on the broadcast tonight, high price. millions of college students and their parents could be forced to pay for a nasty political fight as the clock runs out. health scare on a plane full of passengers. what if the threat had been real? what we're learning tonight about the emergency response. splitting up dramatically on the rise for couples over 50 in search of happily ever after. up in the skies, a sentimental journey over m manhatt manhattan. >> and the secret service tells its agents how to behave on the road. "nightly news" begins now. >> good evening. tonight, the united states

secret service in the midst of the embarrassing scandal involving prostitution overseas has put out guidelines and internal reminder of how personnel should behave when they're on the road. while we should emp fuicize the secret service personnel at the start of the scandal are not the people who surround the president, still, for this agency to give out these instructions regarding life on the road for people whose bottom line job sdwrpgz for the president and others will find shocking. kristen welker is with us from the white house. good evening. >> brian, good evening. late this afternoon, the secret service released a list of what it's calling 11 new enhanced standards of conduct. they go into effect immediately and come two weeks after the scandal in colombia.

they were be briefed before every trip. foreign nationals are prohibited from hotel rooms. secret service personnel are also prohibited from patronizing nonreputable establishments. alcohol can only be consumed in moderate amounts. and the laws of the united states will now apply to the secret service while abroad. if tlir they're assigned to a country where prostitution is legal, it's off limits to solicit a prostitute. this comes as they continue the investigation into exactly what happened into colombia and lookinize to new allegations of what happened in el salvador. >> so much is common sense, but they can't get out from under the embarrassment yet. on capitol hill tonight, another standoff between democrats and republicans. this time over student loans.

the interest rate on a popular loan program is set to double in a couple months. both parties want to stop that from happening. when it comes on how to pay for it, that's where they're butting heads again. kelly o'donnell is on the story. good evening. >> good evening brian. you wouldn't think this would be controversial, right? both the president and mitt romney agree that this particular student loan interest rate should be low and extend it, but when a president puwnt the tour and called on them to prevent the hike right away, that started a fire. frustration and dismay. the student loan interest rate has become a volatile issue. >> people want to politicize this because it's an election year. but my god, do we have to fight about everything? >> this latest washington clash is all too real for college students and their parents. >> if the rate doubles for

student loans, i might have to switch colleges. >> 7.4 million undergrads from moderate income families currently rely on student loans subsidized by the student government. the interest rate now, 3.4%, is set to double in january. >> i have a lot of fears i'm going to be paying off college for a long time, way past i graduated. >> let's put aside the cynicism, stop playing games, and do the recognize thing. >> easier said than done. despite the fact both parties say it should be extended. if fight is how to pay for it $6 billion. >> we got caught up in politics today. i'm trying to wring my blood brersh down. >> today, house republicans passed a one-year e tension that taked the money from a presentive care fund. house democrats fought to take the money from tax loopholes that benefit the oil industry. republicans refused. >> unfortunately, they came back with what seemed natural to

them. let's take money out of women's health rather than bib subsidies to big oil. >> to accuse us of wanting to gut women's health is absolutely not true. >> while the speaker blamed democrats for stirring things up to appeal to both women and young voters. >> and pick this big political fight where there is no fight is just silly. give me a break. >> republicans argued that the president's own budget prepared for the funds. the white house said they can't support what republicans passed tie and they'republicizing this, too. >> another friday on capitol hill. kelly o'donnell with the story tonight. in the campaign tonight, the republicans are attacking the public image of the president. this came up in the last campaign when candidate barack obama was labeled a celebrity. in the years since, as his

critics see it t his celebrity has only grown. they say that's a bad thing for him and the presidency. our report from the trail tonight from nbc's peter alexander. >> in presidential politics, image may not be everything, but the campaign between president obama and mitt romney has sparked a heated battle over substance over style. with supporters of both candidates this week trying to show a stark contrast between the two. the superpac backed by republican strategist karl rove just unleased this new web ad trying to paint the president as superficial. for its part, the obama campaign is out with its own video, framing the president as a strong and serious leader. with bill clinton touting mr. obama decision to green light the osama bin laden raid. >> he took the harder and more honorable path. and the one that produced, in my opinion, the best result. >> john mccain targeted then

