on this sunday night, deadly heat waves. soaring temperatures suffocate the west for a third day. unrelenting triple digits disrupting life with no relief until tuesday. >> on edge demonstrations turned violent as hundreds of thousands of egyptians take to the streets demand a new government in cairo. menopause treatment, the first of its kind for hot flashes. offering hope to millions of women. and lullaby for baby. how the sound of music is helping premature babies and their anxious parents breathe much easier.

good evening. we're now three days into the punishing extreme heat that has beaten down much of the west this weekend. it is not over yet. the heat has claimed at least one life in nevada and the cumulative effect of daily triple digitt highs are being felt in other ways. even grounding commercial airline flights, simply too hot to fly. again today, heat warnings and advisories are posted for eight states, they soar to the 120s in the desert southwest. 119 in phoenix experienced its fourth hottest day in history. we have it all covered including when the heat will arrive. gabe is in los angeles with the latest. >> reporter: good evening. the west is used to sizzling summer temperatures but this weekend has been brutal. las vegas has once again tied its daily record high.

the western heat wave has turned deadly. >> it feels like an oven. literally walking into an oven. >> reporter: in las vegas paramedics found an elderly man dead in his home without air conditioning. >> i tell you what if i didn't have water with me, i would be in a world of trouble. >> reporter: in southern california today, half marathoners were treated for heat exhaustion. officials remain on alert for wildfires. this one flared up this weekend. and two hikers had to be rescued after getting stuck in the sweltering conditions. death valley baking at 128 degrees, just shy of the world record set a century ago. >> it's so hot that you can almost not breathe. >> reporter: phoenix topped out at 119 degrees yesterday breaking a daily record. so stifling u.s. airways cancelaled 18 flights. the small commercial planes

weren't certified to fly in conditions above 118 degrees. >> the plane can't handle the temperature. so they cancelled the flight. >> reporter: the heat so intense the national weather service experimented by baking cookies in a car successfully. >> people are having signs and symptoms of weakness and fatigue. >> reporter: salt lake city saw 109 degrees. and houston climbed to a record breaking 107 degrees yesterday. but other parts of the country saw a very different type of extreme weather. severe thunderstorms. in lincoln county, north carolina, a giant hole opened up washing away part of the road. >> there's like 30 families down here. we have elderly people. we have people with medical issues and we can't get out. no one can get in. >> reporter: a lightning strike injured three children at an indiana summer camp leaving one in critical condition. and albany, new york residents

are on alert after a dam failed there. >> reporter: back here in parts of the west, triple digit temperatures are leaving millions of people sweating. no major relief expected until tuesday. >> let's get a pin point on how long the extreme conditions will last. meteorologist kim cunningham of the weather channel is with us now. >> the good word is maybe towards the end of the week we'll see some relief, but until then it's going to be way above average. phoenix, this is going down as the warmest june on record. today temperatures are a little cooler than yesterday. same thing for tomorrow. we now have moisture increasing in the area. that's going to help keep temperatures down. here in vegas 114. notice seattle at 91. that heat continues even into tuesday. it's getting closer to average as we get towards the end of the week, but that's about it. for the east another problem,

flooding and we're expecting more of this in the east, as well. after south carolina, some areas already picking up 5 inches of rain from one thunderstorm today. possibility of more flooding along the east coast. >> two and a half years after the arab spring southwest -- swept egypt's ruler hosni mubarak from power his successor is under siege tonight. violent protests have left at least four people dead and nearly 200 injured as a nationwide movement to oust him gains traction. that's where we find nbc's amon. >> reporter: it's been one year since mohamed morsi was elected egypt's first civilian president. they are highlighting the deep divisions in this country that many fear will turn violent. today it is a battle of wills on

the streets in egypt. hundreds of thousands gather in tahrir square. and they toppled one leader and today they want to do it again. >> get out of here. >> reporter: outside the presidential palace a festive atmosphere but with a serious message. >> we are muslims and christians saying to the worldwide, this is enough. >> reporter: she is one of the 22 million egyptians over the past two months who signed a petition demanding mohamed morsi step down from power. she and millions more were part of a grass root. its members say a year after morsi was elected life for egyptians has gotten worse. crime is soaring and the mission to democracy has been hijacked by the muslim brotherhood. but across town, the president supporters, some 20,000 armed with bats and riot gear, came out to literally defend their

