on this saturday night, rescue mission. the arrival of the united states of an american doctor infected with the ebola virus and the extraordinary measures being taken to save him and protect those around him. toxic water. a state of emergency tonight in ohio where hundreds of thousands are being told not to use the water. across state lines, how legalizing marijuana in one state is causing new problems for others as a new kind of pot smuggling is on the rise. and, sounds of summer, 60 years later the music man who is still the driving force at the world's greatest jazz festival. from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this

is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening. the stark image of a sick american doctor sealed from head to toe arriving back on u.s. soil today gave us a glimpse of just what health workers fighting the ebola outbreak in western africa are up against. here is the view from above as dr. kent brantly, infected with the deadly virus, was escorted into atlanta's emory university hospital. we believe he's on the right there. the brief image showing just some of the extraordinary precautions surrounding his transport here. brantly is the first of two americans to be treated in the u.s. for the disease, which while frightening has according to experts virtually no risk of spreading to this country. yet the nervous fascination surrounding ebola here is undeniable. we begin our coverage with nbc's kate snow outside the hospital in atlanta for us. kate. >> reporter: good evening, lester. these patients are being transferred here to emory university to get the best care in the world.

a level of care they simply couldn't get in liberia. this is the first time an ebola patient has been cared for in the united states. and the journey here and the transfer of this patient was meticulously planned. just before noon a specially equipped private plane carrying dr. kent brantly landed at dobbins air force base just north of atlanta. inside that plane, multiple layers of protection to make sure no one would ever come in contact with the virus. as news helicopters hovered above, police and fbi escorted his ambulance for 22 miles down two major highways and through atlanta's city streets, arriving at emory university hospital. you could see clearly from above first the driver emerged in full protective gear, then from the back another person in a hazmat suit. and then a surprise. the patient himself walking into the hospital with support, but no stretcher. inside the hospital out of sight

from our cameras his family was watching it all play out on live tv. they hadn't known he had so much strength. so when they saw that moment, they broke down in tears of joy. do you have any fears yourself? >> no. >> reporter: an infectious disease specialist on the emory team treating kent brantly says none of the doctors here are worried about their own personal safety. >> the unit where he will be taken care of is staffed with experts, physician experts, nursing experts in the infection control practices necessary both to contain the virus and maintain the safety of both the patients in the hospital as well as the general public. >> reporter: today dr. brantly's wife, amber, was finally able to see and hear her husband from the other side of a glass barricade in the isolation unit. in a statement she said she was thankful to god for his safe transport and asked people to continue praying for her husband, missionary nancy writebol and for the people of liberia and those serving there.

dr. brantly was in liberia working with the relief organization samaritans purse. he and his wife have young children, a 5-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy. last july just before he left for liberia he spoke at his childhood church in indianapolis. >> i knew nothing about liberia. and i had never met anyone who had ever been there. so how is it that less than a year later i'd be taking my family to this far off place? it's because god has a call on my life. >> reporter: brantly's wife, amber, says he's in good spirits tonight and extremely grateful. meantime the plane that brought him here is now on its way back to liberia. it will be coming back with nancy writebol, the other woman who has ebola, expected here in the next 48 hours. lester. >> kate snow starting us off. and our chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman's been following this story for us and joins us now. good to see dr. brantly on his own two feet leaving that ambulance. what happens now in terms of treatment? >> i believe he walked into that

hospital and immediately got on a gurney and was then taken to the icu, his isolation room. they're going to follow his liver functions, kidney and make sure he's not having any problems with clotting. if he needs a transfusion or any kind of platelets, they'll be ready to give it to him. very sophisticated monitoring. >> and clearly they're taking all the precautions here. but i think a lot of concern comes to those who may be leaving the area of the outbreak coming to this country. there's some peace corps workers who are going to be evacuated. what kind of screening will there be for people coming back from that region? >> the centers for disease control now has people at about 20 places around the country where flights can come in. people coming out of dangerous areas and people on the ground have been told to look out for certain symptoms, high fever, headache, sore throat, weakness. people in the early stages look sick. and airlines are on the alert to call the herd. and if that's the case, not allow people to have

