high alert. with a massive storm on the move, forecasters issues their highest alert level for millions. also, a major fire fight. dozens of homes burned, thousands evacuated. pushing back. the man in charge of the nsa drops a bombshell about what the u.s. spy program has prevented. tonight, the man who exposed it all is speaking out again. the fight for life for a 10-year-old girl given days to live. tonight, finally getting the life-saving transplant her family fought for and won, igniting a nationwide debate. and hands free. just as dangerous as holding the phone? a big turn for what we've been previously told about talking and texting behind the wheel. "nightly news" begins now. wheel. "nightly news" begins now.

good evening, i'm lester holt in for brian. this is an anxious night for lots of americans from damaging storm conditions in the lower great lakes to the middle mississippi valley to a raging wildfire. in fact, several of them, driving thousands from their homes in colorado. in the midwest, forecasters are watching radar images ahead of a dangerous system of thunderstorms, expected to bring winds up to 75 miles per hour and powerful tornadoes. parts of iowa, illinois, indiana, and ohio are under the most severe threat. and while out west, four separate wildfires are on the march, burning homes and forcing thousands to flee. our teams in place to cover it all. let's start with the storm and weather channel meteorologist mike seidel, from under an ominous sky in joliet, illinois, southwest of chicago. mike. >> good evening, lester, 74 million americans in the path of this dangerous storm system and

for the first time in nine years, the storm prediction center in norman, oklahoma, put chicago in high risk this afternoon. take a look, not only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind gusts, 80 miles an hour and a derecho, a huge damaging windstorm that travels over 240 miles. note how they travel from wednesday night to thursday morning. a long and ugly night as storms sweep across the midwest, chicago, indianapolis, detroit, cleveland. trees and power lines knocked out and tomorrow the danger heads east. noshgts, washington, d.c., and south to atlanta. there could be some tornadoes. biggest threat will be powerful wind gusts. if you don't get the wind, count on the rain. watches up to boston tomorrow, two to three inches of rain could fall, pushing new york city to the wettest june on record and add more water to the hazards already at the u.s. open golf tournament. round one will be try to be played outside of philly on thursday.

unlike last year's derecho, the big difference this time around. last year following the determine etchderecho, we had a killer heat wave. this time, temperatures will cool down, making it more comfortable for those who lose power. >> difficult night ahead. thank you. returning to the west, a major battle against a series of destructive wildfires in colorado. that spread quickly and forced the evacuation of thousands of people. miguel almaguer in colorado springs for us tonight. good evening. >> reporter: lester, good evening. the black forest fire can be seen burning from 45 miles an hour, and ash is falling in parts of denver tonight. this fire chewed across 8,000 acres, a fire that simply won't slow down. devouring entire neighborhoods, many million dollar homes, the so-called black forest fire

exploded in bone-dry conditions, jumping from home to home, up to 100 destroyed. >> get out! >> reporter: tonight, 2,500 properties threatened, 7,000 people forced to flee the flames. >> you work your whole life to have your own little place on the world, find someplace special to you, and then it's gone. >> reporter: fueled by whipping winds and dry brush, a "denver post" photographer captured these images overnight as fire steam rolled through 48 square miles. the blaze burned through the night, engulfing homes, and 900 inmates evacuated from a prison by buses as flames closed in. authorities worried no everyone heeded the order to leave. >> one of my worst fears is that people took their chances and it may have cost them their life. >> reporter: today, ground crews beat back flames where they could, what seemed like an endless fight. conditions on the front line have been anything but ideal in some areas, visibility reduced

to near zero. and temperatures are soaring into the 90s. from the air, a military response. national guard helicopters and air force c-130s called in to coordinate a steady attack, across colorado, four major wildfires burn. one threatened the iconic royal gorge suspension bridge, for now still spans the burning canyon. >> our challenges are really boiled down to this. very dry, dry conditions out here. >> reporter: tonight, the threat is far from over. as neighbors pick up the pieces to their lives, looking for what they've lost and what has been left behind. stubborn wind are a problem, they can hamper firefighters, not just by fanning flames tree top to tree top. but by slowing down the air attack. the next 24 hours on the ground will be critical. >> miguel, thank you. and the former government

contractor who revealed top secrets said he will fight america's attempts to bring him to justice. the latest comments from edward snowden came in a hong kong newspaper. andrea mitchell with the latest. >> reporter: there are 7.2 million people in hong kong. the fbi believes edward snowden is one of them. from hiding, he leveled new charges today, telling "the south china morning post" that u.s. has been hacking china's computers for years. the paper says he claimed the u.s. is exerting bullying diplomatic pressure on hong kong to extradite him. but rule of law will protect him from the u.s. and he's in constant fear for his own safety and that of his family. ian williams in hong kong. >> this is clearly a well targeted interview, an appeal to hong kong through its main english language newspaper,

demonstrating not only he's still here, but he intends to stay and fight. >> reporter: half a world away, the head of the national security agency strongly defended the surveillance program, claiming they disrupted far more plots than previously known. >> it's dozens of terrorist events that these have helped prevent. >> reporter: but he was hammered about snowden and the extent of nsa surveillance. >> i am looking at the background to this individual who had access to highly classified information at such a young age. >> i do have concerns about the process, senator. i have great concerns over that. the access he had. >> mr. snowden claimed that due to his position at nsa, he could tap into virtually any american's phone calls or e-mails. true or false? >> false. i know of no way to do that.

