NBC Nightly News - 1996-03-19

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:01] The GM strike, what it's doing to the

[0:03] economies of the Midwest, no early

[0:05] relief in sight.

[0:07] NBC News in depth, the Hollywood

[0:09] establishment, why so little recognition

[0:11] for black artists on and off the screen.

[0:14] The Southern California poker parlor,

[0:16] are all the cards on the table even

[0:18] though the federal government owns it.

[0:21] And at the new Denver Airport, the same

[0:23] old problem, the baggage system. Now

[0:25] it's been fired and it's not leaving

[0:26] quietly.

[0:29] >> From NBC News,

[0:31] this is NBC Nightly News with Tom

[0:34] Brokaw.

[0:35] >> Good evening. The impact of that United

[0:37] Auto Workers strike against General

[0:39] Motors goes well beyond the giant car

[0:41] company tonight. And on this election

[0:43] day in the Midwest, a number of local

[0:45] economies are beginning to hurt and

[0:47] there's not much they can do. The

[0:48] shutdown affects 26 plants in 15 states,

[0:52] Mexico and Canada. But as NBC's Mike

[0:54] Jensen tells us now, it hits Main Street

[0:57] as well.

[0:58] >> 16 more GM parts plants entirely or

[1:01] partly shut down, including this one in

[1:04] Pennsylvania.

[1:05] >> Nobody really wants to be out here, but

[1:06] we're going to be out here

[1:08] until uh

[1:09] we've got this worked out.

[1:10] >> General Motors, America's biggest

[1:12] manufacturer, now has laid off more than

[1:15] 150,000

[1:17] employees at more than 100 plants with a

[1:20] growing ripple effect. The Midwest

[1:23] economy hit especially hard, hurting

[1:25] those least able to afford it.

[1:27] >> Clearly, the smaller businesses, the

[1:29] ones who service many of these

[1:31] production plants, are the hardest hit.

[1:34] >> The ripple effect means other big

[1:36] companies also feel the pain, including

[1:39] Caterpillar, which makes GM engines and

[1:41] is planning layoffs next week.

[1:44] Bethlehem Steel, hit in the pocketbook.

[1:47] Seatbelt and airbag and electronic

[1:49] companies, if the strike lasts much

[1:52] longer, it will slow down the national

[1:54] economy.

[1:54] >> GM produces about one out of every $100

[1:57] in the economy, so it's important and

[1:59] when it closes down it's a matter of

[2:00] concern.

[2:02] >> The issue for GM is what's called

[2:04] outsourcing, ordering parts from outside

[2:07] companies because it's cheaper. Ford and

[2:09] Chrysler already do more of that than

[2:12] GM.

[2:13] For the auto workers union, it's all

[2:15] about jobs, mostly protecting those they

[2:17] have.

[2:18] >> The issue is outsourcing.

[2:20] And we got to stay firm on that. Because

[2:23] a lot of jobs are being lost because of

[2:25] it.

[2:25] >> There's a lot of job anxiety in America,

[2:28] and the strike and GM layoffs are making

[2:30] it even worse.

[2:32] >> 384,000.

[2:33] >> But Wall Street loves it. GM made almost

[2:36] seven billion dollars in profits last

[2:39] year. And analysts say it could make

[2:41] even more money by using outside

[2:43] suppliers for parts. GM stock has

[2:46] actually gone up $2 a share since the

[2:49] strike began.

[2:51] Mike Jensen, NBC News, New York.

[2:55] >> On another front, one of Detroit's

[2:56] leading executives is tired of all of

[2:58] this criticism that American CEOs are

[3:01] getting for downsizing their companies

[3:03] in an effort to make them more popular

[3:05] on Wall Street, more profitable. He is

[3:08] Robert Eaton, chairman and chief

[3:10] executive officer of Chrysler, and in a

[3:12] speech to the Detroit Economic Club, he

[3:14] struck back at the critics. Robert Eaton

[3:16] tonight in his own words.

[3:19] >> No question, it's open season on big

[3:21] business and CEOs.

[3:25] Partly that's because it's an election

[3:26] year and beating up on Wall Street and

[3:28] corporate America is a cheap way to get

[3:30] votes

[3:32] or to sell papers.

[3:34] This is old-fashioned, empty-headed

[3:37] tub-thumping

[3:39] populism.

[3:41] Downsizing and layoffs are part of the

[3:43] price of becoming more competitive.

