watching nbc bay area news. at 5:00, we have nbc nightly news coming up next, we'll be back with more local news. >>> on this sunday night, battle lines. if you thought the fiscal cliffhanger was bad, just you wait. major showdowns are on the horizon and there's word tonight that the president is about to throw down the gauntlet over his pick to lead the pentagon. >>> growing outrage over a case involving an alleged sexual assault and members of a high school football team. it's attracting national attention while tearing one small town apart. >>> follow the money. one was supposed to avert financial disaster, the other, aid victims of sandy. so, why were these urgently passed bills loaded with hundreds of millions for everything from hollywood and nascar to rummakers and algae growers? >>> and british invasion. it's happening tonight and the excitement is building. >> when i'm with her, i'm reminded of the virtues of the english. >> isn't she american? >> exactly. >> lords and ladies across america preparing fo

nbc news has not been able to verify its authenticity. some hostages have talked of extreme brutality. >> translator: i told them that i was an algerian muslim and they said okay, okay, don't be scared. we haven't come for you. we have come to exterminate the crusaders. >> reporter: abdul rahman al najiri was their leader in some reports. it's thought there's 40 al qaeda links to the maghreb. the plant was a joint venture between algeria's state-owned company and bp. stach says five of the workers are missing and bp says four of their members are unaccounted for. >> tragically we have grave fears that we may have fatalities from this group. >> reporter: bp confirmed one american survived, the plant manager, mark copp from texas but it's thought 23 hostages lost their lives here in the desert. annabel roberts, nbc news, london. >>> now to the bizarre story playing out in this country involving manti te'o, the all-american notre dame linebacker who was apparently caught up in an online romantic hoax. te'o told espn he was the victim, not pa

news, los angeles. >>> that's "nbc nightly news." i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" and right back here tomorrow evening. have a good night, everyone. >>> good evening, i'm diane dwyer. on this day, nationwide rallies against gun violence, there was quite a response to a gun buyback event on the peninsula this afternoon. core

"nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >>> good evening. we have an unfolding american hostage situation overseas tonight. seemingly out of nowhere, over just the past few days, the eyes of the world have been focused on a region in africa where the french have chosen to go to war against islamist rebels. and then in what seemed like an immediate reaction to the french attacks, kidnappers grabbed some foreign workers at a bp oil facility in the sahara desert in nearby algeria. we know there were american hostages along with brits and others. we know there was a mission launched today to free them and kill their captors. we don't truly know tonight about casualties or how many americans might have made it out of there alive. we begin with nbc's stephanie gosk on what we do know. >> reporter: using tanks and helicopters, the algerian military launched an operation on their own, to retake the remote gas field from the militants and free the hostages. including at least three americans. algeria says it's

here's nbc news chief medical editor, dr. nancy snyderman. >> reporter: angela, a teenage mom, is defying the odds, raising her daughter alone, working two jobs, finishing high school and attending a unique after-school program in oakland and hayward, california, called "faces for the future" that exposes students from high-risk communities to careers in health care. >> you can't go wrong when you're studying medicine. >> snap it shut. >> reporter: dr. tomas designed the program. the first in his family to go to college, he earned a medical degree and chose to practice in oakland where one in four kids drops out of school and violent street crime is more than four times greater than the national average. shoes strung over power lines he says signals a crack house is nearby. what makes you think your program is going to help? >> it gives them other choices. >> reporter: during the two-year program, the teens shadow medical professionals and put in 600 hours of volunteer time, gaining hands-on experience and self-confidence. >>

nbc news has not been able to verify its authenticity. some hostages have talked of extreme brutality. >> translator: i told them that i was an algerian muslim and they said okay, okay, don't be scared. we haven't come for you. we have come to exterminate the crusaders. >> reporter: abdul rah man al najiri was their leader. the plant was a joint venture between al jeer in a's state-owned company and bp. five of the workers are missing and bp says four of their members are unaccounted for. >> tragically we have grave fears that we may have fatalities from this group. >> reporter: bp confirmed one american survived, the plant manager, mark copp from texas but it's thought 23 hostages lost their lives here in the desert. annabel roberts, nbc news, london. >>> we turn to the bizarre story playing out in this country involving manti te'o, the all-american notre dame linebacker who was apparently caught up in an online hoax. te'o told espn he was the victim, not part of the hoax. nbc's mike taibbi has the latest. >> manti te'o! >> reporter: in

"nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >> good evening, i'm lester holt in tonight for brian, who will be back monday. a lot of americans are spending this first week of the new year flat on their backs, taken down by the flu in numbers we typically wouldn't see until much later in the winter. and according to the centers for disease control, those numbers are rapidly climbing with a peak nowhere in sight. the government reports as of a week ago, flu cases were widespread in 41 states. that's 10 more states and a week earlier. what's more, this flu strain appears to be a particularly nasty one. it's even proven deadly in a handful of cases involving the young. nbc's chief science correspondent robert bazell starts us off tonight with more. >> have you had the flu shot before? >> reporter: packed clinics across the country and the cdcs numbers confirm what was already a bad flu season is getting worse. >> we have seen high fever, severe body aches, nasal congestion, cough. >> reporter: doctors say the

michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. >>> that's "nbc nightly news" for this sunday. brian williams will be here tomorrow. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. for all of us here at nbc news, good night.

"nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >>> good evening. with the flu at epidemic levels, already in some american cities and now with the media coverage of it, it's all having a predictable effect. while it's late in the game, people are streaming in to get flu shots, hoping to avoid a very serious illness. the kind that has overwhelmed even some hospitals. one doctor in minnesota where there have been 27 deaths due to the flu said today the spread of this virus this winter is pretty much unparalleled. some places are running out of inoculations. others are dealing with the sick. in a moment, what the doctor says about what to do if this strikes. but we begin with a doctor who has visited three hospitals in the flu zone over just the last three days. we have two reports to start off with tonight, beginning with dr. nancy snyderman at the hospital of the university of pennsylvania in philadelphia tonight. nancy, good evening. >> good evening, brian. state by state the number of cases of influenza and

"nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >> good evening, i'm kate snow in tonight for brian. after weeks of negotiations and last-minute hold-ups over the fiscal cliff, congress late last night finally passed an agreement on taxes and spending. in a moment, we'll tell you what that legislation means for every american. but it's what the house did not do last night that caused an uproar today. lawmakers left before considering a bill to help victims of superstorm sandy, and that had republicans from hard-hit states taking aim at leaders of their own party. nbc's kelly o'donnell is at her post on capitol hill once again tonight. kelly, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, kate. so the house had not taken any kind of vote on a new year's day in nearly 60 years. and when they did so, they got that tax deal done, but only minutes later, a new controversy popped up, over government spending. and it spread through here furiously, and with real impact. new york and new jersey got angry and got action over

"nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >> good evening. we begin tonight with this flu outbreak across 41 states in this country now. and at this time last week, it sadly had claimed 18 lives. well, tonight in just the space of a week's time, 18 deaths have now been reported, just today in one state, in massachusetts. where the city of boston has now declared a public health emergency, and it's now a big front in the spread of this flu during this already mean season. tonight we want to begin with our chief medical editor, dr. nancy snyderman. she is at briggaman's women's hospital in boston. nancy, good evening. >> good evening, brian. influenza is putting a stranglehold on communities around this country, and tonight i have to tell you that i've now been in two large city emergency departments in this two days and i've never seen anything like this in the united states. at boston's briggaman's women's hospital, veteran e.r. nurse jana gil has seen it all. >> i've been working here for 27 years in th

news, los angeles. >> that's nbc nightly news. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" and right back here tomorrow evening. have a good night, everyone.

