glenn. thank you for watching. i'm renee chenault-fattah. >> i'm jim rosenfield. the news continues with "nbc nightly news." have a great evening. on this wednesday night, bin laden secrets taken from inside his hideout during that daring u.s. raid. what they tell us about his focus on killing americans and the rise of what would become isis. the oil emergency along the california coast. a major spill stretching for miles in pristine waters. tonight the race to save wildlife. the dramatic call for help from a road rage attack. a family swarmed by bikers on the highway. a mother pleading for police to protect her child in the car. hidden family history. what if you're at high risk of certain types of cancer and you don't even know it? how one mother stumbled on to lifesaving information. and saying good-bye. david letterman marks the end of an era.

"nightly news" begins right now. good evening. tonight, four years after the u.s. military raid that took his life we're getting our closest look yet into the mind of osama bin laden. the government has just released a stunning trove of documents taken from inside the hideout where he was killed. from messages about al qaeda strategy and his focus on killing americans to the american books he close to read, even messages he sent to his wife and thoughts about leaving his hideout. our chief foreign affairs correspondent, andrea mitchell has been pouring over the documents. >> reporter: from the grave, a new portrait of osama bin laden revealed in letters, books, video games, found by s.e.a.l. team 6 at his compound. the al qaeda leader telling followers not to grab territory, to keep going after

american targets. "you should ask them to avoid insisting on the formation of an islamic state at the time being, but to work on breaking the power of our main enemy by attacking the american embassies in the african countries such as sierra leone, togo and main three attack the american oil companies." then bin laden's bookshelf. a digital library -- everything from bob woodward's "obama's wars" to classics like paul kennedy's "the rise and fall of the great powers." and the delta force extreme 2 video game. most likely for his children. the treasure trove offers new insights into bin laden as ceo of al qaeda central. a bureaucracy complete with a lengthy online application. questions like -- what is your favorite material science or literature? the final question -- who should we contact in case you become a martyr? >> these documents show that bin laden was very much in command. that he was on his game, that he was focused, that he was totally dedicated to making sure al qaeda had the capabilities

to continue to attack america and the west. >> reporter: and bin laden closely tracked the u.s. when the pentagon warned that wikileaks' document dump could cost lives -- >> the truth is they might already have on their hands the blood some young soldier or that was an afghan family. >> reporter: -- an al qaeda operative writes bin laden, "please dedicate some brothers to translate the documents on afghanistan and pakistan that were leaked from the pentagon because these documents contain the strategy of the enemy in the area." the biggest surprise -- bin laden, the family man. affectionate letters to a wife then in iran. but warning her to remove fillings from her teeth before she comes to his hideout in case the iranians inserted a tracking device. bin laden also reveals taliban opposition to 9/11 and the attack on the "uss kohl." divisions in the ranks. what has not been released yet are other documents still being examined for intelligence about any future attacks. lester? >> andrea mitchell tonight, thank you. another major

story we're following, that oil spill stretching for miles along the picturesque california southern coastline near santa barbara. crews racing to contain the environmental damage from the pipeline which may have spilled up to 105,000 gallons of oil into the ocean. that's far more than first thought. officials have just shut down a second beach in the area headed into the memorial day weekend. nbc is there. >> reporter: two slicks now stretch nine miles down the santa barbara coast. both with booms trying to contain the crude oil. and on the normally pristine beach, workers meticulously rake thick sludge suitsed up in hazmat gear. a mile down the shoreline. volunteers used bare hands. some volunteers are using shovels to try to get this oil into buckets. others say it's easier to use their hand to scoop up this oil from the sand and then take it off the beach. some came hoping to help wildlife only to find there's nothing to save. >> everything's either

dead gone, or a mess -- miles and miles of oil. >> reporter: christina's 16-year-old daughter scooped oil into buckets. each wave washing up more. >> this is a lesson we should have learned in 1969. >> reporter: the 1969 oil spill which started the modern day environmental movement still feels fresh in the minds of folks who live here. that offshore leak dumped 4.2 million gallons of crude oil into the pacific and spread some 300 miles along the coast. this spill by comparison stretches just nine miles with estimates that more than 100,000 gallons flowed from a broken pipe. linda cropp at the environmental defense center says it's too soon to tell how badly the spill is hurting birds and other animals here. >> i know everybody says there's no good place for an oil spill, but this is one of worst plays. >> reporter: the company that owns the pipeline, plains all american it says hopes to minimize the impact on the environment. >> we're committed to the thorough cleanup of this accident. we're sorry for the inconvenience experienced by the

