nator barbara mikulski understands the importance of innovative biomedical research for patients, their families, and our economy here in maryland. call senator mikulski today. tell her thanks for protecting the promise of biomedical research and the maryland jobs it provides. it's not just the future. it's life. on the broadcast tonight -- heading home. bill clinton flies to north korea then two americans held prisoner there are let go. tonight, what we know about how it all happened. the fine printbout this year's flu season. would you believe a total of three shots to protect you. cash for clunkers, lots of trading in going on. what kinds of new cars are americans buying? and chain reaction -- seven

people defying the odds and "making a difference" for seven more. "making a difference" for seven more. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. former president bill clinton has traveled to north korea, one of the darkest and most mysterious nations on earth. and tonight is flying back to the united states with two american journalists who have been held there since march. the former american president met with the north korean dictator kim jong-il today, shortly thereafter, we learned the two american women had been pardoned by the government for their alleged crimes. then we learned they had been cleared to go home. we're going to get our report on this tonight to start from our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell in kenya tonight traveling with the other clinton, secretary of state hillary clinton. andrea, good evening.

>> good evening, brian. north korea's state-run television made it official tonight saying that the two women have been given special pardons by kim jong-il. in response to that extraordinary visit to pyongyang by former president bill clinton. >> reporter: the former president and husband of the secretary of state shocked the world when he landed in pyongyang today. the obama administration called it a private mission, unmarked plane, no government officials at his side. it was dramatic. bill clinton was granted an audience with kim jong-il, reclusive leader rarely seen since a debilitating stroke last year. to make his appeal for the release of the women, unia lee and laura ling. >> our focus is on ensuring the safety of the two journalists there in north korea right now. >> reporter: officials told nbc news tonight's pardon had been engineered during months of secret negotiations with assurances the former president would not leave empty-handed.

one involved said we can only do this once. he wouldn't go unless he had a deal in hand. the go-between, al gore, former vice president, whose current tv employs the women and who personally asked clinton to go. the north koreans wanted the highest profile envoy, a pattern familiar to bill richardson who has negotiated with them in the past. >> at a time in north korea where there is some talk of succession, his ailments as a leader, that he wants one of his sons to succeed him. it is a big coup for kim jong-il to get a former president to come. >> the two women had been held in pyongyang since march. sentenced to 12 years hard labor for crossing illegal into north korea from bordering china while working on a story. they had been staying at a well appointed guest house where they reportedly had an emotional meeting with bill clinton tonight. tonight their relieved families issued a statement saying they're overjoyed and grateful to president obama, secretary clinton and especially bill clinton and vice president gore.

while her husband was meeting with kim jong-il, hillary clinton was arriving in nairobi for a seven-nation trip through africa. the state department is trying to keep the release of the women on a separate tract from those stalemated, stalled nuclear talks. but it is interesting to note that kim jong-il sent his top nuclear negotiator to the airport to greet bill clinton. then state television said that the two men had extensive talks on a wide range of topics. so tonight, kim jong-il might be getting the special attention that he has long been seeking. brian. >> how much talk of this korean mission was there on the mission you are there to cover, the secretary of state's trip, or coordination, or knowledge she had with the travels of her husband? >> clearly there was a lot of coordination. but there is complete deniability. they're trying to keep it separate. they're trying to say she was not involved. they're trying to say the white house was not involved. the whole story will come out. my understanding is it was

negotiated at the highest levels of the state department and then al gore made the request to bill clinton when they realized that the north koreans were sending the signal it would work out. >> andrea mitchell again who tonight is in kenya covering the trip of secretary of state clinton, we're talking here tonight about of course, former president clinton's motion to north korea. andrea, thanks. here at home, we learned more today about this coming flu season. specifically this. it will take three shots, three separate inoculations for protection this year against both the swine flu and the regular seasonal flu for tens of millions of americans. we get that story tonight from our chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman. >> reporter: 160 million americans will likely need early protection from the swine flu according to federal health officials. who met at the white house today to continue working on their strategy for defending against the virus. human trials on a vaccine will begin in this country next week with immunizations for the

general population by mid october. >> it looks like vaccines will become available, based on whether or not the clinical trials make sure that we have a safe and effective vaccine. >> reporter: it is no simple process. officials say prepare for the possibility of getting two vaccine doses separated by three weeks. two weeks after the second shot, a person should be fully immune. at the earliest, by late fall. this does not include the seasonal flu vaccine, yet another shot. most at risk -- health care workers, pregnant women, care givers, children and young adults up to 24 years of age, and seniors in poor health. today's message underscores that swine flu is different from seasonal flu, which primarily strikes old people and the infirm. the average age of swine flu infection is 19. as for federal guidelines for closing schools -- >> it's not going to be a one size fits all which is the reason why we stress very

