there that the officers were taking on and so they tied the horse up to a post. hawk pulled the post out of the ground to get back to his barn. dragging the post behind him. >> i bet you hawk is the one that i rode a few years agos whn i was scared to death. he was huge. and tonight, news on the fate of one young man who had just left his high school graduation. day in court. high emotion as casey anthony's own mother testifies for the prosecution in the murder of her 2-year-old granddaughter. in the running. the republican field takes shape tonight in the unofficial start of the race for president. and the blockbuster. why this could be the biggest summer ever at the movies. >> staring contest. summer ever at the movies. >> staring contest. go! captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening. in joplin, missouri, where they are still trying to reconcile who lived and who died from last weekend's powerful tornado, the death toll grew again today to at least 142, with a significant number of people still unaccounted for. with ten more victims found, including a teenager swept away just hours after his high school graduation, this is now the deadliest tornado season in the u.s. since 1947. at least 522 tornado deaths this year, from the upper midwest to the deep south. nbc's ron allen remains in joplin tonight for us and joins us now with the latest. ron? >> reporter: good evening to you, lester. today town officials here said that the water is now safe to drink. and power has been restored to most parts of the city that are still standing, but they are still counting their losses. about 100 people are still considered missing. some families still don't have a

good idea of exactly what happened to their loved ones. somewhere in this rubble is the house where malisa crosley lived. her sister lindsay molina has been everywhere with this cell phone picture, telling how neighbors found crosley laying on her 9-year-old son, who survived with severe injuries. molina thinks her sister's body was taken to the morgue, but she doesn't know for sure. >> she's passed. we have comfort in the fact we know her last task on earth was to be a mother and protect her son. >> reporter: notifying families has become such a sensitive issue missouri's governor has asked forensic teams to work around the clock. but about 90 sets of remains have not been identified. >> it is our hope that with this accurate, respectful information that healing and mourning can begin. >> it is past, but i personally understand there's a lot of victims here. >> reporter: will norton's

family just got the news they did not want to hear. >> i thank all of you for supporting us and remember there are so many more people out there and people that need your help. >> reporter: they'd searched day and night since the tornado snatched the 18-year-old from his car on the drive home from his high school graduation. his body was found late friday in a pond. ♪ it is an emotional holiday weekend of tributes to loved ones lost in the storm. m. dean wells, 59, remembered for helping others survive the rubble of the home depot store, where he worked and perished. >> your teams are ready to go. >> reporter: through it all, help keeps coming. armies of volunteers from across the country. >> i feel so much sympathy for these families. i can't imagine. you know, i complain about gas prices. and here they are, you know, they have nothing. >> reporter: the main mission for this group, 2,000 strong? work through mountains of debris, helping joplin's

survivors salvage as much as they can of their lives. >> i've never seen anything like this my entire life, and i know i probably never will. it's just terribly shocking. >> reporter: tomorrow there will be a moment of silence here at 5:41 p.m., the exact moment one week later after the tornado struck. that follows a memorial service. president obama will be here as well to see this destruction, to meet with families and first responders, and to offer the thoughts and prayers of the entire nation. lester? >> ron allen in joplin for us tonight. ron, thanks. and we are keeping a close eye tonight on more severe weather. let's get the latest now from the weather channel's kelly cass. kelly, good evening. what are we looking at? >> good evening, lester. unfortunately, we're still looking at severe weather tonight. but not a tornado threat really so much across the upper midwest. severe thunderstorm watch goes until 10:00 central as well as here in portions of indiana and illinois. we had a bit of a scare on the south side of minneapolis. a tornado warning earlier. but no confirmed tornado report on that. but take these warnings

seriously. we've got one right along i-35 between minneapolis and duluth. sl and we all know that strong winds can also do a lot of damage and topple trees. the atlantatlies area due to that very thing. as you can see across indiana, illinois we've got some ry heavy thunderstorms on the south side of chicago, and then as we get into monday we are looking at the threat for another tornado outbreak. first of all, a flood threat across upstate new york as well as northern vermont. but again, you can see the red shaded area. this is what we're looking at for large hail, damaging winds, and yes, even tornadoes between fargo, minneapolis, all the way down into kansas. lester, back to you. >> kelly cass of the weather channel. thank you, kelly. everyone's safe after the brakes on a delta airlines flight overheated this afternoon on landing in atlanta. fire crews used foam to put out flames near the rear of the md-88. it was on a flight from pittsburgh. 43 passengers and a crew of five were on board and had to evacuate out the back. while most americans are taking a break on this holiday weekend, this is no time to relax for republicans thinking

