>> nice try,hough, dan. >> that's it for now. "nbc kwp nightly news" coming up next. >> we hope you will join us for "news4 at on our broadcast tonight, new rules of the road for cars and trucks. what it's going to cost you and why they're doing it. the record rains in new england are over, but the damage is not. who are we? today is census day. we'll tell you why they're worried they're not getting an accurate count. the rich list. while '09 was a rough year for a lot of americans, some had a record pay day. no fooling. there's been a change. a city in kansas is named google. if you don't believe it, you can look it up on topeka. "nightly news" this first of april begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. doesn't it always seem to happen this way? we were told today oil prices are suddenly up to 18-month highs. that means gas prices will rise just in time for the warm weather driving season. just yesterday, president obama talked about balancing our need for new energy, things like offshore drilling with the environment, and tonight there's news about new cars. requirements that they run cleaner that, they get ten more miles per gallon than they do right now, and like all things, this comes with a cost. nbc's lee cowan starts us off tonight from l.a. lee, good evening. >> reporter: well, brian, this ends debate that lasted nearly a decade about auto pollution that started right here on the roads of california. now that these so-called clean car standards are going to be mandatory across the board, it makes it the first time ever the federal government limited greenhouse gas emissions. it was 1975 when the government first put fuel economy standards in place, back when cars looked like land boats and got 13 miles to the gallon. >> you get more power. >> reporter: technology made cars a lot less thirsty, but the average auto's appetite is too much for the white house. so by 2014, the government will mandate cars and light trucks bump their average up to over 35 miles a gallon. it's projected over the lifetime of those newly-regulated vehicles, carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 960 million metric tons. >> that's like taking 58 million cars off the road for an entire year. >> reporter: environmentalists are hailing the move as nothing short of historic. >> this is sort of the first time that the united states government has stepped forward to take the biggest single step forward to solve global warming. >> reporter: reaching that new efficiency level does come with a price. an estimated $52 billion for car manufacturers to be paid eventually by the consumer. about $1,000 per car may be added on to the sticker price. >> we are a car culture. we love vehicles. we like them to be new and we like them to be clean, and we think we can have both. >> reporter: california intended to be the first to regulate greenhouse auto emissions in 2002. 13 other states and the district of columbia wanted to do the same, but the debate was endless. automakers went to court over the costs, effectively blocking the state standards from ever taking effect. so what finally cleared the air? >> one is that they are actually closer to these numbers because of modern technology than they have in the past, and two, because i think politically it's just not wise right now to disregard fuel economy as a consideration. >> reporter: new standards, new pressures and a new road ahead. now brian, although these new cars will cost a little bit more, the government says that will be more than offset by your savings in fuel, about $3,000 over the course of that new environmentally-friendly vehicle. >> lee cowan over of one of l.a.'s famous freeways. thank you for that. some new auto sales numbers are out for march just ended. they are way above last year. that's in part because march '09 is when the market bottomed out. people were willing to overlook a lot of the problems at toyota. instead, they wanted a bargain. because of the toyota deals their sales were up 41%. ford wasn't far behind, up a strong 40%. gm gained 21% over last year. chrysler, however, still struggling, finishing the month down 8% overall. we switch gears to the remains of that massive rain storm that hit the east coast this week. president obama made a surprise drop-in visit today to a massachusetts emergency response center in framingham, mass, where they've been dealing with flooding and trying to help the many people who lost so much throughout new england. big parts of southern new england are struggling with flood levels that haven't been seen in over 100 years. julie martin from the weather channel with us again tonight from rhode island. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. the rivers are receding, but the worries are rising tonight in rhode island. we are still dealing with contaminated water, closed roadways and now compromised structures. this is the laurel avenue bridge in coventry. officials tell me water from the swollen pawtucket et rer already washed away part of its foundation and it could go at any time. down stream about 300 residents could be flooded if this does, in fact, happen. right now it is largely a wait and see. rhode island's governor estimates the damage statewide is going to reach the hundreds of millions of dollars. this hit comes at a time when the state doesn't need it. just two weeks ago they were also slammed very hard by heavy rains and flooding. once again, here it is to deal with and the money is ju not there. in terms of the rivers themselves throughout the northet, they are going down. the pawtuxet, probably the most impressive drop from that record crest a couple of days ago. in fact, by saturday it will have dropped over ten feet. certainly a lot of the danger will be washed away there. homeland security secretary janet napolitano will be on the ground tomorrow touring the area. local officials tell me speedy federal aid is going to be key in this crisis. brian? >> such a tough time for the state of rhode island and elsewhere. julie martin of the weather channel, thanks for your reporting. now to the effort to find out where so many of us live. how many there are in america. this was census day, the day all the census forms are supposed to be returned. census officials say they're worried about a whole lot of folks who aren't reporting in. nbc's rehema ellis is in times square with a progress report on this massive head count under way. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. i should tell you the first u.s. census was conducted in 1790 by a group of u.s. marshals on horseback. this year the government is spending more than $14 billion and there's a box to check for same-sex couples. times have changed. what has not changed is the nation's need to count the population. across the country, the push is on to get the census numbers in. >> today is census day, ladies and gentlemen. >> reporter: 134 million forms have been mailed out. >> 62 million of them already turned the form back in. if you haven't gotten around to it, it's your time to step up. >> reporter: the white house is among the 52% of american households who have returned the ten-question form. leading the way? central and midwestern states. lagging behind, five other states with larger urban and higher minority populations. the census bureau has spent $133 million so far on ads. >> we can't move forward until you mail it back. >> reporter: still there are some who are tough to count. those on extended travel, homeless and those living in group settings like college dorms and army barracks. hispanics among the largest-growing segment of the population, in past surveys, have been slow to respond. according to a report released today, 9 in 10 hispanics say they intend to participate. convinced the census information will not be used to target anyone in the united states illegally. so what's the census for? the numbers determine how many people represent you in washington. and how much federal aid a community gets for things like schools, hospitals and transportation. the next step? going to houses to get information from those who haven't responded. officials say watch out for scammers. >> they're wearing a badge or t-shirt. have a sign on their car. >> reporter: they might ask for money, social security or bank numbers. something the real census takers will never do. if everyone sends back those forms, the government's effort could be cut by $1.5 billion because they won't have to send out so many door-to-door workers. brian? >> rehema ellis in the crossroads of america, times square, on a beautiful night. thanks. this is holy thursday at the vatican today, pope benedict celebrated mass. he was surrounded by the faithful and while he did not mention it today, he is also now surrounded by a growing scandal during the holiest week of the calendar for christians. our own anne thomson has our report tonight from rome. >> reporter: today's washing of the feet by pope benedict, the ancient rite of humility contrasts with the strong words in his defense from vatican officials. >> he's a witness of clarity of the season of transparency in all the problem of the sexual abuses. >> reporter: cardinal william levada accused "the new york times" of unfairness in its reporting about what the pope, then cardinal joseph ratzinger knew about two cases of pedophile priests. inferring responsibility to the pope when levada says decisions were made by others. "i ask "the times" to reconsider its attack mode about pope benedict xvi and give the world a more balanced view of the leader it can and should count on." "the times" stands by its reporting. in vienna, a cardinal led the service for those abused by priests, where victims spoke and the cardinal asked for forgiveness on behalf of the church. >> translator: some of us spoke of the love of god and did evil to those who most need protection. >> reporter: how long has vatican known about the problem? outside los angeles's cathedral, words of anger over the discovery of a 1963 letter to pope paul vi from the man then in charge of treating abusive priests in the u.s. >> the church knew about this. >> reporter: some may see a paper trail leading to the vatican, legal experts say it will be difficult to hold this pope responsible in u.s. courts. >> i think it will be very difficult to prove that the holy father himself was in control of this situation. >> reporter: mired in controversy, the church and its rituals nevertheless endure, in this its most holy week. anne thompson, nbc news, rome. we turn now tonight to a story about health care. not in washington, d.c., but one of the poorest parts of this country where a lot of people simply don't get care. now this region in the mississippi delta is getting help from an idea that started in a place a lot of americans would consider firmly enemy territory. nbc's thanh truong has our report. >> reporter: in baptist town, mississippi, there is no shortage of prayer, poverty or pain. every sunday at church, names of the sick are announced. with each name this doctor shudders. >> i see lack of access to the care that's needed. >> reporter: back in the civil rights era, dr. shirley fought just to practice medicine here. now at age 77, he's fighting for a new solution to the health care crisis. he thinks he's found it in a very old country, iran. >> come hell or high water, we'll have a health housup and running. >> reporter: the health house is an idea from iran where community health workers, not doctors, deliver screening and basic medical care. dr. shirley and his colleague james miller traveled more than 7,000 miles to see health houses first hand. iranian doctors came to mississippi to see if the idea could work in baptist towns. >> the community health worker doesn't it for them to come to the health house. they go out amongst the community and knock on the doors. >> reporter: theorldealth organization commends the health house model and helped cut the infant death rate in iran by more than 70%. compared to the rest of this country, this state ranks at or near the bottom when this stat comes to obesity, diabetes and infant morality. >> i would love to see a doctor to get a check-up. i don't have insurance so i don't get to see one. >> reporter: sylvester hoover runs the only business in baptist town. he doesn't care where health solutions come from. so now the community is planning. with proper funding this empty store could be turned into the mississippi delta's first health house. lee bella is a nurse and ready to volunteer. >> we have to go to the people that can't come to us. >> reporter: it's an example how the common enemy of illness can forge unlikely alliances. thanh truong, nbc news, baptist town, mississippi. when our broadcast continues this thursday night, no recession for these guys. big risks and big rewards for some hedge fund managers. if you visited google today you visited topeka today. rewards for some hedge fund managers. if you visited google today you visited tope k ka today. triglycerides are still out of line? then you may not be seeing the whole picture. ask your doctor about trilipix. if you're at high risk of heart disease and taking a statin to lower bad cholesterol, along with diet, adding trilipix can lower fatty triglycerides and raise good cholesterol to help improve all three cholesterol numbers. trilipix has not been shown to prevent heart attacks or stroke more than a statin alone. trilipix is not for everyone, including people with liver, gallbladder, or severe kidney disease, or nursing women. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you are pregnant or may become pregnant. blood tests are needed before and during treatment to check for liver problems. contact your doctor if you develop unexplained muscle pain or weakness, as this can be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. this risk may be increased when trilipix is used with a statin. if you cannot afford your medication, call 1-866-4-trilipix for more information. trilipix. there's more to cholesterol. get the picture. tomorrow's jobs report from march is expected to show actual job growth, a welcome development with so many people struggling in this challenging economy. for some folks, it's already been a banner year. hedge funds, those high-risk, high-reward investment pools that rake in the dollars when things go well and don't get bailed out when things go wrong. this past year, the top guys made a fortune. our report from nbc's lisa myers. >> reporter: they are the whales of wall street. hedge fund managers operate with few rules and handle investments for the super rich. while 2009 was a tough year for millions of americans, "ar" magazine reports that the recession was over early for hedge fundanagers who had a record year. get this. the top 25 managers made over $25 billion. profits driven at least in part by the government's bailout of big banks. >> they saw that the government was not going to let most of these big banks fail and they went in and bought the stocks at very low levels and those stocks just continued to go up all year long. >> reporter: at the top of the heap, david tepper who earned a staggering $4 billion. >> he was willing to go in at the bottom and say, i don't think armageddon is around the corner. >> reporter: tepper is not your stereotypical master of the university. he lived in this new jersey home for 20 years and has no vacation homes. >> he likes to call himself the typical middle class guy that makes billions of dollars. >> reporter: in the top five, george soros ranked the 35th richest man in the world at $3.3 billion. james simons, a mathematician, $2.5 billion. john paulson, $2.3 billion, which makes the $41 million he paid for this estate in the hamptons a couple of years ago seem like chump change. at number five, stephen cohen, $1.4 billion. >> he is the quintessential living large hedge fund manager with his mansion in greenwich, his amazing art collection. >> reporter: a 35,000 square foot mansion, indoor pool, outdoor ice rink and extra garage for the zamboni. conspicuous consumption in a banner year for the heavyweight wall streets. lisa meyers, washington. up next, it lived only 78 days. up next, it lived only 78 days. 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[ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. ta to your doctor, and take care of what you have to take care of. not that long ago, many families were priced out of an overheated housing market. but the times have changed. get the facts at remax.com. today, the dream of owning a home seems more attainable than ever. nobody sells more real estate than re/max. visit remax.com today. allergies? chlor-trimeton. hey, one dose of this, six hour relief. chlor-trimeton relieves itchy, watery eyes and sneezing for 12 full hours with less drowsiness than benadryl. it does all that? chlor-trimeton. less drowsy relief that lasts 12 hours. there are engines... and then there's the twin-turbocharging, 365-horsepower-generating, ecoboost engine in the taurus sho from ford. that has the thirst of a v6 with the thrust of a v8. the most innovative full- size sedan in america: the taurus sho, from ford. drive one. there were some interesting stories in the news today like the announcement that johns hopkins university in baltimore was dropping the "s" and becoming just john hopkins. the new cup sizes at starbucks that include the giant plenta and the tiny micra. then we remembered it's april fools' day. the theme ntinued in google, kansas. it used to be called topeka. now that's the name of a giant search engine. an explanation tonight from kevin tibbles. >> reporter: today typing those familiar six letters took you to a whole new place. not to google, but topeka. topeka. it's in kansas. >> google changed the name to topeka. >> reporter: then it is april 1st. here's the back story. the nation recently went gaga when google announced it was looking for a place to test its new superfast internet. soon communities across the land were doing all kinds of crazy stunts vying for google's attention. the mayor of sarasota, florida, swam through a shark tank. the mayor of duluth, minnesota, leapt into the icy lake superior. topeka changed its name to google for a month. today joining in the fun, the whole world including cranky china awoke to find google had cleverly changed its name to topeka. would you rather say google or topeka? >> topeka. >> reporter: does it have a ring to it? >> not at all. >> reporter: topeka. the name means to dig good potatoes was founded in 1854 and has 123,000 inhabitants. googol, which means a one followed by 100 zeros was founded in 1998 and has 20,000 employees. sorry, topeka, billions visit google every day. >> we're not done yet. >> reporter: google says its april fools' folly doesn't signal who is going to win the high-speed internet, but it does prove one thing -- >> topeka, topeka -- >> reporter: i knew i could make you do that. even computer geeks have a sense of humor. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >> should all be back to normal by tomorrow. that's our broadcast for this thursday night. thank you for being with us. i'm brian williams. hope to see you back here tomorrow evening. good night.