emotionally debated in this country since the horrible school shooting in newtown, connecticut. acting on the president's order, vice president biden has spent the last few weeks gathering facts on the issue with individuals and groups and now comes the president's recommendation, some of which may include executive actions on his own that don't involve congress. so we want to start off with late word from the white house tonight. our chief white house correspondent chuck todd is there this evening. chuck, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. well, as you know, a lot of these things, as the white house prepares to roll out these recommendations formally tomorrow at 12:00 noon, they are having a big event here. the president's even going to be surrounded by school children. here's what we understand are going to be among his biggest proposals, universal background checks. he's going to call for new legislation to do that. a ban on gun magazines that carry ammunition of more than ten rounds of ammunition. he's going to call for a renewal

of the assault weapons ban. and then he's going to ask for more aggressive prosecution of existing laws. let me separate this out a little bit. the first three items are things he's going to ask congress to do. there are actually already bills that have been introduced in the united states senate that deal with those three items. the fourth item has to do with people who essentially lie on background checks, they fail background checks. there were over 71,000 people in 2009 who failed on a background check in an attempt to purchase a gun, but only 44 of those folks were prosecuted. so the president is essentially going to order his justice department to say you know what, don't let these people fall through the cracks, prosecute the laws on the books. and interestingly enough, brian, this is something the nra, this last proposal, is something the nra says it supports. we'll see. this is going to be a tough road to hoe in congress, we know that, but one of the things about this, brian, one gun control activist said to us this

is the most sweeping gun proposals since 1968, following the assassinations of r.f.k. and m.l.k. >> thanks, chuck todd at the white house. again, the late word on what we will be able to ascertain will be in the president's announcement tomorrow. here's the other piece of this, elsewhere in the country, independent of the president and the federal government, state and local governments are acting on their own on gun control. we get that report tonight from nbc's ron allen. >> fire! >> reporter: a nation polarized over guns. teachers in texas and record numbers at this range take concealed handgun training. >> i think it's important for me to get prepared in case i ever do have to defend myself or my students. >> reporter: in chicago, mayor rahm emanuel wants to stop investing city pension funds in

companies that make or sell assault weapons. and here in new york, governor andrew cuomo today signed what many consider the toughest gun control legislation in the country. >> enough people have lost their lives. let's act and let's take corrective measures. >> reporter: the law expands an existing assault weapons ban, limits gun magazine capacity to seven rounds, and requires mental health professionals to report patients they consider a threat. late today, the nra said, quote, these gun control schemes have failed in the past and will have no impact on public safety and crime. new york becomes the first state to tighten its gun laws since the newtown, connecticut, shooting. despite the tough new law in new york, advocates on both sides of the gun debate don't see a clear trend in either direction, because at the same time, other states, especially out west, are considering easing gun restrictions. >> i welcome different states trying to address their particular problem. certainly, montana faces different issues than new york does. i don't think there's a one-size-fits-all solution for the entire country.

>> reporter: no one solution or consensus. today, a firearms trade group from newtown opened a trade show in las vegas for tens of thousands of gun enthusiasts. not far from the scene of the mass shooting, demonstrators demanded that walmart, the nation's biggest gun retailer, stop selling assault weapons. walmart is taking a number of steps above and beyond what the law requires. ron allen, nbc news, new york. now as we mentioned to the top of the broadcast, the other big story today. after years of denials, lance armstrong has finally admitted to doping. now the attention turns to questions about why he chose to do it and the huge consequences he and others could face. nbc's anne thompson has been covering the lance armstrong saga for years. she's here with us in the studio tonight. anne, good evening. >> good evening, brian. you know, the decision to talk actually split the tight circle of advisers around lance armstrong, but those close to

