thursday. chilly temperatures. >> might get on that naughty list. >> thank you for joining us. on our broadcast tonight, tracking a killer. after the assassination of two new york city police officers while in their patrol car, what investigators have found as fear of anti-police sentiment now spreads through departments nationwide. the nightmare before christmas. a giant storm hitting right as so many families are waiting for last-minute packages and loved ones to arrive. is it a counterattack under way right now days after president obama pledged payback for sony? north korea appears to be under electronic assault. the power of prayer. tonight, the doctors who show evidence of a healing power not just on the human spirit. and a rock legend is gone from woodstock through nearly the next half-century, tonight we remember the great and unique

joe cocker. "nightly news" begins now. from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. good evening. it was so brazen and so scary coming as it did after weeks of anti-police protests in this country, the assassination of two new york city police officers by a deeply disturbed career criminal has had a chilling effect on police departments across this country. and in new york it's causing great tension as the mayor of the nation's largest city is forced to defend himself against charges that he has not been supportive enough of those whose job it is to protect and serve. it's where we begin tonight with nbc's stephanie gosk in brooklyn. stephanie, good evening. >> reporter: hey, good evening, brian. tonight, the new york police commissioner says there's been a number of unsubstantiated copycat threats against police. nbc news has learned that on the night of this murder the chief patrol reached out to all precincts and asked police

officers to double-up on personal patrols. effective immediately until further notice. today, police released video of the suspect ismaaiyl brinsley. goings through a mall in brooklyn roughly two and a half hours before the shooting. the small package in his hands they say is a gun. >> we're seeking the community's assistance. >> reporter: after that there's no record where he went until moments before he allegedly shot officer rafael ramos, father of two teenage boys, and officer wenjian liu, who recently married. this video captures the crime's immediate and chaotic aftermath. brinsley had 19 previous arrests including two years in prison on weapons charges. today, one of his family members spoke to the press. >> he was an emotionally troubled young man. and he was suicidal. >> reporter: detectives say saturday's bloodshed began at 5:45, when brinsley allegedly

shot his ex-girlfriend, an air force reservist. brinsley then boarded a bus headed to new york city. at 12:20 police say he posted an instagram with #mikebrown and #ericgarner. he wrote in part, i'm putting wings on pigs today. at 2:46 the baltimore police department issued an apb for brinsley, a fax that the nypd got one minute before he opened fire, killing the officers and later himself. the violent day ripped at a city already tense reached protests after a grand jury decision not to indict officers in the death of eric garner. and a mayor under fire for his reaction to that decision. on saturday police turned their backs on the mayor at the hospital where the two slain officers were treated. the head of police officer's union blamed protesters and de blasio for the murder. >> there's blood on many hands tonight. that blood on the hands starts

on the steps of city hall. >> reporter: today, the mayor visited the ramos and liu families. and then in a press conference, addressed the union leader's comments. >> there will be a time for me to talk about my own personal views. i will simply say i think what he said was a mistake and it was wrong. >> reporter: tonight the mayor is calling for an end to protests until both funerals have been held. stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york. >> reporter: this is pete williams. police in pittsburgh have been told to patrol in pairs, extra eyes to watch for threats. >> the families of officers throughout this city are upset, they're nervous. you know, they're fearful for the safety for their loved ones. >> reporter: much the same warning to double up in newark and in redding, pennsylvania, washington, d.c. police got this message to stay vigilant and be constantly aware of their surroundings on patrol while stationary in a car, even

off duty. a similar message for police in boston. in northern virginia today police academy graduates about to walk a beat said the new york shootings are on their minds. >> it makes me worry a little bit, but i know that, you know, we're all here to do a job. >> you're always scared. it's natural to be scared. it's what you do when you are scared. >> reporter: over the past decade the number of police officers shot and killed on duty has averaged 54 a year including the most recent deaths this year's number is below that, 49. but at at the national law enforcement officers memorial in washington, a disturbing trend. the number of ambush killings is 12 so far this year, three times the average. >> there's a lot of anti-government, anti-cop sentiment right now. who is the most visible and vulnerable symbol of government in this country? it's the law enforcement officer in uniform walking the streets of america. >> reporter: l.a. police chief said officers would wear black on their badges, in honor of the officers killed in new york.

