area news. "nbc nightly news" is next. and then more local news right here at 6:00. on this saturday night, threat levels. new questions tonight about what kind of threat isis poses to the u.s. as the hunt for james foley's killer intensifies. going to extremes. a record breaking drought is literally changing the landscape in the west. this as triple digit temperatures grip much of the country. in plain sight, the mission to bring healthy food to tens of thousands in need and the creative way it's getting done. and making a difference, they're spinning a yarn and saving baby birds in the process. from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt.

good evening. american war planes once again today struck isis targets near the critical mosul dam in iraq. the latest strike comes a day after the obama administration acknowledged it is considering expanding attacks against the islamic state fighters into syria. and that has opened a vigorous discussion over just how serious a threat isis poses outside the middle east, more specifically the united states. the grisly execution murder of american journalist james foley this week underscored the brutal nature of the group. and just yesterday the white house said isis is more dangerous than it was six months ago, a telling admission from an administration that not long ago was downplaying the terror group's capabilities. let's begin our coverage tonight with kristen welker who is in martha's vineyard where the president remains on vacation. kristen, good evening. >> reporter: lester, good evening. the pentagon is drawing up military options for syria, even identifying possible isis targets in that country. and while the president hasn't made a final decision, the white

house says the threat is serious. a barrage of u.s. air strikes including another one today have blasted isis targets in iraq, this as the obama administration weighs taking the fight to syria where the group's leadership is located. before taking action, u.s. intelligence officials are working behind the scenes to determine exactly how strong the terrorist group is given that relatively little is known about its structure and leadership. in january the president told "the new yorker" isis was like a jayvee team. but the day after a tape surfaced showing american journalist james foley being executed, dire warnings from the administration. >> there has to be a common effort to extract this cancer so that it does not spread. >> oh, this is beyond anything that we've seen. so we must prepare for everything. >> reporter: u.s. officials tell nbc news though isis has gotten a lot stronger over the past six months, it's not believed the

group is capable of pulling off a 9/11-size attack. but they could still do damage on american soil. >> even a small terrorist attack carried out by isis would have dramatic worldwide consequences. and that's exactly what they're seeking to do. >> reporter: and terrorism analysts say isis is starting to plan. >> there is already evidence that individuals were trained in syria, westerners who are coming back to western countries, are intending to carry out terrorist attacks here. >> reporter: the white house has said they are taking the threats seriously. and in a "the washington post" op-ed today, the vice president warned the global community is at risk writing, the threat of course is not confined to iraq. addressing it will also require continued support from our partners in jordan, lebanon, the syrian opposition and others. >> we're going to have to start building an international coalition to think through how we're going to deal with this threat. >> reporter: and an administration official says several allies including the uk, france, australia and canada want to be more engaged in

supporting efforts against isis. the white house will also consult with congress. lester. >> kristen, thanks. now to the manhunt to the man who killed american journalist james foley. they're searching for clues as to where he might be as they learn more about the network he's a part of. nbc's keir simmons has our report. >> reporter: western intelligence is close to identifying the masked jihadist who appears to be james foley's killer, according to british security sources. but the crucial question, where is he now? >> it's not enough to know who he is in order to hold him accountable, the american authorities also need to know where he is. >> reporter: there are clues. he is left-handed and has a british accent. >> an american citizen of your country. >> reporter: and investigators are analyzing his voice. >> the security services have databases of voices of people who they believe to be working in this sort of area. >> reporter: one british newspaper claims to know who he

might be. another says police raids are plan in the uk on individuals suspected of linked to isis, the group led by abu bakr al baghdadi. >> he's a psychopath. this particular trait of his he has pushed through his organization. >> reporter: in baghdad this summer we visited the dangerous district where he once lived. that's the mosque. ten years ago baghdadi was preaching there. now isis has forced its way across syria and northern iraq, claiming to establish a new country, a caliphate, an islam state, attracting thousands of europeans and more than 500 british citizens. >> this is the land of jihad. >> reporter: many as bloodthirsty as baghdadi himself. here, one former british rapper holds up a severed head, recruitment that has caused soul searching in the uk. the vast majority of europe's muslims oppose isis, a message

