on the broadcast tonight, breach of trust. the outrage from families over what happened at school. tonight as a huge classroom scandal unfolds, extraordinary action has been taken to investigate crimes over against children. church politics. the growing firestorm over birth control. reversal of fortune. team obama does the math and changes the course over raising big super pac money for the presidential campaign. and the era of attack ads and robo calls may just be getting started. hold the salt. a new health warning tonight and some big surprises about just where the danger really is. and what we believe was a first today at the white house. "nightly news" begins now.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. tonight, parents are outraged over what happened to their children at school as a big and fast-moving scandal now has rocked one of the largest elementary schools in the country, inside the second largest school system in the country in los angeles. officials there have made big and fast changes. two veteran teachers have been charged with lewd conduct, aimed at their own students, including allegations of some of the worst kind of abuse imaginable. the school has been shut down for two days. the entire staff has been transferred. it's an extraordinary action and it matches the outrage of the parents at the potential victimization of their children. it's where we begin here tonight with nbc's mike taibbi in los angeles. >> reporter: crying children. children and their parents,

hugged for the teachers they won't see for a while. and their school with 1,500 students, shut down for two days. the school superintendent announced the unprecedented measures including the transfer of all of the school's 150 teachers and staff. >> clearly several individuals have violated the most sacred trust we have, which is to take care of students when they're given to us. >> don't tell me that! >> reporter: there have been escalating protests by parents since two veteran teachers were charged with lewd acts against children. 49-year-old martin springer for allegedly fondling two third graders and 61-year-old mark berndt who is alleged to have photographed lewd acts with at least 23 children with their eyes blindfolded and mouths covered with tape. one source involved in the case confirmed for abc news in addition to photograph, prosecutors have dna evidence against berndt, dna evidence in alleged acts involving children as young as 7 years old.

experts on school scandal say there's a danger that frightened parents and impressionable children could lead to charges that by themselves could lead to lasting damage to children and innocent teachers. >> it's very dangerous. the fear and anger can move into mob hysteria and the wrong people can be accused. >> reporter: there was anger last night when the press wasn't allowed into a meeting with school officials. but today many parents in this largely hispanic community were more upset for the disruption to students and teachers not connected to this scandal in any way. >> the bad teachers are gone. keep them out. but the rest of the teachers were really good. >> reporter: a crisis crystallized on one poster -- who can we trust? mike taibbi, nbc news, los angeles. now we turn to presidential politics and a major reversal from president obama who's now

embracing those new super pacs made possible by a supreme court decision, the same super pacs that been spending a fortune jamming the airwaves with commercials during the gop primary season. our political director chief white house correspondent chuck todd is with us from our washington news room tonight with more on this. chuck, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. as you know super pacs have now become short hand for big money in politics. the decision today by the president's campaign to essentially flip flop and go down the super pac road means more money will flow even faster. >> how can we trust him? think you know mitt? >> reporter: they've been seeing a lot of this in the republican primary and kay cuss states. >> he raised our hopes. he seemed to understand. >> reporter: nonstop negative tv ads from super pacs, big money groups, outside the campaigns, loosely affiliated with the candidates. >> winning our future is responsible for the content of this ad. >> spoon for the content of this ad. >> reporter: super pac spending exploded in 2010 after the supreme court opened the door

for unlimited contributions from corporations and individuals to political groups. president obama had been a critic. >> all across america, special interests have poured millions of dollars into phony front groups. you've seen them. they're called americans for prosperity. moms for motherhood. >> reporter: but today, the president's campaign changed course. it will encourage super pac support. >> we're going to fight on the same playing field, we're going to level the playing field. >> reporter: super pac spending in the republican primary has exceeded $40 million and prompted the change of heart in the obama campaign. on sunday, mr. obama telegraphed the change in an interview with matt lauer. >> it is very hard to be able to get your message out without having some resources. >> reporter: the decision will also impact the battle for control of congress. >> the problem for democratic super pacss affiliated with house and senate races is that the titular head of the

