trapped miners, but after two months underground the most dangerous job may be bringing them to the surface. life of the party. rolling out the big guns with just three weeks until election day. you might be surprised at the most popular name on the trail. hate crime. shock and outrage after the brutal beating and torture of three men, two of them teenagers, because they were gay. and far and away. richard engel's remarkable

and far and away. richard engel's remarkable journey from here to timbucktu. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening, tonight there is a light at the end of the tunnel for those 33 trapped miners in chile who after more than two months could be hoisted to freedom by the middle of this week. following a day of high emotion as a drill boring a res crew sthaft finally broke through to the miners, today preparations are under way to lift them to the surface. if drilling a hole to reach them was tough, actually bringing them out safely is potentially more risky. kerry sanders is above the mine tonight. >> reporter: today alicia penned what she hopes is the last letter to her son daniel. she wants to see him, hug him, kiss him. on saturday teams here took a huge step in this rescue effort, one of three drills racing to

the 33 men down below punched through 622 meters, that's 2,040 feet of some of the hardest rock on earth. at the drill's controls american jefl hart who you can barely here come on, baby, come on baby. >> we came here with a goal in mind to do it sooner. it was more difficult than we thought. the hole fought us until the last centimeter. >> they were in afghanistan drilling waurl holes for u.s. soldiers when they heard about the trapped miners. on day 66 the americans reached the 33 miners what did it feel like in your stomach? >> butterflies. >> reporter: if people call you heroes, what do you say? >> the heroes are still downstairs. >> reporter: more than 1500 reporters are in the chilean deserts. teams are inserting half-inch segments of 20-foot long pipes,

they will extend down 315 feet to prevent rocks in the upper portions of the shaft from falling dpoun and hitting the escape capsule as it transits up and down. >> the hole is pretty good, but at the beginning at the surface you can see some small fractures. >> reporter: engineering are pouring a concrete base to hold a winch and arm in base. a ski air cliff cable flown from from germany. the miners are upset fighting over the order to come up. each of the 33 wants the same position in line. >> many of them mentioned that they wanted to be the last in the line. >> reporter: the last? >> the number 33rd. >> reporter: because they wanted their brothers to go first? >> yeah, that's correct. >> reporter: now that's what i call solidarity. as you know, three drills trying

to make it down there, the one drill that made it down called plan b. they have a t-shirt on. on the back it says rescue of the 33. it's hope that rescue could be as early as late tuesday or maybe wednesday. lester. >> it will nice to see the 33 wearing that t-shirt. kerry sanders for us. thank you if anyone has a sense of what those trapped miners are going through and what they're about to go through it is tom foye, one of nine miners rescued in pennsylvania in 2002. the circumstances were different then, the depth of the mine, length of time trapped, but the way foye and his fellow miners were rescued was pretty much the same. here it is in his own words. >> going you want out of there was one of the happiest days of my life. it's a capsule about 8 feet high all screened in. you get somebody probably 6 foot, 250 pounds and we had a rusch time getting them in. it was a tight fight.

you're looking at 26 inches and some of these boys' shoulders are probably a little bit more. you squeezed a little bit, and we made it and got him in. it was a quick trip. it took us about maybe 10 minutes i'd say at the most because you ain't talking 260 feet now. you're not talking a mile or almost a mime. you had a light on then, and it was really interesting going up through there watching the rock formation, i thought. i kind of liked it. when we came outside, there was lights, my goodness it looked like mars or something. lights everywhere, people everywhere hollering and screaming. it was beautiful. i mean, really emotional is what it was, yep. >> tom foye did not return to mining after his ordeal. he now works for a company that is helping with the rescue effort in chile. the midterm elections are now three weeks away, and president obama is in fight mode hoping to rally the troops and fend off a possible republican

take-over of congress. the president brought his message to philadelphia late today and he brought reinforcements. mike is there. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. only 23 days, that's how long until the midterm elections, and this weekend both sides are out in force to try to close the deal with voters in what promises to be a frantic fight for the finish. president obama in philadelphia today along with vice president biden trying to light a fire under young democrats and rec recapture the campaign magic that sent him to the oval office. >> if everybody who fought so hard for change in 2008 shows up to vote in 2010, i'm absolutely confident we will win. >> reporter: republicans are on the verge of big gains in congress. to stop them mr. obama has embarked on a series of pep rallies urging them to put aside their misgivings and get to the polls. in coming days the president

plans campaign stops around the country on the west koed, midwest, northeast, and even an appearance on mtv. but this weekend giddy republicans were staging rallies of their own. >> i think every speech should begin with a shot of tequila. >> reporter: polls show the gop has the edge in voter energy. in richmond grassroots kwerch actives were gearing up for political battle. >> ladies and gentlemen, the virginia tea party patriots convention. >> reporter: in california party king maker sarah palin had her sights set beyond next month. >> we cannot undo the damage by the obama agenda until we replace obama himself. >> carl rove, ed gillespie, they're bush cronies, the u.s. chamber of commerce, they're shields for big business and stealing our democrat sigh. >> reporter: a new cover prompted a new ad from democrats and democrats allege that foreign money is being illegally spent in the effort.

