on the broadcast tonight, shoot-out at the empire state building. two dead, nine wounded. innocent bystanders who may have been caught in police crossfire. on alert, as isaac barrels through the caribbean, picking up steam, and taking aim at the gulf coast. tropical storm watch just issued. what now for the big gop convention in tampa? was it a joke? what mitt romney said on the campaign trail today that immediately erupted in controversy. banned for life, and stripped of his titles. lance armstrong gives up on the fight over doping and pays a heavy price, but is it fair? "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening, i'm david gregory in washington in for brian tonight. we begin with the eruption of gunfire and mayhem, just outside one of the world's most famous landmarks, a place that millions visit every year, the empire state building. this morning, right in the middle of rush hour as people were trying to get to work and tourists had already started lining up to visit the building's observatory high above manhattan, a man who had lost his job nearby unleashed a deadly revenge attack on a former co-worker and that triggered a hail of gunfire that in the end left nine innocent people hurt. it was the latest in gun violence in a summer that has seen far too much of it. we begin tonight with lester holt at the empire state building. lester? >> reporter: i walk this fifth avenue and at 9:00 it's as busy as you see now, lots of tourists and lots of office workers so the police officers who had to challenge an armed killer on these streets face every cop's

worst nightmare, try to fire at a moving target on a sidewalk packed with innocents. images taken by passersby and from offices show the dead and wounded, cut down in the shadow of one of the world's most famous buildings. >> midtown south charlie sector, unkconfirmed 10-10 shots, west 33rd street, shots fired. >> police say it began when 58-year-old jeffrey johnson, who a year ago had been laid off from his job as a designer at an apparel business confronted a company executive on a side street, pushed him to the ground, stood over him and shot him. >> johnson produced the pistol and fired at close range striking his 41-year-old victim in the head. >> reporter: steve ercolino died at the scene. anthony collins worked in the lobby. >> very nice man, comes in, says hello, very respectful. >> reporter: johnson routed the

corner on fifth avenue, alluded by the construction worker who saw the shooting from the scaffolding, two nypd officers assigned to a roving anti-terror squad tried to stop him. police say johnson then pointed his hoy 45 caliber handgun at the officers who then opened fire on him, 16 shots in all, killing johnson. >> we have two civilians shot, the perp is shot. we have ems on scene, we're getting reports multiple people shot. >> i heard five or six shots, i seen people running and then i heard somebody yell "he's shooting,'s got a gun, he's shooting." >> reporter: nine pedestrians lay wounded on the ground. police say the suspect's gun had only an eight-round clip. police say it's likely all of those wounded were hit by stray police rounds. >> we don't know, there's speculation that that's what happened, but we do know that we have on tape the perpetrator pulled his gun out and tried to shoot at the cops, whether he

got off any bullets or not, to be determined, how many shots earlier to be determined. we do know that the cops fired back, the tape clearly shows the guy has the gun out and is trying to kill the police officers. >> reporter: you heard the mayor mention tape, there were surveillance cameras rolling and they took in a lot of what happened here. those wounded we're told none of the injuries of life-threatening. as for the weapon johnson said police say it was legally purchased in florida in 1991 but it was not legally registered here in the city of new york. back at the scene, fifth avenue, this part of midtown manhattan only reopened just a couple of hours ago after a day, david, of long and tiring disruptions for new yorkers. >> lester holt, you've been on the scene all day, lester, thank you very much. now to that big storm gathering strength tonight and threatening to disrupt the republican national convention in tampa. at this hour, there are new tropical storm watches in parts of florida. weather channel meteorologist jim cantore joins us at weather

channel's headquarters. this became a serious tropical system. >> yes, and it's not done yet and large enough to impact areas in what we call the cone or forecast cone and certainly looks like it's going to impact tam tampa. here are the tropical storm watches which by tonight or tomorrow morning could become tropical storm warnings. we fully anticipate that. i'll tell you why those watches are on the east side in just a minute. here is the storm as you mentioned, david, this thing kind of grew into its shoes today so to speak and it's going to continue to travel up off into the northwest as we go through the next 24 to 48 hours before emerging on the north side of cuba. it is going to be kept tropical storm strength we think, the land is going to inhibit that but once it emerges north of cuba, probably passing over havana, eventually key west somewhere west of tampa, no question, there will be impacts in through here and up toward the gulf coast as we head towards tuesday evening. what's interesting about this storm is even outside the cone because it is so large we are

going to have lots of wind coming in to biscayne bay, that means a good chance of flooding the areas that normally flood. watches are out, we expect them to go to warnings, tampa impacts probably on tuesday morning as those winds, david, go from offshore to onshore and potentially push all that water up into the bay. >> nobody knows severe weather better than you. we'll be following your forecasts in the hours and days ahead, jim, thank you. as jim said, isaac is said to make landfall tonight in haiti, an island nation still reeling from that devastating earthquake. hundreds of thousands of people are still living in tent villages. and for this country a tropical storm could be catastrophic. nbc's mark potter joins us now from port awe prince, where they are bracing for impact. mark, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, david. as the storm moves in, there are widespread concerns about all the people who are so vulnerable in this country, including those who are living in the shantytowns on the mount tain behind me and the hundreds of thousands of haitians still living in tents.

