a generous gift for a woman who didn't think she'd get to see her grandson play in the high school band. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. we're going to begin tonight with a crippling trend in america that cannot go on without taking entire families with them. if we all agree those who have health insurance is the lucky ones, that usually means someone has a job with benefits. the cost of health care insurance premiums has now more than doubled for american families since 2001. no wages are rising that fast. it comes down to the choice, american families are being forced to make on a daily basis. as millions of families already know, it's too often between your money or your health. we begin here tonight with john yang. >> reporter: when jeri wood had surgery and radiation for a brain tumor in 2002, her employer's health insurance covered nearly all of it. her out of pocket cost, about $500. >> it wasn't something we had to worry about. we knew there was going to be some cost, but it was going to be manageable. and we could focus on getting me well. >> reporter: since then her premiums have gone up and her coverage have gone down. her family's estimated out of pocket costs this year, nearly $7,000? >> every where you go you're being nickelled and dimed with increases. but they aren't nickels and dimes, they're $5, $10. >> reporter: in a new report out today, the kaiser family foundation, which advocates health care reform says premiums for family coverage now average more than $15,000 a year, that's a 9% jump from 2010 and triple the rate of the previous's years increase. >> this is really the first time in as long as i can remember when we saw a big jump in premiums at a time when wages are actually not only flat but losing ground. >> at the same time insurance is covering less. requiring workers to pay higher co-payments and deductibles. 31% of workers now pay at least the first $1,000 of medical costs. >> what we call health insurance in the country is really changing very dramatically. >> reporter: employers say rising insurance costs forced them to chose between providing good benefits or hiring new workers or giving raises. for employees it can mean skipping nonurgent procedures. for jeri wood, that's not an option. she needs two mri's a year to check on the part of the brain tumor doctors couldn't remove. >> every day is another day. we don't get to define good any more. >> reporter: the authors of this story say it's too early to tell whether this big premium jump is a new thing or the start of a trend. they also say it's too early to tell what will happen in 2014, which is when the key elements of president obama's health care reform take effect. brian? >> dangerous numbers, john yang starting us off tonight in chicago. john, thanks. now we go out to los angeles and the live televised start of the trial today of dr. conrad murray, accused in the death of michael jackson. nbc's lee cowan is outside court tonight. lee, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. the problem is not that this trial would be dry and technical. the first day anyway turned out to be pretty emotional. the prosecution opened up with a never before seen picture and never before heard recording of michael jackson himself. it had all the trappings of a celebrity trial. the circus had been expected. after all, it involves michael jackson and his family. but inside, a very different scene. the accused doctor sat stone faced as prosecutors displayed a picture of jackson's lifeless body. alleging it was murray who had killed the king of pop. >> it was dr. murray's repeated incompetent and unskilled acts that led to mr. jackson's death. >> murray had pleaded not guilty. just how jackson died isn't in question. it was an overdose of propofol, a powerful anesthetic that jackson had been using to help him sleep in between rehearsals for his upcoming tour. almost every day for two months murray says he injected jackson with propofol as well as other sedatives. a disturbing recording dr. murray made of jackson while under the influence of those sedatives was played to a hushed courtroom. >> you are my hero. >> reporter: on the day jackson died, murray left the room after administering the drugs. preoccupied with making phone calls and sending e-mails. >> he left him there, abandoned him to fend for himself. >> reporter: his defense team didn't dispute the fact that he was out of the room when jackson died. but they argued he was trying to wean jackson off propofol. when he didn't give him enough they allege jackson waited for murray to leave and then administered the fatal dose himself. >> he died so rapidly, so instantly, he didn't have time to close his eyes. >> reporter: murray wasn't neglect the defense argues, he was at the mercy of an addict. >> there was no doctor, no paramedic, no machine that was going to revive michael jackson. >> reporter: brian, there are seven men and five women that make up this jury. they will not be sequestered. the judge has ordered tem to stay away from any publicity about the case. a lot of people think given this particular trial, especially where the defense is concerned, that may be near impossible. >> lee cowan in l.a. tonight. thanks. we turn to the big question in american politics, will the big man from new jersey take a big step and enter the race for the gop nomination? there's a lot of attention tonight on new jersey governor chris christie, who just happens