slightly cooler then back up. >> you will still have mail just no the the instant messenger. >> lester holt next with nightly news. breaking news tonight, state of emergency. they're bracing for impact from new orleans to biloxi to pensacola. it could hit as a hurricane. >> did any one else know about the plot to kill in las vegas. new developments in the investigation. police not convinced that the attacker kept it to himself. >> birth control battle. the trump administration rolls back obama era rules, allowing more employers to opt out of paying for contraception coverage. shock waves, rippling across hollywood and new fallout for a powerful movie mogul facing a storm of accusations of sexual misconduct including from a major star. >> and song and a prayer.

lin manuel miranda leads an all-star tribute for pouerto rico. "nbc nightly news" begins right now. good evening to our viewers in the west. thank you for being with us. late today, the gulf coast braces for another possible hurricane. this one is called nate. tropical storm now, threatening to build to hurricane strength before hitting the gulf coast this weekend. posing a major flood danger after leaving nearly two dozen dead across central america. hurricane and tropical storm warnings are posted to night from louisiana to the florida panhandle. our kerry sanders has the latest. >> reporter: nate hit central america as a weak tropical storm, but the impact powerful.

in heart-hit nicaragua, up to 15-inch else of rain turns roads like this into rivers. this woman said the storm has left so many children crying, they're hungry and thirsty. in mountainous costa rica major mudslides and wide-spread power outages. thousands now homeless. at least 22 dead, among them two kids swept away in fast-rising waters. hurricane warning now in place for parts of louisiana, mississippi and alabama. in new orleans, a race to sandbag tonight. residents here not worried so much about the levy system giving way as happened 12 years ago during katrina, rather fears the city's crippled pumping system will fail. >> it was recently tested, you know. the system itself, it just didn't hold. >> reporter: in august 17th critical pumps in the city lost power. only eight inches of rain turning into a calamity. >> i want to be really clear. we have sufficient pumps power and manpower to handle this threat if the rain totals remain as forecast and the

intensity is directed. >> reporter: all attention is now on those pumps like the one over my shoulder here with the expectation that nate will become a hurricane. as you noted at the top here, lester, the mayor of new orleans has issued mandatory evacuations for certain parts of the die. >> kerry sanders tonight. thank you and let's turn to al roker with the latest forecast track which has shifted slightly since last night, and whether it hits as a tropical storm or category 1 hurricane doesn't make a lot of difference to folks along the gulf coast after what they've seen this storm season. >> absolutely right, lester. the track has shifted a little to the west. right now 80 miles east of cozumel, mexico, 60-mile-per-hour winds. we're talking a movement of north/northwest, booking at 21 miles an hour. at this point it is about 200 miles away from new orleans, saturday at 1:00 p.m. 70-mile per hour winds. it makes landfall about 1:00 a.m. and continues to move rather rapidly, about 140 miles of that cone of uncertainty, and

moves very quickly out to sea. however, here is what we look for. hurricane warning right now from louisiana all the way to about the pensacola/mobile, alabama area. heavy rain, flash flooding, tropical force winds. look at the storm surge, louisiana, four to six feet, four to six for pensacola, florida. we have to watch this and wait because a track change of 50 miles can make a big difference. >> al roker, thank you. new developments for the mass shooting in las vegas. investigators emphasizing late today they don't believe there was a second shooter, but a lot of questions remained about who else may have known about this plot. meanwhile, all 58 victims killed have now been identified. we'll get the latest from nbc's miguel almaguer. >> reporter: replacing the windows where steven paddock unleashed the murder, the nightmare. investigators have new scoured multiple crime scenes, the hotel, the concert turned killing field and the homes where he lived. >> what can you tell

us about motive? i don't have an answer for motive. he its the only shooter, i'm confident he was the only person involved and the only person in the room. but did anybody else know what he was planning and why? that is the main focus of our investigation today. >> reporter: irs records show paddock earned at least $5 million gambling in 2015. two sources say the gunman bought some ammo from a recent gun show in phoenix. and sought to purchase tracer rounds, bullets that leave a visible trail in the dark. shot four times, samantha feranda was able to go home today. >> i'm grateful i didn't have to completely say goodbye to all of the people that i love. >> reporter: what happened in vegas is being felt nationwide. today in chicago and austin, stepped-up

