lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >>> and that is our broadcast for this tuesday night.k you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. stay with us. we're coming right back on the air from our washington bureau with live coverage of the president's state of the union address next here on nbc. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >>> up next, a winter's tale. how cities are getting rid of all that snow. >>> that's the scene in logan county, oklahoma, not far from oklahoma city as a wildfire raged today in a sparsely populated area. at this point, no towns are in danger, but the fire is three miles long. high winds, low humidity and dry brush all contributed to the blaze. >>> here in the northeast, the forecast is for yet more snow in coming days. even as many cities and towns continue to dig out from this week's big snowstorm. tonight we have the answer to a question on many people's minds -- just where does all that snow go? nbc's michelle franzen takes a look. >> reporter: the big apple looking more like a big snow globe these days. new york city has already received twice the average snowfall this winter with crews working overtime to clear the streets. cities throughout the northeast are facing the same dlem moo, what to do with all that snow. >> it is hard, because it is not just the amount of snow, it is the frequency of the storms.

lee cowan has more on this. >> reporter: it didn't take long for the i told you sos to start flying. the chorus of those blaming yesterday's shooting on the loss of political civility in this country is only getting louder not only from both sides of the aisle but those with a badge. >> to try to inflame the public on a daily basis 24 hours a day 7 days a week has impact on people, especially who are unbalanced personalities to begin with. >> reporter: the shooter's motives are unclear, but not since timothy mcveigh attacked the federal building in oklahoma city has a crime sparked such swift attention on anti-government rhetoric. >> i have every right -- >> wait a minute, wait a minute. >> reporter: those town hall meeting meltdowns are a symptom of a problem both parties are facing. political extremism with a voice louder than ever. >> we have to be careful not to blame one side or the other, because both sides are guilty of this. you have extremes on both sides. >> reporter: that fringe makes words and images vulnerable to abuse. sarah palin says she wasn't endorsing violence with

lee cowan, nbc news, tucson. >>> and that's our broadcast for this friday night.hank you for being with us. i'm lester holt in tonight for brian. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" and right back here tomorrow night. good night, everyone. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com . . >>> we're innocent bystanders. >> too much violence and not enough officers to handle it. people in fear in one south bay neighborhood turn to silicon valley for protection. >>> good evening. thank you for joining us. >> a south bay community is telling gang members, not

lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >> that's our broadcast for this monday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams reporting tonight from tucson, arizona. we'll look for you again tomorrow night as always. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com . >>> we knew it would bepainful, but some say they can't bear any more with the new state budget case in the bay area. >>> good evening, everyone. thanks for joining us. >> drastic spending cuts. that's the budget prescription from governor jerry brown. who compares his proposals to bitter medicine the state must now take. brown used a power point presentation tod

lee cowan is live in north tucson outside the church where today's service was held. lee, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. it goes without saying that in situations like this, sometimes words just fail. christina tay already green was, as the president pointed out, uncommon in so many ways. really the symbol of everything that is good. while today was a chance for the community to say their goodbyes, it was also a chance to celebrate what she gave in her short nine years, and what she continues to give. they lined the streets for christina taylor green's final trip. that ended under a patch work flag that survived 9/11, her birthday. today, it was used to bid her farewell. the small signs of her custom made casket, blessed by the monks who donated it, said it all. >> she began her life with a tragedy on 9/11, and her life was ended with a tragedy here in arizona. but it was nine good years in the middle. >> reporter: a gentle spirit by every account, christina had been adopted by a nation and a president who, last night, grieved as a father, too. >> in c

