good morning. breaking overnight. united nations weapons inspectors leave syria ahead of schedule, clearing the way for the united states to launch air strikes in retaliation for the chemical attack against its own people as vladimir putin speaks out this morning, condemning any potential military action there. we're live across the region with the latest. he's out. a quiet exit for san diego's controversial mayor leaving behind a city that's been plagued for weeks by embarrassing headline-grabbing claims of sexual harassment. and boy wonder. >> calculus 1, physics 1, history and religion. >> an ambitious schedule for the preteen hitting the books not at middle school, not at high

school, but at college. today's saturday, august 31st, school, but at college. today's saturday, august 31st, 2013. captions paid for by nbc-universal television live from rockefeller plaza. >> good saturday morning. welcome to today. i'm lester holt. >> i'm erica hill alongside dylan dreyer and tom laum mass in for jenna. this morning, usair strikes in syria seem all but certain. one thing that is not clear is when they could happen. >> a lot of folks thought it would be timed to those united nations inspectors who were in the country. they've left syria now. they have made their way to lebanon about three hours earlier than originally planned. it was the last hurdle remaining before any kind of u.s. strike which could come in a matter of hours. >> that means tensions it ratcheting up at this point.

validity mir putin this morning saying if it happens, it will be "extremely sad." >> we have a team of correspondences covering it for us from the united states plan of attack to the potential risks and fallout from the action from the rest of the world. we'll begin with the latest on the u.s. response so far. jim miklaszewski live at the pentagon for us. good morning. >> good morning. from a military standpoint with the u.n. inspectors all out of syria now, that does indeed clear the battlefield for any possible military strikes. all the military pieces are in place. the u.s. military forces couldn't be more ready. all they're waiting for is the order interest president obama. five guided missile destroyers in the eastern med loaded with as many as 50 tomb map hawk missiles each. we're told all the potential targets have been downloaded into those missile warheads. those targets would include the command and control center for

syria's chemical weapons sites and the delivery systems is like artillery, rockets and other devices, airplanes, air strips, but president obama has made it clear that this is not an attack intended to overturn the regime, regime is not is the target. it's limited and tailored, according to the president himself, lester. >> limited and tailored, you might even call it a hit and run attack. how effective in the past have those kind of attacks been? >> reporter: history shows, lester, they're not very effective, particularly when you're up against a strong military power in the region like syria. the most famous of those ineffective attacks i guess you could say happened in 1998 when president bill clinton launched a series of cruise missiles at slaum in afghanistan only to find that three years later, on 9/11, bin laden launched attacks against the u.s.

>> the military follows orders and will talk when given the word. what are some of the risks and things that worry military planners? >> well, you know, the biggest risk is, of course, this cog somehow ignite a much larger regional war. they think that's unlikely, but it's always possible. the big risk for the president, of course, is that president bashar al assad brushes it off his shoulder, ignores it entirely which would then make the united states and its military look weak. and one has to remember that bashar al assad has just about everything at stake here. he's fighting for his life, lester. >> jim miklaszewski at the pentagon for us this morning, thanks. speaking of assad is, the syrian government preparing for that potential attack. our chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in turkey this morning on th on the border of . good morning. >> good morning, area.

preparations for a possible attack are under way. witnesses in damascus tell us civilians who live near government military bases have begun to abandon their homes and syrian soldiers are thinning out their position, taking up new locations in schools and bunkers. as convoys of u.n. inspectors left damascus for nearby lebanon, the final countdown for a military strike on syria may have begun. with inspectors out, the syrian regime worries they could launch cruise missiles anytime against the military basis. the syrian military is preparing to fight off a rebel offensive shelling neighborhoods outside damascus to weaken the rebels. they don't try to use american raids to storm the capital. it remains under government control. state tv is working to keep up moral, airing interviews

declaring loyalty to president bashar al assad. >> we are not scared and don't fear anything. whatever they do, we will stay here. >> thanks to god, it's packed over here, even on the streets. normal people living normally. >> reporter: comparing the american intelligence for attacking the syrian regime, the one that led washington to invade baghdad. u.s. officials say there's no comparison. the goal is limited to punish president assad for killing on august 21st, more than 2,100 people, including more than 400 children with chemical weapons. today, russia's vladimir putin said the u.s. case for a limited military action against syria and accusations that it's used chemical weapons are quote nonsense. >> richard engel for us this morning, thank you.

after fighting wars in iraq and afghanistan, americans are war fatigued. the question is, will this really make us safer. i had a chance to speak exclusively with former cia director and secretary of defense leon panetta. the administration made a moral argument and justification for a war on syria. is it in the national security of the u.s. or legal without u.n. backing? >> the president has the responsibility to protect our vital, national interests, security interests. there's no question credibility and leadership of the united states in a troubled world is extremely important to our national security. >> at the same time, secretary kerry made it clear, americans are war fatigued. we have seen this movie before, the evidence of weapons of mass destruction and we know how iraq

ended up. are you committed to this intelligence? do you buy it? >> i do. the intelligence is clear the assad regime was involved in deploying these chemical weapons against their own people. i think we have a responsibility, as a result of that to take action. i recognize the american people are exhausted by war. we all are. at the same time, we continue to have a responsibility to exercise leadership in the world. it would be nice if the u.n. acted. it would be nice if our allies acted and others were willing to take that action. when that line has been drawn and action needs to be taken, the united states ultimately has to do that for the sake of the world and for the sake of world the sake of world peace. >> were you surprised that britain has withdrawn its plans to support, that it was rejected by the parliament to support any attack?

