Game are changing when parents are asked the question, would you let your kids play. Nightly news begins now. Good evening. A former appointee of governor Chris Christie of new jersey says he has evidence the governor knew of the forced slowdown on the George Washington bridge between new jersey and new york while it was going on and that he is prepared to prove it. Despite the governors repeated denial, tonight this scandal has again engulfed Chris Christie, embarrassingly on the eve of the super bowl, the first ever held in new jersey. Tonight, the states leading newspaper is saying if this is true, the governor must resign, and harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz said tonight Chris Christie needs to hire a criminal lawyer if he has not already. Nbcs katy tur starts us off in the shadow of the gw bridge, which has been lit up for the game just 11 miles away. Reporter good evening, brian. The appointee is David Wildstein. It is important to note we dont know what the evidence is. Also important to note, his lawyer is trying to get his legal fees paid. But if this is substantiated, you have to wonder how can Chris Christie survive this. David wildstein. Reporter late this afternoon, a lawyer for David Wildstein, the former Port Authority official embroiled in the George Washington bridge lane closure scandal released a letter disputing Chris Christies claim that he didnt know anything about it. Let me tell you, everybody, i was blind sided. Reporter in the letter, he says the governor not only knew but it was his order, writing, evidence ties mr. Christie having knowledge of the closures during the period when the lanes were closed, contrary to what the governor stated publicly in a twohour press conference. This is a hugely Significant Development in the investigation. It is a direct challenge to the credibility of governor christie, but until we see the evidence that David Wildstein is talking about, its very hard to know how to evaluate. Reporter on january 9th in that press conference, christie adamantly denied knowing about what he called a political vendetta. I am humiliated by the fact i didnt know it, i was deceived. It was an awful way to feel. Reporter wildstein, who was appointed by christie, had already resigned from the Port Authority when he appeared at the hearing before the assembly, but wouldnt answer any questions. On the advice of my counsel, i assert my right to remain silent. Reporter what did the governor know and when did he know it have been the key questions since documents were released showing christies now former deputy chief of staff, bridget anne kelly, sent a email to wildstein saying time for some traffic problems in ft. Lee. Wildstein replied, got it. There were 20 subpoenas issued seeking documents from christies former and top aides and his reelection campaign. Responses to those subpoenas are due next week. Assemblyman John Wisniewski is leading the investigation. I dont know what documents he is referring to. We had subpoenaed documents from him. Im a little frustrated as Committee Chair that we had asked for documents from him through a valid subpoena. He provided us over 900 pages. And apparently the documents he is referring to were not part of that response. Reporter and the voices are only going to get louder after this. Forget president ial hopes, brian. Many are now saying that if this is proved, he should resign or be impeached. Katy tur starting us off on the new york side of the gw bridge. Katy, thanks. As we said, the governor has responded to this charge late today in the form of a statement. Nbcs Kelly Odonnell has been covering the governor and this story since it broke. She is in our Washington News room. Hey, keltly, good evening. Reporter brian, good evening. So after all of this erupted, the governors administration, not Chris Christie personally, but his office rest reacted to the new allegation and again denied the governor knew anything about a political deliberate operation that might have been behind the bridge traffic jam. Knowing about the traffic is different than knowing there was an operation to bring it about. So the Statement Reads in part, mr. Wildsteins lawyer confirms that what the governor has said all along, he had absolutely no prior knowledge of the lane closures before they happened and whatever mr. Wildsteins motivations were for closing them to begin with. Now, the statement goes on the say that christie had no indication this was anything other than a traffic study until he read otherwise the morning of january 8th. The governor denies the other allegations, so christie is raising the idea of the Port Authoritys motivation. For example, looking for criminal immunity. And the lawyers letter explicitly asks that wildsteins legal fees be paid for by his former employer, the Port Authority and not out of his own pocket. The timing is interesting, it comes during the time that christie is get mortgage favorable attention during the super bowl and before mondays deadline when the responses to the subpoenas are due. Brian . Kelly odonnell in d. C. Tonight. Kelly, thanks. Now to the west coast. California officials announced late today they have ordered Emergency Water cutbacks because of the epic drought we showed you here last night. Officials say water from the states reservoir system to local agencies will soon be cut off, and that will affect 25 million people. Nothing like this has ever happened before. Nbcs Miguel Almaguer is at the reservoir just above san jose