democratic party, barack obama, made it very clear in 2010 and all the way back to his 2008 race that he didn't approve of super pacs. now that he's giving the okay, that should turn on the spigot of outside money. >> reporter: campaign finance reform advocates were filled with doom and gloom. >> i'm telling you this, by the end of the 2012 election, we will have an historic national scandal in this country, and we will have new opportunities for major reforms. >> reporter: and brian, consider this -- during last month's south carolina primary, there was so much super pac money coming in that tv stations actually ran out of room to air the ads. that was one race and only some $10 million. imagine the saturation point come october in the orlandos and clevelands when it's hundreds of millions of dollars and multiple campaigns for office, brian. >> as we said, chuck, sadly, we are just getting started down this road. chuck todd from our d.c. news room tonight, thanks. on the campaign trail tonight, there are three contests, caucuses in minnesota, colorado, and a primary in missouri. but because of party rules in these states, no delegates are being awarded tonight. still because of the stakes of

the finishing order among other things, campaigning is going on fast and furious. nbc's kelly o'donnell covering from st. charles, missouri, tonight, kelly, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. in this ballroom tonight, rick santorum supporters predict a big night for his lagging campaign. possibly his first victory since iowa. mitt romney and newt gingrich both say they think santorum can win in minnesota, do well in colorado, and here in missouri where gingrich is not even on the ballot. now today while mitt romney talked only about the president, not his gop rival, his campaign played down these three states even saying the missouri primary is a beauty contest because delegates are not decided tonight. santorum fought back and said boy, romney thought these states were important four years ago when romney won colorado. and if you're wondering where newt gingrich is, he's on a bus tour in ohio. early voting starts there for next month's primary and gingrich told us he learned the

hard way that early voting is so important when romney trounced him in florida. brian? >> kelly o'donnell on the trail tonight in st. charles, missouri. kelly, thanks. we have more tonight on the growing political battle over women's health and reproductive rights that sprung up on several fronts in these recent days including a fight over birth control and religious freedom. our report tonight from white house correspondent kristen welker. >> reporter: the chorus of voice against the white house grew louder today as republican senators took aim at the decision requiring religious affiliated institutions to include birth control in health insurance plans. >> no one in the united states, no one, should ever be compelled by their government to choose between violating their religious beliefs and being penalized for refusing. >> this is wrong. i think people know it's wrong. this is something that cannot be allowed to stand. >> reporter: democrats played defense.

>> don't punish women again, don't try to. under the administration plan, churches are respected. >> reporter: the ground swell started in large part by outraged catholic clergy. >> never before has the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their conscience. >> reporter: the administration says religiously owned providers should not be allowed to impose their faith on non-catholic employees. the rule does not apply to churches themselves. >> and we certainly don't want to abridge anyone's religious freedom. we're going to look for a way to move forward. >> reporter: and in this volatile election year, republican candidates have been chiming in. >> this is a decision so totally outrageous. >> we must have a president who is willing to protect america's first right, a right to worship god. >> reporter: supporters also say the constitution mandates a separation of church and state, but even some liberal democrats are crying foul. kristen welker, nbc news, the

white house. one more note here on the controversy, the vice president of the susan g. komen breast cancer charity who reportedly pushed the decision to cut off funding for preventative screenings at planned parenthood clinics across the country resigned today. but karen handel says she still believes cutting off the funds was the right thing to do, even though komen reversed itself last week. this decision, as you may know, caused an uproar among a lot of komen supporters. now to a closely watched and dramatic court ruling on same-sex marriage in california. specifically on proposition 8, a voter-approved measure that banned same-sex marriage. well, today a federal appeals court declared prop 8 unconstitutional. but this may be headed for the supreme court. that's where our justice correspondent pete williams is on duty tonight. pete, good evening. >> reporter: brian, this ruling is a decisive win for advocates of same-sex marriage, but the way it's worded makes it less

