anne thompson, nbc news, new york. >> that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. lester holt will be back with you tomorrow. i'm kate snow. for all of us here at nbc news, thanks for watching. for all of us here at nbc news, thanks for watching. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

"nightly news" starts now. >> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >> good evening. propelled by thunderous applause coming out of charlotte, where we last saw you just last night, president obama, after launching his reelection effort, was hit head-on by the economic reality today even though 96,000 jobs were added to the u.s. economy in the month of august, and even though the unemployment rate fell from 8.3 to 8.1%, both the need and expectations were greater than that. and so with economists using words like "anemic," that affected what the campaign was hoping would feel much more like a post-charlotte victory lap. the economy remains the big issue in this campaign. and we begin our coverage of all of all of it tonight with white house correspondent kristen welker traveling with the president in iowa city tonight. kristen, good evening. >> reporter: good evening to you, brian. well, president obama left charlotte this morning with the vice president and first lady to hit pivotal

"nightly news" begins now. >> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >> good evening. propelled by thunderous applause coming out of charlotte, where we last saw you just last night, president obama, after launching his reelection effort, was hit head-on by the economic reality today even though 96,000 jobs were added to the u.s. economy in the month of august, and even though the unemployment rate fell from 8.3 to 8.1%, both the need and expectations were greater than that. and so with economists using words like "anemic," that affected what the campaign was hoping would feel much more like a post-charlotte victory lap. the economy remains the big issue in this campaign. and we begin our coverage of all of all of it tonight with white house correspondent kristen welker traveling with the president in iowa city tonight. kristen, good evening. >> reporter: good evening to you, brian. well, president obama left charlotte this morning with the vice president and first lady to hit pivotal swing states, and he tried to cast that jobs r

in the nbc news wall street journal pole just out tonight. chuck, good evening. >> good evening, brian. well, remember what this poll is, it's our first national poll after both national conventions and both candidates had goals they wanted to accomplish. the president to try to make the case that the economy was on the right track, and he had the right policies. and mitt romney trying to improve his personal likability. so let's go to the numbers. on the head-to-head, the president has a five point lead. it's a small, but significant lead. first time he's hit 50% in over six months. look at the perceptions of the economy. 42% say it's getting better. highest we've recorded on this poll question in two and a half years, brian. also has an impact on people's perception of which candidate would better deal with the economy. on this, president obama, mitt romney are tied. why is this significant? it's the first time mitt romney has not led on the question of the economy since we began testing this. as for mitt romney, did he accomplish his goal

john yang, nbc news, chicago. >>> and when we come back, remembering an american classic. the life and music of andy williams ♪ ♪ ♪ >> i'm playing the field. >>> andy williams died last night, and the late '60s and '70s were often remembered for the late counterculture music, but andy williams was the opposite of that, loved by millions, and always close to his midwestern roots. here is kevin tibble. >> reporter: he may not have penned it, but "moon river" belonged to andy williams. >> i'm going your way ♪ ♪ ♪ >> reporter: the classic handsome, velvet-voiced crooner, clean-cut, even in the '60s, an iowa boy, he performed with his brothers even before going solo. for almost ten years he hosted the andy williams show on nbc. helping to put another group of singing brothers, the osmonds, on the map. he also introduced america to the three-year-old marie. >> will you save me a dance? >> okay. >> reporter: he said the clarity and warmth and grace of music, shaped my beginning. the andy williams christmas special became a family tradition. although some could blame h

