on our broadcast tonight -- eight yearago tonight it all started. where are we today in afghanistan and where is bin laden? oss to bear. it was meant to honor american veterans but is it right under the constitution? keeping kids safe after the awful beating of an honor student in chicago. the white house steps in. did parents get any real help? swine fears. what was wrong with the first vaccine back in the 1970s? and on the road, tom brokaw and one of the survivors at the end of an era, "nightly news" and one of the survivors at the end of an era, "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening. at the white house tonight, another meeting has just concluded about what to do in afghanistan. eight years ago tonight, the war started. it was a sunday in october. smoke was still coming out of the ground at ground zero here in new york, when george w. bush went on the air to announce we have attacked afghanistan. >> we will not waver. we will not tire. we will not falter, and we will not fail. >> tonight, from kabul, in afghanistan, we are joined by our pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski. jim, we want to ask you for a moment here to join us in watching this. it's your work and others from our broadcast that night eight years ago tonight. >> reporter: the first wave, 50

tomahawk cruise missiles like these fired from u.s. and british ships and submarines. 25 warplanes off the aircraft carriers "carl, vincent and enterprise" launched. strikes from the indian ocean. >> the only way to deal with the terrorist threats is to go at them where they exist. >> reporter: in a message released late today, apparently videotaped before the attack, a defiant bin laden issues an ominous warning of more terrorist attacks against american targets. >> i swear by god, allah, he has freed the skies, that the united states will not have peace. >> the fact is, there is no silver bullet. there is no single thing that is going to suddenly make it, that threat disappear. >> reporr: there was considerable excitement when the attack started. a lot of chatter on the radios that they have. every one of them seemed to be holding a hand-held radio. even telephone calls from the front lines telling those back here that the attack was under way. >> reporter: we've been hearing

occasional artillery from the taliban and northern alliances down the road from the front here. >> the taliban say we will never bow before americans, we will fight to the last. >> the pakistani defense administer announced that both u.s. and british warplanes used pakistani airspace to attack afghanistan. >> reporter: 26 days now since the attacks on the world trade center. this afternoon, the president speak on the war in afghanistan, told a top aide, quote, i gave them fair warning. >> reporter: pentagon official say there's no indication that the first strike took out bin laden and the taliban says its leaders survived. but one senior military official confidently predicts tonight that no matter how long it takes, we'll get them. >> and here's where we are today. there are 65,000 u.s. troops in afghanistan. that's the most ever. that is double the number that there were last year. 869 american troops have died there over the past eight years. more than a quarter of them lost this year alone. we've spent an estimated $300 billion.

we're spending roughly $5 billion a month in afghanistan. the war's gone on twice as long as world war ii. only vietnam and the american revolution were longer. and osama bin laden is still out there. all of this brings us back to our pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski who is in kabul tonight. jim, i know it's hard to assess after eight long years. but let's start with one way of measuremt. the amount of ground the taliban covers today as opposed to back then. >> reporter: you know, brian, this is one of the most startling issues about all of this. taliban may actually exert some control over more territory in afghanistan than they did before the war. reliable estimates show that taliban has a permanent presence in 80% of the country. that means they're able to set up shadow governments and invoke their own brutal brand of justice. and, in fact, the most compelling number, is they're

able to conduct terror attacks at will, over 80% of the country. now, the most compelling point to the u.s. military here, however, is that the afghan people, after eight years, just don't have any confidence that the americans can help them. after all, violence is on the rise. and it appears after allegations of voter fraud, that the karzai government may still be in power for another five years. and quite frankly, they say will without the support and confidence of the afghanistan people. the u.s. military's counterinsurgency war could be lost even before it gets started. brian? >> all right. jim miklaszewski in kabul where it all started again eight years ago tonight. as we mentioned at the top of the broadcast just tonight, another meeting at the white house just over trying to decide what to do in afghanistan. our white house correspondent savannah guthrie is standing by there. savannah, the president has his range of options from whether or

not go in vague, to go in with a moderate size of troops, to lessen the american footprint there. any number of things. are there any tea leave to be read? >> reporter: well, as you mentioned this, is a president at a crossroads. it's clear he's not going to leave afghanistan altogether. we're not going to stop fighting the taliban. the question is just as you put it, how much more deeply to get involved in afghanistan? shld our troops be surged to protect the afghan population, really try to stabilize the e president has called himself a skeptic about sending more troops. and we learned today that he now has in hand that request from general mcchrystal for up to, reportedly, 42,000 troops, it actually hasn't made its way up the chain of command yet. but the president wanted to see it early. the refrain here at the white house is strategy first, resources second. before they get that strategy right, any talk of troop level is premature.

