tonight a major shake-upn the west wing, involving a key member of the president's inner circle. >> john kelly will be leaving at the end of the year. >> why the chief of staff is out. tens of millions on edge as a dangerous ep winter storm ss across the south. bringing freezing rain and heavy snow, whereth e storm is headed next. riots inranls for the fourth weekend in a row. paris on lockdown after calling for president macron to step down former lieutenants reveal the ruthless tactics that helped make el chapo billions. more u.s. companies introduce paternity leave, finding that paid time

off for new dads pays off. the high school basketball team is leading by example, showing us all how to win again. breaking news as we come on the air tonight, a major shake-up at the white thouse, presidentmp said today his chief of staff, john kelly will be leaving his post by the end of the year. it's the latest in a series of high profile stf changes that have come since the midterm elections just a month ago. kell o'donnell has the latest. today the imagery of the president's day. a commander in chief surroundedy officers in uniform made the headline of the day all the more striking. >> mr. president, will you do us the honors. >> president trump tossed tn for the army/navy game after announcing john

kelly is out as chief of staff. >> johelly will be leaving, retire -- i don't know if i can say retiring. >> he came in as the second chief of staff to install order in a free wheeling wt wing. his tenure was rocky. >> i'm not quitting today. >> senior white house officials would not say whether kellysi gned or was asked to leave. >> we will be announcing who will be taking john's place. it might be on an interim basis. >> mike nce's chief of staff who made millions as a republic campaign operative, 68-year-old kelly had once been a favorite as homeland secretar >> john kelly is one of our great stars. >> reporter: today the president was respectful. >> i appreciate his service very much. >> engaging reporters, the president brought up the mueller investigation, and disputed a major claim in friday's special

counsel filg that michael cohen was directedo make illegal payments to two women to keep quiet before the election. id you ask michael cohen to -- >> no, no, no. >> part of the equation f choosing a third chief of staff is how long that person will serve in the position. senior white house officials tell nbc news, nick ayers made clear to the president he had plans to move his yng family back home to georgia, but did tell mr. trump he'd be willing tose e as acting chief of staff for a period of months. the president was looking for a longer commitmentith two years left in his term. lyose? >> ko'donnell, thank you. house republicans release a transcript of yesterday's closed door hearing with james comey. comey says he would have taken two key fbi agents off the e-mail investigation if he had known they exchanged text messages disparaging ident trump. pete williams has more.

>> reporter: james comey answered questions for nearly seven hours,g agreein to appear if only a transcript was released. he knew of no move of the obama administration to spy on the trump ministration. asked about lisa page, who worked on the investigation of hillary clinton's e-mails and later fired for exchanging -t anmp texts. if he had known about that, i would not have had them playing any role in connection with that investigation. >> comey said statements about the investigation by rudy giuliani during theca mpaign made him worry that someone in the fbi's new york office was leaking information. but he said he never found out the results of a leak investigation. ras for howert mueller is handling the russia investigation. old reporters, it's moving quickly and professionally. >> the mt important indication of that is, you don't know

anything about it, inxcept when he files some in court. that's how it should be. >> comey will be back to answer more estions in another week. time is runningut for the republicans, they lose control of the house in january. their investigation is about to end. jose? s in ete willi washington, thank you very much. president trump announced his next top military adviser, he tweeted that army general mark milli will take over as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff sometime next year. he commanded troops during several tours in iraq and afghanistan. he's replacing joe ward who will be retiring. now to that major winter storm, affecting a big part of the country. it's moving across t south from texas to the east coast. and 25illion people are under winter weather alerts. the weather expected to have big impacts on the south that cou last until the beginning of the workweek. joe fryar has more. >> the mammoth storm parading across the

south plasteredoc k texas with 10 snow.es of only the sixth double-digit snowfall 11, e since ereaving drivers to maneuv around slick roads, while the houston area wrestled a winter wash out. relentless rain lotriggered flashs that submerged several cars, catching some drivers off guard. the soggy system now on the move. states of emergency have been declared in north carolina and virginia, wch are bracing for snow and ice. >> this is a snowstorm, not a snowfait. serious. >> the storm is snarling air traffic with american airlines alone cancelling more an 1,000 weekend flights. in bristol, virginia, they're stocking up on shovels alt. >> i'm a mail carrier, so i'm pretty concerned, because i -- if the truck can get the mail there, i've got to go no matter what. >> the floodwaters here in texas are receding, what's left behind are t cars that got caught in these floodwaters.

