anyone, it's going to be warm tomorrow. >> lester holt joins us next on "nightly news." >> in the meantime, find us online nbcbayarea.com. on the broadcast tonight, city on edge. it looks like a war zone. tear gas, armored vehicles and chaos. tonight, fears about what's being called a powder keg. final days, new revelations from robin williams' wife about the private struggle the actor faced at the end of his life. coming to america, we're with pope francis on a historic trip. what he told us about his plans to visit this country. and, instant hit. six and a half seconds to stardom, a record deal, a number one single and millions of fans. tonight, how did he do it? "nightly news" begins now.

good evening. i'm lester holt sitting in tonight for brian. there has been a flurry of headlines today stemming from the violence and unrest in ferguson, missouri. last night's jarring images of police clad in military gear and firing tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters on the streets of an american suburb has reverberated across this country including to the obamas' vacation residence where the president called for peace and calm and lashed out at both violence against police and excessive force by police. this after a fourth night of violent protests stemming from a shooting death of an unarmed 18-year-old man by a police officer. tonight, the town of ferguson is back on edge as officials hope a change of strategy will help cool things off. we have two reports tonight from

ferguson starting with nbc's ron allen. >> reporter: good evening, lester. police are calling this town a powder keg. protesters are gathered again. you can see them marching down the street, perhaps several hundred of them, and this is the very place where all that violence erupted last night. the concern is whether these protesters will defy the call not to gather after dark. and just how much force the police will use to stop them. a fourth straight night of classes turned ferguson's main street into a battlefield. a score of heavily armed and armored police faced off with protesters. >> you must be out of the street -- >> reporter: the trouble started when the police rocked hundreds of marchers and then as night approached ordered them disburse. >> return to your vehicles. >> reporter: we were with the marchers, things were calm, winding down. then the police seemed to run out of patience and tried to clear the streets. hours later tear gas.

police insist they fired because bottles and molotov cocktails rained down on them. >> i thought it was beyond heavy-handed. >> reporter: antonio french spent a night in jail arrested in his car with other protesters. >> smoke bombs come out and the tear gas comes out. it's not like i can just drive through the smoke. >> i think that it's very important that we demilitarize a response to what have been by and large very peaceful protests. >> reporter: law enforcement's response has come under scrutiny. residents complain police have acted more like soldiers than cops. st. louis county police officers seen here in full riot gear approaching one man are outfitted according to police with sub machine guns and assault rifles. earlier this week tactical officers arrived in a bearcat, an armored vehicle which can withstand the impact from a 50-caliber machine gun and yesterday pointed in the direction of protesters a precision rifle with a range of 500 to 800 yards. this afternoon protesters brought their grievances right to the front door of the ferguson police department. >> i do believe in self-defense.

>> reporter: and the state's governor announced a change. >> i'm announcing that the missouri highway patrol under the supervision of captain ron johnson, who grew up in this area, will be directing the team that provides security in ferguson. >> reporter: right now the police presence is not that heavy. you can see the protesters are marching down that street, that main drag, going into the neighborhood where michael brown and his family live. the boy who was killed. again, the police are laying back. they want to keep this road open. things are calm for now, orderly. the big question, what will happen after dark? lester. >> ron allen, thanks. it is important to note the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting of michael brown is not complete. no matter what the outcome this tragedy has brought to the

surface all that divides the community of ferguson. our coverage continues with kevin tibbles. >> reporter: ferguson, missouri's welcome sign seems out of place these days. the main street in this st. louis suburb is filled with hurt and anger. a woman with a flag questions her country. >> we are divided by race. we are divided by class. >> no justice! >> reporter: a minister with his bible questioned police. >> well, i believe in the justice system, but justice hasn't been served. >> reporter: in many ways ferguson was a city divided long before shots rang out last saturday. more than 60% of the population here is african-american. city administration is mostly white. the police department has 53 officers. three are african-american. 24% live below the poverty line. 1.5 times the rate in the rest of missouri. >> the longer it takes for us to come into the urban core with a solid plan of community outreach and resource delivery, this will happen again. >> reporter: the city's mayor was confronted today by some of those arrested for protesting brown's death.