candidate obama's celebrity in 298, peppering this ad with pictures of britney spears and paris hilton. it didn't work then, but with the economy still struggling to recover, could it now? >> now he's the president. we still have high unemployment, so republicans are hoping that very same attack can deliver much better results for themselves. >> candidates looking to connect with voters and try to lighten it up before. richard nixon on "laugh in" in 1968. >> sock it to me? >> humor is such an effective tool, and just really appealing to the broad masses of people. you can just reach people if you can get them to smile and laugh and like you. that goes a long way towards success. >> perhaps that's why romney, who argues his strength is his resume, has recently taken his own crack affcomedy. >> it's a hair piece. >> there you know. >> and hoping to get the last laugh in november, he's now considering a cameo on "saturday night live." and president obama will get a

chance to make his own jokes at the white house correspondents dinner here in washington tomorrow night. romney having finally wrapped up the nomination, brian, will spend this weekend at home. >> peter alexander in our d.c. bureau tonight. thajs. a program note, david gregory goes inside both campaigns in sunday's "meet the press" with stratgists for president obama and mitt romney. it was a dramatic day at the criminal trial of former democratic senator and former presidential candidate john edwards as his lawyers ripped into the prosecution's star witness. our report from greensboro, north carolina, from lisa myers. >> john edwards arrived for the fifth day of his trial looking calm and composed. >> good morning. >> but inside, the most dramatic testimony yet. as edwards' lawyer, abbey lowell, asked to shred the credibility of the star witness. they battled of his last meeting

with edwards on a country road in august 2008 when edwards denied knowing about hundreds of thousands of dollars young had collected from harris rachel bunny mallon, he said to cover up the affair. i was scared for my life, young said. you thought mr. edwards was going to physically harm you? lowell asked. not mr. edwards personally. you thought he was going to have someone there to shoot you? that did cross my mind, yes, sir. young also testified he was extremely angry because edwards had broken his promise to tell the truth, that he was the father of the daughter of his mistress, rielle hunter. >> andrew young in his testimony today showed some passion and fire about how badly he was hurt and betrayed by senator john edwards. in what experts say was a blow to the prosecution, young admitted he pocketed about 80% of the money the government claims were illegal campaign contributions to edwards to cover up his affair, a charge

edwards denied. much of the money went towards his $1.5 million house for young. about $1 million, that's the money you kept, lowell asked? that's the money that was left over after paying rielle hunter's expenses, young shot back. >> the theory of the case is in serious jeopardy. >> lowell closed by asking young if he was a cold blooded schemer motevaded by ego and greed or the desire for power. young, looking lowell in the eye, said he was not. lisa myers, nbc news, greensboro, north care. >> as you may know, there was a scare at chicago midwear airport. emergency vehicles surrounded a delta flight that had come in from detroit. it was kept on the tarmac while the passengers were quarantined as a precaution. turned out to be a false alarm, but it's a good reminder of what is supposed to happen in a situation like that. our report from nbc's kevin tibbles.

>> two and a half hours of high anxiety for passengers onboard delta flight 3163. >> a bit of panic. everyone was pulling their shirts over their faces. >> panic over concerns a passenger onboard the flight to m midway had contracted monkey pox on a trip to africa. >> they're bringing a guy on wearing a mask to evaluate one of the passengers. >> the jet was quarantined on the runway, surrounded by emergency personnel. >> two men came on. with protective gear. they spoke with the passenger in question. they took photographs. >> the passenger, lisa sievers, had been in uganda and picked up nasty bed bug bites but fortunately, not monkey pox. >> other than itching, i feel fine. >> if she would have been seriously ill.

>> she would have pin taken to a hospital, made attempts to make a rapid diagnose. >> and those on the plane would have been instructed to follow certain health guidelines. being able to respond quickly and efficiently is vital to the containment of contagious disease. the outbreak of the sars virus, bird flu, and swine flu have seen health officials and travelers worldwide taking extra precautions. >> vaccination strategies are available to prevent menno of the diseases people are exposed to. good hand hygiene, careful food precaution. >> lisa is just thankful her fellow passengers understood. >> the passengers were there for two hours and didn't complain. >> while the system may not have bib needed at midway, it's in place for when it is. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. up next as we continue, what's driving the new senses numbers? why breakups are becoming

