> on our broadcast tonight -- tall order. the president says he will keep the fed's top man on the job in the face of some staggering new deficit numbers. growing concern about a major new outbreak of swine flu. tonight, some answers to your questions about what to expect. stopping the slide -- why school is alwa in seion in a growing number of places. and window of opportunity -- put it thiway -- some lks visiting a n public park here in new york are seeing a whole lot more than they bargained for. also tonight, the tv mmercial designed to scare you.

mmercial designed to scare you. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. just yesterday a white house spokesman told the press corps traveling with t vacationing president, "don't exct a news." then a funny thing happened today, news broke out. the kind of news that can dede the nation's financial fure. the president reappointed the head of the fed, ben bernanke. he was aush hire, his hand is now on the tiller, and now it will stay that way forhe next four years. the other news today, the deficit is soaring way above what anybody in this adnistration projected. our ite house correspondent savannah guthrie here in new york with us tonight with mor on this. talk about news breaking out. >> it was. the news the finanal world was waiting for, brian. while not everamerican knows his name they have certainly felt ben bernanke's work.

>> it's bee a particular privilege for me to serve. >> reporter: wall stet was watching today as president obama visiting martha's vineyard prsed pause on his vacation. >> i apologizeor interrupting the relaxing that i told all of you to do. >> reporter: to appoinben bernanke to another four-year term as fed chair crediting the former princeton professowith helping to prevent calamity. >> as an expert on the causes of the great depression, i am sure ben never imaginede would be part of a team responsib for preventing another. but because of his background, his temperament, his courage and creativity, that's exactly what he has helped to achieve. on t broadcast tight meltdown -- >> reporter: nearly one year ago, last september, banks were failing, the dow was in free fall as crit dried up. the entire financial system threatened with collapse. some say bernanke's aggressive moves at the fed, slashing interest rateso zero, and puing $1 trillion into frozen credit markets helped turn things around.

but his critics say he was slow to see the crisis coming. >> the problems in the subprime market seems likely to be contained. >> reporter: and that big banks, not consumers have benefit fr the fed's intervention. now, as the ecomy recove, the next cllenge. scaling ba on low interest rates and massive fed spending thoutriggering inflation or rse. >> the fed has to be very careful that it doesn't pull t fundg out too quickly and stop the recovery. >> reporter: the bernanke annocement coincided with d budget news om the white house. the administration latest estimate puts e ficit $2 trillion higher than originally predicted. more than $9 trillion over the next ten years. making the president's health re push at much rder. >> health care as it is being discussed right now involves increasing snding now and reducing it later. and there is going to be more

hesitance to increase spending now given these higher deficit numbers. >> reporter: well the white house, of course, says the way gethe deficits under control long term is to get control of health care costs. and by the way, why that big jump in the deficit number? the white house sayst is using updated figures now that show the recession was even worse than originally thought. now -- the palace intrigue. because it is washington, timing is everything. we should talk about the timing. and because it is washington whenever somebody gets a job we talk abo those that didn't get it. lawrence summers was rumored to be perhaps getti this job? >> a lot of people thought larry summers the chief economic viser to the white house was in waiting for this job. in the end, the president chose consistency, keepinn bernanke in. and the white houseade a point today to say tt summers approved of this nomination. savannah guthrie, glad to have you with us here in new york. thanks. the u.s. postal seice said today it is offering buyouts to tens of thousands of employees as it struggles to close a massive budget gap. as many as 30,00postal workers

wille elib for a $15,000 payout if they agree to walk away from their jobs. in some cases their life's work. more cuts will be needed as the recession shris businesses and more arica turto e-mail to communicate. postal service by the way is expectedo lose $7 billion th year alone. now we go overseas to afghanistan, where the taliban violence has kept many voters away from thpolls. last week. it escalated tay. among the dead, four american soldiers and their deaths mark a grim new milestone in that war. meanwhile, some early election results are in. r chief foreign correspondent richard engel reports tonight from kabul. >> reporter: it was a y of bombs,ullets and disputed ballots. today the first results of last we's election were announced, and showed the two leading candidates president hamid karzai and his former foign minister abdullah abdullah almost dead even with 40% of the

