on great car deals. >> the professional auction near sets the price for the vehicles but the minimum bid can change depending on the bidding. and it is open to the public. "nbc nightly news" is next. then more local news on the bay area at 6:00. see you then. good night. on iowa, where for the first auto time voters are having their say. while in south carolina, another big name jumps in threatening to shake up the race. kidnapped. an american man abducted from his heavily guarded home in pakistan. how did it happen? paying the price. good news at the gas pump that could mean more money in your pockets. mob scene. what's behind the string of random violent attacks in a major american city? and love at first sight. a new take on speed dating. this time for man's best friend. captions paid for by

nbc-universal television good evening. we have arrived at an early gut check moment for those republican candidates hoping to unseat president obama next year. tonight in eye warks the vote counting is over and the ames republican straw poland michele bachmann has won the campaign season's first chance for voters to weigh in on the gop field. the results are a big jolt in the arm for bachmann's campaign and may soon be bringing other campaigns to an early end. but even the day's frontrunners will be looking over their shoulders at the newest entrant into the race who far from iowa stole much of the day's spotlight. our coverage begins in iowa with nbc's kelly o'donnell. kelly, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. the headline is michele bachmann pulled off a win in the state in which she was born narrowly defeating ron paul.

the real story may be what happens to tim pawlenty. he came in third after investing so much here. interest was high. there were nearly 17,000 votes cast. >> republicans, welcome to ames. welcome to the 2011 iowa straw polls. >> reporter: unofficial, but very influential. >> i hope it's more than great food and a lot of sound bites. >> there were crowd pleaser lines. >> be grateful that you're from iowa. >> from iowan-born michele bachmann. >> i'm always grateful i'm an iowan. i believe it's time we have an iowan in the white house. >> reporter: businessman herman cain has never held office. >> i have been criticized because i have not had any direct foreign policy experience. and the guy we have there now has? >> without the federal government down on our backs and in our wallets, it's time we restored freedom to america. >> reporter: the real action was

outside. >> bachmann voters if you're ready to vote, follow me. >> long lines around this carnival atmosphere. thousands came for the novelty and the chance to meet today's republican presidential fields. candidates hosted tent parties. >> i think that michele bachmann has a lot of things to offer for the united states. >> where campaigns provided music, food. >> good afternoon. we're having a good time in iowa. >> and the $30 fund racer ticket to actually cast a straw vote. >> who are you backing? >> tim pawlenty. >> why? >> because i think he has the answers. >> tim pawlenty tried to show strength with an army in green t-shirts. >> what are you hearing from people? >> people are having a combination of fun and about trying to get our country back on track. people are enjoying it but serious about the fact -- it's

got to get fixed. >> reporter: iowa voters know their choice today could push weaker candidates out of the race. >> we need to get it down to the cream of the crop and find out who we all believe is the cream of the crop so they can go on. >> reporter: and a compelling story in the balance farther down. mitt romney got 567 votes. his name did appear. but governor rick perry of texas was a write-in. more people voted for him. 718 votes and he just joined the race today. lester? >> kelly o'donnell, thanks to governor perry not all the political spotlight was on ames. in charleston, south carolina today, governor perry tried to shake up the gop race with his announcement that he too is now running for president. tonight he's already at work campaigning in the early primary state of new hampshire. nbc's kristin well ker is there. >> america is not broken. washington, d.c. is broken.

>> the invigorating the republican field. texas governor rick perry makes it official in south carolina. >> with the support of my family and unwavering belief in the goodness of america, i declare to you today as a candidate for president of the united states. >> reporter: today the former air force pilot and father of two made the case that his record in the lonestar state qualifies him to lead. >> since june of 2009 texas is responsible for more than 40% of all of the new jobs created in america. >> today he cast himself as the anti-obama, advocating low taxes and small government. >> we have to quit spending money we don't have. we need to get your fiscal house in order and restore our good credit. >> some polls already show perry running second to mitt romney. >> that's a new threat now to mitt romney. somebody of substance who can probably raise some money, put together a national network and

is a great campaigner. >> still, he is untested on the national stage. >> lord, you are the source of every good thing. >> perry recently raised eyebrows for leading a prayer rally in houston, appealing to the christian rights but some saw it as blurring the line between church and state. >> the president of the united states, george w. bush. >> perry first took over the governor's mansion in 2000 when george w. bush left for the white house. perry won the office outright three more times. and while he may sound a lot like his predecessor in austin, the two texans are actually quite different. >> he is much more conservative than george bush was. whereas, bush portrayed himself as a uniter. not a divider. perry is more of a divider. >> reporter: now, perry just arrived at this house in greenland new hampshire for a meet and greet. tomorrow he heads to where else?

