more on the hurricanes at 6:00. nightly news is next. on our broadcast tonight, breaking news. u.s. aircraft over iraq waiting over iraq as a humanitarian crisis explodes. state of emergency. hours from landfall now in hawaii. not one but two hurricanes closing in fast. and sounding the alarm as the ebola epidemic may have spread to another country tonight. and doctors leading the fight lash out about the warnings ignored. "nightly news" begins now. it appears u.s. military

aircraft are in action in the skies over iraq. the white house has released a photo of the president in the situation room with his national security staff. while the last of the u.s. combat troops pulled out over two years ago now, the concern is this violent isis movement the rebels who have been sweeping across the country with very little resistance in their path. they have been rooting out iraqi christians and other religious minorities. 40,000 of whom are said to be on the run and in great danger. less than a decade ago, of course, the u.s. had 145,000 troops in iraq. the u.s. spent $2 trillion on the invasion of that country. and the sustained combat that followed. the problem tonight is two-fold. there's a humanitarian crisis, and there's a u.s. consulate in the city of irbil.

that's why aircraft are back in action. we have two reports tonight. richard engel in the middle east, and jim miklaszewski on duty at the pentagon for us. we'll start there tonight. jim, good evening. >> good evening, brian. u.s. military airplanes and cargo aircraft are in the air tonight over iraq. on two separate missions, one humanitarian, the other combat. we're told that isis militant forces are tonight poised just outside of erbil. but according to one senior u.s. military official, we're not going to let them take erbil. with isis rebels only days away from seizing erbil, the president has put u.s. warplanes on a hair trigger, not only to save erbil, but the u.s. consulate there as well, with up to 50 u.s. employees and scores of u.s. military advisers working there with the iraqi military. as american surveillance drones scan the battlefield, u.s. fighter aircraft and bombers are poised to launch air strikes against the isis rebels. if those fighters halt their advance and retreat, american warplanes will likely be ordered

to hold their fire. if not, the president's order to strike will be carried out. at the same time, under a deadly assault from isis military militants, a small religious sect were forced to flee mosul or face execution if they did not convert to islam. the they sought refuge atop mountains, but the rebels blocked the roads in an effort to starve them out. with no food or water, many began to die of thirst and starvation. faced with a massive humanitarian crisis, u.s. military cargo planes with combat escorts are expected to begin air drops of food, water, and medicine at daybreak. u.s. officials tell us that the president's primary objective here in iraq right now is those humanitarian air flights, air

drops, that could happen overnight tonight. but if those rebels pose any kind of threat to americans or u.s. interests in iraq, all bets are off, brian. >> all right. jim miklaszewski starting us off at the pentagon. jim, thanks. now to our chief foreign correspondent richard engel, who spent much of a decade covering the war in iraq and has been watching all of this since u.s. forces withdrew. he remains in tel aviv tonight. richard, let's talk about the threat from this group, isis. >> well, if you remember, brian, in june, it looked like isis was going to take baghdad. it was seizing weapons. its fighters were marching toward baghdad. and the united states sent military advisers to help prop up the iraqi government. isis didn't get to baghdad. its fighters pulled back. but instead, they decided to go east and west, and they captured a lot of other territory. and they entered into a part of iraq that is its cultural heartland, where a lot of

christians and yazidis are and they have been terrorizing people. and now about 40,000 people, particularly around the sinjar mountains, are leaving their homes and running up to the hills. they are stranded on this barren mountaintop. they have been there for about a week. they don't have food or water. they are getting dehydrated. and that's why the u.s. is considering this humanitarian mission and potentially airstrikes against isis. and the real question is, will it just be a little airstrike, no airstrike, or the start of a big air campaign against isis, which some of the u.s. military think is necessary? >> richard, we continue to hear that that airstrike would also be if u.s. forces were at all threatened in the city of irbil, where there is a u.s. consulate. >> there is a u.s. consulate. and not just the american personnel there. the kurds in irbil have long been close u.s. allies, the best friends the united states has ever had in iraq. and i don't think the united states would want to see and would allow erbil to fall to

