tonight, tens of millions facing the risk of major flooding and severe weather the mississippi river yet to crest in many areas, potentially bringing the worst flooding in years. locks and dams closed, large traffic halted how high will it go, and how long will it last while in the southeast, at least seven tornadoes reported along with hail and flooding. the threat far from over also tonight, the deadly collision of two army apache helicopters killing three soldiers and injuring another dozens killed in ukraine, most at an apartment building, as russia launches its worst attack on civilians in months. our reporter is on the ground. inside the manhunt for two escaped inmates still on the run after a third is captured, and another found dead after murdering a pastor after the collapse of silicon valley bank, the fed now

taking partial responsibility saying it didn't act with enough urgency, but are there more bank failures ahead the incredible scene on a school bus as a brave seventh grader takes control after the driver passes out. politics embracing artificial intelligence a potentially useful tool, but will distortions of reality get even worse and giving kids with autism a powerful voice that's "inspiring america." >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt good evening, and welcome on this friday as large parts of the country head into a potentially volatile weekend of weather in the midwest, eyes are locked on the slow but steady rise of the mississippi river. a spring snow melt producing flooding across portions of minnesota, wisconsin, illinois, iowa, and missouri scenes like this in davenport, iowa, expected to grow worse between now and monday, but right now it is the south, once again, facing the immediate threat of violent and dangerous

storms an estimated 21 million people living in the risk zone tonight. texas this evening could be hit with large hail, 75-mile-per-hour winds, and tornadoes, and florida still recovering from yesterday's damaging storms could be targeted for another round along the gulf coast. maggie vespa is watching it for us tonight. >> really bad. >> reporter: tonight, an unrelenting lineup of vicious spring weather stretches on from a trail of tornado damage down south to widespread flooding along the mighty mississippi >> i just don't know what the future holds, you know. i'm sure that's what everybody else is thinking, you know, how long and how high are these going to get over the next few years? >> reporter: the u.s. army corps of engineers closing locks and dams from st. paul to st. louis bringing barge traffic to a halt on the upper mississippi river. melting snowpack inundating cities like davenport, iowa, covering streets downtown, waters slated to rise until monday

a local gas company cutting service to 130 homes flooded nearby evacuees stuck in hotels. >> hopefully it will go down as fast as it came up, and we can get in and start cleaning >> reporter: down south, destruction is coming from the skies. >> it blew out some windows. >> reporter: at least seven tornadoes reported across georgia and florida overnight. by the light of day, breathtaking wreckage and heartbreak >> throwing away my prized stuff >> reporter: this alongside pummeling hail and torrential rain, floods stranding cars in fort pierce, florida. >> it was so much rain so fast. >> reporter: and terrifying moments in fort worth, texas, where two boys struck by lightning this week are now recovering >> apparently i died last night and came back to life. >> reporter: their mom begging parents to keep their kids safe inside. >> i know it's like a one in a million chance, but you never know you might be that one. it was two for me. >> reporter: a plea for caution amid a catastrophic mix of severe weather that just won't let up.

>> maggie vespa joining me now from davenport. maggie, iowa's governor late today issued another disaster proclamation for part of that state. >> reporter: yeah, lester, that's right residents in seven counties and counting along the mississippi river now have access to thousands of dollars in government grants to cover flood damage, and water here is still days from cresting lester. >> all right, maggie, thank you. many facing more severe weather tonight and into the weekend others about to get drenched. bill karins is here. bill, walk us through it. >> good evening, lester already baseball-size hail reported in central texas. dallas had a really strong thunderstorm go through, and now we're watching 60-mile-per-hour winds with that line headed to areas of central of central texas, especially the austin area this is what we'll have for the next couple of hours as storms approach houston later on tonight, the severe weather, isolated tornadoes, large hail, and some damaging wind then tomorrow we do it all other again and bring the storms back to florida, panama city to jacksonville all the way through central florida, large hail, damaging wind, maybe an isolated tornado or two

