>> thanks, jeff. thanks for joining us. we'll be back at 6:00. we'll see you then. on the broadcast tonight showdown over the ban on gays in the boy scouts. tonight, late word on the vote at an organization that's included more than 100 million american kids. shock waves in an act of terrorism. new arrests in london as we learn more about the young british soldier viciously attacked and hear about the brave woman who stared down the man with the knife. drone war. the president lays out new attacks overseas. during an impassioned defense of his policy and a new push to close guantanamo. nowhere fast. as we head into a long holiday weekend, wild weather is snarling traffic across the country. and lifeline. the new mom who went into labor as the tornado closed in is reunited with the nurses who stayed with her as the hospital was ripped apart around them. "nightly news" begins now.

good evening. i'm ann curry, in tonight for brian. there was a major turning point late today in the american institution that's been around for more than 100 years and a part of the lives of more than 100 million american children. after months of consideration, about an initiative that divided its ranks during a passionate debate, tonight the boy scouts of america has voted to allow openly gay members. nbc's pete williams broke the news back in january that the scouts were considering this change, and he starts us off tonight with the late developments from our washington newsroom. pete, good evening. >> reporter: ann, good evening. this is a big change for an organization that has fought for decades to preserve the strict ban on admitting gay scouts and scouting officials say tonight it passed handily with 60% of the vote of its national council. so, this means the long-standing policy will be lifted that had

banned gay scouts, but it remains in effect for banning gay scout leaders. the vote ends a wrenching process that started four months ago when boy scout leaders revealed they were considering a change. >> this issue is a defining issue in our country and our state and our society. >> reporter: the decision came today at this conference center near dallas, a meeting of scouting's 1,400-member national council, after the boy scouts proposed in january to let local troops decide the issue for themselves, generating a storm of petitions from some parents who thought that went too far and others not far enough. today they voted to end the ban on gay scouts but continued the ban on gay adults as scout leaders. >> this is a challenging complex area. it's a difficult decision for a lot of people, but we're moving forward together, and within our movement, everyone agrees one thing -- no matter how you feel about this issue, kids are better off in scouting. >> reporter: church groups

sponsor 70% of all local scout units, and many fought to keep the ban. >> and focusing on building strong, young men and not getting an organization turned into a sexual agenda item of a special interest organization. >> reporter: but the mormon church, it sponsors one-quarter of the nation's scouting units, signaled it would not oppose the admission of gay scouts. a survey conducted for the boy scouts found that 48% of parents of current scouts support the ban, down from 57% three years ago. but a majority of boy scouts themselves, 56%, oppose the ban on admitting gay scouts. 42% opposing it strongly. chuck and rhonda montera of denver are among parents in favor of a change. they have two sons in the cub scouts. >> when we look 50 years in the future, it will be like civil rights, and it's like, what took us so long? >> reporter: the scouts say the new policy takes effect january 1st of 2014, which scouting officials say will give local units the time to adjust. now, as for considering a change in the ban on gay scout leaders,

the organization says this was a lengthy process and it has no plans for further review. ann? >> all right, pete williams tonight. thanks so much, pete. there is also word tonight of new arrests after that vicious act of terrorism on the streets of london. again, fair warning, these images are difficult to take. a british soldier was attacked and killed in the streets as we now know, he was a young husband and father. we're also hearing from the brave woman who stared down the man with the knife. we get the latest now from nbc's michelle kosinski in london. >> reporter: mothers and children on their way to school this morning carried flowers, a day-long procession, tributes and raw emotion. the victim, viciously hacked to death on the street, has now been identified. 25-year-old british soldier lee rigby served in afghanistan, the father of a 2-year-old son. in a statement, his family said "lee was lovely. he would do anything for anybody. all he wanted to do from when he

was a little boy was be in the army." and that is why, one of the two suspects told onlookers, they targeted him. >> we must fight them as they fight us, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. >> reporter: this suspect has been identified and was born in britain of nigerian dissent. reportedly a devout muslim, here he is in a demonstration outside of a london police station in 2007. today it emerged that both suspects were known to british security services prior to now, but sources say there was no indication they were planning any attack. terror analysts say lone wolf-style operations are becoming the new face of al qaeda-inspired attacks. >> no longer the large-scale, sophisticated plots from overseas, but instead, very unsophisticated and simple attacks, which can still very much affect the psyche of cities like boston and london. >> reporter: police raided six homes around london today as part of this investigation and made two more arrests on

