on our broadcast tonight, states of emergency. a wild night as a dangerous blizzard brings much of the northeast to a standstill. up to 3 feet of snow piling up. major cities and airports shutting down. on edge in the state of california. they're now going door to door, searching for an armed and dangerous sniper who is hunting police officers and their families. and the fleecing of america. $1 billion worth of our tax money being wasted in washington. is it any way to run our government. tonight, what we have uncovered. "nightly news" begins now. from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >> good evening. here's one example of how bad

it's getting tonight across the northeast. vehicles were ordered off the roads in massachusetts. that would be all of massachusetts. starting at 4:00 p.m. this afternoon. you're looking live at the cape where they're already taking it on the nose tonight. blizzard warnings posted across a big area. we could see some history-making snowfall out of this. we've already seen a could lass al stoppage of transportation in the corridor of our country, affecting 50 million americans before it's all said and done. and it's a long way from being over. as you watch the coverage of all of this tonight, remember, this storm is hitting many of the same people along the very same coastline, still recovering from hurricane sandy just over 100 days ago now. our team is out in it. what could end up as a 30-inch snow event by this time tomorrow night. we begin with nbc's ron mott. he's in providence, rhode island tonight. hey, ron, good evening.

>> brian, good evening to you. long before the teeth of this storm fully clamps down on new england later tonight, its bite was being felt, and the discomfort is spread all over. a 19-vehicle pileup this morning in southern maine was among the earliest indications that today was going to be trouble. luckily, only minor injuries. >> what you see there is a tractor-trailer on i-84 that has flipped on its side. >> reporter: traffic topsy-turvey in connecticut, too. and signs of things getting worse rather than better were everywhere. as power trucks await the call to duty from as far away as ohio. >> i'm asking the general public to make decisions that are wise. >> reporter: officials again repeated warnings for people to stay home and out of the mounting mess. >> i guess mother nature is making up for last year. >> reporter: yielding to fleets of snowplows, making room for emergencies. in rhode island, a slow start for accumulations quickened by

afternoon. massachusetts and connecticut governors each order roadways clear at 4:00, a ban on traffic. for those still needing to travel, rail service ground to a halt, triggering a midday evening rush at new york's penn station. airports, including laguardia, were at all but a stand still. >> i'm from minnesota. i know snow. but just don't want to be stuck here for a few days. >> reporter: the exodus turned hustle and bustle in providence and boston into what looked like movie sets, minus the action. >> this is coming right off the ocean here. and this is what has emergency management officials so concerned. >> reporter: but along the coast, that's exactly what's expected later. a major storm surge taking heavy amounts of snow for a bumpy, wild, overnight ride. and ahead of what could be an extended hibernation for many this weekend, last-minute shopping runs, especially to fortify the fridge. >> we're getting enough supplies so we can make a hot pot of chicken soup for the weekend.

>> reporter: two of the biggest sellers today, gasoline and liquor. one liquor store manager said they did five times the business of a normal friday, calling it almost christmas in february, brian. >> got to do what you've got to do. ron, thanks. we have an incredible view of this weather system as seen from space. look at the tops of those clouds. again, it's more than one storm. it's two joining up to form one over new england. not visible from space, our friend al roker is in the thick of it. he's in boston with a look at where it is now and how bad it's likely to get. hey, al, good evening. >> yeah, well, good evening, brian. we're just really getting into the teeth of this thing. we've been getting reports of thundersnow over long island, and just in, we're getting reports of power lines and trees snapping in rhode island as heavy bands of snow come onshore. right now we're in the boston common, the oldest park in the united states. and boston is in the bulls-eye

