right now at 7:00 on today in the bay, a military strike against syria on hold for now. president obama's unexpected announcement now turns the power over to congress. we hear from bay area representatives this morning. plus -- >> we don't know that they're getting dispatched off shootings for people who are dizzy, intoxicated, complaining of headaches. >> a 15-month investigation of 911 calls uncovers a broken system in the bay area, why shootings and stabbings aren't always a top priority. and a live look at the bay bridge as crews continue to get everything ready for tuesday's reopening. we'll show you some of the events celebrating in the next

few days and we'll watch the progress. today in the bay starts right now. good morning. and we're looking live at a very pretty start to the day from our san jose camera, and we're expecting a little drizzle in the forecast at some point, maybe. thanks for joining us. i'm kris sanchez along with rob mayeda. the question is, when the drizzle? no pressure. >> we don't want the weather to be the grinch. it looks like they got the striping work done there around the toll plaza. that's an encouraging sign. 57 in san francisco where we have fog and mist with some of the low clouds. 63 in san jose where we're seeing clouds coming up out of the south, partly cloudy skies. sea breeze still getting into fairfield. temperature wise, the same as yesterday if not slightly cooler. upper 70s closer to downtown san jose. mid-80s across the east bay. the satellite and radar view is

interesting. you can see moisture bringing showers to the sierra. some of that may try to kick off an isolated shower, not just for today, but also into labor day monday. we'll show you the areas most likely to see the showers and how long we might see that coming up a few minutes from now. >> well, it's almost time. the new span of the bay bridge has been in the works for years. but this morning, we're now less than 48 hours away from the much anticipated reopening. a live look at the toll plaza this morning. quiet, except for the emergency crews making sure no wayward traffic gets on the bridge. crews started working on the temporary bike path overnight as well. the demolition of the old 1,000-foot section of the westbound approach is expected to be finished some time this morning. caltransays demolition striping is taking longer than expected but the bridge is still scheduled to make that deadline, that 5:00 a.m. reopening on tuesday. and take a look. we got a chance to take a drive across the brand new eastern

span of the bridge yesterday. and it is now connected to the tunnel, which is also getting some refacing there. yerba buena island. it's wide open with broad views of the bay. >> i will say from a personal perspective and from the perspective of a highway patrol man, the driving experience is extremely nice. the roadway is very smooth. the curves are very nice, and even. there's no sharp turns or anything like that. >> not that infamous s-curve which is now gone. it's a straight shot to the tunnel once again. the chp is still warning drives, take it slow the first time. officers say because of the open feeling and that smooth pavement, some drivers may be tempted to step on the gas. >> there are a number of celebratory events plans for the bridge between tomorrow and its scheduled opening early tuesday morning. at 3:00 tomorrow afternoon, there's a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled and there's speculation the bridge could

open after that. and no matter when it does, the motorcade will be the first to cross the new span, followed by a procession of older cars built around the time of the original bay bridge that opened in 1936. then, bay area dignitaries will take the drive. the temporary bike path will open tuesday morning at 10:00. and stay with nbc bay area and nbcbayarea.com for continuing coverage. we have your get-around guide, including traffic maps, cameras and alternate routes and progress posted all day long. now to the latest on the crisis in syria. new video just in overnight of u.n. inspecters arriving in the netherlands. there they will examine evidence they collected, including blood and urine samples from the victims of the alleged chemical weapons attack in syria 11 days ago. we have a live look at the white house where president obama surprised the entire country yesterday, seeking congressional

approval before ordering any military strike against the syrian government. congress is not scheduled to be back in washington for several more days, but some members are headed back this morning for closed-door briefings in just a few hours. brian moore has the latest from washington. members of congress are about to get classified brief g briefings on the evidence of a syrian chemical weapons attack, and president obama hopes they will reach the same conclusion he has. >> they have agreed to schedule a debate and then a vote as soon as congress comes back in the session. >> though the house won't begin debate until the week of september 9th, it's good news for lawmakers who wanted a say. >> i am very glad that president obama has listened to the bipartisan calls. >> i do think the president is to be commended for bringing this action to congress. this is not indecision on his part. it's democracy. >> protesters outside the white house and around the country, a

