tonight, no calm after this storm. deadly weather pummels the northeast. giant waves and flooding. more than a million without power. airports limping back to life. crisis in syria. a cease-fire ignored. more than 100 civilians killed just this week by relentless bombings with no end in sht. deadly dorm shooting. a suspect in custody suspected of killing his own parents. now police are piecing together what happened in the hours before the violence. not backing down. president trump deflecting threats from overseas, promising steel jobs with his tariff announcement. but will the surprise move end up costing jobs? ♪ folsom prison ♪ and time keeps dragging on ♪

and 50 years since a performance cemented itself in music history, johnny cash's concert inside folsom state prison, how inmates there have kept the beat going. >> announcer: this is nbc "nightly news" with jose diaz belart. suffering the fevgz a monster storm. at this hour at least eight deaths related to the nor'easter have been reported. flooding rains, raging winds and powerful waves wrecked communities. the effects stretching from the carolinas to maine. right now 1.3 million households are still without power. thousands of flights canceled and delayed. roads and bridges closed. and the nation's busiest rail corridor shut down. our kristen dahlgren weathered the storm and brings us details. >> reporter: in massachusetts a state of emergency tonight. seeing no relief from the vicious nor'easter. residents along the coast battling wind and water. >> this is the worst i think i've ever seen it. you can't get in, you

can't get out. >> reporter: parts of quincy still totally cut off. the national guard carrying people to safety. at four months pregnant nicole doyle is relieved to get her kids and dog out. >> it's extremely cold in our house and we have no way to heat it and its with getting to where we're shivering and they were getting freaked out. >> reporter: cold is the problem for so many now. along the east coast, 1.3 million are still without lights and heat. >> how cold is it inside there? >> very cold. >> reporter: like 85-year-old marilyn taylor. trapped in her home, her daughter didn't know how to get her out. >> when i got here, she was just freezing and hungry. she hadn't eaten anything and she couldn't light the stove. >> reporter: so she hitched a ride with us to a shelter. >> i tried to stick it out, but i was done. >> reporter: others walked along high ground to get gas for generators. as the storm surge pushed in for a third time. we're approaching another high tide here. and as you can see, the water coming back over this seawall and once again spilling into the streets here, we've actually got to get going or we're going to get stuck out

here as well. at least eight deaths are now 3w4r5i78d on the storm, largely due to trees crushing homes and cars. the dangerous wind ripping through houses like this one outside philadelphia where thankfully no one was injured. in new jersey a woman was rescued today by paramedics after a tree fell on her while she was walking her dog. downed power lines in connecticut causing even more outages. and on the yale campus a garage partially collapsed due to wind. while back in quincy a community struggles to recover. >> everybody's been really helpful, and this is a great community here. >> reporter: but as you can see, it is still flooded here tonight. we actually did get stuck out here. we've been waiting for most of the day for the tide to go down enough so that we could safely drive out of here because jose, that is what happens when you don't wait. >> and kristen, you know, a flight that normally takes me three hours to get here took more than 12. this storm has had a major impact on travel and not just for the

northeast. >> reporter: yeah. it really has. and it's not just people in this area that are bearing the brunt. flight cancellations today, 622. there were more than 2,300 delays. and that continues to trickle through the system. meantime, amtrak is finally getting back up and running, and they say they do expect the system to be operating as normal tomorrow. but this is a tomorrow that nobody here is going to forget anytime soon. >> kristen dahlgren, thank you very much. wild weather on the west coast as well. after massive snows in the sierras, a dramatic rescue in northern california, where an avalanche buried a man at a ski resort. people nearby rushed to save him. some using shovels, others their bare hands to dig away at the snow. in total the avalanche injured five people. all of them are expected to be okay. tonight new details about the shooting inside a college dorm in michigan. the suspect is in custody. he is 19 years old, accused of killing his parents on the day before spring break.

today police revealed the gun used belonged to the suspect's father. a part-time police officer. nbc's kevin tibbles has the latest from central michigan university. >> reporter: the intense daylong manhunt for a suspected killer on the campus of central michigan university came to an end overnight when heavily armed police took james eric davis jr. into custody. >> the danger that our community has experienced over the last 24 hours or so is now over. >> reporter: he was arrested after being spotted along train tracks near campus. more than 100 officers had been searching for the 19-year-old student since friday morning when shots rang out in a college dorm. dead are his parents, father james davis sr. and mother diva. davis sr. was a police officer in suburban chicago and an iraq war veteran. his mother sold real estate. police say they have video of the suspect with a gun they say he got from his parents' car. >> what we know for sure is that the gun

