brian williams is next.w3 on the broadcast tonight, the hunger strike at guantanamo that's now gotten so bad, prisoners are being force fed as the president faces tough questions. under investigation. did u.s. intelligence miss a chance to stop the boston bombings? tonight that's what the nation's spy chief wants to know. is there too much caffeine in the food we eat? we know it's in coffee, but how about potato chips and jelly beans? that's why the fda is sounding the alarm. and pray or play? a tense face-off tonight in the south. if a billion-dollar nfl stadium goes up, it means some historic churches have to come down. "nightly news" begins now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news with brian williams."

>> good evening. we don't get to see them or know their names, and most americans actually prefer not to spend a whole lot of time thinking about the men who have been rounded up as enemy combatants and imprisoned at guantanamo bay in cuba. we think of them when they become an issue like when candidate obama vowed to close the facility, and tonight those prisoners are back in the news because 100 of them are a hunger strike, apparently preparing to take their own lives and do it slowly under heavy guard at guantanamo bay. some of them are being force fed now, and now the president is facing some tough questions about what to do. our chief foreign affairs correspondent, andrea mitchell, watching it all from our d.c. newsroom today. andrea, good evening. >> the president promised to close guantanamo as soon as he took office, but years later he has been blocked by congress, the military court system, and now facing that hunger strike by the prisoners, he's clearly frustrated.

>> reporter: guantanamo bay where 100 of 166 prisoners are on a hunger strike. some since february. their lawyers say they're protesting years of detention, most without being charged, and no release in sight. today president obama agreed the prison needs to be closed. >> the idea that we would still maintain forever a group of individuals who have not been tried, that is contrary to who we are. it is contrary to our interests, and it needs to stop. >> reporter: extra doctors and nurses arrived today to help force feed 21 of the detainees. this despite the american medical association's protest to defense secretary hagel that force feeding, quote, violates core ethical values of the medical profession once a prisoner makes a rational decision to refuse food. >> the administration seems to be more worried about the bad publicity from a detainee dying than they are from the bad publicity of force feeding the

detainees. >> i don't want these individuals to die. obviously, the pentagon is trying to manage the situation as best as they can. but i think all of us should reflect on why exactly are we doing this? >> reporter: the military says dozens of prisoners clashed with guards two weeks ago and were hiding makeshift weapons. >> we hit the point where, you know, i felt we were accepting too much risk, and it was time to take action. >> by the authority vested in me as president -- >> reporter: the president tried to close guantanamo two days after he took office. what happened? congress fought him at every turn, blocking a plan to build a supermax prison in illinois, or try prisoners like alleged 9/11 mastermind khalid shaikh mohammed in lower manhattan, or send them home. 86 prisoners, low-level detainees, mostly from yemen, were cleared to be sent back three years ago, but either yemen won't take them or can't satisfy u.s. security demands for their transfer. guantanamo costs taxpayers $800

million a year with no solution for the prisoners or for the president. brian? >> andrea mitchell starting us off from d.c. tonight. thanks. those guantanamo comments you just saw, part of a wide-ranging news conference today. during it the president was also asked about syria, how to enforce the red line he has drawn, in his words, if it's proven the syrian regime is using those chemical weapons. our chief white house correspondent, political director chuck todd, with us from the white house tonight with more on this. chuck, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. well, the president was very careful in what he said about how he would enforce that red line. of course, the red line is if it is proven that the syrian regime used chemical weapons. here's what he said, and listen to the careful nuance. >> there are options that are available to me that are on the shelf right now that we have not deployed, and that's a spectrum of options.