lee cowan, nbc news, tucson. >>> meantime, the tragedy in tucson has heated up a national debate over guns, especially in arizona, where the laws make it easy for most people to own or even carry a gun. nbc's kristen welker is also in tucson for us where the gun culture was on display at an event there today. >> reporter: organizers thought about postponing that event but decided it should go on. and thousands turned out, many of them talking about gun legislation. gun control has re-entered the national conversation since last week's shooting spree. the topic was on the minds of many as they lined up for the crossroads of the west gun show in tucson today. >> we've had the right to bear arms for a long, long time, you know. yeah, it's just part of the way things are around here. >> there's absolutely no need for people on the street to be owning assault weapons. >> reporter: gun show owner bob templeton says people are the problem, not the laws. he thinks loughner, who had been rejected by the army and suspended from college, should have never been permitted to buy a gun. >> it's an

their stories here in tucson tonight from nbc's lee cowan. >> reporter: what gabby giffords left behindal, and its soundtrack. there in the midst of all the flowers, candles and balloons, a soul violinist. >> i found maybe my violin could help a little. i know it helps me. >> reporter: beth hodges wanted to help too so she took it upon herself to be the unofficial caretaker here. she relights candles, props up flowers and just tidies things up. >> we should just be considerate of everybody. >> reporter: that's what michelle zemba took away. she runs umc's trauma center. although the survivors are now recovering somewhere else, their words remain, especially mava stoddard's words. >> she was praying for all the other victims and praying for the congresswoman. she just lost her husband and was shot herself and she's worrying about everybody else. >> reporter: it's that everybody else sentiment that has become almost infectious here. it's not that people are trying to help those directly affected by the shooting, it's almost as if the shooting became a catalyst for people to help almost an

lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >>> incredible story to end our broadcast here on a tuesday night.ou for being here with us. i'm brian williams and we'll look for you right back here tomorrow night. guide good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> right now at 6:00, get ready to pull out your wallet because potholes on our roads and highways are acting like land mines on our cars. good evening, everyone, i'm jessica aguirre. >> i'm tom cinco visit. >>> two weeks of stormy weather turned bay area roads into battle fields and the potholes are winning right now. a huge crater in oakland caused some lane closings on 880 for most of the day and

lee cowan has details. >> reporter: he shot from homeless to household name overnight. >> you're listening. >> reporter: the feel-good story that is ted williams and his velvet voice has a price. because while his newfound celebrity is afforded the recovering addict a second chance, it has also led him to face his demons in a very public way. >> do you acknowledge that you didn't step up as a father and a husband? >> yes, i do. >> reporter: his latest tv appearance was on dr. fill, who reunited him with family members william admits he traded for drugs and alcohol. >> i miss you. >> reporter: just a day after an emotional taping, williams got in an argument with that daughter. at this hollywood hotel. it got so heated, police were culled. charges were never filed and williams tells nbc news it was just a family dust up. but those who have been cheering his meteoric rise also worry that he's vulnerable, too much too soon they warn and his flaj jil recovery might break. >> the fame isn't going to be nearly as tough to sustain as the relationships with his family and his loved ones. >> report

nbc's lee cowan is outside cedar sinai hospital. lee, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. we are told that charlie why you sheen is now out of the hospital and resting at home after being rushed here with severe abdominal pain. given all the headlines that he's -- experienced over the last couple of months, a lot of people feared the worst. those close to him say this time around it may not be what a lot of people think. details were few. but outside cedar sinai medical center hints of charlie sheen's condition were troubling. the news caught his father, martin sheen, rushing to his bedside. the first 911 call came from sheen's room. a separate 911 call came from the home from adrian, a neighbor. tmz says there has been a part at sheen's home and links casey jordan to the festivities. >> drinking too much. let's have a night where everyone is too drunk. a phone call. had to leave because if i didn't leave, i would be in the hospital because i couldn't keep up. i called dplooifr and said you need to get me out of here. >> reporter: when the news of the hospitalization broke

