anne thompson, nbc news, new york.

nbc's anne thompson reports. >> reporter: nature's fireworks. severe thunderstorms and funnel clouds rattling residents from the midwest to the east. >> power lines are going down. >> reporter: power poles no match last night for the powerful super cell spawning six tornadoes in illinois. cole city 60 miles west of chicago, took a zrektdirect hit from an ef3 tornado. >> i heard cracking because i have posts, a screened-in porch in the back. and those posts, three of them broke off. >> reporter: the damage revealed today. hopes wiped from their foundations by peak winds of 160 miles per hour. my colleague kevin tibbles. >> people here in cole city saw the ominous skies overhead heard the warnings and head for the basement. the authorities here are saying that is undoubtedly what saved lives. >> reporter: patricia clemens hid in her bathroom. >> it seemed like it lasted forever. the wind and everything. >> reporter: in portland michigan -- >> 911, where's your emergency? >> we're at the goodwill in portland and the store just fully got destroyed.

ann thompson, nbc news, new york. >>> shark watch, tracking great whites while keeping swimmers safe.>> a spectacular sunrise at britain's stonehenge this morning where more than 20,000 people gathered. a festival that dates back thousands of years. it celebrating the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. >>> if you're afraid of sharks, this next story might not be forlife guards have begun using drones to track sharks near a popular beach. just last week, more than ten young great whites were spotted off the coast. each was five to six feet long. officials say they weren't dangerous. it's hoped this new technology will monitor bigger sharks that could pose a bigger threat. >>> it's usually hard enough for one person to stand on a surfboard, let alone, 66 of them. that's exactly what happened in huntington beach, california yesterday. some of the world's top surfers rode a 42-foot board to shore, breaking the world record for the most people riding a surfboard at once. >>> up next, from surfing to kite boarding. why some of the top minds in business are turning to extrem

we get details from anne thompson. >> reporter: more evidence the prescription sleep aids you take at night may cause you trouble behind the wheel. a new study from the university of washington finds three sedatives nearly double the risk of vehicle accidents among new users. dr. ryan hanson is the lead author and pharmacist. he looked at three popular pills prescribed for sleep, restoril, ambien and desyrel. restoril increases the risk 27% and desyrel 91% and ambien at 120%. >> they increase your risk because they impair your judgment and reaction time. >> reporter: kerry kennedy, daughter of robert kennedy, hit a tractor trailer in july of 2012 after mistakenly taking an ambien. >> i want to apologize to the driver of the truck who i apparently hit. >> reporter: she was found not guilty of impaired driving. the study also finds the risk of accidents increases over time, and can last up to a year after you start taking the drugs. >> it's not just a risk to them if they are out driving, but it's also to each and every one of us out on the road. >> reporter: this problem led the fda tw

nbc's ann thompson has more. >> reporter: married for three decades, the life they built together was threatened when donna was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013. >> a different vision. very skinny with no hair going through chemo. >> what was it about losing her hair that you viewed? >> voila! >> that is an incredible head of hair. the cancer was curable and treatable. but chemotherapy was unavoidable for this connecticut mother of four. >> i was really scouring books, and the internet trying to learn as much as i could about what she might face. >> reporter: two musicians in europe darrell learned about scalp systems not cleared for the use in the u.s. he found a clinical trial for one called digni cap. >> i wrote a letter to several of the doctors conducting them. >> a wonderful letter. >> donna has a head full of beautiful thick hair. a unique feature that is a shock of whiteness creating a halo for her young face. >> reporter: donna bought in. she was treated at a new york hospital, one of five across the country participating in the trial led by dr. hope. her goal? to give ba

