called her husband and asked whether she should take the car or cash. he thought she was kidding and ended the conversation. one of the managers called him back and explained and advised his wife to take the money. on our broadcast tonight -- air emergency. a hole in the ceiling of a southwest airlines jet, a close call for passengers. what does this say about other planes? making her case for the supreme court. sonia sotomayor gets a chance to explain that now-famous remark she made about latina women. the murder mystery in a family home in florida, the death of the adoptive parents of so many special needs children -- it has taken an odd turn. >>critical condition -- why america's doctors don't want to go into family practice anymore. a woman "making a difference" with good works around the world. difference" with good works around the world. "nightly news" begins now.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. this was a long first day of questioning for supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor who found herself answering for some of her own words from her past. at times it was a classic courtroom cross-examination, mostly by the republicans, while most democrats are interested in wrapping up this and voting to confirm. the woman most believe will be the next supreme court justice. our justice correspondent pete williams at the court to night to start us off. pete, good evening. brian, within the first hour today, judge sotomayor was asked about her wise latina comment that has been widely quoted. she said it was an attempt to inspire minority students that misfired. >> welcome. good to have you back, judge. >> reporter: from the moment she began answering senators, sonia sotomayor said being a latina woman does not make her a better judge.

>> i do not believe that any ethnic, racial, or gender group has an advantage in sound judging. >> i am very troubled -- >> reporter: the ranking republican pressed her to explain what she meant in speeches when she said a wise latina woman would more often than not reach a better conclusion as a judge than a white male. >> aren't you saying there you expect your -- your background and -- and heritage to influence your decision making? >> it was bad. because it left an impression that i believe that life experiences commanded a result in a case, but that is clearly not what i do as a judge. >> reporter: on abortion rights she said the supreme court's ruling in roe v. wade is solid legal precedent answering a herb cole. >> in your opinion is roe

settled law? >> that is the precedent of the court and settled in terms of the holding of the court. >> reporter: republican nominee, samuel alito and john roberts gave similar answers. judge sotomayor disagreed with president obama's statements that judges need empathy, as a senator, he voted against roberts in 2005, explaining at the time that judges need some extra quality to decide the hardest cases. >> in those difficult cases, the crital ingredient is applied by what is in the judge's heart. >> do you agree that the law only takes you the first 25 miles of the marathon and that the last mile has to be decided by what is in the judge's heart? >> no, sir. that's -- i don't -- wouldn't approach the issue of judging in the way the president does. >> reporter: one republican noted that some lawyers have said they consider her a bully on the bench. beyond merely tough questioning. >> obviously you have accomplished a lot in your life, but maybe these hearings are time for self-reflection. this is pretty tough stuff that

you don't see from -- about other judges on the second circuit. >> reporte the questions and answers continue tomorrow. toward the end of the week the committee hears from outside witnesses for and against the nomination, brian. pete williams starting us off. pete, thanks. now we turn to a wild night h ghuge y.thskt e ast n ahtouirwe as stneli mo lhtvi bshfltoe al mtotod ake an emergency landing in west virginia after a football-sized hole opened up in the roof of the aircraft. our own tom costello following this story, what is now, i understand, tom, an ntsb investigation. >> reporter: they are involved. good evening to you. and in fact it is too early to tell why this piece of the plane opened up. but it raises questions not only about this plane, but also again about maintenance of southwest airlines. >> reporter: the question for investigators in charleston, how did this happen? a hole in the roof of a 15-year-old boeing 737-300.

southwest flight 2294 left nashville at 4:05 yesterday afternoon. but once at cruising altitude, 30 minutes into flight, the plane's cabin suddenly lost pressure as the skin of the plane peeled back just in front of the tail or dorsal fin. passengers seated below looked up and saw sun light. >> you heard this loud rush, your ears popped, then we looked back and you could tell that part of the -- the inside was trying to pull out. >> once the cool air got sucked out it got very hot very quick. right after that, the dust and the light debris blew by my face and out the hole. >> reporter: within second the plane's oxygen masks dropped as passengers reported feeling lightheaded and dizzy. flight 2294 made an emergency landing in west virginia with everyone on board safe. >> it is mind-boggling for me, someone who spent their whole life maintaining airplanes, to have this happen again. >> reporter: the former ntsb

