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"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening. it's over. the armed siege captivating the nation's attention for weeks has reached a dramatic conclusion. the woods of oregon, the anti-government protesters occupying a wildlife refuge have surrendered to the fbi. tens of thousands listened to it play out. joe fryer is in oregon and starts us off with late details. >> reporter: tense moments on the 41st day of the wildlife refuge occupation, all of it broadcast live online. after three holdouts turn themselves in, the fourth and final og pier, david fry, refuses to surrender. >> i'm a free man, i >> reporter: before finally peaceful lip giving up. >> if everybody says hallelujah, i'll come out. >> when they said hallelujah, he came out. >> reporter: the fbi moved in last night. tens of thousands were listening. >> let's be clear. armed occupation of federal property is a crime. it is not a peaceful protest. >> reporter: among those negotiating with the group reverend franklin graham, son of billy gram, and michelle fiori. >> never lost faith. i came here with a mission, and the mission was accomplished. >> reporter: armed militants took over the wildlife refuge nearly six weeks ago protesting federal ownership of western lands. killed in a confrontation with law enforcement, and last night clive bundy was taken into custody portland airport. he was not part of the occupation, rather his arrest is from a standoff with armed forces. bundy joins his sons behind bars. the occupation is over. the refuge will still be closed for weeks. the sheriff calls it a crime, the fbi said it must be searched for explosives. in all, 25 people linked to the occupation have now been indicted on federal felony charges. lester? >> joe fryer in oregon, thank you. a major endorsement for hillary clinton is spotlighting the critical battle under way for african-american votes in south carolina. a february 27th democratic primary there will be bern i sanders' first cast in the south, and before a large number of black voters. today clinton, who polls show hold a substantial lead among black voters got an arm from a civil rights icon, who to sanders delivered just a shot. nbc's kristen welker has details. >> reporter: as hillary clinton and bernie sanders prepare to face off in milwaukee tonight, there are already fireworks. >> there's no one else better to be prepared to be president of the united states of america than hillary clinton. >> reporter: the influential political arm backing clinton today. it was congressman john lewis who delivered a major blow to sanders, questioning how active he was in the civil rights movement. >> i never saw him. i never met him. i was involved in the sit-ins, the freedom ride, but i met president clinton. >> reporter: the sanders campaign, bernie is a great admirer of lewis. releasing this endorsement video featuring the young daughter of eric choke hold in 2014. >> to go up against the criminal justice system. that's why i'm for bernie. >> reporter: all underscoring the importance of the african vote, like south carolina, where clinton leads sanders among african-americans 74% to 17%. one challenge for sanders, his complicated relationship with president obama, on display during an interview with nbc's kasi hunt where they discussed the gap. >> you don't think president obama has successfully closed that gap? >> no, i don't. i think he's made the effort. when i talk about a political revolution is bringing millions and millions of people into the political process. >> reporter: the clinton campaign firing back. >> considering how little senator sanders has to show for his 25 years in congress, the idea that he would be giving leadership lectures to president obama is absurd. >> reporter: our president obama's approval rating among african-americans in south carolina is at 92%. so expect secretary clinton to again embrace him tonight in what could be the most contentious debate yet. lester? >> kristen, thank you. the republicans face off in south carolina a week earlier than the dems, a week from saturday. tonight much of the fight to take down the high-flying donald trump is taking place on the ground there. ted cruz who won the first contest in iowa is trying to bounce back from his loss this week in new hampshire with an aggressive ground game and a direct attack on trump's conservative credentials. with more, here's hallie jackson. >> reporter: matt wells quit his sales job in iowa to sell ted cruz instead alongside 10,000 volunteers in south carolina. >> i can get another job when i get back. i can't get another country. >> it's a risky move, >> i'll go back to iowa and go back to work and all that. try to help ted win here first. >> reporter: wells is one of nearly 10,000 volunteers here in south carolina, making some 25,000 phone calls a day. part of the organization cruz is depending on to topple donald trump here, like he did in iowa. >> the state of south carolina, i don't think people are interested in someone, a republican candidate who's pushed partial birth abortion, who won't defend marriage. >> reporter: cruz's strategy, paint