NBC Nightly News - 2009-04-30

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:02] on the broadcast here tonight on the

[0:04] line. They tried to avoid it, but

[0:06] Chrysler goes into bankruptcy. They plan

[0:08] to retool, reemerge with a new partner

[0:11] as a new company. Disease control, the

[0:14] flu outbreak spreads as health officials

[0:16] scramble. Also tonight, what the vice

[0:18] president meant to say. [snorts]

[0:20] Unwelcome visitors. Will show you why

[0:22] some people are flocking to Florida in

[0:24] droves these days and why the cops are

[0:26] waiting for them at the other end. and

[0:29] serious playing. They really learn how

[0:31] to play after school in New Orleans

[0:32] thanks to a program that's making a

[0:34] difference. Also tonight, a surprising

[0:37] new look for an American icon who is 50

[0:39] this year. Nightly News begins now.

[0:46] From NBC News World Headquarters in New

[0:49] York, this is NBC Nightly News with

[0:51] Brian Williams.

[0:53] >> Good evening. We want to start here

[0:55] tonight with a quick update on the

[0:56] status of this swine flu we've been

[0:58] following for days. As of today, there

[1:01] are 132 confirmed cases now in the US.

[1:05] The flu's been confirmed in 18 states

[1:08] and 11 nations. We'll have tonight's

[1:11] complete update in just a moment. But

[1:13] first, we're going to begin the

[1:14] broadcast tonight with the news today

[1:16] about an American institution. Chrysler,

[1:18] one of the Detroit big three. It's being

[1:21] allowed to go into a kind of controlled

[1:23] skid. They tried desperately to avoid

[1:25] it. It's sliding into intentional

[1:28] bankruptcy and then it's emerging or so

[1:31] goes the plan, partnering up with Fiat

[1:33] of Italy and staying in business, though

[1:36] looking different than it does today. A

[1:38] lot of workers get an unplanned and

[1:40] unwanted vacation out of this. Phil

[1:43] Labau starts off our coverage. To start

[1:45] us off tonight, he's the car business

[1:47] guy at CNBC. He's at a dealership

[1:50] tonight in Bloomfields Hills, Bloomfield

[1:52] Hills, Michigan. Phil, good evening.

[1:55] >> Good evening, Brian. This is unchartered

[1:57] territory for the big three. Chrysler is

[2:00] officially bankrupt. It's still in

[2:02] business. It's still selling cars, but

[2:04] now it is counting on Uncle Sam to help

[2:06] it get back on its feet.

[2:09] >> This is a company that has a particular

[2:11] claim on our American identity.

[2:13] Surrounded by members of his auto task

[2:15] force, President Obama declared Chrysler

[2:17] a bankrupt company he is determined to

[2:20] save.

[2:20] >> I stand with Chrysler's employees and

[2:22] their families and communities. I stand

[2:24] with Chrysler's management, its dealers,

[2:26] and its suppliers. I stand with the

[2:29] millions of Americans who own and want

[2:30] to buy Chrysler cars. I don't stand with

[2:33] those who held out when everybody else

[2:35] is making sacrifices. The White House

[2:37] blames hedge funds who loaned Chrysler

[2:39] billions of dollars for pushing the

[2:41] company into bankruptcy by refusing to

[2:44] exchange their debt for cash. Those

[2:46] lenders say they deserve more than what

[2:48] was being offered and will fight for it

[2:50] in bankruptcy court. The White House

[2:52] believes Chrysler could be out of

[2:53] bankruptcy in 30 to 60 days, emerging

[2:56] with the United Auto Workers owning more

[2:59] than half the company, while Italian

[3:00] automaker Fiat takes 20% as a partner

[3:04] planning to build smaller, more fuel

[3:06] efficient cars at Chrysler's US plants.

[3:08] Chrysler's visibly drained CEO says

[3:11] bankruptcy was the only option.

