local news update. >> yeah, the "today" show is next, and we have a special report planned for about 7:55 this morning on the funeral of bob dole. test. test. test. go good morning. final good-bye.od m the nation pausing to honor thee the nation pausing to honor the li life and legacy of senator bob dole lying in state at the fe ab capitol ahead of today's funeral dole lying in state at the capitol ahead of today's funeral and and public memorial.orial. his beloved wife, his beloved wife, elizabeth, el, pausing in a moment of love and grief as president biden leads the emotional tribute from democrats and republicans alike grief as president biden l >> america has lost one of our greatest patriots.om democrats and republicans alike. >> america has >> we're live in washington to reflect and remember an americar greatest patriots. >> we're live in washington to war hero and political reflect and remember an american powerhouse. war hero and political powerhouse much needed boost, health officials green light an extra

dose of pfizer shot for 16 and 17-year-olds, opening the door a dose of pfizer shot for 16 and 17-year-olds, opening the door for millions more to get that added shot before christmas. for millions more to get that added shot before christmas. will it be enough to stem the tide of covid and the winter will surge?nough to ste convicted, actor jussie tidr surge? smollett found guilty of staging a hate crime against himself and convicted, actor jussie lying about it to police. smollett found guilty of staging a hate crime against himself and lying about it to police straight ahead, his reaction to straight ahead, his reaction to the verdict and the potential p prison time he now faces prison time he now faces. here it comes, a powerful winter storm begins moving across the country here it comes, a powerful winter storm begins moving across the country. how much snow can we expect? al's full forecast, just ahead. stepping out.ect? al's full forecast, just ahead stepping out overnight, alec baldwin attends his first public event since the "rust" shooting after posting a overnight, alec baldwin attends his first public event since the "rust" shooting after posting a letter denying allegations of a le dangerous and chaotic set. this morning, the latest on the dangerous and chaotic set. this morning, the latest on thee stinigation. all that, plus upset investigation. all that, plus upset special, the nation's number one sp team stunned at the very last second.er one team stunned at the very last second >> harper for the win. oh! >> as underdog rutgers makes its >> harper for the win. oh >> as underdog rutgers makes its case for buzzer beater of the

case for buzzer beater of the year today, friday, december tr 10th, 2021 >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie from washington, d.c., 10th, 2021. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie live from washington, and hoda kotb live from studio d.c., and hoda kotb live from 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> and good morning, everybody studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> and good morning, everybody. "today" on thi welcome to a split edition of sg "today" on this friday morning. craig is back in the studio in craig is back in t for hoda once again and i'm actually in washington right in front of the national cathedral actually in washington right i on this day where the nation will remember and honor the lif on this day where and legacy of senator bob dole, will remember and honor the life and le craig.gacy of senator bob dole, >> and what a day it's going to craig. >> and what a day it's going to be be.savannah, you' part in some of today's events, as well, right >> yes here at the cathedral, the president will speak, there will be dignitaries and then there part in some of today's events, as well, right? >> yes. here at the cathedral, the thel be will be a public memorial. there will be speakers including tom hanks. president will speak, there will i will be addressing the cro

mr. roker is standing by with the forecast to help plan that weekend. meanwhile, in the fight against covid, another group is now eligible for that third booster shot. key to battling the virus and its variants, older teenagers, 16 and 17 able to get the shot at a time when pediatric cases are on the rise. we've got everything that parents need to know this morning, savannah. >> all right. but we want to begin here in washington where the late senator and war hero, bob dole, is being honored this is an nbc news special report. here's lester holt. >> good morning, we're coming

on the air with breaking news. the u.s. supreme court has issued a decision on the texas law that prohibits abortion after six weeks. we want to go to our justice correspondent pete williams now who has the decision. >> lester the supreme court has allowed lawsuits against sb 8, the texas abortion law to go ahead in the lower courts. to be clear, this is not a decision that overturns sb8. this simply opens spigot to allow lawsuits to proceed in state court this texas, challenging the constitutionality of the law. remember what was unusual about this law, texas could not simply on its own ban abortion after six weeks of pregnancy because that would violate the current supreme court rulings that say you can't ban abortion before the age of viability. that issue, by the way, is what's being debated now in the mississippi case but the court hasn't ruled on that, so the law of the united states right now is you can't ban abortion after six weeks.

