secretary of state john kerry landing in baghdad and the tour of diplomacy. he will take part in a host of key meetings. we have cnn's elise labott on the phone. elise, what is his message? >> reporter: miguel, he will meet with prime minister abadi and president barsani. the support is for prime minister abadi. they are in the middle of a crisis. the prime minister has been trying to root out corruption in the government. not fast enough for some that particularly with the well known cleric who launched protests against his government. he is battling for his job right now. secretary kerry showing up in baghdad and show support for the government, but keep the message on do not let this political crisis divert from the fight against isis. the prime minister has had to divert some resources to protect the office and protect the capital from the protests. there is a concern that the political crisis will divert all of the attention from the fight against isis. we have a massive move on mosul coming up and u.s. wants to make sure the gains the iraqi army will be

let's talk about the main concerns in baghdad right now.that would spawn this type of demonstration? >> well, everyone's concerned about breaching the walls, the security around the green zone where the american embassy is located and other government buildings are located. so this is a problem principally for personal safety. but it also demonstrates that the governing power of the central government in iraq has -- well, not completely fallen apart but it's eroded considerably. the people who are storming the green zone right now are complaining about poor government, corruption and so on, but one of the motivations behind all this are the exhortations of al sadr, how he spent the war in tehran and that when the war was over, if there wasn't a strong central government, he would be back again. well, he's back again. this falls on top of the concern that we have about the isis bombings earlier today. it certainly does look like there's absolutely no government control of anyplace, certainly not even in baghdad now in iraq. >> very quickly,

born in baghdad. he studied maths at beirut, before embarking on a career at the architectural association in london. by 1979 she'd established her own london practice, fast becoming a revolutionary force in an industry heavily dominated by men. in 2004 she became the first woman to win a prize, and earlier this near, she collected the gold medal from the royal institute of british architects. >> it's fantastic that i'm acknowledged for work that was not mainstream, was very deliberately trying to question things that people took for granted and weaving through an urban life in the city. it was said that the designs prove oged the chaos of her life. a statement from her company said she contrcted pronk itis in the week and suffered a heart attack. she was 65 >>> finally musicians performed a concert in new york to pay tribute to david bowie. an iconic studio, a favourite of the rock legend is closing down. the magic shop is falling victim. what it was like to work with one of music's biggest stars. >>

chaotic scenes in baghdad as hundreds of anti-government protesters occupy parliament after storming the green zone where the u.s. embassy is located. >>> desperate journey. the new migrant crisis as cubans try a different route to make it to the united states and end up on tent city in closed central american borders. >>> and sobering message. how a haunting reflection bath-goers saw turned into a powerful video against drinking and driving. "nightly news" begins now. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news," reporting tonight, willie geist. >>> good evening. the dangerous storms that unleashed tornados, torrential rains and knocked out power to thousands have turned deadly in east texas. a woman and her four grandchildren were swept away in the middle of the night by rising floodwaters and that threat is not over. 10 million people remain under a severe weather watch across several states tonight. nbc's jay gray begins our coverage. >> reporter: violent storms that have battered texas and oklahoma all week -- turned deadly overnight in palestine, texas. >> i don't know how it happe

back in baghdad the pressure is on. i.s.i.l. are flagging economy and political risks, all challenges to iraq's stability that the people won't let the prime minister ignore >>> an israeli soldier accused of killing an injured palestinian man will stay in detention until the outcome of a court hearing on friday. he was shot in the head and killed. he was lying on the ground having been wounded after allegedly attacking an israeli. a school in nigeria has opened its doors to children orphaned by years of conflict involving the boko haram armed group. the school hopes to bring together schools from different background. they will be studying alongside children whose parents were members of the boko haram. a report from our correspondent in the first of you a two-part series looking at the plight of orphans around the world >> reporter: a typical start for a normal school day for these children. after the traumatic period of their young lives they try to get an education. the first step in pussing the past behind them in changing t

