roll it! >> announcing our fall and winter maintenance specials. you could save up to $65 dollars in additional rebates. only from auto service plus. service you can trust. go to autoserviceplus.biz for a location near you. on our broadcast tonight, touchy subject. why more and more americans are saying they've had it with airline security that invades their privacy. above and beyond. on the eve of receiving the nation's highest military honor, a young man from iowa says it doesn't belong to him. perfect together. who thought combining fish and lettuce was a good idea? turns out it happens to be in the farming business. and getting personal. our exclusive conversation with prince charles about the pressure of raising two sons. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening. there is something about the current state of airline security that has set people off at a lot of major airports right now. travelers have a choice of a full body scan that shows everything to a screener. or a full-on pat-down designed to feel everything. as we approach the christmas anniversary of the attempt to blow up an airliner using a bomb embedded in underwear, the feds say they have to check everybody carefully. that includes a lot of once personal space. some travelers have decided it's too much. too much government, too much intrugs and their hero is a passenger who picked a fight with the tsa and posted the video on the web. we want to begin with nbc's tom costello at reagan national airport here in washington. tom, good evening. >> reporter: hi, brian.

the tsa screens 2 million passengers every day. now a small number of passengers is talking about boycotting the tsa's latest screening methods just as the thanksgiving rush draws near. when john tiner hit record at 6:00 a.m. saturday with his cell phone camera face up and the x-ray machine at san diego's airport, he was anticipating a showdown with the tsa. having refused a full body imaging scan, he would have to go through the new tsa pat-down. >> also we're going to be doing a groin check. that meaning we're going to place my hand on your hip and groin and slowly go up and slide down. >> reporter: tiner said no. >> we can do that out here. but if you touch my junk, i'm going to have you arrested. >> reporter: one supporter wrote, civil rights icon rosa parks would be proud. >> i don't want some random stranger looking at my naked body. my traveling about the country

by plane doesn't seem to warrant that by me. >> reporter: his rant has truck a pop ulist cord, though. since 9/11, the tsa strategies have evolved to respond to the failed shoe and underwear bombing attempts. and the traveling public is divided on the security versus privacy debate. from dallas -- >> if it protects everybody, i don't care. >> reporter: to newark. to l.a. >> i think the entire process is innovative. >> the tsa has simply gone too far. they're make 1g00% of the flying public feel like terrorists and their fourth amendment rights are being violated. >> reporter: one common concern, the full body scanners. unions representing us airways and american are urging their pilots to avoid them. today, the homeland security chief suggested the tsa is open to change. >> if there are adjustments we need to make to these procedures

as we move forward, we have an open ear. we will listen. >> reporter: critics complain the tsa often seems to lack common sense, selecting the elderly, even teenagers for pat-downs. but the tsa chief says the approach must be across the board. >> so it's hard to say this person is a terrorist, this person is not a terrorist. again, everybody on that flight wants to make sure that everybody else has been properly screened. >> reporter: you saw kate henny there, he's with a passenger rights group, calling for a boycott of tsa methods over the thanksgiving rush that could mess things up. in addition, the tsa has launched an investigation into the tiner episode. he could face an $11,000 charge for probing a tsa checkpoint and then backing out. >> tom costello starting us off. tom, thanks. while most americans have been good and accepting about the new security rules, considering it is just an added cost of flying, if you have an airport security

experience that you want to share, do so on our website, nightly.msnbc.com. congress returned back here to washington today for a lame duck session that will finish off some high-stakes business and we'll have more on that in just a moment. but first the high drama from one of the most senior members of congress. new york's charles rangel, facing a trial of his peers for ethics violations. our own kelly o'donnell has the story tonight from the capital. good evening. >> reporter: it's been years since the house put a member on trial like. this charlie rangel claims he's being treated unfairly by a jury of four democrats and four republicans and he didn't stick around for long. >> the committee counsel is president. are you represented by counsel today or are you representing yourself? >> reporter: new york's charlie rangel stood alone. >> 50 years of public service is on the line. >> reporter: facing 13 counts of

ethics rule violations. >> i am entitled to a lawyer during this proceeding. >> reporter: with his well-honed stage presence, he pleaded for a delay. >> and all i'm asking for is time to get counsel. you denied it before, and you are denying it now. >> reporter: charlie rangel and his legal team split weeks ago, but he did not hire anyone else, claiming he can't afford it. after spending $2 million on his defense. >> we are prepared to proceed today. >> reporter: adding to the drama, rangel walked out. >> the respondent repeatedly did not get his financial disclosure statements and tax filings correct. >> reporter: among the allegations, failure to pay taxes on rental income on a caribbean vacation villa, improperly uses his office and staff to raise millions for a

