on this sunday night -- on alert. after almost two dozen american embassies are closed, the u.s. goes further, tonight broadening its order in what some call the most serious terror threat since the 9/11 attacks. boardwalk rampage. a california man faces a charge of murder after allegedly driving his car into a crowdof hundreds, killing a woman on her honeymoon and injuring 11 others. up in the air. yankees slugger add ex-rodriguez about to find out how long he'll be suspended in baseball's highest profile scandal involving performance enhancing drugs. back to school. means a big tax break for many parents shopping for school supplies, but not everyone thinks it's a good idea.

and fantastic voyage. as a group of american treasure hunters strike it rich, very rich, at the bottom of the sea. good evening. just a short time ago, the state department announced it will extend the closings of some u.s. embassies in the face of a serious and credible, but so far unspecified, terror threat against american tro interests overseas. some two dozen embassies and consulates were closed today as a precaution as we learn more about the level and gravity the intelligence officials are acting upon. the consensus seems to be the threat is very real, but it's the targets that appear to be anyone's guess, which is why a worldwide warning remains in effect for americans traveling abroad. once again, tonight we're tracking all angles of this story, christian welker starts us off at the white house.

good evening, kristen. >> reporter: good evening. tonight the state department announced two dozen of the diplomatic posts closed today will remain closed through next weekend and four additional closures through the week. the reason given? an abundance of caution because of the muslim holy month of ramadan. back from camp david, president obama is getting regular briefings by his national security team on the threat that has shuddered posts in north africa and the middle east. >> there's been a lot of chatter, chatter means conversations among terrorists about the planning that's going on, very reminiscent of what we saw pre-9/11. >> reporter: according to two top u.s. officials, the terror plot could include one large attack or simultaneous attacks around the world. but the intelligence still isn't crystal-clear. embassies and consulates from cairo to kabul are bracing themselves. although the streets of kabul were calm today, the embassy was

still closed and will remain on high alert. of the compound has been a target in the past by insurgents, particularly by the haqqani network, an al qaeda affiliated group. national security officials told nbc news today the threat is coming directly from al qaeda in the arabian peninsula, based in yemen, a terror group getting stronger in recent years. >> it's more dangerous because now we have what i call 2.0 or 3.0 which is widely disbursed, a anewer group. >> reporter: meanwhile, tighter screen for overseas flights. >> it always makes you nervous, but you have to carry on. just keep on going. >> i'm really worried because my wife is going to saudi arabia. >> reporter: and this morning fresh debate about the nsa's surveillance program, which intelligence officials say tipped them off about this latest threat. >> it is scary. al qaeda is on the rise in this part of the world, and the nsa program has proven its worth yet

again. >> you have to be very careful about how much you represent that any particular program has contributed to our security. >> reporter: and tonight nbc is reporting that officials in pakistan has tightened security in islamabad due to a potential terror threat interethere, but s hour there's no link between the two. >> the embassy in cairo is among those affected by this order. tonight our chief foreign correspondent richard engel has more on precautions there and insight into are where this threat is coming from. >> reporter: good evening, lester. these are the side streets around the u.s. embassy here in downtown cairo. the embassy today is closed like so many embassies and consulates in the region, and as you can see the embassy tonight is right behind this very big, very imposing concrete barricade. this wall went up about a year ago after a group of demonstrators tried to storm ip inside the compound. this time we're told the threat

goes right back to yes, ma'am p, specifically to al qaeda in the arabian peninsula, which is based in yemen. the group is considered capable. it has many skilled bomb makers. and it is also motivated right now because in the middle of last month one of the group's deputy commanders was killed in a drone strike. the man who has replaced them, the group's new leader, is considered perhaps even more dangerous at one stage he was osama bin laden's secretary. and some intelligence analysts say he may be wanting to prove himself to try and exert himself on the international stage by carrying out some sort of terror attack in yemen or abroad. but not all u.s. diplomats are happy with this situation. they say there needs to be xurpt, but they also say they can't do their jobs if they're locked behind big walls like this one. lester? >> richard engel reporting from cairo. let's bring in our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell. andrea, we know from previous experience the u.s. can't

