. dea or no deal. that teacher strike in chicago. the implications for schools across the country. trading back pain. millions are suffering. tonight the new minimally invasive procedure that dramatically speeds up recovery. sky-high. why experts warn that winter vacation could cost you more. and making a difference for a lot of kids by fulfilling the dream one extraordinary young woman never got the chance to see come true.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. the grave security chal edges the u.s. faces overseas are mounting tonight over the anti-islam film and disagreement over what really happened in libya to new saber-rattling between israel and iran. now a series of deadly attacks on u.s. and coalition troops in afghanistan, including two more inside attacks by afghan police. in all, eight troops have died, including six americans. the number of american and nato troops killed this year by afghan security forces has climbed to 51. tonight the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, general martin dempsey, is calling the so-called blue on green attacks a serious threat to the war effort. our team has it all covered. we begin in kabul with nbc's

chief foreign correspondent richard engel. richard. >> reporter: good evening, lester. how do you fight a war when your supposed allies are attacking you? these attacks are vicious. they are hard to defend against. today the chairman of the joint chiefs said something has to change. afghan security forces turned their guns on u.s. and nato troops yet again. today it was in zabul near the pakistani border at a remote observation post where u.s. and afghan troops work in close quarters. afghan police killed four american soldiers stationed there to help train and mentor them. five afghan police then escaped. yesterday afghan police shot two british troops as they were in the midst of treating a wounded man. >> certainly we had two more inside attacks within the last 24 hours. >> reporter: more than 50 nato troops have been killed in these insider attacks this year alone. u.s. policy is for american

troops to train afghan forces so that americans could leave this country, but it's hard to train when there's no trust. nato released new information today about a bold assault on friday in southern afghanistan. taliban video appears to have captured some of it as around 15 militants in american uniforms entered a nato base where britain's prince harry is stationed killed two u.s. marines and managed to destroy six harrier jets. >> we're going to continue to see this kind of violence perhaps even escalating violence up to and including the day we're all gone from there. >> reporter: but afghans are angry and suspicious too. today afghan officials blamed u.s. troops for killing eight civilians. women collecting firewood in the dark. the u.s. apologized and said it was trying to bomb militants. trust is now in short supply here, lester, as it's becoming increasingly difficult to

distinguish friends and enemies. lester. >> richard engel in kabul. now to the lingering questions over what exactly happened in and around the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya, the night four americans were killed, including the u.s. ambassador. aman mohadin is in benghazi once again for us tonight. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. well, the investigation into the killing of the americans here in benghazi intensifies. today there was a powerful message for greater unity in the region as protests continued against the american-made anti-islam preliminary. ♪ >> reporter: a prayer for peace in the heart of the middle east. pope benedict holding sunday mass in front of 300,000 worshippers. his message? reconciliation and tolerance. but there was little of either today as the demonstrations continued. also in lebanon today hundreds took to the streets in an anti-american protest. in pakistan hundreds of

protesters clashed with police after demonstrators broke through a barrier near the u.s. consulate in karachi. protesters set american flags on fire. more than 100 people were arrested in paris while hundreds more gathered today in london. in tunisia where the protests were the most violence, nbc staff was evacuated, and 50 u.s. marines were deployed to secure the embassy compound there, and in libya in benghazi where four americans were killed, libyan fifltz continue to round up individuals who might have information on the attack. today on nbc's "meet the press" the u.s. ambassador to the united nations offered this explanation for the benghazi attack. >> what happened in benghazi was, in fact, initially a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired hours before in cairo. >> reporter: but libya's president had a different

assessment, saying this was a preplanned assault with foreign help, possibly from al qaeda. >> some of them are libyans. others are -- came from outside. >> reporter: as the region braces for more protests and violence, it's unclear tonight whether pope benedict's message of peace will resonate. lester, as the investigation here intensifies, more suspects are being rounded up by libyan officials and so, too, is the intelligence. the question now is whether the government or the u.s. is going to act to bring these perpetrators to justice. lester. >> aman, thank you. the sudden flurry of events across the middle east and north africa has thrust foreign policy into a presidential campaign that had up until now largely been dominated by the economy and other domestic issues. tonight a racheting up of tensions between israel and iran presents a difficult balancing act for both president obama and mitt romney as they navigate the campaign on a whole new front. we get our report tonight from

peter alexander. >> reporter: less than eight weeks until the election, the anti-american violence across the islamic world has quickly shifted the central focus of the race from the economy to foreign policy. its urgency racheted up by israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu who today on "meet the press" issued this stark warning about iran's nuclear program. >> very close. six months away from being about 90% of having the enriched uranium. i think that you have to place that red line before them now, before it's too late. >> reporter: netanyahu argued the recent unrest in the middle east makes the stakes even higher. >> reporter: international diplomacy has an impact on iran. . the pressure we are mounting is unprecedented in terms of sanctions to still have results.

