on the broadcast tonight, on the record. president obama takes a stand. he supports same-sex marriage, but with the country evenly divided, what will it mean? is the new relief for people who suffer from a painful form of another rites? tonight, the new drug that could work when others don't. >> elision belizabeth erdwards new testimony tonight. contact sports. the concussion crisis now among girls. just getting attention in a sport that's become a suburban american weekend tradition. and vidal sassoon. remembering the man who put beauty within reach for millions. menmen

"nightly news" begins now. good evening. president barack obama today became the first american president to say he approves of same-sex marriage. he says his position has evolved. he now personally supports it, but he adds it's now up to the states to divide. many of the sates have already spoken and many more outlaw same-sex marriage than allow it. public opinion has risen sharply, but still, it's an issue where the country is now evenly split, and now it takes its place alongside jobs and the economy, among issues that will be fought over all the way to november. we begin with chuck todd. good evening. >> good evening, brian. according to aids, president obama had expressed to him he had changed his views on gay marriage a couple months ago and was looking for a way to go public with the changed view some time before this december's

convention. because of vice president's comments on "meet the press" it exputided things. >> i think same-sex couples should be able to get married. >> president obama who said 18 months ago his views on gay marriage were evolving told bac news that elvelution became complete. >> malia and sasha have friends whose parents are same-sex couples. there have been times when mushill and i have been sitting around the dinner table and talking about their friends and their parents, and malia and sasha, it wouldn't dawn on them that somehow their friends' parents would be treated differently. it doesn't make sense to them. and frankly, that's the kind of thing that prompts a change of perspective. i had hesitated on gay marriage in part because i thought civil

unions would be sufficient, and i was sensitive to the fact that for a lot of people, you know, the word marriage was something that evokes very professional traditions, religious pleefs and so forth. >> he believes marriage is an issue for states to decide and aids said there's not any federal action in the works. this becomes after north carolina overwhelmingly voted to amend the state's constitution, banning gay marriage and civil unions. the president sped up the time able after vice president biden said this on "meet the press" sunday. >> i'm absolutely comfort with the fact men marry men, women marry women, and heterosexual men and women are entitled to the same rights, all the civil rights, all of the civil libertieses. >> over the last four years, he's struggled publicly with the

issue. >> we have a set of traditions in place that i think needs to be preserved, but i also think that we have to make sure that gays and les beens have the same set of basic rights that are in place. >> in his 2006 book "audacity of hope" then senator obama openly wondered if he was going to be seen been hind the times. he wrote, in years hence, i may be seen as someone who was on the wrong side of history. gay rights activists were ecstatic. >> i have gotten text messages from people all over the country, from members of hrc, from people i haven't heard from in a long time, from my husband, so it's been inspiring, and it's been very emotional. >> and leading social conserve tc atives believe it will help mitt romney. >> his statement that he supported same sex marriage goes a long way in addressing the

social issues. >> romney said this today. >> my view is that marriage itself is a relationship between a man and a woman, and that's my own prenchls. i know other people have differing views. this is a tender and sensitive topic. >> you know, this is not the first time that mr. obama has come out for gay marriage when he was a candidate for the state senate, he filled out a question air saying he was in favorite of same-sex marriage, but when he ran for president in 2004, he switched his position. >> the president's racks have triggered a lot of action and response on the air, on the web. we have more on that reaction and the evolution of this issue tonight from nbc's anne thompson. >> to bring the closing bell at the new york stock exchange on any day is special, but to do so on this daise, also international family equality

day was historic. >> he's engaged to his partner of 11 years. the president's personal support of gay marriage sends an important message. >> we're a family like every other family. >> the shift in american attitudes happened quickly. eight years ago, two thirds of americans opposed same sex marriage. today, almost half the country supports it, the apone jts dwindling to 40%. >> i think it's ain the for the leader of the country to say, a bad thing to support. >> today, gay relationships are part of the cultural main stream. jp penny's catalog includes lesbian moms. >> on tv, modern family, america's favorite comedy, features gay characters. following in the footsteps of "will and grace" and ellen's historic coming out.

