Least 67,000 have lost power and now more could, too. A state of emergency as the threat across the east isnt over as the rain continues to hammer down here in raleigh, we remain under a Tornado Warning until a bit later on tonight. Lester, the storm is moving towards washington, d. C. , and your area in new york. Its expected to hit that region around if there is some good news, it should be packing a bit of a lighter punch. Lester . All right. Miguel almaguer tonight, thank you. Tonight the scandal involving dangerous air bags in millions of cars appears to be growing even larger with u. S. Senate investigators saying they have uncovered evidence that the Takata Corporation was deceiving automakers for years about its defective air bags, and there is a growing possibility that the recall could now grow to cover half of the cars on american roads right now. Nbcs tom costello has details. Reporter it was just before Christmas Knight was killed in South Carolina. His 2006 ford ranger hit a cow on a country road. The takata air bag inflater exploded on impact. When it contact, this could have prevented us, his death could have been prevented. Reporter the coroner found metal shrapnel that came from the air bag also severed his spine. At least nine have been killed from exploding air bags. Now Senate Investigators say internal emails show takata was aware its air bag inflaters were defective and yet deceived its customers, the automakers for years. A 2006 takata email says reports were cherry picked and somebody was schmoozed to accept certain deviations. In another email an employee writes if the customer requests records or makes an audit well have a lot of failures, sometimes 38 , but takata disputes whether the writer had the right knowledge. They were make it look like this explosive device was in fact safe. Reporter in a statement takata says its deeply sorry for all fatalities and injuries that have occurred and the issues raised in the emails are entirely inexcusable and will not be tolerated or repeated. Its already been hit with a record 70 million fine. A stunning 24 million vehicles are under recall for a potentially defective air bag. Now, regulators are under congressional pressure to expand the recall to include every takata air bag in america. Potentially 120 million vehicles. That would be nearly half the cars on the road. Meanwhile, in South Carolina the Knight Family is suing both takata and ford. That someone could be so inconsiderate of someones life. Reporter over an air bag meant to save lives that instead took yet another. Tom costello, nbc news, washington. Donald trump is aiming for a knockout after three landslide victories. The gop frontrunner super tuesday sweep if his opponents cant stop him and frustration is growing from some in the party as rubio and cruz continue to target each other, not the man who is charging nomination. We have it all covered tonight starting with nbcs katy tur in houston. Katy, good evening. Reporter good evening, lester. Donald trump is looking more and more like the favorite to win the nomination, and now the last nominee, mitt romney, is taking aim. Donald trump with evangelical leader Pat Robertson in virginia today trying to hit ted cruz where it hurts, targeting christian conservatives at regent university. Ive got to be a good person today, at least for the next hour. Reporter coming off his big win in nevada. Soon the country is going to start winning, winning, winning. Reporter the new yorker is looking for a lock on the nomination sooner rather than later. We might not even need the two months, folks, to be honest, all right. Reporter around if polling is indication the billionaire resonating across voting blocs. We won of the evangelicals, we won with young. We won with old. We won with highly educated. We won with poorly educated, i love the poorly educated. Reporter nevada numbers like New Hampshire and South Carolina show trump won evangelicals, conservatives, moderates, those who are worried about immigration, those who wanted an outsider and those who are angry. Trumps abrasive tone working. Stay on course, stay on message. Reporter in fact, donald trump alone got more votes than total votes cast in nevadas 2012 gop caucus. Today that cycles nominee mitt romney speculated trump has something to hide. The reason that i think it that theres a bombshell in there is because every time hes asked about his taxes he dodges and delays. Reporter the candidate repeatedly saying he will release his taxes at some point. The trump effect is in full effect. Now hes looking for a knockout. Thinks three chief run in their home states and trump could beat them haul. He can beat kasich in ohio. He can beat rubio in florida and it can all can begin in next tuesday in texas ted cruz is suddenly the first one voted off the island. Setting the rivals up showdown. Houston. Reporter im Hallie Jackson in texas, a state where they remember the alamo, but its a different kind of ted cruz is winning here. A new poll shows hes up double digits over donald trump, 15 points. Home. Reporter nationally though, hes neck and neck with marco rubio for second place. The two fighting to be the trump alternative but fighting each other first, all while trump picks up delegates and momentum. You worry youre wasting your time instead . Thats an interesting question candidate on the debate stage who has consistently pointed out Donald Trumps liberal record. That it hasnt worked yet . Well, at this point hes won two of the first three states and ive won one. Reporter cruz looking now to super tuesday in texas where today he won the governor. In his home state where he must win, his confident campaign pointing to 27,000 volunteers here. Rubios campaign equally confident in their strategy, wait for cruz to fail and lay off trump, for now. I dont have