on this saturday night, days of rage. two years after charting a new course one of the deadliest protests in egypt since the arab spring. tonight a country still deeply divided over its future. the fight over guns. with the march on washington by thousands calling for new restrictions, as the battle heats up over sales at gun shows. deep freeze. the latest on this dangerous cold wave that's taken over much of the country as yet another big storm takes aim. wake up call. why snoring may be more than just annoying to those trying to get a good night's sleep. what it may tell us about a major health risk.

and making a difference. around the country thousands of chefs share a recipe for more healthy eating and saving money at the same time. good evening. two years after the arab spring swept through egypt ushering in a new government and setting that country on a path to democracy, things could hardly be more chaotic. the last 24 hours have been some of the bloodiest since the start of the revolution, claiming 41 lives over the last two days. a day after nine people died in antigovernment street dmon strastra demonstrations in cairo 32 were killed today rooted in the country's still deep political division. we've been in the thick of some of those protests and start off tonight from cairo.

good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. you were here two years ago and saw the scenes back then. this was a country united behind one goal, to topple the dictator hosni mubarak but two years on this country is divided, polarized and for the first time many people here fear the violence is actually threatening the country's very stability. the chaotic moments when anger turned deadly. outside the city's jail, dozens were killed as protesters tried to storm it to free prisoners who minutes earlier were sentenced to death in cairo. 21 defendants were convicted for their part in a soccer stadium massacre that killed more than 70 fans one year ago. the verdict was read and relatives of those killed last year showed grief and joy. for them the ruling was just. an investigation concluded last year's deadly rampage was not a spontaneous outburst of crowd

violence. many believed it was a conspiracy to kill supporters of a popular soccer team whose fans have been at the forefront of egypt's revolution. a revolution that marked its second anniversary yesterday with deadly clashes in cairo and other cities, a scene quite different than two years ago. under pressure, the government deployed the military in some cities for the first time since president morsi came into office. but that didn't slow down protesters in cairo. >> we've gotten word there are protests taking place outside of the parliament building so we're heading in that direction. all along the way on the side streets we've taken to get to the front lines baufs tecause o police barricades there are dozens of protesters walking in the same direction. this is how quickly a situation goes from being a calm protest to an explosive and potentially violent one. here emotions are running high. young men chanting against the

government. they accuse them of betraying egypt's revolution. their anger often turns violent once they see the police. >> we made it to the front lines of the clashes between the protesters and police. this is a government building set on fire as a result of the clashes. it is this type of chaos that has many people across the country extremely afraid of the volatile situation. one that has plunged egypt into deeper turmoil two years after its unfinished revolution. against the back drop of that violence a tremendous amount of political uncertainty. the country's main opposition says they're going to boycott the parliamentary elections next month and are calling on president morsi to anull a new constitution that was recently approved in a referendum. there is no indication that president obama mor president morsi is going to acquiesce so you can expect several more weeks and months perhaps of street fighting. in this country more peaceful scenes as large numbers of people took to the streets in washington and other cities

today to keep the spotlight on gun violence and to back the obama spragsadministration's pu stricter gun laws. gun rights supporters are finding ways to demonstrate their own passions over the issue. nbc news white house correspondent kristen welker joins us now with more. >> reporter: lester, good evening. today's rally was organized by advocacy groups, one million moms for gun control. it was a day filled with emotion but also reality. the nation is still sharply divided when it comes to guns. a ground swell of support for stiffer gun laws and thousands rallied in washington to call for change in the wake of the newtown shooting, holding signs bearing the names of those lost and speaking their minds. >> no more. it's time to do something about it. >> we can and must free our nation of this scourge of gun violence. >> reporter: among the crowds mothers who have lost children to guns.

elected officials and parents from the newtown community. >> we're grieving but hopeful that something so atrocious can bring about some change. >> reporter: smaller gun control rallies across the nation today including this one in new jersey. >> i think newtown has been a real turning point for me. the real turning point was having to tell my son. >> reporter: gun buybacks in california and in seattle where a rocket launcher was brought in. the president using this public support to pressure congress to pass tougher legislation. >> keeping our children safe from the menace of gun violence. >> reporter: on friday vice president biden held a round table discussion in richmond, virginia. >> we talked about the notion of a universal background check. >> reporter: but there is still strong opposition that was on display in gun shows across the country today. many, which saw record crowds. senator dianne feinstein acknowledged the tough fight ahead when she proposed a ban on more than 100 types of assault weapons and high capacity

magazine clips. >> this is really an uphill road. >> reporter: the national rifle association responded sharply in a statement. the american people know gun bans do not work and we are confident congress will reject senator feinstein's wrong headed approach. according to political analysts the president's gun control will face an uncertain future. >> there are some things on guns that might be able to be done like universal background checks but an assault weapons ban i think is not in the cards this year. >> reporter: those at today's march say something has to change. >> to stand here and see all the other names, all the placards and people who have lost somebody or have been damaged by gun violence is stunning. >> reporter: now, gun rights supporters held rallies across the nation last week to oppose stiffer gun laws. coming up this week representatives from both sides will testify before a senate committee about this issue, including nra ceo wayne laperriere. lester?