as early as last year, i asked the pentagon, our military, our intelligence officials to prepare for me what options might be available. >> reporter: the options that he's considering right now, there already is either indirect or nonlethal assistance to the syrian opposition that's going on right now, almost $500 million that's been spent in humanitarian aid in this nonlethal assistance. what the president could consider in the next few weeks is direct military assistant to those opposition groups, brian, that the cia, our intelligence, on the ground determine are not potential threats to the united states in the future. that's stuff -- all that identifying is going on right now. that's the options on the table. the idea of a larger military intervention as of right now, that is mostly off the table, but we'll see how things progress. brian? >> chuck todd with the state of play on syria from the white house. chuck, thanks. and now we turn back to the

investigation in boston, and word tonight that the man in charge of all u.s. intelligence agencies has ordered a review of how they handled information related to these suspects in the months before the attacks, trying to determine if the u.s. missed any chance to connect the dots here. our report again tonight from nbc's pete williams. >> reporter: the review has been ordered by james clapper, the director of national intelligence, into how the fbi and other agencies developed and shared information. >> we want to see, is there, in fact, additional protocols and procedures that could be put in place that would further improve and enhance our ability to detect a potential attack? >> reporter: among the questions, could more have been done to look into the background of tamerlan tsarnaev after the russians told the fbi and cia two years ago that he and his mother were becoming radicalized? could more follow-up have been done after he returned to the

u.s. after his trip from russia and dagestan last year? as they await dna found on bomb parts, agents overseas are examining tamerlan's possible contacts with the canadian boxer who went to dagestan in 2010 and was killed by russian security forces last july. he says his son's radicalization happened quickly. >> always a lot of friends, girlfriends, suddenly finished. no friends. no father. no mother. only this room and pray. that's it. >> reporter: also today, jared clowery, a carpenter injured in the bombing, recounted what happened to him after trying to jump over one of the met cal barricades when he first the first bomb explode, he was caught by the second one that went off near him and his friends. >> and i just remember feeling engulfed, like -- and i got thrown out into the street.

and just like the movies, all the sound got taken away. >> reporter: he suffered burns on his legs and hands and was pelted with shrapnel, riddled with nails and bbs. some have yet to be removed. in a reference all new englanders would understand, e compared the quick reaction to the dexterity of a quarterback. >> i never in all my years seen tom brady put a drive together as good as what these people were doing. >> reporter: that goes, too, he said for friend, family and doctors. >> no disrespect to tom brady, i love him. but he can't hold a candle to the people i just mentioned. >> reporter: and he says he might go back to watch the marathon next year. >> i'm not scared of crowds. i think that's part of boston and boston strong, you know. >> as for how intelligence was handled before the bombings, president obama said today that based on what he has seen, the fbi and department of homeland security did what they were supposed to do. brian?

>> pete williams in washington. these victims continue to be remarkable people, all of them, pete, thanks. our health news story tonight is about caffeine, specifically the number of products it shows up in and the concern that causes especially for children. now with yet another new product that boasts a jolt of caffeine, the fda says it is time to take a closer look. our report tonight from nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: for years, the concern has been the effect of those highly caffeinated energy drinks on kids and teenagers. now food manufacturers are adding caffeine to a whole range of products including candy, jelly beans, potato chips, even gum. wrigley's new alert energy gum advertises the right energy right now. 40 milligrams, about what's in half a cup of coffee, per piece. the fda says all this caffeine adds up to a big concern. >> what does this mean for children, adolescents and adults who might have vulnerabilities

to excessive caffeine? we need to get to the bottom of this. >> reporter: up until now energy drinks have been the biggest concern. the fda has been looking into nearly 100 reports of illnesses, hospitalizations, even deaths, but says it hasn't yet found a definite link to the drinks. still, some states are considering banning their sale to anyone under 18. and the american academy of pediatrics recommends very little for children. cardiologist allen taylor says the stimulant effect can have serious side effects. >> the least severe could be anxiety, nervousness, high heart rates, and on the extreme level, have been seizures and death in some patients. >> reporter: and dietitians point out caffeine can be an appetite suppressants which can deprive kids of the nutrients they need. >> substituting those nutrients for caffeine and then not having the appetite to have regular meals is a real concern for our children. >> reporter: in march a group

