on our broadcast here tonight, damage control after that leak of afghanistan war secrets, what's the whistle blowing website all about? and will this change anything in the war effort? a new boss at bp. but what does it really mean for the cleanup in the gulf? an epidemic of bed bugs, believe it or not, suddenly up 500% in some places, especially the nation's largest city. tonight what's behind this spread and what you can do about it. and "making a difference" by saving a whole generation of endangered newborns. also tonight "the fleecing of america," the town manager of a small town making more than twice what the president makes.

"nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television there's never been anything quite like it. a mountain of secrets, some big, some small, dumped into the public domain by a website, leaked by somebody on the inside. distributed by the news media. all of it having to do with a long war still in progress, and now half of washington is still pouring over 90 plus thousand separate documents and more may be on the way. we are among those still going through all of it. we begin tonight with our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell in washington. andrea, what is it we have here, really? how damaging is it? what does it change? and what's this website all about? >> reporter: those are all big questions. 24 hours later, brian, everyone, soldiers in the field, top security officials are trying to figure out if this is a game changer. the release of so much raw

intelligence on a website, with a war in progress. even as tonight the house voted to fund the president's troop surge in afghanistan. tonight i talked to the central player in this drama. julian assange has the whole world buzzing over the leaked secret documents about the war in afghanistan posted on his website, wikileaks. today president obama said he's concerned that leaked battlefield information could jeopardize troops or operations. but he said the disclosures don't change the war strategy. >> the fact is, these documents don't reveal any issues that haven't already informed our public debate on afghanistan. >> reporter: and strong reaction from admiral mike mullen in baghdad today. >> i really am appalled by the

leak, condemn the leak, and i believe that there's potential there to put american lives at risk. >> reporter: i asked assange about that. does that concern you at all? >> well, whenever we release material exposing embarrassing actions or abuses of crimes by an organization, there's always an attempt to underplay it or distract from the message. though we believe in fact that the strength of this material is that it's from people on the ground. >> reporter: assange is clearly an advocate and opponent of the war. wikileaks' mission publishing secrets. from sarah palin's personal e-mails to a church of scientology manual, to an apache gun camera video from iraq, showing the death of a dozen civilians, including two reuters journalists. assange who once said, i enjoy crushing bastards, is a 39-year-old australian who studied physics, made a name for himself as a hacker, and was arrested for computer crimes before starting his whistle-blower website.

this week he released 91,000 raw military documents online, but this time also to three traditional news organizations, including "the new york times" which vetted the material, eliminating information that could put lives at risk. >> i think wikileaks' role in this was the role of a source. you don't get to chose your sources, and sources often come with their own agendas, their own ideology, their own motivation. the question is, how do you handle the material once you've got it? >> reporter: it's a brave new world when journalists use sources like wikileaks. >> it really challenges the public to try to make sense of these -- not only the documents, but the process at play. >> reporter: tonight officials are still plowing through all of these documents, making their own damage assessment, knowing that tens of thousands of pentagon, military and private contractors have access to the same secrets. brian? >> andrea, in the meantime, what's the immediate impact on

the u.s. fighting force in the field? >> well, it certainly gives them new information, those who haven't had access to it. but no one thinks it's going to change the way they provide intelligence, because it's a hallmark of the new war fighting that everyone have access to as much information as possible. >> all right, as we continue to sort through it, andrea mitchell in our washington newsroom to start us off. andrea, thanks. meanwhile on capitol hill in washington, there was a nomination hearing today for the marine corps general picked to replace david petraeus in afghanistan. a big job. and general james mattis is another one who like the recently retired general mcchrystal is a very blunt talker and veteran warrior. our pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski has more on the hearings and the general. >> reporter: this is not exactly what general james mattis had in mind when ordered to take the hill.

