99 cent gas. tonight it's here, and experts saw we're headed for something just about no one thought would ever happen again. we'll tell you where. and fighting comment yeah, a surprising drop in one of the most common forms. doctors say the reason has as much to do with a heart as it does with the brain. "nightly news" begins right now. nouns noints from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening. there are two fewer candidates in the race for president tonight. casualties of a stunning night in american politics in which one-time long shot bernie sanders crushed hill hill on his way to a 22-point victory in a new hampshire democratic primary and donald trump leading the rest of the republican field in the dust with a 19-point win over his nearest competitor sending new jersey governor chris christie and carly fiorina to the exits. both announcing today

their campaigns after poor finishes in iowa and new hampshire. the new hampshire survivors have now descended on south carolina, site of one of the next critical face-offs. our political team has redeployed two. we begin our coverage with nbc's katy tur. hi, katy. >> reporter: hi, lester. things are about to get interesting. i'm already told attacks are being prepped on donald trump's three marriages and stance on eminent domain. a new world out there. if new hampshire wanted to see their candidate sit on its count, south carolinians want to know how they take a punch. donald trump's 757 is flying a little higher tonight, soaring into south carolina off trump's double-digit victory in new hampshire. >> we are going now to south carolina. we're going to win in south carolina. i love you all. thank you very much. >> reporter: trump trouncing the field, beating second place john kasich by more than 50,000 votes. >> they want to see us take the country back.

deals. >> reporter: a decisive victory but its path forward isn't easy. south carolina is a lot different from new hampshire. in 2012 exit polling 65% of gop voters identified as evangelical or born again. a voting bloc that ted cruz is expected to excel with, just as he did in iowa. and while trump owned voters who called themselves independents in new hampshire, just 25% of south carolinians see themselves that way. >> a lot of people here are shooting for the silver medal and giving donald trump the gold medal. >> reporter: like new hampshire, trump has drawn big and enthusiastic crowds across this state. it's where he got roaring cheers for his muslim ban. >> total and complete shutdown of muslims entering the united states. >> reporter: but historically it's also a place that's rewarred organization and cunning maneuvering. >> it's going to be sporty. i mean, south carolina takes elections real personally. >> reporter: like new hampshire, trump has led every south

july, and now he can claim those numbers can't equal votes. katy tur, nbc news, new york. >>. >> reporter: i'm peter carolina. >> kasich! kasich! john kasich is on his first stop after a stunning second place hampshire. >> thank you, john! >> reporter: the ohio governor insisting his positive message is resonating. >> the light overshadowed the campaigning last night in new hampshire. cool. >> reporter: how do you navigate the anticipated negative attacks? >> i'm not going to let somebody pound me. i have a right to defend my snow flurry watching the results come in tuesday night, kasich was more refliskt. >> we plugged away, plugged away, the little engine that can. >> reporter: but in south carolina this midwestern moderate faces a steep uphill climb in a state with far more christian conservatives, the target audience for ted cruz. >> the men and women of south carolina, i believe, want a consistent conservative, somebody who is the same yesterday, today and

bush's days may be numbered without a strong south carolina showing, calling on his brothers, the former president. >> jeb bush is a leader who will keep our country safe. >> we can do this. we can do this together, and my pledge is i will run with heart as a candidate. i will not veer from what i believe to be true. i will stand on conservative principles. >> reporter: but so much for southern charm. a marco rubio adviser predicting this state is going to be a bloodbath. >> south carolina will be definitive and determinative and i need your vote. come out and help us. i need your support. >> reporter: still south carolinians may avoid the establishment all together. >> they are looking for somebody that's going to say the things that they want to hear. the people in south carolina are angry right now, and they want a candidate that reflects that. >> reporter: that candidate will not be chris christie or carly fiorina. as you noted both of them suspending their campaigns today. as for john kasich, campaign advisers tell me his goal here is to prejent jeb bush from turning the south carolina primary into his comeback story.

