NBC Nightly News - 1999-07-14

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:00] at 6.

[0:04] >> Healthcare in America. What are your

[0:06] rights? The fight over the new rules for

[0:08] HMOs.

[0:10] The suspected serial killer in Texas.

[0:13] Another murder added to his name. And

[0:16] how a rookie Texas Ranger got his man.

[0:19] In depth crime on cruises, public

[0:22] disclosures of possible sex crimes on

[0:24] the world's most popular ships. And your

[0:27] credit cards. How most Americans give up

[0:30] important rights without even knowing

[0:32] the fine print.

[0:36] >> From NBC News World Headquarters in New

[0:39] York, this is NBC Nightly News with Tom

[0:43] Bro.

[0:45] Good evening. If you're not happy with

[0:47] your HMO, you're not alone. But stay

[0:50] tuned. Changes are coming. The US Senate

[0:53] is in the closing stages of a pitch

[0:55] debate on a patient's bill of rights.

[0:57] The Democrats are losing their battle to

[0:59] institute a massive overhaul, which

[1:01] Republicans claim would be too

[1:03] expensive. The Republican version does

[1:05] include some change, but not enough to

[1:07] satisfy President Clinton, who already

[1:09] is talking veto. This is a major

[1:12] political showdown. Here's NBC's Gwen

[1:15] Eiffel.

[1:17] The Senate today moving forward on

[1:19] healthc care reform, but stopping far

[1:21] short of the sweeping HMO overhaul

[1:24] promised by Democrats in the White

[1:25] House. The Senate approving new measures

[1:28] to expand hospital coverage for women

[1:30] after mastctomies and allow

[1:33] self-employed individuals to deduct the

[1:35] cost of their insurance from their

[1:36] taxes. But other farreaching proposals

[1:39] to cover 161 million Americans have been

[1:42] defeated. Among them, plans to let women

[1:45] choose obstitricians as their primary

[1:47] care doctors, extend coverage to dying

[1:49] patients seeking to take part in

[1:51] clinical trials, allow patients to go to

[1:54] the nearest emergency room for care,

[1:56] even if it's not part of their HMO plan.

[1:58] Nearly every Democrat voted for the more

[2:00] sweeping plan, nearly every Republican

[2:03] voted against it. We're going to

[2:04] transfer the entire regulatory authority

[2:07] of all the health insurance plans of

[2:09] America over to this governmental agency

[2:11] to a bunch of bureaucrats thinking they

[2:13] can do a better job than all the states.

[2:15] >> But Democrats keeping one eye on healthc

[2:18] care policy and the other on the

[2:20] political ammunition they get if their

[2:21] popular proposals are defeated forged

[2:23] ahead.

[2:24] >> I dare say the bureaucrats in the

[2:26] insurance industry are the ones that

[2:29] people are most concerned about. They

[2:31] know what they're doing. and they're

[2:32] looking after the bottom line.

[2:35] >> As the debate on the floor of the Senate

[2:36] grows more heated every day, doctors and

[2:39] patients are flocking to Capitol Hill to

[2:41] argue their case.

[2:42] >> In the Senate, neither side appears to

[2:44] me to want a bill. I mean, they are not

[2:47] working toward a law that helps protect

[2:50] patients.

[2:51] >> Beth Gross, a nurse from Virginia,

[2:53] brought her own story to the capital,

[2:54] saying her HMO denied her son access to

[2:57] a needed specialist. I could not believe

[2:59] that I lived in a country that allowed

[3:01] an insurance company to be so ruthless

[3:03] with a child.

[3:05] >> But government fixes, Republicans

[3:06] maintain, are not the solution.

[3:08] Democrats are prepared to lose

[3:10] tomorrow's final vote. And White House

[3:12] officials who call the Republican bill

[3:14] an absolute sham are already predicting

[3:16] a presidential veto. Gwen Eiffel, NBC

[3:20] News, the capital. In Texas tonight,

[3:22] authorities are saying they believe the

[3:24] suspected serial killer, now in custody,

[3:27] is guilty of nine murders altogether.

[3:29] His surrender yesterday ended one of the

[3:31] most intense manhunts in recent years.

[3:33] We have two stories tonight on the

[3:35] suspect and the legendary law officers

[3:38] who found him. We'll begin with NBC's

[3:40] Fedrico Whitfield. No bond.

