skpieting day. >> zoo members got to name one of those penguins. the female, aaron, they were both born in mid may. they came up with the name steve. night, state of emergency. the battle against wildfires in the west turns deadly with dozens of new blazes and thousands now in the fight as a dangerous heat waves sends temperatures soaring. double tragedy. just days after news that an american dentist killed a beloved lion, reports that his brother may also have been killed deadly waters. a hidden threat, old abandoned fishing nets still trapping and killing sea life. and in the running. as the political season heats up, we'll take you to the tiny town where the youth vote takes on a whole new meaning. "nightly news" begins now. from nbc news

world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news". reporting tonight, erica hill. good evening. california is a tinder box tonight. that description from governor jerry brown, who declared a state of emergency and activated the national guard. you can see the power and the proximity of these flames. fueled by the state's long-running drought. and this week the excessive heat. more than 20 major fires are burning. tens of thousands of acres scorched, homes destroyed. on the front lines, a grim reminder of the danger thousands of firefighters face each day with news that one of their own has died. we get the latest from nbc's joe fryer. >> reporter: firefighters today are mourning one of their own. an engine captain from south dakota died in the modoc national forest. across the state, 8,000 of his fellow firefighters are now on the front lines, including northern california where the

massive rocky fire scorched 22,000 acres so far. >> over here we are probably seeing flames in excess of 100 feet. >> reporter: in hot, windy conditions things change change in a moment. >> causing significant fire behavior. a few homes spread out throughout the area. >> reporter: 20 large wildfires are burning in california. lightning sparked more than 50 smaller fires in a single county. meanwhile, south of sacramento, a small grass fire quickly turned into a big neighborhood fire, setting off propane tanks like they were giant firecrackers. >> too big too quick. when i got there, all i saw was smoke and a eucalyptus tree go up right in front of my eyes. >> started raining fire. we had to get out of there. >> reporter: in the end, several mobile homes were destroyed, one one larry rodriguez just finished remodeling a week ago. >> the house is the one that got burned

down, not me. >> reporter: with so many fires resources are stretched thin. california national guard is mobilizing several of its helicopters to attack from above. every day brings dozens of new fires down below. joe fryer, nbc news, los angeles. millions of americans are still in the grip of a dangerous heat wave this weekend one that stretches coast to coast. the record-setting heat is linked to at least five deaths. kristen dahlgren has our update. >> reporter: seattle. >> heat advisory in effect for areas around puget sound. >> reporter: down through oregon. >> hit 100, the oppressive heat won't quit. >> hot, hot, hot. >> reporter: temperatures in the pacific northwest hovered near 100 or even higher today. the region on track for its hottest summer on record. in an area where many people don't have air-conditioning. in portland, all the fans are overloading circuits, causing problems for food

cart venders just trying to stay cool. >> the power just on again. >> reporter: seattle finishedite hottest month on record. 11 days over 90 degrees. no relief even for the ice cream man. >> well, you know, you try not to eat all your own profits. >> reporter: it's not just the northwest. in phoenix, the scorched earth blew up into a dramatic dust storm. in parts of texas the heat index hit the century mark. >> it's going to be another hot day out there. >> reporter: and nationwide, parents are being reminded not to leave kids in parked cars. after a new jersey toddler was rescued this week. he's one of the lucky ones. so far this year 11 children from died after being left in hot cars. in new york, the mercury again soared near 90 today. not historic, but for those outside, nothing to mess with. >> it definitely is hot. >> reporter: a giant slip and slide was set up to beat the heat.

