on the broadcast tonight, reversing course. an about-face from the largest breast cancer charity in america after a flood of criticism for women. tonight komen for the cure says it's sorry. now hiring. a surprise drop in unemployment at its lowest level in three years amid signs we not out of the woods just yet. a look where the jobs are. plan of attack. iran lashes out after new indications israel could bomb its nuclear facilities and soon. richard engel reports from tel aviv as tensions reach a fever pitch. super bowl security. with 48 hours to go, tonight an exclusive look at the massive challenge to keep the stadium secure.

and commercial appeal. some of the best ads have already gone viral as advertisers threw out the old playbook looking to score early. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. brian is off tonight. i'm lester holt. score another one for the power of social media, susan g. komen for the cure. the nation's largest breast cancer charity is the latest high-profile organization forced to beat a hasty retreat from an unpopular decision in the face of a twitter and facebook firestorm. in this case it was komen's decision to pull funding from its long-time women's health partner planned parenthood. though komen said it dropped planned parenthood because it was under government investigation, many women read it as komen bowing to pressure from anti-abortion groups. the public outcry amplified over the internet became deafening. today an about-face for komen.

nbc lisa myers has our report. >> reporter: the organization known for its iconic pink ribbons today pulled out a white flag. on social media sites which excoriated komen for days got mixed reviews. komen announced its new event, back pedal for the cure. too little too late. the damage has been done. will wear my pink running shoes tomorrow. >> i'm happy they changed their mind. i will continue to wear pink. >> reporter: in a statement posted this morning, komen apologized for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives. it said we will continue to fund existing grants, including those of planned parenthood and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, but the statement left wiggle room about whether all planned parenthood grants to provide breast exams for low-income women will be funded in the future. in denver where the local komen

affiliate publically opposed the cut-off there was elation. >> i view this reversal decision as a complete reversal. we will be able to fund planned parenthood. >> reporter: today planned parenthood says it's grateful for the astonishing outpouring of public support. >> i feel very positive, relieved and i'm glad we can all focus on women's health again. >> reporter: many say komen's quick reversal within 72 hours of its initial announcement underscores the power social media can have on a big brand. >> there were many factors that went into komen's decision here, but clearly, clearly, the passion that was demonstrated across the internet played a major role. >> reporter: and today, those happy with the initial decision were furious. done with any donations. you caved. and now the question is how much the komen organization, the biggest name in the fight

against breast cancer, will be hurt by this week's events. >> komen damaged its brand considerably in this short term by appearing to abandon women, the women they cared for for over the decades, but they can come back from it. >> reporter: the only winner in all this seems to be planned parenthood, which says it hauled in $3 million in donations in the last 72 hours. money which will now be used to help vulnerable, low-income women. lester? >> lisa myers, thanks. big news on the economy tonight. the jobs report for january out this morning blew past everyone's expectations with 243,000 jobs added for the month, and the unemployment rate dropping 0.2% to 8.3%. wall street responded with a surge of its own, the dow up 156 points to its highest close since may 2008. before the economic meltdown. the nasdaq hit an 11-year high. a lot of those jobs added today were in manufacturing.

cnbc's phil lebeau reports. >> reporter: at chrysler's plant in illinois, a reason to cheer. >> it's completely, totally proudly made here in the united states. >> reporter: 1,800 people will be hired as the once-bankrupt automaker adds a third shift to start building the new dodge dart. >> we just added 4,000 since we came out of bankruptcy. let's add more. >> reporter: chrysler is not the only manufacturing hiring. boeing, ge and caterpillar added 25,000 jobs last year. e hiring. boeing, ge and caterpillar added 25,000 jobs last year. debbie johnson in little rock, arkansas, is happy to be on the caterpillar line. >> i think it's a great opportunity for anyone given the opportunity to come here. >> reporter: just as important, some small businesses are putting out the "help wanted" signs. the evergreen supply company in chicago is looking to hire five people. >> we work extremely hard. i felt like the time was right