[3:46] Corporate America has always had a PR

[3:48] problem.

[3:50] We haven't found a way to dress up

[3:51] certain economic realities so that we

[3:53] can take them out in public.

[3:56] Making money is still considered tacky

[4:00] in some circles.

[4:02] Creating wealth for society doesn't

[4:05] carry much cachet.

[4:07] Focusing on the bottom line is simply

[4:10] greed.

[4:12] We haven't made the case that our end

[4:14] goal is not making money.

[4:17] It's perpetuating ourselves so that we

[4:20] can serve all of our other

[4:22] constituencies.

[4:24] Now, I don't mean to get personal, but

[4:25] my mother has been my biggest fan over

[4:28] the years.

[4:30] At least she was until recently.

[4:33] Now, the poor lady is getting confused.

[4:37] That's because every time she opens a

[4:39] magazine or turns on the televins

[4:41] television, she's told that people like

[4:45] me are no good.

[4:48] >> Chrysler chairman Robert Eaton united in

[4:50] his own words. Well, despite the

[4:52] strikes, General Motors stock did finish

[4:54] up 1 and 1/8 today to close at 54 and a

[4:57] quarter. As for the rest of Wall Street,

[4:59] the Dow was down in very heavy trading.

[5:02] The Nasdaq was down as well.

[5:04] When we come back, NBC News in-depth.

[5:07] Are black filmmakers and stars getting a

[5:09] raw deal from the Hollywood

[5:10] establishment?

[5:13] >> For the most part, the industry doesn't

[5:14] care about us. You know, if you they

[5:16] they think they can make a buck off you,

[5:17] they will.

[5:18] >> Where do we start, Mary?

[5:19] >> Filmmakers, writers, actors mostly shut

[5:21] out at Oscar time. What's going on in

[5:23] Hollywood?

[5:25] And up next, it's primary day in the

[5:26] Midwest. Some swing voters who will be

[5:28] crucial come fall are in a foul mood

[5:31] this spring.

[5:33] >> Now at Red Lobster, it's our fresh new

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[6:04] >> [music]

[6:05] >> For different people different one a

[6:07] days each has essential vitamins but one

[6:09] has more of what women need another has

[6:11] more for men [music] and older adults

[6:13] get the extras they need.

[6:18] >> Don't you [music] wish we could just do

[6:20] this to air pollution? We can help.

[6:23] If homes and industries power plants

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[6:27] to natural gas clean economical natural

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[6:33] >> My migraines kept me from my daughter.

[6:37] >> The nausea was awful.

[6:39] >> The pain was right here.

[6:41] >> There is help for [music] migraine.

[6:43] Migraine doesn't have to mean missing

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[6:47] understanding [music] about migraine.

[6:48] They can diagnose it better and provide

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[6:53] >> [music]

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[7:04] >> Keeping track of the federal budget

[7:06] debate is about as exciting as reading

[7:08] the fine print in your life insurance

[7:10] contract but here's an update tonight

[7:12] even though there's no budget for this

[7:14] year. President Clinton today submitted

[7:16] a proposed budget for next year. 1

[7:19] trillion 600 billion dollar budget a

[7:21] plan that includes 107 billion dollars

[7:24] in tax cuts almost 600 billion dollars

[7:27] in spending cuts. The budget all four

[7:29] volumes weighs 10 pounds it will cost

[7:32] you 105 dollars and 25 cents for a

[7:35] personal copy.

[7:37] Joining me now is someone who has

[7:38] already well mostly studied his copy.

[7:41] NBC White House correspondent Brian

[7:43] Williams, Brian what's going on down

[7:44] there?

[7:45] >> Well Tom, the 97 model of the budget was

[7:48] greeted with some skepticism. In fact,

[7:50] it was called DOA on Capitol Hill, but

[7:52] that didn't stop the president from

[7:53] coming out and pitching it anyway.

[7:55] >> We have to meet our common obligation to

[7:57] act on our urgent national priorities.

[8:00] We should enact a balanced budget and we

[8:02] should do it now.

[8:04] >> It's appropriate I think it looking at

[8:05] this budget it fits in with with March

[8:07] Madness. If this

[8:09] if this had been in the tournament it

[8:10] had been knocked out in the first round.

[8:13] >> The White House didn't like that sports

[8:14] analogy. One senior official here then

[8:17] accused the Republicans of being shrill,

[8:19] squawking, moaning, and crying all

[8:20] because the president's balanced budget

[8:22] was out. Of course, nothing balances

[8:24] until they agree on a deal, Tom.

