headed by lester holt, who is here with us tonight. lester, good evening. >> reporter: good evening to you. officially, they're still searching for survivors, but the fact of the matter is at this point, there's growing anxiety over those who remain unaccounted for. how big is all this? since tuesday, there have been reports of 230 tornadoes across seven states. those storms have killed at least 328 people. across alabama, the sounds of heavy equipment at work could barely mask the sounds of grief. >> homes just leveled. piles of rubble. >> reporter: from the air over alabama, it's a clear, almost surgical path of destruction. from the ground, where president obama met survivors today, a nightmarish landscape. >> i have never seen devastation like this. >> reporter: cadaver dogs sniffed out the dead in alabama, which bore the most fatalities at 220. >> we worked all night, trying to get people out of the houses. that's about all we could do. >> reporter: tennessee and mississippi each reported more than 30 dead. the trail of death exte

holt." >>> good evening. this threatens to be a sleepless and maybe dangerous night for a lot of folks in the upper midwest. on the heels of a massive tornado that flattened part of mapleton, iowa, last evening, tonight parts of at least four .tates from iowa to upper michigan are under severe weather watches or warnings and forecasters say conditions may be ripe for more tornadoes into monday. right to the weather channel's chris warren in the wisconsin dells who's watching it all for us this evening. chris? >> reporter: lester, where i am right now might seem okay for now. but parts of the midwest right now are seeing some very strong storms. tonight promises to be the main event. think about this. when you think about that when you think about this. the fact that yesterday we saw

i'm lester holt. >> and i'm jenna wolf. we want to get to the deadly tornado outbreak. that began in the midwest. it has now ravaged north carolina and virginia, with dozens killed in seven states since thursday. >> we know it's spring and tornado season, but i can't recall seeing anything like this in quite a while. these are the images from north carolina we're getting. an eye witness called it a hell of a storm. as we said, 24 people have reportedly been killed in north carolina, another four in virginia. you look past wednesday, a total of 45 lives lost in seven states. in what they call the supercells that have been going through. we've got complete coverage of the storm's path and devastation. we'll begin with nbc's kristen dahlgren, live in raleigh, north carolina for us. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning to you, lester. while we were standing here getting ready, we noticed that this house is actually smoking now. so we've got a call into the fire department. just take a look at this. this isn't the driveway. this was actually the garage of th

i'm lester holt reporting from new york. for all of us here at nbc news, good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

for lester holt and all of us here at nbc news, happy easter for lester holt and all of us here at nbc news, happy easter and good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

i'm lester holt in new york. for all of us here at nbc news, good night.

i'm lester holt. >> and i'm jenna wolfe. just 19 days until the royal wedding. interestingly enough we haven't ess at all.out the wedding i we don't really talk about it. i didn't even know it was happening. >> we are getting a list now. apparently people invited. imagine those people trying to figure out what to wear. i know they gave guidelines on the invitation. we're learning more about the exclusive guest list, some celebrities we might expect are on the list, but some surprises. both kate and william have invited some ex flames to come. it could be interesting. we'll get the latest in just a bit. >> maybe they need a ringer. just some random no-name person. >> one of us. >> exactly. that can come in. anyway. meanwhile, back here at home, we're watching some is severe weather on a more serious note. this twister ripped through iowa yesterday, one of several that touched down. luckily no one was killed or where is it all heading?le we'll let you know. >> show you some pretty amazing photos. a man and his son were diving in the caribbean when they got a advic