board member, john golias, says for 20 years there has been intense focus on ensuring planes dot open up in flight. since 1988 when the top of an aloha airlines, 737, ripped open over the pacific, pulling a flight attendant to her death. the cause metal fatigue. and just a few weeks ago, the faa issued the latest of several air worthiness directives requiring airlines to inspect all 737, 300s, 400s, 500s for chafing or cracking in the skin at the dorsal fin landing. that after an 18-inch crack was found on another 737. four months ago southwest airlines was fined $7.5 million for failing to inspect its fleet for cracks in 2007, and flying planes with cracks. the faa removed some of its dallas inspectors after whistle blowers reported faa managers let southwest slide. >> we'll be taking a look at manufacturing records. we will be taking a look at the part itself to make sure that we don't have corrosion. we don't have fatigue.

>> reporter: the ntsb also tells nbc news tonight it does not believe the air worthiness directive specifically applied to the area that was involved in this accident on monday. with the piece coming off. by the way, southwest says it has inspected visually, 200, 737s, all seem to be okay. it also reminds nbc news and reiterates it is committed to safety. brian. tom costello, national airport in washington with the story tonight. tom, thanks. developments tonight in florida surrounding the case of the double-murder there, the adoptive parents of so many special needs children. an awful story. and now a new turn in the investigation tonight. police say they have seven people under arrest and they have solved this crime. but they say this story doesn't end there. our own mark potter in pensacola tonight with the latest on this. mark, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. officials say they believe they have now caught all the alleged killers of burt and melanie

billings and say the home invasion in which they died was long planned. military style. >> just a few opening statements i would look to make. >> reporter: in an emotional moment today, sheriff david morgan told members of the billings family the killers of parents burt and melanie billings are now behind bars. >> we have found them and they are in custody. >> reporter: officials say they have caught all seven people, six adults, and a 16-year-old directly involved in the murderous home invasion last thursday evening. and they say the attack was a long-planned, military-style operation. >> we have information that indicates that there was a amount of practice that was involved, there are a couple of individuals that have prior military background in this group. >> reporter: sheriff morgan says one of the men accused of murder, donald ray stallworth is curb ent -- currently in u.s. air force special operations and that leonard patrick gonzalez jr.

arraigned today in front of grieving billings family members used to serve in the national guard. morgan says in the same pensacola neighborhood, where this red van used in the operation was found by investigators, some of the suspects trained for the raid on the billings home for as long as a month. >> the safest, easiest, clearest thing to say is that the primary motive in this case is robbery. >> reporter: officialsay a safe was taken from the house but will not say whether any money or valuables were in the safe. or why the billings had to die in a robbery. their nine adopted children, who were in the house, are now in the care of relatives. and officials say federal authorities have now been brought into the case to see if any of the alleged killers were involved in other crimes, in other states, maybe even out of the country. brian. mark potter in pensacola for us tonight. thank you. overseas now to the war in afghanistan. as of today, there are 57,000 u.s. military forces on the ground there. that number is going to be

68,000 by the end of the year. there could be another increase after that. great britain is in this war with the u.s., side by side, as they were in iraq. but the brits have lost more soldiers in afghanistan than they lost in iraq. and today in the u.k., they were mourning a terrible loss. nbc's stephanie gosk reports. >> reporter: war in iraq and afghanistan have made this a familiar scene in britain. but there are almost never this many coffins. the eight victims of the british military's deadliest 24 hours in afghanistan were all young. three of them just 18. today the flag-draped coffins wound their way in a single procession through the market town. for two years this small community has paid accidental witness to the high price of war. it just happens to be on a road between an air base and the hospital where soldiers bodies are first taken. before the funerals, friends and families come to the market town.

