back looks like midday easter plans. thanks for joining us nightly news next. tonight, the u.s. drops the mother of all bombs nicknamed for the largest non-nuclear weapon ever used, targeting isis in afghanistan. but is the president also using it to send a message? nbc exclusive, the north korean nuclear threat, senior intelligence forces tell us the u.s. is prepared to launch a preemptive strike if officials become convinced another nuclear test is imminent. significant concussion. a broken nose and knocked out teeth. the dragged united passenger's injuries detailed by his attorney as we hear from his daughter. apple's secret product using technology to help millions that suffer

from dietze. and, a fountain of loot. a jackpot discovered in part of hollywood history. "nightly news" begins right now. good evening to our viewers in the west. more than 15 years in america's war, the u.s. dropped the largest nonnuclear bomb ever used in combat. the target, afghanistan by the near ly 22,000 pound air dropped nicknamed the mother of all bombs. why that bomb and whether the pentagon achieved its objects are open questions tonight. but a weapon designed as much for psychological impact as explosive punch could be sending a broader message as the u.s. tonight also keeps a wary eye on north korea. in a few minutes, our exclusive reporting on the u.s. military plans to prevent another nuclear north

korean nuclear test. but first, to that unprecedented air strike in afghanistan. nbc news chief foreign correspondent richard engel has details. >> reporter: the u.s. military pulled out the big guns in the fight against isis today, a 21,000 pound bomb. the largest nonnuclear weapon the united states has ever used. it's only known use before this 2003 test. the massive ordinance air blast is better known by the nickname, the mother of all bombs, so big it's stored in the cargo hold and dropped out of the back of a plane. a u.s. aircraft dropped one of these monster bombs today on an isis tunnel complex in eastern afghanistan. president trump said he didn't personally authorize the strike. left that to his commanders. >> we gave them total authorization and this was another very, very successful mission. >> reporter: the toll of the bomb physical and psychological. >> the shock value of this weapon is simply unbelievable. it feels like an earthquake 15 miles away. it will collapse under

ground, subterranean caverns with isis fighters in them. >> reporter: but the 15-year war in afghanistan, the longest in u.s. history, has proven having the mightiest weapons doesn't guarantee victory. the u.s. still has more than 8,000 troops in afghanistan but extremist groups including isis remain strong. just this weekend, an american soldier was killed there. but was today's bombing about defeating isis or flexing muscles? president trump has repeatedly promised to get tough on isis. >> i'm going to bomb the [ bleep ] out of them. >> reporter: now the commander in chief is translating the tough talk into action dropping one of the biggest conventional bombs the military could find. military experts say there are plenty of other weapons that can collapse tunnels and that this in many ways was a test to see what this bomb can do. the other purpose, messaging to frighten isis and show toughness. lester?

>> richard engel in our london newsroom. thanks, richard. to the crisis unfolding on another front with word north korea may be planning another show of force this weekend. nbc news learned from multiple senior level sources that the white house is prepared to launch under certain conditions a preemptive strike to stop kim jong un from conducting another nuclear test. our senior correspondent cynthia mcfadden has the nbc news exclusive report. >> reporter: tonight multiple senior intelligence officials tell nbc news, the u.s. military is on high alert as tensions mount between the united states and north korea over what u.s. officials see as a possible imminent underground nuclear test. those intelligence officials tell nbc news that the u.s. has positioned two destroyers, capable of shooting tomahawk cruise missiles in the region some 300 miles from the test site. u.s. bombers are positioned in guam to undertake strikes on the korean peninsula,

should it be necessary. earlier this week, the pentagon announced the "uss carl vincent" is being diverted to the area. multiple sources tell nbc if u.s. intelligence detects that a nuclear test is imminent, the white house is considering for the first time in history a preemptive strike to prevent it. this strike could include missiles and bombs, cyber and special operations on the ground. >> two things are coming together this weekend, one is the distinct possibility of a sixth north korean nuclear weapons detonation, and the other is a great deal of firepower headed right at the korean peninsula. ♪ >> reporter: why now? this weekend marks the 105th anniversary of the birth of north korea's founder. >> north korea in the past used these major national holidays to celebrate the strength of the regime and reinforce the national narrative of the

