the vast wealth held by the corporation of london were integrated to the rest of london it would be a very different city and in the poverty you see he would probably be eradicated with that money do you feel that the city of london corporation would be morally exonerated if they did more to help the poor buyers around them not really the because the corporation of london is kind of a true a stick it gives quite a bit of money to charities it has all sorts of charitable charitable foundations but this is putting band-aids putting plasters on wind it's not doing anything structurally to change the relationship between this state within a state government within london that no one knows about and the surrounding boroughs which are extraordinarily poor but how is it possible to democratize the corporation if the financial industry in the u.k. and the government are so closely connected when there's no political will it's impossible to impossible to make that change i mean there's all sorts of things that could possibly be done which is by packing the corporation of london with people ele

the vast wealth held by the corporation of london were integrated to the rest of london it would be a very different city and in the poverty you see he would probably be eradicated with that money do you feel that the city of london corporation would be morally exonerated if they did more to help the poor buyers around them not really the because the corporation of london is kind of a true a stick it gives quite a bit of money to charities it has all sorts of charitable charitable foundations but this is putting band-aids putting plasters on whims it's not doing anything structurally to change the relationship between this state within a state government within london that no one knows about and the surrounding boroughs which are extraordinarily poor but how is it possible to democratize the corporation if the financial industry in the u.k. and the government are so closely connected when there's no political will it's impossible to impossible to make that change i mean there's all sorts of things that could possibly be done which is by packing the corporation of london with people el

"nightly news" from london memories with us. "nightly news" from london begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening. it's all under way here in london tonight. this massive global event kicking off in spectacular style as our viewers in the u.s. are about to see. what we can show you concerning what's already transpired, the interesting choice of the same front page photos by the newspapers here, part of the pyro technics show in the stadium tonight. the broadcast features an unusual james bond moment and a first for the queen of england who let's just say makes a rather dramatic entrance. now, tomorrow in the light of day, londoners will wake up in full olympics mode. tonight an estimated 1 billion people will watch these games kick off. a spectacular global show followed by the parade of nations. nbc's chris jansing is in the olympic village tonight to start things off for us tonight. chris, good evening. >> reporter: good evening you to, brian. the long wait is finally over. athletes from 240 nations are here to compete for 906 medal

i'm lester holt in london. jenna wolfe is holding down the fort in new york. >> first with the london olympics five days away, i have to imagine, lester, people are super excited about the games. >> they are really getting excited about the sunshine. it stopped raining. people picnicking along the thames. the torch is here. the olympic fever is contagious. we will take you on a tour of this area. in our next half hour, who will be the next michael phelps? we will look at the break outstars. of course, english is the official language here, but you need to know what people are talking about. we will explain that coming up. jenna. >>> back here. new hope for the girls missing for more than a week. they are cousins who vanished. the police say there is an indication that they may be alive. >>> and michael jackson's mother may be missing. paris jackson sent a tweet saying she doesn't know where she is and jermaine says she is just fine. we will have more on that. >>> jenna. first jlo and now maraih? we will talk ab

made off the london whale j.p. morgan london whale m.f. global all of these happened london they couldn't happen elsewhere that's exactly what we've been saying this for months for years now finally people are beginning to realize i think the m.f. global was really that what tripped it off finally they said you know why are all the major bank frauds always in the city of london you know in the city of london of course is the only place in the world in the banking world we can re hypothecate to infinity even in the west which is corrupt you could only read hypothecate one hundred forty percent say underlying marginal full security like the u.s. government treasury bond but in london you can do it infinity you can sell the same bond in london infinite number of times gee i wonder if that could lead to fraud and you know by the way regarding this london disease. and acting as a sort of haven for all sorts of ill gotten gains from around the world i do notice in the f.t. recently luxury homes boom in london. that of course is the way to launde

london and the rest of the u.k. like two different countries and london is basically built on finance and you know outside of london london is is quite hated by other parts of the way particularly in the northwest and the financial sector in particular is loathed and you know what does the government do because on the one hand you know banks and so on are in many ways the agencies of governments that you know it's that they control the where the government money goes but on the other hand the people want the financial sector to be taken down there is a there is a a massive amount of not unjustified loathing for the financial sector we'll see what happens during what about the housing sector of course the housing problem london was huge then we had the global housing crash but then in london of course prices haven't been affected too much to due to the influx of all the dark money that flows into london but that seems to be something that's unsustainable how do you see the housing market going forward and secondly wh

