nbc's ron allen remains in ferguson for us tonight. ron, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. it has been a better, calmer day and night here. but there's still a lot of tension on this holiday eve. more national guard troops backing local police have helped. but there's still flash points for violence and confrontation. at this explosive street corner, police clash with protesters. >> it is time to disburse. >> reporter: flames reignite a building. and a retired teacher hopes the business she spent her life's savings to open now in the path of a fire is still there come morning. how do you feel about all this? >> frustrated and disappointed. >> reporter: for now she's giving the young people battling the police every night the benefit of the doubt. >> i don't assume this behavior, but after a while some people only respond with violence. >> reporter: now demonstrators are out day and night from coast-to-coast filling the streets of downtown washington, a major highway blocked in dallas, nearly 200 arrests in los angeles. st

nbc's ron allen remains in ferguson for us tonight. ron, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. it has been a better, calmer day and night here. but there's still a lot of tension on this holiday eve. more national guard troops backing local police have helped. but there's still flashpoints for violence and confrontation. at this explosive street corner, police clash with protesters. >> it is time to disburse. >> reporter: flames reignite a building. and a retired teacher hopes the business she spent her life's savings to open now in the path of a fire is still there come morning. how do you feel about all this? >> frustrated and disappointed. >> reporter: for now she's giving the young people battling the police every night the benefit of the doubt. >> i don't assume this behavior, but after a while some people only respond with violence. >> reporter: now demonstrators are out day and night from coast-to-coast filling the streets of downtown washington, a major highway blocked in dallas, nearly 200 arrests in los angeles. sti

it's where we begin tonight with nbc's ron allen. ron, good evening. >> reporter: good evening to you, brian. this decision has been a long time in coming, some three months, it's finally here in about 30 minutes. there are already protesters gathering outside the ferguson police headquarters, the scene of so many demonstrations. we will finally learn whether officer darren wilson will be char charged with a crime in the death of michael brown. >> it happened on a hot saturday, august 9, very close to high noon, an encounter between a police officer and a teenager that left the 18-year-old unarmed young man dead and ferguson, missouri, in an uproar. >> i got my hands on my head! >> reporter: as word spread, unconfirmed brown had his hands up surrendering. police have said the teenager physically assaulted the officer who acted in self-defense. now, here, a state of emergency. >> whatever the decision comes out, we'll be ready to keep the peace and allow people to have their constitutional rights. >> reporter: the seven men and five w

nbc ron allen has the story. >> reporter: ferguson's already battered main street more businesses adding more protections worried about what happened when prosecutors will announce whether darren wilson will face charges for killing unarmed teen michael brown. >> do you there's going to be a need? >> we're preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. >> they're worried about the repeat of the protests last summer. heavily armed police, random shootings, a terrifying time. >> sales are three times higher than usual at the gun ranges. many first-time buyers like this >> you would use this this. >> yes. >> missouri's governor tried to reassure a nervous public. >> this is america. people have a right to express their views and grievances. but they do not have the right to put their fellow citizens or their property at risk. >>> he said a thousand officers had been trying to deal with nidis tur bans. the national guard will be on standby and officers statewide on alert. county police in charge of protest security say they've spent at least $170,000 on fresh supplies of riot gear, tear ga

ron allen has our report tonight. >> i cried. it was the end for me. >> reporter: darla dixon said she never doubted his fellow troopers would bring eric frein to justice for allegedly killing her son. >> they honored bryon as their brother. he would be very proud of them. >> reporter: now hoping to make sense of all this, investigators can continue digging into frein's past, trying to understand why the 31-year-old unemployed military buff allegedly ambushed the troopers. >> there is no reason that i'm aware of. >> reporter: none at all? >> none at all. >> reporter: police believe he had a grudge against cops, but top state officials say they don't know why. >> my gut tells me he wanted to strike out and we were the most available target because we wear uniforms and primary law enforcement in this area. >> reporter: the impact is still being felt across these resort communities where tourists stayed away as police hunted for frein. how bad has it been? >> it's been awful. >> reporter: elaine says visits at her garden and gift sh

nbc's ron allen has the latest. >> reporter: a passionate group of demonstrators disrupted streets near the courthouse where a grand jury is deciding whether to indict officer darren wilson in the death of michael brown. how do you resolve this peacefully? >> indict the cop. >> reporter: a state of emergency, warning of possible expanded unrest and activated the national guard. hundreds of troops were called in last august, when violence erupted after brown's death. police say all the protests have not been peaceful. >> it has been very hazardous. >> reporter: tension building as police records obtained by the st. louis post dispatch show new video of officer wilson hours after the fatal encounter at a police station. and police radio calls from that day, tracking a robbery suspect. >> 25, it's gonna be a black male in a white t-shirt. he's running toward quick trip. >> reporter: officer wilson asked if he's needed. >> 21 to 25 or 2, you guys need me. >> reporter: later, wilson reports his location, the street where he shot and killed brown. >> 21, put me on canfield with two, and send