but in his senate hearing today, mattis, true to form, did not pull any punches. like his reaction to the leak of thousands of classified documents to wikileaks. >> one of the newspaper headlines was that it's -- the war is a tense and dangerous thing. well, i -- if that is news, i don't know who it's news to that's on this planet. >> general mattis is also known for engaging at times in a little straight talk. something that this senator particularly appreciates. >> reporter: but it's his gruff demeanor that sometimes gets him into trouble. such as remarks in 2005, which appeared to glorify killing the taliban. >> you go into afghanistan, you have women walking around not wearing a veil.

those guys have no manhood left. >> reporter: he was reprimanded and that was enough for gates. >> the lesson was learn. >> repor8-r: a 3year veteran, mattis has commanded combat marines in iraq and afghanistan, and with general david petraeus helped write the military's new counter insurgency strategy. mattis supporters, and there are many in the military, say beneath that bravado, is a thoughtful leader who's dedicated his life to his marines. >> somehow we are getting the message out that we are the good guys. we are not the perfect guys, but we are the good guys. >> reporter: mattis will be confirmed and on the job within days. jim miklaszewski, nbc news, the pentagon. we turn now to the disaster in the gulf, bp announced its quarterly earnings this morning and said it's deducting $32 billion to reflect the costs of the deepwater horizon mess.

and the executive taking over from embattled tony hayward admits there is a huge amount of work ahead. that's clear to anyone overseeing the scene. our own anne thompson is in venice, louisiana again tonight. anne, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. bp now hopes to intersect the well in two weeks. though it has a new leader tonight, bp still has the same old problem, oil washing ashore. bob dudley, bp's new man in charge moved quickly to reassure suspicious gulf residents saying the best strategy for the oil giant is to clean up the spill. >> we want to be a good corporate citizen, we want to restore our reputation, it's going to take time. >> reporter: it certainly will. even though the well's been capped for a dozen days, there's still thousands of barrels of oil in the gulf. and today we found some of it along the coast near the mouth of the mississippi river. there's still oil coming ashore on this sandbar west of south pass. what is washing up today is in smaller pieces than before, and

that makes it tougher to spot and even tougher to clean up. workers collect 2,400 bags a day of the oily sand. under the guidance of the coast guard's tracy girard. >> we have a lot of work ahead of us. >> reporter: it's not just bp's oil they have to clean up, nbc's janet shamlian is there. >> as if they needed more trouble in these waters, today a tugboat hit a well head. you can see it and hear it, it's spewing a toxic mix into the sensitive coastal estuaries around here. areas that have already been hit from oil from the deepwater horizon. booms are out on the water, and a well team has been hired to put it out. the gulf is polluted by yet another spill. >> the fisheries is our business. >> reporter: mike has worked these waters for 29 years. for those who think the oil is gone, he says, think again. >> it just doesn't disappear.

it's down below, the currents are working it. depending on the currents and wave action, it's going to pop up. i don't know how long it's going to do that, but it's going to be quite some time. >> reporter: as for the $32 billion bp has set aside for the cleanup, they expect to get a tax credit on that money, saving some $10 billion on its u.s. tax bill. brian? >> hard to believe they had another well accident down there today. anne thompson in venice, louisiana. anne, thanks. with the current sensitivity about oil, a spill in michigan is getting a lot of attention. a leaking pipeline that sent oil into a creek that feeds the kalamazoo river. booms have been deployed an estimated 848,000 gallons of oil have already escaped. trails of oil sheen can be seen all the way down the river, far from the bulk of the spill. it's coming from a 30-inch pipe that runs from indiana to on tear ya, owned by a canadian company.

