good evening to our viewers on the west coast. i'm lester holt in for brian tonight. we want to begin with breaking news from the nevada desert where a semi truck slammed into a moving am track train today, more than 200 people were aboard the california zefer which left from chicago bound for san francisco. a sudden impact and a huge fireball. >> reporter: fire and smoke billowed from the amtrak train after the impact. at least two people were killed, many more injured after a tractor trailer slammed into the side of the train in northern nevada. some 200 passengers and more than a dozen crewmembers were aboard. the collision followed by a fiery explosion and panic say survivors. jim bickly says he's lucky to be alive. >> my wife and i walked up to the observation car. sat down. not two minutes later, there was a big ball of flames all around the observation car we were in, with a bunch of smoke and everybody started yelling. some people started opening up windows and jumping out of them. we opened a window, looked out and saw the train on fire. >> reporter: the westbound california zeffer was en rte from chicago to emeryville, california when he was struck outside of lovelock, nevada. >> everybody was standing in the desert just in disbelief and trying to help people that were injured. >> reporter: with some passengers air lifted to local hospitals, the exact number of injuries and fatalities still isn't clear. the highway patrol is sifting through the wreckage. tonight it's unclear why it slammed into the train. now to north dakota where just stays into summer, the last acts of a snowy winter and wet spring are overwhelming the city of minot with floodwaters unlike anything seen there before. tonight more than 2,000 homes are under water and before the swollen souris river crests, thousands more homes will likely be kevin tibbles is in minot with the latest. >> reporter: this afternoon the souris river smashed a record that was set 130 years ago, yet here in minot, they still battle to hold it back. the scope of the devastation as seen from the national guard blackhawk helicopter and the water keeps rising, from the ground, entire neighborhoods are swamped, airboats seek those who may not have left their homes, and the water keeps rising. >> it just tears your heart out to see my friends, my family, my neighbors and their homes are under water. >> reporter: with new dams and levees, many in minot thought the souris river would never hurt them again. >> point to me where your house might be? >> you go down there. >> kent valentine's mother's home is under water. >> they rerouted the river and so nobody, not very many people's got flood insurance. >> reporter: because? >> because we thought it was safe. >> reporter: but this year mother nature is punishing the town that calls itself the magic city. the combination of near record snow and springtime rains along the path of the souris river forced officials at four dams to release water, three in canada and finally the darling dam in north dakota, the last nine of defense before minot. now some 4,000 homes and businesses could be swept away, a body blow to the economy. >> it's going to take years and years to rebuild the town. >> reporter: many who have lost everything now stay in red cross shelters, but the real trauma may be still to come. >> after everyone is safe, that's when things are going to start settling in, that's when people are going to start realizing what they are losing in this flood. >> reporter: and the water will continue to rise into the weekend, washing away flood records that have stood for 130 years, and with it many hopes and dreams. >> our city will never look the same, will never be the same. but that doesn't change the spirit of the people who live here. >> reporter: that spirit, they say is to rebuild. and lester, it's not just minot, there are dozens of communities throughout this region where high water is forcing people out of their homes. lester? >> kevin tibbles in minot. thanks. meanwhile in the south, the danger isn't too much water, it's too little. hundreds of wildfires sparked by a drought are burning tonight and this could be just the start of a very long, hot summer. nbc's tom trong is near one of the hot spots in the oak kkie f folk i can swamp south of waycross, georgia. tom? >> reporter: lester, good evening to you, an outbreak across the south of wildfires has burned more than half a million acres is forcing families to flee for safety. more than 700 firefighters are working to control massive wildfires in south georgia. despite their desperate efforts, the weather will dictate the outcome. >> we have had a little bit of rain over the last few days, but not enough to really put this fire out. >> reporter: just over the border, 380 fires are burning in florida, putting enormous strain on the state's resources. >> you get to a point where you don't have any personnel to send to these fires. >> reporter: dramatic video mounted on the helmet of an emergency worker shows crews driving bulldozers right into the heart of the fire to dig containment lines designed to hold back the flames. >> we're in front of the path, and the ultimate goal is to stop the forward momentum of the fire. so we try to get to the head