from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbnightly news" with lester holt. tonight federal agents are trying to unravel details a plot that targeted new york city for nor terror attack. officials think they interrupted that plot with the overnight arrest of three men accused so far oj with lying to investigators. the timing and scope of the plot

are unclear, but some of the early evidence is raising alarming possibilities as to the targets. justice correspondent pete williams has more. >> reporter: late last night the fbi arrested the man thought to be at the center of the plot,a 4 24-year-old immigrant from afghanistan living in suburban denver. agents also arrested his 53-year-old father. both of accused of lying to investigators. the fbi says he drove a rented car to new york city a week and a half ago carrying a laptop computer. newly released court documents say it it contained nine pages of instructions on how to make bombs. an fbi scientist said it was produce an effective explosive charge. >> what was on his computer was nine pages of handwritten material that refers to fuses or how to put together ignition

devices for a larger explosion. >> reporter: he was questioned for three days late last week. the fbi says he lied about where the bomb instructions came from, but he admitted traveling to pakistan last august and receiving lessons in weapons and explosives from al qaeda operatives at a terror training camp, a terrorism expert says it appears to have been a serious plot. >> he went to training camps in pakistan who downloaded information. there's clearly intent here, but we don't know whether or not he had the capability. >> reporter: his trip to new york touched off a wave of alarm there. fbi agents and new york police searched four apartments he visited and last night agents arrested a man he talked with there. they're accused of tipping zazi off to the fbi's interest to him a but lying about it to the fbi. they found pictures and references to sports arenas and

trai stations and other public places in new york but nothing revealing the time or place of any attack and no bomb-making components have been discovered. no comment tonight from zazi's lawyer w says his client is no terrorist. they hope it marks a turning-point leading to cooperation. >> pete, if this panlted in term was terrorism case, why no terror charges? >> reporter: officials say more chges may be coming, but they say no matter what happens in the criminal cases, they believe this has been successful in a different way in disrupting a potential attack, lester. >> pete williams, thank you. you had to be awfully quick on the remote control to avoid catching president obama on tv this morning. he appeared on five talk programs including meet of press. he wanted to promote health care reform, but there was plenty more to talk about. we get details from the white house tonight. hello, mike.

>> reporter: good evening. it was teddy roosevelt who called the white house a bull wi pulpit, but he could have envisioned this. a president sitting in the room named after roosevelt himself conducting a media blitz to promote his health care plan. president obama sitting for a record five interviews back-to-back in the west wing. all airing this morning on the sunday news shows. flooding the media zone in an effort to sell his health care reform plan. >> what are the hard choices you're now asking the american people to make, and who are you going to say no to in order to get health car done? >> well, i've already made some pretty substantial changes in terms of how i was approaching health care. >> reporter: now a change is causing controversy. though he hasn't signed onto the specifics, today the president said all americans should be required to buy health insurance or be hit with a fine. >> even after you make health care affordable, there's still going to be some folks out there

who whether out of inertia or don't want to spend the money would rather take their chances. unfortunately that means then you and i and every american out there who has health insurance and paying their premiums responsibly every month, they have to pick up the cost for emergency room care when one of those people get sick. >> republicans say it's time to start over. >> he can be on every news show until the end of time. if he doesn't get republicans and democrats in a room and get off tv, we're never going to solve this problem. >> reporter: another big topic today, afghanistan. the top general there is expected to ask the president for more troops in the coming weeks, but mr. obama faces slipping support for the war in his own party and among nato allies. >> are we committed to the war for an definite period of time, or is there a deadline for withdrawal? >> i don't have a deadline for withdrawal, but i'm certainly not somebody who believes in

indefinite occupations of other countries. if suprting the afghan national government and building capacity for their army and securing certain provinces advances that strategy, then we'll move forward. but if it doesn't, then i'm not interested in just being in afghanistan for the sake of being in afghanistan or saving face or in some way, you know, sending a message that america is here for the duration. >> reporter: after former president jimmy carter sparked controversy with these comments in an interview with brian williams -- >> i think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity towards president barack obama is based on the fact that he is a black man. >> reporter: today the president responded. >> this debate that's taking place is not about race, it's about people being worried about how our government should

operate. >> reporter: lester, the president travels to new york city tomorrow for meetings and a speech at the united nations, but while he's there he'll make a detour into late night television where he's expected to once again push his health care plan. lester. >> thank you. chuck todd is nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent. with the address to congress and now today's tv blitz, the president has placed enormous amount of personal political capital or face time, if you will, on the line in pursuit of getting this health care deal done. more than even it seems it's a fight he can't afford to lose. should we take this as a sign he's confident he'll prevail? >> there's a lot of confidence inside the white house now. this week baucus is doing what's called marking up the bill. what does this mean as far as americans are concerned? you're going to see what the senate bill looks like possibly as early as thursday night, and that's when they'll find out for sure where the single republican vote that they care about right now, and that's republican senator olympia snow, where

