tonight. another spare the air day in effect tomorrow. >> sixth day in a row. >> thanks for joining us. see you back at here at 6:00. ide open in public as the most powerful republican in washington says he's had enough. coming out swinging against members of his own party. execution. big news out of north korea tonight where the young leader has taken out a family member. too close for comfort. the case of the interpreter at the mandela meal has gone from embarrassing to questions about security and a big risk. preventing breast cancer. a new option that cuts the risk in half for some women with far fewer side effects to deal with. and making a difference for u.s. sailors far from home. "nightly news" begins now.

good evening. today in washington, there was a rare outburst of candor mixed with anger and frustration. whatever anyone thinks about the speaker of the house, john boehner may have the toughest job in washington. his job is to lead his majority party, republicans, in congress. his problem has been the rise of the tea party faction, the newly arrived and highly motivated members who do not go along or get along with the wishes of the leadership. they forced boehner's hand in the fiscal cliff and again in the government shutdown. now they have gone after a budget deal that represents real compromise and keeps the country running. the speaker today decided he's had enough and he said so. kelly o'donnell was there for it on capitol hill today and starts us off from there tonight. kelly, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. the house has done something we haven't seen in a long while. overwhelmingly passing a budget deal crafted by both democrats

and republicans intended to end the crisis-to-crisis atmosphere we have been living with. managing his own republican membership has been tough, made harder by the influence of outside groups that instantly criticize the deal before it was announced. today at his final news conference of the year, house speaker john boehner took the lid off his long-simmering frustrations aimed at conservative political groups. are you enjoying this moment, being able to speak up, speak your mind in a way we haven't seen as much? >> you know, it comes to a point when some people step over the line. you know, when you criticize something and you have to idea what you're criticizing, it undermines your credibility. >> reporter: while boehner owes his speakership to the tea party victories that put republicans in charge three years ago, he doesn't share their political dna. boehner is the chamber of commerce style republican, not a firebrand.

the tea party's head strong confrontations put his leadership on the rocks repeatedly. but now he has a message for the conservative groups who demanded the government shutdown strategy to stop the health care law. >> the day before the government re-opened, one of these groups stood up and said, well, we never really thought it would work. are you kidding me? >> reporter: the fallout was swift. those conservative groups who opposed today's budget deal are unbowed. >> i think we're representing the voices of the american people that are not being represented by their officials in congress. >> reporter: tim huelskamp is tea party through and through and says boehner is not conservative enough. >> i have problems trusting anyone who is dismissive of the american people. >> reporter: the conservative rift over the budget compromise includes prominent gop senators with their own political futures to consider. florida's marco rubio. why, as a conservative, do you believe this isn't a deal you can back?

>> it's not just as a conservative. i think it's as an american. >> reporter: the biggest complaint is that this deal would spend more for the government funding over the next couple of years. doesn't do enough, they say, to reduce the deficit. but more than 330 house members passed this tonight. it's expected to go to the senate where it will also pass, maybe putting a lid on the crisis mode we've been living with. brian? >> an eventful and different kind of day on capitol hill. kelly o'donnell there for all of it. kelly, thanks. word has arrived from overseas the leader of north korea has executed a family member. kim jong-un had his own uncle killed after making a very public display of removing him from power. back when his father kim jong-il ran north korea, this same uncle was considered very high ranking, perhaps even number two in the country. this execution is one way for this young new leader to show the world, in graphic terms, that he is firmly in charge.

our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell here with with us in studio tonight. andrea, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. indeed, this official announcement is the clearest evidence of a major shakeup by this brutal regime in north korea. a nuclear power. causing alarm in washington and with north korea's most powerful neighbor, china. kim jong-un, the young, untested leader now eliminating the power behind the throne. executing his own uncle jang sung-taek, the uncle believed to be in charge of training his young nephew to take over. now according to north korea's official announcement, executed as a traitor. in fact, called, quote, despicable human scum, worse than a dog. the announcement went on to accuse him of thrice-cursed acts of treachery in betrayal of such profound trust and warmest paternal love shown by the party and the leader for him. it claims he confessed at a military tribunal, what was clearly a show trial. his downfall was shown on state tv earlier this week when he was

arrested, shown being pulled out of a public meeting. jung sung-taek was viewed as a potential economic reformer, in charge of the transition of power and second in command. he was also the point man for maintaining pyongyang's relationship with beijing. and tonight the white house says there's no reason to doubt the official announcement of execution. an official said if confirmed this is another example of the extreme brutality of the north korean regime. the administration is now monitoring developments closely and conversing with allies in what is now clearly a new crisis zone. >> a big story from there. andrea, thanks as always. now to the latest twist in a story that, as we said at the top of the broadcast, started as simply an embarrassment but is now raising serious questions about security for president obama and the other world leaders who came to south africa for the mandela memorial. as we were making our way back home from there, the sign

