well. garcia grew up just a couple of blocks from that playground and amphitheater on harrington street. a little cold out there but they were having a good time. >> staying warm. >> exactly. news at . nightigng nbc by area economy in turmoil. high anxiety as global markets open following the downgrade of u.s. debt for the first time in history. tonight, the impact on your bottom line. shot down. new details on the mission that led to the deaths of 30 americans in afghanistan. and tonight, their families speak out. hackers wanted. amica's top cyber spies looking for help. and you might be surprised who they're recruiting. up in flames. what led to riots in one major city. and making a difference. finding fresh foods at the bus stop. one man's innovative idea.

>> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." substituting tonight, carl quintanilla. givening. the u.s. economy is once again in the crosshairs. a downgrade of america's debt by a ratings agency, standard & poor's, could well impact stock markets around the world tonight and our own tomorrow morning. politicians meantime are debating how the downgrade may affect your pocketbook and whether the u.s. truly deserved it. we have complete coverage tonight. cnbc's john harwood starts us off. >> reporter: good evening, carl. obama administration officials remain furious about s&p's decision to downgrade u.s. debt, but they also have to worry about minimizing its effects. hoping to calm markets, treasury secretary tim geithner ended uncertainty about his future by announcing he'll remain on the job rather than return to new york. in an exclusive interview with nbc news, geithner said that u.s. treasuries remain safe and sought to reassure americans

worried about interest rates while blasting s&p's decision. >> i think s&p has shown really terrible judgment. they have handled themselves very poorly and shown a stunning lack of knowledge about the u.s. >> reporter: but the president faces a huge task as a brewing debt crisis in europe compounds economic jitters around the world. stocks in israel, dubai, and saudi arabia dropped over the weekend. if the same happens in asia, that could rattle american investors tomorrow morning. >> the initial reaction in my judgment is going to be negative. what i think the s&p thing did was to hit a nerve that there's something basically bad going on, and it's hit the self-esteem of the united states, the psyche. >> reporter: s&p officials warned of a one in three chance of another downgrade next year, if america's fiscal position gets worse or political gridlock becomes more entrenched. so far, there's no sign that

either republicans or democrats are turning down the heat. >> this is the tea party downgrade, because a minority of people in the house of representatives countered even the will of many republicans in the u.s. senate who were prepared to do a bigger deal. >> well, i agree that there is dysfunction in our system, and a lot of it has to do with the failure of president of the united states to lead. >> reporter: for many americans, the big question is when the economy will start growing faster and adding more jobs. secretary geithner expressed confidence that the u.s. at least could avoid a double dip recession. >> our country is much stronger than washington. we have a very resilient economy. we're a very strong country. and i have enormous confidence in the basic regenitive capacity of the american economy and the american people. >> reporter: and, carl, even as republicans criticized the white house over the downgrade, secretary geithner turned it right back on congress, saying they own our credit rating because they have the power of the purse. >> john, thank you. for more on the global impact of all of this, we're

joined by cnbc's michelle caruso cabrera in rome. what happens to markets where you are could well set the tone for the dow here tomorrow. >> reporter: yeah. absolutely, carl. and countries around the world seem rattled by the u.s. downgrade as well. markets in the middle east sunday, today, were opened and they tumbled badly. new zealand just opened. it's down as well. as for here in europe, ironically enough, they have even bigger debt problems. there are three countries here, portugal, ireland, and greece that cannot pay their bills without the help offa bailout. and the situation has grown so bad that just an hour ago, new measures were announced to help this country, italy, stem off any more problems. we'll see if that has an effect on worldwide markets as well tomorrow. carl, back to you. >> problems on both sides of the atlantic tonight. steve, does this downgrade from s&p hit americans' pocketbooks at home or not? >> there's plenty of confusion and concern about that, carl. we've never been in a situation

