coming up on "early today," it is a race against time as a wildfire forces 1500 from their homes along the california/oregon border. that's just one of many western blazes. today, president obama assigns 3,000 military personnel in a fight against owe beale eb leaders implement a new strategy against isis with fighters near baghdad. and big companies, big money, beginning to speak out against the nfl. the hottest august on record. and a big monday night comeback. it is tuesday, september 16th. "early today" starts right now.

good morning. i'm dara brown. breaking news, fire fight this morning near wildfires explode out west. crews are now trying to tame 12 fires, but making it difficult are triple digit temperatures. >> we're at the mercy of what the weather is going to do. >> inside the hot zone, this is what it is like. fires erupt in seconds, this one near the oregon border. the wildfire 15% contained, charring 100 homes and forcing 1500 to flee. near yosemite, a sign of hope, crews reaching the park, the fire there 35% contained. as a precaution, people were told to leave. >> want to get out, now is the time. we packed everything up and we have been sitting up here ever since. >> the evacuation order affected 900 people. secretary of state john kerry returns to the u.s. today following yesterday's conference in paris, concerning the takedown of isis. more than 30 nations have now pledged their support to the

u.s. led plan against a terror group. here's nbc chief foreign correspondent richard engel. >> reporter: obama administration is proposing a three-pronged assault on isis. build a coalition, rebuild the iraqi army, and support moderate syrian rebels and weaken isis with air strikes. >> as promised, the u.s. stepped up air strikes in isis-controlled territories. one strike took place yesterday near baghdad, targeting isis vehicle and combat posts. back at home, house republicans have begun legislation that would approve the president's request to train syrian rebels. the obama administration says the training is needed to establish ground forces in the area and the air strikes. new guidelines for schools in areas controlled by the terror group. for students, art and music classes are forbidden, along with classes about history and christianity. i'm joined by tracie potts in washington. good morning, tracie. can you tell us what the priority is today?

>> reporter: the priority is funding part of the president's plan and also we have breaking news about this, this morning, dara. reports that a syrian warplane has been bombing isis in syria, that it went down near one of the towns that is controlled by this militant group. there are reports from one organization watching things on the ground that isis shot down that plane, there are casualties on the ground, one of the reasons that lawmakers here today want to vote on whether or not to fund training and provide an arms to the syrian rebels. the defense secretary, chair of the joint chiefs testify on capitol hill today about the administration's strategy to defeat isis. >> i believe it is in our national security interests for the congress to act quickly. >> reporter: overnight, the house rules committee agreed to act fast, on a vote to train syrian rebels to fight isis, part of the president's plan. >> i think the congress will at least give the president what

he's asking for. >> reporter: as the u.s. continues air strikes over iraq, the question remains, who will join them. >> this cannot be seen as a western invasion of another country for regime change. >> reporter: secretary of state john kerry's headed back to the u.s. after meeting 30 countries in france, the white house still won't say which countries are joining the fight. >> we want to make sure we have all the boxes checked in terms of what our needs are. >> reporter: lawmakers are pushing for arab nations to do more. >> they're the ones that are going to have to have the boots on the ground. >> reporter: iran is not part of that coalition. >> we are not coordinating with, we do not want to coordinate with, we are not planning to coordinate with iran in any way on iraq. period. >> reporter: and actually, iran says the same thing. the supreme leader says they don't want to coordinate with what they call a country of evil intentions, referring to the u.s. secretary kerry is here on

capitol hill tomorrow, testifying and then heads to new york on friday, at the u.n. trying to convince them to back this new iraqi government. >> tracie potts in washington, d.c. tracie, thank you so much for that update. grenades, mine resistance tanks, assault rifles. please used them last month in ferguson. protesters and reporters say they reminded them of a war zone. now we're learning the federal government has also provided these weapons to at least 20 school districts in the states like texas and california. meanwhile, the white house is responding to the petition on its website calling for police to wear body cameras in the wake of michael brown's shooting death. white house says they support the use of body cameras, but the practice alone won't solve the problem of mistrust between police and communities. right now, the most powerful storm to strike mexico's baja, california peninsula marches on. odile is now a tropical storm.

