the nbc bay area news at 6:00. see you then. have a good night. on this saturday night, the banned. the big penalty for alex rodriguez for his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs. the longest suspension ever in major league baseball. state of emergency, a devastating chemical spill in a major american city has left hundreds of thousands with tainted water and no relief in sight. high demand for marijuana that's been legal in colorado since the start of the year. a booming business already causing shortages. and taking flight. once almost extinct, how these majestic birds are soaring again.

good evening. we start here tonight with big news from the big leagues, and word that baseball's highest paid player, alex rodriguez will pay a record-setting price for the alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs. a 162-game suspension, in a ruling today, the yankees slugger must sit out the entire upcoming baseball season. rodriguez is 38 years old, and so that punishment has many wondering if the suspension will essentially end his career. rodriguez said today he will keep fighting. but as you can imagine, the ruling is reverberating across the world. nbc's ron mott has the story for us. >> reporter: it's the longest such punishment for the doping. this in baseball's history. even though alex rodriguez never failed a drug test. part of a sweeping allegation that led to other players tied to a defunct clinic. >> it really sends a message to

really all athletes that if the league wants to get rid of you, they can get rid of you. there is no player bigger than the league for which he plays. >> reporter: rodriguez issued a statement today about the ruling pursuing relief in federal court. the deck has been stacked against me since day one, rodriguez wrote. i have been clear i never used performance enhancing substances as alleged. no player should have to go through what i have been dealing with. in november, rodriguez surprised the new york city radio host shortly after storming out of a negotiating session when the baseball's chief arbitrator fredric horowitz ruled that the commissioner, bud selig, did not have to testify in person. >> i just -- i lost my mind. i kicked a briefcase and slammed it and ran out of the room. i knew the system was restricted and i knew it was not fair. >> reporter: the season-long suspension will cost rodriguez about $25 million, leaving him

owed more than $60 million from the yankees. some say that collecting that money is at the heart of the battle, resulting in some testy exchanges with the yankees front office during this past season. the team says it respects the panel's decision this past season. >> it is not over, it is not going away, rodriguez's attorneys are defiant, he is defiant, they still feel he will play in 2014 and if they get an injunction, they've got a chance to still do that. >> reporter: at age 38, plagued by injuries and two hip surgeries, questions about whether rodriguez may have played his last game as a big leaguer have swirled since the season ended. >> he's being used as a scapegoat. >> it's a sad day. i've been a yankees fan. i've been an a-rod fan. >> reporter: a lightning rod of controversy and tension during his 20-year career, still highly charged. ron mott, nbc news, boston. >> for more on this, let's bring in bob costas of nbc sports who joins us by phone. bob, i've got to ask you, does

the punishment fit the alleged crime here? >> i think it does, because the baseball hearing alleges the use was extensive and ongoing, and perhaps worse than those of others who were disciplined, and generally speaking, the courts are reluctant to overturn rulings like this when something has been collectively bargained. even though the baseball player's association, while they don't dispute the terms, the process has often been favorable to players. so i don't think that a-rod stands that much of a chance in court. >> and what about his chance to resume his career, assuming he serves this entire suspension? >> he's a tremendously determined and well-conditioned athlete. you have to give him that. ip think he will do everything possible to get on the field. most leagues recognize the baseball disciplinary process, so he cannot play in the minor leagues. he can't play in japan. he can probably only play in an independent league, and if he

comes back in 2015, unless he gets an injunction, he'd be nearly 40, year the end of his career, not to mention what this might do to his hall of fame chances down the road. >> bob costas, thank you so much. >> okay, lester. and in charleston, west virginia, a state of emergency is in effect tonight and hundreds of thousands wonder how long it will be before they get relief from the water crisis that threatens their health and their livelihoods. it was caused by a chemical leak that contaminated the city's water supply. nbc's luke russert has more on the story tonight. >> we don't know when the situation will be remedied. >> reporter: for the third straight day, as many as 300,000 residents have been unable to bathe, drink or cook with tap water. relying instead on bottled water and refills at government distribution centers. >> thank you. >> reporter: and that's where we met penny faber. mother of 9-month-old baby trenton. >> i am trying to best i can to make sure he is safe.

