>> see you at 6:00.

>> reporter: outside a jerusalem synagogue, police are targeting two killers. it's just minutes after the men have shot and stabbed four people to death. in the exchange of fire, one policeman is shot and injured

before both gunmen are killed. inside, it's a blood bath. around two dozen men have been praying when they were attacked with axes, butchers knives and a pistol by the two palestinian men. >> we heard one shot, two shots, then a flurry of shots, at least five, six or seven shots. we all ran out. >> reporter: there was panic as police searched for more gunmen, and disbelief. of the dead three were rabbis and three were born in america. one, rabbi moshe twersky, was the son of a renowned boston rabbi. >> the death of someone who had such a significant rabbinic role and was connected to so many rabbis around the world is going to send shock waves through the entire jewish world. >> reporter: from the synagogue where they had prayed together just hours earlier, the four men were buried together. and israel's prime minister vowed to respond with what he called a heavy hand. the killers were cousins from east jerusalem. their families mourned.

some palestinians celebrated. the men hailed as heroes. president obama condemning them. >> the murderer's outrageous acts represent the kind of extremism that threatens to bring all of the middle east into the kind of spiral from which it's very difficult to emerge. >> reporter: and there was more trouble. clashes between palestinians and police where the two killers lived. jerusalem, the holy city, is an ever more tense and deadly one. brian, the policeman injured in that shoot-out has now died. so five dead plus the two killers. and fears here tonight of a sharpening religious edge to the long political conflict here. fears, too, that all this violence could be building towards a third palestinian uprising. jerusalem tonight is a city on edge. brian? >> bill neely live for us

tonight to start us off from jerusalem. bill, thanks. back to this country, and again tonight it's a weather emergency making news. a bitterly cold night in store for most people in this country. officially as of this morning temperatures were below freezing at least somewhere in all 50 states. and yes, that includes hawaii. being on the water, however, is not a good thing tonight in the northeast. take what they call the lake effect in buffalo, new york, where they're expecting 70 inches of snow before this is over. right now falling 4 to 5 inches per hour. right now there's 35 inches. more snow on the lake front than there is at the airport just five miles inland. national guard is being called in to help. weather channel meteorologist mike bettes is about 12 miles outside of buffalo for us tonight. >> reporter: whiteout. blizzard conditions. the great lakes region is under siege. buffalo all by buried with more than 51 inches of snow, and it's still falling.

100 miles of i-90 is shut down. 100 vehicles stranded. many may be forced to leave with rescuers tonight. >> it's a very serious situation. many travel bans and roads closed, highways closed. >> reporter: semis and cars stuck with nowhere to go. from the air, you could see it coming. a huge wall of snow moving into the city. and as time lapse video shows how it just hasn't stopped. relentless, piling up overnight and all day. >> i've lived in buffalo my whole life, and i've never seen it like that. it was scary. >> i have just received confirmation directly from the governor that the national guard will be deployed. >> reporter: the niagara university women's basketball team stuck nine hours on the new york thru-way while headed home from pittsburgh. >> the wind is blowing, the snow is falling at a pretty high rate. >> reporter: people at home posted online. snow day. barely visible backyard. i've lost my house. and no way this dog is getting through the doorway. snow piled up outside this man's

garage door. michigan also hit hard by the lake-effect snow. and in wisconsin, snow up to the stop sign. six feet in one week. the milwaukee river completely frozen over. record low temperatures for this time of year in ten cities. in louisville, kentucky, the big chill fell on churchill downs, canceling racing for the first time in nearly 30 years. this morning's low in florida, just 42 degrees near jacksonville. that's colder than oregon's mt. hood at 44. the snowfall totals impressive, to say the least. some places pushing 50 inches. and it is still coming down. these numbers will all go up. now, in addition to the snow, an icy grip across the country from the great lakes all the way to the southeast coast. potential record lows overnight. and then wednesday temperatures cold again now reaching to the east coast. and then we have to get through another night of potential record low temperatures for dozens of cities in the east.