but in its wake, devastation. still, no reported deaths. but emergency services say about 135 people were injured. tens of thousands of stranded tourists still could be trapped. meanwhile, soldiers do what they can to stop people from looting stores and businesses. nbc meteorologist bill karins is here and, bill, we hear that august has now been considered the hottest, hottest month for temperatures. >> globally. that's pretty impressive stat. this whole country wasn't all that hot compared to other countries, but we think the globe as a whole looked pretty impressive. here is a map put out by nasa, where it was hot and where it was cool. and antarctica was much warmer than normal. a couple of cool spots including the central u.s., the west and alaska and british column bia w very warm. water temperatures influenced

our weather pattern significantly, especially in the west coast. as we mentioned, since 1880, the warmest recorded august across the globe. as far as tropical storm odile goes, we're watching the -- what is left of it. still a tropical storm. still rain with it. unfortunately, not heading for california, but it is heading to southern arizona. and into areas of new mexico. good deal of rain this morning from el paso, almost up to albuquerque. our computers are projecting anywhere between two to four inches of rain in southern portions of arizona, new mexico. not a lot, hardly any from vegas to los angeles or even san diego. so we would like to get moisture in there, but we haven't. still have another hot day today for you in l.a., around 96. yesterday, malibu, was 101. that's your arizona and new mexico.

fresno at 103. of course, that fire around weed, california, that burned a quarter of the town, that's a horrendous story itself. >> and the hot temperatures, will it be that hot in september too? >> next week looks very hot in the west. >> thanks for that update. what do you do when the temperatures get too hot into the triple digits and you're covered in fur. look at this. you go pool hopping. that's what this black bear did on sunday in southern california. >> smart bear. >> the pool's owner said the uninvited guest cooled off for 15 minutes before deciding to move on. looks like he's going over there to a hot tub. >> to the barbecue. >> smart bear. so big money, big companies, speak out about domestic abuse and the nfl. a simple invention to help restore dignity for parkinson's sufferers. the scene of a frightening situation down in texas. you're watching "early today." kerri: kerri the sparkle® fairy here.

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this morning, the battered nfl is on damage control. the league will now use these four women to crack down on domestic violence and sex assault. it comes as nfl star adrian peterson is cleared to come back to practice this week and to play on sunday. the companies are not thrilled with how the vikings are handling the situation over child abuse charges. >> whether it is an abusive situation oregon not, whether he went too far disciplining, we feel very strongly that that is the court's decision to make. >> but the move proves costly. the radisson hotel chain pulling its sponsorship. their logo is always available during pressers. as for ray rice, no word on his appeal. his deadline to file it is before midnight tonight. it comes as major nfl partner reacts to a tweet ad gone viral. cover girl tweeting, it supports women and stands for female empowerment. we believe domestic violence is

unacceptable. some other stories we're following, the number of deaths linked to general motors faulty ignition switches may be higher than first thought. after evaluating the wrongful death claims, a lawyer determined at least 19 will receive payment, perhaps more on the way. gm originally only linked 13 deaths. safe kids wr worldwide says in four parents don't make their kids buckle up. the number could be more. 60% of those surveyed said they have seen other parents bending the rules. two vietnam war soldiers received the medal of honor yesterday. army specialist donnie caseload died on the battlefield. his brother accepted the award. and army command sergeant major bennie g. atkins was there himself. he ran through enemy fire to rescue fellow soldiers. crews near dallas are still cleaning up this morning after

this yesterday. a 40,000 pound drilling rig fell off a flatbed truck. it dangled from an overpass. a tow truck drive her to hang from a rope to secure it. it is time to get down to business. the number of americans without health insurance has fallen by about 8%. the national health review interview survey found 3.8 million people are insured. that still leaves 41 million without health insurance. apple gave about 500 million itunes account holders the new u2 album for free. over 33 million fans have accepted the album. apple did, however, release a delete tool for those who complained and wanted to get rid of it. at 6:00 a.m. eastern, atlantic city's fourth casino is closing its doors. trump plaza joins the showboat, revel and the atlantic club which closed this year. the trump taj mahal may be mothballed before the year is up. later today, nike will unveil the latest lebron james sneaker, the lebron 12.

