jersey, where such things as loafers without socks are done. anyway, they got the picasso, and it was not damaged. busted because of his absence of socks. >> "nbc nightly news" is n on the broadcast tonight, a deal. is it possible on big things like medicare, social security and taxes? there are rumblings out of washington tonight about actual cooperation. sentencing day for casey anthony. the judge in her murder case seemed to be sending her a message. >> and the huge scandal over people hacking into electronics and now the equally big consequences. and could it really be the end? as harry potter's final chapter arrives or could there be more? plus here tonight for all those who remember penmanship, there's a new sign the handwriting may be on the wall. there's a new sign the handwriting may be on the wall. "nightly news" begins now.

r captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. it may go all the way back to their meeting on the golf course, for whatever reason, president obama and speaker of the house boehner have forged something of a relationship, while not the best of friends, they are dealing with each other across the enormous divide that has divided washington to the point of paralysis. knowing a deadline is coming and they have to solve the problem of the nation's debt limit, they have chosen to take on more and go a little further into some big ticket items like social security and medicare and taxes. it is progress with no guarantee but nothing else has worked so far. and it's where we begin tonight at the white house with nbc's kristen welker. kristen, good evening. >> reporter: president obama emerged after talks with congressional leaders saying

both sides are deadlocked but are determined to make a deal very soo lawmakers will work through the weekend and meet with the president again on sunday. the president and congressional leaders come to the table to hammer out a deal on the debt ceiling. if a deal isn't hammered out by august 2, economists say the nation will default on its loans. president obama called the meeting very constructive but admitted hard work remains. >> i want to emphasize that nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed to and the parties are still far apart on a wide range of issues. >> reporter: administration officials say the president is pushing for a big deal, somewhere in the ballpark of $4 trillion in deficit reductions over the next decade, nearly double the $2 trillion that had been at the center of talks for weeks. >> everybody acknowledges there's going to be pain involve politically on all sides. >> reporter: this amidst reports that the president is pressing democrats to agree to changes in

social security and medicare in exchange for republican concessions on tax revenue. but administration officials insist there's no major policy shift on social security, saying mr. obama would not agree to cut and he's always been open to small changes in entitlements. still after today's meeting, house minority leader nancy pelosi drew a line in the sand. >> we do not support cuts in benefits for social security and medicare. any discussion of medicare or social security should be on its own table. >> reporter: earlier in the day, speaker boehner hinted for the first time that republicans were open to reforming the tax code. still he reiterated no tax increases. >> everything is open to changes except for raising taxes on the american people. >> reporter: members of both parties are watching from afar, not necessarily aligned on where these talks are going. still one aid says that speaker

boehner told his conference that there's a 50/50 chance that a deal will get done over the next few days. we have heard about this debt limit issue for months. what does it really mean and what are the stakes? for some clarity on this issue, we asked maya mcginnis, the one who's responsible for a federal budget limit to lay it out for us in her own words. >> what is the debt limit? the dealt limit is a construct that congress has created to give itself a speed bump along the way of its normal process of bow rowing a lot of money every year to help pay the bills. there has been a debt ceiling for decades and we have always voted to increase it. this year they're talking about actually changing our budget because we have to. e markets are going to force us to in the coming years and that will be a much more painful way to make changes.

what happens if we don't raise the debt celling? the first thing is that we have to pay all the interest that we owe to bondholders and that means there's much, much less left over for social security payments every year, to reimburse for medicare services that have been rendered, to pay our soldiers who are in iraq and afghanistan. but that could send shivers through our credit markets, not just here but around the world as the u.s. has had a huge loss in confidence. that could end up with major concessions. so if you borrow from your credit cards to buy a dishwasher, a car, or send your kids to school, that's going to become much, much more expensive. at the same time, the government has all this borrowing on its books and it has to pay all this interest on it's books and it's going to grow immensely. there's no reason we should be talking about making it harder for american families to pay its bills or the american government to pay its bills when it's already difficult enough.

