>> very pleasant. >> i know, it is. >> thanks for joining us. hope to see you at 6:00. on our broadcast tonight, executed by isis. another american has been killed in brutal fashion by the terrorist group with a message for the u.s. and president obama. our nbc news exclusive, dr. kent brantly once near death with ebola when we watched him walk into that atlanta hospital. tonight his first interview since leaving the hospital. fighting for her life, confirmation from her family on the condition of joan rivers. what her daughter melissa has now revealed. and going the distance. what one family found was the pathway into their son with autism. now if they could just get him to slow down. "nightly news" begins now.

good evening. as the last days of summer wore down, wherever americans gathered over this past holiday weekend on beaches, boats, blankets, front porches, and when the conversation turned serious, it's about the sensation that our world is falling apart. the number of hotspots around the world right now is bracing. a lot of them, but not all in the middle east. a lot of them but not all have to do with radical islam. and tonight the u.s. is forced to react to the execution of yet another american. while we will not air it here tonight, it took place on camera. the radical group isis has killed another prisoner, another american journalist.

after his mother delivered a public plea to spare her son's life. it's where we begin on this tuesday night with our chief foreign correspondent richard engle on the syrian border with turkey tonight, richard, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. isis released a video, it is very disturbing, it hasn't yet been verified by u.s. intelligence, but it does appear to show the execution of journalist steven sotloff. and i must say, brian, he was very brave right until the end. the 31-year-old reporter's voice never broke as he read a statement with a knife held by his throat. the executioner appears to be the same militant who beheaded james foley two weeks ago. >> this is james wright foley. >> reporter: the same voice, the same heavy british accent. today's video suggested a british hostage could be the next to die. just last week, sotloff's mother begged for this not to happen. >> bring him home safe and sound and to hug him. >> reporter: she appealed politely, even respectfully to the isis leaders to have mercy on her son.

>> i ask you to be merciful and not punish my son for matters he has no control over. >> reporter: they showed no mercy. now the video is evidence. >> u.s. intelligence will break down all of the tactical elements of this video to try to understand who's behind this execution, where they might have been located, what the timing was. all of these pieces fit in to create a broader intelligence picture of what isis is doing. >> reporter: the militants still hold at least two other americans, their fate unknown. sotloff was a freelance journalist from florida, he worked for a variety of publications, including time magazine. these videos, brian are meant to be gruesome and terrifying. they also attract recruits. brian?

>> richard engel starting us off tonight from the syrian border. richard, thanks. the debate is now raging over what to do, how to respond to isis. to say nothing of those other host spots in the rest of the world. and the news overnight that u.s. forces carried out a military operation on yet another terrorist battleground. that part of the story tonight from nbc's andrea mitchell. >> reporter: terrorists attacking this shopping mall in nairobi last september, killing 67 people. a somali based al qaeda affiliate called al shabaab. monday american hellfire missiles targeted their leader near mogadishu. u.s. intelligence can't say yet whether they got him. jihadi social media sites say he was injured not killed. beyond somalia, islamic extremists are posing a growing threat across a broad front. isis militants in iraq and syria gaining ground. rebels in libya two years after benghazi, overrunning an embassy residence in tripoli. boko haram militants kidnapping hundreds of girls in nigeria. a cautious president obama asking advisers if he takes military action, what happens the day after? >> the president's got a real

dilemma, it's hard to imagine he's going to solve this complex problem with u.s. military air power. >> the white house is expected to announce the president is sending up to 300 more troops to iraq, to protect the u.s. embassy and the baghdad airport. all of these threats don't even include the one proposed by russia and vladimir putin, who is quoted as telling a european leader, he could take kiev in two weeks if he wanted to. even as the president tonight heads to europe, facing global threats on all sides. brian? >> andrea mitchell in our d.c. newsroom. andrea, thanks. the cdc has issued a dire new warning about the ebola epidemic. it's now spreading faster than all efforts to stop it. in a moment, we'll show you the first interview with the american physician who survived ebola and is now telling his story for the first time. as we learn another doctor is overseas. our report tonight from our chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman. >> this latest american

missionary diagnosed with ebola virus was with treating pregnant women in a liberian hospital. >> we need action now to -- >> reporter: this morning on "today," strong words from centers for disease control director dr. tom frieden, who just returned from liberia. >> we have the world's first epidemic of ebola, and it's spiraling out of control. the situation is bad and it looks like it's going to get worse quickly. >> reporter: so far this outbreak has caused more than 1500 deaths. 10% of them health care workers. more than 3,000 have been infected and the world health organization estimates that number may top out at as many as 20,000. in liberia 90 doctors care for over 4 million people, and the already fragile medical system is fractured. today this ebola patient in a red shirt escaped a quarantine center, carrying a stick as he

