NBC Nightly News - 1999-07-02

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:03] Meltdown. July 4th weekend begins.

[0:06] Sweltering weather across the country as

[0:08] millions jam airports and highways. A

[0:11] family secret. It turns out America's

[0:13] newest Wimbledon sensation has a very

[0:15] famous father. And it turns out they

[0:18] share a genetic trait. In depth back

[0:21] from the brink, the very symbol of

[0:22] America no longer endangered. But what

[0:24] about the others still on the list and a

[0:26] mystery? Why are so many sea turtles

[0:28] washing up dead along the Texas coast?

[0:32] And new life for old glory. The heroic

[0:34] effort to make sure the flag will still

[0:36] be there.

[0:40] From NBC News World Headquarters in New

[0:43] York, this is NBC Nightly News with Tom

[0:46] Brooff. Substituting tonight, Brian

[0:49] Williams.

[0:51] >> Good evening. The warnings have been out

[0:53] for weeks now. A record number of

[0:55] Americans now expected to be on the move

[0:57] for July 4th weekend, especially by car

[1:00] and with many many trying to end up by

[1:02] the water. Tonight, add a new warning.

[1:04] The heat. A new nationwide forecast map

[1:07] showing mo most of the nation bathed in

[1:09] unforgiving heat and humidity.

[1:11] Dangerously high levels in some spots.

[1:14] Plenty of places reaching 100°. That is

[1:17] once they get where they're going. NBC's

[1:19] Jim Avala starts us off tonight.

[1:23] As American as Flags on the Fourth, the

[1:25] summer's first major heatwave in July.

[1:28] From Chicago's police to Washington's

[1:31] politicians, it's that kind of day. Hot

[1:34] and humid in the Midwest with

[1:36] temperatures in the 90s over the holiday

[1:38] weekend. Sizzling in the Southwest with

[1:40] Nevada posting temperatures of 112 and

[1:43] El Paso 104. and the worst yet to hit a

[1:47] steamy northeast with a heat index in

[1:49] New York and Washington expected above

[1:52] 100 tomorrow.

[1:53] >> This is certainly the kind of weather

[1:55] that could be considered dangerous.

[1:56] >> In Dallas, where temperatures are

[1:58] predicted to reach 98 tomorrow, Parkland

[2:01] emergency room doctors brace for heat

[2:03] trauma.

[2:04] >> We douse them in ice water. Um we do put

[2:06] a fan on them to blow off and that cools

[2:08] them off very quickly. In Chicago,

[2:10] Harris Ice expects to sell 250,000

[2:14] pounds this weekend, supplying most of

[2:16] it to a lakeside festival where a

[2:18] million people gather in 90°

[2:20] temperatures.

[2:21] >> Well, coming up with the heat and the

[2:23] holiday and the taste of Chicago going

[2:25] on at the same time. It's pretty hot.

[2:28] >> The heat is not stopping the American

[2:29] tourist. 37 million people in the air or

[2:32] on the roads this weekend. The most in

[2:35] 13 years. The number one destination,

[2:37] big city fireworks shows. 5 million at

[2:40] the airport. Experts say peak time is

[2:42] actually tonight. The other 32 million

[2:45] on the roads like Heather Parker stuck

[2:47] trying to exit Manhattan through the

[2:49] Lincoln Tunnel in 90° weather.

[2:52] >> I feel worse for these two than I do for

[2:55] myself. A little ragged, but I'm going

[2:58] to stop for water for everybody in a

[3:00] little bit.

[3:01] >> AAA warns that motorists will need extra

[3:03] time. Construction is everywhere. There

[3:05] will be delays and there will be

[3:07] rerouting and reduced speed limits

[3:09] >> for Americans on this the second busiest

[3:12] travel day in history. A Fourth of July

[3:14] picnic everywhere but on the roads. Jim

[3:17] Avala, NBC News Chicago.

[3:20] >> For much of this day, the big story from

[3:22] England was a phenomenal 18-year-old

[3:25] blazing through Wimbledon as an

[3:26] unranked, unseated rookie. This

[3:29] afternoon, the big story changed when

[3:31] the world learned her father is a

[3:33] prominent American. one of the best

[3:35] athletes of his time. Our report tonight

[3:38] from NBC's Kevin Tibbles in London.

