NBC Nightly News - 2000-08-19

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (YouTube automatic captions)

[0:00] Rescue

[0:09] or recovery? Its occupants now presumed

[0:12] dead. The risky mission to reach that

[0:15] Russian submarine moves forward.

[0:17] >> People are involved in this type of work

[0:18] really are heroes.

[0:20] >> Decision 2000. The candidates get busy,

[0:23] but younger voters don't seem to be

[0:25] getting the message. There's a

[0:26] disconnect between the active voting and

[0:29] the issues that they care about.

[0:31] >> And the rush to get ready for the summer

[0:34] Olympics. The deadline dash down under

[0:40] >> from NBC News World Headquarters in New

[0:43] York. This is NBC Nightly News reported

[0:47] by John Seanthaler.

[0:50] >> Good evening everyone. The Russian Navy

[0:52] admitted today that the 118 sailors on

[0:55] board the crippled nuclear submarine

[0:57] Kursk at the bottom of the Barren Sea

[1:00] are probably dead. Many Russians are

[1:02] expressing their anger about the way the

[1:04] government handled the rescue operation.

[1:06] While efforts to reach the sub continue

[1:09] in the waters 80 miles north of the port

[1:11] city of Vermont, we begin our coverage

[1:13] with NBC's Dana Lewis.

[1:18] >> Help is on the horizon tonight. A

[1:20] British team has joined the Russian

[1:22] search and rescue armada of 22 ships,

[1:24] but it may already be past the zero

[1:26] hour.

[1:28] >> And it may be that it's simply an

[1:29] impossible task, but we're going to keep

[1:31] going until we know there's nothing more

[1:33] we can do. Hours before their arrival, a

[1:36] top Russian admiral went on Russian TV

[1:39] to announce the crew is likely already

[1:41] dead.

[1:43] >> It is the gravest disaster that I, as a

[1:45] sailor, have known in the history of the

[1:47] submarine fleet. The Navy says the

[1:50] nuclear submarine cursed was flooded

[1:52] bowed to Conning tower. Sailors in those

[1:54] sections died in minutes.

[1:57] >> Our worst expectations have come true.

[1:59] >> Two escape hatches are flooded. The only

[2:02] one left in the rear of the Kursk is

[2:03] damaged. British and Norwegian rescue

[2:06] crews believe they have the equipment to

[2:08] get it open. Today, a government

[2:10] committee reported a powerful explosion

[2:12] on the Kursk when it hit the sea floor,

[2:14] detonating torpedoes. The Russians say

[2:17] first the sub likely collided with an

[2:19] unidentified object. US intelligence

[2:22] sources say there was no collision. And

[2:24] the Russians believe oxygen supplies on

[2:26] the Kursk likely ran out Friday or

[2:29] today, but there could still be an air

[2:31] pocket. Not only Navy commanders, but

[2:33] President Putin himself now widely

[2:35] criticized by the Russian public. The

[2:37] Kremlin stalled 4 days before accepting

[2:40] outside help. The president remained on

[2:43] vacation for most of the week. The Kursk

[2:45] is being compared to the country's worst

[2:47] nuclear accident when the public was

[2:49] misled and the Kremlin covered up.

[2:51] >> They feel betrayed as it's almost like

[2:53] during the Chernobyl disaster when uh

[2:57] something happened. The authorities were

[2:59] lying

[3:01] >> at sea. This is how Russian sailors say

[3:04] farewell to dead comrades. But the

[3:06] rescue effort will go on just in case

[3:09] there's a miracle aboard the Kursk. Dana

[3:11] Lewis, NBC News, Moscow.

[3:16] This is Ron Allen in Mormons, northern

[3:18] Russia, where the fate of the submarine

[3:20] crew hits especially hard. This woman

[3:22] works as a cook at a naval base where at

[3:24] least 27 of the sailors were stationed.

[3:29] >> I know them. I work on their base, she

[3:31] says. I cook for them every day.