don't forget, brian, the political situation here. a lot of prominent democrats are very concerned they do not want to send more troops to afghan afghanistan, at the same time, the refuse cans are saying you should listen to your constituents on the ground. >> savannah, thanks. we switch to the law and a classic church versus state case before the supreme court. it involves a cross on federal land. and while it was meant to honor our american war vets, its critics say that's besides the point. and today, their fight got all the way to the high court of the united states. our justice correspondent, pete williams, was there for the arguments. he's there at the court for us tonight. pete, good evening. >> reporter: brian, crosses of one kind of enough have stood on the spot of the california desert for 35 year, put up to honor servicemen killed in battle. the question is, can this one stay? it towers above an outcropping called sunrise rock. a 7 foot tall white cross made

of metal pipes in a remote part of southern california's mojave desert. that's federal land. a national reserve. but frank wona, a federal employee, thinks it doesn't belong there. as a practicing catholic, he has nothing against crosses but he says this shows government favoritism toward one religion, ignoring, jewish, muslim and other veterans who have fought and died since world war i. >> i don't want the cross to be permanently placed on federal government public lands or any other public lands for that matter. >> reporter: it's now enclosed in plywood, declared by lower courts an unconstitutional religious symbol on government property. hoping to end the dispute, congress ordered the land under the cross sold to the vfw. >> this is a cross to honor the war dead. it's in the shape of the cross because that's basally what we do. in most of the cemeteries right there. do not tear this cross down. >> reporter: if it has to go, veteran groups fear other groups that feature crosses might be next like this one in the center of southern maryland on a

prominent memorial crosses in arlington national cemetery. but based on today's court session, a bear majority seems willing to let the desert cross stand, justice ginsburg said to resolve any doubt, the government could take the cross down, formally transfer the land, and let the vfw put it up the next day. >> pete, thanks. and now, we move to chicago where two tobama administration officials came to address youth violence today in a spotlight after a videotaped beating shocked the entire country. is it a serious ongoing problem. 34 school-aged children were killed in chicago last year. 290 wounds. most of them in shootings. our report tonight from nbc's kevin tibbles. >> reporter: the yellow school bus dropped off students in front of chicago's high school. >> we want our children to feel

safe on schools. >> reporter: just two weeks ago, 16-year-old honor student derrion albert was beaten to death with punches and kick and with a 2 by 4 of wood. montrel truet was there. he said fights break out because schools come from other neighborhoods. >> it's hard. because every time you turn around, you got to look over your shoulder. >> for his mother, even her son's routine trip to and from school is full of anxiety. >> you call me once you get on the bus, call me once you make it home to make sure everything is okay. >> reporter: today, education secretary ernie duncan met with students, parents and community leaders. >> i think it's heartbreaking that it takes capturing a death on video to alarm a country. >> reporter: a report is staggering. reports more than 60% of children surveyed were exposed to violence in the past year. nearly half has been assaulted. one quarter have been a victim of robbery. >> that's not freedom.

and that's exactly what's missing in the lives of these children. the freedom to be kids. >> reporter: chicago public schools today announced a $30 million anti-violence campaign putting more counselors and social workers in troubled schools. northwestern university professor john marquez calls the violence systemic in children who feel they have no future. >> these are acts of people who are powerless trying to empower themselves in the only way they could possibly empower themselves. >> reporter: with a 2 by 4? >> with a 2 by 4 or knife. >> reporter: these former students say you can't escape the violence. how do you stay out of it? >> ain't no staying out of it. >> it took somebody to die for people to see what's going on. but this has been going on for a long time. long time. >> i mean, where everybody at? >> i think we've lost our way when it comes to the values that once bound us as communities and as a nation. >> reporter: still, many parents and students say it will take more than this one visit to turn around a problem they have lived

with forecades. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >> by the way, the's a lot more on the story and the larger problem of urban violence against school kids. it's on our partner website, thegrio.com. while our broadcast continues here on a wednesday night, what we can learn from swine flu the last time around. later, tom brokaw reports on an institution in the heartland that is beating the odds these days. an institution in the heartland that is beating the odds these days. so today, i've noticed a significant difference in my breathing and i'm doing more of what i want to do. so we're clear, it don't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symoms. my doctor said symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it.