what texas came up with was a novel plan to allow outsiders, anybody else, private citizens to file lawsuit, so the question for the supreme court was can lawsuits go ahead challenging the structure of the texas law and the supreme court has just said yes, and i'm trying to decide now what the outcome of the court is, but it's going to take a while to figure out what the vote is here, lester, but the bottom line here is these lawsuits can now go ahead in texas. >> pete williams, thank you. let me go to nbc news chief white house correspondent peter alexander, peter, clearly this is what the administration was hoping for. >> that's exactly right. we have heard from the president on this issue. he said within the last several months that this law in texas unleashes unconstitutional chaos on women in the state of texas, that the government, the biden administration would do everything in its power to see what it was able to do to help

maintain those constitutional protections to an abortion for women in this country. the president among other things directed recently a gender-focused policy council to the white house, the health and human services department, and the justice department to embark on what they described as a whole of government approach here, to see what legislative measures the government had control of independent of any ruling that would come from the court. the biggest concern of president biden and vice president kamala harris is the impact this law would have on women of color. 70% of the abortions taking place in the state of texas are for women of color in that state. so again, they will be glad by this ruling, as initially described by pete williams. we'll try to get more details over the course of the next several hours. >> thank you, joining us from dallas, texas, is nbc news correspondent morgan chesky who has been reporting on this case. any official reaction from

there, morgan? >> reporter: lester, good morning, no official reaction just yet but i can tell you abortion rights advocates definitely seeing this as a victory, and the impact was felt immediately when this law went into effect back on september 1st. the supreme court deciding not to block it at that time. there is a clinic just down the road from us in fort worth, texas, that reported that their daily procedures went from 66 a day to 10 and another abortion rights group in the state of texas said since the law went into effect, the numbers have dropped by 50% statewide. as peter mentioned, there was great concern for those women from lower socioeconomic backgrounds because in some cases, there have been multiple stories of those individuals having to travel across state lines and not having the income or funds to do so, putting essentially, potentially, their health at risk. as it stands right now, the fight is not over for these abortion rights advocates. as of this moment in time, there

is still hope here in texas. lester. >> morgan chesky, thank you. let me go back to pete now. you have had a chance to digest a little bit more about this decision. what can you tell us? >> the supreme court has whittled away at the kind of lawsuit that can be filed, the people that can be sued in texas. texas had argued, look, you can't see us. you can't sue state officials because we have nothing to do with enforcement of this law. the opponent said, okay, we'll sue state court judges and state court clerks. the supreme court says you can't do that, so they've narrowed down the kind of lawsuits that can be brought. eight justices say that a lawsuit can nonetheless proceed against that narrower base of potential defendants. so it does give the abortion providers the chance to go back to court. it does tie one hand behind their backs, however, but it does allow these lawsuits to proceed, but not the lawsuit filed by the biden

administration, not the federal lawsuit. the supreme court said that one cannot go ahead. >> pete williams, thank you, that concludes our coverage. we'll be back on the air shortly to bring you live coverage of the funeral for senator bob dole. we'll have much more of course from the supreme court ruling tonight when i see you on "nbc nightly news," i'm lester holt in new york. good day, everyone. covid-19, tc and fda signing off on third doses for pfizer for 16 and 17-year-olds after their second shot >> -- second shot. this after the agencies declined to include the same teens in a booster expansion a couple months ago in september. >> that 16 to 17 is the game changer. it does signal that young, otherwise pretty healthy populations like children are likely going to need a booster. >> reporter: cdc director rochelle walensky noting that covid-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen the protection against omicron and other variants. experts say even younger kids could be next. >> vaccinations will keep me

safe and it will keep my brother, too. >> reporter: so far, less than 20% of 5 to 11-year-olds have received their first shot, but with covid numbers rising, the urgency is accelerating. younger people are seeing breakthrough infections and hospital necessary a handful of states in indiana and pennsylvania are under siege. >> probably 7,000 people are in line to have surgery who can't be operated right now because of our covid numbers. >> we're starting oxygen on covid patients in the hallway and those hallway beds are often double and triple bunked. >> reporter: at the same time, overwhelmed health care workers are worn identity. >> i'm tired of it. we are tired. >> reporter: and all of those thanksgiving get-togethers may be driving this latest jump. >> the fact that we're seeing so many new cases does not bode well. and especially going into a holiday season that looks to be

