on our broadcast tonight, paying tribute. a powerful show of respect as an entire nation comes to a standstill. a show of dignity for the crash victims who were denied it on a foreign battlefield. shot down in that same area as the commercial airliner, now two fighter jets have been blown out of the sky with what appears to be the same weapon. heart risk, the warning signs doctors want younger women to know about, many of whom aren't getting help at the first sign something is wrong. and caught in the act, it's come to this in the california drought. the water police on patrol confronting neighbors wasting a valuable resource. "nightly news" begins now. from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news with brian

williams." good evening. tonight we want to show you what happened today when the people of a small country came out in droves to make up for lost time, to make up for the treatment of their citizens, the abuse and neglect of the human remains at the malaysia airlines crash site in eastern ukraine. the dutch people today paid tribute to their own, 193 of the 298 people who died on that flight were dutch. while they ended up in a battlefield, they were just civilians murdered on a commercial flight from amsterdam to asia. what we witnessed there today was solemn and emotional and dignified, precisely what the dead deserved. we begin tonight with nbc's katy tur in amsterdam. ♪ >> reporter: a lone bugle signaled a moment of silence at the airport. 40 bodies, 40 coffins, the first of hundreds of remains that will be brought here. victims from more than a dozen countries.

at the airport to greet them the dutch king and queen, foreign dignitaries and shielded from view, family members. a simple ceremony. and after the horror of the crash site, a little bit of dignity. the coffins, each gently placed into its own hearse. from the airport a solemn procession across the dutch countryside through small towns. the route lined with thousands of dutch citizens. they came out spontaneously crowding roads and overpasses, bearing witness and showing respect to remains whose identities are still unknown. ♪ at a somber church ceremony, mourners gathered to remember and honor the lives lost. each one an individual tragedy and unbearable loss. >> i can't say good-bye. they're in our heart forever. >> reporter: the maslin

children, evie, mo and otis were among the youngest victims. their devastated parents released a statement calling "their lives now a hell beyond hell. our babies are not here with us. we need to live with this act of horror every day and every moment for the rest of our lives. no hate in the world is as strong as the love we have for our children." throughout the day the people of the netherlands honored all of the victims and all those who are now grieving lost loved ones. and this evening thousands walked together through the streets of amsterdam, a silent tribute in a sea of white. the identification process will begin in earnest now. it could take days, it could take weeks, it could take months depending on the condition of those bodies. once they are positively identified, they'll be immediately returned to families, so, brian, funerals can finally begin. >> katy tur in amsterdam to

start us off tonight where so many people came together today. katy, thanks. a stark reminder tonight that eastern ukraine is still an active and dangerous war zone. there were two more ground-to-air missile attacks today. this time ukrainian military jets were the targets. we get the latest from nbc's keir simmons in donetsk, ukraine. >> reporter: a downed ukrainian fighter jet in flames today just miles from the wreckage of mh-17. in video unverified by nbc news, russian-backed separatists searched the debris. the ukrainian government says two of its jets were hit, targeted close to the town. we drove to the area this morning. we've just been stopped at a checkpoint outside the town just down the road here. at one point the militia fired a round in the air. i didn't see a missile launcher, he says. but tonight a senior rebel leader has admitted they do have a launcher. back on june 29th rebels

reportedly tweeted out this photo claiming possession of an sa-11 anti-aircraft missile system for targeting high-altitude aircraft. two weeks later the ukrainian military transport flying at 21,000 feet was shot down over luhansk, three days later less than 50 miles away mh-17 was shot down at 33,000 feet. and today in the same region those two ukrainian fighter jets said to be at 17,000 feet were shot down. the war in ukraine increasingly includes an air war after the death of almost 300 civilians, many wondered if whoever shot down the malaysian plane would lay low. today, they got their answer. keir simmons, nbc news, donetsk, ukraine. and sadly, there's been another air disaster, this time on an island off taiwan where a transasia airways turboprop