maintain this red alert posture indefinitely so what's the plan going forward here? >> it really is day by day. the intelligence of an impending attack as you're reporting is serious but they still don't know the specific target. there are several other threats, possibility for the retaliation for the drone strike richard just mentioned and a threatening speech last week by ayman al zawahiri. the upcoming anniversary this week of bombings of tanzania and elsewhere and of course ramadan. after wrestling with whether to closing the additional posts they decided to err on the side of caution. in los angeles, a man is in custody facing a charge of murder after allegedly driving a car into a crowd of people enjoying themselves on the boardwalk in the popular venice beach area. a woman on her honeymoon was killed and 11 others injured. nbc's miguel alma ger is there with the latest. miguel? >> reporter: good evening, on a summer weekend this boardwalk is

packed with thousands of people, it was a similar scene yesterday when the car slammed into that group of pedestrians, including that woman who was here on her honeymo honeymoon. security cameras capture the moment of impact. look closely at the top of the screen as a car plows through the crowd. just moments earlier, the driver is seen entering the car, then speeding away. a second camera shows pedestrians leaping for their lives. >> we have a critical situation. we need a driver. >> reporter: chaos and panic ensue. at least a dozen people were struck by a driver who witnesses say appeared to be aiming for the crowd. victims strewn everywhere. >> one of the medics from 67th working on the critical patient. >> the scene was really bad. there were tables, people everywhere, blood everywhere. there was scattered stuff. it was horrible. >> reporter: 32-year-old italian

woman visiting california while on her honeymoon was killed. >> i saw a girl go over his roof and another girl ended up over there. >> reporter: another victim is in critical condition, ten others hospitalized. >> i'm never going to forget that moment. it was surreal. he was zigzagging and i ran. >> reporter: hours lairpt, the damaged sedan was found abandoned. investigators say a 35-year-old man turned himself will into police late saturday night. >> detectives have booked nathan campbell for a murder that took place last night. >> reporter: of the venice boardwalk is one of southern california's most popular attractions. the famed muscle beach and miles of coastline an international draw. tonight the crowds are back as many remember the victims and police look to answer the question so many here are asking -- why? tonight, the outpouring of support is coming in from around

the globe. a.c. milan has expressed its convict dole evens for the 32-year-old newlywed killed here, her father a former team executive. suspensions are expected tomorrow for alex rodriguez and other major league players accused of using performance enhancing drugs. a-rod is by far the highest profile and highest paid among them and faces the most severe punishment. we get a report from nbc's ron mott. >> reporter: alex rodriguez is poised to receive the costliest suspension ever levied in baseball, a penalty that could approach $35 million and perhaps effectively end the 38-year-old slugger's career. on monday, sources tell nbc sports the controversial player will be suspended through the 20 fla 14 season for obstructing the investigation into p.e.d.s. >> it's very clear that baseball is serious about this. they may have gotten religion on it late, but once they did they

got serious. they're showing no favoritism. >> reporter: rodriguez has been tuning up in the minor leagues. before rejoining the yankees monday in chicago for the first time all year, after off-season hip surgery. friday he held court, upbeat, smiling, yet he complained about what he deemed were efforts to cancel his remaining yankees contract worth nearly $100 million. but late saturday, after reports circulated a severe sanction had been settled on by commissioner bud selig, a different rodriguez. [ inaudible ] >> i plan to set my girls down with cynthia and we're going to have a lengthy conversation. and i'll have an opportunity to tell it all. at some point. i'll have that platform and when the time is right, i'll tell my full story. >> reporter: in january, a-rod's name surfaced if a miami-area newspaper report along with other big leaguers who will also

be suspended tomorrow about a clinic allegedly supplying steroids and other banned drugs to athletes. the foundation of the report documents taken by a former employee, disgruntled about not getting back all of a $4,000 loan he made to the company founder. a modest sum of money now having extraordinary financial impact that could reshape baseball for years to come. a-roded is expected to appeal any suspension and he still could be eligible to take the field tomorrow in chicago. lester? >> ron, thank you. in the west, residents are recovering from severe weather in colorado. parts of the state hit by heavy rains and flooding last night, high winds and at least half a dozen confirmed tornadoes, most of them causing little damage. the storms moved into neighboring kansas causing severe flash flooding. and one more note from overseas tonight. the man who was the face of iran in all its hostility toward this country was officially replaced today by a new president who is at least talking about more

