on the broadcast tonight, no end in sight. after an explosion of violence in syria, the question that won't go away, what should america do? sknloo an nbc news exclusive, our cameras go inside guantanamo bay prison. >> it's official, the bringtime of 2012 was the warmest ev. and from cherries growing in michigan to bears in colorado, mother nature is thoroughly confused. new threat, more tonight on the huge piece of tsunami debris that washed up on u.s. shores. and the warning to parents. why children are at risk when the doctor orders a cat scan. "nightly news" begins now.

good evening. the world may be about to witness another civil war. we have already witnessed horrible violence yet again in syria where the fighting goes on. a civilian uprising, remember, brutally outgunned by the heavy hand of the regime trying to crush it. the united states tries to fend off withering questions about when the world will act. the problem is syria tfs leader assad still has a lot of power and a laund of friends around the world, and while the wheels of diplomacy grind on and civilians are dying in larng numbers fast. fair warning, some of the images are hard to watch, but remember, it's these images that might finally trigger action by the rest of the world. we begin with ayman mohyeldin in cairo. lying for the world to see, the victims of what amateur

video seems to show a massacre. among the did, women and children, even entire families were killed. we reached a human rights activist in syria in contact with eyewitnesses. they blame the military and government militias. >> they attacked the area first by shelling and then the people whom they met there, some people were killed, shot in the heads and killing by knife. >> a similar attack occurred two weeks ago in the village of hula. u.n. observers on the ground today tried to visit the area of the most recent massacre. they came under attack and were denied entray by the military. >> they witnessed violence and it is simply unconsenable. >> for more than a year, the assad regime has suppressed an uprising against his rule. the many fear this country is

descending into civil war as opposition forces become more militarizes and brazen in their attacks against government forces. kofi annan who brokered a u.n. piece plan said today what many known. >> i must be frank and contend that the plan is not being implemented. >> while an nn spoke, searier continued to burn. civilians young and old were fleeing the shells raining down and while the international community continues to rangle over what it is good, syrians caught in the middle continue to cry out for help. complicating diplomatic efforts further is the fact the assessment by kofi annan if violence continues in syria, not only is it going to implode and drag syria into a worse situation, but it will explode across the entire region.

>> ayman mohyeldin starting us off in cairo. thanks. now to domestic news, specifically about our weather and climate. the final numbers are in and it's official now. this spring was the warmest in the recorded history of the united states. also the 12-month meperiod sinc they started keeping track. these stats make for much more than just a curiosity. the impact on the world we live in is as big as the ranging and early wildfires they're fighting right now in the american west. our report tonight from our chief environmental affairs correspondent anne thompson. >> one glance at the fruit laden peach tree, the biggest crop ever, tells illinois farmer chris eckert the weather is unusual. >> we have had to hustle to get our work done on time because normally we would have another three weeks to get things done. >> the impact visible in

america's farmland. early strawberries in new york, early wheat in kansas. havesting on memorial day instead of july 4th. >> it's one for the books. >> cherry processors stand empty. they decimated the crop and killed hundreds of jobs. now they must look overseas. >> this year, we're going to be sourcing some cherries from poland. >> it was a record warm january through may in some 100 u.s. cities triggering allergies, mosquitos, ticks, and record firefighters. in colorado, the issue is bears. >> we anticipate a pretty busy summer. >> out of hibernation early, and drought conditions could send hungry bears to where people live. >> the food may not be there later in the year. at least not in a plentiful supply, so that's what we worry about. >> for the past 12 months, every stay in the lower 48 had warmer than average temperatures except

one. climatologists say we're in unprecedented territory and one of the suspects, green house gases created when we burn oil, coal, and gasoline. >> these types of warm weather outbreaks for a prolonged period of time is what we expect. >> aurd, a record breaking year and summer is still two weeks agai. anne thompson, nbc news, new york. >> as you know, we have been tracking the tsunami debris from the japan earthquake, just now arriving on the shores of the pacific northwest. last night here, we showed you the biggest single piece so far, a giant section of floating dock from japan. now taking up res dnls on the beach in oregon. it tested negative for radiation, but scientists are worried about something else that might have come along for the ride across the pacific. our report on that from nbc's miguel almaguer. >> tonight, this usually quiet beach in central oregon is a popular destination for field trips and researchers.