independence so it's not at all inconceivable they might try to do something like that. >> reporter: today, north korea warned of a merciless u.s. retaliatory strike should the u.s. take any military action. the trump administration is hoping the chinese will use their considerable diplomatic and trade leverage to display kim jong un and his government from moving ahead of the nuclear program. a senior intelligence official tells nbc news since president trump met with the chinese president in florida, he talked to him two additional times about north korea. in the wake of this, the chinese sent a senior nuclear specialist to north korea for talks. a white house official told nbc news no military action will taste place until south korea signs off. a sentiment echoed by south korea's top diplomat. u.s. officials tell us that if north korea launches a long range missile, the united

states is also prepared to shoot it down from destroyers now in the region. pending the agreement of the south koreans. making this situation more complex, vice president mike pence is headed for south korea for a long-planned visit where he intends to spend easter sunday with american troops. lester? >> cynthia mcfadden, thank you. with the president grappling with multiple foreign policy crisis, the trump doctrine may becoming into clearer focus as he flexes u.s. military muscle sending a message to the world and turning the focus away from domestic setbacks and internal troubles. we get more on that from white house correspondent kristen welker. >> reporter: tonight, president donald trump's emerging doctrine show strength. >> we have incredible military. >> reporter: less than 100 days into his presidency, mr. trump has authorized headline making military offenses in five different countries. >> this is part of the trump doctrine. use military force around the world in

selective cases to send a signal to the whole world. >> i don't know if this sends a message. it doesn't make any difference if it does or not. north korea is a problem. the problem will be taken care of. >> reporter: mr. trump campaigned as a hawkish pro-military candidate promising to vanquish isis. >> their days are numbered. i won't tell them where and i won't tell them how. >> reporter: his foreign policy success so far outweigh the domestic agenda, which has been on the rocks from health care to the travel ban. >> if it also distracts from some problems he had in domestic policy, i don't think the white house minds that one bit. >> reporter: tonight one of the biggest crisis points, syria is testing the president once again in an interview with afp recorded on government cameras, president bashar al assad denies he's behind the chemical weapons attack that prompted u.s. military strikes. >> they fabricated the whole story in order to have pretext for

the attack. >> reporter: a new provocation as the president mulls his next move on the world stage. >> usually presidents during the first 100 days try not to make too much of a change in military and strategy terms. if what we've seen of donald trump in the last ten days is intended to flip things over in a very big way, that would be very unusual in history. >> reporter: the president whose also struggling with mounting tensions with russia tweeted today he has confidence everyone will come to their senses. tonight, mr. trump has arrived in mar-a-lago for the easter weekend. lester? >> kristen welker at the white house, thanks. president trump today struck a potentially major blow to planned parenthood surrounded by women, he privately signed a bill that allows states to withhold federal funds from planned parenthood and other groups that provide abortion services. it reverses a rule that was finalized just before president obama left office. for the first time, we are hearing about the extent of the injuries suffered by that united

airlines passenger who was dragged from his seat on sunday. the video sparked national outrage and a pr crisis for the airline. now, dr. david dao's attorneys announced their intention to file a lawsuit and tonight, we're hearing from his daughter. nbc's tom costello has details. >> reporter: dr. david dao dragged from that united flight on sunday is now out of the hospital. >> my dad is healing right now. >> reporter: but his daughter says his injuries are severe. >> we were horrified and shocked and sickened to learn what had happened to him and see what had happened to him. >> reporter: his attorneys say dr. dao suffered a concussion, broken nose, sinus injuries that require reconstructive surgery and lost two teeth in the incident. >> i have to go home. i have to go home. >> reporter: and he says he has no memory of running back on the plane bloodied and distraught after being dragged off. dao's attorneys will sue united and the city. >> he's a 69-year-old man. is that really the way