surprisingly common for couples over 50. and later, for all of those people who never thought they would get to see the space shuttle fly, there it is. an extraordinary sight in the skies today. strip away the styling. ] strip away the rearview monitors, tv screens, bluetooth... and even the cup holders. you know what's left? the only suv's with american-built f-alpha truck frames. the ruggedly capable pathfinder, xterra, armada. ♪ receive up to twenty-five hundred dollars cash back on select nissan suv's. ♪ is the pain reliever orthopedic doctors recommend most for arthritis pain,

think again. and take aleve. it's the one doctors recommend most for arthritis pain. two pills can last all day. ♪ like a ramen noodle- every-night budget. she thought allstate car insurance was out of her reach. until she heard about the value plan. dollar for dollar, nobody protects you like allstate. dollar for dollar, for many, nexium helps relieve heartburn symptoms caused by acid reflux disease. osteoporosis-related bone fractures and low magnesium levels have been seen with nexium. possible side effects include headache, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. other serious stomach conditions may still exist. talk to your doctor about nexium.

the baby boom generation loosely defined as those born from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s has often led the way in modern times in terms of moden trends and now there's another one. census department figures show

an astounding number of dorses. our report tonight from john yang. >> for martha mcdowell's 33-year marriage there, was no happy hollywood ending. >> we had this union and we believed it was for life, and all of a sudden, it's ripped, literally ripped apart. >> robert said unhappiness in his 17-year union had been building. >> i was frustrated, ready to move on, and that's when, you know, i started thinking about changing my life and doing other things. >> two divorces, two different reasons, but one thing in common. they're pat of the growing number of married couples in their 50s and 60s calling it quits. researchers at bowling green university found the divorce rate among those 50 and older nearly doubled between 1990 and

2009 while the overall rate held steady. they say baby boomers may feel less pressure to stay married. >> women in particular don't feel that they have to stay with someone they may not like very much, simply because they need to be supported. >> he made wholesale changesen his life, moving from southern california to florida and starting his own business. at first, he says, it was frietdenning. >> and then it became liberating. and you started realizing some of the freedom you had and some of the things that maybe you always wanted to do in your life. >> after recovering from her initial shock, mcdowell has come into her own, working at a local college and participating in community theater. >> i am right now enjoying the freedom and independence to do activities that i'm involved in. >> both getting used to going solo at middle age. john yang, nbc news, washington.

up next, the story behind a few simple words that millions remember and still repeat from 20 years ago. ♪ you are my sunshine, my only sunshine ♪ ♪ you make me happy when skies are gray ♪ [ female announcer ] you know exactly what it takes to make them feel better. ♪ you make me happy [ female announcer ] that's why you choose children's tylenol. the same brand your mom trusted for you when you were young. ♪ how much i love you [ humming ] [ female announcer ] children's tylenol, the #1 brand of pain and fever relief recommended by pediatricians and used by moms decade after decade. [ humming ]

they claim to be complete. only centrum goes beyond. providing more than just the essential nutrients, so i'm at my best. centrum. always your most complete. so i'm at my best. yeah! six teams we should automatically win. we're the trouble makers. follow us on twitter. let's do this! compete in six cities. fighter pilot for a day? oh my god. if you helfavorip teyon help the blue team. yeah! right! here we go! ok come on. (cheering) you could win too. (screaming) the interactive adventure competition - escape routes. this is nuts. oh my god. are you getting nervous? (screaming) saturdays at 8/7 central on nbc. woo! woah!

and then treats day after day... well, shoot, that's like checking on your burgers after they're burnt! [ male announcer ] treat your frequent heartburn by blocking the acid with prilosec otc. and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill a day. 24 hours. zero heartburn.

it has now been 20 years 6 the brutal beating of rodney king by four lapd officers, all of it captured on videotape. when those officers were acquitted by a jury, it triggered some of the worst and most destructive riots this kubt ray has ever seen. this week, lester holt sat down with rodney king, asked him about the six simple words he spoke after that verdict that became part of the american lexicon. >> someone had prepared remarks for you. but you decided not to use those. >> i said, no, i'll come from the heart and speak what's in my heart. >> can't we all just get along? >> can't we all just get along?

