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williams. good evening. brian has the night off. i'm lester holt. if there's anything we've learned as a nation at war for the past 13 years, it is that events on the ground can change rapidly and so can the mission. today, the united nations declared a refugee crisis in iraq. a level 3 emergency, its highest level. late this afternoon we learned u.s. special forces landed on an iraqi mountain top to assess the feasibility of a military rescue mission. thousands of yazidi civilians are stranded there under threat by islamic fighters. it was less than a week ago the u.s. began humanitarian air drops and limited air strikes against isis targets inside northern iraq. and now tonight a possible large scale refugee evacuation is on the table. we get to keir simmons with the latest on iraq in a moment, but first to the pentagon and nbc's jim miklaszewski. >> reporter: good evening. there's late word that those u.s. forces have flown off the mountain and safely back at their base. but for the first time since the u.s. mission in iraq began last week american military forces were on the ground today in the middle of a combat zone. for 24 hours two teams of u.s. special forces were atop the sinjar mountain with thousands of yazidi refugees have been trapped, many dying of thirst or starvation. the heavily armed green berets were there to assess what it would take to complete a rescue mission, to get the refugees off the mountain in the safest way possible. u.s. officials say early assessments are encouraging. intelligence shows there are far fewer than the tens of thousands refugees and that u.s. air strikes have driven isis rebel fighters from the area reducing the threat. with fewer refugees, it's possible they could be lifted by u.s. jet osprays or helicopters or walk off the mountain with kurdish military escorts. does today's mission violate president obama's vow not to put u.s. boots on the ground? his deputy national security advisor today said the mission is humanitarian, not combat. >> the principle holds that we're not putting ground forces in combat role in iraq. >> reporter: but whether it stays that way could depend entirely upon the enemy. what starts out as a humanitarian mission could quickly turn to the combat with the first shot fired, lester. >> all right. thanks. i want to turn now to nbc's keir simmons. he's been following this story for us in northern iraq and today heard firsthand from some of the refugees who have been running for their lives. keir. >> reporter: good evening, lester. some of the thousands of refugees, members of an ancient religious minority, have made their way down from mt. sinjar and to a refugee camp near the syrian border. today we went there and heard horror stories. they are consumed with anger and fear, homeless by the thousands and on the run. today at this refugee camp they set fires and protested and told blood curdling stories of atrocities committed against their people by isis militants. they shot them and then cut their heads off. and these were children? one man in tears. they rape the females. he said 84 members of his extended family are missing and feared dead. they were kidnapped by isis. another man approached with terror in his eyes. he said he saw many bodies abandoned and people committing suicide rather than be captured. overwhelmed, he breaks down. you should never have had to go through this. what can you say to a man whose people face genocide? often anger spills out. every time a vehicle tries to come down this road they're attacking it throwing stones. and they are losing hope for the future. i was with the u.s. during the war, this man tells me. >> i worked expedition forces. u.s. army for years and i still in iraq. >> reporter: then he says, you left us. now u.s. forces may be coming back, not for combat but for rescue. but time may be running out. those who've made it down tell us those who are still there are tired and getting weaker by the day. lester. >> keir simmons for us tonight. keir, thanks. the exchange of fire has resumed in israel and gaza after a three-day cease-fire came to an end. the israeli military says at least eight rockets were launched into israel and it responded by striking several targets inside gaza. this is all happening as discussions continue about trying to once again extend the cease-fire for several more days. back in this country tonight, another day of sudden flood emergencies and high water rescues, this time in long island, new york, where well over a foot of rain fell in just a matter of hours, shattering records and trapping drivers on the highway. the deluge extends far beyond there. flooding neighborhoods and homes in several states. and tonight flash flood warnings continue near boston and up through other parts of new england. we get the latest on all this from nbc's rehema ellis. >> reporter: torrential downpours swept through the northeast this morning flooding highways and forcing dozens of drivers to abandon their cars. in new york the national weather service warned of life threatening flash flooding in parts of the area. many surprised by the