on our broadcast tonight, dick clark, an american original, gone tonight at the age of 82. and we'll look back on an incredible career. the scandal at the u.s. secret service where tonight heads are now rolling and we're learning more on the ground where it happened in colombia. flashpoint. the latest embarrassment for american fighting forces growing widespread condemnatn and what does it mean for those in the fight? >> they won, now the richest people in their small town. what happened when they realized they hit the powerball jackpot. and a win for the ages. history was made on the mound last night in what is being called a victory for old guys everywhere. "nightly news" begins now.

good evening. there isn't a generation of americans alive today who doesn't know dick clark. he was a ubiquitous presence in american television and in american life. from the era of black and white innocence and saturday afternoon dance parties to this past new year's eve when 2011 gave way to 2012 here in new york and he was there. in terms of u.s. psidents, he spanned from eisenhower to obama, and we received word late today that dick clark had died in a santa monica hospital of a massive heart attack at the age of 82. people are lining up to remember this man who we'll always associate with certain times and places and events like new year's eve in times square where nbc's chris jansing is stationed tonight to start us off. chris, good evening. >> good evening, brian. chances are good that anyone anywhere in the world with a television has seen the ball drop here in times square on new year' eve. dick clark created that iconic

moment for television back in 1972, and it's just one piece of his enormous legacy. >> live from philadelphia -- >> he walked onto the stage with an effortless appeal. >> we're going to go all the way right up to the top. >> and we welcomed him into our home for more than five decades. >> here's a thing called the twist. ladies and gentlemen, here's chubby checkers. >> often called america's oldest teenager, he seemed ageless, hosting american bandstand for more than 30 years, from black and white to living color. >> it's been the greatest fantasy of my life. i have been working 35 years in television. it's my first love and the bandstand made it all possible. >> dick clark was born richard wagstaff clark in 1929 in mt. vernon, new york. his mom was a homemaker. his father owned a chain of radio stations. after graduating from syracuse university, he got a job in radio, too. and music was his passion. >> music underscores everything that happens to you, the good

stuff and the bad stuff. music really is one of the three most important things in our lives. >> in philadelphia in 1956, he took over a popular local teen music and dance show. >> this is wfil-tv. >> and quickly turned it into a national sensation. american bandstand launched the careers of hundreds of artists from the supremes -- ♪ stop in the name of love >> to the beach boys -- ♪ well it's been building up inside of me ♪ >> even the young michael jackson. >> please meet for the first visit the jackson 5. >> a prolific entrepreneur, he created the american music awards, produced the golden globes, hosted the $10,000 pyramid until it was worth $100,000, and in 1972, launched this new year's eve tradition. >> when i say new year's eve, do you think of any other place in the world? you think of times square.

>> clark was the new year's eve institution until 2004 when his life took a scary turn. >> clark is recovering tonight from a stroke. >> he was hospitalized for seven weeks after the stroke and for the first time in 33 years. he was unable to host his rockin' eve countdown. one year later, he made a brave return. >> it was a long, hard fight. my speech is not perfect, but i'm getting there. >> after that, he didn't miss a new year's in new york, co-hosting with ryan seacrest. >> dick has done it for the last 40 years. please take it away. count us down to the new year. >> all right, the big moment we've been waiting for. >> five, four, three, two, one. happy new year! >> clark then said good-bye to his loyal audience one last time. >> take a look at times square, all of the energy, all of the happy people.

