NBC Nightly News - 2000-08-28

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:00] or working for you.

[0:04] >> Extreme weather, fires out of control in

[0:06] the American West, and a drought that's

[0:08] one for the record books. What's going

[0:10] on? Under pressure, government

[0:13] investigators turn up the heat on

[0:15] Firestone with new questions tonight

[0:16] about those dangerous tires.

[0:19] Lifeline, the high cost of going to the

[0:22] doctor, a prescription plan from Bush

[0:24] and Gore, and in depth, a new way to

[0:26] save. Price clubs for healthcare

[0:29] and secret weapon. A flashlight that can

[0:32] tell if you've been drinking. But is it

[0:34] an invasion of privacy?

[0:39] From NBC News World Headquarters in New

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

[0:46] Bro. Substituting tonight, Matt Lowry.

[0:51] >> Good evening. Extreme weather conditions

[0:53] are making this year's extremely bad

[0:55] fire season even worse. Tonight, it's

[0:57] dry, it's windy, and it's very hot in

[1:00] the middle and western parts of the

[1:01] country. That's exactly what

[1:03] firefighters don't need. We have two

[1:05] reports on the extreme heat and drought,

[1:07] beginning with the fire situation, which

[1:09] has exploded into a brand new area

[1:11] tonight. Here's NBC's Dan Loia.

[1:15] South Dakota's Black Hills National

[1:17] Forest. The wilderness now like a

[1:19] flaming torch, destructive and out of

[1:22] control. Wildfires raging across more

[1:24] than 62,000 acres in less than 4 days.

[1:28] >> You have a lot of grasses and uh um

[1:31] finer fuels that get the carries the

[1:34] fire into the larger fuels.

[1:36] >> Voluntary evacuations underway. People

[1:38] and livestock on the run. We packed the

[1:41] motor home with uh clothes and stuff. We

[1:44] got our tax records, got our pictures.

[1:48] 800 firefighters battling flames.

[1:52] We've got every fire department in the

[1:53] Black Hills. And and every one of them

[1:55] are specialists at Thank God at fighting

[1:57] these kinds of fires.

[1:59] >> And the biggest enemy, wind. So strong,

[2:02] this road acting as a fire break doesn't

[2:05] slow the inferno.

[2:06] >> The primary thing we need is to have the

[2:08] winds calm down. This fire has been wind

[2:11] driven since its onset. uh cause major

[2:13] problems for control.

[2:15] >> Out west, still no break in sight. The

[2:18] weather extreme, hot and dry, more than

[2:21] 80 fires burning, over 1 and a2 million

[2:24] acres. Outbuildings and homes destroyed.

[2:27] >> Give me two more.

[2:27] >> Today in Montana, where 31 large fires

[2:30] are burning and more than 670,000 acres

[2:33] have been blackened. Reinforcement for a

[2:36] depleted and exhausted firefighting

[2:38] force of some 10,000. Army troops from

[2:40] Fort Bragg, North Carolina training,

[2:43] headed to the fire lines this week.

[2:45] >> Everybody's a little excited to get in

[2:47] there and see what it actually looks

[2:48] like. And the more training we can do,

[2:49] the better off.

[2:50] >> And today in Idaho, other troops going

[2:53] home. 600 soldiers from Fort Hood,

[2:56] Texas, thanked for their 30-day tour of

[2:58] duty by the state's governor. We would

[3:00] not be as successful as we are today

[3:02] without them being here. They probably

[3:04] have helped us keep a number of other

[3:06] fires from having taken off. More troops

[3:09] will be activated, more firefighters

[3:11] called in. But weather experts say what

[3:13] the West needs is a prolonged period of

[3:15] heavy rainfall and there are no storm

[3:18] clouds on the horizon. Dan Loin, NBC

[3:21] News, Los Angeles.

[3:24] This is Jim Cumins in Dallas. It's one

[3:26] for the record books in North Texas. No

[3:28] rain the past 59 days, breaking a streak

[3:31] first set in 1934 and tied in 1950.

