♪NET. ♪NET. >> TONIGHT, WE REMEMBER FORMER FIRST LADY ROSALYNN CARTER WHO DIED TODAY AT THE AGE OF 96. THE FORMER FIRST LADY PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY THIS AFTERNOON SURROUNDED BY FAMILY. SHE WAS PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER’S LIFE LONG LOVE AND HIS CLOSEST ADVISER INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE. TONIGHT, THE IMPACT SHE HAD ON THIS COUNTRY AND THE TRIBUTES FROM ACROSS THE WORLD. >>> ALSO BREAKING, THE DEAL TO RELEASE DOZENS OF HOSTAGES HELD BY HAMAS MAY SOON BE POSSIBLE. >> WE ARE CLOSER THAN WE HAVE BEEN IN QUITE SOME TIME. >> PLUS, ISRAEL RELEASING VIDEO OF WHAT IT SAYS SHOWS HAMAS TAKING HOSTAGES TO THE MAIN HOSPITAL IN GAZA BACK ON OCTOBER 7th WHILE TODAY DOZENS OF PREMATURE BABIES WERE EVACUATED FROM THAT SAME HOSPITAL. >> A NASTY STORM SET TO SWEEP ACROSS MUCH OF THE COUNTRY AND SCRAMBLE HOLIDAY TRAVEL PLANS. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. INSIDE THE U.S. AIR FORCE BASE WHERE DRONES CARRYING WEAPONS IN THE CROWD DIED, AND THE VIDEO THAT FANS SAY SHOWS SWIFT STRUGGLING IN THE BRUTAL HEAT. >>> AND YOU DON’T NEED TO WAIT UNTIL BLACK FRIDAY. THE NEW NUMBERS JUST IN. WHY RETAILERS ARE ALREADY SLASHING PRICES. ♪ ♪ >>> THIS IS "NBC NIGHTLY NEWS" WITH KATE SNOW. >>> GOOD EVENING. ROSALYNN CARTER WAS A FIRST LADY, AN ADVOCATE, A HUMANITARIAN. FOR NEARLY 80 YEARS SHE WAS BY PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER’S SIDE. SHE WAS HIS ADVISER, HIS DEFENDER AND THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE. ROSALYNN CARTER PASSED AWAY TODAY AT THE AGE OF 96. THE CARTER CENTER WHICH SHE HELPED CREATE WITH THE FORMER PRESIDENT SAID SHE DIED PEACEFULLY WITH FAMILY BY HER SIDE. SHE HAD REDEFINED WHAT IT MEANT TO BE A FIRST LADY, BECOMING A CHAMPION FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND WOMEN’S RIGHTS. SHE DID NOT SHY AWAY FROM POLITICS OR WORLD AFFAIRS AND LIKE HER HUSBAND, A LOT OF THE IMPORTANT WORK SHE DID CAME AFTER THE WHITE HOUSE. WE’RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK BACK ON THEIR LONG LOVE STORY LATER >> AND KELLY JOINS US NOW FROM THE WHITE HOUSE. A BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTE, KELLY, WE ARE RECEIVING SO MANY TRE BUTTES TO THE FIRST LADY. >> FORMER PRESIDENTS CLINTON AND BUSH CALLED HER A CHAMPION FOR HUMAN DIGNITY AND AN EXAMPLE OF FIDELITY. HER SON CHIP CARTER SAID SHE WILL NOT ONLY BE SORELY MISSED BY HER FAMILY, BUT ALSO COUNTLESS AMERICANS WHOSE LIVES HAVE BEEN MADE BETTER THROUGH HER WORK. >> KELLY O’DONNELL, THANK YOU. >>> TO THE MIDDLE EAST THERE ARE SEVERAL IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR INCLUDING THE STRONGEST LANGUAGE >> THIS AS DOZENS OF GASAROUNDSZ ESCAPE TO THE NORTH. THERE’SY THERE’S GROWING FEAR THERE’S NOWHERE LEFT TO GO. >> BACK TOIER IN. NOT EVERYONE HAS BEEN EVACUATED FROM AL SHIFA HOSPITAL. HOW MANY PATIENTS STILL REMAIN? >> KATE, THE W.H.O. SAYS 250 PATIENTS AND 20 MEDICAL STAFF ARE STILL WAITING TO BE EVACUATED LIKELY TO HOSPITALS ALREADY OVERSTRETCHED IN THE SOUTH. KATE? >> ERIN McLACHLAN, THANK YOU. >>> BACK HERE IN THE U.S. WE’RE TRACKING A MAJOR STORM THAT’S ON THE MOVE AND COULD BE A NIGHTMARE FOR THE BUSY HOLIDAY TRAVEL WEEK. WNBC METEOROLOGIST MATT BRICKMAN JOINS ME AND MATT, THIS WILL IMPACT SOME MAJOR AIRLINE HUBS. >> WE’RE TALKING RAIN, WIND AND SEVERE WEATHER, AS WELL. RIGHT NOW THAT SYSTEM IS MOVING INTO THE GREAT LAKES, AND LET’S FOCUS ON THE GULF COAST STATES AS WE GET INTO MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND THE CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER SPECIFICALLY ACROSS PARTS OF LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI WHERE WE CAN SEE LARGE AND DAMAGING TORNADOES ON MONDAY. BY TUESDAY THAT STORM PUSHES EAST BRINGING WITH IT HEAVY RAIN AND POWERFUL WIND FOR THE ATLANTIC SEABOARD THERE AND YOU ARE GOING SEE POTENTIALLY TRAVEL DELAYS FROM CHARLOTTE TO D.C. UP INTO THE NEW YORK AREA BY TUESDAY NIGHT. HEAVY RAIN AND WIND DRIVE FARTHER INTO NEW ENGLAND WITH COLDER AIR WRAPPING IN,S WELL AS AND THAT COULD LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT SNOW. LOOK AT THIS, INTO AIN UPMAINE, TEN INCHES OF SNOW AND WE COULD HAVE REAL SNOW ON THE GROUND. >> MATT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> THERE IS A WEATHER CATASTROPHE UNFOLDING IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC RIGHT NOW. IT’S BEEN HIT WITH A VIOLENT STORM, FLOODING STREETS AND PUSHING CARS THROUGH THE RUSHING WATER. AT LEAST 20 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REPORTED KILLED INCLUDING SEVERAL TRAPPED UNDER A HIGHWAY TUNNEL THAT COLLAPSED. MORE RAIN IS EXPECTED FOR THE REGION TOMORROW. >>> NOW TO POLITICS, AND A POWERFUL ENDORSEMENT FOR FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. TODAY, TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOT ANNOUNCED HIS SUPPORT FOR TRUMP IN THE 2024 RACE. THE PAIR MET IN SOUTH TEXAS TODAY AS MR. TRUMP CAMPAIGNED NEAR THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER, AND OUTLINED HIS IMMIGRATION POLICIES. TODAY A NEW NBC NEWS POLL SHOWS DONALD TRUMP LEADING PRESIDENT BIDEN 46 PERTZ% TO 44% AND THAT’ FIRST TIME OUR POLLING HAS SHOWN FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP LEADING AND THE TWO-POINT LEAD IS WELL WITHIN THE POLL’S MARGIN OF ERROR. WE HAVE NEW NUMBERS IN TONIGHT ON JUST HOW MANY DEALS MIGHTING