on this wednesday night, cheating scandal. one of the biggest in american history. teachers and administrators found guilty of secretly changing test scores for thousands of students raising questions about the pressure not just on students but on teachers to measure up. running out of water, the worst drought in a thousand years. tonight, an unprecedented crackdown. millions of homeowners and businesses ordered to cut back in a big way. is it for real? the alleged video recording of the final seconds onboard that plane as the airline's boss refuses to answer our questions. and severe outbreak. massive hailstorms, hail the size of baseballs. tonight, how they formed so big as a big part of the country faces a dangerous night ahead. "nightly news" begins now.

from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news." reporting tonight lester holt. good evening. it's bad enough when kids cheat in school to get ahead, but the teachers themselves? today in atlanta nearly a dozen former educators were convicted on racketeering and other charges for their part in one of the nation's biggest cheating scandals. prosecutors say it was a massive conspiracy to make sure students passed standardized tests even if it meant giving kids the correct answers. the scandal dates back a decade. it involved dozens of schools. and a lot of grown-ups apparently failed one of the lessons we were all taught. nbc's chief education correspondent rehema ellis is on the story for us tonight. >> reporter: it was a stunning verdict. >> we the jury find the defendant guilty. >> reporter: former educators found guilty of racketeering in an unprecedented case of teachers and administrators charged with fixing test

scores and changing answers on standardized tests. >> we've been fighting for the children in our community, particularly those children who are deprived by this cheating scandal. >> reporter: a major victory for the prosecution. 11 of the 12 defendants convicted on charges typically reserved for mobsters and organized crime. >> this is the most appalling decisions i've ever seen. i don't see how you send educators to prison. >> reporter: the verdict came after months of testimony from more than 150 witnesses, students, teachers and parents about widespread manipulation of test scores while some teachers received bonuses to improve test results throughout the district. the 16-year-old not shown because she's a minor, testified that a teacher instructed her to change her answers. >> they would tell us to erase it and put their answer. >> reporter: one former teacher describes a so-called cheating party at her home. >> we were changing answers. are you in?

[ inaudible ] >> and is that what each of your colleagues was doing? >> yes. >> reporter: the alleged ring leader, former superintendent beverly hall, was never tried. she died of breast cancer last month and always maintained her innocence. >> i'd like to leave it at that. >> reporter: sentencing is scheduled within the next two weeks. the convicted face up to 20 years in prison. >> i made myself clear from early on. >> reporter: late this afternoon judge jerry baxter denied the request for bail. >> i have sat here for six months and listened to this whole thing. they have made their bed. and they're going to have to lie in it. it starts today. >> reporter: teachers and administrators at 44 of 56 of atlanta's schools were involved in the scandal. many say the victims here are the thousands of mostly black low-income students who are denied opportunity for remedial help because false test scores indicated they didn't need it. >> the whole thing is stunning, isn't it? >> absolutely. >> rehema, thank you. the state of california's resorting to drastic measures tonight to combat its severe drought.

the governor ordering the strictest crackdown on water use in the state's history. that means big sacrifices for tens of millions of people. our national correspondent miguel almaguer is outside los angeles for us in a place that really puts things in perspective. miguel, good evening. >> reporter: lester, good evening. as we enter our fourth year of drought here in california, these conditions are symbolic all across the west. we're technically in the middle of our rainy season. mountains should be lush with green, instead they're bone dry. tonight, we are coming to you from lake piru. we're at the bottom of a reservoir. we should be 30 feet under water here, instead these are the conditions. this is why california is in a state of emergency. in the snow-starved sierra mountains where this snow pack measuring station should be buried under five feet of snow, today governor jerry brown made history. >> we're in an historic drought. and that demands

