. good morning. coming up on "early today" -- massive flooding strikes multiple parts around the nation with more driving rain expected today. the passing of another hollywood legend. >> you know how to whistle don't you, steve? you just put your lips together and blow. lauren bacall, the woman humphrey bogart swept off her feet dead at 89. new details from investigators surrounding robin williams' suicide. things get a little hot at nfl training camps. a major gun control ruling is upheld in court and the ice bucket challenge to fight lou gehrig's disease continues to grow. it's wednesday, august 13th. "early today" starts right now.

good morning. i'm dara brown. another tragic loss for hollywood. silver screen siren lauren bacall has died. the 89-year-old died from a stroke tuesday in new york city. on screen bacall sizzled in films like "the big sleep." off screen she was part of the team of bogie and bacall. nbc's mark barger with a look at her extraordinary career. >> reporter: she delivered one of the most memorable movie lines ever. >> you know how to whistle don't you steve? you just put your lips together and blow. >> lauren bacall to humphrey bogart in "to have and have not." just 19 years old, it was her first film opposite a movie icon that could become her husband. bacall with would refer to bogart as my great love for the rest of had her life. >> i was so lucky to have had him. to have had that life and that

romance and the whole -- everything that happened to me at once. >> their marriage lead to three more movie collaborations before his death in 1957. "the big sweep. " >> i like that. i'd like more. >> "dark passage." >> i sort of joined your team. >> when i leave here you're off my team. >> and "key largo." each one showcasing her smoky voice and sultry looks. >> what's the decision? >> i don't know. >> she was born betty joan perske on september 16th, 1924 in new york city. bacall's mediocre rise in hollywood led to more than 30 films in a career spanning more than 60 years. in 1953 she starred with marilyn monroe in "how to marry a millionaire." >> that's why freddie and i got married. >> you mean you married that boy. >> other roles had her opposite some of hollywood's greatest leading men. bacall was at home on the stage.

"applause" brought her a tony award in 1970. she won another in 1981 for "woman of the year." on on film her 1996 performance in "the mirror has two faces" earned a golden globe award. >> i'm not giving it back. >> the first and only award nomination of her career, best supporting actress. >> mad at last. >> an honorary academy award came her way in 2009. it was an accolade that game late in life but served as a testament to lauren bacall's role in hollywood's golden age. mark barger, nbc news. this morning we're learning more about the death of actor and comedian robin williams. investigators are now awaiting toxicology reports but it was announced that williams committed suicide by hanging himself with a belt. memorials for williams are growing all across the country like this one outside the house in san francisco where "mrs. doubt fire" was filmed. in boston fans left chalk messages and flowers near a bench where robin williams lectured matt damon's character in "good will hunting." damon released a statement

on tuesday saying in part, robin brought so much joy into my life and i will carry that joy with me forever. he was such a beautiful man. i was lucky to know him and i will never ever forget him. >> "tonight show" host jimmy fallon also took a moment to remember williams late last night. >> and you would watch him and you would cry laughing and you would think i'm never going to see anyone like this human ever. it was just amazing. his brain was always thinking ten steps ahead of what he was saying. he was like the muhammad ali of comedy. to the latest in iraq. this morning there are 130 more u.s. troops at work in erbil, iraq's worst hot spot. defense secretary chuck hagel said this is not a combat boots on the ground kind of operation. the troops were sent to help ease the humanitarian crisis and help refugees trapped by isis. nbc's richard jordan is live in the nation's capital. good morning. what's the latest? >> good morning. that u.s. support team is already there. france says it will send arms to

the kurdish fighters in iraq and australia's prime minister is considering sending combat troops to fight there on the ground in iraq as well. a clear indication the crisis is escalating and so is the international response. more americans arrive in iraq, but u.s. officials say it's to help not to fight. >> as the president has made very clear we're not going back into iraq in any of the same combat mission dimensions that we once were in in iraq. >> three years after u.s. troops left iraq now 130 additional marines and special ops forces are in erbil. the team is there in a supporting role as isis militants threaten to kill up to 30,000 christians on the sinjar mountain refusing to convert to islam. congressional leaders weigh in on president obama's strategy. >> i would say we need much more sustained air attacks throughout