back to london in a moment. but first, these messages. [ female announcer ] what makes florida's natural orange juice taste so uniquely fresh and delicious? is it the rich florida soil? or the perfect blend of sunshine, rain, and temperature? maybe it's the fact that florida's natural oranges are never imported. they're raised right here in florida, and passed with care from our hands to yours. 100% pure. 100% florida. florida's natural. for their "destination wedding." double miles you can "actually" use. but with those single mile travel cards... [ bridesmaid ] blacked out... but i'm a bridesmaid. oh! "x" marks the spot she'll never sit. but i bought a dress! a toast... ...to the capital one venture card. fly any airline, any flight, anytime. double miles you can actually use. what a coincidence? what's in your wallet? [ all screaming ] watch the elbows ladies. >>> more than a million extra tourists are expected in london for the olympic games. and while english is the official language, of course, here, a few

the best view of london behind us. we have news already of our favorite olympian. >> they have been rehearsing every night this week. i am already robbing my hands -- rubbing my hands. he is the reigning 200 meter champion. he had been beaten in the jamaican trials. the golden ticket for the olympics is to see the gold medal winner in the 100 meters final. he says he is about 95% fit. he has been speaking to our sports editor. >> there has been a lot to talk about your fitness. are you 100%? >> i want to say yes, but i think i am 95%. i am in great shape. i am ready to go. >> what has been the problem? >> my back. maybe i was basing it too far. i was trying not to pressure my back. that was the main problem. my hands. -- my hands -- my handspring was always causing a problem. >> you said in the press conference that you had been through a lot. what did you mean? >> there are so many things that i have to keep focus on. it is hard to keep having these problems over and over again. if you are not mentally strong, it is t

you can really feel the buzz in london. i'm at hyde park, and one of the big zones and one of the four acts that will connect into the opening ceremony which is at the olympic park of course in the east side of london. we have duran duran, and stereophonics and aptly named scot paola paccini who will be playing at the olympic stadium, and quite remarkable to think of what has gone on into the planning for this. they have been practicing months and months and danny boyle, the drek tor of "slumdog millionaire" has been organizing events and we won't tell you too much about that, because a lot of it is under wraps and when you get piers down, there he will give us more of a sense of what is going on, but, yeah, here at the center of london as it were at hyde park we got tens of thousands of people already pulling in. it reiained a little bit this morning, but the weather is cheering up and you know it is a bit inclement of late, but the weather has been a lot better, fredricka. we have had the olympic torch relay through londo

made off the london whale j.p. morgan london whale m.f. global all of these happened london they couldn't happen elsewhere that's exactly right we've been saying this for months for years now finally people are beginning to realize i think the m.f. global was really that what tripped it off finally they said you know why are all the major bank frauds always in the city of london you know in the city of london of course is the only place in the world in the banking world we can re hypothecate to infinity even in the west which is corrupt so you could only read hypothecate one hundred forty percent say underlying marginal bull security like the u.s. government treasury bond but in london you can do it infinity you can sell the same bond in london infinite number of times gee i wonder if that could lead to fraud and you know by the way regarding the london disease. and acting as a sort of haven for all sorts of ill gotten gains from around the world i do notice in the f.t. recently luxury homes boom in london. that of course is the way to lau

that's it for london 2012. inspire a generation. >> reporter: already children at the primary school seem to be getting the olympic message to excel, a truly inspired performance. stephanie gosk, nbc news, london. >>> up next here tonight, so many people making the ultimate sacrifice for technology. why emergency rooms are busier these days because of something a lot of us are doing. >>> the democrats have let it be known former president bill clinton will be given a prominent speaking role at their upcoming convention in charlotte. he will formally place the president's name into nomination. it looks like a gay marriage plank will make it into the democrats's party platform for the first time in history. >>> because we are increasingly a nation of people with our noses buried in our technology and because that often means looking down when we should be looking straight ahead, new stats out tonight confirm what we've seen on our sidewalks all over the country -- emergency room visits caused by distracted walkin

