World headquarters in new york this is nbc nightly news, reporting tonight, lester holt. Good evening. Snow ice, freezing rain some of the worst winter has to offer has been dished out to a big part of the south. In a lot of places they dont often deal with this. You can just imagine how difficult life has been today in places like nashville, louisville charlotte. Especially on the roads. Many reduced to virtual danger zones. Power is out in places schools are closed and flight schedules are a mess. And about our friends in boston tonight, they are closing in on 100 inches of snow so far this season. But its what comes next that is going to add insult to injury record cold. Our team is in place including Gabe Gutierrez in nashville who can tell us firsthand about the difficult roads. Dave . Reporter lester good evening. The ice has paralyzed much of the south. Tens of thousands of people are still without power. School districts have already closed for the rest of the week. The National Guard is standing by. The brutal wave of snow ice and freezing rain pounded more than 20 states. Many Southern States unaccustomed to snow and ice are now facing treacherous driving conditions. I cannot stress this enough please stay off the roads until conditions improve. Reporter this close call was captured by an nbc affiliate in virginia. One driver losing control, smashing into another vehicle, and nearly hitting the camera. Late this afternoon, a dramatic ice rescue in new jersey. Emergency crews were on their hands and knees wading through cracks of ice and snow to pull a young girl out of the frigid water to safety. On the other side of the state, a snowplow was swallowed by a sinkhole. We experienced chaos on the roads firsthand during our trip from louisville to nashville. It wasnt long before we hit a standstill gridlock stretching for miles here on i65. Im glad i got enough gas. Reporter snarled traffic, frustrated drivers and many abandoned cars. From the air, you can see the music city brought to a halt. Big sheets of ice covering the roads and trees. Thankfully many people today decided to stay home. In West Virginia a stunning snow scene captured from above. While in tennessee, a mother and her 10yearold son were killed last night, hit by an oncoming semi after stopping to help an overturned suv. Coast guard cutters continue breaking through the ice in pennsylvania and new york. And tonight the south is bracing for even colder temperatures ahead. Dave gutierrez, nbc news nashville. Im Miguel Almaguer outside boston. Tonight, the big dig. Theyre moving the powder as fast as they can here. At snow farms, stacked several stories high. This is where mounds are poured into melters. Across new england, from front yards to rooftops its just a pain. Reporter an incredible eight feet of snow. Too much for some buildings to handle. Roofs are giving way and going down. A New HampshireSchool Canceled classes when the ceiling began to buckle. Tonight Bobby Mallard is scrambling to keep boston warm through narrow walkways a stretch to deliver heating oil. Tell me how difficult this has been for you guys. Its hard. The constant snow makes it hard are information the trucks to get around. Reporter the roads are a mess. Public transportation has been crippled. It could take months to get the trains back on track. All the stops i tried to get on were closed. Reporter snow remains the biggest problem, no way to dig out if you cant get out. A wicked winter many are hoping to close the door on. Theres been so much snowfall here this season let me give you some perspective. Were inside Gillette Stadium where the new England Patriots play football. The governor said you can fill this massive arena 90 times over. Snow would be pouring out of the roof here. Thats how much snow has hit this region. And lester its still coming down tonight. What a picture. Miguel thank you. Janice huff is in the weather center. Dare i ask whats next . More of the same unfortunately. Another bout of arctic air is in place and is expected to be moving south and eastward over the next 24 hours. Most of the subzero readings are what it feels like across the great lakes right now. Watch the temperature take a nosedive. By wednesday morning, indianapolis minus 10. By thursday morning, atlanta will have subzero windchills at minus 4. Raleigh, it will feel like minus 11. Nashville, minus 13. Then it spreads east to norm r new york city and boston. Minus 16 in new york city. Buffalo minus 30 for the windchill. Boston gets hit again on saturday morning with 20 to 30 below windchills. It will start to warm up a little bit after that. More cold air is waiting in the wings to come next week lester. So no relief not yet. Janice huff thank you for being with us tonight. The battle over immigration. A little more than 24 hours before president obamas executive order was set to take effect which could stop the deportation of some undocumented immigrants a federal judge ruled that the president overstepped his authority. Now that leaves millions in limbo. Our senior white house correspondent, chris jansing, has the details. Reporter worried her dream may not come true. We were so ready for this. Today it crushed us. Reporter in texas, Alfredo Garcias plan a ph. D. Program at notre dame is at stake. All the possibilities that i have in the future just vanished. Reporter the executive actions president obama signed in november gave hope to them and more than 4 million other undocumented immigrants that they could live and work here legally. But a 123page district by a district judge temporarily blocks the changes. For the people who would be potentially affected by the new programs this means their lives are on hold. Reporter the order would have meant protection from deportation, as well as to obtain Social