he made the point that the last time he was in baghdad, isil was getting closer to baghdad. he said now that situation has been completely and utterly turned around. he said isil is on a tipping point, in the pros of losing 40% of the territory that it did once control. he said what we're seeing right now is at the starting point for the liberation of mosul. >> are at the request of the government of iraq, and at building point in time, i'm not aware that there's some additional request. i think there's been some discussion about some additional operations, specifically from d.o.d., but there's no -- there was no request from prime minister abadi today for some new infusion of troops at this point in time, nor did we discuss that. with respect to mosul, the mosul operation is in what people call the shaping of the operation in military parlance. that means that the groundwork is being laid, the prelude is being set for this operation, and there are some priorities that need to be achieved in that context, and i, you know, leave it to the military and government of iraq to la

attack the iraqi people even in baghdad. they are not controlled, they're not ruling baghdad, but they use people to attack the civilian people so that we lost many people. the new things in the number is the iraqi casualties soldiers. they attacked many places by i.s.i.l. in order that we see the number it's very high >>> is there any sign that these will rise further as the army prepares to retake other cities held by i.s.i.l. in the country? >> yes, of course. because we know we are waiting, the battle against i.s.i.l. in mosul. mosul is the base for i.s.i.l. in order that i think we will face a new number, a huge number for the casualties for the soldiers. i think i.s.i.l. as they react they targeted the civilian in baghdad and other cities. i think in next month we will see more casualties >>> thank you. we will leave it on that note >>> a policeman has been sworn in vietnam. his name was recommended by the ruling communist party. it comes only second to the head of the communist party seen as the country's top leader >

we returned just a few hours ago from a day in baghdad where secretary of defense, ash carter, who said 200-plus americans will be deployed to iraq, and some additional firepower will likely join the fight in addition to these fighter jets based here that are part of the ongoing campaign. the breaking news from iraq and exclusive interview with the secretary in just a moment. but first, to the breaking news back home. a record flood emergency in houston. people are trapped in homes across the city, pulled from cars swallowed by flash flood. at least two are dead. nbc's janet shamlian starts us off from houston and the major rescue operation there tonight. >> reporter: a flood for the ages. the nation's fourth largest city at a standstill, submerged by as many as 16 inches of rain. >> i was not expecting that. >> reporter: major highways under water, public transit shut down, schools closed for 1 million students. >> i'm a little bit nervous. >> reporter: and on test day, people urged not to make a run for the post office. >> please stay at home. stay off the streets. >> reporter: a big

back in baghdad the pressure is on. i.s.i.l., a flagging economy and political rifts, all challenges to iraq's stability that the people won't let the prime minister ignore >>> a belgian court has approved the extradition of the paris attack suspect, salah abdeslam to france. he in this cases a european arrest warrant issued by france he was arrested in brussels earlier this month. a130 people were killed in the paris attacks in november. a scale in nigeria has opened its doors to children organed by the attacks by boko haram. studying alongside the orphans are children who are children of fighters or members of boko haram. >> reporter: a typical start to a normal school day for these children. after the most traumatic period in their young lives, they try to get an education. the first step in putting the past behind them and changing their lives. more than 80% of them were orphaned in violence by the boko haram group. this is exactly what the group doesn't want them to have. this girl came to the school over a month a

back in baghdad, the pressure is on him. i.s.i.l. have economic and flit wall rifts all challenges that the people won't let the prime minister ignore >>> abelgian court has approved the exatradition of the paris attack suspect salah abdeslam to france. he faces a european arrest warrant issued by france. he was arrested in brussels earlier this month. 130 people were killed in the paris attacks in november. more than 100 new allegations of sexual abuse by u.n. peacekeepers have come to light in the car. the majority of the alleged victims are minors. our diplomatic editor james bays reports >> reporter: visiting the victims, the u.s. ambassador to the united nation samantha power was in the c aar for the inauguration for the in the president when allegations emerged. the u.n. is saying it is interviewing 108 civil i can't bes, those perused by those who were supposed to protect them >> we talked to the families about what had happened to their daughters who in many cases were raped by soldiers or who had relationships with soldiers

