for 12 months with a 1-year price guarantee. aren't you glad we switched to at&t? yes...but i want my own invisible cord. you already have one. oh. ♪ on our broadcast tonight, welcome home. words of thanks from the president tonight for americans who served in iraq. also this evening, our own richard engel tells us what it's like on the ground there now. drugs and alcohol. something of a wake-up call for a lot of parents of teenagers. new numbers this evening on what they are using, how often and how much. i in the sky. the government now says ipads are okay for pilots in the cockpit, but not for passengers. why the digital double standard? and not the marrying kind. tonight america's marriage rate has hit an all-time low. tonight america's marriage rate has hit an all-time low. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening. the president promised they'd be out by new year's eve and here they come. american men and women in uniform are coming home after nine years, 4,500 lives lost and tens of thousands of injuries. staggering sacrifice here at home all the while. the war started with the event somebody called shock and awe and it became a tragic and prolonged slog. the u.s. and allied troops fought bravely. iraqi civilians suffered terribly. now the fighting phase comes to an end though far from a storybook ending. the president marked the occasion today with those in uniform who are just back from there and nbc news white house correspondent kristen welker starts us off tonight. kristen, good evening. >> reporter: good evening to you, brian. president obama struck a reflective tone today when he addressed a crowd of returning war veterans. mr. obama has opposed the war since his days as a state senator. today he said it's harder to end

a war than to begin one. >> hello, ft. bragg! >> reporter: appearing before a sea of service members at ft. bragg, north carolina, the president and first lady marked a pivotal moment in the nation's history. after nine years in iraq, all the troops are returning. >> welcome home. [ cheers and applause ] >> welcome home. welcome home. >> reporter: the speech, a tribute to the 1.5 million americans who served and the nearly 4,500 who gave their lives. >> hard work and sacrifice. those words only begin to describe the costs of this war. >> reporter: the president, facing a tough re-election battle, did not declare victory in iraq, but has called the withdrawal a campaign promise kept. >> we are ending a war not with a final battle but with a final march toward home. >> reporter: back in washington, his former opponent, john mccain, said the withdrawal is purely political.

>> i believe that history will judge this president's leadership with the scorn and disdain that it deserves. >> reporter: but for soldiers like jesse lucas who served three tours in iraq, today is a moment of celebration. >> makes me proud that we did our job over there. the president's getting us home because we pretty much had it taken care of. the iraqis can handle themselves over there now. >> reporter: now, president obama also had a message for congress today. he told the crowd that washington could learn from the troops and their ability to work together. all of the troops will be out of iraq by the new year. brian? >> kristen welker at the white house starting us off tonight. kristen, thanks. so much has changed as a result of the almost nine year long war in iraq.

one big change is this. while the iraq of saddam hussein is gone into that regional vacuum now comes iran, a neighboring nation, an enemy of the united states. our chief foreign correspondent richard engel who covered the iraq war for close to a decade tonight has gone back to examine the iran connection. >> reporter: to see what's changed in iraq since the american war, just visit baghdad's holy shrine of kazamiya an ancient shiite mosque for prayer and meditation. some worshippers are overwhelmed to tears. for shiites this is all new. shiite muslims, the majority in iraq, were oppressed by saddam hussein's ruling sunni minority but the democracy america brought has turned the tables. shiites are now in power here, and it shows. kazamiya has just undergone a $400 million renovation. 200 pounds of pure gold laid on each dome. but the biggest change for iraq may be closer ties with its shiite neighbor -- iran.

these days, kazamiya is full of iranian tour groups who come with their own guides with signs in pharisee. -- farsi. under iran no iranians came to iraq. saddam was iran's enemy. today more than 2 million iranians visit iraq every year. iraq's new dynamic is on display here every day. after nearly nine years it's iraq's shiites who have benefitted the most. they have won this country. the united states toppled a dictator who's been replaced by a shiite government with close ties to iran. it's hard to imagine how that was ever part of the plan. across town at baghdad's famous book market, karim hanoush, himself a shiite, doesn't want u.s. troops to leave. he says iran has calculated all this very well. they want a shiite iraq so they can control the assets, economy and politics. fear of iran's growing power is

sharper still in the sunni stronghold of fallujah. fallujah remains violent. a bomb killed policemen here just after we arrived. compared to other parts of iraq there's been little development in sunni towns like fallujah. this building was destroyed by u.s. forces seven years ago and still looks like this. people here accuse the government of persecuting them, ignoring them, trying to cut sunnis out of the new iraq. [ speaking in a foreign language ] >> reporter: a cloth merchant told me, you crossed thousands of miles from america. why? if you want the oil, take the oil. if you want our money, take it. but you have destroyed life. the whole system. u.s. troops are ending their war in iraq but this country is still at war with itself. richard engel, nbc news, baghdad. >> now in this country, to politics on the gop campaign trail and a sharp new attack today by mitt romney on the

