on the broadcast tonight, extreme weather on the last day of winter, heat where it's supposed to be cold and snow where people go for the sun, and now colliding weather systems are making for a rough night. >> the accused. how did a soldier become a war crimes suss spect? tonight, as more is known about his story, he meets with his attorney for the first time. deadly force. an unarmed teenager is shot and kimmed by an armed neighborhood watch volunteer. tonight, the chilling 911 tapes. and are we headed for the day when a skinned knee could be fatal? tonight, why common infections could become impossible to treat. and the world's stage, an

important debut for arguably the most closely watched woman in the world. "nightly news" begins now. good evening. this is the strangest season many folks can remember. it has confused plants and animals and a good many humans across a good portion of this country. it has turned traditional seasons upside down. it has set thousands of new records. and think of it this way, both chicago baseball teams hold their spring training in arizona, to escape the harsh cold chicago winters. tonight, on the last day of winter, there's snow in arizona and in chicago, families are heading outdoors for what feels like a summer evening. that's where weather channel meteorologist mike seidel joins us. hey, mike, good evening. >> hey, brian. good evening to you. it was another day of phenomenal warmth in northern michigan.

in traverse city. they hit an all-time march high of 83 degrees. this has many wondering, has the weather lost its cool? it's a study in contrast and extremes. on the last day of winter, in normally chilly chicago, the city of the big shoulders has seen five consecutive days of record breaking 80-degree temps. >> no reason to go to florida anymore. stay right here in chicago. >> and the heat wave continues. >> i have never seen people playing volleyball on the beach in march. >> minnesota's march has been extraordinary, too. the low temperatures have been warmer than the previous record highs. in north dakota, lightweight clothing was enough for ice fishing near fargo in 70 degree weather. >> 70 degrees up here. down here, you're sitting on an ice cube. >> meantime in arizona, flag staff is digging out of its second largest snowstorm in march.

nearly 20 inches. >> we never drove in snow before. this is the first time. >> in northern california, skiers have been waiting a long time for this snow. >> there's no bad timing for snow for us here in the mountains. we love it, we crave it, and we're stoked it's here. >> what is causing these extremes? i it's the jeet stream reaching into northern canada, blocking cold air from moving south, leaving much of the country seeing red, with many of the states hitting at least 70 while all of the west is colder than average. adding to the weather drama, high pollen counts in atlanta. 35% higher than the previous record. also wildfires in colorado, and tornadoes in oklahoma and nebraska. downing power lines and damaging property as residents start the cleanup. and there is a tornado watch this evening in central texas stretching from del rio to the dallas/ft. worth area. there are some warnings well south and west of dallas.

these are slow moving storms which will drop heavy rain. brian. >> what is this doing to the cycle of nature? all of the flowers that have come up and out already that may still see some snow on them? >> yeah, that could happen, but we're in this trend right now where it's going to be fairly mild for most of us east of the rockies. let's talk about the storm. that's going to be the serious threat. a fluj flood threat for parts of four states. texas, louisiana, oklahoma, and into arkansas. we have had flash flooding, cars stranded, roads closed, and look how slowly the storm moves. it's going to take two days get the rain out of here. some areas could see a foot of rain. this could be historical flooding in parts of the state. meanwhile, to the north, the records continue to go by the wayside. a lot of them today, hundreds of them will continue to be broken. 86 in chicago wednesday and thursday, in new york, the temperatures will stay in the 70s. >> last day of winter, what a wild season.

mike seidel in chicago, mike, thanks. the army staff sergeant accused of murdering 16 afghan civilians, 9 of them children, met face-to-face with his defense team for the first time today as we're learning more about this decorated combat veteran, this married father of two small children. >> 38-year-old army staff sergeant robert bales spends his days in a medium security detention facility in a remote corner of a 56-acre ft. leavenworth. he's in a special cell by himself, solitary confinement. he's using the recreation facilities, there are narrow windows, and he may have books newspapers, and magazines. >> he has a lonely existence. not a lot of outside contact. his primary contact is going to be with the prison guards. while he awaits formal charges, his friends struggle to reconcile the horrible accusations with the man they know. >> this is not our bobby. they swear there is a major mistake.

