on the broadcast tonight, most wanted. why the u.s. says the killing of an american terrorist overseas today is so significant. squeezed again. that swipe is about to cost you more. tonight, the new fees banks are charging to spend your own money. final appeal. can amanda knox say anything to that italian court to win her freedom? and to the rescue. a terrible accident. a father lost for days and the family that refused to give up. a father lost for days and the family that refused to give up. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening. i'm savannah guthrie, in tonight for brian. tonight one of america's most wanted terrorists is dead. his name may not have been as well known as osama bin laden's, but officials say anwar al-awlaki was just as dangerous. an american-born citizen who later joined al qaeda, if you ask top u.s. officials to name the terrorist they were most worried about in recent years he would be at the top of the list. from yemen officials say he planned some of the terror plots from the botched christmas day underwear bombing to the massacre at ft. hood to an attempted car bomb in times square. he was killed in yemen by a u.s. hellfire missile. jim miklaszewski joins us with the latest. good evening. >> reporter: al-awlaki was considered so dangerous, president obama put him on the u.s. kill or capture list. the only american to be specifically targeted by american forces in the war against al qaeda.

[ speaking in a foreign language ] >> reporter: u.s. intelligence officials considered anwar al-awlaki the american-born cleric, the most serious terrorist threat to america. president obama said al-awlaki's death dealt a major blow to al qaeda. >> al-awlaki was the leader of external operations for al qaeda in the arabian peninsula. in that role he took the lead in planning and directing efforts to murder innocent americans. >> reporter: u.s. officials tell nbc news that based on recent intelligence the cia and u.s. military have been closely tracking al-awlaki for weeks. today, the americans zeroed in on al-awlaki, traveling in a two-vehicle convoy through yemen. as many as three missiles fired from american drones slammed into the convoy, destroying the vehicles and killing al-awlaki and six others, including another american, samir khan, editor for al qaeda's online propaganda magazine, "inspire"

and ibrahim al asiri, but officials say al-awlaki was the brains behind repeated attempts to attack the u.s. home land. the jet liner over detroit and the attempt to blow cargo planes out of the sky with explosives hidden in printer ink cartridges in october 2010. >> this country is much safer as a result of the loss of al-awlaki. >> reporter: al-awlaki's ability to inspire and recruit potential terrorists was considered his most dangerous weapon. >> anwar al-awlaki was by far the most effective communicator al qaeda had. >> reporter: al-awlaki was the inspiration between army major nadal hassan's shooting spree that killed 14 soldiers and a failed attempt by the so-called times square bombing. terrorism experts fear, even in death, hundreds of his internet postings could breed potential terrorists at home. >> given the fact that so many

of his recorded sermons are out there, that he's a powerful icon he may be as much trouble dead as he was alive. >> reporter: in some respects u.s. officials consider al-awlaki a more insidious threat than osama bin laden himself and fear that a lone wolf may be lurking somewhere in the u.s. preparing to retaliate. savannah? >> jim miklaszewski at the pentagon. thank you. until recently michael lighter headed up the national terrorism center, a top adviser who was in the room on key decisions the last few years including the raid on osama bin laden. he joins us now. good to have you here. >> nice to be here. >> the u.s. took a shot at him back in may, missed. they thought they were close again on the anniversary of 9/11. why was the u.s. so determined to get this terrorist? >> i think because al-awlaki combined two things and he combined them better than anyone else. he was an operational commander and he was inspirational to english speakers in the united

states and across the west. that made him a really important target. >> you mentioned he was seeking weapons of mass destruction. >> that's right. not only was he an operational planner behind what happened on christmas day but he was seeking cyanide and we think he was doing it to attack the united states. >> taking stock of al qaeda now, bin laden is gone, al-awlaki is gone. is this an organization still capable of launching major attacks on the u.s.? >> they are certainly weaker than they have been before. the fact is both in pakistan and yemen, north africa and lone wolves in the west there is a risk. but taking out al qaeda operatives in this strike have definitely weakened them deeper and worse than they have seen before. >> let's talk about an issue that was raised in some quarters today in particular by the aclu and that's the issue of due process. this was, after all, an american citizen targeted for killing specifically by the u.s.