for this. take a look on the radar. and you will see the two systems getting ready to come together. first we show you the winter storm warnings, winter storm warnings for much of new york on into interior sections of new england. but that area in red, that's where we're worried. blizzard warnings in effect from new york all the way to down east maine and east port. now, here's what we're looking at on the radar. steve, the moisture and that -- [ no audio ] these two storms merge off the coast, and bring with it very heavy snow. how much? we're talking about generally across the area anywhere from about 6 to 9 inches of snow developing. heavy, wet snow. that area in -- [ no audio ] we're talking about 1 to 2 feet. [ no audio ] the rest of boston, we could be talking about 30 inches of snow. add to that, significant winds. the pressure gradients between

high pressure and low pressure. and look at these wind gusts, new york city, 37-mile-an-hour wind gusts. east end of long island. we're talking about getting close to hurricane-force winds, nantucket, hurricane-force winds all night long, into saturday, poor visibility, dangerous conditions, drifting snow. it is going to be a mess, brian. we're going to continue to cover it all night long on the weather channel. we'll start at 5:00 on "wake up with al" and a full report again tomorrow morning on the "today" show. brian? >> all right, al, thanks. just enough snow to wreak havoc with microphones from time to time. al roker in boston. as they say during storms like this if you're not where you want to be already, there's little use in trying. that means rails, roads and especially the air space along the northeast. nbc's rehema ellis is at new york's laguardia airport. she was ordered outside the airport when the inside was shut down late today. raheema, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. this is how the storm is

impacting travel. look here at one of the country's busiest airports. new york's laguardia is virtually empty on a friday evening. the monitors inside the terminal tell the story. more than 1,800 cancellations at new york's area airports. connecticut's bradley international airport shut down earlier today. 4,700 flights were cancelled nationwide. yesterday, today and tomorrow. good news for passengers, airlines waived the cabs legislation fees, encouraging passengers to make other plans. overnight, 200 pieces of snow removal equipment will be used to clean the planes and runways, hoping to get operations back on track sometime sunday. and speaking of tracks, amtrak has shut down service between new york and boston with limited service tomorrow. and as ron mott mentioned, a travel ban is in place in connecticut and massachusetts. and so no matter how you look at it, this storm is making it hard to get around. brian? >> rehema ellis at a very quiet laguardia airport tonight.

thanks. as the "new york times" put it today, quote, perhaps any other year this nor'easter would have been met with little more than a shrug. but little more than 100 days after sandy decimated a huge part of the area, even hardened new yorkers are taking no chances this time. a lot of people getting prepared well in advance in case the power went out, some waiting more than an hour to get gasoline. some gasoline stations we found in new york and new jersey are already out of gas. weather channel meteorologist mike seidel is in revere beach, just north of boston. as we said, they are already getting the leading edge of this storm. hey, mike. >> hey, good evening, brian. out here on the north shore, we're already getting gusts to 50 miles per hour before the storm moves out tomorrow, we could see gusts to 70. the beaches and islands are going to take a big hit. major to moderate beach erosion. also look for extreme -- certainly extreme coastal flooding. tomorrow morning's high tide,

the worst of the bunch. where surges as much as 4 1/2 feet could lead to structural damage and send coastal roads under water. because of that, affected communities are asked to head to higher ground and evacuate. the combination of near hurricane-force winds and snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches an hour will lead to tremendous drifting, at least 6-foot drifts. and then the big dig-out will kick in on sunday. brian, it's going to be a wild night out here on the beach. we'll be here on the weather channel throughout and tomorrow. back to you. >> mike, i know you love severe weather, but please take care. that's for you and your crew. mike seidel out on the cape tonight. while all of this has been going on, on the other coast, a massive drama continues. the manhunt goes on for a former police officer, a military veteran, who is now targeting police officers and their families. the focus tonight is in the snowy mountains outside los angeles. but people are nervous and supposed sightings of the

suspect have been reported and set off alarms as far south as the mexican border all day long. nbc's miguel almaguer with us once again from the heavily fortified lapd headquarters. miguel, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. with a search in day two, the mood remains tense at lapd. helicopters have been hovering in and around this area all day long, while police focus their search earlier today, some 115 miles away from here. more than 100 tactical officers swarmed the mountains three hours outside of los angeles. blinded by 10 inches of snow and facing frigid cold, they found no one. >> search permit! >> reporter: earlier, s.w.a.t. teams clear 400 cabins, one by one. a high-powered military like response to hunt down accused cop killer, christopher dorner. >> our folks are highly trained and this is what we trained for. >> reporter: dorner's burnt-out

