michelle is a beautiful, bright, intelligent young lady. >> reporter: le's classmates at samuel merritt told investigators she planned to spend the three-day weekend in reno with a female friend but never showed up. instead she took a break from her clinical rotation at kaiser hospital friday night at about 7:00 o'clock and left the building. a surveillance camera shows what is believed to be her vehicle. police later found the car similar to this one parked less than half a mile from the hospital on a residential street locked with a laptop computer and other valuables inside. >> i think it's suspicious and i think any normal individual would think it's suspicious as well, simply that her car was taken from the parking lot and parked a short distance away, albeit, secured, and just left there. >> reporter: co-workers and friends told police it's out of character for le to vanish and not tell anyone where she's

going. police say she does not he have any apparent psychiatric conditions that could account for her disappearance. le's brother has been too upset to talk to the media. >> the whole entire family is very distraught right now and we're all hoping that, you know, for a positive outcome. but her brother is also wanting to make sure that we don't in any away jeopardize this investigation. >> reporter: and police do not have any indication that a crime was committed but they are calling michelle le's disappearance suspicious. if you have any information on her whereabouts, you're asked to contact the hayward police department. live in hayward. monte francis, nbc bay area news. we will never forget. across the nation, people spent the day remembering men and women who have died in the service of our country. and memorial day tributes were held all over the bay area today as well. ♪ this was the scene at mountain view cemetery in oakland. hundreds packed the 148-year-old

resting ground. there are veterans from as far back as the war of 1812 buried here. many stories of sacrifice were passed on to a new generation and scouts received a lesson in history. today also marked the presidio dating back to the war with mexico. more than 45,000 are buried there. today's event was a memorial for world war ii veterans, more than 2500 people participated in the ceremony today. and in walnut creek, family and friends remembered service people missing in action. more than 80,000 american soldiers are still m.i.a. the majority of the missing served during world war ii but still more than 1500 military personnel missing from the vietnam war. today was filled with memories, both touching and terrifying, for dozens of veterans, a retirement community in palo alto.

nbc bay area's maryann favreau takes us to their touching tribute as they reflected on surviving world war ii. ♪ oh, beautiful >> reporter: on this memorial day, this classic song was a reminder of those who fought for america, "the beautiful." a ceremony at the channing house paid tribute to those who lost their lives fighting for their country. >> it gives us an opportunity to honor the veterans that have died and the veterans that are still alive and give us a little more to be proud of as far as being americans. >> reporter: 88-year-old herbert hammerslau organized the event. the world war ii veteran wanted to make sure we didn't forget the fallen soldiers, his friends. >> i'm the last of my gang that went overseas. a bunch of us, last name started with "h" and i'm the only one around. >> reporter: a second lieutenant in the marines, marly survived battle in okinawa in 1945. >> we started up and about three

step, the next thing i know i'm flat on my back, blown ten feet down the hill. >> reporter: a japanese mortar shell hit him in the legs. he's been paralyzed on one side ever since. still, he considers himself lucky. >> in may, total american casualties were running 4,000 a week. >> reporter: which is why more than 77 years later, these 24 notes still give him chills. ♪ >> reporter: maryann favreau, nbc bay area news. >> so emotional. now, hammerslau says his biggest hope is that the united states can learn from the sacrifices and the lessons of past wars. and in our nation's capital, moments of somber reflection, president obama led the nation in a ceremony at articlingson national cemetery. roughly 300,000 americans are

buried at arlington after giving their lives defending our country. >> we remember that it is their courage, their unselfishness, devotion to duty that has sustained this country through all its trials and will sustain us through all the trials to come. >> that devotion to duty includes the lives of more than 6,000 members of the military killed fighting wars in iraq and afghanistan. president obama took a moment away from his memorial day commemorations to announce he's nominated someone new to the joint chiefs of staff, general martin dempsey. he commanded troops in the iraq war and spent nearly 40 years in uniform. he will be the top military adviser to the president and his national security team. if the nomination is confirmed by the senate, dempsey will replace admiral mike mullen when he steps down this fall. there's a setback for governor brown's plan to close a fourth of the state parks to save money.

