flooding neighborhoods in florida homes suddenly evacuated. the race now to contain ji major league battle the governor of georgia hits back after major league baseball pulls its all-star game from a state in protest of their controversial new voting law >> major league baseball caved to fear and lies from liberal activists. >> will other companies follow and the mummy returns. the spectacularly elaborate ceremony today in egypt as dozens of mummies are transported to their new home >> this is "nbc nightly news" with jose diaz balart >> good evening. it's a symbol of our country's democracy and openness, but once again yesterday, the capitol building was attacked today family and colleagues mourn the loss of a capitol hill police officer killed while defending it we're also learning new details about the final days of the suspect who rammed his car into a security barrier, attacking officers and there are new questions about how to secure the capitol while still keeping it open as the people's house. we have two reports tonight, and we begin with kelly o'donnell >> reporter: today at the capitol, new concrete barriers placed near the now closed and padlocked entrance yellow police tape, the visible signs of friday's tragedy the suspect's car towed away from where authorities say 25-year-old noah green rammed a barricade in a deadly attack that killed an officer and the suspect. today law enforcement visited a covington, virginia, home about three hours outside washington, d.c. where the former college football player had grown up the "washington post" reports green's family issued a statement citing his depression and potential mental illness, adding that green was not a terrorist by any means. green's motive is a key question on social media he wrote about losing his job. honor fallen officer billy evans. in a letter to house nancy pe, she conveyed the prayers of congress to evan's mother janice and children logan and abigail. evans grew up in massachusetts where family friends remember him >> i think that the joy that billy found in being a dad, the love he had for his kids, he had a terrific sense of humor. >> reporter: evan served 18 years and was a member of the first responders unit. >> he was so proud to be on that force and to, you know, serve and protect our lawmakers and our country. >> most respected among his colleagues in washington with the capitol police when they lost billy evans, they lost someone special. >> reporter: today a deeply grateful u.s. capitol police department acknowledged the support we've received from around the world. >> kelly, what do we know about the second officer who was injured in the attack? >> reporter: jose, capitol police's most recent update is that he is in stable condition. they have not said anything more publicly including that officer's name nbc news was able to get in touch with the mother of the suspect, noah green, who is now deceased she declined to talk about her son publicly but said she has cooperated with law enforcement. jose >> kelly o'donnell in washington, thank you. the death of officer evans is another blow to the capitol hill police force still reeling after the january attack tonight there are new questions about how to keep the capitol building safe while maintaining it as a symbol of democracy. van hilliard has that part of the story. >> reporter: the threat of domestic attacks here in washington january 6. an insurrection of the u.s. capitol then again friday, the killing of a capitol police officer >> we have to get to the root cause of this violence >> reporter: in the months after the january attack, washington fortified its capitol grounds. >> it looks terrible to have the beacon of our democracy surrounded by razor wire and national guard troops >> reporter: the temporary outer barbed wire barrier came down, leaving just this fencing capitol police officers and this existing barrier to respond to friday's attack >> the capitol police have to be ready 24/7 and they need the resources to do it >> reporter: lieutenant general russell honore released a review last month with proposals for permanent security reforms, including the hiring of more than 850 additional personnel, an integrated retractible fencing system, and quick response crisis units. >> partly because it is the center of power of our democracy >> reporter: congressman ryan chairs the sub committee that oversees the capitol police as lawmakers work on a $2 billion bill that would provide the cash necessary to implement the security upgrades. >> we can't get too far ahead of ourselves without knowing we have the ability to protect the capitol. >> reporter: capitol hill residents have bared witness to what is now a changed neighborhood >> this is our home. to have such violence in our backyard is devastating. >> vaughn, this has taken a huge toll on capitol police >> reporter: now four capitol police officers passed away this year following attacks on the capitol. and there are currently 233 openings on this force. they're understaffed and overworked, enduring an emotional 2021 jose >> vaughn, thank you we hit a new milestone in the race to vaccinate the country. more than 4 million people were vaccinated yesterday. that's a new record. more than 100 million americans are now vaccinated but there are concerns of a possible new surge. take a look at this map. more than two dozen states are seeing increases in cases tonight we'll take a step back and put all of this into context just how bad is this surge? sam brock breaks it down for us. >> reporter: this weekend, easter celebrations come with cautionary words >> please be careful >> right now i'm scared >> reporter: health experts warning of a fourth wave. how would this version stack up to past surges first up, cases which are rising nationally. but miles from the winter surge that peaked at over 300,000 in one day right now the weekly average is 64,000 infections a day that's an 8% bump from a week ago >> this is about where the peak of the summer wave was last summer so there are a lot of infections happening right now but it's nothing like the horrible surge that we saw over the holidays. still a lot of infections more than 1,000 americans dying every day. we are not out of the woods. >> reporter: there appears to be a strong geographic component of the 27 states on the rise, the vast majority are in the midwest and