iowa. lester. >> kristin in new hampshire, thank you. moderator and meet the press david gregory joins us from ames, iowa. does governor perry's entrance into the race diminish the significance of finishing among the frontrunners. >> splits the screen. governor perry is coming in at a time when there's a lot of republican money on the sidelines and there's still a lot of excitement yet to be generated among republican primary voters who don't love the field right now. they know that this is a high stakes election and the republican primary voters don't like president obama. he's coming in at a good moment. >> the name of the game, of course, is fundraising at this point. if you're near the bottom of the pile tonight and then rick perry gets into the race, are you looking at a nail in the cough infinally? >> yes, i think you are. it's a test of viability, a test of organization in iowa. if you're not breaking through in the polls and getting a lot of media attention and not raising the money, like i said, it's still on the sidelines, you

have some problems. this is the first test for governor perry. how much money can he raise and how quickly? it's august of 2011 not 2012. we have a long way to go in this race. but the early metrics have to do with how much of a campaign war chest any candidate can build up. >> finally. i have to ask you about sarah palin. she's been showing up at the right places but she continues to play coy with the issue if she's running. with ames defining the front-runner and governor perry in the race, is she running out of time to make a call? >> no question about it. sarah palin is more or less a sideshow. someone who gets a lot of attention but still a sideshow. she is not doing the kinds of things that you would expect to actually make a run for the presidency. but she does have access to money and a lot of grassroots. you can't count her out yet. >> david, thank very much. want to let folks know much more on the iowa straw poland presidential politics tomorrow morning on meet the press. live from iowa. congresswoman michele bachmann

will be among david gregory's guests. turning now to the brazen kidnapping of an american contractor in pakistan. taken from his heavily protected home in the middle of the night by a band of armed gunmen. it occurred in eastern pakistan. our chief foreign correspondent richard engel has the report. >> reporter: around 3:45 a.m., pakistani police say as many as eight heavily armed men kidnapped american contractor warren wine steinfrom his home in pakistan. weinstein, who just turned 70 last month, was highly experienced in international aid work. he had been taking precautions. he lived in an upscale neighborhood in a villa surrounded by walls with a metal gate and guards. it wasn't enough. just last week, the u.s. state department issued a warning that said kidnapping in pakistan usually for ransom. continues to increase dramatically nationwide. the gunmen entered the home

apparently without a fight. his guards say they were overpowered. pakistani police have taken several of them into custody suspecting the kidnappers may have had inside help. weinstein, who speaks six languages, was reportedly working for a virginia-based company to improve pakistan's economic development. pakistani journalist has known weinstein sfor three years. >> he's the type of person is for all such eventualities and i wish that he comes back very soon safe and sound. >> reporter: kidnapping has long been a rift in pakistan. in 2002, al qaeda militants kidnapped and executed daniel pearl. according to the state department, at least three other u.s. citizens have been kidnapped in the last three years. no group has claimed responsibility for weinstein's kidnapping. anti-americanism has been on the rise since navy s.e.a.l.s killed

osama bin laden in may. >> tensions are high. it is very likely it's a group of militants who could be aligned with a whole host of different parties that may have targeted this individual. >> weinstein's kidnapping will likely trigger other foreign groups to re-examine their projects in pakistan. richard engel, nbc news, kabul. thousands of extra police officers are flooding the streets of london tonight in the first weekend since violent rye rots broke out across the city. police have made more than 2,000 arrests, charging more than 700 people after a week of the worst violence there in decades. five people were killed as rioters looted hundreds of stores and set buildings and cars on fire. meantime, back in this country, the city of brotherly love is dealing with a rash of violent assaults on its streets. philadelphia police say they arrested dozens of teens last night. the first night of a mandatory weekend curfew for minors. the curfew is designed to

prevent flash mobs of young people responsible for a string of random attacks. we get our report tonight from nbc's ron allen. >> reporter: the attacks seemed random, roving gang in philadelphia beats up a man just walking a downtown street. >> my mom gotta tacked. >> with calls for help outside wisconsin state fair asthma rauding teens leave smashed cars and some victims in their wake. flash mob rs swarms of young people organized through texting, tweeting, internet sites and increasingly turning violent in cities across the country. they were once known as gatherings of performance artists for fun and games. now exerts say teens and flash mobs emboldened by the anonymity of the internet and mob mentality. >> a lot of young people who feel that they're very disconnected from the society. but the one thing they do have

is a cell phone. >> this nonsense must stop. >> reporter: philadelphia's mayor delivered that warning after two flash mob attacks in two weeks. in the latest incident as many as 30 young people beat and robbed bystanders in center city. four people were arrested, including an 11-year-old. >> parents, get your act together. get it together. >> reporter: she spent ten days hospitalized after an attack with her leg broken in two places. >> we have like a lot of really angry kids who don't really have any respect for other people. >> reporter: extra police patrol downtown and enforce a strict curfew keeping teens out of certain areas after 9:00 p.m. other cities, like chicago, also are trying to stop the violence using teen curfews. here in new york, police have a new unit patrolling on-line, scouring social media, looking for trouble. fighting crime that's sudden,

often brutal and very much a sign of our digital times. ron allen, nbc news, new york. when nightly news continues on this saturday evening, after a week of flat-out depressing economic news, a bright spot in an unlikely place. later, for some the single life can be kind of rough. but the dating game got a bit easier.