the former cyclist say over and over that this was armstrong's decision alone and not part of some big public relations plan. over the christmas holiday, they say, armstrong decided it was finally time to come clean. once a hero, lance armstrong is now by his own admission a liar. the cancer survivor built his mythic image on seven consecutive victories in the tour de france and vehement denials that his success was helped by performance-enhancing drugs. >> have you ever, ever, in the history of this race, used performance-enhancing drugs? >> absolutely not. never. not once. >> how many times do i have to say it? >> we have nothing to hide. >> i have never doped. >> nobody believes in doping controls more than me. >> reporter: when he sat down with oprah winfrey yesterday, armstrong admitted he doped. a source with knowledge of the interview described it as awkward and tense. winfrey called it difficult. >> emotional doesn't begin to

describe the intensity or the difficulty that, i think, he experienced in talking about some of these things. >> reporter: betsy, once part of armstrong's inner circle with her husband, a former teammate, is one of armstrong's most vocal critics. >> there were a lot of people he hurt and a lot of people he tried to destroy. >> reporter: she testified under oath she heard armstrong admit to doping while being treated for cancer in 1996. >> lance is taking the first step, and it's a big step, but it has to be followed up with the whole, complete, unadulterated truth. >> reporter: on the streets of los angeles, few were surprised by his admission but hoped his cancer foundation would survive. >> the good work they are doing shouldn't be undone because of the actions of one person. >> reporter: this week, the justice department is expected to decide whether to join a whistle blower lawsuit brought by an admitted doper and former teammate of armstrong.

landis claims armstrong defrauded the u.s. postal service, a temp sponsor, by using performance-enhancing drugs. thomas weisel was a co-owner of the team. >> the case that floyd landis has brought is against lance armstrong, but also against the team. and since thom weisel owns the team, he could ultimately be culpable. >> reporter: he did not return our request for comment. sources close to the situation tell nbc the negotiations has focused on money and armstrong has not offered to deliver or testify against anyone else. now, returning to elite competition is armstrong's goal, if it is, the interview will not help him. today in a statement, the world's anti-doping agency says, "only when mr. armstrong makes a full confession under oath can a gal and proper process for him to seek reconsideration of his lifetime ban commence." also tonight, sources tell us armstrong is beginning to reach

out to those he criticized in this long, drawn-out saga. >> certainly a bellwether day in this saga. anne thompson, thanks. now to another big story. this one's been a big story for days, this rough flu season we're enduring. it's spreading fast now in other parts of the world, as well. europe is seeing its first outbreak, while in this country it remains in 47 of the 50 states. in the meantime, people have lots of questions about the flu, especially about the inoculation. nbc's tom costello is in a pharmacy in maryland, where they have been busy there. tom, good evening. >> reporter: hi, brian. this pharmacy, like most, say the medicines to treat the flu and its symptoms have been selling very fast, especially tamiflu. leah wasn't supposed to be at home with a confirmed case of the flu. she got the vaccine and thought she'd be fine, but she's a teacher. >> there's always kids that are sick. it's just part of being a

teacher, you're exposed to a lot of things. >> reporter: now with the flu spreading, clinics nationwide are reporting spot shortages of the vaccine. in new york, karen goodson finally got her flu shot. >> thank you. >> reporter: after the first clinic she visited ran out of the vaccine twice in one day. >> we had been waiting there for 20 minutes, they said, oh, no more flu shots, sorry, we have to go home. >> reporter: everyone older than six months get the flu shot, but during the last two flu seasons, fewer than half actually receive the vaccine. last year, south dakota had the highest vaccination rate, 51% of the state, while nevada had the lowest vaccination rate last year at just 32%. in montgomery county, maryland, just outside of d.c., fire department ambulances are often rerouted to different e.r.s since so many hospitals are already full with flu patients, especially the elderly.

