And, shaking it up. On how a song makes it to the top of the charts. Some say its about time. Captions paid for by Nbcuniversal Television good evening. We begin with a developing story from daytona beach, florida, where late this afternoon a race car smashed into the fence and sent debris flying into the grandstands. It happened on the eve of the daytona 500 on the final lap of a nationwide series race. At least a dozen people were taken to the hospital. Nbcs Janet Shamlian is in daytona with the latest for us tonight. January the net, good evening. Reporter good evening to you. It was a jawdropping multicar crash in fiveday forecast grandstand on the final lap of this race. The rookie kyle larsens car went into the fence, his engine caught fire, then spectators say they saw large chunks of debris flying high into the stands. Many say they ducked or turned and when they turned around again, they saw many people injured. Emergency personnel and First Responders were here anyway just in case something happened on the track. They were putting people on stretchers within a minute. All of the drivers that were hurt were treated and released. After the race the winner Larry Stewart appeared shaken by this, he did not go to the traditional victory celebration. He left quietly. And behind me right now theres a crane and it is replacing that catch fence because we are less than 24 hours away from the daytona 500. Its important to note that this is not the first time this has happened. In 2009, at talladega, eight people were injured after similarly a car crashed into the catch fence. Again, we know that a dozen people were taken to the hospital. As many as five injured. Two are said to be critical and one is in surgery right now with trauma to the head. Lester, back to you. Very scary pictures from there tonight, janet, thank you. Remember that fiscal cliff this country nearly toppled over at the end of 2012 . Congressional republicans and the president reached an 11thhour deal that brought us back to safer ground temporarily. Guess what, tonight almost two months later were teetering on the ledge again, this time theyre calling it sequestration. Its impact on every single american is no less profound. Six days from now, unless a budget deal is reached, a massive round of automatic Government Spending cuts will go into effect. If you thought the urgency of the situation would have the white house and republicans burning the midnight oil to make a deal youd be mistaken. Nbcs Kristen Welker is at the white house. Reporter good evening. President obama has said he would be in contact with members of congress, but according to my sources here at the white house and on the hill there have been no toplevel discussions today and there is no resolution in sight. Bipartisan frustration. The uncertainty of sequestration is really harming our states and national economy. This is something nobody wants. Its not a balanced, thoughtful compromise. Reporter hope for a deal is fading but the president said today there is still time. These cuts dont have to happen. Congress can turn them off any time with just a little compromise. Reporter recent polls show a majority of americans support the president s plan to avert the sequester through new taxes and spending cuts. But House Republicans say they just agreed to raise taxes and this deal should be solely based on slashing spending. House republicans have already passed two bills to replace the president s sequester. So the question is, why wont he work with us . And the answer, quite simply, is because he wants higher taxes. Reporter meanwhile the Obama Administration is warning of dire consequences. Arguing as many as 10,000 teachers could be laid off. More than 1,000 fbi agents could see cutbacks or furloughs. There could be as many as 2,100 fewer food safety inspections. On friday, outgoing transportation secretary ray lahood said travelers would see major delays. This is going to have a real impact. Calamity. Its a big deal. Reporter lahood said faa would need to trim 1 billion, less than 2 of the entire transportation budget. I think youve got a little bit of scare tactics going on there. Reporter and there is still fingerpointing over whose idea this was in the first place. In a Washington Post oped, bob woodward claims it came directly from the white house, writing, obama personally approved the plan. White house offials have argued that the majority of House Republicans voted to approve the sequester. As for furloughs, government Officials Say the majority of them wont take effect for about a month. For more on how all this is playing out were joined by cnbcs chief washington correspondent john harwood. If we get to friday, they dont make a deal, do is they cuts all play out at once or does it transpire over a series of weeks or months . Theyll play out for a while, maybe not for a long while. Even though body parties seem willing to let the sequester go into effect theres a lot not to like for both sides. If we see the effects like longer air travel delays youre going to see increasing pressure from their constituents to negotiate some sort of alternative. For the last couple of years weve heard about the socalled grand bargain. Is that just a dream or is it something we could see happen to solve all this . Its hard to be optimistic but a republican member of Congress Told me this week that its still possible that republicans would accept more tax revenue in