on our broadcast tonight, fighting alzheimer's, in the midst of a worsening epidemic, the government declares war on the devastating disease. and tonight, the first glimmer of an experimental new weapon that could prevent alzheimer's. the defense of john edwards. after standing with her father through weeks of painful testimony, will daughter kate edwards take the stand? driven to distraction. the dangers for young drivers at the wheel. tonight, new ways for parents to keep an eye on their kids and keep them safe. and the french connection. look who's replacing carla bruni as the first lady of france. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening.

we begin tonight with word today of a real glimmer of hope in a disease that's shattered so many american families. news of a new clinical trial that could lead to a treatment to prevent alzheimer's disease. millions of americans live in constant daily fear of it, millions more are living with it. and, of course, millions more are caring for them. the numbers, in fact, are bad, almost five and a half million americans are currently living with the disease. and that, by the way, makes it an epidemic by any measure. the experts say by 2050, that will go to 16 million americans, at a cost of over a trillion dollars to treat it. it's why the government has launched a war on this disease. and all hopes are now riding on this research and a treatment that could prevent it. it's where we begin here tonight with our chief science correspondent robert bazell. >> reporter: roughly every hour, another american develops alzheimer's disease. singer glen campbell is one of them. today his daughter spoke about it. >> it's really hard to come to

the realization that eventually he's going to look at me and i'm going to be nothing to him. >> reporter: today the government announced the details of a national plan to confront the affliction that threatens to overwhelm the nation's health and social services. >> the breakthroughs leading to treatments have been slow in coming. we've yet to harness the right formula for drug development. and clinical trial results continue to be disappointing. >> reporter: the goal is to find a way to stop or at least slow the progression of the disease by 2025. as part of that effort, the government is pumping millions of dollars into two studies. one study already underway in the u.s. will test to see if a drug can prevent progression of the disease. this family in iowa is in the study. their members have a 50/50 chance of having a gene that puts them at risk for alzheimer's at a young age. >> i'm proud of the fact that

we're not just sitting back and letting it control our lives. >> reporter: a second study with the same goal is underway with a group of families near colombia. results for both studies are years away and uncertain. but recent alzheimer's research has concluded that very early intervention may be the only way to slow or stop the disease. >> brain changes that ultimately result in alzheimer dementia occur 15 to 20 years before there are any signs or symptoms of dementia. >> reporter: the government's plan also includes a website, where families can get information on resources in their community. >> we need to find a cure for this. >> reporter: this year alone, the government estimates that payments for the care of people with alzheimer's are $200 billion. despite those numbers, research into alzheimer's gets a lot less money than research into many other diseases. several scientists i've spoken with, brian, say the plan is

fine, but what matters is what congress allocates. >> and it really is a start. and in that respect we'll take it. bob bazell, thank you, as always. now we turn to a federal courtroom in greensboro, north carolina, where john edwards, a veteran trial lawyer, is facing the trial of his life on corruption charges. and in the process, of course, airing all of the family laundry and pain and suffering in a very public way. including what his wife elizabeth edwards went through as the end of her life neared. and tomorrow, kate edwards, who's been in the courtroom with him each day of this trial, may be on the witness stand. our report tonight from nbc's lisa myers. >> reporter: 30-year-old kate edwards has been by her father's side every step of the way. >> good morning. >> reporter: and the defense says she may take the stand tomorrow. she's expected to say that despite all the lies and betrayal her father still cared for her mother elizabeth. and that the alleged cover-up of

the affair with rielle hunter and edwards child with hunter was to protect the family. >> taking the stand, talking about her father, how much family mattered, i think it can be powerful evidence for john edwards. >> reporter: today, edwards' legal team chipped away at the government's case. jim walsh a former fbi agent hired by the defense to follow the money testified that donor fred baron gave rielle hunter payments of at least $9,000 a month in the last half of 2008. well after edwards presidential campaign had ended. some of it even after he publicly admitted the affair. >> it certainly helps the defense's case that the support for rielle hunter was based on a personal relationship, not just on edwards' political fortunes. >> reporter: the government alleges that money provided to keep hunter out of sight was meant to influence the election, and constituted illegal contributions to edwards, which edwards denies. the defense still isn't saying whether john edwards will take

the stand and risk a withering cross-examination. and edwards' lawyer says it's still possible that the woman at the center of the scandal, rielle hunter, could be called to testify. lisa myers, nbc news, greensboro, north carolina. on the endless campaign trail today, the topic turned back toward the issue so many americans consistently say they care about the most. and that's the economy. our political director, chief white house correspondent, chuck todd with us from the white house tonight. chuck, good evening. >> good evening, brian. no matter who the president sits down with for interviews or where he does them, the subject always goes back to the one that will make or break his chances at re-election, the economy. even in a softer setting like "the view," it was a question on the economy that seemed to strike a cord. >> how do you grade yourself honestly in terms of how you've done in terms of economics? >> i won't give us a letter grade. i think it's incomplete, we have work to do.

and we still have some headwinds out there. >> reporter: those headwinds, he said are greece, gas prices and housing. the president is pinning his hopes on the election not being a referendum. >> we were talking about joe biden. joe has a favorite expression, he says, don't compare me to the all mighty, compare me to the alternative. >> reporter: for now, though, the alternative is polling better than him on the economy. according to a new usa today gallup poll, 55% believe things will get better under a president romney. just 46% say the same thing about this president. back in the battleground state of iowa for the first time since january, romney focused on the national debt. >> this debt is america's nightmare mortgage. it's adjustable, no money down, and assigned to our children. these have been years of disappointment, and of decline. and soon we can put all that behind us. >> reporter: the president's appearance on "the view" is part of a concerted effort to target women voters.

