[ monica ] i may not be home for a while. [ male announcer ] the new citi simplicity card. no late fees. no penalty rate. no worries. winter blast. after unusually warm weather in much of the country, the season's first deep freeze is on the way, and so is the snow. homestretch in iowa. a new poll puts mitt romney on top, but ron paul and rick santorum in striking distance with 48 hours to go. box office ues. tonight, why hollywood has lost its magic, suffering its lowest attendance in years. and making a difference. how one man is using success and fame and a difficult childhood to inspire hopes and dreams in others. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening and happy new year. as the holiday weekend wraps up, a cold blast of winter reality is on the way for millions of americans. it is not often you see people wearing shorts on new year's day, but here they were today, playing tennis in washington, d.c., and not long ago out on new york's long island, boots in hand on the beach. well, that is all about to change. a deep freeze will blanket much of the eastern u.s., bringing not only dramatically lower temperatures but a lot of snow to some areas. kelly cass is at the weather channel with more on the coming storm. good evening, kelly. >> good evening, kate. happy new year. yeah. it was nice while it lasted, getting the furnace a break. but for millions of us, we're going to need that nice thick coat you got for christmas or hanukkah because we have a cold blast of air coming on down. it is all starting around the great lakes. we can see green bay to detroit, temperatures are only going to be in the teens and 20s on your monday. but the cold air will -- look

how far south it is going to get. atlanta, georgia, past couple of days in the 60s. this will be like a shock to your system. even new york city, we're looking at a high of 28 degrees come tuesday. that's ten degrees below your average. here it comes, boston. get ready for it. 26 degrees for a high temperature. that is 12 degrees below your average. so you definitely need the fleece, the wool, the hats are very important to keep warm. and look at what you're going to be digging out from. the lake-effect snow kicking into high gear for the first time this season. we'll see over a foot of snow places like erie and syracuse and, kate, this is a dream come true for the snowmobilers and skiers who have been wanting this. >> kelly cass at the weather channel, thanks. on this first day of the 2012 election year, we're 48 hours away from the first contest to see who will face off against barack obama in november. the iowa caucuses are on tuesday and tonight the final polls from the des moines register shows

mitt romney in the lead with ron paul close behind and rick santorum surging into third place ahead of newt gingrich. our political team is in place in iowa. and we begin tonight with nbc's ron mott. ron, good evening. >> reporter: kate, good evening to you from a frigid des moines. the long hot quest for voter support here in iowa is about to end. most voters have already lined up behind their candidates, but a good number of them are still uncertain and they could be a real wild card come tuesday. at church this morning, michele bachmann needed a little intervention to be heard. >> turning on the power. that's what we're going to do this morning. we're going to turn on the power. >> reporter: while bachmann supporters are no longer electrifying voters here -- >> the next president of the united states, rick santorum. >> reporter: -- rick santorum by contrast has seen a power surge, suddenly within striking distance of the front-runner mitt romney.

santorum's support spiked on thursday and friday in the newspaper polls, with 41% of caucus voters still unsettled, the last 48 hours and efforts to close the deal could ultimately decide the winner. >> they need to be getting out around the state, giving voters a last chance to actually meet the candidate in person. i think that personal connection is very, very important. it is a stronger connection than you get from seeing a candidate on tv. >> reporter: today on "meet the press," santorum defended his support of romney four years ago as a stronger conservative than john mccain. credentials he now criticizes. >> i made the political judgment right or wrong that the best way to start john mccain, which is what my concern was. >> i had a lot of earmarks. >> reporter: rick perry targeting the resurgent santorum of late, went to church this morning but otherwise kept a low profile. late today, santorum turned the tables, mocking an earlier stumble by perry. >> i love these candidates who get these huge applause, i'm going to get rid of this one and this one and one other one and

then -- >> reporter: romney, meanwhile, continued his final push as some in the largely evangelical voting bloc in iowa continue to wrestle with questions of his mormon faith. >> how about his faith? does that pose a problem for you? >> it does. >> reporter: the problem for newt gingrich today out on the trail, romney's money, hitting the former massachusetts governor's wallet with gingrich saying he would buy it if he could. jon huntsman made himself at home in new hampshire, off to a running start when the race catches up to him in the granite state right after iowa. kate? >> ron mott, thank you. before we get to the granite state there is iowa, always the first to vote, every four years. pundits question why iowa plays such a big part in america's political life and this year is no different in an era when social networking and media are playing a bigger role than ever before in how campaigns are

