good morning. danger zones. severe storms and flooding in the nation's midsection. a mudslide in washington state. dangerously hot weather across the south and now a tropical disturbance swirling in the caribbean could be set to take aim at the u.s. we are tracking it all. police misconduct. two officers involved in policing the protest in ferguson, missouri suspended over something they said as the community tries to come together in the wake of the michael brown shooting. and field of dreams. las vegas squaring off in the little league world series as the boys put it on the line. we take you there live for all the excite maryland, today,

saturday 23rd, 2014. announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with lester holt and erica hill. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a saturday morning. i'm lester holt. >> i'm alongside jenna wolfe. we have precious cargo on this set. >> we do. >> we do. who is the precious cargo. >> i was like are you pregnant? yeah. >> what are you trying to do to me. >> you have five children? >> three, you have two. >> i have two. >> i'm going to bring up the rear with one. i am expecting my second. thank you very much. we are not doing that. she is guesting here. she has no idea what she's talking about. it's wonderful news, we are so,

so excited. >> we are going talk more about it later. coming up, we have been keeping a close eye on a high profile murder case in texas. the man who killed his two sons. emotions are running high on all sides of the case. we'll have the latest. >> we are going switch gears. two small businesses were weeks away from going out of business. we brought in an expert to try to turn things around. how are they doing now, this morning? we'll get the answer. we want to begin with the severe weather threat facing a huge section of this country. maria is watching it all. good morning. >> good morning. a lot is happening. itis been an intense 24 hours. this is the scene in kansas. the clouds showed residents that storm was coming, bringing with it the heavy rain, major, major flooding. this is cheyenne county,

colorado. many contending to hail that came down very, very quickly. check out the scene in north central washington state. mudslide after rains in that area. one home knocked off its foundation. still incredibly active now. let's start with that. we have the same area, they are calling it with ring of fire. above the ridge of high pressure, a string of storms. that is going to continue. a lot of lightning and heavy rainfall. on top of that, it is on the move. we are going to continue to see a rain producer. can we talk about the snow on the map? winter weather advisories for montana. three to six inches of snowfall 6,500 feet. it's a problem for campers. we have three to six inches of rain expected. lester? >> thanks, we'll get the rest of the forecast in a moment. now, the latest in ferguson, missouri. the town torn apart after the

shooting death of a teenager. they tried to come together with the starlet of a high school football season. two officers in the area are now in trouble themselves for alleged bad conduct. ron allen has more on that, good morning. >> good morning to you, lester. the streets where there have been so much violence, but once again quiet overnight. today, two officers have been suspended because of a comment they made related to the protest as the community tries to move past two traumatic weeks. the north stars determined to win under friday night lights. >> get your head in the game. >> reporter: the team from ferguson that struggled to practice, their season in doubt because of the unrest. >> i'm hoping it's the first -- >> reporter: now, in the aftermath of the protest, two police officers find themselves in trouble. dan page on duty in ferguson for

making comments in 2012 that appeared on youtube that the department found offensive, including referring to his military service. >> i have killed a lot. if i need to, i'll kill a bunch more. >> the chief suspended the officer and apologized. nearby, the officer is accused of making these comments on facebook. i'm sick of the protesters, you are a burden on and great, thugs all in one place. >> it was concerning, shocking to us. we would have never thought one of our police officers would have made such posts. >> reporter: earlier, an officer was suspended after pointing a semi-automatic at protesters. they will determine weather he faces charges for shooting and killing michael brown and investigators looking into

whether civil rights were violated. ferguson hopes it has turned a page. volunteers set up open air markets under a blistering sun. >> you got it? >> reporter: food, water, essential items. >> they bring this stuff here. it's way too crazy. i don't want to leave. >> reporter: some boarded up businesses are coming back to life. at red's barbecue, they moved the grill outside. >> we might be down, but not out. >> reporter: something of a campaign to show the world there's more here than anger and rage. this morning, police say they made zero arrests. everyone knows the investigations will take time and there are many challenging and emotional days ahead, especially monday when the brown family lays their son to rest. lester? >> ron allen, thank you. now, the battle to the isis

terror group in the wake of the murder of journalist james foley. president obama weighs whether to widen the campaign. covering the developments, kristin welker is traveling with the president. good morning. >> andrea, good morning to you. international anger mounts over the death of james foley. the obama administration is considering expanding military operations from iraq to neighboring syria. while the u.s. continues the campaign of air strikes in iraq aimed at slowing isis militants, the white house says the execution of james foley was a direct hit against america. >> it's a terrorist attack against our country. >> reporter: isis has grown stronger in recent months. u.s. officials are saying they may expand the military campaign

in syria where isis is thriving. >> we are not going to be restricted by borders. we have shown time and again if there's a counterterrorism threat, we'll take action as necessary. >> reporter: the military options as the pressure mounts on the president. lawmakers, including some democrats are calling for air strikes in syria. >> can they be defeated without addressing that part of their organization? the answer is no. >> reporter: mr. obama who vowed to end the wars in iraq and afghanistan has been criticized for not launching air strikes in syria where a war is raging. many americans don't the appetite to engage in foreign conflict. isis headquarters is based in syria. as long as that stands, the terrorist group will continue to grow. >> we might not be attacked today or tomorrow. the threat is there in the

