rosenfield. the news continues with nbc nightly news. tonight why this year's flu shot may not protect you. on the broadcast tonight, the fallout. what the grand jury in the eric garner case heard and saw that led to the decision not to indict. and with new protests tonight, the feds launch a new investigation. hostage crisis, terrorists threatening to kill an american after a bold u.s. mission failed to rescue him. flu shot warning, why you might still catch the flu anyway even if you got the vaccine this year. and ready to fly. behind the scenes for the ultimate high wire act airing here tonight "peter pan" live. "nightly news" begins now. from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian

williams. good evening. i'm lester holt sitting in tonight for brian. it would seem to be the justice system itself on trial in the aftermath of yesterday's grand jury decision in new york to not indict a policeman in the choking death of eric garner during his arrest. on the heels of an identical decision to the ferguson, missouri shooting of michael brown, emotions are running high. we can show you the picture of just a short time ago in lower manhattan as crowds once again fill the streets. emotions are running high on both sides, those who believe the system was all but rigged to fail and those who think it worked exactly the way it was intended. tonight, we're learning about what the grand jury in the garner case had to work with to reach its decision. and while there's been no evidence in either case that the use of force by police was racially motivated, calls for racial justice grew louder today as the u.s. department of justice launched its own investigation into the garner case. we have it all covered tonight. we start here in new york where as we mentioned demonstrators are once again on the move. nbc's stephanie gosk is on the

ground with them. stephanie, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. well, right now there's an estimated 5,000 people in this crowd. and if last night was any indication at some point they're going to be on the move. and there have been police officers gathering here in preparation for that moment. one of the things that's been angering this crowd is the secrecy of the grand jury. they were hoping that all of that evidence would be released today. instead all they got was a trickle. the video of the new york city's police officers deadly altercation with eric garner was one of four shown to a grand jury according to a document released today by the staten island d.a.'s office. unlike the ferguson case which was released in its entirety, the court allowed the disclosure of only limited details. the grand jury sat for nine weeks, was given 60 exhibits of evidence and heard from 50 witnesses including 22 civilians. eric garner's friend taisha

allen was one of them. she took this video presented to the grand jury. >> i started recording because it was unbelievable how they jumped on him. >> reporter: is that what you testified to the grand jury? >> yes, i did. and i told them exactly what i saw. i told them exactly what they said. >> this fight ain't over. >> reporter: the grand jury decision shocked and enraged garner's widow. >> i just dropped my phone and just started bawling. i started crying. because it's not fair. it's not fair. >> reporter: protesters called for justice in the streets of new york last night. shutting down the west side highway, scuffling with police and trying to disrupt the rockefeller center christmas tree lighting. the videos demonstrators say should have been enough proof for indictment. >> leave me alone! >> reporter: the altercation begins with garner arguing with police. moments later he is taken down in what many including the medical examiner have called a chokehold.

garner, i can't breathe eleven times. officers will not use chokeholds described as any pressure to the throat or windpipe that may prevent or hinder breathing. today the head of the police officer's union said there was no chokehold and garner would still be alive if he hadn't resisted arrest. >> while bringing that person to the ground said yes, we can't breathe. but the police officers did what they're supposed to do at that time. if you're speaking, you can breathe. >> reporter: mayor de blasio committed to retraining the nypd. despite that promise protesters are back on the streets again tonight. unlike the protests in ferguson, these have been mostly peaceful. minimal destruction but maximum disruption. and right now they're only just beginning, lester. >> stephanie gosk tonight. thanks. the police officer at the center of this storm is not out of legal trouble yet. however although the state grand jury in new york decided not to

bring charges against him, as we noted a moment ago there's now a federal investigation underway. it will be completely separate looking at a different legal issue. we get more from our justice correspondent pete williams. [ bleep ]. >> reporter: the cell phone video of eric garner's arrest is one reason why a federal case in his death appears more likely than death of michael brown in missouri. a former justice department prosecutor expects the garner case will go to federal grand jury. >> the videotape we've all seen over and over is just gut wrenching. it's clear that something very wrong happened on the sidewalk. >> reporter: the video is a clear record unlike in ferguson where witness accounts vary widely. >> we have a powerful witness and that's the video. >> reporter: garner was held in an apparent chokehold, a practice banned by the new york police department 21 years ago. unlike in ferguson there was no suggestion garner was going for a gun. the state grand jury look at whether the officer violated new york law.

