on the broadcast tonight from washington, state of the union. tonight, the president reports to congress and speaks to the nation, including a tough crowd in the chamber, and a strong need for jobs where people live. the empty chair, part of the emotional backdrop for tonight's speech. congresswoman giffords recovering from a gunshot wound. also an updaten her condition. to the streets, a day of rage overseas. is another government on the brink? the scandal overseas involving a young nightclub dancer and a leader on the world stage who just lost his cool. and the oscar goes to? at least we found out today who a tough pack of nominees will be. "nightly news" begins now.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. and first off, yes, it is often called an annual ritual. the state of the union address. some years there's more reason to pay attention than others. and this is one of those. tonight the president comes in to the chamber with his approval rating up, fresh from a few victories there in late 2010. but this is his first appearance there since what he called the shellacking he took in the last election, the rise of the tea party which, brings us to the audience in the chamber. while the parties will be mixed together and it will still be boisterous, there's going to be one more response to the president than usual tonight. our team's in place to cover it all this evening. over to the white house we go, starting off with our chief white house correspondent chuck todd. chuck, i understand there's bits of the speech already available? >> yes, sir, brian. we do have our first glimpses of what the president's going to

say. it's very much a systematic -- thematic speech. it's not going to have a laundry list of proposals. he's going to say at one point in the speech, at stake is whether new jobs and industries take root in this country or somewhere else. it's whether the hard work of our people is rewarded. whether we sustain the leadership that has made america not only a place on the map, but a light to the world. so the speech is designed to be almost a pep talk to the american people, with glimpses of what the president's agenda is for the next year. and even a glimpse of what his message for the re-election year in two years might look like. president obama showed no signs of state of the union nervousness today. >> i think it will be okay. >> the main topic for tonight's address? jobs. with unemployment lingering above 9%, the number one issue americans say they want the president to address tonight is

job creation. i(t(sr&iar topic for the president. here he is in last year's state of the union. >> jobs must be our number one focus in 2010. >> reporter: and that's not the only issue that will echo last year's speech. from trade -- >> we will double our exports over the next five years. >> reporter: -- to the debt -- steps to reign in our debt. >> reporter: -- and even civility. >> we can't wage ail campaign where the only goal is to see who can get the most embarrassing headlines about the other side. >> reporter: while the issues are the same as last year, the political atmosphere is not. >> ten weeks ago he wasn't even going to make the playoffs, and now he's in the super bowl. >> reporter: the president's job rating was stuck in the 40s then, but this month spiked to 53%. an 18-month high following a string of legislative and pr successes. >> i have made my mistakes and i have learned again the importance of humility. >> reporter: obama aides say not

to expect any mea culpa moments like that tonight. but they recognize the state of the union is a political opportunity. >> people sense that things are stirring out there, and there's a new sense of possibility. we now have to seize that and make it real, by doing the kinds of things that are necessary to win the future. >> reporter: the president is expected to use the word investments to describe his spending priorities. a buzz word that has republicans skeptical. >> i'm hopeful that the word investment really isn't more stimulus spending and a bigger government here in washington. >> reporter: again, brian, this is designed to be a big speech. they don't want to play small ball. and that's where you're going to hear a line like this one tonight, this is our generation's sputnik moment, brian, about the challenges of the current economy. >> chuck todd, we'll be talking to you along the way as part of our coverage tonight. thanks. again, tonight will feel different to watch for a few reasons. the new leadership in the house, the new seating plan tonight, and more than one response to the president from the other side. kelly o'donnell covers congress, she's standing by on the hill for us tonight.

kelly, good evening. >> reporter: hi there, brian. talking to speaker boehner today, he expects it will be a different atmosphere, a little less partisan for tonight. many are trying to promote a better sense of unity. arizona's house members will sit together and keep one seat open. >> good afternoon, congresswoman gabrielle giffords. >> reporter: absent but still very present in her congressional offices. gabby giffords' desk sits empty, but staffers carry on wearing black and white ribbons. hundreds have been passed out in tribute to the shooting victims. the filling of constituents' needs goes on and so does the legislation giffords' started. >> it's not always the right thing to do. >> reporter: pennsylvania congressman mark critz checks in every day. around the capital the arizona tragedy continues to temper the political conversation. >> we're all moved to by the terrible events in tucson. >> reporter: that inspired a break with one partisan tradition. tonight many democrats and republicans will sit side by

side. >> it is a symbolic gesture. but why not start with a symbolic gesture? >> i think we can all agree, if we can't sit together on an important night like this, how can we face the real challenges that the country has? >> reporter: today first responders on 9/11 presented a flag at gabrielle giffords' office to honor her sacrifice. arizona senator jon kyl spoke to all the victims and heroes. >> he was one of the people that immediately went to representative giffords' aid. >> reporter: including giffords' college intern daniel hernandez, cheered at her office on this, his 21st birthday. and hernandez and some of giffords' doctors and a nurse have come here from arizona to attend the president's speech, invited by the white house and the congresswoman's office. the congresswoman remains in intensive care in houston. brian. >> kelly o'donnell will be watching it from her perch on the hill. kelly, thanks. and here with us in what isç