[3:14] >> Whether you like this decision or not,

[3:16] it is the only path that kept Chrysler

[3:19] alive. Chrysler has a history of

[3:21] surviving and reinventing itself. Most

[3:24] notably 30 years ago when Liakoka

[3:27] rebuilt a near bankrupt company starting

[3:29] with the K car.

[3:30] >> Liakoka driving a 1984 Plymouth Voyager.

[3:34] >> Later the Voyager Caravan and Town and

[3:36] Country minivans became symbols of

[3:39] family life in the suburbs.

[3:41] The auto company that once defined

[3:43] American muscle cars was redefining

[3:46] American pop culture. If you can find a

[3:49] better car, buy it.

[3:50] >> Soft, green [music] leather.

[3:52] >> I DRIVE A DOG STRAIGHT.

[3:54] >> ONCE AGAIN, Chrysler is trying to wipe

[3:56] the slate clean. This time in one or two

[3:59] months. An ambitious goal that is being

[4:01] questioned.

[4:02] >> To think that a major manufacturer could

[4:04] go through this process in 2 months with

[4:06] all the moving parts uh within their

[4:08] organization. Uh it really could be a

[4:10] leap of faith. For Chrysler's 38,000

[4:12] workers, bankruptcy will bring even more

[4:15] questions to a company already reeling

[4:17] from uncertainty. No jobs are expected

[4:19] to be cut, but Chrysler's 12 plants will

[4:22] shut down while the automaker is in

[4:23] court, leaving workers and suppliers to

[4:26] wonder if the company will be able to

[4:28] rebound.

[4:29] >> Time will tell. I hope, you know, glad

[4:30] to have the job that we got, but not

[4:31] sure how long it's going to be there.

[4:34] As for the thousands of Chrysler workers

[4:36] who are at those plants, but will find

[4:38] those plants shut down next week. Many

[4:40] of them will have to apply for state

[4:42] unemployment benefits, they're going to

[4:44] have to wait until Chrysler's plants can

[4:46] reopen until they can collect a full

[4:48] paycheck. Brian and Phil, you and I were

[4:50] talking earlier. We're both car guys.

[4:51] For those of us who have a Chrysler

[4:53] product in the driveway, there's the

[4:54] usual concern over warranties and parts,

[4:57] but this unknown aspect, and that is the

[5:00] brand stigma owning a car that is for a

[5:03] time at least in bankruptcy. And I guess

[5:05] that's that's the uncharted territory.

[5:08] And and the big concern has long been

[5:10] here in Detroit that if you go into

[5:12] bankruptcy, the residual value of the

[5:14] vehicles will plummet. Nobody will want

[5:15] to buy them. But I have to tell you,

[5:17] here at this dealership today, two

[5:18] people came in. They saw what the

[5:20] president had to say about standing

[5:21] behind Chrysler. Came in and bought a

[5:23] Chrysler even though they have

[5:24] traditionally bought foreign made cars.

[5:26] That is Detroit. But it is an

[5:28] interesting indication of how some

[5:29] people feel about this company.

[5:30] >> Yeah, interesting dynamic. We'll see if

[5:32] that plays out. Phil, glad to have you.

[5:34] Phil Labau, who covers the car business

[5:36] for CNBC and for us from Bloomfield

[5:39] Hills, Michigan tonight. We have more on

[5:41] this aspect of the story. For folks with

[5:43] Chrysler products, for the communities

[5:45] that depend on their local dealerships,

[5:48] the local businesses that advertise, put

[5:50] people to work, and supply the car for

[5:52] the church raffle every year. George

[5:54] Lewis is at a Chrysler dealership in

[5:56] Norcco, California tonight. Hey, George.

[5:59] Good evening.

[6:00] >> Good evening, Brian. The dealerships in

[6:02] this city, including this Dodge Chrysler

[6:04] dealership, provide 40% of Norcco's

[6:08] revenue from sales taxes. So, Norco is

[6:11] trying to bail them out.