london, whether you like it or not, new york is a great transatlantic mirror of london. >> rose: come on. >> london, i'm proud to be a new yorker by birth. >> rose: that's a very interesting thing. you were born here. how did that happen? >> the details i think will be familiar to most people, but i wanted to be with my mother at the time obvious here. she was here in new york. my parents were students then, my mother was in columbia university. so i was born -- >> rose: so you're an american. >> i'm an american. >> rose: you have an american passport. >> i have an american passport. i was the possessor of an american pass port. to travel to america i must use an american passport. america is very very quite rightly very jealous of its children. >> rose: can't we argue that like the empire, london was the proud city and the king of the empire. now america and america is a great city is new york and new york now much more than london houses the largest and furthest and deepest extension of culture and fashion and film and finance. >> new york and london are very similar. in population

>> reporter: for london and its citizens -- >> welcome to london! >> reporter: -- the start of the games is a victory of its own. it almost goes without saying, that the bay area is becoming synonymous with olympic rowing. and for good reason. rowing coach mike patey is coaching the eight-man boat here in london and three of those athletes have bay area ties. zach vallejos went to cal. he is the crew member who sits in the back of the boat and yells commands. stanford grad david banks and jake cornell use are reuniting on this team in london. but remember tonight's opening ceremony, $42 million in the making, the prime minister david cameron promised today a spine-tingling experience. that's the latest from london. i'm phil rogers. live at the summer olympics. >> we are jazzed to see it in just a couple of hours. thank you so much, phil. >>> we are jazzed to tell you that we will give you an extra hour of news during the olympics featuring all the action in london, starting monday at 4:00. nbc bay area will bring you the stories that matter to you.

london's mayor. >> there is a guy called mitt romney who wants to note whether london is ready. blogger i am ready. are we ready? -- whether i am ready. are be ready? yes, we are. >> are north american editor gave as his take from central london just a short time ago. >> he is going to be here raising money for his campaign. most of the trip is showing pictures that he is meeting with people from senior government. when he emerged from that famous store, all of the american journalist wanted to know if had he offended his host. mr. romney said he had made mistakes. any errors would be overshadowed by the heroism of the athletes. he is probably got away with it, but the message has been obscured. it is not what he wanted. >> mitt romney has not won himself a very many friends in london today. we will have more olympic coverage later on in the program. in the syrian city of aleppo, government forces are amassing for a major assault. the opposition is meeting to discuss what might happen if president assad were to fall. our middle east editor reports. >> aleppo has been slipping ou

"nightly news" from london to get here. "nightly news" from london begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening. we're coming to you from inside olympic park in london with the olympic stadium right behind us where we watched the opening ceremony and where the olympic flame is burning tonight. we begin the broadcast, however, far from here inside a courtroom in colorado, in fact. a state still trying to climb back and get stronger every day after witnessing one of the worst mass shootings in american history. whether the gunman was sane when he took all of those lives is something yet to be decided. for now he has been hit with a slew of charges including first-degree murder and this could be a death penalty case. >> reporter: there was no camera in the courtroom today just a sketch artist but 24-year-old suspect james holmes so dazed and unengaged last week was alert and attentive as the judge told him he faced 142 separate felony charges. that includes two death penalty counts, one for first-degree murder after deliberation and a

london and the rest of the u.k. like two different countries and london is basically built on finance and you know outside of london london is is quite hated by other parts of the u.k. particularly in the northwest and the financial sector in particular is loathed and you know what does the government do because on the one hand you know banks and so on are in many ways the agencies of governments that you know it's they control the where the government money goes but on the other hand the people want the financial sector to be taken down there is a there is a a massive amount of not unjustified loathing for the financial sector we'll see what happens. what about the housing sector of course the housing problem london was huge then we had the global housing crash but then in london of course prices haven't been affected too much to due to the influx of all the dark money that flows into london but that seems to be something that's unsustainable how do you see the housing market going forward and secondly what about t

london and the rest of the u.k. like two different countries and london is basically built on finance and you know outside of london london is is quite hated by other parts of the way particularly in the northwest and the financial sector in particular is loathed and you know what does the government do because on the one hand you know banks and so on are in many ways the agencies of governments that you know it's there they control the where the government money goes but on the other hand the people want the financial sector to be taken down there is a there is a a massive amount of not unjustified loathing for the financial sector we'll see what happens during what about the housing sector of course the housing problem london was huge then we had the global housing crash but then in london of course prices haven't been affected too much to due to the influx of all the dark money that flows into london but that seems to be something that's unsustainable how do you see the housing market going forward and secondly w

