seriously. you can finally afford to go see the president. good night. on our broadcast tonight, payback time. a big bank is forced to pay a colossal penalty for its role if the great recession. but what about those americans who lost their homes long ago? is there enough money and is there enough time to make any difference? the longest war. richard engel in kabul tonight with news of a deal that could keep the u.s. in afghanistan for ten years or more. sounding a warning. from the faa, about what they see as a growing danger to modern aviation. and a letter from jackie, seen for the first time, written to another woman who lost her husband to oswald's bullets that day in dallas, tonight, she shares her memory with tom brokaw. "nightly news" begins now.

good evening. it was bad enough that a lot of bad behavior by big banks contributed to the great recession a few years back, sinking the finances of so many american families. it all started, of course, with the housing crisis and so many americans have been frustrated that it did not end with stiffer penalties for those who caused it. very few have paid any price at all for what went on. that changed in a big way today as jpmorgan has agreed to pay $13 billion to the federal government. that's the most money any company has ever paid to the feds. we begin there tonight with our justice correspondent, pete williams, at the justice department for us tonight. pete, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. and just to put this in perspective, what jpmorgan has agreed to pay is about three times what bp paid after the gulf oil spill. it was a scene repeated nationwide, people who thought they had achieved the american

dream ending up with mortgages that cost far more than their homes were worth. like bridget an army veteran of iraq injured in iraq whose disability payments couldn't cover her mortgage. >> my payments were cut dramatically in half. but i still had the bills and responsibilities of an active duty salary but my salary was nowhere near that. >> reporter: taeds -- today the government imposed the stiffest punishment yet for the wall street manipulations that led to the crisis and the biggest economic downturn. $13 billion to be paid by the world's second biggest bank, jpmorgan chase. the bank and the companies it bought admitted that the problems contributed to the housing slump and recession. >> it had a direct impact on the mortgage industry, which led directly, i believe, to the collapse of our economy back in 2008 and 2009. >> reporter: during the hot housing market, many took

bundles as mortgage securities. when the market collapsed, the packages became mostly worthless. jpmorgan today admitted it sold those packages to investors even though the executives knew the mortgages were highly suspect. under the settlement, $4 billion will go to help homeowners who were hit hard by the housing collapse. nearly half the money will be used to lower what is still owed by those who paid more than their homes are now worth and to reduce monthly mortgage payments for those having trouble making them. the rest will help low income buyers get new loans and to help with the foreclosed homes. but is it punishment enough? some economists say that bank executives should be in handcuffs. >> you don't get rewards until you hold them accountable. and in this scenario, there is still is the missing culprit. no senior executive has been identified. >> reporter: tonight, the government says that criminal charges are still possible.

as for how mm troubled homeowners will be helped, they say tens of thousands. brian? >> pete williams starting us off on a big story tonight, thank you. now overseas to a story rimpd engel broke this morning. it has to do with our nation's longest war, 12 years now, so very costly, of course, in terms of blood and treasure. richard engel has obtained a draft copy of a u.s./afghan deal that shows that even when u.s. combat troops come home next year as they're scheduled to, america could still have a significant and expensive presence in afghanistan for a long time to come yet. richard is with us tonight from kabul. richard, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian, the u.s. has long talked brian. the u.s. has long talked about leaving a kind of residual force here in afghanistan. but when you see an actual proposal, you realize how extensive that commitment could be. the u.s. has been at war in

afghanistan since 2001. 9/11 was plotted from here. osama bin laden hid out here. so the u.s. bombed. and with just a few hundred american troops, pushed out the taliban and al qaeda. then more troops came. 100,000 americans at the peak. more than 2,000 of them died. 48,000 are still here. the u.s. combat mission in afghanistan ends in 2014. but then what? today nbc news obtained this draft of a u.s./afghan security agreement that is still unsigned. but it describes a sweeping, long-term relationship with the united states paying for afghan security forces and maintaining outposts in this country, perhaps until 2024. and maybe beyond that. u.s. troops training, equipping and advising afghan forces and hunting al qaeda. movement off base would be severely restricted.