i can tend to myself and take care of myself, but he cannot. >> reporter: at home, all faucets are off limits, her baby is cleaned with distilled water and she mixes the formula with bottled water. >> when you pay a water bill for the water to come out of your faucets, and now it's not safe for us to drink. >> reporter: and there does not seem to be relief in sight. today, the governor's office says it will take days before experts will even know when it will be safe to drink water again. >> this is a large system and requires a significant amount of testing and sampling. >> reporter: all of this the result of a chemical spill at freedom industries that contaminated the elk river, flowing downstream to the west virginia american water company, which supplies water to nine counties. since then, the poison center has reported 787 cases of exposure, complaints of nausea, vomiting and skin irritation. at charleston area medical center, a water tanker parked just outside for emergency cleaning and sterilizing. >> water touches just about every piece of our lives and especially the hospital,

cleaning gowns the patients wear, the scrubs that operating room nurses are wearing to the bed sheets and pillows. so it's really important. >> reporter: while the hospitals stay open for now, schools and many businesses remain closed. the loss of revenue is expected to be in the millions. the devastating water contamination impacting almost everyone in the capital city. and lester, its residents still on edge. late word that a team will be sent here on monday from the u.s. chemical safety board. they will investigate what exactly caused that leak and what safeguards can be put in place so something this bad never happens again. lester? >> luke, thank you. one day after target announced customers were hit with theft on their personal data, another well-known retailer says that thieves may have stolen debit and credit card information from the neem is marcus customer.

we get more on this from nbc's kristen dahlgren. >> reporter: first, 110 million target shoppers. now an unknown number at neiman marcus, who said they, too, were hacked over the holidays. neiman says it was informed by a credit card processer in mid-december, and it working with the u.s. secret service to notify affected customers. . you may be one of those people and not even know it. >> reporter: radio aol ordered a debit card after the breach, now he worries it was not enough. >> it kind of scares me because somebody has more details than i would normally give out in a phone conversation. >> reporter: details including names, phone numbers, e-mails and home addresses that scammers can use to steal an identity. opening cards, loans or getting access to bank accounts. >> we don't know how far this could go or what could be the scam they want to get you involved in. so the best rule of thumb just don't click on any e-mail that you're not sure about. >> reporter: target still hasn't said how the information was

stolen, in stores or from internal system, but experts say either way, there are things customers should do. >> if you have your receipts from the last couple of months of shopping, save them. make sure you save that receipt and match them with the bills you get from the credit card companies. make sure if there are any fraudulent charges you alert the credit card company right away. and the other thing you want to do is get a free copy of your credit report. >> reporter: target is offering free credit monitoring for one year for all customers regardless of when you shopped, but for raoul rojas it is just the beginning. >> i don't think it will just be a year that people are trying to use information. >> reporter: one of the millions wondering just where that information now live, and how much more in what is being called the biggest data breach in history could cost. kristen dahlgren, new york. nbc news. we fun turn now to the scandal involving new jersey governor chris christie and more revelations emerge from hundreds

of pages of documents from officials in the administration, among the e-mails. it all relates to the lane closures surrounding the george washington bridge in september. nbc's kelly o'donnell is in trenton, new jersey, with more for us. kelly? >> reporter: good evening, lester. these documents paint a more vivid picture inside the agencies and the frustration that happened after the closures, moves that may have been done to harm christie's political adversaries, and tonight there is information that goes a step closer to the governor. scrambling to keep the lid on is how one new jersey newspaper today described the e-mail trail, where kristy-appointed officials had tried to blunt news coverage of that four-day bumper to bumper traffic jam. during christie's re-election campaign. two words, importance high, found on one e-mail in a trove

of documents add a previously unknown link to governor christie's inner circle, his next chief of staff, regina egea. >> regina has done an extraordinary job. >> reporter: that same day, christie said this about his team. >> in this job, you're only as good as people around you. >> reporter: christie maintains he knew nothing about the mess. >> i knew nothing about this until it started to be reported in the papers about the closure, but even then i was told this was a traffic study. >> reporter: that new link, the importance high e-mail was simply forwarded to regina egea. from former port authority executive bill baroni, who has since resigned, significant because it contained a blistering complaint from the top port authority official, patrick foye, who blasted the lane closure saying i will get to the bottom of this decision. no evidence emerged that christie's aide ever read that harsh rebuke or told the governor about it. democratic lawmakers raised the specter of impeachment.

