on our broadcast tonight, ebola in the u.s. the breaking news the cdc confirming the very first case has been diagnosed here in this country. and tonight, dr. nancy schneiderman takes us inside the hot zone. under fire. the secret service director grilled in front of congress over stunning lapses in white house security. but what she revealed may only further damage confidence in her agen. paper or plastic? a big move to retire that question forever. are supermarkets near you next in line. and an unscripted conversation with ben affleck there's role at home at husband, father and devoted fan of all boston sports teams. "nightly news" begins now. from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this

is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. good evening and as we come on the air tonight, we're covering a major development in the ebola outbreak. until now, until just a short time ago, in fact, americans could at least take comfort in the knowledge that all the thousands of cases of this deadly virus were discovered outside of our borders. but a late announcement tonight from the cdc just changed that. the first case has been confirmed here in the u.s. kate snow is here with us with late details. >> brian, good evening. many suspected cases of ebola over the past week have turned out to be false alarms. but this man is the first case of ebola confirmed to be diagnosed at a hospital on u.s. soil. it was confirmed this afternoon in dallas. at a late afternoon news conference, the centers for disease control director, dr. tom frieden, sought to reassure americans that a case of ebola discovered here in the u.s. is not cause for alarm. >> the bottom line here is that

i have no doubt that we will control this importation or this case of ebola so that it does not spread widely in this country. >> reporter: frieden said the patient, not being identified, left liberia in west africa on september 19th, arriving in the u.s. on the 20th. the patient had no symptoms when he left liberia or when landing stateside. but four or five days later, he started feeling sick. he sought care last friday, but then went home. then two days ago, he was admitted to texas health presbyterian hospital in dallas. since the man was not symptomatic on the airline, he would not have been contagious at that time, frieden said. the cdc does not believe anyone who was on the flight with him was exposed. >> it is certainly possible that someone who had contact with this individual, a family member or other individual, could develop ebola in the coming weeks. but there is no doubt in my mind that we will stop it here.

>> reporter: now, the cdc will try to piece together who did come into contact with the man and when. >> we identify all people who may have had contact with the patient while he could have been infectious. and remember, ebola does not spread from someone who is not infectious. >> the patient was visiting family here in the u.s. doctors say he is critically ill in intensive care and in isolation. a hospital official said just a week before this patient came in they were preparing for ebola. they say they know how to isolate infectious diseases. they have had the training, brian. >> our national correspondent, kate snow, starting us off with this breaking story tonight. kate, thanks. a bit later on, we'll have reporting on the source of this. dr. nancy snyderman has traveled to the west coast of africa. we will hear from her in what is now recoverferred to as the hot of ebola cases. to another major story tonight. this was another bad day for the u.s. secret service. while there were no new security breaches today, it's what

happened today in congress and the new details we learn today about other breaches that didn't reflect well on the organization and its ability to maintain a protective ring around the president, the first family and the people's house in which they live. the head of the secret supervise who was brought in after all as a reformer after the last prostitution scandal, got a rough treatment today and didn't say much in her own defense. as we learn still more about the fence-jumper who made it across the front lawn, into the front door and well into the interior of the mansion. which is where we begin again tonight with our white house correspondent, kristen welker. good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. there aren't a whole lot of things that republicans and democrats agree on these days. but today a congressional committee was unified in its outrage about security breaches here at the white house. after 11 days of mounting controversy and damaging leaks, secret service director julia pierson faced who is it till

questions on capitol hill. >> this is unacceptable and i had take full responsibility and make sure it does not happen again. >> americans know the next attempt to take the white house could well be a planned attack from a terrorist organization. >> this recent incident, unfortunately, causes many people to ask whether there is a much broader problem with the secret service. >> reporter: among the most persistent questions, how omar gonzalez got deep inside the executive mansion while the first family was away with a three-and-a-half inch knife in his pocket and why dogs weren't released or shots fired. >> tremendous restraint is not what we're looking for. the message should be overwhelming force. >> reporter: gonzalez, who was indicted by a grand jury today on weapons and unlawful entry charges, ran across the north lawn after leaping the fence. in her testimony today, director pierson confirmed gonzalez then entered the unlocked front door of the executive mansion, pushing past stairs and then turned left and ran through the

