on the broadcast tonight, walkout, teachers in the nation's third largest city are on strike, sending parents and students scrambling, tonight what is happening in chicago could be felt across the country. and on the trail, still making headlines because of what mitt romney said and didn't say about taxes and the health crisis. and ann curry, reporting on people running for their lives. and the classic debate, comforting your fussy baby or letting them cry. nightly news begins now. from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with brian williams. good evening, it has been a tough summer in the nation's third largest city, 360 murders in chicago, so far this year.

and now in the city schools, the fall season is off to a very tough start. this morning, the teacher's union in the city of chicago went out on strike. it leaves students running for a place to go and parents with no options, just as the union said it had no other option. and like any big city population in our country, nothing is simple, a complicated system with hundreds of thousands of innocent victims. there was a big protest rally called there by the union in chicago, we start with the story. >> reporter: brian, the crowd is starting to thin somewhat, but thousands of teachers have been walking in the streets of downtown chicago. and police were so concerned about it they blocked off the street, right in the middle of this big city's rush hour, causing a lot of concern for many people. but this is right near the

headquarters of where the city school administration is conducting business. and the business at hand right now is how do they get all of these thousands of teachers who are on the streets back into the classrooms. it has been a thorny issue. they had hoped in negotiations leading up to this for weeks and months that this was something they would be able to avoid, to make certain they would get the hundreds of thousands of students back in the classroom. >> what do we want? smaller class sizes. >> when do we want it? >> now. >> reporter: chicago teachers hit the picket lines early this morning, 29,000 teachers -- many students in the nation's third largest school district, many parents were left running for help for their kids.

>> it is terrible. >> reporter: but many support the teachers. >> this is wrong, they need to pay these teachers, these teachers make everyone who they are today. >> reporter: the strike is about more than just money. it is about new reforms and new teacher evaluations linked with standardized test results, health benefits and pensions in the school system that is facing a 3 billion dollar deficit over the next three years, and job security. mitt romney, who has pushed hard for reform, backed by the administration, criticized the strike. >> this does right by our students and is fair to the taxpayers. >> reporter: teachers don't see it that way. >> we're advocating for the education that we feel our students deserve, and that all students across the nation deserve. >> reporter: education experts say the issues in chicago are

issues almost everywhere. >> it is about power, it is about who has the authority to decide very important things for schools. who teaches, how they teach. >> reporter: nearly 150 schools did open for half the day to provide activities as well as breakfast and lunch. in a district where nearly 80% of the students rely on it. >> we want to make sure that the students who receive that at school are still able to get it. >> reporter: but many children wanted more. >> why should kids miss school? >> i just hope that the teacher's strike will be short, and we'll just be back to school later. >> reporter: something a lot of are a this is kevin tibbles on chicago's south side, felicia o'connor was already sleeping when the strike happened. she leaves for work at 4:30 each

morning and usually drops 6-year-old michaela off. >> they don't know anything, i don't know anything. we're just out here blank, now i have to go to work. >> reporter: and felicia now is trying to find a safe place for her daughter, some schools opened half the day, with nonunion staffers. parents in a bind were also able to leave their children at some 60 area churches, and number of clubs and community services. some kids attend a program called safe haven in a local church. >> there is so much violence going on in the city of chicago, going up, we want our kids to be in a safe place. >> reporter: the local girls and boys clubs open of the early, helping the children. >> great staff members, supervised the fun activity and education, as well. >> reporter: it was at the girl's and boy's club that they found a refuge for michaela.

>> if my child is not in school getting the education she needs, you know, what -- it is just irritating right now. >> reporter: now, she is faced with finding child care for tomorrow or risk missing another day from work. and this strike could have a ripple effect on the chicago economy. employment analysts say lost productivity could run into the millions if parents are forced to stay home and look after their kids. >> thank you, our team on the ground in chicago tonight. republican presidential nominee mitt romney in chicago tonight raising money. earlier today, he campaigned in mansfield, ohio and said in a statement he is disappointed in the chicago teachers, saying he stands with the parents and kids, something the obama campaign immediately branded lip service. on "meet the press," there was the interview that still had people talking about the governor's position on taxes and health care.

