on our broadcast tonight, secret service scandal. a public apology from the man in charge and new revelations what happened in colombia might be an isolated incident. the facebook fiasco. more troubling questions tonight about facebook's debut on wall street. were new share holders kept in the dark? making history. after all that violence we witnessed, why the world is paying attention to one piece of real estate tonight. and what do women want? that racy novel everyone has been talking about and where it's really hard to find these days. plus more tonight on new changes if you're planning on flying with your family this summer. "nightly news" begins now. good evening.

it's only been a public company since friday and yet tonight, the headlines surrounding facebook are along the lines of what went wrong? the ipo, the initial public offering of facebook stock got a lot of attention. it was breathlessly hyped and while it did make some people rich, it was botched from the start. now some shareholders and remember, there have only been shareholders for four trading days, are suing this newly public company because some have learned that some folks had inside information prior to the sale, and many people now feel a bit hung out to dry by a 28-year-old billionaire and the sprawling social media company he runs. it's where we begin our coverage tonight with nbc's tom costello. >> what happened to facebook, the most anticipated initial public offering or ipo in years? >> the odds are stacked against you. if you're not an insider, you're going to be left in the cold.

holding the bag. that's exactly what happen said here. >> it's been the talk on wall street. first, an embarrassing nasdaq technical glitch that delayed the ipo, then the stock's performance. opening at $38, popping to $45, and then plunging to $31. today, closing at $32. all the while, mass confusion as many investors were unable to confirm trades, buy or sell the stock. now allegations from journalists and investors that morgan stanley, the ipo's lead bank, may have informed only its most valued clients that it had a negative view of facebook's growth prospects. leading average investors in the dark. >> if the allegation are true, the s.e.c. has to come in to morgan stanley and demand the heads of everybody who has involved in this deal. >> morgan stanley insists it followed the same procedures for the facebook offering it follows for all ipos. already, the lawsuits are mounting. facebook says the suits are

without merit and we'll defend ourselves vigorously. today, the senate banking committee began asking questions as massachusetts subpoenaed the morgan stanley's internal documents, all of it, further undermining faith in wall street. >> it looks pretty clear that main street believes wall street is low on scruples and high on get rich quick schemes that are often at the expense of the mom and pop investor. >> all of this as congress considered tougher oversight of the financial sector. something wall street has been lobbying hard to avoid. tom costello, nbc news, washington. >> let's talk about this more with andrew ross sorkin. "new york times" journalist, author of the book "too big to fail" and co-anchor, of course, of nbc's crosswalk box. he's with us in the studio tonight. correct me if i'm wrong. is this a case of the rich get richer. another advantage to the 1%, mitigated or aggravated perhaps by the fact the stock is down from where it came out? >> it would feel this way. this is that and probably more. it couldn't come at a worse time

given the enormous distrust the public has of wall street, it goes to this sense of fairness. this is the ultimate 1% versus 99% all over again. the idea that the playing field is not level, that certain people, certain investors are getting access to information and the other guys, mainstream, isn't getting the same information. and who is holding the bag? the greater fool theory. an ipo, somebody is buying and somebody is selling. in this case, the public is the buyer. in that case, maybe they were the fool in this case. >> in the meantime, the stock price is down. >> exactly. that's the toughest part about it. >> andrew ross sorkin, as always, thank you for stopping by. the world's largest personal computermaker, hewlett-packard, said today it would lay off 27,000 employees. this is going to hurt. that's about 8% of the total work force. the company said the reductions will save hp as much as $3.5 billion a year. the director of the united

states secret service has spoken publicly for the first time since last month's misconduct scandal involving prostitutes in south america. and at hearing on capitol hill today, it was revealed that what happened there may not be the first instance of that kind of misconduct. our justice correspondent pete williams has more. >> director mark sullivan came to apologize for a scandal that has shaken the secret service but insists his agency has no cultural problem. the dozen agents who invited women to their hotel rooms in colombia he said, did not put anyone in jeopardy. >> none of the 12 individuals had any sensitive security documents. fire arms, radios, or other security related equipment in their hotel rooms. >> but senators were highly skeptical it was an isolated incident. they reveals secret service records contain three complaints of inappropriate relationships

with foreign nationals since 2007. in the salt lake city olympics in 2002, add least three agents left after being caught partying with underaged girls. and one police officer was fired after propositioning a woman. cartagena senator said could not be the only time agents misbehaved. >> this is like a wound to a body. we have to get in it, find out what happened, clean it out, and then let it heal. >> the committee also disclosed that the agents in cartagena actually went out in small groups to several different nightclubs. each bringing back a woman to their hotel rooms which were registered in their own names. >> it strongly suggests that the agents were doing something they felt comfortable about and they had very little fear of there being any consequences for their actions. >> as for the secret service culture, sullivan said in a survey last year, 60% of

