on wednesday, the queen looked cheerful and well as she toured a new hospital in london. on thursday, she smiled as she handed medals to olympic athletes, but on friday, she fell ill and was told by doctors to rest over the weekend at windsor castle. clearly, that was not enough to shake off the stomach bug, and tonight, she's in the hospital. a buckingham palace spokesman says this is a precautionary measure. she's in good spirits and otherwise in good health. >> the queen is a very stoic character, she is very rarely ill. she rarely cancels engagements. so she must be suffering a little bit for the doctors to advise her to take this precaution and go to hospital. >> reporter: it has been ten years since the queen was last hospitalized. that was for a knee operation. and at 86 years old, a month from her 87th birthday, any illness has to be taken seriously. >> the main worry is dehydration and electrolyte or chemical imbalance in the body, which may

put a strain on her kidneys. >> reporter: last year was an important for the monarchy, the queen's jubilee celebrations marred only by 91-year-old prince philip falling ill with a bladder infection. neither the queen nor her husband are the type to complain about not feeling well. >> and basically, that just means keeping a stiff upper lip and getting on with it. >> reporter: the queen is at the same hospital where the duchess of cambridge was treated for acute morning sickness in december. she is expected to remain in the hospital for at least two days and all her engagements for the week have been canceled. if the queen is in the hospital for just two days, it's unlikely that any of her family will visit. british prime minister david cameron has tweeted his best wishes to her majesty, saying he hopes she makes a speedy recovery. lester? >> annabelle, thank you. and now to a story resonating from great britain to the vatican, a stunning admission tonight from the man who was the leading catholic church official in great britain until he resigned last week.

it comes on the eve of the first big meeting of cardinals in rome to elect the next pope. nbc's keir simmons is at the vatican with the latest. keir, good evening to you. >> reporter: good evening, lester. the timing is extraordinary as the cardinals and the catholic church gather at the vatican behind me to choose a new pope, a former cardinal from britain issues a statement, effectively admitting sexual impropriety. former cardinal keith o'brien was set to be one of those helping to choose the next pope, but a week ago, he resigned as archbishop of scotland after several priests, and a former priest, accused him of inappropriate behavior. tonight, o'brien released a statement saying, in part, his sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected, and "to those i have offended, i apologize and ask forgiveness." >> it will have, in my judgment, no effect on the conclave. it should, however, have an effect on the next pontificate,

which needs to consider how these kinds of situations, and similar ones, can be avoided in the future. >> reporter: the timing is terrible. a pope yet to be chosen. at 12 noon each sunday, the pope traditionally appears on his balcony above st. peter's square. not today. at this neighborhood church in rome, morning congregations gathered for sunday mass, the first without pope benedict. father dermott ryan is a man of catholic tradition. he hails from ireland and now preaches to italians. he believes change is inevitable, but says it's not always welcome here. >> most of the people here that i have talked to find it difficult to understand what has just happened, that the pope is also a man. and sometimes they would place him almost on a pedestal that's too high. >> reporter: early tomorrow morning, the cardinals will gather to begin the search for a

successor. there is much to discuss. under benedict, there was scandal and accusations of mismanagement. some cardinals may insist on discussing the report into leaked papal documents. for now, the faithful wait to find out who will be chosen and hope he will lead them out of these difficult times. the cardinals are expected to set a date for the conclave in the coming days. tonight, lester, there is little indication as to who the new pope will be. lester? >> keir simmons, thank you. there is growing anxiety in this country among people who could be affected by those deep federal budget cuts that are starting to take effect. publicly, at least no sign of compromise today from either the white house or republican leaders. nbc's peter alexander is at the white house with the latest on all of this. peter, good evening. >> reporter: lester, good evening to you. you're right, no sign of compromise, but the president's top economic adviser says that the president this weekend did reach out to both democratic and republican lawmakers, trying to find a resolution to the sequester. but at this point, there appears to be little hope for any quick

fix. like a slow grind, white house officials say the sting of sequester will be felt across america, but perhaps nowhere more so than in northern virginia, where in the shadow of the pentagon, federal spending drives 37% of the economy. >> this is not a political game. this is people's lives. >> will we be able to do our job if we have to days off? >> reporter: at the army depot in alabama, it is expected 3,000 defense workers will be furloughed, more than 20% of their pay slashed. >> i got child care. a 2-year-old son. >> reporter: in washington, the tax and spending stalemate shows no signs of giving way. house speaker john boehner insists there won't be any resolution if it means more revenue after a tax increase on the wealthy earlier this year. >> the president got his tax hikes january 1st. he got his tax hikes. $650 billion with the tax hikes on january 1st. i'm gonna say it oneore time. the president got his tax hikes on january 1st.