after all normally his studio, david gregory. is he moderator of "meet the press." the president, journalists and his aides, it's clear the president is bristling at any hint of defeatism, whether it's the u.s. or china, or anyone else. that's going to be his thing, tonight let's talk about the audience, especially the controlling party in the house. the republicans, is that more than one entity, as is the story? >> that really is the story. you have paul ryan, who is the budget chief chairman, michele bachmann representing the tea party. the cross currents in the republican party are fascinating. and i think they are reflected in speaker boehner, who i spent some time with this morning, and you heard in kelly's piece, saying, hey, we don't want any part in new spending. whether that's investment or competitiveness, we're not going to go there. and yet republicans are cautious about where they want to make the cuts on the big things, like defense, like entitlements. they acknowledge that the president has really got to lead

the way here. there's a lot of jockeying going on, and republicans don't want to turn over their cars just yet. >> and our last poll was interesting, something close to seven in ten americans feel the president -- of everyone in that room -- is more apt to be conciliatory whether real or imagined. >> absolutely. the white house wants to seize on that. they know what can happen if the republicans run against them on one issue and are united in opposition. health care, we saw what happened in november. i think the president wants to be the guy who's reaching out, compromising, and positioning himself as the fiscal conservative. >> all right. we'll all be together watching this tonight as part of our coverage. one more reminder, live coverage tonight 9:00 eastern, 6:00 pacific it all gets underway here on nbc. we turn overseas now. you may recall during the recent violent uprising in tunisia, we reported high anxiety in the arab world, that these kinds of protests by the people against their leaders, could spread.

well, today they did. at least three people are dead after a day of anti-government protests in egypt, inspired by an internet campaign after the tunisia revolt. and it's not over. we get our report tonight from cairo and itn's john ray. >> reporter: they had called for a day of revolt. it ended amid tear gas and the blasts of water cannon. for a while it seemed only to fuel the anger. a protestor climbs on top and ç wrestles with its operator for control of the cannon. in the struggle they fall. the crowd demanders are saying regime change. >> we want this regime to go out. >> is this the beginning of an uprising? >> i hope so. i hope so. all the community is exploding. >> reporter: behind me, the riot police are getting into position. all day the crowds have gotten bigger. just being here is a tremendous act of bravery, because the government has promised to crackdown on these protests. for a moment, it's the police

outnumbered and mobbed. they're not used to protests this size. they're loyal to the 30 year rule of president hosni mubarak. his government's reputation of corruption has bred a generation of opponents. in the gloomy tenements, we meet the family of ala mahmoud abraham. among the ranks of unemployed and despairing. he's a graduate he tells me, with no hope of finding work. people should have the right to express themselves, he says. as long as it's not violent. but as darkness fell, the protesting gathered force. one policeman is confirmed dead, reports too of civilian casualties. this is an unprecedented challenge for the authority of egypt's unyielding rulers. a challenge they will find impossible to ignore. john ray, itn, cairo. >> one story we'll be watching

closely. and now, here's another. in russia today, officials at the highest levels are promising retribution and doing damage control after yesterday's deadly suicide bombing at moscow's busiest airport. our own stephanie gosk is in moscow for us tonight. stephanie, good evening. >> reporter: good eveing, brian. russian president dmitri medvedev has postponed his trip, and has instead decided to stay here to convince russians that the government is capable of protecting them. a day after the attack flowers replaced bodies and blood on the floor of moscow's airport. investigators try to piece together exactly what happened. so far no one has claimed responsibility. but what they do know, says president medvedev, is that the

security system failed. >> people working for the airport, as well as the airport's top management should be held to account. >> reporter: on his orders, security has been increased at airports around the country. striking a balance between what is necessary and what is practical is difficult. especially in public spaces. >> it's really important to find bombers and not bombs. and we have to really focus on getting people before they get to the airport or the train station or any other target. >> reporter: this stop in moscow was attacked last year, dozens were killed. at rush hour today police stood watch but stopped no one. i'm used to the risk, this teenager says. i've ridden the metro my whole life. others wanted to see action. >> more -- >> reporter: it is possible to protect people, he says, if our leaders apply themselves seriously. president medvedev and prime minister vladimir putin have vowed to go after those responsible.

what they also need to do, say many russians, is stop them next time. the government has declared tomorrow an official day of mourning here in moscow. they've asked tv and radio stations, not to broadcast entertainment. and flags will be flying at half staff, to honor those killed on monday. brian? >> stephanie gosk on this bitterly cold night in moscow after the bombing there. stephanie, thanks. when we continue in a moment, a world leader caught in a sex scandal calls into a live television show to berate the on-air host. later, the oscar nominations are out. the favorites, the surprises.

