and citizens. at times honing his own shooting skills, and on one occasion telling the people they must guarantee the quality of their weapons to ensure a preemptive attack on the enemy. after weeks of tensions, the two koreans seemed on a knife's edge. the north with at least two missiles locked on their anchors ready to go as far as guam but wait to be truly tested skpchlt in the sea, south korea tracks its every move. the border has been closed for days, leaving south korean tourists unail to cross and fearing how things will turn out. i feel so worried, she says. and my children do as well. but just as this war of words risks becoming a real battle, the u.s. and north korea seemed to step back from the brink. the u.s. stopped parading american firepower after the show of force showed pyongyang

dialing back the tension. and there were no new threats from kim today. in seoul the talk was about diplomacy. with secretary of state john kerry looking for answers on a visit next week, some american analysts say there is a window of opportunity to deal with the young north korean dictator. >> he's a kid. we need to get to know who he is, and through dialogue and engagement, we need to change him, to some extent, if we have to. >> reporter: that is, if we don't go to war with him first. it seems very likely now that in the days ahead, north korea will fire those two mid-range missiles, most probably as a test, not as an attack, but that will spike emotions and tension across the region once again. lester? >> jim asada in seoul for us. jim, thanks. the u.s. continues to watch this situation very closely. nbc's peter alexander is at the white house with more from there. peter? >> lester, good evening to you. officials here have repeatedly said the u.s. is taking north

korea's threats very seriously. in the words of one, they view them as extremely concerning. the regime is what the white how else describes as provocative. they are increasingly leaning on china and its new president to help diffuse, to ease these tensions, but they want a crackdown on kim jong-un and that area where the government slr in place. the president's national security adviser, tom donlin, says that situation is did evis. the focus of the trip was supposed to be iran, lester, but now kerry's visit will most likely be driven on efforts to avoid any further crisis in north korea.

we want to go now to the war in afghanistan where it was a deadly war for americans just as the top u.s. military man arrived there. nbc ron mod is in kabul tonight. ron? >> reporter: at least six service members and civilians, including one employee secretary of state john kerry met with just last week were killed today in a series of attacks in eastern and southern afghanistan. the attack in the southern area of kabul. the attacks occurred on the day joint chief chairman martin dempsey landed here in afghanistan for what is being described as a periodic visit. he will meet with u.s. and coalition leaders as well as senior afghan military officials to get an assessment on where things stand operationally. before arriving, general dempsey said he would like to determine just how large a force the u.s. would like to keep in the

country beyond 2013. lester? and this country is keeping a close eye on a different kind of threat tonight, the outbreak of a new kind of bird flu that has infected at least 18 people and killed 6 in china. nbc correspondent robert bizell with that story tonight. >> reporter: in shanghai, the chinese slaughtered 20,000 chickens to lessen the strain of bird flu that seems to be infecting people. it's over a wide range of china so it seems many birds are affected. the big fear is the virus could spread among people, like the one in 2009, which killed many people. so far the tests are reassuring. results show almost no person to

person transition. other good news. the chinese government has been quickly sharing information with the world. that's a far cry from ten years ago when it tried to hide an outbreak of a different virus called sars that spread around the world, sickening 8,000 and killing 800 before it died out. >> china has really provided for a model response. it been timing, it's been comprehensive. >> reporter: several people are checking travelers for illness, having masks in place, and restricting use of chinese poultry. the united states and other country are taking the first step to develop a vaccine. health officials say as long as new infections appear, the chance of a more dangerous mutation persists. they are watching closely and hoping that doesn't happen. robert frizell, nbc news, new york. head basketball coach mike rice was fired, and director tim

pernetti resigned after news emerged of abusive behavior by rice over some of his players. rice will receive $1 million as part of his contract. pernetti will receive over a million dollars for resigning as part of the settlement. it's known as swatting and it's become an alarming trend. a series of 911 calls creating a series of incidents at the homes of celebrities. a string of them this week prompting response teams to respond in force. >> reporter: friday afternoon, emergency responders rushed to actress' saline a gomez' home after a 911 caller claimed gomez' father shot her mother and is threatening to burn the home down. over two hours earlier, a breakin was reported at the home of justin timberlake. both reports false alarms, as was the call thursday to rihanna's home and wednesday to

shawn koems' home. >> they're becoming increasingly common here in hollywood. law enforcement officials say they're a waste of time. they take away resources for real emergencies. >> they must be brought to justice and they must go to jail for a significant amount of time, which is why we're working with the legislature to make this a felony. >> reporter: state senator ted lou wants strict penalty for those convicted of making false reports, liability for all costs associated with the response, possible felony charges if someone is injured and a minimum sentence of 120 days in jail if convicted. just last year, miley cyrus' home was targeted, along with chris brown. >> we've been told that each swatting incident costs between several thousand dollars to potentially $10,000 or more. >> reporter: authorities managed to catch at least one suspect, a

