that, i'm not standing for. >> reporter: we've done the math. here in the 75th precinct, from this month from last year, there is a 500% increase in violence. that's why this community is calling for action. they're staging a campaign going on all week. coming up in the next half hour, we'll discuss more about that. >> incredible numbers. brynn gingras, thank you. two connecticut teenagers were critically injured in a boat accident. the 13-year-old girls were unconscious when when they were pulled out. they had been tubing when the driver of their towboat lost control. the girls crashed into a yacht that was nearby. happening today, bobbi kristina brown will be laid to rest in new jersey. the 22-year-old will be buried next to her mother at the fairfield cemetery in weesefield. the only daughter of houston and brown died last week in hospice care after spending six months

in a coma. a private funeral service was held yesterday near atlanta. happening today, city council members are holding the town hall to tackle questions about a deadly legionnaires' disease outbreak. the number of cases climbing now in the south bronx. four people are now dead, 71 others sick. health officials expect to see even more cases. the town hall is tonight, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at bronx museum of the arts. 4:34 just about. time for weather and traffic on the 4s. it's monday morning. as michael says, it was feel more pleasant. i thought so. the humidity is coming back, right? >> compared to what we had over the weekend, it is coming back. it was a fantastic weather weekend. today the mugginess creeps back in. especially by later this afternoon. you can see in the weather headlines, continued hot temperatures near 90 all weekend long. we'll do that again today. tracking a chance for storms tonight and tomorrow. we have a cooldown coming our way deeper into the week.

here's a live look at storm tracker. quiet start out there on your monday morning. this is a cold front across the ohio valley and the great lakes. this will approach the tri-state later this afternoon, especially north and west. sullivan county, northwest new jersey, you have the best chance of seeing showers and storms after 5:00, 6:00 p.m. toward the evening commute. otherwise, hot and humid. a high of 90 degrees. coming up in a few, we'll look at the forecast. here's lauren. >> expect delays and service changes on these. eight detours this morning. one is in brooklyn. seven in the bronx. something to keep in mind. otherwise, things moving along nicely. alternate side rules are in effect. >> lauren, thank you very much. a police officer injured in a chain reaction crash on a jersey city street.

a speeding car going out of control, myrtle avenue and ocean avenue. tracie strahan is in jersey city medical center with what police are telling us. tracie. >> reporter: not a lot so far if we're going to be honest, michael. we have reached out to the police and officials at the hospital. so far, no word on the conditions of the many people struck as a result of that incident, including the police officer. let's show you exclusive video of the chaotic moments before this happened. nearby residents were rushing to aid that officer shortly after that incident. it's confirmed that a car traveling at a high rate of another vehicle. that impact sent the car flying on to a sidewalk where it struck the officer. the chain reaction led to chaotic moments. >> when i was looking that way, i saw people on the floor and cars crashing. the cops came and they're

talking to people, investigating stuff. >> reporter: here you're going to see the driver of the first vehicle that started all of this being handcuffed and put into an ambulance. he did remain at the scene after the accident. police planned on running tests on him x michael, to see if he was under the influence of any drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash. so far, jersey city police saying that the incident remains under investigation. back to you. >> tracie, thank you very much. it's 4:36. the bronx, police are searching for a suspect who took a bag of cash from an unlocked car. happened a little over a week ago. police just released this picture of the suspect and the car he was driving. police say the victim left his suv unlocked while he ran into a bodega at east 178th street in mt. hope. when he came back out, the bag was gone. he tells police there was more than $20,000 in the bag. take a look here. firefighters pulled five

children and their mother out of this burning building in brooklyn. cell phone video shows flames shooting from the windows of building on 96th street yesterday. firefighters found the family trapped on the second floor and pulled them to safety one by one. the cause of the fire is unknown. it's 4:37 now. malaysia's government is asking countries along the western indian ocean to be on the lookout for debris from flight mh 370. that wing flap discovered last week, it's now in france. it will undergo testing on wednesday. it's believed to be from the missing plane. reunion is a french territory. some metal was found over the weekend. it is not believed to be that, though, from the jetliner. president obama plans to announce an ambitious new program to cut air pollution and fight climate change. he wants power plants to reduce their use of coal and step up the production of electricity through solar and wind jean generators. power plants would have to cut carbon emissions by 32% by the

year 2030. opponents promise to fight the plan in court and congress. vice president joe biden said to be closer to entering the race for president. this decision could come as soon as next month. his late son, beau biden, urged him to run just before his death. a biden race would pit him against hillary clinton. many democratic operatives say she's a lock on top party donors. meanwhile, on the gop side, another sign that donald trump is in a runaway lead. nbc news, "wall street journal" poll puts him on top of a crowded field. trump with 19% followed by scott walker and jeb bush. trump, of course, certain to be in thursday's first gop debate. happening today, the queen's library is getting a financial boost. borough leaders are set to allocate $14 million in capital

