perhaps at the peak of the illness? dark mood. our new poll debuting tonight. and who do you think is the most popular politician in america? race matters. from cambridge to cable, the conversation that just keeps going, sparked by a single arrest. who are you going to call when all else fails? the volunteers who are making a difference. the volunteers who are making a difference. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. the federal government is assuming that when flu season start, swine flu will spread and fast and it could get stronger as a virus. as a result a race is on to get a vaccine ready. today the feds admitted it won't be ready for the start of the school season and when it is ready there won't be enough for everybody. therefore they are predicting a system of rationing never before seen in this country.

swine flu is already off to a kind of rolling start. it has sickened a million americans so far. and then perhaps may come the hard part. our own robert bazell is attending the centers for disease control meeting in atlanta. >> reporter: swine flu continues to spread in the u.s. and around the world. >> thank you for calling the swine flu information line. >> reporter: with some countries so concerned they check all incoming airline passengers for fever as seen in the youtube video. in the southern hemisphere where it is winter flu season, swine flu has become the predominant strain. in parts of argentina there has been a shortage of beds and ventilators a warning of what could happen when swine flu returns to this country. a vaccine would be the answer but it is not yet an option. there are serious production problems. as homeland security secretary warned today. >> we will not have vaccine available before the school year starts.

>> that's why a committee of experts meeting to day at the cdc set a list of priorities for who should get vaccine first when it is available. >> we have never really had to make those, almost rationing type decisions, because while the hope is that's eventually there is enough vaccine for everybody, some of those 120 million, 200 million doses of it may not come until the main brunt of the pandemic is over. >> reporter: the priorities, pregnant women because of the risk of complications. household contacts and care givers for children younger than 6 months because infants can die from flu. health care and emergency medical workers. people age 6 months to 24 years because the virus strikes mostly young people. adults 24 through 64 with underlying health conditions such as asthma, lung problems, heart disease and diabetes. most cases now are moderate or mild, but there are rare deaths like siblings matt and mindy macintosh of indiana. healthy last month now dead.

>> this whole thing doesn't make any sense. i hope they get a vaccine soon. >> reporter: in the past, health workers have often been lax about getting flu shots. but many like mary ann driscoll, a pharmacist at a chicago clinic want to get vaccinated. >> i have never received the flu vaccine in the past. at this time i feel it might be a good step to take to protect myself and the patients at the clinic. >> reporter: the earliest human tests of the vaccine are just beginning in australia. tests in the u.s. are scheduled to start next month. at the very least this will be a very confusing flu season. there will be one vaccine for seasonal influenza available, aimed at older people. then the swine flu vaccine, scarce at first, aimed mostly at younger people. public health officials hope contucks is the worst of the problems we face. brian. robert bazell from the cdc meeting in atlanta. thanks. this leaves us with a lot of questions some one we often turn to with answers is the director

of the infectious diseases branch of nih, kind enough to join us from bethesda maryland tonight. doctor, here we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of apollo 11, some one in our newsroom naturally this afternoon said you can put a man on the moon, why can't we get a vaccine turned around faster than this? what is the answer? >> the problem is making the vaccine, with enough doses and have it be tested for safety and what the proper dosage is, the process measured in months. we are trying from a research standpoint to cut that down considerably but it still takes several months from the time you isolate a new virus like we did with this new h1/n1 flu that we just got in april. to get to the point where you could grow it up in enough strength and in enough volume to be able to make a vaccine. that process just unfortunately takes a few months. >> doctor, i know public health professionals are worried about

a crying wolf aspect here where the initial media coverage was dire, and then swine flu turned out to be mild, but the worry is a mutating virus, paint us a picture. worst case. if we have an epidemic of what everyday life becomes in this country. the most normal of transactions between humans? >> well, we know already that this virus spreads very efficiently among humans. we have seen that in our own country here in the spring. died down a little as the schools closed we are still seeing it break out in summer camps. they're seeing it in more than 150 countries throughout the world. we know it spreads efficiently. the worst thing that could happen and we hope it doesn't we don't have any reason to believe it will. we have to be prepared for it. that in addition to spreading efficiently, it becomes more virulent. virulent meaning it makes people really very sick. right now, it is acting like a -- mild to moderate flu that you would see during a regular flu season. the problem is that this is new

to people. in the sense that they haven't had prior exposure. it is very efficiently spreading when it gets to people who have never been exposed like we are seeing in the southern hemisphere and what would likely happen as the school season starts. that's why we are making preparations to get the vaccine ready as quickly as we can. >> dr. anthony f all. -- faucci. we will be falling on you again. to washington next. both houses of congress are now suddenly close to a deal on het care. after weeks of fighting it may be moving and quickly as the president is off continuing his sales effort on the road. our white house correspondent, savannah guthrie with us for more from the white house tonight. savannah, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. aides here know they have a message problem selling health care reform. so the president hit the road again today with a retooled pitch. at back to back townhalls in