>> reporter: and in a social media first, barbara mckolsky denied she was cutting off questioning from anyone, in response to a tweet by rosie gray. >> i want to respond to a tweet about me from rosie gray. there is no attempt to stifle any senator. rosie, it's an open hearing. hi. look forward to keeping in touch. >> the nsa director did not give any details on the plots he claims were disrupted. but the u.s. and allies aren't as safe as they were before the leaks. even as snowden telling the hong kong paper, i'm not a traitor nor here york i'm an american. lester. an update on what was the top story last night. our chief foreign correspondent richa richard engel remains in turkey.

where the situation remains highly volatile. more demonstrations today. but none of the violent clashes we saw last night. the turkish government ordered protesters out of a park in the center of istanbul, and the protesters show no signs they are going anywhere. and we continue to monitor the health of nelson mandela, and there is more encouraging news. the 94-year-old mandela, responding better to treatment and stabilized. more family members visited today, including his former wife winnie who visited the third straight day. today marks the 49th anniversary of mandela's sentence to life in prison. for conspiring to overthrow the south african government. he served 27 years and was freed after an international campaign. the growing problem of sexual assault in the u.s. military has led to major changes in the military justice system. and has provoked a heated debate in congress. nbc kelly o'donnell watching from capitol hill. hi, kelly.

>> hi, lester, this crisis set up a political clash that put allies on the opposite side to the painful issue and raises questions about how or if change in an institution like the military can ever really happen. >> retaliation -- >> as part of the senate's new generation. >> many here don't believe the victims. they don't believe the victims. they don't believe chain of command is the problem. >> reporter: kirsten gillibrand took on the old guard in what began last week as a showdown between the pentagon's top brass and the record number of women, seven, on the armed services committee. over the failure to stop military sexual assaults. >> victims said i am not reporting because it's in the chain of command. >> reporter: it looked like service chiefs taken to the wood shed. >> this isn't about sex this is about assaultive domination and violence. >> reporter: today, the plan backed by gillibrand and two dozen other senators that would have taken the prosecution of serious crimes out of the

military chain of command failed. defense secretary chuck hagel. >> i don't personally believe that you can eliminate the command structure and the military from this process. >> reporter: the top democrat, carl levin, sided with the pentagon. >> it is harder to hold someone accountable for failure to act if you reduce your power to act. >> reporter: levin got the committee to agree for some changes, making retaliation against a victim a crime. >> if you can't get the command system to work, then the whole thing crumbles. >> reporter: other democrats stuck with gillibrand, insisting more sweeping change is needed. >> it will look to the victim as though we were simply tinkering with the progress. >> reporter: senators say they are making big changes, like ending a commander's ability to toss out a conviction and if

they fail to prosecute a serious case, to be subject to review. the man in cleveland accused of holding three women in his home for years was arraigned today. ariel castro pleaded not guilty. his lawyer said the defense is trying to avoid a trial by working on a plea deal that would avoid the death penalty. castro faces accusations that he forced a miscarriage in one of the women, considered killing under ohio law. still ahead tonight, hands free, but not risk free behind the wheel. a big change in what we've been told about talking and texting on the road. later, an amazing turn around thanks to a principal willing to shake up the status quo, starting with some great expectations. the status quo, starting with some great expectations. overmany discounts to thine customers! [old english accent] safe driver, multi-car, paid in full -- a most fulsome bounty indeed, lord jamie. thou cometh and we thy saveth! what are you doing? we doth offer so many discounts, we have some to spare. oh, you have any of those homeowners discounts? here we go. thank you.

he took my shield, my lady. these are troubling times in the kingdom. more discounts than we knoweth what to do with. now that's progressive. a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. celebrex can be taken with or without food. and it's not a narcotic. you and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease

or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, like celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions, or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. don't take celebrex if you have bleeding in the stomach or intestine, or had an asthma attack, hives, other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history. and find an arthritis treatment for you. visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion. we are back with new research on the problem of distracted driving. we've all been encouraged to go hands free when using the phone behind the wheel. researchers at aaa and university of utah say the distractions could be just as great with that, tom costello

took a test drive. >> reporter: the first in-depth study of driver's brain activity while they drive. >> minus y -- . it ag >> reporter: from performing math equations to dictating an e-mail. >> hey, tyler, let's do it again. >> reporter: the more we have on our minds, the less we pay attention to driving, even when our hands stay on the wheel. >> the neurosignature is suppressed because are you paying attention to the phone call rather than driving. >> reporter: researchers put me through some of the paces, including brain electrodes and cap. it began with a simple drive with the radio on. every time i saw a green light, i had to press a button with my thumb. >> sometimes as mental workload increases, people are more likely to miss those green lights. >> reporter: for most people, driving with the radio on isn't

a big distraction, but when i have to listen to and dictate text messages hands free? >> coming in june. >> which band is coming to town and what day? 10% slower responding to the green light. >> oh, stop sight. sorry, guys. >> we don't react as quickly. miss visual cues like stop signs. >> reporter: distract the driving thought to play a role in 30% of all accidents. by 2019, half of new cars will come with some voice recognition system. >> our research shows that interacting with hands free still causes driver distraction. >> reporter: aaa believes hands free technology should only work with the car in park. tom costello, landover, maryland. we're back with sarah's story. a 10-year-old girl in the fight of her life.

