captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening, when a woman on a flight from paris to charlotte, north carolina today claimed to have a device surgically implanted in her body, her claim was taken seriously, because it's exactly the type of thing security officials have been worried about and warning about in our post 9/11 era. fighter jets were with scrambled. the woman was isolated and examined in flight,ant captain decided to put down in bangor maine. the pilot announced that due to extraordinary head winds on the way back from europe, they were

going to have to stop for fuel. when the jet rolled to a stop, a security team boarded to get the passenger off. that's where we begin tonight as our justice correspondent pete williams picks up this story from washington this evening. >> reporter: usairways flight 787 took o this morning from parr is with 188 people on board a scheduled flight to charlotte, north carolina. the passengers thought they were landing because of a fuel issue, and only then found out what really happened. several hours into the flight, a woman on board. a french citizen passes a note to the flight attendant written in french it said she had some kind of device surgically implanted in her body. >> the airline acted appropriately. given the environment we're in, they did exactly the right thing. >> reporter: she did not specifically claim to have any explosives or weapons, but the

phrasing of her note aroused enough concern that she was removed from her seat, 30f near the back of the plane and taken to a private area on board. the pilot asked if any doctors were flying. and three responded. they examined her, found no scars and determined she seemed to be mentally disturbed. even so, as a precaution, two f-15s were scrambled at 11:40 this morning to accompany the plane into bangor. >> in contrast to incidents earlier this year, in which crew members were unruly or obviously disturbed. the woman today does not act out and there were no obvious signs of a threat. passengers say they had no okay of the flight crew's concern. >> officials say the woman who set all this in motion is 40 years old and was planning a 10-day visit to the u.s. they're satisfied she presented no threat. she is in custody and may face criminal charges. >> all part of this post 9/11

era that continues to evolve. pete williams starting us off from our washington newsroom tonight, thanks. we turn to politics and the race for president. tonight we're with debuting our new nbc news/wall street journal poll. chuck todd has that this evening. >> reporter: since our last poll, many things have changed. increased economic uncertainty here and abroad. the battle over bain capital, the official drawdown in afghanistan. how did voters digest it all? it's the latest piece of evidence that the obama/romney battle is shaping up to be one very close election. mitt romney claimed victory once and for all in the republican primary. and president obama officially kicked off his bid for a second term. our new poll shows a very close race with president obama's lead narrowing from last month much

the president's numbers are boosted by large leads among hispanics and women. romney has important leads with men, suburban voters and those folks paying the closest attention to the campaign. the president's lead over romney almost mirrors his job approval rating of 48%. that's almost identical to president bush's job approval rating at this same point in 2004. mr. obama continues to rate higher on foreign policy and the economy. he gets high macks for the war in afghanistan. >> this debt is america's nightmare mortgage. >> reporter: there's a reason romney is closer on issues like the debt. mr. obama received a negative rate on not just the deaf sit, but also health care, and the rise of political partisanship. there's a growing pessimism about the economic future. 63% say they do not feel confident their children's generation will have it better than they do.

>> they can't find jobs to get their careers started. >> reporter: romney's big strength? his business background, which voters view as a potential advantage for improving the economy and reducing the debt. >> when you're president as opposed to the head of a private equity firm, your job is not simply to maximize profits. >> the public's views of bain capital may continue to sour. already just 9% view mitt romney's follower company positively. the rest haven't expressed a view. as for gay marriage, for a large majority of voters, neither obama's pro-gay marriage stance nor romney's anti-gay marriage stance makes a difference. >> interesting new numbers tonight. chuck todd from our washington bureau. hard to believe this anniversary is upon us, but it was a year ago today an f-5

tornado tore up the city of joplin, missouri. as we saw upon our arrival there bs as our cameras were able to record, the immediate aftermath was hard to forget, and the destruction from 200 plus mile an hour winds was epic. it's also important to remember the toll. 161 people were killed, the damage added up to a whopping $2.5 billion. nbc's ron mott was part of our team on the ground job lynn the day it happened. he's gone back there for us tonight. ron, good evening. >> brian, good evening to you. this battered hospital behind me is a daily reminder of what joplin lost. there has been progress here, make no mistake about that. it's progress measured bit by small bit. ♪ >> reporter: an uplifting beginning on this first anniversary of joplin's d-day. america's costliest tornado since 1950, a disaster so

