in the forecast. mostly south of philadelphia could see a severe threat there. rainy cool weekend. >> we needed a beautiful break. >> thanks for watching. tonight, the boston bomber speaks. his apology to the survivors he maimed and the families of the people he murdered. tonight, what they said back including the father of the youngest victim as the judge condemns his killer to death. heartbreak in south carolina. as a beloved pastor is honored at the state capitol, a sea of mourners in the shadow of that polarizing flag. it's called the silent killer. taking the lives of patrick swayze, michael landon and so many more. by the time it's found it's usually too late. tonight there's new hope in detecting pancreatic cancer. and sleepless in america. millions tossing and turning and surfing in bed. we'll show you what staring at those screens is doing to your brain and why they're keeping you from a good night's sleep.

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." good evening. we begin with an apology today from the boston marathon bomber. dzhokhar tsarnaev breaking his silence more than two years after the attack that killed three people and injured more than 260. "i am sorry for the lives that i've taken," he told a courtroom filled with survivors and families of victims. his words, however, too little too late for the judge, who following a jury's verdict formally sentenced the 21-year-old to death. pete williams has covered this story since that awful april day in 2013 and was inside the courtroom today for the trial's emotional end. >> reporter: some of those most affected by the marathon bombings came to court for an opportunity they'd waited two years for. telling dzhokhar tsarnaev the pain he caused. bill richard, the

father of 8-year-old martin the youngest to die in the bombing, stood with his wife denise as tsarnaev sat 20 feet away. richard said tsarnaev could have stopped his older brother tamerlan who planned the bombings. "he chose to do nothing," said richard. "he chose hate, destruction, and death." heather abbott who lost a leg after the bombing, said the jury had a hard time deciding between life and death. "i can't understand," she said "how he made the decision about who would live and who would die." one of the most forceful statements came from rebecca gregory, who also lost a leg from the bombing. "i'm not somebody's victim," she told tsarnaev. "not yours, not your brother's." referring to the video shown in court of his gesture to a surveillance camera. she said qus that is so funny that you smirk. that's what we do to you every day." a response to the bombing she said unified the city and the nation and brought out the best in people. "we are boston strong and america strong," she said. "choosing to mess with us was a terrible idea. how's that for a victim impact statement?"

finally, tsarnaev himself stood, choking up when he said "i am sorry for the lives i have taken," adding "i'd like to now apologize to the victims, to the survivors." he asked for allah's mercy. many survivors said it was too late. >> i regret having ever wanted to hear him speak because what he said showed no remorse, no regret and no empathy for what he's done to our lives. >> and at no point during his statement did he renounce the reasons for which he committed this act. he never renounced terrorism. he did not repudiate violent extremism. >> reporter: but liz norton whose two sons each lost a leg, said it was helpful. >> i really feel like a weight has been lifted off our shoulders, and i honestly can say my sons will probably be happy i found out what i needed to find and i think we can close the chapter. >> pete williams you've spent a lot time in that courtroom. you were there for the days of gut-wrenching testimony, of horrible graphic

pieces of evidence. what was the difference? what was it like to hear him speak in that courtroom? >> reporter: well today, lester what struck me is that most of those who spoke were not people who had lost limbs or loved ones. they suffer from post-traumatic stress. they have panic attacks and flashbacks. they're in constant pain. they can't sleep. they have trouble holding a job. they don't want to go out in crowds. it was a reminder that hundreds of people with no visible injuries still had their lives shattered. now, as for tsarnaev he's off to a federal prison while years of legal appeals now begin. >> all right. pete williams in boston tonight. thank you. we're learning that federal hate crime charges will likely be filed against dylann roof. he's the man accused of carrying out the racially motivated massacre at a historic black church in charleston a week ago. the feds are considering bringing charges to back up south carolina's prosecution. that state does not have its own hate crime law. meantime, the people of charleston have begun formally paying their last respects to the nine

victims of that massacre. a moving memorial today at the south carolina state house, taking place just yards from the confederate flag that has provoked so much controversy in the wake of this tragedy. ron allen continues to lead our coverage from there. >> reporter: today a very solemn public tribute to a native son whose death along with his fellow worshippers has south carolina searching its soul. as the reverend clementa pinckney's body arrived at the capitol, passing under the confederate flag. the late state senator then lying in a place of honor in the capitol rotunda. a black drape blocking the view of the flag outside but not the anger. >> yeah the flag. it's time for it to come down. we need to put an end to it. >> reporter: the line of mourners under a blazing sun stretched around the capitol. >> he fought in the lord's army. he fought in a political army. and to see this in

