on this thursday night, breaking news. the former speaker of the house dennis hastert indicted for lying to the fbi. secret cash payments, millions of dollars to cover up past misconduct. who was he paying off and why? new evacuations and new rescues in texas as we see for ourselves the relentless force of the water tearing through homes and hear from father about the heart breaking final phone call from his daughter trapped in rising water. anthrax scare and what we have learned about other lethal parcels being routinely shipped across the country. and the hacking of america. when you're on a plane and you log on to the wi-fi who else is seeing your private information? "nightly news" begins right now.

>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news." reporting tonight, lester holt. >> good evening. we begin with breaking news of the federal indictment announced late this afternoon of a man who was once one of the most powerful politicians in this country. dennis hastert charged tonight in connection with the scheme to pay more than $3 million of apparent hush money to someone and then lying to the fbi about the cash. the burning questions tonight are who is he paying and why? our justice correspondent pete williams has late details. >> reporter: the charges are a bolt from the blue involving dennis hastert, a public official for more than 25 years and house speaker from 1999 to 2007. the longest serving republican in that post. since 2008 he's been a lobbyist here in washington but prosecutors say for the past four years he has paid $1.7 million

in apparent hush money. court papers say the payments went to someone identified only as individual "a" from yorkville, illinois. the papers say he agreed to pay that person $3.5 million, quote to compensate for and conceal his prior misconduct against individual "a" that occurred years earlier. the documents do not say what the prior misconduct was or whether individual "a" is a man or a woman. prosecutors say he started making withdrawals of $50,000 at a time then cut them to $10,000 when questioned by the bank. prosecutors say when asked about whether he was trying to evade federal currency reporting requirements or cover something up he denied having any improper purpose and suggested he didn't feel safe with the banking system. court papers say he told the fbi, quote, i kept the cash. that's what i'm doing. hastert faces two charges trying to evade federal requirements that banks report any transactions over $10,000 and lying to the fbi.

as for yorkville, illinois, that's where he was a high school teacher and coach from 1965 to 1981. no comment tonight from him. pete williams thanks. unless you lived through it's so hard to imagine the amount the speed and power of all of that water that tore through central texas communities and up ended lives over the holiday weekend. but tonight as more severe thunderstorm and flood watches are posted in parts of that state, we're getting our best look yet at what it was like as floodwaters rushed into home. the death toll from oklahoma into central texas and as far south as houston is at least 23. nbc's gabe gutierrez reports from wimberley, texas. >> reporter: it was unstoppable. the wall of water bursting through the door. gushing into a living room. up ending furniture, rising in seconds. while incredibly a terrified woman keeps recording with her

cell phone. >> we could actually see what looked like barges going down the river. it was people's homes. >> reporter: chuck criswell lived in another home along the blanco river. >> looked like it was going 500 miles with debris flying by. >> reporter: today throughout texas, wild weather. near houston a family had to be rescued by boat. >> i have never seen it like this. >> reporter: and nearby wharton, texas, hundreds of residents evacuated. fearing more storms through the weekend. >> my light switch in my home, so when they say flood, i know to go. >> reporter: so much rain has drenched texas over the past month that it would be enough to flood all of rhode island under ten feet of water. it's taking a toll in tight knit texas where the family of alyssa ramirez just held her funeral.

the homecoming queen and cheerleader was on her way back from prom when her car was swept away. >> i got a phone call from her at 2:45 in the morning when i'm asleep. and she wakes me up. and say, honey, what's going on? dad, what do i do, my car -- my car has been hit with water. what do i do what do i do? i said back the car up. i can't, the car is tipping. i said, i'm on my way. that's the last i got to speak to her. >> reporter: sadly, there is so much devastation across parts of texas tonight. authorities here in hays county say they have recovered the body of a young child, but has not been identified. more rain is expected to slow the search effort through the weekend, lester. the relentless rain while enormously destructive seemed to have helped reverse years of drought in texas. now the people of drought stricken california are wondering are they in for an abrupt weather whiplash of their open

