the race for president. why he said donald trump is not a christian. donald firing back. it's getting ugly as rubio and cruz have accusations. sudde impact. a terrifying chopper crash caught on tape near pearl harbor. breaking news from hawaii. a hospital hacked. its computers frozen, forced to pay ransom to gain back control. and a warning it could happen to you. and hidden risk. when even exercise won't lower the stubbornly high cholesterol. what doctors say you need to get rid of to bring it down. "nightly news" begins right now. from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening. it's virtually unheard of, a pope admonishing

candidate, in this case [ bleep ]donald trump over his immigration plan. pope francis returning home took the reporter's question about trump's pledge to build a border wall. in his answer, implied that trump is not a christian. it was a high-level rebuke to say the least. but true to form, trump is not turning the other cheek. nbc's katy tur has the details. >> mr. trump, the pope made a statement about you. >> reporter: donald trump proving there is no thing or one too sacred for his political ire. >> he actually said i'm not a good christian or something. >> reporter: the last presbyterian lashing out at the church. talking about the border wall between the u.s. and mexico. a person who only thinks about building walls wherever they may be, and not building bridges is not a christian, he told reporters. just hours earlier, the pontiff was praying along the

very border. donald trump declared his holiness should hope it's him. >> if and when the vatican is attacked by isis, which as everyone knows is isis' ultimate trophy, i can promise you that the pope would have only wished and prayed that donald trump would have been president. >> reporter: another day, another controversy, but still no clear break in his support. >> i think he has to respond. the pope's coming at him. >> donald trump is a good christian, as is the pope. >> reporter: south carolina is known for its religious voting block, but only 13% of republican primary voters in 2012 were catholic. nationally that number jumps to 25%. swing voters who supported the last three presidents. >> it's not unusual at owl for pope francis to talk about the dignity of the president. >> reporter: trump even admonished the holy father for something trump

cruz last week, questioning his faith. >> for a religious leader to question someone's faith is disgraceful. >> reporter: the top trend right now on twitter, this feud between donald trump and the pope. the pope himself does live behind very high walls that surround the vatican. lester. >> katy tur tonight, thank you. it's getting uglier on the campaign trail in south carolina with cruz and rubio trading accusations of dirty tricks just two days from a critical primary. nbc's dave gutierrez frames the dispute for us. >> reporter: if a picture's worth a thousand words, today the bitter fight between ted cruz and marco rubio got expensive. >> making things up, they literally made up a picture. >> reporter: rubio claiming the florida senator shook hands with president obama, and supported amnesty for undocumented immigrants. the cruz campaign firing back. it's just pointing out rubio shifting stance on immigration.

trying to build momentum in his battle against donald trump. >> in the "wall street journal," and for the first time in many, many months, according to that poll, there's a new national front-runner. >> reporter: rubio's getting a jolt from the surprise endorsement of governor nikki haley who had been heavily courted by the bush family. she has an 81% approval rating among republican voters here. >> jeb is a dear friend. this is about fight, this is about passion. >> reporter: bush tried to convince voters that his fight isn't over. for rubio, saturday could be crucial. tonight a diverse trio is on the trail. a cuban-american presidential candidate, an indian-american governor and african-american senator. >> are you the new face of the republican party? >> are we the new

republican party? i hope we're the faces of the new conservative movement. >> reporter: an emotional supporter at a john kasich rally. >> i really appreciate what you've been talking about. [ cheers and applause ] the hug after sharing a difficult story about the tough period past year. in john kasich's campaign. tomorrow will be a south carolina. gop candidates planning at least 20 stops throughout the state. lester? >> dave gutierrez tonight, thank you. democrats are preparing for a critical showdown at the msnbc town hall in las vegas. where the polls are showing it's a dead heat ahead of the nevada caucuses. clinton has a smaller lead before sanders' blowout victory in new hampshire. andrea mitchell has

tightening contest. >> reporter: hillary clinton today reaching out to casino workers after seeing her support in nevada plummet over the last two weeks. >> thank you so much. democrats now targeting minorities bernie sanders meeting today with the urban league in washington. to champion their history. >> the fight for basic voting rights, the demonstrations, the lynchings, the beatings, african-americans need to achieve what all americans have, the right to vote. >> reporter: both aggressively courting latinos. today clinton rolling out a new ad featuring a 10-year-old girl who fears her parents will be deported. >> let me do the worrying. i'll do all the worrying. is that a deal? i'll do everything i can to help. >> reporter: president obama is granting exceptions to undocumented teenagers and young adults. so-called dreamers. but not their parents. a huge issue here.

