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tv   NBC Nightly News  NBC  July 4, 2013 5:30pm-6:01pm PDT

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windy out there so be careful. >> thanks for joining us. "nightly news" is next. see you back here at 6:00. on the broadcast tonight, after the fall. a huge celebration in egypt tonight, after the president is forced out, but as the military cracks down, some wonder, is this what democracy is supposed to look like? america celebrates from coast-to-coast this fourth of july, but for some military families budget cuts means something big will be missing. guns at the gate. news tonight on how many weapons are showing up at america's airports. and lady liberty. one of our most cherished landmarks open to all once again after withstanding a devastating storm. "nightly news" begins now. good evening.
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i'm carl quintanilla in tonight for brian. on this fourth of july as we get set for fireworks to celebrate our independence, egypt is setting off some of its own. crowds in cairo, cheering the ousted of mohamed morsi, the potential for violence looms as his party, the muslim brotherhood, calls for protests tomorrow. richard engel back in tahrir square in cairo tonight with the latest. richard, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, carl. once again, we are in a very boisterous and loud tahrir square. the crowds are big tonight, nothing like yesterday. perhaps just a quarter of the size that they were here. there are still many uncertainties in this country, but one official told us tonight that they hope to hold new elections in this country within about the next six to eight months. getting there will be difficult, but at least in tahrir tonight, people think this country is off to the right start. they are still partying into the night in tahrir square. celebrating the downfall of president morsi.
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democratically elected, yes. but seen here as a failure, pushed aside by the military with a promise of better days. there is a carnival atmosphere in tahrir square, leaving no doubt who is in charge of this country now, the egyptian military is carrying out an impromptu air show, right over the square, and the people here are loving it. the jets released the colors of the egyptian flag. just hours earlier, a new caretaker president was sworn in. cairo is springing back to life. shops opened, people out, the stock market up. 7% just today. but there are more ominous signs. near cairo university, thousands of morsi supporter, mostly islamists, are still protesting, angry, surrounded by egyptian troops. a crackdown is under way. >> this is not legal.
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they are arresting people without order. >> reporter: this cell phone video, the last we saw of president morsi, practicing a speech last night, denouncing the military's intervention. he never got to deliver it. the army tells us only that he is now, quote, in a safe place, incommunicado, banned from travel. about a dozen leaders of the muslim brotherhood have been arrested. security forces are said to be searching for some 300 more as some morsi supporters have begun posting threats online that they'll become suicide bombers. the u.s. embassy, just off tahrir square, is closed. ambassador ann patterson, criticized here as too close to morsi, nowhere in sight. the embassy's fourth of july celebrations canceled. nonessential staff ordered home. a sign of how volatile the biggest country in the arab world remains after its second revolution. morsi supporters tomorrow, carl, are planning to have their own demonstration after friday
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prayers. they're calling it the day of rejection. >> and richard, the threats from those morsi supporters, how seriously do you take them? how real is the threat of violence over the coming days? >> reporter: i'm not sure how real it is over the coming days. a lot of the key members of the muslim brotherhood now have gone underground. they're on the run. but as we've seen in places like boston, it doesn't take a large group of radicals to create a lot of damage. certainly there will be maybe a few hundred, maybe just a few dozen people who want to take revenge for what happened. so i would say over time, the threat of violence is quite high. >> richard engel in cairo tonight in tahrir square. richard, thanks. president obama and his national security team watching this closely tonight. peter alexander at the white house. peter, good evening. >> reporter: carl, good evening. the president spent part of his fourth of july here at the office. late this afternoon he wrapped up another meeting with his
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national security team in the white house situation room. administration officials including defense secretary chuck hagel and national security adviser susan rice, in touch with their egyptian counterparts as well as their partners, among them israel and turkey. the white house's next move will largely be determined by what steps the egyptian military take news, how quickly it moves toward a democratically elected government. the message from the u.s. quite simple. willing to withhold billion and a half dollars in annual aid to egypt, but the administration is also prepared to keep working with the egyptian military officials if they move in a positive direction. among the concerns, the u.s. no more violence. they want no more military crackdown of any sort on president morsi or his supporters. meanwhile, back here at the white house, the first family is also celebrating this fourth of july which is, by the way, malia's birthday, believe it or not. she is 15 today. right now they are hosting a big
