days from a verdict that could set amanda knox free, tonight lester holt in italy with her anguished family. >>> sign of the times. how some schools are going commercial to deal with brutal budget cuts. >>> and back in the game. after a life-altering tragedy, an emotional return to the after a life-altering tragedy, an emotional return to the ballpark for a 6-year-old boy. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening. the state department is warning u.s. citizens tonight of potential anti-american attacks worldwide. the travel warning about potential retaliatory attacks comes one day after the killing of an american-born al qaeda leader. and tonight more news on this front, reports that nato forces in afghanistan have captured another key figure. this time the target was an elder in a militant group operating on the border between pakistan and afghanistan. it's a group we heard a lot about this week as u.s. officials again questioned pakistan's commitment to fighting terror. nbc's adrienne mong is in kabul tonight. >> reporter: it's considered one of the biggest thr

lester holt joins us now live from perugia. good evening, lester. walk us through what happened in the courtroom tomorrow? >> well, tomorrow is the final day of the appeals trial itself in terms of testimony. her lawyers will make their final rebuttal and then amman do knox gets the final word here. she gets to address court to have her say. her father told me she has been working on the remark for three months. as soon as she is done, a jury of six laymen and two judges will gather together and begin deliberations immediately. two years ago when is officially convicted for the murder of her roommate deliberations went into the evening. we had a verdict some time after midnight. expectations are, kate, we could have a verdict here by end of monday. >> her family is there. i know you have been speaking with them. they must be so anxious for a verdict. talk about emotions surrounding all this and are they hopeful this ends one way or another this week? >> they're on a fine edge here. i had a chance to speak to many members of the family, gathered here

. >>> at her side, dazed from a verdict that could set amanda knox free, tonight lester holt in italy with her anguished family. >>> sign of the times, how some schools are going commercial to deal with brutal budget cuts. >>> and back in the game. after a life-altering tragedy, an emotional return to the after a life-altering tragedy, an emotional return to the ballpark for a 6-year-old boy. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening. the state department is warning u.s. citizens tonight of potential anti-american attacks worldwide. the travel warning about potential retaliatory attacks comes one day after the killing of an american-born al qaeda leader. and tonight more news on this front. reports that nato forces in afghanistan have captured another key figure. this time the target was an elder in a militant group operating on the border between pakistan and afghanistan. it's a group we heard a lot about this week as u.s. officials again questioned pakistan's commitment to fighting terror. nbc's adrien mong is in kabul tonight. >> reporter: it's consider one of

i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thanks for joining us. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> this morning on "early today," shock wave. a frantic search for survivors is under way after sunday's deaf stath earthquake in turkey. >>> money pit? a government report slams u.s. police training efforts in iraq. >>> and re-igniting the flame, lady liberty is about to get a >>> and re-igniting the flame, lady liberty is about to get a 21st century upgrade. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> hello and good morning. i'm lynn berry. today we begin with tragedy in turkey. rebels are digging through rubble this morning after a powerful 7.2 earthquake struck with the country's border are iran on tuesday. at least 217 people are dead, hundreds more injured, and authorities fear that death toll could rise dramatically in the days ahead. emily morgan from itn reports. >> reporter: grimacing and in pain, but alive, this woman was pulled out after eight hours under rubble. rescuers have be

lester holt starts us off tonight in perugia, italy. lester, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. this was all an appeal to her 2009 conviction on six criminal counts. today, the judge ruled that five of those counts would be thrown out. the lone remaining conviction, a slander charge related to her false accusation of a suspect early in the investigation. that, said the judge, carries a three-year sentence. she's been in prison four years. now we expect her to leave italy as soon as tomorrow as a free woman. after a four-year struggle to clear her name the final verdict for amanda knox took just minutes. [ speaking in a foreign language ] >> reporter: the 24-year-old seattle native collapsed into the arms of her lawyers as her family gathered in the courtroom and swept each other up in their arms after the jury overturned her conviction in the murder of her roommate meredith kercher. her sister deanna spoke to reporters afterwards. >> we are thankful amanda's nightmare is over. she suffered for four years for a crime she did

