north bay, east bay, and south bay. >> see you at 6:00. as presidents, prime ministers, kings and queens, friends, both famous and not, all gather here in south africa as the world says good-bye. also the handshake seen around the world today. the moment that has a lot of people talking. found alive after a massive search in the mountains, a family missing for days in freezing temperatures has now been rescued, and tonight, their harrowing story is out. and shutdown. a big storm closes schools and businesses, even the federal government. tonight major flight delays, still a mess on the roads, and there's another one on the way. "nightly news" from south africa begins now.

good evening. after what has been a memorial like no other for a man like no other, a heavy dose of celebration, a full-on boisterous backdrop against which south africa hosted the world. big name leaders from all over, led by four u.s. presidents, a king, dictators, and starting with heavy rain which kept the crowd size down here today. many, instead, had to watch on television inside. while the mix of people who came to remember nelson mandela was extraordinary, the kind of crowd he once dreamed of, the mix of politicians proved to be fraught. and one of the moments came today came when president obama found himself shaking hands with raul castro, brother of fidel, and leader of cuba. it was that kind of a day, and

here where mandela's body will lie in state, we go back to soweto with lester holt to start us off this evening. lester, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. it was a colorful tribute in life. and nelson mandela brought together in death an interesting mix of global allies and adversaries. it was president obama who drew the largest welcome. >> to the people of south africa, people of every race and every walk of life. the world thanks you for sharing nelson mandela with us. >> reporter: and the world came. some by motorcade with entourages, many more by foot. all became a part of the broad global canvas that nelson mandela stitched together on his journey from activist to

prisoner to president. so much emotion, to wanting to be a part of history to pay respects to madiba. do you have your program? >> yes, i do, i'm going to keep it for my great-grandchildren, that is was here on this day that nelson mandela was celebrated. >> reporter: this was mandela's south africa, black and white. >> i wouldn't even have that job, i wouldn't have a degree, two degrees if it wasn't for dr. mandela. >> reporter: the crowd sometimes broke into song. there were touching moments. mandela's second wife, winnie, embracing his widow, michelle. no one but mandela could have inspired this type of gathering, celebrities including bono and charlize theron. former south african president

f.w de klerk. one of the remarkable moments, president obama offering a hand shake to cuban dictator, raoul castro. the global leaders heard a cautionary note from obama. >> there are too many who claim peace from mandela, but do not tolerate dissent from their own people. >> reporter: the american president seemed to command the crowd's attention. >> it took a man like madiba to free not just the prisoner, but the jailer as well. he changed laws. but he also changed hearts. >> reporter: with three former presidents, jimmy carter, along with george bush and bill clinton and their wives looking on. the president recalled learning of mandela's struggle when he was a college student. that's him seated on the right. >> he stirred something in me. it woke me up to my responsibilities. to others and to myself. and it set me on an improbable journey that finds me here today. >> reporter: as the period of mourning continues here,

tomorrow his body will lie in state for three days. the family and vips, brian, will begin to view his body first thing tomorrow morning. >> lester holt, who was inside the stadium for all of it. as we said, it was that kind of a day. and the other moment from today's memorial that is getting some attention tonight, a selfie featuring president obama, british prime minister david cameron, and danish prime minister helen schmidt. i guess it was designed to be seen in just moments. our special correspondent charlayne gault is here, a veteran journalist that has been here for close to two decades. you had the distinguished task of covering this live. you kept saying it was a perfect african celebration. folks who tuned in all full-on celebration going on behind the speakers. what do you think it was that we witnessed here today?

>> well, they mourn by celebrating because they believe the body has departed, but it has become an ancestor. so they go to the grave to talk to them, many of them are still attuned to that. it's a celebration of a life and a transition. and that's in the nature of how south africans approach the transition. >> and after all the talk and all the worry, it should be said this country pulled this off today. and that's important. it's been great having you charlayne hunter-gault. >> it's been great being here. now to breaking news back home. there has been a deal announced on capitol hill in washington that will avoid another government shutdown in early january. kelly o'donnell on the hill tonight for us with details. kelly, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. the usual washington dysfunction is on hold tonight. a bipartisan compromise was just announced that would keep the government open and running for two years. it would also roll back some of

the harshest automatic spending cuts, the sequester for the pentagon, the domestic programs. there are no new taxes but you will pay new fees for airline travel. and federal workers are being asked to contribute more for their pensions. this does not extend jobless benefits for those out of work the longest. and it still has to be passed, but that's expected before congress goes home for the holidays. brian? >> kelly o'donnell, capitol hill in washington. kelly, thanks. also the story in nevada a story that got a lot of attention. the desperate search for a missing family including four children has come to an end. and the news here is good. the family's been found alive and well after surviving since sunday in subzero temperatures. the discovery unfolded this afternoon about 90 miles outside reno. nbc'smy miguel almaguer has our story. >> reporter: in the desolate mountains near love lock nevada, desperate searchers feared they

were running out of time. >> the temperatures are quite cold. it was 14 degrees below zero last night. >> reporter: the search for a family of six growing more desperate by the hour. james glanton, his girlfriend, christina mcintee, and four children ages three to ten had been missing since sunday. last seen in the mining town, the family was headed for a day in the snow. the terrain is rugged, remote, and this time of the year -- >> it is subzero temperatures. >> reporter: temperatures can kill. rescue teams held onto hope. the family had a cell phone, but the area they were in was so remote, there was no service. still their last known signal helped lead search teams to a specific area. the nevada national guard launched helicopters, and this morning, what some call a miracle chris montez spotted the family's overturned jeep.

