tonight, high impact. two days and counting now till that threatened government shutdown. tonight here if it does happen, how it will affect where you live. and who's at fault? we're debuting our new poll tonight. how americans feel about this budget fight. the president, libya and wait till you hear who the surprise contender might be for 2012. deep impact. how can it be that all that radioactivity being dumped over the side of that japanese nuclear plant isn't bad for us? and crunch time for a product that almost bombed at first. these days it's an icon of the food business worth billions. these days it's an icon of the food business worth billions. "nightly news" begins now.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. while no one knows if the federal government will shut down this coming weekend, enough people in high level positions in washington believe it's enough of a possibility that parts of the federal government have to prepare for it. if the talks in washington fail, if the parties split further apart, the only question that matters tonight is how will this affect life in america and life where you live. it's where we begin tonight as these talks go on in washington, we go to chicago. and nbc's john yang who has a look at what we all can expect. john, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. it's not just rain, snow, heat and the dark of night that won't stop the u.s. mail, the

government shutdown won't stop it either. but if there's no deal by midnight friday, there are a lot of things that will go away. if the federal government shut down, would anyone notice. >> nobody really knows what that means. >> washington does what washington wants to do. >> reporter: it's not just washington. officials say an estimated 800,000 federal workers across the country could be idled out of a civilian workforce of about 2 million. >> some millions of americans, if government stays shut down beyond a weekend, are going to discover just what they count on the federal government for. >> reporter: according to administration officials, home buyers wouldn't be able to get federal home loan guarantees, potentially threatening an already fragile housing market. clinics at the national institutes of health would stop taking new patients and starting new clinical trials. applications for new and renewed passports and visas would halt. and national parks, museums and monuments, including the national zoo in washington,

would close to visitors. the internal revenue service would stop processing paper tax returns, but you'd still have to pay on time if you want to avoid a penalty even if the shutdown lasts into next week. paper tax refund checks would stop, but so would audits. federal workers who protect lives and property would stay on the job. so the military would remain on duty around the world and their bases open, though their pay would be delayed. air traffic controllers, airport security screeners, border patrol and federal prison guards would stay on the job. v.a. hospitals would stay open and, unless the shutdown stretched from weeks to months, social security, medicare and medicaid benefits would continue. this whole fight is over cutting federal spending. so would a federal shutdown save money? not necessarily. the last time this happened the government shut down for 26 days at the end of 1995 into the beginning of 1996 and it cost taxpayers $1.4 billion. brian? >> i remember those days well.

john yang starting us off in chicago tonight. john, thanks. now let's go to where the talking is or isn't going on, to capitol hill, and the latest on the state of play there. nbc's kelly o'donnell covering it all. kelly, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. both democrats and republicans are telling us they're grinding out some progress, but still no deal. so what poured out here all day is frustration and worry about the consequences john just talked about and who's to blame. so here's how it sounded in the words of your members of congress and the president, who was at a town hall meeting in pennsylvania. >> the least we can do is meet our responsibilities to produce a budget. that's not too much to ask for. that's what the american people expect of us. that's what they deserve. you want everybody to act like adults, quit playing games. >> i like the president personally. we get along well. but the president isn't leading. he didn't lead on last year's

budget, and he clearly is not leading on this year's budget. >> they do not want to compromise. they only want it one way. they want to shrink government up so small they can drown it in a bathtub. >> just sort of sat on the sidelines taking pot shots at everything republicans have proposed while rooting, rooting for a shutdown. >> do you want to turn the lights out and close the door and say, america, we don't have any more values? don't shut this government down. you're not going to shut it down on my watch. >> stand strong, hold your member of congress and senators' feet to the fire because the american people are with you and we will prevail. >> reporter: and with that as all of the backdrop, the president has called a meeting at the white house tonight with majority leader harry reid and speaker john boehner. brian? >> kelly o'donnell on the hill. i don't know if i envy your beat on a day like this or not.

