for nonlife-threatening injuries and emotions that were still shaken. >> she looks okay, but she said her lip hurt a little. >> like scared. they were crying, too. >> authorities say the injuries from this crash range from lacerations to pain in the lower legs, and despite what that driver said immediately afterwards, they weren't ready to blame bad brakes for what happened here. in irvington, new jersey, tracie strahan, news 4 new york. connecticut supreme court has ruled the death penalty unconstitutional. a state ban on the death penalty in 2012 only applied to future crimes. but today's decision means that a 11 inmates currently on death row will not be executed, including two men convicted in the grisly murder of a connecticut woman and her two daughters during a home invasion back in 2007. coming up at 6:00, ida siegal will have reaction to today's ruling. we'll stay on top of the legionnaires' outbreak in the city. and today mayor de blasio released new information and thanked health care workers for how they're handling this

potentially deadly disease. melissa russo is here with the latest. >> reporter: city officials stopped short of calling the legionnaires' outbreak over, but they are calling it contained at this point. take a look at the latest numbers. a total of 121 people have now been diagnosed in this legionnaires' outbreak. that's two new cases identified since yesterday. the death toll remains at 12, where it's been since monday. and to the city's knowledge, there have been no cases of anyone getting sick, as in developing symptoms since august 3rd. no new contaminated buildings or cooling towers the today. the mayor was in the legionnaires' impact zone this afternoon at lincoln hospital, thanking health care staff for their work during this outbreak. and downtown at city hall, the city council was voting on a bill regulating cooling towers. the bill passed unanimously by a vote of 42-0. the centers for disease control called the city's response at this afternoon's news conference to the outbreak swift, diligent,

and robust. >> we think that maintenance of cooling towers is extremely important. if they're not maintained properly, then the legionella in that cooling tower can grow up into large numbers and be released into the atmosphere. >> that legislation passed today will then ensure the future, because every cooling tower will have to be registered, inspected, data will have to be kept, and cleaning will have to be done on a regular basis, quarterly basis. >> we do not expect the case count to go to zero. there will be continue to be the sporadic cases, cases that are not linked to an outbreak, that we see every year in new york city. >> and the city's health commissioner saying, we will not be able to declare this bronx outbreak over, so to speak, until the source is positively identified. they think they know the source, but they're still waiting about another week for tests to confirm it. then, they'll count from the day

that site was disinfected, add a 14-day cushion for an incubation period, and if no more new cases, then they'll consider the city out of the woods. sibila? >> i'll take it here. thank you very much. we're keeping a close watch on this outbreak, melissa. we'll continue to bring you new information as we get it. you can check nbcnewyork.com for advice from doctors. tonight, fires are still burning, possibly sending toxic fumes into the air. at least 50 people, including 12 firefighters are dead, and military chemical experts have been called in. nbc's ian williams has more from tianjin. >> reporter: that explosion was so powerful that it was even recorded by the u.s. geological survey as a seismic event. indeed, some people left their apartments, believing they were in the middle of an earthquake. of course, they then saw the bright lights in the sky, the flash of the explosions, and knew it was something else, but

something perhaps even more horrifying. now, the police have now cordoned off the area. beyond it, about 1,000 firefighters are battling with the continuing blaze. the smoke and the flames going into the night sky. now, the problem they're facing, and it's a big problem, is they don't really know what they're up against. it's a chemical fire, and they're not sure what that cocktail of chemicals is. officials still haven't been able to say precisely what was in that warehouse. and that's also been worrying for local people. because they're concerned about precisely what they're breathing. officials have tried to reassure them, but people remain very, very concerned. as always, the chinese authorities are trying to carefully manage the flow of information about what's going on here. and that really does pose a problem or a likelihood of growing grow ing frustration here. ian williams, nbc news, tianjin. >> ian williams will have a live

report tonight on "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. the fire still smoldering as officials search for the trigger of that blast, tonight at 6:30. imagine being a teenager, spending your summer working all day, and then not getting paid. >> this is apparently what happened to hundreds of teens for not one, but two summers, they rk worked at places like jones beach and citi field, so what happened to their money? >> reporter: we allege that these defendants stole from at-risk teenagers, who did hard wo rk for many hours, for little or no pay. >> reporter: according to court documents, the herron foundation was incorporated by welton herron as a nonprofit focused on helping students in impoverished communities. over the last two years, prosecutors say herron and owens offered summer jobs to more than 100 students from fre freeport, brentwood, and huntington high schools, as well as schools in other cities. prosecutors say they promised the students $9 an hour to work

