he says. thanks for joining us. >> good night. an nbc news exclusive inside the mall massacre at the height of the siege as entire families run for cover. and now the dramatic end after four days. and an american survivor back home and talking about how she made it out of there alive. high stakes at the u.n., amid heavy security, a fortress within new york city. the american and iranian presidents on the same stage the same day. the fry wars, a big name in fast food calls it a game changer. french fries with less fat, fewer calories, but is it all too good to be true? and making a difference with a very special family day at the zoo. "nightly news" begins now.

good evening, tonight, thankfully, it is all over now. the siege inside that upscale shopping mall in nairobi, kenya, has finally been put down. it attracted the attention and of course the sadness of people around the world. the kenyan government puts the death toll at 61 civilians and six members of their own security force. they have cautioned the death toll may rise because there was a partial building collapse inside the structure. there's a possibility more bodies could be discovered. well, tonight we have a new view of what it looked like at the height of it inside the shopping mall. and we hear from an american woman who just arrived back in this country today having survived the attack. we begin tonight with our correspondent, ron allen, in nairobi, ron, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. kenya's president said he could not confirm reports that three americans and a british citizen were among them.

nbc has exclusive new video of the first terrifying moments after the attack. inside, the security forces respond to the attack. helping the shoppers escape, hands in the air to show they are unarmed. it is eerily quiet, the music playing in the mall, american singer bruno mars. a family, playing dead to avoid harm, afraid to move. the plain clothes officer reaches them and reassures them. carrying the child, he helps them to safety. this morning, three days after the attack, government forces searched for any remaining militants. a mop-up operation, they called it were after days of terror. late today, kenya's president addressed the nations. >> we have been badly hurt and feel great pain and loss. but we have been brave, united and strong. kenya has stared down evil and

triumphed. >> reporter: triumphed, but at a terrible cost. more than 60 dead, most of them civilians, with unaccounted bodies still inside the mall where three floors collapsed during the government operation to re-take the four-story complex. the west gate mall in west nairobi, in part, israeli-owned with a high end show case of restaurants, movie theaters and brand-name shops, nike, bose, samsung. it was long seen as a terrorist target. militants used at least two entrances opening fire and barricading themselves in a supermarket. amateur video captures terrified shoppers there running for cover. wange hid in a store for four hours texting her brother robert outside who told them where to find her. >> at one point, i am praying

the entire time. >> reporter: images of fear and desperation this city did not want the world to see. nairobi is heavily dependent on tourism and international investment. local corporations, diplomats, the u.n. all here. so officials are very eager to try to convince the outside world the situation is well in hand. dutch nurse yavuz worked for the clinton foundation and was remembered today by the former president. >> they went to nairobi because they felt it was the safest, best place for her to give birth. and they were just walking in the mall. that day. and they were both killed along with the child. >> reporter: in nairobi, the funerals have begun. including this one for a 16-year-old girl. >> there is no word to express what we are going through. we are deeply saddened by what

has happened to every kenyan, to every person, every family who has gone through this. >> reporter: and as this nation begins three days of official mourning, many questions remain. what happened to the hostages? were they all rescued or did some perish during the effort to free them? the president did not say. brian? >> ron, those pictures so tough to take inside, especially the children. ron allen starting off our coverage from nairobi. and tonight as we said, we're hearing from an american survivor who was inside the mall meeting with a friend for lunch when the attackers stormed in. she is now back home safely in this country where she described to n obama's tom costello her harrowing ordeal and how she made it out there and lived to tell about it. >> nice to see you, you survived. >> reporter: at dulles airport this afternoon, american bendita mallakia was finally home.

a harvard-trained lawyer with the world bank, bendita was in kenya having lunch in the mall on saturday when terrorists suddenly barged in. >> and then all of a sudden there is this explosion, and everybody, like, hits the floor. and we hear machine guns. and then maybe it was ten seconds later or so, we were still trying to crawl out. it was the second explosion. but when they first came in, they were just shooting. there wasn't really -- they weren't asking any questions. they were just shooting. >> reporter: crawling away from the gunfire, her and her friend made it to a break room in a nearby store and waited with 15 other people. their only defense, a fire extinguisher? listening to the terrorists in a store one floor above them. >> you could hear the feet and then you would hear some talking, some in other languages. sometimes you would just hear random things like muslim and christian. you just hear, like, random things. and then people would respond or

scream don't shoot. and then you would hear some people walk and some people get shot. >> reporter: for five hours they hid, listening to the gunfire. bendita texted her father, please pray, i love you all very much. >> you just feel so helpless, you know? >> reporter: and then out of nowhere, she says, an american security team showed up. >> and this american security forces guy came back and said look, we've been under a lot of pressure to get you guys out. if you guys want to get out we understand it is dangerous. but this is probably your best shot. >> reporter: everybody in the store room ran from the mall. >> and then, like, within, like, 30 feet of us, two grenades are thrown. and that was our first breakdown. >> reporter: she says she doesn't know yet if she will return to kenya, but for now, she is home. tom costello, nbc news at dulles airport. >> incredible story. and to another big story we are following tonight.

