on our broadcast tonight -- the big push for health care reform. the president takes it to primetime. is it all too much, too soon? spreading lies about president obama's birth place and about his u.s. citizenship, who is doing it? and why? up in smoke. they're not real cigarettes they're supposed to help break the habit. do they do more harm than good? day into night. one of nature's greatest shows on earth and for those who missed it today we captured it for you. missed it today we captured it for you. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening. one republican has now rather famously called it the president's waterloo. barack obama's vow to pass some sort of health care reform and do it fast. it's become "the" big issue ght now for the obama white house on top of everything else they're dealing with the president has been in front of the cameras hammering at it every day. tonight there will be a lot of cameras at the white house for his fourth primetime news conference. we begin here tonight with a preview from our chief white house correspondent chuck todd. chuck, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. you have heard the expression, "everything has been said but not everybody has said it." based on the excerpts the president released what he is going to say. everything has been said about health care, but they believe not everybody has heard it. >> inaction and inertia. >> and there is a reason why we haven't had health care reform in 50 years. let's pass reform bite end of this year. the status quo is unacceptable. >> reporter: for more than a week mr. obama hasn't let a day go by without using his bully pulpit to push for health care reform. while the president has been

long on cheerleading he has been repetitive. >> inaction is no longer an option. >> the status quo on health care is not an option. >> that's the status quo. it is only going to get worse. >> reporter: what mr. obama has been short on is specifics. something democrats on capitol hill hope changes tonight at the president's primetime news conference. >> i think what the president has tried do so far is stay out of the squirmishes that have occurred on capitol hill. i think now is the time for him to step in, set the direction. >> reporter: on three key aspects of reform the president has been vague about where he stands. number one -- who pays for it? and how? >> i want to be very clear, i will not sign on to any health plan that adds to our deficits over the next decade. the american people have to recognize that there is no such thing as a free lunch. >> reporter: the president's plan is short about $400 billion. >> ultimately whate will have is a package which will probably include some additional revenue

from well-to-do people. >> reporter: number two -- who is covered? will all 46 million uninsured get coverage or will some still end up without coverage? >> if you don't have health insurance you are finally going to be able to get it at affordable prices. >> reporter: finally what will a government-run insurance plan look like? >> among the choices available uld be a public health insurance option that would make health care more affordable by increasing competition. >> reporter: but that option could turn into something the senate calls a co-op which no one has defined. but can americans expect mr. obama to provide specifics tonight? >> there is no risk of wading in. the greater risk is not doing enough to make sure the bill passes. >> reporter: brian, last week, the nonpartisan congressional budget office turned the debate on its ear when they said one of the house plans would actually increase the costs of health care. well the president called in the head of the cbo for a meeting, republicans criticized the president saying he was trying to strong arm one of the umpires in this game. the president, and the white

house claim they were simply on a fact finding mission. brian. chuctoh dditpr wr oueview from the white house.r ucnkk,ha ts. and a reminder -- live coverage of the president's news conference tonight at 8:00, 7:00 central time right here on this nbc station. on capitol hill today, the senate said no to an attempt to expand the rights of gun owners that would have allowe concealed weapons to be carried across state lines. this blew up really out of nowhere. quickly became a major showdown and vote in the senate. our capitol hill correspondent, kelly o'donnell, with us tonight from there with more. kelly, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. it did get heated. gun rights' advocates and the powerful national rifle association wanted to see a change. so if a gun owner had the proper permit to carry a concealed weapon in his home state he could go to another state and the original license would be recognized. now the majority of the senate did back this idea including 20 democrats, but it failed because it fell short of the necessary 60 votes. it was interesting to watch how

this gun issue really split democrats. now those who have home stat with big cities, came out against this, with a lot of force. they argued there is too much gun violence already and any change would simply be dangerous. democrats who live in places out west or in rural areas, sided with republicans and supported expanding conceal and carry laws. now 48 states already allow this, only wisconsin, illinois, and here in the district of columbia is there no license to carry a concealed weapon. brian. kelly o'donnell with the story from the hill for us tonight. kelly, thanks. tonight we have a dramatic change to report along the u.s. border with mexico. in recent years it has been a wild west of illegal immigration, but now, because of a sustained crackdown and a weak economy, things are actually showing improvement. our own mark potter reports tonight from the u.s./mexico border. >> reporter: on the mexican border at el paso, the daily