to be appearing tonight on some sacred republican ground. our political director and chief white house correspondent chuck todd with us tonight from our d.c. newsroom. chuck, good evening. >> good evening, brian. let's lay out what christie is doing tonight. he's giving this speech on leadership, real american exceptionalism is the title of the speech. the speech itself is going to sound like someone who's preparing to enter a national campaign. but all signs point to him, saying he's not going to be running that national campaign in 2012. the reason there's been a hubub over the last couple of weeks, really, in the last week, brian, has to do with republican activists and donors, concerned that both of the front-runners, rick perry and mitt romney aren't really lighting the fires here. of course, originally this was a romney issue. he didn't seem to have the base with him nor the establishment. perry came in to fill the vacuum. and as you know, brian, had some rough debate outings, and that's why they're potentially turning to christie. >> i know your political team took a look back at exactly where we were at this point before the last presidential election just to remind people a week is a year in politics. and the walking away favorite for the gop nomination was rudolph giuliani. >> and not only that, brian, look who was in second place, a late entrant into the field, fred thompson. half the republican vote were the two candidates who would go on to not win a single primary or caucus. by the way, look at that democratic number. a woman by the name of hillary clinton had nearly a 2 to 1 lead over the current president of the united states. we have a long way to go. >> let that be a lesson to everybody. chuck todd in our d.c. newsroom, thanks. something extraordinary happened in washington today. needless to say it had nothing to do with politics, and had everything to do with personal physical courage and the inspection of the washington monument from the top down. the monument, of course, took a big hit from the earthquake that shook up the east coast back in august. tom costello is on the mall for us tonight. good evening. >> reporter: brian, lightning late today postponed the attempt to repel down the side. instead, engineers spent the day securing the raking at the very top of the monument. the close inspection comes tomorrow. but the first out the window today was a renowned rock climber, dave megerly. it was just before 10:00 a.m. when the first member of the team climbed out a small window at the top of the washington monument. >> i think it must take a lot of guts. >> reporter: at 550 feet above the ground, a lot of guts, indeed. the first job, to painstakingly secure the ropes and rigging around the tallest stone structure in the world. then at about 2:00, a second repeller emerged. down below, ray stopped his car, stunned at what he was seeing. >> it's one of the most unbelievable things i've seen in a long time. awesome. >> reporter: this all started on august 23rd, when a 5.8 quake shook the monument. the 20 or so tourists inside, barely avoided the falling masonry. that's ranger nikki williams in the video. >> it was shaking so violently it knocked me to the side. and i'm questioning whether i'm going to make it out at all. >> reporter: the quake damaged the elevator and left cracks, enough to let rain inside. now, a four-man engineering team is beginning a five-day mission repelling down the sides looking for damage. 12 years ago the monument underwent a major upgreat and face lift. >> it's really an amazing building, structurally sound. >> reporter: and plum with 15-foot walls at the bottom. a photography student arrived at 8:00 a.m. today. and caught the first repeller waiving to the crowds below. >> yeah, it's amazing. fascinating. a piece of history right there. >> reporter: for 126 years the monument has stood on the national mall drawing 800,000 tourists each year. structurally stable but closed now, as daredevil engineers look for any undetected signs of quake damage. those engineers will be carrying very small hammers with them, they are going to lightly tap on the walls of the monument tomorrow looking for any problems. also, every single block is numbered so they can pinpoint and record where any problems might be. as for the four members of the team, two are male and two are female. >> let's not be hitting nick too hard with that hammer. tom, thanks. we go overseas to libya where the people are running the country. they're still struggling to find gadhafi and get control of two stubborn holdout cities. one of them is bani walid where the fighting has been fierce. nbc's mike taibbi has seen it from the front lines. >> reporter: it's become the morning routine, to see if the gadhafi loyalist resistance has weakened. it had not. an explosion just as we arrived scattered us toward the fighters hunched against the wall. today's front line. a housing cluster on the edge of town. anti-gadhafi assault teams advanced about 1,000 yards in front of us, trading rifle fire with the town. it went on for hours. ten days of these exchanges in and near bani walid. with the same scenario occurring day after day, most of the families and noncombaten ants that could leave have done so. most, but not all. their orders are to hold off using the big guns, no all out assault. as long as it's believed there are families in town being used as human shields. >> we are trying now to attack them with small