>> kristen, thank you. it's been a long, cold week for many folks in the eastern half of the country the south in particular dealing with conditions that many in the region are neither accustomed to nor prepared for. >> reporter: the sounds of winter. a windshield wiper straining to clear the ice. the roar of a salt truck. and the pelting of sleet on a window. freezing rain and ice made travel a nightmare throughout the carolinas. 29 people hospitalized. hundreds of traffic wrecks just in the charlotte area alone. folks around here don't take so kindly to this sort of thing. >> losing control and slipping and sliding. i hate it. i'm a good old southern boy. i don't like cold weather. i don't like ice. i don't like snow. >> reporter: the frigid temperatures in tennessee left trees looking like ice sculptures and forced paramedics to skate to victims. in virginia, snow was the

problem. interstate 81 clouded by a mix of white powder and brown slush. in chicago, an historic streak was finally broken. the city's first inch of snow in 335 days. to the east in syracuse with a high of 20 degrees ice had to be broken on the seneca river for those braving the polar bear plunge. the temperatures in michigan also so low the detroit river was dotted with what appeared to be icebergs. meanwhile, out west in utah where they're used to this sort of weather, the ice sent a record number of people to the e.r. including janille anderson. >> i went out to get the newspaper and the next thing i knew i was flat on my back in the driveway. >> reporter: injuries are treated and the cleanup continues and a new storm is targeting the midwest. nbc news, atlanta. let's find out a little

about the new storm. we turn to the weather channel's julie martin to find out what's ahead. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. the deep freeze is almost over but before that warm up we're looking at ice in many big cities from the midwest to the northeast. taking a look here at sunday still feeling the chill from coast to coast with the coldest air in the midwest and the northeast. the highs in chicago and new york just 19 degrees. but by sunday afternoon, that's when the wintry mix will be moving in to northern iowa, to ohio, posing a real threat for travel in those highly populated areas like chicago, detroit, and cleveland. all of that pushing east and by the monday morning commute a real mess in the mid-atlantic, d.c., baltimore, philly all needing to watch out for ice. new york, it'll be a mix of snow and rain for you. snow in boston as well. then by tuesday, the warm air invades all of the cold places but with that will come a chance for severe weather in the south. but no time to get too used to the warmth. by late week we are forecasting

another arctic blast. lester? >> all right. julie, thank you very much. a big announcement in politics tonight. senator tom harkin says he'll step aside when his term ends at the end of 2014. the iowa democrat has served in the senate for almost three decades. he is the latest among prominent members of congress who have said they've had enough. we're joined by cnbc's chief washington correspondent john harwood. is this a reflection of the dysfunction in congress or are we looking at folks who face tough re-election battles? >> reporter: a bill blittle bit both. history tells us 2014 will be a difficult year for democrats. that influenced several. you also can't overlook the effects of age. both rockefeller and harken are over 70 years old. chambliss would be over 70 by the time of the 2014 election. >> it's no joke. >> is there the potential for a fundamental change in ideology

in both houses? >> reporter: not a fundamental change in ideology, but you do see the senate becoming somewhat fresher. already 60 out of a hundred senators, when barack obama came in 2005 or later, and fresh members of the senate are more impatient with the dysfunction the place. we saw some of the effects this past week with the agreement among republicans and democrats to slightly streamline filibuster procedures. >> all right. john harwood good to have you on with us tonight. thanks. as secretary of state hillary clinton prepares to step down in coming days, she sat down alongside president obama for an interview that will air tomorrow on "60 minutes." four years ago or so they were rivals for the democratic nomination and then she became a key member of his inner circle. the president and secretary talked about her service. >> i want the country to appreciate just what an extraordinary role she's played during the course of my administration and a lot of the successes we've had

internationally have been because of her hard work. >> in politics and in democracy, sometimes you win elections. sometimes you lose elections. and i worked very hard but i lost and then president obama asked me to be secretary of state and i said yes. and why did he ask me and why did i say yes? because we both love our country. >> one of the biggest challenges on secretary clinton's watch has been the bloody conflict in syria. that civil war has also produced a growing refugee crisis as syrians try to escape. just yesterday the u.n. said that a record number of syrians, 30,000, had arrived in a refugee camp in neighboring jordan since the beginning of this year alone. that camp is where we sent nbc's stephanie gosk to take a first-hand look. >> reporter: it's just before sunset in the syria/jordan border is deceptively quiet. as night falls, syrian refugees are on the move. day time crossings are dangerous. the jordanian military says this video it shot recently shows