a similar tribute in king county, washington. and back in pittsburgh police asking residents to put a blue light in the window to send a message. >> though it may seem like the community is against the police, there's so many people that love our officers. >> reporter: but in milwaukee there's a new protest over police tactics after prosecutors today declined to bring charges against a white police officer who shot and killed a mentally ill black man in april. tonight, the justice department says it will conduct a civil rights investigation of that shooting. brian? >> our thanks to pete williams in washington. stephanie gosk in brooklyn before that starting us off tonight. now to what is by far the number one priority for millions of american families, they are waiting for last-minute christmas packages right about now. and they are waiting for loved ones to arrive. a huge weather system is on the move at the same time with 175 million americans in its path including some major population centers. that's something of a predictable mess.

nbc's tom costello is at washington national airport tonight for us. tom, good evening. >> reporter: hi, brian. pretty good day to fly today though at the moment we have some delays in the new york city area. but the next 48 hours could get rather messy as we see travelers and express shippers in that last-minute christmas rush. for fedex and u.p.s. it all comes down to now. after a botched delivery season last year, both companies have hired tens of thousands of workers, even added new flight routes to handle the holiday shipping crush. >> weather is always a real big concern for us. we're concerned about doing our de-icing procedures properly, moving around weather and wind systems. >> reporter: now cargo and commercial airliners are about to be put to the test. >> severe weather will break out across the southern states on the backside over chicago heavy rain and snow and wind. and for the northeast, places like new york and boston, heavy rain and very windy conditions

into christmas afternoon. >> reporter: the airports likely affected tomorrow, atlanta and chicago. while low ceilings could slow things up the east coast. on christmas eve every major hub city in the midwest and the east could be affected by wind and heavy rain. but there's good news for the 1.1 million americans hitting the road. unleaded now averaging just $2.36 a gallon. in 27 states you can buy it for under $2 a gallon. >> this is really the gift that keeps on giving for american motorists. gas prices already 80 cents lower than last year. >> reporter: meanwhile t-minus three days to christmas. which means the shopping procrastinators are out in full force. most of them, i'm told, are guys. >> i've got some kids, they're all taken care of. now if i can get the wife taken care of, i'll be happy. >> reporter: back at the airport tonight we're told if you are flying this week you should check your status online before you get to the airport, come early and be prepared just in case, brian. >> tom costello who i think just

indicated has completed all of his shopping, tom, thank you for that report from washington that -- from washington national. now to the trouble with north korea, even on his best day, the north has limited access to the internet, nothing like what we're used to. today it all went dark. and it's unexplained so far other than the suspicion the u.s. is involved in retaliation for the hack attack on sony. we get our report tonight from nbc's hallie jackson. >> reporter: for hours now north korea has been cut off from the world's internet. >> means they can't communicate out and no one can communicate in. >> reporter: it could be simple like a router meltdown or more sinister. look a cyber attack. the outage comes three days after the u.s. government said north korea was responsible for hacking sony pictures, promising a proportional response. two u.s. officials familiar with the north korea situation denied an american role in the outage, though the state department was not as definitive. >> as we implement our responses

some will be seen, some may not be seen. >> reporter: north korea had its own response in typical rhetoric threatening to blow up targets in the u.s., ready for what is called cyber warfare. after the u.s. asked north korea to admit it's behind the hack. >> i don't think it was an act of war, i think it was an act of cyber vandalism that was very costly, very expensive. >> reporter: analysts say the cyber attack could cost sony about $100 million after the studio pulled "the interview" from distribution, a comedy featuring a plot to kill the north korean leader. it's the most talked about movie in the world though almost nobody has seen it. sony is making new plans to release the film, perhaps online despite the hackers' insistence sony keep the movie under wraps. >> the big question is what do the hackers have, what would they release, and will they do anything if sony goes ahead with the release of this film? >> reporter: the hackers already leaked sony's movie "annie," which opened this weekend, prompting the heads of the

studio to send a note to staff, thanking them for their professionalism during this extremely difficult time. a tough few weeks for sony, and it may not be over yet. hallie jackson, nbc news, los angeles. here we are just days before christmas and pope francis has unleashed a withering criticism of his own church officials. during his traditional christmas greeting, the pope spoke of about 15 sins he sees in the vatican, including a "spiritual alzheimer's" which he says has made some vatican officials forget their true purpose. he also denounced power-seeking gossip and cliques within the catholic church. people of a certain age are likely to remember the first time they ever saw joe cocker, sweat flying most likely, his hands, face and body contorted in service to the song he was singing. he was a product of the british working class, a local favorite in pubs back home who grew into a global and soulful legend. joe cocker died today at the age of 70 at his home in colorado.