of challenging president obama. nbc's norah o'donnell has that story. >> and the -- [ siren ]. uh-oh. >> reporter: for mitt romney an awkward return to iowa. a fire alarm interrupting the former massachusetts governor's first campaign stop in the hawkeye state this year. >> i wasn't trying to get out of tough questions, i promise. >> reporter: but for romney some tough questions remain, about whether he can compete in a state caucus dominated by conservatives. >> do i think i can win iowa? can i win iowa? [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: in a new poll romney, who officially launches his campaign next week, is trailing former new york mayor rudy giuliani, who hasn't even said he's going to run and many believe has no appetite for a campaign. >> republican voters are as of now dissatisfied with the field of candidates they're being offered. romney, pawlenty, and the rest. >> reporter: which is why so many took notice when texas governor rick perry gave this answer when asked if he was

considering a run. >> i'm going to think about it. but i think about a lot of things. >> reporter: perry is seen by many conservatives as a possible alternative to tea party favorite michelle bachmann as well as former minnesota governor tim pawlenty and former utah governor and obama administration ambassador to china jon huntsman. >> if rick perry decides to get in this, it's a brand new day and it starts all over again. >> reporter: but the wild card may very well be the former governor of alaska. >> nobody knows what she's going to do. the only person who really knows is sarah palin. >> reporter: tomorrow all eyes will be on palin as she begins a national bus tour that will take her to new hampshire, fueling speculation that the former vice presidential candidate is testing the water for a race of her own. norah o'donnell, nbc news, washington. in europe today president obama paid tribute to poland, citing its democratic transformation as a model for

the world, including the changes sweeping through the arab world. more tonight from nbc's chief white house correspondent, chuck todd. >> reporter: on the last day of his european tour president obama honored the elders of poland's solidarity movement and again hit on the issue near the top of his agenda all week, the arab spring. >> your actions charted a course for freedom that inspired many on this continent and beyond. so we want to encourage all states undergoing similar experiences to learn from poland. >> reporter: and at a press conference in warsaw the president made the case to americans why even in these tough economic times the u.s. has to play a leading role. >> we've got to leave room for us to continue our tradition of providing leadership when it comes to freedom, democracy, human rights.

♪ >> reporter: earler in the week, during his speech to the british parliament, the president addressed the growing concern in some corners about the slow progress in libya. >> we will not relent until the people of libya are protected and the shadow of tyranny is lifted. >> reporter: substantively as aides describe it this trip was about the basic european diplomacy american presidents have to do every year, from reaffirming the close ties with britain and other western allies to reassuring new ones in the east like here in poland. the trip had its lighter moments and some hiccups. from little things like a non-working pen in poland to the president signing a book in england as if he were stuck in a campaign time machine. then again, that adulation the president experienced in ireland may have made him feel like it was 2008 again. he got a campaign-style welcome in his ancestral irish hometown of moneygall. perhaps the biggest faux pas came at a state dinner in his honor, when during his toast to the queen he talked over "god save the queen." >> this realm.

this england. >> reporter: as the president heads home, his focus shifts back to domestic concerns, to get a firsthand look at the tornado devastation. chuck todd, nbc news, warsaw. in the middle east today egypt lifted a four-year blockade on a key border crossing at the gaza strip. hundreds of palestinians traveled immediately into egypt. the restriction was imposed after the militant palestinian group hamas took control of gaza. in libya nato warplanes struck a command and control center at moammar gadhafi's compound in tripoli. a nato spokesman said gadhafi himself was not the target and it wasn't known if he was at the compound. as this country prepares to honor its veterans on memorial day, a federal appeals court has come down hard on the department of veteran affairs, accusing it of unchecked incompetence in providing mental health care for vets returning from iraq and afghanistan. the judges found that 18 veterans a day are committing suicide and that delays in treatment and disability