>> ron allen starting us off from ferguson. ron, thank you as always. that is the scene outside while inside this grand jury room, a very different scene is playing out. a deliberative process with very specific guidelines to consider. our senior legal correspondent, cynthia mcfadden, here with us in the studio to talk about it. and for those, cynthia, who think this is a slam dunk either way, clear cut, talk about the tough job these grand jurors have and what they must consider. >> well, of course they are not sequestered. they're living in the community that will be so deeply affected by this. their job is to objectively decide what the law and the facts tell us. and we know that michael brown wasn't armed of course. but the missouri law gives very wide latitude to police officers to defend themselves, which means if a police officer reasonably fears that his life is in danger, he's entitled to use deadly force. so that's one thing the jurors are going to have to consider. what is the evidence in relationship to that. the other is that missouri unlik

ron allen is in ferguson tonight and starts our coverage. ron, good evening. >> reporter: good evening n. a letter, officer wilson resigned after saying that staying on the police force was putting his fellow officers at risk but many say after what happened it would be impossible for him to continue working and perhaps even livg anywhere near hill. >> darren wilson, 28 and recently married to another ferguson police officer expecting their first child is no longer with the police force. he has been getting death threats according to his attorneys and he made his decision to offered to minutes after hearing from the police chief that others could be in danger. the chief would not go into details about the threats. >> were there threats to the department and him as well. >> oh, yes. >> you take them seriously? >> yes. >> who made the threat. >> just their capabilities to carry it out. i don't want to go into the analysis. >> and are they still out there? >> oh, yes. >> in a letter wilson said it is my hope that my resignation will allow the c

ron allen is in ferguson tonight and starts our coverage. ron, good evening. >> reporter: good evening n. a letter, officer wilson resigned after saying that staying on the police force was putting his fellow officers at risk but many say after what happened it would be impossible for him to continue working and perhaps even living anywhere near hill. >> darren wilson, 28 and recently married to another ferguson police officer expecting their first child is no longer with the police force. he has been getting death threats according to his attorneys and he made his decision to offered to minutes after hearing from the police chief that others could be in danger. the chief would not go into details about the threats. >> were there threats to the department and him as well. >> oh, yes. >> you take them seriously? >> yes. >> who made the threat. >> just their capabilities to carry it out. i don't want to go into the analysis. >> and are they still out there? >> oh, yes. >> in a letter wilson said it is my hope that my resignation will allow the

>> ron allen starting us off on a cold night in ferguson, missouri. ron, thanks. >>> now we turn to news from overseas with the latest video featuring the murder of an american, a former soldier doing volunteer work. and a mass beheading, a video we will not show, obviously. isis keeps trying to outdo itself in terms of shock value. they remain the face of horror and terror in the modern will. this now ups the pressure to find them and defeat them. we get our report on all of it tonight from our chief foreign correspondent richard engel. >> reporter: in indianapolis friends and family remembered the 26-year-old iraq war veteran who dedicated his life to help victims of war, and paid for it with his own. >> our hearts though heavy are held up by the love and support that has poured into our lives these last few days. >> reporter: peter kassig traveled to syria last year to volunteer as a medic and was kidnapped. in captivity he converted to islam and changed his name to abdul rahman. it didn't help. he was tortured and saw some european cell mates rele