delay is hardly a victory. >> who has given the united states the moral decree, the moral authority to go in? >> it was a disappointment, though, for supporters of sift action. >> what's needed is a lot more than just a punitive action. >> i will seek -- >> the delay gives president obama another chance to argue his case on the world stage this coming week as he heads to russia for the g-20 summit. brian moore, nbc news washington. several members of congress from the bay area are reacting, telling us they have doubts about taking military action in syria. this is anti-war protesters who took to the streets in san jose.isco, san mateo and san members of congress were reviewing the draft resolution sent to them from the white house. eric swallow of dublin who just returned from a trip in afghanistan said he doesn't want the u.s. to get drawn into another conflict in the middle east that could put u.s. troops on the ground. >> the president's resolution,

as i have read it, does not limit him from putting troops intosary yeah. sphthat's the case, i can't support it. >> what is theened game? will we be safer? will it stop assad? will it bring the rebels together? >> congresswoman barbara lee of oakland tells us she was the only member of congress to vote against the use of force in afghanistan back in 2001 and although she's disgusted by the chemical attack in syria, she's reluctant about a military response. larry gerston is in washington, d.c. this morning keeping a close eye on the developments there. we're going to talk with him live later on in the newscast. and stay with us for continuing coverage of the crisis in syria onair and online at nbcbayarea.com. still ahead, one family's emotional plea for help after a father is killed by a hit and run driver in milpitamilpitas.

a san jose family is mourning the senseless death of a man known as a loving father and a selfless friend. they say the one thing that could bring them some peace would be to know how the hit-and-run crash happened and who was behind the wheel. the 52-year-old was riding his bike to work saturday, august 11th, about 5:45 in the morning when he was struck by a maroon suv at the intersection of westbound montague expressway and great mall parkway. his family is hoping someone will remember something. >> he was someone who would like to make people smile. he always wanted happiness of others around him. >> bipin patel's family said he was known for his bear hugs, his laughter, his selflessness. he died alone as he rode his bike to work on august 10th. the driver of a maroon su vurx

struck him at montague expressway and great mall parkway and left him. >> it's hard to imagine him lying there without help for x amount of time, we're not sure. that's something we're going to have to picture in our heads. >> patel was not wearing a helmet and suffered a devastating brain injury. his family honored his wishes, donating his lungs, kidney, and liver. she said that's what her father wanted and he also would have wanted the family to forgive the driver who hit him. >> we wish no harm to the person who caused this. we just hope that they would be able to accept the responsibility and bring us some peace and closure. >> milpitas police want closure for the family, too, though answers don't always come as fast as people like. >> when we're looking for a vehicle, we may not tell the public we're looking for a vehicle because now the suspect may know we're looking for the

vehicle. >> police posted signs asking for witnesses to come forward. so far, only one. bipin patel's family hopes the driver will still do the right thing. >> it would just bring us a bit of closure, a bit of peace. nothing is goefrb to cover that cap or loss in our lives, but it's a little bit of peace we can get. >> pippen patel was hit by a maroon suv on saturday august 11th around 5:45 in the morning. if you saw something, the patel family hopes you will find it in your hearts to call the police. still ahead on today in the bay, amazing new video of a car getting caught in a landslide, but it's what happens next that you might not believe would allow somebody to walk away. incredible video there. looking out to the isoof san jose this morning, a mix of clouds. low clouds and now mid-level tropical clouds coming out of the south that could kick off an isolated shower in parts of the bay area.

we'll talk about that when we come back.

new this morning, former south african president nelson mandela is now out of the hospital and the stories are not conflicting anymore. ambulances were seen arriving at his home in johannesburg this morning. he remains in critical but stable condition but his doctors say he'll get the same level of intensef care at home that he received in the hospital where he was treated for a recurring lung infection. a statement from the south african presidency says mandela will return to the hospital if his condition worsens. no word yet on the identity of the armed man who police shot and killed in the east bay yesterday. officers say they received certainly emergency calls about a person firing shots around 2:30 in the afternoon in union city. they say the man who was carrying several weapons refused to put them down. police say they shot him because they were concerned for their own safety.