>> we want to be citizens. we want everything that citizens get in the united states. we just want to feel like we're home. >> reporter: clinton supporter perez came from the philippines when she was 6. >> we need to tell the gop, we need to tell the democrats, hey, you know what, we're out here and what are you going to do? you can't deport all 11 million, 12 million of us. >> i think what they really fear, andrea, is all kinds of new votete that bernie sanders is atacting into the process, connelling out to vote and skewing the results. >> reporter: don't joe biden who didn't run tells rachel maddow -- >> i don't regret it. it's the right decision for my family, and me. >> reporter: leading attacks against bernie sanders, speaking tonight at the same democratic party dinner as sanders. even as sanders and hillary clinton will be answering questions at that msnbc town hall here. lester? >> andrea, thank you. you can see the clinton and sanders

9:00 eastern only on msnbc. a historic announcement from the white house today. president obama will become the first sitting president to visit cuba in nearly 90 years. a major step as the u.s. and cuba move to normalize relations. the trip which is planned for march 21st and 22nd was immediately met with criticism from ted cruz, who said he would never visit as long as castro is in power. there was something else pope francis said today, besides his comments on donald trump, that took many by surprise. he suggested birth control may be used to prevent the spread of the zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects. this despite the catholic church's ban on contraceptives, we get more from nbc's anne thompson in rome. >> reporter: returning from mexico, pope francis surprised many by opening the door to the use of artificial contraception to prevent the sexual transmission of zika, the vi rugs rampant in his native latin

babies born with unusually small heads. it's similar, he said, granted to the nuns in the belgian congo when they were routinely raped in the 1960s. francis continues to shock, as he did in 2013 when he said the church has been historically too obsessed with things like birth control, abortion and gay marriage. >> to say he's simply loosening up church teaching is a misreading of what he's doing. this is a pastor, and a pastor responds to people in their situation. >> reporter: it was revealed in letters this week, francis said a friendship with a woman is not a sin. the pope needs the input of women. he said a man who doesn't have a friendship with a woman is missing something. as with donald trump and immigration, pope francis is proving once again that he is not afraid of taking

topics, trying to resolve issues of faith with real-world problems. lester. >> anne thompson outside the vatican tonight, thanks. apple is getting some backup from some fellow tech companies today tas battles an fbi request to unlock an iphone used by one of the san bernardino terrorists. as nbc's pete williams reports, apple's resistance proving highly controversial. >> reporter: the battle is waging during a still active investigation. the fbi searching the homes of two relatives of san bernardino gunman farouk. the ceo of google is now backing apple. requiring companies to enable hacking of customer devices and data, he says, could be a troubling precedent. other tech giants, including microsoft, facebook and twitter added their support. so did apple's co-founder, steve wozniak, on cnbc. >> i think you should feel this is my product and what i have is what i think i have. playing tricks behind me in the background.

police are pushing back. prosecutors in new york say they have 175 apple devices they cannot open for evidence, in crimes ranging from identity theft to murder. >> this has become, ladies and gentlemen, the wild west in technology. apple and google are their over sheriffs. there are no rules. >> reporter: and mandy, whose fiance was killed in san bernardino, says this presents a tough choice. >> i would love to get as many things as possible of shannon's murder, and the other 13 people who were killed. but i'm also an american. i like my privacy. >> reporter: business experts say the battle is about marketing, because protecting privacy is key to apple's image. >> the people need to feel that what they're buying is theirs, and is truly empowering. that's what the apple brand is built upon. >> reporter: apple says tonight the government doesn't have the legal authority to make it create new software, and help the fbi open a locked phone. no federal court has ever ruled on that.

news, washington. a hostage and ransom story for the digital age. a medical center in california forced to pay cyber criminals thousands of dollars to gain back control of its computers. it's a trend called ransomware. hackers infecting computers with malware, then demanding ransom to give it back. it could happen to you. >> reporter: it happened at hollywood presbyterian medical center. hackers demanding $17,000 in ransom payable in online bit coins to release the computers. locked out, the hospital's ceo says in the best interests of restoring normal operations, we did this. across the country in maine, hackers even held the lincoln county sheriff's computers hostage. >> they asked for, we'll gladly give you a code to unencrypt it for a fee. >> reporter: they paid $300 to get their data back.

encrypted most of the information on your system. >> reporter: cybersecurity james said ransomware is now big business. encrypting corporate and government files, family photo, health records and financial documents, then demanding payment for the code to unlock them. becoming a victim is as easy as a bad mouse click on a pop-up window, e-mail or web link. this would be the data on my computer. i can't access it anymore. >> any of the files, whether they're photos, excel files. >> a high-speed game playing. that's the business right now. >> reporter: security pros recommend updating your anti-virus software, enabling your pop-up blockers, and backing up your computer on an external drive. with the hackers often a world away, if you are hacked, you may have no choice but to pay the ransom.