was registered to his father and that we saw that for sure he came from the parking lot into our residence hall. >> reporter: the shooting happened the friday before spring break, prompting an hours-long lockdown on campus. families picking up anxious students were told to wait at a nearby hotel. >> when she told me about it, i just -- my blood ran cold. >> reporter: police had taken davis jr. to a hospital the night before. they say he came to them not making sense for what they suspected were drug-related issues. tonight james davis jr., who authorities say appeared to be hypothermic and incoherent, is in custody at a michigan hospital. he is charged with two counts of homicide and a weapons felony. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. and now the swift reaction to president trump's tariff announcement. the message from overseas is clear. european nations are not going to quietly accept it. that's raising questions about the unintended consequences of the move, including the

risk of losing jobs here at home. nbc's david gura has the latest. >> reporter: a moment of economic shock and awe. >> we'll be imposing tariffs on zwriem ports and tariffs on aluminumium imports. >> reporter: president trump stunning the world with that announcement, surprising even some of his closest advisers. >> 25% for steel. it'll be 10% for aluminum. >> reporter: sparking an immediate reaction from investors. and u.s. allies. europe threatening tariffs on iconic american products like bourbon and blue jeans. >> they retaliate against what they determine to be politically sensitive sectors of the united states. >> reporter: at stake not just what you'll pay but potentially hundreds of thousands of american jobs. >> what could the effects be of a policy like this on the labor picture in this country? >> on balance it will be negative. >> reporter: one example, boeing, the biggest manufacturing exporter in the u.s., could see overseas orders for planes go

to europe's airbus and canada's. >> that puts the workers who work for boeing, it puts at work their jobs. >> reporter: but so far the president is talking mostly about workers in the steel and aluminum industry. >> there are 385,000 workers in the steel-making industry. there's 4 million workers in the industries that use steel who are now going to have more expensive steel, potentially losing business to foreign imports that don't have to pay those tariffs. >> reporter: it's the consequences for american jobs that have many concerned about a looming trade war. president trump says he plants to implement the policy this week and there's been a stark divide in his administration over this issue and many republicans who are against those tariffs continue to hope this president may yet change his mind. jose? >> david dpurgura, thank you very much. speaking of those tariff plans, president trump doubled down today on that plan taking to twitter to make his case. nbc's jeff bennett is live at the white house with that. >> reporter: good evening. it's clear president trump is aware of the

pu pushback from u.s. trading partners judging from his twitter feed. in one the president saying, "the united states has an $800 billion yearly trade deficit because of our very stupid trade deals and policies. our jobs and welfare being given to other countries that have taken advantage of us for years. they laugh at what fools our leaders have been. no more." now, language like that is little comfort to those in the president's own administration and republican leaders on capitol hill who we're told are privately urging the president to reconsider given the potential blow to the economy. now, i asked the president earlier this evening if he's concerned about launching a trade war. he didn't respond. but people close to mr. trump tell us he thinks the announcement is a political winner and he gets to make good on a key campaign promise, jose. >> and geoff, president trump racked up a bunch of miles on air force one these last couple of days, right? >> reporter: that's right. friday he was off to north carolina for the funeral for the reverend billy graham, and then down to florida where today he headlined a re-election campaign fund-raiser at his mar-a-lago estate.

he's now back here at the white house in washington to attend an annual gridiron club dinner. every president going back to the 1800s has attended the event, which is hosted by one of the country's oldest journalism clubs. last year the president chose not to go, but tonight he'll be in white tie hosted by a group he loves to hate. the press. jose. >> geoff bennett, thank you very much. tomorrow on "meet the press" chuck todd will have a roundup of the president's event tonight as well as a recap of what's been another chaotic week in washington. the north korean regime tonight saying they are willing to hold talks with the united states but on their own terms. a spokesperson for the regime says it will not commit to ending its nuclear and missile programs as the trump administration has demanded. north korea, meanwhile, is also warning the u.s. against holding military drills next month with south korea, saying they would harm the thawing relations between those two countries. one week ago the u.n. security council voted in favor of a cease-fire in syria. yet the violence rages

on. tonight we are seeing new and heartbreaking images of the toll of war. civilians plucked from the rubble of buildings leveled by bombings. nbc's ali arouzi has the latest on the crisis that continues to unfold there. >> reporter: the cease-fire's first week has been devastating. residents of east ghouta see constant bombing by the syriiyrian regime. activists say 100 civilians, almost half of them women and children-v been killed since diplomats in new york signed a deal to stop the shelling. today those living there are begging for relief. >> this is the sort of situation they are facing, destruction, death surrounding them, and a besiegement. people are running out of food, clean water, medicine. >> reporter: nbc news has been following sisters nora and alla who live in an underground shelter, briefly coming above ground yesterday with other children to ask the world to stand with them, tweeting "i am still alive."