the federal investigation instead will look specifically at whether the officer used excessive force. it will be led by loretta lynch, the u.s. attorney in brooklyn nominated to be the next attorney general. she led the successful 1998 civil rights prosecution of new york police officers who brutalized a haitian immigrant. a decade ago a federal civil rights case brought a conviction of a new york policeman who'd been acquitted in the state trial for putting a chokehold on anthony bias who later died. and the city of cleveland agreed on changes to policing there. attorney general eric holder said a 19-month investigation revealed a pattern of officers using unnecessary force. just 12 days ago as that investigation was ending a 12-year-old boy with an air pistol was shot and killed by police. though the federal investigation of eric garner's death is just beginning, indications are it will move quickly perhaps with the conclusion by early next year. lester. >> pete williams tonight,

thanks. we are learning about a failed rescue attempt by u.s. special forces to free an american being held hostage by al qaeda in yemen. the revelation comes as his captors released a video today threatening to kill him while his family released a video of their own pleading for his life. the latest tonight from our pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski. >> reporter: it's one more chilling video. an american held hostage by islamic terrorists pleading for his life. >> my name is luke somers. i'm 33 years old. i was born in england, but i carry american citizenship and have lived in america for most of my life. >> reporter: a photo journalist, somers was kidnapped by al qaeda terrorists in yemen's capital more than a year ago and was the target of a daring u.s. military rescue mission just last week. u.s. officials say in the predawn darkness a pair of helicopters with two dozen navy s.e.a.l.s. landed in a remote area of northeastern yemen. the american commandos sprinted a couple of miles to a cave

where it was thought somers was being held. the americans took the al qaeda captors by surprise, rapidly killed all seven and rescued eight hostages. but luke somers wasn't there. he had apparently been moved from that location only days before the rescue mission. a week later al qaeda released this hostage video. similar to recent videos from isis terrorists in syria. back home outside seattle in a video message to al qaeda his brother jordan and mother paula appealed for luke's release. >> he's a good person. and he's only been trying to do good things for the yemeni population. >> give us an opportunity to free our luke again. he is all that we have. >> reporter: al qaeda in yemen is already considered the most serious terrorist threat to the u.s. homeland. and that's certainly the case tonight for at least one american. jim miklaszewski, nbc news, the pentagon. the cdc has issued a warning to be the about the flu virus

now spreading throughout the country. it has mutateed, meaning the mist many got to protect themselves won't provide nearly as much protection as usual. we get our report tonight from our chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman. >> reporter: every year the flu puts as many as 200,000 people in the hospital. that's why the cdc warned today that a strain of the flu virus mutated this year making the current vaccine less effective. >> well, we know that the flu virus can mutate. it's very wily. >> reporter: it's too late to make a new vaccine for this season, so people who think they may be getting the flu should see their doctor right away. >> there are medications to treat the flu. so even if you've been vaccinated, if you get the flu, especially if you're at high risk of severe disease, talk to your doctor about getting treated. >> reporter: the most effective drugs, tamiflu and relenza. that work best in the first 48

hours of getting stick. flu symptoms are much more severe than the common cold, can include fever, muscle aches and usually a cough. those most at risk of getting seriously ill with the flu, children younger than 5 years of age, adults 65 years and older, pregnant women and people with medical conditions like asthma and heart disease. although this year's flu vaccine may not be as effective as ones in years passed, it's still your best protection against getting sick and the serious complications that can follow. dr. nancy snyderman, nbc news, new york. dozens of highwater rescues today. days of torrential rain taking a heavy toll. our report tonight from nbc's jacob rascon. >> reporter: it was almost inevitable the days of torrential rain would lead to this, the community of gillman hot springs partially buried in a sea of mud. >> crews are on scene right now cleaning up the mess. look at that white suv.