[8:26] >> Brian, tomorrow you're going to have

[8:27] Senator Dole and Speaker Gingrich at the

[8:29] White House. Any chance of any progress?

[8:31] >> Uh not believe so here. If you ask

[8:33] senior officials, they say the meeting

[8:34] is all about just getting the ball

[8:36] rolling, getting the talk started.

[8:38] >> All right, thanks very much. Brian

[8:39] Williams tonight at the White House.

[8:41] From budget politics to presidential

[8:42] politics. Primary day in the Midwest as

[8:45] expected, another big day for Senator

[8:47] Bob Dole heading for a sweep. He's won

[8:50] in Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan. He's

[8:53] expected to take Wisconsin as well

[8:55] tonight. The polls are still open in

[8:57] that state. All this leaves him just a

[8:59] handful of delegates short of the 996 he

[9:02] needs to clinch the Republican

[9:04] presidential nomination. For all the

[9:06] Midwestern states voting tonight, a

[9:08] crucial swing vote is blue collar

[9:10] workers. They switched traditional party

[9:12] lines to help elect Ronald Reagan of

[9:14] course in the 80s.

[9:15] Now it's an all-out battle for their

[9:17] hearts and minds and votes. NBC's Bob

[9:20] Faw went to Taylor, Michigan to see how

[9:22] they're feeling this year.

[9:25] >> The road to the White House passes

[9:26] through the choking grime and churning

[9:28] metal of America's factories.

[9:30] And rests on the shoulders of blue

[9:32] collar workers like Dennis Berio who

[9:34] gets $8.70 an hour buffing metal parts

[9:37] at a Michigan factory. In the 1980s,

[9:39] Bario bolted the Democratic Party, which

[9:41] he felt was coddling minorities, and

[9:44] like thousands of workers voted for

[9:45] Ronald Reagan, for Reagan's vision and

[9:47] values. Now, the question is, will those

[9:50] so-called Reagan Democrats come back

[9:52] home?

[9:53] >> Right now, if it's between Dole and

[9:54] Clinton, yeah, I'd go for Clinton.

[9:56] >> But when Pat Buchanan toured Bario's

[9:58] plant, Bario was impressed, as was

[10:00] Reagan Democrat Jeff Foster, who after 8

[10:03] years here now gets $12 an hour in the

[10:05] packing department.

[10:06] >> I'm not really a go home with any

[10:09] Republican or Democratic. Whoever can

[10:12] tell me what I want to hear

[10:14] is what I'll vote for.

[10:15] >> On assembly lines in the rust bucket,

[10:17] workers who have seen benefits erode and

[10:20] job security vanish tend to see

[10:22] themselves not as Republicans or

[10:23] Democrats, but as anti-establishment,

[10:26] blaming whoever is in power.

[10:28] >> Their factories are booming, but they're

[10:30] worried their jobs won't last, nor do

[10:32] they feel the Democratic Party will

[10:34] protect them.

[10:35] >> They ceased seeing the Democrats

[10:37] and no longer do as the party of the

[10:39] working class.

[10:40] >> Well, that's some good chicken, huh?

[10:41] >> There's another reason Reagan Democrats

[10:43] like Jeff Foster are not enthusiastic

[10:45] about the president. With four mouths to

[10:47] feed, his factory and her clerical job

[10:50] often do not stretch far enough.

[10:52] >> At times we're still robbing Peter to

[10:54] pay Paul.

[10:56] And then Paul to pay Mary. It's just

[10:58] difficult even on a two-income at times.

[11:01] >> Whoever deals with their economic

[11:02] anxiety will get the Fosters vote.

[11:05] >> You You want the politicians to worry

[11:06] more about the little guy.

[11:08] >> Right on.

[11:10] That's what I would like.

[11:10] >> But for now, they feel no candidate is,

[11:13] which is why from the dinner table to

[11:14] the factory floor, blue-collar America

[11:17] is singing the political blues.

[11:20] Bob Faw NBC News, Taylor, Michigan.

[11:24] >> When we come back, NBC News in depth

[11:26] tonight, blacks in the film industry.

[11:28] What's wrong with this picture?

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[12:03] >> Hey, you.

[12:04] >> [music]

[12:04] >> To me?

[12:05] >> Look what Betty Crocker's whipped up, a

[12:06] richer than rich brownie bar.

