john yang, nbc news, new york. >>> embattled republican national chairman michael steele finally threw in the towel today, withdrawing from the contest for a new two-year term. he had faced questions about financial and management problems and embarrassing public statements. he'll be replaced by a former supporter, wisconsin republican party chief reince priebus. >>> on wall street today, stocks marched higher, reaching levels not seen in 2 1/2 years. the dow closed up more than 55 points at 11,787. >>> when we come back, pope john paul ii, a step closer to becoming a saint. what happens next? >>> pope john paul ii died in 2005, and now six years later, he's one step closer to becoming a saint. pope benedict is leading the process, but the beatification of his predecessor is not without controversy. here's nbc's anne thompson. ♪ >> reporter: from the funeral, the cry "sainthood now" is one miracle away from being answered. this may, the church will beatify the man who redefined the papacy in the modern age. working to topple communism. traveling the world, reaching out to other faiths.

john yang has the latest. >> reporter: attempting to appear open and transparent, iran gave diplomats a tour of the main enrichment facility today. another part of the xharm offensive, the top nuclear negotiat negotiator sat down with richard engel for a rare interview. he brushed aside economic sanctions imposed on iran. >> translator: the tools of sanctions is go for the old times. >> reporter: there are increasing signs of serious problems for iran's problem as secretary of state hillary clinton alluded to this past week. >> the most recent analysis is that the sanctions have been working. they have made it much more difficult for iran to pursue its nuclear ambition. iran's had technological problems that have made it slow down their timetable. >> reporter: those problems appear to be the result of cyber warfa warfare, an attack on iran's nuclear program with a sophisticated computer virus. >> this is for cyber war as much of a game changer as the airplane was for conventional war. >> reporter: reports say the virus caused the program's highly calibrated centrifuges to shake apart,

john yang has the latest. >> reporter: even as prefriends held a vigil for investigators closed in on the shallow grave holding her body. and they made a startling discovery, a second body, 36-year-old tonya howard. they crime scene, howard's daughter couldn't believe it. authorities said the woman had been dead since monday morning. >> it appears that they both died of multiple gunshot wounds. >> reporter: police arrested the us suspect on two counts of murder. his sister said he had a dark side. >> he has anger issues, no doubt about that. he's hot headed. >> reporter: he was howard's boyfriend and cousin of james hensley, amy's husband. >> i couldn't imagine him will having any problem with amy. amy's too sweet of a person. should too much of a good kind hearted person for anybody to ever be angry at her. >> reporter: the discovery of hensley's body ended anning ag e agonizing week for her husband. >> i miss my wife and my kids miss their mother. we just want her home where she belongs. >> reporter: police haven't offered a motive leaving family and friends with their sadness. >> i

nbc's john yang joins us with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, jenna.say the elephant wasn't acting aggressively when she killed her 33-year-old keeper but experts say it is a tragic example of what can happen when people work with wild animals. a word of warning there is disturbing video in this report. stephanie james loved her job as an elephant keeper but she also knew the risks. >> she was so well aware of the safety of what she needed to do. and the dangers -- potential dangers. >> reporter: james died of internal injuries when a 26-year-old female elephant named edie pushed her into a wall. as zoo policy requires another keeper was present. >> her fellow keeper commanded the elephant to move back. the elephant obeyed the command. >> it is possible she could have been wedged between the elephant and the wall and would have literally been crushed to death, possibly without the elephant even knowing. >> reporter: nbc news science and environment expert jeff corwin knows an elephant's power firsthand. once an el manhattephant grabbe shaking him viole

john yang, we'll see how he does there. >>> clashes are intensifying today in egypt.y gathering near the palace of longtime press hosni mubarak demanding his resignation. police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons. >>> an employee may face murder charges in the shooting death of two armed men. the american says he fired in self-defense when two gunmen pulled up on a motor bike and tried to rob him in pakistan. he had just withdrawn money from an atm. >>> in uganda where homosexuality is a crime, police insist the murder of a prominent gay activist was a result of a robbery and not because of his sexual orientation. however, fellow activists are demanding an investigation after david cato was beaten to death on wednesday. >>> and the world's best blind golfer says his secret is always testing his limits. a rare disease took jeremy from 20/20 finish to legally blind within just months in 2009. he beat players from 14 countries to win the world blind golf championship. jeremy also runs half marathons and sky dives. what have you done lately? it's now 8:05. l

but first, nbc's john yang has the latest on this story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning.state lawmakers to pass a tough new anti-bullying law, but some are wondering how much has really changed? ♪ >> reporter: in south hadley, massachusetts, a somber anniversary. one year since phoebe prince hanged herself in the stairwell of her home. prosecutors say for months she was bullied by the mean girls at south hadley high school, tormented daily with shouts and threats. >> they probably bullied her because she was new, pretty, she was from another country. >> reporter: school officials say nothing was ever reported to them. according to prosecutors the day of phoebe's suicide students shouted at her, why don't you go kill yourself? since then at south hadley high, committees have been set up, programs established and experts consulted. now there is another allegation of bullying at the same school. >> i have been called satan, a couple other curse words. i've been threatened to be beaten up. >> reporter: jennifer says her daughter payton, a 16-year-old sophomore has had to endu

nbc's john yang has more. >> reporter: ronald reagan was the oldest president ever, 69 when he took office. he was diagnosed with alzheimer's disease five years after leaving the white house. but in a new book, son ron reagan writes that three years into his first term, i was feeling the first shivs of concern that something beyond mellowing was affecting my father. >> the system still where it was with regard to the -- with regard to the progressivity as i have said. >> my heart sank as he floundered his way through his response, fumbling with his notes, uncharacteristically lost for words, he looked tired and bewildered. his age became an issue until the second debate. >> i will not make age an issue of this campaign. i am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent's youth and inexperience. >> reporter: just when reagan's alzheimer's was evident has been a hot topic of debate since the diagnosis. >> to really change our knowledge of ronald reagan you would have to go back into the presidency and find a case where one of his doctors said i see signs of alzheimer's that are di

john yang in chicago for us. thank you very much. >>> and now over to the news desk where ann curry has a check on the news. >> good morning. and we begin with an update on the tucson tragedy, and wearing the same grin in the mug shot, jared loughner has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempting to kill federal e employees. he smiled silently throughout much of the proceedings in a federal courthouse on monday. >>> george w. bush violated the law by giving political briefings to federal employees according to a new federal report. such briefings are not allowed in the workplace in business hours. >>> a shocking story in argentina where a woman lived after throwing herself from the 23rd floor of the buenos aires attack. a taxi broke her fall, and luckily the driver had gotten out of the car moments before. >>> and there are two officers killed and nine others wounded nationwide since sunday and monday. two florida officers died monday ambushed by a wanted criminal and that brings the death toll for police o