secretary of state john kerry lands in baghdad. against isis. we'll have that next. ♪ you wish your dog could fight off fleas and ticks. but since he can't... you rely on frontline plus. because frontline plus unleashes a deadly killing force to kills fleas and ticks, plus flea eggs and larvae, preventing a new flea infestation. its protection lasts a full 30 days. no wonder frontline plus is recommended by vets for killing fleas and ticks. after all, your dog is a lover not a fighter. frontline plus. vet recommended flea and tick killer. whewhat does it look like?ss, is it becoming a better professor by being a more adventurous student? is it one day giving your daughter the opportunity she deserves? is it finally witnessing all the artistic wonders of the natural world? whatever your definition of success is, helping you pursue it, is ours. t-i-a-a. and to connect us with thes twonderment of nature. with the tiger image, the saliva coming off and you got this turning. that's why i need this kind of resolution and computing power.

the quest for the cup starts apt 7:30. >>> developing now, baghdad under a state of emergency. the breach marking a major escalation in the political crisis following months of ant-government sit-ins and demonstrations. th government corruption. the american embassy is in the green zone. to politics and the big political battle in virginia. the state gop is choosing at large delegates for the national convention in cleveland. julie harrison is in harrisburg. and ted cruz supporters are determined to win the fight for delegates. >> we have to make sure we get, that every trump supporter knows. >> trump supporters and cruz supporters. marshalling their forces to make sure everyone is braced for an important vote. to choose 13 at large delegates tonight convention. those delegates important if there is a contested convention. they're obligated to reflect the march vote. but on a second ballot they're free to vote for a candidate their choice. ken cuccinelli wants to make sure a second vote is for ted cruz. he expects ten of the delegates will be cruz supporters with just three for

the iraqi security forces firing tear gas on protesters pouring into baghdad's green zone. most of the country's government ministry and foreign embassies are located. there was a statement issued that it was, quote, gravely concerned about the breach. anti-government crowds are calling for political reform and security forces largely choosing to stand down. outside of the use of tear gas. we'll keep you posted as the developments become available. >>> back in this country, texas trying to dry out from torrential rain as dangerous floodwaters are now being blamed for the deaths of a woman and four of her grandchildren. and that's just part of the extreme weather plaguing the lone star state. >>> plus, ohio attempting to move past the murder of eight family members. one of the victims is being laid today. >>> and bernie sanders is making a major announcement about the democratic national committee while vowing to fight on in his race against hillary clinton. we were born 100 years ago into a new american century. born with a hunger to fly and a passion to build something bet

defense secretary ash carter arrived from baghdad.nannounced stop on the tour in the middle east and asian pacific. he is there to meet with officials, including the prime minister and show a continued u.s. commitment to that nation. with more on that, we have senior correspondent arwa damon. arwa is in baghdad. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, john. key among other things that will be brought up is what more can the u.s. bring to the table in terms of enablers, air strikes and the possibility apache helicopters brought into the battle. the u.s. at this stage, willing to undertake a bit more risk. crucial in all of this is the key battle ground of iraq's second largest city, the city of mosul. as america's top man on the ground in iraq, major general gary valeski told us. >> i want to make sure that da'ish continues to have pressure put on them. once mosul is cleared of da'ish, they don't have a place of terrain to put their flag in. that in my mind is one of the clear symbols that allows them to do what they will do. >> if yo

secretary of state told reporters in baghdad on friday the situation is slowly improving. >> d.a.e.s.h. is getting weaker by the day and the coalition strategy of supporting the iraqis with training and equipment and air strikes is working >> reporter: even as he was speaking, i.s.i.l. set-off eight car bombs, a strategic city for them. his visit came at a critical time for the prime minister. the economy is struggling thanks to the tumbling price of oil and thousands of residents are protesting what they call corruption and political favoritism in the government. the obama administration is nervous >> i think that there's a very clear understanding in washington that we need baghdad to essentially be healther, that the iraqi government is a very critical component to our counter insurgency success within iraq and so right now the fact that there is a bit of domestic turmoil going on is not just a domestic issue, but it's very much an international one that kerry is aware of and concerned about >> reporter: so kerry brought a body some financial relief. 155 million dollars to buy food,

