knowingly sending children to class with covid, infecting others. the school shooting in michigan. were the parents of the suspected shooter on the run before their capture? new information tonight from the owner of the warehouse where they were found. the new allegation of sexual misconduct against news anchor chris cuomo brother of new york's former governor made hours after his firing from cnn. nbc news investigates how the growth in electric cars is leading to the destruction of critical rain forests. and a holiday tradition like no other. the new york city ballet's nutcracker is back and beautiful with some changes to the cast. this is nbc "nightly news" with kate snow. >> good evening. it is never easy to say good-bye to a legend, someone who no matter what your politics, everyone could agree made an impact in the u.s. senate, for veterans, for people with disabilities. bob dole died today at the age of 98 as his family pointed out at his passing he had been in service to his country for 79 years. two pictures help tell the story of his long life. he was wounded in battle in world war ii, an injury that stayed with him. in one of his last public appearances he summoned all his strength to stand from his wheelchair to salute a fallen veteran, former president george h.w. bush. even after leaving politics, he never stopped helping those who serve this country. kelly o'donnell has this tonight. >> reporter: at the u.s. capitol the american flag that bob dole long served now flies at half staff in his honor. >> at every stage of my life i've been a witness to the greatness of this country. >> reporter: senator, presidential candidate, champion for veterans and people with disabilities. >> the disability community is not large but it's important. >> reporter: from a kansas farm to fields of combat. bob dole carried grave wounds of world war ii through decades of public service. tonight, remembered by presidents of both parties. president biden writing, may our nation draw upon his legacy of decency, dignity, good humor, and patriotism for all time. donald trump called dole a true patriot. george w. bush, i will always remember bob's salute to my late dad at the capitol. and now we bush's salute bob. from barack obama, his sharp wit was matched only by his integrity. bill clinton who defeated dole in 1996 cited dole's bipartisanship. i enjoyed our combat and our cooperation even more. a republican power broker in the senate as majority leader, dole was gerald ford's running mate in '76 and sought the presidency himself three times. >> tonight i stand before you tested by adversity, made sensitive by hardship, a fighter by principle, and the most optimistic man in america. [cheers and applause] >> reporter: in his 90s, dole returned to visit every county in kansas. >> one time i can say to you that i don't want any of your money. [ laughter ] >> reporter: known for his dry humor, parodies on "saturday night live" and played straight man to john stewart >> i agreed to serve in case there's a tie. >> i knew you'd find a way to get in there. >> reporter: father to daughter robin from his first marriage. married 46 years to senator elizabeth dole, his partner in life, politics, and advocacy that carried on beyond elective office. her foundation announced this morning, with heavy hearts, that dole had passed in his sleep. he was 98 >> i leave you all tonight with a full heart and a fervent prayer that we'll meet again. >> reporter: robert dole, a son of kansas, impaired by war, tested by politics, lifted by his commitment to country. kelly o'donnell, nbc news. >> so much of bob dole's legacy was shaped by his time as a soldier. while in politics and especially afterwards, he always fought for those who served. andrea mitchell takes a look back. >> reporter: at the world war ii memorial in washington on many a weekend, an old soldier reporting for duty. >> thank you for your service. >> reporter: former second lieutenant bob dole in the final years of a lifetime of public service, having led the fundraising campaign to build a memorial honoring all those who served in a war that forever changed his life. >> whether you're in the army, navy, marines, merchant marines, but, you know, if i'm in town i'll be here. and during the week sometimes i come on wednesday and thursday. saturday is generally the big day. >> reporter: the young dole was a star high school football player in a small hometown of russell, kansas, planning to become a surgeon. called to active duty in 1943, he was 21 years old with the 10th mountain division in italy on april 14th, 1945, when the germans began firing on his platoon. >> the morning i was wounded my radio man had been wounded and i crawled out trying to get him back in the little ravine. and i got shot. and he didn't make it. he passed away. so i tried, but i couldn't save him. >> reporter: flying metal hit dole's right shoulder and arm breaking several bones in his neck and spine. it was two weeks before the end of the war in europe. back home, he underwent seven operations over three years, lost a kidney, and the use of his right arm. no longer able to pursue his dream of becoming a surgeon, he turned to law and politics. although he couldn't shake hands and always clutched a pen in his fist so people wouldn't try. his war time service also gave special focus to much of his work in congress, shaping tax policy, farm programs, and antidiscrimination laws and other measures to make america more accessible to the disabled. summing up his storied career, for tom