faculty, staff and community. >> reporter: the former deputy chancellor, now the interim president. >> it is imperative that we hear all of our students and do make them comfortable and safe. >> reporter: also today, 19-year-old hunter park faced his charges. >> we believe he is a dang . >> reporter: court documents revealing he admitted to having deep interest in an active shooter incident which left nine students dead, an apparent reference to last month's rampage at umpqua community college at oregon. at northwest missouri state university, police arrested another student for threats against blacks. and today the fbi began looking into threats against black students at howard university. but missouri has ignited a movement from ithaca college to yale. >> the presidents of universities are looking at now. it's reactionary when students have been trying to tell them to be proactive. >> reporter: from virginia commonwealth to vanderbilt, university of iowa to the university of southern california. thousands are standing with mizzou. >> this shows the power that engaged students can have in creating change on their college campuses. >> reporter: the dean of students resigned at claremont mckenna college, as protesters demanded better treatment for hispanics. back in missouri, many see the interim president as a perfect fit, a former civil rights attorney and student activist who fought similar issues on.. the same campus 50 years ago. now he says it's time sfor misso realuri to step forward and be a leader. lester? >> jacob rascon, thanks. ben carson is facing new questions about his friendship with a convicted felon. carson has taken a hard line on health care fraud, yet as chris jansing explains, he fought to keep his friend from going to prison for that very same offense. >> reporter: ben carson calls alfond costa his very best friend. he is a driving force behind carson's charity, owner of a resort where carson vacations, but also a convicted felon. working out of this office as an oral surgeon, costa pled guilty in 2008 scamming more than $40,000 nor insurance companies. nbc spoke sploousively to the prosecutor today. >> he caused the insurance companies to finance the expansion of his business. >> reporter: as first reported by the associated press, in a bid for leniency, ben carson wrote a letter to the judge saying next to my wife of 32 years, there is no one on this planet i trust more. he testified at costa's sentencing. they became friends because our value systems were almost identical, adding, i love him. >> fraud is fraud. dr. costa pleaded guilty to fraud. >> reporter: costa got three years probation, including a year under house arrest in this mansion outside pittsburgh. even that sentence was reduced by a year because of his work with carson's charity. carson appealed for leans lean yens si friend. not advocating chopping off people's lives, but stiff penalty. loss of all of one's personal possessions. costa and his lawyer declined comment. no comment from carson, arriving at a fund-raiser tonight. in a statement today said of costa, i know his heart. i am proud to call him my friend. i have always and will continue to stand by him. that is what real friends do. it's been a lucrative friendship. when ben carson filed papers to run for president, they show he and his wife earned between $200,000 and $2 million a year from his business association with costa. lester? >> chris jansing, thank you. there is new hope on the way for american women unable to conceive a child because they don't have a uterus or theirs is damaged. the cleveland clinic will perform the first womb transplant in america. eight women are taking part in the screening process. such transplants have been done previously with donated uteruses on nine women in sweden. four successfully have given birth. a pastor's pregnant wife murdered. he says he came home from the gym to find her shot in the head. was it a home invasion that took a deadly turn? the video of a man who seems to be completely unaware that a train is coming whatever you're doing, plan well and enjoy life... unitedhealthcare insurance company, go long. of course, how you plan is up to you. take healthcare. make sure you're covered for more than what just medicare pays... consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company... plans and the ones that millions of people it's about having the coverage you need... plan well. enjoy life. go long. morning ted! ready to hit some balls? 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[whoosh of steam] [deep breath] stay unstoppable. alka-seltzer plus. watching football together is great... ...but i think women would agree... ...huddling with their man after the game is nice too. the thing is, about half of men over 40 have some degree of erectile dysfunction. well, viagra helps guys with ed get and keep an erection. ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain; it may cause an unsafe drop inure.od side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach and abnormal vision. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. ask your doctor about viagra. now available in new we are back now with a murder mystery that shocked the city of indianapolis. a pregnant wife of a young pastor found shot in the head inside her home. her young son found unharmed. authorities believe it was a home invasion robbery. as nbc ron mott reports, a church and close community are left devastated. >> reporter: she was a young wife and mother settling into a new life in indianapolis with her pastor husband to start a new church. but on tuesday morning, police say 28-year-old amanda blackburn was shot in the head and later died, the victim of a home invasion and robbery. two weeks ago pastor davie blackburn posted this video to his blog. >> your wife is your best friend, someone you should be willing for. >> reporter: tuesday wounded wife after coming home from a workout. >> we found an adult victim inside the home trauma. transported to methodist hospital in critical condition. >> reporter: the couple have a toddler son who was home at the time and unharmed and amanda was pregnant with their second child. they moved to indianapolis from south carolina three years ago and found resonate church who offers bible studies and blogs. police