>> they are all grown up. >> thanks for joining us at 5:00. hope to see you at 6:00. on our broadcast tonight, on the brink. israelis and palestinians running for cover. the heaviest fighting there in years as bomb shelters open and israel calls up 40,000 reserves. border fight. as thousands of children flood into this country, the president under intense pressure to act. he makes his case about what to do. pot rush. it can now be sold and smoked legally in another state, where already today there were fears of a shortage. and selfie-obsessed. in our photo intensive culture, a rare warning has been issued to those who just have to be in the picture. "nightly news" begins now. good evening. we're covering a breaking news

situation, as the skies over israel have lit up tonight. sirens have sounded and israelis have been told they have between 15 seconds and one minute to run to shelter and avoid rockets coming in, launched by hamas in this escalation of violence that many fear could easily become the next war fought in that region of constant troubles. video came in to us tonight showing a wedding in israel interrupted by sirens. when they sound, people scatter as they're told to as incoming rockets trigger outgoing israeli missiles, meant to destroy them in midair. tonight there are missile launches and air strikes underway. israel has called up many reservists. this is a major escalation. we begin there tonight. nbc's ayman mohyeldin is in tel aviv. ayman, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. it's been a few hours since the sirens here in tel aviv have gone off. but make no mistake about it, this is a city and a country that is very much on edge. on the first day of operation

protective edge, more than a hundred rockets were fired into israel and israel has fired back into gaza. tonight there is growing concern that neither side is ready to back down. there are sirens wailing across israel over its two largest cities. >> look, wow! >> whoa! >> reporter: missiles over tel aviv intercepted by the defense system the israelis call the iron dome. but in gaza, there were no sirens warning of israel's assault on the strip. a woman escaping with her children. a man is heard shouting, where is the world? others just running by the wounded. in the rubble of israel's air strike, a man is trapped. with a little help, he is rescued. the might of israel's military unleashed on gaza. targeting suspected launching sites and the home of suspected militants. authorities there saying this one strike killed seven, including three children.

>> it's very bad, and very harsh for us. but what we can do? what we can do? >> reporter: hamas says it's prepared to fight. the israeli military released this video it said showed palestinian fighters launching a daring amphibious assault by storming an israeli beach head before they were killed by the army. the israeli military has called up thousands of reserve soldiers. and the military has told them to take the gloves off. an indication that israel is going on a war footing. families are preparing for the worst. israel lindon's family is spending their nights in this crammed bomb shelter they made look like a bedroom with toys for their children. >> last night we all slept here. >> reporter: you all slept here last night? >> yes. we heard rockets several times. >> reporter: tonight there's no letup from either side as missiles and rockets light up the skies. now this evening, israeli officials are preparing the country, raising alert levels at hospitals. at the same time opening bomb shelters and calling up

reserves. there is growing concern that these rockets now reaching jerusalem and here in tel aviv can continue throughout the course of the next several days, as hamas has demonstrated. and tonight, israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu is warning the country this could be a long and tough operation. brian? >> ayman mohyeldin from tel aviv on this rapidly changing situation tonight. ayman, thanks. back in this country, thousands of unaccompanied children flood over the border from mexico, a growing battle over what to do about it. and the president about to head to texas, where he'll meet face to face with one of his biggest critics over the crisis. our senior white house correspondent chris jansing traveling with the president tonight in denver. chris, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. suddenly, this is a very different trip than the president had planned. it was supposed to be about the economy and fund-raising. now, the focus is going to be on the crisis at the border, and the meeting you mentioned with texas governor rick perry. the faces have changed, but the looks of desperation and uncertainty remain.