accusing police of going too far. he promises to address concerns. >> this is an issue perception between law enforcement and african-americans. this didn't start here, hopefully we can end it here. >> reporter: and while police prepare for perhaps another angry night, ferguson schools are closed, unlike elsewhere in st. louis. >> our children are suffering and disgraced. >> reporter: still in the midst of tension normalcy. mail gets delivered. people chat. brian coldman wears his message loud and proud on his chest. >> we have to think in the future. and the future of what are we going to do about this. we should communicate. >> reporter: and many people here say their real concern is the fact that the two sides are so divided and so far apart, lester, that they worry they will never be able to sit down and speak to one another. >> all right. kevin, thank you. as we mentioned, president obama addressed the turmoil in ferguson today asking everyone involved to take a step back.

>> there is never an excuse for violence against police or those who would use this tragedy as a cover for vandalism or looting. there's also no excuse for police to use excessive force against peaceful protests, or to throw protesters in jail for lawfully exercising their first amendment rights. now is the time for healing. >> president obama today appealing for calm in the streets of ferguson. the search for answers continues into the shocking death of robin williams. today his wife revealed more about the personal battle her husband faced in his final days, something we didn't know until now. nbc's joe fryer has that story. >> reporter: in his final days, robin williams was fighting many internal foes. according to a statement from his wife, susan schneider, robin's sobriety was in tact and he was brave as he struggled

with his own battles of depression, anxiety, as well as early stages of parkinson's disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly. >> it made some sense to me actually because most people with parkinson's will suffer from depression at some point of the disease, often early on. >> reporter: for those suffering from both, the national institute of mental health says each illness can make symptoms of the other worse. but it's unclear if parkinson's can be linked to williams' suicide. he had been candidly battling depression long before the parkinson's diagnosis. this summer williams returned to rehab to maintain his sobriety. long-time friend steven pearl saw williams last month and thought he looked frail and seemed detached. >> it was an uncomfortable sad vibe. that's all i can say. he wasn't all there. >> reporter: parkinson's is a brain disorder that leads to tremors and can affect walking and movement. the centers for disease control says parkinson's is the 14th leading cause of death in the united states. as many as 1 million americans live with the disease. about 60,000 americans are diagnosed each year. men are one and a half times

more likely to have parkinson's than women. celebrities with the disease include michael j. fox, boxing great muhammed ali and singer linda ronstadt. tonight fox tweeted stunned to learn robin had p.d., pretty sure his support for our foundation predated his diagnosis. i wish him peace. joe fryer, los angeles. now to an update on our top story last night. the humanitarian crisis in northern iraq. the pentagon says u.s. air strikes have helped break the siege by isis militants of a mountain where thousands of refugees were trapped. president obama said air strikes on isis targets will continue. and iraq's embattled prime minister nouri al malaki announced late today he will step down paving the way for a new government that many hope will bring the country together as it battles the insurgents. for the first time today pope francis acknowledged he was coming to america. our team was with him as he began a historic trip to asia. on the way, he spoke with nbc's

anne thompson answer his plans to visit philadelphia. >> reporter: on the 11 and a half hour journey from rome to seoul, south korea, the pope spent time with reporters. he acknowledged for the first time he plans to come to america. i asked him in italian if he will come to philadelphia. he said si, yes, and mentioned world family day that will take place in that city next year. this is the first papal flight to fly over china. as he does with every nation's air space that he enters, the pope sent a telegram to china's president. what's significant about that telegram is it's the first public communication between the vatican and china in more than 50 years. when we landed, his modesty was on display in a nation that likes to flaunt its economic success. pope francis rolled into the capital in a compact kia soul. he spoke publicly in english for