back in baghdad, the pressure is on abadi. i.s.i.l., flagging economy and political rifts, altogether challenges to iraq's ability that the people home the perform m won't ignore >>> resident in the libyan city of tripoli have come out in force to show their support for the new unity government. they're calling on the government to help end years of political par ago says. -- bihar alsays. >> reporter: a bell gem court has approved the extradition of salah abdeslam to france. the two countries will discuss how to proceed with the transfer. salah abdeslam faces a european arrest warrant issued by france. he was arrested in brussels earlier this month. 130 people were killed in the paris attacks last november >>> tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in brazil to show their support for embattled president dilma rousseff. they believe impeachment procedures against her are unjust and amount to what they say is a coup. >> reporter: they will not let their president go down without a fight. tens of thousands of

this rise in casualties resulted in part from terrorist attacks in the baghdad area carried out by the islamic state group, or isis. at the same time, after a week of protests, iraq's parliament has a week to confirm new members proposed to shakeup the prime minister's cabinet. a shiite muslim cleric whose militia repeatedly battled american soldiers during the u.s. war a decade ago has emerged as a key player in this political process. that cleric is muqtada al-sadr, and one of the journalists who has written about his re- emergence is "washington post" reporter liz sly, who joins me by skype from baghdad. liz, this is interesting. he took several years off from really the public scene, and this is a very public comeback. >> reporter: yes, that's right. he's been gone from politics basically for about eight years. his policy has been participating in elections in the government holding ministries, but he's been completely absent. and suddenly he's back. >> sreenivasan: describe that scene. you tell it in your story. it's him and a group of aides almost storming the fortress, if you wi

that's why the secretary of defense went to baghdad all in the past month or so.nd as you know, the u.n. just spent an additional 200 troops to the fight in iraq in the last couple of weeks. so this coming at a critical time for u.s. foreign policy, for the u.s. fight against isis and it appears that the government, by some accounts really needs to put back that invasion to maintain its legitimacy and credibility. it's a terrible sign that the heart of baghdad, a city of millions of people, such a heavily fortified protected area. and now for more thn a decade has been breached. > >>>. >> stay with us for a second. i want to pick up on that point and bring in matt bradley who has been covering this as well as been to baghdad many times. let's talk about the political context in what led these protesters to storm the parliament. give us a sense -- i know you've spent a lot of time on the ground there. this is one of the most fortified areas in the middle east with the embassies, the missions that are there with the seed of iraqi government. how important is it that

now all this is the result of political chaos that's been going on in baghdad for some time now. these are protesters demanding reforms, demanding an end to corruption, waste in the government. the prime minister there has been trying to form a new government for some time now. struggling to do that. there's a lot of infighting going on, a lot of instability. this is the big concern of the united states. the united states wants iraq to have a very stable government as it continues to fight against isis and terrorism in iraq and in syria. you'll recall that vice president biden was just in iraq a few days ago earlier this week there to help support the prime minister help to get through this political crisis. the vice president biden was the third u.s. official to go there in recent weeks following the secretary of defense and the secretary of state john kerry. so also you'll recall that just about two weeks ago or so the united states sent several hundred troops to iraq to beef up the fight against isis. so a lot going on at this critical moment. the united states wants to see a

north of the capital of baghdad, another suicide attacker detonated himself the military check point. four places were hit by suicide bombings. officials say the e attacks appeared to have targeted the iraqi military and the shiite militias. they believe the islamic state jihadist vucevic pushed back by iraqi forces are moving the battlefields to the south. these multiple bombings, less than two weeks after a suicide blast kills more than 30 people at a football stadium near baghdad. in early march, a truck bombing left more than 45 --. -- 45 people dead. >> one of the countries more prestigious fashion houses has found itself a new head designer today. he has already worked at fendi and headed his of his own label, making a name for himself. early in the day was confirmed brought on as head of the for such a read. his assignment was not without controversy. himself in los angeles rather than in paris. let's give you a reminder of our top stories. the accusations and denials continue. celebrity world leaders and more being investigated. documuments links to tax avoidance. rights group

