Confusion About Fate of American ISIS Hostage

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American Hostage Killed?  U.S. and Jordanian officials are cautioning tonight against ISIS claims that 26-year-old hostage Kayla Mueller was killed during Jordan’s air strikes yesterday. The claim doesn’t match where the air strikes took place. NBC’s Andrea Mitchell breaks down what we know about the fate of this aid volunteer from Arizona who is described as adventurous and idealistic.     Learn More

NBC News Exclusive: Fighting ISIS  Washington’s closest allies in the war against ISIS are Kurdish troops known as the Peshmerga, but the head of the region’s security council told NBC’s Richard Engel they do not have the weapons they need to win. Engel is in Erbil, Iraq with fighters who lost three men in the past two weeks and were attacked by 20 car bombs.     Learn More

Mudslide, Flood Warnings  First responders made reverse 911 calls to warn residents of Red Bluff, California, of potentially dangerous downpours when a storm known as a "Pineapple Express" hits. Ten inches of rain could fall in an hour, winds could reach nearly 80 miles an hour, and five days of rain are predicted. The storm is expected to build momentum this weekend and has already flooded a community near Seattle with 4 feet of water.     Learn More

Train Crash 911 Calls  The first 911 calls from New York’s deadly commuter train crash captured the confusion and panic. “The front car just exploded,” said one caller, “people are jumping out of the train.” We’re learning brighter warning lights for the crossing ordered in 2009 were never installed. And there were no bells at the crossing to warn SUV driver Ellen Brody of the oncoming train. Brody was laid to rest today.     Learn More

Someone Filed My Taxes?  Some early tax filers who went online to enter their 2014 returns got a strange message — they’d already filed and the refund was claimed. Others received emails stating they e-filed successfully, when they hadn’t. It led TurboTax to shut down some of its services yesterday to investigate.     Learn More

TransAsia Flight’s Survivors  There were just 15 survivors of TransAsia Flight 235. Among them were a married couple with a 2-year-old son who changed seats to be together, possibly saving their lives. The father described passengers trapped after the plane plunged into the river, and cockpit data reveals what was happening to the plane’s engines during those final moments.     Learn More

An Unexpected Welcome  With so many animals in need of a good home, shelters are turning to some unusual places to connect dogs to pet lovers. That includes a hotel where guests might find puppy love at check-in.     Learn More