funds for one of the city's busiest library system. the library needs money for repairs and upgrades, including security cameras. the library is rebounding from a spending probe last year. coming up on 4:40. a big recall that will have you checking your refrigerator this morning. dramatic scene. people trying to escape severe weather hurt when a tent collapses on top of them. they're calling him jaws. where the nypd is searching for a gator in the city. the week is off to a steamy start. weather and traffic on the 4s is coming up. follow us on facebook and twitter. michaelg4ny. darlene4ny. you're watching "today in new york."

it's 4:42. four things to know this morning. city council members are facing questions about a deadly legionnaires' disease in the south bronx. four people are dead and 71 sick. vice president joe biden is considering a run in 2016. we'll have a live report on the growing field and a new poll ahead. that's at 5:00 this morning. it is the second straight week of fastrack work for r-train riders. no overnight service between 95th and 36th streets. you can use the d or n trains or shuttle buses. kraft is recall tens of thousands of cases of cheese. these are the singles american and white american. a piece of plastic could stick to the cheese and create a choking hazard. for more information head it nbcnewyork.com.

4:43 right now. it's about time to check weather and traffic on the 4s. raphael miranda is here, chris is off. >> hi guys. hope you had a great weekend. the weather was amazing if i do say so myself. did you ep joy it? >> i was up in new hampshire. you know for the primary. the weather was fantastic. >> you had the same nice weather, right, michael? >> yeah. it was beautiful. >> it's changing today. it's getting more muggy. the dry, comfortable heat we had saturday and sunday is going away. more of a sticky heat as we head back to work. it's going to be dry for the most part. that's good news. there's a look outside right now. a warm morning. temperatures well into the 70s right now. feels like summer out there. it's 77 degrees this hour in central park. a little bit of a breeze on the plaza. storm tracker, it's a quiet start to the week also. no rain to worry about yet.

the rain well off to the north and west that may approach this afternoon. we'll get to that in a minute. temperatures are mild around the city. 77 city island. 76 tribeca. staten island at 74. sheepshead bay, we have cooler spots well north and west of town. monticello, maybe no ac needed there. 63 there. 60 in sussex. 61 in morristown. cooler readings west of town. sticky cross long island keeping the temperatures in the 70s. 73 in westhampton. july was a hot month. august off to a hot start as well. in fact, we're going to be another above average day today. a high of 90. should be in the mid-80s this time of year. the trend continues. today, tomorrow and beyond. it's not really until end of the week we start to see significant cooldown. let's look at the tracker. by lunchtime, this is 12:00, sunny. comfortable with the higher humidity. this is 5:00 this afternoon. getting ready to head home and notice where the rain is well north and west of new york city. pike county, pennsylvania.

that's where you're going to be running for the showers and storms as you're headed home today. later on into the evening and overnight hours, a few more of the showers could move closer to the city. it's not a widespread rain. not everyone is going to see rain. tomorrow morning, tuesday 8:00 a.m. starts out dry. another hot one with a round of showers and storms tomorrow afternoon. but notice those temperatures. 90 today. 89 tomorrow, still a little uncomfortable with that humidity. wednesday, lower humidity, high of 85 degrees. and then 70s, haven't seen that in a while. thursday, the high only 79 degrees and our cooldown looks like it's going to last into the weekend. let's see how the commute is going. lauren scala has a look. >> good morning. we have a couple of problems out there. an accident on the seaford oyster bay. it may have just cleared. we had flashing lights out there before. it looks like a slow ride. take it easy if you're headed that way. headed to the throgs neck

bridge, two lanes shut down with roadwork. your best bet is to head to the white stone brooij en ne bridge and the hugh l. carey, southbound on the west side highway by rector street, one lane gets by right now. that should be wrapped up about 5:00. just a little longer there. 78 westbound, the tractor-trailer out there by exit 3, route 173 and one lane gets by. be very careful. alternate side of the street parking rules in effect today. and the next weather and traffic update on the 4s. thank you very much, lauren. senator chuck schumer is calling for new safety standards for stretch limousines. it comes two weeks after a limousine accident on long island killed four friends. senator schumer says modified limos or party buses may lack important safety features that other vehicles have. >> when they tear limos apart, stretching them thin, adding tvs, they block emergency exits, weakening the structure of the vehicle.