walked through a market in search of food. the fear is so great president obama today sent a message directly to the people of west africa. >> along with partners around the world the united states is working with your government to help stop this disease. >> reporter: while u.s. health officials continue to say ebola is not a threat to this country's sophisticated health system, this rapidly spreading disease requires a global response now. today the first three of 20 healthy american volunteers were reported to have been given the first dose of an experimental vaccine you can the kind of vaccine that will prevent ebola. this is the first test of its kind in human beings. this is not going away any time fast, brian. >> sadly it is not. dr. nancy snyderman starting off our coverage on this tonight, thanks. as promised, to our nbc news exclusive, the american doctor who was, you'll remember, reported to be near death with ebola when we watched him walk

into that atlanta hospital. his first interview about his incredible story, which he once thought he might not live to tell, and matt lauer tells us tonight about this extraordinary conversation. >> reporter: brian, good evening. i'm here in asheville, north carolina, this is where dr. kent brantly, his wife amber and their children have been in seclusion since he was released from emery university hospital a short time ago. we sat down for an exclusive interview. it was together that we learned one of his dearest friends, another doctor serving where he was serving in liberia, has now contracted the ebola virus. >> i was notified about that this morning. and spent a good long while in tearful prayer. >> you have become an expert in recognizing the symptoms. you had become extremely familiar with the progression of those symptoms, which takes us

to july 23rd. july 23rd, you wake up, take me through the day. >> i woke up that morning, and really i just felt a little off. a little warm, a little under the weather. i took my temperature and it was 100.0 i think. >> reporter: and your family was thousands of miles away. and you knew they couldn't come back. >> i was so thankful that amber and the kids were not there. that would have been an overwhelming mental burden if i had woken up sick laying in bed next to my wife with one of my children snuggled up next to me. >> reporter: fortunately for dr. brantly, his wife and two children had left liberia three days earlier to attend a wedding in texas. >> when he did call to tell me

he had ebola, i don't know if i can describe that. i was -- i knew what was coming, i had seen him treat these people who had already been diagnosed, i knew how it ends. i knew how everyone had ended up so far. so i had the disadvantage of having the knowledge of the course of the disease. and i was scared. >> there was a time during those days in liberia, where you were really sick that doctors didn't think you would make it through one of those nights. were you aware of that? >> yeah. >> did they talk to you about it? >> i don't think they ever said kent i think you're about to die. but i felt like i was about to

die. and i said to the nurse who was taking care of me, i'm sick, i have no reserve, and i don't know how long i can keep this up. i thought, i'm not going to be able to continue breathing this way. and they had no way to breathe for me if i had quit breathing. >> reporter: brian, dr. brantly says he's still weak, but he's improving every day. he wants to tell his story so americans won't forget the terrible situation that is taking place in liberia. will he go back? that's a decision they'll make down the road. brian, back to you. >> remarkable recovery indeed, much more of matt's interview with dr. brantly tomorrow morning on "today." and a special hour from nbc news on this nbc station friday night 10:00 eastern time. here in new york tonight, confirmation from the family regarding the condition of joan rivers who's been reported to be in a medically induced coma

following an outpatient procedure at the throat doctor last week. nbc's stephanie gosk live tonight for us with more. stephanie, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. the legendary co orkcomedienne been here at mt. sinai for the last five days with her family not releasing a lot of detail until today. her daughter melissa rivers confirming that the situation remains very serious. in a statement, she wrote. we are extremely grateful for all the love and support we've received. at this time she does remain on life support. i know my mother would be overwhelmed by the continued outpouring of kindness, and i want to thank everyone for keeping us in their prayers. since she arrived here, social media has completely lit up with messages from fans, friends and fellow comedians. all hoping brian that some of that tenacious spirit that joan rivers is known for, helps her pull through this. >> stephanie gosk, outside the hospital in manhattan. thanks. still ahead for us tonight

on a tuesday evening, when first responders can't respond in time to save a life. a growing problem on roadways across this country.

we are back tonight with a story we all need to be more aware of. the truth is most folks don't spend a lot of time thinking about first responders until they need one. when you do, when you need help, when someone is trying to get to you, seconds feel more like minutes going by. and in our modern era, many things have conspired to make it worse. congestion, volume, cell phones, headphones, distractions of all sorts. wait until you see the consequences. we begin our two part report tonight with nbc's tom costello. [ sirens ] >> reporter: from boston to chicago, orange county, california to montgomery county, maryland -- >> he's having trouble breathing. >> reporter: we rode along as

firefighters and paramedics lost precious seconds behind drivers who wouldn't budge or were stuck in gridlock. >> this is an area that gets a little congested for us too. >> reporter: in lake forest california, paramedic engine 29 sees it every day, critical seconds and minutes that eat into the goal of arriving at a fire or medical call within four to eight minutes. boston engine trapped behind a city bus after the driver stopped at a 7-eleven. ladder 26 stopped cold for 28 seconds in congestion. chicago engine 42 in a slow march through downtown. for 30 seconds this driver in maryland would not get out of the way for a paramedic unit. it matters because a fire can double in size in just one minute. and an extra 30 seconds to a cardiac case can mean brain damage or death. a 2008 north carolina study found response times under five minutes translate into fewer

deaths. a 2012 utah study found an 8% increase in fatalities within one day of a delayed response. every crew we rode with said they have been on calls where a life could have been saved had they only gotten there sooner, the trouble, more people, more cars, more drivers, more texting and talking, more gadgets. >> we've definitely seen our response times increase over the years, because people are distracted. >> reporter: some drivers simply don't want to yield. boston fire commissioner joe finn. >> unless it's affecting them, they don't actually take it too seriously. >> reporter: in a business where every second counts, the people on the front lines say it's taking longer to get there. tom costello, nbc news, boston. >> in tomorrow night's report, why so many people panic when an emergency vehicle is suddenly on their tail, especially inside cars that are built for quiet on the inside. another break and we're back in a moment with another midair

emergency involving passengers getting way too close for comfort.