>> president obama has been trying to show resolve in the face of new tensions. >> i want people around the world to hear me to all those who would do us harm, no act of terror will go unpunished. >> reporter: but mitt romney has fiercely attacked the administration, labelling the president a weak leader. >> sometimes it seems that we're at the mercy of events instead of shaping events. the world needs american leadership. the middle east needs american leadership. >> reporter: despite criticism accusing romney of politicizing the crisis, romney's senior advisors insist it exposes what they've seen as a stark contrast between the candidates. >> if we project weakness, they come. if we are strong, they are adversaries that will not test us and our allies will respect us. >> reporter: still, with polls showing more americans trust president obama's handling of foreign policy, several top republicans, including senator john mccain, have urged romney to give a major foreign policy speech, which romney advisors

say is under consideration. peter alexandalexander, nbc new denver. zirchlg let's talk more about this now. we're joined by our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell and cnbc's chief washington correspondent john harwood. andrea, first, israel wants a specific commitment from the u.s. on when it would take action against iran. is the administration essentially afraid of being painted into a corner? >> exactly, lester, israel is asking president obama to give iran the kind of specific ultimatum the administration officials would say tie the president's hands and remove any ambiguity of letting the iranians dictate the timetable for action. it would also bind u.s. military action to israel's assessment of when iran is passed that point of no return and their assessment is different from the cia's timetable. a lot of this friction, though, is rooted in the fact that these two leaders just do not trust each other. add the fact that the rest of the region is now in conflict and we're in the closing weeks of a presidential election and you have a volatile mix. >> let's talk about that election, andrea. i want to turn to john.

four years ago it was candidate barack obama being attacked for a lack of foreign policy credentials. now he is the one in the oval office dealing with these volatile moving parts, and it's governor romney whose experience is being questioned. given what's happening right now on all these different fronts, could the president's advantage here be tenuous? >> lester, for most of the last generation republicans have enjoyed the reputation for greater strength on foreign policy. president obama has turned that around in part because of his income beensy, his success in getting osama bin laden and also the nature of mitt romney's background. the danger for the president is if americans come to see him as unable to control events and unable to protect u.s. interests, that's how the traditional republican advantage could reassert itself, lester. >> john and andrea, thanks to both of you. now the late word on that week-long teacher strike in the nation's third largest school district, chicago. teachers union delegates have been meeting late today on a proposed new contract. our chief education correspondent rahima ellis is following this for us in

chicago. >> reporter: lester, we are just getting word from union officials that there will be no school in chicago tomorrow. negotiators say that they want more time. now, going into the weekend, they say they only had a framework for a deal. today they got more. >> one day longer. >> one day stronger. >> reporter: after a contentious week of protests and intense late night bargaining, that saw spirits rise and fall, finally some real progress. union negotiators presented details of a new contract to rank-and-file delegates seeking a vote that could end the week-long strike in the nation's third largest school district. according to the union, the new three-year contract would include cost of living increases, 30% of a teachers evaluation would still be based on students' standardized test scores, but the teachers would have a new right to appeal their rating. principals will have hiring power. something the school district fought for, but there are reports not all teachers are

happy. >> it's always going to be the case that a contract settlement will fall short of answering every question. whether or not it's sufficient will be up to our members. >> public school teachers don't stop. >> say what? >> reporter: the dispute is being closely watched nationwide. >> labor is looking at chicago to see if hard-edged dig in your heels tactics work. mayors and education reformers are looking at chicago to see how hard they can push the envelope to get the reforms that children need. >> reporter: once again, late word is that the threat continues and parents will have -- and their children as the strike in chicago continues. lester. >> thanks. on another labor front, unable to reach an agreement by a midnight deadline, the nhl has locked out its players yet again. the fourth work stoppage in the last 20 years, but at the start of a new hockey season in