>> reporter: boehner's senate counterpart agreed. >> so far, i haven't heard a single senate republican say they would be willing to raise a dime in taxes to turn off the sequester. >> reporter: the white house is still relying on the public's power to persuade congress. >> our hope is that as more republicans start to see this pain in their own districts, that they will choose bipartisan compromise over this absolutist position. >> reporter: the next budget battle, a fight later this month to continue funding the government. at least on that, there appears to be consensus. >> the president this morning agreed that we should not have any talk of a government shutdown. >> the president doesn't believe in manufacturing another crisis. >> reporter: and members of congress say, lester, they have been getting an earful. consider the words of the democratic senator from delaware, thomas carper, who said he heard from his most important constituent, his wife, who told him why can't you guys get your act together? do you know what people think of you guys? >> all right.

peter alexander, thanks. for more on the budget impasse, we are joined tonight by cnbc's chief washington correspondent, john harwood. why don't i just put that question to you. why can't they get their act together? >> underneath the partisan maneuvering, lester, there really is a deep philosophic divide. republicans want to shrink the size of government by more than the public supports right now, but president obama can't force republicans to raise taxes to pay for government as it is. and in that way, they reflect the contradictions of the american people, who collectively like receiving government benefits more than they like paying for it. >> what's not going to get done while this standoff continues? >> well, it may be that the two sides, lester, blow the whistle, take a timeout, work on things that they can agree on, like immigration. maybe even some gun control measures. but this fiscal debate could come back in the next few months, either because of the sequester backlash or because republicans decide they really do need to rein in spending on those big programs of medicare and social security, and the only way they can make that happen is by accepting more tax increases, lester. >> john harwood, good see you.

thank you, john. this was a sad day in one neighborhood in central florida as demolition began in a house that became a death trap for a man who was pulled into the ground by a large sinkhole. authorities say it's unlikely they will ever recover his body. nbc's gabe gutierrez is in seffner, florida, tonight. gabe? >> reporter: lester, good evening. today, a giant crane peeled open this house behind me, remarkably, half of it is still standing despite the huge sinkhole underneath. on one side of the street, a delicate demolition. on the other, heartbreak. janelle wheeler lived in that home. >> it's really hard to see. over 40 years of memories just -- just gone. >> reporter: the house near tampa deemed too unstable after a sinkhole at least 50 feet deep and 30 feet wide swallowed a man while he slept and kept growing.

today, authorities recovered keepsakes for the families who lived here, an american flag, pictures and a bible. a symbol of faith, plucked from the home on faithway drive. >> god works in mysterious ways, and he knew we needed this. >> reporter: wanda carter grew up in this house, which is now the final resting place for 36-year-old jeff bush, sucked into the earth late thursday night without warning. after evacuating the homes next door and testing the ground, authorities abandoned the rescue effort. >> we didn't know if any vibrations would maybe set it off to where it would collapse in or not. you know, surprisingly, it's -- everything is holding up. >> reporter: engineers will soon decide how best to fill the hole to stabilize the area. but for this neighborhood, the void will never be filled. demolition crews plan to finish tearing this home down tomorrow, lester. >> gabe gutierrez in florida. thank you. i want to turn to the weather now and here we go again, yet another winter storm