they receive federal money that requires the parks to remain open. the national parks service says the funding is like a contract. the affected parks include castle rock state park in santa clara county, twin lakes state beach in santa cruz, portola redwoods as well as candle stick point near san francisco. not a rosy picture for libraries in oakland, some may be forced to close after a drastic budget cutting proposal. the mayor has suggested slashing 14 of the city's 18 libraries, including the african-american museum and library, unless unions agree to cut their pay or the voters approve an $11 million parcel tax. the proposal has drawn many library supporters to action. they've demanded the parcel tax be placed on the ballot. the libraries that would remain open include the 81st avenue, the diamond and rock ridge branch. we've seen a slight dip in gas prices over the last couple of weeks but don't expect that

to last. jpmorgan chase and goldman sachs have placed their energy bets for the summer, they are predicting prices to bounce back up and then reach $5 a gallon. now, some analysts disagree with the forecast and say prices will stay even or drop further. experts say every 50-cent jump in the cost of gas takes $70 billion out of the u.s. economy over the course of a year. while the price at the pump is also hurting us, getting the meat and potatoes to the store from the farm. home cooks got less burger for their buck with the price of ground beef up 12%. even the lettuce that goes on that patty up 28%. and don't even bother slicing up a tomato. they cost 86% than they did last year. the total cost of a picnic for 12 this year? $199. 45 bucks more than last year. and that's not counting the beverages. coming up, the economy has forced many people to become do

it yourselfers. sadly, one of the many things they end up doing is injuring themselves. see how to avoid the e.r. when you diy. plus four people killed in two cities. new information about the deadly violence that hit the east bay and the south bay over the weekend. and a new study that may ease your mind, researchers have ruled out one possible cause of multiple sclerosis. on, i'm ftod after chief meteorologist jeff ranieri on this memorial day, a mix of sun and clouds and we're also looking at some bigger changes here. tonight, showers are moving into the bay area, and we'll talk, yes, about more sierr ev s t even thunderstorms. it's going to be wild this week, coming up. t

oakland police are investigating why deadly gunfire broke out near the headquarters of a local motor cycle club sunday night around 9:30 near the 88th avenue and international boulevard. police officers found three people with gunshot wounds near the clubhouse of the east bay dragon, a man and a woman are dead. a 28-year-old san leandro woman is critically wounded. the 29-year-old man was killed, was also from san leandro. the dead woman was a 28-year-old mother of two from union city. investigators believe the victims attended the annual barbecue which turned into a side show involving speeding motorcycles and cars. it was also a violent weekend in the south bay where two families were ripped apart in separate shootings. an 18-year-old was stabbed and a mother of five was shot and killed while driving in her car. there was a candlelight vigil held for the recent high school

graduate vincent le, police say the stabbing was gang related. police are still looking for a motive in the shooting death of 35-year-old melissa ross. someone opened fire on her in south san jose. both incidents happened on saturday. no arrests have been made in either case. while those infamous fema trailers that house so many left homeless after hurricane katrina swept through new orleans could be traveling to joplin. the federal reserve emergency management agency says if enough existing rental housing cannot be found for missouri victims, those trailers will be brought in. adequate housing isn't available even within a 55-mile radius. but even the trailers aren't an easy solution because of the time it could get to get water, sewer and elect cal hookups for the trailers. six years after katrina, many gulf coast residents are still living in fema trailers. portable trailers have an alabama town in an uproar.

april 27th they lost most of their buildings including city hall. while many residents are still camped out in tents, the mayor has placed a ban on single wide mobile homes, saying he doesn't want to see run down trailers a few years down the road. angry residents are now circulating a petition to remove that mayor from office. stress does not lead to multiple sclerosis, that finding contradicts past research. after accounting for age, ethnicity and smoking, researchers found stress did not increase the risk for multiple sker los is in side members, even those who reported severe abuse. experts say this new finding allows them to look at other factors that may play a role in the development of ms. while the american academy of pediatrics has taken a firm stand against energy drinks for kids. the doctors group even has something to say about sports drinks like gatorade. are they really necessary for young athletes?

