response. >> you can continue to follow this news conference online at nbc baifr.com and we will have a complete report tonight at 6:00. hope to see you then. on this wednesday night, anthrax scare. late word of a dangerous mistake by the military. a lethal bacteria fedexed to up to 20 different labs across nine states and different countries. how could this happen and who is at risk? nbc exclusive. swept away in the floodwaters. our interview with a woman desperately searching for her family who were in that home ripped from its foundation, and a chilling photo from her mother as the water got dangerously high. the bombshell scandal rocking the world's most popular sport. surprise raids and mass charges of corruption and bribery. the fbi director calling it a hijacking of soccer. the big question, was the u.s. robbed of hosting the world cup? and tracy morgan. new developments tonight after that deadly highway crash

that left him so badly injured. what he just revealed. "nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news." reporting tonight, lester holt. good evening. we start here tonight with a developing story. the admission late today by the u.s. military of a dangerous mistake involving the deadly bacteria anthrax. the pentagon fessing up and instead of sending inactive samples, somehow lethal live anthrax was sent to labs in as many as nine states and overseas shipped via fedex. leading to questions about the safety of the workers who received those shipments. our pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski has late details. >> reporter: the deadly anthrax came from the army's dugway proving ground in utah where the u.s. military develops ways to defend against biological and chemical weapons. defense officials tell nbc news dugway mistakenly sent live

anthrax instead of inactive bacteria to as many as 20 military and commercial laboratories in 9 states and as far away as south korea. the potentially deadly shipment came from a batch of anthrax that was produced at dugway more than a year ago and was radiated to render it inactive. but last week, a commercial lab in maryland discovered the supposed inactive anthrax was live. since all the shipments in the past year were of the same stock, defense officials fear all contain the deadly spores. >> these were supposed to be killed anthrax spores. and you would like that assurance before the material is sent. >> reporter: the center for disease control in atlanta has ordered that all the anthrax shipments be safely locked down until the cdc can collect them for testing. but there's concern about how the anthrax was handled when it was believed to be inactive. the samples were shipped commercially

via fedex as inactive, not live anthrax which would require more secure protective packaging and warning labels. also workers handling live anthrax would require protective suits and cover. while inactive requires only minimal protection including a simple face mask. defense officials say despite the potentially deadly mixup, there is no risk to the general public. but as a precaution, four civilian lab workers who may have come in contact with live anthrax are under medication tonight to counteract any potential side effects. and tonight both the cdc and u.s. military have launched extensive internal investigations as to how this could have happened. lester? >> jim miklaszewski tonight, thanks. now to the still unfolding disaster in parts of oklahoma and texas where around two dozen people have died and several areas remain under flood watches and warnings tonight.

in houston at least 1400 homes have suffered damage from rising water as officials confirm more storm-related deaths. meantime along the blanco river in central texas where homes were knocked off their foundations, a grim discovery as a desperate search goes on for families whose home was swept down river. nbc's gabe gutierrez reports. >> reporter: a massive search effort is growing. today authorities in hays county identified another flood victim. 42-year-old michelle carey-charba, one of eight people missing after rising waters swept away a vacation home in wimberley sunday morning. we spoke with her sister and brother-in-law just before the tragic news. >> my sister is my best friend. we're three years apart. she's just the most outgoing, gregarious, sweet, wants to be everybody's friend. >> reporter: kristin carey-daniel is still searching for her parents, ralph and sue

carey, her brother-in-law, randy charba and nephew will. >> he'll sing and make up his own words to songs. >> reporter: allen daniel, michelle's brother-in-law, today went up in a helicopter, searching with hundreds of volunteers. the carey family treasured their vacation home along the blanco river for decades. >> the only reason we weren't there last weekend was because of scheduling. so that does keep going through my mind too. >> reporter: around 11:00 saturday night she said her mother texted this picture of the rising water. it was around 1:00 a.m., officials say the home was swept away. the families inside. neighbors say her father had run out to start the suv, found still running the next morning. when kristen couldn't reach her parents, she didn't know what to expect. but it wasn't this. >> she would double down, fell to her knees. i could only imagine what she was going through. >> we never thought it would take the house, that the house could be knocked over, ever.