>> i like hanging out with women, what can i say? >> reporter: and lately, he's shared personal anecdotes about his daughters. notable for a white house that tries to shield the first daughters from the media. >> malia didn't get a phone until last year. sasha still doesn't have a phone. >> how old is malia? >> she's 13, will be 14 in july. they can only use their cell phones on the weekend. they can't use them during the week. >> reporter: topics were all over the place today on "the view" including gay marriage, and whether the president knew anything about that steamy novel "shades of grey." the president did not, brian. >> chuck todd at the white house tonight, with all things political. chuck, thanks. jpmorgan chase had its annual shareholder meeting today, and the timing was not great. coming just after the bank revealed a $2 billion trading loss. cnbc's mary thompson was inside that meeting as the chairman and ceo jamie dimon apologized yet

again. >> reporter: the meeting was short on protesters, long on security, and over very, very quickly. the bank's ceo, jamie dimon, addressing the trading losses right up front calling them egregious mistakes, the bank is working hard to correct. among the actions the bank could take, asking some of the traders and executives involved to give back some of their pay. speaking of compensation, shareholders did overwhelmingly approve dimon's $23 million pay package last year, as well as the $15.5 million pay package given to ina drew, the now retired chief investment officer, who oversaw the unit responsible for the trading losses. shareholders at the meeting seemed more angry about the ongoing mortgage mess, saying the losses caused by delays in refinancing, problems with foreclosures. they say they're costing the bank much more than these trading losses. also today, the department of justice opened an investigation into the trading losses, jpmorgan declined to comment. back to you. >> mary thompson cnbc down in tampa for us.

mary, thanks. in greece tonight, no deal for the political parties trying to form a coalition government after no one won a majority in that nation's election earlier this month. new elections will be held in june. the economy of greece as we mentioned earlier is in meltdown, and voters have been showing strong support for the parties that want to reject the massive bailout they got just months ago. that has raised fears that greece will exit the eurozone completely and default on its huge pile of debt which could trigger another global financial crisis. there's been a handover of power in france. the socialist, francois hollande, took over as president today, replacing nicolas sarkozy and almost immediately flew off to berlin for talks about europe's debt crisis. mother nature almost ruined the swearing-in and then some. the new president's airplane was hit by lightning, thankfully nobody was hurt. the aircraft returned. the president and his entourage

were transferred to a different jet. in syria, as we've seen, the 14-month uprising and violent pushback continues despite the presence now of u.n. peacekeepers on the ground. today nbc's ayman mohyeldin went out with some of those observers to the suburbs of the city of damascus. it did not take long for them to see what they were up against. >> reporter: they came to observe serious peace deals. instead, they're getting caught up in its deadly violence. on tuesday, u.n. observers on patrol were hit by a roadside bomb. >> all the observers in my mission are safe. >> reporter: just moments earlier, activists said syrian security forces opened fire on a funeral procession, killing at least 25 people. every time u.n. observers go on patrol, they know they too could become targets. leaving little to chance, this patrol quickly weaves its way by syrian checkpoints, passing by war torn buildings as scared residents look on.

stopping to speak only to the syrian military. only about 10 miles outside of the capitol of damascus. but here in duma, it's a war zone atmosphere. the military is very much in control. at the say they come under fire and attacks almost daily. for u.n. observers meant to be neutral but now caught in the middle, their mission has become increasingly dangerous. and in the eyes of many, increasingly futile. because their presence has failed to stop the killing. ayman mohyeldin, nbc news, duma, syria. an extraordinary development tonight at the pentagon. defense secretary leon panetta has ordered the air force to restrict flights of its new f-22 stealth fighters, because of continuing problems with the very expensive aircraft's oxygen systems. at least 22 pilots in the last four years have suffered at one time or another from oxygen deprivation while in flight.

all f-22 flights must now remain within a short distance of an air field in case a pilot needs to set down quickly. still ahead for us along the way tonight, in the losing effort to stop young drivers to stop texting while at the wheel, turns out there's an app for that. and later, replacing carla bruni, it is a tough job, and someone has to do it. tonight, the new woman in the public spotlight in france.

placing the car keys in the hands of a young driver, just starting out, telling them to be safe is always a dicey business. and every day we learn more about the dangers of distractions at the wheel, from phone calls, text messages, applying make-up, having friends in the car, all of it.

on the upside, there are new ways being developed for parents to make driving safer. we get our report tonight from nbc's kristen dahlgren. >> they want to know if we're on our way. >> yes. >> reporter: for high school junior zach bass, it's a new lesson. driver's ed, with distractions. a hands on course that shows teens just what distraction can do. >> turn that down. >> the number one killer of young people in america are car crashes. >> reporter: at a time when cars are being marketed for their constant connection -- >> split screen multi-media display. >> reporter: -- some parents are turning to different technologies. >> i don't even get to type a message. >> reporter: this family is testing out a new app that disables functions like texting when the car goes over 5 miles an hour. >> she's going to get a reminder as well, that she shouldn't be texting. and she's going to also know that i know she's trying to text.