[3:34] >> Just about everyone here is close to the

[3:36] Navy. Even the priest holding a

[3:38] week-long vigil for the crew served 10

[3:40] years at sea before answering his

[3:42] calling. Today, more relatives of the

[3:45] sailors arrived here only to hear at the

[3:47] end of a long journey that hope is all

[3:49] but gone. Authorities try to console

[3:52] them, but the anger is clear. Many

[3:54] relatives don't accept the explanation

[3:56] for the accident and had little faith in

[3:58] the rescue effort. Throughout these

[4:00] coastal communities, people wonder what

[4:02] really happened to the submarine and

[4:03] what the Russian government and the Navy

[4:05] might be trying to hide. Communities

[4:07] full of grief and frustration. What's

[4:10] missing here, many say, is the truth.

[4:13] They hoped a new generation of Russian

[4:15] leaders would be more open than the

[4:16] communists. They especially expected

[4:18] more from President Putin.

[4:22] >> It's a shame for the whole nation, he

[4:23] says. I think people will stop trusting

[4:25] Putin.

[4:26] >> Ivon Glascov served 40 years in the

[4:29] Navy, some of that time as captain of a

[4:31] rescue ship. He too thinks the operation

[4:34] lacked leadership.

[4:37] >> Three, four, five days go by without

[4:38] positive results. They couldn't decide

[4:40] what to do. He says that submarine could

[4:43] have been saved.

[4:45] >> The doubts will endure until the Russian

[4:47] Navy gives a credible explanation for

[4:49] what happened. But for now, the hopeful

[4:51] vigils for the crew are becoming

[4:53] services to mourn and grieve more than

[4:56] 100 sailors almost surely lost at sea.

[5:00] Ron Allen, NBC News, Mormons, Northern

[5:03] Russia.

[5:05] >> One of this country's newest submarines

[5:07] is headed back to dry dock. The Navy

[5:09] suspended testing of the Seawolf after

[5:12] welding flaws were discovered on some

[5:13] parts to be installed. The $2.4 billion

[5:17] attack hub, one of the fastest,

[5:19] quietest, and most complex ever built,

[5:21] was supposed to be deployed later this

[5:23] year. No word yet on whether this trip

[5:25] to dry dock will delay things. Former

[5:28] presidential candidate John McCain is

[5:30] resting comfortably tonight after 5 and

[5:32] a half hours of surgery to remove two

[5:35] cancerous lesions, one on his face, the

[5:37] other on his arm. Aids say doctors are

[5:40] calling the operation a success. Their

[5:43] initial examination had made them

[5:44] optimistic that McCain's skin cancer has

[5:46] not spread. Lymph nodes near his temple

[5:49] are to be tested. McCain had skin cancer

[5:52] in 1993. This episode is unrelated. When

[5:56] NBC Nightly News continues in a moment,

[5:58] Al Gore's new found momentum and George

[6:01] Bush's effort to take it back.

[6:04] And later in focus, testing technology

[6:07] which could enable the learning

[6:09] disabled.

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[6:11] >> I'll trade you this salad for your

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[7:01] >> What is it, Chuck?

[7:02] >> You mean what was it?

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[7:56] >> 80 days in counting now until the

[7:58] November election. And both major party

[8:01] candidates were out and about today. At

[8:03] least two public opinion polls now show

[8:06] Al Gore ahead of George W. Bush. Or call

[8:09] the race a statistical dead heat. Our

[8:11] coverage begins with the Gore campaign

[8:13] and NBC's Chip Reed.

[8:16] Invoking the mighty Mississippi as a

[8:18] symbol of America's heartland values,

[8:20] Vice President Al Gore headed out for

[8:22] day two of his journey aboard the Mark

[8:24] Twain.

[8:26] 4 days, 400 miles through Wisconsin,

[8:29] Iowa, and the battleground states of

[8:31] Illinois and Missouri, disembarking for

[8:33] campaign rallies along the way,

[8:35] hammering away at the populist message

[8:37] of his speech to the Democratic

[8:39] convention.

[8:40] It makes a difference if you have

[8:42] someone in the Oval Office who is

[8:44] willing to stand up to the oil companies

[8:47] and the big polluters and say the

[8:50] families of this country deserve better

[8:53] clean air and clean water, a clean

[8:55] environment. That's the difference in

[8:57] this election. They're for the powerful.