it gave a fair hearing to both sides and explored all the evidence. >> lester holt reporting for us from italy this morning. to read into the details of the case, you find prosecutors actually had no case. it was based on satanic rituals an accusing her of smoking pot. as knox leaves perugia she thanked her supporters in a letter writing for those who defended me and those who prayed for me, loif you. she's expected to be home in seattle later tonight. >>> protests against wall street are spreading across the country as the federal reserve found themselves besieged by people angry about corporate greed and calling for an end to capitalism. for those who actually work on wall street, the markets were in focus as u.s. stocks dipped to a new low for the year. let's take a look. cnbc's jeff cutmore is life. >>> a brutal session on wall street yesterday with a decline of 2.4% for the dow. the s&p and nasdaq doing even worse. we're not far off bear market territory. technically that would z us down 20% from those april highs. we'd need to see that continue for another couple months for the pur

lester holt starts us off tonight in perugia, italy. lester, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. this was all an appeal to her 2009 conviction on six criminal counts. today, the judge ruled that five of those counts would be thrown out. the lone remaining conviction, a slander charge related to her false accusation of a suspect early in the investigation. that, said the judge, carries a three-year sentence. she's been in prison four years. now we expect her to leave italy as soon as tomorrow as a free woman. after a four-year struggle to clear her name the final verdict for amanda knox took just minutes. [ speaking in a foreign language ] >> reporter: the 24-year-old seattle native collapsed into the arms of her lawyers as her family gathered in the courtroom and swept each other up in their arms after the jury overtushed her conviction in the murder of her roommate meredith kercher. her sister spoke after. >> we are thankful amanda's nightmare is over. she suffered for four years for a crime she didn't commit. >> reporter:

lester holt will be here this weekend. lester holt will be here this weekend. have a great night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

lester holt starts us off tonight in perugia, italy. good evening. >> reporter: good evening. this was an appeal of her 2009 conviction on six counts. on appeal the judge and jury threw out five of the counts. the remaining on slander for false accusation early in the investigation. that carries a three-year sentence. she's served four so she's out of prison and is expected by tomorrow to leave this country a free woman. after a four-year struggle to clear her name the final verdict for amanda knox took just minutes. [ speaking in a foreign language ] >> reporter: the 24-year-old seattle native collapsed into the arms of her lawyers as her family gathered in the courtroom and swept each other up in their arms after the jury overtushed her conviction in the murder of her roommate meredith kercher. her sister spoke after. >> we are thankful amanda's nightmare is over. she suffered for four years for a crime she didn't commit. >> reporter: cheering was heard inside the courtroom where amanda knox waited. outside the courthouse a different reaction. italians, angry over the handli

nbc's lester holt is in perusia and joins us now. >> reporter: good evening. there is the scene in the courtroom about three blocks from where we are. the family got word about an hour ago and should be in court by 9:30. they are already there. they were seen walking hand in hand. they gathered up from a restaurant a few feet from where we are. there were hugs all-around. they walked down to the courthouse and the lawyers i think we are looking at with the prosecution side in that successes. we don't know when court will be called. we were told to begin at 9:30. what will happen is the court, two judges, six jurors had been deliberating since 10:45 our time. they will come back to deliver the verdict. it won't be guilty or not. it will be confirmed or reformed. confirmed would mean that the charges and the original conviction will stand. she will remain in prison serving a 26-year sentence. if they come back with reform or italian, reforma, there is a change to the case. it doesn't mean right away she will be freed. we will have to listen to what's following.

