On our broadcast tonight
In her defense
Hillary Clinton under attack and
hitting back in an emotional day of testimony
Before Congress about what happened in Benghazi
Women in Combat
The announcement coming tomorrow from the Pentagon
that will change the US military
from the barracks to the battlefield
It's so cold in some places
You can do this to a cup of water
And this to a building in Chicago
It's affecting much of the country tonight
And there is a big winter storm on the move
And the photo
That's been shared around the world
and the touching story of devotion
we discovered behind the picture
Nightly news begins now
From NBC News world Headquarters in New York
This is NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams
Good evening
Over one long epic day
With the camera aimed at her all time
She sat for hours
before not one but two Congressional Committees
Answering questions
Some of them heated about what happened
and why in Benghazi, Libya on September 11th of last year
that resulted in the death of our US ambassador
and three other Americans
today's testimony will likely be the last for
Secretary of State,Hillary Rodham Clinton
After four years in office, roughly a million miles flown
112 nations visited, in the past few weeks alone
she has fought illness and injury, including hospitalization
She leaves her post
as the most admired woman in the world in the Gallup poll
for the 11th year in a row
Well today, Hillary Clinton was under fire, and at times fired back
NBC's Andrea Mitchell in our Washington Newsroom with the story tonight
Andrea, Good evening
Good evening, Brian
This was Hillary Clinton's final testimony to Congress
First in the Senate, then in the House
It was not the way she wanted to end this chapter of her career
Four months after the Benghazi attack
Committees in both Chambers wanted to know
what did she know and when did she know it
After a fall, a concussion and a blood clot
Hillary Clinton showed rare public emotion
Reflecting the toll Benghazi has taken on her
For me, this is not just a matter of policy, it's personal
I stood next to President Obama
as the Marines carried those flag-draped caskets off the plane at Andrews
I put my arms around the mothers and fathers, the sisters and brothers
the sons and daughters, and the wives left alone to raise their children
she said she takes responsibility for what happened
As I have said many times
I take responsibility, and nobody is more committed to getting this right
Her critics were not disarmed
They wanted to know why couldn't ambassador Chris Stevens
And three other Americans be rescued
Why were repeated security warnings ignored
Including a cable from the ambassador on 9/11
The day of the attack
The day he was killed
I'm glad that you're accepting responsibility
I think that ultimately with your leaving
you accept the culpability for the worst tragedy since 9/11,
and I really mean that
Had I been president at the time
and I found that you did not read the cables from Benghazi
you did not read the cables from Ambassador Stevens
I would have relieved you of your post
I think it's inexcusable
Parrying hostile questions all day
Clinton was also the political pro
Massaging big egos
sidestepping attacks when she could
When she couldn't, giving as good as she got
We were misled that there were supposedly protests and then something sprang out of that
an assault sprang out of that
And that was easily ascertained
and the American people could have known that within days
and they didn't know that
With all due respect
the fact is
we had four dead Americans(Ron: I understand)
Was it because of a protest
or was it because of guys out for a walk one night
who decided they go kill some Americans
What difference -- at this point -- does it make
It is our job to figure out
what happened and do everything we can
to prevent it from ever happening again
Senator
the answers, frankly
that you've given this morning are not satisfactory to me
Was, were you and the president
made aware of the classified cable
from Chris Stevens said
that the United States consulate in Benghazi
could not survive a sustained assault
Numerous warnings, including personally to me
about the security were unanswered or unaddressed
she counted that Congress has cut money for security
Currently
the House has holds on bilateral security assistance
on other kinds of support for anti- terrorism assistance
So we gotta get our act together
between the administration and the Congress
After a break
The House was even tougher than the Senate
I think When you have a US ambassador personally warning
about the situation over there
Sending this cable to your office
Well, if I could, 1.43 million cables a year come to the State Department
they're all addressed to me
Madame Secretary
you let the consulate become a death trap
and that's national security malpractice
throughout the day
the subtext for partisans on both sides
this was not the last act for Hillary Clinton
You will be sorely missed, but I, for one, hope not for too long
Madame Secretary
first, Let me ,thank you for your sevice
and I wish you the best in your future endeavors, mostly
Clinton returns for one last time tomorrow to
introduce John kerry at his confirmation hearing
Who would be the next Secretary of State
A much happier occasion
Today
With so ferocious at times
That one republican senator on the Committee
Later accused Clinton of faking her emotion
A sign that her critics may try to
Make Benghazi an issue if Clinton does decide to
run for president, Brian
What a day it was on Capitol Hill
Andrea Mitchell starting us off from Washington
Andrea Thanks
All of this brings us to our chief foreign correspondent, Richard Engel
with us here, in the studio
Richard, at one point, the Secretary just kind of waved her hand today
to indicate the whole region of the Middle East as something we should have our eyes on
As you know, all too well, it's a tinderbox
What do you have your eyes on right now?
