on the broadcast tonight, the great divide. on the trail today, on stage last night, fighting words from the front-runners, jeers from the audience, and questions about whether rick perry can close the deal. high anxiety. for millions of retired americans their lifelong savings at risk as this recession hits home. her mother's daughter. our exclusive interview wi kate edwards. tonight, the wedding her mother elizabeth helped plan and what she's doing in her memory while standing by her father john edwards. and the cliffhanger that closes the book on 42 years of romance, drama and scandal. closes the book on 42 years of romance, drama and scandal. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening. at some point the process will result in a republican nominee to challenge president barack obama. but from now until then, especially at this point in the process, it's all about those gop debates. the candidates running behind are all aiming at the front-runner. those toward the top are trying to stay there and along the way they are hoping for that memorable moment, the quote that lives on, the devastating quip that changes the direction of the race. also along the way, voters are watching and listening. their every word gets studied, torn apart, debated until at the end of the process there is one candidate standing. we watched it all again during last night's debate. the discussion spilled over again into today. it's where we begin tonight with nbc's chuck todd in washington. >> reporter: front-runner rick perry found himself on the defensive for his support of allowing children of

undocumented texas immigrants to get in-state college tuition. >> if you say that we should not educate children who have come into our state for no other reason than they have been brought there by no fault of their own, i don't think you have a heart. >> reporter: a defense that didn't sit well with opponents last night and also today at a conservative gathering in florida. >> i think if you are opposed to illegal immigration it doesn't mean you don't have a heart. it means that you have a heart and a brain. >> reporter: last night's debate gave opponents and fact checkers plenty of fodder. michele bachmann at first suggested the government shouldn't collect taxes. >> i think you earned every dollar. you should get to keep every dollar that you earn. that's your money. that's not the government's money. [ applause ] >> reporter: but then left herself an out. >> obviously we have to give money back to the government so we can run the government but we have to have a completely different mindset. >> reporter: mitt romney denied he supported education secretary arnie duncan's race to the top

program. >> i'm not sure exactly what he's saying. i don't support any particular program that he's describing. >> reporter: just the day before at a miami town hall, romney did praise the program. >> secretary duncan has done some good things. he's the current secretary of education. i hope that's not heresay, but he has a program called race to the top which encourages schools to have more choice, more testing of kids. >> reporter: the lingering moment of the night belonged to perry during his attempt to hit romney as a flip-flopper. >> i think americans just don't know sometimes which mitt romney they are dealing with. is it the mitt romney that was on the side of -- against the second amendment before he was for the second amendment? was it -- was -- he was before the social programs from the standpoint of he was for standing up for roe versus wade before he was against verse -- roe versus wade? >> reporter: these three september debates have also

exposed just how stark some of the cultural divides are between left and right. from the cheering of perry's death penalty record. >> have you -- [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: to the shouts from the audience about whether emergency rooms should treat the uninsured. >> are you saying that society should just let him die? >> no. >> yeah! [ cheers ] >> reporter: to last night's jeers of a question about gays in the military. >> do you intend to circumvent the progress that's been made for gay and lesbian soldiers in the military? [ booing ] >> reporter: some republicans are concerned the audience moments may send the wrong message to swing voters. >> when you are booing a united states marine or an officer, it really bothers a lot of people out there, particularly those voters who are right there in the middle. >> reporter: back to perry. today he tried to clean up the awkward debate moment he had with mitt romney saying, you know what, he's not going to be the best debater but that isn't what this election is about. brian, i can tell you this, a lot of republicans in the establishment still making phone

calls to new jersey governor chris christie to see if he's interested. he publically always says no, but he still picks up the phone and listens. >> way early in the process. chuck todd starting us off from our d.c. newsroom tonight. chuck, thanks. the issues voters say they care most about for good reason -- the economy and jobs. at the end of a gut-wrenching week in the financial markets there are all kinds of questions about where we are headed on that front. a whole lot of folks would love to know. stocks stabilized today. dow, nasdaq and s&p were all up, but the damage was done for the week. the dow was down 737 points. that wipes out 6.4% of the value. the worst week since the financial meltdown in 2008. weeks like this one leave investors, especially seniors living on fixed incomes, wondering what they are supposed to do next to stay afloat. our friend tyler mathison from cnbc is with us here in the studio. tyler, good evening. >> brian, thank you very much. saving and investing are challenges, even in the best of

