our report from nbc's kristen welker. >> reporter: at this little tokyo grocery store in los angeles, business is brisk. the shelves are stocked with seaweed and fish from japan. the leafy greens are grown locally. owners insist it's all safe. >> all that we have here are not affected by the earthquake or nuclear power plant issue. >> reporter: the u.s. food and drug administration has banned all vegetable, fruit and milk products from areas impacted by japan's nuclear crisis. >> the step that fda implemented is an additional step in the global food safety net to safeguard the u.s. food supply. >> reporter: still, despite reassurances, images of geiger counters testing food scare consumers. >> i would not buy them. i'm really afraid of them. >> reporter: according to the fda, items from japan constitute about 4% of foods imported to the u.s., mostly seafood, snacks, processed fruit and vegetables, like these mushrooms, popular at this hawaiian grocery store. >> if we bring in any type of fresh vegetable, we feel that everything is okay. >> reporter: in san diego, sushi chef rob ruiz i

kristen welker, nbc news, mountain view, california. >> where was he when i needed him. that's our broadcast for this thursday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. >>> right now at 6:00, a bay area muslim group comes under attack in washington, d.c. whyhey say the hearing necessary for national security for one lawmaker are putting us all in danger. >> i'm jodi hernandez in martinez where i received an e-mail revealing a major new development in the growing alleged police corruption case. i will have details coming up. >>> high school field trip ends in a stunning and dangerous stunt. how a teena

kristen welker, nbc news, los angeles. >>> now to houston. mark kelly, the astronaut husband of congresswoman gabby giffords today talked about his wife and what he called her remarkable recovery. he spoke at the final news conference before his april 19th shuttle mission. >> she's starting to walk, talk more, more every day. and she's starting to process some of the tragedy that we all went through in january, she's going through that as we speak. despite that, she remains in a very good mood. >> kelly said he still hopes his wife will come to his shuttle launch. he says he sees giffords every morning and night, and her injury and recovery has not disrupted his training for the mission. >>> when we come back tonight, everybody's choice for the unbelievable story of the week. commercial airliners landing in washington unable to raise anyone in the tower, and now questions about who's minding the runways. >>> and later, the u.s. navy on a mission, stepping up, making a difference for japanese disaster victims nobody else could reach. " >>> bac

our report from nbc's kristen welker. >> hey, guys, we're home. >> reporter: meet the new modern family, the campbells. like many other middle class african-americans, they traded the city for suburbia, seeking a new life for their children. >> i wanted my girls to be able to have the diversity of different cultures and a better way of living, and have better schools. >> well, i think the suburbs represents to a lot of people getting that brass ring. >> reporter: william frye, who crunched the latest census numbers, found that over the past decade there's been an exodus of african-americans leaving major cities. >> when we look at the cities that have the highest concentrations of african-americans, more than half of them are showing declines in the populations of those african-americans. >> reporter: the cities with the sharpest drops, traditional black strongholds including detroit, chicago, oakland, cleveland and atlanta. detroit lost a quarter of its entire population. one resident left every 22 minutes. >> a lot of our middle class african-americans have moved out of the city into

kristen welker, nbc news, los angeles. >>> and now a reality check from our own chief medical editor, dr. nancy snyderman. nancy, i have these pills here. i just read the label, it says use as directed in the event of a nuclear radiation emergency. despite the advice from good doctors like yourself, people shouldn't just take these. it looks like we have a run on them anyway? >> we have a run on them. this is a case where people would be better off taking that money and donating it to the japanese who need it. because that money is not money well spent. these pills are for those who may go into harm's way and be exposed to radiation. it blocks the ingredient that could cause thyroid cancer. the real kirj concern is for people who right now think this wave is going to come to california. you've heard the experts say no. taking this could put you in harm's way, that is, if you are allergic to shell fish, you are a pregnant woman or have problems with iodide. this may not be safe at all. i think the bigger concern is for those people who are at the heart of this problem in japan, the ide

