let's go to al roker. he is joining us from if new orleans where you present quite a picture there, my friend. how bad do you think this is going to get? >> i got to tell you, alex, it is increasing our biggest fear is the intensification of this system. that's what we're seeing. we have 150 mile-per-hour winds. with this just in, it looks like it is going to be 155 miles per hour making land fall. it is picking up steam. and so there is only been one -- only been four category five land falls in this country. with this right now is category four. category five is 157 miles per hour. this right now is at 155. to give you an idea, we talk about don't worry about the category. but a category one storm damage with a five, the difference between a four and one is about 250 times more destructive than a category one. this thing rapid lyn tensefied. it is generally 35 miles per hour within 24 hours. alex, this thing intensified with 65 mile per hours within 24 hours. the storm is about to make land fall. this ar

our team fanned out here on the ground, and al roker with the new track. >>> plus, the other breaking headlines all u.s. forces are out of afghanistan, ending america's longest war. but there are still american citizens who have been left behind. and the new attack on the kabul airport, just as american forces were leaving. plus, the solemn homecoming for the 13 u.s. service members killed in that suicide attack >>> and the major move by the eu. new travel restrictions proposed for unvaccinated americans. it comes as covid hospitalizations in the u.s. hit alarming heights not seen since the winter surge >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt substituting tonight and reporting from new orleans, tom llamas. >> good evening. i'm tom llamas in for lester we are coming to you tonight from an american city in crisis and a region in need of help hurricane ida causing catastrophic damage. the view from above just a glimpse of the actual pain felt on the ground families in la place, louisiana running from ida's surge overnight, and today pulled from their homes in boats hosp

. >>> let's bring in al roker now, mr.oker now in new orleans with more on the situation there and what we work expect from ida as that storm moves inland on a path to the northeast. al, good morning. >> hey, good morning, guys. right now, ida, tropical depression. 190 south/southwest of nashville, tennessee. 30-mile-per-hour winds. moving northeast at 12 miles per hour. today, it'll merge with a front up to its north. the combined moisture produces torrential rainfall. rainfall rates moving into the northeast out of the tennessee river valley, 2 to 3 inches per hour with this system. morning rain is going to be heavy for the northeast. the morning rush. the rain will move out by the afternoon and evening but not before causing massive flooding. 71 million people are under flood watches or warnings, stretching from the gulf up into the northeast and new england. rainfall amounts, we're talking some places picking up locally 8 inches of rain. new york city could see a month's worth of rain in just one day. that heavy rain s

and nbc today show all roker is in new orleans. el, let's start with you. it was hard to believe 16 years ago today, that katrina hit. now we're hearing ida could be a storm of historic proportions. al what are you watching for? >> well, joe, we're basically watching and bracing for this system. michelle will get into the specifics of the track just from the national hurricane center. but it is probably going to be a little to the west of new orleans, which puts us on the nasty side of the storm. where here at lake pontchartrain. you can see the winds are blowing. we've had wind gusts of about 35 miles per hours. the sea is up. it's very rough. but we're going to be looking at, today we had some lightning out here as well. so, as the system gets closer and we get those outer bands starting to push in, we had some really heavy rain about 20 minutes ago. a lot of lightning. a lot of activity going on. and driving here from center city, the streets are deserted. people have heeded the warnings. traffic, yesterday, was a nightmare. trying to get in and out. my

al roker timing it out for us >>> new york incoming governor stepping into the spotlight. how she is distancing herself from andrew cuomo after he resigned in a sexual harassment scandal, and her vow to voters. >>> our team inside afghanistan. the taliban seizing more territory as the u.s. withdraws the growing concerns kabul could fall >>> why the price you pay for holiday shipping is going up >>> and she has been on the job over 70 years. the nurse inspiring america. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt >> good evening, everyone the fda tonight appears to be on the verge of approving covid booster shots for the first time the third doses would be reserved for certain vulnerable americans, opening a new avenue of defense against the aggressive delta variant. meantime, the challenge of protecting our kids in the face of a growing covid wave is frankly all over the map tonight. from the south, where classroom mask requirements are being banned, to california, where the governor is ordering school employees to show proof of vaccination or face weekly tes