police in palo alto are asking for your help as they look to track down the men who robbed a couple at a post office. officers released this sketch of one of the suspects. police saying he's about 30 years old, 6 feet tall and about 200 pounds. he and another man robbed the couple just after midnight tuesday in the parking lot of the post office on east bay shore road. the husband handed over his wallet and the suspects took off. >> the most scenic parts of yosemite national park have been spared the massive rim fire until now. now smoke is making its way into the yosemite valley. for a first time since the rim fire started two weeks ago, smoke is blanketing the valley on one of the park's busiest weekends of the year. people visiting the park tell us the smoke is so thick, you can't see half dome. despite that, crews are making progress. the rim fire now 40% contained

and evacuation orders have been lifted for communities north of the park. some of the 5,000 firefighters were allowed to go home over the weekend, including strike teams from the bay area. more than 220,000 acres have burned so far, making it the fourth largest wildfire in state history. and now rob mayeda has a look at some of the weather conditions, the air quality that the firefighters and visitors to the park are dealing with. >> we saw the wind pattern change yesterday that pushed some of the dense smoke down through the yosemite valley and back to the central voalley whee we're going to see an air quality warning continuing for areas fresno southward to bak bakersfield. the yosemite area, that through noon today and likely through noon on monday. and we'll see an air quality warning continuing as the fire continues to burn. the temperatures have come down to upper 70s. there's increased moisture and actually a chance of seeing a few showers.

not a whole lot happening overnight, but the moisture in southern california spilling towards yosemite and some may try to get closer to the bay area later on. right now, 50s and 60s right now. a sea breeze pushing fog and mist into san francisco. the winds southwest at 21 into fairfield. a west wind in livermore hints at a fairly mild afternoon ahead for the east bay valleys. today, more clouds, not just the coastal low clouds, but mid-level moisture from the south which could kick off an isolated shower around some of the hilltops, especially around the south bay and east bay hills later tonight and maybe a shower or two for monday, maybe just a brief passing shower and the second half of the week, the summer-like temperatures coming back. you can see a system spinning off shore. that's our trough of low pressure, and now it's making a turn to the north and you can see it. as the moisture starts to move over the bay area, it's going to block out the sun at times. less sunshine that we saw

yesterday, especially for areas around the south bay. down toward morgan hill. as we get into tomorrow, you see more moisture moving across the bay area and perhaps around mt. hamilton and in the santa cruz mountains later tomorrow evening, out toward morgan hill and sacramento, a chance of an isolated shower or two. and tuesday, skies start to clear as we transition into a warmer forecast for the second half of the week. helding to the coast today, you're going to see temperatures around the 60s around half moon bay and pacifica. near 80 in santa cruz. that's the place to be if you want to head to the coast. temperatures in the bay will be in the upper 70s to 80 degrees. downtown, still mid-80s around morgan hill. east bay temperatures similar to that. mostly low to mitt-80s around the try valley, toward fairfield. 60s in san francisco. 79, nice day, around santa rosa, but the isolated showers are going to linger as the mid-level moisture lingers.

extra humid outside, you may notice until tuesday, then temperatures spring back to the 90s again. the unofficial end of summer, not true, according to the seven-day forecast. heat coming in as we head to next weekend. >> we were just talking yesterday about getting our winter garden in. i don't feel like it. >> no. >> not feeling it yet. >> not yet. >> thanks. incredible new video out of northern taiwan. take a look, car gets caught right in the middle of a sla landslide, then watch that. massive boulder comes within what looks like inches of crushing the car. shocked to hear that none of the passengers were hurt? >> amazing. >> i'm just surprised. i would think that at least the driver would have a panic attack. the landslide was triggered by heavy rains over the past few days due to tropical storm. >> well. that's something you don't get to see. really shocking. >> always keep your guard up

with that much rain. >> very scary. still ahead on today in the bay, it is not what you expect to see in a backyard, necessarily. >> they need somebody to take care of them, and it gives us something to do. >> a couple takes their love of turtles to a whole new level. when allergies and nasal congestion hit i rely on the speed and power of claritin-d. it starts working in just 30 minutes. nothing relieves nasal congestion faster or stronger.