>> ron allen, ferguson, missouri, tonight. ron, thank you again. >>> back east, d.c. we go. the long debated keystone xl pipeline has fallen short of the 60 votes it needed to pass the senate. the oil pipeline, if it were to get the go ahead, would run from canada through the u.s. to the gulf of mexico. had this senate vote gone the other way, the white house has strongly hinted the president would veto it. >>> there is other news from washington tonight. this may be an example of the most they've gotten done at the u.s. capitol in years. perhaps because it's happening over the heads of congress by a hundred feet. we got a rare look at a spectacular restoration project under way. our report on that from our capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell. >> reporter: have you noticed the change? america's symbol of freedom is a monument to pardon our dust. the u.s. capitol dome shrouded in metal and mesh. for months a giant puzzle climbed the outside. today we got a rare close-up view from the rooftop. the dome, dating back to the days of abraham lincoln, is riddled with 1300 cr

brian. >> ron allen starting us off outside the courthouse there. ron, thanks. and as we await the announcement of this decision by the grand jury, let's bring in our senior legal correspondent cynthia mcfadden. cynthia, a grand jury of 12. nine is needed for a ruling, a majority. what have they been deciding? what's the standard? >> brian, obviously a young unarmed black man is dead. so one might think, well, if that's not a violation of the law, what is? the question is the law gives wide latitude to police officers who have to make life and death decisions in split seconds. it gives wide latitude to them. did this police officer reasonably fear that he was in imminent danger? if the grand jury says there's a question of fact about that, then they can bring back an indictment or they can choose not to. that's what they're grappling with. was there reasonable fear of imminent harm. >> we will find out before long later this evening. in fact, cynthia, thank you as always. >>> a shakeup at the top at the pentagon today. the civilian boss of all the men and women

ron allen starting us off, ferguson, missouri, tonight ron, thank you. >>> the official start of winter is still a month away, but for millions it feels like it's under way tonight. as predicted, temperatures are falling fast. in some places 40-degree temperature swings in just a day's time. in other places, it's record snow that's falling. our meteorologist dylan dreyer is live tonight in golden, colorado. hey, dylan, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. the snow is coming down here in golden, colorado. slowing things down on i-70 behind me. the cold, we're just on the western edge of that cold arctic air mass that's moving in that's been responsible for at least four deaths. and the cold that will stick around all week will actually affect nearly every state to the east of here. fierce winds and freezing temperatures blasted much of the nation as a huge arctic air mass pushes south. roads turned to ice in rogers, minnesota. state troopers responding to a jackknifed tractor trailer when another semi skidded out of control and slammed into their squad cars. st. cloud, minneso

that story tonight from nbc's ron allen. >> hands up, don't shoot! >> reporter: a wave of protesters swarmed through a st. louis mall, demanding justice for michael brown and more. >> if black lives don't matter, black friday shouldn't matter. >> not one dime! >> reporter: urging shoppers to shut their wallets and focus on issues like injustice and poverty instead of buying more stuff and best bargain. aren't you pushing it a bit? >> it needs to be pushed a bit. we need to get people's attention. >> reporter: stores closed security gates, shoppers tried to take it all in stride. >> you can shop and learn a little bit about civics at the same time. >> reporter: it must be close to 100 people. so far the police are staying back, letting them do what they want to do. and there haven't been any confrontations. but several hours later police briefly shut down the st. louis galleryia mall. the call to boycott black friday spread on social media, twitter hash tags and videos. >> hands up, don't shop! >> reporter: today burst into life in shopping meccas lik

brian, back to you. >> ron allen about a half mile down the road from us here. ron, thanks. last night in the skies overhead arriving commercial flights were turned away from the st. louis airport due to the threat of stray gunfire into the skies. something we're used to seeing in places like baghdad. and the vests and helmets our personnel brought here are exactly those that we wore in baghdad. this violence was sparked by the widespread feeling that justice wasn't done here. people are asking all day long if there's any other remedy, federal or otherwise, which brings us to our justice correspondent, pete williams. and pete, is there any such thing as a do-over in this case? >> no, this can't be undone or redone. the state criminal case is closed. and the way the grand jury was conducted was very unusual because prosecutors don't normally give grand jurors both sides of a case. but the federal government is still investigating the shooting to see if there's enough evidence to prosecute officer wilson for violating michael brown's civil rights. even so, to bring a federal c

brian. >> ron allen starting us off from ferguson. ron, thank you as always. that is the scene outside while inside this grand jury room a very different scene is playing out. a deliberative process with very specific guidelines to consider. our senior legal correspondent cynthia mcfadden here with us in the studio to talk about it. and for those, cynthia, who think this is a slam dunk either way, clear cut, talk about the tough job these grand jurors have and what they must consider. >> well, of course they are sequestered so they're living in the community that will be so deeply affected by this. their job is to objectively decide what the law and the facts tell us. and we know that michael brown wasn't armed of course. but the missouri law gives very wide latitude to police officers to defend themselves, which means if a police officer reasonably fears that his life is in danger, he's entitled to use deadly force. so that's one thing the jurors are going to have to consider. what is the evidence in relationship to that. the other is that missouri unlike man