mindful of the ronald reagan era phrase "trust but verify." . we did hear it with our own ears today. there was the new president of iran addressing the u.n. in new york, calling for talks, transparency, good will, and mutual respect with the u.s. saying there is no place for nuclear weapons in iran's arsenal or in their religion. we're about to hear that "trust but verify" phrase a whole lot more. turns out there was no meeting between the u.s. and the iranian presidents. our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell covering it all. andrea, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. it was supposed to be just a chance encounter, carefully orchestrated. not even a formal meeting. but today president obama and iran's president were both here at the united nations and never caught sight of each other. mid-town manhattan today, in total grid lock, more than 100 heads of state, motorcades,

protesters and a security crackdown. at the u.n., president obama tried for a diplomatic breakthrough, testing the recent overtures from iran. >> we are encouraged that president rouhani received from the iranian people a mandate to pursue a more moderate course. >> reporter: the white house signalled they would welcome a face to face meeting between the president since the president met the shah back in 1977. today's best opportunity, a casual encounter at lunch. but rouhani didn't show. some said it was because wine was served. >> cheers. >> reporter: but u.s. officials said it was too complicated, in other words, politically risky for rouhani to be seen with obama. so president obama left without seeing president rouhani. in fact, the closest he ever came was when his motorcade passed his hotel across the

street. late in the day, he was at the u.n. a far cry from mahmoud ahmadinejad who denied the holocaust and denounced the u.s. but rouhani still criticized the u.s. policy, the wars, calling sanctions against iran violent. still, he pledged iran is still open to talks about the nuclear dispute and says iran does not want nuclear weapons. >> translator: and hoping they will refrain from the short sided interests of war-amongering pressure groups. we can arrive at a framework to manage our differences. >> reporter: the israeli delegation walked out before rouhani even started to speak, saying he could not be trusted. rouhani's speech was tougher in part than some may have expected. and tonight, u.s. officials say that they know overcoming decades of mistrust is not going to be easy even with this iranian leader. but they say they are open to

trying. brian? >> andrea mitchell in the fortress new york. thanks. and now we turn to the big fight over health care. one week from tonight marks a major move by the president for the new health care law. open enrollment begins for the new health insurance exchanges. it comes as republicans are pushing to take away the funding for it. a lot of folks say they don't know what's in the law still. that is why the president chose to sit down with a former president, the last democratic president, bill clinton. our chief white house correspondent chuck todd here covering for us. good evening. >> reporter: good evening. they always get the president to show up. but this time, the white house thought hey, this is a great opportunity to tap bill clinton to help them do what bill clinton did in 2012. demystify, a little bit, the issues around health care. there was a lot of theatrics. take a listen to bill clinton

explaining exchanges. >> what i was terrified of was you'd open these things and there would only be one company. this whole thing, we would be having an academic conversation, instead, it actually led to the establishment of more companies doing more bidding, and i think part of it is they have greater confidence they can deliver health care at a more modest cost. so far it's good. but i think it is important for you to tell the people why we're doing all this outreach. because this only works, for example, if young people show up. >> reporter: well, brian, they spoke for more than an hour on this. but of course, the policy is complicated, and the politics are even more so. it has not stopped. and you know what is going on in washington, rough business on that. >> well, i'm glad you mentioned that. we're about to get to that. chuck todd, thanks. so that is one side of obama care from obama and president

clinton themselves. here is the other. we want to show you something that's going on. this is senator ted cruz republican of texas. he has taken to the senate floor. and if he keeps his vow, tomorrow morning when you turn on the "today" show, he will still be right there doing this same thing. he says he is going to talk until he can't stand up anymore. watching and listening to all of this is our capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell, kelly what is going on here? >> reporter: well, brian, the intense political fight over the health care law is now pitting republican versus republican. as you point out, the tea party conservative ted cruz is in a talk-athon, some of his colleagues say he should not do this. so cruz dug in even though republicans said don't do it. and many of them are concerned if he doesn't back off their party could get the blame if this does result in a government shutdown. brian? >> kelly o'donnell on the hill,

where at least for one of the 100 senators it is going to be a long night indeed. still ahead for us tonight, a big power play in the country's love affair with fast food. low fat fries. same ingredients they say, but fewer calories. how they did it. and is an entire industry about to re-think the menu? and later a confrontation on what any parent could tell you, there really is something unavoidable about newborns. conn what any parent could tell you, there really is something about newborns. unavoidable about newborns. this is for you. ♪ [ male announcer ] bob's heart attack didn't come with a warning.