brokaw, this way. >> my proudest title is veteran, of all the other titles i've had. >> reporter: andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. now to the nation's battle against covid. in a few hours new travel rules will go into effect for those entering the u.s. as we learn more about the new omicron variant and how dangerous it might be. >> reporter: tonight a last-minute scramble to get to the u.s. before new travel restrictions go into effect at midnight. >> it is just really challenging. so much so i don't actually know if we'll be able to do it. >> reporter: all visitors must now show a negative covid test the day before boarding. some canceling their flights all together. >> it's devastating. it really is. we booked at the start of the year so we've had a huge lead up to it so to be let down at the last, unfortunately. >> reporter: a drastic attempt to stop the spread of omicron now found in 40 countries including the u.s. where at least 17 states have reported positive cases. >> there is an indication of community spread. >> reporter: the first case in minnesota, a man who had recently traveled to an animae convention in new york city now tells the "new york times" that around 15 of his friends have also tested positive for covid. it is not known if they have omicron. connecticut reporting its first case late saturday also linked to the convention. but the delta variant remains the top threat. >> we have about 90 to 100,000 cases a day right now in the united states and in 99.9% of them are the delta variant. >> reporter: in california, parents are frustrated after one family knowingly sent their two children infected with covid to school, forcing 75 students into modified quarantine. >> this is a time when every single person needs to act with integrity. this is one family's error that had a dramatic impact on our school. >> reporter: while omicron has everyone on high alert, some encouraging news about the variant's effects. >> although it is too early to really make any definitive statements about it, thus far it does not look like there is a great degree of severity to it. >> joining us now from los angeles international airport, in addition to the new restrictions are the travel bans from some countries still in place? >> reporter: kate, they are. but dr. fauci did say this morning the biden administration is re-evaluating the bans on the eight african countries and hopes that they will be lifted soon. kate? >> thank you. we're learning new details about the moments leading up to the tragic school shooting in michigan. tonight the suspected shooter and his parents are all in custody with growing scrutiny being put on the school, itself. we'll go to pontiac, michigan, for the latest. >> reporter: tonight the suspected high school shooter and his parents under close surveillance. >> all three of them, the son and both parents, are segregated, each individually, in isolation. we have advanced watch on them. >> reporter: james and jennifer crumbley joining their son in jail after being captured and charged saturday with four counts each of involuntary manslaughter. >> how do you plead to count one? >> not guilty. >> how are you pleading to count four? >> not guilty. >> reporter: the couple was arrested inside this art studio early saturday morning where police say they were hiding out. a person of interest, speaking to nbc news through his attorney. >> he definitely didn't know they were fugitives at that point. the minute he found out, he went to the detroit police department and immediately wanted to give them information. >> reporter: now the school releasing new details on what happened in the hours leading up to the shooting. a teacher discovering the suspect's disturbing drawing. >> a drawing of a person who appears to have been shot twice and bleeding. below that figure is a drawing of a laughing emoji. >> reporter: the school says the incident was immediately reported to the school counselor but that the suspect told them the drawing was part of a video game he was designing. his parents arrived for an emergency meeting and were told to put the teen in counseling within 48 hours. school officials say the parents refused to take their son home. after counsellors determined the 15-year-old wasn't a threat they sent him back to class. hours later, the suspect allegedly opening fire in a packed hallway, killing four students. is it possible school officials could face charges? >> it is possible, yes. >> reporter: the impact of the latest tragedy on full display saturday night. >> please rise for a moment of silence as we honor the lives that were lost. >> reporter: the university of michigan football team honoring the victims at the big 10 championship, paying special tribute to oxford high school running back tate myre. >> dedicated the game to him. for his courage and what he did. >> it is all so sad. hundreds of copy cat threats were made in the days following this tragedy, right? what do we know about those threats and where they stand? >> reporter: kate, seven teenagers all under the age of 16 have been charged with making threats against their schools in the detroit metro area. law enforcement has been clear they are aggressively going after every threat. kate? >> all right. thank you. still ahead tonight, new sexual misconduct allegations tonight, new sexual misconduct allegations against chris cuomo what is... an overpass? come on! question, is that an “s” or a “5”? 