>> reporter: she spoke with the lone survivors, jonathan mccomb. be a badly injure and devastated. the search for his wife and their two children continues. >> we're going to survive this together as a family. we have faith that we will get through this and we're praying for miracles. >> reporter: adding insult to injury, the search efforts today were hampered by severe weather. tonight a flash flood watch is in effect once again for central texas. and the death toll continues to climb in texas and oklahoma now to 23. 11 others are still missing, lester. >> a very strong family. gabe gutierrez, thank you. we turn now to the allegations of corruption on a massive scale in a sport loved by billions. several powerful officials from the organization which oversees international soccer are now facing criminal charges and it took american authorities to finally blow the lid off. now there are questions about whether the u.s. or

others may have been cheated out of hosting the world cup. nbc news national correspondent peter alexander tells us more. >> reporter: the world's most popular sport was kicked in the gut today. the game american kids love to play but at times makes adult fans crazy. in switzerland, seven of the sport's top international officials were arrested in a predawn raid. in miami the fbi searched the headquarters of fifa's u.s. affiliate. 14 defendants including sports marketing executives faced corruption charges involving more than $150 million in bribes and kickbacks. >> they corrupted the business of worldwide soccer to serve their interests and to enrich themselves. >> reporter: fifa is to international soccer what the ioc is to the olympics. regulating and promoting the sport worldwide. awarding sponsorships and tv rights worth billions. and picking countries for the super bowl of soccer, the world cup. >> the game according to the allegations in this indictment was hijacked. that field that is so

famously flat was made tilted. >> reporter: among those already pleading guilty, chuck blazer, a former fifa executive credited with soccer's blockbuster success in the u.s. blazer who pocketed millions cooperated with authorities wearing a wire to help implicate others. >> with those charts that the justice department and the fbi trotted out, it looked like a mafia case. >> reporter: none of this is surprising to soccer fans. the allegations of bribery and misconduct date back decades. but what is surprising is it was the u.s. that finally took on fifa. separately swiss officials say they're investigating the awarding of the 2018 world cup to russia. >> in russia! >> and 2022 to qatar over the u.s. and other nations. fifa's president welcomed the u.s. and swiss actions claiming fifa will help root out misconduct in the sport. >> once that money is threatened, that's the only real language that they understand. >> reporter: authorities stress

today's charges are only the beginning. a scandal knocking the world's favorite sport off its feet. peter alexander, nbc news, washington. in colorado today jurors got a window into the mind of the man on trial for killing 12 people in a colorado movie theater. prosecutors showed them a notebook belonging to james holmes filled with disturbing details about his mental state and the horror he was plotting to carry out. our jacob rascon has more. >> she was just laying on the ground. >> reporter: after four weeks of heart breaking testimony, >> there's gunshots. >> reporter: -- what may be the trial's most critical piece of evidence, the diary of a mass shooter. >> obsession to kill since i was a kid. with age became more and more realistic. >> reporter: 32 pages of a notebook revealing james holmes' meticulous plan of attack considering various venues like an airport and methods like biological warfare and

weighing the pros and cons of different theaters, the exits and police response times. and he writes, what is the meaning of life or death? he examines his own mental state detailing a lengthy self-diagnosis of a broken mind. and for eight pages, one word over and over. "why." >> for the prosecution, the notebook is evidence of meticulous rational planning. for the defense the notebook is a whole lot of crazy. >> reporter: the gunman wanted his victims to be random. he shot jessica ghawi six times. her parents in court every day. >> evil. he is a monster. the only thing he ever really wanted to accomplish in his life is murder. >> reporter: 2,000 pieces of evidence and more than 150 witnesses so far. some of the gunman's final words written in his journal, no consequence, no fear. embrace the hatred. words of insanity or a manifesto for murder? a crucial question for the jury. jacob rascon, nbc news, los angeles. in the race for president, the runner