we want to treat the aged? >> reporter: today united released a new statement, reiterating its apology, saying, this provided a harsh learning experience from which we will take immediate concrete action, how they handle oversold flights and will no longer ask law enforcement to remove passengers unless it's a matter of safety and security. the airport commissioner said those security guards employed by the city have been told by january to stop wearing jackets that say police but continued wearing them anyway. >> i want to express our extreme regret for the actions of our officers. >> reporter: still, attorneys for dr. dao insist sunday's incident reflects a bigger problem at the nation's airlines where customer service they say isn't what it used to be. >> for a long time, airlines, united in particular, have bullied us. >> one more note, the

canadian transport minister today issued warnings to airlines that fly in and out of canada that the government there will not tolerate any airline involuntary removing passengers from overbooked flights. lester? >> tom costello, thank you. tonight a georgia police officer is out of a job, fired from the force after video surfaced of him kicking a handcuffed man in the head. it is the latest incident involving an officer under scrutiny drawing outrage for violent behavior caught on camera. nbc's gabe gutierrez has the tape. >> reporter: during a traffic spot in gwinnett county, georgia, one officer punches a driver in the face. later, a second officer runs up and kicks the handcuffed individual in the head. >> i wish this never happened to me. >> reporter: bloodied in his mugshot, he was

booked on charges of marijuana possession and obstruction. a police report says holland's red acura didn't have a license plate and he refused to get out of the car and was tasered and handcuffed. today police say the officer who kicked him went too far. >> the suspect was not resisting. at that point, that's it. there should have been no other application of force. >> reporter: officer robert mcdonald has been fired. >> the use of force was excessive and unnecessary. >> reporter: it comes while officers are under tighter security. an officer slam med someone to the ground and beat him for jay walking. tonight the police officer is out of a job and a criminal investigation is underway. gabe gutierrez, nbc

news. new troubles for uber. this time involving alleged drunk drivers. the company facing a $1.1 million fine in california over its handling of dui complaints. the state says out of 154 zero tolerance dui complaints it examined, uber only investigated 21. a spokesperson for uber says those cases are from two to three years ago and the company has improved its handling of complaints since then. >> still ahead tonight, apple's new game changer, the mysterious project that the tech giant hopes will lead to a breakthrough in treating a disease on the rise in children and teens. we're back with

we're back with now with the news about apple's secret project, it's not a new iphone or ipad, but it does involve using apple technology to tackle diabetes. not a cure but a way to make life better for millions that suffer from the disease. nbc's joe fryer has details. >> reporter: for half of her life, erin bates relentlessly pricked her fingers to check glucose levels. >> the thing is, even when i'm not checking my blood sugar, i'm thinking in the back of my head always, where am i at? >> reporter: like many with diabetes, she dreams of an easier solution, so is the company that created the iphone. cnbc reports five years ago apple started building a secret team to develop sensors to check the levels noninvasively and continuously. >> they are trying to track blood sugar without piercing the skin and taking blood. >> reporter: the sensors could be used

with wearable devices like the apple watch. >> have something like that while i'm working or on the go would be incredible. >> reporter: still, such game-changing technology is likely years away. help us understand how difficult this task is. >> the sensor has to emit a light and go through the skin into the blood stream, find the sugar molecule, out through the skin again, back to the sensor. >> reporter: more than 29 million americans have diabetes and a new study finds among young people the disease has risen over a ten-year period an almost 2% annual increase for type one diabetes and close to 5% for type two. >> when i give you a finger prick to check your blood sugar, does it hurt? or do you not even feel it anymore? >> sometimes it hurts. >> reporter: 6 years old oscar checks his blood every two hours and would love a perforation vacation. >> less pricks is great. as long as you can be confident it's representing the correct blood sugar. 7.5. >> reporter: with tech giants like apple in the fight, they are hopeful. joe fryer, nbc news.

los angeles. the moment that played out on national tv that left many in the audience shocked and outraged.

