on the broadcast tonight. ready for change but what kind? in our new poll just weeks from the election, what americans say they want. what he said about his christian faith. the president takes a direct question today from a voter. what happened? did americans in uniform lose control and kill innocent civilians? a dramatic story unfolding on camera. and back in business after a heartbreaking disaster, a national treasure is, again, making music. also tonight, what's being described as the moon mission for a new generation. "the nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening. there is important news in what we're about to show you because it may be evidence of a trend afoot right now. we are at this hour debuting a new nbc news "wall street journal" poll. while there is some good news here for the democrats who may be worried about a blood bath, sweeping losses at the upcoming mid-term elections have been predicted. there is really bad news if you're an incumbent office holder of either party. the voters increasingly don't want to hear it. they want some things someone else, and something new. our nbc news political director chief white house correspondent, chuck todd, here with us to start us off. >> good evening. we'll start with the number everybody asks about five weeks before the election and that is, this generic ballot question. who's up? who's down?

what do you prefer. last month, it was a nine-point advantage for the republicans. now, the lead has shrunk to six. the mood of the electorate hadn't changed. they want change. they don't like the direction of the country and democrats are starting to engage african-americans and hispanics. as peter hart, our pollster put it, democrats can change the turnout but not the landscape. but what is the change voters want? listen to this, 75% say the result they'd like to see is reduced special interest influence. 70% want to elect political outsiders, even if they are inexperienced, whether we're talking about christine o'donnell from delaware or other folks like that. 54% hope the tea party enthusiasm in the republican party makes them a fiscally conservative party. 54% want to see the repeal of health care, but what's interesting. they care about these things more than which party controls congress.

they want washington to change the way they do business, not necessarily just change the color of the jerseys. speaking of the tea party, it is the engine inside this republican enthusiasm gap, 42% say it's been good. even if they don't agree with the tea party movement they believe it's good. only 18% say it's a bad thing. speaking of big-named politician, the most popular politician was sarah palin, newt gingrich, you name it, nancy pelosi. bill clinton has his best ratings we've seen since he left office. nostalgia for the good old days may be helping the president. >> interesting. i wanted to show you something and you've seen this before. this was this afternoon in new mexico. president obama backyard event behind him, happening from the front porch of the house, the american flag, red hot chile peppers. he was asked about his christian faith, his religion and gave an interesting answer. >> i'm a christian by choice.

my family didn't, you know, frankly, they were not folks who went to church every week. my mother was one of the most spiritual people i knew but she didn't raise me in the church. so i came to my christian faith later in life. and it was because the precepts of jesus christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that i would want to lead. being my brothers and sisters' keeper. treating others as they would treat me. and i think, also, understanding th that jesus christ dying for my sins spoke to the humility we

all have to have as human beings. we're sinful and we're flawed and we make mistakes. and that we achieve salvation through the grace of god. >> the president today, on his christian faith, chuck, one area where every word spoken by barack obama is dissected over and over again. >> and this one will likely be dissected. during the campaign they spent a lot of time courting the evangelical media outlets, evangelicals in general, because the president at the time, candidate obama, his advisers believed the man's faith would be something that would connect to voters and of course, with the reverend wright episode and there's been almost a wall around the president when it comes to religion. you can tell it sort of affects him in different ways. he seems more reserved about it. doesn't like to talk about it. but in this case this was somebody in a backyard who said -- why are you a christian?

we know why this conversation is sort of a constant conversation as people still want to understand the president's faith. >> chuck todd, starting us off on politics and faith, as it were tonight. chuck, thanks as always. former president jimmy carter is in the hospital tonight, and he was transported by ambulance today after feeling ill during a flight from atlanta to cleveland to promote his new book. the delta captain called ahead to the cleveland tower reporting a sick passenger on board. he didn't say who. president carter was sick to his stomach, apparently. doctors decided to keep him in the hospital overnight to force him to rest. president obama called him at the hospital. was quoted as saying, the former president sounded great. former president, by the way, is 85, about to be 86. very active. he recently flew to north korea to bring home an american that had been arrested and detained. he was here just eight days ago promoting his same book, his diary, during his years as

president. terrifying moments in morning at university of tex. a 19-year-old sophomore fired multiple shots from an ak-47 before running into a lie wear, turning the gun on himself and taking his own life. the police said he's a math major that lived off campus. university went into full lockdown while the buildings were searched. no one else was hurt and university officials said their emergency plan, including a text messaging system, worked well. and an interrogation video is providing chilling details about how a group of american soldiers, allegedly, murdered afghan civilians and what we're learning is from the soldiers themselves. it's all part of a case that could have an impact on the war in afghanistan, and, perhaps, put american troops at greater risk of retaliation. our pentagon correspondent has the tale of this tape. >> reporter: this u.s. soldier's

casual account of the killing of civilians in afghanistan sounds disturbing, if not cold-blooded. >> you guys want to wax this guy or what? >> reporter: in all, five soldiers are accused in the murder of three innocent civilians in southern afghanistan early this year. in this interrogation interview obtained by nbc news, one suspect, corporal jeremy morlock, tells that staff sergeant calvin gibbs, seen here in a high school video, allegedly selected the victims and took command of the killings. >> he pulled out an american grenade, popped it and tells us to [bleep] -- kill this guy. kill this guy. >> reporter: army officials say gibbs bragged about killing civilians in iraq and morlock together vegd tors he feared gibbs might kill him. >> if gibbs knew i was sitting here in front of this camera there's no doubt in my mind that he would take me out. >> reporter: he wasn't alone.

