NBC Nightly News - 2009-02-20

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:01] On our Friday night broadcast, Fear

[0:03] Factor. The White House steps in during

[0:05] a bad day for the market to calm worries

[0:08] over two big banks and a counterpunch

[0:10] yesterday's cable rant that was heard

[0:12] around the world. Shining a light into

[0:15] one of the worst parts of the world,

[0:17] sometimes a little star power helps. Ann

[0:19] Curry reporting from Africa tonight with

[0:21] actor and activist George Clooney. The

[0:24] end of the road. If you love American

[0:26] cars, then you hate to see a storied

[0:28] brand name go away, but it's time

[0:31] nonetheless to say goodbye. And making a

[0:33] difference this Friday night, a story

[0:35] that will tug at you. It's a survivor's

[0:38] song. Nightly news begins now.

[0:44] From NBC News world headquarters in New

[0:47] York, this is NBC Nightly News with

[0:50] Brian Williams.

[0:52] Good evening. We wish it weren't so, but

[0:54] another week is coming to a close

[0:55] tonight leaving the American economy

[0:57] positively battered. Tonight, some big

[1:00] names are in big trouble and that

[1:01] includes two enormous banks. It was

[1:04] enough to get the attention of the White

[1:06] House today as the damage from all of

[1:08] this was plainly visible. CNBC's Trish

[1:11] Regan starts us off tonight at the New

[1:12] York Stock Exchange. Trish, good

[1:14] evening. Good evening, Brian. It was a

[1:16] roller coaster day here on the floor of

[1:18] the New York Stock Exchange today.

[1:19] Investors were concerned about rumors

[1:22] regarding two US banks that they could

[1:24] be nationalized. They were worried that

[1:26] if that were to happen, if it could

[1:28] happen, then their stock would become

[1:30] worthless.

[1:34] 9:30 this morning, the opening bell

[1:36] ignites a sell-off as fear spreads

[1:38] across the floor of the New York Stock

[1:40] Exchange. Within minutes, the Dow

[1:42] plunges 134 points.

[1:44] >> Two items drive the market, fear and

[1:46] greed. Two years ago, it was greed and

[1:48] now it's simply fear. The worry, will

[1:50] the government, in an effort to

[1:52] stabilize the financial system, take

[1:54] over major US banks wiping out

[1:56] shareholder value? There are rumors

[1:58] around about the government acting over

[2:00] the weekend on maybe nationalizing the

[2:02] banks. 1:18 p.m., those rumors send the

[2:05] Dow to its session low down 216 points

[2:08] to 7249.

[2:10] The market is poised for its lowest

[2:12] close since 1997.

[2:15] The decline is led by a plunge in the

[2:17] banks considered most vulnerable,

[2:19] Citigroup and Bank of America. 1:57

[2:22] p.m., the White House attempts to

[2:23] diffuse investors' concerns. This

[2:26] administration continues to strongly

[2:28] believe that a

[2:31] privately held banking system is

[2:36] is the correct way to go. The statement

[2:38] encourages traders and the market see a

[2:40] temporary bounce, barely moving into

[2:42] positive territory, but it's

[2:43] short-lived. The Dow finishes in the red

[2:46] off 100 points. Bank of America closes

[2:49] at $3.79

[2:51] a share, its lowest price since 1984,

[2:54] but a big improvement on the day. While

[2:56] City ends the session off nearly 23% at

[3:00] $1.95

[3:01] a share. Banks aren't the only companies

[3:04] feeling the pain. Shares of NBC

[3:06] Universal parent company GE closed down

[3:09] more than 6%. Meantime, struggling

[3:12] automaker GM is still struggling, off

[3:15] nearly 12% at $1.77

[3:17] a share. The only bright spot today,

[3:20] gold. As investors flee to safety, gold

[3:23] rallies to a new high of more than

[3:25] $1,000 an ounce. I think we're

[3:29] near the middle in terms of the crisis.

[3:31] We know what the problem is. We know

[3:33] what the cause of the problem is. The

[3:35] issue we're debating right now is what

[3:37] is the what will the solution be?

[3:40] Now, one thing I want to mention, Brian,

[3:42] is that as worried as shareholders in

[3:44] these institutions, these banks may be,

[3:46] people that have accounts in them,

[3:48] whether that be a savings account,

[3:49] checking account, money market CD, they

[3:52] really don't need to be worried. And

[3:54] that's for a couple reasons. One, the

[3:56] FDIC insures accounts up to $250,000.

