on our broadcast tonight, on the edge as this ebola epidemic spreads in africa, high alert at an emergency room in the u.s. why did a patient have doctors so worried? no way out. the u.s. condemns another deadly strike on a u.n. school in gaza being used as a shelter. water explosion, upwards of 20 million gallons flooding the ucla campus. underwater in the middle of a drought emergency in california. sudden impact, new crash tests on some of the most popular cars on the road, especially among young drivers. and growing pains. reaction coming in from around the web and around the world. it's about a little girl who doesn't want her little brother to grow up. "nightly news" begins now.

from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is nbc "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. good evening. it's the kind of thing that is bound to happen more frequently now. and it happened last night at a hospital in charlotte when a patient entered the emergency room with a certain set of symptoms and nerves were on edge because everyone is now aware the ebola virus is now officially considered out of control in west africa. so much so the u.s. peace corps is pulling its volunteers from the region. the uk is talking about how to prevent its spread through airline passengers into england. now, two americans are still fighting for their lives being held in isolation in liberia. it's where we begin tonight again with our chief medical correspondent dr. nancy snyderman. >> reporter: health care workers are on high alert. today there was a concern about a patient who came to a hospital in charlotte, north carolina, who had flown in from africa

last night. a hospital corridor was shut down. >> once we got more information about the patient, we realized that it was essentially no possibility that the patient actually had ebola. >> reporter: but the extreme precautions are a sign of the anxiety about the possibility, though remote, of ebola spreading to the united states. as nancy wrightbol, an american missionary, is fighting for her life in liberia, her son, jeremy, told nbc news today she's improving but said it's painful to be 6,000 miles away from his parents. >> i talked with mom this morning and she was continuing to do well. she was still fighting through the symptoms. and as she has strength being able to move around a little bit. >> reporter: jeremy's father, david, can only keep watch over his wife through an outside window of their home. >> dad will not leave mom. dad has also stated particularly with the situation in liberia that he would not want us to visit. >> reporter: dr. kent brantly,

the other american struggling to survive ebola in liberia also showed some improvement in the last 24 hours. but the relief organization, samaritans first, is bringing nonessential personnel home to the u.s. the question, will they be tracked? the government's top infectious disease doctor says no. >> tony, let me make sure i understand, no one's going to be meeting at the airport taking temperatures -- >> it will be just a subjective are you feeling well. and if you're not feeling well, then you obviously want to put them into quarantine. >> is that enough? >> yes, it is. it is. there's no doubt that if someone comes in and says i'm not feeling well, the chances of them infecting anybody is extraordinarily low. >> so what's the message to the american people? >> certainly it is conceivable that someone will get on a plane from western africa and come here, but we have the health care capability that even if someone does come and has ebola if taken care of properly this should not be spread. >> there are vaccines in the

pipeline, some of which have been described to us as promising. so much so they might be available as early as late next year. but for now the only way to save lives is to recognize those symptoms early and to start effective treatment. and, brian, that means iv fluids and to bring fevers down. >> and we need to hope he's absolutely right. >> i've always believed in him. >> all right. dr. nancy snyderman starting us off again tonight. thanks. >> you bet. now overseas, the ongoing war between israel and hamas. more dead and wounded on both sides. as israel pushes to neutralize the threat from hamas militants in gaza including terrorists tunnelling into israel, palestinian civilians have once again paid a heavy price including many killed at a u.n. school being used as a shelter. the white house condemned the school attack and expressed concern that thousands of palestinians are not safe in these u.n.-designated shelters. we get more tonight from our chief foreign correspondent richard engel in gaza.

>> reporter: all day israel bombarded gaza. often without warning. nowhere here is safe. another u.n. school was hit. at least 15 of the 3,300 people sheltering inside were killed. many were sleeping when the shells started falling. this classroom like all the classrooms was packed with women and children. 40, 50 to a room. the men were sleeping outside. when the shell hit, shrapnel went flying and the ceiling collapsed. even after the blast gazans are still living here. there's nowhere else to go. we were told to come because we were told it was safe. we're trying to avoid the fighting. to protect our children. it was the sixth deadly strike on a u.n. school. israel has denied responsibility in the past saying hamas uses the schools to hide weapons. you believe it was israeli fire? >> yes. our security staff went up this morning.

we were able to gather fragments from the explosive devices. we were able to take photos, look at the trajectory. >> reporter: israel said militants were operating near the school and that it does not target civilians. but civilians are still dying every day. this video shot by a local cameraman is hard to watch. ambulances are rushing to a blast site in gaza city. the cameraman is rolling, then a second incoming round knocks him down. the cameraman from a pro-hamas media company prays. he wanders in a daze. more artillery comes in. at least 16 are killed. nearby, a mosque was destroyed. its minoret toppled. likely to enrage many in the muslim world. israel's air and ground offensive is punishing and relentless today pushing deeper into gaza's narrow streets. israeli troops searched house-to-house for militants trying to find and destroy hamas

