williams. good evening. with the real work of the new year now under way and the reality of january now setting in, for the newly re-elected president that means a new team for a second term. and for americans, today that meant the announcement of a new national security team. the people charged with protecting the country in the midst of a very turbulent world. but washington is a turbulent world all its own. and so, like everything else, politics and personalities played a big part in what you're about to see. as for one crucial outgoing member of the president's team, we saw secretary of state hillary clinton back on the job today for the first time in weeks. we'll have more on that in just a moment. first we want to begin tonight with our chief white house correspondent chuck todd. chuck, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. refusing to shy away from what potentially could be a new washington fight, the president tapped two very close allies who

have a history of ruffling political feathers into two key national security posts. president obama emphasized the two men's personal connections to the organizations he has tapped them to run. chuck hagel would be the first vietnam veteran to head the pentagon. >> to this day, chuck bears the scars and shrapnel in the battles he fought in our name. >> reporter: and john brennan, who spent 25 years at the cia, would now run the agency. >> john has lost colleagues and friends. >> reporter: as demonstrators protested brennen's connection to controversial interrogation techniques like waterboarding that date back to the bush years -- the president moved to head off that criticism. >> he understands, we are a nation of laws. he insists on high and rigorous standards. >> reporter: but it's hagel's nomination that's receiving a decidedly mixed reaction. his flexibility in negotiating with iran. his past statements about israel and about gays all have become lightning rods. many prominent jewish leaders

have been offended by comments hagel made in an interview to mid east peace negotiator david aaron miller, describing pro israeli groups as a jewish lobby. and gay rights activists recoiled at his description of a nominee for an ambassadorship in the '90s as quote, aggressively gay. hagel has since apologized for that comment, and he did not address either controversy today at the whitehouse. >> thank you very much. >> reporter: but hagel strongly defended himself in an interview with his hometown paper, charging critics with completely distorting his record on israel. the white house is feverishly lobbying key jewish groups. it's an effort that soften criticism from the anti defamation league who wrote today senator hagel would not have been my first choice but i respect the president's purgative. hagel, a republican has drawn sharp opposition from his own party's senators. >> this is an in-your-face nomination by the president to all of us who are supportive of israel. >> i think it would be a lot of tough questions of senator hagel

and -- but he'll be treated fairly. >> reporter: and it wasn't exactly a warm welcome among democrats either, brian. senator chuck schumer, the number two most powerful democrat in the senate has said he's undecided in this nomination and has a lot of questions. bottom line, this could be a long january confirmation battle for chuck hagel. >> chuck todd, just another day at the white house these days. thanks. and across town from the white house at the state department today, as we said, we got our first official look at the secretary of state, hillary clinton, since she emerged from the hospital. it came in the form of some still photos of her first day back at work, a view of her carefully managed by her team after a tough couple weeks. our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell has it all from our d.c. newsroom tonight. andrea, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. after a month out of office recovering from a stomach virus, a fall, a concussion and a treatment for a blood clot in the head, hillary clinton returned to the state department today but still has not been seen in public.

one month after she suddenly took ill, hillary clinton was back at work. leading a senior staff meeting and seen only in still photos taken by the state department. but clearly enjoying a prank gift. noting that life in washington is often a contact sport, her deputies gave her a heavily padded football helmet with the state department seal to protect her from future falls. and a matching jersey, showing how many countries she has traveled to as secretary of state. >> she loved it. she thought it was cool. but then being hillary clinton, she wanted to get right to business. >> reporter: but as clinton wraps up four years as america's most traveled diplomat, the wild card for her team is still benghazi. republicans want her to testify about what she knew and when about the terror attack that killed four americans, including u.s. ambassador chris stevens. >> absolutely essential that she testify. i want to know from the secretary of state's point of view, were you informed of the security situation, were all these cables coming out of benghazi, did they ever get up to your level? if they didn't, that's a

problem. if they did, why didn't you act differently? >> reporter: but the senate isn't back until the inaugural, the third week in january. >> let me just say that she will testify, she will testify while she is still sitting secretary of state. >> reporter: that could delay john kerry's confirmation to be secretary of state. although he is already spending time at the state department and talks with clinton every day. now that she's back, will clinton's health scare slow her down? >> slowing down for hillary clinton is not like slowing down for normal people. it is stopping a crazy-killer schedule, and perhaps just going to what for normal people would be a very, very full schedule. >> reporter: and those who know hillary clinton best think that this illness and, of course, the blood clot won't stop her if she decides to run again for president. of course, after a suitable rest. brian? >> andrea mitchell in our d.c. newsroom with that story.