where the world's benchmark debt, the united states, has been downgraded. so anybody who claims to know what they're talking about here probably is making it up. there is concern, though, about interest rates, mortgage interest rates, credit card interest rates, some concern it may go up. but i will tell you, plenty of speculation that the market anticipated this and it will digest this latest bad news with pretty good evenness. michelle and steve, thanks. and there will be special coverage tonight on the markets beginning at 8:00 p.m. eastern time on cnbc. tonight, we're learning more about the attack on a u.s. helicopter in afghanistan that claimed the lives of 30 americans in the deadliest single incident since the 10-year war began. for that, we go to nbc's attia abawi in kabul. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, carl. well, a senior defense official has confirmed that all remains have been recovered from the

crash site, but the effort to retrieve the wreckage is still underway. amid the confusion and grief new details today about the deadly attack. the chinook helicopter carrying 30 americans and eight afghans onboard was engaged in a rescue mission when it was shot down. u.s. officials say the chopper was brought into the village southwest of kabul. to help a u.s. army ranger unit that came under fire as it was searching for a taliban leader. the rescue team reportedly completed its mission, subduing the attackers, and it was leaving in the helicopter when it was hit. >> there was a handful of taliban, probably employing an rpg 7, which is 1960s technology, direct fire anti-tank rocket, and they brought down this very sophisticated helicopter. >> reporter: today a villager described what he saw.

>> translator: after it crashed, it caught fire. a huge fire. we were not able to come out during the night because americans were around. in the morning, we saw the american bodies. >> reporter: the 38 killed included 22 u.s. navy s.e.a.l.s, five army air crewmen, three air force airmen, as well as seven afghan commandos and an afghan interpreter. a dog, part of the navy s.e.a.l. team, was also killed. some of the americans were from s.e.a.l. team six, the same unit that hunted down and killed osama bin laden. today, nato forces were recovering remnants of the helicopter as american and afghan troops continued to battle insurgents in the area. >> translator: the helicopters are still patrolling over the village, and right now the taliban are fighting with them. >> reporter: this remote mountainous region is filled with a brutal and deadly group committed to killing foreigners and anyone who gets in their way. the violence continued in

afghanistan today as nato announced the deaths of four more service members in the south and east of the country. carl? >> attia abawi, thanks. tonight, we're hearing from the families of some of the americans killed in that attack. nbc's thanh trong is joining us now from norfolk, virginia, home to s.e.a.l. team six. >> reporter: here in the greater norfolk area, tens of thousands of families are closely connected to the navy and the navy s.e.a.l.s. as you can imagine, losing 22 of their own is hard to process. at a church service in virginia beach this morning, the faithful prayed for the fallen, and sang the navy hymn. navy s.e.a.l.s may be shrouded in secrecy, but in naval communities like this, they are neighbors, friends, and family. >> my heart goes out to them. i know the boys were doing what they loved, and always would do

that, and they live for that. but to lose them it's tough. >> reporter: navy s.e.a.l. aaron vaughn was based in virginia beach. he was one of 22 s.e.a.l.s killed in the attack. the 30-year-old leaves behind a wife and two young children. his grandmother wishes she could have seen him one last time. >> i would say, aaron, you made me proud. and i would say you did a good job. and i'd say i love you, and i always will. >> reporter: cynthia morrison with the navy s.e.a.l. foundation, a nonprofit supporting s.e.a.l. families, estimates that half of the 2,600 elite commandos are based in the greater norfolk area. the other half call coronado, california, and san diego home. in such a small group, the loss of 22 is magnified. >> we pray every day that they do come home, and this weekend unfortunately they're going to be a lot of guys not coming home. >> reporter: eight other u.s. service members died in the crash, among them, john brown, a native of northwest arkansas.

