on our broadcast tonight, boiling point after 12 days without a trace this was the day it boiled over for some of the families of the missing on board the jet. as the fbi is now helping malaysia to try to find them. record payout. toyota has been hit with massive criminal fines for misleading investigators over what it knew about a deadly problem with some of its vehicles. putin's next move, richard engel report's on what could be the next front. and the pentagon is watching, as well. and women and alzheimer's for some. it is now a bigger risk than breast cancer. tonight, the new numbers tell a sobering story. nightly news begins now.

from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is nbc nightly news with brian williams. good evening, it has now been missing longer than any other commercial aircraft in history. and while people across this country and around the world are talking about this story, theorizing about what may have happened some of the families of the loved ones today reached their limit for waiting without knowing. this mystery has always been about the passengers on board more than it has ever concerned a large aircraft with two large engines. and while it is impossible to know what the families are going through today we at least got a vivid glimpse. today, president obama declared the search for this jetliner a top priority for the united states. and we begin with the very latest on that effort. once again, nbc's tom costello in our d.c. news room tonight, good evening. >> reporter: hi, brian, several countries including japan, indonesia and thailand have complained that malaysia has done a poor job with some planes sitting idle without instructions.

now the malaysians are starting to see some control even asking the u.s. u.analyzing data taken from the homes of the crew. now they are asking for help to analyze the computer data taken from the homes of the cockpit crew. now, the fbi is involved helping to analyze copies of the computer hard drives removed from the homes of the pilots. including the flight simulator taken from captain shah's home. >> we are in continuing conversations about how we can help and we will make available whatever resources we have. >> reporter: malaysian authorities today said some of the computer files on the captain's flight simulator were deleted a month before the flight. >> what we have from the simulator is that the data has been cleared in february. >> reporter: of course, the deleted files may be nothing more than computer housekeeping. but fbi technicians will now try

to reconstruct the bits of data. >> if it has been deleted you can put together the programs from software. what you will try to do is reconstruct the thoughts and communications and activities of the pilot what flights was he loading into the flight simulator. >> reporter: meanwhile, experts from u.s., australia and indonesia have noroed the search zone to the southern indian ocean based on the plane's fuel reserves. some of the most sophisticated anti-sub aircraft are now scanning a grid three hours southwest of australia. while the zone has been cut in half it is still a massive 102,000 square miles, roughly the size of colorado. >> the aircraft saw marine life as they were flying through, so we know they could make sightings. >> reporter: the task is finding the batteries and black box. with 19 days of battery life remaining under the under water pingers, nearly two weeks into this mystery, pilots are

scratching their heads. >> why did this happen? and as a crew member, as a pilot i can tell you that there are no answers from our side. i'm just as confused as everybody else. >> reporter: until flight 370 is found it is all just speculation. >> also tonight, china has reviewed radar tapes and found no evidence that flight 370 ever crossed into its massive territory. and chinese and civilian vessels are looking into the indian ocean, the bay of bengal. and the waters off malaysia. unbelievable, tom costello who remains on this story, thank you. and before you see this next report which admittedly is tough to watch, ask how you would stay sane and survive if you had a loved one on that flight. there is no one to blame for the loss of the jet, not that we know of anyway, but that didn't stop a family member from lashing out in frustration, nbc's keir simmons was there and

has our report from kuala lumpur, malaysia. >> reporter: her son was on flight 370, desperate for help she came here to talk to reporters, ahead of an official news conference. she came with other family members, frustrated with the government, stricken by grief. then, malaysian security arrived. there were shouts of protests. she is dragged away, a mother overwhelmed by grief. she collapses. and officials carry her off. screaming. she and another relative are

taken to this room, kept from journalists for more than an hour. then security guards escort the women through the hotel lobby. the families have now been taken through this part of the hotel, extraordinary, crews battling with officials just trying to speak to them. one official told me they removed the grieving mother and other relatives because the news conference was not their platform. do you think this is the right image for malaysia, sir? the malaysian transport minister apologized for what happened here just as family members got some much-needed support from relatives of those who perished on flight 447 in 2009. an open message of sympathy, solidarity, and practical advice from those who may know best what the more than 200 families of flight 370 have been going through, keir simmons, nbc news, kuala lumpur.