kurdistan but the isis area. find out where they're deployed, go after them. >> the key issue is the issue of the political situation in baghdad and that is something that we have to respect iraqi institutions. >> iraq's political power struggle continues. a day after iraq's president named a new prime minister, tuesday, a suicide bomber attacked a checkpoint leading up to his house in baghdad. countries divided politically and locked in a brutal civil war. embattled prime minister nuri al maliki is refusing to step aside. the new administration says he needs to move on so that they can take full control of the government and start to gain the trust and confidence of iraqi citizens. dara? >> richard, reporting from d.c., thank you for that update. this morning, more questions than answers in that racially charged shooting in st. louis.

>> we want the federal government to step in. the local authorities have put themselves in a position, hiding names, not being transparent. the comment coming after michael brown's autopsy was released. it revealed shots killed him, but not how many. with tensions still high, a move to keep the calm, there's a no fly zone over the town. it comes after a police chopper came under fire and the president weighing in on the shooting of the unarmed teen calling the death heartbreaking and asking people to talk with one another in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds. as for the grieving parents. >> i need all of us to come together and do this right. no violence, man. >> police still will not identify the officer that shot brown due to death threats made against him. extreme weather leaving behind extreme images. in north carolina the rain was relentless. 3 inches of it fell over raleigh. areas were left soaked and submerged. next, to a live picture just outside new york city. this is a scene on long island

where flash flooding has left a parkway littered with stranded cars this morning. up to 7 inches of rainfall was reported in the area. in nebraska, a hospital security camera caught this. floodwaters smashing through cafeteria windows. incredible images. parts of arizona it was wet and wild. a summer storm dropped up to 2 inches of rain. in nevada the largest -- the nation's largest reservoir hits an all-time low. lake meade has dropped to 1,080 feet above sea level almost the width of a football field. in 1983 it was 1,225 feet. the lake is crucial providing drinking water to seven states. time for a look at today's weather. here's nbc's meteorologist bill karins. >> we've had epic rain from detroit twos days ago to baltimore yesterday, the jersey shore last night and now up through long island. crazy numbers. this isn't like a hurricane or anything. it's just amazing. 6 1/2 inches at the baltimore airport, one location in married

reported over 10 inches of rain in a 24-hour period and now look what's happened. this is the news, we showed you the pictures on long island. 11.5 inches of rain since midnight. that's almost a foot of rain since midnight out on areas of long island and new york city. there are cars stuck, submerged. that's the picture we showed you of the southern state parkway on long island. crazy stuff. now we also have flash flood watches in effect for almost all of utah, western half of colorado, and a portion there from phoenix over towards almost into palm springs. we are going to see more afternoon showers and thunderstorms just like the last couple days. it's actually still some rain at this time, a little light soaking in areas of northern arizona and continue to watch the rain on i-5 from portland northwards through seattle too. there's rain out there this morning. areas of the west, that's where we need it. onal moisture in place recast.

with a chance of that flash flooding in many areas of the desert southwest. so we just -- the epic august is famous for slow-moving, drenching storms. and that's what we've seen. >> i know we need the rain but i keep hearing rain rain go away, that's playing in my head. thank you, bill. just ahead, another big atlantic city casino goes belly up. plus a major victory for gun control advocates up next. on progressive direct and other car insurance companies? yes. but you're progressive and they're them. -yes. -but they're here. -yes. -are you... -there? -yes. -no. -are you them? i'm me. but the lowest rate is from them. -yes. -so them's best rate is... here. so where are them? -aren't them here? -i already asked you that. -when? -feels like a while ago. want to take it from the top? rates for us and them. now that's progressive.