afghan officials want ten to 15,000 troops to stay for a decade at least. u.s. military officials talk of 7,000 to 8,000. u.s. troops here now mostly do training. the u.s. air force today in kabul working with afghan airmen. >> i think they're on fair feet. a little bit nervous about taking their first few steps without us, but i think they can do it. >> reporter: but most afghan troops don't want americans to leave. >> we need some more strong support from international community, especially from the u.s. >> reporter: but why not just leave? the afghan government would likely collapse. afghanistan could again become a haven for terrorists. but after so many years, would a force of 7,000 make a difference? iraq stands as a warning. there was no agreement there when the u.s. left and the civil war could come back with a vengeance. an afghan agreement could stop a

repeat of that, not ending the war in 2014, just changing it. afghans will vote this week on the deal. after that it's up to the u.s. to do it or not. brian? >> richard engel with us from kabul tonight. richard, thank you. and there was a worrisome piece of news from that region earlier today. word from beirut that at least 23 people were killed by a pair of suicide bombers who attacked outside the iranian embassy. a sunni group linked to al qaeda has claimed responsibility and says there would be more attacks unless iran and hezbollah stops supporting the assad ve sheem in the syrian war. there is news tonight regarding safety in the skies and airline pilots, for that matter around the world are relying these days too much on automation in the cockpit and losing basic piloting skills. a new faa report to be released later this week warns of what they call automation diction and calls on airlines to reinforce

basic flying skills. nbc's tom costello has our report. >> reporter: it's the end of a long cross-country or international flight. but in today's highly automated cockpits, how much flying do the crews actually do? captain karen kahn has spent 36 years as a pilot for a major airline. she worries about younger pilots relying too heavily on autopilot. >> it's there to help you. it is not the actual commander of the airplane, you are. so you need to use it like an adjunct. it's like another crew member helping you. >> reporter: now a new faa report raises the red flag that pilots sometimes rely too much on automated systems, and some pilots lack sufficient or in-depth knowledge and skills to properly control their plane's trajectory. the basic pilot errors were thought to have contributed to the crash of an air flans plane in 2009. a commuter flight in buffalo

later that year, and perhaps the asiana flight this summer. >> you must maintain your basic airmanship. >> reporter: as a test, the captain who flew the boeing triple seven once kept track of how often he had to use the controls, on an auto pilot to london, from takeoff to touchdown, just seven times. >> that is being in command of a system of wonderful computers that do a great job, but it isn't flying. >> reporter: real flying is kpem exemplified by captain sullenberger who landed the plane on the hudson river. nearly everyone says that automation has dramatically improved airline safety over the last 30 years, but even the faa and the pilot's union agree on the need to avoid automation addiction and keep the piloting skills fresh. tom costello, nbc news, washington. tonight, amid all that devastation in towns across the

midwest, there are small signs of hope after that ferocious sunday outbreak of tornadoes. as hard-hit communities begin to pick back up again. nbc's kevin tibbles is in washington, illinois, again for us tonight. >> reporter: as the sun rises over devastated washington, illinois, breakfast is hot and ready inside the crossroads united methodist church. it is here where many who have lost everything seek shelter. and others who have also lost everything come to lend a hand. >> they are here to help because they feel like they're better off than others. >> reporter: when this massive series of twisters cut through the midwest sunday, all many could do was run for cover in the basements of their homes. >> we just had a big tornado come through. wiped out the whole neighborhood. >> it happened very fast. >> reporter: jonathan dan and his four young children locked emselves in the bathroom. then all hell broke loose. >> my right foot was pinned.