clearly that even though there can be broad general guidelines, the decision regarding schools must be made at the local level. >> until a vaccine is available the best way to stay healthy is the most routine. good hand washing and only use any of the anti--virals after you get sick. brian for those people around and may have gotten swine flu inoculation in 1976. good news it may transfer some immunity. >> that would be nice. our kids aren't going to like three shots. is the nasal spray a substitute? >> it will come, but right now all vaccination program is really looking at injections. >> not sure we are going to like three shots either. >> but we will diet. >> i guess we will. now to the obama administration's cash for clunkers program, given a boost to auto sales in the week and a half it has been up and running. the u.s. senate is going to vote on whether to put more money into the program which proponents as you know say is good for consumers, good for detroit, and the whole earth at

that rate. nbc's kelly o'donnell from capitol hill. kelly, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. the popularity of cash for clunkers doesn't mean it is easy to keep the program going. senate republicans say the country can't afford another $2 billion into just one industry. but tonight senate democrats say they think they can get it done, beating the clock, getting some vote before the summer recess friday. picking up speed from the show room floor -- >> when they found out the money was running out it was like somebody turned on a switch. everybody raced down here. >> reporter: to the senate floor. >> it's visible. it's working. it's putting money in the economy. it is saving people money. >> reporter: and today at a news conference, a hard sell from transportation secretary ray lahood. >> let me say something, we are not stopping the program. i don't want to see in print today. we are not -- this program is going forward. i am confident the senate will pass $2 billion. >> reporter: today, lahood, a

republican in the obama cabinet sent every senator this letter making his personal pitch for the extra $2 billion to extend cash for clunkers. >> we encourage people to go into show rooms. this is a wildly popular program. >> reporter: the department of transportation provided partial sales figures that describe buyers like wally walentarski making a trade in california. >> 1994 ford ranger, 200,000 miles on it. >> reporter: a closer look at the numbers shows, more drivers are turning in their american cars to buy new fuel efficient foreign models. all top ten, so-called clunkers are american made suvs and trucks including the ford explorer, f-150 and jeep grand cherokee. among the top sellers, six models are foreign brands. though many are built in the u.s. they include, toyota's corolla and honda civic. the government says american cars make up 47% of sales so far. republicans opposed say a car rebate is the wrong way to spend taxpayer money.

>> what are we going to do after the $2 billion runs out? the sales will drop off, are we going to spend another $5 billion. are we in the car business at the retail level forever? >> reporter: today senate democrats were confident. >> cash for clunkers, we'll pass cash for clunkers. >> when? >> before we leave here. >> reporter: brian, we learned two states that have been hit hard losing jobs when the auto industries had all its trouble are really leading the way taking advantage of this program. michigan and ohio auto dealers are requesting more rebates than any other place in the country. brian. kelly o'donnell on capitol hill. kelly, thanks. we go back overseas to afghanistan. taliban fighters lobbed a wave of rockets at the airport and government buildings in kabul today. happily they missed their targets. but there were threats of more on the way. meanwhile, nbc's jim maceda recently spent two weeks with marines in the dangerous helmand

province. a look at the daily slog there and hard won progress in this war. >> reporter: when hundreds of 15 marines surged into nawa, a town under taliban control, they expected the fight of their lives. they hit ieds and took several casualties but saw little resistance elsewhere. the taliban overwhelmed went to ground. >> can you do painting? and -- plaster? >> three weeks later, colonel bill mccullough is as much construction foreman as commander. he says the surge is working here but knows he must reopen the clinic, school and create jobs or lose the battle for nawa's people. >> let me see those hands. yeah. yeah. lots of work. good job. >> reporter: he hired work parties to clean up a ghost town that was nawa as people who fled the taliban reclaim their lives. >> i did not expect things to pick up as quickly as they did. >> reporter: even nawa's ice cream man who left 14 months ago