trump as too liberal, with more ads like this one on the way. >> he pretends to be a republican. >> reporter: for his part, trump seems to be playing a more positive political game than before. >> it's going to be such an unbelievable week and a half. >> reporter: but in the more mannerly south, his more colorful language may be a big turnoff. >> he gets the nomination they're going to sue his [ bleep ] off. >> reporter: as the >> it's crass. >> it's nonprofessional. >> a leading presidential candidate saying profanity from a stage. >> reporter: marco rubio and jeb bush, meanwhile, taking shots at the front-runner -- >> how do you think donald trump going to washington will solve anything. >> jeb bush has no foreign policy experience, period. >> reporter: trying to prove south carolina isn't simply a two-man fight. underscoring that point, a new cruz ad slamming rubio for being nothing more than a pretty face. this race getting rough-and-tumble already, with nasty new robocalls. in a new twist, jeb sh is getting backup on the trail from his brother, former president george w. bush making his campaign debut on monday. lester? >> hallie, jackson, thank you. it's always there, lurking, and now the dreaded polar vortex is heading south, bringing with it the coldest air of the season for tens of millions of us. al roker joins us with the details. >> yeah, lester, it deadly weather coming in. the polar vortex is already there, but it will shift over to the northern atlantic. the jet stream dips to the south. that means that cold air spills south of the canadian border, into the northeast, and the midwest, bringing some of our colder temperatures that we have seen yet. bismarck tomorrow will feel like 7, minus 7 in minneapolis. 13 in cleveland. as we get into saturday morning, you'll see those temperatures single digits and below. and we bottom out sunday morning, records possible in boston with minus 5, 2 in new york city, 4 inn rochester, 1 in pittsburgh, roanoke 10. you get out west, it's going to feel like a different season. from seattle all the way to roswell and down to san diego, it will actually feel like temperatures in april and may. so we've got two different countries depending on where you live. >> al, thanks. good to have you here. the international olympic committee tried to reassure the world today that all taken to fight the zika virus ahead of the games in rio. but u.s. officials are taking their own precautions as we hear from a star athlete casting doubt on whether she'll compete. the outbreak has led to an emergency appeal from top u.s. officials, health officials. as our rehema ellis reports. >> reporter: puerto rico could be the next hot spot for the zika virus, warns the cdc, testifying before the senate today. >> at some point we may well see tens or hundreds of thousands of zika infections in puerto rico. >> reporter: this news as the u.s. olympic committee announced it's hiring two infectious disease experts to advise the 500 athletes hoping to compete in brazil. including soccer star hope solo. >> if i had to decide today, i would not go. fortunately, the summer olympics are about six months away. i think we have time to get our doubts and >> reporter: the soccer teams will compete in areas even morere vulnerable to zika than rio. one is near the amazon rain forest. another in an area where the number of zika cases are especially high. >> i don't think soccer being so close to the rain forest where there's more mosquitoes. i take my health very seriously. we all do. >> reporter: new research has found more evidence linking zika to babies born with microcephalus. olympic athletes have competed while pregnant, there were five during the london games in 2012, including gold medalest kerry walsh jennings. >> we'll be waiting to hear what steps will be taken to make sure everything's safe and secure. >> reporter: with women making up half the american team, the countdown to the olympics is on. rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. a california utility company now says it's finally stopped the leak from a ruptured well that has been spewing natural gas into the air near los angeles. making peoeoe sick and forcing thousands of families from their homes in porter ranch. it's been leaking for nearly four months. invisible to the naked eye, but the giant cloud apparent in infrared images. the plug is a temporary fix, but if it holds, it will be cemented closed. they face a lawsuit over the investigations in all this. nato is intervening in the massive refugee crisis sparked by the war in syria. it's deploying patrol boats to intercept migrant smugglers. as many flee syria, others are trapped, including hundreds of thousands in syria's largest city. nbc's chief foreign correspondent, richard engel, shows us the desperation inside aleppo. >> reporter: the syrian regime has been fighting rebels in aleppo for years now. but an air strike is clearing the way. are advancing and destroyingnghe city in the process. activists in the white helmets dig through the rubble for survivors. they provided us with this footage to show the world what is happening in aleppo. one of the volunteers told