on this saturday night, wild weather. as parts of the country get ready for a springtime trifecta of heavy rain, gail force winds and even april snow. tonight, the latest predictions, plus a warm weather health hazard coming early this year. secret service scandal. one sbik it, a new raid in much colombia and new questions. one of the president's man, charles collison, a key figure in the watergate scandal is dead tonight. office workout. a new movement gets employees up from their desks and onto their feet working to stay fit. and washington cleanup.

one man's mission to help the capital out of a very sticky one man's mission to help the capital out of a very sticky situation. captions paid for by nbc-universal television from nbc world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening. winter, spring, summer. it's hard to know these days. in the year of odd and often unseasonable weather including winter's no-show performance parts of the east are bracing for snow to tornadoes. a storm system will bring rain and wet snow to parts of the northeast by sunday, and heavy rains are already soaking parts of the south with a risk tonight of thunderstorms and damaging winds along the gulf coast into the southeast. it's a potent and potentially dangerous weather mix, and so we start tonight with kelly cass at the weather channel headquarters in atlanta where they track it for us. kelly, good evening. >> good evening. this is a huge system with lots

of different impacts to millions of people. whether it's severe whether or a heavy, wet snow, and this is not fun to dig out from. we have two different storms we're watching. one along the gulf coast to the north, and another one stronger out of minnesota and iowa. we've actually had tornado touchdowns in that part of the country tonight, but it's florida and eventually the east coast. we have to watch out for severe storms into sunday. we cannot rule out the possibility of even tornadoes. now, the good news with this is we will see some drought relief as that low tracks up the coast. we're talking about anywhere from 2 to 4 inches of rainfall including new york, hartford and boston where we've had a rash of brush fires lately and the slow tracks to the north gathering steam and cold air to the west side of it. we're talking several inches of snow, if not more than a foot of snow in jamestown, new york down to the mountains of west virginia, lester. >> thank you. we learned this afternoon that the man facing charges in the shooting death of florida

teenager trayvon martin will likely not get out of jail this weekend after all. yesterday a judge granted george zimmerman bail but today his attorney says his client's family doesn't have the money. kerry sanders is in sanford, florida with the latest developments. >> reporter: good evening. george zimmerman remains in the jail here. his lawyers said the logistics to get him out is more difficult than first anticipated. at the seminole county jail today, defense attorney mark o'mara said zimmerman's family is having trouble to secure the $150,000. >> that's a lot of money to come up. it's not a family of much means. >> reporter: friday despite prosecutors' best efforts a judge ruled the 28-year-old who stands aaccused of second-degree murder for shooting and killing 17-year-old trayvon martin can go free if he posts bond.

in court yesterday he apologized to martin's parents. >> yesterday was an emotional roller coaster, just being in the same room with the killer of your child and then for him to give that insincere, very self-serving untruthful apology. >> that apology says his attorney was george zimmerman's idea. >> i wanted to say i am sorry for the loss of your son. i did not know how old he was. i thought he was a little younger than i am, and i did not know if he was armed or not. >> reporter: his attorney said that apology was specifically to answer questions first asked by the parent on nbc's "today" show. >> did he know that was a minor and he was a teenager and did not have a weapon. >> reporter: in sanford say the bond is fair while others believe he should remain in jail until the trial. >> for the charge he got, he shouldn't get bail. >> he doesn't seem to be a

flight risk. he will stand up for the responsibility. >> reporter: george zim maern's attorney says he believes that the bond should be in place by mid next week, and he hopes once george zimmerman gets out he goes into hiding until a trial, which is likely more than a year away. lester. >> kerry sanders, thax. to the latest on the scandal involving u.s. secret service agents accused of misconduct with prost could you tells in colombia last week before president obama arrived in the country. a prominent republican senator is asking whether other american officials may have been involved. nbc white house correspondent kristen welker is at the white house with the latest. >> reporter: a week after one of the biggest scandals to hit the secret service in decades, six employees are in the process of being separated from the agency, including david cheney, a supervisor who retired under pressure and greg stokes a canine unit supervisor recommended for removal.

the secret service cleared one employee of serious misconduct, but he faces appropriate administrative action. another agent is under the microscope leaving five on administrative leave. 11 military personnel are implicated. we have details on new video. >> investigators hope to question all the prostitutes involved in the scandal and also see if any of them are underage. in a video shot thursday, colombian piece are arriving at the play club where officials say some of the u.s. agents were last week. this man says several officers told him the play club and three other clubs were raided in an attempt to locate women identified in the investigation. >> reporter: back in washington chuck grassley posted a video on his facebook page lashing out at the secret service. >> i've always said that if heads don't roll, then the culture of a federal agency will never change and reforms won't take hold. >> reporter: in a letter to the director, grassley asked if

