Nightly news with lester holt. Substituting tonight, Peter Alexander. Good evening. Tonight investigators are still trying to figure out what caused a man with a machete to go on a rampage at the new Orleans Airport, a popular destination for millions of americans each year. It happened last night. He targeted travelers and tsa agents alike. Tonight were learning it could have been much worse. We begin with nbcs Kerry Sanders in new orleans. Reporter two minutes of sheer chaos in concourse b at the new Orleans Airport friday night. There was just a lot of screaming and everyone was running and hiding behind stairs and everything. Reporter panicked travelers ran and ducked for cover from a man deputies have now identified at 63yearold richard white. Witnesses who recorded the rampage say white began spraying insect repellant at tsa officers and passengers at the security screening area. He then pulled a machete from his waistband and began swinging. He swung the machete several times. The agent actually was able to prevent him from swinging it even more times by striking him with a piece of luggage. Reporter 56yearold tsa officer Carol Rochelle whos also a grandmother, took charge. He chased her and an unarmed deputy pulled her gun. I saw her starting to back up and then shoot him like three shots. Reporter she was so close she thought she was hit by the machete. It turns out it was one of three bullets that brought white down. The triceps. Ill be fine. Reporter two bullets brought him down. One to the chest, the other to the face. I have to say shes my hero. She saved my life. The man was whacking me with a machete. Reporter it could have been worse. When it was over the bomb squad found six molotov cocktails, fuses and a barbecue lighter. In the commotion white had dropped the bag holding those bombs. You rather be lucky than good. And i think we were both last night. To the nth degree. Reporter we may never know why white went on the attack. Family members told deputies that white had a history of Mental Illness but that he was never violent. White, who was a jehovahs witness refused to receive certain medical care at the hospital. He died this afternoon. Peter. Kerry sanders, thank you very much. Here in new york a brooklyn family is in mourning after a house fire that claimed the lives of seven children all from a single family. Only two managed to escape and tonight are fighting for their lives. Nbcs ron mott has our report. Reporter firefighters rushed to a burning brooklyn home in under three and a half minutes, but still too late to save seven children of a family in one of the citys deadliest fires in years. The youngest victim just 5 years old, four boys three girls. The eldest 16. Officials say their 45yearold mom and another sibling, a 14yearold girl jumped from a second floor window both in critical condition. Its a tragedy for this family. Its a tragedy for this community. Its a tragedy for our city. Reporter Authorities Say they couldnt find any smoke detectors on the first two floors only in the basement. A neighbor who lives here said he heard someone screaming for help shortly after midnight looked out the window and saw flames ripping through the side of the house back here and called 911. Karen rosenblatt says her husband made the call. There were flames coming out of all over the place. Very very heavy thick smoke. You could barely see the house at all. Reporter Officials Say the fire started in the kitchen, a malfunctioning hot plate left onto keep food warm during todays jewish sabbath. As words of the tragedy spread through the largely Orthodox Jewish neighborhood sad and shock. I hope the mother. If she makes it through this i dont know how shes going to face what happened to her family. Reporter new yorks mayor bill de blasio called it unimaginable. This beautiful vibrant family 24 hours ago in tact and now so many lost. And two clinging to life. Reporter ron mott nbc news new york. Tonight, u. S. Special forces are being evacuated from one of the most dangerous countries in the world, yemen. The move comes after a deadly terror attack that claimed more than 100 lives and it could have a Significant Impact on the fight against extremism. Nbc White House CorrespondentKristen Welker has been tracking those developments. Kristen, good evening. Reporter peter, good evening. Sources tell nbc news the u. S. Is pulling its troops from yemen because the threat is just too high. Its a stunning turnaround for a country that president obama had once praised as a counterterrorism success story. After this weeks deadly terrorist attacks in yemen, today the pentagon announced its pulling out 100 special forces the last u. S. Troops in the country. It makes sense. If we cant protect our people they just cant be there. It will have a real impact on counterterrorism operations. Reporter yemen is home to al qaeda in the arabian peninsula, a Training Ground for the underwear bomber convicted of trying to blow up a u. S. Bound jetliner in 2009 where a drone strike killed Anwar Al Awlaki awlaki. Yemens president was a key partner in the u. S. Counterterrorism effort even supporting u. S. Drone strikes. But in january shiite rebel forces drove him into hiding with the country now on the verge of civil war a vacuum has opened for extremist groups. Al qaeda and isis can now expand their presence. And our ability to counter that is very much inhibited. Reporter isis has claimed responsibility for yesterdays mosque bombings and for this weeks Museum Massacre in tunisia. New video shows the two gunmen. I believe isis is not done extending. Its not done showing its shark teeth in yemen or other places. Reporter the white house said it was skeptical that isis was behind the attacks and tried to tamp down concerns. Theres no doubt of how dangerous this is. But theres also evidence to indicate that these kinds of