will. on the democratic side of all this bernie sanders' campaign says he raised over $5 million since the polls closed last night. now sanders is looking to broaden his appeal with minority voters while hill hill may shake up her campaign after her resounding loss. we've got both campaigns covered starting with nbc's kasie hunt. kasie? >> reporter: lester, good evening. these millions that made up the best fund-raising day ever coming in small donations, averaging just $34 apiece, but senator sanders telling nbc news tonight he knows he still has a lot of work to do. bernie sanders looking ahead. a day after he sent hill hill to stunning defeat in new hampshire. having breakfast with reverend al sharpton at an iconic harlem restaurant, blocks from where kline kline moved his office when he left the white house. >> it is very important that he sent a signal that on the morning after an

he would come to harlem and have breakfast with me. >> reporter: there are signs of a possible sanders coalition. last night he won 83% of the youth vote and 73% of independents. but hill hill still has more minority support and the stakes ahead are big and more diverse n.iowa and new hampshire, over 90% of democratic voters were white, but not in nevada with a large latino population, or in south carolina where a majority are african-american. do you think it's possible for to you win the democratic nomination if you don't convince more black voters to back you? >> well, it is absolutely essential the african-american vote and the latino vote, both votes, enormously important. we intend to do very well in boast those communities >> reporter: vermont senator making that pitch along with shooting some hoops today on "the view." >> the reason we'll do well is our views on criminal justice in this country, and that is we have a broken criminal justice

already has strong support among working class white voters. if he can broaden his appeal his campaign believes he can keep winning. >> thank you, new hampshire. >> reporter: kasie hunt, nbc news, new york. >> reporter: i'm andrea mitchell covering the clinton campaign. >> i still love new hampshire, and i always will. >> reporter: a team now considering big changes like adjusting their message. in her concession clinton echoing sanders trying to appeal to sanders' supporters. >> i will fight to rein in wall street, and you know what? i know how to do it! . you're not going to find anybody more committed toy aggressive campaign finance reform than me. >> reporter: top clinton supporters tell nbc news they are alarmed by voters' reason for abanding clinton, losing to sanders by honesty and trustworthiness and the potential first female candidate losing young women by

women 59 points. expect to hear her policies on taxes. >> i will raise your incomes but not middle class taxes. >> reporter: the campaign is dispatching kline kline to south carolina, a state that's been fraught for him in the past, getting backlash from this attack by barack obama when he ran against hill hill in 2008. >> this whole thing is the biggest fairy tale i've ever seen. >> reporter: clintons hope nevada and south carolina more diverse and where she now leads are a firewall. a lot will depend on the state's top democrat, congressman jim clyburn. >> i'm not ruling out an endorsement before the election. i'm just ruling one out for this week. >> reporter: even though she lost big, clinton will get as many delegates as sanders from elected officials and tomorrow she will be endorsed by the congressional black caucus, a big boost for south carolina and beyond. lester. >> andrea mitchell, thank you. let's bring in our political director, the moderator of "meet the press," chuck todd. do any of the rules and experience of new hampshire apply going forward?

it could actually be a rerun in this respect, in the way that we thought new hampshire was going to serve of to winnow the republican field, help determine to who would be the chief challenger to trump and cruz, now that role goes to south carolinian republicans. many republican campaigns i've talked to today concede trump and cruz will be one and two and now it's the race for third. this time on the democratic side in south carolina, instead of clinton being the underdog. she plays the favorite and it's sanders who is the underdag plight game of expectations so south carolina, oddly enough, a rerun of new hampshire. you very much. we learned today that the justice department has filed a civil rights lawsuit against ferson, missouri, now that the city is balking at making changes in the wake of the michael brown shooting. the city agreed to provide better police training and change business, but last night the city said including higher police salaries, would cost too much, so now

court seeking an order that would force the city to make those changes. in a community outside baltimore two sheriff's deputies have been shot and called. it all began with a disturbance call when investigators say the suspect opened fire and hit one deputy inside a restaurant. the gunman identified at 67-year-old david evans flood and shot another deputy before he was killed by police. there are some new warnings about the very real fire danger to airplanes posed by lithium ion batteries found in just about every cell phone and laptop and often shipped as air cargo. they have already been linked to deadly crashes and now the faa, the ntsb and the nation's main pilot union are all warning against shipping large quantities of these batteries and as nbc's tom costello reports some want them banned on passenger flights worldwide. >> the dangers posed by lithium ion batteries on full display in this faa test.

