is the elusive flying car set to soar? our first look at a vehicle that could make science fiction a reality. this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening and welcome. cameras were rolling at the moment of impact in yesterday's fiery commercial airplane crash in toronto. the view taken from another plane capturing the final seconds of a landing approach. and then the touchdown where things appear to go very wrong. flashes of flame around the landing gear. a wing breaking away as the body of the plane flips on its back. canadian investigators announced the cockpit voice recorder and data recorder have been removed and are in a lab. they are among the clues in the search for answers, including how all 80 people on board were safely rescued and how weather conditions at the time could

have potentially affected the flight. stephanie gosk reports from toronto. >> reporter: new terrifying video of delta flight 4819's crash landing in toronto. >> oh, no, no, no. >> reporter: the plane hitting the runway and bursting into flames just before flipping over. >> you seeing this airplane crashing? >> reporter: the video shot from the cockpit of another plane could be a key piece of evidence, according to nbc news aviation analyst john cox. >> the right wing departs the airplane. the lack of that wing is what caused the airplane to roll over. >> reporter: no lives were lost in the crash. of the 80 people on board, delta airlines says 21 were treated in the hospital. 19 have been released. sits on the runway where it will likely remain for two days according to officials. >> we are currently without use of two runways.

>> reporter: canadian investigators will be looking closely at the weather. the fire chief said wind was not an issue when the plane crashed. meteorologists reported gusts as strong as 40 miles an hour in the area. >> the conditions were challenging but nothing more than professional pilots can handle. >> reporter: this passenger says the dissent felt normal until the plane hit the ground. did you have a moment where you thought, this is it? >> i think so. yeah. i was like, okay, the plane is crashing. i'm going -- if the plane is crashing, you are not going to live. >> drop it. come on. >> reporter: the documentary producer shooting this video. after being suspended upside down in their seats. struck by how the flight attendants remained calm and helpful. >> i feel like everybody handled it pretty well considering we were in a plane crash. >> what affect is it having on air traffic?

>> reporter: it's slowing it down. there was a backlog at this airport before the crash took place because of successive winter storms. now officials are warning travelers, there could be delays and cancellations for days. >> stephanie gosk in toronto, thank you. 59 million people remain under winter alerts from nebraska to north carolina. the storm brings heavy snow to places like kentucky. shaquille brewster is there. >> reporter: another brutal round of winter weather sweeping across the country. heavy wind and up to a foot of snow blanketing missouri and kansas city this truck jackknifed. firefighters in minnesota struggling with windchills of 40 below. their equipment and lines s freezing. in detroit, a water main break forced families out into the cold amid freezing temperatures monday. after a 4 1/2 foot wide pipe

failed swamping a neighborhood. >> face feels like it's freezing. >> reporter: windchills in chicago hitting 23 below zero. >> it's brutal. >> reporter: as the arctic blast expands, it will plunge much of the country into bone-chilling cold with parts of the midwest bracing for a foot of snow. >> this is a snowstorm in the middle of a natural disaster. >> reporter: kentucky can see up to six inches. a new threat as towns have barely started recovering from historic winter floods. heavy rain pushed the kentucky river into town. >> we got the flood first. we're trying to clean up. the cold, frigid temperatures and snow is coming later today. we're doing the best we can. >> reporter: 14 people lost their lives in kentucky, including 73-year-old donald nicholson whose family said his truck stalled along the highway. >> i can't tell you over the years the times i saw him see somebody out in the street needing a few dollars or whatever, he had the ability to

help them, he would without a cond thought. >> reporter: the tragic and unrelenting pace of winter weather not letting up. shaquille brewster, nbc news, kentucky. let's turn to washington where there are more high profile resignations. it comes as more federal workers are bracing for termination this week. here is kelly o'donnell. >> reporter: tonight, making his mar-a-lago club the backdrop for official business, the president defended steep cuts to federal programs and spending and praised the billionaire advisor elon musk who is dismantling parts of the government. >> elon is to me a patriot. you could call him an employee. you could call him a consultant. you could call him whatever you want. he is a patriot. >> reporter: asked if he has any concerns about specific firing decisions, including a move to rehire fired employees who oversee the nuclear stockpile? >> no, not at all.

