anne thompson has the details. >> reporter: appearing to smirk -- >> are you listening? >> reporter: and often inattentive. >> yeah. >> reporter: former pharmaceutical ceo martin shkreli lived up to his bad-boy reputation appearing before congress. >> i intend to use the advice of my counsel, not yours. >> reporter: posing for pictures instead

anne thompson has the story. in pope francis' native latin america the zika virus, carried by mosquitos, is wreaking havoc... linked to babies born with abnormally small heads. public health officials have urged women to avoid getting pregnant in a region of the world that is overwhelmingly catholic. at his in-flight press conference, the pope said contraception to prevent zika is the lesser of two evils compared to abortion. abortion he said is a crime, an absolute evil and likened it to what the mafia does. while surprising, francis' decision is not a first in church history. the belgian congo, in danger of rape to use birth control. in that case, as in the zika epidemic now, francis said it was a clear exception. that exception has some people in latin america hailing francis as a modern pope, who finds solutions. but experts insist this is not a change in church doctrine. "this is not a blanket statement to apply to all forms of contraception at at any moment, but this is a dealing with a disease that is wrea

anne thompson has the details. >> reporter: appearing to smirk -- >> are you listening? >> reporter: and often inattentive. >> yeah. >> reporter: former pharmaceutical ceo martin shkreli lived up to his bad-boy reputation appearing before congress. >> i intend to use the advice of my counsel, not yours. >> reporter: posing for pictures instead of listening. >> it's not funny, mr. shkreli, people are dying, and they're getting sicker and sicker. >> reporter: he declined to answer why he raised their life-saving drugs 5,000%. >> do you think you did anything wrong? >> on advice of counsel, i invoke my fifth amendment >> reporter: the 32-year-old usually loves to talk. >> i'm from the streets. >> reporter: but today he let his attorney speak for him. >> what you saw was nervous energy by an individual who very much would like to explain what happened. >> reporter: leaving the other drug company executives to face furious questioners. >> i find it repulsive what you've done. >> reporter: valiant under fire for jacking up prices on two heart medicines and other well-establish

he preached his message of equality and hope to more than 300,000 attending mass.c's anne thompson has more. >> reporter: pope francis went to the city notorious for crime. francis rode through the graffiti covered streets given a makeover by criminalsappropriate for the occasion, the pope portrayed in all kinds of was even as a graffiti it has one of the highest murder and disappearance rates in mexico. it's such a dangerous place this woman tells me today's masse rare times she can bring her children to a public event. more than 300,000 people filled wealth, vanity, and pride, emphatically telling them there can be no dialogue with the your evil can fear like a daily reality. francis is asking these people,m poor and powerless to join the front lines of making mexico a land of opportunity. for a moment one of its most a better place. anne thompson, nbc news, mexico. >>> 48 people had to be rescued frigid new england ski slope after their tram cars got stuck 40 feet above the ground. look at this. rescuers actually had to usep stranded schoolers propel through a hatch in the bottom of

this despite the catholic church's ban on contraceptives, we get more from nbc's anne thompson in rome. >> reporter: returning from mexico, pope francis surprised many by opening the door to the use of artificial contraception to prevent the sexual transmission of zika, the vi rugs rampant in his native latin america, linked to babies born with unusually small heads. it's similar, he said, granted to the nuns in the belgian congo when they were routinely raped in the 1960s. francis continues to shock, as he did in 2013 when he said the church has been historically too obsessed with things like birth control, abortion and gay marriage. loosening up church teaching is a misreading of what he's doing. this is a pastor, and a pastor responds to people in their situation. >> reporter: it was revealed in letters this week, francis said a friendship with a woman is not a sin. the pope needs the input of women. he said a man who doesn't have a friendship with a woman is missing something. as with donald trump and immigration, pope francis is proving once again that he is not afraid of taking o

nbc's anne thompson has the details. >> can't afford to let heartburn get in the way? >> reporter: stopping heartburn is big business. >> zero heartburn. >> reporter: sold as nexium, prilosc and prevacid more than 15 million americans shelled out more than $10 billion in 2013 for the prescription versions of these drugs cold proton pump inhibitors. now a new study from johns hopkins says the acid-reducing chronic kidney disease 20% to 50%. cleveland clinic kidney specialist is treating kim hinkel. >> kim had normal kidney nunks in march and bloodwork in august showed kidney function down to 30%. >> reporter: kim was taking one of the over-the-counter versions. on a hunch the doctor had kim stop, and her kidneys improved. >> i was lucky it was caught early, and that we can do something about it. >> reporter: for over-the-counter acid reducers the fda recommends they be used for 14 days and no more than three times a year. for the prescription versions, the package insert recommends for most conditions the pills be taken for up to eight weeks. >> pills are not the only a

