on the broadcast tonight, progress report from tucson and surprising news about congresswoman giffords. a surprise announcement today about the health of steve jobs and what this means for his company and the apple brand name. and nbc news exclusive tonight, former vice president dick cheney shows us what's keeping him alive. he's back, a brutal dictator turns to haiti after 25 years in exile. why now and what does he want? and extreme parenting. straight as, no play dates and worse. the so-called tiger mother who has started a national debate. "nightly news" begins now.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening, we're going to begin again tonight in tucson, arizona, where we learned today that despite her continued, brisk, robust recovery, congresswoman gabby giffords underwent more surgery this past weekend because of her gunshot wound to the head. and where the sadness and shock still linger and the after-effects from the mass killing going on, as we begin a new week on this national holiday monday night, we begin our coverage tonight with nbc's kristen welker in tucson tonight. kristen, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. congresswoman giffords' condition has been upgraded from critical to serious. doctors say that surgery lasted for about two hours and they say she is responding very well. doctors at university medical center say it was a good weekend for congresswoman gabrielle giffords. on saturday, they removed bone fragments from her right eye socket to relieve pressure. >> our suspicion is that she can

see something, but at this point detailed ophthalmic evaluation has not been performed. >> doctors also performed a tracheostomy, freeing her from the ventilator. >> the tubes that were in her face are no longer there and no longer needed. >> reporter: her husband, mark kelly, who has been constantly by her side, tweeted today, as my wonderful wife, representative giffords, continues to make progress, let us all pause and reflect on this mlk day. today doctors responded to reports that giffords rubbed her husband's neck and possibly smiled. >> it does imply that she is recognizing him and that she's interacting perhaps in an old, familiar way with him. >> reporter: dr. randall freeze says the next benchmark is rehabilitation. >> what do you think the timeline is for her leaving the hospital and going to rehab? >> well, that's a hard to pinpoint. it could be anywhere from days to weeks. >> reporter: while the congresswoman heals, a memorial today at arizona state university for her 30-year-old

aide, gabe zimmerman. >> gabe was a committed public servant. he was so committed to doing the right thing. >> reporter: a difficult time too for the parents of shooting suspect jared lee loughner. they left their home without speaking to reporters. the safeway where the shooting took place is now open and a steady stream of shoppers paused to remember all the victims, especially the youngest. >> having a 9-year-old just really got to me that day. i've been thinking about it ever since. >> reporter: tucson is starting to recover, but still struggling with emotions that cannot be contained. and there are still two other shooting victims here at this tucson hospital. they are listed in good condition and expected to be released soon, brian. >> kristen welker remaining on the story there in tucson, arizona, for us on this monday night. kristen, thanks. a lot of americans awoke to the news that steve jobs, the ceo and driving creative force behind apple was granted an

unexpected medical leave by the company's board of directors this morning, raising new questions about his fragile health, and in his absence, the health of that company. jon fortt covers the tech sector for cnbc and is with us tonight from silicon valley in san jose. john, this company is as closely associated as ralph lauren is in the clothing business with its inventor. steve jobs is identified as the guy who says things like the ipad aren't cool enough and need to be improved. so what happens to apple in the event of his absence? >> that is the question, brian. and indeed, jobs leaves the company in capable hands during his absence. tim cook, the chief operating officer, has run this company before. in 2004 jobs was out for pancreas surgery. in 2009 he was out for a liver transplant. and this time cook is taking over again. we don't know how long this time, though. last time they said six months. this time we don't know how long. here's the question. steve jobs is the taste maker at

apple. he's proud of the fact that you can fit all of apple's products on one board room table. it's what you leave out, not what you put in. if jobs doesn't come back or doesn't come back quickly, will apple be able to make those very sharp decisions about what to leave out and will it continue to have the vision and the charismatic leadership to retain some of the very, very talented employees who stick behind steve jobs. that's what folks are wondering, brian. >> what a powerful consumer brand and our thanks to jon fortt who covers the tech sector for cnbc. i'm sure we'll be talking about this topic again. for the first time tonight we're hearing directly from vice president dick cheney about his health and about the pump that is helping his heart beat, doing some of the work his heart can no longer do on its own to sustain his life. in an exclusive interview this afternoon, the vice president, who as we have seep recently, has lost quite a bit of weight, showed us the device and explained how it works.