[3:43] >> In court today, a confession from the

[3:45] accused serial killer. Raphael Rendez

[3:48] Ramirez is not his real name. He is

[3:50] Unhelm Materino Rescendez, a 39-year-old

[3:54] drifter today charged with capital

[3:56] murder in the October slaying of an

[3:57] elderly woman in East Texas. In all,

[4:00] Materino has been linked to nine murders

[4:03] in three states. At this morning's

[4:05] hearing on a burglary charge connected

[4:07] with one of the murders, Metroino tried

[4:09] to enter a guilty plea.

[4:12] >> Can all this be done very quickly so

[4:14] that I can say that I'm guilty? The

[4:16] judge said no because please are not

[4:19] allowed at bond hearings. Matino also

[4:21] faces murder charges in Kentucky and

[4:23] Illinois, but has not yet been charged

[4:25] in five of the six Texas murder cases.

[4:28] That's because authorities are still

[4:30] gathering evidence. They have finger and

[4:32] palm prints matching those found at the

[4:34] crime scene, but are now awaiting

[4:35] results from blood and hair samples

[4:37] taken from Machino overnight. Well, if

[4:40] what what we know about him is true, if

[4:42] the DNA comes back, then

[4:45] he is everyone's worst nightmare. If

[4:47] convicted of just one of the murders in

[4:49] this state, Machino could get the death

[4:51] penalty. Most here credit this man,

[4:54] Texas Ranger Drew Carter for engineering

[4:57] surrender after a month-long manhunt.

[5:00] >> The surrender was voluntary.

[5:02] >> Experts say Carter's strategy of

[5:03] befriending the suspect's family made

[5:06] all the difference.

[5:07] >> You want to engender trust. You want

[5:08] them to understand the harsh reality of

[5:11] of what they're dealing with and the

[5:13] potential dangers that that the fugitive

[5:15] faces out there which are very real.

[5:17] >> And Matino's courtappointed attorney

[5:19] says his surrender may be his best

[5:21] defense.

[5:22] >> It might show that he's not responsible.

[5:25] It could show that he he is, but anytime

[5:28] someone turns himself in, I think it it

[5:32] is much in their favor. Next week,

[5:35] police from the three states the accused

[5:37] serial killer is believed to have struck

[5:39] will meet in hopes of linking Anhel

[5:42] Matino Rendez to nine brutal murders.

[5:45] Frederrio Whitfield, NBC News, Houston.

[5:49] >> This is George Lewis in Austin where the

[5:52] Texas Rangers are getting high praise

[5:54] for solving this case. Sergeant Drew

[5:56] Carter hailed for his quiet pursuit of

[5:58] the suspected railroad killer. doing the

[6:01] job of a ranger. And that's something

[6:02] that I've wanted to do since I was 5

[6:03] years old. So, you can't help but sit

[6:05] back sometimes and just smile and, you

[6:07] know, say, "Man, I'm, you know, I'm

[6:09] really doing this. I'm doing what I've

[6:10] always wanted to do."

[6:12] >> From day one, Carter established a

[6:14] relationship with the suspect's family,

[6:16] visiting them in person, gently urging

[6:18] them to get the man now known as Anel

[6:20] Matino Rendez, to turn himself in. Not

[6:24] many get that opportunity. Carter is one

[6:26] of only 107 Texas Rangers.

[6:30] These cadets in the police academy will

[6:32] have to be state troopers for eight

[6:34] years before they can apply to the

[6:36] Rangers, and only four or five each year

[6:38] will be accepted into the elite unit.

[6:42] The Texas Rangers haven't always had a

[6:44] reputation for methodical investigations

[6:46] and painstaking negotiations.

[6:50] This scene from the movie Bonnie and

[6:52] Clyde depicts the way the Rangers used

[6:54] to operate.

[6:55] >> Back in the old days, it was more shoot

[6:57] first, ask questions later. These days,

[7:00] as in this case, it's talk first, then

[7:02] shoot if you have to.

[7:04] >> He says that in the case of the

[7:06] suspected serial killer, Carter

[7:07] exemplifies the new style of the Texas

[7:10] Rangers. It

[7:10] >> was words, not bullets, that solved this

[7:13] problem and got Mr. Ramirez into

[7:15] custody. And and we're very we're proud

[7:16] of that.

[7:17] >> No, nobody hurt. no shots fired. Uh uh

[7:21] and and the goal achieved. So I I I

[7:24] would classify that as a success.

