big storm system. you may need the umbrella if you're going to be out in a nice prom dress. it will be in the 80s by midweek. >> "nbc nightly news" is next on this saturday night, machete attack. at a new orleans airport. chaos as a man storms past security and goes on a rampage. tonight, what authorities found in a bag he left behind that could have made it much worse. evacuated. u.s. special forces leave one of the most dangerous places in the world after a series of deadly attacks. what it means for the fight against violent extremists. spring fever. news for millions of americans who suffer from allergies. why this season could be one of the worst yet and what you can do to get some relief. and flying high with the thunderbirds. our incredible bird's eye view from the cockpit. this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. substituting tonight, peter alexander.

good evening. tonight, investigators are still trying to figure out what caused a man with a machete to go on a rampage at the new orleans airport, a popular destination for millions of americans each year. it happened last night. the 63-year-old attacker targeted travelers and tsa agents alike. tonight we're learning it could have been much worse. we begin with nbc's kerry sanders in new orleans. >> reporter: two minutes of sheer chaos in concourse b at the new orleans airport friday night. >> there was just a lot of screaming and everyone was running and hiding behind stairs and everything. >> reporter: panicked travelers ran and ducked for cover from a man deputies have now identified at 63-year-old richard white. witnesses who recorded the rampage say white began spraying insect repellant at tsa officers and passengers at the security screening area. seemingly aiming for their eyes. he then pulled a machete from his waistband and began swinging. >> he swung the machete several times. the agent actually was

able to prevent him from swinging it even more times by striking him with a piece of luggage. >> reporter: 56-year-old tsa officer carol rochelle, who's also a grandmother, took charge. telling passengers to take cover. that's when he took aim at her. as he chased her an armed deputy pulled her gun. >> i saw her starting to back up and then shoot him like three shots. >> reporter: she was so close she thought she was hit by the machete. it turns out it was one of three bullets that brought white down. >> went through the tricep but didn't hit any tendons. didn't hit the bone. i'll be fine. >> reporter: two bullets brought him down. one to the chest, the other to the face. >> i have to say she's my hero. she saved my life. the man was within inches of whacking me with a machete. >> reporter: as ugly

and frightening as it was, it could have been worse. when it was over the bomb squad found six molotov cocktails, fuses and a barbecue lighter. in the commotion white had dropped the bag holding those bombs. >> you rather be lucky than good. and i think we were both last night. to the nth degree. >> reporter: we may never know why white went on the attack. family members told deputies that white had a history of mental illness but that he was never violent. white, who was a jehovah's witness, refused to receive certain medical care at the hospital. he died this afternoon. peter. >> kerry sanders, thank you very much. here in new york a brooklyn community is in mourning after a house fire that claimed the lives of seven children, all of them from a single family. a mother and one other child managed to escape. tonight they are fighting for their lives. nbc's ron mott has our report. >> reporter: firefighters rushed to a burning brooklyn home in under three and a half minutes, but still too late to save seven children of a family in one of the

city's deadliest fires in years. the youngest victim just 5 years old, four boys, three girls. the eldest 16. officials say their 45-year-old mom and another sibling, a 14-year-old girl, jumped from a second floor window, both in critical condition. >> it's a tragedy for this family. it's a tragedy for this community. it's a tragedy for our city. >> reporter: authorities say they couldn't find any smoke detectors on the first two floors, only in the basement. a neighbor who lives here said he heard someone screaming for help shortly after midnight, looked out the window and saw flames ripping through the side of the house back here and called 911. karen rosenblatt says her husband made the call. >> there were flames coming out of all over the place. very, very heavy thick smoke. you could barely see the house at all. >> reporter: officials say the fire started in the kitchen, a malfunctioning hot plate left onto keep food warm during today's jewish

sabbath. as word of the tragedy spread through the largely orthodox jewish neighborhood, shock and sadness. >> i know the mother. i really hope that -- i don't know, if she makes it through this, i don't know how she's going to face what happened to her family. >> reporter: new york's mayor bill de blasio called it unimaginable. >> this beautiful vibrant family 24 hours ago in tact and now so many lost. and two clinging to life. >> reporter: ron mott, nbc news, new york. tonight, u.s. special forces are being evacuated from one of the most dangerous countries in the world, yemen. the move comes after a deadly terror attack that claimed more than 100 lives and it could have a significant impact on the fight against extremism. nbc white house correspondent kristen welker has been tracking those developments. kristen, good evening. >> reporter: peter, good evening. sources tell nbc news the u.s. is pulling its troops from yemen because the threat is just too high. it's a stunning turnaround for a country that president obama had once praised as a counterterrorism success story. after this week's