nbc's lester holt was inside the courtroom as amanda spoke. he'll have the latest live from perugia just ahead. >>> also ahead the tragedy has struck anderson cooper's new show. a teenager lies in a coma after he was asked by a producer to record himself doing skateboarding tricks. he fell and suffered an injury. what anderson cooper says about the incident coming up. >>> a husband captures the moving moment when his 29-year-old wife was born deaf hears her own voice for the very first time. >> it's exciting. >> he posted it on youtube for their family and one week it's already been viewed more than 4 million times. we're going to show you more and talk to that couple exclusively coming up. >> imagine the way her world has opened up since that operation, incredible stuff. >>> let's begin though with deliberations now under way at the murder conviction appeal of amanda knox. lester holt spent the morning in court, lester, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning. the jury, six jurors, two judges deliberating right now. what an emoti

. >>> coming up, lester holt reports from italy on the verdict. we'll also hear reaction from amanda's hometown of seattle. >>> now to the concern at the checkout counter. at least 15 people have died after eating cantaloupe contaminated with listeria. now, the number of deaths is expected to grow, but fighting listeria can be very challenging because the bacteria occurs naturally in our environment. mary ann join us with advice. >> it has also been found in some types of lettuce, but this is the one thing you need to remember. heat is your friend. that's the best way to kill listeria, but if that's not an option, there are other ways to minimize your risk. this is what listeria looks like under the mike scope. >> listeria has a remarkable ability to travel from one cell to the other in the human body without going outside. >> enabling it to hide from antibodies, with possibly deadly consequenc consequences. >> in some people, it can get into the brain and cause meningitis. >> in the latest outbreak, it is blamed for the deaths of at least 15 peop

i'm lester holt. >> and i'm jenna wolfe. i tweeted at 4:00 this morning, we couldn't have picked a better weather morning for our halloween jouts outfitses. >> all of the leads up to the only thing anyone cares about. you as susan boiyle. >> i tweeted a little hint of a wig. so far, nothing correct. >> you know what we are? we're a bunch of teases aren't we this morning. >> we'll have some fun. but we begin with breaking news about the weather and i think a lot of folks are considering the october surprise. a storm is now one for the record books. a nor'easter wreaked havoc with two feet of snow reported in massachusetts. the storm is responsible for at least three deaths. so far, states of emergency have been declared in new york, new jersey, connecticut, and massachusetts. at this point, more than 2.5 million homes are without power. nationwide, more than 1,000 flights have been canceled because of weather. we're covering the story up and down the coast. we begin in new york's central parking where authorities are warning

nbc's lester holt is in perugia with the latest. lester, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. so much has happened. hard to imagine yesterday amanda knox was sitting not far from this place in prison, wondering what her fate would be. her cameras captured her, where she began her journey this morning at the rome airport, walking with family and supporters, at one point we see her embrace part of the entourage there at the airport before boarding a plane to london and catching a flight presumably a nonstop back to seattle. all this happening as the prosecutor here in italy has vowed he will not rest with the decision but will appeal it to the italian supreme court. that is not a slam dunk. it will take several weeks, perhaps months to process that. for amanda knox it matters little because chances of her being extradited are between slim and none. the family of meredith kercher the victim in this case held a news conference this morning. they say they accept the decision of the court but they're mystified and puzzled be

i'm lester holt. >> and i'm amy robach. we have a lot to get to, including this new cell phone video. it's a violent attack at a mcdonald's. >> a bit hard to watch. an employee gets into a fight with two female customers. the employee used a metal rod to beat the two young women. we've going to have more behind this disturbing video ahead of that. >> just when you thought it was safe to go back into the ocean, sharks, they are big, they are dangerous and have been involved in several fatal encounters with humans this year. that begs the question, why are there so many attacks in recent months? we will take a closer look. >>> on a much different note, shopping is going old school for the holiday season. remember lay away plans? they're back in style, but are they good for your bottom line? i do remember those. >> i do, too. i know. >>> plus, meet the newest internet sensation. he doesn't sing, but he can handle a basketball and a volleyball. he's got game. petty is going to join us again this morning and apparently we're goi