>> on health care, you say you would rescind the president's health care plan on day one. does that mean you would be willing to say to young adults and people with pre-existing conditions, that they could no longer be guaranteed health care? >> of course not, you know, i i'm relays -- replacing it with our own plan. niagra falls >> i'm not getting rid of health care reform, i want to make sure those with pre-existing conditions can get coverage. two, make sure the market place allows for individuals that have policies to cover their family to whatever age they may like. i am very concerned that we have 23 million people out of work or stopped looking for work or under-employed. everything i want to do, bring

our rates down, encourage growth, keep revenue up by limiting deductions and exemptions and make sure we don't put any bigger problem on middle income people. >> reporter: but governor, where are the specifics on how you get to this? isn't that an issue? >> well, the specifics are these's the principles are described are the part of my policy, and i have indicated, as well, contrary to what the democrats say i'm not going to increase the tax burden on middle income families. it would be wrong to do that. >> reporter: give me an example of what you would do. >> well, i can tell you, at the high end, they have fewer deductions, the numbers come down. otherwise, they get a tax break. and i want to make sure that people understand despite what the democrats said at their convention, i am not reducing taxes on high income taxpayers. >> reporter: you will hear governor romney say it a lot, he wants the message loud and clear.

he will be dogged by people on the campaign trail and the obama team that says the math just doesn't add up for what he wants to do to get rid of the budget deficit. >> david, what about this topic of the single president situation? >> he knows he will be unpopular if he takes on some of the big cuts off dealing with the budget deficit. he understands he will have to perhaps even cause a revolt among conservatives. and i think he is open to the idea that political prospects is not something he is going to have to worry about. he wants primarily to get a deal, send the signal out, even if it is just one term. >> david gregory in the d.c. bureau, as always, thanks. and a crisis in the civil war in syria. it is taking an enormous human toll tearing families apart, as this kind of human tide leaves the country to run from the violence, many are crossing into

jordan, nbc's ann curry saw the crisis today from inside one of the many refugee camps today. she is live for us there, ann, good evening. >> reporter: that is right, good evening to you. no question the war in syria is intense. the government is attacking civilians using war planes, with refugees flooding out of the country, more than 240,000 people fled the borders there in syria, including here, into jordan. danger never sleeps along the border between syria and jordan. all through the night, headlights cover a heavy trail as they struggle to reach safety. more than 80,000 have fled into jordan over the past 18 months. and the numbers are growing daily as the syrian military steps up the ruthless air and ground assault. people are fleeing in cars, trucks, on foot. many are fired upon right up

until they cross the border. finally, they gather in an olive grove. most of them, women and children, uncertainty and fear etched on their faces as they wait in the dark to board buses to refugee camps. this is what waits for them, a refugee camp in a dust bowl, already crowded with 30,000 people. inside a field hospital, we met isha, who spoke to us less than 24 hours after giving birth in the camp by c-section to a girl. asks us to protect her identity to help loved ones in syria, she told us, the minute they see you, they shoot you. they are killing us because we asked for freedom. the president's army is killing people with knives and raped women. we can't independently verify her story, but the u.n. has confirmed the rape of women and

the killing of children by syrian troops. >> they have seen things a child should never see. >> reporter: not far from a busy playground set up by "save the children," a bright 11-year-old named mohamed draws to express his feelings. he says, it was so sad to leave our country, i have seen my home attacked by government troops, i have seen bodies on the ground. because of the suffering he has seen, this little boy dreams of becoming a doctor. dreams of peace. those the u.n. accuses them of terrible acts, the community has so far been unwilling to stop it. so civilians are paying a heavy price. one told us she heard troops loyal to the president, the

whole country will burn. >> great to have you reporting as always. we'll take a break here, still ahead on nightly news, sounds, fury on two fronts. there is a new study tonight on the debate that never ends, over comforting or not comforting babies at bed time. and later, the other sound on the news. the tennis player is making so much racket it is making it tough on the fans.

there is a -- there is a story in the news tonight that will deal with parents who brought a baby home, specifically, letting your baby cry through the night. even though a new study says it is okay, a lot of parents will tell you it is not. our report tonight from nbc's diana alvear. >> reporter: it is a scene all parents can relate to, a screaming child who won't go to

sleep. >> we're trying to help you. >> reporter: do you respond immediately? or let them cry it out? writer leah young went through this a few months ago. she was never an advocate of letting children cry themselves to sleep, but with dad out of town, she called her mom for advice. >> she talked me through it. i got off the phone, it was probably ten or 15 minutes total. >> reporter: a new study appears to back mom up. australian researchers tested two sleep-training methods, controls comforting, where parents take longer and longer to respond to the cries, and camping out, where they sit farther and farther away from the crib. years later, they found no significant damage to the kids, nor did they find any increase in depression and anxiety in the parents.