>> we have more in common than we do what separates us. i think people are realizing that, and it's really making an impact on the country and it's fueling the discussion around marriage. >> yet, what's happening in some of america's homes is not being reflected in the nation's state houses. 39 states define marriage as between one man and one woman. 30 of them by constitutional amendment. >> i think marriage is a man and a woman, and it needs to remain that way. >> both supporters and kritdices of same-sex marriage will be watching for reaction to the president's remarks today. personally supporting a modern definition of family, determined not by gender but by commitm. anne thompson, nbc news, new york. richard lugar, one of the longest serving senators in this country was trounlsed in the indiana ruppen primary by richard murdoch. after admitting defeat, he unleased a document examining

this hyperpartisan times. he blamed groups who said their prime mission is to cleanse the republican party of those who stray from orthodoxy as they see it. luger is a powerful voice in foreign policy, was attacked for working the compromise with the prous. at the john edwards trial today, prosecutors are getting ready to wrap up their case. thad can begin as early as tomorrow. again today, the most dramatic testimony involved a woman who cannot be present, john edwards' late wife, elizabeth edwards. lisa myers has our report from north carolina. >> it was another emotional day. as jennifer palmieri, press secretary to john edwards, and close friend of elizabeth, ecounted out elizabeth angrily confronted a donor she learned was helping reielle hunter.

it happened in this iowa hotel, ten months after elizabeth first discovered the affair. she said she was very up celt when she learned that fred baron and his wife were in contact with rielle hunter. she had even taken hunter to los angeles on a shopping trip. paul marry said it was a very emotional scene. elizabeth worried that spending time and money on hunter makes job look even more guilty. lisa was saighing, you got to hold your friends closer and your enemies even closer. that rielle was a loose gcannon who might go to the press. >> it's important, it shows that as early as october 2007, john edwards knew that fred baron was taking steps to keep his affair quiet. >> prosecutors charge that money baron used to hide the affair amounted to illegal campaign contributions which edwards

denies. she choked up when she talked about elizabeth's final days. she said afterthe edwards' separated, she expressed concern when she died there would not be a man around who loved her. she said, i will be there. he will be there. she said job was there attending to elizabeth when she died. she testified that edwards was at time delusional about his political prospects. even after he was chasing by photographers, he expressed hope at being attorney general. >> there's heth news, new hope for patients who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. the symptoms are usually debilitating and now a new drug may be able to help those who have tried other treatments without funding any relief. our report from our chief science correspondent robert bazell. >> michael collins, a former trader on the chicago commodities exchange, is in

constant pain from rheumatoid arthritis, an auto imine disease. every treatment he has tried has failed. >> i'm looking and hoping for that, maybe there's a miracle out there that takes these symptoms away. >> it may not be a miracle, but for first time in a decade, an fda advisory committee approved a new drug, called tofacitnab. they're expected to give final approval in months. it affects three times as menies women as men. >> at first, the medication was hard. it has some side effects. >> in the past, many patients were left severely disabled. then biological drugzs including embrill and humira came on the market, allowing many but not all patients to live normal lives. 30% to 40% of patients don't

respond to the drugs currently available. >> the fda panel decided the dangers of the new drug, including an increased risk of lymphoma was outweighed by the bftds. >> colin and thousands like him are hoping the new drug will relieve their agony. still ahead as we continue along the way, a quiet epiemic, a concussion problem. >> and later, a classic american success story. he came to the country with nothing, he works hard, and tonight, we get to show you what he accomplished. sven's home security gets the most rewards of any small business credit card! how does this thing work? oh, i like it! [ garth ] sven's small business earns double miles on every purchase, every day! woo-hoo!!! so that's ten security gators, right? put them on my spark card!