anne thompson, nbc news, washington. >>> politics now. and give this to donald trump. the man knows how to make an impression. he's been a presidential candidate for little more than a day, and he's managed to dominate the political conversation in ways his rivals have not, though time will tell if that's a good thing. we get more tonight from nbc political news director chuck todd. >> reporter: on the one hand he's a late-night joke. >> for a half an hour the most beautifully ridiculous jibber jabber. >> reporter: on the other hand he's the skunk at party. how does the republican party handle a political streaker who knows how to get attention? >> isis is building a hotel. can you believe they're in the hotel business? they're competing with me. >> reporter: in just 24 hours donald trump has generated more facebook buzz than any other republican. he's gotten into a spat with a new york tabloid. and singer neil young fired back at trump, saying he wasn't authorized to use "rockin' in the free world" during his announcement. trump made it clear he has no intention of ab

anne thompson, nbc news, new york. >>> there's a lot more to tell you about here tonight. still ahead, sleepless in america. the habit so many americans just can't seem to break. phones and tablet's in bed. those glowing screens keeping us up all night. what doctors say you should do if you just can't turn them off. >>> and later, a little boy with big moves and a big fan base even though he can't hear them cheering on him. how he and his teammates developed a winning game plan, coming up. >>> tonight we begin a special series we're calling "sleepless in america," and here's an eye opener. the cdc has called lack of sleep a public health epidemic, and most sleep experts say all our digital devices we're taking into the bedroom are taking a toll on getting a good night's rest. nbc's hallie jackson now on kicking the habit. >> reporter: at 10:00 p.m. bedtime's just beginning for danny fulton. tonight like every night he turns to his tablet, then his phone, some tv and the phone again. >> you watch 1:00 a.m. go and then 2:00 a.m. go and then 3:00 a.m. >> reporter: scrolling a

nbc's anne thompson has their story. >> reporter: 32-year-old megan morgan is fiercely independent. how hard is to ask for help? >> i can't do it. >> reporter: but this single mom has no choice. her 13-month-old son, henry, has inoperable neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer. >> i have like just started using the "c" word. it's hard to -- your little guy his cancer. >> reporter: megan, who runs a dog-walking business, has been here for two weeks. the bill for the room alone is already $40,000. she is one of an estimated 45 million americans with a high deductible insurance plan. $5,000 that must be paid first. can you cover that $5,000? >> oh, goodness no. i mean, it is just henry and i. so we are -- a precarious financial situation like in a good month. >> reporter: megan's cousin christy is scared, too, and wants to help. >> it's hard because i can't fix it. just like she can't fix henry. >> reporter: so she's crowdfunding, raising money on the internet. the pack family is doing it, too. 9-year-old wes has the same kind of cancer as henry. he relapsed and has to travel from virgin

nbc's anne thompson has more on that. >> reporter: the derecho stormed across the northern plains today. as this time lapse video shows, it brought heavy rains to cedar falls, iowa, sent this tree through brock burmeister's home in southern minnesota, pinning the teen to the floor. >> i was pretty shook up at the time. and kind of looked like -- sounded like a bad dream. >> reporter: a close call in portland, michigan. people trapped inside the goodwill store where a possible tornado touched down. >> i had a huge beam miss me by just -- >> most of the damage today was from what we call a derecho. that's a long-lived wind storm that puts down a swath of damage at least 250 miles. >> reporter: it produced hurricane-like wind gusts. 72 miles per hour in sioux falls, south dakota. 95 in sheldon, iowa. and an astounding 122 miles per hour in hayes, south dakota. as the storms pushed east, in its wake a trail of destruction. and it's not over yet. >> we could have tornadoes in wisconsin and iowa tonight. that will head east through chicago, detroit, cleveland overnight, reform along the east

anne thompson nbc news manchester new hampshire. >>> when we come back a nobel scientist in hot when a moment spontaneously turns romantic why pause to take a pill? and why stop what you're doing to find a bathroom? cialis for daily use, is the only daily tablet approved to treat erectile dysfunction so you can be ready anytime the moment is right. plus cialis treats the frustrating urinary symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently, day or night. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision or any symptoms of an allergic reaction stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use. insurance c