community. >> reporter: with memorial day weekend around the corner campers at a nearby state beach have been forced to leave this popular playground for whale watchers and sunbathers. the concern now, the slick will spread further. a coastal paradise under threat. people first realized there was a spill because of the smell. and right here, it's overpowering it's like burning rubber. the cleanup crews have been breathing it in all day. they're still at work on this beach even as we learned late today officials closed another one further south. that beach home to one of the most popular places to come for memorial day. typically, lester, it would be packed this weekend. >> hallie jackson in southern california. thank you. it's been a wild 24 hours under the stormy skies of the southwest. more than two dozen reported tornadoes. many in texas while oklahoma is dealing with dangerous flooding. nbc news national correspondent, miguel almaguer has more from texas. wow! >> reporter: they rumbled across the southwest. at least 27 reported tornados. this twister smashing

through north texas. >> never been that scared. >> reporter: hitting with fury cities like crum mineral wells -- >> this is crazy. >> reporter: -- and runaway bay, texas all in the bull's eye. roofs were ripped off. windows exploded lives nearly lost. newlyweds brad and brandi snodgrass rode out the storm. >> it seemed like it lasted forever. >> reporter: heavy rain has been relentless here for two week. thunderstorms dumping up to 16 inches triggering flash floods in oklahoma and texas, prompting dozens of water rescues. historic rain has fallen this month it looks like more rain that will lead to flooding will last through the holiday weekend. >> reporter: when you see the damage from the air and on the ground, it's incredible that not a single person was hurt or injured here. investigators say it's going to take weeks if not months to clean up the damage. it's bad news for folks here who are

trying to clean up -- more rain headed this direction soon. >> what we didn't want to hear. thank you. across the country today, auto dealers have been flooded with questions from anxious customers concerned about the biggest consumer recall in u.s. history. we're of course talking about the defective airbags that the government says could total 34 million, affecting one out of every four cars on the road. as nbc's tom costello reports, there are new questions about how all of those repairs will get done. >> reporter: at auto nation honda in miami today, mechanics were once again swapping out defective airbag inflators for new ones. >> you should have no problems with it and it's nothing out of pocket. >> reporter: after months of worrying that her airbag could explode, today, viscella was getting a replacement. >> even if you survive the accident you could get killed by the airbag. i was very concerned about that. >> reporter: it's happening nationwide as the airbag recall grows from 17 million to 34 million.

11 different makes are on the list dozens of models. to learn if your car is included the national highway traffic safety administration is directing motorists to safercar.gov. type in your vin. any recall affecting your car should pop up though the latest airbag recall may not appear for a week or more. mark rosekind is the chief government enforcer. for people who are really concerned, should they have their airbags disconnected? >> absolutely not. we know that seat belts and airbags save lives. >> reporter: more than 32,000 people die in car accidents every year. while so far only six are believed to have died in airbag accidents. it's also illegal for a dealer to disconnect an airbag without special government permission. this airbag recall could take years due to a shortage of new airbag inflators. but in the priority zone of hot, humid miami, they have the parts. >> we really encourage customers to make an appointment. the parts are readily available. >> reporter: for one person -- >> very very happy and pleased that i can think about something

else besides airbags. >> reporter: -- the situate finally over. but don't be fooled. it can take years to come one all these replacement parts. takata expected to take 2.5 years to produce all of them. lester? >> tom costello thank you very much. also in the nation's capital now, take a look. live on the senate floor where senator and presidential candidate rand paul has been speaking for hours against the government's bulk collection of phone records allowed under the patriot act. paul and other senators including some democrats plan to control debate throughout the night which could delay action on a vital trade bill. in 2013, paul filibustered for nearly 13 hours on the issue of drone strikes. tonight the feds have made hundreds of arrests in a major crackdown on the illegal distribution of powerful prescription painkillers. surprise raids on doctors and pharmacies in several states being called the largest pill bust in dea history. nbc's mark potter was there for one of the takedowns. >> reporter: the raids began with a convoy of

dea agents and local police surrounding an office building in little rock arkansas. their target, the k.j. medical center which agents say profited by illegaling supplying drug addicts with prescriptions for pain pills. almost all the prescriptions, agents say, were then filled at this nearby pharmacy which was also raided today. the four state sweep was in arkansas louisiana, mississippi, and alabama. the biggest sweep in history with 280 arrests focusing on unscrupulous pharmacists, doctors, and more. >> this is just you know sort of professional drug dealers. >> reporter: among those arrested in little iraq, dr. jerry rifus. >> sometimes life is very difficult. will it get straightened out. >> reporter: agents say what's happening in little rock mirrors a nationwide epidemic in prescription drug abuse. with a steady rise in overdoses and co-related deaths.