[6:15] Late last year, this city of 25,000

[6:18] voted to give the two local dealerships

[6:20] a million dollar line of credit to keep

[6:22] them open.

[6:24] >> 40% of our sales tax revenue, and to

[6:26] think they would go away would truly be

[6:27] devastating. The mayor says the Chrysler

[6:30] bankruptcy came as no surprise here. The

[6:32] question now, will the local dealer be

[6:35] able to hang on? He wasn't talking. In

[6:38] California, the nation's number one

[6:40] market for automobiles, sales were down

[6:42] 43% in the first quarter of this year.

[6:45] That's on top of a 39% drop in the

[6:48] fourth quarter of last year. Sales of

[6:51] all vehicles are so weak in California

[6:53] that imported cars, usually popular

[6:56] here, are piling up at the ports of Los

[6:58] Angeles and Long Beach. And Chrysler,

[7:01] overstocked with big gasg guzzling

[7:03] trucks, accounts for only about 6% of

[7:06] the new vehicle sales in California.

[7:08] >> My first car was a Dodge.

[7:10] >> Chrysler needs more customers like Kevin

[7:12] Grant, who drives a 99 Dodge Ram and has

[7:15] been loyal to the brand most of his

[7:16] life. But he worries about Chrysler's

[7:19] future with the bankruptcy and the

[7:21] partnership with Fiat.

[7:23] >> These companies are icons or

[7:25] institutions and people should not sit

[7:27] back and watch them go quietly away.

[7:29] >> Absolutely.

[7:30] >> Across the country at a Chrysler

[7:32] dealership in Tennoffly, New Jersey, new

[7:34] car shoppers wondered how well Chrysler

[7:36] will stand behind its cars.

[7:38] >> I asked him a few questions about the

[7:40] warranties and if you bought prices

[7:42] still have the warranty. In Thornton,

[7:45] Colorado, dealer John Schindland says

[7:47] the bankruptcy deal is a good thing.

[7:49] >> I think it'll calm down the customers as

[7:52] to whether or not we're going to be

[7:53] here.

[7:54] >> And back in Norcco, they're hoping the

[7:56] car dealers they're trying to bail out

[7:58] will be among the survivors.

[8:01] Now, the mayor tells us it isn't just

[8:03] the sales tax revenues. It's things like

[8:05] support for kids baseball and the annual

[8:08] rodeo that they count on from these

[8:09] dealers. So, a bankruptcy of one of the

[8:12] big three has big repercussions here,

[8:14] Brian.

[8:14] >> All right, George Lewis on the lot

[8:16] tonight in Norcco, California. George,

[8:18] thanks. Now to the other major story

[8:20] we've been covering here for days. This

[8:22] swine flu outbreak which is disrupting

[8:25] everyday life in some places as the

[8:27] number of cases is spread across more

[8:30] states now. But the good news is there

[8:32] are no new deaths to report here or in

[8:34] Mexico. Our chief science correspondent

[8:37] Robert Bazelle is here with us again.

[8:39] And Bob, this day started out with a

[8:40] kind of a scare from a senior official

[8:43] who knew better.

[8:44] >> You certainly should have known better,

[8:45] Brian. The day began with Vice President

[8:48] Biden, that senior senior official,

[8:49] making a statement about swine flu that

[8:51] he and everyone else in the

[8:53] administration quickly disavowed.

[8:55] >> Health organization says we're now at a

[8:57] level five.

[8:58] >> Appearing on the Today Show, Mr. Biden

[9:00] said he would keep his family away from

[9:02] confined spaces,

[9:05] especially subways and airplanes. Yeah,

[9:07] we should be landing shortly.

[9:08] >> When one person sneezes, it goes all the

[9:11] way through the aircraft.

[9:12] >> Good afternoon. I know.

[9:13] >> White House spokesman Robert Gibbs went

[9:15] to work on damage control. One of many

[9:17] corrections from administration

[9:19] officials. I

[9:19] >> understand what he said and I'm telling

[9:21] you what he meant to say.

