the penguin exhibit. >> they are cute. thanks so much for joining us. >> we'll see you at 6:00. good night. on the broadcast tonight -- deadly force. the harsh new warning from egypt after yet more violence as the death toll from the brutal crackdown soars to more than 600. how safe? a wake-up call on security at this country's nuclear reactors. how vulnerable are they to terrorism? weighing the risk. the deadly impact of obesity, the toll on americans far greater than previously thought. and where in the country they're putting on the most weight. and american classics. the legendary collection many never driven finally up for sale. have they got a deal for you. "nightly news" begins now.

good evening. i'm lester holt sitting in for brian. a day after its deadly crackdown on opposition protesters, egypt's government today vowed to respond to any retaliation with more deadly force. the estimated death toll from yesterday's armed assault on two sit-ins has more than doubled since this time last evening, now topping 600. and today as families claim the bodies of the dead, members of the muslim brotherhood, who want the country's elected president restored to power, say they will not be crushed and plan another show of solidarity tomorrow. and that tonight has the u.s. state department warning americans to leave that country immediately. once again, nbc's richard engel is in cairo for us with the very latest on this unfolding crisis. richard? >> reporter: good evening, lester. even after all that has happen today egyptian security forces officially authorized the use of live fire to protect themselves in, quote, key installations.

undeterred, the muslim brotherhood hopes to have a massive demonstration here in downtown cairo tomorrow. egyptian forces loyal to the military were cleaning up today and even celebrating at the site where hundreds of protesters from the muslim brotherhood were gunned down yesterday. some egyptians came out to thank the troops for the crackdown. >> i support anyone who supported us to get rid of the terrorism we saw in the streets the past year. >> reporter: the government is trying to justify all the violence and deaths. the foreign ministry today distributed videos to journalists, including this one, allegedly showing protesters with automatic weapons. there is still a lot of cleanup to do, but can egypt just sweep away what many say was a massacre that took place here? the muslim brotherhood lost this battle, but the group is promising more protests, which could mean more scenes like this.

and now the brotherhood have martyrs to avenge. >> we will continue going into the streets peacefully. >> reporter: at the amman mosque, hundreds of bodies were lined up for collection, blocks of ice to keep them cold. the carpet wet, the air filled with freshener to mask the smell. families distraught and overwhelmed. this woman searched for her son. he's 19. her only photo is an old picture from school. he went to the protest yesterday and never came home. he may be here, but some of the bodies are so burned i can't tell, she said. collapsed on a chair, this woman doesn't need to look any further. at her feet, her 27-year-old husband shot in the head, father of their toddler. she has no job or money. i pray to god to give me strength, she said. egypt may have overstepped in its crackdown, but it isn't showing signs of remorse.

and tonight, lester, that mosque with the bodies inside was just raided by egyptian police. they disbursed the crowds with tear gas and seized the bodies. lester? >> richard engel in cairo. thank you. president obama took time from his summer vacation today to publicly decry egypt's deadly crackdown. >> the united states strongly condemns the steps that have been taken by egypt's interim government and security forces. but, while we want to sustain a relationship with egypt, our traditional cooperation cannot continue as usual when civilians are being killed in the streets and rights are being rolled back. >> because of yesterday's violence, the president says the u.s. is canceling next month's planned joint military exercise with egypt, an exercise the two countries have held since the 1980s. but he made no mention of pulling the plug on ongoing u.s. military aid to egypt or other possible sanctions.

let's bring in david gregory, moderator of "meet the press." david, why isn't the president taking a harder stance here? >> well, the bottom line, lester, it's not clear the president knows exactly what he can or should do at this point. i talked to white house officials who said with regard to pulling the aid, they don't want to play their whole hand in what one called a knee-jerk reaction here. that's the leverage they have, that $1.5 billion worth of aid. and don't forget that the strongest aspect of the u.s./egyptian relationship is the relationship the u.s. has with the military in egypt. so there's been a lot of faith that they place in the military going back weeks to the original ouster of morsi, that they thought they'd very quickly get back on a democratic path. they're now stung by the fact they have made a different calculation. the president ratcheting up the pressure to try to pull them back. >> all right. david gregory, david, thank you. turning to lebanon now where there was a deadly attack in beirut today. at least 18 people were killed when a car bomb exploded at the headquarters of hezbollah, the military shiite muslim group.