the context of texas reform if democrats give ground on entitlements and because of the recent slowdown nationally in health care costs, reining in medicare is a more manageable problem than its been in years. John harwood, thank you. South africa, Oscar Pistorius is living in his uncles house after being released on bond, unable to return to his own home where he shot and killed his girlfriend nine days ago. Tonight were hearing from rina steenkamps father. Michelle kosinski is in south africa with the latest. Reporter Oscar Pistorius went to his uncles house after being released on bond yesterday, not allowed back in his own home which is the scene of the alleged crime. Tonight were hearing from his girlfriends father, bitterly grieving, saying he someday might forgive pistorius, on one condition. Oscar pistorius did not venture outside his uncles home today where cameras of course were waiting. Po base officers did pay him a visit. One of the many conditions of his release that is he cant go home where pistorius shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp early valentines day morning, he says mistaking him for a burglar in his bathroom. Today beeld ran an interview with her father barry. Steenkamp saying, there are only two people who really know what happened, Oscar Pistorius and the lord. It doesnt matter how much money he has and how good his legal team is, he must live with his conshouldnt. If it did not happen as he told it, he must suffer. If he speaks the truth, i can perhaps someday forgive him. The pistorius family, emotional and so supportive of oscar in court, sent the Steenkamp Family flowers and a card. Yes, but what does it mean . Steenkamps mother was quoted as saying. Nothing. Now everything is taken away from her in such a violent way. We want to know the truth. People around the world have reached out to them. Messages of support have been posted on pistorius redesigned website, now foeg him with his hand over his heart. His release causing split reactions. I think the guy is, you know, he should be behind bars. Reporter now he can live his life, though needing permission to travel even outside his town, having to check in at a Police Station bite a week. Although his agent canceled all his upcoming races, sponsors including nike have suspended sponsorships, his coach wants to start training him again as soon as possible to clear his mind, possibly as early as monday. Pistorius might have a long time to wait for trial under this system, though the eyes of the world are now on it. He doesnt have to be back in court until june. Michelle, thanks. Tomorrow at the vatican, Pope Benedict xvi will offer a final public blessing before he retires next thursday. At cardinals gather for the election of a new pope, the vatican today was sharply critical of a wave of reports in the italian media. Nbcs Anne Thompson is at the vatican. Good evening to you. Reporter good evening, leve lester. It was an unusually strong rebuke from the vatican for running false news reports, they claim, to influence the election of the next pope. Now, this pushback came after several unsourced stories in an italian newspaper this week claim Pope Benedict decided to resign after receiving a secret report in december outlining corruption and misconduct inside the vatican. Church officials here denied that story and today the vatican secretary of state issued a statement saying, it is deplorable that are unverified, unverifiable, and completely false news stories that harm persons or institutions. Now, while all this was going on, pope ben indict was getting back to business, he met with the italian president this morning, he named new bishops to italy and mexico. Tomorrow, as you said, he will address the crowd one last time here in st. Peaters square, give them his final sunday blessing. The second to last public event before he retires. And the timing, anne, coincidental, but Cardinal Roger mahoney of los angeles being deposed on the very issue of clergy sex abuse. What more can you tell us about that . Reporter well, he spent four hours with attorneys today as scheduled. And then after that questioning, the attorneys asked for more time. Its not clear whether he is still being questioned. However, Cardinal Mahoney is planning to come to rome to participate in the conclave, to select the new pope. Earlier this week a cardinal here in italy suggested that he stay home for the role he played in shielding abusive priests. Lester . Anne thompson in rome tonight, thanks. More heavy weather is on the way. Its from that same storm that crippled parts of the midwest and its now headed to new england. At the same time, a big new storm is churning out west. Lets bring in meteorologist Kim Cunningham with the latest. It seems like a broken record. It does. Weve been so busy, its like every weekend were getting a storm here in the northeast. This is the one that did bring all that snow to the plains. Were going to see it bring some snow to boston, maybe a rainsnow mix starting out. New york, west of boston, into maine, 6 to 12 inches of snow before this is done, boston 3 inches mixing with rain through tomorrow. Wind will be a problem as well. Then the next storm to come out of the rockies, this one will bring snow into denver. That will be through tomorrow. Then the same areas that got up to 2 feet of snow, and still 7 inches of snow on the ground in kansas city, will see an additional 6 to 12 inches. And