language interpreter who was called out as a fake revealed news about himself and what he claimed was a history of serious mental illness. nbc's ron allen has the latest tonight from pretoria. >> reporter: today thamsanqa jantije went public. he claimed to be under medication for schizophrenia and said he suffered a break down on stage. >> and i see angels come to the stadium. i start realizing that the problem is here. >> reporter: he said he has a history of violent behavior. >> sometimes i will react violent on that place. sometimes i will see, like, things, like, chase me. >> reporter: stunning revelations by a man already accused of being a fraud. >> it's frightening that an individual that maybe is having

significant mental issues was allowed to stand next to the president and other dignitaries. it's amazing. and very frightening. >> reporter: all this just part of larger security concerns at the mandela memorial. a senior administration official tells nbc news the secret service was very concerned security was more disorganized and haphazard than expected ffr for the hastily arranged tribute. the security detail was doubled. before time his motorcade was stuck in traffic. at the stadium, metal detectors and other screening seemed to be nonexistent. lester holt mentioned it on the air that morning. >> it was strange. i was able to get into the stadium without any physical screening. >> reporter: there were no incidents, and the white house says secret service did a good job under difficult circumstances. >> obviously they worked very hard on this trip which came about on short notice. >> reporter: and that so-called interpreter, there have been complaints before.

>> when we complain, we feel that the south african government are deaf. >> reporter: but today a government spokeswoman acknowledged hiring jantjie was a mistake. >> from a security standpoint, major embarrassment. >> reporter: an embarrassment that could have been something much worse. ron allen, nbc news, pretoria. the good news tonight from the international space station. yesterday's reported problem is not as dire as first thought and the crew has time to consider its options including a space walk to fix it. nasa loves redundancies. they are good to have in space. the pump that broke has a working backup. but still, it's a problem that will need attention. in the meantime today, the crew was pretty much back to business as usual. was as we approach the one-year mark on saturday of the tragedy at sandy hook elementary in newtown, connecticut, there

is a plea from this country's psychologists. they say the gun issue is not just a political issue that protecting our children from gun violence including in their own homes is a matter instead of public health. so we get the story tonight from our chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman. >> reporter: it was nearly two years ago when, like so many other times, ashlynn dropped her son noah off at his friend's house to spend the night. >> about 1:15 in the morning we got a phone call. >> reporter: what went through your gut when you pulled up and saw all that activity outside that house? >> immediately i went into shock. even before i talked to a cop. like there's no way this is real. they made a mistake. >> reporter: but it wasn't a mistake. ash lin's 13-year-old son had been accidentally shot by his friend who in a moment of horseplay didn't know the gun was loaded. who do you hold accountable? >> the parents. >> reporter: why? >> because as parents we're supposed to keep our children

safe. >> reporter: ashlynn and family are avid hunters but they keep their guns secure and want parents who don't do the same to be held legally responsible. >> we keep them safe with car seats, seat belts, drive the speed limit. we have caps on medicine that they can't get in. i just -- guns is right there with that. >> reporter: since the newtown tragedy, at least 173 children under the age of 12 have died from gunshots in the u.s. according to original reporting and research by nbc news. nearly half of the deaths were accidental. >> this coming year it's projected the number of people who die from gun-resulted injuries will surpass those who die from vehicle deaths. >> reporter: dr. william begg was in the e.r. the day of the tragedy and is advocating to change gun laws and the to change the way we view gun violence. why is research important? >> research is paramount. when you have a discussion about this public health issue of gun safety, there's two sides. and the only way i think change is going to happen is if we look

at the data. >> reporter: in 1996 the gun lobby worked successfully to halt the cdc's analysis of gun violence. while the national rifle association has always advocated gun safety and education, it didn't respond to our requests for comment. president obama has called on congress to provide $10 million to fund gun research. your heart must catch in your chest when you see this. ashlynn hopes education and new laws might save another mother her pain. >> i wanted to watch him go to high school and graduate and get married and have kids. and i just -- i'll never see that. >> reporter: start the conversation with your children at home. and then talk to other parents before play dates, before overnights. ask a simple question. are there guns in the house? are they loaded? and most important, are they locked up and away from kids? it's a really transformation to make gun violence a public safety and public health issue. >> important aspect of this overall story.

nancy, thank you as always. still ahead for us tonight, big health news about preventing breast cancer. a new option for women at high risk. it cuts the risk in half with far fewer side effects. and later, making a difference even on the flight deck of a guided missile cruiser. big surprises for americans serving far from home during the holidays.

we are back here with good news about fighting breast cancer for women at high risk. there may be a new way to prevent the disease without all the side effects so many people have come to dread. anne thompson has more tonight on the new research presented at a meeting of breast cancer specialists in texas. >> and for the first time in houston astros franchise history, they will play in the world series. >> reporter: pam gardner is a competitor and a pioneer spending 23 years with the houston astros, 11 as president. she is the longest serving female executive in major league

baseball, even honored in the hall of fame. but success is no defense against disease. breast cancer runs in her family, putting her at high risk. she's managed it with exams and removal of two benign lumps, but no drugs yet. >> i've weighed those over the last few years, and i've elected not to take them. but now there's something new that they're looking at that may be an option for me. >> reporter: that something new is actually an old drug. anastrozole has been used for years to treat post menopausal women after they have had breast cancer fuelled by estrogen. a study say says it can help prevent estrogen-fuelled breast cancer in high risk women decreasing the risk by 53%. researchers say it's a home run. >> it works on both dimensions. more effective and less side effects. >> reporter: tomofoxin has major