AVAILABLE FOR HOLIDAY SHOPPERS SWIFT’S BRAZIL SHOW GOES ON. MEGAN FITZGERALD, NBC NEWS, LONDON. >>> WE ARE BACK IN A MOMENT FOR A RARE, INSIDE LOOK AT THE HIGH-TH U.S.EC >>> WE ARE BACK WITH A RARE LOOK >>> WE ARE BACK WITH A RARE LOOK INSIDE ONE OF THE MORE SECRETIVE AMERICAN MILITARY PROGRAMS. AIR FORCE DRONES FLY OVER WAR ZONES TRACKING AND SOMETIMES KILLING PEOPLE CONSIDERED ENEMIES OF THE U.S. NOW THEY’RE HELPING TO FIND HOSTAGES INSIDE GAZA. OUR DANA GRIFFIN WENT INSIDE THE AIR FORCE BASE WHERE PILOTS CONTROL THE DRONES FROM HALF A WORLD AWAY. >> HIGH ABOVE THE BATTLEFIELD OF GAZA UNARMED U.S. DRONES LIKE THIS ARE USING POWERFUL CAMERAS TO USE FOR HUNDREDS OF HOSTAGES HELD BY HAMAS. THIS CRITICAL MISSION IS OPERATED THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY AT CREECH AIR FORCE BASE IN THE NEVADA DESERT, THE SECRET EPICENTER OF U.S. DRONE OPERATIONS. THOSE DRONES KNOWN AS MQ-9 REAPERS ARE INSIDE THESE CRAMPED MOBILE CONTAINERS. PILOTS AND THEIR CREWS KNOWN AS PILOTS AND THEIR CREWS KNOWN AS THE HUNTERS WORK IN EIGHT-HOUR SHIFTS. >> WE CAN’T SHOAL YOUW YOU THIS, BECAUSE IT IS CONSIDERED A VALUABLE MILITARY SECRET. IT CAN COLLECT DATA FROM A FOREST FIRE OR PINPOINT A HIGH-VALUE TARGET. >> ALL OF IT BEAMED BACK LIVE BY MILITARY SATELLITES RIGHT HERE. FOR SAFETY CONCERNS, THIS PILOT HAS ASKED US NOT TO USE HER FULL NAME. >> SO WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT CAMERAS THAT WE OPERATE OUT OF. >> ON THOSE MONITORS SHE SEES WHAT THE DRONE SEES AND SHE USES THE JOYSTICK TO TAKE OFF AND SEND THE DRONE. >> WHICH IS WHY WE ARE ABLE TO SEE IN REAL TIME WHAT THE AIRCRAFT IS DISPLAYING IN TERMS OF ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED. >> THIS IS THE VIEW FROM FOUR MILES ABOVE. >> EVEN IF WE WERE DIRECTLY OVER THE TARGET, LIKE, STRAIGHT UP THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DETECT US. >> HOW LONG CAN YOU BE SURVEILLING SOMEONE? >> DAYS, WEEKS, MONTHS. SOMETIMES YEARS DEPENDING ON THE THREAT AND WHO THE TARGET IS. >> AND THESE DRONES CAN BE LEGAL. THE U.S. MILITARY DOES NOT REPORT DRONE CASUALTIES, BUT THE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM ESTIMATES FROM 2002 TO 2020, U.S. DRONE STRIKES HAVE KILLED 20,000 PEOPLE AND THERE ARE ERRORS LIKE THIS ONE THAT RIPPED INTO A SUSPECTED TARGET IN AFGHANISTAN KILLING TEN CIVILIANS INCLUDING CHILDREN ACCORDING TO "THE NEW YORK TIMES". >> WE ARE WATCHING A LOT OF THESE TARGETS. WE WATCH THEM DO HORRENDOUS ACTS AGAINST PEOPLE. WE FOCUS MORE ON THE MISSION ASPECT OF IT AND OUR WHY AND REALLY JUST KIND OF LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE OF THE IMPACT WE ARE HAVING. >> THREE YEARS AGO A NON-PARTISAN GOVERNMENT REPORT