that claim brought a sharp review from one republican involved with the groups. >> they have not one shred of evidence to back up that baseless lie. this is a desperate and i think disturbing trend by the president of the united states. >> reporter: and lester, today it was local favorite joe biden alongside the president. next week the president brings along someone on a campaign trip through ohio that's popular than boast men, first lady michelle obama. some economic news that could have a political impact among the 58 million social security recipients. the government will announce this week there will no cost of living increase in social security payments in 2011. that would make it just the second time that's happened since such payments were first indexed to inflation back in the '70s. the first time? it was this year, 2010. former vice president dick cheney made his first public appearance last night since undergoing heart surgery this summer. noticeably thinner but in good

spirits he spoke at a bakersfield, california fund-raiser. we got a look today inside one of the most secretive and oppressive neighbors on earth, north korea. ailing dictator king jeong i will shared the stage with his 20-something-year-old kim jong un. we have the report. >> reporter: long live kim jo ong un they shout. he was sitting literally next in line. his father is the current ruler of this secretive state visibly ailing. they came to watch the largest military parade in north korea's history. a show of strength and successi succession. north korea's huge armed forces will soon be ruled by kim jong

un. that means that a man in his 20s with very little experience of global negotiation will have his finger on the nuclear button. no wonder the west is worried. controlling the fifth largest army in the world keeps asia's most powerful family in control. after all, the war with south korea and the united states has never technically ended. this country can put on a huge spectacle in its showcase capital, but way from the parade grounds the streets were deserted. this is one of the world's poorest countries short of fuel and food. dressed in their sunday best, only the party faithful, the elite were invited. we were taken in a convoy of cars to the parade. our movements restricted at all times. we managed to snatch these shots with a small camera until we were stopped.

i also got the chance to ask one man if he'd ever thought about another leader, another family, another political system. can you think of having a different leader from a different family, maybe a different political party? tonight the leadership celebrated loudly 65 years of the party in power. yet, although the north korean regime can light up the night sky, look at this. the state can't provide power to light the streets. we slipped away from our minders and filmed in the center of the capital after the sun goes down this is a country trapped in darkness. anges walker in north korea. on the pakistan border tonight trucks carrying fuel and other supplies for the war effort in afghanistan are rolling again. pakistan re-opened a key border crossing today ending an 11-day blockade intended to protest the

deaths of pakistanis in cross-border u.s. drone strikes. some 150 trucks were troyed during the blockade. in "nbc nightly news" continues this sunday night, a shocking crime leaving three men beaten, eight men in custody and hard questions about hate for a stunned community. later richard engel pays a visit to one of the most remote and mysterious places on earth. priority mail flat rate... envelopes? yes! you could ship to any state... for a low flat rate? yes! a really low flat rate. like $4.90? yes! and it could look like a flat rate box... only flatter? like this? you...me...genius. genius. priority mail flat rate envelopes. just $4.90. only from the postal service. a simpler way to ship. we've been best friends since we were two. we've always been alike. [ lindy ] we even both have osteoporosis. but we're active. especially when we vacation, so when i heard about reclast,

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>> reporter: in new york city eight up suspects arrested over the weekend were arraigned on hate crime charges stemming from the brutal attacks of three individuals believed to be gay. they say nine members of a gang beat and tortured a 17-year-old recruit inside this bronx apartment after learning he was involved with main. >> he was thrown into a wall, made to strip naked, cut with a box cutter and sodomized with a wooden handle of a plunger. >> reporter: they attacked and tortured two more victims, unthinkable crimes premeditated and motivated by hate. >> you don't attack somebody because of who they are unless you are an ignorant coward. >> reporter: the attack marks the 50th anti-gay hate crime in the city this year, up from 41 at this time last year, and nationwide hate crimes based on sexual orientation are also on the rise. >> we have got to continue to do

the work of changing hearts and minds and really getting at the root causes of hate-based violence. >> reporter: it is not always violence that triggers fear in victims. just two weeks ago rutgers university student tyler clemente jumped off a bridge after two classmates streamed his sexual encounter over the enter knit. for the mother of matthew shepard who was killed and tied to a fence post 12 years ago because of his sexual orientation, the latest high profile cases underscore the need to strengthen hate crime laws but teach basic respect. >> we need to teach empathy and what it feels like to be someone who is perceived as different. >> reporter: lessons lost at the cost of her son and other victims. michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. there's more to come here tonight when we continue in a moment. another comeback for the comeback kid. look who's a hit on the campaign trail these days.