us by skype that he fears the city's fall is near. >> we are so worried, because if we lose aleppo, we lose all the war. >> reporter: the russian involvement changes the game? >> yes. absolutely. it changes everything. >> reporter: aiding, he says, 70,000 people already escaping aleppo in the last few weeks. panic is spreading in aleppo that the regime plans to starve the city into submission. it's a tactic they've used in other places. >> that's why we are sending this to you and all the world. we need help. >> reporter: what kind of help do you need? what are you looking for? >> now, we need just to stop the russians. russians say they are bombing isis targets in aleppo, but ismael said that's just an excuse. >> we don't have any isis. they just helping the forces and killing us. >> reporter: the u.n. said 300,000 people are still stranded inside aleppo and fears an unprecedented wave of refugees may be leaving the city in the next few days. making the world's refugee crisis far worse. richard engel, nbc news, new york. there is a lot more to tell you about tonight. still ahead, new details about that nightmare cruise. we'll hear firsthand from those onboard it. 30-foot waves battered the ship. one newlywed said she feared she would die on her honeymoon. they could be the first astronauts on mars, and there's if you have postmenopausal osteoporosis and a high risk for fracture... i can tell you prolia is bones from fracture. but the real proof? my doctor said prolia helped my bones get stronger. are your bones getting stronger? do not take prolia if you have low blood calcium, are pregnant, are allergic to it, or take xgeva . serious allergic reactions, such as low blood pressure; trouble breathing; throat tightness; face, lip, or tongue swelling; rash, itching or hives have happened in people taking prolia . tell your doctor about dental problems, as severe jaw bone problems may happen, or new or unusual pain in your hip, groin or thigh, as unusual thigh bone fractures have occurred. prolia can cause serious side effects, including low blood calcium, serious infections. which could require hospitalization; skin problems; and severe bone, joint or muscle pain. only prolia helps strengthen and protect bones with 2 shots a year. i have proof prolia works for me. can it work for you? ask your doctor about prolia today. caring for someone with alzheimer's means i am a lot of things. i am her best friend. i am her ally. so i asked about adding for moderate to severe alzheimer's. it works differently. when added to another alzheimer's treatment, it may improve overall function and cognition. and may slow the worsening of symptoms for a while. vo: namenda xr doesn't change how the disease progresses. it shouldn't be taken by anyone allergic to memantine, or who's 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 they're 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. all my life, she's been there for me. now i am giving back. ask their doctor about once-daily namenda xr we are back now, with the passengers thankful to be back on dry land on what one called the cruise from hell. the ship rocked by a powerful storm with hurricane force winds and 30-foot waves. water rushing inside. many wondering why the ship set sail with that storm coming in the first place. here's the details. >> reporter: passengers describe it as terrifying. the chaotic hours, the anthem of the seas sailed into the middle of a massive storm. to die. i'm going to be drowning in the ocean. it was very scary. >> reporter: lee wright was on her honeymoon. kyle leveque was with his mom. >> absolutely. i think 5,000 people lives were at risk. >> reporter: royal caribbean say the storm became worse than predicted. two days before the cruise even started, the national weather service predicted waves as high as 31 feet. in the same area anthem battled the storm. >> this was a system that was well forecast days in advance. there were even hurricane wind warnings out the day that the cruise ship left for the area where they hit the hurricane-force winds. >> reporter: passengers say the ship felt like it was tilting side to side in hurricane force winds. waves crashing as high as the fifth deck. inside, passengers scrambled for cover amid shattered glass and flying furniture. >> one of the scariest day of my entire life. >> reporter: tonight the ntsb is part of what happened, and the coast guard reports the ship needs more repairs before it can sail again. royal caribbean said anthem is scheduled to cruise the same waters starting saturday, when there's a possibility of yet another storm. with the 4500 passengers getting refunds and credit toward a future cruise, few regret this vacation is over. >> i'm grateful i'm alive. >> reporter: nbc news, new jersey. when we come back, it's taken a century, but one of einstein's famous theories has finally been proven right. (toilet flush) if you need an opioid to manage your chronic pain, you may be sooo constipated it feels like everyone can go tried many things? still struggling to find relief? you may have opioid-induced constipation, oic. it's different and may need a different approach. opioids block pain signals, but can also block activity in the bowel. which is why it can feel like your opioid pain med is slowing your insides to a crawl. longing for a change? have the conversation with your doctor about oic, and ask about prescription treatment options. made on behalf of those living with chronic pain and struggling with oic. you can't predict... the market. but at t. rowe price, we can help guide your investments through good times and bad. for over 75 years, our clients have relied on us to bring our best thinking to their investments so in a variety of market conditions... you can feel confident... ...in our experience. call a t. rowe price retirement specialist or your advisor ...to see how we can help retirement savings. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. what if one piece kale could protect you from diabetes? what if one sit-up could prevent heart disease? one. wishful thinking, right? but there is one step you can take to help prevent another serious disease. pneumococcal pneumonia. if you are 50 or older, one dose of the prevnar 13 vaccine can help protect you from pneumococcal pneumonia, an illness that can cause coughing, chest pain, difficulty breathing, and may even put you in the hospital. even if you have already been vaccinated with another pneumonia vaccine, prevnar 13 may help provide additional protection. prevnar 13 is used in adults 50 and older to help prevent infections from 13 strains of the bacteria that cause pneumococcal pneumonia. you should not receive prevnar 13 if you have had a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine or its ingredients. if you have a weakened immune system, you may have a lower response to the vaccine. common side effects were pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, limited arm movement, fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain, get this one done. ask your doctor or pharmacist about prevnar 13 today. you don't see this every day, a congressman getting a nicotine fix right in the middle of a hearing. duncan connor took a puff off a vaporizer to protest a measure that would ban it on planes. he said there's nothing toxic about the congresswoman next to him waving it away didn't seem to appreciate it. titanic is getting a sequel. its debut is being pushed back from this year to 2018. an australian tycoon commissioned a replica over a century after the original sank. the new one is said to have upgrades including more lifeboats. a major announcement today confirming something einstein predicted a century ago. scientists have detected navigational waves rippling across the universe, when two black holes collide to form one. think of it like the ripple effect of spreading water when you drop a rock. except these collisions so monstrous they can spacetime. it's a very big deal, or so i've been deal. when we come back, suiting up with nasa's could become the first americans to set foot on m at safelite, we know how busy your life can be. oh no a cracked windshield. so she scheduled at safelite.com and with safelite's exclusive "on my way text" she knew exactly when i'd be there. hi, steve with safelite. thanks for your text! i replaced her windshield... and she didn't miss a single shot giving you more time for what matters most. how'd ya do? we won! nice! that' another safelite advantage. thank you so much! 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"concerning comment" on social media. now at six. a university of iowa student flys out of the country after allegedly posting a "concerning comment" on social media. plus - an eastern owa auto bodyy shop gets an unexpected visitor - a woman giving birth in their parking lot. and - an iowa pastor uses her abilities to help give back to refugees after learning a family member shares a bond with them. "you're watching kwwl, we've got you covered. this is the news at six." good evening everyone, i'm ron steele. and i'm amanda goodman. thanks for joining us. a student leaves the country -- after allegedly posting a "concerning comment" on social media. the daily iowan says this student - hanxiang ni - was recently expelled - he claims because of what he posted online. the university confirms they recently investigated a "concerning comment" -- but won't tell us who wrote it. kwwl's kristin rogers has been working to connect the dots all day, she joins us live. that's right and as you mentioned the university told me they can't say too much. i was told the comment was investigated by their threat assessment team and necessary procautions were taken to make sure campus was safe. many remember the horrible tradgety in 1991 when a student named gang lu shot t nd killed 5 people and seriously injured another before turning the gun on himself. social media before he was expelled. the post they obtained says he would quote "let his professors experience the fear of lu gang." the university tells us ni is not longer a student but he had been this semester; however, because of student privacy laws, they won't tell us university tells me they take every threat seriously and a top priority is protecting their students." according to the johnson county sheriffs office