worst effected is the capital of baghdad where 259 civilians have been killed. another 1500 iraqis were injured in march. around a third of them were civilians. the rest were government-affiliated fighters. we have the latest now from baghdad. >> there are many reasons behind their increasing of the death toll by the united nations mission in iraq. first of all, the clashes and the fighting in isil is still going on. and recently it has increased highly. one iraqi forces announced that they will launch or did launch more than an operation and more than one area. also we have to take into consideration that the very bad circumstances earlier especially when we talk about this issue. we talk about fallujah down. it is an area in all directions. people inside fallujah are talking about situations who witness coming through. now everybody is saying that the coming battle inside mosul or going on operation close to mo mosul could increase the death toll in the future. >> government fight verse been killed in aleppo in heavy fighting between al nusra front. the army l

anything on the way all the way to baghdad would take a few days to reach baghdad. it would be -- flooded all over, everything, you know, on the way. >> the u.s. says it could trigger a 45-foot high flood wave on the river tigress endangering the lives of 1.5 in a part of the world already suffering the effects of another man made catastrophe. holly williams, cbs news, erbil, iraq. >>> the reopening of a major oil refinery and the neighbors against it. >> an escalator sends fliers fans flying. and we're off off to the drone races. continues. geico motorcycle, great rates for great rides. plumpify your lashes with new plumpify mascara a ginormous lash lifting brush boosts lashes to 50 times the volume new plumpify mascara from easy breezy beautiful covergirl >>> an exxon mobile refinery has the go ahead to reopen after an explosion last year. neighbors say the process of danger, increased air pollution. danielle nottingham has details. this was the scene after a sudden explosion shut down the exxon mobile refinery in torrance last year. smoke and ash covered surround

. >>> the defense secretary ashton carter as arrived in baghdad for a surprise visit, and we'll talk about how the u. s. can support the iraqi forces in defeating isis, and they are considering several options, and including -- including boosting the number of troops in a rough period -- or (operator instructions) -- iraq. . >>> this 24-year-old student is in iraqi refugee. he boarded a flight to oakland, but before the plane to call, he called his uncle in baghdad and was speaking in arabic about a speech he had attended by the u. s. -- un secretary- general and someone heard him talking about isis, and he was removed from the plane in question by authorities before later getting a refund for the flight. southwest issued a statement saying that the student was removed from the plane on what it called "a potentially threatening comment made aboard an aircraft and further discussion. they have not received a complaint from the student and he is not responded after several attempts to reach him. >>> 4:26 am is the time, two employees were injured after a shooting at the alameda conveni

worst affected is the capitol, baghdad, where 259 civilians were killed. another 1500 iraqis were injured in march. al jazeera waddill ibrahim has the latest from baghdad. >> reporter: many reasons for the increase. first of all, because the clashes and fighting against isil is still going on. it has increased highly. iraqi forces announced they are going to launch or they did launch operation in more than one area. the circumstances have left some earlier some cities in iraq are witnessing. he specially when you talk about this issue, we talk about fallujah from all directions by iraqi forces. people have circumstances, many died because of thesesies the number could be increased in the future a mem motheredfo for the attack a year ago, sparking a 15-hour siege. magazine malcolm web was at the university's commemoration event. >> tsurvivors know others' live were cut short. they did nothing to prevent the attack despite being repeatedly warned. changes came too late. >> we are ready to make sure every kenyan who comes here to do business or to work or stu

you suggested there's been a rise of ethno sectarianism in baghdad. if that's the case, number one, that's a disaster. that's what laid the groundwork for what happened with isil. number two, what can we do about it and are we trying to do something about it? i'm not talking about jawboning, are we talking specific direct pressure if you will on the iraqi government because if baghdad isn't inclusive then the whole enterprise is just not going to be successful. sec. carter: what i was referring to is the turbulence in baghdad just over the last couple of weeks. in which the prime minister and has been contend ing with a variety of the opposition parties. that's a serious concern to us. because the integrity of the iraqi state is an important part of the end state, our strategy seeks. we support the prime minister abadi in his overall approach. a multisectarian as he says -- >> is he back sliding on that? several hearings i've been told he's doing the right thing he wants to do the right thing. are we losing ground on that? sec. carter: i had a convers

