up with team coverage at 6:00 p.m. >> weather and etiquette, thank you. we'll see you at 6:00. >> good lessons. bye. on our broadcast tonight, boiling over. cities are again tonight bracing for big protests. there are new revelations about the officer involved in that chokehold death. and now a new grand jury looking into another controversial case. a bombshell turn of events raising doubts about accusations of a brutal attack on a well-known college campus. discrepancies in the story rocking a big university and a big name in publishing. also tonight, our nbc news investigation. can stem cell therapy really help treat diseases like m.s. and parkinson's? desperate patients being charged big money by doctors for an unproven treatment. and a new era for the american space program. a spectacular launch, the start of our next journey, and it's a long one. "nightly news" begins now.

from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. good evening. as we head into the first weekend of december we may be heading into another dicey and busy night in several american cities and towns. there are protesters already on the streets of some major population centers. this movement started in new york when we learned this week there would be no charges against the police officer in the chokehold death of a civilian during an arrest. before new york of course there was ferguson. and now all of it has taken the shape of a sprawling effort. on foot often up against police. nbc's stephanie gosk is out in it in the streets of new york to start us off. stephanie, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. as people gather here in lower manhattan, our nbc news affiliate in new york says the district attorney in staten island did not ask the grand

jury to consider a charge of reckless endangerment. only more serious charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. protesters are not letting up. three days after a grand jury decided not to indict officers involved in the death of eric garner. lake shore drive shut down in chicago. traffic in washington and in dallas a total mess. new york's police commissioner says he expects protests to dwindle. >> these things tend to peter out on their own. people get tired of marching around endlessly. >> reporter: but on "today" governor andrew cuomo on "today". >> when you saw that video, your instinct was this is not right, they went too far. i'm sure if the justice system is working that it's going to address this. and then it didn't. >> i can't breathe. i can't breathe. >> reporter: police advocates in new york city maintain the

officers did nothing wrong, that this takedown of garner was textbook. the focus has been on officer daniel pantaleo, the officer who placed a chokehold on garner. ? in the last two years, pantaleo has been named in three civil rights lawsuits against the city of new york resulting from two incidents. all three plaintiffs say they were unlawfully arrested and falsely charged. in all three cases criminal charges were dismissed. one suit accused pantaleo taking part in a humiliating and unlawful strip search. that was settled out of court. the other two complaints allege a pattern of false arrests and civil rights violations against persons of color. lawyers for the city deny the allegations. with emotions running high, attention today turned to another case. 28-year-old acai gurly shot and killed by a police officer two weeks ago in an apartment building stairwell, unarmed and not accused of any crime. >> i pray to god i get justice for my son because my son didn't deserve to die like that. he didn't deserve to die like

that. >> reporter: the nypd says it was an accident. the daily news reports says the cop waited six and a half minutes before calling 911. but in that time he texted his union representative. today the brooklyn district attorney announced he would convene a grand jury in the case, in his words, to get to the bottom of what happened. another grand jury, brian. and another possible indictment. the problem is that the people that have been out protesting the streets already don't trust that process. back to you. >> stephanie gosk starting us off tonight from lower manhattan. stephanie, thanks. we now turn to a surprising turn of events tonight concerning high profile sexual assault accusations at a storied american college campus, an institution founded by thomas jefferson, the university of virginia. accusations that set off a torrent of outrage. tonight, doubts are being raised about the accuser's story which was first published in "rolling

stone," then reported on widely including on this broadcast. we get the very latest tonight from nbc's kristen welker. >> reporter: students at uva are reeling tonight after learning there are now serious doubts about an alleged gang rape on campus that led to a police investigation, widespread protests, and suspension of all greek life. >> i think the general consensus was that even if it's not real, it's a problem even if that particular story wasn't real, it's probably still a problem. >> reporter: the bombshell claims made last month when "rolling stone" magazine reported a student named jackie said she was brutally gang-raped by seven men at a phi kappa psi fraternity party in 2012. but late today "rolling stone" back-pedalled writing in face of new information there now appear to be discrepancy si -- in jackie's account. and we have come to the conclusion that our trust in her was misplaced. the magazine also acknowledged its reporter never talked to jackie's alleged accusers saying jackie asked the publication not to for fear of retaliation.

