on the broadcast tonight, worst than expected. this new jobs report today, the last one before the election. what does it mean for the president's party, but more important, to millions of americans still unemployed? >> money and politics. have you noticed the tv ads out there this season? it's getting rough out there, including a campaign stunner here in california. so close to rescue. so do hey decide which of those 33 trapped chilean miners comes out first? wounded warriors helping themselves and each other because that's just how they roll. also tonight, we are left to

imagine, john lenin's 70th birthday. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. we begin tonight with two ways of thinking about this economy. first, the dark and daily grind of those out of work in the face of these new numbers of the here's what we learned today. employers cut 95,000 jobs in just the month of september, a much higher number than the experts predicted. the unemployment rate is still at 9.6%. the last time it went on like this this long was decades ago. then there's the political fallout as we approach this midterm election. the president and other democrats are trying to convince voters their way is the right way with the numbers headed the other way. so we begin with our white house correspondent savannah guthrie. savannah, good evening.

>> reporter: this is the last monthly jobs report before the midterm elections where the stakes are so high the very control of congress essentially on the ballot. for so many voters, jobs is the defining issue. the president touring a concrete company in maryland today reacted to a jobs picture cemented in place. the unemployment rate holding steady with weak hiring in the private sector more than offset by the loss of 160,000 government jobs last month, states and localities making big layoffs mostly in education. >> yes, the trend line in private sector job growth is moving in the right direction. but i'm not interested in trends or figures. the only piece of economic news that folks still looking for work want to hear is, you're hired. >> reporter: the unemployment rate has topped 9.5% for 14 straight months, the longest stretch since the 1930s, another

ominous sign, a sharp number of people working part time who want full-time work, especially hard hit, older workers. >> i have a few things lined up. i have some interviews coming up, so i'm hopeful. >> reporter: many economists worry. some older americans may never work again. >> given how long people have been unemployed, how many older workers are in that group and are losing the skills they need to be employed in this economy, it's pretty obvious we're going to have a lot of people who just don't fit in anymore. >> reporter: today's jobs report is the last to come before the november midterm. a dismal economic picture republicans are eager to lay at the feet of the democrats in power. >> your government is out of control. do you have to accept it? >> no! >> do you have to take it? >> no! >> hell no, you don't! >> reporter: across the country

voters say there's one defining issue as they go to the polls. >> for them to create more jobs like they promised and i hope they're telling the truth, because i am looking for work. >> the number one issue is jobs. everybody in jacksonville is concerned about jobs. nobody is getting any, nobody is offering any. >> reporter: one other note from here tonight. the national security adviser, retired marine general jim jones is stepping aside, he will be placed by tom donilon. brian? >> savannah guthrie at the white house for us tonight. thanks. a follow-up to the story that began our broadcast last night. the massive foreclosure that's been thrown into turmoil. bank of america is suspending foreclosures in all 50 states. politicians around the country are calling on all the banks to do the same thing now.

none of this bothering wall street in the slightest. the dow closing above the 11,000 mark for the first time in five months. if you live anywhere near a hot political contest, then you now political ads are all over the airwaves. candidates are spending a fortune this season, and outside groups are spending even more. some of them take liberties with the truth. some of the ads airing right now contain outright lies. others have more subtle deceptions. our report tonight from nbc's andrea mitchell. >> reporter: almost heaven, west virginia, backwoods and hollers just some of the boys at the coffey shop. >> obama is messing things up. >> spending money we don't have. stimulus, obama care. >> reporter: in fact, the commercial was shot in south philly, far from country roads. with actors told to wear a hickey blue collar look, jeans, flannel shirts and john deere

hats misspelled, preferably beat up. one of the actors, damian, has played a lot of roles. >> all of those are my final answers. >> reporter: even appearing on "saturday night live." in ohio, a republican attack ad featured an out of work steelworker. you wouldn't think there's a shortage of unemployed workers in ohio. but they hired an actor right out of "law and order" and some other roles we can't show you on family tv. in some cases the same actors pop up in different states. here is undocumented immigrants in nevada and louisiana. >> those are the same hombres. look at those two pictures. this is the most terrifying scenario of all.