kelly, thanks. so how are the american people feeling about all of this? that's just one of the questions we asked in our brand new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll. our chief white house correspondent and political director chuck todd with us here in the studio tonight with the numbers. and here's a hint. they also contain a big surprise about a potential gop candidate in 2012. chuck? >> hey there, brian. yes, they do. a lot in this poll. let's start with the shutdown and try to explain the politics of this and why is it that the president and speaker boehner are so far apart. a majority of republicans are telling republican leaders in our poll, 56%, stick to your positions. don't make compromises. this includes 68% of tea party supporters. among democrats, democrats are saying congressional democratic leaders should make compromises. 68%. this includes 76% of political independents are saying make compromises. there's your divide right there. overall, by the way, a feel a very pessimistic american public. 63% say the country's off on the wrong track.

talking to our pollsters and some others by the way, the second lowest number in the obama presidency to date. talking to our pollsters, they say gas prices have a lot to do with that number. a lot of middle eastern news on the libya situation, the president gets fairly high marks. 54%. his approval rating on libya higher than his approval rating on the war in afghanistan. let's go to 2012 politics and that little teaser you had there brian. look at the surprise second place candidate in this republican presidential matchup. donald trump sitting at 17%. last month mike huckabee was leading at 25, romney at 21, now trump takes a bunch of huckabee support. and how does he do it? it's among a crucial part of the republican electorate. tea party supporters. donald trump among tea party supporters is now the leading tea party candidate. he's gotten a lot of attention over the past couple of weeks because of one issue, bringing up the president's birth certificate. i want to point out one other name, michele bachmann. yes, she sits in single digits. she does very well among the

most conservative voters. that's the iowa caucus votes. keep an eye on her. if she runs she could be a real factor. trump will get all the headlines out of this poll. michele bachmann could have staying power. >> chuck todd with the new numbers just out tonight. chuck, thanks. one more note here on donald trump who, of course, has a show "celebrity apprentice" that airs on this network. while we've talked with president obama about his birth in america, that has not stopped the group trump today called the birthers from stirring up doubts or charging outright that the president was born overseas and thus is ineligible to be president. in a boisterous interview with meredith vieira today here in new york that will air tomorrow morning on "today," trump continued on this issue that has given him some traction. we've just seen among some in the so-called birther movement. >> he spent $2 million in legal fees trying to get away from this issue. and if he weren't lying, why

wouldn't he just solve it? and i wish he would. because if he doesn't, it's one of the greatest scams in the history of politics and in the history, period. >> you suggested that -- >> you are not allowed to be president if you weren't born in this country. he may not have been born in this country. i'll tell you what, three weeks ago i thought he was born in this country. right now i have some doubts. >> donald trump with meredith vieira. you can see that entire interview tomorrow morning on "today." the white house confirms tonight that president obama has received a letter from, of all people, moammar gadhafi of libya, who, in a rambling three-page letter in english pleads with him to stop the nato air campaign, which he called, quote, an unjust war against a small people of a developing country. he also wished mr. obama good luck in his upcoming campaign for re-election. at the same time the anti-gadhafi rebels are continuing to slam nato saying the coalition isn't doing enough to protect them on the ground. nbc's stephanie gosk reports

from benghazi tonight. >> reporter: gripped in a punishing back-and-forth battle with government loyalists, rebel forces say nato is letting them down. "we haven't seen a thing from nato," this man told us. "they're weak. we hear the planes, but they don't hit anything." when nato took control of the operation just two days ago, the number of air strikes dropped. rebels here in eastern libya say that was enough time for moammar gadhafi to regroup and rearm. today nato responded, increasing the number of air strikes from 130 to 200. but in libya's western town of misrata, nato commanders say gadhafi loyalists are using civilians as human shields, and they worry air attacks will kill innocent people. >> there's a limit, physical limit because we are not allowed boots on the ground, there is a limit to what we're able to do in that respect. >> reporter: nato's mandate from the u.n. is to protect civilian populations, but the rebels in eastern libya want more than protection.