tonight. Reporter brian, good evening. This reservoir used to be a major resource, but now look at it. Its more junkyard than it is watershed. When the water levels here dropped, garbage like this surfaced. And while this reservoir needs to be cleaned up, more than anything it needs rain. In a state where water is liquid gold, these are desperate times with reservoirs empty and creeks dry. At lake oroville, the water supply has dropped more than two feet this month alone. Today the department of Water Resources said there is not enough water to go around. The agency will turn off the tap to distributors who serve 25 million customers and 750,000 acres of farmland. Todays actions mean that everyone, farmers, fish, people in our cities and towns will get less water as a result. But these actions will protect us all better in the long run. Reporter californians will get water from other sources, but theyll get less of it and pay more for it. Ken christianson says his business is under water. At his marina in folsom, there has been no rain or customers for months. The Financial Impact is devastating here. I do not think were going to open this year. The docks you see behind me will probably never see water. Reporter for the gless family, Citrus Growers since 1907, their harvest and their trees are at risk. With citrus, if you dont have water to keep them alive, you lose 30yearold trees in their prime. A year off, theyll be done. You to start over. Reporter each day without rain more records are set. This month, los angeles had no measurable rain, only one of five januarys since 1878. Right now in california we are experiencing a drought that no living person in this state or in this country has experienced before in terms of its severity. Reporter a crippling drought with an Economic Impact that will ripple around the world. Reservoirs across california looked just like this, those deep cracks in the floor, experts say even if we got heavy rain and snow every day until may, california would still be in serious trouble. Brian . Miguel almaguer, san jose, california for us tonight. Miguel, thanks. And a hot topic in american politics just got more interesting where president obama is concerned. It has to do with the Keystone Pipeline from canada to the u. S. Gulf coast. And just tonight, a longdelayed Environmental Impact report could remove a major hurdle for its approval. We get our late report tonight from nbcs andrea mitchell. Reporter it is a classic battle. The oil industry arguing jobs and Energy Independence versus environmentalists worried about oil spills, wildlife and climate change. The pipeline would stretch for 875 miles, from montana on the kandi zal pampore boarder to steel city, nebraska. Delivering 830,000 barrels a day of thick star sand crude oil on to the gulf coast. President obama trailed for months by antipipeline protesters had promised he would not approve it if it would accelerate climate change. Our National Interests will be served only if this project does not significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution. Reporter todays report says it wont have an effect on the environment either way. Approval or denial of one crude oil project remains unlikely to significantly impact demand for heavy crude oil, the oil that creates the worst pollution. In other words this oil will be produced whether the pipeline is built or not. Pipeline advocates say that president obama now has no excuse not to go ahead. They spent over five years on the environment. Time and time again, it shows no impact on the environment. Reporter what about jobs . The report says they will produce 3900 temporary construction jobs for one year in montana, nebraska, south dakota and kansas and 50 permanent jobs. And states that of 14 protected species like the whooping crane, only one, the beetle would be adversely affected. Not so say environmentalists. If there was a spill, animals could be impacted and the greatest threat to wildlife is climate change. Reporter environmentalists point to this pipeline that has not been cleaned up, north of little rock. There is enormous pressure within the beltway to approve this project. And i think around the country people understand this is actually a terrible idea. Reporter environmentalists are also crying foul because they charge the consultants who worked on todays final report had ties to the pipeline company. A state Department Inspector general is investigating alleged conflict of interest. Brian . Andrea mitchell in d. C. Tonight. Andrea, thanks. As millions of viewers around this globe get ready to watch the super bowl on sunday this comes at what may be the start of a troubling time for organized football. This week, joe namath became the latest bigname player to disclose he is suffering longterm effects from concussions during his career. It is significant that our latest nbc news wall street journal poll has discovered a startling number on Public Attitude towards the number one sport in this country. When asked if they would discourage a child from playing football, 40 of americans said yes. Because this came out of our latest polling on mostly political attitudes, we get our report tonight from our Political Editor and fellow football fan chuck todd. Reporter on sunday, more than 100 million americans will watch the super bowl. But while we love watching the game, were beginning to question whether its safe for our kids to play it. To be honest with you, im probably going to stop. I know they really love it and