to invest in more personnel. >> reporter: economists see the improvement across the country. >> they were good numbers. we saw broad-based job gains. especially in things that are leading indicators for the economy. >> reporter: it's not all good news. some companies are planning big lay-offs. american airlines cutting 13,000 jobs as it restructures in bankruptcy. and a new survey of small business owners finds just 30% are looking add workers this year. >> we'll likely see job growth, but i'm not expecting that we are going to see the kind of job growth that will start putting back the millions of unemployed workers we have. >> reporter: officially 12.8 million americans are still without a job. as a result, the white house is once again pushing for an extension of unemployment benefits. phil lebeau, nbc news, chicago. >> cnbc's steve liesman joins me for a closer look at the jobs number. who has fallen off the radar that is not included in this picture we are looking at, and

how deep a hole are we still trying to climb out of? >> reporter: there are two groups that dropped out of the work force. the first those so discouraged they stopped looking for work. another group is the older americans. as americans age, all people age, they tend to work less. two groups, one for economic reasons, one demographic that's been going on for a while. how much needs to be done is said, 1.8 million americans are out of work. 15% of the population is discouraged or working part-time for economic reasons. there is an awful lot of work to do. say 200,000 jobs, think about another five years we could bring down the unemployment rate to a more normal level. >> steve liesman from cnbc, thanks. these numbers have political implications. they were topic one on the campaign trail today. peter alexander joins me from reno, nevada, where the republicans will caucus tomorrow. >> reporter: lester, good evening to you. perhaps no state in the country is paying closer attention to these job numbers these days than the state of nevada.

they have the highest unemployment of anywhere from the country, nearly 13%. the highest foreclosure rate. nearly four times the national average. on the campaign trail today, mitt romney again attacked president obama for what he called his failed policies, saying he didn't cause the recession, but he made it worse. >> he used his mandate, being elected, he used that to put through a series of programs he and his base and his friends thought were important, but frankly, made it harder for our economy to recover. so we suffered. >> reporter: for his part, newt gingrich had sharp words for both the president and mitt romney, who he referred to today as obama light. romney is heavily favored here in the state of nevada ahead of tomorrow's caucuses. he won this state four years ago and leads in the polls here by 20 points. >> peter, thank you. a strong warning to iran today from defense secretary leon panetta. do not develop a nuclear weapon. if iran does, panetta says the

u.s. is prepared to respond. this follows a report that panetta believes an israeli attack on iran's nuclear facilities is likely within months. it's all adding to fears that the situation could spin out of control. our report tonight from chief foreign correspondent richard engel in tel aviv. >> reporter: from iran today, an unmistakable warning. the supreme leader ayatollah khamenei said his country would remove israel like a cancerous tomorrow, and the united states would pay ten-fold for any attack on iran. it's iran's response to a growing chorus of israeli officials who say iran's nuclear program must be stopped or else israel will attack it. >> we are determined to prevent iran from turning nuclear. >> reporter: it may be just saber-rattling, but defense secretary panetta doesn't think so, and reports that he believes israeli attack is likely,

sending a public message to an ally washington is finding increasingly difficult to control. wait, it says, let sanctions take their course. israel says it will, but not forever. and israel says it can destroy even iran's most defended nuclear sites. >> i believe that the weight of the nuclear project in iran with all the protections and all the defensive measures, which has been made by human beings can be penetrated by human beings. >> reporter: but why the rush? israel estimates iran could have a nuclear weapon within a year. israel believes with each month iran's nuclear program gets more advanced, more entrenched and could achieve irreversible momentum, a point where even an israeli air strike wouldn't slow it down. israel says it cannot wait for that to happen, but the cost of an attack would likely be iranian missiles falling here in tel aviv.