>> well, i understand the difficult choices that have to be made in this kind of situation. and i'll leave it to the brits to decide what course of action their country should take. >> has the u.s. looked enough forward to the question of whether this might tip the balance in the civil war and what if the opposition ultimately prevails what kind of mideast we would be looking at ? this is a very consequential moment for the united states in the middle east region and for that matter in the world. we're a world leader because of our values and what we believe it important to human dignity. we bear a large responsibility as a result of that to make sure that what happened in syria, the use of gas to kill hundreds of innocent men, women and children does not happen. >> some of my conversation friday with former cia director and secretary of defense leon panetta. if road like to see the entire interview you'll find it at that time nbcnews.com.

>> we want to get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories including an update on the health of former south african president nelson mandela. tom, good morning. >> good morning, everyone. despite early reports from some international media, former south african president nelson mandela is still in the hospital. government officials say mandela was not discharged and he remains in critical but stable condition. nbc's rohit kachroo is in pretoria with the latest. rohit, good morning. >> good morning, tom. for several hours here in south africa this morning, there was a great deal of confusion about the whereabouts of any son mandela, the revered former south african statesman with those international media reports saying he had been discharged from the hospital here and returned to his home around an hour from here in johannesburg where he has 24-hour access to medical care. government officials were woken early on saturday morning and they came out to deny these claims. we now know that the reports were false but perhaps most intriguing is that the source of the information appears to have been members of the mandela

family who say that they were in turn, misinformed. what this might all reveal is that members of the family believe that it's plausible that he might soon be discharged from the hospital. he's been treated here for 84 days, battling a recurring lung infection which he became susceptible to during close to 30 years on robin island. but officials here say he remains critically ill but in a stable condition, tom. >> rohit kachroo, live from pretor pretoria, south africa, thank you. and back here in the states, s.w.a.t. teams swarmed a new orleans neighborhood where a 1-year-old was gunned down in her baby-sitter's arms. police are hunting for two suspects seen running from the scene. little london samuels was struck by a bullet that was fired into her nanny's back as she was carrying the toddler home from the park. the baby-sitter is expected to be okay. tributes today for princess diana as mourners and admirers mark the 16th anniversary of her death. flowers and other mementos will

swallow up the gates of the kensington palace. this anniversary comes as a new book revibes conspiracy theories that there was a plot to kill her. it has prompted separate investigations by both scotland yard and the british army. justice ruth bader ginsberg will be the first member of the supreme court to conduct a same sex marriage ceremony officiating a wedding in washington today between kennedy center president michael kaiser and economist john roberts. she was among the majority in a supreme court decision earlier this summer declaring people in same-sex marriages are entitled to the same benefits as heterosexual married couples. a new day for san diego according to its interim mayor. city council president todd gloria took over city hall friday evening after embattled san diego mayor bob filner was stripped of his title. although he had already moved into the mayor's office, his work doesn't officially begin till tuesday morning. he says there's a lot to be done. filner was nowhere to be seen on his last day and his chief of

staff slipped out a back entrance to avoid reporters. this 93-year-old gives new meaning to the word wingman. succeeded in breaking his own world record for being a wing walker. he flew from scottland to north ireland. he looked like he was having the time of his life. he says it was the toughest thing he had ever done and is probably going to call it quits. that's the news. back to lester, erica and dylan. he started wing walking at the age of 85. >> wow. >> yeah. a spry 85. >> you may not want him as your wingman in the bar. all the ladies are going for him. not for you. >> and he's got the stories. >> yes. don't bring him with you to the bar if you are looking to meet somebody. thanks. >> dylan dreyer has the holiday weekend forecast. >> it's dark out this morning. >> yeah. >> it's august 31st, all of a

sudden. it's actually an interesting august. this is the first time since 2002 that we have not had a hurricane in august. so, it has been awhile since that's happened. the tropics remain quiet. here is why. we have wind shear. that means the wind is so strong it breaks storms apart. the dry air off the sahara is choking the potential for storms to develop. we are keeping an eye on one area of disturbance making its way off the coast of africa. it's not a tropical storm at this time but it could develop into a tropical cyclone. the models have it falling apart or moving to the north. it's not going to be a threat to land. it's something we will keep an eye on considering we have not had to deal with a lot of activity in the tropics. we are keeping an eye out for the storms from minnesota to the plains states where we could see

hail and damaging wind gusts perhaps an isolated tornds. looks like late our labor day weekend is off to a good start. 50s and 60s and a change from an hour ago. the sea breeze is coming in to hint at cooler changes for the afternoon. mainly 80s inland and that will be down six degrees from yesterday. 60s and 70s from san francisco to oakland and thanks to the stronger sea breeze. tomorrow could see a late day chance of the mountainous thunderstorms as moisture begins to arrive. that's your latest forecast. lester? >> thanks. one tourist area is seeing a slowdown at what should be the height of a busy season because of the massive wildfire near yosemite national park. right now, it's only 30%

