look through the weekend and into the next week, on the mild side. >> all right. that's our news at 6:00. see you at 11:00. tonight, boycotting trump. more democrats pulling out of the inauguration as the president-elect feuds with congressman john lewis. trump ducking questions after attacking the civil rights icon. killer's wife arrested. stunning new developments after that nightclub massacre in orlando. knockout blow from a ferocious ice storm cutting across the country, spawning tornados, deadly wrecks, and rollouts. thousands powerless in the frozen dark. air disaster. dozens killed as a massive jet plunges out of the sky slamming into a neighborhood. across america, we're hitting the road for candid conversations. your hopes and concerns as a new president prepares to take office. and a dream come true for a little girl with a giant love of books.

"nightly news" begins right now. good evening. we're happy to be in northern california to kick off our cross america journey speaking to people about the direction of the country ahead of friday's inauguration. we'll be hearing from some of those voices in just a few minutes. first with donald trump's swearing-in four days from now things are being overshadowed by the growing fallout over the stunning remarks of congressman and civil rights hero john lewis who has openly questioned the legitimacy of trump's election. battle lines are deepening against the backdrop of martin luther king jr. day. nbc's kristen welker has the latest. >> reporter: with final inauguration preparations under way, president-elect donald trump tried to strike a note of unity on this martin luther king day, meeting with dr. king's son.

a stark contrast to his growing war of words with civil rights icon congressman john lewis, a freedom fighter who was mentored by dr. king. today trump ignoring shouted questions about the feud. >> mr. trump, do you regret attacking congressman john lewis? >> reporter: congressman lewis ignited the firestorm when he told chuck todd -- >> i don't see this president-elect as a legitimate president. >> reporter: then trump lashed out on twitter accusing lewis of overseeing a district that's crime infested which statistics show isn't true. and tweeting lewis is all talk talk talk, no action or results, sad. that comment infuriating some democrats. as a young man lewis was brutally beaten while marching for voting rights. at an mlk event in miami today congressman lewis didn't address the controversy but touted the importance of speaking out. >> never give up. never give in. stand up, speak up. when you see something that is not right, not fair, not just.

>> reporter: now more than 20 democratic lawmakers say they'll boycott the inauguration. meanwhile the president-elect's team digging in, taking lewis. >> i urge him to reconsider that statement. this is a week we ought to be coming together. >> congressman lewis started this. >> what john lewis is doing, hee pouting. he lost, it's like a spoiled child. >> reporter: trump struggled to win over african-american voters as a candidate. even lewis' district divided. >> we love john lewis. we love what he stands for and what he's currently standing for. >> i just wish that we could all get along and move forward, because we have a new president. >> reporter: mr. trump isn't shying away from other potential conflicts, telling "the washington post" he's almost finished with his health care plan and calling for coverage for everybody. most republicans are opposed to expanding government's role in health care. he's also raising eyebrows by again calling nato obsolete, a viewpoint that runs counter to his own pick for defense secretary. lester?

>> all right, kristen welker, thank you. there is a big development this evening in one of the deadliest terror attacks on u.s. soil. last year's shooting rampage at the pulse nightclub in orlando. the wife of the man who carried out the rampage is now under arrest. our justice correspondent pete williams has details. >> reporter: seven months after 49 people were killed in a mass shooting at orlando's pulse nightclub, carried out by define-year-old omar mateen, the fbi arrested his widow, noor salman. family members say federal agents took her into custody at this hour in northern california, where she's been living since shortly after the attack. >> we said from the beginning we were going to look at every aspect of this case, every aspect of this shooter's life, to determine not just why did he take these actions but who else knew about them, was anyone else involved? >> reporter: federal owe firms say she's charged with obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting in the attack. according to law enforcement