game of cat-and-mouse is under way. between u.s. border patrol agents and mexicans trying to enter the united states illegally. >> wait to see if a group comes across. they have been testing us in different areas. >> reporter: with more border patrol agents, more cameras and the huge border fence, it is much more difficult than it used to be to cross illegally from mexico to the u.s. >> now we control this border. we own this border. it is our border. >> reporter: this man climbed the fence but was caught right away. >> there is just too much vigilance out there. it's hard to not get seen. >> reporter: officials say the u.s. economic downturn and fewer jobs for immigrants have also slowed the illegal border traffic. >> this gives us an opportunity, a space so to speak, in which we can continue to strengthen our border infrastructure. >> reporter: here in el paso, border patrol agents say they're catching 40 to 50 people a day trying to sneak into the u.s.

from the mexico which is right over there. 16 years ago, before they began a big crackdown, they were catching more than 1,000 people a day here. since that crackdown, known as operation hold the line, the border patrol has grown to 19,000 agents. >> walking north in a southbound walk way. >> reporter: detection tech nol has become much more sophisticated. >> usually the same smugglers -- >> reporter: there is zero tolerance, go to jail policy, for smugglers and repeat offenders. >> we have to control the border because all the dangerous things that can come across if it remains uncontrolled. >> reporter: all the more important agents say because of the ongoing mexican drug war within sight of the u.s. border. mark potter, nbc news, el paso, texas. we have a piece of videotape to show you tonight that is starting to receive wide circulation. it is the question that won't seem to go away for president

barack obama even though it has been answered. the issue of the president's birth place, and american citizenship, has become a kind of conspiracy theory. this is what happened when republican congressman mike castle of delaware called on a woman in the audience at a recent town meeting. >> why are you people ignoring his birth certificate? [ applause ] he is not an american citizen. he is a citizen of kenya. [ applause ] i am here with my father, he fought in world war ii with the greatest generation in the pacific theater, for this country. i don't want this flag to change. i want my country back! >> if you are referring to the president there, he is a citizen of the united states.

he is a citin of the united states. >> i think we shouldll stand up and give pledge allegiance to the flag. >> the crowd then stood in a spontaneous pledge of allegiance. that is just part of the scene that unfolded at a gop congressman's town meeting in delaware. we'll put the entire videotape on our website. a lot of us live with this issue, we get e-mails asked about it. justice correspondent pete williams will join in on this conversation from washington. pete, no matter how untrue this comes up at a lot of public gatherings now? >> yes, and members of congress say they hear this question often too. one even said he is reluctant to advertise townhall meetings because he is concerned questions about this will drown out everything else. >> i have read about him. >> reporter: john mccain started hearing it during last fall's

campaign. >> he's an arab. he is not -- >> no. >> no? >> no, ma'am. >> reporter: it hasn't gone away, becoming a staple of blogs and conservative talk radio. >> all the president of the united states has to do is produce a birth certificate. >> barack obama has yet to have to prove he is a citizen. >> reporter: and lawsuits challenging the president's citizenship have been filed in and thrown out of courts around the country. >> i, barack hussein obama -- >> reporter: legal scholars are in widespread grement that barack obama is fully qualified. the constitution says only a natural born citizen can be president. and though the supreme court has never said exactly what that means, legal authorities agree at the very least it covers any one actually born inside the united states. obama's campaign long ago released his birth certificate showing he was born in hawaii after it joined the union. state officials say hawaiian law blocks release of the document signed by doctors the day he was born, but issued a statement saying they have personally seen and verified it. and the honolulu advertiser