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cascade. beyond clean and shine. every time. than 6 pacs of the bargain brand combined. welcome to the corner of and "getting major kudos." just look at you. you're being healthy, even in little ways. that's worth celebrating. that's why walgreens created the first program that gives you rewards points just for healthy behavior. so stick with it. you've got a lot of people cheering you on... download the app and start getting rewarded today. at the corner of happy and healthy. . welcome back. a major federal ruling has gun control advocates celebrating this morning. last year maryland lawmakers banned assault weapons and limited magazines to 10 rounds. now despite claims it violates the second amendment, a judge has ruled the law constitutional. you remember this picture,

elian gonzalez, the ship wrecked cuban boy at the center of a bitter international custody battle. flash forward to yesterday the now 20-year-old is moved to tears watching a video in which he meets fiddle castro. the cuban dictator turns 88 today. chris christie is getting in on the ice bucket challenge craze for als research. the new jersey governor challenged senator cory booker, facebook founder mark zuckerberg and nbc's jimmy fallon. in the past few weeks, the trend has raised $4 million for the national als association. let's get down to business with cnbc's seema mody. job openings rose for the fifth straight month in june since 2001 but the labor department says hiring hasn't risen as fast. the data is watched as an indicator of business health and expansion plans. new jersey regulators will release a report this afternoon on how much cash atlantic city casinos got from gamblers last month.

revenue rose 4% in june despite news four casinos are closing. the latest revel which will shut its doors after failing to find a buyer. apple has reportedly starting the pro production of ipad 2. it's expected to have an anti-glare screen. ipad sales have slumped down 9% in apple's last quarter. back to you. >> thanks. lebron takes on the heat and we've got the big day. plus, a no hold's bar edition of "early today" sports is up next. don't go anywhere. s been helpine money for over 75 years. they've really stood the test of time. much like these majestic rocky mountains. which must be named after the... that would be rocky the flying squirrel, mr. gecko sir. obviously! ahh come on bullwinkle, they're named after... ...first president george rockington! that doesn't even make any sense...mr...uhh...winkle. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.

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it's economnomnomcial. ♪ nom...nom...nom... this morning on "today" a world tour, new perfume, new music on the way and a major milestone, carson daly catches up with the busy guys of the biggest boy band in the world. bun direction. time for sports and my good friend betty. >> thanks, dara. the giants honored robin williams before their game against the white sox. >> good evening, san francisco! >> williams went to a whole lot of giants games and was even the play ball presenter before the 2010 division series. the team took a moment of silence and played a video tribute honoring him. in pittsburgh, pirates pitcher edison volquez makes a blind grab off a hit. impressive. he'll throw to home to stop the runner from third.

an awkward catch you would have to see to believe but the pirates win 4-2. >> to cleveland, a rain delay during the indians/diamondbacks turns into every kid's fantasy. grown ups too. even a few indians players as you see here even used the giant tarp as a slip and side. >> former microsoft ceo steve ballmer owns the los angeles clippers. he pledges hard core support for the team, coach doc rivers and the staff. former owner donald sterling appealed his estranged wife's authority to sell the team but that was denied. shelly sterling shared her bittersweet reaction. >> i wanted to cry. it was a finale of the clippers for us and now it's going to a wonderful person and i still feel involved. >> as part of the deal shelly will receive courtside tickets for life and will be recognized as the clippers' number one fan. >> the nba will release the upcoming season schedule tonight. there are rumors of a christmas

day matchup between lebron james' cavaliers and the miami heat. that will be good. things got nasty during a cowboys/raiders practice. a small altercation between a few players turned into a full-on brawl from both squads. fans even got in on the action causing dallas cornerback webb to shove back. no word on any punishments. and the als ice bucket challenge has reached new heights. literally. the n had hl paul bissonnette got his cold shower from a chopper atop a mountain, rocking a tiny european-style swimsuit. he called out fellow athletes lebron james, aaron rodgers and russell wilson to take the ice bucket challenge next. "early today" is brought to you by touch of gray. get the look you want with the touch of gray mustache and beard. i'm still taken aback by that swimsuit. back to you, dara. >> thank you.