government. how does the administration justify this on legal grounds? >> well, first of all, it's obviously an important question. targeting american citizens anywhere is a very serious issue. ultimately an individual regardless of whether they are an american citizen or not takes up arms and is plotting terrorist attacks against the west it becomes an issue of self-defense. due process is very different because anwar al-awlaki was plotting in yemen against the united states. >> was this something the united states looked at before they put him on the target list? >> the administration debated quite deeply everyone who was going to be targeted for a strike. a u.s. citizen got even greater levels of review, but ultimately this was about self-defense. >> all right michael leiter, it's good to have your perspective. thank you. there are new tensions in the already strained alliance between the u.s. and pakistan. the rift over the country's relationship with a growing

terrorist network accused of attacks on americans. our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell joins us now from washington. andrea, good evening. >> good evening, savannah. as the u.s. takes down al qaeda leaders, one of the most lethal threats to u.s. troops in afghanistan is a terror network based in pakistan that america's top outgoing military leader says is an arm of our so-called ally, pakistan. the threat, a deadly terror network called the hakani an organized crime family based in pakistan the u.s. says is responsible for brazen attacks in the after kban capitol. the 20-hour firefight against the u.s. embassy two weeks ago and the bombing of the intercontinental hotel in june. admiral mullen made trips to stop terrorism and said he fails. as he prepared to step down today as chairman of the joint chiefs he blew the whistle saying the terrorists are an arm

of pakistan's spy agency. why was he so blunt? he told national public radio -- >> i am losing american soldiers. the haqqanis are killing american soldiers and from that perspective, i think it's got to be addressed which is the reason i spoke to it. >> reporter: mullen forced the administration to confront an inconvenient truth. the warning to pakistan from hillary clinton. >> they are making a serious, agree vous, strategic error supporting these groups. there is a firestorm in islamabad. crisis meetings and denials. but officials say mullen is right. >> we need to be honest with the american people about the partner we are working with in pakistan and we need to be honest with the pakistanis that we are onto what they are up to. >> reporter: president obama was asked about it today. >> whether there is active

engagement with haqqanis on the part of pakistanis or rather just passively allowing them to operate in some of the border regions. >> reporter: why is pakistan able to get away with it? first, the u.s. relies on it as the main supply route to afghanistan and pakistan will be one of the largest nuclear powers. that makes the alliance with terrorists all the more dangerous. savannah? >> a complicated relationship. andrea mitchell, thank you. on wall street today, a down end to a down week and a down quarter. the worst three months of the stocks since the financial meltdown in 2008. the dow lost more than 240 points to close out the third quarter with a 12% plunge. the nasdaq dropped more than 65 points for a 13% quarterly loss and the s&p was down just under 29 points off 14% for the quarter. there was a lot of anger today about the announcement from bank of america that it will start charging customers $5

every month they use debit cards to buy things. as lisa myers tells us, add it to the growing list of fees. >> reporter: the prospect of paying $5 any month you buy something with your debit card did not sit well with some bank of america customers. >> they are making money off my money. so for them to then charge me for something a debit card is ridiculous. >> if the bank chooses to do that then i will pull my accounts and go to another bank. >> five times 12, you could have paid a bill with that. >> reporter: bank of america says the new fee begins early next year, but won't say how many of the 58 million customers will be impacted. other banks also are testing or have already imposed similar debit card fees. only citi has said it will not. the industry says angry consumers should blame congress which reduced how much banks

collect from retailers in so-called swipe fees on debit cards. banks say legislation in the last two years on swipe fees and cracking down on credit card and overdraft practices is costing banks $15 billion a year in revenue. >> we are losing revenue. we have to make up the revenue somewhere to stay in business. unfortunately it's the consumers that's going to hurt. >> reporter: a survey found free checking is disappearing. only 45% of accounts now offered are free. overall, fees just keep going up. as much as $25 a month for a checking account. $4 on average to use an out of network atm. and sometimes $2 more to check your account balance. for families on a tight balance, it adds up. >> it's disheartening to see one more fee being added on top. how much can consumers really bear? >> reporter: financial experts say smart consumers can minimize or avoid many fees. they say when it comes to debit cards, consider an old-fashioned solution.