Security numbers, work permits and the ability to travel. But once these services are provided the judge wrote, there will be no effective way of putting the toothpaste back in the tube should the plaintiffs ultimately prevail. Those plaintiffs 26 states led by texas. In texas, we will not sit idly by while the president ignores the law. Reporter applications have been suspended while lawyers appeal the ruling. I disagree with it. I think the laws on our side. And history is on our side. Reporter across the country, activists on both sides organized rallies and press conferences with emotions running high. Millions of others who hope to be citizens one day wait. I may end up working when i can do so much more. Reporter tonight immigration officials are working furiously to make sure the confusion doesnt stop people from applying at all, if and when the program starts. Meantime attorney general eric holder says the Justice Department is reviewing the decision to decide exactly how to proceed. Lester. Chris, thank you. Investigators have made their way to the scene of that train disaster in West Virginia that sent a massive fireball into the sky. It is still smoldering tonight. And though environmental experts now say they dont believe any oil spilled into nearby rivers this accident is raising plenty of new questions about all the dangerous cargo moving across this country. We get the report tonight from nbcs tom costello. Reporter throughout the day, the charred remains of 19 oil cars lie smoldering still too hot for investigators to get in close. It was monday afternoon when a tremendous explosion rocked this remote area in Fayette County after a 19car train derailed destroying a nearby house and sending a massive fireball into the sky. Residents are drinking bottled water worried if the water supply is safe. Came back clean, no detections of any of the crude oil. Reporter the train was carrying oil from the balkan fields in north dakota to virginia. It went off the tracks in West Virginia. Lynchberg, virginia last year 30,000 gallons dumped into the james river. And Quebec Canada 47 dead a town leveled. The concern . Oil train traffic is up 4,000 in six years carrying specially flammable crude out of north dakota and alberta, canada. You put 30,000 gallons of flammable oil per car onto 100 or 150car train, and you try to drive it through a major population area anything goes wrong, and its a disaster. Reporter many of the oil cars used today are older models that government safety regulators want phased out. But the railroad says the oil cars used in this crash were new, reinforced models. Still, theres no such thing as a riskfree oil car. Tom costello nbc news washington. A pivotal day of testimony in the trial of the former marine accused in the killing of american sniper chris kyle after five days the prosecution rested and the defense began laying out its case. Nbc is covering the trial for us in stephenville texas. Reporter Eddie Ray Routh didnt know he was recorded. For 23 minutes he says nothing, sitting and sometimes lying down in the back of a parked patrol car after his arrest. Hey, marine an officer calls out, you all right back there . Just so nervous about whats going to happen to me and my life today, routh said. Ive been so paranoid and schizophrenic all day. I dont know even what to think of the world right now. I dont know if im just insane or sane. The jury will weigh that very question. Did routh know right from wrong when he killed chris kyle and chad littlefield. In five days of testimony from the prosecution, we heard two dozen witnesses, including kyles wido taya. A texas ranger held up kyles sniper rifle recovered at the crime scene. Rouths mother jody took the stand saying routh was never the same after his military service, suicidal and in and out of a va medical center. She said doctors diagnosed routh with ptsd and prescribed him nine medications, including antisigh cot iks. Jody routh also told the jury she begged the va not to release her son, only days before the crime. She also told them when she met chris kyle and asked for his help he said he would do anything and everything in his power to help my son, end quote. The defense picks up their case again tomorrow morning. Lester . Jacob ras cone tonight, thanks. The new secretary of defense is now officially on the job. Ashton carter took the oath of office at the white house today. Carter replaces chuck hagel who resigned amid friction with the white house in november. He will serve as the fourth defense secretary under president obama. For weeks at ports up and down the west coast, a longstewing labor dispute has created a virtual standstill. Ships have been floating out at sea unable to unload. Work has started to resume but after hundreds of millions of dollars were likely lost. Joe fryer tonight out on the port of los angeles. Joe, good evening. Reporter lester good evening. This is the scene on the water at the port of los angeles. Cargo is moving once again after a temporary shutdown over the long holiday weekend. But as you can see, the backlog is huge. We count more than 30 ships on the water, still waiting to unload. As the port gridlock continues, Business Owners like joe, who are feeling lost at sea in the 40 years ive been doing this its the most unusual and devastating problem weve had with export shipping. Reporter this is peak period yet his citrus packing house is sending about half as much fruit as normal overseas. At issue, a longsimmering labor dispute between dock workers and shipping companies. It goes on for a few months, all of a sudden youre talking about a significant hit to the economy. Reporter labor secretary arrived in california to meet with both sides hoping to avoid a total shutdown of 29 west coast ports. No walkouts no