brian. >> lee cowan in san bernardino county. thanks.ack here to this fire, the so-called station fire, on our flight from new york the captain of american airlines directed everyone to the windows on the right side. the flames were burning above the skyline of los angeles. so close to this huge population center. the fight is a huge effort. this is the command post for ground operations. another huge component comes from the air. the air operation is being run from an old airport that dates back to the dawn of a hollywood age. it's not far from here where today, we talk to the men who get in the choppers and are now involved in the fight. >> looks good. >> ethan is a helicopter pilot. when fires break out, he's among those overhead. sometimes dropping water, other times directing the drop. this is very close to the city of l.a. >> you have been doing something called forward air control. we associate that with wartime. in a war, forward air controllers go ahead of pilots and in some cases artillery and decide what's going on up front. i

the story from lee cowan. >> reporter: ppeugot sound is a surprising place for the government to sinkbeneath these frigid waves lies a project so enticing noaa granted $5 million in stimulus funds to put it in high gear. the money goes to the northwest straits foundation that hires local fishermen and divers to retrieve abandoned fishing nets. it is dangerous work but important. lost fishing gear are an environmental disaster. >> they smother habitats more importantly they catch indiscriminately all kinds of species. >> reporter: it is called ghost fishing. >> only a few divers ever see it. it is hard to convince people there really is a problem. >> reporter: so we decided to join those divers. 60 feet down in 45-degree water. on this net the size of a football field kenny shows me hundreds of trapped animals. he cuts the netting and sends it to the surface one piece at a time. >> it is going to take a long time to get that out. it is a lot of work. >> reporter: on deck the nets are bagged and survivors are freed like this king crab, a protected species. >> this is the reason we are o

lee cowan, nbc news, along the bottom of the puget sound. >>> without showing team favoritism duringknow is a sensitive time of year for all baseball fans, there was a great moment during last night's yankee game that perhaps everyone can enjoy. it needs to be said for the record yankees having won the al east benched $644 million worth of talent last night to give players a rest, guys like jeter and a-rod sat it out which allowed a new guy, ramiro pena to play. he promptly hits his first big league home run. well, if you know baseball you know the fix was in. watch him return to the dugout. stone silence at a-rod's urging. not a glimmer of celebration or recognition from his teammates. wait for it. then they pounced on him. all is forgiven. welcome to the big show. a baseball rookie home run hazing tradition continues. that is our big show for this tuesday night. thank you for being with us. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

brian. >> lee cowan after a long overnight voyage. now, to the twin crisis, the devastating earthquake on the island of somatra. tonight, there's a race against time there to rescue those trapped under flattened buildings. ron allen has been tracking the story from our headquarters here in new york. ron, good evening. >> good evening, brian. tonight, there's a major rescue operation struggling to get underway. it measured 7.6 on the scale. 1,000 people may have been killed. terrified residents of padang ran for ground. warnings of killer tsunami waves. there are reports hundred dollars of buildings have collapsed, including two hospitals, a number of hotels and a shopping mall. >>> a few desperate scenes emerged. rescuers tried to reach a place virtually cut off from the outside world. no power or communication. reports say the roof collapsed. tens of thousands are spending the night homeless, wrenched by heavy rain. early in the day, indonesia's vice president confirmed at least 75 people died, it quickly rose to 200. both occurred i

our report tonight from nbc's lee cowan. >> reporter: under a blue sky, they came in their dresslues to honor and remember. >> this is how we cope. this is how we mour >> reporter: somewhere in the smoke and the flames of l.a. coun's biggest wildfire, captain ted hall and specialist arnie quai nons slied off a mountain road. the fire they died fighting had been the work of an arsonist. >> f those responsible for starting this re, we will find you. reporter: it was one of the largest memorials for firefighters since those somber days after/11. california governo arnold schwarzenegger called the two giants. >> we are humble by their courage, by their dedication a by their manity. >> reporter: captain hall was a veteran with a wife and two grown children. >> ted, you are notnly my hetbu w, ou yere my brother, my friend. >> reporter: specialist quinones was expecting hisirst child this month. >> when two men tell others to hunker down and race out to fd a way out,hat takes a special brd of m or man. >>eporter: and then a persona note. >> it was only in retrospect that i was able to gain

lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >>> up next, the anonymous gifts that are changing lives. our "making a difference report." about smoking - is it dominates your life, and it dominated mine. and the sad thing about it is that you can always use an excuse if cigarettes don't kill me, oh well - something else will. but, you can't use that as an excuse. i honestly loved smoking, and i honestly didn't think i would ever quit. it was very interesting that you could smoke on the first week. chantix gave me that extra help that i needed to get through a tough time. (announcer) chantix is a non-nicotine pill. in studies, 44% of chantix users were quit during weeks 9 to 12 of treatment, compared to 18% on sugar pill. it is proven to reduce the urge to smoke. i did have an unopen pack of cigarettes in my purse and then i think i opened my purse and realized it was still there. and i said, "what the heck, i don't need these..." ...i said, you know, "bye, i don't need you anymore, you're not my crutch, i don't need a crutch." (announcer) talk to your doctor about chantix and a support

"the jay leno show" premiers tomorrow night at 10:00 eastern and as nbc's lee cowan reports it's theedy variety show in that time slot in tedecades. rafrnlths in thise and optimistic jay leno. in all the years on stage he always saw himself as a stand-up comic who happened to have a tv show. while the ads for his new show are funny. >> how many babies are you pregnant with right now? >> close to 50. >> reporter: the stakes aren't anything but. it will occupy prime real estate up against heavy hitting prime time dramas like csi. >> i don't feel a lot of pressure. i mean you know, the only time you feel pressure is when you get in a situation where you don't know what you're doing. >> i don't read books. >> reporter: what he will be doing is what he know, vintage tonight show gags and celebrity interviews though that guest is be gone. >> i think you have to keep in your comfort zone. i don't think jay can start doing things outside of his realm of talent. >> reporter: what's new, a team of young comics, correspondents he calls them, a jay leno ensemble cast. it may take getting used to

the story from nbc's lee cowan. >> reporter: it was no way to win and certainly no way to lose. there it was. match point. serena williams with the serve and -- >> fault. >> reporter: a penalty. and that's when williams unriched a tirade as furious as her 130-mile-an-hour serve. >> that's as angry as i've ever seen her. >> there ensued a string of expletives. and reportedly a few words involving a ball and the line judge's throat and that was it. match over. >> that was in the moment and everyone is fighting for every point. it was a really crucial point. >> reporter: her opponent, kim clijsters, had outplayed williams anyway, but still seemed stunned. she came to the open as a wild card and it's only her third tournament since coming out of retirement. >> i mean, i am still in shock, really. >> reporter: she was home to have a child. which now makes her the first mother in almost 20 years to reach a grand slam final. but it was the tirade that grabbed the headlines, not her talent. the theatrics of the losers are often just unflattering measures of intensity. not that that's an

nbc's lee cowan is inside jay's new digs where it all kicks off tonight. lucky you, lee. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. he has a brand-new time slot, this brand-new set, he's got new theme music, the whole nine yards. but to jay leno though, it is stale the same old brand of what he calls big ten comedy that's worked for him for years. does he think this whole thing is a gamble? of course he does. is he worried about it? well, not the comedy. >> the hardest part is really getting your new set to work. you essentially go into a big empty sound stage and you hang lights and you think everything's all right. you go the -- >> reporter: for jay leno, technical gremlins are the least of his worries. a lot is riding on tonight's grand 10:00 p.m. experiment. "time" magazine said it was nothing less than the future of network television. no pressure. are you worried about it just because it is such a -- or do you think all the hype about it being -- >> i don't worry about it. because i'm rich already. doesn't bother me. not my problem. you know what it is? i did the