why settle for less? testing hot tar... great businesses deserve the most rewards! [ male announcer ] the spark business card from capital one. choose unlimited rewards with double miles or 2% cash back on every purchase, every day! what's in your wallet? here's your invoice. and these come together, one thing you can depend on is that these will come together. delicious and wholesome. some combinations were just meant to be. tomato soup from campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. in absolute perfect physical condition and i had a heart attack right out of the clear blue... i'm on an aspirin regimen... and i take bayer chewables. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. he's my success story. [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] american innovation. 29 years ago, it helped us invent the minivan. ♪ today dodge grand caravan is the most awarded minivan ever. ♪

who knows where innovation can take us next? ♪ directions to the moon. ♪ 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. there has been a lot of attention focused on concussion, but most of it regarding pro athletes, nfl players. tonight, we're shining a new

light on it. this is about girl's soccer in this country because it turns out they're second only to football players in terms of reported concussions. nbc's kate snow has done some exhaustive reporting on this subject for tonight pfsh "rock center." she found girls with remarkable stories to tell. >> there's a steep price for going all out for this generation of girl warrior athletes. how many of you have had a concussion? how many of you have had more than one concussion. how many of you have played through a concussion? one group of friends, more than a dozen concussions. >> meme who think of concussions as only being present mostly in guys and mostly in the sport of football are just plain wrong. soccer is right at the top of the list for the girls. >> dr. cantu, a leading researcher said girls are reporting nearly twice as many concussions as boys in the sports they both play. >> girls as a group have far

weaker necks. the same force delivered to a girl's head spins the head much more because of the weak neck than it does to the guys. >> of the six girls we met, three have had such bad brain injuries they had to give up the support they love. >> i looked fine, like, if you looked at me right now, do i look like i'm sick? does it look like i have a headache? it may not look like it, but i really do. i have a headache 24/7. >> allison's first major concussion was more than three years ago. we interviewed allison in her bedroom, lit only by soft blue light, which reduces her nearly constant headaches. >> it's like a break, it's visible, but it's almost like a 9 a sign on my back saying my head is broken. i mean, you can say you understand, but it's like, you don't.

i'm sorry. you don't. >> provocative new reserve suggests some body types may be more at riv than others. >> we believe that individuals with very long, thin necks may be at greater risk. >> this is going to make a lot of parents look at their daughters. >> would hope it would not only make parents look at their daughters but make every one of their parents make sure their daughters are on a neck strengthening program. >> one of the other big lessons for parents, most of the girls said they played through their injuries. when they do that, they're risking serious long-term effects. if you have any suspicion that a player may have just had a concussion, take them out of a game. >> you're right. this is going to make a lot of parents look at their daughters. we hope you can join us to see kate's full reporting on the subject, especially if there's a girl soccer player in your family. that's tonight, "rock center" at

9:00, 8:00 central. up next, the legend who made it possible for every woman to feel beautiful at drugstore prices. ♪ oh. let's go. from the crack, off the backboard. [ laughs ] dad! [ laughs ] whoo! oh! you're up! oh! oh! so close! now where were we? ok, this one's good for two. score! [ male announcer ] share what you love with who you love. kellogg's frosted flakes. they're gr-r-eat!

uh, trouble with a car insurance claim. ah, claim trouble. [ dennis ] you should just switch to allstate, and get their new claim satisfaction guarantee. hey, he's right man. [ dennis ] only allstate puts their money where their mouth is. up. [ dennis ] claim service so good, it's guaranteed. [ foreman ] so i can always count on them. unlike randy over there. that's one dumb dude. ♪ the new claim satisfaction guarantee. dollar for dollar, nobody protects you like allstate.

or treat gas with these after you get it. now that's like sunblock before or sun burn cream later. oh, somebody out there's saying, now i get it! take beano before and there'll be no gas. born to leap, born to stalk, and born to pounce. to understand why, we journeyed to africa, where their wild ancestor was born. there we discovered that cats, no matter where they are... are born to be cats. and shouldn't your cat be who he was born to be? discover your cat's true nature. purina one.