[3:35] Devastating for farmers and ranchers.

[3:37] four droughts in five years, costing

[3:39] them $5 billion in losses. The ground is

[3:42] so dry, many cotton farmers in central

[3:45] Texas are going back into their fields

[3:47] to plow up or destroy what remains of

[3:49] this year's crop.

[3:50] >> We've got uh several thousand acres of

[3:53] dry land that we've and I'd say a third

[3:55] of that we plowed up already.

[3:56] >> Ranchers in Cleburn are rushing their

[3:58] livestock to market because they've run

[4:00] out of grass to feed them.

[4:01] >> We haven't had any rain in about 2

[4:03] months and the grass is burning. It's

[4:06] looking pretty bleak for the cattleman

[4:08] if we don't get some rain pretty quick.

[4:11] >> And wheat farmers are meeting to decide

[4:13] whether they should even bother to plant

[4:14] a new crop in September.

[4:16] >> It's hard to think about planting if we

[4:19] even if we get normal rainfall with no

[4:21] underground moisture. I mean, we get

[4:24] weed up, it's not going to live.

[4:26] >> State Agriculture Commissioner Susan

[4:28] Combmes fears the drought will drive

[4:29] thousands of farmers and ranchers out of

[4:32] business. Somebody's going to say, "I

[4:33] can't make it in agriculture and I'm

[4:35] going to sell out. This will be the

[4:36] sixth year if we go into 2001." And I

[4:39] think that has huge consequences for the

[4:41] state.

[4:41] >> The National Weather Service blames this

[4:43] dome of high pressure that has been

[4:45] sitting over Texas and parts of several

[4:47] other states steering rain makingaking

[4:49] systems away from the region.

[4:51] >> This is uh the pattern that is

[4:52] consistent with the strong Leninia

[4:55] conditions, the cooler than normal water

[4:57] in the central Pacific. Those conditions

[4:59] are not expected to change for at least

[5:01] a month, aggravating another problem

[5:03] from the drought. Those wildfires

[5:05] burning across the West.

[5:07] >> The yard at Miller Brothers Supply is on

[5:09] fire.

[5:10] >> All over Texas, dozens of fire

[5:12] departments and the National Guard are

[5:13] battling wildfires. State officials say

[5:16] there is the added threat of campers who

[5:18] will be heading out to the woods Labor

[5:19] Day weekend. It's so bad some people are

[5:22] praying for rain.

[5:23] >> Father, we need plenty of rain right

[5:25] now. while others say it will take

[5:26] nothing less than a hurricane to end

[5:28] this drought.

[5:29] >> You'd like a small but tasteful

[5:31] hurricane.

[5:32] >> There's no rain in the forecast for the

[5:34] rest of the month. Jim Cumins, NBC News,

[5:37] Dallas. And there are more concerns

[5:40] turning up tonight over the Firestone

[5:41] tire recall and what could be much more

[5:44] serious trouble for Firestone and Ford

[5:46] Motor Company here at home and overseas.

[5:49] NBC's Robert Hager has more on that

[5:51] tonight.

[5:52] >> Good morning. Congressional

[5:54] investigators pour over Bridgestone

[5:56] Firestone headquarters in Nashville

[5:58] today.

[5:59] >> What did Firestone know about this

[6:01] problem? What should they have known

[6:02] about this problem during the last 8

[6:05] years?

[6:06] Did Firestone act soon enough to take

[6:09] these tires off the road?

[6:11] >> Firestone, meantime, talks to reporters,

[6:13] too.

[6:14] >> We moved very quickly. Um perhaps not

[6:17] even having all the details in line. We

[6:19] but we thought that this was the

[6:20] appropriate thing to do to cover our

[6:22] consumers to make sure that they are

[6:24] safe.

[6:25] >> But Ford today distances itself from

[6:27] Firestone, its partner of nearly a

[6:29] hundred years. A new statement tonight

[6:31] from Ford President Jack Nasser in the

[6:33] form of a paid advertisement.