okay. [ laughter ] >> al roker -- >> i will drop them like a bag of dirt. >> al roker, bless you.arter in new orleans. thank you very much. >> reporter: and we have power trucks going through. they're getting ready. they're ready for this thing, jonathan. >> all right. al roker, please stay safe. when we come back, the byline. c. start your day with crest 3d white and from mochaccinos to merlot, your smile will always be brilliant. crest 3d white brilliance. 100% stain removal, 24 hour stain resistance to lock in your whitest smile. crest. the #1 toothpaste brand in america. oh! are you using liberty mutual's coverage customizer tool? so you only pay for what you need. sorry? limu, you're an animal! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ your mission: stand up to moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. and take. it. on... ...with rinvoq. rinvoq a once-daily pill can dramatically improve symptoms... rinvoq helps tame pain, stiffness, swelling. and for some rinvoq can even significantly reduce ra fatigue. that's rinvoq relief. with ra, your overactive i

al roker is tracking it all al, what's the latest? >> lester, tropical depression fred right now does have the tropical storm watches up for southern florida. it's currently moving west-northwest, 12 miles per hour, 70 east-southeast of key west, florida. makes its way across key west by saturday morning. into the gulf by sunday afternoon rainfall amounts up to 8 inches and right on its heels, we've got tropical invest 95l. next five days we look for development following pretty much the same path as fred. as far as the heat advisories, 65 million impacted tomorrow, but the good news, lester, we're going see temperatures cooling down by sunday from memphis, nashville, philadelphia, raleigh, and augusta. lester >> a lot going on those maps, al thanks >>> as hospitals treat more children getting covid-19, that's not the only emerging threat they're dealing with these days. here is catie beck with that. >> reporter: when 1-year-old nora spiked a fever of 102 in june, mom lacy greene worried she caught covid. >> it usually is the first th

al roker joins us. what can we expect >> right now we have 77 million people coast to coast with heat advisories, heat warnings heat indexes about 110 moving into tomorrow right now, we have tropical storm ida, 40-mile-per-hour winds, moving northwest at 14. a category 1 storm by saturday afternoon we expect landfall sometime sunday afternoon. but with water temperatures in the gulf in the upper 80s, rapid intensification is a big possibility this could make landfall sunday as a category 3 storm if it does, that's 16 years to the day hurricane katrina hit. >> i know you'll keep an eye on it thanks. >>> when we come back, inspiring america. a paralympian shows us what champions are made of. >>> up next, could your vaccination statdous a status affect your health care from insurance premiums to hospital visits. >>> we also talk to a bay area woman wanting to find out, waitic to hear if her family can leave afghanistan. that's next. >>> inspiring america tonight, a paralympian who has banned one four-lette

our team of reporters plus al roker fanned across the gulf. more than a million people now without power. the devastating timeline on when that's going to be repaired plus the residents who lost it all, coming up tonight on nightly news. california! during a flex alert, let's keep our power up and running. set ac cooler and use big appliances before 4pm. then from 4-9pm reduce use and take it easy on our energy. sign up today. >>> well, in the best of times, agriculture is a job that you work whatever nature deals you, but with our changing climate it's become much more of a rollercoaster. joe risoto jr. takes us to a saint helena winery turning to creative measures to try and survive. >> like a race against time. >> reporter: the life of a winemaker sounds kind of romantic. cavorting in nature, transporting grape into prized wine, and yes, a reality check. >> we have fire. we have smoke. this year we have drought. you can see our pond right there. >> reporter: napa winemaker, ray hannigan isn't a debbie downer, it's just the reality of making

roker thank you so much, here is your local news and weather >>> good morning.tes ago. most of the smoke blended out of the picture. let me show you the map. hearing about car on fire in the roadway. crews are headed out of san francisco, wrong direction of the bay bridge. that's why traffic is stopped, approaching treasure island. do not try to use the bay bridge from oakland to san francisco. the upper deck is closed now. added to the problem is traffic at oakland at 29th. motorcycle down, both directions are jammed. alternate is richmond or bartlett. avoid the bay bridge because of fire we are tracking. more after this break. cool. so what are you waiting for? mckayla maroney to get your frisbee off the roof? i'll get it. ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ ♪ ♪ whoa. here you go. (in unison) thank you mckayla! dude, get it. i'm not getting it, you get it. you threw it. it's your frisbee. geico. switch today and see all the ways you could save. >>> san francisco taking steps on the unvaccinated. >>> ahead of the weekend, we track how long the weather sticks around. and there y

