heavy rain at times. >> "nbc nightly news" is next. on this saturday night, new fallout from the ray rice ruling. tonight, tough questions for the nfl's commissioner and more from matt lauer's exclusive interview with janay rice. missing, a college athlete vanishes and friends and family are wondering if a history of concussions played a history in his disappearance. how low can it go? gas prices plunge across the country. is $2 gas in your future? and is it here to stay? and toy story, the little boy making big business out of child's play. this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. substituting tonight, carl quintanilla. good evening. the ray rice scandal that

engulfed the nfl season is back and the league is on the defensive. reverse rice's suspension for hitting his then-fiancee in a hotel elevator. now in an interview with matt lauer they discuss their future. kristen welker has the story. >> reporter: carl, good evening. janay and her husband are relieved by the ruling. as we are learning new details from her tonight, there are fresh questions about her husband's future and that of the nfl commissioner. with ray rice now cleared to suit up and take the field, his wife is shedding new light on what happened behind the scenes. late yesterday an arbitrator ruled the nfl had abused its discretion by punishing rice for the same offense. in june the league suspended rice for two games upon learning he had hit his then-fiancee and now-wife. but once this disturbing surveillance video surfaced showing rice brutally knocking her out in a hotel elevator, commissioner roger goodell suspended him indefinitely

amidst a public outcry. goodell defended his decision to impose a stiffer penalty by arguing he hadn't originally seen the video and that rice was ambiguous in their initial meeting. sitting with her mom, janay rice tells matt lauer a different story in an exclusive interview. >> was ray ambiguous? >> no. not in any way. and, you know, i feel like if they wanted to know more details, then they would have asked. but there were no further questions. it's been consistent with everything that he's been saying since february. >> so when the commissioner of the nfl, roger goodell, says ray was ambiguous and the nfl says that it was starkly different sequence of events, is the commissioner right? >> i can't say he's telling the truth. you know. i know for a fact that he told -- that ray told the honest truth. that he's been telling from february. >> and you think the league and the commissioner covered their butts?

>> i think they did what they had to do for themselves. >> reporter: but janay rice was mostly complimentary of goodell saying overall he tried to be fair. still, the ruling is a major setback for the nfl commissioner. he's been widely criticized for his handling of this and other domestic abuse cases. >> he basically looks like he doesn't know what he's doing right now. and if he was head of a public company, he'd probably be fired. but of course he's running the nfl, which makes a ton of money. so i don't think he's going to be going anywhere any time soon. >> reporter: rice's future is also uncertain. >> this is the nfl. and the players are coming up and some teams are probably so desperate that they're looking at ray rice. but obviously you would think it would be a public relations disaster. >> reporter: today, ravens fans had mixed reaction. >> i think they're trying to, but i don't know that they've done enough. >> i don't think that something like that should keep him from being able to play football. >> reporter: and that reaction will undoubtedly continue to pour in tomorrow when the ravens

take on the san diego chargers in baltimore. now, we reached out to nfl officials to see if they had any new reaction to janay's comments about roger goodell. the only comments from league officials today is that they respect the arbitrator's decision and acknowledge rice is a free agent who is now eligible to play upon signing a new contract. carl. >> kristen welker in washington, d.c. tonight. kristen, thanks. you can watch more of matt lauer's interview with ray and janay rice this coming monday on "today." ferguson, missouri is still picking up the pieces tonight after days of protests rocked that city. at the same time anger over the decision not to indict officer darren wilson continues to be on display in communities across the country. that story tonight from nbc's ron allen. >> reporter: today, it's finally back to business as best they can in the heart of ferguson. declared a crime scene by police, these streets were shut down all week. some of the worst violence happened here after the grand jury decision not to indict officer darren wilson.