[8:59] We're for the people.

[9:01] With George W. Bush pointing to that

[9:03] language as evidence that Gore is waging

[9:06] class warfare. A crowd of more than

[9:08] 2,000 showed up in the small town of

[9:10] Belleview, Iowa to make clear how much

[9:12] they like Al Gore. Tomorrow, Gore will

[9:15] be joined by his running mate, Senator

[9:16] Joe Lieberman, who took the day off for

[9:18] the Sabbath. And for one day, they will

[9:20] give up their boat and continue this

[9:22] tour through America's heartland by bus.

[9:24] Chip Reed, NBC News, Belleview, Iowa.

[9:27] >> This is Campbell Brown. Today, Governor

[9:30] Bush met with Native Americans in New

[9:32] Mexico and unveiled a proposal to spend

[9:34] $900 million improving Native American

[9:37] schools. We're committed to a goal of

[9:39] better schools in every single community

[9:42] from the inner cities of the country to

[9:45] the tribal lands.

[9:48] >> As policy, it's a minor initiative, but

[9:50] one that emphasizes this campaign's dual

[9:53] message that George W. Bush is the

[9:56] education candidate in this race and

[9:58] that he's a different kind of

[10:00] Republican, one who believes in reaching

[10:02] out to minorities.

[10:03] >> We need to elect a leader that knows how

[10:05] to bring people together, somebody who

[10:07] can lift this country spirits.

[10:11] >> Bush's biggest event of the day was in

[10:13] Dallas, where he was greeted by an

[10:15] enthusiastic army of Republican party

[10:18] activists. The next two weeks will be

[10:20] busy ones. Aids say Bush will visit 13

[10:23] states before the end of August. 12 of

[10:25] those states that were won by President

[10:27] Clinton in the last election. Campbell

[10:29] Brown, NBC News, Dallas.

[10:32] >> This is the first general election of

[10:34] the new century, and there is an urgent

[10:36] effort underway to get the young adults

[10:38] who will live most of their lives in

[10:40] this century to vote. More on that from

[10:43] NBC's Colleen Dominguez.

[10:46] They could be the swing vote, deciding

[10:48] the next president of the United States.

[10:51] 26 million people between the ages of 18

[10:54] and 24. Yet, their voter turnout rate is

[10:57] lower than any other age group.

[11:00] >> This is a huge untapped reservoir of

[11:02] potential support.

[11:04] >> USC political science professor Sheldon

[11:06] Kamki.

[11:07] >> I think a lot of young people are

[11:10] apathetic. A number are cynical and

[11:13] probably most feel they're not really

[11:15] connected to society and therefore they

[11:17] they bow out.

[11:19] >> Over the last seven presidential

[11:20] elections, the number of young voters

[11:22] has dropped from almost 50% in 1972

[11:26] to 32% in 1996.

[11:30] More troubling, in a recent poll, 72% of

[11:33] teens and young adults said they won't

[11:36] go to the polls this November. I'm not

[11:38] sure if any of the candidates are, you

[11:42] know, really going to do something for

[11:44] America.

[11:44] >> There's an overwhelming feeling that

[11:47] politicians are unable to follow through

[11:49] with their promises.

[11:50] >> I don't vote primarily because I think

[11:52] both um major parties, Democrats and

[11:54] Republicans, about the same.

[11:56] >> 11 million new voters as a result of

[11:58] this amendment. Expectations were high

[12:00] in 1971 when President Richard Nixon

[12:03] signed the 26th amendment to the

[12:05] Constitution, which lowered the voting

[12:07] age to 18. Paul Lammer was among three

[12:11] 18-year-olds selected to sign the

[12:13] historic document. Today, Lamur lives in

[12:16] Northern California, 47, a salesman,

[12:20] father of two, he always votes. Young

[12:24] people these days uh you know aren't

[12:27] screaming to be heard uh like like it

[12:30] was 25 or 30 years ago.

[12:33] >> Lammer's own children are prime

[12:35] examples.

[12:36] >> There's not too much going on right now

[12:37] that has to do with the younger people.