syrian forces firing at a family with small children as they run to the border. so the refugees cross in the dark. several thousand a day now. flooding into jordan. this man carried his two oldest daughters the last mile. his wife carried their newborn. the missiles keep falling, he says. they find safety in jordan but not comfort. the largest camp here could fill to capacity 75,000 refugees in just days. organizers say they are running t of money. then there's the weather. the coldest winter here in years. an intense january storm with rain and wind showed how flimsy the tents can be and how quickly mud and cold can make life even worse. there was rain coming through our tent, this woman told us. eventually, it collapsed. with rain bucketing down a fight broke out over the trailers. at least three aid workers were hurt and some say as many as

ten. the trailers are much nicer than the tents. the problem is there aren't nearly enough of them. rob maroney, a rhode island native who works for mercy corps sees the fight for scarce resources first hand. even a small hand out can turn into mayhem. >> people are frustrated. you have a family with small children and you're cold. it's understandable that people would be in distress. when that happens tempers flare. >> reporter: but there are also signs of resignation. they have to try and make life here work. for this family, it is day one. we know we have a difficult life ahead, he says. but we escaped death. and returning home may not be an option for a long time. stephanie gosk, nbc news at the refugee camp in jordan. when "nbc nightly news" continues on this saturday a new warning about the dangers of snoring. how it could be a lot more serious than you might think. and later, making a difference by showing americans how to eat better for less. ♪ this is amazing, how did you find us?

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>> if i don't fall asleep before him i'm not going to fall asleep. >> i give him a shove. you need to wake him up or turn him over or something just so that you can sleep. >> reporter: new research shows snoring should not be ignored and in fact may be an indicator of cardiac disease, the number one killer in america. for the first time doctors say snoring alone may be an early sign of heart disease. likening it to other well known risk factors like sleep apnea, obesity, smoking, and high cholesterol. >> we wanted to bring to light the fact that snoring may in fact lead to adverse health. >> reporter: researchers at the henry ford hospital and university of nebraska measured the thickness of the carotid artery the major blood vessel in the head and neck and found those who snored regardless of other risk factors for heart disease had significantly greater thickening the blood vessels and that thickening is associated with an increased risk of heart disease or stroke. >> snoring in terms of risk factors was number one independent of the other risk

factors. and also was more likely to lead to that thickening than the other, quote, traditional risk factors. >> reporter: snoring is a tell tale sign that a person's airway is partially blocked. experts say the vibrations and strains that occur in the airway can also put pressure on blood vessels in the head and neck. over time, those critical blood vessels narrow, making it harder to pump blood into the head and brain and putting in turn undue stress on the heart. so, for all of you snorers out there -- >> looks like an elephant, like a buzz saw. >> the earthquake we had a few years ago. >> reporter: -- consider this a wake up call. snoring is not just a joke. it is now a reason to go see the doctor. dr. nancy snyderman, nbc news, new york. when we come back here tonight a shot by a fan to win a big check for charity goes swish and a couple scottish natives who really know how to fill out a cardigan.

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ooohhhooh! for some families dinner time can mean a tough choice. eat healthy or stay on budget. that's where a program called cooking matters and its team of culinary professionals comes in. nbc's miguel almaguer shows us how they're making a difference. >> reporter: a working mother of two, married to an army staff sergeant and studying to become a nurse, these days she has a lot on her plate. she is feeding her family on a very tight budget. >> i want to provide healthy meals for my children. it's very expensive. >> reporter: they are among the more than 100,000 families who turn to cooking matters. >> that's just part of eating

healthy on a budget. >> reporter: with 2500 chefs in 32 states the free, nonprofit program teaches low income families to prepare low cost, healthy meals. >> it's really so critical with so many people struggling. we don't have money to give them but we were knowledge to share. >> reporter: cooking matters teaches the basics -- fruits, grains, veggies are the foundation of a healthy diet. >> we'll put everything in here. >> reporter: the class begins in the kitchen then takes families into the grocery store. this single mother of two is learning to read labels, compare prices, and eat fresh. >> before this class you'd think of eating healthy as being bland and nasty. you can eat healthy and still have tasteful food. >> reporter: she says the program changed her family's life and it is saving families money, too. this couple cut their grocery bill in half, but more

importantly they've learned life long lessons. >> not only am i cooking healthier, better meals, but i'm saving a lot more money. this is something that i'm going to pass on to my kids. >> reporter: cooking matters, giving families a recipe for success. >> yummy. >> reporter: miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. >> that's nbc nightly news. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" and right back here tomorrow evening. have a good night, everyone.