that's 1.866.680.3467. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. fios. a network ahead. on our broadcast tonight, high stakes. one man in china has hillary clinton and the u.s. in a tight spot. and it's setting off a political storm back home. the cover-up. dramatic new testimony today. how the edwards presidential campaign tried to make sure nobody knew about the candidate's mistress. force of nature. a big change in the weather tonight, perhaps for all of us. this is about that system that helped create extreme drought and hurricanes and what could be coming next. and making a difference. moms helping other moms achieve a huge goal and get off to a good start. "nightly news" begins now.

good evening. we begin with a man who has changed his mind and by doing so, put the u.s. and secretary of state hillary clinton in a very tough spot in what is already a complicated relationship with china. and tonight, this rather incredible drama involving a blind dissident in china has ricochetted back here and is now part of the race for president. we begin with our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell in our washington newsroom. good evening. >> good evening, brian. in a dramatic reversal of what he told u.s. diplomats in beijing yesterday, a blind chinese dissident now says he wants to leave china. the diplomatic crisis is already an issue for hillary clinton in beijing, and now republicans back home are seizing on it as well.

at 4:00 a.m., chen gaungcheng answered a phone call from human rights act haves as they were meeting with republican members of congress. he said he wants to come to the u.s. to rest. he worries about his family and wants more help from hillary clinton. >> i want to meet with the secretary clinton. >> clinton, walking a diplomatic tightrope told china's leaders they need to address human rights. >> all governments have to answer to citizen's aspirations for dignity and the rule of law and that no nation can or should deny those rights. >> that was a softer version than her prepared remarks which included a warning to china not to punish dissidents. it's already become an issue in the campaign. mitt romney said the administration was too eager to keep its summit on track and should not have handed chen over to the chinese. >> if these reports are true, this is a dark day for freedom

and a day of shame for the obuma administration. >> but ambassador gary locke told gary williams chen was not pressured to leave the u.s. embassy. >> suddenly he jumped up and said let's go. before we got in the van, i said, is this what you really want to do? do you want to leave the embassy, are you ready to go? he said yes. >> in the eye of the storm since his escape from house arrest, he made a series of emotional calls, including nbc news. he said he has clearly had a change of heart and they'll visit him again to find out what he wants. but as clinton tries to pressure china for help on iran, syria, and north korea and treasury secretary gietner on the economy. >> we need your help in a time of risk and challenge in the global economy -- >> both countries must deal with chen and how china handles dissidents, issues both countries wanted to downplay. >> this is a lose-lose prop

zishz for the united states because the administration will be criticized for failing to stand up tall enough in defending him. >> there may no longer be a way to avoid offering chen political asylum if he wants it, which would further escalate tensions with china, which would have the final say over whether he could leave. >> andrea mitchell starting us off from washington, thanks. >> last night on our "rock center" broadcast, we aired for the first time anywhere, the behind the scenes record what it was like for the government officials we saw in the photo from one year ago. the night osama bin laden was killed by u.s. special forces. from the president on down, they talked with us about the risks and the tension in the broadcast which by the way we're re-airing tonight on msnbc, and we learned still more about what bin laden was up to in hits final months and days in that secret compound in abbottabad, pakistan. jim miklaszewski reports on the

new bin laden documents discovered after his death and just released today. >> holed up in his compound, huddled against the cold, osama bin laden looked a far cry from america's most wanted terrorist. the documents seized in the raid on bin laden pfsz hideout released today showed he was still intent on killing americans. he had ordered al qaeda to assassinate obama or petraeus. kill obama or petraeus, not biden, gates, or mullen. but in a documentary airing tonight on the discovery channel, terrorism experts say al qaeda was incapable of such a plot, and bin laden bordered on delusional. >> he had a vision for al qaeda. he wanted them to go after the spectacular attack. >> but relentless air strikes by u.s. predator drones had taken out most of their leaders. al qaeda's central was in disarray and bin laden was

losing his grip. in the documents, bin laden was alarmed at how al qaeda affiliates in places like iraq and yemen were killing more muslims than foreigners. and all of a sudden, people start to say, excuse me, we hate the americans and we still do. but we don't see you guys as a solution either because all you do is kill us. >> bin laden wrote, focus on the desired goal, killing americans. the affiliates ignored bin laden's orders. >> so damaged is al qaeda's image, that bin laden considered changing his name. >> despite its troubles, bin laden was still able to focus on how he could ignite the spring. incite people who have not yet revolted to rebel against their rulers. in an interview for "rock center" hillcry clinton told brian williams, while bin laden is gone, the threat from al qaeda lives on. >> yes, there is still a lot of danger out there, but i believe we're making progress. it's not just about killing the messenger.

