our report tonight from nbc's lee cowan. >> reporter: for elroy riden, empty bottles and cans are the only currency he has. >> this might be enough for me to get a hamburger today. >> reporter: he says he's been homeless ever since he was discharged from the army in 1986. >> i can't hold a job because of my mental disability. >> reporter: the only thing he has in his wallet is a faded card from the va. >> give me a place to stay now, you owe me, you owe me something. >> reporter: depending on the study, there are anywhere between 75,000 and 100,000 homeless vets nationwide and most of them live right here in los angeles. and sadly, there were more of them here last year, than the year before that. >> right now we are full, i would say we're at about 95% capacity. >> reporter: this shelter run by the salvation army is a respite for vets, it's on the campus of one of the largest medical centers in the country. but it now says more should be done for veterans. >> this campus houses more rent-a-cars, than severely disabled veterans. >> reporter: in a lawsuit filed this month, the aclu all

caltrate helps women keep moving because women move the world. >>> i'm lee cowan in los angeles. news to report out of olympic skiing. jeret speedy peterson has died. he was killed out of tore torino, italy for a fight. he was just 29 years old. now, back to brian williams in washington. >>> while the entire world is just now noticing these are desperate hours for the victims of drought and famine and the horn of africa, somalia, kenya, ethiopia and djibouti and that means some heartbreaking choices are being made on a daily basis. choices about the starving and the sick and who survives. as we said this is the next global crisis we're going global crisis wire covering. to be covering. and we continue our extraordinary reporting for us tonight with rohit kachroo on the road between somalia and kenya and a warning, these images are tough to watch. >> reporter: it's not the screams that concern the doctors the most. but the silence of those too weak to cry. this is one of the busiest hospitals at the dadaab refugee camp where the most frail children are taken when they arrive. this

lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >>> to politics now. this was a working holiday weekend for the republican candidates for president. many of them spent this july 4th trying to solidify support in early primary and caucus states, while the man they want to beat, president obama, celebrated the holiday close to home. nbc's kristen welker is live at the white house with the latest. good evening, kristen. >> reporter: good evening, kate. the race for the white house is heating up on this fourth of july with gop candidates making their case from iowa to new hampshire. former massachusetts governor mitt romney marking independence day in new hampshire, which holds the nation's first primary. he's the current gop front-runner, according to some polls, never hesitating to take shots at the current commander in chief. >> our president has failed us. the recession is deeper because of our president. >> reporter: stumping in the same parade but just a few minutes behind, another former mormon governor, jon huntsman of utah. he's been met with skep

lee cowan, nbc news, somewhere on the 405. >>> and up next here tonight a thrilling victory for some american women when it was all on the line. >>> yesterday afternoon was one of those moments in this country and around the world soccer fans were calling each other to make sure they were watching television. they were talking about the thrilling, unbelievable victory of the u.s. women's soccer team over brazil in the world cup quarterfinal. it started with a perfect pass from megan rapino to abby womback for a header, tying the game 2-2, just a minute left to play. that brought the penalty kicks, that's where the u.s. really turned it on to win. they play france in the semifinal on wednesday. >>> the massachusetts company that makes the thing you're about to see calls it the first flying car, even though it looked a lot like a plane to most of us. it has been cleared by the feds to travel on roads and in the air. it will be available next year, but remember a few thing before you consider the quarter million dollar investment. it's not like you can just take off when stuck in traffi

nbc's lee cowan explains how even now rachel beckwith continues to "make a difference." >> reporter: you might think this story starts and ends on the cold shoulder of i-90 near seattle, where a polka dot cross now marks the spot of a terrible accident. but it actually started last month, just before rachel beckwith's 9th birthday. instead of asking for a gift, she wanted to give one. clean water to thirsty kids in faraway lands. >> her big crazy goal is to raise $300 so that 15 kids in africa would have clean, safe water. >> reporter: she raised $220 just $80 short of her goal. she resolved to try again next year. but then came the accident. too violent for even the biggest of hearts to survive. >> i don't think you have to be a parent to not be able to wrap your mind around this intense pain. we all want to do whatever we can. >> reporter: the best memorial, they figured, was just to keep rachel's water drive going. so they did. and then came the flood. her story spread, on twitter, and facebook. the tally grew. first by the day, then by the minute. the owner of this hair salon in

but nbc's lee cowan joins us, lee? >> reporter: hey, ann. this is the first of two tributes in two different states for betty ford and in keeping with her very take-charge attitude she was very specific about how she wanted to be remembered. to that end, both politics and her passion for people were front and center. >> reporter: for a first lady admired for being so public, betty ford's final trip up the steps of the church where she worshipped for more than 30 years was ever so private. ♪ preceded by her four children her casket made its way up the aisle in st. margaret's episcopal church. the same place where the nation bid her husband farewell, too. >> we remember before you this day our sister, betty. >> reporter: the largest gathering of first ladies since then. michelle obama and hillary clinton. rosalind carter and nancy reagan, who was escorted by president george w. bush. but it was rosalind carter, once a political rival then long-time family friend who, perhaps, summed her up best. >> someone who was willing to do things a bit di

for "today," lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >> time for a check of the weather. bill karins is outside. >> good morning, carl, and great weather out here. let's say hi to lynna. she's from atlanta. or hotlanta. what's your favorite thing about the fourth of july? >> the fireworks. >> how about fireworks and we give you a little bit of ice cream and stuff, too? that would be good. let's give you your forecast for atlanta and other areas. unfortunately in atlanta it's going to be very hot on the fourth. a lot of thunderstorms in the deep south. the worst of the thunderstorms will be there through the mid-atlantic. also isolated storms up in the northeast. i'm not too concerned about the macy's fireworks. mostly clear and warm on nbc. temperatures no problem. winds good, to blow some of the smoke away and make it nice and clear where the fireworks are floating. we're going to keep the thunderstorms out of the forecast. it's a fabulous weekend. >>> that's a look at your holiday forecast. amy, carl? >> thanks very much, bill. coming up a father's fight. an exclusive i