i'll remember this night for a long, long time. >> dick clark leaves three grown children but often said his fans were like family, and among his greatest fans, ryan seacrest who today called him one of the greatest influences of his life, and among the many tributes pouring in, this statement from smokey robinson who said, i loved dick clark, good-bye my friend, rest in peace. and millions of others who grew up in dick clark are surely feeling the loss as well tonight. brian. >> what a run he had. chris jansing in times square, not far from here, starting us off tonight. chris, thanks. we are breaking news to report tonight on the scandal involving the u.s. secret service and military personnel on the trip to cartagena, colombia. kristen welker is with us from the white house. kristen, good evening. >> good evening, brian. well, the secret service just announced that three people will leave the agency as a result of this prostitution scandal. now, the first is a supervisor

who will be retiring. the second one, also a supervisor who will be removed for cause. the third is a non-supervisor who has resigned. eight other employees are on administrative leave. a capitol hill source said polygraphs are on going and 11 women were involved with 11 secret service personnel. they also say the secret service is reviewing the agency's policy of contact with foreign nationals. so far, the investigation shows none of the 11 secret service had guns, radios, equipment, or schedules in their hotel rooms. investigators are looking into reports that drugs may have been a part of this, but so far, there is no evidence of that. brian. >> kristen welker from the white house tonight. thanks. >> and meanwhile, the investigation continues in colombia. we're learning more tonight about what happened that night in and around that hotel in cartagena. nbc's mark potter is there for us tonight. >> one week after u.s. officials

say members of president obama's advanced security detail came to this strip club known as the playclub in a working class cartagena neighborhood and hired prostitutes, the scandal is starting to wear thin here. colombian police officials would not talk publicly about it today and the manager of the fames hotel where u.s. secret service agents allegedly brought prostitutes said she was growing weary of all of the negative press accounts even though prostitution is legal here. the area governor said it's unfortunate so many people have chosen to focus on the american scandal, predicting that in the long run, cartagena and its positive image worldwide would not be harmed. for some people, though, taxi drivers, club owners and workers in the tourism industry, the scandal is a problem. all the publicity and investigators running around asking tough questions about the sex trade here are considered bad for business.

as the scandal widens and it's reported that 11 secret service agents and 10 u.s. military officials are under investigation, much is being revealed now about cartagena's wide open prostitution which draws tourists from around the world. this woman said she works as a prostitute in the area near the playclub. she said while she didn't see the secret service or u.s. military personnel, americans are frequent visitors, seeking sex, drugs, and alcohol. meantime, a u.s. official says some of the secret service personnel under investigation have been offered polygraph tests and some have agreed to take them. next week, the senate judiciary committee is expected to question homeland security secretary janet napolitano about the scandal. officials say both the secret service and the military have investigators here in colombia now trying to sort out the scandal and get all of the varying stories straight. among those to be interviewed are the prostitutes allegedly hired by members of the

president's advance team. brian? >> mark potter, a veteran of that region, in kartdcartagena tonight, thank you for your reporting. we woke up today to another military scandal, and for all of the achievements in ten years of combat in these two wars, the towering sacrifice of over 40,000 killed and wounded, there have been self-inflicted wounds as well like the abuse of prisoners, desecration of bodies and holy books, and now this, pictures newly released by the "l.a. times" showing members of the 82nd airborne in a bad way. nbc's jim miklaszewski at the pentagon tonight. jim, good evening. >> good evening, brian. these controversial photos taken by american soldiers were actually taken two years ago. but it makes it no less embarrassing today. the uncropped photos are too graphic and disturbing to show on television. in this shot, afghan soldiers are holding up the severed legs of a dead suicide bomber while

american soldiers in the background mug for the camera. leon panetta strongly condemned the soldiers' conduct. >> that behavior that was depicted in those photos absolutely violates both our regulations and more importantly our core values. this is not who we are. >> two years ago, around the time the photos were taken, the army relieved two of the battalion commanders for poor judgment. as a bunch of paratroopers in combat acting like teenagers and their platoon sergeant, lieutenant, and captain ought to be held accountable for them. >> this incident is only the latest in a series of explosive scandals. in january, a videotape showed four marines urinating on dead taliban fighters. a month later, riots broke out after american soldiers inadvertently burned korans. six u.s. service members were killed in the backlash. and last month, an army staff sergeant was charged with the