repeated at friday prayers. >> we don't murder and slaughter and behead. >> reporter: james foley's killing has raised fears that the jihadist with a european passport could travel one day to the u.s. with dark intent. keir simmons, nbc news, london. president obama has ordered a review of federal programs that fund military equipment for state and local law enforcement agencies. it comes in the wake of what many felt was a heavy-handed police response in ferguson, missouri. but tonight it appears that tensions are finally easing there after nearly two weeks of violent protests. here's nbc's ron allen. >> reporter: normandy high school's vikings took the field with heavy hearts, a moment of silence for michael brown, a recent grad. the team raced to an early lead.

then dominated and won 21-8. >> he was a great kid. he was a graduate. he was in this program. and every day and every time we come to school here, we go to practice, we go to a game, we take him with us. >> reporter: ferguson also feels good today about four straight peaceful nights, as authorities move quickly following the protests to suspend two officers accusing them of offensive comments. dan page for remarks in 2012 seen on youtube including this apparent reference to his military service. >> i've killed a lot. and if i need to, i'll kill a whole bunch more. >> reporter: in nearby glendale officer pappert said i'm sick of these protesters, you are a burden on society and a blight on the community. >> we're embarrassed by this situation. again, it was very concerning, very shocking to us. >> reporter: also today supporters of officer darren wilson who shot and killed michael brown making their voices heard.

>> we have no desire to engage in a negative -- which would paralyze officer wilson's abilities to pursue justice. >> reporter: with a grand jury hearing evidence and a civil rights probe underway, ferguson now hopes the violence is gone. but on the city's battered streets, merchants say business has not yet come back. >> well, business has been really slow. i've had a lot of cancellations in people rescheduling and rescheduling again. >> reporter: there's still worry here that many challenging and emotional days lie ahead. that's especially true of monday, michael brown's funeral. thousands expected to pay their respects and demand justice. lester. >> ron allen tonight, thank you. in this city thousands of demonstrators marched to protest the death of eric garner who died after being held in a choke hold by a new york city police officer. nbc's kristen dahlgren has more on that. >> reporter: the march started where eric garner died. his wife in tears as crowds grew into the thousands.

led by activists and msnbc host reverend al sharpton, many chanted the last words of eric garner. >> i can't breathe! >> reporter: garner died in july after being put in a chokehold by police. for his family, today's march was personal. >> he wasn't an aggressive guy. he wasn't evil. he wasn't disrespectful. >> reporter: marchers went past the district attorney's office asking that officers involved in garner's death be held accountable. but today's message seemed to stretch far beyond staten island. >> every time you see police always shooting us down for no reason -- >> reporter: the nypd brought in extra officers who were told to bring riot gear, but the crowd stayed peaceful. >> as you can see when we do things together it works out well. >> we don't want no violence because let's remember it's not all the police officers that's bad. >> reporter: for many it was a teaching moment. he explained to his daughter this morning that eric garner

was a father just like him. what do you want her to learn? >> well, i want her to know that human beings, their rights should be respected. >> reporter: in the midst of what some say is a national crisis, today was about a community coming together in support. >> my father is very proud right now. i know he's looking down. >> reporter: kristen dahlgren, nbc news, new york. we turn now to the record breaking drought in the west. not only is it drying out the region, it's gotten so severe that it's literally changing the landscape. here's nbc's joe fryer. >> reporter: it's easy to see the drought's impact on the surface. at la jolla farming in california, 80% of this year's grapes are rotting. but there's also an impact you can't see below the surface. >> groundwater levels in many areas of the state are well below their historical lows of record already.