[6:35] >> We now have commitments from other tire

[6:37] manufacturers, including Goodyear,

[6:40] Michelin, and Continental to double

[6:43] their capacity and help make replacement

[6:45] tires available sooner. And in

[6:47] Venezuela, Ford actually accuses

[6:50] Firestone of ignoring specifications

[6:52] distributing defective tires there that

[6:54] do not have a crucial extra layer of

[6:57] nylon meant to add protection from that

[6:59] country's rough roads. Ford sends out a

[7:02] tart reaction about those tires today.

[7:04] >> They weren't made to our specification,

[7:05] and we're trying to figure out what else

[7:07] in the tire perhaps didn't meet our

[7:09] specification.

[7:10] >> But Firestone says the tires were made

[7:12] to specifications and just mismarked.

[7:15] The Venezuelan Consumer Affairs Office

[7:17] issues a report later this week said to

[7:19] hold Ford and Firestone responsible for

[7:22] scores of accidents and open the way for

[7:24] fines or even potential criminal

[7:26] prosecutions. Next Wednesday, the action

[7:29] moves to Capitol Hill where both the

[7:31] House and the Senate hold hearings on

[7:33] explorers and their Firestone tires.

[7:35] >> The congressman who will co-chair one of

[7:37] those sessions says he'll be thinking of

[7:39] all those fatal accidents. He's

[7:41] Representative Billy Toan. The evidence

[7:44] cries out to us from those from those

[7:46] grave those graves that something was

[7:49] wrong. Something didn't work.

[7:50] >> Suzanne has an explorer that's been

[7:52] parked in Washington during the current

[7:54] congressional recess. He heard just

[7:56] today he has to replace his tires.

[7:58] Tonight joining 6 million other

[8:00] Americans. Robert Hager, NBC News,

[8:03] Washington.

[8:04] >> And there is a new development tonight

[8:05] in the investigation of the John Benet

[8:07] Ramsay murder. For the first time in two

[8:10] years, her parents have submitted to

[8:12] questions from police. The investigators

[8:14] were from Boulder, Colorado, where that

[8:16] murder took place. But the questioning

[8:18] took place in Atlanta, where the Ramsies

[8:20] now live. And that's where NBC's Dan

[8:22] Abrams joins us live. Dan. Well, good

[8:24] evening, Matt. It was a contentious day

[8:26] of questioning for Paty Ramsey, with one

[8:28] prosecutor even threatening to walk out.

[8:31] Neither side would say exactly what

[8:33] questions were asked, but there was a

[8:34] lot of ground to cover since the last

[8:36] time the Ramsay spoke to authorities.

[8:38] They've written a book detailing their

[8:40] whereabouts the night of the murder. And

[8:42] the police say they've retested some of

[8:45] the forensic evidence, leaving them with

[8:47] a lot of new questions. The Ramsies

[8:49] insist they want to help.

[8:52] >> We're not here to prove our innocence or

[8:55] clear our names. We're here to find the

[8:56] killer of our daughter. And that's been

[8:58] our position for three and a half years.

[9:01] The Ramsies agreed to these interviews,

[9:03] even against the advice of their lawyer.

[9:05] The more they say, the more that could

[9:07] be used against them, but some say this

[9:09] could help them rehabilitate their

[9:11] public image. John Ramsay's expected to

[9:13] be questioned tomorrow. Matt,

[9:15] >> NBC's Dan Abrams in Atlanta tonight.

[9:17] Dan, thank you very much. Still ahead

[9:19] tonight, a secret and controversial new

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[9:40] your privacy?

[9:42] And up next, NBC News in depth, a whole

[9:45] new way to buy healthcare. Can the same

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[12:10] >> Dine Tuesday 10:9 central on NBC.