>> they've given their all, the friend and family, the least we could have done -- >> reporter: it is not just loved ones. thousands lined the streets toda shops close when the hearses pass by. and everyone it seems pays tribute. >> our lads are dying. when we have all had lads that age. so it hits home. >> soldiers in such a short space of time. i just had to come really, just one of those things. >> reporter: all eight were killed in an ongoing offensive in afghanistan's violent helmand province. more than 8,000 british troops are on the ground in the last ten days 15 have been killed. in opinion polls, britons are split down the middle over the war, but a majority worry their troops aren't well equipped, there is a lack of helicopters. and critics say many of their vehicles are unsafe. today, in the market town, support for the soldiers seemed unwavering. but if the processions of coffins gets any longer, support for the war may not be that certain. stephanie gosk, nbc news, london.

when our broadcast continues along the way this tuesday evening -- when there is no doctor in the house, one of the most pressing issues in health care now. where are all the family doctors? do they all have to be specialists? later -- she is known as the flying nun. tonight we will ll you why. and why she is making a difference. specialists? later -- she is known as the flying nun. tonight we will tell y why. and why she is making a difference. nsaid pain relievers, on like celebrex, ibuprofen and naproxen, help treat arthritis pain and have some of the same warnings. but since individual results may vary, having options is important. prescription celebrex has been the option for millions of patients for 10 straight years. just one 200-mg celebrex (once a day,) can provide dependable, 24-hour relief for many with arthritis pain, stiffness and inflammation. based on the available data, the fda stated that for certain patients celebrex's benefits outweigh the risks. if you are worried about stomach upset, you should know, in clinical studies,

a lower percentage of patients taking celebrex reported stomach discomfort versus prescription ibuprofen and naproxen. and if you are taking low-dose aspirin for your heart and need an nsaid pain reliever, celebrex can be used because it doesn't interfere with the effects of low-dose aspirin. but when it comes to relieving your arthritis pain, you and your doctor need to balance the benefits with the risks. the fda requires all prescription nsaids, including celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam, to have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors for it such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. all prescription nsaids, including celebrex, also increase the chance of serious skin reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers.

do not take celeex if you're allergic to aspirin or sulfonamides. ask your doctor if you could benefit from celebre understand the risks. feel the benefits. > there is news on health care tonight. democrats in congress released a 1,000-page health care reform plan, proposal, that president obama said he supports. congress is trying to get a bill passed, as you may know, by august. one of the big complaints about the current system is a shortage of primary care doctors. our chief science correspondent robert bazell looks at why that is and how it might be changed. >> how far out are appointments? >> reporter: health point clinics in washington state provide treatment for anyone who walks in the door. but the clinics can't find doctors. one in four physician jobs is

open because of the nationwide shortage of family doctors. >> what does the shortage of primary care doctors do for your mission here at the health center? >> our mission is to really provide care to anyone in the community that needs it. if we don't have the docs it's hard to do that. >> reporter: why the shortage? we talked to third year medical students at university of washington. just rest your arm. brian rezanic considered family practice until he actually worked in a clinic. >> trying to do preventative care and know a patient relationship in the span of 15, 20 minutes. 25, 30 patients a day. i questioned my ability to really be able to serve my patients the way i wanted to. >> reporter: he chose surgery. >> the training is grueling. >> reporter: the deputy director of the family practice program says that illustrates one of the big problems. >> we have created a system that made it very difficult for them to be the family physicians they would like to be. >> reporter: another is income.

family doctors earn on average $190,000 a year. while radiologists make $424,000 and spinal surgeons $611,000. a decade ago, here at the university of washington medical school, 40% of the students chose family medicine. now the number is down to 13%. nationwide the number is more like 5%. those who choose family medicine often have special motivations. like megan o'connell. part cherokee she plans to work with native americans. >> i would rather try to work to keep my diabetic patients away from brian and make sure that they have good blood flow to their feet and avoid amputations. >> reporter: experts say health reform must change medicine, so far more medical students see family practice as an option and patients get the care they need. >> a lot better than earlier today. robert bazell, nbc news, seattle. speaking of money.

listen to this, the invest bank, goldman sachs which received taxpayer bailouts during the meltdown and some of it back said its quarterly earnings surged 33% in the second quarter. company is setting aside a record amount for compensating its people. the average goldman employee on cepao make $900,000 this year.ce not much reaction on wall street. dow finished the day up just under 28 points. when we come back, the mean season. why it is an unusual summer in the lone star state. and vitamin d... it can be tough living with copd... but i try not to let it slow me down.