>> schumer wants the ntsb to take a more active role in limo crashes by sending investigators to the scene of major accidents. a manhunt is under way in memphis, tennessee, for the man who shot and killed a police officer during a routine traffic stop. >> he was armed. the subject bailed out. it was a traffic stop. >> checking. you are advising that the officer is down or the suspect? >> neighbors used the radio belonging to the officer to call for help. the marine corps veteran died later at the hospital. now police say 29-year-old tramayne wilborn is the man who shot that officer multiple times. he's believed to be armed and dangerous. tragedy at a festival in chicago. high winds toppled a tent and killed one person and injured about two dozen others. witnesses say people crowded into the tent at the wood dale prairie festival yesterday afternoon. they were taking refuge from a

hailstorm. the 60 mile an hour winds collapsed that tent and killed a 35-year-old man. three people seriously hurt. 20 others treated at a local hospital. happening now, thousands of homes in the path of a ferocious wildfire north of san francisco. thousands of people remain evacuated at this time. the rocky fire has burned 71 square miles. destroyed more than 50 homes and other structures. more than 21 large fires burning in northern california. the governor, jerry brown, has declared a state of california -- state of emergency emergency in california. a second american investigation -- pittsburgh doctor suspected of breaking the law in zimbabwe. wrongdoing. meanwhile, zimbabwe is that's after a firestorm sparked by the killing of sees sill by a minnesota dentist. police in queens were on the

trail of an alligator in new york on the loose. our viewer sent us these shots of the gator. police named him jaws. he was spotted this weekend in flushing meadows, corona park. they want to find him, get him to an appropriate environment. >> looks small but you want to keep him safe. >> right. it's 4:49. still to come, a notorious road about to get a lot smoother. playing through. ahead at 5:00, why a coast guard helicopter made an unexpected stop at a local golf course. next, a robot that relied on strangers to get around meets its end in the city of brotherly love. what someone did to the hitch bot. you're watching "today in new york."

welcome back. 77 degrees out on a monday morning. news 4 and telemundo 47 are working with animal shelters to clear the shelters. on august 15th, dozens of shelters agreed to cut the cost of adoption for a special one-day event. to find one near you, head to nbcnewyork.com. we want to see your photos as well of a shelter pet that you brought home. send them to share@nbcnewyork.com. horse racing fans packed monmouth park to see the first triple crown winner in 37 years. >> it's american pharoah and he's coming into the final furlong. and he is all by himself. >> yeah. pretty much. american pharoah making it look easy at the haskell invitational. they had a record crowd.

nearly 61,000 people watched american pharoah win by more than two lengths. could have won by much more but the jockey, victor espinoza eased up with the race well in hand. that's how you know you got to the champion. you're like yeah, i'll take it by two lengths. >> isn't at that something? >> what a great story. so many people came out to see this horse. >> it's historic. >> this woman on the radio actually broke into tears. she's so moved. i love horse racing. this is the greatest day. >> if you love horse racing, this was such a treat. >> a superstar. >> absolutely. it was a good day. a check of weather and traffic now with rafi. >> good morning. beautiful weekend and more sunshine coming our way. the hot weather continues. near 90 all weekend long. been a hot streak that we've been dealing with most of july and early august. there's a live look at storm tracker. you don't need the umbrellas unless you live north and west of new york city.

you may see a few showers and storms as you head home tonight. the shorecast, it's going to be a beauty. waves will be a little choppy, though. 3 feet on the ocean. 1 to 2 feet on the sound. breezy winds out of the south. 10 to 20 miles per hour. water temperature is getting warmer. near 80 in some spots. you don't have to be brave to get in there. it's not as bone chilling. uv index is high. you need the sunscreen. small craft advisory in effect this afternoon. we saw these deadly rip current over the weekend. the rip current risk today is high. do not go in the water unless a lifeguard can see you. that's for new york city and long island beaches. high risk for rip current today. a moderate risk for the jersey shore. be aware of that. >> raphi, thank you. >> i went in that water yesterday. it wasn't as cold. i had never been there before. beautiful beach. go. i'm going to tell you where not to go. the belt parkway, you need to take to get to that beach. this is in the other direction.