she arrived in london just a few hours ago. and at the opening ceremony she'll be sitting with a very familiar face from the bay area. usually, when we talk about wardrobe with brandi chastain it involves, well, her sports bra. but tonight's wardrobe a lot different. the bay area soccer legend was invited by the white house to sit with the first lady. >> i am so excited. although i'm paranoid as can be about what to wear to the opening ceremonies to sit in the first lady's delegation. because you know, usually for the opening ceremonies they just give you your uniform and you wear it. so you don't have to do any thinking. so it's a little stressful trying to decide what to wear next to michelle obama. >> reporter: chastain will be part of michelle obama's delegation, which focuses on getting fit. >> i'm going to tell her about the bay area women's sports initiative. i'm going to tell her about how awesome it is that there's a woman in the white house that gets how important activity in young girls and young kids' lives. and any

amanda davies is live in london. i was listening to an interview where they said there is a no-fly zone over london and if you violate it, they will take you down. >> reporter: yes, welcome to the olympic park. this is what we've been waiting for for seven years and there's been seven years of an awful lot of planning for this. p but it has to be said we are day 70 of 70 of the torch relay, the final countdown. and the mood here really is one of excitement and pride and anticipation. but after the ringing of bells at 8 minutes past 12, big ben was striking and they were encouraging people to ring any bell they could. bicycle bells, door bells. we had a bell here on our balcony. just getting involved. getting excited about what's to come here in london over the next couple of weeks. the torch relay set off from hampton court palace, fantastic setting with the olympic champion, olympic rower carrying the flame. and then went on to the royal barge that was used during the jubilee celebration, 16 rowers rowing the flame

a live look at london. we're pretty excited here on nbc bay area the opening ceremonies get under way tomorrow, finally, what we've been waiting for, the countdown as the olympics are getting ready to start. we'll have live reports throughout the morning and throughout the olympics as well here on nbc bay area. your best seat in the house. good morning! wow. want to start the day with something heart healthy and delicious? you're a talking bee... honey nut cheerios has whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol. and it tastes good? sure does! right... ♪ wow. delicious, right? yeah. it's the honey, it makes it taste so... ♪ well, would you look at the time... what's the rush? be happy. be healthy. >> you can look at the pictures and see there is a significant rodent problem. >> a nationwide food recall all because of this, see for yourself what the investigative unit found in one bay area food warehouse. >> everyone wanted in on this ipo. now a big announcement is coming about facebook's real worth

in london, 85 degrees. so unfortunately it's going to be cooler as we head towards the beginning of the games. another beautiful day there today. the big forecast is for friday, the opening ceremony when all the, when all the attention is going to be on. an open-air stadium. we don't need the rainfall. the forecast does call for a chance of showers on friday, still warm in the 80s, temperatures will be dropping off 40% chance of showers during the opening ceremonies, hopefully it will keep the rain away. doesn't look like downpours, but a chance of showers, we're watching the worst weather in this country in the northern plains, heavy rain in northern minnesota and wisconsin, if you're up around duluth you're getting drenched. south of there, chicago through st. louis, indianapolis, kansas city, the last hot day you'll see for a while, 100-degree heat from kansas city to st. louis to chicago. st. louis could be 106 today. the forecast for the northeast, one beautiful day today before a chance of storms retu

the traffic will be gridlocked in and around central london. they have a really full of traffic going to go pick family to get around london and stuff and it will shuffle to the twelfth of august london has been privileged to house summer olympics for the third time and most of people here are already joining an suv braving the specter fierce he's very very good he's going to be. i mean which i will never see again i guess unless we're very lucky so despite some little difficulties that may be the expense of common people being part of the olympics is just priceless well the weather alone is enough to make each year for the moment because after the wettest june on record it's been lovely here in london over the last couple of days let's hope that continues for the opening ceremony on friday and beyond but whatever happens come rain or shine we will be here to keep you updated on russia's progress over the next seventeen days of competition and the arctic london. now staying on an olympic fame and moving to russia as a swimming prospect sat down