of the fire, the hottest part. >> reporter: the work is dangerous, today the first of two funerals, friends, family and fellow firefighters gather to remember josh birch, he and a fellow firefighter were overcome by flames. wildfires are also consuming tens of thousands of acres in north carolina, a state not used to seeing such fires in june. the smoke from the southeast fires is visible from space. this nasa image shows it stretching out into the atlantic, creeping up the eastern seaboard. further west, firefighters on the front lines in oklahoma, where flames have pushed more than 1,500 people from their homes. >> they said we have to go, it's too dangerous here. >> reporter: part of a fire season many say is burning too hot and too long. and some recent rain did provide some much-needed help, but the south is in the grip of a severe drought. there are eight states right now that are seeing extreme conditions. two days ago he was one of the most wanted fugitives in america. today whitey bulger is in back in his hometown of boston in custody. the reputed former mob boss and fbi informant, alluded authorities for 16 years until he was finally caught in california. nbc's jeff rossen joins us with more on this. jeff? >> reporter: hi, lester, good evening to you. here's what they're saying in boston, a big picture of whitey bulger, with the caption, "rat's back." he actually just appeared in front of the judge here at the federal courthouse in boston a short time ago for his first appearance, but tonight, there are actually new questions about his brother who just happens to be a big-time politician here. what did he know? whitey bulger came home today as a prisoner, he was perhaps the most feared man in boston. at 81 years old, he's accused of murdering and torturing at least 19 people, including stephen davis's sister. >> i'm an eye for an eye guy. i would have been more glad if i found him. >> reporter: in his old neighborhood, southey bulger is legendary, woven into this city's fabric. back in the day, whitey bulger ran this liquor store. people say he punished people in the basement. >> nobody knew the extent he was doing things. but people just stayed out of his way. >> reporter: whitey bulger worked as an fbi informant, digging up dirt on his competition, boston's italian mob. he was the inspirit ration for jack nicholson's character in "the departed." but in this case, real life is far more intriguing. just as investigators say whitey was ordering hits, his brother, billy bulger was rising in state government, president of the massachusetts state senate and later president of umass, he came to court today to see his brother. billy has always denied any knowledge of whitey's alleged crimes or where he's been hiding. msnbc's lawrence o'donnell grew up nearby. >> you would not be asked questions about what your brother does, because too many people have brothers doing things they couldn't explain. >> reporter: but those pesky questions never went away, even at a 2003 congressional hearing. >> i do not know where my brother is. >> he was respecting his brother by not telling him where he was. >> everybody knows everything and kept people, same old, same old. >> reporter: you think billy knew? >> yes. >> reporter: billy did release a statement after the arrest late last night saying i wish to express my sympathy to all of the families hurt, but also said he will not comment any further. >> by the way, lester, it's important to remember, whitey bulger was an fbi informant. many believe he actually had accomplices with the fbi, people who still work there, so if he cuts a deal with prosecutors, it could open a whole new can of worms. >> many people in boston were surprised that whitey bulger was finally caught, but perhaps no one was more surprised than the people who had been living right next to him for the past 15 years in california. nbc's lee cowan reports tonight from santa monica. >> reporter: in the end, james "whitey" bulger's best disguise is just old age. he and his girlfriend catherine greig looked like any other east coast transplant, in search of a little california sun. to catalina swank, they were the gaskos, that's what their mailbox said, anyway. they lived in the apartment right above her for the last 15 years. >> you never know who is next to you. >> reporter: their homes stood out for nothing, and neither did they, except perhaps whitey was known for his temper. >> my experience with him was he was kind of what i call a rageaholic. he wasn't a very well balanced person and she was putting up with a lot. >> reporter: neighbors say he kept to himself more than she did. but that didn't raise any eyebrows. they were out in public enough not to appear to be hiding anything, but not social enough to let anyone too close. the only thing that might have caused suspicion is that the manager says they always paid their rent in cash. other than that they blended in, here in their self-imposed prison. >> it's like being in the witness protection program, but in this case it's the fugitive protection program and you're responsible for it. >> reporter: the skeletons of their past weren't found until after the fbi hauled the fugitives away, leaving behind their stash of cash, more than $800,000 and more than 30 firearms. they survived capture not by globe trotting, but by living a simple life, with only an occasional glance over their shoulder that eventually caught up. lee cowan nbc news, santa mon that. michelle obama was welcomed at a clinic that treats white house pds monday. when we come back here tonight, finding jobs is tough for everyone, but for one group of americans, it seems almost impossible. and later, a designing woman who's raising the spirits of cancer patients in our "making a difference" report. everything , the less time i have to take care of me. that's why i like glucerna shakes. they have slowly digestible carbs to help minimize blood sugar spikes, which can help lower a1c. glucerna products help me keep everything balanced. 