speed of the rising water had to be rescued. when was the last time you've seen it this bad? >> i actually worked during hurricane sandy, and it's been that kind of day. >> reporter: in southern new jersey nine inches of rain fell in a matter of hours forcing families to evacuate overnight and destroying many homes. the same storm system dumped rain in delaware and maryland causing flooding across the area. it's not just the northeast. there was a dramatic rescue in phoenix as a man's car was being swept away, forcing him to leap to safety. >> we've seen a rivet of concrete turn into a river of mud here. >> reporter: in detroit streets remain closed for the third straight day after heavy rain this week left highways submerged. flooding killed one person and displaced families. >> the ground came up and i just remember screaming at him saying we got to go. it's not safe. >> reporter: and over the weekend security cameras were rolling at good samaritan hospital in kearney, nebraska, when a massive wall of flood water burst through glass windows inside the cafeteria. according to a recent study extreme weather is due to a rise in blocking patterns. that's when hot or wet weather stays stuck over a region for an extended period of time. >> most scientists are not surprised. they've actually seen this coming for a while. we've seen these type of blocking weather patterns almost double in the last decade. >> reporter: with so many roads and streets like this one flooded so fast, one motorist was killed. and tonight officials here in islet township, long island, have declared a state of emergency. lester. >> rehema ellis, thanks. what may be another night of viejs four days after the police shooting of a young man in the suburb of st. louis. we get the latest tonight from nbc's ron allen. >> reporter: for the third straight night the streets of ferguson looked like a battlefield, police in riot gear armed with tear gas breaking up crowds of protesters. reports of armed masked men. police say they shot and critically wounded a 19-year-old who pointed a gun at them. this morning police stopped short of calling for a curfew asking everyone not to gather on the streets at night. this is a town so on edge baa of the constant protest, but police from nearby towns have been called in to protect the ferguson police officers' homes and their families. >> we understand that we've got a problem, but we're just asking people to be peaceful and that we are actively working to resolve this situation. >> reporter: the fear is spreading beyond ferguson. sales at this gun shop up 50%. >> people are trading -- taking personal responsibility for the situation. >> reporter: they live among the violence. >> my kids' mattresses on the floor because they're shooting, because of the gunshots. >> reporter: they worry the violence and destruction will bring more blight and drive more people away, perhaps including them. >> at this point i'm ready to go. i am. i'm ready to take my kids and i'm ready to go. it's scary. >> reporter: a simmering community bracing for another night. ron allen, nbc news, ferguson, missouri. we are hearing a lot more tonight about the life and death of robin williams from members of his family and his countless fans. there's been an outpouring for people who face similar struggles with depression and suicide. our national correspondent kate snow has more on this for us tonight. >> reporter: the flowers are still piling up on the hollywood walk of fame for so many americans it wasn't just the loss of a brilliant star, but the way he died. >> we like all of you were shaken up a bit last night. we learned a genius comedian actor robin williams passed away. he was one of a kind. one in a million. >> reporter: the question that follows any suicide is front and center now, why. while i'll never ever understand how he could be loved to deeply and not find it in his heart to stay, there's minor comfort knowing our grief and loss in some small way is shared with millions. people struggling with depression turned to social media, strangers supporting each other sharing deeply personal stories. >> i thought it was just time. it was time to just stop hiding. >> reporter: writer mary hackett wrote about what drove her to attempt suicide not once but twice. >> at a certain point i thought the world would be a better place without many. >> reporter: in 2006 on npr's fresh air, williams described his own ups and downs. >> do i perform sometimes in a manic style, yes. am i manic all the time, no. do i get sad, oh, yeah. >> reporter: earlier this summer williams checked himself back into rehab after decades of battling substance abuse. >> when you're a family like robin williams family, so public, what do they need right now? >> they need to be able to take the time for themselves. they need to be able to understand in fact what happened is not very likely their fault. >> reporter: mary says she was able to pull out of the darkness by being honest with family and friends. and her children gave her the will to live. i was convinced there would never be another happy day. i would never find joy. and then i held my daughter. she's