nbc's ron allen has our report tonight from blooming grove, pennsylvania. >> reporter: eric frein showed no emotion as a crowd outside his arraignment vented their anger. police leading him away, frein formally charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder. his hands bound with the handcuffs of state trooper bryon dixon who frein killed on september 12th hitting two troopers. >> rot in hell! >> reporter: frein taken to prison in the trooper's squad car. >> what was the real break in this case? >> this was not a result of a tip or sighting, this was the result of ongoing pressure put on frein by law enforcement. >> reporter: it ended for frein outside this airplane hangar on the grounds of a sprawling abandoned resort, some 23 miles from the barracks when a team of ten u.s. marshalls on a routine search spotted frein. >> he turned towards me, saw we were in full kit with rifles, identified myself, he put his hands up. i told him to get on the ground and he got on the ground. >> reporter: police say the survivalist and avid war enactor had planned the attack for years, left a trail

carl. >> ron allen in ferguson tonight, ron, thanks for that. >>> chuck todd will have much more on ferguson and the larger issue of race in america. that's tomorrow morning on "meet the press". >>> a search effort is underway this weekend for an ohio state football player. friends say the 22-year-old walked out of his campus apartment early wednesday and hasn't been seen since. and now there are new questions about whether or not a history of concussions played a role in his disappearance. here's nbc's kevin tibbles. >> reporter: just before kickoff the ohio state buckeyes took a moment to remember one of their own. >> 22-year-old walk-on a kosta karageorge, a first-year football player, has been missing since wednesday. >> reporter: this weekend volunteers handed out flyers near the place where 22-year-old qo -- kosta karageorge osu senior was last seen. >> we need help. instead of two, three, four people out looking for him, we want hundreds of thousands of people out looking for him. >> reporter: karageorge apparently left his apartment at 2:00 wednesday morning telling roommates he was

brian. >> ron allen starting us off from ferguson. ron, thank you as always. that is the scene inside. while inside this grand jury room a very different scene is playing out. a deliberative process with very specific guidelines to consider. our senior legal correspondent cynthia mcfadden here with us in the studio to talk about it. and for those, cynthia, who think this is a slam dunk either way, clear cut, talk about the tough job these grand jurors have and what they must consider. >> well, of course they are sequestered so they're living in the community that will be so deeply affected by this. their job is to objectively decide what the law and the facts tell us. and we know that michael brown wasn't armed of course. but the missouri law gives very wide latitude to police officers to defend themselves, which means if a police officer reasonably fears that his life is in danger, he's entitled to use deadly force. so that's one thing the jurors are going to have to consider. what is the evidence in relationship to that. the other is that missouri unlike man

we start off tonight with our report from nbc's ron allen in ferguson. >> reporter: a passionate group of demonstrators disrupted streets near the courthouse where a grand jury is deciding whether to indict officer darren wilson in the death of michael brown. how does this all end peacefully? >> we're not going to stop. >> reporter: today, missouri's governor declared a state of emergency, warning of possible expanded unrest and activated the national guard. hundreds of troops were called in last august when violence erupted after brown's death. police say all the protests have not been peaceful. >> it's been very hazardous. >> reporter: tension building as police records of police dispatch show new video of officer wilson hours after a fatal encounter. and police radio calls that day tracking a robbery suspect. >> 25, it's going to be a black male in a white t-shirt. he's running toward quick trip. >> reporter: officer wilson asks if he's need. >> 21 to 25 or 22 -- >> reporter: later, wilson reports his location, the place where he shot and killed brown. >> 21, put me on canfield -- >

nbc's ron allen is there. >> reporter: dr. michael baden under a gag order said nothing about his testimony to the grand jury. tasked with deciding whether to charge officer darren wilson for killing michael brown. the browns hired the nationally renowned pathologist. they claim their son was surrendering to police when he was shot and killed. >> there's evidence that shows michael brown had his hands up. >> reporter: there's no doubt about that? >> no doubt about that? >> and forensic evidence as >> reporter: and forensic evidence as well? >> yes. >> reporter: police say brown attacked officer wilson in his police vehicle, fought the officer for his gun and that wilson killed the unarmed teenager in self-defense. also today the brown family pleaded their case before the united nations at a conference about torture in switzerland. >> this fight is not over. i'm not giving up. >> reporter: supporters also there demanding justice. with passions rising, police gearing up and ferguson hunkering down, more calls for peaceful protes