from dry to deluge? our national correspondent miguel almaguer has more on what we learned today. >> stop stop stop. >> reporter: they call it weather whiplash. a year of historic floods fires, tornados, snow and ice. now whipping from one wild extreme to another. in wichita falls, texas, it felt like the drought ended overnight. in just three weeks, much of the state has gone from extreme drought to crippling flood. lakes are fuller than they have been in five years. this was lake wichita just a few months ago. here it is again today. scientists say climate change is exacerbating the wild swings. >> the swings are getting wilder. climate change is stretching out the variability. >> reporter: in the last 30 days 2.6 trillion gallons of water have filled texas reservoirs. enough water to serve california for at least a year and a half. but still only a quarter of what california needs to end its drought. the golden state

parched like never before. take this reservoir for example. the water level has dipped so low this hill and many others like it are no longer submerged and that bridge you see behind me used to be suspended over the water line. now it soars 200 feet above it. the governor says this is just the beginning. >> we are in a more severe drought and will get more severe. we can expect very severe flooding. >> reporter: with the powerful el nino suspected of bringing heavy rain to texas, experts say it could do the same to california. now bracing for fires and mudslides later this year. the weather whiplash, promising to bring even more dangerous and wild extremes. miguel almaguer nbc news. fast moving developments in the anthrax scare, lethal bacteria fedexed to labs in at least nine states and overseas.

it's a shocking mistake. today more than two dozen people in the labs are taking drugs to protect themselves after potentially being exposed to live anthrax. and now we're learning about just how many dangerous agents are routinely being shipped across our nation. our national correspondent kate snow reports. >> reporter: anthrax is hard to kill. the pentagon tonight is focused only how the process of inactivating the anthrax at a utah facility may have gone wrong before it was shipped out to 19 labs in nine states using fedex. >> i can't believe that anthrax is being sent by fedex. >> reporter: but shipping dangerous biological agents is actually very common. so scientists can study disease and how to protect against a biological weapons attack. there are nearly 1,500 labs allowed to handle active deadly microbes. nbc news has learned there were 300 shipments of live agents last year. usually via fedex. fedex says it has a flawless record in following all

applicable regulations for shipping this sort of material. the cdc is leading the investigation into the army's error, but the cdc itself has come under fire from mishandling hazardous substances including anthrax, ebola and a deadly bird flu virus. >> i'm disappointed by what happened and frankly i'm angry about it. >> that volume of activity needs to be rolled back. >> reporter: a microbiologist said there are too many labs handling this deadly material. today he told nbc news shipments of supposedly inactivated samples should be ended. the good news is no one has gotten sick from the army's shipments. the anthrax sent out was not as dangerous as the powdered anthrax sent through the mail in 2001 killing five people. >> this is very different from what happened in 2001 when an individual or more than one individual perhaps stuffed floatable, powdered anthrax into envelopes. >> reporter: this isn't the same thing? >> it is anthrax, but in a different form.

and it is less likely by far -- less likely to cause large-scale damage. >> reporter: the cdc is now asking the 19 labs that received shipments from utah to send them to atlanta for analysis. using fedex. kate snow, nbc news, new york. let eastern now to the scandal shaking the world's most popular sport. the powerful head of the organization that controls international soccer defiant today, firing back after american authorities accused he his top lieutenants of mafia like corruption spandzing decades. and he had a high profile defender. peter alexander reports. >> reporter: under fire as never before. his top lieutenants indicted and facing calls for his resignation, sepp blatter deflected the responsibility. >> we or i cannot monitor everyone all of the time. if people want to do wrong, they will also

try to hide it. >> reporter: blatter has not been indicted and is favored to win the unprecedented fifth term tomorrow, extending the 17-year reign and reputation as a survivor. >> in the past when there's been controversies or investigations many if fifa have fallen, those have enemies. like a stalinist purge. >> reporter: coming to his side today, vladimir putin. accusing america of meddling and trying to wrest away the 2018 world cup from russia. today, the allegations were dismissed. >> that's not what we have done and not what we're doing. >> reporter: federal authorities allege more than a dozen fifa executives pocketed more than $150 million in bribes and kickbacks. billions in soccer revenue worldwide. sponsors and commercial partners paid fifa more than