college center in his name. getting special deals on rent controlled new york city apartments. after he left the hearing, his words were used against him. >> there has to be a penalty for grabbing the wrong stationary. >> reporter: but the hearing's prosecutor actually did support one of rangel's claims. that he made mistakes but did not enrich himself. >> do you see any evidence of personal financial benefit or corruption? >> i see no evidence of corruption. >> reporter: there are no criminal charges in any of this. rangle's case could be resolved with something like a formal reprimand by his colleagues, if it comes to that. of course, the political embarrassment. brian? >> kelly o'donnell up on the hill for us here in washington tonight. thanks. again, this new congress starts work in january. that's what makes the current congress a so-called lame duck congress. but if they want to, they've got a lot of work to do, beginning with taxes.

our chief white house correspondent chuck todd with us in the studio. good evening. >> look, the president just back from his longest overseas trip of his presidency, it's a different washington he's returning to and he's now dealing with two congresses, the democratic one that's trying to leave, and the republican one that's coming in. it's transition time in washington. new members of congress reporting in like new students at college. >> congratulate him on his re-election. >> reporter: and old members of congress coming back to wrap up unfinished business. first up, what to do with bush era tax rates scheduled to expire. if congress does nothing, rates will go up. for those under $250,000, the rates would hit 31%. the white house and members of both parties signaled a compromise is imnant. >> if that's all we can get out of the president, he is the president. so we'll work with him on that.

>> reporter: senator charles schumer suggested raising the threshold of $1 million instead of $250,000. >> the millionaires and billionaires won't get a tax cut. >> reporter: some democrats are concerned schumer's plan redefines middle class as anyone making less than a million dollars. >> we will have gridlock, but in the near term, the public wants the parties to play nicely. >> reporter: the tea party effect is being felt. mitch mcconnell reversing his position, said he now supports banning congressional earmarks. the practice of a lawmaker setting aside federal dollars for pet projects back home. >> i'm not wild turning over more spending authority to the executive branch. but i've come to share the view that our nation is at a crossroads. >> reporter: this was a very

reluctant move by mitch mcconnell. part is he didn't want to start off with a divided republican caucus. he would rather see the democrats look divided at this point in time. the white house not just on tax cuts are they worried about in this lame duck congress, they're concerned about getting this new nuclear arms treaty with russia rat feed. they don't think they can with the incoming senate. >> talk about big ticket items awaiting. chuck, thanks. tomorrow at the white house, president obama will award the nation's highest military honor, the medal of honor, to army staff sergeant salvatore junta. this is the first time since vietnam a living recipient will receive the medal. staff sergeant junta will be recognized for his actions in battle in afghanistan. for running into the path of whithering fire above and beyond the call of duty to rescue another soldier who was mortally

wounded. when we met up with him at the white house today, as he before, the sergeant insisted his medal belongs to others, especially his two comrades who did not survive that day. >> there's a huge "why me" component to this decoration. and sometimes the answer is, staff sergeant, because it had to be someone, and you did your job that day. i know everyone else did too. but you did your job that day. that's got to be enough for you. >> it is. people can tell me whatever they want, i'll lp. but there's so many other people, not even the ones that are here that can watch it on tv or be there and share that with me and touch my life directly. that night, sergeant joshua brennan, both of them gave everything, every single tomorrow they'll ever have they gave for their country that night. and now people want to shake my hand and congratulate me and

tell me how proud of me they are. i know a lot braver people than me. and i know a lot stronger people than me and i've served with a lot of them. i'm just one of many. i'm just a middleman here in this whole scheme of things. >> after receiving the medal from president obama, staff sergeant will become the 87th living medal of honor. a horrifying scene in china tonight. a high rise apartment building just went up in flames in the center of shanghai. the building was home to more than 150 families. so far, at least 42 people are dead. 90 injured. many still unaccounted for. the fire raged for hours. firefighters could not get water to the upper floors on the fire at first.

then they did have adjacent buildings and towers. no word on the cause. the building was undergoing renovation. we have an important note on women's health tonight. new results from the long-running women's health study at boston's brighamman university. women who reported having a stressful job had an 88% increased risk of heart attack, compared to women with less stressful jobs. for these women and others, doctors continue to recommend exercise, relaxation techniques like yoga and limiting contact with work in your off hours, if you can. when our broadcast continues in a moment, why some insist this could be a future way of feeding a hungry world. and later, my conversation with one of the world's most famous men. who also happens to be a father of two sons. tonight, prince charles talks about william and harry. there's the life you live... and the life you want to live.