[3:42] >> It's been a dramatic week for

[3:43] 18-year-old American Alexandra Stevenson

[3:46] today playing on Wimbledon center court.

[3:49] >> Game set match. Miss Stevenson.

[3:52] >> Stevenson, who is described as highly

[3:54] motivated, had to beat other unknowns

[3:56] just to win a spot in the tournament.

[3:58] >> She's just a terrific player. I've

[4:00] watched been watching her for the last 2

[4:02] and 1/2 years and I'm I thought she

[4:04] would be good, but I never could foresee

[4:06] this.

[4:07] >> But it hasn't just been her dazzling

[4:09] play that's making headlines. It turns

[4:11] out she has the genes of a worldclass

[4:14] athlete. Stevenson comes from a single

[4:17] parent family and has been dogged all

[4:19] week long about the identity of her

[4:21] father.

[4:22] >> I have no comment on that. Newspaper

[4:24] reports produced a copy of her birth

[4:26] certificate identifying Stevenson's

[4:28] father as Julius Winfield Irving II, the

[4:32] basketball legend who changed the way

[4:34] the game was played with the

[4:36] Philadelphia 76ers. For days, Irving has

[4:39] denied being Stevenson's dad. Today, in

[4:41] a statement, he changed his story,

[4:44] saying he acknowledges he had an affair

[4:46] in 1980 with Alexander's mother, a

[4:49] sports reporter who was covering the

[4:51] 76ers. Irving acknowledged his wife has

[4:54] always known about Alexandra and that he

[4:56] is pleased to see her doing so well.

[4:58] >> For a player like Alexander, where could

[5:00] you get better jeans than Dr. J. When

[5:03] Stevenson came to Wimbledon, the odds

[5:05] against her winning 100 to1. Today, not

[5:08] surprisingly, after having qualified for

[5:10] the semi-finals, the odds have changed

[5:12] to 14 to1. Irving says he has met

[5:15] Alexandra only once when she was three,

[5:17] but has always provided financial

[5:19] support. He says he applauds her

[5:21] mother's efforts and courage.

[5:24] Tomorrow she'll take to the courts again

[5:26] in her quest to become the first

[5:28] qualifier ever to win the women's title

[5:30] at Wimbledon. Her father won't be there

[5:33] to see her, but surely he'll be cheering

[5:35] her on. Kevin Tibbles, NBC News,

[5:38] Wimbledon.

[5:40] >> Disturbing news to pass along to you

[5:42] tonight, especially those older

[5:43] Americans who belong to HMOs. Premiums

[5:46] are about to go up, benefits reduced.

[5:49] Here with that, NBC's Kelly O'Donnell

[5:51] with an important lifeline report

[5:53] tonight.

[5:55] >> A new prognosis for Medicare seniors who

[5:58] belong to HMOs. More cost, more

[6:01] uncertainty. Why? Health plans just

[6:04] notified the government about big

[6:05] changes for next year. 6.7 million older

[6:09] Americans on Medicare who belong to HMOs

[6:12] will be charged higher prices for their

[6:14] medications and care. And 250,000

[6:17] seniors are about to be dropped by their

[6:20] managed care plans altogether. Their

[6:22] HMOs claiming the government does not

[6:24] pay them enough to continue the

[6:26] coverage. Susan Pazano represents the

[6:28] health plan industry.

[6:30] >> We've always said we can do better than

[6:32] the traditional program for less. We've

[6:34] never said we could work miracles,

[6:36] >> but critics call it a bait and switch

[6:38] that harms seniors.

[6:40] >> They bait you to try to join the plan

[6:43] and then they switch the benefits, the

[6:45] cost, or they even drop out of the

[6:47] program.

[6:47] >> Earl and Jacqueline Lawrence have

[6:49] already been through this, dropped by

[6:51] their HMO earlier this year.