al roker is following the track. what's the latest? >> lester, ida now, category 1 storm, 675 miles south ease of new orleans. moving at a good clip, northwest at 15. what we are concerned about are current gulf waters, above average, and that will lead to rapid intensification. look for it sunday afternoon, making landfall somewhere on the louisiana coast as a category 4 storm and could be higher, anywhere from lake charles, new orleans, mobile, panama city feeling the effects. we have storm surge forecast of 10 to 15 feet in central louisiana coastline. looking for wind gusts up to 75 miles per hour, and rainfall amounts, isolated amounts, lester, up to 20 inches of rain. i am heading to new orleans, we are covering this all weekend. >> could be an ugly one, stay safe, al. thank you. >>> state of emergency already in effect in louisiana where people are bracing for ida. devastation of katrina and other powerful storms seered in their memories. morgan chesky is there. >> reporter: tonight in louisiana, a summer-long sigh of relief is

roker >> who doesn't >> guys, good job. us live right after this [engine revving] [car horn and collisions] [tires squealing] just think, he'll be driving for real soon. every new chevy equinox comes standard with chevy safety assist including automatic emergency braking. allergies don't have to be scary. spraying flonase daily stops your body from overreacting to allergens all season long. psst! psst! all good introducing the new citi custom cash℠ card, a different kind of card that rewards dan where his spending is trending. just ask stepping outside his comfort zone dan... dan: okay, i don't know where the hole for this is. or fourth time streaming that period drama dan... dan: you just made me miss her best line, dan: so now i'm going to have to start it again. even insisted he didn't need directions dan. dan: okay, i'm not lost. i'm exploring. dan: that said, do you know where i am? from select gas, streaming, travel and more earn 5% cash back that automatically adjusts to your top eligible spend category, up to $500 s

>> al roker in new orleans. thank you. >>> now to the latest developments in afghanistan, and president biden's new warning that another isis attack to happen there as soon as tomorrow. we have the latest details. >> reporter: president joe biden warning that another terror attack in afghanistan is imminent. the president in a statement saturday echoing what warns given to him by top u.s. commanders that an attack is highly likely in the next 24 to 3 ho. 36 hours. he assured them they have all authorities resources and plans to protect our american and women on the ground. this after making good on his earlier promise for revenge. >> we will hunt you down and make you pay. >> reporter: a u.s. drone strike killed two high-profile isis-k members and wounded one other ard cording to the pentagon described them as planners and facilitators of possible future attacks. >> the fact two of these individuals are no longer walking on the face of the earth, that's a good thing. >> reporter: mr. biden vowing today, this str

al roker became a trending topic online because people were so worried about him.in case you missed it, here's what al had to say about that >> as much as i love the weather and i love nbc, i ams not going to risk my life for it well, he's too old to be doing this well, hey guess what, screw you. [ laughter ] keep up, okay? i will drop them like a bag of dirt >> there is al telling you just how he sees it he pointed out that he's been doing this for 40 years. he volunteered to go, and his crew is always safe. i'm always curious that was on msnbc so there may be words not suitable for the "today". >>> breaking news, the caldor fire has reached the tahoe basin. this morning it's burning hot and fierce. the winds are roaring pushing the flames even closer to south lake tahoe. a red flag warning will be in effect later today. good morning and thanks for joining us. i'm laura garcia. >> i'm marcus washington. we're going to speak live with a firefighter in that area in just a moment. >> first let's check in with kari hall. set the scene for us. what are we in store weat

thank you, al roker. thanks for all you're doing down there. >>> sam brock is on the phone from louisiana. sam, that was closer to a direct hit? >> reporter: it was. we thought for a period of time, andrea, that it was going to go, hurricane ida, directly over baton rouge, which would have been the largest population center to be affected. it was a little east to that and very close to where i am. it's unfortunate, we can't show you the cell towers would be fluctuating as they try to stabilize and restore power. it's spotty at the moment so it keeps dropping out. i am looking right now at an 18-wheeler truck, a walmart truck that is flipped on its belly. it's not the only one, either. if you go down the parking lot, i was going to show you two or three others that look just like it. the gas station on the corner of the street where i'm at has had the roof removed and there's pieces of vinyl sitting in pools of water next to the highway and really where a lot of these floods came pouring in. i talked to so

