on the broadcast tonight, for the record, edward snowden answers questions from his hiding place in russia as the attorney general weighs in on clemency. record cold making for bad travel conditions, including a massive pileup as a deep freeze takes hold across a huge part of the country. no way out for dozens of elderly residents trapped in a horrible rampaging fire. an awful tragedy raising concerns now about escape plans at senior centers. and the take-down of the real alleged goodfellas, after all these years, rounded up for what was the biggest cash heist of all time. plus, the health story out today about carmel coloring in beverages. "nightly news" begins now.

good evening. he has done as much as any one man in modern history to affect u.s. intelligence policy, even our relations with some other countries. today edward snowden, the man who single-handedly exposed this nation's secret spy program of data mining and made off with over a million secret documents went on the record from his hiding place in russia. it was a web-based question-and-answer session, motivated perhaps in part by the recent charges that he was somehow working with the russians, who later provided him a home. and on this very day, the u.s. attorney general weighed in for the first time on the idea of clemency for snowden. it is where we begin with our chief foreign affairs correspondent, andrea mitchell. >> reporter: from his hiding place in russia, fugitive edward snowden answered questions tweeted to his website.

@ragbagusa asked what snowden thinks is the appropriate extent of u.s. national security apparatus. surely some spying is needed. snowden writes not all spying is bad. the biggest problem we face is the massive surveillance where governments are seizing billions and billions and billions of innocent communications every single day. @michaelhargrove1 asked was the privacy of your coworkers considered while stealing their login and password information? snowden replied i never stole any passwords, nor did i trick an army of coworkers. the leak sent off an international furor, especially on the u.s. spying on cell phones. today an independent government privacy board reported the mass collection snowden exposed is illegal. >> no, the program is not legal and should be ceased. >> reporter: and the panel said even in 12 terror cases cited by the government, the benefits of the phone surveillance were minimal. on "meet the press," the house

chairman mike rogers suggested vladimir putin's russia may have helped snowden steal secrets. >> i believe there is a reason he ended up in the hands -- in the loving arms of an agent in moscow, number one. i don't think that's a kwis dense. number two -- >> you think the russians helped snowden? >> reporter: snowden strongly denied getting help from russia or any other country. >> he called these allegations absurd, basically and said they're flatly false. >> reporter: experts tell nbc news they see no evidence snowden had help. >> thus far, i don't think there is strong evidence indicating that he operated with any foreign support. >> reporter: today, the attorney general told msnbc's ari melber he would not consider clemency for snowden. >> the notion of clemency, a simple no harm, no foul, i think that would be going too far. >> reporter: and in a related

case, the justice department has accused the security contractor that did edward snowden's clearance for the nsa with fraud, saying that contractor, usis failed to do the required background checks 40% of the time, brian. >> andrea mitchell in our d.c. news room starting us off tonight. andrea, thanks. the weather continues to make news across our country tonight in the form of this latest blast of frigid air covering a large part of the nation. bringing dangerous and now deadly conditions. we want to get the very latest tonight from nbc meteorologist dylan dreyer who is here in new york. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. nearly half the country right now is under some sort of windchill warning or advisory. and this extreme cold is causing very hazardous travel conditions that have already turned deadly in places. >> you are looking down at an absolutely horrible accident. >> reporter: in indiana this afternoon, a multivehicle accident that shut down a major

highway near michigan city. the crash involved 15 semis, and first responders are still searching through the wreckage. low visibility paralyzed drivers. after a record-setting storm blasted the region with up to 12 inches of snow. so so much snow you could see it from space. blame it on an arctic air mass that has settled in over the northeast and mid east. minus 20 in fargo, and a staggering negative 36 in international falls, minnesota. >> it is really cold. >> bone-chilling. >> reporter: in west bridgewater, massachusetts, below zero temperatures froze fire hydrants. so cold the water from the hoses instantly turned to ice. in new york, the hudson river was changed into a giant, floating ice field. the fresh water here in the adirondacks, frozen up upstate new york. it breaks off and flows down the hudson river. but with this persistent northwest wind, all of that ice has now been trapped in place.