they keep bugging me about it. Reporter green bay Packer Brett Favre is questioning whether the game is even safe enough for kids. If i had a son, i would be real leery of him playing. Reporter and the president of the United States told the new yorker magazine i would not let my son play pro football. And our new poll shows a dramatic class divide on the issue. While four in ten americans overall would discourage their kids from playing football, the number is closer to 50 among wealthier americans and near 60 among the most highly educated. Cris collinsworth is concerned this safety fear could decimate youth football. I think more than ever before, were seeing football coming down to what the moms in the minivans think. Because if the perception is that it is not safe for their son to play, they talk. Reporter youth enrollment in pop warner football has dropped by nearly 10 in the last three years. Though officials claim it has nothing to do with concussion concerns. Football is relatively safe compared to other youth activities. They say kids get more concussions in a variety of other ways other than playing football. Reporter but like big tobacco in the 60s, many football organizations are have been criticized for being too slow to acknowledge the danger. There is now even a Class Action Lawsuit against the association that oversees high school football, and that raises the very real possibility that some high schools may decide to stop sanctioning football altogether for fear of the liability. I like to hit people. Reporter but dad is nervous. Yes, hell keep playing the game. But we need to get a little more educated on concussion, on how the concussions are caused and how to prevent them. Reporter our shared love of football is becoming a National Conversation about whether the risks are worth it. Chuck todd, nbc news, washington. Opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics in sochi in russia will take place one week from tonight. And as that date fast approaches, the final preps are now under way onsite. For these Olympic Games which have so far, lets face it been dogged by bad publicity, construction delays, overspending and security concerns, our chief correspondent richard engel, who is there reports tonight that sochi is for the first Time Starting to feel like the home of the games. American speed skaters, as you saw, took their first spin around the rink today, and the olympic villages opened with much fanfare. Still ahead for us on this friday night, a tsa insider claims on what was really going on at airport security. The very same invasion of privacy that so many of us passengers had feared. And later, a spectacular new view of that jump from the edge of space kept hidden from the world, that is until now. A former airport screening officer at the tsa is revealing inside secrets about how members of the traveling public are treated and how those full body scanners that were so controversial and had so many passengers concerned about privacy may have worked or never worked in the first place. The revelations have the tsa in something of a damage control mode tonight. We get our report from nbcs tom costello. Reporter from a former tsa officer, disturbing descriptions of fellow officers behavior, humiliating patdowns and the doubts about the technology once used to scan passengers. In an article for Politico Magazine entitled dear america, i saw you naked, and yes, we were laughing, Jason Harrington writes the only thing more absurd than how poorly the full body scanners performed was the incredible amount of time the machines wasted for everyone. At the time tsa officers remotely viewed the full body images in a separate room. And many examples they got were overweight people, their full dimple and awful display. Piercings of every time were on display. The tsa reported all of the scanners were replaced more than a year ago, the screening rooms disabled. The new scanners use radio waves and portray the body as more of a cartoon figure using targeting software that can identify a potential weapon. There is a new tsa in town that is doing things 180 degrees different than that he has allegedly done. Reporter harrington declined to talk for nbc news. He worked for the tsa from 2007 until last spring and writes of code names officers had for attractive women depending on their apparel. Retaliatory wait times for members of the public officers dont like, and a general feeling among officers that their jobs represented, quote, an abuse of public trust and funds. But the chief insists the tsa has changed. Tsa will not tolerate the unprofessional conduct of officers if proven if the officer is engaging in unprofessional behavior, then we take appropriate administrative action leading up to and including dismissal. Reporter the tsa has worked hard to include customer experience, limiting patdowns, adding suppress lanes. But the insiders glimpse behind the security line doesnt help the public image. Tom costello, nbc news, washington. Another break and were back in a moment with the new fallout tonight after the big embarrassment over school lunches. The cafeteria manager at a Utah Elementary School has been placed on involuntary leave after lunches were taken away from kids whose lunch account balance had run low. The kids were given milk and fruit as a substitute. Parents were outraged about it. Some complained they had been given no notices that their balances were low. And their children, of course, were humiliated in the process. The School District has issued an apology. Here in new york tonight the super bowl hype is reaching something of a fever pitch. 