>> can't wait to see that. >> you'll have pictures, we trust. we hope that you'll join us for "news4" at 11:00 tonight. have a good evening. on our broadcast tonight -- the new dose. what the government is now telling us about how many shots our children need this on our broadcast tonight -- the new dose. what the government is now telling us about how many shots our children need this f season. arming. ind the numbers night on the deluge, the relentless rains in the south. a genuine crisis now in parts of atlanta tonight. on guard. a terrorism suspect with alleged links to al qaeda goes to court. and "making a difference." a tv show that gives new meang to reality programming. "nightly news" begins now.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. since the invention of the needle, kids have never liked getting shots, and that brings us to our lead story tonight. the 251 million doses of flu vaccine ordered by the federal government and the recommendation from the government, exactly how many shots are they recommending for children and adults in this confusing flu season with both the swine flu threat and the regular so-called seasonal flu? so we begin tonight with these new guidelines and our chief science correspondent robert bazell. >> i'm going to raise up your shirt here. >> reporter: today's result shows the new swine flu vaccine protects children and olescents 10 and older with just 1 dose. children 6 months through 9

years old will need 2 doses. >> we're very pleased with the results that it appears that younger individuals are responding to this vaccine in a manner very similar to how they respond to seasonal flu vaccine. so for us, that's very good news. >> reporter: for some parents, this might seem confusing. while younger children have always needed a booster after their first flu vaccination, relatively few children have gotten flu vaccine at all. this year because the ine flu hits younger people hardest, the vaccine is highly recommended for everyone 6 months through 24 years. >> this is generally a mild disease in young individuals but a very small proportion of them develop serious disease. >> reporter: the vaccine will be available either as the familiar shots or as flumist, a nasal spray. >> how many of you washed your hands before you came to school today? >> reporter: distribution methods will vary from state to state, but in many areas schools, with parents' permission, will give vaccine. the last test results, expected soon, are from pregnant women.

even though there have been relatively few cases, pregnant women are six times as likely as the rest of the population to suffer complications from the new flu virus. >> how are you doing? >> i'm doing great. >> reporter: chris and jamie decided she should be one of the volunteers to test the new vaccine at duke medical cementer. >> i feel like we've been given something that very few people are getting at this point and hopefully lots of peop will get it. >> thank you. >> reporter: a sentiment public health officials share. so to repeat the vaccination advice, for swine flu everyone 10 and older will need one vaccination. they will need a different vaccine for seasonal flu. all youngekids will need two vaccinations for swine flu, and they will also need two for seasonal flu if it's the first time they're getting the flu vaccine, and that's perfectly clear right, brian? >> so maybe we ought to back up. for all of us with chiren. so are you saying a total of four doses for protection against both swine and regular flu? >> for some children.

and don't forget, it doesn't have to be shots. there is the nasal mist alternative now. >> which we don't know how kids are going to enjoy that so much either, in a practical matter. but best advice is always check with your family physician. >> that's true. >> bob bazell, thank you. we'll stay at this topic as we get more and more information from the government. we shift our focus now tonight to the american south, where days of torrential rain have caused major flooding as you may have heard. as much as 20 inches of rain now fallen in the atlanta area since friday, and more rain is expected. at least five people are dead in this, including a toddler swept away by floodwaters. our own rot mott reports tonight from the atlanta suburb of austell, georgia. >> reporter: when it rained, it often poured. as much as 20 inches since friday, leaving water nowhere to go but higher, shutting down roads, swallowing entire ball

fields, tossing park school buses like toddler toys, trappi tm in their homes. >> everybody's in their homes hollering and screaming. >> there are older pple in reporter: driving was frustrating and perilous at times, with at least three motorists swept to their deaths in flash flooding. throughout atlanta -- >> that rain has been coming down in our area since last tuesday. >> reporter: -- weather was topic number one on tv -- >> there's been more than a foot of rain in some spots in the last 24 hours. >> reporter: -- radio for those snarled in traffic, the internet for up-to-the-minute developments like news of a young 2-year-old killed when his mobile home was caught in floodwaters. >> the search right now for a toddler who is believed to have been washed away by these storm waters. >> wow. >> reporter: boats were the most effective means of travel in some neighborhoods today, a day where insult was added to injury for one family, a house fire. >> i could see the family in the living room, and i just kept screaming, get out the house, get out of the house. and they finally came through the front door. and by that time, the garage was just engulfed in flames. >> reporter: the misery reached far beyond atlanta. in southwest missouri, a river