now to the headlines swirling around tv's "survivor." after a contestant was outed as transgender after last night's episode. it followed not only because one contestant turned on another but also because the network which tapes the episodes months ahead of time decided to broadcast the scene. nbc's miguel almaguer has details. >> reporter: with 8 million people watching cbs's "survivor" it happened when one contestant facing elimination turned on another. >> there is deception going on right here. >> reporter: jeff varner outing zeke smith, suggesting he was a player that con the be trusted. >> why haven't you

told anyone you are transgender? >> reporter: the reaction on the transgender show. >> you didn't have to do that. that's so wrong. >> reporter: mimicked the out cry for deciding to broadcast the revolution months after it was filmed. today smith said he worked with cbs before the show aired. >> we started having conversations all the way back in fiji nine months ago about the care with which this episode was going to be handled. >> reporter: in an essay, smith opened up about being forced out, a person's gender history is private information and it's up to them and only them, when, how and if they choose to disclose that information. >> he may have lied to tribe mates about alliances but simply by being himself on the island, he wasn't lying to anyone. >> i assumed everyone in his world knew. >> reporter: he apologized on the show and on twitter implying he outed his friend to stay in the game. tonight, cbs stands by the episode, saying it sparks an important dialogue.

for zeke smith there is no turning back. >> i'm a changed, stronger, better man today than i was then. >> reporter: his private life now public for all to see. miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. when we come back here tonight, those wishes really do add up. wait until you hear how much tourists leave behind at this lucrative landmark. rooftops.

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and ... what investigative journalists at a local university "turned up" that's turning some stomachs. ===jessica/next close=== the news is next. finally tonight, it stood for centuries bringing visitors from around the world with a coin in their hand and a wish in their hearts. and it turns out all those visitors are leaving behind a fortune. here is nbc's kelly cobiella. >> reporter: there is the coliseum, the sistine chapel and the trevi fountain. a roman icon in so many movies, it's practically a movie star with it's own box office gold. tourists crowd around to toss a coin. katy and megan are from st. louis. >> i hear you're supposed to find love if you throw it over your right shoulder. >> reporter: that's only part of it.

throw the first coin and you'll return to rome. a second coin, and you'll find love. and a third, marriage. all those wishes and loose change add up. today, officials announced just last year they took in $1.5 million making it possibly the most lucrative fountain anywhere. >> wow, that's a lot. >> reporter: every morning they sweep sorting the coins from everything else. so many pennies that the fountain floweth over. loose change to you and me, one donation to the catholic charity to help feed the poor. >> you get a little belief you'll find love and luck and give it to a charity, as well and you get that luck and love to someone else. >> reporter: a wish and a good deed, that's a penny well spent. nbc news, kelly cobiella. that's going to do it for us on this thursday night. i'm lester holt.

for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night. it started as a chase on city streets. chick-fil-a. right now at six it started on a chase on city streets and moved to people's back yards. we'll show you how police evenly tracked down a man on the run. . the news at 6:00 starts roun thank you for joining joining uls garvin and raj mathai. jessica kay aguirre we've been tracking the story three hours now. no contest's bay area sky ranger was on the scene. a man wanted to be for robberier to down fences who said on people's roofs, climbed ladners hopes of trying to elude police. in the end it didn't work out.

nbc sharon joins us live in the east oakland neighborhood what an afternoon. >> that's right jessica. and this is dwechlg a scene we just saw san francisco police investigators arrive and they showed up in a unit. they just -- let's take a look at some video took one of the suspects away. still here, they're going to process the car left behind here still at the scene. but this car ened up crashing into the tree and after the driver jumped out it. you can see from the sky ranger video that the car swerved in and out of traffic in oakland. at one point driving in the wrong direction. he cut through many neighborhoods and finally near delaware and maple he jumped out of the car and started running. you can see him jumping over fence noose people's back yards. the sky ranger video shows police closing in on him. neighbors say it it was tense as it happened around 3:00 and