my copd often meant i had to wait to do what i wanted to do. now i take symbicort and it significantly improves my lung function, starting within 5 minutes. symbicort has made a significant difference in my breathing... now more of my want to's are can do's. ask your doctor about symbicort today. i got my first prescription free. call or go online to learn more. (announcer) if you cannot afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. ...and improve your concentratio tylenol pm quiets the pain and helps you sleep. because the better you sleep, the better u feel. when it comes to constipation relief... miralax is the one. it's the one. the one recommended by more doctors. only miralax is clinically proven to relieve constipation with no harsh side effects. miralax is the only one. restore your body's natural rhythm with miralax.

congressional budget office is out with its estimate of the cost of the senate finance committee's health care reform plan. the price tag, $929 billion. it's lower than analysts expected. cbo says the number of uninsured would be reduced by 29 million. the budget deficit would actually be reduced by81 billion if the plan were enacted. if that deficit hit -- and that

deficit, rather, hit an unprecedented $1.4 trillion for the fiscal year that ended last week. that's triple last year's federal deficit, driven higher this year by a huge drop in tax revenue because of the recession and spending on wall street. and the mortgage agency bailouts. we also tonight have an update on swine flu. a new associated pre poll says fully a third of parents don't want their kids vaccinated, even though the government says kids are at high risk of swine flu. and they say the new vaccine is safe. as we hear from our chief science correspondent robert bazell, one reason for the fear may be the fact that today's parents still remember what happened with an earlier version of the swine flu vaccine back in the '70s. >> reporter: it struck at ft. dix, new jersey, in february 1976. 230 soldiers in basic training got sick and one died. from a new strain of flu. a swine flu.

different from today's virus, but still one that apparently jumped from pigs to people. >> this is "nbc nightly news." >> today, there is news of say new and potentially very dangerous influenza strain. health officials say it may be related to the strain that killed people in 1918. >> reporter: public health officials had studied the 1918 pandemic that killed more than 15 million people worldwide. and they quickly persuaded president gerald ford to order production of the new strain and to help promote it. eventually, 40 million america got the shots. after the ft. dix outbreak, the virus never reappeared. but vaccinations continued. d soon doctors discovered an ominous side effect. increased risk for a rare condition called guillain-barre

syndrome. the vaccination program was canceled. >> they're now pretty sure that the paralysis that hit seval hundred people was connected with the swine flu outbreak somehow. >> reporter: dr. harvey fineburg heads the prestigious institute of medicine and wrote a history of the events. >> it was a problem of thinking only about the worst case and not allowing themselves to examine new evidence and rethink what now should we do in light of this new evidence. today, the situation is very different. >> federal officials say it is different now because there is disease out there, a real pandemic. they also say that vaccine manufacturing is a safer process. they have systems in place to find rare diseases quickly. but they acknowledge that to this day, no one knows why the 1976 vaccine led to that increase in the condition. >> still a lot of doubt out there. bob bazell, thanks for your reporting tonight. when we continue in just a moment, a birthday milestone for

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only your doctor can tell if you have bph, not a more serious condition like prostate cancer. avoid driving or hazardous tasks for 12 hours after your first dose or increase in dose, as a sudden drop in blood pressure may occur, rarely resulting in fainting. if considering cataract surgery, tell your eye surgeon you've taken flomax. common side effects are runny nose, dizziness and decrease in semen. millions of men have been prescribed flomax. maybe it's time to see your doctor and ask if flomax is right for you. and call 877-4-flomax to see if you qualify for up to $40 off new or refill prescriptions. for many men, flomax can make a difference in one week. your p.a.d. isn't just poor circulation in your legs causing you pain. ok-what is it? dad, it more than doubles your risk of a heart attack or stroke! you better read about plavix. if you have p.a.d., plavix can help protect you from a heart attack or stroke. plavix helps keep blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots- the cause of most heart attacks and strokes.