future. >> reporter: u.s. officials say they are reaching out to their european allies and partners in the region. in a washington post op-ed they said it's up to them to form a coalition. this is a fight in iraq with the help from america and the world can and must win. we have a stake in empowering a terrorist state from taking root in the middle east. back to you. >> kristin welker, traveling with the president, thank you. the man seen killing james foley in the haunting video, he might be british. ke keir simmons is follow thag story. >> reporter: they are narrowing down the list of suspects as they work to identify the man. the voice on the tape highlighting european nationals are fighting with syria and iraq. people who could easily travel

to the u.s. isis has many thousands of fighters. british and american intelligence. the man who holds a knife in his left hand and appears to have a british accent, james foley's killer. experts will be analyzing his voice. >> security searches have data bases of voices of people they believe to be working in this area. >> reporter: one british newspaper claims to know who he might be. another says they raged the plan. lawmakers want to tackle the british jihadists. >> he thought it was necessary to leave this country and go fight in iraq and syria. >> reporter: more than 500 british citizens are zest mated to have joined isis. many more from europe.

recruitment in the uk. >> there's something wrong with our society. >> reporter: the vast majority of muslims oppose isis, a message repeated at friday prayer. isis videos reveal fighters who traveled to syria and iraq from the uk. >> the muslim community here needs to come out and, in many ways, rise up against these people. >> reporter: leaving questions about why they don't and why british authorities seem unable to stop them. there have been many attempts to stop the radicalization of young, british muslims. the question is why it hasn't worked well enough or effectively enough, lester, to prevent the killer of james foley being a british extremist. lester? >> thanks.

adam ship is a member of the house committee and evans a terrorist analyst for the department of defense and fbi. good morning to both of you, thanks for coming on. >> congressman, when the u.s. began air strikes in iraq, it was for humanitarian needs, to protect u.s. interest and critical infrastructure in iraq. if the air strikes expand into syria, does it essentially change the mission of the u.s. and the goal? >> it would change the mission. the mission is changing a bit already. the president originally articulated a couple goals protecting personnel as well as the genocide on the mountain top. we are now watching air strikes around the mosul dam beyond the two objectives. expanding into syria is a broadening of the mission. i don't think that's going to happen. i think he's going hear out the military commanders and what the

recommendations and options are. we don't have the same capabilities on the ground. we don't have a government to work with in syria. we don't have the same intelligence assets in syria. air strikes alone, without coordination on the ground would be limited. i think the president is unlikely to go there in the near term. >> let me go to evan about the dangers isis represents. is it in the middle east or does the u.s. need to engage them because they are a direct threat to the homeland? >> there is absolute evidence showing that isis fighters are trained in syria and coming back to europe and other western countries with the idea of carrying out terrorist attacks. we have seen one attack in brussels, an individual that shot up a jewish museum. we have seen other individuals traveling back to europe from syria, calling isis saying we

want to build a bomb, how do we build a bomb, what kind of target should we go after? very much thrks is a national security threat for the united states. for europe, it's no longer about iraq. it's important to understand this. this is not like the previous iraq war, where we chose to go into it. we have no choice if we want to defend ourselves in the long run. >> do you see isis as a national security threat beyond the borders of iraq, something we need to be concerned about? >> i do. i agree with that. the presence of all the foreign fighters, the will to come home and strike us makes us a grave risk, the most prominent since 9/11. whether the introduction of armed forces or air strikes is going to help us deal with that. without a partner on the ground, it's going to be a limited effect. so, i think we have to be careful not to be provoked by

the ghastly murder of james foley into doing things that are not productive. there are a lot of productive things we can do like getting turkey to close the border. dry up some external funding for the groups. getting friends and allies to provide humanitarian assistance. pushing isis out of iraq and containing in syria one till the dynamic on the ground changes there. these are things we can productively do. this is a threat to us on the homeland certainly in the midterm, if not the near term. >> before we close, evan, is the u.s. behind in this effort? >> before 9/11, we learned a lesson about what happens when you let a country become a haven for terrorist organizations. back then, we didn't have the resources. we didn't have resources on the ground. we didn't want to get involved. al qaeda established a base, trained people and carried out brutal attacks. right now, we have let syria

lapse into the exact same situation. right now, we know a dangerous terrorist group that is training people, heavily armed and training western, foreign fighters including on how to build explosives. to allow the situation to continue to mushroom, not just in iraq, but syria, a clear and present danger. if we leave syria alone, it's a big problem. evan, congressman, thank you. jenna is here with a look at the top stories. >> hi, everyone. trucks from a russian convoy are making their way out of ukraine after crossing the border without permission. 200 trucks rolled into eastern ukraine where fighting continues and pro-russian rebels. western countries, including the u.s. joined kiev in calling for the trucks to be removed. they were smuggling supplies to rebel fighters. russia insists they were carrying humanitarian aid.