here is our anne thompson. >> reporter: the u.s. paralympic track & field championships are just under two weeks away. paul peterson is already a winner. >> it's hot out here. i'm running fast. >> reporter: training on a new blade. >> feels really good to be back running on my new leg and i'm enjoying every bit of it. >> reporter: the 22-year-old plans to compete in the long jump, 100 and 200 meters, and a relay were temporarily sidelined after thieves ransacked his charlotte, north carolina, apartment last week. >> everything of mine they just took it. >> reporter: stealing his three competition blades, 20 medals, but never getting close to taking his desire. >> i'm not going to stop. i'm going to keep going. and that's just how i am. these guys out there, they're not hurting me at all. >> reporter: determination now fueled by an unexpected show of support. 600 donors raised more than $32,000 in four days on go fund me. the page started by the man who makes peterson's prosthetics. >> it's been really an eye-opening experience for m

anne thompson nbc news new york. >>> there's a lot more to tell you about tonight. still ahead, sleepless in america. the habit so many americans just can't seem to break. phones and tablets in bed. those glowing screens keeping us up all night. what doctors say you should do if you just can't turn them off. >>> and later, a little boy with big moves and a big fan base even though he can't hear them cheering on him. how he and his when heartburn comes 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. i'm caridee. i've had moderate to severe plaque psoriasis most of my life. but that hasn't stopped me from modeling. my doctor told me about stelara® it helps keep my skin clearer. with only 4 doses a year after 2 starter doses... ...stelara® helps me be in season. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and increase your risk of infections. some serious infections require h

here's nbc's anne thompson. >> reporter: the ticker tape is the daily challenge of managing 15 medications. the 72-year-old used to use pill boxes. >> this one has three pills in each day. so i go, one, two, three. >> reporter: it took time. and like many people, he made mistakes. >> being medically compromised is one thing. but being medically compromised with excess anxiety is a lot worse. >> reporter: enter 29-year-old pharmacist, with an idea to up end the pharmacy business. it is called pill pack. packaging medications by the day and time you need them. >> we get in contact with your doctor, we contact them directly. you don't have to do anything except sign up online. >> reporter: orders are put together in this manchester, new hampshire factory. what is this machine? >> this is where we actually manufacture the pill packs. >> and this is it? >> that is it. that replaces the cumbersome pill packs. >> reporter: the 2-year-old business has shipped more than one million pill packs this year. >> reporter: why hasn't anyone come up with this before? it seems so simple. >> the core concept

nbc's anne thompson shares her story. >>> i win! >> reporter: lauren bowman's laugh masks the growing anger about the price of her life. >> without this we die. our family are left because we couldn't afford a pill. >> reporter: the pill good evening eco gleevec helps manage or myeloid leukemia. a single dose keeps her alive. even after her insurance kick in, lauren's monthly co-pay can run as high as $2, 200. twice the average mortgage payment. it's helped drive lauren into bankruptcy though she has a full-time job. now she's packing up her condo and moving back in with her mom. >> on days i feel like i can't go on anymore, all i have to do is look at her. she's my reason. minneapolis gleevec is a nearly $5 million a year drug for novartis triple from the 2001 debut. from $2,600 a month to $9,200 today even though the drug has not changed. >> that's not inflation, right. that's happened as they've recouped their investment in the drug many, many time over. >> reporter: memorial sloan ketter's dr. peter bach says the u.s. cancer dru

anne thompson, nbc news, portland, maine. >>> we're back in a moment. surprise broadway show in the unlikeliest of places. ♪ super poligrip seals out more food particles. so your food won't get stuck and you can enjoy every single bite. eat loud, live loud, super poligrip. super poligrip holds your dentures tightly in place so you never have to hold back. laugh loud, live loud, super poligrip. meet the world's newest energy superpower. surprised? in fact, america is now the world's number one natural gas producer... and we could soon become number one in oil. because hydraulic fracturing technology is safely recovering lots more oil and natural gas. supporting millions of new jobs. billions in tax revenue... and a new century of american energy security. the new energy superpower? it's red, white and blue. log on to learn more. why am i so awake? did you know your brain has a wake system... and a sleep system? science suggests when you have insomnia, the neurotransmitters in your wake system may be too strong, which may be preventing you from getting th

