he ate 20 tacos. again, i still don't get it. sounds horrible. "nbc nightly news" is next then more local news on the bay area at 6:00. see you then. good night. bad eggs. more than a half billion recalled. how did so many get in the american food supply? the mystery man behind wikileaks. is he the target of a new smear campaign or something more? it's been a strange 24 hours. under attack. even a world-famous tourist attraction can't keep the bed bugs away. how summer vacation may be fueling a national infestation. and making a difference. superstars step up to the plate to make a lot of dreams come superstars step up to the plate to make a lot of dreams come true. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening. breakfast won't be the same for americans in many parts of the country this weekend who are being advised to toss out or return their eggs to the store out of fear of salmonella contamination. tonight the nation's largest egg recall now covers more than half a billion potentially tainted eggs. the salmonella outbreak has so far sickened more than 1,000 people. the suspect eggs from farms in iowa have been distributed to 22 states. as health officials try to pinpoint the exact source of the outbreak, others are asking why government watchdogs failed to prevent it. michelle franzen has the latest for us. >> reporter: at patty's restaurant in california, orders for eggs keep coming, despite the massive recall. >> i'm thinking about some bacon and scrambled eggs. >> reporter: the centerpiece of

the all-american breakfast and key ingredient in countless recipes is now at the center of a salmonella scare. >> it's in the back of my mind but it hasn't affected me. i just eat them sunnyside. >> reporter: the egg recall involves two big farms, both out of iowa, the nation's top egg-producing state. late friday hillandale farms voluntarily recalled 170 million eggs, that on tap of 380 million eggs recalled by wright county egg. the tainted eggs date back to april and were distributed to 22 states. >> this is a large outbreak. it's one of the largest outbreaks of this particular type of bacteria salmonella enteritidis that we've seen in recent years. >> reporter: the fda says lab tests show the strain of bacteria is the same at both locations, but investigators are still trying to pinpoint the source of contamination. dirty cages or tainted feed are possibilities. nationwide, more than 1,000 people have been sickened. so far no one has died.

to ensure safety, the fda says make sure you cook your eggs completely. >> consumers should cook the eggs to a very firm consistency such that the yolk and the white are very firm. another way of saying that is, no runny scrambled eggs, no runny yolks. >> reporter: many are asking is there more the government could be doing to prevent food-borne illness? in july the fda did approve new rules requiring egg producers to take more responsibility to reduce that risk. mandating an increase in salmonella testing and cleanliness policies, measures some health experts say could have helped prevent the outbreak that began in may. but consumer advocates say the measures will only work if farms are monitored. >> we need the government to do a good job and enforce them. >> reporter: consumer groups say until the fda has mandatory recall powers, the risk for another outbreak will continue to grow. today the trade organization representing many of the nation's egg producers,

including both farms involved in the outbreak, say the companies are, quote, going to extremes to make sure every egg is tracked down and working to meet the new fda safety rules. >> michelle franzen tonight, thank you. for a full list of the recalled brands and other information about egg safety we suggest you visit our website nightly.msnbc.com. the man behind wikileaks and the release of many secret war documents was the subject of a bizarre legal turnabout today. just 24 hours after swedish authorities accused him of rape, they suddenly dropped the charge. tonight, however, he remains under criminal suspicion as he hopes to make news again soon for another release of classified war papers. from our london bureau here is our reporter. >> reporter: last night swedish prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for julian assange on two separate charges of rape and molestation. the response was immediate. on twitter, people called it a dirty tricks campaign.