her family at the center of a nationwide debate. he fight of her life. her family at the center of a nationwide debate. [ male announcer ] this is kevin. to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for him, he's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. i was okay, but after lunch my knee started to hurt again. and now i've got to take more pills. ♪ yup. another pill stop. can i get my aleve back yet? ♪ for my pain, i want my aleve. ♪ [ male announcer ] look for the easy-open red arthritis cap. energy efficient appliances. you can get a tax write off for those. a programmable thermostat, very smart, saves money. ♪ cash money sorry. i see you have allstate claim free rewards, for every year you don't have a claim, you'll get money off your home insurance policy. put it towards... [ glass shatters ] [ girl ] dad! dad! [ girl screams ] noise canceling headphones? [ nicole ] that's a great idea.

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[ dad ] jan? ♪ >> there> was high drama 500 feet above midtown manhattan as a pair of window washers became trapped as their scaffolding buckled. it played out on live news television, firefighters removed windows on the 44th floor and pulled them to safety. now to one young girl's fight for life that captured so much attention across the country and left her family at the center of a big debate about children and organ donation from adults. thanks to a judge's intervention, she is getting the lungs she needs to survive. more from stephanie gosk. >> reporter: the lungs that doctors hope will save sarah murngahan's life were rushed to the hospital today. her mother announced the news.

god is great. he moved the mountain, sarah got the call. she has been waiting for a donor at children's hospital in philadelphia. lungs damaged beyond repair from cystic fibrosis. her parents feared she would die before getting a transplant and took her case to the press. >> she has weeks to live, struggling and fighting with each breath and we have no greater chance of getting lungs today than we did when she was fairly healthy six months ago, because severity of illness doesn't matter. >> reporter: national regulations require children under the 12 be put on a separate list from adults. transplanting full sized lungs in children can be risky. but there are not many young donors. sarah's story made its way to the nation's capital. the director of health and human services painted a grim picture. >> we have far too few donors and far too many desperately ill people. that's the national snapshot.

>> reporter: the murngahans went to court along with the family of javier acosta, filing a federal lawsuit. and they won. the children will be put on the adult transplant list. the transplant lists are set up by doctors and medical ethicists. some fear desperate families waiting for transplants will flood courtrooms. we have a new avenue, a scary one, where judges decide who lives and who dies rather than a system that strives to be as transparent as possible. >> reporter: a week after the court decision, sarah murngahan is getting new lungs, a relief for one family, but a problem that the health department still needs to resolve. stephanie gosk, new york. george h.w. bush reached another milestone today, he turn 89 years old, and marked the occasion with superman socks. while his days of skydiving may be over, he continues to have fun with his color footwear.

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in tonight's education nation report, a return to something fundamental that might easily get lost with the emphasis today on technology in the classroom. rehema ellis goes to a school where they raised performance by raising expectations. >> reporter: at annapolis high this advance placement psychologisk psychology class is a reflection of the change. >> a cultural change that all children can be successful. >> reporter: when the principal took over, annapolis operated like two different schools in one building. white students thrived and minority students failed. decades ago, there were two segregated schools that merged. but the inequality never fully went away. >> african-american ninth grade

males, 73% had less than a 2.0 grade point average. >> reporter: today it's changed. 85% of blacks and 77% of hispanics are passing math. joshua was pushed into tougher glasses. he went from a failing freshman to a college-bound senior. >> i have people that care about me, and the things i do right new, i too it for them. >> reporter: the principal hired new teachers, offered classes year round and went one step further. annapolis high invited community leaders into the building, to connect with under achieving students in a way that never happened before. students meet every week with volunteer role models from the same troubled community as the kids. changing perceptions of what's possible. you come here every week? >> every week? i probably come here every other day. sometimes i'm here every day. >> reporter: charles duckett

listens as much as he talks. >> i try to give my wisdom to them in a way that understand. >> reporter: joslin gets it, and now has a full scholarship to emory university. >> from the outside looking in, there are people who don't think we can do this, and we have to prove them wrong, that's what clicked. >> reporter: annapolis changed the culture of what the community expects of minority students, that changed the students and the school. >> that's our broadcast for wednesday night. thank you for being with us. i'm lester holt in for brian. hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. seeou right back he tomorrow evening. good night.

>> announcer: you're watching nbc sports championship season. >> players championship. >> seven french championships. >> the kings are the king! the city of chicago, united center. torrential rain today, but they only affect the parking lot. they aren't going to affect the demeanor of these fans. they have smiles on their faces wearing their red and black, their shoulder tomahawks, the face of chief blackhawk. the smile because their team is again playing for the stanley cup. tonight means so much only because of all that has come