[7:26] >> The early Rangers had six shooters.

[7:28] Sergeant Carter's most potent weapon,

[7:30] the cell phone, that let him build a

[7:32] friendly relationship with the suspect's

[7:34] sister and let her alert Carter a

[7:36] surrender was imminent. Carter says it

[7:39] was the relationship he built up with

[7:41] the suspect's family over time that

[7:43] allowed this case to end with a

[7:45] surrender instead of a shootout. George

[7:48] Lewis, NBC News, Austin.

[7:51] >> In California tonight, another name for

[7:53] a woman who's in a world of trouble. The

[7:55] woman who lived a respectable upper

[7:57] middle class life as Sarah Olsen in

[7:59] Minnesota was in a federal courtroom

[8:01] today as someone else altogether. A

[8:04] fugitive from the dangerous days of the

[8:06] 70s. Here's NBC's Pete Williams.

[8:10] >> It's the very place she tried to evade

[8:12] for 23 years. In a California courtroom

[8:15] today, lawyers for the woman who calls

[8:17] herself Sarah Olsen, admitted she's

[8:19] actually someone else. Kathleen Solia,

[8:22] part of a violent 70s radical group

[8:24] called the Symbian Liberation Army since

[8:26] 1976 when she was charged with planting

[8:29] bombs that never went off under Los

[8:31] Angeles police cars. She's been on the

[8:33] run, reinventing herself as a Minnesota

[8:36] housewife and mother. Then the FBI

[8:38] caught up with her a month ago.

[8:40] Prosecutors in California wanted her

[8:42] held in jail until trial, but the judge

[8:44] set bail. $1 million.

[8:47] Family and friends from Minnesota came

[8:48] to the Los Angeles court today to say

[8:50] whatever she was like two decades ago,

[8:53] she's so strongly tied to her home life

[8:55] now that she would never run off again.

[8:57] >> That was then, this is now. She has

[8:59] three children. She has a husband. She

[9:01] has a community, friends. There's no

[9:05] life for her if she were to flee. But

[9:08] legal scholars say officials face a much

[9:10] bigger task trying to prosecute a

[9:12] 23-year-old case. Witnesses die,

[9:14] memories fade, and the jury may wonder

[9:17] why all the fuss over a woman who, by

[9:19] all accounts, is now a model citizen.

[9:21] >> One of the biggest hurdles for the

[9:22] prosecution is getting over the juror's

[9:25] thinking, why do we care? This happened

[9:28] so long ago. She's remade her life. Why

[9:31] are we here? Even so, many legal experts

[9:34] say it would set a bad example for

[9:36] prosecutors to give up now.

[9:38] >> It would send a signal that if you hide

[9:40] out long enough, if you uh refuse to um

[9:44] cooperate with the justice system, that

[9:46] all will be forgiven when you're

[9:47] eventually caught.

[9:48] >> And Kathleen Solia may face more legal

[9:51] trouble over a 1975 bank robbery that

[9:54] left a customer dead. Her lawyers insist

[9:56] she was not involved, but investigators

[9:58] say whatever name she goes by now, she

[10:00] has much more to answer for from her

[10:02] past life. Pete Williams, NBC News,

[10:05] Washington.

[10:06] When we come back, danger at sea. NBC

[10:08] News in depth tonight. The world's

[10:10] largest cruise line reveals dozens of

[10:12] alleged sexual assaults on its ships.

[10:15] What you need to know before you get on

[10:17] board.

[10:18] >> They can't simply assume that because

[10:20] they're on the high seas, because

[10:22] they're on a big boat, they're not at

[10:23] risk. Shocking allegations to buy

[10:26] tonight about sex crimes and cruise

[10:28] ships. Important information in depth.

[10:30] Later, why you probably are among the

[10:32] many who have lost the right to sue your

[10:34] credit card company and didn't even know

[10:37] it. But it is all there in the fine

[10:39] print.

[10:41] Now, an important tool in defending

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[13:00] NBC.

[13:03] NBC News in depth tonight. More

[13:05] allegations of crime on cruise ships.

[13:07] Carnival Cruise Lines, the world's

[13:09] largest cruise company, now has made a

[13:11] stunning admission about the number of

[13:13] alleged sexual assaults on board its

[13:15] ships. Ships that sail in international

[13:17] waters where American laws can't be

[13:20] enforced. Last year, Carnival carried

[13:22] one and a half million passengers.