employees said they would report unethical behavior, a figure that struck several committee members as low. >> that's my concern, when you hear the story of what is done on the road stays on the road, my guess is within the service, there's a pretty high level of espirit de corps, possibly even a code of silence. >> the secret service director said he's convinced there's no cultural problem in his agency, but committee members said he must assume there is to assure this doesn't happen again. >> pete williams, pete, thanks. we know more tonight about the midair incident that was our lead story here just last night. the u.s. air flight from paris to charlotte that had to put down in bangor, maine, after a woman onboard said she had a device surgically implanted in her body. turns out she's 41, a french citizen from cameroon. in the note she passed to the flight attendants, she said she was a victim of a group of doctors and the object in her body was beyond her control. there was no object, it turns

out. she's not being charged with anything. instead, she's being turned over to u.s. customs and returned to france. now to a first in the arab world and day that could set the course for egypt for years to come. after all of the violence and revolution we witnessed there for ourselves over a year ago now, this was the day that egyptians went to the polls in a history making presidential election. our chief foreign correspondent richard engle is back in cairo tonight. richard, good evening. >> good evening, brian. what a day it's been. for the last 5,000 years, egypt was ruled by pharaohs and sultans, kings and military commanders. now that's starting to change. egyptians by the millions turned out to make history. >> to feel the freedom and to feel that we are human for the first time. >> mostly, it was peaceful as voters lined up in cairo to choose from among five leading

candidates. a socialist, two islamists with ties to the long banned muslim brotherhood, and two with ties to former president mubarak. it wasn't always certain this day would come. last year in tahrir square, millions demanded democracy. today, the protesters are gone. instead, tahrir is full of flags and campaign posters, as egyptians are practicing the rights they fought and died in this square to achieve. but the election will be decided in villages like this, outside cairo. many egyptians live in the countryside, mostly in poverty. this is the heartland. like all of egypt, it's divided. it's a choice between continuity and a new direction under islamic leadership that could see egypt turn away from four decades of pro american policy.

islam islamic candidates seemed to be the most organized. we saw muslim brotherhood activists helping voters find their names on ballot lists. i support the muslim brotherhood because it has long said that islam is the solution, he says. not everyone agrees. the campaign has been vigorous. mass rallies, televised debates. in the overwhelmingly muslim country, islamic candidates have a big advantage, the pulpit. at a recent campaign event, a cleric rallies the crowd. they cheer, the people want islamic law. that could mean big changes across the middle east. the muslim brotherhood disagrees with u.s. policies here and has threatened to change or even tear up egypt's peace treaty with israel, forged three decades ago by president jimmy carter. but carter, here as an observer, is optimistic. >> they know peace for egypt and israel is crucial for their people and to the future.

they gave me the assurance that the peace agreement with israel would remain in tact. >>ige egypt is at a cross roads as people here for the first time choose their own future. voting continues tomorrow. no candidate is expected to win an outright majority, so there will likely be a run off next month. brian. >> richard engle, back in cairo for us, richard, thanks, as always. also overseas, pakistan has severely punished a doctor who helped the u.s. find osama bin laden by collecting dna samples during a ruse. what was called a fake vaccination program. he's been sentenced to prison for 33 years for high treason in pakistan. on the presidential campaign trail, back when newt gingrich pledged $2.50 per gallon gasoline if president, he was called out at the time for an unrealistic number. today, some of the same thing happened to mitt romney when he made a pledge on unemployment as part of his overall defense of his work at bain capital.

our report from the trail tonight from nbc's peter alexander. >> speaking to a room full of latino small business owners, mitt romney blasted the president for in his words, attacking their success. >> it's no wonder so many of his own supporters are calling him to stop the war on job creators. >> vowing to turn around the lagging job market, he made this promise, that he would lower the unemployment rate to 6% by the end of his first term. and after days of stinging criticism from the obama campaign about romney's record at bain capital -- >> like a vampire. he came in and sucked the life out of us. >> it was like watching an old friend bleed to death. >> romney defended his experience in an interview with "time" magazine. >> having been in the private sector for 25 years gives me a perspective on how jobs are created that someone who has never spent a day in the private sector, like president obama, simply doesn't understand. >> to win, he will have to improve his standing among latinos. our new poll shows him trailing the president by a wide margin,

61% to 27%. among what is now the nation's fastest growing group. the romney campaign recently rolled out this spanish speaking ad. >> soy mitt romney. >> and today, he touted his vision for improving education. >> millions of our kids are getting a third-world education. and america's minority children suffer the most. this is the civil rights issue of our era. >> still, barely a quarter of latino voters have a positive opinion of romney. >> governor romney doesn't just have a steep hill to climb. visa vee latino voters. he's got mount everest to climb and he has do that quickly. >> our poll shows the president faces his own significant challenge turning out latino voters. many support him but aren't as excited about the election as other americans. peter alexander, nbc news, washington. >> it was revealed today former first lady nancy reagan is recovering from a fall back in march that left her with several broken ribs.

she was due an an event at the reagan library last night but could not attend. her spokesman said mrs. reagan is recovering slowly and needs to stick close to home. nancy reagan is an otherwise active 90 years old. still ahead here on "nightly news" tonight, the young drum major and his college band beaten to death, tonight, what his fellow band members say really happened, and why his anguished parents say that just can't be true. and later, the book that's electrified women across the country and what we're learning about where it's flying off shelves the fastest.

