on the broadcast tonight, chaos and confusion in haiti. an extraordinary scene. a former dictator arrives back home without warning and is then taken away by police. a new wave of rage in another nation on its knees. and a first lady, a former hairdresser, who may have escaped with a ton of gold. where is she? an honor student vanishes without a trace. police wonder why there hasn't been more coverage. and still no clues. sargent shriver has died. a long look back at his career of service to this nation. "nightly news" begins now.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television moment the earth stopped shaking in haiti good evening, since the moment the earth stopped shaking in haiti just over a year ago now we've heard the warnings, the country was desperately poor and quite unstable before the quake. it remains very vulnerable now, almost a million people spending each night outdoors in tents, the government's been weakened even their presidential palace was destroyed. when the former dictator there nicknamed baby doc, real name jean-claude duvalier, flew in by surprise after a quarter century away in exile, many wondered, what was he up to? today he was taken away by police in another drama that amounts to big trouble in an already troubled nation to our south. kerry sanders is there tonight to start us off. kerry, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian.

jean-claude duvalier has yet to explain why he's returned from exile. now that he's here, the haitian justice system has launched an investigation into allegations that he stole from this country's treasury. that investigation could take weeks if not months. baby doc has been told during the investigation he should not leave the country. heavily armed haitian police escorted duvalier from the suite of his luxury hotel. as the man once called president for life was taken away. crowds gathered not to denounce the former dictator, but rather to show support. in the chaotic streets, haitian police, united nations troops and u.s. agents assigned to assist the s.w.a.t. team here struggled to clear a path as baby doc was driven away in an armored car. the destination, port-au-prince courthouse. haiti's minister of justice asked him to explain why he returned after 25 years in exile, and reportedly elaborate

on decades old allegations of human rights abuses. outside, supporters demanded he be set free to do as he wants. some saying they want him to resume power. in 1986, the u.s. helped engineer baby doc's fall from power. the obama administration made it clear it is not happy to see him back. >> this is one more complication in an already challenging situation. >> reporter: today's surprisingly warm welcome for a brutal dictator can be explained in part by a demographic shift in haiti. 51% of this nation's population is under 21 years old, not even born when baby doc fled. amnesty international says duvalier and his feared secret police acted with impunity. >> women being raped, arson attacks, murders committed by not only by the haitian armed forces but by the secret police.

>> i know from representing the haitian government for many years, there was a strong desire to prosecute duvalier if he returned to haiti. and i think now they've been given a golden opportunity and we'll see how the government reacts. >> reporter: a former member of the baby doc administration remembers it differently. >> duvalier was best. >> is the best? >> is the best. >> reporter: tonight baby doc has returned to his hotel and with upwards of about a million people still living in tents here after the devastating earthquake a year ago, aide organizations say this is a distraction they did not need. brian? >> kerry sanders as the drama goes on in haiti, thanks. another crisis, now the firestorm in the streets of tunisia which isn't dying down. the president who held power for decades there is gone, forced out of the country. but parts of his regime are still in place. and the people there aren't

having it. meanwhile the rest of the arab world is afraid there could be uprisings like it in their countries that could also quickly get out of hand. our chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in the capitol of tunisia tonight. richard, good evening. >> reporter: tunisians are amazed themselves, brian at what they're accomplishing here. they know the struggle to accomplish the first successful popular revolt in the arab world in decades is far from over. the protesters were back on the streets today and with more demands. they battled with police who launched tear gas into the crowds. the injured were carted away in trucks. these were the most violent clashes since demonstrators forced tunisia's president of 23 years to flee to saudi arabia last week. although ben ali is gone,

members of his party still control tunisia's key government ministries. today, at least five opposition leaders resigned, saying they won't serve with the old government. >> ben ali get out of our country because they are killers. >> reporter: 31-year-old insurance salesman malik al zawi told us he'll stay on the streets until tunisia has a new democratic government and freedom of expression. police barricades have been set up on most major intersections here. but what's happening here in tunisia is sending shock waves across the arab world, from north africa, to the arabian peninsula, there's now talk of spreading the tunisian model. two people tried to burn themselves to death to copy a tunisian suicide last month that triggered the demonstration. there have been similar self-emulations.