>> using the george washington public bridge to exact a political vendetta is a crime. having people use their official position to have a political gain is a crime. and so if those tie back into the governor in any way, it clearly becomes an impeachable offense. >> reporter: and so more fallout for the governor. state lawmakers are pushing off a confirmation hearing for his pick to be the next attorney general. that man is the current out-going chief of staff, kevin o'doud, who so far has also not been links to this scandal. tonight, officials in the christie administration say no new comments on these developments. lester? >> kelly o'donnell in trenton tonight. thank you. much of the eastern part of country was dealing with severe weather today, damaging thunderstorms, strong winds and isolated tornadoes left a trail of damage in the south with reported wind gusts of almost 90 miles per hour in north carolina. in the northeast, icy conditions caused a tractor-trailer to jack knife on the main turnpike,

and that throwed a chain reaction of crashes involving 70 vehicles. five people were injured. he was a towering and controversial figure of the history of israel. a soldier and statesman known as a fierce and sometimes brutal defender of his country. former prime minister ariel sharon died today after being incapacitated for eight years following a stroke. he was 85. nbc's martin fletcher who covered him for decades, takes a look back. >> reporter: hidden from view, the body of ariel sharon was driven from tel aviv today. from jerusalem, for a state ceremony in parliament monday. his son galad said, sharon chose his own time to go. while palestinians in gaza said, at last. a spokesperson said that sharon's hands were covered in palestinian blood. ariel sharon symbolized the iron fist, born in palestine to a farming family, he was a fighter all his life.

1948, wounded in israel's war of independence. 1967, after the six-day war, he suppressed violence by palestinians in occupied gaza. 1973, a war hero turning back egypt's surprise attack. general sharon's military reputation, brutal and brilliant. his nickname, the bulldozer. >> we have to hold the world is in -- the sword in one hand, not because we want it but in order to defend ourselves. >> reporter: but in 1983, he was banned from ever again being defense minister after lebanese-christians massacred palestinians in lebanon, and an inquiry found sharon indirectly responsible. he made a comeback as a champion of jewish settlers. he became israel's prime minister in 2001. the old war horse later stunned the nation yet again with talk of a deal with the palestinians. >> for genuine real peace, we

are ready to make compromises. >> reporter: to keep some of the west bank, he believed israel would have to give up most of the occupied territories nap included gaza, where the organization forced out 9,000 jewish settlers. pasht of the west bank could have been next, but in 2006, sharon fell victim to a massive stroke. monday afternoon there will be a private family burial at sharon's beloved farm in the desert where he will be laid to rest next to his wife, lily. lester? >> martin, thank you. when "nbc nightly news" continues, more on how recreational pot is selling out in the first state to make it legal.

we're back with an update tonight on what has quickly become a new booming business in colorado. the recreational sale of marijuana, ten days after it began, the sales have already topped $5 million, and the high demand means some stores are already running low. more from gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: at the clinic in denver -- >> we are selling this product -- >> reporter: -- rhine cook is selling out faster than he can harvest. there is plenty of medical marijuana left, but when recreational sales became legal in colorado on january 1st, licensed stores had to set aside a certain amount, and that supply is dwindling fast. >> it's kind of crazy. >> reporter: prices are

skyrocketing with recreation's marijuana now cost double what medical marijuana does in some stores. medical dispensaries say they're still getting 500 customers a day. here at this shop it translates to more than $40,000 in business every day. the owner, robin hackett is one of the many sellers rationing their product. >> unless the department of revenue makes some changes, we'll be out of marijuana in the next ten days. >> reporter: adding to the green rush, tourists from all walks of life. >> many professionals and many doctors -- many wealthy people. >> reporter: and the industry is growing elsewhere, washington state plans to allow recreational pot sales by this summer. alaska may vote on it later this year. and by 2016 we could see ballot measures in oregon, california, maine and massachusetts. >> this is going to be one of the great social experiments of this century. >> reporter: critics say the budding business is marketing to young people, and while the government is