up for a republican nomination in 2012 says he's in. rick santorum making it official late today. that makes seven candidates declared on the gop side with three more expected in the next week. and up to 15 by july. but the republican candidate making the most news today is carly fiorina. that brings us to our political director, the moderator of "meet the press," chuck todd. in south carolina she showed up across the street from a hillary clinton event today. coincidence or does that make a grand statement of what a race we're looking at here? >> well, look it was so many candidates running for president, it's going to be hard to have events when they're all running in the same state. iowa, south carolina. it's very likely you're going to have events like today where you had hillary clinton and carly fiorina in the same place. carly fiorina, of course, struggling to get into the top tier of the republican field. what better way to do that than to try to take shots at hillary clinton? it's actually been a very effective strategy for carly fiorina throughout the early stages of the campaign. it's fired up the republican base a little bit. she has been the most aggressive republican

going after hillary clinton for not taking questions, going after her sort of feeling as if a woman executive she can go after the major woman in the race. what's interesting is that i think it's working for fiorina for awhile. it's making her much more relevant than anybody thought six months ago. >> seven in the gop race. >> just seven now. we're doubling this thing. wait. convention, here we come. >> a lot of overtime coming, my friend. >> yes, sir. >> thank you. there is new fallout tonight from the highway crash that badly injured comedian and actor tracy morgan. word of a settlement between morgan and walmart whose truck was involved in the crash. morgan's attorney ben morelly tells nbc news he is doing better walking with a cain but he's making improvements. but he has no plans to return to work soon. we get more from nbc's ron allen. >> reporter: it was a horrific crash. a luxury limo bus carrying actor tracy morgan and six others

flipped on its side slammed by a walmart tractor-trailer. a multivehicle pileup on the new jersey turnpike. morgan suffered a severe brain injury, broken nose, leg. and ribs. still recovering. terms of the settlement remain confidential. in a statement the former "saturday night live" star said walmart did right by me and my family. i'm grateful the case was resolve amicably. walmart already had settled with the family of james mcnair, the man killed in the crash. his children reportedly receiving $10 million. the limo driver said the truck hit without warning. >> it was unreal. i mean, i didn't know what happened. >> reporter: morgan and his companions were returning home after a performance. the truck driver kevin roper accused of driving some 20 miles per hour too fast and with too little sleep has pled not guilty to charges that include death by auto. ron allen, nbc news, new york. still ahead here tonight, the hacking of america. your medical records.

your personal deeply private information at risk for sale on a secret black market. the major hack attack that experts say should scare all of us. also an amazing standing ovation you have to see. a young man who was told he'd never walk again. his big surprise at graduation.

we're back now with our special series of reports we're calling the hacking of america. tonight a blind spot where many americans don't even realize

they are vulnerable. your medical records. they are one-stop shopping for ripoff artists. so much sensitive data all in one place. our stephanie gosk explains how you can protect yourself. >> reporter: our information is under attack. a breach at target, 40 million credit cards compromised. a year later, sony pictures gets hit. hollywood rocked by embarrassing e-mails. and then in february -- >> a massive data breach. anthem. >> reporter: -- one of the largest health insurers was hacked. 80 million members may have had medical records stolen. including eric forsetter and his family. >> they didn't know exactly what was stolen or when it was stolen. only it might have been stolen. >> reporter: experts say this is the type of cyberattack that puts our personal information at the most risk. u.s. medical records are a gold mine for internet thieves. dates of birth, addresses, social security numbers, yours and your kids, and credit cards. >> you have all the

recipes you need to perform identity theft. and with the digitizization of the electronic medical records, these things are much easier to steal in bulk. >> reporter: and then used for loans, passports, fraudulent tax returns, and of course medical treatment. which is why that information commands a high price on the black market. so we're on the dark web. it sounds pretty nefarious. cyber security firm dell secure works took us online shopping for stolen data. just to look. sellers get reviewed. >> prompt transaction. >> will be returning for sure. >> reporter: there's even the occasional holiday sale. $10 for a stolen credit card. interested in a completely new identity? that goes for about $6,000. the recent increase in attacks has put the health care industry on notice. >> hospitals traditionally have under-invested in information technology. so if you don't spend that much, you're not going to get the degree of technological protection. >> reporter: consumers need to step up too.

