says he doesn't get it until october. that's too soon, too. a > "n"nighthtly n newomom cup "nightlyews" comg up next. >> good ni on the broadcast tonight, soaring sales in the real estate market. which homes are going fast and which ones are not? grounded? new recommendations may mean the days of sending astronauts into space are coming to an end. >> surfs up -- hurricane bill bringing dangerous conditions to the east coast during one of the biggest weeks of summer. and "making a difference" keeping military families connected, sharing moments they would have missed big and small. connected, sharing moments they would have missed big and small. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening i'm david gregory in for brian williams tonight. it has long been thought the key to any economic recovery is housing.

the steep decline in housing prices fueled what some have called the great recession, well today, some unexpected good news. existing home sales last month rose more than expected up 7.2%, the highest month over month percentage increase in more than a decade. sales are surging largely due to a tax credit for first time home buyers. cnbc's diana olick is joining us tonight with more on this. diana. good evening, david. that $8,000 tax credit coupled with bargain basement home prices are really driving today's sales, but the bulk of the action is on the low end of the market. >> reporter: the bargain hunters are out in droves, lured by low home prices and historically attractive affordability. realtors report since their peak in july 2006 home prices are down 23%, down 15% in just the last year.

and foreclosures, which rose to a new record again in the second quarter of this year, are only pushing prices lower. >> buying a foreclosed home seems like a good deal. od deal.y, opportunity for a >> welcome to our foreclure bus tour. >> reporter: in fact, one third of all homes sold in july were foreclosed properties. >> now is a great time to buy a house. >> reporter: which is why realtor bob lucito is running bus tours of local foreclosures. >> you are going to buy, 10%, 20%, 30% below market. maybe even more. >> reporter: you can see it in july sales numbers, sales of homes below $100,000 surged 39% from last year. bump up another $100,000 and we are still in the positive. up bu yenrowhou csshert tua q but when you cross the quarter million line it all goes south and the higher the price the more sales drop off. for homes over $1 million, sales are down 23%. over $2 million, down 32%. >> what we are seeing right now is not really a true real estate recovery. >> reporter: because it is not only foreclosures skewing the

numbers, a full 1/3 of july buyers were first time home buyers taking advantage of the $8,000 tax credit. that credit expires this fall. >> there is no question the first time buyer tax credit is helping speed the recovery and without it, i think, i think the recovery will take quite a bit longer. >> reporter: now realtors and homebuilders are pushing hard for an extension of the tax credit. they would even like to see it bigger and broader. some say without it that surge in sales could turn in the other direction. david. diana olick in washington tonight. thank you very much. federal reserve chairman ben bernanke said prospects for economic growth in the near term are good. those comments and home sales numbers helped send stocks sharply higher. the dow finished the day up just under 156 points. troubling story now from iraq, four u.s. soldiers have been charged with hazing and terrorizing a young soldier until he took his own life. we get the disturbing details now from nbc's jim miklaszewski at the pentagon. mik.

>> reporter: david, this is one of the more tragic stories to come out of iraq recently. four u.s. soldiers are charged with cruelty for allegedly abusing and harassing a young soldier, possibly driving him to his death. the victim is 19-year-old keifer wilhelm who had been in iraq only ten days. the four soldiers including three sergeants are alleged to have constantly humiliated the soldier and repeatedly forced him to perform grueling exercises and crawl in the dirt until his legs bled. a little less than two weeks ago, keifer went off on his own and shot himself to death with his m-16. tonight, keifer's father told us was a lovable kid who never got into trouble and always respected authority. now if court martialed and convicted, these four americans could get anywhere from 8 to 25 years in a military prison. now, the tragic irony to all of this is these four soldiers were part of a brand new u.s. army brigade sent to iraq to teach iraqis how to be better soldiers. david.

jim miklaszewski at the pentagon. jim, thanks. now, to afghanistan where the results of yesterday's second-ever presidential e are to pe are pmildldlirenali unsul early next week. tiun nek.wi weext and with the taliban threatening violence, voter turnout in many parts of the country was indeed much lower than in 2004. nbc news chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in the afghan capital of kabul, he has got the latest. good evening, richard. >> reporter: good evening, david. an election official today said that the voter turnout was some where between 40% and 50%, but that they was very patchy nationwide. we're told that in southern afghanistan turnout was in the teens. compare that to five years ago, 70% turnout nationwide. david. >> what about the actual victor here? you have got two key contestants here, two primary challengers and that includes hamid karzai, the existing president. >> absolutely.