you have to take on the message. >> the 175 pages of documents released today were carefully selected to put the worst possible face on al qaeda. and avoid the accidental release of potentially damaging secrets, but u.s. officials tell us there are as many as 15,000 of these documents so there's a lot they're not telling us. >> jim miklaszewski at the pentagon. jim, thanks, as always. in domestic news, a story we may all experience before long. when it comes to the weather, the past year or so has been one for the record books. a terrible drought across a lot of the country. devastating outbreaks of tornadoes, wildfires, and one of the mildest winters in many spots in memory. it was all blamed, so we were told, for the most part, on a weather phenomenon called la nina which scientists told us today is now over. the question now is what does it mean for the weather moving forward? does the weather now change? for starters. we get our report from janet

shamlian. >> extreme weather from parched earth in the south due to too little rain to too much of it, punishing tropical storms and hurricanes. much of it blamed on conditions set up by la nina, a two-year weather phenomenon the weather service today claimed over. >> la nina is gone and is unanticipated to be back anytime soon. >> it's a climate pattern caused by cooling of the central pacific, triggering droughts in the south and rain further north. last year, a record 14 extreme weather events, each caused more than $1 billion each in the u.s. and la nina had a hand in it. altering the normal jet stream and weather pattern. from hurricane irene charging up the eastern seaboard to the disastrous tinder box conditions that blanchgted much of the south. if it's coming, the relief may be most welcome in texas. which has been steeped in drought since late 2010. last year alone, there were $750 million just in crop losses.

the heat was on all over. in march of this year, every state in the nation experienced at least one record warm daily temperature. more than 15,000 heat records were shatderred. remember, this tornado in the dallas area last month? meteorologists are still trying to determine if la nina played a part in it and other devastating twisters. but forecasters say the end of la nina won't guarantee a better forecast. >> just because la nina is over, doesn't mean we're not going to have bad weather. unfortunately, there are many other factors and the way the jet stream moves, it causes the kind of weather we have seen. >> as hurricane season approaches next month, forecasters will be watching to see if la nina's exit delivers a calmer summer season. janet shamlian, nbc news, texas. it has been a week of dramatic testimony and revelations in the john edwards trial. yesterday, daughter kate edwards left the courtroom in tears. today, a campaign aide was on the stand, raising new questions for the jury about what

presidential candidate john edwards knew and when he knew it, specifically on the subject of money to take care of his secret mistress. nbc's lisa myers reports from the courthouse in greensboro, north carolina. >> kate edwards was back by her father's side again today, looking composed. prosecutors produced a parade of former edwards aides who testified that edwards repeatedly lied to them about his affair with rielle hunter, even telling one she was crazy. then the defense had a surprise. asking former press aides about december 2007 when he said a tabloid editor suggested he might not run another story if edwards would sign a sworn statement denying the affair and denying paternity of hunter's child. abbey lowell asked, he wouldn't sign a affidavit?

kornblau said, he would not. lowell, he refused? answer, he refused. >> it's important because it shows that edwards was unwilling to break the law to help his campaign for precedency of the united states. >> earlier in the day, potentially damaging testimony from edwards' former body man, john davis. he testified about a conversation in late 2007 when the media was actively searching for hunter while edwards was preparing for upcoming iowa caucuses. davis said he, edwards, and donor fred baron were on baron's jet when baron said the press wasn't going to find ms. hunter because of the way he was moving her around. i asked him to stop talking. i didn't want to be aware of this. davis said he stopped talking and that edwards said nothing. >> as damaging to edwards because it shows he knew what was going on. >> the government alleged that money spent by baron and another donor to hide hunter amounting to illegal campaign contributions, a charge edwards denies.

