killings carried out by a disgraced ex-cop. but in a surprising turn of events, police now say they will investigate fugitive christopher dorner's claim that he was wrongfully fired from the lapd, even as they vow to capture him. nbc's miguel almaguer is outside police headquarters in los angeles with the latest on the manhunt. miguel? >> reporter: lester, good evening, late breaking developments here in los angeles. police at this hour are investigating a possible sighting of their suspect, christopher dorner, some 20 minutes outside of los angeles. this as police offer a record $1 million reward for information that leads to his conviction as investigators move forward with what appears to be the closing in on their suspect. law enforcement sources say this is christopher dorner, dumping a gun belt, a helmet, an lapd uniform, and ammunition the morning after his first two murders.

the surveillance video captured across the street from a san diego police station. >> the helmet was sitting right up top and the magazine and the belt was hidden under the boxes. >> reporter: the former cop now fugitive accused of killing three and wounding two others was fired from the lapd after making false complaints about his training officer. but now the los angeles police chief says a week after the killing spree began, he'll reopen dorner's case. >> people think that maybe there is something to what he says, and i want to put that to rest, and the only way i know how to put that to rest is to review what has already been reviewed at multiple levels. >> reporter: bill bratton ran the force when dorner was fired in 2008. >> determination would definitely be just. it's a very comprehensive process the department goes through. you don't just fire somebody without significant evidence or information. >> reporter: having eluded one of the largest manhunts in state

history, the search for dorner in the mountains is in its fourth day with investigators now saying they've discovered a cash of weapons and camping gear in his broken down truck. this as the tsa issued an emergency bulletin to regional airports, warning the former navy reservist may have flight training. last night, a moment of silence for monica kwan, killed last sunday. police sources say in the days following kwan's murder, a man claiming to be dorner called her father, a former lapd captain, to taunt him, saying he failed to protect his daughter. >> this is pouring salt into an open wound of this captain who's lost his daughter, and now being punished and repunished, just like christopher dorner feels he was punished. >> reporter: the lapd has deployed an army of officers to protect some 50 families they

feel may be threatened by the suspect. late tonight, we learned more about the officer slained last week. he was an 11-year veteran for the department, served two tours in iraq, and is survived by his wife and two young children. lester? >> miguel almaguer in los angeles tonight. thanks. here in the northeast, lots of digging out still going on after that blizzard dumped three feet of snow or more on some areas. and it's very much a case of the haves and have notes. most have power back, almost 300,000 homes and businesses still don't have it. public transportation is back in many areas. others it's still suspended. nbc's ron mott is following all this from boston. ron, good evening. >> reporter: hey, lester, good evening to you. the big dig is taking on a little different meaning here in boston tonight, what with nearly 25 inches of snow on the ground. getting things going again is easier said than done, but we can report forward progress is under way. it was a snow-stopper of a storm, and more than 24 hours after the last flake settled,

people are anxious to get going, however long it takes. across new england, boston's south station to hartford, connecticut, today was all about moving on. >> we've been trying to get on trains, planes and automobiles for the last day or so. >> reporter: limited service resumed on the railways, flights were back on the boards. some even highlighting on-time departures. while the sunday sun was bright, the next day or two may pale by comparison as damages continue to mount around the region, perhaps delaying a quick return to normal. large parts of the long island expressway remained closed as plows opened escape routes for hundreds of stranded cars. nearby, heavy snow was blamed for a roof collapse at a bowling alley. today the president declared a federal emergency in hard-hit connecticut. in short, the blizzard's impact was significant and tragic. at least 12 deaths reported, including two carbon monoxide poisonings, both resulting from snow-clogged tailpipes. 635,000 customers lost power,