>> i'm comfortable. i'm excited about opening up. you know, this is where we want to be. we want to be in this community. >> reporter: most still operating with boards covering windows. many family-owned small businesses with massive losses struggling to survive. >> i believe the worst of it is over. >> back up! back up! >> reporter: overnight a reminder of the anger still simmering here. police and protesters clashing outside police headquarters, at least 16 arrests. after black friday protests that briefly closed some stores and shopping malls. across the country the demand for justice for michael brown still echoes. in seattle, police say officers and protesters both used pepper spray. in a confrontation near the city's main shopping center. in los angeles demonstrators blocked a highway near downtown. in washington, d.c. again today a noisy crowd out in the streets. >> if there's no justice, there will be no peace. >> reporter: and today at the memorial for michael brown, the start of what's being called a

journey for justice, a march from ferguson to missouri's capital, 120 miles over seven days. >> we believe ultimately and to the conscience of this state and the country, we're seeking a reform of the way policing is done in this country. >> reporter: meanwhile, this video of a so-called mystery woman has gone viral. she's seen trying to protect a restaurant from vandals. workers there today saying they don't recognize her. most of ferguson cleans up and tries to make the neighborhoods more beautiful. artists are busy all over town. >> we're doing festive designs so that people will come here to christmas shop, put some more money back in the community. >> reporter: many business owners say they've been told that they will not qualify for emergency assistance because this was not a natural disaster. so they'll have to rely on loans to rebuild. missouri's governor said he'll call for a special legislative session as soon as possible to raise more money to pay for security costs. and tonight there's word that officer darren wilson has resigned from the ferguson p.d. 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 going out for a walk. the defensive lineman did not show up for football practice later that day. and again on thanksgiving. >> his family is the world to him. so to go missing on thanksgiving, that's kind of why nothing adds up. >> reporter: karageorge is a three-year member of the university's wrestling team and this year the 6'5" 285-pound athlete walked on to the famed ohio state football team. officials say shortly before leaving his apartment he texted his mother. sorry if i am an embarrassment, but these concussions have my head all, expletive, up. family members say karageorge has a history of sports-related concussions and they are worried he may be disoriented. >> he's never missed a practice. he's never missed anything really. he's always in contact with his friends and family. >> reporter: the osu head coach released a statement saying "we pray that he is safe and that he is found soon."

calling him "a hard worker on the field and pleasant off the field." several former ohio state football players are offering a reward of up to $1,000 to anyone with information that will help find their friend number 53. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. a 13-year-old boy who was reported missing four years ago was reunited with his mother today. the child was found behind a false wall in the suburban atlanta home of his father and stepmother. he had recently gained access to a phone allowing him to contact his mother who in turn tipped off authorities. five people are in custody including the boy's father. some very welcome news tonight for drivers in this country. the price of gasoline has plunged to its lowest level in four years. and with the holiday shopping season now in full swing, those savings couldn't come at a better time. here's nbc's kerry sanders. >> reporter: it's sticker shock, but in reverse. gas prices are dropping every day now.

four cents a gallon in just the last week. the average price of gasoline nationwide is now $2.78. it hasn't been this low since 2010. >> it's always good to pay less rather than more. >> reporter: and with the holiday giving season in full swing, shoppers say the timing couldn't be better. >> it makes me not feel so bad about driving further out to shop. >> every penny drop in gas prices leads to a billion dollars pumped back into the economy in terms of discretionary income. that's a huge amount of money as we've seen gas prices really fall precipitously. >> reporter: in monte claire, new jersey, mark newman was pleasantly surprised when he filled up his suv today. >> $32. normally it would be closer to $50. >> reporter: gas prices are expected to keep falling after opec failed to agree this week to cut back on oil production. >> the fact that opec agreed to do nothing and maintain existing production levels shows how much of an impact that north american oil production has had on the

market. >> reporter: how long will this last? some experts say we could see these lower prices at the pump until at least the middle of next year. still, as oil prices drop, prices have been inching up for some household staples over the last 12 months. according to the labor department the cost of meat is up 12.5%, eggs up 6.7%. and the cost of prescriptions up 4.1%. perhaps all now made a little easier to afford as the price of gas keeps tumbling down. kerry sanders, nbc news, miami. overseas an egyptian court dropped all murder charges today against former president hosni mubarak. mubarak appeared in court on a stretcher faced life in prison over the killing of hundreds of demonstrators during the arab spring uprising that drove him from power nearly four years ago. while his supporters cheered the