assange himself said the charges are without basis and the issue at this moment is deeply disturbing. later this morning the rape charge was dropped. >> the latest developments are that the prosecutor in question has decided there's no longer reason to believe that mr. assange has committed rape. therefore, there is no longer a warrant for his arrest. >> reporter: it comes a few days after wikileaks announced another batch of sensitive documents are to be released. 15,000 more in the coming weeks. >> we understand there are no easy choices for this organization. that we have a duty to get the truth out to the world, the truth to the afghani people. >> reporter: in the past month more than 75,000 afghan war logs were leaked. officials called it one of the biggest security breaches in u.s. military history. >> the taliban will be poring over every single word of those reports, scrutinizing them even more closely than their own analysts to see what they can

find out about the way we operate against them. >> reporter: the u.s. government has taken a harsh stance with wikileaks and is looking into criminal charges against it. >> we view the publishing of these communications very seriously. >> reporter: but assange is not deterred. he plans to move ahead at full steam. >> we have a duty to all the people who can benefit from the release of that information. we are talking about information that derives from war. >> reporter: today's blog says while julian is focusing on his defenses and clearing his name, wikileaks will be continuing its regular operations. prosecutors say for now he is suspected of the lesser crime of molestation and the police investigation continues. nbc news, london. now to the crisis in pakistan. it seems to have no end. thousands more people in the south have been forced to leave their homes and fend for themselves as floodwaters overtake their towns and villages. these are the lucky ones. the survivors.

but as nbc's stephanie gosk reports tonight from the swat valley, they probably won't have much to return to. >> reporter: in southern pakistan floodwaters continue to inundate villages and farmland. the latest evacuees are struggling to survive. "i was moved here we when my delivery started," this woman says. "i gave birth to my child here." more than three weeks after the floods first hit, the world has started to respond. united nations say they raised 70% of the $460 million needed. but rebuilding this country will take much more. places like the swat valley need both immediate relief and long-term development. almost every bridge is gone and miles of roads are washed away. this region used to be controlled by the taliban until the pakistani military launched a successful operation a year and a half ago. the people here had just started to rebuild when the floods hit. now in the region's largest city, there are fears that cholera may be spreading.

at this hospital there have been nine suspected cases of cholera, many of them children. >> this is the only functional capacity in all of the south region. >> reporter: u.s. marines have increased their relief flights the farthest regions of swat. in angora, there are no helicopter drops. people cross raging waters on flimsy rafts to ferry food and supplies. there are about 1,000 people crossing the river on these makeshift rafts every single day. they've chosen this location because they say it looks the calmest. these peach farmers told us they are nervous every time they step into the boats. were your peaches destroyed in the flood? >> yes. much of them. now much of them are rotting because of the daily rain. >> reporter: like millions across pakistan they escaped the water with their lives. but it has left them with little else. stephanie gosk, nbc news, pakistan.

in iran tonight, a significant step towards becoming a nuclear nation. engineers today loaded fuel into the country's first nuclear power plant despite united nations sanctions. iran says the plant will produce power, not a nuclear bomb. russia, which helped build the site, says it will make sure nuclear fuel isn't redirected to a weapons program. president obama is settling in for a long break this weekend in martha's vineyard where he is vacationing with his family in what he hoped would be a recovery summer with the american economy. with conflicting signs whether that is happening, the president's team finds itself trying to manage public perceptions. mike viqueira is in martha's vineyard. mike? >> reporter: the president and his family have come to this upscale vacation spot for a second year in a row. while aides are quick to point out a president is really never off the clock, it's clear mr. obama is here in martha's vineyard for time away from the spotlight.

the president in vacation mode, on friday shopping at a martha vineyard bookstore. while at that moment back in washington, his secretary of state was announcing a middle east breakthrough on his behalf. >> i ask the parties to persevere. >> reporter: the contrasting images underscore a dilemma for the white house. giving the president the chance to relax and, as aides say, recharge his batteries, while at the same time stressing that even while away, mr. obama is on top of both the economy and national security. >> any time i have anything i need to convey to the president i can do it quickly. i can be in touch with him a number of times during the day. >> reporter: the president arrived here after a bumpy week. his downtime coincides with a downturn in his approval ratings. new government data showing weekly jobless claims at a nine-month high. even here where last year enthusiastic crowds greeted mr. obama at every turn, the reception for the president,

