on our broadcast tonight -- hacked, top government web sites in this country and elsewhere are crippled. but the feds don't know where the attack came from. and it's not just computers that are at risk. bang for the buck -- after all the talk about shovel-ready projects, ready to dig to make america better. where did the billions in stimulus money go? hitting the bottle. wait till you find out what an environmental group is saying about bottled water and what the government might do. striking up the band in a town facing hard times. making a real difference through music. making a real difference through music. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. when we talk about national

security, we're usually thinking about troops and tanks and ships and planes, haired wardware and software. our nation has been hit by a major attack and it is computer based. 35 important web sites. government and private sector, have been hit and hit badly in the u.s. and south korea since july 4th. the attacks include the department of homeland security, and the pentagon. and they show a certain vulnerability. we begin tonight with pete williams at the department of homeland security in washington. pete, good evening. >> reporter: brian, government and private industry experts say this attack was unusually intense and long lasting. and they're scrambling to night to find out out where it came from. among the targets were the new york stock exchange and nasdaq, both of which say they successfully fought it off. but it swarmed the public web sites of at least a dozen u.s. government agencies including the white house. two of them for the federal

trade commission, and transportation department, were out of commission for at least two days. >> if this was meant as a message by who ever is responsible for it, the message has been received. america's guard is up. and our defenses will get stronger and stronger. >> reporter: experts call it an unusually large denial of service attack, with the originator sending out signals to enlist up to 60,000 computers that ganged up on the targeted web sites overwhelming them with millions of messages. government operations like air traffic control were untouched. and the attack appears not to have targeted any other critical private sector systems like those controlling power lines or public water systems. but government web sites were also hit in south korea, its intelligence agency says it believes the attack may have originated in north korea. american officials say the source is unknown. u.s. government web sites are constantly targeted, and intelligence agencies have

robust defenses. but the former top u.s. intelligence computer expert says there is no government-wide security requirement. >> i'm in favor of federal standards. but often times within the federal government each agency sets its standards about what is acceptable and what's not acceptable. >> pete williams reporting to start us off from washington tonight. in a related story on security. recently the federal government set out to find out how safe government buildings are. it is a test of the system. tonight we have learned the system failed. we have more on this story from nbc's kelly o'donnell on capitol hill tonight. kelly, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. one senator said he won't be able to sleep at night after what we heard here today. there is a new report that shows serious weaknesses in security at federal buildings. so serious, real bombs got past the guards.

you're watching a security breach. government investigators shot these pictures as they carried bomb-making materials through security at a federal building. ten times at ten different buildings guards failed to detect explosives that officials say could do this. hiding in federal building restrooms, investigators put together improvised explosive devices that could be even more powerful. >> assemble the ied, walked around several floors, into executive and legislative branch offices with the device in a briefcase. >> senators were disturbed. >> i am in one of those buildings. there is hundreds of people in there. >> reporter: the federal protector service provides guards at 2,300 federal buildings nationwide. >> how do you explain to yourself how these things were allowed to happen? >> it's purely a lack of oversight on our part.

>> reporter: investigators found serious lapses -- for example, 411 of 663 guards reviewed at random had at least one expired firearms qualification. and at one building, 75% of guards on duty had expired certifications or no record of training. and officials provided this photo of a sleeping guard they claim was on the painkiller percicet. today the agency said more money and manpower is needed. >> we have taken steps in the right direction to get us there. >> reporter: brian, we are talking about 13,000 guards. and they are, not federal employees, but contractors hired by the government to work in these special facilities. they are federal buildings across the country and they were not identified today. one official i spoke to said it will even be more than a year to get them trained and up and running. kelly o'donnell on capitol hill for us. kelly, thanks. depending on where you live and drive, some times you see

them at construction sites. signs that are designed to harold the stimulus money being spent on roads and on-ramps and the like. it was a lot of money, $787 billion in the end. it was five months ago. it was supposed to fix and build a lot of things and put a lot of people to work during a time of high unemployment. and the white house is saying -- be patient. the story tonight from our senior investigative correspondent lisa myers. >> reporter: at this road project in maryland, a sign tells all who pass by, that the money for repaving came from the stimulus package. the obama administration has encouraged states to put up the signs which can cost as much as $1,200 to reassure the public that the stimulus is working. jason dodge certainly thinks it's working. >> i was really happy. took a lot of pressure off my shoulders. >> reporter: he has three children and was unemployed until this job came through in

june. >> beats unemployment any day. >> reporter: officials say this project has generated 20 new jobs. but on the larger scale, there are questions about how much the $787 billion plan is actually helping. so far, 11% of the money has actually gone out to states. today congressional investigators reported that some states are not steering projects to economically distressed areas. and some businesses have not gotten the boost they expected. heavy equipment makers say infrastructure spending has generated only a trickle of new orders. >> from where our company sits, the impact of the stimulus package has been some what disappointing. >> reporter: the administration estimates the stimulus has created or saved 150,000 jobs since february. the problem is that number is dwarfed by the almost 2 million jobs lost over that period. and another important administration estimate has turned out to be wrong -- that