obviously, weather in november that we're not all used to and november weather that's one for the record books. brian? >> mike bettes just outside buffalo for us tonight, mike, thanks. we have something new to report tonight on that recall of defective air bags. until now, this has been limited to parts of the country where high humidity could cause an air bag inflater to rupture. but now as of tonight the feds are demanding automakers expand it to all states. nbc's national correspondent peter alexander with us from our washington newsroom tonight with more. peter, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening to you. federal officials are calling on the japanese company takata and five major auto marriages to expand their recall to recall those equipped with takata air bags. this affects ford, honda, chrysler, mazda and bmw vehicles generally with model years 2008 and before. it affected cars mostly in areas along the gulf coast with high temperatures and humidity, but the government says it's making this new move after learning

about two incidents outside those areas. officials say drivers should keep wearing seat belts and can continue to drive until their vehicles can be repaired. if takata and the automakers do not follow through, the government says it will force them to. brian? >> peter alexander in our d.c. newsroom live tonight. peter, thanks. now we go to the middle of the country. ferguson, missouri, and this tense stand-by period waiting the grand jury decision of the white police officer who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager. tonight the town remains under a declared state of emergency which means the national guard is ready should police and protestors clash violently once again and disregard all these calls for peace. our report tonight from nbc's ron allen in ferguson. >> reporter: with protesters back on the streets, anticipating a grand jury decision whether to indict officer darren wilson in michael

brown's death -- >> as a member of the ferguson commission. >> reporter: today missouri's governor named his so-called ferguson commission. 15 citizens tasked with finding solutions to problems like poverty, education, policing, which has fueled the demonstrations. >> i'm not preparing for war. i'm preparing for peace. >> reporter: as the focus remains on the governor's decision to declare a state of emergency and activate the national guard criticized by protest organizers as provocative. are you going to be peaceful? >> well, we're intending to make it peaceful. >> reporter: after months of mostly peaceful gatherings, for many the governor's steps remind them of the street battles following brown's death. a state of emergency was declared back then. >> this leads to the issue why people are protesting, being heavy handed. >> reporter: now police are promising a softer approach. like wearing regular uniforms whenever possible but insisting violence won't be tolerated. and aware of fbi warnings that extremist groups, some recruiting on social media, may

try to use protests as a cover to attack police. >> they all are essentially hoping for violence, hoping for a big, huge meltdown. >> reporter: at local schools, some closed up to six days in august, teachers have given students assignments to do at home just in case. and look for alternative routes for hundreds of buses if roads are blocked. school officials say they do expect to get some advantage notice when a decision has been reached. today prosecutors only would say they're still presenting the case to the grand jury. brian? >> ron allen, ferguson, missouri, tonight. ron, thank you again. back east, d.c. we go. the long debated keystone xl pipeline has fallen short of the 60 votes it needed to pass the senate. the oil pipeline, if it were to get the go ahead, would run from canada through the u.s. to the gulf of mexico. had this senate vote gone the other way, the white house has strongly hinted the president would veto it. there is other news from washington tonight. this may be an example of the

most they've gotten done at the u.s. capitol in years. perhaps because it's happening over the heads of congress by a hundred feet. we got a rare look at a spectacular restoration project under way. our report on that from our capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell. >> reporter: have you noticed the change? america's symbol of freedom is a monument to pardon our dust. the u.s. capitol dome shrouded in metal and mesh. for months a giant puzzle climbed the outside. today we got a rare close-up view from the rooftop. the dome, dating back to the days of abraham lincoln, is riddled with 1300 cracks. made of cast iron but meant to look like stone, the shell is worn by weather, water damage and history. >> 14 layers of paint. some of them were upwards of over 150 years old. so everything will get completely removed. >> reporter: right now the dome