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no vehicles were in the way of that rock slide. that was in colorado about 30 miles west of denver. now today's forecast, a lot of moisture in the air, a lot of monsoonal moisture here in the desert southwest. that's why we have the flash flood warnings. thunderstorms over the canyon, that's what we worry about. it will keep the temperatures down. in the northwest a storm system lingering in this region that's going to bring us showers and storms today. it begins to push away as we go through the thursday period. it will slowly improve. >> thank you, bill. now it's time for entertainment news. the mighty hans solo is back after recuperating from a leg injury harrison ford is returning to the set of star wars 7 this month to return to filming. ariana grande released her video for her song "break free" and she gets a little special effects help in fighting aliens. the song is the second off her sophomore -- >> that's silly. >> crazy. >> she's young. that's fun. >> it's going to sell. no worries. >> we will be performing on "today" august 29th.

legendary singer barbra streisand announced her al but "duets" will feature a song between her and elvis presley. >> i think it's amazing. >> it will be great. >> revealed through the magic of modern technology he'll partner with the king of rock and roll for a rendition of "love me tender." and justin bieber will plead guilty later today to misdemeanor charges of careless driving and resisting arrest. he agreed to make a $50,000 charitable donation and take an anger management course. >> he's got to polish that image back up. >> he's got a few steps. >> do the right thing. do your time and your charity. >> and set an example. >> yeah. >> no more drag racing. >> no. i'm dara brown. this is "early today," we hope it's just your first stop of the day on nbc. stronger than peoples twice her size.er was and that strengtspired his liquid muscle cleaner. it lifts tough dirt so you do less scrubbing.

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leading the news in the "l.a. times," lapd fatally shoots man. family calls it unjustified. reports say the 24-year-old unarmed black man had mental issues. police say an officer shot him during a struggle and the family wants to know why. the incident is being investigated. in the "huffington post" brazil's appalling virginity test for women sparks outrage. prosecutors are looking into why women are being asked to undergo gin cological tests before applying for state jobs. the government's health ministry says it ensures candidates are able to keep their jobs for an average of 25 years. for other story we're following. the mathematics version of the nobel prize and for the first time in the 78 year history it

belongs to a woman. iranian stanford professor maryam mirzakhani is awarded the medal in her work for the symmetry of curved surfaces. >> a woman in pennsylvania escaped her parked car minutes before a sinkhole swallowed it. the owner of the tanning salon dragged her out and the car vanished under water. there were no reported injuries. and now to a zoo in china where they're celebrating the birth of not one, not two, but three baby pandas. that's the awe factor right there. triplets. experts said there's only a 1% chance of that. they are all healthy and they are expected to survive. well, cowboys and cowgirls are coming to australia. the first rodeo school is training future rodeo stars, bronc and bull riding. professionals are steechg the competitive sport, dismount techniques and animal welfare

procedures. they're becoming part of the rodeo. >> no way to learn how to ride a bull. >> have you ever done it? >> no. my brother-in-law was a semiprofessional rider though. >> really? >> you get on and hold on tight. there's a technique and stuff. the first time you do it you only get so many lessons. >> i'll watch from the stands, thank you very much. that's not on my bucket list. now it's time for a look ahead. president obama and former secretary of state hillary clinton may get a chance to hug it out today. clinton is scheduled to do a book signing on martha's vineyard where the obamas are vacationing. this follows comments clinton made in the atlantic in which she criticized the foreign policy calling his early response to the conflict in syria a, quote, failure. it's a happy birthday to "mad man" actor john flattery, weather channel host sam champion turns 53 and former child actor danny bonaduce of "the partridge family" is 55. i'm dara brown.

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from nbc bay area, this is "today in the bay." >> well, good morning, happy wednesday. 4:30. i'm scott mcgrew. >> i'm laura garcia-cannon. in just a couple of hours, students will head back to classes, several bay area schools. the district getting under way. san jose unified, antioch unified and south san francisco unifie unified. the first day of classes at a couple of private schools. >> speaking of san jose, let's peek out the window, take a look. looks like a good day for the first day of school. let's double-check with rob m ma.