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barbecue on the south lawn. you can smell the burgers from here and even hear the band if you look over that direction. the white house welcoming 1200 military members and their families. they will have a front row seat for fourth of july fireworks this evening. carl? >> peter alexander at the white house tonight. peter, thanks. for a lot of other military families, the failure of the president and congress to pass a budget means there will be no fireworks on this fourth of july. there is just no money for them. nbc's mark potter has the story tonight. >> reporter: in past years, the fourth of july on u.s. military bases was always an exuberant celebration. of service and sacrifice, with fireworks lighting up the nighttime sky. but this year, at many bases around the country, the skies will be dark as fireworks fall victim to the washington budget impasse and are canceled to save money under sequestration. >> it's sad. it just should be a celebration instead of it being so quiet. >> reporter: one of those bases is ft. bragg in north carolina,
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where the army says it can't afford it this year. instead, the nearby city of fayetteville is hosting the fireworks, after being awarded the money when ft. bragg staff sergeant jeff wells won a july 4th essay contest. where he complained about the budget cuts. he read for us his essay. >> to not have a fireworks display on our nation's day of independence for those who have fought to secure our freedom is not only a more rail degrading scenario, but a shame for those who sacrificed so much. >> reporter: other bases not having fireworks include camp lejeune, pearl harbor. some bases still hosting fireworks have been about given money by their communities and local businesses. one of the places that will have fireworks tonight is the homestead air reserve base near miami. officials say they are not being paid for with tax dollars, but with money the military raised through sales and fees, and with the help of sponsors. at a naturalization ceremony has
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in miami today, congresswoman ileana lehtinen said it's sad it has come to this. >> the sequester, used for political points, we shouldn't be taking it out on the military. >> reporter: a glorious american tradition now tangled up in the budget war. mark potter, nbc news, miami. all across america today, patriotism was on display in many forms. in new albany, ohio, as in countless towns, there was a traditional fourth of july parade, complete with floats and tractors. in pennsylvania, parents cheered on crawling toddlers in the annual diaper derby. and in the skies over st. louis, it was high-flying acts, a display of vintage planes at the annual fourth of july air show over that city. for others this was the day to become an american. in afghanistan, more than 30 u.s. soldiers born outside the united states became naturalized citizens at a ceremony at bagram airfield outside kabul. and at mt. vernon in virginia,
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more than 100 citizens were sworn in. similar ceremonies taking place around the country. this holiday week. more than 7,800 people will now get to call themselves americans. a lot of folks around the country found themselves dealing with extreme weather on this first day of the holiday weekend. look at this. it seemed more like the middle of winter in santa rosa, new mexico, after a storm dumped more than a foot of hail. they had to call out the snowplows. many homes and businesses were damaged. a along the florida panhandle today, heavy rain and thunderstorms caused flash flooding, and several areas as much as 20 inches of rain has fallen since this morning. and highly dangerous rip currents on beaches in florida and alabama force beaches to close. crystal egger. good evening. >> good evening. we are dealing with a serious flood threat across the southeast. if you have plans to be outdoors or do any traveling over the holiday, you are definitely going to be impacted.
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we've had substantial rainfall amounts come in across the florida panhandle as tropical moisture streams in across the gulf coast. over 12 inches, nearly 20 inches in some spots between destin, over to apalachicola. flash flooding i should say is already under way, and we have had some very heavy downpours including parts of alabama and georgia. so we want you to be on high alert, definitely heed any warnings that come out. know which county you are in if you happen to be on vacation. and that includes people hiking or camping in the appalachians, where we also anticipate some flooding. now, across the northeast and up into new england, we escape the wet weather. no thunderstorms in the forecast here, but it is going to be hot and humid. and not much relief from the oppressive heat as we get into the weekend. so your highlights for tomorrow, heavy rain from florida up into the ohio valley. it heats up in the middle of the country. not quite as hot in the west, but we're still in the triple-digits in places like vegas and phoenix, looking absolutely pleasant from san
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diego up into the seattle area. the dangerous weather, carl, is going to be in the southeast. be safe, everyone. >> good advice, crystal egger over at the weather channel tonight. crystal, thanks. to the west, where hundreds of firefighters are still battling a massive wildfire in arizona as people there remembered the 19 men who lost their lives in that struggle. nbc's miguel almaguer is in prescott, arizona, again for us. miguel, good evening. >> reporter: good evening. the yarnell hill fire is still active, but no longer the threat it used to be. it is 45% contained. hundreds of evacuees will return back home, but it will always be remembered for taking the lives of 19 firefighters. on this day of celebration, the city of prescott pays tribute to their heros in the small community where the victims weren't just names, but neighbors, a town draped in red, white, and blue flies its flags at half-staff for 19 days, a salute to the 19 firefighters.