In regards to this testimony, I think she was highlighting the problems in North Africa
And it really goes down to weapons
When Gadhafi was falling, I was there at the time
I had never seen so many weapons in my entire life
And they were just being taken from depots
they were being handed over to militant groups
and then they went all over the region
They went from country to country and they fell into the hands of militant groups
And this is no longer theoretical
Seven Americans have been killed, including a U.S. ambassador just in the last four months
And it was election night last night in Israel
Benjamin Netanyahu re-elected by a thin margin with less power
and as you've been pointing out over and over
there they sit in the middle of a lot of this
They feel very isolated right now
And the message in Israel
moved a lot of apathy toward this vote
but the main message is,this is about your security
You're gonna to vote to save your life
Israel feels right now, it has been surrounded by an increasingly hostile Arab world
and to some degree, it's not wrong
Richard Engel, as always, good to see you
Now to our other big story tonight, the Secretary of Defense
is expected to announce tomorrow
that perhaps before the end of this year
women in the U.S. armed forces may begin serving in environments like this
we're taking heavy fire from
that video, Kunar Province in Afghanistan in '09 was actually shot by
Richard Engel and his team
perhaps you heard his voice there
it shows close-in infantry combat and this will be a sea change in the U.S. military policy
we should quickly add, it's a change many women in the US military
have been waiting for for many years
our Pentagon correspondent, Jim Miklaszewski
on duty from there tonight. Jim, good evening
Good evening, Brian. tomorrow, the Defense Secretary Leon Panetta
will announce that he's lifting the ban
that prevents female soldiers and marines from serving in direct
combat ground combat roles
according to one senior defense official
this clears the way now for women to become combat infantry
for the past ten years, U.S. military women have served at the front lines
in both Iraq and Afghanistan
but never allowed in direct ground combat roles
lifting the 20-year ban against women in combat
will ultimately put them directly into the heat of battle
it opens some 237,000 combat-related positions to women
initially, women will be assigned to combat support roles
communications, logistics and as drivers
gradually, they've worked their way closer to battle as medics
corpsmen and manning artillery before they become combat infantry troops
despite the combat ban, women have paid the ultimate price of war
152 U.S. military women have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan
Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth lost both her legs
as an army combat helicopter pilot in Iraq
she says lifting the ban will level the playing field for women
it's hard to make it to a general
for example without a combat arms command
at the brigade or the battalion level
and this will now allow women to have those
some of that command time
at first, women would have to volunteer for combat duty
and meet the same physical standards faced by men
well, they have to. the standard doesn't change. just because they're a woman
but is the military prepared for women in combat
there will be plenty of complaints about it
but I don't think it's going to have a negative effect
on the actual strength of the force
and are women ready for combat?
just ask Tammy Duckworth
well, I didn't lose my legs in a bar fight
at this point, it's not clear just how many women
will step forward and volunteer for combat
and it's not going to happen all at once
given the required changes in training and the regulations
actually, it could be two to three years
before we see any women ready for ground combat, Brian
Jim Miklaszewski at the Pentagon tonight. Jim, thanks.
