from nbc news this is "today" with lester holt and erica hill live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. welcome to "today" on this sunday morning. i'm erica hill. >> i'm lester holt. did you see that race yesterday? >> it looked so sloppy out there. what a thrilling race. i mean, this is kind of the same horseracing, you blink you miss it, and it's only a couple of minutes. this one really kept you engaged as you saw orb come from behind there. >> then we talk about the pressure. you win one sxrashgs now it's like you got to win three. >> immediate pressure. next one coming up in a couple of weeks. enjoy the win in a little bit with orb's trainer. we do have a lot to get to on this sunday morning. the national rifle association wrapping up its annual convention, and sparking new controversy after the leader linked the gun control debate to the boston marathon bombing. >> plus, an update on amy copeland the georgia grad student who had her legs and hands amputated last year after contracting a flesh-eating bacteria. we're going show you how she's doing now. >> when you think of nascar pit crews, chances are the image that comes to mind, a bunch of guys frantically racing to change tires and gas up cars. sort of accurate picture. it's also one that's changing. i repeatly caught up with this woman right here who is hoping to be one of the first female pit crew members in nascar's elite sprint cup series. we'll handicap her chance there's. >> like that sound. later, it's an age-old question. what do you do with your child's stuff once they leave the nest? something we're going through right now. those old trophies, jerseys, and drawings that end up in garage sales across the country. well, kobe bryant is not happy about what his mother is doing with some of his childhood possessions. we're going to get into that coming up. >> kind of a different type of garage sale in that case. we do begin, though, this morning with those israeli air strikes into syria. our chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in turkey near the syrian border. good morning. what can you tell us? >> reporter: good morning, erica. these attacks are far bigger in scale than any previous ones attributed in israel that can be felt all across dam affect whys and suggests that israel may be prepared to take a far bigger military role in the war in syria. syrian activists filmed in secret. whispering as explosions shook damascus just before 2:00 a.m. witnesses say shock waves were felt across the city. windows broke and the fires made the might look like day. u.s. officials tell nbc news israeli jets struck military targets on the mountains overlooking damascus. nbc news can't independently verify the videos, but witnesses said they do look like what they saw. witnesses also heard multiple fighter jets flying low, apparently trying to evade radar. rebels in damascus said the jet struck at least nine locations in close proximity, including the research center, the syrian revolutionary guard, the elite division and a weapons depot. another attack in january also attributed to israel targeted the same research center which rebels claim is a military base jointly used by syria, iran, and the lebanese militia group hezbollah. syrian state tv blames sunday's predawn raid on israel and accused it of helping rebels. syria maintains that the uprising is led by islamic extremists and an alliance of the united states, israel, and the gulf states. for now there is an odd convergence with israel and groups that claim loyalty to al qaeda fighting against a common enemy. israel which borders syria worries both about the rise of extremism as the war in syria drags on, and that weapons are flowing out of the country. israeli sources set targets on friday and sunday, and they included rockets bound for hezbollah. a u.s. official said israel braced for a possible retaliation from damascus, but so far none has come. taking a precaution, israel this morning said it mobilized its iron dome missile defense system around the cities of haifa and -- in northern israel. so far a retaliation team, unlikely. erica. >> richard engel, thank you. the national rifle association wraps up its annual convention today, and its leader hipp is laying out future plans when it comes to the gun control debate. dave gutierrez is in houston for us this morning. dave, good morning. >> reporter: lester, good morning. the nra is framing deet bait as stretching beyond gun rights to a larger culture war. the group is now focused on the future. next year's midterm election and beyond. >> reporter: now claiming a record five million members. the. >> we will never surrender our guns. never. >> reporter: fresh off its congressional victory over expanded background checks. >> we must never confuse winning a battle with winning the war. >> reporter: the group's leadership is turning its attention to the 2014 midterm elections. a point brought home by political commentator glen beck. >> it's not just the democrats. it's the republicans as well. the problems are everywhere. >> reporter: also for the first time nra executive vice president wane la pierre is linking the gun control debate to the aftermath of the boston bombing. and police search for an armed suspect in an area where he says gun ownership is heavily regulated. law pierre says residents were sheltered in place with no means to defend themselves. >> how many bostonians wished they had a gun two weeks ago? >> reporter: outside the convention this weekend small protests on behalf of victims of gun violence. xenia daniel was shot and killed by her estranged husband. her brother, a long-time gun owner and nra member, supports expanded background checks for gun sales. >> if we can save just one life, i think we owe it to ourselves to do that. >> today the nra is looking ahead. >> our future depends on young nra members. none younger at this convention than 3-year-old eliya wagner. her adopted parents say her grandfather bought her a lifetime membership. >> being a member of nra for me and for my daughter, for my sons, is teaching them that they actually have to protect themselves. >> reporter: the last day of this convention gets underway, and law pierre says the nra is on a mission to double its membership. >> dave gutierrez, thanks. david gregory, moderator of "meet the press." >> fwm. >> the nra membership has grown throughout all of this. it helped defeat the background checks. has that organization become even stronger, has it become even more unlikely that we'll get some kind of a deal in the future in. >> well, i don't know about that