taking ames. gop presidential hopefuls converge on iowa. first-time voters are having their say. while in south carolina, another big name jumps in threatening to shake up the race. kidnapped. an american man kidnapped from his heavily guarded home in pakistan. how did it happen? paying the price, good news at the gas pump that could mean more money in your pocket. mob scene. what's behind the string of random violent attacks in a major american city? and love at first sight. a new take on speed dating. and love at first sight. a new take on speed dating. this time for man's best friend.

-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com good evening, we have arrived at an early gut check moment for those republican candidates hoping to unseat president obama next year. tonight in iowa, the voting is over in the ames republican straw poll. it's the campaign season's first chance for voters to weigh in on the gop field. tonight's results are breathing new life into some presidential hopes and may soon be bringing others to an early end. even the day's fronts runners are going to be immediately looking over their shoulders at the new estrogen traest entrant. we begin with kelly o'donnell. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. the iowa republican party is still counting the ballots. an estimated 17,000 votes, that's more than expected. who does that help?

well, ron paul's campaign says they went through 4,000 t-shirts, herman cain says they gave away 3,000 slices of pizza. none of the candidates ran out of enthusiasm. >> republicans, welcome to ames. welcome to the 2011 iowa straw poll! >> reporter: unofficial but very influential. >> i hope it's more than great food and a lot of sound bites. >> reporter: there were crowd-pleaser lines. >> be grateful that you're from iowa. >> reporter: from iowa-born michele bachmann. >> i have always been grateful that i am an iowan, and i believe it's time we have an iowan in the white house. [ cheers ] >> reporter: businessman herman cain has never held office. >> i have been criticized because i have not had any direct foreign policy experience. and the guy we have there now has? >> without the federal government down on our backs and in our wallets, it's time we restored freedom to america. >> reporter: the real action was

outside. >> bachmann voters, if you're ready to vote, follow me! >> reporter: long lines snaked around this carnival atmosphere. thousands came for the novelty -- >> two, three -- >> reporter: and the chance to meet today's republican presidential field. >> hey! >> reporter: candidates hosted tent parties. >> i think that ms. bachmann has a lot to offer for the united states. ♪ peggy sue peggy sue ♪ >> reporter: where campaigns provided music, food -- >> having a good time in iowa. >> reporter: and a $30 fundraiser ticket needed to actually cast a straw vote. who are you backing? >> tim pawlenty. >> reporter: why? >> because i think he has the answers. >> reporter: governor tim pawlenty tried to show strength with an army in green t-shirts. what are you hearing from people? >> that people are having a combination of fun but also this is about trying to get our country back on track. people i think are enjoying it, but they're serious when the fact that our country's in

trouble and has got to get fixed. that's what this is about. >> reporter: iowa voters know their choice today could push some weaker candidates out of the race. >> we need to get it down to the cream of the crop. and find out who we all believe is the cream of the crop so they can go on. >> reporter: if you're wondering about national front-runner mitt romney, he chose not to compete here, not spend money even though his name did appear on the ballot. and they do expect to have those votes counted sometime this evening. we're hoping very soon. lester? >> thank you. as we noted at the top of the broadcast, not all the political spotlight was on ames today. in charleston, south carolina, texas republican governor rick perry tried to shake up the gop race with his announcement that he, too, is now running for president. and tonight he's already at work campaigning in the early primary state of new hampshire. nbc's kristin welker is there. america is not broken. washington, d.c., is broken. [ cheers ] >> reporter: reinvigorating the

republican field. texas governor rick perry makes it official in south carolina. >> with the support of my family and unwavering belief in the goodness of america, i declare to you today as a candidate for president of the united states. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: today the former air force pilot, fathers of two, made the -- father of two, made the case that his record in the lone star state qualifies him to lead. >> since june of 2009, texas is responsible for more than 40% of all of the new jobs created in america. >> reporter: today he cast himself as the anti-obama, advocating low taxes and small government. >> we have to quit spending money we don't have. we need to get our fiscal house in order and restore our good credit. >> reporter: some polls already show perry running second to mitt romney. >> that's a new threat now to mitt romney. somebody of substance who can probably raise some money, put together a national network, and

is a great campaigner. >> reporter: still, he is untested on the national stage. >> lord, are you the source of every good thing. >> reporter: perry recently raised eyebrows for leading a prayer rally in houston, appealing to the christian right that some saw as blurring the line between church and state. >> the president of the united states, george w. bush! >> reporter: perry first took over the governor's mansion in 2000 when george w. bush left for the white house. perry won the office outright three more times. and while he may sound a lot like his predecessor in austin, the two texans are actually quite different. >> he is much more conservative than george bush was, whereas bush portrayed himself as a uniter, not a divider. perry is more a divider. >> reporter: now perry just arrived at this house in greenland, new hampshire, for a meet and greet. tomorrow he heads to where else

