>> they're taking the bull by the horns, so to speak, and part of that change more than anything else. >> thanks, keith. that's our broadcast for now. "nbc nightly news" coming up next. on our broadcast tonight, twin crises as mother nature goes on a rampage. two disasters, thousands of miles apart. thousands are feared dead. the risk for men and women across the country. how they are coping with swine flu. the right to own a gun. the new showdown on one of america's longest ever legal battles. the charm offensive by the first lady.

she's overseas tonight to sell her hometown and she brought along a few friends. "nightly news" begins now. good evening. out of nowhere and just over the last 24 hours, the fury of mother nature struck in two different places 5,000 miles apart. both disasters are along the so-called pacific ring of fire where 90% of the earth's size mick activity takes place. the indian ocean, sadly, it's where the tsunami struck almost five years ago. aid is rushing in to the samoa's where americans are among the injured and dead after an underwater quake hit the

islands. it's where we begin our coverage tonight with nbcs lee cowan. >> reporter: the death toll topped 100 and at least one american is among them. the samoan officials say -- where the water stretched more than a mile inland. >> one monther wave after another, sum as high as 20 feet rushed ashore with a force that was terrifying. the bodies of those unfortunate enough not to get to high ound. >> oh, my goodness. >> children were carried to the streets. >> boom. it was right there on top of us. we were on the radio telling people to take high ground. i think a lot of people were able to save their own lives. >> reporter: american samoa, family members searching for the missing, broadcasting their names on the radio. 60 miles away in samoa, was just

as bad. the roads leading in and out were simply gone. >> you can see the bridge is totally wiped out. >> reporter: cutting off those in the most need of rescue and medical aid. >> it's depressing to me, personally. i am trying to come to terms with the damage that's sustained. >> reporter: samoa and american samoa lay 150 miles away from the epicenter of the 8.0 quake. it shook the south pacific island chain for three long minutes, yesterday. sirens blared. it was already too late. the tsunami generated so close, survivors only had minutes. survivors who got out shortly after were visibly shaken. >> we managed together with all the children. >> reporter: this woman left

with an image she will never forget. >> she lost her kids. she managed to grab on to the tree branch. >> reporter: taken out to sea, like so much else here in what many describe as the treasured island of the south pacific. president barack obama declared a federal disaster area in american samoa. the military is getting involved in the rescue. the hawaiian national guard and coast guard is rushing supplies here. brian. >> lee cowan after a long overnight voyage. now, to the twin crisis, the devastating earthquake on the island of somatra. tonight, there's a race against time there to rescue those trapped under flattened buildings. ron allen has been tracking the story from our headquarters here in new york. ron, good evening. >> good evening, brian. tonight, there's a major rescue operation struggling to get underway.

it measured 7.6 on the scale. 1,000 people may have been killed. terrified residents of padang ran for ground. warnings of killer tsunami waves. there are reports hundred dollars of buildings have collapsed, including two hospitals, a number of hotels and a shopping mall. a few desperate scenes emerged. rescuers tried to reach a place virtually cut off from the outside world. no power or communication. reports say the roof collapsed. tens of thousands are spending the night homeless, wrenched by heavy rain. early in the day, indonesia's vice president confirmed at least 75 people died, it quickly rose to 200. both occurred in the ring of fire, the most violent area of

the world for earthquakes, where 90% of them happen. a ,000 mile horseshoe stretchingnd the pacific ocean where huge plates grind against each other from new zeeland, north of alaska, then around the coast of north and south america. >> the quakes were 18,000 miles apart. they occur in places where there's high sizmic activity. they are probably independent, with no connection. rrpt tonight, the tsunami warnings have been lifted. a very grim situation. it's unclear when a number of rescuers will survive. many roads in the area are blocked by landslides. there's a strong possibility of strong aftershocks. brian. >> ron allen, who continues to watch the disaster. ron, thanks. now, we turn to afghanistan. a war that's been going on far longer than american involvement in world war ii.

