Good evening on this labor day. Im Natalie Morales in for brian tonight. For president obama its been a long weekend of laying the groundwork to get congresss seal of approval to take military action against syria. Tomorrow the president s top advisers will continue to make the case as debate intensifies over what is at stake for the u. S. And syria. We begin with Peter Alexander at the white house. Peter, good evening. Reporter natalie, good evening to you. With a series of urgent calls and meetings, this has been a busy weekend for the president and his National Security team, trying to sell their plan for strikes in syria as they face deep divisions within congress. The fierce debate over u. S. Military action in syria is not confined to washington. At a town hall in connecticut today the United States cant let dictators kill their own people and do nothing. I really think for their warmongers who basically talking about going and shoot and bomb, et cetera, put them in the front lines and let me see how they will fire and shoot. Reporter the president s challenge, to convince skeptical lawmakers on both sides. Those opposed to u. S. Intervention, and those who insist limited strikes dont go far enough. Among the Foreign Policy hawks, republican senators john mccain and lindsey graham, who met with the president today. Afterward expressing optimism that the white house is developing a better strategy to undermine syrian president Bashar Al Assad and support the opposition. If the congress were to reject a resolution like this after the president of the United States has already committed to action, the consequences would be catastrophic. Reporter to win what observers agree is a political gamble, the white house has launched a lobbying surge. Everything is on the menu, a white house official told nbc news, including more classified briefs, testimony at congressional hearings, inperson visits, and oneonone phone calls. But among those expressing reservations, members of the president s own party, democrats. Many still haunted by the decision to invade iraq. I dont see any way that a civil war in syria and the fact that this evil man is using chemicals to kill his own people, how that affects directly or indirectly our National Security. Reporter which is why the white house dispatched five heavyweights, including secretary of state john kerry for a Conference Call today with more than 120 house democrats. Conjuring up memories of nazi germany, kerrerry insists the u. S. Now faces a munich moment and must act. Tomorrow the Senate ForeignRelations Committee will hold its first hearing on this issue. Natalie, tomorrow night the president is out of town, overseas in fact, first to sweden and then to russia for the g20 summit, where he will try to build international support. Peter alexander at the white house for us. Thank you, peter. Whether or not Congress Moves forward with the president s plan of attack, u. S. Military preparations are well under way, and syrian president assad himself weighed in today. We have reports from jim mcch miklaszewski at the pentagon. Jim, what can you tell us . Reporter natalie, even though president obama backed off those missile strikes against syria planned for this labor day weekend, the u. S. Military has turned up the saberrattling. The u. S. Aircraft carrier nimitz and part of its battle group, a guided missile cruiser and three guided missile destroyers, slipped into the red sea overnight. The carrier would only serve as possible backup for any attack on syria. But the cruiser and destroyers could fire off missiles at syrian targets if moved into the mediterranean. Five u. S. Guided missile destroyers and at least one submarine remain in the eastern med. Each armed with up to 50 cruise missiles loaded with one thousandpound warheads. If president obama wins congressional approval, it appears the targets would remain the same. Command and control bunkers for key chemical weapons commands, but not the chemical weapons themselves. Strikes would instead be aimed at weapons that deliver the deadly chemicals. Rockets, artillery, and planes. But regime change would not be the goal, and syrian president Bashar Al Assad would not be a target. Critics argue that may only embolden assad. What if he follows two days later with another chemical strike . Then what . Do we continue to escalate . Reporter while the delay in strikes does give the Syrian Military time to disperse many weapons, the u. S. Military is constantly updating its target list and using this delay to finetune the original strike plan. But in the end, military officials acknowledge if the strikes remain, limited in duration and scope, the outcome may prove ineffective, with or without congressional approval. Jim miklaszewski, nbc news, the pentagon. This is jim maceda in turkey near the syrian border. Thousands of miles from the political showdown in washington, syrias civil war rages on. This damascus suburb just the latest target of president assads firepower. The war has claimed at least 110,000 lives so far, displaced some 7 million people, a third of syrias population. Today more families escaped to turkey, fearful and angry at the u. S. And its allies. Translator we wish that the International Powers had toppled the government, said mahmood, but after more than two years, its too late now. Assad himself hoping to take advantage of president obamas headstation, today told a french daily that it an air strike could trigger a conflagration in the middle east. No one knows what will happen, he said. Everyone will lose control of the situation once the powder keg explodes. He denied his forces used chemical weapons, challenging the u. S. And france to offer proof. Secretary of state kerry says there is such proof. And hair samples and blood samples have tested positive for signatures of sarin. Reporter assad said his own forces were the victims and blamed the rebels for the chemical attack, a claim few find credible. We see quite clearly from the intelligence, the satellite information, the human intelligence, and the positive testing that chemical weapons were used and almost certainly by the syrian regime. Reporter but assad continues to have a friend in moscow. Russian