race case. president obama weighs in again on that controversial arrest. trying to tamp down a firestorm he helped ignite. tonight the arresting officer tells his side of the story. flu fears, the search for a swine flu vaccine gets more urgent tonight. there is flu news for the parents of young children. out of office. what americans think about sarah palin as she prepares for the next move in her career. making a difference by conquering a giant. making a difference by conquering a giant. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. and tonight, president obama has again put himself squarely in the center of controversy over race. this afternoon he made a surprise appearance in the white house pressroom and admitted he made a poor choice of words when he said a white police officer had acted stupidly by arresting

a black scholar from harvard. the president also said he called the arresting officer who is now telling his story on camera for the first time. we have two reports tonight. we begin our coverage with our chief white house correspondent chuck todd. good evening, chuck. >> good evening, amy. as you know less than 48 hours since the president made those remarks about the gates' arrest. he decided to try to deal with this media firestorm himself and put out the fire. >> hey. >> in an unannounced visit to the briefing room, president obama attempted to tamp down a media firestorm he sparked himself wednesday night. >> the cambridge police acted stupidly. >> reporter: those words about the arrest of his friend, harvard professor henry gates, pitted obama against arresting officer, james crowley and the entire cambridge police department. >> in our view there was nothing stupid about what happened.

what happened to produce a different outcome was directly under the control of professor gates. that's something that i think the president does not appreciate. >> reporter: the local police unions demanded a presidential apology. a few hours later the president responded. >> i unfortunately, gave an impression, that i was maligning the cambridge police department or sergeant crowley specifically. and i could have calibrated those words differently. >> reporter: the president made his remarks just after getting off the phone with sergeant crowley, a conversation the white house did not characterize as an apology. >> my impression of him was that he was an outstanding police officer and a good man and that was confirmed in the phone conversation. and i told him that. >> reporter: the president stood by some of his statement from wednesday but also cast some blame for the incident on gates whom he telephoned after he spoke with the press. >> i continue to believe, based on what i have heard, that there

was an overreaction in pulling professor gates out of his home to the station. i also continue to believe based on what i heard that professor gates probably overreacted as well. >> reporter: the president then tried to refocus attention on the bigger issue of racial profiling. >> my hope is as a consequence of this event, this ends up being what is called a teachable moment. >> reporter: a meeting between sergeant crowley, professor gates and the president is likely in the offing. >> there was discussion about he and i and professor gates having a beer here in the white house. we don't know if that is scheduled yet. but we may put that together. >> reporter: the president sympathized with crowley over the media frenzy and the sergeant asked the president to plead with the media for privacy. >> sergeant crowley would be happy for you to stop trampling his grass.

amy, remember, the issue of racial profiling is very personal to the president. let me read you an excerpt from his memoir ?q"audacity of hope"e wrote police cars pulling me over for no apparent reason. i know what it is like to have people tell me i can't do something because of my color. amy? >> chuck, how much pressure was president obama under to speak out now and try to move beyond the comments? >> will you know he acknowledged it himself. earlier this morning, robert gibbs told a group of us in his office that he wasn't going to, no more from the white house on this issue. but the fact is they saw that the media was continuing to cover this. the president himself talked about the fact that he wanted to get back on the issue of health care. remember he made the comments on wednesday during a press conference on health care. which by the way that didn't go so well today in the house side. amy. chuck todd from the white house. thanks. now to cambridge, massachusetts where awful this starred when a neighbor called police about a possible break-in at the gates' home. and where sergeant james skrouly is speaking out.

nbc's ron allen is in cambridge. ron, good eqól)j >> reporter: good evening, amy, before the president spoke out all eyes were here on cambridge where the incident did happen. as you said the arresting officer is now telling his side of the story, and his fellow cops are offering their support. >> we completely support sergeant crowley and the fine men and women of the cambridge police department. >> reporter: the police uni unirepresenting james crowley rallied in his support. crowley did not speak but has told tv about his arrest of dr. henry louis gates. >> i asked can he step outside and speak with me. no i will not. words to the effect, what is this all about. i am sergeant crowley from the cambridge police department. >> reporter: he insists, gates provoked the confrontation when he explained he was responding to a 911 call about the possible barack in. >> why because i am a black man in america, in a very agitated tone. i thought that was a littlepñ'!

