NBC Nightly News - 2000-08-24

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:00] or working for you.

[0:06] >> Ford and Firestone, new suspicions, new

[0:09] demands for answers tonight. What did

[0:11] both companies really know about the

[0:13] risk and when did they know it? NBC News

[0:16] in depth. The battle over death and

[0:18] taxes. And George Bush tries bouncing

[0:20] back from a taxing week. Missing

[0:22] something? Cheaper, easier ways for

[0:24] millions of Americans of all ages to

[0:26] hear things loud and clear. and the real

[0:30] survivors. Young mountain climbers tell

[0:32] of being kidnapped overseas and their

[0:34] daring escape.

[0:38] >> From NBC News World Headquarters in New

[0:41] York, this is NBC Nightly News with Tom

[0:44] Brokaw. Substituting tonight, Brian

[0:48] Williams.

[0:49] >> Good evening. The question, what did

[0:51] they know and when did they know it? is

[0:53] tonight being asked of two big American

[0:56] name brands. Ford Motor and Firestone

[0:58] Tire. Both are in the midst of a massive

[1:01] recall. Both struggling to keep up with

[1:03] demand. Firestone Survival may be on the

[1:06] line here as old tires in question come

[1:09] in for refunds. They all need to be

[1:11] replaced. And now we have two reports

[1:14] tonight, beginning with NBC's Robert

[1:16] Hager.

[1:18] Ford says today that 861,000

[1:21] tires have now been replaced, one of

[1:23] every seven recalled. And the company

[1:25] insists that at least all the bad ones

[1:27] have been identified and that the recall

[1:30] does not need to be expanded.

[1:31] >> For those groups out there, they're

[1:33] calling for expansion of the recall

[1:36] without any data.

[1:38] It's careless and it's irresponsible

[1:40] because they're scaring people and good

[1:43] tires are going on vehicles with good

[1:45] tires already. This on a day when

[1:47] lawyers representing people injured in

[1:49] accidents say not only Firestone but

[1:51] Ford too is partly to blame for the

[1:53] blown tires. The lawyers charge Ford

[1:56] knew when it designed the Explorer, the

[1:58] vehicle that's had most of the tire

[1:59] problems that it had a tendency to tip

[2:02] over in sharp turns. But instead of

[2:04] ordering basic changes like a broader

[2:06] wheelbase, they charged the company

[2:08] instead opted to simply tell owners to

[2:10] keep less air in their tires. It's

[2:12] crystal clear from their own internal

[2:14] documents that they dropped the air

[2:15] pressure because they couldn't keep the

[2:16] wheels on the ground.

[2:17] >> Ford documents, which NBC News has

[2:19] obtained, show when the company ran its

[2:21] own tests of the rival Chevy Blazer, it

[2:24] did not tip over. Nor did Ford's own

[2:26] Bronco 2. But the prototype of the

[2:28] Explorer failed five out of 12 tests,

[2:31] two wheels leaving the road on a tight

[2:33] turn. The lawyers say that's why Ford

[2:36] later told Explorer owners to put less

[2:39] air in their tires. Something experts

[2:41] say could lead directly to blowouts.

[2:43] >> Ford was trying to take a quick fix, a

[2:45] quick, simple, cheap fix.

[2:47] >> But Ford says that's not true. That

[2:49] Explorers on the road have had fewer

[2:51] tipovers than comparable SUVs and that

[2:54] other manufacturers too have recommended

[2:56] less air in tires. There is absolutely

[2:59] no question in my mind that what we're

[3:02] seeing with tread separation is in no

[3:05] way related to the performance of the

[3:08] Explorer.

[3:08] >> Ford does say it's still facing a

[3:10] critical shortage of replacement tires,

[3:12] racing to keep up, but acknowledges it

[3:14] may take another 6 months to replace all

[3:17] the recalled tires. Robert Hager, NBC

[3:20] News, Washington.

[3:22] >> This is Bob Kerr in Washington. Pressure

[3:24] on Firestone and Ford increases here.

[3:27] Senator McCain calling top officials of

[3:29] both companies to testify in two weeks.