times when the markets are calm. when they are as volatile as they have been lately, it can seem downright impossible, especially if you are a retiree trying to live off of what you have put away. >> we put everybody's birthdays and anniversaries. >> reporter: for joe and dolores boyer of winter haven, florida, it wasn't supposed to be this way. >> the money that i retired with, i thought i could live forever. >> reporter: once they were able to afford to travel. now they stick close to home. >> the money isn't coming in like it used to, but it is going out a lot faster. >> reporter: as for the savings, the returns are frustrating. >> i think it's about .7 of 1%. >> reporter: tens of millions of retired americans share their pain. many feel it doesn't pay to save. the dow jones industrial average now sits 16% below its high for the year. home prices down 32% since 2005. t-bills pay less than .1% and the staple for savers, the

five-year bank cd, 1.3% now compared with 4.2% in 2006. worse, inflation is running hotter than it has in years. up 3.8% over the past 12 months. denver financial planner carol craigie sees the toll it takes on clients every day. >> they are so tired of the up and down. it's almost like resigned. >> reporter: for craigie, the prescription is clear. >> stop focusing on what you can't control. you can't control the market. you can control your budget. you can control where the extra money goes. >> reporter: for their part joe and dolores are watching their pennies and keeping it in perspective. >> we go one day at a time. we're just enjoying life and each other. >> last piece of advice, brian. when that 401(k) statement comes at the end of the month, open it quickly, put it away. don't linger on it. >> what a lovely philosophy if

you can follow that advice. tyler, thank you. here in new york today, the big event at the u.n. palestinian president mahmoud abbas formally made the request the u.s. had tried all week to talk him out of. the request -- the filing for full palestinian statehood. he did it in a speech watched around the world including in the west bank by tens of thousands of palestinians. our coverage tonight begins at the u.n. with nbc's ron allen. [ applause ] >> reporter: president abbas called this day an appointment with history when his people asked the world to stand with them as they demand freedom. [ speaking in a foreign language ] >> translator: i cannot believe anyone with a shred of conscience can object to our application for full membership in the united nations and our admission as an independent state. [ applause ] >> reporter: ovations filled the chamber as the u.s. sat in silence having failed to convince palestinians they can only establish a state by negotiating with israel. abbas said more talks would be meaningless.

israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu responded. >> i cannot make peace without you. president abbas, i extend my hand, the hand of israel, in peace. >> reporter: he insisted israel made concessions only to be forced to defend itself from continuing attacks and he dismissed the proceeding saying the u.n. always casts israel as the villain. >> this is an unfortunate part of the u.n. institution. it's the theater of the absurd. >> reporter: the obama administration has vowed to veto the palestinian effort which could play out for weeks or even months. ron allen, nbc news, united nations. >> reporter: this is martin fletcher in the west bank where thousands of palestinians watched the united nations, applauding their president abbas. >> i hope that tomorrow and after tomorrow we will get our

own state. >> reporter: throwing shoes at israel's prime minister. it's a long way from talk to change. what palestinians call the moment of truth began badly. earlier, one palestinian was killed during a clash with jewish settlers and soldiers. and at a border crossing, palestinians attacked a symbol of israel's domination. 15 minutes from the heart of jerusalem. the violence is more of a symbol than a threat. so far it's just a few palestinians throwing rocks at israelis. more of a show than anything else. there is a warning. if there is no real change, pride could turn to frustration and much wider violence. [ speaking in a foreign language ] >> reporter: he says, stones are our way to tell them we must have our state. stones and fire. right now the wind is in favor of the palestinians blowing the smoke straight into the face of the israeli soldiers. palestinian police made no