today his doctor has him on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. vietnam in 1972. [ all ] fort benning, georgia in 1999. [ male announcer ] usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaa's commitment to serve military members, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy, get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve. does your mouth often feel like it lacks enough saliva to keep it comfortably moist? losing saliva's natural protection can triple your risk of cavities, bad breath, or mouth infections. do more than just sip water. try number-one dentist recommended biotène. from capital one... boris earns unlimited rewards for his small business. can i get the smith contract, please?

thank you. that's three new paper shredders. [ boris ] put 'em on my spark card. [ garth ] boris' small business earns 2% cash back on every purchase every day. great businesses deserve unlimited rewards. read back the chicken's testimony, please. "buk, buk, bukka!" [ male announcer ] get the spark business card from capital one and earn unlimited rewards. choose 2% cash back or double miles on every purchase every day. told you i'd get half. what's in your wallet? back now with a big headline tonight from the fast food industry, specifically the folks at burger king unveiling a new menu item they say took a decade for them to perfect. low fat french fries that cost a little bit more. it is part of an industry-wide approach that make millions of us who want to eat a little bit better for us. our report tonight from nbc's katy tur. >> reporter: it may be one of the most enticing offers in the english language. >> would you like fries with that? >> reporter: and now you may be

able to say yes with less guilt. they're called satisfries. because they're better for us with 25% less fat, and are supposedly just as satisfying. a small order of the new crinkle cuts is 270 calories. 70 less than the regular ones. the same potatoes fried in the same oil, yet healthier. how? burger king says the secret is the special batter. >> the batter mitigates the amount of oil that absorbs into the french fries reducing the amount of fat and calories. >> reporter: reducing the fat, ten years in the making. they do that every day in the food lab, tricking the palate while keeping the flavor. >> we associate bacon being salty. you can put a small amount of a bacon flavor in the food product and the consumer will perceive it as being overall more saltier. >> reporter: today with things

like chips and vegetables lining the shelves at the pricey upscale markets, some say the health food revolution is excluding the masses who like their fast food. >> what most people are saying is try to eat vegetables, eat more fruit, eat farm fresh wholesome foods. the fact of the matter is many people can't afford those foods, can't access those foods and afford them and just don't want them. >> reporter: one industry insider agrees. >> no potato will be perfect, but you can make them with better options. >> reporter: so how does it taste? >> they're better than the original fries. >> reporter: maybe, just maybe, you can have your cake/fries and eat them too. katy tur, nbc news, new york. and we are back in a moment with a rare sight in the daytime sky. new york. and we are back in a moment with a rar e sight in the day time sky.y.

serving you, the american people. so we improved priority mail flat rate to give you a more reliable way to ship. now with tracking up to eleven scans, specified delivery dates, and free insurance up to $50 all for the same low rate. [ woman ] we are the united states postal service. [ man ] we are the united states postal service. [ male announcer ] and our priority is you. go to usps.com® and try it today. but it doesn't usually work that way with health care. with unitedhealthcare, i get information on quality rated doctors, treatment options and cost estimates, so we can make better health decisions. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. when i first felt the diabetic nerve pain, of course i had no idea what it was. i felt like my feet were going to sleep. it progressed from there to burning like i was walking on hot coals... to like 1,000 bees that were just stinging my feet. i have a great relationship with my doctor... he found lyrica for me.