those traveling by air didn't fare any better. more than 400 flights cancelled today bringing the number to 35,000, just 23 days into the year. in minnesota and nebraska, school closings for days straight. in ohio, several districts are already maxed out on snow days. >> this has been a winter for the record books. in the last two years we only had one snow day all year. this year we're only midway through january and have already hit five. >> reporter: now, parts of southeastern texas are bracing for an ice storm tonight and early tomorrow morning. and as for this bitter air, it could get even worse next week for people already suffering so much from the cold. brian? >> dylan dreyer midtown, thanks. there is a terrible tragedy north of the border in quebec, a massive fire tore through a senior center there, killing at least three elderly residents. tonight dozens more are still unaccounted for and are sadly feared dead. and as the investigation there

continues, it's raising questions about the escape plans at senior centers and nursing homes across this country. our report tonight from nbc's john yang. >> reporter: when the fire chief arrived on the scene early this morning, it was, he said, a ball of fire, total conflagration. neighbors heard cries for help from balconies. flames whipped by high winds and sub-zero temperatures. the chief called it a night from hell. daylight revealed smoldering wreckage encrusted in ice. this man drove all night from montreal and fears his 99-year-old mother didn't make it out. >> my motto, she is blind. she is handicapped. she moved this person first, okay, and she is still there. i can't believe it. >> reporter: officials say most of the 52 residents were older than 75. only five could get around on their own. "i can't get over it", this man

says. and there is still a lot of bodies there. officials say only part of the building had a sprinkler system. today, about a third of the complex remains standing. in the united states, there were two fires in 2003, in connecticut, 16 people died at a hartford nursing home. and seven months later, 15 people personished at a nashville facility. >> the sprinklers would have stopped the fire quicker. >> reporter: those fires prompted federal regulators to require sprinklers in all nursing homes. >> not only do they detect a fire and make the occupants aware of what is going on so they can evacuate, but they also can control the fire and alert the fire department. >> reporter: something that could have saved lives and anguish in canada. john yang, nbc news, canada. it was known back in the day simply as the lufthansa heist, and it was the biggest cash heist of all time when it took place back in the late '70s. at best, it gave us "goodfellas," the scorsese

masterpiece, one of the great mob movies of all time. but the real story came back today with word that the feds say are the real goodfellows were rounded up out of nowhere and at long last. our report tonight from our national correspondent, kate snow. >> nobody knows for sure how much was taken in the daring predawn raid. >> reporter: movie fans will remember ray liotta's reaction in the mob film "goodfellas." when he hears his friends have pulled off one of the biggest heists in history. but that was not a hollywood fiction. >> there was a hold-up of historic proportions at new york's kennedy airport this morning. >> reporter: december 11th, 1978. a bunch of masked gunman stormed into the lufthansa airlines cargo area and stole $5 million in cash and nearly a million dollars worth of jewelry. >> the robbers rounded up nine employees working inside the building and herded them all to a second floor cafeteria. >> reporter: the cash and the jewels were never found. until now, the only person ever convicted in the case was an

inside man at lufthansa. as many as ten others suspected to be involved turned up dead. but today in new york, a parade of alleged aging mobsters, members of the bonanno organized crime family. at the front of the pack, 78-year-old vincent asaro, accused of helping carry out the lufthansa heist. authorities always believed the late jimmy burke, jimmy the gent, was the mastermind behind the heist. robert de niro in the film version. >> never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut. >> reporter: last summer, the fbi found human remains buried in burke's basement. >> when they found the body you can figure somebody was giving up information. >> reporter: the unsealed indictment reads like a movie script -- robbery, arson, extortion, illegal gambling, bookmaking, and murder. the others accused, vincent's son, 55-year-old jerome asaro, another alleged high-ranking member of the crime family, 70-year-old thomas di fiore, who

went by tommy d, and 50-year-old john ragano, known as bazu. the laundry list of crimes spans from 1968 all the way to last summer. vincent asaro faces life in prison, the others, 20 years behind bars. brian? >> incredible story to come roaring back after all these years. kate snow, thanks as always. in the state of new jersey, new developments tonight in the investigation of those lane closures on the george washington bridge, including governor chris christie's office. for the first time, the u.s. attorney in new jersey has issued subpoenas for documents to christie's reelection committee and the state gop. the new jersey legislature is conducting its own parallel investigation. for his part tonight, governor christie tonight is responding to an issue that has been festering for years right there in the shadow of new jersey's state house. a high school in such disrepair would make any parent in the country wonder about sending their child there. nbc news started looking at