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toll. as our own janet shamlian reports. >> reporter: high and dry. texas in the grip of a seemingly inescapable drought. >> probably more water missing from the lake right now at full than what is left in the lake. >> reporter: austin's lake travis is down 40 feet. boat slips are dry docked. in the hill country, hungry here, guys. withering pasture. >> reporter: rancher debbie davis has never seen it this bad. >> it is nothing but dirt. but our pastures are dry, they're yellow, it looks like winter to me. >> reporter: from city streets to country field, green and lush have turned brown and bare. >> the worst drought in the united states right now. and it's the worst one around here since the drought of record, back in the early to mid 1950s. >> reporter: in some areas, rainfall is two feet below normal. sprinkler restrictions and burn bans are as plentiful as water is scarce.

and for agriculture, it's been devastating. parched and withering, texas has lost at least half of its corn crop. >> all through this field you see ears that don't have anything on them. and they're dead and dying. >> reporter: just like thousand of trees in houston. it is all compounded by days, weeks, of triple digit temperatures. >> high today around 104. harsh even where the heat is always on. >> i tell myself, you live in texas. get used to it. >> reporter: forecasters say residents may have to. >> our long-range outlooks show little to no change looking all the way through the end of july and even going into august. >> reporter: a thirsty state in a region where drought reigns. janet shamlian, nbc news, houston. covering the white house is often grueling for a journalist but not today. our own chief white house correspondent chuck todd just back from africa with the president, back on "air force one" today and very excited about it. because willie mays was on the plane.

the president giving the all-star a better-than-average ride to the all-star game in saint louis tonight. where the president, a big chicago white sox fan was given the honor tonight of throwing out the first pitch. when "nightly news" continues, making a difference. "nightly news" continues, making a difference. but not nearly as important as outer beauty. ♪ that's why i use covergirl's simply ageless makeup with olay regenerist serum. a department store brand can glob up in lines and wrinkles and actually make you look older. simply ageless stays suspended over lines and makes you look amazing. simply ageless from olay and easy, breezy, beautil covergirl. ♪ and try new simply ageless sculpting blush to bring out your cheekbones. start taking care of my heart, but i wasn't ready to give up taste. sometimes, sacrifice... is the name of the game. honey nut cheerios cereal... tastes great and can help... lower cholesterol. i guess can do this.

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finally tonight, our making a difference segment. tonight's nominee, a catholic nun. if she ever touched your life you'd know it. she is widely described as a life force herself. she has helped people all over the world. but some folks in boston are often glad she is there. our story from nbc's peter alexander. >> i'm checking up on you. >> reporter: in the halls of the boston home, sister bridgette haas known as the flying nun. >> i just have to remember that what i can't do today -- >> i willo tomorrow. >> you'll do tomorrow. that's it. that's it. >> reporter: sister bridgette runs the spirituality and wellness program at the residential care center for adults with chronic neurological diseases.

>> i truly believe there are three things we all hunger for -- to know that we are loved, to make a difference, and to know that our lives have meaning. the meaning does not stop with illness. >> reporter: she added meaning to the residents' lives by hosting days of prayer including services for those who passed away, organizing field trips like this one to a local parade, and once when travel was an obstacle, even arranging for the boston red sox world series trophy to make one special stop. >> she is a spirit in and of herself, she has tremendous capacity to give, and to listen, and to give people hope. >> sister bridgette has become a close and cherished friend. >> ellie, the former nurse is on the receiving end of sister bridgette's compassion. >> she is the friend i never really had i could talk to as a child. >> reporter: what do you hope they get from you? >> what i hope the residents get from me is a real passion for life. >> reporter: it was sister bridgette's passion for children and teaching that led her to become a nun 50 years ago.

she has taught first gders in the mountains of appalachia, english to kids in mexico and during africa's devastating famine in the mid 1980s, she fed starving children in sudan. >> we know where we stand, don't we, bob? >> reporter: these days here at the boston home, sister bridgette herself a breast cancer survivor remembers when she was the one in need. >> when i came back, they would look at me and say -- sister, you know, you kind of look tired. if you want to sit on my lap i will roll you back to the office. >> a nun inspiring with a simple message even if the body has failed you the spirit is still alive. peter alexander, nbc news, boston. that's our tuesday night broadcast. thank you for being with us. i am 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