representatives with the fraternity released a statement saying they never had a party during the weekend in question. none of their members were lifeguards as jackie told "rolling stone." and sexual assaults are not a part of a pledge ritual as jackie alleged. in an article today "the washington post" reported jackie's friends recently began to question her account. the post interviewed jackie last night. >> i can imagine it may be hard to come to grips with, you know, aspects of your own story that aren't, you know, lining up correctly. it's difficult to say what she really thinks right now. >> reporter: meanwhile tonight victims rights advocates say this episode shouldn't take away from what remains a critical issue nationwide. >> the worst thing that could come out of this is that even more people are afraid of speaking up about their experience being raped or sexually assaulted. >> reporter: the university of virginia said today's news must not alter its focus on preventing sexual violence. the charlottesville police department is still investigating.

kristen welker, nbc news, washington. there was a time not so long ago when a nasa rocket launch in florida was so common it hardly received news coverage, but then in recent years, we retired the space shuttle and we pay the russians to send american astronauts into space. that's why today's nasa launch was news. a test flight for the orion, the craft they are hoping will some day take us to mars. nbc's tom costello was there for the launch at the kennedy space center in florida and has our report on it tonight. >> igniters have been lit. >> reporter: it was at 7:05 eastern time this morning from launch pad 37b, when nasa once again made history. >> and liftoff at dawn, the dawn of orion and a new era of american space exploration. >> reporter: speeding at 17,000 miles an hour, the unmanned orion first reached low earth

orbit, dropping two booster rockets. the florida crowds gathered to cheer. >> i'll be able to tell my grand kids. i mean, this is just one of those moments that i'll always remember. >> reporter: meanwhile, orion was traveling further than any spacecraft built for humans in 42 years. 3,600 miles out in space, 15 times higher than the space station, all the while sending back spectacular live images of earth. >> all of orion's systems are operating to perfection so far. >> reporter: then the return trip. an unmanned drone captured the fiery re-entry as orion hit the atmosphere. the heat shield withstanding 4,000-degree temperatures. and just like apollo, a spectacular view as the parachutes deployed, slowing orion to a gentle splashdown right on target 600 miles off san diego. >> orion is back on earth. america has driven a golden spike as it crosses a bridge into the future. >> reporter: today's mission critical to prepare for eventually carrying astronauts

to an asteroid or even mars. >> before we put humans on board we want to look at the test data and have an opportunity to actually change the spacecraft, its design, its construction. >> reporter: for nasa today was about proving it still has the right stuff. >> -- we started with all the apollo guys still there, so we've kind of now finally done something for the first time for our generation. >> reporter: the first manned test flight could be six to eight years away. and consider this, if the first mission to mars is 20 years away, that means those astronauts today are in preschool. there are many more years ahead of tests and hurdles, brian. >> tom costello down at the kennedy space flight center in florida. tom, thanks. president obama today announced his pick for the new civilian boss of our men and women in uniform. if confirmed ashton carter will be the next secretary of defense. a former undersecretary, a philly native, a physicist by trade, a weapons and logistics

expert with a doktorate, a rhodes scholar. nominated to replace the departing chuck hagel. big jolt of economic news, we learned employers added 321,000 jobs in november. the best single mof hiring in nearly three years. unemployment rate holds steady at a six-year low now of 5.8%. taking the year as a whole so far, 2014 is on track to be the strongest we've seen for hiring since 1999. on the other side of the world tonight, a monster storm is taking aim at the philippines, which could be in for a very rough weekend. this is a category 5 and in that part of the world that large a hurricane is called a supertyphoon with winds over 150 miles an hour. it's roaring in from the pacific threatening some of the same areas devastated by the last big one just last year. nbc's jim maceda is in manila tonight and has our report.