right now, this country is in the midst of deciding what to do next in afghanistan. it's not been going well. this was discussion day for the president and his top advisors at the white house. our white house correspondent, savannah guthrie is with us from there, with more. good evening. >> reporter: the president met with his national security team for three hours today. the top commander calling in from the batefield. they say it's not for show. it's a review of the strategy in afghanistan and what it will take to get the job done. at a turning point in the war and his presidency, mr. obama, today, summoned his secretaries and generals to the situation room of the white house, the second of five planned meetings to find a way forward in afghanistan. the top u.s. commander there says the 8-year-old war is at a decisive moment. in a 66-page assessment, stanley

mcchris cal called for a change in approach as to keep defeating insurge insurgen insurgents. reportedly up to 40,000 more american troops. >> i would expect the public would ask some very tough questions. that's exactly what i'm doing. >> reporter: but, the president has been openly skeptical, sending more troops, wary of deeply involvement, uncertain of success. >> do the generals keep coming back asking for 60, 70, 80. he wants to know that answer before he agrees to the next increase. >> today, i'm announcing a new strategy for afghanistan and pakistan. >> reporter: the president unveiled a strategy this spring ordering 20,000 more troops to the region. they were marred by fraud. mr. obama faces dwindling s

support for the war. >> the bills are coming due. he's been appropriate and tough minded in his posture. the country is moving away from the war and his own party doesn't support him. he's got a tremendous dilemma to face. >> reporter: aids say all options are on the table. including a narrow counter terrorism strategy. they focused on targets of unmanned drones. robert gates is skeptical of a light footprint. >> if you walk away, the situation there won't deteriorate. i think it's unrealistic. >> reporter: to be clear, nobody here is advocating a total withdrawal from afghanistan. aids say we can expect a strategy from the president in a matter of weeks, not months. some republicans criticize the president, today, for delaying. they say that endangers american troops. >> savannah guthrie, thanks. in economic news, a bombshell in the autoindustry. roger penske is a big name.

he was supposed to save gm struggling saturn brand. he was going to buy out the brand and its 350 dealerships from gm. apparently, it's fallen through. phil le beau is with us with more on this. phil, this was a surprise. >> reporter: a bit of a surprise since we expected them to finalize a purchase of saturn in a couple days. the deal fell apart late today. gm said they are going to wind down the saturn brand, eliminate the brand all together. it will happen by the end of 2010. if you own a saturn, it doesn't mean you won't be able to get it serviced, general motors will still take care of you. they started the brand in 1990. after 20 years, general motors decided it's the end of the road

for saturn. >> phil le beau, thanks. late this afternoon cnbc broke the news the ceo of the nation's largest bank is stepping down. ken lewis, ran bank of america since 2001. he's under fire over the accusation of merrill lynch during the meltdown. he will exit by the end of this year. no word, yet, on a successor. there's evidence about the health care debate that makes some say the most incendiary things. republicans are calling for an apology from a democratic congressman from florida, allen grayson, who took to the house floor last night and summed up his view of e republican approach to health care. >> do you want the democratic plan or the republican plan? remember, the republican plan. don't get sick. if you do get sick, die quickly. >> grayson said today, the only people that deserve an apology

are those without health insurance. he compared america's health care situation to the holocaust. when we continue on a wednesday night, some of the nation's bravest. the folk that is come when we call them. who's going to help them in an epidemic? later, they want the second city to come in first. the first lady and other people from chicago travel to europe to try to bring the olympic games to their hometown. 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. caused by a comptely blocked artery, another heart attack could be lurking, waiting to strike. a heart attack caused by a clot, one that could be fatal.

plavix, taken with other heart medicines goes beyond what other heart medicines do alone to provide greater protection against heart attack or stroke and even death by helping to keep blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots. ask your doctor about plavix, protection that helps save lives. (female announcer) if you have stomach ulcer or other condition that causes bleeding, you should not use plavix. taking plavix alone or with some other medicines including aspirin, tell your doctor before planning surgery or taking aspirin or other medicines with plavix, especially if you've had a stroke. some medicines that are used to treat heartburn may affect how plavix works, so tell your doctor if you are taking other medicines. if fever, unexplained weakness or confusion develops, tell your doctor promptly. a rare but potentially life-threatening condition reported sometimes less than two weeks after starting plavix. other rare but serious side effects may occur. (male announcer) if you take plavix with other heart medicines continuing to do so will help increase protection against a future heart attack or stroke.