she's going to be. they feel very confident the framework is there and while he's in new york playing world leader behind the scenes without the cameras on, he'll get a health care bill. >> it could turn quickly despite all the rhetoric on either side? >> absolutely. maybe the best thing for the white house is that the president is not in even white house. he could see more accomplished in health care while he's out of town in new york and later in pittsburgh. >> i want to get thoughts on another story. "new york times" said the white house was pushing the governor of new york to not run for re-election. a lot of people wondering why a president would go there. i know the white house now is suggesting that story was not entirely on the mark, but what do you know about it? >> the president is also the leader of their party. in this case he's the leader of the democratic party, and sometimes in a case like new york, i can tell you what's going on with paterson. you have a lot of new york democrats wringing their hands and believe he cannot win re-election, and if you challenge in a primary he could

win a primary and lose a general election to rudy guiliani who is thinking about running. they fear losing fouh largest state, that governorship to the republicans and what that can have -- the impact it can have on the makeup of congress, believe it or not. you have all of this redistricting and all this stuff. so that is why they're getting very involved in this thing. they're hoping quietly because new york democrats are sniping with each other. they needed an outsider to pull this off, and don't be surprised if you see the clintons weigh in pretty soon. maybe former president clinton will have something to say about this as he's now an influential new york democrat himself. >> chuck, thanks very much. president obama made headlines this weekend talking about jobs, particularly the lack of them. cnbc's sharon epperson is in pittsburgh, pennsylvania tonight where the president will host world leaders during the g-20 economic summit this week. hello, sharon. >> reporter: hello, lester. one of the reasons why the president picked pittsburgh is because of how well it's

survived this recession. the unemployment rate here in my hometown is about 2 percentage points below the national average. of course, across the country the jobs picture is still pretty grim, and this weekend president obama said things will likely get worse before we see improvement. there's new numbers out that sthoe that 14 states now have jobless rates above 10%. topping that list, michigan followed by nevada, rhode island, oregon, and california, lester. >> sharon, as the job numbers continue to get worse, a lot wonder where are these signs of improvement we keep hearing about? >> reporter: well, we have seen improvement in a couple of places, namely the stock market at a new high. the dow jones industrial average last week was up 213 points. that was the biggest weekly gain since july. the other place we've seen improvement is housing. sales of existing homes were up for four straight months ending in july. that was the first time in five years that had happened, and many realtors are now thanking

the federal government's $8 thousand to you first-time home buyer credit for boosting sales. that credit will go away december 1st. >> sharon epperson in pittsburgh tonight. thk you. to washington state now where a manhunt continues for a killer declared legally insane. ilip around paul escaped thursday during a field trip to a county fair that was organized by his mental hospital. as michael oku reports, the case is raising a lot of questions. >> reporter: authorities have had eyes in the skies, blanketed streets, and scoured neighborhoods. part of a widening manhunt that includes federal authorities, their target is 47-year-old philip paul, a criminally insane killer on the loose. >> windbreaker over a blue t-shirt and blue jeans. >> reporter: paul is a diagnosed schizophrenic and was committed to this psychiatric hospital after he was acquitted by reason of insanity in the 1987 murder of an elderly woman. >> the longer he's at large, the

longer since he had his last medications and the hospital staff tells us that if he's gone more than about 48 hours then he could present a danger to the community. >> reporter: authorities released these recent images from his myspace page which includes songs by his rock band. thursday paul made a get-away when the hospital took him and 30 other patients on an annual field trip to the spokane county fair. a decision that sparked outrage. >> i was a little bit shocked that if, indeed, that type of person was out here. >> reporter: paul's own brother expressed his disbelief in a telephone interview with khq. >> reporter: today state officials are reviewing the program. >> we have to look at whether or not going out on outings as part of the therapeutic treatment for our patients is indeed a practice that we need to

continue. >> reporter: officials say paul may have planned the escape. he left little clothing behind and was last seen with a backpack. michael oku, nbc news, los angeles. there's more ahead on "nightly news" tonight as we continue a new warning about the accelerating meltdown in the arctic. later ahead of tonight's big game on nbc, we'll tour the dallas cowboys incredible new stadium. what does a billion dollars get you these days? triglycerides are still out of line? then you may not be seeing the whole picture. ask your doctor about trilipix. statin to lower bad cholesterol, along with diet, adding trilipix can lower fatty triglycerides and raise good cholesterol to help improve all three cholesterol numbers. trilipix has not been shown to prevent heart attacks or stroke more than a statin alone. trilipix is not for everyone, including people with liver, gallbladder, or severe kidney disease, or nursing women. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you are pregnant or may become pregnant. blood tests are needed before and during

treatment to check for liver problems. contact your doctor if you develop unexplained muscle pain or weakness, as this can be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. this risk may be increased when trilipix is used with a statin. if you cannot afford your medication, call 1-866-4-trilipix for more information. trilipix. there's more to cholesterol. get the picture. it's not always easy living with copd, but i try not to let it hold me back... whether i'm at the batting cages... down by the lake or... fishing at the shore. i'm breathing better... with spiriva. announcer: spiriva is the only once-daily inhaled maintenance treatment for both forms of copd, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. i take it every day. it keeps my airways open...