>> i wear it on a vest and there's a control element here. and two batteries, one on each side, good for about 12 hours each. and then there's a cord that runs inside my chest to the pump on the inside. and that's -- that's what powers it and keeps it functioning. initially, obviously, it's kind of awkward to walk around with all this gear on, but you quickly get to the point where you've adapted, where it's second nature to you. >> jamie also asked the vice president about a heart transplant. he said he hasn't made a decision yet about that. former vice president also spoke in the interview about president obama, the recent tragedy in arizona and more. you can see more of jamie's interview, former vice president dick cheney, tomorrow on "today." overseas now to haiti. 25 years after he was thrown out by a people's revolt and a push from the united states, the man known as "baby doc" jean-claude

duvalier is back in haiti. the current president has said if duvalier ever returned, he would have his arrested for his alleged corruption and brutality and the deaths of thousands of people who disappeared there. so tonight a lot of people are wondering what "baby doc" is up to. our own kerry sanders is on the ground in port-au-prince tonight. kerry, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. 59-year-old "baby doc" jean-claude duvalier has not been seen in public today. but human rights groups say his arrival in this country is indeed an opportunity to charge him with abuse, theft of the country's finances and murder. jean-claude duvalier arrived in port-au-prince last night on a scheduled air france flight from paris. he cleared customs with a diplomatic passport and departed for a hotel in a waiting motorcade. duvalier assumed power in 1971 when he was only 19 years old, before his father, "papa doc" died, the haitian constitution

was amended to make "baby doc" president for life. he ruled with an iron fist. his feared private police force silenced opponents by machete or guns. >> demonstrators chanted slogans calling for an end to the duvalier government. >> reporter: duvalier was eventually forced out in 1986. today his former ambassador to france was the only one talking. >> did he say how long he would stay in haiti? >> reporter: but did "baby doc" come back to assume political power? a year after the earthquake, haiti is still in ruins. the recent presidential elections remain contested and now "baby doc" is back. >> just when we thought it could never get worse in haiti, it has gotten worse. >> reporter: but among the desperate, too young to remember, "baby doc" has instantly become a symbol of hope. >> i like duvalier is back in the country. >> you like this? >> i like that. >> because you think he's going to return jobs.

>> yeah. >> food? >> yeah, i believe. i believe in jean-claude duvalier because he was a good president for all. >> reporter: george, painting the haiti he remembers before the earthquake, was only 3 years old when duvalier was forced out. >> he's not a dictator now. now? he can be changed. >> reporter: unlike haiti's president, the prime minister here says "baby doc" duvalier has the legal right to return to this country as any other haitian. "baby doc" duvalier is expect ed to hold a news conference tomorrow. >> interesting couple of days ahead there in haiti. kerry sanders for us on the ground there, kerry, thanks. the situation in tunisia remains shaky tonight. the new government, just days old, is trying to contain a new wave of street protests and there's growing concern that unrest could spread to other countries in the region. police in tunisia's capital are using tear gas against the

hundreds, maybe thousands of demonstrators spilling into the streets. john ray has been in the thick of this story for several days now. john, what's it like there tonight? >> reporter: brian, well, last week people toppled a deeply unpopular president. today they were back on the streets complaining this time that the new unity government claims far too many of the ex-president's men. the crowds were smaller than a week ago, but the anger just as intense. police fired bottles of tear gas. the people here have discovered their voice and their taste for freedom. these people already got rid of one president, but clearly the struggle for power here continues. they believe now that their revolution is being betrayed, so the unrest continues. >> to hold the power, we want