benefits are so bad vets are being deprived of their constitutional rights. nbc's senior investigative correspondent lisa myers has more for us tonight. >> reporter: 28-year-old clay hunt was a marine sniper, a veteran of iraq and afghanistan. he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. >> his ptsd was diagnosed after -- after being shot in iraq. >> reporter: his mother, susan selke, says her son had to fight the va, sometimes waiting weeks to see a psychiatrist or get medication, and struggling for a year and a half to get more disability benefits. two months ago he took his own life. >> if he had had better care, he maybe would not be dead today. >> reporter: the blistering appeals court ruling found that many vets who survived roadside bombs and lost limbs are now losing their battle to get care they were promised. the court accused the va of

unchecked incompetence and ordered reforms, noting that 85,000 vets languish on waiting lists for mental health care. the seriously depressed sometimes wait more than eight weeks to see a mental health professional. the court said getting disability benefits to live on now can take an average of more than four years. almost 1,500 vets have died while awaiting their appeals. >> the court has told va to stop the delays and stop the denials. too many veterans are dying waiting for va to give care. >> reporter: the va would not comment on the ruling or on whether it will appeal. but officials say they have placed high priority on reducing backlog and improving mental health care. the other day clay hunt finally got paperwork approving an increase in his disability benefits. five weeks after his death. >> they go and give their all for their country, and then they have to come back and fight for

their benefits. it's ridiculous. it's just ridiculous. we're a better people than that. >> reporter: hunt's mother says she hopes this court ruling provides other desperate vets with hope. lisa myers, nbc news, washington. when "nightly news" continues this saturday, an emotional day in court at the casey anthony trial. her own mother testifies for the prosecution. and later, finding the real meaning of memorial day at the beach this weekend. we'll tell you about one man's remarkable tribute.

in a courtroom in orlando, florida, today weekend testimony in a riveting murder trial. casey anthony, accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter. nbc's kerry sanders has the latest. >> reporter: 25-year-old accused murderer casey anthony in court today. >> what do you recognize it to be? >> caylee's bed. >> reporter: tearful as her mother testifies for the prosecution. prosecutors allege casey placed duct tape around her daughter caylee's nose and mouth and dumped the body in the woods near the family home, killing her to escape the responsibilities of motherhood. and instead enjoy the carefree life of a party girl. but casey's defense lawyer says the little girl's death was nothing more than a horrible accident. >> caylee anthony died on june 16th, 2008, when she drowned in her family's swimming pool. >> reporter: but nobody called police for 31 days.

>> look what you've done! >> reporter: and in a bombshell the defense attorney told the jury casey's father found the body in the pool and was complicit in the cover-up. casey's lawyers claim she was afraid to tell authorities because she was allegedly sexually abused by her father since she was 8 years old. her father, george, a former police officer, denies those allegations. in fact, prosecutors claim not only did casey kill her daughter but that she stowed her daughter's body in her car. >> the instant flash in my mind was whoo, you know, i know what that smells like. >> reporter: george anthony described that smell of death as he approached casey's abandoned car. >> that particular smell, whenever you smell it, it's something you never forget. >> reporter: there was no body, and he never dialed 911. facing an eight-week-long trial, the judge considered momentarily even having testimony on monday, memorial day. but the costs of opening the court, bringing in bailiffs and deputies, ran into some real-world problems.

government budgets are tight. and the costs associated with this case have already exceeded $1 million. kerry sanders, nbc news, orlando. now to the war next door and what happened in monterrey, a city of 4 million in northeastern mexico, that made us recall the days of air raid drills in american classrooms. a teacher orders everyone in her kindergarten class on the floor. nothing will happen to them, she says, if they keep their heads down. what she doesn't say is that outside a gun battle is raging. >> [ speaking spanish ]. >> in a calm and orderly manner she suggests that everyone sing a song. and they do. ♪ mexican television reported that five people died in that gun battle. just another day in the life of a country at war over drugs. a country where not even the children are safe from the violence.

when we come back here tonight, hollywood banking on what could be the biggest summer at the movies ever.

beach, barbecue, and box office. memorial day weekend means the start of the summer movie season. and hollywood is hoping for the biggest summer ever. nbc's miguel almaguer has our preview. >> reporter: hollywood hopes to start summer off with a bang. >> you're in my world now. >> reporter: this weekend kicks the blockbuster movie season into high gear. action-packed big-budget new releases hit the silver screen just in time for the holiday. the stage set for hollywood to make -- >> the ship is ours!