a chinese warplane came dangerously close to a navy jet forcing them to complain to the chinese government. the jet was on the routine mission over the south china sea, about 135 miles east of the chinese island of hainan. one was less than 100 feet of separation. a wyoming police officer pleaded not guilty to an animal cruelty charge after being accused of leaving his canine partner in a hot car. he left the lab in the car more than six hours. the car was running, but the air-conditioning was off and reached 86 degrees outside. miller has been removed from active duty an the department suspended the canine program. warning more than 1,000 retailers their cash registers could be infected with malicious software. scan your systems for software

known as back off. it could cause them to steal customer information. it was identified in october but no anti-virus program until this month. mark from "saved by the bell" turned 40. hoda turned 50 and al turned 60. we have another birthday. remember bao bao? she turned 1 today. she came into the world at 4.5 ounces at the washington zoo, made a public debut. now at 40 pounds, age 1, bao bao is loving life. that is 40 pounds at age 1. that is a big baby. >> 1 is the new 6 months. >> exactly. maria la rosa is back with a check of the forecast. >> all eyes in the caribbean right now. the atlantic has been quiet with the tropics.

nothing deemed official. no tropical depression or named storm. you can see plenty of rain is happening and could be a problem with flooding. the next question is, where is it going to be headed next? the models are starting to look at it by the bahamas. the gulf or good morning, 5:49 the time right now, waking up to a little fog and drizzle in the bay area, in the south bay and peninsula, folks there, you'll notice the east shore, looking into the city, good visibility. in fact, the fog is not impeding the view right now. you'll notice through want decade today, another summer-like day all the way, temperatures in the 70s and 80s in the inlad valleys, and san francisco at 70 degrees. for more you at 7:00 including the check of the tropical storms in the pacific. a look at your weather. andrea, back to you. >> thanks.

if you have a cell phone, you might cringe when the bill arrives next month. peter alexander tells us, wireless carriers are battling for your business. you might be able to grab a great deal on your next phone. >> reporter: welcome to the wild woorld of wireless. they are at war for your business. in washington, d.c., jordan smith's cell phone contract expires today. he'll shop around for a new and better deal. chances are, he'll find one. nice to be fought over? >> every day. i wish more people would fight over me. >> reporter: sprint is offering unlimited minutes, text and data for 60 bucks. the same plan on t-mobile is $80. several carriers are offering to cover the cost to switch companies and no contracts. the challenge is simple. everyone who needs a phone has one. that leaves them with one option to grow, luring customers from

rivals. that's good news for your wallet. >> my plan as low as $40. consumer reports says the average customer is paying half of what they did five years ago from 100 buck as month to 50. how does it work? >> one, they are driving prices down. two, they are making the bills easier to decipher because they separated the phone from the service and three, the contracts are disappearing. >> reporter: you need to think before you sign up. customers can keep the same number, but you may have to pay for a new phone. you have to do your homework. they make it hard to compareson shop. >> reporter: make sure the carrier has good service where you love. after all, if you can't hear me now, what good is a cheaper plan? peter alexander, nbc news,

washington. the girl who wouldn't admit to eating a sweet treat. first, this is "today" on nbc.

you know the saying, caught red handed? have you heard this one? caught chocolate mouthed? >> it's funny when kids deny doing something wrong. i do it with shopping. especially when the evidence is on their faces. jenna is in the orange room with a doughnut denial that's gone viral. >> my kid can't talk yet, much less lie about doing something, but i am fully prepared for it. this sweetheart denies she ate a chocolate doughnut even when her mom flat out asks her, did you eat a chocolate doughnut? >> i did not. >> you did not eat what? >> not a chocolate doughnut.

>> you did not eat a chocolate doughnut? >> yeah. >> are you sure? >> no. >> did you eat a chocolate doughnut? >> yeah, i love it. >> you love it? but did emma eat one? >> she goes on to blame her brother. she blames her brother, right? i guess ben pushed it in my mouth. i believe her, that's the thing. i guess ben pushed it in her mouth. >> jenna, did you eat it? >> she said she's eating a doughnut. we don't eat them in the morning. i totally, 100% believe her. if you got busted or busted your kid in the act, send in your videos. i don't know what this was about. nobody did anything wrong between emma and myself. i thought i would tell you that. >> i can't ever imagine you eating a doughnut.

the fact you licked some of that. >> come back to me. bring the camera here. let me show you what happened.