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[ male announcer ] glucerna. delicious shakes and bars. finally, there's a choice for my patients with an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, or afib, that's not caused by a heart valve problem. today we have pradaxa to reduce the risk of a stroke caused by a clot. in a clinical trial, pradaxa 150 mg reduced stroke risk 35% more than warfarin. and with pradaxa, there's no need for those regular blood tests. pradaxa is progress. pradaxa can cause serious, sometimes fatal, bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding, and seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have kidney problems or a bleeding condition, like stomach ulcers. or if you take aspirin products, nsaids, or blood thinners. tell your doctor about all medicines you take, any planned medical or dental procedures, and don't stop taking pradaxa without your doctor's approval, as stopping may increase your stroke risk. other side effects include indigestion, stomach pain, upset, or burning. if you have afib not caused by a heart valve problem, ask your doctor if pradaxa can reduce your risk of a stroke. once again this week the numbers from the jobs front were not good and that's bad news for everyone looking for work, but especially for teenagers. the unemployment rate for 16 to 19-year-olds is 24%. among african-american teens, a staggering 41%. a new study says this could be the worst summer for teen unemployment on record, with just one out of four who want a job able to find one. nbc's john yang reports from chicago. >> reporter: college student scarlet harris and jennifer white have been friends since s scarlet harris and jennifer white have been friends since scarlet harris and jennifer white have been friends since s scarlet harris and jennifer white have been friends since seventh grade. now they're sharing another experience, searching for a summer job and coming up empty. >> i have come to the point where i have applied for housekeeping positions because i'm so desperate for a job. >> reporter: white feels special pressure, her mom's out of work after back surgery. >> i guess i can't be too picky, i feel like i'm taking too much from her, you know? she's a single parent so i feel like it would be really important for me to have a job. >> reporter: summer jobs teach basic job skills and responsibility. in big cities there's another consideration. >> if teens who have time on their hands and are just hanging around, there's that risk of increased violence. >> reporter: disappearing federal stimulus dollars are being cut off the nation. 36% fewer spots than last year in new york. 76% fewer in dallas. a whopping 85% in los angeles. here in chicago, there are 4,000 fewer jobs at places like city parks and public agencies than there were last summer. that's a 22% cut. officials are looking to the private sector to step up and fill the gap. >> it's going to be a great opportunity. >> reporter: a chicago investment bank loop capital, 20 paid summer internships attracted 140 applicants, double last year. among the chosen few, 18-year-old college student david borne who applied in january. other than babysitting, he's never worked for pay before. >> i feel what really made me successful in my job search was my persistence and determination. >> reporter: a first step in what he hopes will be a bright future. john yang, nbc news, chicago. on wall street today, stocks slid into the close and the dow finished down more than 115 points. blue chips have finished down seven out of the past eight weeks. up next here tonight, remembering the detective in the rumpled raincoat who always got his man. that's two more pills. almost done, but hang on... her doctor recommended aleve because it can relieve pain all day with just two pills. this is lisa... who switched to aleve and fewer pills for a day free of pain. and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels. for a day free of pain. 