is london going to grind to a hat? >> it's not going to grind to a hat but it will be much, michigan busier than normal. we're expecting an additional one million people on some of the busiest days undertaking three million trips. public transport is going to be very busy in certain locations and in certain times and the roads are going to be very busy. we need to put in place the olympic route network to make sure the game's family to and from their venues on time. >> i love you say game's family, you get the sense of people wondering out to watch the sports. in fact, thee v.i.p.'s being whisked from five-star hotels and venues here. >> the biggest group is media. and then you've got athletes and they've got a job to do as well. obviously, when you host a game, you make commitments and one of our commitments is to make sure that we get everyone to where they need to be on time. >> what do you have to do that's extra over what you normally would have to do in london just to put these games on? >> we've been working for

we're in london but you think of london you think of big ben, buckingham palace, the tower bridge. that's not here. that's about five miles away. we're in east london, a place revitalized thanks to the olympics. i'll step out of the way. this is olympic park. they have done a great job in transforming this place that was dilapidated for many decades. the site of tomorrow's opening ceremonies. should be pretty incredible. we have about three weeks of amazing competition and all of our local athletes, it has been so enjoyable not just the last couple days but weeks spending time with them and seeing and sharing their experiences that we'll share with you back in the bay area. so that's it for now. our first morning show live shot here from london. i like this. i've been up for hours waiting for you guys to wake up. i'll send it back to you. 4:30 a.m. bay area time. >> we'll have fun having you on the morning show. raj, we'll be back today all morning long. we'll see him again coming up at 5:00. thanks, raj. >> a nice clear shot from london. they have warm temps. christina loren is ch

london. let's leave the olympics behind now and talk russian premier league football where game week for concluded on sunday as in the past three weeks there was an auction to forget for dinner the historical powerhouse languishing at the bottom of the table following their fourth straight defeat rubin this time their victory but it wasn't until seventy eight minutes in that the hosts finally broke the deadlock the league's joint top scorer berbers not chilled firing on the for. the win sealed then right out the death. letting rip from the outside the area going to be no op the second while the nama are already looking like prime relegation common. task in moscow a return to winning ways the army men had suffered back to back defeats heading into their classroom. but john toss it eased c.s.k. worry somewhat with the winning strike fifteen minutes from time the goal also condemning the savings to their first defeat of the season. and sunday's first game on carney poised more davia finished goa

london and the rest of the u.k. like two different countries and london is basically built on finance and you know outside of london london is is quite hated by other parts of the u.k. particularly in the northwest and the financial sector in particular is loathed and you know what does the government do because on the one hand you know banks and so on are in many ways the agencies of governments that you know it's they control the where the government money goes but on the other hand the people want the financial sector to be taken down there is a there is a a massive amount of not unjustified loathing for the financial sector we'll see what happens during what about the housing sector of course the housing bubble in london was huge then we had the global housing crash but then in london of course prices haven't been affected too much to due to the influx of all the dark money that flows into london but that seems to be something that's unsustainable how do you see the housing market going forward and secondly what

tonight, you're sitting next to a very proud londoner. i was in trafalgar square seven years ago when london found out we were successful to get the 2012 olympics, and since that moment, there was conjecture -- what would be in the opening ceremony? having watched it for you tonight, it has been absolutely fabulous. we begin with bradley wiggins, the man of the moment, the first to britain to win -- briton to win tour de france. then, we have the health care being depicted. real nurses coming in with volunteers and actors, but the really humorous moments will redeem all its people remember. daniel craig, actor who plays james bond -- fact mixed with fiction -- goes to visit the queen. we have behind-the-scenes footage from buckingham palace, and the moment when the helicopters stormed the field -- the helicopter cuts to a live helicopter over the stadium, and, of course, that's the double where we think -- is it the queen herself coming down descending by parachute? >> it has been the ark of british history over the last century and a hal

london. into the region with a well developed infrastructure for the south of london just like i say in such a way of creating the new city. in the middle of nowhere which will turn such a into the all year round to sort the international winter sport just a nation what to do with these venues after the olympics is always a key issue in london many will be used for years to come and if they're not they will be removed and that's also something such organizers want to copy but it's not on the tangible. legacy like you are old so airports or power station all the new hotels and the venue it's much more beyond we are going green in construction we have to change the attitude toward people with disabilities create a new standard all the better for the environment for those whose disability assembly created the home terrorism as a culture which didn't exist in our country before once the queen elizabeth olympic bodies. it will attract we estimate nine million visitors a year to become one of the t