. >> lester holt played bass guitar and stage with luke bryant. the music lover joked when his album gets done he is out of the news business. >> hardly doubt that. >> he is cool. does he have to raise the bar higher? >> he does. >> come on keep up bill. >> he's great. this comes to us from south carolina. the observance of the 150th anniversary of the safl war. where it began at fort sumpter. there were re-enactments and performances of marching bands recanting the start of the nation's bloodiest and most painful war. you said you had been there before right? >> two years ago. i went and the beautiful weather and the downtown areas and they have the fort and you can do the tour. a nice little trip. it is on my list of things to do. >> i'm veronica dela cruz. this is your first stop of the day on your nbc station. >>> well an unmanned capsule launched by the soviet union sold for $1 million yesterday. the business man who bought it says he intended to return the capsule to its home. >>> well if you want to visit graceland now you have another choi

i'm lester holt. >> i'm amy robach. every time i see video of tornadoes like that, i can't believe people get this close. look at that. >> every time i look at this, i think which way do you go? how do you get out of the path of something like that? jackson, mississippi is where this is shot. the cars, the trucks on the road as the tornado moves across the highway. in all, there are 46 reports of tornados in the southeast yesterday. more are forecast for today. much more live about the extreme weather in a live report. >>> scary stuff. also, the search for more bodies in the new york serial killer case and the hunt had police diving off waters of one beach where the remains of ten had already been found. authorities are looking to the possibility that more than one person may have been responsible for the deaths. we'll have that story. >>> continuing the series on unexplained mysteries with an infamous crime case that's more than 100 years old. >> the grim tale of lizzie borden who was tried but found not guilty of kill

lester holt will be here with you this weekend. we hope to see you right back here on monday night. in the meantime, have a good weekend. good night. >>> right now at 6, abandoned homes filled with trash. the growing crisis filling one bay area community. >> state and local, it's a crisis. >> more than just a federal budget problem.

we want to start first with lester holt in tuscaloosa, alabama. good morning to you, lester. >> good morning. it is good to see you. it is a beautiful crisp, cool morning here. belies december instruction around and it the news gets worse. 343 now to confirm death toll across seven states. outbreak of tornadoes that began tuesday. here in alabama, 254 people known dead. tuscaloosa, of 83,000 has taken a hard hit. the mayor calls it a humanitarian crisis. the tornadoes slammed through this city. and near the university of alabama. president obama stopped through here yesterday. he viewed some of the devastation for himself. he met with survivors. he said he had never seen damage like this. the weather service has been busy assessing neighborhoods, trees, looking for evidence to find out exactly how bad this onslaught was and know it is the second deadliest tornado outbreak this country has ever seen. they have identified at least one of the tornadoes in smithfield, mississippi, as an f-5. that's the highest on their scale of tornadoes. winds, susta

i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" and then right back here tomorrow evening. "today" and then right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> right now, at 6:00, a gaping hole in a southwest plane opens up new questions about the

i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today," then right back here tomorrow evening. "today," then right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

i'm lester holt. >> i'm jenna wolf. and i didn't watch the whole show. i watched that little clip, and it made me cringe. that was really uncomfortable. >> people were walking out. there were thumbs down and saying we want our money back, booing. money back. he called it a moment of truth. it was actually panned by the audience. folks, as you see here, there is the kind of reviews. a bad opening night for charlie sheen. we're going to find out what happened, and if the tour will continue. sdmri wasn't sure what the show was going to be about. actually, nobody knows. nobody knows. >> and there are a number of legs continuing on this tour. who knows exactly. we'll see what's up with that. on a much more serious note, president obama is expected to make it official this week that he is running for re-election, and it comes as the threat of a government shutdown grows. david gregory joining us from washington with the latest on that. >> we're also keeping an eye on the weather. there's a major storm system sweeping across the country. could bring very danger

for lester holt and for all of us at nbc news, thanks for watching. us at nbc news, thanks for watching. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> good evening. i'm diane dwyer. the giants fan brutally beaten outside dodgers stadium last month remains in critical

lester holt will be here this weekend, and brian williams will be back on monday. i'm kate snow. for all of us here at nbc news, good night. >>> right now at 6:00, a surprising twist in the barry bonds perjury trial. one of his childhood best friends and one of his biggest supporters is walking free. >> a fitting tribute to the giants' fan attacked supporting his team outside dodgers' stadium. the moment of silence in his honor today at at & t park. >> a nail biting game. the torture in full effect.