strange. >> reporter: crowley said he has spoken out he was tired of being called a veteran. 11 year veteran, father of three for several years trained officers how to avoid racial profiling exactly what gates accused him of doing. >> he was the one that was being provocative, this wasn't a back and forth exchange of ban tore or arguing. this was one sided. >> reporter: today an african-american sergeant seen in the foreground of the photo of the arrest, defended crowley saying he never heard the professor call any one a racist but crowley was still right to arrest him. >> i support what he did 100%. >> it's over. there is no more story to it. >> reporter: professor gates remains on martha's vineyard, speaking out in the serious radio interview. >> just because a black man answers the door and you are responding to a 911 charge treat him or in the case of an african-american woman with respect. don't go presuming, don't do anything else. protect me. >> reporter: gates has threatened to sue. his lawyer told cnn there are

witness whose have had similar experiences with sergeant crowley. but some community leaders are growing more concerned about the damage such an emotional and drawn out confrontation could be doing. >> professor gates needs to sit down with sergeant crowley and they need to bury the hatchet for the sake of the country. and for the black community. >> reporter: the police are still trying to determine whether they will issue and make public the police radio traffic from that night. d÷dio tapes which could contain some of what crowley and gates said to each other. even though crowley has been cleared of wrongdoing. the police are going to ask for an independent investigation of what happened as they try to maintain the community any trust. amy. ron allen in cambridge, massachusetts, thank you. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." david, was the president successful in diffusing the situation as he hoped to do or end up throwing more fuel on the fire? >> well, look he had a big role in escalating this which now he acknowledges. remember he is coming full circle on this.

i think, by all accounts, talking to those who are close to him, this was a heartfelt response that he had during the press conference the other night based on what he knew and as an african-american man. he then was agitated yesterday that it got the media aten, it got. by today there was a recognition when the president weighs in, it is going to carry some weight. and i think the white house wants to extricate him from this but now he is talking about having a beer at the white house with gates and the arresting officer. i don't know if we have seen the end of this yet. >> david, this controversy, we heard chuck todd allude to this, has clearly overshadowed the president's agenda on health care reform. where does that all stand right now? wh this yesterday, it was getting chuck alluded to a setback in the house. it does not appear from the house now that they will vote on a health care bill by the august recess. which means that the august recess deadline that the president set looks to be falling by the wayside altogether. now inside the white house, they say, it is okay. a lot of the committee work is

being done. and a deadline was important. but it does shape up to be a tactical defeat at this level and the concern is that the longer this hangs out there without conclusion that it allows the momentum of opposition to only grow. something that -- that is a dangerous sign over the horizon. >> david, finally, what do you have coming up this weekend on "meet the press." >> we have an exclusive interview for the entire hour with secretary state hillary clinton. first live sunday morning interview. after logging 100,000 miles around the world. there is a lot of hot spots and a lot to talk about with her. >> david gregory, as always!3 thank you. speaking of secretary clinton, tonight she had harsh words for the ousted president of honduras, manuel zelaya, deposed in the bloody coup and today briefly crossed the border bacì& into honduras, reversed course and returned to nicaragua. mrs. clinton called it a reckless attempt to provoke a confrontation. we are learning more tonight about which republican senators

will vote for and against the confirmation of supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor. orrin hatch said he will vote against her. his first no vote on any supreme court nominee since he came to the senate in 1977. senator john cornyn of texas will vote no but acknowledged sotomayor will almost certainly be confirmed. so far ten republicans have said they will vote no. five will vote yes. california's legislature put a new state budget in place tonight after almost a month without one. the new budget rejected some of the deep cuts needed to close a $26 billion gap. now it will be up to governor arnold schwarzenegger to finish the job. here is nbc's george lewis. >> please call the roll. >> reporter: final votes in the california legislature, as lawmakers tried to wrap up a budget. >> no. >> it is 130 in the -- 1:30 in the afternoon. we have been in session for almost 24 hours. >> reporter: pulling an all-nighter as they wrangled over cuts of a gamut of programs