all the power to the people. >> reporter: the uprising began back in december when a student set fire to himself in protest against unemployment and repression. this weekend in egypt, a restaurant owner did the same. one of a series of copy cat incidents across the arab world. leaving leaders worried that what begins here might yet spread around the region. many of those regimes are just as repressive, many share the same problems, corruption, unemployment. nobody, brian, is predicting revolution in the likes of egypt, but remember just a week ago nobody was saying it was possible in tunisia. in this country sargent shriver is in critical condition in a hospital in maryland and may be nearing the end of a long and distinguished life of service to his country. he's 95 years old, former director of the peace corps, director of the government's war on poverty, ambassador to france and vice presidential candidate

under george mcgovern back in '72. he's had alzheimer's since 2003. he was married to eunice kennedy shriver for 56 years. she died in '09, among his five children, of course, is our own maria shriver. it was 50 years ago today, a lot of americans were expecting, perhaps, a warm grandfatherly farewell speech from their two-term president and world war ii hero, five-star general, dwight david eisenhower. what they got instead was a warning about the future. when the outgoing president uttered his most famous quote about the dangers of the military industrial complex. eisenhower warned that money for weapons takes away from things like hospitals and schools. and on this martin luther king day, president obama and family honored dr. king's legacy with a service project, painting the cafeteria wall at washington stewart hobson middle school. the art works include pictures of fruits and vegetables, a

passion of the first lady's. her effort to improve school nutrition. by the way, a nice present for her birthday, which is today. in atlanta, the king family gathered at ebenezer baptist where dr. king was pastor. many of the speakers talked about his legacy of non-violence in the wake of the tucson shootings especially. we also want to call your attention to the list of the 25 most influential black leaders of all time, compiled for this occasion. it's on the grio.com. when "nightly news" continues, richard engle with an exclusive look few have ever seen inside iran. and later, what exactly is a tiger mother and why has she made so many other moms so angry? nvesting, no one person has all the answers. so td ameritrade doesn't give me just one person. questions about retirement? i talk to their retirement account specialists. bonds? grab the phone.

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secret nuclear facilities just days before iran is scheduled to meet with world powers in istanbul over its nuclear program. a program it says is for making nuclear fuel and not weapons. and so tonight here is what richard found when he was escorted through the facility. >> reporter: at the tehran research reactor, we're first asked to wear lab coats. >> this is probably the most important piece of the equipment. >> reporter: and pocket-sized radiation detectors. precautions because the reactor is on. we pass through two thick metal doors to enter the reactor, built by the united states before iran's 1979 islamic revolution. now a portrait of ayatollah khomeini hangs on the wall. the core is about 25 feet below the surface of a cooling pool. the water glows with an incandescent blue light. it is very unusual for iran to allow anyone to tour its nuclear facilities, let alone take

television cameras inside. the people here seem uncomfortable that we're here. we haven't been able to talk to any scientists directly and we're not allowed to take pictures of their faces. earlier iran's chief nuclear negotiator told us the tehran reactor produces medical isotopes for cancer patients. >> on an issue which is completely and solely a humanitarian one and more than 850,000 patients are using the medication. >> reporter: for years, iran has braced for possible u.s. or israeli air strikes on its nuclear facilities, but the chief negotiate told nbc news israel and perhaps the united states have already attacked, not with planes but sabotage, corrupting iran's computers and, in israel's case, he says, murdering scientists. "the new york times" reported this weekend that the computer worm was a joint u.s./israeli operation and helped delay, but not destroy, iran's nuclear program.

>> we want to show that they lead and somehow manage the assassination of the scientists. >> reporter: you believe it was the united states that was responsible for the cyber attack, the stuxnet worm. >> i'm not telling it as clear as this, but i have witnessed some documents in proof that they have showed their satisfaction in that. >> reporter: iran says its uranium enrichment has not been stopped and its reactors still function and offered a glimpse of a nuclear program iran says is under covert attack. richard engle, nbc news, tehran. up next here tonight, something less than a golden glow on this day after the golden globes. did the host go too far on live television? i love my grandma. i love you grandma. grandma just makes me happy. ♪ to know, know, know you grandma is the bestest. the total package. grandpa's cooooooooool. way cool.