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the big snowstorm out west this week has broken some records. school children in parts of idaho had their earliest snow day in history. and some ski resorts in both colorado and nevada had their earliest ever opening day, due to the early arrival of snow. and lots of it. a statue of helen keller was unveiled today inside the u.s. capitol. while until today, there had never been a statue honoring a child or a disabled person. the bronze figure commemorates the moment when helen keller at age 7 solved the mystery of language without being abe to hear or see. jack lalanne is 95 years old

this year. the man who almost single handily taught american to exercise. celebrating on a fire truck at a birthday celebration in his honor in san francisco. later in the day, by the way, he celebrated with 95 jumping jacks and 95 push-ups. full disclosure, when we first saw this sry this morning, we thought it was a hoax or a joke. the airne a & a airways is launching a campaign to get passengers to use the restroom before they board because the extra weight cost fuel. for now, the airline says this is just an experiment, but may be extended if passengers turn out to like it. while this is not always a topic for the dinner hour, there was a story from "the wall street journal" website that alleges bo obama may be guilty of number two on air force one. while bo is still young and still learning and

everybody makes mistake, it is alleged that he's left some surprises in a few important places despite white house denials to the contrary. when we come back "on the road" with tom brokaw. in a town where one american tradition is still standing against all odds. brokaw. a town where one american tradition is still standing against all odds. couldn't get any better.redt and then i found out something i didn't know... i found out there are two main causes of asthma symptoms... ...airway constriction you feel and inflammation you may not. most controllers don't treat both. so my doctor prescribed advair. advair treats both main causes to help prevent symptoms in the first place. (announcer) advair contains salmeterol. salmeterol may increase the chance of asthma-related death. so advair is not for asthma that's well controlled on another controller medicine. advair will not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be taken more than twice a day. talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of advair. if you take advair, see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. if you're still having symptoms ask your doctor how to help prevent them with advair.

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we're back. as you may know, tom brokaw has been touring the country this year, along highway 50, winding its way from ocean city, maryland, on the atlantic, to sacramento, california. the other end of the country. it's all part of the series of reports for nbc and the u.s. network on the american character. tonight, we find tom at about the halfway point in a place where the business of telling stories has not changed with time. >> reporter: it doesn't get more heartland that emporia, kansas, where the prairie winds caress vast plains of perky sunflowers where for more than a hundred years, the emporia gazette has been telling local citizens what happened in their community and well beyond kansas. the gazette was founded by william alan white. an editor who was confidant of presidents and business leaders. a fearless traveler who explained the wider world to his fellow kansans.

it's still a family newspaper run now by chris and ashley walker. >> on the firshome game, we need to do the friday night lights option. >> reporter: the walkers are the fourth generation to own and operate the gazette. >> the word on the family was, as soon as the bag didn't hit the ground, you could start delivering the paper. >> reporter: your grea grandfather was an editor and national celebrity. his editorials got wide circulation. here we are with a picture o teddy roosevelt who stayed at the house, right? >> right. >> reporter: so, what, there are five presidents? >> yes. >> reporter: so, ashley, have you been entertaining presidents lately? >> not lately. >> reporter: they're keeping the paper running by concentrating on local news. knowing the readers have access to world news in a thousand different ways. the emphasis on community is work. advertising is down but circulation is holding steady, and everyone in town has an opinion on the local news. >> it's personal here. you can walk up and down main street and -- >> reporter: you'll hear about

it? >> you'll hear about it. >> absolutely. at church sunday morning. out at night. >> reporter: the walkers have had to make tough decisions. they'll no longer print the paper in-house. they've shut down what was once a modern marvel, now an antique in the digital age. >> it's very sad. >> don't start crying, scott. >> a real good machine. >> reporter: tough to watch this? >> yes, it is tough. it's emotional. >> reporter: gone, too, the jobs of four printing press employees. scott thomas started in the mail room at 15. >> as of this time, they'll scrap me and the press together, darned if i wasn't right. >> reporter: the new gazette printed in nearby lawrence has a more mod determine look, but chris still has his grade grandfather's motto in mind. put 100 names on the front page and people will always want to read about their friends and neighbors. >> there will always be stories

to tell that are happening in emporia. as long as there are stories to tell, we'll be hear to tell the stories. >> tom brow on the road along highway 50. by the way, the next stop, two small towns in western colorado. that is our broadcast for this wednesday night from new york. thank you for being with us. i'm brian williams. as always, we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com