-- iowa. >> thank you. moderator of "meet the press," david gregory, joins us now from ames, iowa. david, does governor perry's entrance into this race diminish the significance of finishing among the front-runners in iowa? >> at least splits the screen and creates two headlines. governor perry's coming in at a time when there's still a lot of republican money on the sidelines. and there's still a lot of excitement yet to be generated among republican primary voter ws who don't love the field. they know this is a high-stakes election and the voters don't like president obama. he's coming in at a good moment. >> the name of the game is fundraising. if you're near the bottom of the pile and rick perry gets into the race, are you looking at a nail finally going in the coffin? >> yes. i think you are. it's a test of viability. it's a test of organization in iowa. if you're not breaking through in the polls, if you're not getting media attention, and if you're not raising the money, like i said, is still on the sidelines, you've got some

problems. this is the first test for governor perry. how much money can he raise, how quickly can he raise it, that's really the thing to keep an eye on. don't forget, it's august of 2011, not august, 2012. we have a long way to go in this race. the early metrics have to do with how much of a campaign warchest any candidate can build up. >> finally, i've got to ask about sarah palin. she's been showing up at all the right places including iowa, but continues to play coy with if she's running. with governor perry in the race, is she running out of time to make a call here? >> no question about it. sarah palin is more or less a side show. someone who gets a lot of attention but still a side show. she is not doing the kinds of things that you would expect to actually make a run for the presidency. she does have access to money and a lot of grassroots support. so you can't completely count her out yet. >> david gregory, thank you very much. want to let folks know much more on the iowa straw poll and presidential politics tomorrow morning on "meet the press," live from iowa. congresswoman michele bachmann will be among david gregory's

guests. turning now to the brazen kidnapping of an american contractor in pakistan taken from his heavily protected home in the middle of the night by a band of armed gunmen. the abduction occurred in the city of lahore in eastern pakistan. our chief foreign correspondent, richard engle, has our report. >> reporter: around 3:45 a.m., pakistani police say as many as eight heavily armed men kidnapped american contractor warren weinstein from his home in lahore, pakistan. weinstein, who just turned 70 last month, was highly experienced in international aid work. he had been taking precautions. he lived in an upscale neighborhood in a villa surrounded by walls with a metal gate and guards. but it wasn't enough. just last week, the u.s. state department issued a warning that said kidnapping in pakistan usually for ransom continues to increase dramatically nationwide. the gunmen entered weinstein's

home apparently without a fight. his guards say they were overpowered. pakistani police have taken several of them into custody, suspecting the kidnappers may have had inside help. weinstein, who speaks six languages including urdu, was reportedly working for a virginia-based company to improve pakistan's economic development. pakistani journalist raza rhumi has known weinstein for three years. >> he's the type of person that is prepared for all such eventualities. and i wish that he comes back very soon, safe and sound. [ siren ] >> reporter: kidnapping has long been a risk in pakistan. in 2002, al qaeda militants kidnapped and executed american journalist daniel pearl. according to the state department, at least three other u.s. citizens have been kidnapped in the last three years. no group has claimed responsibility for weinstein's kidnapping, but anti-americanism has been on the rise since u.s. navy s.e.a.l.s. killed osama bin

laden in may. >> tensions have been running high there with very strong anti-western attitudes. it is very likely it's a group of militants who could be aligned with a host of different parties that may have targeted this individual. >> reporter: weinstein's kidnapping will likely trigger other foreign groups to re-examine their projects in pakistan. richard engle, nbc news, kabul. thousands of extra police officers are flooding the streets of london tonight in the first weekend since violent riots broke out across the city. police say they've made more than 2,000 arrests charging more than 700 people after a week of the worst violence there in decades. five people were killed as rioters looted hundreds of stores and set buildings and cars on fire. meantime back in this country, the city of brotherly love is dealing with a rash of violent assaults on its streets. philadelphia police say they've arrested dozens of teams. last night, the first night of a mandatory weekend curfew for minors. the curfew is designed to