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of all the things that could change the course of your life, an allergy to fur seems like an unlikely one, but that's what led a couple down an interesting road, that and a soft spot for very hard creatures. we have their one of a kind story that will make you bay area proud. >> if there's one thing that these undeniably true about living in the bay area, it's that you never know what you'll find around the next corner. particularly if that corner takes you to the end of this

castro valley cul-de-sac and the home of gary and ginger willphong. >> are you guys crazy? >> yeah. >> he is. i'm not. >> she drove me crazy. >> bickering, it turns out, is one of two things that the willphongs are very good at. the other -- taking care of this little guy. and these big guys. and absolutely every kind of turtle and tortoise in between. >> busting through the grass there. >> just how many live in gary and ginger's backyard? your guess is as good as theirs. >> when a gal from animal control was here counting, when she got to 115, she says, i'm not going to count anymore. >> these guys will start showing in just a minute. >> gary says it all stoorted with a single tortoise back in 1987. he had animals all his life and when ginger develops an allergy to fur, turtles made a lot of

sense. ginger was soon onboard as well. >> well, they don't talk back. they don't, you know, cause a ruckus. >> in fact, gary and ginger like the turtles so much they couldn't help collecting them, and when one needed rescuing, they couldn't say no to that, either. or the next one. or the hundreds upon hundreds that have ended up on their doorstep since. they're now a recognized turtle and tortoise rescue organization, accepting animals from around northern california and the world. >> the one you're aiming at is oscar. he came from africa in '87-88. boy were her legs tired. >> it seems there's almost no end to the number of animals who need help and no end to gary and jenjer's dedication to them. >> box turtles love water. >> caring for, feeding, watering seven days a week, morning, noon, and night, every day of the year. never taking a vacation, never

asking for help. >> it's just one little part of the world that we try and help. >> they need somebody to take care of them. and it gives us something to do. >> so yes, by their own admission, the willphongs are crazy and because of that, these turtles are lucky. >> and now my kids are going to want turtles and tortoises. still ahead, an investigating unit exclusive. >> i'm afraid for anyone who needs help in the 911 system. >> we investigate 15 months of 911 calls and uncover a broken system in the bay area. plus, we're looking live this morning at the bay bridge, watching for progress. we'll show you how the construction is going and even some of the events planned for as early as tomorrow. people go to a mattress store and essentially they just get sold something.

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good sunday morning to you. looking live at a beautiful start to the day. blue sky, a little bit of cloud, and a forecast that should allow for your labor day barbecue if you're not working on the bay bridge. thanks for joining us. i'm kris sanchez along with rob mayeda. an interesting forecast. maybe some drizzle, but not enough to ruin the plans. >> not around san francisco, and you saw sonoma, tropical clouds coming in. we have 50s and 60s outside. mist from some fog, though, closer to san francisco. 60s inland around livermore and san jose. sea breeze will be strong enough to keep the temperatures inland into the 70s to mid-80s out toward fairfield and antioch for the afternoon. 60s in san francisco, low 70s in oakland. more we're starting to see in the sunole camera, more moisture coming out of southern california, trough of low pressure to the west, they may combine to give us an isolated

shower or two. we'll have a full look at how long the showers will be in the forecast and the 90s returning in the seven-day forecast. >> thanks, rob. their job is to save lives. paramedics in alameda county are revealing to us a broken system. one with potentially dangerous consequences. tony kovaleski uncovered troubling statistics during a six-month investigation. >> dispatch, emergency. >> i'm afraid for anyone that needs help in the 911 system. >> medic 21 en route. >> they don't know that the ambulance units are getting dispatched off shootings for people who are dizzy, intoxicated, complaining of headaches. >> a veteran paramedic working in alameda county. >> responding. >> i just don't see how someone who is vomiting is in more dire straits than somebody who has

