NBC Nightly News - 2000-08-21

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:00] for you.

[0:01] >> How safe is America's sub fleet?

[0:04] On a roll, the Gore ticket picks up

[0:06] steam. Bush fights back with tough talk

[0:08] about America's armed forces.

[0:11] In depth, it's official, the worst

[0:13] summer ever for air delays. Now, airline

[0:15] executives answer hard questions. Will

[0:17] you ever get there on time?

[0:20] And rescued from the flames in the

[0:22] American West, the amazing story of the

[0:24] new Smokey the Bear.

[0:29] >> From NBC News world headquarters in New

[0:32] York, this is NBC Nightly News with Tom

[0:35] Brokaw. Substituting tonight, Brian

[0:39] Williams.

[0:41] >> Good evening. The first pictures are in

[0:43] and they are chilling. The Russian

[0:45] submarine Kursk tonight remains at the

[0:47] bottom of the sea. All hope lost for the

[0:49] souls inside. Russia today said it is

[0:53] sorry for the loss of life. They will be

[0:55] forever blamed by the families of the

[0:57] dead for not acting fast enough. Those

[0:59] families can now see where the end came

[1:02] for the crew after an unspeakable

[1:04] underwater catastrophe. We begin tonight

[1:06] with NBC News correspondent Dana Lewis

[1:08] in Moscow.

[1:11] >> The frantic search is over tonight. The

[1:13] race against time lost. Norwegian divers

[1:16] open two hatches leading inside the

[1:18] nuclear submarine Kursk today. This

[1:20] valve, the only way in. Hope for

[1:22] survivors dashed when they look inside.

[1:25] The rear compartments of the sub

[1:26] flooded. A sailor's body floats nearby.

[1:30] Tonight, the head of the Northern Fleet

[1:31] goes on Russian TV, confirms his sailors

[1:34] all lost, and apologizes to their

[1:35] families.

[1:38] >> Forgive me for

[1:40] for not protecting your men.

[1:42] >> The tragic ending in a 9-day ordeal that

[1:45] has riveted the attention of Russians

[1:46] and shaken their faith in the

[1:47] government. It began Saturday, August

[1:50] 12. The Kursk and its crew part of a

[1:52] Northern Fleet exercise. The captain is

[1:54] ordered to fire a cruise missile and

[1:56] torpedoes. It's the last time the sub is

[1:58] ever heard from.

[2:00] 6:00 p.m. it fails to make a planned

[2:02] radio contact.

[2:03] Sunday, 3:21 a.m. A Russian cruiser

[2:06] finds an abnormality on the seabed. It's

[2:09] the Kursk.

[2:10] It takes 1 day for the Russians to admit

[2:12] it has sunk to the bottom, but deny

[2:14] there is any flooding.

[2:17] Later Monday, the Navy admiral says the

[2:19] crew is tapping SOS on the hull.

[2:21] Submarine seriously damaged. That night,

[2:24] the US offers

[2:26] >> Tuesday, 9:00 a.m. The Navy claims more

[2:28] tapping from the crew, but Russia

[2:30] ignores outside help. Relatives wait,

[2:33] watch, pray.

[2:35] Russia tries to land mini subs on the

[2:37] Kursk, swept away by stormy weather and

[2:39] strong currents.

[2:41] Wednesday, 4:00 p.m. 4 days after the

[2:43] initial offer of help, the Navy finally

[2:46] says yes.

[2:47] Thursday, British and Norwegian ships

[2:49] leave port for the search area. Friday,

[2:52] relatives at a breaking point.

[2:54] 8:30 Saturday night, a British mini sub

[2:57] arrives. The Norwegians not far behind.

[2:59] Sunday, 10:00 a.m. The first picture of

[3:02] the Kursk and its damaged critical

[3:04] escape hatch.

[3:05] Today, exactly 1 week later, the

[3:07] Norwegians find the sub flooded. NBC

[3:10] asks this official, "What if they had

[3:12] been called when the sub first went

[3:14] down?"

[3:15] >> I think you should put that questions to

[3:17] the Russians. What I can say is that our

[3:20] people were ready on

[3:22] 1 week ago.

[3:23] >> Relatives shattered today.

[3:27] >> The official apologies won't make a

[3:29] difference for us. Our sons are lying

[3:31] there.

[3:32] >> Tonight, Russia's Defense Minister

[3:34] complained his rescue crews had their

[3:36] hands tied. Underfunding, government

[3:38] neglect. Far away at sea, it is now a

[3:41] recovery operation instead of a rescue.