it carries 8 million gallons a day. officials say they don't know what caused the pipe to start leaking yesterday. now to california, where there's been an open display of outrage in a suburb of los angeles. one of many cities and towns struggling to make ends meet in this recession by slashing their budget and cutting services. the people of bell, california want to know what their manager was doing making almost twice what the president of the united states makes. nbc's george lewis reports from bell, california, on new investigations into what some see as "the fleecing of america." >> reporter: the bell city council confronting an angry crowd last night. >> please, i need respect from everybody. please. >> reporter: but there is no respect. >> you all need to go to jail. >> we ask you, leave your position and give us our city

back. >> reporter: even after the mayor and three members of the part-time council voted to give up their $96,000 a year salaries, people today are calling for their resignation. >> if you have a business and you know someone's stealing from you, are you going to let them stay there longer because it's easier, or are you going to do everything you can to get them out as soon as possible? >> reporter: last week, the city manager was forced out after it was revealed he was earning $788,000 a year, almost twice what president obama makes. his retirement package could net him $710,000 a year. this after rizzo severely slashed the city budget, laying off scores of workers. >> they told us there was no more funds for our department. >> reporter: the big question, how could all this happen? how could city officials award themselves those lavish salaries while cutting jobs and services and hiking taxes? the problem, according to good government groups, is that in

california, cities like bell can set salaries in closed door meetings, although the amounts have to be reported to state pension plans. >> our pension systems have known about this and are doing nothing to change it. >> reporter: now, prosecutors are investigating as this city, appropriately named, is setting off alarm bells everywhere. george lewis, nbc news, bell, california. when our broadcast continues in just a moment, the specialists who are called in when they suspect bed bugs in the home. tonight why there seems to be a sudden epidemic and what to do about it. and later, operation relocation for some of the most vulnerable on the gulf coast. [ woman ] alright, so this tylenol 8 hour lasts 8 hours.

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bugs. >> the subject of bed bugs recently making its way into an episode of "30 rock," just as bed bugs are making their way into a quickly growing number of homes and apartments in this country, especially here in new york city. but also as far west as alaska. we readily admit this is not ideal dinner hour viewing, but it's an awful and growing problem, and once they move in, it's very tough to move them out. nbc's mike taibbi willingly took on this assignment. >> exterminator. >> reporter: it's another bed bug call for this exterminator, al bernard. this one, a three-bedroom student apartment in manhattan that's been infested for months. he uses steam heat first on anything that's remotely porous, and then a chemical pesticide, aimed at wherever these critters hide out before coming out to feed at night. the students who live here all suffered rashes like these, and saw plenty of evidence before prepping their apartment for the

full treatment. this is what it takes, days of work by the three people who live in this apartment, basically washing everything, and bagging it and plastic boxing it, as much work, the tenants told me as if they were moving. some famous stores have had to fumigate too, including this victoria's secret store. >> bill clinton's office at 121st street. >> reporter: dogs can be known to sneak out a single bed bug. to support what's called the federal don't let the bed bugs bite act, now in committee, researchers say bed bug population have increased 500% in recent years. and a survey of 700 hotel rooms found one in four infested. the scourge is everywhere. >> alaska had an 800% increase just this year. >> reporter: and country or city, getting rid of these unwanted guests is expensive.

>> you could be looking at anywhere from $800 to $1,200 to get rid of an infestation. >> reporter: the reason, not poverty or hygiene, but more travel. families endure months of attacks by a mostly invisible enemy. >> you'll never find them. it's sort of like insanity. >> reporter: even if the dogs and pros do their jobs. >> we'll get them clean, but in a year from now, anything can happen. >> reporter: they are the toughest of all pests to eradicate. mike taibbi, nbc news, new york. quickly to another subject, 18 states and the district of columbia were named today as finalists in the u.s. department of education's race to the top program. it's an obama administration initiative to improve education. there's a $3 billion plus pool of federal money up for grabs. it will be awarded to the school systems who are trying to innovate ways to improve students, teachers and reduce poor performing schools.

to see if your state made the list today, can you log on to our website, nightly.msnbc.com. up next, a new do it yourself system at the airport. one airline giving a try. [ male announcer ] if you've had a heart attack caused by a completely blocked artery, another heart attack could be lurking, waiting to strike. a heart attack that's caused by a clot, one that could be fatal. but plavix helps save lives.