news, washington. staying in california for a moment, an update on a major environmental drama we have been covering, the leak from a ruptured well that has been spewing massive amounts of natural gas into the air near los angeles, has been permanently sealed. state officials said it comes after four months of making people sick and forcing thousands of families from their homes in porter ranch. southern california gas is facing multiple lawsuits and investigations. there's a lot more to tell you about here tonight. lowering your cholesterol. the often overlooked factor that experts say could make all the difference, even when statins, dieting and exercise aren't effective enough. also, caught on camera, a tour chopper plunging into pearl song: "that's life" song: "that's life"

song: "that's life" that's life. you diet. you exercise. and if you still need help lowering your blood sugar... ...this is jardiance. along with diet and exercise, jardiance works around the clock to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. it works by helping your body to get rid of some of the sugar it doesn't need through urination. this can help you lower blood sugar and a1c. and although it's not for weight loss or lowering systolic blood pressure, jardiance could help with both. jardiance can cause serious side effects including dehydration. this may cause you to feel dizzy, faint or lightheaded, or weak upon standing. other side effects are genital yeast infections, urinary tract infections, changes in urination, kidney problems, and increased bad cholesterol. do not take jardiance if you are on dialysis or have severe kidney problems. stop taking jardiance and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of an allergic reaction. symptoms may include rash, swelling, and difficulty breathing or swallowing.

may cause low blood sugar. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you have any medical conditions. so talk to your doctor, and for details, visit jardiance.com. i take pictures of sunrises, but with my back pain i couldn't sleep and get up in time. then i found aleve pm. aleve pm is the only one to combine a safe sleep aid plus the 12 hour pain relieving strength of aleve. i'm back.

for the millions of americans battling high cholesterol, doctors usually recommend focusing on diet, and exercise. one of the most significant cholesterol factors is one of the most overlooked. lowering stress can have a major impact. >> reporter: college professor christopher edging was going nonstop, classes, meetings and consulting. >> i was wearing four different hats. and working about 60 to 70 hours a week and really not getting very much sleep at all. >> reporter: the university of northern iowa professor was also giving lectures

in one month alone, to south korea, germany, hong kong and canada. >> i could just see that he was going a hundred miles an hour with multiple secretaries delegating things. >> reporter: then a wakeup call, two heart attacks. even though he changed his diet and took statins, his cholesterol kept rising. that's when his mayo clinic doctor suggested using an overlooked risk factor, his stress. >> very little of us realize how important that is. >> reporter: experts say stress can release hormones that increase fat cells, which can boost the bad type of cholesterol known as ldl. >> i don't want to discourage people from taking pills. it's also important to look at the other half of the equation, which is diet, exercise and stress. >> when you come back to the united states -- >> reporter: when edgington cut back on his work and started spending more time with his grandchildren, a dramatic change. his cholesterol fell by nearly half, from

>> i tell my students, find one hour every day to take care of yourself. do something, whether it's physical, mental, or whatever. >> reporter: he's following his doctor's advice, ending each day, thinking of three things for which he's grateful. tonic for a stress-filled life. janet shamlian, nbc news, houston. we're back in a moment with the perfect conditions creating a rare fiery if you're looking to save money on your medicare part d prescriptions, walgreens says, carpe med diem. seize the day to get more out of life and medicare part d. just switch to walgreens for savings that'll be the highlight of your day. now preview the cost of your copay before you fill. you can even get one-dollar copays on select plans.

and the big milestones. and just like i'm there for her, pacific life is there to help protect me and my family so i can enjoy all life's moments. pacific life. helping families for over 145 years achieve long-term financial security with lifelong retirement income. talk to a financial advisor today to grow your future with confidence. with my moderate to severe ulcerative colitis, the possibility of a flare was almost always on my mind. thinking about what to avoid, where to go... and how to deal with my uc. to me, that was normal. until i talked to my doctor. she told me that humira helps people like me get uc under control and keep it under control when certain medications haven't worked well enough. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems,

and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. raise your expectations. ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, control is possible. you've finally earned enough reward miles on your airline credit card. now you just book a seat, right? not quite. sometimes those seats are out of reach, costing an outrageous number of miles. it's time to switch... to the capital one venture card. with venture, you'll earn unlimited double miles on every purchase, every day. and when you're ready to travel, just book the flight you want, on any airline and use your miles to cover the cost. now that's more like it.