jeopardy. the main issue of contention is money. how to split nearly $3.5 billion in revenue. still ahead as we continue on a sunday night, millions of americans suffering from back pain. is a new minimally invasive procedure the answer? a lot of folks have been waiting for it. a big change this year when it comes to booking that winter vacation. a 90% smaller needle. announcing fluzone intradermal vaccine, a 90% smaller needle, wow that's...short. to learn more talk to your health care provider. [ female announcer ] fluzone intradermal vaccine is fda approved for 18-64 year olds. it shouldn't be given to anyone with a severe allergic reaction to any vaccine component including eggs, egg products or a prior dose of influenza vaccine. tell your doctor if you've ever had guillian-barré syndrome. redness, firmness, swelling and itching at the injection site occur more frequently than with fluzone vaccine. other common side effects include pain, head ache, fatigue and muscle aches. if you have other symptoms or problems following vaccination

call your doctor immediately. vaccination may not protect everyone. 90% shorter please. i have a callback on monday. [ female announcer ] visit fluzone.com or these locations to find fluzone intradermal vaccine. tiny needle, big protection. ♪ i took my son fishing every year. we had a great spot, not easy to find, but worth it. but with copd making it hard to breathe, i thought those days might be over. so my doctor prescribed symbicort. it helps significantly improve my lung function starting within five minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. with symbicort, today i'm breathing better. and that means...fish on! symbicort is for copd including chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. with copd, i thought i'd miss our family tradition. now symbicort significantly improves my lung function, starting within 5 minutes. and that makes a difference in my breathing. today, we're ready for whatever swims our way. ask your doctor about symbicort. i got my first prescription free. call or click to learn more. [ male announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. zimplt back with news with one of the most common medical complaints, back pain. 08% to 90% of all americans will suffer serious enough back pain in their lives that it will keep them off their feet for at least a few days. while most cases are resolved with rest and conservative treatments, others end up in the o.r., and now news of a new surgical procedure that involves no cutting through muscle and

much faster recovery times. nbc's tom costello reports. >> reporter: early morning at beth israel deaconess medical center in boston. >> can you hold your knee up straight like that? >> reporter: and 46-year-old jennifer is headed for the o.r. her second operation in two days. >> is there pain all right? >> reporter: yesterday surgeons made an incision in her abdomen to operate on her spine. today they're finishing the job going in through her back. >> just hoping it fixes everything and i can move on with my life. >> reporter: jennifer is among the many americans that undergo surgery every year. the population ages and new surgical techniques speed up recovery time. amazingly 80% to 90% of americans experience debilitating back pain at some point in their lives. jennifer works as a school bus driver and a housekeeper, but she is suffering from severe nerve pain down her leg keeping

her from working and sleeping. >> i'm nervous, and i'm anxious, but i'm also glad that it will be over with, and that i'll be able to sleep slew the night again hopefully. >> reporter: her surgeon is dr. kevin mcguire. >> in her her l-4 vertebrae has slid forward on her l-5 vertebrae, and they're collapsed on to each other. >> the next step is to get her nerve roots free. >> reporter: the operation involves relieving pressure on the nerves running down jennifer's leg. then realigning her vertebrae and stabilizing the spine. this subject really hits home for me. at the beginning of the year my lower back pain was turning into severe nerve pain, radiating down my right leg. the sciatic nerve into my knee, into my ankle. i couldn't sit. i couldn't sleep. by the end of april i was in the o.r. >> this screw here -- >> reporter: my surgeon is dr. phil snyder, the director of spine surgery at holy cross hospital in maryland. >> your disk collapsed at a point where it's bone on bone in the back of the disk and caused

the opening to the frame to become so narrow it was crushing your nerve. >> crushing the sciatic nerve? >> correct. >> to fix it he opened my collapsed vertebrae to free up the nerve. then used an infra-red guided system to insert screws and rods. >> this is a screw that we put into your spine. >> reporter: it worked. the pain is gone, and while surgery isn't the option for many americans, jennifer also found relief. tom costello, nbc news, boston. >> we're back in a moment with news about all those annoying phone calls during dinner. forz(power!) andiamo! andiamo! (let's go! let's go!) avanti! avanti! (keep going! keep going!) hahaha...hahahaha! you know ronny, folks who save hundreds of dollars by switching to geico sure are happy. and how happy are they jimmy? happier than christopher columbus with speedboats. that's happy! get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more.

