so much anticipation, the first egg, too much time has passed for it to be viable. >> this is a live look, this is the thing to do. >> jackie or shadow? >> i don't know. tens of thousands of people are watching in realtime, hoping to see an eagle chick break out of an egg and hear that distinctive sound the hatchling makes. >> so intriguing to watch the videos and wait. >> it is. wish they were both there, see why one was called shadow. all right. that's our nature visit for the night. >> thanks for watching. >> "nightly news" is next. we're back at 6:00. we'll check in.

tonight, new developments in the investigation into the alaska airlines midair scare. the justice department reportedly looking into what happened on the flight two months after this hole ripped open on the plane in midair the nightmare near catastrophe now under federal scrutiny investigators reportedly interviewed passengers, attendants even the pilots what we know so far. the deadly helicopter crash at our southern border two soldiers and a border patrol agents killed. the latest on the investigation. possible tornadoes tearing through alabama and georgia ripping the roofs off of these homes and scattering debris where the storm is going next the general election unofficially kicking off today. president biden and former president trump with duelling rallies just miles apart in a critical swing state >> you're the reason why we're going to win. >> this has been a tremendous week for our movement. >> what to watch for as the campaign heats up. the new push for aid in gaza what the u.s. is doing get critical supplies there as the humanitarian crisis grows. caught on camera. frightening video at a texas zoo

the moment this gorilla charges at zookeepers trapped inside this enclosure and roll out the red carpet the history and potential surprises to watch out for at tomorrow's academy awards. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with jose diaz-balart. good evening tonight the justice department is reportedly getting involved in one of the most dramatic mishaps on a commercial flight in recent memory. this was the scene in the sky above portland, oregon, back in january after an entire panel of the boeing 737 max 9 blew off mid flight a terrifying moment for passengers a child's clothes sucked out, oxygen masks dropping. incredibly, nobody was hurt after it made an emergency landing, but the incident raised a lot of questions. chief among them, how did this happen tonight, "the wall street journal" reports the department of justice is now investigating. our george solis leads us off tonight.

>> reporter: tonight the justice department now opening a criminal investigation into that mid-air scare on an alaska airlines flight involving a max 9 jet where a door plug blew out over portland, according to "the wall street journal." "the journal" reporting investigators contacting pilots, fright attendants and passengers on board flight 1282 that was forced to make an emergency landing where fortunately no one was hurt >> alaska airlines -- >> reporter: the justice department providing no comment to nbc news. the focus of the investigation set to center on whether boeing has complied with a previous settlement following a federal investigation into the airline's handling of the deadly jet crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. today the company providing no comment to nbc news. >> they're going to look pretty seriously at, is this a one-off, or is this systemic? >> reporter: in a preliminary report last month the ntsb found four bolts needed to keep the door plug in place were missing

tonight, alaska airlines saying in a statement in part, it's normal for the doj to be conducting an investigationf, we are fully cooperating and do not believe we are a target of the investigation. news of the investigation comes as the ntsb has blasted boeing for failing to turn in records about the blowout, a claim the company refutes, but in a letter to u.s. senator maria kantwell boein revealing they can't find any documentation on the removal of the door plug. that probably is not a good answer either. >> it's a horrible answer when i read that, i was shocked, that, one, they don't have the documentation. they're required to have that documentation. and if not, then we're talking about a much deeper problem of procedural compliance. >> and george is with me now george, what are we hearing from passengers aboard that alaska airlines flight >> yeah, jose. an attorney representing 27 passengers onboard that max 9 fright tells us in a statement tonight they appreciate that the doj is, quote, approaching the incident with the

