on the broadcast tonight, under fire under the national outrage over trayvon martin's death, the police chief steps aside. and tonight, new questions and serious questions about the controversial self defense laws across this country. the fallout for one of the biggest names in breast cancer charities and the women who may pay the price. and whitney houston, tonight, the cause of death has been revealed. "nightly news" begins right now. good evening. we have all watched it happen just as we have covered it here every night. the crush of national media attention, the arrival of the

feds on the case of a teenage boy shot and killed outside the florida home he was visiting by an apparently overzealous neighborhood watch volunteer with a gun. tonight, the police chief who has been under relentless fire for not arresting the man has stepped aside. for those who have descended on sanford, florida, and those watching it across the country, it amounted to progress in the case today. it's where we begin again tonight with nbc's ron allen. >> reporter: late today, chief bill lee under enormous pressure, told reporters he's stepping aside. >> it's apparent that my involvement in the matter is overshadowing the process. >> reporter: he's been chief just ten months, brought in to clean up after the beating of a homeless black man by an officer's son was caught on tape. since the killing of trayvon martin, lee has defended the decision not to arrest george zimmerman, who admits pulling the trigger. >> mr. zimmerman has made the

statement of self defense. until we can establish probable cause to dispute that, we don't have the grounds to arrest him. >> today, martin's parents say they want the killer arrested, not just the chief stepping aside. >> the temporary step down of bill lee is nothing. we want the arrest, conviction and we want him sentenced for the murder of our son. >> tension remains high with mostly black residents voicing allegations of police abuse in almost daily forums. >> now that the chief has stepped down, it's the police department admitting it has a problem. that's going to prompt a lot of people to want to see a deeper probe. >> reporter: city manager, new on the job and a father himself. >> what do you think this has done to the community? >> it's been devastating for the community, devastating how we feel about ourselves, devastating about how the world sees sanford. >> the justice for trayvon martin's family echoes everywhere. at a miami high school, hundreds

of students walked out of class. in atlanta, protesters boarded buses heading here to sanford. organizers and the martin family insist this is just the beginning. >> since the chief has stepped down, it's a temporary relief, but we need a permanent relief. i still say we need an arrest. >> reporter: tonight, there are thousands of people here gathered to support the family and demand justice for trayvon martin and his family. the family today had their first opportunity to meet with investigators from the u.s. department of justice in washington who are here looking into whether this can become a civil right case. and george zimmerman remains in hiding, but he won't be returning to the community college where he's taking classes. today that school told him, please don't come back until this controversy is over. brian. >> ron allen starting us off from florida, ron, thanks. >> the controversy over the trayvon martin shooting has focused new attention on a florida law called "stand your ground."

nearly half of the states in the country have similar laws of their own on the books. tonight, some of them are getting a closer look. our report from our justice correspondent, pete williams. >> reporter: the florida law at the center of a civil rights tempest was born in the aftermath of a hurricane, after ivan in 2004, a pensacola man who shot a looter at his house, waited months before learning he would not be prosecuted. that prompted the legislature to make florida the fifrs state explicitly allowing homeowners to use deadly force. with the support of the nra, the law was later expanded to cover anywhere a person has the lowell right to be. one of the sponsors said it was never intended to apply to someone who chases or confronts someone else. >> i don't want us to make a mistake of removing protections that are there for law abiding citizens and letting them know we will stand by them as they protect themselves and their families from harm. >> florida's stand your ground

law said people can use deadly force if they reasonably fear for their safety. it does away with the usual rule that people who are threatened have a duty to retreat if they can, and florida's law goes one step further, allowing deadly force to stop someone from committing a serious crime, including robbery or burglary of someone's anyone's property. >> the common law allowed you to use force to defend yourself or your home. it's called the "stand your ground" law but it's really a skaet stand someone else's ground" law. >> though florida's is the most expansive, at least 19 other states have similar laws, allowing the use of deadly force outside a home or business. gun control advocates say the laws encourage violent behavior. >> based on fear and paranoia and the idea of shoot first and ask question later, and vigilantes protecting themselves, and this is a law that promotes that. >> now some florida officials say it's time to re-examine the law and see if its working as it's intended or if it's a license to kill.