with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease

and before you reduce or stop cymbaa.lt dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. but i'm still stubbed up. [ male announcer ] truth is, nyquil doesn't unstuff your nose. what? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus liquid gels speeds relief to your worst cold symptoms plus has a decongestant for your stuffy nose. thanks. that's the cold truth! half a world away from a brewing legal storm the duke and duchess of cambridge continue their tour of the south pacific today, arriving in the solomon islands. lawyers for the couple will go to court in paris tomorrow to try to prevent further publication of those revealing pictures of kate middleton in an already appearing in french and irish tabloids. an italian magazine owned by former italian prime minister

silvio berlusconi says it plans to publish the photos tomorrow. as we mentioned, there's news about all the unwanted calls from telemarketers and new questions about whether the so-called do not call list is actually working. there are now 209 million phone numbers on the registry, which bars telemarketers from calling. the problem is new figures show robocall complaints are up about 225% in the last two years arks coringed to the associated press. the ftc says the do not call list is doing its job. though, it says more telemarketers are getting through because they're getting better at masking their phone numbers. now to a sign of the times and the change of advises from travel experts about booking this year's winter vacation compared with last year. act now or you could end up paying the price. we get more now from nbc's michelle franzen. >> reporter: emily is already planning her get abouts aways this fall. the lifestyle blogger is used to searching for the best deals,

but this year she has noticed a change when it comes to hotels. >> what i'm finding universally is that they're just really expensive, and they're more expensive than i remember them being in the last few years. >> reporter: she's right. for the first time in five years travellers are paying more on average for their hotel rooms. globally prices rose 4% the first half of this year. they were up 5% in north america. signs, experts say, the economy is rebounding from the recession and as with higher airfares, demand is driving up room rates. >> it's the first time that meter has moved in years, and so what we can say is the economy is getting healthier. it's good news. >> reporter: despite higher prices, travel from business to pleasure is up across the board. in new york city a record 50 million tourists made the big apple their destination last year. hotels are still competing for customers, and adding extra perks during the stay, but gone, say experts, are the days of bargain rates. >> the deals are still out there, but travel experts say there's been a big shift on how

to get them. the best advice now, don't wait until the last minute. >> right now you want to book as far in advance as possible, so what we're seeing is people are booking two to four months in advance on average. holiday travel, for example, people are booking now. >> reporter: new rules, emily is starting to realize, as they continues her search for the right hotel at the right price. michelle franzen, nbc news, morning. when we come back, they're making a difference for a lot of kids and making an unfinished dream come true. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] you've been years in the making. and there are many years ahead. join the millions of members who've chosen an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. go long.

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as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial. tonight's making a difference report is about a ray of life out of the darkness of the summer in the state of colorado. first it was those historic wildfires that left hundreds of families homeless and the shock

of the theater massacre in aurora that took 12 lives, but one young woman connected to both terrible events has led the way to renewed hope. here's nbc's mike tiaibi. >> reporter: the colorado wildfires of june and early july scorched hundreds of square miles and drove more than 40,000 people from their homes. >> it was just so sad to see what these families were losing, and sporting equipment is a big part of that and it's a big part of kids' lives. >> reporter: no one had to tell that to jessica, a budding sports reporter whoets whose own love of sports, especially hockey, started when she was a kid. she put an idea into motion. to help the kids displaced by the fires recover what she would have wanted most. >> it's the little things that make the difference, and sporting equipment is often the thing that helps children heal. >> we rescue inside the auditor wrum. multiple victims. rirchlgt or the terrible seconds of gunfire and madness in that aurora movie theater on july

20th claimed jessica among the 12 dead. then from the depths of their grieving jessica's family and friends decided revive her dream, and they did. >> wow. these are all brand new. >> reporter: from all over colorado and beyond, donations of new and lightly used sports equipment made a mark into yes, sir ka's memory. professional athletes and eight pro teams joined the effort, and the precious child charity and off duty firefighters helped keep things organized, but mostly it was just people touched by dual tragedies helping other people. >> we all cried. we all grieved when these things took place. >> reporter: kids helping other kids. >> we may have to get another truck. >> reporter: in the end it was 25,000 pieces of sports equipment and outdoor gear and $30,000 in scholarship money in jessica's name. one special donor was tom sullivan, the father of alex sullivan, another child lost in the aurora massacre. >> this is exactly what, you know, my alex would want me to do. >> reporter: from jessica's mom, agratitude can ease her pain of

loss. >> we're overwhelmed and very grateful to each and every one of you for being here. >> reporter: and a way to remember, for everyone to remember who her daughter was and what she gave and continues to give. mike taibi, nbc news, los angeles. that's "nbc nightly news" for this sunday. up next, it's football night in america followed by sunday night football. the lions versus the 49ers. brian williams will be here tomorrow. i'm lester holt. for all of us here at nbc news, good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

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