suspicion of conspiracy to murder. one extraordinary citizen who was unafraid, seen here trying to talk down one of the suspects, is ingrid loyo kenneth. >> just keeping him calm. i'd have to think that if you had something to say, ignoring him would just make him more upset. >> reporter: other women guarded the body of the young soldier who survived war and has fallen to terror at home. michelle kosinski, nbc news, london. now to the major address by president obama on counterterrorism and our use of force overseas. the president today issued new guidelines for drone strikes against suspected terrorists while making an impassioned defense of his policies. our white house correspondent peter alexander joins us from the north lawn. peter, good evening. >> reporter: ann, good evening to you. today the president refined his idea that the so-called war on terror launched by the bush administration is no longer relevant, instead presenting a much more narrow definition of american counterterrorism.

declaring america at a crossroads, president obama today reframed the fight against terrorism and the evolving threat now facing the u.s. >> we must define our effort not as a boundless, global war on terror, but rather as a series of persistent, targeted efforts to dismantle specific networks of violent extremists that threaten america. our nation is still threatened by terrorists. from benghazi to boston, we have been tragically reminded of that truth. >> reporter: in his most thorough defense of america's secret war, the president laid out clear and narrow guidelines for drone strikes, arguing they are legal and carefully considered. >> before any strike is taken there must be near certainty that no civilians will be killed or injured, the highest standard we can set. >> reporter: but there's a check

on the president's power by congress. >> it's briefed on every strike that america takes. every strike. >> reporter: and that they work. >> simply put, these strikes have saved lives. >> reporter: to make his policies more transparent, the president is transferring more control of the drone program he also renewed his pledge to shut down guantanamo bay, announcing an end on the ban to send detainees to yemen, calling on some inmates to be moved to u.s. prisons and tried in civilian courts. the move would save the u.s. nearly $1 million a year for each of the 166 inmates, 103 of them now staging an extended hunger strike. >> i think the president, after months of being uncomfortable with where he was in the national debate, wanteded to take control of the narrative and then consolidate these issues over guantanamo and drones and put himself where he wants to be. >> i know the politics are hard, but history will cast a harsh judgment on this aspect of our fight against terrorism and those of us who fail to end it. >> reporter: that judgment voiced by an antiwar activist,

who repeatedly disrupted the president. >> why was he killed? >> reporter: at one point rendering the commander in chief speechless for 30 seconds. >> the voice of that woman is worth paying attention to. these are tough issues, and the suggestion that we can gloss over them is wrong. >> reporter: also today on the topic of national security leaks, the president said that he's asked attorney general eric holder to conduct a 45-day review, ann, of the justice department's guidelines for investigations that involve journalists. ann? >> all right, peter alexander tonight. peter, thank you. in moore, oklahoma, darkened skies again today as the first funerals were held for the 24 victims of monday's tornado, 10 of them children. for the survivors, this is also a day to reconnect and start moving forward again. nbc's janet shamlian joins us now from moore. hey, janet, good evening. >> reporter: ann, good evening to you. it's just what they didn't need

here, thunderstorms and flooding, putting this community on edge and shutting down cleanup efforts for several hours. and it came on a day when students and parents were taking their first steps towards something resembling normal. the children of moore, oklahoma, headed back to school today, days after the tornado ripped through two of their buildings, killing seven of their classmates. >> how are you, sweetheart? >> we talk to each other and we just got to say hi to each other again. >> reporter: students from the two devastated schools were sent to other schools for the final assembly, a chance for closure, to see friends, to say good-bye. >> this will bring a little more impact to what happened, because you're not going to see some of your friends, though. >> we didn't get to say good-bye to our classes, and it was really good to see them and to be able to love on them. >> reporter: it was also an opportunity to reconnect, and in some cases, express thanks to teachers for guarding what every parent cherishes most. >> i'm never going to have