>> reporter: it looks like a monster even from outer space, 450 miles wide and bearing down on the philippines. with landfall now just hours away, hundreds of thousands in the storm's path have evacuated coastal areas, stocking up on food, water and other supplies. dozens of flights have been canceled, sea lanes shut down and ports closed. this time people are heeding the warnings. with memories still fresh of last year's devastating supertyphoon haiyan, it's record 150-mile-an-hour winds and 20-foot storm surge took the nation by surprise, destroying a million homes, displacing 4 million people and leaving more than 7,000 dead. one year later thousands of haiyan survivors still live in shelters or tents. like everyone here they're now fearful of reliving a nightmare. >> they see probability of storm surges. and we just advise them to be prepared. >> reporter: with little more than faith they say to brace for

what's heading their way. nbc news, jim maceda, manila. new fallout tonight from that massive hacking attack on sony pictures in hollywood. employees have received an e-mail from the hackers, a group calling itself the guardians of peace. the e-mail makes threats against the families of employees, saying they are in danger unless the employees "make your company behave wisely or else." this hack has already released several motion pictures online, some not yet in theaters. it has also gotten personal releasing salary information. sony says law enforcement continues to investigate. still ahead this evening, our nbc news investigation trying desperate patients willing to try anything to help treat diseases like m.s. and parkinson. but some doctors are charging thousands for an unproven treatment. and later, sweater weather. it's getting awfully christmasy

out there, setting new records in over-the-top seasonal wear.

for all the promise that stem cells hold for the medical community, there is still much unknown about their potential benefits. an nbc news investigation has found people with debilitating diseases like multiple sclerosis are turning to a highly controversial and expensive, stem cell therapy. and many experts say it has no proven benefit. our report tonight from nbc's dr. nancy snyderman.

>> reporter: after 20 years of multiple sclerosis, symptoms are getting worse. >> just wanted to confirm -- >> reporter: when he heard about a stem cell therapy in nearby phoenix, he was hopeful and surprised. >> shocked maybe, because it was not approved in this country i didn't think. >> reporter: the treatment was being offered by dr. steven gitt, a plastic surgeon who performs stem cell therapy out of the same clinic where he does cosmetic procedures. >> we've seen some remarkable outcomes. >> reporter: he is one of more than 100 doctors nationwide who say they have treated thousands of patients. they use liposuction to extract patient's fat, separate out the stem cells and then inject those same stem cells back into the patient, hoping that those stem cells will regenerate healthy new cells. dr. gitt tells his patients the procedure can help but is not necessarily a cure. >> it's a recipe for exploitation. >> reporter: but leading stem

cell researchers like harvard's dr. george daly, say these doctors are preying on vulnerable people. >> it's dramatically premature to actually be charging patients for therapy that we don't yet know is safe or effective. >> it was $7,000. >> reporter: per treatment? >> per treatment. >> reporter: when robert called his former neurologist for advice, he was told not to do it. he says he has had at least a dozen patients call him about the treatments they find online. some costing $15,000 or more. >> legitimate scientific breakthroughs are not marketed through youtube or slick websites. you know, it's the wild west out there. >> not one person has been harmed, injured, killed, died -- >> reporter: we sat down with dr. gitt. >> the majority of them in the 60 to 80% range have a positive

outcome in terms of improvement. >> reporter: and how do you measure improvement? >> well, there's a quality of life scale that is followed and tracked for each patient. >> reporter: dr. gitt says patients who are paying for stem cell therapy are also participating in a study, a practice considered unorthodox. give me one clinical trial where patients pay to get in. >> well, the fact of the matter is, ultimately we all pay when research is done. >> reporter: he says patients have to pay because neither pharmaceutical companies nor universities will fund his work. he says he is not doing it for the money. most of his income comes from his plastic surgery practice. the fda told nbc news that it is wary of this treatment but that it does not regulate it. people should consult with a trusted physician before trying anything experimental like this, brian. >> dr. nancy snyderman back here with us with an important story. thank you as always. we are back in a moment with the reigning queen tonight cementing her place in history.

cementing her place in history.