president Vladimir Putin who has called air strikes against syria foolish nonsense and successfully blocked any action by the u. N. Today putin even offered to send russian lawmakers to the u. S. To lobby members of congress against authorizing any military action against syria. And natalie, to pick up on what mixed reporting, we are hearing from syrian citizens and experts alike that assad is using this delay to move artillery and rockets into residential areas, even into houses and schools, and is clearing out sensitive equipment and documents as well from command and control centers, even as washington debates what to do next. Natalie . Jim maceda on the turkey syria border. Thanks, jim. It was one of the most talked about moments of the day when 64yearold diana nyad proved to us all that age is just a number and reminded us why we should never give up on a dream. Nyad finally accomplished hers, becoming the first person to swim from cuba to key west without a shark cage or anything else for that matter, but just sheer determination. Nbcs Kerry Sanders is in key west. Kerry, good evening. Reporter well good evening, natalie. After swimming 112 miles, she came up right here on the shore, understandably exhausted, barely able to catch her breath. The hundreds who gathered here were also gasping, in awe. After 54 52. 18, diana nyad finally stood up and walked to shore. Sunburned and fatigued, she enters the record books, when so many thought she was too old to swim across the florida straits. She first tried this 35 years ago. Four times she failed. Today finally success. Never, ever give up. You never are too old to chase your dreams. It looks like a solitary sport but the team. Reporter that team was with her every crawl stroke and flutter kick of the way. Less than a mile from shore, even though closest to her were amazed. This is nbc news to voyager. Copy . Can you believe that diana has made hit the far . Unbelievable. We witnessed it ourselves and we cant believe it. Reporter how does she look to you right now . Well, she is still swimming strong. She is still swimming 56 minutes, which was the identical stroke count when she jumped in cuba. Reporter diana nyad began this fifth attempt saturday morning, with no flippers, no shark cage, equipped with a bodysuit and silicone mask to protect her from jellyfish. Her progress was chronicled online, on social media. But most importantly, on board a specially designed catamaran. Nyad followed a streamer hung from a poll that extended underwater. At night illuminated, monitoring her vitals and applying special cream to protect her against jellyfish, her team fed and hydrated her, never letting her hold on to the boat. This morning a cruise ship altered course, making way for nyad. Her achievement an inspiration. Its just utterly amazing. What is that sense of accomplishment . Im beaming with pride. Not just for myself, but my god, a team of 35 people. Reporter after arriving here on the beach, she was eventually taken to the hospital. Doctors have released her. They say all she needs is some food, water, and much needed rest. Nat ly . All right. Kerry sanders, such an inspiration. Thank you so much. Still ahead tonight, the robot will see you now. New technology allowing doctors to diagnosis patients from miles away. Its already saving lives. Is this the future of medicine . And later, a love song and a love story, capturing hearts around the world and rising to the top of the charts. All the good times over again tonight former South African president Nelson Mandela is back home in johannesburg, still under intensive care after spending nearly three months in the hospital. The 95yearold mandela remains in critical and sometimes unstable condition. Initially suffering from a lung infection, he is still unable to breathe on his own. Tonight we have a first look at what could be the future of medicine, robots already roaming through hospitals and allowing doctors to diagnosis patients, and in some instances, make lifesaving decisions from miles away much faster when every second counts. We get our report tonight from cnbcs julia boorstin. Reporter to see edith long now, you would never know she recently had a near death experience. When she suffered a stroke, there was no specialist at the hospital that night to evaluate her. So a robot named rpvita came to call, connecting a doctor 25 miles away. The next thing i remember is the robot coming in to the room, and dr. Lee introducing himself to me. Reporter when neurologist dr. Andrew lee got the call at home, instead of getting in his car, he powered up his ipad, and immediately examined edith through the robots monitor. I did notice that she had profound weakness of her left arm and her left leg. Reporter he ordered a clotbusting drug within minutes. For every minute that is lost in someone who is suffering a stroke, 1. 9 million brain cells could possibly be irreversibly damaged. Reporter so dr. Lee, if you were to evaluate a stroke patient through this robot, what would you do . To assess for strength and coordination, i would have you raise both arms up as if youre holding a tray and take your left index finger and touch your nose. Reporter so this would allow you to assess a patient without actually being in the room . Access. Reporter doctors who use the Technology Say its a gamechanger. We are able to actually provide these services to some of the Smaller Community hospitals. There is a large cost savings and the ability to treat many more patients. Reporter thanks to the robot, edith long made a full recovery. To be back to normal so fast brings tears to my eyes, because im back to my normal life. Reporter a hightech house call rebooting medicine. Julia boorstin, nbc news, los angeles. Up next tonight, the mystery of some of the most majestic animals in america disappearing at an alarming rate. Well, they came, they sang, they danced, and they lit up a giant effigy as a recordsetting crowd turned out for burning man. As many as 68,000 made the trek to the Blackrock Desert this weekend for the annual outdoor art and Music Festival in nevada. The government raised the crowd limit this year after organizers agreed to new security and cleanup rules. Now to what just might be