been shot. >> 20 months ago, alameda county hired a new paramedic company and changed its entire dispatch system, including how paramedics respond to shootings and stabbings. >> we prioritize wrong. >> she's also a responder. both asked us to disguise their identities. >> can you get fired for sitting in front of our camera? >> yes. >> i called 911, and you know, i want an ambulance right away. >> less than two months after the county's emergency response transition, gabrielle martinez's 5-year-old was shot near his taco truck in oakland. >> my son died in my hands. >> he died in your hands? >> right.

>> when martinez called 911, following protocol, they categorized it as low priority, officially a bravo case. in this case, an ambulance was on scene in less than five minutes, but because it was a bravo call, it meant paramedics could have taken up to 15 minutes to get there and it could have been diverted to a so-called higher priority call. paramedics say that's the problem. >> shootings are considered a low-priority call. >> was that a mistake that day to code that as a bravo call? >> joshua english managed the emergency response system for alameda county. >> you know what happened to the young boy. >> why should that not have been the highest priority call in the system? >> i don't like to second guess the paramedics, emts or dispatchers. they do a hard job. >> and our research also found other high-profile shootings in oakland that received

low-priority bravo responses. in april, the fatal shooting of off-duty paramedic quinn bowyer. in july, the fatal shooting of alaysha carradine. and this emergency call offers a significant contrast. in april, paramedics responded to this oakland b.a.r.t. station, a call for an intoxicated individual. a charlie category response. this call to assist a drunk received a higher priority than the three fatal shootings. >> the system is not being run correctly. >> mike dutra is another veteran paramedic. >> any report of a shooting, if i was making the policy, would come in as at least a delta level response, if not an echo. >> delta and echo receive the highest priority and shortest response times. we analyzed 15 recent months of emergency calls. 87% of all shootings, stabbings,

and penetrating trauma were dispatched at bravo calls, the second lowest priorities. they can be diverted for higher priority emergencies. the sail records show 100% of callers claiming they're clammy received a high priorities. delta level response. >> shooting and stabbings, will they be more of a priority in the future in alameda county? >> absolutely. no question. you're going to make changes because of the questions we've asked? >> yes. >> but our investigation has found more concerns. >> i don't feel we have enough ambulances available on the street to meet the demands of the county. >> although managers in the county say response times are met more than 90% of the time, paramedics point to regular pages like this one. alerting the crew that the system is on level zero. level zero, what does that mean? >> that is when there are no ambulances available to run

calls in a specific area. >> how often does that happen? >> i don't know. >> and look closely at this, a level zero page. alerting paramedics a call has been holding for 20 minutes. >> if there are no ambulances to respond to calls, that would sound to a layman -- >> sure. >> like a problem. >> and it's not a new problem. >> you don't know how many times in the county you have gone to level zero? >> it's not a number we track. >> a number they do track is the number of fines and penalties paramedics plus has paid for failing to meet contract requirements including response times. >> you paid more than $5 million in the past year? >> yes, we have. >> he's the chief operating officer of paramedics plus in california. he admits since taking over the alameda county contract, paramedics plus has lost money. help me understand, in the first year-plus, more than $5 million in penalties, you said you're not making money.

how does this work? >> we get better. we work to get better. that's how it works. >> code 3, bravo level. >> our response times to the three high profile bravo shootings were within the guidelines, but the reason the county is changing is because when categorized as the low priority call, shootings and stabbings can and often are diverted to other emergencies. if you have a tip for our investigative unit, give us a call or send an e-mail to the unit@nbcbayarea.com. >> back to the bay bridge now. we have been talking about it for decades and now we're less than 48 hours away from the much anticipated reopening of the bay bridge. on the toll plaza this morning, just emergency crews and workers. it's quiet, but crews started work on the temporary bike path overnight. demolition of the old 1,000-foot section of the westbound