unprecedented action. for that reason i'm issuing an executive order mandating substantial water reduction across our state. >> reporter: the governor says water use must be slashed by 25%. because reservoirs across the region are running on empty, as seen in this drone video documenting bone-dry record breaking conditions. nasa says this epic drought now affects 64 million americans across the west. scientists call what's happening here unprecedented. >> very likely the single worst drought of the last 150 years and possibly approaching the worst drought of the last 500 to 1,000 years. >> reporter: the governor says californians need to change the way they live. but in a state with 1.5 million swimming pools and sprawling growth, that won't be easy. cities like long beach have fined businesses like this mcdonald's for wasting water. now they're installing new water meters,

so-called electronic ankle bracelets, to monitor consumption. >> in most cases absolutely it changes their behavior quickly. they know we're watching and you can't hide. >> reporter: fallout from this crippling crisis will soon tarnish some of california's most spectacular sights. the ribbons of white at yosemite national park will turn to a trickle by june. some state rivers will soon become creeks. even trees are dying. >> this is the new normal. and we'll learn how to cope with it. >> reporter: while the governor is tonight optimistically hoping that californians will reduce their water use by 25%, nothing is going to help these reservoirs except for rainfall and snowfall. that simply isn't going to happen. tonight, many are also wishing the governor did more ordering mandatory water rationing. that also isn't going to happen. the governor is saying he's doing all he can for right now. lester. >> that image from above says it all.

miguel almaguer, thank you. the ripples from the strict new rules will be felt nationwide because most of california's water by far is used up by just one sector that effects practically all of us. nbc's jacob rascon is 50 miles northwest of l.a. in ventura county. jacob, this is a major problem. >> reporter: lester, many california farmers are in crisis mode. they grow about half of the produce we eat in the united states, including almost all of our lettuce as you see here, tomatoes, grapes and broccoli. it can take 11 gallons of water to grow one pound of broccoli. about 300 gallons of water to grow one pound of rice. and about 2,000 gallons of water to grow one pound of almonds. with less water available to them, california farmers are losing billions of dollars every year that we have this drought. many of them are surviving thanks to groundwater, but they're pumping so much of it so fast that the ground in

some areas is literally sinking. many farmers will tell you that's what it takes to feed the country. but, lester, farmland and farm jobs are drying up like never before. >> jacob rascon tonight, thank you. following the backlash in indiana, the battle between religious beliefs and gay rights exploded today in arkansas, the latest state to pass its own religious freedom law. but the governor there making a surprise decision after the nation's largest retailer weighed in. nbc's gabe gutierrez has that for us. >> we are arkansas! >> reporter: facing mounting pressure, today arkansas governor asa hutchinson changed course. >> we want to be known as a state that does not discriminate but understands tolerance. >> reporter: previously he'd said he would sign a controversial religious freedom bill similar to indiana's. but the world's largest retailer, arkansas-based walmart, asked for a veto. and so did someone closer to home. >> my son, seth,

signed the petition asking me, dad the governor, to veto this bill. >> reporter: now he's sending the bill back to lawmakers asking them to align it more closely with existing federal law. >> this is a bill that in ordinary times would not be controversial. but these are not ordinary times. >> reporter: here in indiana legislators are now scrambling to clarify the language of this state's law. >> we're talking to a lot of different people. and very hopeful to still meet our goal of announcing a solution tomorrow. >> reporter: governor mike pence says it protects religious freedom and is not a license to discriminate against same-sex couples as critics argue. ahead of this weekend's final four, coaches of joined the ncaa in expressing concern about the law's impact. this as parlor said th in favor of a law refuse to cater a same-sex wedding. they drew so much criticism online they are now temporarily closed.

