stadium at 6:00. hope to see you then. on our broadcast tonight, who's telling the truth? the nfl commissioner, ray rice and their private meeting about what we now know happened in that elevator. we are at war, a surprise announcement today from the white house and the pentagon about the new mission to destroy isis. fallout from the death of joan rivers at the clinic where she went into cardiac arrest as new reports surface about who was in the room when disaster struck. and the reunion. an update on one of our most-talked about stories, a 4-year-old boy, his best friend and what happened since moving day. "nightly news" begins now. from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. good evening. as football fans head into

another big weekend in the nfl, they will pack stadiums, millions will watch on television, and in the background all along will remain this enormous controversy swirling around the league, the commissioner and the larger issue of domestic abuse. the latest problem for the commissioner, the sources who say he knew a woman had been struck by a player inside an elevator hard enough to knock her out cold well before the video surfaced that we all saw. it's where we begin again tonight with nbc's peter alexander. >> ravens. >> reporter: baltimore raves flying high after a dominating return to action last night. with a surprisingly strong public display of support especially among women for number 27, ray rice, no longer on the team. a source close to rice tells nbc news that during his june meeting with nfl commissioner roger goodell, rice clearly described hitting his then-fiancee in the face. a moment captured in the tmz sports video.

that contradicts what goodell told cbs news this week. >> when we met with ray rice and his representatives, it was ambiguous about what actually happened. >> reporter: in the suspension letter goodell to rice sent thursday obtained by nbc news, goodell again insists rice didn't tell him everything. a starkly different detail of events. since may rice has been ordered to attend anger management counseling. >> the league has a bunch of these cases to answer for. and i think we're also going to be scrutinizing past cases. i mean, there have been dozens of domestic violence incidents since roger goodell's commissionership. >> reporter: when the san francisco 49ers play sunday night, ray mcdonald will be on the field exactly two weeks after allegedly beating his pregnant fiancee. mcdonald has not been formerly charged. and carolina panthers pro bowler greg hardy continues to play despite conviction for assaulting and threatening to kill his girlfriend.

hardy is appealing the conviction. >> i stand firmly against domestic violence -- >> reporter: panthers' owner, jerry richardson, whose team took no disciplinary action against hardy broke down accepting a humanitarian award wednesday night. >> to shows who say we've been too slow to act, i ask that you consider not to be too quick to judge. >> reporter: if that video hadn't surfaced, today's the day that ray rice would be returning to the nfl back on the field next weekend with his team. instead, brian, he has until tuesday to appeal his indefinite suspension. >> peter alexander following the story for us again tonight. peter, thanks. the obama administration declared today that "we are at war with isis" though not everyone in the administration has been putting it that way. also not clear exactly who's with us. the administration has named retired marine four star general john allen to lead the effort.

he was the top u.s. commander in afghanistan, played a big role in iraq. he was last heard from after he was caught up in the petraeus affair. we get more tonight on all of it from our chief foreign correspondent richard engel who remains in northern iraq for us. richard, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. the administration is getting a lukewarm reception as it's trying to sell its isis plans. and the more we learn about it the more questions are being asked. as isis continues its brutality and basks in international attention, doubts are growing about the u.s. strategy to confront the group. even confusion over what to call the fight. yesterday, secretary kerry said it's no war. >> what we are engaged in is not a full fledged war like we were before. it's a heightened level of counterterrorism operation. >> reporter: today, the pentagon, state department and white house said it is. >> make no mistake, we know we are at war with isil. >> we are at war with isil.