rockets and tunnels. this isn't a quick and easy fight israeli officials talked about just a few weeks ago. at least three israeli soldiers were killed today, 27 injured. still, most israelis continue to support this offensive seeing it as self-defense. brian. >> richard engel in gaza city again for us tonight. richard, thanks. in this country it's a heck of a way to focus people's attention on our crumbling infrastructure, but last night in l.a. a water main broke, a section of pipe that dates back to 1921 when warren harding was president and hollywood was still making silent films. fast forward to present day, it's a lot of water flooding parts of the ucla campus including someloing some hallow in thecaley pavilion. which had just undergone a $200 million renovation. two underground parking structures under water so fast nobody got thenobody got their . this is as far as we get, the bottom floor of the parking

structure is still completely under water. how much do you need that car? >> i need it. it's my -- it's like i don't have an arm. >> reporter: the broken water main is one section of some 7,200 miles of underground water pipe. lined up end-to-end they would stretch from l.a. to new york, two and a half times. >> this pipe here is about 93 years old. this is about 50-plus years old. where the break occurred is at what you can imagine is naturally the weakest point in this pipe. >> these are aging systems. they're underground, out of sight, out of mind. it is safe to say that the u.s. is at risk of further more frequent failures if it fails to address this issue. >> reporter: up to 20 million gallons lost within a few hours here at a time when the state's reservoirs are at historic lows and californians are fined for even the slightest waste of water. a massive hole in the ground, hundreds of gallons of water still leaking every minute, the geyser leaving a 20-foot wide

crater on sunset boulevard. crews on campus just beginning to mop up, but the cleanup may take months. and the millions of gallons of water lost here amounts to nearly 5% of what the city uses on a daily basis. a drop in the bucket maybe, but not at a time when every drop is precious. brian. >> jacob rascon live in westwood for us tonight. jacob, thanks. also out west tonight at yosemite national park, fire crews working around the clock now to keep a wildfire at bay now just ten miles from a grove of treasured sequoias, among the oldest living things on the planet. the fire has burned more than five square miles. it's about a third contained now, and a lot of assets have been committed to the fight. the investigation into a partisan scandal at the irs has now just come to new life in a graphic way. e-mails were released today by a house committee investigating former irs official lois lerner, who is accused of targeting the tea party and other conservative political groups for special

scrutiny. the e-mails attributed to her may say a lot about political motivations. we get that story tonight from nbc's kelly o'donnell. >> reporter: tonight, a new e-mail drama involving this former senior irs official and some salty language. lois lerner has long refused to cooperate with congress. >> i respectfully exercise my fifth amendment right and decline to answer that question. >> reporter: but her harsh words apparently aimed at conservative talk radio, contained and just released irs e-mails are drawing new fire. lerner referred to some as crazy. she wrote in november 2012, so we don't need to worry about alien terrorists, it's our own crazies that will take us down. lerner has been at the center of a year-old controversy. allegations the irs improperly targeted and delayed tea party groups seeking tax exempt status.

house republican dave camp is chairman of the tax writing ways and means committee. >> i think it shows the state of mind. i mean, clearly she didn't like conservatives or their views and used her position as a high ranking government official to delay their applications. >> reporter: the e-mails show that lerner used her government-issued blackberry to write a personal friend. that friend referred to talk radio and the "whacko wing of the gop." lerner responded with an expletive. great. maybe we are through if there are that many-blank. the evidence shows no white house involvement in any irs targeting. house republicans again urge the attorney general to appoint a special prosecutor. kelly o'donnell, nbc news, the capitol. the u.s. economy got some good news today, gdp grew at a healthy four full percent rate in the spring surpassing expectations while bouncing back from a tough winter duringing

which economic activity droppec. the latest jobs numbers are due out this friday. >> hard structures like roof supports, and pillars are moving in where the occupant can actually hit them. >> among the poor performers, the best selling electric, the nissan, and also the chrysler fiat. a good rating, bmw mini cooper countryman. >> it's got a structe,electric

those rated acceptable. auto makers say they are reviewing the test results. nissan, as we seek opportunities for improvement, mazda as we consider the design of few tour vehicles and from chrysler, the fiat 500l continues to offer a no single test determines overall safety. >> safety experts say if you're going to choose a small car for fuel efficiency or affordability your best deal may be buying a car that offers the best crash test performance you can get. peter alexander, nbc news, washington. still ahead, the rising cost of food hitting home. how you pay without tricks. and later, the age-old story hoond t behind the video that so many people cannot stop watching.

we are back now with

something hitting every american home. as we said the at times rapidly rising price of food, that includes staples like eggs up nine cents a dozen since last year, milk up 17 cents a gallon, beef up 51 cents a pound on average. tonight, we're taking a look at some easy ways to save money on groceries in a game where every dollar counts. our report tonight from nbc's rehema ellis. >> reporter: christine shops frequently at this supermarket near miami for her family of three. she says she's always looking for bargains, but doesn't count on coupons. >> i don't think they really save us that much money. >> reporter: you don't need coupons to save big. you just need to know some certain strategies and use those strategies consistently. >> reporter: shop smart magazine found several ways to reduce your grocery bill. buy bagged produce instead of buying produce like apples, oranges or onions individually, reach for the bag. >> you can save 36% by buying by the bag instead of buying individually. >> reporter: by fresh.