anything, you know, any words to, you know, to repay her for what she did. you know, she threw herself on my daughter to protect her. >> reporter: the gatherings came as moore buried the first of its 24 victims. 9-year-old antonio canned alero was laid to rest. she's among the seven children who died when the tornado flattened plaza towers elementary. experts counseling children here say the surviving students are victims, too, likely traumatized by what they saw monday, who they didn't see today. >> parents just need to speak honestly with their children but to also reassure them that there are people working that they don't even see to make sure that they're safe. >> reporter: thunderstorms and flooding in the region made cleanup almost impossible early today, but utility crews and trash haulers were able to get out late this afternoon. for a community that suffered a lifetime of heartache, in only days, one child's words may sum up moore's resilient spirit. >> it makes me real glad because some of my house got ripped

down, and it makes me glad to see my friends and that they're alive and that i'm alive and that i'm okay. so, that's all. >> reporter: and late today, officials have drastically revised downward the number of homes damaged here. it is 1,200, not 13,000. a bit of good news. ann, back to you. >> it is. janet shamlian, thank you so much tonight. well, bad weather is making news elsewhere tonight as well, a lot of unsettled weather in the northeast in particular could mean a very hectic holiday travel weekend ahead. weather channel meteorologist chris warren now joins us. hey, chris. good evening to you. >> ann, good evening. severe weather has already thrown a real wrench into travel, and we have seen some long delays heading into the northeast at the airport, newark and laguardia, both having full on ground stops. let's take a look right now at where that threat does continue for severe weather tonight in the northeast. it's going to be heavy rain, flash flooding with the threat,

also damaging winds you'll have to watch out for. in texas and the southern plains, tornadoes a possibility, also large hail that could be bigger than baseballs. now, for travel, if you're planning to head out of town tomorrow along with about 35 million memorial day holiday travelers this weekend, look for some cool and rainy weather in the northeast. if you're heading to the roads, like 31 million, in fact, more than 31 million people will be, you have to watch out for that rain in the northeast. also, in the middle part of the country, the chance for more storms. ann? >> all right, chris. thank you so much for your reporting tonight. and one more note about the weather. the people at noaa who track hurricanes for a living said today they expect another busy season in the atlantic. 13 to 20 named storms, 7 to 11 hurricanes, 3 to 6 of those hurricanes are expected to be major. last year was the third busiest season on record with 19 named storms, one of which, of course, was hurricane sandy, which

caused $50 billion in damage. still ahead tonight, on the rebound. as millions of families plan their vacations, what they'll be seeing a lot more of on the roads this summer. and later, an amazing accomplishment at 30,000 feet at an age when a lot of people would rather be on a nice, flat golf course.

memorial day weekend means a lot of people hitting the road, and it's likely you're going to be seeing a lot more rvs out there. they're making a big comeback after a big slump during the recession, and that is good news for the people of eckhart county, indiana, where many of them are made. nbc's john yang has our report. >> reporter: for paul ash and his family, going on vacation means loading up their 30-foot rv and heading out on the open road. >> it does allow you to vacation in the style that you want at a

price you can afford. >> reporter: more and more people agree. at dealerships like this one outside of los angeles, business is booming, a welcome change from just a few years ago. >> it's something i've been thinking about for four or five years and finally decided now perhaps might be the time. >> reporter: from 2006 to 2009 rv sales plunged 58% as the recession deepened and banks stopped lending. as the economy bounces back, so have sales, shooting up 72%. good news for keystone rv in elkhart county, indiana. this county's unemployment rate was once the highest in the nation, above 20% four years ago. now it's less than half that. in 2009 when the recession was at its worst keystone cut back to just 1,900 employees. now, just four years later, they employ 3,200 people, a record for the company, and they're still hiring. more jobs at higher wages. >> i think you'll see that throughout the county.

everyone's forced to do that because the labor pool's getting a little bit tighter. >> reporter: matthew miller is a recent hire drawn by better pay. as a high school student, he saw his father get laid off from an rv plant. now he's a husband and father himself. >> it's very comforting knowing that i can work in a place like this, not have to necessarily be worried about my job, and know that i'm going to be able to provide for my family. >> reporter: as accelerating rv sales set a once struggling midwestern county on the road to recovery. john yang, nbc news, goschan, indiana. we're back in a moment with a photo session before the senior prom that's getting a lot of attention tonight.