the 66-foot concrete and steel floating dock washed ashore wrapped in a blanket of algae and a cluster of critters. the massive piece of tsunami debris tested negative for radiation. >> the tsunami occurs, the debris washes away. so it didn't really get exposed. along its 5,000 mile journey across the pacific -- >> it's a genus of algot. >> they said the dock picked up in thes they have never seen in oregon before. >> an amazing diversity of species on the planet and it's cool when those from the western pacific come to your shore without a plane trip. >> hundreds of millions of orinisms clung to the dock, but there's concern some could be invasive species. algae, crabs, and starfish that are native to japan could be a problem here. >> they bagged it up, hit it with a shot of fire to sterilize it, and they're done. >> a precautionary move in what

is expected to be the first of a wave of debris drifting towards our shores. and starting tomorrow here, bri brian, in southern california, local volunteers will comb beaches in search of tsunami debris. so far, nothing has been discovered, but with the recent find in oregon, there's a sense of heightened awareness. >> going to start getting interesting very soon. miguel almaguer in santa monica tonight, thanks. >> snow we have an nbc news exclusive. a rare look inside the notorious u.s. facility, gitmo, the central prison for terrorism suspects and a highly controversial place, as you know. michael isikoff has gained exclusive access to quguantanam bay and reports on all of the things we taxpayers are paying for. >> gitmo detainees watch cable tv, play soccer in a new recreation yard, and pray five times a day. ameri america's most expensive prison has a life of its own despite

president obama's vow his first day in office to shut it down. >> guantanamo will be closed no later than one year from now. there we go. >> but the president pfsz promise now seems all but forgotten. blocked by congress and concerns over releasing detainees in light of ongoing national security threats. >> we treat them all as, you know, a threat. only because if you don't, then you're going to get surprised and that's not our business. >> it may come as a surprise, but as nbc news discovered, military officials are quietly up grading gitmo, spending millions that could allow it to stay open for years. >> we have made it safer for the detainees, safer for the guard force. >> just this week, the official opening of super rec. a controversial new heavily guarded soccer field. price tag, nearly $750,000. there's also a new headquarters for the guards and plans for a new hospital. also, enriching your life

classes, where detainees can learn to paint, write a resume, even handle personal finances. >> that's one class. that's not a popular class. >> just to keep the guys busy. >> a lot has changed here. camp x-ray were the first detainees were brought ten years ago is now an abandoned relic overgrown with weeds, preserved as evidence under a court order. but many of the detainees who were once locked up in these cages are still being detained at gitmo with no prospect of going home anytime soon. today, 169 detainees remain here and it's costing u.s. taxpayers $140 million this year. some $800,000 per detainees. this is camp six, the most modern facility here at guantanamo and exclusively communal living compound housing 80% of the detainees, all of who are deemed to be compliant with the rules and eligible for more

privileges like 21 cable channels, dvds, newspapers and a library. >> they have all kinds of books. even harry potter in russian and arabic. why is gitmo still here? >> as far as being able to close down the operation, i can dood that in a couple months with the building and people. we have removed the belinerants from the battlefield and our job is to detain them, and we do that very well. >> there's still the problem of what to do with the remaining detainees, many of whom were deemed eligible for release, only there's no country willing or able to take them. so for the remaining future, gitmo and its growing costs are here to stay. michael isikoff. nbc news, guantanamo bay, cuba. >> still ahead here as we continue along the way, are cat scans putting kids as a risk for cancer later in life? our reality check on the risks. and later on, a remarkable second chance to chase a dream. .

and if it wasn't for a screening i got, i might have missed being here to meet him. the health care law lets those of us on medicare now get most preventive care for free like annual wellness visits, immunizations, and some cancer screenings. and that's when they caught something serious on mine. but we could treat it before it was too late. i'll be around to meet number two! get the screenings you need. learn more at healthcare.gov. you don't want to miss any of this! 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. to help protect 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.

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you might have seen the story today about children and cat scans and the risk of radiation exposure in high doses. it turns out the link to potential future cancers is stronger than we may first have thought. our report tonight from our chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman. >> as medical technology improves so does our ability to diagnose problems. but at the same time, we have unwittingly exposed ourselves to higher levels of radiation with unin tended consequences. a new study proves a direct lisk to exposure to cat scans and two kinds of cancer. researchers in england followed healthy children for 17 years. their findings, those who had two to three ct scans were three times more likely to get brain cancer. radiation is unavoidable and part of everyday life from sunshine to television to the food we eat. it's estimated the average

person gets about 620 mill arems a year. just one ct delivers about 200 mill arems of radiation. that one scan is equiv lntd to about five mammograms, 20 chest x-rays and going past the luggage x-ray at the airport 100,000 times. children are more susceptible because their cells are multiplying so quickly. that's why they're quickly redesigning their scanners. >> everyone is pushing the envelope to keep the doses low as possible but maintaining image quality. >> while mri and ultrasound can be radiation free alternatives, in some cases, a ct scan is necessary. >> radiation is associated with some risk, but at the same time, it's very important that the immediate problem get addressed appropriately, and when a ct scan is necessary that it be performed. >> no one is saying not to get a

ct scan. but you should be an informed consumer, and that means not getting a test unnecessarily and asking would an ultrasound or an mri do the same thing? and sometimes just needs new soft waeware and that could be p great of just $100,000. sounds like a lot but not when you're talking about a multimillion dollar mumean and sometime machines are old and need to be replaced. at least ask, is it necessary and does the machine give the least dose necessary. >> they're really ct scans. >> we forgive you. >> dr. nancy snyderman, as always. up next, teens texting at the wheel. tonight, we're learning just how common this dangerous habit really is. this man is about to be the millionth customer. would you mind if i go ahead of you? instead we had someone go ahead of him and win fifty thousand dollars.

