on our broadcast tonight, babies diagnosed with measles. this time near chicago, five of them all at the same day care facility. and this raises the issue of infants too young to be vaccinated. 80 million at risk as hackers infiltrate one of the largest insurance companies in america. making off with all the necessary tools for identity theft. tonight, who's been hit and the one thing to do right now. gathering storms from coast to coast. another major snow event for the cities still buried in the east. and out west warnings of an atmospheric river threatening major mudslides. and play it again, the disappearing act that's happening in too many american homes and the new push to bring back the music. "nightly news" begins now. from nbc news world

headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. good evening. five babies have been diagnosed in the suburban chicago area. all of them at one day care facility. it's part of this new measles outbreak that continues to grow. this news tonight about these five babies raises the issue of infants too young for vaccinations. this will no doubt prompt a lot of parents if they haven't already to check what the vaccination requirements are where their children are cared for. and it's where we begin tonight with nbc's hallie jackson. >> reporter: at this suburban chicago day care, five babies believed to be infected with measles, their parents powersless to stop it since the infants are too young for the vaccine. now a warning as many as ten other children may have been exposed to the virus and unvaccinated staff and kids are being asked to stay away for three weeks. >> there are likely to be more cases. so we shouldn't be surprised by that.

the cat's out of the bag. >> reporter: 4 million kids in the u.s. are in similar situations, not old enough for the vaccine. if exposed to the virus, nine in ten of those babies will get sick. that vulnerability is why this doctor is reminding her patients to bring kids in for the measles shot as soon as they turn a year old. >> we're calling them in to make sure they get vaccinated right away. >> reporter: doctors say the best way to protect the youngest among us is for all of us to get vaccinated. >> there's something called heard immunity where most of us who are healthy need to be vaccinated, and those most vulnerable in the society get the protection they deserve. >> reporter: but in 17 states preschool vaccination rates are below the 90% needed for heard immunity. some communities tighten up the laws which let parents opt out of immunizing their kids for personal reasons. like in california state leaders are now considering a bill to allow only medical

exemption. illinois lets parents skip the shot for medical or religious reasons, but not personal ones. still, that's a moot point for the parents of the infants infected here. nothing they could have done. and now nothing they can do but wait. the cdc says children can be vaccinated as young as 6 months old if they're traveling some place where there's a higher risk of measles, historically internationally. but those kids would need two more shots after they're a year old. brian. >> hallie jackson starting us off tonight. another big story, tens of millions of americans are at risk of identity theft again after this country's second largest health insurance company anthem insurance got hit by a massive electronic attack. the hackers made off with the necessary tools to do a whole lot of damage to a lot of people. worst of all it includes social security numbers. our justice correspondent pete williams following all the late developments on this front from our d.c. newsroom to want. pete, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. that's why this one is different

from the recent big hack attack at target and home depot. those went after credit cards and account numbers. this time the hackers were targeting the kind of personal information that can be used to steal someone's identity. anthem says the hackers struck last week targeting its massive database of 80 million current and former customers and employees. the company says it appears no medical information or credit card numbers were compromised, but it says a trove of personal data was stolen, names, social security numbers, birth dates, street and e-mail employment information. on a website set up for concerned customers, anthem's president joseph swedish says his information was compromised too. the company says it will send letters and e-mails to its affected customers in the 14 states where it operates. so far anthem says there's no sign its stolen data is being offered for sale. but a cyber security firm says there's already a demand for it on the internet's black market

like this offering to buy the anthem data dump or just e-mails. >> in most ways that this data will be used by the criminals there's almost no way to prevent a crime. it's all about discovering it and mitigating the damage. >> reporter: so what should anthem customers do? the company says it's offering free identity theft protection. as for social security numbers experts say getting a new number won't help and could make it harder to get credit. and you can't change your name, birth date, address or job history. instead, consumer experts like hotspotshield.com recommend contacting the credit reporting agencies and asking for a credit freeze, blocking any new accounts using your social security number until you want something. >> it only takes about five or ten minutes. you go online, you plug in some information and you can thaw your credit very easily so when you want a line of credit you have control over that. >> reporter: the experts also say check your credit card bill for charges you didn't make and be wary of e-mail offers, especially ones offering medical services. as for who's behind this, investigators say the early signs point to china.

brian. >> scary story. pete williams in our d.c. newsroom tonight. pete, thanks. for the first time today federal investigators were able to meet with the engineer of that commuter train that crashed into an suv north of new york city tuesday night. despite being stationed at the front of the train car, he survived this accident in which six people were killed including the driver of that suv, a 49-year-old mother of three. nbc's tom costello is at the medical center where the injured are being treated tonight. tom, good evening. >> reporter: hi, brian. we've got an unrelated medevac chopper coming in for a landing. but on the train accident we have five patients still here at the hospital, one in critical condition. meanwhile witnesses told the ntsb that seconds before the arm came down on ellen brody's car traffic was inching through the railroad intersection, the crossing.

