on our broadcast tonight, fighting alzheimer's, in the midst of a worsening epidemic, the government declares war on the devastating disease. and tonight the first glimmer of an experimental weapon that could prevent alzheimer's. the defense of john edwards. will daughter kate take the stand? driven to distraction, the dangers for young drivers at the wheel. new ways for parents to keep an eye on their kids and keep them safe. and the french connection. looblg who's replacing carla bruni as the first lady of france. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

we begin today with a glimmer of hope, news of a new clinical trial that could lead to a treatment to prevent alzheimer's disease. millions of americans live in constant daily fire of it, millions more are living with it. millions more are caring for them. the numbers in fact are bad, almost five and a half million americans are currently living with the disease. that makes it an epidemic by any measure. by 2050, that will go to 16 million americans, at a cost of over a trillion dollars to treat it. it's why the government has launched a war on this disease. and all hopes are now riding on this research and treatment that could prevent it. it's where we begin here tonight with robert bazell. >> roughly every hour another american develops alzheimer's

disease. glen campbell is one of them. today his daughter spoke about it. >> it's really hard to come to the realization that eventually he's going to look at me and i'm going to be nothing to him. >> reporter: today the government announced the details of a national plan to confront the affliction that threatens to overwhelm the nation's health and social services. >> the breakthroughs leading to treatments have been slow in coming. we've yet to harness the right formula for drug development. and clinical trial results continue to be disappointing. >> the goal is to find a way to stop or at least slow the progression of the disease by 2025. as part of that effort, the government is pumping millions of dollars into two studies. one study already underway in the u.s. will test to see if a drug can prevent progression of the disease. the family in iowa is in the study. their members have a 50/50 chance of having a gene that

puts them at risk for alzheimer's at a young age. >> i'm proud of the fact that we're not just sitting back wane letting control our lives. >> reporter: a second study with the same goal is underway with a group of families near colombia. results for both studies are years away and uncertain. but recent alzheimer's research has concluded that very early intervention may be the only way to slow or stop the disease. >> brain changes that ultimately result in alzheimer dementia occur 15 to 20 years before there are any signs or symptoms of dementia. >> reporter: the government's plan also includes a website, where families can get information on resources in their community. >> we need to find a cure for this. >> this year alone, the government estimates that payments for the care of people with alzheimer's are $200 billion. despite those numbers, research into alzheimer's gets a lot less

money than research into other diseases. several scientists i've spoken with say the plan is fine, but what matters is what congress alloca allocates. >> it is a start. and in that case we'll take it. now we turn to a federal courtroom in greensboro, north carolina, where john edwards is facing the trial of his life on corruption charges. and in the process, of course, airing all of the family laundry and pain and suffering in a public way. including what his wife elizabeth went through as the end of her life neared. and tomorrow, kate edwards, who's been in the courtroom with him each day of this trial, may be on the witness stand. our report tonight from lisa myers. >> reporter: 30-year-old kate edwards has been by her father's side every step of the way. >> good morning. and the defense says she may take the stand tomorrow. she's expected to say that despite all the lies and betrayal her father still cared

for her mother elizabeth. and that the alleged cover-up of the affair with rielle hunter and edwards child with hunter was to protect the family. >> taking the stand, talking about her father, how much family mattered. i think it can be powerful evidence for john edwards. >> his legal team chipped away at the government's case. jim walsh a former fbi agent hired by the defense to follow the money testified that donor fred baron gave rielle hunter payments of at least $9,000 a month in the last half of 2008. well after edwards presidential campaign had ended. some of it even after he publicly admitted the affair. >> it certainly helps the defense's case that the support for rielle hunter was based on a personal relationship, not just edwards' political fortunes. >> reporter: money provides to keep hunter out of sight was meant to influence the election, and constituted illegal contributions to edwards which edwards denies.

>> the defense still isn't saying whether john edwards will take the stand and risk a withering cross-examination. and edwards lawyer says it's still possible that the woman at the center of the scandal could be called to testify. >> lisa myers, nbc news, greensboro, north carolina. on the endless campaign trail today, the topic turned back toward the issue so many americans consistently say they care about the most. that's the economy. our political director chief white house correspondent chuck todd with us from the white house tonight. chuck, good evening. >> good evening, brian. no matter who the president sits down with for interviews or where he does them, the subject always goes back to the one that will make or break his chances at re-election, the economy. even if a softer setting like "the view," it was a economy on the economy that seemed to strike a cord. >> how do you grade yourself honestly in terms of how you've done in terms of economics. >> i won't give us a letter