[13:24] That's approximately one out of every

[13:26] four cruise passengers. Now, charges

[13:28] that crime can follow you all the way to

[13:30] the high seas. NBC's Carrie Sanders

[13:33] tonight reporting in depth.

[13:37] Cruise ships promise an escape from the

[13:39] real world. Paradise on the water. But

[13:42] court papers filed in Miami now reveal

[13:44] the biggest cruise line, Carnival, may

[13:47] have sailed on troubled waters.

[13:49] Allegations of sexual assault, including

[13:51] rape. Carnival Cruise Line compelled by

[13:54] a Florida judge in a civil case to

[13:57] document 5 years of alleged sexual

[13:59] assaults by crew members. In all, there

[14:02] were 62, a rate of almost one alleged

[14:05] sexual assault a month, involving casino

[14:08] dealers, dining room waiters, cabin

[14:10] stewards of passengers and other crew

[14:13] members that until now have never been

[14:16] disclosed.

[14:17] >> What these numbers do is to show that

[14:19] Carnival has been hiring people that it

[14:21] should not hire.

[14:22] >> Attorney Gary Fox represents the woman

[14:25] whose civil lawsuit resulted in

[14:27] Carnival's disclosures. While the

[14:29] numbers are not large, in the context of

[14:31] crime in America, critics say crime at

[14:34] sea is far different than on land. The

[14:37] average ship population is almost 3,000.

[14:40] A town of a similar size has roughly

[14:42] four police officers, a chief, and five

[14:45] dispatchers. Investigating an estimated

[14:48] three cases of rape a year. But on

[14:50] cruise ships, there is no police force,

[14:52] only cruise security. And American laws

[14:55] do not apply in international waters.

[14:58] When a victim comes forward, they will

[15:00] in certain situations investigate, but

[15:03] they do so always as Carnival employees.

[15:06] >> Carnival Cruise Line says it

[15:08] investigates all charges of sexual

[15:10] assault. The new disclosures are

[15:12] unconfirmed allegations, and company

[15:14] lawyers say the woman in question was

[15:16] not sexually assaulted. Rather, it was

[15:18] consensual sex. These are allegations of

[15:21] sexual assault required to be disclosed

[15:22] in this lawsuit that's being brought by

[15:24] a crew member alleging a sexual assault

[15:26] by another crew member in her cabin who

[15:28] she invited in there and who she got

[15:30] into bed with in her underwear with him

[15:32] and his underwear after six odd hours

[15:33] together in the cabin. The woman denies

[15:36] it was consensual. Carnival Cruise Lines

[15:39] fought in court to stop the disclosure

[15:41] of these alleged incidents. Experts

[15:43] saying it might discourage other

[15:45] passengers from booking vacations on

[15:47] what is the fastest growing segment of

[15:49] the leisure travel business. Kelly

[15:52] Sanders, NBC News, Miami.

[15:55] One more note tonight. There are no

[15:57] reliable figures available on the extent

[15:59] of crime on all cruise ships because

[16:01] ships are registered for the most part

[16:03] in foreign countries and not required to

[16:05] report all criminal accusations to

[16:07] authorities in this country. Up next,

[16:10] flash point. The government strikes back

[16:12] in Iran. Massive rallies and now

[16:14] protests against democracy. What does it

[16:17] mean for us here in this country? And

[16:18] later, the distinguished gentleman from

[16:20] Minnesota, Governor Jesse Venturo. What

[16:23] is he up to now?

[16:28] Around here, it's not every day we all

[16:30] get together.

[16:31] >> We're making them dinner.

[16:32] >> Come on, you guys.

[16:35] >> But when we do, it's great that the

[16:37] folks at Craft make Italian.

[16:38] >> I love this stuff. cuz it's the one

[16:40] thing we agree on. That way we can talk

[16:42] about what's on our minds instead of

[16:44] what's on our plates.

[16:45] >> Whose idea was this?

[16:47] >> Well, has a boyfriend.

[16:48] >> I guess they just know what we like.

[16:50] >> What?

[16:50] >> He's a senior.

[16:51] >> A senior

[16:52] >> around here. The dressing is craft. For

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[17:25] Chevy Tahoe like a rock.

[17:28] >> All right, kid. Here we go. 10.