of water flowed through one small town this weekend. flooding in western carolina forced some evacuations. back in atlanta, residents began taking account of their losses -- >> everything i ever worked for, just gone. >>eporter: -- holding onto one another, waiting for the water to drain and the skies to clear. ron mott, nbc news, atlanta. and as we said, almost unbelievably there is more precipitation. weather channel meteorologist jim cantore is with us near peachtree creek in atlanta. jim, i don't know how much more one region can take. and i saw the time lapse radar on the weather channel today. it looks like the system is just parked. >> it is parked, brian. up fortunately, even though we have gotten a break now, a lot of the water continues to come up here. what would normally be a very fast-moving, with traffic, if you will, north side drive is now obviously not moving. it's moving with water tonight. and can you just make out the top of care. one person trying to actually cross through this street a little earlier on. when they crossed through, it was just their taillights.

now almost the ente car is submerged tonight. so some huge problems there. let's show you the radar. this was the nail on the cough aerngs brian. we had anywhere from 10 to 15 inches of rain overnight and this morning. and that caused many of these creeks, like peachtree, to come up as high as 15 feet, and that's what made the rush hour this morning bad and made the rush hour tonight even worse because the same roads that people use to go to work are now impassable in many, many areas. many schools closed tomorrow as a result of the rain forecast. as much as two inches for atlanta. the problem is, some of this can come in as soon as an hour. we'll keep you posted. thank you. >> our friend jim cantore, who will be there on the scene covering this tonight. another night of coverage on the weather channel. jim, thanks. we turn now to what is being called one of the more serious terror plots since 9/11. three men arrested over the weekend appeared in federal courtrooms today in denver and new york. and officials say more arrests may be coming in this case. we get details from our justice correspondent, pete williams.

>> reporter: after a frenetic week of searching, fbi officials say they have some idea of who was involved, but not what t target was, when an attack was to happen or how it was to be done. three men arrested over the weekend and charged with lying to fbi investigators appeared in court today to face the charges, including najibullah zazi of denver. he showed up in new york a week and a half ago carrying a laptop computer that the fbi says contained detailed instructions on how to make bombs. investigator says it was a formula for the same type of explosive used in the 2005 london bus and subway bombings and hidden in the shoes of would-be airplane bomber richard reid. the fbi says zazi admitted learning about explosives last year at an al qaeda training camp in pakistan. also arrested, zazi's father, mohammed, and a new york muslim cleric, ahmad afzali, both accused of lying about tipping zazi off to the investigation. afzali's lawyers said he's being made a scapegoat. >> the government wants somebody

to blame for the fact that they haven't caught any terrorists. >> reporter: but former homeland security secretary michael dhe chertoff says uncovering the apparent plot is a big success. >> there's no question that there's cause for satisfaction in having brought at least part of this case down. >> reporter: because backpacks were found in last week's new york searches in this case, the government strictly as a precaution has urged the nation's train and subway operators to be extra vigilant and to conduct random backpack checks. officials say more arrests are coming. they're urging other suspects, some under surveillance, to cooperate now or face the prospect of long sentences when the plot is unraveled. pete williams, nbc news, washington. as one analyst put it today, a general has put president obama in a box. in a once-confidential report now leaked to the media, via "the washington post," general stanley mccrystal, the top u.s. commander in afghanistan, says the war could be lost unless

more american troops are sent in. you see the choice for the white house. our report tonight from our pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski. >> it's very difficult. >> reporter: the message from the top u.s. commander in afghanistan is brutally blunt. general stan mccrystal warns that unless he gets more military forces within the next year, the u.s. could lose the war. in a grim 66-page strategy report, mccrystal states without additional forces, the u.s. war effort will likely result in failure, and if the enemy's momentum is not reversed, defeating the insurgency is no longer possible. >> in the next 18 months we either rescue this situation or risk having it unravel on us. >> reporter: mccrystal wants to provide increased protection for the afghan people while training afghan security forces. but that will take years and even more troops, a lot more. 65,000 american forces are now on the ground in afghanistan. mccrystal's expected to ask the