[9:23] >> My message really is that uh it is safe

[9:26] to fly. There is no reason to cancel

[9:29] flights. At the CDC's emergency

[9:32] operations center, reports of new cases

[9:34] of the swine flu continue to pour in at

[9:37] such a rate that the government might

[9:39] stop the detailed tabulation.

[9:41] >> We may move away from case updates

[9:43] because as as we see more cases and more

[9:46] suspect cases, um the the numbers become

[9:50] a little murkier and and we'll focus

[9:53] more on where things are occurring.

[9:55] >> There are now confirmed cases in 18

[9:57] states and 11 countries.

[10:00] Some of the cases were connected today

[10:02] with President Obama's recent trip to

[10:04] Mexico. An unidentified energy

[10:06] department employee involved in advanced

[10:09] planning got sick after he returned and

[10:12] then infected three family members.

[10:14] >> He was asked specifically if he ever

[10:15] came within 6 ft of the president. And

[10:18] the answer to that was no.

[10:19] >> The White House said neither the

[10:20] president nor anyone else in the

[10:22] administration appear ill. Mexican

[10:24] President Calderon has ordered a

[10:26] five-day shutdown of businesses and

[10:28] non-essential government services over

[10:30] what would have been a holiday period

[10:32] anyway, while the health minister said

[10:34] the number of cases in Mexico appears to

[10:37] be stabilizing.

[10:40] One more hopeful sign as we've been

[10:41] pointing out as more and more cases

[10:44] appear to be in this country no worse

[10:46] than regular influenza and with people

[10:48] recovering it's good officials war

[10:51] continue to warn about possible deaths

[10:52] but so far there has just been that one

[10:55] child who traveled to Mexico Brian.

[10:56] >> All right let's hope this current news

[10:58] continues. Bob Bazelle with us here

[11:00] tonight. As we mentioned there is quite

[11:02] a bit of disruption going on especially

[11:04] when it comes to schools. More than a

[11:07] quarter million kids are being kept

[11:09] home, including the entire public school

[11:12] population of Fort Worth, Texas. The

[11:14] biggest school system to shut down in

[11:16] all of this so far. Our own Janet

[11:19] Shamlan is there for us tonight. Janet,

[11:21] good evening.

[11:23] Brian, good evening. There wasn't much

[11:24] warning on this. Families learned just

[11:26] last night there would be no school

[11:27] today or for at least the next 10 days

[11:29] in hopes of stopping the spread of this

[11:31] virus.

[11:33] empty rooms and barren halls.

[11:38] The only work in Fort Worth classrooms

[11:39] is being done by masked sanitation

[11:41] teams.

[11:44] 80,000 students have been told to stay

[11:46] home and to return no earlier than May

[11:49] 11th.

[11:49] >> This is something that probably happens,

[11:51] you know, once in anybody's lifetime and

[11:54] and probably once in a century. This is

[11:56] a very unusual time and it calls for

[11:59] unusual response.

[12:01] >> And not just in Texas. Nationwide,

[12:03] nearly 300 schools have closed in at

[12:05] least 11 states. Some 170,000 students

[12:09] are on an unexpected late spring break.

[12:12] From South Carolina, where they're

[12:14] scrubbing everything students touch, to

[12:16] Utah, Wisconsin, Washington, and beyond,

[12:19] the nation's schools are on the flu's

[12:22] front line. In every community, there's

[12:24] an impact beyond the classroom. When

[12:26] kids stay home, parents are forced to be

[12:28] there, too, away from work in a tough

[12:30] economy.

[12:31] >> My first thought was, "Oh my goodness,

[12:33] what am I going to do? [laughter]

[12:35] >> What am I going to do with my children?"

[12:37] >> Jill Frankie has a three-year-old and a

[12:39] sixth grader.

[12:40] >> And you can help us play with them.