have your guns ready to go? >> yes, we do. >> reporter: water is proving key to staying cool. >> reporter: that he wants the only way to do it today. >> that's the only way to do it. >> reporter: high temperatures expected to stick around for part of next week. this is an especially tense weekend in israel and the west bank. a teenage protester died after being shot by israeli troops. that shooting happened yesterday during a demonstration over the death of a palestinian child in a fire allegedly set by jewish extremists. we get the latest tonight from kelly cobiella. >> reporter: on the streets of the west bank today, a funeral and anger. palestinians buried two men, including a teenager, killed by an israeli soldier during violent clashes on friday. he was one of thousands protesting this, a palestinian family's home firebombed in the early hours of friday morning as they slept. neighbors heard their

screams, and pulled the parents and their 4-year-old son from the flames. the 18-month-old ali couldn't be saved. >> i did my best. but i didn't help him. he died. >> reporter: the word "revenge" was spray painted on an outside wall. police say it's a so-called price tag attack by jewish extremists angry at palestinians and israelis called it terrorism. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu ordering security forces to find the attackers. >> we're shocked. we're outraged. we condemn this. there is zero tolerance for terrorive, wherever it comes from. >> reporter: but the palestinian prime minister said israel is to blame. our itn partner daron vincent spoke to him at the scene. >> the prime minister condemned this as terrorism and makes a promise to bring these attackers to justice. >> he has to stop all

activities, all incitement within his government against our people. >> reporter: the israeli government vowed to crack down on jewish extremists but only a handful have been indicted. ali's family buried him on friday. three deaths in two days. in a land bracing for the consequences. kelly cobiella, nbc news. the wreckage from what be the wing from a missing malaysian airliner arrived in france for analysis as searchers looked for more debris on reunion island. nbc's bill neely has our report. >> reporter: in the depth of the indian ocean lies the secrets of malaysian flight 370. but one piece of its mist relative may soon yield some clues. the boeing wing flap has arrived at a specialist a lab. next week experts will say if it's from the missing plane. some believe that's very likely. >> does this relate to

mh370, where are we getting more and more confident. >> reporter: but experts caution that it may only tell us that the plane crashed in the sea, not how or why. only the flight recorders or fuselage can tell that. but it can eliminate some theories. looking at this piece, he says, we can be almost sure there was no explosion or fire. a suitcase found nearby will also be examined for traces of dna that might match the missing passengers. experts say spotting more debris will be hard. it floats just below, not on the ocean surface. oceanographers say, just because one piece of aircraft debris washed ashore here it done mean more will follow. the debris field could be vast, scattered right across the indian ocean. and finding anything relevant amid all this junk will be hard. australia leads the search effort.

still going 24/7, scouring the sea bed in an area the size of texas. the debris find may change that. >> it may influence some of the areas that we are covering. but that is yet to be determined. >> reporter: in reunion tonight, they pray for the families of the missing and for help in finding answers to so many questions. bill neely, nbc news, reunion. british investigators are trying to determine why a small private jet crashed while trying to land at an airport in southern england, killing four people. the plane was carrying three relatives of osama bin laden when it crashed into a parking lot at the end of a runway. police say they were saudi citizens in britain on vacation. the pilot was also killed. there are reports the brother of cecil the lion may have been killed as well. this comes just days after news of the killing of an american dentist sparked worldwide outrage.

today zimbabwe wildlife authorities suspended the hunting lions leopards and elephants in the area where cecil was killed. we have more tonight from kerry sanders. >> reporter: the brother of cecil the iconic lion killed by american dentist walter palmer is also now feared dead. cecil left behind several cubs. and it was believed that his so-called brother jericho had been looking after them. the two lions in this photo befriended each other on a protected wildlife refuge in zimbabwe. both fitted with radio tracking collars. tonight there are unconfirmed reports that jericho has been shot and kill by poachers. volunteers nell nbc news they were notified by phone that jericho had been killed. but they say they have yet to see evidence that's true. in a statement they said, it is with huge disgust and sadness we have just been

informed that jericho, cecil's brother, has been killed at 4:00 p.m. today. we are absolutely heartbroken. what's confusing, say researchers at another local wildlife or, is that jericho's collar remains active, sending a gps signal and movements suggest he's still alive. all of this unfolding as officials in zimbabwe push to extradite american dr. palmer. >> i understand already the processes have started, and we are looking forward for his extradition. >> reporter: palmer admitted to killing cecil, claiming he thought his guides obtained proper permits. no charges have been filed against dr. palmer. tonight while the investigation over cecil's death continues, many in zimbabwe and beyond are holding out hope that his brother is still alive. kerry sanders, nbc news. in washington, a new security barricade in front of the white house was