raleigh, north carolina and grocery store in bristol, where the president stopped to buy a piece of fruit. >> the first time i have been in a grocery store in a while. >> reporter: the president -- >> whether or not you have health insurance right now, the reforms we seek will bring stability and security that you don't have today. >> reporter: with support for reform dwindling among many americans. >> is this a plan that you would be willing to put your family on? >> yes. >> reporter: the president is tailoring his pitch to emphasize benefits to those who already have insurance. such as stopping insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions or dropping coverage for the seriously ill. and banning lifetime caps on coverage. out of washington, the president find himself on a mission of reassurance. >> older american citizens would just be put out to pasture. please tell me that isn't so. >> it isn't so. >> reporter: but on capitol hill, at long last, progress.

>> i'm pleased to report that we have reached an agreement. >> reporter: a family feud between democratic leaders and conservatives in the party ended with a deal making reforms $100 billion cheaper and loosening demand on small business. and the senate edged closer to a cheaper, bipartisan compromise. but congress won't vote on reform until the fall, missing the president's deadline. >> i just want everybody to know, congress will have time to read the bill, if they want to come over to the white house and go over line by line what's going on i will be happy to do that. >> reporter: some of the president's priorities may be on the chopping block including a mandate requiring employers to provide insurance and a government-sponsored insurance plan. >> there is a danger that due to political reasons, congress wouldn't end up passing legislation that is watered down and will not achieve all of the objectives. >> reporter: and of course we still don't know the specifics of the plans. so progress today, brian.

but the real battle waits for the fall. >> savannah guthrie at the white house. thank you, as always. we have new numbers debuting tonight on how people are feeling about their country and their president and health carry right about now. our new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll is out. our chief white house correspondent and nbc news political director chuck todd here to walk us through it. -- it is still early in his presidency, start with him. how are people feeling about him? >> if there is one piece of good news the white house can take, still the most popular politician in the country. part of the problem he is viewed as just another politician. this campaign for health care, brian, has taken a serious toll on him and his party. one of our pollsters says the august vacation for the president can't come soon enough. >> sometimes i get a little frustrated. >> reporter: at the end of yet another campaign style event for health care the president wasn't just speaking for himself yesterday, according to the latest nbc/"wall street journal" poll. for the third straight month,

the president's rating has dropped from 61% in april, to 56% in june, to 53% now. in maryland, graphic designer joyce petrozelli supports the president but has some doubts. >> i don't think he has done as well as i had hoped. and i'm -- i'm really not sure why. except that we can't really get out of this economic downturn. >> reporter: on the economy, the president's numbers are even lower. just 49% approve of his performance. and as for the stimulus, more folks told us the president's signature $800 billion plan was a bad idea, 43%. then a good idea, 34%. then there is health care. just 41% approve of the president on this issue. his campaign has not swayed retired new york city police officer felix perez. >> he is not saying what he really wants, what his plan is. >> reporter: concern about the recession and the deficit is rising.

complicating the health care push. california sfwhoening attorney jamie hall. >> it's not going to be cheap. and it is going to increase the deficit. and i think most americans are concerned with that. >> reporter: as uneasy as respond ants were about the president they were downright negative about congress. 63% disapprove of the job law makers have done. only 24% approve. in georgia, frank lazaro has had it. >> as much change as was brought to the white house, i don't see any event happening in congress. it's the same congress. we have the same issues. i think congress should be fired. >> reporter: six months after president obama took office, 59% fault both parties equally for persistent gridlock. >> congress is trying to move forward, but they're at a stale mate because we have -- we have the issue of the democrats and the republicans and they can't seem to come together. and that's frustrating.

that is frustrating. >> brian, there is a reason we saw the president talk more about the economy. 58% told us they do not feel like the worst is over. >> last question, two word. sarah palin. >> i tell you her decision to quit, not sitting well with republicans. more republicans told us they would not like to see her as president in the future than told us they would look to see her as president. this is republicans. >> fascinating stuff. chuck todd, thanks as always. when we continue on a wednesday night. it started with a harvard professor's arrest. now the debate seems to be intensifying. later a serious new health warning about something some people do trying to look more healthy. calling. our "making a difference" report

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i eat this fiber one yogurt. (mr. mehta) it has five grams of fiber, zero fat, and fifty calories. please, this is too creamy and delicious. it's true, only fifty calories. (announcer) fiber one yogurt. it started with the arrest of a harvard professor in his own home and it hasn't really stopped. the woman who first called 911 about what she feared could be a break-in in progress could not have imagined what her phone

call to police set in motion. we heard from her today. we're hearing from others as well. our report tonight from nbc's andrea mitchell. >> reporter: her call to police unwittingly triggered an in dense that has ripped the scab off racial politics in america. >> the criticism at first was so painful for me and difficult i was frankly afraid to say anything. people called me racist and said i caused all the turmoil that followed and some even said threatening things that made me fear for my safety. i knew the truth. but i didn't speak up right away. because i did not want to add to the controversy. >> reporter: lucia waylan on a lunch break called 911 to describe what she saw on the front porch in cambridge, massachusetts.

