on the broadcast tonight, battleground. the one state where the stakes could not be higher in this race for president. both candidates are making their case. our political team is on the ground. plus, the countdown to biden versus ryan in the next debate. the sentence today for jerry sandusky, his defiance in court, and the dramatic momt when his victims had their say. under fire, in one of the most volatile places on earth, men showed up with guns at school to assassinate a 14-year-old girl. the world is expressing shock as this story gets out. taking away the keys. a tough moment for elderly drivers and their adult

children. what so many older drivers are doing to stay on the road. what so many older drivers are doing to stay on the road. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening, we've got exactly four weeks from tonight until election day. you hear us talk about battleground states, right now it's ohio, that means everything to these two candidates. and it's news that the romney campaign is suddenly this competitive in ohio. no republican has won the white house without it. president obama carried it last time, and ohio itself has supplied us with eight american presidents over the years. both men running for the job were in ohio today along with peter alexander, traveling with the romney campaign. starting off our coverage in cuyuga falls, ohio.

>> reporter: we're seeing real evidence that this race is tightening, not just nationally but in crucial battlegrounds like ohio. with both candidates descending on the buckeye state, the o in ohio could easily stand for offense. president obama's once large lead in ohio has shrunk to just four points. touching down on akron on the last day ohioans will vote. mitt romney will campaign here four of the last five days. the president just wrapped up his 17th rally here, more than any other state. >> do not delay, go vote today. what do you think? all right, buckeyes, we need you. >> reporter: why all the attention on ohio? no republican has won the white house without it. the race has changed here since last week's debate. just weeks ago, the campaign briefly considered its path forward without ohio. we feel it's going to be close again until the end, but we feel

we have an enthusiasm edge working in our favor. >> reporter: if romney loses ohio, he needs to win six of the seven remaining swing states, all of which voted for mr. obama four years ago. after being dominated on the airwaves this summer, and painted romney as an out of touch corporate raider, the romney campaign is intensifying its efforts. >> ohio families can't afford four more years like the last four years. >> reporter: the obama campaign is trying to make a punch line of romney's comment about removing funding for pbs stations. >> i'm big bird. >> these are tough times, with real serious issues, so you have to scratch your head when the president spends the last week talking about saving big bird. >> reporter: one of the note from today's poll, one in eight

ohioans said they could still change their minds before november. >> peter alexander in the crucial state of ohio starting off our coverage tonight. thanks. we are two days away from biden versus ryan. the next debate this time for the vice president and the man running to replace him, both teams spent today preparing, nbc's ron mott traveling with the republican candidate, paul ryan. >> today congressman paul ryan sparred again with his debate partner inside this florida hotel. preparing to square off thursday against joe biden. >> we think he's probably going to come at me like a cannonball, more pressure, because mitt romney put such a great performance and the bar pretty high. >> reporter: ted olson reportedly went back and forth in three mock debates in an indoor tennis court. in between, he worked in some r & r, picking pumpkins with his

kids over the weekend. for his part, mr. biden has practiced with chris van hollen. ordering sandwiches from his favorite deli in delaware. >> i just want to make sure that when i say these things that i don't have the congressman saying, no, no, no, i don't have that position or that's not the governor's position. >> reporter: many political observers discount the importance of vp debates, arguing they rarely if ever have tipped the outcome of the presidential election. that doesn't mean these meetings have been meaningless or unforgettable. >> reporter: cheney attacked john edwards as a sort of johnny-come-lately. >> the first time i ever met you was when you walked on the stage tonight. >> reporter: there was lloyd benson's zinger against dan

quayle. >> senator, you're no jack kennedy. >> who am i? why am i here? >> reporter: questions unlikely to surface thursday night, at least by these two. ron mott, nbc news, st. petersburg, florida. we'll have live nbc news coverage of every moment of thursday night's debate, including our correspondents and analysis. that's thursday night here on this nbc station, 9:00 eastern, 6:00 pacific time. in pennsylvania, this was sentencing day for jerry sandusky. convicted earlier this year of 45 counts of child sexual abuse. tonight a judge has sent him to prison for what will most likely be the rest of his life. not before the former penn state assistant coach had his say in court. nbc's john yang has our report from the courthouse. >> reporter: jerry sandusky said nothing as he arrived in a red prisoner's jumpsuit over a bulletproof vest, looking

thinner after 112 days in jail. inside, he sat passively, as three of his victims told the court of the psychological effects of the abuse when they were young boys. the man known as victim six spoke of his sense of betrayal, the very kids you claimed to help were the very ones you victimized. victim five asked the judge to consider the tears, pain and private anguish i and others have suffered. they spoke to a hushed courtroom. nbc news national investigative correspondent michael isikoff was inside. >> the most powerful moment came when victim four said, i'll never forgive you, because of you, i can't allow my only child out of sight out of fear of what might happen to him. >> reporter: sandusky delivered a rambling 15-minute statement about what he called the worst loss of my life. he repeated points he made in a defiant 3:00 statement broadcast on penn state's campus radio station. >> they can take away my life, they can make me out as a monster, they can treat me as a

monster. they can't take away my heart. >> reporter: today in heart, he did not repeat his contention that he's the victim of a conspiracy by his accusers, the media, investigators and even penn state. he seemed close to tears when he spoke of being separated from his family, imposing sentence, the judge calmly told sandusky, you abused the trust of those who trusted you. the sentence of the court is for an aggregated term of no less than 30 years, and no more than 60 years. >> from an emotional perspective, i believe that the victims in the room probably would have felt a little better with larger numbers being handed down. >> reporter: but for the 68-year-old sandusky, 30 years is tantamount to a life sentence. tonight in the eyes of the law, jerry sandusky is a sexually violent predator. he's in a state prison reception center where he's being evaluated, so officials can figure out exactly where he'll be imprisoned.