>> and later we'll look at how the budget issues in some states are threatening summer. that's later on in tonight's broadcast. another chapter is in the books in the widely watched saga of casey anthony following all the hubbub this week after she was found not guilty of murdering her daughter, this was sentencing day and while she escaped the murder charge, a trial, remember she was convicted on four counts of lying to police. and today, at her sentencing hearing, the judge delivered the maximum, though it still amounted to good news for the defendant. with us again tonight to explain what went on today, our legal analyst savannah guthrie, a lawyer herself and perhaps you can explain. the judge threw at her all he was allowed to, but she's already been in prison for years? >> exactly, so she'll be out in six days. this is one of those times where people are at home thinking, wait a minute, she got a four-year sentence and she's get

out in six days? well, she's already been in prison for three years and you get credit for good behavior in prison. they did the calculation in chambers, and the calculation means she should be out by next wednesday. the judges sentence reflects how serious he takes these charges. she lied about the most serious thing she could lie about and that is the location of her daughter and because of the time that elapsed between when she first talked to police and when they finally found this little girl, six months had patched and so key evidence likely was lost. bottom line, had she been truthful when she first talked to investigators, we may have had a different outcome on tuesday. there may have been evidence that potentially could have explained what happened to this little girl and now we may never know. >> look at all that has happened since. savannah guthrie, good to see you as always. thanks for stopping by with that. overseas tonight in great britain, a turn of events that came as a huge shock in a story we told you about just last night. a scandal involving a newspaper, the nation's leading sunday

tabloid newspaper, and allegations that they hacked into people's phones, all kinds of people. the outrage has been huge, all the way to parliament and the prime minister's office and today the media empire run by rupert murdock announced it is shutting down the newspaper for good. but that's not going to make this go away. nbc's mike tiabbi with us tonight from london with more. mike, good evening. >> good evening, brian. even among media watcher who is have been transfixed by this story, there's one comment i heard many times today is we didn't see this coming, the closing of rupert murdock's empire, gone as of sunday. >> reporter: the latest allegation that may have been the breaking point that grieving relatives of british solders killed in action have had their cell phones hacked and their

voicemail accessed. >> i'm appalled and i find it quite disgusting. >> reporter: the prime minister recounted on both sides of the aisle in a rare emergency session in the house of commons. all in agreement that the public needs to know who was hacked, who did it and what they're doing about it. >> obviously the people responsible must pay a penalty. >> reporter: in fact while 80-year-old rupert murdock dodged reporters' questions, his son james said if the allegation is true, the breach is inhuman. >> reporter: and what might be the impact on rupert murdock's bottom line, his legacy, his bulletproof reputation? >> he has weathered major, major scandals, this is certainly a big one and certainly one that has him more back on his heels than anything i can remember. >> reporter: hacking the phones of celebrities and politicians was one thing, but harvesting

the grieving voicemails of the relatives of soldiers lost in battle or children lost to violence triggered an explosion of revulsion that could not be contained. when advertised as abandoning the paper, it's closing will put some 200 people out of work and there are published reports that there are more arrests on the way, perhaps within days, several investigations now underway. >> mike tiabbi with this huge, ongoing story in london and elsewhere. mike, thanks. the big news from the middle east tonight, while syria continues to be in play, while the rebels continue to make some progress against gadhafi and libya, the news in that region today was that the world got its first look at the president of yemen, since he was badly injured last month in an attempt to kill him, and after weeks of rumors about his health, his condition, what people there saw today was shocking. our chief foreign correspondent richard engel was watching from his post in cairo and is with us from there tonight. richard, good evening.

>> reporter: good evening, brian. i was watching yemeni state television on a big 37-inch television right in front of my desk here in cairo. and when the yemeni president started to speak and i know what he looks like, i did not recognize him. his face was much darker than it normally is, he didn't move at all in the chair in which he was sitting, his face was completely expressionless, his hands were bandaged. this is the first time we have seen the yemeni president since that assassination attempt, an explosion inside the yemeni presidential palace a month ago. if this was an attempt by the president or the yemeni government to show that he is still in full control and in command of his capacities, that attempt might not have been successful. in yemen itself, the reaction is

more than disappointed. members of the opposition who are still out on the street s every day, they want him to step down and say what they saw today on television is a clear indication he is no longer fit to lead. brian? >> richard engel from his post in cairo tonight. back in this country, the weather forecast for the stretch of southern florida they call the space coast is pretty awful for tomorrow. something like a 70% chance that tomorrow's scheduled final launch of the space shuttle will be scrubbed. the upside is, the u.s. space program gets to live another day or two. as a weather channel meteorologist put it today, the atlantic basin is starting to percolate this time of year. those storms may mean a false start or two, disappointing as well for the hundreds of thousands of americans who have travelled to the cape to see, to witness the last launch. when we come back here tonight, when a government budget crisis really hurts. we'll take you to minnesota where the state is still closed for business and this summer it's really starting to hurt.