the stimulus plan would keep the unemployment rate below 8%. in fact, unemployment hit 9.5% last month. economist mark zandi thinks the stimulus will eventually work. though perhaps not generate as many jobs as predicted. >> i think we need patience. the stimulus is just now getting going, and i think we will see the benefits of it more clearly later this year. >> white house officials say the bulk of the stimulus package is just kicking in and that they are accelerating spending where possible. for now they see no need for a second stimulus plan, but are not ruling that out. lisa myers, nbc news, washington. the economy is just one of the items on the president's agenda at the g-8 summit in italy tonight. but the most pressing issue for the group of 8 just might be aftershocks. the summit after all is taking place near the town, aquila, experiencing rumblings from the massive earthquake in april.

our chief correspondent chuck todd traveling with the president with us from rome tonight. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. news out of the summits, always a lot of declarations, commitments and pledges. there was one serious issue the president wanted to bring to the table this summit. that is iran. and the g-8 which is made up of america's six closest western allies plus a some times adversary, russia, collectively urged iran to respond to the diplomatic over chtures get to table to discuss the nuclear issue and is giving iran until september to do it. if they don't, the next time the g-8 meets which will be in september, they will possibly take these -- take this issue further with iran. maybe it will be sanctions. but it was a tougher statement than the u.s. expected to get. they feel like that means the president made progress in russia during the two-day stop. as you brought up, brian, this summit has taken place in

aquila. today the president toured the earthquake-ravaged areas with the italian president, and what's interesting if there is a major aftershock there is a very detailed evacuation plan that will helicopter these world leaders out of there, brian. >> all right, chuck todd in rome tonight. chuck, thanks. we want to re-emphasize, the leaders of course are in no danger. chuck said there is a plan to get them out. they are scheduled to leave soon anyway. but then there are the people who live in that town. we first met some of them back when our own martin fletcher arrived to cover the awful aftermath of the quake. today martin went back to see how those familiar faces were faring. >> reporter: this is not where marius and simona planned to get married. three months after the earthquake destroyed their home, they're still in a refugee camp. ♪ but a rare moment of joy among the 25,000 italians still living in tents. they live in fear.

there are tremors every day. the historic old town of aquila is too dangerous to live in. >> little earthquake now? >> yes. >> reporter: little earthquake right now? >> yes. >> reporter: we were allowed in with an escort from the fire department. all the wooden beams are just to keep the city safe. the rebuilding, restructuring really hasn't begun yet. we went to one house that we last saw the day after the earthquake. now three months later at least the cars are gone, but a long time before anyone will move into this house or indeed anywhere in the old town. 30,000 homes in the region are unsafe or destroyed. work hasn't even begun on whole sections of the city. we found maria rita being escorted to her building. when do you think you will be able to come home? >> five or six years, i think. >> reporter: an outside town, right after the earth quake we tracked down this couple, on

behalf of their worried family in california. the house was fine, but they said they were too scared to stay in it. today nothing has changed. are you sleeping at home now? >> translator: too many earthquakes. so now near aquila, the government is bidding homes on anti-seismic pillars enough to house 15,000 people. back at the wedding, marius and simona said one of the best gifts would be one of the new homes, the first maybe ready by november. for now married life begins at tent number 9, refugee camp. martin fletcher, nbc news, aquila, italy. let's wish them well. when our broadcast continues, along the way, on the wednesday night, there is a new hot spot on earth tonight. as the show of force showed clearly today. he made it big but never forgot where he cam from. now he is using music to make a

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solemn day today at dover air force base as the bodies of five u.s. servicemen came home. the most at any one time since coverage of such arrivals resumed three months ago. chairman of the joint chiefs, admiral mike mullin was on hand for it. the five, four soldiers and a sailor were all killed in afghanistan monday. most of them in different regions. it was the single deadliest day that war has seen in almost a year. we have been reporting here this week on the violent unrest that has claimed more than 150 lives in western china. authorities now have the place under lock down. but they have allowed some media in for a closer look. and our own ian williams is there tonight. >> reporter: they flooded into the region this morning, a massive, calculated show of force. the chinese government, determined to stifle the worst unrest this region has seen in decades.

