on the broadcast tonight, at odds. a very awkward meeting in the oval office. the israeli prime minister visits but publicly opposes president obama's vision for middle east peace. defiance. syria ignores pleas for democracy and again, protesters killed in the streets. underwater. tonight, news the mississippi flooding could last a long time. the end of the world? many believe this weekend is it. also, a chance encounter "making a difference" for young girls. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening. i'm david gregory in washington, in tonight for brian williams. the buildup to today's oval office meeting between the president and israel's prime minister, benjamin netanyahu had all the trappings of a showdown rather than the meeting between stalwart allies. and one day after obama urged palestinians and israelis to agree to a palestinian state with the pre-1967 borders as a starting point, the israeli leader made it clear he was not on board. this was more than an awkward day of diplomacy as ramifications for the unstable middle east and political implications for the 2012 campaign here at home. we begin our coverage with chuck todd. >> reporter: good evening, david. the president did a diplomatic dance today. he was trying to bridge the rhetorical divide with the israeli prime minister. it was no easy task. 24 hours after igniting a

mini firestorm with the leader of israel, the president tried to cool tensions. >> obviously, there are some differences between us, and the precise formulations and language. and that's going to happen between friends. >> reporter: the language disagreement, the president's declaration yesterday that any peace negotiations with the palestinians begin with the assumption that israel goes back to the borders it had before the 1967 arab/israeli war. that sparked pro-israeli protests in new york today. today, the president never uttered the phrase 1967 border. but netanyahu did. >> this is why israel is prepared to make generous compromises for peace. it can't go back to the 1967 lines because these lines are indefensible. >> reporter: netanyahu argued the demographics make it impossible to go back. 130 settlements with more than 300,000 israelis reside outside those lines.

the tension in the office was clear as the prime minister offered an almost point-by-point rebuttle to mr. obama's thursday speech. >> as i told you in the conversation, we don't have a lot of margin for error. and because, mr. president, history will not give the jewish people another chance. >> reporter: it seemed a little bit like a hectoring college lectur lecturer, and the president looked a bit like the student in the lecture who didn't want to be there. >> reporter: there was strong agreement from the two on hamas, a group the united states has declared a terrorist organization who is now aligned with the palestinian government. >> hamas has been and is an organization that has resorted to terror. it is not a partner for a significant realistic peace process. >> reporter: the president could get another cool reception on sunday morning when he addresses the largest pro-israel american lobby, apac.

there, israelis are hoping the president is going to announce he'll visit israel next month. white house sources say that's highly unlikely. >> we'll be watching. >> chuck todd at the white house to get us started. thanks very much. i'm joined here by andrea mitchell. what a weekend. it begins with the president saying now more than ever, there's got to be a peace deal. it ends by all sides being pretty far apart. >> reporter: very far apart. it was really tough. i was told even some israeli officials were uncomfortable with what they acknowledged was a lecturing tone by the prime minister, but he felt he had to say this to the world, to president obama pfsz face, and on top of that, they had had a call. he called hillary clinton yesterday before the speech, hours before the speech when they heard the president was going to use this language, and i was told, he didn't shout at her, he didn't scold her, but it was really tough. they did meet for two hours one-on-one, so they got to the

bottom of their disagreements, but it's tough going on from there. >> not a peace agreement that's about to start. >> no, not until as fact, as chuck pointed out, the palestinians deal with hamas. the next stage will be the president's speech to the israeli lobby on monday. and the 2012 politics here are profound. republicans are coming after the president. >> they really are, and they see a chance to redefine barack obama, as they did somewhat successfully in 2008, as an opponent ofidserally. he's going to have to deal with that politically because they think they can hit him where it hurts, with jewish american support and fund-raising. in that same speech yesterday, president obama had tough words as well for syria where there's been a bloody crackdown on protesters. he said president assad should move toward democracy or get out of the way, but as was made clear by the invents in syria today, the message was ignored. richard engle is in cairo tonight with more on a violent friday.

>> reporter: good evening, david. it was a lot more than ignored. human rights groups say today was one of the bloodiest days so far with at least 30 people killed. and that unlike previous crackdowns which tended to focus on a single city in syria, today it was nationwide targeting anyone who tried to go out and demonstrate. amateur video shows demonstrators on a main street. security forces open fire. the demonstrators scramble and take shelter on a side street. the gunfire continues. a police car is on fire. then protesters can be seen carrying a man. he appears unconscious, shot in the side. keep his head up, they yell. the demonstrators don't give up. they regroup and shout, the people want to topple the regime.