we start off tonight with our report from nbc's ron allen in ferguson. >> reporter: a passionate group of demonstrators disrupted streets near the courthouse where a grand jury is deciding whether to indict officer darren wilson in the death of michael brown. how does this all end peacefully? >> we're not going to stop. >> reporter: today, missouri's governor declared a state of emergency, warning of possible expanded unrest and activated the national guard. hundreds of troops were called in last august when violence erupted after brown's death. police say all the protests have not been peaceful. >> it's been very hazardous. >> reporter: tension building as police records obtained by the st. louis post dispatch show new video of officer wilson hours after the fatal encounter at the police station. and police radio calls that day tracking a robbery suspect. >> 25, it's going to be a black male in a white t-shirt. he's running toward quick trip. >> reporter: officer wilson asks if he's need. >> 21 to 25 or 22 -- you guys need me? >> reporter: later, wilson reports his location, the place

kate. >> ron allen once again in ferguson, missouri tonight. thanks, ron. >>> supreme court justice ruth bader ginsburg has made it home in time for the holiday after a serious health scare. ginsburg was released from the hospital today after undergoing a procedure to put a stint in her heart. a blockage was discovered tuesday after she felt discomfort while exercising. at 81 justice ginsburg is the eldest member of the supreme court. >>> tomorrow, the world will witness a major moment for pope francis, the leader of the catholic church is traveling to turkey where 98% of the population is muslim. but what could prove to be one of the most diplomatically tricky visits since he became pope. our report tonight from nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel. >> reporter: the pope's itinerary may say he's visiting istanbul, but for many christians this will always be constantinople. for thousands of years christians ruled this city. and from it an empire called byzantium. built in the sixth century, its name means holy wisdom. but byzantium w

nbc's ron allen has our report tonight. >> i cried. it was the end for me. >> reporter: darla dixon said she never doubted his fellow troopers would bring eric frein to justice for allegedly killing her son. >> they honored bryon as their brother. he would be very proud of them. >> reporter: now hoping to make sense of all this, investigators can continue digging into frein's past, trying to understand why the 31-year-old unemployed military buff allegedly ambushed the troopers. >> there is no reason that i'm aware of. >> reporter: none at all? >> none at all. >> reporter: police believe he had a grudge against cops, but top state officials say they don't know why. >> my gut tells me he wanted to strike out and we were the most available target because we wear uniforms and primary law enforcement in this area. >> reporter: the impact is still being felt across these resort communities where tourists stayed away as police hunted for frein. how bad has it been? >> it's been awful. >> reporter: elaine says visits at her garden and gift sh

>> ron allen, ferguson, missouri. ron, thank you again. >>> back east, d.c. we go. the long debated keystone xl pipeline has fallen short of the 60 votes it needed to pass the senate. the oil pipeline, if it were to get the go ahead, would run from canada through the u.s. to the gulf of mexico. had this senate vote gone the other way, the white house has strongly hinted the president would veto it. >>> there is other news from washington tonight. this may be an example of the most they've gotten done at the capital for years perhaps because it's happening over the heads of congress. we got a rare look at a spectacular restoration project under way. our report on that from our capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell. >> reporter: have you noticed the change? america's symbol of freedom is a monument to pardon our dust. the u.s. capitol dome shrouded in metal and mesh. for months a giant puzzle climbed the outside. today we got a rare close-up view from the rooftop. the dome, dating back to the days of abraham lincoln, is riddled with 1300 cracks. made of cast iron

nbc's ron allen is there. >> reporter: dr. michael baden under a gag order said nothing about his testimony to the grand jury. taskedith deciding whether to charge officer darren wilson for killing michael brown. the browns hired the nationally renowned pathologist. they claim their son was surrendering to police when he was shot and killed. >> there's evidence shows michael brown had his hands up. >> there's no doubt about that? >> no doubt about that? >> and forensic evidence as well? >> yes. >> reporter: police say brown attacked officer wilson in his police vehicle, fought the officer for his gun and that wilson killed the unarmed teenager in self-defense. also today the brown family pleaded their case before the united nations at a conference about torture in switzerland. >> this fight is not over. i'm not giving up. >> reporter: supporters also there demanding justice. with passions rising, police gearing up and ferguson hunkering down, more calls for peaceful protests and restraint by authorities. >> and that we minimiz