extremists are under continual pressure from the United States and our allies. Reporter but counterterrorism analysts say no matter who is behind the attacks, the fact that isis has claimed responsibility is powerful propaganda. The isis brand, the Islamic State brand, is rising. Reporter a new challenge for the u. S. As yemen descends further into chaos and uncertainty. The special forces being evacuated includes green berets and navy s. E. A. L. S. Peter. Kristen welker at the white house. Tonight president obama is making first Public Comments about Prime Minister netanyahus reelection. I have given it to him given statements prior to the election it is going to be hard to find a path where people are seriously believing that negotiations are possible. So were evaluating whats taking place. For more were joined by our political director and moderator of meet the press, chuck todd. Chuck, all week the white house telegraphed its displeasure with netanyahu after this reelection. So what does that mean for the u. S. And israel Going Forward . Well, what it means and what the president is not so subtley signaling there is that protection of israel at the United Nations when it comes to the issue of palestinians and a twostate issue is no longer guaranteed. Will the United States be there if the palestinians mess around in criminal court . Yes, but will the United States be there and prevent the World Community using the United Nations as a way to outline what a twostate solution could look like to sort of force the issue . It really does sound like to me the answer is no not anymore. That the u. S. Might actually signoff on using the u. N. This way when for years, peter, the policy of the United States has been no stop it at the u. N. And instead let it be direct talks. But now its clear the president just doesnt believe the Prime Minister. And, chuck, as you know just this week House Speaker john boehner announced hes going to go to israel thisr hurt the relationship . I dont think it has anything i dont think it does either to be honest. A member of Congress Going to israel is not news in that respect. It would only mean something if something is said there, if its used as some sort of Public Statement that may be the speaker wants to make against the president , Something Like that which i highly doubt he would do. I wouldnt read too much into it. Chuck tothd, thank you very much. Chuck will have much more on the strained u. S. Israeli relationship tomorrow morning on meet the press. Secretary of state john kerry and other leaders say substantial progress has been made to a nuclear deal with iran. But they warn irans leaders will have to make difficult decisions in order to reach a framework. The comments come ahead of next weeks critical talks. Both sides have ten days to reach a framework for a deal before their deadline. First Lady Michelle obama is winding down a fiveday tour of asia designed to promote an issue thats close to her heart, the education of girls. At least 62 Million Girls in the developing world are not in school something mrs. Obama hopes to change. But in places like cambodia where she visited today, the challenges remain enormous. Heres nbcs ian williams. Reporter she greeted Michelle Obama with the likes of cambodias leader with the lucky ones. Only 20 nationally make it through high school and just a quarter of them are girls. At this school outside she met girls who have stuck with school and shared their hopes and ambitions. Becoming a medical doctor. Reporter mrs. Obama said she was proud and moved by what she heard. We need your input. Reporter but keeping girls at school, the aim of the let Girls Learn Initiative is an enormous challenge here especially in rural areas where girls come under family pressure to marry young and stay home. For ten years shes been trying to change that supporting schools with the aim at getting kids particularly girls, hooked on education from an early age. The aim here is not only to provide practical things like books and uniforms but also to make school fun because in that way they hope the kids will want to keep coming back. School has to be the most exciting thing going on. And then theyll come. And they do. Reporter she calls it lighting a fire of young ambition that can overcome objections from more traditional families. Let girls run will become a peace corps. One aim is to create role model, girls like the 18yearold aspiring doctor who met the first lady. Were you nervous . Yes. I hope that i will become like her. Reporter inspired by a powerful message. When girls get educated when they learn to read and write and think, that gives them the tools to speak up. Reporter later she visited the World Heritage temple. But what she didnt see was the legions of children. A reminder of the huge challenges her initiative faces. Ian williams, nbc news, cambodia. When nightly news continues on this saturday when millions of americans suffer from spring allergies, why this particular season will be nothing to sneeze at. And later, inside the cockpit with the 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. Its happening. Today, more and more people with type 2 diabetes are learning about longacting levemir® an injectable insulin that can give you blood sugar control for up to 24 hours. And levemir® helps lower your a1c. Levemir® comes in flextouch® the only prefilled insulin pen with no pushbutton extension. Levemir® lasts 42 days without refrigeration. Thats 50 longer than lantus® which lasts 28 days. Today im asking about levemir® flextouch®. Levemir® is a longacting insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes and is not recommended to treat diabetic ketoacidosis. Do not use levemir® if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. The most common side effect is low blood sugar, which may cause symptoms such as