likely the supreme court would use this case to decide the issue of gay marriage nationwide. >> the gay marriage ban is considered unconstitutional! >> reporter: supporters of same sex marriage cheered today's decision by a panel of three federal judge, declaring that proposition 8, passed by california voters in 2008 to ban gay marriage is unconstitutional. the court said because california's separate domestic partnership law already gave same-sex couples the same legal rights that married couples have, all proposition 8 did was take away from gay couples the legal right to get marriage licenses. they could still adopt, raise children, get spousal benefits, all the privileges of marriage, just not the term. prop 8, the court said today, serves no purpose, has no effect other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians. the ruling said the u.s. constitution does not permit that kind of discrimination. >> what the court did today

affirms that you cannot single out one group of people and deny them the dignity and respect which all citizens deserve. >> reporter: the decision relies heavily on what happened in california where the right of same-sex marriage was granted starting in 2008, then taken away by prop 8. the immediate effect of the ruling applies only in that state. the court explicitly said it was not deciding the larger question over whether the constitution allows any state to ban gay marriage. backers of proposition 8 say they'll appeal. they say they want to get the issue before the supreme court. >> some cases are so big that the magnitude of the issues says to the supreme court, it would be good to take this case and resolve this up front, rather than allow the issue to percolate for a long period of time. >> reporter: while the prop 8 backers decide their next move, the ban on gay marriage in california remains in effect. if this case does come here and if the justices decide to take it up, they probably wouldn't hear it until next year. brian?

>> pete williams at the supreme court tonight. pete, thanks. overseas to syria where today thousands of pro assad demonstrators raising russian flags lined the streets of damascus to welcome the foreign minister of russia, one of syria's few remaining allies, as the regime escalates its bloody crackdown on protesters. russia is being hailed as a friend because they blocked that security council resolution this past weekend calling on assad to step down. up next, as we continue tonight, the salt trap. another reminder that many americans eat too much of it. tonight, the short list of where a lot of it comes from. and later, a woman who warns us, if we blink, we may very well miss what makes her very special.

as promised, back with another health warning tonight about salt. the centers for disease control said today 9 out of 10 of us consume too much of it. in some cases, twice as much as the recommended daily amount.

that, of course, can lead to high blood pressure, often for good reason called the silent killer because it puts so many folks at risk for life-threatening diseases. but the real surprise for a lot of people will be where that salt comes from. our report from nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: 57-year-old don cuff's heart attack five years ago nearly killed him. so he changed everything, dropped weight, stopped smoking and dramatically cut the salt. >> ruled out a lot of red meat, eat a lot more fish, eat a lot of oatmeal. >> reporter: for good reason. 800,000 people die each year from diseases related to high blood pressure. >> elevated blood pressure can create problems with heart disease, diabetes, strokes and kidney disease. >> reporter: today, the centers for disease control said on average, americans consume 3,300 milligrams of salt or sodium each day. that's twice what's recommended for anyone at risk, those over

the age of 51 and all african-americans. and the cdc says 44% of the sodium we eat comes from only ten types of food, with bread and rolls topping the list. followed by cold cuts, deli and packaged meats, pizzas, poultry, soups, sandwiches including cheeseburgers, cheese, pasta dishes, meat loaf-type dishes and at the bottom of the list, snacks. >> we're eating more food made by others, in restaurants or prepared food from grocery stores. and when other people make food for us, they put a lot more salt in it. >> reporter: some of those foods may come as a surprise. a diet soda has 20 to 40 milligrams of sodium. but a glass of tomato juice could have 16 times that amount. a bag of chips may have 200 milligrams of salt, but packaged lunch meats can have 1,000 milligrams. and at 460 milligrams, a single slice of american cheese can be higher in sodium than an entire garden salad with ranch dressing. more fruits, veggies and home

cooking are the solution, says the cdc. cutting salt by a third could save 81,000 lives a year. tom costello, nbc news, washington. and up next here tonight, the harmless missile fired inside the white house today.