more than 100 people were wounded. sunni group claimed responsibility, the attack comes amid growing sectarian tensions after hezbollah's intervention in the war in neighboring syria. back in this country, in the american west, fires are exploding out of control tonight in several states, a total of 39 large fires across 11 states right now. many of them fueled by historic drought conditions. veteran firefighters are facing what they call a recipe for disaster, and one of those fires is on the move tonight in utah where more than a dozen homes have been destroyed. nbc's miguel almaguer joins us from outside the fire lines in wanship, utah, near park city. miguel, good evening. >> reporter: lester, good evening. tonight we're being kept a safe distance from this fire because it is so explosive and so dangerous. this area is a tinder box. listen to this brush beneath my feet. it is so dry. it is so explosive. it is so ripe and ready to burn. in fact, much of this region is

just a tinderbox ready to go up in flames. with flames shooting 100 feet into the air, utah's so-called rockport five fire has swallowed at least 14 homes and now threatens 250 more. >> i was absolutely horrified that our home was going to be completely gone. >> reporter: for hundreds forced to flee the flames there was little time to evacuate. >> where our cabin was just a ball of fire. >> reporter: this lightning-sparked fire is racing at speeds up to 100 feet per minute, feeding on endless acres of dry brush. veteran firefighters call this one of the fastest, most explosive fires they've ever seen. >> we've seen extreme fire spread and extreme fire behavior with rapid changes in direction. >> reporter: utah isn't alone. in the parched hills of idaho, crews are battling the nation's most challenging fire, 81 structures gone, 112,000 acres destroyed. >> we've been really busy. our crews have been pushed real hard. >> reporter: drought conditions

are fueling fires everywhere, with rainfall below average for a second year, the last seven months out west are the driest on record. the region in extreme drought. >> you get a hot spring and certainly a hot early summer like we had, and you're going to get an expanding drought. that's exactly what's happened out west. >> reporter: with 3.1 million acres charred so far this year, this isn't a record fire season yet, but it is historic. in arizona, the deadliest fire in state history, 19 killed in yarnell. while in colorado, the most destructive, nearly 500 homes leveled in a single fire. tonight, back in utah, growing danger. the rockport five fire is threatening to make another run, the latest in a fire season far from over. so far tonight, this fire has charred some 2,000 acres, wind speeds tonight could reach 35 miles per hour. that's the biggest threat. the good news, this blaze is 25% contained. the next few hours, lester, will

be critical. >> all right, miguel. thank you. federal investigators have now recovered the black boxes from that deadly ups plane crash short of the runway in birmingham, alabama, early yesterday morning. tonight they say there's no evidence of a pre-accident fire or engine failure in the crash. and despite the charred condition of the flight recorders, the ntsb tells nbc news they're optimistic they can recover the data they need to solve the mystery of this crash. if you're one of millions who live near a nuclear power plant, you'll want to hear this. there is renewed concern tonight about how prepared those nuclear facilities might be in the case of a terrorist attack. a report commissioned by the pentagon suggests that the nation's nuclear reactors remain vulnerable to a 9/11-style attack, especially in some of the country's biggest population centers. our report tonight from nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: nearly 12 years after 9/11, researchers say the nation's 100 nuclear reactors are still underprotected and

vulnerable to attack from air, land or sea. >> these civilian nuclear facilities in the united states are not required to protect against a threat that's anywhere close to what occurred on 9/11. >> reporter: experts believe some of the 9/11 terrorists considered attacking a nuclear reactor. commissioned by the pentagon, today's report suggests terrorists could try to attack or sabotage a nuclear facility, perhaps using a hijacked plane to cause a meltdown or steal bomb-grade uranium to built a device. the former director says it's a serious warning but it would be far more difficult to hijack a plane, and nuclear reactors are far more secure. >> i think overall the security of the sites is relatively good. but for the very high-end terror threats there's no doubt that protections could be increased. >> air puffers on. >> reporter: two years ago, we visited the waterford three nuclear plant on the mississippi river in louisiana. barbed wire fencing, roaming