many share tunisia's frustration with corruption, high prices and authoritarian rule, tunisia's ousted president seemed to be taken aback. the former first lady leil leila trabelsi has long been unpopular because of her lavish spending, often called mafia, own stakes in tunisia's biggest companies. there are reports trabelsi stole from the central bank before leaving with her husband. the bank has denied it. arab governments, brian, are scrambling to prevent this from spreading. egypt is hosting an economic summit now focused on lowering prices, jordan and syria both backed away from plans to cut subsidies. and oil-rich kuwait announced it

is giving every single citizen the equivalent of about $3,500. >> richard engel on the ground reporting that story for us, thanks. there was a bloody scene this morning in saddam hussein's hometown tikrit. a suicide bomber attacked a crowd of iraqi men lining up outside a police recruiting center hoping to get jobs. an estimated 60 people were killed, another 100 injured. chinese president hu jintao is in washington tonight for a state visit that will be full of photo opes, and will include serious and sober discussions about the economy as china is a critical player along with the u.s. savannah guthrie with us from the white house tonight. savannah, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. some experts say this is the most important visit by a chinese leader in three decades. these are the world's two biggest economic superpowers, sometimes rivals, sometimes partners.

president hu arrived this afternoon in washington, greeted by the vice president at andrews air force base. he'll attend a small dinner tonight with president obama in the family dining room. tomorrow a day of meetings, and tomorrow night a full state dinner. both countries are emphasizing the importance of this visit. the biggest thorn in this relationship continues to be over trade. the value of china's currency. the u.s. is pressing china to allow its money to rise at a faster pace. the u.s. thinks china manipulates its currency to keep prices artificially low. the chinese currency has risen in value recently, the u.s. says it's not happening fast enough. the u.s. wants china to do more to get north korea to stop its provocative behavior. the president will press china on human rights, specifically the continued imprisonment of lou jibao. the human rights arctivist in china who have wouldn't nobel

prize. some have criticized the white house for honoring china with this lavish state dinner given human rights concerns. >> savannah guthrie on this state visit, thanks. across town, two big departures in the u.s. senate broke today, kent conrad democrat, north dakota, announced he's retiring. that opens a vulnerable seat in 2012, to a possible gop pick up. and our congressional correspondent kelly o'donnell reporting tonight that joe lieberman of connecticut, the former vice presidential nominee who is these days an independent will also retire. he has announced a scheduled press conference for tomorrow. his re-election chances back home were roundly being viewed as slim. in tucson tonight, another shooting victim has been released from the hospital, where congresswoman gabby giffords continues to make good progress. we're learning more about surveillance tape from the safeway where the rampage took place.

miguel almaguer still covering the story for us tonight. good evening. >> reporter: for many, this shopping center is a place to leave flowers for the victims. for investigators it's a crime scene where a piece of valuable evidence was discovered, surveillance video captured video described as gruesome. there are clear images of jared lee loughner's rampage which left 19 people shot, six dead. congresswoman giffords is seen shot in the head, then judge john roll is seen shot in the chest. in the meantime, suzi hileman was released, she's the woman who went to the rally with christina taylor green. tomorrow george morris will be released, his wife dorothy of 50 years was killed by his side. the congresswoman remains in serious condition, but her husband says he would like to meet with her parents, saying he would like to talk with them.

>> miguel, thanks. news tonight about our company. federal regulators approved the purchase by comcast of a majority stake in nbc universal from general electric. as part of the approval, the justice department will require nbc to give up management rights to online video service hulu. and the fcc imposed a list of conditions meant to assure comcast deals fairly with rival programmers. this merger will create a $30 billion media company with cable, broadcast, internet, motion picture and theme park components. the deal is expected to close by the end of the month. when our broadcast continues in just a moment. a teenager vanishes into thin air while visiting relatives in baltimore with no clues and very little attention. a kennedy by marriage, a public servant by trade. remembering the sarg. the death today of sargent shriver.

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we're back now with the case of a missing honor student in baltimore. she vanished three weeks ago while visiting relatives. police are frustrated in part because it's not getting more attention, and not getting the kind of attention that some other disappearances get. our story tonight from our justice correspondent pete williams. >> reporter: nearly 100 police and federal agents joined in the search hoping to discover what happened to phylicia barnes a high school honor student from north carolina. she disappeared three days after christmas while visiting a relative in baltimore. since then, not a trace. no use of her cell phone, credit cards and no updates to her facebook page. friends and classmates back at union academy pray for her return. >> we all have faith that you're going to bring her home real soon, lord. >> reporter: on december 28th, she left her half sister's

apartment to run some errands but never came back. since then, police have scoured the neighborhood, area park and nearby ponds. helicopters have responded day and night. leaflets have been circulated door to door and her picture has been flashed on electronic billboards along i-95. >> where is phylicia barnes? >> reporter: her picture has been reported in local media and on nbc and cnn. the baltimore spokesperson thinks this case may have received more national attention if the victim had been white. >> i think the question has to be asked. again, it's not my position, i don't know what goes into these decisions. but this is baltimore's natalee holloway case. >> reporter: phylicia's mother is hoping for a breakthrough. she last talked to her on christmas day. i told her how sad i was

because all of the children were gone and that next year they were not going to be able to go because i was lonely without them. she said, mommy i miss you too. >> reporter: as her friends post tributes on youtube. baltimore police hope a $10,000 reward will help solve the mystery. up next as we continue tonight, a television icon announces he's going off the air. with rheumatoid arthritis, there's the life you live... and the life you want to live. fortunately there's enbrel, the #1 most doctor-prescribed biologic medicine for ra. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, fatigue, and stop joint damage. because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, and other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis. ask your doctor if you live or have lived in an area where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu.