even busier than thanksgiving. >> reporter: now a covid weary nation facing the arrival of omicron, the need for another shot and another round of holidays. and for parents who are wondering about available boosters for younger kids, the 12 to 16-year-old age bracket, that's going to be next. those kids are about 5 to 6 months removed from their second dose right now, which means, craig, scientists need to look at data to see if there are signs of waning immunity. from that point onward, we're looking at about 3 to 6 months for approval and application for those kids. >> sam brock for us there in florida, sam, thank you. meanwhile, after losing his latest legal fight, former president trump is win step closer to having to hand over documents and records to the house committee for the january 6 insurrection. but the showdown seems to be far from over. peter alexander, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this was a unanimous ruling by a federal appeals court that president trump could not prevent the january 6th committee from getting hundreds

of documents about the former president's actions on and leading up to what the court described as a singular event in this nation's history. a trump spokesperson acting overnight tweeting this case was always destined for the supreme court. this morning, the fight between former president trump and the january 6th committee could be headed to the supreme court. the committee is trying to get ahold of more than 700 pages of white house records to examine mr. trump's role in the lead up to the capitol attack. >> and if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country any more. >> reporter: the court finding in disputes over executive privilege, the sitting president retain that's privilege over a former one writing mr. trump's lawyers provided no basis for this court to override president biden's judgment. >> i think a very significant

decision on the merits. >> reporter: house speaker nancy pelosi praising the decision. >> i'm not surprised because we're on solid ground. i'm not sure that the former president accept that's reality. >> reporter: the ruling could complicate former chief of staff mark meadows and others' effort to fight the committee's subpoenas. after initially cooperating with house investigators and turning over thousands of text messages and emails, meadows this week abruptly reversed course. >> it's all about wanting clarity under the law and preserving that executive privilege that donald trump has rightfully claimed. >> reporter: he's now suing pelosi and the committee. the top republican touting the committee's progress saying they've already met with 300 witnesses including four more key figures thursday. overnight, cheney and the committee's chairman benny thompson writing our work moves ahead swiftly. we will get to the truth. >> reporter: so mr. trump's lawyers will likely now file an emergency appeal with the supreme court to block the release of those records.

the appeals court put a two-week pause on releasing those documents to give mr. trump's lawyers times to file that appeal. savannah. >> peter alexander at the white house for us, thank you, peter. we have a lot to get to on this friday morning as we say good morning to tom llamas. >> good morning to you. actor jussie smollett is now a convicted felon. he was found guilty of lying to police and staging an elaborate hate crime attack on himself. meagan fitzgerald is live in chchicago with more and all the reaction to that verdict. meagan, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. a jury of six men and six women were tasked with combing through evidence over the course of a seven-day trial to figure out if jussie smollett was, in fact, the victim of a hate crime or if this entire thing was a big lie. this morning, former "empi" re star jussie smollett found guilty of lying to police about being the victim of a racist and

homophobic attack. jurors deliberating for two days before reading the verdict have in a packed courtroom filled with smollett's fame. the actor showing no emotion. >> mr. smollett had faked the hate crime and lied to the police about it. and then compounded his crimes by lying to the jury. >> reporter: smollett spent two days on the witness stand telling jurors that two masked men attacked him in downtown chicago in january of 2019, yelling racist and homophobic slurs and putting a noose around his neck. >> do you want to take it off or anything. >> yes, i do. >> reporter: but the prosecution painting a different pictures, telling jurors it was all a lie and smollett paid his acquaintances $3,500 to orchestrate the whole thing. the brothers were the prosecutor's star witnesses testifying smollett gave him a $100 bill for supplies for the attack and wrote the check for them to carry it out.

smollett always maintained his innocence. >> i've been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one. i would not be my mother's son if i was capable of one drop of what i've been accused of. >> reporter: in the end, vindication for the chicago police department who publicly called the crime a hoax, even filing a lawsuit against smollett to recoup overtime pay spent on investigators working the case. shortly after the verdict, the city release ago statement saying the jury's findings of guilt convicting jussie smollett of criminal charges stemming from the incident confirmed that the city was correct in bringing its civil lawsuit. the attorneys for the two brothers saying their clients are now vindicated, too. >> my clients could not be more thrilled and pleased with the result today. >> reporter: now the actor will have to wait for the final chapter to be written to see if he'll have to spend time behind bars for this real life drama. a presentencing hearing is schedule for the end of january. smollett s will be sentenced sometime next year.

legal experts say it's more likely that he will receive probation because he has a clean record. >> and that's the big question, what will happen to him. thank you for that. time now for that first check off friday weather. you're looking at not just a winter storm, but severe weather, as well. >> it's a bizarre kind of bifurcated map in that we've got winter weather advisories and severe weather on the same match. so stretching from california all the way to the u.p. of michigan, winter weather advisories, watches and warnings. but then in the ohio and mississippi river valley webs we've got severe weather to talk about. in fact, for that area, you can already see we're seeing snow in those regions.