s.w.a.t. teams, double-sealed doors and hardened concrete protect the nuclear core and the pool that holds spent fuel rods. but because the nation's plants are at least 30 years old, often with communities nearby, experts say hardening them to 20 century standards would be both costly and challenging. nationwide, 65 of 100 working reactors sit within close proximity to population centers, one in three americans lives within 50 miles of a nuclear reactor, including new york, boston, philly, charlotte, chicago, miami, baton rouge, and san diego. 50 miles is considered the potential contamination zone. today the nuclear regulatory commission insisted it has strengthened security requirements for commercial nuclear power plants and remains confident that these important facilities are adequately protected. while reactors may remain a target, any new security requirements are now highly unlikely. tom costello, nbc news, washington. the stock market got

pummeled today, the worst day's drop in eight weeks, triggered in part by disappointing sales numbers from walmart. the dow closed down 225 points, nasdaq and s&p also down. at the closing bell. still ahead, the obesity epidemic. astounding new numbers and how deadly the problem is and who is most at risk. and later we'll hit the road with a collection of classic cars you won't believe, hundreds of them untouched for decades and now finally up for sale.

we're back tonight with some stunning news on america's obesity epidemic. it's now estimated as many as one in five people in this country will die from obesity-related disease. what's significant about that number is that it's three times higher than previous estimates. but as our chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman reports, it's never too late to turn things around. >> reporter: it's the last few days of summer before school starts, and 13-year-old marshall reed is up early getting

breakfast ready. on this morning's menu? fresh veggie omelets for his mother and him. >> eating healthy makes me feel so good that i don't want to go back to my old ways. >> reporter: marshall has worked hard to control his weight, which is important in light of today's study suggesting obesity causes more deaths than previously recognized. in an eye-opening new report, researchers studied men and women between the ages of 40 to 85 over a 20-year period. they found that obesity was likely responsible for about 18% of deaths during that time, one out of five americans. >> obesity is going to increasingly shape the mortality levels in the united states as we move forward. >> reporter: body mass index has increased in every state, especially the southern and midsection of the country. experts worry that will translate into declining life expectancies. obesity is now responsible for more deaths because it's striking at younger ages.

the toll from years of being overweight, increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and certain cancers. three years ago marshall decided he had to lose weight and wanted to share his journey on youtube. >> i am doing this because i have a weight problem, and i need to address this weight problem. if i do not address it, something might happen. >> reporter: marshall wants to inspire other kids and has collaborated with his mother alex on a kid-friendly cookbook. and in the process, he's lost weight, hoping to buck a deadly trend. on top of this study today, the cdc released numbers that obesity rates are plateauing in adults in some states, but personally i think that's a false sense of security because the rates are already too high in this country. so for the first time in human history, people aren't dying of starvation. they're dying because we have an overabundance of food not particularly good for us, lester. >> as i'm watching i got hung up on the life expectancy.

>> right. >> i think we've all been led to believe that we're living longer in general. you're talking about turning that clock back. >> we are living longer depending on where you live. if you live in some parts of the south -- in mcdowell, west virginia, we talked about the average age being 65. that rivals some african countries. and we know increasingly that what we eat at 16 can make a difference as to what we look like at 60. so for instance, if you look at the heart and blood vessels of someone who's already eating foods not good for them, not exercising, how you look on the inside can sometimes be 40, 50 years higher than your chronological age. and that's sobering. >> oversized portions, not enough exercise, or a little of all? >> it's the lethal combination of not enough exercise in schools, communities without sidewalks, foods not great for us. it's the perfect storm that's going to mean our kids are going to die younger than you and i. >> let's hope that's a wake-up call. nancy, thank you.