$1.6 billion and among them big household names. visa which signed a $170 million deal to sponsor the world cup through 2022 is demanding fifa take swift and immediate steps to address the issues. threatening to reassess the sponsorship if fifa doesn't clean up its act. money drying up would hit fifa where it hurts and tonight federal authorities tell nbc news there are more indictments coming. peter alexander, nbc news washington. there is a big mystery unfolding tonight on the beach in some of the most popular surf cities in america. beaches shut down for miles in southern california. hermosa, manhattan and redondo beaches where balls of tar are washing ashore and nobody knows why or where it's coming from. nbc's hallie jackson is there. >> reporter: six patties of oily tar line some of southern california's most popular beaches. 6 1/2 miles of shoreline closed to sunbathers and surfers. >> this is our beach.

we spend a huge amount of time out here and to see our backyards get fouled like this is really heart breaking. >> reporter: clean-up crews are collecting the clumps. enough to fill ten pickup trucks. holding the feels like holding dough or putty. people say when they wash up typically they're the size of a quarter, but you can see how much bigger these are. >> this is just a tragedy to see this much oil washing ashore. i have never seen a dense combination of oil balls on the beach. >> reporter: the question is why and where are they coming from? could be part of the leak coming off the ships or refineries along the coast. officials say it's possible but not probable the clumps are coming from last week's 100,000 gallon oil spill in santa barbara where they're racing to save animals caught up in the slick. more than 50 birds and sea lions so far. down the coast, the tar balls haven't hurt

any wildlife and on the beach, the clean-up continues. the mystery still unsolved. testing samples of the tar balls could take a few days or a few weeks. workers here say they haven't noticed any new clumps washed ashore this afternoon. so if the beaches do reopen in time for the weekend you can bet they'll look a lot busier than now. >> all right, hallie jackson, thank you. on the campaign trail the crowded race for the republican nomination grew even larger today with former new york governor george pataki announcing his candidacy. that brings the number of declared contenders to eight with several more still expected to jump in. including well known names like jeb bush. still ahead tonight, the hacking of america. even on a plane. you log in to the wi-fi potentially giving other people access to everything that's private on your computer or phone. how to protect yourself before your next flight coming up. extended family, meet crowded living space. claustrophobia, meet bite-ophobia. sfx: buzz! it's time to un-learn your fear.

step 1: open door. sfx: ding! step 2: light off! mosquito lamp. sfx: ding! sfx: ringing animation sound it protects an area up to 10 times larger than the leading citronella candle. step 3: enjoy the air... sfx: ding! between you and the in-laws. get back out there... with off! mosquito lamp. keep bugs off. sfx: thwack! sc johnson a family company seems like we've hit a road block. that reminds me... anyone have occasional constipation, diarrhea... ...gas, bloating? yes! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against occasional digestive issues. with three types of good bacteria. live the regular life. phillips'. i'm caridee. i've had moderate to severe plaque psoriasis most of my life. but that hasn't stopped me from modeling. my doctor told me about stelara® it helps keep my skin clearer. with only 4 doses a year after 2 starter doses... ...stelara® helps me be in season. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and increase your risk of infections. some serious infections require hospitalization. before starting stelara® your doctor should test for tuberculosis. stelara® may increase your risk of

cancer. always tell your doctor if you have any sign of infection have had cancer, or if you develop any new skin growths. do not take stelara® if you are allergic to stelara® or any of its ingredients. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare potentially fatal brain condition. serious allergic reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you or anyone in your house needs or has recently received a vaccine. in a medical study most stelara® patients saw at least 75% clearer skin and the majority were rated as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks. stelara® helps keep my skin clearer. ask your doctor about stelara®. 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 men's 50+. complete with key nutrients we may need. plus it helps support healthy blood pressure with vitamin d and magnesium.