effort to stop this. it sent a message that if there is no real movement toward a state, violence may fill the vacuum. martin fletcher, nbc news, the west bank. there is news tonight about this nation's schools and the no child left behind law that sparked controversy even before it went into effect today. president obama announced he will change some key parts of no child left behind. essentially gutting the george w. bush administration's signature education reform law. we get details tonight from nbc's kristen welker at the white house. >> reporter: today, president obama announced the largest change to public education in nearly a decade arguing our schools are failing our students. >> today as many as a quarter of our students aren't finishing high school. >> reporter: states can now opt out of no child left behind. president bush's signature domestic initiative which

requires students to meet targets in reading and math by 2014 or schools face stiff penalties including decreased federal funding. recent estimates show roughly 80% of schools were headed toward failure. >> teachers too often are being forced to teach to the test. >> reporter: here's how it works. states apply for a waiver from no child left behind by providing a written plan for improving the performance of students. if the waiver is granted, schools will no longer get failing grades for poor student test scores. >> but if for some reason states who we give a waiver to slide backwards or stop we'll move that waiver and we'll have a high bar. >> reporter: some republicans accuse the administration of abusing its power by sidestepping congress. >> don't be tempted to use this opportunity to become a national school board. >> reporter: does this give you too much power?

>> i'm giving away the power. that's what folks fundamentally don't understand. we are giving the power to states and districts. >> reporter: one top school official in maryland says no child left behind highlighted the fact that too many kids have been underserved for too long. but -- >> no child left behind has outlived its usefulness. we need to start looking at 21st century skills and we need to be more innovative. >> reporter: turning the page on public education and the way students learn. kristen welker, nbc news, the white house. >> on the subject of education, a reminder. nbc news kicks off our special series and more importantly our special gathering, education nation, this sunday. it runs into next week. talk about a big tent discussion. we have constructed just that out in our backyard here on the famous plaza on rockefeller plaza where this broadcast and others will originate live. special coverage begins sunday morning on msnbc and nbc. i hope you will join me at noon eastern on sunday on msnbc for our teacher town hall event televised live from the plaza. when we come back, our

exclusive interview with kate edwards about her father's troubles with the law, her mother's cancer, her mother's legacy and kate's decision to change her own life to honor her mother's memory. later, the curtain falls on a good long run for a place called pine valley. fans have been glued to the set for nearly 42 years.

29-year-old kate edwards has been through a lot in her young life. the death of her older brother in a car accident, two national political campaigns, dealing with her mother's cancer battle and the tabloid mess of her father's relationship with another woman. now she has decided to change her career path in memory of her late mother. andrea mitchell talked to her about it in an exclusive interview. >> reporter: before dawn in washington, 29-year-old kate edwards is starting a three-day, 60-mile walk for breast cancer

research honoring her mother elizabeth. >> we talked about doing it together. her outlook was nothing is impossible. she never gave up hope, even in her last week of life she never gave up hope that a cure could be out there and that she could beat this thing. >> reporter: now kate, a graduate of princeton and harvard law is also embarking on another journey. quitting the law to create a foundation in her mother's name. >> and it's going to be a program for young high schoolers through early college that will provide resources to kids who show a lot of potential but don't necessarily have the resources that they need to be successful. that would be exactly what my mom would do, first of all, to make something really positive out of something difficult. >> reporter: is she with you in a lot of ways? >> absolutely. big choices that i make, little choices that i make, sort of

everything i do i hear her voice, the same way that i did when she was alive. >> reporter: as her father john edwards fights charges he used campaign contributions to cover up an affair, charges he denies, kate is at his side. >> that was a very important show of support to the outside world. >> we have always been there for each other in tough times and in good times. we have always been really close as a family. my mom talked about how the people that you surround yourself with -- your safety net, the people you can lean on -- are the most important people in times like this. my family is that for me and i'm that for them. >> reporter: at elizabeth's funeral last december, kate read a letter her mother left for her children. >> i hope you will always know that wherever i am, wherever you are i have my arms wrapped around you. >> reporter: next month when kate marries her long-time boyfriend, a wedding her mother helped plan. >> we talked a lot about the wedding and little details. i will obviously be thinking about her a lot on that day. >> reporter: as she had promised, elizabeth edwards will have her arms wrapped around her daughter every step of the way.

andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. >> we'll take a break here. when we come back, an update tonight on the powerless satellite falling to planet earth.