>> you bet. we're back in a moment with an amazing discovery that was hiding in plain sight.

in san diego this afternoon, hannah anderson, the teenager who was kidnapped after the murders of her mother and brother was seen publicly for the first time since fbi agents rescued her in idaho. anderson, seen on the right, entered a restaurant that held a fundraiser to help her and her family. the restaurant donating part of its proceeds to them. anderson was rescued last saturday after the man who kidnapped her was shot to death. how often do we say this? there's a new species of mammal to tell you about. it was just announced by the smithsonian, the first new mammal discovered in 35 years in north america. it's called an olenguito. it looks like a cross between a raccoon and a cat with kind of a teddy bear face, i suppose. one had been actually living in the national zoo in washington for a year, but nobody realized what it was. this little creature is being called adorable and cute by some. all we can say is decide for

yourself. mark sutton has died. while you may not know his name, sutton was the stuntman dressed as james bond who parachuted out of a helicopter into the opening ceremony of the london olympics last summer. he made that jump alongside a double of queen elizabeth, and it was a highlight of the ceremony. yesterday sutton died after jumping out of a helicopter over the swiss alps. he was in a wing suit, a jumpsuit with wings that allows people to glide. he crashed into a mountain ridge near the french border. mark sutton was 42. hillary clinton got some encouragement to run for president today from somebody you might not expect, barbara bush. not the former first lady. we're talking about the former first daughter. in an interview with "people" magazine, george w. bush's daughter barbara, jenna's twin sister, called mrs. clinton unbelievably accomplished and said she'd like to see her enter the 2016 race. but would she vote for her? she says it depends on who else was running. a stunning announcement from

the professional sports world, just weeks after winning at wimbledon, tennis player marion bartoli says it's over. she's retiring from tennis at age 28. the announcement came after she was defeated in a match in cincinnati. she said constant physical pain had taken its toll, that she'd pushed her body to the limit to achieve her dream, but just cannot do it anymore. when we come back, car lovers only dreamed it was true. tonight we found it, a collection of classics. the stuff of urban legend.

finally tonight, they are pieces of the past. from a time when american cars ruled the road, and for those who worship those cars and that era, the discovery of a lifetime. hundreds of vintage models have been uncovered and will soon be sold. we sent nbc's harry smith to pierce, nebraska, for a trip down memory lane. >> reporter: they are lined up in a remote nebraska farm field like a crop someone forgot to harvest. old cars and old pickup trucks, hundreds of them, many used, really used, but some never, ever driven. >> i have seen grown men cry in places like this. oh, yes.

>> reporter: yvette branderbrink is an auctioneer who grew up at racetracks and car sheds. she says she has rust in her blood. to anyone driving by, this probably looks like a highly organized junkyard. it is anything but. it is proof of an urban legend about a small town car dealer who closed his doors leaving years and years of unsold inventory. and if you're a car collector, this is a field of dreams. the dealer's name is ray lambricht. when ray came back from world war ii, ray and his wife mildred went into the car business. ray was a born salesman, but a conventional businessman he was not. >> after somebody bought a new vehicle, he would take the trade-in and drive it out to the farm or put it in a building and you couldn't buy it. you had to buy a new car. so he was a master at selling new chevrolets. >> reporter: people traveled from all over to buy a new chevy from ray. he sold a lot of cars.

but after 50 years, the lambrichts were ready to retire. and what they've left behind will blow the minds of car collectors. >> it's alike being inside a time capsule. >> yes, it is, and it still has the delivery numbers on the window. >> wow. ray and mildred now in their 90s, their health frail, thought it was time for their last closeout sale. >> i've been looking for one of these. >> reporter: yvette will auction off all of the cars as-is the last week in september. so they will come by the thousands next month to see for themselves the legend was true. there is a holy grail, and it looks like an old chevy. harry smith nbc news, pierce, nebraska. >> how cool is that. that's our report for this thursday night. thank you for being with us. i'm lester holt in for brian. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.

nbc bay area news starts now. good thursday evening. and thanks for joining us. >> and i'm jessica aguirry. her ordeal will never end. a young woman gang raped told two of her attackers through a statement that she's forgiven them, in spite of the fact that she is still suffering from that brutal ra aal rape. and then the men heard from the judge. >> reporter: jessica, the judge

told the two young men she can't give them a second chance because their victims didn't give one. in fact, she told one of the defendants she would give him more time if she could because what he did that october night was dispickable. >> was that she was beaten so badly that she can't remember ha happened to her. she can't remember the slapping, the punching, the beating. >> reporter: the judge says the richmond high school girl who survived the 2009 gang rape deserves justice. today she threw the book at two men convicted in the attack, sentence being the 20 year old to 29 years to life. and 22 year old to 33 years to life in prison. >> the conduct that the two of you engaged in along with the thher young men that were in