crashed while trying to land in the outer band of a typhoon. 47 people were killed, 11 more hospitalized. weather channel meteorologist mike seidel sent us this radar sequence of weather conditions at the time. the resulting explosion set apartment buildings near the airport on fire. it took hours for hundreds of first responders to put out the flames and deal with the victims. the faa ban on u.s. airline flights to israel has been extended another 24 hours because of the threat of incoming rockets at tel aviv's ben gurion airport. there is talk in israeli media and elsewhere about a possible political motive behind the faa ban. former new york city mayor michael bloomberg flew to tel aviv from new york on the israeli airline el al to make a point about safety when he was asked today if the faa ban had a political motive perhaps meant to bring israel to peace talks by crippling tourism. he said, "it is true that the faa ban gives hamas a win." meantime, those rockets continue

today along with the ground war in gaza and civilian deaths. 36 israelis have been killed, 695 palestinians including 161 children. the u.s. says tonight the number of children killed over a two-day period this week averaged one every hour. our chief foreign correspondent richard engel is there for us again tonight. >> reporter: israel is increasingly cut off. at tel aviv airport today, frustrated passengers waiting for flights that aren't coming. one american plane did land in tel aviv, secretary of state john kerry's official jet. kerry met with israel's prime minister and the palestinian premier. >> we will continue to push for this cease-fire. we have, in the last 24 hours, made some progress in moving towards that goal. >> reporter: but tonight that goal seems as distant as ever. the fire in gaza is relentless.

and there's one less hospital in gaza now. israel today flattened a hospital. the patients were evacuated, israel said, after it gave staff an advance warning. israel says this video is released today shows militants firing from inside the hospital. but israel isn't always that careful. according to the u.n. three-quarters of palestinian casualties have been civilians. all day hamas has been firing rockets from gaza bringing on this costly war. but we are not hearing people here turning against hamas. for years gazans have been living in prison-like conditions. they can't travel. most are unemployed. to change that they're willing to pay a very heavy price. >> i'm tired of living. i don't want to even live anymore. >> reporter: mahmoud is a palestinian-american. he came to gaza to check on his mother. now, he can't leave this bombed-out city. >> i'd rather die than keep living the way i'm living.

that's why people are like, you know what? fine, we have 600 people dead. another thousand. who cares? as long as we get something accomplished. >> reporter: palestinians say their choice is to die fighting israel or live quietly in the jail gaza has become. it doesn't seem like a cease-fire is imminent. there's heavy fighting here in gaza once again tonight. israel feels it must do more to destroy hamas' infrastructure. and hamas wants something to show at least some progress for all the casualties. brian. >> richard engel, gaza city for us again tonight. richard, thanks. one more note on this conflict tonight, it is visible from space the crew of the international space station which circles us here on earth every 90 minutes put this photo out on social media today. they say they can see rocket launches and explosions in the gaza strip from 200 miles up. an update tonight on the tempest on the brooklyn bridge on the biggest mystery in new york these days, who climbed up

the bridge towers in the dark of night, covered the lights and replaced the massive american flags with flags that were bleached white. tonight we're getting our first look at surveillance video that captured the scene from afar as it happened. this was two nights back. the lights on the bridge are on and then suddenly they go out around 3:30 in the morning. police say they have further video showing four people walking on the bridge just before the lights went out. parts of eastern oregon recovering today from an intense series of storms that produced as many as 3,000 lightning strikes that started several dozen new wildfires in that part of the state. many of the fires were quickly contained, but a bigger battle goes on as thousands of firefighters struggle against 11 major wildfires burning across the state. to the south in california a heat advisory in effect tonight. folks there getting no relief from the history-making drought and the water emergency that is in effect. and to get people to do the