more than 5,000 flights grounded, mass transit stopped in its tracks. and cleaning up the mess for some has turned more personal than preferred. my colleague ron allen. >> reporter: this is meriden, connecticut, where they got up to three feet of snow. they got tired of waiting for the snowplow on this street, so the neighbors have taken care of business by themselves. >> reporter: power crews travel great distances, from michigan, ohio, and tennessee to lend a hand in rhode island. still, restoring power and removing such massive amounts of snow takes time. hamden, connecticut, 40 history making inches. portland, maine, a record of nearly 32. 27.6 in west gloucester, rhode island. boston, almost 25. for thomas, the sea, not the snow was the menace. this is the deck of his house being bruised and battered yesterday. today, he was out trying to piece it back together while

keeping it all in perspective. >> it's wonderful, the sunrise in the morning. big waves. but every once in a while, you get hit. >> reporter: tonight, connecticut's governor tweeted a stay home message for a lot of state workers for tomorrow, a lot of colleges and universities and schools in connecticut will be closed on monday. and here in boston, boston public schools also will be shuttered tomorrow. lester? >> all right, ron, thanks. there is more severe weather to worry about tonight. let's check in on that with weather channel meteorologist eric fisher. >> reporter: lester, all the attention has been on the blizzard. but the midwest is seeing tornados. this is hattiesburg, mississippi, confirmed tornado on the ground, significant damage and reports of injury. there are other tornados moving across the southwest tonight. all folks need to be on high

alert for dangerous and deadly tornados. part of that energy is going to start to work up into the northeast tomorrow. for those still digging out, we're going to bring sleet, snow and freezing run rain. difficult weather conditions and general rain will go into the snow pack and potentially create roof collapses. here at the airport, and on the streets. it will be a difficult monday morning. lester? >> eric fisher, thanks. on tuesday night, president obama will deliver the first state of the union address of his second term. and despite all the attention that gun violence and immigration have been getting in recent weeks, the economy will be the president's major theme. we have more on this tonight from nbc white house correspondent peter alexander. hi, peter. >> reporter: hi, lester. good evening to you. unlike his inaugural address last month, senior advisers to the president say that his state of the union address will be more specific, more policy and agenda oriented, as the president charts out his

proposed course for the next year. heading into his fifth annual address before congress tuesday night, senior administration officials say mr. obama will focus on jobs and the economy, echoing familiar themes about strengthening the nation's middle class. >> our economy grows when everybody's getting a fair shot and everybody's getting a fair shake. >> reporter: the president, advisers say, will emphasize the value of spending on education to give americans the skills they need. infrastructure, like roads. research, including clean energy technology. and manufacturing. >> the inauguration was more about the underdog. this is about people that have already made it, but the american dream is fading, and he's got their backs. >> reporter: adding to the urgency of tuesday's speech, the looming sequester deadline set for march 1st when $85 billion in across the board cuts are set to take effect. >> we can't have any more self-inflicted wounds on this economy. the economy is poised to take off, if we do the right things. >> reporter: the president warning those cuts could cause a huge blow to the economy. but republicans firmly oppose

more tax revenue as a solution. >> the problem is, david, every time you turn around, the answer is to raise taxes. and, you know, he just got his tax hike on the wealthy. and you can't in this town ever three months raise taxes. >> reporter: while some of the president's most prominent items fallwell below the economy in budget deficits, among americans' top concerns, mr. obama is expected to cast them in economic terms as well, citing among other things, the benefits of attracting the world's best minds. the president's tone will matter, too, as he faces a choice between confrontation and compromise. >> he can continue the approach he's taken, which is very much an outside game, pressure the congress, turn up the heat. or he can go for a more conciliatory approach in this speech. >> reporter: the president will follow up his speech by taking his state of the union message on the road. he has three stops after the speech. they are asheville, north

carolina, atlanta, georgia, winding down in his hometown of chicago. >> thank you, peter. we want to remind everyone, nbc news will have live coverage of the state of the union address tuesday at 9:00 eastern. gunfire erupted on new orleans' famed bourbon street overnight, wounding four people and sending mardi gras revelers running for cover. police said the shooting followed an argument. two men and two women were hit. one of those injured is in guarded condition. the shooter still at large. new orleans for years has suffered an epidemic of gun violence, earning it the distinction of being the nation's murder capital. it, however, is not taking it lying down. tonight nbc news kicks off a special week-long look at gun violence and gun ownership called "flashpoint: guns" and we begin in new orleans with how they are trying to unravel a culture of violence. >> it looks like a maroon vehicle. >> a cool, damp night is a good