newspaper faxed us its birth announcements from august 13, 1961, noting that a son was born to mr. and mrs. barack obama. one conservative talk show host considers the citizenship issue frivolous. >> we are just right now getting real traction on some of the issues regarding president obama, his expansion of government, his spending, this, this is resonating with the american people. this is a terrible distraction. it makes us look crazy and angry and fringy and irresponsible. >> reporter: similar questions have dged other presidential candidates. john mccain, born in the panama canal zone. barry goldwater born in arizona whent was a territory. and mitt romney's father, george, born in mexico. and in 1881, when chester a. arthur became president, his political opponents questioned whether he was actually born in vermont or somewhat further north in canada. brian. >> so many conspiracy theories, so little time. pete williams in our washington

bureau tonight. thank you for that. when our broadcast continues along the way this wednesday night, they're supposed to help smokers quit. but now there is the question of how sa they are. later, depending on where you were today turned into night before our very eyes. and some strange things happened. eyes. and some strange things happened. for my little issues? they're not that bad. summer's no time to put up with even occasional digestive problems. believe me, once they away, it's amazing how good you feel. announcer: activia is clinically proven to help regulate your digestive system in two weeks. summer's a wastin'... take the activia challenge now. it works, or it's free. ♪ activia

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if you smoke, if you have ever smoked, or worried about someone who does you know it is a tough one to break. people will try anythi to quit the habit even electronic cigarettes. today the fda issued a warning on the so-called e-cigarettes saying they may be more like the real thing than anyone has bargained for. our report from nbc's mike taibbi. >> reporter: when 67-year-old phyllis brown of parma, new jersey, wants a cigarette, she steps outside wishing like the country's 50 million smokers she didn't have to. >> if i could quit i would quit. >> reporter: for months she has been doing this indoors and anywhere else. >> i am not smoking.

i am vaping. >> reporter: vaping, as in the vapor she inhales from her electronic cigarette rather than smoking real cigarettes she calls analogs. these battery operated e-cigarettes are designed to look and feel like the real thing and atomize liquefied nicotine and flavorings. in barely three years, they've become an estimated $100 million a year business. nbc news has learned that preliminary fda tests on samples found toxic and cancer causing chemicals. >> we are concerned about how they're being marketed, what's in them. we certainly don't think people should be using them. >> reporter: in fact, the fda labels them drug device combinations subject to regulation and enforcement. >> what i will tell people, reload, 10, 15 drops. >> reporter: enforcement has been seizures of shipments like the chinese made product ordered by distributor steve mylan of chicago. >> it's just held. in limbo. >> reporter: held while a court

decides whether smokers like mylan, a four pack a day habit, can freely choose this alternative to cigarettes. >> this is something that people not only want they need. it does work. >> reporter: judging by the internet chatter there are plenty of smokers who want to quit and have gone over to e-cigarettes who refuse to wait for the fda to say okay. >> how much are you smoking now? >> reporter: when phyllis brown went for a recent physical, s reported she had gone from two packs of real cigarettes a day to one pack every three or four days. >> my doctor is thrilled. and i'm thrilled. >> reporter: even though neither she nor her doctor know what is in the devices that she is using dozens of times a day. >> reporter: smart, not smart? >> not smart. not smart. >> reporter: but? >> addicted. >> reporter: still addicted to nicotine and like millions of others struggling to break the habit. rsey.taibbi, nbc news, new the swine flu is back in the news amid concern the outbreak will make a comeback this fall. today the national institutes of health issued an appeal for thousands of volunteers of all

ages to essentially act as guinea pigs to get shots of the new vaccine to test its effectiveness against the virus. john barry has died, and if you don't know the name right off, think of him this way. without him, many of our garage doors would make a terrible noise. hinges would squeak all over the country. rust would take over. and things would run a lot less smoothly. john barry was the mastermind behind wd-40. the wd, it turns out, stands for water displacement. the 40 was because it was the 40th attempt at a rust preventative solvent for the space program. it is now in 80% of american homes. john barry, proud navy veteran and m.i.t. graduate was 84. we are back in a moment with what they're talking about tonight along highway 50. tools are uncomplicated? nothing complicated about a pair of 10 inch hose clamp pliers.