here's nbc's lee cowan. >> your host, jay leno!porter: after three months of buildup, the stage was jay leno's again. >> this is not another annoying promo. this is the actual show. >> reporter: he said he wanted his primetime experiment to be topical, and it was. >> it's been a busy week for president obama. i understand he's having kanye west and taylor swift to the white house for a root beer summit. >> reporter: he didn't waste any time getting to the pop culture headline of the day, kanye west's outburst at the "video music awards." >> taylor, i'm really happy for you. i'm going to let you finish. but beyonce had one of the best videos of all time. >> reporter: after that outburst, kanye's scheduled appearance on leno's show made opening night even more timely. >> it was rude, very, you know. i would like to apologize to her in person. >> reporter: while the apology wasn't necessarily a surprise, jay leno's next question about kanye's recently deceased mother was. >> let me ask you something. i was fortunate enough to meet you

here's nbc's lee cowan. >> reporter: it's an eclectic collection. ♪ you're all i'm living for >> reporterwhite sound-alike. >> in my mind, in my heart, i know where i'm going. >> reporter: where's that? >> success. >> reporter: there's a 75-year-old comic. >> want to talk about my kids. they're in the audience tonight, and i know they're sitting out there sweating like ryan seacrest watching "brokeback mountain." >> oh, god. ♪ >> reporter: there's even an orion sung by an angel. >> i gave what i could give. it was from the bottom of my soul. >> you cannot say who's going to win. we have no idea. >> reporter: no wonder. i mean, what is the perennial grinning fab 5 from utah -- ♪ don't want to close my eyes >> reporter: -- have in common with a good ol' boy from kentucky. >> just go out there and do the best you can and hope for the best. >> kevin skinner would never have got to the finals of the show, i don't think, if he wasn't an unemployed chicken catcher from kentucky who happened to sing like garth brooks. >> reporter: and just when you think three guys from texas will sing a country

nbc's lee cowan has their story. >> reporter: at the airfield, they may not look like daddy's littley are, and proud of it. which is what made it so hard when their fathers went off to war. >> you think about it, 13 years old, he leaves. 15 years old, he comes back. that's a year and a half out of my life that dad's not there. it's not just a business trip. he's actually in a war zone. >> girls mature so quickly in our teenage years. and that's something our parents are really missing out on. >> reporter: miranda hearn and kaylee deacon are daughters of deployment, left behind to battle the enemy at home, loneliness. >> nobody at school quite understood. so i wore my dad's jacket, my dad's hat just for comfort. and i got made fun of a lot for it. like kids ask stupid questions and made me feel bad. >> the way i viewed myself just went down immensely. and it was just that absence. i mean, i didn't think i was pretty anymore. i didn't raise my hand in class, you know. i looked down. >> that's our big sister aspect. >> reporter: they first met at a conference meant to inspire young wome

nbc a's lee cowan is live at nbc studios in burbank. lee it is great to see you.at 10:00 in decades? >> reporter: yeah, you know, andrea, it seems he has a pretty level head about it. he is pretty realistic. does he think he is going to beat "csi" and some of the other big, prime time dramas? no, not in the first run, but maybe in reruns. those big shows do 20, 22 weeks a year. he is planning to do 40, 42 weeks. he has an audience there essentially what he says what he is trying to do is what he has always done. he calls it big tent comedy, essentially trying to bring in everybody, do a little bit of something for everyone. not trying to go after the real young crowd, not trying to be too edgy, just trying to do what he did and worked well for the tonight show you will see late of the same old gags but new stuff as well that is the point. a lot of comedy, but a lot less talk than we saw on the tonight show. and he sort of lucked out in one way or the other because after kanye west's performance last night at the mtv music awards, he is scheduled to be one of the m