[6:52] >> I said I wasn't too frightened the first

[6:54] time it happened, but when it looks like

[6:57] it's going to happen again, how many

[6:58] more times? Many Medicare seniors choose

[7:01] HMOs because typically they get cheaper

[7:03] prescriptions and often pay no monthly

[7:05] premium. But that's about to change. 1.5

[7:09] million older people could be expected

[7:11] to pay new, higher premiums, an extra 20

[7:14] to $50 a month. Congressman Ben Carden,

[7:17] >> but they're going to have less choice

[7:19] this year than they did last year. And

[7:21] that's just the opposite of what we were

[7:23] supposed to do in Medicare reform. The

[7:25] government agency that runs Medicare

[7:27] says HMOs are actually overpaid because

[7:30] they get a set amount for every patient

[7:32] and often enroll healthier clients who

[7:34] cost them less. And the government says

[7:37] Medicare plans to pay HMOs another 5%

[7:40] next year.

[7:41] >> Here we go.

[7:43] >> Seniors losing benefits will be notified

[7:45] this summer and the changes don't take

[7:47] effect until the new year, giving them

[7:49] little time to prepare. Kelly O'Donnell,

[7:52] NBC News, Los Angeles. We come back this

[7:55] Friday evening. A banner day for the

[7:56] symbol of America. But in depth tonight,

[7:59] what about hundreds of other animals and

[8:01] plants?

[8:03] >> There are still a lot of species

[8:06] teetering on the very brink of

[8:07] extinction.

[8:08] >> The bald eagle flying high, but what

[8:10] about all the other endangered species

[8:12] and making sure the flag is still there?

[8:15] A special look at the painstaking effort

[8:17] to save the original and save it by

[8:19] hand.

[8:23] If you quit working after only 4 hours,

[8:25] you'd probably get fired. Right. Right.

[8:27] That's what a lot of pain relievers do.

[8:29] Work for a while, then quit. But now

[8:31] there's a leave. A leave has a strength

[8:34] to work all day long with just two

[8:36] pills. It would take eight Tylenol to do

[8:38] that. So if the pain reliever you use

[8:40] doesn't work the way you want, fire it.

[8:43] Fire it and take a leave. Two pills. All

[8:46] day relief. Works for me.

[8:49] >> And now a leave comes in fast acting gel

[8:51] caps.

[8:53] out here. I'm in command. So, am I

[8:56] supposed to say, "Slow down, guys. I'm

[8:58] constipated." I don't think so.

[9:02] >> You've got to eat right. Sometimes you

[9:03] can't. Harsh chemical laxatives. They

[9:06] can kick in whenever and wherever. Not

[9:08] an option. So, I rely on doctor

[9:10] recommended Metamucil. It's got 100%

[9:13] natural fiber. Works with my body

[9:15] gently, which is important to a

[9:17] sensitive guy like myself. Metamucil,

[9:20] the doctor's natural choice for

[9:22] regularity.

[9:28] See the USA in your Chevrolet.

[9:33] The world is big and wide.

[9:36] >> This is how the world looks from the

[9:38] inside of the new Chevy Impala. And this

[9:41] is how the new Impala looks to the

[9:42] world.

[9:44] >> Designed, engineered, and built to be

[9:46] the most carefree car on the road.

[9:50] Let's go for a drive.

[9:53] You better believe a pain like this from

[9:56] a store like this. We'll go on like

[9:58] this. Live on like this and look like

[10:02] this. Give you pride like this. Cuz it's

[10:05] true.

[10:06] The Great Paint Event is on at True

[10:09] Value. Now's the time to save on

[10:11] everything you need. But hurry, the

[10:14] event ends August 1st. The Great Paint

[10:17] event only at True Value. Great paint,

[10:20] great store.

[10:23] An interactive datine Tuesday. You meet

[10:25] the judge in a deadly mystery. They were

[10:28] headed for a breakup. Then he vanished.

[10:30] What happened?

[10:30] >> I think she pushed him intentionally.

[10:33] >> While a jury decides, decide for

[10:35] yourself on the internet. Log on to

[10:36] msnbc.com and vote. A Court TV exclusive

[10:40] and interactive datine Tuesday 10:9

[10:42] central.