truck was discovered thursday. so were his footprints, say police, but his trail has gone cold. walter slept with an axe for protection. >> we had all the kids sleep with us last night. i couldn't sleep. the dogs barked all night. scary. >> reporter: near los angeles, police searched dorner's mother's home, but made no arrest. the former lapd officer is accused of murdering three. among the victims, a memorial for a 34-year-old riverside police officer who can't be named because police fear dorner will go after his loved ones. >> this individual has a history of targeting family. and so who knows? we don't want to take a risk he may target the family of an officer he's already killed or wounded. >> reporter: in dorner's chilling manifesto, he names officers and families he's targeted for revenge for being fired. he writes now you will live the life of prey. >> what spikes this case, the fact that he has named specific

individuals. so you could be mad at god, mad at life, mad at your employer. but when you start to name specific people, that is whene get extremely concerned. >> reporter: with police on tactical alert, everyone is jumpy. along the mexico border, a two-hour traffic jam as officers search for dorner. outside a san diego gym, a case of mistaken identity when police question a man who matched the suspect's description. today, the l.a. county jail, where dorner's ex-wife works, went into lockdown after a false sighting. >> i'm fearful. i don't really want to be here right now. >> reporter: tonight in cities and in the mountains, there's fear. police say it's not if, but when will the cop killer strike again. and while this massive manhunt pushes on, the lapd says six officers who opened fire on a vehicle that matched the suspect's description but was not his car have been put on paid administrative leave. two people, including a 71-year-old woman and her

daughter, were shot by officers. tonight they have attained an attorney. brian? >> incredible story unfolding in southern california. miguel almaguer in l.a., thanks. still ahead, as we continue tonight, the fleecing of america. outrage over $1 billion of tax money wasted. for all the talk in washington, is it any way to run our government? and later, a sad invasion of privacy for two former u.s. presidents, their family, their friends. the secret service investigation under way. when you have diabetes... your doctor will say get smart about your weight. i tried weight loss plans... but their shakes aren't always made for people with diabetes. that's why there's glucerna hunger smart shakes. they have carb steady, with carbs that digest slowly to help minimize blood sugar spikes. and they have six grams of sugars. with fifteen grams of protein to help manage hunger... look who's getting smart about her weight. [ male announcer ] glucerna hunger smart. a smart way to help manage hunger and diabetes.

[ male announcer ] glucerna hunger smart. hey amermart way to help manage hunger and diabetes. ica, even thoughuncer ] glucerna hunger smart. hey they don't need one, wes, clay, and demarcus tried on the depend real fit briefs for charity to prove how great the fit is even while playing pro football. the best protection now looks, fits and feels just like underwear. get a free sample and try one on for yourself. in that time there've been some good days. and some difficult ones. but, through it all, we've persevered, supporting some of the biggest ideas in modern history. so why should our anniversary matter to you? because for 200 years, we've been helping ideas move from ambition to achievement. and the next great idea could be yours. ♪

diarrhea, gas, bloating? yes! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues... with three strains of good bacteria. [ phillips' lady ] live the regular life. phillips'. back now with our series, the fleecing of america. the waste, fraud and abuse of america. we're about to hear about a staggering waste of money in washington. just as we're being told of the potential cuts on the way because there's not enough money. tonight, how it is $1 billion was allowed to be spent on a huge military project with virtually nothing to show for it. our report from our senior

investigative correspondent, lisa myers. >> reporter: it was supposed to be the air force's revolutionary new computer system, to track everything from planes to spare parts to bombs to winter refueling tanker. the expeditionnary combat support system. the idea was to save billions of dollars by combining 240 existing computer systems, some from the '70s, into a single system, for buying and managing everything. instead, after seven years and $1 billion, the air force has pulled the plug, stating the program has not yielded any significant military capability. senator john mccain wrote the pentagon, calling it one of the most egregious examples of mismanagement in recent memory. >> $1 billion has been basically totally wasted, with nothing to show for it. >> reporter: just flushed down the drain. >> flushed down the drain. >> reporter: you know, a lot of americans remember that infamous