is making its way across the country. let's get the latest from weather channel meteorologist kim cunningham. hello, kim. >> reporter: hey, lester. you know, this is the 19th major storm, winter storm, we have seen move across the country. this one though, a little farther north than we have seen. let's go ahead and show you how this is starting to take shape now. this will begin to move east, bringing snow to minneapolis tonight, even chicago by tonight. tomorrow, heavier snow expected in chicago, minneapolis. we could see a foot of snow in some areas. rain for the mid-atlantic, at least early on tuesday. but the jury's out in some areas. washington, d.c., we think will change over to snow, but once this area of low pressure gets into the atlantic, it's possible we could see a storm in boston. so folks in boston, keep an eye on this. we're going to see maybe a foot in minneapolis, chicago. this could rival rocky. keep an eye on this snowstorm, lester. it will looks like this could hit new england. we will keep you up to date on this. kim, thanks very much. moving overseas now, still

no confirmation of reports that a top al qaeda commander has been killed in chad. the army there says it killed mokhtar belmokhtar in an attack on a terrorist base. belmokhtar claimed responsibility for a deadly attack last month on an algerian oil refinery. in egypt today, secretary of state john kerry met with president morsi, pledging to provide $250 million in economic aid if morsi goes ahead with negotiations over economic reforms. the meeting occurred as pro- and anti-morsi supporters clashed in cairo and portsiad. meanwhile, syria's president criticized kerry's pledge of assistance to the rebels there. in an interview with a british newspaper, he called the rebels terrorists. in karachi, pakistan, a car bomb killed at least 37 people and injured more than 140 today. it occurred in a mostly shiite neighborhood of that city. the blast follows a similar explosion last month that targeted shiites in a crowded marketplace in pakistan. dennis rodman is back from

his very unofficial visit to north korea where he nonetheless came as close to being an ambassador as the u.s. has seen. after his basketball diplomacy, the former nba star said today north korean leader kim jung-un does not want war with the u.s., adding that kim and president obama share some common ground. >> he loves basketball. i'll say the same thing i said, obama loves basketball. let's start there. >> not surprisingly, the state department has distanced itself from rodman's visit. when "nbc nightly news" continues on this sunday, why no one helped an elderly woman in cardiac arrest, despite pleas from a 911 operator. later, the emotional apology to a civil rights leader more than half a century after he was beaten in the deep south.

imagine someone you knew suddenly went into cardiac arrest and those that could help refused because it was company policy. that's what apparently happened in the case of an elderly woman in california, and a newly released 911 call provides an eye-opening look into what some senior facilities will and will not do for their residents. nbc's miguel almaguer has the story. >> reporter: the 911 call came from glenwood gardens, a senior independent living facility in bakersfield, california. an 87-year-old resident collapsed inside. >> that's not -- we need to get cpr started. >> we can't do cpr. >> then hand the phone to the

passerby. if you can't do it, hand the phone to the passerby and let them do it. >> reporter: the management at glenwood gardens says its employees are not allowed to attempt cpr on its residents. "our practice is to immediately call emergency medical personnel for assistance and to wait with the individual needing attention until such personnel arrives. that is the protocol we followed." >> she's going to die if you get this started. >> i understand, i am a nurse. but i cannot have our other seniors who don't know cpr. >> i will instruct them. is there anyone there who -- >> reporter: mary winters, an expert on senior care, says in california, independent living facilities are not legally required to provide medical care. >> and it's really more like a hotel, where they will offer you concierge services, you will get meals, you will have housekeeping, they will change your bed, but you can't even get care in an independent living. >> reporter: the 911 call at glenwood lasted just over seven

minutes, an emergency call that left the dispatcher pleading for help. >> i understand if your boss is telling you can't do it. as a human being, i don't -- is there anyone there that's willing to help this lady and not let her do? >> not at this time. >> reporter: the victim was eventually rushed to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. her daughter says she's satisfied with her care, but tonight, many others are wondering was enough done? miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. and coming up, working from home and why some companies are having second thoughts.

it's become a cornerstone of modern work life. more and more companies over the years have made it possible for employees to do at least some of their work from home. but that debate over -- was renewed this week after yahoo!'s new ceo ordered everyone back to the office. and she's not the first to scale back.