>> reporter: so deep and so thick it took half a day for bulldozers to even reach this car. its driver, like dozens of others nearby had to be rescued. >> there was just this huge like crash and the whole house shook. >> reporter: there were homes smothered by trees, children stuck on a bus who had to be carried away and farm animals left without pasture. this storm system seen from space stretches nearly the entire west coast. it was all a surprise for the new england patriots as they prepared to play the san diego chargers on sunday tweeting, looking more like new england weather than san diego weather today. and in yosemite a milestone in a historic drought, yosemite falls starting to fall again. jacob rascon, nbc news, los angeles. los angeles police say they're ready to investigate any allegations against bill cosby regardless of the statute of

limitations. but the comedian tonight is firing back against a lawsuit filed earlier this week that claims he sexually assaulted a minor 40 years ago. our report from nbc's joe fryer. >> reporter: in legal papers filed today bill cosby's attorneys call the lawsuit against him meritless and unsupported claiming it was filed immediately after mr. cosby rejected the plaintiff's outrageous demand for money in order not to make her allegations public. >> this looks to me like bill cosby is getting ready to wage war in a court of law. >> reporter: cosby is accused of sexually assaulting the plaintiff in 1974 when she was 15 years old after meeting him at a park where he was filming a movie, she says he took her to the playboy mansion. she says cosby told her to lie about her age and gave her alcohol. according to her suit she emerged from a bathroom and found cosby sitting on a bed. "he asked her to sit beside him, he then proceeded to sexually molest her." in today's court filing cosby's

attorneys claim huff tried to sell her story to the tabloids nine years ago. this is important, cosby's attorneys argue, because in order to file a claim, huff must argue her psychological injury or illness had been repressed and was only discovered within the last three years. the huff suit alleges she only recently realized the lasting damage caused by cosby. cosby has never been charged with any crime. more than 20 women have now come forward with allegations including three who spoke publicly yesterday. >> for years i did not tell anyone about what he had done to me because i was afraid. >> reporter: most of the accusers do not have the option to sue because of the statute of limitations. with one suit now working through the courts, cosby is fighting back. joe fryer, nbc news, los angeles. still ahead here tonight, a dramatic takedown caught on camera. police storm a suspect in the killing of an american teacher overseas. and there is far more to this

story. and later, a trip to neverland. "peter pan live," the young star who's been waiting for this moment her entire life. [coughing] dave, i'm sorry to interrupt... i gotta take a sick day tomorrow. dads don't take sick days, dads take nyquil. the nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, fever, best sleep with a cold, medicine. [coughing] hey amanda, sorry to bother you, but i gotta take a sick day. moms don't take sick days, moms take dayquil. the non drowsy, coughing, aching, fever, sore throat, stuffy head, power through your day medicine. (prof. burke) the more you learn the more gaps you may find. like how you thought you were covered for this... (pirate) ahh, haha! (prof. burke) ...when you're really only covered for this. (pirate boy) ahhh, haha! (prof.burke)talk to farmers and get smarter about your insurance. ♪ we are farmers bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪ creeping up on you... fight back with relief so smooth... ...it's fast.

tums smoothies starts dissolving the instant it touches your tongue ...and neutralizes stomach acid at the source. ♪ tum, tum tum tum... smoothies! only from tums. two words: it heals.e different? how? with heat. unlike creams and rubs that mask the pain, thermacare has patented heat cells that penetrate deep to increase circulation and accelerate healing. let's review: heat, plus relief, plus healing, equals thermacare. the proof that it heals is you. during its first year, a humpback calf and its mother are almost inseparable. she lifts her calf to its first breath of air, then protects it on the long journey to their feeding grounds. one of the most important things you can do is help the next generation. at pacific life, we offer financial solutions to accomplish just that. ask a financial advisor about pacific life. the power to help you succeed. you're down with crestor. yes! when diet and exercise aren't enough, adding crestor lowers bad cholesterol up to 55%.