that story tonight from nbc's ron allen. >> hands up don't shoot! >> reporter: a wave of protesters swarmed through a st. louis mall demanding justice for michael brown and more. >> black lives don't matter, black friday shouldn't matter. >> not one dime! >> reporter: urging shoppers to shut their wallets and focus on issues like injustice and poverty instead of buying more stuff and best bargain. aren't you pushing it a bit? >> it needs to be pushed a bit. we need to get people's attention. >> reporter: stores closed security gates, shoppers tried to take it all in stride. >> you can shop and learn a little bit about civics at the same time. >> reporter: it must be close to 100 people. so far the police are staying back letting them do what they want to do. and there haven't been any confrontations. but several hours later police briefly shut down the st. louis gallaria mall. the call to boycott black friday spread on social media, twitter hash tags and videos. >> hands up, don't shop! >> reporter: today burst into life in shopping meccas like new

kate. >> ron allen once again in ferguson, missouri tonight. thanks, ron. >>> supreme court justice ruth bader ginsburg has made it home in time for the holiday after a serious health scare. ginsburg was released from the hospital today after undergoing a procedure to put a stint in her heart. a blockage was discovered tuesday after she felt discomfort while exercising. at 81 justice ginsburg is the eldest member of the supreme court. >>> tomorrow, the world will witness a major moment for pope francis, the leader of the catholic church is traveling to turkey where 98% of the population is muslim. but what could prove to be one of the most diplomatically tricky visits since he became pope. our report tonight from nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel. >> reporter: the itinerary may say he's visiting istanbul, but for many christian ths will always be constant nope el. >> reporter: for thousands of years christians rule thd city and from it an empire called byzantium. built in the sixth century, its name means holy wisdom. but byzantiu

brian, back to you. >> ron allen about a half mile down the road from us here. ron, thanks. last night in the skies overhead arriving commercial flights were turned away from the st. louis airport due to the threat of stray gunfire into the skies. something we're used to seeing in places like baghdad. and the vests and helmets our personnel brought here are exactly those that we wore in baghdad. this violence was sparked by the widespread feeling that justice wasn't done here. people are asking all day long if there's any other remedy, federal or otherwise, which brings us to our justice correspondent pete williams. and pete, is there any such thing as a do-over in this case? >> no, this can't be undone or redone. the state criminal case is closed. and the way the grand jury was conducted was very unusual because prosecutors don't normally give grand jurors both sides of a case. but the federal government is still investigating the shooting to see if there's enough evidence to prosecute officer wilson for violating michael brown's civil rights. even so, to bring a federal ca

that story tonight from nbc's ron allen. >> hands up don't shoot! >> reporter: st. louis mall demanding justice for michael brown and more. >> black lives don't matter, black friday shouldn't matter. >> not one dime! >> reporter: urging shoppers to shut their wallets and focus on issues like injustice and poverty instead of buying more stuff and best bargain. >> it needs to be pushed a bit. we need to get people's attention. >> reporter: stores closed security gates, shoppers tried to take it all in stride. >> you can shop and learn a little bit about civics at the same time. >> reporter: it must be close to 100 people. so far the police are staying back letting them do what they want to do. and there haven't been any confrontations. but several hours later police briefly shut down the st. louis gallaria mall. the call to boycott black friday spread on social media, twitter hash tags. >> hands up, don't shop! >> reporter: today burst into life in shopping meccas like new york's herald square. demonstrators in the aisles of macy's, the world's largest store. and on t

ron allen starting us off, ferguson, missouri, tonight ron, thank you. >>> the official start of winter is still a month away, but for millions it feels like it's under way tonight. as predicted, temperatures are falling fast. in some places 40 degree temperature swings in just a day's time. in other places, it's record snow that's falling. our meteorologist dylan dreyer is live tonight in golden, colorado. hey, dylan, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. the snow is coming down here in golden, colorado. and it's slowing down traffic on i-70 here behind me. the cold, we're just on the western edge of that cold arctic air mass that's moving in that's been responsible for at least four deaths. and the cold that will stick around all week will actually affect nearly every state to the east of here. fierce winds and freezing temperatures blasted much of the nation as a huge arctic air mass pushes south. roads turned to ice in rogers, minnesota. state troopers responding to a jackknifed tractor trailer when another semi skidded out of control and slammed into their squad cars. st.