his mother called the special forces medic a humble healer. >> if there is a comfort in this situation, i'm so proud of my son. so very proud of him. >> reporter: 30-year-old patrick hamburger was a sergeant in the nebraska air national guard. he is survived by his fiancee and 2-year-old daughter. and army reserve specialist spencer duncan, just 21, served as door gunner on the chinook. and the next difficult step for the families of the fallen is to wait for the bodies of their loved ones to be flown back here to american soil. carl? >> and, thanh, as the nation tries to get over the shock of the attack, is there any indication at all as to when the remains might be coming back stateside? >> reporter: well, it will be most likely in the next few day, probably within this week. but so far, military officials haven't even released the names or the full list of the names of the fallen yet. carl? >> thank you, thanh. tensions are high tonight in london one day after the streets there erupted in anger and

flames when a police protest spun wildly out of control. authorities are now breathing a sigh of relief as people appear to have heeded calls for calm. our report tonight from nbc's martin fletcher. >> reporter: london's worst riot since 30 years ended early this morning. and at day break, the cleanup began. fire destroyed this entire building, a carpet store, while 200 yards away police detained another youth. 48 arrested so far for arson, looting, violence. atm machines were vandalized, shops looted, stores destroyed in an all-night frenzy of destruction. this was a patrol car. but police now are hoping this will not be repeated tonight. but the people here, the young people, telling me they're going to destroy, their word, destroy two other areas nearby. this is what scares the police. last night's out of control fury in north london. only half an hour's drive from parliament.

anger began growing thursday when police shot dead mark dugham, a 29-year-old father of four, who they described as a gangster. his friends doubted the police report that he allegedly fired first at an officer. saturday night, dugham's friends and relatives protested outside the local police station. they say they did not want violence. but young thugs seized the moment, hurling rocks and bottles, a running battle with police. they torched two patrol cars, a double decker bus, and businesses and buildings. hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of goods stolen. but today, the parents of the dead man called for an end to the violence. apart from small outbreaks, their appeal appears to have worked. martin fletcher, nbc news, london. when "nbc nightly news" continues this sunday, they can hack it. america's top spies infiltrate a conference of computer geeks in search of some new recruits. and later, making a difference. a neighborhood filled with fast

food joints and no healthy options until one man's fresh idea rolled into town.

in recent days, the computer hacking group known as anonymous

launched a cyber attack on u.s. websites, posting a trove of private information online. there's a growing worry in the u.s. that we're falling behind in this cyber battle, and you'll never guess where officials are looking for are recruits to fight back. pete williams has our report. >> reporter: at this las vegas conference of computer geeks, the federal government is looking for hackers. but it's not trying to arrest them. it's trying to hire them. >> you're dealing with the brightest people in the world. these people come together here to exchange and share ideas. and we need those type of people. >> reporter: the national security agency, nsa, for decades the federal government's eavesdropper in chief, is scrambling to deploy for troops on the latest security battlefield. it's the real life version of cyber attacks depicted on the tv series "24" and the movie "die hard 4." hackers targeting the computers that control the stock market or the power grid, air traffic

controls, or phone networks. >> the adversary is everywhere. we are everyone's target. we will always have that bull's-eye on our shirt. >> reporter: dickie george is in charge of the nsa cyber defenders. he says the agency is looking to hire nearly 3,000 cyber experts in the next two years. and the computer whizes at places like that las vegas hacker convention are made to order. >> i solve problems extremely quickly. and i enjoy learning. it's my passion in life. and i think with that skill set that would be valuable to anyone. >> we need them. there are too few people on our side right now. >> reporter: it's the cyber version of it takes a thief to catch a thief. they want to strengthen computer defenses, probe for weaknesses, and detect attacks in their earliest stages. every day brings word that cyber thieves have stolen secrets from companies and the government. and a new report from the cyber security firm mcafee offers a dramatic example.

it detected sophisticated, sustained attacks on 72 public and private targets in the past five years all from a single source widely thought to be china. >> the government's concern is state-sponsored espionage and unprecedented scale. foreign governments targeting our nation's networks and the private sector networks. and that's why the government is hiring so many new cyber specialists. >> reporter: and giving computer hackers a chance to work for the good guys. pete williams, nbc news. up next -- living in constant fear south of the border. a violent week in the war next door.

