chilean flamingos, and they made eggs and they hatched. nbc nightly news is next. good night. in custody, a massive piece of hardware in custody a massive piece of hardware raced from the seafloor, now it's evidence in a disaster that cost 11 lives and countless livelihoods in the gulf. make-or-break. the president's big push on the economy and now the election clock is ticking. adult supervision, a popular website under fire blocks its own controversial content, but for how long? and foreign affair. hollywood in hot pursuit of a whole new audience.

from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news." investigators get the first close-up look at critical piece of machinery that was supposed to have prevented the massive bp oil spill. the 300-ton blowout preventer that should have sealed off the flow of oil after the deep water horizon rig exploded is tonight an important piece of evidence. after being carefully lifted from the seafloor last even under the careful eyes of the fbi. the full explanation of the explosion that killed 11 workers is undetermined, but now investigators are a step closer to learning how it rapidly unfolded into the largest environmental disaster. anne thompson was on board the ship that retrieved the blowout preventer and joins us from new orleans with more. anne. >> reporter: good evening, lesser. the blow joet prevent ee eer is

the custody of the fbi tonight making its way to shore and to a nasa facility in louisiana where it will be inspected for evidence as investigators try to answer the question of why it failed. it emerged fully from the gulf of mexico, a 1 million pound metal sea creature pulled up. as the sun set on the scene of the biggest oil spill in america's history. the final 100 feet journey from the seafloor were the longest. hydrates, the crystals that foiled several attempts to cap the we will, created trouble. marvin morris is the leader. >> the hydrates as they come up melt and gas off. as it comes to the surface, we have to make sure we're taking all the safety precautions necessary so that gas is contained and held and bled off properly. >> reporter: the giant tower of the helix hoisted it to the center of the vessel.

hanging in the dark the emergency brakes failed the night of april 20th when it exploded in flames. now it's a 50-foot tall piece of evidence that may yield clues to why this disaster happened. though the men and women working on this operation insist it is just another job, they are well aware the world is watching. and there is one last mission to forever seal the well from the bottom with the relief well. national incident commander thad allen will give the order to john wright to finish the job. >> the pressure is to get the job done and get it over with and get on with it. >> reporter: do you feel that, too, admiral, allen? do you feel the pressure? >> i'm not sure i call it pressure. i think for me it's a huge accountability piece. there's an expectation bit american public that the problem will be solved. >> reporter: this weekend allen said the threat of another leak from the well is gone, but not the memory of 11 men that died

working on the well including marvin morris' friend blair manuel. >> i think of their families. i think of each and every one of them, and even blair. i think these guys deserve this. they deserve this to come up, and we need to find out not only for them but for the industry. they would want it no other way. >> reporter: now, the fbi's evidence response team photographed the hoisting of the blowout preventer and bp had a team of attorneys on hand as well. once it got on deck, the fbi team immediately went to work looking for evidence. it is very clear that both sides are preparing for what is expected to be a long and extensive investigation. lester. >> anne thompson in louisiana tonight. thank you. in washington and across the country this labor day weekend, the battle lines are drawn for the midterm elections this november. the battleground is the economy and more than a little political

power is up for grabs. we're at the white house tonight with more. >> reporter: good evening, lester. that political battle is joined. with control of congress at stake and some predicting a gop take-over the house and even the senate, the white house is pulling out all the stops, even deploying a not so secret weapon. returning from two days at camp david, president obama stepped off marine one and into an all-out political fight. >> i think if we voted tomorrow, we would do very well. >> reporter: republicans sense victory in november and today attacked the president and his party. >> he's governed from the left ditch. he turned his agenda over to the liberals in the house, and here we are a few months before the election and it's all caught up with him. >> reporter: the number one issue is the economy. with growth sluggish and the jobless rate high democrats are in danger with some now running away from their own leaders. >> that may not be what the washington crowd wants, but i don't work for them. i work for you.