there aren't enough stock photos of scary minorities out there to represent all the scary minorities we know have got to be out there. >> reporter: it's not new that political ads use actors. but what is different is the torrent of money from corporations and anonymous outside groups pouring into campaigns this year. because of a supreme court ruling and other changes in the law. >> they've got names like americans for prosperity or the committee for truth and politics. or moms for motherhood. actually, that last one i made up. >> reporter: but it's no laughing matter for democrats, being outspent 7-1 by republicans in the battle for the airwaves. andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. now to the governor's race here in california. it's been a rough one byfully standard but it's hit a new low thanks to a piece of audio recorded on voice mail that was not supposed to be for public

consumption. our report from nbc's lee cowan. >> reporter: as campaign calls go, the one jerry brown made to a los angeles police union last month sounded pretty routine. >> hey, scott, give me a call. jerry brown. love to talk to you. >> reporter: brown left a voice mail. when he hung up. >> your support means a lot to me. thanks. >> reporter: the call didn't disconnect. what was then captured was an impromptu strategy session. on the call, brown sounded frustrated. he mused that he had lost the police union support because he threatened to cut public safety pensions. while meg whitman promised something different. >> do we want to put an ad out? that i have been warned if i

crack down on pensions, i will be -- because they know whitman will give them, will cut them a deal, but i won't? what about saying that? >> reporter: whitman, anxious to divert headlines from her housekeeper troubles, responded immediately. the use of the term "whore" is an insult. brown's campaign insists he was responding to the notion of whitman cutting a deal, not the idea of name calling but admitted at times our language was salty. we apologize to ms. whitman and anyone who may have been offended. still, the whitman says this isn't the end of it. they are scheduled to face off in their final debate next week. lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles.

in hungary, two more victims from that flood of toxic sludge were found today. this brings to seven the number of people killed in this disaster. meanwhile, hungary's interior minister claims that pollution levels in the danube river have decreased, though not all environmentalists are sure of that. the torrent of waste water came from an aluminum plant that reached the river after a dam broke. from south america, word tonight that those 33 chilean miners trapped for two months now may be brought to the surface within days. rescuers say the shaft they've been drills could be completed as early as tomorrow. but then comes the business of deciding who comes out first, and who comes out last. our own kerry sanders is at the mine tonight. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. i'm here in what they call camp

hope. this is main street. just a short time ago they rushed up to meet with the first lady of chile as this is getting ever so close. the drill is now just about there, about 121 feet away. they've been drilling on and off, going much slower now, because that precarious 121 feet could collapse and they don't want to have that happen. they think they might get through tonight or maybe tomorrow. then the question is, do they have to have an engineering effort before they begin launching the escape capsule? they may decide to put some steel pipes down into the shaft a half inch thick, about maybe 300 feet. that would keep rocks from falling back as the escape capsule comes up. then the big question, who comes up first and who comes up last. they were told it is going to be the most experienced, healthy

first. and the reason for that is as they come up in that capsule, they're going to be talking on a radio, they're going to be getting some oxygen and they have a camera. and if there is a problem, that experience and that calmness will be the one who can determine everything is good or there's a problem and this is what we need to do. they like to say they've had one miracle here. all 33 men survived the cave-in. now they're opening for a second, getting all 33 out alive, brian. >> kerry sanders at the mine. we'll hope for good news out of there. kerry, thanks. this year's nobel peace prize was awarded to a man who cannot be accepted in person. that's because he's serving 11 years in a chinese prison for advocating democracy there. he's perhaps china's best known dissent. the nobel committee cited his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights. the chinese government

criticized the award saying it runs completely counter to the principles of the prize. when our broadcast continues in just a moment from los angeles, "education nation." on the heels of today's job numbers, how would you like to be looking for a job fresh out of college? and making a difference for veterans, working to get their physical and emotional lives right back on track. and playmate. ret-keeper do you think i'd let osteoporosis slow me down? so i asked my doctor about reclast because i heard it's the only once-a-year iv osteoporosis treatment. he told me all about it and i said that's the one for nana. he said reclast can help restrengthen my bones to help make them resistant to fracture for twelve months. and reclast is approved to help protect from fracture in many places: hip, spine, even other bones. [ male announcer ] you should not take reclast if you're on zometa, have low blood calcium, kidney problems. or you're pregnant, plan to become pregnant or nursing. take calcium and vitamin d daily.

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if you live for performance, upgrade to castrol edge advanced synthetic oil. with eight times better wear protection than mobil 1. castrol edge. it's more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. class photo day at the u.s. supreme court in washington, and here they are, your nine justices of the u.s. supreme court, including the newest justice, elena kagan. safe to say media day is not the favorite day of the year for most of the members of the court, but they seem to tolerate

it, so we can get the pictures that we then use all year long. time now for "education nation." our ongoing coverage of education and tonight how it relates to jobs. today's jobs numbers, which we talked about at the top of the broadcast, not likely to bring great comfort to thousands of recent college graduates who still can't find work they're trained for or any work for that matter. nbc's kristen welker reports on what it means for our "education nation." >> any questions? >> reporter: like most college seniors, kelsey cook is consumed with finishing her degree. but the journalism major at the university of colorado spends most of her free time searching for work in one of the toughest employment markets in almost three decades. >> it's stressful because everyone is looking for a job right now. >> reporter: at her school's job fair, cook networked and distributed an impressive resume. even that might not be enough.