12 days without a trace and as the entire world waits for some sign of this wide body jet with 239 souls on board, a reminder our team continues to update this story on nbcnews.com. and a reminder as general motors deals with a very public federal investigators of its own, one of its largest competitors, toyota, agreed to pay the largest criminal fine ever against a car company admitting it misled the public and the company about cars that accelerated, sometimes with deadly outcomes. our report tonight from pete williams. >> reporter: as a lexus sedan sped down the road in san diego four years ago a passenger called 911 unable to stop. >> our accelerator is stuck, there is no brake. >> it was going over 100 miles an hour. all four in the car were killed when it crashed. highway patrolman and his

family, the gas pedal trapped by the floor mat put in by the dealer. toyota admitted it knew two years before that the floor mat could trap the accelerator. and although it recalled eight car models after the san diego crash, toyota admitted today that it knew the popular corolla had the same problem but failed to include it. >> toyota showed a disregard for systems and laws designed to look after the safety of consumers. >> reporter: the company also admitted knowing that a part on the gas pedal could get stuck but cancelled a plan to fix it. toyota agreed to pay 1.2 billion in penalties, the largest ever, accident victims can apply for compensation but most have settled lawsuits against toyota. prosecutors filed criminal fraud charges if toyota agreed to dismiss them. safety experts say that the settlement closes the books too soon before all the causes of

sudden acceleration still a problem are found. >> we continue to hear from consumers, the reports continue to come in. but frankly consumers are also at a disadvantage. at this point no one is even listening to them or taking their complaints, they simply move on. >> reporter: the justice department is now investigating whether another car company, gm, was slow to report a problem with ignition switches linked to crashes. prosecutors clearly viewed today's settlement with toyota as a model for other car companies that hide safety risks, pete williams, nbc news, washington. and now back overseas to the story we have been watching. the crisis in ukraine and russia's land grab there which has brought back still fresh memories from the cold war. late today we heard from president obama speaking to our nbc station in st. louis ksdk as he tried to dial back the rhetoric. >> look, obviously, you know, we

do not need to trigger an actual war with russia. the ukrainians don't want that. nobody would want that. >> reporter: russia's president, vladimir putin, having taken crimea says he does not intend to go any further into ukraine. but many are worried tonight he will do just that. our chief foreign correspondent richard engel reports from the region tonight. >> reporter: pro-russian militias storm the ukrainian navy headquarters. breaking down the gate, moving in armored vehicles. ukrainian troops didn't fight, they picked up their bags and left. across crimea, russian forces are sounding and clearing out the remaining ukrainian troops. the russian commander in sebastopol warned them not to

resist. god forbid you make a single shot even from a sling shot, he said. don't play with fire. and russia's influence and power are spreading beyond crimea to the ukrainian mainland. this is a ukrainian military facility but there are no supply convoys coming in and out right now because they're being blocked by the pro-russian militia men, they put this place under siege and it looks like they will be here for a while. we did not see weapons, just determination to prevent the ukrainian forces from deploying. we don't want these fascists to kill people, one man says, they're like the nazis, ukrainian troops moved past us quickly to get behind the gates, virtual hostages inside the gates. ukraine is in a bind, its forces boxed in, its authority undermined. but if it opens fire on the militias now setting up checkpoints here moscow could take it as a provocation and in invade. the entire region is on edge, vice president joe biden in

eastern europe reassured nervous allies and issued a warning. >> as long as russia continues on this dark path they will face increasing political and economic isolation. >> reporter: but while washington is making threats moscow is taking ground. richard engel nbc news in eastern ukraine. back in this country tonight in her first news conference as chief of the federal reserve, janet yellen discussed hike in the interest rates sooner than some had expected. the markets didn't exactly cheer that news, the dow fell over 100 points, s&p, nasdaq were down, as well. still ahead for us this evening the stunning news from doctors tonight about alzheimer's and the exploding threats, specifically for women. and later, how one young woman's passion started a movement now making a difference in so many young lives.

there are startling findings out tonight on the growing threat of alzheimer's disease starting with this, someone in the country develops alzheimer's on average every 67 seconds so that is on average two new cases over the course of this report. researchers say that while 5 million americans are currently living with alzheimer's that number is expected to triple in the coming decades, tonight, our chief medical editor dr. nancy

snyderman reports on the impacts especially on women. >> reporter: these friends are like millions of american women facing the soaring epidemic of alzheimer's disease. the news today it is taking a much harder toll on women. >> women are at epicenter. of alzheimer's disease today not only by being most likely to be diagnosed with alzheimer's but being the caregiver most of the time. >> reporter: today's reports for the alzheimer's association lays out sobering numbers, one in six over the age of 65 is at risk of developing the disease, compared to one in 11 men, researchers say it could be related to biology and genetic differences between the sexes, women in their 60s are more likely to get alzheimer's as they are to get breast cancer. and about 60% to 70% of those caring for someone with the disease are women. ann and ralph married young, vicky and jim were high school

