desperate hours. the frantic search and rescue as people relive the chaos and confusion. raising new questions for millions who take cruises each year. everything must go. the police station, city hall, even the cemetery for sale as american cities resort to the unthinkable. and, the iron lady, an uproar over meryl streep's new movie. >> i ask the right honorable gentleman. >> hailed by critic and clouded by controversy. >> milk's gone up.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. there have been several major developments in the search and recovery operation aboard that capsized cruise ship off the coast of italy. since our broadcast last night, three people have been recovered alive from the partially sunken ship. but the death toll has also risen to five now with two americans now listed among 15 people still unaccounted for. the costa concordia ran aground near the tuscan island of gigli on friday night and the cruise ship company admitted the accident may have been the result of significant human error on the part of the ship's captain. the rescued were taken to the main land town of porto santo stefano where michelle kosinski is tonight to bring us the very latest. michelle?

>> reporter: good evening, lester. what happened here? from the beginning, questions surrounded the captain. he was arrested, under investigation. well, tonight his employer says it appears he brought the enormous cruise liner too close to shore, then made mistakes handling it, plus investigators now say he himself was on shore while passengers were still scrambling to get off the ship. this was friday night. and the latest rescue from on board was this afternoon. 48 hours after the costa concordia began its panic inducing roll, rescuers keep looking. this man saved, a ship's officer trapped for more than a day and a half. but soon after, searchers reached two elderly men, who had not survived. new video emerged today from around 10:00 friday, just after passengers heard a loud rumble, felt a sharp tilting and then got a reassuring announcement.

>> due to an electrical function, which is currently under control, we're currently in a blackout. i will inform you of developments as they occur. >> reporter: with the lights, the calm also went. people running, screaming, desperate for escape. >> it took us five tries on different boats to get on. my husband and i finally got on and we feel so fortunate. we feel so fortunate that we made it on a boat because others didn't. >> reporter: by the time the lifeboats were lowered, by some accounts more than an hour after the collision, the ship was already nearly on its side. >> we were on the lifeboat and looked back and saw the first row of windows under water and people screaming that couldn't get on a lifeboat. >> reporter: other concerns surround the captain, arrested and questioned under suspicion of manslaughter and abandoning ship. he says they were about a thousand feet from shore and shouldn't have hit anything.

but late today, the ship's owner costa cruises said, quote, there may have been significant human error on the part of captain francesco schettino which resulted in the grave consequences. and added, the route of the vessel appears to have been too close to shore and in handling the emergency, the captain appears to have not followed standard costa procedures. but the 160 foot gash in its side, many decided simply to jump into the cold, dark water. >> i was virtually a scene from the "titanic." it felt like we were doing the actual scene. it was surreal. >> reporter: the press here calls it the italian "titanic," a nightmare, during a dream cruise on a placid sea. the u.s. embassy says there were 120 americans on board that ship and they're looking for information on the two that remain unaccounted for. lester? >> michelle, thank you. as passengers describe that scene of sheer chaos and a crew unable to handle an orderly

evacuation, it is raising questions about the safety of cruise ships, especially if you're one of the 17 million people planning to take a cruise this year. we get more now from nbc's mark potter. >> reporter: at the port of miami today, passengers boarded cruise ships headed for the caribbean and beyond. and they didn't seem at all worried for their safety. >> not for a moment, i didn't consider canceling the trip. >> reporter: the cruise ship industry is regulated under international maritime agreements and monitored domestically by the u.s. coast guard. >> passengers should understand the ships are well regulated, they are safe. we evaluate the ships. we evaluate the proficiency of the crew and how they would respond to emergencies. >> reporter: but there have been a number of serious accidents, including the 1991 sinking of a greek ship off the south african coast. the capsizing of the sea diamond in 2007 after it ran aground near a greek island, and a 2010

incident in which three huge waves struck the louie majesty in the mediterranean, killing two. under safety standards begun in 1914, after the it the it the sinking, there must be ships. they have to give safety briefings within 24 hours of setting sail. in the u.s., they're often given before the ships leave port. but on the costa concordia, some of the passengers said they were confused and terrified after the ship struck a rock and began to list. >> it was just complete chaos and no leadership, there is no one -- no protocol. >> it was like where do we go? no direction. you know, we didn't have life vests on at that point. >> reporter: when asked if that confusion could occur on u.s.-based cruises, a coast guard official said it was unlikely because of all of the safety reviews in this country.