here's nbc's lee cowan. >> reporter: bode is back. after quitting the u.s. ski team in the wake of his entertaining but controversial performance at the 2006 olympics, the sport's most irreverent step -- >> this is not an arena for me to apologize stuff. i think that stuff will come out as it does. >> reporter: he remains the most accomplished american skier ever with 31 world cup victories. he won double silver in the salt lake olympics, but then came torino. his admission that he partied as hard as he skied was frowned on by olympic officials, and when he left without a single medal, it seemed disappointing to everyone but him. >> the intention was to come back and try to make everything positive, you know, so it's not -- so it doesn't turn into, you know, any kind of a regurgitation of the past. >> reporter: despite the antics, he remained a darling of the ski set, and no wonder. >> he is fearless every race is like mr. toe's wild ride. it's incredible what he can do. that's why we watch. >> reporter: he actually paid his own way to the world cup circuit

. >> reporter: for today, lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >> did you hear the crew grown?> i didn't get a memo. did anyone get a memo? >> jerry seinfeld the first guess tomorrow. >> a closer look at what to expect tomorrow night coming up tomorrow morning on "today." >>> up next, baby with a birthday that's easy to remember. wait until you hear when her big sister was born. that's coming up next. building my life, my high cholesterol was contributing to plaque buildup in my arteries. that's why my doctor prescribed crestor. she said plaque buildup in arteries is a real reason to lower cholesterol. and that along with diet, crestor does more than lower bad cholesterol, it raises good. crestor is also proven to slow the buildup of plaque in arteries. crestor isn't for everyone, like people with liver disease, or women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. simple blood tests will check for liver problems. you should tell your doctor about other medicines you are taking, or if you have muscle pain or weakness. that could be a sign of serious side effects. while yo

for "today," lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >>> still to come on "today," lester visits the set of nbc's new sitcom "community." (announcer) kids and moms are teaming up, saving upc labels for the sunnyd book spree. 20 upc labels equal 20 free books for your classroom. or, sunnyd will donate to the kids in need foundation. learn more about making classrooms sunnier for kids at sunnyd.com. >>> there's much more ahead on "today." when it comes to leftovers, how old is too old? the tips to stay safe. >>> he's accused of killing yale student annie le. why? ry. my parents all smoked. my grandparents smoked. i've been a long-time smoker. you know, discouragement is a big thing in quitting smoking. i'm a guy who had given up quitting. what caused me to be interested was, chantix is not a nicotine product and that intrigued me. the doctor said while you're taking it you can continue to smoke during the first week. (announcer) chantix is proven to reduce the urge to smoke. in studies, 44% of chantix users were quit during weeks 9 to 12 of treatment, compared to 18% on sugar pill. today i se

nbc's lee cowan has more. >> the hardest part is getting your new set to work.ou go into a big empty sound stage and hang lights and you think everything's all right, you go the -- >> reporter: for jay leno, technical gremlins are the least of his worries. a lot is riding on tonight's grand 10:00 p.m. experiment. "time" magazine said it was nothing less than the future of network television. no pressure. are you worried about it just because it is such a -- or do you think all the hype about it being -- >> i don't worry about it. because i'm rich already. doesn't bother me. not my problem. you know what it is? i did the "tonight show" for 17 years, it was number one when i got it, it was number one when i handed it off. if it doesn't work, people go five years from now, did you do something else after the "tonight show"? no. you didn't have another show? no. >> reporter: it's a comedic dodge to a serious question. but behind the scenes jay takes the pressure seriously. this is where you walk out each night? >> you go through these big supermarket doors. >> repor