lockouts and we have to have a deal now. Look at all those ships. Reporter even if the dispute ended today, it could take weeks, even months to unload these ships and their Cargo Containers filled with auto parts, electronics and other merchandise. In colorado big ring bicycle shop depends on shipments from asia. Obviously disconcerting. Reporter hes starting to see delivery d at a certain point it will cost us sales. Reporter there are estimates that a total west coast port shutdown could cost the u. S. Economy 2 billion a day. Lester . Joe fryer tonight, thank you. Still ahead tonight, the secret to their success. A restaurant where the employees have amassed over 1 million in savings, and an owner with a loyal staff that never wants to leave. Also 8 million fans and counting for a Little Country music. A captive audience and a farmer who is outstanding in his field. You know, just because your bladder is changing, it doesnt mean you have to. With tena, let yourself go. Be the one with the crazy laugh. And keep being their favorite playmate. With tenas unique super absorbent micro beads that lock in moisture and odor. Tena lets you be you. Nice grreat a shot like that. Calls for a postgame celebration. Share what you love with who you love. Kelloggs frosted flakes. Theyre grrreat fact. When you take advil you get relief right at the site of pain. Wherever it is. Advil stops pain right where it starts. Relief doesnt get any better than this. Advil. Hey, how you doin . It hurts. This is what it can be like to have shingles, a painful, blistering rash. If you had chicken pox the shingles virus is already inside you. 1 in 3 people will get shingles in their lifetime. I wish that there was something i could do to help. The shingles rash can last up to 30 days. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your risk. Welcome back. Now to an ongoing series of reports we call good jobs focusing on people across the country to solve all too common problems. We were inspired by a little restaurant who figured out a way to give its workers a muchneeded safety net. Cynthia mcfadden takes us to dinner. Reporter here in San Francisco, the birthplace of americas counterculture a new revolution. Ground zero this tiny french bistro. Owner jennifer would be the first to say, hers is not the fanciest or hippest restaurant in town though the grilled pork chop is hard to beat. What made it famous is Something Else on the menu right there in the fine print. Provides full benefits for our hard working staff. Which is less than 30 minutes in the meter. A parking meter out there will cost you more than 1. 25 for 30 minutes. That provides every staff member even people who work one day a week with full benefits including full health insurance, full dental paid sick leave and 401 k with a 4 match. Reporter it was a recipe she first cooked up after her own career waiting tables. Just being treated like a thief, i was replaceable, irrelevant to the business. Reporter she bought this place ten years ago. She thought it would be different. You can live like a grownup and work in a restaurant. Exactly. Yeah . Yeah. And plan for your future. This little restaurant our 32 employees have over 1 million in savings. The average age is 26. You could personally make a lot more money if you didnt do it this way, could you. No i dont think i could. The reason for that is the turnover is incredibly expensive. People who have been here for a long time can turn out a work level that someone who has only been here six months can. Im a chef here. I love my job. One of the dishwashers has been here 20 years. A dishwasher. You can make a career here. Yes. This is our job. Were not actors just trying to make a buck. Were here to stay. To say just because they dont put on a suit and go to work every day, they dont have a real job, or they dont need benefits like a real worker would, thats ridiculous. All this goodwill must come at a cost right . After all, San Francisco is one of the most competitive restaurant markets in the world. A successful restaurant is 5 . What do you do . 22 . On a good year. A recipe for success that has them all coming back for more. Cynthia mcfadden, nbc news San Francisco. Fellow dog lovers were back with the best in show. Among the competitors, a breed fit for an heiress, and another fit for a president. Sometimes romantic. There were tears in my eyes. And tears in my eyes. And so many Little Things that we learned were really the biggest things. Through it all, we saved and had a retirement plan. And someone who listened and helped us along the way. Because we always knew that someday the future would be the present. Every someday needs a plan. Talk with us about your retirement today. woman the constipation and belly pain feel tight like a vise. How can i ease this pain . man when i cant go, its like rocks piling up. I wish i could find some relief. announcer ask your doctor about linzess a oncedaily capsule for adults with ibs with constipation or chronic idiopathic constipation. Linzess is thought to help calm painsensing nerves and accelerate bowel movements. It helps you proactively manage your symptoms. Do not give linzess to children under 6, and it should not be given to children 6 to 17. It may harm them. Dont take linzess if you have a bowel blockage. Get immediate help if you develop unusual or severe stomach pain especially with bloody or black stools. The most common side effect is diarrhea, sometimes severe. If its severe stop taking linzess and call your doctor right away. Other side effects include, gas, stomacharea pain and swelling. Bottom line, ask your doctor about linzess today. Claritind presents two allergy sufferers. One had allergies with nasal congestion so he tried the newest allergy spray, which could take several days to feel