you have the wrong name. bales enlisted shortly after 9/11, giving up a job as a strock broker. since 2003, he has been sent overseas four times. three tykes to iraq where his lawyer said he was injured twiesz. in a blog, his wife detailed the strain at home, writing about bad dreams when he left for one deployment. last year, when her husband was passed over for a promotion, she wrote of her disappointment, after all of the work bob has done and all of the sacrifices she's made for his love of the country, family, and friends. chris alexander was his platoon leader in iraq. >> he was one of my best guys. i never had any issues with him. you could give him any job and he would get it done. >> his lawyer suggests bales may have post traumatic stress disorder and said his repeated deployments will be part of the defense. >> i get stopped all the time by people since i took this case

asking me whether i think in the long run it's going to have ramifications on the length of the war. i certainly hope it does. >> analysts say ptsd defenses are rare in military trials. >> it would be a hard row to hoe to make headway on that. >> bales' attorney says he expects charges to be filed saz as soon as this week. charges that could include murder and could incluse the death penalty. bales' wife called the shootings a terrible and heart breaking tragedy. i too, want to know what happened, she says. i want to know how this could be. the victims and their families are all in my prayers as is my husband who i love very much. brian. >> john yang, thanks for your reporting on that story today. now to a bizarre and terrible story overseas. in france, there's a manhunt for

a gunman who opened fire outside a jewish school, killing four people. a rabbi, three children, then fled the scene on a motor scooter. tonight police say there's a connection to two other shootings in the same area just days ago. nbc's jim maceda is on the scene tonight in toulouse, france. >> it was mayhem and cold blooded murder carried out in a jewish school down the road right behind me. and just as children were arriving for the beginning of a new school week. the shooter, wearing a helmet and driving a scooter began firing allegedly at whatever moved. first, he kills a 30-year-old teacher and his two sons, age 3 and 6, then he got off the scooter, walked into a courtyard, and kept firing. one woman saw graphic surveillance video of what happened next. this video, by the way, not released by french police, but here is what she saw. >> and then he grabbed an 8-year-old little girl, put a gun to her head, and blew her brains out.

>> in all, four were killed. last week, three french soldiers were shot and killed in two separate incidents by someone on a motor bike or a scooter as well, and police are saying at least one weapon used then and today were identical. now, a mass manhunt is under way, including counterterrorism and serial killer experts, but that's brought little release to a jewish community here that has been shattered. >> jim, thanks. now to a story in this country that exploded largely to the thanks of social media. thes you of deadly force against a teenager carrying nothing more than a bag of skittles shot and killed by a man carrying a gun. tonight, the dramatic 911 tapes that captured the young man's last moments and the growing calls for justice in a state with a surprising law along those lines. our report from our justice correspondent pete williams. >> reporter: outside a florida prosecutors office today, students demanded criminal charges in the death of 17-year-old trayvon martin

walking through a gated community near orlando three weeks ago, he was shot by a neighborhood watch volunteer, george zimmerman, who is hispanic. it all began when he called 911 worried about recent break-ins. >> this guy looks like he's up to no good or he's on drugs or something. he's got his hands in his waistband. and he's a black male. >> are you following him? >> yeah. >> okay, we don't need you to do this. >> reporter: what happened next is captured by 911 calls by neighbors. >> i don't know what's going on. >> so you think he's yelling help? >> yes. >> what is your -- >> there's gunshots. >> that was my baby. and he was pleading for his life. and i just don't understand how that is self defense. >> zimmerman actually did claim self defense and police declined to arrest him. friends say he's not gun happy or a racist.