>> john yang in pennsylvania for us. john, thanks. overseas now, look at what happened when german chancellor merkel visited greece today. her first visit since that nation's meltdown began. police clashed with thousands of protesters. angry at germany for imposing tough austerity measures on greece, and returned for a bailout. merkel was there to support greece's prime minister who said his country is flatout exhausted. germany happens to be the most powerful economic engine in europe and has a lot of sway in economic matters. it's been four weeks since the attack on the u.s. con sue late in libya that killed our ambassador and three other americans. and in this political season, the attack is increasingly becoming a political issue. a congressional committee will hold big hearings tomorrow. a preview tonight from our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell. >> reporter: as house

republicans prepare to hold hearings on the benghazi attacks, mitt romney disclosed he met one of the victims, glenn doher doherty. >> you can imagine how i felt when i found out he was one of the two navy s.e.a.l.s killed. >> reporter: they met at a christmas party a few years ago. this as the state department rejected request for more security from chris stevens slain in the attacks. washington could say libya was becoming more peaceful. investigators say two months before the attacks, the state department concluded the risk to u.s. personnel was high. republican congressman jason chapis is just back from tripoli. >> twice in the six-month leadup, you had bombings in benghazi. and it's 9/11 in libya, what other warnings do you need? >> reporter: there were two assassination attempts against the ambassador in recent months. nbc news lists 230 separate

security incidents in libya in 2011 and 2012. according to eric nordstrom, these incidents paint a clear picture that the environment in libya was fragile at best and could degrade quickly. tonight four republican senators led by john mccain are demanding answers from the cia director and other top intelligence officials in what is becoming an explosive issue. the state department denies it denied the request for more security. tonight four weeks after the attack, the department gave its first blow by blow account of what was clearly a well organized assault, never a spontaneous demonstration as officials first claimed. >> hearings tomorrow, thanks. from pakistan tonight a truly shocking story of brutality against a 14-year-old girl targeted for assassination by the taliban because she dared to stand up and speak out. the world is just now learning

about this. and reacting to it in horror. we get our report tonight from our nbc news pakistan based correspondent anna nawaz. >> reporter: she's known as a fighter for peace, for the right of girls like her to go to school. that made her an enemy of the taliban. today, gunmen hunted her down at her school in pakistan. her classmates tried to protect her, butted men waited until she came out and they shot her once in the neck, once in the head. the taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying they wanted to kill her for at least a year, to silence a voice that dared to speak out against them. >> they cannot stop me, i will get my education, if it is in home, school or any place. >> reporter: this 2009 interview with a journalist was one the girl gave as one of the best known, most outspoken and youngest critics of the extremist forces ravaging her

country. >> i was very scared. the militants can do anything. >> reporter: she refused to let fear silence her. in her diary, translated and published by the bbc, she described life under taliban rule. i was afraid going to school, she wrote, because the taliban had issued an edict banning all girls from attending school. she went anyway. inspiring others to do the same. her diary was nominated for the international children's peace prize. >> coming from a child, it's innocent, it's honest, it's open, and i think that's what was so threatening. tonight malawa remains in critical condition at a military hospital at this hour. doctors believe she will survive, but some are expressing concern she will have trouble speaking again. brian? >> thanks for reporting on this awful story. still ahead for us as we continue, the difficult

conversation millions of families across america have to have. and it has to do with taking away the car keys. and later, some good news for a change. the incredible comeback in one of the most beautiful spots in our country. hanging out with my friends. i have a great fit with my dentures. i love kiwis. i've always had that issue with the seeds getting under my denture. super poligrip free -- it creates a seal of the dentures in my mouth. even well-fitting dentures let in food particles. super poligrip is zinc free. with just a few dabs, it's clinically proven to seal out more food particles so you're more comfortable and confident while you eat. super poligrip free made the kiwi an enjoyable experience. [ charlie ] try zinc free super poligrip.