vote each, aign a run-off election may have to be held in octobe but today at a news conference, abdullah charged that karzai rigged the vote in his favor. abdullah showed reporters ballots premarked for karzai. >> watch ihere. all being stampe some are not stamped but the same. the same mark out, the same thing. and up to the end. >> reporter: videos allegedly showing karzai supporters systematicallyhecking off ballots and stuffing boxes. day six other presidential candidates claimed there was massive fraud last week. >> this is sething completely outrageous and no time in history in afghanistan smuch corrupti. >> repter: international election observers showed nbc news pictures of children voting with their own voter identity cards. the elecon's dispute is the latest of a growing number of probms. violence is on the rise.

the taliban has stronghold in about half the country. and even analysts here are starting to say the u.s. is getting deeper in what could be an unwinnable war. and that war erupted in kandahar this evening where at least five car bombs went off at once killing at least 41 people and wounding over 60 in a neighborhood that houses many ntractors.nal aid workers and just hoursarlier four u.s. troops were killedy a roadside bomb making 2009 the deadliest year yet for american forces here. as afghanistan is now at a new low, with a deadly mix of litical uncertainty and increasingly aggressive enemy. richard engel, nbc news, kabul. back in this country, we now know the obama administration will be investigating the interrogation techniques used by the bush administration including torture. federal prosecutor has been named and a fight is now under way er it al our own andrea mitchelhas the

very latest om our washington newsroom. andrea, good evening. >> good evening, brian. did those controversiacia tactics actually prevent attacks on the homeland? that is the core of an explosive debate tonight between former vice president dick cheney and the obama white house. escalating the feud from a family vacation in alaska, dick cheney challenged president obama's ability to protect the homeland. cheney said the decision to prosecute interrogators was political. and shows "why so many americans have doubts about this administration's ability to be responsible for r nation's serity." fighting words >> and i think in many ways his statents in these day s are kind of pathetic. i think he should know that the obama administration is doing everything to keep america secure. >> reporter: so who right? the new documents reveal 30 of e detainees1/3 of those held in the cia secret prisons were subjected to the questionable practices. cheneyays the taics saved lives and prevented terrorist

attacks. his proof --n part, thiso, describing how 9/11 masternd, khalid sheik mohammed who was water boarded 183 times, admitted to a series of plots one in late in 2001 to crash a hijacked airliner intthe tallest building on the u.s. west coast. another in early 2002 to send al qaeda operati and u.s. citizen jose padilla to set off bombs in an unspecified major u.s. city. and never before disclosed plan in 2003 to employ a network of pakistanis to target gas atio, raroadracks and the brooklyn bridge in new york. but administration officials say the is no way to know whether the same information could have be obtned om him without waterboarding or wheere would have given it up sooner had he been handled dierently. in fact, khalid sheik mohammed told the international red cross in 2006 he lied tfool his questioners. >> he made stuff up and took pleasure in the fact that e

united states had probably wasted money responding to these fabrications. >> reporter: an argument experts say may never be resold. but tonight, john mccain who oppod the bush/cheney interrogation policies cricized the attorney general's decision to investigate ciinterrogators creating more political headaches for the white house. brian. andrea mitchell in washington tonight. andrea, thanks. federal health officials are wrapping up two days of meetings at the centers for disease control in atlanta. it is all about planni for a potential surge in swine flu cases this fall. the meage from the government "get vaccinated. when it is available as soon a you can." but there are still a lot of questions out there. last nightere we asked you for yours. a lot ofou posted questions on our website overnight. we'll begin with ts one. is the h1/n1 any more dangerous than the regular seasonal flu? here is ouown robert bazell. >> reporter: recent animal and other lab tests do show this