[3:32] And there's mounting legal pressure. In

[3:34] Florida today, another shredded tire and

[3:37] another lawyer suing, warning that the

[3:39] current recall is inadequate. It is our

[3:42] position that all tires in the

[3:45] wilderness, the ATX2

[3:48] should be recalled, whether they're 14,

[3:50] 15, 16, or 17in tires.

[3:54] >> Today, in a company produced video,

[3:56] Bridgestone Firestone escalates its

[3:58] public relations offensive.

[4:00] >> All data indicates that all other tire

[4:03] lines and sizes are performing

[4:05] excellently in the marketplace. Yet,

[4:07] even though most of the recalled tires

[4:09] came from Firestone's Decar plant, some

[4:12] consumers appear to show a broader loss

[4:14] of confidence in Firestone.

[4:16] >> I don't know if it's just at one plant.

[4:17] It could be at several plants. I don't

[4:19] know.

[4:19] >> And more legal problems from trial

[4:21] depositions. This former Firestone Decar

[4:24] plant worker testifies supervisors

[4:26] emphasized production over safety.

[4:29] >> We were instructed that this tire was

[4:31] bad and they say, "Well, that's okay.

[4:33] It's it's let this one go." Another

[4:36] former worker testifies production lines

[4:38] moved so fast he was unable to properly

[4:41] inspect the tires. Firestone dismisses

[4:43] these critics as disgruntled workers

[4:46] bitter about a labor dispute at the

[4:48] Illinois plant and insists safety and

[4:50] quality are priorities. But experts on

[4:54] product liability say Firestone's

[4:56] problems go even further.

[4:57] >> People are going to be saying, "Okay,

[4:59] well at some point you decided that

[5:00] these products needed to be recalled.

[5:02] Why didn't you figure that out before my

[5:03] husband died?" That kind of question now

[5:05] the focus of government investigators

[5:07] who this week collected 40 boxes of

[5:10] documents from Firestone and Ford. Their

[5:13] investigation could drag on for years

[5:15] before it's resolved.

[5:17] >> Still, government officials insist their

[5:19] first priority is making sure the scope

[5:21] of the current recall is adequate. And

[5:23] tonight, they're not ruling out an

[5:25] additional recall that would affect

[5:27] millions more tires. Bob Kerr, NBC News,

[5:30] Washington. An update tonight from the

[5:32] grim recovery scene after the crash of

[5:35] that Gulf Airbus in the Persian Gulf

[5:37] waters off Bahrain. All the bodies, both

[5:40] black boxes, have now been recovered

[5:42] from the clear and shallow waters there.

[5:44] The final death toll 143. Investigators

[5:47] say it is still too early to speculate

[5:49] on the exact cause of the crash.

[5:52] Tonight, a potential bombshell from the

[5:54] new presidentele of Mexico opened the

[5:57] border between Mexico and the US. While

[5:59] this may not fly, it is an indication

[6:02] that Mexico is decidedly under new

[6:04] management. That was made clear today.

[6:06] Our report tonight from NBC News

[6:08] correspondent Jim Mcclashevski.

[6:12] >> He's not president yet, doesn't take

[6:14] office until December. But Mexico's

[6:16] Vicente Fox is already shaking things up

[6:18] on both sides of the border. At the

[6:20] White House today, Fox lays out his

[6:22] boldest and most controversial proposal,

[6:25] open borders and free immigration

[6:27] between the US and Mexico. President

[6:29] Clinton hints maybe someday, but for

[6:32] now, the law is the law.

[6:34] >> We have borders and we have laws that

[6:36] apply to them and we have to apply them

[6:37] and so do the Mexicans.

[6:39] >> It's the hottest issue in US Mexican

[6:42] relations. US immigration officials

[6:44] report nearly 1,000 illegal immigrants

[6:46] cross into the US every day. Nearly

[6:49] three million live here illegally. They

[6:51] come looking for jobs and higher wages,

[6:54] 10 times more than they earn in Mexico.

[6:57] In an exclusive interview, Fox tells NBC

[6:59] News that until that economic imbalance

[7:02] changes, no one can hold back the human

[7:04] tide.

[7:05] >> And you can build up as many walls as

[7:07] you want. You can put all the armies you

[7:10] want, but people will still try to

[7:12] migrate. Flamboyant and charismatic, Fox

[7:16] is prepared to take on a whole host of

[7:18] problems between Mexico and the US. Drug

[7:20] trafficking. US drug officials report

[7:23] 60% of the cocaine sold in the United

[7:25] States comes through Mexico.

