i will owe my office to no one but you. i don't owe anyone anything. i don't owe anyone anything. what's the worst that can happen? what's the worst thing that can happen? on our broadcast tonight, civilian deaths. a massive leak of classified u.s. military information with stunning details about the deaths of civilians during the iraq war. firing line. a national public radio analyst fired for remarks about muslims. now an angry debate over what he said as conservatives declare war on npr. survivor. the former nasa administrator who survived an alaska plane crash. now he talks with ann curry about the desperate hours waiting to be rescued. and "making a difference." here in chicago, breaking the cycle of violence that too many school kids endure and showing them the way for others like them. "nightly news" begins now.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television . good evening from chicago. it has happened again. the website wikileaks released another batch of thousands of documents from inside the department of defense. this is what they had threatened to do again. "the new york times" got an early look at some of the documents and now so have we. a lot of them have to do with civilian deaths in iraq, numbers that soar above previous u.s. estimates. we just had our first look again at the first of these documents. we want to go to our pentagon correspondent, jim miklaszewski who is on duty tonight. jim, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. this is a massive leak of america's military secrets. nearly 400,000 documents in all. that's as thick as a stack of 800 telephone books. while this is all breaking as we speak, at first blush it appears

to be breaking bad for the u.s. military and the pentagon. the documents we've seen and have been reported so far reveal that the u.s. military knew that iraqi security forces beat, tortured and murdered detainees. but those u.s. military forces were actually under orders not to intervene so instead they looked the other way. in one instance, an american helicopter gunship shot and killed a group of iraqis who were attempting to surrender. other documents also reveal that hundreds of iraqi civilians were killed at u.s. military checkpoints. a number far higher than previously reported. and in a five-year period, some 66,000 iraqi civilians were killed, even though all along the u.s. military and pentagon claimed they never kept such statistics. the pentagon fears there may be the names of more than 300 iraqi informants working hand in glove with the american military. so tonight, the u.s. military in

iraq is working with the iraqis to track down and warn each and every one of them that their lives may now be at risk. brian? >> all right, jim miklaszewski. and so far any reaction from the building you're in from the department of defense, jim? >> reporter: officials here condemn the wikileaks leak of all these documents. they say it reveals american military tactics and techniques that puts americans at risk and may even risk national security. but at the same time, they understand that they are responsible for the leak of this information, and those documents should never have gotten out into the public in the first place. >> all right. with this still breaking story tonight, our pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski. we want to go across the potomac river over to the white house. we were going to talk about the political season with what 11 days to go till the midterm elections, but our white house correspondent chuck todd has just gotten reaction from the obama white house. first all, and chuck's in our washington newsroom. first of all, talk about this

release of these documents, chuck. >> reporter: look, they're in concert with the pentagon at this point and condemning the release, believing that it is putting national security at risk as well as the sources, as jim was talking about, the fact that there are some important sources and folks that helped on the iraqi side of things and possibly those folks' lives are in danger. that said, in talking to various officials on this, brian, they emphasize that it appears to be that this leak is historical in nature, and they don't believe per se it might not affect some things today as much, and that there is not new news here. emphasize the n-e-w in news. that said, they've got a task force that they're organizing to try to get to the bottom of these leaks, because as i said, they are very concerned about putting the lives in danger of iraqis that helped with intelligence during the war.

>> and chuck, as we look at, as you mentioned, they're not as concerned about the influence on the midterm elections. if you had to look at the national picture, has there been any movement? >> reporter: i'll tell you this, there's been a mad dash these days for votes, and it continued today. you saw people from coast to coast on the campaign trail with the biggest stars from both parties doing everything they can. with election day just ten days away, it's all hands on deck. the big guns of both parties being brought in to rally supporters. former new york city mayor rudy giuliani in pennsylvania for republican senate candidate pat toomey. >> we need a correction to the obama-pelosi-reid agenda. [ applause ] and the people of pennsylvania have a great chance to deliver that correction. >> reporter: hitting speaker pelosi and other congressional democratic leaders is popular

with the republican rank and file. >> i am voting against all the democratic leaders that we now have in washington. the democratic leaders in congress have been rubber stamping everything that obama wants. >> reporter: president obama was in california trying to rescue embattled democratic senator barbara boxer. the president headlined a large rally on the campus of usc, delivering his now familiar standard stump speech one liners against republicans. >> these folks drove the car into the ditch. >> reporter: this campaign has become a broad referendum, not on any single person, but government itself. >> there are things that people are pointing out that the democrats could have done better, but i feel like, you know, overall in terms of the big picture, i think they're doing what they can. >> reporter: in the most recent poll, more people, 50%, said government was doing too much, compared to 45% who believe government should do more.