[12:08] >> Ooh.

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[12:10] >> Fat-free? [music]

[12:11] >> You heard me. Now, all the best of

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[12:16] >> Betty ought to get a reward for these.

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[12:37] >> You can still smell the coffee [music]

[12:38] brewing every morning.

[12:41] You can still hear kids [music] being

[12:43] called to the table.

[12:46] And you can still [music] taste the

[12:48] simple goodness of Kellogg's Corn

[12:50] Flakes.

[12:52] The best things in life never change.

[12:54] [music]

[12:56] >> You got to make it a day.

[12:58] A brand

[13:00] >> [music]

[13:00] >> new day.

[13:05] >> NBC News in Depth tonight, black

[13:06] Americans in the film industry. With the

[13:08] Academy Awards less than a week away,

[13:10] there's been an increasing amount of

[13:12] talk about blacks being shut out of the

[13:14] nominations, despite what many

[13:16] considered to be Oscar-caliber

[13:18] performances in several categories.

[13:21] Not that this year is all that

[13:22] different. For example, over the past

[13:24] decade, just 15 out of 200 nominees for

[13:27] on-screen performances have been black

[13:30] actors and actresses.

[13:32] All of this is raising some difficult

[13:34] questions for the Hollywood

[13:35] establishment.

[13:36] We begin our in-depth reporting tonight

[13:39] with NBC's Mike Betcha.

[13:41] >> 57 years ago, ever [music] so slightly,

[13:43] Hattie McDaniel cracked open Hollywood's

[13:46] door.

[13:46] >> I sure is glad you's come.

[13:49] >> Her performance in Gone with the Wind

[13:51] made her the first black American to win

[13:53] an Oscar. But it wasn't until 1963, 24

[13:56] years later, that another black

[13:58] American, Sidney Poitier, was honored

[14:00] with an Oscar.

[14:01] >> All I can say is a very special thank

[14:04] you.

[14:06] >> Since then, there have been only a

[14:07] handful of other black winners and

[14:09] nominees.

[14:11] This year is no different. Only one of

[14:13] 166 nominees is black. But this time,

[14:17] the movie industry received a very

[14:19] public slap across the face. The cover

[14:22] of People magazine, a biting headline,

[14:24] Hollywood blackout, a national disgrace.

[14:28] Tim Reid should know. He is a successful

[14:30] television actor who met a lot of

[14:32] rejection when he tried to make a film.

[14:34] >> Well, they're in sort of in self-denial

[14:35] in this community. Hollywood is is truly

[14:38] a community that denies anything like

[14:40] racism that exist.

[14:42] >> This has been an embarrassing debate for

[14:43] the entertainment industry, which

[14:45] considers itself liberal about such

[14:47] issues.

[14:48] Hollywood's powerful for once wanted out

[14:50] of the spotlight, and very few Hollywood

[14:52] insiders we contacted wanted to speak

[14:54] publicly about the issue.

[14:56] >> For good reason, says University of

[14:58] Southern California film school

[14:59] professor Todd Boyd.

[15:01] >> We don't encounter that in the way that

[15:03] in the '60s we saw bulldogs and water

[15:05] hoses. These practices and traditions

[15:09] have become commonplace over time to the

[15:11] point that they aren't even thought

[15:13] about.

[15:14] >> The Academy's executive director, Bruce

[15:16] Davis, maintains that Oscar is color

[15:18] blind.

[15:19] >> This Academy looks at art and art alone,

[15:22] and that's all it can do.

[15:24] >> Jesse Jackson, who's organizing a

[15:26] protest of Monday's Oscar ceremonies,

[15:28] responded in a letter. The industry is

[15:30] moving much too slowly to meet the

[15:32] challenge of our nation that is

[15:34] increasingly becoming a multicultural

[15:36] society.

[15:38] Charges of discrimination go behind the

[15:39] camera, too.

[15:41] Ironically, while blacks account for

[15:43] fully 25% of the movie-going audience,

[15:46] only a fraction of the Directors Guild

[15:48] is black. It's the same with black

[15:50] writers. In fact, only 4% of the people

[15:53] who select Oscar nominees are black.

[15:55] >> This industry lags far behind, and I

[15:58] frankly am not optimistic about the

[16:00] future.

[16:02] >> Justifiably, considering Hollywood's

[16:03] history. It was a big breakthrough when

[16:06] movies changed from black and white to

[16:08] color.