"nightly news" from london team. "nightly news" from london begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams, reporting tonight from >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams, reporting tonight from london. >>> and good evening. from tower bridge here in london, our arrival here today as the games are set to begin also coincides with mitt romney's arrival here in london. the first stop of his first overseas trip of this campaign season and a chance for us to sit down with the presumptive gop nominee. more on that in just a moment. >>> first again tonight our attention is focused on the aftermath and investigation in colorado. a huge development in the case today. something from the accused gunman himself that was sent before the shooting that if discovered earlier might have changed this story. it's where we begin, again, tonight with miguel almaguer in aurora, colorado. miguel, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. a judge issued a gag order in this case, s

the mayor of london. make mayor, good morning to you. >> i'm doing well. >> we had you in new york a while back. nice to see you. >> nice to be here. >> years of planning, a lot of ups and downs, here we are three days away from opening ceremony. you're going to go out to where the torch is being run through london. >> i'm in the going to carry it. >> are you not allowed to carry it. >> there's a no politicians rule. if i tried to grab the torch, policeman would haul me off of it. >> you should do it. you would be on every newscast. >> but not in a good way. >> when you see the torch, is that the moment it will hit home. >> for four years we've been getting this thing ready. i went down to the village yesterday and it was like an incredible time share except more luxurious and with a better economic prospect. i felt very floaty, it's something so huge for london and the whole city. >> you talk about economic prospects. obviously it's about the spirit of competition, the movement but big business for londo

of the london games. so, i just told you, the first world records have been broken, and the official opening ceremony hasn't even happened. so, we get all the latest olympic headlines and news. >> thank you very much, steve. yes, that is our top story. south korea has claimed the first two world records of london 2012 in that men's archery ranking round. a person who's legally blind, he broke his own individual world record for 72 arrows and joins kim to set a new team mark as well for 216 arrows. now, there are no medals to be won yet. this is the preliminary round to determine the rankings for the main draw, but world records set all the same. the first event of the day has started, but there have been a few issues already. cricket ground is where they are having those preliminary rounds of the archery, and they determine the seedings for the main, individual, and team events. but the unticketed name that went along with this venue means that people have arrived to watch, including the family of a dutch

to don't pull out of the stuff in the city of london as a way to competitively drive the city of london down saying i mean it is very competitive cross-currents along those lines i see what you mean i'm not sure i think that unfortunately the bankers here in the us but on romney and that that was really really really wrong now they're going to have to deal with an obama that's really energized and hopefully. has a little bit of impetus to do some of the things that we've been talking about but that's the thing at the bankers leave london if they're whining or complaining about london where are they going to go and if the u.s. wants to say transactions to london that's probably the wrong place right now because as you say there's more scrutiny there's even scrutiny in switzerland you have u.b.s. the rogue trader on trial you have that senior banker c.e.o. lost his job to over that scandal i mean really i think there's going to have to be a come to jesus the bankers are going to have to realize something's changed and hopefully the obama administration will reinforce that some of them are

tonight, you're sitting next to a very proud londoner. i was in trafalgar square seven years ago when london found out we were successful to get the 2012 olympics, and since that moment, there was conjecture -- what would be in the opening ceremony? having watched it for you tonight, it has been absolutely fabulous. we begin with bradley wiggins, the man of the moment, the first to britain to win -- briton to win tour de france. then, we have the national health care being depicted. real nurses coming in with volunteers and actors, but the really humorous moments will redeem all its people remember. daniel craig, actor who plays james bond -- fact mixed with fiction -- goes to visit the queen. we have behind-the-scenes footage from buckingham palace, and the moment when the helicopters stormed the field -- the helicopter cuts to a live helicopter over the stadium, and, of course, that's the double where we think -- is it the queen herself coming down descending by parachute? >> it has been the ark of british history over the last century