[17:30] >> What you got? What do you got? All

[17:32] right. Come on. Come on.

[17:33] >> What would you do if someone you loved

[17:35] had a heart attack?

[17:38] Did you know it's now been proven that

[17:40] the same bare aspirin you have in your

[17:42] bag for muscle aches may actually help

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[17:46] during a heart attack.

[17:48] >> Downtown lucky shot.

[17:50] >> Can your pain reliever do that? Talk to

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[17:53] >> Next time I'll go easier on you.

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[18:28] Why do I have AFLAC insurance on top of

[18:30] my regular health insurance?

[18:33] Because he has his mother's eyes.

[18:36] Because I still have to teach him to

[18:38] whistle.

[18:40] And because Affleck helps cover what

[18:41] other insurance doesn't. If I'm injured,

[18:44] AFLAC even provides cash to help pay

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[18:50] Did I mention he has his mother's eyes?

[18:54] AFLAC supplemental insurance. Without

[18:56] it, no insurance is complete. Under the

[18:59] boardwalk.

[19:01] >> Tomorrow. Life's a beach. Katie goes

[19:03] under the boardwalk while Matt goes down

[19:05] by the sea. Join us tomorrow on Today.

[19:08] Get more of the Today Show with Later

[19:10] today. Coming in September.

[19:14] >> There was a dramatic construction

[19:16] accident in Milwaukee tonight. I a giant

[19:18] crane being used to build a new ballpark

[19:20] for the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team

[19:22] collapsed and fell onto the stadium's

[19:24] roof. The construction crew was trying

[19:27] to lift a section of the roof when the

[19:28] crane the workers call Big Blue toppled.

[19:32] >> There are no reports of injuries, but

[19:33] the park's scheduled opening next season

[19:35] could be set back as a result of this.

[19:38] In another part of the world, it was

[19:39] another night in Iran that looked like

[19:41] something from a generation ago. Tens of

[19:44] thousands of protesters in the streets

[19:45] of the capital, Tehran. But unlike

[19:48] yesterday's rally, this time it was

[19:50] progovern hardliners doing the

[19:52] protesting. And that raises serious

[19:54] questions about the democracy movement

[19:56] that has burst to life. Here's NBC's

[19:59] Andrea Mitchell.

[20:01] After a week of pro-democracy and

[20:03] anti-government protests that spiraled

[20:05] out of control, today the government's

[20:07] Islamic hardliners staged their own

[20:10] massive anti-democracy rally. They chant

[20:13] once again, "Death to America." Until

[20:16] today, student protesters controlled the

[20:17] streets, starting fires, throwing rocks,

[20:20] demanding press freedom, speedier

[20:22] reforms. They say security forces killed

[20:25] at least five students, arrested

[20:26] hundreds more.

[20:28] >> They're bright. They understand what is

[20:31] happening in the world. They watch the

[20:33] forbidden satellite dishes, and they

[20:35] want to be part of the world.

[20:37] >> The Iran most Americans remember the

[20:39] revolution. Islamic fundamentalists take

[20:41] over the American embassy, hold 52

[20:43] Americans hostage for 444 days. That was

[20:47] two decades ago. But now Iran's

[20:49] population is 65 million, half of them

[20:52] born since the revolution. Bruce Langan,

[20:54] a former hostage, sees a very different

[20:56] Iran today.

[20:57] >> I think it was going to be very hard for

[20:59] the hardliners,

[21:02] the more conservative elements, uh, to

[21:06] put a break on what the students are

[21:08] talking about.

[21:09] >> The new generation overwhelmingly

[21:11] supports moderate President Kate,

[21:13] fighting with hardliners for control.

[21:16] But this week he warns protesters they

[21:18] have gone too far. The outcome critical

[21:20] to the US long the target of Iranian

[21:22] sponsored terror. So the question

[21:24] tonight, will hardliners be able to

[21:26] contain the rebellion and keep Iran in a

[21:28] fundamentalist time lock or what if the

[21:31] reformers win?

[21:33] Then many of the tensions uh the uh

[21:37] support of terrorism, the subversion of

[21:40] states, the assassinations

[21:42] and the threat to the existing regimes

[21:45] in the region would diminish.

[21:48] >> But tonight, ominous signs Iran

[21:50] threatens to execute student leaders and

[21:52] retaliate against foreign governments

[21:54] that support them. At stake, the very

[21:57] future of democracy in Iran. Andrea

[22:00] Mitchell, NBC News at the State

[22:02] Department.