i think we have to do what we have to do. you are going to -- it's amazing what's been found. >> reporter: new details on the federal workforce shakeup from big resignations to thousands of civil servants fired. prompting a fierce defense from white house deputy chief of staff stephen miller. >> why are you not celebrating these cuts? if you agree there's waste, if you agree there's abuse, if you agree there's corruption, why are you not celebrating the cuts? >> reporter: conflict leads to a top official quitting at the social security administration. the acting commissioner michelle king, a 30 year veteran resigned after she refused access to sensitive social security records such as citizens' financial and medical information to the doge government efficiency team. the white house said the president wants the most qualified individuals, not to appease the bureaucracy. at the fd and drug administration, the division chief over safety of the food

supply resigned. at the department of homeland security, a new round of terminations is expected among hundreds of high level civil servants at odds with the administration's goals. according to three sources familiar with the matter. >> listen to these numbers. this is all fraud. >> reporter: president trump read from pages of spending that he called fraud and corruption. but provided no evidence. >> there's also late word about employees working on the country's response to bird flu who were let go. what can you tell us about that? >> reporter: they were fired over the weekend. now the government is trying to get them back. the department of agriculture says it is working to swiftly rectify the firing of several employees working on bird flu outbreak. they are considered frontline safety workers. >> kelly o'donnell, thanks. president trump's hiring freeze has stalled the onboarding process across federal firefighting agencies, raising concerns for next season and some warn that could have

deadly consequences. jacob soboroff explains. >> reporter: the danger of wildfire couldn't have been any lower when we visited here in the middle of a winter storm last week. that's why this firefighting captain wanted to bring us to southwest t washington, where h fought the tunnel 5 fire in the summer of 2023. this isn't national forest? why do you respond here? >> we're a part of our nation's promise to the public to respond to wildfire emergencies. >> reporter: that promise might be getting harder to keep. as president trump's hiring freeze has seasonal firefighters in limbo when onboarding for the next fire season should have started. by the time you made it here, this house was in flames? >> in the process of burning down. i have firefighters i should be bringing on. >> repter: you can't hire even if you want to?

>> i can't. >> reporter: why are you thinking about hiring firefighters? >> this is the time of year where we are training, we are preparing, getting qualifications we need to answer the call to service when summer does come. >> reporter: the u.s. forest service, national park service employ more than 15,000 career and temporary firefighters. a crew from the forest service was credited with saving this neighborhood during the eaton fire in los angeles county. it was a federal crew like the one he is a part of where any delay in the onboarding process can affect the readiness of the team. is there a message that you want, whether it's president trump or other people in the administration to hear and understand about what you see as the urgency of this moment? >> i would like them to ask the firefighters what they think. we don't have any skin in this game other than public service. >> reporter: over a dozen u.s. senators have called for firefighters to be exempted. pausing the hiring and onboarding is irresponsible and dangerous.

>> our nation's wildfire response system transcends politics. wildfire transcends politics. it's the right thing to do. to bring on firefighters and ensure the public is getting the service that they deserve and that they pay for. >> reporter: as the snow falls, an alarm sounding about fires to come. jacob soboroff, nbc news, washington. we turn overseas to talks between american and russian officials over ending the war in ukraine. keir simmons is in saudi arabia where the meeting took place. keir, this was a major diplomatic shift for the u.s. and russia. >> reporter: yes, lester. tonight president trump said he is more confident after today's talks here in riyadh. the first formal meeting between russian and u.s. officials since the war in ukraine began, did not set a date for a cease-fire or summit between presidents trump and putin, but the two sides did agree to high level talks and cooperation on geopolitics and economics.

th suggests the u.s. may be ready to remove russian sanctions. proposals that will stun europeans. tonight, president trump did say he supports europe sending troops to ukraine for peacekeeping, a move russia said today it opposes. ukraine's leader said again, he will not sign up to any deal he did not negotiate. lester? >> keir simmons, thank you. the vatican is revealing pope francis is battling pneumonia in both lungs. the 88-year-old pontiff has been recovering at a hospital in rome after falling ill with a respiratory tract infection. he was admitted friday to treat bronchitis. the pope's health is a complex picture but says his spirits are good. in 60 seconds, how the crew from that toronto plane crash used their training to get everyone out alive. higher odds that an asteroid could hit planet earth. what scientists are saying. pl. what scientists are pl. what scientists are pl. ying.sa dry... tired... itchy, burning...