frontrunner newt gingrich. romney warning that gingrich is too, quote, zany to be president. meanwhile in iowa a gingrich was confronted by shouting protesters during a campaign event at the university of iowa. while gingrich and romney are getting nearly all the attention now the man to watch in iowa could very well be ron paul. one poll showing him one point from gingrich and running second. andrea mitchell has more on ron paul's recent rise in the heartland. >> reporter: he could be this year's sleeper candidate or even king maker. easily drawing the biggest crowds in iowa with a pitch in perfect tune with the angry voters. >> they don't have the vaguest idea what liberty is all about. >> reporter: a libertarian who godfathered the tea party, ron paul hasn't flipped or flopped since he's been in politics and has always hated government regulations. >> so my idea as a symbol of moving in a different direction, i would like to restore your

right to drink raw milk any time you wanted to. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: while quirky and folksy he knows how to play politics. confronting newt gingrich to his face. >> freddie mac is bailed out by the taxpayers so in a way, newt, i think you probably got some of our taxpayers' money. >> reporter: and in ads. paul also delivered an anti-war message that resonates with many college students. >> this idea that we can be the policemen of the world and settle all these disputes, i mean, soon we'll have to quit because we're flat out broke. >> reporter: it appears to be paying off. in the latest nbc marist poll in iowa, paul is statistically tied for second with romney behind gingrich and has a better organization than both. >> from all reports i understand he has a strong ground game. that could surge him forward. >> reporter: the best indicator of paul's strength in iowa, he almost won the straw poll in august. experts say he or his campaign have touched more iowa voters than any of the other

candidates. paul could be a huge factor if he runs as a third party candidate. >> are you ruling it out? >> i'm not going to rule anything out or anything in. >> i think there is some chance of a ron paul third-party run, and frankly it would be a problem for the republicans. >> reporter: in fact, ron paul could prove you don't have to be blow-dried or out of a cookie cutter mold to shake up this most unpredictable republican race. andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. >> we wanted to take a moment to tell you about our new home on the web. for all of our political reporting, the first of many reminders, the address is easy to remember. nbcpolitics.com. we got startling new numbers from the cdc today based on a new survey of domestic violence. one in four women in this country reported being violently attacked by a husband or boyfriend. a number researchers even called astounding. one in five women said they have been sexually assaulted. some experts were skeptical of the 1.3 million sexual assaults

reported in this study saying the number is far higher than the department of justice's own estimate just under 190,000 rapes last year. we also got a new look today at teenage alcohol and drug use. according to this study there's been a big shift when it comes to substance abuse among high school-aged kids. our education correspondent rehema ellis is with us here for more on that. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. it is an interesting study. researchers questioned 47,000 students nationwide. their findings? tobacco use is down and so is alcohol abuse. binge drinking among high school seniors is down from 41% in 1981 to 22% in 2011. but marijuana use among teenagers is at the highest rate in 30 years. one in 15 high school seniors reports using marijuana every day. researchers point to the massive education campaign warning about the dangers of alcohol and cigarettes as reasons for the decline in the use of those

products. and now that anti-marijuana campaigns are in full swing they are anxious to see what studies will reveal about teenage behavior next year, brian. >> it could be a surprise to some parents but not others. thanks for that. now to the latest skirmish in the battle over electronic devices on airplanes. and what some passengers are seeing as a kind of a double standard here. now that we have learned pilots will be allowed to use ipads in the cockpit. our report from nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: for pilots, the new ipad flight bag will replace those 45-pound briefcases stuffed with paper versions of constantly changing flight manuals, navigational charts and airport layouts. >> that's frankfurt airport. >> reporter: the f.a.a. says these ipads and applications have been proven safe for the cockpit but the f.a.a. demands that the wifi internet connection must remain off. >> we have been testing now for six months with literally no issue.

>> reporter: it was just a week ago that american airlines kicked alec baldwin off a flight for berating a flight attendant and refusing to turn off his iphone before takeoff, something he was playing up on "saturday night live." >> don't phones interfere with the plane's communication system? >> oh, you don't believe that, do you, seth? >> reporter: a lot of travellers have doubts. we asked boeing's senior engineer, dave carson. how can an ipad be used by the pilot on the flight deck, but not in the cabin? >> it's a good question. i can understand why people would ask it. that ipad, tablet or computer is in the control of the airline. they maintain it. they assure if something goes wrong with it, it's fixed. >> reporter: the f.a.a. prohibits electronic devices below 10,000 feet because those are the most critical moments for an aircraft, takeoff and landing, when the pilot has little time to react if interference were to disrupt navigational equipment. while a modern aircraft may be

designed and certified to tolerate a handful of electronics left on during takeoff or landing, what if dozens were left on or perhaps hundreds? >> nobody in the industry has tested the effects of, say, 200 cell phones on at one time. >> reporter: despite skepticism the f.a.a. says they must remain off for now, erring on the side of caution. tom costello, nbc news, washington. when we continue here tonight, state of the union. a new snapshot tonight of marriage in america. question is, is it becoming a thing of the past? and the frenzy set off by the jewels once worn by elizabeth taylor. a new record has now been set.