president obama yesterday said syrian president bashar al assad must allow dissent or step aside. >> he can lead that transition or get out of the way. >> reporter: syria isn't listening. president assad is fighting for his own survival. he has decided to crush the opposition, to silence the protesters. what you have seen today is basically a clear example of the strategy of the syrian government. >> reporter: hundreds of refugees have escaped syria, many entering lebanon. we have been imprisoned, banned from using our voices, our minds, our intellects. we have to have a little freedom, said a refugee. in homa today, security forces used tear gas to break up a protest. an activist tries to film him. when he's spotted, a soldier takes aim and fires, but misses. the united states has imposed

sanctions, it has made strong statements, but it does not appear to be making much difference. david. richard engle live for us in cairo. thanks very much. dominique strauss-kahn has left his jail cell on bail, but he had to find another place to stay because the fancy manhattan apartment building where his wife had rented an apartment would not take him. instead, strauss-kahn, who quit this week as head of the international monetary fund, will be under 24-hour home confinement in a building used by the private security company hired to guard him at all time. it was nearly a week ago now that he was arrested orn charges that he sexually assaulted a hotel housekeeper. he said he's not guilty. the unsettled republican field is starting to take shape. former minnesota governor tim pawlenty is to announce he's making a run for the white house in an event monday in iowa. he will then head to early primary state new hampshire. he's seen as a low-key establishment republican who could run as an alternative to

former massachusetts governor mitt romney. another gop candidate, newt gingrich has had a rough week on the campaign trail, after criticizing the house budget chairman on "meet the press" last sunday. paul ryan will respond when i sit down with him on the program this sunday. now to the mississippi river flood. the slow-moving disaster is set to hit areas in the path of the spillway that was opened last week, but there is some good news. the national weather service today lowered its flood crest forecast for butte la rose, louisiana, by 2 1/2 feet. here's nbc's anne thompson. >> reporter: the flood water from the mississippi is a silent, menacing stalker in louisiana, today, blocking this road to the wildlife management area in the morganza spillway. >> they have been drowning. >> reporter: the water is claiming deer and creating new places for alligators to swim. on the other side of the atchafalaya, some homes closest

to the river are in it, while those on the other side of the levee are dry. with almost everyone evacuated, the louisiana national guard is ready for what comes next. >> our hope is that this is an exercise in preparedness and an exercise in coming to the aid of a community that frankly our hope is we never have to execute. >> reporter: vicksburg, mississippi, still needs help. this week, they set a new record, reaching 57.1 feet. some 14 feet above flood stage. here martha haggard can barely see the home she bought in 2004, now submerged in feted water. >> i don't think i'm going to go back, to tell you the truth, i don't think i'm going back. >> reporter: the flood has been a boon to ronny tyler's t-shirt business. >> this is where my daughter sleeps. >> reporter: but he can't get to his home. >> excuse the mess. it gets hectic. a mandatory evacuation. it's hard to do it, i'm sorry. >> reporter: the flooded mississippi rolls south at 13 miles per hour, more than double its normal speed.

with historic amounts of freshwater, it's beginning to impact some of louisiana's delicate oyster beds, trying to recover from four hurricanes in five years and last year's bp oil spill. >> if the oysters die, we lose that for the market this year. however, that's material for new oysters to grow on next year. >> reporter: and there's more trouble on the mississippi tonight. a segment of the river is closed near baton rouge after some barges broke loose and three sank. the coast guard is investigating. david? >> anne thompson, thanks very much. the professional wrestler known as macho man randy savage died today in a car crash in florida near tampa. he was an absolute legend in the showbiz wrestling world known for his sunglasses and bandanna, his gravelly voice, and the young woman named miss elizabeth who was so often by his side. police say he lost control of

his jeep wrangler about 9:30 this morning. his wife suffered minor injuries. randy "macho man" savage was 58. when we come back on this friday evening, meet the man who has been tasked with turning around one of the country's biggest public school systems. and later, unlikely friends giving girls with very little hope a chance at a better life and "making a difference."

in los angeles last night, brian williams moderated a panel discussion on american competitiveness with corporate and education leaders in a time where public education is under tremendous pressure. among the attendees, los angeles superintendent john dacey. miguel almaguer spent some time with him as part of our "education nation." >> chris, nice to meet you. nice to meet you.

>> reporter: superintendent john dacey knows his schools are failing. they're among the most crowded in the nation with low test scores and a high drop-out rate, 30%. this is the budget that shrunk nearly $1.5 billion in two years. >> we're catastrophically underfunding public education. we have turned our back on funding public schools. >> reporter: just one month into his new job, he's tackling tough issues. dropping by classrooms to see first hand the struggles students face every day. are you a senior? how is it going? >> reporter: students outnumber counselors 900-1. and 87 librarians could lose their jobs this year. last week, protests erupted in city streets. 7,000 employees could lose their jobs this year. lausd may be unique in its size, but the superintendent said the district and their problems are representative of what is happening across the country.