[12:15] >> NBC News in depth tonight. Healthcare

[12:17] taking center stage on the presidential

[12:19] campaign trail, whether it was supposed

[12:21] to be on the agenda today or not. Vice

[12:23] President Al Gore is in Florida where

[12:25] he's been talking to senior citizens

[12:27] about the high cost of prescription

[12:29] medicine. Here's NBC's Claire Shipman.

[12:31] >> I think she's outside

[12:33] >> trying to personalize his prescription

[12:35] drug proposal. Gore's first stop today,

[12:37] a small Tallahassee pharmacy.

[12:39] >> It's hard to deal with

[12:41] >> where Myrtle Jennings, 82 years old,

[12:43] tells him she can't afford all of her

[12:45] medications. A tale Gore recounts later

[12:47] for a group of Florida's senior

[12:49] citizens.

[12:50] >> She is now placed in a situation where

[12:52] she has to she she feels like she has to

[12:55] cut out that pain medication. That's

[12:58] just wrong.

[12:59] >> The vice president attacks the drug

[13:01] makers.

[13:02] >> These companies have so much power and

[13:04] so much wealth. This by all odds the

[13:06] most profitable industry in America.

[13:08] >> And harsh words for his opponent. A new

[13:11] ad released today in nine states. George

[13:13] Bush's approach leaves millions of

[13:15] seniors with no prescription drug

[13:16] coverage.

[13:17] >> Gore offers a 10-year, $253 billion

[13:21] Medicare drug benefit. Bush favors a

[13:23] government subsidized private sector

[13:25] approach and says he'll outline the plan

[13:27] next week. An NBC poll this month shows

[13:30] the public thinks Gore would be better

[13:32] than Bush on healthcare, 44 to 31%. And

[13:36] experts say this week is a critical test

[13:38] for Gore. If he can't make it work for

[13:41] him, if he can't put and keep Bush on

[13:43] the defensive on healthcare, I don't

[13:45] think he can win this election.

[13:47] >> Gore's advisers say privately they can't

[13:49] figure out why Bush hasn't outlined a

[13:51] prescription drug plan or even talked

[13:53] more about healthcare, but they also

[13:55] know he still has time to do it. Matt,

[13:58] >> thanks, Claire. Governor George W. Bush

[14:00] is focusing his message this week on

[14:02] education. But tonight, the Republican

[14:05] party is out with a new commercial on

[14:06] the prescription drug issue. NBC's David

[14:09] Gregory is in Austin, Texas with the

[14:10] Bush campaign. David?

[14:12] >> Well, that's right. M Bush is eager to

[14:14] get back on message this week talking

[14:16] about education reform, but once again,

[14:18] he's been pulled into another debate

[14:20] because of Gore's attacks. And this

[14:22] time, it is healthcare.

[14:25] Even before Bush has detailed his

[14:27] prescription drug plan, the Republican

[14:29] party is eager to sell it to older

[14:31] Americans in nine swing states,

[14:33] unveiling this TV ad today.

[14:35] >> The Gore prescription plan. Bureaucrats

[14:37] decide the Bush prescription plan

[14:40] seniors choose.

[14:41] >> Despite pressure on Bush from the vice

[14:43] president to spell out just how his plan

[14:45] will work, the Texas governor promises

[14:48] he'll talk specifics next week. As for

[14:50] the drug benefit, Bush calls for

[14:52] extending a bipartisan approach first

[14:54] offered by Senators Bill Frist and John

[14:56] Bro.

[14:57] >> It says that seniors at their choice

[14:59] should be able to pick in the pick and

[15:01] choose amongst a variety of plans, all

[15:03] of which will include prescription

[15:04] drugs. This model, Bush advisers say,

[15:07] encourages competition between private

[15:09] insurance companies to keep costs down.

[15:11] The plan would be administered by one of

[15:13] these private companies, but the

[15:15] government would pay for part of the

[15:16] drug plan premium. Bush also supports a

[15:19] subsidy for lowincome seniors as well.