my dry eye symptoms got worse over time. my eye doctor explained the root was inflammation. xiidra was made for that, so relief is lasting. xiidra treats the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. don't use if allergic to xiidra and seek medical help if needed. common side effects include eye irritation, discomfort, blurred vision, and unusual taste sensation. don't touch container tip to your eye or any surface. before using xiidra, remove contact lenses and wait fifteen minutes before re-inserting. dry eye over and over? it's time for xiidra. new to the big city? yeah. -i'm mara. -hi. apparently progressive lets homeowners and renters bundle with their auto policy. 24/7 protection for all of my...things. [ scary music playing ] [ gasps ] hey, i love that you protect all my stuff, but could you tone down the creepiness? sorry. i'd do anything for you, emily. -still creepy. -right.

we're back with a look a we're back with a look at how the crash in toronto appears to be a textbook case of how to survive and respond to an aviation emergency. nbc's tom costello explains. >> reporter: with the wreckage of the jet still resting on a toronto runway, aviation experts say the fact everyone survived is due in no small part to the flight attendants. >> drop it. >> reporter: who remained composed yet in charge ordering passengers to wait until they assured it was safe to evacuate, then move. >> they announced not to get out of their seats. people were hanging there for -- i can't remember how long. just about a minute. then they were like, okay, get down. >> reporter: veteran flight attendants call it a textbook response. >> they were very difficult conditions. this flight attendant had to find the opening, make the hole and shout the commands to get people out safely. >> reporter: textbook, the

firefighting response. required to be on scene within three minutes. an m.i.t. study shows fatal commercial plane crashes are rare. one in 13.7 million passenger boardingglobally. >> release seat belts. leave everything. >> reporter: like other airlines, delta flight attendants go through weeks of intense training. recreating the chaos of an emergency. the faa requires you to evacuate in 90 seconds. >> the goal is to get them off the aircraft as quickly as possible. especially in an emergency. >> reporter: kick your feet and arms out and slide down and let these guys catch you at the bottom. commands must be concise and clear. leaving purses, bags and backpacks behind. >> tom, i would think compared to planes of years ago, today they are of tougher material and maybe better able to withstand a crash.

>> absolutely. seats now can withstand g forces 16 gs. interiors are flame retardant giving passengers time to get out. >> thanks. to an update from nasa. the agency releasing data that raises the odds that an asteroid could hit here on planet earth. marissa parra joins us. >> reporter: scientists saying the asteroid has a 3.1% probability of impact thanks to new observations. that's up about 1% from what we reported a few days ago. the asteroid is roughly the size of the statue of liberty. scientists will use a telescope to get a better look before it disappears behind the sun until 2028. if this asteroid did hit it would be large enough to wipe out a city. a 96.9% chance it will miss the earth. scientists have over seven years

to prepare. >> love hearing for the optimism. thank you. back in a moment with a push to bring flying cars to the skies. the big question, are they ready for takeoff? off? ctability of generalized myasthenia gravis, season to season, ultomiris is continuous symptom control, with improvement in activities of daily living and reduced muscle weakness. and ultomiris is the only long-acting gmg treatment with the freedom of just 6 to 7 infusions per year, for a predictable routine i can count on. ultomiris may lower your immune system's ability to fight infections, increasing your chance of serious meningococcal and other infections which may become life-threatening or fatal. complete or update meningococcal vaccines at least 2 weeks before you start. if treatment is urgent, and you're not vaccinated, you should receive antibiotics with your vaccines. don't start if you have a meningococcal infection. infusion reactions may include back, belly, limb, or chest pain, muscle spasms, blood pressure changes,

tiredness, shaking chills, bad taste, breathing problems, or face, tongue, or throat swelling. ultomiris is continuous symptom control. ask your neurologist about starting ultomiris. (♪♪) baby: liberty! mom: liberty mutual is all she talks about since we saved hundreds by bundling our home and auto insurance. baby: liberty! biberty: hey kid, it's pronounced "biberty." baby: liberty! biberty: biberty! baby: liberty! biberty: biberty! baby: liberty! biberty: bi-be-rty! baby: biberty! biberty: and now she's mocking me. very mature. mom: hey, that's enough you two! biberty: hey, i'm not the one acting like a total baby. mom: she's two. only pay for what you need ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ baby: liberty. between molly leaving and mom's osteoporosis, i thought life was gonna slow down. boy, was i wrong. if you have postmenopausal osteoporosis and are at high risk for fracture, evenity® can help you rapidly build new bone in just 12 months. evenity® is the only bone builder that also helps slow bone loss. and it's proven to significantly reduce