roker wasn't here to do it. >>> let's talk politics.w cuomo preparing to step down in 12 days and his successor lieutenant governor kathy hochul is addressing voters using her first speech to distance herself from cuomo's scandals and vowing to change the culture in the executive chamber. we'll talk to her live in an exclusive conversation first, nbc's anne thompson with the very latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. kathy hochul is projecting an image of preparedness and confidence saying the 14-day waiting period was something she didn't ask for but deemed nesby governor cuomo's team. she's making it very clear this morning when she becomes governor, there will be a much different culture in the executive chamber. kathy hochul it the new face of political leadership in new york state, vowing to clean house in the scandal-plagued governor's office >> no one will ever describe my administration as a toxic work environment. >> reporter: hochul started her career in local government going on to win an upset u.s. house special e

roker?ic national parks around the country that aren't the big name for example, a few miles from here there's teh jamaican national wildlife refuge you wouldn't even think you were in new york city think of the lesser-known parks that are just as spectacular what's going on, unfortunately not at spectacular the hurricane season's three investigation areas. the one we're most concerned about is the one that is to the west of the lesser antilles. we'll be watching the development zone over the next five days into the gulf, but the gulf of mexico, the water temperature, 80 to 90 degrees especially along the coast with water temperatures in upper 80s and this system possibly developing by late sunday, early monday the american model, european model both bring it onshore somewhere between new orleans and houston. look at those global models. there's a very good possibility we could see landfall with a significant system somewhere between houston and new orleans. we are going to be watching that

roker. he's right here.s. >> i pity the fool we were with you when we were watching it in the rain, you guys were taking it all the way! yeah >> oh, wow >> that was so good. >> and if you can find us -- >> well, we are so proud of you guys april and alix, congratulations on your medals you made your country proud. thanks again >> thank you guys so much. >> all right >> bye, guys bye. >> bye >> craigor, i hope you got some good snacks or something they earned it >> they did. and you guys have been munching? >> yes >> since last night, we're encouraging everyone to eat all the food here in the green room. >>> when we come back from tokyo, did we just witness the end of a remarkable era for u.s. women's soccer that's the question a lot of people are asking. what the stars are saying to us about their future after winning bronze here in tokyo that right after this. nucala is not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue or trouble breathi

. >>> let's go now to al roker. al joins us once again from new orleans. the top right corner of our screen. al, your bants are blowing in the wind. it has picked up. you have got the hang on. talk about the wind gusts and the rain that you are seeing there. >> well, it kind of comes and goes. it unundulates. we are in a good blast right now. we just got a forecast from one our meteorologists that for new orleans around 6:00, 7:00, we could be looking at winds here in new orleans of 100 miles per hour. that could certain cause some major problems. i look down canal street. the street lights are still on. there are a lot of folks -- there aren't a lot of folks out on the street. but that's -- like my buddy there is getting blown down. he's all of a sudden trying to hold on. you know, we are going to be watching this very closely because we are hearing some people yelling. there may be stuff going on down a little further down right now. but winds are picking up. the rain is picking up. and i think we are going to be looking at a sustained period of time whe

the guests are clearly -- let's go to al roker, who's in new orleans.nderneath a portico. this is the heaviest rain, lindsey, we have seen yet, combined with the strong wind. we've heard from transformers blow. we've seen some fire trucks go by, lights in the hotel have been flickering. there are a lot of power outages now, more than a quarter of a million people. even though this is now a category 4 storm, with 140-mile-per-hour winds, it's expected that later this evening, probably around 6:00, 6:00 to 7:00, here in new orleans proper, we could see wind gusts of 100 miles per hour, which could be devastating for the infrastructure, the power grid, things like that. as you look at the visible satellite picture, what is surprising a lot of people, it's over a marshy area, the hurricane ida is looking better now than it did a few hours ago. there's a phenomenon called the brown ocean. what that means is there's very, very very moist land surface that's very warm, almost like an ocean, and it drawing energy from that warmth. again, another problem, anothe