nbc's erica edwards takes a look. >> reporter: when athletes sweat, they need to replenish water and electro lights lost during intense games or workouts. but a new report finds many teens are confused about the best ways to rehydrate and are turning to high caffeine energy drinks instead of water or even sports drinks like gatorade. >> energy drinks have no place in the diet of children. >> reporter: pediatricians say the high level of caffeine and other stimulants found in energy drinks can be addictive and may lead to increased heart rate, blood pressure and anxiety. >> we don't really know what caffeine does in large quantities, we don't know what it does over a period of time to a young, developing body. >> reporter: experts say even sports drinks should only be used in rare instances. for those high-level athletes who are exercising for more than an hour. for the vast majority of kids, the report finds sports drinks simply translate into unnecessary calories and sugar. contributing to obesity and

tooth decay. >> they have a low ph, and that means basically they are more acidic. >> reporter: the american beverage association agrees with the new report saying that while sports drinks may have their place on the playing field, energy drinks are not meant for young consumers. it may not be a splashy or colorful, but experts say the best way to rehydrate is good old-fashioned h2o. erica edwards, nbc news. i think we needed hot chocolate this weekend instead of gatorade, jeff ranieri. >> yeah, it felt more like february and march out there. we've only had two 80-degree days in the east bay for all of may. our average temperature is about 80 degrees, so we're well below that, mark. while we did have some sunshine across the bay, temperatures are about 15 degrees off the mark. 61 right now in the city of san francisco. and, yes, i've pulled out the radar today and as it scans

around, it is dry, but we are monitoring showers to the north that will be impacting our forecast in the next 24 hours. right now, numbers are down here with this westerly flow and cooler air aloft. 60 san mateo, 65 livermore and 66 concord. let's look at tonight. clouds are increasing and throughout tuesday, chance of showers returning back in the forecast and it's going to stay on the cool side with only 60s here. ahead, we're not going to be done after we head throughout tuesday. a chance of thunderstorms and more below average temperatures, and even the possibility of sierra snow. here's the latest system that's going to be pushing across this cool air and showers from the north to south bay, keeping those temperatures once again in the 60s and throughout wednesday that's when we'll look altogethat the isolated storms coming back in the forecast. tonight, around 11:00 p.m., a slight chance of showers for the north bay but most of us should stay dry. it's for tomorrow morning around 5:00, 6:00 and 7:00 a.m. we'll

see more chances of scattered showers throughout the east bay and south bay. it's not going to be widespread nonstop rain, but those showers that pop up, depending on where that isolated activity occurs. throughout 11:00 a.m. the clouds and isolated showers stay with us. by 5:00 p.m., forecast models have the sun coming back up. but we're going to stay in this pattern for the next two days, or we could pick up a tenth to a quarter of an inch for the hills at this point. okay. if you're doing any traveling or know anybody coming back to the bay area, we are watching severe weather around minneapolis, but tornado watch boxes are out, so if you're flying to chicago, minneapolis or st. louis that could potentially delay you. all right. for tomorrow morning, a little bit of slick spots that may delay you as well, clouds are staying put and 59 degrees. as far as tonight goes, a little bit cool down for los gatos with 47. 50 santa cruz, 48 napa, 48 san rafael, and 47 in santa rosa.