here's nbc's lee cowan. >> i have got one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight dollars. of $190 million. >> no matter how many megamillions tickets you bought and lost. it would be nearly impossible not to be happy for jim mccolor and his wife carol. his joy is simply infection. he's father of six, grandfather to more than 20. he bought his $190 million winning ticket at this safe way in the tiny county of ephrato, washington. do you know who has the ticket? >> no, i have no idea. >> no, it wasn't me. >> all my relatives come and ask me if i won. >> reporter: everybody knows almost everyone here, though most knew that jim's heart is a big weak. so when they found out that he won, no surprise his wife thought he was having a heart attack when he woke her up to tell her. >> she said, are you okay? and i said, yeah, i'm perfect. >> reporter: he showed her the proof and then they both lost it. >> tears started flowing down and i looked at her and i started crying and all she could say was, is this real? is this real. >> reporter: truth is, jim and carolyn had won once before

lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >> the negative discourse, if you're stable, might not trigger anythingdid the shooting on saturday, who knows what it could lead to. >> there is an intersection somewhere. i think it's important we do look at these things separately. the fact that this is a man who's clearly -- insane may be too technical a term. he's clearly mentally unhinged. this is a guy who's paranoid, he fears the government, it's currency, he talks about sleep depravation. and he shoots a child after targeting a member of congress. so there's insanity here. can rhetoric get this guy worked up? i don't know. >> the chilling effect it's had, you look at now a member of the congress and senate who con sellsell cancelled or postponed public appearances. >> the only thing that stops loss of civility is us. it's not rules, it's not the democracy, it's our own sense of outrage over what acceptable and what's not acceptable. your point is well taken that there's a cause and effect. it's already creating a dialogue about what we will accept and not accept in terms of our incivility. >> but

lee cowan has the latest. >> reporter: it's one of the most popular sitcoms on television, one that was start shooting new episodes on tuesday. but late friday came sudden word that 2 1/2 men was going on hiatus. the reason, its star, charlie sheen, was checking in to rehab. the shocking announcement came just a day after sheen was rushed to the hospital with severe abdominal pain. it was a condition a spokesman explained as a likely hern yarks but the hospital visit follow what had neighbors described as a two day bender at his home. casey jordan was linked to the festivities. >> i had to leave because if i didn't leave, i'd preebl be in the hospital because i couldn't keep up pup. >> sheen's father rushed to the hospital and was said to be insistent that his son get help. late friday, charlie sheen's spokesman said the actor has voluntarily entered an undisclosed rehabilitation center. that was then quickly followed by another statement for the network and "two and a half men" executive producer. we're profoundly concerned for his health and well, and support his decision. addiction s

first lee cowan has the story. >> there's a smile! >> reporter: perhaps all babies are miracles.e has a story so remarkable her mother isn't quite sure how to tell it. it's about the dad she'll never meet and just what he did to save her. >> we talk a lot about daddy. i know at this age she can't understand it. i think it's important just from the beginning for her to know that her daddy loves her very much. he's not here to say it himself. >> reporter: last september erin and her husband brian were driving along a quiet road in washington when this chevy blazer careened out of control and hit them, killing the father-to-be. >> i remember knowing, like, right then that he was gone because there wasn't anybody paying attention to him. >> reporter: the driver of the other car, 20-year-old jordan weichert and her passenger, 22-year-old samantha bowling, were both charged with three counts of vehicular homicide. two of their friends died in the crash as well. erin says the only reason she survived is because of brian's last act -- a split-second decision he made to swerve, taking the

lee cowan, thank you very much. >>> moments after nominated for best actor we talked to colin firth and james franco and meredith vieira got in trouble with james franco for what she said to colin firth. >> well, getting this far, you have been very well playing the best host and what you said about it. >> and when you get the statue, i will polish it for you. >> bless you. >> well, they stuck this ear wig in my ear before and i got to hear the whole interview with colin firth and you are polishing his statue, right, meredith? >> no, james, if you win, i will pollish yours -- no, no. >> and you were busted. >> but he does not realize i can be bought. i can easily -- >> you are fickle. either side quickly. >> yes, you can catch the full interviews with james and collin later this morning. they are greatguys. >>> and now to washington where president obama has called for less rhetoric and more civility and the test will be tonight when he delivers the state of the union address. savannah guthrie has details on that. >>> well, matt, the president is working into the speech and late into th

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