amazing. and then my son was amazing. and i found love. and i found joy. >> this dialogue about suicide that's happening because of robin williams is so important. and, lester, i say that as someone who has lost someone in the same way. it is crucial for people to know they're not alone. >> kate, thank you very much. still ahead tonight, news of a big surge in job openings across the country. and most in a long time. we're going to look at who is hiring and where. and a bit later a loss of a hollywood golden era. tonight, the personal side of lauren mccaball. ith high... and low blood sugar. januvia (sitagliptin) is a once-daily pill that, along with diet and exercise, helps lower blood sugar. januvia works when your blood sugar is high and works less when your blood sugar is low, because it works by enhancing your body's own ability to lower blood sugar. plus januvia, by itself, is not likely to cause weight gain or low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). januvia should not be used in patients with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. tell your doctor if you have a history of pancreatitis. serious side effects can happen, including pancreatitis which may be severe and lead to death. stop taking januvia and call your doctor right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area which may be pancreatitis. tell your doctor right away and stop taking januvia if you have an allergic reaction that causes swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, or affects your breathing or causes rash or hives. kidney problems sometimes requiring dialysis have been reported. using januvia and a sulfonylurea or insulin together may cause low blood sugar. to reduce the risk, your doctor may prescribe a lower dose of the sulfonylurea or insulin. your doctor may perform blood tests before and during treatment to check your kidneys. if you have kidney problems a lower dose may be prescribed. side effects may include upper respiratory tract infection, stuffy or runny nose and sore throat, and headache. for help lowering your blood sugar talk to your doctor about januvia today. ♪ ♪ start a team. join a team. walk to end alzheimer's. visit alz.org/walk today. how about some good news tonight? real optimism on the economy, specifically a news in surge in job openings. the number of openings in june was the most in 13 years. it comes as very welcome news for millions who have struggled through the great recession and a terribly slow recovery. the question tonight, who's hiring and can this trend continue? here's nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: it was a good day to be looking for a job. yesterday jump master trish smith was coordinating parachute drops from a c-130. today, captain smith was meeting with potential employers. >> if you are successful as a leader and jump master in the army, the idea would be that you would be successful as a leader and manager in the civilian sector as well. >> reporter: it turns out the country hasn't had so many job openings since 2001. in the private sector hundreds of thousands of openings in construction, manufacturing and retail. but even more 693,000 in health care. and a whopping 942,000 professional white collar openings. plus, another half million local, state and federal government job openings. >> what we've seen is the number of job openings has gone up quite dramatically. that's good. but we've also seen the length of time employers hold those job openings open is also very long. >> reporter: that's a sign employers are holding out for their ideal candidates. but more americans are also quitting their jobs convinced they can find another. where are the jobs? geographically nearly 800,000 openings in the northeast at the end of june. but the midwest, west each had a million or more openings. amazon tells nbc news it has 6,000 openings at its corporate offices plus thousands more at its shipping centers. macy's reports 5,800 openings. verizon with nearly 4,000 openings and nearly 2,000 at united health care. while many of the openings are for part-time work, the hope that america's jobs recovery is on the way. we've got much or on who is hiring and how to connect with them on our wbz, nbcnews.com. we're back in a moment with a hug that's attracting national attention. if you have moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis like me, and you're talking to your rheumatologist about a biologic... this is humira. this is humira helping to relieve my pain and protect my joints from further damage. doctors have been prescribing humira for ten years. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain and stop further joint damage in many adults. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. talk to your doctor and visit humira.com this is humira at work even 10 miles away. they can see the light of a single candle. look after them with centrum silver. multivitamins for your eyes, heart and brain. now, with a new easy to swallow coating. so factors like diet can negatively impact good bacteria? even if you're healthy and active. phillips digestive health support is a duo-probiotic that helps supplement good bacteria found in two parts of your digestive tract. i'm doubly impressed! phillips' digestive health. a daily probiotic. an update tonight on the ebola outbreak which continues to spread. the world health organization said today there are now almost 2,000 probable and suspected cases in africa, and over 1,000 people have died from the virus. also today we heard from the husband from one of two americans being treated by ebola. david writebol is under quarantine with other missionaries. he spoke about his wife via skype for the first time about his return from liberia. >> each time i talk to her i get a sense her voice is clearer and brighter. so i'm imagining that she's getting stronger. and she tells me that she is feeling better and getting stronger. >> david writebol is speaking today about his wife nancy. i want to turn to politics now. an event on martha's vineyard that's getting a lot more attention than it might have because both president obama and hillary clinton will be there, with clinton hoping to hug it out after some critical comments about the president's foreign policy. nbc's chris jansing is on the vineyard following it all for us. hi, chris. >> reporter: good evening, lester. the last few days have felt kind of like a flashback to 2008 when the two were locked in that pitched battle for president. this week amid a new political firestorm clinton actually issued a statement suggesting she and the president would hug it out tonight after her appearance at a local bookstore. hillary clinton walked into her book signing this afternoon and immediately answered a question on everyone's mind, would she hug it out with the president after a fast-escalating political firestorm. >> absolutely. yeah, we're looking forward to it. >> reporter: the controversy began when she told atlantic magazine that the president's policies opened the door for terrorists in iraq. and mocked the common white house shorthand for his foreign policy saying, great nations need organizing principles, don't do stupid stuff is not an organizing principle. >> this was what i would call the most aggressive move she's made yet to distance herself from president obama. >> reporter: so aggressive a long-time obama advisor fired back on twitter attacking her iraq war vote, just to clarify, don't do stupid stuff means stuff like occupying iraq in the first place. but was the president mad? >> i'm not going to go ahead and get into a behind-the-scenes here. >> reporter: the escalation had both sides doing damage control. clinton called the president to apologize. and tonight at a party will have the chance to do it in person. >> i'm proud that i served with him and for him. and i'm looking forward to seeing him tonight. >> reporter: whatever happens at the birthday party tonight we hope to hear about it, but we don't expect to see it. it's not open to the press. lester. >> all right, chris, thank you. when we come back, remembering lauren bacall, the personal side from a woman who knew her well, a side very few got to see. so this board gives me rates on progressive direct and other car insurance companies? yes. but you're progressive and they're them. -yes. -but they're here. -yes. -are you... -there? -yes. -no. -are you them? i'm me. but the lowest rate is from them. -yes. -so them's best rate is... here. so where are them? -aren't them here? -i already asked you that. -when? 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[announcer] discover how tempur-pedic can move you. and now through september 7th,save up to $500 on a tempur-pedic mattress and adjustable base. ugh. heartburn. did someone say burn? try alka seltzer reliefchews. they work just as fast and taste better than tums smoothies assorted fruit. mmm. amazing. yeah, i get that a lot. alka seltzer heartburn reliefchews. enjoy the relief. finally tonight, we look back at the life of another giant of hollywood, lauren bacall died yesterday at the age of 89. her place in hollywood history was sealed from the very beginning of her career. we got a special remembrance tonight from nbc's cynthia mcfadden who knew lauren bacall well, well enough to know that's not the name friends knew her by. >> reporter: no one who really knew her called her lauren. she preferred betty. born betty joan persky, it was in hollywood where she earned the name laurn bacall. >> i was taught to work, not to go to college. to learn what you could learn, but you had to go to work. >> reporter: that work ethic got her her start, but it was the look that made her famous. chin down, eyes up. she said she adopted the pose to stop her head from shaking in her first movie "to have and have not". >> you know how to whistle don't you, steve? you just put your lips together and blow. >> reporter: the film made her a star, but it was her co-star who truly changed her life. she and humphrey bogart, 25 years her senior, married. >> they all seem the love scene. >> reporter: here on the way to africa with bogart and hepburn. bogart preferred she not work, but she decided to go along for the fun. seen here making lunch for the crew of the african queen. when bogi died she was only 32, and though