crestor is not for people with liver disease, or women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. tell your doctor all medicines you take. call your doctor if you have muscle pain or weakness, feel unusually tired, have loss of appetite, upper belly pain, dark urine, or yellowing of skin or eyes. these could be signs of serious side effects. i'm down with crestor! make your move. ask your doctor about crestor. a suspect is under arrest tonight for the murder of an american woman inside an abu dhabi mall. police there say the woman in custody is the very same figure caught on tape fleeing the scene dressed head-to-toe in black robes. and according to investigators

the murder was only part of her plan to terrorize. our report tonight from chief foreign correspondent richard engel. >> reporter: emirate police dubbed her the ghost, but today they said they caught her. releasing dramatic police video and laying out their evidence she murdered an american teacher and tried to kill more u.s. citizens. heeded their case, surveillance video. here, the suspect is seen monday heading to a shopping mall bathroom. inside american teacher ibolya ryan who moved to abu dhabi with her twin sons. friend nora field talked with her there. >> she was so positive all the time and helpful and a great friend. we did feel safe there. i think there's some fear now. >> reporter: witnesses at the mall say they heard screams as ryan was stabbed to death. then the ghost fled, but she wasn't finished. in her bag police say is a bomb. she wheeled it into a nearby

apartment building, placed a homemade explosive in front of an american doctor's apartment and then left the building, suitcase empty. the police strung all the video together even adding dramatic music to what came next, the takedown. emirate police raiding a home, arresting suspects, finding suspected bomb making materials. and taking the ghost into custody, her image blurred by police. terrorism and even crime are extremely rare in abu dhabi, but this kind of lone wolf attack poses a growing threat. and the emerita show will be caught quickly. we are back in a moment with massive storm moving ashore right now, potentially catastrophic damage in a place already so hard hit.

♪soft holiday music ]♪ can you help me up? [ snow intensifies ] [ sleighbells ring in the distance ] aleve. all day pain relief with just 2 pills. get back to being you. but i've managed.e crohn's disease is tough, except that managing my symptoms was all i was doing.

and when i finally told my doctor, he said humira is for adults like me who have tried other medications but still experience the symptoms of moderate to severe crohn's disease. and that in clinical studies, the majority of patients on humira saw significant symptom relief. and many achieved remission. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, remission is possible.

over 12,000 financial advisors. so, how are things? good, good. nearly $800 billion dollars in assets under care. let me just put this away. how did edward jones get so big? could you teach our kids that trick? by not acting that way. ok, last quarter... it's how edward jones makes sense of investing. ♪

a powerful super typhoon is on collision course tonight with the philippines. this is the view of the swirling mess from space. it is expected to make landfall some time this weekend packing winds as high as 156 miles per hour. and it will bring with it torrential rain and the potential for widespread flooding and mudslides. nasa will try again tomorrow for the first-ever test flight of its new o' rien spacecraft. a valve issue on the rocket will carry o' rien into space. a rare bright spot in washington tonight. take a look. >> five, four, three, two, one. [ cheers and applause ] >> the national christmas tree all lit up. tom hanks and rita wilson on hand. our cameras caught the president dancing doing the dad shuffle

with santa. this was the scene just outside our studios last night as the rockefeller center christmas tree lit up the plaza. tens of thousands in the crowd watching "today" show gang and famous guests do the honors. when we come back, just before the curtain goes up, a neverland. behind the scenes of nbc's "peter pan live." how much money do you have in your pocket right now? i have $40, $21. could something that small make an impact on something as big as your retirement? i don't think so. well if you start putting that towards your retirement every week and let it grow over time, for twenty to thirty years, that retirement challenge might not seem so big after all. ♪ ...and tkind of like you huffing sometimes, grandpa. well, when you have copd, it can be hard to breathe. it can be hard to get air out, which can make it

