on this saturday night, seeking refuge. as the tide of undocumented immigrants continues to flow into the u.s., we travel to where the journey starts, to a town where you can see the desperation firsthand. taken by storm. up and down the east coast, thousands are reeling from the impact of hurricane arthur. and for some, it's still posing a very real threat. a new homecoming. for the first time in more than a decade, american soldiers are leaving afghanistan with no plans to go back. and here at home, their families couldn't be happier. and back on track. the little storefront studio where elvis recorded his first hit 60 years ago today, still making records the old fashioned way.

good evening. for weeks now, we've been showing you the crisis along the american border, the flood of mostly central american migrants, many of them unaccompanied children crossing into this country. overwhelming the american detention system while adding kindling to an already inflamed immigration debate. but tonight, we take you to where it all starts. stephanie gosk has made her way to the epicenter of this crisis, honduras, to show us what migrants are so desperately trying to escape by coming to america. >> reporter: to understand why young people from central america are leaving without their parents to come to the u.s., you only have to come here, san pedro, honduras. this is one of the most dangerous cities in one of the most dangerous countries in the world. we're in a neighborhood right now, controlled by four different gangs. this small space is a neutral area.

they tell us down any of these roads, it's literally a no go zone. every person we've spoken to says they want to go to the united states because of the violence. of course, it's not just young people that are making that journey. we visited a center dedicated to young mothers and children that have been deported. those trying to get to the u.s. but didn't make it. here they are processed. we spoke to them. they said that they believed when they got to the border with the united states, the united states government was going to allow them to stay. and they still believe that. they told us after they were processed, they were likely just going to turn around and head back north. stephanie gosk, nbc news, san pedro, honduras. >> as we've been reporting, many women with children are making it across the border and their migration has sparked tense protests and reignited a national debate over immigration reform. nbc's miguel almaguer has the report of one mother who's in the midst of that journey.

>> reporter: at an old bus depot in tucson arizona, this is how the american dream begins for 23-year-old norida martinez and so many others. she has no money, speaks no english and today is both desperate and scared. martinez made the perilous journey across the border from guatemala to get her 2-year-old son henry medical care. i didn't want to leave my other kids behind, but i need work to make things better for them, to give my children more opportunities. more and more families, mostly women and young children, are arriving across the southwest tonight. in mcallen texas, catholic charities is running what looks like a refugee camp. medical care, shelter and clothing is given to 200 undocumented immigrants here every day. and many more families are on the way. >> right now it's not about politics, it's about a humanitarian crisis.

it's very real, it's in our backyard. >> reporter: planes shuttling undocumented immigrants from overcrowded holding facilities in texas, continue to fill detention centers in california. in murrieta, where protesters turned around three buses carrying young families this week, tension divides this community as it does a nation. >> we are compassionate people, but let's consider our children, our american that -- our american workers. let's have america take care of its problems. >> reporter: for now, the influx in murrieta has stopped. but today in tucson, norida and henry martinez are already on their way to georgia. tonight they have a ticket to find family, a court date to face deportation, and the dream of a new life in america. when families are taken into custody by border patrol, they typically spend anywhere from one to three days at a facility

like this one. border patrol agents tell us there's no end in sight to the wave of undocumented immigrants from central america coming into this country. lester? >> miguel, thank you. for more on how this is playing out in washington, we're joined by david gregory, moderator of "meet the press." david, help us understand the political rock and hard place the president is squeezed between as he deals with this. >> well, you mentioned it, the tension in the country about a humanitarian crisis. but also the need to secure the border, not allow everyone in who wants to come in, because of the drain on resources to these communities on the border and in these states, whether it's healthcare, education. even the amount of money necessary to process these illegal migrants who are coming across the border to ultimately deport them. that's what the president faces, these two choices. he's also trying to get immigration reform done. it looks likes it's failed for now. >> thanks. immigration will be one of the major topics on "meet the press." david will be joined by homeland

security secretary jeh johnson. the president's key point person on the issue. hurricane arthur took an overnight swipe at new england and what's still left of the powerful storm lashing canada's maritime provinces. in the meantime, as many vacationers return to east coast beaches to salvage their holiday weekends, officials were warning not all of the danger has passed. kristen dahlgren is covering arthur's aftermath from long beach, new york for us tonight, kristen? >> reporter: good evening, lester. you're right, this is not over. almost 30,000 people from new jersey and maine are still without power. beach goers still have to worry about dangerous rip current after a fierce storm that changed holiday weekend plans for americans up and down the coast. in canada today, arthur unleashed torrents of rain, leaving more than 200,000 without power in parts of new brunswick and nova scotia. in new england, the rain has ended but dangerous flooding remains.

