on our broadcast tonight, is it a turning point as isis finds a new way to shock the world with the execution of a jordanian air force pilot. jordan vows revenge for the death of a fellow muslim and tonight what we're learning about the american woman being held. the vaccine debate, despite a mountain of eviden that they're safe and save millions of lives. the reason so many parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children. three-parent babies, the world watches a pivotal decision of the in vitro fertilization. some fear a world of designer babies. the surprise sequel to the american classic "to kill a mocking bird." turns out the reclusive harper lee wrote another novel, and much to the excitement of readers everywhere. "nightly news" begins now.

>> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. good evening. the terrorist group isis so determined to shock civilized people everywhere has now resorted to a new method of murder. they have executed a jordanian air force pilot by burning him alive and we'll point out just as quickly here, we're not going to air a bit of that here tonight. this execution while no more vile than any of the others may be different in terms of how jordan now reacts to the murder of a pilot and a muslim, and in the background here is the knowledge that an american woman is also being held by the same group. we have it covered tonight beginning with our chief foreign correspondent richard engel. richard, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. there is absolute outrage in jordan. people are furious. they are shocked. there are calls for military action. and there's been a strong show of support for the monarchy.

locked in a metal cage, doused in fuel, the young jordanian pilot moments before being burned alive. the most savage act yet from a group known for its shocking brutality. in jordan, relatives could not contain their disgust, and grief, and fury. the pilot was first lieutenant muath, 26, just married in july. an elite member of jordanian society. he was captured a day before christmas after ejecting from his f-16 on a mission to attack isis in syria, part of the u.s.-led coalition. jordan's king abdullah, a close u.s. ally at the white house today, before cutting short his washington visit. earlier on jordanian television, he called the murder cowardly terror, by a group with no relation to islam. president obama said the killing intensifies his determination to

fight isis. >> should this be revealed to be authentic, it is just one more indication of the viciousness, and barbarity of this organization. >> reporter: jordan had been considering a prisoner swap for the pilot, exchanging him for three militants on death row. including this woman, captured after her suicide vest failed to go off during a 2005 attack on three hotels in amman. 60 people were killed. jordan said last week it would free her, but first wanted proof that its pilot was still alive. in fact, jordan believes he may have already been dead, burned alive just days after his capture. and that woman on death row, jordan said it will execute her and five other militants as early as tomorrow, brian. >> richard engel, starting us off tonight. richard, thanks. again, about this other hostage being held by isis another american, a 26-year-old woman.

we haven't heard much about her case publicly until now. as the president has spoken about the situation for the first time. andrea mitchell at the state department in washington for us tonight. andrea, good evening. >> good evening, brian. the horrific murder of the jordanian pilot has only intensified efforts to find that lasted known american being held hostage by isis, the woman. into the chaos of syria's civil war, amidst militias and terrorists, she went unarmed. hundreds of thousands already dead, millions more wounded or displaced. a 26-year-old american woman working for aid organizations, trying to help the war's millions of refugees. taken hostage a year ago august. her name, hometown and organization are withheld at parents' request. but always top of minds at the white house, as the president told savannah guthrie this week. >> and what are you doing to help her? >> we are in very close contact with the family, trying to keep them updated. obviously this is something that

is heartbreaking for families. and our obligation is to make sure we can do anything we can to try to make sure that any american citizen is rescued from this situation. >> reporter: but isis has wiped out borders, forcing the u.s. to rely on murky contacts. and often unreliable foreign intelligence services. the only positive sign, isis has never acknowledged capturing the aid worker and executing a woman on camera might be deeply offensive to isis followers. >> there's also reason to believe that they're not intent on killing female hostages. >> in fact, isis has never paraded the american woman among the other hostages. leading some to hope her family to pray that she may still be alive. >> andrea mitchell at the state department for us tonight. andrea, thanks. today republican senator rand paul of kentucky went to the physician's office in the u.s. capitol, took off his dress

shirt and got a booster vaccination for hepatitis a, and he made sure a camera was there, because he has spent the last news cycle tangled up in the debate over vaccines. yesterday on cnbc, he said in part he was aware of many tragic cases of walking, talking, normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines. well, today the senator, who is an eye doctor, said he's annoyed as characterized as somehow anti-vaccine. he said the science is clear and vaccines are safe. this debate has blown up after the measles outbreak in california which has now spread to 14 states. our update tonight from nbc's halley jackson. >> reporter: today employees washed toys outside the california day care where an infant infected with the measles may have exposed 14 other babies. part of an outbreak that began at disneyland. that company's ceo said there has been no impact on park