virus is potentially more dangerous than most seasonal flu. in the rare individuals who have serious side effects, the virus goes deeper into the lungs, and clings more tightly to the lung tissue. >> working on emerging diseases. >> reporter: dr. daniel jernegen of the cdc says a big reason the virus is n causing even more deaths is that the virus strikes mostly younger ople >> they're the ones getting hospitalized and having serious lower becse they are able o to tolerate those kinds of oblems. >> reporter: what really are the risks to pregnant women? even though the absolute numbers are small, pregnanwomen are at far higher risk from complications from swine flu infection than the rest of the population. until a vaccine becomes available, doctors strongly advise that pregnant women seek medical attention immediately if they have a fever or signs of the flu. what should parents of children with allergies to eggs do to protect against this virus? when a vaccine is available, like all flu vaccines, it will

be grown in eggs people who have egallergies will not be able to take it. those peop will have to carry out the precautions like hand washing and covering coughs, at everyone should follow until there is a vaccine. >> for very young children who can't get vaccinated we recommend the people around thosindividuals get vaccinated that are not allergic to eggs. >> i have a newborn baby too young for the vaccine, what steps can i take to protect him? experts say as soon as a vaccine is available, people aroun children 6 months or younger who cannot get vaccinated, parents and caretakers should be among the first to get vaccinated themselves. if you have already had the first wave of swine flu, are you protected from the fall wave of the illness? since testing was relatively limitenot everyone who thought they had swine flu in the spring may have actually had it. officials say that unls people are absolutely sure they had swine flu, they should get vaccinated. >> reporter: many viewers had questions about the safe of a new vaccine. a vaccine against a different swine flu that appeared briefly

in 1976 caused increased risk for a pair -- paralitic condition called guillen beret syndrome. officials here at the cdc say they have ever reason to think this year's vaccine will be safe, but still have an extensive monitoring system in place to look for any potential night.rt bazell at the cdc thanks. to our viers if you didn't hear your question asked and answered on the air, bob has answered more of them about swine flu on our website, that's nightly.msc.com. when our broadcast continues here on a tuesday night -- does school do a better job when school never gets out for the suer? and later, talk out coming to new york to see a show. this one, right ouin the open, may be x rated. ets out for the summer? and later, talk about coming to new york to see a show. this one, right out in the open, may be x rated. 365-horsepower-, ecoboost™ engine in the all-new ford taurus sho that has the thirst of a v6 witthe thrust of a v8.

we speak car. we speak innovation. introducing the all-new taurus sho from ford. drive one. new tide stain release. it's an advanced in-wash booster that works with your detergent to help remove the toughest stains the first time. new tide stain release. available in duo pack, liquid or powder. during endless shrimp at red lobster, you can have something decent... with something spicy. then something crunchy, then somethi new... like wood-grilled shrimp with a tangy teriyakiglaze. and after that, you can do it all again. it's endless shrimp. indulgen endless choices of your favorite shrimp dish. while thshrimp are endless, this offer isn't. come in now for the best value of the year. at red lobster.

maybe it's your name. richard? smucker. (announcer) when your name is smucker everyone knows you'll grow up to make the world's best jam. th a name ke smucker's, ihas to be od. this is another. new total blueberry pomegranate cereal gives you00% of the daily value of 12 essential vitamins and minerals. plus the bold new taste of blueberries and pomegranate with crispy whole grain flakes and crunchy oat clusters. total, a truly delicious way to get vitamins and minerals. how are you getting 100%? visit totalcereal.com and get a free sample. we we're back now. and we turn to our series this week on education and while this is known as the back-to-school season, some kids never left school.