this way because of hatred it hurts. >> reporter: while the capitol's flag flew the state's prestigious military academy the citadel, removed the confederate naval jack from its main chapel. as more prominent leaders said they could no longer defend the rebel banner. state senator paul thurman is a son of the legendary segregationist senator and governor strom thurmond. >> i'm proud to be on the right side of history regarding the removal of this symbol of racism and bigotry. >> reporter: today alabama's governor ordered the confederate battle flag and four other banners removed from the capitol grounds. and virginia's governor has recalled license plates bearing the image, some 2,000 of them. jeff o'kane of the sons of confederate veterans says he worries this won't stop at the flag. >> then it will be this statue that statue. we're on a slippery slope here. you're going to try to eradicate history so it doesn't offend

anybody. it already happened. we can't change history. >> reporter: this evening friends and relatives are paying their last respects to ethel lance, 70 a retired mother and grandmother and for 30 years a custodian at mother emanuel where she died. reverend pinckney will be laid to rest on friday. with president obama here to deliver the eulogy. >> ron allen from columbia tonight. thanks. a stunning reveal from the white house today that over 30 americans are being held hostage abroad. we've never heard that particular number. that information coming out as president obama announced a major change to the u.s. policy on families paying out ransom in the hopes of bringing their captive loved ones back home. we get the details from our national correspondent peter alexander. >> reporter: today's policy shift could give new hope to kaitlin coleman of pennsylvania kidnapped by the taliban in afghanistan. she's one of more than 30 americans being held hostage overseas. this afternoon a

contrite president obama conceded the u.s. government at times has failed the families of hostages held by terrorists. >> these families have already suffered enough, and they should never feel ignored or victimized by their own government. >> reporter: today he vowed to do better. >> we're not going to abandon you. we will stand by you. >> reporter: while the president insisted the u.s. will not make concessions, including paying ransom the u.s. is willing to communicate with terrorist groups. and families won't face prosecution if they want to pay in hopes of freeing their loved ones. >> doesn't that ultimately put a price tag on americans' heads overseas? >> there's no doubt that the payment of ransoms fuels the very activity that we are trying to stop. >> reporter: critics on capitol hill argue it will put more american lives at risk. >> if you reward hostage-taking behavior you're going to get more hostage taking. >> reporter: the family of journalist james foley, killed by isis last summer, applauded today's announcement calling it an awakening to

make kidnapped americans a true priority. before they killed him foley's captors were demanding more than $5 million ransom. and today foley's former boss expressed concerns the new policy puts a burden squarely on families. >> that is a great deal of money for any average person or maybe any person to raise. >> reporter: and earlier today the president met privately with the families of former and current hostages. he said it was an emotional meeting. today one family who was there reacted to the policy changes, and while nothing of course will bring their son back they said his death made a difference. lester? >> peter charged, thank you. tonight 29 million people in 12 states are at risk for severe storms. a dangerous system bringing the threat of even more tornadoes, strong winds, flash floods and hail. some areas in the danger zone are still reeling from storms this week. the weather channel's mike seidel is in hard-hit cole city illinois.

>> reporter: violent weather swept across the country, leaving more than 800,000 without power. 70-mile-per-hour wind gusts from ohio to maine splintered and uprooted trees. >> i felt a gust of wind noticed the trees starting to pick up and all of a sudden ba-boom. >> reporter: a tornado touched down near boston, and after the storm a kaleidoscope sky over fenway. and a scare for those at nationals park in washington as lightning hit a crane. in sheffield, pennsylvania 15-year-old alexis turner was killed while camping in the allegheny national forest with 25 other teens and counselors. >> and there's a number of trees down and fell right into their campsite. >> reporter: three others were hurt. in new jersey just across the bridge from philadelphia a possible tornado flipped cars at this mall parking lot. >> sounded like a freight train was coming down the road. >> it was scary. the rain just came in. >> reporter: tonight much of the midwest including chicago is bracing for more severe storms. after getting slammed by at least 17 tornadoes the past two

days. cole city illinois took a direct hit from an ef3 twister. >> most of the stuff is beyond salvageable. it's already damaged from the rain last night. >> reporter: many there scrambling for shelter, dreading the thought they could be hit again. late word this afternoon a lightning strike injured five construction workers in colorado springs. the biggest threat tonight for severe weather and tornadoes in parts of iowa and i will illinois. tomorrow the threat zone from d.c. all the way to st. louis. and back here in cole city tonight the cleanup continues as they watch the stiez, lester as they darken to the west more storms on the way in. >> mike seidel from the weather channel. thank you. authorities in upstate new york said today the search area for those two escaped killers is now 75 square miles. it's an area just larger than washington, d.c. the hunter who surprised richard matt and david sweat at a remote cabin on saturday gave the authorities their best chance yet of capturing them. but the two killers may have slipped through the dragnet around the cabin.