pete williams, nbc news, washington. >> after weeks of speculation tonight as we mentioned we learned what killed whitney houston. the coroner in l.a. said the cause was accidental drowning complicated by cocaine and heart disease. there were other drugs found in her system including xanax, marijuana, benadryl, and one other muscle relaxant, but the report says they did not contribute to her death. the l.a. county coroner spoke before cameras a short time ago. >> the department of coroner has concluded its investigation into the death of ms. whitney houston. the final cause of death has been established as drowning. due to heart disease and cocaine use. we know that when she slipped under the water, she was still alive. we have evidence of drowning. so there was water in the lungs, so that substantiates, that's

finding. schanlss had she not had the pre-existing heart disease and cocaine use, she may not have drown. but that is there determination of both the beverly hills police department and the los angeles county coroner, that there was no external trauma to the body and no indication of foul play. a violent end to a story we told you about. a tense standoff between french police and the alleged gunman in three fatal shootings. after being corners for 32 hours, french officials say the suspect came out with guns blazing as police stormed the apartment. he jumped from a window, landing on the ground, still firing until he was shot dead by police. three police officers were hurt in the exchange. suspect, a 23-year-old al qaeda trained militant, they say, died as he claimed he wanted to, with a gun in his hands. now to the politics of women's health in this country. the largest women's breast cancer charity remains in turmoil after a controversial

attempt to cut off its funding of planned parenthood. donations to the susan g. komen foundation are down sharply in many areas. now some top executives are leaving. our report on all of it tonight from nbc's lisa myers. >> the organization known for its iconic pink ribbon is taking a hit where it hurts. at races for the cure around the country. in southwest florida, donations down almost 30%. lafayette, louisiana, down 27%. ft. worth, texas, race registration down 40%. >> we do recognize that people are upset with komen right now. even on a local level. >> the biggest affiliate, new york city, just canceled its annual gala. the cause, a spokesman says, we're not certain about our ability to fundraise in the near future. eve ellis, a former new york board member whose family has raised or donated about

$250,000, says she's closed her check book. >> i stopped giving to komen because it no longer represents who i thought komen was. and that to me is extremely sad. >> komen's hierarchy is in turmoil. today, the chairman of the board stepped down and was replaced by a previous chairman who is close to the founder and ceo nancy brinker. three top executives have resigned. all said it was a personal decision but opposed komen's recent effort to withdraw funding of planned parenthood. >> recently, nancy brinker apologized to volunteers. >> we let you down. for that, i'm profoundly sorry. >> there are growing demands for komen to clean house. >> nancy brinker needs to resign and the board needs to be replaced. >> komen officials acknowledge these are difficult times, but the board says it has complete confidence in brinker, and officials warn that fewer

donations will mean less money to help women who can't afford mammograms or cancer treatment. today, this maryland hospital provided mammograms for low income women thanks to money from komen. >> this year, we'll do an additional 600 mammograms. from what we usually do. >> because of the komen money? >> because of the komen money. >> ultimately, they saved my life. >> roxanne martinez, of ft. worth, was pregnant when diagnosed with breast cancer, then lost her job. she said money from komen helped pay for chemotherapy, medicine, and insurance premiums. >> knowing what i have been through, i know that the women's lives are on the line here. >> martinez says she'll run at least three races this year and urges friends to forgive komen's mistakes. lisa myers, nbc news, washington. there's a staggering new number out tonight from the federal government. student loan debt in the country has reached $1 trillion. that's a record.

it's also more than americans owe on credit cards. and the implications here, like the numbers, are enormous. our report from our chief education correspondent, rehema ellis. >> maria recently got a masters in education to improve her job prospects, but at 31, married with one child and another on the way, she said the cost of her degree is a burden. >> it's a terrible way to start a marriage with someone, to have those extra stresses on you. >> with $50,000 in student loans, a stack of other bills, and a teacher's salary of $35,000, she said she barely makes ends meet. >> it's scary. >> two thirds of the class of 2010 graduated owing an average of $25,000 in student loans. more than a quarter of those grads are behind on their payments, making maria's story all too familiar. >> my credit was shot because of defaulting on payments and deferring loans.

>> the average cost of a public four year college education is nearly $21,000 per year. private college, $36,000. unlike other debt that can be forgiven in bankruptcy, student loans for the most part, cannot. that impacts not just the bor w borrower but the nation as well. >> if you could discharge the student loan, you could rebuild your credit and get back to someone who does buy a house, that helps the housing economy. >> experts say there are ways to manage the debt. talk with your lenders. work out a repayment plan that fits your budget. >> if your debt to income ratio is a certain percentage, your payments could be as little as $47 or as little as $15 or zero dollars. >> maria is paying interest only. >> that's the scary thing. we're just buying time, but we're prolonging the inevitable that you got to pay it. >> a lesson she hopes her children will learn before they're old enough to go to college. >> what do you want to draw a picture of? >> rehema ellis, nbc news.

a lot more to tell you about as we continue, including love and marriage and new stats out bringing a fascinating snap shot of american life. and a symbol of the american west returns. a day that's been years in the making.

as we said, there's a new snapshot out of the way we americans live and love. this is from the government. it's got fascinating news in it about marriages. the ones that stay together, the ones that fall apart.