profound it's still shaking the city's collective faith in the future. >> the class of 2012 whose high school was renamed this year got a presidential sendoff. >> no matter how tough times get, you'll always be tougher. >> reporter: the latest groundbreaking wasle operate a new $100 million high school is on the way. >> the celebration of moving on, but it's also a remembrance of what we've all been through. >> reporter: for the dunns, a home lost. >> this path is pretty much gone, but there's no housing going up. >> reporter: they moved, put up a tornado shelter just last week. this doctor treats his patient in temporary quarters. >> every church and school had

families that were lost. there's a big hole in the middle of the community. >> reporter: for mark norton, his son will just hours after getting his diploma that terrible afternoon was among the 161 killed. >> he really left a legacy. many people live their whole lives and don't leave that. >> it's very uplifting. >> reporter: a walk of unity for a town almost split apart, now bound in its efforts to recover. >> we're with one country, one city, we're one for the growth and rebuilding of joplin. >> reporter: that regrowth and rebuilding of joplin will go on for years, as big institutions like the hospital and the high school come back. the hope is that those shattered neighborhoods won't be left behind. >> thanks for going back for us. when we were is there last year, we met a woman who had a survivor's story to tell. she and her husband had all kinds of plans for the future, but all that changed in that one

instance about we went back a year later to see how bethany was doing after the tornado that bore down on their home. bethany's life was changed forever. >> this is where the garage was. my bedroom would have been right over here. >> reporter: joplin and its survivors were in shock when we with first arrived thereafter the tornados a year ago. and one of the stories we encountered was that of a young couple, bethany and don, married six years, planning a family. then a massive storm came out of the western sky. >> i mean, the house was ripping apart. i honestly -- it happened so fast. >> when the funnel was upon them, bethany instinctively took cover in the bathtub. don who had been a high school football star threw his body over hers to protect her. >> he could beered you?

>> he just has so much love in his heart. and you know people keep saying he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. if i could have taken twice as much damage just to have him alive, i would have. he got on top of me to take the brunt of most of it and -- he's my hero. he's -- >> while shielding her body, don was hit by debris and died of a puncture wound to the back. >> i try to remember his smile and the way his eyes lit up when with i would with walk into a room. he's always in my heart. >> reporter: by now, lots of people in joplin know the story of don and bethany. it's become part of the collective memory of the disaster. >> when that tornado hit, it was -- life started over. do i have my down moments?

of course. i think anybody would. >> reporter: bethany has gone back to work with, back to school and got involved in joplin's community theater. ♪ >> reporter: and when she needed a place to stay, her best friend insisted that bethany and her dog whisper move in permanently. these days she has more good days than bad, and finds comfort in the fact that even on the worst dave her life, she was loved and protected. >> if he got to pick a way to go, i don't think he would have chosen another way, he was that type of person. even though he died a hero like that, he was always a hero to me. >> bethany was happy to share the news with us, that she will earn her master's degree this summer, opening up yet another chapter in her life. urge we have big health news tonight about a common sleeping disorder called sleep apnea. some 28 million americans have some form of it, and new

research shows that many of these people may have a higher risk than others of cancer. our chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman is with us with more on this learning and what people can do to manage the risk. >> i think this is a link that caught everyone by surprise. so many people have this. and sleep apnea has been linked to everything from automobile accidents, heart attacks and strokes. this is the first time sleep apnea has been linked to cancer. investigators in spain followed 5,200 patients for seven years and monitored how much their oxygen levels dropped. people with severe sleep apnea, had a 8% increased risk of developing any kind of cancer. that is an eye opening statistic. we all know there are some common factors for cancer, including the ones that -- tobacco, alcohol obesity,

heredity. we may be looking at another independent risk factor for cancer, which means if you awaken and are not rested, fall asleep at the wheel or are snoring, you must be seen in a sleep lab. we all talk about sleep deprivation. this is something again. we see our cancer rates climbing, it's an independent variable. urge still ahead as we continue along the way tonight. attention all those flying to summer vacation this year as a family. especially those who were hoping to sit together. you may have to pay for it. team player. he's no ordinary high school athlete tonight. an inspiring story that gives everybody something to cheer about. ♪