as you know, language is so important. this morning there were reports that both of the candidates, abdullah abdullah and karzai were claiming it was over. that they had each won. i asked abdullah abdullah knocking on his door was this the case did he consider himself the new president. he said, no, that's not what it is. and we spoke in english. he said i think i was misquoted. i am leading and i believe that i will win. and when we contacted karzai's office he said the same thing. that indications are that he believes he won, but they are both still abiding by the process and there are such concerns here that both of the candidates could delegitimize this process, that the chief u.s. envoy richard holbrooke visited both abdullah and karzai to calm down with their statements and let the process continue. >> both the incumbent and the candidate waiting for the results. richard engel in kulks, wanth. the afghan elet fin affoghib fight afr isantan will be an am t sopnic o sy'uns da ee"mseth

press" we'll talk to the chaiane otht f ejofsief staff, mike mullen and karl eikenberry and plus we will have a deba on health care with senators hatch and schumer. there is reaction tonight to a claim by former homeland security secretary tom ridge that he was pressured to raise the nation's terror threat level just days before the 2004 presidential election. in a move he said he believed was meant to sway the vote. ridge says in a new book, the pressure came from top advisers to president bush, former defense secretary donald rumsfeld and then-attorney general john ashcroft. a spokesman for rumsfeld called the claim nonsense. thterror threat level was not ra posed by hurrito bcahehrbet nei posed by hurricane bill which has been losing steam as it churnsut in the atlantic.t itexpected to pass between be thanuds. md aiaiand mo.orr both the east coast and bermuda are already feeling its effects. whether channel meteorologist jim cantore is in bermuda and he has got the very latest. jim. >> reporter: conditions with bill have been getting worse all

afternoon. a steady rain and gusty wind have been moving into the area. tropical storm winds are now sustained here on bermuda. some of the higher hills are seeing winds over 55 miles an hour. all of these areas are going to get worse as we go through tonight and on into tomorrow morning. but the biggest threat continues to be from the wave action. we have had huge surf come crashing into bermuda today along the beach shores. we have high tide tonight and again tomorrow morning to get through. perhaps at the time of the storm's closest point to bermuda which will be less than 200 miles now we think due to a northward jog today. it is going to be a rough night. we think there will be loss of power. but as we get into saturday and sunday conditions will improve and in some cases rapidly sunday as bill accelerates northward toward canadian maritimes. david, back to you. jim cantore in bermuda for us tonight, thanks. will american astronauts return to the moon in the future? nbc news learned that plans to

travel there and beyond may in fact be scrubbed. that would put tens of thousand of jobs in jeopardy. our report tonight from nbc's tom costello. >> wait a minute, we are at 125 degrees now -- >> reporter: since the last astronauts walked on the moon nearly 37 years ago, nasa's focus has been on space shuttles and stations close to earth. but the "columbia" disaster in 2003 changed all that. >> returning to the moon is an important step for our space program. >> reporter: a year after "columbia" president bush ordered the space shuttles be grounded in 2010 and nasa focus on a new generation of rockets and spacecraft to carry astronauts back to the moon. nts. is all about dollars and >> it is very difficult to find an exploration scenario that actually fits within this very restrictive budget guidance. >> reporter: former astronaut sally wright is on a panel with most convinced the moon will have to wait. getting there by 2020 would cost

$3 billion to $5 billion each year. but killing the moon mission would mean losing highly skilled jobs. nbc's jay barberi -- >> right now nasa has 58,000 people employed through contractors and civil service. the dropping of this program will reduce that by half. >> reporter: anxious to save jobs, lawmakers are pushing to extend the shuttle's life and save the new "aries" rocket program. as of 2011, nasa will have no spacecraft to carry astronauts to the station, instead relying on the russians and commercial rockets. then what? without a moon mission where does nasa go? the man who ran nasa under president bush says giving up on the moon would be a mistake. >> it is about what you value. and if america is going to continue to be a forward-looking, exploring, pioneering nation or not. >> we set goals and then don't provide the funding to achieve them. this is not a case study of excellence in national leadership.