is surrounded by 52 miles of scaffold pipe, and the whole structure here weighs more than 1 million pounds. the idea is to give the dome another 50 to 75 good years and, yes, the hat and glasses were required. the last dome face-lift happened when dwight eisenhower was president. but this time 25 levels of decking make a construction zone in the sky. >> so it freestands in between these levels without touching the actual skin of the dome. >> reporter: with a $60 million budget, this capitol makeover will take another year, to give washington a fresh look for the next president's inauguration. kelly o'donnell, nbc news, from the roof of the capitol. big health story making news tonight that will be of particular interest to the millions of americans who take an aspirin a day for the sake of their heart. a large study of people over age 60, those at high risk, found taking a low-dose aspirin every day may not significantly protect against a heart attack or stroke. this news, of course, raises

more questions about who should be taking a daily low-dose aspirin. >> for patients who have had a prior heart attack, we know that taking a baby aspirin every day can prevent another one from happening, but this is not without potential complications such as bleeding. for patients who have not had a prior heart attack but are considered at high risk for one, the jury is still out, and it's a very important conversation they need to have with their physicians. >> dr. natalie azar in this new study raising even more questions about something millions of americans do every day. still ahead for us tonight, the price you pay. why airfare prices keep on going even though oil prices are coming down and the airlines are saving big money.

interesting story tonight about how much we all pay to fly. the airline industry is predicting 24 million americans will fly over thanksgiving, even more over the christmas break, but just as families who travel by car will pay less this year for gas, the airlines aren't

passing on the savings from lower jet fuel prices to consumers. in fact, ticket prices are going up, which has a lot of people asking, understandably, why that is. our report tonight from nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: think of that jet engine roar as the sound of money. after struggling for decades, the nation's major airline have been reporting record profits this year. part of the reason, jet fuel prices have dropped 17% from a year ago. but don't look for any savings at the ticket counters. flying nonstop this thanksgiving will cost you 10 to 15% more than last year. in denver, this week, mounting frustration. >> the cost was enough that i almost didn't come. >> absolutely outrageous. i paid $881 for his ticket. >> i definitely think they should pass off the savings. do i expect it? no way. >> reporter: even the first week of december, typically the cheapest time of the year to travel, airline tickets are pricey. we asked fare compare to run some numbers.

detroit to san francisco, 591. a year ago it cost 508. seattle to dallas, 403. a year ago 347. and washington dulles to los angeles, 464. a year ago 411. some 2 million of us fly every day in this country, but with so many airline mergers over the last ten years, there are fewer airlines and fewer seats. still, the airlines know customers will only pay so much. >> airlines have to fill every empty middle seat. so if they put the prices too high, people just won't buy tickets and they really can't fly those aircraft empty. >> reporter: the airlines insist they're using their record profits to improve the customer experience. upgrading airport terminals, installing wifi systems and buying new planes. 317 this year alone. >> when the price of coffee beans falls, you don't expect your latte to cost you less. you expect service to reinvest in its product. and that's what airlines are doing. >> reporter: if you're flying over christmas break, ticket prices start jumping december 17th.

those lower fuel prices mean the airlines are saving $31 million a week. meanwhile, guess what? orlando is among the cheaper destinations to fly into thanks to all the competition. brian? >> tom costello in orlando for us. tom, thanks. another break here. we're back in a moment with an update on the condition of tracy morgan and what we didn't know about that new jersey turnpike crash.

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boston private bank works with all kinds of people who are innovating, building, contributing -- individuals, business owners, private partnerships, non-profits, families planning their financial futures. people like you. if you want the individual attention and expertise your financial needs deserve, this is your time. this is your private bank. running back for the minnesota vikings, has been suspended without pay for the rest of the nfl season. two weeks ago he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor reckless assault. he was accused of whipping his 4-year-old son with a switch. the league said he showed no meaningful remorse. peterson says he will appeal. our friend tracy morgan of "snl" and "30 rock" fame still faces a long road to recovery. in addition to his physical wounds and broken bones requiring months of physical therapy, his attorney said today in court morgan suffered a traumatic deep brain injury in