decision, tonight thousands protested near tahrir square with police using water cannons and tear gas to disburse the crowd. one protester was killed, eight injured and 44 arrested. in turkey today pope francis stood side by side with muslim leaders in one of the world's most important mosques. it was a stunning mark of outreach and unity in a region on edge because of extremist violence. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel joins us from istanbul. richard, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, carl. the pope made many historic gestures in his visit to this city with its own rich history of religious conflict and religious tolerance. and he stressed the need to separate faith from fanaticism. in istanbul today, pope francis seemed elated as he gazed up at the dome of the aya sophia once the greatest church in the ancient world, turned into a mosque over five centuries ago. it's now a museum.

this rare papal visit to turkey with population 98% muslim isn't about just remembering the past, but improving relations among the faiths. the pontiff also toured istanbul's famed blue mosque and prayed side by side with muslim clerics. moderation and battling extremism have been the main themes of his trip so far. all forms of fundamentalism and terrorism gravely demean the dignity of every man and woman, he said. and exploit religion. the pope urged muslim leaders to condemn what he called barbaric violence being carried out by isis militants. but just across the turkish border today isis stepped up its assault on kobani, a syrian town that has become a symbol of resistance but which may not be able to hang on. concerns about isis and other radicals meant the pope was shadowed by turkish security at

every turn. but the pontiff asked for a humble car and kept the window down. crowds gathered to watch him pass. for the pope this is an important visit, his first to a large and populous muslim country and has the potential to be quite unpleasant. there were calls for protests, for demonstrators to block his movements. so far that hasn't happened. he's been given a warm reception. a papal visit against extremism in the heart of a region that's descending even deeper into extremism and violence. the pope is also meeting with orthodox christian leaders here in istanbul. he's scheduled to return to rome tomorrow. carl. >> richard engel in istanbul tonight. richard, thanks. when "nightly news" continues on this saturday, a young man who's making it his business to know a thing or two about toys. and later, big changes on tap for a british institution.

on this black friday weekend, toys are serious business. but as most parents can tell you, not every toy is the right toy. so one rising internet star is offering up advice. and as nbc's miguel almaguer reports, he's made finding the perfect gift child's play. >> reporter: with families facing aisle after aisle of toy choices this holiday season, millions are turning to an expert to pick the perfect gift. yes, an expert who's only 8 years old who knows his angry birds from his simpsons and

everything in between. how many lego sets do you think you've put together? >> 100. >> reporter: evan's toy reviews are a youtube sensation. the evan tube channel has nearly a million subscribers. his videos viewed, over 875 million times. >> i just talk about the toy and what it does. yeah. >> reporter: you tell other kids if you like it or not? >> uh-huh. >> reporter: and do they listen to you? >> yeah. they may say i want to go buy it. >> reporter: it started three years ago, a collaboration with his dad. >> i watched a lot of youtube. i said can i make my own youtube channel and then we made our first video. >> reporter: how many videos have you done so far? >> maybe like 300. >> reporter: wow. evan's parents never knew the family project would be this popular. >> we have never really planned on anyone watching our videos, so when we saw that the view count was going up we're like, wow, people are actually watching this stuff.