at concession stands, at nikon jones beach theater, citi field, and mcu park. aeromarc operates concessions stands through the country, and through the nonprofit program, the district attorney's office says the foundation allegedly promised them volunteer workers in exchange for a percentage of concession profits. >> they thought that they were giving money to a charity, which would then use it for their charitable, you know, contributions. >> reporter: the d.a. says aramark paid the foundation $100,000. >> much of which welton herron used to create an online magazine for golf cart enthusiasts and for personal expenses, such as a mercedes, travel, and rent. >> reporter: welton herron and amadi owens both pleaded not guilty during their arraignments today. >> he elicited mr. owens to work for him. i don't think mr. owens knew about this. >> if this court process is allowed to happen and he is defendanted diligently, as he will be, i believe he will be exonerated. >> reporter: i reached out to aramark, but they wouldn't

comment on this case, other than to say that they severed ties with the herron foundation and that they are cooperating with this investigation. as for herron and owens, they are expected back in court next month. in minneola, sheldon dutes, news 4 new york. still ahead as we continue, a big shake up on "sesame street," where episodes of the children's program will air for the first time in 45 years. and the big change you're going to notice when you watch. plus -- >> a popular fishing spot at the jersey shore suddenly shut down after alarming damage is discovered. >> it could have fallen in with people on it. >> i'm ted greenberg and i'm trying to find out when this pier was last inspected. refreshing conditions coming up again tonight. a lot of areas were in the 50s north and west this morning. more to have that is expected, but enjoy it while it lasts. the heat and humidity coming fast. i'll have the details, coming up. >> all right, janice. then at 5:30, hazardous equipment at new york city playground playgrounds. why the neighborhood you live in could determine how quickly things get repaired.

wait until you hear what the i-team discovered, coming up.

a popular fishing spot at the jersey shore is off-limits tonight after dangerous

conditions were discovered. >> part of an old bridge that used to connect the resort with atlantic city, ted greenberg has the story for us. >> reporter: when andy land came to brigantine today, he found his fishing spot blocked off. >> i look and somebody broke in there. >> reporter: numerous broken, rotting, and missing pilings under what's known as the old brigantine bridge, which has been a popular fishing pier since a new span was built in the '70s. >> it's unsafe. it's unsafe. it's very unsafe for anybody to be out there. >> reporter: city officials shut the pier down over the weekend. that's when a police officer found it was sagging after a fisherman told him about its deteriorating condition. >> if he didn't, god only knows, it could have fallen in with people on it. >> reporter: josh and other workers at rip tide bait and tackle say some of their customers aren't happy that the fishing pier is no longer an option.

>> that was the place to go if u didn't have a boat and if you didn't have routes to fish on the beach. >> it will kind of be a bad thing that it's not there for local fisherman, but it is getting a little dangerous, i think. >> reporter: i tried to find out when the pier was last inspected. local leaders tell me it's the state's responsibility. but so far, we haven't gotten any concrete answers from state officials about the pier's maintenance. >> they're going o do an investigation and see if it's safe to reopen. >> reporter: until then, the pier remains empty, except for those with the ability to fly on or off. ted greenberg, news 4, new york. tonight, the parents of a bullied teen who committed suicide are suing their sun's school and the town of greenwich, connecticut. 15-year-old b.a.r.t. palosz shot and killed himself i n 2013 after his first day of his sophomore year. his son was constantly bullied through middle school and high school and the staff did nothing. we reached out to greenwich high school for comment and have not

heard back yet. an mta worker has been ordered to pay a fine. joel grassman admitted to stealing a b ket truck and driving it with the boom extended, knocking down telephone poles, power lines, and trees in el month. and on top of tt big fine, a judge sentenced grassman to five ye sarseprobation. he's already spent seven m ths behind bars. the nfl and player's union do not appear to be any closer to striking a deal over tom brady's four-game deflategate zosuspension. they left thi k urihouse without reaching a settlement today. brady and the nfl commissioner, roger goodel did not attend today's talks, but were in court yesterday for a publi hearing. and a courtroom sketch artist of brady at that hearing are getting a lot of at tention. people online are comparing him to everything from e.t. to lurch from the adams family. the artist apologized to brady and his fans for not making him pretty enough.