right thing and conserve water, there's a new kind of sheriff in town. nbc's hallie jackson got to ride along with the water police. >> reporter: rachel garza is working her beat. look at these sprinklers going at 1:00 in the afternoon. >> reporter: when we see this, is this bad? >> very bad. >> reporter: no gun, no cuff, no siren. but this drought-buster protects and serves one of california's most valuable resources, defending against water waste like this. >> the water is too precious right now to not use it correctly. >> reporter: two hours into our ride -- >> look. they're still going on. unbelievable. >> reporter: these are the same sprinklers? >> there's the guy. >> reporter: the guy working these sprinklers did not want to be on camera but he defended letting the water run in the hottest part of the day. >> we have a concern because we're in a drought. >> reporter: garza's district does not ticket water wasters for now, but other cities will issue fines of up to 500 bucks

under a new california rule. if that doesn't work, public shaming might. #droughtshaming has taken off on social media. mike barnum was running errands when he snapped this picture and tweeted "way to hose down your entire sidewalk. twice." >> everybody has their job to do. and if somebody's not doing it, it's harder for everybody else to pick up that slack. >> reporter: rachel garza prefers positivity and education. >> and a little bit of permeable hardscape? >> what is that? >> reporter: she'll add that hardscape, she could save about $400 on her water bill. and that's the point, helping californians from keeping their state from running dry. hallie jackson, nbc news, oakland. also for our viewers out west, apparently a botched execution in arizona. let's go to joe fryer in our l.a. newsroom. good evening. >> good evening. arizona's attorney general says

the execution of joseph wood took 1 hour and 57 minutes. this was execution by lethal injection. witnesses say wood was gasping and snorting for more than an hour. his attorneys even filed an emergency motion to stop the execution midway through, but wood died before the court acted. he was convicted of murdering his girlfriend and her father 25 years ago aft. after the execution, witnesses and the family spoke out. >> it was tough for everybody in that room. and at a certain point, you wondered if he was ever going to die. >> it's about the victims. it ain't about the guy that went to sleep and never woke up. now my family members can rest in peace. >> this april in oklahoma, inmate clayton lockette died 43 minutes into his execution, sparking a debate about lethal injection. tonight arizona's governor is calling for a full review of that state's execution process after what happened today.

brian? >> joe fryer in our los angeles newsroom, thanks. and we're back with more on this wednesday night from new york right after this.

as we mentioned, in medical news tonight young women and heart attacks normally we'd think those were separate thoughts, but they are not. and the warning signs make for a story that needs attention. tens of thousands of younger women are at greater risk than they realize and sometimes even their physicians are too quick to dismiss their symptoms. we get our report tonight from our chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman. >> reporter: keisha haws was shocked when she became one of the more than 30,000 women under the age of 55 hospitalized with heart disease. >> i said what do you mean i had a heart attack? no, no, i have not had a heart attack. i'm only 31 years old. i don't even have time to have a heart attack right now. >> number one killer. >> reporter: despite aggressive public awareness campaigns, young women are not getting the message that they can have heart

disease, too. why do young women still think they're so invincible? >> we have forgotten to spread the message that the disease and the risk factors start in your 20s. >> reporter: a study from the american college of cardiology looked at over 230,000 men and women between the ages of 30 and 54 hospitalized with heart attacks. the surprising finding, younger women come to the hospital sicker, stay longer and are more likely to die than men. and black women are the most likely to have risk factors for heart attack including diabetes and hypertension. keisha is diabetic and didn't know that that alone put her at great risk for having a heart attack. a busy mom, she thought she was healthy enough. >> my concern level for a heart attack was pretty much nonexistent. it wasn't on my radar at all. >> very often women present with less classic symptoms. nausea, neck pain, fatigue and probably some g.i. upset,

feeling like it's heartburn, can all be signs that signify a heart attack in women. >> reporter: now that she's been given a second chance, she's putting herself first for the sake of her family. >> i realize that if i'm not well, then i'm not able to care for the people that i love at my best. i realize that i don't have to save the world single-handedly. >> another concern with rising obesity levels in this country and more cases of diabetes, it's important to know that people with type 2 diabetes have the same risk of having a heart attack as someone who has already had a heart attack. time to get that message out to women even in their 20s, brian. >> this is a matter of getting people's attention. nancy, thank you as always. after a break we're back in a moment with the new rankings of the happiest places in america. and here's a hint, the top five all have one thing in common. plus, a giant surprise caught on camera by a pair of kayakers.