they want coordinated military assistance. without it they stand little chance against gadhafi's superior firepower. every day a group of ambulances line up just off the front line waiting to ferry the injured back to hospitals. do you think the rebels need more support than what they're getting? >> i think the rebels need more organization more than support. you know? they need weapons, i know that. but they need more organization. >> reporter: some things have improved. the supply lines of food and water run smoothly, and movements to the front appear better controlled. this convoy armed with old makeshift russian rockets waited for word from the front before it raced off. but better organization will not make up for lack of firepower, and for now these fighters don't have it. u.s. military officials tell nbc news that gadhafi's repositioning his troops right now for a move east in the

coming days. they pose a direct threat to the city of ajdabiya with an eye of attacking rebels here in benghazi. >> stephanie gosk on post tonight in benghazi, libya. stephanie, thanks. turning now to japan, there was some good news for a change today. workers at that crippled nuclear power plant have managed to stop tons of highly radioactive water from seeping into the ocean, but now the workers have had any number of other problems on their hands, not the least of which preventing another hydrogen explosion. nbc's lee cowan remains in tokyo for us tonight and has our report. >> reporter: any euphoria over stopping the flood of radioactive water that had been gushing into the ocean was pretty short lived. workers now have a more pressing problem, preventing another explosion at the still steaming plant. engineers began injecting nitrogen into the containment

building around reactor number one. the nitrogen could prevent explosive hydrogen from building up, the culprit that caused the blasts that ripped through the plant almost four weeks ago. today pregnant women and young children were urged to leave this village even though it's outside the government evacuation zone after radiation levels there spiked. school children are now routinely screened for exposure. geiger counters are almost as common as lunchboxes now. it was an odd backdrop for the first day of the new school year. and anxious parents who had been holding their children close had to let go. ♪ there was plenty of pageantry to help dilute the news. but for nana hoshimoto, it was still stuff. having been evacuated from near the plant, she's one of six refugees who is now a new student, too. "she was crying when she first came," her mother said. "but at least there's six of them. so that's the only hope." it's all very orderly and pretty remarkable given how many schools along the coast were destroyed. in the tokyo area alone, they've

seen an influx of more than 2,500 students who now have to find a new home. "i will miss my friends," she says. "but we will see each other again, i hope." ♪ but as long as the situation remains unresolved, going home may be a long way off. lee cowan, nbc news, tokyo. when we come back here tonight, one more note about this topic. how can we be sure those doctors and scientists are right when they say all this radiation being dumped out from that plant is nothing to worry about here in america? and later tonight putting a dollar figure on an iconic product that almost failed when it first came out.

we're back now as promised with more on this nuclear disaster in japan. let's talk about the effects here. and here is a map of the states that have detected radiation all the way from japan. it's now being reported in trace amounts in milk in some western states and in the water in

places like idaho and washington state. and what about all that water, millions of gallons of it highly radioactive that was dumped into the pacific ocean for days on end? we've all been told it will dissipate, but how can this not be harmful? nbc's miguel almaguer on the pacific coast tonight on the beach in santa monica. miguel, it's over your shoulder if you keep on going a long way. >> reporter: that's true, brian. good evening. although there's many concerns about what's going on in the water in japan, that toxic water that's been discovered there, so many people here at home are worried about what's happening right here. the mackerel, yellowtail and thai snapper sold at this los angeles seafood distributor is less than 40 hours old. fresh fish direct from japan. $236 million industry last year alone.

this seafood is headed straight to consumers, safe to sell and eat, according to federal inspectors who were here yesterday. >> if there was any question at all, first of all, it wouldn't be allowed into the united states. secondary, we really wouldn't bring it in here on our showroom. >> reporter: the food and drug administration says it's ramped up inspections of japanese food but so far none of the fish have tested positive for radiation. >> fda has examined almost a thousand entries of seafood products. people should feel confident in the safety of the food supply. >> reporter: still many consumers and businesses are worried. in new york -- >> we detect absolutely zero radiation. >> reporter: chef eric rippert stopped serving fish from japan altogether. as an extra precaution, he uses a radiation detector to test the fish he does sell. >> i started to see a little bit of paranoia in some of our clients. some of our staff was also