we are back now with our series the hacking of america. we reported in the past on the dangers of logging in to public wi-fi systems that could be set up by hackers and cyber crooks but security experts are sounding a warning about accessioning it through the plane's wi-fi system. who else can see your information on your phone or computer? here's tom costello. >> reporter: if you have flown at all over the past several years there's a good chance you have gone surfing at 30,000 feet.

you may have assumed that the plane's wi-fi is safe and secure, but is it? james line says treat it like any other public wi-fi. >> it doesn't matter if they're encrypted or not. when you connect to them you're handing over your destiny of the internet connection to some unknown stranger. >> reporter: because that airline wi-fi is usually being offered by a third party through which anyone can gain access to your phone or computer. even someone sitting next to you. >> this is the first screen i noticed that something was out of the ordinary. >> reporter: it was a red alert like this one that greeted shawn murphy. his computer warning him the plane's wi-fi connection wasn't secure. >> if i were to access my e-mail or if i were to access pictures, they would have gotten all that information. they would have gotten my user name and password potentially and then the data coming back from there. >> reporter: one of the biggest provider gogo inflight, they say it's secure. but once you're surfing the web that

connection is not encrypted. past the purchase point, gogo operates similar to any hot spot on the ground. in other words, you may be as vulnerable to hackers in the air as you are on land. you could protect yourself on public wi-fis say the pros by using something called a vpn. a virtual private network that takes your information, puts it into a bubble and encrypts it. experts say when you're using public wi-fi on a plane or a coffee shop, avoid accessing your bank account information and sensitive e-mails and for that matter any social media sites with your private information and your photos. >> the reality is that cybercrime is entirely opportunistic. every time you connect to the internet you're a target. >> reporter: even at 30,000 feet it's best to assume you're being watched. tom costello, nbc news, somewhere over the east coast. up next tonight, hundreds of students that took the s.a.t.s are now told they have to take them all over again. you're not going to believe why.

i am a lot of things. i am his guardian. i am his voice. so i asked about adding once-daily namenda xr to his current treatment for moderate to severe alzheimer's. it works differently. when added to another alzheimer's treatment, it may improve overall function and cognition. and may slow the worsening of symptoms for a while. vo: namenda xr doesn't change how the disease progresses. it shouldn't be taken by anyone allergic to memantine, or who's had a bad reaction to namenda xr or its ingredients. before starting treatment, tell their doctor if they have or ever had, a seizure disorder, difficulty passing urine liver, kidney or bladder problems, and about medications they're taking. certain medications, changes in diet, or medical conditions may affect the amount of namenda xr in the body and may increase side effects. the most common side effects are headache, diarrhea and dizziness. all my life, he's protected me. now i am giving back. ask their doctor about once-daily namenda xr and learn about a free trial offer at namendaxr.com. allergies distracting you? when your symptoms start... ...doctors recommend taking claritin

every day of your allergy season. claritin provides powerful non-drowsy 24-hour relief for... ...fewer interruptions from the amazing things you do... ...every day. live claritin clear. introducing the first ever gummy multivitamin from centrum. a complete your energy... immunity... and metabolism like never before. centrum multigummies. see gummies in a whole new light. hey, how you doin'? it hurts. this is what it can be like to have shingles, a painful, blistering rash. if you had chicken pox the shingles virus is already inside you. 1 in 3 people will get shingles in their lifetime. i wish that there was something i could do to help. the shingles rash can last up to 30 days. talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your risk.