but dacey's bringing fresh ideas to the table. he wants new standards for evaluating teachers and is promoting a way to use private money to supplement public funds. >> school superintendents can't look to the state and say we need additional revenue. the state is facing its own enormous budget deficits. >> reporter: dacey hopes to make every student college eligible. a monumental task for students who struggle with basic reading and writing. 73% of the students at lausd are latino. >> it's a social justice and civil rights issue. >> reporter: lofty goals during challenging times for a man committed to solving problems in -- >> 2 plus 6 equals 8 -- >> reporter: and out of the classroom. miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. on wall street, stocks fell. in the final minutes of trading, the dow finished down just over 93 points. coming up next, is the world as we know it about to come to

an end? the guy who says that it is, and what he wants the rest of us to know.

big plans this weekend? if so, you may never get to them if you believe a christian broadcaster and all the people around the world who seem to buy his predictions that we're just hours away from the end of the world. nbc's kerry sanders has more on what the believers say is the beginning of the end. >> reporter: from northern california -- >> day 21 will be the day of judgment. >> reporter: to central florida -- >> you will see the glory of god. >> reporter: and everywhere in between. >> there's going to be an end to the world. >> reporter: the word is

tomorrow our world ends at suppertime. that calculation from this 89-year-old, harold camping. >> it will begin with a huge earthquake. >> reporter: who, since his predictions, has gone underground. >> harry, could you interview mr. camping next week? absolutely not. it will not happen because he won't be here after tomorrow. >> reporter: camping claims tomorrow is the rapture, when true believers are taken to heaven. why tomorrow? it's all in the math. >> if you go from 4990 b.c. and add 2011 minus 1 -- >> reporter: camping says it's clear the biblical story of noah's ark when the earth flooded, exactly 7,000 years ago, set the table for another apocalypse tomorrow, some are taking the news rather well. >> cooking for my husband or cleaning up the house, done. >> reporter: but others spent

the day warning that those who do not accept jesus now will be left behind. >> there is no one who believes this message along with me. absolutely. >> your brothers and sisters, your son? >> no one, they think i'm crazy. >> nobody ever says, you know what, we were wrong. this was a completely bad idea. >> let's say tomorrow is the end. what would you do? me, i think i'll relax and listen to some r.e.m. ♪ it's the end of the world as we know it ♪ >> kerry sanders, nbc news, clearwater, florida. >> thanks for that, kerry. if contemplating the end of the world is getting you down, this might help. the ferron family, new owners of a house in utah, got a surprise when they started poking around in an attic space. $45,000 in cash hiding in a metal box. though the family could have really used the money to fix up the house, they decided to give it back. it had been hidden there by the previous owner who had recently died. he grew up in the depression and

stashed the cash without his children even knowing about it. they were floored by the honesty. the ferrons called it a simple lesson for their own kids. and by the way, the name of the town where it all happened, bountiful. when we come back, next, dozens of girls getting an opportunity that's making a difference because of the two people who brought their vision to life.

finally from us tonight, our "making a difference" report. again tonight, it's about the lives of girls growing up in one of the poorest places on earth, in kenya. last night, maria menounos reported on one program making their lives better. tonight, she introduces us to a couple of extraordinary people. one a young american woman who had the vision and persistence to create a remarkable refuge for a group of little girls. >> reporter: american college student jessica posner wanted to live where she volunteered, in kenya's largest slum, kibera. >> i felt like i had so much to learn. >> reporter: there, she met kennedy, a home-grown activist born and raised in kibera, a place with little sanitation and extreme dangers, especially for girls.

>> it's difficult for an american girl to come and live. >> kennedy was a street boy, struggling, fighting, making his own way. earning a dollar, two dollars a day. he would give it all away. instead of asking them to pay back the loans, he would ask them to pass it forward. >> reporter: the two work together, encouraging each other's goals. jessica won the trust of the neighborhood, and kennedy eventually won a full scholarship to wesleyan university in connecticut. for both, it opened a world they never imagined possible. >> kennedy always talked about wanting to build a school for girls and the other services the community really needed. >> reporter: jessica also coaxed kennedy into applying for a $10,000 grant. suddenly, they could see a dream realized. >> it was a frenzy. the whole school, i think we built it in four weeks. >> reporter: since 2009, 64 little girls now have free access to health care, food, and a good education.

at ages 5 and 6, many are victims of what is common here, sexual abuse, hiv, and hunger. >> i love you. >> reporter: i saw video of you, kennedy, taking each girl by the hand, shaking their hand, and saying i love you. >> i welcome them back to the world they never lived in, to the world where they're important. >> reporter: now as kennedy finishes his degree, jessica runs the school in kibera full time, along with a loyal community that helps her also manage a health clinic and a community center. an unlikely friendship that has changed not only their lives but so many more. maria menounos, nbc news, kenya. that's our broadcast for this friday night. thank you for being with us. i'm david gregory. brian williams will be back on monday. i'll see you sunday on "meet the press." in the meantime, have a good weekend. good night.

with begin with breaking news i'm. i'm garvin thomas. >> and i'm jessica aguirre. we want to sew you the breaking news out of lake tahoe tonight. search crews say they have found belongs to a california winery owner. you're looking right now at a map of that area and what was the route of 78-year-old robert brown. he left the o