[15:23] And tonight, Bush aids dispute the

[15:24] charge that he has been silent on the

[15:26] healthc care debate, saying it's the

[15:28] vice president who's been part of an

[15:30] administration that for seven and a half

[15:31] years has failed to deliver a

[15:33] prescription drug benefit to older

[15:35] Americans. Matt, NBC's David Gregory in

[15:38] Texas this evening. David, thank you.

[15:39] And then there are those who are not

[15:41] waiting for a new government plan to try

[15:43] to make the most of their buying power.

[15:45] Consumers banding together to get better

[15:47] deals by buying health care in bulk. We

[15:50] continue in depth tonight with NBC's

[15:52] Anne Thompson.

[15:54] >> Buyers clubs, part of the American

[15:56] shopping landscape. Join and band with

[15:58] others to get items at a discount. The

[16:01] principle that's worked so well for

[16:03] household items now applied to

[16:04] healthcare. Surf the web and you'll find

[16:07] these medical buyers clubs under a

[16:09] variety of names. Offering savings on

[16:11] prescription drugs, dental, and vision

[16:14] care.

[16:14] >> On your prescription, your savings is

[16:16] going to vary up to 40%. Companies like

[16:19] Med Advantage based in suburban Detroit.

[16:21] Members pay $99.95 a year to get

[16:24] discounts. The average savings per

[16:26] prescription $95.

[16:29] The target consumers whose insurance

[16:31] doesn't cover all their needs. They may

[16:34] have a high deductible or a large

[16:37] percentage co- insurance required. So

[16:40] there are a lot of individuals out there

[16:43] that uh have gaps in their insurance

[16:45] coverage. So more and more people are

[16:48] spending their own money. In 1998,

[16:50] Americans took almost $200 billion out

[16:53] of their own pockets to spend on health

[16:55] care, an increase of 38% since 1990. One

[16:59] of them, Barbara Cohan of Pompo Beach,

[17:02] Florida. A Medicare recipient with no

[17:04] prescription drug benefit, she spent

[17:06] $180 every month for medications to

[17:09] control cholesterol, hypertension, and

[17:11] arthritis. But now she says she's cut

[17:14] her bill by 15% by joining a buyer club.

[17:18] >> It's a feeling of relief to know that I

[17:21] I can now have an afford affordable

[17:24] medication. While they address some

[17:26] needs, experts point out these clubs

[17:28] can't solve the biggest problems. The 44

[17:31] million Americans without health

[17:32] insurance or older Americans who even

[17:35] with a discount will continue to find

[17:38] prices out of reach. We'll still have to

[17:40] make the kinds of choices that I think

[17:42] we would not like to see our parents and

[17:44] our grandparents in fact having to make

[17:46] between medicines and other um

[17:50] necessities of life.

[17:51] >> And Dr. Henry Aaron, a health economist

[17:53] with the Brookings Institution, says the

[17:56] problem is only going to get worse. As

[17:58] long as medical science continues to

[18:00] produce, the uh the wellspring of uh new

[18:04] devices and procedures and drugs, we're

[18:07] going to see costs go up and the

[18:08] pressure on people's pocketbooks will be

[18:10] unrelenting.

[18:11] >> Pressure that even banding together to

[18:13] buy in bulk will not be enough of a cure

[18:15] for those suffering from the high cost

[18:17] of health care. Anne Thompson, NBC News,

[18:20] Chicago.

[18:22] >> And we'll be right back with a real life

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[20:45] and if it's right for you. The most

[20:47] common side effects are headache,

[20:48] diarrhea, and abdominal pain. 24 hours

[20:51] of complete heartburn relief is possible

[20:53] with the purple pill they call Pryloac.

[20:58] Starting in 2 weeks, the Today Show from

[21:01] Sydney, Australia. Join Katie and Matt

[21:03] down under and see what a difference

[21:06] makes.

[21:07] >> New information about allergies for your

[21:09] family. NBC Nightly News tomorrow.

[21:13] In Russia tonight, still reeling from

[21:15] that submarine disaster, a new crisis.

