>> i'm jim rosenfield. >> i'm jacqueline london. we'll so you at 11. o shocking revelations tonight. courtroom confrontation, as dennis hastert's accuser breaks his silence. the second in line to the presidency is called a child molester by a judge. campaign bombshells as trump's landslide wins put him closer to the nomination. cruz is naming a running mate. word sanders is laying off hundreds of staffers. what nbc news has learned about prescription painkillers. paying with a selfie. no more cash, no more swiping cards. checking out with just a plink of an eye. inside the secret lab. designing the amazing products of the future. wait until you see what we've uncovered. "nightly news" begins right now.

>> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening. what a mighty and humiliating fall. dennis hastert once one of the most powerful men in the country and second in line for the presidency faced a blistering dressing down from an angry federal judge in chicago today as he publicly confronted a shameful past and was sentenced to prison. hastert was convicted of a financial crime, but it was part of a scheme masked to cover something more egregious, his molestation of children. nbc's stephanie gosk was there. >> reporter: former speaker of the house dennis hastert arrived at chicago's federal courthouse today in a wheelchair. his lawyers argued his poor health should keep him out of prison. but the judge was unsparing. saying of hastert, nothing is more stunning than having serial child molester

and speaker of the house in the same sentence. hastert was sentenced to 15 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for illegally structuring cash withdrawals, hush money used to pay a man who says hastert sexually abused him when he was 14 years old. the statute of limitations on the alleged sexual abuse has expired. but judge thomas jerk en gave hastert nearly the three times the recommendation from the federal prosecutor. the lawyer for the alleged victim reacted to the sentence. >> i think they got to the truth. >> reporter: scott cross also wrestled for the team. now a father of two. he was referred to as individual "b" until speaking out in court today. >> after decades of unfathomable silence, he stood up and spoke the truth. >> reporter: at times breaking down with emotion, cross told

the judge that coach hastert sexually abused me my senior year of high school. he said he never told anyone about his darkest secret. even as his brother, tom, would become the leader of the gop in illinois. closely mentored by dennis hastert. the former speaker actually reached out to tom cross for character reference, to be used in today's sentencing hearing. but that reference was never sent. the sister of another victim spoke today in court. her brother died of aids in 1995. >> it wasn't just steve making up the story. >> validation. >> absolutely. >> reporter: today in court the judge asked hastert directly about him. did you sexually abuse him? yes. standing to deliver a statement in a shaky voice, hastert said, i wanted to apologize to the boys i mistreated when i was their coach. still, the judge issued a harsh rebuke, that some actions can obliterate a lifetime of good works. in a statement

hastert's lawyer said his client accepts the sentence and hopes he can now focus on fixing the emotional damage he's done to family and friends. so far, authorities have yet to identify the prison where he will serve his time. lester? >> all right. stephanie gosk tonight, thank you. it's been a day of bombshells in the race for president. donald trump puts even closer to the nomination. ted cruz is the one naming a running mate. picking carly fiorina as his vp choice to try to force a face-off with trump in a contested convention. nbc's peter alexander has the details on a wild day. >> reporter: fresh off a stinging streak of humiliating losses to donald trump, ted cruz tonight tossing up a hail mary pass. >> with my vice presidential nominee, carly fiorina. >> reporter: ma mathematically eliminated, cruz's only shot, to win indiana next week and hope for a contested convention. >> carly confronted

donald trump. and every one of us remembers the grace, the class with which carly responded. >> reporter: tonight's move almost unprecedented. the first republican vp announcement by a non-nominee in decades. this time around, fiorina alone on stage, serenading cruz's daughters, trying to steal back the spotlight. ♪ i'm so happy >> reporter: with five more dominating wins, trump casting himself as the presumptive nominee. his son calling today's move an act of desperation. the former hewlett-packard ceo exited the race. can attack both hillary clinton and trump. today's announcement largely overshadowing trump's foreign policy speech. >> america first will be the major and overriding theme of my

administration. >> reporter: the frirs time politician's speech for lack of theatrics and lack of specifics. >> isis will be gone if i'm electd president. and they'll be gone quickly. >> reporter: the off-the-cuff candidate assailing the president and former secretary of state. >> the legacy of the obama-clinton interventions will be weakness, confusion, and disarray. >> reporter: as for the new cruz-fiorina ticket, one republican tells nbc news tonight, republican primary voters already rejected fiorina while cruz changed the conversation today. the question now, did he change the math? cruz trails trump by six points in indiana, with less than one week to go, lester. >> peter, there is high drama as hillary clinton and donald trump engage in a new war of words over women, sparring over trump's accusation that she is playing the so-called woman