now let's talk about the weekend washout for millions of people getting their plans canceled we're going to see the heavy rain heading up the eastern seaboard. saturday it looks pretty dry in areas of the mid-atlantic, but then sunday it pours and heads into the northeast as we go throughout sunday evening. in all about one to three inches of rain thankfully, lester, it's been a pretty dry spring in the northeast and flooding shouldn't be bad. >> all right, bill karins, thank you. we have learned the army is taking dramatic action tonight grounding all its aircraft after the deadly collision of two apache helicopters during a training mission in alaska. courtney kube is at the pentagon courtney, this is a big step >> reporter: yeah, lester, it's a major move by the army, just announcing moments ago a temporary stand-down of all army aviation assets meaning no helicopters will fly anywhere in the world unless it's an emergency. now, this comes after less than 24 hours after two u.s. army apache helicopters from fort wainwright collided in midair over alaska killing three soldiers and wounding another

the soldiers were returning from a training mission flying in daylight this latest collision raising alarms after two other recent deadly helicopter crashes, a midair collision by two black hawks killed nine troops near fort campbell during nighttime training last month, and two tennessee national guard soldiers killed in another black hawk crash in february. tonight we're told that no army pilots can fly until they complete this new training lester. >> all right, courtney kube with that, thank you. this was a devastating day in ukraine where the most intense russian air strikes in nearly two months have killed at least 25 people, most of them in an apartment building as they slept ellison barber is there tonight. >> reporter: tonight a frantic search for survivors after a barrage of deadly russian air strikes. rescuers combing through smoldering concrete and metal it is all that's left of an apartment building in uman after a missile hit in the middle of the night. residents were fast asleep marina telling us she lives nearby and rushed over to help.

is anywhere in ukraine safe >> nowhere nowhere. i moved a lot since the war started. nowhere is safe. >> reporter: among the dead, at least four children people here are overwhelmed with emotion. the safety of a home shattered by russia's war again. russia claims they were targeting military-related spaces, but you look at the people here, the little ones included, and you realize what a residential part of the city this is these are apartment buildings all around this one, the apartment building that was hit the hardest, people who live here say this side of the building, that's where most of the bedrooms were. these were the first large-scale russian missile strikes in nearly two months hitting several cities a strike in dnipro killed a toddler and her mother in kyiv a child was injured. back in uman we met daria, a 20-year-old volunteer. >> the most heartbreaking part was, like, the loud cries of women i saw the man who was

crying because he is the only one who is still alive from his family. >> reporter: tonight ukraine's top military official says they are getting closer to launching that highly anticipated spring counteroffensive to try and take back territories now occupied by russia lester. >> all right, ellison, thank you. in mississippi and across the region, an intense manhunt under way for two inmates who broke out of a jail last weekend. it comes after another was captured, and a fourth was killed. miguel almaguer has the latest >> reporter: with one inmate in court today 450 miles away from the jail break, tonight the u.s. marshal service and the mississippi bureau of investigations are trying to tighten their dragnet in the search for two other jail escapees. captured thursday, jerry raynes faced a judge today. dylan arrington died wednesday, but casey grayson and corey harrison are still on the run and could be

armed, dangerous, and desperate. >> these individuals have escaped a holding facility, a jail, so they are desperate to be in society, and we are calling them armed and dangerous at this time until they are returned to a correctional facility or to a jail >> reporter: before capturing raynes at a hospital after allegedly stealing a truck, dylan arrington died after authorities say he shot a deputy in the leg, barricaded himself inside a mississippi home, and set it on fire investigators say while on the run, arrington murdered pastor anthony watts, who was seen pulling over to help him on the side of the road the four escapees mostly facing felony theft charges have been on the run since saturday when they broke out of their cells onto the roof and out of the raymond detention center near jackson. that facility had been under intense scrutiny for deficiencies in supervision and staffing

for one of the escapees, this was his second jail break. tonight, two fugitives still on the run with perhaps little to lose miguel almaguer, nbc news the federal reserve has issued a hard-hitting report on its own failure to prevent the second biggest bank failure in u.s. history, silicon valley bank in march. tom costello has been looking this new report over. tom, the fed essentially admitting it failed here. >> reporter: that's right. the fed says there's plenty of blame to go around in the failure of svb it says first this is a textbook case of bank mismanagement, and in a mea culpa, the fed says it also failed government regulators did not understand the depth of the bank's problems and were far too slow to react. one big issue, the fed's very bureaucratic regulatory oversight system the fed is now considering whether to require banks to have more cash on hand and tougher regulatory rules, lester. >> and, tom, meantime, there's growing concern about another

bank that's in trouble, first republic what do we know? >> reporter: that's right. our partners at cnbc are reporting the government is preparing to put first republic into an fdic receivership last month 11 banks put $30 billion into the bank to keep it afloat its stock has lost 97% of its value since the crisis started in march, so this crisis has grown even more acute, lester. >> all right, tom costello, thanks. in 60 seconds, we speak to the friends of detained "wall street journal" reporter evan gershkovich. what they say he told them when they raised concerns that he might be in danger plus, the seventh grade hero who saved a bus full of schoolkids, all of it on video next.