[10:44] >> NBC News in depth tonight. The great

[10:46] American bald eagle is soaring once

[10:48] again. With a 10-year-old veteran bald

[10:50] eagle at his side, President Clinton

[10:51] announced today that after almost 30

[10:53] years at risk, the American symbol is

[10:56] about to be taken off the endangered

[10:58] species list. Just over 25 years ago,

[11:00] there were only 417 breeding pairs of

[11:03] eagles in the lower 48. Now, there are

[11:06] almost 6,000 of them.

[11:11] The comeback of the bald eagles is one

[11:12] of the great success stories. Not so for

[11:14] many other endangered species. For them,

[11:17] the battle to survive is far from over.

[11:19] Right now in this country, more than 350

[11:22] animal species and almost 570 plant

[11:25] species are listed as endangered. What's

[11:27] being done to protect them? We're want

[11:29] to begin tonight's in-depth reporting

[11:30] with NBC's Roger O'Neal.

[11:33] It's highly unlikely Colorado's

[11:35] greenback trout or North Carolina's red

[11:39] cauc,42

[11:50] plants and animals desperately in need

[11:52] of protection. But since President Nixon

[11:54] signed the act in 1973, as many species

[11:58] have gone extinct as have been

[12:00] recovered. the dusky seaside sparrow and

[12:02] Maryland darter to name two. Interior

[12:05] secretary Bruce Babbot.

[12:06] >> There are still a lot of species

[12:09] teetering on the very brink of

[12:10] extinction, but we have some spectacular

[12:12] successes from the salmon, the wolves,

[12:15] paragan falcon, the bald eagle, the

[12:17] great whales. U I think it's a very uh

[12:20] encouraging story,

[12:22] >> but the most recent assessment by the US

[12:24] Fish and Wildlife Service is alarming.

[12:26] Fewer than 1 in 10 are improving. Four

[12:29] in 10 are declining.

[12:33] >> Mention endangered species. Most people

[12:35] think spotted owls. In the late 80s,

[12:38] thousands of logging jobs were lost to

[12:40] protect a little bird. But now, the

[12:42] government is trying to work with

[12:44] business rather than against it to save

[12:46] endangered plants and animals. Take the

[12:48] red cockaded woodpecker. It's on the

[12:50] list, but golf courses can still be

[12:52] built and trees harvested. if private

[12:55] land owners will also improve the

[12:56] woodpecker's overall habitat, making it

[12:58] easier for it to survive.

[13:00] >> It's not getting in the way of any grand

[13:02] plant I have. I'm I'm glad to have I'm

[13:05] happy to have the woodpecker here.

[13:06] >> Still, in the last 3 years, 66 more

[13:09] plant and animal species have gotten

[13:11] close to extinction. The main reason why

[13:14] so many new plants and animals have been

[13:16] proposed to go onto the endangered

[13:18] species list is the same reason so many

[13:20] animals are already on it. Loss of

[13:22] habitat. as man continues to push into

[13:25] what was once territory reserved just

[13:27] for them. And a new concern now,

[13:30] remember the greenback trout?

[13:32] Conservationists worry the government is

[13:34] trying to take animals off the list too

[13:36] soon simply to make the list smaller.

[13:38] >> The goal for us isn't delisting, it's

[13:40] recovery.

[13:41] >> Despite 25 years of progress in the

[13:43] balancing act between man and nature,

[13:45] the scale still tips against most

[13:48] endangered species. Roger O'Neal, NBC

[13:50] News, Estis Park, Colorado.

[13:54] The threat to the bald eagle came from

[13:56] pesticides like DDT. Hunters, the loss

[13:59] of prey for them to kill and eat. But

[14:01] sometimes trying to save a threatened

[14:03] animal also endangers humans and their

[14:05] way of life. Is there a way to strike a

[14:07] balance? NBC's Jim Cumins continues

[14:09] tonight's in-depth reporting with a look

[14:11] at an amazing animal in action on land

[14:14] and sea.