dialogue with the west. tonight nbc's ann curry is inside iran and reports on the shift in power. >> reporter: on iran state television, the transfer of power from milwaukee mahmadinej full of goodwill. we never heard this from president ahmadinejad. >> translator: the only way to engage with iran on common issues is to build trust on both sides. a mutual respect and by lowering tensions between each other. >> reporter: perhaps as significant as the new president's message is today's orchestration of the international press. this inauguration has turned into a world press event and really only for one reason -- the world is worried iran could soon have the bomb. and iran give the media, a show. its modern parliament a setting for a television spectacular. for the first time, heads of

state from all over the world were invited, with the notable exception of the united states and israel. while afghanistan's hamid karzai and top official from north korea were in attendance, heads of state from western europe were not. after his remarks, the president immediately named his entire cabinet, most fell on moderates. he was clearly signaling the direction he wants iran to go and how fast. ann curry, nbc news, tehran. when "nightly news" continues on this sunday, who wouldn't want a nice break on costly back-to-school shopping? we'll tell you why some are not so excited. and they didn't strike gold, but it's the next best thing. tonight a real silver lining, and it is worth a fortune.

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it's the start of august and a back-to-school ritual has begun. the annual shopping spree for school supply that's can cost hundreds of dollars. to make it a little easier, more states are offering breaks on the sales tax, but is this good policy? we get more tonight from nbc's chief education correspondent. >> reporter: it's that time of year again. >> get one of these. >> reporter: all across the country, moms and dads are crowding the stores to stock up on school supplies. getting their little ones ready to go back to school. >> we tried to get here as early as we could to avoid the craziness. >> two weeks out i start saving and looking for deals. >> it is very surprising how much we spend. >> reporter: terri is shopping for three today. >> tough in the economy right now. >> we will probably be around $150 for three students. >> reporter: the pencils, pens and binders can quickly add up, which is why some states are giving parents a break from paying the sales tax. at least 17 states are waiving

the tax on school supplies and clothing, 12 states doing so this weekend. >> it makes a difference when you're spending a chunk of money. any little bit you can save. >> reporter: discounts on the tax break all benefit the consum consumer, but can the states afford to lose the rove knew right now? >> there's a real risk that six to 12 months from now the revenues gone today will be sorely missed because of slower economic growth. >> reporter: states do lose out on potentially mm-hillions of dollars in sales tax revenue very hard to recoup. and once the states start a sales tax holiday it becomes very popular with the consumer tks's very hard for the states to pull back on it. >> reporter: especially when shoppers are watching the bottom line and tightening those purse strings. the average family will spend around $635 this year, down almost 8% from about $688 last year. >> the name of the game for parents this year really is

reuse what you can and of course buy what you need. they're going to spend with practicality and cost in mind. >> as a mom, i feel like that's amy job, to save where we can, whether it be buying in bulk or recycling and things like that. >> reporter: and hoping that those sales tax breaks will return the next school year. nbc news, orlando, florida. there's more to tell you about tonight, including the plight of the puffin and a warning for all of us. how uncomfortable it can be. [ crickets chirping ] but did you know that the lack of saliva can also lead to tooth decay and bad breath? [ exhales deeply ] [ male announcer ] well there is biotene. specially formulated with moisturizers and lubricants, biotene can provide soothing relief and it helps keep your mouth healthy, too. [ applause ] biotene -- for people who suffer from dry mouth.

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of sea birds. >> reporter: puffins have bright orange beaks and black and white bodies. they are deceptively fast, flying at speeds of up to 55 miles per hour. hunted a century ago for food and feathers, they disappeared from seal island, a pile of granite slabs off of coast of maine, now a national wildlife refuge. there are 500 pairs of puffins here today, thanks to 40 years of work by dr. steve press of the national autobahn society and the u.s. fish and wildlife service. >> we don't to sit on the sidelines and watch species go extinct. >> reporter: but kres says these diving birds face a new threat. today's threat comes from the sea, warming water temperatures are changing the ocean, and that in turn is changing the puffins' diet. puffins eat cold water fish. harder to find last summer when the water here was five degrees warmer than normal. scientist jeffrey rung says it's part of a decade-long warming