>> the same way i think we are at war with al qaeda. >> reporter: war or not, secretary kerry is crisscrossing the middle east to build a coalition to battle isis. today he was in turkey. >> turkey and the united states will stand together against any challenges in the region including all terrorism. >> reporter: but turkey won't allow the u.s. to use its territory for air strikes in syria. arab nations have expressed some support, but it's unlikely we'll see their large and well-armed militaries in action. >> what is going on here? why is u.s. air power, u.s. special operations, so vital to this effort? i think we've got allies that are unwilling to be directly engaged. >> reporter: one regime welcoming attacks on isis, syria. president assad continues to bomb his own people, killing more than 60 yesterday outside damascus.

but he's not attacking isis. he's waiting for the u.s. to do that for him. secretary kerry today pledged an additional $500 million to help syrian refugees. it could be just a down payment as the u.s. gets more involved in this conflict. brian. >> richard engel who is back in iraq these days for us. richard, thanks. we wanted to let you know they'll be more on both of our top stories sunday morning on "meet the press" with chuck todd. a final verdict today in south africa in the trial of former olympic track star oscar pistorius convicted of culpable homicide. that's our equivalent of manslaughter in the shooting death of his girlfriend reeva steenkamp, this after being found not guilty of premeditated murder just yesterday. we get details and exclusive reaction from her parents tonight from nbc's cynthia mcfadden. >> reporter: they've endured the unthinkable, the death of their

beloved daughter reeva shot by her boyfriend oscar pistorius behind the locked door of his bathroom. the months' long spectacle of his high profile trial finally today came to an end. >> he is found guilty of culpable homicide. >> reporter: pistorius had no visible reaction to the verdict, but his uncle thanked the judge for dismissing the most serious charge of murder. >> he always knew -- of the mess. and we had never any doubt in oscar's vision. >> reporter: today in an exclusive interview steenkamp's brokenhearted parents reacted to the verdict. >> very, very disappointed. and very sad. it's sad, you know? because you want that for reeva, justice for her. >> reporter: in fact, the couple says they'll not even return to court for pistorius' sentencing next month. >> they came and asked us would you want him to go to jail. we don't worry about that.

all we want is the truth. >> i don't think we got the truth. i think they had an argument. that's what i believe. and she was leaving. her clothes are packed. >> reporter: and she says the couple was not getting along. >> she was telling me they were fighting all the time. >> reporter: but despite it all reeva's mother says she has forgiven pistorius. >> i believe i have to forgive to survive. >> reporter: early on pistorius had asked to talk to them in private. they said no. but now they say they are ready. >> i would like to sit down and have a talking. it would get a lot off my chest. >> reporter: there are no plans for such a meeting as of tonight. in a final note, brian, the judge will allow pistorius to remain a free man until he's sentenced in october. no word from either side about appeal. >> cynthia mcfadden here with us tonight. thank you as always. in ohio a man convicted of

killing three students in that rampage at the high school in chardon, ohio, is back in custody tonight after escaping from prison with two other inmates. he's 19 years old, t.j. lane was apprehended early this morning not far from the correctional facility where he escaped serving three life sentences for the murders in that school cafeteria in 2012. the two others who escaped were also captured. we learned today california has broken the yearly heat record dating back to when measurements first started in 1895. combined with these extreme drought conditions, right on cue a wildfire burning in the cleveland national forest right now tripling in size in a matter of hours at a popular spot for camping and hiking east of san diego. the scorching temperatures are making the fight much more difficult. and nbc news has gained rare access to the crews on the front lines of another fire underway in northern california. an up close look at one of the most dangerous jobs in our country, how wildfires are fought and taken down.

we get our report tonight from nbc's miguel almaguer in ft. jones, california. >> reporter: in a season where wildfires are burning faster, hotter and are more explosive than ever before, the battle for containment is a war. and this is the general. incident commander gene briefs her crew before sunrise in northern california. >> we want you home safe and sound -- >> reporter: a 37-year veteran directing an army of over 2,000 firefighters. >> we've done fire fighting in this outfit for well over a hundred years. something always surprises us. the day you quit learning as a firefighter is the day you need to retire. >> reporter: these are her soldiers on the front line. given rare access, we spent two days embedded with the u.s. forest service. this crew from boise uses picks, shovels and chain saws to carve a three-foot fire break.

