Transcripts For WCAU Today 20150525 : vimarsana.com

WCAU Today May 25, 2015

Stiller has died. This morning tributes breaking in. Breaking barriers. Both sound and gender. We are taking to the skies with the iconic blue angels firstever female pilot as we honor those who currently serve our country and those who gave their lives for it. Today, monday may 25th 2015. Announcer from nbc news this is today with matt lauer and Savannah Guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. And welcome to today on this monday morning. It is memorial day 2015. Im willie geist. And im tamron hall along with she ned jones and dylan dreyer. We have men and women on the plaza keeping everyone company. Well say hello to them later. First lets get to todays top story. That damaging and deadly flooding in the south. The images coming out of texas and oklahoma are just unreal. Entire neighborhoods submerged. Crews using boats and helicopters to use rescues. Gabe gutierrez is in hardhit texas. Gabe good morning. Reporter willie good morning. This is some of the incredible damage weve seen. These three small houses they had been across the street. Now, residents here say some of this damage looks more like a tornado than a flood. So far at least three people have been confirmed killed in texas and oklahoma. And today authorities are searching for at least eight others missing including several children. This morning in texas, a crushing memorial day. Hundreds of people waking up homeless. Local officials calling this flooding historic and catastrophic. We do have whole streets that have maybe one or two houses left on them and the rest of them are slabs. Reporter here in wimberley, one man survived but his wife and two children are missing. They were staying in a house along the blanco river saturday night. The river reached flood stage at 12 feet. It took more than an hour for it to crest at 43. This water rose quickly here. Look at where that desk ended up. All the way up in that tree. Emergency workers raced to rescue trapped homeowners and drivers. Oh my gosh stop stop stop he needs to get out reporter an elderly man was saved just moments before a raging river took over his suv. But captain jason farley a veteran firefighter, drowned while trying to rescue people. He was a very good man. Reporter late sunday tornado warnings were issued for parts of kansas missouri iowa and illinois. Back in texas, the Damage Assessment is just beginning. This small resort wiped out. When you come down here you can tell its going to take months to fix a lot of this stuff. Reporter overnight there was a nighttime curfew that was in effect. Many memorial day events in this area have been canceled and the governor of texas is set to tour some of this damage later today. Willie . Those pictures are just astounding. Let the people there know were thinking about them today. Thank you so much. Dylan, not a lot of relief there either. No. We still have more rain in the forecast. This area picks up to 2 to 4 inches of rain in may on average. And we have already seen nearly 20 inches in parts of southeastern oklahoma. Oklahoma city 18. 7 inches so far this may alone. Dallas nearly a foot of rain. Houston, 7 inches of rain. The problem is the rivers. The ground is saturated and any additional rainfall seeps into the rivers. Some are rising 20 feet in one hour. Weve got this cold front moving in. Weve still got this moisture streams in from the gulf of mexico. 25 Million People are under this Flash Flood Watch including oklahoma, texas, and parts of arkansas and western louisiana. Any torrential downpours have the potential of producing more flash flooding. Also the risk of stronger storms in central texas. We also have to remember hail and isolated tornadoes are also possible. In addition to that 5 to 6 more inches of rain. We will see this push further to the east. By tuesday evening, just spotty showers in texas. Were still looking at heavier rain to move into the midwest. These are the bullseyes. Down near houston. Down near parts of southern miss. Thats where we could end up with up to 8 inches of rain in ground thats already saturated. Thank you very much. Now to a scary scene near the u. S. Capitol. Take a look. A bomb squad called in to destroy a Pressure Cooker found in a suspicious vehicle. Nbcs justice correspondent Pete Williams has more for us. Pete good morning. Whats the latest there . Reporter well tamron u. S. Capitol police are not saying exactly what attracted their attention to the car parked at the foot of the u. S. Capitol on the west side toward the national mall. But when they took a closer look they detected an odor of gasoline and inside saw a Pressure Cooker. Those cooking pots have been used to make bombs in the past. So they closed off the street for a couple of blocks in both directions and called in a bomb squad. That team searched the car and removed the items and blew them up. Capitol police say nothing hazardous was found. The driver from suburban washington, d. C. Has been arrested but the charge was driving on expired license. The car was discovered before the memorial day concert. Ever since the Boston Marathon bombing, Pressure Cookers have attracted police attention. An issue of the online al qaeda magazine included instructions on how to use them to include bombs. Thank you very much pete. On this memorial day we pay trip yut to the men and women who have died serving the country. Right now nearly 10,000 troops are still stationed in afghanistan. About 3,000 more in iraq. An isis militant seized control of ramadi last week. A debate is raging over whether the u. S. Needs to change its strategy in its fight against isis. Ashton carter was blunt when talking about the problem. They withdrew from the site. And that says to me and i think most of us