tonight, romney surprise. a stunning turn. events as two bitter rivals prepare to meet and mend fences. also, raw emotion as hillary clinton opens up about her why the price you p for everything from your credit card bills to your mortgage might be about to go up. fire and ice. dozens burning across the south as the first blizzard of the season's about to hit. caught on camera, outrage as video shows an officer punching a woman in the face. what police are saying about it tonight. and thanksgiving text message mixup. how a grandmother's mistake is bringing strangers together for dinner. "nightly news"

good evening. the name-dropping of those under consideration for top roles in a trump white house grows louder by the hour. now seated among the names of trump loyal exists a head-snapping lists of outspoken critics including mitt romney who famously led a public charge to derail trump's nomination. the question is when trump is burying the latchet and turning the page or simply injecting reality show-style drama into the weeding business of building an administration. hallie jackson has new developments. ?? >> reporter: donald trump doesn't forget insults. mitt romney's delivered plenty. >> donald trump is a phony. a fraud. >> reporter: the feeling was mutual. >> so mitt is a very sad guy. >> reporter: tonight nbc news has learned the former gop nominee

is under consideration for secretary of state, according to a source with direct knowledge of the president-elect's thinking. >> you need people of quality like mitt romney to be considered for the governing aspects even if the campaigning was a little bit at odds. >> reporter: now one from romney's side is talking. a transition source says the governor will meet sunday with the president-elect after other potential picks to lead the state department came under fire. rudy giuliani for reported business ties to foreign governs, foreign policy experience. the south carolina governor visiting trump tower today, raising questions about when trump wants a team of rivals or when it's just talk to show he's inclusive. >> i don't think that a cabinet needs to look like a benton commercial. but i think that having folks of different ethnic backgrounds matters, particularly in that role. >> reporter: perhaps more than outreach to former foes, the president-elect prizes loyalty. and by his side almost since the start, lieutenant general

commander who served under president obama, now a leading contender for national security adviser. as transition tensions rise in the national security community. tonight, multiple senior intelligence officials tell nbc news they're preparing for the most wrenching transition in 15 years, saying agencies are being left in the dark, learning more from news media than from the trump team itself. vice president-elect mike pence is leading that team and leading the charge hill. mike pence meeting with congressional leaders. donald trump here meeting with the japanese prime minister tonight. the president-elect's schedule packed and not likely to let up. a top aide says after thanksgiving, the president-elect will get out of new york and get back on the road to visit states he won for a thank you tour. call it a victory lap, lester. >> hallie jackson tonight in new york. thank you. with democrats still reeling from election losses, hillary clinton stepped back into the public eye last night. an emotional clinton

oval office as her party struggles to find its way. we get more from nbc's andrea mitchell. >> reporter: hillary clinton appearing for the first time publicly since her concession and devastating loss. >> there have been a few times this past week when all i wanted to do was just to curl up with a good book or our dogs and never leave the house again. >> reporter: until now the only glimpse of her has been walking in the woods. a picture snapped by her husband. dejected, talking about what she wishes she could tell her late mother. >> your daughter will grow up to be a united states senator, represent our country as secretary of state, and win more than 62 million votes for president of the united states. [ applause ] >> reporter: friends acknowledge how hard this has been. >> i actually talked to her the day before she made the speech. she was a little angry

it's got to be brutal. and it's a sadness that i'm not sure will ever, ever total leave hillary clinton. >> reporter: clinton's former rival, who has still not called her, asked if his challenge contributed to her defeat. >> you can argue the exact reverse, that maybe i would have been elected president of the united states. >> reporter: and echoing democratic leaders' new strategy, trying to win back working class whites by finding common ground with donald trump on infrastructure and trade. where can you work mr. trump is serious about developing policies for working families, if he's serious about raising the minimum wage, i will work with him on that. >> reporter: as democrats regroup, president obama in berlin slamming fake campaign news on social media. >> if we can't discriminate between serious arguments and propaganda, then we have problems. >> reporter: and in another sign of democratic disarray

