cer survivor is happy to be an inspiration. "nbc nightly news" is coming up next. night, the outpouring of sympathy for beau biden. the son of the vice president dies of brain cancer at age 46. his death focusing new attention at who's at risk. the showdown over the government's ability to collect the personal phone records of millions of americans. what's at stake? a league of their own. the young football players taking hard hits while trying to tackle stereotes. paying it forward. the bank robber who gets an unusual second chance to make things right. "nightly news" begins right now. ♪ >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. substituting tonight, carl quintanilla. >> the political world tonight is mourning the death

of beau biden the son of joe biden who succumb to brain cancer at the age of 46. his death highlights both the dangers of brain cancer that kills an estimated 15,000 adults a year and the tragedies that too often have befallen the biden family. we begin with chris jansing. >> reporter: beau biden was in some ways just like his father. >> good evening. i'm beau biden. and joe biden is my dad. >> reporter: with a familiar name and equally familiar smile. but beau biden was very much his own man. >> he didn't want to rest on his dad's laurels. i think that's part of why he didn't run for senate and wanted to run for governor. >> reporter: he was a front runner for delaware governor in 2016, a popular politician and decorated iraq combat veteran. tonight, in a town often torn apart by partisanship, a bipartisan outpouring of grief. >> beau biden was known to many as a dedicated public servant, a loving

father of two, and a devoted partner to the woman he loved. >> delaware is a better place because of beau. our country is a better place because of beau and the world's a better place because of beau biden. >> reporter: from the white house, president and mrs. obama in a smaller than usual all-black motorcade to the vice president's home. after issuing an emotional statement last night calling beau biden a good, big hearted devoutly catholic deeply faithful man who made a difference in the lives he touched and he lives on in their hearts. tributes on social media from jeb bush to hillary clinton, cher and john legend. some people expressed personal heart break for a family that had already endured so much loss. in 1972, joe biden's first wife and daughter were killed in a car crash. he took the oath of office in the hospital next to three-year-old

beau's bedside. >> one of my earliest memories was being in that hospital. my dad always at our side. >> reporter: a father and son with an incredible bond forged by tragedy and they would face another challenge in 2010. beau had what was diagnosed as a stroke. then in 2013, he began treatment for brain cancer. months later was given a clean bill of health but he quietly reentered the hospital for the last time this month. his dad never let on how serious it was. >> my dad used to have an expression. he'd say a father knows he's a success when he turns and looks at his son and daughter and know they turned out better than he did. i'm a success. i'm a hell of a success. beau y, i love you. so proud of you. >> reporter: beau biden died at 46, surrounded by his family, his wife, hallie and his children, natalie and hunter. >> biden's unexpected death raised a lot of questions about brain cancer and who's most

at risk. for that we are joined by dr. natalie azar. is it easy to tell who is at risk for brain cancer? >> no. despite there is research in to the genetic or environmental risk factors for this particular cancer there are no well-defined accepted risk factors for brain cancer, other than perhaps a prior history of radiation to the head. there are some uncommon hereditary syndromes where brain cancer can be seen. generally speaking there are no risk factors and no good screening tests for brain cancer. >> 46 years old. to so many seems so young. does biden's death at that age surprise you? >> unfortunately. no prognosis certainly improves as a young adult. we talk about five-year survival in brain cancer. as one gets older, survival does decrease.

brain cancer, in general, can affect people of all ages. we see different types, more prominently in the adult group opposed to the pediatric population but it can affect anyone at any age. >> we mentioned this clean bill of health he was given two years ago. are these reliable given this disease? >> generally speaking, oncologists say a malignant brain cancer will recur in most cases. it's just a matter of time. that's why survival rates are so poor for the most aggressive types of brain cancer. again, how well somebody does has to do with the grade of the tumor, diagnosis, how advanced it is when it is first diagnosed and the type of cell. generally speaking, you know, we don't expect people to do incredibly well overall. the five-year survival rate is 33% and that is all central nervous system tumors combined.