he was the love of her life, there would be other men. a brief engagement to frank sinatra, a marriage. romances with lyndon bernstein. tom brokaw asked her what the men in her life had in common? >> i would say talent was the big thing. and they all were just a little off-beat. all a little troubled. [ laughter ] >> do you seek that out in a man? >> god, i must. some of me must. but then no one ever said it was easy. >> reporter: she wasn't easy. with a smoky voice that could both purr and roar. after two tonys and an honorary oscar, she still objected to those who called her a legend. the word legend, she said, was for the dead. but tonight we hope even she would permit us to use the word. betty bacall was a legend. cynthia mcfadden, nbc news, new york. that's our broadcast for this wednesday night. thank you for being with us. i'm lester holt. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. robin williams chilling lost interview about suicide. now on "extra." robin williams before the tragedy confessing he once flirted with suicide. >> there was only one time even for a moment. all new details today. robin's shattered children. >> his daughter targeted online. >> and the woman who found williams and called 911 revealed. was the oscar winner plagued with money woes? his bank busting $30 million payout to his two ex-wife wives. williams, john belushi, chris farley, is there a comedy curse. >> a dark place, yes. >> what jim told us about confronting his own dark side. >> plus, our last interview with hollywood legend lauren bacall. now trending the first photos of the rock's mom after surviving a head-on collision. >> there's one thing in life that i wish i didn't do. this is "extra" at universal studios
New-yorkUnited-statesIraqNew-jerseyNebraskaIsraelSinjarBabilBostonMassachusettsGazaIsrael-general- today it's been declared a level three emergency and we've learned u.s. forces landed on a moub mountain top. as we've been reporting, thousand of civilians are stranded there under threat by islamic fighters. it was less than a week ago u.s. began humanitarian air drops and limited air strikes against icy targets. we begin tonight at the pentagon and jim miklaszewski. good evening. >> reporter: good evening. there's late word that those u.s. forces have flown off the mountain and safely back at their base. but based on what they saw, the pentagon says a full blown rescue mission is now far less likely. for 24 hours two teams of u.s. special forces were atop the sinjar mountain with thousands of yazidi refugees have been trapped, many dying of thirst or starvation. the heavily armed green berets were there to assess what it would take to complete a rescue mission, to get the refugees off the mountain in the safest way possible. u.s. officials say early assessments are encouraging. intelligence shows there are far fewer than the tens of thousands refugees first reported and that u.s. air strikes have driven isis rebel fighters from the area reducing the threat. with fewer refugees, it's possible they could be lifted by u.s. jet ospreys or helicopters or walk off the mountain with kurdish military escorts. does today's mission violate president obama's vow not to put u.s. boots on the ground? his deputy national security advisor today said the mission is humanitarian, not combat. >> the principle holds that we're not putting ground forces in combat role in iraq. >> reporter: but there is still a serious threat and what starts out as a humanitarian mission could quickly turn to combat with the first shot fired. >> i want to turn now to keir simmons, he's been following this story for us in no way iraq. today heard first happened from some of the refugees running for their lives. >> reporter: good evening, lester. some of the thousands of refugees, members of an ancient religious minority, have made their way down from mt. sinjar and to a refugee camp near the syrian border. today we went there and heard horror stories. they are consumed with anger and fear, homeless by the thousands and on the run. today at this refugee camp they set fires and protested and told blood curdling stories of atrocities committed against their people by isis militants. they shot them and then cut their heads off. and these were children? one man in tears. they rape the females. he said 84 members of his extended family are missing and feared dead. they were kidnapped by isis. another man approached with terror in his eyes. he said he saw many bodies abandoned and people committing suicide rather than be captured. overwhelmed, he breaks down. you should never have had to go through this. what can you say to a man whose people face genocide? often anger spills out. every time a vehicle tries to come down this road they're attacking it throwing stones. and they are losing hope for the future. i was with the u.s. during the war, this man tells me. >> i worked expedition forces. u.s. army for years and i still in iraq. >> reporter: then he says, you left us. now u.s. forces may be coming back, not for combat but for rescue. but time may be running out. those who've made it down tell us those who are still there are tired and getting