roker what are we looking at, buddy? some wet weather developing strong storms will be firing up across the plains and upper midwest. look at these temperatures 90s from the northeast down to the gulf coast, into texas hundreds in the central plains also in the southwest and central california 90s in the western plains and the pacific northwest. that heat is going to continue to build severe storms as this front pushes further to the east hot, humid from the mid to lower mississippi valley into the northeast. those monsoonal storms will continue so we >>> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're starting out nice and cool but it's going to heat up today and we'll see temperatures heading up to 99 degrees in concord, 89 in san jose and santa rosa reaching 87. for the inland spots, you'll be in the upper 90s. it gets cooler tomorrow, but that comes with more humidity and we'll see temperatures reaching into the upper 90s into the weekend as well as early next week. >>> and that is your latest weather. >> al, what t

roker is back.cord when it comes to coming in or staying home, i'm lazy so i'm just going to say, i like it but i love being with my pals. fire risk out west, plenty of sunshine seattle down to san diego. hot and humid in the middle of the country. heat will be increasing waez make our way to the mid-atlantic and the northeast as the week wears on strong storms today firing up in the upper midwest. that's what's going on around >>> good ties morning. i am meteorologist kari hall. our temperatures stay cool near the coast. also, fog lingers quite a bit longer in san francisco and half moon bay. as you head inland, we're going to see a mix of sun and clouds, and sunshine this afternoon, reaching into the low 80s for the tri-valley and east bay. mid 70s for much of the north bay. going through the forecast, it will heat up. after tomorrow, temperatures like i said, 90s in the inland valleys. >> and that is your latest weather. >> and that is your latest weather. don't forget outside, check us out, siri

there was peter staley who had been a stock roker for jpmorgan. he was the only stock roker from jc morgan who joined back up or like larry cramer who was a privilege and connected person but he screamed at people he had access to and most did not do that. these guys were exceptional and i think they did incredible work and if my book to give them enormous credit that they are the only ones. so that's more my point. i'm not blaming anybody in at the time that split happened within a small group that most of the stood back and watched. >> i think some people read that in a way that you don't take those the way you describe it basically people on the left and they went on working with other people who didn't leave and went on working with them and were still going to the monday meeting so i think it's a bit hard for me to figure out just from the description what actually happened why in a large organization like this the departure of maybe 12 people who as i say other people who stay continued to work feels like such a big thing. >> it was very pai

al roker timing it out for us >>> new york incoming governor stepping into the spotlight. how she is distancing herself from andrew cuomo after he resigned in a sexual harassment scandal, and her vow to voters. >>> our team inside afghanistan. the taliban seizing more territory as the u.s. withdraws the growing concerns kabul could fall

with the governor of louisiana in just a moment we do want to begin live from new orleans where al roker is. al, what's the hatest? >> reporter: you look around, the sun is out, other than a lack of people, doors are closed an there are some sandbags you would have never known that and now the big question people are asking, they keep coming up to us because they see we're in news, what have you heard about the power? we hear it will be out for a month. people are frightened but there's no communications because most of the cell service is gone. you have at&t, you're not getting any service. other services, it's spotty. as we look at what's happening right now with ida, it's a tropical storm it is pushing away, 65 miles south-southwest, jackson, mississippi. it's moving north at 8 miles per hour what this is going to mean is that as ida makes its way up the -- i should say up the mississippi river valley, it's bringing tornado warnings along the gulf coast it's also going to bring a lot of heavy moisture with it due to a front that will cause flooding in tennessee and kentucky, continues

roker, what is shaking eggs and bacon >> i know a good host, it's me.ricane season 2021, we are watching this potential tropicah sigh loan -- cyclone 6, 65 miles west of guadeloupe 35 mile per hour winds moving northwest. you can see this is the track of the system by saturday morning just south of the southern tip of florida, then skirts along the western coast. 90% chance of development in the next two days. most likely to become tropical storm fred we have leeward islands under tropical storm watches, puerto rico and the dominican republic under tropical storm warnings. so we will be watching there very closely heavy rain is going on to be a big problem. 2 to 4 inches locally. up to 6 inches of rain, flash flooding mudslides possible here and . >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. expect some slightly hotter temperatures today for the inland valleys reaching into the mid to upper 90s. we'll do it all over again tomorrow but by the end of the week it stays hot and we'll have more humidity so it's going to feel hotter than that 94 degrees. for