sources tell nbc news that a u.s. air force plane arrived in algeria and prepared to evacuate any hostages who may have been injured regardless of their nationality. meantime, reuters is reporting that around 100 hostages are now free three days after they were taken captives by militants linked to al qaeda. this is video of some of the hostages making the way to hospitals. there's no word if americans are among those out of harm's way but today defense secretary leon panetta said he's working around the clock to bring any u.s. citizens home and issued a warning. >> terrorists should be on notice that they will find no sanctuary, no refuge, not in algeria, not in north africa, not anywhere. >> let me bring in nbc news chief pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski. the information out of algeria is complex and quite honestly hard to follow depending on some of the information sources, but at this hour what do we know about those americans there? >> reporter: well, it is very confusing in terms of number of americans in

keeping our children safe. >> reporter: the new nbc news "wall street journal" poll shows 56% of americans do want stricter gun laws. 7% say they're too strict now. and 35% want no changes. 20 years ago, the last time real changes were debated, a full two-thirds of americans wanted stricter gun laws. this time, the public appears to be looking at the complex reasons behind the spade of mass shootings. a large majority said they believed lack of parental involvement with their children, inadequate mental health care and violent video games all contributed more to the gruesome shootings of the past two years than access to guns. and while the president talked a lot about mental health issues yesterday -- >> we will make sure mental health professionals know their options for reporting threats of violence. >> reporter: he never once mentioned parental involvement. [ gunshot ] >> reporter: so really understand the complexities of the gun debate in america, look who owns guns. our polls show that 41% of all households have a gun. in rural america, 61%. in urban homes, 29%. and our poll shows a

michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. >>> that's "nbc nightly news" for this sunday. brian williams will be here tomorrow. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. for all of us here at nbc news, good night. . >>> you're watching nbc sports. >> in for the touchdown! >> championship over. >> a stanley cup for los angeles. >> shaun white, boy does he deliver! >> the mercedes-benz superdome in new orleans, a week from tonight, the 2012 nfl season will conclude with the unique matchup in super bowl xlvii. the afc champion baltimore ravens led by head coach john harbaugh will meet the nfc champion san francisco 49ers led by head coach jim harbaugh. in a brother versus brother championship game. >> it's time to celebrate! the ravens are going back to the super bowl! >> the san francisco 49ers, super bowl bound! >> now we kick off super bowl week from honolulu, hawaii where many of the league best players have been gathering more than

"nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >>> good evening. with the flu at epidemic levels, already in some american cities and now with the media coverage of it, it's all having a predictable effect. while it's late in the game, people are streaming in to get flu shots, hoping to avoid a very serious illness. the kind that has overwhelmed even some hospitals. one doctor in minnesota where there have been 27 deaths due to the flu said today the spread of this virus this winter is pretty much unparalleled. some places are running out of inokay legislations. others are dealing with the sick. in a moment, what the doctor says about what to do if this strikes. but we begin with a doctor who has visited three hospitals in the flu zone over just the last three days. we have two reports to start off with tonight, beginning with dr. nan nancy snyderman at the hospital of the university of pennsylvania in philadelphia tonight. nancy, good evening. >> good evening, brian. state by state the number of cases of inf

"nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >> good evening. we begin tonight with this flu outbreak across 41 states in this country now. and at this time last week, it sadly had claimed 18 lives. well, tonight in just the space of a week's time, 18 deaths have now been reported, just today in one state, in massachusetts. where the city of boston has now declared a public health emergency, and it's now a big front in the spread of this flu during this already mean season. tonight we want to begin with our chief medical editor, dr. nancy snyderman. she is at bringing aman women's hospital in boston. nancy, good evening. >> good evening, brian. in flew ends zais putting a stranglehold on communities around this country, and tonight i have to tell you that i've now been in two large city emergency departments in this two days and i've never seen anything like this in the united states. at boston's brig aman's women's hospital, veteran e.r. nurse jana gil has seen it all. >> i've been working here for 27 year

"nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >>> good evening. the people at the brady campaign to prevent gun violence, the people who also compile the numbers, tell us that so far today, 203 people have been shot in this country. that's just today, and just as of 6:00 p.m. eastern time. among the shootings, kauffman, texas, an assistant district attorney gunned down and killed outside the courthouse where he worked. lincoln, nebraska. a man shot while in his apartment building after two armed men burst in. atlanta, georgia. a 14-year-old student shot in the head at price middle school this afternoon, one person in police custody. and then, of course, there's the city of chicago. more people killed there last year than american troops killed in afghanistan. more than 40 gun murders so far just this year, and today they announced a new strategy. income tax nbc's kevin tibbles starts us off from there tonight. good evening. >> brian, 2013 is barely a month old and already 42 murders in the city of chicago. t

. >> reporter: and tonight, a top white house adviser tells nbc news that the president has finished writing his remarks for his inaugural address tomorrow that he will deliver shortly after completing the ceremonial oath of office. and then, tomorrow night, the obamas, lester, will celebrate with two inaugural balls, compared to ten four years ago. >> all right, peter, thank you. >>> and washington is getting ready for the spectacle that brings at least a sense of unity to this city once every four years. nbc's kelly o'donnell is outside the capitol with that story. kelly, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. this is where it all happens for what is the grandest photo op in american politics. tomorrow, we will see the president walk through that red drape behind me and he will take the ceremonial oath and deliver his inaugural address at the front of that stage. just final touches to go. and counting down to that moment, there was actually plenty to see today. save all the pageantry for tomorrow. ♪ this day before the big show is a street fair. ♪ >> it's just awesome

"nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >>> good evening, there's some sad news heading into this weekend for at least one american family. an american has been killed overseas. his death believed to be the result of a mission launched to free a large group of hostages who were taken at a bp natural gas complex. islamic militants took hostages at the facility in the sahara desert in algeria. in retaliation for the fact that france has launched a war against islamic insurgents over these past few days in the nearby nation of mali. the u.s. found itself caught in the middle of this with u.s. citizens working overseas, held hostage, and a rescue mission to free them carried out by a foreign nation. there's still a lot we don't know about survivors, casualties, the living and the dead. we begin tonight with nbc's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: the attack on the gas field in western algeria has left one american dead. fred butacio. u.s. officials say five americans were working at the complex. two escaped and

tom costello, nbc news, bethesda, maryland. >> dr. tanya benenson is our chief medical officer here at nbc. tanya, you were telling me before air you have handed out about 1,000 inoculations just to our employees here in new york. you're reporting a lot of first-timers this year. but to that question, is it too late to get the inoculation? >> it's not too late. we still hear the flu is spreading. if the flu is spreading, new people are getting the flu and that could be you if you haven't had it. it's definitely not too late. it takes two weeks to kick in so the earlier the better, still can get one. >> people who hear this efficacy rate of 60-some odd percent, is it still worth it? >> it's still 62%. which is better than zero percent. if you get the flu shot, even if you got some form of the flu that wasn't covered by the flu shot, you could have a milder flu if you don't get the flu shot. and that's important. because if the real flu knocks you out, it's not a subtle thing. >> this is not the last time we'll be asking of your advice,

, gun stores tell nbc news they have seen an uptick in sales. owners stocking up out of fear the obama administration will impose stiffer laws. in december, the national instant criminal background check system reported 2.2 million background checks were performed last month, in increase of about 58% over the same period in 2011. >> you all know this is a complicated issue. >> reporter: and it is against this backdrop that the vice president is wrapping up his gun safety task force. >> federal weapons trafficking statute to universal background checks to making more widely available mental health assistance. >> reporter: there are more proposals, including the controversial reinstatement of the assault weapons ban, and limiting access to high capacity clips. earlier in the wee biden butted heads with the national rifle association over those issues. >> the vice president and his folks are focusing primarily on firearms ownership, and what we consider second amendment rights for the american people. >> reporter: on friday, the vice president met

"nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >>> good evening. the evidence is now unmistakable. aspects of the u.s. economy after a long and difficult period of darkness appear to be getting more robust. and while there are lots of numbers out to prove the point of an improving economy, problem is, of course, it's hardly being felt by all americans. but first, the good news, and it's substantial. here are the stock indexes at closing time today. all three closed up. stocks, by the way, are nearing an all-time high on wall street. on the housing front, u.s. builders started work on new homes last month at the fastest rate since the summer of '08. and finally, the number of americans seeking unemployment has fallen to a five-year low. we start off by getting more on all of it tonight from nbc's john yang in chicago. john, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. the signs are small, and they're far from conclusive. and we have had had false starts before. but economists are pointing to data that sugge

reporting from washington, d.c., for all of us at nbc news, good night.

robert bazell, nbc news, new york. >>> let's turn now to the reason most of you had this tuesday off. it is new year's day, of course, ushered in last night around the world including a few blocks from here in new york's times square. even with temperatures near freezing, about 1 million people were estimated to be on hand seeing the ball drop, saying good-bye to 2012 and welcoming in 2013. sanitation workers picked up an estimated 50 tons of trash. >>> and there are all kinds of new laws across the country. in maryland, same-sex marriage there is legal as of today. and couples rang in 2013 with wedding bells. voters approved that gay marriage measure back in november. that was one of hundreds of new laws that went into effect as the new year began, from new restrictions on the use of social media to an increase in the minimum wage. nbc's justice correspondent, pete williams, has more. >> reporter: beginning today in california and illinois, it's against the law for an employer to ask anyone applying for a job to reveal user names or passwords for social media sites like facebook. joh

andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. >>> there's news out of the world of sports. we learned today former nfl star linebacker, junior seau, who committed suicide at the age of 43 last may had the same brain condition diagnosed in at least two former nfl players who also took their own lives. seau's family asked that his brain tissue be analyzed after his death. test results from the national institutes of health show he had a brain disease called cte, caused by repeated blows to the head. symptoms can include memory loss, aggression and depression. >>> now to a life or death struggle that has captured attention around the world. 11 whales trapped under the ice, running out of breathing room. and just as a rescue mission was ramping up, something unexpected took place. it's all happening way up in remote northern quebec. and nbc news chief environmental affairs correspondent anne thompson has our report. >> this is a scene of beauty and bewilderment. the ocean's top predators, killer whales, fighting to breathe in canada's hudson bay. this pod of orcas has become an

robert bazell, nbc news, new york. >>> at the white house today, vice president joe biden presided over a meeting of gun control supporters, one day before a planned meeting with gun rights advocates, including the nra. this is all in advance of the administration's push for new gun laws in the post newtown era. our white house correspondent kristen welker was there. she is with us tonight from the north lawn. kristen, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening to you. trying to maintain momentum. for stiffer gun control laws in the wake of that tragedy. vice president biden met with victims' groups and gun safety organizations here at the white house today and laid down a new political marker. meeting with his gun safety task force, the vice president said the white house is prepared to act if congress does not. >> i want to make it clear that we are not going to get caught up in the notion, unless we can do everything we're going to do nothing. it's critically important we act. >> reporter: sources close to the talks say among the executive actions, the president is considering ex

"nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >>> good evening, there's some sad news heading into this weekend for at least one american family. an american has been killed overseas. his death believed to be the result of a mission launched to free a large group of hostages who were taken at a bp natural gas complex. islamic militants took hostages at the facility in the sahara desert in algeria. in retaliation for the fact that france has launched a war against islamic insurgents over these past few days in the nearby nation of mali. the u.s. found itself caught in the middle of this with u.s. citizens working overseas, held hostage, and a rescue mission to free them carried out by a foreign nation. there's still a lot we don't know about survivors, casualties, the living and the dead. we begin tonight with nbc's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: the attack on the gas field in western algeria has left one american dead. fred buttaccio. u.s. officials say five americans were working at the complex. two escaped a

andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. >>> big news in the world of education. federal officials say the high school graduation rate is going up. the nationwide average climbed to just above 78% in 2010, the last year with numbers available. there's a lot of work yet to be done. but it's the highest it's been since 1974. the main reason, they say, fewer jobs out there to tempt young people to leave high school. >>> still ahead as we continue on a tuesday evening, a major breakthrough regarding a big worry for a lot of parents, a lot of athletes, detecting the damage done by concussions and what could happen then later in life. >>> then later on, why beyonce's fans along with millions of inauguration viewers are saying, say it ain't so. >>> as we mentioned, there's news tonight on the subject of concussions which are finally getting a lot more attention of late among athletes and among parents. up till now, there's been no good way to figure out how much damage has been done after a concussion exactly. but ucla researchers working with some former nfl players may

from capitol hill, i'm steve handelsman, nbc news. bill, back to you. >> well, thanks, steve. >>> we have new details today on secretary of sate hillary clinton and the blood clot that has her hospitalized. the clot is located in a vein in a space between the brain and the skull, near her right ear. it did not cause a stroke or neurological damage. doctors say she's making excellent progress. the blood clot is related to a concussion clinton suffered earlier this month. it was discovered during a follow-up exam on sunday. >>> from amazing fireworks displays to ancient traditions in polar plunges folks around the world marked 2013 in their own unique way. nbc's kirk gregory take ace look. >> reporter: the first major city to sell brit 2013 was auckland, new zealand. in australia, a seven-ton fire work's display dazzled hundreds of thousands in sydney. with an estimated 1 billion watching on tv worldwide. thousands counted down the new year in shanghai, china. while in tokyo, japan, buddhist mornings rang bells. nato soldiers searching

kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >>> that is our broadcast on a tuesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> right now at 6:00, who is the man behind the barge? new details about the tanker crash at the bay bridge and the pil pilot's checkered history. >> reporter: and in san jose we may soon see more curbside dining outside. i'll tell you why it may cost the city nothing. >>> surgery suspended the problem left in the east bay hospital scrambling this afternoon. >>> good evening and thanks for joining us. i'm jessica aguirre. >> and i'm raj mathai. it could have been disastrous. everyone is having trouble understanding how it exactly happened. tonight federal investigators are joining the probe into what's being now called a major incident. an oil tanker hitting the bay bridge for the first time -- excuse me, for the second time in five years. we have live team coverage tonight. ba

andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. >>> there is breaking news in the air tonight. and it's bad news for boeing. after a slew of problems, the faa has ordered all the new 787 dreamliners grounded for the time being. tom costello covers aviation for us. he's in our washington newsroom tonight with this still-developing story. tom, good evening. >> reporter: hi, brian. this action essentially ground all 787s around the world, because other governments generally follow the faa's lead. the faa's emergency air-worthiness directive says before any other 787 can fly, the operator on the boeing must prove the batteries are safe. >>> on the runway in western japan, an evacuation after the captain of a 787 got a warning light and thought he smelled something burning. the incident comes just a week after the fire in the belly of another 787 in boston. now investigators are taking a hard look at the 787's electrical system and lithium batteries. >> we've had two incidents involving batteries, involving charging circuits, that are under question that have resulted in one case a

a new nbc news/wall street journal survey shows 56% of americans do want more restrictions on guns. 7% say current laws are too strict. and 35% want no changes at all. this poll shows 41% of all households have a gun. in rural america, it's 61%, 29% in urban areas. there's also a sharp political divide. 55% of republicans say they have guns compared to 27% of democrats. virginia lawmakers voted on a series of gun bills tonight in richmond. the house committee considered one that would expand gun rights. proposals to ban assault weapons and to require universal background checks for gun buyers were defeated. one delegate tonight made an emotional plea for his controversial measure to train and arm teachers to carry concealed weapons into schools. >> i am serious. the more we delay every day we expose children to the circumstance of being slaughtered. >> the committee ultimately decided to send marshall's billion to bob mcdonald's newly formed school safety task force. >>> next on news 4 at 11:00, riderses toed to the ground as an escalator suddenly goes in reverse. why the mishalf is be

