Transcripts For WRC NBC Nightly News 20141014

The head of the cdc said today they could have done a better job than how they have handled cases of ebola. In fact, he admitted the government has made mistakes in its effort to control the virus. Mistakes that may have led to a nurse getting sick. And today the cdc pledged to do better. Mostly through the use of Rapid Response teams dispatched to any hospital within hours where cases of ebola show up. The good news today, the nurse who contracted ebola from a patient who later died is in Good Condition tonight. In fact, its where we begin. Our National Correspondent kate snow remains at the hospital in dallas. Kate, good evening. Reporter good evening, brian. Starting today anyone who walks into an emergency room in this country with ebola, then a specialized team, as you mentioned, will be deployed by the cdc ready to move that patient if necessary to another hospital. All of this coming too late for the nurse being treated here. A stark admission today. Nurse nina pham might never have gotten sick if the cdc had immediately sent a Rapid Response team of Infection Control experts to dallas as soon as Thomas Eric Duncan tested positive. I wish we had put a team like this on the ground the day the patient, the first patient, was diagnosed. That might have prevented this infection. Reporter today we heard from nina pham directly. Im doing well she said in a written statement and want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and prayers. In her statement she defended Texas Health Presbyterian hospital dallas saying she was bless to be cared for by the best team of doctors and nurses in the world. But because pham was somehow infected while wearing protective gear, the cdc said today it will now monitor 76 hospital staff in addition to the four dozen already being monitored in the community. Our teams have been working very hard to cast a wide net and identify everyone who might have been exposed. That includes anyone who went into the room and that includes people who might have handled specimens of blood that were taken from him. Reporter pham was certified to work as a Critical Care nurse less than two months before helping treat duncans deadly ebola, raising questions. I think we need to select those Health Care Workers who are most experienced and, most importantly, have undergone extensive training for how to safely provide care for those patients. Reporter emails from nbc news asking the hospital to clarify nina phams experience and role on the team have gone unanswered. The last time any doctor from the hospital spoke on camera was early sunday morning. We cant discuss any further details of the situation. Reporter this afternoon a surreal scene. Hazmat teams preparing a new home for phams dog bentley who is being monitored by a veterinarian although scientists arent even sure if dogs can contract ebola. The man who came into contact with pham is here hospitalized but said to have no symptoms. Brian, of the 48 people also being monitored because they came into contact with duncan, none of them have shown symptoms. And frieden said today theyve gone through the highest risk period now for ebola. Kate, thank you. Kate snow starting us off from dallas tonight. If theres anyone who knows what this nurse in dallas is going through, its dr. Kent brantly. Hes one of the handful of americans who have contracted ebola and lived to tell about it. Now hes also able to do something about it. Its his blood that is able to help patients like the young nurse in dallas. Nbcs tom costello has our report. Reporter its been ten weeks since dr. Kent brantly walk into Emory University fighting for his life. He himself had received a blood transfusion from a 14yearold ebola survivor who he treated back in liberia. It is great. It is great to be here. Reporter brantly has donated roughly a gallon of his own blood to save others. Dallas nurse nina pham. Nbc cameraman ashoka mukpo and fellow dr. Rick sacra. I appreciate dr. Kent brantly, my Dear Colleague and friend, for his willingness to come all the way here to donate his plasma to help in my recovery. Reporter the blood of ebola survivors like dr. Brantly is loaded with antibodies that just fought off the disease. In a blood transfusion, the donors plasma is separated from red blood cells and given to the ebola patient in the hope that those antibodies will then kickstart the patients immune system. Youre trying to impart on the patient that advantage that dr. Brantly now has in his own blood of these powerful proteins called antibodies which can block the virus. Reporter but the patients blood type must match the donors. Dr. Brantly was not a match for Thomas Duncan who died in dallas last week. Still, its not clear what works best, the transfusions, experimental drugs or the intensive care. I think we dont know whether the blood transfusion will or will not have a beneficial effect at this time in and of itself. It very well may in the context of other treatments. Reporter doctors believe someone who has survived ebola has the most antibodies to the virus in the months immediately after surviving, which means dr. Brantlys antibodies are the most potent potentially right now. Brian . Tom costello in our d. C. Newsroom tonight. Tom, thanks. Now to the weather making news. Another dangerous night ahead for nearly 30 million americans as an already deadly outbreak of Severe Weather moves to the north and east. You see it there. A huge system already spawning tornadoes. The watches and warnings will continue throughout this night. Nbc meteorologist dylan dreyer monitoring it all from charlotte. Reporter from alabama to the carolinas, a massive storm system packing high winds and heavy rain pushed its way across the southeast today. It spawned two tornadoes in the Metro Atlanta area. Peoples houses are just totally gone. Theyre having to rummage through their stuff. Reporter Wesley Cagles family felt their house shake at 6 00 this morning. Broken tree limbs punctured the house. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Lets just look at how strong those winds are. Reporter tornado warnings sounded across North Carolina today. Take shelter right now. Reporter in lawndale, an hour west of charlotte, High Schoolers forced from class to hunker down in a hallway. This storm spread 800 miles across more than a dozen states. At least ten tornadoes have been confirmed and hundreds of Severe Weather reports. Two people were killed. A 75yearold woman died after a tree fell on her home in alabama. And in arkansas, neighbors are rallying around a family of a marine who died after an ef2 tornado tore through his familys home. His wife remains in critical condition. His three children are okay. Now, here in charlotte, a tornado watch remains in effect until 10 00 tonight. In fact, severe storms are still possible from West Virginia down down into florida tonight. Now, tomorrow we are going to lose the threat of tornadoes. However, through the midatlantic up into the northeast, we could still see strong storms produce wind gusts in excess of 50 Miles Per Hour and also produce some flash flooding. I want to quickly point out a major hurricane right now also in the atlantic. This is a category 3 hurricane gonzalo. With winds at near 115 Miles Per Hour. As of right now, forecasts indicate it could hit bermuda as a category 3 hurricane on friday. Brian . Dylan, thanks. Dylan dreyer in charlotte tonight. As we said at the top of the broadcast, whiteknuckle fliers beware. A scare for 190 passengers and crew on board an American Airlines flight from San Francisco to dallas when suddenly there was a series of loud banging noises, then an even bigger fright for passengers when they realized the interior wall of the plane began to crack. Our report on this tonight from nbcs miguel almaguer. Reporter this is the midair scare passengers came facetoface with. It ended safely, but shortly after takeoff, the wall of this American Airlines 757 cracked. All of a sudden there were loud popping and ripping noise. Reporter frightened passengers headed from San Francisco to dallas ft. Worth monday alert the cabin crew. Tense moments in the sky. Both sides of the cabin started ripping in and tearing in. And everybody started screaming and shouting. Reporter passengers say the flight crew kept the nearly 200 aboard calm. The pilot radioed the tower. Were in an emergency airplane. Reporter the plane is turning back. Emergency personnel are on alert. Normal rollout but Fire Equipment standing by. Reporter airborne for an hour, the jet safely touches down back in San Francisco. American Airlines Says theyre investigating a possible blown air duct and a few of the interior wall panels cracked or came loose. The cabin never lost pressure and the oxygen masks were not deployed. Still, this was a flight and a sight most will never forget. Miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. Now, from news overseas to the largest yet u. S. Led assault on the syrian city of kobani. The target here isis militants over the past two days. 21 separate air strikes near the city which is very close to the turkish border. A third of kobani remains under control of isis. Meanwhile, here in the u. S. , on a secure facility on the grounds of Andrews Air Force base, military leaders from 22 different nations have gathered to strategize against isis. President obama emerged from this session to warn once again of a Long Campaign ahead to defeat the enemy. Just three weeks from tonight we could witness a dramatic shift of power in this country. Control of the u. S. Senate is up for grabs, and even if there isnt a senate race where you live, these midterm elections could affect everything from National Security to health care to how much we pay in taxes. One of the biggest and most closely watched contests is in kentucky. Our senior White House Correspondent Chris Jansing has our report. Send alison to the senate. Reporter from the start of her Campaign Democrats thought Alison Lundergan grimes was a strong bet to beat the Top Republican in the senate, mitch mcconnell. Then this. Did you vote for president obama . This election isnt about the president. Did you vote for him . I respect the sanctity of the ballot box. You are not going to answer . Again, i dont think the president is on the ballot. Reporter seven times in seven days she refused to say if she voted for the president , including last night during the only debate of this close race. You wont answer that question tonight . Every kentuckian has the right for privacy at the ballot box. Reporter when the white house tried to make light of it all. Ill tell you that i voted for the president. Reporter but the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee which has put 2 million into the race, seems to be giving up on her. They stopped paying for ads. And other democrats are using their own air time to distance themselves from the president. I told the president no to special treatment for congress. He took the white house to task for the disastrous health care website. Ill make sure president obama gets the message. Reporter so while president obama raised millions at 50 fundraisers this year, theyre behind closed doors. Most candidates dont want a photo op with an unpopular president. Hell have to pick his spots where he can make a difference and hes going to have to tolerate some of these indignities along the way. Reporter supporters of Alison Lundergan grimes point out that the president s Approval Rating is just 41 . They think her refusal to answer is smart. The president does have some Campaign Appearances coming up starting tomorrow in connecticut. Chris jansing at the white house for us. Chris, thanks. Which brings us to chuck todd, our political director. Moderator of meet the press. With us in the studio. Chuck, lets put it this way, three weeks to