>> in certain places it's like a foot, foot and a half of water, it's pretty deep. >> reporter: some towns had to cancel fireworks for a second night because of high winds. on north carolina's outer banks where the storm made landfall as a category 2 hurricane, this family is trying to rescue what's left of their holiday weekend. >> we're supposed to be in a beach house, but we can't get there because of the bridge. >> reporter: a portion of the roadway just rebuilt after hurricane irene is washed out again. business owners were breathing a sigh of relief that things weren't worse. >> it was a long night for sure, but the water didn't come too high. >> reporter: rip currents remain a concern in the wake of arthur. lifeguards are on high alert. in new york, they're keeping swimmers out of areas that could have dangerous rip currents. >> yeah, that's a rip. >> reporter: okay. >> now, the sand is churning, and it's moving out. it picked up some of the sand, and if you are in there, you would be moving out also. >> reporter: long beach

lifeguard joe ventry trained in riptides and shows just how quickly they can grab you. within a minute he was swept offshore. >> i couldn't do anything about it. it's like a treadmill, it kept me in the same spot. even if i tried to swim in. >> reporter: for many parents today, the best way to avoid danger is keeping a close eye on and a tight hand on little swimmers. >> you saw us, we're going like knee deep and that's about it. >> reporter: so far there are no deaths or injuries associated with arthur. but, lester, it was a deadly weekend on the water in miami. a boat collision took four lives, seven people were injured. it's believed the boaters were out celebrating the holiday. >> all right. kristen dahlgren tonight, thank you. in the middle east tonight more clashes between palestinians and israeli police, as amateur video of a teen being beaten by soldiers is stoking tensions in a region already on edge. nbc's ayman mohyeldin joins us from jerusalem with that story. ayman? >> reporter: good evening, lester. it's a palestinian-american family and their son from tampa,

florida that are the latest victims in the turmoil that's going on here. so much so, that the u.s. state department says it's profoundly troubled by the boy's beating. the video of that beating has now gone viral and triggered widespread condemnation. the amateur video shows israeli soldiers subduing a palestinian teen, then repeatedly beating him while he appears motionless, before dragging him away with other detainees. these people say the boy is their son, 15-year-old palestinian american. >> i need him to be in the hospital. >> reporter: they spent the morning calling american embassy officials to get their son proper medical help. today we went with them as they tried to visit their son in jail. they weren't allowed in, but an american diplomat was. after waiting for hours in the sun, waiting for word that he is physically okay, it finally came. >> he doesn't remember much. i think because of the blows to his head.

>> reporter: the family was visiting relatives when he got caught up in clashes on thursday. east jerusalem has been gripped with violence since a palestinian teenager was burned to death in what they believe was an attack by israeli jews, revenging the kidnapping and killing of three israeli teens. but israel's police have defended the actions, saying the video is, quote, edited and biases and does not represent the events, they say. their forces were in life threatening situations, coming under attack with stones, molotov cocktails and pipe bombs. the family denies their now badly beaten son was a protester. >> he's a sweet, smart kid, lots of friends, very social. very loving. he loved to fish, he loved to play soccer, basketball. >> reporter: he was the second american citizen caught up in recent turmoil here. israeli american naftali frenkel was buried tuesday, along with the two other murdered jewish teens. a painful reminder that what happens here in the holy land is

felt back in the american homeland. tonight, the israeli justice ministry says it's launching an investigation, but palestinian human rights activists say acts of brutality against palestinians by security forces are rarely punished. now, this evening, the boy's mother has yet to speak to him. he is expected to appear in an israeli court tomorrow in front of a judge. lester? >> ayman mohyeldin, thank you. the leader of a powerful militant group bent on seizing control of iraq is stepping out of the shadows. in a newly released video, he calls on followers to join in his crusade, while iraqi officials question the tape's authenticity. those in baghdad fear the eerie calm they're living in may soon be coming to an end. nbc's keir simmons has that report tonight. >> reporter: he's a mortal enemy of america, rarely seen in public. but his followers claim this is the first video of abu bakr al baghdadi. preaching just yesterday, i am the leader of all muslims.