northeast. especially michigan and new england. on the flip side, states in the south are dropping many without mask mandates, including texas. florida is one of the few exceptions up around 14%, but not the explosion of cases expected with spring break and the nation's largest count of new variants health experts say warmer weather keeping people outdoors combined with lower rates of testing might explain the southern trends which brings us to a second critical measure, hospitalizations there's a modest 2% uptick in weekly average. the 34,000 right now are about a quarter of the all-time high over the winter as a seismic shift in who is getting sick appears underway >> we do see that the average age of hospitalizations for covid has shifted to a younger demographic, and that is national >> reporter: in florida, a huge percentage of the people are 65 or older but many of those are vaccinated the median age now of someone contracting covid-19 is 35 years old. in miami-dade county, hospitalizations from the virus have dropped 10% in 2 weeks in massachusetts, the department of health says people under 40 now make up the majority of new cases. as for coronavirus deaths, those are dipping slightly about 850 a day off a high of almost 4,400 in january with fatalities in nursing homes falling dramatically right as vaccines inject unbridled hope, health experts say countries like israel and the uk saw cases plummet when vaccinations reached about 30% of the population the u.s. just weeks away from that with 1% of all americans getting a dose every day. sam, you mentioned cases are up a little in florida what about the fear of a massive surge from spring break >> reporter: experts point out, it's mostly young people coming down here, going back home, not traveling further and in many cases, not getting tested jose >> sam brock in miami beach, thank you a part of florida is on the verge of a major economic and ecological disaster. hundreds of millions of gallons of toxic radioactive waste water are at risk of breachin and flowing into the neighborhood and the bay below. they say get out now here's kathy park to race to contain it >> reporter: tonight a state of emergency outside of tampa in an area known as piney point where there is growing fear a reservoir holding millions of gallons of radioactive water could collapse, becoming an environmental disaster >> today onsite engineers deemed the situation to be escalating the containment wall at the leak site shifted laterally signifying structural collapse could occur at any time. >> reporter: local officials are evacuating homes and closing off roads in manatee county, telling residents in the area to get out now. >> we might get sick i should be wearing a mask right now like i said, let's hope for the best. >> reporter: the leak was found more than a week ago in one of the walls of the 77-acre reservoir which contains waste left over from the production of fertilizer crews have been working around the clock removing as much water as possible to avoid a catastrophe. >> at this point it will enter the waterways one way or another. as a result, it will probably cause things like algae blooms which end up killing off fish and other hazards to the ecosystem as a result. >> reporter: tonight a race against time as the community remains on high alert. kathy park, nbc news mlb pulled the all-star game from the state yesterday over the controversial voting law today its governor fired back here's steve patterson. >> reporter: major league baseball is now back in full swing the most radical play so far comes from the league itself pulling its extravagant all-star game and draft weekend out of atlanta. tonight georgia's governor brian kemp crying foul, calling it a cave to cancel culture. >> they're coming to your game or event in your hometown and they're coming to cancel everything from sports to how you make a living >> reporter: the mlb's decision a reaction to the state's controversial new voting laws which among other restrictions limits access to drop boxes, absentee voting and critics say, targets black voters with heavy new requirements in atlanta today, praise over the move -- >> the mlb is right in pulling the all-star game from atlanta. >> reporter: former president barack obama tweeting today, congratulations to the mlb for taking a stand on behalf of voting rights while former president trump fired, boycott baseball and all the woke companies that are interfering with free and fair elections. that stance is decidedly social assistance is risky for the league and a major blow to the economy already upended by the pandemic >> we were expecting a high rise in people here now we're not expecting that anymore. >> reporter: voting rights activist stacey abrams commended the league i respect boycotts although i don't want to see families hurt by lost events and jobs georgia isn't alone. legislators in 47 states have introduced more than 360 bills with restrictive provisions tonight, major american companies decrying voting restrictions as a move by america's past time sends shock waves across the cultural spectrum. steve patterson, nbc news still ahead, remote learning has had its challenges, but tonight we learn about some of the surprising benefits. also, in egypt, a new home for fabled mummies thousands of years in the making. the last year of remote education has disrupted learning like never before. the number of students failing, feeling isolated and depressed has soared studies are showing some unexpected benefits here's rehema ellis. >> reporter: 12-year-old dalton has hearing and vision loss and because he also has some anxiety and adhd, his mom lane says before remote learning, his days at school were difficult. >> he was coming home and he was crying. he was feeling lying he was behind. >> reporter: but not anymore. >> he's pretty much getting all a's now. >> reporter: what is that like? >> okay, okay, don't let her rub it in. >> reporter: you can brag a little bit. for dalton, learning remotely eliminates classroom distractions and now he's using digital tools like live captioning that help him understand what the teacher is saying >> if he gets his work done, he gets to g off camera and take a break. >> reporter: that couldn't happen if he were in the school building >> it just wouldn't be possible he loves it. >> reporter: it is a sentiment echoed by some