the security forces have locked down the city center, blocking every junction. but the city remains tense. officials say 156 people died sunday in clashes involving the country's han chinese majority and the minority muslims who have taken to the streets in protest against their treatment. the clashes have continued and chinese mobs roaming the streets seeking revenge. today the government organized the press visit to one of the city's biggest hospitals where almost half the 800 injured have been treated. most of those we saw here were han chinese suffering from head and stab wounds. this woman left with a fractured skull. it was so sudden i didn't know what was happening she told me. they say the hospital here was overwhelmed on sunday, but won't give any detailed breakdown of how many of the injured were muslims and how many were han

chinese. in the city's main muslim neighborhood, residents pointed to evidence that they were the victims. they came here to kill people, this man said. even before the violence, the city was largely segregated. now these poorer neighborhoods are sealed off by riot police. this shopkeeper was one of the few to open for business today, speaking cautiously, he told me that the biggest problem is the lack of economic opportunities for the minority. this evening the city is saturated with armed police, but the atmosphere remains tense and volatile. ian williams, nbc news, china. >> up anenext -- did you know bottled water is hundreds of times more expensive than tap. is it that much better? we'll tell you why the feds may get involved after this. (announcer) we speak car. we speak rpms so you can zip by other cars. but we also speak mpgs so you can fly by gas stations.

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spring right into the bottle with the snow gently melting and bunnies hopping around. the commercials would also have us believe that it is certainly better than tap water. is that true? and what's really in it considering so many people pay so much to have it. our own tom costello is in our washington bureau with more on this. tom, good evening. >> hi, brian. two new reports out say consumers know more about the water in their tap than the bottled water they pay so much more. in fact, 28 gallons per person, per year, paying hundreds times more for bottled water than for tap water. but the environmental working group looked at 200 popular brands of water and found that fewer than 2% disclose the water source. while the epa requires municipalities to report what's in the water in our taps, the fda doesn't require bottlers to tell us what is in their water or where it originates from. now, government investigators said bottlers today should be required to provide more

thorough labelling. congress now looking at beefing up the labelling requirements. meanwhile, brian, researchers today said maybe bottled water should be a distant second choice for you as your water source. not a primary source. they insist tap water is usually very clean. >> tom costello from our washington bureau tonight. tom, thanks. speaking of the environment, look what green peace did to rushmore and abe lincoln. three green peace climbers rappelled down the mountain to hang a 65-foot-tall banner featuring president obama's face. there were 12 arrests of environmental activists. they say they timed their message to coincide with the g-8 conference under way in italy and to mind the president that great presidents show leadership. something else hap happens today that only happens every 100 years or so. two brief moments today lasted just one second each. it was 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. half past midnight and again

afternoon at 12:34:56, today, june 8, 2009, became 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, of 09. if you are into numbers and sequences a heck of a moment. two of them actually. when we come back here tonight, tonight's final story came to us from a "nightly news" viewer, a man who is making a difference. . you've taken steps to try and lower both your numbers. but how close are you to your goals? there may be more you can do. only caduet combines two proven medicines... in a single pill to significantly lower... high blood pressure and high cholesterol. in a clinical study of patients... with slightly elevated blood pressure and cholesterol, caduet helped 48% reach both goals in just 4 weeks. caduet is one of many treatment options, in addition to diet and exercise... that you can discuss with your doctor. caduet is not for everyone. it's not for people with liver problems... and women who are nursing,

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we're back, our "making a difference" report tonight came from a viewer of this broadcast. by the way we continue to ask you to send us the stories you know about, the stories about people performing random or regular acts of kindness for others. this is one such story tonight. it is a guy who made it big. came home to make things right. and in this case by using music. our report from nbc's ron mott in waverly, tennessee.

>> reporter: at 68, ron pace enjoys a relaxing semiretirement with his wife sandy in music city, nashville. far from a musician, pace had an idea nine years ago to restore life to his modest home of 4,000, waverly, tennessee. a summer concert series that he not only pays for he even books the bands. >> it is a good place to meet and renew friendships and enjoy the whole community. >> reporter: he spent his early years in this two room log cabin, no electricity, no indoor plumbing. >> it was a really happy childhood living here. we had no conception that we were poor or underprivileged. >> reporter: he uses his reversal of fortune to enrich a place that had fallen on hard times. >> the attitude of waverly was that it would dead and dying. >>. ♪ respect >> reporter: now on saturday nights, adults soak up the sound

and kids rock 'n' roll too. the concerts are called music on the square, this is where they're usually held at the center of town. but because the shows have become so popular over the years, this year's fourth of july performance was moved to a much bigger venue. ♪ was the son of a preacher man ♪ >> reporter: last weekend, pace had a front-row seat as his hometown danced the night away. >> i think it is wonderful. a good thing for our community. it's really great. ♪ >> it is hard to get him to toot his horn. we have to do it for him. he has done a great job. >> reporter: for ron pace it fills his needs too. >> i think everybody has a need to touch other people's lives and this is just a small way of doing it. >> reporter: music from one man's heart, keeping a whole town in rhythm with each other. ♪ rescue me ♪ >> reporter: ron mott, nbc news, waverly, tennessee. and that's our broadcast for this wednesday night. thank you for being with us. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you back here tomorrow evening. good night.