in a sprawling evacuation camp in port awe prince built after the earthquake here two and a half years ago, aid workers spent the day locating the elderly, the sick and preg nent women. with the storm bearing down, those considered most vulnerable were urged to move into a nearby school building where they would at least have water, food and a safe place to sleep, unlike all the others living here. >> i expect to find a lot of people without a place, with everything they had washed away. >> reporter: some 400,000 haitians still live in evacuation tents. residents with relatives willing to take them in were urged to leave the camps until the storm passes but those with nowhere to go will just have to hunker down, barely protected from the elements. some here spent the day digging trenches to divert the rain water. also in the camps this pamphlet is being distributed to teach people how to secure their tents in the storm and for the many people who can't read, it's illustrated. on the hillsides surrounding

port awe prince, sprawling shantytowns are also a concern because of the threat of flash floods and mudslides. those living at the bottom of ravines are also in particular danger as are those along haiti's southern coastline, where the storm is expected to hit hardest. >> 80% of the population is living under the poverty line. nobody is really prepared and nobody is living in proper conditionses to be safe now. >> reporter: another concern is heavy rain could spread an already serious cholera epidemic which has killed 7,000 victims. aide workers say as soon as the storm passes they'll go back into those tent camps to see how much damage was done and how many people are once again left with nothing. david? >> mark potter in port awe prince tonight thanks very much. coming up in just a few minutes a look back at the monster hurricane that changed everything 20 years ago tonight. to politics now, and the campaign trail, mitt romney was in his boyhood home state of

michigan and stirred up a controversy with a remark about birth certificates, the democrats called a low blow. here now is nbc's peter alexand alexander. >> reporter: returning to his native state with his wife and running mate by his side, mitt romney proudly touted his michigan roots. >> what an opportunity for us to be back home. >> reporter: but then in a seemingly off-the-cuff moment, instantaneously revived a highly charged and long settled issue about the president's birth place. >> no one's ever asked to see my birth certificate, they know that this is the place we were born and raised. >> reporter: the obama campaign quickly cried foul insisting romney' decision to directly enlist himself in the birther movement should give concern across america. earlier this year, he enlisted as a surrogate donald trump one of the president's loudst critics, who has frequently questioned whether president obama was born in the u.s.

>> it's my honor, real honor and privilege to endorse mitt romney. >> reporter: team romney immediately tried to defuse the situation, senior adviser kevin madden told nbc news "the governor has always and repeatedly said he believes the president was born here in the united states." while many in today's rally didn't make much of the remark -- >> i just think it's a little bit political rhetoric right now. it's just a little going back and forth on some small issues. >> reporter: it's an issue that still resonates amongst some on the fringe of the republican party. >> no,. >> reporter: in weeks romney promised to elevate the tone of the campaign, deriding the president and its team for its negative attacks. >> mr. president, take your campaign of division, anger and hate back to chicago and let us get about rebuilding and reuniting america. >> reporter: now the romney campaign is looking ahead to next week's republican convention with its theme of better future, where it hopes to

redirect the political debate back to its central argument, romney's private sector experience which they say will help turn around the american economy. late this evening in a network television interview mitt romney said his birth certificate comment was not a swipe at the president, that there is no question that president obama was born here in the united states, adding, david, that it was intended as a joke, saying we've got to have a little humor in a campaign. also tonight, nbc news has confirmed that ann romney, who is set to deliver a speech next monday at the convention, has now had that speech moved to tuesday night so it can air in prime time. david? >> peter alexander on the campaign trail tonight, it's going to be a busy political weekend as we head into the convention weekend. my exclusive guest on "meet the press" will include former florida governor jeb bush and former republican presidential nominee john mccain, sunday, a special edition of "meet the press" here on this nbc station. still ahead as "nightly

news" continues, lance armstrong stripped of his titles, even though he's never failed a drug test but is his punishment fair? later a big loss on one of the most beloved streets in america. ♪ [ male announcer ] start with a simple idea. think. drink coffee. design something totally original. do it again. that's good. call in the engineers. call in the car guys. call in the nerds. build a prototype. mold it. shape it. love it. give it a starting price under 16 grand. uh-oh. the finance guys. you can't do that. [ male announcer ] kick out the finance guys. take it to the track. tweak. tweak. tweak. stop. take it to the car shows. call the critics. win some awards. making a groundbreaking car -- it's that easy. ♪ like the elephant on my chest... he thought he was having a heart attack. she said, "take an aspirin, we need to go to the hospital." i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. i'm very grateful to be alive. aspirin really made a difference.