>> we saw a beautiful week in the bay area, another fantastic day coming our way, you know, waking up told low clouds and fog. not too bad, though, you saw from the camera, you can make out the city, so we are going to see plenty of sun this afternoon. in fact, warm today, nearly 70 degrees in san francisco, in the 80s inland valleys north bay incoming the trivalley and the south bay. that's where we see temps warmest, vicki, talking about mid-80s today, but we have a couple systems, and, in fact, we have a system in pa tisk and some spreads this way tomorrow. we could see increased humidity tomorrow and maybe some moisture for the end of the upcoming week. a lot going on even though it's nice and sunny in the bay area. >> beautiful clear skies for now. thank you, anthony. well, new this morning, shots fired backstage in the concert in the south bay leaving one in the hospital this morning.

officers say they received several calls reported multiple shots fired at shoreline amphitheater in mountain view after a concert. the shots happened just after 11:00 last night. they were allowed to leave the parking lot, u officers locked down backstage for several hours. investigators confirmed one person was shot multiple times and rushed to the local hospital for treatment. no word on the extent of the injuries. police are looking for any witnesses who may have information leading to the arrest of the suspected involved in the shooting. they are asking that anyone with video, photos, on evidence contact the mountain view police. all lanes open on 880 after a crash that killed a person overnight. the accident happened around 3:15 this morning near the hagenberger onramp. the driver of the wrecked vehicle was found not breathing. three of the four lanes closed for two hours on 880, but no

details on how that accident happened. coming up this morning on "today in the bay," seemed impossible, but now a reality. what levi stadium helped this couple accomplish in three weeks, plus, all your top stories at 7:00 and a look at the forecast as well. for now, back to the "today" show. ♪

we are back on a saturday morning, it's august 23rd, 2014. the crowd pick add good morning to join us. it's supposed to be a beautiful weekend here in new york. when haven't we had a beautiful weekend? thanks to them for waking up this morning. they almost make the sport look easy. we'll talk to the stars of the little league series including las vegas and chicago. they are total rock stars. pat o'brien had a successful career in television for decades. he also battled drugs and alcohol. he will tell us about that and how he finally overcame his demons. it's been six months since we met the owners of two small

businesses struggling to stay open. we are going to check in with them. let's begin with an emotional criminal trial playing out in a texas courtroom. a father accused of murdering the drunk driver who killed his two young sons. it's drawing a big reaction on social media. >> reporter: an emotional woman watched every moment of her husband's murder trial from the front row of this texas courtroom. their two young sons were killed in 2012 when a drunk driver plowed into a truck on the side of the road. >> i still blow them kisses. i can't let them go. >> reporter: prosecutors say minutes after the crash, david shot and killed the man behind the wheel. his mother, maria, has been in court every day. >> i want justice for my son.

>> reporter: he deserved to be punished for what he did, but should not have been executed. >> hope you get justice and we get peace of mind. david has thousands of people rushing to his defense on social media. one comments i stand with david because i would have done the same thing. he denies being the shooter, pleading not guilty. the family arguing he was desperately trying to save his children, not go after the killer. cindy is relying on faith and compassion. >> there's no love like a mother's love. that's why i can feel for the other family. there's no bringing back. we have all lost. the only thing we can do is move forward. you know? find peace. >> reporter: no matter the outcome here, neither family can claim victory, only unimaginable loss. for "today," halle jackson, nbc news, alvin, texas.

>> thank you. let's get a check of the weather maria la rosa is in for dylan this morning on the plaza with the forecast. >> it's humid out here, but we have a great crowd. it's hot in texas right now. >> it is hot. >> it's a big story we are following across the country. let's get you prepared for today and the weekend. one big story on top of that heat, the severe weather, the flooding, the rain. the plains and the rockies. you are not seeing things, three to six inches of snow above 6,500 feet in portions of montana. heads up for campers there. talk about summer, we would love a break from the heat. these are actual temperatures. 100s. the heat index 105 to 110. the northeast, below average. keeping pittsburgh and new york cloudy. high temperatures into the 60s and 70s. down to the south, still another day of heat.

tomorrow, also heads up across the california beaches. high surf because of lowell, a tropical system could be looking at waves from 10 to 15 feet. heads up to the surfers out good morning, 6:04, waking up to clouds and fog in the san francisco area. emeriville cam, you can see the city, not too bad. highs today, 70 in san francisco and the 80s inland valley. warmest spot is the trivalley, 80 degrees, mid-70s in the peninsula, and tomorrow, tropical moisture, and that could increase humidity threat. we'll talk about that coming up this morning at 7:00. . and everybody this is andrea. andrea, back to you. >> hello, so glad you are here today.

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nearly every make and model all in one place. carmax. start here. we're back on a saturday morning with a man who on the surface seemed to have it all. pat o'brien had a family, successful career and access to some of the biggest names in hollywood. his struggle with alcohol nearly caused him to lose everything. now, six years sober, he's written about the ups and downs of his life. we wrote a memoir called "i'll be back after this." >> thank you. i didn't lose it all. i got it back. you and i traveled across the world together. >> you and i go back. here is the one thing that struck me. i picked up the book thinking it's going to be about your journey and struggle with alcohol and drugs. there's this guy that's had incredible life.