conditions at trenton high school about two months ago. the word got out in the community and the local newspaper and now it appears that after so many years of neglect there could be finally a solution. our exclusive report tonight from nbc's ron allen. >> reporter: central high is an 82-year-old historic building with a once grand facade. inside, some 1800 students and teachers work in shocking conditions. they call the stairwell the waterfall. during heavy rain, it pours. a secretary protects herself from the stench and grime in this file room. near a cooking class, caution signs. the court of appealing in this adjoining room collapsed. bridget's rugiano's arts class is beneath the a rest room. >> whenever the boys bathroom floods or leaks, i start to hear the pitter-patter, and i know to brace myself. >> reporter: and then there is the storage area. >> i can smell the dead mice in the wall. >> you can smell dead mice in the wall? >> yes.

>> reporter: recent charges show repeat violations, leaks, falling plaster, exposed electrical outlets and fixtures. over 100 violations in recent years according to court complaint. repairs have been made, but teachers like annie coleman insists the mold problem in her classroom keeps coming back. she took these pictures in september. >> it was really bad. it caused me headaches. the kids in the classroom, they had headaches. >> trenton school officials have sued, claiming health hazard threaten students and staff on a daily basis and demand immediate repairs. >> we stand before you begging for help. >> reporter: the community accuses lawmakers at the capitol, less than two miles away, of turning a blind eye. they say governor christie has been publicly asked to visit. he has not. >> i don't ever wanted students to get comfortable and think this is okay and normal and think this is acceptable. >> it is embarrassing to go into another school and it is like

you guys have this, this, and this? >> reporter: now, perhaps a breakthrough. today, as christie spoke at another embattled school, confirmation he will support a plan to build a new high school in trenton. why the apparent change of heart? after the tour last week and response to our inquiries, a top aide recently appointed to be responsible for the school said he visited trenton high a day after getting the job last month and said there will be no more delays in getting the facility into the best possible condition. the state plans to submit its proposal for the school on monday. at trenton high, they hope to see vast improvements soon. ron allen, nbc news, trenton, new jersey. still ahead for us tonight, the health story you may have heard about when it came out this morning about what consumer reports has found in soda, and is there any need for concern? and then later, a pair of unforgettable best friends, and the inspiring way one stood by the other when times got tough.

we're back as promised with tonight's health news, about a chemical commonly found in the commer coloring used in soda, a lot of different carbonated beverages. the questions come from consumer reports, which says the chemical causes cancer in animals although the fda has found no risk to humans. our story tonight from nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: it is a chemical found in the artificial carmel coloring of some of the most widely consumed sodas. it's called 4mei, found to cause cancer in ice. approved by the federal government 40 years ago, in 2012, california set a daily consumer limit. now a consumer reports investigation has found pepsi one sold in california exceeded that level. and several sodas bought in new york far exceeded the carmel level, six times as far as diet pepsi and pepsi one, 12 times in

montogoya bought on both coasts. >> this is about coloring food brown. we don't need to increase people's cancer risk from coloring food brown. >> reporter: but while the fda is conducting its own testing, it tells nbc news it has no reason to believe that 4-mei poses a risk to consumers. and nutritionists say the fact that americans on average drink two and a half sodas every day is a far greater health challenge than carmel coloring. >> the problem of too much soda is extra calories that can lead to overweight and obesity and extra sugar that can lead to dental cavities. >> reporter: in fact, soda consumption has been declining in recent years. >> there is coloring that is not natural. so that's not appealing to me. putting a chemical in your body? >> reporter: pepsi tells nbc news saying it questions the methodology, saying we believe consumer report's conclusion is factually incorrect. pepsico abides by the law everywhere we do business.

but it is lowering the 4-mei levels nationwide as consumer reports calls on the fda to require full disclosure on food coloring. tom colorado costello, nbc news, washington. we're back in a moment for search for a massive vessel drifting at sea, and the fears about what's on board.