mark potter, nbc news, miami. tonight, millions of americans are dealing with a deep freeze, a blast of arctic air stretching from boston to chicago, temperatures plunging to the teens and 20s after a mild start. winter has roared back with a vengeance and no one is feeling it more than the folks in caribou, maine, where tonight it is a balmy 3 degrees. things are heating up down south in the campaign trail where there is an all-out effort to derail mitt romney in south carolina. well, romney spent the day behind closed doors, his rivals were crisscrossing the state, hoping to stop his momentum before it is too late. nbc's ron mott is on the trail tonight in myrtle beach. ron, good evening. >> reporter: hey, lester. good evening to you. this was a rare day of rest for mitt romney as the rest of the field tried to take advantage, calling on south carolina conservative voters to keep this race from running out of options. >> let us all fight for that -- >> reporter: with republican

front-runner mitt romney taking sunday off the campaign trail, his opponents were busy stumping today, rallying conservative support in an effort to slow romney's momentum. >> i hope each of you will peer into your heart and find that individual with the record, with the values that represent your heart. >> reporter: harry and rick santorum hoping to leverage his endorsement this week from a national group of evangelical leaders into a south carolina surge appealed to a christian audience at a prayer breakfast. >> we need a candidate who has accountability to god and accotaunbility to an eternal truth and understanding of our role in the world. >> reporter: since 1980, voters here have chosen the republican candidate who ultimately advanced to the general election. ronald reagan, george h.w. bush, bob dole, george w. bush, and john mccain four years ago.

so if the former massachusetts governor who leads in the polls wins an unprecedented three in a row, will his challengers call it quits? >> if romney wins south carolina, i think the game's over. this is the last stand for many candidates. >> reporter: but newt gingrich, who continued to challenge romney's record on the sunday morning talk circuit, didn't sound quite ready to concede. >> if romney wins here, he has an enormous advantage going forward. i hope every conservative will reach the conclusion that to vote for anybody but gingrich is in fact, to help romney win the nomination. >> reporter: meanwhile, jon huntsman trumpeted the endorsement of the state's largest newspaper, looking to turn his long odds into a strong enough finish to keep going. >> i think it is a big deal anytime you get the largest paper in the state to come out and endorse you, that's a big deal. >> reporter: as for ron paul, he picked up the key endorsement tonight from a tea party back state senator, ron paul and other candidates are expected to speak tomorrow at the tea party convention here in myrtle beach. lester? >> ron mott, thanks. while the republicans battle it out on the trail, the president is gearing up for

battle himself, preparing for the fall campaign as well as looming fights and unfinished business with congress, which returns from break this week. nbc's mike viqueira has our report. >> reporter: as rivals hit mitt romney on his record as a businessman, today a top owe baulm iobama aide echoed that attack. aides see romney as the biggest thread to a second obama term, but so far the president isn't engaging him directly. instead, painting all republicans with the same broad brush. >> they said they want to reduce the deficit by gutting our investments in education and gutting our investments in research and technology, letting our infrastructure further deteriorate. >> reporter: both sides expect a tight race in the fall. a recent poll shows among all voters the president's lead over republican challenger has narrowed in last ten months. the sides now dead even at 41%.

among independents, a crucial bloc, support is also evenly split. for now, mr. obama's focus is on building a war chest, holding six fund-raisers last week alone, and raising a total of $68 million over the last quarter of 2011, keeping roughly the same pace as george bush in his 2004 re-election campaign. >> house will be in order. >> reporter: but before the race takes off, more battles loom with congress, returning tuesday after four weeks away. first up, extending payroll tax cuts set to expire in february after a december standoff. and whether to allow the construction of the keystone pipeline, the controversial project opposed by environmentalists, but favored by organized labor and most republicans. today, the senate's top democrat attacked republicans, leaving little hope for a quick agreement. >> it is all a balance and that's what i think we have to look forward this coming year. we haven't had that balance because we have had one arm of our bicameral legislature that said we'll do nothing but go