[14:18] Something is killing sea turtles in huge

[14:20] numbers along the Texas Gulf Coast. 396

[14:23] dead last year. More than 230 of them

[14:26] washed ashore so far this year. The

[14:28] ancient Kemp's Ridley turtles are

[14:30] already in danger. Marine biologist

[14:32] Donna Shaver has been fighting to save

[14:34] the turtles and burying the ones

[14:36] stranded along this beach the past 18

[14:38] years. She blames the shrimp fishing

[14:41] industry. There continues to be a

[14:43] correlation between shrimping effort and

[14:46] strandings of sea turtles on the Texas

[14:48] coast.

[14:49] >> The number of turtle strandings on the

[14:51] beaches here in Texas dropped 90% during

[14:54] one two-month period. The same two

[14:56] months when the shrimping season was

[14:58] closed.

[15:00] These ancient creatures need oxygen, but

[15:02] they can't get any when they are trapped

[15:04] in the shrimpers nets. These turtles are

[15:06] being drowned and killed and mutilated

[15:09] while they're trying to get to the to

[15:11] the beach.

[15:12] >> Conservationists want to ban shrimp

[15:14] fishing up to 20 m off the Padre Island

[15:17] National Seashore. The fishermen say

[15:20] that would be disastrous for them.

[15:22] >> We are being restricted out of business.

[15:25] Why? I don't know.

[15:26] >> The shrimpers are going to say this is

[15:28] going to cost them their livelihood.

[15:29] >> Oh, I don't think there's a lot of water

[15:31] out there. There is a device that gives

[15:34] the turtles a way to escape the nets.

[15:36] It's called a TED or turtle excludder

[15:38] device.

[15:39] >> This is where the turtle escapes at.

[15:42] It'll hit this grid and it gets out.

[15:45] But when it does, so does a lot of other

[15:48] stuff comes out.

[15:49] >> The government requires Teds on all

[15:51] shrimp nets. Jack Collins, a fourth

[15:53] generation shrimper, says Teds may be

[15:55] saving the turtles, but are killing the

[15:58] family business. When you're putting a

[16:00] hole in your net with no way to to block

[16:03] anything from coming out, you know,

[16:05] you're going to have a loss.

[16:06] >> Fishing miss. This is the US Coast

[16:08] Guard. Dr. Stern, channel 22. Over.

[16:10] >> For now, the Coast Guard patrols the

[16:12] fishing boats to make sure they have the

[16:14] right equipment to preserve the turtles.

[16:16] Most do. The Texas Shrimp Association

[16:18] once offered a $20,000 reward to catch

[16:21] violators, but now says all boats are in

[16:23] compliance. And Donna Shaver continues

[16:26] her work protecting the fragile turtle

[16:28] eggs and planting them along Texas

[16:30] beaches so that the females will return

[16:33] here to nest decades from now. Jim

[16:36] Cumins, NBC News, Padre Island National

[16:39] Seashore.

[16:41] When we come back, the passing of a

[16:43] great American storyteller, the man who

[16:45] brought America, the Corleó family.

[17:16] Chevy Tahoe like a rock.

[17:22] Finally, a polished brass finish that

[17:24] holds up under siege. New brilliance for

[17:27] the kitchen from Delta. It's guaranteed

[17:30] to shine for life. Delta, the faucet.

[17:37] You see the sky,

[17:42] the sky in love with you.

[17:47] Yes, I'm in love. You never know when

[17:50] you'll find your missing half. So be

[17:53] ready with Scope. Nothing kills more bad

[17:55] breath germs. Its minty tingle gives

[17:58] breath so clean and fresh. Scope. Feel

[18:01] the tingle.

[18:05] >> I'm 64. Is there anything I can do to

[18:07] stop bone loss?

[18:08] >> Absolutely. Here's proof. In a landmark

[18:10] clinical study, Calrate actually stopped

[18:13] bone loss in women at risk for

[18:14] osteoporosis. Whatever your age,

[18:17] >> it's never too late for Cal Trait.

[18:19] >> You're on Love Matters. When love

[18:21] matters, I'm here to help. Dave,

[18:24] >> yeah, I'm having this problem with my

[18:26] girlfriend. It's kind of involved.