chicago, youre also dealing with this. Looks like tuesday well start to see the snow come in, 3 to 6 inches of snow. Already 3 inches of snow still on the ground. Lester, were going to watch this storm take shape. Same areas getting a lot of heavy snow. Eventually, this will move to the east coast again. Well be watching this one very closely. The pentagon made a big announcement as we headed into the weekend. Its putting the countrys single largest Weapons Program on hold. All 51 of the pentagons new f35 fighter jets will be grounded following the discovery of a crashed turbine blade in one of the planes engines. Its the second time in two weeks the government has had to pause the 396 billion Weapons Program. Trouble for another big program tonight. At this moment the most contaminated nuclear site in the country is leaking a mix of radioactive and toxic material into the soil. The waste is coming from old underground tanks in washington States Hanford nuclear reservation, a site that produced plutonium for the bombs dropped in world war ii. Officials say the leak is not an immediate threat since it will likely take years for the chemicals to reach the groundwater. When nightly news continues on this saturday, finding the next big breakthroughs in medicine. A new generation gets millions to make it happen. The new power of the internet in driving a song to the top of the charts. N. I took something for my sinuses, but i still have this cough. [ male announcer ] truth is, a lot of sinus products dont treat cough. They dont . [ male announcer ] nope, but alka seltzer plus severe sinus does it treats your worst sinus symptoms, plus that annoying cough. [ angry gibberish ] [ fake coughs ] sorry that was my fault sir. [ male announcer ] alka seltzer plus severe sinus. [ breathes deeply ] oh, what a relief it is [ male announcer ] try alka seltzer plus severe sinus day and night for complete relief from your worst sinus symptoms. A talking car. But ill tell you what impresses me. A talking train. This ge locomotive can tell you exactly where it is, what its carrying, while using less fuel. Delivering whatever the world needs, when it needs it. After all, whats the point of talking if you dont have something important to say . Its not every day that researchers try to cure cancer and other serious diseases say they hit the jackpot. Thats what happened this week when 11 scientists were told they were being awarded millions to fund their research. Dr. Nancy snyderman has the story. Reporter dr. Corey bardman of Rockefeller University received an unexpected phone call. I thought it was probably one of my friends playing a practical joke. Reporter she had been chosen to receive a 3 million cash prize for her research in brain development. Which will hopefully provide breakthroughs in disorders like autism and schizophrenia. This is more like winning the lottery. Reporter ten other scientists worldwide joined bardman in receiving the award. The first of its kind. Including dr. Lewis cantally of cornell medical college, being recognized for cancer and diabetes research. I was glad i was sitting down, i almost fell. Reporter its not just the money that surprised these scientists. The people behind it did too. Tech billionaires, including russian entrepreneur yuri milliner, facebook cofounder mark zuckerberg, and others formed a nonprofit called breakthrough prize in life sciences. Instead of recognizing scientists who are already known for their accomplishments, these 11 recipients are young and studying novel breakthroughs in cancer, gene therapy, and stemcell research. These are people who dont necessarily get a lot of recognition but theyre actually doing things that impact all of our lives. Reporter more than twice the amount of the nobel prize, the breakthrough prize is the largest scientific award that exists. The 3 million allows a scientist to invest in a lab and recruit other young scientists, allowing them to rely less on increasingly tight federal budgets. Its making a statement by rewarding the people who have been making progress. Reporter the announcement of this prize may mean that the future of research in the United States is going to be very different. It may no longer be dependent on east coast establishments like the nih and National Cancer institute. It may instead lie on the other coast. In the heart of the silicon valley. Dr. Nancy snyderman, nbc news, new york. When we come back, the first lady as we rarely get to see her. Ifor years. Centrum silver. N both of us actually. Our pharmacist recommended it. And that makes me feel pretty good about it. And then i heard about a study looking at multivitamins and the Long Term Health benefits. And what do you know . They used centrum silver in the study. Makes me feel even better, thats what i take. Sorry, we take. [ male announcer ] centrum. The most recommended. Most preferred. Most studied. Centrum, always your most complete. The most recommended. Most preferred. Most studied. The people of bp made a commitment to the gulf. , and every day since, weve worked hard to keep it. Today, the beaches and gulf are open for everyone to enjoy. Weve shared what weve learned, so we can all produce energy more safely. Bps also committed to america. We support nearly twohundredfifty thousand jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. Were working to fuel america for generations to come. Our commitment has never been stronger. But with