and i was able to hear all my kids, so i knew they were all alive. >> reporter: jonathan had his two youngest ripped from his arms, then the house was torn away. they were trapped but alive. >> probably the loudest i ever sang jesus loves me, though. >> reporter: more than 24 hours later, the one missing family member was finally found. maggie, the family dog found alive in the rubble. just a block away, retirees diana and dawn showers -- >> i don't think that's ours. >> reporter: -- are busy salvaging what they can. everything here seems a total loss and then a discovery. >> i found my baby shoe. >> reporter: power crews from across the midwest are working around the clock as residents line up to get back into their neighborhoods. >> we've been knocked down, but we're going to get back up. we're going to fight and rebuild. >> reporter: for moms and dads in this town, the treasures that can never be replaced are now

safe and sound at grandma's house. there to be hugged and hugged some more. tonight bulldozers will be brought in to help clear those streets still clogged with debris. meanwhile for those people still without power a week before thanksgiving, it's getting mighty cold out here, brian. >> kevin tibbles in washington, illinois. thank you for your reporting out there. of course we continue to monitor the situation in the philippines. the current toll? 5,000 dead or missing as they have it. and 4 million people have been displaced. the state department in this country said that five americans are now listed among the dead from the typhoon. hundreds more have required assistance. the white house says the u.s. has initially provided $37 million in aid to the philippines. still ahead for us tonight, tom brokaw with another woman whose husband was shot and killed by oswald after he killed president kennedy. what jackie kennedy wrote to her as they both grieved the loss of

their husbands. and later, how does it feel, one of the greatest songs ever? but a hit in a whole new way. we can ask bob dylan.

all this week here we're covering the approaching 50th anniversary on friday of jfk's assassination in dallas. and tonight, the other woman who lost her husband that day in dallas. her name is marie tippett. her husband was j.d. tippit, a veteran dallas police officer who had joined in the manhunt for lee harvey oswald. tom brokaw sat down with marie. >> reporter: as a policeman's wife, marie tippit new her husband's job came with a certain amount of danger, but nothing could prepare her for what happened one friday 50 years ago. >> it started off as an ordinary day. we got the kids off to school. he went to work. >> reporter: her husband came home for lunch and then rushed back onto the streets looking for the suspect wanted for shooting the president. >> they had called him and told

him a description of the person that they was looking for. >> reporter: at the corner of tenth and patton, just a few miles from where marie was waiting for him, officer tippit crossed paths with lee harvey oswald. >> the police officer was shot. >> he was driving car number ten. i think he's dead. >> reporter: oswald fired four shots, three to the body and one to the head. tippit never had a chance. your life crashed around you at that point. >> everything, i just couldn't believe it. it was just unreal. >> reporter: we begin this national period of mourning the president, and yet in a very personal way, you have to deal with your own grief. was that hard? >> oh, was it ever. yes. we had grown so close together. he was the other part of me that was just missing. facing life with three children without him seems almost impossible.

>> reporter: as the media storm began to swirl around her, marie tippit found her thoughts going to the one person who could truly understand her ordeal, jacqueline kennedy. >> i can certainly sympathize with her. >> reporter: the two young widows saw their husbands laid to rest on the same day, and somehow in the midst of her grief, the first lady found time to write a condolence letter to marie tippit. this never before seen letter was as direct as it was unexpected. dear mrs. tippit, what can i say to you? my husband's death is responsible for you losing your husband. wasn't one life enough to take on that day? i lit a flame for jack at arlington that will burn forever. i consider that it burns for your husband, too, and so will eve everyone who ever sees it.

with my unexpressible sympathy, jacqueline kennedy. >> that is the thing that you always want is somebody to just understand how you feel. and she did. she recognized that i was suffering, too. and isn't that wonderful? too. and isn't that wonderful? that we had a first lady that was so caring for everyone. >> reporter: and jacqueline kennedy was only 33 years old when she wrote that letter just a week later. and obviously, mrs. tippit treasures it, but legally it is part of the property of the kennedy estate. but caroline kennedy, and we're grateful to her for this, said it's okay if you want to share that with the rest of the country. and it is a real treasure. >> quite a revelation. what a lovely woman. tom, thanks. we want to remind all of you tom's special called "where were you when jfk died" airs 9:00 p.m. eastern time here on this nbc station. up next here tonight, the return to the scene of one of

the greatest american speeches of all time.