>> yeah, it just feels like we're living in a dream because it doesn't really feel real. >> reporter: manufacturers have noted sending free toys to the family to check out. evan's even appeared in a tv ad for the spy gear he reviewed. off screen evan's just a typical kid. >> evan talks about some day owning his own pizza parlor, or, you know, starting his own youtube channel. >> reporter: thanks to evan tube, it's all possible. evan reportedly makes more than a million dollars a year from youtube sponsors. >> we've already maxed out certain accounts. so i think the college education is pretty much taken care of. thank goodness. >> reporter: what do you think of this game? >> it's fun. >> reporter: at just 8 years old, evan is ahead of the game. i can't keep up with you. and he isn't slowing down. >> i'm back in first place. >> reporter: miguel almaguer, nbc news, sacramento, california. >> thanks for watching. see you guys next time. bye. and up next, what happened

when one tv station had bring your dog to work day.

our friends at nbc miami affiliate learned firsthand this morning what happens when animals meet live television. this american bulldog named king was being featured on a segment on pet adoption. he decided to make his debut a few minutes early jumping on to the desk of the meteorologist helping out with the weather report. we're hoping that extra cameo

will help him find a home. chances are your lego creations never looked like this. in london this weekend some of the world's most talented builders are showcasing their work under one roof. the exhibition features models of famous landmarks, a giant ship made of the brics and even members of the royal family. from there to australia where one father's trying to make the holidays brighter, literally. he set a guinness world record for the largest display of l.e.d. christmas lights. with the help of volunteers he strung together nearly 1.2 million bulbs at a shopping area. money raised from the record breaking display is being donated to charity. black friday usually means deals on flat screen tvs and other hot items, but in milwaukee yesterday there were big lines for beer. a local brewery offered up a one-day only sale on black friday stout. about 800 people waited in line for hours in 15-degree weather to get their hands on the brew. it sold out in less than four hours.

turns out people know a good deal when they see one. when we come back, a look at the way technology is now setting the bar in a whole different way.

finally tonight, it's a quintessential part of british life, the local pub. but faced with a changing economy, even bars are having to adapt. and that means those offering up the perfect pint are tapping into new technology. here's nbc's kelly cobiella.

>> reporter: the british pub, a crazy name, a cold pint and now an ipad? at the westbourne pub in wales you can order, pour and drink without ever leaving your table. >> i think every guy has a dream of pouring his own or at least stick his head under one. >> reporter: do it yourself bar tending with a prepaid card, a tap of the screen and a step by step guide to pouring the perfect pint. >> oh, that's not looking good, is it? >> reporter: which is not as easy as it looks. they call it the self-serve revolution. the robot pub group developed it and promotes it in this video. when this owner heard about it from her son. >> i go, oh, no, this is too much for a little pub in swansea in wales. >> reporter: then she tried it. >> to set at the table and pour your own, it was so much fun. >> reporter: from shakespeare in love to an american werewolf in

london to harry potter. >> it's harry potter! >> reporter: in movies and in real life, pub etiquette hasn't changed for centuries. until now there's only been one way to order a drink, and that's go to the bar and wait your turn. we all know what that's like on a busy night. why break with tradition says writer and pub regular paul callan. >> i think it's an appalling idea. i can think of nothing more horrendous. >> reporter: problem is pubs are in trouble with a dozen closing every week. big chains price out family-run pubs and more people drink at home. >> trying to keep their head in the game, isn't it? trying new technology, new ideas. >> reporter: to bring in a new generation. if self-service can save their local, well, who wouldn't toast to that? kelly cobiella, nbc news, swansea, wales. that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. i'm carl quintanilla reporting. i'll see you right back here

tomorrow evening. good night. right now on nbc bay area news, reaction to the resignation of the police officer who shot and killed michael brown in ferguson, missouri. plus, a 6-year-old boy being credited for saving his friend's

life. and how black friday is not taking over just thanksgiving, but cyber monday as well. first, let's get to the weather. good evening. a south bay finally got a heavy dose of rain today. let's take a look at what it looked like in san jose this morning. another round of rain is about to hit the bay area in just a few hours. for the very latest on that, let's get to our meteorologist. >> we're seeing that rain increasing right now outside. you can see the first round of rain that came through dropped around an inch of rain in santa rosa. heavy rain starts to approach the central coast and parts of the bay area. san jose, 0.7 of an inch of rain. san jose significant because we haven't seen this much rain since february 28th. we'll close in on an inch of rain for san jose by tomorrow morng.