the accident that killed one passenger, injured three others, when a walmart big rig slammed into their limo van when they were driving back from a show in atlantic city. not one but two signs of the times tonight. just 70 years ago they were the scourge of the world. now germany has been named the world's favorite country according to a brand survey which tracks 50 different trends. it's impossible to overstate how much of a global pariah they were during world war ii. as the free world fought the nazi menace. now, with the u.s. downgraded from the number one spot, germany's the most admired for, among other things, its robust economy. thank you, marshall plan. but also for political leadership and success in sports. u.s. is still seen as tops in creativity, modern culture and education. and growing up in this country, we were always told that having a house with a two-car garage was the american ideal, the symbol of prosperity. but a new study tells us that's a dwindling goal.

57% of u.s. households still have two vehicles, but they estimate in 25 years fewer than half of households will have that second vehicle. comes down to money, of course, commuter congestion, the rise of ride services and, while the trend could still reverse, we sure seem headed for a lot of one-car garages. when we come back, like father like daughter. the moving way a woman is paying tribute to the dad she lost on 9/11. "nbc nightly news" with brian williams brought to you by pacific life. for insurance, annuities and investments, choose pacific life. the power to help you succeed.

we have a story here tonight about generational change and recovery within what is considered by consensus the best big city fire department in our country, the fdny. they lost 343 members on one day, 9/11. they died because they responded to help others. so much of their management ranks were wiped out in an instant. chiefs, captains, lieutenants and, of course, the firefighters who make it all go, but in the years that have passed, it's now time for a child of one of the

fallen to make her own history. we get her story tonight from nbc's rehema ellis. >> reporter: this is the day josephine smith has dreamed about her whole life. >> probationary firefighter josephine smith. >> reporter: today she graduated from the new york city fire academy, just like her dad did more than three decades ago. for josephine, today brings a mix of emotions. >> proud, happy, excited, sad that my father couldn't be here. >> reporter: that's because her father, kevin smith, was working on 9/11 and rushed to ground zero. he died when the north tower fell. smith is the first daughter of a fallen 9/11 firefighter to join the ranks of the fdny. >> josephine, out of that tragedy, devoted herself to service. >> reporter: josephine says her father is still very much a part of her life. she still has a photo of him in

her hat and wears his bracelet every day. you carry him with you everywhere you go. >> everywhere. >> reporter: reaching this milestone wasn't easy. after 18 weeks of grueling training, she's now one of new york city's more than 10,000 firefighters and one of just 44 women. since her father died, there have been three words she's repeated to herself every day. what are those three words? >> make him proud. >> reporter: you've done that. >> i have. >> reporter: she's attended the annual 9/11 memorial ceremonies where her father's name is engraved on the wall along with thousands of others. she may be just 5'3" tall, but those who know her say she's got what it takes. >> she's made him proud, she's made us proud, but most important, she's made herself proud of what she's accomplished today. >> reporter: proud to mark the end of one heartfelt journey and the beginning of another as one of new york city's bravest, just like her dad. rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. >> and a great department just

got even better. >> that is our broadcast for a tuesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we, of course, hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. right now at 6:00, an investigation in a neighborhood after a standoff forced a school into lock down. good evening. >> that breaking news in san jose. a heavy police presence near highway 101. the story began to unfold hours ago. you can see from the live picture, the scene is pretty active. there's police cars in the distance. police say at 11:30 this morning, they received a report

of a disturbance, someone with a gun threatening someone else. a shelter in place was ordered for the nearby school as police searched for two suspects. ultimately, the officers located the suspects at a home nearby and surrounded the house. the suspects eventually surrendered. as for the victim, the person suffered minor injuries. it's a live radar. you can see it is coming in. a new winter storm arriving here in the bay area. it's not just one. the storm rolling now is the first in a string of storms that will hit over the next few days. we are tracking the rain for you and how it will impact your morning commute. jeff, has the rain started? >> a few showers as the storm continues to march closer to the bay area. the center of circulation is just offshore. the cold frontil