anxiety. >> thanks for watching nbc bay area news. on this saturday night -- wanted. the manhunt for edward snowden now that he has been charged with espionage, the u.s. still has to find him. and navigate tricky legal ground to bring him home to face justice. >> air show tragedy. hundreds watch in horror as a stunt plane carrying a pilot and wing walker crashes to the ground at a popular air show. >> nature's wrath. wildfires rage in the west as new battle lines are drawn in fire-ravaged areas. while massive floods cripple a major city forcing more than 75,000 to flee their homes. >> and, to the rescue. in the midst of hurricane season the coast guard is on alert. we take you inside the place where elite rescuers learn to leap into troubled waters.

good evening. the hunt for edward snowden has taken on greater urgency tonight now that the u.s. charged the former nas contractor with espionage. since spilling the beans about secret government surveillance programs, snowden has been in hiding. bringing him to justice not only hinges on finding him but getting whatever country he is ultimately found in to hand him over. this as still more potentially damaging leaks from snowden go public. let's bring in white house correspondent kristen welker. good evening. >> reporter: good evening. it is believed edward snowden is hiding out in hong kong. u.s. officials want him arrested and brought back to american soil. >> come forward against the world's -- >> reporter: edward snowden who admitted to leaking classified

documents about the u.s. phone and surveillance programs is facing criminal charges. >> he is a traitor and defector. >> reporter: the complaint accuses snowden of violating federal espionage laws. by sharing classified documents with people not cleared to receive them. he is also charged with stealing government property. today, lawmakers in both parties backed the move to bring him to justice. >> he is a man who betrayed his country. this will get the extradition process started. hopefully hong kong will be agreeable. >> under the current laws again i will not be the judge in the case nor will i be the jury, but under current laws it looks pretty dismal. >> reporter: but glen greenwald, the "guardian" reporter who first broke the story told us today the u.s. government has crossed the line. >> it is extraordinary they would actually charge somebody under an espionage statute who didn't work for a foreign government didn't sell secrets didn't pass any secrets. >> reporter: u.s. officials have contacted authorities in hong kong to seek his extradition. nbc's ian williams is in hong kong.

>> reporter: the hong kong authorities were being tight-lipped today, refusing to comment on the charges or say whether they received a request from washington. what is more certain that this is just the first step in what is likely to be a long and complicated process. and one that gives snowden plenty of opportunity for challenge and for delay for months if not years. >> reporter: "the guardian" newspaper continues to leak documents initially provided by snowden. today they reported the u.s. hacked into chinese mobile phone companies to access millions of private text messages. friday the paper released documents that showed the expansive outreach of britain's spy agency. greenwald says he hasn't spoken to snowden today but the former nsa contractor told him he is not fearful. >> even as he -- he is the most wanted man in the world from most powerful government on earth where there has been a moment of regret or remorse or even fear he is completely at peace. >> reporter: officials in the uk have not commented on the reports about their intelligence agency. one obama administration

official says if hong kong doesn't act fast to extradite snowden it could harm the u.s. relationship with that region. snowden has the said he will fight extradition. lester. >> kristen welker, tonight, thank you. >> now to a horrific accident witnessed by hundreds at an air show in dayton, ohio today. what had been a thrilling performance by a veteran pilot and his experienced female wing walker turned to tragedy when the plane suddenly went out of control. nbc's michelle franzen has the story for us tonight. >> keep an eye on jane -- >> reporter: the horrifying moment as hundreds watch a plane carrying a wing walker at the -- dayton air show crash to the ground without warning. photos and videos show the plane coming in low before going upside down with wicker sitting on the wing of the plane. then the plane makes a sudden twist, wicker and her pilot