contained. firefighters say they might not have it out fully until the middle of september. miguel almaguer has more from that devastated area. >> reporter: 30 miles from the rim fire, the historic town of groveland is safe, but not out of danger. this community is usually packed with tourists on a labor day weekend. this morning, lakes, beaches and businesses are desserted. the hotel is empty but the cancellation book is filling up. >> over 130 cancellations here since the beginning of the fire. >> reporter: with roadblocks shutting down access to rivers, they are worried their businesses may go under. >> 15% or 20% of our season was lost to the fire. >> reporter: still, these ladies were determined not to cancel a long planned trip. >> the fire and smoke is not going to prevent us from doing

anything. it's fine. it's beautiful up here. >> reporter: traffic to yosemite slowed, it's still open. the views are still smoke free. the nearby fire is massive, growing 3,000 acres an hour some days. the blaze is up to 200,000 acres, larger than the city of san jose, oakland combined. >> even though it's a holiday you work around the clock. >> we work around the clock until it's put out. >> reporter: the impact of the rim fire can be seen and felt hundreds of miles away. it's threatening tourism on this holiday weekend. for "today," miguel almaguer outside yosemite national park. for generations, washington, d.c.'s high school has been pride. it changed in the '50s and '60s.

we have the author of "first class." nice to have you with us this morning. >> thank you for taking an interest. >> this is a great story. a lot of people don't know about it. it's not that widely published. this was an impressive pool that graduated so many firsts. >> my parents went there. they said did you know the first black general of the army went to dunbar? they would tell me about amazing professors they had. they would tell me all about this. i thought well, why doesn't anyone in d.c. know about this? i wanted to chronicle it. >> your dad moved there from new york to go to high school at dunbar. what happened? there's an incredible legacy, then it took a major turn.

>> it was like a magnet. in washington, d.c., there were only two or three high schools black kids could go to because of '54, all the problems in the neighborhood came in. we know about the problems in the '70s, drugs in the '80s, violence in the '90s. there was a pocket that tried to hold on to the old historic spirit but it really had a tough time. d.c.'s problems became dunbar's problems. >> now things are changing. school started this week. >> in a brand-new $122 million high school. it is stunning >> so it's a gorgeous new facility. and one of the things up in the high school that i know has become a real important focus for a lot of people, there's this is wall that's the legacy and looking at achievements of past dunbar graduates and there's a lot of empty space. >> they have plax on the floor and eight post taj stamps graduated have been on and left some blanks to say to the students, this could be you. >> what's the take? as you read the history of the

school, it's fascinating. started in 1807. as we move forward, how likely is it that those things will change that we have those names? >> starting in the '70s. the idea i want people to take, it's about the human capital. you no he? buildings are beautiful but they can only do so much. it's about the dedication of the parents, the teachers and community. that the how we keep our public schools alive. >> you've sort of pulled out a little new sense of community with this book. you said you did a book event the other night? >> washington, d.c., 250 people showed up. 91-year-old dunbar graduate came up to me and said thank you for telling our story. my heart broke. >> it's a great read. nice to have you with us. the book again is first class. still to come, celebrating one little boy's differences. but first, this is "today" on nbc. unbelievable.

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was forced to wear an eye patch every day his mom said if people are going to stare at him it should be for a good reason. >> he said he should be a superhero. this 15-month-old is proof that super heroes wear patches. >> he had cat rack surgery, the lens in his eye was removed. he wore a patch. >> he was born with cataracts that affect less than 1% of the population. >> we got looks and kids asking if he was wearing an eye. there's not many kids out there that wear their patches out in public. it's a cool thing to wear a patch. >> with the help of nearly $5,000 raised on kick starter, his super mom created an eye catching collection of t-shirts,

capes and stickers. >> it snaps on the back. >> the kids wear is designed to make everyone, whether they are four, two or just one eye all feel the same. >>e want the shirt to help kids to be proud to wear their glasses or eye patches. >> from robots to monsters and cupcakes wearing patches and glasses, they are doing that. >> i hope he can grow up and not feel conscious about it. >> all superheroes need is someone in their corner to make them feel supper special in a super normal kind of way. >> the super cute scott has to wear the patch and glasses until he can have an artificial lens. >> amazing. the designs they have on the patches. you can change it up to match the outfit. an accessorizer. >> always matching.

>> there's more to come on a saturday. we are going to talk about the settlement between the nfl and former players. when it comes to powerful women, why some men may be more intimidated by them than impressed. first, these m

good morning to you. looking live at a very lovely start to the day, but things are going to get interesting. that is what rob mayeda says. i'm kris sanchez, and that is how you described it.

>> yes, some extra work over labor day weekend to track the forecasts. today is going to be rung cooler than the numbers we saw yesterday. 50s and 60s outside, but the change is coming in fairfield with the sea breeze picking up stronger than 24 hours ago. this is going to lead to inland temperatures today mainly in 80s and only 60s and 70s now from san francisco to oakland and that is a big drop in temperatures and low 80s in san jose and the interesting part of the forecast tomorrow, increase in clouds and by tomorrow night an into monday, a slight chance of isolated showers and something that we will take a closer look at coming up 7:00. >> thank you, rob. breaking news this morning, one man is dead following a shooting at a nightclub in oakland. the shooting happened before 1:30 this morning at club antawn on third street in jack london square. people inside of the club said that there appeared to be a fight before the shooting happened there. is no one in custody and the investigation continues. as for the bay bridge, right on schedule according to