now a new nbc news/wall street journal poll finds 70% of americans say roe v. wade should not be overturned. >>> former penn state football coach joe paterno died on this date last year. joe paterno's legacy has been tainted by the jerry sandusky scandal. supporters will gather for a candlelight vigil. >>> and president obama and vice president biden and their spouses will attend a national prayer service this morning, an inaugural tradition started by george washington. >>> all day long you can stay on top of the very latest developments on those stories and the very best political analysis on msnbc. and tonight, be sure to watch "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >>> and, finally, here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. the woman whose face was used in the manti te'o scandal sits down exclusively with nbc news. >>> and j. crew director jenna lyons and jason wu are both live in studio this morning with their reactions to the first family donning their fashions on inauguration day. >>> now keep it on this channel for conti

"nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >>> good evening. as the president's defense secretary prepares to leave office, he is leaving behind, with the boss's permission, a huge change to the u.s. military. the announcement officially today from the pentagon, women will soon be able to serve in direct combat units. while it's been happening slowly in the field on its own for years during our dual wars of this last decade, and while it will open a huge number of jobs and career pathways for the women who volunteer to serve this country in uniform, it is a huge change in military tradition. a change in the tanks and in the trenches. a change announced at the highest levels today. it's where we begin tonight with our pentagon correspondent, jim miklaszewski. jim, good evening. >> reporter: president obama praised the pentagon's decision to open combat roles to women. and of the 152 u.s. service women who died in iraq and afghanistan, he called them patriots, whose sacrifices show that valor knows no gende

"nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >> good evening, i'm lester holt in tonight for brian. in newtown, connecticut, this was a day filled with trepidation and deep emotions as the pupils and staff of sandy hook elementary returned to class for the first time since the mass murder there. tomorrow will mark three weeks since the rampage that left 20 children and 6 adults dead. the building where it happened remains off limits tonight, still an active crime scene. and so for the time being, sandy hook has a new home. it also has a community of supporters and well-wishers that now extends across the country. all anxious to help the young survivors feel safe, loved and protected. nbc's rehema ellis is in monroe, connecticut tonight. >> reporter: good evening, lester. reporters and camera crews were asked to give the school some space today so that teachers, parents and police could get the students back to a normal routine. there was some anxiety as newtown school buses rode through the community, but t

from capitol hill, steve handelsman, nbc news. bill, back to you. >> reaction to the senate's move was swift as many people were still up welcoming the new year. familiar faces on msnbc were in rare form starting with joe scarborough who tweeted, why can't washington ever put together a deal that cults spent? this deal fails on most counts. it's a distressing failure of leadership. "morning joe" regular steve ratner tweeted, the only thing worse than this deal would have been no deal, or maybe not, he added. ezra kline wrote, obama isn't making it easier for res to vote for this deal but probably thinks if the rs kill it they get all the fiscal cliff blame. >>> now deals on secretary of state hillary clinton and the blood clot that has her hospitalized. the clot is located in a vein in the space between her brain and skull near her right ear. it did not cause a stroke or neurological damage. doctors say clinton should make a full recovery and she is making excellent progress. the blood clot is related to the concussion clinton suf

from capitol hill, steve handelsman, nbc news. bill, back to you. >> reaction to the senate's move was swift as many people were still up welcoming the new year. familiar faces on msnbc were in rare form starting with joe scarborough who tweeted, why can't washington ever put together a deal that cuts spending? this deal fails on most counts. it's a distressing failure of leadership. "morning joe" regular steve ratner tweeted, the only thing worse than this deal would have been no deal, or maybe not, he added. ezra klein wrote, obama isn't making it easier for rs to vote for this deal but probably thinks if the rs kill it they get all the fiscal cliff blame. >>> new information on secretary of state hillary clinton and the blood clot that has her hospitalized. the clot is located in a vein in the space between her brain and skull near her right ear. it did not cause a stroke or neurological damage. doctors say clinton should make a full recovery and she is making excellent progress. the blood clot is related to the concussion clin