amanda davies is live in london. i was listening to an interview where they said there is a no-fly zone over london and if you violate it, they will take you down. >> reporter: yes, welcome to the olympic park. this is what we've been waiting for for seven years and there' been seven years of an awful lot of planning for this. p but it has to be said we are day 70 of 70 of the torch relay, the final countdown. and the mood here really is one of excitement and pride and anticipation. but after the ringing of bells at 8 minutes past 12, big ben was striking and they were encouraging people to ring any bell they could. bicycle bells, door bells. we had a bell here on our balcony. just getting involved. getting excited about what's to come here in london over the next couple of weeks. the torch relay set off from hampton court palace, fantastic setting with the olympic champion, olympic rower carrying the flame. and then went on to the royal barge that was used during the jubilee celebration, 16 rowers rowing the flame o

we're in london. back to you now in the bay area. >> another upset in olympic swimming centered on the u.s. men. ryan lochte won the 400 meter individual medley, beating fellow american michael phelps, who took gold in the event in the last two olympics. lochte won the event by an incredible three full seconds. phelps did not medal at all. he came in fourth. he still has six more chances to win. with just two more medals, will he become the world's most decorated olympian. >>> we're going to put up the winners overnight, but if you don't want to know who they are, we'll play some music so you can turn your head. when the music is over, it's safe to come back. ♪ >>> lochte did win the united states' only gold medal so far. that puts united states third overall, tied with italy. china is first with four gold medals and two bronze. you can find the entire list of bay area athletes competing today on our website. go to nbcbayarea.com and scroll down to london 2012. click on weekend watch guide to find i

mitt romney's trip to london has been overwhelmed by his comment on wednesday that london may not have been 100% prepared to host the games. it's not the first time romney has made an awkward comment that offended people and left others cringing. last year when he met with a group of unemployed floridians in a coffee shop, his effort to empathize was a little tone deaf. let's listen. >> i should also tell my story. i'm also unemployed. >> are you on linkedin? >> yes, actually. and i'm networking. >> a lot better than what we've got. >> so here he is yucking it up with people who are out of work, and he is worth well over a quarter billion. back in april, when romney visited a small town in pennsylvania, he was less than thrilled with the cookies he was served. believe it or not, cookies, didn't like them. let's listen. >> i'm not sure about these cookies. they don't look like you made them. did you make those cookies? you didn't, did you. no, they came from the local -- >> bakery. >> 7-eleven or bakery or wherever. >> the cookies were the homemade pride of the local bakery. why does he

some of that money in london went to the gambling tables in london. whether it was $2 billion lost or some multiple of that, that's why we're here. and i would hope that you would leave here dedicated to taking the money away from your london operations and lending it to small and medium size businesses. and if you can't find 100 in each one of our districts, we'll do it for you. now, i'd like to, without objection, put in the record an editorial by the wild socialist over at bloomberg. i assume there's no objection. >> without objection. >> they point to a study just published by the imf that says that your bank enjoys a $14 billion subsidy, that its cost of funds is some .8% lower because of the implicit federal guarantee. what we saw in 2008 is a belief around the world that if a bank your size was going to go under, there would be a bailout not just of insured depositors but of all creditors. that belief reduces your cost by .8% of your total funds is responsible for $14 billion. you are in a position where you are simply too big to fail. this rai

to don't pull out of the stuff in the city of london as a way to competitively drive the city of london down you know. it's very competitive cross-currents along those lines i see what you mean i'm not sure i think that unfortunately the bankers here in the us but on romney and that that was really really really wrong now they're going to have to deal with an obama that's reenergized and hopefully. has a little bit of impetus to do some of the things that we've been talking about but that's the thing at the bankers leave london if they're whining or complaining about london where are they going to go and if the us wants to send transactions to london that's probably the wrong place right now because as you say there's more scrutiny there's even scrutiny in switzerland you have u.b.s. the rogue trader on trial you have that senior banker c.e.o. lost his job to over that scandal i mean really i think there's going to have to be a come to jesus the bankers are going to have to realize something's changed and hopefully the obama administration will reinforce that some of them are already ta

tonight, you're sitting next to a very proud londoner. i was in trafalgar square seven years ago when london found out we we successful to get the 2012 olympics, and since that moment, there was conjecture -- what would be in the opening ceremony? having watched it for you tonight, it has been absolutely fabulous. we begin with bradley wiggins, the man of the moment, the first to britain to win -- briton to win tour de france. then, we have the national health care being depicted. real nurses coming in with volunteers and actors, but the really humorous moments will redeem all its people remember. daniel craig, actor who plays james bond -- fact mixed with fiction -- goes to visit the queen. we have behind-the-scenes footage from buckingham palace, and the moment when the helicopters stormed the field -- the helicopter cuts to a live helicopter over the stadium, and, of course, that's the double where we think -- is it the queen herself coming down descending by parachute? >> it has been the ark of british history over the last century an