a big victory today for adele, the latest celebrity to fight back against the paparazzi. she filed suit in the uk which has stronger privacy laws than we do, seeking damages against a photo agency for ruining what she called milestone moments for her 1-year-old son. those moments included his first family outing, his first trip to a play group, images of those were published around the world against the family's wishes. the five-figure settlement will be held in a trust for her son when he's older. well, if you know folks who live in louisiana, you know what this they're not dealing with hurricanes or oil spills or alligators, life there is good, and they are proud to say so. some harvard and british columbia researchers know it now when they were compiling the list of the happiest cities in the u.s., they discovered they were all in one state. the top five, lafayette, houma,

shreveport, baton rouge, alexandria. the bad news for new york city, it came in as the unhappiest city. a video making the rounds on the web because it really conveys what it must have felt to be a kayaker lifted up out of the water by a whale who was apparently thankfully just playing. it happened in argentina. the kayakers drove right into the pod of whales and got a very gentle but prolonged ride. a story to tell for all time and a gopro video for the ages. when we come back, our "making a difference" report.

"making a difference," brought to you by phillips digestive health support. because the march of bad news these days has been so relentless, we were so heartened today to hear about all the good that's going on in the middle of the awful and rampaging washington state wildfires. at least 150 homes are gone, but thankfully as so often happens people have reflexively stepped up to help each other. our report tonight from nbc's

jacob rascon. >> reporter: it is a tireless effort. and it is far from over. the break in the weather a chance for fire crews to get the upper hand. >> baby wipes. >> reporter: inside pateros high school, a different kind of fight. volunteers like principal mike hall on the front lines of the relief effort. >> we've got stuff coming from one side of the state, from the other side of the state, the central of the state and coming together in a community. >> reporter: turning the gym where the pateros billy goats basketball team usually plays -- >> this is the gym. >> reporter: -- into a donation superstore for anyone who lost anything. >> there's a time for crying and a time for doing. it's time for doing. >> do you need help with anything, ma'am? >> reporter: volunteers from across the country working under lights powered by generators, running day cares, sorting donations and cooking food. >> it takes a lot to feed this crowd.

>> reporter: george and his fiancee lost their home in the fire. >> the house we were going to move into is gone. my daughter, who is the mayor of pateros's house behind me is gone. my brother's house is gone. >> reporter: the next day they were here serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. >> america's greatest asset is its people. >> reporter: all over the disaster zone makeshift help centers and the compassionate people who run them. >> oh, my gosh! >> reporter: making the tremendous losses slightly more bearable. the largest wildfire on record in washington state tearing through homes and neighborhoods. >> i'm so sorry. >> reporter: otherwise desolate communities still without power and water, now alive with humanity and charity. >> i love the place i live because this is what we're about. >> reporter: making central washington feel a little like home again. jacob rascon, nbc news, pateros, washington. >> good message on this

wednesday 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. nbc bay area news starts now. right now at 6:00, your ticket for the next big concert or sporting event, be careful, how the popular website stub hub was hacked. >> it is an international million dollar scam aimed at stealing and re-selling concert tickets, and at the center of it all, a bay area company. stub hub was broken into. and users paid the price. scott budman is live with how the operation was uncovered and

how can you protect yourself? >> reporter: stub hub, after all is the world's largest ticket-selling company, which makes it an attractive target for hackers, some of whom launched a ring to steal and scalp more than a million dollars of tix ets. from the rams to justin timberlake and jay sooechl. $1.6 million in tickets stolen and re-sold when russian hackers broke into ebay's ticket selling giant, stub hub. >> those tickets from resold and laundered through a global network of accomplices in the united states, united kingdom, russia and canada. >> reporter: seven arrests were made in what's being called an international seeker crime ring, a ring that started when people stole passwords from stub hub users. >> once they got in, they had access to all