[7:27] >> I am serious when I talk about combating

[7:31] drugs and narot trafficking. It's going

[7:33] to be the mother of all barrels. Fox

[7:36] also vows to end decades of political

[7:38] corruption within his own government and

[7:40] military that strain relations with

[7:42] Washington and work toward knocking down

[7:45] all trade barriers between the US and

[7:47] Mexico, creating a European style

[7:50] economic union in North America. In the

[7:52] long term, US officials have high hopes

[7:54] for Fox and some of his bold ideas. But

[7:57] in the short term, Warren, they're far

[7:59] too radical for any politicians here

[8:02] north of the border. Jim Mcclashevsky,

[8:04] NBC News, Washington.

[8:06] >> A federal judge said tonight that fired

[8:08] Los Alamos nuclear scientist Wenho Lee,

[8:11] indicted and jailed for mishandling

[8:13] government nuclear data, can be released

[8:16] on bail with some conditions, perhaps as

[8:19] early as next week. When we continue

[8:21] this Thursday night, death and taxes,

[8:24] NBC News in depth, eliminating estate

[8:26] taxes. Why this Montana farmer took his

[8:29] case directly to the White House.

[8:31] Doesn't make any sense to put something

[8:33] together, work your whole lifetime, five

[8:35] generations to put something together

[8:37] and then lose it because somebody can't

[8:38] pay the tax. The unusual delivery of the

[8:42] bill to end the death tax and why

[8:44] President Clinton is going to veto it.

[8:46] That's tonight's in-depth. And the real

[8:48] life survivors, the incredible life and

[8:50] death story being told by two young

[8:52] Americans who say they were held hostage

[8:55] by terrorists.

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[10:47] America's

[11:00] couple is ready to tie the knot and

[11:03] you're invited to the wedding. Peter and

[11:05] Melanie walk down the aisle live

[11:07] September 6th on Today

[11:10] >> date on Friday. Four men given a second

[11:12] chance at a decent life after doing

[11:15] five. Will these four parole lees make

[11:17] it on the outside? Dine Friday.

[11:21] >> NBC News in depth tonight. The tax

[11:23] dilemma and the campaign trail and in

[11:25] Washington. First, a faceoff between

[11:28] President Clinton and the Republicans in

[11:30] Congress over eliminating the so-called

[11:32] death tax. According to the

[11:34] Congressional Budget Office, Americans

[11:36] paid nearly $1 trillion in taxes this

[11:39] year. Republicans and a significant

[11:41] number of Democrats say too much of that

[11:44] tax bill is an unfair burden on those

[11:46] trying to pass on a piece of the

[11:48] American dream to their children. So why

[11:51] is President Clinton promising a veto?

[11:53] We begin tonight's in-depth reporting

[11:56] with NBC's Claire Shipman.

[11:58] >> The latest Republican tax cut, a repeal

[12:01] of the estate or death tax, delivered

[12:03] with dramatic flourish to the White

[12:05] House today.

[12:06] >> Mr. President, don't veto on this bill.

[12:09] The red tractor meant to symbolize

[12:11] farmers who say the break could help

[12:12] them hold on to their farms. But the

[12:15] president says he will stop the bill,

[12:17] arguing it is simply a huge break for

[12:19] the wealthy and that there are better

[12:21] ways to help the middle class.

[12:23] >> We can provide more meaningful targeted

[12:25] estate tax relief that provides

[12:28] immediate benefits to farmers and small

[12:30] businesses.

[12:31] >> The estate tax affects very few

[12:33] Americans. It only kicks in on estates

[12:35] worth more than $675,000.

[12:38] There is a higher limit for farmers and

[12:40] small business owners. But even so,

[12:43] supporters of the bill say that the

[12:45] steep tax often forces the sale of farms

[12:48] and businesses. Lynn Cornwell, a Montana

[12:50] cattle rancher, delivered the bill to

[12:52] Clinton. It

[12:53] >> doesn't make any sense to put something

[12:54] together, work your whole lifetime, five

[12:57] generations to put something together

[12:58] and then lose it because somebody can't

[13:00] pay the tax.