the first time calling for peace. >> peace is not simply the absence of war, but the work of justice. >> reporter: in a nation that loves -- the pope seeks its heart with a more basic message. anne thompson, nbc news, seoul. now to the olympian who is making a different kind of comeback. amy van dyken won six gold medals in the summer olympics, but in june she lost the use of her legs after a terrible all-terrain vehicle accident. her road to recovery has not been easy, but it has been inspiring. nbc's miguel almaguer has her story. >> stretching for the wall! >> reporter: she broke records and made history. the most successful u.s. athlete at the '96 olympics, she won four gold medals with two more in 2000.

in june the champion was inspiring fans again wearing a brave face as she entered physical rehab on a stretcher. >> thank you. >> reporter: still recovering from an atv accident that severed her spinal cord, today she's headed home. >> it's been a lot of work, yeah, absolutely. been a lot of smiles and a lot of laughs. >> reporter: she used the same grit and determination that won her gold to get her strength back. once the fastest woman in the water, the pool has been her toughest battle. >> i'll say the first time i went into the swimming pool, that was the hardest thing. i'm like i'm not doing therapy. i'm swimming laps. and they looked at me like this is not what we're doing. that was really, really hard. >> reporter: the hall of famer may never walk again, still she's thankful. >> i've met some amazing people here. and they've really changed the way i think. >> reporter: and she wants to change the way others look at

people with spinal cord injuries. she's already back on the water. >> i am a better person i think than before this injury. the fact is i did probably pass away and you all of a sudden go, whoo, we got another chance. let's do it right. so yay! >> reporter: an olympian who's still a champion. miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. still ahead tonight, news for anyone in the market for a new car. august usually means big discounts, but this year something is missing on the lot. and later, a star is born and it only took six and a half seconds.

these dog days of august are typically the best time of year to find bargains on new cars. not this year. more people are shopping for cars than they have in years. and high demand can mean higher prices and fewer choices. nbc's tom costello tonight on how you can still find a deal. >> reporter: if you had the tv on this summer, chances are you've heard the pitch. >> it's the ford summer spectacular. >> it's the honda summer clearance event. >> summer blowout savings continue -- >> reporter: slow car sales in august usually mean great deals, but this year sales are sizzling. nationwide in july more than two dozen models averaged less than 30 days on dealer lots before being sold, well below the 50-day average. the fastest selling models are luxury cars, but chevys, toyotas

and subarus are also going fast. at fitzgerald subaru in maryland, new cars are gone within five days. >> right now i have one of these, i have one of these and i have one of these. >> reporter: and these are your hottest cars? >> correct. >> reporter: greg lewis says sales are the strongest since the cash for clunkers deals five years ago. why? >> the used car market is very high and the interest rates are very low. that's driving a lot of people in here to buy cars. >> reporter: some buyers, like karen, have to wait weeks, even months for their cars to arrive. >> i'm okay waiting just a little bit for what i wanted. >> reporter: consumer advocates say buyers should do their homework. learn which cars are in high demand and could, therefore, coster more. if the car you want is on back order, have a second car picked out with all the features and using that model to bargain for a better price. >> the worst thing a consumer can do is be in love with a specific model that also happens to be in high demand, because the dealer will sense that and you'll end up paying more money. >> reporter: and it may be november before sales cool and great deals return.

tom costello, nbc news, rockville, maryland. when we come back, it's a girl. and she's a morning person, just like her mom.