>> reporter: angry voters in swing states like ohio want more presidential focus on the economy. >> we're about to lose our house, and they keep talking about all these things that they can do to help you. if you don't have a job, they can't help you. >> reporter: this week mr. obama will respond, traveling to cleveland on wednesday where he plans to unveil a new plan to spur growth, including more tax breaks for business. meanwhile, democrats are hitting back at gop's economic record. >> they drove us into the ditch. if we give the keys back to the people that did this, it's look giving herbert hoover the keys in the mid-1930s. >> reporter: democrats face another problem this fall, a fired-up conservative base worried their own faithful will stay home election day, they plan to deploy a potent weapon. first lady michelle obama. the administration's most popular figure. until now a champion of non-partisan causes, mrs. obama will enter the political fray

stumping for democrats. >> the day after the election the white house does not want anybody fob able to say, well, you know, they didn't do everything they could to try to save the majority. >> reporter: lester, the president starts his week tomorrow in another swing state, wisconsin. as if to underscore his political problems, the liberal democratic senator there, russ feingold, plans to be 60 miles away when the president speaks in milwaukee to a labor day crowd. >> thanks. we're joined by john harwood. we saw the story there. given the poor economy, how real is the threat of other democrats turning on the president or speaker pelosi in an every man for himself sscenario? >> it's already happening. you'll see more of that this fall. at this point in the year, every man for himself is less of a

threat than passing legislation that's difficult like health care. it can be an opportunity to protect themselves provided it doesn't go too far. >> conversely democratic leaders are said to be contemplating a triage plan in xh some candidates get party cash, others are left to fend for themselves. it sounds brutal, but could it be the key to the democrats holding the majority? >> the goal of democratic leaders is not to save every n vulnerable incumbent or win every open seat. they have to have 218 members. that requires leaving some candidates on the battlefield. >> i want to get your thoughts on how much this election will be a test of the influence of the tea party movement. they have a lot of air time and headlines. how will it come down in november? >> it's going to test the movement in two ways. one, lester, is that enthusiasm gap that mike was just talking about. the evidence of the tea party

has been clear in races all across the country, and republicans are plainly more fired up than democrats. on the other hand, democrats hope the conservative energy has pulled general election candidates too far to the right like in nevada where harry read is under fire with sharon engel. that could be a key if mainstream voters decide they've gone too far. overseas to iraq and another suicide bombing, this one targeting one of the main iraqi military commands in baghdad. 12 people were killed and 36 wounded when terrorists deton e detonated a van filled with explosives and then stormed the base. american soldiers returned fire helping to repel the attack. it was the violence of nature in guatemala where landslides this weekend killed more than three dozen people, at least 60 are still missing and thousands have been forced to evacuate. two buses were hit as rain-soaked mountainsides gave way, trapping passengers and

even some of the rescue teams. crews in new zealand are checking thousands of buildings for damage in the wake of friday's major earthquake. at least 500 structures have been declared destroyed by the tremor, so powerful scientists say it opened a crack in the earth 11 feet wide. the 33 miners trapped in chil chile, they held an video with their family members. it was a month ago today that a mine collapsed and left the men trapped 2300 feet down. there was a surprise today for anyone surfing the popular website craigslist. a message to visitors about one of the site's most controversial links, one under fire for its adult content. nbc's jeff rossen reports. >> reporter: nelsed among the ads for real estate and jobs, there's the other side of craigslist, the highly controversial adult services

section, including in some cases thinly veiled offers of prous tuiti prostitution. suddenly over the weekend it was removed and replaced with this, censored, a little black box that leesd you nowhere. >> we're thankful, and we believe that that act really lessens the suffering of so many girls who are being sold for sex. >> reporter: the website operates around the world, but the link is only blocked in the u.s. craigslist won't say if this is permanent, temporary or simply a message to its critics, of which there are many. just last month attorneys general in 17 states wrote a joint letter to craigslist demanding they remove the adult services section. >> craigslist is operating an online red-light district as obvious and in plain view as times square was back in the 1970s or '80s. >> reporter: the website came under heavy scrutiny last year after the arrest of philip ma