i'm lester holt. >> i'm jenna wolf. i tweeted about 4:00 this morning that we couldn't have picked a better weather morning for us to wear our skimpiest outfits for halloween. >> it's going to be a little chilly out there. by the way, why do we keep showing the tapes of years past? >> all of it leads up to the only thing people care about. you as susan boyle. >> i had a hint at the wig i'll be wearing today to see what kind of guesses people will offer. some of them are quite strange. none so far is correct. >> you know what we are, right? we're a bunch of pieces, right? >> we are going to have some fun. a lot later in the show. we want to start with breaking news. it's about the weather, and a lot of folks are considering the october surprise. a storm that's now one for the record books. a brutal nor'easter wreaked havoc with some two feet of snow recorded in massachusetts. here's what we know right now. the storm is responsible for at least three deaths so far. states of emergency have been declared in new york, new j

i'm lester holt. >> and i'm jenna wolfe. can you imagine being in a room with barbra stre rnch ancra xds gaga? what do you talk about. >> this was a concert for bill clinton. the party got going with stars in the seats and on the stage. >>> the south pole mission to save the sickçó scientist. suffered a stroke, waiting for a plane to evacuate her. there are some new developments. we'll bring them to you in just a moment. >>> a surprise new twist in the case of john wayne gacy, the '70s serial killer who dressed up as a clown. new clues to the notorious crimes that could uncover even more victims. we'll have that story for you. >>> and then the week in buzz. a look at some of the holtest topics and videos that have gone viral. the big new buzz includes mel gibson. haven't heard about him in a while. what is a fellow hollywood superstar saying about the controversial actor? and oh, so much more, coming up. >> it ended up in a man hunt, so it is a good thing. >> i have never heard you say that before. >> never been a moment t

lester holt is live in perugia with the latest. lester, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. right now amanda knox and raffaele sollecito are awaiting the verdict in a prison about 20 miles from central perugia. we got word a short time ago from the member of the italian parliament who visited with amanda knox after she returned from prison, she was allowed to go in the prison chaplain, playing the guitar and singing and saying she wants to go home to seattle. her parents want that same thing. i was in the courtroom this morning when she walked in, she looked very nervous, appeared weak in the knees, being helped to the table, she was wearing a dark blue overcoat despite the fact it's a warm day in perugia. she took it off, put it back on again, nervous when she began her remarks but seemed to find her voice, though she broke down a few times. raffaele sollecito spoke in rather tender terms, the love of his life, he talked about. she talked about how sollecito was there for her after they found the body of the roommat

lester holt reports live from italy. ellen degeneres opens up to ann curry in a candid interview. keep it on this channel for local news, weather, sports and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today" just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a good one.

i'm jenna wolfe with lester holt. the story that gets stranger, the search for baby lisa. >> three weeks after the 10-month-old disappeared from her room, much of the attention on her parents. ka davrer dogs have found the scent of human remains in the home. an attorney has a different explanation why that scent may have been mounted. we'll ask him about that shortly. >>> switching gears, why age is just a number. i recently spent some time with a very nice guy. a college football player. what makes this guy stand out, he actually has grandchildren. 61-year-old starting kicker for faulker university football team, alan moore, wait until you meet him. very interesting fellow. >> how far did he -- >> 30, 35 yards. point after touchdown. well versed in football. you brag every sunday morning you are. my bad for not knowing that. very consistent and that's what makes him so good. >> you done? >> i'm going to stop talking now anything you said now is fine. >>> and then the weekend buzz. some of the things that folks are ta

i'm lester holt. >> i'm jenna wolf. can you imagine being in a room with lady gaga and barbara streisand? what do you talk about? >> you have to say former president in the room as well. this wasn't a birthday bash for president clinton. this was for the tenth anniversary of his organization. usher started things off. he got stars going on the stage and in the seats. we'll show you some of the highlights just ahead. >>> also, the south pole mission to save the sixth scientist who suffered a stroke. she's now waiting for a plane to evacuate her. we spoke to the scientist yesterday. there are some new developments, and we will bring them to you in just a moment. >>> plus, there's been a surprise new twist in the case of john wayne gacy. he was the serial killer who dressed up like a clown. authorities are working with new clues to his notorious crimes that could uncover even more victims. >>> then we'll look at some of the hottest stories that have gone viral. there's mel gibson. what is a physical low hollywood superstar