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the calcium they take because they don't take it with food. switch to citracal maximum plus d. it's the only calcium supplement that can be taken with or without food. that's why my doctor recommends citracal maximum. it's all about absorption. [ 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. ♪ it's always rush hour somewhere, and you're looking at it in a number of places across our country tonight as we have news about traffic jams as we

look live at a number of cities. turns out traffic jams weren't all that bad last year. new data from the u.s. traffic scorecard, congestion dropped 30% last year. cities with the worst traffic remain honolulu followed by l.a., san francisco and new york. the reason for the traffic break won't strike everyone as positive, of course. high gas prices and the stop and go economic recovery were cited in this study. here we are in the era of airline fees,ed era of paying for any and every extra that the airlines can get out of us. this next story affects all those families hoping to fly off on summer vacation next year and, perhaps sit together on the plane. there's a good chance that will cost you as well. our report tonight from nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: if you haven't bought your summer airline tickets yet, $320 is the average

fare, according to farecompare.com. sitting together as a family may cost you even more, with many airlines charging more for the aisle and window seats, in some cases, $25 each way. >> it's very difficult for a family to sit together any more, because of this new fee concept. >> one example, we looked at a major carrier's flight on june 25th from atlanta to lax. in economy, all of the available aisle and window seats were reserved for elite passengers or those willing to pay, until row 48. only at row 50 were four or more seats available together. the hodge family is starting a 20-hour flight to thailand, the kids separated. >> when they're little, they need to be near you. >> there's nothing more powerful

than a mom and a child that need to sit together. >> reporter: all the extra fees are necessary because the revenue from airfare alone does not cover airline operating costs. what should you do? first, experts recommend booking early and reserving a seat if you can. or try selecting seats five days before departure, that's when elite flyers start getting upgraded. try again 24 hours before the flight when seats for the disabled are freed up. finally, the day you're flying, appeal to the gate agent for help. >> check fewer bags and bring fewer snacks so you don't have to buy food on board. tom costello, nbc news, washington. talk about watching what you eat. someone really is watching what you eat. when i found out my irregular heartbeat put me at 5 times greater risk of a stroke, my first thoughts were about my wife, and my family.

i have the most common type of atrial fibrillation, or afib. it's not caused by a heart valve problem. i was taking warfarin, but my doctor put me on pradaxa instead to reduce my risk of stroke. in a clinical trial, pradaxa® (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) reduced stroke risk 35% better than warfarin. and unlike warfarin, with pradaxa, there's no need for regular blood tests. that's really important to me. pradaxa can cause serious, sometimes fatal, bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding and seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have a bleeding condition like stomach ulcers, or take aspirin, nsaids, or blood thinners, or if you have kidney problems, especially if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all medicines you take, any planned medical or dental procedures, and don't stop taking pradaxa without your doctor's approval, as stopping may increase your stroke risk. other side effects include indigestion, stomach pain, upset, or burning. pradaxa is progress.

having afib not caused by a heart valve problem increases your risk of stroke. ask your doctor if you can reduce your risk with pradaxa. your doctor will say get smart about your weight. that's why there's glucerna hunger smart shakes. they have carb steady, with carbs that digest slowly to help minimize blood sugar spikes. [ male announcer ] glucerna hunger smart. a smart way to help manage hunger and diabetes. [ male announcer ] glucerna hunger smart. very sore looking kinda blistery. it was like a red rash... like somebody had set a bag of hot charcoal on my neck. i was a firefighter for 24 years. but, i have never encountered such a burning sensation until i had the shingles. i remember it well. i was in the back yard doing yard work. i had this irritation going on in my lower neck. i changed shirts because i thought there was something in the collar of the shirt irritating my neck. and i couldn't figure out what was going on. i had no idea it came from chickenpox.