for "today," kristen welker, nbc news, los angeles. >>> great story.rriage into, a yes, good divorce. but first this is "today" on nbc. my diet? well yesterday i had an apple turnover. i know it's sort of my weakness. i always keep it in the house. well, that and boston crème pie, white chocolate strawberries, and mmm key lime pie. yeah, i've already lost some weight. [ female announcer ] yoplait light -- over 30 delicious flavors at about 100 calories. babe, what are you doing?! ♪ [ female announcer ] the yoplait you love, now in a 4-pack. try it today. >>> still to come on "today," new details on prince williams' trip overseas and kate middleton's visit with her future in-law. >>> plus the mystery novel being printed on lamp posts. but first these messages. or i could fall off this thing. [ female announcer ] go to walgreens for prescription strength allegra, now available without a prescription. fast, powerful relief is as close as walgreens. a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can a

kristen welker is in apple valley, california, with details on the story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. 13-year-old jesse bender was found with a family member inside this motel on wednesday. they say jesse is safe and sound but now her parents are under the microscope. it started last tuesday when 13-year-old jesse bender disappeared from her home in hysperia, california. her mother called police and told them she was afraid her daughter had run off with someone she'd met on facebook. >> i was learning she was talking to a lot of older guys on the computer and i didn't like it. >> reporter: fearing the teen was with an internet predator law enforcement launched a search. >> all of the law enforcement agencies were advised. the united states marshall's office, the fbi. >> reporter: after eight days detectives say the investigation led them to this motel in apple valley, 20 minutes from her house. police say inside they found jessie with a family member. >> she had shared that her mother and step-father were taking her to pakistan and going to inv

kristen welker has the report. >> reporter: this family moved to atlanta, looking for a better life.y hispanics now make up one in six american the. >> a lot of opportunities here with the construction, technology. >> reporter: according to the latest census figures, hispanics now account for more than half of the total growth in the u.s. population. >> people of hispanic origin now clearly represent the second largest group in the country. >> reporter: most dramatic in the south, more than double in alabama, kentucky, north carolina and tennessee and nearly double in georgia and virginia. asians also grew by double digits but still make up less than 5% of the total u.s. population. the majority of the total growth in the u.s. occurred in the south and the west. one-fourth of the people in the country now live in california, texas and new york. there are signs of hispanic influence everywhere, on telemundo shall the soap opera, debuted only three weeks ago and beats its english-language network competitors in prime time. new strength in numbers that show an increasingly diverse natio

kristen welker in los angeles again this morning with details.bc news, she believes her client will be acquitteded. legal analysts say it is likely they will argue she thought the store loaned that necklace to her. now she'll have to prove her case in court. >> reporter: lindsay lohan, facing tough questions during a recent trip to new york. now, she is answering. according to lohan's attorney, the actress has turned down a plea deal that would have landed her back in jail. she is charged with stealing this $2,500 necklace she was pictured wearing. next stop, a preliminary hearing which will determine if the case goes to trial. >> at the preliminary hearing, the prosecutor has to show the charge of grand theft might be true. it's a low standard. >> reporter: legal analysts say this video could be key. the store sold rights to the footage, which allegedly shows the actress in the shop on the day the necklace disappeared. there is no audio, but you can see her trying on jewelry, talking to the clerk, and leaving unencumbered. a possible boon to the

kristen welker has the latest on the story. >> reporter: ambition -- >> i want to make jack kennedy presidentnear as jfk and katie holmes as the former first lady. the drama on screen is matched only by drama behind the scenes. >> you have quite a reputation. >> reporter: the eight-part mini-series which cost about $25 million to make was initially slated to air on the history channel. it was plagued by questions of historical accuracy and reported pressure from the kennedy family. >> i think you guys are missing the point. >> reporter: in january the history channel announced it would no longer air "the kennedys" saying, we have concluded this dramatic interpretation is not a fit for the history brand. >> the history is 100% accurate. >> reporter: producer joel sernow, a can i have who created "24" for fox believes his politics may have cast doubt on whether or not he could be fair. >> i have been sometimes unfairly tagged as a partisan film maker. i'm not. >> reporter: according to a recent article in the hollywood reporter executives who oversee the history channel were personally lobbied