of 18 public health experts urge the fda to regulate caffeine to protect adolescents and children. today wrigley's emphasized to nbc news that its alert gum is well labeled. it's developed for adults and will be marketed to consumers 25 and older, it says. and the grocery manufacturers association says it will work with the fda to ensure consumers have access to the safest possible products. one more major development from the fda. late today it announced it is approving the plan "b" morning-after pill without a prescription for anyone 15 and older who can produce an identification. earlier this month, a federal judge ruled there should be no age restrictions and gave the fda 30 days to act. brian? >> tom costello with all things fda related from washington tonight. tom, thanks. new numbers out tonight about home prices. the highest annual jump in nearly seven years. 9.3% according to one closely watched index. and that's in all 20 of the

biggest cities in this country. one reason prices are rising so fast? inventory, pure and simple. there is very little out there to buy. with fewer new listings than we see, especially during this time of year. still ahead for us as we continue tonight, taking down historic churches to put up a new stadium. it's a wrenching problem involving big money and progress and the wrecking ball. and later, what happened today to the eternal flame at the jfk burial site.

we are back with a classic urban battle about the past and the future and the cost of giving way and letting development come through. it's going on in one of our biggest cities with its own unique history. it is pitting churches against a fancy new sports stadium. there are millions of dollars at stake. the story tonight from nbc's ron allen in atlanta. ♪ >> reporter: while the baptist church celebrates 151 years in the same community, the congregation faces a monumental decision. >> thank you, jesus! >> reporter: it's one of two historic churches in the path of a new $1 billion dome football stadium the atlanta falcons and the city want to build. and they're offering millions of dollars if the churches agree to move. >> i don't think the church should move. >> reporter: juanita jones abernathy, widow of ralph

abernathy, believes her church should stand firm on what she considers sacred ground, where slaves were shipped in a boxcar during the civil war, where historically black colleges spellman and morehouse once held class in the basement. >> the church is a landmark in the community. and it needs to remain there as a landmark. >> reporter: the city's first offer to friendship, nearly ten times its appraised value, about $10 million. the pressure to move is obvious. you see the white top of the georgia dome stadium and how it looms over the churches. the new stadium would sit where that church is now. and over here, there would be a new roadway around the new stadium. the falcons' owner says no one is interested in forcing the church off its property and that he will invest millions in the community. atlanta's mayor says he'll accept the church's decision but hopes they'll take the offer. >> and they will be a stronger church, a stronger organization that is more capable because of

the millions of dollars that we're going to pay for that church. >> reporter: adding, there is another location for the stadium nearby. that's less desirable if both churches don't agree to move. the congregations will make their decision in the coming weeks with faith and prayer guiding the way. >> we go to god in prayer. >> reporter: ron allen, nbc news, atlanta. we want to let you know tourists visiting arlington national cemetery in washington will see something slightly different for a few weeks here. for just the second time since jfk's burial there, the eternal flame marking his grave has been moved to a temporary location while repairs and improvements can be made. president kennedy's resting place is and has been the most visited site in all of arlington. up next here this evening, why you can't blame prince charles for being perhaps a little jealous today.

tonight the fbi says tests confirm the presence of ricin found in the former business of the man who is now accused of sending poison-laced letters to president obama and other officials including a u.s. senator. according to court documents, an fbi surveillance team also saw james everett dutschke remove several items and dump them in a trash bin. one of them later tested positive for ricin. fbi says he ordered castor beans from which ricin is made on ebay last year. the rolling stones gave us the crossfire hurricane, but we've never seen a saturn hurricane until now. at least not like this one. think of what katrina and sandy did to the u.s., and then consider hurricanes on saturn are 20 times larger. these pictures were sent back by the cassini spacecraft, a space marvel that was launched back in 1997. it's still sending back