stay on top of credit reports, get copies of medical records, and make sure insurance statements don't include treatments no one in the family had. even with safeguards, experts say the cyber thieves will keep attacking. the best thing to do is be ready for them. stephanie gosk, nbc news, atlanta. >> tomorrow night we'll talk about another risk that may not have occurred to you. while you're on the plane surfing the internet at 30,000 feet, yes, hackers could be watching and collecting your personal data. we'll tell you more about that tomorrow. up next here tonight, the amazing thing a pilot did for passengers who were delayed for hours on the tarmac. also, an incredible story of survival. a man struck by lightning with the red bolt down his body to prove it. tell you how he's doing.

we're just five days away from the official start of hurricane season, but the good news is it's supposed to be weaker than usual with government forecasters predicting only three to six hurricanes in the atlantic this year.

and it's possible that none of them will reach category 3 or higher. incredible pictures out of idaho. the red stripe down the center of a man's body happened when he was struck by lightning while camping with friends when suddenly a big storm moved in. he took shelter under a tree to protect himself from hail. that's when the bolt hit him right through his head. amazingly, he is already up and walking. and here's something that might be even more rare than someone getting struck by lightning. passengers stuck on the tarmac for hours with smiles on their faces. that's because their delta pilot ordered pizza for everyone. from a local pizza place near knoxville, tennessee, where their flight was diverted before continuing on to atlanta. lebron james heading to the nba finals for the fifth consecutive time, but it's his first in a since 2007 in a cavaliers uniform. james who went from beloved to a pariah to beloved again this season, gave his two

sons a king sized hug after his team swept the atlanta hawks. when we come back, they told him he'd never walk again. but on one of the biggest days of his life, he was ready to prove them wrong.

finally tonight, the inspirational moment a young man has been working toward for years even though he was told it may never happen after a devastating accident. he vowed to walk again. and he knew where he wanted to do it too. his college graduation. our kevin tibbles has his story. >> christopher norton. [ applause ] >> reporter: there is something tangible about the power of love. look no further than commencement at decorah, iowa's, luther college. the determination palpable, the tears plenty. >> it was scary making that sort of goal when you don't know if you can do it, if it's going to work out. but i knew i had to do it. >> reporter: 23-year-old chris norton was told he'd likely never walk again after he suffered a severe spinal injury playing football. that was in 2010. but the same grit needed in the gridiron would help push him

through the arduous hours of rehab. his mind was made up. he was walking that stage to receive his diploma. oh and did i mention he wasn't alone. >> i was so happy and so proud of him. it was the most amazing thing seeing him make his dream come true. >> reporter: emily summers and chris have been dating for nearly two years. a formidable new team. >> we've gone through so many different obstacles and challenges. the fact we can do it together, we can get through anything in life. >> reporter: as graduation approached, chris secretly doubled down. something else he wanted to do, a surprise. a proposal of marriage. >> it was definitely a dream come true. the whole entire weekend was just absolutely incredible. >> reporter: so when the time came, chris and emily were together standing proud. the crowd stood, too, and cheered. a fist pump to the future where the next goal, the next step is walking down the aisle. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago.

>> that's going to do it for us on this wednesday night. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night. ♪ nbc bay area news starts now. we were on our knees praying and crying and saying this is really happening right now. >> right now at 6:00 a crime spree spans the east bay and culminates with a hostage standoff at a busy gas station. thanks for joining us everyone. i'm terry mcsweeney in for raj mathai. >> everyone is safe and carjacking suspect is arrested. after a tense afternoon that hostage situation came to a peaceful close with the suspect surrendering. within the last half hour we

learned the man in custody is a 35-year-old with an extensive rap sheet. this is what we're talking about, the nbc chopper cut the final moments of the standoff and you can see the suspect walking out of the gas station and ordered to the ground and s.w.a.t. officers dragged him away. the man crashed into a car and then carjacked the man inside and then led police on a chase in pittsburgh concord, before ending up at the arco station. kim yonenaka and we begin with cheryl hurd. what have we learned? >> reporter: a lot of details coming out of this antioch police station and so many details we were confused as to what happened today. it all began at 11:00 and it started with a stolen car out of