lisa myers, nbc news, greensboro, north carolina. and there was this today from the presidential campaign trail. mitt romney picked up the endorsement of yet another former rival. congresswoman michele bachmann. while she was still vying for the gop nomination herself, she called romney's massachusetts health care package, quote, a deal breaker for conservatives and said he couldn't beat president obama, but today, she threw her support behind romney as the party comes together, calling the choice in november between him and the president, quote, very easy. up next, as we continue along the way, a surprising number of parents still stuck with the bill for their grown children in this economy. also ahead, a lifeline for older americans trying to sell their homes in one of the toughest markets ever. and later, one of the most incredible images of the day. and here's a safety tip, if you're planning to visit the lions at the zoo, don't dress your little ones like a zebra. lions at the zoo, don't dress

your little ones like a zebra. you wouldn't want your doctor doing your job. so why are you doing hers? only your doctor can determine if your persistent heartburn is actually something more serious... like acid reflux disease.

over time, stomach acid can damage the lining of your esophagus. for many, prescription nexium not only provides 24-hour heartburn relief, but can also help heal acid related erosions in the lining of your esophagus. talk to your doctor about the risk for osteoporosis-related bone fractures and low magnesium levels with long-term use of nexium. possible side effects include headache, diarrhea and abdominal pain. other serious stomach conditions may still exist. let your doctor do her job, and you do yours. ask if nexium is right for you. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. not in this economy. we also have zero free time, and my dad moving in. so we went to fidelity. we looked at our family's goals and some ways to help us get there. they helped me fix my economy, the one in my house. now they're managing my investments for me. and with fidelity, getting back on track was easier than i thought. call or come in today to take control of your personal economy. get one-on-one help from america's retirement leader.

here's a sign of the times you may already know too well. new figures out today show nearly two thirds of young adults ages 19 to 22 are getting financial help from the parents. the study out of the university of michigan said about 42% of parents in america are helping with bills. 35% are helping pay for college. and nearly a quarter are helping with car payments and rent. it all adds to on average just

over $12,000 a year. on the other end of the spectrum, older americans have been especially hard hit, particularly by the collapse of the real estate market. that's because so many retirees are relying on the sale of that house to then be able to go buy apartments in retirement communities. now those communities are coming up with creative ways to kick start the process. nbc's john yang tonight has our continuing series, the road to retirement. >> i haven't seen the hawks lately. >> al and lee rose decided to sell their home outside phoenix and move into a nearby retirement community just as the bottom fell out of the real estate market. >> we couldn't sell our house. we had it for sale for two and a half years. we kept dropping the price, dropping the price, dropping the price, and we were getting frustrated. >> and the community where they reserved an apartment wasn't getting paid, so the owner's son

helped, took over the sale themselves, paying to fix it up. it was gone in two months. >> we moved out, handed them the key, and let them handle it from there. >> the exchange program is in three phoenix communities in 2010, 14 new residents have used it. >> we guarantee within 90 days of them moving in, we will either have sold the house or we will buy the house. >> if it sells for more, the extra goes to the owners. if it sells for less, sun health takes the loss. not all retirement communities want to be in the real estate business, but they want to do whatever they can to help potential residents close the deal. >> there's too much junk in here. >> in missouri, jerry and sherry are getting ready to sell their house and move into a neighbor retirement center. >> part of us wants to get rid of everything, and the other thing wants to keep everything. this chair needs to go. >> they're getting help from a professional to make it more

appealing to potential buyers. all paid for by their retirement community. >> we can help them stage their house so it's not only going to sell quickly, but it's going to sell for the maximum price. >> things have really changed a lot. >> cindy murphy has helped clear out the cluttered basement and do a little redecorating. >> it will very definitely help move the house. >> so they can move on as well. john yang, nbc news, phoenix. and up next here tonight, an early warning about something big and bright coming our way in the night sky. what's the matter? uh, trouble with a car insurance claim. ah, claim trouble. [ dennis ] you should just switch to allstate, and get their new claim satisfaction guarantee. hey, he's right man. [ dennis ] only allstate puts their money where their mouth is. yup. [ dennis ] claim service so good, it's guaranteed. [ foreman ] so i can always count on them. unlike randy over there.