for certain brands shoppers were able to save as much as 30% on cheese and as much as 18% for ham bought at the deli counter instead of buying the pre-packaged meats and cheeses, usually costing more for the convenient. pick up a rewards card. how much did he save by using the rewards card? $15.02. >> reporter: $15? >> yeah. >> that's lot. i didn't expect that. >> reporter: dollar stores have brands you'll recognize at big savings. at this family dollar a four pack of mandarin oranges cost $2.75 versus $3.95 at a chain store. kellogg's fruit loops more than twice that at the new york supermarket. those are the kind of savings shoppers are looking for when dollars matter. >> we spend about $200 every week. >> reporter: with so much money on the line, every deal counts. rehema ellis, nbc news, new

york. we're back in a moment with a big scare on the highway today. the story from the police behind an unbelievable photo.

if you live in the area from the middle of the country east, or you know someone who does, then you know this summer hasn't felt like summer yet. the air is different because of what they're telling us is a summer version of the polar vortex. the canadian jet stream has dipped down making for some cold mornings in great vacation spots like minnesota and maine, like 37 degrees in saranac lake, new york. and just this week it dipped south. 49 degrees in hamilton, alabama, feels more like february than july. and a surprising stat out today from the cdc. they say weather kills 2,000 americans every year. most from exposure to cold, a third from exposure to heat. two-thirds of the victims are male. make of that what you wish. a pair of top consumer groups out tonight with a list of things we complain about the

most. they'll sound familiar. the biggest grievances, misleading ads for new and used cars, shotty home improvement work, also telemarketers who always seem to call right about now, and do not call lists that simply do not work. the scary photo of the day comes from the massachusetts state police. it's an axe through the windshield into the dashboard of a car on i-95. the culprit is the lawn service truck in the front. troopers say they hadn't properly secured their load. they were fined $200. thankfully, no injuries but a big scare nonetheless. and our own network, nbc, has set the casting for the two lead parts of its live theatrical cast of "peter pan." on the evening of december 4th. over 21 million viewers watched "the sound of music" this past winter. it was confirmed christopher

walken signed on to play captain hook. allison williams will play the role of peter pan. the actress and singer is currently in the cast of "girls" on hbo. family members confirm she's been rehearsing for this role since the age of 3, and they look forward to seeing her fly. when we come back, speaking of not wanting to grow up, the little girl starring in the video about her little brother that's so far been seen 4 million times. tonight we make it 4 million and one.

finally here tonight, if you say the words charlie bit me, there's a good chance people are going to know exactly what you're talking about, the granddaddy of little kid web videos. well, now there's another. it features a little girl and her little brother in a nonspeaking role. it's been viewed 4 million times and climbing for the reasons you're about to see. and it's a reminder as we hear from nbc's jenna wolf to cherish those small moments in life. >> reporter: watch what happens when 5-year-old sadie finds out that her little brother is growing up. >> i don't want him to grow up. >> reporter: the video has gone viral with millions of views so far. >> oh, you are so cute. i love him -- >> reporter: perhaps because

where society quick to point out sibling rivalry, but the opposite of that is clearly just precious. you think you guys are going to be friends forever? >> yeah. >> reporter: maybe even best friends? >> best, best friends. >> reporter: for years the spotlight has been on parents dealing with their kids' little milestones. now, in an effort to hold on tightly to our little ones, we celebrate graduation from everything. mommy and me class, pre-k, kindergarten, peewee football, girl scouts, you name it, we celebrate it. >> these last four years have gone by so fast. >> they do things you don't expect. >> reporter: look, growing up isn't easy on anyone. my daughter's practically 1 already. i mean, she's 17 years away from graduating high school, she's almost in college. i'm nearly a grandparent. did i go too far? but while we all shout a proverbial tear for parents, perhaps we should focus our attention on the kids.

>> oh, my gosh, i want him to stay little. >> reporter: and that got us thinking, are kids as emotionally vested in this journey as their parents? do you show her things and try to teach her thing sns. >> yes. but normally it doesn't work out very well. >> reporter: so the next time we want to break out a tissue at our kid's sixth grade end of the year school play, let's remember who's actually leaving the sixth grade. it's not us, it's them. for better or worse, we're all on this journey together. >> we love each other. >> reporter: jenna wolf, nbc news, new york. that's our broadcast on this family edition of our wednesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.

nbc bay area news starts now. right now, at 6:00, he was a prominent member of the community, now he's going to prison for crimes exposed here on nbc bay area. good evening and thanks for joining us. i'm jessica aguirre. >> and i'm raj mathai. he's a former car dearly and member of the santa clara county advisory board. >> but he's said to have swindled money, part of a ponzi scheme. >> investors were not disappointed to see ron battistella in a jumper and handcuffs. he's now entered a no-contest plea. and we now know his next stop is a state prison. >> we are just overwhelmed with emotion at a hearing that finally justice is going to be done.

>> she's one of nearly two dozen victims. she's asked us to hide her identity and reacting to the guilty plea. >> he's going to prison for what he did. your reaction? >> i'm stunned. i'm very stunned. >> reporter: in santa clara county court, battistella said he was