you bring name dropping to a new level. golf with tiger woods. >> right. frank sinatra told me never to name drop. so, but, when you are around this long, you are going to meet some people and i try to put as many really good stories in there. by the way, the book is the history of sports, politics and there's a lot of stuff in there. there's a lot of good stories in there. >> you write a lot about the alcohol addiction. you were too grandiose to believe it could happen to you. you were in denial. when did the denial begin? >> shut up, i wasn't grandiose. alcoholics are the biggest health problem in the country. when you are an alcoholic, a full-blown alcoholic, you lie to yourself. you drank with me, he's fine, by the way. you lie to yourself and say i can keep drinking. that's what i did. it's a disease. you tend to lie. you tend to not be honest.

but, in a position of recovery, you learn how to deal with that. alcoholism. the ism part is the hard part, getting rid of the resentment, fear, shame and remorse. >> did you draw lines? i don't recall thinking you were drunk at the time. >> i never drank when i worked. when i was cleared, you know the feeling, i keep trying to drag him into this. you are fine. when they said you are clear, i would drink. i drank because, you know, to me, it was medicine. that's what alcoholics do, they medicate themselves. >> you write about it in 2008. before you went to the fourth time in rehab, you flew to your beach house in nantucket. you write i told myself i was going to relax. i think about my future and how to make amends for my past. i was going there to die. do you consider yourself lucky to be alive?

>> i wasn't intending to die, i drank 12 or 13 bottles of wine in one day. fell flat on my face in my own house and was rushed at near death. that's what happens. in alcoholism and recovery, tough find that desperation. you have to stop listening to the voices in your head and fall in love with recovery. i was near death, i was. >> in this book, you single out a lot of people that helped you along the way and single out people in the business you don't have great stories about. was there something about letting it all come out, those you love, those you hate, your struggl struggles? >> our friend matt lauer said nobody would have the guts to write this book. i wrote about people in the entertainment business. we all spent our careers destroying people's lives. every thing we pick up on and make it bigger. i pick on a few people.

you pinch them and they get more angry. >> we'll hear from them. >> i have heard from them, they are fine. >> great to see you. six years sober? >> six years, yeah. >> the book is "i'll be right back after this." up next, we check in with two small businesses who were once on the brink of shutting down. once on the brink of shutting down. how are they much thought to the acidity in any foods. never thought about the coffee i was drinking having acids. it never dawned on me that it could hurt your teeth. my dentist has told me your enamel is wearing away, and that sounded really scary to me, and i was like well can you fix it, can you paint it back on, and he explained that it was not something that grows back, it's kind of a one-time shot and you have to care for it. he told me to use pronamel. it's gonna help protect the enamel in your teeth. it allows me to continue to drink my coffee and to eat healthier, and it was a real easy switch to make.

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this morning on "today's" main street make over, we are checking in with two small businesses that were struggling to make ends meet. they were both weeks away from closing for good until our expert came in and made big changes for them. now, six months later, their futures are looking a lot brighter. erica has the update. >> reporter: in just six months, veach's toy station has come a long way.

>> people remark every day how much more open it is. the shelves are lower. they can see their children in another aisle. >> reporter: gone are the jam packed shelves and dingy walls that defined this main street staple. >> i thought oh my gosh. it's one big mess. >> reporter: replaced with bright, engaging displayed and hands-on experience. >> bring the play mobile to the front, the books in the back and create a story with the displays. >> reporter: part of the plan to rescue the 75-year-old business, which had been struggling for years. change is never easy. >> has it been stressful? >> yes. overwhelming. >> reporter: the change is paying off. overwhelming. >> reporter: the change is paying off, and sales are up more than 10%, but getting there has forced the veach's to make hard decisions. >> we had to cut areas that were not making money like cutting

the train department. >> and right now, they are doing a number of things right. first of all, they have begun to engage the community, and secondly, telling great stories inside of the store, and thirdly, they are buying the right products. >> reporter: when we first met you, you were woi ried about the future. >> there is a clear vision of where we are headed, and that is exciting. >> reporter: and the same thing happened in nashville with the sales is of a food truck have shifted. and now sarah and carl's dreams of owning a restaurant are in high gear. you were not sure if you were going to make it six months ago and now you are sitting on the patio of the future restaurant. >> it is humbling. >> and amazing to think of where we have come in a short time. >> reporter: they are set to open the restaurant this fall promising to sell the soul from the food truck on a larger sc e scale. it is the soul that was missing

when we first met the wor lives. -- worley's. >> you are not selling memories, but food. >> reporter: they have added regular brunches with local flavor. >> the best advice was to focus on who we were, and we were 30% above where we were last year at this time, and working half as hard as we did. >> they have managed to traps port the spirit they had in the minds into the service and the profits. >> reporter: this is it, a spirit they are now determined to share six days a week. for today, erica hill, nashville. >> martin lindstrom who we just saw in the piece is author of "buy-ology." thank you for coming on, martin. i say to get better you tro listen, listen, listen. >> yes. >> and so you are a tough-love

guy, and so they made the change, and what changes did they make and what impact did it have? >> they wererified of losing the business and so they did nothi nothing. so we had to change the focus, and the focus is so concise that the everybody started to get the concept which is the turnaround tric trick. >> the biscuit loves food truck is spreading the love literally, and they are going to expand with the restaurant. do you think that they are moving too quickly or is this a good move? >> well, first of all, i'm so proud of what i am seeing amazing stuff, but they should not give up the food truck, because it is the heart of what they are standing for, so they need to sprinkle it across the restaurant and so that you will feel the spirit of the truck when you are in the restaurant. >> they are pursuing their dreams, though, so all of the best of it for that. >> yes. >> and do you think they listened to everything that you said? do you think they have done it? >> not really.