but these final days are about turning out the vote and rallying the base. former president clinton in maryland. >> you are tomorrow's america, and you need to show up in 2010. >> reporter: newt gingrich in nevada. >> the white house is surrounded by left wing idealogs and people who have never created a single job. >> reporter: what's interesting there, those being rigid in your ideology this election may be popular with voters and 57% said they're going to support candidates who stick to their positions. 34% said they'll support candidates willing to compromise. you know what that means, brian? we're going to have a very polarized congress. the democratic caucus is getting more liberal. the republican caucus getting more conservative. >> chuck todd in our washington newsroom on this busy friday night. one of the big races for the democrats as they try to keep their majority in the u.s. senate is going on right here in illinois. a young protege of president obama is battling to keep the

party's hold on the senate seat. the president himself once occupied. it's a bitter and personal fight. our own john yang here in chicago has the story. >> reporter: the nasty and personal race for president obama's old senate seat boils down to one question -- who do you trust less? >> what's worse than the lies congressman mark kirk said about himself? the truth about what kirk's done. >> you deserve a senator that will tell the truth. >> but alexy doesn't. >> reporter: that's alexy giannoulias. an obama protege and basketball buddy who is illinois state treasurer. his republican opponent, mark kirk, a five-term congressman and former congressional aide. a recent poll asked which candidate was more trustworthy? more than a third said they couldn't pick. >> i think they both have a lot of flaws. >> it seems more full of lies than truths. >> they seem to be very negative and not focused on the issues. >> reporter: even talk about other issues comes with jabs at

the other guy. >> i think the real issue is economic vision. for my opponent, he wants to raise taxes and increase spending. >> washington is broken and this is a race about someone who has been in washington for 20 years or some fresh, new ideas. >> reporter: in a debate this week, kirk attacked giannoulias over his work at his family's failed bank. >> when we look at all these bank loans to felons and mobsters, the people that were your business associates. >> of course, mistakes are made and unfortunately, there are people you wish you never would have done business with. >> reporter: giannoulias went after kirk's admission that he inflated his military record, exaggerating his duties and honoring and claiming that he came under fire in iraq. >> congressman, it's a simple question, were you shot at or not? >> reporter: a contest that's likely to go right down to the wire and could decide control of the senate. john yang, nbc news, chicago. this was day two of the issue over juan williams the journalist fired by npr after

saying it makes him uneasy to see muslims in religious garb on board an airplane. he was quickly signed to a bigger contract with fox news. where he already worked, as well. now for its decision, npr is paying a price from some lawmakers and from listeners like you. our report tonight from nbc's andrea mitchell. >> reporter: the furor over national public radio's firing of juan williams has reignited the culture wars on spending any tax dollars on public broadcasting. >> it's insanity. >> i always thought the right wing were the ones that were inflexible and intolerant. now i'm coming to realize the orthodoxy at npr is just unbelievable. >> reporter: this is what williams said to bill o'reilly monday about seeing muslims on planes. >> i think they're identifying themselves first and foremost as muslims, i get worried, i get nervous. >> reporter: he went on to say

there are good muslims and it's wrong to generalize. but npr said he had violated standards and values and fired him by phone. that prompted criticism today. >> juan williams worked with npr for ten years. you think you would deserve to be fired face to face. >> reporter: there was an outpouring of e-mails, 8,000, crashing the network's comment site. the overwhelming majority angry and demanding he be rehired. the firing even brought together whoopi goldberg -- >> in all of our opinions it seems the firing of juan was a total mistake and sends the wrong message. >> reporter: and sarah palin who tweeted you're shocked at public outrage over your censorship of juan? this is what happens when our constitution starts shaking her fist. and today, growing threats to cut off federal funds. not only for npr, 2% of its budget, but for public radio stations and public television, roughly 15% of their funding. >> why is it we're funding in a very small way public

broadcasting rather than having public broadcasting be completely independent? >> reporter: with the republicans favored to win the house, that is a powerful threat. andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. tonight, troubling new figures about diabetes in this country. right now it's estimated some 24 million people are living with the disease. a report from the centers of disease control shows a massive increase in the number of americans who may develop this life-threatening disease in the not too distant future. our chief science correspondent robert bazell is in brooklyn, new york tonight. bob, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. already this hospital and others across the country are swamped with cases of type two diabetes and all its complications. but it could get far worse. seven years ago, the cdc said one in ten americans would have diabetes by 2050. now they're saying it could be one in three. some of this is inevitable

because aging is a risk factor for diabetes and the population is getting older and doctors are getting better at diagnosing it. but mostly, it's the familiar villains, overeating and lack of exercise. brian? >> bob bazell, coverage of that story will go on. thanks. and from chicago, when our broadcast continues on a friday night, ann curry talks exclusively with nasa's former chief about his struggle to survive the plane crash that killed a tomorrower senator. and later, our "making a difference" on a school getting the jump on gang violence.

it was back on august the 9th, the short flight to a prime fishing spot became a tragedy that is now seared into the state history in alaska. the way you might have heard about this plane crash in the news was, it killed veteran former alaska republican senator ted stevens, along with four others on board.