25 million people at risk tonight into tomorrow. strong nighttime tornados possible, the most dangerous damaging winds and hail. now we watch this system come out of the rockies. it's going make for difficult travel. the upper midwest and the plains today. overnight, this risk for severe weather starts firing up from louisiana to indiana. tomorrow, that cold front approaches the east coast. we're looking at isolated severe storms from the ohio and tennessee river valleys. snow stretching anywhere 2 to 6 inches of snow from the cascades, all the way into the upper midwest. 1 to 2 inches of snow per hour. thunder snow most likely. that's how intense this is snow is going to be and heavy rain from green bay down into the appalachians and the ohio and mississippi river valleys. a lot going on over the next 48 hours. we're going to get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds.

i am meteorologist, kari hall. we will be talking a lot about the atmospheric river coming in and it arrives on sunday and continues through tuesday. rainfall totals could reach three to four inches with winds up to 40 miles per hour, and along with the cold temperatures we could see snow on the bay area peaks by the end of next week. flooding could be an issue and we will watch out for that as the rain continues, but our 7-day forecast shows cold and dry weather for the next couple of days and then wet there after. >> and that's your latest weather. thank you, mr. roker overnight, alec baldwin attending his first public event since the "rust" shooting. the letter from crew members he just posted and what is next in the investigation itself plus, with christmas eve

exactly two weeks away, inside the race to wrap up holiday shopping, vicky nguyen in the house. she has last-minute tips to find what you need and avoid the guessing game over whether those gifts will arrive in time. but first, this is "today" on nbc news

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♪ every moment together is a gift. la vie est belle. lancôme. at macy's, the fragrance destination. good morning. 7:26. i am marcus washington. here's today's top stories including signs of a possible surge. >> i am bob redell. we are starting to see a hint of a possible winter coronavirus surge. hospitalizations are up 9% since thanksgiving. this is according to analysis done by the "san francisco chronicle." again, a reminder to go to your local pharmacy or health care provider to get vaccinated or boosted.

and then students are protesting how their district handles complaints of sexual harassment and assault. in a letter to parents that the superintendent wrote we want to reiterate each and every concern of every student is taken seriously. we are committed to taking all appropriate steps to address sexual harassment that occurs in our schools. i am meteorologist, kari hall. we are getting ready for cold temperatures as you are stepping out the door. our morning is right now in the mid to upper 30s in a lot of spots, but also dry weather today ahead of the atmospheric river, this big storm system targeting the bay area by the end of the weekend. as the rain continues next week, we have the potential of flooding and the possibility of gusting winds. we will see this moving in

starting on sunday and continuing most of next week. we will have another local news update coming up for you in 30 minutes. see you back here, then.

we're back. 7:30. this is just one of many remarkable moments in the life of bob dole, that standing ovation he received back on june 11th, 1996 after delivering his farewell speech on the senate floor and surrounded by throngs as he walked out of the capitol, the cheers and tears of a massive crowd of colleagues from both sides of the aisle. how poignant a quarter century later he now lies in state inside that capitol he loves. ahead of today's services to celebrate his life.

>> it was so touching seeing members of both parties pay their respects in the rotunda last night. sg, i know you spent some time talking to the late senator's beloved wife, elizabeth, as well. how is she holding up? >> oh, she's so wonderful. i paid a little visit to her at her home last night and we had a good time just reminiscing and talking. we talked about that very moment because she was showing me some pictures of when senator dole had left the senate and all the crowds that came. she talked about him leaving today for the final time, that final journey down the steps of the capitol and being laid to rest here. so i think it's going to be a really emotional day. she's full of love and joy, but she's full of grief, too. he's the love of her life. this is touching her and providing a great deal of comfort. >> savannah, we'll come back to

you in just a few moments as we welcome sheinelle joins on this friday morning. we turn now to your 7:30 headlines. wikileaks founder julian assange is one step closer from being extradited from britain to the united states. the united states government winning an appeal this morning in london's high court, overturning a previous ruling that assange should not be extradited. still, more legal hurdles remain before he can be sent to the united states. the 50-year-old is wanted in this country after wikileaks published thousands of diplomatic files and if convicted, assange faces up to 175 years in prison. some sad news from the sports world this morning. auto racing legend al unser sr. has died at the age of 82. he won a record four times sharing that feat with only three other drivers and he's the only driver to have both a sibling and a child in the