Across town in Washington
Republicans in the House of Representatives today
pushed through a bill that will move
the debt ceiling deadline to May at least
while it doesn't solve it entirely
if the Senate passes it, and the President signs it as expected
it will put off for now the threat of another political meltdown
like the one that led to the downgrade of the U.S. credit rating back in 2011
Now we go outside which depending on where you live
might take some steeling of yourself,
given the air that has descended on a lot of our country.
Take for example NBC's Kevin Tibbles out in the cold tonight in Chicago
Kevin, good evening
Hey, why not?
Well, it'll take a couple of more frigid days to freeze the Chicago River
but tonight temperatures here in Chicago, New York, and elsewhere are
colder than they are in Juno, Alaska.
At one point, some 200 Chicago firefighters
battled a massive extra alarm warehouse fire in temperatures hovering just above zero,
pouring on the water throughout today
struggling with frozen hydrants and icy ladders.
The stress on us, I mean, we're firefighters,
and we are used to dealing with the cold.
An eerie scene of the smoldering ruins encased in ice.
After a mild start to the winter in many places,
this bitter cold has taken much of the nation by surprise
The coldest place in the US today
a previous winner, International Falls, Minnesota, at minus twenty.
But low temps grip cities across the map.
And for those working outside, time for precautions
as frostbite can set in after just ten minutes of exposure.
Servicing aircraft at Rhode Island's T.F. Green Airport:
critical bone-chilling work.
-The key is to keep moving
Once you stand still, that's when you get cold.
Nick Vonek moves eggs at Chicago's Fulton market.
With this cold, I just put on my snow suit
Otherwise, it's just layers
In Pennsylvania, heating companies scrambled to fix broken furnaces
We're probably operating at 200% capacity right now
Everybody's working double shifts and trying to get everybody heat
And in New York City, street venders shivered but cashed in on the cold
Gloves, hats, scarves, ear muffs, selling very good.
As for tourists visiting the nation's capital this inauguration week,
a bit of a shock.
Oh my gosh, it is so cold
How long is it going to last
This unusually cold air is going to stick around into the weekend
before a brief warm up early next week
and then the cold air returns late next week.
The cold is good news for Northeastern ski resorts hungry for snow
But some are finding it's just too cold to open even for skiers
And Brian, more snow and cold in the forecast for the Northeast and Midwest
I've got one other record to share with you tonight as you shiver in New York
Brian! Another record was broken today.
In Phoenix, it was over eighty, Brian
I knew you were gonna do that to us
Kevin Tibbles in the city that doesn't scare easily,
Chicago, Illinois, in the cold tonight. Kevin, thanks
Still ahead for us on a Wednesday evening:
a huge spike in the number of kids being diagnosed with ADHD
and put on meds for it.
