on the broadcast tonight, giving thanks. here at home traditions and the joy of giving back. the call of dultty takes no holiday. crisis in korea. so of the first images from the the south people still shaken by that attack at the north. what some stores do this holiday season toake it easier for consume to part with their money. the science behind the holiday spirit. "nightly news" begins now. from nbc news world headquarters if new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. good evening, and happy thanksgiving. brian williams has the night off. we give with holiday observances

across the nation and globe. this years a reminder tt sometimes thanksgiving comes during hard times when many americans have to dig deep to put a feast oft table. others don't have the luxury to be with loved ones because duty calls on the war front. one of theetailers is open on thanksgiving name for the first time ever. we have it all covered beginning with ra haim ma ellis. >> reporter: for many in new york this day began with a tradition, diary of a wimpy kid and kung fu panda join theed line-up. at the white house president obam used his weekly radio address to count thenation's blessings. >> we'll spend time taking stock of what we're thankful for, the god given bounty of america and the blessings of one another. >> he placed calls to ten service members to thank them

for service in iraq and afghanistan and joid the first family for dinner. on the holiday menu, turkey, cornead stuffing and sweet potatoes and pies. in new york people lined up as 1300 dinners were serve at the church of the holy apostle whe people like rick mcdowel say his paycheck doesn't go very far. >> it was hard to sustain certain things, particularly with takingare of bills and rent. yeah, places like this do make a difference. >> reporter: besides the working poor, there are almost 15 million americans with no jobs at all. for many, soupitchens like this are a lifeline. in atlanta turkey dinner was served to an estimated 30,000. along the west coast turkey trots were in full swing. in sacramento me than 35,000 ran to raise money for the hungry. in philadelphia a little snow didn't stop fathers and sons playing football for charity.

>> this is thanksving, and this is the whole point of the holiday. >> reporter: just as this day is ending, signs of another major liday. still, many pause today, however briefly, and remembered to give thanks. rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. tens of thousands of america's men and women in uniform are a long way from home in thanksgiving. among them the 95,000 u.s. troops currently serving in afghanistan. nbc's lester holt is spendg part of this holiday with the troops on the front lines and has our report from kabul. lester, good evening. >> reporter: long lines for the thanksgiving meal here. between afghanistan and iraq, nearly 150,000 americans are spending this holiday in ha's way, some have been able to enjoy the traditions of the holiday. others, however, have to continue with the business of war. duty called on this thanksgiving

as it does every day in the war zone. for these soldiers in kabul, the holiday takes a back seat. >> going out every day is the normal thing for us. >> reporter: when this war started in 2001, there was no skype. >> what are you doing? >> reporter: now video chats help close the distance with home, providing virtual family get-togethers. >> love you. >> i've been gone forsmoevens, and so i think right now he thinks i live in the computer. >> reporter: mail from home helps a lot and the holiday volume is already picking up. >> makes me feel good because i'm a superstar around here. everybody is looking for me. >> reporter: thanksgiving is an american holiday, but a universal sentiment. the care packages many of you send from the states help create a thanksgiving tradition here. troops bag up the goodies for delivery to a kabul orphanage.

>>t's a great opportunity for folks to kind of show their thanks for the many blessings they have and give back to those who are particularly in need. >> reporter: another tradition, the early morning turkey day run. in dining halls around the country, troops enjoy the true taste of home and this holiday. >> happy thanksgiving to everybody. >> happy thanksgiving! >> reporter: it's not just those at home that were on their minds. >> i'm definitely thinking about the other guys who are out not in places safe and stable as ours. >> reporter: at an service at camp edgars, a message that rang home. >> we celebrate the gifts you gave us in this fe. >> reporte as americans are keeping our men and women in uniform in their thoughts on this holiday, we're reminded that thousands of american civilians are also serving in the war zone and facing many of the same risks as the troops. carl. >> lester holt in kabul, thanks.

thousands of troops spent this day in iraq as well. among them members of infantry division. it included the presentation of purple hearts. the captain tone kwi smith of minnesota and private first class matthew gray of michigan. as we were reminded this week there are nearly 30,000 u.s. troops in south korea, an outpost for american forces since the korean war began years ago. the "uss george washington" will take part in exercises neck week. they rained artillery fire on a island near the border killing four and triggering an internationalcrisis. we made our way to that island today for a firsthand look. >> reporter: we traveled on one of the first ferries to resume service since tuesday's attack. to the very edge of north korean waters where the rocky islands

sits a couple of miles from disputed sea border. the military was on high alert in the sky and patrollin the waters. soldiers checked everybody on the boat. there was vigilance and bravado. enemy shells poured down on me but i sto my ground this soldier insisted. civilian areas bore the brunt of the attack. the barrage of north korean shel on tuesday struck at the heart of the island's small fishing village, home to most of the 1700 civilian residents. there appeared to be no military facilities nearby, suggesting the village was deliberately targeted. in one neighborhood i counted 13 shops or homes reduced to burned out shells during the hour-long attack. scores of others had been badly maged. the villages knew they live on a front line, but nobodyxpected this. it seems incredible that only two civilians died.

most wer able to reach nearby shelters. a small dot this size fell from the sky this man says, and it just exploded. while this 71-year-old fisherman told me he hid on his boat when the shells rained in. today he was collecting belongings before leaving the island. most civilians have been evacuated, though some insist on staying. it's a heavily fortified island, but it clearly wasn't enough to deter the north and the army is pouring in reinforcements, these soldiers heading there today. the government says they have tough new rules of engement, though these haven't been made public, which is all lile comfort to the island's fishermen. their biggest catch came from the border and now their lives have been shattered. ian williams, nbc news, south koa.

