out in the streets. a rallying cry for gay rights as activists turn up heat on the white house, and president obama is listening. >> i'm here with you in that fight. fighting the flu. the struggle to mt demand for swine flu vaccine and reassure the public as more americans fall ill. bet your life. the newest way to makeoney on wall street gambling on how long you're live. and mummy mystery. a stunning first look at an ancient treasure under wraps a stunning first look at an ancient treasure under wraps until now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. nearly nine months into his term, president barack obama was a target of a huge demonstration in washington led by a group among the president's most enthusiasm sptders. gay rilts activists are frustrated the president has not moved swiftly on issues important to them. today thousands gathered on capitol hill to demand he fulfill his promise to drop barriers to prevent homosexuals from openly serving in the military. we're in washington tonight with the report. >> reporter: outside the white house today, frustration and much of it directed at the president. gay rights protestors insisting he do more to advance their cause. >> he's done nothing. he talked a great deal. >> reporter: then marching down pennsylvania avenue and gathering on the capitol's west front to demand the repeal of state and federal laws limitg same-sex marriage da. >> the world marriage is codified in foirl government and we're denned 1100 different rights because they won't let us have the word çómarriage. >> reporter: an end to the don't ask don't tell policy. >> the time for asking is over. i'm not asking anymore. i am telling. i am telling. i am telling! will you tell with me? >> reporter: many are disillusioned and thought with democrats controlling both congress and the white house, they would see quick action. >> we need our rights now and not later. we've been waiting since forever. >> reporter: it began as a quiet sunday morning for the president walking two blocks home from church with his family. after last night's warmly received speech to a gay rights fund-raiser when the president renewed a pledge made during the campaign. >> reporter: i will end don't ask don't tell. that's my commitment to you. >> reporter: and citing all that he faces now as president appealing for more time to deliver on the promises he made. >> when you look back on these years, you will see a time in which we put a stop to discrimination against gays and lesbians whether in the office or on the battlefield. >> reporter: today marchers weren't accepting any excuses. >> if he has time to go to copenhagen he has time to do other things. >> reporter: the president and democrats can point to one imminent success in washington for the marchers, the imminent passage of a hate crimes bill to make it a he federal crime to commit an assault based on sexual orientation. lester. >> thank you, and joining nous is cnbc's chief washiton course dents john harwood. what we saw in the protest today, was it simply frustration or represent a serious problem the president is having with an important part of hiss baz? >> i don't think it's a serious problem. we've seen and bill clinton learned that democratic presidents can get punished by the mainstream of the electorate for being too aggressive on social issues. for now the administration feels if they take care of the big issues, health care, energy and economy, they will be fine with this group. >> when you look at the left as a whole, have there been conversations about things they thought would have been done that haven't? >> sure, but if you look at the polling, bark obama is doing well with 90% or more of democrats, so the white house views this opposition as really part of the internet left fringe, lester, which for a sign of how seriously the white house does or doesn't take this opposition, one adviser said the bloggers need to take off the pajamas and get dressed and realize governing is complicated and difficult he. >> if anyone watching late night tv the comedy gloves have come on in terms of what they say about the president. it is simply a source of amusement, or does the white house have concerns there? >> they're more concerns about those comics because they reach a big audience. the noble committee gave them a big target because a lot of people think there's something funny and off about giving a noble peace prize to a president only in office nine months who hasn't accomplished any of his major goals. >> also in washington today more intense debate over the war in afghanistan. republicans are urging president obama to send up to 40,000 more tro troops as requested by stanley mcchrystal. democrats are split on the issue, and today senate intelligence committee chairman dianne feinstein broke with many in her party and backed the request. richard, we keep hearing this number of 40,000 troops. have they thin and, where would the troops go? >> the troops are now spread thin, and a lot of the little outposts particularly in eastern afghanistan are spread over such an area covered with so many mountains that a lot of the times the soldiers spend most of their day just trying to defend themselves and are not able to really reach out into the communities and try and pursue this hearts and minds nation building strategy that mcchrystal favors. primarily the extra troops that are sent