as nbc's anne thompson explains the pope is seizing this moment to make an emotional plea on the issue of immigration. >> reporter: a simple gesture and powerful message. at the u.s. border fence pope francis builds a symbolic bridge from mexico on immigration. francis himself the son of immigrants seeking to put a what he calls grave injustices, poverty, exploitation and violence. among the hundreds of thousands here to see him, 21-year-old jasmine flores who crosses the border every day to go to school. >> for him just to cam to juarez, means everything to us. >> reporter: no longer the murder capital of the world juarez is still a dangerous place. father half jer kovalio runs a shelter for immigrants. he says he hopes francis can make americans see the people he helps every day should be treated with dignity. as he does on nearly every foreign trip, francis visited a prison. one of the inmate musicians overwhelmed. this evening's mass broadcast on both sides of the border. >> religion reaches over walls, over mountains. >> reporter: the joy on the pope's face marred only by a overze

anne thompson, nbc news, mexico. >>> 48 people had to be rescued from a frigid new england ski slope after their tram cars got stuck 40 feet above the ground. look at this. rescuers actually had to use rope to help stranded schoolers propel through a hatch in the bottom of the car to the ground thankfully nobody was injured. they say a breaking sis is to blame and it could take a few days to fix the problem. >>> marvel's latest movie "flick" has started. "dead pool" earn $135 million. "dead pool" had been the biggest. also for the biggest february weekend and biggest president's four-day weekend. meanwhile it debuted in third while ben stiller's much hyped "zoolander 2" took in a disappointed $16.7 million. >>> an accusation of a woman choking spitzer. >>> and get rt rd for a triple threat with three separate covers. you're watching "early today." ay." heart isn't pumping well. (water filling room) about 50 percent of people die (dog whimpering) within 5 years of getting diagnosed. but there's something you can do. talk to your doctor about heart failure treatment options. because th

ann thompson was there. >> reporter: today, pope francis went to mexico city. francis drove through the graffiti covered streets given a makeover by reformed criminals. home to 1.6 million people, it has one of the highest murder and disappearance rates of women in mexico, but police have solved few of the cases. it's such a dangerous place ms. vasquez tells me today's mass is one of the rare times she can bring her children to a public event. more than 300,000 people filled the dusty field to hear the pope warn of the temptations of wealth, vani vanity, and crime, emphatically telling them there could be no dialogue with the devil. for this nation, francis is asking these people, many of them poor and powerless, to join the front lines of making mexico a land of opportunity. urging them to create a country where no one has to leave to find a better life. a challenge a college student is ready to accept. >> mexico can be a better country. >> reporter: today, for a moment, one of its most dangerous cities was a better place. ann thompson, nbc news. >>> when "nig

johnny ann thompson is here now with more on the campaign trail. >> yeah, well, trump's opponents are saying he's not a reliable conservative. meantime hillary clinton easy grip on the democratic nomination is starting to weaken. >> reporter: for donald trump, his biggest lead nationally. it comes with trump poised to win saturday in south carolina. >> i thought years ago -- or a year ago, it was a joke when he put in his hat to run, and now he might get my vote. >> with three days until the vote. >> let us come and have a good result in south carolina. >> you all have the chance to reset the race. >> reporter: trump's rifles are saying that's not conservative. >> i am pro dmois every respect. >> reporter: that was in 1999, part of a current ted cruz ad. he is warning that trump would not put a pro-life justice, pro gun justice on the supreme court. >> a vote for donald trump is a vote to erase the second amendment from the bill of rights. >> reporter: trump says he has changed and might sue cruz. >> i never dealt with anybody that lied so much. >> reporter: hoping to replace cruz as

>> anne thompson in mexico, thanks. >>> this could affect millions of men who suffer from low testosterone. low t has been linked to loss of energy, muscle mass and sexual function, to increase vulnerability to illness. now as tom costello tells us, new research by the national institutes of health, shows testosterone replacement therapy may have some benefits. >> reporter: it's a nearly $5 billion a year market. millions of men 40 and over are on testosterone replacement therapy, hoping to boost their energy, boost their mood, sexual desire and function. this 62-year-old said at the age of 55, he suddenly began to feel tired and depressed. >> i just felt off. and at the gym, i started losing ground. >> reporter: diagnosed with low t, he began testosterone replacement therapy. >> my body mass came back to where it was, my energy was better, libido was a little better. >> reporter: now, for the first time, a national study has found that a testosterone repla replacement gel provided some benefits to men 65 and older who suffered from low t. >> testosterone treatment improved their sexual fu

nbc's anne thompson s the detas. >> reporter: appearing smirk -- >> are you listening? >>eporter: - and ofn inattentive. >> yeah. >> reporter: former pharmaceutical ceo main shkreli lived up this bad-boy reputation appearing before congress. >> i intend to use the advicef my couel, not yours. >> rorter: posing for piures instead of listeng. >> it's not funn mr. shkreli, people are dying, and they're getting sicker and sicker. >>eporr: he de to swer why the company he once led raisedhe price of a life-sav dru 5,00. >> on advice of counsel, invoke fth amendment privilege. reporter: under deralndictment for unrelated securits frd, the -year-old ually loves to talk. >> i'm from the street >> reporter: but today he let his attorney speak for him. >> what you saw was nervous ergy by individual who very much would like to explain what happene >> rorter: leavi the other drug company executives to face furiestioners. >> i find it repulve what you've done. >> reporter: valiant under fire for jacking up prices on twoeart medicines and other well-established ugs. >> whe wve made mi