for thousands of children, who even today continue pouring in from central america. [ chanting ] >> reporter: with political pressure mounting fast, the white house made its case for how to manage the crisis. making a higher than expected request to congress for $3.7 billion. $1.6 billion for more border agents, deportation judges and lawyers. $300 million for outreach in central america. and $1.8 billion to care for the unaccompanied children whose numbers continue to escalate dramatically. in 2012 the customs and border patrol apprehended just over 10,000 unaccompanied minors coming from central america. last year that number more than doubled to nearly 21,000. and this fiscal year, just through june, nearly 40,000 children have are crossed the border. critics have sounded the alarm, but no one was listening. >> with all due respect, he can do better. and one of the things i think he

ought to do, he should go down to the border. >> reporter: it's been a rough couple of days since jeh johnson ducked repeated questions on meet about whether the administration would deport most of the children. white house press secretary was more earnest on monday, he continued to insist the white house would not travel to the border. then the white house reversed itself, arranging a meeting with governor perry and amending the decision not to travel to the border. >> there are a lot of eyes on this situation. you have seen a proactive response from are the federal government. >> reporter: major moves with high stakes politics all at play. >> it's been a festering problem, but the explosion in just the last couple months is something that caught the white house by surprise, congress by surprise and now the american public wants action. >> reporter: the president will still hit a couple of fund-raisers, and he has a speech on the economy here in denver tomorrow. but we just talked to the white house, and they say there is absolutely no reconsideration of the president going to the border. in fact, the way they put it,

you can take that to the bank. brian? >> chris jansing traveling with the president tonight. chris, thanks. as this political fight continues in this country. south of the border tonight, the dangerous journey continues for so many children desperate to get here, no matter what the u.s. government says or does. nbc's stephanie gosk continues tonight on the journey with busloads of people trying to make that crossing. last night she reported from honduras. tonight we check back in with her in guatemala. >> reporter: nearly everybody that's gotten off this bus here at this rest stop is heading to the border with mexico and guatemala. they all want to go to the united states. some of them under the age of 18, minors traveling by themselves. i've asked a bunch of them whether or not they've heard this message from the state

department, that the road ahead is dangerous, and when they get to the u.s., they're going to be deported. some have, they've seen it on tv. and it doesn't matter. stephanie gosk, nbc news, guatemala. >> by the way, stephanie's reporting continues tomorrow evening on this dangerous trip to the u.s. border. an unsettling admission from federal health officials today, revealing workers cleaning out a storage room at the national institutes of health in maryland stumbled upon several vials of smallpox, one of the deadly est viruses on the planet, not properly stored and locked up. this is the second time in a month there have been concerned about the handling of deadly viruses at federal labs. the cdc said last month more than 80 workers were potentially exposed to anthrax, in this previous case. our chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman is here. nancy, i'm going to go ahead and assume that smallpox is supposed to be contained, secured and locked up? >> it is supposed to be under lock and key, brian. it's only in two places in the world at the cdc and in a russian government laboratory. now, smallpox is obviously characterized by a very bad

illness, high fever, mouth sores, skin sores. it was successfully eradicated globally in 1979. but samples have been kept around to make a vaccine in case of a bioterrorism event. now, the samples just found are from the 1950s, and they should have been destroyed almost 30 years ago. the cdc said though, there is no risk to the general public nor are any lab workers at risk. this smallpox virus is going to be verified by the cdc and then destroyed. as brian just said, the incident has nothing to do with the anthrax breach that caused everyone so much concern just a couple of weeks ago. but it is a reminder that we still have very dangerous things. but this really was a discovery while cleaning up an old laboratory and has nothing to do with what we talked about before. >> luckily, no one was in danger. nancy, thank you. >> you bet, brian. overseas tonight, airports with direct flights to the united states have started ramping up their security procedures. we reported on this on the way

last night, after the warning from u.s. intelligence, that terrorists might target a passenger aircraft with explosives hidden in personal electronic devices. this has led anticipatively to some confusion and frustration at some major airports. we get our report tonight from nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: government security sources say the new tighter screening procedures should now be in place at overseas airports with direct flights to the u.s. select airports in europe, the mediterranean, north africa and the middle east now inspecting passenger's personal electronics for any signs of explosives. among the cities stepping up security, istanbul with daily nonstops to new york. >> it's probably a good idea, as long as it doesn't slow people down. >> reporter: in paris, some passengers did complain of longer lines. >> i do fly a lot. and i've never seen it as chaotic as this. >> reporter: rebecca waters was

