on our broadcast tonight, the plot to blow up a u.s. bound airplane and the secret twist that stopped it and perhaps the most important question, would that bomb have made it past airport security. weight of the nation, an american health crisis out of control, and tonight a reality check on what it might take to turn things around. and where the wild things are, remembering the man whose incredible imagination inspired so many. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening, we are now learning more about a foiled plot to blow up an airliner bound for the u.s. again thankfully it was disrupted before it got very

far. and it now turns out that the bomber was actually an informant cooperating with intelligence services friendly to the united states. this case has raised a lot of issues all over again about our airline security, about how strong al qaeda still is these days, and about how many more of these could be out there. it's where we begin tonight with our justice correspondent pete williams in our washington newsroom. pete, good evening. >> by all accounts, this is a remarkable success for the intelligence agencies of the united states and its allies, they managed to insert a critical informant into the very heart of the terror group that's considered the number one threat to the united states. al qaeda's offshoot in yemen. administration and intelligence officials say by t time this most recent plot was in its final planning stages, the u.s. and its allies were able to follow it in detail. but the terrorists in yemen did

not know at the time these officials say is that the person they chose to be the suicide bomber was actually an informant. someone who agreed to cooperate with an allied intelligence service. members of congress declined to be specific but praised the cia and its overseas counterparts. >> this was incredibly good intelligence work. this is intelligence at its best. >> after the al qaeda operatives finished the bomb, it was driven to yemen where it was turned over to the united states. >> i want to say the device was always under control, and that no one in the united states was ever at risk, because we did have control. >> those who have seen the bomb say it is remarkably similar to this, the one worn by the 2009 underwear bomber. while the ingredients were improved, the overall design was basically the same with no metal. presenting no more challenge to screeners than the 2009

underwear bomb. as a result, u.s. officials say no change to airport security is planned. >> the fact that we have the device shows us how to look for, and how to detect such devices should they be used in the future. >> could it have gotten through screening? homeland security officials say they cannot be certain, but just as with the 2009 underwear bomb, the answer is no. >> in today's date with all the various layers we have, in all likelihood, it would not have exploded. >> they will investigate how word of this top secret intelligence operation first began to leak last week before it was made public. that put at risk those involved in disrupting the plot. >> pete williams from washington, thanks. for more on this, we're joined by kip pauley, he was the

head of the tsa, he is the man who made us put all our liquids and gels in plastic bags. he wrote a book called "permanent emergency." now that we know more about how they're trying to come after us, you've complained the tsa is still wasting time and effort looking for sharp objects. are we still fighting the last war? >> good evening, brian. i think we're ahead of this one, thankfully, and we ought to get rid of the tools from the last war that are already covered. it demonstrates again that al qaeda is looking for an explosive bomb, and that sharp objects are a distraction. i would say we get rid of that and focus on our resources on the next generation of explosives they bring at us. >> do you think it's dangerous how many government officials are walking around talking about how weakened al qaeda is now? >> i think it's not accurate,

because it's a worldwide movement, frankly, i think having the news out at all was a surprise to me, because it's a whole lot better if al qaeda doesn't know they've lost an operative and/or a bomb. but they will keep trying research and development, i think one of the key things we need to remember, is that the security arrangements we have today drives them away from bombs that work. so that underwear bomb may or may not have worked. and it's our baggy and shoes and all that kind of stuff we do today forces al qaeda to use bombs that are less effective. >> all right, kip pauley with us tonight from california. thank you very much. >> thank you. a quick word on gas prices in the news tonight. they are down for the fifth week in a row, hitting an average of $3.79 a gallon this week. that's down almost 4% from a recent high of $3.94 on april 2nd. oil prices have been plummeting on plentiful supply. it all means we may not see the

predictions of $5 a gallon gas this summer. it was a low key endorsement of the era. then again, these men fought tooth and nail for the gop nomination. last night rick santorum endorsed mitt romney. the endorsement itself came in the 13th out of 16 paragraphs and says, quote, governor romney will be that nominee, and he has my endorsement and support to win this, the most critical election of our lifetime. richard lugar was with known for a long time in american politics as richard nixon's favorite mayor. that's some measure of how long he's been around. he was mayor of indianapolis before becoming a senator 35 years ago, he's one of the lions in the u.s. senate. a moderate republican in a red