red carpeted hallway that leads to the east room where he was confronted, pushed back and finally tackled by a heavily armed agent. she also admitted she allowed a press release to go out which inaccurately suggested gonzalez was tackled immediately after he entered the white house. were you lying to the american people or were you misled by your own agents about where the intruder was tackled? >> the secret service is conducting an ongoing investigation. >> reporter: few were satisfied by her answers by the latest breach or an incident where it took four days to realize the white house was shot. republicans and democrats alike repeatedly accused pierson of being evasive. >> ma'am, i want a short answer. i have very little time. >> i wish to god you protected the white house like you're protecting your reputation here today. >> reporter: pierson said she was investigating and promised changes. >> we all are outraged within the secret service of how this incident came to pass. and that is why i have asked for

a full review. >> and she insisted the president is safe, a sentiment echoed at the white house today. >> the president does continue to have confidence in the men and women of the secret service. >> reporter: despite that endorseme endorsement, there is a late report that the secret service allowed an armed security contractor with a criminal record into an elevator with the president on a recent trip to the centers for disease control in atlanta. congressman said he plans to ask for an independent investigation about all of this. one more point. the agent who helped tackle the white house intruder 11 days ago was off duty and about to head home. >> kristen welker on the north lawn, thanks. elsewhere across this country tonight, some scary moments at two schools in two different states today. in louisville, police caught a teenager on the run after he allegedly shot a student at a high school. in north carolina, one student in custody for allegedly shooting another. at a high school about an hour outside of charlotte.

in both shootings, the victims are said to be in stable condition, thankfully. there are concerns tonight that a mysterious illness severely affecting children may be spreading. now a boston hospital is treating four children with this muscle weakness or symptoms of paralysis, similar to what a number of cases appeared that so far have started in this country in colorado. health officials are investigating now whether these cases are linked to the enterovirus. the question, paper or plastic at the checkout will soon become a thing of the past in the state of california. after the governor there, jerry brown today signed a ban on single-use plastic bags at grocery stores, convenience stores, drugstores. it's the first ban of its kind in this country, it's controversial, it's designed to change our behavior. we get our report on it tonight from nbc's hallie jackson. >> reporter: in a state famous

for its gorgeous views, a permanent part of the landscape is disposable. with plastic bags littering beaches and beyond. >> the plastic bags don't stay put. it blew out of the garbage truck or off the landfill, some 400 yards away from us. >> reporter: already, dozens of towns and cities have outlawed plastic bags outright. part of that west coast bring your own bag cull it at your you see secured on tv. >> oh, i forgot my bag. >> when i wake up in the morning, my eyes don't forget to open, my heart doesn't forget to beat. >> reporter: but under this new law, if you forget your bag in california, you'll have to pay up for the paper or reusable kind. >> one paper bag is ten cents. >> reporter: several other states are considering a fee on single-use plastic bags or fading them out all together. >> you have to think about the impact and what really are we leaving behind. and plastic bags don't break down. >> reporter: bob likes these plastic bags so much, he brings his own. >> the trouble is, california

doesn't necessarily lead the attitudes of the real people. that's not the kind of government we need. that's meddling. >> reporter: at a nearby plastic bag plant, lines have shut down production. >> jeopardizing our jobs. we need our jobs. >> reporter: other factories are already adapting by making bags you can reuse. >> this is the beginning of the end of the plastic bag. >> reporter: the hope now, change at the checkout line. >> do you have any bags? >> reporter: creates a new view on the coastline. hallie jackson, nbc news, los angeles. the most decorated olympian in history has picked up his second dui. early this morning in baltimore. michael phelps then tweeted an apology today, which reads in quote, i understand the severity of my actions and take full responsibility. i know these words may not mean much right now, but i am deeply sorry to everyone i have let down. still ahead for us tonight, more as promised on our top story. dr. nancy snyderman on the front

lines of the fight to stop the explosion of ebola amid warnings we could be headed for that feared worst-case scenario. and later, he is talking about one of the biggest movie releases of the year. plus family and career, the paparazzi and a little sports. with ben affleck.