batteries burning so hot the plane's fire suppression system is overwhelmed. battery cargo fires have already been blamed for this catastrophic fire on board a ups cargo fire in philadelphia and the loss of two cargo planes that killed their crews in due buy and off korea. now a top pilots' union is calling for a total ban on all battery shipments. >> we have no fire fighting equipment on board that can fight this fire. if it lights of course, the only chance of a successful outcome that we have is to get the aircraft on the ground as soon as possible. >> reporter: while most u.s. passenger airlines already ban bulk shipments of batteries, nearly every cell phone, laptop, tablet and dvd player carried on a plane comes with lithium batteries that can overheat. already 2,100 cases of small fires on board passenger planes, some forced to make emergency landings. today the ntsb said the risk posed by lithium ion batteries is growing and immediate and called for new battery shipping regulations. >> we're looking for

ion batteries from flammable materials, and we're also looking to reduce the amount of lithium ion battery. >> reporter: a shipment ban is opposed, instep for stringent packaging. faa authorities could decide on tough new standards for shipping batteries. tom costello, nbc news, washington. now to something you might not believe unless you saw it with your own eyes, there it is, a station selling gas for just 99 cents a gallon, something a whole lot of folks thought they would never see again, and while it won't happen everywhere analysts say gas under $1 could be on the way in a lot more places. we get more from nbc's blake mccoy. >> how are you. >> reporter: lois cooks has been driving school busses in elgin, illinois for 20 years. >> good morning. >> reporter: but this

353 others in this suburban chicago school district are actually saving money. cheap gas means transportation is coming in half a million dollars under budget, money that's being redirected to help fund all-day kindergarten. >> we're absolutely thrilled that we can save this money and put it back into the classroom where it belongs. >> reporter: almost every state in the country is now averaging gas below $2 a gallon, a handful of states below $1.50, and drivers today in tiny jetmore, kansas are doing a double take, 99 cents per gallon. did you ever think you'd be standing here talking to me about 99 cent gallon gas in 2016? >> just as possible as the cubs win is the world series, bog long shots and both impossible. >> reporter: glut of oil on the market hasn't been good news for oil-rich north dakota where the economy is shrinking, or texas. 50,000 oil and gas jobs were lost last year. more layoffs expected. but for drivers all

>> it's given me more opportunities to travel and add more clothes to my collection. >> reporter: the oil bust is giving americans a well-deserved break. blake mccoy, nbc news, elgin, illinois. >> still ahead as we continue here tonight, good news in the battle against dementia. the good habits that you can practice that may help prevent or delay a common form of memory loss. also, will customers relish the i have asthma... ...one of many pieces in my life. so when my asthma symptoms kept coming back on my long-term control medicine, i talked to my doctor and found a missing piece in my asthma treatment. once-daily breo prevents asthma symptoms. breo is for adults with asthma not well controlled on a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. breo won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. breo opens up airways to help improve breathing for a full 24 hours. breo contains a type of medicine that increases the risk of death from asthma problems and may increase the risk of hospitalization in children and adolescents. breo is not for people whose

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there is promising news tonight in the fight dense dementia. while it's been expected to skyrocket in the coming years as americans ages there are signs the trend cop stopped, especially for the most common kind of dementia of a alzheimer's, and as nbc's joe fryer reports doctors say the reason has as much to do with the heart as it does with the brain. >> reporter: for isn't yapt, dementia is a family bat. five years ago she was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and nearly two years ago her mother claire died from alzheimer's. >> she loved music and loved the arts and she loved to read, and she lost that all little by little. >> reporter: follow her own diagnosis, cynthia made major lifestyle changes, becoming more physically active. >> let's review this. >> reporter: and engaging her brain by taking college classes. >> i'm trying to push off this disease, to run as fast as i can from it. >> reporter: the benefits of such healthy steps are

published in the "new england journal of medicine." it finds the kind of dementia caused by vascular problems austin powers to be on the decline, down on average 29% per decade since 1977. the trend is especially sdrong for those with at least a high school dip map. the study says better treatment of stroke and heart disease might be a reason. >> what it does view is give us further evidence that controlling your heart health risk factors can reduce your likelihood of developing dementia as you age. >> reporter: vascular dementia accounts for 10% of all dementia cases but experts say everyone can benefit from this research. numerous studies find you can reduce your risk of dementia by exercising regularly. anything that raises your heart rate, pumping more blood to the brain. it's worked for cynthia. her memory has not declined. >> it's a fight for my memory. it's a fight for my family. it's a fight for others who are diagnosed, so i'm in it to win it. >> reporter: she knows the battle for her