headed to st. louis today. >> i'm willing to open up my computers and turn them on and show them there's nothing to hide. >> reporter: the stepped up security comes after u.s. intelligence learned al qaeda linked bomb makers in yemen and syrian extremists could use electronics to target passenger planes. on its website, british airways tells its u.s. bound passengers if when asks to do so, you are unable to demonstrate that your device has power, the device will not be allowed to travel on your planned service. security sources tell nbc news, some airlines could prohibit the passenger from boarding. the challenge say counterterrorism analysts is to see beyond the last known plot. >> today the bomb looks like an ipad, and last week it looked like a printer cartridge. >> reporter: adding to the challenge, security experts warn, the traditional metal detectors found in many european airports may not do the job. >> it can only detect metal. and yet most improvised explosive devices, most bombs actually contain extremely

limited metal content. >> reporter: which means the checkpoint security staff must be even more vigilant. security analysts remain concerned that overseas they may see a security operation at an airport compromised, and a terrorist actually infiltrating the staff or planting something on the plane itself. brian? >> tom costello, dulles airport outside d.c. tonight. tom, thanks. the world cup continues in brazil, but the host nation has been crushed tonight. in a rare burst of almost nfl-like scoring in soccer, germany beat brazil 7-1. decisive, hugely disappointing to the home team. the germans advance to the world cup final against the winner of tomorrow's match between the netherlands and argentina. still ahead for us tonight, pot is now perfectly legal in another state. not everything went as planned on day one. there's already a pot shortage in washington state. and later, news tonight about one of the wildest rides on planet earth. even the guy who designed this one said it's terrifying.

recreational pot is now for

sale in washington state. for enthusiasts that means the long wait is over, since it was approved by voters. tonight smoking weed and selling it there is now legal, but not everything went smoothly on this day one. and there are now fears -- if you can believe it -- of a shortage. we get our report from joe fryar in seattle. [ cheers ] >> reporter: 20 months after washington voters approved recreational marijuana, the wait is over. at cannabis city in seattle a 65-year-old grandmother defied stereotypes. deb green was first in line. >> it's very liberating. i never thought i would see this in my lifetime, ever. >> which one do you want? >> reporter: across the state, only about half a dozen stores opened today. many others aren't ready for business yet. one issue, a pot shortage. >> i don't think it's a matter of choice for many of them. they would much rather open when they know that they can have product on their shelves every day.

>> reporter: fewer than 100 businesses are licensed to grow. many others are waiting. >> this is all medical marijuana? >> reporter: alex cooley owns solstice, a medical marijuana company that plans to grow pot, but first they must build a new facility. >> there's definitely that excitement, but at the end of the day, we land on coming in properly, not quickly. i'd rather do it right as opposed to do it fast. >> reporter: with long lines and short supply, stores expect to sell out quickly and prices will be higher. as more growers join the market, those prices should drop. for now, what you won't see in washington is the huge array of edible products found in colorado. the state is strengthening regulations for testing and packaging edibles. in the first four months, sales reached $70 million. >> we have not only a boon in tax revenue, a reduction in crime, we're seeing tourism is higher than ever here in colorado. >> reporter: but opponents fear legal pot sends the wrong

message to kids. >> we're seeing young people that say, well, it's legal, just like beer, why can't we have it? you can't stop me now, because it's legal. >> reporter: the national debate is just firing up, but for now in washington, it's legal to light up. joe fryar, nbc news, seattle. and we are back in a moment with the pilot being praised tonight for his actions on the ground.

well, you probably heard about this, the new tallest water slide in the world. after questions about its safety, they released this video this week of the guy who designed it going down it. he described it as terrifying. it opens to the media tomorrow. it's at the schlitterbahn water park, a big summer attraction out in suburban kansas city. the name means slippery road in german. it's appropriate. and this new water slide at the schlitterbahn is called the verruckt. just to get people like us to say schlitterbahn and verruckt in one sentence. it's not for the out of shape or faint of heart. you have to climb 243 steps to

go up, it's 17 stories down at 65 miles an hour. we're going to try to put it to the test ourselves tomorrow with a correspondent. and a couple states to the east, the state that has given us eight american presidents would like very much to be the place where they nominate the next republican president. gop has awarded its 2016 convention to cleveland. they would, of course, love to carry ohio, which has been a blue state in the last two presidential elections. attention families looking at colleges this summer, the new numbers from the feds show where earning potential is concerned, what you study in college is worth way more than where you go to college. they looked at the so-called recession class of college grads, the class of '08. those who went to state schools earned about the same as those who went to private colleges, about $50,000 a year. the real difference is the major. those who studied science, math, technology or engineering tend