>> george is a very congenial, amiable person. he never showed up to meetings dressed in camouflage or looked like rambo. >> florida has what's called a stand your ground law, giving people the right to use deadly force if they reasonably fear for their safety. but some legal experts say the man who fired the shots in this case was the aggressor. >> he was in a car, he was told to stay in his car. he got out and confronted a young man who was merely walking home from the convenience store. >> as it turned out, he was carrying only a bag of candy and a can of iced tea. social media are buzzing over the case. spreading the controversy nationwide. this twitter page gets a new entry every 20 seconds. prosecutors say the police gave them the case file just a week ago and insist it's still under investigation. pete williams, nbc news, washington. there's another gop primary tomorrow. this time, in the crucial state of illinois.

mitt romney, rick santorum, were both barnstorming there today because every delegate counts. it was romney who made news first today on the economy. andrea mitchell with us tonight from our d.c. news room. good evening. >> good evening, brian. mitt romney is hoping to get most of the 54 delegates up for grabs in illinois tomorrow where rick santorum didn't even file slates in four districts. romney did get some attention when he acknowledged the economy is improving, but then santorum always raised eyebrows by saying he's not concerned about unemployment. his point being government shntd be in the place of creating jobs. and santorum was also asked today about a louisiana pastor who introduced him outside of baton rouge with fiery words. >> if you don't love america, you don't like the way we do things, i got one thing to say. get out! i said we don't worship voodoo, we don't worship mohammed. we don't worship allah.

we worship god, god's son jesus christ. >> this afternoon, santorum responded. >> i think i made that pretty clear throughout my campaign, that i believe very much in freedom of religion. >> with another distraction on the day before another crucial primary showdown. between those two candidates. >> andrea mitchell, thanks. apple announced today it will be sharing some of that giant pile of cash on hand with its investors. company will pay a dividend of $2.65 a share beginning some time in the quarter that starts in july. that's a first for apple. since '95. they also announced they'll buy back $10 billion worth of its own stock. which closed today above $600 a share for the first time ever. company also said today it sold 3 million of the new i pads that have just been on sale since friday. still ahead for us here on this monday night, the strongest warning yet about antibiotics and why modern medicine may be

set back decades if things don't change. and later, the new first for kate middleton and why it is that what she wore today got as much attention as what she said. wow. this is new. yep, i'm sending the dancing chicken to every store in the franchise to get the word out. that could work. or you could use every door direct mail from the postal service. it'll help you and all your franchisees find the customers that matter most -- the ones in the neighborhood. you print it or we'll help you find a local partner. great. keep it moving, honey. honey? that's my wife. wow. there you go. there you go. [ male announcer ] go online to reach every home, every address, every time with every door direct mail. the amazing alternative to raisins and cranberries with more fiber, less sugar, and a way better glycemic index. he's clearly enjoying one of the planet's most amazing superfruits. hey, keep it down mate, you'll wake the kids. plum amazins. new, from sunsweet. but if i grow this out a little bit,

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you wouldn't want your doctor doing your job. so why are you doing his? only your doctor can determine if your persistent heartburn is actually something more serious... like acid reflux disease. over time, stomach acid can damage the lining of your esophagus. for many, prescription nexium not only provides 24-hour heartburn relief, but can also help heal acid related erosions in the lining of your esophagus. talk to your doctor about the risk for osteoporosis-related bone fractures and low magnesium levels with long-term use of nexium. possible side effects include headache, diarrhea and abdominal pain. other serious stomach conditions may still exist. let your doctor do his job, and you do yours. ask if nexium is right for you. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. as we mentioned, theerize health news having to do as we mentioned, there's health news having to do with the most dire warnings on this growing problem of infections that are totally resistant to treatment with antibiotics. nancy snyderman is here with

more on this. nancy, good evening. >> it's a brave new world because imagine something as simple as a strep throat, a scratched knee, a time when you can't go in for chemotherapy or a hip replacement because it's too dangerous for fear of a deadly infection. this is a report, a warning from the head of the world health organization that basically antibiotic resistance could mean the end of modern medicine. why? the overuse of antibiought blgs and it's made us dangerously prone to all sorts of common infections. staph infections known as mrsa, e. coli, tuberculosis, hiv, this is the tip of the iceberg, and the concern is this list is growing day by day. >> absent the invention of a new category of medicines, what are we left to do? >> guess what, the pipeline is dry for new medicines because there's not really money in that.