he earns $20 million a year from nike, which sold about $300 million of his signature sneakers last year. and a report from the daily mail caught our eye about a -- that estimates 70% -- or eliminates 70% of the shaking and tremers caused by parkinson's. the company recently purchased by google is behind the spoon that will allow sufferers to eat with dignity. a big monday night football comeback. we have the highlights just ahead. plus, lashuan mccoy's infamous 20 cent tip receipt is up for sale on ebay and you'll never guess how much it's going are for. it's not every day that you find yourself at the corner of "a little flu shot" and "a world of difference." when you get any immunization at walgreens, you'll help provide a lifesaving vaccine to a child in a developing country through the un foundation's shot@life campaign. thanks to customers like you, last year we helped supply three million vaccines to children in need.

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this morning, in a "today" exclusive, matt lauer sits down with legendary comedian billy crystal. he talks about finding the humor in life, even during the most difficult of times. that's ahead on "today." now to the latest in sports from betty nguyen. good morning, betty. >> good morning, dara. let's go to monday night football. philly, indy, the colts dominate the first half finding the end zone twice, 17-6 at the half. the eagles fight back, making it a one touchdown game in the third. then this. >> third and nine. intercepted! >> not happy. >> another one there.

a lot of space. across midfield. spro sprolls accelerates. end zone, touchdown! >> talk about a comeback. eagles seal the victory with a field goal giving andrew luck his first pair of consecutive losses as a pro. to baseball now, jacob degrom ties the major league record for consecutive opening strikeouts spanning eight in a row. degrom finished with 13 strikeouts in a 6-5 loss to miami. jonathan papelbon is suspended seven games and fined anundisclose d amount and it resulted in an ejection. remember the tip that lesean

mccoy left for a server in philly? the receipt is up for sale on ebay. the current bid is at $99,900. can you believe it? according to the seller, the money will be used to leave the largest tip possible to all employees of the restaurant. the bidding is september 20th. and new york governor andrew cuomo released a political ad over the weekend against political opponent rob astorino calling him out for being a dolphin fan. >> we'll all be rooting for our buffalo bills, everyone, that is, except for rob astorino who is a miami dolphins fan. >> he responded on twitter, pictured with a bills hat and saying, great game, by the buffalo bills today in their opener. laugh now, because we play the week after election day. dara, i'll send it back to you. >> thanks so much, betty. just ahead, singer robin thicke blurred some more lines. plus, it is something that hasn't happened in over half a

century. babes returns to late night television. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. everybody knows that parker. well... did you know auctioneers make bad grocery store clerks? that'll be $23.50. now .75, 23.75, hold 'em. hey now do i hear 23.75? 24! hey 24 dollar, 24 and a quarter, quarter, now half, 24 and a half and .75! 25! now a quarter, hey 26 and a quarter, do you wanna pay now, you wanna do it, 25 and a quarter- -sold to the man in the khaki jacket! geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. smoking with chantix. for 33 years i chose to keep smoking... ...because it was easier to smoke than it was to quit. along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. it's a non-nicotine pill. chantix reduced the urge for me to smoke. it actually caught me by surprise. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away.

tell your doctor about any history of mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these, stop chantix and see your doctor right away as some could be life threatening. tell your doctor if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, or if you develop new worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. i did not know what it was like to be a non-smoker. but i do now. ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. are you about to spend that on paper towels? mom: well, i use bounty... kerri: ooo! use sparkle®... it's just right for cleaning up everyday little messes without cleaning out your piggy bank. sparkle®. the bright way to clean.