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we're back as promised to begin a new series this week, all part of green work on the networks of nbc universal. specifically tonight, the twin problems of needing to feed a growing population while treading lightly on the environment at the same time. there is one way now being promoted to do both. we get our report tonight from milwaukee. here's our chief environmental affairs correspondent anne thompson. >> reporter: tonight's special, talapia. the product of an even tolder technology called aqua ponics. >> with our system, we can

provide safe trail year round. >> reporter: josh runs sweet water organics. it starts with the fish. they're waste feeds the plants. and the plants filter the water for the fish. it's a closed loop system that shortens growing time, for fish and vegetables. >> it takes us about 35 days. >> reporter: and conventionally? >> reporter: about 45, 50 days. there are no chemicals used here. the people have figured out how to grow a lot of food with little cost to the environment. that's an idea that could have a big impact on another problem, how to get fresh, affordable food to places that don't have it. more than 23 million americans don't have easy access to grocery stores with fresh food. a problem aquapopics won't solve

tomorrow. >> it's about 20 years out being an important part of the food system, because the young people have to be trained and acclimated into those business mod models. >> reporter: what do you hope all these kids take away from this experience? >> that they can do something about where we're at. the situation, this crisis we're under. >> reporter: it's taking fresh to new levels. >> to take something down the street that was alive within the last 15 minutes of my ordering it, it's going to taste ridiculously fresh. >> reporter: a healthy option for people and the planet. anne thompson, nbc news, milwaukee. when we come back here tonight, getting a word in. some new entries in our global lexicon. [ female announcer ] this is not a prescription.

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monitor, there is such a thing, they track the popularity and use of new words to enter our lexicon. they're out with the big ones from 2010 thus far, and they include the vuvuzala. or that's something close to it. the plastic horns that almost drowned out this year's soccer world cup. and spill cam that brought us that billowing plume of oil off the coast of louisiana. and snowpocolypse. finally, sarah palin's on the board with refudiate. the founder of facebook today announced a new electronic communication that combines

e-mail and texting, based on the belief that a generation raised on texting finds e-mail formal and cumbersome, though he insists this isn't an e-mail killer. one analyst said e-mail providers should indeed be worried about today's announcement. when we come back here tonight, part of our rare conversation with a parent who just happens to be the prince of wales and the stress of being a parent with two sons in the military. an everyday moment can turn romantic anytime. and when it does, men with erectile dysfunction can be more confident in their ability to be ready with cialis for daily use. cialis for daily use is a clinically proven low-dose tablet you take every day, so you can be ready anytime the moment's 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,

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finally tonight, we have a bit of a preview of a special program we're airing this coming friday night on nbc. prince charles, the prince of wales and the man who will be the next king of england, granted us a rare interview and rare access to his private life. we traveled about as far as you can go in the united kingdom to the far north of scotland, the summer home of the queen mom. what you're about to see tonight, i asked the prince about the pressures of having both sons, including an heir to the throne, in the british

military. both in helicopter units and prince harry having already served in afghanistan. sounds like the raf. could that be one of your sons buzzing us? >> not yet. no, that one isn't, i don't think. >> both william and harry are military helicopter pilots. william is with a search and rescue wing of the royal air force. harry is training on army gunships and we spoke to him shortly before his first tour in afghanistan. >> the closer it gets, the more i think about it. william and i have sat down and had a little time to talk about it. i still sort of need to talk to my father about it. >> their father, of course, worries about both of them. for many years you raised two children as a single parent and you have both children in the military, which must wear on you. >> it certainly did obviously when harry went down to

afghanistan. but he was terribly keen to do so, and it was very difficult for william, my eldest, not to go. but i did say to him, when i was in the navy for five years, in the early 1970s, i had the same problem, they wouldn't send me anywhere. but i can understand profoundly what it is that other families are going through, just you agonizing it is, day in and day out worrying about what is happening to your loved one. in many ways it's easier for those who are out there, it's much worse for those left behind, because they're getting on with their job. but at that age, you're determined to go where the action is. >> and you can see our interview with prince charles this friday on a special hour-long "dateline" called "the man who will be king." that's friday night at 9:00, 8:00 central. followed by his own documentary on the environment here on nbc.

for us, for now, that's our broadcast. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams reports tonight from our nbc news washington bureau. we hope to see you tomorrow evening back home in new york. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com .