78 tomorrow generally dry all the way through the weekend. >> thank you, glenn, for all of us here thanks for watching. >> see you at 11:00. on this wednesday night, letting the air out. the long-awaited eded deflategate is out including on tom brady over those underinflated footballs did they cheat? bob costas joins us tonight. take cover. millions with watches and warnings throughout the night. and it's just getting started. alone in the cockpit. chilling revelations that the pilot who deliberately crashed the passenger plane may have been on the flight before. and sibling rivalry. prince george is the most famous toddler in the world, but how will he share the spotlight with his little sister? "nightly news" begins right now.

good evening. we're coming on the air with breaking news. there is a tornado emergency in the oklahoma city area where there are reports of a tornado a half mile wide. tornado watches and warnings are in effect right now from texas to nebraska. several tornadoes have already been confirmed including one in central kansas. the threat level considered severe for up to 9 million people tonight. al roker is here with us. he's tracking it. al the big danger right now as we've said oklahoma city. we were watching those pictures a moment ago. it looks bad. >> it really does lester. in fact, they are now evacuateing the oklahoma city airport to underground facilities. we are looking live from our kfor chopper and you can see that we are seeing a major, major tornado on the ground. we're watching this. this is looking toward norman oklahoma. so they are going to continue to track this. and as we watch this we can

also see there is damage -- this is selena kansas. you can see a major tornado on the ground there. no reports of damage. there were some trees uprooted, but thankfully no injuries. and so we are in for a very, very busy night. in fact right now we go to the radar and you can see this is the storm we're concerned about over norman. we have tornado warnings in effect. dangerous tornado on the ground. we'll continue to track this. we have the risk an enhanced risk of severe storms tonight from texas into oklahoma city into oklahoma and into kansas and nebraska. 9 million people at risk. dangerous tornadoes, damaging hail. we're also watching a system off the shore in the southeast. this could become our first tropical storm. there's a 60% chance this could be a storm into the weekend. upwards of 8 to 9 inches of rain.

lester, we are going to be watching this situation in oklahoma very carefully. >> thanks very much. now to another major story. the report is out on the sports controversy that seemed to have the whole country talking back in january. and it is tainting the new england patriots and their superstar tom brady in a harsh light. the issue is whether they cheated in the game against indianapolis by underinflating the footballs they used in theory making them easier to handle. and now that report commissioned by the nfl makes the case that some on the team probably did and that brady was probably aware of it. nbc's ron mott is in foxborough were massachusetts, with detail. >> good evening. this took over three months. they've been cleared of any wrong doing but tonight people are sounding off about tom brady. one of the best to play the game and whether he's a cheater. tom brady addressed the public

in january and denied any involvement in what's become known as deflategate. intentionally removing air from footballs making them easier to throw and catch. >> i would never do anything to break the rules. i respect the league. >> reporter: today an investigation led by ted wells found it is more probable than not that the quarterback was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities. patriots personnel were involved in a deliberate effort to circumvent the rules. that jim mcallynally and patriots equipment stantassistant participated after the referee examined them. >> it's circumstantial evidence but it lacks the smoking gun. >> reporter: in which the patriots soundly defeated the indianapolis colts 45-7 to advance to the super bowl. officials discovered 11 of 12 game balls used by brady and the

patriots offense, different balls used by the opponent were under the minimum of 12.5 pounds per square inch. the two men disparaged brady in text messages. mcnally writing i'm going to make that next ball a balloon. tom, 16 is nothing. wait until next sunday. roger goodell says the league will consider taking disciplinary action. saying we will continue our efforts to protect integrity of the game and promote fair play at all times. reactions were mixed outside the stadium stadium. >> i'll still be a patriots fan. >> he's carryied this team over the last years. is just as much a pro off the field as he is on the field. >> reporter: a the super bowl bob kraft demanded an apology from the nfl if the investigation turned up no proof

of wrong doing. >> i would expect and hope that the league would apologize to our entire team and in particular coach belichick and tom brady for what they have had to endure this past week. >> reporter: today bob kraft issued a statement reiterating his disappointment in how this investigation was conducted but said the organization will accept the findings and take appropriate action. >> ron mott thank you. bob costas of nbc sports joins me now by telephone. bob, so much of this was made at the time. in football, how big a sin is this and is the league now compelled to take harsh action? >> the league is compelled to take action. i'd be very very surprised if tom brady was suspended for even a game but i think he's going to be hit with a substantial fine. and based on precedent for other violations by other teams, probably the patriots will lose a draft choice or two. but it won't be a first round

draft choice. this falls into the category if you look at it objectively of gamesmanship. not that it should be approved of but if some other team that was less successful with a quarterback less glamorous and less in the discussion of among the all-time greats and with a coach less controversial than bill belichick, i think it would be regarded as just eh one of those things. but because it's the patriots because they have people who love them and like any team that's that successful people who detest and resent them it was a much bigger deal and especially because it led up to the super bowl it was a much bigger deal. this kind of thing looking to gain an edge happens all the time in sports. and that's all it was. looking to gain an edge. and they beat the colts soundly and it's worth noting that in the second half after they had adjusted the footballs, when they discovered something was wrong, in the second half of that game brady actually did better than he did in the first half. >> right. bob costas thanks so much for being with us tonight. we appreciate it.