deadly terrorist attacks in yemen, today the pentagon announced it's pulling out 100 special forces, the last u.s. troops in the country. >> it makes sense. if we can't protect our people, they just can't be there. it will have a real impact on counterterrorism operations. >> reporter: yemen is home to al qaeda in the arabian peninsula, a training ground for the underwear bomber convicted of trying to blow up a u.s.-bound jetliner in 2009, where a drone strike killed anwar al awlaki. and where one of the "charlie hebdo" shooters in paris learned weapons training. yemen's president was a key partner in the u.s. counterterrorism effort even supporting u.s. drone strikes. but in january shiite rebel forces drove him into hiding with the country now on the verge of civil war a vacuum has opened for extremist groups. >> al qaeda and isis can now expand their presence. and our ability to counter that is very much inhibited. >> reporter: isis has claimed responsibility for yesterday's mosque

bombings and for this week's museum massacre in tunisia. new video shows the two gunmen. >> i believe isis is not done extending. it's not done showing its shark teeth in yemen or other places. >> reporter: the white house said it was skeptical that isis was behind the attacks and tried to tamp down concerns. >> there's no doubt of how dangerous this is. but there's also evidence to indicate that these kinds of extremists are under continual pressure from the united states and our allies. >> reporter: but counterterrorism analysts say no matter who is behind the attacks, the fact that isis has claimed responsibility is powerful propaganda. >> the isis brand, the islamic state brand, is rising. >> reporter: a new challenge for the u.s. as yemen descends further into chaos and uncertainty. the special forces being evacuated includes green berets and navy s.e.a.l.s. officials will not specify a timeline for their withdraw. peter. >> kristen welker at the white house.

kristen, thank you. tonight president obama is making first public comments about israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu's re-election in an interview with "the huffington post". >> i have given it to him given statements prior to the election, it is going to be hard to find a path where people are seriously believing that negotiations are possible. so we're evaluating what's taking place. >> for more we're joined by our political director and moderator of "meet the press," chuck todd. chuck, all week the white house telegraphed its displeasure with netanyahu after this re-election. so what does that mean for the u.s. and israel going forward? >> well, what it means and what the president is not so subtly signaling there is that protection of israel at the united nations when it comes to the issue of palestinians and a two-state solution is no longer guaranteed. will the united states be there if the

palestinians mess around with international criminal court? yes, but will the united states be there and prevent the world community using the united nations as a way to outline what a two-state solution could look like to sort of force the issue? it really does sound like to me the answer is no, not anymore. that the u.s. might actually sign-off on using the u.n. this way when for years, peter, the policy of the united states has been no, stop it at the u.n. and instead let it be direct talks. but now it's clear the president just doesn't believe the prime minister. >> and, chuck, as you know just this week house speaker john boehner announced he's going to go to israel this month. does that help or hurt the relationship? >> i don't think it has anything -- i don't think it does either to be honest. a member of congress going to israel is not news in that respect. it would only mean something if something is said there, if it's used as some sort of public statement that may be the speaker wants to make against the president, something like that, which i highly doubt he would do. i wouldn't read too much into it. >> chuck todd, thank

you very much. chuck will have much more on the strained u.s.-israeli relationship tomorrow morning on "meet the press". secretary of state john kerry and other western leaders say substantial progress has been made toward a nuclear deal with iran, but they warn iran's leaders will have to make difficult decisions in order to reach an agreement framework. the comments come ahead of next week's critical talks. both sides have ten days to reach a framework for a deal before their deadline. first lady michelle obama is winding down a five-day tour of asia designed to promote an issue that's close to her heart, the education of girls. at least 62 million girls in the developing world are not in school, something mrs. obama hopes to change. but in places like cambodia where she visited today, the challenges remain enormous. here's nbc's ian williams. >> reporter: she greeted michelle obama with the likes of cambodia's leader with the lucky ones. only 20% nationally make it through high school, and just a quarter of them are girls.