along with the bombs, the syrian government's planes dump leaflets on eastern ghouta telling its residents to leave. the u.n. cease-fire was supposed to open a civilian corridor to allow that to happen and humanitarian supplies like these idle ambulances to come in. the assad regime ignoring the international mandate, even escalating the attacks. with fresh reports of a chlorine attack, the international community stands in condemnation. while the catastrophic humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate with no end in sight. on friday at an emergency meeting of the u.n. human rights council officials said the attacks in eastern ghouta probably amount to war crimes. ali arouzi, nbc news. monday organizers of the las vegas victims fund will begin distributing more than $31 million. the fund began collecting donations after last october's mass shooting that killed 58 people.

families of those victims received $275,000. hundreds of other survivors are also eligible to receive some of the money. tonight a very real health crisis facing immigrant communities. one you may not have heard much about. it's a difficult thing to quantify. the toll that living with fear can have on a person's well-being. a new study finds that in latino households the impact is profound. nbc's maya rodriguez explains. >> reporter: for dreamers like jaciel lopez his immigration status clouds his everyday life. >> you know we could be detained and deported. so it's really stressful and it's really something that our community's always in fear of that. >> reporter: he's not alone. a new report in the journal of adolescent health says immigration policy changes are affecting not just latinos who are undocumented in the u.s. but those with legal status too. dammaris encarnacion was born in washington, d.c. on

the 4th of july. >> we are families. we're closely connected. so when one is affected, all of us are affected. >> reporter: the study looked at more than 200 latino parents in the suburbs of a major east coast city. 2/3 living in the u.s. legally. what they found, 65% often worried or are very worried about family members getting separated and nearly 40% avoided getting medical help or social services because of immigration fears. researchers also found that those hispanic parents experienced a 300% increase in psychological distress, including depression and anxiety. >> the fact that we found such strong and statistically significant findings impacting parents' mental health in negative ways across diverse residency statuses was very surprising. >> reporter: but not to damaris, who sees the impacts immigration policies are having on people she knows. >> the crisis is so severe that often we feel like we can't do

enough for them. so it affects all of us. >> reporter: including her son caleb. >> i could possibly never see them again. so that kind of gets me scared because i don't want anybody to leave. >> reporter: fears shared no matter their immigration status. maya rodriguez, nbc news, ft. lauderdale, florida. still ahead tonight, saving lives under extreme duress. doctors and nurses dropped into a war zone, now honored for their bravery on the battlefield. also a ceremonial send-off on the eve of the iditarod. send-off on the eve of the iditarod. why the when it comes to strong bones, are you on the right path? send-off on the eve of the iditarod. why the we have postmenopausal osteoporosis and a high risk for fracture, so with our doctors we chose prolia® to help make our bones stronger. only prolia® helps strengthen bones by stopping cells that damage them with 1 shot every 6 months. do not take prolia® if you have low blood calcium, are pregnant, are allergic to it, or take xgeva®. serious allergic reactions, like low blood pressure; trouble breathing;

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that can make you sad, of multiple symptoms feel tired, and have difficulty concentrating. trintellix is a prescription medication for depression. it may help you take a step forward in improving your depression. tell your healthcare professional right away if your depression worsens, or you have unusual changes in mood, behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens and young adults. do not take with maois. tell your healthcare professional about your medications, including migraine, psychiatric and depression medications, to avoid a potentially life-threatening condition. increased risk of bleeding or bruising may occur, especially if taken with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin or blood thinners. manic episodes or vision problems may occur in some people. may cause low sodium levels. the most common side effects were nausea, constipation, and vomiting. ask your healthcare professional if it's time for a change

to trintellix. an elite team dropped in the worst war zone in the world not to fight but to save lives. it was 2016. the air force deployed a special operations surgical team to syria. within hours they were treating patients, doing whatever they could to save lives. it earned them the bronze star for valor. nbc's pentagon correspondent hans nichols has their story of bravery on the front lines. >> reporter: the world's hottest conflict is in syria, a bloody war. front lines shift minute by minute. american special forces and their allies in harm's way. >> get as close to the fighting and the front line as we can. >> reporter: six airmen all part of an air force special operations surgical team are there, trained to set up a mobile operating room in just 15 minutes to treat wounded u.s. troops within 60 minutes of their injury. the so-called golden

