fixed. >> reporter: and to be clear, this fix is to let a private charity step in and fulfill a commitment that the government made and right now won't keep. while some pentagon leaders are relieved right now, we also hear that many top uniformed leaders are frankly disgusted that the world's greatest military is letting it be bailed out by a private charity. brian? >> andrea mitchell, dover air force base tonight. andrea, thank you. in congress, in washington, it was the politics of this death benefit and the broader shutdown that played out for most of this day again today in congress largely an exercise, as you saw, in damage control. nb nbc's kelly o'donnell. >> reporter: good evening, brian. it is congress's job to fix this mistake but nothing was simple today. with the t private group stepping in, that took the political pressure off. that group will pay the benefit

and when the government re opens it will be reimbursed. because that charity acted it gave the senate a chance to do nothing to solve the problem. >> how dare we not provide grieving families with the necessary support in their time of need ? >> reporter: today, every house democrat and every house republican vote ed to guarantee military death benefit benefits. but what seemed like a quick washington solution spiralled into politics. even the senate chaplain, a re tired admiral, weighed in. >> it is time for our lawmakers to say enough is enough. >> were you trying to jolt lawmakers with your prayers? >> well, i was trying to express what some of them have ex pressed and felt. that at some point you have to draw the line. at some point you have to say enough is enough.

>> reporter: the shutdown, many complained, has politicized a group beloved by both parties -- the military. one of the families of the fallen soldiers d anywayed benefits is from pennsylvania. >> even for washington, that's unusual that veterans or children or soldiers are used as kind of a political strategy to make a point. >> reporter: a pawn? >> in many instances, yeah. i would agree they are. >> reporter: while democratic leader harry reid insisted the death benefits would come back. >> they will be restored without question . >> reporter: reid made a strategic choice today. >> open the government. >> reporter: the senate ignored the new military benefits bill that would fix the problem. why? because democrats say unless house republicans agree to re-open the whole government, democrats will not approve one program at a time. even death benefits for families of fallen soldiers. a hearing with the secretary of veterans affairs, a tea party republican from kansas made it personal. >> find this a difficult

question to ask. do you think senator reid doesn't like our veterans or the v.a. in particular? >> reporter: an awkward silence followed. >> personally, i think he very highly values veterans. >> reporter: i told leader reid about the provocative exchange. what is your response to that, sir? >> it doesn't -- i can't dig any identify that with a response. >> reporter: you get an idea of the tone around here, even when it comes to veterans and their families. some praised secretary hagel and the administration for coming up with the solution and also say if the charity hadn't stepped forward the senate would have passed the bill. brian? >> kelly o'donnell from the hill, thanks. there are nights we wish there was better news to report and then there is this. eight days now to the other deadline approaching. next thursday the government will hit the debt ceiling. if congress fails to pass it so the government can pay bills and

b obligations, many are warning of a larger ka tast fe for the u.s. economy. kate snow has our report. >> reporter: this is wall street. you might think if the u.s. government stops paying the debt the most immediate impact would be on the stock market. some say defaulting could potentially impact all these people around me. it could impact this entire city, cities all across the country. in fact the effects could be felt all across the globe. >> every major country and every major bank around the world owns treasury bills. the day they don't believe that we are good for the money or that there is a risk that we are not going to pay them back on time, there is going to be a huge global crisis of confidence. >> reporter: if congress doesn't solve this, what are we asking the treasury department to do? >> if we pass the deadline the treasury department has few and only bad options. they have to decide who to pay -- social security?