♪ ♪ it may seem strange, but people really can love their laxative. especially when it's miralax. it hydrates, eases and softens to unblock your system naturally so you have peace of mind from start to finish. love your laxative. miralax.

imagine being one of 100 high school students in virginia who are being told they have to take the s.a.t.s all over again. not because of a cheating allegation, e school officials say the tests are missing. lost in the mail when they were shipped to be graded. as you can imagine, students and parents are not happy. the s.a.t.s are going to be no match for the group of kids when they're old enough to take them. ten of the smartest kids in the country are competing this evening in the final round of the scripps national spelling bee outside of washington, d.c. and for first time in 40 years the golden state warriors are going to the nba finals. they will face the cleveland cavaliers. that means we'll get in action. we don't mean mvp steph curry, but his daughter riley who keeps stealing the

show. great deals on everything from clothes to ipads but the catch is it might already be your stuff. ct it... intercourse that's painful due to menopausal changes it's not likely to go away on its own. so let's do something about it. premarin vaginal cream can help it provides estrogens to help rebuild vaginal tissue and make intercourse more comfortable. premarin vaginal cream treats vaginal changes due to menopause and moderate-to-severe painful intercourse caused by these changes. don't use it if you've had unusual bleeding breast or uterine cancer blood clots, liver problems, stroke or heart attack, are allergic to any of its ingredients or think you're pregnant. side effects may include headache pelvic pain, breast pain vaginal bleeding and vaginitis. estrogens may increase your chances of getting cancer of the uterus, strokes, blood clots or dementia so use it for the shortest time based on goals and risks. estrogen should not be used to prevent heart disease heart attack, stroke or dementia. ask your doctor about premarin vaginal cream.

one of the foot's favorite rituals happens at the water's edge. here, they must look their best. smooth, beautiful skin is an advantage. the others can only hide in shame. introducing the new dr. scholl's dreamwalk express pedi. ugh! heartburn! did someone say burn? try alka-seltzer heartburn reliefchews. they work fast and don't taste chalky. mmm...amazing. thank you.

alka-seltzer heartburn reliefchews. enjoy the relief. he says she's undisciplined overwaterer. she claims he's a cruel underwaterer. with miracle-gro moisture control potting mix, plants only get water when they need it. fight ended. or shifted? miracle-gro. life starts here. bring us your aching and sleep deprived. bring us those who want to feel well rested. aleve pm. the only one to combine a sleep aid... plus the 12 hour pain relieving strength of aleve. be a morning person again, with aleve pm. finally tonight, the summer travel season is traditionally when airlines lose luggage. most often. nearly all of it is

returned eventually but the rest of it once it disappears into the baggage bermuda triangle could turn up later for a price. nbc's janet shamlian has the story. >> reporter: it's like a well-stocked department store. designer clothing, cases of jewelry. and from iphones to headphones, every model made. >> it's the best thing ever. >> reporter: best of all, bargain prices. >> $164 it would be probably $600. >> reporter: but one person's deal is another's loss. >> maybe some of my things are in here somewhere. hopefully not. >> reporter: in rural alabama, hours from any major airport, this tourist destination is the last stop for lost luggage. >> we actually buy unclaimed baggage from planes, trains, automobiles, sight unseen. >> reporter: 99% of the bags are

returned and the rest with no identification end up here. so do the glasses or ipad you left in the seat back pocket. last year they sold 3,400 forgotten ipads, 5,000 cameras, 40,000 pair of shoes. >> it's always interesting to see what they have here. >> reporter: shoppers like jerry brown can't stay away. how often do you come? >> just about every day. everything i got on comes from here. >> reporter: you could supply an orchestra with musical instruments. several tennis teams with these racquets. how long will you spend in here today? >> well, we allotted ourselves an hour. >> reporter: is that going to do it? >> no. >> reporter: from wedding gowns to the bridesmaid dresses that might not be as missed, to the what is it category, more than just a bargain, it's a slice of current culture through the lens of our luggage. janet shamlian, nbc news, alabama. that'll do it for this us on this thursday night.

i'm lester holt. from all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night.

lights camera, access. >> said i'm youngest person ever on the list. >> making history. only we have taylor's reaction to her powerful forbes title. i'm billy bush. why is she