in italy tonight, prime minister silvio berlusconi, who has been separated from his wife now for almost two years, is facing allegations that are growing more sordid and more serious by the day. wrongdoing involving young women, and now possible criminal activity involving an underaged girl. and as our own michelle kosinski

reports from milan, the prime minister last night lost his cool. >> reporter: silvio berlusconi been called the teflon prime minister. a 74-year-old man with a notorious weakness for beautiful, young women. the billionaire media mogul is suspected of paying a 17-year-old belly dancer for sex. her stage name is ruby the heart stealer. abusing his power, allegedly cavorting with showgirls and prostitutes during wild parties at his villa, described by police as orgies. this showgirl turned dental hygienist turned politician is suspected of recruiting women for him. for weeks, sordid details have leaked from the investigation, filled with wiretap transcripts. one woman describes berlusconi's parties, "it's like a brothel in there, worse than the papers say, all of which he has cooley denied. then last night -- he phoned in to a tv talk show to berate the host. calling his coverage repugnant,

despicable. the host called the prime minister an ignorant lout. could this be a sign berlusconi's feeling the heat coming from his own party? even the vatican? many italians seem amused at worst. >> translator: it's his private life. if he gave me 10,000 euros, i'd do it too. >> reporter: some of his biggest defenders are the showgirls from the tv station. he's like a second father. generous, with a big heart. barbara and ari says he gives them gifts and money, but as a friend. that his parties are just dinners where girls dance and he sings. berlusconi could face criminal charges, even a trial within months, but so far, says he has done nothing wrong and refuses to back down. michelle kosinski, nbc news, milan. now to domestic politics in chicago tonight, a reprieve for mayoral candidate, former white

house chief of staff, rahm emmanuel. the state supreme court said his name will remain on the ballot while it considers his residency case. he was kicked off by an appeals court just yesterday, which ruled he wasn't legible to run because he lived in washington last year, while working at the white house. ballots are being printed with his name on them. the election now less than a month away. when we come back here tonight, a fast food customer is raising a question from the '80s, where's the beef?

the big, bad winter weather just keeps coming. and a new major storm warning is already in effect tonight for southern new england and the boston area. 6 to 10 inches of snow expected in boston. this beginning tomorrow afternoon, 4 to 8 in new york.

and snow here in the area of the nation's capital, where they don't always deal with it well. if you live in the following places or have ever driven through them, this might surprise you. but there are new stats out tonight from the feds saying the safest roads to drive on are in urban areas including here in washington and in massachusetts and new york. at the other end of the scale, wyoming, mississippi and montana are listed as the least safe, because of higher speed limits, fewer safety features on the roads like dividers, and less access to emergency care in case of an accident. taco bell is under fire tonight from a class action lawsuit by a customer who says the company engages in false advertising by calling the main ingredient in its tacos and burritos seasoned beef. the suit claims the filling is less than 40% actual beef, with the rest of the ingredients being oats, yeast extract and

modified corn starch. the company says there's no meat to the lawsuit, and the ingredients are listed on their website. you have deficit hawks, hawks on defense. tonight we've been joined by an actual hawk. a coopers hawk has made its way into the main reading room of the library of congress. it's been flapping around up there despite efforts to trap it and get it out of there. library staff have called in the experts from the u.s. fish and wildlife service for help. in washington speak, that makes them actual hawk hawks. up next an exciting morning on the other side of our nation today. it's been called hollywood's version of the state of the union.

finally tonight, you see by the dome it may be state of the union night here in washington but it was academy award nominations day in hollywood. and with so much attention already given to this year's slate of very different films, we figured who doesn't like a good hollywood escape from time to time?

a look at the academy's choices tonight from nbc's lee cowan in los angeles. ♪ >> reporter: those on oscar's list are a melting pot of different pedigrees. there's a quirky therapist who saves a british king's speech. >> are you the king? >> reporter: there's a geek turned gazillionaire with his social network start-up. >> taking the entire social experience of college and putting it online. >> reporter: and a hard-drinking, irreverent gun slinger, known only by his true grit. in oscar terms -- >> we now finally have a real race, which is actually exciting, because there's nothing worse than a predictable night at the oscars. >> reporter: "the king's speech" is traditional oscar bait, and was royally rewarded with a dozen nominations. "the social network" is a more hip, up-to-the-minute drama and earned eight. in this hollywood shootout,

don't forget "true grit." it got ten nominations. a surprise. besides it's rife with nostalgia. >> you're not going. >> reporter: the last person to play the one-eyed marshall was john wayne in 1969. just like jeff bridges he was nominated for best actor and won. but best picture is different. >> it's really hard to win best picture without an editing nomination. >> reporter: which "true grit" didn't earn. while both "the social network" and "the king's speech" did. if it does come down to just two, the academy's generational divide may show a little bit, a film like "the social network" ç may be a lot more appealing to those not on social security. it's been a year with talent. a nerd, a marshall and a king have captivated us all. lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. and that is our broadcast for this tuesday night. thank you for being here with us.

i'm brian williams. stay with us. we're coming right back on the air from our washington bureau with live coverage of the president's state of the union address next here on nbc. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com