the cause was lung cancer. nbc's kate snow has our look back. ♪ ♪ what would you do if i sang out of tune ♪ >> reporter: the song we'll all remember most was a beatles cover at woodstock infused with that iconic voice. and the way he moved would become his trademark. easy for a young josh belushi to spoof on "saturday night live." ♪ what would you do cocker was a good sport joining belushi onset in '76. by the '80s a new generation would know him for the grammy winning anthem in "an officer and a gentleman." ♪ lift us up where we belong >> reporter: and the song behind a steamy scene. in nine and a half weeks. ♪ ♪ you can leave your hat on

>> reporter: his career was so much more than any one song. >> god gave me a voice. it's one of the simplest instruments around really. >> reporter: inspired he often said by the great ray charles. >> he has taken some of the things that he's heard from me and put himself into it. ♪ >> reporter: just last year his final tour in europe before going home to rural colorado. ♪ ♪ i will try not to sing out of tune ♪ >> reporter: paul mccartney said today he would be forever grateful to joe cocker for turning a beatles hit into a soul anthem. ♪ ♪ you are so beautiful >> reporter: an unforgettable performer whose music lives on. kate snow, nbc news, new york. still ahead for us tonight, the power of prayer, not only on the mind but on the body. does it truly have the power to heal more than the human spirit? also, this is how they feel about us. a dog that cannot contain itself. the video that people can't stop sharing today.

when you consider the news we've been covering and the time of year, this next segment couldn't be more timely. it's about the growing medical evidence of the power of prayer to heal body and soul. we get our report tonight from nbc's cynthia mcfadden. >> reporter: it's not shocking that a catholic priest believes in the power of prayer, but it is a bit of a surprise that father john murray says he can prove it. you think you're a miracle? >> yes, oh, without a doubt.

>> reporter: four years ago father murray broke his neck in a fall. >> i was paralyzed from my chest down. >> reporter: doctors told him he'd never walk again. >> you should expect no voluntary movement. that's a quote. >> reporter: but his doctors were wrong. >> i think it's a result of prayer, yes, without a doubt. the peoples prayers and my prayers without a doubt. >> getting stronger. >> let's hope so. >> reporter: his doctors may be stunned, but half of all americans believe prayer can heal. so why is it almost nonexistent in the doctors' office? >> doctors are still reluctant. they've been pretty much trained to keep these areas separate. >> reporter: dr. harold coning used to be one of them. but now he says after reviewing hundreds of studies he's changed his mind. >> the more religious, the greater the well being. >> reporter: he's now leading the charge from within the medical establishment to get doctors to recognize prayer's power. armed with research like his own at duke that says those who pray daily are 40% less likely to

have high blood pressure. studies by others have claimed prayer can reduce depression and anxiety. >> we think that the research shows, and will show, that people whose faith is supported by their medical team, they're just going to do better. >> i don't think physicians should cross that line. they should allow patients to practice religion as they see fit, but they shouldn't engage in religious practices with them. >> reporter: dr. richard sloan, the author of "blind faith," argues religion and medicine should be kept separate. i think many of us have had the experience of knowing someone or having a loved one who was a believer, and who believed that prayer would help. and in fact they seem to get better. is that just a coincidence? >> some people will report that they get better, but you don't hear the stories about people who prayed for healing and don't get better. you only hear the stories about those who do get better. >> reporter: which brings us back to father murray, who says his faith just like his walking

is stronger than ever. >> i'm certainly better off than most paraplegics. >> reporter: cynthia mcfadden, nbc news, brooklyn. we are back in a moment with something you may be doing every night that may be keeping you awake each night.