>> our chief foreign correspondent richard engel has arrived in south korea andoins us tonight not far from whe the trouble broke out. where is all of this headed? >> reporter: well, the big question here is, how will north korea react when the u.s. warships come to this region and start cruising not far from the north korean border? there has already been considerable criticism in south korea that the government has not responded strongly enough yet, the defse minister has resigned. there is an increased military footing in in country relaxing the rules of engagement, sending more troops to the area. so if as the u.s. troops and the u.s. warships cruise through these waters, a single shot is fired or north korea perceives this as yet another provocation the situation cld be different next week, carl.

>> the u.s. and others are pressuring china to reign in their allyally, north korea. wherdoes this stand tonight? >> reporter: what you see her is the u.s. sending a message not only to south korea that it supports it, to north korea saying this belligerence must stop but also to china saying if it doesn't try to reign in north korea, it will see an increased military presence in east asia, something china doesn't want. china is uncomfortable with u.s. troops stationed in afghanistan, which shes a border with china. it certainly doesn't want american warships even closer on its sea borders. >> richard engel in south korea tonight. thanks for that. back in this country the obama administration is preparing for the expected release of a new batch of classified documents from online whistleblower wikileaks this weekend. a senior government official says the 250,000 documents

expeed to be leaked are, quote, very, very damaging and could have grave consequences for nationalsecurity. that wintry weather through parts of pacific northwest and west over the past few days is moving east, and a lot of folks might want to prepa for a dmangt weather over the next few days. for the latest on what holiday shoppers and travelers can expect for the weekend, we're joined by cis warren at wanl headquarters in atlanta. chris, good evening. >> the main problem tonight and tomorrow will be the very heavy rain. in fact, the latest satellite radar combination showing us where e rain and clouds are right now, from the south up to the ohio valley we see heavy rain and some strong storms. all of that mess you see right there will move to the east tomorrow. here's a look at your forecast for friday. getting around during the day on the eastern "sunday night football" see board by car or through air will be tough. behind that cold front, that blue line with the brew triangle that separates the warm air from

the cold air, that moves through the cooler air which means snow, lake-effect snow around the great lake the middle part of the country not looking bad, but we have another storm in the west which means more mountain snow so travel is tough throughout the mountain and throughout the lakes and the the whole country is cooling down just in time for the weekend. >> chris warren and our friends at the wanl. thanks for that. up next as "nbc nightly news" continues, why some big names start the holiday smhopping season earlier than ever. does thanks come me naturally to some people than others? i love it. not wash. power wash. ok. whoa. [ female announcer ] life comes with headaches and that's when people reach for excedrin. excedrin starts relieving headaches faster than extra strength tylen and advil. the deck looks great. oh, we just washed it. well, not washed, power washe big difference.

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while most people were sitting down for a thanksgiving feast with family and friends today, some were out at the mall, yes, shoppg getting a jump on black friday on thanksgiving thursday. nbc's lee cowan reports on what could become a brand-new tradition for shoppers and the biggest retailers. lee, good evening. >> reporter: it's been a trend over the lasteveral years as you push away from the turke at the dinner table, you pull up to the keyboard and start shopping online. that's a group of shoppers retailers want to take advantage on. openg up on the holiday themselves gives them a chance to get a piece of that economic pie. the nation's economy has been workg oveime all yea to keep the recovery moving, and yet, that hasn't earned it a single day off. retailers expected consumers to

clock back in on this holiday, and they're reporting for duty sort of. >> why aren't you on the couch right now? >> well, i got drug out of the house. >> reporter: he's not alone. this was the thanksgiving line outside a kmart before doawnhis morning. customers waiting to feast on deals they used to wait for. for many it was a chance to beat the rush. after all, black friday gives some shoppers worst indigestion than stuffing themselve with family and friends. >> everybody is nuts. >> reporter: it's all about market share. last thanksgiving $318 million were spent line. for brick and mortar stores, those are customers gravy on a holiday bottom line that is expected to rise by around 2% this year. >> it pays for the stores to open. the traffic is there and they can get them in the stores rather than selling them on the internet. >> reporter: she says stretching out the tone-setting weekend for