seriousness it calls for, jose? >> george solis, thank you very much we are also following breaks news on our southern border after a helicopter crash killed two soldiers and a border patrol agent priscilla thompson has the very latest on the investigation. >> reporter: tonight, an investigation is under way into what caused the crash of this national guard helicopter killing one border patrol agent and two soldiers onboard. a third soldier seriously injured. >> it was unbelievable. >> reporter: wesley vanderpool says he was about 1,000 feet away when the chopper crashed in his onion patch. >> all of a sudden it started swirling, or circling, spinning like a top. >> reporter: it just dropped like a rock? >> it dropped like a rock. >> reporter: the uh-72 lakota helicopter went down during aviation operations near rio grande city, the department of defense says, part of a federal border mission. >> it could be involved in just a surveillance, many of the chases we have along the border are extremely dangerous. when you have that

aerial support, it provides a level of safety. >> reporter: head of the national guard daniel hokanson calling the incident a tragic loss beyond words and saying all of these people represent selfless service and the best of america. president biden today offering his deepest condolences to their families and loved ones friday's deadly crash comes on the heels of his state of the union address where the partisan fight over border policy was front and center. >> i'm ready to fix it kprauz [ cheers and applause ] send me the border bill now >> reporter: tonight, the lives lost an important reminder of the stakes. >> priscilla, what more do we know about those who lost their lives? >> reporter: jose, the department of defense has yet to release the names of those killed wanting first to inform their families that process usually takes about 24 hours jose >> priscilla thompson, thank you. also developing tonight -- tornadoes appear to be touching down in alabama and georgia earlier today.

you can see roofs ripped off of those homes in echo, alabama. that system is set to move north with rain continuing tomorrow 29 million people under flood alerts from virginia to maine overseas, the rush to get aid inside gaza is drawing more urgent as millions of palestinians are at risk from the humanitarian crisis there molly hunter reports tonight on the new efforts under way to bring aid to the strip. >> reporter: setting off from cypress this weekend yet another international effort to get aid into gaza even faster. a joint mission between the spanish organization open arms and chef jose andreas' world central kitchen. >> open arms you can see behind me is getting ready to set sail to deliver food aid into gaza. >> reporter: the open arms will travel about 200 miles through a newly secured maritime corridor to reach an undisclosed location in gaza. while today u.s. airdrops continued parachuting

food pallets into northern gaza, but on friday palestinian officials said at least five people were killed, not by israeli bombs but by aid palettes crashing from the sky, falling rapidly, the parachutes failing, but the u.s. says all of its aid landed safely on the ground, desperation. aziz abdullah says they've been waiting for hours, but it's not enough for his family of seven, as famine stalks northern gaza, unicef says children are already starving to death. this comes as the u.s. announced a new plan to build a temporary pier off the coast of gaza, the pentagon says it could take up to two months, requiring 1,000 u.s. troops international organizations say president biden should, instead, pressure israeli prime minister netanyahu to allow more aid in by road. israel says it's not preventing aid from getting to the people who need it most

the u.n. special repertoire on the right to food calling air drops and the pier plan absurd and a performance to meet a domestic audience. more evidence of the peril from airdrops posted to social media today, highlighting the risk of what was meant for relief and tonight inside israel hostage families running out of patience and with the muslim holy month of ramadan about to begin, there's no cease-fire in sight. molly hunter, nbc news meanwhile, the caribbean haiti's prime minister is facing new pressure to resign after the state department said his hold on power is untenable. it comes as the country spirals out of control under gang violence and a former coup leader is now trying to take power in that country. and now to the race for president here in the u.s. and our first look at what the general election will look like. president biden and former president trump both on the campaign trail today in georgia aaron gilchrist has

what to expect as the campaign heats up. >> reporter: tonight the first duelling rallies for the presidency in battleground georgia. president biden landing in atlanta with former president donald trump 70 miles away in rome his first time in the state since being booked at the fulton county jail last august, accused of scheming to overturn the 2020 election. >> hello, georgia. i'm thrilled to be back in rome we did very well in rome. >> reporter: president biden's georgia visit coming on the heels of a state of the union speech supporters hailed as energetic and fiery. sitting down, addressing an unscripted moment in his speech >> lincoln riley an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal. that's right >> i'm not going to treat anyone -- any of these people with disrespect. look, they built the country. the reason our economy is growing. we have to control the border