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getting coffee. seinfeld took to facebook, quote, i would have loved to have shown another side of her. i wanted to tell her how much i admire all she had accomplished, especially in the latter stages of her career. she was one of the greats. i'll miss her. and in the continuing battle over the creation of the song blurred lines, a newly revealed deposition sheds some insight. according to the deposition, obtained by the hollywood reporter, robin thicke revealed that while he was present at the time of the song's creation, he was just lucky to be in a room when pharrell williams wrote the song because thicke was high on vicodin and alcohol. after 50 years, barbra streisand was on the tonight show starring jimmy fallon. she's promoting her new album, partners. she performs with singers like stevie wonder, billy joel and even elvis. since they couldn't make the show, jimmy filled in. ♪ and i love you so >> thank you very much. ♪ love me tender

love me true ♪ ♪ all my dreams fulfilled ♪ >> don't touch. >> okay. i know. >> don't touch. only she can get away with that. don't touch. don't touch. >> do you have any babs stories? >> i don't. i love her music. i think jimmy fallon, i think he was a pretty good counterpart. i think we got to get you up there, bill karins. get you a duet. i'm dara brown. this is "early today." we hope it is just your first stop of the day on nbc. beroccaaaaaaaaaaaa! [popping & fizzing sounds]

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time is running out to get free tickets to one of the hottest concerts this year. all you have to do is your part in helping end extreme poverty. as our own betty nguyen reports, it is actually easier than you think. ♪ ♪ baby, baby, baby >> reporter: cheering crowds will soon fill central park's great lawn for the global citizen festival on september 27th, featuring jay-z, no doubt, carrie underwood, fun, the roots and tiesto. >> hugh jackman here. i'm excited to be host this year of the global citizens festival. >> reporter: and it is all absolutely free. while you can't buy these tickets, concertgoers better known as global citizens, can earn them by taking action to

end extreme poverty by the year 2030. >> not just about click a button, go to a concert, smile and that's it, the end of it. for them it becomes a lifestyle. they say i'm going to actually take action year in, year out. >> reporter: hugh evans is the ceo of the global poverty project, the organization behind a global citizen movement. >> we believe the next 15 years, if we get the right policy environment, get the right sort of interventions we can end extreme poverty forever. >> reporter: to get the right policy environment, global citizens are taking individual actions pressing government to implement poverty preventing efforts for people in need. like this rwandan mother who weaves baskets hope to send her daughters to school. one in ten children across the world have no access to an education. global citizens are working to get 29 million kids in school. they're also campaigning for sanitation and clean water in some of the world's poorest areas. and just as important is the global citizen effort to save 6 million lives with immunization.

1.5 million children die every year from vaccine preventable diseases. but you can help change that, because global citizen is not just an organization. you are the global citizen. here's how it works. just go to the global citizen festival website and join the movement. once you've earned 8 points, you're eligible for a chance to win free festival tickets. there are a lot of ways to earn points. the more action you take to prevent poverty, the better shot you have at concert tickets. >> actions can be anything from taking a social media action to tweeting to e-mailing a congressman, to signing a petition. very easy actions that can have great impact to the world. >> reporter: this way, the impact doesn't stop when the concert ends. global citizens will leave knowing they're part of a history making effort to wipe out extreme poverty within the next 16 years. >> don't forget to watch the global citizen festival live from central park september 27th at 4:00 p.m. eastern time on

msnbc. i'm dara brown. thanks for

>> announcer: from nbc bay area, this is "today in the bay". >> good morning. i'm sam brock. >> and i'm kris sanchez. laura garcia-cannon is off today. >> and firefighters are battling a fire at a lumberyard. this is near the intersection of oakland road and commercial street. we'll go right to bob redell who is live at the