[13:01] >> But Democrats are betting that the

[13:03] public doesn't care that much about tax

[13:05] cuts right now. The reality is is

[13:07] there's no broad audience for for the

[13:10] kinds of largecale tax cuts that George

[13:13] W. Bush is proposing.

[13:15] >> Al Gore today promoting his own smaller

[13:18] breaks for education and child care,

[13:20] bashing George W. Bush's big tax cut

[13:22] proposal.

[13:23] >> I will not support a giant tax cut for

[13:26] the wealthy at the expense of everyone

[13:28] else that wrecks our economy in the

[13:30] process. He's counting on voters like

[13:33] the Millers, upper middle class,

[13:35] delivering their daughter to college

[13:36] today. Ron, a Republican, says tax cuts

[13:39] are not a priority right now.

[13:41] >> I think when it comes down to it, tax

[13:43] cuts are going to be very low a low

[13:47] issue when it comes down to somebody

[13:49] actually pulling the lever.

[13:50] >> But not everybody thinks like the

[13:52] Millers. And with taxes quickly becoming

[13:54] the hot election year issue, many

[13:56] believe the next two months could turn

[13:58] into a referendum on just what tax cuts

[14:01] Americans really want. Claire Shipman,

[14:04] NBC News, Washington. Then there is one

[14:06] of the cornerstones of the Bush

[14:08] candidacy for president, a huge tax cut.

[14:10] With Vice President Gore riding high on

[14:12] the bounce following the Democratic

[14:14] convention, Bush has been scrambling to

[14:17] show that when it comes to taxes, his

[14:19] numbers add up. NBC's David Gregory is

[14:22] traveling with the campaign and

[14:23] continues our in-depth reporting.

[14:26] >> In New Orleans, Bush again on the

[14:28] defensive about his proposed $ 1.3

[14:30] trillion tax cut. Today, using a local

[14:33] Republican family,

[14:34] >> I'm from Mandeville, Louisiana.

[14:36] >> As an example, to argue that his plan,

[14:39] which cuts income tax rates across the

[14:41] board and doubles the child credit,

[14:43] helps working families more than Gors.

[14:45] an over 70% decrease in the taxes he

[14:48] pays.

[14:50] Under Al Gore's plan, he gets no tax

[14:53] relief.

[14:53] >> Many say Gore's attacks on Bush's tax

[14:55] plan have left the Texas governor

[14:57] appearing offbalance and off message.

[15:00] The campaign had carefully scripted

[15:02] education as the centerpiece of the

[15:04] week. But in an interview today with NBC

[15:06] News, Bush defends his tactics.

[15:09] >> I'm going to start focusing on on issues

[15:10] that I think are important for people to

[15:12] hear and issues that'll help me get to

[15:13] be elected president. When you get

[15:15] people some of their own money back,

[15:16] it'll encourage economic growth. And by

[15:18] growing the pie, it's more likely we'll

[15:20] have even more revenues.

[15:24] >> Despite his rosy outlook, one week since

[15:26] the close of the Democratic convention,

[15:28] Governor Bush seems to have faltered in

[15:30] his attempt to regain the spotlight.

[15:32] Polls show him now trailing the vice

[15:34] president. And today, another headache.

[15:37] Bush forced to explain why a TV ad

[15:39] questioning Gore's honesty was abruptly

[15:41] withdrawn before it aired. The ad shows

[15:44] an excerpt from a 1994 NBC News

[15:47] interview with Gore about his

[15:48] description of then Senate candidate

[15:50] Oliver North as a pathological liar.

[15:52] >> Can you say that neither you nor

[15:54] President Clinton has told a lie in your

[15:56] political career?

[15:58] >> Uh

[16:00] none spring to mind. I'll tell you that

[16:02] >> some thought the six-year-old interview

[16:04] would be taken out of context as a

[16:05] reference to the Monica Lewinsky

[16:07] scandal.

[16:08] >> I think it's appropriate to challenge

[16:09] the man's credibility. I don't think it

[16:10] was appropriate to challenge the man's

[16:12] credibility in that context.

[16:14] >> That context because because it was uh

[16:16] it had nothing to do with the uh the

[16:18] affairs of the White House.