feeling better doesn't mean not at risk. stay with plavix should we order panda blossom, panda moon... how about chinese at home with new wanchai ferry? you can make it in just 14 minutes mmmh, orange chicken. great. i didn't feel like going out anyway (announcer) wanchai ferry. restaurant quality chinese in your grocer's freezer we're back now with something of a sign of the times.

a company in salt lake city stepped up production of swine flu masks for medical workers. they are working 24/7 to meet the demands. they expect sales of the masks to triple in the la quarter of this year. it's all about protecting health care workers and first responders on the front lines of an epidemic. our report from our chief science correspondent, robert bazell. >> reporter: the fire department of new york, fdny, the city's bravest, the country's largest employs 11,400 firefighters, more than 2800 paramedics. now, there's a new danger. commissioner, how seriously do you take the threat of the new flu virus? >> as soon as this new strain of flu was identified, we started taking precautions. >> chow is on, come and get it.

>> reporter: firefighters live in close quarters, not unlike the college dorm where the viruses spread widely. fdny firefighters get the message to stay home, if they feel sick. >> people are concerned about protecting the people they work with. people they work with are an extended family. they don't want to put their own co-workers at risk. >> reporter: there's risk of infection from the job, itself. >> a typical picture of a firefighter is fighting fire. we have a high percentage of medical runs we respond to. >> this is the way to fit 95 portion of our medical. >>reporter: first responders are issued respirators when they are come in contact with sick people. the department is offering seasonal flu vaccines and will offer the swine flu vaccine in november. firefighter dan hall is not that worried. >> it's good to get the flu shot. i keep my hands clean.

we'll go with the odds, we'll be okay. >> reporter: in a city of 8 million, it's no stranger to infectious disease. the city's bravest have yet another threat to handle. fdny officials are confident enough people would work extra shifts. they could continue to protect the city. they are supposed to have similar preparedness plans. brian. >> it's going to >> you asked our viewers to ke more than swine flu to scare those guys. write in, post on our websit where the flu is, where they live, how hospitals are coping. what kind of things did you learn? >> we heard a lot of outbreaks in florida, texas, tennessee, colorado. huge outbreaks. people telling us about hospital overcrowding. some people, the schools are coping well. others said they are not. it varies enormously.

there are big concerns. people are worried about shortages of seasonal flu vaccine before the swine flu vacce arrives. officials say it's because of distribution problems that will eventual ly be resolved. they are worried about not getting tests. testing is not official at this point. >> nightly.msnbc.com, we want to keep hearing from folks. i know you'll keep hearing about it. bob,hanks. whose right to bear arms and where the supreme court getting back into the gun debate. upreme court back in the gun debate.

maybe one of the most important... but the pain's the worst. i shoulda used... [ bump ] [ male announcer ] preparation h cream. burning, itching, plus maximum strength pain relief, on contact. the most complete relief, from preparation h.

pain relief on contact. it was tough news to hear. everything changed. i didn't know what to do. right about then, our doctor mentioned the exelon patch. he said it releases medicine continuously for 24 hours. he said it could help with her cognition which includes things like memory, reasoning, communicating and understanding. (announcer) the most common side effects of exelon patch are nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. the likelihood and severity of these side effects may increase as the dose increases. patients may experience loss of appetite or weight. patients who weigh less than 110 pounds may experience more side effects. people at risk for stomach ulcers or who take certain other medicine should talk to their doctor because serious stomach problems, such as bleeding may worsen. mom's diagnosis was hard to hear, but there's something i can do. (announcer) ask your doctor about the exelon patch.

visit exelonpatch.com to learn more. the new supreme court term hasn't started yet, yet the court announced, today, they are going to take a case and decide whether state and local laws outlawing guns violate the second amendment of the constitution. pete williams is outside the court tonight with more on this. pete, good evening. >> reporter: brian, just a year ago, the court said the second amendment guarantees the right to keep a n at home for self-defense here in washington, d.c. now, the question is, does the same right apply nationwide?