last one, but i do think the nra is stronger. i think they are able to use moments like this to make the argument to their base of support that the administration wants to take their guns away ultimately. now, of course, that is denied up and down from the administration to other democrats, even republicans who are behind the background check bill, but there's no question that the nra and wayne la pierre and others said this this weekend. they are ready for a big political fight on this in 2014 and beyond. what does that say to prop ownents of more gun control? well, gun safety measures. this issue is back in a way that it hadn't been before because the democratic party had basically given up on gun control. the issue has come back. the public is moving on it. even as some of the president's lossest advisors have said over the weekend, it's going to take more time. it's actually going to take people losing their jobs because of votes they have taken, for instance, opposing a background check, for the politics to really change in washington. >> i want to turn overseas and talk about syria. israeli has struck again inside of syria. the president touched off a whole conversation with his comments months ago about crossing a red line in syria. we just lost seven more troops in afghanistan this weekend. there's not a lot of appetite for war. what can the administration do to appease its critics, but yet, not cross its own red line? >> you know, this this is such a hard problem, as you know, lester, tom friedman and the "new york times" this morning arguing that syria is effectively iraq's twin. whether you have the sectarian tribal divisions in syria that mirror what happened in iraq, somebody has to step in and own that country. the united states is not prepared to do that with a huge commitment of u.s. forces. can an international force do that? not clear yet. are there leaders within syria that can step up and govern the country if the assad regime were to fall? that's far from clear. right now looks like the administration is really focused on the immediate threat. chemical weapons, the use of them, the movement of them. that's why the israeli strikes are an important moment and perhaps will create even more pressure on the administration to back up its own red line. >> all right. we know you have a show to prepare. we'll check back with you later for a preview of "meet the press." >> in california this morning they are finally getting control of the area's biggest wildfires in southern california. we're live in malibu this morning. good morning. >> good morning, erica. for the first time in the past several days firefighters here feel optimistic that they have momentum on their side. the indication is that they have opened up major highways here in ventura county and have listed all of the evacuation orders allowing residents to go back to their homes. >> reporter: for a fourth straight day a california fire burned wild and fast. this time in banning just south of los angeles. firefighters quickly moved in to contain it. first on the ground. then by air. the biggest firefight is still here. the springs fire that broke out in ventura county threatening thousands of homes, including neil michael's house that sits on the hill near deer creek canon. >> two days ago i was weed whacking right here, coincidentally, but it's also densible space and keeping the brush away from the house and having it with a reasonable buffer. at least 100 feet, 200 feet. >> reporter: irradic winds have been driving the fires the past few days, making their paths unpredictable, leaving local residents like lisa bowman worried. >> this is my first fire incident, i suppose, and it was a little bit terrifying because all of a sudden we're watching this black smoke come up over the horizon and getting closer, and so we started saying let's go. >> that success has come with a little help from mother nature, but it also came after years of preparation. local fire officials here have been preparing the community for a blaze like this for the past several years. we've been speaking to officials, and they tell us they have established good contacts, first name relationships with many of the residents, and that is why many of the people who live in ventura county took the threat seriously and prepared for what we've seen over the past several days and sparing any loss of life and any major destruction to property. erica. >> thank you. >> the crews there watching the weather map. so is dylan to see what's going on in southern california. dylan, good morning. >> good morning. the good news is this weather pattern is so much better to help out the firefighters. we have this area of low pressure off the california coastline, but look at the winds. it pulls in that onshore flow. that helps put some moisture into the air. it's a nice cooling wind that will keep temperatures mostly in the 70s, and it will also bring showers into the los angeles area where we could end up with about a half an inch of rainfall and all of these factors, the moisture in the air, the rain, and also that cooling wind will help firefighters as they try to contain this blaze down in california xshgs we will see improvements that stick around to the beginning of next week. lester and erica. >> dillon, thanks. as you mentioned earlier, with david gregory, lester, it's been a deadly weekend for american troops in afghanistan. jenna wolf has more on that and the rest of the morning's headlines. >> hey, guys. good morning. good morning, everyone. yes, it has been one of the deadliest days in recent history for members of the u.s. military over in afghanistan. seven troops were killed in two separate attacks. a nato spokesman says five died when an ied blew up. more were killed when an afghani soldier turned the gun on them. they're stepping up attacks as part of its spring offensive. in california five women are dead after the back of their limousine that they were riding in caught fire. it happened early this morning as the limo was driving over the san mateo bridge. the california highway patrol spokesman says four other people in the back of a car were injured. the driver was not. no word on how that fire started. two workers at a wisconsin daycare facility are facing felony charges for allegedly standing by while several children were attacking another little boy in their care. what's worse, they allegedly taped the whole thing. a quick warning. some of you may find this video a little disturbing. the attacked boy's mother became suspicious when she says her son came home with bruises that she said