is back. but for how long before the taliban returns? >> they're still out there. just a matter of time. >> reporter: outside nawa, villagers are intimidated. often too afraid to speak or be filmed. others say what they think the marines want to hear. >> saying the same old thing in terms of no taliban here, everything is good, security, honkey-dorey. >> yet two freshly planted ieds was planted along the route. >> reporter: a growing worry for marines, corn. it may not look threatening now. in four to six weeks time, all the corn will be tall enough to hide dozens of taliban fighters. one good sign, helmand's governor paying a visit to nawa, much too dangerous to try weeks ago. but clearing the taliban may prove to be the easy part. >> it's the hold that is going to be a lot of work. >> reporter: nawa, the former

taliban stronghold, showing hints of successen what could be a long and lethal mission. jim maceda, nbc news, nawa. when our broadcast continues along the way on a tuesday night, a summer rain storm turns dangerous as flash floods swamp a whole community. and later, an astonishing medical story. , please. would you like that to hurt now or later? uh, what? sir, it's a simple question. do you want heartburn pain, now or later? these heartburn medicines make you choose... between hurting now or later. pepcid complete doesn't. it starts to neutralize acid in seconds... and keeps it under control all day or all night. sometimes you gotta make compromises, man. no, you don't... man. pepcid complete, works now and works later. now with a great new taste. some pharmacies make you work for it with memberships and fees. but not walmart. they have hundreds of generic prescriptions for just $4 for up to a 30-day supply

or $10 for 90 days. save money. live better. walmart. caused by a completely blocked artery, 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. ask your doctor about plavix, protection that helps save lives. (female announcer) if you have stomach ulcer or other condition that causes bleeding, you should not use plavix. when taking plavix alone or with some other medicines including aspirin, the risk of bleeding may increase so tell your doctor before planning surgery. and always talk to your doctor before taking aspirin

or other medicines with plavix, especially if you've had a stroke. if you develop fever or, unexplained weakness or confusion, tell your doctor promptly as these may be signs of a rare but potentially life-threatening condition called ttp, which has been reported rarely, sometimes in less than two weeks after starting therapy. other rare but serious side effects may occur. we have been reporting on unusual weather here all summer long. tonight it has happened again. one part of this country has been the scene of an unusually harsh weather event. julie martin from the weather channel is with us tonight with more on this. julie, good evening. >> well, good evening. brian. tonight the people of louisville are trying to dry out after some of the quickest and most dramatic flooding in more than a decade. >> reporter: the torrential downpour that hit louisville didn't last long, but it packed

a punch. more than 6 inches of rain fell in a one-hour period leaving large portions of the metro region underwater. even churchill downs, home of the kentucky derby experienced what some trainers say is the worst flooding ever seen at the track. >> there are some points that they're up to people's waist. we can tell we are at a stand still completely. >> reporter: the heavy rains washed out roads and stranded countless motorists. >> she's done for. >> all of the pumping engines are working. there is nothing that is broken. it's just the overpowering 6 1/2 inches of rain in an hour. >> reporter: rescue crews navigated several feet of water looking for those caught in the flash flooding. rescue boats were also deployed. rafts carried children from a boys and girls club to safety. and at least 50 students from the university of louisville were also rescued by boat. >> we used -- some rescue apparatus and ropes to get those

people out of their cars and up to higher ground. >> and louisville will have a come of days reprieve before the next chance of rain. a welcome sight, since june 1st, the area has received close to 20 inches. brian. >> thanks, a lot for the folks in louisville to handle tonight. appreciate it. julie martin from the weather channel. when we continue in a moment -- president obama does something today only four other u.s. presidents have ever done. stero. but then my doctor told me something i didn't know. while i was building my life, my high cholesterol was contributing to plaque buildup in my arteries. that's why my doctor prescribed crestor. people everywhere are learning that plaque buildup is a real reason to lower high cholesterol. and that crestor can help. along with diet, crestor does more than lower bad cholesterol, it raises good. crestor is also proven to slow the buildup of plaque in arteries. crestor isn't for everyone, like people with liver disease, or women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. simple blood tests will check for liver problems.

you should tell your doctor about other medicines you're taking, or if you have muscle pain or weakness. that could be a sign of serious side effects. like others, while you've been building your life, plaque may have been building in your arteries. find out more at crestor.com. then ask your doctor if it's time for crestor. announcer: if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. my daughter was with me. i took a bayer aspirin out of my purse and chewed it. my doctor said the bayer aspirin saved my life. please talk to your doctor about aspirin and your heart. i'm going to be grandma for a long time. and then there are the indicator-light warning, radar-sensor-linking, blind-spot-penetrating side mirrors of the all-new ford taurus. so what doesn't show up in your mirror, can still show up on your mirror.

