cur curry, then nhl stanley cup finals game one between the rangers/kings. on the broadcast tonight, celebration cancelled. stunning news from bowe bergdahl's hometown, plus what we learned about that dramatic moment of freedom caught on camera. u.s. forces face-to-face with the taliban. burning questions being answered tonight with hillary clinton's revealing about 2016, her health and the health of her husband and what she has to say about monica lewinsky. flying blind, a growing danger for pilots and passengers nationwide from lasers on the ground. how the fbi is fighting back. >> against all odds, a towering achievement today for one of the most inspiring teenagers you will ever meet. "nightly news" begins now.

>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. good evening everyone. i'm ann curry in for brian tonight. as we're seeing for the first time, the moment caught on videotape when bowe bergdahl was freed and taken into the protection of u.s. special forces after almost five years in captivity. the video which u.s. officials believe is real was shot by the taliban and is revealing what it captures and what it does not. we begin with our pentagon correspondent who walks us through the dramatic hand off, jim? >> reporter: first, ann, there is late word tonight that bergdahl's hometown of hailey, idaho had to cancel an event to celebration his return. there is concern with the attention paid to his story, local police just don't have the resources necessary to handle any potential problems. and today, something we rarely see, a taliban video showing bergdahl's release to american military forces. the taliban video released today records bowe bergdahl's final

moments in captivity. bergdahl seen sitting in a pickup truck is blinking and rubbing his eyes like they were adjusting to the sun light. >> he's clearly blinking his eyes because he was blind folded on the way over so he could not relay to the special forces operations the route. >> reporter: clean shaven, he appears disoriented but in physically good condition. as helicopters circle above, americans are in radio contact to avoid fatal mistakes. taliban fighters cover the surrounding hills armed with rocket propelled grenades that could take down a helicopter there are three dozen special operations forces within striking distance as well as attack helicopters and an armed drone just in case. >> they understand what they are carrying. >> reporter: one taliban fighter leans in to give bergdahl a final warning, do not come back

to afghanistan. finally bergdahl's ride arrives. as the black hawk helicopter lands, they above out. three americans cautiously approach and get close enough to barely touch hands with the taliban. >> you can see the man -- as we view on the left there, he uses his left hand, i think he's probably a right handed shooter and he doesn't want to compromise his ability to go for his weapon. >> reporter: one american brushes bergdahl's back, checking for a possible suicide bomb vest. bergdahl keeps a steady pace as they make their way to the chopper. before boarding, there is a more thorough pat down for weapons and explosives. less than 60 seconds after they landed the americans take off and for the first time in five years, bowe bergdahl is safely

back in american hands. tonight pentagon officials report bergdahl will have to remain at the u.s. military hospital in germany longer than expected. the reason for the delay is not clear, and his homecoming could now be delayed into next week, ann. >> jim, thanks. in the meantime the political fallout continues for the obama administration. our political director chuck todd is traveling with the president overseas. chuck, good evening. >> good evening ann. hagel called bergdahl's parents today with an update on their son's health. white house aids continue to do damage control with members of congress upset about not being consulted before the prisoner swap. they are finally briefing the entire senate today. meanwhile, back here a new war of words has broken out against president obama and russian president vladimir putin.

today it was a forceful president obama declaring an attack on one nato member is an attack on all. he was sending the message, russian aggression in ukraine would not be tolerated if armed at nato. putin accused america of being the real aggressor, noting it's american troops that are stationed all around the world. this putin obama spat is giving the french president a headache. he's hosting both men to commemorate the 70th anniversary of d-day. he had to schedule two dinners tomorrow night. one for obama at 7:00 and one for putin at about 9:30. >> chuck todd thank you for covering that tonight. a severe storm system moving across the country that is already causing significant damage in the midwest is tonight packing hail and heavy rain as it cuts across the ohio and tennessee valleys.

we get more on this from katy tur in cincinnati. >> reporter: a massive storm slammed the midwest today causing flash floods in ohio, missouri and iowa after pounding nebraska and much of the heartland late tuesday. >> it was horrifying. >> reporter: in omaha, five inches of rain fell in one day triggering dozens of water rescues. storm chasers in nebraska caught this show on camera. a straight line windstorm that lifted debris high into the air and send down hail the size of softballs that battered homes. >> look at the siding, blasted off. >> reporter: and damaged cars. on the highways, winds of up to 70 miles an hour. >> we just stumbled upon this about five minutes ago. a semi completely flipped. >> reporter: 52 cars over. they were blown over but no reports of injuries. >> it's already an active night and parts of the south and all 17 states impacted by severe hail, wind and possibly a tornado.