state. tonight in the indiana primary, he's fighting for his political life. our report from kelly o'donnell. >> indiana republican senator dick lugar faced an unusual kind of political peril today. >> he's widely respected here, considered unbeatable for decades, but now at age 80, even some friends say lugar is likely to be rejected by his own party, after serving 36 years. >> at this point, i feel it's time for a forward looking person. >> endangers our national security. >> lugar built a national reputation as a states man on foreign policy, but made himself vulnerable at home. >> he's out of touch with the people of indiana. he never comes back here. heck, he doesn't even have a home here. >> reporter: that fact, he sold his house in the 1970s certainly hurts him now. when so much of the country is

setup with washington incumbent. >> could you have done more to stay connected to your home state? >> i've been perfectly connected. it's a ridiculous charge. how could anybody be more hoosier. >> reporter: national tea party activists spent millions atalking lugar has not been conservative enough. >> backed indiana's two-term state treasurer richard murdoch. >> are you a candidate? >> reporter: governor mitch daniels a lugar supporter says age and decades in washington may have hurt lugar more than the tea party. >> is this a tea party effect? >> i think that's a very profound misreading of it. >> and brian, lugar says that criticism of his age is really just another personal attack, and he feels able to keep serving another six years, while his own conservative credentials

have been questioned. he's been appealing to democrats and independents who are able to vote today, to take a republican ballot and vote for him. brian? >> kelly o'donnell in indianapolis tonight, thanks. north carolina is voting today on a constitutional amendment that would ban not only same sex marriage but also all civil unions and domestic partnerships. if it passes, incoming in would be the 29th state to pass a constitutional amendment defining marriage was solely between a man and a woman. at the john edwards trial today, a former speech writer told the jury she worked for weeks with edwards on versions of a statement, in which he would admit to fathering rielle hunter's child, possibly acknowledge the money from a wealthy friend used to cover up the affair. there was a lot of sadness today among adults who were once kids themselves and now have kids of their own. the children's book author

mauri maurice sendak has died. he was considered the best at his craft. and he taught more than one american generation about where the wild things are. our remembrance tonight from nbc's kevin tibbles. >> reporter: quite likely there isn't a story time in america that hasn't included the vivid imagination of maurice sendak. >> particularly the illustrations, really allowed the children to fantasize. >> he wrote more than 20 children's books, illustrated 70 more. most loved, where the wild things are, published in 1963, which tells the story of a little boy's encounter with some scary monsters. and it's a favorite of 5-year-old riley. it's also a favorite of the president, who read it to children at the white house. >> and mack said, i'll eat you up. >> he really valued that time we call childhood, and understood it as a time that was a time of

joy, but also could be a time of sorrow. >> reporter: his books aren't sure i sugary fairy tales yet quite the opposite. he grew up in brooklyn, a sickly child who passed the time drawing and listening to his father's elaborate bedtime stories. >> childhood was not a wonderful time at all. it was very dark. >> reporter: he even named the monsters in his book after his relatives, and once joked with stevphen colbert, truth be told he didn't really like children. but adults and children love his work. >> i think it's one of the books i think about from my childhood. it was really -- the pictures are so amazing. >> reporter: perhaps like mack, sendak is now saying let the wild roumpus start. chelly clinton reporting

tonight on how the power of words is helping young people turn their lives around. and up next, the weight of the nation getting past the question of will power. what's really to blame for a nation of exploding waste lines tonight. there is a surprising nuance. invent the minivan. ♪ today dodge grand caravan is the most awarded minivan ever. ♪ who knows where innovation can take us next? ♪ directions to the moon. ♪ is the pain reliever orthopedic doctors recommend most for arthritis pain, think again. and take aleve. it's the one doctors recommend most for arthritis pain. two pills can last all day. ♪ i bathed it in miracles. director: [ sighs ] cut!