[16:09] The only color barrier that critics say

[16:11] Hollywood has broken.

[16:13] Mike Betcher, NBC News, Los Angeles.

[16:17] >> When Sidney Poitier won his Oscar in

[16:19] 1963, there were no major black

[16:21] filmmakers. Now, one black director who

[16:25] has been a success story, controlling

[16:27] who works in front of the camera and

[16:28] behind it, is Spike Lee, of course. He's

[16:31] made nine films in the past 10 years.

[16:33] His latest is called Girl 6 and

[16:35] premiered last night in New York.

[16:37] He says that black artists in Hollywood

[16:39] hold the key to their own destiny.

[16:43] Here he is tonight in his own words.

[16:45] >> I'm glad the People magazine article

[16:46] came out,

[16:48] but

[16:50] why we crying

[16:52] about what the Academy snubbing us?

[16:56] Even though it's a crime and it's a

[16:58] slight and it might hurt,

[17:01] you just can't worry about it. I don't

[17:02] think that we should let any

[17:04] organization be the one to validate your

[17:06] work.

[17:07] >> Action.

[17:08] >> The whole thing is problem with the

[17:10] system.

[17:11] >> Somebody's got to hire me, huh?

[17:12] >> For the most part, the industry doesn't

[17:14] care about us. You know, if you they

[17:15] they think they can make a buck off you,

[17:17] they will.

[17:18] >> Hi there.

[17:19] >> Hi there.

[17:20] >> From the very beginning I've had

[17:21] constant battles with the unions to get

[17:24] more

[17:25] black people in the unions.

[17:27] >> Cut.

[17:28] >> If

[17:29] you're African American director or star

[17:33] and you don't insist that look, let's

[17:35] let's hire make sure let's hire black

[17:37] publicists on this.

[17:39] Okay, I see some African American

[17:41] photographers. And how how is anybody

[17:43] else going to

[17:44] get them ex- Granted I have a career,

[17:46] you know, they're not being used and

[17:47] that is not to say that I'm just hiring

[17:50] black people because they're black.

[17:53] They got to do the I mean I they got to

[17:55] do the job.

[17:56] Who's giving them a shot for a career in

[17:58] this industry?

[18:01] If we don't do it

[18:05] then how how's it going to happen?

[18:09] >> Ironically, this year the Academy Awards

[18:11] will be produced by one of Hollywood's

[18:12] most successful producers ever,

[18:15] Quincy Jones, who just happens to be

[18:17] black. And the host for the evening,

[18:19] Whoopi Goldberg.

[18:21] When we come back, guess who's in the

[18:23] casino business these days.

[18:27] >> Ray and I set up shop here in the '60s.

[18:29] Man has never lazy bone in his body.

[18:32] Sometime ago his hands began bothering

[18:34] him. He'd [music] take Tylenol or Advil

[18:36] and go about his business, but sometimes

[18:38] it got to be too much. So, our doctor

[18:39] said to try Aleve.

[18:41] >> This one you take every 8 to 12 hours.

[18:43] >> Aleve is longer lasting than extra

[18:44] strength Tylenol. At the end of the day,

[18:46] it's stronger relief than a dose of

[18:48] Advil. It's all he takes. Ray's in every

[18:50] day except Sunday. [music]

[18:52] >> Got to get my fishing in sometime.

[18:53] >> Aleve, all day strong, all day long.

[18:57] >> Welcome to a place

[18:59] where a quiet moment fuels [music] great

[19:01] thoughts.

[19:03] Where the coffee stirs the conversation

[19:05] and the steamiest moments are found in a

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[19:28] You're in a restaurant.

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[19:52] >> It's not going to change your life, but

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[19:59] >> When was the last time you played in the

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[20:04] Let your hair go wild.

[20:07] >> [music]

[20:08] >> Flexed your muscles to the world.

[20:11] Stayed up past your bedtime.

[20:14] When was the last time you really had

[20:16] fun in a car?

[20:19] Riviera

[20:21] by Buick.

[20:22] >> [music]

[20:23] >> Go ahead.

[20:24] Express yourself.

[20:28] >> Starton.

[20:29] Gumballs.

[20:30] >> [music]

[20:30] >> You accused Jorgito of

[20:32] your words being drunk with fame.

[20:35] Were you a little bit intoxicated, too?

[20:36] >> Tomorrow on today. [music]

[20:38] Presidential aide Vince Foster. Was it

[20:40] suicide? Unsolved reveals exclusive new

[20:42] information about his final [music]

[20:44] note. All new Unsolved Mysteries, NBC

[20:46] Friday.