caltrans and that is what they are saying about the work they are are doing. looking live all quiet and then you can see the crews hard at work on the bridge though. quiet for traffic though. and the workers are busy striping and paving the east and the westbound spans of the new bridge. demolition of the 1,000-foot long section of the westbound approach will be complete by the end of the weekend, but all of this is having a ripple effect on traffic throughout the bay area on this holiday weekend. >> plan ahead. make sure that if you are planning for an hour and half trip, plan for two hours and you can't predict with the weekend what the delays will be. >> everybody is being affected by this. yes. >> you will be glad when it is over? >> yes, absolutely. >> the reopening of the bridge is sed can yuled 5:00 tuesday morning and we are watching for you to see it is going to happen. new details about what might have caused the massive rim fire. investigators are looking into

whether marijuana growerers could be the cause of the fire. a fire official shared the information at a community meeting and nearly 215,000 acres have burned and now the fire is 35% contained. strike teams from san francisco and mountain view returned home last night after spending days on the fire lines, and firefighters also tell us that they were shock by the size of the fire, telling us that they'd never seen a blaze that big. coming up this morning on "today in the bay" a letter from a convicted killer is coming up at 7:00, and more local news in 30. too tasty. [ both laugh ] [ male announcer ] introducing progresso's new creamy alfredo soup. inspired by perfection. [ female announcer ] at 100 calories, not all food choices add up. some are giant. some not so giant. when managing your weight, bigger is always better. ♪ ho ho ho

♪ green giant we are back on this saturday morning, it is the 31st of august. we are not ready for the last day of august, are we? a crowd out here with us. nice to have them with us. spending part of their labor day weekend with us. nice to have you here as well. tammy wynet sang "stand by your man" but are they standing by their women? they may not be as happy for you as you think. we'll explain. just over 4.5 fetal and sometimes he needs his mom to carry his backpack, but this

11-year-old is making waves at college. we will hear from him and hear about his ambitious freshman year. brian banks spent years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of rape. could his dream continue? we'll bring and update. i want to begin with the impact from a $765 million settlement reached this week between the nfl and thousands of former players. the players brought the suit forward claiming they hid the dangers of head trauma after they suffered concussions with lifelong injuries. >> what impact could it have on youth football? ron mott has been looking into this. good morning. >> football has long since replaced baseball as america's game. it's more popular than ever. all we have learned, the game continues to grow at the youth level.

efforts to keep football stars of tomorrow from seeing stars when they take a hit to the head have grown more significant as they learn about the dangers of concussions. redesigned helmets, refocused training and programs like heads up football have been driven by calls to make it safer. despite football's unavoidable violent collision, parents are cheering their kids on, showing few signs of curving the sports growing numbers. >> when you play a sport, there's a risk of getting hurt whether it's a concussion or other injury. >> all the pads we wear, it's safe. >> keep your head up. not to tackle the way you were taught before. >> if you are coached and taught properly, it's a safe game. >> reporter: unlike a generation ago, the risks are discussed at every level of football up colluding the head injuries on young players. >> the brain takes a hit and

heals. takes another hit and heals. after awhile, the brain's ability to heal goes down a bit. that can lead to long term problems in how a child thinks and learns. the largest football organization with an estimated quarter million players change how coaches run practices and abide by a weight scale. despite all the safety measures, some head injuries occur. a football study this spring showed less than 4% of players surveyed get concussions. >> we want them to be lifelong healthy people. >> 3 million kids between 6 and 14 play football every year around the country. a vast majority of them suffer minor injuries if they are hurt. >> nice to see you this morning. >> dylan is back with a check of the weather. >> good morning, guys.

good morning, everyone. i'm trying to figure out what is brighter, the sign or the shirt. today is your birthday. how old are you? >> ten. >> double digits. feel any different? >> sort of. >> i think i felt different at 10. we are looking at heat in the middle of the country. it's been an extensive heat wave we are dealing with. with the humidity, dew point up to 70%. st. louis is going to feel like 106 this afternoon. the 100s are holding strong through the plains states. it's cooling off into chicago thanks to the thunderstorms we had with the cold front yesterday. the showers and storms are moving eastward. we are seeing off and on rain. late day showers up and down the east coast this afternoon and evening. best chance of storms today up through minnesota and down into western iowa. we could see large hail and damaging wind gusts as well. scattered showers and

a quick look at the today's high showing a cooler day in the 60s and 70s from san francisco to oakland and near 90s inland. we will see the coastal low clouds throughout the day with sunshine inland. notice the changes tomorrow morning. increasing high clouds sunday and you will see it right there, sunday evening and a chance of mountain showers. we will watch it for you late tomorrow and early monday, and then things will warm up as we pass the middle part of next week. baby harper already getting a shout out on the signs here. jenna, i don't know if you are awake right now, but harper is already on the signs. erica? >> we'll have to tweet it to her. thanks. just ahead, a look at why some men are a little insecure about their female partner's success. you could call him the little man on campus. the 11-year-old college

