on our broadcast tonight, drastic measures. pension cuts are coming for millions of americans, and now all across this country, people have reason to ask what's going to happen to their retirement money. washed away. a massive piece of tsunami debris from japan, the largest yet, washes up here in the lower 48. and tonight, we'll show you where it arrived. health scare for sheryl crow who is dealing with a kind of brain tumor that is more common that you might think, especially for women and especially in a certain age group. >> the assassination of president lincoln and the new history discovered after all these years. making a difference in education. you'll meet the kids who are acing the test. "nightly news" begins now.

good evening. it's a terrible sinking feeling, and way too many americans now know exactly the feeling of watching your retirement money go away in this economy. the money you worked to earn and counted on all your working life. and right now, it's happening again. to millions of people, public employees. firefighters, teachers, city workers in two major american cities. they thought their pensions were guaranteed. but because of huge deficits and impossible choices, last night in california, the people they work for all those years voted to cut their pensions. and now people are wondering where this stops. we begin tonight with nbc's janet shamlian in los angeles. >> that's it. >> thank you. >> the vote in the nation's eighth and tenth largest cities wasn't even close. residents overwhelmingly in favor of curbing pension benefits. >> they cost too much. they're extraordinarily expensive. the city and taxpayers can't

afford them. and employees can't afford them. >> in san jose and san diego, ballooning pensions have supported workers in retirement, but at a huge cost, choking the cash strapped cities and causes cuts in services. from not fitting potholes to reducing library hours. this one hasn't even opened because san jose can't afford to staff it. at the ballot box, voters said enough. >> i see it as an important litmus test of voter opinion on an issue effecting state and local governments around the country. >> for those who man the fire alarm, race to the scene of emergencies and work in other public sector jobs, pensions have always been something they could count on. >> we have to have some type of protection so if we do get hurt going into a dangerous situation, we'll be protected in the end. >> but the price tag for the protection is staggering. san jose's payments to its retirement fund went from $73 million in 2001 to $245 million this year. now, 27% of its budget.

while the cuts could offer $25 million in relief its first year, it's not a done deal. the police union immediately filed suit. >> if it's illegal, it's not going to work. what the mayor is planning on doing is illegal. >> frustration beyond california boiling over, even bringing the issue to the table in illinois. >> you should be ashamed of yourselves. i'm sick of it! >> in rhode island, central falls was forced to declare bankruptcy last year due to pension benefits. that move prompting nearby providence to overhaul its retirement system. >> if the city goes into bankruptcy the retirees could evup with less than has been offered today. >> this is the beginning of what is shaping up to be a tidal wave of pension reform with taxes shrinking, the funds are not there to fund the pension plans and pay for vital city services. brian. >> janet shamlian starting us off from southern california tonight. janet, thanks. also at the polls last night, the voters of wisconsin decided to leave their governor in office after a recall

election. but it wasn't just a wisconsin election because money flowed into the state from all over the country, from people who had never been to wisconsin, had no connection to wisconsin. part of the new and unlimited spending that is changing politics in a hurry. and at the end of the day, it was a huge victory for the republicans. our report tonight from our political director chuck todd. >> congratulations. >> scott walker at a steel plant outside milwaukee basking in the glow of his victory over democrat tom barrett tuesday but striking a conciliatory tone. >> today, the election is over. we're no longer political opponents. i think overwhelmingly, there's more that unites us than divides us. >> walker first defeated barrett in 2010 and led a successful republican effort to strip away bargaining rights for most public employees in 2011, prompting labor unions and

democrats to target him for a recall. they responded aggressively. launching an unprecedented tv and ad campaign out spending barrett and his labor allies by a 3 to 1 margin on the error alone. overall, nearly as much money was spent in this one state for one election than mitt romney has spent to secure the republican presidential nomination. national republicans were quick today to use it as a rallying cry for november. >> the american people have had it with big government and high taxes and a regulatory system that knows no bounds. >> but walker himself seemed hesitant to draw national conclusions noting mitt romney trailed the president in his own state. >> he is an underdog. i think he would acknowledge he's an underdog particularly in wisconsin. >> walker benefits from the fact that wisconsin voters seemed conflicted about the recall process. in exit rolls, 60% said the recall should only be used against office holders who commit official misconduct. that sentiment was clear today. >> it seems like some people were mad they didn't get their way.