grade. it's incomplete, we have work to do, and we still have some head winds out there. >> those head winds are greece, gas prices and housing. the president is pinning his hopes on the election not being a remember dumb. >> we were talking about joe biden, joe has a favorite expression, don't compare me to the all mighty, compare me to the alternative. >> reporter: for now, though, the alternative is polling better than him on the economy. according to a new usa today gallup poll, 56% believe things will get better under a president romney. back in iowa for the first time since january, romney focused on the national debt. >> this debt is america's nightmare mortgage. it's ajustible, no money down, and assigned to our children. these have been years of disappointment, and a decline. and soon we could put all that

behind us. >> reporter: the president's appearance on the view is part of a conservative effort for women voters. recently he shared personal anecdotes about his daughters. normally they try to shield them from the media. >> malia didn't get a phone until last year. >> how old? >> she's 13, will be 14 in july. they can only use their cell phones on the weekend. not during the week. >> topics all over the place, including gay marriage, and whether the president knew anything about that steamy novel "shades of grey." the president did not. >> chuck todd, thanks. jpmorgan chase had its annual shareholder meeting today, and the timing was not great. coming just after the baunk nk revealed a $2 billion trading loss. mary thompson was inside that meeting as the chairman and ceo

jamie dimon apologized yet again. >> the meeting was short on protesters, long on security and over very, very quickly. the bank's ceo addressing the trading losses right up front calling them egregious mistakes, the bank is work hard to correct. among the actions the bank could take, asking some of the traders and executives involved to give back some of of their pay. shareholders did overwhelmingly approve dimon's $23 million pay package last year, as well as the $15.5 million pay package given to ina drew. she was responsible for the trading losses. shareholders at the meeting seemed more angry about the ongoing mortgage mess, saying the losses caused by delays in refinancing, problems with foreclosu foreclosures, they're costing the bank much more than these trading losses. >> the department of justice opened an investigation into the trading losses, jpmorgan declined to comment. back to you.

>> mary thompson cnbc down in tampa for us. in greece tonight, no deal for the political parties trying to form a coalition government after no one won a majority in that nation's election earlier this month. new elections will be held in june. the economy of greece as we mentioned earlier is in meltdown, and voters have been showing strong support for the parties that have wanted to reject the massive bailout. that has raised fears that greece will exit the eurozone completely and default on its huge pile of debt which could trigger another global financial crisis. there's been a handover of power in france. the socialist took over as president today, replacing nicolas sarkozy, and almost immediately flew off to berlin for talks about europe's debt crisis. mother nature almost ruined the swearing-in and then some. the airplane was hit by lightning, thankfully nobody was

hurt. the aircraft returned, the president and his entourage were transferred to a different jet. in syria, the 14-month uprising and violent pushback continues, despite the presence of u.n. peacekeepers on the ground. today amman mohyeldin went out with some of those settlers. it did not take long for them to see what they were up against. >> reporter: they came to observe serious peace deals. instead they're getting caught up in deadly violence. u.n. observers on patrol were hit by a roadside boom. >> all the observers in my mission are safe. >> reporter: just minutes earlier, activists said syrian security forces opened fire on a funeral procession, killing at least 25 people. every time observers go on patrol, they know they too could become towering ets. leaving little to chance, this patrol quickly weaves its way by

syrian checkpoints, passing by war torn buildings as scared residents look on. stopping to speak only to the syrian military. >> only about 10 miles outside damascus. here in dumon, it's a war zone atmosphere. the military is very much in control. for u.n. observers meant to be neutral but now caught in the middle, their mission has become increasingly dangerous. and in the eyes of many, increasingly futile. because their presence has failed to stop the killing. amman mohyeldin, syria. an extraordinary development tonight at the pentagon. leah panetta has ordered the air force to restrict flights of its new f-22 stealth fighters because of continuing problems with the very expensive aircraft's oxygen systems. at least 22 pilot notice last four years have suffered at one time or another from oxygen depp

rah vague while in flight. all f-22 flights must now remain within short distance of an air field unless the pilot needs to set down quickly. still ahead, in the losing effort to stop young drivers to stop texting while at the wheel, there's an app for thank replacing carla bruni, it's a tough job, but someone has to do it. you wouldn't want your doctor doing your job. so why are you doing hers? only your doctor can determine if your persistent heartburn is actually something more serious... like acid reflux disease. over time, stomach acid can damage the lining of your esophagus. for many, prescription nexium not only provides 24-hour heartburn relief, but can also help heal acid related erosions in the lining of your esophagus. talk to your doctor about the risk for osteoporosis-related bone fractures and low magnesium levels with long-term use of nexium.