>> reporter: during drought years up to 60% of the water used by californians comes from the ground. now wells are running dry, which means robert nick's company is busier than ever, digging deeper wells and drilling new ones. >> this is the most repairs we've ever done in one season since i've been in business in 37 years. >> reporter: he's working 14-hour days, and he's booked into next june. >> and it's a seven-day-a-week operation. we can't slow down and stop. >> reporter: counting groundwater and surface water, the western u.s. has lost 62 trillion gallons of water in all since the beginning of last year. that's enough to cover everything west of the rocky mountains with four inches of water. so what happens when that much h2o vanishes, the earth rises. >> the effect we're looking at is if you take weight off the spring, the spring goes up. >> reporter: researchers at uc san diego placed gps sensors at locations across the region.

they were studying earthquakes but ended up measuring subtle che earth which lifted about half an inch in spots. >> what we're measuring is too small to see. >> reporter: even if you can't see it, the impact of this drought is something almost everyone here can feel. joe fryer, nbc news, los angeles. while the west is reeling from that drought, other sections of this country right now are battling brutal temperatures. for more on that we're joined by the weather channel's kim cunningham. hi, kim. >> hey, lester. yes, this big ridge over the u.s. has really taken hold. and we're looking at temperatures well over 100 degrees for some folks in the south, but also here in the midwest. at least a dozen records broken today. so it's not only the temperatures but you can factor in the humidity. and so while we have temperatures tomorrow in the forecast of 101 in oklahoma city, 106 in st. louis, you factor in the humidity and then we're talking about close to maybe 110 degrees in st. louis. so very dangerous situation. the southeast as well, 97

atlanta, 106 in jackson. but also we want to make sure folks are aware about the tropics. tropical depression 4 has formed. we are monitoring this. it is forecast to track northwest. and then make a turn to the north-northeast. but everybody on the southeast coast should watch closely. the good news is we have a little bit of time to watch at least the next couple days. back to you, lester. >> kim, thanks very much. when "nbc nightly news" continues, helping those in need eat healthy all while making ends meet. and campaign that saving baby birds in a way you might not expect.

for many one of the joys of summer is the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, but the expense of fresh produce is often a hurdle, especially for the more than 46 million americans living on food assistance. a program in michigan is looking to change that. it's the latest in our series of reports on poverty in this nation, in plain sight. our chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman has the story. >> reporter: detroit, a modern day desert of abandoned homes and seeping poverty, a place where fresh produce is hard to come by. >> within about a mile of where we are right now there are about 110,000 people living, and there's not a full service grocery store. but there is eastern market. >> reporter: on a summer saturday it's one place where the city is bustling and

bountiful. >> community garden, small farm plots. >> reporter: as i look at the people walking by today, what percentage of these people are on food assistance? >> we know that in the state of michigan it's about 17%, for the city of detroit it's close to double that amount. >> reporter: orrin is the founder of the fair food network and has created an innovative way to bring locally grown fruits and vegetables to michigan residents living on food stamps. the program is called double up food bucks. >> if you bring your snap card here to eastern market and spend $20, you will get an additional $20 of double up food bucks to spend on michigan grown fruits and vegetables. >> reporter: it's one way to make ends meet for this mother of three. >> groceries are expensive. >> reporter: she heard about the program two years ago. >> the kids go through the fruit faster than i can keep it in the refrigerator or the table, which isn't a bad thing. it replaces all the candy, all

the chips, all the pop. >> reporter: at farmers markets, 93% of double up participants say they're eating more fruits and vegetables. 83% report buying fewer high fat low nutrition snacks. >> we take a s.n.a.p. program that was initially intended as an anti-hunger program and turned it into an anti-hunger and health program. we literally can pay the farmer now instead of the doctor later. >> reporter: healthy benefits for michigan's most vulnerable families as well as its struggling farmers. >> we're in it for the money. and that's all about the money. >> reporter: double up food bucks can be found at over 150 sites across michigan, in farmers markets, mobile food trucks and now grocery stores. what does the next five years hold? >> my hope is that partners and others states, will be able to take this model and expand it. it's the win-win-win, it's working for families and

farmers. >> reporter: dr. nancy snyderman, nbc news, detroit. when we come back, a different type of campaign for a potential 2016 candidate.