officials the charges say she knew her husband was preparing to carry out some kind of attack but failed to give any warning. investigators have said she told the fbi after the shooting that she drove him to the pulse nightclub at least once because he wanted to check it out. they say she at first claimed she tried to talk him out of doing anything violent. but in a long interview with the "new york times" in november, she denied knowing what he was up to. tonight her lawyer says she had no advance knowledge and that prosecuting her dishonors the shooting victims because it punishes an innocent victim. but orlando's police chief john mena says "there is some relief in knowing that someone will be held accountable for that horrific crime." family members tonight say they're shocked and that she herself is also a victim. noor salman will appear briefly tomorrow before a federal judge in oakland and then prosecutors will seek to bring her back to orlando to face the charges. >> pete williams, thank you. violence marred a martin luther king jr. day celebration north of miami where a shooting

injured eight people, including five children. police say it happened in a park that is actually named for mlk where a celebration was being held in his honor. two people have been detained for questioning. elsewhere tonight, thousands of homes and businesses are plunged into the frozen darkness as that deadly ice storm that swept across the middle of the country from north to south now spawning tornados, adding to the misery. nbc's morgan radford is in the storm zone for us. >> tornado, we're about to go into a [ bleep ] tornado! >> reporter: today a tornado ripping through texas. blowing apart an entire patio in houston. early this morning, cars fought their way through flooded streets and howling winds. >> picked my pickup completely off the ground. >> reporter: the latest impact from a deadly storm system that started out west, dumping nearly 12 feet of snow on california's sierra mountains. but it was the ice that was the biggest danger across america's

heartland. >> how was the ice? >> it doesn't look like much when you look at it this way, but it's very slippery. >> reporter: so far, 15 states affected by this massive winter storm that killed at least five people. slick roads became disaster zones. sending cars spinning out of control and causing fiery crashes along ice-covered streets. >> snow you can handle. ice is a helpless feeling. >> reporter: all that ice also causing thousands of power outages. electric crews scram blooel being to repair the damage. the ice too much for these tree limbs crashing into houses. in missouri this transformer exploding. tonight residents in iowa scraping their way out. as the cleanup is just getting started around the country. morgan radford, nbc news, omaha, nebraska. now to new details on that surprise announcement from an american institution. ringling brothers says after 146 years the greatest show on earth is over.

closing for good in may. the reaction has been swift and nbc's kerry sanders has the latest. >> ladies and gentlemen -- >> reporter: the greatest show on earth about to exit stage left. today's show in orlando the beginningful the end of a 146-year tradition. >> i was actually speechless when they said it. >> abuse is wrong. >> reporter: after decades of protests by animal rights activists the circus retired its iconic performing elephants last spring. good public relations but bad for business. attendance dropped dramatically. >> can the animal rights activists claim victory? >> there's no victory here when you think about the number of people, the over 400 people, that it impacts directly and the millions of fans. there's no winners in this situation. >> reporter: ringling brothers, like seaworld, which just last week began phasing out its orca shows, are entertainment companies in transition. circus producers who recognize the success of shows without

animals, like cirque du soleil, say the three-ring antics at ringling wasn't connecting with today's internet jen ration of kids. >> kids today are not as familiar with circus. we don't have the 365-day presence in their life. >> so many kids who come to shows like this are brought by their karnts and grandparents who have strong childhood memories. a nostalgia of hold your breath stunts. a tradition that now ends as ringling brothers and barnum and bailey folds up its big top. kerry sanders, nbc news, orlando. turning overseas where a horrifying jumbo jet disaster has left dozens dead. overnight a turkish cargo plane came crashing down onto a number of homes on a village in kyrgyzstan. as many as 37 people were killed, the majority of the victims were on the ground. nbc's bill neely has the latest. >> reporter: little remains of the tiny village where people

were asleep when the cargo plane plowed into them in the dark and the freezing fog. the cockpit embedded in a house. the tail at the other end of a village in which everything looks flattened. fires mark the impact of the jet that overshot a runway used for decades by u.s. forces and kyrgyzstan. dozens were killed, including whole families, many children. the plane, which had flown from hong kong, sliced through the village. from the smoking fuselage, the flight recorders were recovered. but the hundreds of searchers found few survivors. why was the plane cleared to land, he asks, in such thick fog in the five crew members were killed. the authorities blame pilot error. the villagers are traumatized. the country in mourning. bill neely, nbc news, moscow. now to our journey across america to hear the voices of hope, worries, and expectations