the court agreed to take up a challenge brought by residents of chicago who oppose that cities ban on handguns. a year ago, the court struck down an equally strict ban on handguns in washington, d.c., ruling it violated the second amendment to bear arms. it prevented washington from banning the self-defense at home. the court's ruling was limited declaring the second amendment was a protection against a federal restriction on gun ownership. it applied to washington because it is a district of columbia is a federal city. they are hoping the court will use the chicago case to approve the second amendment right nationwide. >> i think they are going to say it's a freedom to be enjoyed by the entire american people, not just tloz in federal enclaves. >> reporter: if the court says

the second amendment prevents cities and states from banning handguns, it would endanger new york city. it would certainly invite challenges to other laws limited firearms like state laws or city ordinances against having guns outside the home or carrying concealed weapons. gun control advocates say it would not automatically mean the enof those laws. >> even if the court applies the second amendment, we do not believe it will jeopardize sensible gun laws. >> reporter: the court's new term starts monday. with the calendar already fulling up, they will hear this case early next year. >> a caution for those who ever playedrganized football at higher levels of competition. a new study shows former nfl players have a higher rate of alzheimers and dementia than the regular population. it was 19 times higher. earlier studies have shown

repeated concussions or head injuries can bring on early dementia. bringing the 2016 olympic games to the city of chicago. bringing the 2016 olympic games to the city of chicago. and congestion. (announcer) you need a sinus medicine ooohhh... that rescues you from all three symptoms introducing new sudafed pe® triple action™. for more complete relief from the sinus triple threat. get more complete relief. with new sudafed pe® triple action™. also find sudafed® behind the counter. so it's a typical morning when suddenly you see built ford tough trucks! 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. but what we can do is arm ourselves... for the ones we love with a flu shot from walgreens. ♪ ( coughs ) ♪ ( sneezes ) we're making it easy for everyone to get their flu shot, no matter how small their motivation may be. ♪ come get yours for just $24.99. walgreens. there's a way to stay well. like i couldn't catch my breath. i couldn't believe i was actually having a heart attack. i remember being at the hospital, thinking about my wife. i should have done more to take care of myself. now i'm exercising, watching my diet, and i trust my heart to lipitor. (announcer) unlike some other cholesterol lowering medications, lipitor is fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke

and certain kinds of heart surgeries in patients with several common risk factors or heart disease. lipitor is backed by over 17 years of research. lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems and women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. i'll never forget what i went through. don't take your health for granted. (announcer) have a heart to heart with your doctor about your risk. and about lipitor. finally, tonight, the first

lady is overseas on a mission. the president doesn't get any say in the list of cities the olympic committee considers for the games, but if the first couple happens to be from one of the finalist cities, they are free to push for their hometown. michelle obama is in europe with oprah and others to bring the 2016 olympic games to chicago. jim reports from copenhagen. >> reporter: michelle obama in copenhagen to say her city deserves to host the 2016 games. the vote is on friday and the race is a dead heat. the first lady lost no time making her pitch. >> chicago is a wonderful host city. great people, great facilities, it knows about sports and the hospitality is like no other. >> reporter: the other finalists have great venues and strong plans as well.

>> we're going to have a kick on friday to finish it off. >> reporter: that's when chicago hopes for a game changer. barack obama will enter the race appearing in a do or die appeal for vote. joined in to make the hard sell. >> it's great when the leader of your country come and support what we're doing. >> reporter: with so much star power in town, the relatively routine dinner for chicago's bid turned into a red carpet affair, fit >> reporter: guess who was there? for the oscars. chicago's own oprah winfrey. >> if we get this, the party starts friday. >> reporter: but, the race isn't over, yet. the other candidates are sending in their big guns, too. >> spain and brazil. tokyo, the royal family is rumored to be on the way.

still, our chicago's rivals worried? you bet they are. >> in their camps, they are going oh, no. they would be thrilled if the president had stayed home. >> reporter: back home, according to the polls, people in chicago are undecided about hosting the game. tonight, the race was on. mrs. obama called the next two days crucial to winning a sports event that feels more like a political campaign. >> the announcement comes friday. we'll have it for you. that's our broadcast for now on this wednesday night.