>> reporter: putting more than 15 million americans on guard, katy tur, nbc news, cincinnati, ohio. tonight a revealing interview from hillary clinton who allowed a photographer in her home and talked for the first time in years about monica lewinsky and also, about her health and the decision she says she still has to make. we get more tonight on this from kelly o'donnell. ramping up her already super charged visibility. >> thank you, thank you. >> reporter: hillary clinton has plenty to say. >> stay tuned. >> we will. >> when i know, you'll know. >> reporter: a book, hard choices out next week with its trailer of sorts. >> my views about what we needed to do to restore american leadership. >> reporter: and on news stands this friday, she's on the cover of people magazine but on that one big question clinton offers more to read.

she says we need to break down the highest, hardest glass ceiling in american politics. a first woman president. i would love to see that happen, but i'll just have to make my own decision what i think is right for me. clinton turns the question about her health, the fall, blood clot and concussion into the paul ryan asking him at the inauguration have you ever had a concession? three at least. were they serious? he said one was really serious. >> she said hey, paul ryan has had lots of concussions. so she's immediately deflecting this noise around the health questions for herself. >> reporter: clinton takes the asked and answered approach. i certainly have moved on, adding, i'm not going to comment on what did or didn't happen. i think everybody needs to look to the future.

asked about her husband's health, she said he has enormous energy. from admitting to totally bing viewing the political drama "house of cards" clinton's free time is about to change. a first grandchild expected this fall. >> babies are special political creatures. it will certainly provide a whole new set of images we've never seen of her before. >> reporter: adding dimension the her political identity. kelly o'donnell, nbc news, washington. late word the sell of the la clippers appears to be a done deal. donald sterling's attorney tells nbc news sterling and his wife have both now agreed to sell the team to microsoft billionaire steve balmer, all disputes and outstanding issue haves been resolved and donald sterling has agreed to drop his lawsuit against the nba. tonight the fbi is asking for help from the entire country

in finding and arresting anyone who points a laser at an aircraft. it's a serious problem with nearly 4,000 reports last year of helicopters and planes being targeted with lasers, bought off the shelf or over the internet. it's a growing risk for pilots and for passengers. >> reporter: it was in the skies over st. louis that a police helicopter was hit with a laser pointer from the ground. >> right now we're getting hit pretty good with a green laser. >> you're getting hit with a green laser. >> reporter: it's happening nationwide. since 2005, an 1100% increase in reports of aircraft being targeted by lasers. 11 times a day last year alone. the green lights illuminate dark cockpits, temporarily blinding them. >> the laser light and the effect it has on you in a darker cockpit is intense. >> reporter: the ghost guard

called off rescue missions after its pilots were targeted a. felony punishable by five years in prison, the fbi is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of anyone involved. >> there are hundreds and hundreds of people's lives at stake when people elect to shine lasers at airplanes. again, it's not funny. it's not a joke. >> reporter: most often planes are targeted when taking off or landing overnight. the airports with the most laser incidents in 2013, lax with 344 reports followed by more than 200 in phoenix and san francisco and then portland, miami and houston. >> i could probably walk into a crew room at a busy airport and ask how many pilots have been hit by a laser and i could see a significant number of hands go up. that's the extend of the problem.

>> reporter: of the dozens of people convicted for laser tagging an aircraft. the fbi says most are teens or adult men who had no idea what they were doing was illegal with the potential for disastrous consequences. tom costello, nbc news, washington. today is the 25th anniversary of a massacre, the 1989 crack down. tonight in hong kong, tens of thousands gathered to remember what the chinese government has long tried to erase from memory. in beijing, lockdown, activists detained the internet and social media center. it crushed the movement and left hundreds, perhaps thousands dead. it also left the unforgettable image of when man still unidentified facing with a symbol of defiance. raising questions for parents what kids are doing online. overcoming obstacles with a

standing ovation. online. overcoming overcoming obstacles with a standing ovation. how can i ease this pain? (man) when i can't go, it's like bricks piling up. i wish i could find some relief. (announcer) ask your doctor about linzess-- a once-daily capsule for adults with ibs with constipation or chronic idiopathic constipation. linzess is thought to help calm pain-sensing nerves and accelerate bowel movements. it helps you proactively manage your symptoms. do not give linzess to children under 6, and it should not be given to children 6 to 17. it may harm them. don't take linzess if you have a bowel blockage. get immediate help if you develop unusual or severe stomach pain especially with bloody or black stools the most common side effect is diarrhea, sometimes severe. if it's severe, stop taking linzess and call your doctor right away. other side effects include gas, stomach-area pain and swelling.