as the country readies for the inauguration of donald trump as the next president this friday. we start here in sacramento. right now we're in the old town historic district. sacramento is of course the capital of california, the city of almost 500,000 that is also one of the most racially integrated major cities in america and where we found a diverse group to help us explore the country's challenges. a lot of friendships have been frayed and relationships. do all of you feel safe talking about the election post-election now? >> yes, i do. >> yes. >> i think the people are warming up to the idea that we need to work together. and so i feel a little safer that i'm not going to get beat up. >> reporter: with that our group, voters and nonvoters of different political stripes, drilled down to talk about hopes. >> i'm excited about some of the focus on the economy growing. growing the economy, growing businesses and jobs.

>> reporter: their questions. >> there's so many unanswered questions about how he was elected. >> reporter: and their fears. >> my main concern revolves around the negative rhetoric. >> reporter: few issues hit closer to home in california than illegal immigration. nearly 10% of its workforce is undocumented. sacramento state university grad student norma mendoza was brought to the u.s. when she was 10 years old, the beneficiary of a dhaka program which allows undocumented immigrants like her a chance to stay in the country to work or study. >> your very existence in this country is in question right now. >> yeah. yeah, life as i know it might change for me come january 20th. it's difficult to foresee that, to prepare for that. >> there's no reason why she should be expelled. rather, she should be allowed to stay, finish her education, contribute to society.

>> what we're focusing on is the fact that it's a broken system and it's been broken. if trump hadn't gotten elected it would still be broken. >> sometimes we read visual -- >> reporter: katie teaches at a school where many of her students are undocumented. >> they're nervous. their families are nervous. they hear things. they're 12. there's that feeling that they don't belong. these are children feeling that they don't belong here in their country. >> reporter: but on a bigger picture of the broader changes donald trump represents -- you supported hillary clinton the last election. the election's over. tell me, where could you get behind mr. trump's initiatives? >> i think the things he has said that i've thought were good were the idea of taking on the drug companies so you can negotiate drug prices to lower health care costs. that's good. >> reporter: like stan forbes, a bookstore owner, risalda is a

small business person, also a single mom of four, and a trump voter. >> we need jobs. we need to have the security that we're going to have a job, that we're going to be in our homes. >> reporter: while policies matter to our group, so does leadership. as you watch donald trump begin to put his administration together and you read the tweets every day -- >> i try not to read the tweets. >> how much is that, if at all, do you think is getting in the way of him delivering a message? >> i think it is getting in the way. and i wish he would go off of twitter. >> my expectation of him would be to be promoting everybody, to have healthier bonds, to immerse as more of a whole community where everyone would be working together. >> i think we need to model for our children what we want to see. you have to be willing to listen to each other and have empathy. >> some of the people we met here in sacramento.

our trip tomorrow continues across america. next stop, warren, michigan, on the road to the inauguration. there's a lot more as we continue here tonight. still ahead, reunited at last. inside the emotional long-awaited meeting between a kidnapping victim stolen at birth and the parents who for 18 years never why do some cash back cards make earning bonus cash back so complicated? they limit where you can earn bonus cash back to a few places... ...and those places keep changing every few months. the quicksilver card from capital one doesn't do any of that. with quicksilver you earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, everywhere. leave complicated behind. what's in your wallet? for lower back the search for relief often leads here.s, today there's drug-free aleve direct therapy. a high intensity tens device that uses technology once only in doctors' offices. for deep penetrating relief at the source. aleve direct therapy.

in south carolina an emotional reunion for a family separated for 18 years. a teenager kidnapped as a

newborn has been reunited with her biological parents after being raised by a mom she always believed to be her mother. nbc's miguel almaguer has the emotional new details. >> reporter: this is the selfie 18 years in the making. kamiyah mobley, known as alexis, making her biological parents for the first time. >> i loved her. i love her, i miss her. >> reporter: the woman kamiyah calls mom, gloria williams, arrested, facing tradition to florida where police say she kidnapped kamiyah as a newborn from this hospital. williams has a criminal record. pleading guilty to welfare fraud in 1994. but those who know her say the church-going volunteer raised kamiyah in a good home. >> this woman has taken care of her. she has mothered her, has nurtured her. that's all the biological mother would have done. >> reporter: after kamiyah's abduction, her biological mother, shinara mobley, reportedly received a financial

