ayman mohyeldin, one of the few western journalists allowed to report there, goes inside the city daraa where the protest began. you're about to see the story the regime wants us to tell here tonight is very different from the story ayman found. >> reporter: ten months into the uprising, the syrian government is taking foreign journalists back to where it all began, under armed escort for our own safety, we wind through side streets and military check points to the governor's office. he tells us, syria is being attacked by extremists, criminals and foreign fighters armed with smuggled weapons. at stop after stop, they show us government buildings attacked and burned during the uprising. now they claim life is back to normal here. back in march when syria's protests against the assad government began here, they showed the mosque being used as a field hospital by protestors during the crackdown. today that mosque and its surrounding areas feel more like a war zone. daraa is a city on security lockdown. things here are far from normal. this has been the center of the unrest here in daraa o

nbc's ayman mohyeldin's reporting inside syria continues tonight on our website nbc nightly news.com. >>> we reported earlier this week on the high technology strike that some of the world's biggest websites organized to protest an anti-piracy bilk pushed by major media companies, including our parent nbc universal. the protests by sites including google, facebook, wikipedia and craigslist seems to have worked. both houses of congress have now delayed votes on the bill indefinitely with senate majority leader harry reid announcing the decision on twitter. >>> federal safety officials said today they wrapped up their investigation into reports of chevy volt battery fires, and they say the electric cars do not have any identifiable safety defect. gm says the investigation shows the cars are safe. the company ordered a fix to the 8,000 volts already sold to protect the battery from side impact crashes that could cause puncture or leak in that patry pack. >>> on wall street tonight, a mixed day. the dow up more than 96 points. nasdaq down about two. >>> up next -- danger down below. a new

nbc's ayman mohyeldin is just back from syria where he gained rare access and witnessed the agony firsthand>> reporter: they were once idyllic towns in the snow-capped mountains and now they're scarred by war. this woman shows us her home. for days she says that syrian army was entrenched here, laying siege to towns nearby. when they left, this is what they left behind. she cursed at syria's president bashar al assad. and his armed gang. people here are angry with the international community for not doing more to protect them. the residents in this house have been showing us the damage that's been caused by the syrian soldiers. they also say that the syrian army set up a sniper's nest from which they were overlooking the village and attacking the villagers down below. after intense fighting, a truce was reached between the syrian military and the free syrian army. a small, loose knit rebel force made up of military defectors and their anti-government supporters. outside monitors sent by the arab league weave their way past sand mounds in their first visit here. at every stop, they're showin

ayman mohyeldin is with us tonight. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. more than 200 people killed in the past five days in fighting across the entire country. it's all about the capital. the government says it repelled an attack by insurgents there and it is firmly under its control. the situation is so dangerous that the arab league suspended operations. this as the united nations convenes on tuesday to discuss a resolution that calls on the president to step down from power immediately. >> you're in cairo. give as report on the situation there. >> reporter: a handful of americans that work for ngos here have taken refuge at the american embassy. the white house says they are not in imminent danger, but there is no real reason why they've gone to the embassy. they are being investigated for receiving money abroad and channelling it to political parties here, which would be a crime under egyptian law. the real test will be if the americans are charged with any crimes, would the u.s. embassy hand them over to egyptian authorities. >> aman mohyeldin from

. >> ayman mohyeldin in damascus tonight, thank you. >>> back in this country the winter storm that hit seattle was not the apocalyptic disaster some were predicting and fearing but for that part of the country five inches of snow in one shot is a lot. our report from nbc's miguel almaguer. >> oh, yeah! >> reporter: across washington state a good day to stay home. streets became neighborhood playgrounds. >> look at all of this stuff and it's still snowing right now. >> reporter: in olympia, the state capital, some found new ways to get to work. downtown seattle where nearly a year's worth of snow fell in a single day, most streets were deserted. >> i came from chicago and we experience heavier snow than here, but everyone is having problems driving. >> reporter: five inches paralyzing a community used to rain. sights like these are rare. snowmobiles in the streets, smartcars wearing chains. the winter blast left many hillside roads closed, schools shut down and airlines canceled flights. >> we're definitely ready to go home. i'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. >> reporter:

. >> ayman mohyeldin, thank you for your reporting from damascus today. >>> a possible change in the definition of autism and one top expert says the change could, quote, make these autism epidemic go away. the new definition under consideration by american psychiatrists first reported by "the new york times" will not change how many children are born with the problems now labeled collectively as autism, but it will vastly narrow the set of problems now called autism. many experts are predicting that the changes, if they go into effect, will lead to big battles over which children are entitled to special education and other benefits. >>> still ahead as "nightly news" continues, main street usa, tom brokaw days away from the primary. >>> spectacular new images of the damage to a national icon and the wealthy american who has stepped up and written a check. 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 mo

back to you. >> ayman mohyeldin in cairo. thank you. >>> a funeral will be held for legendary penn state football coach joe paterno today. tuesday, hundreds of mourners filed by a closed casket. paterno died sunday from lung cancer at 85. >>> a remarkable story out of mexico, a 28-year-old woman said she was happy tuesday after undergoing a heart transplant in mexico city, but the heart she received was dropped to the ground last week just yards from the hospital after being transported 280 miles. thankfully it was in plastic bags still contained. a new study suggests a common household chemical may reduce effectiveness of vaccines in children. the study found children exposed to compounds known as pfcs have lower immune responses to diphtheria and tetanus. they can be found in microwave popcorn, nonstick cookware and certain cleaners. big changes being announced to school lunches. schools will offer healthier meals that are lower in sodium, include more whole grains, fruits and vegetables and low fat or skim milk. >>> nasa r