[16:19] >> Also this week, unwanted publicity for a

[16:22] series of verbal slipups. An Iowa

[16:24] fundraiser at the end of a long day.

[16:27] >> We cannot let terrorists and rogue

[16:30] nations hold this nation hostile or hold

[16:32] our allies hostile.

[16:34] >> A bad week? Governor Bush doesn't think

[16:37] so. He says now is the time to start

[16:39] pounding home his messages, including

[16:41] tax cuts because voters are starting to

[16:43] listen. A top aid says tonight we're

[16:45] exactly where we want to be. David

[16:48] Gregory, NBC News, New Orleans. Back

[16:50] with our lifeline report right after

[16:52] this.

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[19:45] >> Join us in September when the Today Show

[19:47] comes to Australia.

[19:50] Our lifeline report tonight. Good

[19:52] medical news. The rapidly advancing

[19:54] technology that's bringing back hearing

[19:56] for those at a loss in every age group.

[19:59] It can be a life-changing move. Here is

[20:02] NBC News chief science correspondent

[20:04] Robert Bazelle.

[20:06] Lawrence Heisman, one of the Tuskegee

[20:08] Airmen, the famed unit of

[20:10] African-American pilots who fought so

[20:12] valiantly in World War II. Always proud

[20:15] of his achievements, but he says life

[20:17] even better with the newest high

[20:19] technology hearing aid. All of a sudden,

[20:21] you hear a rustle of the leaves and so

[20:23] forth and it's a nice day and it had

[20:25] they haven't been rustling before and it

[20:26] makes you want to look up.

[20:28] >> The latest advances in digital

[20:29] electronics making hearing aids far

[20:32] tinier and the sound much clearer

[20:34] because they can be programmed to

[20:36] capture the specific frequencies each

[20:38] person misses.

[20:39] >> We can tailor them to individuals

[20:41] individual hearing loss uh because

[20:44] everybody has a slightly different

[20:45] hearing loss pattern.

[20:47] Malcolm Van Kirk, a 53-year-old small

[20:49] plane pilot, resisted getting a hearing

[20:51] aid for years and was then shocked at

[20:54] how well it worked. I wish that I'd done

[20:56] this a long time ago. Really,

[20:58] >> like many people, he faced up to his

[21:00] hearing loss only after his adult

[21:02] children nagged him.

[21:03] >> I really became aware of hearing

[21:05] dysfunction when my children started,

[21:07] you know, telling me, "Dad, you're

[21:08] really not hearing what I'm saying." 22

[21:10] million Americans suffer hearing loss,

[21:12] including 1 in 10 65 and older, but only

[21:15] 6 million wear hearing aids. Experts

[21:17] like Dr. Lorie Hannon say the latest

[21:19] research shows the results can be

[21:21] devastating if people do not seek

[21:23] treatment.

[21:24] >> With untreated hearing loss, people,

[21:26] especially people who are in their 60s

[21:28] and 70s, are more prone to depression,

[21:31] to feelings of social isolation, and

[21:34] it's because they can't communicate. The

[21:36] main reason people don't wear hearing

[21:37] aids, vanity, inconvenience, and cost.

[21:40] $800 to $3,000. Usually not reimbured by

[21:43] insurance or Medicare. For the future,

[21:46] one company already marketing a

[21:48] disposable hearing aid that costs about

[21:50] $80 and lasts a month. Clinical trials

[21:53] underway of a device called Soundbridge

[21:55] implanted inside the ear, invisible

[21:58] outside, vibrating along with a bone it

[22:00] is attached to, sending sounds directly

[22:02] to the brain. Scientists hope that one

[22:05] day they will actually eliminate the

[22:07] need for hearing aids altogether by

[22:09] reversing the damage usually caused by

[22:11] loud noise that leads to hearing loss.

[22:14] The goal to regenerate the nerve cells

[22:16] called hairs in the inner ear that

[22:18] detect sounds. That treatment still many

[22:20] years away. For now, experts say hearing

[22:23] aids working better all the time,

[22:25] repairing a loss that can severely limit

[22:28] a person's life. Robert Bazelle, NBC

[22:31] News, New York.