put to the test last night after a woman jumped over it. nbc's kristen welker is there for us tonight. kristen, good evening. >> reporter: good evening. that barricade is similar to a bike rack and was put in a place as an extra deterrent to-be fence jumpers. it occur at 7:00 when secret service officers arrested a woman who jumps at so-called bike rack which sits 15 feet away from the main white house fence. she hasn't been identified but was charged with unlawful entry. the bike rack is only about 3 1/2 feet high but it gives the secret service extra time to react to potential threats. and in this case law enforcement officials say it worked. the bike rack is one of several new security measures put in place here at the white house after a string of security breaches, including when a man with a knife jumped the fence and made it deep inside the executive mansion last september. other changes include extra patrols and

spikes that were placed at the top of the finance here. senator john mccain jumped into the campaign today not as a candidate but a friend trying to help senator lindsey graham who is struggling at the back of the large republican pack. we get more tonight from kelly o'donnell >> kelly, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, erica. for the first time in this chaotic campaign season, the republican party's 2008 nominee is back on the trail. but this time as wing man. with 17 in the race, it's hard to get attention. but voters here can still give lesser-known candidates a shot. a republican tag-team in new hampshire today. the actual presidential candidate is lindsey graham. >> do you want to go first? because i can't wait. >> reporter: but john mccain is along for a nostalgic return to the heart of new hampshire politics. the town hall meeting. >> mr. trump said he had a very good relationship with vladimir putin.

i'm proud to have been sanctioned by vladimir putin. >> reporter: two come from behind wins in a new hampshire gop primary in 2000 and 2008. today he urged voters to give graham, who is lagging behind in polls, the same long shot chance. >> tell the others all around, say, go see lindsey graham. >> reporter: in an exclusive interview with nbc news, mccain and graham talked strategy. >> show up, take every question, be insulted. whatever it takes to get your message out. >> reporter: both weighed in on hillary clinton's candidacy and reports that joe biden may still be considering his own run. >> i think that he sees think trust factor of hillary clinton in a steep decline. and i think that he's examining his options. frankly, it's understandable that he would be. >> one thing, she is not going to be able to tell the american people, trust me. >> reporter: both graham and mccain have

been swept up in the public scorn of prob front-runner donald trump. trump will be among the top 10 contenders in the first primetime debate on fox. but graham will be among several lower polling candidates shifted to an earlier forum. >> when i'm in the first debate, which is the happy hour debate at 5:00, start drinking. by 9:00 donald may make sense to you if you drink enough. >> reporter: and that comes up on thursday. now, we checked with the vice president's office, and they say joe biden is still focussed on family and immersed in his work. notably his office did not say anything about whether joe biden has or does not have any future political ambition. erica? >> and the questions continue. kelly, thanks. tomorrow on "meet the press," chuck todd will have our latest poll on the candidates which could tell us who will make the cut for the first were republican debate. >> when "nightly news" continues on this saturday, danger in the deep. the battle to rid the oceans of abandoned fishing nets still taking a deadly toll.

we're back with a serious threat in the world's oceans. one taking a toll on all kinds of marine life. the issue, abandoned fishing nets which trap and kill fish and other creatures. they call it ghost fishing. nbc gaddy schwartz has more. >> reporter: off catalina island in southern california, a dive team for clean up on the planet.

15 stories below the sur face sits the infidel a ship and i sank in 2006. but it continues to catch and kill marine life. it is referred to by many as ghost fishing. >> feels like a knife in your heart. you go down there and you see the nets draped over these beautiful ship wrecks or reefs and you see all of these dead or dying animals trapped in the nets. >> reporter: she and her husband have been pulling nets out of the waters for years. >> we don't want to get entangled in it. >> what's going through your mine? >> we don't want to destroy our planet. >> reporter: as the team preps for the dive down into the infidel, career explains the lost nets are a worldwide problem. >> they did not realize what's happening underneath the ocean. you see beautiful blue water. they don't understand the killing field underneath. >> reporter: the nets come in all shapes and sizes. in the north pacific ocean alone, reports