conducted. andrea mitchell now has a look at this year's roller coaster contest. >> you made me a better candidate. >> reporter: rick santorum is the latest republican to surge in the run-up to iowa's caucus. it is the retail campaigning that makes iowa famous. >> we have done 360 some town hall type meetings and done all 99 counties, did that a while ago and a lot of that is paying off. >> reporter: will santorum suffer the fate of presidents huckabee -- >> i love iowa a whole lot. >> reporter: the last republican to win here. iowa did propel a little known southern governor to the democratic nomination in 1976. >> jimmy carter, clearly the winner, scored well, came from nowhere. >> reporter: and established that barack obama could attract white voters. >> you have done what the cynics said we couldn't do. >> reporter: but iowa republican caucusgoers don't have a very good track record for picking presidents. ronald reagan didn't win the caucuses in 1980. future president bush finished

third in 1988, and john mccain, the eventual nominee, came in fourth here four years ago. so why should iowa matter? >> by no means is it the ticket to victory but it is a winnowing out process to get to the final three or four. so the whole country can watch the big game. >> reporter: the wrap on iowa, it doesn't represent the rest of the country, too white, too evangelical, too rural. still here, politics are personal. >> that's one of the reasons we came here today, just to see what rick had to say. and narrow down our choice. >> it is the first time that real activists, real americans, in the heartland of the country, get a chance to look at these candidates. >> reporter: people are paying attention, even democrats like diane munn is showing up to hear what the candidates have to say. >> get up close and personal and meet all these people and talk to them and if you love politics, this is the place to be.

>> reporter: the question now is whether the millions of dollars spent on tv ads this year, half of it negative, have changed all that, and whether the old-fashioned iowa caucus has lost its political innocence. kate? >> andrea mitchell in des moines tonight, thanks so much. we're joined by our political director and chief white house correspondent chuck todd. so, chuck, if you were a betting man, what happens on tuesday night? >> reporter: well, there is three things that we don't know. we don't know if we're going to see a higher than normal turnout. if you get that and the casual republican primary voter shows up, that's good for mitt romney. if it is a traditional caucus turnout, a little bit lower than four years ago, a little more conservative, that's good news for rick santorum. and then if there are a lot of independents that show up, and even some democrats, that's good news for ron paul. so the makeup of this turnout is going to determine this right now. and one other wild card, kate, what happens to this rick perry and newt gingrich support. they're sitting in low double

digits. do those folks walk into the caucus, leaning perry and gingrich and say, uh-oh, the only other conservative i'm comfortable with to go to, maybe santorum and do they move to him? that would be -- that would be the way you would explain if santorum doubled the support that he currently has in this poll. >> chuck todd watching it all in iowa, thanks so much. and now to los angeles, where residents are on alert after dozens of arson attacks there. new year's eve didn't give firefighters a break from the fires, which are said to be the worst since the riots in 1992. here is nbc's mike taibbi. >> reporter: each of last night's seven reported fires was quickly controlled. this one in hollywood typical, a car set ablaze with some sort of incendiary device. investigators are keeping the details under wraps and threatening nearby buildings. >> auto fires, as soon as they get going, they burn really hot, really fast. they have a lot of fuel, they have a lot of plastics. and they essentially give off

their own combustible gases. >> reporter: and that's been the big worry in the three nights of this siege that is now reaching historic proportions. some 40 of these dark of night car fires have drawn some residents out of their beds to do what they can to prevent real disaster. frustrated investigators poured over hundreds of leads and witness statements that brought in several individuals for questioning, but can't yet say how many suspects there might be. >> they're looking at every option. it could be one. it could be many. >> reporter: they don't yet have the typical aids to help. >> we don't have a suspect description right now. >> reporter: it is now an all hands investigation, local and federal resources combining to patrol the apparent target neighborhoods, and react swiftly to each incident. >> every lead, every possible rumor, you know, perception, whatever it is, our investigators are active. they're taking this real personal. >> reporter: despite all that attention, whoever is responsible for this rampage did not take new year's eve off.

