on this saturday night, flash point. tonight, high drama in court and anger erupts in cairo as egypt's former dictator escapes the death penalty. a massive wildfire rages in the american southwest, more than a thousand firefighters. meanwhile, severe storm, tornados and a harrowing flash flood rescue. a new treatment, tumors melting away in months. and off to the races, the queen kicks off a spectacular party in london celebrating 60 years on the thrown.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. in the birthplace of last year's uprising that forced hosni mubarak from power and brought him to justice, there is outrage over how that has played out. let's show you the scene now in tahrir square. peaceful crowds continue to grow. thousands took to the streets after a court sentences mubarak to life in prison, but spared him the death penalty for his failing to stop the killing of protesters last year. richard engel joins us from cairo with more. good evening. >> reporter: the protesters are continuing, lester, but so far, they are peaceful. today, hosni mubarak was sentenced to 25 years in prison in this country that's a life

sentence. he's 84 years old. his health isn't good. his biggest miscalculation may have been not leaving when he had a chance. mubarak was rolled into the courthouse on a stretcher to hear his fate. he sat in a cage. his body language revealing disgust and frustration. arms crossed. sunglasses, stone faced. the judge's tone was immediately harsh. the judge praised the mart irs of the revolution. then, the sentence. it is life in prison, he said. pandemonium erupted outside the courtroom. joy, but some wanted more. the death penalty. this was the reaction at a coffee shop a few miles away. what a fall for the man who came to office as he stood next to his predecessor.

mubarak proved to be a survivor. he knew five american presidents. >> he preserved the peace in the region. he led egypt through many transformations and was a good friend of the united states. it was an authoritarian state, but he believed in a troubled region with the threats that egypt faced, he had to run things. >> reporter: but as he got older, it got worse. and over a year ago, egyptians rose against him. mubarak was found guilty today in the deaths of more than 800 demonstrators. in cairo tonight, thousands called mubarak a dictator who drove the country to ruin. these protesters are angry. they wanted a harsher sentence for mubarak and more done against his sons former security

official. for most here, mubarak is the only president they ever knew, but tonight in cairo, there seems to be no sympathy for the man. and now, sentenced to die in prison. the protests in this country are being led by the muslim brotherhood and it's hoping to use this moment to gain momentum which it hopes will carry it through elections to the next president in two weeks. >> richard, thanks. back at home, wildfires are burping in at least four western states tonight, but none bigger than the fire that's now covered hundreds of square miles across new mexico. today, it became the largest wildfire in that state's history and is now blanketing communities in dangerous smoke. miguel almaguer has our report. >> reporter: on the front lines of new mexico's massive wildfire, back breaking work. >> long day.

16 hours. >> reporter: here, hot shot crews clear miles of fire break. a stretch of bare land that could stop oncoming flames from spreading. the largest wildfire burning in the country, the biggest in new mexico state history, has charred more than a quarter million acres in the gila national forest. sparked by lightening two and a half weeks ago, the so-called whitewater-baldy fire remains out of control. plumes of billowing smoke which can be seen for miles are slowing the air attack. this, as flames hopscotch in every direction. in the historic mining town, firefighters have laid seven miles of hoses, an intracat system of sprinklers to protect this mountain community. evacuations here are mandatory. tom miller refuses to leave. >> i wake up and the first thing

i do, i see flames. every night, it gets a little closer. >> reporter: wildfires in utah, colorado and arizona have devoured tens of thousands of acres, but new mexico's fire with its isolated, rugged terrain, is among the toughest to fight. >> this fire will probably burn until we get our monsoon rains, mid-july. >> reporter: with a blaze that could burn for months, the back breaking work could continue for weeks. tonight, crews draw a line in the sand while the moving monster gets closer and closer. crews say this fire is roughly 15% contained, but the bad news, those nasty winds gusting upwards of 50 miles per hour are going to fan flames all night. back east, a lot of folks are cleaning up after wild weather here. three confirmed tornados and flash floods that did quite a bit of damage and knocked out