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hillsboro, ohio where unemployment and health care aren't just an argument going on in washington. >> reporter: dan and april looper never ask for much, just the chance to be good parents. >> entertainment is taking the kids outside and watching them run. >> giving them markers and watching them color on each other. >> reporter: with four energetic little ones, 28-year-old dan thought he had the means to make it happen with relativease. he and april met on the job at the shipping company, airborne. >> airborne was the one place that if anybody ever needed a job they could always go there. >> reporter: hillsboro, ohio, as close as it gets to a company town. when airborne and dhl merged in 2003, the future seemed secure. it turned out to be anything but. last november, as the economy cratered, dhl announced it was cutting back on its u.s. operations and moving out of state, eliminating a staggering 8,000 jobs.

>> i never dreamed that it would be like that. >> reporter: he knows his job and the family's health insurance is on the line. their whole future, like that of millions of other americans on the brink. >> who's opening the door first? >> i will. >> you have your hand full, girl. >> reporter: 6-year-old alexis lerp has ser re -- looper has cerebral palsy and epilepsy. after suffering a stroke while still in the womb. >> thank you for helping me get the colors on my pattern. >> you are welcome. >> reporter: her determination y.d be about $1,700 for the pys >> probably sell our cars and our house and move in with my dad to help pay for her medical needs. >> reporter: this is a painful period for everybody in your

circumstances, working class america, in the heartland here along highway 50. but you think in some ways it will make america stronger? >> i think if people are smart about it it will. as long as they just grit down and bear it. it will make them stronger in the long haul. >> brian, there is sort of a happy ending to this story. dan has been offered a job by his company at its new kentucky location. but that means the commute is 90 minutes each way. his salary would be a third less than it is now. he is going to take that job because it means he can keep his medical benefits. one more reminder there are no easy choices in this economy, brian. great trip so far. lot of miles left to go. tom, thanks as always. when we come back here tonight -- what was that up in the sky today where the sun was supposed to be?

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announcer: activia is clinically proven to help regulate your digestive system in two weeks when eaten every day. now i enjoy every minute. my grandkids are happy, and so am i. ♪ activia there was a rare event on this planet today. but not everybody got to see it. it didn't last for long. a solar eclipse visible mostly across asia. an event in itself. but it triggered simultaneous events in its shadow on earth.

as nbc's adrian mong reports for us tonight from shanghai. >> reporter: asia woke up early looking towards the heavens to get a glimpse of a total solar eclipse. it began its path in india at dawn where thousands followed an ancient belief that their sins would be cleansed in the sacred ganges river during an eclipse. as the moon passed directly, a diamond formed, blocking out all the light. chased by a plane of eclipse fans at 41,000 feet. >> in bhutan, newscasters warned not look straight into the sun. while in thailand, monks pray ed to ward off feared bad omens from the eclipse. in china where the eclipse span was the longest on land, nearly six minutes. there was a frenzy of excitement. even dr. ed krup, director of griffith observatory in los angeles, had traveled to shanghai for a look.

>> i am not going to live to see an eclipse longer than six minutes. >> reporter: the only problem was the weather. >> a break. >> or we could do a dce. we could do a prayer. >> reporter: undaunted the team pulled out their cameras and special glasses to protect their eyes. >> when we put up our little sheets of paper for the pin holes. >> reporter: then -- >> here it comes. what do you see? >> reporter: darkness washed over everyone. >> so much darker. >> reporter: 9:37 in the morning here outside of shanghai. people have been planning for this moment for years, the longest total solar eclipse this century. astronomers say, the oextne like this, or this long, isn't going to happen until 2132. >> reporter: as the light returned -- >> hooray for us! >> reporter: excitement lingered. soon, the eclipse sped off across the pacific ocean where even at a tokyo zoo it was seen as a once-in-a-lifetime event. adrian mong, nbc news, china. safe to come out now. that's our broadcast for this wednesday night. thank you for being with us. a reminder we are back on the

air at 8:00 p.m., 7:00 central, for coverage of president obama's primetime news conference tonight. so good night, for now, from new conference tonight. so good night, for now, from new york. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com