but they're both doing fine at six flags in vallejo. >> great story. great pics. >> see you at 6:00. >> good night. on our broadcast tonight, back to baghdad. hundreds of americans on their way to iraq as president obama considers targeted military strikes. hitting home for so many families tonight. why gas prices are going up. wheels of fortune. the hot new way to get around all across this country. people seem to love it, so why are so many communities now cracking down? and driving force. she is only 11 years old, and tonight she's on course to make history. "nightly news" begins now. good evening. president obama today talked about u.s. military action in iraq. several hundred american military advisers are heading

over there, and as for any attacks on these armed extremists who are cutting a violent path across that country and threatening civil war as a result, the american president says that would require precise military action. while he says he will be mindful of so-called mission creep, getting the u.s. involved again in a place where so many americans have already given so much, he says part of this is about vindicating the sacrifices that have already been made. for now, however, the united states is going to be a player in this fight in some form. it's where we begin tonight with our chief white house correspondent chuck todd who covered the president's remarks in the briefing room earlier today. chuck, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. look, this was multiple deliberations that the president had with his national security team about what to do, and today finally he unveiled what are the beginnings of a long-term strategy to deal with this chaos in iraq.

the president today sending troops back to iraq, the very place he staked his election on pulling them out of. >> we're prepared to send a small number of additional american military advisers, up to 300, to assess how we can best train, advise and support iraqi security forces going forward. >> reporter: but he was quick to reassure a war-weary public that this is not the start of a major troop commitment. >> i think we always have to guard against mission creep, so let me repeat what i've said in the past. american combat troops are not going to be fighting in iraq again. >> reporter: these new troops are also charged with gathering intelligence on the ground if the president decides to ramp up a larger military effort such as targeted air strikes, but what the president announced was far short of what the iraqi government was asking for. that's because the president doesn't have a lot of confidence in iraqi prime minister nuri al maliki or his leadership team.

>> right now is a moment where the fate of iraq hangs in the balance, and the tests for all of them is going to be whether they can overcome the mistrust, the deep sectarian divisions. >> reporter: instead of forging ahead with a major military campaign, the president is turning to secretary of state john kerry to lead a robust diplomatic effort to end the political stalemate in iraq. >> there's no military solution unless there's political improvement. >> reporter: and here in washington, the president may have bought himself some time politically. he won over at least one critic. >> i think there's the beginning of an outline of what i hope will be a concrete plan that we can all rally around because this issue deserves that level of attention. >> reporter: besides national security, the president also made a moral case for re-entering the iraq fray. >> we want to make sure that we're vindicating the enormous effort and sacrifice that was made by our troops. >> reporter: of course, iraq borders iran, and despite some early hints that the administration would actually try to work formally with iran

to stabilize the situation, the president all but ruled that out today, reminding iran that it needs to stop seeing everything in the region, quote, solely through sectarian eyes if they want to be part of the solution. brian? >> chuck todd from the white house north lawn tonight to start us off, chuck, thanks. for reaction to all of this in baghdad, which, remember, remains tense with these isis forces now within striking distance, we go to our chief foreign correspondent richard engel who finds himself back in baghdad these days. richard, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. people here in baghdad certainly welcomed this. this city is tense. there's a curfew in place. there are checkpoints across the city. many people are worried that isis could invade or at least send car bombs here. they want the u.s. bombing now, and make no mistake. this is a u.s. military intervention. they are not american boots on the ground, but these advisers are going to be working with the iraqi military, guiding the military, picking targets, helping the military to take back the half dozen or so cities

that have been taken by isis. the issue is the u.s. isn't the only country doing this. there are already iranian advisers on the ground doing almost exactly the same thing, working with the iraqi army, telling it where to go. the image i've had in my head all day, brian, is of this driver's ed car with two steering wheels, one with the u.s. army now about 300 people on one steering wheel and the iranian qods force which is often hostile to the united states at the other wheel, and i'm not sure that iran and the u.s. have any intention of driving this car in the same direction. >> as good an example as anything we can think of back here. richard engel on the streets of baghdad tonight, richard, thanks. as you may know the energy markets get spooked any time there's uncertainty, and here's the bad news visually about what's already happened in iraq. this is nasa satellite imagery taken from over iraq where its biggest refinery has been