at this school outside siem reap, she met girls who have stuck with school and shared their hopes and ambitions. >> when i was young i always imagine becoming a medical doctor. >> reporter: mrs. obama said she was proud and moved by what she heard. >> we need your input. >> reporter: but keeping girls at school, the aim of the let girls learn initiative, is an enormous challenge here especially in rural areas where girls come under family pressure to marry young and stay home. for ten years lori's been trying to change that supporting primary schools with the aim at getting kids, particularly girls, hooked on education from an early age. the aim here is not only to provide practical things like books and uniforms, but also to make school fun because in that way they hope the kids will want to keep coming back. >> school has to be the most exciting thing going on. and then they'll come. and they do.

>> reporter: she calls it lighting a fire of young ambition that can overcome objections from more traditional families. let girls learn will be run through the peace corps, an ngo. one aim is to create role model, girls like the 18-year-old aspiring doctor who met the first lady. were you nervous? >> yes. i hope that i will become like her. >> reporter: inspired by a powerful message. >> when girls get educated, when they learn to read and write and think, that gives them the tools to speak up. >> reporter: later she visited the world heritage temple. but what she didn't see was the legions of children who sell to tourists here. a reminder of the huge challenges her initiative faces. ian williams nbc news, siem reap, cambodia. when "nightly news" continues on

this saturday, news for millions of americans who suffer from spring allergies. why this particular season will be nothing to sneeze at. and later, inside the cockpit with the thunderbirds for a ride you're not going to forget.

today finally marks the first full day of spring, but much of the northeast woke up to a fresh layer of snow on the ground. and if that weren't bad enough, many people could be feeling the effects of our historic winter long after all the

snow melts. experts say it could mean trouble for the millions of americans who suffer from allergies. nbc's anne thompson has our report. >> we're going to do some testing on you right now. >> all right. >> reporter: across the country americans are giving their right arms and more to relieve their allergies. scratch tests are an unwelcomed sign of spring. chris bodden, home in new york on break, is suffering at school in louisville, kentucky. >> can get pretty miserable. my nose completely clogs up and i can't breathe at all. >> reporter: last year the nation's allergist named louisville america's spring allergy capital. >> the bible belt is now the pollen belt. we're seeing a lot of issues particularly in louisville and those areas where chris went to school. >> reporter: but dr. clifford basset says no section of the country is exempt. the exceptionally snowy winter in the northeast will push pollen production in trees and grasses. while unusually warm temperatures out west are fueling sneezing and wheezing. does climate change have any role in this? >> climate change, global warming, carbon

dioxide gases particularly in urban areas tell certain plants to produce three to four times more pollen and the pollen itself may be supercharged. >> reporter: every weekday for more than 20 years retired doctor has climbed to the roof of gotlieb memorial hospital to record what's in the air outside chicago. >> we're seeing more and more problem with people with allergists in general. >> reporter: our warming world is extending the misery. a 2001 study found the ragweed pollen season now lasts an additional two to four weeks across much of the u.s. another study predicts pollen counts will more than double by 2040. it's not just that allergy season is lasting longer, as any doctor's office will tell you it's also starting earlier. so to survive the pollen onslaught, doctors say know your triggers, start your medicine a week before symptoms usually occur and shower before going to bed to wash off the pollen so you too can enjoy the wonders of spring.

anne thompson, nbc news, new york. when we come back, a town divided over how to honor the memory of those who served.

how's this for a cool shot? a supertide briefly turned francis's mont saint-michel into an island today delighting thousands of visitors who came to see this rare phenomenon. so-called tide of the

century happens every 18 years before retreating again. the ancient abbey is linked only by a narrow causeway at high tide. dozens of u.s. veterans gathered on the japanese island of iwo jima to mark the 17th anniversary of world war ii's bloodiest battle. the vets returned to the spot where in 1945 americans raised an american flag giving hope to the war weary back home. the battle claimed the lives of more than 6,800 americans and 21,000 japanese. now to a debate that's left a south carolina town at odds. it's home to a war memorial that honors those who died fighting for this country and lists them by race. but not everyone in greenwood, south carolina agrees on plans to rewrite that history. here's nbc's mark potter. >> reporter: on main street, an aging war memorial honors the fallen from world wars i and ii, korea and vietnam, korea and vietnam, reflecting