>> if they want to come in, and they don't -- and the business owner doesn't want to serve them. that's their right. >> reporter: a question now being debated in multiple states. how to balance religious freedom and gay rights. gabe gutierrez, nbc news, indianapolis. now to the scene of that germanwings plane crash in the french alps where the airline's top executives today offered an apology. but when we asked what they knew and when they knew it about the co-pilot who intentionally brought that plane down, they were far less forthcoming. nbc's bill neely has that report for us. >> reporter: they've recovered all the bodies, now they're clearing the crash site of wreckage. clearing up why this happened will take much longer. the airline's boss came to lay flowers at the memorial today, to thank the searchers and to apologize. >> there's a very, very sorry that such a terrible accident could have happened in lufthansa. >> reporter: he didn't mention his employee, andreas lubitz, or t e-mail lubitz wrote

lufthansa admitting serious past depression. and he didn't answer questions. so when did you find the 2009 e-mail from lubitz? when did you find it? sir, your employee crashed a plane, why won't you take questions? among the questions how closely did they monitor lubitz after he admitted past depression? lufthansa's insurers have set aside $300 million to cover the cost of what happened here. but if it's shown in court to have been negligent in letting lubitz fly the plane he crashed, it would face unlimited damages. meanwhile, a cell phone video allegedly taken by a passenger found at the site and it's claimed by journalists showing the last seconds of the flight has been called a fake by police. the journalists who say they've seen it are adamant. >> there's no doubt that what we saw are the final seconds. >> reporter: prosecutors say they

haven't analyzed any video, but they don't deny one could exist. the disputes over the crash, its cause and who is accountable won't be resolved easily. bill neely, nbc news, seynes-les-a france. with the whole world watching still no deal tonight in the high stakes negotiations with iran over its nuclear program which have now been extended a second day beyond the deadline. ann curry is at the talks in switzerland for us where it's now after midnight. ann, what's holding things up there? >> reporter: well, that's a good question, lester. good evening. the final roadblocks now are few but very tough to get around. how much enriched uranium can iran keep? how much research and development will iran be able to do? and how much relief should iran get from u.n. sanctions? last night secretary of state kerry briefed president obama and his national security team by teleconference. and today kerry met with iran's foreign minister zarif. and talks continue

tonight. all negotiators are tired and frustrated. this is like groundhog day, lester. but both sides are feeling the pressure of threatened congressional action including new sanctions that could kill any deal. so nobody is going home yet, lester. >> ann curry tonight for us. ann, thanks very much. tonight, one of the most influential democrats in washington, senator robert menendez of new jersey has been indicted, facing federal corruption charges. he's accused of doing political favors in exchange for contributions and other gifts. our justice correspondent pete williams has late details. >> reporter: prosecutors accuse robert menendez of using his u.s. senate office to help a florida eye doctor and big political donor salomon melgen over investigation of his medicare billing he was also charged today. the indictment says menendez urged the government to adopt reimbursement policies that would benefit melgen to honor a security contract with a company in which

melgen was an investor. and to get visas from melgen's girlfriends. in return dr. melgen gave thousands in campaign contributio to menendez and treated the senator to luxury dominican vacations and private jet flights. senator says melgen is a friend and not just a donor. a federal prosecutor says that may be an issue. >> a friend may be a friend, but that's going to be a challenge for government here. because th relationship as i understand it goes back a long way. >> reporter: melge has denied menendez is the first senator charged bribery in 35 years. pete williams, nbc news, washington. a massive fire erupted in the middle of the gulf of mexico owned by pen ex. at least four people were killed 16 others injured when an explosion ripped through a pumping area on the rig. about 300 workers had to evacuate. at least eight boats answered the call to fight the flames. the company clai there wa open well. still ahead tonight, a disturbing

fit of apparent road rage caught on camera. the video so many people are sharing turns out the man is a police officer. tonight, we'll tell you about the investigation. and up next, fastballs raining from the sky, battering homes and cars. how hail forms big as baseballs as millions brace for severe storms. we'll be back. no one thinks they're going to be in an accident. which is why no one wants insurance. so we go cheap. you know, because we're never gonna need it. until one day, we do. now that cut-rate policy is costing us big. makes you wonder if there's something better out there . see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. 73% of americans try... ...to cook healthy meals. yet up to 90% fall short in getting key nutrients from food alone. let's do more... ...add one a day 50+. complete with key nutrients we may need. plus it supports physical energy with b vitamins.