"nightly news" starts now. >> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >> good evening. propelled by thunderous applause coming out of charlotte, where we last saw you just last night, president obama, after launching his reelection effort, was hit head-on by the economic reality today even though 96,000 jobs were added to the u.s. economy in the month of august, and even though the unemployment rate fell from 8.3 to 8.wasn't%, both the need and expectations were greater than that. and so with economists using words like "anemic," that affected what the campaign was hoping would feel much more like a post-charlotte victory lap. the economy remains the big issue in this campaign. and we begin our coverage of all of it tonight with white house correspondent kristen welker, traveling with the president in iowa city tonight. kristen, good evening. >> good evening to you, brian. well, president obama left charlotte this morning with the vice president and first lady to hit pivotal swing states, and he tried to cast that jobs report in a

captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> from nbc news world head quarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >>> good evening. president obama is on the campaign trail tonight hitting states that are sure to be hotly contested and sharpening the attacks and talking points that are likely to frame this week's democratic convention in charlotte. that will include the charge that mitt romney and republicans are pushing failed economic policies of the past. as democrats prepare to take center stage they'll face the challenge of convincing undecided voters that the president's policies are healing a sick economy. it's a debate that was on full display and our white house correspondent kristen welker begins our coverage from boulder, colorado tonight. >> reporter: good evening. in 2008 president obama became the first democrat to win colorado in 16 years. now that winning coalition isn't as strong so he is aiming to get women and young voters like the ones on this college campus to turn out in force. >> hey, guys. hello everybody. >> reporter: in boulder, pr

kristen dahlgren, nbc news, san francisco. >> that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. i'm lester holt. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" and then right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> good evening, i'm kris sanchez. another nhl lockout is looming. this were no formal talks between players and league official, and the deadline is less than three hours away. that now sets the stage for the league to impose a lockout when the collective bargaining agreement expires at

>> reporter: nbc news, iowa. >> and that is our broadcast for this friday night. thank you for joining us, brian williams will be back here on monday. i'm savannah guthrie, for everyone here at nbc news, have a good weekend and good night. . >>> good evening, everyone. i'm jessica aguirre. >> and i'm raj mathai. she's already accused of using her 10-year-old daughter to shop lift and now she's skipped town with her 11-month-old baby boy. >> the mother could be suicidal. nbc bay area's monty just spoke with the police. >> reporter: investigators are now calls this an abduction because

in the nbc news wall street journal pole just out tonight. chuck, good evening. >> good evening, brian. this is our first national poll after both national conventions, and both candidates had goals they wanted to accomplish. the president to try to make the case that the economy was on the right track, and he had the right policies. and mitt romney trying to improve his personal likability. on the head to head, the president has a five point lead. it's a small but significant lead. first time he's hit 50% in over six months. look at the perceptions of the economy. 42% say it's getting better. highest we've recorded on this poll question in two and a half years, brian. also has an impact on people's perception of which candidate would better deal with the economy. on this, president obama, mitt romney or tied. why is this significant? it's the first time mitt romney has not led on the question of the economy since we began testing this. mitt romney, did he accomplish his goal of his convention? look at these likability numbers. he's still ups

kristen dahlgren, nbc news, san francisco. >> that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. i'm lester holt. see you back here tomorrow evening. see you back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

. >>> from nbc news world head quarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >>> good evening. after weeks running virtually neck and neck a new poll shows some day light has suddenly opened up between president obama and mitt romney. the president making a bounce in florida where he tried to pivot the conversation away from high unemployment and on to an area that he hopes to prove to be governor romney's achilles heal. romney told our david gregory what part of the president's health care law he would like to keep in place. kristen welker joins us from west palm beach with more on all of that as well as what has to be the picture of the day. >> reporter: good evening to you. we will get to that picture in a moment. the candidates over taxes and medicare as president obama opened up a lead in what has otherwise been a razor tight race. campaigning in florida today president obama tried to turn the focus to medicare. >> i want you to know, florida, i will never turn medicare into a voucher. >> reporter: the president is enjoying a post convention bump, the latest

nightly news begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with brian williams. >>> good evening, tonight, across a huge and uneasy region, where arab spring has long ago faded into something more complicated. today there were anti-u.s. protests in no fewer than 11 separate locations. today, the violence is in cairo where the protesters stormed the u.s. embassy. then the terrible lightning attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya, that left the u.s. ambassador and three other americans dead. the first ambassador murdered on the job in a generation. some of this is coming from an anti-islamic film made here in the u.s. and it appears there is violence aimed across the country in a big region. we begin tonight with our chief foreign correspondent, richard engel, who is back, where by the way they're reporting 200 injuries today. richard, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian, clashes are still continuing here, even at this late hour near the u.s. embassy, and they were not the only ones in this region. this mess in the middle east is