[3:44] The grim task of bringing home the

[3:45] bodies of 118 sailors aboard the Kursk.

[3:49] Dana Lewis, NBC News, Moscow.

[3:52] The Russians said today they will not

[3:54] launch any more of this class of

[3:56] submarine until they know what happened.

[3:59] But what about the powerful US submarine

[4:01] fleet? Could this kind of accident

[4:02] strike American submariners? Here is NBC

[4:05] News Pentagon correspondent Jim

[4:06] Miklaszewski.

[4:11] >> It's a submariner's worst possible fear.

[4:15] Seawater gushing into the submerged

[4:17] boat. The crew desperately fights to

[4:19] seal off the flow. This is only a drill,

[4:22] but submariners know the danger is all

[4:24] too real.

[4:25] >> The potential for accidents are always

[4:28] there.

[4:28] >> Thousands of sailors man America's 65

[4:31] submarines. The US hasn't actually lost

[4:34] a submarine in an accident for more than

[4:36] 30 years. The Pentagon credits Subsafe,

[4:39] a demanding safety program to reduce the

[4:41] risk.

[4:42] >> Well, obviously it's in far greater best

[4:44] shape. It's kept up. It's modern. And

[4:47] the

[4:48] Russian submarine force has been

[4:50] disintegrating for years.

[4:53] >> Constant training for the worst-case

[4:55] disasters, like this drill shot

[4:57] exclusively by MSNBC. A fire aboard

[5:01] ship. The risk only magnified hundreds

[5:03] of feet underwater.

[5:04] >> A submarine at great depth is is quite a

[5:07] catastrophe.

[5:08] >> All systems, including weapons, are

[5:10] designed for safety first. Every inch of

[5:12] a US sub is thoroughly inspected. Every

[5:15] coffee pot and personal appliance. Every

[5:17] violation recorded. In fact, the Navy's

[5:20] recent survey reveals that nearly 2/3 of

[5:23] all US subs improperly stored flammable

[5:25] liquids on board ship. Nearly 1/3 are

[5:28] missing life-saving gear that would help

[5:30] a sailor survive in open seas.

[5:33] But submariners themselves know the odds

[5:35] are stacked against them. They darkly

[5:37] refer to any possible escape route as

[5:39] the mother hatch, because they say only

[5:42] a submariner's mother would believe you

[5:44] can escape from a sunken sub.

[5:46] >> Submarining is a really dangerous

[5:48] business. And if something goes wrong

[5:50] and you go down, chances are you're not

[5:52] coming back up.

[5:53] >> To improve those chances, training is

[5:55] constant. The USS Augusta in a rapid

[5:58] emergency ascent. A simple maneuver that

[6:01] doomed Russian submarine never had a

[6:03] chance to perform.

[6:05] Jim Miklaszewski, NBC News, the

[6:07] Pentagon.

[6:09] >> To politics now, the real business of

[6:11] this campaign is now underway. The

[6:13] convention's over, the candidates on the

[6:15] road. The news is good for

[6:17] Gore-Lieberman ticket. More polling

[6:19] numbers showing them in the lead. NBC's

[6:22] Claire Shipman is with the Gore campaign

[6:23] in Hannibal, Missouri. David Gregory is

[6:26] following the Bush campaign. Claire,

[6:27] we'll begin with you. Good evening to

[6:28] you.

[6:29] >> Well, Brian, about those polls, almost

[6:31] every major national poll has given Gore

[6:34] a healthy post-convention boost. A new

[6:36] one out today even gives him a slight

[6:38] edge over George W. Bush. And that's

[6:40] causing the Gore team to use a word it

[6:41] hasn't used in a long time, momentum.

[6:46] Floating toward Hannibal, Missouri, a

[6:47] newly confident Gore takes aim at the

[6:49] heart of his rival's campaign, George W.

[6:52] Bush's $1.3 trillion tax cut.

[6:55] >> For every $10 that goes to those at the

[6:59] in the wealthiest 1%

[7:02] middle-class families would get one

[7:04] dime.

[7:05] >> And he accuses Bush of ducking

[7:07] prime-time debates. Bush has agreed to

[7:09] the customary three sessions, but not

[7:12] yet to the traditional time or format

[7:14] the debate commission is proposing.

[7:16] >> The American people do indeed have a

[7:17] right to prime-time commission-sponsored

[7:20] debates.