go, give us three races to watch. Normally the president s unpopularity should be enough for republicans to get control of the senate. But three races im watching that are the big hurdles. One of their hurdles is organization. No states more emblematic of the Democratic Party organizational advantage than iowa. Theres a very close race. The democrat bruce braley, the republican joni ernst. As iowa senate goes, so goes control of the United States senate. Its negative, its nasty, like every other race. Then there are two other races that present a unique hurdle for the republicans. Thats kansas and south dakota. Independent candidates are surging. In kansas greg orman. In south dakota, its a former republican senator turned independent larry pressler. Both of them could basically steal what were republican sure bets for the u. S. Senate. Complicates the map. And in many ways these independent races are actually more emblematic of where the country is. Theyre ticked off at both parties and they want to figure out how to punish both parties. And kansas and iowa have the vehicle. Thats whats to watch. Well see you three weeks from now, but a lot between now and then. Yes, sir. Still ahead for us tonight in business news, the story that ruled the day. Freezing their eggs until they decide the time is right. A choice more women are making, and now apple and facebook say they will pay for it as employers. And later, making a difference. A big announcement from the boss about money that shocked his entire staff. Y ] [ inhales deeply ] [ sighs ] [ inhales ] [ male announcer ] at cvs health, we took a deep breath. [ inhales, exhales ] [ male announcer ] and made the decision to quit selling cigarettes in our cvs pharmacies. Now we invite smokers to quit, too, with our comprehensive program. We just want to help everyone, everywhere, breathe a little easier. Introducing cvs health. Because health is everything. Its in this spirit that ingu u. S. Is becoming a new kind of company. Ing u. S. Is now voya. Changing the way you think of retirement. Doctors have been prescribingdecade, nexium to patients just like you. For many, prescription nexium helps heal acidrelated erosions in the lining of the esophagus. There is risk of bone fracture and low magnesium levels. 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Thats not a coincidence. Its one more part of our commitment to america. Wothe way als dismantles someone like stuarty. Is so painful. Embryonic stem cells have so much promise, but Barbara Comstock voted to ban that Research Funding even though conservatives like nancy reagan support it. That takes away hope for a cure but also, for families like ours, who just wanted a little more time. House majority pac is responsible for the content of this advertising. Were back now with a story that first broke this morning on our website, nbc news. Com, and has continued to generate a lot of talk today. Apple and facebook appear to have become the first Big American Companies to pay for women who elect to freeze their eggs. Its a choice more women, more couples are making, and todays news could indeed be a game changer. We get the reaction tonight from nbcs stephanie gosk. Reporter fertility science has gone through a revolution, radically changing the landscape for women who want to have children. Two tech giants are offering a benefit that just two years ago was deemed no longer experimental. Egg freezing. Apple and facebook will offer up to 20,000 when done for nonmedical reasons. Each round costs around 10,000. Storage roughly 500 a year. Eez ultimately i just wanted an option. I want to focus on my career. I havent met mr. Right yet. And i wanted to know that when i was ready, i would be able to go back and i could have kids. Reporter she says a company that offers this kind of benefit could attract female employees. Even more than salary these days, i always look even more than salary these a days, i always look at the benefits package. Reporter working women hoping to get pregnant at an older age may start asking their own employers to follow apple and facebooks lead. Stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york. Back in a moment with a big mystery up in the air and now here on the ground. N the grou. [ male announcer ] if you suffer from a dry mouth then youll know how uncomfortable it can be. [ crickets chirping ] but did you know that the lack of saliva can also lead to tooth decay and bad breath . [ exhales deeply ] [ male announcer ] well there is biotene. Specially formulated with moisturizers and lubricants, biotene can provide soothing relief and it helps keep your mouth healthy, too. [ applause ] biotene for people who suffer from dry mouth. [ male announcer ] the rhythm of life. [ whistle blowing ] where do you hear that beat . Campbells healthy request soup lets you hear it in your heart. [ basketball bouncing ] heart healthy. [ mm. ] great taste. [ tapping ] sounds good. Campbells healthy request. Mm mm good. ® over 12,000 Financial Advisors. Campbells healthy request. So, how are things . Good, good. Nearly 800 billion dollars in assets under care. Let me just put this away. How did edward jones get so big . Could you teach our kids that trick . By not acting that way. Ok, last quarter. Its how edward jones makes sense of investing. Before we craft it into a sandwich. The amazingly tender roasted turkey always raised without antibiotics, the zesty cranberry mostarda, the freshly baked flatbread. But heres what you dont always see. The care and attention that goes into it. Because what matters most is the simple, delicious ingredients that make up the whole delicious meal made just for you. And this is our turkey cranberry flatbread sandwich, paired perfectly with our autumn squash soup. Only at panera bread. I was out for a bike ride. With our autumn squash soup. I didnt think id have a heart attack. But i did. Im mike, and im very much alive. Now my doctor recommends