bottom line, ask your doctor about linzess today. the shingles virus is already inside you. you should know that 1 in 3 people will get shingles in their lifetime. take them on the way you always have. live healthy and take one a day men's 50+. a complete multivitamin with 7 antioxidants to support cell health. age? who cares. i'm on expert on softball. and tea parties. i'll have more awkward conversations than i'm equipped for, because i'm raising two girls on my own. i'll worry about the economy more than a few times before they're grown. but it's for them, so i've found a way. who matters most to you says the most about you.

at massmutual we're owned by our policyowners, and they matter most to us. ready to plan for your future? we'll help you get there. we're back with a story that's struck a nerve with parents across the country. authorities say two middle school students, just 12 years old were obsessed with an online horror story character that prompted them to kill their classmate and friend. as kate snow reports, the crime is a warning to parents to take a closer look at what their children are doing online. >> reporter: early dismissal today, what happened over the weekend rattled everyone. >> this is the most horrific thing i've endured in school administration in 30 years. >> she said she's having trouble breathing. she says she was stabbed multiple times. >> reporter: this is the 911 call from a bicyclist that found

a bleeding 12-year-old girl. two of her friends, also just 12 years old are being charged as adults with attempted homicide. >> one suspect held the victim down and the other stabbed her 19 times in the arms, legs and torso. >> reporter: the victim is still hospitalized. the superintendent today says she's doing much better, but what stunned so many is why police say two young girls plotted to kill their friend after a sleepover. authorities say the young suspects were trying to prove their allegiance to a fictional online character. slender man is an urban legend and some claim he is real which according to police is what the 12-year-old suspects believed. >> even for adults, it can be hard to figure out from the internet from is reliable and what is made up.

think about a 12-year-old. magnify how difficult it is for adults times 20. >> reporter: we skyped with amy who was surprised to know her kids knew about slender man. >> my kids know how to find things i can't find, obviously, because they found slinder man. >> reporter: the middle school has filters on the computers, but creepy pasta, the site where many stories about slender man appear was never blocked before this weekend. >> there wasn't any real violence or pornography, nothing would have hit our filter, nothing would have alarmed us. >> website crazy pasta posted a statement saying only a small minority of people, newcomers truly believe what they read here and an attorney for one of the accused told us late today he wants a mental health evaluation, done on his young

client. >> thank you so much, kate snow with that reporting. when we come back, we'll check with brian working on an important story over seas that reminds us all what our country is made of. important story over seas that reminds us all what our country is made of. we asked people a question, how much money do you think you'll need when you retire? then we gave each person a ribbon to show how many years that amount might last. i was trying to, like, pull it a little further. [ woman ] got me to 70 years old. i'm going to have to rethink this thing. it's hard to imagine how much we'll need for a retirement that could last 30 years or more. so maybe we need to approach things differently, if we want to be ready for a longer retirement. ♪ (music) defiance is in our bones. defiance never grows old. citracal maximum. calcium citrate plus d. highly soluble, easily absorbed. it's progressive pain. first that feeling of numbness.

then hot pins. almost like lightning bolts, hot strikes into my feet. so my doctor prescribed lyrica. the pain has been reduced a

[ding] the outdoors misses you. get back out there with off deep woods. the long lasting mosquito protection frees you to reunite with the great outdoors. off deep woods. keeps bugs off. sc johnson. a family company

in france today, per in jumped as we approach the 70th anniversary of d-day. crowds are building in france ahead of friday's ceremony attended by president obama. today french school children posed for pictures at utah beach with signs spelling out thank you. veterans are gathering to remember a long with plenty of tourists wearing world war ii era uniforms. among many marking the anniversary is brian, who will begin anchoring the special coverage from there tomorrow night. brian, good evening. >> reporter: ann, good evening from omaha beach and a very good friend of ours called these men the greatest generation for good reason.