nbc's rehema ellis takes a look at this issue. >> reporter: melissa potvin has what a lot of workers want. the mother of three is nearly one of 10% of americans who work from home at least one day a week. >> having that ability to, on occasion, work from home allows me the simple pleasures of life, getting the kids on and off the bus, being home to help them with their homework, all while balancing a career. >> reporter: which is why potvin, who works for a tech company, was disappointed to hear that yahoo! was ordering all of its telecommuting workers back to the office. in a statement, yahoo! said "this isn't a broad industry view on working from home this is about what is right for yahoo! right now." >> if yahoo! needed to cut a lot of fat and it can get a bunch of people who will now walk rather than go through massive layoffs, this may go down as a very interesting management move. >> reporter: but critics are particularly dismayed by yahoo!'s decision, since its new ceo, marissa meyer, made headlines as the first pregnant

woman to take over a fortune 500 company. >> well, i have been a mom now for four and a half months and i have been ceo for seven months. i would say i wouldn't have missed a minute of either experience. >> reporter: but having the best of both worlds could become harder for her employees now. two-thirds of companies surveyed say they allow workers work remotely, nearly twice as many as in 2005. and advocates say it's with good reason. >> if employees have flexibility, they are in better physical and mental health. they are more engaged. they are more likely to want their organization to succeed. they are more likely to want to stay. >> reporter: melissa potvin says that's exactly how she feels. >> my company is telling me they trust me, they believe in me and they know, at the end of the day, i'm going to do my job and get the job done. >> reporter: and she hopes other companies give their workers the flexibility she's had. rehema ellis you nbc news, new york. and when we come back, long overdue, the apology for an

indignity suffered half a century ago.

this was a poignant weekend in alabama, as people gathered to mark two of the milestones of the civil rights movement, selma and montgomery, cities and symbols of that movement. but along with remembrance, there was healing and a long overdue apology. it was one of the iconic it was one of the iconic moments of the civil rights struggle, the march from selma, alabama, to montgomery in march 1965. marchers were turned back twice,

beaten so badly on their first attempt 48 years ago that the day would forever be known as bloody sunday. >> we are marching today to dramatize to the nation -- >> reporter: a young john lewis was a leader of that march. now a long-time congressman from georgia, lewis was back in selma today, along with vice president biden, as he led a crowd of thousands across the edmund pettus bridge. >> we were beaten, tear gas, trampled by horses, but we didn't give up. >> reporter: nor did they forget the other clashes of the struggle. lewis was part of a congressional delegation that laid a wreath at a civil rights memorial in montgomery, where blood was shed long before selma. later came an apology from the man who now leads montgomery's police force. >> i feel like what i did today should have been done a long

time ago because we have to live with the truth and it is the truth. >> reporter: the truth, the police chief said, was that the montgomery police didn't stop a white mob from beating lewis and other freedom riders at the dawn of the movement in 1961. chief murphy offered his badge to lewis. >> the healing continue, that's what the movement was all about. to heal. to become one. >> john lewis noted there were other police departments that stood by and watched clashes unfold, but this was the first time he had ever received an apology. that's "nbc nightly news" for this sunday. brian williams will be here tomorrow. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you for "dateline" at a different time tonight, 8:00, 7:00 central. in the meantime, for all of us here at nbc news, good night.

nbc bay area news starts now. >> good evening. i'm kris sanchez. we begin with an officer involved shooting in the east bay. the first happened thursday in sonoma county followed by shootings in san francisco, san jose, union city. and then this morning officers again fired on a suspect, this time in hayward. monty francis joins us live with what led officers to pull their weapons on this suspect. >> reporter: kris, good evening.

an investigation is underway. the scene has been cleared but you can see behind me a wooden sign that was knocked over by the suspect vehicle when it crashed. this unfolded at about 3:30 a.m. when police say a suspect rammed his car into a police cruiser during a traffic stop. the driver, a 23-year-old oakley man sped off and crashed the car here at foothill boulevard. the passenger was pronounced dead at the scene and it is not clear if the officer's bullett killed him. the driver is in police custody. we talked to the owner of a japanese restaurants yards from where the suspect vehicle crashed. he says he is discouraged by all the violence in his neighborhood. >> it is kind of sad but somebo somebody -- kind o