spine fracture risk. she said the evenity® she's taking builds new bone. builds new bone! (squeak) so...yeah...we still bike, babysit, and brunch with the ladies. evenity® can increase risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from a heart problem. tell your doctor if you have had a heart attack or stroke. do not take evenity® if you have low blood calcium or are allergic to it, as serious events have occurred with evenity®. signs include rash, hives, swelling of the face or throat, which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing, muscle spasms or cramps, numbness, or tingling. tell your doctor about severe jaw bone problems, as they have been reported with evenity®. report hip, groin, or thigh pain. unusual thigh bone fractures have occurred with evenity®. ask your doctor about building new bone with evenity®.

in california, a startup says it is close to pioneering a piece of future tech many of us have been dreaming about for years. a flying car. our steve patterson got an exclusive look mid flight. >> reporter: for all the

advances in automotive tech, one issue is getting worse. gridlocked traffic. this silicon valley startup says the solution comes straight from our imagination. the flying car. >> you can cut your commute in half if not more. >> reporter: this man says his company was able to create something we have been dreaming about since the jetsons. while not ready for the road, he says the flying car is about to take off. nbc news was given exclusive access to see the concept model with our own eyes. if everything goes smoothly, i will watch a car fly over another car. we will see. sure enough, we watched it soar through the air over another car and land. for all the magic of this moment, we were restricted. forced to shoot half a football field away. we never actually saw the driver

entering or exiting the vehicle. you are not all the way there yet because you wouldn't let me in the cockpit yet. >> there's a difference between you and the consumer. we have some intellectual property we are trying to protect. >> reporter: more than 3,200 early adopters have preordered their $300,000 all electric flying car. the company is aiming to begin production by next year. practicality might be where the rubber meets the sky. only a few countries allow for the kind of road to air reality he envisions. >> it's going to be slow, incremental approach, which is good for legal integration, which is good for consumer integration. >> reporter: as demand grows, regulations will catch up with tech. for now, it's that cutting edge pie in the sky. steve patterson, nbc news, silicon valley. >> how about that? there is good news tonight. how this diner is serving up hope in kentucky and bringing the community to the table. h

serving up hope in h kentucky and bringing the community to the table. some things should stand the test of time. long-lasting eylea hd could significantly improve your vision.n. more people on eylea hd had no fluid in the retina compared to those on eylea at 4 months. eylea hd is the only wet amd therapy that helped 8 out of 10 people go up to 4 months between injections after 3 initial monthly treatments. if you have an eye infection, eye pain or redness, or allergies to eylea hd, don't use. eye injections like eylea hd may cause eye infection, separation of the retina, or rare but severe swelling of blood vessels in the eye. an increase in eye pressure has been seen. there is an uncommon risk of heart attack or stroke associated with blood clots. the most common side effects were blurred vision, cataract, corneal injury, and eye floaters. and there's still so much to see. if you are on eylea or a similar type of treatment, ask your retina specialist about eylea hd today for the potential for fewer injections.

you founded your kayak company because you love the ocean, not spreadsheets. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. when you sponsor a job on indeed, candidates can find it easier. so you can hire easier. visit indeed.com/hire if you're still having bladder leaks, it's time for a change. axonics therapy gave me my life back. it's not another pad or pill. it's amazing that a tiny device can provide 15 years of relief and you can try it out first. call 800-471-0000 to connect with an expert physician to see if axonics therapy is right for you. results and experiences may vary. let's get your life back! always dry scoop before you run. listen to me, the hot dog diet got me shredded. it's time we listen to science. one a day is formulated with key nutrients to support whole body health.