the picture of the day. It was definitely the catch of the day yesterday in mississippi. The largest alligator ever caught during that states hunting season, a whopping 13 feet long and weighing in at 727 pounds. That beats the old record by more than 25 pounds. And now to a growing mystery that has scientists baffled and on the hunt for answers in minnesota. That states once large and thriving moose population has been experiencing a rapid decline, disappearing at such an alarming rate, it has some there worried theyll soon be endangered. We get the story from our chief Environmental Affairs correspondent anne thompson. Reporter they are the iconic animals of minnesotas north woods, but moose sightings like this one and this one are increasingly rare. That just made my week, man. That is so cool. Reporter seth moore is one of several scientists trying to figure out what is causing the dramatic decline in minnesotas moose population. Theyve all but disappeared in the northwest part of the state, and here in the northeast, there are just over 2700 left. Some of these animals, which should weigh up to one thousand pounds are skin and bones, with severe hair loss. Were spending time and energy and research to try to understand it. But the population itself still continues to decline. Reporter the falloff is stunning. Down 35 in the past year, and more than 50 since 2010. Here in grand portage, were seeing about 85 pregnancy rates, which is pretty good. This year we only came out about 69 pregnancy rates. Reporter in the office, moore and his team track the adults they have collared on the computer. In the field, a portable antenna guides him to the wetlands and lakes where the animals feed and sometimes die. This spring, he worked with tiffany wolf of the minnesota zoo to collar calves. It may not be one disease itself that is the smoking gun here, but multiple factors that are contributing to the overall poor health that were seeing. Reporter what is happening here in the summer researchers say may be connected to the winter. Historically, minnesotas harsh winters have kept the deer and tick populations in check, but now the winters are shorter and milder, and both populations are growing, and both pose danger to the moose. Deer carry parasites that can be fatal to moose. Ticks spread disease. We wont be able to stop the climate from changing, but we may be able to do things that change the landscape to benefit moose. Reporter but first they must understand what is driving these majestic animals from the landscape. Anne thompson, nbc news, grand portage, minnesota. When we come back, it just might be the love song of the summer, now heard by millions. One mans ode to the most beautiful girl he ever saw. It goes around once, but never again finally tonight, how do you honor the love of your life after 75 years together . Fred stoball lost his wife this year, but her memory lives on in words and music that has gone viral. Nbcs kevin tibets with a love story like no other. Reporter her name was lorraine, and it was love at first sight. The beautifulest girl i ever saw, uhhuh. A beautiful woman. Reporter that was 75 years ago. And fred married that girl. She looks like a movie star. Yeah. Reporter and when lorraine left this world this past spring, fred picked up a pen and scratched out the lyrics to her song, sitting at the kitchen table. Sweet lorraine, the millennium rips will always linger on. Reporter he then put them in an envelope and mailed it to a song contest being held in his hometown of peoria, illinois. It caught jacob colligans attention because it was the only entry that came in the mail. And then he saw what fred had written on the back. Ps, i dont sing, i would scare people. Reporter and when the musicians at green shoes studio read freds lyrics, they knew this love song had to be put to music. I was in tears. And instantly knew i just had to bring this guys song to life. Sweet lorraine reporter oh, sweet lorraine simply exploded in popularity, tugging at the hearts of people around the world. Wonderful. Good. Just wonderful. Im glad you like it. Reporter already viewed four million times on youtube, quickly becoming one of the top ten most downloaded songs on itunes. Its kind of funny. Who is this Justin Timberlake guy. And im like well, why, yes. Evidently i passed him right up on the itunes sales. She would have loved that song. She would have. She knows. Reporter as family members all gathered under the shade of a tree in freds yard, oh sweet lorraine is performed just as it should be. Do you mind helping me out . Here we go. Oh sweet lorraine, i wish we could do all the good times over again reporter its true. The best songs always come from the heart. Over again reporter kevin tibbles, nbc news, peoria, illinois. And thats our broadcast for this monday night. Thank you for being with us. Im Natalie Morales. Brian williams will be back in the chair tomorrow and back in your homes. We hope youve had a great labor day. Ill see you tomorrow on today. For now, for all of us, good night. Nbc bay area news starts now. Right now at 6 00, history in the making. Were just a few hours away from the official opening of the new span of the bay bridge. And here are the first cars driving across the bridge moments ago. As you can see, theyre a collection of cars popular when the bridge opened in 1936. You can see the brim from above and you can also see some of these classic antique cars going across. And look at the paint on that bridge. It is very clean, very white. Not sure how long its going to stay that way. Looking very beautiful as the first folks cross the brand new eastern span of the bay bridge. Thank you for joining us on this labor day. A lot of vips, a blowtorch and history. Weve been waiting for this for nearly 25 years, but tonight, that new bay bridge is open. The Lieutenant Governor used the blowtorch to cut the ceremonial chain. It took a little longer than scissors and a ribbon but it worked. These are live pictures. We now know the bridge will be open to the public later this evening. That is ahead of schedule. It was originally scheduled to open at 5 00 tomorrow morning. The celebration is paired down a bit because of the delays on the issues of the