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>>. ♪ happy birthday dear helen it is the president's birthday today. he became only the fifth president in the history of the republic to turn 48 while in office. and he shared his event and a cake with the veteran of the press corps, helen thomas, who turned 89 today. by the way, those four other presidents to turn 48 in office, t.r., grant, cleveland. one of the government stats that gets our attention every year at this time. the new estimate for the total cost of raising a child in this country. for a child born in '08, the estimate 291,571 for a middle-income family they say. that is up to age 18. so it doesn't include the cost of college. by comparison the cost of a child born in 1960 was all of $25,000 and change. a great picture from space tonight. the mars rover opportunity has

spotted something on mars and sent back a stunning photograph, what is believed to be a meteorite there in the foregrou foreground. two feet across. scientisted have dubbed it block island because of its size. we thought it might also be because it looks look one of those beautiful rhode island beaches on the real block island. charles gwathmey has died. during his life as an architect he helped to transform where americans live and work. his first project, a house for his parents on long island, in 1966, built for $35,000. it became hugely influential. he went on to become one of the great architects of the last half century. he left his mark across city skylines and college campuses and built spectacular homes. many for celebrity clients with names like spielberg and seinfeld. charles gwathmey was 71 years old. >> up anext, an extraordinary spirit of giving that is saving lives on the brink tonight.

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we have a special story in our making a difference report tonight. an act of sacrifice that goes way beyond a single person. this one involves seven people who created a chain reaction that made the ultimate difference for seven other people they had never met. none of it would ever have happened without a surgeon who has made it his mission to tackle a challenge that takes a disproportionate toll on african-americans. our own tom costello has the story. >> reporter: 5:30 a.m. in washington and larry mcfadder is headed to surgery. someone, he doesn't know who, will soon get one of his kidneys. >> we are going to take good care of you. once again you are a hero, my man. this is beautiful. >> reporter: also deeply personal. larry's wife elizabeth is in kidney failure and on dialysis. >> i do not want to live like this. i want to go, i want to die.

that's the way i say it to myself. >> reporter: the trouble, larry's blood isn't compatible for a kidney transplant. but maybe he could donate to someone else. >> i live in the house with her. i hear her every night crying and talking to god. there is nothing i can do. >> reporter: linda russell is here to give a kidney though no one she knows needs one. >> you are helping to save many lives. >> reporter: she has flown in from saint louis simply to donate. >> to think that people, thousands of people die every year in need of a kidney. that's why. >> reporter: people like daisha pinkard whose father gave her a kidney 14 years ago but now that kidney is failing. >> it is very draining. it's no kind of life i wish on anyone. >> x marks the spot. >> reporter: jordan bro is here, donating a kidney simply because he can. >> if i have two and somebody

can use one. makes me uncomfortable for a little while. seems like it is worth it. >> reporter: there is craig, dominique, olarmi, laurie, brian, jacqueline, sean and elaine. >> 15 -- >> reporter: in all unprecedented 14 surgeries over four days with ambulances rushing kidneys between georgetown university hospital and washington hospital center. dr. keith bolanson is director of kidney transplants at georgetown. >> we really have an epidemic of kidney disease in this country especially in the big urban centers. >> reporter: diabetes and high blood pressure are to blame. nationwide, 80,000 people are waiting for a kidney. 32% are black. and there aren't enough donors. here in washington, d.c. the need is especially acute. 6,000 people are on dialysis. vast majority african-american. yet doctors only perform 250 transplants each year. one big problem minorities often build up antibodies that cause

organ rejection. so the doctor helped pioneer a process to filter the antibodies from blood plasma making a transplant a reality. >> we think that with this procedure that we could perform thousands more transplants in this country. approximately 2,000 to 3,000 more transplants every year. >> reporter: without the procedure none of his seven patients could have received a new kidney. two weeks after their surgeries they gathered for the first time to meet their donors. elizabeth's kidney came from jordan. >> linda's kidney went to olermi. >> thank you very much. >> reporter: and larry donated to daisha. >> this man is an angel. my angel. >> reporter: for seven people and seven more, the ultimate gift of life. tom costello, nbc news, washington. we wanted to let you know there is a lot more on this story, on our website,

nightly.msnbc.com. you will be able to see many of the donors and recipients live tomorrow morning on "today." for now, for us, that's our broadcast for this tuesday night. thank you for being with us. i'm brian williams. we of course, hope to see you back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com