ron baruto showed us his family's bomb shelter. he's making sure it's ready. >> we'll probably have to put this room into use. >> reporter: every israeli apartment built in the last 20 years must have a bomb shelter. these are gas masks? every israeli is issued a gas mask. being prepared doesn't mean all israelis think attacking iran is a good idea. >> if missiles fly to israel, not to the united states. >> reporter: washington is calling for patience. israel says it doesn't have much left. iran is saying, don't even think about attacking us and showed off today its rocket technology, launching a satellite into orbit. iran insists that its nuclear program is peaceful, that no decision has been taken to actually build any weapons, and points out that israel does have nuclear weapons. lester? >> richard engel in tel aviv, thanks. much of europe continues to

struggle with record cold. a deep freeze that's lasted for days and now killed at least 175 people. russia and ukraine are among the hardest hit. in latvia, overnight temperatures are minus 22 degrees. it's snowing over the coliseum in rome. we posted a full report by stephanie gosk on our website nbcnightlynews.com. a major winter storm hit denver today closing schools, snarling traffic and canceling flights. weather channel meteorologist mike seidel joins me from the thick of it. hi, mike. >> reporter: hey, good evening, lester. the snowiest months here in denver typically are november, december and march. none of the top 20 storms that hit here this month where the average snowfall is just six inches. today they saw twice that much snow in the foot hills west of town they had as much as four feet.

the storm shut down the city early. traffic accident clogged highways and a long stretch of interstate 70 has been closed due to four to five-foot drifts. more than 600 flights are canceled. another three to five inches of snowfall tonight. here is the forecast in denver as the storm heads east and weakens tomorrow. not before omaha picks up at least six inches of snow. sunday rain and snow in the midwest, but dry and 45, mild for the super bowl on super bowl sunday in indianapolis. on a winter that's featured below-average snowfall in the lower 48, denver is one of few cities including seattle and midland, texas, that overachieved, as the snow continues to add up tonight. >> mike seidel, thank you. when "nightly news" continues, air-tight security in indianapolis. an exclusive look at the massive cutting-edge effort under way to keep the super bowl secure. later -- it was a case of david versus goliath. david came out on top. one woman's determined quest to get what she paid for. or

we are back now. just 48 hours from one of the biggest events on earth and

security in indianapolis is air-tight on the ground and in the sky over lucas oil stadium. in a post 9/11 world, local, state and federal authorities can take no chances and nbc's tom costello has an exclusive look into what goes into securing the super bowl. >> reporter: al qaeda may be a far less potent threat, but in indianapolis at one of the biggest sporting events of the year, no one is taking security for granted. local and state police fully deployed, every stadium delivery truck checked and scanned for explosives. roving tsa vipr teams watching public transportation. and mobile radiation detection teams both in cars and on foot with sophisticated equipment that will be sniffing for any hint of any illegal radiation that someone might smuggle in. of the 300,000 people coming to indianapolis for the game, nearly 70,000 people will be inside the stadium at kick-off, and every one of them will need to be screened.

the head of homeland security says there is no suggestion indianapolis is a target. >> we have no specific credible threat at this time against the super bowl. >> reporter: still, customs and border protection choppers and planes will be in the air, enforcing a 30-mile no-fly zone over indy. if a plane were to get through, fighter jets will be called in. >> keep general aviation aircraft outside the area to keep them from disrupting the venue whether it be purposefully or accidentally. >> reporter: 8,000 workers in and around the stadium will be on watch, trained to look for suspicious behavior, as that same message flashes on giant video screens. this is a key part of your message. >> that's right. we're asking everybody in the stadium, if you see something, say something. >> reporter: this xlvi super bowl is the 12th since 9/11, everyone since a security success, a track record they

intend to build on here. tom costello, nbc news, indianapolis. there is late word tonight federal prosecutors have dropped their two-year long investigation of lance armstrong, ending an effort to determine whether the seven-time tour de france winner cheated his way to victory by taking part in a doping program. armstrong repeatedly denied the accusations that have dogged him for years. tonight he released a statement praising the decision. when we come back tonight, she refused to back down against one of the largest automakers on earth. how her victory could make you think twice about your own car.