her entire body. joe fryer, nbc news. >> we're back in a moment with why some people may not be able to leave a nightmare cruise tonight, even after it another day, and i'm still struggling with my diabetes. i do my best to manage. but it's hard to keep up with it. your body and your diabetes change over time. your treatment plan may too. know your options. once-daily toujeo is a long-acting insulin from the makers of lantus . it releases slowly to provide consistent insulin levels for a full 24 hours. toujeo also provides proven full 24-hour blood sugar control and significant a1c reduction. toujeo is a long-acting, man-made insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults with diabetes. it contains 3 times as much insulin in 1 milliliter as standard insulin. don't use toujeo to treat diabetic ketoacidosis, during episodes of low blood sugar, or if you're allergic to insulin.

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a powerful storm turned a cruise into a night-maker the royal caribbean ship with 6,000 aboard will pull into port later tonight in new jersey. high winds and huge waves batter the ship over the weekend forcing it to turn around. the coast guard lynn spect it to make sure it's safe to sail again and it turns out that some needing help carrying bags may have to wait until morning before they can depart. a surprise in the fast food wars today as burger king announced its biggest menu change in decades, adding grilled hot dogs to the lineup alongside the whopper. burger king's president says it's probably the most obvious product launch ever. it will be on the menu at all their 7,100 u.s. restaurants starting february 23rd.

so far on social media have watched this hilarious viral video of a baby seeing double. his father and his father's twin. the identical brothers keep passion the little guy back and forth, playing around with their glasses to add to his cute confusion and no matter who is holding him he thinks his dad is the other guy. dad, by the way, is the one on the left. when we come back, they will decide the

primary fight, so i take pictures of sunrises, but with my back pain i couldn't sleep and get up in time. then i found aleve pm. aleve pm is the only one to combine a safe sleep aid plus the 12 hour pain relieving strength of aleve. i'm back. aleve pm for a better am. i sure had a lot on my mind when i got out of the hospital after a dvt blood clot. what about my family? my li'l buddy? and what if this happened again? i was given warfarin in the hospital but i wondered if this was the right treatment for me. then my doctor told me about eliquis.

and reduces the risk of them happening again. not only does eliquis treat dvt and pe blood clots, but eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. knowing eliquis had both... turned around my thinking. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... and it may take longer than usual for 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. eliquis treats dvt & pe blood clots. plus had less major bleeding. both made switching to eliquis right for me.

finally, as we mentioned earlier, all eyes are on south carolina as the campaign frenzy descends on the palmetto state, but what are the voters there who can throw another seismic shift into this race actually want? we sent our kevin tibbles to go there and ask them as part of our series "we the people". >> reporter: so many rail lines once converged on spartanburg they called it the hub city. now it will be presidential hopefuls criss-crossing town. >> have a cheeseburger. >> reporter: and its 37,000 people, half black, half white, are good and ready for them. >> call it. >> reporter: that's the battle cry of

at the beacon drive-in. for 70 years they have prided themselves on giving ordinary people value for money, a message candidates should heed says owner steve duncan. >> we're the backbone of the country. let's talk about how to support this segment our economy. >> we build a brand. >> reporter: 29-year-old small businessman billy whiteside wants a candidate who will assist new minority-owned firms in the out. >> i'm a republican snoop are you a rarity? >> am ararity? i would say yes, for the moment. >> reporter: 65% of south carolina's republicans are proud evangelicals. at christian supply devotional prayer begins each day. for becca friend her choice of candidate will not be an act of faith but the result of it. >> reporter: >> too often christians have kind of taken a back seat. if i want to see change, i have a responsibility to get

at the beacon democrat jerry wiggleton has this message. >> we just like to be treated snir perhaps a reminder to candidates that in the new south old traditions hold fast. the customer should always come first. kevin tibbles, nbc news, spartanburg, south carolina. >> that will do it for us on this wednesday night. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for

night. tonight, the new trump movie? johnny depp doing a dead-on donald impression. >> this is the second best selling book of all time. >> best selling book of all time. >> we go behind the truth as trump unleashes his secret weapon. pregnant daughter, ivanka trump. >> you are good friends with ivanka. >> we talk about everything. >> "zoolander 2" takes over new york fashion week. >> entertainment to wow. >> "e.t." is front row for jen and justin's date night on the

the movies.