the full effect of relief. The other went straight to the pharmacy counter for the fast, powerful relief of claritind. Its tough on allergies with nasal congestion and starts to work in just 30 minutes. The moral . Nothing works faster than claritind. Find it at the pharmacy counter. And live claritin clear. Apples fall, but the apples of your cheeks dont have to. Defy gravity. Juvederm voluma® is the only fdaapproved injectable gel to instantly add volume to your cheek area. As you age, cheeks can lose volume. Voluma adds volume creating contour and lift for a more youthful profile. For up to two years. Temporary side effects include tenderness, swelling, firmness lumps, bumps, bruising, pain redness, discoloration and itching. Ask your doctor. Juvederm voluma®. Defy gravity. The beads are flying in new orleans where the Biggest Party of the year hit its peak tonight. Theyre celebrating fat tuesday that caps off the mardi gras celebration. Theres still a lot of partying to fit in before midnight which marks the end of mardi gras and the beginning of lent. High drama in new york as the best of the best on four legs compete for best in show at the westminster kennel club. Those advancing to the final group, a shih tzu. Also in the running is a portuguese water dog who is a cousin of the obama family dog sunny. China is preparing to usher in the year of the sheep on thursday. But this was the day of the penguin at a zoo in northern china. Six of the little guys traded in their tuxedos for traditional red suits. Much to the delight of visitors to help celebrate chinas spring festival. When we come back the farmer whos milking his sudden fame for all its worth. Sgrirkts surprised . In fact, america is now the worlds number one natural gas producer. And we could soon become number one in oil. Because Hydraulic Fracturing Technology is safely recovering lots more oil and natural gas. Supporting millions of new jobs. Billions in tax revenue. And a new century of American Energy security. The new Energy Superpower . Its red, white and blue. Log on to learn more. You pay your Auto Insurance premium every month on the dot. Youre like the poster child for paying on time. And then one day you tap the bumper of a station wagon. No big deal. Until your Insurance Company jacks up your rates. You freak out. What good is having insurance if you get punished for using it . Hey insurance companies, news flash. Nobodys perfect. For drivers with accident forgiveness, Liberty Mutual wont raise your rates due to your first accident. See Car Insurance in a whole new light. Liberty mutual insurance. I make a lot of purchases for my business. And i get a lot in return with ink plus from chase. Like 60,000 bonus points when i spent 5,000 in the first 3 months after i opened my account. And i earn 5 times the rewards on internet, phone services and at Office Supply stores. With ink plus i can choose how to redeem my points. Travel, gift cards even cash back. And my rewards points wont expire. So you can make owning a business even more rewarding. Ink from chase. So you can. Nice grreat a shot like that. Calls for a postgame celebration. Share what you love with who you love. Kelloggs frosted flakes. Theyre grrreat vo get this close with beneful healthy smile. Dental snacks that help keep teeth clean and breath fresh. With soft, meaty centers and teethcleaning textures, its dental that tastes so good. Try healthy smile during pet dental health month. Sunday dinners at my house. Its a full day for me, and i love it. But when i started having back pain my sister had to come help. I dont like asking for help. I took tylenol but i had to take six pills to get through the day. So my daughter brought over some aleve. Its just two pills, all day and now, im back aleve. Two pills. All day strong, all day long. And now introducing aleve pm for a better am. Finally tonight, hes like a conductor whose Symphony Hall is a green pasture, or a choreographer whose dancers are the fourlegged dancers. We get the story from nbcs harry smith. Reporter derrick does chores on the family farm. But beware inside this freshbase ed d canyon what does a farmer say. Everybody thinks im crazy. I get nervous if they didnt think that. Do you want to drive my tractor reporter hes a prairie parodyist. He won an immediate audience on youtube. But then came this. Derrick played trombone in the kansas state marching band. Last spring he decided to break it out again. Then i got the idea to go play for my cows. Who else am i going to play to. Reporter why not, he wondered serenade the cattle. And they sang right back. How many have seen it now . 8 million. Reporter derricks reckless imagination dared to reach even further. Recently he posted this an etch a sketch type drawing of a smiley face with his pasture as a canvas and his feed truck acting as a paint brush, guiding the cattle into place. The video from a drone at 300 feet. Do you think its hard . Yeah. Reporter while the smiley face was a masterpiece in its own right, his newest creation may be even more impressive. The cattle take their place to form a heart, a valentine from the heartland. Harry smith, nbc news pea body kansas. That will do it for us on this tuesday night. Im lester holt. From all of us at nbc news thank you fo and Taylor Kinney flashing her new half Million Dollar diamond. Inside their top secret engagement party, now on extra. New video, lady gaga hours after confirming shes getting married to Taylor Kinney. Congratulations. His first words today about popping the question. Hey mario, just for extra. And. Hes hes weird on the inside. Im weird on the outside. Why their weird relationship works. Plus new couple alert mariahs ex nick cannon on a secret dinner date with strahans ex nicole murphy. Tracey morgans surprise that didnt h