that helped californians most in need. >> he had a small accident yesterday. >> reporter: alicia alvarez said her son needed stitches for a cut lip treated under the state's healthy families program for low income californians. but that program is being scaled back. >> i have been searching to see how much it is going to cost me i cannot afford it. >> reporter: in an interview with cnbcs reporter, the governor tried to put a positive spin on the budget deal. >> i think what we have done is we have steered away from the iceberg. and, you know, we are coming out of it. >> reporter: observers believe california is still sailing in dangerous waters. >> this budget deal is to some extent created with chicken wire and chewing gum. one time fixes, accounting gimmicks. >> reporter: one of the gimmicks, siphoning off $4

billion of tax revenue from cities and counties. now they're threatening to sue. >> what we have to do is beg for the money that is already due us and they get to either borrow or steal it. >> reporter: one other hang-up, a plan to raise additional revenues by expanding offshore oil drilling in the waters off santa barbara, failed to pass this afternoon. the legislature also gave back to the cities, $1 billion it was threatening to take away, that may stop some of the lawsuits but leaves holes in the budget. the governor will have to come up with gimmicks to fill the holes. amy. nbc's george lewis. thank you. the federal minimum wage went up today. the final step in a three-phase increase that started in 2007. a 70 cent per hour jump from $6.55 an hour to $7.25. some small business owners criticize the timing of the increase saying it is a burden in a weak economy. turning to wall street.

stocks hung on to the huge gains this week. the dow up under 24 points. nasdaq snapped a winning streak with a seven-point decline. s & p 500 gained under 3 points. when "nightly news" continues this friday evening -- a sobering new report on swine flu from federal health officia officials. what you need to know about vaccines. and later, making sure a disability did not keep them from getting to the top. i do most of the talking yes i wear dentures and they fit wonderful super poligrip acts as a seal between my dentures and my gums super poligrip makes eating more comfortable. even well fitting dentures can feel more comfortable with super poligrip. just a few dabs of super poligrip create a seal between your dentures and gums to make them more comfortable while you eat. i can eat my steak, i just love it. try super poligrip. a heart attack at 53. i had felt fine. but turns out... my cholesterol and other risk factors... increased my chance of a heart attack.

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the u.s. centers for disease control out with new projections on swine flu in the country. 40% of the population could come down with it in the next two years and deaths could climb into the hundreds of thousand. they're also talking tonight about efforts to get people vaccinated. nbc's rehema ellis has the details. >> reporter: today centers for disease control issued broader guidelines regarding vaccinations for the upcoming flu season. now recommending that children from 6 months to 18 years old be

immunized for seasonal flu. while the vaccine provides little to no protection for h 1-n 1. meanwhile clinical trials are starting right now on vaccines to fight 4 1/inn 1 which officials expect to continue to spread this fall. >> we expect when children get back to school, we'll see a rise in cases. >> reporter: so far in the united states, health officials suspect there have been more than 1 million cases. though only 43,771 cases have been confirmed. 302 deaths. 24% of those have been people between the ages of 5 and 24. the encouraging news officials say is the virus is milder than first feared. it has the not mutated. and most people who catch the disease recover within a week. scientists advising the obama

administration say the united states is better prepared for a pandemic than in the past. >> by the end of october, november, i think the vaccine manufacturers will be in a possession to deliver vaccines. >> reporter: what the government still has to decide is to recommend the vaccination for everyone once it is available or just those who are most vulnerable. rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. when we come back, sarah palin's final days as governor. andrea mitchell has the the latest on what is next for her. , with garlic-roasted tender maine lobster, jumbo shrimp, scallops, and a full half-pound of snow crab legs. or from the south, try our new orleans... wood-grilled shrimp jambalaya, simmered with creole seasonings. taste these regional dishes for a limited time. at red lobster. when people say, "hey mike, why ford? why now? you know what i do?

