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,

of the device from spinal cord injuries to general gait therapy, stroke, a.l.s., m.s., other issues where you have trouble walking, we can have the exo help with that. the goal is to have the personal unit really to translate from rehab hospital to the home. >> i really want to get outside with this more than i already have. i want to be able to walk over uneven terrain, get back out to my roots outside. actually having that mobility device where people can go out and belly up to the bar with you and have a drink. > this home comes with a guarantee of ten years of zero electricity and zero gas payments. total cost k at the of owning, operating, and maintaining the home, it's less than renting. >> so if you're thinking about building a house, you naturally start to think about energy efficiency. in e's a new company down houston called houze, which stands for zero energy. they're trying to take home building and efficiency to a whole new level. >> when building a home, people are thinking about reducing their energy bills for years. name, what'sn their so unique about houze? >> they're bas

when kayla runs, the natural increase in her body temperature temporarily gives the m.s. the edge again. in the last part of races, kayla has lost all feeling below her waist. she lacks the control to slow to a stop. the reason her cries are so urgent is with water, with cooling, she can feel again. and then in her last high school race ever, she's in the gold shirt. this bad break. >> she fell. >> you've got to go now, kayla! >> reporter: she did get back into it, and she moved up and then this. and for a final time, the finish line and the help. >> i got you. >> reporter: and by the time of the ceremony, she can feel, well, everything. john donvan, abc news, washington. >> that is the story of the year, t.j., don't you think? >> that's it. okay. we teased the story and we've been talking about it. i didn't expect that from the story. oh, my goodness. >> when you have a bad day, that's the story we're all going to pull up to talk about. >> oh, man. >> when she was diagnosed she told the coach, i don't know how much time i have left, so i really want to run fast. i don't

>>> also tonight, our nbc news investigation, can stem cell therapy really help treat diseases like m.s parkinsons? 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

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.

and he said to me, listen, you've got to look into medical marijuana, because the m.s.esults could be spectacular. the epilepsy results could be spectacular, and people are not focused on it, because the american companies were to do what they're doing, it's conceivable that they could call for being investigated by justice. is that an accurate depiction? >> well, actually, the situation with respect to the legal system is no different in the uk, just all the work we do in europe or the u.s. comes under federal law. we're allowed to do legitimate science tink research. that's what we've been doing for the last 16 years. obviously the medical marijuana issue has brought this research to the fore, but actually we've been doing this in a serious scientific way for, as i say, 16 years, and it looks as if our drugs are starting to show promise. >> most traditional doctors i know are afraid to actually write a script for medical marijuana, into you it's different place to place. why isn't a pfizer or bristol-myers doing what you're doing? >> that's why we exist. the dilemma t

m.s. in a woman at the peak of her life, and seizures in a little girl. we travel the globe asking patients and policy makers for a solution. i'm dr. sanjay gupta, and this is with the weed 2: cannabis madness." this time our journey begins in new jersey, ironically called the garden state. it's the summer of 2013. a quiet neighborhood diner about to become the site of a headline-making confrontation. between a frantic father, brian wilson, and the outspoken governor, chris christie, all over wilson's 2-year-old daughter, vivian. >> what's the holdup? it's been two months now. >> sir, these are complicated issues. >> it's very simple. >> i know you think it's simple. >> it was a david and goliath moment. >> you've got a governor who's one of the leadin republicans in the nation and this dad who's got a little girl who he's desperately worried and in love with who just wants to dot best thing for her. >> you see, brian wilson's daughter, vivian, was dying. her brain continuously locked in seizures and nothing had worked. the wilsons were pinning their hope

celgene, there is -- there's other drugs besides -- there's other drugs for m.s.ns, other drugs for the macular degeneration that regendero regeneron's on and people will snapback and realize express scripts is an anomaly. this is a game changer because no one expected a signed, sealed, delivered i'm yours abbvie that they were all set, all set to do it immediately? take your breath away. >> a pause and take a look. >> nice steve ie wonder referen, too. >> take one more look at futures. not only has the dow and s&p recovered its losses for december but the last eight of the past ten decembers have been positive. more squawk on street from the nyse in a minute. ♪ there's confidence... then there's trusting your vehicle maintenance to ford service confidence. our expertise, technology, and high quality parts means your peace of mind. it's no wonder last year we sold over three million tires. and during the big tire event, get up to $140 in mail-in rebates on four select tires. ♪ ♪ >>> monday, december 22, how did that happen? >> i know. >> we've got a "mad dash" for

fort university of delaware, but his biggest commitment, taking care of his mother who suffers from m.sg the help and care she needs, to keep her going. she's the reason i do all that i do. growing up it was really just me and my mom of she's been my mother, my father, my sister, my brother, my aunt, my uncle. everything to me. >> how are they doing now? here with us once again is our two guests. good morning. >> you look fantastic. >> how are you feeling? >> great. how you feeling? >> pretty good. tell us a little bit more of your back story. when you came here a year ago, what was going on in your life? >> we came here a year ago, things were getting a little crazy 'cause she needed certain care, help and stuff like that. he wrote a beautiful story and it got us the attention we needed. >> right. when your mother was diagnosed, you were just ten years old. correct? >> yes. >> and at that time, you went to judo and art classes and everything a little boy would want to do and basketball and football and all of that. but things changed. how did things change for you? >> he was six. >> oh