[3:59] And second, if the government were to

[4:02] nationalize these banks, remember these

[4:04] banks would be owned not by

[4:05] shareholders, but by the government. So,

[4:08] in theory, everyone's money should be

[4:10] perfectly safe, Brian.

[4:11] >> And one analyst thinks we may be near

[4:13] the middle of this. Trish Regan from the

[4:15] middle of the floor at the NYSE on this

[4:17] Friday night. Thanks. And we'll have

[4:18] more on this notion of nationalizing the

[4:20] banks in just a moment. Yesterday, a

[4:23] member of the CNBC on-air team had a lot

[4:27] to say and very loudly about the Obama

[4:30] administration's plan to help home

[4:32] mortgages. The rant was replayed all

[4:34] over the place and today the White House

[4:36] had something to say about him. Our

[4:39] chief White House correspondent Chuck

[4:40] Todd has more tonight in more

[4:41] conversational tones on this back and

[4:44] forth. Chuck, good evening.

[4:46] Good evening, Brian. Well, after another

[4:47] week of multitasking, the White House

[4:50] ended the week trying to keep control of

[4:52] their economic message, not just from

[4:54] the Republicans, but from the media.

[5:00] Back home after a week on the road, the

[5:02] White House faced sharp questions over

[5:04] the economy, most notably its housing

[5:06] bailout plan. And today they seized the

[5:09] opportunity to respond to CNBC's Rick

[5:11] Santelli from yesterday. How many OF YOU

[5:14] PEOPLE WANT TO PAY for your neighbor's

[5:15] mortgage that has an extra bathroom and

[5:18] can't pay their bills? Raise your hand.

[5:20] How about WE ALL

[5:22] I AM PRESIDENT OBAMA, ARE YOU LISTENING?

[5:25] THE WHITE House was listening.

[5:26] >> it's tremendously important that for

[5:28] people who rant on cable television

[5:31] to be responsible and understand what it

[5:34] is they're talking about. Gibbs clearly

[5:36] came prepared to fight back. This is a

[5:39] copy of the president's

[5:41] home affordability plan.

[5:43] It's available on

[5:44] the White House website. And I would

[5:46] encourage him, download it, hit print,

[5:50] and begin to read it.

[5:52] Santelli stood his ground. I think it's

[5:54] terrific that this been opened up to

[5:56] national debate.

[5:58] The president, meanwhile, met with a

[6:00] delegation of big city mayors to talk

[6:02] about the stimulus package and issued a

[6:04] warning that he's made to his own

[6:05] agencies about wasteful spending. I want

[6:08] everybody here to be on notice that if a

[6:10] local government does the same, I will

[6:13] call them out on it.

[6:14] And use the full power of my office and

[6:16] our administration to stop it. The

[6:18] message played well with a few of the

[6:20] Republican mayors in particular. I was

[6:22] very pleased with President Obama's

[6:24] comment regarding accountability.

[6:27] That he'll be watching the governors,

[6:28] which is very important all of these

[6:30] mayors. And then he'll be watching the

[6:31] mayors to make sure the money is not

[6:33] seen as pork.

[6:35] Now, Brian, this theme of fiscal

[6:37] discipline is going to be big next week.