[7:21] >> A candidate who has always said polls

[7:23] don't matter can't hide the fact that

[7:25] the new numbers have given him a lift.

[7:27] >> I'm tempted to change my opinion of how

[7:29] relevant polls are.

[7:32] >> Now, the Gore team is wondering if their

[7:33] good news is going to cause the Bush

[7:35] campaign to do something it promised it

[7:37] wouldn't do, namely go negative,

[7:39] especially in TV commercials. If that

[7:41] happens, the Gore team says, "Look for a

[7:43] similar response, Brian."

[7:45] >> Claire Shipman, not far from the banks

[7:46] of the Mississippi tonight. Thank you.

[7:48] Insisting they are in a dead heat till

[7:50] the end, the Republican ticket is on the

[7:52] attack. Today, going after Gore on the

[7:55] state of the United States Armed

[7:57] Services. NBC's David Gregory joins us

[7:59] now. David?

[8:01] >> Well, Brian, Bush advisers brush off

[8:02] these new poll numbers as premature. The

[8:04] real test will be where we are in a

[8:06] week, they say. But tonight, Bush

[8:08] himself acknowledges it's time to take

[8:10] this battle to the next level.

[8:13] >> Aboard his campaign plane, headed for

[8:15] the battleground state of Wisconsin,

[8:17] Governor Bush appears unfazed by polls

[8:19] showing he now trails the Vice

[8:21] President, but says, quote, "I've got a

[8:23] lot of work to do."

[8:24] >> I think I've got a good chance. People

[8:25] are listening to my

[8:27] to my ideas and um

[8:29] our crowds are big and enthusiastic and

[8:32] it's going to be a good, close race,

[8:33] though.

[8:34] >> In Milwaukee today, Bush blames the

[8:35] Clinton-Gore administration for what he

[8:37] calls a military in decline. Promises a

[8:40] military pay raise that's $1 billion

[8:43] bigger than the one President Clinton

[8:44] signed into law this month.

[8:46] >> We are going to restore morale in the

[8:49] United States military and treat

[8:51] American soldiers and sailors and airmen

[8:53] and Marines with the respect that they

[8:56] have earned.

[8:58] >> Now, about these debates, the campaign

[9:00] bristled at the suggestion that Bush is

[9:02] ducking anything. There will be debates,

[9:04] Bush promises, and though he hasn't

[9:05] committed to the Presidential Commission

[9:07] schedule, he said today he'd be

[9:09] comfortable in just about any format.

[9:11] >> Brian, David Gregory on the Bush effort

[9:12] tonight. When we come back, the summer

[9:14] of discontent. NBC News in depth this

[9:17] evening, a high-level summit on those

[9:19] endless delays at the airport.

[9:21] >> In a nutshell, what it boils down to is

[9:23] that you can't rely on the airlines to

[9:25] get you on to your destination on time.

[9:28] >> The waiting game, and the question, just

[9:30] how did air travel ever get this bad?

[9:32] It's tonight's in depth. And rescue, the

[9:35] The

[9:35] story of a bear cub that survived those

[9:37] raging wildfires in the American West.

[9:43] >> Every day I feel lucky to be a part of

[9:45] helping kids get through here.

[9:46] >> How's that?

[9:47] >> Well, with the budgets of schools have

[9:49] today, we all got to give a little more

[9:51] to make it work.

[9:52] >> This old place looks pretty run down.

[9:54] >> Hey,

[9:56] this old rundown place has helped

[9:58] thousands of kids to learn. I never

[10:00] forget that.

[10:01] >> In an effort to help local schools,

[10:03] Office Depot is crediting 5% of your

[10:05] back to school purchase to the school of

[10:07] your choice. Office Depot, helping

[10:10] schools take care of business.

[10:13] >> I'm at my mother's for dinner. She says,

[10:14] "Wasn't that chili unbelievable?" I say,

[10:16] "Unbelievable.

[10:18] Where's the Alka-Seltzer?"

[10:20] >> Only Alka-Seltzer's effervescent power

[10:22] relieves indigestion and pain fast.

[10:24] >> Get better relief. Get Alka-Seltzer.

[10:28] >> I will never ask, "What do you plan to

[10:30] do with your life?"

[10:32] >> I will never talk about the things you

[10:33] haven't accomplished.

[10:35] >> I'll never bring up the time you came

[10:36] home smelling like that other dog.

[10:38] >> I will never worry about where we're

[10:40] going.