lester holt reports live from italy where the jailed american student will learn her fate. >>> and dr. conrad murray's former assistant speaks out about the fateful day michael jackson died. >>> now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. the day today on your nbc station. have a good one. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com yeah. sure. sure. what's the number-one killer of women ? well, you're still here, so that rules out crankiness. and track suits. heart disease. what, that's a joke ? no, it's an absolute fact, but the american heart association says you can save lives by passing it along to five women you love. awww. awww ! so i'm starting with three i tolerate. that's a joke ! find out more at goredforwomen.org.

live team coverage starting with lester holt live in pe rusia. hundreds of people protesting wall street. demonstrating they say against corporate greed. hundreds more now taking the street in boston, chicago, seattle, los angeles, this movement is spreading and media motion will russell simmons will join me at "news nation." our no. really? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus liquid gels fights your worst cold symptoms, plus it relieves your stuffy nose. [ deep breath ] thank you! that's the cold truth! [ female announcer ] starbucks via® is planted the same... ♪ ...harvested the same... ♪ ...and roasted the same as our other premium coffees. ♪ it only makes sense it would taste the same. so, try it for yourself. buy a pack of 100% natural starbucks via® ready brew. we promise you'll love it or we'll send you a bag of starbucks coffee. it's the starbucks via® taste promise. look for it at starbucks stores and where you buy groceries. an accident doesn't have to slow you down. with better car replacement, available only from liberty mut

it's not just an all or nothing proposition. >> lester holt in perugia, italy for us. thanks so much. i'm sure we'll be talking with you more as we expect an anticipated result coming later this afternoon. joining me now is rickie kleeman, former analyst and sex crimes prosecutor. as we're talking about this and hearing lester's report, there are these different scenarios. not just whether or not the conviction is overturned and she's set to her own freedom. as we talk about this, the options, they can acquit knox and sollecito, set them free, uphold the convictions. they can confirm, reduce, or increase their sentences or convict one and acquit the other. i think there's a lot in the hands of this jury and the two judges that lester has been talking about. but what would be the best evidence to sway them to acquit? >> well, certainly from the united states' point of view, and we have heard for four years all of the mounting evidence toward the innocence of amanda knox, i don't mean not guilty, but innocence, and, of course, it was the dna testing that seems to totally

lester holt will be here with you this weekend. we of course hope to see you right back here monday night. in the meantime have a great weekend. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> good evening, everyone, and thanks for joining us on this friday. i'm janelle wang in forage mathai. >> and i'm jessica aguirre. it is official. no charges will be filed in the 2007 alleged rape of a 17-year-old by several members of the deanza college baseball team. after months of reviewing the case, santa clara district attorney jeffrey rosen announced that decision today. and despite his criticism of how the allegations were

. >> lester holt live from new york. lester good morning. >> good morning. the monster storm, first nor'easter causing blizzard-like conditions. also more than 2 million customers without power. governsors declared states of emergencies in four states. live reports up and down the coast and the impact and now the cleanup of the storm. >>> terror from the deep. days after we told you about a shark killing an american diver off the the australian coast, a surfer in california the latest victim. an exclusive interview with the surfer's mom and find out how he's doing >> and halloween countdown. we have had wild costumes in the past, including some i would like to forget. wait until you see what jenna, amy and i dress up as. our big reveal coming up in the second half hour. hope you stick around. it's all coming up on "today". >> i think that's the best season he has ever looked. >> unbelievable. i wouldn't tell her that. i tweeted a picture. just a glimpse of the wig i'll be wearing today. so if you want to take a look and try to guess. >> i'm sure it's great m