militants from isis. it would not only be a bloodbath but a betrayal. >> we'll see what happens overnight tonight and into tomorrow. richard engel in tel aviv. jim miklaszewski before that at the pentagon. thanks to you both. a solemn ceremony at dover air force base in delaware today as the body of u.s. army major general harold greene was returned to this country from afghanistan. general greene was shot to death in kabul on tuesday by an afghan soldier. 34-year army veteran was on a training mission. as a two-star, he is the highest-ranking u.s. military officer killed in combat since the war in vietnam. and secretary of state john kerry arrived in afghanistan today. his unannounced visit underscoring the tensions in that country as the u.s. combat role winds down. kerry hopes to help resolve an ongoing dispute over who won the presidential election there in june. now to the big weather story we are tracking tonight.

the state of hawaii is of course used to changeable weather, but nothing like this. a state of emergency is in effect tonight for an approaching hurricane, and then another one after that. they have only been hit by three hurricanes since 1950. this is the first time in 22 years. and this first one is a life-threatening storm. the hope is that by passing over the big island first, the storm will lose some of its energy before hitting oahu and then maui. it has to hit that big island first. jacob rascon is in helo. good evening. >> the big island is expected to get hit first. the outer edges of hurricane iselle are closing in with wind gusts up to 85 miles per hour.

on hawaii's big island, it's now or never. the first of two hurricanes about to make landfall. shops and boats are all boarded up. as most of the island is taking shelter, casey jones refuses to leave his boat. >> this is where the storm is going to hit. >> well, what are you going to do? take off and -- where are you going to go? we're on an island. >> reporter: across the islands, ports are closing. and in the air, the coast guard watching for water hazards. at the emergency operations center on the big island, preparations for a direct hit. mayor billy kanoi is nervous, warning residents and vacationers to take the threat seriously. >> you're dealing with high winds, lots of rain, lots of water, high surf. and on an island community, you put all of those elements together, and you've got increased unpredictable. >> reporter: and it couldn't have come at a worse time. it's peak vacation season here. last summer, more than 75,000 people visited the island and spent more than $1.2 billion. hotel owners are doing what they

can to take care of guests. >> we brought in food and water, enough to keep the resort replenished for at least a week. >> reporter: the last time a hurricane hit the islands was more than two decades ago and caused more than $1 billion in damage. some airlines are canceling flights ahead of the storms. shelves once packed with essentials now empty. long lines at gas stations are everywhere. more than 1 million people on the islands are taking cover. and adding to the tense mood today, a 4.5 earthquake hit the big island only hours ago. this is hawaii's governor warning of mass potential power outages and flooding. brian? >> last thing hawaii needed today was an earthquake on top of all of it. jacob rascon starting us off from hilo tonight. we also want to bring in weather channel's jim cantore. he is also on the eastern edge of that big island. jim, a lot of people in the

lower 48 may not realize just how rare an event this is in hawaii, where i see the weather is already degrading where you are. >> reporter: yeah. it's only going to get worse. we've never had a hurricane landfall here on the big island. never in any history books. only a tropical storm. but either way, whether this comes in as a 75 mile an hour hurricane or a 70 mile an hour tropical storm, the impacts will be exactly the same, flooding, power outages, and massive waves. let's talk about this. first of all, you can see both of the storms, iselle and julio, on satellite. both of these are on very similar paths. iselle obviously at its closest point you can see on the radar not just here on the big island but all the way out to kauai. we are already getting disruptions with showers. some of the higher elevations have gusted over to 50 miles per hour on top of the volcanos here.

it will go over volcano national park probably about 5:00 eastern time or 11:00 here. so all the impacts, a lot of them overnight here in hawaii, and it will move on. hopefully the mountains and the volcanos will take the power out of this thing, and it won't be as bad. but we do think flooding and power outages will top the list here. this area has not been hit in many years. julio, the western shift in the track possibly with some models takes it closer to maui and oahu as we get into sunday. just as iselle is leaving, we look at julio. maybe weaker, but threatening the northern side of the island. >> jim cantore, take care of yourself on the big island of hawaii tonight. we turn now to the ebola crisis amid reports today that it has now spread to a fifth country in africa, and that a state of emergency was declared in liberia. we heard a stark assessment today from the head of the cbc who called the outbreak in west africa a fog of war situation. he also said this current crisis is on track to become worse than all the previous outbreaks combined.