or are they going to pay the chinese back who bought our treasury bills? >> reporter: think of it like your checking account. as of october 17 the treasury department says the u.s. would have about $30 billion in its account plus income the from tax revenue coming in. on october 23, a $12 billion bill comes due to pay for social security payments. on halloween, we owe $6 billion in interest payments on our national debt. the next day, a huge bill, $67 billion for social security, disability benefits, medicare and pay for the military and re tires. >> america would not be able to meet all of our financial obligations for the first time in 225 years. >> reporter: some republicans say the president is exaggerating the risk of default. >> default is when you can't service your debt. we have enough money coming in. >> reporter: even if we pass the debt ceiling deadline they say there is enough the money on hand. >> i am not advocating going through the deadline. i am saying if you go through

it, you will not default and leaders in our country should reassure the world's markets we will not default. >> reporter: some republicans suggested the government prior uh tiez and pay important interest payments first. the administration says that's not practical. the treasury department pays literally millions of bills every day and they say it would be complicated to figure out which one of those to pay first. >> kate snow with the other portion of all of this. thanks as always. well, today the president formally introduced his nominee to be the next chairman of the federal reserve. her name is janet yellen. if confirmed her new post would make her the most powerful woman in the free world. it is a position that doesn't open up very often. there have been only two fed chairmen in this past quarter century. they have the power to set monetary policy for the nation and thus move markets around the world. nbc's rehema ellis reports tonight on the nominee.

>> thank you, mr. president. >> reporter: today, janet yellen, the number two at the federal reserve, was nominated to be number one. >> she doesn't have a crystal ball. she does have a keen understanding about how markets and the economy work. >> reporter: endless acknowledge of foresight during the most difficult periods. >> she was one of the first to spot the bubble and also spot how collateral damage and how much damage this could cause the economy. >> reporter: born in brooklyn, 67-year-old yellen is surrounded by financial genius. her husband is a nobel prize winning economist. >> their idea of a great family vacation is the beach with a suitcase full of economics books. >> reporter: people who know her say for her brilliance she's also down to earth. she's known to eat in the calf tier i can't and has a stamp collection from her mother. >> the past six heres have been tumultuous. >> reporter: today she acknowledged tough times and her faith in finding solutions.

>> we can help help ensure that everyone has the opportunity to work hard and build a better life. >> reporter: if confirmed she'll become the next chair and the first woman to lead the federal reserve in a hundred years. rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. still ahead for us here tonight, a warning about an outbreak that has sickened hundreds of people across 17 different states. in the middle of the shutdown, the feds are having trouble tracking it because of the government shutdown. later, making a difference. the amazing effort tonight to re build and remember. rd to breath. but with advair, i'm breathing better. so now i can help make this a great block party. ♪ [ male announcer ] advair is clinically proven to help significantly improve lung function. unlike most copd medications, advair contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help improve your lung function all day. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers

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will have a better chance to succeed in college and careers and to compete in the global economy. which means a better future for our students and our nation. join exxonmobil in supporting the common core state standards. let's solve this. his day of coaching begins with knee pain, when... [ man ] hey, brad, want to trade the all-day relief of two aleve for six tylenol? what's the catch? there's no catch. you want me to give up my two aleve for six tylenol? no. for my knee pain, nothing beats my aleve. there is a story in the news linking this shutdown with a serious salmonella outbreak

traced to chicken. close to 300 people are known to have been sickened already in this. the vast majority of them in california. investigators believe the outbreak is larger than that. but the agency responsible for monitoring and stopping widespread illness, the cdc, is largely shut down. we get our report tonight from nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: in chula vista, california, the blair family is convinced they are recovering from food poisoning. they bought foster farms chicken and ate it that night. >> i felt violently ill. i had to run to the bathroom every few minutes. i thought it was the stomach flu. >> reporter: their chicken has the same lot numbers as those with salmonella outbreak. so far 278 people were sickened. for every reported case 25 more go up reported. this outbreak combined with another outbreak involving foster farms last year could have sickened nearly 10,000

people. investigators believe the salmonella this time came from three foster farms processing plants in california. today, the usda threatened to shut the plants down. >> we have concerns that they have difficulties in producing a safe product now. >> reporter: particularly alarming, some of the salmonella strains are resistant to antibiotics. the hospitalization rate double what's normal. the outbreak comes as the centers for disease control is hobbled by the government shutdown. 9,000 of the 13,000 workers furloughed. they have called back 30 staffers to help t with the salmonella outbreak. >> it's outrageous that congress is keeping our top experts at home when the public e health demands that these people be at work. >> reporter: in a statement, foster farms says it deeply re grets any foodborne illness that may be associated with any of our products. experts say it is important to