say there was a separate burglary hours before she was found. >> for something like that, such a brazen attack, they had a weapon and shot somebody, it makes you scared. you don't want to live in fear, but you can't be paralyzed by that. >> reporter: police released no further details. tonight there are no arrests. ron mott, nbc news, chicago. we are back in a moment with the birth control mix-up that more than 100 women found out about after jake reese, " day to feel alive" jake reese, " jake reese, " day to feel alive" look, the wolf was huffing and puffing. like you do sometimes, grandpa? well, when you have copd, it can be hard to breathe. it can be hard to get air out, which can make it hard to get air in. so i talked to my doctor. she said... symbicort could help you breathe better, starting within 5 minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. symbicort helps provide significant improvement of your lung function. symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol increase the risk of death from asthma problems. 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 can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. hey i'm 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, burning or stinging, blisters, and pain. oh, epic moves, big j! fight it! getting ready for your close-up? ask your doctor if jublia is right for you. visit our website for savings on larger size. we are back with a big lawsuit over birth control. over 100 women are suing a drug company because they say a mix-up in the packaging of their birth control pills resulted in unplanned pregnancies. as nbc's anne thompson reports, they want the company to pay millions of dollars in damages. >> reporter: for generations, women have relied on the pill to avoid pregnancy, but a new lawsuit says eight brands of birth control pills failed, putting 113 women in danger of unintended pregnancies because the pills were defectively and dangerously designed, manufactured, packaged, sold and distributed. the defendants, endo pharmaceuticals of quality and qualitest based in pennsylvania. they were packaged upside down so the placebo were taken at the start of the 28-day cycle rather than at the end. that left the women without adequate couldn't recommendation. recalled the pills in 2011. the recall involved an extremely small number of pill packs and was able to confirm only one defective blister pack was sold. one legal expert says if the women win, the cost of pregnancy and child birth will be reimbursed. recovering the cost of raising a child will be much harder. >> most jurisdictions would say having a child is worth it. we all think having a child is worth it in the long run, even though it's a lot of work and a lot of money. >> reporter: of the 28 states the women come from, only seven permit the payment of child rearing. the company says courts have thrown out cases from the recall because the plaintiff couldn't prove she bought a defective package. anne thompson, nbc news, washington. the heart-stopping video of the day comes from brazil where a security camera was rolling as a man slowly walked across train tracks never realizing the train was approaching at that very moment. astonishingly, the train misses him by a hair, but he never apparently unaware he was nearly run over. because of that video, the rest of the world is aware. when we come back, how the worst day of this retired soldier's life led to the highest military honor. our parents worked hard so that we could enjoy life's simple pleasures. now it's our turn. i'm doing the same for my family. retirement and life insurance solutions from pacific life can help you protect what you love and grow your future with confidence. pacific life. helping generations of families achieve long-term financial security for over 145 years. nexium 24hr is the new #1 selling frequent heartburn brand in america. i hope you like it spicy! get complete protection with the purple pill. the new leader in frequent heartburn. that's nexium level protection. i brought in some protein to get us moving. i'm new ensure active high protein. i help you recharge with nutritious energy and strength. i'll take that. yeeeeeah! new ensure active high protein. 16 grams of protein and 23 vitamins and minerals. finally, before tonight only nine living veterans of our nation's longers war received the medal of honor that. number rose to ten today in a moving ceremony at the white house. nbc's jim miklazewski has the harrowing tale of an american hero awarded the nation's highest military honor. >> reporter: it was three years ago first lieutenant lorne grover led his team on a deadly mission that changed their lives forever. >> always would be the worst day of my life. >> reporter: it was supposed to be a routine operation in afghanistan. he and his six-man security team guarding a group of high-ranking u.s. and afghan commanders. suddenly two men on motorcycles come speeding around a corner, a clear diversion. out of no where a third man walked backwards toward the formation. >> he's a threat and i can't shoot him because i can't see a weapon him. >> reporter: agent andrew mahoney knew instinctively this was a suicide bomber. >> he wasn't looking at us. >> reporter: the two americans rush the bomber pushing him away from the other americans. >> reporter: this was a walking bomb and both of you confronted him. >> i hit him, grabbed him, start pushing him and threw him. mahoney comes and pushes him down and then he just detonated at my feet. >> reporter: miraculously both survived the blast. three american soldiers and a foreign service officer were killed. groberg was seriously wounded. after three years of rehab and 33 surgeries, he's back on his feet. today a visibly emotion al emotional groberg was at the white house where he received the medal of honor from president obama. >> on his very worst day he managed to summon his very best. >> reporter: long after afghanistan, he still wear as bracelet with the four who died. >> we do the best we could as a team and it's combat. that's the reality of it. >> reporter: jim miklazewski, nbc news, the pension. >> that will do it for us on this thursday night. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good

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