outbreak. the deadly one virus is spreading fast. now the feds say it's in almost every state. firestorm in california exploding across dry forest land taking a frightening toll tonight. the gathering storm. is it really possible that a hurricane could be heading to tampa and arriving just as republicans arrive for their convention? tonight, plans under way in case. risk factor, new link between fathers of age and children with autism. still making a difference. we need to update you on what's happened since we first told you about a little boy burning up the track to help others. about a little boy burning up the track to help others. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening. tonight it is official, the federal government says the current outbreak of one virus is the largest in the u.s. right now there are four times the usual number of cases. what's worse is very few people are exempt from this because it's now been found in just about every state in this country. some numbers here, 1100 cases in 38 states in all. texas and the lower mississippi delta area have been hit the worst. unbelievably 41 people have died from it so far. that's part of the problem, it's early in the one season. that's why the numbers from the feds today got the attention of a lot of people. we begin tonight with nbc's janet shamlian. she's just outside houston. hey, janet, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. this is the airport, one of the command centers in the battle against one. tonight after dark planes will take off from here and spray

tens of thousands of acres to battle this virus from the air. the one virus, spread by infected mosquitoes, has never spread across the country this far, this fast. >> this is the worst one outbreak in the united states. >> reporter: the cdc reports the number of cases has almost doubled since last week. more than half are in texas, where the death toll has risen. >> feel weak and everything, started having problems breathing. i went and laid down to see if things would get better. >> reporter: in fact they got worse for domingo via. after 11 days at the baylor medical center, he's home, but walking with a cane and still has blurry vision. >> they said i will get better but it's going to take some time. >> reporter: dallas, which has most cases has after dark aerial, small planes spraying insecticide deemed safe by fda.

on the ground an information campaign. standing water has become public enemy number one. it's prime breeding ground for mosquitoes. >> what we have right now is a very serious outbreak here. what we need to do is enter the transmission cycle as quickly as we can to save lives. >> reporter: 80% of people infected will have no thomas. dr. nancy snyderman says for others, the symptoms can progress quickly. >> symptoms occurring 10 to 14 days after a bite. they are usually mild. fever, rash, exhaustion. if there are neurologic problems, fever, seizures, or over the age of 70, that's when you get to the hospital. >> reporter: experts say the numbers will rise because the one season is young, not ending until late september. and the numbers are already rising. texas health officials just updated the death toll in the lone star state. it's now at 28. two more people have died. >> unbelievable numbers. janet shamlian starting us off

outside of spring, texas. janet, thanks. now the question we posed at the top of the broadcast. is it possible a hurricane could be headed to tampa, florida just as republicans are heading to tampa, florida for the convention. forecasting this is like forecasting the outcome of the general election. here what is we do know. there are hurricane watches throughout the caribbean. the u.s. navy has been forces on guantanamo on alert, forcing hundreds off that base in cuba and a lot of weary floridians, veterans as this are watching this very closely as is jim cantore at weather channel headquarters. good evening. >> reporter: good evening. each night confidence grows for a storm coming to the caribbean and turn to southeast united states. of course, florida would be first in through here. the situation got complicated tonight because the initiation from the hurricane center from their advisory is we have

multiple centers, multiple clusters of thunderstorms which could actually take over as the main center. you see the one i've drawn here are the ones they are using. what are we initializing here? that's going to have big impacts on what will eventually be the future track of this. again, a lot of confidence in the westward track. you mentioned the murk warnings, watches out for puerto rico, haiti. big impacts here in terms of flooding because this is such a large storm already, it will rain for dachlts then as we get into sunday night and monday, florida very, very much in that cone. unfortunately we're going to be seeing a different animal than what we see now. regardless of what we're starting with, brian, i think the confidence is high enough we'll eventually have a storm, one that could grow rather large impacting the united states next week. >> jim, of course, we'll stay at this as both the storm and convention approach. jim cantore, weather channel headquarters. in northern california tonight, more than 2,000 firefighters are working a dangerous, unpredictable fire

that started this past weekend. some of them, along with our own correspondent miguel almaguer, found themselves in the path of monstrous flames today when the edge of the fire made a fast run right at them, at the worst possible time. miguel reports tonight from the fire line. >> reporter: exploding across foreland, moving toward homes, northern california's ponderosa fire blew up this afternoon. >> coming hot and hard. >> reporter: firefighters scrambled, 50 structures have been destroyed. 240 more threatened. with help from a steady air attack and aggressive push on the ground, crews have contained half this blaze. but flairups forced firefighters to retreat. breeding on dry forest land for five days now, this fire continues to make runs. crews are worried the next one will be into a neighborhood. this afternoon the mountain town

of mineral was placed under voluntary evacuation. at this christian campground, most of the 200 people are seniors. >> if you do have to leave, we want you to be able to do it and get out safely. >> reporter: dangerous and deadly, this wildfire season is also historic. in new mexico, the largest in state history. in colorado, the most destructive. twelve firefighters have died this season. the west under siege, a fire season for the record books. miguel almaguer, nbc news, california. >> now to the economy in the news today that gave us the clearest, most vivid evidence yet of what a brutal decade this has been for middle class americans who have found themselves losing ground economically. in fact, the middle class itself is shrinking. our report tonight from nbc's john yang. >> reporter: the american middle class, the historic backbone of the u.s. economy, is struggling