card. a likely preview of the intense battle to come in a general election matchup. late word bernie sanders is laying off hundreds of staffers. nbc's andrea mitchell has those details for us. >> reporter: hillary clinton firing back after donald trump accused her of playing the woman card. >> if fighting for women's health care and paid family leave and equal pay is playing the woman card, then deal me in! >> reporter: trump not holding back. >> i call her crooked hillary. >> reporter: it was this new line that got the attention of many. seemingly including trump supporter, chris christie's wife mary pat. >> if hillary clinton were a man, i don't think she'd get 5% of the vote. the only thing she's got going is the woman card, and the beautiful thing is, women don't like her. okay? >> reporter: their war of words has been building. >> she doesn't have the strenlt and she doesn't have the energy to be president. >> come out of those towers and actually talk and listen to people. >> reporter: and it's a gender war that

could decide the election if they are the nominees. the latest nbc news survey poll shows clinton with a whopping 21-point lead among women. he has a smaller lead, 8 points among men. the attacks are seen as a way to mobilize women voters, even fund-raising on it today. but early this morning trump was at it again. >> her shouting that message, and i know a lot of people would say you can't say that about a woman because, of course, a woman doesn't shout. but the way she shouted that message was not true. >> you don't have to be a hillary clinton supporter to think there's a sexist undertone who what she's saying. >> there is still sanders who is staying in the race even with a scaled-back staff, until the last primary, to get as many delegates as possible so he can fight for his issues at the convention, lester. >> andrea mitchell, thank you. facing another potentially dangerous and destructive

storms. new tornadoes forming as homeowners in texas are left picking up the pieces after a direct hit on their homes. nbc's miguel almaguer is in the hard esht hit area for us. >> reporter: a frightening night in the plains. twisters in the dark. knocking out power to well over 100,000 people. hail the size of golf balls. in kansas city, flooding, record rain, 3 1/2 inches in one day. wind reached 100 miles an hour. >> a big boom and the windows are bowing and the house is creeking. >> reporter: power lines came crashing down. so did trees in oklahoma. at least ten tornadoes touched down across the plains. but the catastrophic twisters so many feared never materialized. but in texas, just outside houston, a 62-year-old woman was killed in a roof collapse. near dallas, at least

a dozen homes damaged. roofs gone, trees into homes. >> pretty much everything is destroyed. >> reporter: now the cleanup. one storm gone. but tonight an ominous sign, another round begins. with homes in pieces, and lives ripped apart, tonight they say it's a miracle no one was killed on this texas block. the damage in this area is easily going to be in the millions. meantime, in the south and the midwest, there are two reported tornadoes on the ground in both areas. those storms said to be potent, but not quite as powerful as the ones that ripped across this area last night. lester? >> miguel, thank you very much. there are breaking developments tonight in the investigation into the death of music legend prince. nbc news has learned the details about prescription painkillers found in his house. as federal drug agents are now being asked to help. nbc's pete williams now with late details.

>> reporter: federal law enforcement officials say the county sheriff investigating the death of prince is asking for help from the drug enforcement administration. the officials say primgs painkillers were found in the artist's possession when he died and in his house, though officials have yet to say what role, if any, those medications may have played in his death. an autopsy was conducted last week, but the medical examiner said it would be weeks before the cause of death would be disclosed. dea's role, officials say, is to determine such things as where the medications came from, and what prescriptions prince had obtained. dea agents often check those records in death investigations. some of his friends said he took the painkiller percocet to reduce pain in his hips. a judge today appointed a bank to take control of his estate for now. he left no will, so a court will decide who inherits what. pete williams, nbc news, washington. there's a lot more to tell you tonight. still ahead, attention

online shoppers, a new easier way to pay. soon you'll be able to shop simply by saying, cheese. with just 100 days until rio, michael phelps opens up about pulling himself out of his spiral and why he pulling himself out of his spiral and why he before i had the shooting, pulling himself out of his spiral and why he burning, pins-and-needles of diabetic nerve pain, these feet were the first in my family to graduate from college, raised active twin girls, and trained as a nurse. but i couldn't bear my diabetic nerve pain any longer. so i talked to my doctor and he prescribed lyrica. nerve damage from diabetes causes diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is fda approved to treat this pain. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling or blurry vision. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs, and feet.

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and click, and you're verified. >> you're not going to forget your face like you forget a password. and it's easy to do. our phones have cameras. >> reporter: those who have tried it overwhelmingly say selfies are more convenient than passwords and more secure. selfies are just one example of biometrics, technology that measures our physical attributes. some privacy experts don't like sharing that info. >> it's hard to counterfeit your face or your fingerprint. >> reporter: as companies like amazon, google and apple score new ways to use biometrics, next year over 1 million people could be using these systems to pay their bills. in our selfies obsessed culture, your picture could soon be worth a thousand pat words. olivia sterns, nbc news, new york. we're back in a moment with the army captain achieving no with my moderate to severe ulcerative colitis, the possibility of a flare was almost always on my mind.

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we're now just 100 days away from the 2016 summer olympic games in rio. the tomp now officially on its way to brazil. but there's much more to be done before it arrives. expected to return with michael phelps who opened up to nbc news about his downward spiral after the london games, and his decision to compete again. we get more from nbc's bob costas. >> reporter: this summer the world's best athletes will descend on rio. but a variety of issues loom over these olympics. the country is still dealing with the impact of the zika virus, and concerns about water quality. brazil's economy not long ago vibrant is now crumbling. and its president rousseff is facing impeachment. soccer legend pe le considered a favorite to light the caldron at the opening ceremony is optimistic his country can deliver a successful games. >> this moment is very, very important.