>>eporter: with the shuttle "discovery" sitting on the pad for tuesday's launch, nasa's future has never been less certain. tom costello, nbc news, washington. when "nightly news" continues on this friday evening, health care reform and undocumented immigrants in the country. wh's the truth about who will pay?later, later, "making a difference" -- effort to keep military families connected across all those miles. ecoboost™ engine in the all-new ford taurus sho that has the thirst of a v6 with the thrust of a v8. we speak car. we speak innovation. introducing the all-new taurus sho from ford. drive one. (announcer) what are you going to miss when you have an allergy attack? achoo! (announcer) benadryl is more effective than

claritin at relieving your worst mptoms. and works when you need it most. benadryl. you can't pause life. when sixty percent off is at stake, so today, she's talking to her doctor about overactive bladder. teri decided she's tired of always stopping to "go", so today, she's talking to her doctor, too. if you have overactive bladder symptoms, today is the day to talk to your doctor and ask about prescription toviaz. one toviaz pill a day significantly reduces sudden urges and accidents over 24 hours, all day and all night. plus, toviaz comes with a simple plan with tips on food and drink choices and training your bladder. if you have certain stomach problems or glaucoma,

or cannot empty your bladder, you should not take toviaz. toviaz can cause blurred vision and drowsiness so use caution when driving or doing unsafe tasks. the most common side effects are dry mouth and constipation. today, laura decided it was time she learned how to show that bladder who's boss. talk to your doctor and ask if toviaz is right for you. now to the battle over

health care reform. one of the most contentious issues at this summer's rowdy town hall meetings has been the question of whether undocumented immigrants would be eligible for government health insurance. nbc's miguel almaguer separates fact from fiction as part of our effort at making sense of it all. >> reporter: when 5-year-old victor gets sick this is the only health care his mother can afford at the laguna beach clinic she pays what she can, the rest of the bill picked up by the center covered through donations and grants. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: if i hadn't found this clinic, i don't know what i would do. >> reporter: this is one face of the uninsured. >> the illegals, they shouldn't even be here. >> reporter: one prescription for controversy at town hall meetings all across the country. >> let's get the illegal immigrants -- >> reporter: the anger is over who will and won't be covered under president obama's health care plan. with nearly 12 million people

living in this country illegally, the president's plan will not change the way the federal government handles their health care. >> the bottom line is that the current proposal for health care reform that is working its way through the house and senate does not provide coverage for undocumented residents of the u.s. >> relax the arm. >> reporter: with no funding for undocumented immigrants in the president's plan it will be states and counties that continue to use local taxpayer money to help fund clinics like th one in laguna beach. where affordable health care is offered to everyone despite their legal status and whether they're insured or not. clinics like this one are vital to the immigrant community. doctors here say they see about 17,000 patients every year. they also say whether health care reform is passed or not, that number will only rise. >> it's not free to him. he is paying what is for -- for mr. cortez a lot of money. >> reporter: emotions over health care and undocumented immigrants. >> not going to be handed out

free to illegal citizens. >> reporter: have no borders in these forums of public opinion. miguel almaguer, nbc news, california. u.s. health officials said today that trials for a swine flu vaccine have raised no red flags so far and that participants are reporting few side effects beyond soreness athe injection site. the cdc is bracing for a big surge in swine flu cases in the fall. for now, two states are reported to have widespread1/n1 activity -- maine and alaska. when "nightly news" continues in a moment, a first family frenzy at a vacation spot that is used to hosting celebrities. ♪ vacation spot that is used to hosting celebrities. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ i need to be surrounded by ♪ the ones who care for me [ female announcer ] clean you can see. softness you can feel.