a lead story here tonight was the news of the first diagnosed case of ebola in the u.s. of course, it's been raging in africa.

specifically in the west african nation of liberia, where over half of the more than 3,000 deaths have taken place. the pentagon said today nearly 200 american workers are already on the ground there with more than 3,000 u.s. troops to arrive soon. they will join in what could be a very long fight to contain the outbreak. our own dr. nancy snyderman reports from monrovia. >> dying of ebola is a brutal process, and for this man, a lonely one. as fearful onlookers keep their distance and ambulances refuse to pick him up until he is dead. today we watch as a 17-year-old girl named jane was brought to redemption hospital and left in a wheel barrow looking near death. seconds later, she bolted up and tried to run away. she was stopped by her mother, who walked her back toward hospital staff, dressed in their

protective equipment. fear of a virus soon have ever seen up close, and one i have never encountered in my career as a physician until today. nurses trained in the protocol of suiting up for ebola helped me into the layers of protective clothing. it's very hot. it's very intense. and invite me into a place that is off limits to most outsiders. we're completely suited up. an ebola isolation unit. every precaution is taken before i can go inside. no shortcuts allowed. this used to be the labor ward. now it's being used as a transition center. after walk through the hospital halls, we find the young girl and her mother. this is the young woman we saw. we brought in earlier. who tried to get away. still on the sidewalk being questioned and screened. how long has she been ill? [ speaking in foreign language ] >> reporter: two weeks? both are admitted to the hospital. she is obviously extraordinarily

weak. they're going to bring her in here to evaluate her further. the mother is now considered at risk for ebola, and she'll be evaluated too. doctors here say they are fighting a war against a deadly and unpredictable enemy. dr. john santo is redemption hospital's medical director. >> it is a disease that is irrespecting of who you are. it's a disease that comes to kill. >> reporter: health care workers are determined to prevent that, trying to save lives one solitary patient at a time. dr. nancy snyderman, nbc news, monrovia, liberia. >> and up next tonight, lifting the veil on one of the most closely guarded secrets this past weekend. an answer millions of people wanted to know.

the bane of a lot of nfl fans for decades has gone away. the local blackout which for decades prevented a football game from airing locally if it

didn't sell out within 72 hours of kickoff. today the s.e.c. voted unanimously the nfl no longer needs the government's help in this way. also in the nfl, more about tom brady in just a bit. but last night his team had a bad outing in kansas city. the pats got spanked perhaps because they couldn't hear themselves think. chiefs fans took the noise title away from seattle and last night became officially the loudest outdoor venue in sports, reaching 142 decibels, roughly equivalent to a jet engine at 100 yards. last night's controversy rose when the muslim member of the kansas city chiefs husain abdullah dropped to the ground to give thanks after a touchdown. he was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct and illegal celebration. today the league corrected itself and said that should not have been a penalty. this was a big day at ford. mostly because they recently took a big gamble with the model that has become the most popular

vehicle in this country for years running. the ford f-150 is now made out of high strength aluminum. it's good for vehicle weight and gas mileage, and today ford learned it also won the crown in its class for the weight it can carry and how much it can tow. of the top four best-selling vehicles in this land, three of the top four are pickups. in keeping with modern day tradition surrounding celebrity weddings, george clooney and his new bride, the human rights lawyer, amal alamuddin, they appear to have reached a photo deal with "people," "vogue" and "hello" magazine of the uk for blind the scenes pictures of the bride and her dress. the difference is, this couple appears to be donating all of the money to human rights organizations. when we come back, our conversation with ben affleck on his provocative new movie, and a lot more from there.

earlier this week, in room, in fact, we talked with a visiting star. ben affleck is promoting his new film, "gone girl." he has been talking about it so much, as you'll hear, it has almost cost him his voice.