that we have an issue with the will of the iraqis to fight isil and defend themselves. Retired general jack jacobs has been awarded the medal of honor. Hes now an nbc correspondent. Colonel jack jacobs is with us. Its always good to see you, sir. Good morning, willie. Lets pick up on the sound bite from secretary carter. It seems that is at the heart of the u. S. Strategy. Partnering with the Iraqi Military to defeat isis. Where do we go from here . Well i cant see any place reasonable to go from here. When secretary carter says the iraqis lack the will to fight, its difficult to envision how were going to get them to have the will to fight after all this time. You have corrupt government in baghdad. Now youve got were supporting shia militias to go in. I cant see how the country holds together and i cant see what we can do short of sending several hundreds of thousands of americans back to iraq to hold that country together. The path ahead is very very difficult indeed. Colonel jacobs, president obama said this week the fall of ramadi was a technical setback. He said isis is on the defensive. Do you agree with the president s assessment . No i dont at all. Its difficult to envision what our strategy is. We have lots of tactics. I mean we bomb the bad guys. We have people on the ground to train iraqis which doesnt seem to have worked well. But its impossible to determine what our longterm strategy is. I think we need to sit down and think what we want the end to look like. If you dont know where youre going, any road will take you there. At the moment it doesnt seem as if we know exactly where were going. And exhortations by people like former secretary gates that what we really need to do is send more troops more advisers more aircraft in to bomb isis that doesnt make any sense. Because as anybody whos fought in combat knows, air power, artillery support, is only good to the extent it supports the troops on the ground who have to seize and hold terrain. Short of the iraqis being able to seize and hold terrain that we help them win back i cant see any way forward at all. Colonel jacobs before i let you go a lot of people waking up right now getting ready to go to parades and have picnics and watch fireworks. As i watch you stand there in front of the Vietnam Memorial i imagine this day means Something Different to you. Well behind me are the names of 58,300someodd of my brothers people who gave their lives so we can enjoy today. We have to remember that today is not just a time to get together with family and friends and have a good time and overeat yet again. Which is what we all do. But to stop and reflect about how we got here how we can enjoy a day like today. And its because of the people whose names are on that wall behind me. Amen. Colonel jack jacobs a great american. Good to see you, sir. Good to see you. You know there are people that you meet in your life and once you meet colonel jack jacobs you know there is something so special about him. Great work from him today. Meanwhile, sheinelle is here with a disturbing story out of louisiana. A Police Officer for the new Orleans Housing authority was shot and killed while sitting in his patrol car. Police say the officer was working overtime to guard a Public Housing construction site. His body was found early sunday morning. The officers name has not been released. Police are still searching for possible suspects in the case. Tragedy in albuquerque, new mexico this weekend. The father and a 12yearold boy were killed when a strong gust of wind toppled the cherry picker they were in. Three other children were seriously hurt. Police say the booms that are supposed to secure the machine were not in place at the time of the accident. It was at its maximum height. A sixstory fall. Neighbors say the man often took kids up in his cherry picker. Former israeli Prime Minister was sentenced to eight months in prison today. Olmert was convicted in march in a retrial. Todays sentencing comes after a sixyear prison sentence he got last year in a separate bribery conviction. He hoped to bring about peace with the palestinians. The Tampa Bay Lightning now one trip away from the stanley cup finals. The lightning beat the rangers in game five of the finals. Game six is tomorrow night in tampa. And from the skating stars of today to the stars of tomorrow. Children in cuba got a rare look at ice skating thanks to an artist. Using special materials, the surface resembles ice but doesnt melt. The rink will stay in the capital for another three days in part of a festival that features artists. Ice that doesnt melt . That blows my mind. But its not ice. Yeah, but they use ice skates. I felt like that should be in parts of this country. But im happy we could smile because the grown from the rangers fans i cant handle that. That was icy. I felt it. All right, sheinelle. Thanks. Dylan . We have a lot of rain to talk about. Across most of the country, actually. The heaviest is through texas. But we have heavier rain and downpours into the gulf coast. The eastern seaboard is enjoying a nice memorial day. Temperatures heating up. Highs today should top out in the mid to upper 80 and thats your latest forecast. Thank you very much. Well the race for the white house is getting crowded on the republican side. Nearly 20 hopefuls so far with others yet to announce. And that could present the gop with a serious problem once the debates get underway. Heres nbcs capitol hill correspondent kelly odonnell. Reporter so much ambition. So little elbow room. Theres only 55 people that are thinking about running for president. Best i can tell. Reporter a republican race that looks supersized. Is this the ready for Hillary Group . Reporter well you could say that about this jumbo lineup of competitors. So many faces, almost 20. They