approach is expected to be finished some time this morning. caltrans says demolition and striping are taking a little longer than expected, yet the bridge is expected to make the 5:00 a.m. deadline on tuesday morning. we had a chance to drive across the span. you can see some of the architectural elements there. it's connected to yerba buena island through the tunnel which is also getting sprucing. it does have wide-0open views o the bay. >> i will say from a personal perspective and the perspective of a highway patrolman. the driving experience is very nice. the roadway is very smooth. the curves are very nice and even, no sharp turns or anything like that. >> no more s-curve, remember that one? it's now a straight shot to the tunnel. chp is still warning drivers to take it slow first time around. as folks get used to the traffic and the feel of the bridge, they say that because it's so open and wide and smooth, some

drivers may be tempted to step on the gas, but they should not. >> before regular traffic takes over the new span, there are ceremonial events plans between tomorrow and its scheduled opening tuesday morning. a ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for tomorrow at 3:00 p.m., there is speculation the bridge could be ready to open after that. no matter when the bridge opens, a chp motorcade will be the first to cross the bridge, followed by a procession of older cars built around the time the original bridge opened in 1936. then bay area dignitaries will take the drive. the temporary bike path will open tuesday morning at 10:00, after the official opening at 5:00 in the morning on tuesday. still ahead on today in the bay, the a's continue to battle it out for a playoff spot. we'll show you how they took the sting out of the rays.

and looking live at o.co

coliseum where the a's will look to finish off a sweep of the tampa bay rays. first pitch, 1:05. bottom of the sixth, cocoa crisp singles up the middle. they score to give the a's a 1-0 lead. bottom of the eighth, crisp again. homer to right field for his 15th of the year. the a's beat the rays 2-1 and are tied with tampa bay in the wild card race. now to the giants and d-backs in arizona. top of the seventh, giants down by a run, and buster posey singles to right. marco scutaro scores. game tied up at 3-3. former a's eric chavez rips one to center. the diamondbacks win in a walk-off fashion 4-3. still ahead on today in the bay, nbc bay area plolitical analyst larry gerston is in washington following

developments on a possible military strike on syria as congress members prepare to meet. he joins us live, next. it's a bike ride fund-raising event that involved over 2,000 bicyclists, 300 volunteers, staff, and we raised

about $1.2 million. >> hi, we're the byrd family. my son malachi, he was diagnosed with type one diabetes when he was 3 years old. my husband really wanted to raise money for diabetes and he liked the fact that the american diabetes association had the bike ride. >> we started by asking friends and family to join us in the ride and also to donate. >> it was a lot of fun, and mike and malachi ended up riding 35 miles in the bike race. >> diabetes is an epidemic. a lot of people are looking for ways to do things to help the situation. we have a lot of opportunities for people to help us. >> i have been the national team lead for six years and i have seen an incredible growth in the number of riders, the teams we have and amount of money we have raised over time. i'm super happy to say for the last two years we've been the number one team raising the most money for the american diabetes

association. more now on the crisis in syria this morning. in just about three hours, members of congress are expected to meet in washington, d.c. for a closed-door briefing. yesterday, president obama made a surprise announcement, saying he would seek congressional approval before ordering a military strike against the syrian government for its alleged use of chemical weapons. today in the bay's monte francis has reaction from bay area members of congress. >> what we must do is keep the pressure on. >> within hours of the president's announcement about syria, about 100 anti-war protesters took to the streets of san francisco. smaller protests were held in san jose and san mateo. and bay area members of congress, including representative eric swaul well of dublin were busy looking over

the white house's draft resolution. >> the president's resolution as i have read it does not limit him from putting troops into syria. if that is the case, i can't support it. >> he just returned from a trip to afghanistan and said he doesn't want the u.s. to get drawn into another conflict in the middle east that would put u.s. troops on the ground. the resolution authorizes the president to take action that, quote, he determines to be necessary. it's a phrase that he finds problematic, even though the president said he doesn't want boots on the ground. >> by broadly allowing the president to use any means necessary with our armed forces, i think that's too far. >> representative barbara lee of oakland was the only member of congress to vote against the use of force in afghanistan back in 2001. by phone, she denounced the chemical attack in syria but sounded averse to military action as a response. >> i have to tell you, i'm very reluctant as it relates to