hard to get air in. so i talked to my doctor. she said.. doctor: symbicort could help you breathe better, starting within 5 minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. symbicort helps provide significant improvement of your lung function. symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol increase the risk of death from asthma problems. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. you should tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. grandfather: symbicort could mean a day with better breathing. watch out, piggies! child giggles doctor: symbicort. breathe better starting within 5 minutes. call or go online to learn more about a free prescription offer. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. i'm 55 years old and i have diabetic nerve pain. the pain was terrible. my feet hurt so bad. it felt like hot pins and needles coming from the inside out of my skin.

when i did go see the doctor, and he prescribed lyrica, it helped me. it's known that diabetes damages nerves. lyrica is fda-approved to treat diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions, or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eyesight including blurry vision, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling, or skin sores from diabetes. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. having reduced pain is great, and i'm grateful for it. ask your doctor about lyrica and visit lyrica.com to learn about our $25 co-pay offer.

finally tonight, for any parent who's ever taken a day off work or cut out early to attend a child's school play, you'll underwhy our friend brian is not here tonight. he's busy doing his most important job, being a dad. as you probably heard brian's daughter allison stars tonight in "peter pan live." and as nbc's harry smith tells us, it's a role she's been preparing for her entire life. >> reporter: once not along ago this was a place that built jets and lunar modules. now it's still helping people fly. "peter pan live" will be broadcast from here in bethpage, long island tonight. and 26-year-old allison williams will be our star and guide to

neverland. >> and these red pieces of tape are everything to me. they're my marks. it's important i hit these marks because i fly from them. >> reporter: nbc has more than a little experience with the boy who wouldn't grow up. broadway legend mary martin saw it peter pan several times from 1955 to 1960. if allison williams watched. vhs tape of that show once, she watched it a thousand times. how old were you? >> it's kind of before i remember, so probably like two and a half or three. >> reporter: and you were that kid plopped down in front of the tv. >> yep. over and over again. i was peter pan. >> reporter: there's proof. her mother's parents willing abetted. >> my grandmother was wendy, she used to be my shadow that was the way to get me to take a

bath. all right. you have a deal. you have a deal, wendy. so that was my life. i lived in neverland. >> reporter: fast forward and a yale drama grad and girls co-star would fly for real. her father's mother would have been fit to bust. >> she was a performer. she was incredible. stage presence. definitely be thinking that. i'm going to try to crow loudly enough for grandma to hear me. >> reporter: so we'll sing along tonight with the songs we know and wipe away a tear or two at the parts that touch us most. and we will be pulling for a young actress from connecticut whose dream has come true. ♪ neverland >> reporter: harry smith, nbc news, new york. >> so brian said today he'll be

watching the live broadcast with family close enough to the production as to burst through the stage door the moment the credits role. "peter pan live" starring allison williams and christopher walken as hook airs tonight at 8:00, 7:00 central. brian will be back tomorrow. i'm lester holt chris rock, john stewart, shonda rimes unleashing hollywood's outrage over the eric garner choke hold verdict. >> it's really sad. >> now on "extra." ♪ the caught-on-tape death

rocking america and on everyone's mind at new york's "top five" premiere. >> we have to stand up and give a damn. , the stars react. tracey morgan's painful recovery -- >> have you seen him or spoken to him? >> and the bill cosby scandal. then a stunning new twist in the cosby saga. was he connected to this playboy playmate's suicide? allegedly used, abused, and thrown away by powerful men, including bill cosby. >> paige was controlled by cosby. >> the mainonline.com revealing what drove paige to take her own life. now trending, miley cyrus' miami shock show and a diamond-studded bruce jenner showing off his new ponytail and french manture. plus, breaking couples news. dating her tv husband. and cameron diaz's relationship rules. did her man jn it. now from "