wednesday in the poconos. then nice weather there, too. >> sounds like a good few days coming up. thanks for watching. on the broadcast tonight, the enemy within. nbc news has learned an american has beenn killed while fighting for isis. amid word of another hostage. an american woman being held for ransom. u.s. military planes over syria. what lies beneath, more big jolts today in california as the mammoth cleanup begins, we hear from a young survivor nearly crushed during the quake. seat fight. passengers do bat emover personal space after one blocks the other from reclining on an airplane. a seat blocking device at the center of the controversy. and whale of a tale. a special bond and the amazing story behind it. "nightly news" begins now.

good evening, brian is off tonight. i'm lester holt. there are several major developments tonight against islamic state militants. reconnaissance missions over syria, looking for potential targets in a prelude to possible air strikes against isis strong holds. we also learned told about two young americans caught up in this conflict. one apparently by choice. a 33-year-old midwesterner who was killed as he fought with midwestern militants. the other, a 26-year-old woman being held hostage by that same group. all this as the administration scrambles to keep pace with the growing isis threat. we begin our coverage with richard engel. richard, good evening. >> good evening, lester. president obama was here in

charlotte today, talking about isis. the u.s. is acknowledging what a threat this group become, and what a magnet it is for foreign fighters, including some americans. the u.s. air campaign in iraq may soon be extended into syria to attack isis. the radical group responsible for killing james foley. >> america does not forget our reach is long, patient, justice will be done and we'll continue to take action needed to protect our people. and to defend our home land. >> isis is taking ground in syria. on sunday, attacking a checkpoint held by a syrian opposition group near aleppo. this video filmed by a local cameraman shows that deadly battle. nbc news has learned that one of the isis fighters killed in the battle was an american. this man, 33-year-old douglas macarthur mccain.

nbc has seen pictures far too graphic to show of mccain's body with his distinctive tattoos. his u.s. passport was in his pocket. born in illinois he moved with his family to minnesota. he attended cooper high school. a friend described him as a joker, always smiling. after high school, mccain had several run-ins with the law. nine arrests. at $19, orderly conduct, obstruction of justice, six years later. in 2004, mccain converted to islam. his social media postings went from talk of basketball and pizza to islamist propaganda. he wrote the ominous words, they are coming back, soldiers of allah. this spring, mccain left the u.s. for turkey, on june 9th, he wrote an alleged isis member to say, i will be joining you guys

soon. >> the ranks include many westerners who are converts to islam. who are just like any american. >> reporter: like thousands of other foreign fighters, mccain made his way from istanbul to the syrian border. he died near a town called moreah. isis is a group that kills americans but has some americans fighting alongside it. isis does have some american fighters, it's not known how many. perhaps it's upwards of 70 or 100. the group has at least three known american hostages. we learned today those include a 26-year-old woman, the group says it's willing to negotiate for, it wants $6 million, lester? >> thank you. a new cease-fire has been announced between israel and hamas under the open ended deal hammered out by egypt. israel will allow more supplies and humanitarian aid into gaza. in several weeks, more talks will begin on complex issues.

like israel's demand that hamas disarm. several previous cease-fires have collapsed, it's too early to tell if this one will hold. the death toll, 70 israelis and more than 2100 palestinians. there were more sizable aftershocks in california today, fraying nerves even further, days after that quake did all that damage in and around napa. now, the major cleanup effort begins as we hear for the first time from a young survivor who was nearly crushed to death when the quake struck. nbc's joe fryar is in napa again this evening. >> reporter: this is one of six places where people can drop off earthquake debris, the pile is huge, and the cleanup is just beginning, meanwhile, this morning, we experienced the biggest after shock yet. a huge traffic jam today as crews repair roadway damage discovered after another round of after shocks, including a 3.9 magnitude jolt this morning.

it is a little frightening, but we're getting used to it. >> at least 240 patients have been treated for injuries with two still hospitalized. 13-year-old survivor nicholas dillon is welcoming visitors just two days after he was crushed by a fireplace. >> everything happens for a reason, i'm not going to let this get to me, you know, i'm going to recover as fast as i can, and i'm going to be fine. >> i do feel lucky, i believe that if i wouldn't have moved i could have died. >> today jimmy reopened his corner store, looking at the orderly shelves, you may never guess his place looked like this on sunday? >> i got help from family, friends and customers. people from the neighborhood, everybody came in and helped us. that was the only reason we are open today. >> reporter: at least 100 structures have been red tagged, which means they're uninhabitable. >> you just walk around and cry. >> reporter: christina jamison says the damage to her historic

house is so bad, it's unclear if it can be saved. >> i'm a housekeeper for all things. i'm going to have plenty of housekeeping to do. >> reporter: the salvation army is serving meals at a mobile home park where six homes were destroyed by fire. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: in napa, they're learning the foundation of a community is made of more than concrete. >> when you experience something horrific, it's -- it bonds everyone to come together and help each other out. >> tonight a couple signs of normalcy, all of the power has been restored and nearly all of the schools here in napa valley plan to reopen tomorrow. lester? >> joe fryer, thank you. category two marie is churning in the pacific, it's not expected to be a direct threat to the u.s., but it is kicking up huge waves at the beach. drawing crowds, making for a dangerous situation, late today a surfer was killed, pulled from