four score and seven years ago -- >> -- our fathers brought forth on this continent -- >> -- a new nation. >> our living former presidents who are part of a project by the filmmaker ken burns, urging americans to memorize and celebrate the gettysburg address. it was delivered by president lincoln 150 years ago today. and today the gathered in that very same spot. considering it's one of the most important speeches in american history, think about this. it was only about two minutes long, 272 words in all. and since it was only heard by those in a field in pennsylvania that day, it was mostly read about in newspapers. in some cases weeks and months later. a u.s. congressman in florida today was charged with a

misdemeanor possession of cocaine in washington, d.c. back on october 29th. the arrest of first term republican congressman trey radel is now just coming to light. congressman radel issued a statement. he says he's struggling with alcoholism and it led him to make a, quote, extremely irresponsible choice. he is due in court tomorrow. well, what do you do when a boxed set of your work in music over the years contains 47 cds and you already know you're going to be remembered as a singular american voice and the architect of much of modern music? well, the answer is you put out a great music video. on bob dylan's website today, "like a rolling stone." the video rolls inside a tv. and when you use your mouse to change the channels, everyone on every show is singing the lyrics, on every channel as it should be, perhaps. when we come back, we will look at the timing of caroline

kennedy's new role as ambassador kennedy, along with her rite of passage in her new job.

finally here tonight as we mark the 50th anniversary of jfk's assassination, a sad anniversary for this country,

and for that family, another chapter begins. caroline kennedy a now ambassador kennedy in japan where today her new role got off to an important and ceremonial start as she was presented to the emperor. our report tonight from nbc's andrea mitchell. >> reporter: with all the pomp and circumstance required for her first audience with japan's emperor, caroline kennedy made a grand entrance. this man said he was enthralled. >> i was honored to present my credentials to his majesty. i'm eager to begin my work as ambassador. >> reporter: why caroline, and why japan? >> i am most grateful to president obama for entrusting me with this important mission. >> reporter: she is very close to the president, ever since she and her late uncle teddy endorsed him at a critical point in the 2008 campaign. and there is family history. john f. kennedy's only surviving off spring said she was eager to fulfill her father's legacy. >> as a world war ii veteran who

served in the pacific, he had hoped to be the first sit president to make a state visit to japan. >> reporter: president kennedy had hoped to reunite his crew in japan with the japanese ship crew that had sunk their boat in the war. in fact, when jfk was shot, they his secretary of state was halfway there. now that the daughter is in tokyo, she didn't want to be here for the anniversary. >> in many ways, she was an ambassador all her life. >> reporter: a lawyer and author, she is a diplomat and novelist. jean kennedy smith was bill clinton's ambassador to ireland. and uncle schreiber was ambassador to france. >> thank you so much. [ speaking japanese ] >> reporter: and japan's government is apparently delighted to have a celebrity envoy who has the president's ear. andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. that is our broadcast on a

tuesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. of course we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. good evening, thank you for joining us. i'm jessica aguirre. >> i'm raj mathai. dry no more. a significant amount of rain for the first time in 11 months. this was the scene in maren. as for the evening commute, it's slick and sluggish. >> a look in emeryville. people were dodging the raindrops. nbc bay area chief meteorologist jeff ranieri is tracking the wet weather. we begin with jodi hernandez in the elements in walnut creek. >> reporter: it's hard to see on television, but it is raining

lightly in walnut creek, for folks driving home on highway 24 at the 680 interchange here in walnut creek, they're definitely giving the windshield wipers a workout. while the rainfall may not be adding up to much, for the most part, it's a welcome sight. >> i love the rain. >> reporter: that's the reaction of many as the pitter patter of rain drops returns to the bay area for the first time in months. catching some by surprise. >> who came repaired? who didn't? >> i came prepared. >> i didn't come prepared. i'm sorry. >> reporter: people broke out their umbrellas after a long dry spell. one they hope won't be repeated any time soon. >> i hope there's going to be more. this wasn't real accomplily muc rain. i was preparing for more. we need lots more so we don't go into a drought mode next summer. >> reporter: the return of the rain is making for slick conditions on bay area roads. oils thate