prevent flash mobs of young people responsible for a string of random attacks. we get our report tonight from nbc's ron allen. >> reporter: the attacks seemed random, a roving gang in philadelphia beats up a man just walking a downtown street. >> hi, my mom just got like attacked by a flash mob. regi >> reporter: anguished calls for help at a state fair as marauding teen leave smashed cars and stunned victims in their wake. the swarms of mostly young people organize through social media, texting, tweeting, using internet sites. and increasingly turning violent in cities across the country. ♪ >> reporter: flash mobs were once known as gatherings of performance artists for fun, games. now experts say flash mobs are emboldened by the anonymity of the internet and a mob mentality. >> a lot of young people who feel that they're very disconnected from the society. but the one thing i do have is a

cell phone. >> this nonsense must stop. >> reporter: philadelphia's mayor delivered that warning after two flash mob attacks in two weeks. in the latest incident, as many as 30 young people beat and robbed bystanders in center city. four people were arrested, including an 11-year-old. >> parents, get your act together. get it together. [ applause ] >> reporter: emily gindlesburger spent ten days hospitalized after an attack. with her leg broken in two places. >> we had like a lot of really angry kids who don't really, you know, have any respect for other people. >> reporter: extra police now patrol downtown, and enforce a strict curfew keeping teens out of certain areas after 9:00 p.m. other cities like chicago also are trying to stop the violence using teen curfews. here in new york, police have a brand-new unit that patrols on line, scouring social media looking for trouble. fighting crime that's sudden, often brutal, and very much a

sign of our digital times. ron allen, nbc news, new york. when "nightly news" continues on this saturday evening, after a week of flat-out depressing economic news, a bright spot in an unlikely place. and later for some, the single life can be kind of rough. but the dating game just got a bit easier. [ cat meows ] [ woman ] ♪ i just want to be okay ♪ be okay, be okay ♪ i just want to be okay today - ♪ i just want to know today - [ whistles ] ♪ know today, know today - [ cat meows ] - ♪ know that maybe i will be okay ♪ [ chimes ] travelers can help you protect the things you care about... and save money with multi-policy discounts. are you getting the coverage you need... and the discounts you deserve? for an agent or quote, call 800-my-coverage... or visit travelers.com. my name is lacey calvert and i'm a yoga instructor. if i have any soreness, i'm not going to be able to do my job. but once i take advil, i'm able to finish out strong. it really works! [ laughs ]

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about jobs and consumer confidence, any good news about the economy can be awfully hard to find. but tonight, our reporter may have found that in an unlikely place. >> reporter: for wall street this week, unprecedented volatility. >> an ugly day for stock prices on wall street today. >> the losses are severe across the board. >> this market is holding on to a powerful rally. up 516 point. >> reporter: following an unprecedented credit rating downgrade. >> they don't know what's going on. >> i'm pretty scared. >> reporter: amidst the uncertainty, a glimmer of hope. this week news that the pain at the pump is finally easing. >> it's nice to see that gas prices have come down. >> good news. very good news. >> reporter: in the past week, gas prices have dropped ten cents to $3.60 a gallon, down from a three-year high of almost $4 in may thanks to lower oil prices and demand. analysts say prices will likely keep sliding and could drop as much as 50 cents a gallon in the

next few weeks. >> it's like a mini tax cut right now. the gasoline prices will stay down as we end the summer driving season and go into autumn. >> reporter: nervous consumers may not be so eager to spend what they're saving. a recent report found the debt ceiling debacle and this week's market roller coaster may be worrying consumers with confidence hitting a 31-year low this month. the question remains, will sh shoppers keep spending money? with back-to-school shopping in full swing and the holiday season right around the corner, the next few months are crucial for retailers. but shoppers have mixed feelings. >> you have to be a little more cautious with what you put your money into. >> i'm still going to spend money. >> reporter: consumer confidence varying widely. much like the markets. nbc news, new york. when we come back here, a rare look inside cuba. a new door opens for americans to travel to the island, but what will they find when they get there? i'm phil mickelson, pro golfer.