destroying a half dozen more cars, but so far luckily no lives. mike taibbi, nbc news, los angeles. as on each new year's day, the turning of the calendar means new laws are in effect. in maine, for example, it became illegal to smoke in public housing. 12,000 tenants are affected there. nbc's pete williams now with more on the many new rules on the books. >> reporter: new laws in effect as of today require some voters in this year's elections to show photo i.d.s before getting a ballot. kansas, texas and tennessee are the latest to strictly require them, joining five other states that already do. rhode island and new hampshire will ask for them, but allow voting if other identification is provided, joining seven states that already do that. republicans strongly support the growing push for photo i.d.s. >> we want to make sure that once you're properly registered, when you show up to vote, you're voting one time, and you're voting for yourself and not for

somebody else. >> reporter: but because some minorities or elderly voters don't have i.d.s, it may hamper turnout. as of today, tanning beds are off limits to anyone under 18 in california. the first state to bar miners from using them. sponsors say skin cancer has become an epidemic among young women. beginning this week, the nation's commercial truck and bus drivers face stiff fines if they use handheld cell phones at the wheel. truck drivers are three times more likely to get involved in a crash while simply reaching for a phone, studies say. six times more likely while dialing. in illinois, a new law requires all passengers in a car, not just the driver, to wear a seat belt. violators can get a $60 ticket. more than 60 million americans who get social security are in for a cost of living increase starting today. the average recipient it will mean about $450 more this year.

san francisco becomes the first city to raise the minimum wage of $10, it goes to $10.24 an  hour, $3 higher than the federal minimum. as of today, illinois residents can no longer throw their worn out electronics into the trash. for discarded computers, tvs and other devices, out with the old now means recycling. pete williams, nbc news, washington. iran started the new year off with two big claims that its scientists produced the country's first nuclear fuel rod and also a claim that it test fired a new surface-to-air missle. iran's official news agency said the fuel rod has been inserted into the core of a research reactor in tehran. and iranian state tv reported the medium range missile was tested as part of a major naval exercise that has been going on since december 24th. back here at home, a developing story tonight, mt. rainier national park in

washington state is closed tonight after a shooting during a routine traffic stop left a park ranger dead. the ranger has been identified as 34-year-old margaret anderson, who had two young children. authorities say they think the gunman is still in the park and armed with an asault rifle. when "nightly news" continues in a moment, one big american industry that is very happy to be closing the curtain on 2011. and later, he turned a painful part of his own past into an inspiring effort, making a difference for others. you wouldn't want your doctor doing your job. so why are you doing his? only your doctor can determine if your persistent heartburn is actually something more serious... like acid reflux disease. over time, stomach acid can damage the lining of your esophagus. for many, prescription nexium not only provides 24-hour heartburn relief, but can also help heal acid related erosions in the lining of your esophagus. talk to your doctor about the risk for osteoporosis-related bone fractures and low magnesium levels

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billion in ticket sales. that may sound like a lot, but it is the lowest total in 16 years. here's nbc's george lewis. >> reporter: the highest grossing movie of 2011, "harry potter and the deathly hallows part 2" pulling in $381 million in north america and $1.3 billion internationally simply was not able to work its magic on the rest of the industry. in what was one deathly year at the box office. >> we had the lowest attended box office year since the mid'90s in 2011 and that was a tough go for hollywood. >> reporter: the biggest flop of the year "mars needs moms," a $150 million animated film that pulled in just $39 million at the box office. >> there is a lot of anxiety i think in the movie industry about whether people are going to keep going to the movies in the same numbers and with the same enthusiasm as they have in the past. >> reporter: when the producers of "the girl with the dragon

tattoo" spent a reported $100 million making the movie, and then took in only $19.4 million over the christmas holiday, they might well have wondered what's up with the fans? >> we need to talk. >> reporter: but those fans say they got perfectly rational reasons for cutting back on movie going. >> i don't really go all that often because of the price. >> now because of child care and that kind of thing we end up watching movies at home. >> reporter: then there is all the new technology you can use to watch movies, streaming them to your ipad or your computer or your tv. a study earlier this year showed that people streaming movies and tv shows on netflix accounted for almost 30% of internet traffic. at the same time, movie attendance declined 5% compared to 2010. however, people we talked to say they still spring for movie tickets, if the film is a huge blockbuster. >> even something special and they'll come out to the movie theater. >> reporter: so the challenge for hollywood is finding that