nbc news, damascus. >>> and we have a stark reminder tonight of the dangers faced by u.s. forces in afghanistan, even as the american mission there starts to wind down, happening in helmand province. and nbc's foreign correspondent, richard engel was there. >> reporter: the marine outpost was attacked moments ago, now those responsible are being searched for. dozens of men are in the marine compound. it is not a taliban gathering, but only a funeral for a local farmer. but as marines approach another group of mud farmhouses, they come under fire. >> right now, we're taking effective fire from the southeast. >> reporter: lieutenant mock spreads out his men, several marines dive into a rooftop. from here, they can see silhouettes of men hiding and shooting. >> he is popping out the right-hand side of the wall. >> yeah, that is where i spotted him. >> reporter: it is not clear if this is the same taliban that attacked the base. >> they think there are about 20 or 30 hiding, yards from here. some with rpgs, some with assault rifles, they called in air support, right now they'r

>> reporter: charles hadlock, nbc news, charles, texas. >>> that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. i'm lester holt. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" and right back here tomorrow evening. good night. now. >>> good evening. i'm chris sanchez in for die want dwyer. more americans say they will get away for the holiday and some will have to find an ate nate route. crews are performing

>> reporter: charles hadlock, nbc news, charles, texas. >>> that's "nbc nightly news" this saturday, i'll see you right back here. good night.

the platforms of nbc news beginning this sunday and continuing all next week. you can take part by visiting educationnation.com. >>> and now here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. a would-be robber in florida learned never bring a knife to a beer fight. convenience store workers stopped the knife-wielding suspect from stealing cash by hurling beer cans at him. they hit the robber with a few cold ones before he dropped the knife and cash on his way out of the store. police later arrested the man on robbery and battery charges. >>> pretty scary stuff. twisted metal is all that remains after an oregon school bus collided with a commercial truck. a group of students had just been let off the bus only minutes before that crash happened. it took firefighters 20 minutes to remove the school bus driver before he was transported to a nearby hospital. >>> and finally, who says kids could care less about politics? at age 18 aziz is running to become the mayor of california's 15th largest city. he's been interested in politics since he was

. >>> from nbc news world head quarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >>> good evening. president obama is on the campaign trail tonight hitting states that are sure to be hotly contested and sharpening the attacks and talking points that are likely to frame this week's democratic convention in charlotte. that will include the charge that mitt romney and republicans are pushing failed economic policies of the past. as democrats prepare to take center stage they'll face the challenge of convincing undecided voters that the president's policies are healing a sick economy. kristen welker begins our coverage from boulder, colorado tonight. >> reporter: good evening. in 2008 president obama became the first democrat to win colorado in 16 years. now that winning coalition isn't as strong so he is aiming to get women and young voters like the ones on this college campus to turn out in force. >> hey, guys. >> reporter: in boulder, president obama took his case to voters one by one at a local restaurant and later told a crowd of about 13,000 -- >> this is a region s

mike taibi, nbc news, los angeles. >>> that's "nbc nightly news" for this sunday. up next, it's football night in america followed by sunday night football. the lions versus the 49ers. brian williams will be here tomorrow. i'm lester holt. for all of us here at nbc news, good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with brian williams. >>> good evening, tonight, across a huge and uneasy region, where arab spring has long ago faded into something more complicated. today, there were protests in no fewer than several locations. today, the violence is in cairo where the protesters stormed the u.s. embassy. then the terrible lightning attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya, that left the u.s. ambassador and three other americans dead. first ambassador murdered on the job in a generation. some of this is coming from an anti-islamic film made here in the u.s. and it appears there is violence aimed across the country in a big region. we begin tonight with our chief foreign correspondent, richard engel, who is back, where by the way they're reporting 200 injuries today. richard, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian, clashes are still continuing here, even at this late hour near the u.s. embassy, and they were not the only ones in this region. this mess in the middle east is not over yet. the protesters in