we want to show you these images of one of the world's most active volcanos roaring once again. italy's mt. etna is putting on quite a show this weekend in sicily, spewing lava and ash into the night sky.

it's been an especially bloody week south of the border in mexico's deadly war on drugs. ruthless cartels have stepped up the violence, in one city in particular, ambushing police and leaving everyone to live in constant fear. mark potter reports tonight on the war next door. >> reporter: just south of the u.s. border, mexico's vicious drug war is unrelenting. authorities say in the small town of ascension, gunmen kidnapped and killed the police chief, and then killed 31 of his men. fearing they could be next, the town's 26 remaining officers turned in their guns and quit, leaving the town unprotected. 24 hours later, federal soldiers were deployed to replace the local police and try to restore order that is on a major drug smuggling route into the u.s.

>> probably the weakest part of president calderon's strategy is that he went out after these organizations without having the criminal justice system, which could investigate and prosecute them and try them. >> reporter: the government of president felipe calderon under pressure to demonstrate it is winning the war against cartels paraded captured drug lords in front of the cameras last week. one man smiled defiantly. guns and drugs put on display. this man is described as one of the biggest catches of all. he is one of the most wanted men in mexico. where authorities claim he has now confessed to masterminding 1,500 killings in juarez, mexico's murder capital. despite the high profile arrest, savage gang violence claimed nine new victims this weekend. >> the only thing that will stop them is themselves. they have become so viral they will kill themselves off. but in the process, many, many innocent people will be killed.

>> reporter: it's a war that has now claimed 40,000 lives in the last five years. mark potter, nbc news, miami. what was once tropical storm emily dumped heavy rains in the bahamas this weekend, and it's now moving northeast and dissipating, posing no threat to land. when we come back, a fresh start for a neighborhood that could really use one. our "making a difference" report is next.

finally tonight, in many cities across the country, there's something that find, a y hard tocc1: supermarket selling fresh food. and experts say these so-called food deserts are a serious health issue. in chicago, one innovative idea is making a difference. we get our report tonight from nbc's john yang. >> reporter: in this gritty neighborhood on chicago's west side, fresh fruits and vegetables take the bus. >> what did you get today? >> i got greens. >> can you show us? >> corn. >> wow, look at those greens. >> i got a honeydew and green tomatoes. >> reporter: this bus stops here once a week. a produce market on wheels selling items often hard to come

by in urban markets like this one across the country. liquor stores and convenience stores dot the streets selling processed foods that may not provide the healthiest of diets. >> what you can't afford is an affordable, quality set of fruits and vegetables in these communities 365 days a year. >> reporter: supermarkets are miles away. studies estimate that 31 million americans live in these so-called food deserts. >> residents of the food desert are more likely to die and suffer prematurely from diet related conditions such as diabetes, certain kinds of cancers actually, cardiovascular disease. >> reporter: steven casey lives in a food desert, but he has a car. for those who don't, he decided if people can't get to the fresh food, he'd find a way to take it to them. >> we have watermelon, bananas. >> it's a civil right that i ought to be able to eat healthy. and that if i have it on the north side, or on the near west side, or on the near south side or downtown, then why can't i

have it over here? >> reporter: so he helped start fresh move. after spending four years raising money, the group bought a bus from the chicago transit authority for $1. and then spent $50,000 repairing it and turning it into a produce section on wheels. twice a week, it loads up with fresh fruits and vegetables and visits six different sites on chicago's west side. for delores barney, it's a reminder of the day when there was plenty of fresh food in this neighborhood. >> we had it almost on every block. but that's been years ago. >> reporter: a day that organizers hope this bus will deliver to more and more neighborhoods year-round. john yang, nbc news, chicago. and that's "nbc nightly news with brian williams" for this sunday. brian williams will be here tonight. i'm carl quint neanilla reporti from new york. thanks for watching. good night.