weaker by the day. lester. >> keir simmons for us tonight. keir, thanks. the exchange of fire has resumed in israel and gaza after a three-day cease-fire came to an end. the israeli military says at least eight rockets were launched into israel and it responded by striking several targets inside gaza. this is all happening as discussions continue about trying to once again extend the cease-fire for several more days. back in this country tonight, another day of sudden flood emergencies and high water rescues, this time in long island, new york, where well over a foot of rain fell in just a matter of hours, shattering records and trapping drivers on the highway. the deluge extends far beyond there. flooding neighborhoods and homes in several states. and tonight flash flood warnings continue near boston and up through other parts of new england. we get the latest on all this from nbc's rehema ellis. >> reporter: torrential downpours swept through the northeast this morning flooding highways and forcing dozens of drivers to abandon their cars. in new york the national weather service warned of life threatening flash flooding in parts of the area. many surprised by the speed of the rising water had to be rescued. when was the last time you've seen it this bad? >> i actually worked during hurricane sandy, and it's been that kind of day. >> reporter: in southern new jersey nine inches of rain fell in a matter of hours forcing families to evacuate overnight and destroying many homes. the same storm system dumped rain in delaware and maryland causing flooding across the area. it's not just the northeast. there was a dramatic rescue in phoenix as a man's car was being swept away, forcing him to leap to safety. >> we've seen a rivet of concrete turn into a river of mud here. >> reporter: in detroit streets remain closed for the third straight day after heavy rain this week left highways submerged. flooding killed one person and displaced families. >> the ground came up and i just remember screaming at him saying we got to go. it's not safe. >> reporter: and over the weekend security cameras were rolling at good samaritan hospital in kearney, nebraska, when a massive wall of flood water burst through glass windows inside the cafeteria. according to a recent study extreme weather is due to a rise in blocking patterns. that's when hot or wet weather stays stuck over a region for an extended period of time. >> most scientists are not surprised. they've actually seen this coming for a while. we've seen these type of blocking weather patterns almost double in the last decade. >> reporter: with so many roads and streets like this one flooded so fast, one motorist was killed. and tonight officials here in islet township, long island, have declared a state of emergency. lester. >> rehema ellis, thanks. what may be another night of violence four days after the police shooting of a young man in the suburb of st. louis. we get the latest tonight from nbc's ron allen. >> reporter: for the third straight night the streets of ferguson looked like a battlefield, police in riot gear armed with tear gas breaking up crowds of protesters. reports of armed masked men. police say they shot and critically wounded a 19-year-old who pointed a gun at them. this morning police stopped short of calling for a curfew asking everyone not to gather on the streets at night. this is a town so on edge baa of the constant protest, but police from nearby towns have been called in to protect the ferguson police officers' homes and their families. >> we understand that we've got a problem, but we're just asking people to be peaceful and that we are actively working to resolve this situation. >> reporter: the fear is spreading beyond ferguson. sales at this gun shop up 50%. >> people are taking personal responsibility for the situation. >> reporter: they live among the violence. >> my kids' mattresses on the floor because they're shooting, because of the gunshots. bring more blight and drive more people away, perhaps including them. >> at this point i'm ready to go. i am. i'm ready to take my kids and i'm ready to go. it's scary. >> reporter: a simmering community bracing for another night. ron allen, nbc news, ferguson, missouri. we are hearing a lot more tonight about the life and death of robin williams from members of his family and his countless fans. there's been an outpouring from people who face similar struggles with depression and suicide. our national correspondent kate snow has more on this for us tonight. >> reporter: the flowers are still piling up on the hollywood walk of fame. for so many americans it wasn't just the loss of a brilliant star, but the way he died. >> we like all of you were shaken up a bit last night. we learned a genius comedian actor robin williams passed away. he was one of a kind. one in a million. >> reporter: the question that follows any suicide is front and center now, why. while i'll never ever understand how he could be loved so deeply and not find it in his heart to stay, his daughter wrote, there's minor comfort knowing our grief and loss in some small way is shared with millions. people struggling with depression