i meant that from my heart, you know. i still mean it to this day. >> more of lester's interview with rodney king tomorrow morning on "today" and then tomorrow evening on "nbc nightly news." >> there's a threat of severe weather in the midwest this evening and through the weekend once again. our friends at the weather channel are going to be watching it closely. tonight, we have new video from oklahoma as a tornado passed through the city of norman earlier this month. this video is from a police squad car dash cam as an officer raced back to the safety of the police station with destruction behind him. the maker of the chocolate hazelnut spread nutella has run ads saying spreading this on toast is a healthy way to start your kids off in the morning, but enter parents who read labels and you have two class action lawsuits that came out they have the same amount of calories, fat, and sugar as a

three musketeers bar first thing in the morning. today, the nutella folks back tracked on the ads and agreed to a $3 million class action settlement. >> the first generation of boeing's 777 to be built in charleston, south carolina, rolled off the line today. it's been plagued with manufacturing problems. it's about three years behind its production schedule. it's main office has produced 11 of them for use around the world. that arblth you see there headed to air india. still ahead tonight, another once in a lifetime view in the skier. this time in the skies over gotham. c'mon dad!

i'm here to unleash my inner cowboy. instead i got heartburn. [ horse neighs ] hold up partner. prilosec isn't for fast relief. try alka-seltzer. it kills heartburn fast. yeehaw! trouble with a car insurance claim. [ dennis ] switch to allstate. their claim service is so good, now it's guaranteed. [ foreman ] i can trust 'em. unlike randy. dollar for dollar, nobody protects you like allstate. who have used androgel 1%, there's big news. presenting androgel 1.62%. both are used to treat men with low testosterone. androgel 1.62% is from the makers of the number one prescribed testosterone replacement therapy.

it raises your testosterone levels, and... is concentrated, so you could use less gel. and with androgel 1.62%, you can save on your monthly prescription. [ male announcer ] dosing and application sites between these products differ. women and children should avoid contact with application sites. discontinue androgel and call your doctor if you see unexpected signs of early puberty in a child, or, signs in a woman which may include changes in body hair or a large increase in acne, possibly due to accidental exposure. men with breast cancer or who have or might have prostate cancer, and women who are, or may become pregnant or are breast feeding should not use androgel. serious side effects include worsening of an enlarged prostate, possible increased risk of prostate cancer, lower sperm count, swelling of ankles, feet, or body, enlarged or painful breasts, problems breathing during sleep, and blood clots in the legs. tell your doctor about your medical conditions and medications, especially insulin, corticosteroids, or medicines to decrease blood clotting. talk to your doctor today about androgel 1.62% so you can use less gel.

log on now to androgeloffer.com and you could pay as little as ten dollars a month for androgel 1.62%. what are you waiting for? this is big news. finally here tonight with all of the towering buildings and noise and destructions that surround them every day, not much causes new yorkers to look up. but today, it was a sight too rare to pass up. the unmistakable profile against the sky of a 747 carrying a space shuttle on its back. our report tonight from nbc's anne thompson. >> the symbols of freedom and power that make up new york's

iconic skyline today provided a ba backdrop for the space shuttle "enterprise." >> it was amazing. and it looked like you could reach out and touch it. >> tourists lined the hudson river. white and blue collars stopped working, and everyone looked up. and a few looked back. at the past ground zero and one world trade center. >> just like the memorial here. not the end of an era, just a new beginning. >> the enterprise was to be named the constitution. but star trek fans persuaded the ford administration to take their suggestion. >> these are the voyages of the star trip enterprise. >> in 1976, leonard nimoy and others in the cast watched the rollout, but this enterprise would be a perpetual bridesmaid. always the test shuttle, never soaring into space. but no less important, says

shuttle commander mark kelly. >> it's very striking, an incredible machine that only americans have been able to build and fly. >> it had boldly gone to new york city before in 1983. today, it flew by its new home. >> the shuttle's amazing journey will resume in june when a barge will bring the "enterprise" up the hudson river. a crane will place it on the "intrepid" and in july, the public will gets its first view. until then, it will stay at the kennedy airport. a city where the "enterprise" will live long and prosper. >> it was pretty cool. >> anne thompson, nbc news, new york. that's our broadcast on a friday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. lester holt will be here with you this weekend. we, of course, hope to see you right back here on monday night. in the meantime, have a good weekend. good night.