clean chicken thoroughly, keep it away from counter tops and salmonella can usually be killed when cooking chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. so far foster farms said it's not recalling product bus it is implementing additional safety measures in processing. tom costello, nbc news, washington. we're back in a moment with the passenger who went into action mid-flight after the pilot collapsed at the controls. before copd... i took my son fishing every year. we had a great spot, not easy to find, but worth it. but with copd making it hard to breathe, i thought those days might be over. so my doctor prescribed symbicort. it helps significantly improve my lung function starting within five minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. with symbicort, today i'm breathing better. and that means...fish on! symbicort is for copd including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day.

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it was a pleasure ride in a small plane over england that could have ended very differently. the pilot died while at the controls. his friend and passenger was able to contact controllers and then two instructors on the ground were able to talk him into a safe landing. if there was good news here faced with a harrowing chore it was the plane itself -- a cessna 172, the first plane a lot of

beginner pilots learn to fly on, famous for dependability and simple controls. but landing one usually takes practice. our parent company comcast made an announcement that made news in the tech and tv world. it has to do with twitter. in the near future the ability to highlight a mention of a clip or broadcast on twitter which then users -- comcast subscribers -- could then view instantly on a mobile device or tv by hitting a button that says "see it." it would allow you to record a show or change the channel on your tv at home via twitter or your hand held device. if you have kids in sports or you were one you know the post game ritual that sounds like this. good game, good game, good game. the nhl still does it. it wouldn't hurt the nfl or major league baseball to try it. it is supposed to be nice. the problem is kids will be kids. there is the old spit in your hand trick and worse. now the kentucky high school

athletic association is saying because fights have broken out after hotly contested games, the traditional player line-up after these games should be monitored or, in some cases, stopped. when we come back here tonight, our making a difference report. finding common ground and building a brighter future for those affected by two tragedies. ah, this is just what the eight layers needed. hey, guys. sorry we're late. milk looks warm. finally got the gang together: maple brown sugar, strawberry, blueberry.

yeah, a little family reunion. strawberry, your whole grains are showing. ooops! [ female announcer ] try frosted mini-wheats hot or cold. in 8 delicious flavors. [ female announcer ] try frosted mini-wheats hot or cold. evto earn degrees in mathan stand science.ut but more than half leave their programs. so we're missing out on 450,000 math and science graduates annually. but if we can help students prepare for these subjects we'll have a stronger workforce for our fastest-growing industries. let's invest in our future. join exxonmobil in advancing math and science education. let's solve this. because you can't beat zero heartburn. woo hoo!

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finally tonight our making a difference report. they were two of the most tragic events in the recent history of this country. we saw them both last year. the destruction left behind by hurricane sandy followed soon after by the massacre of 26 people at sandy hook lelementar in newtown, connecticut. a new jersey firefighter had an idea. honor the victims by building new grayplaygrounds in their name and build them in places that were hit hard by the storm. nbc's katy tur has the report on this program, making a difference. >> who o's ready to get their py ground on? >> reporter: kids were climbing, swinging and sliding around a bright pink and brand new play

ground built to fill one very big hole. >> i am getting emotion al now. >> tears in our eyes. how can can there not be? >> reporter: after one of our country's darkest moments -- a simple idea. >> today is the tenth play ground of 26 we are building. >> reporter: 26 for each of the 26 lives lost in the tragedy at sandy hook. each in a place ravaged by super storm sandy. this one in new york is for 6-year-old caroline previdi. what's it like to be here? >> i have a grandson who will play here . i will tell him and caroline will go on. >> reporter: firefighters, cops, community members and construction workers, it is all built bile volunteers, the funds all donated. >> when something ugly happens, something beautiful is coming out. >> reporter: carlos daughter was