>> our paramedics, firefighters, emts have seen a tripling of flu-like cases this month, as well as over 200 more transports this month. >> reporter: just 15 days. >> as compared to last year. >> reporter: doctors continue to urge everyone to get vaccinated, even this far into the season. >> it's not too late to get a flu shot, but it does take about two weeks for the immunity to kick in. >> reporter: back at leah's home -- >> i have to say this feels worse than any other sickness i've had in years. >> reporter: a lot of people are asking, if i get the vaccine, how long am i protected? well, the experts are saying that at least through this season and maybe a little bit longer than that, brian? >> we learned last night it lessens the severity of it. if you do get the shot. tom costello, thanks. weather's in the news tonight. a very big storm streaming up through the mid-south. biggest danger here is the ice storm warning posted from shreveport on up through parts

of arkansas, into memphis and the tennessee valley. some places could get an inch or more of ice. that's especially bad news in memphis. the air hub for fedex. elsewhere, there are flood warnings because there's so many rain embedded in this storm. nashville, pittsburgh, d.c., baltimore, philly, are all in the path. it will work its way north and east to new york beginning tomorrow, leaving a lot of trouble in its wake. and across the new york region, where hurricane sandy destroyed so many homes and so many lives, storm victims are hoping the long wait for federal assistance is over. the house of representatives votes tonight on the $50 billion relief package. it's been caught up in politics, it's been bungled as a result. 78 days have passed. meantime, it was an emotional day for families whose homes could not be saved. katie, good evening. >> reporter: good evening. emotional, indeed. a lot of those homes didn't look

good after sandy hit. they have finally been demoli demolished. pretty hard for a lot of people. the city is going to demolish about 300 of these homes. they are going to end up looking just like that, in neighborhoods that look just like this. they are dark, there is nobody living here. this is the new normal for communities like this, two and a half months since sandy hit, and there are still a lot of people that are waiting for that federal aid. from new jersey through new york, hard-hit towns are sparsely populated. if homes are still standing, there's a whole heck of a lot of work to be done inside. if they look okay, oftentimes they don't have heat, don't have water, don't have sewage. there are tens of thousands of people that are just not living at home anymore, not to mention all the businesses that are still struggling to get by. things are still so far from normal, they are still so far from better, that all of the squabbling up on capitol hill makes people around here feel like the country is turning its back on them when they've gone to the aid of the country so many times in the past. brian?

>> katie, staten island where it's been a long wait. katie, thanks for that. the ceo of walmart announced today the company plans to hire 100,000 veterans over the next five years as part of a huge effort to offer a job to any honorably discharged veteran in his or her first 12 months off active duty. ceo bill simon acknowledged not every veteran will want to work in retail, but he said those who do will have a place to go for work. still ahead for us tonight, millions of americans in dire straits, far from retirement, but draining their retirement accounts to pay the monthly bills. there has got to be a better way. later, making history and making a difference for a place that could really use the help.

the new numbers tonight on retirement savings are pretty disturbing. they tell us just how many americans are tapping into their retirement to pay their current bills. and, of course, the experts warn that could come at an extreme

price. our report tonight from nbc's chris jansing. >> reporter: when amy's husband john got laid off, they had credit card debt, big medical expenses, and two young sons. >> we didn't know what to do. it was either bankruptcy or cash in our iras. >> reporter: they decided to drain both of their retirement accounts, an increasingly common decision. a new study shows that more than 1 in 4 households with a 401(k) or other retirement account will withdraw some or all of it to pay for non-retirement needs, things like mortgages, credit card debt, and the kids' college tuition. but experts say it's a deeply troubling trend. >> if they cannot pay their bills while they have a paycheck coming in, how do they think they are going to pay those exact same bills later on in life when they no longer have a paycheck coming in? it makes no sense in any circumstance to take a loan from a 401(k). >> reporter: loans that result in penalties, taxes, and lost interest.

people in their 40s are most likely to borrow against their 401(k)s, but the financial pressure doesn't end there. another new study by aarp shows that the older you are, the higher your credit card debt. >> for the first time, people over age 50 are having more credit card debt, $2,000 more, than people who are younger. >> reporter: and that debt makes it more likely they'll borrow against their 401(k). it's a vicious cycle. how to avoid it? experts say you need a rainy day fund that's not your 401(k), and start saving separately for retirement in your 20s so you have at least a year's salary at 35, three years at 45, and by retirement at 67, you should have put away at least eight times your final salary. six years after tapping out their iras, they are both working, and once again saving for retirement. >> we worked very hard to get to where we are today.