parents, now noticing their kids thriving with online learning according to a new nationwide survey of more than 1,500 parents of students k-12, 62% reported a somewhat or very positive experience with remote schooling, improving their child's math, reading and speaking skills. dr. michael rich runs the digital wellness lab at boston children's hospital. >> are we on the brink of what could be a revolution in learning in america >> i believe so. >> reporter: the covid lockdown has given researchers a unique chance to study how technology has changed the way children connect with others, both in and out of school >> what we're actually finding is that particularly for kids who are shy or don't speak up in class, kids who have been bullied, kids who have a hard time expressing themselves, that the more one-on-one interaction that remote learning gives you actually had them come out of their shells >> reporter: while dalton is eager to be back with his friends -- >> i do miss havin people around that i can talk to. >> reporter: his mom wants a hybrid approach to learning that better accommodates dalton's needs. my hope is that we learn through all this that every child has a different learning style. >> reporter: a study in remote schooling that could reshape the future of american education. rehema ellis, nbc news we're back in a moment with the star nfl quarterback now under investigation amidst allegations of sexual misconduct. and this easter weekend, churches are back open. will people be back in the pews back now with news that an nfl star is being investigated by police deshaun watson quarterback for the houston texans has been accused by 21 women in suits alleging sexua misconduct now the houston police department says it is investigating a complaint against him. watson has denied any wrongdoing and his lawyer said he'll welcome the investigation and plans to fully cooperate. today on the eve of easter sunday, the pope had a message for his flock amid these dark times he urged people not to lose hope. that it is always possible to begin again. tomorrow's easter mass at the vatican will be for a small group of followers as it was last year. also, it will be indoors so crowds don't form in the piazza outside italy is under a strict lockdown. here at home millions are preparing to celebrate easter, as well. last year during the peak of the pandemic very few churches opened for services. this year churches are opening back up. will worshippers return here's kevin tibbles as part of our series, "keeping the faith." snoetd we thank you ♪ >> reporter: rejoice, a new spring and new home >> i cried when i saw a lot of folks that i hadn't seen in a long time >> reporter: harlem st. charles catholic church reawakened. >> my relationship with god has gotten very much stronger >> that is our experience -- >> reporter: after a year in pandemic wilderness, holding services remotely, places of worship now slowly, safely welcome back their flock, socially distanced 76% of churchgoers say they now would feel comfortable returning to the pews. >> it was a blessing to see so many people right here in the church again ♪ hold your head up high ♪ >> reporter: in texas, despite the state's reopening, dr. joe ratliff continues virtual services only for the sake of elderly congregants. >> i still think i would rather err o the side of caution at this point >> reporter: this is a special time for many world religions, easter, passover, the beginning of ramadan it is also a challenging time for not only how we worship but for faith itself >> blessed is the one -- >> reporter: mother erica takus welcomes churchgoers in restricted numbers >> where has god been the last year? >> god has been everywhere the church is the people it is the community. not the building >> reporter: when the building could not open, faith remained >> i think faith is what gets you through times like this. >> ask god to help heal everyone. stop this pandemic, to stop the violence, to stop everything. >> has your faith been challenged >> no. if anything, it has become stronger, really >> reporter: strength in a year of daunting challenges kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. when we come back, 22 ancient mummies take a road trip in cairo. we'll take you along for the ride it was a royal procession like no other. in egypt today mum ris who reigned thousands of years ago made their way to a new home >> reporter: a royal procession on the streets of cairo mummies escorted by an elaborate entourage complete with an honor guard and a 21-gun salute 18 kings and 4 queens traveling just 48 minutes from the old egyptian museum to the new state-of-the-art national museum of egyptian civilization. 3,000 years after they were buried, these kings and queens once again receiving full royal honors the process, a delicate one before their journey, the ancient bodies x-rayed, sealed in nitrogen, and moved in special vehicles to keep them safe >> reporter: after a deadly train crash in egypt last week, and chaos in the suez canal, some wondering if the parade was cursed the top archaeologist dismissing superstitions. >> everyone said this is the curse of the mummies. i said there is no curse of the mummies >> reporter: egypt hope it is multimillion dollar spectacle will revive a tourism industry hard hit by the pandemic and for one night, bring long dead pharohs back to life cairo. >> that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday thank you for the privilege of your time good night right now at 6:00, a new covid variant right here in the bay area. scientists revealing they knowo again. news at 6 starts right now. good evening. thanks for joining us. i'm terry mcsweeney. we've been here before, weeks of cases on a downward trend but starting to rise again. california reported more than 4800 new cases yesterday, more than double the cases reported thursday. there are new concerns over a new variant scientists discovered in the bay area. reachers say it has two mutations, first identified in india. stanford believe it is the first case in the u.s. dr. patel of the brookings institution explains why this should be on the radar. >> the reason the double mutation is becoming a specific concern there is one mutation on the double on the spike protein is particularly evasive and can cause your immune system to escape and be able to get reinfected.