i think that veach's is trying the do it, but they had a mindset that was so much stuck in the past, that you have to overcome the whole way of thinking and took them a long way. i think that in the end, the biscuit loves got that way and that is why the sales are up. >> what a wonderful thing to happen to them. thank you, martin lind strom. >> and we go the baltimore where one man's hard work and passion benefits a community. and should pregnant women stay away from eating tuna? but first, this is "today" on

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you are watching "today in the bay." good morning, your time is 6:26, live at the golden gate bridge, traffic moving nicely, and it's not socked in by fog for once. i'm vicky nguyen alongside

anthony with a look another weekend forecast. >> a few more sunshines, and we have to wait until 11:00, but we're already clearing out. this afternoon, 70 degrees in san francisco, ocean breeze, pretty nice there. inland valleys the warmest, low to mid-80s. trivalley expecting topping out at 90. tropical systems in the pacific, three of them, kicking up the waves at the beaches this weekend. take it easy if you're there and increased threat for humidity tomorrow. something we usually don't see. we'll talk about that at 7:00. >> all right, thank you, anthony. one person in the hospital after shots were fired backstage at a concert in the south bay. officers say they received several phone calls reporting multiple shots fired in mountain view at the amphitheater. this happened after the concert last night, and shots happened

just after 11:00. the crowd was allowed to leave the shoreline parks lot, but officers locked down the backstage area for several hours. invest gait rs confirmed one was shot several times and rushed to the hospital for treatment. no word on the extent of the injuries. police are looking for any witnesses who they have information leading to the arrest of the suspects involved in the shooting. they are asking thin with video, photos, or any evidence of the shooting to contact mountain view police department. all lanes are now back open on 880 near the coliseum after a crash killed one person overnight. the accident happened at 3:15 this morning. when rescue crews arrived, the driver of the vehicle was found not breathing, and three of the four lanes closed for two hours. there's no detail, though, on what caused that accident. still to come this morning

on "today in the bay," it seems impossible, but now it's a reality. what levi stadium helped this couple accomplish in three weeks. that and all your top stories and forecast coming up at 7:00. for now, we'll take you back to the "today" show.

good morning. it's saturday, august 23rd, 2014. here is a look at today's top stories. danger zones. severe weather laerts for millions from severe storms and flooding in the middle of the country to oppressive heat in the south. we are tracking it all. police misconduct. new developments in ferguson, missouri, as two police officers involved in the protest in that community are suspended for allegedly making offensive comments. this has community members come together to move past the protests in the wake of michael brown's shooting death. a field of dreams. it is a big day today for the players about to go head to head for the u.s. title in the little league world series. chicago and las vegas are about to face off with a chance to

make it to the final game as the nation rallies behind them all. good morning. welcome to "today." nice to have you here. >> so great to be here. i'm here for erica today who is enjoying the morning off. i'm having a great time. thank you for having me. >> good. they all came to welcome you. >> thank you, guys. >> they tend to do that. we have a lot to get to. we will begin with the wild weather affecting a lot of people from the south to the midwest. maria is inside the map now tracking it all for us. hey, maria. >> it is a lot. severe weather expected to continue throughout the weekend bringing with it much more of this. heavy rains brought flash flooding to parts of illinois. people try to stay off the street and out of harm's way. heavy rain was dropping over much of colorado. check out these storm clouds in kansas. an ominous scene that sent people inside and away from the storm. this was the scene in washington state when flash floods caused a huge mudslide. homes falling right off of its foundation and several cars

getting mixed up in all of that as well. unfortunately, the setup is there for a lot of these areas to continue to see rain. that's why we are tracking it here. you have it moving through the northern plains. billings hit hard. bismarck to the south. we have an area of low pressure helping to lift the air, produce more rainfall as we go through the day, you see bismarck over to minneapolis getting a round of storms as we get into the overnight hours. also, yes, some snow going to be piling up to about 3-6 inches in portions of montana. the rain piling up, anywhere from 3, 4, locally more than that, inches of rainfall with these thunderstorms. of course, all to the south, that incredible, incredible heat where you have those heat advisories, that's where that heat and the combination of that humidity is going to send that heat index level to 105-110 in some spots. it is going to feel like 106 today in memphis. 97 in st. louis on the thermometer. the heat index, at times, 108. that is going to continue for

