on our broadcast tonight, secret service scandal. what happened inside that hotel in colombia? the investigation is growing tonight. more agents may be involved. was there a breach of security? the outbreak, deadly tornados hit hard in four states. over 130 funnels in one day alone as the weather continues to make news. under fire. a lavish taxpayer funded trip to vegas. they get hauled in before congress to complaint take. and making a comeback, bald eagles coming home to nest in some unlikely places. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening. mention the u.s. secret service to most americans, and it will conjure up an image of the brave and silent protecters of the president. they're sworn to take a bullet for the person they're protecting if it comes to that. after this weekend most mentions of the u.s. secret service have to do with an unfolding scandal. the members of a military advanced party, who were in colombia prior to the president's trip this weekend, they were sent home after allegations of an altercation involving prostitution. and it's getting worse and widening, and triggering questions of a very culture of a special organization. we begin tonight with kristen welker who accompanied the president to colombia and back. kristen, good evening. reporter: good evening, brian. investigators, the pentagon and

secret service are trying to find out how this could have happened. all 11 secret service personnel have had their security clearances pulled. according to u.s. officials, at least 11 secret service and more than five military personnel are involved in the widening prostitution scandal. nbc's national investigative correspondent mike isikoff has been working the story. >> sources tell us, among those involved, were two secret service advisers, three members of the counter sniper team and three members of the counter assault team were among those involved. >> reporter: isikoff says investigators are looking into the possibility that more may be involved. >> we're told all of those involved had hard copies of the president's day by day, minute by minute schedule. and if the prostitutes had access to that, they could have

potentially given it to a foreign intelligence service, drug cartel or even a terrorist group. reporter: it happened last wednesday night when the advance team allegedly brought prostitutes back to their hotel, just a few minutes from where the president would eventually stay. the hotel learned about the incident the next morning, after one of the women fought with an agent over money. the hotel alerted local authorities and eventually it web with the all the way to the white house. >> we're representing the people of the united states. and when we travel to another country, i expect us to observe the highest standards. >> reporter: sources tell nbc news, the military officials under investigation include bomb disposal experts and dog handlers from the army, navy and marines. >> we're embarrassed by what occurred in colombia. we let the boss down. >> reporter: the secret service said freeze actions have had no impact on the secret services ability to execute a comprehensive be security plan for the president's visit.

>> this could have compromised the president's security, national security. >> reporter: the scandal is the latest incident that has fuelled the agency's effectiveness. >> a culture of the secret service, nodding, winking, favoritism. >> reporter: now, prostitution is little egal in parts of colo. all the agencies involved say the misconduct is a clear violation of their standards. >> thanks, kristen. we should add, for the good men and women of the u.s. secret service, this comes as quite a shock. we have more perspective on this tonight from a former agent with the presidential protection division of the secret service, who these days, by the way, is a republican candidate for u.s. senate from maryland. here now, his view of the scandal in his own words. >> the secret service is not just a job.

it's a calling, and it was devastating to me, along with the fraternity of secret service brothers out there, this was hard to take. >> i was 12 years in the secret service, five years in the presidential protection doifgs. i was an instructor in our academy. i've seen the totality of the secret service, this is a national embarrassment. he's our president, he's overseas. he's not a democrat president, he's our president. i know everyone in the case, i'm not apologize for anyone's behavior, and they aren't either. but lives are changed permanently. their families are just beaten up by this. >> the service always adamantly -- they accent the point constantly, the consequences for your behavior, wre everywhere from the firing range, everywhere. that's emphasized over and over, i think unfortunately that lapsed that there were going to be consequences for this.

no one saw that, it was a very my openic view of that night. let's just have fun, and again, it's not indicative at all of the service i knew. they are a proud group of guys who every day sacrificed children's communion, birthday parties. i spent 300 days on the road. we're not asking for anyone's sympathy, we do it. we would gladly take a bullet for the president at any time. i really hope america at some point can forgive the agency for this, and we can get past this. this is devastating to me professionally and personally. >> former secret service agent. he left the secret service last year. no one would blame you for wondering about our weather these days. it's back in the news tonight. we were two degrees shy of 90 degrees here in new york today. up near the canadian border, some temperatures fell by 40 degrees in just hours over this weekend. and, of course, sadly as you know, in the plains and parts of

the midwest, this is a day of recovery after a violent weekend. on saturday, there were more than 130 reports of tornados across four different states. some of the storms had winds clocked at over 150 miles an hour. jay gray is in woodward oklahoma for us tonight. jay, good evening. >> good evening, brian. the most tragic number tonight is 6:00, that's how many people were killed in the tornados this weekend. all those victims living right here in woodward, oklahoma. weave all seen the weather radar and maps. four survivors this is what a tornado looks like up close and personal. >> look at that. >> reporter: the images are frightening. >> go, go, go. >> reporter: the power, the intensity. the devastation left behind. >> you're just overwhelms by everything, by the situation. >> a situation that forecasters