. >> coming up tonight, the state of emergency in baghdad after hundreds of anti-government protesters climbed the walls of the groan zoeen zone and storme parliament. and an unusual anti-drunk driving campaign. and the man bringing new life to old red wagons and helping kids in the hospital get through very tough times all that when we see you in a few minutes. for now, back to you in philly. >> we'll see you at 6:30. >>> after three days the nfl draft is winding down. the birds took a big 12 rushing leader. there appear to be character concerns with smallwood. charges were dropped in that case and shortly after he was drafted, past tweets surfaced that were highly questionable and insensitive. they have done their homework on this guy, smallwood. >> we did a lot of background on to wendell with our security team and with the league security and again he was never charged with anything. and we're very comfortable bringing him in here. and he got to prove it on and off the field but we have no doubts about what kind of player and person he is. >>> the eagles picked an offensive tackle

back in baghdad the pressure is on. isil, a flagging economy and political risk. all challenges to iraq's stability. and the people won't let the prime minister ignore. >> bashar al-assad says he is willing to hold early presidential elections in syria. questions about the future stalled the peace negotiations. bashar al-assad was re-elected with 90% of the vote in the june 2013 ballot. the opposition leaders called it a farce. the term set to end in 2021. syrian antiquities officials are trying to determine how much damage was done to the ancient city of palmyra. saying the temple of bell is not beyond repair, but it will take several weeks to clear up the damage. >> greece began to move hundreds of refugees to other parts of the country. thousands are dropped in a damp. al jazeera's asher hodara reports. >> day 33 and waiting. living out in the open, just a few hundred meters from a boarder, separating them from the family. this man is from the syrian city. on his way to germany before the route closed. >> we made the journey because we thought we could reach ge

president obama's top diplomat came to baghdad today on deliver that message personally. correspondent kevin corke has more from the white house. >> reporter: it was a much needed show of support. however, john kerry's surprise visit to baghdad, his first in almost two years, comes as the country's embattled leader faces fierce political head winds at home. >> i want to reiterate the support of president obama, vice president biden, myself as secretary and the entire administration in the united states for prime minister abadi who has commend straight critical leadership in the face of economic and political challenges. >> reporter: the trip come as they continual to make head way in the fight against in iraq. this is economic turmoil engulfs the government, thanks to facilitiering oil revenue inch in turn led to calls for the prime's removal including by his predecessor. and while they continue to reclaim areas of iraq previously overrun by isis, a now report suggests iraqis are deeply skeptical of u.s. intentions when it come to fighting the terror group. according to t

joe biden made a surprise visit to baghdad today. what impact is the turmoil there having on efforts to fight islamic state and bring to an end the conflict in syria? james: it is all of a piece. as even larger than the struggle against the isis terrorist movement, there is this undercurrent of sunni-shia conflict in the region. we want to take more action in iraq against isis. who's blocking that, tehran and its allies. in baghdad putting pressure on the iraqi government. that is what biden is trying to fix. all of this is part of a larger conflict that others are playing in in a way we're not. jane: thank you very much for joining me. in another development, it has been reported in the u.s. media that 16 u.s. military personnel have been disciplined for mistakes leading to the bombing of a civilian hospital and afghanistan last year that killed 42 people. this is the hospital in the kunduz province which was affiliated with doctors without borders. the official report is expected to be released tomorrow. well, how to react to these

born in baghdad, she knew since she was a little girl that she was destined to build great things. >> always wanted to be an architect. since i was maybe i don't know, 7, 8, 9, 10 years. i can't remember now. i think i saw a show in baghdad which inteagued me. >> reporter: hadid grew up in iraq, studied math in beirut, and left for london in the early 1970s to pursue her dream. she graduated from london's prestigious school of architecture and established her own firm in 1979. she went on to design boundary-pushing structures all over the world. and not just buildings. hadid came up with furniture, even shoes. her critics described her as the lady gaga of architecture, and she won numerous awards worldwide for her work. most notably, in 2004, she became the first woman to be awarded the pritzker prize. >> it's a big deal for me. >> reporter: hadid said as a nonbritish woman in london, she felt like an outsider at times, but added this sometimes worked in her favor, helping her break ground in a male dominated field. >> i used to not like being called a woman architect. i'm an architec