international travel. >> dr. nancy snyderman, thank you. much more on the ebola outbreak on "meet the press." david gregory's guests will include dr. tom frieden and dr. toby cosgrove. turn now to an entirely different health concern tonight. it's a toxic water situation in ohio that prompted the governor to declare a state of emergency today and a warning to hundreds of thousands of people not to use the water. it's happening in and around toledo. nbc's miguel almaguer has the latest. >> reporter: the camps waited three hours with 60 other desperate families to finally get what they came for. one case per family of clean drinking water for 4-year-old todd jr. and his 1-year-old sister, michelle. they live in toledo, ohio, where tonight families are waiting in line and living in a state of emergency. >> orderly fashion please! >> reporter: the water here isn't safe to drink.

>> i am very concerned for my kids because i don't want them to get sick. >> reporter: the run on water started just after 2:00 a.m. when the city announced tap water was dangerous to consume. store shelves went empty in hours. lines at grocery stores wrapped around the block. some drove from ohio to michigan for a case of water. police called in the crowd control. >> so far there's no real panic, but people are very concerned. >> reporter: lake erie, a major source of drinking water for toledo, may have been impacted by a harmful algae. the city's water treatment plant serves 400,000 people, an area spanning 100 square miles. restaurants have been shut down. the university of toledo and the zoo are closed. >> we are issuing this alert because the levels are above safe level of ingestion. >> reporter: abnormal liver function, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, numbness, dizziness,

just to name a few. >> panic is not the answer of getting through this. >> reporter: late tonight new precautions in chicago. city officials are re-testing water quality in lake michigan. back in toledo the eta is on the ground. but for families like the camps, help and answers aren't coming fast enough. miguel almaguer, nbc news. here in new york the family of a man who died after being placed in a chokehold by a police officer spoke out today calling on prosecutors for justice in a case that has caused outrage in this city and beyond. we get more from nbc's ron mott. >> eric, we won't let you down! >> reporter: now that new york city's medical examiner has ruled eric garner's july 17th death a homicide in an encounter with police caught on camera, today the reverend al sharpton was joined by garner's widow, mother and family members at a rally calling for prosecutors to file criminal charges. >> i met with the prosecutors, and i feel like i did the right

thing by doing that. and i just want them to do the right thing and give me justice for my husband. and thank you. thank you. that's all i'm going to say. thank you. >> reporter: the activist and msnbc host sharpton fired back at critics who have taken issue with his involvement in a case with racial overtones. >> this is not about the family overreacting. this is not about civil rights activists polarizing. there is no issue other than justice. and having policies that will assure justice. >> i can't breathe! i can't breathe. >> reporter: garner died after complaining multiple times to officers trying to arrest him he couldn't breathe. police say he was illegally selling cigarettes, the police union said the tragedy could have been avoided had he complied. what happens next will be closely watched as prosecutors weigh the evidence. >> have to determine whether or not criminal conduct attaches to that.

that could be murder, voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter, or they could refuse to indict. >> reporter: a choking death at the hands of police. >> they're not above the law. nobody's above the law. >> we want justice for eric garner and his family. >> reporter: under review and protest. ron mott, nbc news, new york. as congress begins a five-week summer recess, president obama called on americans today to challenge congress to do more to pass bills that would help the middle class. many have referred to this as the do-nothing congress. and even though the house passed an immigration bill last night, the senate will surely oppose it. we get more tonight from nbc's kristen welker. >> motion to reconsider, lay it on the table. >> reporter: late last night lawmakers scrambled to leave town without addressing the issue they've been wailing about for weeks, the crisis at the border. taking another step toward becoming one of the least productive, most dysfunctional congresses in history. >> we've been very productive. we passed about 350 bills and sent them to the united states senate.