but with advair, i'm breathing better. so now i can be in the scene. advair is clinically proven to help significantly improve lung function. unlike most copd medications, advair contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help improve your lung function all day. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair.

if you're still having difficulty breathing, ask your doctor if including advair could help improve your lung function. get your first full prescription free and save on refills at advaircopd.com. a long battle over doping allegations aimed at lance armstrong came to a bitter end today, one of the most famous athletes, excuse me, famous athletes of the past decade, did something very unusual for him. he gave up. here's be innic's anne thompson. >> reporter: it was among the greatest accomplishments in the history of sports, seven consecutive victories in the tour de france, one of the most physically gruelling contests in

the world. today the u.s. anti-doping agency stripped lance armstrong of those titles for choosing not to defend himself in arbitration against charges he used performance-enhancing drugs to win. >> you declared a fat with a against lance armstrong many years ago and after he passed every single test that was administered, didn't fail a one and they couldn't prove him guilty they've now asked him to prove himself innocent. >> reporter: in his statement last night armstrong blasted the process as an "unconstitutional witch hunt" and he never admitted to doping. in may, armstrong voiced his frustration on current tv. >> these things take a ton of time attention and energy. they suck the life out of you. >> reporter: travis tigart says the case is strong with more than a dozen witnesses. >> we don't make any decision to bring a case lightly. the evidence we've said before in this particular case was overwhel ing. >> reporter: the international cycling union is not doing

anything until it gets a full explanation from usada. david, is this fair? >> well, it's the usual process. >> reporter: david epstein is a senior writer at "sports illustrated." >> usada also had blood ittests from 2009 they say were indiccive of blood manipulation. they would have contended had this gone forward this is a positive test. >> reporter: it's armstrong's personal battle against cancer and his foundation symbolized bit classic yellow bands that made him an icon. livestrong, online donations today were 30 times greater than yesterday. >> i think our supporters and nammly cancer survivors and their family members feel a debt of gratitude to lance, ultimately his legacy going to be about what we accomplish as a cancer community. that's what we're focused on. >> as for those who might claim armstrong's seven yellow jerseys aist victory on the tour, each

rider was accused and only one cleared. the dow ended the day up 100 points, the nasdaq was up 16 points and the s&p 500 rose 9 points on the day. the blue chips did end down for the week, breaking a six-week winning streak. and up next tonight, a big storm heads into the gulf. we look back at the monster hurricane that wiped parts of south florida off the map 20 years ago tonight. two years ago, the people of bp made a commitment to the gulf. and every day since, we've worked hard to keep it. bp has paid over twenty-three billion dollars to help people and businesses who were affected, and to cover cleanup costs. today, the beaches and gulf are open for everyone to enjoy -- and many areas are reporting their best tourism seasons in years. we've shared what we've learned with governments and across the industry so we can all produce energy more safely. i want you to know, there's another commitment bp takes just as seriously: our commitment to america.

bp supports nearly two-hundred-fifty thousand jobs in communities across the country. we hired three thousand people just last year. bp invests more in america than in any other country. in fact, over the last five years, no other energy company has invested more in the us than bp. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. today, our commitment to the gulf, and to america, has never been stronger. 8% every 10 years.age 40, we can start losing muscle -- wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. [ female announcer ] ensure muscle health has revigor and protein to help protect, preserve, and promote muscle health. keeps you from getting soft. [ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! exclusive to the military,

and commitment is not limited to one's military oath. the same set of values that drive our nation's military are the ones we used to build usaa bank. with our award winning apps that allow you to transfer funds, pay bills or manage your finances anywhere, anytime. so that wherever your duty takes you, usaa bank goes with you. visit us online to learn what makes our bank so different. so, what's the problem? these are hot. we're shipping 'em everywhere. but we can't predict our shipping costs. dallas. detroit. different rates. well with us, it's the same flat rate. same flat rate. boston. boise? same flat rate. alabama. alaska? with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. dude's good. dude's real good. dudes. priority mail flat rate boxes. starting at just $5.15. only from the postal service.