there's an accident westbound by exit 5. shuts down two lanes. in better news, a live look at the george washington bridge. things are moving along really nicely. no construction out there this morning. the lower level is open. all of your hudson river crossings are in good shape so far this monday morning. >> lauren, thank you very much. last year, new jersey repaved its side of the palisades parkway. now work is scheduled for part part of the new york side. the stretch from bear mountain circle and south to the rockland county border will be repaved this fall. then in the spring, the work will shift to the south to stony point in half straw. no work south to the new jersey border. a robot trying to hitchhike across the u.s. met its demise, two weeks into the journey. we told but it a few weeks ago when it started in boston. went to a red sox game, found its way to new york city. but fell into trouble in philadelphia where a group of vandals apparently decapitated

this friendly robot. the team behind hitch bot said in a statement, sometimes bad things happen to good robots. >> i didn't expect that there was so many people happy to root for hitch bot, to talk about it, to think what it likes. that's wonderful. >> his last tweet read, in part, my love for humans will never fade. before trying to hitchhike -- across canada, germany and the netherland. >> one astronaut admits to a case of high anxiety not from his flight but from president obama. it's scott kelly. he was fielding questions aboard the international space station from people on earth. now, one caught him by surprise. president obama tweeted, do you ever look out the window and just freak out. she responded i don't freak out about anything except getting a

twitter question from you. they're doing a year long experiment. one daughter on earth, one in space. >> you can see the difference how it affects them. 4:57. a virginia couple tied the knot for a second time. >> they're hoping this ceremony leaves a lasting impression. justice and jeremy stamper were married a year ago. terrible car accident caused the bride to lose five weeks of memories. among them a wedding. this weekend the couple made a new lasting memory. they said i do again. >> like i said, the first time, anything that happens, nothing will ever tear us apart. >> friends, loved ones, even strangers helped to pay for the second wedding. they donated a go fund me account. it's a worthy cause. >> coming up on 5:00 a.m. do take us with you. >> keep watching "today in new york" by downloading the news 4 app. our next hour starts right now. today a new push to put an

end to the violence. a community coming together. after more than a dozen people are shot in brooklyn. >> plus, saying goodbye. today, bobbi kristina brown will be laid to rest in new jersey. this morning it's something that most parents have dealt with, but is it a sign of something more serious. what researchers find out about picky eaters. "today in new york" starts now. a lot of people have dealt with this. 5:00 a.m. now. good morning everybody. it is monday, august 3rd. i'm michael gargiulo. >> it is august already. summer is flying by. >> back to school. not just yet. >> we don't want to alarm anyone. >> chris is off this morning. raphael miranda is here with the forecast. that's true. school supplies on sale raphi. >> halloween stuff in the store. >> let's enjoy august and the weather we have. it is warm outside right now. 76. feeling summery outside.

mostly clear skies as you take a look at the forecast today. we're heating it up by lunchtime. near 90 this afternoon and later on this evening, a stray shower or storm. especially well north and west of new york city. the heat continues early this week. we'll take a look at when we'll eventually see a cool down in the seven-day forecast. lauren scala is here with a look at your commute. >> good morning. the roads moving along nicely. lots of green here. a couple of trouble spots, one on 78 westbound. a tractor-trailer fire by exit 3, which is route 173. that still blocks two lanes. one lane getting by in this area of heading over to the belt parkway, an accident shuts down two lanes. westbound by bay parkway. watch out for minor delays through here. we'll have your next weather and traffic update on the 4s. >> lauren, thank you very much. sobering public awareness campaign in brooklyn. a casket is going to be placed outside a brooklyn borough hall. it's response to an outbreak of violence in the borough. brynn gingras is in east new york where nine people were shot this weekend.

when people hear statistics like that, brynn, they start thinking, what's happening. >> reporter: exactly, michael. it's a sobering scene outside brooklyn borough hall. it's needed to get the conversation going about stopping all of this violence. some of it happening right here in the 75 precinct. east new york is where i am this morning. let's look at this surveillance video. this shows some of that violence very clearly. it happens moments -- police say it happened in moments. two men gunned down nine people at a house party that happened early on sunday morning. but take a look at these numbers from the weekend's violence. seven shootings, three people killed. 16 others injured. nine of them from that house party alone. the mayor's office is taking this very seriously. but the community wants more. >> we're tired of standing here saying to the city do something. you got elected to be a mayor of the city. you now have to step up and do your job.

>> reporter: now, this is something the mayor says he is doing, which is beefing up patrols here in the 75 precinct. you can see this police car parked in front of the house where the shooting took place. we're looking at the numbers this morning. from last year at this time, crime has gone up 500% just here in the 75 precinct alone, michael. staggering numbers. >> right, staggering statistic there, brynn. thanks so much. a police officer and several pedestrians are expected to be ago after a wild multicar crash in jersey city. news 4 obtained this exclusive video of the aftermath of the crash. a speeding car slammed into several vehicles hitting a police officer. several other people were hurt as well. witnesses describe a chaotic scene. >> what i was looking for, i saw people on the floor, the cars crashing. very, very bad. there was a lot of people