tonight there are now 13 republican candidates officially running for president as louisiana governor bobby jindal jumped into the race for the nomination today. the conservative lawmaker released one of the more unique announcement videos in recent years, showing jindal and his wife speaking to their three young children about their decision. there is new hope tonight in the battle against one of the deadliest forms of cancer. nearly 49,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year in this country. often by the time it's caught it's too late because there's really no way currently to detect it early. but today we got word of a new test that could change that in the future. nbc's anne thompson has more on that. >> reporter: after patrick swayze michael landon opera singer luciano pavarotti, these are some of the high-profile faces of pancreatic cancer. most patients die within the first year of diagnosis. five-year survival is just 7%. today a study in the

journal "nature" says a blood test may be the answer to identifying this disease in its early stages. the test looks for a single molecule a protein produced by cancer cells, that researchers say is a potential bio marker for pancreatic cancer. >> they found that normal people don't have it people with pancreas cancer do have it in high levels. >> reporter: the test could be used to screen people with high-risk factors including a family history of pancreatic cancer smoking and pan creatitis, and symptoms such as stomach pain jaundice and loss of appetite. >> is this blood test ready for general use? >> this blood test is not ready for general use. it's a very promising bio marker that needs further study. >> reporter: there's enthusiasm tonight to do more studies on this test for a disease that kills 40,000 americans a year. anne thompson nbc news new york. there's a lot more to tell you about tonight. still ahead, sleepless in america. the habit so many

americans just can't seem to break. phones and tablets in bed. those glowing screens keeping us up all night. what doctors say you should do if you just can't turn them off. and later, a little boy with big moves and a big fan base even though he can't hear them cheering on him. how he and his when heartburn comes creeping up on you... fight back with relief so smooth... ...it's fast. tums smoothies starts dissolving the instant it touches your tongue ...and neutralizes stomach acid at the source. ♪ tum, tum tum tum...♪ smoothies! only from tums.

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opener. the cdc has called lack of sleep a public health epidemic. and most sleep experts say all our digital devices we're take into the bedroom are taking a toll on getting a good night's rest. nbc's hallie jackson now on kicking the habit. >> reporter: at 10:00 p.m. bedtime's just beginning for danny fulton. tonight like every night he turns to his tablet, then his phone, some tv and the phone again. >> you watch 1:00 a.m. go and then 2:00 a.m. go and then 3:00 a.m. >> reporter: scrolling and squirming. >> i reach for the phone. that can start with a simple work e-mail or a skype message, and it may end with youtube videos or a wick piedia page. you just never know. >> reporter: after just four hours of sleep dan is up again for good. >> ended up dozing off about 3:00 a.m. >> reporter: he heads to work functioning but barely. >> i'm addicted to the device at some point. >> reporter: why not put it in a drawer or in another room when you go to bed? >> i can't break free from it. >> reporter: experts say it's no coincidence 95% of us look at some kind of screen within an hour of bedtime.

and 85% have trouble falling asleep. >> with all the devices that we carry around right next to our face and check our e-mails or watch movies or whatever it is delaying what our brain interprets as sunset. >> reporter: the blue light from those screens sends a signal it's still daylight triggering a surge of energy and blocking the melatonin that makes us sleepy. no wonder then that with the device on nearly every nightstand 1 in 3 people sleeps less than six hours a day, raising the risk for diabetes heart disease, obesity, and depression. danny knows the risk. after a lifetime of struggling to sleep. >> i know that long term it's going to have -- it has the potential for grave consequences. it's shortening my life. >> reporter: the solution seems obvious. get more sleep. but how? >> get the electronics out of the bedroom. the bedroom should be reserved for sleep and sex. that's about it. >> reporter: doctors recommend shutting off all your screens an hour before bed. but if that feels impossible at least use an app to flip the

background so it's black with white letters. that will have less of an effect on your system. and start good habits early. >> meanwhile, the -- >> reporter: like the stevensons. 11-year-old raphael can only use his phone and play video games downstairs. >> we made this a complete electronic-free zone. >> reporter: the bedroom is for books only. >> it really helps me a lot. >> reporter: it works for kids and adults. so don't just dream of disconnecting. better sleep for most of us is just a click away. hallie jackson, nbc news lexington, kentucky. tomorrow night we're going to look at so-called sleep divorce. this is happily married couples forced to sleep in separate rooms. coming up next tonight, late word from the family of whitney houston abo when you do business everywhere, the challenges of keeping everyone working together can quickly become the only thing you think about. that's where at&t can help. with the tools and the network you