andrea, thanks. now we turn to the economy, and a settlement between federal regulators and ten of this nation's largest banks. over abuses that caused a lot of folks to lose their houses to foreclosure when they shouldn't have. the total amount here is $8.5 billion. that's a lot of money. sounds like a lot. but critics say, it's just another example of the government letting the banks off the hook while leaving wronged borrowers out in the cold. we get the story tonight from nbc's lisa myers. >> reporter: it's billed as the largest cash payout yet from banks for abuses during the foreclosure crisis. but critics say, not nearly enough to compensate for the actual damage. in homes and lives. under the agreement between ten banks and federal regulators, 3.8 billion homeowners involved in any stage of the foreclosure process in 2009 and 2010 would receive payments, ranging from

roughly $250 to $125,000, depending on the error and level of harm. and what do the banks get? one less investigation. >> for the banks, this ends this very lengthy process where federal regulators were looking at every foreclosure the banks did and trying to air that dirty laundry in public. >> reporter: tim nan will be eligible for a payment from his bank. he and his family were foreclosed on in 2010, after he lost his job. >> i won't accept it, because it's blood money. and i think people want their homes back. they don't want, you know, few pennies thrown at them like they're trash. >> reporter: federal regulators argued that this settlement speeds payments and helps more borrowers who don't have to prove they were actually harmed. still, many consumer groups are critical, saying it enables bank to sweep abuses under the rug. what one called a get out of jail free card. >> what troubles me most, homeowners victimized will not get sufficient compensation. >> reporter: if the $3.3 billion

in cash in the settlement were divided equally among all the eligible homeowners, the average payment would be $868.42. tonight, a spokesman for the bank said this settlement compensates any remaining consumers that may have been harmed and hopefully will lift clouds over the banks so they can lend more and help the housing market recover. lisa myers, nbc news, washington. now to colorado and fair warning, this is a tough story. and it's going to be for the duration of the preliminary hearing that got under way today for james holmes, the lone gunman charged with killing 12 people in the aurora, colorado movie theater during the latest screening of the "batman" movie in july. mike taibbi is with us tonight from centennial, colorado. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. they're calling it a mini trial and here's why. if prosecutors don't seek the

death penalty and haven't said yet and james holmes pleads guilty to all of the charges and accepts a sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole, there may never be a trial. more than 100 victims' relatives and victims' survivors packed the courtroom and two overflow rooms to hear details of the case against james holmes, dishelveled and bearded in court and seemingly uninterested in the proceedings. the young police officer who put holmes in handcuffs outside century 16 theater number 9 that night described him just minutes after the shooting stopped as very, very relaxed, like there weren't normal emotional responses to anything. he seemed very detached. but subsequent police witnesses describe the unspeakably gruesome scene he left behind. a tear-gas filled killing zone that left 12 dead and some 70 wounded. officer justin grizzle, who transported six of the critically wounded to local hospitals in his own car broke down when asked why he kept returning to the theater to pull more living victims into his car.