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

lester holt is live for us in hard hit tuscaloosa, alabama. good morning. >> reporter: tamron, good morning. you walk up on a scene like this and it takes your breath away. they will bring out cadaver dogs later today to look for more victims. the loss of life is beyond anything we have seen in recent decades from tornadoes. that's because officials say the size of the tornadoes was massive. over a halfle mile wide at points. they stayed on the ground for a long time and targeted heavily populated areas: here in tuscaloosa this is what residents saw wednesday night as a massive tornado tore through the area, pulverizing everything in its path. >> it's one of those things you see on tv. you don't ever expect it to happen to you. >> went outside, opened the door, just started crying. >> reporter: in all, at least 170 twisters ripped through six states. alabama was the hardest hit in what was one of the deadliest rounds of tornadoes this country has ever seen. two-thirds of those who peris d ed from the birmingham and tuscaloosa areas. search and

we learned about your story and saw it unfold with lester holt on the "today" show. you were armed with a rolling pin. >> that was one of the items. >> what else did you have? not much considering what the mob had. >> i had my walking cane and a kettle of boiling water that could be tossed if need be. >> what was happening outside your door that you could hear? >> well, originally, the doorbell was ringing continuously. knocking on the door. yellings in arabic. i did open the door about so far and there were several young males there that wanted water. i said i don't have water and i closed the door. i left the key in the lock. later on, the door was broken and one of the guys reached in and grabbed the key. >> how frightening. >> that's when i got the key and kept it on my body. >> what would have happened had they gotten inside? would they have gotten the water and left or were you in great danger? >> i assumed i was. if they had gotten in the door, i would have been whopping. >> no messing with mary. >> that's right. >> you're going to go down fighting. >> that's

i'm lester holt. >> i'm amy robach. the budget deal came right down to the wire. >> not without a little drama. during the day yesterday it looked like we would wake up to a government shutdown. they got their act together. it was close, the high drama unfolded on capitol hill. just before midnight the president came out with congress. they agreed to a deal to keep the government running. what that means is the national parks remain open. members of the military will receive their paychecks. as you might expect, democrats, republicans both claiming victory this morning. a lot more on this in just a moment. >>> also ahead, a soccer mom with a secret. marie walsh lives what seems like a perfect life in california. but what nobody knew is that she was a fugitive for 32 years after escaping prison. she's going to join us live this morning to talk about her double life and those years on the run. >> imagine looking over your shoulder all those years. your husband and kids don't know. then one day the cops show up. >>> then a

. >> i'm carl quintanilla in for lester holt getting time off on this holiday weekend. ironically, soaring gas prices are changing holiday plans for a lot of folks. >> high gas prices are averaging nearly $4 a gallon. that's why many americans are saving money and staying off of the road this holiday weekend. unfortunately, as you'll see, things are going to get worse in the weeks and months ahead. we'll tell you about it. >> the upcoming murder trial of casy anthony, jury selection begins in two weeks. on friday, the judge ruled key pieces of evidence can be used against anthony who's accused of killing her daughter, caylee. what that evidence is and why the defense was fighting to get it thrown out. >>> the so-called hiccup girl. we met her to talk about her condition. things took a troubling turn when she was charged with murdering a young man. i spoke to the victim's mother. and as you'll see, she has plenty of attention to say about t the attention on the woman dubbed the hiccup girl. >>> a shocking surprise. she wanted everyone to believe she was pregnant and walk