night for new orleans police commander christopher goodly. it keeps things quiet. a welcome breather for a city racked by a chronically high murder rate. >> we have a homicide rate that is unnatural. >> new orleans saw 193 murders last year, its per capita rate of homicides nearly three times that of chicago. most of the victims, young african-american men shot to death. single mother of three and community outreach coordinator katherine hutton speaks for many in this community. >> like lord, what is it going to take? when are they going to stop it? >> the national focus on gun violence is applauded here, but the majority of the killing in new orleans is by handguns. is this gun conversation going on in washington too narrow? >> yes. the answer is yes. it is absolutely too narrow. and it's too simplistic. as though if you just ban assault weapons, somehow the murder rate in the country is

going to go down automatically. it will not. >> mayor landrieu wants more than tougher gun laws. he wants the feds to help him put more cops on his streets. in the meantime, new orleans has gone after gun violence with a velvet hammer, identifying the specific individuals and groups that seem to feed violent crime and delivering a face-to-face message. >> we know you, we know where you are, and what you're doing is unacceptable and now we're going to have a response to you that's robust and where consequences really matter. >> the consequences, if a murder occurred, the weight of law enforcement and the courts would swing down on not just the perpetrators, but an entire group. the concept developed by criminologist david kennedy also offers a way out of crime. >> we know who you are, we know what you're doing, we care about you, we wants to help you, but we're not going to put up with this anymore. >> they call the approach "nola for life," offering education

programs aimed at giving offenders a chance to change. >> our message in group violence is this -- you're important, too. even if you're out here hurting people, you're still important. >> new orleans is also extending a safety net to those deemed at risk, including katherine hutton's oldest son, who meets with a mentor through the youth empowerment project. >> to have a model, you know, set the tone for how things are supposed to be done in their lives is like, okay, you know, this is what it's supposed to be. >> so far, murders in new orleans are down by half this month, a good sign, but not victory. >> one homicide is one too many, but hopefully we're in the right direction with reducing this rate. >> our special week-long series "flashpoint: guns in america" will examine the issue on all nbc news platforms. this includes an innovative interactive snapshot on nbcnews.com of all the gun deaths across the country over a

three-day period last month. where and how they took place. overseas, a changing of the guard today in afghanistan as a new commander of nato and u.s. forces took over. marine general joseph dunford succeeded general john allen who has been in command for the last 19 months. president obama has nominated allen to be the supreme allied commander in europe. the u.s. and its allies plan to hand over security to afghan forces at the end of next year. when "nbc nightly news" continues on this sunday, new information about a potentially deadly disease that's made a big comeback. and later, why they're all rooting for this big guy as a top contender for best in show.

we're back with health news, and concern about a growing outbreak of whooping cough. it's a bacterial infection that can be fatal to very young children, while it was almost gone at one time, cases are now on the rise. nbc's chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman has more on this tonight. >> reporter: 2012 was america's worst year for whooping cough in more than six decades. >> there's a tremendous outbreak of whooping cough across the united states right now. >> reporter: as scientists try to figure out how to better prevent infection, they're also looking at a new strain recently discovered here in the united states that may not be protected by today's vaccine. the first vaccine became available in the 1940s, sparking a dramatic drop in cases that continued for decades. but it had some side effects, including the risk of brain damage. so in 1991, a safer, but slightly less effective series of shots was introduced. since then, cases have shot up. more than 1,400%, from fewer

than 3,000 cases in 1991 to more than 40,000 last year. while scientists say the new strain is responsible for some cases, recent outbreaks are mainly due to the vaccine wearing off over time which leaves people less protected. the decline occurs even in those who got the original and more potent whooping cough vaccine. now doctors are still measuring the staying power of the new vaccine, which they say fades much faster, though it's unclear just how fast. the cdc recently changed its guidelines to include whooping cough booster shots for pregnant women. it now recommends one during every pregnancy, in order to give babies who are among the most vulnerable protection at birth. >> by vaccinating mother, the mother will then pass her immunity to the baby, and when the baby is born, that baby will have protection. >> reporter: as researchers try to improve protection against highly contagious diseases, they say the best thing people can do is remain up-to-date with immunizations and get those booster shots. dr. nancy snyderman, nbc news,

new york. when we come back, we'll go to a game that put the over in overtime.