working through the bitter cold, salvage crews were able to clear and repair the tracks of the burned out metro-north train. the blackened remains taken to a nearby maintenance yard where investigators spent the day looking for clues. also today for the first time the train engineer treated for smoke inhalation told investigators his story. that he slammed on the brakes as soon as he saw an suv inching on to the tracks, but the train was traveling at 58 miles per hour and there was little he could do. >> he went in and out of the train dragging people out. the train was engulfed in fire and smoke. he went in there risking his own life until he was overcome by smoke. >> reporter: the ntsb has also interviewed the driver behind ellen brody when the crossing arm came down on her car. is there a message here for drivers all across the country who come across crossing arms and guards all the time? >> once those arms come down, there's a minimum of 20 seconds before a train is going to enter that intersection. so if you are stuck, the conventional wisdom is abandon your vehicle. >> reporter: ellen brody was a jewelry designer, married with three daughters.

>> the whole community is devastated because she was a wonderful person. >> reporter: we now know the identities of all five men who died on the train. 69-year-old walter liedtke, a curator of european paintings at the metropolitan museum of art, 53-year-old eric vandercar who worked at a financial firm. 42-year-old joseph nadol and aditya tomar both worked at jp morgan. and robert dirks. >> all a father could ever want, a father and a mother. and having had him in my life for 36 years it was great absolutely great joy. >> reporter: meanwhile, the ntsb says this investigation could take months. but today they did also tell us that they are looking at the possibility and in fact they've now determined that not only were the railroad crossing signals working properly, but so was a traffic intersection light nearby. brian. >> what a tragedy.

tom costello, valhalla, new york for us tonight. tom, thanks. overseas search and recovery teams remain on the scene of that transasia airways crash in taiwan. eleven people are still missing, presumed dead after that twin engine turbo prop fell out of the sky minutes after takeoff in taipei clipping that highway overpass plunging into the river. the official death toll st at 32. 15 people survived that wreckage. the fury that isis has now awakened in the jordanian people is now blowing back on the terrorist group many times over. today, the jordanian military took to the skies to avenge the pilot that isis burned alive with isis targets today in their sights. our report tonight from our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell. >> reporter: today, jordan struck back, hard. dozens of f-16s hit isis weapons the gun camera video shown on jobook

page with patriotic music. a mission named modern operation after the slain pilot. slogans on their jets reading, we are beating them. the targets chosen by the u.s. coalition but handed off to jordan's pilots in deference to their tragedy. 21 american aircraft flew escort providing surveillance and refueling. the returning f-16s flew over the pilot's village as king abdullah embraced his father, pledging his son's death would not be in vain. as state tv and social media showed jordan's ground forces training. and the king, a veteran pilot, dressed for action. >> they have a first-rate military. there's no question about it. both ground forces and air power. they've got an excellent intelligence service and lots of friends in the middle east. >> reporter: the pilot's brother cheered by thousands. this student said it was the way

muath was killed being burned alive, considered anti-islamic that united the country to drive that home to prominent cleric jailed for criticizing the war against isis but today condemned nor the execution. jordan is fighting back but military experts say only america can really defeat isis. and today the white house said it will ask congress for new authority to fight the terror group but not the broad authority for boots on the ground that republicans have been demanding. brian. >> andrea mitchell in washington tonight. thanks. this crisis in ukraine has set off a diplomatic scramble by the u.s. and its allies including a visit to kiev today by secretary state kerry. with the cease-fire in tatters, eastern ukraine is now a war zone. fighters backed by russia are on the offensive and the u.s. may now arm ukraine's defenders raising fears of some sort of cold war-style proxy war in europe. nbc's bill neely is in kiev. >> reporter: this is a brutal winter war.

rebels equipped by russia taking ground and lives. ukraine's army seems powerless to stop them. they've overrun the biggest airports in eastern ukraine, or what's left of it. the fighting has killed hundreds in recent weeks, so many innocent civilians. five people killed here waiting for emergency food. into the storm secretary of state john kerry today embracing ukraine's leaders. but they want weapons, not just warmth from the u.s. because they say they're at war with russia. >> we are not fighting with so-called rebels or realists. we are fighting with the russian regular army. >> reporter: mr. kerry confirmed president obama is considering sending weapons to ukraine. >> we are not interested in a proxy war. our objective is to change russia's behavior. >> reporter: one year on from a revolution that began in this

square and ukraine is shattered. crimea has been absorbed into russia. eastern ukraine is in the grip of a war that's cost 5,000 lives, a war diplomacy is failing to stop. the talking goes on tomorrow as president putin meets european leaders, but the rebels he backs aren't listening. their offensive, relentless. bill neely, nbc news, kiev. pope francis will address congress during his visit to the u.s. in september according to house speaker john boehner. confirmation came just today just as we received further confirmation that this pope communicates like a man of his times. he participated in a google hangout on the web and took questions in a global chat format. he called himself a dinosaur on the computer. says he doesn't know how to download pictures. he does not own an electronic tablet. about kids, he said what matters is not winning. the important thing is to play