after obama. >> reporter: there is more fund-raising on tap for the president when he hits new york city on thursday. but before that on tuesday, first lady michelle obama celebrates a birthday, a fact the president made known in a mass e-mail to campaign supporters asking them to sign an internet birthday card. lester? >> mike viqueira tonight, thanks. overseas to se s ts to syri president finds himself increasingly isolated and under siege by the international community. we are following the latest developments from cairo. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. in the face of that international pressure, president bashar al assad said today extended an amnesty covering political prisoners and anyone who may have taken up arms against the state in a ten-month uprising, saying it is also going to be applied against anyone who has defected from the army in those ten months. activists say that comes on a day that 27 people were killed, the united nations says more than 5,000 people have been killed so far in that ten-month

uprising. that international condemnation you're talking about coming from the united nations secretary-general saying the era of one man rule in the middle east has come to an end. and that the syrian president must stop killing his own people. all of this coming as an arab league observer mission that has been here in syria for more than a month now is wrapping up its findings. they're meeting with eyewitnesses and visiting hospitals. but many have been very critical of that observer mission. they're expected to submit their report to the arab league later this week here in cairo. back to you, lester. >> ayman will be heading to syria this week for a firsthand look at the troubling situation there. look for his reports from damascus beginning tuesday. when "nightly news" continues, city hall, the library, even the cemetery for sale. a city takes extreme measures to stay afloat. and later, meryl streep's "iron lady," clouded by controversy. forty years ago, he wasn't looking for financial advice.

back then he had something more important to do. he wasn't focused on his future. but fortunately, somebody else was. at usaa we provide retirement planning for our military, veterans and their families. now more than ever, it's important to get financial advice from people who share your military values. for our free usaa retirement guide, call 877-242-usaa. and hello to "whoa, yum." use campbell's cream of chicken soup to make easy enchiladas, cheesy chicken & rice, and other chicken dishes that are oh...so...whoa. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. 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

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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. cities and towns across america are beginning the new year just where they left off, in 2011, strapped for cash, and facing huge budget deficits. and nowhere is the problem tougher than in michigan. nbc's john yang takes a look at some of the extreme steps cities there are taking to stay afloat. >> reporter: in pontiac, michigan, city hall can be bought, literally. so can the library, the police station, even the two city-owned cemeteries. what else is on the list? >> everything. all of the city on real estate is on that list. >> reporter: this detroit suburb was once home of the nfl's detroit lions, and big gm car and truck plants. the last of them is now being torn down. here in pontiac, the decline of the auto industry has meant a

decline in tax revenues and staggering city budget deficits. so now the city government is downsizing. the police and fire departments have been contracted out to other community ies. at city hall, a whole floor has been mothballed. >> the whole building is 30% too big. >> reporter: there are no asking prices. anyone interested should just make them an offer. the mayor says the point isn't so much raising cash as it is cutting costs. >> the value comes in no longer having to maintain and heat and cool the buildings. >> reporter: so far, developers expressed interest in a downtown parking lot, but that's about it. and it's not just pontiac. experts say cities nationwide are just now feeling the harshest effects of the recession. >> 2012 will likely be the worst year that the cities have seen in two or three decades in terms of the collection of revenues. >> reporter: basic services are on the chopping block, detroit's

closed its police precincts to the public from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. highland park, michigan, shut off more than 70% of its streetlights to settle a $4 million utility bill. come sundown, whole neighborhoods go dark. this church had to reschedule services. >> if you're driving down the street, you won't even be able to see people walking on the sidewalk or trying to cross the streets. it is very dangerous. >> reporter: analysts say it could be several years before cities like this begin to see brighter financial times. john yang, nbc news, highland park, michigan. when we come back, what's mine is yours and what's yours is mine. a lot of folks come here with some pretty creative ways to get by. let's level the playing field. take the privileged investing tools of wall street and make them simple, intuitive, and available to all. distill all that data. make information instinctual, visual. introducing trade architect, td ameritrade's empowering web-based trading platform.