say could have been much worse. first responders believe lives were saved when 24 hours before the first strike for only the second time ever the national weather service warned of a potential "high-end life threatening event." the violent storm delivered on that threat. more than 100 tornados ripping through four states. the most vicious attack in oklahoma. >> i wrapped my arm and legs around him and i said, please don't let me go, don't let me go. please, just hang on to me. >> now the town of woodward is trying to hang on. after a massive twister targeted the city of 13,000 in the middle of the night, the funnel only revealed by a flash of lightning. when most everything is gone after a tornado, help often comes from family. >> we're tight. we're real tight-knit family. >> your truck made it. >> reporter: today, this family is searching for memories and a special gift. >> today is her birthday. >> reporter: this year her

presents are family treasures saved from the wood and shards of glass that used to be their home. >> my children are fine, my grandkids are fine. i can build another house. i can't build another man like that. reporter: despite their surroundings, their spirit and resolve unbroken. >> i'm not leaving, that's what you're asking me. this is my house this 24 is our home. >> reporter: homes like this one, there are 89 torn apart here in wood tward, and hundreds more scatter add long the path of the violent storms. >> jay gray in oklahoma for us tonight. thanks for that. jim cantore is in thurmond, iowa, tonight where they estimate about 50% of all the homes in town were heavily damaged by a twister. what caused an outbreak that was so large, we were able to talk about its predict it, friday night's newscast for saturday night? >> two things, brian,

instability and wind sheer. when we see those things present it's like a five alarm fire. let me show you with the pieces of debris, what happens. when the wind sheer happens, you create a horizontal roll in the atmosphere, here's the atmosphere rolling like this, the instability allows for the cumulus clouds to roll up. and you end up with this rotating tube in the atmosphere, these big clouds. we don't know exactly what causes the tornado, that was present in a big way. those tubes came down. damage here, extensive in the town of thurmond, iowa. we're talking about winds at 125 miles per hour here. and as we mentioned, 50% of the homes definitely dealing with with heavy damage here. >> how about these high temperatures in the eastern half of the country? >> reporter: that's the instability, it's been shifted to the east. we had 87 degrees today in boston. unbelievable, the average high in boston is 56 degrees.

we started the boston marathon at 70 degrees, and that, of course, created horrible running conditions. the winner last year who set the record at the boston marathon, had to drop without because of cramping by the 18th mile. it was the second shortest boston marathon since 1985. >> thanks. mitt romney revealed today, he started the search process for a vice presidential running paw mate, but he would not say when he'll make that decision. and comments he made at a fund-raiser are getting some attention. comments he did not intend for the whole world to hear. >> mitt romney in the house today here at fenway park. >> the former massachusetts governor was chatting up fans this afternoon in the boston heat. but it was his comments during a private fund raiser this weekend in florida out of the view

cameras in a have caused a stir. while he's resisted offering specifics publicly, mitt romney says one of his top priorities as president would be cutting the size of the federal government. >> i look forward to eliminating government programs. >> reporter: but he revealed more details to donors sunday. comments overheard by an nbc news producer. romney said he might cut things like housing and urban development, which my dad was head of, that might not be around later. romney also said he would shrink the department of education, and on taxes, he said he would likely eliminate the mortgage deduksz on second homes for the wealthy. as well as cuts to income tax. anne romney, the mother of five boys can't understand the challenges facing cash strapped working mothers because she never worked a day in her life. at the time romney supporters

insisted they were offended. but this weekend, mrs. romney cast the gaffe in political terms. it was my early birthday president for someone to be critical of me as a mother. and that was really a defining moment and i loved it. her husband called the episode a gift. peter allem exander, nbc news, washington rmgs violent couple days in afghanistan. widespread coordinated attacks across kabul. they hit nato headquarters, the u.s. embassy it p went on for 18 hours, was ferocious. the taliban said it was in retaliation for the accidental burning of the koran. by the way, they are calling this the start of the spring offensive. two airline incidents today, and the first one, passengers on board a virgin flight from london to orlando had to slide down the chutes to safety when the aircraft made an emergency

landing after a fire in the cabin. 15 injuries, by the way. and a delta flight from istanbul to new york made an emergency landing in dublin because of something the crew thought might be suspicious, later discovered to be a cell phone charging in a lavatory power outlet. officials at the center of a lavish taxpayer funded trip to vegas get summoned to capitol hill and forced to explain themselves and their behavior. the incredible comeback of the american bald eagle. the only issue seems to be where they've chosen to raise a family. al fit briefs, and today we are surprising pro football all stars. there's wes, clay and demarcus.what's up guys. now i know you don't need one, but would you try these on for charity and prove just how great the fit is? seriously? no way for charity? let's do it! yup... they're doin it. the best protection now looks, fits and feels just like underwear. let's go drive, use the legs...