advair, im breathing better. So now i can be in the scene. Advair is clinically proven to help significantly improve lung function. Unlike most copd medications, advair contains both an antiinflammatory and a longacting bronchodilator working together to help improve your lung function all day. Advair wont replace fastacting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. People with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. Advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. Tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high Blood Pressure before taking advair. If youre still having difficulty breathing, ask your doctor if including advair could help improve your lung function. Get your first full prescription free and save on refills at advaircopd. Com. Youre looking at new video of italys mt. Aetna erupting this week. It had been rumbling nearly a year before it erupted, lighting up the predawn sky. Italian scientists managed to get there in time to record the stunning images. This new photo is released today of a meteor streaking through the sky in southern california. Dozens reported seeing a green fireball. Photographer susan larry was north of los angeles when it happened. She was setting up her camera for a night shot when she caught an image of the basketballsized meteor. First Lady Michelle obama showed the world last night that she is also the first lady of dance. Demonstrating her moves on late night with jimmy fallon. The dancing took place before the first ladys interview with fallon which focused on her lets move campaign against childhood obesity. When asked by the host to grade the president s dance moves if there is obama gave him a bachlt. The jersey worn by the captain of the u. S. Olympic hockey team which won the socalled miracle on ice went up for auction. It took place in the 1980 winter games and is widely considered one of the greatest sporting events ever played. The mostly amateur team usa beat a dominant russian squad 43 before going on to win cold. The jersey is expected to win at least 1 million. At least one midwestern resident enjoyed the terrible weather seen last week. Berlin the bear. Berlin is being housed at a zoo in kansas city because her normal home in duluth is flooded. From the music world a sad note to report about the passing of a onetime member of the temptations. Papa was a Rolling Stone otis harris sang the lead on the 1972 hit papa was a Rolling Stone. He was the youngest member of the group, awe editioning when he was 21 years old. His family tells us wilson died earlier this week after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 62. Up next here tonight, why the hit songs of today owe more to youtube than ever before. I youre suffering from constipation, miralax or metamucil may take days to work. For faster relief, try dulcolac laxative tablets. Dulcolac provides gentle relief overnight unlike miralax and metamucil that can take up to 3 days. How did i know . Well, i didnt really. See, i figured low testosterone would decrease my sex drive. But when i started losing energy and became moody. Thats when i had an honest conversation with my doctor. We discussed all the symptoms. Then he gave me some blood tests. Showed it was low t. Thats it. It was a number not just me. [ male announcer ] today, men with low t have androgel 1. 62 testosterone gel . 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Turn it up [ male announcer ] in a clinical study, over 80 of treated men had their t levels restored to normal. Talk to your doctor about all your symptoms. Get the blood tests. Change your number. Turn it up. Androgel 1. 62 . Billboard will shake things up in an effort to accommodate hits that explode on new media. Hot 100 the singles chart will include the number of clicks a song gets on youtube as part of its formula. Katy tur has more tonight. Reporter no doubt youve heard it. And seen it. Again. And again. If you havent, its called the harlem shake. Thanks to all these youtube spoofs, its now the top single on the billboard charts. 103 million views, 262,000 downloads. Last week it didnt even place. The reality is youtube isnt just something that can help a song become a hit at this point. Youtube is like an infrastructure where a song can be a hit all unto itself. Reporter billboards bill wordy says youtube views will track downloads, single sales, satellite and radio play as well as on demand and streaming in the mix of criteria for how songs rate on billboards hot 100. Given the popularity of music on video sites some can say billboard is behind the times. Think of gotye, psi, justin bieber. All of whom made it big on the computer screen. You know the good old days youd have to walk into a record store, buy an album that would play a role whether or not the song went to number one. You also got pretty cool album art in the process. Then technology came along and ruined everything. So long, vinyl. Hello, iphone. Its either going to democrat its the way music is made or end music as we know it. Reporter carmen was fighting for click is. Now theyre a hit. The change means rihanna went from 57 to 3. Drake went from 63 to 10. A top 10 for the history books. But with short online attention spans, next week, who knows. It could be you. Katy tur, nbc news, new york. Thats nbc nightly news. Im lester holt reporting from new york. See you in the morning on today then right back here tomorrow evening. Good night