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watching a little girl become a little lady, and finding the courage to let her go. but what about the little victories? a smile... a confident glow... or a "thanks, mom." these are the victories we're famous for. famous brands, famously easy... famous footwear. victory is yours. this morning on "today's" relationships, men and jealousy. >> there's a new study that shows a man can take a hit when the woman succeeds. we hit the streets to see if it's true. >> i don't mind if my wife is

more successful. >> i'm not mr. mom. i could be, but i'm not. >> i love it. i take time off and go to the beach. >> it's an us, it's not a me and a you, it's an us. >> i will feel very uncomfortable about it. >> if i make more, be happy i'm accomplishing my goals and i'll do the same for you. >> psychotherapist dr. robby ludwig and author is here. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> only one man admitted in the sampling he would feel bad about himself. the study said subconsciously men feel threatened and their self-esteem suffers if their wife does better. are we that shallow we can't admit it or do we not recognize it? >> i feel like the poll was taken in 1950. i think -- here's what i think.

men define themselves by their accomplishments and women can get, you know, feel good about themselves in a relationship with their families. women define themselves differently. men have to have accomplishments to feel good about themselves. >> i think, too, it has to do with their self-esteem and how they interpret that success. if they interpret it to mean they are not good enough or they are a failure or will be unlovable, that success will be threatening. i have to say, i agree with you. i have found that is not necessarily the case. in fact, the opposite. >> it's interesting when you talk about this being done in the '50s. it's about how much money do you make? how successful are you in your career. when that balance gets threatened, especially as the study found, if the woman is more successful in a field where the man failed before. >> yes. >> then you kind of understand a

little bit. >> absolutely, it can happen. >> that's why i don't golf with my wife. i feel like the -- it feels like men, you know, men have a tendency to want to be, how do i say it? seen as valuable. you know what i mean? in a relationship, they want to take care of people. >> i think there's something about being protective. they want to rescue. perhaps a successful woman in some cases may not help a man feel that way but there are things women can do to turn that around. really, a partnership is about each partner pursuing their dream. if you are really helping the man in the relationship to pursue his dreams, then i think it can be -- >> i would argue that guy has other problems as well. >> the thing that struck my is cultural differences in the way women are viewed in society. i know it's a cross section.

>> we like the idea. women like the idea of a successful man. it helps her feel successful as well. we are socialized that way. if we are lucky enough to have a successful man choose us, we are doing well in life. i think it is changing for men. think of all the stories of how men coach their wives or their partner to handle or ask for more money. the mature man says in the end, if you are with somebody doing well, your lifestyle is better. >> no doubt. >> good discussion. thanks to you for coming on. >> he's not even a teenager yet, but this young man is making big strides on college campus. we are going to meet him after this. remember when this carpet looked nice? soft would be great, but we really just need "kid-proof." softsprings got both, let me show you. right over here. here, feel this. wow, that's nice. wow.

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♪ at night! [ male announcer ] with new smucker's natural fruit spreads, every day can be truly extraordinary. ♪ spread a little sunshine with naturally delicious smucker's natural. as soon as kids across the country head back to school, one 11-year-old in texas won't be starting middle school with kids his age. he's starting his freshman year at texas christian university. he's the youngest to walk the campus. >> reporter: it is always impressive to see an 11-year-old play a piano like an accompli accomplished adult, even if his feet can't reach the pedal. as school gets under way, carson may find little time for piano

practice. >> calculus one, physics one, history and religion. >> reporter: at 4'7" and 75 pounds, he's a freshman at texas christian university. his major? physics. >> it's the quantum physics, which is what's interesting to me about physics. >> reporter: carson is the youngest student at tcu. i want to be a doctorate, ph.d. >> reporter: it's not only extraordinary, it can be a problem on all those college forms. >> he was completely off the grid when it came to even the most basic of things like completing an application or financial aid form. the date of birth, the forms would not accept his application. >> he loves to learn. >> reporter: he was home schooled until 5. >> by age 2, he was reading chapter books. i taught him to read and write. he could write very well at age

3, his penmanship was amazing. >> reporter: in a traditional school at 5 years old, he was placed in eight grade. at 10, he graduated high school as co-valedictorian. >> he's a normal little boy. he likes to play, run, wrestle. >> reporter: he's brilliant and still in awe like the 11-year-old he is. >> it's kind overwhelming just being on campus here. it's just kind of like, wow, i'm actually here. >> reporter: corson, quantum physics major with potential as limitless as the universe. just ahead, ready for a comeback and the rough week for khloe kardashian and her husband. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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♪ turn around ♪ every now and then i get a little bit hungry ♪ ♪ and there's nothing good for me around ♪ ♪ turn around ♪ every now and then i get a little bit tired ♪ ♪ of craving something that i can't have ♪ ♪ turn around barbara ♪ i finally found the right snack ♪ ♪ ♪ i finally found the right snack ♪ 90-calorie fiber one lemon bar. good morning to you. looking live at the bay bridge and doesn't it look so peaceful from this vantage point? workers are working furiously to make make sure it reopens on time tuesday. i i'm kris sanchez along with

rob mayeda who joins us with the forecast. >> you can see the clouds around the bay bridge this morning. and 50s and 60s this morning, but later 90s near livermore and down to the 70s and 80s that we saw yesterday in oakland. and interesting part of the forecast clouds in by late tomorrow evening and slight chance of showers and maybe some mountain thunder and something to watch out for as we get into early monday morning. thank you, rob. breaking news in oakland after one man is dead after a shooting at a club antawn on third street. people inside of the club said that there was some sort of fight and then gun fire. when police got to the scene, they found one man shot at least one time. he was pronounced dead at the scene. right now investigators are