[10:40] >> As long as you roll down that window so

[10:43] I can pretend I'm flying.

[10:44] >> No relationship is like the one with

[10:46] your dog. No dog food is like Purina ONE

[10:48] brand. And it's made with real meat. No

[10:50] corners cut, complete in every way for

[10:53] the health and happiness of your dog.

[10:54] Purina ONE, how great relationships are

[10:57] fed.

[10:58] >> Nature made it. Minwax makes it

[11:01] beautiful with rich wood stains and

[11:04] long-lasting protective finishes.

[11:07] Turning a house into a beautiful home is

[11:09] as easy as turning to Minwax.

[11:13] >> This business is a lot like a marriage.

[11:16] With a little work and a lot of love,

[11:20] we've made this place a success

[11:22] together.

[11:23] That's what partnerships are about,

[11:25] right?

[11:27] I used to be there for each other, no

[11:29] matter what.

[11:30] >> Of course I supported him when he asked

[11:32] his doctor about Viagra.

[11:34] I'm proud of him because he did it for

[11:37] us.

[11:39] >> Ask your doctor if a free sample of

[11:40] Viagra is right for you.

[11:44] >> Tomorrow, a summer of extremes, record

[11:46] drought and now hurricanes. The first

[11:48] about to strike the United States. What

[11:51] next? NBC Nightly News tomorrow.

[11:53] >> Dateline Tuesday, he's one of the last

[11:55] remaining survivors, but Richard's

[11:57] troubles really began when he came home.

[11:59] Find out what he told Dateline. Tuesday

[12:01] 10:00 9:00 Central on NBC.

[12:05] >> It's now official, this is the worst

[12:07] summer in the history of modern air

[12:09] travel. Today it was made very clear to

[12:11] the nation's airlines, don't expect the

[12:14] public to be able to take much more of

[12:16] this. They called it an aviation summit

[12:18] and many of those who were at today's

[12:20] gathering didn't like the view from the

[12:22] top. Just take a look at the numbers.

[12:24] This summer in June and July alone,

[12:25] there were just under 100 million air

[12:27] travelers and millions of those were met

[12:30] with unhappy skies. NBC's Bob Hager

[12:33] tonight on this long hot summer for air

[12:35] travelers in depth.

[12:38] >> The summit conference comes just as new

[12:40] preliminary figures out today find this

[12:43] a record, the worst summer ever for

[12:46] airline delays. Already 125,000

[12:49] late flights and still the busy Labor

[12:51] Day flying period to go. That's why Don

[12:54] Carty, chief executive of American

[12:56] Airlines, John Kelly of Alaska and a lot

[12:58] of other presidents and CEOs are called

[13:00] to Washington today to meet with

[13:02] Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater,

[13:04] who says they agree on the worst

[13:06] problems.

[13:07] >> We have identified seven choke points in

[13:10] the system.

[13:12] All of those are east of the

[13:14] Mississippi.

[13:15] >> Those choke points, airlines around

[13:17] Boston, New York, Philadelphia and

[13:18] Washington, Cleveland, Detroit and

[13:20] Chicago. Officials promise to work

[13:22] immediately to find ways to use airspace

[13:25] around these areas better, cramming in

[13:27] more flights safely. Airlines, for their

[13:30] part, admit sometimes agents do give

[13:32] passengers bad information about

[13:34] canceled or delayed flights and say

[13:36] they'll do better. Americans, Don Carty.

[13:39] >> They don't want to give customers

[13:41] erroneous information. That doesn't mean

[13:43] they don't,

[13:45] but it generally means when they do it,

[13:47] they do it by mistake because somehow we

[13:50] didn't get the information to them

[13:52] to allow them to do a better job taking

[13:54] care of the customer.

[13:55] >> About time, passengers say, like Ken

[13:57] Laferal in Chicago today.

[14:00] >> It's been horrible. I I think in the

[14:01] last probably 3 to 4 months I have not

[14:05] had an on-time flight.

[14:07] >> Jason Tune, whose plane today was

[14:09] canceled.

[14:09] >> I should have gone last night, but I

[14:11] just didn't want to last night cuz it

[14:12] was a Sunday and I wanted to enjoy

[14:13] myself.

[14:14] >> And if the government admits it can do

[14:16] better with air traffic control, some

[14:18] say the airlines must share blame, too,

[14:20] for jamming more flights than ever into

[14:23] peak rush periods. For instance, in

[14:25] cloudy weather, Newark can handle just

[14:27] 30 flights an hour, 40 if the weather's

[14:29] good, but airlines schedule 60 flights

[14:32] an hour into Newark each evening.