to be making about $15,000 more per year. a frontier airlines pilot is being hailed as a hero, and not for anything he did in the air. this was on the ground, flight 719, washington to denver, diverted to southern wyoming monday night because of severe storms in denver. they were delayed on the ground for hours. everyone was tired and hungry, so he exerted his command as captain of the ship, pulled out his credit card, ordered pizza. 50 of them. and he fed his hungry and grateful passengers. another number out from the feds, 4 out of 10 american homes use cell phones and no longer have a land line at all. land lines are going fast, at about 5% a year. the numbers show young americans and lower income americans have the fewest land lines. the midwest is the most wireless region of our country. if you visited manhattan in the 40 years after the end of world war ii and if you took the circle line tour around manhattan island, there's a chance this is the vessel you were on.

it's been found rusting in a branch of the ohio river in kentucky. a sad ending after a storied life for this steam powered ship built in 1902. it was once used by thomas edison. it saw service in both world wars, it was then bought by the circle line where it once starred in a madonna music video, before being purchased by a cincinnati man who took it up the hudson, across the great lakes, down the mississippi and to its final resting place in the ohio river. when we come back, the thrill of the hunt, all because of our love of the picture and the lengths selfie takers will go to get the shot.

finally here tonight, when you think about it, it's one of the most sweeping changes in all of our modern times to our every day lives. most americans now carry a camera in some form with them at all times. add in social media, and you get an insatiable need to take pictures wherever you are and with whomever. the celebration of self has given us the selfie. and just this week, some very brave athletes have complained someone's going to get hurt out there. our report tonight from nbc's jenna wolf.

>> reporter: it's the goal with any spectator sport, proximity to the action, right? the closer you get, the better. unless it's too close. which is exactly what's happening at the tour de france this week. millions of fans lining the streets to get a glimpse. but at the same time, putting themselves and the riders in danger, just to snap a selfie. it's not enough any more to take a snapshot of just yourself or just the action, apparently le tour is not le tour without le selfie. u.s. cyclist tejay van garderen who is competing in the race recently lashed out on social media tweeting, standing in the middle of the road with your back turned while 200 cyclists come at you, just to take a selfie. #think. but plenty of people aren't thinking. >> i think the year of 2014 might be the year of taking the selfie to the next level. doing whatever is crazy enough to make people notice your selfie stand apart. >> reporter: what qualifies as a

good selfie these days? >> lighting. >> reporter: how about risksing arrest, injury or pure h humiliati humiliation. these days, nothing is anything without proof you were there. more than an autograph or a conversation as taylor swift recently wrote in an op ed. the only memento kids these days want is a selfie. a selfie is all about the action, right? take brian williams, he's on the phone. that's crazy action. i'm going to capture it. perfect. >> it's what's behind you, is what it really is now. >> people don't believe you. they don't believe you, it's like, i met derek jeter. oh, yeah, did you take a picture? no. it's like, i don't believe you. >> reporter: a cautionary word to the selfie takers, the more time you spend capturing the moment, the less time for you to actually live it. jenna wolf, nbc news, new york. >> so let's be careful out there. that's our broadcast on a tuesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we, of course, hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

nbc bay area news starts now. i think that's a bit much. i think we should be spending our money somewhere else. >> right now at 6:00, military style technology on city streets, but is this tank too much for one peninsula city? good evening and thanks for joining us. i'm janelle wang. >> and i'm raj mathai. it weighs 60,000 pounds. what's it doing in redwood city? critics are calling foul. they don't want to see it on the peninsula.

we are live at the police department. what is the plan here? >> reporter: the plan is simply to protect. but some people say it's just a bit too much. even the redwood city police department says this vehicle does have some things that they don't even need, but hey, they take what they can get. it was paid for by the federal government. >> it's big. that's the first thing that struck me. >> reporter: it's hard to miss, 60,000 pounds and 13 feet tall, the bulletproof, armored vehicle, a hand-me-down from the military. lieutenant ashley osborne says it was used -- >> to protect troops in afghanistan from roadside bombs. >> reporter: it has a new coat of paint, courtesy of the police and s.w.a.t. team. it wasaid for by the federal government. it is part of a program