>> thank you very much. it is down to the wire in washington where in a few short hours controversial portions of the patriot act are set to expire. its legislation that has the capitol divided and the senate scrambling to take actions before it's too late. nbc white house correspondent kristin welker is joining us. >> reporter: this is a rarity. the last time the senate met on a sunday is two years ago. at this hour they are working to keep the government surveillance program intact. with rand paul vowing to block it, many expect the provisions will expire. with the clock ticking on the government surveillance program, tempers flared today. >> we are here in a manufactured, unnecessary crises. >> isn't this program as critical as it's ever been since its inception given the fact that the middle east is literally on fire and we're losing everywhere. >> reporter: key provisions of the patriot act will expire at midnight,

including a controversial surveillance program first exposed by edward snowden that allows the government to sweep up telephone records of millions of american s. senator rand paul says it is a violation of privacy rights and vows to block the legislation. >> are we going to so blindly give up our freedom? are we going to blindly go along and say just take it. i'm not going to take it anymore. >> reporter: the obama administration says paul, a republican presidential candidate, is playing politics with the nation's security. cia director john brennan said that could put the u.s. at risk. >> i think terrorists elements have watched carefully what has happened in the united states, whether or not disclosures of classified information, changes in the laws and policies. >> reporter: to continue the surveillance programs, the senate can either reauthorize the controversial provisions of the patriot act, or it can pass a compromise bill. the usa freedom act passed in the house, which would with end the government's bulk collection of phone records and make phone companies responsible

for holding those records. today proponent republican senator mike lee said he will get the votes eventually. >> the american people deserve better than this, especially when it is a program that is an integral part of protecting our national security. >> reporter: the staunch privacy rights advocates urge the senate to act tonight. >> i'm strongly in favor of protecting privacy rights but we have to be aware we're with under threat. >> reporter: if congress doesn't act by midnight, in addition to the bulk data collection program expiring, so will a wiretap provision. it allows investigators to track suspects who switch phones and a third provision allows the government to spy on foreign suspects in the united states believed to have links to terrorists. a so-called lone wolf provision. back to you. >> see what happens. secretary of state john kerry is expected to arrive in boston tomorrow for medical treatment after breaking his leg while bicycling in france. the secretary's office says he's in good spirits after the

accident that cut short an important diplomatic trip overseas. nbc's ron mott has the latest from boston. >> reporter: john kerry and his trusty bicycle are road warriors frequent ly paired up with his down time around the world. this morning, the secretary broke his right leg on an excursion through the french alps near the swiss border. his tire striking a curb sending him tumbling according to to the state department. he never lost consciousness. he was airlifted to geneva and should make a full recovery said a doctor not involved in his care. >> if it is a simple fracture, one that doesn't involve a lot of work and they can fix easily he maybe in the hospital a few days and up on his feet quickly and maybe back to work and travel within six weeks. >> reporter: kerry's office confirmed he fractured his femur or thigh bone near the hip. he's had both hips replaced. >> i don't think it broke because of the hip replacement but if it involves the hip

replacement it is more complex to fix. >> reporter: he is an enthusiastic sportsman with bumps and bruises to prove it. he suffered a shoulder injury, a broken nose during a hockey game. this weekend he was in switzerland with iranian diplomates including his counterpart about limiting the country's nuclear program. a key deadline looming at the end of next month. the state department said he will miss a meeting in spain. rather than opt for surgery or treatment overseas, secretary kerry will come to boston massachusetts general hospital to work with the same surgeon that worked on his hips the first in 2009 and the second in early 2010. >> ron, thanks a lot. a dangerous scene played out on the streets of new york earlier today. a crane accident sent debris flying from one of the city's

high-rise buildings causing injuries to construction workers and pedestrians below. for more we turn to our new york station wnbc. >> good evening, carl. i'm a block away in midtown, manhattan from what was a terrifying situation a few hours ago. just after 10:30 this morning when a heavy piece of machinery was hoisted by a crane to the top of this building on madison avenue. it broke free plunging nearly 30 stories down. the man machinery sheered the side of the building before hitting the ground below. metal, glass and fiberglass showered the street. another said it looked like a giant dust cloud coming down. >> cars destroyed. i hope nobody's hurt. >> reporter: ten people were injured, including two construction workers. fortunately the street was partially closed at the time because of an accident so traffic was minimized. the victims were transported to nearby hospitals.

