Nightly news begins right now. Announcer from nbc news World Headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. Good evening. As he laid out the ground today for a major battle with Senate Republicans over a Supreme Court nomination, president obama also waded deep into the race for president at a News Conference late this afternoon taking on donald trump and other republican candidates saying being president is a serious job. Its not hosting a reality show. His remarks come just four days away from the next major test in the race for president with trump maintaining his National Lead among republicans in our new nbc News Survey Monkey poll and jeb bush lagging behind, some wondering if South Carolina could be his last stand, and for democrats the focus remains on winning over africanamerican voters. We have all sides covered starting with nbcs Peter Alexander in columbia, South Carolina. Reporter hey, good evening to you, lester. Tonight the president is weighing in on the republican race to succeed him, dismissing the party frontrunner. Here in South Carolina donald trump is favored to win and jeb is desperate for a comeback. So much for southern charm. The leading republicans today in another ferocious round of fighting. Then bush, poor bush. Reporter even president obama piled on. Being president is a serious job. Its not hosting a talk show or a reality show. Its not promotion. Its not marketing. Its hard. In any other year South Carolina should be jeb bushs to lose, the state thats embraced his family multiple times before. He have on moderate republicans and veterans, but today with donald trump again dominating, facing new urgency to jump start his lagging campaign. Is South Carolina a last stand for jeb bush . The oteri has been written for a long time and were in it for the long tall. Helping is george w. Bush. A man im proud to call my big little brother, jeb bush. Reporter with trump relentlessly attacking w. Over 9 11 jeb recalled an iconic moments from weeks over the attack. My vision of my brother is sitting on the mound in Yankee Stadium throwing high heat. I cant imagine donald trump do it. Reporter jebs team is split between the campaign and the right to rise superpac spending tens of millions of dollars on bushs behalf with little return. If the right to rise soupe pac has taught us anything you can spend hundreds of millions on tv but it wont get you to top. Reporter finishing six in this iowa and fourth in New Hampshire he admits he needs to how is finishing this state something you can celebrate as a victory . I will beat expectations . Reporter when do you win a state . I cant tell that you. Reporter this afternoon bush sent us this picture, adding am nation to a bitter fight. Peter alexander, nbc news, South Carolina. Im kasie hunt covering the democrats where africanamerican voters are the focus today, Hillary Clinton courting black leaders, hoping for an endorsement from reverend al sharpton. Only you know and youre not telling me. My lips are sealed. Reporter and in ma major speech in harlem picking through the consequences of racism. These inequities are wrong, but they are also immoral, and it will be the mission of my presidency to bring them to an end. Reporter clinton is relying on decadesold ties to stay ahead in South Carolina where a new cnn poll showers her ahead of Bernie Sanders 56 to 38 . There today, and campaigned with erica garner whose father died after a new York City Police officer put him in a choke hold. He marched with Martin Luther king. He stood with jesse jackson, so basically hes stood with black people when it wasnt popular. Reporter success in early states has been powered by working class white voters. Some of the people she won in 2008 against barack obama shes now losing against Bernie Sanders. Reporter many in that Group Feeling left behind and angry, pushing their party to the left. Last night bill clinton comparing that to the tea party on the right. Thats going on now in our party. Reporter trying a sharp rebuke from sanders today. We should not be making silly remarks. Reporter is there a comparison . No, theres no comparison. Reporter sanders doesnt need to win a majority of black voters to have a path to the nomination, so their campaigns focus is on young africanamericans. Historically black college in atlanta. Lester . All right, kasie, thank you. Funeral arrangements have been announced for late Supreme Court justice antonin scalia. On friday scalia will lie in repose in the courts great hall. On saturday a funeral will be held at the National Shrine in washington, d. C. Meanwhile, the battle continued over replacing scalia which the president also addressed late today as our Andrea Mitchell reports. I expect them to hold hearings. I expect there to be a vote. Reporter in california the president responding for the first time to the republican roadblock against his vilg the vacancy on the high court. Im amused when i hear people who claim to be strict interpreters of the constitution suddenly reading into it a whole series of provisions that are not there. Reporter but will his nominee even get a hearing . A small crack today in the republican hard line from the powerful judiciary chairman Chuck Grassley in charge of any confirmation hearing telling i would