>> they had a fire going. and jay was heating up rocks in the fire. and at night he was putting them in the jeep with them. >> reporter: air lifted to a local hospital, an entire community and family members heard the good news. >> i'm relieved. god answered our prayers. they just told me that they found them. that's all i wanted to hear. they're alive, that's all i wanted to hear. >> reporter: a family of six in good condition after a sunday drive to play in the snow, a trip they'll never forget. miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. of course, as we have been covering so far this week, the east coast has been dealing with its own blast of wintry weather. today the good news was the storm many were expecting when they woke up this morning wasn't quite as harsh as first forecast. though it still managed to stop a lot of people in their tracks especially in the nation's capital which is where tom co

costello is again for us tonight. >> reporter: hi, brian. schools are closed and several thousands people in neighboring states without power on a very cold night. major flight disruptions. a growing list of flight cancellations. >> there's going to be another reschedule and cancellation. it all seems to be due to the weather. >> reporter: big clays in the northeast. >> it's all yellow. >> reporter: same story in washington, a 12-hour delay for three australian students. >> look out and see the planes leave and you kind of wish we were on one of them. >> reporter: while out on the ice crusted roads, fender benders, accidents, and rollovers. but overall today was more about a few inches of snow. >> it's the first nice snow in two years. we haven't had good snow here, certainly not enough to build a snowman. sledding on a no-school day in d.c., 5-year-old thomas insisted i try his sled. wow!

my graceful sledding days are long over. oh! i'm done. the sleds were out in kentucky, too. by mid-afternoon, much of the snow had cleared out and under blue skies, the weather channel's mike seidel warned of storm number three. >> we have another storm coming, generally west of interstate 95. d.c. getting mostly rain. boston will have a bit of everything. the ski resorts, they get a lot of snow. >> reporter: like they say, 'tis the season. >> 'tis the season for patience. >> 'tis the season waiting. >> reporter: it's all in the attitude. tom costello, nbc news, washington. and big news from one of the detroit big three automakers, a history-making announcement from general motors naming the first woman ceo ever to run a global automaker. mary barra is a 33-year gm veteran, daughter of a gm

assembly part maker. she started there as an intern, rose all the way up through the ranks as an engineer to become the company's product development chief. still ahead for us tonight, taking action a year after newtown. parents who lost their children that day talk about a big move to tackle the mental health crisis in our country. and later, a simple question before boarding and a huge surprise upon landing for a plane load full of passengers.

back home in the u.s., this saturday will mark one year since the awful school shooting in newtown, connecticut. since then, there has been interest growing between the link between violence and men. -- mental illness. today joe biden met with newtown families who have been pleading for help along these lines, and some of those spoke with our international correspondent kate

snow. >> reporter: the government shut down for a snow day, but for parents of three children who died in newtown last year, a meeting with vice president biden was too important to miss. >> the dialogue on mental health has been lacking over a long period of time. and we really need to change the focus to understanding how we can prevent violence and aggression as opposed to reacting to it. >> reporter: when jeremy richmond and his wife lost their daughter, the two scientists started a foundation dedicated to brain research. for decades critics have claimed a huge gap between the number of americans who need mental health care and access to that health care. during the recession, state budgets were slashed by the billions. but since the tragedy at newtown, at least 37 states have increased funding on mental health programs. today the federal government stepped up, too, with vice president biden announcing $100 million across the country to

expand behavioral health services and improve access in rural areas. >> this is a very important first step. we still have a long way to go. it's a drop in the ocean, but it's progress. >> reporter: a report released two weeks ago concluded the newtown shooter adam lanza had significant mental health issues. he refused treatment. what contribution this made is unknown, if any. scarlett lewis whose son jesse was killed at sandy hook elementary school, said she believes the tragedy could have been stopped with better mental health care. >> the whole tragedy started with adam lanza, he didn't know how to handle it. >> reporter: starting conversations is one of the way these families want america to honor their children. >> it's starts within our home and it starts within our communities. >> reporter: so many newtown families told me they hope this is just the beginning. politically, mental health care may be easier to change than gun laws, but they'd also like to see change there too. despite all the calls for change

after newtown, it's worth noting there have been 16 more school shootings since then, brian. >> kate snow back in our new york studios tonight. kate, thanks for your reporting. and we're back in a moment with a new message and a photo we received from high above today.