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he got the nickname the comeback kid 18 years ago, keeping his campaign for the presidential democratic campaign alive in new hampshire. he's been through a lot of ups and downs since then, now 64, his wife secretary of state and their daughter married. he's enjoying something of a renaissance. here's nbc's another norah o'do. >> reporter: bill clinton is back barnstorming the country and feeling voters' pain. >> people have a right to be angry and disappointed, but they still have to make a choice. an election is not a referendum on their anger. it's a choice between two candidates. >> reporter: the former

president is this year as campaign superstar, already headlining 60 events this season for democrats and this week alone he'll travel to kentucky, west virginia, nevada, and california. >> his numbers are excellent and he's highly regarded in the father and by a lot of independent and swing voters that the democrats desperately need to avoid disaster in november. >> reporter: in fact, clinton is the most popular politician in the country according to a recent nbc news "wall street journal" poll. >> i hope i have some credibility talking about jobs and budgets and the government. i mean, we did pretty well. >> reporter: it's a remarkable turnrar turnaround for a president who was impeached. >> i did not have sexual relations with that woman. >> reporter: and who angered obama supporters during the bitter 2008 primary. >> this whole thing is the biggest fairy tale i've ever seen. >> reporter: today clinton is seen in a new light as a

humanitarian, as a father who celebrated the wedding of his only daughter and a man that survived quadruple bypass and lost over 20 pounds. the former president is also benefitting of a wave of nostalgia for the clinton economy. >> little wonder people feel nostalgia, a booming economy during his time, 23 million new jobs, startup companies going around, houses being built and bought contrasted with a tough economy now. >> reporter: republicans doubt clinton is the cure-all for the democrats. >> at the end of the day even a former president as popular as bill clinton is not able to reverse the major dynamics shaping this election that look like they will help republicans. >> reporter: his busy campaign schedule is a clear sign the democrats hope that the comeback kid can do it again. >> the great thing about being a former president, you can say whatever you want. >> reporter: norah o'donnell, nbc news, washington.

one of the great voices of popular music has been silenced. solomon burke died today in amsterdam after a flight from los angeles. ♪ when your baby leaves you all alone ♪ >> a former breecher, burke was known as the king of rock and soul recording hits for atlantic including cry for me and everybody needs somebody to love. a grammy winner and member of the rock 'n roll hall of fame, he never stopped recording and performing. solomon burke was 70 years old. when we come back here tonight, going from here to timbucktu with richard engel. re? woman: how do you go from saving to spending? fidelity helped us get to this point, and now we're talking about what comes next. man: we worked together to create a plan to help our money last. woman: so we can have the kind of retirement we want. now, you know how this works. just stay on the line. oh, yeah.

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finally tonight we go on a journey to a place so remote and mysterious. when you go from here to timbucktu, you've gone to the middle of nowhere, but rishld engel made that journey recently and discovered that timbucktu in mali, africa is really something special. >> reporter: our journey to timbucktu would take us across to the sahara to nomad camps and cities of mud and mean magicians that commune with the dead.

it's in mali one of the poorest and most diverse nations. every shlg including the great mosque is made of mud. and villages on cliffs where the people still practice a form of voodoo. this is one of the only villages that allows outsiders to witness the sacred dances. the dances are designed to escort the souls the fallen to the great beyond, a road map to show the dead where to go. finally, we make it to timbucktu's tiny airport and immediate our guide. >> nice to see you, richard. >> reporter: he whisks us to a camp on the outskirts on timbucktu and welcomes up with the dance. they're the world's only culture where the men veil but women do not. the women have more rights than men. they're the heads of the household. women decide when the camp

should move. they founded timbucktu 1,000 years ago on the edge of the sahara. camel caravans once went through the desert. it made timbucktu rich beyond measure, but so isolated outsiders didn't know where it was. the fame can be traced back to a single man. in 1326 timbucktu's most famous king wanted to impress the world. he traveled by caravan through the desert across egypt laden with gold. when he arrived word of his incredible wealth spread and europeans wanted to know where was timbucktu, this mysterious city of gold. it took 500 years to find it. the next morning we arrive in the city of timbucktu. the city faded long ago. all that's left of the trade

routes are a few sellers of salt. but now there is an effort under way to preserve timbucktu's heritage. at it'll peak timbucktu had the greatest libraries in africa. foreign don rors are paying to restore, as timbucktu lost and then rediscovered is lowly being reborn. richard engel, nbc news, timbucktu. that's "nbc nightly news" for this 10th day of 10th month of 2010. "football night in america" is next followed by "sunday night football." the eagles and the 49ers. brian williams will be here tomorrow. from all of us here at nbc news, good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

inherits a billion-dollar surplus, low unemployment. o'malley signs the biggest tax hike in maryland history. raids chesapeake bay fund to cover spending. gives raises to top aides. business climate ranks 45th worst in the nation. now 200,000 jobs lost. o'malley covers up jobs report that proved maryland's economy stalled. if re-elected, o'malley will raise taxes again. whether he does, is up to you.