as we mentioned another sign of our times to report tonight. the number of married americans dropping fast. barely half the people over 18 are married now compared to almost three-quarters back in 1960. our report tonight from nbc's chris jansing. >> reporter: at 28 mariana is a vision in strapless organza, shopping for her wedding dress. >> i am excited. it feels right. it really does. >> reporter: for her it's a dream come true but she may soon be in the minority. a new research study finds just 51% of adults are now married, fewer than ever before. notably the number of new marriages dropped 5% just within a year. >> if this trend continues within a few years we'll see

less than a majority of american adults who aren't married and this will be a first. >> hey, that sweater looks great on you. >> reporter: it's a dramatic change from the days of ozzie & harriet when most people were married young. today the median age for tying the knot is close to 27 for women, 29 for men. even older if you're college educated but why are people waiting? reed kimmel has been in the bridal business for almost three decades and has seen the change coming. >> they want to secure a job kind of in a way before they want to secure a relationship. >> reporter: the old social stigmas are gone. 39 and never married, kate bolik wrote a much talked about article on the single life. >> the idea that marriage is the way we become an adult, that's changed. >> reporter: more adults are living alone or cohabitating and not feeling the pressure to make it legal. for old-fashioned romantics out there, 72% of us will marry at

some point in our lives. >> i think it's beautiful. >> reporter: olga elizabeth sebina will walk down the aisle in october after dating her fiance for six years. >> there is no question in my mind or heart about the right decision. ♪ love and marriage >> reporter: so marriage isn't yet going the way of the horse and carriage. chris jansing, nbc news, new york. up next, holiday buyers' remorse, the person of the year and all that glitters fetching a very high price.

ominous sign of the times during this shopping season. an associated press story about retailing and christmas shopping. it says some stores are experiencing preholiday returns, indicating a kind of buyers' remorse. a lot of folks who rushed to snag discounts on tvs, toys and other gifts are returning them. one company that buys back returned merchandise from big

stores like walmart says return rates are running about double the rate we'd normally see in better economic times. looks like this was a million in one shot. a commercial satellite company said it was going through recent pictures of the earth shot from space when they found this -- the first known commercially available photo of china's first aircraft carrier while under way at sea. they bought it unfinished, china did. they bought it secondhand from the old soviet union actually and spent years refurbishing it. it has generated intense interest in the military community. well, it happens every year this time of year. the time magazine person of the year. this year it's the protester. the people who have changed the world one person at a time from arab spring to athens to wall street to moscow. and just think. there are still a few days left in 2011. unbelievable pictures from new zealand where if annette swaffer is to be believed she walked into her house and found

a baby seal had already made itself at home. she said she thought she was hallucinating. it had come in through a cat door, knocked over a lap, got on the couch, crossed its flippers and took a nap. the animal control folks say it was likely just weaned from its mother and was walking around the seaside neighborhood confused. and among the reasons liz taylor always seemed to look like a million bucks, her jewels, which just went for a record $116 million at auction here in new york. among the 80 items from her collection, a single diamond given to her by richard burton that went for $8.8 million. that was less than the pear-shaped pearl once owned by british and spanish royalty. that went for close to $12 million. up next tonight, stay-at-home dads, military moms and now after a long deployment, together again on the home front.

as we watch the scenes of americans coming home from military duty overseas, many of those pictures show dad returning. of course that's far from the whole picture. a lot of women are coming home to dads who have been holding down the fort while they have been gone. our report tonight from nbc's mark potter.

>> good morning! >> reporter: at a home in ft. bragg, north carolina, it's the start of another busy day. >> up and at them. get a move on. >> reporter: stay at home dad tim blake wakes his four kids. >> make sure you wear a coat today, okay? >> reporter: and gets them ready for school. >> did everybody get their homework packed up? >> reporter: blake is a former high school teacher and football coach married to army lieutenant colonel devin blake who has been deployed to afghanistan and kuwait three times. >> you think, i love this person, they're wonderful. that's all you think about. then they're gone and you're like -- what? you don't know how to deal with that. >> reporter: blake says raising kids alone is hard but is made somewhat easier by their resilience. >> it's amazing to me to watch my kids thrive. to see them thriving during this time and not just holding their own during a deployment. >> reporter: to make it work blake and the kids have a steady routine including private time

with dad. and doing chores, just like when mom is home. on base, blake is a rare stay at home father and jokes he fits right in with the wives. >> i'm just one of the girls. you know, i coupon. i cut them out. i go shopping. i do all those things. >> reporter: he also writes a popular blog about military spouses and the importance of taking time for the family to readjust when the deployed parent returns. >> you've both changed and so the person who's coming home to you is a different person than who left. >> reporter: but when the homecoming finally occurs, as it did this week -- [ applause ] >> reporter: -- all that is forgotten for a while. >> it's a huge blessing that they have been so supportive obviously. i couldn't do it without him. and i couldn't get through it without him. >> reporter: the end of a deployment, where every member of a military family serves their country. mark potter, nbc news, charlotte, north carolina.

and that's our broadcast on a wednesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com good evening. thanks for joining us. >> it's considered one of the food capitals of the nation, and tonight the bay area had questioned the quality of hundreds of san francisco restaurants. that's after two health department inspectors are accused of taking brie ining br? >> reporter: every