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a welcome site sight for residents in droughts-stricken texas, an early rain briefly cooled things down. unfortunately it did nothing to ease the drought or end the scorching temperatures today as houston's 13th consecutive day of triple-digit heat. this week the obama administration reinstated a travel plan that makes it easier for americans to visit cuba, a country that has been mostly off limits for 50 years. along with the island's vibrant culture, visitors could see evidence of the crumbling economy and the new entrepreneurial spirit of the cuban people. here's nbc's mark potter from havana. >> reporter: these men have nothing to do now and fear they have no future. both were laid off from state-run businesses in havana as the cuban government begins to reduce the jobs and social programs cubans have come to

expect during 50 years of communist rule. >> president raul castro has understood that the cuban economy is simply not working. >> reporter: under the socialist government of fidel castro, all of the jobs, health care, education, housing, and food were provided by the state. but with the country bankrupt, the government now says the free ride is coming to an end. [ applause ] >> reporter: ironically, it is the current president, raul castro, fidel's younger brother, who is demanding cubans become more self-reliant saying "we have to erase forever the notion that cuba is the only country in the world where it is not necessary to work." >> it's a sign that they realize that -- and they say it very clearly, that the system will sink. it will go under if they don't fix the economy. >> reporter: cuban officials say a million government jobs will gradually be cut. to help fill the gap, more than 300,000 cubans have already been granted licenses to open their own small businesses.

this woman who calls herself juana lacubana says her new business is booming. this man now makes and sells shoes to feed his family. cuban officials are not embracing capitalism by allow something free enterprise. this is simply an adjustment to their socialist system which will remain firmly controlled by the government. amid concerns economic change could spark political dissent, president castro says the government will move carefully in imposing reforms which he insists must come if cuban communism is to survive. mark potter, nbc news, havana. up next, date night for man's best friend, all dolled up and looking for a love connection. well-being. we're all striving for it.

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oh. wait a second. that is a dodge durango. looks like american performance is doing just fine. ♪ carry on. ♪ finally tonight, all due respect to diana ross, but when the supremes sang "you can't hurry love," they probably didn't envision a new type of matchmaking service in orlando. for many, these doggy date nights turn into puppy love at first sight. and we get the story from nbc's kerry sanders. >> reporter: it's date night for norville -- >> giving me kisses earlier --

>> reporter: and kabob. >> a good boy. >> reporter: two homeless dogs. >> he'll be a hand some dog when i'm done. >> reporter: lake so many single people, just looking for some loving. since we love those before and after pictures, first the before. norville, a springer spaniel, dropped off at a shelter by his owners due to the tough economy. and kabob, a stray mutt found living in a ditch. the plan -- if speed dating works for single men and women, then why not for dogs? >> good boy. >> reporter: so scrubbed clean and sporting new dos -- >> you smell much better. >> reporter: kabob before. kabob before. norville before, norville after. >> just be yourself, okay? just be yourself, and you'll find a perfect home. >> reporter: they joined a dozen other cleaned up pooches and speed date. ♪ >> reporter: the mood set, a little wine and cheese -- >> speed dating for dogs. >> reporter: and in just minutes here in orlando, kabob finds chemistry. >> big date night.

what do you think of kabob? >> i love him. >> reporter: you love him? you just met him. >> that's all it takes. >> reporter: this fun underscores a serious problem in the united states. too many dogs, not enough owners. >> over 56% of the dogs that go to shelters are put to sleep. euthanized. which means killed, dead. >> there's a couple over there. >> reporter: jess baker and marcus capalanu want to be part of the solution. >> love him. what's going on? huh? >> reporter: as for norville -- >> love at first sight. >> reporter: it is speed dating. he found his new love, cindy wiggins, in about ten seconds. unfortunately, speed dating for dogs is a lot like speed dating for humans. you don't always wind up with a match. ooh, there you go. there's always next time. speed dating for dogs because for so many of these dogs, time is running out. kerry sanders, nbc news, orlando. >> that's nbc news nightly news

for this saturday. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today." then back here tomorrow evening. "today." then back here tomorrow evening. good night, everyone. captions paid for by nbc-universal television