the nation's segregated past listed dead from greenwood as either white or colored. for those seeing it in 2015 can be a shock. >> yep, this is kind of sad, isn't it? >> i grew up here, but when i see it in black and white, it just bothers me. >> reporter: it also bothers deeply the mayor of greenwood, welburn adams, who leads a town that's 42% black. >> the term colored is offensive. it's offensive to me so i can only imagine how it feels to african-americans. >> reporter: the argument that whites and blacks both fought and died should be honored together, mayor adams raised $15,000 to build new plaques with all the dead listed alphabetically, not be race. >> i don't think main street is a place where you should be glorifying segregation. >> reporter: but today those plaques still sit in the mayor's office after he learned a state law prohibits changing historical monuments without a two-thirds vote of the legislature. former national park historian and painter

eric williams believes the plaques should stay right where they are to preserve history and teach future generations. >> they need to know that at one time the country was not always as welcoming and integrated as it is now for different races. >> reporter: but senator floyd nicholson disagrees. he has introduced a bill to change the plaques honoring the dead. >> i think that's so important that they be given the same respect. it's not about what race you are. you were willing to fight and give your life for this country. >> reporter: but it seems unlikely his bill will pass this year. mayor adams says he is considering a lawsuit against the state demanding the fallen here be honored equally. mark potter, nbc news, greenwood, south carolina. up next, some "top gun" inspired moves. and we are taking you into the cockpit.

finally tonight, if you're afraid of heights hold onto your hats. tens of thousands will turn out for this weekend's los angeles county air show. among the biggest draws the air force thunderbirds. nbc's joe fryer managed to hitch a ride. >> reporter: the proud airmen who fly these fighter jets are impeccably trained pros. and every now and then they let a guy like me tag along. with our pilot major tyler ellison, aka wolf, we roar off the runway. within seconds of

leaving the ground. >> get ready, here comes some gs. >> reporter: we're flying straight up, totally vertical to 17,500 feet off the ground, which you can see is directly behind me. that's just the beginning. for the next hour we're sampling all kinds of maneuvers including a loop that takes us completely upsidedown for a few moments. a window to the world now directly below. >> so we basically just did a whole loop around like a roller costar. >> reporter: yep, only ours took about 7,000 or 8,000 feet to do. we also do something dubbed the knife edge. >> yeah, no kidding. >> reporter: they call this one the eight-point roll. while there's nothing like experiencing these moves in the cockpit, they're still pretty cool to see from the ground. >> when the thunderbirds are going to come and do their sneak pass, i'm going to look away from the jets and look at the crowd. you can see on the faces those kids are hooked. and you're like got that one.

>> reporter: our pilot earned his pilot's license before driver's license. >> unique to get a ride to the airport. then fly around and then get a ride back home. >> reporter: they have 130 crew members, eight of them are pilots with combat aviation experience, but on this day it's just the peaceful skies and low hanging clouds. >> call cloud chasing. >> reporter: of course we also have to experience some gs like this rapid turn so strong for a moment my vision turns gray. >> feeling a little gray back there? >> reporter: finally after a journey that took us 200 miles away, we returned to the airfield. i'm grateful and overwhelmed. and i did not throw up. >> reporter: a bucket list mission accomplished. joe fryer, nbc news, lancaster, california. we'll be sure to check on joe this weekend. that's "nbc nightly news" for this

saturday. i'm peter alexander reporting from new york. for all of us here at nbc news, have a good night. there was just flames coming out of the side of one of the windows completely. when you went across the street and you looked the whole roof was just on fire. >> right now at 6:00 a deadly fire lights up the sky in

oakland. the apartment complex nearly destroyed by flames. how people now are recovering from all that damage. good evening to you. i'm peggy bunker. >> i'm terry mcsweeney. in oakland tonight, the red cross stepped in to help 30 people find a place to stay after a deadly fire early this morning near the corner of 24th street in west oakland. firefighters did not save two men. christie smith live at the scene with more. christie? >> good evening, terry and peggy. we've seen some residents coming and going to look at the building. the red cross is helping displaced residents tonight after this deadly fire. two men died in the fire in what neighbors are saying is at least the front part of the building where many musicians and artists like to stay. the fire started after 3:00 this morning. firefighters went to the west oakland building on reports of a smoke alarm going off at a low level. apparently the first crews didn't see fire immediately but