will be defending themselves trying to take the taliban's momentum away, and then try and push off the bases and engaging with the afghan people. >> when this conversation is had it's about afghanistan. the u.s. from time to time strikes targets inside pakistan. can you separate the need to keep a stable pakistan from what's happening in afghanistan? >> absolutely not. the two conflicts are linked, and the situation in pakistan is very serious. over the last several days there was that incident that -- where militants, taliban militants attacked the pakistani equivalent of the pentagon and took hostages. it is clearly a very volatile situation in pakistan, and the pakistanis do not want to see a quick u.s. exit from afghanistan. it's right on the border. the u.s. as you know and on programming like this and across the united states, there is a lot of pressure on pakistan to fight the taliban inside pakistan. well, it would be very hypocrite tal for the u.s. to continue those calls while it pulls out its own troops on the other side of the border and says, we're not going to fight the taliban, but we're insisting you do it on your side of border. >> richard, thank you. we'll see more of you a bit later on ms nbs, called "tip of the spear" hosted by richard on his exploitds with the troops in the mountains of afghanistan. it appears at 8:00 eastern time tonight on msnbc. in pakistan today a predaw raid freed mother 40 hostages being held by militants at at pakistani army headquarters. the standoff lasted 22 hours, and 20 he were killed including three hostages. in iraq a series of deadly car bombings has raised concerns about a reingorated insurgency in that country. at least 19 were killed in the attacks. in london secretary of state hillary clinton and her british counterpart warned iran today that the world would not wait long for proof its nuclear intentions are peaceful. tomorrow on "today" an exclusive interview with secretary clinton. the catholic church has five new saints tonight proclaimed today by the vatican by pope benedict benedict. among them father damia a 19th century priest in hawaii who ministered to people with lep see before dying of the disease itself. now the latest on the outbreak of swine flu across the country. following the release of a nasal mist, the first swine flu shots are expected to be available this week and health officials continue to insist the vaccine is safe. we get the latest tonight from nbc's ron allen. >> reporter: this weekend at bates college in maine they're trying to stop swine flu in its tracks, settingp a mass inoculation center when the dose of the vaccine arrived. >> we've made lots of inroads so far to do prooefx. if we can control the outbreak of disease in school we can control it in the community. >> reporter: federal health officials say this week along with more nasal spray, the first injectable vaccine will reach the public. as they try to ramp up distribution for the most vulnerable, children, pregnant women and health care workers. >> the next two to three weeks we expect will lead to widespread availability. >> reporter: the swine flu outbreak has hit every state and hitting the youngest harder. 76 children have died since april, a figure comparable to the typical number of deaths for an entire flu season. swine flu struck this family of minnesota who lost 6-year-old na nate than. >> the h1n1 weakened him enough so it got into the tissues of his heart and cause it had stop. >> reporter: experts say most sickened have underlying conditions, asthma, lung disease, diabetes. across the country there's debate about wheer shots are safe and effective. >> enforced medical treatment is an assault and violation of the 14th amendment. >> in new york state some health care workers are fighting a new requirement to get flu shots to keep their jobs. in fayette vilt, georgia she was among the first to get his children vaccinated. >> we're expecting our third baby in the next few weeks. >> reporter: health officials agree swine flu vaccine is safe. >> we have experience with literally hundreds of millions of people that have received similar vaccines over many years. >> reporter: across the nation the flu is such a concern in some communities you can roll down your window and roll up your sleeve for a seasonal flu shot. as more swine flu vaccine becomes available, health officials hope demand for it is just as strong. tragedy in idaho. a bus carrying a popular high school band was on its way back from a competition when it crashed killing a music teacher on board. tonight she'll be hailed as a hero. authorities say 33-year-old heather kristen seven tried to grab the wheel after the bus driver apparently passed out, and the bus veered off the road. but she was thrown through a window as the bus rolled over and she died at the scene. for much of the country tonight this second weekend in october feels like the middle of january. there are record cold temperatures in the rockies and dwest, and another arctic blast on the way. it's all expected to head east. we get the latest from nbc's lee cowan. >> reporter: jack frost apparently isn't a baseball fan. 17 degrees and snow delayed yesterday's rockies slish phillies game until tonight. the temperature will be in the low 30s, hardly l for the boys of summer. it is a frigid fall. >> the midwest you never know. >> reporter: record-breaking cold is hampering