settlement from the hospital. on kamiyah's birthdays, mobley would make a cake for her daughter. >> she'd eat half and leave half. that was a mother's thought of her child. >> reporter: in recent months police say kamiyah had suspicions she was a kidnapping victim. dna tests confirming her fears. though she hasn't spoken in public, on what's believed to be her facebook page this reaction. i have two families so it's double the love. but tonight one mother faces prison time. while another is just getting to know her daughter. miguel almaguer, nbc news. >> a lot to take in. coming up next, the hair-raising close encounter with something that l ♪ if you have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis isn't it time to let the real you shine through? introducing otezla, apremilast. otezla is not an injection, or a cream.

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the last man to walk on the moon has died. gene cernan and his "apollo 17" crew mate harrison schmidt spent

three days on the moon in 19, 72 his third spaceflight. he famously returned to earth with a message of peace and hope for all mankind after tracing his daughter's initials in the lunar dust. he passed away surrounded by family after ongoing health issues. gene cernan was 82 years old. they said this day would never come. declared president obama as he welcomed world series champs the chicago cubs to the white house today. the cubs of course broke their 108-year title drought back in the fall. president obama is a die-hard white sox fan but he was happy to welcome the cubs as the final team to be honored during his presidency. now to a scary close encounter caught on camera. take a look at this. a gigantic alligator crossing paths with visitors at a florida nature preserve. cameras ready and hopefully their running shoes as the gator, who some say looks like a dinosaur, strolled past. he's a big hit on social media where he's been identified as a local resident.

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a live look at the martin luther king jr. memorial in our nation's capital. dr. king would have been 88 this week. and today he was honored at observances across the country. taking part, an amazing little girl with a passion for reading. our rehema ellis has her story in our "inspiring america" report. >> i like this one. >> reporter: daliyah arana is a 4-year-old but she can read the words of a giant. >> i have a dream that one day every -- >> every hill and mountain will be made low -- >> reporter: she was invited to celebrate dr. martin luther king's birthday at a school outside of atlanta, reading his famous speech that inspired a nation. >> i have a dream that one day my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will -- >> how many times did you practice? >> about 10 or 20 times. >> reporter: from birth, dali

daliyah's mother was reading to her. by 18 months she recognized words. by 2 she had read more books than some college students. >> i want a muffin. >> by the time she was 3 she'd read about 1,000 books. now at 4 she's doubled that. she caught the attention of the library of congress, inviting her to be librarian for a day. >> is there a special part in the speech that you like most of all? >> yes. there's an exciting part. let freedom ring from the snow-capped rockies of colorado, let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of california -- >> reporter: her mom is sure dr. king would be proud. >> he would be in awe. just because of the simple fact that there was once a time where minorities were not allowed to learn to read. >> i have a dream today -- >> reporter: a powerful tribute to dr. king's dream echoed by a little girl. >> free at last, free at last. thank god almighty we are free

at last. >> reporter: nbc news, gainesville, georgia. >> that's going to do it for us on this monday night. i'm lester holt reporting from sacramento. for all of us at nbc news trump's new war with alec baldwin. this weekend's "snl" as a hit job. >> now on "extra" from ear at new york city. ♪ extra, extra ♪ extra, extra alec baldwin's outrageous new spoof of trump's so-called

russian sex scandal. >> urine, urine, urine. >> trump takes to twitter to unleash on "snl," we get" we ge take. >> if he invited you, would you go to the inauguration? john legend to katie holmes, the countdown to the inauguration. kim kardashian in her own words. all new details from inside the official french police report just released today. >> kim describing the moment she was zip tied, duct taped and robbed by gunmen. our new sit-down with bachelor, before tonight's racy new episode. how he really feels about bad girl corrine. >> painted as the villain. >> do you think that's fair? in the "extra" feed, new photos inside katy perry's party for orlando bloom with jen and justin. and -- >> video gallery backstage at the "today" show. >> hey. plus, howie mandel turning "extra" into love connection. >> you like bald jewish men? >> i love