>> reporter: determined to enjoy their golden years after learning some hard lessons. chris jansing, nbc news, new york. we are back in a moment with the wild scene that played out on live tv and suddenly hit

one of the last remaining links to the assassination of john f. kennedy is gone. bulldozers this week tore through the apartment building in dallas, texas, where lee harvey oswald lived with his wife until march of '63. attempts to save the building all failed. the ten-unit apartment building dated back to 1925. the record levels of air pollution in china have gotten so bad that the thick smog can now be seen from space. the chinese authority have been forced to acknowledge the problem for the first time.

something we saw all too well during the olympics in '08. it has led to a run on gas masks for obvious reasons. one reporter said, quote, all of beijing looked like an airport smokers' lounge. a factory fire reportedly went unnoticed for three hours because it mixed right in with the smog. this was an incredible moment for one of our viewers in l.a. he was watching a police chase on our nbc station on sunday night. as it unfolded through the englewood section of the city near lax, he realized it was coming his way and he started rolling. suddenly, what was happening on tv became a live show out the window. the chase lasted two hours in all. police apprehended the 17-year-old driver after they deployed spike strips in the road to finally stop the car. when we come back, coming home. a familiar face back in town and making a difference.

we're back. it's time for our "making a difference" report tonight from stockton, california. a city in desperate need of change, and now they are getting some inspiration from a fresh face, but a guy who's been there before. he's a young man coming home to try to do some good. nbc's miguel almaguer has our "making a difference" report. >> i michael tubbs do solemnly

swear -- >> reporter: at 22 years old, michael tubbs is making history. stockton's youngest city council member ever is a hometown kid from rough and tumble streets. >> people died sometimes or gunshots, sometimes i couldn't go outside. >> reporter: born to a 16-year-old mother and a father who's in prison, tubbs grew up poor, determined not to repeat the mistakes his parents made. >> so i'm really thankful to this area, because it really grounded us and humbled us. >> reporter: tubbs was raised by his mother, grandmother, and aunt. the first in his family to go to college, stanford. >> during the commencement ceremony. >> reporter: their proudest moment -- >> seeing my baby graduate. >> reporter: after graduation, tubbs could have done anything and gone just about anywhere, but instead, he turned down high-paying jobs to return to this bankrupt city. with an unemployment rate at

nearly 14%, a record number 71 homicides last year, and one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country, stockton is crumbling. >> you fix the problems in stockton, you fix them for everywhere. there's a model they can scale nationwide. >> reporter: while engaging his students, tubbs is galvanizing a city in desperate need. campaigning in neighborhoods others avoided. many who supported him voted for the first time. >> he represents the city and he represents hope and responsibilities and what can truly happen. >> reporter: michael tubbs is beating the odds. >> how often does someone at 22 years old get to serve the community that raised them? >> reporter: giving back to a city that needs him more than ever. >> thank you. going to be a lot of work to do. >> reporter: miguel almaguer, nbc news, stockton, california. >> good note to end on. that's our broadcast on a tuesday night. thank you for being with us. i'm brian williams, and we hope to see you right back here

tomorrow evening. good night. fighting more crime with less resources. a one-on-one interview with a man who will lead one of the biggest police forces. the plan to change the name of sfo. good evening. thanks for joining up. i'm raj mathai. >> i'm jessica aguirre. a showdown over a new show of force. a critical part of oakland's plan to reduce violent crime is facing vocal opposition. protesters have gathered as the city's public safety commission prepares to vote on whether to higher one of the biggest names in policing. jodi hernandez joins us live

from oakland city hall. that name, bratton, very divisive. >> reporter: it certainly is. dozens of protesters are inside city hall as we speak trying to put pressure on members of the city council's public safety committee to scrap its plans to bring bratton to town. though the city is dealing with an unbelievable crime rate, folks here believe that bratton is not part of the solution. people have gathered at oakland city hall to try to convince city leaders not to bring one of the nation's biggest names in law enforcement to town. bill bratton, former head of the nypd and lapd is ready to bring his expertise to oakland if the contract is approved to hire his team. >> i would love to see $250,000 go to community