longtime house leader nancy pelosi is now being challenged for the first time by an ohio congressman, tim ryan, from the kind of rustbelt district donald trump won overwhelmingly. lester? >> andrea mitchell, thank you. now to the deadly natural gas explosion that rocked a small illinois town. one person was killed, 12 others injured in the massive blast captured by surveillance cameras. the explosion damaging several buildings, shattering windows and rattling a whole lot of nerves. nbc's ron mott has the latest. >> reporter: the boutique was closing for the night, employees still inside when an explosion blasted its storefront wide open. surveillance cameras capturing two angles at the moment of impact. >> it shook everything. it almost felt like an earthquake. >> just a massive rumble and a big boom and just everything came crashing down at one time. >> reporter: today the extent of the damage to the town square in canton, illinois, was clear. >> the sirens started going off. people were running. it was mayhem. >> reporter: officials

125-year-old opera house hit a supply line. a crew respondsed, and the explosion happen head as the crew was about to make a repair. the cause is under investigation. 38-year-old worker arturo silva jr. was killed. 12 others taken to the hospital. the force of the concussion felt for blocks. >> everybody has to go three blocks. >> reporter: the latest in a series of recent explosions to rock communities around the country, 97 so far this year. in gas line incidents have killed nearly 300 in the u.s. causing more than $1 billion in property damage. in canton, nerves are still rattled. >> kind of gets your adrenaline going, and it's hard to calm down and relax after that. >> reporter: a quiet, peaceful night shattered by tragedy. ron mott, nbc news. now to arizona where a police officer has been placed on leave after video shows him punching a woman in the face during a confrontation, and the woman was subsequently

the incident later posted the video on social media. an investigation is now underway, and we get details from nbc's miguel almaguer. >> reporter: cell phone video captured the confrontation in flagstaff, arizona, when the officer threw the punch. >> hey! >> hey! >> you can't hit a girl like that. >> reporter: police were responding to an eviction notice. it's unclear what led to the scuffle between officer jeff bonar and marisa morris, who was arrested, then today >> marisa, just let him. >> let him arrest you. let him arrest you. >> it's hurtful. it's embarrassing. it's the people who are supposed to protect us, and they did not protect us. they ended up hurting me. >> reporter: today the police department placed the officer on leave. the chief saying he is concerned by what is depicted. >> it is our intent to conduct a very detailed and thorough investigation into this matter. >> reporter: in his report, officer bonar said he was kicked and kneed in the groin. the video shot behind

evidence. >> stop, please! stop right now! >> reporter: in flagstaff, police wear body cameras like these. footage from this incident hasn't been released but is under review. >> on the ground! >> so often in cases like these there is a rush to judgment and a call for immediate action. >> he is beating her up. >> reporter: from a freeway takedown in california, to a teen pool party confrontation in texas. officers in past high-profile incidents like these never faced crimin anything! >> reporter: tonight in arizona, police are asking for time and patience to determine if the whole story is on this shocking tape. miguel almaguer, nbc news. let's turn now to weather extremes across the country. tonight, first these wildfires we've been telling you about. now, 50 of them across seven states in the south. in the upper midwest, they're bracing for the first blizzard of the season. nbc's kerry sanders has more.

southeast now extends up to 10,000 feet in the air. a challenge for the thousands of firefighters working around the clock. >> a little tough to breathe. >> reporter: the party rock fire in north carolina has been burning for 12 days now, and it's still growing. just one of the now 50 large fires burning nearly 120,000 acres across seven states. residents just beyond the evacuation zone still impacted. >> this is a little much. >> reporter: in arizona, those with asthma and other breathing problems seeking relief. >> if somebody were to walk into a designated smoking area, in a closed room like an airport, you'd be exposed to the same type of smoke that we're exposed to from the forest fires. >> reporter: news from government forecasters. the drought fueling