investigators had obtained all the records for white house advanced staff on the trip. did the secret service reserve rooms at the hotel or other hotels in colombia for representative was of the white house communications agency or the white house advance team? a law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation says there is nothing to indicate that white house staff was involved at in the point. senior administration officials today bristled at grassley's letter call it pure politics. on fris the white house press secretary also addressed the issue. >> noif reason to believe, i do not know otherwise that this did not involve anything but the agents and the military personnel. >> reporter: nbc news has learned that investigators confirmed the identity of the women involved with the help of surveillance video taken from that hotel in caragena. lester. >> thank you. a prominent member of the nixon white house who became a

key figure in the watergatel di. charles colson served time in prison and became an advocate of reform. >> reporter: his life was marked by a profound met more physician. he was a hard driving hatchet man for nixon and said he'd walk over his own grandmother to get nixon re-elected. he was never charged with anything directly connected to that year's watergate break-in that led to nixon's downfall. instead he pleaded guilty to block an investigation of another break-in at the office of a psychiatrist treating daniel elsburg who leaked the pentagon papers. after serves seven months he came out a man changed by the scandal and punishment. >> in my own life i look at it with gratitude. by going to prison god has used my life and my life is

transformed and i work p in prisons. >> he founlded prison fellowship in 1976 reaching out to prisoners, ex-cons in their families here in the u.s. and eventually around the world. >> those nonviolent offenders should be out of prison and working and paying back victims instead of sitting in their cell. that would give them a sense of accountability and responsibility. >> he launched a daily radio feature offering a christian view on current affairs. in 1993 he got the temple ton prize for promoting religion and applied the $1 million that came with it for his advocacy to help prisoners. president george w. bush presented him with the citizens medal in 2008 for his work. he had recently been in declining health requiring a pacemaker and then suffering a brain hemorrhage. he died at age 80. pete williams, nbc news, washington. here in new york today investigators found something to aid them in a renewed search for

a 6-year-old boy that disappeared 33 years ago. we have the latest in the search. >> reporter: in the heart of new york city's laid back and upscale soho district possible new clues. sources close to the investigation tell nbc news forensic teams cut off a section of drywall with the basement with what was described as a stain of interest. authorities don't know if it's significant but have taken the section to a lab for analysis. the latest search recaptured the city, the nation's attention. 33 years after he disappeared while working to his school bus stop. >> i do remember when this happened 30-some years ago, and we just happened to be out this afternoon walking around. we noticed all the trucks. we walked up to see what was going on. >> reporter: his disappearance rattled the country and changed the way the nation searches for missing children from his picture on million cartons to

the amber alert and now experts say advances of technology that include the internet and social media. >> we're disseminating missing child information instantly across america and around the world reaching millions of people, and as a result more missing children come home safely today than at any time in american history. >> reporter: alan says in 1990 the recovery rate was 62%. today, the recovery rate is 97%. but alan says thousands of kids like etan are still missing, and the latest search also sends a strong message. >> it is a very important message to the public and to law enforcement across this country that you don't close these files. the search continues. >> reporter: back here at the scene, investigators describe their search as slow and methodical, a process of sift tl

through debris and dirt. they finished up for the day. they estimate they're halfway down. lester. >> michelle franzen. overseas, more than 100 people were injured today in amsterdam when two commuter trains clashed head-on. they were moving in opposite directions on the stam track. about 50 people suffered serious injuries. officials in afghanistan say security forces have arrested five militants who smuggled a huge shipment of explosives into the country from neighboring pakistan. 22,000 pounds to be precise hidden in a truck under a load of potatoes. officials said the suspects were taliban members from afghanistan and pakistan, and they were planning another big attack on the capital. the u.n. security council took new action today on the crisis in syria with violence increasing since a cease-fire began more than a week ago. the council voted unanimously to expand the number of u.n.

observers authorized to be sent to syria from 30 to 300. it demanded an immediate halt to the violence. in the this country an unusual discovery on a remote island in laz lastz. a soccer ball and volleyball washed away by the tsunami in japan more than a year ago was found by a beach comer. they have japanese writing on them and it has the name of a school on it. the man hopes to return it to that school in japan. when "nbc nightly news" continues on saturday night, an early stone for a warm weather threat that can make you very sick. a new movement at work as the desk job gets a makeover. with the spark miles card from capital one, thor's couture gets the most rewards of any small business credit card. [ garth ] thor's small business earns double miles on every purchase, every day! here's my spark card. and here's your wool. why settle for less? great businesses deserve the most rewards! the spiked heels are working. wow! who are you wearing? uhhh, his cousin.