lester holt will be here this weekend. for all of us at nbc news, have weekend. for all of us at nbc news, have a great night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> one of the longest and most divisive conflicts in american history is about to end. the president telling the country that all u.s. troops in iraq will be home for the holidays. good evening, everyone. i'm jessica aguirre. >> and i'm raj mathai. bay area troops have a lot to say about the end of the war in iraq. we'll hear from them in just a few minutes. but first, happening now, the occupy oakland protesters are digging in, and the city of oakland isn't backing down. >> it handed out what it calls final notices to vacate. but it won't say what will happen if the protesters refuse to leave franco gallo plaza. jodi hernandez joins us with the story there have been some complaints that the occupiers

i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" and then tomorrow evening. "today" and then tomorrow evening. good night, everyone. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> good evening. i'm diane dwyer. the occupy wall street movement

lester holt alongside amy here on the plaza. we've got millions of people bracing for a lot of the white stuff along with driving rain and winds as high as 50 miles per hour. guys, this is as good as it gets right now. we're going to have the very latest on the winter weather just ahead. >> but look at the fall trees. they've still got leaves on them. >> i know. >> we're going to talk about the case of dr. can rad murray. the defense has taken over. they've put on their star witness here, muddying the prosecution waters and suggesting that the singer might have killed myself with his own self-medication. and then we're going to be talking about that american scientist who suffered a stroke at the south pole. she's now speaking out about her ordeal and her recovery. we're going to talk to her live in just a moment. >>> in the meantime, let's talk about this storm a lot of people in the northeast will be feeling. >> good morning, everyone. a historic day today with this storm on its way. it is forming and intensifying quickly off

i'm lester holt reporting from new york. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

it saz have a jazzy today, lester holt. >> and amy put up a stylish coat. she has a great leather handbag up for bid, you see it there. and jenna is selling a leather motorcycle outfit. that's amy's. >> that's not a motorcycle outfit. >> that's amy's stuff right there. i've never seen a pink motorcycle jacket. but that's amy's stuff. and jenna is selling the leather motorcycle outfit she wore on one of the crazy adventure stories she's done. >> the bidding is still going on for all of us. head to our website, today.com, the bidding ends sunday night. don't wait. again, all proceeds go to the salvation army. >> wow, you've got a lot of bids going on there. >> very nice. let's get a check on the forecast. >> check it out. >> that's good money. >> that's big money. >> wait until you find out how much i really paid for this. >> bill is standing by for us. >>> not bad at all. let's break tour your weekend. over in the middle of the country is where we have the stormy weather. that's going to stay in place. it's not going to move that much. if you have rainey wea

i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thanks for joining us. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> this sunday, a special edition of "meet the press" from chicago. as the jobs debate heats up in washington, the unemployment rate remains at a crisis level. 9.1%. protesters take to the streets around the country to complain. >> where are the jobs? >> the president campaigns against republicans, urging them to take action on his jobs bill. >> if congress does something then i can't run against a do-nothing congress. if congress does nothing, then it's not a matter of me running against them, i think the american people will run them out of town. >> what is the economy's impact on america's biggest cities? how must they innovate to confront their budget shortfalls? and what does this debate mean for the president's political future? joining me, an influential voice in the democratic party, former chief of staff to president obama and now chicago's mayor, rahm emanuel. then, the republican view o

i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" then right back here tomorrow evening. good night, everyone.

i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thanks for joining us. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> this sunday, the president's foreign policy briefly overshadowed america's economic troubles. it's time to nation build at home, mr. obama says, as he announces the withdrawal of the remaining troops serving in iraq by the end of the year. >> after nearly nine years, america's war in iraq will be over. >> more than 4,000 american service men and women killed. at a cost of more than $700 billion. but does withdrawal now risk more bloodshed in iraq? and libya. gadhafi is dead. what now for the united states in that country? joining me, secretary of state hillary clinton. then, the republican race for the white house. the hands-on debate moment that signals a nasty turn in the primary fight over taxes, health care, and immigration. >> rick, i don't think i've ever hired an illegal in my life, so i'm afraid -- i'm looking forward to finding your facts on that. >> i'll show you what the facts are. >

i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" and right back here tomorrow evening. "today" and right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com