nightly news begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with brian williams. >>> good evening, tonight, across a huge and uneasy region, where arab spring has long ago faded into something more complicated. today, there were protests in no fewer than several locations. today, the violence is in cairo where the protesters stormed the u.s. embassy. then the terrible lightning attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya, that left the u.s. ambassador and three other americans dead. first ambassador murdered on the job in a generation. some of this is coming from an anti-islamic film made here in the u.s. and it appears there is violence aimed across the country in a big region. we begin tonight with our chief foreign correspondent, richard engel, who is back, where by the way they're reporting 200 injuries today. richard, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian, clashes are still continuing here, even at this late hour near the u.s. embassy, and they were not the only ones in this region. this mess in the middle east is not over yet. th

the platforms of nbc news including msnbc. that's beginning this sunday and continuing all next week and you can take part by visiting educationnation.com. >>> all right, here's your first look at some of the other news going on around america today. >>> a would-be robber in florida learned never bring a knife to a beer fight. convenience store workers stopped the suspect from stealing cash by hurling beer cans at him. they hit the robber with a few cold ones before he dropped the knife and cash on his way out of the store. police later arrested the man on robbery and battery charges. >>> well, twisted metal is all that remains after an oregon school bus collided with a commercial truck. luckily a group of students had just left the bus. only seconds before the crash occurred. it took firefighters 20 minutes to remove the school bus driver before he was transported to a nearby hospital. >>> and finally who says kids could care less about politics? at age 18 aziz is running to become the mayor of california's 15th largest city.

nbc news will be hosting an education nation summit right here in new york city. it's going to be beginning this sunday and you'll be able to see special programming across all nbc news platforms all next week. >>> well, now here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. in new york, surveillance video captured a dramatic attack inside a laundromat. now the victim was punched and beaten with a large stick as two women and two men robbed the place. one of the men can be seen swiping a cash register. police are still looking for the suspects. >>> in the nation's capitol, human skeletal remains have been found underneath a historic home undergoing renovation. no criminal activity is suspected. instead, it could be the resting place of a man whose death dates back to 1850. >>> in oregon, don't worry, it is only a drill, but one designed to show what a massive magnitude 8 earthquake would feel like. a power company uses a simulator to help get its employees ready if the big one ever does hit. experts say there's a 40% chance of one rocking the

nightly news begins now. >>> this is nbc nightly news with brian williams. >>> good evening, these are tough days for the romney campaign, 50 days to go now until the election, they are dealing with something of a public relations disaster. video of the candidate speaking in an unvarnished way to what he thought was a private fundraiser. they still have a lot of explaining to do mitt romney, with members of his own party, republicans in politics who are desperately worried about the damage here. it is where we begin our coverage tonight with nbc's andrea mitchell in washington, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, the romney campaign fought back furiously today, trying to change the subject from mitt romney's comments caught on tape, to a then state senator, barack obama in atlanta today, mitt romney tore into the president, accusing him of wanting to redistribute the wealth, based on a tape he heard years past. >> he said yes, he believes in redistribution, i don't, i believe the way to help others have higher income, is not to take from some, give to others, but to create wealth

mike taibi, nbc news, los angeles. >>> that's "nbc nightly news" for this sunday. up next, it's football night in america followed by sunday night football. the lions versus the 49ers. brian williams will be here tomorrow. i'm lester holt. for all of us here at nbc news, good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com who made an unexpected arrival. [ woman ] he was 4 months early, weighing 1 pound, 12 ounces. [ female announcer ] fortunately, sam was born at sutter health's alta bates summit medical center. [ woman ] the staff was remarkable. they made me feel safe, trusting, cared for. [ giggles ] they saved his life. i owe all of them my son. [ female announcer ] alta bates summit medical center and sutter health --