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throughout our entire lives. ♪ one a day women's 50+ is a complete multi-vitamin designed for women's health concerns as we age. ♪ it has more of seven antioxidants to support cell health. that's one a day women's 50+ healthy advantage. placinged car keys in the hands of a young driver, just starting out, telling them to be safe is always a dicey business. every day we learn more about the dangers of distractions at the wheel, from phone calls,

text messages, applying make-up, having friends in the car, all of it. on the upside, there are new ways for parents to make driving safer. we get our report tonight from nbc's kristen dahlgren. >> they want to know if we're on our way. >> reporter: for high school junior zach bass, it's a new lesson. driver's eds with distractions. a hand on course that shows teens just what distraction can do. >> turn that down. >> the number one killer of young people in america are car crashes. >> reporter: at a time when cars are being marketed for their constant connection, some parents are turning to different technologies. this family is testing out a new app that disables fuchgs s funce texting. >> she shouldn't be texting, and she's going to know that i know

she's trying to text. >> reporter: while other families have installed drivecams, a camera in the car that senses when a teen is engaging in risky behavior and records it. >> we hear a lot these days about the dangers of using a cell phone and driving. even when you put the phone down, there can be a lot of distractions in the car. >> putting on the lip gloss, ajusting the hair and make-up. talking to friends in the car. >> reporter: later they get another lesson, in just how high the stakes are. martha's son was killed in a distracted driving crash. >> they need to understand it could happen to them just as easy as it happened to him. >> reporter: teens sometimes think they're invincible. >> you think you're safe, you don't think you're going to be that kid that's going to be getting hurt. >> reporter: next time these could be more than just traffic

cones. kristen dahlgren, nbc news, grenada hills, california. >> coming up tonight, in the broadcast, what is it about the women of french politics? the french people have someone knew to watch. i'm a marathon runner, 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.

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the folks at the social science research council are out with their measure of america, specifically, the best places for women's well being. it says american women have it the best in d.c., san francisco, boston and minneapolis/st. paul. life expectancy was worse for women in detroit, baltimore and st. louis. take a quick look at this photo, if you instantly know what's wrong with this picture that makes you a die hard be beatles fan.

they are walking the wrong way. paul's wearing sandals and the cab on the right is missing. the photographer asked a cop to hold up traffic for ten minutes and then had them walk back and forth that day in 1969. the intersection in northwest london has become a tourist haven in the year's since. potential help from honda for those folks who have trouble getting around. their new personal mobility device. it respontdss to shifts in your weight. it leaves your arms free, takes up much less space than regular scooters. still to be determined when it comes to market and for how much. new numbers from an associated press cnbc poll show half of americans believe facebook is a passing fad. this number may come as a surprise to the folks at facebook.

they are about to unveil their ipo. rare good news for air travelers, the government says the nation's largest airlines had a record ontime rate during the first part of this year, the 15 biggest carriers got their passengers to their destination on time 84% of the time. helped greatly by the fact that winter didn't show up across much of this country. up next, the changing face in one of the most high profile women in the world. your eye health as you age... would you take it? well, there is. [ male announcer ] it's called ocuvite. a vitamin totally dedicated to your eyes, from the eye-care experts at bausch + lomb. as you age, eyes can lose vital nutrients. ocuvite helps replenish key eye nutrients. [ male announcer ] ocuvite has a unique formula not found in your multivitamin to help protect your eye health. now, that's a pill worth taking. [ male announcer ] ocuvite. help protect your eye health.

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can you math if one of the men running for president of the united states was in a relationship with a woman who he left his wife for? that describes the new president of france, a nation very different from ours when it comes to love and marriage and politics. nbc's jim maceda has our report tonight from paris. >> reporter: politically they're opposed. but the new french president and nicolas sarkozy, the former have one thing in common, everyone's talking about. >> french voters given a choice

a bureaucrat with a hot wife or a bureaucrat with a hot girlfriend. >> reporter: they're beautiful and significant others. but who takes the place of carla bruni. supermodel, singer, occasional hollywood sack tress. >> you think it's possible to love two women at once? >> that's very french. >> already rich and famous, and notorious before she became first lady. >> i think she brought a kind of discipline to sarkozy's life. he's very emotional. >> reporter: critics saw her as a trophy wife. but she held her own on the world stage. >> i think she will be judged kindly, especially if the marriage keeps on. >> reporter: he lived with a woman for 30 years, had four children but never married.

they were socialist soul mates until she ran against and lost to sarkozy in 2007. that's when he moved in with a savvy reporter, who has the allure of young bacall. her nickname rottweiler, for allegedly slapping a male colleague over a sexist remark. in a dramatic twist even by sex standards. he may become speaker of the house, but the title of first lady. a striking choice by the oth otherwise bland allon. in french politics, strong and elegant first ladies are the trend. jim maceda, nbc news, paris. >> that is our broadcast on a tuesday night, thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams, we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.

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