[6:40] On Monday, there's going to be a fiscal

[6:42] responsibility summit here at the White

[6:44] House where, among other things, in

[6:46] about a three or four-hour event,

[6:49] they're going to start discussing a lot

[6:50] of things hitting the budget including

[6:52] Social Security. Later in the week, of

[6:54] course, we have the joint session

[6:55] speech. And on Thursday, they unveil

[6:58] their first budget. So, a lot of fiscal

[7:00] talk around here. All right. Chuck Todd

[7:02] on a Friday night at the Obama White

[7:03] House. Chuck, thanks. And CNBC's Steve

[7:05] Liesman, as promised, is with us tonight

[7:08] to share his thoughts on where to from

[7:10] here. Steve, specifically, folks may be

[7:12] hearing a lot of this talk over the

[7:14] weekend of nationalizing the banks. What

[7:17] should they know? Well, I I I think the

[7:19] idea, Brian, of nationalizing the banks

[7:20] is a bit of an overblown concept. In

[7:22] fact, almost every weekend, especially

[7:24] these days given the weakness of the

[7:26] banking sector, the government goes in

[7:27] and essentially nationalizes a bank. It

[7:29] goes in on Friday on Friday night, it

[7:31] sends out a press release, we follow

[7:32] this very closely, and they take over a

[7:34] bank, they sell the deposits, they get

[7:36] rid of the assets, sometimes they hold

[7:38] on to some of the assets. It's a normal

[7:40] process. It's basically how a bank goes

[7:42] bankrupt is basically being taken over

[7:44] by the government. What we're talking

[7:45] about here is probably one, maybe two

[7:47] banks. The issue here, what happens to

[7:48] Citigroup? And further down the road,

[7:50] what happens to Bank of America? Both

[7:52] banks, however, insist they have enough

[7:54] capital and aren't candidates for

[7:56] nationalization. And as you know, as

[7:58] Chuck and Trish both reported, both the

[8:00] Treasury and the White House are saying

[8:02] it is not their intention to have a

[8:04] nationally owned banking system, but one

[8:06] owned by the private sector. All right,

[8:08] Steve, we'll hold you to it. We'll see

[8:09] you next week. Steve Liesman from CNBC

[8:11] global headquarters tonight. And a

[8:12] program note, next week Nightly News

[8:14] will team up with CNBC for a special

[8:16] package of coverage all week called

[8:19] Meltdown, Making Sense of It All, again,

[8:21] on the broadcast each evening next week.

[8:23] The strange story of Bernie Madoff,

[8:25] accused of running that big Ponzi

[8:27] scheme, the largest ever, took another

[8:29] bizarre turn today. The trustee who is

[8:31] liquidating what's left of the firm's

[8:33] investments says Madoff didn't actually

[8:36] buy any stock for his clients' accounts

[8:38] for the past 13 years. Investors are

[8:40] still waiting to see how much money they

[8:42] will get back. The trustee has recovered

[8:45] $650 million so far, but investors,

[8:48] again, thought they had as much as 50

[8:51] billion invested. If it's Friday, it

[8:53] must be China, the last stop for

[8:55] Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on

[8:57] her trip to Asia. The secretary stirred

[9:00] up some controversy by saying she has

[9:02] chosen not to press the issue of human

[9:04] rights with Chinese leaders, something

[9:06] she did not hesitate to do 14 years ago

[9:08] as first lady. Secretary Clinton's focus

[9:11] this time has been on the economy

[9:13] instead. Some have said this was the

[9:16] week that the war in Afghanistan became,

[9:18] in effect, Obama's war. Effective

[9:21] Tuesday with his order of an additional

[9:23] 17,000 troops. The situation in

[9:26] Afghanistan has been deteriorating

[9:28] lately, as you may know. By all

[9:30] accounts, that's the situation. And

[9:32] today, three coalition soldiers were

[9:35] killed by a roadside bomb. Our chief

[9:37] foreign correspondent, Richard Engel, is

[9:40] there.

[9:45] Suiting up for a foot patrol in Kabul,

[9:47] the mission to keep the Taliban from

[9:49] pushing deeper into the city.

[9:52] But these soldiers, National Guard from

[9:54] Illinois, say like many units here,

[9:56] they're stretched thin.

[9:58] >> We need more troops. There's no doubt

[9:59] about it. The biggest thing we need to

[10:00] do is be just having a full-time

[10:01] presence here. But that may not be

[10:04] enough. The Taliban is expected to

[10:06] launch an offensive this spring.

[10:09] But across Kabul, there's little

[10:10] confidence more American troops will be

[10:13] able to keep the Taliban out of this

[10:15] city of 5 million ringed by snow-capped

[10:17] mountains.

[10:20] In his farmhouse, Noor Khan, a carpenter

[10:22] and day laborer, told me because of

[10:24] fighting with the Taliban, there's no

[10:26] work.

[10:28] It's difficult to survive now, and it's

[10:30] too dangerous to move and look for jobs,

[10:32] he said.

[10:34] There are 14 people living in this

[10:36] house, which they built themselves. This

[10:38] family moved to Kabul about a year ago

[10:40] to escape fighting in their village.