and later, the curtain comes down on a beloved story. is it really the end for harry and his friends? really? 25 grams of protein. what do we have? all four of us, together? 24. he's low fat, too, and has 5 grams of sugars. i'll believe it when i--- [ both ] oooooh... what's shakin'? [ female announcer ] as you get older, protein is an important part of staying active and strong. new ensure high protein... fifty percent of your daily value of protein. low fat and five grams of sugars. see? he's a good egg. [ major nutrition ] new ensure high protein. ensure! nutrition in charge! a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief

for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. and celebrex is not a narcotic. when it comes to relieving your arthritis pain, you and your doctor need to balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen, and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, including celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you've had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history and find an arthritis treatment for you.

visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion. while as we told you the president and congress fight it out over this federal debt ceiling, the standoff in the state of minnesota between the democratic governor and the republican legislature has led to a government shutdown now entering its second week. nbc's john yang reports from the capital st. paul where the government coming to a stand still is really starting to hit home this summer. >> reporter: for minnesota state highway worker mike linholts, summer is usually a busy time. but today he was working on projects at his father's house and worrying about his bank account. >> i live paycheck to paycheck like most middle class, that's just the way it is, you set your priorities and this is the way it works. >> reporter: he's one of 20,000

state workers on furlough because the government and state legislature can't agree on how to close a $5 billion budget deficit. for republicans that control the state legislature insist on only spending cuts. >> we will not saddle our children and grandchildren with mounds of debt. >> reporter: the governor wants higher taxes to support social services. >> it's their way or no way, that continues to be their position. if somebody else has a rabbit to pull out of the hat, then i look forward to their doing so. >> reporter: usually crowded state parks and campgrounds are locked shut and some have even fallen victim to vandalism. here's the minnesota state capitol, closed for business. state services not deemed essential or vital are shut down. folks can't apply for a driver's license or even by a state lottery ticket. across the state the shutdown is beginning to squeeze. >> there's a lot of people just in minnesota now they have no health care, including myself. >> mike linholts' girlfriend

worries that a prolonged state shutdown could threaten her job with the city of st. paul. >> we're just sitting and hoping that we're not next on the chopping block. >> reporter: as the effects of the budget deadlock continue to ripple across the state. john yang, nbc news, fast. paul minnesota. a new report on obesity in this country is out tonight with some sobering stats. in 1995, not a single state in the country had an obesity rate above 20% of the population. now all the states but one do and colorado, the only one is barely hanging on with 19.8% of its residents considered obese. up next here tonight, who's making hay after that epic dust storm swallowed up phoenix, arizona? [ female announcer ] for frequent heartburn sufferers,

summertime is now a happy time. when we can eat what we want and sleep soundly through the night. prevacid®24hr prevents the acid that causes frequent heartburn, all day, all night.

so i wasn't playing much of a role in my own life, but with advair, i'm breathing better so now i can take the lead on a science adventure. 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,

take the lead. 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. whose long day starts with arthritis pain... and a choice. take tylenol arthritis and maybe up to six in a day... or choose aleve and two pills for a day free of pain. happy chopping. if you have ever vacationed or done any camping in or around yellowstone, then you know grizzly bears are a constant presence, you're on the lookout, you're warned about them and often you see them preferably at a safe distance. sadly however, there's been a

fatal attack in wyoming. 57-year-old brian was on a camping trip with his wife when he apparently happened on a mother grizzly and came between her and her cubs. park rangers say the fatal attack was an act of nature. they will not destroy the animal for simply protecting her family. take a look at the time lapsed pictures of the dust storm in arizona's catch tall city. it turned the late-day light into night in an instant. residents came home to find dust covered everything and that certainly includes every car in the city. so the booming sector of the local economy today car washes. >> as a car wash operator-owner, we love to see this kind of weather. it means good profit for the week. >> also inundated with business is pool cleaning companies.