all kinds of otherwise warm weather activities. for the first time in two years runners in the chicago marathon were donning hats and gloves instead of sweating in temperatures well above normal. in home haw even a bike ride to raise awareness of bike cancer had to be put on ice. >> they're having shifting issues because the drive train is literally freezing. >> reporter: it's making for a rather early frost, and it's all zipping to the northeast. >> the jet stream is going to be south of us. as long as that jet stream is south, we're going to stay in the cold air. >> reporter: that's not what farmers want to hear. >> this is an unusual event. >> reporter: black ice isn't what drivers want to defend with either. the road outside denver looked like it was just before christmas, deplete with packages spilling along the roadway. a reminder that winter is just around the corner, or in some places already here. lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. when "nightly news" continues this sunday, the new business of life insurance. are investors gambling on when you will die? later a nearly 3,000-year-old mummy rediscovered in florida. tonight a look at who he was. if you're still one of the guys who's going over and over... going urgently... waking up to go... it's time to do what lots of guys everywhere have already done-- go see your doctor, because those could be urinary symptoms due to bph, an enlarged prostate. and for many men, prescription flomax reduces their urinary symptoms due to bph in one week. one week. 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 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after dr. eddie powell lost his leg he faced a financial dilemma. >> i was going broke. i was broke and i was desperate. >> reporter: so he sold his life insurance policies worth about a million dollars for $150,000 in cash. it's called a life settlement. the seller gets money now, and the buyer collects on the life insurance when the seller dies. now some top wall street firms, credit suisse, goldman sachs and others are moving towards packages life settlements into a november new investment to pay off when policyholders die. the earlier the death, the bigger the return. >> you're gambling on whether or not someone's going to die at age 75 or going to die at age 80. >> reporter: this tiny wall street credit rating agency, dbrs, is evaluating the level of safety and security of life settlement packages. >> none have met our standards to date. >> reporter: life insurers worry such deals could encourage schemes like manipulating people to take out policies just to sell them back. >> it challenges the good social purpose upon which life insurance is based. it it challenges life insurers' high help preputation. >>eporter: critics say they have a big risk. that a change in plif expectancy or a cure for cancer or alzheimer's could send investments plummeting. in fact, critics liken these to the exotic high risk investments that trirged the financial meltdown. >> this tells us nothing has changed on walt street. we havthe same type of sales practices and same ceos running the firms doing the same type of transactions that they were doing before. >> reporter: wall street firms say the dealing would not be all that risky because packages could be structured to include people of various ages and with a range of diseases. and eddie powell? he has some advice for the investment banks. >> keep on banking on me dying. my grandfather and grandmother lived to be over 100 years of age. i'm 61. you have a long time to wait. >> reporter: lisa myers, nbc news, washington. up next here 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>> reporter: so time for his first 3d imaging cd scan. >> and hold your breath. >> reporter: a technology only a few years old, and the results are breath-taking. >> his teeth are remarkably well-preserved. >> reporter: thousands of photographs creat 3d images and tell the story of a young man about 30 who obviously cared for his beautiful set of teeth, had fractured his pelvis not long before he died, had arthritis in his hands and knees a fairly severe curve in his spine. >> the heart is not in place, which is very unusual. >> reporter: mummi generally had their brains removed but almost never their hearts, considered vital in the after life. it might point to his culture and where exactly he lives. this is painted with images of gods and prayers for the dead. scientists think it was reused and doesn't match the age of the mummy inside. not unusual, they say, if you weren't lucky enough to have been born a king. he may have been a regular guy whose family did their best to see him off. what do people who don't have money do? there are apparently tricks or ways that could -- you can get around not being buried with jewels and all of that. >> reporter: the man who perhaps never dreamed he'd be hanging around miami in the age of computers. >> its beyond cool. it's amazing. >> reporter: almost 3,000 years later. michelle koz ski, nbc news, miami. that's "nbc nightly news" for this sunday. stay tuned for "football night in america" followed by nbc's "sunday night football." the indianapolis colts take on the tennessee titans tonight. i'm lester holt reports from new york. from all of us here at nbc news, new york. from all of us here at nbc news, good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com