interviewing witnesses for a suspect description. this morning a 14-year-old boy is behind bars accused of sexual assault. alameda police say it happened at rue by bridges elementary. they say that the 14-year-old boy approach ed a female studen in a school bathroom and allegedly assaulted her yesterday afternoon. he took off, but police tracked him down a few blocks away. police say that the investigation is ongoing. this morning caltrans says that the work on the bridge is right on schedule and as we look live right now, we can see no real traffic, just the construction crews hard at work. all of the old roadway is now gone and the workers are busy striping and paving both the east and westbound spans of the bridge. demolition of that 1,000-foot long section of the westbound side of the bridge is going to b be demolished this weekend. >> plan ahead.

if you are are planning for an hour and a half trip, plan for two hours. you can't predict with the holiday weekend what the delays are going to be. >> everybody is affected by this? >> yes. >> you will be glad when it is over? >> yes, absolutely. >> the reopening of the bridge is scheduled for 5:00 tuesday morning. coming up today on the bay, a letter of convicted killer leonard naso and how he did not get to give his facts despite he represented himself. that and more coming up right after the "today" show.

good morning. it's saturday, august 31st, 2013. here is a look at today's top stories. uninspectors are out of syria setting the stage for u.s. to launch air strikes in retaliation for the chemical attack by syria's government. right now, it's a matter of when it will happen. he's out. bob filner is now san diego's former mayor leaving quietly on friday. the city moving forward with an interim mayor until someone new is elected. still dreaming. an update on the football player wrongly convicted of rape, spent years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. his nfl career may be over for

now, but it's not holding him back. i'm lester holt. >> i'm erica hill alongside dylan dreyer and tom. military action against syria. there's little doubt it will happen. the timing, however, is not clear. >> this morning, u.n. weapons inspectors left for lebanon. many people now believe they are out. the final hurdle to military action is gone. a strike could come within hours. new this morning, world leaders who are not in favor of u.s. intervention in syria speaking out among them russian leader vladimir putin saying if it happens it will be extremely sad. >> a team of correspondents are covering the ground. we want to begin with the timing of the u.s. response. kristen welker is live at the white house. good morning. >> reporter: lester, good morning to you. administration officials will

brief congressional republicans today as they continue to build their case. while president obama has said he hasn't made a final decision of how to proceed, the pentagon has a military plan in place and the strikes could come at anytime. with the u.n. inspectors out of syria, the obama administration has a clear path to strike, but when? on friday, strong words from the president. >> you cannot accept a world where women and children and innocent civilians are gassed on a terrible scale. >> reporter: this, after the administration mapped out the case to american people. u.s. officials say more than 1400 were killed including 426 children in 12 separate locations. u.s. satellites tracked rockets from government launchers by areas populated by rebels. intercepted communications reveal preparations to use the chemicals with commanders telling troops to wear their gas

masks. >> the world has an obligation to make sure we maintain the norm against the use of chemical weapons. >> reporter: some lawmakers aren't on board and urging president obama to call congress back from recess to vote. >> i think it's a political requirement and a legal and constitutional requirement. >> hawkish members are urging the president to take strong action against president asaid. >> i believe for us to sit by and watch this or launch a kind of thing where a few missiles land. that could be counter productive. maybe assad would say see, i stood up to the americans. >> reporter: five guided missile destroyers are ready. >> ultimately, this decision is going to fall on the president. it's going to be the united states, the lone superpower to take action here. >> reporter: president obama

vowed any military strike will be limited. this will not be another iraq. he said still, public support for such an attack is the administration has not been able to build a broad international coalition willing to join in that military effort. back to you. >> kristin welker, thank you. residents inside syria are bracing for the attack. as the government there prepares for its own response to however the u.s. does decide to intervene. bill neely on the ground in syria, live for us in damascus. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. >> give us a sense, how are things in damascus this morning, and what are you seeing in terms of preparations, even changes being made? >> reporter: well, things here are relatively calm, as you can see behind me. traffic is flowing maybe less than normal, some businesses are closed. but there's no sense of panic

here. on the other hand, people are worried. president obama's words that any strike might be limited and narrow is no comfort to people here. they really are concerned. the army, there are reports, that syria's army has been moving equipment, scud missiles, tanks, everything down to computers, and furniture outof military barracks and one area of the city they've taken up residents, as it were, in a mosque. they haven't stopped shelling of rebel-held districts. that's been consistent this morning with explosions every 15 minutes or so. we haven't heard from president assad in a couple of days. but the government has been on state television trying to reassure people about what it calls an american-israeli aggression. people are saying that there's no need to panic, that the country will defend itself and they're saying, for example, that bakeries will stay open 24

hours a day to cope with what it calls foreign aggression. but people are concerned about the immediate future, whether missiles might go astray, whether missiles might hit chemical weapon depots and send plumes of poison gas across this city. as for the u.n., the inspectors have gone, they left at dawn, before dawn, indeed this morning. it was almost unseemly haste. people see that as some kind of green light for an american military strike. so they are worried here, but no sense of panic. >> all right. bill, we know you will continue to follow it for us. lester? >> thanks. for more on what to expect in the coming hours and days, nbc news military analyst retired army colonel and recipient of the medal of honor, jack jacobs with me. good morning. good to see you. >> good morning. >> give us an idea, map out how hand attack likely scenario would go. >> it's all been targeted and targeted for quite some time.