country's premier auto race. now to a huge upset in college basketball. rutgers defeated the number one team in the country last night, the boilmakers. the game coming down to the final seconds. sheer how it ended. >> gets inside, puts it up and in with 3.4 to go. get it to harper with three, with two, with one, harper for the win. >> got it! >> let's go! >> harper jr., the game winner at the buzzer. >> i think he's a fan. what do you think? ron harper jr.'s son, a former nba star ron harper with the game-winning shot at the buzzer. it's the first time ever that rutgers, as you can see here, has beat a number one ranked team. >> i love it when the game ends in such a way that security is just like, all right, that's it, you guys, let's go. >> by the way, ron harper's son his the game winning shot. >> oh, his son. so talented.

also this morning, we have some new details tied to that fatal shooting on the set of alec baldwin's movie "rust." the actor posted a letter he says is from more than two dozen crew members who say that the set of "rust" was, quote, professional. nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer has been following the story from the very start. and he joins us this morning. hey, miguel. >> hey, guys, good morning. that letter paints a different picture of the wor picture of the working conditions behind the scenes claiming morale on the ill fated set was high and, quote, laughter and optimism were common, all as alec baldwin steps back into the spotlight again. overnight and hosting virtually, alec baldwin did not address the tragedy on the set of "rust" just days after his interview with absence news. >> trigger wasn't pulled

i didn't pull the trigger. >> reporter: but the sheriff's office says whatever baldwin's recollection is, the firearm was manipulated in a manner that caused it to fire a bullet that hit miss hutchins, the investigation moving forward as the veteran actor posted this letter baldwin says is from some of the film's crew the description of "rust" as a dangerous, chaotic workplace is false, it reads. "rust" was not one of them one of the crew members tells nbc news the note was signed by over two dozen members of the production, a rebuttal to allegations the western was riddled with unsafe working conditions which some suggest may have led to the death of cinematographer haylana hutchins, concerns baldwin says he was never made aware of >> i did not observe any safety or security issues at all in the time i was there

>> reporter: before the fatal shooting, crew members say several people walked off the set, citing multiple grievances, including letters about safety the letter's author writing those disgruntled few do not represent the views of all of us lane looper was one of those who resigned and retained an attorney he spoke to us last month. >> look, i went to work every day unwittingly playing a game of russian roulette. i can't say that i regret leaving. >> reporter: this morning, as more questions swarm over the deadly shooting and a growing number of crew members speak out, conditions behind the scenes are once again taking center stage >> so, miguel, alec baldwin's wife also apparently opening up a bit about his mental health, about his state of mind right now as all of this plays out what is she says >> reporter: that's right, craig. hilaria says her husband has been suffering from ptsd for, quote, a long time but it's

worse than ever. baldwin was holding the gun and pointing it at hutchins when the gun went off and authorities are still working to determine whether to issue criminal charges to those involved handling the firearm >> thank you up next, much needed help as we enter the home stretch of this hectic holiday season christmas eve shopping, you only have about two more weeks. >> good morning, guys. if you've been naughty and procrastinated, don't worry, i have some last-minute gift ideas for you from inventory trackers to instant gifts that go way above and beyond the gift card your holiday solutions, that's next on "today." eet your cheesy, thin, crispy cheez-it snap'd savior. so cheesy! so cheesy. cheez-it snap'd. level up your lunch. goodbye chippies (vo) with verizon business unlimited plans, you can get 5g, truly unlimited data, and more hotspot data. because every business deserves better. and with plans as low as $30,

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>> nbc's investigative correspondent vicky nguyen is here with help vicky walked in, she looked serious. >> this is the time of year. it's our super bowl. we're serious about shopping, getting you what you need. i have been saying shop and get early. some of you are on the nice list others, you know who you are you have some work to do but this morning, we have some last-minute gift ideas for you guaranteed to arise on time. it's a holiday season like no other with the stressed supply chain, shoppers facing the dread out of stock message everywhere, those notices nearly tripling with prepandemic levels followed by sporting goods, baby and toddler products and electronics. but if you still need to buy some in demand items, you can check online marketplaces. just expect to pay big sony's playstation 5 with disk drive retails for $500