he is considered a key presidential contender for 2016, but during a recent trip to guatemala senator rand paul was on a very different mission, to restore eyesight to those in need. nbc's senior white house correspondent chris jansing accompanied him on the

humanitarian mission with political ramifications. >> reporter: they lined up for hours, people with a dream to see again coming to a makeshift clinic in rural guatemala for free eye surgery. inside, a team of volunteers from the moran eye center from utah and senator rand paul who is also an opthalmologist. >> we just want to help people see better. >> reporter: his wife left him three years ago when he went blind, no longer able to support his family as a truck driver. dr. paul did dozens of surgeries over two and a half days. but reminders that he is considering a run for president for everywhere. his political advertising team came along. citizens united was shooting a documentary. and in a series of interviews paul talks politics, immigration. >> so what you really need is a

welcome sign with a control border. >> reporter: on the unrest in ferguson and congress funding the militarization of local police. >> homeland security gave $8 million to fargo to fight terrorism in fargo, north dakota. i say if the terrorists get to fargo, we might as well give up. >> reporter: and on a potential democratic opponent. >> if you want to see a transformational election in our country, let the democrats put forward a war hawk like hillary clinton and you'll see a transformation like you've never seen. >> reporter: he sounded like a candidate but performed like a doctor. and over the course of a week surgical teams restored the sight of more than 200 patients including hermanaldo lopez. >> i never thought i would see the sky again. >> reporter: critics say the trip could backfire though if people think rand paul is using a humanitarian mission for political gain. supporters argue paul has done pro bono work in the u.s. for 15 years and there's no political downside to helping the blind see. you can watch much more of the rand paul interview tomorrow

morning as i host "meet the press," lester. >> chris jansing, thank you. when we come back, the celebration that gave a whole new meaning to feeding time at the zoo.

there was a big celebration at the national zoo today. bao bao, the giant panda cub, turned 1 year old. she rang in the milestone with a legion of fans and a frozen fruit juice cake shaped of course like the number one. on the other side of the country a california wildlife

hospital is on a mission to save orphaned baby birds, and it's doing it in a way you might not expect. it's in today's making a difference report. they look like cozy winter hats, knitted, crocheted from wool and cotton yarn, but they're actually bird nests handmade by volunteers for orphaned baby birds. >> i'm really glad that i made something and it's helping an animal live. >> reporter: 10-year-old adam mccoyer is just one of thousands of knitters this year who donated nests to wild care, a wildlife hospital just north of san francisco. care givers say these soft nests are the next best thing to natural bird nests. unlike the cardboard boxes they used in the past, these nests don't bruise the fragile birds. the material also helps maintain their body temperature, giving these little guys the best possible chance of survival. >> really, really does make a significant difference for how

these guys do in care and their eventual successes as adult wild birds. >> reporter: which is why the organization put out an all-call for knitted nests this april, over 3,000 poured in. some from as far away as melbourne, australia, and kiev, ukraine. back in washington, d.c. adam has made nest making a family affair. >> i think it's special to have my whole family knitting with me. and to see what they think about my project. >> reporter: and adam's dad says the project gives his kids a real sense of accomplishment. >> the kids get to see a real impact of what they've done. they get to see a tangible thing that was here in my hands, i put it together and now it's somewhere else making a difference. that's cool. >> eventually you can take him back to where he came from and you can open the box and he can fly out. and it is just the most heartwarming, wonderful, amazing thing. >> reporter: saving thousands of birds one stitch at a time.

that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. we're going to leave you tonight with this, the little team that could rolls on. chicago's jackie robinson west won today's u.s. final at the little league world championships beating las vegas 7-5. congratulations. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. good night, everyone. right now at 6:00, the search for a gunman after a deadly shooting at the shoreline amphitheater. a man shot and killed backstage. who the police are looking for. plus, turf troubles at levi's stadium. the grass replaced before tomorrow's preseason game. what the team is saying about the conditions. and it's move-in day for

thousands of new college students. we'll take you to the cal campus. good evening, everyone. i'm terry mcsweeney. peggy bunker is off tonight. a deadly shooting backstage at a bay area concert, thousands were at the shoreline amphitheater for the wiz khalifa concert last night. now police are hoping someone will come forward with clues. nbc bay area's marianne favro live in mountain view right now with the very latest. marianne? >> reporter: terry, right now, people are arriving for the rascal flatts concert tonight less than 24 hours after a man was shot and killed here at shoreline last night. the shooting happened backstage after the wiz khalifa concert. witnesses say a black man in his 20s shot a 38-year-old man several times. mountain view police are now ho