concerned, myself included. >> reporter: concerned because radioactive water has been discovered in japan and contaminated fish have been found off the coast. >> no, there is no immediate danger. >> reporter: but oceanographers here say there's no reason to be alarmed. any radioactive contamination could take years to reach the west coast. and it would all likely dissipate out at sea. >> i don't think swimming in california or in hawaii is a threat as of now, and i don't expect it to be a significant threat in the next several months. >> reporter: the bottom line, experts are in agreement. there's no threat to our water or our food, and as you can see, brian, california's coastline is still as beautiful as ever. >> miguel, thanks. we've got a lot riding on that word "dissipate." miguel almaguer in santa monica tonight. thanks. when we come back, another person who is supposed to be keeping the airport safe found asleep on the job.

♪ take me out to the ball game ♪ take me out with the crowd >> the song that launched so many innings. now the original recording from back in 1908 is an official inductee into the national recording registry at the library of congress. some other notable audio honored this year, a bootleg recording of a 1955 mort sahl performance widely believed to be the first recording of stand-up comedy ever.

henry mancini's theme song from the tv show "peter gunn," steely dan's 1977 classic "asia" and this one from '68 -- ♪ stand by your man >> ah, the great tammy wynette and her country music anthem now enshrined forever. we told you earlier this week about the oil drilling firm transocean's decision to award safety bonuses to its executives for last year, the year that its deepwater horizon oil rig blew up, killed 11 people and, of course, kicked off that bp oil disaster. now the company says the executives will donate $250,000 of that bonus money to a charity fund for the victims' families. it's about a quarter of the nearly $900,000 in bonuses the company handed out. it has happened again. another air traffic controller asleep at the switch. this time the government says it was intentional. he meant to be asleep.

they plan to fire him for it. the faa says the controller slept for five hours during the midnight shift last month at mcghee tyson airport in knoxville. another controller was able to monitor the seven aircraft that flew into that air space during that shift. up next here, a snack in the stack. imagine the first time somebody proposed chips in a can. and these days they're worth a fortune.

finally here tonight, the folks who make tide and crest and pampers are selling off another big american brand name. one that almost went nowhere at first, but now when the numbers are crunched, is worth billion of dollars. nbc's kevin tibbles explains tonight why procter & gamble is now passing on that american staple in a can -- pringles. >> once you pop, you can't stop. >> reporter: from its humble beginnings, the quirky saddle-shaped chip became an icon of american engineered food. yes, that is brad pitt getting the pringles fever back before hollywood got the brad pitt fever. ♪ the exciting new edsel >> reporter: but in the beginning pringles were the edsel of potato chips.

no one bought them. 30 years later ally mcbeal was fighting over them in the snack food aisle. >> these are my pringles. >> did you see that? >> reporter: so proud of his pringles the creator asked to be his ashes buried in one of the signature bowtie pringles cans. they used the original. the cloned crisps remain a mathematical marvel to this day. i'm with prestigious university of chicago professor of mathematics benson farb, and what is that? >> that is a hyperbolic paraboloid. >> reporter: a chip with design roots in einstein's theory of relativity. >> but it's a relativistic potato chip. >> reporter: alas pringles was no longer a fit for procter & gamble. p & g is known for soap, not snacks. >> p & g wanted to focus on beauty and health care and household products which provided greater value to themselves and to their customers. >> reporter: the new owners, diamond foods of california,

actually makes snacks and paid $2.35 billion for pringles, calling the brand a really good fit. but then being a good fit in the can and in your mouth is what these hyperbolic paraboloids are all about. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. nothing wrong with them at all. that's our broadcast for this wednesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you back here tomorrow evening. we hope to see you back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >> an accused crooked cop sits down with bay area. his message to the east bay community prosecutors say he fail. >> why the defense is so quiet in the bonds trial as the case grows more and more expensive. >> the gang using your favorite team's gear to identify themselves. what you should do to protect yourself and your