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alaska governor and former vice presidential candidate, sarah palin, will hand her duties over to her lieutenant-governor this weekend. three weeks after she shocked the political world with the announcement of her resignation. but as nbc's andrea mitchell tells us she has no intention of fading away. as the palin family moves out of the governor's mansion, sarah palin's long good-bye looks more like a campaign hello. daily picnics starting today and another tomorrow in anchorage then the handoff to her lieutenant-governor sunday in fairbanks. that should leave a lot more time for fishing. >> how is the fishing? >> it's good. >> reporter: if palin is fishing for votes a future run for president, she has got some

serious work to do. a new "washington post" nbc poll today says a mjt views her negatively. her lowest approval rating since she burst on to the national stage a year ago. palin is still popular with republicans. 70% of them like her. among all voters, 57% say she doesn't understand complex issues. >> it would be apathetic to hunker down and go with the flow. we're fishermen, we know at only dead fish go with the flow. >> reporter: many say she hurt herself by quitting. >> you haven't finished the job some would say? >> you are not listening to me why i wouldn't be able to finish the final year in office without it costing the state millions. >> reporter: arnold schwarzenegger on palin today? >> would you ever see me resigning in the middle of my term? even if it is the 100th term i would never give up. >> reporter: palin is plagued by ethics charges, most were dismissed only today state personnel board investigator thomas daniel told nbc news

there is probable cause to believe that governor palin was in violation of state ethics laws by soliciting private donations to pay for legal debts. palin's attorney said the matter is still pending. whatever you have seen was released in violation of law. palin responded yesterday, on twitter, quote, finally free of ethic complaints. likes documents out of context to create false headlines. still a headliner for party fundraisers giving her a chance to rebuild her reputation with republican king makers. andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. >> up anext, our friday making a difference report. another heart attack could be lurking, waiting to strike. a heart attack caused by a clot, one that could be fatal. but plavix helps save lives. plavix, taken with other heart medicines goes beyond what other heart medicines do alone to provide greater protection against heart attack or stroke and even death by helping to keep blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots.

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about taking care with vesicare. time for our friday report on people who are making a difference. tonight, a climb to the top of one of the world's highest mountains a feat for anybody. but for the eight climbers you are about to meet, a climb up kilamanjaro wasn't for bragging

rights, they had something to prove. lee cowan has their story. >> reporter: mountains the saying goes are climbed because they're there, what if a giant like kilamanjaro, a white blur or worse, nothing at all. that was the view for these eight climbers. >> we have come a long way. we are going to go a long way. >> reporter: they are all legally blind, feeling their way. up one of the highest peaks on the planet. >> we just wanted to inspire the world whether blind or sighted. we wanted to inspire people. >> reporter: climbing 19,000 feet though takes more than just inspiration. it requires a little blind faith too. >> you're down! >> whoo-hoo. that's christie kevin. >> slight turn to the right. >> reporter: a sighted guide who trains with tom in arizona using a bell as a reference and detailed descriptions of the trail. >> if i said up and over he knew what that meant.

if i tapped on a rock with my trekking poll he knew what that meant. >> the idea of mark ashton, ceo with the foundation for blind children. >> we wanted to show and prove there is no limitations. these folks can do anything in the world. >> reporter: his 13-year-old son max was the youngest member of the team. >> the hardest part of the whole trip i would say was the first 2 1/2, 3 hours of summit. because i was feeling nauseous and very tired. >> reporter: more than half of all climbers who try to conquer the mountain fail. succumbing to altitude sickness. but not this group. >> those people that said we couldn't do this, we had no business being here. >> reporter: every one of them beat the cold, the wind, and the thin air to claim not only the summit, but three world records. >> whoa! >> kilamanjaro! all right. >> would you do it again? >> oh, yeah. >> everybody. >> reporter: their message was as simple as the gift they brought back.

awe thought maybe i would give you a piece of the mountain from us to you, and that maybe whenever you are faced with a challenge in your life you will remember what we achieved. want to give you that. >> reporter: thank you. a reminder no obstacle is too steep for those with the determination to keep climbing. lee cowan, nbc news, phoenix. and that's our broadcast for this friday night. thank you for being with us. i'm amy robach in tonight for brian williams. i will see you tomorrow morning on "today." have a good weekend and good on "today." have a good weekend and good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com