>> houston, we have a problem. all of the great phrases from the space program can be yours. nasa had the great idea to make them available as ringtones. the greatest hits are here as part of this exclusive collection. houston, we've got a problem. the eagle has landed. one small step for man. lift-off. it's all there on the nasa website. on the subject of nasa, does anything land on time anymore? while it's hard to believe something falling from space has been delayed, that dead satellite is, indeed, still falling from space. while we expected to see or hear something by now it's somehow been delayed. here's the track it's been on. it's about a hundred miles up

and it will start falling fast once it clears the lower atmosphere. it comes around about every hour and a half. the best guess, looking at these projected orbits, we start seeing the first of 26 pieces of this city bus-sized satellite by saturday morning, falling over a 500-mile area. there is still a measurable chance it hits the u.s. or canada. pilots around the world have been warned by the f.a.a. that stuff may be falling. the statement says potential hazard may occur and they are told to, quote, report any observed falling space debris. so in other words, the airplane equivalent of if you see something, say something. our thanks to the wall street journal for pointing this item out. as they put it, perhaps it is a good thing the signature of white house budget director jacob lew doesn't go on our paper currency. look at this signature. we are not judging here, but that's either lew's actual signature or he has a 2-year-old

who's got ahold of a pen and a piece of official letterhead. up next here tonight, what's a soap opera without a dramatic cliffhang snr how about one that may last forever?

so many college classes were cut because of it. it was loved by millions for 41 years and now "all my children" is gone as of today. that means all of it -- pine valley, the intrigue and the day job of susan lucci. the story tonight from nbc's kevin tibbles. >> reporter: for more than four decades, a new chapter opened every weekday afternoon. >> i am being incredibly selfish. >> reporter: but at last demand has fallen for "all my children" and today, this staple of the american soap opera diet aired for the last time. at blondie's bar they had a wake. >> my sister recalls me saying one time that i watch "all my children" more closely than i watch my own children. >> that's one of the reasons that you love me. >> reporter: susan lucci, the only cast member who's been there since day one told "today" she thinks she knows why her character erica cane has lasted so long. >> i think there is some of erica cane in everyone. i think people identify with

that. >> reporter: when "all my children first aired in january 1970 it was in black and white. richard nixon was in the white house and a gallon of gas cost 36 cents. the new show quickly broke new ground. "children" explored everything from the vietnam war and controversial social issues from abortion to homosexuality. >> i'm gay. >> reporter: divorce never seemed to be an issue though. erica cane married a dozen times. >> she had everything. she was bitchy, fun, naughty, caring. >> reporter: alas, like scarlet, erica got her just desserts. >> frankly, erica, i don't give a damn what you do. [ laughter ] >> reporter: the folks at blondie's loved it, even if it was bittersweet. >> it's very sad. this is like a mass murder here. >> reporter: did someone mention murder? >> now you will never get him

back. >> just watch me. >> reporter: after 41 years, the curtain falls on fictional pine valley. a shot rings out and "all my children" fades to black. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. [ applause ] >> that is our broadcast for this friday night and for this week. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. lester holt will be here with you this weekend. the good thing about this show is we'll be back here on monday. in the meantime, have a good weekend. good night. dozens of new jobs starting today from a bay area industry trying to get past a firestorm of bad publicity. good evening, everyone, and thanks for joins u. i'm anel wang in for jessica aguirre. >> and i'm raj mathai. we begin with an ironic twist. while the ceo is being berated on capitol hill, his former employees here in the bay area were being offered hope. many of the