taking any military action that could lead to unintended consequences and also that would set us back from a negotiated settlement. >> dianne feinstein of san francisco who chairs the senate intelligence mitty said she agrees with the secretary of state's assessment that they can't let an attack on its own people go on without a response. they say, quote, it's clear the american people are weary of war. however, assad gassing his own people is an issue of our national security, regional stability, and global security. congressman anna eschew told us unlike with iraq, she doesn't doubt the intelligence that assad carried out the chemical attack, but says she needs more information before making a decision. >> what is the end gain? will we be safer? will this stop assad? will it bring the rebels

together? >> and peninsula congress woman jackie speier echoed her colleagues saying any decision by the u.s. to intervene should not be made in haste. >> congress is expected to vote on the resolution the week of september 9th. for more now, let's bring in political analyst larry gerston who usually joins us in studio but today, joins us live from washington, d.c. thank you very much, larry. >> good morning. >> did the president's move come as a surprise to you as well? >> look, here's the surprise part. his words were incredibly sharp, very direct. we must act now, but what's interesting to me is he did this major announcement on a saturday afternoon. usually when president wants to galvanize things, get the country behind them, they do it at an appropriate moment, an evening address suggesting the seriousness, but instead, it was almost a casual event, and

that's what's puzzling. on the one hand, strong language. on the other hand, the timing seemed to be off. >> it seems he said specifically, i don't need congressional approval, but i'm asking for it. what do you make of it? >> a couple things. we have the war powers act. that enables the president to send troops abroad up to 90 days informing the congress after that. he's decided not to do that. he doesn't want to be in this alone. he's got himself in a problem here, we know this. when he talked about the red line, it's been crossed. now he wants to make sure he has congressional support with him. on the other hand, here's the deal. there's no certainty that congress will approve this. you have folks on the far left and far right, ironically, together on this issue. the question is, are there enough folks in the middle in congress to go along with it? it would be a blow to the

president if congress denies him the right to strike. then he's really struck after he said he would go to congress and he decides to go anyway. that would be a very bad and desperate and dangerous move for this president. so he's in a bit of a box, and now the question is whether congress will give him the room that the president said he needs to go ahead and intervene. >> it's too early to tell. we have heard from some of our bay area members of congress who say they can't support it, some who want to say i want to know what the end game is. does it look like he could get the apruvlg he's looking for? >> he could, and one of the reasons why it's been so hard for the president to mobilize congress and in the public for that matter is because of what i call the iraq hangover. remember ten years ago, we were given all these reasons for going into iraq, and they turned out to be false. they weren't there, all these fake nuclear arms, poisonous gas. none of those things were there, so people now understandably are much more skeptical about what

they're hearing. so a number of people are saying, show us information. make sure this time that the information we're getting is real, is honest, is above reproach, and so far the president has shared what information he had with very few people. normally, mostly right now, just the intelligence am mitty which is a small group of senators and members of the house. now we're going to broaden it. members of congress are meeting with the president today. others will come in during the week, and next week, debate will begin, but no, there's no certainty, which is unusual, because typically, members of congress give the president a blank check when it comes to things like foreign policy, foreign intervention, because he tends to know more than they do, but this time around, there's an awful lot of scrutiny and he's got to have an air-tight case. >> he might not have shared much of the information with people outside of the policy room, but the images we're seeing are graphic and a lot of folks feel

strongly one way or another. we'll switch gears. since you're in washington, we want to talk about other issues, the federal budget, sequestration, debt limit. what do you expect is happening as congress heads back to session? >> the tough problem is all three of those issues are coming down at the same time. sequestration over the next fiscal year is supposed to chop $110 billion more from federal spending. now, this last year, we chopped $85 billion. people are really having second thoughts, including a number of republicans in congress that signed on to the sequestration. that's going to be a big issue. then we have the question of the debt ceiling. lifting that debt ceiling because congress, of course, is spending more money than it's taking in. that happens almost every year. and a number of republicans in congress don't want to lift the debt ceiling unless they get some kind of a deal that imposed even more draconian cuts in spending. the question is do you lift that or not? and finally, the whole question of the federal budget in itself.