>> reporter: nbc news, iowa. >> and that is our broadcast for this friday night. thank you for joining us, brian williams will be back here on monday. i'm savannah guthrie, for everyone here at nbc news, have a good weekend and good night.

nbc news will be hosting an education nation summit right here in new york city. it's going to be beginning this sunday, and you'll be able to see special programming across all nbc news platforms all next week. >>> well, now here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. in new york, surveillance video captured a dramatic attack inside a laundromat. the victim was punched and beaten with a large stick as two women and one man robbed the place. one of the men can be seen swiping a cash register. police are still looking for the suspects. >>> in or regan, it's just a drill, but one to show what a massive magnitude earthquake would feel like. a power company uses a simulator to help its employees ready if the big one ever does strike. experts say there's a 40% chance of such a quake rocking the pacific northwest sometime in the next 50 years. >>> and finally, back in washington, we're getting a look. remember we told you yesterday of the little panda born sunday at the national zoo. the mamma bear mei xing can be seen holding the tiny cub in

for alg of us at nbc news, good in charlotte, north carolina. for alg of us at nbc news, good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

erica edwards, nbc news. >>> and good afternoon. i'm jeff ranieri in the nbc bay area weather center. a lot of sunshine this afternoon from the east bay down to the south bay. temperatures also remaining on the cool side as fall is just days away. right now 68 in fremont, and low 70s in livermore. if you're headed out to at&t park for the giants game, expect some cooler weather and 50s. we'll have that full weekend forecast coming up in just a few minutes. >>> plus change of course for chik-fil-a. learn what the popular restaurant is now saying about where it puts its profits. >>> and the iphone 5. how much does it really cost to build, and why is apple seemingly taking a loss on each phone? there is more to the story, next. i'll get a build your own burger with something cheesy... but not just cheese - mac and cheese. then i wanna add some oomph. and... top it off with a little kick. and... napkins. it's build your own burger. now at denny's. >>> the lines are already starting to form. the iphone 5 goes on sale this friday. prices

nightly news begins now. >>> this is nbc nightly news with brian williams. >>> good evening, these are tough days for the romney campaign, 50 days to go now until the election, they are dealing with something of a public relations disaster. video of the candidate speaking in an unvarnished way to what he thought was a supporter, there was a new route of attack for the president today. mitt romney, with members of his own party, republicans in politics who are desperately worried about the damage here. it is where we begin our coverage tonight with nbc's andrea mitchell in washington, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, the romney campaign fought back hard today, trying to change the comments caught on tape to a 14-year-old remark by a then state senator, barack obama. in atlanta today, mitt romney tore into the president, accusing him of wanting to redistribute the wealth, based on a tape he heard years past. >> he said yes, he believes in redistribution, i don't, i believe the way for help others have higher income, is not to take from some, give to others, but to create wealth f

jay grarks nbc news. >>> just a quick programming note, nbc news will host an education nation summit here in new york city beginning this sunday. you can see it all across nbc platforms starting next week. >>> al qaeda's branch in north africa is calling for more attacks on u.s. diplomats and protests against the anti-muslim video that insults the profit muhammad. they told lawrence o'donnell they are not spontaneous protests. >> it becomes clear about the response, this is a manufactured response. i feel that one of the things that started in the case of this and has grown since then is this, what i call an outrage industry. there are people in the islamic world whose job it is to find flash points and then use them to launch a larger, if you like, attack against american values and american personnel. >> don't miss the lawrence o'donnell show. it has the last word on the biggest issues and most compelling stories of the day. it airs at 10:00 p.m. eastern only on msnbc, the place for politics. >>> all right, here is your "first look" at news going on around america today. to new yor

"nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening. i'm kate snow in for brian tonight. on this labor day as americans enjoy the traditional last weekend of summer and a lot of kids are heading back to school, president obama and the democrats are preparing for their big moment. it is their turn to make their case that the president deserves four more years. their convention opens tomorrow in north carolina, and tonight as thousands of democrats descend on the city of charlotte republicans have already begun their counterattack, asking a question that we've heard before -- are you better off now than you were four years ago? we have two reports tonight beginning in charlotte with our political director and chief white house correspondent who is down there somewhere chuck todd. good evening. >> good evening, kate. while the republican convention was designed to reintroduce the country to mitt romney as a person this democratic convention is getting off to a bit of a defensive start as the obama campaign seems to be struggling with touti

. >> 48 days to go, our new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll shows president obama has a five-point lead among likely voters. who's still up for grabs? what did clint eastwood think about his appearance with that chair? >> i just was having fun. you figure somebody asked you to go to -- somebody is dumb enough to ask me to go to a political convention and say something, they're going to have to take what they get. >> good day. i'm andrea mitchell live in washington. mitt romney talking about something barack obama supposedly said 14 years ago, hoping to change the subject, from what romney said to wealthy donors in boca raton last may as captured on the hidden camera. with 48 days until election day romney faces challenges. according to our new nbc news swaults journal poll with the president hitting 50% approval, a first for president obama dead even with governor romney when it comes to is better equipped to handle the economy, joining me for our daily fix, chris cizilla, and chuck todd, nbc news political director and host of "the daily rundown." and chief white house corresponde

lisa myers, nbc news, washington. >>> now we go to syria, where the civil war has triggered a growing humanitarian crisis that we're on the ground to see. more than a quarter million syrians have been forced to flee their own country. most of them to crowded refugee camps in turkey, lebanon, iraq, and most of all in jordan. nbc's ann curry is reporting from there this week, and is with us from there again tonight. >> reporter: brian, good evening. it's not just the number of people who have been affected, but how vicious this war has become. the government has the heavy weapons and is using them, but atrocities have been alleged by both sides. the u.n. has reported that even children have been tortured, killed and used as human shields. civil war is turning syria into an unimaginable hell. the fighting is intensifying. the government attacks are more indiscriminate. even small children now know to run. people do what they can to help the injured. while thousands flee the country. desperate to get out of harm's way. refugee camps are filling up. today actor and activist angelina jolie,

from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with brian williams. >>> good evening, there were new protests today against the united states. and this time in some countries where we didn't see unrest last week. indonesia, pakistan, and afghanistan where americans, of course, are already under fire and always targeted. this round stems from the film made of muhammad, that went viral and ignited the rumor mill. it is apparent that u.s. interests overseas may be entering a new phase. we begin in our kabul bureau tonight, with nbc's atia abawi. good evening >> reporter: last week they blocked google, hoping to stop the violent demonstrations, but today, hundreds took to the streets following the example of other muslims, in response to the anti-muslim film produced in california. afghan police put out the flames of fury and anger. violent is -- demonstrations hit kabul today police responded with stones and tear gas. this man says we will never tolerate any mockery of our prophet. tear gas, along with water canons, were used to control crowds in indonesia, the w

captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> from nbc world headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with brian williams. >>> good evening, the news got worse for the united states overseas today as anti-u.s. protests over the film that denigrates the prophet, muhammed, spread to nearly 20 countries now. the violence has erupted in what is really the cradle of the arab spring in cairo, where the ambassador was stormed. benghazi, the attack that killed four americans, including the first ambassador to die in decades. this was a somber day at andrew's air force base as the four americans came home, as the leaders of their government looked on. it is where we begin our coverage tonight with nbc's andrea mitchell. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> reporter: to the mournful tones of "nearer my god to thee," the caskets came home, four public servants, arriving to the embrace of family and the secretary of state, brought together in grief. >> today, we bring home four americans who gave their lives for our country, and our values. >> reporter: four americans, the president said, who knew the