they are starting to, those able to travel, come back here for the 70th anniversary of the event, the invasion on these beaches that change the course of world war ii and many say saved the world. we'll have all of it from here including the gathering of president and the ceremony 70 years since d-day. see you later this week. ann, back to you. >> brian, thank you so much. remember, brian will anchor special coverage of the 70th anniversary of d-day tomorrow night. tonight, the closing chapter in world war ii history with the passing of the last of the original code talkers. chester nez was part of the 382th platoon that developed the code based on the language the japanese were never able to break. he was presented the congressional gold medal by

president george w bush in 2001. he died this morning after kidney failure. chester nez was 93 years old. it's hard to believe but one of the great american albums is turning 30. bruce springstene's "born in the usa" was released 30 years ago. dancing in the dark, my hometown, and glory days. this news no doubt will have more than a few people looking back on glory days of their own. when we come back, the graduate, an amazing young man and his story. is kind of stress. i have flat feet. i found this out at the free dr.scholl's foot mapping center. in less than two minutes, i got my foot map and my custom number. i'm a 440. i'm a 210. 340. that number matched the dr.scholl's custom fit orthotic

inserts with just the right support to help relieve stress on my feet. i'm a believer. go to drscholls.com for locations and save $10 you wouldn't have it she any other way.our toes. but your erectile dysfunction - it could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess.

side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any allergic reactions like rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about experiencing cialis for daily use and a free 30-tablet trial. ...i got lots of advice, but i needed information i could trust. unitedhealthcare's innovative, simple program helps moms stay on track with their doctors to get the right care and guidance. (anncr vo) that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for him, he's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. i was okay, but after lunch my knee started to hurt again. and now i've got to take more pills. ♪ yup. another pill stop.

can i get my aleve back yet? ♪ for my pain, i want my aleve. ♪ [ male announcer ] look for the easy-open red arthritis cap. finally tonight, a story that will make you marvel about not giving up and becoming what any mother would dream of having for a child. our chief education correspondent introduces us to a fine young american. >> reporter: at the top of his class, griffin has a 4.65 grade point average. he's valedictorian and college bound. it's an achievement for any

student but especially for this 18-year-old who lived most of his life on the edge between anxiety and despair. his mother died of cancer when he was six years old, soon afterward, griffin, his father and older brother ended up living in homeless shelters. >> tell me about your mom. >> she wanted the best for me and my brother and i remember most her spirit. >> reporter: for awhile the family had a rental home but financial hardships persisted. just before finals and ap exams, he was homeless again. >> i would think to myself at night, do i continue to do this or make something of myself. >> reporter: his girlfriend's parents put him up for awhile and then he moved in with an aunt and uncle. >> he never asked anyone for anything. he did this by himself because he wants a better life. >> reporter: through the ups and downs he never missed a day of school and kept his struggles to himself. >> he is remarkable and loves to learn. >> reporter: and loves baseball.

>> you have hard work in your cap. >> never give up inspires me to do great. >> reporter: his hard work paid off. griffin was accepted to florida state university. through an online fundraising website, friends have raised more than $69,000 to help him pay for college. overwhelmed, griffin says the only thing missing now is his mom. >> i just want her to hear my speech and know that without her none of this is possible. >> it's amazing what you can do with your life when you have motivation, ambition and most importantly, a purpose. thank you. >> reporter: with plans to study civil engineering in college, griffin is committed to succeed. today he's well on his way. rehema ellis, nbc news, jacksonville, florida. >> go griffin go. that's our broadcast for

this wednesday evening. a reminder that brian will anchor this broadcast from normandy tonight. from all of us here at nbc news, thank you and good night.tonigh. from all of us here at nbc news, thank you and good nighomtonigh. from all of us here at nbc news, thank you and good nighotonight. from all of us here at nbc news, thank you and good nighrtonight. from all of us here at nbc news, thank you and good nighrtonight. from all of us here at nbc news, thank you and good nighow tonig. from all of us here at nbc news, thank you and good night.onight. from all of us here at nbc news,

♪ nine championships. one home. nbc sports championship season. 77 degrees in los angeles, on june 4th, perfect hockey weather. game one, of the stanley cup finals. the kings and rangers battling for hockey's ultimate prize. the oldest trophy in north american professional sports. >> the only thing that is important is the stanley cup. >> the new york rangers, new champions. >> it is hock