[21:17] This time in Moscow itself. At least two

[21:20] people are dead after a fire in a huge

[21:21] television tower that handles much of

[21:23] that city's TV transmissions. NBC's

[21:26] Donna Fen tonight.

[21:29] A raging fire, 1700 ft in the air. For

[21:33] 24 hours, the Moscow TV tower burns out

[21:35] of control, gutting the second tallest

[21:38] structure in the world, striking yet

[21:40] another blow to Russian pride.

[21:42] Firefighters overwhelmed, their hoses

[21:45] too short, and no fast way up to the

[21:47] top. Elevators burned out, their cables

[21:50] snapped by the heat of the fire,

[21:52] hurtling several people trapped inside

[21:54] to their deaths. Crews forced to lug

[21:57] heavy equipment up hundreds of stairs.

[21:59] After a day, the fire finally out. But

[22:02] new fears now. The tower, especially the

[22:05] thin spire on the top, could collapse.

[22:08] Officials suspect the fire has weakened

[22:10] steel support cables inside. This just

[22:13] weeks after the sinking of the submarine

[22:15] Kursk and the failed rescue effort.

[22:17] Tonight, from President Vladimir Putin,

[22:19] a frank admission. Russia is lurching

[22:21] from one crisis to another.

[22:25] This emergency highlights the crumbling

[22:27] condition of vital facilities and the

[22:29] entire nation. He tells government

[22:31] officials. Only economic development, he

[22:33] says, will prevent future calamities.

[22:36] Other examples, tons of oil spilled

[22:38] every day from leaky pipelines creating

[22:41] ongoing environmental threats. Constant

[22:44] breakdowns at power stations yielding

[22:46] daily inconveniences and frequent

[22:48] emergencies.

[22:49] Built in 1967, the Austin Kino Tower was

[22:52] a symbol of Soviet sophistication. It

[22:55] was once the tallest freestanding

[22:56] structure in the world, dwarfed now by

[22:59] Toronto's CN Tower. It's about one and a

[23:01] half times taller than the Eiffel Tower,

[23:04] nearly three times the height of

[23:05] Seattle's Space Needle. Most people in

[23:08] Moscow have only seen news of the fire

[23:10] in the paper. It knocked out TV service

[23:12] to roughly 12 million people. President

[23:15] Putin has ordered the tower repaired

[23:17] within a week. Many Russians simply

[23:19] shrug. Finally, our children will read

[23:22] instead of sitting in front of the TV.

[23:24] This man says an investigation is

[23:26] underway to determine if negligence

[23:27] caused the fire. Another disaster in

[23:30] Russia's recent trail of misfortune.

[23:32] Donna Fzen, NBC News, London.

[23:35] >> On Wall Street today, stocks moved

[23:37] higher. The Dow gained over 60 points

[23:40] and NASDAQ was up almost 28 points.

[23:43] We'll be right back.

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[25:21] discomfort. Well, it's down at the end

[25:24] of acid street. The heartburn hotel.

[25:27] Well, your stomachs are burning. Baby,

[25:30] the acids are churning. Baby, you're

[25:33] getting heartburn all the time.

[25:36] Well, you change the way you're eating.

[25:38] You're getting exercise. Get treated for

[25:41] two days a week or more. The acid starts

[25:44] to rise.

[25:45] >> Ask your doctor about Previsit. It can

[25:48] mean 24-hour relief from persistent

[25:50] heartburn associated with acid reflux

[25:52] disease. Previsit turns off tiny pumps

[25:55] that produce acid in your stomach.

[25:56] Prescription Previsit has a low

[25:58] occurrence of side effects such as

[25:59] diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea.

[26:02] Previsit can provide complete night and

[26:04] day heartburn relief. Ask your doctor if

[26:06] Previs is right for you.

[26:08] >> Check out of the Heartburn Hotel.

[26:10] >> Previsit stops the burning, SO LEAVE

[26:13] YOUR HEARTS BEHIND. YEAH.

[26:20] >> Coming up at 6, believe it or not, a new

[26:21] curious link between your education and

[26:24] your ability to survive a heart attack.