>> reporter: just the facts. and contrary to the police report, no mention of race. she said today her parents taught her to be kind to strangers. >> and do not judge people based on race, ethnicity, or any other feature other than their character. >> reporter: when the first african-american president criticized the police. >> the cambridge police acted stupidly. >> reporter: his political opponents who have huge followings were off to the races. and to the commentators at least it was all about race. >> this president i think exposed himself as a guy over and over and over again who has a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture. >> listen, you can't say he doesn't like white people. david axelrod is white, i think 70% of the people every day are white. robert gibbs is white. >> i'm not saying he doesn't

like white people. i'm saying he has a problem. this guy is, i believe, a racist. >> fox news said that was beck's personal opinion. but then there is rush limbaugh. >> let's face it, president obama is black. i think he has a chip on his shoulder. >> this is happening while bloggers and talk radio hosts are challenging whether barack obama is even a natural born american. ignoring all the evidence that he is. their underlying reason, many say, the president's race. so even though barack obama's election was a milestone for the country we have a long way to go. >> it isn't quite post-racial. we still have conflicts between african-american citizens especially males and the police department, and we shouldn't wave that away for any way minimize that kind of problem. >> reporter: raising the question whether we live in a post-racial america in life or politics. andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. when "nightly news" continues in just a moment -- a dire warning for a big industry.

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more than a half second in the finish got him a gold medal at beijing olympics. update on our strange summer so far. while new york is having the second coldest july on record, with tons of rain, just ten minutes ago. look at the pacific northwest. seattle in particular, brutal heat wave has sent temperatures soaring well above 100 degrees across the area. officially it hit 102 at seattle tacoma airport all time record shattered. to the news out this morning about the tanning bed industry. while the risk of skin cancer is well known. the dire warning today as we said compared the effects to cigarette smoking and arsenic. and our chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman is here with more to sort this out tonight. i was saying before the break don't people who strap on the goggles and go in those things assume a certain all. risk? >> no, which is why the world health organization has now said look, we have an exponential increase in cancer, skin cancer,

we can link it to the use of indoor sun and tanning booths, and if you infact start using the booths before the age of 30 your risk goes up 75%. it is now linked to the same kind of cancer causing issues as tobacco, arsenic, mustard gas, the who is taking it seriously. >> they intended to sound a loud warning and they did. >> expect a punch back tomorrow from the trade industry. >> nancy snyderman, thank you for being with us as always. >> you bet, brian. when we come back, the folks who drop everything and show up to do the work for no pay and very little credit for making a difference until now. e with cialis for daily use... a clinically proven, low-dose tablet for erectile dysfunction you take every day so you can be ready anytime the moment is right. tell your doctor about your medical condition and all medications and ask if you're healthy enough for sexual activity. don't take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. don't drink alcohol in excess with cialis.

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these days all we hear about is cutbacks, companies with no money. governments with no money. states paying bills with ious, cutting way back on services. increasingly if you want something done, ask a volunteer. they're doing a record amount in terms of the work of this nation. in the case of a natural

disaster, they come out in force. but it is also natural that support can fade as time passes. tonight, a couple so moved by the cause they gave up everything to help and they are making a big difference. their story from nbc's janet shamlian. >> reporter: it sound like a retirement couples dream of. >> if i had a dream list. >> reporter: four years ago monty and susan scales hit the road in a travel trailer. >> 240 square foot of marital bliss. >> reporter: but it wasn't a trip of rest and relaxation. >> this is a special edition of nbc "nightly news." >> good evening to you once again from new orleans. >> seeing these thousands and thousands of people with no home. i went back to work and i felt like i was useless. >> reporter: moved by the devastation of hurricane katrina, the couple walked away from well-paying jobs and their

indiana home to essentially camp out as they helped families rebuild. first mississippi, then louisiana. last year they moved to texas in the whack of hurricane ike. >> we find folks that are going to slip through the cracks. >> reporter: like maria and mario rezendez and their five children whose home looks like the hurricane hit yesterday. maria calls them angels but it is a gritty existence, with hard labor and long days. making this house livable is they huge job. not their only one. monty and susan are doing the same thing at the same time for a dozen other families. the couple lives on donations they don't mind the sacrifices except for one. >> not being able to see my grandchildren grow up. that's a killer. >> reporter: in four years they have been home three times. >> yes it is a struggle, yes it is hot, yes it is dirty, yes you are working in conditions, but

this is the dream. this is our dream. >> reporter: one turning houses back into homes. one family at a time. janet shamlian, nbc news, san leon, texas. that's our broadcast for this wednesday night. thank you for being with us. i am brian williams. we hope to see you back here tomorrow evening. good night from a rainy new york tomorrow evening. good night from a rainy new york city. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

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