sweating, shakiness, confusion and headache. Severe low blood sugar can be serious and lifethreatening. Ask your doctor about alcohol use, operating machinery, or driving. Other possible side effects include injection site reactions. Tell your doctor about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions. Check your blood sugar levels. Your insulin dose should not be changed without asking your doctor. Get medical help right away if you have trouble breathing swelling of your face, tongue or throat sweating, extreme drowsiness dizziness, or confusion. Todays the day to ask your doctor about levemir® flextouch®. Covered by nearly all Health Insurance and medicare plans. Today finally marks the first full day of spring but much of the northeast woke up to a fresh layer of snow on the ground. And if that werent bad enough, many people could be feeling the effects of our historic winter long after all the snow melts. Experts say it could mean trouble for the millions of americans who suffer from allergies. Nbcs Anne Thompson has our report. Were going to do some testing on you right now. All right. Reporter across the country americans are giving their right arms and more to relieve their allergies. Scratch tests are an unwelcomed sign of spring. Chris bodden is suffering at school in louisville kentucky. Can get pretty miserable. My nose completely clogs up and i cant breathe at all. Reporter last year the nations allergist named louisville americas spring allergy capital. The bible belt is now the pollen belt. Were seeing a lot of issues particularly in louisville and those areas where chris went to school. Reporter but dr. Clifford basset says no section of the country is exempt. The exceptionally snowy winter will push grasses. While warm temperatures out west are fueling sneezing and wheezing. Does Climate Change have any role in this . Climate change, global warming, Carbon Dioxide tells to produce pollen and the pollen may be supercharged. Reporter every weekday for more than 20 years retired doctor has climbed to the roof of gotlieb Memorial Hospital to record whats in the air outside chicago. Were seeing more and more problem with people with allergists in general. Reporter our warming world is extending the misery. A 2001 study found the ragweed pollen season now lasts an additional two to four weeks across much of the u. S. Another study predicts pollen counts will more than double by 2040. Its not just that allergy season is lasting longer as any Doctors Office will tell you its also starting earlier. So to survive the pollen onslaught, doctors say know your triggers start your medicine a week before symptoms usually occur and shower before going to bed to wash off the pollen so you too can enjoy the wonders of spring. Anne thompson nbc news new york. When we come back a town divided over how to honor the memory of those who served. If you have Medicare Part d, walgreens gets that you might be at the corner of looking for a good deal and sheesh, i wish id looked some more. Thats why walgreens makes it easy to switch your prescriptions and save money. Just stop by. And leave all the legwork to us. Switch your prescriptions to walgreens where you could save even more on Medicare Part d with copays as low as zero dollars. At the corner of happy and healthy. Introducing. A pm pain reliever that dares to work all the way until. The am. New aleve pm the only one to combine a safe sleep aid plus the 12 hour strength of aleve. vo maggie wasnt thrilled when ben and i got married. I knew itd take some time. And her sensitive stomach didnt make things easier. It was hard to know why. The move. Her food. . So we tried purina cat chow gentle. Because its specially formulated for easy digestion. Shes loved it ever since. And as for her and ben. Shes coming around. Purina cat chow gentle. One hundred Percent Complete and balanced for everyday feeding of adult cats. Caring for someone with alzheimers means i am a lot of things. I am his sunshine. I am his advocate. So i asked about adding oncedaily namenda xr to his Current Treatment for moderate to severe alzheimers. It works differently. When added to another alzheimers treatment like aricept® it may improve overall function and cognition. And may slow the worsening of symptoms for a while. Vo namenda xr doesnt change how the disease progresses. It shouldnt be taken by anyone allergic to memantine, or whos had a bad reaction to namenda xr or its ingredients. Before starting treatment, tell their doctor if they have or ever had, a seizure disorder, difficulty passing urine, liver, kidney or bladder problems and about medications theyre taking. Certain medications, changes in diet, or medical conditions may affect the amount of namenda xr in the body and may increase side effects. The most common side effects are headache, diarrhea and dizziness. Hes always been my everything. Now i am giving back. Ask their doctor about adding oncedaily namenda xr. Hows this for a cool shot . A supertide briefly turned franciss into an island today delighting thousands of visitors who came to see this rare phenomenon. Socalled tide of the century happens every 18 years before retreating again. The ancient is linked only by a narrow causeway at high tide. Dozens of u. S. Veterans gathered on the japanese island of iwo jima to mark the 17th anniversary of world war iis bloodiest battle. Americans raised a flag giving hope to the war weary back home. The battle claimed the lives of more than 6,800 americans and 21,000 japanese. Now to a debate thats left a South Carolina town at odds. Its home to a war memorial that honors those who died fighting for this country and lists them by race. But not everyone in greenwood, South Carolina agrees on plans to rewrite that history. Heres nbcs mark potter. Reporter on main street an aging war memorial fallen from world wars 1 and 2, korea and vietnam, korea