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america" keeping an eye on waste, fraud and abuse your tax dollars. the head of a low profile agency normally, that manages federal government buildings and purchasing apologized for a lavish conference in las vegas, and today it was congress's turn to get involved. lisa myers has our report. >> today what happened in vegas ended up on capitol hill. and the gsa official in charge of the lavish conference jeff neeley asserted his right to remain silent six times. >> mr. chairman, i respectfully decline to answer any questions here today based on my fifth amendment constitutional privilege. >> reporter: they appear to be enjoying a luxurious suite at the m resort which hosted the conference a year before. the conference cost taxpayers

almost a million dollars. >> when you see this widespread abuse of money, that's where there's frustration just steaming out our ears. >> it's not your money. it's the taxpayer's money. >> reporter: taxpayers paid for black jack vests. today, former gsa administrator who resigninged over the scandal took responsibility. >> i apologize to the american people. >> republicans question the $9,000 bonus neeley was given last year while he was under investigation. >> how can you justify a bonus for somebody that you knew at the time of his bonus was at the center of this misconduct. johnson said neeley had performed well in other key areas skaen she didn't want to interfere with the investigation. she's n neeley's now on administrative leave, but still getting his

$197,000 scandal. the investigator is also looking into bribes and kickbacks at gsa. the agency ultimately supposed to save taxpayers money. back in a moment here tonight, with the loss of a huge piece of movie history. [ male announcer ] every day thousands of people are choosing advil®. here's one story. pain doesn't have much of a place in my life. i checked the schedule and it's not on it. [ laughs ] you never know when advil® is needed. well most people only know one side of my life. they see me on stage and they think that that is who i am. singer, songwriter, philanthropist, father, life's a juggling act. when i have to get through the pain, i know where to go. [ male announcer ] take action. take advil®. and if pain keeps you up, sleep better with advil pm. the amazing alternative to raisins and cranberries and if pain keeps you up, with more fiber, less sugar, and a way better glycemic index. he's clearly enjoying one of the planet's

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there's been a terrible fire in the catskill mountains of new york state, 85 miles from new york city. it's a piece film history in its own right. while most recently it was co o condos, it opened during world war ii. it was the inspiration for the movie "dirty dancing." it took 40 fire companies many hours to get control of that fire. space shuttle "discovery" is

loaded up affixed to a boeing 737 for its final flight tomorrow. heading to the smithsonian, and it's scheduled to take a nice low pass over the space coast of florida as it departs tomorrow. prior to a nice low flyover of d.c. beforehanding. it web with the into service when reagan was president in '84. flew 39 missions, not counting tomorrow's suborbital final mission. pulitzer prizes were announced today, and they contained some surprises, including the huffington post writer, david wood for his superb writing on wounded veterans in iraq and afghanistan. the philadelphia inquirer won for coverage of violence in city schools. tuscaloosa news won for its coverage of tornado coverage. up next here tonight, american bald eagles on the comeback trail. finding their way back home, not

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came close to being totally wiped out. but they've made a comeback in recent years. they're not just showing up in the wilds of maine and montana. they may live a lot closer to you than you think. our report from nbc's kevin tibbles. >> some new neighbors are raising a family in st. paul, minnesota, in the 150 years stan's lived in this house, he's seen many come and go, but never any like these. >> this is a gift of nature. >> reporter: the bald eagle is returning to areas urban sprawl and pollution forced it to abandon decades ago. >> ddt was a problem for the bald eagles. they were not able to form appropriate shells, since they were not able to reproduce, their numbers plummeted. >> once on the endangered species list, this majestic symbol of of american pride is spreading its wings. and many can see them in a

setting that doesn't involve a trip to the zoo. >> it will be nice to see them right in our backyard. >> reporter: when this pair nested in davenport, iowa, the employees set up a videocam to show with the world. it's had 5 million views this year alone. this preserve sits roughly from the ten million people who call chicago home. yet here is something that hasn't been seen in 100 years. an eagle's nest. >> the fact that they've come back, does that tell us anything? >> i think it tells us a lot. it tells us we're doing the right thing. >> reporter: it was a close call. by the 1960s, just 450 pairs of eagles remained in the lower 48 states. today those numbers have soared to more than 9,000. giving hope these treasured icons can once again live side by side with the humans that cherish them.

kevin tibbles nbc chicago. that is our broadcast on a monday night. thk you for being with us. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com ♪ [ male announcer ] at southwest airlines, we're always looking for new ways to make you happy. and we know what really makes you happy are new places to fly. now you can fly southwest airlines' new nonstop service from bwi airport to atlanta. book all of our destinations only at southwest.com.