World headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with brian williams. Good evening. Im lester holt sitting in tonight for brian. Theres such deep anguish for families of those aboard airasia flight 8501. Debris and even bodies of some of the victims themselves retrieved from the java sea today left little doubt about the fate of the plane and the 162 people on board. A blue suitcase, an oxygen tank, what appears to be an undeployed emergency slide are some of the items officials have now confirmed came from the jet. The debris from the airbus was discovered off the west coast of borneo, roughly in line with the planes flight path from sura standing by to help find and recover the jets flight recorders, early indications suggest the flight met a sudden end as the crew tried to negotiate around violent thunderstorm cells in their path. Once again tonight were covering several angles of this story. Lets start with katy tur in singapore with the latest on the search. Katy . Reporter lester, it is now day four of this search and rescue. Theyre going to be looking for more wreckage, more debris, more bodies potentially even survivors. It was a tough day yesterday. Its going to be a tough day again today, but a lot of relatives say theyre not going to give up hope that somebody might be found alive. At surabaya airport allconsuming grief. Indonesian officials confirming they found the wreckage of airasia flight 8501. Life vests and luggage floating alongside bodies as well as a shadow that could be a large part of the fuselage. Some debris may have drifted as much as 60 miles from the aircrafts last known location. The news only made worse as relatives found out while watching local news where bodies were shown without warning on live tv. Airasias Ceo Tony Fernandes called the discovery heartbreaking. This is a horrible, horrible experience. Reporter among the 162 passengers and crew on board, there were 17 children and 1 infant. 26yearold Tina Marie Widodo was a biology teacher. Her father and boyfriend were overcome with grief. While a friend of these passengers wrote, i hope this is just a nightmare that i can end by simply waking up. The pilot was captain irianto, a man with more than 20,00 his daughter took to social media during the sea dad to come home writing, papa, come back. I still need you. Return my papa to me. Today his wife said, i must be strong and tough and im here for my children and their future. Still, some werent ready to give up hope. This woman saying, from the bottom of my heart, i want them to still be alive. As for that charter flight that airasia was going to give family members so that they could pray for their loved ones over the last known location of the plane, that has been postponed, lester, so that they can focus on the search. Katy, thanks. A lot of the questions about what happened to flight 8501 including how the crew planned to circumvent those storm cells will be answered once the cockpit and flight data recorders, the socalled black boxes, are recovered. With more on that and what investigators will be paying very close attention to is nbcs tom costello. Reporter if flight 8501 is resting at the bottom of the java sea, a priority for search teams be finding the tail section that holds the planes cockpit voice and flight data recorders. While the flight was thought to be at 32,000 feet, flightawares radar image shows it at 36,300. The pilot had asked to climb to 38,000 feet to avoid bad weather but air Traffic Control denied the request because of other air traffic in the area. Those planes managed to navigate around the storm and land safely. But at its last known location airasia may have been near stall speed. The question why . Whatever occurred occurred quickly and resulted in the crew not being able to successfully deal with it and as a result the airplanes at the bottom of the ocean. Reporter investigators will likely look at the planes pitot tubes that help calculate its air speed. If the tubes iced over in severe weather, the planes Flight Computers may have displayed bad data confusing the pilots. Thats what happened with air france 447 flying through a bad storm in 2009. The pilots panicked, grabbed the controls, then stalled and crashed the plane into the atlantic. Former ntsb board member if they just taken their hands off of it, it would have flown okay come the other side got their air speed indicators back and put it on autopilot and they would have been fine. Reporter investigators learned what happened only after retrieving the black boxes which took more than two years. Search teams will begin listening for the underwater pings coming from airasias black boxes. The u. S. Navy already in the area is offering listening technology. Once you can detect the sound, then you can triangulate and fix the location of those black boxes on the ocean floor then figure out how youre going to go get them and recover them. Reporter we talked about the concern about the pitot tube icing event. Heavy icing and hail at High Altitude can also pose a risk to the engines themselves. Theyll be inspecting the flight data recorder looking for any signs of that and those engines if theyre ever able to pull them off the floor of the sea. Lester . Tom, thanks. Were joined now by greg feith, hes our nbc news aviation analyst and a former ntsb investigator. Greg, a lot of the focus right now on whether this was a struggle to the end for the pilots to keep the plane in the air or if it broke up. I recognize probably not enough wreckage to conclude that question right now. But is the fact that there was no mayday, no declaration of an emergency, tell you anything . Yes, lester, it really does. It indicates that the pilots were consumed with either maintaining or regaining control of the airplane and that that was their primary task and that was the center of their attention. And that the old adage in aviation is aviate, navigate, communicate. Your