hour. >> we know that there are guys that are going to be injured that will bleed to death before they can make the longer transport back to a safe area. >> reporter: those skills put to the test on a battlefield where medical necessities are hard to come by. no clean water no, power, no oxygen, and more. >> a patient shot through the chest. i actually donated my blood, transfused with the patient. and that had huge psychological impact on the rest of the fighters. >> reporter: they also treat local civilians. the toughest cases, syrian children wounded in war. >> as i gave this child blood and treated him with a chest tube, his dead sibling was between his legs the whole time. some of those things you can't prepare for. and it took a toll on us. >> reporter: when not in war zones these doctors and nurses continue to serve on a different front line. in e.r. at the university of alabama

at birmingham hospital where a third of the cases are from stabbings or gunshots. the team always treating the physical needs of their patients now tending to their emotional wounds. hans nichols, nbc news, birmingham, alabama. we're back in a moment with a silver lining to a bitter winter blast. lining to a bitter winter blast. where dearyou made moonshine inher, a backwoods still. smuggled booze and dodged the law. even when they brought you in, they could never hold you down. when i built my family tree and found you, i found my sense of adventure. i set off on a new life, a million miles away. i'm heidi choiniere, and this is my ancestry story. now with over 10 billion historical records, discover your story. get started for free at ancestry.com but prevagen helps your brain with an ingredient originally discovered... in jellyfish. in clinical trials, prevagen has been shown to improve short-term memory.

prevagen. the name to remember. even if you'res can be trying your best.ggle, along with diet and exercise, once daily toujeo may help you control your blood sugar. get into a daily groove. ♪ let's groove tonight ♪ ♪ share the spice of life ♪ ♪ baby slice it right from the makers of lantus, toujeo provides blood sugar-lowering activity for 24 hours and beyond, proven blood sugar control all day and all night, and significant a1c reduction. toujeo is used to control high blood sugar in adults with diabetes. it contains 3 times as much insulin in 1 milliliter as standard insulin. don't use toujeo to treat diabetic ketoacidosis, during episodes of low blood sugar, or if you're allergic to insulin. get medical help right away if you have a serious allergic reaction such as body rash, or trouble breathing. don't reuse needles or share insulin pens. the most common side effect is low blood sugar,

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iditarod gets under way this weekend. 67 mushers and their teams of dogs will spend more than a week traveling 1,000 miles across alaska's rugged terrain. there's a cloud of controversy over this year's race. one former champion is boycotting the race over allegations of dog doping. much of europe is starting to thaw out from some bitterly cold weather but not before people got a chance to have a little fun. canals in the netherlands froze over for the first time in about six years and turned into an impromptu ice skating rink. the fun won't last long. temperatures are expected to start climbing tomorrow. when we come back, a half century after a famous performance inside a prison. how inmates there

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the power of song is on display in an unlikely place, a california prison that was once the site of music history. a famous performance by johnny cash. can you believe it's been 50 years ago? inmates, however, are keeping that musical legacy alive. nbc's steve patterson takes us to folsom state prison where rhythm and rehabilitation go hand in hand. >> reporter: that day he led an escape. >> hello. i'm johnny cash. >> reporter: freedom of a different kind. a captive audience with the man in black. ♪ i'm stuck in folsom prison ♪ ♪ and time keeps dragging on ♪ in 1968 cash gave his

historic performance of "folsom prison blues" right here to prisoners at the maximum security facility. now, 50 years later, its legacy lives on. inside these days prisoners are offered a chance. working a trade, learning a skill, building to a life beyond bars. during the day 27-year-old kentae weaver solves electrical equations. >> the voltage would be 20 volts. >> reporter: but at night he escapes. ♪ >> it takes me to a whole other place. it takes me to a whole other planet. >> reporter: inside what used to house folsom's death row you'll find a group of guys laying down a few bars. instead of just standing behind them. ♪ this is the house band. the pinnacle of folsom's famed music rehabilitation program. the program, made up of about 40 inmates meeting three times a

week, allows fledgling musicians to learn anything from how to read music all the way to perfecting prison-wide performances. >> that's a beautiful thing. >> reporter: 55-year-old roy mcneese is the de facto leader. he helped start the program years ago. >> when you find yourself doing something you never thought you could do or having an effect on somebody you never thought you'd have, to see that and realize, man, finally did something right. ♪ i'll be there for you ♪ >> you see them kind of come alive. like it gives them meaning. and they're proud of themselves. and i think that that's important. >> reporter: lessons learned through the legacy of music. ♪ freedom of a different kind. steve patterson, nbc news, inside folsom prinze. and that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. tomorrow night, teachers in an entire state on strike. an update on the standoff that's keeping them out of the classroom. i'm jose diaz-balart reporting from new york. thank you for the privilege of your time, and good night.

- there's a common thread i see every time i'm in the field. while this was burning, you were saving other homes. neighbors helping neighbors and strangers alike. - this is what america's about. - sometimes it's nice to see all the good that's out there. bringing folks out, we have seen it in community after community.

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