it was kind of sour grapes and kind of really took things to a whole other level. >> i don't think all of the money was worth it. in the end, he still won. what was the point? >> you know, democrats here, brian, are shell shocked in washington about how badly labor was outspent in wisconsin. one party leader uses his wisconsin press release as a plea in search of their own big democratic person donors trying to kick in more money there. brian, it's unbelievable. more money spent in wisconsin, same amount that bush and gore each spent just 12 years ago running for president. >> chuck todd in the d.c. newsroom tonight on what happened last night. chuck, thanks. on wall street today after suffering its worst day of the year last friday, stocks had their best day of the year so far today. the dow surged almost 287 points. nasdaq up over 66, s&p 500 gained more than 29 points on the day. overseas tonight, sadly, there are reports of awful new violence in syria. mass killings, not even two

weeks after the massacre there that killed about 100 people. our ayman mohyeldin recently traveled out of syria and joins us from cairo tonight. ayman, good evening. >> good evening, brian. activists inside and outside of syria are describing it as another massacre. this one taking place near the city of homa in a small village, home to about 250 people. they're saying 92 people have been killed, more than 40 women and children. what is strikingly disturbing to this similar to the massacre you referenced, they say it began with the military shelling the village as pro government supporters and loyalists and soldiers moved house to house, street to street, executing women and children at close range. all of this taking place against diplomatic efforts and for the first time from the obama administration a hint that perhaps the united states and others would consider military force against syria, but for now, russia and china seem to be vetoing that.

no indication there's going to be a change in the position of the international community. brian. >> on the situation in syria tonight, ayman, thanks. if you join us regularly here, you know we have been tracking the progress of that japanese tsunami debris making its way here to the u.s. west coast where tonight they are reporting the largest single piece so far and it's arrived on the beach in the pacific northwest. mark hanrahan of our portland affiliate kgw is at agate beach, just north of newport, oregon, tonight. mark, i know they're supposed to get a lot of this, but you may not receive any pieces this large. >> certainly not, brian. here on the oregon coast, people have arrived from all over to take a look at that floating dock. they're used to seeing things wash ashore, but nothing quite like this. the 66-foot concrete and steel floating dock washed ashore early tuesday morning wrapped in algae. a metal placard named the

japanese manufacturer and the date of june 2008. today, the consulate in portland confirmed it's from northeast japan which was hit hard from the tsunami. early on, officials tested it for radiation and did not find any. japanese officials say it's one of four docks that washed away. right now, officials in oregon are trying to decide what to do with this. one option they're considering is towing the dock back out to sea to dismantle or sink it. another option is to take it apart in place. they're hoping to make a decision in the next couple days. brian. >> a lot of ocean to cross and a lot more like it right behind it. mark hanrahan reporting for us from oregon tonight, thanks. in pennsylvania, a jury has been selected to decide the fate of jerry sandusky, the former penn state football coach accused of abusing boys, now facing over 50 criminal counts to which he has pleaded not guilty. jurors are seven women, five men. many of them have close ties to the penn state community, a huge employer and such a big part of life in that area. tonight for the first time,

we're seeing a fascinating first draft of american history, 147 years after the assassination of abraham lincoln. a researcher with a good hunch has discovered a long forgotten document written by the first doctor to reach the dying president's side that night, just minutes after he was shot at ford's theater in washington. our report tonight from nbc's pete williams. >> it's a riveting account from an army doctor who was in ford's theater that fateful night in 1865. dr. charles leal, just 23 years old, guessed he was sitting about 40 feet from the president's box when he said a shot rang out about 10:00 p.m. in the flowing penmanship of his clerk with ornate capital letters and straight lines, he describes rushing to lincoln's box after hearing people in the theater cry out at the president had been murdered. mrs. lincoln repeatedly said, oh, doctor, do what you can for