tomorrow marks a month since "wall street journal" reporter evan gershkovich was detained in russia,

accused of spying for the u.s. tonight his friends and colleagues are speaking out talking to our harry smith about the dangers he faced on that overseas assignment >> reporter: last week evan gershkovich was presented to all the world like any other defendant in a russian court, accused of spying sam silverman and jeremy burke have known evan since college. >> wild to see him in a glass box. really challenging to see that, but at the same time, his body language was so strong, it was evan. >> i think, if i know evan, he's thinking about all of us at home and how hard it is for us, especially his mother, his sister, his father. >> reporter: gershkovich's reports from russia in "the wall street journal" did not coincide with moscow's version of the war in ukraine or the state of russia's economy. last fall his pals pressed him, was he in danger >> he had assured us that because of his, you know, his american passport, that this wasn't going to happen, and we had nothing to worry about. >> he told us, he was like, look, i get -- it's intense reporting

in russia. i get tailed by fsb agents, but it's not a problem. >> reporter: emma tucker is "the journal's" editor in chief. why do you think he was arrested >> we just don't know. who knows what's going on inside vladimir putin's mind have they got some goal in mind we simply don't know >> reporter: russia has an ugly history with reporters, truth seekers. >> it's not a good place to operate in as a journalist. >> very dangerous. >> very dangerous environment for natives and also foreigners reporting there. evan, evan reported the truth. clearly he wrote stuff that they didn't want him to write >> reporter: but a spy? evan >> he would be a terrible spy he would tell everybody how cool it is to be a spy, and then everyone would know about it. he's the last person i would choose to be a spy. >> reporter: the legal system, such as it is in russia, moves glacially. for sam and jeremy, their purpose now is to keep evan's story

alive. >> thought about doing everything you can do today. it's about how do you create a process and a system to sustain your effort >> reporter: it's a marathon then, not a sprint harry smith, nbc news, new york a michigan seventh grader is being called a hero for jumping into action when his school bus driver passed out the heart-pounding moments all caught on camera here's kristen dahlgren >> reporter: it could have easily been disaster surveillance video capturing the moment a michigan bus driver radios in that she's not feeling well. she starts to slow down, but passes out as the bus rolls toward oncoming traffic. that's when 13-year-old dillon reeves jumps into action, pushing the brake and steering the bus and 65 of his fellow students to a safe stop. >> you would think in the middle of this panic, you would just jump on the brake. he had the wherewithal to push it slowly likely in anticipation

that the bus was full of passengers. >> reporter: the seventh grader stayed in control >> someone call 911 now! >> in my 35 plus years of education, this was an extraordinary act of courage and maturity on his part [ applause ] >> reporter: as dillon was honored at his middle school, his parents said, they're not surprised. >> he's been on my lap driving country roads, pulling in driveways since about 4 years old. >> to do something like this just fills my heart it makes my heart skip a beat i'm extremely proud of him. >> reporter: the bus driver still not identified, but tonight undoubtedly grateful to the brave young student who stepped in to save the day. kristen dahlgren, nbc news >> great story still ahead, the future is here political ads generated by artificial intelligence and the urgent concerns that technology is raising heading into the 2024 election