vedal sassoon has died. he became a household name from humble roots. he was a poor kid from the east end of london. started working at 14, opened his first salon here and braenched out to new york where his product line hit the market in 1973. he was recently the subject of a documentary about his life and times. in which he talk said about his inspiration. >> when i looked at the architecture, the structure of buildings that were going up worldwide, you saw a whole different look in shape. my sense was hair dressing definitely needed to be changing. >> he was a visionary. styled hair for seven decades.

he pioneered the wash and wear hairstyle for women as well as his geometric hair for the '60s and cut mia farrow's hair for "rose marry's baby." the slogan remained the same, if you don't look good, we don't look good. he died at his beverly hills home today. he was 84. also tonight, nicklaus cantsen balk died. while his name was never on a ballot, he had a towering influence on our times. he helped shape the political history of the 1960s. he was one of the best and brightest profiled in the famous book of the same name. he was attorney general under president johnson. he was bobby kennedy's deputy of the justice department before that. and his shining moment came when he confronted governor george wallace on the steps of the university of alabama on the issue of allowing black students

to attend. >> with would ask you once again to responsibly step aside and if you do not, i'm going to assure you that the orders of those courts will be enforced. >> he was born to a prom independent family. he went to princeton and then dropped out to fight in world war ii. as a b-25 navigator, he was shot down, captured by the germans. spent two years as a p.o.w., came home, finished princeton and was a rhodes scholar. he fought segregation in mississippi, fought constantly with j. edgar hoover, and he later went on to the state department. he was 90 years old. when we come back, living the american dream. a good old fashioned success story. for three hours a week, i'm a coach. but when i was diagnosed with prostate cancer... i needed a coach. our doctor was great, but with so many tough decisions i felt lost. unitedhealthcare offered us a specially trained rn

who helped us weigh and understand all our options. for me cancer was as scary as a fastball is to some of these kids. but my coach had hit that pitch before. turning data into useful answers. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. prego?! but i've been buying ragu for years. [ thinking ] i wonder what other questionable choices i've made? [ club scene music ] [ sigh of relief ] [ male announcer ] choose taste. choose prego. [ sigh of relief ] would you mind if to be i go ahead of you?omer. instead we had someone go ahead of him and win fifty thousand dollars. congratulations you are our one millionth customer.

people don't like to miss out on money that should have been theirs. that's why at ally we have the raise your rate 2-year cd. you can get a one-time rate increase if our two-year rate goes up. if your bank makes you miss out, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. 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! by what's getting done.fast. measure commitment the twenty billion dollars bp committed has helped fund economic and environmental recovery. long-term, bp's made a five hundred million dollar

commitment to support scientists studying the environment. and the gulf is open for business - the beaches are beautiful, the seafood is delicious. last year, many areas even reported record tourism seasons. the progress continues... but that doesn't mean our job is done. we're still committed to seeing this through. inspiring story of success and drive. a man whose persistence and desbrid dezooir to make a better life for himself gives a whole new meaning to the term work study. rehema ellis has his story. >> nearly 20 years ago. this man left his family in the

former war-ravaged yugoslavia, heading to america with no money, no job, and no english speaking skills. >> i moved to escape from the political problems. >> he landed a job at columbia university, mopping floors. cleaning mirrors, and emptying the trash. that job turned into an education in the classics, and now an ivy league degree. >> the hardest for me was and still is mentally. >> but now, 52 year old was accepting into columbia school of general studies back in 2000 and took advantage of free courses for employees. he said juggling a full-time job and one or two courses a semester got exhausting at times. he typically took morning classes so he could work the night shift until 11:00 p.m., then he had to commute home. >> many times, i did not sleep at all.

especially when i had to write papers. >> but he says it was worth it. sunday, the custoedian will receive a classics degree from the prestigious university, graduating with honors. >> he's an inspiration for the wider community. >> i would like that people when they look at me at this age, that i graduated, they do not feel ashamed to go to school. >> capping a 20-year journey of learning valuable lessons by teaching. rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. >> how about that? that's our broadcast on a wednesday night. thank you for being here with us. don't forget 250 join us for "rock center" at 9:00, 8:00 central. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you back here tomorrow evening. good night.