[14:34] There's no way they can all get in on

[14:36] time.

[14:37] The way delays build at New York's

[14:38] Kennedy Airport is typical. Average time

[14:41] to taxi out for takeoff in the morning

[14:43] is 17 minutes, but by evening it's 40,

[14:46] and within 10 years it's predicted to be

[14:48] an hour and 40.

[14:50] But at today's meeting, airlines

[14:51] resisted cutting schedules at peak

[14:53] hours, saying passengers are demanding

[14:55] more planes and more flights, and all

[14:58] agreed it's a problem without easy

[14:59] answers that can't be solved at one

[15:01] meeting or in one day.

[15:04] Robert Hager, NBC News, Washington.

[15:06] >> Tomorrow, 4 years later, the final

[15:09] report on what actually caused the crash

[15:11] of TWA 800. A close-up look at the

[15:14] investigation that could make all air

[15:16] travel safer as a result. We'll have it

[15:18] for you here tomorrow night on NBC

[15:21] Nightly News. Up next here as we

[15:23] continue this Monday night, the latest

[15:25] on the growing threat in the Atlantic

[15:26] from that storm called Debbie, and the

[15:29] pipeline explosion that turned a family

[15:31] holiday into a nightmare, the hidden

[15:33] danger now across America.

[15:40] >> Don't let the minty taste fool you.

[15:44] Scope kills just as many bad breath

[15:46] germs as the leading mouthwash.

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[16:02] Ooh, minty.

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[16:07] breath.

[16:09] >> Who says you can't share secrets with

[16:11] your grandson for years and years?

[16:14] >> Who says you can't watch the waves break

[16:17] for many summers to come?

[16:19] >> Pravachol says you can fight back

[16:21] against heart attack. If you have high

[16:23] cholesterol or heart disease, and diet

[16:25] and exercise still aren't enough, adding

[16:27] Pravachol can make a difference. Other

[16:29] drugs lower cholesterol, but Pravachol

[16:31] is the only drug of its kind that's also

[16:33] proven to help prevent both first and

[16:35] second heart attacks, so you can live a

[16:37] longer, healthier life. Talk to your

[16:39] doctor about Pravachol today. Pravachol,

[16:42] a prescription drug, isn't for everyone,

[16:44] including people with liver problems, or

[16:46] women who are pregnant, nursing, or may

[16:48] become pregnant. And because serious

[16:50] side effects can result, tell your

[16:51] doctor about any muscle pain or weakness

[16:53] you experience while on Pravachol. Your

[16:55] doctor may do blood tests to check for

[16:57] liver problems. Tell your doctor about

[16:59] any medicines you are taking.

[17:00] >> Who says you can't spend a lifetime with

[17:03] your first love?

[17:04] >> Pravachol, it's your life. Fight for it.

[17:08] >> Question. Can Imodium really change your

[17:11] life?

[17:13] Well, you might still find yourself

[17:14] trapped in the bathroom.

[17:17] Pulling into every restroom.

[17:20] Stuck on the sidelines

[17:22] or having one of those days when you

[17:24] just can't leave the house. Isn't it

[17:26] time to feel like you again?

[17:29] Imodium A-D safely, gently relieves

[17:31] diarrhea often in just one dose. Imodium

[17:35] A-D, restore yourself.

[17:39] >> When it really counts, you stand your

[17:42] ground.

[17:44] Looks like we've got a lot in common.

[17:48] You can always depend on Chevy to be

[17:50] there for you.

[17:51] And now during the Chevrolet US Olympic

[17:53] Countdown, get $1,500 cash back on a

[17:55] 2000 Chevy Malibu with a standard V6

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[18:01] Don't let the selection pass you by.

[18:03] Make a stop at your Chevrolet dealer

[18:04] today for the Chevrolet US Olympic

[18:07] Countdown.

[18:09] >> Peter and Melanie tied the knot in

[18:11] September and just a few details are

[18:12] left to plan. We'll show you the flowers

[18:14] you chose, but what about her hair do?

[18:16] Help! Tomorrow on Today.

[18:19] >> Gore versus Bush, Decision 2000, only on

[18:22] NBC.