. >> nbc's lee cowan is on the ground and hope to talk with lee live shortly about what he has been able to see from his vantage point. on top of that story, david to the west, another powerful earthquake rocked western indonesia today, magnitude 7.6 quake. it caused hundreds of building tosco license and the quake triggered land slides and fires. 75 people were killed on the island of sum mat tra. and that death toll is expected to climb a tsunami warning was issued for countries along the indian ocean and panicked people ran to higher ground. the warning was cancelled about an hour later. the quake hit along the very same fault line as the 2004 earthquake that triggered that massive tsunami that killed more than 250,000 people. >> almost got to wonder, for people, those of us not scientists, some linkage, a particular part of the world had that sort of earthquake, another short after that, something maybe going on with the tectonic plates i and makes it a more frightening situation for people there. >>> david, right now, president obama is in a critical meeting with his entire national

lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >> i've got to say, i'm pretty tough to shock.i was watching that saturday night. it was shocking. she just made a conscious decision. she composed herself and then turned and just unloaded on this woman. >> you've done this to me here on the set. tennis would be more popular if there were more of that. >> i agree totally. >> more like real life. >> also, you know what, she shouldn't have done it. stop calling the foot fault. stop calling traveling in the nba. let it go. coming up, much more with joe, mika and pat at the reagan library in simi valley, california. they'll be joined by peggy noonan and msnbc's political analyst lawrence o'donnell. plus a look at the must read opinion pages spanning the country this morning from new york to california. we'll send you back out to california when we come right back. boss: so word's gettin' out that geico can help people save in even more ways - on motorcycle insurance, rv, camper, boat insurance. nice work, everyone. exec: well, it's easy for him. he's a cute little lizard. gecko: ah,

lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >> definitely a guardian angel, not perhaps.ing. >> how old do you have to be to buy lottery tickets? that little girl should buy one. >> buy one in her name, for sure. >> it's extraordinary. >> yeah. >> and you're right, how many times by accident did we bang into one of those poles and thought what a nuisance. and boy, are they there for a reason. that was good stuff. >>> let us get a check of the weather now from mr. roker. al? >> hey, guys, how are you doing? we're out here with -- oh, our camera guy, jim cork! and oh, they were rushing out, they weren't ready quite yet. a little bungee cord action. are you okay, bud? wasn't that amazing, our camera guy jim? awesome? have you ever seen anything like that? >> never. >> never. wow, oh, my gosh. let's check your weather, see what's going on. you'll see for today -- are you okay, bud? all right. sunshine out west, a lot of heat. we're talking temperatures in the 90s in the pacific northwest. portland, oregon, has already set the record for the number of 90-degree days this year.

nbc's lee cowan has details. >> reporter: good morning, lester. the town of jaycee dugard's hometown of south lake tahoe certainly gathered in her name before but they were mostly sad affairs designed to keep hope alive that she would be found. can you imagine this weekend's gathering was a much happier affair, but everyone there realized that the road to jaycee's recovery is still a long one. jaycee dugard's favorite color. 18 years ago jaycee disappeared. many feared forever. but now -- >> elation. it was wonderful. i don't think in my wildest dreams i ever thought we would be having this kind of a parade. so it's a wonderful moment. lots of joy. >> reporter: as many as 2,000 people joined in. neighbors, teachers, even jaycee's former classmates. and they all remembered how their lives changed that day. >> it is a really tight-knit community. it kind of opened everyone's eyes, like this can really happen. >> reporter: as for local law enforcement who spent years trying to track jaycee down, there was a lesson. >> complacency is not an option for

it was an escape jaycee lee dugard was not able to make until now. jon: thanks very much. claudia cowan. to the case now of a 17-year-old girl who claims her own family would kill her because she converted to christianity. today a judge ruled rifqa bary will stay in florida away from her family. we don't know for how long. take a look at rifqa in court today. you might notice she was wearing a silver cross around her neck. rifqa says that is at the heart of the matter. the high school cheerleader comes from a muslim family but says she recently became a christian. when her father found out about her conversion, rifqa says he threatened to kill her. her father says that is simply not true. rifqa ran away from ohio in july and went to stay with a family who leads an evangelize church in florida. a couple weeks later the florida family told authorities rifqa was with them. her parents have been trying to bring her back to ohio ever since. today they learned she will not come home to them for the time being. but she will not stay with the family who first took her in, either. phil keating i