[12:39] So

[12:40] makes us feel like it wouldn't make a

[12:42] difference. If anyone knows the

[12:44] frustration of getting teens to care

[12:46] enough to vote, it's Allison Burn

[12:49] Fields, creative director for the

[12:50] nonprofit group Rock the Vote. In the

[12:53] midst of a cross-country bus tour trying

[12:55] to register a million new young voters,

[12:58] >> our feeling is that there's a disconnect

[13:01] between the active voting and the issues

[13:03] that they care about.

[13:05] >> Black, straight, or gay, if you don't

[13:07] vote, you can't complain. Often

[13:09] considered the cool alternative to a

[13:11] civics's course, Rock the Vote goes

[13:13] after the MTV crowd to attract what many

[13:15] consider the segment that drives our

[13:17] society both economically and

[13:19] culturally.

[13:20] >> Teens are driving purchases and

[13:22] decision-m on virtually everything. Um

[13:26] because more and more teenagers are

[13:27] really the head of the households

[13:29] because their parents are both working.

[13:30] In many cases,

[13:32] >> from youth conventions to town hall

[13:34] meetings, business leaders and educators

[13:36] part of a national movement trying to

[13:38] convince the 18 to 24 crowd their votes

[13:42] matter.

[13:43] >> If every single teen voted, you could

[13:46] totally switch the vote around.

[13:48] >> Colleen Dominguez, NBC News, Los

[13:51] Angeles.

[13:52] >> And politics is the sole topic tomorrow

[13:54] on NBC's Meet the Press. Gore campaign

[13:57] chairman William Daly and Bush campaign

[13:59] strategist Carl Rove are Tim Russard's

[14:02] guests when NBC Nightly News continues

[14:05] virtual reality and hyperactivity.

[14:08] >> I never thought I'd be out here again

[14:12] with my stiff joints. Sometimes just

[14:14] getting out of bed was a challenge.

[14:17] Then I discovered new Flexagen from the

[14:19] makers of Advil. It's not a painkiller

[14:21] but a daily dietary supplement. It has

[14:23] both glucosamine and chondroitin. They

[14:26] work together over time to help rebuild

[14:28] and lubricate worn cartilage in my

[14:30] joints. Now, my only challenge is making

[14:32] the shot.

[14:34] >> Flexigen. Look for it in your store next

[14:36] to Advil.

[14:37] >> In this place, I see a lot of gas. I

[14:40] also see a lot of folks taking medicines

[14:42] that don't fight gas. But Gasex has the

[14:44] most powerful medicine to relieve gas

[14:46] fast. Nothing I've seen works faster.

[14:49] Gasex beats the bloat fast.

[14:52] It's allergy season and for once I'm not

[14:54] miserable. It's the nasal. Unlike these,

[14:57] it can't make you drowsy. And unlike

[14:59] these, there's no possibility of

[15:01] nervousness. Maybe that's why allergists

[15:02] recommend nasal most. Nasler. The best

[15:05] way to stop suffering is never to start.

[15:07] >> Welcome back. Please get out a pen and

[15:09] paper.

[15:12] You have an extra pen. Regular or jelly?

[15:15] Gel.

[15:16] >> Comfort grip or standard? Comfort.

[15:22] You have any paper?

[15:23] >> Stables has everything you need for back

[15:25] to school.

[15:26] >> Bobby,

[15:28] you have any chalk?

[15:31] >> Regular or dustfree.

[15:34] >> One low prices. Staples. Yeah, we've got

[15:36] that.

[15:38] >> Sunday on Today, her first new album in

[15:41] six years. Her first performance on our

[15:43] show. Shenado Connor live on the Plaza.

[15:45] Sunday on Today.

[15:49] In focus this evening, the search for

[15:51] new ways to diagnose a disability which

[15:54] affects up to 5% of America's school

[15:56] children. NBC's Dan Loian has our

[15:59] report.

[16:00] >> Put this on. Ready?

[16:02] >> A young girl in a virtual world.

[16:05] >> Ostrich.

[16:06] >> Ostrich.

[16:07] >> Not a game, but a demonstration of

[16:09] technology that could one day help young

[16:11] children dealing with a real life

[16:13] problem. Attention deficit and

[16:15] hyperactivity disorder or ADHD.