13 blocks of broadway have been shut down and turned into a pregame pedestrian mall renamed super bowl boulevard. And look at some of the merchandise we found for sale. We found this hoodie at a local Sporting Good store commemorating the new York New Jersey super bowl. But hold it right there. It isnt that at all. Just to review, here is new york, and now to the west, across the aforementioned George Washington bridge is the state of new jersey, where the super bowl will be played. Not one bit of the game will be played in new york, though the city appears to be profiting handsomely from its proximity. Agenda insult to injury, the mayor of east rutherford, new jersey, the home of metlife stadium, was not invited to the game, was willing to pay face value for the ticket but couldnt get one. He figured he would watch it on tv like the rest of us. It took the owner of the Indianapolis Colts to hear of his plight, and now mayor James Casella will watch the game from a box, indeed, high above the stadium in his town, in the state that is hosting the super bowl. It was an astounding feat back when he did it. Felix baumgartner of austria jumped out of a balloon 24 miles above the earth in a pressurized suit, broke the sound barrier on his way down. We are now able to see how deathdefying a tumble it was, more like a controlled crash, thanks to a new video his team has released shot on go procameras. Part of it will appear conveniently in a super bowl ad. This is a link to the video on our website tonight. When we come back this friday evening, the repeated battle cry on the field that has become a source of great pride for a Great American city. Finally tonight, we can thank the sport of football for several expressions in the english lexicon, like throwing a hail mary and calling an audible. Peyton manning is so fond of calling one particular audible at the line of scrimmage that its become something of a cottage industry. He is so found of yelling omaha as a signal to his offense that in addition to us fans, the folks in omaha long ago started to take notice. And its become a source of pride for a city which, by the way, would love an nfl team to call its own. We get the story tonight from nbcs gabe gutierrez. Lets go broncos reporter tonight as denver fans prepare for the super bowl, another citys name has become a battle cry. Omaha reporter yes, omaha. The much quieter midwestern town perhaps best known for beef steaks and unassuming billionaire, warren buffet. Omaha reporter all the attention thanks to Denver Broncos quarterback peyton manning, who for some reason before plays has been shouting omaha, omaha reporter a few weeks ago during playoff game against san diego he said it so many times, we just i think were tickled pink to see it. Reporter omahas chamber of commerce took the ball and ran with it, making a youtube video. Omaha slo it works for us too. Reporter businesses like omaha steaks donated 800 for every manning shoutout during the afc championship. 31 times meant almost 25,000 for mannings foundation for underprivileged kids. For the super bowl, the pledge amount has grown to 1700 per yell. And vegas is now taking bets on how many times hell say it. As if that wasnt enough, the omaha zoo may have given him the ultimate sign of appreciation. They named a penguin after him. Meet peyton. I think its kind of fun. It gives us something to root for. Reporter but the mystery remains, what does omaha mean . Its a run play or it could be a play action pass depending on a couple of things, the wind, which way were going and the jerseys that were wearing. Reporter right. All we know its a lot easier to say than saskatchewan or tuscaloosa. Reporter so a town finds itself suddenly with something to cheer for on super bowl sunday. Gabe gutierrez, nbc news omaha reporter nebraska. For omaha and the rest of this country, thats our broadcast for this friday night and for this week. Thank you for being here with us. Im brian williams. Lester holt will be here with you this weekend. We, of course, hope to see you right back here on monday night. Have a good weekend. Good night. Mpl. From bad to worse, agencies there is not enough water. Good evening and thanks for joining us on this friday. Im raj mathai. Im jessica aguirre. Its the first time it happened in history. The state Water Project of california says there is simply not enough water in the system. A startling reality thats hitting home for many farmers and many californians. Nbc Marianne Favro is live to explain what the states decision might mean for you marianne. Reporter well, really what the state did is tell farmers and residents they are not going to give them a single drop of water from the state Water Project. Thats going to hit farmers hard and could drive up the cost of food. The grass farm you may consider putting in your front yard and as this farmer can tell you, the grass is greener when it rains but that hasnt happened much. Its doubtful Mother Nature will come through this season. Considering were 2 3rds through the wet season, the state would have to experience heavy rainfall and snowfall every other day through may in order to just get us back to average precipitation levels, and even then, we would still face drought conditions. Reporter which is why today the state department of Water Resources announced it will not provide a single drop of water to farmers or residents this