the grammy nominations are out. and while too numerous to itemize, the list is on our website. suffice to say, it's a big year for women. of the five record of the year nominees, sam smith is the only male artist among the five. and one woman in particular makes history this year. beyonce has now become the most nominated female artist of all-time, passing dolly parton with a record 47 nominations, which have so far by the way yielded 17 trophies. weather and climate making news this season. amidst all the flooding rain in california, a new study there says the drought is the worst in 1,200 years. the state faces quite an uphill fight. san francisco, to name one city, remains two feet below rainfall averages for the year. in 46 years of recordkeeping, more snow covered our hemisphere

this fall than at any other time breaking the previous record set in 1976. and sea levels have been creeping up on land at the kennedy space center in florida. manmade dunes have been built to protect historic sites, including launch pad 39a. and there's a plan to move other facilities back from the water if need be. and after last night's airing of "peter pan live" on this network, this may be the best review of all. 6-year-old ian armatage who lives in arlington, virginia, reminded us today about what's really important about peter pan. he clapped so hard for tinker bell and so did so many kids just like him. we are told tinker bell is tired after last night but doing well and clearly ian knew he played an important role in the show's success. when we come back, letting your colors fly during this time of year when the look has never been more in fashion.

finally tonight, we used to just refer to them as christmas sweaters. maybe they were over the top, but we bought them and we gave them to others, and we wore them and still do.

just recently the cool kids decided some christmas sweaters were so ugly they should be worn loudly and proudly and celebrate it. and now that's become an industry all its own. and we get an update on this growing movement tonight from nbc's kevin tibbles. >> reporter: folks, this is going to get ugly, real ugly christmas sweater ugly. from a trendy club in atlanta. >> my sweater is fabulous. >> reporter: to ugly sweater runs nationwide. the cavalcade of kitsch has caught on. they're big sellers. advertised online as ugly. >> isn't that something? that people would want to buy an ugly sweater. ♪ >> reporter: andy williams recognized early on the chic mystique of the holiday pullover. who would have thunk that these days beyonce would be wearing and selling them? and sports team ugly sweaters are expected to bring in more

than $10 million this holiday season. 220,000 plus #uglysweater posts. on instagram. at chicago's christmas sweater depot, business has doubled. even hipsters are committing crimes against fashion. >> it is super cool to be ugly. >> let's get ugly. >> let's get ugly. what do you think? >> well, i think that's really ugly. >> yeah. >> i mean, look at that. >> reporter: high end wardrobe consultant annie barlow thought she'd seen it all until we went shopping. >> doesn't that make you more confident? i think so, yeah, check me out. life got an ugly christmas sweater, but i look good. i also think it's a conversation starter. >> reporter: i have an ugly sweater. would you talk to me? oh, and look who we found shopping for ugly. >> the likeness is uncanny, don't you think? >> reporter: will one of these end up under your tree? kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >> that's our broadcast on a friday night. 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, have a great weekend. goodnight. nbc bay area news begins with a microclimate weather alert. >> right now at 6:00, another storm is here as our weekend kicks off. good evening. thanks for being with us on this friday. >> no respite from the rain. it's going to be another soggy night. you're looking at the radar. it shows a new storm front just arrived and it's getting ready to rain on you. to the north bay our team is tracking driving conditions and the impact of the latest storm. we begin with chief meteorologist jeff ranieri.

>> getting very isolated where we're seeing this begin. take you to some of the heaviest right now on 680 from pleasanton all of the way up toward walnut creek. half inch per hour coming down slowing down that commute to half mile and less in terms of your visibility. look at walnut creek heading to the north and also slightly towards the east. that will likely put it here in concord throughout the next 15 minutes or so. if you live there you want to head inside because that may produce isolated areas of flooding. the other zone we're tracking is across the south bay. morgan hill is in the clear. heavier pocket of rainfall right now throughout gilroy and south of gilroy and it's going to be a wet and slow commute. at least for the next hour or so. as we look at the future cast, we continue throughout tonight. at 10:30 another round of rain is lining up and eventually bring