with minor injuries from falling debris and other blunt force trauma. officials, including the mayor, visited the site earlier today and said the city will conduct a full investigation. they added luckily the situation could have been much worse. >> ida siegel in new york city, thanks. in downtown atlanta this afternoon, heavy rain caused severe flash flooding that left cars stranded under water on the city's highways. to the west in texas, isolated thunderstorms continue to move through the area. hampering cleanup efforts. once again today, hundreds turned out to search for those missing after last week's historic floods. for the second time in a week, tar balls and clumps of oil have washed ashore on popular southern california beaches. they have been spotted in ventura county. at this point it is unclear if they are related to the oil spill in santa barbara that dumped more than 100,000 gallons in to the pacific. meantime, california is dealing with its growing drought crisis, the worst in the state's history.

because water is at a premium and it could pose a problem for one of the state's biggest crops. >> reporter: business has never been better for tom rogers. >> farmers are not foolish people. you go where the money is. >> reporter: these are mini money makers. almonds on the farm his family has owned nearly a century. every acre, now devoted to irrigating and growing them. at a time when the state is struggling through an unprecedented drought, producing a single nut takes a gallon of water with, more than strawberries but far less than a steak but yet it is almonds getting all of the attention. >> i gladly tell people i'm evil incarnate because i grow almonds. >> reporter: you are the villain in this drought? >> yes, we are. and it's a shame because we are not the villain. with we feed a hungry world. >> reporter: california grows 80% of the world's almonds which are getting more popular in other countries and more profitable here, which is why many farmers are replacing crops like cotton with

orchards. >> it's a stark comparison of the past, versus what was envisioned as the future, which is almonds. >> reporter: dr. goldhammer shows what is happening in the central valley is happening all over california. in the last decade as farmers doubled the amount of almonds they produced the amount of money they made tripled. >> thousands of acres of this stuff. >> reporter: you sound bothered by this. >> where's the water. >> reporter: right now mostly coming from underground aquifers but that supply won't sustain these farms forever. >> there has to be a balance between letting the market dictate what happens and doing what is best for society, not just almond growers. >> reporter: growers like tom rogers, who says he's putting his new profits in to irrigation technology to use less water. hoping to make every drop count. so farmers seeing green can keep it that way. nbc news, california. when "nightly

news" continues on this sunday, a football first in this country. the new league that's becoming a big hit. later, a bank robber, who was given a sentence you might not expect.

youth football leagues kids suit up in helmets and pads to play tackle football. the players in one town are unique. an all girls league kicked off their first season, creating

excitement and raising a few eyebrows. >> reporter: on a practice field in the shadows of utah's tranquil mountains pony tails dangling from helmets maybe the only give away this is the country's first known tackle football league for fifth and sixth grade girls. >> i don't know. it gives me a rush, i guess hearing the pads click. always makes me smile, i guess. >> reporter: 12-year-old sam gordon, 4'6" running back helped to get it started. three years ago, she graced the front of wheaties box after her highlight reel went viral. it showed gordon breaking tackles and scoring touchdowns in a full-contact league for boys. >> don't miss this. >> reporter: he knew that didn't appeal to every girl. >> put up your arms. good job, ladies. so they created a league of their own with room for 50