[18:25] >> Out in the Atlantic tonight, the storm

[18:26] named Debbie is fast becoming the first

[18:28] real hurricane threat of the 2000

[18:30] season. Debbie is racing toward the

[18:32] islands of the northeastern Caribbean in

[18:34] its path. Islands that are still

[18:36] recovering from last year's hurricane

[18:38] damage. Forecasters can't say with any

[18:41] certainty right now whether or not

[18:43] Debbie will hit the US mainland.

[18:46] More fallout this evening from the

[18:47] recalled Firestone tires linked to 62

[18:50] deaths now. Ford Motor Company announced

[18:52] today it will stop production for 10

[18:54] days at three different truck plants.

[18:57] The tires that would have been put on

[18:58] the new trucks will instead be shipped

[19:00] to dealers to use as replacements for

[19:02] the 6 and 1/2 million Firestones being

[19:04] brought in and returned. And in New

[19:07] Mexico tonight, that natural gas

[19:09] pipeline explosion over the weekend has

[19:11] now claimed 11 lives after a badly

[19:14] burned survivor died today. The blast

[19:17] generated heat so intense it melted

[19:19] glass. Nationwide now, we learn a lot

[19:22] more about the danger these explosions

[19:24] are causing. Here is NBC's Jim Cummins.

[19:29] >> It was supposed to be just an ordinary

[19:31] summer fishing trip for two families

[19:33] along the Pecos River in New Mexico. But

[19:35] today, it looks like a bomb crater in a

[19:37] war zone. Charred remains of pickup

[19:40] trucks in the campground after the

[19:42] pipeline explosion that could be seen 20

[19:44] miles away.

[19:45] Five children die in the inferno

[19:47] including baby twins and 3-year-old

[19:49] Dustin Smith.

[19:51] Jennifer Smith is his grandmother.

[19:53] >> Dustin was something else. He loved

[19:56] uh

[19:56] He loved me. He loved everybody. He was

[19:59] very independent.

[20:00] >> Federal investigators, better known for

[20:02] plane crash investigations, are looking

[20:04] into this latest pipeline disaster.

[20:06] >> This is a tragedy that just can't uh

[20:08] words don't describe.

[20:09] >> New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson

[20:11] suspects it was an accident waiting to

[20:13] happen.

[20:14] >> What it is the reliability of uh pipes

[20:16] that have been installed. I mean, we're

[20:18] talking 60 years.

[20:19] >> In fact, it is a growing problem.

[20:20] Nationwide, there are more than 2

[20:22] million miles of natural gas and oil

[20:25] pipelines that crisscross this country.

[20:27] Much of it planted underground 30, 40,

[20:30] even 50 years ago. Rarely inspected and

[20:33] it's wearing out. The government says

[20:35] pipeline accidents are growing at the

[20:36] rate of 40% every 10 years.

[20:39] >> You're getting about four major

[20:41] incidents a week, which is uh an

[20:44] incident that causes a death, an injury,

[20:47] or over $50,000 in property damage.

[20:50] >> Only yesterday, a natural gas explosion

[20:52] in North Carolina forces the evacuation

[20:55] of a shopping center. In 1996, two

[20:57] teenagers die in this pipeline blast

[21:00] near Dallas. And last year, Frank King's

[21:02] 10-year-old son Wade and a friend were

[21:04] killed by a fireball from a ruptured

[21:06] gasoline line in Washington state. King

[21:09] says levy huge fines on the companies

[21:12] that own and operate the pipelines.

[21:14] >> If you give them the economic motivation

[21:16] to spend a little bit of money

[21:18] maintaining their pipeline rather than

[21:20] face a big fine,

[21:22] they'll maintain it.

[21:23] >> But the federal agency that enforces

[21:25] pipeline law says it doesn't have the

[21:27] money or manpower to do the job.

[21:29] >> Inspections um should be comprehensive.

[21:33] They should look at all the different

[21:34] types of threats to the pipelines, but

[21:36] you can't do the inspections if you

[21:38] don't have the inspectors.

[21:39] >> Koiner says Congress will have a chance

[21:41] to pass a bill this fall with tougher

[21:43] regulations, stiffer fines, and more

[21:45] inspectors to help prevent future

[21:47] pipeline accidents like the one that

[21:49] killed 11 people this past weekend. Jim

[21:52] Cummins, NBC News, Dallas.

[21:55] >> Word from Wall Street tonight, it was

[21:56] one of the slowest trading days of the

[21:59] year so far. The Dow closed up over 33

[22:02] points. Nasdaq gained almost 23 when it

[22:05] was all over. At Arlington National

[22:07] Cemetery this evening, a solemn

[22:09] homecoming for the crew of a B-24 bomber

[22:11] shot down in 1944.