we've got a gorgeous view today of a volcano erupting in alaska and a picture taken from the international space station. the volcano in the aleutian islands began spewing out ash on may 13th. this photo was taken on may

18th. the plume of ashes rises almost four miles up into the atmosphere and stretches across hundreds of miles. and an 80-year-old japanese climber made it to the top of the world today. yuichiro miura broke the record for the oldest person to climb mt. everest. when he reached the summit. he has climbed everest twice before. he set the record for the oldest person to climb the summit ten years ago. before another climber took the crown four years later. he posted on his facebook page today, "this is the best feeling in the world." preparations for memorial day are under way at arlington cemetery. the 3rd u.s. infantry regimen, which is the army's official ceremonial unit, placed flags on grave sites of each service member buried at arlington. 267,000 in all in the annual tradition known as flags in. the year was 1979, the hair was big, the clothes were polyester, and that is the future president of the united states before his senior prom.

two previously unpublished photographs were given to "time" magazine by the girl in the middle, kelly allman, who was escorted by barack obama's best friend at ponoho school in hawaii. she also included a note to young barry as he was known back then, wrote in her yearbook, he observed that she was "extremely sweet and foxy." obama's date was megan hughes, a senior at a nearby all-girls school. up next, a incredible survival story we haven't heard about until now. a mother in labor as the tornado closed in.

in the three days since that devastating tornado in moore, oklahoma, we have seen so much destruction, loss of life and misery. but tonight, we're going to leave you with the story of some people who have come together to help, whether it's cleaning up, cooking a meal or even helping with a very special delivery. nbc's ron mott has our report. >> reporter: shayla taylor embraced her newborn son again, a treasured moment after going into labor during an ef-5 tornado.

>> it just took the wall off. and the first thing i did, of course, was ask if all the nurses were still there and if they were okay. >> reporter: this morning, she reunited with nurses who moved her to another hospital when theirs took a direct hit. >> my nurse gave me a shot to slow down the contractions, you know, to kind of keep me from going into transition. and actually having a baby in the midst of a tornado. >> reporter: she later delivered 8 pounds 3 ounce braden emanuel, now the talk of the town. >> he's a miracle, and i love the name that she has for him, emanuel, god is with us, because god definitely was with us. >> reporter: perfect strangers are with the community, too, coming from near and far, some toting brooms and rakes, others carrying trays of steam pulled pork, all in the spirit, they say, of simply loving thy neighbor. >> it's oklahoma. it's just kind of the way it is here. we all rally together when there's a need.

>> reporter: and you're able to mobilize a team quickly. how does that happen? >> being barbecue cooks doing competitions we learn how to cook mobile. >> reporter: operation barbecue relief is also here, first cooked up during joplin, missouri's brush with a tornado two years ago. >> they need comfort. barbecue is comfort food. >> reporter: while the going is tough today for many, hope and gratitude are in ample supply. >> those women were, they were godsends. they did their best to take care of me. >> reporter: and the little guy already nicknamed twister. ron mott nbc news, moore, oklahoma. and that is our broadcast for this thursday evening. i'm ann curry in tonight for brian. and for all of us here at nbc news, thank you and goodnight.

nbc bay area news, starts now. good evening, i'm jessica aguirre, we begin with the deadly shooting in santa cruz of two police officers, shot at point blank range. they were ambushed. the gunman who killed them went on to go on a rampage through the streets, until he was

killed. more on the details. >> reporter: well, the dea said today not only was the shooting justified, it was heroic. today, we learned how close goulet came to shooting people in the community. nearly three months after butch baker and his co-worker were laid to rest, on february 26th, the two officers went to talk to sexual assault suspect, jeremy goulet and tried to coax him out of his home. it showed he agreed to come out. >> both officers were there at the door step when goulet exited the home. and within three seconds, he fired five rounds at the two officers from his personally owned .45 caliber automatic pistol. >> reporter: the investigation found he went to s