arms, to save the families. >> reporter: no help from the skies for the same reason. we can hear the nato planes all afternoon long, they're not bombing, they're just doing flyovers. we went to the roof to get a better look at the fighting. it was fierce. the artillery was landing closer. even with our position or just below us, a couple less than 100 yard as way. they targeted this area, so we will move out fast. we did, and so did the ambulances carrying the day's casualties, soon to be followed by these soldiers in retreat again. the stalemate continuing. mike taibbi, nbc news, bani walid, libya. and still ahead here tonight, our education nation coverage. a windfall gift for some very troubled schools. $100 million and now making sure its money well spent and who benefits from it. later on, a high school band fulfilling a last wish and making a big difference in one woman's life. i know you're worried about making your savings last and having enough income when you retire. that's why i'm here -- to help come up with a plan and get you on the right path. i have more than a thousand fidelity experts working with me so that i can work one-on-one with you. it's your green line. but i'll be there every step of the way. call or come in and talk with us today. here's one story. [ regis ] we love to play tennis. as a matter of fact it was joy who taught me how to play tennis. and with it comes some aches and pains and one way to relieve them all is to go right to the advil®. i have become increasingly amazed at regis's endurance. it's scary sometimes what he accomplishes in a day. well i'd rather not have time for pain but unfortunately it does comes your way every now and then. and that's when i take my advil®. [ male announcer ] take action. take advil®. i have a great fit with my dentures. i love kiwis. i've always had that issue with the seeds getting under my denture. super poligrip free -- it creates a seal of the dentures in my mouth. even well-fitting dentures let in food particles. super poligrip is zinc free. with just a few dabs, it's clinically proven to seal out more food particles so you're more comfortable and confident while you eat. super poligrip free made the kiwi an enjoyable experience. [ charlie ] try zinc free super poligrip. it's an enormous gathering under a tent on what is normally the skating rink out back here behind our building. education nation has been in full swing the last few days outside our studios at rockefeller plaza. just today we hosted both laura bush and bill clinton and a number of others. tonight we follow up on something that started a year ago. you may remember the picture of mark zuckerberg of facebook fame. he went on oprah and announced a gift of $100 million to the public schools in newark, new jersey. lisa myers looks at what they're doing with the money and what they have to show for it. how it's changing our education nation. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> reporter: morning at one of two small innovative high schools opened this month. the most tangible result of the new money. the bard high school early college offers advanced instruction. graduates will also have earned a two-year college degree. >> they want me to do better for myself. i have high expectations. >> reporter: the new newark bridges high school offers individual attention for failing students and dropouts. like anaya who came to register with her mother and 2-year-old son. >> i decided to come back, because i noticed that without education, there's nothing. >> reporter: her mom yolanda was overwhelmed by zuckerberg's gift. >> i would like to say thank you for giving newark a second chance. >> reporter: cami anderson is superintendent of schools. so far what has this zuckerberg money enabled you to do? >> it's given us a chance to innovate more quickly. >> reporter: the challenge is enormous, by third grade, 60% of kids can't perform at grade level in reading and math. only 54% graduate from high school. so far, 8.4 million of the 100 million have been spent. partly for the new high schools to extend school days and to reward teacher creativity. but in some quarters of this city, the initial excitement of the zuckerberg gift have given way to skepticism, even anger. some parents worry not all of newark's children will benefit. have you seen any difference? >> no. no, not one difference at all. there's no difference. and it's killing me inside. >> reporter: quintina says her third grader andre lacks textbooks to bring home at night. he recently did bring home an old book to practice reading. >> this is what the book looks like. the pages are torn and water damage. as a parent, i'm outraged. >> that mother is absolute lly correct. >> reporter: cory booker appeals for patience. >> we're not going to change the system overnight. >> reporter: the measure of success will be when every child in newark has the skills to go to college. lisa myers, nbc news, newark. and still ahead here tonight as we continue, big change coming to sunday nights in america. [ cherie ] i always had a job, ever since i was fourteen. i could not make working and going to school work. it was not until the university of phoenix that i was able to work full-time, be a mom, and go to school. the opportunities that i had at the university of phoenix got me to where i am today. i'm mayor cherie wood, i'm responsible for the largest urban renewal project in utah, and i am a phoenix. [ male announcer ] university of phoenix is proud to sponsor education nation. because we believe an educated world is a better world. [ male announcer ] university of phoenix is proud to sponsor education nation. now there's no need to hold back. new revolutionary scope dualblast obliterates strong food odors leaving your breath minty fresh. hey. [ male announcer ] so there's no trace of evidence... new scope dualblast. i thought i was invincible. i'm on an aspirin regimen now because i never want to feel that helplessness again. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. talk to your doctor, and take care of what you have to take care of. [ jennifer ] and i'm jennifer northcutt. opening a restaurant is utterly terrifying. we lost well over half of our funding when everything took a big dip. i don't think anyone would open up a restaurant if they knew what that moment is like. ♪ day 1, everything happened at once. ♪ i don't know how long that day was. we went home and let it sink in what we had just done. [ laughs ] ♪ word of mouth is everything, and word of mouth today is online. it all goes back to the mom and pop business and building something from the heart, founded within a family. when i found out i was pregnant, daniel was working on our second location. everyone will find out soon enough i think that something's happening. ♪ ♪ ♪ put another dime in the jukebox baby ♪ joan jett and the black hawks got themselves a nomination to the rock 'n' roll hall of fame today. women made a strong showing among this year's nominees, including heart, chaka khan, the spinners, donna summer, the beastie boys and war. the inductees will be announced in november. an update tonight on dakota meyer, the young marine who saved 36 men during the firefight in afghanistan. turns out what he really wants to do is fight fires with the fdny here in new york. but when he missed this year's application deadline and a judge ordered that it be extended just for him, he politely declined saying, no exception should be made just for him. perhaps no surprising, since the medal is made to honor courage, patriotism and sacrifice. did you ever notice how some people become more than just television personalities and instead are more like guests in our home week after week? well, andy rooney has been one of those guys. cbs announced today that at the age of 92, he will step away from his regular weekly role at the end of "60 minutes." as a young reporter he flew on the first ever allied bombing mission over germany in world war ii. tv has been a good second career for our friend andy rooney. up next here tonight, some generous young people making a difference quite literally with the sound of music. [ male announcer ] every day, thousands of people are choosing advil®. here's one story. [ regis ] we love to play tennis. as a matter of fact it was joy who taught me how to play tennis. and with it comes some aches and pains and one way to relieve them all is to go right to the advil®. i have become increasingly amazed at regis's endurance. it's scary sometimes what he accomplishes in a day. well i'd rather not have time for pain but unfortunately it does comes your way every now and then. and that's when i take my advil®. 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[ man ] our retirement isn't a simple budget line item. [ man ] i worked hard. i paid into my medicare. [ man ] and i earned my social security. [ woman ] now, instead of cutting waste and loopholes, washington wants to cut our benefits? that wasn't the agreement. [ male announcer ] join the members of aarp and tell washington to stop cuts to our medicare and social security benefits. finally tonight, our making a difference report comes from one of our nbc stations in arkansas. and when we heard about the story, we knew we had to share it with all of you. tonight nbc's anne thompson has the extraordinary story of a woman who had a wish which has now been fulfilled. >> reporter: this is a joyful noise. ♪ >> reporter: a sound marty barrett never thought she would hear again. ♪ >> it's the biggest thrill. >> reporter: the rogers heritage high school band with her grandson playing the trumpet she bought him. in the final stages of cancer and under hospice care. marty can't go to see anthony play at football games. with time running out, she wanted to hear anthony and the band play one more time. so this week the 120 member band came to her. ♪ >> reporter: with anthony right up front for his grammy. >> i was a little bit nervous. but it was great. it was wonderful. >> all i could see was him. i am just proud of him. he's been such a good boy his whole life. and brought me very much joy. >> reporter: 85-year-old marty, who grew up in the big band era of glenn miller and bennie goodman, had a big band concert of her very own. the idea was brought to the director last week. >> it is emotional to be able to really make a difference in what you do, and see that on someone's face. >> reporter: her son said marty's face lit up like a little kid at a carnival. the joy of music and a grandmother's pride. >> i love you. >> i love you too. >> make the memory of a lifetime. anne thompson, nbc news, new york. >> and on that note a special thanks to our friends at knwa for alerting us to that story. that's our broadcast for this tuesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams, i hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. 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