[20:50] >> In Congress today, there was some

[20:51] blistering criticism for a very strange

[20:53] business partnership. It involves the US

[20:55] government

[20:56] and a casino in California. NBC's Pete

[20:59] Williams has more tonight.

[21:02] >> It's one of the biggest legal casinos in

[21:03] the country, the Bicycle Club near Los

[21:05] Angeles. Who owns it? The US Marshals

[21:07] Service. The same agency that rounds up

[21:09] fugitives has a 1/3 stake. The Senate

[21:12] committee today said it's time the

[21:13] Marshals cashed in their share.

[21:15] >> As gamblers say, you've got to know them

[21:16] when to hold them. Clearly for the

[21:18] Marshals, it's past time to fold them.

[21:21] >> Federal agents seized the casino in 1990

[21:23] after convicting some of its investors

[21:25] of drug smuggling and money laundering.

[21:27] It's by far the most valuable property

[21:29] ever taken under the law that allows the

[21:31] government to seize anything tainted by

[21:33] drug money. The casino turned out to be

[21:35] a cash cow, earning $200,000 a day. The

[21:39] government's take so far, well over $30

[21:41] million,

[21:42] but it's also been a constant headache.

[21:44] One of today's witnesses, a former

[21:46] employee now in prison for extortion,

[21:48] charging losing gamblers interest rates

[21:50] of 3% a day while the Marshals were

[21:53] running the casino and while he was

[21:54] earning a fat annual salary.

[21:56] >> And I think

[21:58] it's approximately 6 million in 1992.

[22:01] >> $6 million.

[22:03] >> $6 million.

[22:04] >> And the casino's chief of security

[22:05] claims that crime is still a problem

[22:07] there.

[22:07] >> Government inaction in the face of money

[22:09] laundering,

[22:11] skimming, and narcotics, to name a few,

[22:14] translates into government participation

[22:17] into the criminal activity itself.

[22:19] >> The government says it has tried to get

[22:21] out of the casino business but can't

[22:22] find a qualified buyer. In the meantime,

[22:25] the Marshals say they're trying to keep

[22:26] it clean.

[22:27] >> I'm concerned with the criminal activity

[22:28] at that has been alleged to exist at the

[22:31] club and we've turned that information

[22:32] over to the appropriate authorities.

[22:34] >> The government contends it's not easy

[22:35] selling a casino. The senators say with

[22:37] a Bicycle Club making $70 million a

[22:40] year, there doesn't seem to be any

[22:41] hurry.

[22:42] Pete Williams, NBC News, Washington.

[22:45] >> In Bosnia tonight, a turning point for

[22:47] Sarajevo as the last suburb held by the

[22:50] Serbs was turned over to a federation of

[22:52] Bosnian Muslims and Croats.

[22:54] Thousands who fled the area during

[22:56] fighting came to look for family and

[22:58] housing. This area, of course, was

[23:00] heavily damaged during the war.

[23:03] Now to NBC News online beyond the day's

[23:05] headlines. China is a powerhouse in many

[23:07] ways, but not necessarily when it comes

[23:09] to fashion. Communism bred conformity,

[23:12] but a new look is coming. The government

[23:14] has hired French designer Pierre Cardin

[23:17] to create new uniforms for China's civil

[23:19] servants. This is an effort to project a

[23:22] modern more positive image.

[23:25] To a certain generation, the British

[23:26] invasion meant great rock and roll with

[23:29] many a great drummer on the backbeat.

[23:32] But those days are over.

[23:34] Sitting behind the drums today,

[23:36] the artist formerly known as Prince.

[23:40] Doing his bit for charity,

[23:42] >> [music]

[23:42] >> Charles proved that when it comes to

[23:43] rock and roll,

[23:45] he'll never be king.

[23:48] Rhythm does not come with castles. When

[23:50] we come back, luggage wars at the Denver

[23:52] Airport. It's a soap opera. We've got

[23:55] the latest episode.

[23:59] >> [music]

[24:08] [music]

[24:15] >> Great beer taste, only 70 calories,

[24:18] [music] and only from Anheuser-Busch.

[24:22] The non-alcohol brew [music] for any

[24:25] occasion.

[24:28] >> If you want 100% of 11 of many vitamins

[24:31] and minerals, try Total. To get that

[24:33] from corn flakes, you'll both have to

[24:34] add more than just milk.