there have always been two kinds of people who fly, those who recline in their seats, no matter the consequences to the passenger behind them. and the more upright types who are sensitive to passenger needs. thanks in part to a clamp on invention to make reclining impossible, this is shaping up as the season of flared tempers in the air. three flights in the last two weeks have diverted because of reclining-related issues. the latest was a delta flight new york to palm beach forced to divert to jacksonville because of an on board altercation involving a woman using the tray table to rest her head when the woman in front of her reclined. by the way, on our website tonight is a way to help flyers find the seats with the most leg room in the sky. on the night of his surprise

upset, house majority leader eric cantor told his supporters in virginia, i look forward to continuing to fight with all of you for the things we believe in for the conservative cause, end of quote. apparently he will lead that fight from inside the confines of a wall street bank. cantor has signed on as vice chairman and managing director of a boutique investment bank with plans to open a washington office. with six children between them, brad pitt and angelina jolie have made it official. as you may have heard, they wed at their french chateau. and with the release of the photos, the bride's wedding gown is getting a lot of attention. not so much for the color, but how the versace gown incorporated their children's drawings in the veil. as for the groom it turns out he was wearing something borrowed -- a tie that belongs to his son after the groom forgot to pack his own. the long distance journey that has allowed one family to un lock what's going on inside their son with autism.

it's an amazing story when we come back.

finally here tonight we mentioned at the top of the broadcast, considering the world is falling apart or seems to be these days.

let's end on a terrific success story. for so many parents who have children on the autism spectrum. for so many it's about finding a way to open them up. just like what happened to the young man you're about to meet. we get his story tonight from nbc's kate snow. >> reporter: for mike brannigan, running has always been as natural as breathing. >> he stood up and started running. >> reporter: something wasn't right. >> he would run into the walls and fall and not put his hands down, and smash his head. >> reporter: diagnosed with autism, by 6 he still wouldn't talk unless prompted. but then one day on the play ground monkey bars, a breakthrough. >> he was hanging there and he said, help me. and i fell to my knees. i started crying in the park. i knew that everything was going to be okay. >> reporter: a couple years later, his father brought him to

a running club and mike took off. >> the coach came up to me and said, this guy can run. >> i always want to go faster. >> reporter: now a senior, mike brannigan is ranked one of the top ten high school runners in the country. >> i have to do some things to slow him down. >> he wants to go faster. >> go, mike, go. >> reporter: this june he ran a 4:07 mile. the sport has transformed his academics and given him confidence. >> are you friends with your teammates? >> yeah, i'm friends with them. we have a good time. >> do you think autism makes you a better runner? >> a better person. >> reporter: a better person? >> every time i brought him to a race or practice, he was just a regular kid. all the other stuff that goes on, everything goes away when he's out on the track. >> reporter: more than 200 colleges have reacheded out.

>> i have to tell you names. duke, georgetown, syracuse, wisconsin. >> reporter: to succeed, he'll need academic support, but mike has even bigger dreams. >> the olympics. >> reporter: do you think you can do it? >> i can do it. >> reporter: how cool would that be? >> that would be awesome. put that in books of history. >> reporter: kate snow, nbc news, north port, new york. >> well done, mike. that is our broadcast for this post labor day tuesday night. thank you for being here with us as we begin a new week and a new season. i'm brian williams. we, of course, hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.

nbc bay area news starts now. en i'm a general contractor, and i stop at home depot, four or five times a day. >> right now at 6:00, it's happening again. hackers may have stolen customer credit and debit card data. thanks for joining us, i'm jessica aguirre. >> and i'm raj mathai. home depot has been hacked, and the details are just now coming out. our business reporter scott budman was among the first to report this possible breach and joins us now from santa clara.

>> reporter: home depot is admitting it's looking into it. could be a very large credit card hack, with details eerily similar to what happened with target earlier this year, right down to the fact that russian hackers could be involved. it will have a lot of us checking our statements carefully. it's a store many of us shop at a lot. >> i'm a general contractor and stop at home depot four or five time thes a day. >> reporter: it's the biggest since target admitted it had been breached, affecting as many as 70 million customers across the country. >> so we are a little skeptical about using, when we slide our cards, we're a little skeptical about who can get our identity and using our credit. >> this is going to be a common occurrence. >> reporter: it's also keeping securityom