FOUND MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR THE PILOTS DUE TO THE STRESSFUL JOBS. THE AIR FORCE RESPONDED BY ADDING MORE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES. >> IT’S ABOUT REMINDING THEM THAT IT’S OKAY IF YOU CAN’T FOCUS AND TAKE TIME TO HEAL AND BE WITH YOUR FAMILY. >> THEY SHORTENED FLIGHT TIMES. THERE ARE MORE THAN A THOUSAND PILES WHO TRAIN ON SIMULATORS LIKE THIS. >> YOU REALLY HAVE TO RELY ON THE DATA THAT THEY’RE GIVING YOU. >> THEY WALKED ME THROUGH HOW TO FLY A DRONE AND HOW TO LAUNCH A RELL FIRE MISSILE. >> SINCE THE ATTACK ON ISRAEL, DRONES HAVE BEEN FLYING OVER GAZA. THEIR MISSION, LOOK FOR HOSTAGES. WE SPOKE WITH COLONEL NICHOLAS PETERSON BEFORE THAT MISSION WAS CONFIRMED. >> IF WE GET TASKED FOR THAT TYPE OF MISSION WE WILL BE STANDING BY, AND I THINK IT CAN PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IF WE GET TO THAT AREA. >> A CRITICAL ROLE IN ANOTHER MISSION FOUGHT FROM THESE SMALL ROOMS HALF WAY ACROSS THE WORLD. DANA GRIFFIN, CREECH AIR FORCE LEGENDARY LOVE STORY WITH THE FORMER PRESIDENT GOING BACK MORE THAN 75 YEARS. HERE’S ANDREA MITCHELL. >> IT WAS A LOVE STORY NOW SPANNING MORE THAN SEVEN DECADES, FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER AND FIRST LADY ROSALYNN CARTER ALREADY THE LONGEST MARRIED FIRST COUPLE SURPASSED 75 YEARS OF MARRIAGE TWO YEARS AGO AND CELEBRATED. >> 75 YEARS, I CAN’T BELIEVE. >> BOTH GROWING UP IN PLAINS, GEORGIA, THE CARTERS WENT ON THEIR FIRST DATE IN 1945, THOUGH ROSALYNN REJECT HIS FIRST PROPOSAL, THE COUPLE TIED THE NIGHT IN 1946. THEIR LOVE SAW THEM THROUGH RAISING FOUR CHILDREN, A PRESIDENTIAL TERM, AND RUNNING THE FAMILY PEANUT FARM AND HUMANITARIAN WORK AROUND THE WORLD AND A CANCER DIAGNOSIS. THEY’VE DONE FROM SHARING A KISS ON THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE STAGE TO A SMOOCH ON THE KISS CAM AT A 2019 NBA GAME. THE RELATIONSHIP HAS NOT BEEN WITHOUT TRIBULATIONS, THOUGH. THE COUPLE REFLECTING ON WRITING A BOOK TOGETHER ON "TODAY". >> WE REALLY DID HAVE A TERRIBLE TIME WRITING THE BOOK. >> WE THOUGHT PERHAPS THE LAST CHAPTER WOULD BE ABOUT OUR DIVORCE. >> THE 39th PRESIDENT ALSO SHARING THIS MARRIAGE ADVICE WITH JUDY WOODRUFF ON PBS. >> WE MAKE UP AND GIVE EACH OTHER A KISS BEFORE WE GO TO SLEEP. >> THE CARTERS CELEBRATED THE MILESTONE ANNIVERSARY TWO YEARS AGO IN THEIR HOMETOWN OF PLAINS, GEORGIA. >> AND TO MY WIFE ROSALYNN, I >> AND TO MY WIFE ROSALYNN, I WANT TO EXPRESS A PARTICULAR GRATITUDE. >> IT HAS BEEN A REALLY WONDERFUL 75 YEARS. >> ANDREA MITCHELL, NBC NEWS, WASHINGTON. >> WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PARTNERSHIP. THAT IS NBC NIGHTLY NEWS FOR THIS SUNDAY NIGHT. I’M KATE SNOW.