valley, and into the mid -atlantic and northeast later this week. >> get out of that unsafe weather, al rokering on the anniversary of katrina. >>> when we come back, the political battle over masks and vaccine mandates (vo) while you may not be a pediatric surgeon volunteering your topiary talents at a children's hospital — your life is just as unique. your raymond james financial advisor gets to know you, your passions, and the way you give back. so you can live your life. that's life well planned. some carriers give you so little for your old or busted phone, not verizon. you dunk it? crash it? doggy-bone it? we upgrade it! because everyone deserves better. the best part? get up to $800 for the 5g phone you want. plus, $500 when you switch. the live better u program basically just provides the answer to the question: what if? with live better u, my 'what ifs' were erased. ♪ ♪ every single day, we're all getting a little bit better. we're better cooks... better neighbors... hi. i've got this until you get back. better parents... and better friends. no! no! that's why comcast works around th

we have seen al roker in new orleans as well. he went from lake ponchatrain which was brutal with the winds. we were thinking he should hold onto a sign post. we saw him lashed with rain. we saw the ankle rising up to almost his knees. thank you so much. i appreciate you in gulf port. we're going to be staying with our coverage. let's go to an nbc special report right now. >> rewe are coming on the air amid several breaking news stories. hurricane ida just made landfall. an extremely powerful category 4 hurricane. forecasters are warning of catastrophic storms. we'll have the latest on the storm. let's go to hallie with the other major stories we're following. >> we have new developments on the crisis in afghanistan. the remains of 13 service members return tods the u.s. president biden and first lady dr. jill biden joining the families of the fallen whose loved ones were killed thursday. 11 of them were marines. one an army soldier. another, a navy sailor. marine corporal hunter lopez. marine lance corporal dylan. marine humbert

ida taking aim at the gulf coast now on high alert fo what could be a powerful category 4 storm al rokerhe track and timing. >>> disturbing news on the covid surge, cases among children on the rise as schools reopen and a florida judge dealing a blow to the ban on mask mandates. and growing demand for a promising covid treatment. the supreme court ruling that could put millions of americans at risk of eviction. a stunning decision, sirhan sirhan, recommended for parole will he be released? inspiring america. the afghan american pilot and the refugees he is helping right now. good evening, sworn enemies with a bitter 20 year legacy written in blood tonight, the united states and the taliban facing a mutual threat, anxiety high in kabul, amid what u.s. intelligence believes is a specific and credible threat, isis terrorists will strike again, on the heels of yesterday's bombing attack outside the international airport that killed at least 13 u.s. troops and left well over 100 afghans dead

. >> al roker with a live update and what is expected to be a major hurricane headed toward the golf coast and anxious moments for americans behind on their rent as the eviction moratorium hits a roadblock. what you need to know when we see you back here for nightly news. >> and coming up the giants take on the braves right here on nbc bay area, that follows nightly news with lest willer hospital and stay tuned after the game for nbc bay area news tonight. we will talk about tonight's greenday concert, vaccinations not rider to get in, are people ready for the next step toward normalcy? >> that is coming up. >>> disturbing findings by an nbc bay area investigation is making headlines nationally. two hospitals are accused of losing or misplacing bodies. how did this happen? >> reporter: we have been looking for answers and found them. we have been reporting on good samaritan hospital, during the type, we uncovered reports of the mishandling of several bodies. we spoke to a woman whose mother passed at the hospital, another woman said they are pregnancy suddenly ended the facility thro

al roker is here >>> just in, the battle of britney spears with her father verdict is in. >>> and if you build it, they will come tonight's first ever mlb game in iowa on the real life field of dreams >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt >> good evening, everyone there is breaking news out of afghanistan tonight where a swift taliban advance and the rapid crumbling of the afghan government is triggering the return of 3,000 u.s. troops to evacuate american civilians the state department accelerating its reduction of embassy staff in kabul, and warning americans should leave the country immediately. tonight some of afghanistan's largest cities are back under taliban control as fears grow that the capital itself, kabul, could fall soon. the reintroduction of american ground troops coming just week before the scheduled end of the decades-long u.s. military mission there. kelly cobiella is in kabul tonight with the latest. >> reporter: tonight a shocking announcement just weeks before the u.s. completes its full withdrawal of troops from afghanistan. >> this is a temp