[22:14] The remains of the 10-man crew were

[22:16] given full military honors 56 years

[22:19] after they failed to return from a raid

[22:20] on Japanese ships. Their plane was found

[22:23] in 1996 by farmers in China, and it took

[22:26] more than 3 years to recover and

[22:28] identify all the remains and get them

[22:30] back.

[22:31] We're back with more right after this.

[22:37] >> You recognize this?

[22:39] >> Sure you do, it's a dollar. You want to

[22:40] know why George Washington looks so

[22:42] ticked off? It's because he remembers

[22:43] when a buck was worth something.

[22:45] Nowadays, you're lucky if you can buy a

[22:46] pair of used socks at a garage sale for

[22:48] under a dollar. Well, cheer up, Georgie

[22:50] boy. At least you can get all your long

[22:52] distance calls for only 99 cents.

[22:54] >> That's right. Just dial 10-10-220, and

[22:56] all calls up to 20 minutes are only 99

[22:58] cents and just 7 cents a minute after

[23:00] that. No fees, no switching. So, if you

[23:02] want to talk up to 20 minutes for only

[23:04] 99 cents, just dial 10-10-220 first.

[23:07] >> Sometimes you have trouble sleeping

[23:09] because you can't stop thinking about

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[23:13] Sleep. It's not a drug. Aluna promotes a

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[23:22] >> Life is just a bowl of cherries. Don't

[23:26] take it serious. Life's too mysterious.

[23:30] So, keep repeating it's the berries.

[23:34] >> Snackers from Smucker's, a fun,

[23:37] convenient way to put a smile in your

[23:39] day.

[23:40] With a name like Smucker's, it has to be

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[23:43] >> Life is just a bowl of cherries. So,

[23:48] live and laugh at it all.

[23:53] >> Get the whole grain goodness of Quaker

[23:54] Oatmeal, toasted.

[24:00] Quaker Toasted Oatmeal, crisp honey

[24:02] sweet flakes with crunchy oat clusters.

[24:04] It's the same Quaker Oatmeal, only

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[24:15] Quaker Toasted Oatmeal Squares, crisp

[24:17] crunchy squares with a hint of brown

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[24:21] only toasted.

[24:23] >> Have you seen the latest? One A Day

[24:25] Joint Health with glucosamine, a unique

[24:27] blend designed to help you maintain

[24:30] flexibility. It's from One A Day.

[24:34] And just what you need to feel your

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[24:37] >> Lonely.

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[24:44] I have

[24:45] >> Now, Wisk will not only clean your

[24:47] laundry, but also help reduce wrinkles,

[24:49] so you iron less.

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[25:00] that's specially formulated to help

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[25:04] Whisk. Do it once, do it right, do it

[25:06] less.

[25:08] >> Just ahead at 6:00, warning signs are up

[25:10] along the Harpeth River. Find out what

[25:11] kind of contamination is to blame and

[25:13] how big a danger it poses. Viagra may

[25:16] soon be used to treat a problem for

[25:18] diabetics. Plus, Kaya Jorgenson enrolls

[25:20] in classes and another high-ranking

[25:22] member of the police department is

[25:24] disciplined. Details just ahead at 6:00.

[25:30] >> At the San Diego Zoo, they're

[25:31] celebrating a big birthday. Xiao Mei, a

[25:33] giant panda cub, is now 1 year old.

[25:36] She's the star of their live panda cam

[25:38] on the web. She's the first surviving

[25:40] panda born in the United States and, not

[25:42] surprisingly, she's a big star. Zoo

[25:44] officials say 3 million people came to

[25:46] see her over the past year alone.

[25:49] Another young cub is beating the odds

[25:51] tonight thanks to the help of some

[25:52] concerned folks in Montana. Humans and

[25:55] bears aren't always the best neighbors

[25:56] out there, but with 87 wildfires burning

[25:59] in the west tonight, one young bear is

[26:02] very lucky to have crossed paths with

[26:03] some people. Our report tonight from

[26:05] NBC's Kelly O'Donnell.

[26:09] >> A timid survivor, a black bear cub

[26:11] orphaned by Montana's summer of fire.

[26:14] Tonight on the men.

[26:17] Third-degree burns, not from fire

[26:19] directly, but from walking on hot ash

[26:22] after flames tore through his forest.