one of the teachers killed at sandy hook. >> i'm pretty strong. but it hurts. >> reporter: now a playground in connecticut bears her name. >> she saved 17 kids and gave her life. i know my daughter and her students are looking down at what we're doing. that's what makes p me happy and proud. >> reporter: rebecca and steven kowalski's son chase is honored on the jersey shore. >> it is about the spirit they have been giving back to us more than they ever know. >> everyone thanks us. now we're thanking you. >> we heal a little bit more with each playground. >> reporter: playground number eight. >> it was his baseball number. i take it to the next level and look at the infinity sign that makes the number 8. that's our love, you know? infinity. >> yep. >> reporter: back on long island, caroline's park is a success. >> to imagine that caroline

would be watching over the kids that will play on the play ground. they will know the story of caroline. i think it is a wonderful story. >> reporter: a reminder that bringing joy to one child may be the best way to honor another. katy tur, nbc news, island park, new york. >> that gives us great pleasure to tell their story. that's our broadcast on this wednesday night. thanks for being with us. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

the kris jenner marriage. it's over. as bruce jenner goes ballistic. watch out for that golf club. >> listen you [ bleep ] get the [ bleep ] outta here. more revelations from the shocking new johnny carson

book. >> he tried to pick up a mobster's girlfriend at this bar. >> did the upon really put a contract out on his life? plus, the videotape this dude sent to a beautiful woman he was trying to date. why it's causing him so much mockery. and -- ♪ diamonds are a girl's best friend ♪ >> marilyn's monroe's plastic surgery. >> from the x-rays, irrefutable evidence. >> katie couric's talk show. about to be canceled? and baby under attack. by an ostrich. screw now, "inside edition" with deborah norville. >> deborah: hello, everybody, and thank you for joining us. there were plenty of signs it was coming and now it's official. chris and bruce jenner are over. though his family makes millions putting their lives in front of the cameras, when the olympic hero was confronted by

photographs today he blew up. >> listen you [ bleep ] get the [ bleep ] outta here. >> bruce jenner freaks out as photographs ask about his separation from kris jenner. he wielded his golf club like a weapon. >> so help me, i'll hit that thing. >> the video was shot at a driving range in los angeles. when he spotted the photographs again, if looks could kill -- i've known this for a long time but it's now official. >> kathie lee gifford is chris' best friend. she says she's known since last summer that they were headed for splitsville. >> last time i was at kris' house if you walked through her house in every different room of the house someone was meeting with someone about a new deal. it's just gotten out of control. >> the jeners who have been married for 22 years confirmed the rumors with this statement. we are living separately and we are much happier but we will always have much love and

respect for each other. chris' sister had this reaction to star magazine. >> but i think bruce is taking a break. i think they are both taking a break from one another, which, in my opinion, is a great thing. >> congratulations, bruce jenner, you are finally free, says one blogger. to an older generation, bruce was an olympic hero, but many see him as hen-pecked by fame- hungry k rirkz s. >> there was something i just loved about him putting one that. >> he always looked like an unwilling participant. >> deborah: by the way, last week's episode of "keeping one the kardashians" had 8.8 million viewers. that is the fewest in show history. in real life, johnny carson's life was filled with drama. according to a new book he was even targeted for death by the mafia. paul boyd tells you why. >> did gangsters put out a hit

on johnny carson? that's the stung ref laings johnny carson -- the stunning revelation in "johnny carson:the new tell-all book." back then, it was a known mob hangout. the new book claims the mobster and his goons grabbed johnny and threw him down a flight of stairs, then they supposedly put out a contract on the talk show host's life. according to the book's author johnny was truly terrified. taking the threat seriously, carson holed up in his u.n. plaza palace for three day, missing three shows. the gangsters called off the hit after carson arranged for tv coverage of a 1971 italian- american unity rally in new york. another explosive claim is coming under