[24:35] >> Yeah, such as?

[24:36] >> Well, you could start with these.

[24:38] Make Total part of a balanced diet.

[24:40] [music] One bowl, 100%.

[24:43] >> Everybody needs some of this sometime.

[24:49] Everybody [music] needs some time

[24:52] somehow.

[24:53] >> Hello.

[24:53] >> Rita, got your credit card?

[24:55] >> I need $500. [music]

[24:57] >> Now?

[24:57] >> I'll call Western Union.

[24:59] >> Just call 1-800-CALL-CASH and you can

[25:01] use your credit card to send money

[25:03] [music] from home, anytime, day or

[25:05] night.

[25:06] And that can make everyone sleep easier.

[25:09] Western Union, the fastest way to send

[25:11] money worldwide.

[25:13] >> Claritin.

[25:14] >> I'll ask my doctor.

[25:15] >> It's time to see your doctor

[25:16] >> for a trial of Claritin.

[25:18] >> Yes, ask your doctor for a trial of

[25:20] Claritin. For free information and a $5

[25:22] coupon toward a prescription for

[25:24] Claritin, call [music] 1-800-CLARITIN.

[25:30] >> So,

[25:31] he said he wants more control.

[25:32] >> Oh, boy.

[25:34] >> Told me he's looking for faster response

[25:36] and more security.

[25:38] >> And he's leaving the firm?

[25:39] >> No.

[25:40] He's getting a Cadillac DeVille.

[25:43] >> Now DeVille is better than ever because

[25:45] now it has the Northstar system and its

[25:47] extraordinary combination of comfort,

[25:50] safety, security, and performance.

[25:52] Nothing else feels [music] like DeVille

[25:54] from Cadillac.

[25:55] >> I suppose he wanted a better parking

[25:56] space, too.

[25:58] >> This is what the camera saw.

[26:00] >> Get out of the car!

[26:01] >> But what really happened? For the first

[26:02] time, hear both sides from the law and

[26:04] the lady. Watch a Dateline exclusive

[26:06] [music] tonight on NBC.

[26:10] >> Can you just imagine the excitement at

[26:12] the BAE company a few years ago when it

[26:15] won the contract for the baggage

[26:16] delivery system at Denver's

[26:18] multi-million dollar new airport? Now,

[26:20] fast forward to March 1996.

[26:23] Let the lawsuits begin. NBC's Roger

[26:26] O'Neil tonight.

[26:28] >> It hasn't

[26:31] It doesn't

[26:32] >> They said that they had a small problem

[26:34] with the baggage system.

[26:35] >> And it might never

[26:38] work, that is. The $218 million

[26:41] computerized, only one of its kind,

[26:43] baggage system at Denver's new airport.

[26:46] In fact, it performs miserably,

[26:48] according to the only airline that tries

[26:50] to use it. So disgusted is United

[26:53] Airlines, it fired the company that

[26:55] built the baggage system. But BAE, the

[26:58] bag company, won't turn over the keys,

[27:00] the computer software that runs it.

[27:03] Instead of delivering passenger

[27:04] suitcases, lawsuits are now being

[27:07] delivered by the lawyers of United

[27:09] Airlines and BAE.

[27:11] In federal court, the airline says the

[27:13] whole mess is in danger of becoming so

[27:15] much scrap metal. Nonsense, claims BAE

[27:18] in state court. It says the bag system

[27:21] is complete and United owes it $27

[27:23] million.

[27:24] And just to show it can't be pushed

[27:26] around, hey, BAE was

[27:29] >> We have reached substantial completion

[27:30] and we just do not understand why United

[27:33] will not agree to that.

[27:35] >> While the two companies slug it out in

[27:36] court, the best advice in Denver is

[27:39] carry-on.

[27:40] Roger O'Neil, NBC News, Denver.

[27:44] >> That is Nightly News for Tuesday.

[27:45] Tonight on Dateline NBC, how did Howard

[27:48] Hughes become the world's most famous

[27:50] recluse?

[27:51] A story from those who knew him best.

[27:53] Dateline tonight at 10:00 9:00 Central.

[27:55] I'm Tom Brokaw.

[27:56] We'll see you back here tomorrow night.

[28:00] >> Funding for the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer

[28:02] has been provided by CTR Business

[28:04] Systems, serving business, building

[28:06] solutions with information technology

[28:08] since 1913.