thank you lost decade, losing ground and shrinking in numbers. that's the conclusion of a new report from the pugh research center, which found that in the past 10 years family incomes at all levels have declined. the first time that's happened since the end of world war ii. >> there are fewer people in the middle now than there used to be. they have a smaller share of a shrinking pie. >> reporter: not only did incomes fall but so did median wealth. what people own minus what they owe. it went from about 130,000 in 2001 to around $93,000 in 2010. who do middle class americans blame for this? in a survey 62% said congress. 54% faulted banks and financial institutions. 47% said big corporations. >> only 8% blame the middle class itself. they see this as a problem being imposed upon them by large institutions. >> middle class americans are also getting more pessimistic about the future.

only 43% say their children will have a better life than their own, down from 51% just four years ago. as people say they are working harder and harder just to stay even. john yang, nbc news, chicago. on the campaign trail today, congressman todd akin continued what's being called his apology tour for his remarks about rape and abortion after inflicting unforeseen and great damage on the national party. but there is more to report tonight. nbc's andrea mitchell has that story. >> reporter: mitt romney in iowa, paul ryan in north carolina. today both zeroing in on the economy. but because of todd akin only days before their convention, republicans remain trapped in a national debate about abortion and rape. >> it's been an exciting day. >> the best we can. >> reporter: on "today," akin

told matt lauer he apologized. >> i apologize. but i don't apologize in the fact i'm strong on pro-life. >> paul ryan sponsored one bill with akin that could outlaw all abortion even for rape victims. today ryan says he'll follow mitt romney. >> his policy for rape, incest, the life of the mother, i'm comfortable with it. >> reporter: romney once supported pro-life. the man that came up with the discredited rape theory. a theory he repeated a few days ago telling "new york times" rape victims are unlikely to get pregnant saying, quote, this is a traumatic thing. shall we say she's uptight, frightened, tight. sperm are less likely to be fertilized. not what mitt romney wants to

focus on. >> romney took pains to go out of his way to make sure he never talked about abortion, whether it be to me or others. he just didn't want to have anything to do with it. >> reporter: meanwhile claire mccaskill all but counted out before the controversy now has a real chance. >> i'm going to run against todd akin and draw the contrast necessary so voters know he's outside the mainstream. >> reporter: if the republicans thought they could escape this issue, the party's platform has adopted an anti-platform with no exception for rape. mitt romney clearly made it clear he disagrees entire with todd akin's views. >> andrea mitchell in our newsroom. thanks. this week the american death toll on the war in afghanistan passed 2,000. it long became the nation's longest war. lately an increasing number of americans killed at the hands of afghan security forces. our chief foreign correspondent richard engel who has spent so

many years of his life covering this war is here with us in our studio tonight. richard, we were struck by this. today's "new york times" comes out with what is, in effect, the second thousand american troops to die out of the 2,000 in all in this war. it is striking and arresting as a visual. i just looked down and saw a kid from my hometown in new jersey. all of them leave family members behind. question to you as a veteran covering this, how does this end? >> well, there's a surge under way. the surge is ending right now. by the way, i think it's a very bold move from the "new york times" to do this, because no one has been focusing on afghanistan. no one has been focusing on the surge that is under way right now. casualty figures are up. the surge is ending. if you ask the military, the surge has been a success and the surge will allow the roughly 80,000 troops who are there to leave the country in two years, in 2014. if you ask many afghans and you

ask many people in this country and you look at the absence of debate, they would say the surge did not work, that u.s. troops are going to leave sometime at the end of 2014 and afghanistan will be a failed state with some sort of extremist president. >> we know your travels will take you back there again before too long. richard engel here with us in the studio. thanks. today we learned a former member of navy s.e.a.l. team six has written a book about the bin laden raid. the book is already raising a lot of eyebrows in the special operations community where they decidedly do not talk about their work, which may explain why this book titled "no easy day" is being written under an anonymous, made-up pen name. it will be released on september 11th. the pentagon says the author is no longer under active duty. still ahead as we continue tonight, news about autism, specifically this. does the age of the father increase the risk to the

children. later, look at him now. what's happened since we first met one very determined kid racing to help others in the fight of their lives. here he comes. you wouldn't want your doctor doing your job, the pitch! whoa! so why are you doing his? only your doctor can determine if your persistent heartburn is actually something more serious like acid reflux disease. over time, stomach acid can damage the lining of your esophagus. for many, prescription nexium not only provides 24-hour heartburn relief, but can also help heal acid-related erosions in the lining of your esophagus. talk to your doctor about the risk for osteoporosis-related bone fractures and low magnesium levels with long-term use of nexium. possible side effects include headache, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. other serious stomach conditions may still exist. let your doctor do his job. and you do yours. ask if nexium is right for you. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help.