$600 toilet set. is this even worse than that? >> i don't mean to make a joke, but at least they got a toilet seat. out of this, they got nothing. we got nothing. >> reporter: so what went wrong? >> you had a company that wasn't up to the task of managing the project. you had a computer system that wasn't actually able to do the job. and you had an air force that was asleep at the switch. >> reporter: a top executive for the lead contractor, computer science's corporation or csc, told nbc news that it provided the air force with capabilities and assets to deliver the system of the future, and that taxpayers got their money's worth. an air force official sees it differently. >> i'm personally appalled at the limited capabilities that program has produced. >> reporter: senior air force officials say the computer company was unable to deliver what it promised. but admit that the air force too was to blame, and didn't have the level of expertise to manage such a huge complex project.

should people be fired over this? >> sure. sure they should be. will they be? no. >> reporter: in fact, csc says it has four other contracts with the air force. and a report found that other similar computer programs throughout the pentagon are $8 billion over budget and as much as 13 years behind. lisa myers, nbc news, washington. we're back in a moment with a high-profile politician in deep legal trouble who just cut a deal. it's a new day. if your a man with low testosterone, you should know that axiron is here. the only underarm treatment for low t. that's right, the one you apply to the underarm. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18. axiron can transfer to others through direct contact. women, especially those who are or who may become pregnant, and children should avoid contact where axiron is applied as unexpected signs of puberty in children or changes

in body hair or increased acne in women may occur. report these signs and symptoms to your doctor if they occur. tell your doctor about all medical conditions and medications. do not use if you have prostate or breast cancer. serious side effects could include increased risk of prostate cancer; worsening prostate symptoms; decreased sperm count; ankle, feet, or body swelling; enlarged or painful breasts; problems breathing while sleeping; and blood clots in the legs. common side effects include skin redness or irritation where applied, increased red blood cell count, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and increase in psa. see your doctor, and for a 30-day free trial, go to axiron.com. a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation.

plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. celebrex can be taken with or without food. and it's not a narcotic. you and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, including celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you've had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history. and find an arthritis treatment for you.

visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion. some good news tonight about the nasty flu season we've been enduring in this country. cdc says flu activity is down. we have probably, probably seen the worst of the season. flu activity was listed as widespread this week. 38 states at least down from 42 states last week. news remains bad for the elderly, however, with more than

50% of hospitalizations in patients over 65. we got word today jesse jackson jr. has signed a plea agreement with federal prosecutors and has admitted to campaign finance violations. he acknowledged using campaign contributions to buy personal items, including a rolex watch and furniture. his sentence will be decided by a federal judge and could include still prison time. the bush family, including both former presidents and some of their children and friends, have fallen victim to an anonymous computer hacker who has infiltrated and exposed family e-mails, private photos. the material initially released on the web included private information, phone numbers, security codes, a photo of bush 41 in the hospital recently, and photos of artworks painted by bush 43. the secret service is now investigating. the legendary jazz musician,

donald byrd has died. he played with coal train, lots of r & b, a lot of progressive music. sampled many times in recent years. donald byrd was 80 years old. a still photo of a little girl is getting a lot of attention on the web, deservedly so. her name is daniella, she is 3 years old, she saluted during the anthem at ft. drummond, new york, as her dad left for afghanistan on a nine-month deployment. and attention parents, you don't see this every day. a very nice family from washington state went to pay their check at a restaurant and noticed a discount. look at them there. for well-behaved kids. right there on the receipt, as we all know, pulling that off in a fancy italian place with three young kids deserves a medal, if not a discount on the check. we are back in a moment with a final check on our top story. this big, bad blizzard in the east coast getting worse by the minute. [ female announcer ] today, jason is here