[22:03] >> And on Wall Street, a mixed day today.

[22:05] The Dow lost ground just under 27

[22:07] points, but it was a good day for tech

[22:09] stocks that sent the NASDAQ soaring

[22:12] almost 40 points to a new record close.

[22:15] Up next, hidden in your monthly stack of

[22:18] bills, a major change in the fine print

[22:20] that could take away some of your

[22:22] rights. What you need to know.

[22:26] >> Let's try the hefty ones, please. to

[22:28] make up your mind

[22:31] to pick up and leave.

[22:33] >> That's easy.

[22:33] >> Yeah, it is, isn't it? Now, let's try

[22:36] the other bag, please. No, no, no,

[22:38] ma'am. That's still the Hefty OneZip.

[22:42] >> Huh?

[22:42] >> Please put down the Hefty OneZip.

[22:45] >> Can you hear me in there?

[22:46] >> You have to make up your mind.

[22:49] >> Hey, you know what? I'm out of one zips.

[22:51] >> Can I have some more?

[22:52] >> Hefty one zip slider bag. You slide it,

[22:55] you're done.

[22:59] There are a whole lot of cereals that

[23:02] don't have a whole lot of whole grain.

[23:06] Of these leading cereals, only one is

[23:09] made with 100% whole grain. Only Waties.

[23:13] So Only Wedies gives you 100% whole

[23:15] grain nutrition. Maybe that's why only

[23:18] Wedies has Tiger Woods.

[23:19] >> Whole grain makes the difference.

[23:21] >> And 100% whole grain makes it Wedies.

[23:26] Itchy, allergic rash. The dermatologist

[23:28] I work for recommends Cordate. It stops

[23:31] the itch and helps heal the rash to

[23:32] restore your skin. There's no brand

[23:34] doctors recommend more. In fact, doctors

[23:36] recommend Cordate more than 4 to one

[23:38] over cortisone 10. Cordate restore your

[23:40] skin.

[23:41] >> I work out to keep my body in shape. To

[23:44] help keep my mind sharp, I take Quantra

[23:46] GKO Ballaloba. It helps me concentrate,

[23:49] maintain focus. Why Quanta? All GKO

[23:52] aren't the same. The patented Quantra

[23:55] extract was proven safe and effective by

[23:57] doctors in extensive clinical trials and

[23:59] it increases oxygen supply to the brain.

[24:02] With Quanta mental sharpness, I feel my

[24:04] best naturally. If it's not clinically

[24:07] proven, it's not Quantra.

[24:11] >> Discover the great tasting fiber therapy

[24:13] that won't produce excess gas. Discover

[24:15] Citrasel. People prefer the taste of

[24:17] Citrasel over Metamucil 2 to one. Taste

[24:20] tests prove it. Citrasel. No excess gas

[24:23] and better taste, too.

[24:26] >> The best way to cure athletes foot so it

[24:28] won't come back is here. New Lamicel AT.

[24:31] So powerful, it does what no other brand

[24:33] can do. These take four weeks of

[24:35] treatment to kill the fungus. Lamicel AT

[24:38] is so powerful with just one week's use,

[24:40] it stops the itching and burning and

[24:41] cures athletes foot between the toes. So

[24:44] powerful, a clinical study showed three

[24:45] whole months later, most users were

[24:47] still athletes footree. Now without a

[24:50] prescription. New Lamat, the best way to

[24:52] cure athletes foot fast, so it won't

[24:54] come back.

[24:57] >> Coming up at 6, he left the state, but

[24:59] he couldn't escape the long arm of the

[25:01] law. The man accused of killing two

[25:02] Nashville women is now in custody just

[25:05] as Metro Police meet with senior

[25:07] citizens to show them how they can avoid

[25:09] becoming crime victims. What you can do

[25:11] to protect yourself. The scene at 6 is

[25:14] just minutes away.

[25:18] There's proof tonight that you can take

[25:20] the wrestler out of the ring and even

[25:22] make him governor. But if he's Jesse

[25:24] Ventura, he won't stay away. Ventura,

[25:27] who is of course the governor of

[25:28] Minnesota, announced today that he'll

[25:31] return for a guest appearance in a

[25:32] pay-per-view wrestling show, but only as

[25:35] a referee. He'll give a portion of his

[25:38] $100,000 appearance fee to charity.