"i didn't want them to die," he said, barely whispering. another broke down when he called finding no pulse when he checked the littlest victim. terrible details, said jessica watts, whose cousin was dead. but details that have to be made public. >> it's just a piece to the closure and i definitely want to make sure that the integrity of the case is intact so that we don't have to repeat this in the future. >> reporter: and as you said, brian, it's going to continue to be difficult in court this week. prosecutors have still photos and hours of video of the crime scene if they choose to show it. as expected, several victim survivors will also testify. in the meantime, the cinemark theater where the massacre took place is scheduled to reopen next thursday, a decision not without controversy. brian? >> mike taibbi, centennial, colorado tonight. another problem with a new boeing 787 dreamliner. a japan airline that had flown into boston logan from tokyo

caught fire while parked at the gate this morning due to a malfunctioning battery. all passengers and crew were off the aircraft when the fire started. a member of the maintenance crew smelled smoke. the battery is the kind that's used when the plane is on the ground and parked. four other 787s have had mechanical or electrical problems since they went into service in the air in late 2011. and still ahead, as we continue on a monday night, encouraging news about the nation's war on cancer. fewer people are dying, though there is one troubling note. and later, a rare look at the fab four. one of the hottest videos on the web. and some of the other items that went by too fast over the holidays.

as we mentioned earlier, the story topping health news tonight is a comprehensive look at cap cancer in this country. it shows death rates are continuing to go down. good news, largely brought on by lifestyle changes. including way fewer people

smoking than in past decades. but as doctors like to say, there is specific room for improvement. the report from our chief medical editor, dr. nancy snyderman. >> reporter: in this latest annual report on the status of cancer in the united states, the good news is that the death rates continue to drop. people living with all cancers are living longer, now a 20-year trend. and there's more good news. new cases of lung and colon cancers in both men and women dropped. and breast cancer in women has leveled off. but new cases of liver, pancreas, thyroid and kidney cancers are up. attributed in part to our sedentary lifestyle. >> we don't know the exact factors that cause obesity to lead to cancer. we had a lot of theories, we had a lot of science that suggests what the causes may be. but in reality, we don't know for sure. >> reporter: as for cervical cancer, considered by many to be a medical success story due to effective screening methods and

early detection, new cases are down, but other hpd related cancers are up, including oral cancers in men and women. >> women in this country are so fortunate to have pap smears readily available to us. hopefully as our medical community moves forward, we'll look toward applying these types of screening techniques toward other types of cancers related to hpv. >> reporter: cancer experts say there is no uniform test for oral hpv, so screening is not routine. dr. powell tells her patients' parents, the hpv vaccine is a critical tool in fighting cancer. the cdc recommends all men and women into their 20s get the hpv vaccine. three doses over the course of at least six months. but for the vaccine to have the greatest benefit, the cdc recommends vaccinating both boys and girls beginning at ages 11 and 12. why so early? the vaccine needs to be given before a young person becomes sexually active to give the body a chance to build antibodies to fight hpv once a person is exposed. >> the belief is that the

vaccine is an investment in the young person's future. and if we start to vaccinate people, and we only have 32% of girls vaccinated at this point, we'll see those rates drop over the next ten years or so. >> and perhaps keep the good news on cancer coming. nancy, thank you, as always. we'll take a break. we're back in a moment with the big homecoming tonight on the jersey shore.

as you listen to congress fight over the funding for victims of hurricane sandy, remember this, and remember the story you're about to see. it's been 70 days since the storm, and today was move-in day for a lot of folks who were forced out of their houses, along the jersey shore when the storm hit. and they still need a lot of help. nbc's rehema ellis is in brick township, new jersey tonight on the jersey shore.

talk about a homecoming, rehema. >> reporter: indeed, brian. here in brick township, about 10,000 homes and businesses were damaged by the storm. but today some people throughout the area got a bit of good news. some security checkpoints were listed and people were allowed back into their homes. the road back for many jersey shore residents is littered with tiles of sand and debris. after more than 60 days, residents like candace pulpaka are happy to be home. >> this is our life. we love it here. so we're happy to be back. >> will you sleep in your home tonight for the first time since the storm? >> yes, we will. we definitely will. >> reporter: she has lived in this house for 26 years, built 7 feet above sea level, according to town rules. >> the garage did have water, about four feet. so we gutted the garage and a little bit into the house. but all our mechanicals are working.