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amanda marsh remember herd husband eric today. >> he was the most amazing person i have ever met in my life. he was strong, but he was so compassionate. >> reporter: tonight, the fire fight in arizona and across the west is far from over. for air attacks and ground teams this is no holiday. 37 large wildfires rage across the region. 715,000 acres up in smoke. wind driving many of these infernos. >> the wind blows, we get big fires. if it doesn't, they lay down like this and we're able to start picking them up. >> reporter: back near prescott, a before and after look at the town of yarnell. 120 homes gone, nearly half of the community wiped off the map. ♪ >> reporter: here on tuesday, they will mourn a much greater loss. firefighters from across the country will salute their 19 fallen brothers. this honor guard making the trip from california. a single blaze cost one city a quarter of its fire department.
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>> practicing being firemen. >> reporter: william warneke dreamed of being a firefighter from the time he could walk. he served his country in iraq and then his community as a granite mountain hot shot. he leaves behind a wife, who is expecting the couple's first child in december. >> when he wanted to do something, he stuck with it, got his goals where he wanted them and he was doing what he wanted to do when he was out on that fire. >> reporter: tonight, families grieving their loss as a community honors their service. firefighters hope to have this blaze fully contained by next week. on tuesday there will be a massive public memorial for all 19 men. carl? >> miguel almaguer in prescott, arizona. miguel, thanks. still ahead tonight, a busy week for summer travel, and you might be surprised to see what's turning up at america's airports. tonight an arsenal of weapons being confiscated at security. and later, one of our most
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treasured landmarks open again this fourth of july.
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considering you can't carry a full water bottle through airport security, you may be surprised to hear how many people are trying to get through with loaded weapons. more guns are being confiscated at airport checkpoints than ever before. nbc's tom costello reports. >> reporter: from the east to the west, to the airports, summer rush is on. laptops out, shoes and belts off and please leave your weapons at home. >> inside this cane is -- >> reporter: a sword? >> a sword.
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ugly looking knife. how about that? >> reporter: spears, swords, knives, fake grenades, and at airports nationwide guns. a record 894 in the first six months of this year. in one week in may, tsa officers found 65 guns, 45 of them loaded, sometimes hidden in books or dvd players, but most often, as this x-ray show, left in the bottom of a carry-on. tsa chief john pistol. is there an intent to get them by the tsa officers, or it's i forgot? >> virtually everybody says they forgot. we can't prove unless there is something else of people intending to. but, no people just forget. >> reporter: professional golfer chris blanks said he forgot a loaded handgun was in his carry-on. he was arrested at palm beach airport on sunday. the airports with the most gun confiscations have been in states with strong gun cultures including atlanta, dallas/ft. worth, phoenix, and ft. lauderdale. while the tsa can't explain the
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uptick, experts say it could be the result of a recent surge in gun ownership. each day at 450 airports across the country, the tsa screens nearly two million passengers, and if each passenger has one or two carry-ons, you're talking up to four million carry-ons that need to be screened. eddie manshein is the federal security director at washington dulles. and how often do you come across something that somebody shouldn't have? >> daily. hourly. if we stay here long enough, we'll see something. >> reporter: depending on the airport and local laws, passengers found with a gun could end up in jail or simply be told to go put it in the car. tom costello, nbc news, washington. one other travel holiday note this weekend. gasoline prices on a summer slide. aaa says the average price of a gallon of gas is now $3.48. prices dropping for 21 straight days, but there they're still about 14 cents higher than they were this time last year.