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today at a conference in washington, some sweeping strategies for fighting this epidemic. we get more from our chief science correspondent robert bazell. >> how have you been feeling? >> good. >> reporter: dr. robin golan is on the front lines of the obesity epidemic. >> our pediatricians are seeing obese 2-year-olds and 4-year-olds, we have 5-year-olds with impaired glucose tolerance. we have 8-year-olds with type ii diabetes. this is a catastrophe. >> most of you are familiar with the shocking statistics. >> reporter: today's recommendations signal a sea change in how we perceive obesity. a need to change what's called an obesity promoting environment, calling on corporations, government and individuals to act. among the panel's recommendation, requiring at least 60 minutes a day of physical activity in schools.

public and workplace policy that encourage people of all ages to exercise more. industry wide guidelines on marketing food to children. including healthier choices for kids in restaurants and having healthy food available at all public events. >> the costs of treating obesity related illnesses approaching $2 billion a year, many people on the panel sayed nation is ready to act. >> it takes a lot of leadership. we need our mayors to step up to the plate, our school superintendents to step up to the plate. >> with two third of americans overweight and one third obese, the problem is so critical it's affecting almost every aspect of our daily lines. airplane seat belts can't protect heavy passengers. >> we skill meals, eat too quickly. we eat foods that are high in carbohydrates and fat. and we eat more of them.

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government weather experts are out with the numbers tonight. for april, confirming what a lot of us already knew. it was warm, it was the third warmest on record for the lower 48 with warmer than usual temperatures covering the area. 26 states saw their warmest start to the year since records have been kept. on average, the temperature was more than five degrees above normal. bob stewart has died. he was a giant in the game show business. he created some icons in the trade. the price is right, to tell the

truth, password, pyramid and the list goes on. he started in radio after serving in world war ii, he once said the best shows are the ones that make people talk back to the tv. he was 91. and a legend of the bench has died, james browning was put on the bench by president kennedy, in fact he held the bible at jfk's swearing-in. he went on to shape the ninth circuit court. he's survived by his wife of 70 years. judge browning was 93. after a grueling 16 days, one of the london marathon's most remarkable competitors finally finished, and you can hear the well deserved applause. claire lomas was paralyzed from the chest down after a riding accident five years ago. she managed to cover the 26.2 mile course with the help of a

bionic suit that senses her motion and tells her legs to move. her daughter was right there as her mom crossed the finish line. there's fascinating new research that shows what happens in our brains when we brag about ourselves. it has the same pleasure effect as food and money do on the brain. they estimate that these days people devote about 40% of every day speech to telling other people what they feel or think. very same dynamic that fuels social media, like facebook and twitter. up next here tonight. making a difference. a hollywood bigwig's unlikely new buddy project. ♪ one a day women's 50+ is a complete multivitamin, designed for many of women's health concerns as we age. ♪ it has more of seven antioxidants

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for androgel 1.62%. what are you waiting for? this is big news. time now for our making a difference report tonight. it's hard to imagine a bigger contrast between hollywood's power players and those in the criminal justice system. chelsea clinton has tonight's "making a difference" report. >> i wasn't supposed to come to jail. i was supposed to be free in the world. >> i want to change and make my

mother proud. >> they may be young but these teens are writing about their grown-up struggles in poetry and pros. >> another eye for an eye makes the eye go blind. >> this innovative california program allows hundreds of juveniles, some facing decades in prison to find their voice. >> to a lot of the public these kids are disposable. they're voiceless, they're forgotten. >> reporter: scott budnick is known for his work producing the popular "hangover" movies. he also volunteers at a juvenile hall in los angeles. he met profit walker, then a teenager, sentenced for six years for assault. >> the more i began to read about malcolm x and mahatma gandhi, all these great figures, i was like, wow, i can do something better. >> reporter: when he left the

juvenile center and went to prison it was different. >> there's water fountains for races. >> i saw them here as young kids, i had to watch them go into an adult prison system that, if no one intervenes is going to grind them up and spit them out. >> reporter: that's when budnick and walker had an idea. a college program for young offenders in adult prisons. it rewards inmates who behave well and want to learn. letting them study together and live together. like this one at drc norco, now the program is spreading to prisons across the state. for student inmates, it gives them hope. >> do you remember the moment when you believed that you could have a different future? >> that first report card and having all a's, i was like, okay, i can do this. i can do this. >> profit walker is now out of prison, earning his engineering degree at loyola mary mount

university. he says the college program changed him. >> it's when you begin to believe in yourself and accept the power that you have, how great you could be. >> i've given myself time, space and attention to grow. >> those young dreams cannot be contained. >> it gets me out of -- these walls around me. i have my own freedom when i write. >> profit walker was the first college graduate of the program. 75 have graduated with hundreds more enrolled. the return rate to the prisons is 3%. the state average is 0. >> every bit helps somebody. thank you for highlighting this program. chelsea clinton here with us again tonight. that is our broadcast for this tuesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams, and as always, we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.

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