wait until the nominee is made before i would make any decisions. Reporter but grassley tonight telling nbc hes not open to a confirmation. Tonight the president also revealing what he wants in scalias successor. Were going to find somebody who is an outstanding legal mind, somebody who cares deeply about our democracy and cares about rule of law and any fairminded person, even somebody who disagreed with my politics would say would serve with honor and integrity on the court. Reporter the president has a list said to include Sri Srinivasan of washington, d. C. And jane kelly of iowa, confirmed as federal judges three years ago unanimously. Also Washington Appeals Court judges merrick garland, long on the president s list though older at 63 and patricia millett, an experienced litigator and former clerk to who would scalia choose to replace himself, there were clues in a dissent last june when he called for more religious and geographic diversity on the court noted all stewedied at yale and harvard, five catholics and three jews, not a single evangelical christian, four from new york city. Reporter Law Enforcement officials and the owner of the ranch where scalia died are completely discounting speculation about foul play saying a pillow found in his bed was above his head, not over his face and the reason replacing scalia is so politically fraught his death represents a Seismic Shift in a court that has had a conservative 54 majority for half a century. Andrea mitchell, thank you. Another big story were following is a monster storm dumping record snow to the north and spawning a tornado outbreak in the south, a massive system stretching well over 1,000 miles. Nbcs blake mccoy with all the weather whiplash details now. Possible tornadoes reported as a powerful storm moved across south florida. Surveillance video captured from a condo complex shows heavy rain and whipping winds. Just sounded like a big Freight Train coming through. It was going through like craze. Storm damaging homes, capsizing boats and sending beach chairs flying into the ocean. Fueled by el nino, its part of a massive system spanning 1,600 miles up the east coast where further north is brought snow and ice. Freezing rain made for a treacherous commute in washington, d. C. In eastern pennsylvania a jackknifed semi caused this Chain Reaction crash. Folks just start running into the back of each other, five to six trucks behind us right now. In parts of new york the storm dumped snow and lots of it. Across western new york the snow really piled up on tuesday morning. Here in buffalo how about six inches in five hours. Both cities smashed daily and they said were right in the bulls eye here so this is no sprays. On the west coast they are breaking records, too, heat records. Southern california flirting with 90 degrees today. Weather whiplash from coast to both of. Blake mccoy, nbc news, new york. In Southern California today, an accused serial murderer is facing justice after a decades long mystery that has terrified areas of los angeles. The socalled grim sleeper trial is attracting attention from across the country not only for the nature of the claims but also the way this infamous cold case was finally cracked. Nbcs Steve Patterson has details. Reporter accused serial killer Lonnie Franklin walked into court today nicknamed the grim sleeper because of a 14year gap in his alleged killing spree. The evidence in this case will tell a story, a story of a serial killer who stalked the streets of south los angeles. Reporter starting in the franklin murdered nine women and one teenaged girl. Almost all of them were hidden under debris, behind bushes in, dumpsters or covered with dirty mattresses left in alleyways or other trash. Reporter an 11th victim survived and now expected to testify as a star witness. Authorities say an advance in Dna Technology that seems straight from a crime scene drama broke open the case. This case is one of those precedentsetting cases in that they are using what we call familial dna to get to the defendant. Reporter police had taken dna from franklins son in an unrelated case and that reaccpetedbled the dna found at the grim sleeper crime scene so police trailed franklin to get his dna eventually lifting it from a pizza crust and other items in his trash. They say it matched leading to an arrest in 2010. Franklin has pled not guilty and his lawyer is expected to challenge the reliability of the dna evidence. Is hoping for justice. I want her to see her killer and recognize what he did to her for no reason. Reporter Police Believe there could be other victims because these photos were found in franklins home this. Trial is expected to last up to four months. Steve patterson, nbc news, los angeles. If youre one of the estimated 40 million americans with student loan debt, listen up. A houston man says he was arrested by a team of u. S. Marshals without notice for had a nearly 30yearold student loan. Nbcs Janet Shamlian looks into the story. Reporter like millions of americans, paul aker has debt from college loans. Last week u. S. Marshals showed up at his houstonarea home to help collect it. I went to my garage, opened the garage door and walked out with my hands up. Reporter aker claimed he was handcuffed and shackled for nonpayment of a 1,500 loan from 1987, 29 years ago. Surreal. You can treat a citizen as if hes a drug dealer. Reporter Court Documents show noticed were sent to aker starting ten years ago and he acknowledges he does owe the money, and hes not alone. Student debt is skyrocketing. Theres more than 1. 