they're pa of a movement in education reform that puts schooln a year-round calendar because you ow what happens to our brains over the summer after all. as parof our "making the grade" series here is nbc's rehemallis. >> reporter: t first day of school can be harder for some than others. especially when it is still summer. such was the case chicago, the third largest school district in the country. 90,000 elementary school kids went back to school early at n extra cost to the district. it's part of a growing shift here toward year-rou education. ere are about 2 million students in 46 states who attend year-round schools, at is about 5% of all students nationwide who are giving up the american tradition of long suer vacation. the push for year-round schools in chicago is a grassroots effort by parents, teachers and principals, concerned about low st scores.

studies show long summer vacations are a major reon test scoreof students from low income families lag behind others. >> i think this is a good progm because children are ing to learn a lot me and remember more of what they learned last year. >> reporter: but nationwide studies on the effectivess of yearound schools show minimal results. last yeain chicago, year-round students showed less than 2% improvement in reang, math and science. why? >> they're not actually adding more days to t calendar. they're just reaanging the dayshey already have. they have shorter brea throughouthe year. >> reporter: despite the short comings these schools continue to grow in popularity here. chicago has now tripled the number of year-round schools to 132. at smith elementary where almost all the students are from low-come families, the principal jued at the chance

>> giving our students an opportunity to start school earlie alls them to retain more of the information that they had either in summer school or in june. ademics.s benefits beyond he just to keep them busy and off the streets. give them methinto d >> reporter: year round schools gaining momentum here among some parents, eager to give their childr any advantage they can. rehema ellis, nbc news, chicago. when "nightly news" continues in a moment, we will show you something designed to get your attention and the producers are hoping it works. ws" continues in a moment, we will show youomething designed to get your attention and the producers are hoping it works. you've wanted to quit smoking so many times, but tse days came and went, and the cigarettes remained. but today's a new day. and a few simplsteps can make a real difference in your next quit... things like startingith a plan to quitmoking..

getting support... and talking to your doctor about how prescription treatments can help you. talk to your doctor about prescription treatment options. and make this time, our time. diover a light yogurt like no other. talk to your doctor about prescription treatment options. activia light! delicious, fat free, and above all... the only one that has bifidus regularis and is clinically proven to help regulate ur digestive system. activia light. ♪ activiaaa! for me to keep my bones strong but even with calcium, vitamin d, and exercise, i stilgoosteoporosis. i never thoughi could do more than stop my bone loss. then my doctor told me i could, with once-monthly boniva.

boniva works with your body to help stop and reverse bone ls. studies show, after one year on boniva, nine out of ten women stopped and reversed their bone loss. i know i did. (announcer) don't take boniva if you ha low blood calcium, severe kidney disease or can't sit or stand for at least one hour. follow dosing instructions carefully. stop taking boniva and tell your doctor if you have difficult or painful swallowing, chest pain or sere or continuing heartburn, as these may be signs of serious upper digestive problems. if jaw problems or severe bone, joint, and/or muscle pain develop, tell your doctor. i've got this one body, and this one life, so ianted to stop my bone loss. but i did more. i reversed iwith boniva. ask your doctor if boniva can help you stop losi, and start reversing. (announcer) for a free trial offer, call 1-800-4-boniva.

it's critical that i stick my medication. i cannot be one of the 61 million americans who do not refill their prescriptions on time. readyfill at cvs pharmacy automatically refills my prescriptions and reminds me to pick them up. you mean, reminds me to pick them up. [ chuckles ] stop by your lal c pharmacy to ask if readyfill is right forou, and get a 5 coupon book. readyfill, only at cvs pharmacy. what is it that you really like to do? >> eat. what do i like to do? >> i know. i know. i know. and we are so good at it. look at you. now, how good you are.