and a more orderly flow, but i don't share that view at all. >> so you regreet using that word >> yes. >> reporter: that walk back fueling trump. who met with lincoln riley before his rally. >> biden should be apologizing for apologizing to this killer. >> reporter: biden launched his general election campaign in pennsylvania on friday before turning his attention to georgia and communities of color. getting key endorsements from asian, black and latino packs along with a $30 million commitment to help him win in november. the biden campaign releasing a new ad also targeting communities of color and young voters in battleground states, taking thei issue of his age in stride. >> look, i'm not a young guy. that's no secret >> reporter: here in atlanta -- >> are you registered to vote? >> yes. >> reporter: even as groups like this sorority worked to register people for the fall election, the crisis in gaza fueling a biden protest vote for georgia's march 12th primary i spoke with a state legislature who supports democratic voters leaving their ballots blank.

>> the ask is really clear. we need to course correct. we need a permanent cease-fire. >> reporter: still, president biden buoyed by his speech to congress that campaign officials say helped generate record single-day donations and voters say showed he's ready to take on trump. >> super energetic, stayed organized. kept delivering punch after punch. >> reporter: jose, the president's post-state of the union tour continues next week with stops in new hampshire and the battleground states of michigan and wisconsin. jose >> reporter: aaron gilchrist in atlanta. thank you. in the sports world seem there's no stopping caitlin clark, the college basketball superstar shattered another record last night. steph curry's record for the most three pointers in a single ncaa season. last week she set the record for the most points scored by any college basketball player man and women. still ahead, the terrifying gorilla encounter caught on camera after

it charged after these trapped zookeepers plus a big change for the s.a.t.s that started today and what we are already hearing from students who took it.

we are back with a frightening new video of a gorilla charging at two zookeepers trapped in an enclosure. the incident occurred last october at the fort worth zoo in texas, but the video was just posted online this week you can see the zookeepers running as elmo, the

34-year-old silverback gorilla went after them the zoo says nobody was hurt all keepers and animals are safe. big news for high school students the s.a.t.s have gone completely digital now. meaning no more number two pencils. here rethe details and what it means for kids across the country >> reporter: it's the night before the big test and 16-year-old reina robinson in edison, new jersey, is running through a slew of practice questions. >> so this is a section one reading and writing practice question. >> reporter: this week the high school junior is among the first 500,000 students nationwide taking the updated s.a.t. exam. now 100% digital and an hour shorter. >> why did the college board choose to make this decision >> really honestly we're rooted in what we were hearing increasingly from students and schools. we were quickly becoming one of the last major tests that they were taking on paper. >> reporter: the college board, which offers the s.a.t.s piloted the digital exam

abroad last year. >> we made the decision hearing quite clearly from students and schools that they were ready >> reporter: but reina says she and her classmates still have some reservations. >> i don't know what to expect 100% whereas i've been studying for the paper version all my life and now they're completely changing it. >> reporter: with the newly designed test students can bring their own laptop or use a device provided. the college board says bluebook, the app used for the exam has security and encryption functions to prevent cheating also new to the s.a.t., what's known as adaptive testing. >> it adapts questions that students get based on how they performed earlier in the assessment >> reporter: meaning the more questions you answer correctly, the harder the next question becomes. >> hi, reina >> reporter: we checked in with rein today right after the test >> what was the feeling for you when you finished your exam >> similar to putting your pencil down. we were all closing our laptops and so glad it was finally

over but i think it was a lot less stressful because we were taking it an computer because all the assessments we take in school are usually on our computers any way. >> reporter: and age-old exam reimagined for the new generation of test takers and we're back in a moment with what to expect from the academy awards and the oscars' history that could be made tomorrow night.