congress thus far this year has passed precious few bills. the slowest congress in memory. there are all these spending bills that have been stacked up wa like planes waiting to leave the airport, if you will, and the question is will they pass the budget by october 1st or will it be yet another what we call continuing resolution? all three of these come together. republicans would like to manage them as a package. the president and democrats would like to handle them one at a time so nobody has too much lingage or pressure on the other. >> of course, there's the immigration issue as well. quickly, do you think congress is going to act on that? it seems almost as if everybody wanted to do something. >> it's been touch and go. meetings the members of congress have had over the last two weeks have not produced a rancor on the issue we have had in the past. that gives them a bit of breathing room. you have a number of tea party republicans who are steadfast in opposing this whole thing.

three possible outcomes, comprehensive overall, number one. partial for just children of these immigrants, illegal immigrants, and thirdly, nothing at all. who knows? it will be tough to see what happens in the days to come. >> okay, have a safe travel back to the bay area. we'll see you soon, larry. thanks for joining us live from washington, d.c. we'll be right back with a final look at your labor day forecast.

good morning once again. here's the view from san jose where we're looking to the east. you can see mid-level subtropical clouds coming out of southern california that may provide us with a slight chance of an isolated shower especially in the hilltops. outside right now, 50s and 60s right now. similar to how we started off yesterday morning, and like yesterday, the sea breeze is strong into livermore. that's going to insure that the inland valleys will see temperatures in the 60 to 70s. a chance of showers especially

later on across some of the south bay hilltops and santa cruz mountains. shower chances will linger into monday, and the second half of the week, different weather pattern. we'll see temperatures rise for the second half of the seven-day forecast. right now, the satellite radar view looks quiet as we switch to the water vapor view, this is a better representation of the mid-level moisture. it's creeping up the coast south of monterrey, and eventually, that's a source of moisture that will bring a slight chance of showers to the bay area, and the trough that has hung up here will insure that the sea breeze sticks around. the clouds will continue to stick around. heading into the evening, a slight risk of a shower or two. as we go into monday, north bay hilltops may see a stray shower. tuesday, bay bridge opens on time. weather should not be a problem. 65 in pacifica, 67 in half moon bay today, and around santa

cruz, we'll see temperatures closer to 80 degrees. if you like 80s, parts of the south bay, san jose, should see the numbers in the mid-80s around morgan hill. trivalley also seeing 80s. and as we go to the north bay, you'll see upper 70s to low 80s. 60s closer to san francisco. the seven-day forecast is going to keep temperatures down a bit to start the week. slight chance of an isolated shower. what you have is a good chance of mugginess outside. it's humid and we'll see that into tuesday morning and the second half of the week. high pressure builds back in. 90s coming back second half of the week. >> i prefer rain over muggy. >> it would be nice. >> thanks, rob. we want to thank you for making us a part of your morning. more local news for you at 5:00, 6:00, and 11:00, and anytime of day, nbcbayarea.com. that's where you can find your get around bay bridge project as well. have a fantastic day and a great labor day as well. we'll see you next weekend.

breaking news this morning -- secretary of state john kerry joins me to explain president obama's political gamble. why he decided to seek congressional authority for military action against syria. >> this attack is an assault on human dignity. it also presents a serious danger to our national security. >> with the debate now shifting to congress, we'll have reaction from kentucky republican senator rand paul, a member of the foreign relations committee, plus our roundtable on president obama's leadership. has he presented a convincing case to a skeptical american public? will the abrupt delay of military action be interpreted by the world as weakness or careful deliberation? and the terrible human toll. our own ann curry joins me with