charlie schwenker died. >> it is my understand ing there was nothing they could do for the victims of the crash. >> reporter: a statement on the facebook page reads -- it is with sad hearts that we announce that jane wicker and charlie schwenker were tragically killed while performing. her website mentions a love of wing walking, a passion that grew after responding to an ad for a wing walker position with the flying circus more than 20 years. in an interview, yesterday, wicker, a budget analyst by trade told dayton's nbc affiliate she was drawn to the thrill. >> i have just always been the kind of person that gets bored easy. >> reporter: wicker goes on to describe how she does her stunts. >> i actually start off in the cockpit, i walk along the wing, no safety line, no tether, no harness, no parachute and i walk on the wing. >> reporter: retired wing walker pilot walt pierce said wicker was among the small circle of daredevil performers who has what he calls a life wish. >> the camaraderie with the other people that fly is really great. and, they get hooked on the

people as much as the flying. >> reporter: wicker documented her adventures on her facebook page and life with family. she was a mother of two boys, and recently engaged. today's accident comes just five years after veteran stunt pilot jim leroy's plane slammed on to the runway at the dayton air show in 2007. meanwhile investigators will be looking at factors including weather to determine what caused the plane carrying wicker and schwenker to crash. michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. >> now, to the state of emergency in parts of canada where heavy flooding claimed three lives and forced 100,000 to evacuate. janet dirks, the bureau chief in calgary for ctv national news is there tonight. janet, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. canada's prime minister calls the flooding in the city

"stunning." and while the waters tonight are starting to recede for some the worst could be yet to come. >> reporter: when the water rose it rose fast. sweeping homes right from their foundation. at least three people have been killed. more than 100,000 evacuated. after the worst flood in memory devastated the western canadian city of calgary and communities nearby. more than 5 inches of rain fell in less than 24 hours. overflowing rivers swallowed vehicles and washed away roads. >> we had a river going down our road. like in a matter of 10 minutes. >> reporter: some residents were stranded for hours. many had to be rescued by boat, helicopter or any vehicle large enough to make it through the fast-moving floodwaters. >> i just quickly packed a bag and tried to get out in the car. i got it to the end of the street. i couldn't get any further. >> we were just stuck. like there was nowhere to go. >> reporter: rushing waters closed the transcanada highway and forced evacuation of all of downtown calgary. mass transit was shut down. and the city's nhl arena was flooded to the tenth row.

even the sight of the city's famed rodeo, the stampede, set to begin in just nine days is underwater. canadian prime minister stephen harper toured the damage friday. >> this is incredible. i don't think any of us have ever seen anything like this. the magnitude is just extraordinary. >> reporter: south of calgary, the town of high river remains under a mandatory evacuation. authorities estimate that at least half of the town's 13,000 residents experienced flooding in their homes. throughout the area thousands are still without power. and it could be the middle of next week before everyone can return home. >> a lot of people are going to be hurting. >> reporter: as the floodwaters start to recede here, all eyes shift to the communities downstream, where tonight evacuations have already begun in parts of saskatchewan where officials fear the water levels could go to unprecedented high levels. lester.

>> janet dirks tonight for us. thank you. >> another threat tonight, wildfires in the west, raging out of control. as firefighters race to protect a storied resort town in colorado, resources are stretched and hundreds of property owners can only hope for the best. here is nbc's mike taibbi. >> reporter: thick clouds of smoke in the near distance beyond the rooftops. and the ominous glow of flames burning. for hundreds evacuated from the resort town of south fork, losing their homes to a fire so huge it can't really be fought now from the ground or from the air seems inevitable. >> we hate to leave it. but if it is gone it is gone. >> reporter: but with the cloud cover thickening and wind abating and shifting there was optimism at today's briefing. >> it is still burning but it was not showing the type of activity it was the other day. >> reporter: still some 60 square miles have been scorched along three separate fronts in this lightning ignited wildfire while the fire's weather-driven

course change has spared south fork so far the flames are still two or three miles away and could also take out a ski resort that is the area's lifeblood. >> if we lose the ski area, that is the economic foundation for both begosa springs and south fork. >> reporter: the bigger problem here and in the west is diminished snow melt and rainfall and earlier arrival of peak summer heat compounded by dry wind. the result, vast tracks of timberland transformed into fields of fuel. >> you put a match to it and they just go up like you poured gasoline on them. >> reporter: officials say it will be days before those evacuated from south fork will be allowed to return to their homes and apartments if they're still standing. if not -- >> nobody is in there to get hurt, other than the apartments, they can burn all they want. >> reporter: the big fire near colorado springs earlier this month left two dead and consumed some 500 homes. there has been no similar toll here. >> it is always a successful day when we have not lost a life and we have not lost someone's home. >> reporter: the story of this fire is nowhere near written yet. mike taibbi, nbc news, los