stripping away timber to contain the blaze. the days here could easily stretch up to 16 hours long. crews can go for up to three weeks straight. during that time they'll be little contact with family back home. >> my job is the saw. >> reporter: saw boss michael lamez spends his summer in fire fight. he's only seen his three girls twice this summer. >> i haven't had any contact with my family in probably like three, four days now. i'm sure they're probably pretty worried. >> reporter: crews like fire storm 4 work in some of the most treacherous terrain, mountains so steep mules are used to carry gear. rafts even carry firefighters from one hot spot to another. they eat and sleep in the dirt and risk their lives for a starting pay of $11 an hour. but it's not about the money for task force leader john martinez. today he's responsible for 43 men and women remembering the 14 colleagues he's lost over the

years. >> my job i have a lot of heart in this. so, yeah. >> reporter: for weeks the battle in these mountains and beyond will continue. homes and lives are on the line. and these are the men and women who answer the call of duty every day. miguel almaguer, nbc news, ft. jones, california. and still ahead for us on this friday night, the investigation into the death of joan rivers. new fallout tonight at the clinic where she went into cardiac arrest. and later, history is about to be made in late-night again.

tonight, the medical director of the new york clinic where joan rivers went into cardiac arrest is out of a job. but the clinic refuses to say

much about his departure as new reports surface about who was in the room when something went wrong. we have late details tonight from nbc's katy tur. >> reporter: two weeks since joan rivers went into cardiac arrest during a procedure at yorkville endoscopy. the medical director, dr. lawrence cohen, is out. the news confirmed by the upper east side clinic today which said dr. cohen is not currently performing procedures at yorkville endoscopy. nor is he currently serving as medical director. according to "the new york times," dr. cohen, a gastroenterologist, reportedly allowed rivers' personal ear, nose and throat specialist to examine the 81-year-old comedian in the operating room though she was not authorized to practice medicine at the clinic. the "times" also adding at the end of the procedure, clinic staff noticed rivers' oxygen levels plummeting. when they couldn't stabilize

her, they called 911 and rivers was transported to mount sinai in cardiac arrest. now the clinic is denying a published report the star's private ent specialist performed a biopsy on rivers' vocal cords saying no such procedure has ever been done there. still, the suggestion that rivers' throat doctor might have been permitted inside the clinic raises questions. >> it would be inappropriate to bring a physician into the operating theater who is not affiliated and approved by the surgical center. >> reporter: although dr. cohen is gone, his bio is still on yorkville's website. it says his contributions have been recognized by his peers who selected him to be listed in best doctors in america. on sunday outside her manhattan memorial, thousands lined the streets for a final good-bye to the ground breaking comedian. nbc news has reached out to dr. cohen and rivers' personal ent, but neither one of them has commented. the new york state department of health is also investigating this matter, but so far they

have not said if they suspect any wrongdoing. katy tur, nbc news, new york. we're back in a moment with something millions of americans can look for tonight by looking to the north.

ian paisley has died. and for much of his life he was no friend to catholics. he was a hardline protestant leader in northern ireland who once referred to pope john paul ii as the antichrist. after battling the ira and fighting to suppress the catholic minority in ireland, in '07 he finally accepted change, power sharing and home rule in belfast. ian paisley was 88. bob crewe has died. he was present at the creation of "jersey boys." he discovered the four seasons. and if you're a music fan, you'll agree he left the world a better place. among the songs he wrote, co-wrote and produced, silhouettes, sherry, big girls

don't cry, dawn, walk like a man, ragdoll, let's hang on, bye-bye baby, can't take my eyes off of you. and for good measure, good morning star shine and lady marmalade. bob crewe, the pride of bellville, new jersey, was 82. toronto mayor rob ford is in the hospital for an abdominal tumor and out of the race for re-election. his brother, doug, is running in his place. the two brothers made the switch minutes before the office filing deadline. it promises to prolong the controversial ford era in toronto politics. the solar storm we reported on this week, a sizable flare, shot out from the sun toward earth, is being felt now. and tonight for those in the northern u.s. from oregon, washington state to new england as far south as about chicago look to the north if you have cloudless skies. there's a good chance you may see a colorful aurora from the storm which still could disrupt some gps service. after years of stability in