they call it the canyon of heroes for good reason. and the returning heroic new york giants today were honored with a ticker tape parade. and while several people noted that between paperless offices and office windows that don't open anymore, the ticker tape component of the parade isn't what it used to be. giants fans nonetheless came out by the thousands to see the super bowl champs get the key to the city. then the party moved across the river to giants stadium in new jersey, now the home of the world champion new york giants. and while president obama kicked off the white house science fair today with a big congratulations to the giants, followed by his pitch for a huge initiative to train more math and science teachers, what happened next reminded us of

that old saying, don't bring a marshmallow launcher to the white house unless you intend to use it. well, that's exactly what the president did with this young man's science project. launching one right past the secret service, past a window and into a nearby wall. the president said the students and their science projects were an inspiration. well, the frivolity continued in the east wing. jimmy fallon engaged in a physical fitness challenge with first lady michelle obama that included a tug of war. it was meant to celebrate the second anniversary of her physical fitness challenge called let's move. the challenge and crowning of the winner will air on jimmy's show tonight on nbc. the last known surviving veteran of the great war has died in the uk. florence green signed up in the women's royal air force in world war i 94 years ago in 1918. she worked in the mess hall on an air base. she leaves behind her son, four

grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and a life well lived. mrs. green was 110. it's believed her death now brings an era of world history to a close. and a very brave man today announced his intention to make history, to become the first person to break the sound barrier without having an aircraft around him. felix baumgartner plans to free fall from the edge of space 23 miles up wearing a special pressurized suit with oxygen and a parachute everyone hopes will open as he nears the earth's surface. we've seen him jump from some of the tallest bridges and buildings on earth, so lack of courage isn't a question here. no word yet on the exact date for this jump. up next, as we continue, a woman with the need for speed making a real name for herself and making history all the way down the track.

finally tonight, a woman on the fast track in the sport of auto racing which has, let's face it, been dominated by many of the same faces over the years. but that's changing, which is why nicole lyons has been named one of this year's most notable people as chosen by thegrio.com.

rehema ellis caught up with nicole lyons in atlanta. >> reporter: she may not look the part but this 5'6", 110-pound woman is an up and coming contender in car racing. in a $1 million car, she barrels down a quarter mile track at 250 miles per hour in just over five seconds. >> you can't blink or sneeze in one of our races because it's over with. >> reporter: she stands out in this sport that is one of the fastest in the world. in top sportsman drag racing, nicole is the only woman and the first african-american woman. the driving force behind her love of cars and racing was her father, a drag racer himself. >> since 5 years old, i've been passing wrenches to my dad. >> reporter: before his death, he taught her everything he knew about cars. including what's under the hood. now 29 and married, she owns a muscle car restoration shop near

los angeles where most of her mechanics are women. being one of a kind and with model looks she's attracted attention. >> i think it's lucrative for our sponsors and marketing partners to have somebody that diverse in the sport who can really pioneer and really show other people, minority wise, that they can do this. >> reporter: now nicole is training to compete in nascar. a long-time trainer believes she's unstoppable. >> they're not going to tell her she can't do it. so she's just going to keep going. so i don't think there's a limit. >> reporter: nicole says she thrives on testing limits. >> it's like that old saying, if it's too hot you need to get out of the kitchen. and right now, i like the burn. >> reporter: one young woman gaining respect in a man's world. >> this car has a little power. >> reporter: and proving she's on the right track. too much speed for me. rehema ellis, nbc news, atlanta. that's our broadcast on a tuesday night. thank you for being with us. i'm brian williams.

we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. good evening, thanks for joining us on this tuesday, i'm raj mathai. >> i'm jessica aguirre. banning gay marriage is unconstitutional but wedding bells aren't ringing yet. today marked another step in the march toward the supreme court for both sides in the prop 8 debate. the ruling from a three-judge panel said prop 8 did nothing but "lessen the status of human dignity of gays and