as the group he leads, isis, battles with iraqi security forces. isis described as more extreme than al qaeda, is holding territory across a large area of iraq. but iraq's prime minister, nuri al maliki, despite criticism from all sides, including america, signaled again today, he won't stand down. in baghdad, families huddle together and hope isis will not reach them. this man says he and his baby girl were almost killed by an ied just weeks ago, and those not hiding are simply hardened to the dangers. i'm not -- i live with this every day. >> reporter: do not be deceived by the appearance of calm, people here fear a major isis assault on baghdad. a moment they are describing as zero hour. it may not happen, but people

are preparing to defend themselves by any means. there are 750 u.s. military advisers here, but with no direct combat mission. while overhead, iraq is using newly supplied russian and has claimed iranian fighter jets to bomb isis targets. tonight some iraqi officials claim baghdadi was injured by the bombings, and that this video is fake, in a war where propaganda is a weapon, like bullets and bombs. keir simmons, nbc news, baghdad. after days of fierce battling, ukraine's military says it's retaken the key strong hold city of sloviansk. this marks a major blow to pro russian separatists in a significant step for ukrainian forces. they tried to regain control of the area since a shaky cease-fire was abandoned this week. >>when "nbc nightly news" continues, a homecoming milestone for u.s. soldiers this holiday weekend. and their families couldn't be happier. and later, 60 years after

elvis presley's first hit, his old school studio still striking a chord.

in afghanistan, taliban militants have claimed responsibility for setting fire to about 400 fuel trucks belonging to nato forces. the strike occurred overnight, just outside the capitol city of kabul. one witness said the attacker shot at drivers who tried to return to their trucks. at this point there have been no reports of casualties. while the conflict in afghanistan may be far from over, for many u.s. soldiers, their time there is. michael gargulo spent time with 10th mountain division as they prepared to head home from there for the final time. >> reporter: bases that house

the third combat team of the mountain division. the spartans lost four soldiers in combat during this nine month deployment, their fourth in eight years. but now, they're going home. >> it becomes a way of life. in fact, it almost becomes too regular, and i'm glad we're getting away from that. >> reporter: the 2000 remaining soldiers are packing up, bull dosing some of their fortifications. and when they're done, brian mcgrath will be reunited with his wife kyra. he deployed four months after they were married. >> just can't wait to get home and see my beautiful wife. when we're here, we're never off. >> reporter: captain john landry has been deployed to iraq and afghanistan. he will soon meet his second son, born while he was here, with a warning from his wife. >> she said, don't expect it to be too relaxing, because you have a 3-year-old that demands your attention, and a three and a half-month-old that will really demand your attention. >> reporter: back home this holiday weekend, his wife and their boys are counting down.

>> my other half coming home, it's daddy coming home. it's balance. it's the love of my life coming home safe and sound. >> reporter: this homecoming is different. the u.s. is due to cease military operations in afghanistan by the end of 2014. that means for the first time in 13 years, there's no plan to send the soldiers who are heading home back here to fight in afghanistan again. >> this will probably be the last time. >> reporter: with the army downsizing post afghanistan, this will be the final mission from the third brigade. the spartans are being inactivated, the soldiers will move on to other units. but first, lots of time with family, as the sun sets on life apart from loved ones so far away. coming up, cycling's greatest race gets some royal fans.