warm and dry, a trend we could see last through at least february. >> reporter: the northern u.s. could see a cooler and wetter winter. already in utah tonight, snow. a storm system bringing the first blizzard of the season with up to a foot of snow to the midwest. back down here in the south, a weekend forecast for stronger winds which could mean more dangerous days ahead. kerry sanders, nbc news, north carolina. today federal reserve chair janet yellen made week's election and snalged what many have been -- signaled what many have been anticipating, that the fed will most likely raise interest rates soon. some analysts say the move could come as early as next week, and that could affect your money. joining subcommittee ali velshi, msnbc anchor and business correspondent. what does a rate hike mean for consumers? >> it means that janet yellen thinks the economy is strong enough now to handle it. one of the great explanations from the fed that i've heard is it leaps ache a car

rates, like pushing the gas, raising the economy up. it can slow the economy down by raising interest rates. the fed thinks that the economy can handle a 25 basis points, quarter of a percent, hike, if you have revolving credit, it will affect you because your loan will get more expensive. if you have an adjustable rate mortgage, that could go higher. if you haven't got your mortgage rate yet, they have started to move a little bit higher. the good news is if you are a saver, for to get any interest on your money or barely any. now you'll be able to get just a little bit. it might be the beginning of a series of interest rate hikes. >> thank you very much. ahead, the striking new report on a deadly epidemic that has more than 20 million americans in its grips. the terrible toll it's taking on the youngest victims -- their children. also, the thanksgiving text message mixup that's made a grandma and a ??

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we're back now with a shocking new report from the surgeon general revealing over 20 million americans are struggling with substance addiction, calling it a disease, not a character flaw. we've reported on the heartbreaking images of the youngest victims of a drug epidemic. in particular, children whose parents overdosed on heroin in front of them. tonight, nbc's kate snow talks with some of the children of other addict who found help and hope.

drugs. >> i'm sitting on my bed, petting my dog. and it's nighttime, and my parents are yelling in the hallway. >> reporter: these are some of the youngest victims of heroin abuse, 13-year-old gracie and her brother, 10-year-old weston, drawing what they felt when their dad was using drugs. what is addiction? >> it's a disease. like with drugs and alcohol. >> reporter: what about heroin, what does that do to your body? >> it makes you "happy" but not really tell addiction? >> reporter: they've been through a special program near denver for children of recovering addicts run by the betty ford center. >> i call these boys and girls silent and invisible. children are first hurt and last helped. >> reporter: for years, 8-year-old caden's parents were both addicted to heroin. >> my mom and dad used to make pretty shapes like on metal. >> reporter: like on tinfoil? >> uh-huh. >> reporter: would it

second. i think he was talking about foils for heroin. >> or smoking heroin. we would do it in the car, while we were driving. regime caden's mom nicole says they would sometimes forget to feed him. he missed 40 days of kindergarten. gracie and weston noticed their dad was sleeping all the time. not understanding that jerry, a paramedic and firefighter, was addicted to pills and heroin. once he got help, he realized his kids needed it, too. >> i knewy wasn't the only one that -- knew i wasn't the only one problems, but i still felt alone at the time. >> reporter: what happened when you came here? >> i felt protected. i felt safe. >> reporter: jerry is back at work. 15 months clean. people might say, you know, how could you do that to your kids? >> a lot of guilt and a lot of remorse. and, you know, seeing their pictures and stuff they draw. >> there's a lot of guilt and shame. he still is very angry. he saw it a lot of

children's terms. >> reporter: nicole has been sober for 18 months, and she can finally embrace being a mom. >> for so long, i -- i didn't have feelings. i would numb them out, and i didn't know how rewarding being a mom could be. >> reporter: jerry's wife, ann, says the kids see his strength. >> this is not something that you it's become a family struggle, but it's something to take pride in now. >> reporter: kids and parents finding recovery for the whole family. kate snow, nbc news, aurora, colorado. >> tough reality in our country. we're going to take a break. when we come back, what science is revealing about the best strategy for a certain call to your boss. [burke] at farmers, we've seen almost everything, so we know how to cover almost anything. even a rodent ride-along.