[18:28] >> Diarrhea. Get it. And you want it gone.

[18:30] >> You're a really good listener. You

[18:31] >> need Emodium AD.

[18:32] >> Emodium Advanced. It's even better.

[18:35] >> Only Emodium Advanced relieves diarrhea

[18:37] plus cramps and bloating by combining

[18:38] two medicines. And it's even faster than

[18:40] Emodium AD.

[18:41] >> So, was I right to invite my mom along

[18:43] in my honeymoon? Oh Dave, absolutely.

[18:47] >> Emodium advanced faster relief you can

[18:49] count on. This is Unisome sleep gels. It

[18:52] helps you sleep. This is Tylenol PM. It

[18:55] helps you sleep, too. They both have the

[18:57] exact same amount of the exact same

[18:59] sleep ingredient. But Tylenol PM has

[19:02] added medicine for headaches,

[19:04] backachches, even fever. Do you have a

[19:07] headache, backachche,

[19:09] >> fever? Uh-huh.

[19:10] >> Then why take medicine for it? Take

[19:13] UNISA. It's a safe, non-habit forming

[19:16] way to fall fast asleep.

[19:20] >> Sunday, politics 2000. Hillary Clinton

[19:22] gears up for the race and George Bush

[19:24] piles up the cash. Plus, the speaker of

[19:26] the house and the GOP agenda on Meet the

[19:28] Press at a special time.

[19:29] >> Get more of the Today Show with later

[19:32] today coming in September.

[19:35] >> In Northern Ireland tonight, encouraging

[19:37] news about the stalled peace process.

[19:39] The British and Irish prime ministers

[19:41] have announced a joint Protestant

[19:43] Catholic government will be formed on

[19:45] July 15 despite the failure to reach an

[19:48] agreement on the disarmament of the

[19:50] Irish Republican Army. Both Catholic and

[19:52] Protestant leaders say they still have

[19:53] major reservations. But British Prime

[19:55] Minister Tony Blair says a new

[19:57] government is the last chance for peace

[20:00] here. And in Kosovo tonight, American

[20:02] troops have captured five Serb soldiers

[20:04] along the Serbian border. And just in

[20:07] time for the holiday weekend, 24 Marine

[20:09] Corps FA18 fighter jets returned home

[20:12] after flying over 200 combat missions.

[20:15] But as NBC's Jim Meda reports tonight

[20:17] from Kosovo, Americans on the ground are

[20:19] still in very real danger.

[20:23] Thousands in the streets celebrating for

[20:25] the first time in a decade their dream

[20:27] of an independent Kosovo. But only miles

[20:30] away at a US Marine camp, this is the

[20:32] gritty reality. US troops on full alert

[20:35] day and night. Danger everywhere.

[20:38] >> This is not going to be a a quick fix.

[20:41] >> No US soldier knows that better than

[20:43] Marine Captain Tim Wein from Baltimore,

[20:45] Maryland.

[20:46] >> Best thing we can do is try to keep

[20:47] things at a dull war.

[20:48] >> His 170 Marines will spend their

[20:51] Independence Day on front lines, trained

[20:53] to kill as soldiers, but learning on the

[20:56] job to be cops.

[20:57] >> I tried to go through all the episodes

[20:59] of cops I've ever watched and wondered

[21:01] what the local police officer would do.

[21:03] This 31-year-old Annapapolis grad with a

[21:05] degree in engineering spends most of his

[21:07] day patrolling a beat, visiting

[21:09] checkpoints, a local Serb mayor.

[21:12] >> Hello, how are you?

[21:14] >> Even providing medical and ambulance

[21:15] services.

[21:16] >> I don't know what your tally is now.

[21:18] >> Three gunshot wounds, one pregnant lady,

[21:21] one baby with a dog bite.

[21:22] >> After a month on the job, Wan's learned

[21:25] you can trust no one.

[21:26] >> If you go and talk to a ser, he'll tell

[21:28] you one thing. If you go and talk to an

[21:30] Albanian, he'll tell you completely the

[21:32] opposite. He says his men are stretched

[21:34] too thin and will be happy when some

[21:36] 5,000 US Army troops, the bulk of the

[21:39] American contingent, arrive here soon to

[21:41] replace the Marines. In the meantime,

[21:43] his company does what it can.