[16:18] What the virtual environment would allow

[16:20] us to do is have a better diagnostic of

[16:22] a real world situation.

[16:24] >> The same technology already being used

[16:27] at the University of Southern

[16:28] California.

[16:29] >> 1 2 3 4

[16:31] >> where work with virtual reality is

[16:33] helping detect Alzheimer's at an early

[16:35] stage. Now testing for a possible ADHD

[16:39] breakthrough. It's not being called the

[16:41] magic bullet, but one more tool to help

[16:43] diagnose and treat a disorder with

[16:45] symptoms of hyperactivity and

[16:47] inattentiveness which affects almost 4

[16:50] million children. Until now, more

[16:52] conventional methods used, tests on

[16:54] paper and observation sessions. Often

[16:57] the diagnosis is difficult and

[16:59] debatable, adding to the controversy.

[17:02] Some of the symptoms associated with

[17:05] ADHD are part uh of the child's normal

[17:10] development at earlier ages.

[17:13] >> And there are questions about treatment.

[17:16] Over 2 million children are treated with

[17:18] powerful psychiatric drugs such as

[17:20] rolin, cloned, even Prozac. Many worry

[17:23] that medicating children is becoming too

[17:26] routine. Now therapy using virtual

[17:28] reality is moving to the cutting edge.

[17:31] That's what really drives these U

[17:33] researchers. It's the excitement that

[17:36] comes from being able to apply non

[17:39] medical uh tools to solve medical

[17:42] problems.

[17:43] >> So, how does it work?

[17:44] >> There's a car. Look to your right. Left.

[17:46] Yeah.

[17:46] >> Dr. Albert Rizzo, an assistant research

[17:48] professor at USC and the expert behind

[17:51] this project, works with a child wearing

[17:54] a virtual helmet. In the classroom,

[17:56] distractions, a paper airplane circling,

[17:59] a car driving by the window, and someone

[18:02] walking in the door. This is an exercise

[18:05] in focus. Can the child pay attention to

[18:08] the teacher at the front of this virtual

[18:09] classroom and click every time a certain

[18:12] letter appears on the board?

[18:14] >> You can really more specifically measure

[18:17] the kinds of attentionability

[18:19] um issues that occur with these kids.

[18:22] Distractions can be added to increase

[18:24] the challenge. The goal to diagnose

[18:27] inattentiveness and figure out how to

[18:29] help children overcome it.

[18:31] >> If you provide a reinforcement or reward

[18:33] for performing at a certain level, can

[18:36] they resist looking out the window?

[18:38] >> Next week, a clinical trial funded by

[18:41] the National Science Foundation begins.

[18:43] 30 children with ADHD taking part. A lot

[18:47] of research still to be done and a lot

[18:49] of families waiting and hoping. Dan

[18:52] Loian, NBC News, Los Angeles.

[18:55] When we continue, divorce, parental

[18:58] rights, and international law.

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[20:09] I've been here going on 31 years and

[20:12] every day I feel lucky to be a part of

[20:14] helping kids get through here. How's

[20:17] that? Well,

[20:22] there was a time when there's a lot more

[20:23] money to go around. With the budget

[20:26] schools have today, we all got to give a

[20:28] little more to make it work.

[20:30] >> I can see what you mean. This whole

[20:33] place is pretty rundown.

[20:36] Hey,

[20:39] this old rundown place has helped

[20:41] thousands of kids to learn, make

[20:44] something of themselves.

[20:46] I never forget that.

[20:52] >> Okay.

[20:52] >> To help local schools, this year, Office

[20:55] Depot is crediting 5% of your back to

[20:58] school purchase to the school of your

[20:59] choice.

[21:01] Office Depot, helping schools take care

[21:04] of business.

[21:08] >> To Indiana now and a child custody

[21:11] dispute which has become a kidnapping

[21:12] case with international overtones. NBC's

[21:15] John Palmer is following developments.