we're back now with a jaw-dropping moment caught on camera in hawaii. a tour helicopter plunging into the waters near the "uss arizona" memorial at pearl harbor, with five people onboard. it was then that almaguer explains onlookers sprang into action. >> reporter: witnesses was wrong. the tail of the sight-seeing helicopter was smoking descended toward the rocky shoreline. then the moment of

with the chopper sinking, several good samaritans plunged into the water to rescue the trapped passengers. >> i saw the helicopter sputtering about 500 feet. the pilot did an amaze amazing job. >> reporter: five people were pulled ashore. at least one suffering critical injuries. all rushed to hospitals by ambulance. the navy says the helicopter is owned by genesis aviation. the same chopper seen here before the crash. offering aerial tours of the arizona memorial since 1999. tonight the investigation into what went wrong is under way. witnesses say it's a miracle everyone survived. miguel almaguer, nbc news. now to a rare and amazing sight in yosemite national park. what's known as a firefall for a few weeks in february each year, the setting sun hits this waterfall just right to make it appear to be on fire. it brings photographers flocking to the park to capture

when we come back here tonight, the digital age nearly made them extinct, but in woman: it's been a journey to get where i am. and i didn't get here alone. there were people who listened along the way. people who gave me options. kept me on track. and through it all, my retirement never got left behind. so today, i'm prepared for anything we may want tomorrow to be. every someday needs a plan. let's talk about your old 401(k) today. i've been claritin clear for 14 days. when your allergy symptoms start... ...doctors recommend taking one claritin every day of your allergy season...

with powerful, 24 hour... ...non-drowsy claritin, live claritin clear. every day. you owned your car for four years, you named it brad. you loved brad. and then you totaled him. you two had been through everything together. two boyfriends, three jobs... you're like nothing can replace brad. then liberty mutual calls, and you break into your happy dance. if you sign up for better car replacement , we'll pay for a car that's a model year newer with 15,000 fewer miles than your old one. see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. what if one piece of kale could protect you from diabetes? what if one sit-up could prevent heart disease? one. wishful thinking, right? but there is one step you can take to help prevent another serious disease. pneumococcal pneumonia. if you are 50 or older, one dose of the prevnar 13 vaccine can help protect you from pneumococcal pneumonia, an illness that can cause

and may even put you in the hospital. even if you have already been vaccinated with another pneumonia vaccine, prevnar 13 may help provide additional protection. prevnar 13 is used in adults 50 and older to help prevent infections from 13 strains of the bacteria that cause pneumococcal pneumonia. you should not receive prevnar 13 if you have had a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine or its ingredients. if you have a weakened immune system, you may have a lower response to the vaccine. common side effects were pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, limited arm movement, fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain, less appetite, chills, or rash. get this one done. ask your doctor or pharmacist about prevnar 13 today. finally tonight,

we had photo albums on our shelves? not just on our phones? the digital era has largely sent photo prints the way of the walkman, and kids, we'll explain that another time. but as joe fryer said they're making a comeback, even in this age of instant gratification. >> reporter: for a while it seemed our photos were not hanging on real walls, but facebook walls. now a las vegas business is bringing those images back to life. >> i thought it might be a way to get pictures off of my dadgum iphone. >> reporter: instant photography is having a renaissance. not only do they sell the refurbished polaroids and other instant cameras, but they can actually print their pics. >> what if we could create this experienceial photo. >> reporter: step one, take a picture. from there, just send

company's computers. >> there it is. >> reporter: and within minutes, you've got a picture on paper. of course, instant photography is nothing new. for decades, polaroids were a pop culture phenomenon. but as the focus shifted to digital cameras, the company had to declare bankruptcy, twice. >> this is the polaroid snap. >> reporter: today polaroid is back with new products and new customers. millennials. >> to them, instant photography is magical, something they did not grow up with. >> reporter: for the under 30 crowd, real-life photos are trending. >> we've had kids, millennials come into the store and for the first time ever in their lives hold a physical photo in their hands. it's incredible. >> reporter: proof an image doesn't have to go viral to be memorable. joe fryer, nbc news, las vegas. that's going to do it for us on a thursday night.

for'he talked us into wrestling and we said okay just go out there and give him 100 percent.' they know how much the sport means to their son... they also know how much he's risking in order to compete... find out how he made the life-and- death decision. a pending merger has pompted leaders at dupont-pioneer to cut its workforce in iowa... find out why state leaders are considering a tax break for the company that's laying people off. and donald trump picked up a new critic today... find out why the pope is questioning his faith... and here how the donald is responding.

but every time this junior from a-g-w- s-r takes the mat he's risking his life..... good evening i'm erin kiernan.... and i'm dan winters... caleb meinders has a condition that could kill him.... but it hasn't stopped him from competing at the state wrestling tournament... the junior said he's choosing not to live in fear and instead focusing on a state title... stephanie moore has his story. at 220 pounds caleb meinders is in his element on the mat... 'it feels great honestly, if i couldnt wrestle i would feel useless.' the junior from a-g-w-s-r is wrestling for a state title but he's also wrestling with his health.... 'i have auto immune hepatitis which is an auto-immune disease where your liver is being attacked by the anti-bodies because it thinks its bad.' what doctors originally thought was mono, turned out to be more