i always thought shingles was associated with people... a lot older than myself. i can tell you from experience, it is bad. it's something you never want to encounter. for more of the inside story, visit shinglesinfo.com let's...uh, skip the chitchat and get down to business here. now listen, i need all of you thinking of ways to improve our bottom line. so let's just sit here awhile and toss around some ideas. this isn't a conference call, hickle -- i'm actually in the room. [ male announcer ] with fares this low, why not surprise a few people? airtran is having a sale with flights all over the country starting at only $69 dollars. book at airtran.com before it's too late. because with $69 fares they're going to go fast.

today will forever mark the start of the outsourcing of space travel with the launch this morning of the space x spacecraft. first ever launch by a private company of a spacecraft headed for the international space station. with the space shuttle retired, nasa's counting on the private sector to take over the job like this one of flying cargo, and eventually astronauts to the space station. for now, the russians are our only ride into space. how's this for a memorable wedding photo? caleb and kendra had just finished their ceremony at a farmhouse in harper, kansas, to be exact. some bad weather started moving in. as they say in kansas, they had a little wind that night. the two tornados were about eight miles away and headed in the opposite direction. which allowed for an unforgettable photo op. as the groom's mother said, this is kansas, wheat fields, cowboys and tornados, it's who we are.

a new app can show us what we are eating, though we have no idea how they're looking into our homes. it's from the folks at massive health, and it uses color coding to show our eating habits based on time of day. mostly green equals good. then 10:00 p.m. eastern time, yellow means caution. at 1:00 a.m., all bets are off, deeply embedded red spots in there, you know who you are. graphic evidence of your potato chips, mallow mars, your haagen-dazs. they can see us somehow. ed odds of catching a home run baseball in the stands at a major league baseball game aren't great. how about the odds of the same guy catching two back to back home run baseballs in the same game? it happened to a 20-year-old college student in cincinnati last night, and he got to see

the home team reds beat the braves 4-1. when we come back, a high school pitcher who's giving us all something to cheer about. you walk into a conventional mattress store, it's really not about you. they say, "well, if you wanted a firm bed you can lie on one of those. if you want a soft bed you can lie on one of those." we provide the exact individualization that your body needs. wow, that feels really good! once you experience it, there's no going back. at the sleep number memorial day sale, save 40% on our innovative sleep number silver edition bed-for a limited time. only at the sleep number store, where queen mattresses start at just $699. helping strengthen our bones. caltrate delivers 1200 milligrams of calcium and 800 iu of vitamin d plus minerals. women need caltrate. caltrate helps women keep moving because women move the world. caltrate helps women keep moving you know how hard if yit can be to breathedo, and what that feels like. copd includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

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with our baseball theme. we have an inspirational story from the mound for anyone working to succeed. ron allen has the story from oakland, new jersey. >> strike! >> reporter: some of what makes austin an ace picture for the braves is obvious. he has a 90 mile an hour fastball, and he throws a mean curveball too. but there's something unique about this 17-year-old strikeout artist. >> i think it probably is his focus and determination. >> to me, it's no big deal. like i just feel like any other person out there. >> but he's not. he was born with profound hearing loss, had two operations during childhood, surgically implanting a device that with a hows him to hear, but he takes that off when he takes the mound. >> i think it gives me an advantage too. when i don't hear anybody, the other team or the parents, i can focus that much easier. >> reporter: he's considered to

be one of the top high school pitchers in the state of new jersey, dominating opponents. he started the season off by pitching a no-hitter. he's also a star student with a 3.7 gpa and has a scholarship to boston college this fall. but he's set his sights even higher, major league baseball. pro scouts attend every one of his games. >> the other team could be yelling, i could be yelling, everyone could be yelling, he doesn't hear you. >> reporter: communication isn't a problem, because baseball is a game full of signs. some historians credit a deaf player with creating signs for calls like strike. more than 100 years ago. the sky's the limit. >> he's a special, special young man. we'll be watching him and supporting him every step of the way. >> you don't hear the cheering either? >> don't need to.

>> you just kind of go into your zone and -- >> yeah, i'm cheering for myself. >> a teenaged phenom who sees himself like all the other players, blowing away the competition one pitch at a time. ron allen, nbc news, oakland, new jersey. >> great story to end on tonight, thank you for being y