[ female announcer ] it's known that diabetes damages nerves. lyrica is fda approved to treat diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eyesight including blurry vision, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling, or skin sores from diabetes. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. having less pain -- it's a wonderful feeling. [ female announcer ] ask your doctor about lyrica today. it's specific treatment for diabetic nerve pain. to hear more of phyllis's story, visit lyrica.com. it's specific treatment for diabetic nerve pain. so ally bank really has no hidden fno hidden fees.accounts? it's just that i'm worried about you know "hidden things." ok, why's that? well uhhh... hey daddy, what's your job?

daddy's a uhh florist. are you really a florist? dad, why are there shovels in the trunk? there's no shovels in my trunk. i see shovels... you don't see no shovels. just am. well, it's true. at ally there are no hidden fees. not one. that's nice. no hidden fees, no worries. ally bank. your money needs an ally. tonight, some comments 43 made about 44 are getting some play, because they are about playing golf. president obama, as you know,

often finds himself under attack for playing golf, a presidential tradition going back to the invention of the club, really. but in an interview that airs tonight with our nbc sports columnist jimmy rogers for the golf channel, the former president who knows the pressure of the job says it's good for him. >> i think he ought to play golf. >> why is that? >> well, because i know what it is like to be in the bubble. and i know the pressures of the job and to be able to go outside and play golf with some of your jobs is important for the president. it does give you an outlet. >> in other 43 news, we're about to find out a lot more about the former president's life. he joined instagram, put pictures of his grand baby and a cat that wandering onto his ranch. speaking babies, in general non-parents always found some of the behaviors of new parents a

little difficult to understand. when parents find everything to be irresistible, frankly, things like putting an entire foot in your mouth. well, sure enough, an actual paper published said that the brain response is triggered by the new baby smell, causing new parents to, as one writer put it, gently chow down on the new infant. and the f-16 has been a work horses for the u.s. armed forces and nations around the world, for that matter. but of the f 16s built over the years, they've flown billions of hours in the sky, have always had pilots until now. the air force has successfully flown a pilot-less so-called zombie f-16. happened last week. it even broke the sound barrier traveling over mach 1. it means a lot of good pilots out of work for now, but also out of harm's wie potentially. when we come back tonight,

"making a difference" for a lot of families at one of the kids' favorite places. 3

finally here tonight, what to do when something so much fun and so very basic, a day at the zoo with the family, can be a

tough experience instead for parents of kids with learning disabilities or special needs. that is why the good folks at the philadelphia zoo opened a new exhibit that is making a difference with every child in mind. we get the story tonight from nbc's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: very little compares to a day at the zoo. animals make kids and their parents happy. but for a.j. higgins and his brother, peter, who are both on the autism spectrum, the philadelphia zoo's children's exhibit is even more special. >> it is very safe and comfortable here. not a lot of showy things, not a lot of noise. all of these things that in other environments can really amp them up. >> reporter: the new exhibit does few things that others have tried. making sure kids even those with special needs feel welcome. everything is wheelchair-accessible, the displays use braille, sign

language, and figured designed for kids with autism. if they get overwhelmed, quiet places provide a safe place for them to calm down. the verbal communication for children with autism can be daunting, but here, no awkward small talk is required. >> they can touch things. they can feel things. they can engage in that way. that's also critical. >> reporter: kim spear-headed the project, motivated in part by a personal connection. her 2-year-old daughter is blind and has autism. >> knowing that we've done something to help those kids and to help those parents, too, it's just -- it just makes me really happy. >> reporter: to gauge the zoo's success, just look at the faces. 6-year-old avery mcguire rarely speaks, except for one word she now knows well. >> we'll drive past, and she turns around and points at the zoo and sees the balloons. >> reporter: a day at the zoo is like a rite of passage. in philadelphia, they're making sure no child misses out.

stephanie gosk, nbc news, philadelphia. >> great story to end with on this this tuesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we sure hope to see you back here tomorrow evening. good night. good evening, everyone, i'm jessica aguirre. >> i'm raj matthai. >> san jose was splashed on the front page today. the move to control pensions and retirement benefits could set the tone for others nationwide. kris sanchez is in san jose with this polarizing story. >> reporter: hi there, raj. traffic is increasing in part because more people are at work, home prices are going up and the city is starting to restore

basic services like library hours and yet the city is also still grappling with the cost of retiree pensions and benefits which cost about 1/5 of the general fund. the third biggest paper in the country is "the new york times" which today put san jose right on the front page. the stories of terror in kenya and nuclear tensions in iran. the article talks about the cost of living with the increasing graffiti and quality of life crimes and decline of the police force comparing san jose with detroit which is bankrupt. >> that's a loud croudicrous comparison. there's a lot of jobs here. it's not a declining story. >> reporter: mayor chuck reid's quest for pension reform and the impact it had on the police department. >> i think the fact this week we had six officers walk out the door for other agencies and expert more next week. that's a routine thing in san jose. "the new york times" has taken notice. >> reporteot