take a look at things that we're probably going to strike, high-value targets. everything in red here are airfields of some import. we'll take them out to the maximum extent possible. there are some tank units that may have been complicit in launching the gas on the civilians in the first place. those locations, which are to the east of damascus, will also be targeted. so we are going after airfields, redoes their air capability, some units, also command and control facilities, so it would be difficult for him to mount a counterattack if the rebels start working on an attack and use our attack as an umbrella to launch. >> what's the likelihood of putting air crews in jeopardy over targets or is this stand-off? >> stand-off. absolutely zero. use just cruise missiles which have 1500 mile range. they're going to go off of class

cruisers. you can see it's got warhead of a thousand pounds, extremely destructive. go from ships in the mediterranean, there are five of them, plus one, maybe two submarines also which can launch cruise missiles. >> bill neely mentions risk of hitting chemical stockpiles. that's a risk you disperse it. will those be targeted? >> no. the likelihood is almost zero. cruise missiles don't have the capability, incendiary capability to destroy the substance. instead if we hit it, it will disper disperse. we're not going to do that. we'll owe after airfields, command and control facilities. >> we have seen in previous cruise missile attacks, opening days of the war in iraq and others, where they have to retarget, hit something, they didn't hit well enough, there's another barrage of attacks. is this going to be one-off or

will they keep firing until objectives? >> i think the latter. we have the capability of launching more than one cruise missile at one target. we probably won't have to do that. and the new generation of cruise missiles can be programmed with many targets in advance. can be sent to one target, told to loiter off the target, and then go to a completely different target altogether. >> all right. they're not infallble. they're not infallible. they're subsonic, next generation of cruise missiles will go mach 4 or 5. these possibly can be shot down by aircraft or by surface-to-air missiles because they're subsonic, but they fly very low to the ground, 25 to 50 feet. >> colonel, thanks. >> a check of the rest of the top stories. good morning, everyone. we start out west. fire crews are making progress battling a raging wildfire that swept into yosemite national park. california officials say at least one-third of the fire was

contained as of friday. some evacuation orders were lifted as a result. they say they hope to fully surround the fire in about three weeks, but the warm, dry weather this labor day weekend may pose challenges. despite earlier report from international media, former south african president nelson mandela is still in the hospital. government officials in south africa say mandela was not discharged, and he remains in critical but stable condition. mandela was admitted to the hospital with a lung infection back in june. back here in the states, san diego's mayor bob filner slipped quietly out of city hall after a rough few weeks. nowhere to be seen friday, last day in office. chief of staff snuck out a back entrance to avoid reporters. the interim maier didn't come in quietly. his work doesn't begin until tuesday. he says there's a lot to be done. mourners and admires are mark the 16th anniversary of princess diana's death. flowers, notes and other

mementos are swallowing up the gates of comes after conspiracy theories there was a plot to kill the people's princess. it's launched several investigations by scottland yard. a snow day at the san diego zoo. if you thought nothing can cuter than kids playing in the snow, check this out. it took 100 blocks of ice to create 30,000 poupds of snow blown into the zoo. the snow day was a special gift from zee donors. this is just like home for them. the pandas said thank you so much. they said next time, let's get a jacuzzi. it would be much more fun. >> we need more panda stories in this show. >> more pandas? >> we are on a panda run at this point. tom, thanks. dylan is back with a check of your weather on this labor day

weekend. good morning. >> labor day is early, isn't it? >> i don't know. maybe we aren't ready to get go. >> it seems early. for this labor day weekend, decent weather in the middle of the country where it's still hot. we have a slight risk of stronger storms in minneapolis, today. we'll keep an eye out for that. tomorrow, it pushes eastward. the great lakes region and on labor day itself, up and down and we are going see slightly cooler temperatures today with with a slightly stronger sea breeze. cooler in san francisco and oakland and highs in the 60s and 70s. tomorrow, though, we will have increase in clouds and noticing that by sunday morning and as we get into sun dave eveniday evene of showers. and then we will see the numbers warming up into the 90s inland for the second half of the week.

that's your latest forecast. erica? >> thanks. we have an update this morning on the football player who is finally able to live his dream of making it to the ffl after a wrongful conviction. >> he was off the field for nearly a decade until he was picked off by the falcons. this morning, he's off the team. he hasn't lost his hope. >> this isn't the end of him. it's more like a beginning. dreams die hard and big dreams harder still. >> of course you don't want to get those words of, you know, we are going to let you go, we are releasing you. >> reporter: he gave it everything he had on the field until the end of the last preseason game. >> stepping on the feld and making two tackles, one for loss and having that passion for the game once more. this is something i will take to the end with me.