the next few days. there is no sign of anything here to cut this heat short until early to mid next week except in places like athens or atlanta. those advisories are in place. a little bit of a back door cold front is going to come down. by monday into tuesday, out of the 90s. in a lot of spots, we will be able to get back into the 80s. it is going to be intense, dangerous heat in through the central plains. >> thanks very much. none of those places are hot or rainy. >> as soon as we get off the air, i am going on vacation to the island of cuttyhunk. it is a tiny island with one store, no restaurants, noho tells. >> it wasn't on maria's snap. >> no. i have to talk to her have aand find out the deal. time to go back to jenna for a look at the other top stories of the day. >> hi, everyone. the streets of ferguson, missouri, remain peaceful as new details emerge in the shooting

death of unarmed teen michael brown. they will determine whether officer, darren wilson will face criminal charges. they say the family is hopeful calmer nights will lead to more answers. >> michael brown's family is relieved that the protests are peaceful and calm. so we can focus on what happened toic moole and also focus on how we present vent it from happeni the future. >> we learned that two officers involved in policing protesters are suspended. dan page was put on administrative leave friday after a youtube video showed him surface ranting about muslims in the supreme court. in glendale, officer was suspended after calling protesters thugs and white trash. the video of journalists, james foley, has the obama administration vowing not to cower to terrorists and weighing whether to take future action. kristen welker has the latest.

>> reporter: good morning to you. the white house says the execution of james foley is a terrorist attack against the united states. now, it seems the u.s. calculus in the region could be changing. the administration said friday that isis has grown stronger over the past six months and officials in indicated thatary strikes in syria are now a possibility. the pentagon has been drawing up plans for military options as the pressure is mounting on president obama. lawmakers including some democrats are calling for military intervention in syria. the president has been reluctant to engage and polls consistently show a majority of americans just don't have the appetite to engage in foreign conflicts. meanwhile, british security sources tell nbc news they are closing in, narrowing their field of suspects in their hunt to find james foley's killer. jenna? thank you. experts at the company's space x are trying to determine what cause d a rocket to burst into flames over central texas.

a space x spokesman said they were tested an unmanned commercial rocket. this he detected a problem and the rocket automatically self-destructed. space x said there were no injuries on the ground. >> >> if you want to take part in the ice bucket challenge, you don't wa to get wet. you are pregnant and can't spike your heart rate but you did it anyway because you love the "today" show. if that's your scenario, hypothetically speaking. this is the ice bucket challenge halloween costume. it includes a bucket, a tunic with silver ice cube embellishments and the ice cube tray. for every one sold, a portion will go to the als association. you don't have to get wet and the charity gets money. >> i was about to call it really silly. >> until you saw it. >> okay. thank you, jenna. now, to the new warning for pregnant women when it comes to eating tuna. for years, expectant mothers have been told a small amount of canned tuna can be part of a

healthy diet. consumer report says moms to be should skip it all together. kristin dahlgren explains why. >> reporter: they say you are what you eat which can leave expectant moms with a lot to m consider. the waters may have gotten murkier. consumer reports is going against fda and saying moms-to-be should skip canned tuna. >> don't bother. the chances of you getting a can or even a piece of tuna that is high in mercury is there. >> reporter: for years, pregnant women were told to avoid high mercury fish bike swordfish and mackerel. they considered tuna okay. even important, two to three time as week. consumer reports says they used the fda to look at the fish they consider safe in limited quantities based on average mercury levels. >> in the case of chunk-like tuna, it's concerning.

one out of five cans is twice that level. >> the national fishery institute says the magazine is doing pregnant women a disservice. in a statement, the fda says, in part, the consumer report analysis is limited and focuses exclusively on the mercury levels without the known positive benefits. both sides agree fish can be an important part of a pregnant woman's diet. >> women should not stop eating fish or seafood. there is an abundance of low mercury fish including salmon, shrimp, pollock, soul and they are safe. >> reporter: when it comes to talking tuna, there's no common ground. for "today," kristin dahlgren, nbc news, new york. >> so many things. >> i have think list. raw fish, alcohol and caffeine. most people, that's their diet.

>> i remember eating first child, a massive tuna sandwich. i was like i don't know. i did have more. the first one, i remember thinking i should check up on that. then i never ate tuna again. >> my mom ate everything on this list. not good. salmon, i think is good once a week. it's really good for the baby. >> anyway, the debate continues. lester, over to you. >> thanks. everything is on the line for two little league teams going head-to-head for the u.s. title in the little league world series. christian from wmaq is with us this morning. good morning. >> good morning, lester. this started with eight teams. two remain, chicago and las vegas. this is a rematch with las vegas winning the first showdown, 13-2. it's still anybody's game. excitement is at a fever pitch in pennsylvania. two little league teams get set

for the big time, playing today for the u.s. title with the winner advancing to tomorrow's championship. >> i think they are really good baseball players. i wish i could be like that. >> reporter: las vegas' mountain ridge, the first to play in the series. >> las vegas, so we can't wait. >> reporter: versus chicago, jackie robinson west who last made it this far 30 years ago. with his son on the team, the coach could not be more proud of this milestone. >> i'll be able to cherish it the rest of my life. >> reporter: it was the team from the windy city that held off philadelphia thursday night. the dragons featuring the most paulked about player, 13-year-old mo'ne davis with her 70-mile-per-hour fastball on the spot of sports illustrated, a first for any little leaguer. these two teams from stars of their own. chicago's 13-year-old pierce jones leads with four home runs.