[12:41] >> She says her recent job layoff now feels

[12:43] like a blessing. The juggle will be more

[12:45] difficult for others. The [music]

[12:47] community's got to pull together and we

[12:49] can only hope that neighbors are going

[12:51] to help neighbors, that grandmothers and

[12:53] grandfathers and aunts and uncles,

[12:55] churches, I don't know.

[12:56] >> Across the country, schools out, gates

[12:59] are locked, classrooms quiet, and the

[13:01] stands are empty.

[13:04] >> And some schools won't even commit to a

[13:06] reopening date right now until they know

[13:08] more about the incubation period and how

[13:10] many of their students might have this

[13:11] virus.

[13:12] >> All right, Janet Shamlin in Fort Worth

[13:14] for us tonight. Janet, thanks. And

[13:16] turning now to a threat at sea today.

[13:18] The cargo ship captain who was held

[13:20] hostage by those Somali pirates told his

[13:23] story in Washington. Richard Phillips

[13:25] was on Capitol Hill to talk to a Senate

[13:27] committee about preventing those kinds

[13:29] of pirate attacks. He said armed

[13:32] military escorts or ex-military escorts

[13:34] aboard ships in dangerous waters would

[13:37] work. He also thinks arming a few ship

[13:40] crew members could be helpful.

[13:43] I do believe that arming the crew as a

[13:45] part of an overall strategy could

[13:47] provide an effect deterrent effective

[13:49] deterrent under certain circumstances

[13:51] and I believe that a measured capability

[13:53] in this respect should be part of the

[13:55] overall debate about how to defend

[13:57] ourselves against criminals on the sea.

[14:00] >> Crew members at sea aren't currently

[14:02] supposed to be armed. Captain Phillips

[14:04] also said he will be going back to sea

[14:06] before long. He told the committee,

[14:08] quote, "It's what I do. He will need to

[14:11] be more careful out there. More than a

[14:12] dozen vessels now have been attacked by

[14:14] Somali pirates. That's just this month

[14:17] alone. When our broadcast continues here

[14:19] on a Thursday night, an influx of people

[14:22] coming into Florida, what it is they're

[14:24] after, and what police are looking for,

[14:27] and later, where they really learn to

[14:30] play after school. We'll go to Jazzfest

[14:32] in New Orleans, where one man among them

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[15:40] >> In Florida tonight, the state

[15:42] legislature took steps to deal with a

[15:44] problem that is often overlooked.

[15:46] Prescription drug abuse. They passed a

[15:49] bill to monitor the state's pain

[15:51] clinics. Because officials say the state

[15:53] has become this country's biggest

[15:55] supplier of a powerful type of

[15:57] painkiller, and that is attracting

[16:00] addicts and drug dealers from all over.

[16:02] It's an important story tonight. We get

[16:04] it from NBC's Mark Potter.

[16:07] >> All right, just keep an eye out. They

[16:08] got to come out somewhere.

[16:09] >> In Broward County, Florida, near Fort

[16:11] Lauderdale,

[16:11] >> they're passing right now.

[16:13] >> Sheriff's deputies are on surveillance

[16:15] outside medical clinics specializing in

[16:17] pain treatment.

[16:18] >> All right. All right.

[16:19] >> Arresting patients for allegedly

[16:21] reselling their prescription painkillers

[16:24] on the street.

[16:25] >> It's legal heroin is what it is. It's

[16:27] unbelievable. And these people walk

[16:29] around like zombies. Broward County

[16:31] alone has nearly a 100 pain clinics.

[16:33] Officials say while some operate

[16:35] legitimately, many only take cash and

[16:38] prescribe thousands of highly addictive

[16:40] and potentially lethal narcotic

[16:42] painkillers a day with only a cursory

[16:45] doctor's exam.

[16:46] >> Now the drug war is the pain clinics.

[16:49] Instead of drug dealers on a street

[16:51] corner, it's guys in lab coats.