specialist adam winfield text messaged his parents about the first killing. some innocent guy about my age just farming. adams' father, chris, warned the army but tragically army officials refused to investigate. his son, now charged in the third killing, that took place three months later. >> is your son a whistle blower or a murderer. >> he's a whistle blower. he tried. the arm didn't listen. >> he does not deny he was present at the third killing which need not have happened had the army investigated but he was not -- he did not cause any injury to the deceased. >> the army fears it has a bigger problem and is with holding from public release some of the more gruesome photos that are evidence in this case. there are serious concerns that the images like that that emerged from the abu ghraib scandal in iraq will ignite a firestorm of anti-american sentiment in afghanistan, putting the afghanistan war itself at risk. nbc news, the pentagon.

as many of you saw last night, the networks of nbc are hosting an education summit called "education nation." tonight we take on the question of what makes a great teacher? off question that microsoft founder, bill gates, really wants to answer. he's putting a big chunk of his own fortune into finding out. tonight, tom brokaw talks to bill gates who is a supporter of this education summit. >> how much more time do you need? >> reporter: in any classroom, this is the engine that powers the day. the teacher. by as we all know from personal experience, some teachers are just so much better than others. >> raise your hand if you feel like you know better. >> what makes a great teacher? >> reporter: that's a question with so many parts. >> do they work longer hours? do they break the classroom down more? >> you're a tough competitor. >> reporter: microsoft toundser, bill gates, is spending half a billion dollars over the next five years to find out. what are the essential elements

of a great teacher? how do we measure them? >> there's not a lot of raw data where you can take what goes on in the classroom or classroom lecture, group, one-on-one type things and try to connect that to, okay, some teachers are really good with students ahead. some are good at calming the classroom. >> can you use more specific words? >> reporter: it's called m.e.t. 3,000 teachers around the country have agreed to be evaluated by video, student questionnaires and by the teachers themselves. and by the results of student performance on standardized tests. >> how do you respond to those teachers who say, look, i just can't teach to a test? >> if you want something to be excellent it can't go unmeasured. >> reporter: this sixth grade teacher came from a school where she said she was never observed during her first two years of teaching. now a ps 126 in new york, she's

evaluated all the time. >> i would say i kind of enjoy being under the microscope to be fair. i'm getting observe nds multiple ways that makes me feel like i'm learning every day. >> what about the teacher establishment? between the unions and people that haven't been around a long time? they have real resistance to the changes coming on? do you butt up against that? >> teachers really want fair evaluation and i think the resistance comes when they think the evaluation won't reflect what is going on. >> which is probably why bill gates showed up at the american confederation teacher's convention. >> those of you who are backing these new measures are taking a risk. why would you do it? >> we're trying to figure out how to look at great teachers and deconstruct their practice. >> so do you like reading more than you did a year ago? >> it's gotten a lot easier because teacher has gotten better and better and helping me. >> reporter: so what has been

learned so far? >> if you say to the students, does my teacher use the time in class well? and when i'm confused, does the teacher help straighten me out? the answer to those questions gives us hope that we can use they multiple measures and we'll know more about what a great teacher looks like. >> reporter: and what they have to say. >> the best thing is getting experience, learning from other teachers who have done it so well. and sharing best practices. >> you have to understand your students on many levels. not just what they can do academically. >> so the real question is, can you teach me math? >> absolutely. >> i don't think so. >> math is fun. >> reporter: that may be too great a challenge for even the best of the teachers but the bottom line is to be an effective teacher you can't approach your class as one-size-fits-all. different kids have different needs and the most effective teachers they discovered so far recognize that. they also created a climate that is exciting. even organizing competitive

teams to tackle math problems. for example, most all, students are most productive when they feel that the teacher's care about them as individuals. brian? >> and we're all talking about this. tom brokaw, always a pleasure. when we continue in just a moment, after being handed a terrible challenge, a great american city launches a comeback. and does it to music. and later, what we heard today about the challenge of educating our children and what it's being compared to. replant a forest? you wanto maybe you want to rebuild homes for those in need? or, maybe you want to help improve our schools? whatever you want to do, members project from american express can help you take the first step. vote, volunteer

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if you still have time to get there you best hop in the car. it's being billed as quite likely the best party in the nation tonight and it's in nashville, where country music royal tty will gather to celebre the grand opening of the grand ole opry. coming five months after that institution and much of the city was submerged in a history-making flood. our nbc commentator is there. >> reporter: in the cathedral of country music on a stage scuffed by every industry legend this just might be the biggest night ever.