anne thompson nbc news new york. >>> there is alarming news this evening about an alleged isis-inspired plot to attack the u.s. a 19-year-old from north carolina justin sullivan is in fbi custody accused of plotting a terrorist act "on behalf of isis." he allegedly told an undercover operative that he wanted to kill as many as 1,000 people either with a large car bomb or chemical weapons. sullivan's own father tipped off authorities about his son. >>> moving now from the threat of isis at home to the battle against isis overseas. tonight we have a ground-level view in iraq with the forces on the march to try and take that territory from isis. here's the rub. they're not american or iraqi troops but rather militias trained by iran who in a twist now find themselves fighting the same enemy as the u.s. nbc's bill neilly is on the front lines on the way to ramadi. >> reporter: on the road from baghdad it's not long before the signs of battle appear. smoke from the isis front line. religious fighters armed by iran. we're with a shia militia that's pushing isis back in anbar province where a

ann thompson explains. >> reporter: ddt, once hailed as the miracle pesticide. >> today's target for5 in rockford illinois. a peace time mission to spread 500 gallons of ddt. >> sprayed on crops, trees, even inside houses in the '50s and '60s, ddt has long been suspect in breast cancer. something scientists have made unconvincingly until now. pregnant women with high levels of ddt in their blood were four times higher to get breast cancer. before they were even born ddt increased the daughter's risk. >> it isn't simply the change of level of hormones but changes the tissue of the breast itself. the cells that eventually can be the source of cancer. >> the research was done using blood samples more than 50 years old. collected from pregnant women in the oakland, california area between 1959 and '67. 9300 had daughters. one isseny singleton's mom, bernice. both had breast cancer but not the genetic mutation with the disease. >> it left me with questiones about, why me. >> until the doctor called and asked jenny about her breast cancer. now there is another possibility. >> it is an inte

anne thompson, manchester, new hampshire. >>> after ten years a local mom still looking for justice for her son's murder. how she's keeping a promise she made to him on the weekend that would have been his 30th birthday. >>> an airline industry group is recommending that airlines stop allowing big carry on items. what officials are doing on your behalf. >>> heat and humidity, it's still out there as we look live. amelia segal letting out to the storm team 4 weather center. she'll let us know how it feels . >>> getting a look at the top stories. a man is charged with the murder of an ice cream truck driver. larnell lyles was arrested this morning. brandon brown died a it will scene. >>> right now, zoo animals are on the loose in the country of georgia after this flood destroyed enclosures at the capital city zoo. animals like the hippo tigers, lions, everyone got out of their cages overnight. eight people were killed by the flooding including three zookeepers. >>> the party continues in the district today as capital pride celebrates 40 years. the theme this year -- flash back. still lots

ann thompson explains. >> reporter: ddt, one hailed as the miracle pesticide. >> today's target for this b-25 is rockford illinois a peacetime mission to spread 500 gallons of ddt. >> sprays in the '50s and '60s, it's long been a suspect in the risk of breast cancer a connection scientists haven't been able to make convincingly until now. a new study shows that the daughters of pregnant women with high levels of ddt in their blood were four times more likely to get breast cancer. the doctor who led the study says before they were even born ddt increased the daughter's risk. >> it isn't simply it changes the level, but changes the tissue of the breast itself the cells that eventually can be the source of cancer. >> it was done using blood samples more than 50 years old, from oakland california from 1959 and '67. 9300 had daughters. one is jenny singleton's moment byrne niece. both had breast cancer but not genetic mutation. >> it left me with questions about why me. >> until the doctor called and asked about her breast cancer. now there is another possibility. >> it's an interesting assoc