>> reporter: while other families have installed drivecams, a camera in the car that senses when a teen is engaging in risky behavior and records it. sending a weekly report to parents. we hear a lot these days about the dangers of using a cell phone and driving. but even when you put the phone down, there can be a lot of distractions in the car. >> hold your water. >> putting on the lip gloss, adjusting the hair and make-up. talking to friends in the car. >> reporter: later they get another lesson, in just how high the stakes are. >> no drugs, no drinking, just fun and chaos. >> reporter: martha's son donovan was killed in a distracted driving crash. >> the single lesson we want them to understand is, it can happen to them just as easily as it happened to him. >> reporter: a painful reminder for teens who sometimes think they're invincible. >> you think you're safe, you don't think you're going to be that kid that's going to be getting hurt. >> reporter: next time, these could be more than just traffic cones. kristen dahlgren, nbc news,

grenada hills, california. >> come on, come on, let's go. coming up tonight, in the broadcast, what is it about the women of french politics? the french people have someone new to watch.

the folks at the social science research council are out with their measure of america, specifically, the best places for women's well being. it says american women have it the best in d.c., san francisco, boston and minneapolis/st. paul. life expectancy was worse for women in detroit, baltimore and st. louis. take a quick look at this photo, and if you instantly know what's wrong with this picture, that makes you a die hard beatles fan. this is a rare frame from the abbey road photo shoot in which they are walking the wrong way. paul's wearing sandals and the black cab on the right is missing.

the rare photo is headed to auction. the photographer, ian mcmillian, asked a cop to hold up traffic for ten minutes and then had them walk back and forth that day in 1969. the intersection in northwest london has become a tourist haven in the year's since. potential help from honda for those folks who have trouble getting around. their new personal mobility device. it responds to shifts in your weight like a segue. it leaves your arms free, takes up much less space than the usual scooters, especially when sharing sidewalk space with pedestrians. still to be determined when it comes to market and for how much. new numbers from an associated press cnbc poll show half of americans believe facebook is a passing fad. this number may come as a surprise to the folks at facebook. they are about to sell stock in an initial public offering. it means the value of the company may well be set at $100 billion, making it more valuable than disney, kraft foods and ford motor company, to name a

few. and rare good news for air travelers, the government says the nation's largest airlines had a record ontime rate during the first part of this year. the 15 biggest carriers got their passengers to their destination on time 84% of the time. helped greatly by the fact that winter, as we know it, really didn't show up across much of this country. up next, the changing face of one of the most high profile women in the world.

can you imagine if one of the men running for president of the united states right now was in a relationship with a woman who he left his long-time partner, the mother of his children, and the two had no plans to marry, and they declared it all none of our business? well, that pretty much describes the new president of france, a nation very different from ours when it comes to love and marriage and politics. nbc's jim maceda has our report tonight from paris. >> reporter: politically they're opposed, but francois hollande, the new french president, and nicolas sarkozy, the former have one thing in common, and

everyone's talking about it. >> french voters given a choice a bureaucrat with a hot wife or a bureaucrat with a hot girlfriend. >> reporter: they're beautiful and significant others. but who takes the place of carla bruni? supermodel, singer, occasional hollywood actress. >> do you think it's possible to love two women at once? >> he loved them both, but in a different way. >> that's very french. >> reporter: already rich and famous, and notorious before she became first lady. >> i think carla brought a kind of discipline to sarkozy's life. he's very, very emotional. >> reporter: critics saw her as a trophy wife. but she grew into her role, and more than held her own on the world stage. >> i think she will be judged kindly, especially if the marriage keeps cold. >> reporter: and francois's first lady, he lived with her for some 30 years, they had four children but never married. they were socialist soul mates until she ran against and lost

to sarkozy in 2007. that's when hollande moved in with a savvy reporter, who has the allure of young bacall. her nickname rottweiler, for allegedly slapping a male colleague over a sexist remark. in a dramatic twist, even by french standards, royal came out to endorse her ex-partner in his run for president. royal may become speaker of the house, but the title of first lady goes to treweiller. a striking choice by the otherwise bland hollande. in french politics, strong and elegant first ladies are the trend. jim maceda, nbc news, paris. that is our broadcast on a tuesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams, we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

good evening. and thanks for joining us. i'm raj mathai. >> and i'm jessica aguirre. the daily grind leads to a disturbing discovery. construction crews uncovered more than 1,000 graves at the valley medical center in san jose. it's a story you'll see only on nbc. and kimberly tere joins us. what a discovery. >> reporter: indeed. crews working to bring the hospital building up to seismic