we're waiting for everybody to come back. >> reporter: she's one of the lucky few. the town is still desolate. many houses are barely standing. contractors are working every day. >> you know, the house is sunken in, twisted upside down. it's quite an experience. >> the barriers, the check points are lifted. >> reporter: the in brick township, the damage is put at $50 million. today marks an important step in the long road to recovery. cars are flowing, and people no longer need to show identification to armed guards to get in and out. >> the point of not having to go through a checkpoint with people with guns, that's a big part of the psyche of people as they try and recover from this. >> reporter: fema says homeowners in this brick township have already seen $19 million for individual repairs. people here hope that helps them get ready for the summer tourist season that so many people here rely on. brian? >> rehema ellis on the jersey shore where it's been a long, tough, 70 days. rehema, thanks. we'll take another break.

when we come back, some of the things you've got to see that just went by too quickly over the holidays. finally tonight, some people

finally tonight, some people were lucky enough to sneak off with the family for the holidays. others were home, and just busy

with family, with the new year. and as a result, we figured a lot of what's going on lately could use some catching up on, beginning with some arresting pictures taken while on the job. the video that lit up the web of late comes to us thanks to a tiny camera on the helmet of a firefighter in suburban detroit. he put it together to show a year in the life of a firefighter, in a place with a lot of vacant houses a lot of them burn. on a much gentler note, how about a ride on a trombone. david finlayson plays second trombone for the new york philharmonic, but may be the first of his kind to take music lovers on this kind of ride. rock music lovers got a blast from the past this week when these color sides surfaced, dating back to the beatles' first u.s. visit in '64. they were still very young men during a very different time for us all.

in our modern world, michael cronan was one of those guys who named the things we use. he named the tivo and he named the kindle. based in san francisco, he was an artist by training and found success in catchy graphics and marketing. michael cronan was 61. another galloping sign of our times, there is new analysis out of u.s. college students and they sure have a high opinion of themselves. one in four is believed to be a full-on narcissist. the american freshman survey reports a dramatic rise in the number of students who place themselves as above average in academics, drive, ability and, best of all, self-confidence. there's sports in the news, beginning in washington, where their quarterback is injured, he's known as rg3. it's his knee. he was playing hurt late in the game, and they lost, and the redskins are huge in a town where the alternative is watching congress. then there's tonight's college football game, the crimson tide

versus the fighting irish for the national championship. alabama's looking for its third title in four years. notre dame is hungrier. our own anne thompson is at the game, but as a noter game grad herself and a board member, she is totally in the tank for the irish, and on just this topic, has no impartiality. finally, the image that deserves a second look. the kids from newtown, the surviving kids from sandy hook elementary, on the bus, headed to the first day at their new school. this photo captures them just being kids, which after so much tragedy, fills us with so much hope. and so let's end on that hopeful note as this new year gets under way for all of us. and please allow me to thank my friends for sitting in for me here while i was one of those off with my family. and it's good to be back here with you. and so as our new week gets off to a start, that's our broadcast on a monday night. thank you for being here with us, as always. i'm brian williams and we hope

to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. right now at 6:00, not again. a new investigation getting under way tonight after a tanker got very close and sideswiped the bay bridge. >> reporter: there's been a major development in the case of ju one goh. a splash of teal in the south bay. downtown san jose celebrating the end of the hockey lockout. when you'll be able to see the sharks back on ice and what it means for san jose's economy. good evening and thanks for joining us. i'm raj mathai. >> and i'm jessica aguirre. we begin with the latest development on a developing

story, the investigation under way after a tanker hits bun one of the towers of the bay brimming near treasure island today. this is what it looks like from our nbc bay area chopper right now. it's nighttime, very little fallout from the collision in terms of environmental impact with traffic. however, the fenders that protect the bridge are a bit worse for wear and officials say it's an accident that just shouldn't have happened. we bring in jean elle who joins us from treasure island where the investigation is getting under way. jean? >> reporter: jessica, this is an ongoing investigation at this point. you can see the oil tanker is still here with all of its onboard lights on. anchored just off treasure island and the coast guard still has investigators onboard. crews are keeping an eye on out leaks and testing the integrity of the oil tanker. it hit a fender at the base at 11:20 this morning. the coast guard says the rear right side of the ship hit the