murders of 17 afghan civilians in a shooting rampage. the obama administration asked the "los angeles times" not to publish photos claiming it could threaten the lives of americans in a war zone. >> it's absolute complete rubbish. the taliban, al qaeda, the enemies of the united states need no encouragement whatsoever to come after us. >> and a live web chat today, the paper's editor defending the release. we considered this very carefully, he wrote. at the end of the day, our job is to publish information our readers need to make informed decisions. still pentagon and military officials fear these latest photos could deal another serious setback to the ten-year long war. the army has launched two separate investigations into the incident and interestingly, that same army combat battalion and one of the soldiers who appears in the controversial photos are back in afghanistan today. >> jim miklaszewski at the pentagon for us tonight. jim, thanks. federal investigators are

trying to figure out whether ted nugent is just a loud mouth or a dangerous loud mouth. it's what the former rock musician said in support of mitt romney that got him an appointment to talk to the feds right at this time when romney is trying to win over conservative republicans. we get the report tonight from nbc's andrea mitchell. >> he's a gun-loving rocker, the south-styled motor city madman. hardly a logical sideman for buttoned down mitt romney, but nothe secret service wants to talk to ted nugent after the longtime nra board member fired off a verbal assault against president obama. >> if you can't galvanize and promote and recruit people to vote for mitt romney, we're done. our president, attorney general, vice president, hillary clinton, they're criminals. we are brave heart. we need to ride into the battlefield and chop their heads

off in november. >> nugent endorsed romney in march, tweeting after a long heart and soul conversation with mitt romney today, i concluded this good man will properly represent we the people and i endorse him. romney's son quickly tweeted his excitement, ted nugent endorsed my dad today. ted nugent. how cool is that? he joins kid rock as great detroit musicians on team mitt. and mitt romney sounded happy to have his support. >> he said he had a great conversation with you. if ted says you're okay, he endorses you, i'm tempted to do the same thing. >> that's good to hear. it's been fun getting to know him and ted nugent. >> asked about nugent's latest comments, the romney campaign said divisive language is offensive without mentioning nugent. but nugent has been trash talking barack obama since 2007. >> he's a piece of [ bleep ] and i told him -- >> now the romney campaign seems to think nugent's support is more important than the criticism he brings.

andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. still ahead as we continue along the way tonight, mega millionaires. the couple who claimed a share of the record jackpot. question is, how did they keep it a secret for so long that they were now the richest people in their town? and later, score one for boomers everywhere. the historymaker last night in a big league baseball player's career. s.

red bud, illinois. close-knit rural town, about 3,800 people near the missouri border which now has two celebrities, two real rich people in their midst. merl and pat butler claimed the final share of the biggest lottery jackpot ever and they told reporters despite their newfound wealth, they really

don't expect their lives to change. their story tonight from janet shamlian. >> congratulations. >> a mega mystery solved. as patricia and merl butler, a retired couple from red bud, illinois, stepped forward to claim their jackpot. merl, who bought just one $3 quickpick, compared the numbers right away and broke the news to his wife of 41 years. >> she looked at me funny, and i said, no, we're won. and she started giggling. and she giggled for about four hours, i think. >> it was a sleepless night. in the morning, they went to a local bank with the ticket in an envelope when a teller made what she thought was a joke. >> i guess you came over to put your ticket away. i said, yeah, i won this thing and i got to get this thing put away. just laughed it off. she doesn't know until now that i really had the ticket.

>> as red bud played the guessing game, this vietnam veteran and his wife kept a multimillion dollar secret. for now, the couple who have children and grandchildren said they have no plans other than to invest their windfall, $110 million after taxes. for weeks, it was all people could talk about here in tiny red bud. who had the winning ticket, and if they had it, how were they able to keep it such a secret? >> this is the most excitement red bud's had said since we got a new avon lady. >> friends and neighbors who celebrated with a barbecue outside the village hall couldn't be happier. >> they worked in the community for years. he's a vietnam vet. who else would deserve something like this? >> a small town celebrating a big win and the good fortune of good neighbors. janet shamlian, nbc news, red bud, illinois. >> new avon lady is exciting, though, just the same. we're back in the moment with an end of an era for one of the greatest of all time.