him, do what you can, he wrote. the president was seating in a high banked arm chair with his head leaning toward his right side. his breathing was intermittent and the doctor could perceive no pulse, no movement of the artery. discovering president lincoln had been shot, the doctor ordered him moved to a house directly across the street and laid on a bed diagonally, the doctor wrote, because lincoln's 6'4" frame was so tall. at 7:20 a.m., he breathed his last and the spirit fled to god who gave it. >> you feel as you're reading his words, as if you are a witness to the death of president abraham lincoln. from the moment he was shot until the moment he actually died. >> leal wrote his account just hours after the president died, but it was soon forgotten. then late last month, the remarkable document was rediscovered at the national archives by a researcher for the lincoln library and museum in illinois. >> this is unique because of its immediacy. it appeared right after or was written right after lincoln was shot. >> the document ends with

dr. leal saying all in that bedroom bowed their heads for the family and what he called our afflicted country. pete williams, nbc news, washington. after a break, still ahead for us tonight, sheryl crow disclosed she has a brain tumor and what he have learned about how common these tumors are, especially in women, especially by age group. and after life threw her a curve, she changed her life, started a school, now she's making a difference for a lot of students.

we told you last night, sheryl crow has revealed she has a benign brain tumor. the popular singer is a breast cancer survivor, a mother of two who has raised a lot of money for various cancer related causes and charities. we learn more about her specific condition. turns out it's not all that uncommon. our report from our chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman. >> for more than two decades, sheryl crow has enjoyed enormous

popularity as a singer/song writer, and an enduring presence on america's stage. now, the breast cancer survivor is making health headlines again. this time, announcing she has a benign brain tumor. in a message on twitter, she assured fans she's fine, writing it's noncancerous, feeling healthy, happy, and working on my new record. her tumor called a meningioma accounts for almost 30% of brain tumors in the united states. more than 90% of them are benign. >> many people harbor them. and will never be diagnosed with them. >> crow was reportedly diagnosed in november after having problems with her memory. at a concert earlier this year, the singer couldn't recall lyrics to one of her well known songs. ♪ so i'm stuck here watching tv ♪ ♪ oh words ♪ it's live

♪ i'm 50, what can i say >> it's unclear if that incident was related to the tumor. but her announcement is putting the spotlight on a frightening but not uncommon diagnosis. it's estimated up to 10,000 people in the united states are diagnosed with meningiomas each year. they're three times more common in women, particularly in those between the ages of 40 and 70. >> as the estrogen levels changes, those tumors can change or grow as well. >> susan was diagnosed with a benign munenjioma just a few weeks ago. >> we'll take it six months to a year at a time and if nothing changes, then this is the way it's going to be. >> because susan has no symptoms, she's passing on surgery for right now. that underscores the most important thing, a benign tumor can be in a bad spot where sometimes, brian, it's in a spot that required immediate attention, but any time you get a diagnosis, take a breath, weigh your options before moving. >> all right, dr. nancy

snyderman, thank you. interesting story. we're pulling for sheryl crow, of course. up next, remembering the master of science fiction. and the space shuttle "enterprise" has finally come to a stop.

the shuttle "enterprise" has landed tonight after an amazing journey up the hudson river on a barge, across the concrete canyons, the new york city skyline, statue of liberty. and finally, hoisted by crane onto its new home, the flight deck of the "u.s.s. intrepid" the world war ii aircraft carrier that is now a museum. the "enterprise" of course, was retired with the nasa shuttle program last summer. we put more of the stunning images of this day on the hudson river journey on our website nbcnightlynews.com. the visionary writer ray bradbury has died. born in illinois, transplanted to l.a. at a young age. he couldn't afford college but was a voracious reader, ended up basically living at the library. sold his first story to a magazine at age 20.