she added that brady spent most of the hearing looking down at his cell phone and frowning..>> if you look to the picture, he's certainly frowning. if you're trying to figure out how to get to sesame street, the answer will be three letters, hbo. starting this fall, they'll air new episodes on the premium cable network and its streaming service. the five-year hbo deal will increase the number of episodes from 18 a year to 35. pbs will continue to air the show with new episodes coming on nine months after they hit hbo. >> more elmo, please. now it's donald trump's turn to be fired from the "celebrity apprentice." nbc entertainment chairman bob greenblatt announced today that the show will not be back next season. the popular reality show will return in the future with a new host. nbc cut ties with trump in june after the republican presidential candidate made controversial comments about mexican immigrants. and the number one name in late night will be staying on nbc for six more years.

jimmy fallon signed a deal to host "the tonight show" until 2021. he's been the host of "the tonight show" since february 2014. in a statement, nbc universal president steve berg said fallon has been an important member of the nbc universal family for 17 years. >> i'm glad he's sticking around. that's fantastic. like him a lot. >> i love him. >> we l e jimmy. we love him. all right, we love this weather, don't we? >> mm-hmm. >> do i get an amen on that. >> two thumbs up. >> two thumbs up. yeah, it's really nice out there, definitely. temperatures across the area today into the low to mid-80s. the humidity is still low, so that's always key, of course. we're right on target today for an average daytime high. that doesn't happen often in august, with a high of 83 degrees in central park. of course, we've been telling you about the heat that's coming. it's waiting in the wings. it will be here soon enough. 85 today in newark. 83 in bridgeport this afternoon. laguardia, 86. and islip with a high of 83. so tonight will be cool again. many areas north and west wer e in the 50s again overnight. so very comfortable. no

the temperatures and humidity begin to inlrease tomorrowe and the hazy, hot, humid dog days of summer will be with us, starting this weekend, with temperatures at 90 and higher, continuing into next week. we could possibly get a little heat wave going. 81 right now. it's 76 in seville. right in the low 80s in bridgeport. long brent is a 81. 70s up around new burgh. easant to the north and west. scattered clouds up around poughkeepsie. otherwise, pretty fair across most of de tri-state area. all the way to the jersey shore and down towards washington, d.c., we've got high pressure in control. just a few isolated thunderstorms between albany and burlington and parts of vermont there. but they're not coming to us. clear and comfortable tonight, .th 50s north and west, again, 67 in the city. 87 tomorrow, so you can see the jump egins tomorrow. bright sunshine, though. still expecting nice, sunny weather. there could be an isolated shower or storm late saturday afternoon, saturday night north and west of the city. but overall, it's still sunny

and dry, and getting hotter. by saturday, we're up to 90, 92 on sunday, 93 on monday, and 91, tuesday. that would be more than three consecutive days, which would give us a heat wave starting this weekend. storms are back in full force wednesday into thursday. guys, back to you. >> janice, thank you ver much. you know, it's still summer. >> but listen up, janice, it's beginning to look a lot like christmas in the city. >>e thanta claus and the rockettes kicked off the 2015 radio city christmas spectacular season today with their annual christmas in august event. day do this every august. it's something of a shock. >> they take over sixth avenue and perform classic favorites today including what you're looking at right there, the traditional parade of the ooden soldiers. and like janice ikes to say, the tree will be here in no time. it will her on. >> yeah, all right. it's a good thing the heat wave dihedn't hit already with those outfits. they would really be hot. >> very hot. still ahead, finding the perfect match of pets in need of a home. >> it's a job so many volunteers do at animal shelters across our

area, so what does it take to do it right? and how you can get involved, coming up next. and coming up at 6:00, prepping for a visit from the pope. hundreds of thousands are expected to attend, causing a tr affic n ghtmass for new jersey transit. the travel recommendations that could save you the headache of ma ssive delays. join chuck scarborough and sibila vargas at 6:00.