Tonight what we've learned about the reasons behind the sharp increase
Later on, what Aretha Franklin told us today about Beyonce
in the uproar over lip-syncing at the inauguration
As we mentioned before the break
there are new numbers out tonight
that show a surge in cases of ADHD in children in this country
there's also an explanation behind the spike in these numbers
we get that story from our chief medical editor, Dr. Nancy Snyderman
Christine Hubner said she had never even heard of
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
before her son Scott was diagnosed in first grade
That was 13 years ago
He was very disruptive
I did always feel like I was getting in trouble
Scott is now 19 and it's been a difficult journey for this mother and son
one that more parents are now facing
In a new study,843,000 children,ages 5 to 11
were followed from 2001 to 2010
the number diagnosed with ADHD rose 24%
The biggest increases were in black girls and Hispanic and white boys
One reason,increased awareness
ADHD is usually diagnosed by a mental health professional
with input from parents and teachers
Typically, ADHD symptoms arise in early childhood
and are often mistaken for misbehavior
Signs can include a child who is easily distracted or forgetful
One who has difficulty listening,paying attention or sitting still
And a child who struggles with instructions and organization
But what ultimately leads to a diagnosis is not just the type of behavior
but the frequency and severity
So it's not something that,you know
that's the child's fault or that the parent's fault
It really is a brain-based disorder
Scott and his mom are now close,after struggling
with therapy,medication,frustration and guilt
he is very kind and nurturing
and it's just shown me what a great person he really is
Ultimately,Scott discovered his passion--music
which is helping with concentration and he is now medication-free
-Thank you
To find something that I can focus on was absolutely life-altering
He's also working to become a firefighter
And says a diagnosis of ADHD doesn't have to mean a lifetime of struggle
Dr.Nancy Snyderman,NBC News,New York
We will take a break and when we come back
Why your boss wants you to get enough sleep
A lot of items in the news today about our health and well-being
including the fact that Facebook can full-on bum you out
German researchers call it Facebook envy
It's the act of viewing all your friends' fabulous vacations
lovely children,attractive friends and great social lives
the research showed it can leave people feeling
you guessed it,lonely,frustrated and angry
This is hard to hear,but no shocker,really
A full third of us in the American work force
aren't getting enough sleep to function
at our peak levels as our regular viewers know all too well
the wide-awake folks at Harvard say sleep deprivation
costs American companies $63.2 billion a year in subpar performance
And good news and bad news on the smoking front
From the New England Journal of Medicine
They state, flat-out
smokers lose at least one decade of life expectancy over nonsmokers on average
The encouraging news here is quitting before 40 reduces the
smoking-related death risk by 90% compared to
continuing on as a smoker
And Aretha Franklin talked with us today
She felt the urge to speak out about the Beyonce lip-syncing fracas
after words surfaced that the version of the national anthem
we heard was likely a recorded backing track
She has some thoughts on the subject as a singing veteran
herself of the last inauguration
When I was there in 2009, it was in the 20s or low 30s
And mother nature was not very kind to me at all in terms of
the weather and my voice
So I could understand if she prerecorded, why she did that
Aretha Franklin telling us today, she can relate to vocal issues
in the cold of Washington this time of year
By the way, no official comment thus far from Beyonce
When we come back the touching story behind the photo
that's been shared by millions around the world
finally tonight, it was the shot that was shared around the world.
as often happens on the web, millions of people were drawn to a photo.
this one of two people in a coffee shop
sharing what was clearly a private moment between the two of them.
well tonight we've learned the story of dedication and devotion behind the photo.
we get our report from NBC's Kristen Dahlgren
Okay. you better know this one.
G.
it was a moment captured on a cell phone that quickly captured hearts
A B C D E
82-year-old John Allen, patiently teaching his 70-year-old girlfriend, Linda, to read again.
after her stroke
What's this one? a V.
Okay.
Victory.
Right.
Almost every day, the two go to a Starbucks
where John uses flashcards to quiz her on the alphabet.
when a fellow patron spotted them,
he couldn't help but snap a picture.
I just wanted some of my friends to see what a cool moment I had today.
you know what I mean?
But his friends shared it again and again.
in almost two weeks, more than 2 million have seen it.
Wow!
Online people explained it like this
Every time I need a bit more patience, I will think of this picture
and this is what true love is all about
For a time, love was all John and Linda had to hold on to
I couldn't even talk except to say "I love you
The stroke left her barely able to speak or recognize letters
tough for a woman who five years ago was an active career woman
a manager at Raytheon.
I want to be able to -- read
read.And I want to do the things that -- those things that I did before.
With John's help, she may
three days a week, he also pushes her at the gym,
working to restore her partially paralyzed right side
16, 17, 18,19
even on the toughest days she never seems to lose her smile
I'm still enjoying my life. I'm not sad. I'm not angry
Perhaps --I just love him, that's all there is to it.
Because she never lost her love.
Kristen Dahlgren, NBC News, Orange, California.
That's our broadcast on a Wednesday night
Thank you for being here with us
I'm Brian Williams
and of course we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening
Good night