the scene in south bend, indiana, last night as louisville tried to tie it up one more time with notre dame. for the irish, it was a victory like no other, coming at the end of five overtimes, making it the longest regular season game in big east history. through it all, the lead changed 26 times. the final score was 104-101, three hours and 40 minutes after it began. a milestone of another kind announced this weekend on mars. the mars rover curiosity did something that had never been done before. it drilled a hole into the rocky surface of the planet and is now collecting the powdered results for analysis. it's an area that shows signs if it was once under water, could potentially reveal evidence that life once existed on mars. back on this planet, new rankings out this weekend, the most expensive cities in the world.

the index places tokyo and osaka, japan at first and second followed by sydney, australia, in third place. as for american cities, you have to go to number 27 on the list to find them, los angeles and new york city tied for that spot. although it's kind of hard to think of new york as any kind of bargain. up next, a good dog who made it through a big storm now competing for best in show.

the famed westminster dog show begins tomorrow, and for some of the owners, their dogs this year is all about perseverance, after many lived through the devastation of hurricane sandy. tonight michelle franzen with the inspiring story of a dog named chauncey whose fans think he deserves best in show. >> don't do it. don't do it! >> reporter: it's play time at denise and scott's jersey shore home. their dog chauncey, a komondor breed, with that signature mopey mane blends in with the snow. the family pet and champion show dog proves to be a bright spot for the couple when super storm sandy tore through their home. >> the water was coming through the walls, which was a sight to behold. it was a little frightening. the water was up to here. >> reporter: they are still

repairing the damage, but this week the focus is on chauncey as he gets ready to compete in the westminster dog show. >> if you can win best in breed at westminster, that's everything. that's everybody's goal. >> reporter: this 140-pound-plus show dog is used to being in the spotlight. competing in shows and is even something of a local celebrity. >> they're all cheering for their jersey shore dog after he went through superstorm sandy. >> reporter: cheering him on in new york city where he will face plenty of competition. in all, more than 2,000 dogs big and small competing for best in breed and best in show, but first a lot of grooming goes on for dogs like ted ted to make sure he's ready for his close-up. the show's chairman says he is aware several dogs and owners who endured sandy will be competing, information the judges don't have ahead of time. >> the dogs survived what they survived and yet still come to westminster. it's exciting for them and exciting for us, too. >> reporter: back home, denise and scott get chauncey ready for

his big day and their chance to get away from the overwhelming demands of sandy. >> i love going to dog shows because it takes you to a little magical place for just that day when you don't think about the trees on your property, you don't think about the leaking roof of your house, you don't think about any of that. >> reporter: a brief break with man's best friend leading the way. michelle franzen, nbc news, new jersey. >> and that's our broadcast. brian williams will be here tomorrow. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you shortly on "dateline." for all of us at nbc news, good night. good evening. we begin near mt. hamilton in san jose where they rescued a man in a ravine.

kimberly tere is there. >> reporter: emergency crews are still out here. there is a tow truck out here trying to get that car out of the ravine. just after 2:00 this afternoon, san jose fire said a car drove off mt. hamilton road crashing 150 feet below the cliff. the crash about a mile east of clayton road. emergency crews were able to coup the two people inside the convertible corvette but san jose fire says the terrain made it an arduous task. >> it went down about 150 feet into a ravine. very steep embankment. a lot of trees, bushes, things making access difficult. >> reporter: the first person was rescued about an hour after the crash. that was we're being told, the passenger and that person was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. the second victim, the driver was extricated after that and air lifted by a chp helicopter