we're back now with a focus on economy after a roller coaster week on wall street and continued grim news about jobs

and consumer confidence. any good news about the economy can be awfully hard to find. but tonight, our own reporter may have found just that in an unlikely place. >> reporter: wall street this week, unprecedented volatility. >> ugly day for stock prices today. >> the losses are severe. >> the market is holding on to a powerful rally. up 560 points. >> following a credit rating downgrade. >> they don't have a grip on what's going on. >> right now, i'm pretty scared. >> amidst the uncertainty, a glimmer of hope. this week, news that the pain at the pump is finally easing. >> gas prices coming down. >> very good news. >> in the past week, gas prices have dropped about ten cents to $3.60 a gallon down from a high of almost four bucks in may, thanks to lower oil prices and demand. analysts say price also likely keep sliding and could drop as

much as 50 cents a gallon in the next few weeks. >> it's like a mini tax cut right now that gasoline prices are likely to stay down as we end the summer driving season and move into the autumn. >> reporter: nervous consumers may not be so eager to spend what they're saving. a recent report found the debt ceiling debacle and the market roller coaster may be woring consumers after all. so the question remains, will shoppers keep spending money given the economy the proof that it needs. with back to school shopping in full swing and the holiday season around the corner, the next few months are crucial. shoppers have different feelings. >> you have to be cautious what you put your money into. >> i still want to save money. >> consumer confidence varying widely. much like the market. >> nbc news, new york. when we come back, hear a rare look inside cuba. a new door opens for americans to travel to the island. what will they find when they get there?

a welcome sight today for residents in drought-stricken texas. early morning rain in the dallas area briefly cooled things down. but unfortunately, it did nothing to ease the drought or end the scorching temperatures today as houston's sp 13th consecutive day of triple digit heat. this week the obama administration reinstated a travel plan that makes it easier for americans to visit cuba. a country that has been mostly off limits for 50 years. but along with the island's vibrant culture visitors could see evidence of cuba's crumbling economy and the new entrepreneurial spirit of the cuban people. here's mark potter from havana. >> reporter: these two men have nothing to do now and fear they have no future. both were laid off from state-run businesses in havana as the cuban government begins to reduce the jobs and social programs cubans have come to

expect during 50 years of communist rule. >> president castro has understand that the cuban economy is simply not working. >> reporter: under the socialist government of fidel castro, all of the jobs, healthcare, education, housing and food were provided by the state. but with the country bankrupt, the government now says the free ride is coming to an end. ironically, it is the current president, raul castro, fidel's younger brother, demanding cubans become self-reliant. saying we have to erase the notion that cuba is the only country in the world where it is not necessary to work. >> it's a sign that they realize that and they say it clearly, that the system will sink. it will go under if they don't fix the economy. >> reporter: cuban officials say a million government jobs will gradually be cut to help fill the gap, more than 300,000 cubans have been granted licenses to open their own small

businesses. this woman who calls herself juana la cubana says her restaurant is booming. once a teacher, he sells shoes to feed his family. cuban officials say they are not embracing capitalism by allowing some free enterprise that this is simply an adjustment to their system which will remain firmly controlled by the government. amid concerns economic change could spark political dissent, president castro says the government will move very carefully in imposing reforms which he insists must come if cuban communism is to survive. mark potter, nbc news, havana. up next here tonight, date night for man's best friend. all dolled up and looking for a love connection.

respect to diana ross, but when the supremes sang you can't hurry love, they probably didn't envision a new type of matchmaking service in orlando. for many, the doggie date nights turn into puppy love at first sight. we get the story from nbc's carrie sanders. >> reporter: it's date night for norville.

>> he's giving me kisses earlier. >> and kabob. two homeless dogs. >> he'll be a handsome dog. >> like so many single people, just looking for some loving. since we love those before and after pictures, first the before. norville. a springer spaniel dropped off by his owners due to the tough economy and kabob, a stray mutt found living in a ditch. the plan, if speed dating works for single men and women, then why not for dogs? so scrubbed clean and sporting new dos. >> you smell better. >> kabob before, and after. >> norville before and after. >> just be yourself. okay. be yourself norville and you'll find a perfect home. >> they join a dozen other cleaned up pooches and speed date. the mood set a little wine and cheese. >> it's speed dating for dogs. >> in just minutes here in orlando, kabob finds chemistry. >> big date night here.

what do you think of kabob. >> i love him. >> you love him? >> you just met him. >> that's all it takes. >> this fun under scores a serious problem in the united states. too many dogs, not enough owners. >> over 56% of the dogs that go to shelters are put to sleep. euthanized. which means killed. >> couple over there i want to see. >> jess baker and marcus. >> that one there. >> want to be part of the solution. >> i love him. what's going on? >> as for norville. >> love at first sight. >> it is speed dating. he found his new love, cindy wiggins in ten seconds. >> unfortunately, speed dating for dogs is a lot like speed dating for humans. you don't always wind up with a match, but ooh, there you go, there's always next time. speed dating for dogs because for so many of these dogs, time is running out. kelly sanders, nbc news,

orlando. that's nbc nightly news for this saturday. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on today. then right back here tomorrow evening. good night everyone. cleesh cleesh -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com good evening, i'm diane dwyer, and we have new information tonight on the shooting death of