>> simply can't run the house. and lots of good republicans names have said to me they've turned this place over to the crazies. >> reporter: house republicans did pass a border bill, but it stands no chance of survival in the senate. >> they're not even trying to actually solve the problem. >> reporter: and the democrat-led senate left town without even bringing a border bill to the floor. earlier in the week republicans sent mixed messages, approving a bill to sue the president for overstepping his authority by acting alone on key legislation. >> are you willing to let any president choose what laws to execute and what laws to change? >> reporter: but then calling on mr. obama to fix the border crisis himself. >> this is a difficult argument for republicans to square. >> reporter: this congress's overall record is dismal, so far only passing 142 bills, harkening back to another when historical political gridlock when harry truman coined the infamous term, do-nothing. >> this country can't afford

another republican congress. >> reporter: but even they pushed through seven times more bills than these lawmakers. >> absolutely. this congress has gotten much less done than even the do-nothing congress of the 1940s. >> reporter: the president has said he will take executive action on the border crisis and issue of immigration reform. some advocates are urging him to take bold action which could allow millions of illegal immigrants to stay in the u.s. a decision's coming soon. lester. >> kristen welker tonight. thanks. overseas, israel's prime minister said today the ground operation against hamas militants in gaza will continue as long as necessary and with as much force needed to stop hamas from attacking israel. at least 112 more palestinians were reported killed today, bringing the total to more than 1,700 while 63 israeli soldiers have died. more tonight from nbc's ayman mohyeldin in gaza. >> reporter: after 27 days of war, israel's shelling of gaza is showing no signs of slowing

down. tonight, prime minister benjamin netanyahu telling the world, the operation will go on until security is returned to the people of israel. and as the war drags on, hamas officials are calling israel's attacks a massacre and a war crime saying israel prevented the evacuation of the wounded to hospitals after a punishing assault on cities across southern gaza. israel says its operation is aimed at destroying tunnels, like this one uncovered by soldiers inside gaza. used to penetrate across the border to attack israeli civilians. it also claims hamas used a similar tunnel to ambush its soldiers yesterday. but in gaza a different plea. we found a 10-year-old sifting through the rubble of her family home. her home destroyed when israel struck the building next door, killing her grandparents and her

three uncles. she knows war all too well. the israelis didn't warn us. we didn't receive evacuation calls or even a warning shot, she tells me. on the street where she used to play, nothing but rubble. at 10 years old she has survived three wars. for god's sake, please, enough, enough. but her calls for this war to end will for now go unanswered. this evening hamas has responded to prime minister netanyahu saying that any unilateral withdrawal by israel is a sign of the occupation's failure to try and weaken gaza. lester. >> ayman mohyeldin in gaza tonight. thank you. when "nbc nightly news" continues on this saturday, the new drug war over smuggling marijuana purchased in colorado to neighboring states where it's still illegal. and bringing them to newport

for 60 years, the driving force behind the storied jazz festival.

we're back now with a ripple effect of colorado's decision to legalize marijuana for recreational use. seven months since those sales began and new smuggling problem has emerged creating a growing law enforcement burden for neighboring states. we get more tonight from nbc's gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: all of a sudden sleepy sedgwick, population 150, is a destination. >> so you come in, you can look

at the samples. >> reporter: mike owns the only marijuana shop in eastern colorado, posted signs warn customers that taking their purchases out of state is against the law. >> we want everyone to know don't go east with this. don't do it. >> reporter: but that's not stopping jim, who asked us not to show his face. he says he drives an hour and a half to buy pot here every two weeks and takes it back home to nebraska illegally. >> i could go to jail. >> reporter: it's still worth it for you? >> it's still worth it for me. >> reporter: 22-year-old zack just bought edibles on his road trip back to pennsylvania. >> there's really nothing wrong with it. alcohol's way worse, definitely. >> reporter: but just a few miles away from that dispensary is the nebraska state line. and here there's a very different view of colorado's social experiment. >> it's doubled our workload. >> reporter: the police chief in nearby sydney, nebraska, says so far this year his officers have made more marijuana-related

arrests than all of 2013. >> it's a significant impact on that entire judicial system. guess who pays for that? you and i, the taxpayers do. >> reporter: a concern not just in nebraska but wyoming and kansas where the head of the drug enforcement administration told congress marijuana seizures had shot up 61%. oklahoma authorities say there's a new pipeline from colorado slicing right through their state. >> and what we're seeing is high-grade high thc content of marijuana coming from colorado. it's illegal in oklahoma. and we're going to stop that supply from getting into our state. >> reporter: police insist they're not profiling drivers, just finding the weed during regular traffic stops. marijuana advocates don't buy it. >> i have many clients who tell me that the first thing they get asked when they get pulled over in kansas or nebraska with colorado plates is, where's the marijuana. and that's a problem. >> reporter: a problem mike urges his customers to avoid altogether. >> i want to be known as first-stop in colorado, not last stop on your way home.