estimate over 4,300 miles are lost each year. that's nearly enough to stretch from los angeles to washington, d.c., and back. and on the infidel alone -- >> we have recovered over 10,000 pounds over a two-year period. >> reporter: the team just picked up two different nets. this is one of the nets right here. it's really heavy. this type of net lasts about 40 years. >> reporter: the team working below describes the area ace graveyard of bones where fish, seals, even birds are trapped. every so often they find something still a alive. in their moments like this, when they came face to face with an 18-foot great white shark. >> it was spectacular. >> reporter: despite the hidden dangers, these divers brave the deep to bring awareness to what lies beneath. gadi schwartz, nbc news, catalina island. in a moment, met's player driven to tears earlier this week is now his team's hero.

some spectacular scenes from around the world as the blue moon made its descent last night. as you can see, nothing blue about the moon itself. the term refers to the second full moon in a calendar month. this is the first blue moon since 2012. that won't happen again until 2018. you may recall the new york mets player who had a tough time on the field the other night. shortstop wilmer flores got tearful after hearing

rumors, unfounded ones, that he was about to be traded. no crying last night after he went to bat in the 12th inning, belted a two-run homer to win the game against the washington nationals. calling it unbelievable. up next, tomorrow's big vote in minnesota where age is not an issue or even a requirement.

finally tonight, move over jeb, gorge, bill and hillary. make way for the tuft brothers.

pint sized politicians where tomorrow is election day. and where james is running for the job his older brother bobby used to have. all with their parents' okay. here's nbc's kevin tibbles. >> reporter: is this america's next political dynasty? meet the tufts brothers. 6-year-old bobby, 3-year-old james testing waters in the run upto election day. >> hold it by the mouth. >> i can hold it like this. >> okay. throw it in the water now. >> reporter: they may be small fry but they are big names in dorsett, minnesota. population, 22. we first met former mayor bobby a couple of years ago, walking tall and carrying his big stick down main street. with a platform you just couldn't lick. so if you're elected are we all going to get a free ice cream cone? >> yeah. >> now it's james' turn to scoop out a few votes. >> i'm going to give this to grandpa. >> reporter: the mayor's job is a ceremonial post and it will cost you a buck to vote. all proceeds going to the annual town fair.

no super pac necessary. the kid's already a favorite in the exit polls. >> james has been a great ambassador for dorsett. so has his brother robert. so we're all really, really, excited about it. >> reporter: any advice from big brother? >> be nice to people and look them in the eye when you speak. >> reporter: a warning to the curious. don't get too personal with the questions. >> are you married? >> no! >> reporter: still, bobby does have a few concerns. >> i'm nervous because if he wins, it will take up all his fishing time and we won't get to go fishing that much. >> reporter: two years ago i said this, vote for mayor bobby. he won't kiss your baby, but he'll kiss your fish. this time around it's vote for james. because why? >> because i like people. >> reporter: talk about two political peas in a pod. kevin tibbles, nbc news, dorsett, minnesota. >> and that is "nbc nightly news" for this saturday.

i'm erica hill reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" and then right back here tomorrow evening. good night. 5pm sot "it's just creating all sorts of traffic jams" outcue: traffic ja >> announcer: nbc bay area news starts now. >> it's just creating all kinds of traffic jams. >> yeah, traffic trouble in the south bay. a popular shortcut to the beach is infuriating one south bay

town. . good evening, everyone. >> each weekend, thousands of people head to the coast to enjoy our oceans and beaches. but that means a big traffic jam on highway 17. the alternative is a shortcut that goes through los gatos. but the town wants it to stop. joining us live in los gatos to tell us. we've all been in this traffic once or twice. sq . >> and it is a mess at this hour, peggy. i'm here in downtown losgatos. the problem is that many of the people using this road are not going through down ton los gatos to do some shopping or a restaurant, they're going through there to get to the beach. that has gotten so bad that the town has put up an electronic sign.