[10:42] They were looking for jobs and security

[10:44] here, but they haven't been able to find

[10:46] either.

[10:47] Noor Khan's wife, Bibi Shireen, tends

[10:49] their small wood-burning stove, but the

[10:51] children are sick from the damp and

[10:53] cold. And Noor Khan has pulled his

[10:56] girls, who hide their faces from

[10:58] strangers, out of school because he

[11:00] can't afford pencils.

[11:02] The instability is pushing Kabul to the

[11:04] brink. Kabul's Jedda Market still looks

[11:07] bustling with carpet traders and fruit

[11:10] vendors, but by the roadside, there are

[11:12] more beggars now. Some so poor, they're

[11:15] shirtless.

[11:18] At a bakery where they flatten and

[11:19] stretch the dough by hand, Meer Zaghlul

[11:22] says he hasn't seen Kabul this unstable

[11:25] since the US invasion 7 years ago.

[11:28] We hope security will improve, but many

[11:30] here think it will only get worse, he

[11:32] said.

[11:34] As the Taliban seeks its ultimate prize,

[11:37] control of Kabul. Richard Engel, NBC

[11:39] News, Kabul.

[11:42] Well, Nightly News continues for this

[11:44] Friday evening. Ann Curry in Africa

[11:46] along with actor and activist George

[11:48] Clooney turning a spotlight on the

[11:50] growing crisis in Darfur. And later

[11:52] saying a slow goodbye to some American

[11:55] classics that'll bring back fond

[11:57] memories for some.

[12:13] Tired of morning coming in the middle of

[12:14] the night? It may be time for two-layer

[12:17] Ambien CR. The first layer dissolves

[12:19] quickly to help you fall asleep. And

[12:21] unlike other sleep aids, a second

[12:23] dissolves slowly to help you stay

[12:24] asleep. Until you know how Ambien CR

[12:27] will affect you, you shouldn't drive or

[12:28] operate machinery.

[12:30] Plan to devote 7 to 8 hours to sleep

[12:32] before being active. Sleepwalking, and

[12:34] eating or driving while not fully awake

[12:36] with amnesia for the event, have been

[12:37] reported. In rare cases, severe allergic

[12:39] reactions can occur. If you experience

[12:42] any of these behaviors or reactions,

[12:43] contact your doctor immediately. Side

[12:45] effects may include next-day drowsiness,

[12:47] dizziness, and headache. It's

[12:49] non-narcotic and can be taken for as

[12:50] long as your prescriber recommends. Like

[12:53] most sleep aids, it has some risk of

[12:54] dependency. Don't take it with alcohol.

[12:57] Wake up ready for your day. Ask your

[12:59] healthcare provider for two-layer Ambien

[13:01] CR.

[13:03] If you think all batteries are the same,

[13:05] consider this.

[13:07] Lost child, a BrickHouse child locator.

[13:11] And the only battery BrickHouse trusts

[13:14] is Duracell. Trusted everywhere.

[13:18] Let Friskies Selects Indoor unlock the

[13:21] freshness and freedom of the outdoors

[13:23] for your indoor cat. Each delectable

[13:26] entree is bursting with high-quality

[13:28] protein, plus wholesome grain and garden

[13:31] greens. Friskies, feed the senses. A

[13:33] handsome pastor, a jealous follower, who

[13:36] wanted this young woman to die. Murder

[13:39] in God's house, a new Dateline tonight

[13:41] 10/9 Central on NBC.

[13:45] We're back, and we turn again now to Ann

[13:47] Curry's reporting from Africa this week.

[13:49] Her subject has been the Darfur region

[13:51] of Sudan, so ravaged by war and famine.

[13:54] The victims of that tragedy need help,

[13:57] and sometimes that comes in the form of

[13:59] public awareness. Something a celebrity

[14:01] and activist like George Clooney can

[14:03] help deliver. Clooney's in Africa

[14:05] tonight on this trip with Ann Curry to

[14:07] Chad along the border with Darfur. Here

[14:09] is Ann's report tonight.