security as thousands gather for concerts and baseball games. tonight we now know the names of all 58 victims, 30 with ties to southern california. the youngest just 20. bailey schweitzer, the oldest, 67-year old pati mestas, loved life and her eight grandchildren. ♪ >> reporter: las vegas police officer charleston hartfield served 16 years in the military, dying on a battlefield at home in the city he loved. ♪ amazing grace >> reporter: tonight growing memorials in las vegas as 58 families begin to plan funerals. >> reporter: as investigators pour over the crime scene behind me they say they are confident the gunman acted alone. what they're uncertain about is after months, possibly even years of meticulous planning, how could no one else know about the murderous plan? lester. >> miguel almaguer in

las vegas tonight. thank you. we're learning of another plot to attack concert venues in other crowded areas such as times square here in new york city. federal prosecutors say three men were arrested for the isis-inspired plan that was broken up thanks in part to an undercover fbi agent. nbc justice correspondent pete williams is following that. pete, good evening. >> reporter: lester, prosecutors say that the discovery of this plot inspired by isis was kept secret until tonight because the fbi wanted to find out if others were involved. court documents say three men from canada, pakistan and the philippines planned to set off bombs in times square and shoot at people attending concerts around the city. they talked about the 2015 attacks in france at the bataclan theater and said, "we just walk in with guns in our hands, that's how the paris guys did it." they also talked about setting off bombs in the crowded new york subway and identified which lines they would focus on.

this plot was actually broken up in may of 2016. prosecutors say when the men were discovered communicating about terrorism an fbi undercover agent soon joined in and the three were under close surveillance. one has now pleaded guilty, the other two are under arrest. lester. >> pete williams in our washington newsroom. thank you, pete tonight, a new turn in the battle over birth control and religious freedoms in washington. the trump administration is rolling back obama era rules and allowing more employers to opt out of paying for contraception coverage. an announcement that has women's health advocates vowing to fight back. our chief white house correspondent hallie jackson has details. >> reporter: tonight it is getting harder for some women to get birth control through their insurance after a sweeping change by the trump administration that will let more employers opt out of a requirement to pay for contraceptive coverage. the new rule now allows more businesses who don't want to subsidize birth control for employees

to ask for exemptions for moral or religious reasons, not just religious organizations but businesses of all sizes, schools and universities, and nonprofits, too. the decision today celebrated by religious liberties advocates. >> what it does do is create a narrow and targeted exemption for those who cannot in good conscience provide this as part of their health care plan. >> reporter: president trump fulfilling a campaign pledge. >> the first priority of my administration will be to preserve and protect our religious liberty. >> reporter: his administration says the new exemptions might only apply to 200 companies and will not affect the vast majority of women, but that's only based on groups that so far have sued the government to be able

to opt out of obamacare's contraceptive requirement. what's unknown is who else might ask for exemptions. advocates for broader access to birth control describe this as a setback with the aclu already announcing a lawsuit. >> what this rule does is put that coverage in jeopardy because it puts control in their boss's hands as to whether they have access to birth control coverage that is currently guaranteed. >> reporter: as for timing, the new rule goes into effect immediately. lester. >> hallie jackson at the white house. thanks now to the cryptic comment from president trump that is rippling across washington tonight. surrounded by military leaders and their spouses, the president told reporters that they might be seeing "the calm before the storm," a remark that prompted many to ask was he referring to something specific. the white house isn't saying. nbc's peter alexander has more. >> thank you very much, everybody. >> reporter: from the oval office tonight president trump with a wink and a tease. >> thank you very much. you'll find out. >> reporter: revealing no new details about the meaning of this cryptic comment during