12-year-old boy charged with calling in false threats to the homes of ashton kutcher and justin bieber. now police are taking protective measures, training dispatchers to better des detect hoax calls and not taking police cars to what are not emergencies. one of the best known evangelical ministers, worn sar said his son committed suicide. he said matthew struggled with mental illness, including depression, his whole life. matthew was 27. nelson mandela is back home after another prolonged stay in the hospital. ron allen is in johannesburg with the latest on his condition. >> reporter: good evening, lester. mandela is here in his home in

johannesburg. there is a media presence. we understand he's been treated for pneumonia and a recurring lung infection. >> today he was discharged from hospital following a sustained and gradual improvement in his condition. >> reporter: this was the third health scare for mandela in four months and this time seemed more serious and worrisome because he was raced to the hospital at night. the government made no attempt to try to describe this as a routine visit as it had in the past. every time this happens, there is concern and support and worry around the world and across this nation, of course. mandela is 94. he'll be 95 in july. >> we really wish him well and we're thrilled he is home. >> it's a dream come true. >> yeah. >> yes. >> reporter: now there is at least some measure of relief that mandela is well enough to be here at home where the government says he continues to receive home-based high care. lester? >> ron allen in johannesburg tonight. when "nbc nightly news"

continues on this saturday, guns in america. an increasing concern over howey merging technology is making it easier for just about anyone to build a gun. and later, the stowaways that washed up on our shore after two years adrift. of justp my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. i decided enough is enough. ♪ [ spa lady ] i started enbrel. it's clinically proven to provide clearer skin. [ rv guy ] enbrel may not work for everyone -- and may not clear you completely, but for many, it gets skin clearer fast, within 2 months, and keeps it clearer through 6 months. [ male announcer ] enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events, including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders, and allergic reactions have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. you should not start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b,

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shows how some are using the technology in a way the president may not have foreseen, to make cheap gun parts. >> this is the brain of the 3-d printer, if you will. >> reporter: when chapman basil learned of the 3-d printer, he had to have one. >> taking anything of design from a 3-d model and having the physical object in my hand, i got so excited, i had to have one. >> reporter: the software designer and gamer paid $3,000 for this item, he's made many items. and he's also made this. a semi-automatic rifle with a file downloaded from the internet. gunsmiths have been forging their own for ages. >> this is the magazine well right here. >> reporter: with a 3-d printer, guns can be produced out of plastic and open up a new avenue for unlicensed gun

manufacturing. with 3-d printing, a semi-automatic weapon can be made with very little money. a magazine like this for less than $10, and a receiver, one of the main components, for under 20. cody wilson is a texas law student who has uploaded blueprints to the web after other sites took him down following the massacre at sandy hook. >> my premise was i'm going to create a gun and put it on line. >> reporter: printing gun parts like these is currently legal under federal law. >> i think people should have access to it, and i don't think you or anyone else should have the ability to control your access to it on the internet or your ability to print it on the machine. >> as the gun debate heats up around the country, congressman steve is serks l sel is pushing rule that makes these guns illegal under the law. >> i didn't think that would be

a reality, but today with 3-d printers, it is. i don't want to make it easier for the bad guys to do harm for us, i want to make it harder. >> reporter: no one has been able to make an entire gun that fires more than a single shot. but as designs improve, making a gun at home could soon be as simple as a point and a click. janet chamblee, nbc news, liberty, texas. when we come back, he's known as the jon stewart of his country where he's pushing humor against the limits. we were so confused. how much is too much water? too little? until we got miracle-gro moisture control. it does what basic soils don't by absorbing more water, so it's there when plants need it. yeah, they're bigger and more beautiful. guaranteed. in pots. in the ground. in a ukulele. are you kidding me? that was my idea. with the right soil... everyone grows with miracle-gro. her long day of pick ups and drop offs

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striped beach fish on a beach in washington state. the fish were in a bait box along with a slew of tiny sea creatures in a part of the vessel that was submerged from the voyage. now imagine an arrest warrant was issued for jon stewart or another known comedian because satire was deemed offensive to some in the audience. that's exactly what happened this past week in egypt to a man who has modelled himself after stewart. here's more from cairo. >> reporter: he's hugely popular, watched by millions and now out on bail and back on the air. his name is bessen musev. they call him the egyptian jon stewart. his weekly show looks a lot like stewart's daily show where he's been a guest. >> we are not very much different. >> no. i think you look better in a suit, but other than that, i think we're the same. >> reporter: a former heart surgeon, he idolized stewart and started his own show in his laundry room.