angeles. overseas, wildfires have caused an air pollution crisis in southeast asia. the air in smog-choked singapore today improved a bit after planes and neighbors indonesia water bombed the wildfires that have blanketed the region with thick, choking smoke. >> meantime, early monsoon rains have created a crisis in northern india. officials say more than 1,000 people have been killed in flooding and landslides that destroyed roads, bridges and communications. tens of thousands are stranded or missing. the delicate diplomatic dance to bring the taliban to the peace table with the u.s. and afghanistan's government is still under way tonight despite some rough going earlier this week. in trying to broker the terms of future talks, secretary of state john kerry has issued a firm warning to the taliban. nbc's duncan golistani is in kabul. >> reporter: secretary of state kerry arrived in the gulf for the clear warning for the taliban "start afghan peace

talks soon." >> if there is not a decision to move forward by the taliban in short order, then we may have to consider whether or not the office has to be closed. >> reporter: that is the taliban first overseas office opened tuesday in qatar to begin negotiations after 12 years of war. but arguments over taliban flags and signs stopped talks before they could begin. >> when they opened the office it wasn't office for taliban, it was a similar to a government an exile. government of taliban. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: the taliban want foreign troops out of afghanistan and a prisoner exchange. the u.s. army sergeant a prisoner of the taliban since 2009 in return for five detainees at guantanamo bay. while peace talks struggle to start here in afghanistan, insurgent attacks continue. this year there has been a big rise in the number of civilian casualties undermining confidence there can ever really

be peace with the taliban. the family still struggling four years after he was killed by a suicide bomber. i don't think it is a good idea mohamed's sister says of the taliban talks they have made a lot of widows and orphans. this family like so many others fear the taliban is once again seeking power in afghanistan and the country's few precious gains will be lost. duncan golistani, nbc news, kabul. in turkey today, police used water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets to break up the thauz sand who gathered in istanbul's square to memorialize the recent deaths of anti-government protesters there. >> when "nightly news" continues for this saturday -- battling waves, two stories high. winds blowing at 60 miles per hour. we'll show you some of the military elite learning to leap into dangerous stormy waters. >> their team colors may be different, but they both wear red white and blue. ♪ by the dawn's early light e d♪

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off the north carolina coast as many as 16 crew from the sunken hms bounty were in the water or on life rafts. >> first survivors coming out of the raft. >> it was pretty bad out there. the raft was being tossed around. >> reporter: here on the outer edges of super storm sandy wind were blowing at 60 miles per hour, waves were two stories high. >> we've got about 40 to 60 seconds before -- >> reporter: and coast guard rescue swimmers were right in the teeth of it. >> being down there in the waves is more like being in a washing machine. >> reporter: just hours after the mission back in october, rescue swimmer, daniel todd told me how he tried to calm the survivors. >> i pretty much hopped in, i said, "hey, i'm dan. heard you guys need a ride. need some help." there was the juggle between them as well. >> reporter: survivor doug fott was the second to be rescued that day. >> they did an amazing job. they were calm. they had it together. like angels come from above to

save us. >> reporter: to get a better measure of the selfless heroes we returned to coast guard air station elizabeth city where every week they respond to calls. >> come around to you, the lineup is in the wind. we joined a training mission, crewed by veterans of the boundy bounty rescue. it is a virtual wave top symphony of coordination between the pilots, the flight mechanic who mans the hoist, and the rescue swimmer who will lead the survivor to safety. the rescue swimmers considered among the coast guard's most elite. >> once the swimmer is in the water radio communication become difficult because of the noise, ocean and the chopper. he will use hand signals to describe what he is up against. and what he needs the chopper to do. >> reporter: to confidently make this leap into danger in even the most dire conditions it takes months in what is the military's most grueling training programs. what it took for rescue swimmers like randy haba and daniel todd to put themselves into the storm-tossed sea last fall they