lester holt accompanied him to baghdad for an exclusive interview. >> a thousand feet over baghdad on his third visit here in over a year, defense secretary ash carter says the u.s. is increasing its role in the fight against isis in iraq. once on the ground he met with iraqi prime minister abadi, formulizing a new plan to bring in troops as advisers and authorizes u.s. robert launchers and apache helicopter gunships to help them retake mosul from isis. >> these are capabilities that will continue the process of accelerating the defeat of isil. >> how do you respond to those that says the incremental approach doesn't get the job done? >> well, we are going to accelerate this campaign every time we find an opportunity to do so. i'm very comfortable that our operational approach is the right one. >>> michigan governor rick snyder is putting his water where his mouth is. he will drink it for a month. he wants to demonstrate to residents the safety and effectiveness of a new tap filter. he visited a home confirmed to have high levels of lead in its water supply, leaving with five gallon u

army colonel stationed in baghdad got a firsthand reminder that nothing gets in the way of drills. not even media briefings. >> duck and cover. get away from the windows. take cover and await instructions. >> sorry. couldn't help it. >> good for him. >> that's u.s. army colonel steve warren having a bit of fun there but actually was no laughing matter. 9 u.s. embassy in baghdad has taken indirect fire in the past so the drills, of course, are prudent measures but he's used to it. >> he is but spent time at the pentagon so he's got a good sense of humor. >>> still ahead, the price of stamps going down for the first time in nearly a century. >>> and murder investigation on a college campus. the student now identified as the school gathers overnight for a vigil and the new surveillance video released by police. >>> plus, one of the motion bizarre police chases you'll ever seen involving a convertible, selfies and a tmz bus. >>> you're watching a brazen gun store burglary in arlington texas that stole more than 50 guns including handguns and rifles before running. a large manhunt is no

or in to baghdad. >> general lloyd austin, the commander of the u.s.itary central command, issuing a dire warning about the mosul dam, only a month ago. since then, the situation has not improved. fears for the dam's safety have grown as the fighting between isis and the iraqi army intensifies. cnn's arwa damon investigates how the structure is holding up right now with all the fighting around it. >> reporter: it has been described by some as the most dangerous dam in the world. the mosul dam. the largest in iraq, which produces hydroelectricity, is built on a foundation of soft gypsum rock, making erosion a constant challenge. we enter the underbelly of the dam to see how it is even still standing. completed in the mid-1980s, what keeps it all intact is a process that needs to happen daily. workers are drilling bore holes. this one will go down 150 meters or around 500 feet. drilling that particular distance takes about a week and the machines go up and down along the length of the dam. breaking up and then rapporting cement to ensure the stability of

nbc's lester holt spoke with the defense secretary while in baghdad yesterday. >> as you add additional personnel and they are advising lower down the chain does that put more americans at higher risk? are they closer -- >> the iraqis are still in the lead. that doesn't change. and, lester, americans are at risk today. every single day here. as secretary of defense, i take that more seriously than anything else. i want our troops to be effective. but i want them also to be as safe as possible, consistent with that. but it's very important to do this. because we have to and we will defeat isil. but we need to get that done as soon as possible. that means being more aggressive in the moves we make. >> as we see the iraqis willing to fight and gaining ground, let's make sure we're providing them more support. we're not doing the fighting ourselves. when we provide special forces that are backing them up, when we're working with the coalitions that we have, what we have seen is that we can continually tighten the noose. my expectation is by the end of the year, we will have created the cond