to volunteer to help those in need. when a twinge of back pain surprises him. morning starts in high spirits, but there's a growing pain in his lower back. as lines grow longer, his pain continues to linger. but after a long day of helping others, he gets some helpful advice. just two aleve have the strength to keep back pain away all day. today, jason chose aleve. just two pills for all day pain relief. try aleve d for strong, all day long sinus and headache relief. i work for 47 different companies. well, technically i work for one. that company, the united states postal service®, works for thousands of home businesses. because at usps.com®, you can pay, print and have your packages picked up for free. i can even drop off free boxes. i wear a lot of hats. well, technically i wear one. the u.s. postal service®, no business too small.

they're about 10 times softer and may have surface pores where bacteria can multiply. polident kills 99.99% of odor causing bacteria and helps dissolve stains so dentures are cleaner, fresher, and brighter. [ male announcer ] polident. otherworldly things. but there are some things i've never seen before. this ge jet engine can understand 5,000 data samples per second. which is good for business. because planes use less fuel, spend less time on the ground and more time in the air. suddenly, faraway places don't seem so...far away. ♪ suddenly, faraway places don't seem so...far away. hey america, even though slisa rinna is wearing the depend silhouette briefs for charity to prove how great the fit is even under a fantastic dress. the best protection now looks, fits and feels just like underwear. we invite you to get a free sample and try one on too.

[ male announcer ] when it comes to the financial obstacles military families face, we understand. our financial advice is geared specifically to current and former military members and their families. [ laughs ] dad! dad! [ applause ] [ male announcer ] life brings obstacles. usaa brings retirement advice. call or visit us online. we're ready to help. learn more with our free usaa retirement guide. call 877-242-usaa. we are back. and let's get you updated on the progress of this snowstorm in the east. a genuine blizzard on the way. jim cantore is in boston. jim, i've got to say, we had mike seidel on earlier. i took one look at their live

came camera picture, made a false assumption they were on the southern cape. they were to the north of boston, revere beach, where just off the coast the winds have picked up, upwards of 50 knots. >> yeah, it's only going to get worse, brian. we're going to get some of that wind back here in boston, that's where we'll deal with the full teeth of this storm. probably right around midnight through about, 5:00, 6:00 in the morning. it will be accompanied by thunder and lightning. and right now the national grid estimates we will probably lose about 100,000 customers with power. and remember, brian, we're going to have to get the snow out of the way before we can get in and repair the power poles and the lines. so it's a two-fold problem here. let's show what's going on with the radar and i'll show you this purple area, if you will, on the radar. this is where the heaviest snow is coming down across long island, across southern connecticut, rhode island, into massachusetts. all of this is building north. we will be in this all night long. and that means the snow totals are going to really add up in

through here. the back edge of the storm, just starting to show up there across eastern pennsylvania. but it will take a long time before it gets into eastern massachusetts. now, just as soon as we get rid of this storm in the northeast, we will focus quickly on another blizzard across the high plains. this one, though, will also have a severe weather threat down to the south. there will be severe thunderstorms from oklahoma city down to dallas. both on saturday and sunday, they will shift east toward the mississippi valley, as will the blizzard conditions for the high plains. so no rest for the weary here as we go from one big storm right to another. the only difference is geographically where it will happen. brian, back to you. >> jim cantore in boston, part of our team from the weather channel that will be out in it all night long. that is for us our broadcast on a friday night and for this week. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. lester holt will be here with you this weekend. we, of course, hope to see you right back here on monday night. we'll have more on the storm when we come back on the air with an all-new "rock center" in our new time lot tonight at

10:00, 9:00 central. in the meantime, have a good night. have a good weekend. good night.