learned in a pool at a school so demanding entire classes have been known to call it quits. >> do it right! >> reporter: a place where trainees make the commitment to put the lives of others first. >> i could easily have died then and -- and i didn't. and i have this life now. i have more life. and i'm going to take full advantage of it. >> in fact the rescue swimmers motto is "so that others may live." tomorrow on "nightly news" we'll go inside the grueling training program that physically and mentally makes or break those who want to swim into troubled waters. >> in a moment, an update on a little girl matched with an adult donor to receive a double lung transplant. adult donor to receive a double lung transplant. my mantra?

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from philadelphia tonight, encouraging news about the condition of sarah murnaghan, the 10-year-old girl who underwent a double lung transplant nine days ago. sarah's efforts to qualify for the transplant sparked a debate. over how organs are allocated. tonight doctors say she is out of her medically induced coma, and she is awake and nodding to yes or no questions. >> summer solstice, the longest day of the year. and marks the start of the season. this year the sun celebrated the occasion with a spectacular solar flare. it erupted with billions of tons of solar material and provided us with these amazing pictures. and a reminder about a big event in the skies tomorrow. the super moon, the largest full

moon of the year, will rise tomorrow night. >> it is now official, judges have crowned the world's ugliest dog. this year's winner is wally, a 4-year-old beagle-bassett mix. from chico, california. one of the judges said he looked like he was photo shopped from pictures of other dogs and animals. we, however decided, the consensus around here is he is pretty cute. >> when we come back, a battle of a different kind at the stanley cup finals. m and win fifty thousand dollars. congratulations you are our one millionth customer. nobody likes to miss out. that's why ally treats all their customers the same. whether you're the first or the millionth. if your bank doesn't think you're special anymore, you need an ally. ally bank. your money needs an ally. diarrhea, gas, bloating? yes! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day

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of moderate to severe ra, even without methotrexate. ask if xeljanz is right for you. it is a rite of passage for any entertainer performing the national anthem at a sporting event. but for two amateur singers at the stanley cup finals it helps to have a little ice in your veins. nbc's kevin tibbles has their story. >> reporter: when jim cornellson goes to work in chicago he has 22,000 people waiting for him. ♪ 'o say can you see >> reporter: and boy do they appreciate what he does for a living.

♪ o'er the land of the free >> reporter: cornellson belts out the star spangled banner before blackhawks games in the madhouse on madison. >> this is as close to being a rock store as an opera singer is ever going to get. >> reporter: for years in chicago, the anthem has become a deafening show of pride and spirit. but now with the blackhawks playing the boston bruins in the stanley cup finals, there is a little friendly competition. because this fellow warming up his vocal chords is bruins' anthem singer, rene rancord. >> it's getting there. ♪ 'o say can you see >> reporter: he has been doing it for nearly 40 years, always ending with his signature fist pump. >> i imagine i am in an opera house. and it is a great thrill each time. >> reporter: rancord was also present in the aftermath of the boston bombings as he simply led the fans as they stood and sang.

♪ were so galliantly streaming ♪ and the rockets' red ♪ >> reporter: when the fans started in so strongly, with such feeling, i just was, i was moved to tears. >> reporter: both men say they're honoring u.s. servicemen and women when they sing. cornellson shares his little corner of the ice with two of them. >> the focus is what the anthem is about. we are cheering as americans. ♪ brave >> reporter: on the hand of each singer you'll notice sizable stanley cup rings. both the hawks and bruins have won during the tenors' tenures. and soon, one of them will have two. ♪ and the home of the brave kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. and the teams will go at it in the stanley cup finals game five tonight. you can watch that later on nbc. that's nbc's "nightly news" for this saturday. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i will see you tomorrow morning on "today" and right back here tomorrow evening. good night.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television chicago, the proud third largest cityn the country with a marvelous skyline, on a street named for a president, madison, their hockey team has played on this street for 8 1/2 decades and tonight their madhouse will be at its loudest! >> going to feel good, boys, going to feel good.