the great merystep and a the great stanley tucci, a scene from the new film "julie and julia." about the great chef julia child. the movie has done an incredible thing for thbook business. when the new "the new york times" best-seller list comes out in five days, julia chd's bookmastering the art of french cooking" will be number one for the rst time ever. keep imind the book was written almost 48 years ago. cost $40. runs 752 pages. it requires, by the way, one dumptruck full of butter. but seeing the movie got a whole lot of people thinking and cook just as the french chef tried to teach us to. there is a new public service announcement, a television ad, we are going to show youome of it tonight. produced by the government in wales inhe uk. it is ring on television there. it has quickly gone viral the internet. it is making news here because it is so real, so graphic, not

everybody realizest's ju a re-enactment. >> jules, fancies you. >> please, stop. >> pass. >> it's not even funny now. >> just get his number. ♪ >>t gets worse from therand the message here, indelibly is this. it is about texting while driving. the fact that it's as ngerous as drunk driving is. the risk of a traffic accident jumps 23 times while texting. the effort here is to scare young drivers in wales. it has gone on to scare a whole lot of people everywhere. when we come back here tonight, if you're visiting lower manhattan for a late summer trip with the kids this year -- dol lol 'lexplain a me. ♪ ♪

new carefree ultra protection liners, with wings! sorb ten times more, like a pad but el thin and comfy, like a liner. new carefree® ultrprotection™ with cialis for daily use... a clinically proven, low-dose tablet for erectile dysfunction you take every day so you can be ready anytime the moment is right. tell your doctor about your dical condition and all medications and ask if you're healthy enough for sexual activity. don't take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in bloopressure.

don drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache omuscle ache. to avoid long term injury seeimmeate medical help for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision stop taking cialis and call your doctor right aw. (announcer) 36-hour cialis. or cialis for daily use. ask your doctor about cialis today, so when the moment is right, you can be ready. ♪ ♪ got troubles, oh ♪ but not today ♪ 'cause theye gonna wash away ♪ ♪ this old heart ♪ gonna take them away [ quacks ] and th there are the indicator-light warning, radar-sensor-linking, blind-spot-penetrating side mirrors of the all-new fordaurus.

so what doesn't sh up in your mirror, can still show up on your mirror. we eak car. we speak innovation. introducing the all-new taurus from ford. drive one. finally tonight, there is that old expssioabout people who live in glass houses. but nobody ever sa anything about glass hotels. there is this new glass hotel in new york. and at's fine except thait straddles a new and quirky

public park caed the highline. it's called that because it is built on an old railroad trestle. the problem here is when people walking down the highline look up at the people doing what they do in a hotel, well, among the onlookers today was our own mike taibbi. >> reporter: where freight cars once rumbled along an elevated rail spur now flora, fauna and no onen a hurry, a new pedestrian stroll, called the highline running through the ultramodern standa hot in lower manhattan. an nstant family favorite as soon as it opened in june, even brian this past sunday called it already one of the great places for people watching. only brian wasn't talking about these people captured by "new york post" photographers the very next day vorting without curtains in front of the huge floor to ceiling windows. >> two gentlemen in the buff wavi hello. >> reporter: some parents have been surprised and not pleasantly. >> i just wouldn't wanmy kids seeing that. >> reporter: some older folks

have complained to local vendors. >> they have been some what, what's the word i'm looking for -- disgusted by the actions of the young people. >> reporter: admit it you can hear your own captain reynold voice saying i'm shocked, shocked to fd out there is sex w york.in greenwich village, what? which wiow? in fact, the hotel has highlight ed its breathtaking and daring pects. and on a now removed facebook page oe invited guests to exercise their inner exhibitionist and share their explicit photos whatever the impetus thvery public displays of affection and then some are surely inappropriate says etiquette writer. yet if she saw a performance under way. >> would you look away? >> i would take out my opera glass. >> repter: for most it is no big al. not to judy silverstn from the neighborhood. >> when i saw that on the news, i said"well, that's too bad. but let's get the health care thing passed." responded to the fuss over all s this exposed skin, sayin beneath its odd upside down logo

that it will now remind guests of the tnsparency of the guest room windows. some newsmen seemed less than impressed. >> dog gone -- glass is trsparent. i forgotbouthat. >> reporter: forget about th show e