brazilian soccer fans scored a key win in yesterday's world cup. but today they're facing the brutal loss of their star player, 22-year-old striker neymar fractured his vertebrae after being kneed in the back in the second half of yesterday's match. in today's match ups, argentina and the netherlands advance to the semifinal round. across the pond, a different sport drew some royal spectators today. prince william and prince harry joined duchess kate to kick off at the tour de france. despite its 100 year history,

this marks only the second time the race kicked off in great britain. back here at home, a major milestone for a show about nothing. 25 years ago today the hit show "seinfeld" debuted here on nbc. for nine seasons the show was a catch phrase machine from yadda, yadda, yadda to man hands and bubble boy. it might have been about nothing, but for millions, it was must see tv. from that to this must see image. a train derailment sent the fuselages of several brand new 737s tumbling in a montana river this week, during their trip to the boeing factory near seattle. no one was hurt. the cause is still under investigation. up next here tonight, 60 years after elvis left the building, the old recording studio he started out in is still hitting the right notes.

finally tonight, it was on this day 60 years ago that the king of rock 'n' roll took the throne. elvis presley recorded his first hit record, that's all right, at a memphis studio. it was done on one track with no headphones or audio sweetening like we've come to expect today. now, that same studio that gave birth to presley's career is returning to its roots, and that has struck a chord. ♪ >> there was a time music artists came to a studio to

actually cut a record. the only thing digital about the process were the fingers working the piano keys and fret board. >> let's hear it back. >> inside a tiny storefront studio in memphis, that time is now, just as it was on this date 60 years ago. ♪ a young man named elvis presley cut his first hit record in this studio. >> elvis started playing this song called that's right mama. sam phillips ran out the door and said, that's it, play it again. he got the mike, cut it, two days later he took it to the local dj, who played it 14 times in a row that night. and after that, the world changed forever. >> reporter: the late sam phillips founded the memphis recording service in 1950. the later became sun records. >> listed these records to different record companies, they

weren't paying him. he was forced to start his own label. >> reporter: the wall, with the original acoustic tiles are lined with the photos of some of the famous artists who recorded here. >> that's considered to be the greatest picture in rock history. that's called the million dollar quartet. carl perkins is in the middle. he had jerry lee lewis playing piano in the session. he got paid 15 bucks. and all of a sudden, elvis presley walked in, and sam phillips thought this was a great publicity opportunity. so he called johnny cash, who was his biggest star at the time. >> this audio engineer has spent the last several years restoring the studio, complete with vintage mike, tape decks and sound mixers. >> i really like the human element and raw energy in those early recordings. >> by day, sun studio is a tourist attraction. >> we call it the elvis mike. really, elvis plus all of the other musicians likely used it. >> by night, working musicians come to record and discover a simpler authentic sound of a by

gone era. how would you describe the sound, warmer? >> i'd say real, it's the truest sound you can get, it's what was done, everybody at one time together. >> on one recent night, a group that included singer dale watson and after the session musicians that played with johnny cash and jerry lee lewis among others, came here to record and reflect. >> it's like home to me, really. >> got to get a blend like you would at rehearsal or a live gig. >> new want to do real rock and roll, there's only one place to go. >> yeah, there's no faking it here. >> all these years later, sam phillips' son thinks his dad would be happy to know sun studio is still hitting all the right notes. >> my dad always felt like it was a laboratory. you get in there and hunt and find the music you're looking for. when you got it, you'll know it. >> yeah. that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today," and right back here tomorrow evening. good night.

illegal fireworks sent a south bay man to the hospital. hear his family's warning to anybody else thinking about playing with fireworks. plus, a major bay area freeway closed to traffic. a progress report on how crews are doing on the ix-280 project. and a shark attack off the

coast of southern california. hear from people who saved the swimmer from the water. good evening to you. i'm peggy bunker. terry mcsweeney is off tonight. an accident involving illegal fireworks cost a south bay man both of his hands. the accident happened last night in san jose near castle park where the man and his family were celebrating the fourth of july. nbc bay area's monte francis is now live outside the regional medical center with more details. >> reporter: peggy, the victim had his right hand amputated and doctors were able to save two fingers on his left hand. family members say he's a construction worker so this accident most certainly cost him his job. 40-year-old alizar ortiz was lighting a professional grade explosive, according to family members, the kind used in large fireworks displays when it exploded.