trend happening ten times faster than in the last century. >> this may have well had an effect on where herring feed and consequently if herring aren't where the puffins need to be, the puffins will go search other food. >> reporter: what they found last summer the chicks couldn't swallow so many starved to death. this year, kres says there are 20% fewer puffins in burrows and are nesting two weeks laifrpt, all signs of stress for the birds and perhaps us. >> there's many industries, including lobsters, who use herring for bait to catch lobsters. and if the food is too far away for the puchs, it will be too far away for people as well will. >> reporter: a warning from nature, some believe, in a colorful and charismatic package. anne thompson, nbc news, on seal island, maine. another big win and a record to report today for american swimmer missy franklin. the 18-year-old franklin claimed her sixth gold medal at the world championship in barcelona as part of a 400-meter medley relay. franklin became the most winning

female swimmer ever at the world championships. another milestone to report. president obama celebrating his 52nd birthday today. these days, what birthday would be be complete without a few words on twitter? among others, bill clinton offered his thoughts to 44 happy birthday at barack obama from 42. another political note, a follow-up on a story 0 a few weeks ago, tonight the results are in and 4-year-old bobby tufts is a very happy young man, having just won reelection as the certify moanial mayor of dorsett, minnesota, population 22. after a hard-fought campaign, bobby's name was pulled from a hat again at the annual town fair. when we come back, we'll go on a treasure hunt you won't want to miss. mine was earned in djibouti, africa. 2004. vietnam in 1972. [ all ] fort benning, georgia in 1999. [ male announcer ] usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation.

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it's hard to describe, because you have a numbness, but yet you have the pain like thousands of needles sticking in your foot. it was progressively getting worse, and at that point i knew i had to do something. once i started taking the lyrica the pain started subsiding. [ male announcer ] it's known that diabetes damages nerves. lyrica is fda approved to treat diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eyesight including blurry vision, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling, or skin sores from diabetes. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. it's specific treatment for diabetic nerve pain.

finally tonight, a story that gives a new meaning to silver lining. treasure hunters scored one for the record books when they recovered more than 100 tons of silver from a british ship that was sunk during world war ii. and what a payday it was. nbc's kerry sanders tonight. >> reporter: off the coast of ireland, three miles down, american treasure hunters found the mother lode. in waters deeper than the titanic, bars of precious silver, in all 110 tons. >> fantastic. hasn't quite sunk in yet, but it's starting to dawn on me now

what we've achieved out here. >> reporter: the gair sop pa was a british steamship torpedoed in 1941 by one of hitler's u-boats. the cargo traveling to great britain to fund the war effort. in all, the sal raj team pulled up 2,792 silver inningities. >> hn his majesty mint, bombay. >> we're sitting on $700,000 worth of silver. >> yeah. >> and the numbers are a bit mind-boggling. i just see them as very heavy lumps of waste we've been pulled around. >> reporter: the final silver bar was pulled to the surface days ago. >> that's the last one. >> reporter: 20% goes to the british government, the treasure hunters odyssey marine treasure hunters get 80% of a treasure that exceeds $77 million. >> this is the deepest recovery of precious metal ever done. it's a world record. the water depth is almost 15,000 feet, about three miles deep. >> reporter: also recovered,

letters. >> oh, my god, here's a stamp on the letter. india postage. >> reporter: newspapers from 1941 and financial records. >> manufacturers life insurance company. this actually may be worth something to this family if it can be tracked down. >> reporter: so what happens to all this silver in the vault? it's headed to the british mint, the same mint that's striking commemorative coins for the newborn prince. because this could be the target of thieves, all i can say is kerry sanders, nbc news, somewhere in great britain. >> that's "nbc nightly news" for this sunday. brian williams will be here tomorrow. will i'm lester holt reporting from new york. for all of us here at nbc news, good night.

sunday night football. primetime's number one show is back. 50 years ago, the pro football hall of fame was founded in canton, ohio, to honor the men's whose contributions to the sport were the most significant. 17 charter members were enshrined in 1963, headlined by the legendary names like halas, hudson, grange and thorpe. this weekend, a record 122 hall of famers return to welcome to the exclusive club, the