nightly news begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with brian williams. >>> good evening, it has been a tough summer in the nation's third largest city, 360 murders in chicago, so far this year. and now in the city schools, the fall season is off to a very tough start. this morning, the teacher's union in the city of chicago went out on strike. it leaves students running for a place to go and parents with no options, just as the union said it had no other option. and like any big city population in our country, nothing is simple, a complicated system with hundreds of thousands of innocent victims. there was a big protest recall called there by the union in chicago, we start with the story. >> reporter: brian, the crowd is starting to thin some what, but thousands of teachers have been walking in the streets of downtown chicago. and police were so concerned about it they blocked off the street, right in the middle of this big city's rush hour, causing a lot of concern for many people. but this is right near the headquarters of where the cit

nightly news begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with brian williams. >>> good evening, it has been a tough summer in the nation's third largest city, 360 murders in chicago, so far this year. and now in the city schools, the fall season is off to a very tough start. this morning, the teacher's union in the city of chicago went out on strike. it leaves students running for a place to go and parents with no options, just as the union said it had no other option. and like any big city population in our country, nothing is simple, a complicated system with hundreds of thousands of innocent victims. there was a big protest ralecal called there by the union in chicago, we start with the story. >> reporter: brian, the crowd is starting to thin some what, but thousands of teachers have been walking in the streets of downtown chicago. and police were so concerned about it they blocked off the street, right in the middle of this big city's rush hour, causing a lot of concern for many people. but this is right near the headquarters of where the ci

nbc news talent, who will be covering the big event in charlotte. the line from this that everybody's talking about is when they cut to the four screens here, right. you've got this other intern with quite a few lane yards. >> i am chuck todd. >> chuck todd, of course, is the well-known political correspondent. >> the real chuck todd is not here, no. >> did you just get asked if you were the real chuck todd? >> he kind of looks like a younger version. >> the facial hair. >> he thought he really was chuck todd. >> then this turns into a catch phrase. >> i am chuck todd. >> i am chuck todd. >>> copious amounts of alcohol on the table, giant hole in the wall, man in an irish flag cape. that's mr. jamie fearen. he's the world's greatest stuntman. he's about to teach himself how to fly. he's sizing things up. here we go. >> what? >> he did just work up the steam and go headlong through the window. i don't know if the window had said something to him earlier that upset him and made him angry, but he bolted through that. >> and we know this was not a movie

lisa myers, nbc news, washington. >>> now we go to syria, where the civil war has triggered a growing humanitarian crisis that we're on the ground to see. more than a quarter million syrians have been forced to flee their own country. most of them to crowded refugee camps in turkey, lebanon and iraq. most of all in jordan. ann curry is reporting from there this week and is with us from there again tonight. >> reporter: brian, good evening. it's not just the number of people who have been affected. but how vicious this war has become. the government has the heavy weapons and is using them, but atrocities have been alleged by both sides. the u.n. has reported that even children have been tortured, killed and used as human shields. civil war is turning syria into an unimaginable hell. the fighting is intensifying. the government attacks are more indiscriminate. even small children now know to run. people do what they can to help the injured. while thousands flee the country. desperate to get out of harm's way. refugee camps are filling up. today actor and activist angelina jolie, a speci

mark barger, nbc news. >>> nbc's education nation is in full swing. they're participating in the three-day summit aimed at improving education in the united states. nbc's danielle leigh reports. >> cody, you can do it. come on. >> i don't get it, mom. >> reporter: many of the nations' parents say they feel like the parents in this movie, "won't back down". >> we are taking back our schools. >> reporter: it features parents fighting for their children's future in a school system that is failing. >> we are falling further and further behind. as a parent i want the best for my child. >> reporter: this texas mom came to new york looking for better solutions. they're out there. >> i know a lot more stuff than i did last year. >> reporter: in cincinnati, ohio, community learning centers are going beyond the academics. >> we have emotional, academics. it's good to get the whole child. >> reporter: in manhattan georges attends a dual language school. in yuma, arizona, electronic curriculum lets students work at their own pace. >> by saying look at these organ