just pay cash. lisa myers, nbc news, washington. when we come back, it's her last best hope of winning freedom. tonight, final arguments in the appeal case of amanda knox. and testimony from the paramedics who tried to revive michael jackson. later, an incredible rescue. the family that refused to give up. nisn't wasteful spending. [ woman ] my heart medication isn't some political game. [ man ] our retirement isn't a simple budget line item. [ man ] i worked hard. i paid into my medicare. [ man ] and i earned my social security. [ woman ] now, instead of cutting waste and loopholes, washington wants to cut our benefits? that wasn't the agreement. [ male announcer ] join the members of aarp and tell washington to stop cuts to our medicare and social security benefits. whose non-stop day starts with back pain... and a choice. take advil now and maybe up to four in a day.

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first paramedic to reach michael jackson on the day he died testified in the manslaughter trial of jackson's personal physician, dr. conrad murray. the paramedic said dr. murray never told him he had given jackson that powerful anesthetic normally used only in the hospital during surgery. he testified that jackson was flat-lined when he arrived at the scene and never showed any signs of life for the 42 minutes he worked on him. now to a sensational case nearing what could be a very dramatic final act. 24-year-old amanda knox was an american student in italy in 2007 when her roommate was brutally murdered. convicted of the crime, she was sentenced to 26 years in prison. now, her appeal of that verdict and the sentence has put the italian justice system on trial as well. today the appeals court heard final arguments in her case and nbc's lester holt was there. >> reporter: amanda knox walked into an italian courtroom today for what may be one of the last

times. within days, an appeals court could decide whether to throw out her conviction and set her free. knox and her italian former boyfriend were convicted in the brutal 2007 killing along with this man, an african immigrant who already lost his appeal. today, the lead prosecutor in his final rebuttal suggested amanda knox wants to leave that man, rudy guede, holding the bag. she could go free, said the lead prosecutor, and once again the black guy will pay. >> the racist theme has emerged during the closing statements. very interesting. >> reporter: prosecutors say the killing was the result of a drug-fuelled sex game, but their strongest evidence, supposed dna on a knife and bra clasp, was discredited by court-appointed experts, giving renewed hope to knox's family. >> alls we are doing is trying to support our daughter and trying to have the truth come out and have her come home. >> reporter: court observer

american attorney alex gutierrez says it's as if the italian justice system is now on trial. >> they feel that they are being attacked as to the way they conducted their investigation. instead of attacking amanda they are justifying their actions. >> reporter: prosecutors and attorneys suing knox have attacked her as everything from a she-devil to a diabolical liar. as the judge overseeing it all guides this case toward what is expected to be an emotional finish. as it stands now, amanda knox will get the final word when she addresses this court on monday. after that, two jujs and a jury of six will require to decide her fate. >> up next, a man who might not be alive if not for the incredible detective work of his children. thousands of people are choosing advil®. here's one story. [ regis ] we love to play tennis. as a matter of fact it was joy who taught me how to play tennis. and with it comes some aches and pains and one way to relieve them all is to go right to the advil®. i have become increasingly amazed at regis's endurance.

it's scary sometimes what he accomplishes in a day. well i'd rather not have time for pain but unfortunately it does comes your way every now and then. and that's when i take my advil®. [ male announcer ] take action. take advil®. [ jennifer ] and i'm jennifer northcutt. opening a restaurant is utterly terrifying. we lost well over half of our funding when everything took a big dip. i don't think anyone would open up a restaurant if they knew what that moment is like. ♪ day 1, everything happened at once. ♪ i don't know how long that day was. we went home and let it sink in what we had just done. [ laughs ] ♪ word of mouth is everything, and word of mouth today is online. it all goes back to the mom and pop business and building something from the heart, founded within a family. when i found out i was pregnant, daniel was working on our second location.