agents say prescription abuse also fuels the current heroin epidemic adding even more, officials say, to a growing public heath threat. mark potter, nbc news little rock, arkansas. it was a case of road rage here in new york that stunned the nation. a horde of bikers who claimed they'd been provoked caught on camera surrounding and pounding on an suv before attacking the family inside. now with a trial underway we're hearing new details including a frantic call for help. here's nbc's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: the moment angry bikers pulled alex linn out of his suv, his wife rosalyn, office with 911. >> oh my god! stop! we have a baby in the car. >> hello? >> oh, my god! stop it! we have a baby in the car! >> reporter: with her 2-year-old daughter in the back seat, he was beat not and left on the street. the attack took place in 2013 in new york. nine pled guilty to

assault and riot charges. two pled not guilty and are on trial. one, an undercover police officer who was off duty at the time. the couple says the bikers surrounded their suv. ng threw a piece of fruit and then a water bottle at them. >> like 100 motorcycles. they're all attacking us right on our car. >> reporter: stopped on the highway, linn felt their lives were in danger. his wife told him to just go. linn says he knew he hit someone. the biker left paralyzed. the fear in the suv was growing. >> we're on 178th! west 178th! >> reporter: and testified that bikers couldn't pull her out of the suv because she was wearing a seat belt. the 2-year-old was unhurt but covered in broken glass. for weeks, ng says her daughter had nightmares. stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york. still ahead here tonight, one of the most common questions of the doctor, and knowing the right answer could save your life. what if your family's history of cancer is

hidden? you don't even know why are all these people so asleep yet i'm so awake? did you know your brain has two systems? one helps keep you awake- the other helps you sleep. science suggests when you have insomnia, the wake system in your brain may be too strong and your neurotransmitters remain too active as you try to sleep, which could be leading to your insomnia. ohh...maybe that's what's preventing me from getting the sleep i need! talk to your doctor about ways to manage your insomnia. introducing the first ever gummy multivitamin from centrum. a complete, and tasty new way to support... your energy... immunity... and metabolism like never before. centrum multigummies. see gummies in a whole new light. if you suffer from a dry mouth then you'll know how uncomfortable it can be. but did you know that the lack of saliva can also lead to tooth decay and bad breath? well, there is biotene specially formulated with moisturizers and lubricants...

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it's a question doctors always ask -- do you have a family history of cancer. you might say no. but what if there are cancer genes hidden in your dna? tonight our national correspondent, kate snow has the story of a woman who accidentally discovered her risk, raising a debate over whether more people should be tested even without a family history. >> reporter: robin

carlin never thought she had to worry about her dna. >> i thought his great genes. >> reporter: she was active healthy, had no known family history of cancer. five years ago, her tech-savvy 22-year-old son, eli, got the results of a consumer dna test he'd ordered on line. they were shocked to learn eli had an abnormality usually associated with women -- a brca 1 mutation which dramatically increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancers. robin got tested and learned she had the mutation, too. her family history had been hidden. she got the mutation from her father and had passed it on to her son. would your insurance company have covered the test if your son hadn't all right taken one? >> no. they would not. there are strict criteria for what family history qualifies you. i did not have that family history. >> reporter: robin isn't alone. half of the women with brca mutations would not meet insurance criteria. >> if we only offer testing to women who have a family history, we'll miss half of the women with mutations.

>> reporter: dr. mary claire king thinks every woman over 30 who wants a cancer risk test should be able to get one. until now the tests have cost thousands. a new company called color genomics just began selling a test for breast and ovarian cancer risk for just $249, which includes genetic counseling. dr. king is an unpaid adviser. >> what we're doing is offering women information that empowers them to save their own lives. >> reporter: some experts worry the genetic testing business may be growing too fast. >> i think it's going to be a bit of the wild west in the coming years. >> reporter: dr. robert greene says even specialists don't know what every mutation they find means. >> we're talking about things which make you a little more likely or sometimes a lot more likely to get a disease, but not necessarily for sure. >> reporter: robin says for her the risks were clear. up to 65% of women with a mutation like hers will get breast cancer and 39% will

get ovarian cancer by the time they're 70. robin made the difficult decision to have a double mastectomy and remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes all because her son took that genetic test. >> i think perhaps he felt guilty because i went through so much. and i kept telling him over and over again, you know don't feel guilty. because you've potentially saved my life. i am incredibly thankful to my son. >> reporter: kate snow, nbc news, pittsburgh. up next new clues in that shocking murder mystery in washington. there's word tonight of a secret big money ♪ roundup ♪ ♪ i'm a loving husband and a real good dad ♪ ♪ but weeds just make me rattlesnake mad ♪ ♪ well roundup has a sharp-shootin' wand ♪ ♪ i'm sendin' them weeds to the great beyond ♪ ♪ roundup ♪ yeha! [ whip cracks ] ♪ ♪ ♪ no need to pump, just point and shoot ♪ ♪ hit 'em in the leaves, and it kills to the root ♪ ♪ 'round fences, trees even mulched beds ♪ ♪ 'cause the only good weed is a weed that's dead ♪ ♪ roundup ♪ yeha! [ whip cracks ] [ male announcer ] roundup... [ whip cracks ] with a one-touch