and vietnaing the nations segregated past listed dead from greenwood as either white or colored. For those seeing it in 2015 can be a shock. Yep, this is kind of sad, isnt it . I grew up here but in black and white, it just bothers me. Reporter it also bothers deeply the mayor ofd, who leads a town thats 42 black. The term colored is offensive. Its offensive to me so i can only imagine how it feels to africanamericans. Reporter the argument that whites and blacks both fought and died should be honored together mayor adams raised 15,000 to build new plaques with all the dead listed alphabetically not be race. I dont think main street is a place where you should be glorifying segregation. Reporter but today those plaques still sit in the Mayors Office after he learned a state law prohibits changing Historical Monuments without a twothirds vote of the legislature. Former National Park historian and painter Eric Williams believes the plaques should stay right where they are to preserve history and teach future generations. They need to know that at one time the country was not always as welcoming and integrated as it is now for different races. Reporter but senator nicholson disagrees. He has introduced a bill to change the plaques honoring the dead. I think thats so important that they be given the same respect. Its not about what race you are. You were willing to fight and give your life for this country. Reporter but it seems unlikely his bill will pass this year. Mayor adams says he is considering a lawsuit against the state demanding the fallen here be honored equally. Mark potter nbc news greenwood, South Carolina. Up next some top gun inspired moves. And we are taking you into the cockpit. And the wolf was huffing and puffing. Kind of like you sometimes, grandpa. Well, when you have copd it can be hard to breathe. It can be hard to get air out, which can make it hard to get air in. So i talked to my doctor. She said. Doctor symbicort could help you breathe better, starting within 5 minutes. Symbicort doesnt replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. Symbicort helps provide significant improvement of your lung function. Symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It should not be taken more than twice a day. Symbicort contains formoterol. Medicines like formoterol increase the risk of death from asthma problems. Symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections osteoporosis, and some eye problems. You should tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high Blood Pressure before taking it. Grandfather symbicort could mean a day with better breathing. Watch out, piggies child giggles doctor symbicort. Breathe better starting within 5 minutes. Call or go online to learn more about a free prescription offer. If you cant afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. The real question that needs to be asked is what is it that we can do that is impactful . What the cloud enables is computing to empower cancer researchers. It used to take two weeks to sequence and analyze a genome; with the microsoft cloud we can analyze 100 per day. Whatever i can do to help compute a cure for cancer, thats what id like to do. 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. Finally tonight, if youre afraid of heights hold onto your hats. Tens of thousands will turn out for this weekends Los Angeles County air show. Among the biggest draws the air force thunderbirds. Nbcs joe fryer managed to hitch a ride. Reporter the proud airmen who fly these fighter jets are impeccably trained pros. And every now and then they let a guy like me tag along. With our pilot major tyler ellison, aka wolf we roar off the runway. Within seconds of leaving the ground. Get ready, here comes some gs. Reporter were flying straight up totally vertical to 17,500 feet off the ground which you can see is directly behind me. Thats just the beginning. For the next hour were sampling all kinds of maneuvers including a loop that takes us completely upside down for a few moments. A window to the world now directly below. So we basically just did a whole loop around like a roller costar. Reporter only hours took about 7,000, 8,000 feet to do. We also do something dubbed the knife edge. Yeah no kidding. Reporter they call this one the eightpoint roll. While theres nothing like experiencing these moves in the cockpit, theyre still pretty cool to see from the ground. When the thunderbirds are going to come and do their sneak pass im going to look away from the jets and look at the crowd. You can see on the faces those kids are hooked. And youre like got that one. Reporter our pilot earned his eded his pilots drivers license. Unique to get a ride to the airport. Reporter eight have combat aviation experience but on this day its just the peaceful skies and low hanging clouds. Call cloud chasing. Reporter of course we also have to experience some gs like this rapid turn so strong for a moment my vision turns gray. Feeling a little gray back there . Reporter finally after a journey that took us 200 miles away we returned to the airfield. Im grateful and overwhelmed. And i did not throw up. Reporter a bucket list mission accomplished. Joe fryer, nbc news lancaster, california. Well be sure to check on joe this weekend. Thats nbc nightly news for this saturday. Im Peter Alexander reporting from new york. For all of us here at nbc news, have a good night. Lights, camera, access. Madonnas new number one album. Was monique backballed from hollywood . Everybody, welcome to access hollywood. Im shaun robinson. We start with madonna. Shes been fierce and unstoppable. In our new interview, madonna talked openly about lordes going to college and her new music. We began the interview wanting to know what went on with that kid. After her brit awards fall madonna called her armani beautiful and that it was tied