[25:43] >> There's no fine print when it comes to

[25:45] Jesse Ventur, of course. What you see is

[25:46] what you get. But it's another matter

[25:48] when it comes to your credit card bill.

[25:50] Read it or pay a price. Here's NBC's

[25:53] Lisa Myers.

[25:56] >> It may seem like a delivery of routine

[25:58] monthly bills, but a very unpleasant

[26:00] surprise may lurk inside, and you

[26:02] probably don't even know it. Stuffed

[26:04] inside millions of American Express

[26:06] bills recently, buried in the fine

[26:08] print, this provision. It says if you

[26:11] use your card after June 1st, you give

[26:13] up your right to sue the company and

[26:16] agree to submit any dispute with it to

[26:18] arbitration. Do you realize that you

[26:20] just signed away your right to sue

[26:22] American Express?

[26:24] >> No, I wasn't aware of it. I wasn't aware

[26:26] at all.

[26:26] >> And Ted Tribune is a lawyer.

[26:28] >> See, it's right there. It's the

[26:29] arbitration provision. You don't

[26:32] remember seeing it?

[26:32] >> No. No. You know, and if I'd seen this

[26:35] flower, I wouldn't have read it anyway.

[26:37] Susan Shapiro didn't realize what she'd

[26:39] signed away either. And how do you feel

[26:41] about that? Not happy. A little

[26:44] betrayed. And it's not just American

[26:46] Express. Many credit card companies,

[26:49] banks, even computer companies have

[26:50] imposed arbitration policies to reduce

[26:53] lawsuits. These companies say

[26:54] arbitration by an independent third

[26:56] party is a faster, cheaper way than

[26:59] going to court and actually good for the

[27:01] consumer. There have been some studies

[27:03] that indicate that the cost is about 10%

[27:06] of an equivalent lawsuit,

[27:08] >> but not always. Consumer advocates say

[27:10] sometimes arbitration fees actually cost

[27:13] more than going to court. What's more,

[27:15] arbitration decisions generally are

[27:17] binding. No appeal unless an award

[27:20] exceeds $100,000.

[27:22] Kathy Freric says she unknowingly gave

[27:24] up her right to go to court and only

[27:26] found out months later when she tried to

[27:29] take her credit card company, First USA,

[27:31] to court. I'm upset that they changed

[27:33] the card member agreement without my

[27:35] knowledge

[27:37] because I think it shows how corporate

[27:39] America will do anything that hurts a

[27:43] consumer, makes it easier for them.

[27:45] She's now challenging the arbitration

[27:47] clause itself. And trial lawyers who

[27:50] stand to lose big fees if this trend

[27:52] continues warned that consumers are the

[27:54] biggest losers.

[27:55] >> A lot of big companies are adopting

[27:57] arbitration clauses with the goal of

[28:00] completely insulating themselves from

[28:02] any legal liabilities. It is a get out

[28:04] of jail free card from any big

[28:07] companies.

[28:08] >> But it's also entirely legal. American

[28:10] Express says it's simply trying to keep

[28:12] card members happy and avoid long,

[28:14] nasty, and costly disputes. Consumers

[28:17] who don't like the new rules can always

[28:19] shop around for another credit card.

[28:21] Just be sure this time to read all the

[28:24] fine print. Lisa Myers, NBC News,

[28:27] Washington.

[28:30] >> That's nightly news for this Wednesday

[28:31] night. Don't forget Dine tonight at 8.

[28:34] I'm Tom Brooff. I'll see you back here

[28:37] tomorrow night.

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

[28:59] News. More Americans watch NBC News than

[29:02] any other news organization in the

[29:04] world.

[29:07] Now on the scene at 6, it may not be

[29:09] unusual for teenagers to get tattoos,

[29:12] but the links that some teens went to

[29:14] for their skin art has landed one tattoo

[29:16] artist behind bars. That story right now

[29:18] on the scene at 6. Also, one of Davidson

[29:21] County's top elected officials finds

[29:22] himself on the wrong side of the law.

[29:24] Tonight, find out what price he will

[29:26] have to pay.

[29:27] >> Plus, is it a hoax or a celestial

[29:30] message from above? Tonight, there's

[29:31] more than just a big mystery lying in a

[29:33] Middle Tennessee field. We'll tell you

[29:35] about it right now on the scene at 6.