[22:33] An update on Wall Street today. The Dow

[22:35] gained a little more than 38 points when

[22:37] it was all over. The Nasdaq was up more

[22:39] than 42. I'll be right back with those

[22:42] they are calling the other survivors.

[22:49] >> Problem?

[22:51] >> The doctor says my cholesterol is still

[22:52] too high.

[22:53] >> What about diet and exercise?

[22:55] >> They didn't do enough.

[22:56] >> So,

[22:56] >> he suggested adding Lipur. Lipur, the

[22:59] number one prescribed medication for

[23:01] lowering cholesterol. In clinical

[23:03] studies, Lipur with diet was proven to

[23:06] lower bad cholesterol 39 to 60%. Total

[23:09] cholesterol 29 to 45%. Triglycerides 19

[23:13] to 37%.

[23:14] >> He said over 4 million people have

[23:15] started taking Lipur to lower their

[23:17] cholesterol.

[23:18] >> Lipur is not for everyone, including

[23:20] people with liver disease or possible

[23:21] liver problems. Women who are nursing,

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

[23:25] >> There'll be blood tests to check for

[23:26] liver problems. Tell your doctor about

[23:28] muscle pain or weakness as these may be

[23:30] signs of serious side effects.

[23:31] >> You take Lipur once a day.

[23:32] >> Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more

[23:34] information on Lipur and call 1888

[23:37] Lipur.

[23:39] >> Well,

[23:40] >> Lipur did it. My cholesterol is way

[23:42] down.

[23:43] >> Lipur, the lower numbers you're looking

[23:45] for.

[23:46] Nature made it. Minwax makes it

[23:49] beautiful with rich wood stains and

[23:52] longlasting protective finishes. Turning

[23:56] a house into a beautiful home is as easy

[23:58] as turning to Minwax.

[24:05] >> This is how you exterminate a bat.

[24:12] >> Batman, this is Karen Boyd from OnStar.

[24:14] I got a signal your airbag went off.

[24:16] Should I send for an ambulance?

[24:17] >> Everything's fine. Send the police to

[24:18] fourth and main.

[24:19] >> I'll contact them right away.

[24:27] He'll never burn.

[24:31] >> In hospitalies, they dispense medicines

[24:33] that work fast. For heartburn, that's 1

[24:36] minute mailocks. It goes to work on

[24:37] stomach acid in 1 minute. Pepsidac could

[24:40] take over 45 minutes. Hospitalies rely

[24:42] on mailocks. Shouldn't you

[24:44] >> count on one minute mailocks?

[24:48] The Publishers Clearing House Prize

[24:49] Patrol is live outside Syracuse, New

[24:51] York to surprise our new winner. Crystal

[24:54] Win, come here. Come here. Come here.

[24:58] Come here.

[25:01] You are a winner of a million dollar.

[25:07] >> Hey, in just a few weeks, the prize

[25:09] patrol will surprise 100 big winners.

[25:11] You could be one if you watch your mail

[25:13] or go to pch.com

[25:15] now.

[25:18] Just ahead at 6, learn how a simple

[25:20] household task most of us take for

[25:22] granted could actually double our

[25:23] chances of developing Parkinson's

[25:25] disease. And we'll take you to wine

[25:27] country. That's right. Meet a Tennessee

[25:29] family who gave up growing tobacco to

[25:31] start a winery right here in the

[25:33] Midsouth. It's a story you won't want to

[25:35] miss today at 6.

[25:39] Perhaps you've heard about this group of

[25:41] Americans dropped off in a remote place,

[25:43] surviving a bunch of challenges, facing

[25:45] dramatic conflicts, and then managing to

[25:47] make it back home safe and sound to meet

[25:49] the press and the public. Well, not that

[25:51] group of survivors. This group was on a

[25:54] rock climbing expedition in a remote

[25:55] former Soviet Republic when they say

[25:58] their adventure turned into a nightmare.

[26:00] Here with that, NBC's Roger O'Neal.

[26:02] They're imposing mountains with granite

[26:05] towers. 15,000 ft of sheer rock. The

[26:08] Americans goal free climb to the top. No

[26:11] safety lines. Never done before.