side effects. >> the harms are an increased risk of uterine cancer, blood clots, cataracts, also hot flashes. >> reporter: the study involved almost 3900 women between the age os of 40 and 70 at increased risk for breast cancer. half got anastrozole every day. the others got a placebo. after five years 40 women on anastrazole got breast cancer versus 85 in the placebo group. who could this help? this can help those with a family history, dense breasts and some type of benign lumps. >> reporter: now building a second career as a consultant, this drug offers gardner a new way to stay in the game. anne thompson, nbc news, new york. and we're back in a moment with a little boy on a mission a lot of other americans might like.

we are back in a moment with

>> for all those who heard the story that the new head of the fcc wants to allow cell phones on planes while in the air it's not as bad as you might have first feared. it's all about allowing people to use their devices to text and web surf, but not to make calls. in fact, a bill was introduced in the senate today that would prohibit cell phone conversations on commercial flights. the golden globe nominations are out. as usual there are some surprises and some snubs. leading the way with seven nominations a piece are the films "12 years a slave" and "american hustle." the film "the butler" got shut out of the major category, as did "homeland" on showtime. hbo led the way with nine nominations. many expect the big prize to go to "breaking bad." poehlernd fey host again.

a great story has come to our attention thanks to kusa. it's about a 6-year-old boy named connor who wants to save nasa in this post-shuttle era and get them back into the business of launching american astronauts into space. so with the support of his dad he launched a campaign. he got a petition on the white house website. he's received letters and phone calls from people around the world including one particular call while our camera crew was there from a guy who speaks from experience. >> well, i am an astronaut. this is gene cernan calling. i'm the last person to have walked on the moon. >> whoa. >> how about that? as in "the" gene cernan. last man to walk on the moon went to say, quote, to go to the moon, you got to dream about things that a lot of other people think you can't do. perhaps lost in all the uproar of the incompetent sign language interpreter at the mandela memorial is the fact that deaf people are the one who

is lost out. and along those lines, video of a little girl performing in her kindergarten christmas show in florida has surfaced. she's seen here signing so her deaf parents in the audience could follow along. it's fantastic. delivered with the gusto you would expect from a child at that particular great age. when we come back here tonight, making a difference with a very special delivery.

and finally tonight, a woman who's been making a difference for america's military men and women for a decade. she has just, in fact, marked a milestone with her own unique way of saying thanks. we get the story tonight from our pentagon correspondent, jim miklaszewski, who went on a journey himself to bring us her story. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: from the flight deck of the guided missile cruiser gettysburg in the gulf of ai ayman, holiday spirits were running sky high. sailors tore into packages like

kids on christmas morning. a welcome relief from long lonely deployments at sea. the driving force behind the festivities, carolyn, the founder of operation gratitude. >> this is my dream come true to get hugs from 360 sailors at sea. nothing could be better. >> reporter: and today marked a monumental milestone. operation gratitude's one millionth care package presented to petty officer brook okerley. that's a long way from ten years ago when she sent off packages herself one at a time. today an army of volunteers turns out this 3,000 a day in california. volunteers of all ages like 103-year-old bea cohen, a veteran of world war ii. >> i wish the packages were bigger. tell the lawmakers. >> reporter: the most cherished gifts, personal letters from volunteers like matthew brooks. >> i want to give thanks.

>> reporter: to these sailors aboard the gettysburg, these care packages are more than just an early christmas present. they're a sign of america's respect, love, and gratitude for their service. petty officer okerman got just a little more. >> keys to your own 2014 ford f-150. >> reporter: a new pickup truck that left her speechless. >> go, navy! >> reporter: for caroline, her personal mission is far from over. she's already planning for a second millionth prize. jim miklaszewski, nbc news aboard the gettysburg. and that's our broadcast for this thursday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams, and we, of course, hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.

good shurzthursday evening. thanks for joining us. we begin with a story you'll own see on nbc bay area. a year-long crime spree in the north bay has come to an end. nbc bay area learned investigators believe a man who was shot and wounded in san rafael yesterday is the so-called cotton ball bandit. nbc bay area's jodi hernandez is in san francisco with more for us. hello, jodi. >> reporter: hi, diane. the cotton ball bandit has been

on the fbi's wanted list for a year now. in fact, today marks the one-year anniversary we're told of when his alleged crime spree began. tonight, a law enforcement source confirms that crime spree's over. >> the teller that i just talked to, karen, said they literally saw him walk nonchalantly to his car, get into his car, and drive away. >> reporter: it may be that very observation that's led investigators to arrest the man they believe may be the notorious cotton ball bandit. tonight, a law enforcement source tells nbc bay area the suspect investigators say robbed a norato bank of the west yesterday before leading officers on a high-speed chase is, indeed, the hat wearing serial bank robber they've been looking for. >> thankful. thankful that they got him. >> reporter: while the fbi wouldn't go on record that they positively i.d.'d the suspect as their man, they acknowledge the