[16:53] >> Did he get pills up there? Because pain

[16:55] clinics are not required to report

[16:57] patient activity, officials say addicts

[16:59] and traffickers from other states with

[17:01] stricter rules now come to Florida,

[17:04] going from clinic to clinic. Police say

[17:06] the first thing that out of town drug

[17:08] abusers and dealers do when they come

[17:10] here to Broward County is to get this

[17:12] local newspaper to find all the ads for

[17:15] pain clinics on page after page after

[17:18] page.

[17:21] Nearly 900 miles away in a quiet corner

[17:23] of eastern Kentucky, the Greenup County

[17:26] Sheriff says he's flooded with drug

[17:28] abuse cases tied directly to Florida.

[17:31] >> It's like the promised land. They know

[17:33] that if they can get the money together

[17:36] and go down there that they are going to

[17:39] score drugs.

[17:41] >> Sheriff Keith Cooper says hundreds of

[17:43] local residents a month drive to Florida

[17:45] to buy painkillers, many stealing and

[17:48] robbing to get the money. Tim Kilburn is

[17:51] serving a jail term in Kentucky for

[17:53] illicit oxycodone possession. He says he

[17:56] too got pills from Florida pain doctors.

[17:59] It makes you think, do they have a a

[18:01] degree in in doctor or hustling?

[18:04] >> Deputies now try to keep up with all the

[18:06] dealers and addicts who find Florida an

[18:09] easy fix. Mark Potter, NBC News, Broward

[18:12] County, Florida.

[18:14] Elizabeth Edwards has written a book

[18:16] about her fight with cancer and her life

[18:18] with husband and former presidential

[18:20] candidate John Edwards. The book is due

[18:22] out next month, but the New York Daily

[18:24] News has obtained a copy in it. Mrs.

[18:26] Edwards reportedly writes her husband

[18:28] told her about his infidelity almost a

[18:31] year before it became public knowledge

[18:33] last year and that hearing the news made

[18:35] her physically ill. She says she

[18:37] concluded her husband should not have

[18:39] run for president in light of the

[18:40] disclosure. When we come back,

[18:43] controversy on campus at Notre Dame.

[18:46] It's all because President Obama is

[18:48] coming to give the graduation speech.

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[20:30] [music]

[20:38] Nightly News at nightly.msnbc.com.

[20:44] President Obama at the White House

[20:45] today, as he put it, among heroes. It's

[20:47] a group called the Wounded Warriors. 40

[20:50] injured veterans gathered to take part

[20:52] in the third annual 3-day race from the

[20:54] White House to Annapapolis, Maryland.

[20:57] It's all to help raise money and

[20:58] awareness for the returning wounded men

[21:00] and women from the [music] wars in Iraq

[21:02] and Afghanistan. We wish them smooth

[21:04] sailing and good weather. Tomorrow is

[21:07] May 1st. That means graduation season is

[21:09] upon us, but there's controversy over

[21:12] the president's scheduled commencement

[21:14] address at the University of Notre Dame

[21:16] May 17th. While we should point out some

[21:19] students are just plain happy that he's

[21:21] going to be there, the news that the

[21:22] president is coming has sparked a very

[21:25] public debate at Notre Dame over

[21:27] abortion rights and stem cell research.

[21:30] NBC's Kevin Tibbles reports from

[21:32] Southbend, Indiana.

[21:35] [bell] On the fabled campus of Notre

[21:37] Dame, a very modern debate in one

[21:40] political science class.

[21:41] >> It really is abortion that has been the

[21:44] leading indicator of the cultural

[21:46] divide.

[21:47] >> Notre Dame's invitation to President

[21:49] Obama to deliver the commencement

[21:51] address has outraged many Catholics

[21:53] because he supports abortion rights.

[21:56] >> America's premier institution of

[21:58] Catholic higher learning has been

[22:00] seriously damaged by this invitation. A

[22:03] sentiment some students agree with.

[22:05] >> And I'm against honoring someone who's

[22:07] so contradictory of that principle.

[22:09] >> But it does take away from our Catholic

[22:11] identity.