full military honors today for a fallen american. major general green buried at arlington national cemetery nine days after he was shot to death in afghanistan by an afghan soldier. he was the highest ranking army officer killed in combat since the vietnam war. he was 55 years old and was on a training mission. in upstate new york today hundreds gathered to bid farewell to kevin ward jr., the race car driver killed this past

saturday. the investigation into ward's death is ongoing. he was struck by nascar driver tony stewart during a race last weekend. today, stewart announced he has withdrawn from a sprint cup event this weekend. big news tonight about one of the most powerful jobs in sports, mlb chief operating officer rob manfred has been elected the new baseball commissioner by league owners. he'll replace bug selig who has served in that position for over 20 years. he's expected to take over in january. tonight, the curtain drops on a legendary venue. after 54 years san francisco's famed candlestick park will host its last public event. the stick has been home to history from playoff games to a papal visit, even the last live beatles concert. and who better to close out the stadium tonight than sir paul mccartney? and a changing of the guard to report here at nbc news. our political director in chief white house correspondent chuck todd today was named the new moderator of "meet the press." he replaces david gregory who announced today he is leaving nbc news. we want to wish both of our friends good luck and great success. and some great news for a member of the "today" show family to report. savannah guthrie welcomed a baby

girl into the world early wednesday. vale guthrie feldman weighed in at just over 8 pounds. the new mom said "my 3:00 a.m. wakeup call sounds a lot different now, sweeter." congratulations, savannah. when we come back, a breakout star and it only took him seconds. ♪

finally tonight, he's become an overnight sensation in six and a half seconds. if you haven't heard of singer sean menendez yet, chances are your teenagers have. he's rocketed to stardom thanks to a great voice and a whole lot of fans online. nbc's jenna wolfe reports. ♪ >> reporter: last summer 15-year-old sean menendez was just another cute kid with a guitar. he'd pick a song, sing it and upload it online. ♪ >> reporter: sean posted his videos to a free app called vine which limits users to just six and a half seconds of video. it's hardly enough time to fully express yourself, but sean did. and thousands of girls followed. >> i had no intention to get followers, it was just for fun. but my friends are like freaking out. >> reporter: now a year later

with almost 3 million followers he's a bona fide star. ♪ [ screaming ] >> i love you! >> it's like a complete army of people around me right now. i would never expected i would have this much power. insane. >> reporter: and the sway of internet famous stars is only expected to grow. a variety survey out last week showed that for teens the biggest celebrities in film, tv and music are no match for the popularity of youtube stars. >> he's getting so big now. and then he's not going to be my little secret anymore. >> reporter: sean's internet fame has secured him a record deal. and last month his fans pushed his e.p. to number one on itunes, just 30 minutes after its release. all this and not a penny spent on promotion, marketing or radio play. nothing. >> if this was to end tomorrow, like i can say i traveled across

half the united states. the craziest things that most 16-year-olds can't say. it's pretty awesome. >> reporter: let's not forget his very vocal fan base. [ screaming ] >> obviously you have thousands of screaming girls chasing you around. which is like the biggest bonus for kids who want to know. yeah, that's amazing. >> reporter: an already amazing year for a kid who just turned 16. >> this is like the best summer ever. thank you guys so much! >> reporter: jenna wolfe, nbc news, new york. >> best summer ever. love that. that's our broadcast for this thursday night. thank you for being with us. i'm lester holt. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. have a great night, everyone. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

. it wasn't just depression. right now at 6:00, his secret battle. robin williams' wife is opening up about the disease he struggled with before his death. welcome. i'm peggy bunker. >> and i'm raj mathai. robin williams had the early stages of parkinson's disease. his widow making that announcement today and also acknowledged the millions of fans who continue to show an outpouring of support.

michelle roberts is at the fame "mrs. doubtfire" house. michelle? >> reporter: people have been coming out here all day, taking pictures and remembering the man a that made them laugh for years. robin williams' wife said that he was sober and had a private struggle with parkinson's disease and that private battle could offer hope to others. >> i would just love to see brando up there. first of all, thank you for the meal. >> reporter: he was never short of entertaining. >> this is not so good. >> reporter: hollywood stars often memorized his jokes and retold them. and now a disease too often people whisper about. >> clearly he had a tragedy on his hands, depression and then finding out about