white house for another 40,000. president obama is reviewing mccrystal's strategy report. and while the general's request for additional forces is all set and ready to go, the white house says not so fast. pentagon officials say president obama wants still another strategy review. the president, telling nbc's david gregory -- >> until i'm satisfied that we got the right strategy, i'm not going to be sending some young man or woman over there beyond what we already have. >> reporter: the white house is just as troubled over charges that president hamid karzai's government rigged the recent presidential elections. but mccrystal's report backs that up, warning that widespread government corruption is as big a threat to afghanistan as taliban insurgents. >> if we don't fix that, no number of outside troops, ours or nato's, are going to ever fix this problem. >> reporter: but the president has other problems, growing opposition to the afghanistan war at home and the debate over health care reform will surely delay any decision on strategy or troops for months.

jim miklaszewski, nbc news, the pentagon. bit of an awkward moment today as president obama stepped off air force one in upstate new york. he was greeted by governor david paterson. they spoke. we don't know about what exactly. the awkwardness is because reports have it the president doesn't want the governor to run for re-election and has said so because he doesn't like his chances. one poll puts his disapproval rating at close to 80%. state democratic sources tell our n chuck todd the president expressed regret today over this whole thing. as for governor paterson, he insists he's in the race to stay. the president went onto a community college to talk about the economy and heal care. and late today at a taping of "the late show with david letterman" for air tonight, the president was asked about former president jimmy carter's comments to us last week that racism is behind a lot of the vitriol we have been seeing at town hall meetings and protests across the country of late.

>> well, first of all, i think it's important to realize that i was actually black before the election. so -- so -- >> really? >> it's true. this is true. so -- >> how long have you been a black man? >> and so the american people, i think, gave me this extraordinary honor and that tells you, i think, a lot about where the country's at. i actually think that what's happened is that whenever a president tries to bring about significant changes, particularly during times of economic unease, then there is a certain segment of the population that gets very riled up. >> president obama at the taping late today here in new york. when our broadcast continues along the way on a monday night -- a sharp increase in alzheimer's disease.

the numbers that have scared a lot of people and what's behind them. and later, those who refuse to be underestimated. their television show is "making a difference." stimated. their television show is "making a difference." 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. well at allstate, more is actually less. the more policies you switch, the less you pay. discounts for combining your car insurance with... home insurance, motorcycle, atv, boat, another car, motor scooter, motor home, snowmobile... well, this is new... i'm working on my digestive health. whatcha eatin'? yoplus. it's a yogurt for digestive health. here...blackberry pomegranate. i can't find my hand. (announcer) yoplus and new yoplus light. digestive health alternatives from yoplait. so it's a typical morning when suddenly you see built ford tough truck the ground starts rumblin' like you just struck oil, and you know what? you did hit pay-dirt cause it's ford truck month. an' leading this herd is the ford f-150. it's not just a truck it's an f-150. and with great power comes great fuel economy. no wonder it was named 2009 motor trend truck of the year. now get 0 percent apr for 60 months or 45 hundred cash back on an 09 f-150.

and ford credit is on board to help with the financing. it's truck month! only at your local ford dealer. space shuttle "discovery" back in florida tonight after a piggyback ride from california atop that modified 747. it made a perfect landing at the kennedy space center. this happens every time the weather forces the shuttle to divert to its alternate landing site out at edwards air force base in california earlier this month. though we're told their luggage did wind up in the right place. there are new numbers out tonight in the staggering increase in alzheimer's disease around the world and the equally

staggering cost, of course, of dealing with it. our chief medical editor, dr. nancy snyderman, is with us to talk about these numbers that affect so many families. nancy, that's the thing. people react with both fear and compassion for the caregivers. >> compassion. i think this is one day where the numbers have really caught everyone's attention. because every 70 seconds in the united states, a person is diagnosed with alzheimer's. more than 5 million people are already living with it. and a new report ruled alzheimer's 2009 says the numbers will grow very rapidly. joyce simons noticed three years ago that during her lectures at nyack college, she would forget simple words and at times lose her balance. >> when i knew things were bad is when i was sitting at my computer, and all of a sudden i couldn't spell words as simple as "of" and "the." >> reporter: simons is one of 35 million people worldwide who have alzheimer's. and a report today estimates that number will grow to 115