invaluable photos of the ringed planet. air force two has been grounded in flagstaff, arizona. it was discovered after landing to have ingested debris in the one engine. vice president was never in any danger. it was not felt on board the aircraft at the time. but his tricked-out 757 has been grounded, and vice president biden took the equivalent of air force three back home to washington. a backup jet that was traveling with him. people with tickets to monday night's angels/'as game did not know they were going to be good for tuesday morning as well. the longest game in history for both teams went 19 innings, consumed 40 players, it took 6 hours, 32 minutes, meaning it ended at 4:41 a.m. eastern time, which means early riser baseball fans could wake up and catch the end of the game on the east coast watching it play out on the west coast. the a's won it with a walkoff

home run. there was other baseball news today, specifically a rare find. what's believed to be the earliest-ever film showing black baseball players. it's just 26 seconds long showing a game on a southern plantation between 1917 and 1919. either way, it was before the founding of the negro league. all of the world's royal families gathered in one spot, and it was the british press who had a field day with this one. think of what it was like to be prince charles today, watching as queen beatrix of the netherlands did what's become customary in that country, she abdicated the throne, making room for her son who is tonight the king. charles was in attendance 33 years ago today when she became queen in the first place. his own mother, the queen of england, just celebrated 60 years on the throne. when we come back, the words "made in detroit" always meant something. tonight, what that label is appearing on now.

finally tonight, americans can thank detroit for a lot. the city was the economic engine of our country and the war effort before hard times came to town. but because detroit is good at making things, that's exactly

the opportunity some new businesses see now. our report tonight from nbc's john yang. >> reporter: a ping-pong table, bean bag chairs, screens full of computer code. it looks like silicon valley, but it's the motor city. high tech start-ups in a building as old as the model t. >> in the two years we've been doing it, it's been incredible. >> reporter: nathan and jay grew up in the detroit suburb. >> four independent professionals. >> reporter: last fall they moved their website, stick.com, from san francisco, seeing better opportunities for growth. >> a ton of talent here. there's not a lot of web companies like us competing for their services. >> reporter: entrepreneurs are also applying new technology to the city's mainstay industry, like the electric car, a company called detroit electric, hopes to begin making it in detroit this summer. this city has a rich history of quality manufacturing and

design, and these days it's not just automakers who are boasting that their product is made in detroit. in the building where gm engineers designed the first corvette, a new company with an old name. in the 1940s, shinola was a shoe polish. now it's high-end bikes and wristwatches. >> we're making the movements here, and we call that the engine of the watch, and what better city to make engines than detroit. >> reporter: they could help remake detroit's economy. they're already remaking the lives of workers. shinola's advertising campaign features willie holley who was once a security guard in the building. now he's the assembly line leader. >> it means that i can actually, like, explore the option of, like, having a family, you know, supporting them. >> reporter: five years ago assembly line worker lekishka rabon lost her industry job to automation. >> i don't think machines can do what we do. i mean, it takes -- a machine

don't have passion. >> reporter: a passion to do the painstaking work of building watches and rebuilding a city. john yang, nbc news, detroit. that's our tuesday broadcast. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we, of course, hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. i'm jessica aguirre. >> and i'm raj mathai. we begin with a developing story. it could be a major break in the case. a new lead for the search of a person who killed an 8-year-old girl while she slept. investigators are looking at this man. 44-year-old jason was arrested by police in placerville this morning. he broke into an apartment there and tried to kidnap a 15-month-old child. placerville police then alerted the county sheriff's department,

although they say there is no specific connection that links him to the little girl who was found stabbed to death. her brother said he saw a stranger leaving the house. a vigil will begin in about an hour in her elementary school. the debate in sacramento for police in schools is going the other way. new limits for police on campus. the question is, whether they should be involved in routine discipline. cheryl hurd is here with the details. >> reporter: the city of oakland just happens to have its own police force but there's an assemblyman out of los angeles who would like to monitor what they do through legislation. >> you're paying for their judgment. >> that's one way of looking at police officers'