we get the very latest tonight from nbc's kate snow. >> reporter: in the western african nation of guinea, a man collapses in the middle of the street. for five hours, no one helps or touches him fearing he may have ebola. >> this is a very nasty, bloody disease. >> reporter: on capitol hill this afternoon, the vice president of samaritan's purse, ken isaacs. >> if the disease is uncontained and out of control in west africa. the international response to the disease has been a failure. >> reporter: ebola has jumped from guinea to liberia to sierra leone and nigeria. >> people have been warned not to play with dead bodies. >> reporter: a spanish priest with ebola was evacuated to spain for treatment, much like the two americans flown to emory university hospital. >> it was not until july 26 when kent brantly and nancy writebol were confirmed positive that the world sat up and paid attention.

>> reporter: brantly and writebol have received an experimental drug. never before has an investigational drug like this skipped trials and just been given to human beings. but this is an epidemic, and lives are on the line. >> they seem to be getting a little better every day. >> reporter: for the first time today, we heard from writebol's husband, david. >> i'm ok. i'm in, you know, a small apartment. but i'm grateful and happy that she's in a place that enables her to receive the best care possible. >> reporter: at the centers for disease control emergency operations center, they are monitoring everything that's happening overseas and also taking phone calls from hospitals in this country. all the folks you see behind me are working on ebola, and hundreds more about to join them. >> we can stop ebola. we know how to do it. it will be a long and hard fight. >> reporter: isaacs' message more dire. >> we will be fighting it and containing it in multiple countries around the world.

and the truth is, the cat is most likely already out of the bag. >> aid workers say they are running out of protective gear in africa. and tonight, brian, the fda is trying to fast track some of the experimental drugs to help people fighting ebola. brian? >> kate snow at cdc headquarters for us tonight. kate, thanks. and still ahead on our broadcast this evening, the dramatic conclusion to a closely watched murder trial. a shocking case. and now today's verdict that has many people divided. later, making a difference. a dog lover on a mission as a matchmaker of sorts for partners fighting crime.

we are back as promised with the verdict today in the murder trial of a homeowner in suburban detroit who shot and killed a young woman he claimed was threatening and banging on his doors in the middle of the night. but the jury rejected his claim

that he feared for his life. nbc's peter alexander covering for us in detroit tonight. good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. after deliberating for only eight hours over two days, jurors found theodore wafer guilty of second degree murder, manslaughter, and a felony firearms charge. >> guilty of murder in the second degree. >> reporter: theodore wafer sat expressionless as the jury read its verdict, guilty on all counts in the death of 19-year-old renisha mcbride. her parents say they were relieved and overwhelmed. >> her life mattered, and we showed that. >> he was just waiting on something to happen. and unfortunately, my daughter

came to his door and he shot her. >> reporter: jurors dismissed wafer's claim he was acting in self-defense in the early morning hours last november when he says he was awakened by someone loudly banging on the doors of his suburban detroit home. >> i wasn't going to cower in my house. i didn't want to be a victim. >> reporter: fearing for his life, wafer says he found his shotgun, opened the front door, and fired. >> i just shot somebody on my front porch with a shotgun banging on my front door. >> reporter: prosecutors say mcbride was disoriented after crashing into a parked car several blocks away. she was found to be drunk and high at the time, but prosecutors say not a threat. >> she was a young woman looking for help. >> reporter: another critical piece of testimony, wafer who said he couldn't find his phone, never called police before shooting the teenager. during the trial, wafer insisted he was devastated by the shooting. >> this poor girl. she had her whole life in front of her. i took that from her.