million by the year 2050. >> already today alzheimer's is killing more people than both prostate cancer and breast cancer combined. >> reporter: alzheimer's disease is a global concern. in fact, the poorest countries will see the most increases. regions like south asia, followed by north africa and the middle east. in contrast, growth is lower in north america and europe but devastating to all. >> the rapid increase is based upon the aging of the population around the world, rticularly now in developing countries. later in lesser developed countries. >> reporter: simons is dealing with the early stages of her disease but already taking five pills a day. >> i know at what i'm going to have to go through is going to be very costly, and it scares me. >> reporter: the cost of treating alzheimer's and other dementia is staggering. it's estimated that it will be over the next 40 years $20 trillion, and that's just for medicare and medicaid costs here in the united states. health care reform, this is the budget buster. >> every aspect is scary.

nancy, thank you. >> you're welcome, brian. >> good to see you. when "nightly news" continues in just a moment -- what were you watching last night? we'll tell you what most folks were watching. were watching. what's that smell? take control of trash odors

with glad odor shield. special technology embedded in the whole bag neutralizes odors. your kitchen stays fresh. glad odor shield. what smell? now available in lemon scent. 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,

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word came today that arthur ferrante died over the weekend at the age of 88. lou teicher died last year. was 83. let's talk about last night for a moment. if you loved television, if you watch a lot of tv, it was a tough one. a lot of us teetered on overload, quite frankly. the problem was too many good things to watch. the winner -- football here on nbc, as our beloved giants ruined the new stadium debut and beat the cowboys in the last second. it came in first in the ratings. a big night, 21.7 million viewers. that would make it the most-watched primetime football game in 11 years. then there were the emmy awards on cbs. they drew 13.3 million viewers on average. opposite that, you have "mad men" which won the emmy for best drama. the other cable offerings like "curb your enthusiasm," and "entourage." between all of it, dvrs were positively smoking all over the country last night. when we come back here tonight, a local tv show that gives new meaning to reality

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it has won awards for its content and it has made a difference for all those involved. our report tonight from nbc's anne thompson. >> reporter: boston is again the backdrop for history, television history. >> so you tilt down a little bit. perfect. >> reporter: "ablevision" is on the scene, a tv magazine show shot, reported, produced and edited by adul with physical and mental challenges. today's story is about paraolympic gold medalist sailor maureen mckinna-tucker. >> i'm correspondent for "ablevision," and i'm here this morning in pierce park. >> reporter: nancy is the correspondent. what do you hope to convoy in this story? >> i like showing people that -- that the disabled can do anything. >> reporter: their rules are tailored to their skills nancy has poor eyesight, so she asks questions. a unique camera mount announces teddy to shoot from his wheelchair. chrissy is bipolar.

she can do just about anything but her favorite job is in front of the camera. what do you like about being on tv, chrissy? >> i feel proud of it. i love seeing myself on tv. >> reporter: what makes you feel proud? >> that i can do this. >> cut. >> reporter: pride that's celebrated after every shoot. a team as intrepid as their abled-body counterparts. >> awesome. >> reporter: the goal, organizers say, is create situations and opportunities for the participants to unlock the abilities within themselves. as for the magic of tv, that's up to the crew members. >> five, four, three, two, one, action. >> reporter: the show airs every month every other month in 4 massachusetts communities and on cable stations in seven states. >> quiet on the set. >> reporter: overseeing the production, alisa -- >> part of the training is showing them it's okay to make a mistake. it's okay. we can re-edit it. we can reshoot it. it's going to be okay.

and if they learn that it's all right, and even in life it's okay to make a few mistakes that, that i can get back on my feet, we've done our job. >> reporter: ablevision has won national awards for disability issues and celebrity interviews. but the most important story is the one seen in every broadcast, that these are people of ability. >> enjoy. >> reporter: anne thompson, nbc news, boston. >> and cut. that's our broadcast as well for this monday night. thank you for being with us. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.