the water unconscious off the costs of malibu, it's still unclear how he decide, in the meantime, hurricane cristobal is expected to make for rough and dangerous surf on the east coast. janice huff joins us with more. >> reporter: hurricane cristobal is expected to move between bettrmuda and the east coast of the u.s. they have a tropical storm watch in effect for the island of bermuda. they'll get very heavy rain maybe, 4 to 6 inches of rain there. the surf will be pretty rough, even though the storm will not make a direct hit, it will stay off shore. it's a category one storm, it should stay that way. the surf will be rough and the rip currents high, from the carolinas all the way into southern new england for the next couple days. this is a view of hurricane marie. much more impressive storm. it is a category two hurricane. it stays off shore well, it's affecting the waves from baja california all the way into

central california. it's going to stay offshore, but it will keep the seas churned up along the coast until friday. even though you may be tempted to go into the water as an experienced surfer, you may want to stay on land for the next several days. lester, back to you. what could be another piece of evidence has emerged in the police shooting death of michael brown. the unarmed teenager who was killed 17 days ago in ferguson, missouri. it's an audio recording with what appears to be the sound of gunfire. ron allen is in clayton, missouri with more for us. >> we met with the attorney for the witness who says he lives in the apartment complex where michael brown was shot and killed. he says at the moment of the shooting he was recording a video text message to send to a friend. we listened to it with a lawyer. we hear what sounds like six gunshots, a pause, and then four more gunshots 37 we could not independently verify the audio

clip, nor could we talk to the witness themselves. the brown family's private autopsy says he was shot at least six times. we know from county prosecutors that the fbi is trying to validate the tape. prosecutors say if it is true and real, it could become a key piece of evidence, one of many the grand jury could hear, deciding whether darrens with wilson will be charged with a crime in this case or not. lester? new developments today in the scandal involving treatment, delays and misconduct at this country's va hospitals and clinics, the report out today by the va's inspector general found no conclusive evidence that delays in care kazzed deaths of veterans at the va hospital in phoenix. for his part, president obama addressed the scandal again today in a speech to the national convention of the american legion, he promised a new culture of accountability. >> we are going to get to the bottom of these problems. we're going to fix what is wrong, we're going to do right by you and we're going to do right by your families and that

is a solemn pledge and commitment i'm making to you here. >> the president promised better health care for veterans, including greater access to mental health care. now to a big fight in the sky over personal space and that dreaded reclining seat that frequent flyers are all too familiar with. this particular fight caused a commercial flight to make an unscheduled stop. a man attached a seat blocking device to the seat in front of him, preventing the woman in front from declining. add to that the already cramped cabins and the situation got out of hand. we get our report tonight from katy tur. >> for two passengers on united flight 1462 from newark to denver, a spat over five inches of extra space was all it took to force an emergency landing in chicago. and it all began with a $22 gadget called the knee defender. >> it keeps people from reclining. >> specially designed for coach

class flyers who need protection from reclining seats. the man stopped the woman in front of him from reclining her seat. >> the woman put her seat back into the guy and he shoved it forward and she threw her drink on him. >> halfway through the flight, the pilot landed the plane, the two unruly passengers escorted off by police. michael cody was a few rows in front of them. >> them acting like a child and throwing a temper tantrum is inappropriate on all levels. >> reporter: you paid for the seat which is hopefully in the air, but you paid for it, and you should be able to recline as far back as you want. really? oh, come on. >> flying is a more stressful experience than it used to be. because it's a smaller space, no

snacks, charging for more bags. >> the faa doesn't prohibit devices like the knee defender. most airlines have banned them. spirit airlines and allegiant air have removed the reclining portion of their flights all together. >> the thing that's going to keep this in getting out of hand is common courtesy. >> it was a customer service issue, and not a threat to aviation security. katy tur, nbc news, new york. burger king made it official today saying it would create a whopper sized company by buying tim horton's. for burger king, it's a chance to make further inroads into the lucrative coffee and breakfast market. the price tag, $11 billion. it shows how valuable that market has become. another sign, warren buffett is buying a $3 billion piece of the

company. burger king will relocate to canada. a move some u.s. politicians are criticizing, burger king denies that is the reason for the move. on wall street today, all three averages were up again in what has become a white hot august. the dow gained almost 30 points. nasdaq was up 13. and the s&p 500 gained a couple points to close above 2,000 for the first time ever. still ahead tonight, record fees as the hotel industry follows the airlines. the big winners on tv's biggest night. when folks think about what they get from alaska, they think salmon and energy. but the energy bp produces up here creates something else as well: jobs all over america. engineering and innovation jobs. advanced safety systems & technology. shipping and manufacturing. across the united states, bp supports more than a quarter million jobs. when we set up operation in one part of the country, people in other parts go to work. that's not a coincidence.