[22:12] >> Five presidents dating back to Dwight

[22:14] Eisenhower have visited this school. For

[22:16] its part, Notre Dame maintains Obama's

[22:19] presence will have positive

[22:20] consequences.

[22:22] >> If one result of the president coming to

[22:24] commencement is there's a vigorous

[22:26] public debate and discussion about life

[22:28] issues, well, that's a victory really

[22:30] for a university. This is a Catholic

[22:32] university, but it's also a university.

[22:34] We have to challenge and think about

[22:36] these issues.

[22:37] >> But while discussion, debate, and

[22:38] reflection takes place here on campus,

[22:41] there is some concern that outsiders

[22:43] pushing their agenda will try to hijack

[22:45] graduation day. Recently, the group

[22:48] Operation Rescue, which is against

[22:50] abortion, staged this demonstration in

[22:52] the nation's capital.

[22:53] >> They're getting a lot of attention for

[22:55] an issue that maybe doesn't exist on

[22:58] campus as much as it does in the outside

[23:00] world. But some Notre Dame alumni have

[23:02] started a web campaign urging others to

[23:04] withhold donations if the speech goes on

[23:07] as planned. For alum Don Wickcliffe, who

[23:10] supports the visit, it's also chance for

[23:12] the president to hear another point of

[23:14] view.

[23:14] >> It isn't just a problem of finessing it

[23:17] politically.

[23:19] There's something deep and moral about

[23:22] this issue. On May 17th, the class of

[23:25] 2009 will again be reminded that keeping

[23:27] the faith often comes with controversy.

[23:30] Kevin Tibbles, NBC News, Southbend,

[23:33] Indiana.

[23:34] Also from academia, they insist this

[23:37] following item is actual science.

[23:39] Tonight, it may be a confirmation of

[23:41] something lovers of animals and of

[23:43] online video may already know. Some

[23:45] birds actually like to dance and may be

[23:48] pretty good at it at the end of the day.

[23:50] A Harvard University research team

[23:52] studying 14 different species of parrots

[23:56] says the birds feel the beat of music

[23:58] and can actually dance to it just like

[24:00] humans do. Perhaps in some cases better.

[24:02] And yes, we said Harvard. For other

[24:05] animals like dogs and cats, the news not

[24:07] so good. Researchers say they have no

[24:10] rhythm at all and that they get a lot of

[24:12] ribbing from their animal friends

[24:13] because of it. The folks at Mattel say

[24:16] this item's been out for months, but the

[24:17] British papers just discovered it. And

[24:20] so the story of the new Barbie

[24:21] ricocheted around the world today. The

[24:24] story is she's got some ink. Barbie's

[24:26] gone and got tattooed. One on the arm,

[24:29] one on the lower back, but since they're

[24:31] stickers, they can go pretty much

[24:33] wherever she wants them. Maybe it's the

[24:34] fact she turned 50 this year. Maybe Ken

[24:37] finds it attractive. But there you have

[24:39] it. when we come back here tonight.

[24:42] Getting in tune, keeping the goal in

[24:44] mind and making a difference in the

[24:46] process.

[24:49] >> Announcing the Ford Advantage Plan, a

[24:51] better plan to get you into a new

[24:53] quality built Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury

[24:56] today. While others say there's no

[24:57] credit available, Ford Credit says there

[25:00] is. Financing as low as 0% [music] APR.

[25:03] Check for preapproval now at ford.com.

[25:06] And with the Ford Advantage, if you lose

[25:08] your paycheck, we'll make your payments

[25:10] for up to 12 months. Quality, credit,

[25:13] and payment protection. That's the Ford

[25:15] Advantage plan. Visit your Ford or

[25:17] Lincoln Mercury [music] dealer today.

[25:20] Roundup Extended Control does two jobs

[25:22] at once.

[25:24] [music]

[25:25] One, kills weeds to the root. Two, forms

[25:28] a barrier, preventing new [music] ones

[25:30] for up to 4 months. Roundup extended

[25:32] control. Are you taking total care of

[25:35] your smile?