[21:19] The FBI and immigration officials at

[21:22] international airports and border

[21:23] crossings are on the lookout for

[21:25] Abdullah Abdul Aziz al- Arifi, who

[21:28] disappeared with his children earlier

[21:30] this week. The house where they had been

[21:32] visiting him was deserted when police

[21:34] searched it last Wednesday. The

[21:36] children's mother, Joanna Stevenson, who

[21:38] had sole legal custody of the children,

[21:40] thinks her ex-husband is trying to take

[21:42] them to his native Saudi Arabia, which

[21:45] doesn't honor American divorce decrees.

[21:47] She worries she'll never again see her

[21:49] children ages 10, nine, and five.

[21:53] >> She would be Miss America someday. She

[21:55] got to meet Miss America last year.

[21:57] Sarah's very precocious and smart. Z is

[22:01] a character and he's a sweet little boy

[22:04] that I love him to death. Want him to

[22:06] come home.

[22:07] >> The court in unequivocable terms told

[22:10] him that the children were not to be

[22:11] removed and that he could not travel

[22:13] beyond the borders of the United States.

[22:15] US officials say there are more than a

[22:17] thousand cases just like this one every

[22:20] year involving a variety of countries

[22:23] including Mexico, Canada, Sweden,

[22:25] Germany, and Austria. Those who have

[22:27] studied the problem say it's especially

[22:29] hard on the children.

[22:30] >> Not only are they being removed from the

[22:32] parent with whom they have a close tie,

[22:34] they also are being removed from a

[22:36] country and a culture with which they're

[22:38] most familiar. In a recent scathing

[22:40] report, the General Accounting Office

[22:42] said the State Department lacks a

[22:44] central point of contact to respond to

[22:46] abductions, offers limited financial

[22:48] assistance to parents, and limited help

[22:51] in tracking cases. A situation which

[22:53] adds to the despair of a mother in

[22:56] Indiana. John Palmer, NBC News,

[22:58] Washington.

[23:00] >> One of Goodyear's blimps was involved in

[23:02] an accident today. It was blown into a

[23:05] pole and ripped in half while trying to

[23:07] land. None of the seven people on board

[23:09] was hurt, but the three-year-old airship

[23:11] was described as a total loss.

[23:14] >> Auto accident victim Tilly Tutor went

[23:17] home from the hospital today. The

[23:18] 83year-old grandmother survived being

[23:20] trapped in her car for 3 days in a snake

[23:23] and buginfested swamp.

[23:25] >> The hit-and-run driver responsible is

[23:27] still at y at large. Now to the North

[23:30] Pole and something scientists say hasn't

[23:32] existed for 50 million years. a mile

[23:35] wide stretch of water where ice should

[23:37] be. A paleontologist on a cruise ship

[23:40] took this photo of the open water where

[23:42] the thick ice had melted, which some

[23:44] suggest could be the result of global

[23:47] warming, although others say it may

[23:49] simply be a natural occurrence. When NBC

[23:52] Nightly News continues in a moment, the

[23:54] excitement mounts down under as

[23:56] Australia gets ready for the Olympic

[23:58] Games.

[24:02] Some nights falling asleep is the most

[24:05] elusive thing on earth. No matter how

[24:08] hard you try, you can't capture it. Now

[24:11] you can capture the sleep you need when

[24:14] you need it with Sonata. Like other

[24:16] sleep aids, you can take Sonata at

[24:18] bedtime, but Sonata is the first and

[24:21] only prescription sleep aid you can take

[24:23] later if you have at least 4 hours in

[24:25] bed before becoming active again. You'll

[24:28] fall asleep fast and still wake up

[24:30] naturally, ready to start your day.

[24:32] Until you know how you will react to

[24:34] Sonata, you should not drive or operate

[24:36] machinery. Common side effects are

[24:38] headache, dizziness, and drowsiness. Do

[24:40] not drink alcohol while taking Sonata.

[24:42] Patients who abuse prescription sleep

[24:44] aids may become dependent. Prescription

[24:46] sleep aids are most often taken for 7 to

[24:49] 10 days as needed. Your doctor will

[24:51] advise you about taking them longer. Ask

[24:53] your doctor about your sleep problem and

[24:55] how Sonata can help. Capture the sleep

[24:58] you need when you need it with Sonata.