rcoff. he was accused of murdering one and killed himself flalater in jail. our investigation still found many women on craigslist offering prostitution. >> craigslist has to be held accountable. it's making tens of millions of dollars from these kinds of ads, which is outrageous. >> reporter: a new report finding craigslist makes millions on those adult service ads, $36 million this year alone, triple what it made last year. >> i do hope this has been shut down and is not a game of semantics. >> reporter: tonight the mystery swirls around this single word and the question, will it stay or will it go? jeff rossen, nbc news, new york. when "nightly news" continues this sunday evening, as school days begin again, a

new campaign against kids bullying kids. home improvement. how a network of neighbors is joining forces and making a difference. difference. p-a-d... p.a.d. isn't just poor circulation in your legs causing you pain. it more than doubles your risk of a heart attack or stroke. i was going to tell you. if you have p.a.d., plavix can help protect you from a heart attack or stroke. plavix helps keep blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots, the cause of most heart attacks and strokes. call the doctor about plavix -- please? i will. [ male announcer ] certain genetic factors and some medicines such as prilosec reduce the effect of plavix leaving you at greater risk for heart attack and stroke. your doctor may use genetic tests to determine treatment. don't stop taking plavix without talking to your doctor as your risk of heart attack or stroke may increase. people with stomach ulcers or conditions that cause bleeding should not use plavix. taking plavix alone or with some other medicines including aspirin may increase bleeding risk, so tell your doctor when planning surgery. tell your doctor all medicines you take

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heartburn. good thing you've got what it takes to beat that heat, too. zantac. it's strong, just one pill can knock out the burn. it's fast, the speed you need for heartburn relief. and it lasts, up to 12 hours. so let them turn up the heat. you can stop that heartburn cold: (sssssssss!!!) zantac. kids across the country are returning to school this week, and that has some of the nation's top educators focusing on school bullying. it's a problem that increasingly takes many foorms including verbal and physical harassment, even cyber bullying and now teachers and students are taking

a tougher stand. here's nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: it was last january's suicide of 15-year-old phoebe prince in massachusetts that many believe was the ultimate example of school bullying. having just emigrated from ireland, phoebe killed herself after being tormented for months by six fellow students now facing felony xharncharges. >> called her names, followed her home, smart remarks and dirty looks. >> reporter: across the country principle pals, tea principal, teachers and psychologists say something has changed in america's schools. >> the prevalence of abuse of children by other children is getting worse. >> reporter: the department of education agrees. recently in washington it gathered the first national school bullying summit. >> i have to tell you, i have very little patience with the argument that kids will be kids, and there's not much schools can do to make their environment safer. >> reporter: the government reports nearly one out of three

students in middle school and high school reported being bullied during the 2007 school year. one out of nine high schoolers, 2.8 million students, said they've been physically abused or spat on during the last year. and 900,000 reported being cyber bullied. this 11-year-old got so fed up with being bullied in her philadelphia school, she wrote president obama asking for his help. >> it's very hard to be a kid, because whether you know you're going to school, you got to get your education and you still got to worry about this boy because he calls me name. >> reporter: she's started her own no bullying campaign, hoping it will catch on nationwide. the reasons for the increase in bullying are many. a more crass, less polite society, meanness on television and a more challenging economy that has increased tension at home. child psychologist fill rodkin

says it's impossible for any child to thrive in a school when they feel threatened. >> it's a struggle of insults, and it's impossible to shrug off physical violence. >> reporter: all the more reasons say educators why the time is now to adopt a zero t l tolerance policy on bullies. whether we come back here tonight, hollywood's foreign affair, looking for big bucks overseas. overseas. [ woman ] i know. they do, don't they? why is carol sitting all the way over there? carol almost told evan that there are vegetables in the chef boyardee. nearly ruined their favorite after-school snack. so she's in a time-out. i hope she learns from this. [ female announcer ] chef boyardee micro beef ravioli microwave cups. an after-school snack with a full serving of vegetables. just don't tell them. shh.