there's more money in alzheimer's and cholesterol. what to do? only take medication when you need it. skip it for the common cold. use it as directed by the doctor, for every day you're supposed to, watch out, and when you can, avoid them in food. they probably don't belong in chicken and meat as we have, and watch out for counterfeit medications. it really is physician, industry, and patient all lining up. >> a clear and present danger. as always, thanks. if you watch any tv at all, you have seen patrick cox, the guy with the beard on the commercial that airs all day every day especially on cable. his company, tax master, has just filed for bankruptcy protection in houston after a legal challenge from state prosecutors who say the commercials are misleading for consumers. up next here tonight, is it possible we're going to be allowed to leave a few things on during taxi takeoff and landing? [ male announcer ] every day thousands of people

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i get my cancer medications through the mail. now washington, they're looking at shutting down post offices coast to coast. closing plants is not the answer. they want to cut 100,000 jobs. it's gonna cost us more, and the service is gonna be less. we could lose clientele because of increased mailing times. the ripple effect is going to be devastating. congress created the problem. and if our legislators get on the ball, they can make the right decisions.

william charette has died. he was a recipient of the medal of honor for his actions in the korean war. his official medal citation describes his quote indomitable courage in a fierce firefight. he used his body to shield a fellow marine from an incoming mortar. he removed his flak jacket to cover another man, and removed his shirt to make bandages for yet another despite being wounded himself. president eisenhower awarded him the medal. he went on to spend 25 more years in the service. he was given the towering honor of selecting the unknown soldier from world war ii for the tomb of the unknowns. he was 79. his death now lives 81 living recipients of the medal of honor. there was a reason why president bush 43 awarded the presidential medal of freedom to brian lamb. as the founder of c-span, brian lamb changes television and the coverage of congress forever.

we learned today he is stepping down as ceo after running the place for 33 years. after graduating from purdue, he was in the navy in vietnam, a student journalist, a dj, a musician, a social aide to lbj and the white house and a campaign aide to nixon. he hatched the idea for c-span on his own. he went on the air in 1979. it's now seen in over 100 million american households, and it means congress will always be seen. a new pew survey confirmed texting is the preferred way of communicating for american teenagers. actual voice calls are way down again since the last measurement in '09, and speaking of electronics, the faa is going to review what we can use and what we have to power down on planes in taxi takeoff and landing. this is partly in response to complaints that people have turn off what they're reading in

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her husband is off flying choppers in the military. that means even more attention back home for the wildly popular kate middleton. duchess of cambridge. today, she gave her first public speech as a member of the royal family. it was only three minutes long, but it was her own work and everything from the venue to what she wore was under intense scrutiny. from london, our report tonight from michelle kaczynski. >> the duchess of cambridge, in control of an event all her own. a children's hospice where she chose where she spoke to each child, and the little girls adored her. >> so friendly, so approachable. >> then a milestone for the duchess, her first speech. >> thank you for not only accepting me as a patron, thank you also for inviting me here today. >> her voice, a little wavering. >> i'm only sorry that william can't be here today.

>> it reminded many of princess diana's first tentative public address, partly in welsh. and of the queen's. it has been extremely rare that we have heard kate's voice at all. now this marks the start of what should be a long career representing and speaking for the royal family on her own. she has taken her place at the queen's side. >> the queen is really taking her under her wing. >> and kate has relaxed. last week, field hockey, teaching prince charles to iron. and laughing with soldiers, one of whom couldn't bear the excitement. people like how normal she seems. a fashion icon who does her own hair and makeup, buys inexpensive clothes, even second hand. her dress today, borrowed from mom. kate manages to represent two worlds.

as many know, speak quietly, have found a powerful voice in her. michelle kaczynski, nbc news, london. >> that's our broadcast on a monday night. thank you for being here with us as we start off a new week. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com