while still welcoming, is more low-key. >> this year he sure needs a vacation. everything that could have gone wrong in the meantime has gone wrong. he comes in quite a different attitude, i think. >> reporter: lester, today was just such a day for devoted to recharging those presidential batteries. the first family, a private picnic on the beach on this island's south side. no cameras, no press and no reporters. lester? >> mike viqueira with the president in martha's vineyard. mike, thanks. "meet the press" will devote the entire hour to the upcoming mid-term elections, including the question of whether voters will make it a referendum on president obama. among david gregory's guests, the man heading up the opposition party in congress, republican leader senator mitch mcconnell. still ahead, don't let the bed bugs bite. easier said than done this summer as the infestation that began here in new york city invades more and more places. there may be a reason why it's happening now. later, champions making a difference and making a lot of other people feel like winners.

the view from our roof here at 30 rock, a hazy summer evening in new york city, as there are new reports one of the most popular tourist attractions, the world famous empire state building, is the latest target of bed bugs. a local newspaper reports they attacked the furniture in an employee changing room in the basement. the city is reportedly

considering hiring its own pack of bed bug-sniffing dogs. with more on what is quickly becoming a national bed bug invasion, here is nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: that old adage about not letting the bed bugs bite is taking on a whole new meaning this summer. >> that one's crawling. it's alive. >> reporter: from movie theaters in new york to a fire station in connecticut, business high-rises and college students. >> it looks likes i have hives. >> reporter: a population explosion in our beds, pillows, carpeting, clothing and leaving their droppings behind. in philadelphia, robin has the scars from a year of being eaten alive. >> i was bitten everywhere. >> reporter: she now believes the bed bugs came from second-hand furniture, though the store denies it. >> it got so bad i was eating

on the patio instead of eating inside. >> reporter: pest control companies say they've never seen anything like it. a 500% increase in the bed bug population. >> sturdy bugs, tough bugs. they're insidious. they hide in the smallest places. >> reporter: that's the problem. bed bugs are the size of apple seeds hiding in our bedsheets, our bedspreads and mattress folds waiting to come out at night and feed on us when we're asleep. bed bugs need people. where we go, they go. >> those bed bugs are hitchhikers. they travel with us on our person, in our belongings and our suitcases. >> reporter: with international travel, bed bugs have gone global. in the u.s. 95% of pest control companies reported bed bug infestations in the past year. 98% in canada, 92% in europe. few things reproduce like a blood-thirsty bed bug. >> in january i put about 30 bed bugs in this jar. we estimate there are probably 2,000 in there now. >> reporter: there is no evidence bed bugs carry any diseases. you might keep them out by using a sealed mattress cover. getting rid of them isn't easy.

steaming, vacuuming, baking, freezing and snuffing them out can get expensive. the advice from the experts -- >> when they get to the point where they are in that furniture like that, throw it away. get new furniture. get rid of it. >> reporter: this summer plenty of people would love to do that. tom costello, nbc news, washington. up next, famous family name quayle is back in the headlines. why the next generation is getting a lot of attention this weekend.

a familiar name in american politics is back in the news these days. the name is quayle. but this time, the candidate is not dan quayle. it's his 33-year-old son ben, who's got a big test coming up at the polls on tuesday. he is taking direct aim at the president. here is nbc's kelly o'donnell. >> reporter: take a political name like quayle. >> and a provocative, some say outrageous judgment about the president -- >> barack obama is the worst president in history. >> reporter: and you have campaign dynamite. but ben quayle is unapologetic. >> i think he has fundamentally changed our country for the worse in a very short amount of time. but it was not a statement i took lightly. but it was a statement that i believe. >> reporter: a conservative like his famous father dan who helped him raise more than $1 million. quayle is a lawyer and small businessman who wants to represent arizona in congress.