to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announcer: spiriva does not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. stop taking spiriva and call your doctor if your breathing suddenly worsens, your throat or tongue swells, you get hives, or have vision changes or eye pain. tell your doctor if you have glaucoma, problems passing urine or an enlarged prostate, as these may worsen with spiriva. also discuss the medicines you take, even eye drops. side effects may include dry mouth, constipation and trouble passing urine. my doctor said i could be doing more to breathe better and now i am. announcer: ask your doctor about lifestyle changes and once-daily spiriva. in havana, cuba a crowd of more than a million gathered in the broiling sun for what was billed as a peace concert. it was larger than crowds fidel castro drew to the same plaza.

it featured 15 arsts. some cuban americans accuse the performers of lending support to the communist regime, but others say it's a rare chance for cubans to get a glimpse of the outside world. there are new concerns tonight about the effects of global warming. a new study warns rapidly melting ice in greenland could result in a colossal ris in ocean levels. anne thompson witnessed the thinning ice in greenland. >> reporter: on greenland's wt coast today's climate and ice age stand a football field apart. how old is this ice? >> 60,000 years ago. >> the ice is the history book. >> you're standing with the ice that sort of contained the ashes out of the eruption that ruined pompeii. >> reporter: for nearly 30 years

he analyzed the sediment in the ice. now he watches greenland's ice ice sheet glowing larmingly fin. >> this is called the sun. >> reporter: recently the ice here has undergone a dramatic change. a short ten years ago the ice was 45 feet higher than it is today. stephonson says the ice is starving. >> ten years ago there was a much bigger supply of ice from further in land. that supply has stopped because there's an increased melting on the way out here. >> reporter: increased melting caused by greenhouse gases warming the earth. for thousands of years the earth's climate has endured changes, but slowly enough to allow humans to adapt. now change is picking up speed. >> it worries me that we might able to trigger a global change,

which is much faster than even the models can predict. >> reporter: he knows throughout history they have struggled against drastic change like the norweigans who settled in greenland. >> they came in the middle ice age in the 16th and 17th century. they got wiped out and died out. >> reporter: ancient cultures thousands of miles away. >> when the middle ice age kicked in, it didn't become cold in the yucatan but it became drier, and that hit the maya culture so that culture had time struggling on the water. >> reporter: the stories provide a cautionary tale for our future. anne thompson, nbc news on the greenland ice sheet. >> when we come back tonight, trying to get veterans just back from war back to work. zoo with my grandkids.n ene (announcer) for people with copd including chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both, great news. advair helps significantly improve lung function.

while nothing can reverse copd, advair is different from most other medications because contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help you breathe better. advair won't replace fast-acting ialers for sudden symptoms and should not be use more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair. we had a great day, grandpa! we sure did. ask your doctor how advair helps improve lung function for better breathing. (announcer) find out how to get your first full prescription free at advaircopd.com. the one deal in the neighborhood where you get the real food. featuring a half rack of our new double-glazed baby back ribs with your choice of sauces. get one full-sized appetizer and two real entrees for just twenty bucks. it's 2 for $20. only at applebee's.

so i'm packing my own lunch now-- for less than $3. thanks to walmart. just two times a week saves my family over $500 a year. save money. live better. walmart. my two granddaughters are my life. just two times a week saves my family over $500 a year. they always ask me, grandma, take me here, grandma, take me there. but with my occasional irregularity i wasn't always up to it. until i discovered activia and everything started to change. 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 in these challenging economic times, veterans returning from iraq and afghanistan face another battle on the home front, finding a

job. their unemployment rate is much higher tha civilians, but a new program is trying to change that. helmets to hard hats is turning soldiers into builders. here's nbc's michelle co-zin ski. >> reporter: they venl don't tell you unless any ask, but many young men and women building america have stories to tell. james rutledge from i understand was one of the marines who topped that statue of saddam hussein. michael lewis in seattle nearly lost his life twice to ieds and earned a purple heart. coming home last year he felt lost. no job and struggling with post-traumatic stress. >> that was a new battle for me to face. >> reporter: it wasn't until he found helmetso hard hats, a program that matches veterans with careers in the building trades that michael began to build a life outside of war. >> he is a totally different person right now. he's extremely happy. every day he goes to work, it's another exciting day for him to

learn something new. >> reporter: training, good pay, a future. are those memories in your head every day? >> oh, yeah. >> reporter: brad in chicago was able to get past the shock of suddenly being out of battle. >> it's like putting your car in reverse going 85 miles per hour, you know. >> reporter: when helmets to hard hats put him at the to which of a long waiting list for a pipe fitter apprenticeship, a perfect fit for him. last year more than 20,000 veterans applied for the program, near 2,000 found jobs. with federal funding it is growing, and unions are eager to welcome these vets are leadership skills and discipline beyond their years. >> who else do you want building your bridges and your infrastructure? they protected us and served this country, and now when they come home, they can build america. >> reporter: in the worst economy in decades, two brand-new boilermakers find that their service does mean something. >> this is a career. this is not just a job.