turned to social media, strangers supporting each other sharing deeply personal stories. >> i thought it was just time. it was time to just stop hiding. >> reporter: writer mary kern hackett wrote about what drove her to attempt suicide not once but twice. >> at a certain point i thought the world would be a better place without me. >> reporter: in 2006 on npr's fresh air, williams described his own ups and downs. >> do i perform sometimes in a manic style, yes. am i manic all the time, no. do i get sad, oh, yeah. >> reporter: earlier this summer williams checked himself back into rehab after decades of battling substance abuse. >> when you're a family like robin williams' family, so public, what do they need right now? >> they need to be able to take the time for themselves. they need to be able to understand in fact what happened is not very likely their fault. >> reporter: mary says she was able to pull out of the darkness by being honest with family and friends. and her children gave her the will to live. >> i was convinced there would never be another happy day. i would never find joy. and then i held my daughter. she's amazing. and then my son was amazing. and i found love. and i found joy. >> this dialogue about suicide that's happening because of robin williams is so important. and, lester, i say that as someone who has lost someone in the same way. it is crucial for people to know they're not alone. >> kate, thank you very much. still ahead tonight, news of a big surge in job openings across the country. and most in a long time. we're going to look at who is hiring and where. and a bit later a loss of a hollywood golden era. tonight, the personal side of lauren bacall. why she hated being called a legend. how about some good news tonight? real optimism on the economy, specifically the news in surge in job openings. the number of openings in june was the most in 13 years. it comes as very welcome news for millions who have struggled through the great recession and a terribly slow recovery. the question tonight, who's hiring and can this trend continue? here's nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: it was a good day to be looking for a job. at the hiring our heroes fair. yesterday jump master trish smith was coordinating parachute drops from a c-130. today, captain smith was meeting with potential employers. >> if you are successful as a leader and jump master in the army, the idea would be that you would be successful as a leader and manager in the civilian sector as well. >> reporter: it turns out the country hasn't had so many job openings since 2001. in the private sector hundreds of thousands of openings in construction, manufacturing and retail. but even more, 693,000 in health care. and a whopping 942,000 professional white collar openings. plus, another half million local, state and federal government job openings. >> what we've seen is the number of job openings has gone up quite dramatically. that's good. but we've also seen the length of time employers hold those job openings open is also very long. >> reporter: that's a sign employers are holding out for their ideal candidates. but more americans are also quitting their jobs convinced they can find another. where are the jobs? geographically nearly 800,000 openings in the northeast at the end of june. but the midwest, west and south each had a million or more openings. amazon tells nbc news it has 6,000 openings at its corporate offices plus thousands more at its shipping centers. macy's reports 5,800 openings. verizon with nearly 4,000 openings and nearly 2,000 at united health care. while many of the openings are for part-time work, the hope is that america's jobs recovery is truly underway. tom costello, nbc news, washington. we've got much more on who is hiring and how to connect with them on our website, nbcnews.com. we're back in a moment with a hug that's attracting national attention. an update tonight on the ebola outbreak which continues to spread. the world health organization said today there are now almost 2,000 probable and suspected cases in africa, and over 1,000 people have died from the virus. also today we heard from the husband from one of two americans being treated by ebola. david writebol is under quarantine with other missionaries. he spoke about his wife via skype for the first time about his return from liberia. >> each time i talk to her i get a sense her voice is clearer and brighter. so i'm imagining that she's getting stronger. and she tells me that she is feeling better and getting stronger. >> david writebol is speaking today about his wife nancy. i want to turn to politics now. an event on martha's vineyard that's getting a lot more attention than it might have because both president obama and hillary clinton will be there, with clinton hoping to hug it out after some critical comments about the president's foreign policy. nbc's chris jansing is on the vineyard following it all for us. hi, chris. >> reporter: good evening, lester. the last few days have felt kind of like a flashback to 2008 when the two were locked in that pitched battle for president. this week amid a new political