>> reporter: now the victim's family focuses on a life lost. >> she can rest because she know justice has been served for her because she's supposed to be right here with us. >> reporter: wafer, who had been free on bond, is behind bars tonight, brian. he is awaiting sentencing. he could face up to life in prison, but experts suggest it will likely be less than that. >> peter alexander live for us tonight from detroit. another break. we're back in a moment with news from across the pond. word of a new job in a familiar place for a future king.

kensington palace has announced the future king of england will soon start flying helicopters for the east anglian air service in the uk. william has over a thousand hours of air time as a search and rescue pilot. he will start as a co-pilot before transitioning to commander. >> reporter: reports out of hollywood say this network is close to a deal to bring back bill cosby for a primetime sitcom. he'll play the patriarch of a multi generational family. it's aimed at summer or fall of 2015, but nothing final yet.

the original "cosby show" aired for eight seasons from 1984 to 1992. and finally, turning 50 can be tough on some people. some police officers in kansas city wanted to be sure everyone knew their fellow officer was turning 50. they want us to know they spent their own money on 4,000 sticky notes. they did a very nice job on the patrol car, and then filled it with balloons. it was further explained to us this way. you know how every workplace has that someone special who can dish it out? well, this 20-year veteran of the force, who did we mention is turning 50, is apparently one of those guys. happy 50th to stewart littlefield of the kcpd. when we come back, making a difference to police forces all over by finding good dogs who have what it takes to protect and serve.

our "making a difference" report tonight is about a woman on a mission to make sure law enforcement officers get the partners they need and deserve, even when law enforcement budgets fall short. we get the story tonight from our houston-based correspondent janet shamlian.

>> reporter: when officer mark brinker is on duty, 2-year-old austin is his partner. for a while, it appeared brinker would have to go it alone on the often-dangerous overnight shift. his last dog retired, and like cash-crunched departments everywhere, pasadena couldn't afford a new dog. >> it's tough. they are not cheap. these dogs run anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000. so it's a big expense to obtain one of these animals. >> reporter: dog lover christie schiller, a self-described supporter of law enforcement, gave austin to officer brinker earlier this year. it was the 60th canine she's given to an officer. >> when somebody goes out there and you're asking them to take a pay cut, be underpaid, and we're not going to give you the equipment we need, i don't understand. and yet these people put their lives on the line for us every day. >> reporter: it started simply, schiller digging into her own pocket three years ago after watching reports about a houston

deputy who lost his canine partner in the line of duty. the sheriff's office couldn't afford to replace the dog. >> you in the field, this is a k-9 patrol. >> reporter: they are highly trained. it's all very expensive. schiller started k9s for cops, knocking on doors for donations so she could give the dogs away. >> without christie, it would be very difficult for some police departments who have never had a k9 to have a k9. >> reporter: christie's k9s are in 17 states. she is also now giving them to schools. >> it's amazing what they've done with the little i've given them. >> reporter: where shifts are long and resources thin, the gift of a k9, helping their partners serve and protect. nbc news, houston. and that's our broadcast on a thursday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.

-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com pictures are from a special kind of drone. the bay area technology allowing us to go along for the ride as two hurricanes bear down on a hawaii. good evening. thanks for joining us. >> we begin with that developing story tonight. all eyes on hawaii as you heard is not one but two hurricanes bear down on the island. i want to show you pictures to show you what's happening as people across hawaii brace for the storms. we have team coverage for you

this etchvening. nbc bay area's meteorologist is in maui with what tourists are facing but we begin with monte francis live from sfo. a role a silicon valley company is playing in this developing story. >> reporter: here at sfo two direct flights has been canceled today. the hurricane has not yet made landfall but tonight one silicon valley company is already taking us right into the eye of the storm. this is a drone. not one that flies, one that floats. a $300,000 piece of ten called a wave glider made by sunniville based liquid robotics. gary guys season the company's ceo. >> it has a control system. one of the things that is interesting through this hurricane is that we can actually tweet the vehicle and get information off of it right in the middle of a hurricane. >> reporter: powered by sole lan panels and equipped with a came