it went on to become the most widely watched show in the middle east. >> he says it like it is but with a lot of sense of humor. >> reporter: like his idol, yusef makes comedy out of political discontent, and there is plenty of that in egypt where nothing seems to work and democracy is struggling. he even mocks president moresy while insisting he's just a comedian. >> i don't take aim as the president, i take aim at the authority, because this is what sarcasm is all about. >> reporter: now he's at the center of a firestorm over free speech, facing charges of insulting the president and denigrating islam. and jon stewart has taken notice. >> making fun of the president's hats in less than fluent english? that was my entire career for eight years! >> reporter: stewart took aim at morrissey himself. >> by wait, without bessen and all those bloggers who took

voice to a brave descent, you would not be in a position to repress them. for someone who has spent time in jail yourself. >> reporter: a link to stewart's comments was in cairo. a resident complained and they deleted the tweet. do you feel like they're looking at this as a test whether there will be free speech or not? >> you said it. >> reporter: back on the air, yusef came out swinging at egypt's prosecutor, the muslim brotherhood, and even president morsi. >> what can they do, close down youtube? they're just going to leave the country. >> reporter: now yusef waits to see if he'll be put on trial. still ahead, as we continue on a saturday night, remembering our beloved colleague david bloom and part of the important legacy he left. to watch it for us.gers

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designed for men's health concerns as we age. it has 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day men's 50+. we here at nbc news lost a dear colleague on this network ten years ago. we last saw david bloom where he last liked to be, in the middle of a big story. efls on the battlefield in iraq, beaming the story live in american living rooms via the souped-up satellite truck known as the bloommobile. david knew it was a dangerous assignment, yet how he died caught us off guard and it launch aed a new battle here at

home to alert others about the dangers of deep vein thrombosis. six years ago, mary huntsman had a strange pain in her leg that she couldn't describe, a pianist who, at the time, was playing six hours a day to get ready for a recital. she finally went to the doctor. >> it was diagnosed as deep vein thrombosis and a pulmonary embolism. >> reporter: ten years ago, dvt was not something many americans had ever heard of. >> it shows that 74% of americans had never heard of this condition. >> the year was 2003, and nbc news correspondent david bloom was in the middle of a war zone in iraq when he was killed by something that takes hundreds of thousands of lives here at home every year: a complication of dvt. a blood clot in his leg likely

brought on in part by long days of being trapped in an arm orred vehicle had broken loose and got trapped in his lungs. it translated to a pulmonary embolism that took his life. neither he nor his wife knew anything about dvt. >> he called me and said, i have to stretch my legs out. my legs have been cramping up on me. >> reporter: after david's death, melanie received hundreds of letters from those who had suffered or lost loved ones to dvt. today she is an advocate for dvt awareness. >> it can feel like a cramp, it can feel like a pulled muscle. if you've been on a long flight. if you're a woman and on the birth control pill or hormone replacement therapy, that can cause it. >> we've moved the percentage up to 25%.

>> because of what happened to her husband, people are willing to listen. >> reporter: for melanie bloom, she remains focused on paying a tribute to david the best way she knows how. >> it's been a mission to transform david's life into reality and hopefully save some lives. that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" and right back here tomorrow evening. good night.

right now at 6:00, a homicide investigation under way in the south bay after a man is shot multiple times. the underground spot where police say the gunman opened fire. plus tweaking time sheets. we investigate how some of santa clara county's highest-paid employees are getting time off on your dime. also. he's a special player. and we're fortunate to have him. >> a giant honor for a key player. we'll take you to opening weekend at at&t park where fans had reason to celebrate despite some disappointment on the field. good evening. i'm terry mcsweeney. how would you like to take a few weeks off from work without having to take any of your

vacation time and still get paid? our investigative unit has uncovered that's exactly what some of the highest-paid employees in santa clara county are getting, free time off. investigative reporter jenna sefko joins us with the details. >> reporter: when the county's shrinking budget forced departments to make cuts, select employees lost their 5% bonus. we found after it was cut a department head institute add policy of altering time sheets to get around it. we're talking about district attorney jeff rosen. we uncovered he's been handing out extra time off to select attorneys at the tax payers' expense. >> it was unfair and unprecedented that their 5% differential was taken away. >> is it fair to everyone else who has had to make cuts? >> i don't even understand the question. >> other departments making cuts. >> i'm the elected district attorney. so i'm entrusted with the public with running the district attorney's office and with protecting the public. i'm not here to speak about how other departments in the county

run their affairs. >> if everybody in the county did that, our budget would be totally out of control. >> the county has opened an internal investigation into the d.a.'s office based on what we found. tonight at 11:00, we'll show you those altered time sheets and how it's affecting the county's budget. back to you, terry. >> thanks very much. if you have a tip for our investigative unit give us a call at 888-996-tips. or send us an e-mail to the unit at nbcbayarea.com. orange and black fever spreading through san francisco this weekend. the world champion san francisco giants home and kicking off the 2013 season. today the seem honored buster posey, last year's national league most valuable player picked up his hardware in front of the fans. comcast sportsnet live at at&t with more on that. hello, mindy. >> reporter: buster posey certainly a fan favorite and for very good reason. he's only