leader and the fragile democracy. he tells me collecting signatures cannot overrule the legitimacy of the ballot box. we are here defending our democracy, he says. in his first year in power, the president's supporters say he has increased media freedom, broaden political participation and stabilized an economy in free fall. the divisions are threatening the country's very stability. tonight, protesters torched the political offices of a president's muslim brotherhood. and at least seven people have been killed in clashes over the past five days. and tonight the country's military is on high alert. flying above the crowds keeping a watchful eye on the streets below. some have even called on them to intervene and oust president morsi, a move critics say would be a coup and could lead to a civil war. today egypt is divided more than it has ever been. and more importantly, united

states is watching the developments very closely. >> development in the case of whistleblower turned fugitive edward snowden who appears to be stuck in moscow. unable to leave without a valid american passport. and the white house isn't commenting on a published report in a the u.s. bugged and hacked its allies in the european union. disclosures believed to have come from snowden. >> reporter: entering his second week of hiding in this moscow airports transit zone, the intelligence leaker edward snowden's future now seems out of his hand. his plan was to fly to ecuador and seek asylum there. over the weekend, ecuadorian leader revealed that vice president joe biden had firmly asked him to reject any asylum request. saying the american was a fugitive. the decision will be made by us in a sovereign manner, but first

snowden would have to reach ecuador or one of its embassies. for now with a cancelaled u.s. passport he is going nowhere. it's up to the russian authorities if he can leave the moscow airport. today wiki leaks founder julian assange lashed out of biden and the u.s. the united states has left him for the moment marooned. >> reporter: meanwhile, senator john mccain fired a volley at russian president vladimir putinputin >> he's an old colonel and he dreams of the russian restoration of the empire. >> reporter: he doesn't want the long-term headache of keeping snowden here in russian, but extraditing him could create problems elsewhere. >> snowden is seen as a guy who at least deserves protection. >> reporter: in snowden's latest bombshell, they reported that

the national security agency digitally spied on european and triggering a short official response that the u.s. government collects intelligence like every other nation. snowden still unseen in a moscow airport but making his presence known. nbc news, moscow. >> to south africa now where president obama has made a point of honoring nelson mandela's legacy at every point on his trip. he called it an honor and a privilege where he was in prison for so many years. nbc chuck todd is with the president. >> reporter: president obama looking out on the solitary view nelson mandela had from his prison cell for nearly 20 years. his health condition has overshadowed the three day visit. capped off today by this visit to robin island. being the president's second trip to the island, he could play tour guide for his

daughters overheard here telling them about the south african connection that mahatma gaunty had. >> he was a lawyer here in south africa. and it was here -- >> reporter: the president also signed the prison's guest book. the world a grateful for the heroes. who remind us that no shackles or cells can match the strength of the human experience. laterer speaking to the university of capetown students, leaned on mandela's legacy again to send a larger message. >> he showed us that one man's courage could beat the world. >> and bobby kennedy spoke in the same room 47 years ago. >> he said each time a man stands up or strikes out against injustice, he sends off a tiny ripple of hope. >> reporter: earlier in the day he met with archbishop tutu.

highlighting health and education initiatives. but it was a young man showing off his rapping skills that stole the show. >> you got to drop the mic. >> reporter: the president is off to tanzania tomorrow. george and laura bush are also there to open up a women's clinic on tuesday. >> week two of the george zimmerman second-degree murder trial begins tomorrow with testimony expected from the lead detective in the case. as prosecutors try to regain their footing after a pretty challenging first week. >> reporter: the night george zimmerman shot and killed trayvon martin, the lead investigator called to the scene was police detective chris soreno. who is seen here talking to george zimmerman as he reenacted what he says happened the night of the shooting. >> you had him face down, then? >> yes. faced down and i was on his back.

>> reporter: he could testify in the second-degree murder trial as early as monday. prosecutors will likely ask him about his investigative reports that show the detective wanted to charge zimmerman with manslaughter. while the state's attorney chose not to bring any charges. he wrote that the armed neighborhood watch captain's actions were inconsistent with those of a person who stated he was in fear of another subject. he wrote that zimmerman had at least two opportunities to diffuse the circumstances surrounding their encounter. >> there are things that night that he heard right that should be very helpful to us. for some reason he didn't believe george zimmerman's version of the story. >> reporter: from the night he was brought into the police department, zimmerman has said he acted in self-defense. he pled not guilty. prosecutors hope soreno bolsters

their case after experts say some state witnesses last week may have helped the defense. among them, jonathan who snapped this picture of george zimmerman that night. >> and he said this guy beating me up and i shot him. >> and i had to defend myself and i shot him. >> outside the court room, a potential concern for the defense is this instagram posting. a picture that says with the words, we beat stupidity, and the hash tag dad killed it. and it was posted by don west daughter's. he released a statement that says in part, sometimes we are deeply disappointed by things our children do but we love them any way and we move on. trayvon martin's parents say they will not react to that posting. >> thank you. when nbc nightly news continues on the sunday evening, the promising new drug that could improve the lives of millions of women who suffer from hot

flashes. and a soothing sound to babies. new therapy that is more than music to their ears.