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for its flights. instead of handing your boarding pass to a human, an agent at the gate, you would swipe it at the turnstile. the trial period is underway now in houston. foreign airports are way ahead on this one, 14 separate airlines worldwide already use some form of self-boarding. good news/bad news from detroit tonight. the good news from gm, an electric car is finally becoming a reality. the chevy volt, years in the making, will finally be in showrooms later this year. it's initially a limited production run available in what they're calling launch markets only. but the price, $41,000 may price it out of reach of a lot of car owners and families, who despite wanting to save on gas, can't throw down that much money in this economy. there will, however, be a federal tax credit that will take the edge off that price. jack tatum has died. in the nfl, he was a fierce defensive back, known as the assassin when he played for the oakland raiders.

the former ohio state buckeye was a three-time probowler and super bowl veteran. he had a hand in some iconic football plays of the era, including the immaculate reception. and his hit on darryl stingley left stingley paralyzed for the rest of his life. tatum died at the age of 61. officials fear hundreds of people could die in the smog from fires surrounding the forrest and city have risen the carbon dioxide levels in the airway above normal. when we come back here tonight, babies with a new lease on life, thanks to some dedicated people who are making a difference. not bad, eh? gecko: yeah... fastest growing for the past 5 years! obviously people love saving money. woman: welcome to the conference. here's your nametag, sir... annnd for you.

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fo e nur ea clthpand that includes keeping you informed. every morning, over 50 spotter planes and helicopters take off and search for the oil. we use satellite images, infrared and thermal photography to map and target the oil. an enthgoe th ts at.o two. rkrk to map and target the oil. almost 6,000 vessels. these are thousands of local shrimp and fishing boats organized into task forces and strike teams. plus, specialized skimmers from around the world. we've skimmed over 27 million gallons of oil/water mixture and removed millions more with other methods. we've set out more than 8 million feet of boom to protect the shoreline. i grew up on the gulco ast and i love these waters. we can't keep all the oil from coming ashore, but i'm gonna do everything i can to stop it, and we'll be here as long as it takes to clean up the gulf.

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some who are making a big difference from mark potter in pensacola, florida. >> one layer, one layer. >> right. >> back and forth. >> reporter: on their hands and knees, working as gently as they can, wildlife officials are trying to save a whole generation of threatened endangered s eed sea turtles. every summer, four species of sea turtles lay their eggs in nests along the florida panhandle in coastal alabama, 60 days later, the turtles hatch and head for the gulf of mexico, this year filled with oil. >> we're afraid these small hatchlings would encounter the oil as they move out toward their offshore developmental habitat. >> nice looking eggs. >> reporter: to save the babies from being killed by the oil, officials and volunteers are moving every egg, tens of thousands, from the gulf coast

to the florida atlantic coast so the hatchling turtles can swim in clean water. >> we wouldn't be doing this unless it was the only thing we can do to save them from sudden death. >> reporter: collecting the eggs is a most delicate operation. the eggs are picked up one by one, very slowly, making sure they stay upright. >> the turtles are breathing through a membrane that's attached to the egg. if it gets dislodged the turtle will die. >> reporter: the eggs are then carried very carefully in coolers to a climate-controlled truck, provided by free by fedex for a trip to east coast, florida. >> i treat it like a batch of nitroglycerin, very, very carefully. >> reporter: the egg coolers are packed with sand from the nest, in the hopes the turtles will remember the scent and return to

the gulf coast beaches 20 years from now to lay their own eggs. >> thank goodness for their work. that's our broadcast on a tuesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams, and as always, we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening, good night. are they worth a buck a day? voters in oakland will decide whether there's money to rehire police officers who lost their jobs to a budget crisis. good evening, everyone. >> a deal has been struck but it's not time to celebrate just yet. they voted to put a parcel tax on the