the fake news business, another change is coming to the weekend update desk at "snl" in the post-seth meyers and amy poehler era. he will replace cecily strong who remained on the cast as a sketch comic. jay becomes the first african-american update anchor. and they'll be the first ever all-male anchor duo. finally, the golf shot of the day and perhaps the year, rory mcilroy second round tour championship in atlanta. tee shot on 14 as they say gets caught up in the tree and lands in a clump of people. upon further review, it landed in the pocket of this guy's shorts. after some uncomfortable talk about fishing around his pocket for the ball, mcilroy settled for a drop where the man stood. he went onto make par. when we come back, an update on one of our more popular stories in recent memory. and a reunion of best friends.

finally here tonight, an update on a friendship. a story that brought about a huge response from our viewers when we first told you this story from the twin cities about the little boy and his neighbor and best friend who just

happened to be a veteran of world war ii. when last we left them the boy's family had to move in search of a bigger house while his older buddy was headed to assisted living. we have an update on their lives tonight from our reporter boyd hoopert from our nbc station kare-tv. >> reporter: when we last stopped at the home of emmitt, he was a little boy to the core. some things haven't changed. but this has. >> the move is hard on anybody, especially little ones. >> reporter: emmitt wasn't the only one missing the way things used to be. theirs was a next door friendship for the ages. one age 3, the other age 89 and a veteran of the second world war. >> i told you he was fast. >> i'm super fast. >> reporter: now, emmitt's old

back yard is empty as he picks the tomatoes he planted last spring. >> it's kind of lonely out here. sometimes, you know. >> reporter: fortunately, the prescription for lonely is just 16 miles away. >> you know what he's going to bring? >> maybe a big tomato. >> there's that little tyke. wait a minute, don't break them. >> reporter: play date is on, one with so much to teach. >> why do you step down kind of slow? >> reporter: the other hungry to learn. >> it's a battery. >> reporter: why do you need like batteries for your ear motor? >> reporter: is it a wonder on moving day neither wanted to let go? a few days from now erling will be moving too. his relocation from his ailing wife to his senior apartment is also hard. his adopted family is as committed as he is. >> will you give me a ride on

there? >> reporter: to keeping the ride going. >> i can steer. >> you can steer. i can push the pedal. >> he already said he was going to stop by on thursday with more tomatoes. >> reporter: what are a few miles after all when you've already bridged 86 years? boyd hoopert, nbc news, minnesota. >> fantastic story. that's our broadcast on a friday night and for this week. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. lester holt will be here with you this weekend. we, of course, hope to see you right back here on monday night. in the meantime, please have a good weekend. good night.

a franchise with a winning tradition. >> touchdown, san francisco! >> builds a state-of-the-art new home. the opening of levi stadium signals the beginning of a new chapter in the south bay. fans are trading in the windy conditions of candlestick for high tech and luxury in santa clara. this sunday night, the country will be watching. the dawn of a new era.

good evening and thanks for being with us. i'm raj mathai. >> and i'm jessica aguirre and we're at levi stadium tonight inside our own brand new nbc studio. for the next hour we are going to take you behind the scenes. you have got the best seat in the house. >> this was a significant and controversial time in the national football league, as you probably know, but it's also a historic time for santa clara and the 49ers. we have both story lines for you this morning. we'll also give you the lowdown on what to expect as a fan, the new high-tech upgrades, the food, the parking and even the weather, which is a lot different than it was at candlestick. >> very different. for you tonight we're going to take you behind the scenes, live reports, and give you 68,000 reasons to hang on tight. those reports in just a moment. but first, the hush-hush opening ceremony. the special operations crew here at levi stadium is on the clock tonight. in fact we see them right around us. we've already had a few events here at the stadium, but those have been preseason events, or so