>> reporter: leading team usa is michael phelps who said he was done following the london games, but after dealing with personal issues, including a dui and a rehab stint, has decided to come back for rio. >> i'm having fun again. and this is something that i haven't had in a really long time. >> reporter: some see a different phelps. more candid and open. >> i remember sitting in a treatment center, i was like, the world will see me in a different way after i come out of here. >> reporter: rio will be an olympic debut for an american who mary lou retton said is the most talented gymnast she's ever seen. >> terrifying. i don't want to let anybody down. exciting just to know that i've done anything i've put my mind to. hopefully i can continue to do that. >> reporter: too many other stars to mention, but of course, they include the world's fastest man. jamaica's bolt, and one of the many spectacular settings

in rio, jennings will try to take home her fourth straight beach volleyball goal. >> bob, thank you. history being made in the united states military. captain kristen grist said to become the army's first female infantry officer. she's expected to graduate tomorrow at fort benning. while she's the first, she won't be the last. the army is committed to considering more than 20 other women for combat leadership roles. when we come back here tonight, we go where cameras have never gone before. an exclusive look inside the secret lab where look, the wolf was huffing and puffing. like you do sometimes, grandpa? well, when you have copd, it can be hard to breathe. it can be hard to get air out, which can make it hard to get air in. so i talked to my doctor. she said... symbicort could help you breathe better, starting within 5 minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. symbicort helps provide significant improvement

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now that's more like it. what's in your wallet? finally tonight, an nbc news exclusive, a glimpse into the future. last week we traveled to the silicon valley where our cameras were given rare access to the secret lab of google's parent company, alphabet. it's an ambitious place where they look ten years into the future and where it seems there are no crazy ideas when it comes to changing how we live. its name, x, leaves plenty to the imagination. and here imaginations run wild. >> we want to actually see if there's an area

that hasn't been explored yet that we could help the world by trying to explore. >> reporter: they challenge the status quo. a man in perpetual motion, he runs alphabet's x, the moon shot factory once known as google x. >> most ideas, most of your ideas, most of my ideas, most of everyone's ideas here aren't going to work out. thaebs just the truth when we're coming up with unusual ideas. to have the bravery to say their own project wasn't good enough. we say, go take a vacation. relax for a couple weeks. come back. the world's your oyster. >> reporter: we were granted rare access to this top-secret world of what-ifs. what if balloons could form wi-fi networks in the sky for remote parts of the world? welcome to project loon. using what may be the world's largest flatbed scanner, a former fashion designer works to make a balloon durable enough to stay aloft for months. >> one balloon that

can carry the entire payload of an electronic system with the communications and the flight controls, it can steer in all the wind layers. >> reporter: other promising projects, kites to generate electricity. >> they're still working hard at seeing if they can find an achilles heel in the project. >> reporter: one concept x developers have been unable to kill as hard as they tried is the driverless car, with over 1.5 million self-driving miles on the road. by law, someone has to be at the wheel. but it's the car in full control. now test driving in four cities. >> the self-driving car project is in the middle of a graduating from x. and this is sort of the gradual process. >> reporter: so do we really need self-flying vehicles to deliver packages to our door? here at x, they believe it's inevitable. >> what if you actually can put anything, anywhere, just in the moment you

wanted it, essentially for free. >> reporter: plenty here remains under wraps, but we did get a peek into the design kitchen where prototypes are made. and by the way, not everyone here is a rocket scientist. >> there's many brilliant scientists and engineers here, but there are also a lot of other people working here. designers, business people, marketers, et cetera. >> reporter: astro teller is not ashamed of projects that have fallen short, including google glass. which disappointed early testers. >> instead of being excited about the prototype that they had, and were exploring with us, they ended up frustrated because they were expecting it to be a finished product when it really wasn't. >> one of these things is going to work. >> that's right. 1 in 1 thousand turns out to be the cars that drive themselves. >> the folks at x aren't sailing when the driverless car will be available. the leader of the project has said he is

determined that his 12-year-old son won't need to get a driver's license. i'll let you do the math. that's going to do it for us on this wednesday night. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching, and good night. nbc 10 rio 100. brought to you by --

the rhythm of rio. brazil's beautiful beach side city prepares for the olympic games. the majesty, the mountains, the sam samba. and the sea. the stories you won't see anywhere else. you might say it's like it's on steroids. you're watching rio 100. the eyes of the world and the best in the world will soon be focused here on gorgeous rio de janeiro has it becomes the first south american city to ever host the summer olympics. welcome to brazil. what may have seemed an impossible dream is now a reality. i'll take you on a tour of this stunning city as it gets ready to flaunt its beauty on the grandest stage of all. the beach. the