i'm jacqueline london. >> and i'm jim rosenfield. we just learned the cowboys are expected to make some sort of statement before their monday night football game tonight. let's give you an idea of how quickly the nfl players protest has escalated in the last week. last weekend, six players were part of a protest during the national anthem. yesterday, more than 200 took part and today president trump tweeted the issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. it is about respect for our country, flag and national anthem. nfl must respect this. >> cydney long is joining us live from lincoln financial field with reaction from military veterans on this player protest. cydney. >> reporter: many side with the players and they said that nothing is more american than the right to protest. patriotism and politics collided

on the football field. >> i don't find it offensive. it doesn't offend me as a veteran or as an active duty member of the military. >> it's becoming more prevalent, players kneeling during the national anthem on the heels of numerous tweets by president trump to, quote, stand up for the anthem and respect our flag. we spoke to military veterans like nicolas to ask how they feel. >> i'll continue to put my life on the line to support their ability to protest. i support the constitution and everyone's right for the first amendment. no further comment on the rest of it. >> anybody can bark and talk about the problems. >> reporter: malcolm jenkins has shined a light on social injustice and says the hard of the issue has nothing to do with the american flag. >> we want to show our support for police and law enforcement and end mass incarceration and

reform our criminal justice system. >> reporter: but some beg the question, are football arenas the place for the politically charged position? >> there's much more to this program than being out there on the sunday afternoon. what do you do monday, what do you do on sunday? >> there are 40,000 players active in their cities and trying to lend their platform to make real change in the communities that they come from. >> if they do that, it would be a better world. >> reporter: and earlier today, guys, i also reached out to former eagles linemen john runion of mt. laurel. he served in congress and is not able to share at this time due to his role with the nfl. cydney long, nbc 10 news. >> roger goodell says he's proud of the league and their reaction over the weekend. what's your opinion of the athletes who kneel or don't take

to the field during the national anthem? either, yes, it's free speech, no, it's offensive or do you think there are bigger issues to talk about? you can take that poll right now on our nbc 10 facebook page. tonight, the white house is firing back at north korea after that country said president trump had declared war with one of his tweets. erin coleman is live in our breaking news center following today's escalating war of words. erin? >> the white house dismissed the statement that this is war. the tensions have hit a new high. here's the tweet that started this all. the president saying north korea won't be around much longer if they continued their tough talk. however, now the foreign minister of north korea says it is ready to shoot down planes that are not in north korean air space to defend itself. >> it's never appropriate to shoot down an aircraft when it's

over international waters. our goal is still the same. we seek the peaceful denuclearization. >> reporter: live in the breaking news center, erin coleman, nbc 10 news. and "nbc nightly news" with lester holt will have the latest at 6:30. to our first alert weather now and boy is the heat on. today was the second day in a row with temperatures in the 90s. and it's supposed to be fall. >> people are sweating it out along the jogging park. definitely stay hydrated if you're headed down to south philly. the phillies take on the nationals in about an hour. steve sosna is tracking this unseasonably warm weather. steve?

>> temperatures in the 9 0s for today and most places falling short with one exception, allentown. meanwhile, most places got close with temperatures in the low 90s from the lehigh valley to delaware valley and down to delaware. we have lower temperatures for tomorrow but the humidity comes up. 87 in the northeast. 89 in allentown. 86 in philadelphia. temperatures tonight drop back down into the 60s. we're also tracking hurricane maria. yes, a storm that will not go away. will it have any impact on our weather and also a big cool down for the weekend in the first alert ten-day forecast coming up. right now at 6:00, a wilmington firefighter is paying tribute to three of his fellow colleagues who died in a fire that nearly took his life as well.

>> a lot of emotion goes through my head. i think it's a beautiful tribute. >> reporter: firefighter brad returned to the force a few weeks ago after he was seriously burned in the arson that killed three firefighters last december. tim furlong spoke to him about what his journey has been like. >> reporter: brad speakman has to wear special gloves over his burned arms and knows it could be worse. >> i feel like i'm the lucky one. >> reporter: one year ago, three others died fighting a fire and brad speakman was seriously burned and just got back to work a couple of weeks ago. he wouldn't miss today's ceremony honoring the three who lost their lives. he relives that fire every single day. >> the mental aspect of it is what most people think about a lot of times. >> reporter: today, the mayor declared every september 24th firefighter remembrance day in the city and ordered three plaques to be put up at stations

that are renamed. and brad -- >> i've always had that drive to want to be a firefighter. >> reporter: he'll honor the fallen by getting back out there and fight fires. >> they died that night, you know, making the ultimate sacrifice and putting their lives on the line. i want to make a difference in the community. >> reporter: in wilmington, tim furlong, nbc 10 news. we have new details about attempts by russian hackers to access pennsylvania's ee election system last year. today, the secretary of state says hackers hoped to alter records in an effort to create confusion and frustration. on friday, we learned that pennsylvania was one of 21 states targeted by russian hackers. tonight, parents in montgomery county tell nbc 10 they are scared to let their