attendance. >> this is the time for kids under inoculation age to be cautious about taking their kids to public places. not just theme parks. >> reporter: the growing outbreak seems startling for those who remember what it was like before scientists developed a safe vaccine in the early '60s, when 48,000 people were hospitalized each year and killed 400 to 500. one victim, the daughter of roald dahl. he begged parents to vaccinate, writing of his 8-year-old, i feel all sleepy, she said. then in 12 hours, she was dead. most younger people nowadays never lived through measles. which may be why a recent poll finds americans under 30 are less likely to support mandy tore childhood vaccinations. patty bailey wants them. her child has cystic fibrosis and can't get the measles shot. >> i think it's about time someone stood up and had a good

example of a child that can't receive a vaccine. but that needs the community around him to support him. >> reporter: the cdc recommends immunization, but it's up to states to create the laws. mississippi, which has the nation's highest vaccination rate, almost 100%, only lets parents opt out of measles shots for medical reasons, not personal or religious ones. in colorado where the law is much less strict only 81% of people have been immunized, the lowest in the country. globally 110 other nations have better vaccination rates than the u.s. on capitol hill, meanwhile, a rare show of consensus. >> it's really a slam dunk what the decision should be. >> reporter: for lawmakers and doctors, get the shot to stop the spread. halley jackson, nbc news, los angeles. one more note on this tonight, we're joined by dr. nancy snyderman. and nancy, i know your view is, forget measles. the comebacks could not perhaps stop at measles. >> you and i have sat here for the last few months talking

about whooping cough, mum ps, and measles. these outbreaks aren't an accident, because we've become rather lax, we forget what these diseases look like, and we forget that they kill, and that a simple vaccine can prevent these illnesses. it's inherently important that those of us who are healthy vaccinate ourselves to protect those who are less vulnerable to society. that's why it's called public health. what concerns me, that this may be the canary in the coal mine. we see a break in public health in this country. there is no debate. vaccines save lives. what if a year, two years from now, you and i are sitting here talking about the first case of polio in this country. i don't think we can be so cocky as to say that can't happen. so this should be the call to arms. >> dr. nancy snyderman with a cautionary note here. after our coverage thank you, nancy, as always. our weather continues to make news as millions are in the grip of a cruel kind of cold, clear to the eastern seaboard. many communities saw yesterday's highs cut in half still.

parts of the northeast which saw a record number of snowfall over the last week have flash frozen leaving the roads an icy treacherous obstacle course. miguel almaguer is in boston for us again tonight. miguel, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. this is one of three snow farms in the city of boston where they bring all the powder to thaw. our camera is 40 feet up on a snow pile that is four stories deep. i want to give you even more perspective. this snow farm runs the length of a football field. there are mounds of snow on both sides of this access road. tonight the city says there's no more room here but another storm is on the way come thursday. today the desperate break from falling snow. but no relief from bone-chilling cold. the arctic blast dropped the windchill to negative 13 degrees in boston. >> hypothermia can turn serious very quickly. >> yes, it can. >> reporter: at mass general they fired up the hypothermia

cocoon a bubble to bring the freezing back from the brink. >> patients that have burn injury greater than 20% of their total body surface area will come in here because it provides a lot of heat and it also provides moisture. >> reporter: the deep dive in temperatures felt across the nation. in denver cheyenne kansas city and rapid city. today's highs will plummet in half by tomorrow. across the region a flash freeze. whiteout conditions in minnesota, created back-to-back pileups. black ice can be deadly. we were shown firsthand how treacherous slick roads can be. when you're not familiar driving on snow and ice, even simple maneuvers can become more dangerous, even on a closed course like this one, experts say braking can take 10 to 15 times longer. speed wasn't a factor in boston. record snowfall this week turned today's commute to a crawl. >> received over 40.1 inches of

snow. we're looking at possibly another six inches of snow on thursday. >> reporter: with snow farms at capacity massive melters like this one are being trucked into the city. but tonight back roads are still a mess. on-demand plowing is now an app. >> they just click on the app, request a service, and look out their window and watch us take care of their work for them. >> reporter: brian, this is one of three snow farms in the city of boston. it's completely packed. the city said they can't bring any more snow here. but as we mentioned, they'll get another few inches here on thursday. brian? >> miguel almaguer on the road in boston tonight. miguel, thanks. and then there's the west coast. they're about to get a deluge of heavy rain beginning tomorrow. the so-called pineapple express, that flow of atmospheric moisture that stretches out clear from hawaii, is expected to deliver an enormous amount of precipitation. california, oregon, washington, part of idaho, montana, could all see several inches of rain from this.