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we're all familiar with the extra fees that are slapped on to the tickets. now the hotel industry has joined in this. >> reporter: if the price of that hotel deal got you to book, pras yourself when you get the bill, because you're likely to see extra charges. merely opening the fridge and moving around the snacks and beverages could charge a fee. a record 2 $1/4 billion this year in service fees. >> it's a way to keep the rates low. >> reporter: resort fees, things like the pool or gym could add 20 to $50 a day even if you don't use them. the mini-bar, the $5 soda could cost even more after a restocking fee.

want a king bed? it could probably cost you more than a room with two doubles. >> your bill up closely -- >> a few times i've had charges that are inappropriate. >> they charge you for things you really need sometimes. or they don't tell you about up front. >> you think your room is 399 a night, you get the bill, it's a different price. >> it's cheating. >> the american hotel and lodging association says members provide guests full disclosure for all fees charged at the time of booking. how do you minimize these surprises. when making a reservation by phone, ask up front about fees and get the agent's name. look for signs in the room posting extra charges. join a loyalty club. >> it's never been more difficult than it is now to have fees and surcharges removed. >> pay attention before you pay the bill. we're back in a moment with an out of the world phenomenon caught on camera.

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more than 15 million people tuned in to watch the biggest stars of prime time television salute each other, and last night it was a big night for some familiar winners at the emmy awards. "modern family" and "breaking bad" repeated as best comedy and best drama. "breaking bad" also nabbed best actor and best supporting actor and actress. jim parsons was a repeat winner as was julia louis-dreyfus for veep. the class of 2018 is arriving on college campuses this week. and the annual mind-set list has been released. a snapshot of how they view the world. for these young people pressing pound on the phone is now translated as hit hashtag. for them, bill gates has always

been the richest man in the u.s. and they probably never used netscape. and good feedback probably means getting 30 likes on your facebook page in an afternoon. the astronauts aboard the international space station, they cruise to the green lights of an aurora. the hauntingly beautiful effect was created when a giant cloud of gas from the sun collided with the magnetic fields. behind the surprise caught on tape that so many people are sharing. (vo) if you have type 2 diabetes, you may know what it's like to deal with high... and low blood sugar. januvia (sitagliptin) is a once-daily pill that, along with diet and exercise, helps lower blood sugar. januvia works when your blood sugar is high and works less when your blood sugar is low, because it works by enhancing your body's own ability to lower blood sugar. plus januvia, by itself, is not likely to cause weight gain

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mmmm. these are good! the tasty side of fiber. from phillips the story behind some video we first showed you last week. a surprise encounter for some kids and a beluga whale at an aquarium in connecticut. we're hearing from those kids and their families about that moment caught on camera and the bond that brought them together. it's a great story and we get our report now from anne thompson. >> reporter: just listen. [ laughter ] >> reporter: and you'll

understand why these twins say juneau is their favorite creature at the mystic aquarium in connecticut. >> beluga whale. >> and what did the beluga whale do to you? >> open its mouth to us. >> show me how he opened his mouth? >> reporter: their visit last october is now a bona fide social media hit. >> were you afraid? >> no. >> reporter: juneau may be a whale, but at heart, this 12-year-old is a ham. his antics making a splash on youtube, including some 4 million clicks of juneau bopping to a mariachi band in 2011. [ laughter ] >> reporter: and now this. approaching 1 million views. what do you think of the video? >> i love it. >> it was funny. >> i love it too. >> reporter: it is a cherished memory for these moms, who met

in an online support group. lillian and miky suffer from a genetic disorder that prevents their bodies from converting fatty acids into energy. what do you remember about that moment? >> just listening to them laugh and what a wonderful time they were having. >> reporter: juneau's behavior is a sign of stress from living in captivity. >> juneau himself is choosing to interact and engage with the children. >> reporter: has anyone asked for your autograph? >> no. only my dad. >> reporter: squeals of delight for a creature from the deep. anne thompson, nbc news mystic connecticut. that's our broadcast for this tuesday night. thank you for being with us. i'm lester holt in for brian. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.

julia roberts in an emmy tug of war sofia vergara's wild dance party. right now on "extra" at the emmys. a broiling red carpet, red hot fashions and hot couples. mario and our brand new team, charissa thompson and tracy

edmonds with every angle. a rumored romance romance with gere. kerry washington keeping a big secret? then, before billy crystal's touching tribute, the emmy stars remember robin williams with "extra." who was sofia vergara blasting backstage. >> i know who she was. has no sense of humor. >> plus, the kiss that stole the show. that was nothing. who got caught on our kiss cam. >> that happens to me all the time. >> and -- >> who's going to get the crown for best dressed? >> i know who it is. >> right now -- >> at the emmy's. >> with "extra"! >> i watch you every single day. >> t "extra." nothing's impossible for "extra."