also on the plane, the former head of nasa, and tonight, we hear his story of survival. our report tonight from nbc's ann curry. >> reporter: with an experienced pilot in the cockpit of a single engine float plane, former senator ted stevens, lobbyist friends and other fishing guests took off in the cloudy skies. among the eight passengers was former nasa chief and secretary of the navy sean o'keefe, a long-time friend of the legendary stevens, and o'keefe's 19-year-old son, kevin. 15 minutes into the flight, the cabin was quiet. and then? >> with no notice, no evasive maneuvers, no turbulence, just impact. >> reporter: the plane crashed into a mountain. >> abrupt, very massive stop, just like that. and no other motion at all. >> reporter: sounds? >> next to nothing. >> reporter: o'keefe blacked out.

coming to in a state of hazy confusion. >> i spent the first few moments just spitting out shards of teeth. it was just surreal. >> reporter: the configuration of the aircraft changed so much that he was bewildered. so you're looking where you think your son is, and he's not there? >> that's right. >> reporter: he started shouting kevin's name, but he couldn't get up to look around. >> everything from my knees down was pinned down. >> reporter: then the whole magnitude of the disaster set in. among the casualties, o'keefe's friend, ted stevens. >> i felt for his pulse and i realized my friend had passed away. >> reporter: and sean himself had to hold on, had to know if his son was still alive. you're saying that your son was your will at that moment to live? >> you bet, you bet. >> reporter: anxious minutes would pass before o'keefe would learn that kevin had survived. then a whole night of agony before rescue helicopters arrived.

ann curry, nbc news, virginia. >> and you can see the rest of ann's exclusive report "rescue on the mountainside" on "dateline" tonight at 9:00, 8:00 central time. when we come back here tonight, californians stunned today by news of a shark attack on a popular stretch of beach and it's been fatal.

we mentioned this earlier. a shark attack took the life of a 19-year-old college student today in northern santa barbara county in california. he was a college student who was boogie boarding this morning at surf beach. which is technically part of vandenberg air force base. sheriffs said the victim's leg was bitten off and he died after being pulled from the water.

traditionally shark attacks have been rare in that particular area. there's a new message from president obama getting a lot of attention. it's the latest video in a nationwide media campaign called "it gets better." . it's trying to stop the bullying of young, gay people. the president said he was shocked and saddened by a recent wave of suicides by young people who were taunted about their sexuality. and he offered a videotaped message of hope. >> i don't know what it's like to be picked on for being gay, but i do know what it's like to grow up feeling like sometimes you don't belong. it's tough. and for a lot of kids, the sense of being alone or apart, i know can just wear on you. but what i want to say is this, you are not alone. you didn't do anything wrong. you didn't do anything to deserve being bullied. and there's a whole world waiting for you, filled with possibilities. there are people out there who love you, and care about you

just the way you are. >> president obama doing his part for the national anti-bullying media campaign. by the way, another first for an american president as far as we can tell. campaign trail in seattle wanting not just an autograph of the president, but mr. obama's electronic signature on his ipad and the president obliged. when our broadcast continues from chicago, our "making a difference" report. a school in this city trying a new approach to stop a big problem.

we're back on a friday night here in chicago and our popular "making a difference" report comes from here. the city, of course, continues to struggle with gang violence. in the neighborhoods outside of the beautiful downtown we see on television so often.in the neig the beautiful downtown we see on television so often. tonight, we have the story of a program that's helping keep kids safe. kevin tibbles reports from one school where it's working and where it's making a difference. >> reporter: homecoming weekend at thorogate career academy. one of chicago's most troubled high schools. but tonight, it's the principal

that boasts of transformation. >> i would say a diamond in the rough. i have great kids, i have great students. >> reporter: for many decades, schools have been plagued by violence. last year, 245 students shot, 27 killed. the school board was moved to take action with a new safety program. >> we call it the culture of calm. it's when we can intervene enough with the kids who need the most help and alter enough behavior where we end up in a calming influence that reduces the cycle of violence that's been plaguing us. >> reporter: a culture where students themselves define standards of acceptable behavior. and where more than 1,700 high-risk kids are identified and approached. >> plain and simple. we are afraid you're going to get shot. and our analysis suggests that you're in danger and we need to help you. >> reporter: the students are paired with mentors who help keep them on track. it's all about going to school. but for some kids even that is fraught with danger. this program seeks those kids out, whether it's here, at home, or on the street. what happened to you?

>> i got shot twice. >> reporter: this young man, unidentified for fear of gang reprisals, says his mentor has given him hope. is that a new feeling for you? >> yeah. because i really didn't have no one that cared about me. >> reporter: where do you think this young man is headed? >> to college. >> reporter: did you think that when you first met him? >> not at all. >> reporter: after school, the streets are patrolled to ensure kids make it home safely. none of this has anything to do with school. >> this has everything to do with school. >> it's a place where they can learn, be successful, they can be themselves in the building, they can dream here. >> reporter: and dreams are made possible by learning what is possible. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. and that's our broadcast for this friday night and for this week. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams reporting tonight from chicago. and of course, our thanks to our friends here at channel 5, our nbc station, wmaq.

lester holt will be with you from new york this weekend. we hope to see you from new york on monday night. in the meantime, have a good weekend. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com you can expect the rain to put a damper on some of your weekend plans. nbc bay area meteorologist jennifer hill is tracking the storms from ourth