we've been reporting on the woman who sued honda over the claim her civic hybrid would get 50 miles per gallon. she says her mileage was nowhere near that and she wasn't willing to accept a small class action settlement honda was proposing. she won in small claims court, but that's not the end of the story.

here is nbc's kristen dahlgren. >> reporter: when heather peters' 2006 honda civic hybrid didn't get the 50 miles per gallon she expected, the former lawyer opted out of a class action settlement and took honda to small claims court. >> there are no lawyers. you get 15 minutes, half hour to tell your story, just plain english. it's really easy. >> reporter: the judge agreed with peters. in a 26-page decision, he cited a list of what he called misleading representations by honda. among them the car would use amazingly little fuel. peters was awarded close to $10,000, much more than $200 she would have gotten in the class action settlement. >> wow! it was fantastic. i couldn't be happier. it was a victory for all honda civic owners. >> reporter: in tampa, florida, jeffrey says he'll file a small claim against honda, too. >> soon as i seen heather fought honda herself and was successful, i thought, i'm a pretty good talker. i think i'm going to give it a shot, too.

>> reporter: heather says she'll share her evidence online. >> if every single litigant out there decided to bring a small claims court action, it could be very expensive for the corporate defendant. >> reporter: while it may seem like a win for the little guy, this isn't over. in a statement, honda says it will appeal, and in that courtroom, there will be lawyers. >> i fully expect they are going to try and squash me like a bug. >> reporter: honda insists actual mileage depends on a number of factors, including how you drive. peters says now she's even more driven. >> i really think all of us standing up together, we are really going to get heard. >> reporter: a small claims win that could have huge implications. kristen dahlgren, nbc news, los angeles. up next here tonight, the super bowl ad wars. off and running and earlier than ever before.

finally tonight, they often get more next-day buzz in the tackles and touchdowns on the field, but if you're afraid to take a bathroom break or make a kitchen run during sunday's super bowl for fear of missing those clever and funny commercials, fear not. many now are just a click away. it's a new kind of pregame show.

>> hi, can i get my crv brought up, please? >> broderick. broderick. >> reporter: it could have been one of monday morning's super bowl ads. matthew broderick recreating scenes from a classic '80s movie. instead, we are talking about it now because this honda ad has already been viewed 10 million times on the internet. >> how could i resist? >> reporter: advertisers, it seems, can't resist getting a jump on the post super bowl buzz by putting their ads on now. volkswagen first tried it last year. ♪ remember the point-sized darth vader? that commercial was released days before the game and went viral. now volkswagen is back with another early release. >> the dog is funnier than the vader kid. >> reporter: before volkswagen released that commercial, it let the dogs out of the bag in this teaser video.

yes, a preview of a preview ad. 11 million hits on youtube. >> they all try to get on twitter and facebook and youtube and get people passing their ads along ahead of the game. >> reporter: but are advertisers destroying a time-honored super bowl tradition? >> it loses the anticipation many people watch the super bowl for, like myself. >> reporter: a 30-second ad that costs around $3.5 million on tv costs nothing on the internet. >> i'm so sorry, mr. seinfeld, you're number two on the list. >> who is number one? >> that guy. >> what guy? >> so you're number one. >> reporter: there might be a lot of buzz now. >> i like the doritos, bud light, the dog jumping through the screen door. >> reporter: the big question is, without the surprise factor, will we be talking ads come monday morning or, heaven forbid, about the football game? and you can see the game and all the commercials sunday here on nbc.

that's our broadcast for this friday night. thank you for being with us. i'm lester holt in tonight for brian. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" and back here tomorrow evening. brian will be back with you here on monday. have a good night, everyone. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com good evening. thanks for being with us on this friday. i'm raj mathai. >> i'm jessica aguirri. he misses his son, but he won't see him this afternoon. a judge modified the stay away order that prevents him from seeing his son. the order was in place when she was charged with