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a developing situation we're monitoring in southern california right now. a brush fire burning next to the i-5 freeway near santa clarita. smoke billowing into

the air. hundreds of firefighters on the ground in the air as well working to put it out before it gets too close to homes. tonight, after months in the hospital whitney houston's daughter bobbi bobbi kristina brown has been moved to hospice care. her aunt pat houston, says she's in god's hands now, revealing her condition has continued to deteriorate since she was found unresponsive in a bathtub in january similar to the way her mother died three years ago. he's had close to a dozen albums in the top ten, but after nearly half a century of making music james taylor has finally hit number 1. the 67-year-old singer's new album topping all others. it took him 45 years to reach the top spot. that length of time is second only to tony bennett, who waited 54 years after his debut to have a number one album. how sweet it is indeed. when we come back the 8-year-old who won't let anything hold h you total your brand new car. nobody's hurt,but there will still be pain. it comes when your insurance company says they'll only pay three-quarters

of what it takes to replace it. what are you supposed to do, drive three-quarters of a car? now if you had liberty mutual new car replacement, you'd get your whole car back. i guess they don't want you driving around on three wheels. smart. with liberty mutual new car replacement, we'll replace the full value of your car. see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. why are all these people so asleep yet i'm so awake? did you know your brain has two systems? one helps keep you awake- the other helps you sleep. science suggests when you have insomnia, the wake system in your brain may be too strong and your neurotransmitters remain too active as you try to sleep, which could be leading to your insomnia. ohh...maybe that's what's preventing me from getting the sleep i need! talk to your doctor about ways to manage your insomnia. get fast-acting, long-lasting relief from heartburn with it neutralizes stomach acid and is the only product

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accomplish anything. nbc's jenna wolfe spent some time with him. >> reporter: there's one thing everyone knows about deke ortiz. he loves basketball. from shooting hoops in his back yard to competing with the maryland playmakers. but for this 8-year-old the palpable excitement of the game is experienced like this. zeke and his brother and parents and much of his extended family are deaf. his aunt, who can hear interpreted for us. what do you want to be when you grow up zeke? >> a pro basketball player. >> reporter: earlier this year this little kid made a big decision. he left his deaf team to join a more competitive league where he's the only deaf player. >> at the very first practice zeke kept looking at us saying i don't understand i don't understand. and we said it's okay. just watch. just try to figure it out. >> reporter: having spent most of his life among deaf people for the first time he felt lost. >> everybody was

talking, and i didn't know what they were saying or what to do. >> reporter: so his dad started coming to every practice giving up the stands for the sidelines. >> i watched what was going on. i knew what the practice plays were. i would essentially interpret that for zeke. >> reporter: the coaches got creative drawing plays on boards and using gestures to communicate. as the players got to know zeke the dynamic on the court started to change. >> they'll use their own little sign language but somehow they know how to communicate amongst each other. >> i point at him then point at the sheer yp p. >> how do you say there's a time out, come over here? >> reporter: on the day we joined zeke at practice i put his fearless shooting style to the test in a game of horse. refusing to take it easy on someone far shorter than i am i offered up this. only to be schooled with this. >> no! >> reporter: this team of ten has come a long way together. >> is he a good basketball player? >> yeah. >> the best. >> reporter: with the

help of his team this new kid who at first struggled to find his place is now exactly where he belongs. jenna wolfe nbc news frederick, maryland. >> and good luck to zeke and his team in the national championship this weekend. go get 'em, guys. that's going to do it for us on a wednesday ni breaking bobbi christina brown health news. her family puts her life in god's hands. >> now on extra. >> bobbi christina's family makes a heartbreaking decision

nearly five months after she was found face down in the bathtub. her condition deteriorating, pulled off medication what's next for bobby brown and where is nick gordon? now trending a scare for kim kardashian in cannes. a naked drunk woman tries to break into her hotel room at 4:00 a.m. >> lady gaga puts on an insane flasion show. >> where on the clock every second of her outrageous new york night out. out. breaking couples news. new details about the bachelorette 2. >> and new rumors about katherine coming back to grey's anatomy. >> now on extra! >> the