a bayer aspirin regimen to help prevent another heart attack. Be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. If you have 3,600 to your name, you are in the wealthiest half of all the people in the world. The other half of all the people on the planet own less than 1 of all global wealth. These stats were compiled by, of all things, an investment bank, but this study by Credit Suisse paints a vivid picture of whats going on in the world. For example, in just the next five years, they say the number of millionaires will have increased by half. It is called the x37b. The name just rolls off the tongue. Its universally referred to as the secret u. S. Air force unmanned space plane. Its shaped like a small Space Shuttle and beyond that, theres something very secret about it. Its believed to have been in space in constant orbit for 22 straight months now. Due to land either today or tonight at Vandenberg Air force base in california. If they told us, it wouldnt be secret. Among other things, the project does get the air force back into the Space Business in a big way for the First Time Since the glory days back in the 50s and 60s. He was publicly invisible for almost six weeks there, but now north korean dictator kim jong un has suddenly reappeared. North korean state media released pictures it said showed him inspecting a new housing complex. No explanation given for his long absence or for the cane hes been using. And heres where the mystery deepens. In these new photos hes favoring his left leg, but when we last saw him in Early September he was clearly limping on his right leg. Hes widely rumored to be suffering from gout. When we come back, our making a difference report. When bosses mention pay cuts theyre usually talking about you and not themselves. Nbc nightly news with Brian Williams brought to you by pacific life. For insurance, anew tis and investments, choose pacific life. The power to help you succeed. They call it planning for retirement because getting there requires exactly that. A plan for what you want your future to look like. For more than 145 years, pacific life has been providing solutions to help individuals like you achieve longterm financial security. Bring your vision for the future to life with pacific life. Talk to a Financial Advisor to help build and protect your retirement income. Pacific life. The power to help you succeed. Every time you take advil youre taking the medicine doctors recommend most for joint pain. More than the medicine in aleve or tylenol. The medicine in advil is the number one doctor recommendation for joint pain. Relief doesnt get any better than this. Advil and she gave me advice. She said, dad, go pro with crest prohealth. [ male announcer ] 4 out of 5 dentists confirmed these prohealth products helped maintain a professional clean. Crest prohealth really brought my mouth to the next level. [ male announcer ] go pro with crest prohealth. Crest prohealth really brought my mouth to the next level. Hey set, hike go wide cheering yeah touchdown nice catch whos ready for half time . Yes ok im going to draw something up new. Wide receiver goes deep all the way to the corner and. Who ate the quarterback . Share what you love with who you love. Kelloggs frosted flakes. Theyre grrreat i make a lot of purchases and i get aness. Lot in return with ink plus from chase. Like 70,000 bonus points when i spent 5,000 in the first 3 months after i opened my account. And i earn 5 times the rewards on internet, phone services and at Office Supply stores. With ink plus i can choose how to redeem my points. Travel, gift cards even cash back. And my rewards points wont expire. So you can make owning a business even more rewarding. Ink from chase. So you can. We have an unusual making a difference report to take us off the air tonight. Its about an unusual boss, a College President , in fact, whose done something generous in hopes that it would be paid forward and that others will learn a lesson from it. We get his story tonight from nbcs kevin tibbles. One, two. Reporter the Kentucky State University thoroughbreds have a newfound reason to be loud and proud. And they point to this man as the reason. Interim University President raymond burse. I want every one of the kids on this campus to believe that the sky is the limit of what they can achieve. Reporter following a successful business career, burse, a rhodes scholar, was cajoled out of retirement. His very first move a jaw dropper. Raise the salaries of the universitys 24 lowest paid employee, and pay for it by slashing his own to the tune of 90,000. In doing that, what im trying to do is emulate to the students on this campus what i think it takes to be successful in this society. Reporter staffers on the lower end of the scale were given pay hikes from 7. 25 an hour to 10. 25 an hour. A 40 increase. Employees call it a blessing. He gave up 90,000. You know, thats so beyond generous. Reporter and on campus, students now study his every move. For him to come in and just take that major pay cut really says a lot about him. Reporter burse hasnt even sought out those workers hes helped. Thats just the way he is. I look at myself as a poor country kid from hopkinsville, kentucky, trying to do well in this world by treating people right. Reporter setting the tone for the next generation by showing many of lifes lessons dont always come from a book. Kevin tibbles, nbc news, frankfurt, kentucky. That is our broadcast for a tuesday night. Thank you for being here with us. Im Brian Williams. We, of course, hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. Good night. See you right back here tomorrow evening. Good night. Wothe way als dismantles someone like stuarty. Is so painful. Embryonic stem cells have so much promise, but Barbara Comstock voted to ban that Research Funding even though conservatives like nancy reagan support it. That takes away hope for a cure but also, for families like ours,