she later saw from a video on-line. the workers are facing charges for not stopping the fight. the daycare has since been shut down by the state while it investigates. a very special honor for one at the boston marathon bombing. proving once again the boston strong motto. jeff who lost both his legs in the attack came out at the start of the boston bruins game against the maple leafs wave aing boston strong flag. his picture as he become one of the most famous photos from the attack when he was shown being wheeled away from the terror by a man in a cowboy hat. and, finally, scranton p.a. reel dunder mifflin paper company reel. on saturday worlds collided when the stars of the hit tv show "the office" came together with real people in scranton. the series is coming to an end after nine seasons. the finale airs on may 16th. i went back and tried to find a couple of my favorite quotes, and i'm just like i'll read one on-line, and none of my favorite quotes were clean enough to read this morning, unfortunately. >> going to miss that show. >> it was a novel concept when it first started. a really creative, fun, interesting, funny show. >> most important jim and pam look like they're going to be okay. >> happy ever after. >> thank goodness. jenna, thanks. >> dylan has the rest of the national forecast. >> i missed you guys. i haven't seen you in a while. >> been flying here and there. >> i have presents. we have flood warnings and watches all across the southeast. heavy rain is going to continue to fall. the storm is going nowhere fast from parts of southern ohio right down into georgia and south carolina. we could end up with up to four inches of rain with some of the heavier anybody notice it's a muggy start to the morning? we have temperatures in the upper 50s to near 60s. wind will be a big part of the story, gusty around the bay with the wind advisory along the coast and gusts up to 45 miles per hour. upper 60s to low 70s and a chance of seeing isolated showers and off and on at least through wednesday. the rick of showers will linger through the middle part of the week. dryer and warmer for the second half of the workweek. >> and that's your latest and that's your latest forecast. lester. >> can't wait for our gifts. thank you. s. orb's big win. we'll talk with his trainer right after this. orb's big win at the kentucky derby. we'll talk with his trainer right after this. [ female announcer ] neil lane designs for hollywood's biggest stars. let's have a look. who is it for? it's for becky. she must be important. [ neil ] oh, she is. now, he designs for the star in your life. becky, will you marry me? yes! neil lane bridal. uniquely beautiful, hand-crafted rings from hollywood's master of vintage glamour. at kay jewelers -- the number-one jewelry store in america. [ neil ] every woman should feel like a star. ♪ every kiss begins with kay mornings are a special time for the two of you...) star. and you can make them even more special... with fancy feast mornings. mornings are delicious protein-rich entrées... with garden veggies and egg. each one perfectly designed... to start her day with a little love. fancy feast mornings gourmet cat food. the best ingredient is love. kentucky bederby winner orb was a 5-to-1 odds winner. you wouldn't know that as he trailed, but he made up a stunning 10 lengths in the last mile as he won the run for the roses by 2 1/2 lengths. it's been a longtime winner for schug mcgaughey. he joins us this morning. congratulations. >> thank you, erica. i appreciate it. a big thrill. >> a big thrill. you have been inducted into the racing hall of fame. you're a well-respected trainer. you had never won the derby with one of your horses. so what's it like for you? has it set in for you at this point? >> well, really, i haven't been able to sit down and sort of soak it all in, but it was a very exciting afternoon or evening yesterday, and this morning has been excited. i'm sure when i get home and sit down in my chair, my couch and think about it all, i'll just realize how lucky i've been. >> fire up that dvr and watch it over a few times. so as i understand it, and for people who are not familiar with racing, the comparison here is that orb being a 3-year-old colt, putting him into run into spring at this length is like having a 12-year-old run a marathon. you're known for putting your horses in if you think they can perform. what is it about orb? >> well, one of the things -- we talked about that. he's a horse i knew would go the distance, but i am patient with my horses. i'm not one to try to force the issue. and i let him bring us here. he just -- he just started developing over the winter, say in january, and then just kept continuing until yesterday afternoon. you know, hopefully he'll keep continuing. the development of orb over the winter was something that i -- that i really never seen before. and i've been doing this quite a while. >> it's inevitable we have to ask you now about the triple crown. up next is the preakness. how are you feeling? >> i can't wait. it seems to come out -- come out of this race really well. and i'd be interested -- he's going back to new york this morning. i'd be interested to get him to baltimore when the time comes and living this all over again, and then we'll see where that takes it from there. >> we'll be watching. congratulations again. a great win. shug s . good morning to you. looking live at sunrise over the bay bridge toll plaza. it is a very different start to the day today. rob wasn't kidding when he said it would be cooler today. i'm kris sanchez along with rob mayeda. >> it cranked up last night at 10:00, 11:00 and that's the story for the most part of the day. we have 50s and 60s outside right now. it's a mild start to the morning and you will see those winds around half moon bay, we do have a wind advisory up for the coastal mountains and along the immediate coast though it will be windy along the bay area and south winds picking up and moisture coming in across the south that will bring us a chance of seeing isolated showers at times. plenty of sunshine in between, but yes, kris, a much cooler today. isolated showers part of the forecast mixed with sun through the middle part of the week. >> thank you very much, rob. we begin this morning with a developing story and nightmare on the san mateo bridge. five women are dead and four others are recovering from the hospital from burn injuries and burn inhalation after the limo they were riding in somehow caught fire on the san mateo bridge. here's a live look at the bridge where traffic is back to normal this morning, bu