attacked by these isis forces. one big reason gas prices in this country are heading higher right before the big summer travel season. we get our report tonight from nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: the gas station in your neighborhood is a long way from iraq, but crude oil is sold in a global marketplace, and prices are up. the national average now $3.68 a gallon, the highest price paid in june since 2008. the problem, iraq is the second biggest oil producer in opec. >> the concern that that violence would threaten exports is what's behind the increase in oil prices and thus the increase in gasoline prices. >> reporter: june is supposed to be a month when gas prices edge lower just in time for vacation getaways, but iraq, rising fuel demand at home and u.s. refinery maintenance are keeping prices high. at this campground in colorado the kersios are cutting back on their western road trip. >> it can put a crimp in your plans.

we've cancelled a trip to yellowstone where two of our good friends work the summers because it's just a trip out of the way, you know. >> reporter: chicago drivers pay among the highest prices, $4.28 on average and more. >> of course i feel it because my gas is like at $3.75 or $3.89 >> what's going on in iraq should not have an effect of what's going on here in chicago. >> reporter: ever wonder how can one gas station charge 5, 10, even 20 cents more per gallon than a neighboring station? oftentimes a station operator must lease the property and buy his gas from the same person, a middle man who can add a hefty premium to the base or rack price, but if the station operator owns the land, he can lock in a better price from a gasoline supplier and keep his prices lower. one operator told us today i've been wondering for 45 years why prices fluctuate so wildly. one futures trader, the people who make their money betting on where the price of oil and gas

will go, one trader told us he thinks we'll see another 15 to 20-cent run-up in the coming weeks. he does not expect to see $4 a gallon as a national average, at least not yet. brian? >> tom costello, bethesda, maryland for us tonight. thanks. tonight the cdc says as many as 75 of its scientists may have been accidentally exposed to anthrax. it happened while the scientists were working in biosecurity labs on the cdc campus in atlanta. officials say the researchers failed to follow proper procedures to inactivate the anthrax bacteria. cdc says it discovered this potential exposure last week. no employee has shown any symptoms of anthrax, but they will continue to be treated as a precaution. they are getting ready for another night of potentially severe weather in parts of the plains, the south, the upper midwest, including a late report of a tornado tonight in western minnesota. there's the radar map. this is how it looked last night in south dakota where a rare

multi-vortex tornado with multiple funnel clouds kind of danced its way across the farmland in that area. also in south dakota last night, a tornado hit the town of wessington springs. damaged dozens of homes and businesses but caused only a few injuries. officials say their local emergency notification system worked the way it's supposed to. most people moved in an orderly fashion to the emergency shelter in the basement of a local courthouse, just as they have been told to do. to the east in minnesota, state of emergency declared today in 35 separate counties after days of heavy rain across the state led to widespread flooding of farms and roads and sewer systems. the forecast tonight sadly calls for more rain. in washington today, house republicans elected new leadership after the stunning defeat of their house majority leader eric cantor in a primary in virginia which bounced him from congress. they have promoted congressman kevin mccarthy of the state of california to take cantor's place as the number two ranking

republican in the house behind house speaker john boehner and taking mccarthy's role as third in command, the gop whip congressman steve scalise of the state of louisiana. at the white house today president obama awarded the medal of honor to a young marine who represents the very best of this country. he was severely wounded while serving in afghanistan. he wasn't expected to live and thought he was dying himself, and as the president said today his heroism will inspire for generations. we get a look at his story tonight from nbc's peter alexander. >> reporter: kyle carpenter shouldn't be alive, not cruising down an open road, not returning to classes at the university of south carolina this fall. >> i've been given a second chance to do good things and enjoy the life and the second chance i've been blessed with. >> reporter: he's 24 now, but marine corporal carpenter was just 21 when he earned the medal of honor. that's him in afghanistan helmand province, a taliban stronghold, where an enemy grenade exploded on the roof

where he and another marine were standing guard. what was running through your head? >> i felt like warm water was being poured all over me which was my blood. after that i thought of my family and how devastated that they were going to be and how upset they were going to be that i was killed in afghanistan. >> reporter: carpenter smothered the blast to protect his best friend lance corporal nicky frazzio who is still recovering from his wounds. carpenter woke up at walter reed six weeks later, both ear drums blown out, vision gone in his right eye and shrapnel removed from his brain, two and a half years of treatment and nearly 40 surgeries. you've lived your life ignoring these injuries, it seems to me. >> i don't really feel like i have any other option. >> reporter: carpenter is thoughtful and understated and the way he's living is life anything but, running the marine corps marathon, sky diving and all along inspiring others with his story of sacrifice and resilience. last summer, carpenter retired from the military, never expecting that he'd later hear from his former commander in chief. >> this is barack obama.