anne thompson, nbc news, new york. >>> we're back in a moment with the race to rescue dozen from >>> the clock is ticking to rescue the more than 100 people to still be believed to be trapped after the powerful four more were pulled from the rubble today including an 8-year-old girl who was trapped for more than 60 hours. more than 30 people are confirmed dead, but officials warn that total could top 100. >>> 112 million people watched the denver broncos beat the carolina panthers last night in super bowl 50. peyton manning celebrated today with his kids and a parade at disneyland. on the "today" show manning side stepped questions over whether last night's win marked his retirement retirement. carolina's cam newton is being criticized widely for his play on the field and behavior afterward, walking in a post-game news conference. at halftime many agreed beyonce stole the show from headliner coldplay and as usual some of the most talked about moments were the ads from the funny to the bizarre to the controversial. >>> when we come back here tonight, is lighter side of the 2016 race.

border. >> anne thompson tonight, thank you. >>> when "nightly news" continues on this saturday, fuel on demand. for some people, a trip to the gas station is now a thing of the past. of the past. >>> while low gas prices are making a trip to the gas station a lot less painful, it's not just the prices making it easier to fill up the tank. jacob rascon explains. >> reporter: the purple truck is hard to miss. its service difficult to pass up. how would you like it if you don't have to go to the gas station again? what if the gas station came to you? this suv belongs to megan, who doesn't remember the last time she filled up. you don't do that anymore? >> i haven't do it in over eight months. i have two small kids at home. and this allows me to get home to those babies that much faster. >> reporter: booster fuels, backed by developer ross perot, jr. and microsoft co-founder paul allen, started in texas and has spread to ten cities as far as san francisco. inspired by uber and other on-demand services, the company and its customers connect through an app. >> it's a time saver. >> reporte

nbc's anne thompson has that story. >> reporter: appearing to smirk. >> are you listening? >> reporter: and often inattentive. >> yes. >> reporter: former pharmaceutical ceo martin shxrely lived up to his bad bsh boy reputation appearing before congress. >> i intend to use the advice of my counsel, not yours. >> reporter: posing for pictures instead of lyning. >> it's not funny, mr. shxrely. people are dying and they're getting sicker and sicker. >> reporter: shkreli declines to answer why he raised the price of a drug by 5,000%. >> do you think you did anything wrong? >> on the advice of counsel, i invoke my fifth amendment privilege. >> reporter: under federal indictment for unrelated securities fraud, the 32-year-old shkreli usually loves to talk. >> i'm from the street. >> reporter: he less his attorney speak for him. >> some of what you saw, nervous energy by an individual who very much would like to explain what happened. >> reporter: leaving the others to face furious questioners. >> i find it repulsive what you've done. >> we've made mistakes, we're listening and we

nbc's anne thompson reports. >> reporter: pope francis went to the poor, the city of ecatepec notorious for its crime. francis rode through the streets given a makeover by reformed criminals. more appropriate for the occasion. the pope portrayed in all kinds of ways, even as a graffiti artist. home to 1.6 million people, they have one of the highest murder and disappearance rates of women in mexico. but police have solved few of the cases. it's such a dangerous place, raina vasquez tells me mass is one of the rare times she can bring her children to a public event. under a strong sun more than 300,000 people filled the dusty field to hear the pope warn of the temptations of wealth, vanity, and crime. emphatically telling them there can be no dialogue with the devil. here evil can feel like a daily reality. for this nation, which polls show has little confidence in its government, francis is asking these people, many of them poor and powerless, to join the front lines of making mexico a land of opportunity. urging them to create a country where no one has to leave to find a better life.

we get more from nbc's anne thompson in rome. >> returning from mexico, pope francis surprised many by opening the door to the use of artificial contraception to prevent the sexual transmission of zika. the virus rampant in his native latin america, linked to babies born with unusually small heads. it's a very rare and specific exception, similar, he says, to the one granted to nuns in the belgian congo when they were routinely raped in the 1960s. unexpected from a church that has long opposed artificial contraception. francis continues to shock as he did in 2013 when he said the church has historically been too obsessed with issues like birth control, abortion, and gay marriage. >> to say that he simply loosening up church teaching and, you know, anything goes, is quite a misreading of what he's doing. this is a pastor, and a pastor responds to people and their situations. already on st. paul the 2. froim with a female philosopher, francis said a friendship with a woman is not a sin. the pope needs the input of a woman. he says a man who doesn't have a friendship with a woman is missi