we are back with the biggest night in entertainment. the academy awards tomorrow

and this year's oscars are bound to bring some surprises and potentially make history. priya sridhar has more >> reporter: the red carpet is rolled out for hollywood's biggest night with this year's blockbusters competing to take home the coveted oscar. "oppenheimer" could break records for most oscar wins with its 13 nominations critics predicting the film could win some of the biggest categories from best picture to best director for its portrayal of the making of the atomic bomb. >> you talk too much >> reporter: lily gladstone is also expected to make history as the first native american woman to win an oscar for her role in "killers of the flower moon" but some say don't count out emma stone from "poor things" just yet >> lilymay have the edge people are really excited to see her up there. >> reporter: critics say other front-runners include robert downey jr. for best supporting actor

in "oppenheimer" and joy for best supporting actress in "the holdovers." this year is show is scheduled to begin an 7:00 p.m., an hour earlier, and hosted by jimmy kimmel, giving a sneak peek in this promo where he pokes fun at the most-talked about snub barbie's greta ger wig being shout of best director category despite the glitz and glamour some fear it won't have a happy ending netflix featured the s.a.g. awards online. >> is that an indication that these award ceremonies could potentially being away from broadcast on live television >> streaming has brought in so many more choices for people to watch. you know, live television is not the draw that it used to be >> reporter: this year

lapd is on alert around the theater and red carpet in anticipation of protests related to the war in gaza. jose >> priya sridhar, thank you so very much a reminder to set your clocks forward an hour tonight daylight saving time is set to begin at 2:00 a.m. eastern. most of us will now get later sunsets until the fall even if we lose an hour of sleep. the only states that don't observe it, hawaii and arizona when we come back, there's good news tonight, about this player's slam dunk moment and the surprise she will never forget

there's good news tonight. so often the good news doesn't get as much of attention as the bad. so every saturday we highlight the many people who spread joy and love these are just some of those stories this week. >> reporter: this was a celebration of a lifetime - [ cheers ] -- for high school senior jacob surrounded by teammates. [ applause ] after sinking this shot to help the virginia blue devils win. [ cheers ] it was a thrill, because he is the team manager who typically plays football, but off the field and on the court he scored the very first time the coach put him in the game.

[ cheers ] and a special moment one nebraskan family will never forget that's army major timothy surprising his daughter leila at school after more than nine months overseas. >> i missed you so much. >> reporter: but that was not the only surprise he had in store. >> how about you get your stuff and i'm going to go say hi to your brother okay >> reporter: her twin brother roman also stunned by his father's homecoming. >> hey, buddy! ♪ >> nothing can prepare you for that time and just seeing the joy in your kids' eyes. >> okay? >> yeah! [ cheers ] and a special celebration for 8-year-old laila gregor in las vegas. [ applause ] ringing the bell to mark end of more than two years of cancer treatment. [ cheers ] for friends and family, it was an opportunity to celebrate.

♪ [ cheers and applause ] this slam dunk moment one bring ham young university guard kaylee smiler never expected that's her on senior night. the new zealand native surprised by family and friends who performed the haka a ceremonial dance and an important part of their maui tradition the surprises weren't over yet [ cheers ] her parents phillip and luana flew thousands of miles from their home in australia to utah to give their daughter a night she'd remember forever. >> i was in tears. it was very special and emotional and i loved it. >> what was it like to see her surprise >> it was really emotional. it was an absolute privilege. >> we were able to use the haka to say we're proud of you. we love you.

[ applause ] >> reporter: even for this family a reminder of one thing above all -- >> back home we have a ton of these, like, multicultural sayings. it's a question and you ask, what is the most important thing in this world? the answer is, it is people it is people. for this specific experience, it's for me but my hope is that i'm able to do it for everybody else as well >> and kaylee is planning to play professional basketball overseas. that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. peter alexander will be here tomorrow night i'm jose diaz-balart thank you for the privilege of your time. good night.

>> right now at 6:00 a busy saturday in the south bay after flames erupt from a san jose home. that fire possibly fuelled from propane tank and chemicals inside that building, all of it sending a plume of smoke less than a mile of san jose's busiest shopping centers. "nbc news" starts now : i'm gia vang. >> we are at the scene, and i understand you spoke to firefighters and neighbors about this. >> i did, and the neighbors