>> okay. turning overseas now. new revelations about the german co-pilot who killed himself and 149 others by deliberately crashing a plane into the french alps back in march. a preliminary report revealing he may have practiced his plan or come close to carrying it out on the flight right before. nbc's bill neeley has details. >> reporter: it was deliberate mass murder a full plane programmed to dive and crash. but co-pilot andreas lubitz had tried it before hours earlier setting the same plane to hit the ground. >> it was a repeat of the action he did on the flight. >> reporter: the first official report reveals an even more calculating, erratic man. the flight recorder from the plane's first leg to barcelona show that the captain left lubitz alone in the cockpit an hour and 20 minutes into the flight. in the four and a half minutes before he returned lubitz

repeatedly set the altitude control to 100 feet. its lowest setting. five times. but he switched back so the plane continued its normal, smooth descent landing safely in barcelona. an hour after that it took off again for its fatal return flight. no one knew what he'd done. not the captain, the passengers nor controllers. >> the only thing air traffic controllers would have been aware of is the actual position or altitude of the aircraft. they would not have known what was selected in the cockpit. >> reporter: lubitz may have been doing more than just rehearsing. >> it does look very much like he was planning to crash the aircraft on the way out but changed his mind for whatever reason. >> reporter: the report shows lubitz ignored 14 attempts by controllers to contact him. as well as alarms warnings and the pilot banging on the door. he was bent on killing himself and all those on board. for the passengers on the first

flight the report's new details will surely make chilling reading. bill neeley nbc news london. an entire small town in new mexico had to be evacuated today when a train hauling hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil derailed sending an enormous cloud of black smoke into the sky. dozens had to be moved away from e the area. we're following two stories tonight about the alarming reach and influence isis has in this country. in a moment we'll hear exclusively from an nypd officer who survived an isis-inspired attack on the streets of new york. but first the terror attack in texas. federal investigators now telling us one of the gunmen was in contact with one of three known isis sympathizers in the days leading up to it. here's justice correspondent pete williams. >> reporter: two weeks before the gathering in texas, the fbi and homeland security warned the nation's police that the event, quote, carries the risk of being

targeted by violent extremists. noting that supporters of isis and other terror groups were on twitter calling for retaliation. investigators say elton simpson, one of the gunmen who attacked the event, was reading those calls. they say he called isis supporters and was communicating with mohammed hassan who specifically called for attacking the texas event. a week before the event, dm me. an invitation for private direct messages. they have now posted this picture of the other gunman nadir soofi. researchers who track extremists online say simpson was one of 400 people in the west deeply immersed in jihadist tweets. experts say permanently shutting down accounts that despouse

violence is nearly impossible. >> they open new ones. but it takes some time for the followers to find the new account. >> reporter: monitoring twitter messages tipped off fbi to many of the people arrested in 13 states in recent isis-related terror cases. but they say it's a huge chore with more than 5,000 people following the kind of radical twitter accounts elton simpson did. pete williams nbc news washington. >> and as that probe continues, here in new york for the first time we're hearing from a police officer severely wounded in a horrible hatchet attack that authorities say was inspired by isis. we get that story tonight from jonathan dienst of our new york station wnbc. >> i said i'm going to die. >> reporter: rookie officer kenneth healy never saw the axe wielding suspect. healey and other officers were on routine patrol when a photographer asked them to pose

for this photo. out of the corner of his eye, officer joseph meeker saw a figure closing in fast. what happens as you see this shadow? >> as i saw it i put my arms up and i guess it hit off my foreman into the wall. i remember hearing that loud bang. and i look over and my partner's down that quick. >> reporter: 25-year-old healey had been hit in the back of the head. his skull shattered. his brain damaged. but he was still conscious. >> i was just so confused. you know one second you're taking a picture and the next you know i'm staring at my skull on the floor. >> reporter: authorities say the attacker was self-radicalized inspired by watching isis videos. >> he started coming towards me and that's when training kicked in. >> reporter: officers taylor kraft and peter rivera opened fire killing thompson. the entire incident happened just six seconds. healey was carried to a patrol car and rushed to a hospital. >> i kept saying don't lie to