2 trillion of it out there and more than 70 of bachelor degree grads will leave school with a student loan. Akers says he was briefly put in a cell before brought before a judge and collection lawyer, ordered to pay over time 5,700 for the loan which includes interest and another 1,300 for the u. S. Marshal service. Tonight u. S. Marshal service says aker refused multiple requests to appear in court dating back to 2012. The people in debt out there shouldnt be afraid that the u. S. Marshals are going to come and kick their door down. This was an extreme case. Escalated by mr. Akers himself. Reporter not offering a confirm their services are used for others who default on very old student loans. Student loans can feel like a prison cell. For one man his unpaid debt landing him in chains. Janet shamlian, nbc news, houston. Still ahead tonight, battling the skyrocketing cost of Prescription Drugs. Some people are saving hundreds a month on their medication, and were going to show you how they are doing it. Also, the grammys were one to remember for more than just the music. I accept im not 22. I accept i do a shorter set these days. I even accept i have a higher risk of stroke due to afib, a type of irregular heartbeat, not caused by a heart valve problem. But i wont play anything less than my best. So if theres Something Better than warfarin, im going for it. Eliquis. Eliquis reduced the risk of stroke better than warfarin, plus it had significantly less major bleeding than warfarin. Eliquis had both. Thats what i wanted to hear. Dont stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. Dont take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. While taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily. And it may take longer thanusual for any bleeding to stop. Seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. Eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. Tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. I accept i dont play. Quite like i used to. But im still bringing my best. And going for eliquis. Reduced risk of stroke plus less major bleeding. Ask your doctor. If switching. To eliquis is right for you. Hey this is lloyd. To prove to you that the better choice for him is aleve. Ok, but i have 30 acres to cover by sundown. Well be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. Yeah, i was ok, but after lunch my knee started hurting again so. More pills. Yep. Another pill stop. Can i get my aleve back yet . For my pain. I want my aleve. Get all day minor arthritis pain relief were back now with the cost of Prescription Drugs which keep rights. A third of americans say they are paying more than they did just a year ago, even for generic drugs according to consumer reports. Tonight we look at a new company, a startup, that wants to shake up the drug industry and bring down the cost of generic drugs. Some are already saving big. Nbcs Olivia Sterns has details. Reporter tammy powell, a nurse outside chicago struggled to pay for her own 400 Prescription Drug bill. Every month even with insurance, saking cymbalta for neck pain and medications for high cholesterol and blood pressure. She was searching for coupons. When i got to the pharmacy actually with the coupon, it would run the code and it wasnt real. Reporter then she stumpled upon blink health, a new website that offers drugs marked down by as much as 95 . Almost everyone takes medications at some point in their life and most people are by brothers matthew and jeffrey chachin to basically bypass insurance companies. Good insurance, bad insurance or no insurance at all check the blink price before going to the pharmacy. Reporter heres how blink works. Normally your doctor writes a prescription. Dwu to your Insurance Company and the Insurance Company goes to the drugmaker. Prices are based on what kind of insurance you have. Blink goes straight to the drugmakers so you click on your drug, pay online and print out the receipt to the take to your pharmacy. Blink features over 15,000 medications at 60,000 pharmacies nationwide. Mostly generics, and not the super expensive cuttingedge drugs but consumer advocates say this approach could be the future. A lot of people have high deductible plans. You may not realize kind of whats going on until you actually try to fill the prescription. Reporter back in chicago, tammy says her 422 bill has been cut to just 77 a month. What did you think when you saw that at first . Nobody wants to spend their money on medicines if you dont have to. Hi. Reporter saving money and time to enjoy lifes precious moments. Olivia sterns, nbc news, chicago. Were back in a moment with a huge discovery. One of the biggest of its kinds, and its worth millions. You do all this research on the perfect car. Gas mileage, horse power, torque ratios. Three spreadsheets later, you finally bring home the one. Then smash it into a tree. Your Insurance Company is all too happy to raise your rates. 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