>> reporter: a new brotherhood. >> they don't yell as much here. that's for sure. >> i absolutely love it. this is one of the best jobs i've ever had. >> reporter: and they are grateful for much more than a handshake and a welcome home. michelle kozisski nbc news chicago. the space shuttle discovery is heading back to florida after weather forced it to land in southern california earlier this month. after an overnigh stop in louisiana, it's due to arrive if florida tomorrow. proof everything in texas is bigger. we'll tour the dallas cowboys stunning new stadium ahead of tonight's big game. okay...um...eighteen pounds and a smidge. a smidge? y'know, there's really no need to weigh packages under 70 pounds. with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service, if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. cool. you know this scale is off by a good 7, 8 pounds. maybe five.

priority mail flat rate boxes only from the postal service. a simpler way to ship. inining ring ring. progresso. your chicken tuscany says it has fiber in it. yep. four tasty new soups with 28% of your daily fiber. but i like this chken tuscany. i like it too. but it has fiber in it. that's right. fiber? yeah. but i like it. (announcer) progresso. you gotta taste this soup. 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. with a name like smucker's, it has to be good. and i'm joni. we've been best friends since we were two. we've always been alike. we even both have osteoporosis. but we're active. especially when we vacation.

so when i heard about reclast, the only once-a-year iv osteoporosis treatment, i called joni. my doctor said reclast helps restrengthen our bones to help make them resistant to fracture for twelve whole months. and reclast is approved to help protect from fracture in more places: hip, spine, even other bones. (announcer) you should never take reclast if you're on zometa, have low blood calcium, kidney problems. or you're pregnant, plan to become pregnant or nursing. take calcium and vitamin d daily. tell your doctor if you develop severe muscle, bone or joint pain or if you have dental problems, as rarely, jaw problems have been reported. the most common side effects include flu-like symptoms, fever, muscle or joint pain and headache. nothing strengthens you like an old friendship. but when it comes to our bones, we both look to reclast. you've gotta ask your doctor! once-a-year recast. year-long protection for on-the-go women.

finally tonight the texas-sized stadium hailed as an jerg marvel and it has a price tag of $1.2 billion. ahead of the first regular season nfl game ever at dallas cowboys stadium, we get a special four from the "today" show's matt lauer. >> as the saying goes, everything is bigger in texas. for the new cowboys stadium here in arlington, texas, that saying has never been more true. at 3 million square feet, this spectacular new home to the dallas cowboys, one of the most i wi illustrious franchises in sports has been nicknamed the eighth wonder of the world and at a price tag of $1.2 billion it has the best and biggest of

everything. >> it's awesome. it's clean and big. like the neiman marcus of football stadiums. >> reporter: who better to seo me around than former dlas cowboys great and future hall of famer emmitt shut. there are 300 luxury boxes in this stadium. i think the ones that get the most attention are these right here. they are right on the field. from a player's point of view, is that distracting? you're right there. >> it can be a little distracting, but as a player, we've always been taught to ignore everything in the stands. >> reporter: if the field level suites don't bring you close enough to the action, maybe you should check out the field club where players can actually high-five you as they take the field. they come right through the middle of the fans to enter the field. >> this is a way for the coy boys to give their fans something unique. also also unique the high-deaf monitor 90 feet above the field. it's the largest in the fld and dparn tee that fans can

always see highlights of their favorite team. there are about 80,000 seats in the stadium mounted on sliding rails. they can take the armrests out and squeeze them closer together and get up to 100,000 seats in here. it fits rn a roof soaring 300 feet in the air supported by two massive arches. it's so high it couldctually fit the statue of liberty base  to torch. >> welcome to the top. i'll allow you the opportunity to go to the roof. >> the roof opens at the touch of the button. exposing a cutout that was designed they say so that even god has a good view of his favorite team. >> nbc's matt lauer in dallas and there it is as we look at an aerial view of cowboys stadium tonight. next, "football night in america." that will followed by nbc's "sunday night football," the cowboys taking on the new york giants. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. brian williams will be here

tomorrow. for all of us here at nbc news, tomorrow. for all of us here at nbc news, good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com