[26:14] Dangerous and highly technical. But

[26:16] never in their wildest dreams did

[26:18] 22-year-old Tommy Caldwell, a

[26:20] professional rock climber from Estis

[26:22] Park, Colorado, and his 20-year-old

[26:24] girlfriend Beth Roden, also an

[26:26] accomplished climber, think their

[26:27] adventure would become a life and death

[26:29] struggle with Islamic terrorist. When

[26:32] the Americans were climbing up one of

[26:34] the towers, they say rifle fire rings

[26:36] out. Soon they claimed to be taken

[26:38] hostage by rebels fighting to establish

[26:40] Islamic rule in the former Soviet

[26:42] Republic of Kyrgyzstan. Caldwell says

[26:45] when they were held captive, the

[26:46] conditions were horrible.

[26:48] >> The places that we slept were

[26:49] horrendous, but I think they felt that

[26:51] they had to hide us.

[26:52] >> The two happy to be back on American

[26:54] soil now and very happy to be alive. I

[26:57] was very scared the whole time, but uh

[26:59] always hoping that either someone would

[27:02] come save us or that we could escape

[27:04] somehow. And it's made me think a lot,

[27:07] you know, about how valuable life is,

[27:09] but um you know, I'm I'm still excited

[27:13] to travel and stuff like that, but just

[27:15] be a lot more cautious.

[27:16] >> Held captive for 6 days, their escape is

[27:19] a daring tale.

[27:21] >> At last saw a chance to escape by

[27:23] pushing our guard off a cliff. It is so

[27:25] hard to think of that now and to say it

[27:27] aloud, but we were afraid that we would

[27:29] not survive. We all survived on a half a

[27:31] power bar each day. We were given no

[27:33] water and had to resort to drink from

[27:36] mud puddles.

[27:36] >> There were two other Americans in the

[27:38] climbing party after escaping their

[27:40] capttors. They say they ran for 18

[27:42] miles, 4 hours through the night,

[27:45] finally found by friendly government

[27:46] soldiers and rescued.

[27:47] >> When we got back to the Kurd military

[27:49] base, they said that they knew where we

[27:51] were the whole time. The expedition was

[27:53] sponsored by the Northace, an outdoor

[27:54] equipment manufacturer. 5 years ago,

[27:57] another group of Americans climbed in

[27:59] the same area without incident. The US

[28:01] State Department did issue a travel

[28:03] warning earlier this month. It's not

[28:05] clear if the climbers knew about it.

[28:07] Tommy and Beth say they still want to

[28:09] climb the granite towers.

[28:10] >> Right now, I don't I'd say no, but maybe

[28:14] in the future if we could find out for

[28:16] sure that there is no issues anymore.

[28:19] Two climbers looking for adventure.

[28:21] Instead, caught in the crosshairs of an

[28:23] Islamic struggle for power in a far away

[28:25] land. Never has rock climbing been so

[28:28] dangerous. Roger O'Neal, NBC News, New

[28:32] York. And that is nightly news for this

[28:34] Thursday evening. I hope to see you

[28:36] later on tonight for the news on MSNBC

[28:39] on cable. That's at 9:00 and again on

[28:41] CNBC each evening at 10:00. I'm Brian

[28:44] Williams reporting tonight from New

[28:45] York. Good night.

[28:59] Nightly News is a presentation of NBC

[29:01] News. More Americans watch NBC News than

[29:04] any other news organization in the

[29:06] world.

[29:10] >> Next, a young child is abandoned by her

[29:12] school bus driver far from home. Now her

[29:15] mother is angry and demanding answers

[29:17] and an apology. The story right now on

[29:19] the scene at 6.

[29:22] >> I'm Francine Cuchinello. Did a Metro

[29:25] police sergeant break his professional

[29:26] oath to protect a fugitive brother? I'll

[29:29] have the story coming up.

[29:31] >> Plus, they're taking their volunteer

[29:33] spirit all the way down under. Tonight,

[29:35] meet two Tennessee Olympians who are

[29:37] dreaming of gold. The scene at 6 is

[29:39] right now.

[29:41] You're watching Channel 4 News with Dan

[29:44] Miller and Demetria Caladimos, Bill

[29:46] Hall, and Rudy Galis.

[29:49] There should be at least some reports uh

[29:53] some something done about this driver

[29:56] that left my daughter in the middle of

[29:58] nowhere. An angry mother says her

[30:01] daughter's