[21:45] Confiscating weapons,

[21:48] blowing up mines, trying to keep the

[21:50] peace in a lawless land.

[21:52] >> We can say we did our part and we got

[21:54] the ball rolling. But when these US

[21:56] Marines leave Kosovo in about a week's

[21:58] time, they'll be leaving so many

[22:00] unresolved problems behind them. Widen

[22:03] sometimes feels like he's been treating

[22:05] an open wound with a band-aid.

[22:08] But then this happens.

[22:11] And a proud Marine knows he can

[22:13] celebrate his day of freedom, helping

[22:15] others find theirs. Jim, NBC News,

[22:18] Galani, Kosovo.

[22:21] And a giant of American entertainment is

[22:23] dead tonight. Mario Puzo, who wrote the

[22:25] best-selling novel The Godfather and won

[22:28] two Oscars for co-writing the

[22:29] screenplays that made the Corleó mafia

[22:32] family into a household name in this

[22:34] country, died at his home, apparently of

[22:36] heart failure. Mario Puzo was 78.

[22:40] Now to Wall Street. The fireworks

[22:42] started early today. The Dow almost up

[22:44] 73 points to set a new closing record.

[22:47] NASDAQ also hot, gaining almost 35 today

[22:50] for the week. By the way, the GA Dow had

[22:52] the biggest gain in its 103-year

[22:54] history, up over 568.

[22:57] NASDAQ did well, too, in the long run,

[22:59] up over 188 points in 5 days. And up

[23:03] next, as we continue to the rescue,

[23:05] saving the original Star Spangled Banner

[23:20] >> problem. The doctor says my cholesterol

[23:22] is still too high.

[23:24] >> What about diet and exercise?

[23:25] >> They didn't do enough.

[23:26] >> So,

[23:27] >> he suggested adding Lipiore. Lipur, the

[23:30] number one prescribed medication for

[23:32] lowering cholesterol. In clinical

[23:34] studies, Lipur with diet was proven to

[23:36] lower bad cholesterol 39 to 60%. Total

[23:39] cholesterol 29 to 45%. Triglycerides 19

[23:43] to 37%.

[23:44] >> He said over 4 million people have

[23:46] started taking Lipur to lower their

[23:47] cholesterol.

[23:48] >> Lipur is not for everyone, including

[23:50] people with liver disease or possible

[23:52] liver problems. Women who are nursing,

[23:54] pregnant, or may become pregnant.

[23:55] >> There'll be blood tests to check for

[23:56] liver problems. Tell your doctor about

[23:58] muscle pain or weakness as these may be

[24:00] signs of serious side effects.

[24:01] >> You take Lipur once a day.

[24:03] >> Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more

[24:05] information on Lipur and call 1888

[24:07] Lipur.

[24:09] >> Well,

[24:11] >> Lipur did it. My cholesterol is way

[24:13] down.

[24:13] >> Lipur, the lower numbers you're looking

[24:15] for.

[24:16] >> In hospitalies, they dispense medicines

[24:19] that work fast. For heartburn, that's 1

[24:21] minute. It goes to work on stomach acid

[24:24] in 1 minute. Pepsidac could take over 45

[24:26] minutes. Hospitalies rely on mailocks.

[24:29] Shouldn't you

[24:29] >> count on one minute mailocks?

[24:31] >> Great news for all you cats.

[24:33] >> That's us, Chuck.

[24:35] >> Really? The whiskers you love in a can

[24:37] now comes in the new flavor lock pouch.

[24:40] >> What a great day to be of the feline

[24:43] persuasion. Now wake her up. You betcha.

[24:49] >> Like this, Marv.

[24:52] And Whiskers has the flavor lock pouch

[24:54] to seal in all the slowcooked goodness

[24:56] of whiskers homestyle favorites.

[24:59] >> Whiskers cats want

[25:04] to use Preparation H. Cool it fast.

[25:07] Introducing Preparation H cooling gel.