the founder and chairman of lululemon has resigned forced out of a job running the company he started because of remarks he made about their own customer that did not go over well. lululemon as you know makes high end yoga wear among other things and has a loyal customer base among many. but that loyalty was severely tested when he said some women's bodies don't work for yoga pants. the company had a problem earlier with see-through yoga pants since corrected on the anatomies of some of the women buying them. you may recall awhile back

we asked the international space station for help in taking a picture of a house in australia which is the current record holder for christmas lights. we figured it would be visible from space. so we asked the professionals. the good news is, they have found the neighborhood in question during a daytime orbit overhead, and we are hoping now their nighttime travels will show it in its full wattage and christmas glory. our thanks to our photographry department for taking the talk request. "time" magazine still does a good job drumming up interest for the person of the year. somebody who for better or worse has the most impact on the world in the news this year. case in point, tonight they have told us of the five finalist names the editors are considering. they are in no particular order, nsa leaker edward snowden, syrian president bashar al assad, edith windsor who

challenged the defense of marriage act, texas senator ted cruz, and the new pope francis. the name will be announced tomorrow on "today". the other way you can make news with something promotional is if it is a really good heartwarming idea. well, the canadian-based airline west jet set up 19 hidden cameras and one of santa's helpers dressed in non-traditional blue so he wouldn't be confused ffr the real santa. they were on hand to ask travellers who they wanted this year. it ran the gamut from trains to dolls to flat screen tvs and smart phones. while the flight was in the air over canada to its destination, the airline arranged for the 250 gifts to be bought, wrapped, and sent around the baggage carousel where they were greeted and opened by the stunned passengers. none more stunned than the man who didn't take the santa helper seriously and asked for underwear which is what he got. all the while the thing is now a

television commercial. but they do get points for christmas spirit. when we come back from south africa tonight, the place where nelson mandela became a symbol of hope and change.

finally from south africa tonight, we took a moment this afternoon while the memorial gathering was still going on but winding down to walk through soweto just as a way of gauging life in a specific part of this country right now. how it's changed, where it might be headed, especially in light of the loss of the man they consider a hero. >> reporter: this is the south africa nelson mandela identified with, and they proudly claim him as one of their own. >> mr. mandela is seen as an icon, so we will follow him. >> i'm going to leave it up to him. what he taught me i will teach my children forever. >> reporter: on a rainy afternoon walking around soweto, you can witness the gamut of human experience. >> welcome to soweto. >> reporter: thank you very much. after 20 years of coming here, there were visible changes on

this trip. in this neighborhood a slight uptick in the standard of living and happiness and em paufrt, but it's hard to see anything else in the midst of that old familiar grinding poverty. >> i want to thank him for giving us a better south africa than the other one we used to have. >> reporter: because death is viewed as a transition, because even today's rain is seen as a blessing for mandela's passage, it is perfectly consistent that people in mourning are also happy and celebrating. >> he is a hero to me, and i love him and i'll miss him. >> reporter: are you proud that the world has come here today to say good-bye to him? >> i'm very proud. >> for us, spending 27 years in prison just fighting for us. i think we owe him to carry on the freedom. >> reporter: the man i first met 20 years ago as the newly elected president back when we were both much younger is being hailed as their george washington. their gandhi, their lincoln,

their mother theresa, their dr. king, and their fdr all rolled into one. nelson mandela wanted a country where babies were born into freedom and equality. of the two, it is equality that for so many remains a long walk. which brings us to tonight, after a day of heavy rain tonight's fog has blotted out the union buildings behind us. but beginning in a few hours, this is where nelson mandela will come to lie in state as the long farewell continues right up until burial next sunday. that is for us our broadcast on a tuesday night. thank you for joining us. i'm brian williams reporting to the from pretoria, south africa. we, of course, hope to see you from our new york studios tomorrow evening. good night. ♪

right now at 6:00, anger outside santa rosa city hall. the protesters you see here are trying to crash a city council meeting to express their outrage over the death of a teenager and the return to work for the sheriff's deputy who killed him. thanks for joining us. i'm janelle wang in for raj mathai. >> i'm jessica aguirre. the deputy is back on the job on a desk duty. demonstrators back on the streets. it's been eight weeks since 13-year-old andy lopez was shot to death while carrying a replica rifle. tonight tempers are heating up again. jodi hernandez is live at city

hall where marchers are getting confrontational. >> reporter: jessica, protesters and police squared off here at santa rosa city hall and demonstrators are on the street as we speak, in fact, we saw demonstrators march by city hall just a few minutes ago on their way to the sheriffs department. all of this over the return to work of deputy erick gelhaus. >> you guys cannot do that. >> reporter: things got heated outside santa rosa city hall as police scuffled with protesters trying to get into city council chambers. just the latest in a tense day of protests over the return to work of deputy erick gelhaus, the officer who shot and killed 13-year-old andy lopez after mistaking the replica gun he was carrying for a real one. >> you can cut the mike, you can cut the mike, you can have those sheriffs pull me out of here,