firestorm clinton actually issued a statement suggesting she and the president would hug it out tonight after her appearance at a local bookstore. hillary clinton walked into her book signing this afternoon and immediately answered a question on everyone's mind, would she hug it out with the president after a fast-escalating political firestorm. >> absolutely. yeah, we're looking forward to it. >> reporter: the controversy began when she told atlantic magazine that the president's policies opened the door for terrorists in iraq. and mocked the common white house shorthand for his foreign policy saying, great nations need organizing principles, don't do stupid stuff is not an organizing principle. >> this was what i would call the most aggressive move she's made yet to distance herself from president obama. >> reporter: so aggressive a long-time obama advisor fired back on twitter attacking her iraq war vote, just to clarify, don't do stupid stuff means stuff like occupying iraq in the first place. but was the president mad? >> i'm not going to go ahead and get into a behind-the-scenes here. >> reporter: the escalation had both sides doing damage control. clinton called the president to apologize. and tonight at a party will have the chance to do it in person. >> i'm proud that i served with him and for him. and i'm looking forward to seeing him tonight. >> reporter: whatever happens at the birthday party tonight we hope to hear about it, but we don't expect to see it. it's not open to the press. lester. >> all right, chris, thank you. when we come back, remembering lauren bacall, the personal side from a woman who knew her well, a side very few got to see. finally tonight, we look back at the life of another giant of hollywood, lauren bacall died yesterday at the age of 89. her place in hollywood history was sealed from the very beginning of her career. we got a special remembrance tonight from nbc's cynthia mcfadden who knew lauren bacall well, well enough to know that's not the name friends knew her by. >> reporter: no one who really knew her called her lauren. she preferred betty. born betty joan persky, it was in hollywood where she became lauren bacall. >> i was taught to work, not to go to college. to learn what you could learn, but you had to go to work. >> reporter: that work ethic got her her start, but it was the look that made her famous. chin down, eyes up. she said she adopted the pose to stop her head from shaking in her first movie "to have and have not". >> you know how to whistle don't you, steve? you just put your lips together and blow. >> reporter: the film made her a star, but it was her co-star who truly changed her life. she and humphrey bogart, 25 years her senior, married. >> may all their scenes be love scenes. >> reporter: here on the way to africa with bogart and hepburn. bogart preferred she not work, but she decided to go along for the fun. seen here making lunch for the crew of the african queen. when bogi died she was only 32, and though he was the love of her life, there would be other men. a brief engagement to frank sinatra, a marriage to jason robard. romances with lyndon bernstein. tom brokaw asked her what the men in her life had in common? >> i would say talent was the big thing. and they all were just a little off-beat. all a little troubled. [ laughter ] >> do you seek that out in a man? >> god, i must. some of me must. but then no one ever said it was easy. >> reporter: she wasn't easy. with a smoky voice that could both purr and roar. after two tonys and an honorary oscar, she still objected to those who called her a legend. the word legend, she said, was for the dead. but tonight we hope even she would permit us to use the word. betty bacall was a legend. cynthia mcfadden, nbc news, new york. that's our broadcast for this wednesday night. thank you for being with us. i'm lester holt. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. . nbc bay area news starts now. of so people were able to communicate about it and go, hey, let's find this guy. >> right now at 6:00, arming themselves with technology, neighbors going digital to stay safe. >> thank you for joining us. i'm peggy bunker in for jessica aguirre. >> and i'm raj mathai. surveillance is helping homeowners and businesses protect the bay area. the home owners in one san jose community are arming themselves with social media, and they're doing it very effectively. damian trujillo joins us in the we willow glen district. what are they doing? >> reporter: the message to crooks here is commit a crime in willow glen, and you can expect thousands of people to see it or to hear about it, including police. and police say they could use the extra eyes and ears. this is perhaps one of the more compelling crime fighting stories in willow glen, a burglar ignores a surveillance camera and breaks into this home. hours later, the video is all over a social media page called willow glen charm. >> 86,000 people were seeing it and commenting on it. and just that they saw it and shared it, i think we have 1700 shares on that. >> reporter: holly bauer star the page as a
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