every day is a new opportunity to help make life better right here in san francisco. whether it's helping local businesses like the fruitguys grow and prosper, supporting nonprofits like juma ventures as they fulfill their mission

or helping neighborhoods like the tenderloin become vibrant communities. if there's a way to help the people of san francisco thrive and succeed, we'll find it. that's the power of local connections. that's bank of america. tom brokaw has shared the news with the world that we've been quietly celebrating around here, his cancer is in remission. while admitting he faced an uncertain trajectory a year ago, tom has credited his doctors and people at the folks at the multiple myeloma research foundation for their world-class treatment and care. this next item should be common sense, but a lot of people do it anyway. it's from a study that says if your night-time reading is on a tablet that back light may throw off your natural sleep hormone and the light from the screen may keep you awake longer.

and this study appears to show that books as they're called make for better bedtime reading for those about to turn in. and finally, this video just because it made so many people feel good today. check out the unmitigated joy as this dog sees her owner and partner arrive to pick her up after a long day at dog day care. she goes from that side-to-sidestep to purely up and down as her buddy you'll note unable to contain his own excitement just does tight circles at the thought of getting sprung from the joint. and ask yourself when was the last time you were that happy to see a human. when we come back, trimming the tree, not with ornaments out of a box but with a community's fondest wishes.

there is a tree that grows in one of our great american cities. and on it this time of year the branches are filled with the hopes and dreams of those who paid a visit. and more often than not those hopes are not about the gifts we pressure ourselves to purchase for one another, many of them are about the things that money cannot buy. we get the story tonight from nbc's harry smith in san francisco. >> reporter: there's not much to it really. yet every day after school kids

stop by to fill out tags and read the ones left behind. >> this one says i wish for food for everyone. >> reporter: it's a wishing tree. started four years ago by the vanessa because quite frankly the holidays were getting her down. >> i wanted to do something around this time of year that kind of changed how i felt. because it wasn't something i looked forward to. >> reporter: now the whole neighborhood looks forward to december. the act of writing down a wish is kind of liberating. there are no secrets on a wishing tree. >> i wished for lavender because it smells nice. >> i wish for people to have a roof over their head and food to eat. >> i wish for a real puppy. >> reporter: wishing doesn't cost a thing, except perhaps your skepticism. >> a lot of times in life you don't get what you wish for. >> yeah. >> reporter: so maybe the lesson is? >> it's okay to wish. yeah, i guess that's a really cool lesson. >> reporter: even if you're old. >> yeah. >> reporter: as the days grow

shorter, the victorian box tree gets loaded with more and more wishes. and sometimes people like leslie stop by. >> saw it was a wishing tree, and thought perfect timing, our dog's having surgery. >> reporter: lesley and her husband feared their dog had cancer. >> he's the one we made our wish for. we think it came true. >> oh, my gosh, i remember that wish! >> reporter: in the evening breeze the wishes dangle and spin. it makes you think something special is going on here. >> i get hope. i get inspiration. and i get love. >> reporter: inspiration, hope, love. more than most of us would ever wish for. but if we did, makes you wonder. harry smith, nbc news, san francisco. that's our broadcast on this monday night as we begin what we're wishing will be a joyous week for all of you. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we, of course, hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. goodnight.

new details about a key conversation via text between a former 49ers player and the woman accusing him of sexual assault. thank you for joining us. i'm peggy bunker. >> i'm jessica aguirre. critical new details about the sexual assault case against ray mcdonald's. the accusations have cost the defensive lineman his job, and if proven could send him to prison for years. new court documents outline how an officer posed as the victim to try and get evidence of a

crime. robert handa has been going through new documents and has more on a key conversation involving mcdonald and aldon smith may have a link to this case as well. >> reporter: that's right. there are a lot of different legal issues being raised by the text conversation as well as mcdonald's home surveillance video system as well as the other people that might have been there, including aldon smith. ray mcdonald was fired from the 49ers over this sexual assault investigation. and one of his old teammates may have tough questions to answer as well, according to a newly released warrant. a woman says she and he friends met mcdonald while drinking at the willow den bar last sunday and the group ended up at his home. the warrant said she told police she was in essence drunk and fell and hit her head, woke up undressed, couldn't remember anything. later in a text conversation with mcdonald with police watching over her shoulder, she acknowledges