and for tomorrow, on our tuesday, as most of you get going after the three-day memorial weekend, well, temperatures are going to be once again on the cooler side with mid-60s here in the peninsula, 64 san mateo, and low 60s in san francisco. our inland spomts, not warming up much at all. only 66 in concord, 64 napa, and santa rosa, 65, novato, 62. this unusual stretch of cooler weather, it stays in our forecast even saturday and sunday, low 70s. that's not really where we should be this time of year. and chance of showers friday, saturday and sunday in the extended forecast. so keep the umbrellas close by and keep hoping and wishing for some 80-degree weather. >> keep wishing and ep whoing. >> yes. that's all i can say. >> and i'll click my heels. >> come on. get them going. >> thank you very much. now, summer weather may not be with us, but when it comes, millions of americans will be

diving into home improvement projects. sometimes on their own. but not all of us are bob villa. >> reporter: for those of you wanting to tackle home improvement pro equity judges yourself, at least try avoid imitating the michael keaton character in "mr. mom." >> add a whole new wing on here. going to rip these walls out and, of course, rewire. >> making it 220? >> yeah, 220, 221, whatever it takes. >> reporter: many have learned the hard way, do it yourself projects can cost you physically and financially. >> people have tried to save money by doing things themselves, and what ends up happening is that they potentially get hurt or spend more money because they've done the project wrong. >> that's founder of angie's list. her website's more than happy to help you find a contractor, and she can show you what can go wrong if you don't know how to use a nail gun. or what your wall will look like

if, when hanging a shelf, you drive a nail through a water pipe. but if you insist, a few words of advice. starting with tools that can be difficult or dangerous. >> because these are tools that professionals normally use. and if you're not skilled to use them, you could potentially really hurt yourself. >> reporter: then ask yourself this question. how much am i going to spend to hire a contractor versus buying the supplies and doing the project myself. >> reporter: and she says always figure in how much longer it will take you than the pro to actually finish a project. chris clackum, nbc news. >> hick says the economy has forced some people into do it yourself projects and many of those home improvement shows make those projects look just too darn easy. >> i agree with that. hackers get into a well respected website. we'll show you what they did and why. >> and will she or won't she see what sarah palin did today that has rumors swirling about her political future.ri dounk y w m

to avoid at the next picnic if you want to keep all those mosquitos away.

well, tonight's space shuttle "endeavour" is on its way home for the last time. today the shuttle undocked from the international space station. for the past two weeks repairs were performed. the shuttle is scheduled to return to earth on wednesday, and it will be retired from the flight after this mission. the u.s. shuttle program only has one flight left, the shuttle "atlantis" is scheduled to launch later this summer. more speculation tonight that sarah palin may run for president. the former alaskan governor is in the midst of a national bus tour. she made a stop at the national archives in d.c. this morning. palin says she's visiting historic sites to pay tribute to america's rich heritage. her trip wasn't very well covered by the media because she didn't give out an advanced copy

of her itinerary. >> rapper tupac shakur alive and well in new zealand? according to a pbs website, a story that you guessed it, was a fake. pbs officials say hackers posted the phony story claiming shakur was alive. the fake report has since been pulled from the website. tupac shakur who lived in the bay area for some time was shot and killed in las vegas almost 15 years ago. a rapper known for the song "beautiful girls" is in the hospital after a jet ski accident in south florida. sean kingston and a female passenger were rushed to the hospital after a jet ski he was riding on crashed into a bridge. a good samaritan pulled kingston and his friend to safety. have you ever given some thought to the issue of why squp motouiles target some people and

not others and who exactly makes the juiciest target? we're going to let you know coming up why. a

as we inform into summer, listen to this one. finally a look at why some of us are magnets for mosquitos while others rarely get bitten. >> experts say 20% of the population is highly attracted to mosquitos, the independensect dark colored clothing, then go for the smell. we're talking about the carbon dioxide here. people with higher metabolic rates, that's the word i was looking for, produce more carbon dioxide and are better landing spots. experts also say the bugs are more attracted to people after they drink beer. people tend to breathe a little

harder after a cold one. two myths, eating bananas will not attract mosquitos and vitamin b 12 will not repel them. >> thanks for joining us. "nightly news" is next. t ghey aearetuea aay ba ier on the front lines of the war in afghanistan. coming up next. bye-bye.

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