children outside as police hunt for the man who they say shot his ex-girlfriend's mother for revenge. gregory feldman is charged with attempted murder after police say he rang the door bell of his ex-girlfriend's parents. when the woman's mother answered, he shot her twice in the chest. >> it's scary that he's out there and they can't find him. >> i'm surprised that it was so close to home and in a nice neighborhood. >> the victim's condition is improving and she's expected to survive. feldman was driving a black 2016 mazda sedan and he's considered armed and dangerous. the man seen in this video sucker punching a disabled man pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges. barry baker faces a sentence of two to four years in prison. prosecutors say this video shows baker mock the victim and then punch him outside of a convenience store. >> new at 6:00, neej is asking a judge to reconsider a decision

that would save the lives of atlanta firefighters. they say the city can't afford the firefighter's salaries but prevented the layoffs in a ruling saying they would compromise the safety of residents and visitors. we have breaking news. in the past five minutes, the congressional budget office says the republicans' new health care proposal would reduce coverage for millions of americans after protesters lined up to greet republican senators at a hearing for that bill today. >> if you can't be in order, get the heck out of here. >> reporter: after the brief chaos, the senate finance committee grilled senators graham and cassidy on their bill. today, philadelphia mayor held a news conference against

the graham/cassidy bill. they praised the current health care system saying obamacare helped hundreds of thousands of people in philadelphia, including bringing jobs to the city. also new at 6:00, two south jersey pharmaceutical sales reps say they ripped off the city. the reps admitted to submitting fake claims for medically unnecessary prescriptions. both pleaded guilty in federal court and they are charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. six other men pleaded guilty and are waiting to be sentenced. parents are suing a school district over its bathroom policy for transgender students. last month, the federal judge denied a request to stop the policy while the lawsuit moves through the legal system.

that means they can continue to use restaurants that correspond to their gender identity. investigators for the ntsb stood outside of a home trying to piece together how a small plane crashed into a yard yesterday. pieces of the plane scattered with downed branches. yesterday, neighbors jumped right into action saving the pilot who was joking because his seat belt was around his neck. an oil spill that caused problems in warrenton could cause you problems tomorrow morning, too. county line road is open after crews spent hours cleaning up oil from this truck. the road will be closed again tomorrow so the road can be resurfaced. new at 6:00, more than 200 new full-time jobs will be up for grabs at park's casino in bucks county as part of a major expansion, featuring two new restaurants, exclusive poker room and live entertainment

known as the excite center. the casino will hold a job fair on wednesday at the east complex on street road. roll-up your sleeves and get ready for a pinch. all new at 6:00, the reason doctors want you to get your flu shot early this year. and the reason for all of this heat and humidity? not me. i'm tracking a factor on our weather map that will wipe it out to sea. the return of sweater weather, when that returns coming up in your first alert ten-day forecast.

ey is facing an epidemic fueled by opioid painkillers. vanessa: in honor of september being recovery month, we want you to know that recovery from addiction is possible, but you need to know the signs. they can be hard to spot: social withdrawal, financial problems, irritability. christie: if you see these signs occurring together or suddenly, you may have cause for concern. the signs you spot today... vanessa: ...could save a loved one tomorrow. christie: call 844 reach nj or visit reachnj.gov.

right now at 6:00, flu season concerns. >> doctors say it could be the worse for a long time. >> australia has seen the number of double cases and doctors often estimate how our season will be based on the flu season in the southern hemisphere. that's why doctors say people in the u.s. should start getting their flu shot now before it's too late. nbc 10's erin coleman explains. >> it is getting worse and worse every year. >> reporter: which is why susan is getting her flu shot early. >> i have four children at home and i want to protect all of us. >> reporter: this doctor usually starts giving the shots in

october but this year his office is administering the flu vaccine in september. something centers for disease control and prevention is recommending. especially since other parts of the world are already getting hit hard. >> australia did just have a flu season epidemic that was worse than prior years. >> reporter: australia has doubled the number of cases since just last year. doctors are using that as an indicator of what may happen here. >> there are four different strains of the flu. however, there are many different types of influenza that people can get. >> reporter: the best line of defense, the flu shot. and this doctor says he's stocked up. >> i have many patients that will come in and tell me, look, i've never had the flu vaccine, i've never gotten sick. although that may be true, it is very beneficial that all patients get the vaccine because it pro equity its not only the patient but others around them and family members as well.