a reception with military leaders and their spouses thursday night. >> you guys know what this represents? >> tell us, sir. >> maybe it is the calm before the storm. >> what's the storm? >> could be the calm, the calm before the storm. >> what storm, mr. president? >> you'll find out. >> reporter: what's he talking about? the white house insisting president trump never tips his hand. >> we're never going to say in advance what the president is going to do. >> reporter: it is unclear whether the president was just toying around, deflecting from the political storm and hoping his administration or previewing some new action. tonight multiple u.s. officials telling nbc news president trump will likely announce next week he won't certify iran is complying with the nuclear deal, a move that could lead to new sanctions. his press secretary, unprompted, also bringing up north korea. >> we're continuing to put maximum economic and diplomatic pressure on countries like north korea. we're going to continue to do that. >> reporter: white house veterans warn words matter. >> those words that come out of the president's mouth have an impact all around the globe, and sometimes there are unintended consequences because of the words that are spoken. >> reporter: tonight the former reality tv star turned president is leaving american allies and adversaries with a cliffhanger. peter alexander, nbc news, the white house now to the late

confirmation from the pentagon a fourth american soldier was killed in niger, left behind after islamic militants ambushed a u.s. special forces patrol on wednesday. we get the latest from nbc news pentagon correspondent hans nichols. >> reporter: the bodies of three fallen green berets back home tonight after they were killed in an ambush in the west african nation niger. staff sergeant bryan black, 35, a sharp sheeter from washington. staff sergeant dustin wright from lyons, georgia, just 29 years old. staff sergeant jair mina johnson, 39, from springboro, ohio, where the community is devastated. >> we knew where he was and he wasn't in a

good place, and -- >> yeah. >> -- it was just heartbreaking. >> reporter: the green berets just a few of the 800 american troops in niger where u.s. stations drones to watch islamic extremist across the sahara. trained local niger troops encounter terrorism, but a routine mission turned into full-fledged combat when nearly a dozen u.s. and niger forces were surprised by islamic militant also. a deadly fire fight ensued. french helicopters evacuated the casualties. in the chaos of battle, one was missing. u.s. special operators were flown in from across the globe, but it was too late. his body found today by nigerian troops. >> you try never to leave a soldier behind. it is unusual to do so. it must have been one heck of a fire fight for that to happen. >> reporter: military officials tell nbc news that the green berets did kill some islamic extremists but they can't say how many, where they came from or if they'll strike again. hans nichols, nbc news, the pentagon. there is mixed news on the economy this evening. the u.s. lost 33,000 jobs in september, the first decline in

monthly jobs numbers going back six years. back-to-back hurricanes likely had a significant impact on the slow down in hiring, but the unemployment rate actually declined to 4.2%. that is the lowest since february of 2001 and a sign the job market remains strong. still ahead as we continue here tonight, the scandal rocking hollywood. new fallout from a sexual harassment accusations against one of the movie industries biggest power players. also caught on camera, the world's biggest passenger plane coming in for a terrifying landing. stay with us.

♪ back now with new fallout from the firestorm gripping hollywood. movie mogul harvey weinstein taking a leave of absence from his own company after reports of multiple sexual harassment complaints against him. weinstein is just the latest power player accused of misconduct against women. more from nbc's anne thompson. >> reporter: during awards season harvey weinstein's power is on full display. >> i just want to thank my agent, kevin uvane and god, harvey weinstein. >> reporter: his films including "the king's speech" "pulp fiction" and "shakespeare in love" winning 75 oscars. now it is said that he used his power for sordid ends, uncovering sexual harassment spanning almost three decades, from actresses ashley judd and rose mcgowan to young female assistants looking to start careers in hollywood. >> nobody with any

amount of money or glamour or profile should be held to different standards than every single man responsible for and friends with women in this world. >> reporter: the story striking a nerve. when did you meet your harvey weinstein getting more than 2,400 responses on twitter from women in all walks of life. the movie mogul, the latest powerful man accused of preying on female employees. fox news paying millions for claims against former anchor bill o'reilly and ceo roger ailes. ride-sharing giant uber accused of fostering a toxic culture of sexism and harassment. while not admitting to the allegations, in a statement to the "times" weinstein said i appreciate the way i've behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and i sincerely apologize for it. lisa bloom, who's represented women in claims against bill cosby, fox news and then-candidate donald trump is also representing weinstein. he's making a

documentary of one of her books. >> it is time for a lot of old dinosaurs in the industry and all industries to update their thinking and their behavior. >> reporter: a man with the power to make or break careers may have harmed his own. anne thompson, nbc news, new york. we're back in a moment with the big-name store chain looking to shake up the grocery-delivery wars.