our report from chris jansing. >> jeff proposed to claudia in october. a month later, they moved in together. >> we thought our relationship was ready for the next level. >> you promise to love and cherish him in sickness and in health. >> they're part of a dramatic shift in the way we approach marriage. in the late 1960s, just about 10% of couples lived together before tying the knot. now, most couples do, a full 66%. >> you used to have a lot of cultural taboos against cohabitation and those seem to be falling away. >> the number of couples engaged when they move in together last longer than those without the commitment, but in any case, staying together is very hard to do. >> what a beautiful wedding ring. where's your husband? >> he's not here. >> oh. >> we're actually taking some time apart. >> more than 50% of first marriages now end in divorce

before the 20 year mark. valencia married at 22. after 18 years and four children, she and her husband split. >> i think if a woman waits a little longer, she could find a more compatible partner. >> the study did find some predictors of a long marriage. a college degree increases chances that you'll stay married 20 years or more. asian women stay married the longest followed by hispanic men. and if you want to increase your marital bliss, don't want down the aisle with a man who is divorced or has kids. >> and one more trend that may be the biggest cultural change of all. >> where is she going? >> lock the door. >> today, nearly 4 of every 10 american women have never been married. but jeff and claudia still believe in happily ever after. chris jansing, nbc news, new york. up next, you might have seen headlines on the web proclaiming a cure for baldness.

tonight, what could be a step toward the holy grail.

we have just learned tonight about the charges that are going to be filed against army staff sergeant robert bales accused in the afghan massacre 11 days ago now. nbc news has learned bales will face 17 counts of murder and 6 counts of assault and attempted murder. now that number, 17 counts of murder, means the death toll in this case has been raised by one. the charges are expected to be released tomorrow. and we learned today this country has lost two men who have had a great impact individually on the american morning routine. samuel glazer has died, but you may know him better as mr. coffee. he was the king of the drip coffee makers, the co-founder of mr. coffee. the choices were percolator or instant, and drip was a game changer.

so was their pitchman, joe dimaggio, who took the job because they cold called him and asked him to do it. glazer was a world war ii vet, he sold dog food and garage doors before he hit it big. they sold the company for $82 million a few years back. samuel glazer was 89 years old. >> and murray lender has died. that's lender as in lender's bagels. the son of polish immigrants who started a family bakery, they were the first to sell prepackaged bagels and then frozen bagels which really brought the product to americans who never would have encountered them. murray lender was 81 years old. it's always been believed that a baldness cure would be the holy grail of medicine. that so many men would be willing to pay the price, it would make some inventor or company or both very rich. now scientists are reporting a big clues and a potential step forward in the studies of bald men and laboratory mice.

they have pinpointed a protein that triggers hair loss. for now, good news for male mice with thinning hair. but for humans, this could lead to a cream to prevent or treat baldness as soon as five years from now, they say. there's also a question about how this would apply to women with thinning hair. up next here tonight, the return of an american icon.

after a 20-year fight, a symbol of the american west is back -- the bison. for decades, they were bred with cattle, so pure bison are rare, but now a coalition of government agencies, environmentalists, native americans has brought the original bison home, but not everybody is happy with that. our report from anne thompson. >> reporter: for the first time in more than a century, a herd of purebred yellowstone bison are home on montana's range. 58 animals, descendants of the millions nearly slaughtered to extinction in the late 1800s. now caught between two visions of the west.

the endless landscape as it was, today's civilized by grain, cattle, and train. the bison arrived this week in the dark, welcomed with a sacred song from the tribes to the reservation near the canadian border. for tribal leader tommy christian, the bison are his heritage. >> how we refer to ourselves as the buffalo people. >> historically, the bison provided food, clothing, and medicine. today, christian says they offer a cultural connection young members need. >> there's hope they'll understand just because we're different doesn't mean we're wrong. >> these links to the past are very much a present day threat to people here in montana who also make their living off this land. the bison were moved to a larger pasture, but will remain behind an eight-foot fence. that's not enough for rose stoneburg and her daughter who with other cattle ranchers are suing the state to prevent the bison from becoming a free roaming heard. >> what we oppose is the bison

being called wild. so that they can go out and take over the ranges. >> if there's no population control, ultimately, they will take over everything. >> but environmental groups see these bison as an example of modern sustainable living. >> we can't turn our back to the mid-1800s. what we can do is thoughtfully manage the bison on the landscapes that are suitable for bison. >> making room for bison, cattle, and man on montana's vast landscape. anne thompson, nbc news, wolfpoint, montana. that's our thursday night broadcast. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams, and of course, we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. good evening, ev.

i'm jessica aguirre. >> and i'm raj mathieu. it's been called the smoking gun in the east bay. undercover videos that shows a drug deal between an undercover investigator and