. >>> good morning, everyone, welcome to "today" on a sunday, i'm lester holt. >> and i'm jenna wolf. we want to get to the deadly tornado outbreak. that began in the midwest. it has now ravaged north carolina and virginia, with dozens killed in seven states since thursday. >> we know it's spring and tornado season, but i can't recall seeing anything like this in quite a while. these are the images from north carolina we're getting. an eye witness called it a hell of a storm. as we said, 24 people have reportedly been killed in north carolina, another four in virginia. you look past wednesday, a total of 45 lives lost in seven states. in what they call the supercells that have been going through. we've got complete coverage of the storm's path and devastation. we'll begin with nbc's kristen dahlgren, live in raleigh, north carolina for us. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning to you, lester. while we were standing here getting ready, we noticed that this house is actually smoking now. so we've got a call into the fire department. just take a look at this. this isn't t

lester holt is joining us as well and al roker. >> i'm here for myself. >> that's right. ann is off also, we should mention. coming up in this half hour, explain this to me. it's like what would barbie look like if she were real and what does that mean about body image? >> this is a young college student who created her version of this barbie doll. this is a young lady who battled an eating disorder. she hopes the message will help young girls talk more realistically about their figure. that doll is different from the barbie we know but she calls it an important message on body image. >> are you okay? you're wobbling. >> that's disturbing. >> yes. >> also, do you know the phrase "waste not want not"? we'll meet a family who doesn't throw out a single thing. we'll show you -- >> ever? >> ever. how this family goes to zero trash. maybe something to think about. >> wow. >> then the latest cast-off from "celebrity apprentice." if you didn't see it, it's someone who's always compelling to watch. very entertaining. >> that could be anybody. >> exactly. >> good cast this time. >

first, lester holt -- we raised the studio to get him in here. lester holt and amy robach will tell us about the weekend. >> we're watching for whether the government will shut down. the latest on that tomorrow morning. then we'll talk about the nuclear fallout shelterer, an under ground bunker built for u.s. lawmakers during the cold war. no longer a secret. it was under a west virginia resort. they called it project greek island. plus, extreme comeback. a decade after losing her arm to a shark bethany hamilton is back surfing and the subject of a new movie. >> speaking of surfing we'll go to the mavericks in the west where extreme surfers look for the biggest waves. look at that. then the countdown to the royal wedding. with each day we learn new details about an event expected to be watched by billions of people. cue al. that and more when we see you this weekend on "today." >> let's get a check of the weather from al. >> as we look ahead to the weekend we have a risk of strong storms through the mississippi river valley and southeast into the

i'm lester holt. >> and i'm amy robach. just seeing those pictures from the plane, we fly a lot, that had to be horrifying, to have the plane rapidly descend. >> they have to get it down so people can breathe. the oxygen masks come down, you pay attention. we'll have more, we'll hear from one of the passengers on that airplane about that ordeal coming up. we also have a lot of other news to tell you about including encouraging news about the economy. >> we're talking about job, creating them and keeping them. the new unemployment numbers are out. and they're giving all of us reason to hope that perhaps we've turned a corner. what does the jobs report mean for you and your family? we'll tell you. >> and then a true crime mystery. a cryptic message left on the body of a murder victim. the fbi has been struggling for years and now the agency is asking the public for help in cracking the code. maybe you can pig it out. we'll tell you more about that story just ahead. >>> also a story that will touch your heart. the seventh grad

. >>> when he's not busy on this broadcast, apparently lester holt likes to rock out. that's our lester jamming on the bass guitar last night at the grand ole opry, lifting the leg and everything in nashville with luke bryan. >> i always joke with people that i'm only doing the news because i can't make it as a musician. when my album gets done, i'm out of here. >> it's now 7:18. i love the leg lift. >> he's a good musician. >> excellent. >> he's terrific. multi talented, lester. way to go. >> makes his own clothes, too. >> do you play an instrument? >> no. >> please. >> that was loaded. anyway, let's see what's going on. big storm in the northeast. lightning, heavy rain last night. slowly lifting into new england. we'll see another half inch to an inch of rain. another system in the pacific northwest. that will be a potent weathermaker later in the week. rest of the u.s., sunshine in the plains. warm and sunny through the gulf coast with showers through the western great lakes. windy conditions through southern california and the southwest. >>> well, we've got a big s