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find new solutions to manage risk, capital and employee benefits, so american business can get on with business. ♪ in the mountains north of los angeles, the winding roads can be very treacherous. last week, a dlooiriver went ofe of those roads and into a deep

ravi ravine. what happened next is a story of love and survival. >> reporter: it's a survival story along a winding mountain road with an incredible twist. >> i strained down there and someone said help. >> reporter: david lavau was missing. his family knew something must be wrong so they contacted authorities and then -- >> if anyone can find our dad it's us. >> reporter: like detectives they checked his facebook and checked his cell and credit card records. >> we were able to ping the cell phone towers. >> reporter: which led them to a remote road. >> they stopped at every ravine. there are a lot of them. here, they got lucky and heard their dad shouting up to them from some 200 feet below. >> oh, my god. my dpaad. i ran up, looked down and saw my dad's car.

>> reporter: lavau survived the crash and stayed alive for six days. >> i said, how did you make it? he said, i drank the water in the river and ate leaves and bugs. >> reporter: needle in a hay stack? >> that's a good description. >> reporter: good police work. >> they did a great job. >> reporter: and they helped solve another mystery. next to lavau's blue car, a silver one from an earlier accident with a victim dead and still inside. >> my dad crashed there, survived and now the family that's been wanting their father to know what happened and now they have peace. i wish it was better peace. i'm sorry for that. >> reporter: as for the lavaus, dad, david, is expected to make a full recovery thanks to the family that refused to give up. >> we found him. no one else did. we did. >> reporter: kristen dahlgren, nbc news, california. >> in chicago today, joggers and bike riders along the lakeshore drive got a rude awakening this morning. extremely high winds whipped up huge waves on lake michigan,

some of which washed right up on the bike path. a helicopter from our station wmaq caught some of the unlucky ones who didn't realize their morning workout would include a swim. we have been following them all week. the daring four-person crew inspecting the washington monument for earthquake damage. they finished their work today and we got new views of the high wire act. they removed more loose pieces of stone which has been their top priority since those pieces could injure or kill someone if they fell. when we come back, a young educator making a difference on the front lines of learning. hey, where's harriat?

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[ male announcer ] university of phoenix is proud to sponsor education nation. because we believe an educated world is a better world. and as we finish education nation week, we have an update on a teacher we have gotten to know over the years. nbc news was there during her first year on the front lines. and now, several years later, we caught up with her again to see how she's changed and what she's learned. here's nbc news education correspondent rehema ellis. >> welcome to 6th grade.

my name is ms. groves. >> reporter: we first met monica groves in august of 2004. with a degree in english and spanish p from the university of virginia and five weeks of intensive training through teach for america she landed her first job teaching 6th grade english in atlanta. >> i want my kids to like me. i want this to be a supportive, loving environment. >> reporter: despite her optimi optimism, the first year in the classroom tested her skills and patience. >> d, d, d, f, d. this is one class. it's not good. >> reporter: there were bright moments, too. >> let me see! [ screaming ] >> reporter: with her first year behind her, groves changed course and went back to school. at harvard. >> hopefully i'm a part of a support network around them. >> reporter: where she earned a master's in teaching and curriculum development. >> do you feel that it's working or does there need to be a step before that? >> i feel there needs to be step

before that. >> reporter: she's back in atlanta, guiding more thanl 80 teachers. while no longer in the classroom every day monica has an impact on the classroom helping create the blueprint. >> she's helping to analyze your classroom, your students. she can analyze you as a teacher and tell you what works and what doesn't work. >> reporter: it's the kind of feedback teachers say they want and need. >> collaboration makes a difference when you're not just an island, when you are not just in the classroom figuring it out by yourself. >> reporter: though she's accomplishing a lot with teachers, groves says her heart is still in the classroom with the kids. >> i definitely miss them. they tell it how it is. and i think they give just as much back as you give. >> reporter: monica groves, closing the gap between teachers and students, one lesson at a time. rehema ellis, nbc news, atlanta. >> and that's our broadcast for

this friday night. i'm savannah guthrie in new york. for brian williams and everyone here at nbc news, thanks for being with us. good night and have a good being with us. good night and have a good weekend. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com