. >>> dangerous heat still gripping much of the country and the new tropical threat taking aim al rokerre >>> and inspiring lessons from a young man now fulfilling his olympic dreams >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt >>> good evening, everyone a war that over 20 years has cost our country so much grief is still taking american lives practically to the bitter end at least a dozen u.s. troops were killed after two explosions rocked the area around the kabul airport. just five days before

got to ask al roker.ed we do. christine from ulbrich, new jersey you have questions >> yes a bunch of us are teachers and would like to know when we go back and brag we met you because we're so proud of you and we love you so much, but what advice would you give to our students who have olympic-sized dreams >> that's a good question, you guys. >> yeah. >> i would say to dream big. never give up. even if you're walking on that road alone it pays off. >> yeah. >> what does it take jordan to really get here >> it takes a lot of dedication. a lot of dedication, and also the right support that can be behind you for your whole entire journey. >> as well as hard work and sacrifices. >> yes. >> and it takes a lot of courage sometimes to do things that people didn't expect you had a second, simone, to sit with everything that happened because now you've been on a flight a time to rest and reflect on it. >> i feel like i'm so overwhelmed, but i truly believe everything's supposed to happen for a reason, and althoug

roker. how is it looking? >> let's take a look at the satellite. heavy thunderstorms up in the upper midwest. but if you look down in the south and the gulf, you'll see those showers and thunderstorms. that's moisture out ahead of ida. it shows how moisture laden, how rich that atmosphere is. we're going to watch this extremely carefully. 110 to double digits from the southwest all the way into the gulf coast up into the mississippi and ohio river valleys. a hot day today with a lot more humidity as the front pushes in, flood watch is up for the mid-atlantic states we're going to be watching that carefully, as well gulf coast storms firing up. severe storms in the upper midwest. a fire risk continues out west where it is continually sunny, hot, dry, a dangerous situation. that's what's going on around mckenzie. >>> good morning. i am meteorologist kari hall. taking a look at temperatures today, headed to 80 in oakland, 98 in concord. you're going to feel the heat in the inland valleys, especially with the unhealthy air quality moving in. we're goin

roker, perhaps we should spin some jars. >> i think we're going to. lites start it off, okay? small stuff. stephanie gurley, from indianapolis, indiana. brickyard looking good there. this coffee lover also 100 on her day. you'll probably find her at the nail salon. she loves getting the mani/pedi as does craig melvin. happy 100th birthday to william mazure. die-hard chicago white sox fan from skokie, illinois. he must have loved the big game last week. he's been married to the love of his life for over 60 years jane hansen played tennis well into her 90s a world traveler raymond mayers, 103. a proud grandpa from osbourne, kansas he says the secret to longevity is good genes. his mom lived to 102 and last but not least, one for the record books >> no way. >> happy 112th birthday to ethel bowens of guthrie, oklahoma, the state's oldest living person that is a happy birthday happy birthday to you, evelyn. >> 112 >> i think that's the oldest >> that is impressive. >>> we've got lots more ahead, folks. don't go far coming up next in the third hour, we're live with girls -- >> 5eva.

our team fanned out here on the ground, and al roker with the new track. >>> plus, the other breaking headlines all u.s. forces are out of afghanistan, ending america's longest war. but there are still american citizens who have been left behind. and the new attack on the kabul airport, just as american forces were leaving. plus, the solemn homecoming for the 13 u.s. service members killed in that suicide attack >>> and the major move by the eu. new travel restrictions proposed for unvaccinated americans. it comes as covid hospitalizations in the u.s. hit alarming heights not seen since the winter surge >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt substituting tonight and reporting from new orleans, tom llamas. >> good evening. i'm tom llamas in for lester we are coming to you tonight from an american city in crisis and a region in need of help hurricane ida causing