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winds, possible isolated tornadoes and maybe even more hail which pummelled a number of states overnight. our janet shamlian has more on that weather threat. >> reporter: it looks like misshapen ice cubes and sounds like popcorn, a lot of it. from the deep south, mississippi and alabama, to oklahoma and arkansas hail is pounding the country yesterday, lighting up social media today. and the inevitable comparison, as big as a quarter, golf ball size. oklahoma lay claim to as big as a baseball. some the size of apples. others apple products. across eight states there are more than 130 reports of hail ranging from at least one inch to three inches in diameter. leaving a major headache for some, windows shattered and lanterns broken. so what the hail is hail? >> initially the hailstones begin as tiny water droplets. the air rises, cools into tiny droplets and then gets to an altitude in the

mid-levels of the storm where it's below freezing. at that point you have a little ice ball that then becomes the nucleus for growing hailstones. >> reporter: unlike hail doesn't claim to any particular season. these russian beach goers suffered last july when they went running for cover. experts say it doesn't usually last long, but it can be dangerous when the weather goes to hail. janet shamlian, nbc news, houston. wow. we're back in just a moment with the latest on the condition of an american music legend, joni mitchell, found unconscious in her home. people with type 2 diabetes come from all walks of life. if you have high blood sugar ask your doctor about farxiga. it's a different kind of medicine that works by removing some sugar from your body. along with diet and exercise farxiga helps lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. with one pill a day, farxiga helps lower your a1c.

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by now hundreds of thousands have viewed the video of an nypd detective unleashing a vitrealic rant at an uber driver who reportedly honked at him. tonight he's been placed on modified duty, stripped of his gun and badge for his expletive laden tirade where he mocks the

driver's accent and demands to now how long he's been in the country. >> stop it with your mouth. stop it with your, what sir, what sir, what sir, stop it with that [ bleep ]. >> new york's police commissioner apologized today calling the officer's behavior unacceptable. tonight, legendary musician joni mitchell remains in intensive care at a los an a statement on her website says the 71-year-old canadian singer was found unconscious in her home in bel air yesterday afternoon. she's now undergoing tests and is awake and in good spirits. no word on what type of illness she's suffering from. cynthia lennon first wife of beatle john lennon has died. her death was announced by julian lennon. cynthia and john lennon divorced in 1968 after a decade together through the height of beatle mania. their breakup prompted paul mccartney to write the beatles classic "hey jude" to comfort jude.

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but one veteran found a way to bridge the gap ptsd created between him and his children. and as nbc's hallie jackson reports, it could make a difference for so many families. >> reporter: it's not every nielgt the author of your bedtime story reads it to you. >> mom, why is dad so mad all the time? >> reporter: but this book was written by reagan's dad after he came back from iraq and afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder. >> dad was different when we came home from overseas. it's like dad always has a fire in his chest. >> reporter: did you understand what the book was about? >> when daddy had a fire in his heart. >> reporter: what do you think about that? >> i don't like how it changes him. >> you don't get to be who you used to be. >> reporter: retired army first sergeant seth cassel is one of the 10% to 20% of recent veterans suffering with ptsd and struggles to explain it to his girls. >> i want them to know they aren't responsible for that. >> reporter: do you think they feel responsible?

>> i don't know. i hope not. i look for something to have this conversation with my kids and it wasn't there. >> reporter: that's the reason he wrote "why is dmad?" raising thousands of dollars online in just one day. donations double what he needed to hire an illustrator to bring the book to life for kids like reagan. what do you think it's going to mean to other kids whose dads have a fire in their heart? >> that they know it's not their fault now. it's the fire's fault. no matter what, i know there's love.his voice. did i get you, daddy? >> yes, you did. >> reporter: here at bedtime. >> sometimes life isn't perfect, but we are family and we will stick together and love each other forever. >> reporter: a storybook ending. what would you want to say to your dad about this book? >> i like this book. i'm really proud you did it. >> reporter: hallie jackson, nbc news, kansas. and 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.

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