last november, the death of a member of florida a&m's famed marching band put a spotlight on the little known practice of

hazing among big-time marching bands. tonight, there are new details on what happened in the moments leading up to robert champion's death. our report tonight from nbc's kerry sanders. >> florida a&m drum major robert champion was beaten and stomped to death in what the prosecutor called homicide by hazing. in more than 1,500 pages of court documents, the very band members who were at champion's funeral including some of those who escorted his casket claimed in interviews the 26-year-old willingly chose to face down the band's ritual challenge. >> did anyone try to take him into it or talk him out of it? >> he was wanting to do it all season. he wanted to do it all season. >> boyce is among 11 band members now charged in champion's death, an attack that boyce told detectives spiraled out of control. >> i saw people kicking him, so i stopped them from kicking him and i put my body around his body. >> after climbing onto one of

nine charter buses, witnesses told police in the darkness, champion faced down the so-called cross over, a band initiation in which members endure a gauntlet, stumbling from the front to the back of the bus. champion was allegedly beaten by other band members who kicked, punch, and hit him with drum sticks and mallets. >> he said he couldn't breathe. so i checked hum. he wasn't saying anything. wasn't responsive. >> this is shameful. >> champion's parents and his lawyer said they're not satisfied with the third degree felony hazing charges. they call this a murder and dismiss any notion their son willingly submitted. >> robert was not violent. he would never do hazing, and for someone to actually say he would, i'm saying no. >> according to the investigation, at least two other band members were also hazed that weekend. they survived their attacks, unlike robert champion. kerry sanders, nbc news, miami. up next here tonight, a new travel challenge for families

with small children this summer. and last week, he was playing weatherman. wait until you see what a real prince is doing now.

we were slaves. we belonged to people. they sell us like they sell horses. >> hard to make out, difficult to understand every word, but that right there is the only time most of us will be able to hear the recorded voice of a former slave at age 101. it's placed in the library of congress national recording registry for audio files, history buffs, and music fans. it's the nation's treasure-trove. among the new music inductions, "i feel love" by donna summer who passed away last week the great theme to the charlie brown christmas, purple rain, bo diddley, and rapper's delight. >> attention parents of small children. you know one of the few perks of flying by air with small children, you get to board the

plane first with other passengers who might need assistance, as they say? not anymore. at least on united airlines. families with small children and diaper bags and car seats and folded up strollers will no longer get most favored nation status. united has quietly dropped the perk they say to simplify the boarding process. maybe it's the fact his mom has been on the throne for 60 years and right now, he figures why not, but for whatever reason, prince charles appears to be cutting loose these days. there's no stopping him. he showed up on the bbc news in scotland doing the weather suddenly. now he's moved on to dj'ing. he was positively scratching with the kids. while the head phone concept was a bit foreign and his beat matching does need work, even he would admit, the man's always had a rather nice flow. up next here tonight, the dirty little secret that's getting harder to find.

finally tonight, the dirty book that 10 million people have already read. many of them admit to it, and millions more are currently reading it now. it's actually a series of dirty books, all under the banner "50 shades of grey." since it came out in april, it's

really been america's dirty, guilty, racy, and twisted little pleasure, whether consumed on paper or on an electronic screen. it's when you go to borrow it from the local library that you might run into a bit of trouble. our report tonight from nbc's anne thompson. >> the only thing hotter than the eratrotic "50 shades of grey quates trilogy is the debate over whether libraries should carry it. florida's brevard county library pulled it from their shelves. >> it's not what we deem as appropriate material for the book shelves. >> six other libraries banned the books, too. barbara jones admits the novels are not great literature, but disagrees with the ban. >> libraries exist in our communities to protect and defend the freedom to read in the united states. >> he makes a low sound in his throat. >> they're an unqualified hit with women. >> fastest read ever. >> and ebook success spread by

word of mouth at book clubs. >> the first book literally had be brithless. >> the series now in its 50th printing since its release is a cultural phenomenon. >> i'm not going to say that. >> ellen degeneres having fun with a steamy story about an affair between a naive college student and a manipulative, masterful rich man. described by the lady herself as mommy porn, saturday night live parodies it as the ultimate mother's day gift. >> "50 shades of grey"? >> the ladies of the "view" asked president obama about it. >> what is the controversial sex book that's on millions of women's bedside tables? he doesn't know that. >> i don't know that. >> good, next. >> i'll ask michelle when i get home. >> at libraries where the books are in stock, there are waiting lists. dallas, st. louis, minneapolis, cleveland. and here at the new york public library, more than 4,200 people are waiting for a chance to read one of the three books.

i know, i'm turning 50 shades of red, too. inappropriate or private affair, these books once whispered about among women are now part of the national conversation. anne thompson, nbc news, new york. >> that's our wednesday broadcast. thanks for being here with us. i'm brian good evening and thanks for joining us. i'm raj mathai. >> and i'm jessica aguirre. we want to take you outside right now to a live picture as the field prepares for the president. president barack obama scheduled to arrive in about ten minutes or so. air force one left denver about two and a half hours ago. the president is here, of course, to raise money, three separate events will bring in lots of dough for the president and his re-election campaign and for the democratic party. of cou w