roker, you got a check off our weather? >> yeah.ortunately out west, the drought continues and we have really -- take a look at this. this evidence of this. this is lake meade and it's on the colorado river it was formed with the hoover dam. well, it is at its lowest levels ever so it is now a water emergency. 40 million people are supplied with this reservoir. so we are going to be watching this very closely as those water levels continue to drop. and the fire danger continues. dry thunderstorms in both idaho and montana but these red flag warnings extend from california all the way to the dakotas and we've got a lot of heat to talk about. nothing really that is going to help everyone. all that smoke from the dixie fire, largest fire in the u.s. today. 579,000 acres burned and look at the smoke all the way from minneapolis to green bay. the heat continues out there today. temperature, billings, 97. bismarck, 103. 104 in rapid city. omaha, 84 degrees. tomorrow, those temperatures continue to move to the east above normal in marquett

al roker is here >>> just in, the battle of britney spears with her father verdict is in. >>> and ift, they will come

nbc weatherman al roker is 67. sending a whole lot of love out there to singer robert plant from led zeppelin, who turns 73 and finally infamous boxing promoter don king is faulconer. >>> right now at 4:30, wildfires raging across the state. more than a million acres burned in california and we're learning the cause of a fire that left nothing but rubble at a mobile home park north of the bay area. >> we've issued a microclimate weather alert. the bad air sticking around the bay this morning, but things may be changing soon. the updated timeline and when the smoke will move out of the way. >> hopefully making waves for our weekend. we're on the cusp this friday morning. i'm laura garcia. >> i'm kris sanchez. we have team coverage for you this

roker means business >> hey that's it. >> so does hoda kotb but first, a check of your local news >>>. santa clara supervisors last night said they want to close regional. saying leaded fuel was linked to lead in the air. the faa would have to be involved. hundreds of planes would have to find new homes in south county or the peninsula. speaking of air, let's check in with kari this morning. >> it's so smoky around there. as we look at the camerases around the san francisco area, limit your time outside. temperaturewise, midland areas, had towards the mid-80s. it's breezy to start, over the next couple of days from inland area, mid to upper 80s. san francisco, foggy to start, a little hazy sunshine, and highs reaching into upper 60s. scott. >> more local news coming in half an hour and of course, always at nbcbayarea.com. have a great wednesday. ♪♪ jason, did you know geico could save you hundreds on car insurance and a whole lot more? cool. so what are you waiting for? mckayla maroney to get your frisbee off the roof? i'll get it. ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ ♪ ♪ whoa. here you go. (in unison)

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i want to get to al roker now, as i understand you're driving in new orleans, what are you seeing? >> you know it is interesting, there is downed trees. we can see it over here. there is national guard folks right on the corner here, and you see a lot of tree damage. but you don't see a lot of structural damage. there are no traffic lights because let's face it there is no power in the city. you don't see any buses or mass transit. so people are milling about, looking around, checking out damage, but it is infrastructure that is the biggest problem. we're talking about power and communications. the at&t mobile network is gone. the verizon network seems to be holding up and that is what we're using right now to broadcast. but currently what is most note able is what is not there. people and vehicular traffic. while i think the physical part of the city was spared, but other major issues, debris, tree, branchs, things like that the infrastructure you don't see, sewage, pumping stations, the electrical grid, that is what is really taking a beating right now. >> that will be a problem

that's where we find "today" show co-host al roker. how is it looking so far? and what are your main concerns? >> reporter: well, our main concerns, we're talking about these wind gusts. we've had wind gusts reported here of 88 miles an hour at port for yo -- fourchon. we've got some traffic that's starting to move through, but again, for the most part, these streets, especially downtown new orleans, have really been fairly -- have been very deserted. you can see palm fronds all over the street. we looked for this heavy rain to start inundating this city right now. we can hear awnings rattling. we're keeping an eye out to be very careful about any flying debris. in fact, an update, louisiana power reporting 223,000 customers without power at this hour. that number is just going to grow exponentially. the other problem will be the rain, torrential rain, and the deal is, if you don't live along the gulf coast, you think, okay, that's horrible for them, but hopefully they'll survive. ida is coming for you if you're in the eastern happen of the country. it's going