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four, three, two, one! >> that was the scene last night here in new york city as mayor michael bloomberg, lady gaga and as many as 2 million partygoers rang in the new year in times square. police officials say there may have been twice as many people as usual at the ball drop. the new year got off to kind of a rough start, though, for guests at a marriott hotel in denver when the new year kicked in. about 3,000 guests were suddenly locked out of their rooms. something went wrong with the computerized key system and no one could get back in. many of them were coming from a party downstairs. >> none of the keys here at the

marriott work. nobody can get into their rooms. >> police were called to break up some scuffles and the problem was finally fixed about four hours later around 3:00 a.m. in the town of beebe, arkansas, 2012 got started in the same creepy way 2011 did with blackbirds falling to the ground dead. experts say the reason is the same as last year, fireworks sent flocks of birds into a panic and flying into houses and cars and each other. as many as 5,000 birds died last year, which led local officials to try to impose a ban on fireworks last night. it looks like that was only partly successful. about 100 dead birds have been found today. when we come back, wrapping up the holidays with the true meaning of the season, making a difference for others in difficult times. my name is robin. i'm a wife, i'm a mom... and chantix worked for me. it's a medication i could take and still smoke, while it built up in my system. [ male announcer ] along with support,

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for everyone who loves it, and everyone who calls it home. the game tonight here on nbc as the dallas cowboys take on the new york giants. it is a do or die game for both teams. for one cowboys play, measuring success goes well beyond what happens on the field. jason whitten is all about helping people, especially those caught up in domestic violence, something he became familiar with growing up. and now he's making a difference in the lives of others as we hear from nbc's kristen dahlgren. >> sacked, he got it out to whitten. >> reporter: he found glory on the gridiron. >> whitten gets up, fired up.

>> reporter: but for dallas cowboys tight end jason whitten, the sunday night lights are a long way from the small tennessee town where he escaped what he calls a sometimes difficult home life. >> it wasn't a situation where kids needed to be in that environment, you know. thank goodness my mom realized that and said, hey, we're getting out of this situation. >> reporter: whitten's grandparents took them in, and his grandfather who just so happened to be the high school football coach -- >> this is where it all started. >> reporter: -- ended up showing whitten as much off the field as on. >> i taught him things like you're supposed to open the door for a lady. and you're supposed to stand up when women come into the house. >> reporter: he also taught a young boy with a dream of the nfl that anything is possible. with all the success, it would be easy for number 82 to try to forget where he came from. but he didn't. and whitten started the score foundation. >> now because of what i felt, i can only imagine what these kids

are going through and these women. >> reporter: on a recent night he brought in a group from a dallas domestic violence shelter. they got present s. >> we have bikes up here in the front. everyone will get one. >> reporter: and quarterback tony romo read a story. >> it was the night before christmas, when all through the house. >> reporter: but whitten gave them more than a holiday. >> i cried. >> why? >> because to come here and it is the support for us. >> reporter: and to know you did all this, that needs to make you feel great. >> i leave here feeling more blessed and more fortunate and more changed than anybody here, you know? >> reporter: but you can't ignore the change in the children, after cassidy harris unwrapped a karaoke machine, the inspiring singer told me -- >> probably i can make it. >> reporter: it is what his

grandfather once told whitten, a living lesson in overcoming the odds. >> i was there 15 years ago and now you can be in this situation, so can you, trust me. so can you. >> reporter: kristen dahlgren, nbc news, dallas. and that is "nbc nightly news" for this new year's day. coming up next "football night in america" followed by "sunday night football", the cowboys versus the giants. brian williams will be here tomorrow. i'm kate snow reporting from new york. for lester holt and all of us here at nbc news, happy new year. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

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