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we're back in a moment with an unbelievable new world record.
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♪ oh say can you see by the dawn's early light ♪ >> it's not uncommon for members of the military to sing the national anthem at sports event, but it's news when the main performer is the chairman of the joint chiefs himself. general martin dempsey, who is known for his singing skills performed the anthem at a game between the washington nationals and the milwaukee brewers. in pennsylvania today, memories of a true milestone in american history. the battle of gettysburg, fought 150 years ago. a re-enactment marked the anniversary. as many as 10,000 union and confederate soldiers died at gettysburg. today's reenabilitiment included stories of prisoners and those who were wounded in that turning point of the civil war. in atlanta, an independence day tradition. the annual peachtree road race held in the rain today, but that didn't seem to be a problem for the runners. as many as 60,000 of them.
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three firefighters ran the 6.2 mile race in full 42-pound gear in honor of the 19 firefighters who died in that arizona wildfire this week. here in new york, a july 4th tradition and a new world record at the nathan's hot dog eating championship. joey chestnut, nicknamed jaws for obvious reasons managed to stuff down 69 of them in ten minutes, one more than last year. it all added up to 20,000 calories and made him top dog for seven years in a row, another world record. among the women, sonya thomas, known as the black widow came in first after eating only 36 3/4 hot dogs. we're back in a moment with a great american landmark open again tonight.
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finally tonight, a new beginning for one of the country's enduring symbols of independence. the statue of liberty reopened today after being closed since hurricane sandy eight months ago. while the statue itself was spared by the storm, the rest of the island took a beating. nbc's katy tur has our report. >> reporter: with a gentle thud, eight long lonely months were over. visitors poured off the ferry,
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eager to greet our nation's gate keeper, wearing their red, white and blue best. is that an official hat? >> this is my official hat. >> reporter:. >> where are you from? >> alabama. >> reporter: great to be here on july 4th. >> reporter: the night after her birthday when sandy blew in. smashing her docks, ripping up her paving stones, and flooding her small island. despite all the damage and all the flooding, lady liberty herself was left almost completely unscathed. i mean, just look at her. she is 126 years old and she hasn't aged a day. you know, she's 126 years old. >> she is? >> reporter: yeah. >> looks great. after seeing the pictures after sandy. >> reporter: standing tall, proud, and green, today, sandy all but a distant memory. >> it's super exciting to be able to visit such a historic place. >> reporter: lady liberty, once again ready to rush in the tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
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>> i have a dream. >> reporter: he came to america in the 1960s. his son brought him here today. >> he is a classic. he is one of these people that came here and made his way. he went from rags to rich at least times. so he is a symbol of america. so for me it's special to bring him here. ♪ oh say can you see >> reporter: closed after 9/11, reopened in 2009, closed again for renovations and then closed again for sandy. this morning's opening ceremony felt a little like deja vu. >> i don't know about you, but i'm getting sick and tired of opening and closing the statue of liberty. so i think this time we'll just leave it open. ♪ god bless america >> reporter: open for all to see her not just as a mark of our freedom, but our resilience. katy tur, nbc news, liberty island. and that is our broadcast on this fourth of july. i'm carl quintanilla, for brian williams and everyone here at
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nbc news, thank you for watching. good night. nbc bay area news starts now. happy fourth of july, everyone. >> let's begin with the weather and another sweltering day around much of the bay. a live look outside today. that's not san jose. that's san jose. there we go. 88 degrees. another score cher for a lot of people in the bay area. >> on this day, people are actually hoping the weather remains the same, because a lot of families heading outside tonight to check out the fireworks show, including this
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one in san francisco. so what can people expect? we go to the weather center with more. >> if you want cooler weather, it's going to be happening at the coastline. 104 now the official high in walnut creek. and we bumped livermore up to 103. the most critical area, if you're heading out to any celebrations tonight will be the east bay. that's where it's going to be very mild the next two hours, drink plenty of water. usually when you start to feel yourself becoming thirsty, it's usually because you're already dehydrated. all right. for the fourth of july, one of the premier events, of course, is in san francisco. let's look at the conditions for tonight. we do have clear skies right now. tonight i do think a little stratus is going to develop at the coastline, but it is not going to be a fogut