ann thompson has the late breaking details on this. >> good morning.rch for richard matt and david sweat is 350 miles southwest. the clinton correctional facility. >> it seemed there was as many police as people. someone in the the town of 2,000 phoned in a tip. they saw people matching the description of the escapees. spotted on railroad tracks that run along route 20. county and state police responding quickly blocking off roads, having drivers open their trunks. up above choppers helped search for the two convicted killers. friendship is in allegheny county where last weekend there were two other possible sightings of the men. one in erwin walking along a rail yard and one heading to the pennsylvania border. >> you can easily walk through. some of the back roads lead into pennsylvania from there. >> it comes two weeks after matt and sweat cut their way out of the maximum security prison and escaped through steam pipes. the two are now on the u.s. martial's most wanted list. >> they cast a wider net around the world. we're reaching in areas that are

here's nbc's ann thompson. >> today's target for this b-25 is rock ford illinois. peacetime mission to spread 500 gallons of ddt. >> liberally sprayed on crops trees, even inside houses ddt has long been a suspect in the risk of breast cancer. a connection scientists have been unable to make convincingly until now. a new study shows that the daughters of pregnant women with ddt in their blood were four times more likely to get breast cancer. they say before they were even born ddt increased the daughter's risk. >> it isn't just simply that it changes the level of hormones, but it changes the tissue of the breast itself. >> the research was done using blood samples more than 50 years old collected from pregnant women in the oakland, california area between 1959 and '67. 9,300 had daughters. one is jenny singleton's mom. both had breast cancer but not the genetic mutation for the disease. >> it left me with questions about why me. >> until the doctor called and asked jenny about her breast cancer. >> it's an interesting association and it could be a key to unlocking

nbc's anne thompson reports. >> reporter: this ticker tape of pill packages is the daily challenge ofaging 15 medications. the 72-year-old used to use pill boxes. >> this one has three pills in each day, so i'd go one, two, three. >> reporter: it took time and he made mistakes. >> being medically compromised is one thing. but being medically compromised with excess anxiety is a lot worse. >> reporter: enter 29-year-old t.j. parker, son of a pharmacist with an idea to up end the pharmacist business. it's packaging medicines by the day and the time you take them. >> we transfer the meds for you. we need to get in contact with your doctor, we call them directly. >> orders are put together in this factory. what's this machine for? >> so this machine is where we manufacture the pill packs. >> reporter: and this is it, huh? >> that's it. that replaces those old cumbersome pill boxes with something much simpler. >> reporter: for quality control, every package is reviewed by a pharmacist before it is sent out. the 2-year-old business has shipped more than 1 million pill packs so far. why hasn

nbc's ann thompson reports. >> reporter: once hailed as the miracle pesticide. >> today's target fors rockford illinois. a peace-time mission to spread 500 gallons of bdt. >> reporter: sprayed even inside the houses in the 50s and 60s, it's been a suspect in the risk of breast cancer. a connection scientists have been unable to make convincingly until now. a new study shows the daughters of pregnant women with high levels of ddt in their blood were four-times more likely to get breast cancer. dr. barbara, who led the study, says before they were even born ddt increased the daughter's risk. >> it isn't just simply that it changes the level of hormones, but it changes the tissue of the breast itself. the cells that eventually can be the source of cancer. >> reporter: the research was done using blood samples more than 50 years old. collected from pregnant women in the oakland, california area, between 1959 and '67. 9300 had daughters. one is jennie singleton's mom, bernice bernice. both had breast cancer but not the mutation for the disease. >> it left me with questions like, why me? >

here is ann thompson. >> i win. >> reporter: her laugh masks growing anger about the price of her life. >> without this pill we die. our families are left because we couldn't afford a pill. >> reporter: the pill helps manage her chronic myeloid leukemia. even after her insurance kicks in the monthly co-pay can run as high as $2,200 twice the average mortgage payment. now she is packing up her condo and moving back in with her mom. >> on days i feel like i can't go on anymore all i have to do is look at her and she is my reason. >> reporter: it is a nearly $5 billion a year drug for navartis nearly tripling to $9,200 a month today even though the drug has not changed. >> that's not inflation. that has happened as they recoup their investment in the drug many times over. >> reporter: dr. peter balk says the drug market is completely broken. >> what is it that drives prices of cancer prices? >> companies set the prices as high as they think they can get away with. they say it is the cost of research but there is no evidence of that. >> reporter: in the last five years there have been at l