any attack anyone. Im not in this race to attack any republican. Im more than happy to show differences. Reporter but the florida senator has what could be his own alamo to fight in the awards all its delegates to the winner meaning a second place finish wont matter. That primary three weeks away but maybe the beginning of the end of this republican race. Hallie jackson, nbc news, houston. The discussion over the Supreme Court escalated to a new level as president republicans who said they will refuse to meet with any potential nominee until the next president is election. The nbc has learned is vetting a republican governor for the vacancy, a move that seems designed to put gop senators in an uncomfortable position. Our justice correspondent Pete Williams has details. The notion that theres some twomonth period reporter at the white house meeting with the king of jordan the president tried to keep the heat on Senate Republicans and their leader Mitch Mcconnell for saying choosing a Supreme Court justice should be up to the next president. The American People are going to have the ability to gauge whether the person ive nominated is well within the mainstream. Thank you, thank you. Reporter and democrats let it be known that on a long list of potential nominees is brian sandoval, the republican governor of nevada and the states first hispanic federal judge. This is a way for democrats in the white house to extract maximum pain on republicans on their stance not to hear any nominee. Reporter but republicans say Vice President biden saw things their way 24 years ago when he and said no confirmations during a president ial campaign. Action on a Supreme Court nomination must be put off until after the Election Campaign is over. Reporter words that Senate Republicans are now gleefully recalling. What were doing is what the democrats top leadership has advocated in the past. Reporter but it was actually the rank republican on Senate Judiciary 24 years ago who said confirmations should go on during a campaign. It is this process, if process which should not be changed for Election Year expediency which has signified the majority of our system of government. Reporter president now says hell have a nominee, quote, in the weeks ahead. Mr. President , how many names . Reporter Pete Williams, nbc news, washington. A dramatic day in the civil lawsuit brought by Sports Reporter erin andrews. In court andrews looked on in tears as her father testified about her trauma after a man secretly filmed her at a hotel. Andrews is suing her stalker and the hotels owner and former Management Company claiming they nbcs Morgan Radford has details. Reporter an emotional day for erin andrews, wiping away tears while her father describes her as a shell of the person she once was. Shes terrified. Shes depressed. Shes not the girl that we used to know. Reporter steve andrews, a veteran reporter, testifying on behalf of his daughter and her 75 million suit against the man convicted of stalking and secretly filming her naked in her Nashville Hotel room in 2008. She kept screaming im on the internet. Im on the internet. Im naked. Everything ive worked for is done. Reporter andrews lawyer says Michael Barrett removed and altered the peep hole of Andrews Hotel room and held up a cell phone and recorded her naked. He wanted a room right next to her. I remember thinking to myself how does this happen. Reporter andrews attorney called a hospitality expert to the stand. Thats the cardinal sin in the hospitality somebodys room number away or let them know that they are staying there. Reporter hotels lawyer blames only the stalker. He deceived, he connived, he stalked. Thats what mr. Barrett did. Reporter mr. Andrews believes someone needs to pay for what happened to his daughter. First time in my life as her sorry, as her father where i didnt know if she was safe or not. I fathered for her life. Reporter Morgan Radford, nbc news. Still ahead here tonight, milania trumps first solo interview about the campaign, opening up about her marriage to donald trump, whether crossed the line and what happens on those occasions when they disagree. Also caught on camera, ecigarette were back now were a woman who could be americas first foreignborn first lady in nearly 200 years. Milania trump, the with untime design and architecture student turned fashion model, often seen but not often heard speaking in public, now speaking out. Heres nbcs andrea mitchell. Reporter donald trump is everywhere, but his wife milania has avoided the spotlight for months, speaking only briefly on the trail. He was working very hard and he loves you. Reporter but now sitting down with brzezinski. We have a thick skin and we know that people will judge him and people will call names and they dont give him enough credit. Reporter the former supermodel is trumps third wife, born in slovenia. Im my own person. Hes his own person, and i think thats very important. I dont want to change him. He doesnt want to change me. Reporter what about many felt he had insulted mexicans . No. I dont feel he insulted the mexicans. He said illegal immigrants. He didnt talk about everybody. Reporter but youre an immigrant . Yes. Reporter do you ever think hes gone too far . I followed the law. I followed the law the way its supposed to be. I never thought to stay here without papers. Reporter when he talked about a ban on muslims, do you worry about it . What he said it will be temporary and its not for all the muslims. Its the ones we need to screen them, he wants to protect america. Reporter milania speaks several languages but what about some of the language her husband uses. Do i agree all the time with him . No, i dont, and i tell him that. I tell him my opinion. Think. Sometimes he listens. Reporter even if not only visible to the public, milania trump is clearly