how are you doing? >> fine, sir, how are you? >> i've approved the medal of honor for you for your courageous actions in afghanistan in support of operation enduring freedom. >> reporter: today carpenter accepted that honor. >> if any american seeks a model of the strength and resilience that define us as a people, including this newest 9/11 generation, i want you to consider kyle. >> reporter: an american hero for all generations. peter alexander, nbc news, the white house. >> there are now 79 living recipients of the medal of honor in this country. still ahead for us tonight, it's a very popular way to get around in an increasing number of u.s. cities, and it's also running into significant roadblocks, and later a big scare on the set of the new "star wars" movie, more serious than first thought.

we are back now as promised with this growing controversy in cities across the country over a

popular new way to get around. they're on-demand ride services if you need a car, the biggest among them is called uber. it's based on an app right there on your phone, but it has become a bit more complicated than that as it has grown across the country. our report tonight from nbc's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: taxi drivers are protesting across the country and the world. smartphone apps like uber and lyft are upending the business. don't get the drivers at boston's logan airport started. >> taking our business away and it's illegal. what they are doing is illegal, you know. >> reporter: why is it illegal? >> so many rules and regulations on taxis, none of the rules and regulations on them. >> reporter: the digital service is called ride-sharing. using the internet for people who instantly need a ride with people looking to make a little money with their car. millennials like brittany think it's a dream.

>> you don't have to carry cash on you or a card. your credit card is already linked to the account. you also don't have to know exactly where you are. they find you by tracking your phone. >> reporter: at least six cities and the state of virginia have banned the ride-sharing companies and so far another seven cities and states are trying to regulate them. >> my principal concern is public safety. i want to make sure that people in the vehicles are safe. has the driver had an adequate background check? is the vehicle safe? >> reporter: in boston taxi drivers have to prominently display their license, and if there's a problem or an issue that the passenger has, the number to call is right on the window. but in an uber car things are a little bit different. i just got picked up by joe. joe, are you a safe driver? >> fairly safe driver, yes, i am. >> reporter: all i really have is his word. uber's terms and conditions say we will not assess the suitability, legality or ability of the drivers, but the company says it runs background checks, inspects motor vehicle records and requires insurance, better than some cities. ride-sharing companies maintain that some government regulations only stifle competition and

innovation. >> rules were written decades ago when they couldn't have imagined this type of service, and we have an opportunity to create safer, more affordable and more convenient transportation. >> reporter: in some places that transportation revolution is on hold while the digital age crashes into the old rules of the road. stephanie gosk, nbc news, cambridge, massachusetts. >> we'll take a break here. when we come back, remembering a man who was one-half of a lot of giant hits. ♪ you make me feel, you make me feel like a natural woman ♪ ♪ will you still love me

♪ will you still love me tomorrow ♪ jerry goffin has died leaving behind a lot of musical history as co-writer with his then wife carole king, some of

the great songs of the era. to name a few, "will you love me tomorrow, " "up on the roof, " "locomotion, "s "one fine day, " and "take good care of my baby." as you heard before the break "you make me feel like a natural woman, " though not me personally. married less than ten years, the couple wrote over 50 hits in a relationship that's the basis for the broadway musical recently. jerry goffin was 75 years old. turns out harrison ford has been in bad shape since the mishap on the new "star wars" move. while first reported as a broken ankle, turns out to have been a broken leg, bad enough to require surgery. he'll be laid up for another two months, give or take. the man often referred to as the best pitcher in baseball for good reason was great last night. the dodgers' ace clayton kershaw threw a no-hitter, just missed a perfect came, 15 ks, no hits, no walks, first no-hitter of his career. only three colorado batters hit it out of the infield. for dodger fans it was also made all the more exciting by the