[26:25] His paws shaved, the wounds cleaned and

[26:27] treated at a veterinary clinic usually

[26:29] reserved for dogs and cats.

[26:31] >> You can see he's bandaged on all four

[26:33] paws and remarkably all the bandages are

[26:35] still on there. We weren't sure if that

[26:37] was going to happen or not.

[26:39] >> The cub discovered last week, spotted

[26:41] near property owned by Paul Ricard. The

[26:44] bear out here alone for a few days, his

[26:47] mother nowhere in sight.

[26:48] >> His pads on his paws are burned real

[26:50] bad.

[26:51] >> Game warden Joe Jaquith called in for

[26:53] the rescue, bringing a live trap like

[26:56] this one to encourage the little guy

[26:58] inside.

[27:00] How did you entice him?

[27:02] >> I uh stopped at the one of the local

[27:04] grocery stores and picked up some

[27:05] chicken.

[27:06] >> Underweight at barely 20 lb, the chicken

[27:09] bait worked, getting him safely inside

[27:12] the trap.

[27:13] >> He ate all the chicken and then he's

[27:14] been eating pretty much everything we've

[27:16] thrown at him since.

[27:17] >> Some here already nicknaming the cub

[27:20] Smokey Bear, a reference to the Forest

[27:22] Service mascot of fire prevention.

[27:24] >> Only you can prevent forest fires.

[27:27] >> The original Smokey found in 1950 after

[27:30] a fire in New Mexico, kept at a zoo in

[27:33] Washington, D.C. until his death in

[27:35] 1976.

[27:36] The comparison not welcome here because

[27:39] Montana's game wardens are determined

[27:41] this cub be returned to the forest, not

[27:45] turned into a symbol or poster bear.

[27:47] >> I've gotten lots of people that have

[27:49] asked me if this is the next Smokey Bear

[27:51] and all I can say is that um we're going

[27:53] to treat this one like an an orphan bear

[27:55] cub that needs to be released back into

[27:57] the wild.

[27:58] >> That release won't happen until winter.

[28:00] The plan, after some rehabilitation, the

[28:02] cub will hibernate in captivity. While

[28:05] sleeping, he'll be moved to a den in the

[28:07] forest where he'll wake up next spring

[28:09] old enough to make it on his own.

[28:13] For now, the cub headed to an animal

[28:15] shelter 3 hours away in Helena. A pickup

[28:18] truck ride on the road to recovery.

[28:20] Whatever his nickname, Smokey or not,

[28:23] this cub surely is a symbol of survival.

[28:27] Kelly O'Donnell, NBC News, Hamilton,

[28:28] Montana.

[28:30] >> That is NBC Nightly News for this Monday

[28:32] night. I'll look for you later on this

[28:33] evening for the news on MSNBC on cable,

[28:36] that's at 9:00, again on CNBC each

[28:39] evening at 10:00. I'm Brian Williams

[28:41] reporting tonight from New York. Good

[28:42] night, everyone.

[28:48] >> Nightly News is a presentation of NBC

[28:51] News. More Americans watch NBC News than

[28:53] any other news organization in the

[28:55] world.

[28:59] >> Next on the scene at 6: You may want to

[29:01] think twice before canoeing down the

[29:03] Harpeth River. Environmentalists have

[29:05] found yet another health hazard.

[29:07] >> And two men are dead after a

[29:09] construction accident in Northeast

[29:11] Nashville. I'm Demetria Carter. I'll

[29:12] have a live report coming up.

[29:14] >> Also tonight, a Middle Tennessee man

[29:16] claims drivers should worry about their

[29:18] tires even if they're not under recall,

[29:20] and his proof could cause even more

[29:22] trouble for

[29:24] >> And if snakes make your skin crawl, the

[29:26] biggest one in the entire world is

[29:28] having a birthday. Put on your party

[29:30] hats.

[29:31] >> The Scene at 6:00 begins right now.

[29:34] >> You're watching Channel 4 News with Dan

[29:37] Miller and Demetria Gallegos, Bill Hall,

[29:39] and Rudy Kalis.

[29:42] >> There's There's heavy concentrations of

[29:43] lead there.

[29:45] Heavy, just as heavy right here. And we

[29:47] go on farther, 20 mi down to uh

[29:52] Arno's.

[29:53] >> There are new questions tonight about

[29:55] pollution from an old battery plant in

[29:57] College Grove. Just how far did it

[29:59] spread in the Harpeth River?