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announcement from years back. it's 10:00 p.m. do you know where your children are? well, these days, perhaps the question should be, do you know what your children are doing. every few years thrk centers for disease control surveyed this country's high school students about some of the risks they take on a regular basis, the kind of things parents suspect and fear the most. and tom costello has our report. >> if i could take it back, i would take it back. >> in massachusetts, 18-year-old aaron deveaux is sentenced tory yien jail for texting while driving and killing a 55-year-old father of three. now a cdc survey on risky behavior finds a third of all high schoolers admitting that texted or e-mailed while driving in the past 30 days. >> it's frustrating while we're making great progress in increasing seat belt use and

dekreising kids driving while drinking, other things pop up in their place. >> other findings, the number of kids smoking cigarettes hasn't changed in 18 years, but more kids are regularly smoking marijuana, 23%. and while viewer kids are drinking alcohol, nearly 21% had taken prescription drugs without a prescription. it's no surprise to teen and adolescent psychiatrist. >> drugs and alcohol are being used by the straight-a students and the captain of the football team. >> experts say so much of the abuse is a sign of the tines. with so much pressure at home, at school, and online. >> 15.8% of students had they had considered suicide. nearly 8% had attempted it. a third were sexually active, a third had been involved in a fight at school. 20% said they had been bullied. >> some of this has to deal with

the complexities of being a teenager. >> teen stress and the risky behavior it can lead to. >> you jean ferkauf has died. he was known as the father of modern day discount retailing and he once graced the cover of "time" magazine because of it. he started ejkorvette's here. the urban myth was that the name stood for eight jewish korean war veterans. not true. it was an amalgam of two missiles. he was 91. and bob welch has died of an apparent suicide. he's known to music fans as an early member of fleetwood mack. he went on to a solo career. his notable singles were sentimental lady and ebony eyes. he was in failing health. he was 65 years old. next up here tonight, a young man's incredible journey

to clear his name and now his effort to make up for lost time. . i can tell you, down here, people measure commitment by what's getting done. i'm mike utsler, and it's my job to make sure we keep making progress in the gulf. the twenty billion dollars bp committed has helped fund economic and environmental recovery. another fourteen billion dollars has been spent on response and cleanup. long-term, bp's made a five hundred million dollar commitment to the gulf of mexico research initiative... to support ten years of independent scientific research on the environment. results will continue to be shared with the public. and we're making sure people know that 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. bp's still here, and we're still committed to seeing this through.

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 we want to leave you tonight with a story of redemption. brian banks was at one time the

best high school football player in the country when his life was changed by a false accusation. now he's getting a second chance on the field and off. his story from nbc's kristen dahlgren. >> it's every young athlete's dream. >> look where i am. look where i am today. >> a try-out with the nfl. an appearance on the "tonight" show. >> being here is too cool for school. >> just last month, brian banks couldn't have imagined any of it. >> my only dream in the world was to just be free. >> he was a convicted felon, a registered sex offender, accused of kidnapping and raping a classmate ten years ago when banks was just 16. a high school football standout being recruited by some of the nation's top colleges. there was no dna evidence or witnesses, but his lawyer told him he should take a plea deal. banks served over five years in

prison, his nfl dreams shattered. finding any work was tough, until a friend request on facebook from his accuser. >> she was real adamant about wanting to reconnect, in her words, let bygones be bygones. >> banks met with her and a private investigator and caught this on tape. >> no, he did not rape me. >> did he kidnap you? >> no. >> last month, the california innocence project helped clear his name. and with the end of the night mare, banks picked right up with the dream. getting back in shape and finally getting his shot. he has try-outs schedules with six nfl teams and after today's workout, an invite back for seattle seahawks mini camp. >> it's just such a great illustration about not giving up. >> a second chance for a man who knows life isn't always fair, but that sometimes dreams -- >> why not shoot for the stars? >> really do come true.

kristen dahlgren, nbc news, new york. >> and that is our broadcast on a thursday night. thank you for being here with us. and a reminder to please join us this evening for "rock center" in its new home at 10:00 eastern, 9:00 central from this very studio. i'm brian williams. and of course, we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.