and this dust storm is serious business for a lot of folks with asthma and other respiratory conditions. there's still so much dust lingering in the air, they're still being advised to stay indoors. here's the question, can you write the entire alphabet in upper and lower case in letter perfect cursive, in a way your mother would approve of? it's a dying art form thanks mostly to the keyboard and simple printing. and some states have announced that it will no longer be a requirement in their schools. 43 other states have made teaching cursive optional in schools and it may well go the way of the typewriter before long. we have also learned we lost two hall of famers, one from pro football, the other from baseball. john mackey has died as number 88 with the baltimore colts. he defined the role of the modern day tight end in the nfl. he was also a leader among

players. and because of his struggle with dementia late in life and the medical bills that came with his treatment, the league now has what's called the ada plan for its retired veterans, john mackey was 88 years old. and baseball great dick williams has died. the 21-year veteran of the sport was the only man to win pennants with three different teams. as hall of fame skipper with the oakland as, he let them to world series victories in '72 and 73 despite some pretty awful uniforms back in the day. he died of an aneurism at his home in las vegas. dick williams was 82 years old. up next here tonight, why this is a big day in the wizard community, but is it all really coming to an end? home in las vegas. ♪

[ male announcer ] every day thousands of people are switching from tylenol to advil. to learn more and get your special offer, go to takeadvil.com. take action. take advil. is there a prize in there? oh, there's a prize, all right. is it a robot? no. is it a jet plane? nope. is it a dinosaur? [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] inside every box of heart healthy cheerios are those great tasting little o's made from carefully selected oats that can help lower cholesterol. stickers? uh-uh. a superhero? ♪ kinda. [ male announcer ] and we think that's the best prize of all.

♪ on every surface in your mouth. but did you know those same germs can build up and form a resilient layer called biofilm? biofilm germs are strong enough to survive daily brushing. thankfully, there's listerine® antiseptic. its triple-action formula goes deep to penetrate biofilm, kill germs and protect your mouth for up to 12 hours. aaaahhhh... [ male announcer ] for a deeper clean, fight biofilm with listerine®. he needs some gellin'. yeahhhhhhh. gellin' is like having a teeny tiny foot masseuse in your shoe. you like ? nice ! dr. scholl's massaging gel insoles. outrageous comfort, all-day long. when someone changes lanes without warning? or when you're distracted? when you're falling asleep at the wheel? do you know how you'll react?

lexus can now precisely test the most unpredictable variable in a car -- the driver. when you pursue perfection, you don't just engineer the world's most advanced driving simulator. you engineer amazing. ♪ ever since the first book in the series came out 14 years ago now, harry potter has touched just about everybody in this country in some way. we haveat ever since the first book in the series came out 14 years ago now, harry potter has touched just about everybody in this country in some way. we have watched the characters grow up. we have watched the author of the books grow rich. while tonight mark a milestone in this saga, the final film that will bring down the curtain. michelle kosinsky has our

report from london. >> reporter: the fans camped out in london rain from all over this world. >> sidney, australia. >> san francisco. >> reporter: they speak a language all their own. from a world of wizards, good versus evil. but they have been raised on now for 14 years. >> it's the end of an epic phenomenon. >> reporter: potter got millions of people to pull away from the playstation and reading. the book sold 450 million copies in 70 languages. the movie broke records, more than $6 billion in ticket sales. quite a run for the phenomenon that made little round glasses cool and made j.k. rowling an author. and her adoring fans have grown

up along with the characters. daniel radcliffe at 10 years old, speechless. today the star of a play and musical. emma watson. >> hello, everyone, out there, hi grandma, hi, grandpa. >> reporter: now on the cover of vogue, an ivy league education awaits. >> now i feel like i get to start my adolescence now that it's over. >> reporter: they too see this closing of a long chapter as bittersweet. at least there's a new website for fans that have grown up with but not out of, the boy wizard that cast quite a spell over their childhood. >> forget about it. >> reporter: michelle kosinski, nbc news, london. and that's our broadcast for this thursday night.

thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com