one a day. science that matters. some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking allstate first. okay, let's get going. can everybody see that? like you know to check your desktop first, before sharing your screen. ahh..that is not. uhh, oh no. no no no. i don't know how that got in there. no. that, uhh. yeah, checking first is smart. okay, uhh. everybody get out. so check allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. you're in good hands with allstate. (vo) kate made progress with her mental health, but her medication caused unintentional movements in her face, hands, and feet called tardive dyskinesia, or td. so her doctor prescribed austedo xr— a once-daily, extended-release td treatment for adults. ♪ as you go with austedo ♪ austedo xr significantly reduced kate's td movements. some people saw a response as early as weeks. with austedo xr, kate can stay on her mental health meds— (kate) aww! hi buddy! (vo) austedo xr can cause depression, suicidal thoughts,

or actions in patients with huntington's disease. pay close attention to and call your doctor if you become depressed, have sudden changes in mood, or have suicidal thoughts. don't take if you have liver problems, are taking reserpine, tetrabenazine, or valbenazine. austedo xr may cause irregular or fast heartbeat, or abnormal movements. seek help for fever, stiff muscles, problems thinking, or sweating. common side effects include inflammation of the nose and throat, insomnia and sleepiness. ♪ as you go with austedo ♪ ask your doctor for austedo xr. ♪ austedo xr ♪ finally, there's good news tonight in kentucky. in the midst of so much devastation, residents coming together to help one beloved member of the community.

>> reporter: the floods of kentucky may have upended lives. hope is at an eatery badly damaged. >> it's an eastern kentucky thing. somebody is in trouble, we help. >> reporter: once word got out the diner was underwater -- >> it's awful. >> reporter: help moved in. >> they support us. we are here to support them. >> reporter: at 84, francis, the matriarch of the local fixture, has been serving up tasty southern meals for more than five decades. why do you think it's so special? >> home cooking. country cooking. how are you? >> i'm good. >> reporter: it's the sight of warmth and generosity that keep people coming back. >> putting love into her food. >> it's like your grandma. she will fix anything you want. >> reporter: the community that she fed and nurtured for years is returning the favor.

restoring her namesake restaurant. what do you want to tell the people helping you right now? >> i appreciate them so much. >> reporter: as she rebuilds, she knows her late husband will be close by. what would he say if he was still here today? >> he would be heartbroken. he would tell me, it's going to be all right. >> reporter: kathy park, nbc news. are you ready to get back into the kitchen? >> i am. >> reporter: hazard, kentucky. that's "nightly news" for this tuesday. thanks for watching. i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night. good night.

[cheers and applause] ♪ ♪ ♪♪ in a london house there's the loneliest girl ♪ ♪ and a broken boy and a ton of tension ♪ ♪ there's a policeine around a porcelain heart ♪ ♪ 'cause she knows what she's done and slightly regrets it ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ they've forgotten the words to the english language ♪ ♪ so she lights up a burn as a cry for attention ♪ ♪ as they stare at the walls her lips rip raw ♪ ♪ but if she could talk she'd say something like ♪ ♪ i want your hands on my body ♪ ♪ your hands on my body ♪ ♪ your hands on my body ♪ ♪ when i said i didn't miss you, yeah, i lied, i'm sorry ♪ ♪ i lied, i'm sorry, i lied, i'm sorry ♪

♪ 'cause all i ever wanted was your hands on my body ♪ ♪ your hands on my body ♪ ♪ your hands on my body ♪ ♪ when i said i didn't miss you, yeah, i lied ♪ ♪ yeah, i lied, yeah, i lied, ♪ i want your hands on my body ♪ ♪ your hands on my body ♪ ♪ your hands on my body ♪ ♪ when i said i didn't miss you, yeah, i lied, i'm sorry ♪ ♪ i lied, i'm sorry, i lied, i'm sorry ♪ ♪ 'cause all i ever wanted was your hands on my body ♪ ♪ your hands on my body ♪ ♪ your hands on my body ♪ ♪ when i said i didn't miss you, yeah, i lied, i'm sorry ♪ [cheers and applause]

>> kelly: thank you. welcome to "the kelly clarkson show!" give it up for my band, y'all! that was "i lied, i'm sorry." i had a weird hiccup study thing. it's fine, i kept it. it is live. whatever. it's by u.k.-based rising pop star chloe qisha. just recently chloe was speaking out about the song. she said to a reporter, "i consider it to be the song that set me on course to start the kind of music that is like myself." which is pretty rad. sometimes that takes a minute for artists. look into her. she's really good. let's move on to our first guest beauty makes you feel good, too. you know him from "mr. robot," "interview with the vampire," "bed of roses," and "the spiderwick chronicles." now he's playing at the pershing square senior center in new york city. you can ao