[25:10] Cools on contact for fast relief. New

[25:13] Preparation H cooling gel. Cools on

[25:15] contact.

[25:16] >> You better believe a pain like this from

[25:19] a store like this.

[25:21] We'll go on like this and live on like

[25:24] this and look like this. Give you pride

[25:27] like this cuz it's true.

[25:30] The Great Paint event is on at True

[25:33] Value. Now's the time to save on

[25:35] everything you need. But hurry, the

[25:38] event ends August 1st. The Great Paint

[25:40] event only at True Value. Great paint,

[25:44] great store.

[25:48] Just ahead at 6, he may be a Metro jail

[25:50] inmate, but could his health be at risk

[25:53] because of medical policies in the jail?

[25:55] We'll explain. And is your bank account

[25:57] safe? Or has Y2K struck early? It's the

[26:00] latest bank computer problem. Stay with

[26:02] us. The scene at 6 is just minutes away.

[26:09] This weekend, American flags will be

[26:10] flying across this country. But the most

[26:13] celebrated flag in US history is laid up

[26:15] as the Smithsonian in Washington works

[26:18] to preserve the historic and fragile

[26:20] symbol. Here with that, NBC's Robert

[26:22] Hager.

[26:28] Stars and stripes gallantly streaming

[26:30] for the start of the Independence

[26:31] weekend, but the 185year-old banner that

[26:34] inspired our national anthem is now

[26:37] brittle.

[26:37] >> It would have gotten dustier and dustier

[26:39] over time. Suzanne Thomasson Krauss

[26:42] supervising the preservation team in

[26:44] surgical scrubs in a dust-free chamber.

[26:47] >> It would also continue to weaken over

[26:49] time and and sooner or later you risk

[26:51] having it fail completely.

[26:53] >> Tediously removing millions of tiny

[26:56] stitches put there in a previous

[26:58] preservation. Later we'll clean the

[27:00] fabric so delicately the whole project

[27:02] will take 3 years and $18 million. Most

[27:05] of that donated. Museum visitors able to

[27:08] watch through glass and see an exhibit.

[27:11] >> Just imagine that being a flag that

[27:12] stood over a fort is just amazing.

[27:14] >> My father gave his life for this country

[27:16] back in the Korean War. So, it has a

[27:18] special special meaning to me. It would

[27:20] be a pity if it ever disappeared.

[27:22] >> Two or three million may eventually

[27:24] visit, aed by the history. This old

[27:27] print shows how it all started 2 years

[27:29] into the War of 1812. In 1814, the

[27:33] British fleet here bombarding Fort

[27:35] Mckenry guarding the Baltimore Harbor.

[27:38] Star Spangled Banner flying over the

[27:40] fort. Francis Scott Keyi was actually

[27:42] out on one of these British ships. Key

[27:45] sent to negotiate with the enemy, elated

[27:47] to see the flag still there by dawn's

[27:49] early light. Today, the poem he wrote on

[27:52] the spot is our national anthem. Fort

[27:54] Mckenry is a national park and the old

[27:57] flag a national icon. We really do want

[28:00] to preserve its history and it's very

[28:02] important for people to preserve their

[28:04] cultural heritage. It tells you who you

[28:06] are as a people and as a country. And if

[28:08] we lose sight of who we've been in the

[28:10] past, we won't know who we are in the

[28:12] future.

[28:13] >> Now, meticulous work in surgical gowns

[28:16] will ensure the flag that was still

[28:18] there 185 years ago will still be there

[28:21] for hundreds of Independence Days to

[28:23] come.

[28:28] Robert Hager, NBC News, Washington.

[28:33] >> And that is NBC Nightly News for this

[28:35] Friday night. We hope you'll join us for

[28:37] our nightly broadcast, The News, on

[28:39] MSNBC and CNBC each evening. I'm Brian

[28:42] Williams reporting tonight from New

[28:44] York. Good night, everyone, and have a

[28:46] good holiday weekend.

[28:57] Nightly News is a presentation of NBC

[29:00] News. More Americans watch NBC News than

[29:02] any other news organization in the

[29:04] world.

[29:07] Now on the scene