Today its been declared a level three emergency and weve learned u. S. Forces landed on a moub mountain top. As weve 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. Theres 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, its possible they could be lifted by u. S. Jet ospreys or helicopters or walk off the mountain with Kurdish Military escorts. Does Todays Mission violate president obamas 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 were 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, hes 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 theyre 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 whove 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 threeday ceasefire 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 ceasefire 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 nbcs 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 youve seen it this bad . I actually worked during hurricane sandy, and its 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. Its not just the northeast. There was a dramatic rescue in phoenix as a mans car was being swept away, forcing him to leap to safety. Weve 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. Its 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. Thats when hot or wet weather stays stuck over a region for an extended period of time. Most scientists are not surprised. Theyve actually seen this coming for a while. Weve 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 nbcs 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 19yearold 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 weve got a problem, but were 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 theyre shooting, because of the gunshots. Bring more blight and drive more people away, perhaps including them. At this point im ready to go. I am. Im ready to take my kids and im ready to go. Its 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. Theres 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 wasnt 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 ill never ever understand how he could be loved so deeply and not find it in his heart to stay, his daughter wrote, theres 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 nprs 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 youre 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. Shes amazing. And then my son was amazing. And i found love. And i found joy. This dialogue about suicide thats 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 theyre 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. Were 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, whos hiring and can this trend continue . Heres nbcs 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 c130. 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 hasnt 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 weve seen is the number of job openings has gone up quite dramatically. Thats good. But weve also seen the length of time employers hold those job openings open is also very long. Reporter thats 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. Macys 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 parttime work, the hope is that americas jobs recovery is truly underway. Tom costello, nbc news, washington. Weve got much more on who is hiring and how to connect with them on our website, nbcnews. Com. Were back in a moment with a hug thats 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 im imagining that shes 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 Marthas Vineyard thats 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. Nbcs 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 everyones mind, would she hug it out with the president after a fastescalating political firestorm. Absolutely. Yeah, were 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, dont do stupid stuff is not an organizing principle. This was what i would call the most aggressive move shes made yet to distance herself from president obama. Reporter so aggressive a longtime obama advisor fired back on twitter attacking her iraq war vote, just to clarify, dont do stupid stuff means stuff like occupying iraq in the first place. But was the president mad . Im not going to go ahead and get into a behindthescenes 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. Im proud that i served with him and for him. And im looking forward to seeing him tonight. Reporter whatever happens at the Birthday Party tonight we hope to hear about it, but we dont expect to see it. Its 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 nbcs Cynthia Mcfadden who knew Lauren Bacall well, well enough to know thats 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 dont you, steve . You just put your lips together and blow. Reporter the film made her a star, but it was her costar 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 offbeat. 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 wasnt 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. Thats our broadcast for this wednesday night. Thank you for being with us. Im 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, lets find this guy. Right now at 6 00, arming themselves with technology, neighbors Going Digital to stay safe. Thank you for joining us. Im peggy bunker in for jessica aguirre. And im 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 theyre 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