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we'll even throw in up to $600 when you open a new account or roll over an old 401(k). so who's in control now, mayans? we're back with an early warning about a health menace at that could be worse this year. with all the warm weather this spring, some say there's a higher threat of lyme disease transmitted by ticks. we have the story. >> reporter: like so many others, the family is enjoying the unseasonably warm spring, but this year spending time in the great outdoors can carry a greater risk. >> the ticks are coming out and the kids play outside more than they would with less clothing. >> reporter: they live on shelter island, new york where dealing with ticks comes with the territory. >> i got bit by a tick a couple of days ago. >> reporter: black legged ticks known as deer ticks carry bacteria that causes lim

disease. it shows up in the summer months with flu-like symptoms and a telltale circular rash. >> we think the summer of 2012 will be the worst year yet for lyme disease. >> reporter: rick says more tick that is get the disease from myself are infected this year, and the weather will make things worse thanks to a mild winter and warm spring, the insects are active earlier and a threat to people spending more time outside. >> reporte >> we expect hoards of infective ticks on the forest floor to possibly make us sick. >> reporter: they're not just a threat to people. dogs are at risk, too. the ticks are hard to spot on fur. >> it's a hard problem here. we deal with it daily. about 20% of our dogs have a positive antibody test for lyme

disease, which is pretty big. >> the ticks with barely larger than a poppy seed, but experts say detection is key. the lowell family checks for ticks every day. mom has had lyme disease before and knows just how serious it can be. >> it's just something you have to deal with. >> reporter: the danger from a tiny pest with a very big bite. nbc news, new york. up next here tonight, why a new standing order is in place at some american companies. you wouldn't want your doctor doing your job. so why are you doing hers? 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

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it is scene in seattle today was a big moment in baseball. the first perfect game in almost two years as phil umber led his team to a 4-0 victory against the mariners. it was the 21st protect game in major league history, and it happened to be umber's first complete home. the national hockey league took strong action today against a member of the phoenix coyotes because of what happened in a quarterfinals game against chicago. they say raffi torres will be suspended for 25 games for an illegal hit on marian hossa of the blackhawks. it's the third largest sfengs in league history in terms of games lost. helps people to become more fit is becoming a growing movement in this country to get office workers up from their desks. nbc's anne thompson with that story tonight.

>> reporter: working here, pat is going nowhere in her job. to the encouragement and delight of her employer bluecross blueshield of massachusetts. >> we're walking the talk. >> reporter: the effort jason row barts leads here is a growing trend to get america's cubicle-bound work force out of their chairs and moving. there are six walk stations at the three locations in boston. workers sign up for one-hour shifts on the treadmill. at no more than than 2 miles per hour, they can work on computers and phones. >> i wanted to check in in our project. >> reporter: i would think this is distracting in. >> no. it helps focus. sometimes if you're reading e-mails, the clocks kind of ticking in your head and you come up with ideas of a solution that you're working at at your desk. >> reporter: the result is more productive, engaged and active

workers. >> we are seeing people walking up and down the stairwells and not taking the elevator much more so than in the past. >> reporter: the only requirement, proper footwear, and for those of you wondering is this really necessary, consider this? in 1960 half of all american jobs require some kind the moderate activity. today less than 20% today. frightened by studying links prolonged sitting at work with obesity and cancer rates, amanda johnson stands at her desk and gets her trip advisers to do away. >> if you're awake it's easier to talk to colleagues. it makes me be a better worker. >> reporter: more than 10% are on their feet in their cubicles. increasingly meetings are held standing. they are shorter and participants aren't distracted by smartphones or blackberries. >> they stopped bringing their devices with them, because they

know they couldn't use it anymore. >> stand organize walking american workers try to improve their fitness and focus. anne thompson, nbc news, boston. if you're in the right place tonight, you might be in for a spectacular sky show late tonight and early tomorrow morning. the meteors are visible in the northeastern skichy. you can watch it live on our website. one man's mission to clean up washington. cuban ca jun raw seafood pizza parlor

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washington seem stuck in place, we found a man on a mission to change that. luke russert met up with a modern pl clean. >> it's springtime in our nation's capital, just about time for a major cleanup. we're not talking about sweeping out some of the folks who work up there. that may come in the fall, but something down here. those mysterious spots on the sidewalk. what are they? it's not tar. it's old chewing gum. it evaporates? >> it goes away. >> reporter: how? by making a call to these guys. >> so i kind of fell into this as being a cleaning service. >> reporter: you got it. the gum busters. people like dwayne cummings who make a living taking gum off the street. how much gum is out there waiting to be picked up right

now? >> millions and millions of pieces. >> i can't stand stepping in gum. should they clean up the gum? >> yes. >> reporter: how do you feel? >> it's rewarding, believe it it or not. >> reporter: his craft took him to interesting places. >> tourists locations, metro sites, a lot of influx of people that have no place to go really fast. >> we're ready to pick it up. >> reporter: not just here in america. gum busting is an international business, and it doesn't come off cheap. jobs can cost thousands of dollars. >> it depends on -- it could be from nine cents to 50 cents a square foot. >> reporter: how does it work? >> very light pressure, light steam and a brass brush and a soapy solution. not a chemical. >> reporter: the gum disappears. where does it go? >> it emulsifies and dissolves and returns to should go ampuga.

>> reporter: cleaning up washington, never an easy job. luke russert, nbc news. that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" and right back here tomorrow evening. "today" and right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com