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alexex! mateo, hey y how's busisiness? alexex! great. y you know ththat n has s really wororked wonder. thatat's what u.u.s. bank isis. great. y you know ththat n has s really wororked wonder. and d you're grorowing in calififornia? great. y you know ththat n has s really wororked wonder. -yup, , socal, nororcal... -monteterey? -all d day. -a brancnch in ventutura? that's's for sure-e-ah. atms in n fresno? that's's for sure-e-ah. freses-yes. that's's for sure-e-ah. encinitatas? yes, indndeed-us. encinitatas? anaheim? encinitatas? big g time. encinitatas? more guauacamole? encinitatas? i'i'm on a rololl-ay. encinitatas? how about t you? i'm jujust visitining. u.s.s. bank. ranked #1 1 in customomer satisfafaction h retatail bankingng in calififornia by j j.d. po. disinformation has surged in our political campaigns, but some critics worry the explosion of ai technology could take the 2024 cycle to a whole new level. hallie jackson reports in our series, "ai revolution." >> reporter: the republican national committee this week using computer-generated video to show apocalyptic what if scenarios where president biden could be re-elected. >> it feels like the train is coming off the tracks. >> reporter: but ai in

politics is hardly hypothetical it's here. from fake pictures of donald trump getting arrested to a fake video of president biden instituting a military draft >> the recommended way forward will be to invoke the selective service act. >> reporter: artificial intelligence with its easily accessed voice cloning and face swapping tools adding a new dimension to the political universe >> what i worry about in particular is that 2024 will be a gpt election it will be the first time that these technologies are available in the context of an election, in the context of hundreds of millions of dollars trying to push into the persuasion space >> reporter: in some ways ai helps political operatives making it easier to fund-raise or communicate with voters nbc news has learned the democratic national committee, for example, has experimented with drafting campaign emails using ai according to a source familiar, who says a staffer still edits before anything is sent widely. eric wilson is a

republican digital strategist >> we're really excited about the potential for artificial intelligence to help make campaigns more interactive and to really free up campaign staff to hire better uses of their time just like any other tool would. >> reporter: still, there's a dangerous downside to ai, the risk of disinformation >> in allowing republicans to vote -- >> reporter: take this computer-generated elizabeth warren suggesting republicans shouldn't be allowed to cast ballots. >> it is necessary to restrict republican voting in the 2024 election. >> reporter: the senator never said that, but ai can make it easier for anyone, not just experts, to create fake content. to show you how simple it can be, we tried prompting one ai site with something ludicrous. politicians kicking puppies. but some strategists worry about what could happen when the lines blur around what's real and what's not. >> to the extent that ai allows people who are trying to deceive

people, to the extent that they can do that with better content, that will be problematic. >> reporter: new technology and a new political frontier, hallie jackson, nbc news, washington. >> that's a lot to process. when we come back, why the voice you hear on your next train or bus ride just might be one of these kids.

finally, an empowering program under way for national autism awareness month. it's giving kids an exciting new way to

have their voices heard. rehema ellis with tonight's "inspiring america. >> reporter: it's another busy commute in new york city, but listen closely to this announcement >> hello, passengers if you see someone at risk of falling onto the tracks, please get help immediately >> reporter: that is fantastic. you memorized the whole thing. >> yeah. >> reporter: 6 1/2-year-old morgan is autistic. this month morgan, along with more than 100 kids and young people like him, recorded safety messages for transit systems. >> never place anything in or near the doors. >> reporter: now in its second year, the autism transit project has gone from just being in new york to other big cities around the country >> watch your belongings, and have a good day. >> reporter: the psas were made for autism awareness month. jonathan has founded special needs schools in new york and

connecticut. he's behind the project. >> it's done a lot for their confidence and also working themselves into civic life in more meaningful ways. >> who was that? >> it's me >> reporter: morgan's reaction, priceless. >> yes >> so excited to hear my voice. >> reporter: morgan's mother brenna says it hopes to promote inclusion. >> this project is really great to highlight kids whose voices you might not get to hear. >> what feeling do you have when you're riding the train >> i have an awesome feeling. >> reporter: now so do the rest of us hearing his voice. >> be safe, and happy autism awareness month. >> reporter: rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. >> and that's "nightly news" for this friday. a reminder, join me for an all new "nightly news: kids edition" with lots of fun science and a live audience of kids tomorrow morning here on nbc thanks for watching, everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night

>> the next stop is the last stop on the train.

i'm raj mathai. next on "nbc bay area news tonight," the chp and national guard on their way to san francisco. it's part of the governor's plan to attack the fentanyl crisis. today we learned exactly what they're going to be doing. also a walgreens security guard arrested for murder. he's accused of shooting a woman during a theft. we're digging deeper into what happened. and is