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k9 advantix® ii. for the love of dog™. mystery just blocks from the vice president's home in washington. a family held hostage, then found dead inside their burning mansion. we're learning about a secret money delivery before they were killed. our national correspondent, peter alexander, reports. >> reporter: as one or more intruders held

the savopoulos family hostage inside their mansion last week at least two people made separate deliveries to the home. one on thursday morning. a $40,000 cash drop-off from savvas savopoulos' assistant, according to sources familiar with the investigation. the other, domino's pizza. the cash had been with drawn from the account at american iron works, where savopoulos was ceo. the housekeeper's husband also reportedly showed up at the home looking for his wife that morning. so were the visit and deliveries all missed opportunities to alert police and end the terrifying ordeal? authorities say the four hostages were viciously murdered inside. the house set on fire. when firefighters arrived thursday afternoon, the cash was gone and so was the family's porsche. later found abandoned and torched 15 miles away where police have intensified their search for this person of interest. investigator say the murders do not appear to be random. the reward for information has grown to $100,000. peter alexander, nbc news, washington.

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the world is filled with air. but for people with copd sometimes breathing air can be difficult. if you have copd, ask your doctor about once-daily anoro ellipta. it helps people with copd breathe better for a full 24hours. anoro ellipta is the first fda-approved product containing two long-acting bronchodilators in one inhaler. anoro is not for asthma. anoro contains a type of medicine that increases risk of death in people with asthma. it is not known if this risk is increased in copd. anoro won't replace rescue inhalers for sudden copd symptoms and should not be used more than once a day.

tell your doctor if you have a heart condition, or high blood pressure. tell your doctor if you have glaucoma, prostate or bladder problems, or problems passing urine as anoro may make these problems worse. call your doctor right away if you have worsened breathing chest pain, swelling of your mouth or tongue, problems urinating or eye problems including vision changes or eye pain while taking anoro. nothing can reverse copd. the world is filled with air and anoro is helping people with copd breath air better. get your first prescription free at anoro.com. tonight a moment that will go down in tv history.

david letterman is ending the late night run he began in this very building 33 years ago after more than 6,000 shows across two different networks. a look now at the ed sullivan theater where letterman is signing off for the last time. harry smith says good-bye. david -- >> reporter: many of us have been in a state of mourning since david letterman announced he would be leaving "the late show." >> in fact paul and i will be wrapping things up and taking -- [ applause ] >> is this something left over from the bachelor days? >> reporter: for the last several weeks, star after star and presidents too have stopped by to pay homage. all expressing their gratitude to dave for being dave. >> despite your best efforts, probably the most distinguished man on late night. >> oh my god. >> reporter: there are nights we'll never forget. his first show after 9/11. >> it's very simple -- there is only one requirement for any of us and that is to be

courageous because courage, as you might know defines all other human behavior. >> reporter: or when he returned from a five-month absence. >> while i was gone i had quintuple bypass surgery on my heart! plus, i got a haircut. >> reporter: his was a new york show and manhattan was the stage. top ten stupid pet tricks, stupid human trick, rupert g., larry bud melman this chris elliot, dave's mom. >> ladies and gentlemen, paul schaefer -- >> reporter: paul schaefer rocked the house night after night. so much more than a sidekick. letterman was an acquired taste. you either got him, or you didn't. >> walk even-- joaquin, i'm sorry you couldn't be here tonight. >> reporter: and he wouldn't sell out to get a bigger audience.

a rare thing especially in show business. on this night, many have but one thought -- don't go. harry smith, nbc news new york. that will do it for us on this wednesday night. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news thank you for watching, and good night. inside "dancing's" all-night after party as yiy as rumer willis wins the mirror ball. >> now on "extra." >> dancing's new king and queen, val and rumer.

>> yes! >> bruce and demi cheering on their daughter. >> that's the most excitement we're going to get out of you. >> the dancing couple hitting the after-party, julianne hough's 2:00 a.m. wardrobe malfunction. and -- >> is bruce jenner signing on for next season? plus, kendall jenner's naughty night. >> i hate to admit it but we had sex. >> caitlin's shock confection which guy did she sleep with and does she regret it? leno turns down letterman. the failed plan to get jay on dave's final show tonight. and the stars pay tribute from conan to kimmel. >> dave is the best and you should see him. plus j.lo's eye popping swimsuit shoot for "us weekly." why she's saying this. >> i'm not really checking out girls' butts all the time. >> now on "extra" from universal