>> i haven't had the flu yet, knock on wood, but i do feel like it's effective and i get it for my children and i believe it's something that we should all do. >> erin coleman reporting there. meantime, for people in puerto rico, a long way to get back to normal. >> many are still without power making it difficult to contact family members. they ran out of room to store donations after holding a fund-raiser yesterday but that's for the going to stop them. they will continue to collect donations until the island nation gets back on its feet. join nbc 10 and telemundo for our day of giving. call the number on your screen until 11:30 tonight. find the information to donate a online through the nbc 10 app. a big welcome to steve

sosna, the newest member of the nbc 10 mooeeteorologist team. >> putting you right to work. >> that's right. >> born and raised in this area. what high school did you go to? >> glendale catholic. i've already had teachers looking me up. >> as a matter of fact, i have an e-mail from one of your teachers, i think. the weather report was extraordinary presented by steve sosna. i remember steve as a student in my math class, mrs. cunnally. >> she taught me all of the shapes and all of the geometry things that i need to know for weather. >> she says you still have an assignment that's outstanding. >> interesting, when you moved back home, that's what comes out of the woodwork, your teacher, your friends, your family gets to watch you now. >> and i get e-mails from my father. he's always critiquing my

wardrobe, teachers checking in on me. it's good to be home. >> we'll try to answer one question at a time. first, let's answer when is the heat out of here and that's in a couple of days. people like the summer heat hanging on, especially if you're down at the shore. that's not coming in here until thursday, the fall, crisp air. we have the second day of 90-degree temperatures here in philadelphia. the record high is 92. it was met in allentown. another big story throughout the week this week is the rough surf at the shore. you don't want to venture out. that's partly due to hurricane maria off the coast. taking a look at the temperatures right now, 86 with the gorgeous skyline.

the clouds are returning. that's part of the change that we're talking about as they come in steps. the first step is the humidity and cloud cover. temperatures right now, nice and refreshing along the jersey shore with the nice, easterly breeze. inland spot, no relief there. there's maria. we will not see a direct impact from this storm. the storm moves to the north but then an important item happens by thursday and friday. it makes a right-hand turn out to sea and that spares us from any different impact. we're looking at rough surf, rip currents, beach erosion and nothing more than that in our area. no need to worry about maria. temperatures over the next couple of days, in the 80s. and maybe a sprinkle at worse. we have the game changer on the map. that will bring lower humidity

when? after wednesday. a tropical day on wednesday and then we start to see that break by thursday and friday. let's take a look at the ten-day forecast for you right now where we track those changes and they are delightful ones. temperatures into the 70s and beautiful weather. our sports report is coming up next.

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like his father before him, he served our country with honor in the navy. came home and worked his way up from floor technician to supervisor at the salem power plant. as a husband and father, grenier knows how families struggle to make ends meet. that's why he'll fight to cut our taxes, and stand up to career politicians like steve sweeney. if we want to change trenton, there's only one way. fran grenier.

hey, i'm john clark from csn. what a win for the eagles but today we found out that darren will be without the eagles for the rest of the season.

darren not only broke his arm on this play, he tore his acl on the same play. he walked off the field under his own power after this. he's one of the most versatile weapons. could this be it for the 34-year-old? here is doug speed der spederso. >> he's a great man, a great in this community. has to happen and sometimes it happens to great people and a great man. >> we now know why o'dell beckham got on his hands and knees like a dog yesterday. he was penalized for this. he responded to somebody on some nfl players s.o.b.s. here's o'dell after the game. >> i was in the end zone and i'm a dog so acted like a dog.

>> j.j. redick says no team should visit the white house. and six months after a knee injury is for the clear to play basketball when training camp starts tomorrow but the 6ers expect him to be ready for the start of the season. >> i feel great. the past couple of weeks, the past couple of months after surgery, i'll be working hard on my rehab and on my body. everything has been going good. i think we've done two or three scans since the surgery and everything looks perfect. >> he looked good celebrating the eagles game-winning field goal yesterday. i'm john clark. we're right back. ant you to knot recovery from addiction is possible. christie: the signs you spot today... vanessa: ...could save a loved one tomorrow. christie: to learn more, visit reachnj.gov.

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oand freedoms that we have and we enjoy today.s ready. aim. fire. and it's important for us to let them know that we will never forget their service. fire. it was steve's idea to have this cemetery. this was supplied to the veterans, giving us a final resting place. we owe everything to steve for what he gave us here. i wanted to make sure that we just didn't say thank you to veterans, we had tangible things to show, and i think we've accomplished that. [ "taps" playing ]

a final look at your first alert forecast. humidity continues for the next couple of days but as we go through thursday, that's when the cool weather arrives by the

time we get into the weekend. sweater weather. >> it finally feels like fall. >> i'm jacqueline london. see you back here at 11:00. several developing stories tonight. here in puerto rico apocalyptic scenes. our first look at ground zero where hurricane maria made landfall, and we're with the military amid a massive humanitarian crisis like few we've ever seen before. north korea calls president trump's threatening rhetoric a declarationf war and warns it has the right to shoot down american bombers in international air space. a dangerous new escalation with a nuclear-armed nation. critical condition. protesters in wheelchairs are dragged from a hearing at the capitol. a dramatic cliff-hanger with the clock ticking down. republicans battle last gasp push to repeal obamacare. the white house today playing defense over president trump's nfl tirade. "nightly news" starts