>> reporter: in the end, there was too much to overcome. while the other players his age were honing their skills in college and the pros, banks, a top prospect in high school lost nearly a decade sitting in prison then on probation falsely convicted of rape. his accuser recanted her story. banks got a chance to restart his career. >> here i am 28, you know, trying to catch up on lost time. it definitely does take a toll on you in a way where you just, what if, maybe back then this could have happened. >> reporter: the talk cut him friday. the team owner was so impressed by his character, they are trying to find a job for him. his mom never waivered in her belief. >> he won. he's a free man. that is the most important thing that will ever happen to him. >> reporter: ask anyone in the locker room and they tell you getting cut is the worst thing

that ever happened to them. for banks, it's a bump on the road for victory. >> if this is it today, i can probably look at my mom and tell her i succeeded in going for the dreams i once lost and not letting anything get in my way. i'm still here today. i'm still a winner. >> there's still a slim chance for him. he could make the falcons practice squad and every now and then they make it on the other team or a team that sees this report, sees he's open and picks him up. what an outlook on life. so much adversity. sat in prison thinking about his nfl career, knowing he's innocent. >> we talk about sports figures. we get so upset when they don't live up to their expeck tags. what a great role model he is. still to come, a comedian tries to make a comeback and the latest on the "american idol"

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accomplishing even little things can become major victories. i'm phil mickelson, pro golfer. when i was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, my rheumatologist prescribed enbrel for my pain and stiffness, and to help stop joint damage. [ male announcer ] enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders, and allergic reactions have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. you should not start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if you have symptoms such as persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. since enbrel helped relieve my joint pain, it's the little things that mean the most. ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you. [ doctor ] enbrel, the number one biologic medicine prescribed by rheumatologists.

this morning on today's entertainment, a look at celebrities who may be headed to divorce court and "american idol" announces new judges. >> good to see you. >> good to see you as well. >> it's been a tough week for khloe kardashian and lamar odom. >> he was arrested for a dui on friday morning. khloe is sticking by her man. she hopes lamar gets help. she's staying by him. she's going to ride this out with him. >> "american idol" is looking for a judge. has been for some time. any front-runners? >> harry connick jr. >> harry, huh? >> j.lo is back.

now harry. ryan seacrest said an announcement will be made anytime now. >> hopefully it will give ratings a bump. >> they are going to make it less about the judges and more about the contestants. they have to retool things. >> we can't help that we have the best show on nbc with "the voice." >> catherine zeta jones and michael douglas. >> they are separated. he's still wearing his ring. maybe they will work it out. no talk of divorce, yet. >> clint eastwood and his wife. >> 17 years. she's got issues. they are separated. one daughter together. dave chappell. not so funny. walked off the stage because the crowd was disrespecting him. part of me thinks that's part of

being a comedian. >> you get heckled as a comedian. he was performing. he sat on stage, smoked a cigarette and sat there until 25 minutes. the crowd said it was horrible to watch. remember in 2005 at the height of his show, he walks away. he's famous for walking away. >> the more he pulls back, the more they taunted. >> exactly. >> it was spiraling out of control. >> more and more uncomfortable. not so much of a comeback there. >> he's on tour now. hopefully he'll do better. people pay money, they want to see you perform. >> nice to see you. >> you can watch e at 7:00 eastern and pacific. unbelievable.

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that's going to do it for us on a saturday morning. >> thanks for joining us. tomorrow on "today," a boy swims with a dolphin. that's tomorrow. >> enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend. take care. thanks for watching. ♪ at chico's we're famous for our so slimming jeans. ♪ now, meet our instantly slimming, secretly shaping dresses, skirts and pants. ♪ they slim, smooth, and shamelessly flatter, exactly where it matters. the so slimming collection. so fabulous. only at chico's and chicos.com. ♪

♪ [ male announcer ] bob's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today his doctor has him on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. we've just topped our quarter pounder with even more bold new taste. you love bacon. we added thick-cut, applewood bacon to our new quarter pounder blt. now more than ever, there's something for everyone to love at mcdonald's. sthat is why i'm through thed moon to present our latest now more than ever, innovation, tempur choice. it features an adjustable support system that can be personalized with a touch of a button. so both of you can get the best sleep possible...together. goodnight love chickens. ...excuse my english, love birds..

♪ [ female announcer ] nothing gets you going quite like the power of quaker oats. today is going to be epic. quaker up. then we tried this nutri-grain fruit crunch bar. it's so crunchy. crunchy granola, mmmm... made with real fruit, 20 grams of whole grains. now, we love mornings. ♪ remember when this carpet looked nice? mornings. soft would be great, but we really just need "kid-proof." softsprings got both, let me show you. right over here. here, feel this. wow, that's nice. wow. the soft carpets have never been this durable. you know i think we'll take it. get kid-friendly toughness and feet-friendly softness, without walking all over your budget. he didn't tell us it would do this. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot.

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good morning. i'm kris sanchez. breaking news out of oakland where gun fire erupts in jacquelyne square. now the latest on what police say about the shooting. and u.n. inspectors are out of syria clearing the way for a possible u.s. military strike. a live look at the bay bridge this morning where the crews are hard at work getting everything set for the big opening on tuesday. we will show you how the closure will impact your labor day plans. today in the bay is next. mom?

did nana ever give you cheerios when you were a little kid?

yeah, she did. were cheerios the same back then? cheerios has pretty much been the same forever. so...when we have cheerios, it's kind of like we are having breakfast with nana... yeah... ♪ yeah. you're so smart. from nbc bay area, this is "today in the bay." . good morning. looking live at sunrise from our camera in san jose. you can see a little bit of the cloud cover. i bet you have all kinds of plans for this labor day holiday, and let's find out if the weather is going to cooperate. kris sanchez h