on our broadcast tonight, tax returns are out, mitt romney releases his for 2011 tonight, today, the breakdown, what he paid, how it looks. also boos today for paul ryan and sugar, why sugary drinks are under such attack under the current fight in obesity. and the rush is out to get the new iphone out today. and in the middle of all the news for apple, there is a glitch. and message of hope, ann curry with one woman, who never gave up. her message for the rest of us. nightly news begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening, mitt romney

today released his tax returns for the year 2011, and in the world of politics, anything a campaign or a politician releases on a friday afternoon is very often not something they like to stress as a positive. romney has talked openly about his business success, his high net worth, and others sure have. and sure enough, he made over $13 million from his investments last year. he also overpaid his tax obligation so he would end up in about a 14% tax bracket. he had an option of paying even less, which would have put him in true rarified air. while this happened, his vp nominee, paul ryan was facing a tough crowd of seniors today we have it all with our team, beginning with peter alexander, traveling with the romney campaign, good evening, peter. >> reporter: brian, good evening to you.

it has been a rough couple of weeks now for the romney campaign, trailing in the polls. and by putting out their tax returns, the campaign hopes they can put the issue to bed so as not to deal with any negative headlines close to the election. campaigning in las vegas today and under pressure for months to be transparent about his personal finances, mitt romney released his 2011 tax returns, revealing that he and his wife, ann, paid nearly 2 million in federal taxes, on an income of nearly 14 million, largely from investments, a tax rate of 14%, slightly more than they paid in 2010. the average american middle class family pays roughly 13%. he showed over a million in government interests through his various trusts >> reporter: last year, the romneys also donated more than four million to charity, including 3 million to the mormon church. but releasing the documents the

campaign hopes to put to rest all the attention on romney's personal wealth, and diffused the claims. >> i pay all the taxes that are legally required and not a dollar more. i don't think you want somebody as the candidate for president who pays more taxes than he owes. >> reporter: but in today's release, the campaign admitted that romney didn't claim nearly 2 million in deductions that he was entitled to, which experts say could have lowered his rate. this move allowed him to fulfill another campaign pledge that he never paid less than 13% in the last ten years advisers deny the timing, late on a friday afternoon with few people paying attention was political voeft motivated one spokesperson said they were released because they were done. today, the campaign also posted a summary romney's tax records dating back to 1990, but with no

specific details. >> it would be much better for people to see it for themselves, for professionals to see it for themselves, whether or not the returns do substantiate his claims. >> reporter: the romneys insist the issue is now closed. peter alexander, nbc news, las vegas. this is ron mott in new orleans, where paul ryan's speech to medicare recipients was met with resistance. the first step to a stronger medicare is to repeal obama care, because it represents the worst of both worlds i had a feeling there would be mixed reactions. >> reporter: many convention-goers walked out of the room when paul ryan took the stage to talk about medicare, which would transfer it to a voucher system under his budget plan. for paul ryan, it was a return to the spotlight since he has been quietly busy on the trail, working for votes. and yesterday in washington, behind closed doors, shoring up support among house republicans, in the middle of campaign fighting and missteps by governor romney's 47% hidden

camera video, prompting criticism again today from conservative columnist, peggy nunan, who said the campaign was a rolling calamity >> what do you say to your fellow republicans who are -- >> stop it, this is hard, you want to try it. get in the ring. this is hard. >> reporter: some republican senate hopefuls are distancing themselves, like wisconsin's tommy thompson who warned a troubled presidential campaign could hurt other candidates, thompson's remark drew this response from former new hampshire governor and romney supporter. >> my good friend, tommy thompson, sounds like barack obama, blaming it on somebody else. mr. obama, meanwhile, continued his offensive, speaking by satellite to the aarp members >> i want to emphasize, they're not handouts. >> reporter: later, swiping about the comments. >> i don't see a lot of victims in this crowd today.

i see hard-working people in virginia. >> reporter: he also resumed a back and forth with romney over the president's assertion that change in washington must not come simply from the inside, but the outside, too. >> he stood up at a rally, proudly declares i would get the job done from the inside, what kind of inside job is he talking about? >> reporter: a lot of republicans are looking at october 3 as a big date on the calendar, as the first of three presidential debates, and perhaps mitt romney's next big chance. let's head to the moderator of "meet the press," david gregory how will today play any way of knowing what this all means? >> well, it means this is a very dark moment for the romney campaign and they know it. probably the toughest period of this campaign, they don't have a lot of time to study themselves. mitt romney saying that the polls are tight, but he is still in this thing, and he is.