with flooding and landslides a possibility. possible proof of life tonight from cuba. after months outside of the public eye, fidel castro wants the world to know, despite endless rumors to the contrary, he is very much alive. new photography emerged today showing the 88-year-old former cuban leader, the first time we've seen anything of him since august of last year. still ahead for us this evening, so-called three-parent babies. a closely watched decision today, what was once the stuff of science fiction, now very much a reality. and not everyone welcomes it. also in a day and age where it's really tough to shock people anymore, the huge surprise today that no one saw coming. 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

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♪ such a heavenly view ♪ ♪ it sglinchtsd that bends the mind as well as the established laws of nature one baby with three genetic parents. and while some call it playing god, those who support this in vitro technique say it can greatly increase the chance of having a healthy baby. it is not legal yet in any country, but it may come to the uk first. nbc's katy tur reports from london tonight on how it works and why parents might want it. >> reporter: at first glance little jessica holliday looks like any healthy, happy baby. but look closer and you'll find the 13-month-old struggles to jessica has a genetic disease that will prevent her from every walking or talking. and there is no cure.

>> when you're told that your daughter's going to die, it's really hard to take. and then for them to say, oh, by the way, any more children that you have would also have the disease. it leaves you with no hope for the future. >> reporter: but today uk lawmakers took the first step to give parents like the hollidays back that hope. while entering a brave new world of genetic science. >> so the ayes have it. >> reporter: moving through so-called three-parent babies to eliminate certain genetic mitochondrial diseases. mitochondria are the power source. when they're defective they don't fuel healthy development. they combine the mitochondria of a third party. a donor woman. the third parent involved is only giving their healthy mitochondria, which has no identifying characteristics? >> that would be correct. >> reporter: it may seem like a small step beyond in vitro fertilization, but experts say

it is a big step in our ability to manipulate life. >> today's step means we can take diseases 100% lethal and alter the course, so a husband and wife can have a healthy baby. >> reporter: detractors say this new step is a slippery slope that could lead to genetically customized designer babies. but for parents like vicky holliday -- >> there's no words. it's absolutely incredible. >> reporter: -- it's a new chance for a healthy child. katy tur, nbc news, london. we're back in a moment for news. for anyone who works out, coming to one particular exercise, it turns out less it more. it more. there's nothing more romantic than a spontaneous moment. so why pause to take a pill? and why stop what you're doing to find a bathroom? with cialis for daily use, you don't have to plan around either. it's the only daily tablet approved to treat erectile dysfunction so you can be ready anytime the moment is right. plus cialis treats the frustrating

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the great american novelist harper lee gave us a great american book, "to kill a mocking bird," and then she disappeared. she gave her last wide-ranging interview when jfk was president. she lived in relative seclusion ever since. reportedly now in fragile health at the age of 88. all the while and for all these years, book lovers and publishers alike wanted more. maybe just one more book, and soon we're going to get it. because it turns out harper lee wrote another novel. a manuscript that everyone thought was lost, including the author herself. we get the story tonight from our national correspondent, kate snow.

>> one book, the last few years, has been so warmly embraced -- >> reporter: for decades, a must-read, immortalized in the oscar-winning film. >> you never understand someone until you consider things from his point of view. >> reporter: "to kill a mocking bird" was harper lee's only book. now her publisher said they recently discovered another work. >> we devoured it. >> reporter: it's not a new book, but essentially a first draft written in the 1950s of what would become "to kill a mocking bird." >> it was submitted to her publisher in 1957 and she was then told to rewrite the book from the point of view of the young scout. >> reporter: scout is a grown woman, back from new york to visit her aging father in alabama. author and filmmaker mary mcdonough murphy said the 304-page manuscript was discovered in a bank safe deposit box. >> her sister died and in the course of cleaning out this

deposit box, lo and behold here is this manuscript attached to the original manuscript of "to kill a mocking bird." >> how do we know this is real? >> you can see it's written on a manual typewriter from the period. it has on the front of it the address where harper lee was living at the time in new york. if you read the book, more importantly, only harper lee could have written this novel. >> reporter: in a statement, lee said she passed the manuscript around to trusted friends to make sure it was worthy of publishing. writing, i am humbled and amazed that this will be published after all these years. >> it came out of the blue, a bolt out of the blue. and then we never heard from her again. so the fact that we get to hear from her now is really exciting. >> reporter: for a new generation of readers, a new ending to an iconic american story. kate snow, nbc news, new york. that is our broadcast on this tuesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we, of course, hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.

lights, camera, access. i'm watching like everyone else. >> a lot of crying, especially her close friends. >> she mentioned that she was a little depressed. >> everybody's hoping this little girl pulls out. >> piecing together the tragic puzzle. our exclusive new details on bobbi kristina's condition. i'm billy bush.