sweet hearts, the men died in 2011, the last years were tough. like so many women caregivers, vicky had to quit her job. she was a microbiologist. >> i went down to part-time and eventually quit to take care of him because he didn't want to accept outside help at the time to come in the house. >> the worst day -- was the day i packed his clothes and he went to the nursing home. >> reporter: they survived by sharing. hundreds of candid e-mails which has now turned into a book of advice for other caregivers, like making time for themselves, to protect their own health. >> women actually report that they are more likely to suffer from depression and stress than men are in their caregiving role. >> it is a very important point and we have more on our website

about the challenges of being a caregiver, and these two women you met in our story, they talk more about things socially connected and how that makes a huge difference in getting through the management of this very tough illness. >> tough to take today, very worrisome about the future. thank you as always. we're back in a moment about a warning about what is right around the corner and it is not news a lot had hoped to hear.

tomorrow is the first day of spring and with that in mind we just want to show you a graphic that started airing on the weather channel today. take a look at this if you can believe it because mid-next week is still a long way off. and while we will wait to see if it materializes, we wanted to give you the heads up if you're watching in the east, the northeast, not to put your stuff away just yet. for the record, we learned last month was the coldest february

in terms of surface temperatures in 20 years. news tonight about the the boeing 787, the dream liner. just a few have been rolled out but today the faa gave the jet a clean bill of health. the problems were sorted out with the lithium batteries, now boeing hopes to get to work in selling over 3,000 of them over the next two decades. and it has been performed from everybody to roy rogers to michael nez nesbith, that tumble weed drift is a big problemb in the american west. one resident of colorado springs says quote it is not just a few tumble weeds, we can't walk or drive or get out of our homes, the bumper crop has been driven by high winds and snow plows are used to coral them mostly

because among other things they are a wildfire hazard. in what has been an annual rite of spring, the president has made his ncaa bracket picks. he has it all coming down to michigan state beating louisville in the championship game. one sports writer with "usa today" observed the president's picks have become increasingly bold in the presidency, make of that what you will. when we come back here tonight, the gift of giving, how one young woman's christmas present has now spread well beyond that.

in our making a difference report tonight, how one young woman used a simple gift to help thousands of new parents, one child at a time and during a very stressful time. her story tonight from nbc's joe fryer in colorado springs. >> reporter: for the parents of preemie babies, birth dates come early, but milestones like holding your child for the first time may have to wait. so was the case for mandy douglas, whose twin boys were

born 17 weeks ahead of schedule, each weighing less than two pounds. >> three weeks after they were born was the first time i was able to hold them and it was about the same time they were able to wear a hat. >> reporter: not just any hat but the same type of hat you will find on head after head after head at children's hospital in colorado springs. and you could say susie luff is the yarn tying them altogether. >> i would call it a hobby that turned into something way more than i expected. >> reporter: it started six years ago, susie was just 14 when she got a loom for christmas and decided to knit hats for preemys. the nurse was thrilled but thought the project may be short-lived. >> and then like clock work she just kept bringing in more and more hats. >> reporter: susan even created a nonprofit called "hats for hope," building a knitting network by training hundreds of volunteers. >> it is inspiring and incredible.

>> reporter: with the latest delivery susie's group has weaved together 5,200 hats. with the dad deployed overseas, the hats remind mom lindsey she is not alone. >> it is so much more than a hat. it is heart-warming. it is comfort for us and her. >> you will wrap every single one just knowing there is somebody out there making this specifically for their baby, and prayed over it and giving them a little piece of love. >> reporter: love and comfort for families who truly understand the power of a gift that comes in a small package, joe fryer, nbc news, colorado springs, colorado. and that is our broadcast on this wednesday night, thank you for joining us. i'm brian williams, we of course hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.

right now at 6:00, the 700 million dollar mystery. who is moving into one of the biggest spaces in the bay area. >> it is going to be big and lucrative for the city. a brand-new 2 million square foot office complex capable of housing 8,000 employees, but which? tonight the city will only say it is a high-tech silicon valley tenant and this morning it gave approval to build the 700

million dollar ten-building complex at north first. more on the mystery tenant and could the person that could instantlily be the second largest private employer? >> reporter: you can forget about betting on march madness. the lawyer saying it's a fortunate 500 company with roots here in the silicon valley. >> it's great news for silicon valley that company is going to stay here and grow here. >> who is it? >> well, the company name is not something i can divulge. >> reporter: today the city approved the plan to turn it into ten seven-story office buildings and an activityte