[26:26] We'll have the incredible details at 6.

[26:28] And Bill Monroe was called the father of

[26:30] bluegrass. Now country stars are

[26:32] honoring him with a tribute CD. And is

[26:35] there more rain in our forecast? We'll

[26:37] tell you at 6.

[26:39] >> At this time of year, police are always

[26:41] looking for people who've been drinking

[26:42] and driving. But a growing number of

[26:44] communities now have a controversial new

[26:46] tool to identify those who've had too

[26:49] much. Here's NBC's Pete Williams.

[26:52] >> A weekend sobriety checkpoint in

[26:54] Virginia. Police looking for drunk

[26:56] drivers.

[26:57] >> Good evening, ma'am.

[26:57] >> Hi. How are you?

[26:58] >> Good. How are you? I'm officer Green of

[27:00] the Fairfax County Police Department. It

[27:02] seems routine, a few simple questions.

[27:04] But look closely. The drivers don't

[27:06] realize it, but that flashlight actually

[27:08] hides a sensitive alcohol detector

[27:10] that's secretly sampling the air they

[27:12] exhale and measuring their likely blood

[27:15] alcohol levels. This device basically is

[27:17] an extension of the officer's nose. It

[27:19] it gives us a little bit more uh

[27:22] sensitivity to what the officer may or

[27:25] may not be smelling there. The readout

[27:27] itself cannot be used as evidence, but

[27:29] if it shows alcohol may be present,

[27:31] police can then ask a driver to walk a

[27:33] straight line, stand on one foot, or

[27:35] take an official breathalyzer test. That

[27:38] is evidence and can lead to an arrest.

[27:40] The alcohol sniffer is growing in

[27:42] popularity with over 1,000 now in use in

[27:45] half the states. The police say it's

[27:47] better than having to stick their heads

[27:49] into the cars they stop. and more

[27:51] dependable, says the company that makes

[27:53] it, able to pick up traces that a

[27:55] trained nose might miss.

[27:57] >> Often alcohol is not detectable by

[28:00] simply smelling. Alcohols that have low

[28:02] odor content, for example, vodka is a

[28:05] good example of that. Very, very

[28:07] difficult to discern if someone has been

[28:09] drinking vodka.

[28:11] >> Groups like Mothers Against Drunk

[28:12] Driving like it too. Just this summer,

[28:14] buying 38 of the units and donating them

[28:16] to police. But does it violate a

[28:19] driver's rights? Civil liberties groups

[28:21] have not challenged it in court, but

[28:23] some privacy advocates call it sneaky

[28:25] and alarming. They say it could get

[28:27] drivers in trouble even if they've had

[28:29] just one drink.

[28:30] >> It can show that even though you're not

[28:32] legally drunk, that you might have had a

[28:34] drink. And then if the officer says,

[28:36] "Have you been drinking tonight?" And

[28:38] you know you're not legally drunk and

[28:39] you say no, then you're lying to a

[28:42] police officer.

[28:43] >> Even so, the insurance industry says the

[28:45] device does nothing intrusive. You don't

[28:47] have a privacy interest in the way that

[28:49] you smell. When you go out in public,

[28:51] the odors that you carry with you can be

[28:54] detected by anybody else. So, with a

[28:56] company saying that orders keep coming,

[28:58] privacy groups have a warning for

[29:00] drivers caught in highway checkpoints.

[29:02] Watch out, your government may be

[29:04] sniffing. Pete Williams, NBC News,

[29:06] Washington.

[29:07] >> I'm Matt Lowour. Good night.

[29:12] By the age of 14, Australian swimming

[29:15] sensation Ian Thorp was already a

[29:17] national hero. But he was also at a

[29:19] crossroads, losing interest and losing

[29:21] faith. Then a young friend's fight would

[29:23] forever change Ian's outlook and renew

[29:26] his dream to achieve the impossible. The

[29:28] Olympic Games on NBC. Follow the dream.