letting states make their own rules, pot is technically illegal under federal law. marijuana users in colorado can still be fired for failing a drug test. >> employers do hold all the cards now. if businesses want to discipline people harshly for their off-duty marijuana use, they can. >> reporter: but that's not deterring buyers. >> this is what we consider to be a perpetual harvest. >> reporter: a social experiment in high demand. gabe gutierrez, nbc news, denver. coming up, making varsity and starring, at just 9 years old.

it was on a saturday morning 50 years ago today when the u.s. surgeon general made history releasing a landmark report that said smoking causes lung cancer and probably heart disease.

it was the beginning of a cultural shift on smoking. back then, more than 40% of americans were smokers. today it's 18%. while lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer deaths in this country, the rate continues to decline, although more in men than in women. on a lighter note -- with basketball season in season, consider the star of a downey team in florida. she jaden newman, 4'7", 9 years old, and in fourth grade when she is not playing on the varsity team with kids more than twice her age. it is even more impressive when you consider she is averaging almost 15 points and eight assists per game. up next here tonight, the flight of the crane, soaring again after facing extinction.

finally tonight, a success story about a bird that once faced extinction, now flying high once again. nbc's erica hill on the return of the crane with the help of another set of wings. >> reporter: it is not your typical bird call. but for eight young whooping cranes hatched in captivity, that sound clearly signals one thing, it is time to fly. >> it starts out when they're still in the egg, we play a recording of the aircraft. >> reporter: all part of the plan to create an environment that is as natural as possible for these birds who must migrate south but don't have a parent to

show them the way. he is co-founder of operation migration, a nonprofit that uses ultralight aircraft to help these birds learn to soar. >> we start up and down the runway with the bird. at some point, they realize they can fly. >> reporter: once comfortable in the sky, the ultralights guide the cranes on a route from wisconsin to florida. >> by showing them the route same as their parents did, it works. they come back on their own. >> reporter: they don't want the birds to be comfortable around humans so they wear the white suits to hide the trace of any person underneath, and they never speak around the birds, exposing them only to the sounds of nature. and of course, to the ultralight. when the endangerment species act was signed less than 40 years ago, there were less than

50 whooping cranes in the wild, they now number less than 400. how many of these birds were a direct result of this? >> there are about 100 migrating between wisconsin and florida, quite substantial. >> reporter: the population is still fragile, a major concern for him who stresses efforts to save these birds reach far beyond the cranes. >> the cranes inhibit wetlands. they are critical in the ecosystem for people. they absorb water when we have a flood. they purify heavy metals and pollution. they hold water when we have a drought. >> reporter: a journey followed closely around the world, the team arrives safely in florida, true success, however, comes when these birds make their way back to wisconsin where the journey began. >> it's exciting. you get close to this. i mean, that's proof of our work. >> reporter: work that has truly become a labor of love. erica hill, nbc news, princeton, wisconsin. that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll seal you tomorrow morning on "today," then right back here

tomorrow evening. good night. good evening. thanks for joining us. i'm diane dwyer. the san jose fire department tonight is urging people to be on high alert, following a string of fires in the downtown area including one early this morning. investigators believe most of

the fires were deliberately set. nbc bay area's kimberly tere joins us from the scene of the latest fire with more. >> reporter: diane, i'll show you the damage caused by that most recent fire on east st. john's street here. investigators say that all of the fires have been set on the exterior of the buildings and all have been fast moving, putting both residents and firefighters at risk. so far, there have been no serious injuries or deaths. but firefighters are concerned there could be, if the suspected arsonist is not caught. a $10,000 reward is now being offered for the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for starting these fires. a sketch of a person of interest has also been released. investigators say it is based on witness descriptions and also images taken from surveillance cameras. he is described as a white or hispanic man, 25 to 40 years old, 6 feet to 6'2", weighing approximately 160 to