me. how bad is it? they were like it's not that bad. >> reporter: for a time healey was paralyzed and lost much of his vision. but after surgeries and rehab, he's improving. >> i couldn't count money, tie my shoes. a couple weeks ago i ran a mile. >> reporter: healey knows he was targeted because of his uniform. >> these are the threats that police and law enforcement have to look out for. it's sad, but it's the world we live in right now. >> reporter: that's part of the reason his three partners say they're back on the streets. hoping healey will soon be with them. jonathan dienst nbc news new york. >> riveting account. maryland's governor today lifted the state of emergency in baltimore which was put in place last week when rioting broke out over freddie gray's death. today baltimore's mayor asked the justice department to open an investigation into whether the city's police department has a pattern of violating civil rights. six officers have been charged in connection with gray's death. still ahead tonight, big

rigs can be awfully scary to get near when you're on the road. now imagine one that's driving itself totally hands free. it's not the future. it's already here. but is it safe? also the mom who saved her family from a hostage situation by ordering pizza. anyone have occasional constipation

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soon that tractor-trailer may be driving itself. a cruise control on steroids if you will. we get the story tonight by nbc's joe fryer. >> i'm going to go ahead and push the button and turn it on. >> reporter: the self-driving car movement is truly growing. a freightliner inspiration, an 18 wheeler that can drive itself. >> i'm completely hands free. >> reporter: the semitruck still needs a driver to steer it to the highway. from there it stays in a single lane a safe distance from other cars. but if there's an emergency, the driver takes over. >> at this point for us we feel it's really important to continue to have drivers in the vehicle. we absolutely want a driver to take control at any time. >> reporter: in 2013 crashes involving large trucks killed nearly 4,000 people and injured 95,000 others. >> self-driving trucks are important because it could alleviate one of the hugest issues in this industry and that's fatigue. >> reporter: the top world auto

makers are testing autonomy for personal vehicles. and earlier this year -- i'm in the passenger seat and no one's in the driver's seat. we were shown a car that can park itself. right now they can only test self-driving cars in four states. california nevada michigan and florida, plus the district of columbia. >> this is a case where the technology is moving faster than the lawmakers. >> reporter: while dimeler's semi is licensed to drive in nevada the company wants to ig conduct more tests. joe fryer, nbc news los angeles. we're back in a [chorus singings:] ♪ roundup ♪ i'm the protector of my patio. killing weeds where they grow. a barrier forms so weeds can't appear - serious weed prevention up to a year. [chorus singings:] ♪ roundup max control 365 ♪ so i'm fighting weeds on opening day and preventing weeds while i get away.

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speaker to resign amid scandal. he stepped down in 1989 while facing a house investigation. a battle that some say marked the beginning of the hyperpartisan climate. employees at a florida pizza hut noticed something strange on an online order. a cry for help. police say a woman persuaded her boyfriend who was holding her and her children hostage to let her order pizza. she did so through a smartphone app and in the comments section she wrote, please help get 911 to me. that's exactly what they did. resolving the situation without anyone getting hurt. he has traveled the globe and now pope francis is a globetrotter. the harlem groeb trotterslobetrotters made the pope an honorary member of the team. they helped him spin the ball. when we come back the royal baby and why one young man might

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finally tonight, if you have young children at home or remember being one yourself, you might understand what a british

family is going through now that a new baby sister is in the picture. no doubt it has dawned on prince george it is no longer all about him. in that sense the royals are no different than the rest of us. as katy tur found out in london. >> reporter: william, kate and kids headed to their home today. but princess charlotte is the center of attention, it may be dawning on prince george what a royal pain a younger sibling could be. >> superpowers is annoyingness. >> reporter: in fact that was the top of our poll of kids at a playground. >> i think he's amazing and cute. but sometimes a pain in the neck. he's becoming a bit of a tyrant. >> reporter: these juniors, they just get in the way. >> i know that they should just be quiet and don't start arguments. >> reporter: take my younger brother, for example. i mean he should have known

even way back then never keep a mic away from a budding journalist. >> stop talking. >> reporter: he did always say i was bossy. and it's true younger siblings aren't always crazy about their big brothers or sisters either. >> my brother is like my worst enemy ever. >> hey. i heard that. >> reporter: they actually think younger is better. >> they get away with stuff better. >> my brother gets to play if i do something wrong. >> reporter: so listen, george. it may be tough at first. >> do you like your baby sister? >> no! >> do you love her? >> no! >> reporter: but look at the bright side. >> because you're not going to be with me anywhere. >> reporter: in fact two can be better than one. just ask your dad. katy tur, nbc news, london. >> that will 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.

new video lady gaga breaking news about getting married. >> lady gaga hours after the met gala opening up about her marriage plans with taylor kinney. >> will you change your last name. >> and taylor finally revealing how he popped the question. plus hot new photos robin thicke's sexy vacation. tiger's heartbreak. his first words about his sleepless nights after his split from lindsay vonn. >> i'm not going to lie about that. it is tough. bruce jenner backing up the brinks trust. >> how much he's reportedly