and be with friends. and he said there's a treasure chest inside every child. he urged children not to hide the treasure they have but to share it with the wider world. still ahead for us tonight, millions bracing again, if you can believe it, another major snow event from the midwest to the east. warnings of potentially catastrophic rain out west. al roker in the studio with us when we come back. also, a surprising sign of our times. what a lot of teenagers say they're doing and not doing as they leave the nest for the first time. they leave the nest for the first time. we live in a pick and choose world. (hi!) choose (hello!) choose choose. but at bedtime? ...why settle for this? enter sleep number and the ultimate sleep number event, going on now. sleepiq technology tells you how well you slept and what adjustments you can make. you like the bed soft. he's more hardcore. so your sleep goes from good to great to wow! now we can all choose amazing sleep, only at a sleep number store. right now save 50% on the ultimate limited edition bed. know better sleep with sleep number.

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a new weather threat on the horizon tonight for the midwest and the northeast. upwards of 18 more inches on the way for some, while on the west coast this so-called pineapple express is bringing heavy rain that won't quit for days on end. it's enough weather in the news to justify asking al roker to work late and join us in the studio. al, what have you done to us now? >> i'm telling you, brian, i wish i had better news. they need the rain out west, but it's all this coming at once. the hawaiian express, all this moisture starting in hawaii, coming up heavy rain tonight into the weekend, upwards of a foot. that means we're going to be talking about the possibility of mudslides, flooding, one slog of moisture after another continuing to push in. we put in totals for the next 72 hours some areas as much as a foot of rain, and that's a big problem. we also have high pressure dominating.

we're looking bitterly cold air coming in to the northeast. 1 below, 7 new york city, 9 below in albany. factor in the winds feels like 4 below, 14 below in albany. 16 below in boston. here comes the cold air in place, low pressure sliding across from sunday into monday. and look at some of these snowfall totals already where they've got 42 inches on the ground in boston, they may pick up another foot to a foot and a half. new york city may also, brian, be in that same bullseye. >> oh, my goodness. al roker here in the studio. thanks, buddy. keep calm and carry on. back in a moment with the beginning of the end tonight for hallowed ground home to so many memorable events. hallowed ground home to so many memorable events. 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,

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they started tearing the old place down this week. the neighbors don't want a big implosion for the plume it would kick up, so it's being taken apart piece by piece with excavators starting with the seats. a lot of kids saw their first game, the seats that shook in earthquakes, the seats that were filled by giants over the years. when we come back, the sound that's disappearing from homes across our country. "nbc nightly news" is brought to you by pacific life. for insurance, annuities and mutual funds, choose pacific life. the power to help you succeed. pacific life. the power to help you succeed. g your vision for the future to life. for more than 145 years, pacific life has been helping families achieve life-long financial security with innovative tools and strategies. talk to a financial advisor to protect your family and plan today. pacific life. the power to help you succeed. pacific life proudly presents "humpback

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help promote heart health. experience the meta effect with our multi-health wellness line. ♪ ♪ there was a time in this there was a time in this country when living rooms were filled with piano music. if you were lucky enough to have one or know someone who did, it was the home entertainment center before there was anything that plugged into the wall. but that era has been slowly coming to an end. our story tonight is about one family piano business trying to keep the music alive. we get the story from nbc's harry smith. >> reporter: if you live anywhere near charleston, and you want to buy a piano, fox

music store is the place to go. in fact, it's the only place to go. you have eight stores and eight competitors? >> in just charleston. >> reporter: man. and they're all gone. >> every one of them. >> reporter: charles' grandfather started this business in the depression. even in those difficult days people still found a way to afford a piano. but times have changed a lot. i downloaded this yesterday. >> for next to nothing. >> reporter: pianos are big investment, and fewer parents are insisting their kids play. plus, it's not exactly easy. lorraine white has been playing and teaching for decades. >> i always tell kids if you want to learn something, you've got to have a passion for it. if you get that passion for it, you're going to stick with it. >> reporter: oscar rivers knows. sunday mornings at charleston's historic morris brown church the

music is heavenly, but you've got to work like the devil if you want to be good. >> this piano's very difficult. and for some reason i have cried, i have prayed over this instrument, yeah. i'm telling you. >> it's a great way to interact with customers. >> reporter: back at the store charles's son joseph has been using social media to bring in new customers. >> we've never heard someone say i regret they always say, man, i wish i would have stuck with it. >> reporter: and because local schools have beefed up their commitments to the arts, the foxes still see a future in the piano business. can you play a little bit? and let's be honest, whenever you hear someone play the piano like this you wish you could play too. harry smith, nbc news, charleston. >> that's nice. that's our broadcast on a thursday 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.

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lights, camera, access. has bobbi kristina really been taken off life support? i'm billy bush. we have the first words from bobby on his daughter's situation. >> then -- >> i don't think i'll ever be