call of vince scully, his 65th season in the game calling his 19th no-hitter. one of the reasons you buy a hog is to hear that unmistakable sound, but harley davidson's newest product line doesn't really make a sound. they have come out with a prototype of their first ever all-electric motorcycle. they will make a few at first and road test and refine them. test model is a rocket ship, 0 to 60 in about four seconds with no shifting. only sound you would hear is the hum of the transmission. it's a gamble for harley because there's no market yet for full-size electrics, but they are hoping to make one of their own. these are eventful days in spain. first off they have a new king, filipe, son of juan carlos, became the new king when the head of the lower house of spain's parliament proclaimed long live the king, long live spain. king filipe's father juan carlos took the throne after francisco franco died back in '75. his son, the new king is 46,

married to a former television journalist. now to the bad news, spain, the defending world cup champion, was eliminated from the world cup by chile. it was a shock. fans of spain are despondent, some full-on angry and violent. spain will play once more, but it won't be for the cup. when we come back, the newest sensation in the world of cup. she's up against the best in the world at all of 11 years of age.

finally here tonight, she is still in grade school, she has a mouth full of braces and is all of 5'1" tall and already lucy li has shown that she is a driving force in the world of golf. youngest player ever to qualify for the u.s. women's open which started today in north carolina. we get her story tonight from nbc's anne thompson. >> reporter: at this year's u.s. women's open is a girl, 11-year-old lucy li, who just wants to have fun. >> it was a lot of fun. i kind of struggled today, but it was great. >> reporter: in fact, that ice cream was under more pressure than the sixth grader on pinehurst no. 2. just over 5 feet, she can drive

the ball 230 yards. the daughter of chinese immigrants, li is home-schooled and bicoastal, splitting her time between florida where her coach lives and home in san francisco where she plays golf with her dad. >> can your dad beat you? >> no. >> reporter: she follows the path carved by other prodigies. tiger woods showed off his golf skills at age 2 and lexi thompson qualified for the women's open at the ripe old age of 12 and michelle wei did so at 13. now she's 24. >> i'm so excited for her to be out. it's a memory that will last her a lifetime. >> reporter: as any weekend hacker can tell you, golf is not child's play. these campers at new york's chelsea pier knows it takes a lot of work. jonathan ho is 11. how do you know if you've hit it just perfectly? >> when it goes perfectly straight and goes where you want it to go. >> reporter: li's done that a

lot this year, winning her age group at a putt and chip championship trouncing the competition by seven shots at the sectional qualifier. and now this. though some on the tour have complained, three-time open champ annika sorenstam is a fan. >> keep in mind that this game is between the ears and seems to have a lot up there. >> reporter: li shot a 78, 8 over par today. >> i'm happy with the way i played. need to get rid of the big numbers. >> reporter: but she won't go back to the practice green. >> what's your plans for the rest of the day? >> eat more ice cream. >> reporter: and hope for a sweeter round tomorrow. anne thompson, nbc news, new york. >> kid shot a 78, that's our broadcast for this thursday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

that breaking news in the foothills in san jose. this is east of downtown san jose. fire crews are on the scene. our nbc choppers are overhead. two homes have already been destroyed. good evening. thanks for being with us. >> live nbc chopper, what's left of that fire. san jose fire crews have managed to get an upper hand on the blaze. it broke out around 4:15 this afternoon. two homes destroyed. this happening on clayton road at the base of mt. hamilton in the east san jose foothills at

the base there. nbc bay area is there. we know two homes are gone. what's the update? >> getting here, jessica and raj, we've got helicopters overhead. we're talking about crowded airspace as they try to get an idea of what is going on after two homes here burned. i'm going to stand back and show you the active scene on the side of the hillside. we've been watching the incredible work by the firefighters. amazing as you see the hot spots explode in front of them, brush ignite and climb up the side of this hill. as you can see at the top of the hill firefighters working with all of their might to safe this home that is at the very top of this blaze. what you can't see is down in the valley where now smoke just remains. this is where two homes are a total loss. neighbors in this area say everybody here knows everyone. in fact, standing by here with me now is robert long who s. has done a lot of fire prevention in this area. robert, you say this is really just a malter of living in the hills group know it's dry, it's tender out he