matt is already in london. matt, i know you've already given us a weather report, so next it's got to be a traffic report, right? >> in one second. i had a brainstorm. al, running into these olympic divers, the women's synchronized divers gave me a brainstorm. i'm thinking you and me and speedos and 3 meters. this could end in the emergency room. >> there's no good that can come of that. there's nothing, nothing, other than manhood blooper tapes. >> i'll keep thinking. >> be careful with our imagination, we don't want to visualize that. >> get that image out of your head. there has been a lot of talk and worry about traffic. the traffic only affects you if you take to the streets in a car. our friend and adventurer ben fogle will show us from the thames and also some treasure hunting. >> if you can't make it to london, some other ideas. five affordable destinations closer to home. they all have a bit of an olympic theme as well. >> then the rise of the manny with an m. families are choosing to hire male care ta

to don't pull out of the stuff in the city of london as a way to competitively drive the city of london down saying i mean it's very competitive cross-currents along those lines i see what you mean i'm not sure i think that unfortunately the bankers here in the us but on romney and that that was really really really wrong now they're going to have to deal with an obama that's reenergized and hopefully. has a little bit of impetus to do some of the things that we've been talking about but that's the thing at the bankers leave london if they're whining or complaining about london where are they going to go and if the us wants to say transactions to london that's probably the wrong place right now because as you say there's more scrutiny there's even scrutiny in switzerland you have u.b.s. the rogue trader on trial you have that senior banker c.e.o. lost his job to over that scandal i mean really i think there's going to have to be a come to jesus the bankers are going to have to realize something's changed and hopefully the obama administration will reinforce that some of them are already

>> from -- >> well, north of london. this is a new atmosphere, i will tell you and i refuse to advertise the company involved. thank you very much, guys. enjoy the olympics. there have not been drinking, because it is half past 5:00 and it is very sad. you get an idea of what it is like here and it is just going to grow. it is just going to get better. >> and that sounds so exciting. and now what about the londoners, are they excited about having the people from all over, because i know that people were complaining about the traffic and all that at first. >> well, you know, for weeks and weeks people have been whining and winding about the traffic and the transportation and too many foreigners and it is all going to be in shambles and even for goodness sake mitt romney. did you see his comments today? >> yes, we did. we led the show with that. >> romney saying that he has concerns. listen, to romney and to others, i have declared my program "quest means business" a whine-free zone, and we have spent $40 billion on it and

a gorgeous saturday here in london. if these games have unsung heroes, it could be the city's fleet of taxi drivers, who manage to navigate london's maze of meandering streets and traffic circles with a plum. as i found out, it's a highly reliable transportation. it's also a rolling education. ♪ they are as iconic as the double-decker buses and big ben, london's black taxis. >> if it's in london, i'll find it. >> and their drivers are as distinctive as the cabs themselves, because before they get behind the wheel -- >> how would you get me from gibson square to thornhill square? -- they start in the classroom, the start of a four-year grueling journey to become a london taxi. >> i don't want to see any maps. from the station to the square -- >> reporter: derek o'reilly teaches what taxi veterans called the london knowledge. >> they've got to learn 50,000 streets and roads and probably about another 40,000 places of interest like hotels, restaurants, theaters, embassies, hospitals, police stations. >> and they'll have

stayed in london. the bombs rained down, and i think that is part of the magic of the queen is that when it really mattered to her country, she stayed the course. we're also joined by peter. you are a general and cure ator of the national maritime museum. this for you has to be one of the great days, doesn't it? >> yes, that's right. splendid stuff. >> hey, let me -- if i may just intervekt. we're looking at the pictures, and you see this orchestra. it is the london philharmonic orchestra, and what's fun about that particular boat as it's the 1,000th is they will be playing quite the repertoire. the mi6 building, the british intelligence agency, they'll be playing the james bond theme, they'll be playing dan buster's walts when they pass by the globe theater a. why use the river as the back drop, because we have never seen anything like this on the thames since 1600s. >> well, that's the whole point is that the river is for the modern age, a great neglected stage. i mean, up until the middle of the 19t