[25:01] >> Have you seen the latest One A Day Joint

[25:04] Health with glucosamine? A unique blend

[25:06] designed to help you maintain

[25:08] flexibility. It's from One a Day

[25:13] and just what you need to feel your

[25:15] best.

[25:17] >> When it really counts, you stand your

[25:20] ground.

[25:22] Looks like we've got a lot in common.

[25:26] You can always depend on Chevy to be

[25:28] there for you. And now during the

[25:30] Chevrolet US Olympic countdown, get 1500

[25:33] cash back on the 2000 Chevy Malibu with

[25:35] a standard V6 automatic ABS and Air.

[25:39] Don't let the selection pass you by.

[25:41] Make a stop at your Chevrolet dealer

[25:43] today for the Chevrolet US Olympic

[25:45] countdown.

[25:47] Sunday, the conventions are over. The

[25:49] tickets are set. Did Al Gore position

[25:51] himself for a comeback? The Bush and

[25:53] Gore campaign preview. If it's Sunday,

[25:55] it's Beat the Press. Diabetes, the best

[25:58] new medicine. NBC Nightly News next

[26:00] week.

[26:02] Finally, with the Summer Olympic Games

[26:04] less than a month away, organizers down

[26:06] under are making sure they are ready for

[26:08] the big event. Here's NBC's Raheima

[26:11] Ellis.

[26:13] >> Sydney, famous for its stunning opera

[26:15] house in Australia's largest city,

[26:17] building up for the big event.

[26:21] This week, workers began installing

[26:24] 170,000 white bulbs that will become

[26:26] five Olympic rings at top the Sydney

[26:29] Harbor Bridge. Australia has spent $3.3

[26:32] billion getting ready for almost 11,000

[26:35] athletes. Furniture made especially for

[26:38] them.

[26:39] >> Pretty good.

[26:40] >> And it's long enough.

[26:41] >> Security extremely tight.

[26:45] New highways and rail lines leading to

[26:47] Olympic Stadium, the centerpiece of the

[26:49] park.

[26:51] 250 technicians from around the world

[26:54] here just to handle the timing of the

[26:56] races.

[26:59] With high-tech equipment, all false

[27:01] starts within 100 milliseconds will be

[27:04] on the record.

[27:05] >> This beep will also be heard by anybody

[27:08] in the stadium.

[27:09] >> Workers not quite Olympic caliber test

[27:12] the new digital cameras. An estimated

[27:15] 100,000 international visitors are

[27:17] expected to attend the games in Sydney.

[27:20] Far fewer than those who attended the

[27:21] games four years ago in Atlanta. Smaller

[27:24] numbers, but excitement is still very

[27:26] high. The Olympic torch on an Olympic

[27:29] journey. The longest relay in the

[27:31] history of the games. It's traveled by

[27:33] air, by land, and for the first time

[27:36] ever by sea. A scientific marvel keeping

[27:39] the flame lit while underwater at the

[27:41] Great Barrier Reef. Now only 27 days

[27:44] away from being carried into Australia's

[27:47] Olympic stadium to let the games begin.

[27:50] Raheima Ellis, NBC News, New York.

[27:54] >> And NBC Sports coverage of Olympic

[27:56] trials for the US gymnastics team airs

[27:58] on this station tonight 8 Eastern and

[28:01] Pacific. And that is NBC Nightly News

[28:03] for this Saturday. Thanks for watching.

[28:05] I'm John Siginthaler in New York. I'll

[28:07] see you right back here tomorrow night.

[28:10] Heat. Heat.

[28:56] NBC News, America's news leader.

[29:01] Day on Tuesday as one of America's

[29:02] richest bachelors vanishes in a plane

[29:05] crash. Then his secret sex life is

[29:07] discovered and the feudal over his

[29:08] fortune begins.

[29:10] >> Larry my baby.

[29:12] >> Children born to different teenage

[29:13] mothers fight for his money. But what

[29:15] will the courts decide? The battle of

[29:17] the billionaire's will. Dateine Tuesday

[29:19] 10:9 central. Now view all your email

[29:22] accounts on one screen accessed from

[29:24] anywhere with one secure password. The

[29:27] account tracker on cnbc.com.

[29:29] profit from it.