do not easily fit on one screen or more importantly, on one debate stage. If youre a candidate and not on the stage, youre not going to have the kind of momentum you need to move forward. So expect a lot of the campaigns now to kick into gear. Reporter count on twitter to offer these space saving solutions. Imagine the Hollywood Squares debate model. Or even a 2016 republican primary bracket. But any lineup is a logistics challenge for the Republican National committee. Were trying to figure out how many we can fit on a debate stage. Reporter but the rnc is not the decider in chief. Instead, each network host for nine debates will determine the qualifications. Each candidate is going to have to determine what their strategy is as we head into the first debate this august. Im quite confident ill be on the debate stage. Reporter but can Carly Fiorina make the cut . Let me come and be on the stage all by myself. Reporter or Mike Huckabee . He believes he deserves a chance. But when republicans gather in cleveland this august for the first debate only the top ten will get a microphone. Based on an average of their poll numbers. To be a winner you have to think like a winner. Reporter donald trump might have the name recognition needed to crack the top ten. But with no front runner and the biggest field in gop history, making the debate team is the summers real prize. For today, kelly odonnell, nbc news washington. Theres mustsee tv and then theres that. Thats going to be a great series of debates just from the personalities alone. Then you get to the policies. The two parties are polar opposites. 20 on one side and 2 so far on the other. Meantime tributes are pouring in this morning for actress and comedian the great ann meara. Stars of movies tv the stage for nearly 60 years. She died over the weekend at the age of 85. Carson has more on her life and career. Good morning. Good morning, guys. Older fans know her best from stiller and meara. Young ber generations knowing her as ben stillers mom. Either way she carved a path in hollywood. Ann meara was known for countless supporting roles in film and tv. 14 hours i was in labor with you. Very nice. Reporter but she first came to fame in the 1960s as half of the comedy team stiller and meara. Along with her husband of 61 years, jerry stiller. Yeah. Im compulsive about shine. Reporter while the couple made a name for themselves on shows like the ed sullivan show. He doesnt even look like you. No wait wait. Reporter meara was a star in her own right appearing in dozens of films and tv shows including all my children, law order svu. Go home. You look tired. Reporter she never missed a chance to poke fun at her husband even here on today. Why do you you let them ask the question . Why . Reporter she spoke proudly at an event for son ben stiller. I felt hed by a bigtime something. But he could have been a thief. I dont know. Im very proud he became a big time actor, director writer. Reporter they did not reveal the cause of death but released a statement saying in part, annes memory lives on in the hearts of daughter amy, son ben, her grandchildren, her extended family and the friends and the millions she entertained. And she was trending on facebook and twitter. Steve martin tweeting stiller and meara have been a wonderful presence in my life. I salute her. Ben stiller saying thank you so much about all of the kind words about anne. Anne meara, comedy icon whose work will be remembered by many. Thanks a lot. We were talking about how much fun it was to have them in studio with us. Youd see them around town and they truly were a team. Historic career but that marriage and that bond together, so beautiful. Thinking about you all this morning. Coming up new questions about that mansion murder in washington, d. C. This morning the search for possible accomplices and why investigators were lied to about a 40,000 ransom. Plus were going for a ride with the very first woman to fly with the famed blue angels. But first this is today on nbc. Coming up, whats the best prank youve ever pulled . What George Clooney did to brad pitt that could land him behind bars he me and you, and you and me. No matter how they tossed the dice. It had to be. The only one for me is you. And you for me. So happy together now theres a rewards program that lets you earn points at one place and use them at another. Introducing plenti. When it comes to rewards theres plenti together. Headache . Motrin helps you be an unstoppable, letsrockthisconcert likeits1999 kind of mom. Back pain . Motrin helps you be the sideplanking keepingupwith yourgirlfriend eventhoughyoullfeelit later kind of woman you are. Body pain . Motrin helps you be an unstoppable, icantotallydothis allinonetrip kind of woman. 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If youre headed to the shore already there, youll see temperatures a little bit warmer this afternoon into the low 70s. Just a reminder keep an eye on the holiday forecast on the nbc 10 app. Any lastminute changes and any breaking news there. Lets get a check of traffic with nbc 10s first alert traffic reporter Jessica Boyington. Jessica, looks like an accident may be clearing up out there . Disabled vehicle, chris, on 95 on girard avenue being towed out of the way. All lanes being blocked on the north bound side with Police Activity and tow trucks on the scene. No vehicles getting by. Not a lot of volume in the area as it is. Headed southbound on the opposite side where we see volume you can see 12 minutes from woodhaven road towards the vine street expressway. If you are headed home from the shore on ac expressway and Egg Harbor Township there is an accident you new from overnight Philadelphia Police are looking for a killer after a deadly shooti

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