but it wasn't until ten years later that "the martian chronicles" helped move his science fiction into the mainstream. it was followed by "fahrenheit "451" his masterpiece cold war allegory that envisions firefighters sent to burn books. his imagination was present always. in his books, you can find the precursors to ipods and earbuds and flat screen tvs and televised police chases of all things. he sold more than 8 million books, influenced generations of americans and continued writing right up until his death yesterday at the age of 91. today is june 6th and that means today was d-day. june 6th of '44. the largest amphibious invasion in world history. 73,000 americans alongside their canadian and british brothers landing under withering fire on beaches with names like omaha, utah, gold, juneau, and sword. a turning point in the titanic struggle that changed the world

68 years ago today. up next here tonight, one woman's big idea. the school that is "making a difference," teaching all its kids to be the best and brightest.

finally tonight here, our "making a difference" report. it's about one woman's dream to remake her life and create an oasis of education in harlem. it's tough to get in, the rules are tough as well, but it's easy to see right away that it works. >> you have five, four, three, two, one, zero. 100%. >> drop by the classroom and you'll find it sounds like tough love. >> make sure your belly is touching the front of your desk. >> talk to the students and you'll find they love going to school here. does anybody have a great favorite teacher we should know about? oh, boy, all of the hands go up. >> my favorite teacher is ms. diamond because when she taught us math in fifth grade, she took her time for us to understand it. >> question is, do you think she could teach me math? >> yes. >> because i was not good at math. they are good at math here. back in '08, they became the first school class in harlem history to score 100% on the

state test. >> our kids have so much potential, when you provide them with what every kid deserves, which is just love and respect, they give it right back to you. >> debra kenny founded harlem village academies in '03. she tells the story in her book of being a young widow, a mother of three, who got an ivy league ph.d. in education and set out to prove her theory that a good school can turn any kid around and the kids in this neighborhood deserved a good school. why can't every kid have an experience like the one you offer your kids? >> every kid can. >> how? >> the only way it's going to happen is when we elevate the teaching profession so that teachers are held accountable, but holding teachers accountable is a means to be able to give teachers enormous freedom. when you give people freedom, you attract the best people to the profession. >> teachers are expected to bring their a-game and they're treated as part of the team and have freedom to build their own

curriculum. >> you have something that is very rare to have at a school where you're able to take a subject and then run with it. as opposed to at a traditional school, the administration might say, here is the curriculum, here are the books you have to read. this is what you have to do by june. students are admitted here by a lottery and it's competitive. can you tell me about the button? what does that mean? >> i reached 50 books. that's where we have to be. >> you have read 50 books this school year? >> yes. >> do you know how many books most adults walking around here have read this school year? it's not 50. it's like single digits, i think. for those who get in, it's different. longer school days. uniforms, a discipline code. single file and no talking in the hallways and no shouting out the answers in class. i watch you guys doing all kinds of crazy things in the classroom.

you're -- what do all of the hand signals mean? tell me the hand signals. >> this means, i agree. this means, silent applause. if somebody is stuck on an answer, we show a little love so they can feel motivated. >> okay. you're old enough now to start thinking about what you want to be. >> yes. what i want to be when i grow up is a nurse in the air force and then after that, when i come back, i have my nurse degree and i can be a nurse. >> wow. that would be fantastic. ♪ we are the seeds of hope and love ♪ >> harlem village academies has grown. there are now two middle schools and one high school. and in the fall, the first elementary school opens up to welcome the little ones. >> when you hear an 11th or 12th grader tell a fifth grader who is new to the school, you're not going to like the rules at first, but just wait. hang in there. because it's worth it because this school changes your life,

that's incredible. >> making a difference success story to end our broadcast tonight, and that is our wednesday night effort. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. of course, we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. good evening, everyone. i'm janelle wang in for jessica aguirre. >> and i'm raj mathai. this evening a large group have gathered at south san francisco at a gas station where last night a police officer shot and killed a 15-year-old boy. investigators say that boy had a gun. it happened in t parking lot. here is the map of the arco gas station on westboro boulevard and geller. jodi hernandez joins us from the scene. what's the family saying tonight? >> reporter: well,he