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tomorrow, a federal holiday in dr. king's honor. now to a sign of the times and this tough economy. though we're beginning to see some flickers of life in the job market, millions of americans still can't find a job and that's leading some of them to come up with creative ways to get by. we get the story from nbc's craig melvin. >> reporter: eileen and mike beard made $20,000 last year, sharing their d.c. area home with strangers. >> makes a big difference for us. >> reporter: especially now. six days after christmas, mike lost his job, the beards have a mortgage and a blended family with ten children. >> now we have all these rooms and this house that is valued at less than we paid for it, so this is a good way to -- >> make the house pay for itself. >> reporter: they use a website called airbnb which connects travelers with people who open their homes. the san francisco startup has become a symbol of a growing trend called collaborative consumption. >> they use digital technology to help people share stuff in

the real world. and one of the key concepts is that access trumps ownership. >> reporter: companies like airbnb and zipcar are joined by a slew of personal online communities. you can share, swap and rent everything from name brand clothes to bikes to children's toys. perhaps it is not surprising that in a down economy many like the beards have found sharing as a way to make some extra money. but for others, it's about something else. re-establishing a sense of community. >> this is perfect. >> reporter: in los angeles, chris needed a rake for weekend landscaping work and found jewelry on neighborgoods.net. >> the first time i borrowed something, now we have similar groups of friends and we hang out. >> reporter: nicky helped launch the site less than two years ago and now has more than 20,000 users. >> we learned we weren't really building a marketplace. what we were building was a tool for neighbors to help each other

and build relationships. >> reporter: back at the beards, guest emily gets a bargain and all the comforts of home. >> it is important to me to think frugally but also at the same time i enjoy meeting new people. >> reporter: collectively building a new economy with a timeless concept, sharing. craig melvin, nbc news, silver spring, maryland. up next tonight, the uproar in britain over meryl streep's new movie. whee wheeeeeeeeeeeee! wheeeeeeeeeeee! whee whee wheeeeeeeeeeee-he-he-heeeeee! whee whee wheeeeeeeeeeee! pure adrenaline. whee whee wheeeeeeeeeeee! everything you love about geico, now mobile. download the new geico app today. whee wheeeeeeeeeeee-he-he-heeeeee!

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want to give you a peek of the red carpet at the golden globe awards in beverly hills where the stars are gathering and george clooney was in camera range there. there he is. in just a short time from now, ricky gervais will take to the stage to begin skewering hollywood's finest, one of tonight's most anticipated categories, best actress, with meryl streep's portrayal of margaret thatcher favored by a lot of critics to win. but the iron lady has been clouded by controversy for its depiction of thatcher's descent into dementia. we get more now from duncan golestani. >> reporter: she fought her way to the top of british politics and over 11 years margaret thatcher earned her reputation as the iron lady. unbending when tough economic policies hurt. >> the lady's not returning. >> reporter: undaunted by opposition, even assassination attempts by the irish republican army. >> all attempts to destroy democracy by terrorism will fail.

>> reporter: and unwavering in battle, against argentina when it invaded the british held falkland islands. in president ronald reagan, margaret thatcher found a political soul mate. their brand of conservatism defined the '80s and together they helped break up the soviet union. but the controversial new movie "the iron lady" is more personal than political, showing margaret thatcher fighting the one battle we know she can't win, old age. >> milk's gone up. >> reporter: lonely, forgetful and losing her grip on reality, meryl streep's portrayal has upset some in britain, but she says the movie is about fading power. >> we were sort of more concerned with the toll that takes on a person, that kind of decision-making, when you're the leader and the buck stops here, what does it do to you as a human. >> the right honorable gentleman -- >> reporter: streep took pointers from one of thatcher's

former colleagues. he says the movie is painful but poignant. >> she wasn't just lonely as an old lady, it is lonely taking decisions at the top. it was lonely being a woman in a man's world. >> reporter: lady thatcher is now rarely seen in public, though she's not forgotten. for movie theaters show there is now a desire to reflect on the life of britain's only female prime minister. duncan golestani, nbc news, london. that's "nbc nightly news" for this sunday. brian williams will be here tomorrow. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. we'll leave you with a live look at the red carpet at the golden globes. the stars are arriving. the coverage begins here next. for all of us here at nbc news, good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com