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it's a nationalas it's a national past time keeping track of which movie wins the box office sweepstakes. so far the movie "the american" is on top, but for hollywood these days the bottom line is increasingly measured in how a movie does oversees. we get the story tonight from miguel in hollywood. >> consider it your last job. >> reporter: george clooney's new film may be called "the american," but most of the

starring cast and the director from from overseas, the latest example of how hollywood is banging on foreign audiences to bring home big box offices. >> we're go to think about the casting and setting and story on how it's going to play from a global level. >> reporter: the president of international universal pictures, a division of nbc universal, says unlike a decade ago. >> i respectfully refuse. >> reporter: nowadays most movies must be a hit outside the united states to be considered a real success. >> you're not in kansas anymore. >> reporter: take the american-made "avatar." it maybe an impressive $750 million domestically. still it's a fraction of the $2 billion made worldwide. in recent years foreign ticket sales have more than doubled those in north america. in 2009 international ticket sales accounted for 64% of the

staggering $30 billion movie industry. >> i think you're seeing incredible things happen. >> reporter: sanford is the president of fox international. >> growth in russia, brazil, these are markets that weren't participated in the overall market share into recently. >> reporter: the global influence is clear even in the most american-themed movies. when "g.i. joe" was cast it got a foreign makeover. they gave supporting roles to international stars hoping to draw a big international audience. >> we're running out of time. do something. >> reporter: it worked. in the end "g.i. joe" grossed more abroad than at home. >> i think the world is getting smaller. i think young people especially are more aware of so many things, some filmmakers and actors from other countries. >> reporter: one reason the foreign film market is booming, the explosion of new screens. in china, for example, 35,000

new movie screens will open there over the next five years. >> a lot of that growth was from the emerging markets of eastern europe and russia. china has been a huge part of that. it was due primarily to those economies improving and expanding. >> reporter: old hollywood taking note of the new script even as it's still being written overseas. nbc news, los angeles. up next, our "making a difference" report. getting those do-it-yourself projects done with a little help from your friends. wasn't my daughter's cabbage appetizer spectacular?

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finally tonight a story that may resonate with a lot of you, especially those dusting off the do it yourself manuals in the tough economy. help is on the way from a growing group of good neighbors. we have the story tonight on some helping hands that are making a big difference across the country. >> reporter: no matter how new a home is, it's always a work in progress. it's the one problem every neighbor has in common. >> he's the muscle. he's the muscle. >> reporter: manny needed help building new front steps, jeremy needed help refinishing his

garage. >> this is great, guys. >> reporter: and amy needed help moving an old freezer. >> there's been a loss of that sense of community and people helping each other out. it's a neat idea. >> reporter: that idea is davezillion.co a handyman's social networking site. >> this is facebook with productivin. involved.ti >> reporter: the site connects neighbors coast to coast who need help with odd jobs offering project tips, even a place to share tools. >> reporter: in these economic times homeowners want to save, contractors are hustling to find new business. >> reporter: but it's creators say davezillion is about something more. >> it's not about money. it's about communities building communities again. >> reporter: ed helped jeremy with his garage because jeremy m helped ed with a new roof. keith is helping with the freezer because chris helped him

build a railing. what makes it so special, of course, is dave, but no has ever met this perfect connecticut neighbor. sadly, never will. dave is dave siegeal, just a regular guy, a family fan who was everyone's handyman until he died of a heart attack at only 43. >> he brought a neighborhood together and helped you get things done. >> reporter: since a zillion people needed davezillion stuck as a name and idea. the smaller version perhaps of a good old-fashioned barn-raising. good fences may make good neighbors, but maybe just helping sweep a porch does the same thing. >> thanks a lot, greg. >> reporter: lee cowan, nbc news, hartford. that's "nbc nightly news" for this sunday. stay tuned for "dateline." i'm lester holt reporting from new york. from all of us here at nbc news, good night.