the powerful storm that's created sany headaches across the country is continuing its march east. jose? y > joe fryar, thank you vch. let's bring in dylan dreyer who's followg this storm. dylan? >> the flooding rainll ove east tonight with likely airport delays across atlant heavy rain through tonight and tomorrow morning. ajhe snow is going to be a concern, this could end up being a historic snowstorm for parts of north carolina and west virginia as well. is storm will pull away sunday night into mondays. it doesn't make its no way furtherh, we're going to see some wrap around snow on the backside of the storm, evencross south carolina. how much snow? well, it does look adike we could see a widesp to 9 inches of snow, obviously most of that tsnowfalling across the high elevations, back toward boone north carolina, we could end up with a foot to a foot and a half of snow. jose? y > dylan drier, thank

you vch. more than 100,000 people from the yellow vest movement protested throughout the country. this was the fourth weekend of protests and riotsgainst high gas taxes, that have turned to general protests against he french president. e bill neely was i middle of it all in paris. >> reporter: may hem asn the heartf paris. tear along the famed champs-elysees. 8,000 riot pole confronting protesters, furious at high taxes. >> they've been firing tear gas and stun grenades for a hours now. they can contain this, but they can't stop their anger. >> the protesters also new furious at the president. >> emmanuel macron is the president of the rich. >> they burned cars, attacked banks. hundreds were arrested. dozensore injured. >> the start of the revolution? >> yes.

>> tonight armored vehicles are on streets, most people say they support the aim of pre otests, but not violence that has shaken france to its core. bill neely, nbc news, paris. in italy overnight, a concert in a crowded nightclub turned deadly. six people died, five of them teenagers betwee 14 and 16 years old, in a stampede toward the ex . they were trampled after something was sprayed into the triggering widespread panic. back in the united states, a remarkable recovery from last we 's major earthquake in alaska. take a look at these shattered roads near anchorage, detroity the quake. now, after crews worked around the omlock. here's of the damaged roads, just one week later. smooth asphalt and friendly -- freshly paintsed lines ready for traffic.

officials say they are mporary fixes. final steps will have to wait for warmer weather. here in new york, there was revealing testimony this week in the drug trialf notorious narco trafficker el chapo. new light on how he operated and made billions. been following the trial. >> reporter: the nighttime video is tough to make out at first. the u.s. coast guard led a team on a drug bust off the c st of guatemala in 2008. $100 million of cocaine. othat's noinary drug boat. it's actually more e.ike a submar andf one chapo's tricks. if the sub didn't work, there were tunnels, trucks or planes. just part of the resented so far, in the narco trafficker trial of

the century. his wife, a former enteenaged beauty q has been there since the beginning. >> the first thing el hchapo does whe comes into the room. >> he looks for her? >> yes. and once he sawher, he waives at her. >> reporter: he pleaded not guilty to 17 counts, including drug trafficking and murder. so far, four narcos have testified. including herman barros "the beard. and "lollipop". ramirez admitted to killing 150 people. to hide frompolice, he used plastic surgery. my jaw bones,eyy rows, my mouth. >> chapo was distracted. he was doing something else. but suddenly, he saw him seated and he was like- ramirez says guzman

de his billions because he trafficked cocaine faster and more reliably than the rest. prosecutors say el hechap poe became king of an empire. in a courtroom in brooklyn, they're hoping to finally topple it, stephanie go gosk, nbc news, new york. we turn to a controversy over ancient artifacts that wound up in western iountries. seiz war or taken from former colonies, there's now a growing movement to bring themba . lucy kafanov has the story. >> reporter: in the midst of the south pacific on one of the most remote islands on earth, theou indigen people believed the statues carried the spirit of ancestors, but in 1868 one was plundered, shipped to london, installed at the british museum. now, easter island's people are begging for its return. even if temporary.

>> you have take -- keeping him for 150 years. just give us some months that we can have him. >>sestern capit are full of treasures, like this obelisk. it's twin stands in new york. >> anyrtact that left egypt in an illegal or dubious way should be returnedo egypt. >> greece has long battled britain to retu the elgin marbles to the par that none. in some cases, the pressure has. worked france is giving back 26 pieces of african art seized from former lonies. some argue these priceless treasures are safer in the west. in iraq and syria, isis obliterated history, waging a war on art, forcing the world to watch.

we were in nimrud after iraqi forces liberated the ancient city, preserved for centuries, now in ruins. >> the argument for rtifacts where they are is so we can best understand them. >> easter island's past has been open to millions of british museum visitors. but it's time to bring that past home. lucy kafanov, nbc news. still ahe tonight, why some companies are offering new dads more time off. also, piles of plastic, threatening environments, the plastic, threatening environments, the search metastatic breast cancer is relentless, but i'm relentless too. mbc doesn't take a day off, and neither will i. and i treat my mbc with new everyday verzenio- the only one of its kind that can be taken every day. in fact, verzenio is a cdk4 & 6 inhibitor for postmenopausal women with hr+, her2- mbc, approved, with hormonal therapy, as an everyday treatment

for a relentless disease. verzenio + an ai is proven to help women have significantly more time without disease progression, and more than half of women saw their tumors shrink vs an ai. diarrhea is common, may be severe, and may cause dehydration or infection. before taking verzenio, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection. verzenio may cause low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infection that can lead to death. serious liver problems can occur. symptoms may include tiredness, loss of appetite, stomach pain, and bleeding or bruising more easily than normal. blood clots that can lead to death have also occurred. talk to your doctor right away if you notice pain or swelling in your arms or legs, shortness of breath, chest pain or rapid breathing or heart rate. tell your doctor if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant. common side effects include nausea, infections, low red and white blood cells and platelets, decreased appetite, headache, abdominal pain, tiredness, vomiting, and hair thinning or loss. i'm relentless. and my doctor and i choose to treat my mbc with verzenio. be relentless.