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the transportation department released tapes of a the transportation department released tapes of a nightmare for travelers at the rochester, minnesota airport earlier this month. 47 passengers were stranded overnight on the tarmac in a small expressjet plane operated for continental airlines. their flight had been diverted to rochester due to bad weather. on the tapes, the pilot tells her dispatcher in houston the only terminal in rochester is closed. houston the only terminal in rochester is closed. incredibly the passengers were stuck on the tarmac for six hours turning their trip into a 13-hour odyssey. the preliminary investigatn shows an airlines representative, incorrectly told expressjet that passengers could not be allowed inside the

terminal because security peonnel had left for the night. the airline disputes those findings. martha's vineyard getting ready to host special guests, the first family heads there on a sunday vacation, there for the week. as nbc's anne thompson reports, their anticipated arrival its creating quite a stir even on an island used to celebrity visitors. >> reporter: the invasion of martha's vineyard is under way. marine helicopters buzz overhead, suvs, tint ed windows, washington, d.c. license plates roll off the ferries as the island prepares for its presidential close-up. the vineyard where the clintons vacationed in good times and bad will host president obama and his family. a visit residents hope will be their very only stimulus package. >> what we hope to see is that people will catch on to the buzz and the excitement and the good economic news that is spreading across the world right now. we think we will have a positive

impact. >> reporter: phil mcandrews says it has been a challenging summer at his offshore ale company. to celebrate the obama's vacation, he is brewing a special beer and hoping the president last seen drinking bud lite will try his ale to the chief. >> this is going to be a very approachable, easy-drinking style of beer. >> reporter: if he wants something more than 12 ounce curls, the b-strong gym hopes the president comes back. during 2007 vacation, senator obama quietly pumped iron here. and now if he comes in? >> i think everybody would be all over him. >> reporter: even the island's famous black dog knows there is a new dog in town. blue herron farm in chillmark will be the family's vacation house. >> it's a 2-acre property with like 12 houses on it. i guess they could stay in a different one every night. >> reporter: former first lady, jacqueline kennedy onassis summered here, carly simon, james taylor, spike lee, ted dansen and mary steenbergen have homes here. while some think of it as a celebrity sandbox those who love the vineyard say it is a place

you can really relax even if you are president of the united states. boston law professor kim mclauren has been coming to the island since she was a child. >> wheyou see that ferry everything just sort of drops away. >> reporter: a place to forget that you will always remember. anne thompson, nbc news, martha's vineyard. and when we come back, making a difference by making sure servicemen and women stay in tou with home. making sure servicemen and women stay in touch with home.

challenge. but one foundation has found a way to make the link to home and events big and small much easier. nbc's ron mott has our report. >> you're welcome. >> reporter: in north carolina, 20-year-old crystal birdess is ready to have her first baby with mom and friend in tow. but her husband is missing in

action, sort of. until a nurse literally rolls him in and dials him up. thanks to freedom calls, a free service keeping military families connected, he will be nearby yet 6,300 miles away in iraq. >> pretty soon your son will be here. >> reporter: marine corporal craig birdess, an aircraft mechanic, had a new work order thursday night. coaching and comforting his wife until hours of pain -- >> your boy is here, dad. >> all right. >> reporter: gave way to tiny logan robert. >> 7 pounds, 11 ounces, 20 inches long. >> to have my husband here, not personally here, but right next to me supporting me on through it was amazing. >> i can't wait to hold him and be together, be a family. >> reporter: freedom calls hooks up soldiers and marines like craig, with their families, more than 2,000 times every month everything from routine conversations to

big life-changing events such as this. >> we are able to bring the milestone family events that the deployed would otherwise miss because they're out there on the front lines serving our country. >> reporter: the nonprofit is run from its founder's small home office in new jersey, using donations to buy satellite time to keep men and women in uniform around the world in touch with loved ones. >> i used to work on wall street and i got bonuses, i got promotions, i landed big clients, and it was all very satisfying. but this has been so much more gratifying. >> reporter: and a grateful growing family. >> the little footprint. >> reporter: whose footprint? >> logan robert. my grandson. >> reporter: is looking forward to when freedom calls again, this time in person, when papa returns from war sometime next month. >> it's okay. >> ron mott, nbc news, newburn, north carolina. that is "nightly news" for this friday night. thank you for being with us. i am david gregory in for brian williams. i will see you again sunday

morning on "meet the press." good night and have a good morning on "meet the press." good night and have a good weekend. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com also into carroll county. there you can see the areas that are in the greatest threat right now around damascus. that storm is heading into -- also heading toward carroll county. so again, this is a tornado warning that remains in effect. northern parts of howard county, montgomery county, carroll county, and frederick county. stay with us. we'll keep you posted.