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it is an arresting headline that came out today, older fathers are more likely to have children who are autistic. our chief science correspondent robert bizzel has more on the new research suggesting men may, too, have a biological clock. >> reporter: it's the strongest evidence yet that older men run a higher risk of fathering children with autism and other mental problems. it's publish as the cover story in the prestigious journal "nature." >> it helps us understand the complex causes behind autism and

other related developmental disorders. >> reporter: research has shown for each decade a man ages, his chance of fathering a child with autism goes up by 22%. today's study in the laboratories in iceland offers a good explanation. it shows that as men age, the sperm cells undergo genetic mutations which are passed onto the child. a 20-year-old man passes on an average of 25 must takings while a 40-year-old passes on 65. the number keeps going up as they get older. many scientists stress as it's important, it's one of many factors that increase the risk for autism. young men have children with autism. since it's increasing, only a small part in the big jump of autism cases. >> for a father over 50, if you look at the risk factors contributing towards autism, all the other risk factors are more

important than the risk caused by mutations. >> reporter: olders moms also have a greater risk, family history and premature birth play a roll. autism is a puzzle with many pieces still missing. robert bazell, nbc news, new york. up next here tonight, dr. martin luther king, jr., in his own words in the lost tape we have not been able to hear until now. [ male announcer ] if you suffer from heartburn 2 or more days a week, why use temporary treatments when you can prevent the acid that's causing it with prevacid24hr. with one pill prevacid24hr works at the source to prevent the acid that causes frequent heartburn all day and all night. and with new prevacid24hr perks, you can earn rewards from dinner deals to music downloads for purchasing prevacid24hr. prevent acid all day and all night for 24 hours with prevacid24hr.

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the latest picture from mars is just a photo of tire tracks on mars, but roll that thought around in your head for a while. those are tire tracks on mars from a vehicle nasa landed there, the new mars rover curiosity taking its first tentative test-drive around its new neighborhood. by the way, they have named the landing site bradbury of the

late great fame. sadly he did not live long enough to see this. a piece of american history we did not know we had has been discovered in a box in an attic in chattanooga, tennessee. it's reel to reel audiotape of an interview with dr. martin luther king, jr. listen to what he said about civil rights. as a young man of 30 years of age, this was recorded four days before christmas 1960. >> i'm convinced that when the history books are written in future years, historians will have to record this movement as one of the greatest epics of our heritage. i think the movement represents struggle on the highest level of dignity and discipline. no one of goodwill can disagree

with the ends of the sit-in movement, the end to break down all the barriers between people on the basis of race, color. >> the quality and clarity are perfect. in case you're wondering, the interview was recorded by a local insurance salesman who wanted to write a books on racism. it contains rare comments on the situation in africa right there. we put the complete audio on our website tonight. up next this evening, a little boy using a lot of speed to make a big difference. you know what i love about this country? trick question. i love everything about this country! including prilosec otc. you know one pill each morning treats your frequent heartburn so you can enjoy all this great land of ours has to offer like demolition derbies. and drive thru weddings. so if you're one of those people who gets heartburn and then treats day after day, block the acid with prilosec otc.. and don't get heartburn in the first place. [ male announcer ] one pill each morning.

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♪ time now for our making a difference report and an update on a story we've been following for a while. a young boy with drive in every sense of the word working to speed a cure for childhood cancer and making a difference along the way. his story tonight from nbc's anne thompson. >> reporter: this summer mini tyrrell is in overdrive in his race to help children with cancer. >> cancer is just -- i don't like it. i wish it wasn't a subject in the world. >> reporter: this virginia go-cart driver combines his 7-year-old logic.

>> a raffle. >> reporter: with marketing savvy of an adult. >> my hope is to inspire each one of to you make a difference. >> reporter: already has. most drivers chart their success with points, for mini it's donations. this year he has a new goal, $250,000. when we first met mini last october inspired by his friend ella, he raised $50,000. >> i'd like to present a check for a lot of money. >> all i could say is you looked fast. >> reporter: nascar legend jeff gordon pledged to match that. the total today $34,000 and growing. the money at this rate goes to help a young man mini has never met, who must travel four hours for treatment. >> he now considers this his job. he says this is my job. i'm racing go-carts and i'm raising money for kids cancer. >> reporter: robin major is so glad he does.

four years ago her daughter mattie, then just three, was diagnosed with leukemia. she endured two and a half years of chemotherapy, a relapse and bone marrow transplant that made maddie cancer-free. >> why do you think your mom is crying? >> because she's happy. >> reporter: the odyssey devastated the family's finances. when they needed to repaint the house so maddie with a weakened immune system could come home, mini's mission came to the rescue. >> sometimes it makes all the difference in the world. someone says, hey, you need a gallon of paint. let me provide that for you. >> reporter: today mini is raising money for jeff gored's children's foundation, takes his experience with jeff and replicating it for kids with cancer. at an age when most children are easily distracted, mini knows exactly where he's going. anne thompson, nbc news,

ashland, virginia v. >> nice thought to end on for a wednesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. of course we hope to see you right back here tonight evening. of course we hope to see you right back here tonight evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com