that may keep people off the streets if decision day comes soon. >> ron allen starting us off in fergus ferguson, missouri tonight, thank you. >>> the official start of winter is still a month away, but for millions it feels like it's under way tonight. as predicted temperatures are falling fast. in some places 40 degree temperature swings in just a day's time. in other places, it's record snow that's falling. our meteorologist dylan dreyer is live tonight in golden, colorado. hey, dylan, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. the snow is coming down here in golden, colorado. and it's slowing down traffic on i-70 here behind me. the cold, we're just on the western edge of that cold arctic air mass that's moving in that's been responsible for at least four deaths. and the cold that will stick around all week will actually affect nearly every state to the east of here. fierce winds and freezing temperatures blasted much of the nation as a huge arctic air mass pushes south. roads turned to ice in rogers, minnesota. state troopers responding to a jackknifed tractor trailer when ano

nbc's ron allen is there. >> reporter: dr. michael baden under a gag order said nothing about his testimony to the grand jury. tasked with deciding whether to charge officer darren wilson for killing michael brown. the browns hired the nationally renowned pathologist. they claim their son was surrendering to police when he was shot and killed. >> there's evidence shows michael brown had his hands up. >> there's no doubt about that? >> no doubt about that? >> and forensic evidence as well? >> yes. >> reporter: police say brown attacked officer wilson in his police vehicle, fought the officer for his gun and that wilson killed the unarmed teenager in self-defense. also today the brown family pleaded their case before the united nations at a conference about torture in switzerland. >> this fight is not over. i'm not giving up. >> reporter: supporters also there demanding justice. with passions rising, police gearing up and ferguson hunkering down, more calls for peaceful protests and restraint by authorities. >> and that we minim

nbc's ron allen is in ferguson this morning. ron, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, craig. after several days of relative peace and calm, protesters returned to the ferguson police headquarters last night. 16 arrested for blocking the street. on black friday, more staged an event there. the wave of protesters surged through the st. louis mall demanding justice for michael brown and more. >> if black lives don't matter, black friday shouldn't matter. >> reporter: urging people to shut their wallets and focus on justice and policy instead of buying more stuff. >> you can shop and learn about civics at the same time. >> reporter: it must be close to 100 people. so far the police are staying back letting them do what they want to do. several hours later, police shutdown the st. louis galleria mall. the call to boycott black friday on social media. twitter hash tags li like #blackoutblackfriday. it shot up in new york's time square and then the magnificent mile in chicago. >> it is silly when people's lives are wrecked

nbc's ron allen is joining us live from ferguson with everything happening there right now. ron, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, eun. the governor declared a state of emergency ahead of the announcement to protect public safety and be ready and prepared for the eventuality that says the authorities are preparing for a con front nation, but the governor says he has to be prepared. th decision could be coming any day now between mid to late november. we are right in the timeframe. there are protesters out on the streets mostly peaceful, but nobody is sure what is going to happen when that decision comes. many people hoped there was advanced warning. families here want to be prepared for whatever happens. >> ron allen, thank you. >>> you can see more of ron's story on all of the developments in ferguson coming up at 7:00 on the "today" show after "news4 today." >>> i'm angie goff at the live desk with breaking news right now. we just got word that israel is going to allow citizens to carry arms for self-defense reasons following an attack on a synagogue in jer u lem ea

lester. >> ron allen this morning in ferguson. thank you. >>> let's look at the other headlines this morning. sheinelle is following those for us. good morning. >> good morning to you. the chairman of the u.s. joint chief of staff in baghdad this morning after touching down in an unannounced visit. martin dempsey is considering puts troops on the frontlines to fight isis. this comes a day after the battle field victory. >>> violent extremism is a concern of president obama in brisbane. he called on asian nations to confront the biggest challenges, including climate change. week long stops included china and myanmar. >>> some frightening moments on the alaska airlines flight. the boeing 737 with 150 people hit the bird shortly after takeoff in oakland and returned to the airport without incident. >>> doctors in omaha, nebraska are preparing to treat the third ebola patient this morning. the patient is a surgeon flying in from sierra leone where he contracted the virus. his wife lives in maryland. >>> now to a suburb outside denver

ron allen reports. >> reporter: many of the heart of ferguson is hunkered down fearing the repeat of the violence that followed brown's death. now as the grand jury hears from its final witnesses, now under court order not to discuss his testimony. protesters gather in training sessions preparing to take to the streets. >> people are working to find the confidence they need to go out there despite their fears. >> reporter: at this gun shop and firing range, they say sales are running three types above normal. police who faced intense scrutiny for operating more like soldiers than cops say they respect the rights of demonstrators. >> what we won't tolerate is when people start acts of violence, start to infringe upon the rights of others. >> reporter: caught in the middle, ordinary residents. >> people think ferguson, danger, danger. we want to be supportive. >> reporter: you want to be here? >> we felt safe. absolutely safe. >> reporter: this week the brown family took their case to the u.n., testifying about their son at a conference on torture. >> this fight is not over. i'm not gi