health news tonight that could mean a big change in treatment for millions of women dealing with one of the more unpleasant effects of menopause. a new drug approved by the fda is the first of its kind. >> reporter: it's the most common symptom of menopause and hollywood has had a field day with it. >> look at this, my first day as a woman and i'm getting hot flashes. >> reporter: but for the women experiencing hot flashes, it's no laughing matter. some say it makes their body feel like a raging furnace. intense waves of heat that can cause sweating a and a rapid heartbeat. >> you can heel feel as it if your whole body is on fire and

you can't control in. >> reporter: until now, most treatments have used hormones. but with studies linking their use to an increased risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease many have turned away from hormones. on friday the fda approved a new medication, brisdelle for menopausal women. >> this is a nonhormonal medication that is used to centers in the brain that makes the person adapt to and live with the hot flashes. she feels the symptoms have gone away. >> reporter: it's mostly an anti-depressant. similar to a low dose of paxill. however, it may not be a cure-all. according to the drug makers clinical trials, women experiencing an average of ten hot flashes a day dropped for four. while those who took a placebo, dropped from ten to an average of five or six a day. >> this medication, for example, it's known to have suicidal ideation in an increased rate.

it's known to cause thinning bones which is a problem in menopause. >> reporter: ellen writes about menopausal issues and hosts a weekly support group. >> i'm happy there are options for women because we need more and more options. each woman can determine whether this option is right for them. >> brisdelle is taken once at bedtime and will be available in november. >> when we come back here tonight, the story of the golfer, caddy and the boyfriend.

from the supreme court today, justice anthony kennedy denied the request from california prop 8s supporters to stop same-sex marriages from moving forward. that decision on this gay pride weekend offered yet another something for same-sex marriage supporters to celebrate after a very big week. >> reporter: lester, tens of thousands turned out to mark those supreme court decision that coincided with the 44th anniversary of the gay rights movement. here in new york city edeth wind sor, the 88-year-old widow at the center of the doma case took her victory lap. they passed by the stone wall in where the gay rights movement began in 1969. on the west coast, san francisco hosted its gay rights parade.

and dozens of couples marry over the weekend in celebration. supporters say the joyous events are the latest milestones in this four-decade long movement towards equal rights. >> thank you. caddies are supposed to have seen it all. but golfer jessica and her caddy were midway through the third round of the u.s. women's open. gudenly he was replaced by a new caddie who is her boyfriend. the switch seemed to work. she finished today in sixth place. justice when we come back, the latest use of music therapy and how it's helping premature babies.

we know about the healing power of music. now we're learning how it's helping premature hearts. >> reporter: he's only a month old but baby logan is no stranger to live performances. it's one the streets to help him thrive, music therapy. >> we were a little skeptical. because we never heard of it. but, you know, we decided to give it a try. >> reporter: now weighing more than three pounds, logan was only two pounds three ounces when he was born. premature babies used to be left alone in incubators, but that's no longer the case. >> is it fair to say that you prescribe music just like other doctors prescribe medicine? >> absolutely.

>> reporter: beth israel louis armstrong's center studies music therapy with 11 different neonatal intensive careunets over a two-year period. lower heart rates, improved sleep patterns, increased feeding behavior. >> that relaxation is going to help the baby to grow and mature. hopefully to allow them to leave the hospital a little bit sooner. >> and for the parents too, less stress. >> it can be perceived by parents as such a sterile, frightening place. and we can support the parents while their voice goes in to hold the baby. >> reporter: a music therapist uses an ocean disk to simulate the sounds of the womb. a special drum simulates the

heartbeat. you can see the reaxuation by watching the heart rate. and songs the parents choose are turned into lullabies. >> one of the songs we're using is a guns n roses piece. >> reporter: the parents are encouraged to vocalized. >> when the music is being played, he's actually very quiet. he's out like a rock actually. >> reporter: skills doris and felix can take home with them when they leave the hospital, logan in their arms and a song in all their hearts. dr. nancy snyderman, nbc news new york. >> that's nbc nightly news. brian williams will be here tomorrow. i'm lester holt. have a good night, everyone.

good evening. i we begin with a breaking story. the clock ticking on union leaders to come up with a deal to avid a strike. a deadline less than six hours away. if a settlement is not reached, it could come to a hult tomorrow morning. the two sides are meeting right now. >> reporter: this meeting is likely the last hope to avoid a strike tomorrow. both sides are meeting inside this building on west grand avenue in oakland at this hour. the fact both sides are even in