>> reporter: -- a boatload of money. >> the summer of 2011 is shaping up to be the biggest box office summer of all time. if it breaks $5 billion, it will break last year's record. and i think it has a really good chance of doing that. >> reporter: the studios are banking on the summer of sequels. >> i think it's happened again. >> reporter: there's "the hangover 2," "transformers 3," "pirates 4," and "fast 5." >> by and large, sequels are more expensive to make for the hollywood studios, but they're also the safer bet. >> reporter: those sequels come just at a time when hollywood could use a bit of a bounce. box office receipts were down 20% at the start of this year. but that's likely to change this summer. the studios have released something for him -- >> oh, holy -- >> where are we? >> reporter: something for her. >> i'm engaged. >> oh, my god! >> reporter: and plenty for the kids. >> my fist hungers for justice.

>> reporter: but one movie's expected to cast the biggest spell at the box office. >> let's finish this the way we started it. >> reporter: the eighth installment of "harry potter," the most successful franchise of all time, hits theaters this summer. alone, it could gross $400 million. now, that's box office magic. miguel almaguer, nbc news, hollywood. the musician gil scott-heron, who influenced generations of rappers with his fusion of percussion, politics, and the spoken word, died today here in new york. scott-heron was sometimes referred to as the godfather of rap music, a title he was uncomfortable with. he gained fame in the 1970s with the song "the revolution will not be televised." ♪ nbc will not be able to predict ♪ ♪ the revolution will not be televised ♪ he followed that with more than a dozen albums. gil scott-heron was 62. we're back with a special tribute this memorial day

weekend after this.

flags are in abundance on this memorial day weekend as the country pays tribute to those who served and died defending it. but for one man in cape may, new jersey, every day is about veterans and the flag. the story tonight from nbc's mike taibbi. >> reporter: on summer mornings on the southern tip of new jersey they raise a special flag each day.

it's the coffin flag of a fallen u.s. veteran, brought by family members to sunset beach. on this day it's the flag that once draped the coffin of felice uzalino, dora to her friends, who served in the army during world war ii. >> my mother would be honored and very proud of this day. she's like up there. she's just flowing with the wind. you know. standing tall like my mom would. >> reporter: the flags were the idea of sunset beach owner marvin hume, himself a world war ii veteran, who lost a childhood friend when the japanese attacked pearl harbor. his friend's body was never recovered, but hume wanted to find a way to salute his sacrifice. >> i thought, here's the last flag in the southern part of our state. what a place to honor my friend. >> reporter: and then in 1973, to honor others who'd perished in service to their country, he ran a single newspaper ad asking for veterans' coffin flags to fly.

>> all filled up. >> yeah. every other page we're all filled for the season. >> we are now booking for 2012. and i have just gone through the 2012 calendar and i'm absolutely amazed. >> reporter: the families of some 6,000 veterans have seen their heroes honored on this beach in this way. the sunlight framing an expression of thanks and admiration for all the men and women of america's armed forces. ♪ hume's habit at day's end has always been to make his way to the base of the flagpole to join the family of the veteran whose flag has been raised high. >> being a veteran myself and my wife being a veteran, we thought it was important to be here. >> reporter: a last salute to the colors. and with the help of her grandsons, dora uzalino's flag is lowered. >> these are men and women that have served this country. and that means a lot to me.

>> reporter: a simple ceremony that for 38 years has made memorial day on the jersey shore even more memorable. >> thank you. >> reporter: mike taibbi, nbc news, new york. and that's nbc "nightly news" for this saturday. you can find tonight's stories and much more on our new free app for the ipad. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today," then right back here tomorrow evening. "today," then right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com good evening. i'm diane dwyer. take a look at that rainbow outside right now. it is rainy, windy and gray out there with little