players. for 50 players you filled up all of the spots in three days. what does that tell you? >> it tells me that a lot of girls wanted to play tackle football. >> reporter: girls like jonna tucker. she documented her dreams in a letter. >> when i'm 30 years old, i want to be the first female nfl player. >> reporter: you can imagine her excitement when she heard about the league. >> my mom, she got the e-mail at 6:30 and had me signed up by 6:35. she knew how much i wanted to play. >> reporter: there are four teams. >> run straight through that cone, okay? >> reporter: tessie mae arce coaches the white hawks. >> you can be a girl off the field but on the field you are a football player. so i need you to be aggressive. >> reporter: this new program comes at a time of heightened concern over concussions. the adults that run the league say all coaches are certified to teach safer tackling and blocking techniques. >> they know all of the safety protocols that they need to implement in order to run a safer football league and they have been doing that. >> reporter: jonna

tucker's mom knows the risk. >> she is doing something she loves and far being from me that i have that fear and wouldn't let her play. >> reporter: what they truly hope to tackle are stereotypes. joe fryer, nbc news, west jordan, utah. still ahead mick jagger and company take the stage and do something they haven't done in nearly 50 years.

♪ the rolling stones rocked ohio last night resurrecting a song they haven't played in nearly 50 years. the band covered "hang on sloopy" for the first time since their '66 concert tour. the song has become the official rock song of ohio played at sporting events throughout the state. no doubt it delivered plenty of satisfaction to the audience. these two definitely have moves like jagger. instead of a typical mother-son dance

during his recent wedding this groom challenged his mom to a dance off. they got down to everything from james brown to vanilla ice. it stemmed from a long family tradition of dancing while doing saturday morning chores. the best part of the story is the bride never saw it coming. she expected them to have a simple slow dance. maybe she was looking for brownie points from her mother-in-law because she declared her the winner. after more than four decades at cbs news, bob schiffer is saying farewell. this morning schiffer signed off as moderator of "face the nation." he was the host of tha political talk show for 24 years. he said he knew he wanted to work in news after seeing his byline in his high school newspaper. little did he know he would interview every u.s. president from richard nixon to president obama and our hat is off to him. next, a bank robber who's been given an unusual second chance.

finally tonight, a second chance for someone inof one. it involves an indiana man who robbed a bank out of desperation. instead of a stuff prison sentence the judge had another idea. nbc's kevin tibbles

has that story. >> reporter: a year ago, in a midwestern town, like hundreds of others, jobless, penniless and homeless, david potchen david gave up. he walked outside with more than $1,000 stuffed in to his back pocket. he sat down and waited for the police. you see, he wanted to get arrested. >> i just decided the only place to go was prison. >> reporter: potchen had been in jail before, had a job inside and even earned money. on the outside, life was bleak. >> you are living in the woods, you hit rock bottom. >> the maximum he would be looking at would be 13 years. and he was disappointed because he wished that it potentially could be more. >> reporter: in open court, judge clarence murray asked if there wasn't somebody, somewhere, who with

would give potchen a job. >> i never heard a judge say that before. >> reporter: when the owner of a local trucking company heard about it, he was moved. >> it's a way of reaching out to someone who was hopeless. we have a great welder that will be loyal to us and with we'll be loyal to him. >> reporter: now with his sentence modified, potchen isn't serving time, he's punching in. >> until they kick me out of here or shut the door on me, i ain't leaving. >> reporter: with steady work, support, even a retirement account, david potchen said he's never looking or going back. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago heights, illinois. that is "nbc nightly news" for this sunday. lester holt will be here tomorrow. i'm carl quintanilla reporting from new york. for all of us here at nbc news, good night.

good evening to you. thank you for joining us. >> let's start with a look at the weather. much needed way coming our way. there's a live picture of the golden gate bridge. dark and overcast. it's been that way for a good portion of the late afternoon out there. no rain yet. but it's on the way. not a lot, but some rain. anthony slaughter here now with how much and when. >> in fact you know we're in a drought when we get excited about a few hundredths of an inch of way. a little bit of green out there and that's all we're finding out there. the cloud cover is