th holiday shopping weekend is a good start, but it's not everything. >> december 15th through the 25th is the make it or break it time. >> reporter: for seriears openi on thanksgiving day is a real break with tradition. >> it's the first time in over 100 years we did it. >> reporter: some are lamenting the loss of the holiday it used to be. >> the employees should have the day off like everybody else. unless you're a nurse or doctor, what's the point. we have plenty of other days to shop. >> reporter: the point is that thursday may be the new black. a light version of what's expected to happen tomorrow. carl, retailers like toys are us open at 10:00 tonight, walmart is open at midnight and then a whole host of other stores like kmart open in the wee hours of the morning so that holiday shopping tradition is getting earlier and earlier. >> if they're working and you're working and lee you're rking,

working on thanksgiving is the new black. thanks so much for that. when we come back, the flags say it all. one family's almostnbelievable sacrifice for this country. i'm off to the post office... ok. uh, a little help... oh! you kw shipping is a lot easier with priority mail flat rate boxes. if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. plus, you can print and pay for postage online. and i can pick them up for free with package pickup. perfect! cause i'm gonna need a lot of those. wow! i knew i should have brought my sleigh. priority mail flat rate shipping starts at $4.90 only from the postal service. a simpler way to ship. but with advair, i'm breathing beer. so now, i can join the fun and games with my grandchildren. great news! for people with copd, including chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both, advair helps significantly improve lung function. while nothincan reverse copd, advair is different from most other copd medications

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a tense situation in brazil tonight. a police crackdown on drug gangs. today armored military vehicles rolled into the slumsf r de janeiro backed by hundreds of agents. gang members tried to escape. 30 have died since the offensive began on sunday. brazil is scrambling to clean up rio, host city for the 2014 world cup and the 2016 summer olympics. among the u.s. troops serving in afghanistan this thanksgiving with members of the iowa national guard, and their largest deployment since world r ii. nbc news is following them since last year when they learned they'd be heading to afghanistan. among them, five members of a single very supportive extended

family. nbc's kevin tibbles has our report. >> reporter: at thi home in des moines, iowa, the american flag flies proudly, beneath it the military service flag meaning a family member is deployed. >> they're in good hands. >> reporter: major linda purdue and her husband fly five flags here one at a time becse five of their kids in their family are part of the same deployment in afghanistan. nick johnson a his wife and nick's broer chris and stepbrother ant drew purdue and cousin nick vander pool. linda is a member of the iowa national guard for 26ears sees this deployment through a mother's eyes. >> it's immense and hard to put into words t excitement, the panic, the stress. >> reporter: linda and platts see them all as the the children they once were and the soldiers they've become. nick and nick are calvary scouts. >> i think it's cool we're all

going together. we ail come back the same way we came. >> we're all intertwined. he sees above and we see the ground. >> reporter: anthony pursue is a uav operator who carries a family photo with him. and janet johnson, nick's wife, is military police. >> whether you get around the mily, you feel a sense of pride. it definitely gives you a sense of i want to be part of this. >> it's that pride andtrong family bond that keeps all of them groded and connected. >> we focus on the home front and be here when you get back. >> reporter: a message of support and unity that will sustain them all through the young year ahead. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. up next, what happened when researchers put the holiday spirit under the microscope. ♪ [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] got a cold? [ coughs ] ♪ [ male announcer ] confused what to get? now robitussin makes it simple.

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finally teent tonight as we gather with loved ones to give thanks, it might interest you to know that gratitude and acts of kindness are coming under the scientific microscope. george lewis has more on wt some of the evidence shows. >> reporter: thanksgiving dinner for l.a.'s homeless and for the

hundreds of volunteers at the los angeles mission, a different kind of reward. >> when you serve the people and you can see the look on their face and how thankful they are and they're eating, it's the mostonderful joy you can feel. >> reporter: all year long we do stories about people making a difference. >> it's been in my heart for a while to reach out to people in need. >> now there's new scientific evidence that humans are genetically wired to be kind. that those that help others are doing what com naturally. a group of research aerzhe university of california berkeley are looking into what brings us joy, what makes us kind and generous. it's known as positive psychology or the science of happiness. >> we attach these two sensors. >> reporter: they've been mapping human emotions like pathy and running test subjects through computer exercises to measure their ability to share withothers. >> it's really generosity and compassion and empathy that pay.

>> reporter: this psychologist has written a book called "born to be good." >> nice guys don't finish last. they do pretty well. >> reporter: he says it's a common misconception that darwin came up with the idea o suival of fittest. he said sympathy is the strongest human emotion. >> it's really survival of the kindest. >> the big question is what makes people happen. >> reporter: christine carter says teaching gratitude is key to raising happy children. >> gratitude is so closely associated with happiness it's praktally the same thing. >> reporter: as we pause toive thanks today, we can be thankful for the kindness in our dna just waiting to be used, george lewis, nbc news, los angeles. and that is our broadcast for this thanksgiving. thank you for being with us. i'm car quintanilla. brian williams will be back here tomorrow evening. more of the sights and sounds of

the macy's thanksgiving day parade here in new york city. the macy's thanksgiving day parade here in new york city. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com capital one bank. they're everywhere. yeah, you' right! ♪ [ male announcer ] capital one banks are everywhere. [ clang! ] with hundreds obranches and atms,