a key sounding board for the republican from unir. Andrea mitchell, nbc news. Were back in a moment with a warning about a potential risk in the water for children and pregnant women and yet another an urgent warning has been issued over lead found in water at several homes in jackson, mississippi. While the city claims its water has not been declared unsafe, pregnant women and Young Children are being urged to drink bottled or filtered water. State Health Officials say they believe the lead is from home plumbing corrosion, not the water source. In kentucky, a sudden and shocking explosion caught on tape. Its a man taken by complete surprise when his pants pockets burst into flames. An ecigarette was battery blast and as nbcs joe fryar tells us its hardly the first time Something Like that has happened. Watch. Reporter a customer was simply stopping for snacks at a kentucky gas station when the Security Camera captured this startling moment. Suddenly there was a blast in his pocket and there was fire, big fire. Reporter york hamilton suffered seconddegree burns. He says the spare battery for his ecigarette device exploded. The flames eventually doused by a clerk. Its the latest injured tied to electric vapor products, reports popping up from oklahoma to that can cause significant force and injury to the patient. Reporter the Problems Center around lithium ion batteries that power the device which can overheat especially if the wrong charger is use. The american vaporing Association Says when charged and used under vapor products pose no more of a fire risk than other products that use lithium ion batteries like cell are a lot of customers asking you about this . Yes, they are. Reporter at the vape source in l. A. , they tell you not to carry the batteries in your pocket. It might touch the loose change or key and it will start to get hot. Secure your battery case like this and protected. Reporter advice to make sure that people can vape without the fireworks. Joe fryer, nbc news, los angeles. When we come back, our interview from orbit. When astronaut scott kelly says hes finally tonight, its been an aroundtheworld journey many times over for astronaut scott kelly though hes never lost sight of home. Its been right outside the window on the International Space station. After a year in orbit, testing the effects of prolonged space flight, his ride back to earth departs next week so we decided to check in with him one more time before the big homecoming. Astronaut scott kelly is in the home stretch. I started counting down when we got to was a few days ago. Reporter kelly is one of two participants in nasas mission, the First American to spend a year in orbit. As of today kelly has orbited the earth 5,344 times. Talk to me about the metal and psychological impact of being up there. You look out the window and see the world pass by. You see familiar sights. What does that do to you to watch that . You know, you definitely have a different perspective on the earth and things that happen down there. Im actually looking at it right now. The window is open. I follow the news very closely, have it on during the workday and in the evening so i keep probably more more in touch with whats going on on earth when im in space than when im actually on earth. Reporter kelly has been posting photos on social media throughout his mission. His aweinspiring pictures of his home planet have become a huge hit. Are you a bit nostalgic as your time in space is nearing an the ability to press our limits with regards to exploration and discovery, i think its been a privilege of being a part of that, and its something that im going to miss, but ive been up here for a long time and i also look forward to going home. The astronaut is expected to make his homecoming when sunday. When he wraps up his mission he will have traveled more than 143 million miles in space, and the one thing hes looking forward to the most when he gets home. Human contact, the people you love on earth, your family, you miss. Reporter and we wish kelly safe travels back home. That will do it for us on this wednesday im lester holt. For all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good today on the Meredith Vieira show, we are talking the shocking reason one teacher was removed from her classroom after 30 years on the job. Would use be suspicious of your husband start suddenly started getting in shape. Plus lance loves a good prank. And yaminika takes it to another level. And then from the powerful new film race, carice van houten. Were going to have a great show today. The stars of the movie raised and its a movie starring jesse owens. Have you ever wanted a hollywood tiny, a red carpet romp. I could go on and on. The trainers that work with heidi klim is going to tell you how to get that palm that you want. One of us is missing. She is out on assignment today. She will be back. In the meanwhile we have a lot to talk about. By roundabout applause, how many of you are in a dance class when you were a little kid. How many of you were in a poll dancing class. Hands up. Apprentice shows this morning is under fire for sick Network Girls 11 and 8 years old demonstrated poll fitness moves wearing cropped tops and short shorts. Some say it is just gymnastics on a poll and others say it sexualized is the young girls and they thought it was inappropriate. You have little ones. That this is gymnastics on a poll, my daughters are not going to that class. It is one of the things that yes yes, gymnastics, you work out and use the poll but look at the outfits. It looks suggestive and the connotation of the poll is it there is a chris rock joke in there. You keep your kids off the poll. Thats the way you are looking at this. The poll is primarily for strippers out there. Lets switch how we look at it. This could be a great exercise