>> i think you will see a softer approach and i'll just leave it at that. >> reporter: ron allen, nbc news, ferguson. >>> d.c. police are keeping a close eye on what happens in ferguson. they said, as the nation's capital, we realize individuals may come to our city to express their first amendment rights. we want to ensure they do so in a lawful and peaceful manner. >>> bullets flying everywhere. that's how neighbors described a shooting that left a 19-year-old dead. two teenagers were shot outside a home on keating drive early sunday. 19-year-old christopher weaver was killed. the other victim is 15. he's expected to be okay. one neighbor told us the whole thing was just unbelievable. >> i lived on this street since '85, you know, i've never seen anything like this. this is crazy. i mean, i hope they catch him and prosecute him to the fullest extent. >> police have not arrested anyone but investigators do not think this was random. >>> searchers are once again looking for two virginia teenagers. 17-year-old alexis murphy who disappeared in 2013 and samantha clark who disappeared in

ron allen remains on the scene for us in ferguson. ron, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. there's been a lot of concern here that outsiders and extremist groups may use the situation here to incite violence. two men arrested possibly on weapons charges. a very intense time with protesters and police in riot gear squaring off outside police headquarters in ferguson again last night. some clashes, some arrests. as you know, the governor declared a state of emergency here. some schools in the area have said they will close monday and tuesday in anticipation of a possible grand jury decision and perhaps more unrest. the concern spreads beyond ferguson that protests being organized in 100 cities across the country from san diego to boston and smaller communities in between. lester. >> ron, the courts i know are closed right now. is it possible the grand jury has decided this case and we are actually waiting for a public announcement? >> reporter: indeed. there have been many calls for a weekend announcement from the prosecut

. >> that was nbc's ron allen. in about an hour from now michael brown's parents will hold a press conference at that time united nations human rights conference in geneva. yesterday they addressed a u.n. private session. >>> a bizarre move by the democratic-led senate. it looks like they're too busy to approve the nomination for attorney general. if the democrats insisted on putting her up, she would be confirmed in all likelihood as attorney general. apparently they're not going to do it. instead they'll entrust mitch mcconnell with the approval progress. harry reid is pushing forth lake duck legislation. a positive note on the xl pipeline is thought to improve democrats chances. mary landrieu has urged the administration to approve the pipeline. >>> a florida sinkhole that has already swallowed an entire car could be much worse than first thought. it's on the right of the screen here. right in someone's driveway, six families had to evacuate because of it. now a second hole, this one in the street 25 feet away.

. >> ron allen joins me now from ferguson. ron, this is really a he said/he said. we have -- though we don't have the witness, michael brown obviously was killed, but we have the people speaking for him and saying what the prosecutor failed to do was cross-examine these witnesses. that he acted more as a defense lawyer for the policeman rather than in the traditional role of a prosecutor with a grand jury. >> exactly, andrea. and it's to some extent, all of this is moot because the case is closed, it's done, the evidence that the grand jury looked at has been released to the public. the brown family cannot go back there again. they have to take this to a different level. although, they are really being very, very critical of the process here. and so maybe that will change. but, yes, the local prosecutor bob mccullough did this in the interest of openness and transparency and giving the jury everything possible. but at the same time, the role of the prosecutor is to usually guide the grand jury to a decision that the prosecutor wants to bring them to. and in his dis

gray, ron allen brought up the anxiety of the process of the grand jury. to be effective, they need to be secretive. what are you concerned about in the process? are you concerned about the secrecy or that they are not going to indict? >> i'm not concerned they're not going to indict. i'm concerned about the process itself. there seems to have -- like you said before, there's a level of distrust over the process and those that are involved in the process that i think that that's adding a level of anxiety to this whole situation that doesn't have to be necessary had they done things a little bit differently in the beginning. >> do you believe if there's a trial, even if it's a trial that the cop is found innocent, mr. wilson is found -- officer wilson is found innocent, that having the trial itself will be therapeutic for the community? >> i think it may be therapeutic. but you got to understand, chuck, there are people that are locked and loaded into how they feel about this situation. anything short of reaching their full expectation will just never be sa