[14:13] It's the dry season in eastern Chad, and

[14:15] driving is treacherous on the rough,

[14:17] dusty roads. Watch yourself. This might

[14:19] be a big one. George Clooney joins us

[14:21] for the trip to a camp where thousands

[14:23] of refugees from Darfur. The actor's

[14:26] role as United Nations Messenger of

[14:28] Peace brings him back to the front lines

[14:30] of a crisis that has haunted him for

[14:32] years. When I first heard about it, it

[14:35] wasn't getting a lot of play, and wasn't

[14:36] getting a lot of attention, and

[14:38] >> But now it is. People know about it, but

[14:40] things are still not changing here on

[14:41] the ground.

[14:42] >> That's the frustrating thing.

[14:43] After 6 years, the Darfur crisis has

[14:46] left an estimated 300,000 people dead

[14:49] and driven millions from their homes.

[14:51] Moving among the survivors along with

[14:53] the New York Times' Nick Kristof, we

[14:55] hear harrowing stories.

[14:57] Abdella Endress, who we first met 2

[14:59] years ago, could hardly speak after

[15:01] being bayoneted by Arab attackers.

[15:04] Today, blind, his wife is his guide.

[15:08] They said I was black and useless, a

[15:11] fool. So what we have to do, they said,

[15:13] is kill you.

[15:14] >> They want to go back to their villages.

[15:16] They want to live normal lives. They

[15:17] want to be normal human beings.

[15:19] We forget that sometimes because these

[15:20] numbers get to be so big again. I lose

[15:24] my faith after a while.

[15:26] He's scheduled to meet next week with

[15:28] President Obama, who visited one of

[15:30] these camps here in Chad in 2006.

[15:33] What do you want Obama to do? We want

[15:35] him to appoint a high-level, full-time

[15:38] uh diplomat to to negotiate and work at

[15:42] hard all every day to work hard at a

[15:44] negotiation for peace treaty. Walking

[15:47] through one camp, we discovered Obama's

[15:49] message of hope has reached even here.

[15:52] This mud-brick building is the newly

[15:54] renamed Obama schoolhouse. The children

[15:57] say Obama inspires them to chase their

[15:59] dreams. Uh-oh, there's a run.

[16:03] We're going to be We're about to be

[16:04] overtaken. Yeah, Angie and Brad just got

[16:07] here.

[16:11] It happens to me all the time.

[16:14] They don't know George Clooney is a

[16:16] major movie star.

[16:19] They just think he's fun.

[16:23] He's also mischievous, as he shows in

[16:26] these home movies he shot along the way.

[16:28] I've decided it's not appropriate to

[16:31] show you

[16:32] shots of

[16:33] Nicholas Kristof

[16:35] coming out of the shower.

[16:38] His jokes are to lift spirits because

[16:41] he, like these children, refuses to give

[16:43] up hope. Ann Curry, NBC News on the

[16:47] Chad-Darfur border.

[16:50] And later tonight, we'll be posting more

[16:52] of that video that George Clooney shot

[16:54] on this trip in the camps. It'll be on

[16:56] our website nightly.msnbc.com.

[16:59] We are back in a moment here tonight

[17:00] with a great old brand name that might

[17:02] soon go missing.

[17:07] New Cascade All-in-One ActionPacs is

[17:09] like adding the ultimate button to your

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[17:17] It does the whole show for you because

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[17:29] New Cascade Complete, the best

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[17:38] Serious sore throat sufferers know

[17:40] there's nothing stronger than Ceepacol

[17:42] to stop sore throat pain seriously fast.

[17:45] >> I do. In lozenge or spray, Ceepacol

[17:49] stops pain fast.

[18:06] It was that day at the airport. Carl had

[18:08] been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

[18:10] >> Grandma, Grandpa.

[18:11] >> But I waited to see how he did.

[18:15] Julie? I'm Amy, Grandpa. That day I knew

[18:20] I couldn't wait.

[18:22] Our doctor told us prescription Aricept

[18:24] is the only treatment proven effective

[18:26] for all stages of Alzheimer's. Studies

[18:29] showed Aricept slows the progression of

[18:31] Alzheimer's symptoms. It improves

[18:32] cognition and slows the decline of

[18:34] overall function.

[18:35] >> We started Carl on it right away.

[18:37] >> Aricept is well tolerated, but not for

[18:39] everyone. People at risk for stomach

[18:40] ulcers or who take certain other

[18:42] medicines should tell their doctors

[18:44] because serious stomach problems such as

[18:45] bleeding may get worse. Some people may

[18:47] experience fainting. Some people may

[18:49] have nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,

[18:51] bruising, or not sleep well. Some people

[18:52] may have muscle cramps or loss of

[18:54] appetite or may feel tired. In studies,

[18:56] these were usually mild and temporary.