because the conditions are still ripe for him to make an impact. but there is an acknowledgment that they are not on the offensive. they are playing too much defensive. they can't win the big economic debate. if they don't find a way to really present a romney alternative that is specific, and that engenders some real trust with the public. they seem to be falling short of that. and while they fall short in the battleground state, that gets tougher and tougher closer to the debates. >> all right, we'll look for you sunday on "meet the press." and two more quick notes from the romney campaign trail tonight, late today, ann romney's campaign plane was forced to make an emergency landing in denver after smoke filled the cabin, equipment was standing by. firefighters, as you see, boarded the aircraft. no fire, and all on board were pronounced fine. also today, physicians for both mitt romney and paul ryan

released their health summaries. and while there are details to report, both men are considered to be in excellent health and fit to run. and members of congress are heading for the exits, leaving washington heading for their home districts to campaign for the next few weeks. after that, they will return after the november election. by the way, this is the earliest congress has left town prior to an election since 1960. they are leaving behind a pile of unfinished business, including 12 major spending bills. and parts of the middle east firing up again, there were more anti-american protests in the arab world today, the worst by far in pakistan, where at least 19 people were killed. still, a result of that anti-muslim video. but in benghazi, libya, where the u.s. ambassador and three other americans were killed last week, a different kind of demonstration. thousands of libyans turned out to support the u.s., and even storming an islamic headquarters.

and now the emotional visit to this country, by the nobel prize recipient, aung san kyi was awarded the congressional gold medal on her first visit to the u.s. since she was freed after years under house arrest. nbc's ann curry sat down for a rare interview with her today, she is with her in the studio today. >> that is absolutely right, aung san kyi endured 15 years of house arrest, fighting for democracy in myanmar, separated from her husband who was dying, before she was finally released. she is now a member of her country's parliament. and we again by asking her about her meeting with president obama >> it is a privilege, and it is also -- i like your president. >> reporter: did you ask him to lift economic sanctions on burma? >> i have already discussed this with members of your congress. >> but you would like to see the

economic sanctions lifted? >> yes, i would like to see us stand on our own feet and not depend on sanctions to push us to democracy >> you have called it a beacon of hope, though flawed. you are a beacon of hope to so many. but what is the most important message that you have to all the people around the world who are struggling as you have for freedom and democracy? >> it is the same struggle for everybody, everywhere. because unless we are free, we cannot really realize our own potential. >> one of the things that people admire about you is that you did not give up. >> it never occurred to me that i should give up. >> but there were moments, i'm certain, when you felt all hope might be lost? >> no, never. i was not always thinking of hope, i was always thinking of what to do next.

>> i feel a need to ask how you survived emotionally. >> if any sacrifices were made, they were made by my family. i just took the path that i chose. and it is a choice i made, not a sacrifice. >> because it was for something that mattered? >> to me, yes. >> do you know why this belief was so important to you, to give up so much? >> my mother always brought me up to understand, that my father loved his country. and of course, he didn't live to see history come true. he died just before we re-gained independence. and i suppose always i wanted to realize his dream for him. >> and you have? >> not yet. >> you will? >> i hope so. >> and on that moment, will you feel your father with you standing there? >> i always feel him with me anyway. >> do you rule out the possibility of ever running for

president of your country? >> no, if you're a politician you never rule out such a possibility. >> she is such an impressive woman. fearless, quietly determined, as you can hear, very humble. her whirl wind visit to this country, her first in four decades continues for two weeks. and it is back to fighting for democracy, as she has done her whole life. >> she is as elegant as she is historically important. ann curry, with her report, and thank you for your reporting tonight. and new research on why some big beverages are under fire in this country. what is being called a national crisis. and later, the final journey for space shuttle endeavour, and why it comes at such a high cost for its new host, sidney.

in health news tonight, this national campaign against large, sugary drinks, we all know the ones. the city of new york has been in the news for passing a ban that will soon go into effect, all

aimed at the obesity epidemic. and tonight, there is new light shed on the connection. tonight, robert bazell, our chief correspondent. >> reporter: dr. david ludwid and his team at children's hospital in boston counsel young people who are trying to lose weight. >> now, it is apples, bananas. >> sugary beverages can affect weight quite quickly, perhaps more than any food group. >> reporter: he was one of more than 24 overweight or obese adolescents. half of the household got calorie-free drinks and were encouraged to give up sugary sweet beverages. >> i got encouraged to always reach for the water, have it right by me. >> reporter: after the year, the kids getting the non-calorie drinks gained four pounds on

average, than those not getting it. the study concentrates on the emerging understanding on how some people are disposed to putting on weight. >> people who tend to gain weight or become obese are much more likely to do so if they drink soda or sugar-sweetened beverages. >> reporter: scientists increasingly believe that sugary drinks put on more weight than other same type of calorie foods. such massive doses of sugar in liquid form may completely undermine the body's ability to regulate its weight >> reporter: the american beverage association responded in a written statement, sugar-sweetened beverages are not driving obesity. they play a small and declining role in the american diet. many scientists say this latest evidence shows that role needs to decline even further. robert bazell, nbc news, new

york. up next, as of tonight, the long wait is over for the next big thing for some lucky folks.