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big announcement this morning on live television here in new york. >> this will be my last year on this show. i know, it's been a long time, it's been 28 years since i've been here. and it was the biggest thrill of my life to come back to new york, where i grew up as a kid watching tv in the early days. and i never even dreamed that i would one day have the ability or whatever it takes to get in front of a camera and talk to it. >> emotional guy, but you heard him, regis has made up his mind. after more than 50 years in television. abc says they'll find a replacement, we know there's no replacing mr. television. the pride of notre dame, our friend regis, who along with his wife joy, will get to find out

if there's life and true joy after television. don kirshner has died. he was a big-time music publisher. artists like sedaka and diamond and carole king, he launched a lot of stars including "the monkees." ♪ >> we saw him on late night tv mostly, hosting groups from the stones to the ramons. we remember paul schaffer's killer kirshner impression on snl back in the day. don kirshner died in florida, he was 76 years old. when we come back here tonight, another loss, the end of a great american life in public life. often, the best part of a meal is the dessert. but sometimes after a busy day and a big dinner... my system needs some tlc. now there's something that's just right. activia dessert. rich, silky, smooth yogurt with desserty flavors like strawberry cheesecake, blueberry cheesecake, and peach cobbler.

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don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. i found answers about fibromyalgia. then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. a short time ago president obama called sargent shriver one of the brightest lights of the greatest generation. the president remembered him as the founding head of the peace corps and for so much more because he did so much more. sargent shriver died today surrounded by family, including maria shriver, of course, a long-time member of this family. he was 95 years old. robert sargent shriver, jr.

radiated energy and optimism and strength the way the united states did during those years. because of his service to various presidents. americans lived better lives over the years and the u.s. was seen in a better light overseas. he was ivy league educated, yale and yale law school. a navy man during world war ii. sargent shriver became a kennedy by marriage. he married eunice kennedy. sister of president ken dirks sister of two kennedy senators. it was those massachusetts family ties that would define shriver's life. at first he ran the chicago schools. then years later, a massive job for his brother-in-law the president, director of the peace corps. jfk's outreach to the world. >> the peace corps represents one of the most effective methods of demonstrating what democracy is all about. >> after kennedy's assassination, a phone call from lbj, he wanted shriver to take

on a second job, running the war on poverty. the telephone call was recorded and shriver resisted at first. but against johnson he didn't stand a chance. >> i'm going to make it clear, i don't care who you have run the peace corps. if you can run it, wonderful. if you can't, get oshkosh from chicago and i'll name him. >> the only person who could possibly do it, mr. president -- >> can you write your ticket. i want to get rid of poverty. >> shriver took on even more of the machinery of government. new parts of it like vista, head start, job corps. he was later named u.s. ambassador to france and continued to champion all of the kennedy family's social causes, including special olympics. he was second choice for vice president under george mcgovern whose original running mate

tom eagleton of missouri pulled out because he had psychiatric treatment. the ticket of mcgovern/shriver lost every state but massachusetts and the district of columbia. shriver's own run four years later lasted only a few months. a poignant moment came when his wife died. sargent shriver already in the grips of alzheimer's, waived after her departing hearse, not wanting to let go of his partner of 56 years. his daughter maria spoke often of her father's illness. and its impact on the family. >> he still goes to mass every day, he remembers the hail mary, but he doesn't remember me, maria. i'd be lying if i didn't admit that still makes me cry. >> just today, before word of his death arrived, i talked to sargent shriver's niece, caroline kennedy about his extraordinary life. >> sarg shriver is just a giant

in our family. such a wonderful man, loving and devout. i think he really put his faith and his love for his wife, my aunt eunice into action every day, in the political process as well as a life of purpose and service. and in so many other ways. >> the sargent shriver who will be remembered most is the one who exemplified an american generation, called to action by kennedy, tested by war, believing america was at its best when all americans were involved. in a statement tonight the shriver family said sarg went to heaven to join the love of his life, his wife eunice. he was surrounded by his five children and 19 grandchildren. for us, that's our broadcast for this tuesday night. thanks for being with us. i'm brian williams, we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

we begin this evening with developing news out of the east. good evening, everyone. i'm jessica aguirre. >> and i'm tom sinkovitz. traffic is now moving again in contra costa county after a bomb scare shut down all lines. is t ihes community of pachenko tonight, and we're going to show you video from about an hour ago after