[18:58] Oh, that's a nice one.

[19:00] >> Talk to your doctor about Alzheimer's

[19:02] treatments, including Aricept. Don't

[19:04] wait. Alzheimer's isn't waiting. Sunday,

[19:07] exclusive. Bobby Jindal and Charlie

[19:09] Crist, two Republican governors. Why

[19:11] does one support Obama's economic plan?

[19:14] Only on Meet the Press.

[19:17] A couple of American icons are in the

[19:19] news this Friday night. These are bad

[19:21] times for Girl Scout cookies. Various

[19:23] local Girl Scout councils are reporting

[19:26] sales are down upwards of 19% as people

[19:29] are just cutting back to bare essentials

[19:30] in some cases. Sadly, this is supposed

[19:33] to be the peak of their sales season

[19:34] from January to March. Production of the

[19:37] iconic York Peppermint Patty is ending

[19:40] here in the United States. Today, a flag

[19:43] was flying at half-staff outside Hershey

[19:45] headquarters in Reading, PA. The plant

[19:47] has closed as of today, and production

[19:50] is moving to Monterrey, Mexico. Chalk up

[19:53] another 300 American jobs lost. Socks

[19:56] the Cat has died. He was 19 years old

[19:59] and easily the best known cat in the

[20:01] world during the height of his

[20:02] popularity when he lived in the White

[20:04] House as the Clintons' house pet. He was

[20:07] born in Little Rock and died in

[20:08] Hollywood. Hollywood, Maryland that is.

[20:10] His owner these past many years was

[20:12] President Clinton's former secretary

[20:14] Betty Currie. Socks was a celebrity and

[20:16] thousands of American kids who wrote to

[20:18] the cat got letters back with a paw

[20:21] print signature.

[20:22] Back on the subject of a moment of

[20:24] American business and dying brand names

[20:26] in a down economy. If you love American

[20:29] cars, you've got to hate what's

[20:30] happening right now. Two of the big

[20:32] three in Detroit have come to Washington

[20:34] looking for taxpayer money to survive.

[20:37] They've admitted they have to change

[20:38] some old ways and that may mean goodbye

[20:41] to some old brands. When we got our

[20:43] brand new mint green 1967 Pontiac

[20:46] Catalina, it was the first new car my

[20:49] dad ever bought and a lot has changed

[20:51] since then and the Pontiac brand is

[20:53] about to be demoted. Tonight we ask

[20:56] James Cobb, automotive editor of The New

[20:58] York Times, what it means to him.

[21:03] Dollar for dollar, you can't beat a

[21:06] Pontiac. The significance of Pontiac is

[21:09] particularly poignant because it was a

[21:12] division that was very successful

[21:14] through the '50s and '60s and into the

[21:16] '70s and it was a car brand that really

[21:20] captured the mood of the country. It was

[21:22] sporty, powerful,

[21:25] aggressive and very stylish. Back in the

[21:28] '20s, Alfred Sloan, the the chairman had

[21:31] said that GM would make a car for every

[21:32] person purpose and his ladder had

[21:36] Chevrolet at the bottom for working

[21:38] people

[21:39] and Cadillac at the top for movie stars

[21:41] and bankers.

[21:44] Pontiac was the second rung up and the

[21:46] idea was that working people would um

[21:49] become more successful, maybe get a

[21:50] raise and move into a Pontiac. You had

[21:53] models with names like Catalina,

[21:56] Bonneville, Le Mans, GTO, Firebird. Over

[22:00] time, the sense of distinct Pontiac

[22:03] models started to wear away. When you

[22:06] walked into a Pontiac showroom, you

[22:07] essentially saw the same car as you

[22:09] would see at the Chevy dealership with a

[22:10] little different styling, different name

[22:12] plates. Nostalgia is a wonderful thing,

[22:14] but it doesn't get you very far on the

[22:17] balance sheet. It's happening across a

[22:19] lot of industries and it's really

[22:20] happening in the auto industry. Change

[22:22] is here. There's not a whole lot that

[22:24] can be done. So many of us who grew up

[22:26] in that era, baby boomers,

[22:30] recall how terrific the Pontiacs of the

[22:34] of the early '60s were, you know, the

[22:36] whole wide track

[22:37] wide track Pontiac advertising campaign.