fans and followers have watched lately as the personal life of justin bieber has seemingly come off the rails. controversy followed him on his last tour. last week police searched his california home, and now he may be in real trouble. he was pulled over at 4:00 a.m. in miami beach. he was handcuffed, arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence of a controlled substance and drag racing with an expired license, also resisting arrest, though without violence. police say the 19-year-old singer admitted smoking pot, drinking and taking prescription drugs. he appeared before a judge via video screen. he is tonight out on bail. some legal experts have speculated if his troubles grow any worse, the u.s. could pull his visa, and he could be sent back to his native canada. the team usa opening ceremony outfits for the sochi winter olympics have been revealed, made in america by ralph lauren. and there is no mistaking the american athletes this time. they're big on knitting and red, white, and blue.

and we can only hope that when the nations crowd together on in the olympic stadium, our guys don't stand next to these guy, the norwegian curling team. they're going garish this year. they love it. they're in on the joke. and here is something to think about if you're considering any ocean travel in the north atlantic. a large ship, technically an ocean liner believed to be adrift, possibly heading toward the coast of scotland after long ago being deserted and left for scrap. it was being towed to the caribbean last year when it came loose during a storm. it's now feared to be infested with cannibal rats on board, who lacking a food source, have turned on each other. hopes are high that the 300-foot-long vessel can be located by satellite or by mariners. when we come back here tonight, two young friends and a lesson for all of us in caring about each other.

finally tonight, they were already best friends, two boys in first grade, they were all but inseparable, and like all best friends everywhere, when something went wrong they had each other's backs. we learned about their story from our friends at our nbc

station ksdk in st. louis. and tonight, nbc's rehema ellis has their remarkable story. >> reporter: vincent butterfield and zachs go gosig are best friends in missouri with a very special bond. sure, they play. and tell silly jokes. >> why does the chicken cross the playground? >> reporter: the answer? >> to get to the other side. >> reporter: but in all the child's play, they're teaching a very grown-up lesson about the power of friendship. last june, zach was diagnosed with an acute form of leukemia. >> as a parent you want to make sure nothing bad ever happens to your child, and when something does, you want to be able to fix it and i couldn't. and it was horrible. >> reporter: despite frequent trips to the hospital, he continued going to school. >> he is the strongest kid that i know. >> reporter: vincent stayed by his side, learning all about his friend's cancer. >> it is when the white blood cells and the red blood cells fight. >> reporter: vincent wanted to help.

>> i took some yarn, then crocheted. >> he knitted scarves and he gave the money to me. >> reporter: he raised about $200 for zach's treatment, and then vincent did something else. >> he came in and had a cap on and he said mrs. kester, i have a surprise for zach. and i said you do? and he said yes, i do. and he pulls off his stocking cap, and i see here that he shaved his head. >> reporter: he didn't want zach worried about what others might say. >> and it made zach feel like he is not the only one without any hair. >> reporter: zach's cancer is in remission now. as for their friendship? >> a beautiful thing. >> reporter: a beautiful thing. they say will last a very long time. >> i would say forever. >> like a bff? >> yeah. >> reporter: rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. beautiful thing to end our broadcast on this thursday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams.

we of course hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. nbc bay area news starts now. right now at 6:00, cameras across the bay area are rolling and someone is watching you. a new proposal to create a central database using all those private security cameras. some say it's about safety. others say it's a bad idea. good evening, and thanks for joining us. i'm janelle wang. >> and i'm jessica aguirre. do you have a surveillance

camera? do you want to link it to the police department? nbc bay area's scott budman is live. >> reporter: a lot of debate on this one. even the aclu is weighing in. they refer to the cameras as little brother. now yes, this technology may help in catching suspects. but at what potential cost to our privacy? neighborhood surveillance video helped capture a suspect in a string of san jose arson fires. and with more cameras comes more evidence like this, which begs the question, can it be made more efficient for law enforcement? at least one local law maker says yes. >> this is really leveraging the efforts of our community collectively to see how we can support our police department. >> reporter: he is proposing a crowd-sourced database where city residents would let