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we have an update on a story that sparked a fair amount of outrage around the nation. a federal inspection found the barrier around a gorilla enclosure at the cincinnati zoo was not up to standards when a 3-year-old fell into it in may. the boy was picked up and dragged by a responders at the zoo made the controversial call to shoot and kill the gorilla to protect the child. and tourists in new york harbor got double the view today. they were there to check out the statue of liberty when reports started to flood in of rare sightings of a whale near liberty island. as you can imagine, it's a heavily trafficked waterway, and the coast guard put out an alert for boats to be on the lookout and slow down to make way for an unexpected guest. for those of you

me time, playing hooky from work every once in a while, a survey done by a market research company says the best time to call in "sick" is 6:38 a.m. on a tuesday. that's apparently when you're most likely to be believed. apparently unlike on a monday or friday when it's pretty obvious you're angling for a long weekend. the best excuse -- stomach problems. bosses tend not to ask any questions after that. when we come back, the surprise thanksgiving invitation that's driving number that started it

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stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. ask your doctor about viagra single packs. finally tonight, a week from now americans will gather around thanksgiving tables across the country. this year one family will have some extra place settings for some new friends, all thanks to a hilarious texting mixup that's gone viral. here's nbc's kristen dahlgren. >> reporter: when 17-year-old high school senior jamal hinton got a text telling him thanksgiving dinner was at 3:00 this year -- >> it's either the wrong number or my grandma learned how to use her phone. >> reporter: so jamal

and got a selfie of wanda dench. somebody's grandma. just not his. >> he texted me back his picture and said, "you ain't my grandma, but can i still have a plate?" >> reporter: that's where you might expect the story to end, but like a true grandma -- >> i said, sure, you can. i said, you know, that's what grandmas do. >> reporter: the two met last night. and jamal's whole family is now going to wanda's for thanksgiving. >> you know, i've got to figure out how big a turkey i need for >> reporter: their texts touched a nerve. >> i'm at 392,000 likes. 186,000 retweets, and 1.7 million views. >> we've noticed that people are seeking these feel-good, uplifting, heartwarming, humanizing stories. >> reporter: how much do people rally around stories like this? >> oh, you see like tons and tons -- >> yes. >> reporter: earlier

group text to strangers about their new baby boy. the recipients they had never met brought gifts to the hospital. and who could forget sad paw paw who hosted a barbecue for hundreds after his grandkids didn't show up for homemade burgers? for new friends jamal and wanda this year, there is a lot to be thankful for. >> feel like everybody sees this joy that two people, two strangers can actually connect. >> reporter: leaving rest of us thankful for the smile. kristen hl news, new york. and that is going to do it for us on this thursday night. coming up, the debut of thursday night football on nbc. the carolina panthers host the new orleans saints. coverage begins at 7:30 eastern time. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching, and good

now at six. breaking the bubble. principal tampered with standardized tests for some students at his school. un-seasonably warm weather allows progress to continue at construction sites across eastern iowa -- with some heading into winter ahead of schedule. champions are crowned inside the dome -- with state titles on the line in high school football. good evening everyone, i'm ron for joining us. digging deeper tonight - a standardized same.

principal caught falsifying standardized tests. long-time jesup elementary school principal-brian pottebaum was cited by the iowa board of education in august. this is jesup elementary. principal pottebaum only oversees the elemtary schools and the staff. even after being cited - he is still employed as principal of the school. kwwl's elizabeth amanieh has been digging deeper into this incident. elizabeth. am - education received a complaint against pottebaum back in march. but after an investigation by the board found pottebaum responsible and later an ethics complaint, filed aginst jesup elementary principal brian pottebuam - seen here in an interview from a previous kwwl story... the complaint claims pottebaum "provided unauthorized accomodations to children who were not qualified for accomodations." not following standard test procedures - he gave photocopied test booklets to