as nbc's anne thompson reports a new process of dispensing the drugs is helping eliminate some of the> reporter: this ticker tape of pill packages is fred's daily challenge of managing 15 medications. he used to use pill boxes. >> this one has three pills in each day so i go one, two, three. >> reporter: he took time and like many people he made mistakes. >> being medically compromised is one thing, but being medically compromised with excess anxiety is a lot worse. >> reporter: enter 29-year-old t.j. parker. son of a pharmacist with an idea to up-end the pharmacy business. it's called pill packs. packaging medicines by the day and time you take them. >> we transfer the meds for you. need to get in contact with your doctor, we call them directly. you don't have to do anything just signing up online. >> reporter: orders are put together in this manchester, new hampshire, factory. what's this machine for? >> this machine is where we manufacture the pill packs. >> reporter: and this is it huh? >> that is it. that replaces those old cumbersome pill boxes with something much simpler. >> re

. >> this is emily thompson octavia thompson richard thompson stella thompson who is graduating, used to cry and ann marie thompson. >> reporter: jackie thompson and her five surviving sextuplets took the world by storm on may 8, 1997. >> and i first had my kids, i wasn't getting no support. >> reporter: the family made history, the thompsons were the first blacks in d.c. to have sextuplets. >> i remember it like it were yesterday, i have always been really fascinated by twins and triplets. >> reporter: the real story, the disparity of public and private support the thompsons got in comparison with the white family in a similar position help came from the most unlikely of places. jessica, a 16-year-old from pennsylvania. >> when i read the newspaper article and i saw this two families in a similar situation were being treated so differently because of the color of their skip. >> reporter: she rallied her classmates, strollers, diapers, a van. when media got wind, more attention. howard university offered scholarships when they reached college. >> allowed me to attend. they, like what? >> they are re

. >> ann thompson with the latest thank you, ann. >>> perhaps the most controversial president in modernls the life and legacy of richard nixon. i'll speak with the author next. nobody told us to expect it... intercourse that's painful due to menopausal changes it's not likely to go away on its own. so let's do something about it. premarin vaginal cream can help it provides estrogens to help rebuild vaginal tissue and make intercourse more comfortable. premarin vaginal cream treats vaginal changes due to menopause and moderate-to-severe painful intercourse caused by these changes. don't use it if you've had unusual bleeding breast or uterine cancer blood clots, liver problems, stroke or heart attack, are allergic to any of its ingredients or think you're pregnant. side effects may include headache pelvic pain, breast pain vaginal bleeding and vaginitis. estrogens may increase your chances of getting cancer of the uterus, strokes, blood clots or dementia so use it for the shortest time based on goals and risks. estrogen should not be used to prevent heart disease heart attack, stroke or d

nbc's ann thompson is here with more on tiger's troubles.porter: good morning, craig. it's really tough to watch tiger woods these days because his a game is m.i.a. seemingly unbeatable especially at a major, the question is no longer how many majors will tiger win, but will he ever win another one again? once the best kbofl golf -- golfer in the world, this week tiger woods looked all too human. >> down for the count. >> reporter: for just the second time in his career, woods missed the cut at the u.s. open. >> i made nothing today. >> reporter: far from a highlight reel, this was two days of bloopers. woods carded an 80 in his opening round including this shot on the eighth hole. memorable for all the wrong reasons. friday was a little better. he was plus-6 ending the tournament 16 shots over par at the bottom of the leaderboard. >> he's broken down physically and i think that's compromised him mentally and right now, standing over a shot i don't think he has near the confidence he ever did before that it's going to -- that he's going to h