secretary of state told reporters in baghdad on friday the situation is slowly improving. >> daesh is getting weaker by the day and the coalition strategy of supporting iraqis with training, equipment and airstrikes is working. >> even as kerry was speaking isil set off eight car bombs in a strategic city for isil because of the supply lines that it gives them in western anbar province. and the visit came at a critical time from the prime minister hyder al abadi. the thousands of residents have been protesting what they call corruption and political favoritism in abadi's government. and analysts say after investing years and billions of dollars in iraq the obama administration is nervous. >> i think there is a very clear understanding in washington that we need baghdad to essentially be healthy. that the iraqi government is a very critical component to our counter insurgency success within iraq. so right now the fact that there is a bit of domestic turmoil going on is not just a domestic issue but is very much an international one that kerry is certainly aware of and concerned about.

and then anything on the way, all the way to baghdad, it would take a few days to reach baghdad, but it would be flooded. everything, you know, on the way. >> reporter: the u.s. says it could trigger a 45 foot high flood wave on the river tigris, endangering the lives of 1.5 million people, in a part of the world already suffering the effects of another manmade catastrophe. holly williams, cbs news, erbil, iraq. >> glor: the reopening of a major oil refinery and the neighbors against it, and an escalator sends flyers fans flying. and we're off to the drone races when the "cbs evening news" continues. when the "cbs evening news" continues. ♪ to you, they're more than just a pet. so protect them with k9 advantix ii. it kills fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. k9 advantix ii. for the love of dog. spending the day with my niece. that make me smile. i don't use super poligrip for hold, because my dentures fit well. before those little pieces would get in between my dentures and my gum and it was uncomfortable. even well fitting dentures let in food particles. just a few dabs of super poligrip f

. >> axelrod: baghdad is under a state of emergency tonight. this comes after protesters forced their way into the green zone, which has always been the government's secure stronghold. vigliotti shows us the chaos that erupted just blocks away. >> reporter: thousands of antigovernment protesters charged towards the iraqi capital's heavily fortified green zone, home to government ministries and foreign embassies. armed police outnumbered, simply looked on. local baghdad media captured what happened next as protesters tore down a portion of the blast wall and stormed the elite compound air, place that is off limits to most iraqis. the massive group broke through parliament's main entrance, flooding halls and conference rooms, even sitting in seats normally occupied by lawmakers. in the lobby, they were heard chanting, "victory is for iraq." today's breach markaise major escalation of a months-long political crisis brought on in part by plunging global oil prices and the ongoing fight against isis. just this morning, a truck bomb at a busy market

arwa, a lot going on in baghdad right now. >> reporter: there most certainly is, john.the table is upping the u.s. enablers and perhaps the u.s. undertaking a bit more risk. crucial to this is of course the impending battle for mosul. here's what america's top commander in iraq told us about it. >> all i want to make sure is da'ish continues to have pressure put on them and we enable the iraqi security forces to go after mosul. once mosul is cleared of da'ish, they don't have a clear terrain to stick there flag in. that is my mind is the clear simple that enables them to do what they want to do. >> if you want to defeat them, you want to make sure that they also no longer have the capacity to regroup and come back as something worse than what we're seeing them as today which is what they have done in the past. >> in my assessment, that takes a whole of government approach. engagement across all of the what we call the elements of national power. is that something that is easea? no. this is the most complex environment. this is my fifth rotation here. i have not seen it

>>reporter: to out of iraq crisis is an >>: responsibility for deadly car bombing in baghdad today thele and left dozens heard the bomb with a parked truck a targeted people shopping at a popular market to comes as thousands of shiite muslims to make a pilgrimage across a back to visit old shrine in baghdad >>marty gonzales: we have a map that shows you exactly where happened in was on and go on line just before 1:00 this one woman was killed police have a man in custody need to have an identified just get there was still no word on a mode of. >>reporter: 17 your brother at reach a ride on two counts of murder on friday he said quietly with his head bowed low wall omar to be tried as an adult was to his rear in the hallway away from the cameras by order of the judge the documents indicate that he confessed to killing his parents and that he helped to conceal the crime the body is discovered last sunday after the killing they travel to open to attend the convention the document said that he initially blamed the killings on an intruder despite the confession both defendants entered not g