but we then learned he still has a lot left in reserve. this is what it's really like to talk to or listen to ben affleck. >> one of the best quarterbacks in football and the other a mishmash. >> did you miss the victory last week? >> there's guys that the red sox fans hate-hate. >> the only problem with our stadium on the bronx, we are running out of room on the exterior for the banners. >> the '60s are the best. >> two words. trickle charger. >> he doesn't understand tom brady's genius entirely in the way i do. >> we would call this year so far genius? >> you know what, i like the new jersey giants and i like the new jersey jets and i look forward to going to jersey to see them play. >> perhaps because the star of "gone girl" then noticed we had gone to great lejs lengths to put the title in our screen, ben affleck then started talking about the movie, and the central question involving his central character. is he a good guy or bad? did he kill his wife or not?

it includes some not subtle sendups and takedowns of real-life media figures and media coverage plot line that ben says he has lived himself. >> it moves so fast. the internet does so much. it's a shorthand. what's the one-liner on this guy, the last person wrote. so you get these kind of labels put under your name. it's hard to get them off. >> perhaps because his mother was a teacher, the kid came roaring out of cambridge, massachusetts, with a restless mind. he hates the shorthand version of how his career is depicted in the years before and after his early splash and writing oscar for "goodwill hunting." those years included "dazed and confused" and he might have been a little bit of both as he went on to survive the geologically and jersey girl era. he started to it exert command and control over more films. he was sharp as one of the company men. he then wrote and produced and directed and starred in the very gritty, very boston gem called

"the town." then came his signature piece, "argo," golden globe for best director. academy award for best picture and his status in hollywood was tremendous. >> i'm responsible. i'm taking it through. >> his life was cemented at mommy as well. in "gone girl," which like the book contains a lot of plot twists, he plays a twisted guy. he says it helped to go home at night to a fellow veteran of the craft, his wife, jennifer garner. >> it's good to be married to someone who is an actor as well, because it is like swimming in a lot of muck every day and it's hard to wash off when you get home sometimes. >> the couple have three beautiful children, not shown here out of courtesy. the afflecks are stocked each day of their lives by paparazzi. rides to school, to karate, for ice cream. the parents realize, they made a bargain to be in the public eye, but they have fought for legislation in california to keep their kids out of the picture. >> there's now a law on the books that you can't stalk children. you would think that law already

exists. but as such, makes it more difficult to take pictures of people's picture and there are media outlets who agreed we're not going to have those pictures. >> back on the set, these days he's filming the new "batman" on location in detroit. sadly, the city was chosen in large part because so much of the former architectural marvels there now have that post apocalyptic batman look which he sees as an opportunity to point out where we have been and where we might be headed as a country. >> it's really frankly i think disgraceful we have allowed a great american city that we leaned on in the second world war to produce our tanks, to produce our planes, to help us in the war effort to now be -- to lie fallow in the way that it does. and, you know, we get invested in nation building elsewhere, and i think sometimes for good or ill. but we have nation building to do at home for sure. >> the 42-year-old actor says what makes him feel best these days is philanthropy, especially his efforts in fleck.

the eastern congo initiative where he has been personally and financially involved for years. with thanks, that's our broadcast on this tuesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. of course, we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. . >> what comes into question now is the dna. because of that affair. >> right now at 6:00 an affair that brings a high profile case to a stand still and sets two murder suspects free. geechl tanks for joining us. >> a stunning twist in this murder case that dates back to 1989. tonight the two men suspected of killing a south bay woman are free to go.

not for a lack of evidence, instead arc lack of evidence. mary yan farber was in court. >> reporter: you are right, robert and david zimer are now free. they learn that today in a court hearing. the murder charges were dismissed because a prosecutor had an affair with a crime technician handling the dna everyday in this case. after spending the last eight months in jail, today robert zimer learned he is now a free man. >> the matters of people v. david zimer and people v. robert zimer are now dismissed. >> after a 25-year-old cold case was resurrected, robert was arrested earlier this year for murdering kathy zimer. the mother of two was found dead in her car in 1989. her husband and robert's brother, david