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as we mentioned earlier, the moment is always so tough for older drivers and their adult children when the time comes and the judgment of those around you to stop driving.

the good news is, the accident rate for older drivers is down of late. the chance of older drivers being involved in a fatal crash has been rising. miguel almaguer reports tonight on a growing problem for a number of americans. >> reporter: with 61 years of experience behind the wheel, joan never thought she would have to go back to driver's ed. she's never been in an accident, never had a ticket. when she suffered a stroke, her driver's license was restricted by the california dmv. >> the physician told me he was required by law to report to the state that i had had a stroke, and that meant that they would -- they may take my car keys. and that to me was like a death sentence. >> reporter: when it comes to older drivers and the dmv, requirements for driver's license renewal vary from state

to state, whether it's a vision, written or driving test, there is no standard national guideline. california and five other states require physicians to report patients who may be a risk on the road. but experts say with more americans driving into their 90s, more scrutiny is needed. >> health care providers are not really knowledgeable about driving. and what are the circumstances in which somebody should not continue to drive. >> reporter: aaa is trying to avoid accidents involving senior drivers. in 2003, an 86-year-old plowed through a santa monica farmer's market killing ten. two months ago in los angeles, a 100-year-old driver hit a group of school children. >> these serve as wakeup calls, not just for older drivers, but for their families to have the conversation and plan ahead. >> reporter: joe johnson's family is it beginning to have that conversation. >> you don't want to be the person that takes away someone's freedom and independence. >> reporter: their grandmother

remains determined to drive well into her golden years. >> i'm glad they're concerned, i'm glad they care. >> reporter: she's now willing to listen when her family and doctors say, it's time to talk. when we come back in a moment, what a new study says about an established way of losing weight. . i took my son fishing every year. we had a great spot, not easy to find, but worth it. but with copd making it hard to breathe, i thought those days might be over. so my doctor prescribed symbicort. it helps significantly improve my lung function starting within five minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. with symbicort, today i'm breathing better. and that means...fish on! symbicort is for copd including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. with copd, i thought i'd miss our family tradition.

now symbicort significantly improves my lung function, starting within 5 minutes. and that makes a difference in my breathing. today, we're ready for whatever swims our way. ask your doctor about symbicort. i got my first prescription free. call or click to learn more. [ male announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. throughout our lives. one a day men's 50+ is a complete multi-vitamin designed for men's health concerns as we age. it has more of 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day men's 50+. just begin with america's favorite soups. bring out chicken broccoli alfredo. or best-ever meatloaf. go to campbellskitchen.com for recipes, plus a valuable coupon. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. ♪ into a high-tech masterpiece? whatever your business challenge,

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and pennsylvania. one west virginia paper calls it a "cash cow" for them. but its cost maryland over one billion dollars. money that could have created good jobs and... better schools for us. question seven keeps maryland money in maryland. david smallwood: question seven, i think it will be a... good thing for the state of maryland. some big shifts to report in the religion of americans, specifically the rise of what pollsters call the nuns, not the catholic kind it's spelled none. when people asked about their religion check the box none. while americans are still religious and plenty spiritual, a record number one fifth of us are not affiliated with any specific church. protestants have dropped below half. more numbers, apple prices

are soaring. for once it's not iphone related. the actual apple crop this year has been hit hard. we had that record warmth in march, then cold in april, that did huge damage to the blossoms. michigan lost 90% of its crop this year. new york 50%. north carolina, canada also hit hard. a farmer's market in cincinnati says they can't find enough apples to sell. prices could spike up $1 a pound. in the fight to lose weight, there's new research that shows the tried and true, old school weight watchers or other group program method works better than trying to do it on your own. the study published in the journal obesity found the weight watchers group lost more than those who did the expensive one on one counselling. the group camaraderie, the support, the positive kind of peer pressure that happens when

you're inspired by the success of those around you. imagine facing the dayann] with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions.

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coricidin hbp. yeah. yeah. then how'd i get this... [ voice of dennis ] ...allstate safe driving bonus check? what is that? so weird, right? my agent, tom, said... [ voice of dennis ] ...only allstate sends you a bonus check for every six months you're accident-free... ...but i'm a woman. maybe it's a misprint. does it look like a misprint? ok. what i was trying... [ voice of dennis ] silence. ♪ ask an allstate agent about the safe driving bonus check. are you in good hands? finally tonight, we're happy to report we have rare good news on the environmental front. this story is from the american

west where wild salmon are making an incredible comeback as you're about to see in vivid detail. our report tonight from nbc's kristen dahlgren. >> reporter: early morning on california's clamath river. it's what's lying beneath that has people cheering. chinook salmon, huge and healthy. what's the most you've seen out here? >> 8,000 fish. >> reporter: more than they've caught in decades. >> it's projected to be 380,000 which is more than double what it's been in recorded history. >> reporter: these brothers are members of the local urack tribe. >> i've been doing it since i was six. >> reporter: they depend on this river and suffered through its tough times, when they saw one

of the biggest fish kills in recent history. >> it's sad it had to come down to a big fish kill like that for everyone to open their eyes. >> reporter: for years it was caught in a tug of war between fish and hydroelectric dams all fighting for the water. until they agreed to remove the dams. compromise that helped create this year's bonanza. and this is where all those salmon are headed. up river where they'll span. it's not just about this year, healthy return now means even more fish returning in the future. but the future is far from certain. is this river healed? >> we still have a lot of work to do. >> reporter: the federal government still has to approve the billion dollar plan to remove the dam. and every day health assessment teams carefully wash the fish for any sign of disease.

for now, at least, there is reason to celebrate. >> there we go. >> thanks to the salmon's robust return. kristen dahlgren, nbc news, clamath, california. >> 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.