power to homes and businesses in virginia, maryland and washington, d.c. at the height of the storm. here's michelle franzen. >> reporter: residents and crews throughout the mid-atlantic began cleaning up what mother nature ripped apart. in just a matter of hour, late friday, tornados and severe thunderstorms barrelled through four states and the d.c. area. >> some 208 reports of severe weather. of those just in the east, we have about 13 tornado reports. >> reporter: one confirmed tornado tore through the town of hampton, virginia. it was spotted at a waterspout churning across the chesapeake bay. in maryland, a dramatic rescue. three teens held on for dear life under a bridge. they were trapped for four hours before firefighters lifted all three to safety. >> to see a situation where three young lives could have been swept away in a moment,

it's scary. >> reporter: today, one of the teens described those harrowing moments. >> we was in the rain, didn't know it was going to be endless. >> reporter: in washington, d.c., more close calls as drivers heading home barely escaped this flooded underpass. >> it rose up on three feet to about like six like within, just like that. >> reporter: and near pittsburgh, high winds ripped apart this inflatable dome. ten people nd at the time, made it out without injury. severe storms catching many off guard in a season forecasters say where anything can happen. michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. back overseas now to london where the royals were off to the races today. the queen and her family beginning four days of pageantry. a diamond jubilee marking her 60 years on the throne. >> reporter: 21 guns at high

noon for 60 years of queen elizabeth's rain. for her, the opening was best spent at what she loves. the day at the races. but no ordinary one this. ♪ the crowd brimming over with national pride. >> just bubbles up inside, doesn't it? >> reporter: the flag brought in by parachute. she wore her favorite color and a smile. members of the royal family, decidedly understated. the winning horse, camelot. >> she does look so happy. >> reporter: all over england, you find the posh, the home grown, an astonishingly proper picnic in a parking lot and a chalk drawing on the street. around 50 degrees, the sun has not come out, but the queen did. a festive start to the jubilee

weekend. where the queen can't be, she turns up in card board. yes, that weather continued to be a concern in a place where nothing has been left to chance cht not even the long line of boats, colors flying, that will build an impressive flotilla tomorrow. heavy rain threatening to soak a million citizens and a line that tends to a glowing tower bridge. >> and if we get crown drowned well, this is england. >> reporter: in the past few week, out visiting her subjects in pounding hail. of its quirks, freedoms, its very britishness. as much as of its queen. michelle kosinski, nbc news, london. now to the political fallout amid new fears the economy is sputtering. business added just 69,000 new jobs and the unemployment rate

ticked up. mitt romney was quick to pounce and the president now finds himself quarly on the defensive. mike viqueira reports. >> reporter: waking up in chicago, the president took a stroll in his old neighborhood. >> did you cook breakfast? >> no, i woke up too late. >> reporter: on the president's plate, a disappointing may jobs report. today in his weekly address, the president defended his record on the economy. >> right now, this country is still fighting our way back from the worst economic crisis since the great depression. the economy's growing again, but not as fast as we'd like. >> reporter: experts say the bad news poses a serious threat. >> the greater the sense that the economy is not turning around and the president has failed, the more the burden is on him. the more the focus is on his presidency and his four years and not on mitt romney. >> reporter: reacting, romney pounce. >> and the president is always quick to find someone to blame. first, it was george bush, then

congress, atm machine, then europe. the truth is, the job of the president is to get america back to work. crony capitalism like this did not help. >> reporter: romney has hammered away on the economy. thursday, appearing at solyndra, the solar energy firm that failed and he's keeping up the attack with a new web ad. a new nbc news battleground map shows president obama with the lead in lekkal votes. >> going into the summer, into the fall, this is when people are going to be making their decisions. very bad news for the white house. >> reporter: in the coming week, the obama campaign is going to be sending some massachusetts democratic lawmakers to some of those states to draw attention to what they feel is mitt romney's lackluster record of governor of massachusetts. still ahead, a new approach to attack some of the deadliest

forms of cancer. doctors unveil some pretty stunning results. and later, off the road. a federal crackdown after a series of deadly accidents on some of the country's busiest highways. 43. i got mine in iraq, 2003. usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection, and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans and their families is without equal. begin your legacy, get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve. my feet and exactly where i needed more support. i had tired, achy feet. until i got my number. my dr. scholl's custom fit orthotics number. now i'm a believer. you'll be a believer, too. learn where to find your number at drscholls.com. with these new depend real fit briefs,untry and today we are surprising pro football all stars. there's wes, clay and demarcus.what's up guys.