as you may have heard, we're on a mission to clear the shelters and we need your help. >> this saturday, we are teaming up with local shelters to find loving homes for as many animals a as possible. >> and tonight we're introducing you to some volunteers devoting their time to find the perfect matches. news 4's ray vienna is on the upper east side for us with more. >> reporter: chuck, we are right here with pebbles. she's a shih tzu mix, about one of the 150 pets they have here at the aspca. she's a little shaky, but that's skbrus just her personality. she's 1 1/2 years old and she's one of the many pets here who

want love and attention for pets who want homes. at the astpc on the upper east side, you can't go too far without seeing a lovable face or an adorable kitten. bringing one home starts with the application process. >> we have them fill out a survey, which gives us a general idea of what they're looking for in an animal. >> reporter: adore dorthea hickey knows all about it, she's an adeoption counselor here and is also a volunteer. >> they have to be 18 and attend several classes. >> there are countless ways to help and care. sarah hurley and her family have adopted several pets and volunteer at the local humane society. her earliest memories of her cat, mittens. the 13-year-old knows the importance of finding a loving home firsthand. >> i was grateful that i was adopted and i must be grateful that they were adopted and to get a home to be in and not be on the streets. >> reporter: the day we met, she was given a certificate, a tone of appreciation for the care

she's given countless pets for countless hours. sarah also fosters kittens when they need critical care and socialization. they get a place to be, instead of a shelter to get more sick, if they're sick already, or to get sick, and it gives them a place and gets them used to a home environment. >> reporter: but if you talk to any of these folks, the volunteers, the foster families, those adopting, they'll tell you it's the animals that make it all worthwhile. >> it's an absolute joy when you see people pick an animal that they are going to take home. >> reporter: and you're taking a live look at all of these cats in a playg iround they call mancattan. you can come down here and volunteer to play with them or come and adopt them. i learned about a special program they have theory, one of the many volunteer programs they just started called, they read to the dogs that they've just taken in. it's a way to get their behavior adjusted to humans again. have going n here at the aspca. they want those foster homes, they want those volunteers, and

forevecohomes. we're ve at the aspca. i'm ray villeda, nbc 4 new york. >> they do such great work. ray, thank you. of course, this saturday, august 15th, is the day to mark your ca lendars that's when we're teaming up for hundreds of shelters to find homes for those pets in need. many have agreed to cut the cost of adoptions for that one day event. >> and hundreds of you have sent pictures of your rescue pets. nbcnew rk.com/cleartheshelters and you'll find all the information you need on this very specialievent. linda's her now with a look at what's new at 5:30. >> a local doctor is charged with taking kickbacks for referrals, but prosecutors say it wasn't just cash. wait until you hear what else he's accused of taking as bribes. and trip hazards, broken equipment, and other problems on new york city playgrounds. it's taking months, even more than a year to fix some of these issues. and tonight, new york's bigge i-team investigates why.that could cost you money. >> a> and you constantly waiting for the next train to come?

we'll break dowo which subway lines are the worst when it mes to delays. it's all coming up.

right now on news 4 new york, an i-team exclusive. broken swings, jungle gyms, and cracked blacktop. is new york city falling behind on fixing public parks? a backlog of work orders seems to show just that and it could put you and your kids' safety at risk. >> as the i-team's chris glorioso explains, how fast your local playground gets fixed may depend on where you live. >> reporter: the i-team obtained

a list of thousands of city parks' work orders, and in it we found we often take months, even more than a year to fix serious playground problems. how about 477 days and counting to fix cracks in the pavement that could twist an ankle. just try and follow a 5-year-old, darting and dancing across brooklyn's hickman playground. his little feet are hard to keep up with, but look closer at the ground he's playing on. cracks, crevices, and zig zags in the pavement are all over this park and the city has known about the trip hazard. there was a work order to fix them open for more than 477 days. >> if they do know about it, shame on them for not taking care of it. it's not right to our children, to us. >> reporter: the trip hazards are on a list of 197 work orders that have taken four months or more to close, even though the parks department labeled the

problems ia, immediate attention. also on the list, sharp metal at the top of swing set fences in far rockaway queens. >> there's no reason why work orders to fix playgrounds should be at the bottom of the pile. >> reporter: earlier this year, city comptroller scott stringer issued a claims stat report, showing a 53% increase over the last decade in playground-related lawsuits against new york city. the claims often over trip hazards and broken jungle gyms cost taxpayers more than $20 million in settlements and judgments. >> whether it's claims about your investigation, it's clear that there's a problem with the parks departments maintaining our playgrounds. >> reporter: do you think this data represents a problem? >> i think it represents a problem in a sense that we need to tighten up our internal processes. >> reporter: deputy parks commissioner liam calve vanaugh told us the work order backlog may look worse than it is because of data entry delays. he says often repairs are made, but no one enters them in the computer.