the rehearsals have been going on all day. brat paisley, martina mcbride, a who's who of country royalty. you might just call it "homecoming in nashville." the reopening of the grand ole opry. in may, torrential rains ravaged the region and $2 billion in damage. the opry's stage and treasures were buried under four feet of water. >> it's heartbreaking to see this. >> in the aftermath, paisley and opry favorite got a first look at his home. >> this is so hard to see. >> reporter: the officials said they would bring it back, a around the clock job finished just today. >> i can't believe it. i'm just in awe of this. they did it, fast, too. i mean, when was it that we talked? >> may 11th or may 12th. >> that's crazy. this is the type of thing that should take two years. >> reporter: the famed circle of wood, dried out and restored is

back in its rightful place at center stage. >> reporter: the work is far from over but this is a milestone, a symbol music city has regained its rhythm. tonight, the building's official rebirth. a celebratory concert before a sold-out hometown crowd. >> now we're back to business. country musicwise but people still need help. >> reporter: a fresh start for a treasured tradition as country music finds its way back home. nbc news, nashville. >> cone grach lagss to the grand ole opry. when we come back, something that won't come in the mail this year for the first time. i know who works differently than many other allergy medications. hoo? omnaris. [ men ] omnaris -- to the nose! [ man ] did you know nasal symptoms like congestion can be caused by allergic inflammation? omnaris relieves your symptoms by fighting inflammation.

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stay on the line! whatever your destination, fidelity will help you get there. because when it comes to investing, you should never settle. fidelity investments. folks along the east coast are being warned of a big, bad weather system from the north. a tropical depression from florida, expected to become tropical storm nicole is projected to merge with another low system and bring flooding rain from florida on up north through the carolinas and then the whole mess is expected to make its way to new york and

western new england by thursday. a one-time american staple is going away. this is being reported that the irs will no longer send out tax forms at tax times, via the u.s. mail. they say it's because so many americans are filing electronically, they say those wanting forms can print them off the web or find them at libraries and post offices. and they hope to save $10 million by doing it, which will not be credited towards lower taxes. interesting new study out tonight on a apologizing. it basically says that if it seems like women apologize more than men, it's because the two sexes may perceive wrongdoing differently, meaning what should warrant an apology. as one researcher put it, men apologize just as frequently women when they think they've done something wrong, you see. it's just that they think they've done fewer things wrong. i'm sorry if that's at all

confusing. when we come back, some of the emotional voices from the citizens of "education nation." the morning is over, it's time for two more pills. the day marches on, back to more pills. and when he's finally home... but hang on; just two aleve can keep arthritis pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is steven, who chose aleve and 2 pills for a day free of pain. and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels. you don't love me anymore do you billy? what? i didn't buy this cereal to sweet talk your taste buds it's for my heart health. good speech dad. [ whimper ] [ male announcer ] honey nut cheerios tastes great and its whole grain oats can help lower cholesterol. bee happy. bee healthy.

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and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair. i had fun today, grandpa. you and me both. if copd is still making it hard to breathe, ask your doctor if including advair will help improve your lung function for better breathing. get your first full prescription free and save on refills. finally here tonight, some of the many voices we've been hearing for the past few days as

we here at nbc have been hosting a multi-day "education nation" summit. education really has emerged as a big and urgent issue, finally after years of decline and neglige neglect. so much so we wanted you to hear what we've heard and witnessed over the past few days. >> we're looking at elected officials like they're superman. in my house i'm supermom and on good days i'm superdad. so i need us to begin to engage parents in a meaningful, meaningful conversation. >> we have to change the history of these families so it's a history of successes. a history of achievement and all of us have to help. the community has to come together again. and help our kids. >> i really believe that we have to move faster. these kids cannot wait. you know, one year -- [ applause ] one year is too long. >> this country keeps talking about they want a moon shot.

they want a sputnik moment. folks, this is it. education is more gradual than a moon shot. remember how the moon shot happened. it was three fellowships of the brightest people in the country to go to universities without borrowing money, without a job, to focus on what this nation needed to land a man on the moon and bring him back and we did it. >> i would describe myself as a 17-year-old young lady destined for greatness. i have been the by-product of ailing systems like dss and foster care. but today i'm proud to say i will be the first in my immediate family to graduate from high school and attend college. [ applause ] >> some of what we heard today. our coverage of "education nation" continues tomorrow on this broadcast and on msnbc as well as on the web. we posted a tone of information and resources for teachers and

parents on our site, educationnation.com. for now, that's our brad cast. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com bob ehrlich pretends to be for the working guy... but he's not on our side. i thought i knew bob ehrlich, but then i found out... he raised property taxes on every maryland family... and business. he increased college tuition... by 40%. 40%. and i thought i knew bob ehrlich. he was against raising the minimum wage. made $2.5 million...