[22:41] We built excitement, you know, in the

[22:43] '80s.

[22:44] There was a style and a panache

[22:47] with these cars, you know, the split

[22:49] grills, the stacked headlights.

[22:51] Certainly the GTO were incredibly

[22:53] successful, the first American muscle

[22:55] car really. Yeah, you can't just let it

[22:57] go away unremarked. It it was it was a

[23:00] good ride.

[23:05] It was a good ride. James Cobb, the

[23:07] automotive editor for The New York Times

[23:08] tonight in his own words. We're back in

[23:11] a moment with our making a difference

[23:13] report this Friday night all about the

[23:14] power of a song.

[23:18] I thought I knew all about my high

[23:19] cholesterol. But then my doctor told me

[23:21] something I didn't know. While I was

[23:23] building my life, plaque was building in

[23:25] my arteries. It had been building up

[23:27] most of my life. That's why my doctor

[23:29] prescribed Crestor to help slow the

[23:31] build up of plaque. People like you are

[23:33] learning that plaque can build up in

[23:35] arteries over time and that along with

[23:37] diet, Crestor lowers bad cholesterol,

[23:41] raises good and is approved to slow the

[23:43] build up of plaque in arteries. Is

[23:45] Crestor right for you? Crestor isn't for

[23:47] everyone, like people with liver disease

[23:49] or women who are nursing, pregnant or

[23:51] may become pregnant. Simple blood test

[23:53] will check for liver problems.

[23:55] You should tell your doctor about other

[23:56] medicines you're taking or if you have

[23:58] muscle pain or weakness, that could be a

[24:00] sign of serious side effects. Like

[24:01] others, while you've been building your

[24:03] life, plaque may have been building in

[24:05] your arteries. Find out more at

[24:07] crestor.com.

[24:09] Then ask your doctor if it's time for

[24:11] Crestor. If you can't afford your

[24:13] medication, AstraZeneca may be able to

[24:15] help.

[24:18] I learned a lot when I found out I had

[24:20] high cholesterol, but I didn't know that

[24:22] it may have led to my erectile

[24:23] dysfunction. That's why my doctor told

[24:25] me about Levitra. Certain medical

[24:27] conditions, including high blood

[24:28] pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol

[24:31] can decrease blood flow, which may lead

[24:33] to ED. That was news to me. My doctor

[24:35] told me Levitra could help. Levitra

[24:37] works by increasing blood flow to help

[24:39] treat ED. Levitra works for me. Maybe it

[24:42] can work for you.

[24:44] Ask your doctor if you are healthy

[24:45] enough for sexual activity. If you have

[24:47] heart problems or on alpha blocker

[24:49] therapy or have uncontrolled high blood

[24:50] pressure, talk to your doctor before

[24:52] taking Levitra. Do not take Levitra if

[24:54] you take nitrates for chest pains as

[24:56] this may cause an unsafe drop in blood

[24:58] pressure. Side effects may include

[25:00] headache, flushing and stuffy or runny

[25:02] nose. To avoid long-term injury, seek

[25:04] immediate medical help if you experience

[25:05] an erection lasting longer than 4 hours.

[25:08] If you have any sudden decrease or loss

[25:10] of vision or hearing, stop taking

[25:11] Levitra and call your doctor right away.

[25:14] Ask your doctor if Levitra is right for

[25:16] you.

[25:18] This is a KGW News Channel 8 update.

[25:21] Next, should Oregon ban handheld cell

[25:23] phones while driving? The tough new bill

[25:25] moving through the capital. Plus a

[25:26] warning for travelers to Mexico where

[25:28] tourists should be especially careful.

[25:30] And a gorgeous Friday out there, a

[25:31] spring-like feel. How long will it last?

[25:33] I'll let you know. Your forecast is

[25:35] coming up.

[25:41] Making a difference brought to you by

[25:43] GlaxoSmithKline,

[25:45] today's medicines, tomorrow's miracles.

[25:49] Our Friday night making a difference

[25:51] report comes to us tonight from a

[25:52] hospital in Houston, Texas. It's about a

[25:55] badly needed weapon in the fight when

[25:57] kids are facing cancer. The story from

[26:00] NBC's Janet Shamlin.