a new salvo tonight in the grocery wars as big names battle for your money. taking aim at amazon, costco announced it is getting in the same-day grocery delivery game which the company says will be available in most metropolitan areas and it will offer two day deliveries for dry goods. it is the end of an era online. aol instant messenger known as aim is signing off for good. before facebook and

twitter it was the way to chat with friends for so many people throughout the late '90s and into the 2000s with your screen name and buddy lists and creative away messages that might now make you cringe scary moments caught on camera when an airbus jumbo jet came in for a rough landing in powerful cross winds. take a look. the plane wobbled as it touched down, appearing to come close to sliding off the runway in germany yesterday before the pilot was able to finally straighten it out. the airbus a-380 plane is the largest commercial aircraft in the world. >> when we come back, the creator of the smash hit "hamilton," lin-manuel miranda on his star-studded hit to benefit puerto rico. the bay area gives hillary

clinton a hero )s welcome! next at 6: the outcome she )s hoping for... from the russian hacking investigation. plus, bart has been found guilty! the punishment it just received for the deaths of two workers... next. right now at 6: finally tonight, more than two weeks after hurricane maria slammed puerto rico that u.s. territory remains in dire need. that's why lynn manuel miranda, tony and grammy award winning creator of the smash hit "hamilton" got some of his fellow music superstars together for a song benefitting the relief effort. tonight our gabe gutierrez has an inside look ♪ >> reporter: if the song was only about a storm, it wouldn't be

so personal. ♪ it's almost like praying ♪ >> reporter: but for lynn manuel miranda his new single "almost like praying" inspired by the west side story song "maria" cuts deeper. featuring jennifer lopez, gloria estefan and marc anthony, the music gives a voice to each of puerto rico's 78 towns. ♪ >> like many people i have family on the island, and what we all experienced if we weren't on the island was this terrible silence in the wake of the storm. and our social media feeds were full of the names of towns. >> reporter: it is the latest voice in the hurricane maria relief effort, stephen colbert raising more than an million dollars getting celebrities to post awkward adolescent pictures. a group rallying for the hardest hit south eastern coast. houston, still recovering itself from hurricane harvey. >> and we give back to any in need as the

nation has done so for us. >> reporter: to asbury park, new jersey today where supplies were rushed to the local food bank en route to san juan. >> it is devastating. >> reporter: dee dee montero grew up in puerto rico and didn't hear from her 75-year-old mother on the island for days after the storm. >> the pain is so deep that you can't even express it. i have cried so much in the past couple of weeks. >> reporter: but for puerto ricans, from that pain has come pride. miranda's tribute helping make sure 78 towns are not forgotten. gabe gutierrez, nbc news, new york. we appreciate you spending part of your evening with us. that is "nightly news" for this friday night. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night. ♪ >> announcer: more americans watch nbc news than any other news organization in the world. "nbc nightly news" is always available on demand and streaming on your favorite screens.

follow our latest coverage with the nbc news app. right now at 6: hillary mania in the bay area. long lines, and loud cheers for we love you, hillary. right now at 6:00, a lot of love for hillary clinton here in the bay area. long lines and loud cheers for mrs. clinton today and her visit continuing this evening. the news at 6:00 starts right now. good evening and thanks for being with us on friday raj mathai. >> jessica aguirre. from a winnebago signing to a he note address. the formerly presidential can't is back in front of the base. mrs. clinton is on the stanford campus discuss ago wide raining of topics. let's get a look process. this is the question and answer

portion. earlier today she delivered the ke note address covering democratic values, diplomacy, technology and even election hacking by the russians. i certainly believe we have what it takes to understand what happened in 2016. and decisive toly to make sure it never happens again and confront this threat to western democracy. >> earlier in the day mrs. clinton signed books for more than a thousand people in san francisco. nbc bay area kristi smith shows us the event. and a line that stretched more than a city block. >> reporter: san francisco is certainly friendly territory for hillary clinton. we are told this this back signing event sold out in less than 18 hours. more than 1,000 people lined up early in the hopes of saying hello and thank you to the former secretary of state. [ applause ] >> we love you hillary. >> reporter: the the book signing in san francisco hillary clinton arrived to