♪ grandpa spoils me rotten. ♪ to know, know, know you ♪ is to love... some people call us frick and frack. we do finger painting. this is how grandpa and i roll. ♪ and i do [ pins fall ] grandma's my best friend. my best friend ever. my best friend ever. ♪ [ laughing ] [ boy laughs ] ♪ to know, know, know you after this we're gonna get ice cream. can we go get some ice cream? yeah. ♪ and i do ♪ and i do ♪ and i do a man can only try... and try...and try. [ male announcer ] honey nut cheerios tastes great and can help lower cholesterol. bee happy. bee healthy. ♪

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>> what was unique about ricky gervais, he seemed to cross a line and said things we only read about in gossip blogs and say them in front of those celebrities. it might help his personal brand as a guy that knows no boundaries, but it probably won't get him invited back next time. >> the head of the hollywood foreign press organization said the organization would never condone some of ricky gervais' personal remarks and he said they sometimes went too far, but overall they said the show was one of the best they ever had and they're pleased by that. starbucks announced today it's rolling out a new size drink with a new name, trenta? how big is a trenta? just smaller than the city of trenton. 31 ounces, 30% bigger than a vente, about the same amount as contained in two and a half cans of soeda in one container available only for the cold drinks. the name comes for the italian word for 30.

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"wall street journal" describing our next story. "why chinese mothers are superior." they were headlining an excerpt from a book by a chinese american mother about some of the surprisingly strict ways she has raised her own two daughters and almost as soon as the ink was dry, a storm erupted over what many call extreme parenting. our education correspondent, rehema ellis, traveled to new haven, connecticut, to talk to the author and her family. >> reporter: amy accepted nothing but the best from her daughters in music and academics, perfected with laser-like focus. >> there are some things my daughters were never allowed to do. attend a sleepover, have a play date, watch tv or play computer games, be in a school play, get any grade less than an a. >> what are you doing in math right now? >> reporter: but this mother, born of chinese immigrants, admits it's not easy to be the enforcer.

in her controversial new book "battle hymn of the tiger mother." >> i'm the tiger mother. what the chinese parent is saying to their child is i believe in you so much that i know you can be excellent, and i'm going to be in the trenches with you for however long it takes. >> reporter: she and her husband, both yale law school professors, are raising their girls based on strict chinese values about education. mindful their methods are not the norm. the result, 14-year-old luisa and 18-year-old sophia are high achievers. >> so you're a perfect a student? >> no, i had an a minus in calculus sophomore year. >> reporter: but an online excerpt of her mother's book, in which she once called her daughter garbage, unleashed thousands of scathing comments about her parenting style. cruel and stupid, child abuse, monster, shame on her. >> i really did not intend this to be a how-to guide or about

promoting the chinese model. i really believe that there are many ways to be a good parent. >> reporter: and her book reveals how she changed two years ago when lulu rebelled. >> i decided to retreat when it seemed like there was a risk i might lose my daughter. >> reporter: today lulu has more freedom and rejects any criticism that her mother was too tough. >> well, if i changed anything, then i wouldn't be who i was. so i wouldn't like that. >> i wish i hadn't been so harsh with them at times. i wish i hadn't lost my temper. but if i had to do it all over again, i think i would basically do the same thing with small adjustments. >> reporter: compromises by a once uncompromising mother, learning how to raise smart kids. rehema ellis, nbc news, new haven, connecticut. and if you wish to join in on this conversation about this book, you can go to our website to do so.

that's nightly.msnbc.com. as we begin a new week here, that's our broadcast for this monday 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 setting our sights on the south bay. oakland's police chief stirs things up with a surprising revelation that he could be jumping ship. good evening, everyone. thanks for joining us. i'm jessica aguirre. >> and i'm tom sinkovits. chief ant