primary responsibility is maintaining control of the airplane communicating what happened and what you desire is the last thing on the priority list. Tom mentioned this possibility of a pitot tube freezing up like we saw on flight 447. Will this again focus questions on the amount of automation in todays airplanes . I think it will bring up a debate with regard to the actions that the pilot took or didnt take. Its all going to be dependent on whats on the flight data recorder. And if the airplane did get into some sort of unusual attitude that the pilot either lost control or couldnt regain control, there could be a debate about how much automation we depend on as pilots in flying in conditions where the airplane becomes upset and the recovery techniques that are used by crews. Greg feith, good to have you with us tonight. Thank you. Former president george h. W. Bush is resting at home in texas after spending a week in the hospital. He was admitted last tuesday with shortness of breath and spent the Christmas Holiday under medical care. At age 90, hes our oldest living former president. One of the most powerful men in Congress Today said he made a regretful mistake when he spoke before a White Supremacist Group more than a decade ago. Congressman Steve Scalise of louisiana, the third ranking republican in the house, claims he did not know what the group stood for when he spoke at their gathering in 2002. Its only coming to light now after a blogger dug up old postings online. Separately another republican, new york congressman Michael Grimm announced he is resigning. This after grimm pleaded guilty a week ago to felony tax evasion. Grimm had won reelection in november when the case was pending against him. Some encouraging news tonight from the american cancer society. A new report says theres been a 22 drop in the death rate from cancer over the past two decades, which means 1. 5 million cancer deaths have been averted over that time. The report credits fewer americans smoking as well as medical advancements but it also says well see over 1. 6 million new cancer cases in the new year and close to 600,000 deaths. An alarming report starkly lays out the dangers faced day in and day out by those responsible for serving and protecting us. It shows an enormous jump from last year in the number of Police Killed in shooting incidents. The Police Advocacy group that put out this report fears that what it is seeing on the streets lately is having an influence. Our report tonight from nbcs stephanie gosk. Reporter just this week two officers were caught in gunfire in los angeles, and in florida a gunman fired on two Sheriff Deputies sitting in their squad cars. The motives are still unknown. A report out today says 126 in Law Enforcement lost their lives on the job in 2014, with a 56 increase in the number of Police Officers killed by gunfire in the last year. Of those, 15 were killed in ambush attacks. The total number of deaths is still below the decade average, but the head of the Law Enforcement group that conducted the report is concerned a growing antigovernment sentiment may be triggering attacks. There have been months of nationwide protests calling for police reform. After the deaths of unarmed black men in what some call persistent mistreatment by cops. Are protests to blame for increased violence against Police Officers . No. These protests have been centered around respect for human life, dignity for human life. Reporter but many in Law Enforcement worry about isolated messages like this one in new york earlier this month. What do we want . Dead cops. When do we want it . Now reporter some officials in new york blame protests in part for the murder of two nypd officers. At the funeral for officer rafael ramos, 19yearold justin ramos wore his fathers uniform, the same uniform that made his dad a target. Every time i attend a Police Officers funeral, i always pray that it will be the last. But i know it wont. Reporter that same day in florida, another teenager said goodbye to her father, Police Officer charlie kondeck. My dad died as a hero, but he he was my hero before any of yours. Reporter families in mourning stark examples of what Police Officers put on the line every day. Stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york. A frigid blast of arctic cold is descending on most of the nation and it is already putting the freeze on some new years eve plans in many cities. Nbc meteorologist dylan dreyer is out on Rockefeller Plaza with us for our forecast. Dylan, good evening. Good evening, lester. It is going to be a very cold end to 2014. Take a look at the jet stream and see just how far south that cold air is stretching. Were going to be waking up to lows tomorrow morning and wind chills 20 to 40 degrees below zero. Austin, texas, will top out at 42 degrees. Theyre even considering postponing outdoor new years eve plans because of the cold. By midnight tomorrow night were looking at most of the country below freezing 5 in denver 28 in times square for all the folks watching the ball drop. Well even see snow across the southern rockies and 44 for a high on new years day in las vegas. Most of the country still below average for new years day. In pasadena, california, home of the rose parade, we could break a record morning low and temperatures, wind chills throughout the parade will only be in the 20s. And speaking of wind, the bay area in california is under a high wind warning. Through the day tomorrow we could see wind gusts as high as 65 Miles Per Hour even higher in the highest elevations than down in the valleys, lester. Everyone will be bundled up for sure as we ring in the new year. Dylan dreyer and friends on the plaza tonight. It may be hard to believe after hearing that frosty forecast, but this year is on track to break records for heat. Also the School District that says its unlocking powers within students through the power of meditation. The softy. His sleep number setting is 35. Youre the rock, at 60. And snoring . Sleep numbers even got an adjustment for that. Only at a sleep number store find the lowest prices of the season, with the c3 Queen Mattress set only 1199. 