there is late word tonight of a huge victory for ap. until a legal battle over patents for its iphone and ipad. federal court jury in california has found that rival samsung stole some key design features of both products. if upheld on appeal it could mean samsung would have to redesign some of its products and have to pull some of its products from america's stores. even as forecasters are keeping a close eye on tropical storm isaac tonight, tonight also marks the 20th anniversary

of one of the most powerful and destructive hurricanes ever to hit u.s. shores, hurricane andrew slammed into the southeast coast of florida with terrifying strength and its aftermath taught some valuable lessons in protecting lives and property. here's nbc's kerry sanders. >> reporter: it was a monster storm, the top of the scale, a category 5. wind gusts clocked at 212 miles per hour. andrew hit at night, just south of miami, and left behind a devastating path of destruction. i worked at the local nbc station and was trapped in a car. the winds are gusting outside our car up to 165 miles per hour. daylight revealed the enormity of the damage. >> everything's all over the place. >> reporter: as helicopters flew over, nothing but devastation. 126,000 homes damaged or destroyed, 26 dead, 26 billion in damage. two decades later for some survivors, emotions are still

raw. >> just to see what that kind of a storm can do and how it can totally displace your life, it's just amazing. >> reporter: andrew exposed shoddy construction from florida's 1980s boom, condominium walls peeled away and roofs shredded. lot has changed since 1992. the storm forced an overhaul of florida's building codes and technology is helping, too. 20 years later here at florida international university, they can simulate a hurricane, the winds right now about 30 miles an hour, but as i step out, they can crank up the wall of wind to more than 150 miles an hour, a category 5, just like andrew. a dozen fans creating a perfect test environment, to see which construction methods work and which ones don't. >> the nation is better off since andrew, a lot of lessons learned. >> reporter: 20 years later

andrew's lessons strengthening the nation and a state which now casts a cautious eye to isaac. kerry sanders, nbc news, miami. the man who gave voice to the world's friendliest vampire, "sesame street's" math whiz the count has died. jerry nelson teamed up with muppets creator jim henson back in 1965 and went on to perform several characters including from snufflapagus and fraggle rock. he helped kids get comfortable with their numbers. >> seven, seven cookies! >> jerry nelson played the count from his debut in the '70s, right through his retirement in 2004. he was 78. and when we come back here, a blast from the past, making a comeback, what's old is new again at the movies this friday night. people really love snapshot from progressive,

but don't just listen to me. listen to these happy progressive customers. i plugged in snapshot, and 30 days later, i was saving big on car insurance. with snapshot, i knew what i could save before i switched to progressive. the better i drive, the more i save. i wish our company had something this cool. you're not filming this, are you? aw! camera shy. snapshot from progressive. test-drive snapshot before you switch. visit progressive.com today.

those surprising little still make you take notice. there are a million reasons why. but your erectile dysfunction that could be a question of blood flow. cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial.

his morning starts with arthritis pain. and two pills. afternoon's overhaul starts with more pain. more pills. triple checking hydraulics. the evening brings more pain. so, back to more pills. almost done, when... hang on. stan's doctor recommended aleve. it can keep pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is rudy. who switched to aleve. and two pills for a day free of pain. ♪ and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels. at a time when people are watching movies on the tiny screens of their mobile phones, an old school way of catching a film is making something of a comeback. at one point in the late '50s there were about 4,000 drive-in

movie theaters in this country. that number has dwindled to less than 400 these days but some of those survivors are really thriving now. here's nbc's janet shamlian. >> reporter: it's not the booming sound you'll get at the local mega plex. in fact nothing at austin's newest theater is state-of-the-art, and that's exactly the point. >> hi, how are you guys doing tonight? >> reporter: from the carhops to vintage speaker sound on ebay, a night at the blues starlight is a ticket to the past. rediscover the pleasures of an outdoor movie. >> a drive-in outside in an old car, you can't go wrong with that. >> it's nostalgia at its best. >> reporter: the first drive-in opened in new jersey in the '30s. by the 350s there were more than 4,000 and there is much about the car culture as the film being shown. >> okay, let's go find the chicks. >> reporter: teenagers especially found them irresistib irresistible. >> you can't walk out of a

drive-in! >> reporter: by the '70s the drive-in was close to extinction. most were sold by land value or simply closed. the mathis discovered the multiplex. now what is old is new again. josh frank thought austin was ready. >> you're in public in private, so people can go and socialize and be around other people but they can go into their mobile living room and watch a movie. >> reporter: beyond texas the field of dreams theater opened in ohio this summer and in oklahoma the admiral twin reopened to a sellout crowd two years after it burned. >> all right, girls, you all ready? >> reporter: for some parents it's simply the desire to pass on a memory. >> i'm excited to have my girls. i can't remember the last time i was at a drive-in so i'm excited for them to get the experience. >> reporter: at the crossroads, a lost place of american life and a new generation of fans. janet shamlian, nbc news, houston. >> and a great part of summer as well. that's our broadcast for this friday night. thanks for being with us.

i'm david gregory. we hope to see you sunday for "meet the press." brian williams will be back on monday. have a good weekend. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com [ male announcer ] everyone at southwest airlines works together for one goal: to get you where you're going. and with flights all over the country to choose from, it's a good thing we love our work. and now we're excited to take you to the beaches of northwest florida. fly nonstop from bwi airport to panama city beach, florida, for just 99 dollars one-way. book all of our destinations online