now i know you don't need one, but would you try these on for charity and prove just how great the fit is? seriously? no way for charity? let's do it! yup... they're doin it. the best protection now looks, fits and feels just like underwear. let's go drive, use the legs... nice teamwork! they tried on the new depend real fit. get a free sample so you can too. begins with back pain and a choice. take advil, and maybe have to take up to four in a day. or take aleve, which can relieve pain all day with just two pills. good eye. like a ramen noodle- every-night budget. she thought allstate car insurance was out of her reach. until she heard about the value plan. see how much you could save with allstate. are you in good hands? 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. we're back with big health news out of this weekend's meeting of more than 40,000 cancer doctors. tonight, there's a promising new study getting a lot of attention. doctors hope it could lead to a new attack against some of the deadliest forms of cancer.

we get more from our chief science correspondent, robert bazell. >> reporter: it is a new approach using the body's immune system to kill cancer. it helped david, a retired baltimore policeman who had advanced lung cancer. >> i was at basically looking at living month to month. >> reporter: scan shows tumor, seen here melting away over a period of months. ken kirkwood, who had advanced kidney cancer, saw similar results. >> i couldn't believe it, but in about four or five months or so, i was starting to see shrinkage in my limp nodes and my lungs and the area where the kidney had been removed. >> reporter: doctors also saw positive results with advanced melanoma. >> there is a common denominator for many kinds of cancer. this is really unprecedented. there are so many exciting opportunities. >> reporter: the treatment is in

its earliest phase. >> typically in a phase one trial, you don't expect much, but we saw activity, so some tumor, completely shrinking away. >> reporter: here's how it works. white blood cells, which kill bacteria and viruses, often try to kill cancer cells, but the cancer puts up a barrier. the treatment is designed to bring that barrier down. tumors shrank in 18 to 28%, depending on the type of cancer. at this weekend's conference, planning is underway for bigger trials, comparing and looking at side effects. for more than a century, scientists have been working to harness the body's immune system to fight cancer. only now is that starting to pay off. >> i just wanted to live long enough for the cure and maybe i have. maybe i'm part of it. >> reporter: while it's not a cure, for many, it's a hopeful

beginning. robert bazell, nbc news, chicago. we're back in a moment with more from hollywood tonight on the loss of a popular tv actress. hi, i'm new ensure clear. clear, huh? my nutritional standards are high. i'm not juice or fancy water, i'm different. i've got nine grams of protein. twist my lid. that's three times more than me! twenty-one vitamins and minerals and zero fat! hmmm. you'll bring a lot to the party. [ all ] yay! [ female announcer ] new ensure clear. nine grams protein. zero fat. twenty-one vitamins and minerals. in blueberry/pomegranate and peach. refreshing nutrition in charge! 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 ] oh, we call it the bundler. let's say you need home and auto insurance. you give us your information once, online...

[ whirring and beeping ] [ ding! ] and we give you a discount on both. sort of like two in one. how did you guys think of that? it just came to us. what? bundling and saving made easy. now, that's progressive. call or click today. 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. take beano before by what's getting done. 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. he struck him out! it has happened! >> history was made last night as yohan santana through the first no-hitter in the history of the mets. he got a little help in the form of a blown call and a spectacular left field save, but none of that mattered as his teammates swarmed him on the mound, the crowd giving him a standinging ovation. now to a major crackdown of discount bus operators that