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>> yes, yes. we have filed paperwork because i think we still have about four years to go with the current area. >> reporter: global demand for nickel is surging expected to grow ten times over the next decade experts say. >> diversification of where nickel is mined is definitely under way. there is a significant amount of momentum toward different parts of asia. >> reporter: that is because nickel is increasingly used in the stuff that powers our lives. things like tablets. the phones we use every day. but the biggest demand for nickel right now? the batteries in electric vehicles. these are eye popping numbers. ev sales will be surging over the rest of this decade. it is a top priority for the president. >> we'll set a new pace for electric vehicles. >> reporter: leading the way? tesla, now the nation's top seller of evs and desperate for the resources to make their clean energy cars go. nbc news has tracked nickel, mined from the philippine rain forest via processing factories in japan and on to tesla in california. the ceo elon musk saying last year -- >> any mining companies out there, please mine more nickel. tesla will give you a giant contract for a long period of time if you mine nickel efficiently and in an environmentally sensitive way. >> reporter: when it comes to the rain forest, every tree counts in the battle against climate change. once destroyed, restoration is difficult. is there a way to restore the mining site back to what it was like before hand? >> there are some challenges with that. engineering and figuring out a way to get the land back to its natural state is incredibly difficult. >> reporter: indigenous groups living near the mine say they are wary of the proposed expansion. this rice farmer speaking with our reporting partner in the philippines. she is worried it will cause landslides during the rainy season and contaminate the water. the company denies causing any contamination and says it is handling the project with great sensitivity to the rain forest and the local people. is it your feeling that we simply have to trade off some bits of our planet in order to have the life we want to build here? >> yes. i think human development, there has been a series of trade-offs over the years. >> reporter: a stark reminder that even clean energy comes with an environmental cost. jake ward, nbc news, san francisco. when we come back, we'll take you back stage for the magical return of the holiday stage for the magical return of the holiday wow... that's so nice! is that a photo of tepechitlan? 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>> since 1954 every single year. >> except last year. >> except last year. first time in our history we did not put on a live production of "the nutcracker" which makes this year even more special. >> reporter: dancers and crew get covid tests weekly and everyone wears masks during rehearsals. they did have to make some hard decisions. when they planned the show months ago, children under 12 could not be vaccinated. so they cast kids 12 and older for roles that normally are played by younger dancers. when you guys come on stage do you feel wow? >> oh, definitely. being on this stage is the most amazing feeling. >> when the curtains open and you see the whole audience in the theater it feels really beautiful. >> reporter: these seventh graders are marie and the prince. >> i didn't expect it because in a normal year i would have been a little too tall for that role. >> reporter: they've both been in the show twice before and were crushed when last year was canceled. >> the pandemic last year i think for everyone in the world was just so difficult. to be back now is amazing. >> i think all of the students right now are just enjoying and holding on to every moment. i think we are grateful for having "the nutcracker." >> reporter: with bigger kids they used the opportunity to remake costumes in their original colors. what inspires you about what you do here every night? >> we bring a beautiful art form to so many people night after night. and what i think more than ever people needed that escape. >> having no "nutcracker" is like missing a part of your christmas. >> for so many people it is a tradition to come and watch "the nutcracker" at lincoln center and it is so nice to be part of that experience. >> reporter: a holiday comeback reminding us all how special the tradition is. [cheers and applause] >> it was wonderful to see. it takes nearly 300 people to put on that show, all so happy to be back at it. that is nbc "nightly news" on this sunday. lester holt is with you tomorrow. i'm kate snow. for all of us at nbc news, stay safe and for all of us at nbc news, stay safe and have a great night. ♪ ♪ tequila herradura. extraordinary awaits. it's the most joyous time of the year. ♪ especially at t-mobile! let's go to dianne. can you tell us what's happening? yeah, i got the awesome new iphone 13 pro and airpods, and t-mobile is paying for them both! oooh and i get a free year of apple tv+ and this is for new and existing t-mobile and sprint customers. like me! back to you. uh, hello!? we are going to t-mobile! upgrade to the iphone 13 pro and airpods both on us. only at t-mobile. ♪ ♪ tequila herradura. extraordinary awaits. >> announcer: nbc sports, home of the olympic games, the premier league, the pga tour, "sunday night football," and super bowl lxi, only on nbc. we are here for the party in our house. >> energy! >> from start to finish! >> chiefs! >> waiting all day for sunday night. let's get it. ♪ nothing could surprise you you thought you had seen