the unemployment rate for adults 20 to 24 years old is nearly 15%, and that's almost 50% higher than the national average, which means cook is competing with her fellow seniors and -- >> i'm heidi, nice to meet you. >> reporter: alumni like hidee christianson who have been unemployed since she graduated last year. the pressure on students is spreading. career counselors say underclassman, even freshman, are getting a case of the job jitters. jesus rivera is already thinking about life after graduation. >> not being able to know that there's a job out there in the future for me made me realize that i have to already plan ahead in order to succeed. >> how did you come up with those majors? >> reporter: for many, that plan includes an early visit to the

career center. >> the majority of the freshman had resumes already, which sun usual. >> reporter: analysts say the outlook for job growth is improving but students should be aggressive, get internships and realize their first job may not be exact think what they want. >> i'm not in any position to turn down a job right now. >> reporter: young adults who have all the right stuff at a very difficult time. kristen welker, nbc news, bolder, colorado. up next here tonight -- ♪ >> remembering john lenin, who would have turned 70 years old tomorrow.

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unlikely news that night that john lenin had been shot and killed outside his apartment building in new york back in 1980. tomorrow would have been his 70th birthday. while the daily mail newspaper in london tried to show us today an artist's conception of what he might have looked like had he lived to 70, his widow, yoko ohno, told a reporter how john might view our current world. >> i don't think he would be retired. he would have been very angry about the situation that's going on in the world now, and probably started to become an activist again. >> yoko ohno in iceland. the tributes started today. visitors to google were greeted by one. a statue will be unveiled tomorrow in liverpool. and a memorial peace tower will be lit by his widow in iceland. flowers have started to show up at the imagined mosaic in new

york's central park where tomorrow night thousands are expected to spend a peaceful fall evening at an outdoor screening of the film "lennon, nyc." when we come back, they don't have any quit in them. on a roll, and making a difference. [scraping] [piano keys banging] [scraping] [horns honking] with deposits in your engine, it can feel like something's holding your car back. let me guess, 16. [laughing] yeeah. that's why there's castrol gtx... with superior protection against harmful deposit build-up. don't let deposits hold your car back. get castrol gtx. it's more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. introducing total plus omega-3 honey almond flax cereal. all the nutrition of total, plus 10% daily value omega-3 ala, and a delicious honey almond crunch.

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finally tonight, our "making a difference" report this friday night comes from these parts. tomorrow, a few miles here in santa monica, a long and grueling journey will come to an end. it's a seven-day, 450-mile journey by bicycle and while it couldn't be for a better cause, it will also bond forever those who are along for the journey. it's called the ride to recovery challenge. it's about u.s. military veterans, and tonight our own maria has our report. >> all right, let's roll! >> reporter: on two wheels, or three, these cyclists are on a mission. riding for themselves and each other.

this is more than just a bike ride. it's a healing process for wounded warriors. whether they power their bikes with two legs or none, grip the handle bars with a hand or a clamp, these veterans share a passion and belief. >> riding a bike is a metaphor, for independence, for joy in life. >> reporter: former pro cyclist john warden created the ride to recovery challenge. along the route from san francisco to santa monica, the program empowers veterans by harnessing the power of pedals to heal. >> every warrior that comes on one of these rides has a goal. for a lot of guys today, their goal is just to make it from the hotel to the next hotel and ride every mile. doesn't matter how fast they go or how much they struggle, they're going to push through and make it. >> reporter: through pebble beach and big sur, the tour follows some of america's most beautiful coastlines. everywhere the locals come out

to honor the heroes. physically, mentally and emotionally. there are more than 200 riders, many on a bike for the first time. each of them has a personal goal, to ride 450 miles in just seven days, and no one gets left behind. >> push! >> reporter: if a rider falters, there's always a helping hand. randy served in iraq and says the challenge helps her deal with post traumatic stress disorder. >> it reminds you through life you have uphill battles but once you get to the top and see the view, it's worth it. >> reporter: for juan hernandez who lost his leg in afghanistan, it's about getting his life back. >> you have to get yourself believing that you can still do the things you were doing before. >> reporter: this ride is not about who finishes first, but making sure they all finish together. >> that's what it's all about.

that's our broadcast for this friday night and this week. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we're reporting tonight from our nbc bureau here in los angeles. we hope to see you back in new york on monday. good night. have a good weekend. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com . two governors, two different approaches. even in good times bob ehrlich didn't make education a priority. he increased college tuition by 40%, cut school construction by $200 million, and ehrlich voted to eliminate the department of education while serving in congress.