>> he is a smart, honest, hard-working individual. >> reporter: can he win? quayle is one of ten republicans fighting for the nomination. the others have their own strengths, including a wealthy businessman and several local officials. quayle is far ahead in campaign cash. >> i'm sure it will be wildly helpful to him only because he has way more money than anybody else. >> reporter: despite those advantages, this is a tough race. opponents have accused quayle of misleading voters by, quote, renting a family for this campaign brochure. those girls are actually his nieces. and they pounced on quayle's tie to a racy website called "the dirty scottsdale." in 2007, quayle wrote postings that he calls satire. critics say it harms his family values image. >> this site you're talking about, trying to find the hottest girls in scottsdale and what tremendous prowess you have

doesn't seem to mesh very well. >> you know, it's something that's in the past. we are going to focus on the issues going forward. >> reporter: he is not new to bare-knuckled tactics and intense scrutiny. >> i saw the bad side of politics. i saw what they did to my father and my family had to go through. i didn't know if i wanted to put my own family through that. >> reporter: with no experience in any kind of local politics, quayle says being the son of a former vice president is actually one qualification to run for congress. because he says he has seen how washington works up close. ben quayle was a teenager when his dad left office and washington is the target this year. with ten republican candidates in this winner-take-all primary, there is no guarantee a big name and big money can lock in a win. kelly o'donnell, nbc news, scottsdale. there is a remarkable story overseas tonight in cairo. a stolen van gogh masterpiece said to be worth $50 million has been recovered tonight hours

after being stolen from a downtown museum. egyptian officials say two italians, a man and a woman, were arrested trying to leave the country with the painting known as "poppy flowers" believed to have been painted by van gogh in 1887. the same painting was previously taken from the same museum in 1978, but recovered a decade later in kuwait. up next, a surprise at wendy's was just the start for two sisters. part of a remarkable week of superstars going into their community and making a difference.

finally tonight, our making a difference report. tonight it's about professional athletes who spent this past week making a difference for a lot of people. as you can imagine, they are always flooded with requests for autographs, tickets and tours. they try to oblige. this year the new york yankees went one step further with five special surprise visits in five days to inspire people on and off the field. here is nbc's peter alexander. >> reporter: 18-year-old malita arias and her older sister joanna were stunned friday when they realized their next customers at wendy's were the new york yankees. the young women survived homelessness for years. joanna passed up college because she couldn't afford it. >> for us, we get so much out of it ourselves from giving back. i know we are going to make their day one to remember. >> reporter: the sisters were whisked away for a shopping spree, offered paid internships,

one at a nearby hospital and one with the yankees, before enjoying the game as the team's honored guests. the yankees call this hope week, now in its second year. and by hope, they mean helping others persevere and excel. for 13-year-old jorge, that meant a surprise pool party with the world champions. >> to come here and meet jorge and see all the obstacles he had to overcome in his life. for as cool as it might be for him to meet us, it's way cooler for us to meet him. >> hip, hip, jorge! >> reporter: when jorge was an infant in panama he had both arms and legs amputated. to combat a terrible infection. but if you think jorge's disability has held him back, just watch. also celebrated these special needs kids from a group called beautiful people. with the big leaguers doing the cheering and the kids taking the field. >> good job. well done.

>> puts things in perspective. we come here and we are playing a game. obviously, we are trying to win. we realize there are a lot bigger things in the world. >> reporter: die-hard fan jane lang, blind since birth, got an unexpected escort to the ballpark. >> i'm tino martinez. >> tino! oh, my god! >> i'm robby cano. >> oh, robby. >> reporter: from the stands jane has only heard the action. this week she got to feel it, too. >> it took me until halfway through the game to realize that i wasn't sleeping. i was afraid to pinch myself because i thought sure i would wake up. >> reporter: you thought it was a dream? >> i loved it. i loved every minute of it. >> reporter: capping each game the boys of summer added a few extra names to their roster giving each honoree lasting memories and new reason for hope. peter alexander, nbc news, new york. that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday.

i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" then back here tomorrow evening. "today" then back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com good evening. i'm diane dwyer. we have breaking news out of san francisco right now. residents of three apartment buildings in the north beach neighborhood are being evacuated because