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♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ hourly feedings, diaper changes and sleepless nights can turn a family upside wn it's not just home life, but work life that's change now some companies seek big benefits. nbc's jeff bennett has more. >> mark is aew dad for the second time. >> it's easier this me than the first. >> mark is taking full advantage of his company's paternity leave policy. >> i think it's very important to be that support system for your wife. and for the whole family. just to be there. >> mark works for a software company red hat, which started

offering fathers six weeks paid time off for the birth or adoption of a child. his firm is among a growing number of american companies expanding paid leave options for new dads research shows paternity leave is good for business. >> it helpss to retain associates, it also helps the associates to be engaged. >> top companies now offer 1weeks paid time off. some men are reluctant. concerns familiar to many working moms, could derail their careers. a third of men believe taking leave would ir jeopardize t position. at american express, a company wide poster scampaign promo the message, don't miss a moment. father's gather for dad lunches to trade paternity leave tips. >> did you ever worry about the potential hit to your career being gone a month and a half?

>> my manager did that a few times now. it makes me more loyal to them, because work with me.ng to >> andrew is expecting his first child in february. he plans to take paternity leave. >> it makes you a better employee and a better daud? >> i would absolutely say that, 100%, that's correct. >> for new dads and their employers, paid time off pays off. jeff bennett, nbc news, maclaine, virginia. we're backn a moment with a race against time, scientists scramble to find a replacement for

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it's hard for most of us to imagine a world without plastic. more than 9 billion tons of it have been produced in the last 70 years. that's the weight of 25,000 empire state buildings. plastics don't break down quicy, continue to pile up, scientists are looking for earth friendly alternatives. tammy leitner reports in our series, protecting our planet. >> reporter: believe it or not, this material is all natural. and offers new promise for our increasingly fragile environmen h e we go, it's our new piece of plastic. and -- >> reporter: here at the georg institute of technology, his team has developed a clear film made from

crab shells andee trs. >> how much plastic could you mak from this bag then? >> 1,000 sheets. >> this would otherwise be wasted? >> we produce about 10 million tons of crab, shrimp or lobster waste a year. ahat's enough to replacot of the plastic used in packaging. >> they believe it uld be a biodegradable alternative to plastic packaging. e>> is there a ro create this new plastic? >> there's absolutely a race. this is a very challenging and g problem. >> elsewhere, researchers in london invented a gelatinous material. many u.s. cities are taking steps to ban plastic grocery bags and straws. paper versions don't rk as well.ba in georgia, scientists continue perfecting this plastic alternative. and while it's too

to mass produce now, it's promising. >> the goal of the research from here on is to keep improving it until it gets to a stage where it's completely iredible and there's no other option. >> it's a grace e against timo find something different as our envirment continues to suffer the effects of too much plastic. >> tammy leitner, nbc news, atlanta, georgia. when we come back, how a high school basketball team is how a high school basketball team is lling peoplethis wing joint that geico has been offering savings for over 75 years. that's longer than the buffalo wing's been around. dozen wings. and did you know that geico... (lips smacking) offers mo... (coughing) motorcycle insurance? ho-ho... my lips are burning. (laughs) ah... no, my lips are actually burning. geico. over 75 years of savings and service. see how much you could save at geico.com. it's too hot. oh, this is too hot, mate. it's too hot.

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finally tonight, the camp fire in northern california took 85 lives and destroyed 14,000 homes, it almost wiped the town of paradise off the map. the devastation has not stopped the high schoolasketball team. which despite personal losses is giving the uccommunity some needed wins. here's steve patterson. e>> the flames w roaring when joe rory saw the text from his firefighter father. >> we get a lot of fires up here, this was the first time a he'sually ever been scared and he said, get out. >> reporter: the town of paradise lost. >> the one thing he grabbed out of his car was his basketball bag. >> basketball means everything to me. >> so many dreams detroit the coach feared paradise heights season might be over before it started. >> no team has gone through anything like this. >> let's get ready for

a game. >> their first team meeting after the fire, a victory in itself. >> it was one of the neatest feelings i had, to see them smile and hug each her, and see that everybody was still alive. >> with 16 teammates needing places to live, thereould be no home court advantage this year. but that hasn't stopped the bobcats.wi th joe at point guard, the team won its first five games. >> basketball gives me a sense of hope for me and my teammates against the fire. >> making each triumph just a little more bear able. >> everything we're doing for paradise and its honor. >> a team leading the town to a new beginning. this time paradise won. steve patterson, nbc news. >> so inspiring. that's nbc nightly news for this saturday. join us tomorrow when we look into the hype of tcbd oil. the nation's latest health craze. thank you for the

privilege of your time. and good night.