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or if you have kidney problems, especially if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all medicines you take, any planned medical or dental procedures, and don't stop taking pradaxa without your doctor's approval, as stopping may increase your stroke risk. other side effects include indigestion, stomach pain, upset, or burning. pradaxa is progress. having afib not caused by a heart valve problem increases your risk of stroke. ask your doctor if you can reduce your risk with pradaxa. i'm here to unleash my inner cowboy. instead i got heartburn. [ horse neighs ] hold up partner. prilosec isn't for fast relief. try alka-seltzer. it kills heartburn fast. yeehaw! it kills heartburn fast. last season was the gulf's best tourism season in years. in florida we had more suntans... in alabama we had more beautiful blooms... in mississippi we had more good times... in louisiana we had more fun on the water. last season we broke all kinds of records on the gulf. this year we are out to do even better...

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li lioness's attempts to turn into to an hors d'oeuvre. she does some good mouth measuring, determines he would fit just fine. the little boy's mom was making light of the fact the kitty wanted to play with her son. >> from our natural world, early warning of a bit, bright, and harmless object in the sky on saturday night. this weekend, the full moon will be closer to the earth than any other time this year. the astronomers have a name for. supermoon. sounds like a toothpaste commercial, but they say it will be 30% brighter, as much as 14% bigger than other full moons. enough to be noticeable. we will feel no effects, however. there is no facial hair warnings posted. they say it could only negatively affect high tides in conjunction with any other storms. >> the person in the painting may be reacting to the price this went for. this is the famous work, of

course, called "the scream" by edvard munch. and last night at auction in sotheby's here in new york, it sold for a record $120 million. that's a new record for any painting. history was made last night on a baseball field in anaheim. angels pitcher jered weaver threw the second no-hitter in the majors in less than two weeks. this one against the twins. proof his stuff is working this year. phil humber of the white sox threw a perfect game in seattle back on april 21st. in the history of major league baseball, there have been only 274 no-hitters thrown. up next, making a difference, investing in a better life for young women and their children. young women and their children. my cvs pharmacist. i had to switch my insurance plan. but then my prescriptions got more expensive. i felt helpless... frustrated. it was very frustrating. then john... maurice... jill stepped in... made some calls... and saved me hundreds of dollars.

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and that makes a difference in my breathing. today i'm back with my favorite team. 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. finally tonight, as promised, a story about women reaching out to help younger women at a time when they need it most. this is about moms helping new moms get off to the right start to best provide for their children, making a difference for both generations. a report from nbc's chris jansing. >> jennifer ramirez always hoped she would be the first person from her family to graduate from college.

then she got pregnant when she was just 15. >> i had all these emotions going through myself. i didn't know what i was going to do. >> unwilling to let her dream die, she had her baby, graduated from high school, and is now at the university of maryland. it was often overwhelming, classes, work, raising jordan without a dad. then just when jennifer needed it most, generation hope came to the rescue. >> positives can occur out of uncertain circumstances. >> this past fail, she was one of seven young moms given scholarships up to $2,400 and matched with mentors. jennifer's mentor, suzanna simpson has a son almost the same age, and she's always there for advice. >> i see jennifer in our family's future for a long time. >> she's like a second mother to me. >> it's those relationships far more than the money that are the driving force behind generation hope. the brainchild of nicole lynn lewis. >> good job.

>> a teen mom herself, she worked her way through the college of william and mary in four years. >> now i had this college degree that was going to allow me to provide my daughter with a life that i would never have been able to provide her with. >> she wanted to help others like her beat the odds. nearly 30% of teenage girls in the u.s. will get pregnant, and if you have a baby before you're 18, your chances of graduating college by 30 are minuscule. less than 2%. >> it's early, but all the teens in generation hope are on their way to a degree. and nicole plans to expand the program to help teen dads, too. >> it's not so much about what has happened but it's about what are you going to do now? >> jennifer will graduate later this month. she always knew she could do it, but thanks to nicole and suzanna, she didn't have to do it alone. >> everything happens for a reason. you take the good and bad and make it great. >> chris jansing, nbc news. >> that's our broadcast on a thursday night.

thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams and we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.