[25:36] >> All mouthwash is not the same. New Act

[25:38] Total Care kills germs to freshen

[25:40] [music] breath, fights unsightly plaque,

[25:42] prevents cavities, rebuilds enamel, even

[25:44] strengthens teeth. Others can't do all

[25:46] that.

[25:46] >> Take total care of your smile.

[25:50] >> The great American [music]

[25:51] tradition, the longest running sporting

[25:54] event in US history.

[25:59] >> And they're off in the Kentucky Derby.

[26:02] The 135th running of the Kentucky Derby,

[26:06] Saturday, only on NBC.

[26:11] >> Time now for our Making a Difference

[26:12] report. It comes to us tonight from

[26:14] Jazzfest in New Orleans. One of the

[26:17] great annual events anywhere in this

[26:19] country. But what a casual visitor might

[26:22] not see is the effort of one man who

[26:25] combines kids with music and makes a big

[26:27] difference. NBC's Ron Mott is there.

[26:35] New Orleans drummer Derek Tab of the

[26:36] Rebirth Brass Band is used to getting a

[26:38] response to his music. [music]

[26:41] Go get your stuff.

[26:42] >> So last summer he started a new group

[26:44] for atrisisk kids who need better

[26:45] options.

[26:46] >> You walk out, you see a lot of kids

[26:47] angry because of nothing. They walk in

[26:49] the street, don't have anything to do.

[26:50] They just mad. They ready to fight.

[26:53] They're ready to kill.

[26:55] He channeled that energy into the Roots

[26:57] of Music, a free marching band program

[26:59] aimed mostly at middle schoolers, many

[27:01] of whom have never played an instrument

[27:03] before, much less picked one up. It

[27:05] wasn't long before he had a big hit

[27:07] [music] on his hands. The

[27:08] >> sweet loud sound of beautiful notes.

[27:11] >> They use donated instruments. But before

[27:13] sounding a single note, it's hammer

[27:15] time.

[27:16] >> Got to hit the books. Got to hit the

[27:17] books

[27:18] >> on homework. I have 85% of my kids and

[27:21] then brought up their grades at least

[27:24] one letter up.

[27:26] >> 2 3 4 down.

[27:28] >> A feat of hard work worth celebrating.

[27:31] >> Roots has quickly become one of the

[27:33] hottest acts in town. It's now 98

[27:36] members strong with a weight list

[27:37] approaching 400 and that includes a very

[27:40] persistent 7-year-old who calls Derek

[27:42] Tab every day.

[27:43] >> Every time he call you, "Hey, this the

[27:45] man with the band." say, "Yeah, I want

[27:48] to get in that band."

[27:49] >> Allison Reinhardt, who co-founded the

[27:51] band, signed up her son Kevin [music]

[27:53] right away.

[27:54] >> New Orleans is a very special place. Um,

[27:57] music is the heart and soul of the city

[27:59] and you know, the kids want to be a part

[28:01] of it. They just don't have anywhere to

[28:02] go. They only have roots of music.

[28:04] >> I love everything. Tutoring, teachers,

[28:08] staff, everything.

[28:12] >> [music]

[28:14] >> And that's music to Derek Tab's ears.

[28:17] >> Kids that's coming up, they you give

[28:18] them the right way to do it, they going

[28:20] to thrive with it.

[28:21] >> A new generation of musicians thriving

[28:24] from the roots up. Marmont, NBC News,

[28:27] New Orleans.

[28:29] And that's our broadcast for this

[28:31] Thursday night. Thank you for being with

[28:32] us. I'm Brian Williams. We hope to see

[28:34] you back here tomorrow evening. Good

[28:36] night.

[28:40] >> [music]

[28:47] [music]

[28:53] [music]

[28:55] >> 100 days down. Now Keith sets the bar

[28:58] for what Obama [music] must accomplish

[29:00] next. Countdown.

[29:10] >> [music]

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