>> reporter: but it's clear part of the drug war is now being fought at another border. gabe gutierrez, nbc news, sedgwick, colorado. in a moment, some scenes of planet earth that are out of this world.

the scene at the six flags amusement park in new jersey where the roller coaster got stuck yesterday on its way up to the peak. the reason was a power failure. park employees climbed up access stairs and then walked the passengers down. no one was hurt, some scary moments, not quite the thrill they had in mind. a german astronaut on the international space station is giving us amazing views of planet earth via twitter.

the world is seen from a sunny day on the mediterranean sea to the nighttime spectacle of lava flowing from italy's mt. etna. a typhoon in the western pacific. and outlines of volcanos on the aleutian islands covered by clouds. good deed captured on video at the budapest zoo in hungary. a brown bear took a break from her meal of carrots and apples to rescue a crow having some trouble in the water. took a few minutes for the bird to regain its footing while onlookers wondered if the bear now had another meal in mind. she went right back to the carrots and apples. who knew? a vegetarian bear. up next, our day at newport on the 60th anniversary of the world's preeminent jazz fest.

toes are tapping up in newport, rhode island, this weekend with the newport's famous jazz festival now underway. and celebrating its 60th anniversary. it was a forerunner for the now widely popular outdoor jazz scene attracting new audiences and expanding the reach of the genera. and thanks to one man who was there from the start, newport continues to attract the brightest names in the business. ♪ >> it's the place where jazz came into the light of day, from dark and smoky clubs on to the picturesque newport waterfront. names like charles mingus, billie holiday signed onto play newport. but the real benefactor was

meant to be newport itself. a tony, old-money, new england enclave looking to spice things up making their pitch to george wein at the time, a boston jazz club owner. >> we'd like to do something with jazz in newport. >> reporter: today, the newport jazz festival is considered the granddaddy of outdoor festivals. >> the people that have played here before us, duke ellington, lewis armstrongs, they say, wow, we're on that list too. >> reporter: 60 years later george wein is still in charge. was it difficult to get big names to come at first? >> no because the big names weren't getting that much money in those days. >> reporter: it hasn't always been smooth sailing, but wein's proudest moments have been watching careers blossom from this stage. >> we brought miles davis back. he was finished and played about midnight here in 1955. the next thing you know he was

the biggest thing. >> reporter: under wein's direction the festival is now focusing more on jazz's future than its past. relative newcomers like recent grammy nominee vocalist cecile mclorin salvant. >> to be here, to perform here, is something pretty surreal. also, the view when you're on stage is really calming. >> reporter: as founder of the newport jazz fest, wein has been described as the most important non-player in jazz, which is not at all accurate. >> i would say do you know duke ellington's eight train? >> sure. >> let's play it. >> reporter: as i witnessed while admittedly mixing business with pleasure, he remains a vibrant and gifted jazz pianist. today, outdoor jazz festivals are held across the country, but all are rifts on a tune george wein has been playing since 1954.

>> i'm going to be 89 years old in october. i want this festival to continue after i'm gone. >> newport fest continues tomorrow. that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. i'm lester holt. see you tomorrow morning on "today" and right back here tomorrow evening. good night. good evening to you. thank you for joining us. i'm peggy bunker. >> i'm terry mcsweeney. it is opening night in santa clara where the san jose earthquakes are gearing up to play the very first game in the new levi's stadium. >> let's get you a look at it live right now.

here's a look at the stadium from our chopper. we've been watching the traffic, the 50,000 people that are expected at the game tonight. in another hour or so, an estimated 50,000 fans will pack into levi's stadium for this inaugural game. we have team coverage of the opening tonight. >> marianne favro has been keeping tabs on how people are getting to the game. here's a preview of -- oh, there's a game going on there tonight. >> reporter: that's right. earthquakes going to make history against seattle. this wonderful facility will hold 75,000 for football. but they are expecting to exceed 50,000 fans tonight for this soccer match. you can see them starting to slowly file in which should make for a very fun atmosphere. now, the quakes are used to playing matches outside of their