>> you can not only help them to sleep better, but you can help the family with the stress they're having. and you will cause no negative impact on the family itself. so it is really a win, win for the family and baby. >> reporter: these techniques may work, but they're tough to put into practice. and which technique is best is the subject of heated debates? and parents on line chats and real world mom groups. >> nobody wants to hear their child cry or hurt. >> i felt like it was my duty if he was not doing it, i had to teach him. >> reporter: in leah's case, mom knows best. >> if he wakes up, he may have to cry for a few minutes, but we feel okay about it. >> reporter: she says that now that dad is not having to depend on them, they're sleeping better. data from 29 separate studies of 18,000 people is confirming what a lot of people

swear by, acupuncture works, especially for body pain, back pain, headaches. about 3 million u.s. adults get acupuncture every year. and up next here tonight, the man who lifted the burdens of the president briefly, along with the president himself.

well, you don't see this every day. the president in a pizza place in florida last night, the most talked about still picture of the last 24 hours. and to answer some frequently asked questions here, the bar owner is a republican who voted obama. and the president was never in any danger. that is the head of his secret service protective detail standing right there behind him. the hugger and lifter, scott van duzer, said it just happened kind of naturally. >> when he came in, he said look at the size of you. if i eat your pizza, will i get

as big as you. i gave him a big hug. >> the presidential hugger and restaurant owner, scott van duzer. later in the day, the president apparently needed saving from an iphone. a reporter on the scene said he appeared to be confused by the device and couldn't place a call, at first. in his own defense, the president reminded everybody he is a blackberry owner, there is a difference in the two owners. and perhaps we should call the mars rover wally, the rover took the cutest self-portrait, a little dusty on the lens. also the nice wheels, we see the soil, and the gaps and the treads on the tires are meant to spell out jpl in morse code, wherever it rolls.

and a million londoners came out for a parade of all british athletes to the palace, complete with a fly-over. and last night's paralympic ceremony included performances by cold play and rihanna and jay-z. and all that noise on the court at the u.s. open.

finally tonight, speaking of sports, a tip of the hat to peyton manning, who at age 36 and a veteran of four surgeries on his neck, was considered a big gamble when he went to the broncos, and then came last night's denver opener. manning spanked the steelers, two touchdowns, including the 400 of his career. he gutted it out, old school. also in sports tonight, you would be forgiven for wondering how the greats in the past were able to perform without grunting when they touched the ball. some people had to watch the women's final on mute because of the heavy noise. and tonight, nbc's chris jansen has more.

>> reporter: gone were the days when this was the loudest sound at the u.s. open. decorum on the court has gone the way of tennis whites. the ear-piercing, full throated calls on the court, grunting, as even many tennis players say. >> just stop, play the game, get on with it. >> reporter: it is not entirely new. jim connors is known as the grandfather of grunts. and monica seles made noise. >> i always grunted when i was a little girl and put everything i had on the wall. >> reporter: the comments are so common, you hear them on tennis courts. others can match the pros by how they holler. this year's women champion,

serena, wails, her opponent, azarenka may have the highest pitch on the court. nadal roars. the only thing louder is the growing course of complaints against the fans, sensing rebelllion, they are no longer turning a deaf ear. at this florida academy, they are trying to teach the grunting out of athletes. and officials are developing electronic devices, called gruntometers to limit the acceptable amount of noise. but meanwhile, maria sharapova's noise was recorded higher than the jets going over head. >> that is our broadcast for

this monday night as we start a new week. 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. paying respects to an officer gunned down during a traffic stop. >> and a history of driving violations. new details about a man suspected in the deadly crash that killed one woman and injured another. >> and keeping stadiums safe for family and friends. the new changes in place for tonight's raiders home opener. >> good evening and thanks for joining us. >> i'm raj mathai. >> and i'm jessica aguirry. >> three convictions under his belt, including drunk driver.