98. Plus 24 month special financing on all beds. Know better sleep with sleep number. Im angela and i quit smoking with chantix. My children always wanted me to quit smoking but i resigned myself to the fact that it wasnt going to work. But chantix helped me do it. Along with support, Chantix Varenicline is proven to help people quit smoking. It gave me the power to overcome the urge to smoke. Some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. Some people had seizures while taking chantix. If you have any of these stop chantix and call your doctor right away. Tell your doctor about any history of Mental Health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix or history of seizures. Dont take chantix if youve had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. If you develop these stop chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be lifethreatening. Tell your doctor if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems or develop new or worse symptoms. Get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. Decrease alcohol use while taking chantix. Use caution when driving or operating machinery. Common side effects include nausea trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. Im a nonsmoker. Ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. I recognize this may be hard to believe considering the cold thats gripping so many of us around the nation. Maybe it will help if you think back to the summer when we were all cranking up the ac. Because 2014 will go down as the warmest year around the globe in recorded history. Nbcs Anne Thompson explains. Reporter for many americans, 2014 will be remembered as the year of digging out. Im done with winter. Officially. Reporter beginning and ending under a pile of white. Im ready to move. Reporter but for the planet as a whole, 2014 is set to be the warmest year on record. Continuing a centurylong trend from cooler than average temperatures in 1913 to a predominance of above average temperatures in 2013. This years record fueled by the warming oceans with seven consecutive months of new high temperatures. While yearly changes may play a role, noaa says the prime suspect is climate change. Greenhouse gases warm the atmosphere. That atmospheric temperature increase then penetrates into the ocean as well. Reporter on land, australia sweltered through its hottest spring on record with temperatures topping 100 degrees. Researchers say this was europes hottest year in 500 years. Even siberia felt the heat. The coldest town in the world oymyakon averaged a record 9 1 2 degrees in february. Usually its 51 below. All in stark contrast to much of the u. S. This year the west was very warm, the central and eastern parts were average to below average. Reporter in fact, january to november were the coldest in the lower 48 since 1997, despite record warmth in arizona and california, making it a small cold spot in a record warm year. Anne thompson, nbc news, new york. Were back in a moment with cars trapped under an avalanche of white in chicago, but were not talking about snow. Huh, fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. Yeah, Everybody Knows that. Well, did you know that playing cards with kenny rogers gets old pretty fast . You got to know when to holdem. Know when to fold em. Know when to walk away. Know when to run. You never count your money, when youre sitting at the ta. What . You get it . I get the gist yeah. Geico. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. Playing hoops sam is number one. At st. Jude i was number two. Yeah but that was a good thing. Sam was the second of seven patients to receive a new Cancer Treatment available only at st. Jude Childrens Research Hospital and that discovery will be shared with hospitals all across america. St. Jude gives kids like me a shot. A great shot. Go to st. Jude dot org or shop wherever you see the st. Jude logo. One last trial run before the big night. Organizers tested the famous Waterford Crystal ball in times square today to make sure the official drop goes smoothly. At midnight tomorrow the ball will drop 128 feet in 60 seconds, and when it reaches the bottom, those of us in the east will be in 2015. The ball is 12 feet in diameter and cover with about 32,000 l. E. D. Lights. If the uk still had a roundtable, it would need a few more seats today. The queen announced a number of knighthoods and other honors. Actor john hurt will now be sir john hurt no that hes becoming a knight. Joan collins and Kristin Scott thomas will become dames t knighthood equivalent for women. And paul cummins and tom piper, the men behind the ceramic poppy display at the tower of london earlier this year honoring britains dead from world war i, they have been declared members of the british empire. Were getting a rare glimpse at some of the more candid moments involving our commander in chief now that official white house photographer pete sousa has released his annual year in photographs. They include snaps like this one from march showing the president getting a checkup from a little boy at a d. C. Classroom. Sousa says the president joked that these are the two most famous sets of ears in washington when he saw this shot of him standing next to the white house easter bunny. Here he is holding a koala when he was in australia for the g20 in november. And this shot that proves that no matter how powerful you are, sometimes you have to get your hands dirty. This is the president swatting a fly with a rolledup magazine in the oval office. No word if he was successful. Its the time of year when lots of cars suffer salt damage, but not quite like this. A wall collapsed at the morton salt building on chica