so here is how big today's iphone 5 debut was. j.p. morgan estimates sales of this one device will contribute a third of a percent to the total gdp of the united states. sales are brisk, it is a hot item. but there is a problem or two. our report tonight from nbc's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: unchecked, unbridled joy, the iphone 5 is finally in hand, at least it is for those willing to wait in line. apple is calling it the thinnest, lightest, fastest yet. demand is soaring. >> yeah, i already got a missed call on that thing.

>> reporter: in 2007, when the late steve jobs launched the original iphone, a million sold in three months. this latest version may sell ten million in the next ten days. in new york, we noticed a majority of customers waiting in line were chinese, carrying lots of cash. many of these iphones will be re-sold at higher prices in china, where sales are tightly controlled. >> i have a blackberry, an old one, which is a bit like showing up at your kid's homecoming dance and doing the twist. it is what apple has done so well, leaving the competition in the dust. but there is one korean company leaving them in the dust. >> reporter: samsung takes aim at the iphone 5 in this commercial. >> what does that even mean? >> who knows. >> everyone you know owns an iphone, your grandmother owns an iphone. >> it has lots of cool. >> reporter: there are more criticisms, the new iphone

connecter won't fit old accessories. and apple's mapping system is flawed. beware of roads running off the dam. but it doesn't seem to make a difference. do you think it is? >> absolutely. >> reporter: at least for now, it is new, and flying off the shelves, stephanie gosk, new york. and a big heads up to mariners in the pacific, you don't want to encounter this off the dark seas. this was spotted, a floating dock with japanese writing on it, about 50 feet long, believed to be the largest piece of floating tsunami debris that hawaiian waters have seen yet. and up next here tonight, the trees that are falling to make way for endeavour.

next at 6:00, mitt romney has touched down in the bay area. we'll take you to his peninsula fund-raiser where his supporters are gathering. also a reaction to the "endeavour's" final flight. finally tonight, very simple question, if they can put a man on the moon, why can't they figure out how to move a retired space shuttle from the airport to a museum in los angeles, without having to cut down 400 perfectly good trees, in a city that could use more of them and not less.

trees that nature worked hard to grow and were not hurting anybody. and were only making life better. the endeavour was the last of the shuttles, and after all the millions of miles it has flown, this last bit of its final journey is proving the most controversial. our report from los angeles. >> reporter: it was the final flight, a victory lap around california, piggy back, passing landmarks like the golden gate bridge and the hollywood sign. >> right over there, right over there. >> what a sight, never saw anything like that in my life. >> reporter: above communities, where they built endeavour 20 years ago, bill roberts worked on it for decades. >> it is the home of the endeavour, we're very glad to see it come here. >> reporter: the orbitter that traveled through space touched down for the last time at international airport.

but it is the final earth bound leg of its trip, the final through l.a.x. and city streets and the science center, had some wishing it would stay away. gina fields woke up to it. >> we just woke up to our trees being taken away. it is heartbreaking. >> reporter: 400 trees are being removed to make way for the endeavour's wing span. final hearings were held this week. >> i'm tired of people coming into our community, doing things behind our back. >> reporter: and while the california science center will create trees for those lost, and create sidewalks, residents wonder if there was not a better way. >> and 94 million miles to land to mars, and we can go 12 miles to the science center without cutting these trees. >> reporter: nasa and the science center say cutting up endeavour is not an option, because of the tile shields.

>> if you look at giants that is genuine and inspiring, and you know that everything you see is there specifically for a reason, every scorch mark you see and dent that you see, everything that is there, is revealing what the orbitter did and why it did it. >> reporter: so all of these trees are slated to go. we expect to see endeavour moving through the streets here october 12th and 13th. all of it will later be on public display. so brian, that means today was the very last time that we'll see the shuttle fly. >> all right, in los angeles, according to a lot of folks it just doesn't seem right. kristen, thanks for your reporting. that is our broadcast on this friday night, and for this week, thank you for joining us and a reminder, the education summit starting up for a third straight year. it includes the teacher town hall. i'll see you at noon eastern time. i'm brian williams, we of course hope to see you back here on monday night. in the meantime, please have a good weekend. good night.

back in the bay area, gop republican candidate mitt romney arriving. he released his 2011 tax returns. good evening and thanks for joining us. happening now, mitt romney, as we mentioned, is in the bay area. he arrived within the last 15 minutes, arriving on his campaign jet, heavy security at sfo. you see him getting off the plane there. plenty ofew