legendary women's college basketball coach pat summitt announced today she's stepping aside after 38 seasons leading the lady vols at the university of tennessee and racking up more wins than any ncaa coach in the history and in the process. summitt's longtime assistant took over day-to-day coaching duties last august after the 59-year-old summitt revealed she has early onset alzheimer's. >> we saw the space shuttle "discovery" fly over washington yesterday, and here in new york, they're getting ready for another shuttle, "the enterprise" which will be making its home on the hudson aircraft carrier. because parking is always an issue, three aircraft had to be removed from the deck of the intrepid today to make room, a british fighter bomber, meg15 mpt and an f-10, will be moving.

we thank them for their service. >> 100 days to go until the opening of the summer olympics in london. they are ready. countdown is under way. parties have already started. even the flowers are getting involved. today, times square in new york turned into a mini olympic village. more than 70 american hopefuls were on hand to show off their skills. all to help raise money for the u.s. olympic team which is one of the few that is not publicly funded. when we come back here tonight, what happened on a field last night in denver that has the hall of fame taking notice.

major league baseball history was made last night. a big win by a pitcher who has been around since before most of his teammates were born. he's been in the game so long, he's pitched to 8% of the batters in major league history. his story from nbc's anne thompson. >> the box score shows jamie moyer pitched seven innings, allowed six hits and gave up two runs, but the only number that matters is 49. moyer's age, the oldest man to win a major league baseball game. >> jamie moyer to the history books. >> a feat so impressive, even the hall of fame asked for a piece of memorabilia.

>> they asked for a hat and a glove. so i've got to break in another glove before i can give them a glove. >> moyer is a gray beard among baby faces. six of his colorado rockies teammates weren't even born when moyer threw his first major league pitch. it was the summer of 1986. ronald reagan was president, top gun was at the local theater, a gallon of unleaded cost 95 cents, and moyer was a chicago cub, the start of a 26 year career. he bounced around the national and american leagues until he settled in seattle. named an all-star in 2003. five years late, he got his world series ring pitching for the philadelphia phillies. >> as long as i have my health, as long as i have desire to play, that's part of it. the other part i really believe is the hitter is going to dictate how long i play. >> his fastball putters in at 78 miles per hour. retired baseball announcer and senior league pitcher dave cohen remembers calling moyer's games. >> he just knows how to pitch and throw you off strike.

that's why it's inspiring to us. >> earning the admiration of amateurs of all ages. >> it's very crazy that he can come out here and play softball and kick our butts. >> does jamie moyer inspire the two of you? >> no, because i'm 70 years old, and he's only 49. and i don't know if jamie moyer will be able to come out here and play ball the way we play. >> moyer's real legacy is off the field. the father of eight along with his wife karen has a foundation to help children in crisis. the moyer foundation funds a network of free camps for kids who have lost loved ones and raises millions to help other programs. jamie moyer, a man for all seasons. >> having the opportunity to become a major league pitcher has been pretty special, and being able to do it at the able of 49 is even more special for me. >> especially baseball season. anne thompson, nbc news, new york. >> how about that? that's our broadcast on a wednesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we're back on the air tonight for "rock center" at 9:00, 8:00 central.

ted koppel, harry smith, lester holt will be part of it tonight. among other things, an interview with madonna who is among the many artists who made their tv splash on dick clark's "american bandstand." we hope to see you, of course, back here tomorrow evening. for all of us here, good night. good evening, everyone. i'm jessica aguirre. >> and i'm raj mathai. a life changing event followed immediately by a lesson in politics. new citizens being recruited by republicans and democrats. and with the presidential election on the horizon, the competition is fierce. nbc bay area's jodi hernandez joins us from oakland. jodi, all is fair in politics but these recruiters crossing the line here. >> reporter: well, they seem to be acting pretty