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[ male announcer ] should've used roundup. america's number one weed killer. it kills weeds to the root, so they don't come back. guaranteed. weeds won't play dead, they'll stay dead. roundup. no root. no weed. no problem. petefa memorable characters has died. for three decades americans watched with amusement as the seemingly clueless character columbo solved crime after crime. in a world that thrives on police drama, peter falk's columbo was not your typical tv detective. neither slick, daring nor tough, just unrelentingly and sometimes annoyingly inquisitive. >> listen, there's one more thing. there is one thing. i'm sorry, just one more thing. >> but beneath the trench coat and dim witted demeanor, was a kg sleuth who always got his man or woman. >> i understand why you did it, mr. mitchell. >> i don't want to have to work. >> in the '60s his breakout role was a character in the movie "murder inc." but tv and the role of detective lieutenant columbo made him a household name. >> to the desk, man. >> "columbo" premiered on nbc in 1971 and later aired on abc occasionally from the '80s until 2003. in 1979, falk made us smile again with an equally odd ball character in the new movie "in-laws." in recent years, peter falk was diagnosed with alzheimer's. his last film credit was 2009. >> that's why the barrel is in the chamber. but the role we'll best remember him for was as that seemingly clueless detective who always managed to wear the bad guy down in the end. >> just one more thing. >> no, lieutenant, there is no just one more thing. goodbye. >> if peter falk's most beloved character were telling the story at this point, he would probably be scratching his head and saying, i'm sorry, there is just one more thing that's bothering me, does this detective columbo have a first name? the answer in all those episodes, he never said, but we're told it was frank columbo. peter falk was 83. this headline got our attention today, a small asteroid slipped harmlessly past earth on monday. according to nasa, an asteroid spotted by telescopes in new mexico will pass 7,500 miles over the earth's surface other than the southern atlantic ocean at 9:30 a.m. eastern time on monday. a close encounter but not the closest ever. in fact earlier this year, a tiny asteroid flew even closer within 3,400 miles. apparently we all survived. up next, a designer making a difference for women in the fight of their lives. a difference for women in the fight of their lives. but it's time for your medicine, okay? you ready? one, two, three. 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[ bat cracks ] that's a hit. one a day men's. man: everybody knows you should save for retirement, but what happens when you're about to retire? woman: how do you go from saving to spending? fidelity helped us get to this point, and now we're talking about what comes next. man: we worked together to create a plan to help our money last. woman: so we can have the kind of retirement we want. now, you know how this works. just stay on the line. oh, yeah. fidelity investments. turn here. finally tonight, our friday "making a difference" report. it's about someone who realized she had a special talent for lifting the spirits of women going through cancer treatment. all by design. nbc's anne thompson has our report from brick, new jersey. >> reporter: we know design can reimagine, enliven and beautify, but liz ballow believes it can do more. >> we're ready for you. >> she redecorated the family room where cindy anne levida recovered from chemotherapy. from breast cancer that spread to her lungs, rib and spine. >> thank you, sweetheart. i can't even begin to say how much more i think it is and how i can even begin to pay back. >> don't pay back, like i said, pay forward. >> reporter: liz calls her decorating mission liz's linen, after liz's inspiration, her sister, lynne solerno, enduring her own bout with breast cancer. >> i wanted to create a space that lynne would never think of to do for herself. >> lynne is an outdoors girl, liz, an interior designer. >> i wanted to turn that bed into a place that she could go to as a sanctuary instead of a place where she had to go to when she felt sick. >> reporter: one day as lynne got chemo, liz went to work, using nontoxic paint, high thread count sheets, three rows of pillows and plenty of touches to reflect lynne's love. >> every time i get in that bed, i feel that somebody really cared. >> reporter: a feeling liz has brought to 10 women, spending around $1,000 a room, the products and work donated or paid for with donations. instead of four walls that restrict and confine, liz wants to create four walls that inspire and heal. >> really nice! >> all cindy wanted was the room to be warm. she got so much more. >> i didn't think anybody would do anything like this for me, especially when she doesn't even know me. >> reporter: but liz knows the struggle. >> we can't take away the illness from somebody that we love, but we can just try to do whatever we can to make it a little bit better. >> reporter: anne thompson, nbc news, brick, new jersey. that's our broadcast for this friday night, thank you all for being with us, i'm lester holt. brian williams will be back here on monday, i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" and right back here tomorrow evening. morning on "today" and right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com we begin with developing news as a tractor-trailer slammed into a train. a train that was headed for the bay area. good evening, i'm garvin thomas in for raj mathai. >> 20 hospitalized with injurie in the fiery crash you saw between a big-rig and bay area bound train. the train traveling north of fallon, nevada 60