[26:03] Mary Jo. Hey, honey. How are you doing?

[26:06] >> This is the day-to-day reality in

[26:08] child's battle with cancer. My hands are

[26:10] a little cold as always. All of doctors'

[26:12] hands are cold.

[26:13] >> I know. Probed and prodded in a hospital

[26:16] room. Sometimes, as in Mary Jo

[26:18] Stavenow's case, for years. It's not

[26:21] very fun, I can tell you that.

[26:24] Not very fun at all.

[26:26] But for this blue-eyed beauty, the color

[26:29] purple makes it bearable. I'm an

[26:31] American cancer soldier. Just down the

[26:35] hall from the chemotherapy rooms at

[26:37] Texas Children's Hospital, a very

[26:39] different room, a fully outfitted studio

[26:42] where kids can write and record music.

[26:44] Called Purple Songs Can Fly. What are

[26:47] you going to write a song about today? I

[26:49] think I'm going to write a song about

[26:50] being a survivor of cancer. Cuz some

[26:53] kids don't make it to this point.

[26:57] Like a lot of my friends

[26:58] have died.

[27:01] The dream of a Houston songwriter

[27:03] >> I like how that sounds.

[27:04] >> Oh yeah, that sounds good. Anita Cruz

[27:06] found the funding and helps make the

[27:07] magic, but the words come from the kids.

[27:10] hospital stays, difficult times along

[27:15] the way. Something happens when a child

[27:18] comes in here and we're writing a song.

[27:21] They're not thinking about what they're

[27:24] going through. The recording studio is

[27:26] more than just a chance to escape this

[27:27] waiting room. Even the doctors admit

[27:30] it's a powerful form of treatment. We

[27:33] think it makes a tremendous difference

[27:35] with the kids because it allows them a

[27:37] venue to express themselves. Flying like

[27:40] an eagle. Giving children like Alex

[27:43] Harkins something all their own. I can.

[27:46] I can.

[27:47] That song is like my little place, my

[27:51] little place of happiness. And offering

[27:53] solid evidence, sometimes music is the

[27:56] medicine. I can howl at the moon. I can

[28:01] soar in low wind. I can. I can.

[28:08] Janet Shamlin, NBC News, Houston.

[28:13] On that note, that is our broadcast for

[28:15] this Friday night and for this week.

[28:16] Thank you for being with us as for all

[28:18] of it. I'm Brian Williams. Lester Holt

[28:21] will be here with you this weekend. We,

[28:23] of course, hope to see you back here on

[28:25] Monday. Have a good weekend. Good night.

[28:35] 30 on OPB TV.

[28:41] I'm Jim Lehrer. On the next NewsHour,

[28:43] the analysis of Mark Shields and David

[28:45] Brooks. That's Friday on the NewsHour.

[28:56] I support OPB at the Cornerstone level.

[28:59] There isn't anything really more

[29:01] important to me than

[29:03] knowledge. I virtually live and breathe

[29:06] OPB. It keeps me tuned in to what's

[29:08] going on in the world. My morning starts

[29:09] with it, my night ends with it. OPB is

[29:12] my lifeline to the state, to the arts,

[29:14] to politics, to what's happening

[29:16] internationally. I love the Oregon

[29:18] Public Broadcasting Cornerstone Society.

[29:20] It is a very meaningful place to share

[29:24] my enthusiasm and my passion for OPB.

[29:27] To find out more about the OPB

[29:29] Cornerstone Society, please visit

[29:30] opb.org/cornerstone

[29:33] or call Julie Arnzen at 503-977-7765.

[29:42] Big money,

[29:43] special interests and beltway politics,

[29:46] is Washington broken? Watch Bill Moyers

[29:49] Journal.

[30:10] On a History Detectives special, how old

[30:13] is this music? Is this the first book of

[30:16] slave songs? Who played this guitar and

[30:18] why did the FBI care? Everybody knew who

[30:21] he was. No secret is safe on History

[30:24] Detectives.

[30:25] Join us Monday at 9:00 p.m.

[30:47] Stein Oil Company, fueling for

[30:49] businesses in Clackamas, Oregon City,

[30:52] Milwaukie, and Tualatin.