for las vegas, dallan cave and brad stone played as well. >> all the boys worked so hard and sacrificed so much to get here. we couldn't be more proud of them. >> reporter: later today, they will square off on this little league field of dreams. >> they are loving it. 12 and 13-year-old boys. they are soaking it all up. >> reporter: now, both of these teams are already considered hometown heroes, win or lose from the game and their perspective cities will hold parades for them. the winner of the game will play in the little league world series against south korea or japan sunday. >> the chicago team from the south side. tell me what the reaction has been back home to their success. >> reporter: lester, every time this team plays here in willi s williamsport, they come out for it. the mayor has come out for the

games as well. chicago mayor, rahm emanuel. they are planning a parade because they are already heroes. christian, thanks for being with us. your guy is a little too young for little league. >> my two older girls from done t ball. the best part is they hit the ball. instead of running the bases, they run into the field. it's like herding cats. come back. come back. run around the bases. >> maria la rosa is back with a check of the rest of the country's forecast. >> absolutely. a lot of eyes right now on this. this is not named. nothing official tropically speaking. take a look at it. right now, a lot of flash flooding concerns over hispanola. it's coming together early on. as we go through time, toward the early part of middle next week, it' wide here.

maybe the gulf of mexico into the atlantic. widespread here. time frame wise and strengthening wise, it will be named later today or tomorrow. we'll keep an eye on this for the southeast coast. meanwhile, the rest of the country, baking in the heat under the dome of high pressure. dallas at 100, but feeling like 105 plus. on the northern fringe, the risk of flooding and severe weather. that area in red toward the dakotas. in the northeast, no sign of heat as at all. keeping things cloudy from pittsburgh to norfolk and charlotte. atlanta feeling the heat. dry, 94 with the good morning. 6:43 the time now, waking up to clouds, but you know what? the fog is not bad. we can make out the city from the emeriville cam, and we are clearing out. that is a good sign we'll have a nice warm day in the bay area, a lot of sun coming our way.

70 in san francisco today, inland valleys into the 80s, and the trivalley, one of the warmest, close to 90 degrees today. take it easy outside there, otherwise, enjoy the sun, and if you go to the beaches, there's a warning coming up this morning at 7:00. a look at your weather. >> maria, thanks. still to come, a run away dog in the busy of a california freeway, we'll hear from the woman who helped bring it to (door knock!love it...say bounty paper towels are the best?...

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we are back with a real dog tale this saturday morning. we are used to the california freeway chases. this is a little unusual. >> it was, indeed. this morning, we are hearing from the hero who helped chase down the dog and get her to safety. here is nbc's joe friar. >> reporter: in a place known for televised chases, this one has truly gone to the dogs. >> everyone is doing a great job of trying to coral the dog. >> reporter: boundless energy, a panicked pooch weaved through traffic. a motorcycle lured her to the shoulder of the freeway. this pub pursuit would not end so easily. >> here we go, this might be the moment where the dog -- nope. so close.

>> reporter: tract became congested. eventually, andie ditched her car all together. >> get to her before another car hits her. >> reporter: her human touch did the trick. >> wow, that is the dog whisperer there. >> reporter: she saved the dog and took her to animal services. the result of a successful chase. they will say, we always get our man, or in this case, man's best friend. for "today," joe friar, nbc news, los angeles. >> okay, train that woman for the olympic team. >> she was high tailing down the freeway. who would believe it. of course i would have made that into a fitness story, the benefits of running. >> chasing dogs on freeways, right? >> it all ended well.

fantastic. we'll be right back. first, this is "today" on nbc.

all right, that does it for us on this saturday morning. tomorrow, a much needed make over for a corner store in baltimore. the impact not only on the store, fwu community. in the meantime, a preview of tvs biggest night. we will see you then. i'll be back here tonight for nbc "nightly news." until then, so long. we'll start looking for an suv... "fire' by firenze" "sir?"

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good morning, i'm vicky nguyen, and coming up next on "today in the bay," shots fired at a bay area concert. the lockdown that followed for hours. also, fire destroyed precious donations for people with autism and down syndrome. how they are handling the damaging setback. why this couple is one of many firsts at levi stadium, making their dream come true in just three weeks. (gnome) instead of hanging out on the couch,

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from nbc bay area, this is "today in the bay." good morning, time now is 7:00, and take a look at that beautiful view of san francisco, the sunrise, and it's going to be a lovely day across the bay area. good morning, and thank you so much for joining us this saturday, i'm vicky nguyen along scythe ant le slaughter alongside with the forecast. >> good morning to you, looking good, seeing sunshine? san francisco.