tronz port thousands of people each year. the federal government is taking them off the road after some high pro file accidents on some of the country's busiest highways. we get a report now from tom costello. >> reporter: it was a series of horrific crashes involving discount bus lines on the east coast. march 12st, 2011, 15 passengers were killed, everyone else injured, after a speeding bus hit a barrier in new york flipping on its side. may 13st, 2011, four passengers killed north of richmond, virginia, when the driver allegedly fell asleep. now, along the busy i-95 corridor, police are stopping buses and stopping up inspections. >> put your high beams on. >> reporter: checking everything from emergency exits to logbooks and maintenance records. >> going to check the license and make sure it's valid. >> reporter: in the last week,

the federal government has moved in and put more than two dozen bus lines out of business. >> it's the single largest motor coach safety crackdown the d.o.t. has ever undertaken and now, a network of unsafe operators is off of our highways. >> reporter: the d.o.t. has shut down three bus companies that operated under 26 different names. carrying passengers mostly up and down i-95 between new york and florida and labeled them imminent hazards. and ntsb investigation found that curb side operators is seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident than traditional intercity operators. the bus lines involved are not household names and are not -- to nbc news, but the major companies welcome the crackdown. good companies follow the rules. they have consistent, well-known

safety systems in place and they hire good drivs and train them . the message, safety cannot be compromised in the name of profits. there is word tonight that veteran character actress kathryn joosten has died after a long battle with long cancer. she also had a long run playing karen mccluskey, the cranky, but lovable neighbor on "desperate housewives." she was 72 years old. when we come back here tonight, through triumph and tragedy, she's seen it all in six memorable decades on the throne. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] at nissan, our ideal is innovation.

5 all-new models over the next 15 months, including a completely reimagined altima. welcome to our most innovative year ever. nissan. innovation for all. ♪ diarrhea, gas or bloating? get ahead of it! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap a day helps defend against digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. hit me! [ female announcer ] live the regular life. phillips'. my feet and exactly where i needed more support. i had tired, achy feet. until i got my number. my dr. scholl's custom fit orthotics number. now i'm a believer. you'll be a believer, too. learn where to find your number at drscholls.com. my name is sunshine and i have three beautiful girls. i like taking advil® for a headache. it nips it in the bud. and i can be that mommy that i want to be. ♪ [ male announcer ] take action. take advil®.

trouble with a car insurance claim. [ voice of dennis ] switch to allstate. their claim service is so good, now it's guaranteed. [ normal voice ] so i can trust 'em. unlike randy. are you in good hands? fight both fast with new tums freshers! concentrated relief that goes to work in seconds and freshens breath. new tums freshers. ♪ tum...tum...tum...tum... tums! ♪ [ male announcer ] fast relief, fresh breath, all in a pocket sized pack.

finally tonight, marking 60 years on the throne, queen liz beth is just a few years shy of breaking her great great grandmother's record. >> reporter: to truly appreciate how long queen elizabeth was in reign, visit madam tu sad's in london. >> the 60 years she's been our queen and it's something that is very complex. >> reporter: 60 year, through 12 prime ministers. winston churchill had a little

quush crush, and 12 u.s. presidents. since 1952, the world has gone through a dramatic change. and the 1,000-year-old monarchy has had to change with it. >> institutions, which in turn most continue to evolve if they are to provide effective beacons of trust and unity. >> reporter: a revolution in communication has forced the palace to open its doors after significant pressure, the queen made a live tv speech following princess diana's death. >> what i say to you now as your queen and as a grandmother, i say from my heart. >> reporter: wanted on the air waves and in person, as air travel grew easier, the queen was on the move. 116 countries. the most traveled british monarch in history. >> i knew before we came that we had exported many of our traditions to the united states. but i had not realized before

that weather was one of them. >> reporter: there were some things that stayed the same. steady support from her husband, philip, a beaming smile and a love of corgies. sweet and loyal dogs. you can sort of see why the queen got her first before he got married and took the puppy on her honeymoon. at her side as the queen steady handed dutifully did the job she never chose. >> the secret of the queen is that she never appears to change. but she's changing all the time. like a swan. gliding over the water, but she's paddling pretty firmly undernea underneath. >> reporter: this year, her country celebrates her accomplishment. 60 years skillfully shaping one of the oldest monarchies to fit into a modern world.

>> that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. i'm lester holt. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" then back here tomorrow evening. "today" then back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com