but on ebay, some sellers have it listed for more than triple that price >> deal with local sellers if you find that perfect gift, meet the seller some place safe, like a police station, and look at it before you by it and be aware of scams. check out inventory trackers like hotstock.io, stock informer and bricksy. these sites allow you to search a particular product and see which retailers have it in stock. >> when it comes to hard to find electronics or toys, what do you suggest? >> you can buy refurbished or gently used. there's a site call mbp that i work with that offer cameras, video equipment, laptops, smartphones, tablets >> to avoid shipping delays, consider buy online and pick up in store

if you need a christmas miracle, the elves at dealnews.com offer these ideas, digital gifts like personalized video messages from celebrities. description services like spotify, netflix and hulu and one time or monthly gift boxes which can ship immediately make sure you check to see what's in them and read the reviews. and if you are not picky, i'll say this waiting until the last minute might pay off for you if you're willing to shop in person. dealnews.com expects retailers to offer major discounts on super saturday that falls on december 18th this year >> speaking of important dates, the postal service is now out with shipping deadlines to get your gift necessary time just how close can we cut it asking for a friend. >> get on tut pen and paper.

december 15th is going to be your last date for retail ground yeah, december 15th. priority mail is december 18th and if you really want to cut it close, craig morgan, december 23rd priority suppress and it will be a lot. >> two out of the last three years, we've done priority express. and every time he the shipping is more expensive than the gifts. >> i'm starting today. let's do it. >> thank you, vicky. mr. roker wasn't listening to any of that because he finished his shopping -- >> it's so perfectly -- violinist. oh, i don't do that. we're going to make you feel a little better. let's all take a ride on the roller coaster temperatures. here we go hands and feet inside the car. dallas, you're going to be 2 degrees above what you were today from yesterday springfield, 6 degrees up. paducah, 12 degrees warmer st. louis, you're right at 68.

but then that cold front comes in, oh, everybody drops. st. louis, you're going to drop 20 degrees paducah, 16. little rock, 24. down south, dallas, a 26 degree temperature drop austin a 23-degree temperature drop what about the northeast let's get back in. who wants to go on another ride? yeah, here we go, roanoke 16 degrees over what was yesterday. d.c., 16 degrees warmer. new york, 18 degrees warmer. boston, 19 degrees warmer than yesterday. but he, oh, look out, boston you're going to drop 16 degrees. 9 in hartford tomorrow 23 degree temperature drop in philadelphia washington, d.c., we'll see a 21 degree temperature drop. charlotte, 57. that's 14 degrees colder than it was 24 hours earlier rest of the country today, we are looking for some heavy snow developing through the northern plains, below average highs. out west and some severe storms starting to break out into the central plains and on into the ohio and mississippi river valleys.

good morning. i am meteorologist, kari hall. we are getting ready for wet weather with the timing of an atmospheric river moving in sunday through tuesday and that could bring us three to four inches of rain and higher in some spots. cold temperatures will continue, so we may see it wrap up with snow on bay area peaks, and we could have the potential of flooding. enjoy before all of this rain moves in. sten to craig whine. >> oh, my goodness >> did anyone survive the roller coaster? kudos to your graphics department >> ryan van aiken. >> officially my favorite forecast of all time when we come back, a crisis facing a gentle giant of the sea. >> kerry sanders shares a

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is we are back and look who is back carson >> coming up, savannah sits down with the stars of "don't look up, leonardo dicaprio and jennifer lawrence. plus, it's show time on pop. it's all about the l.a. lakers rise to dominance in the 80s you'll like that but first, a quick check off your local news and weather. what's strong with me? i'm ready for anything. find out what's strong with you with fitbit charge 5 and daily readiness. find your rhythm. your happy place. find your breaking point. then break it. every emergen-c gives you a potent blend of nutrients so you can emerge your best with emergen-c.

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♪ i'm chi lan, i am a mom, and a real estate agent. after having a kid, everything that you used to do for yourself goes out the window. the lines that i was seeing in my forehead were getting deeper than i was used to them being. and i realized, you know, what i can focus again on myself.

actor tom hanks is there. members of the leadership of the house and senate also in attendance. you saw my colleague, savannah

guthrie, again, will be speaking at the other memorial. want to go to nbc's kelly o'donnell. she covered dole for a very long time and i am interested to hear your thoughts and observations, kelly. >> good to be with you. in the span of nearly a century of life, 98 years, he contributed so much of a young man in world war ii, suffering tremendous injury in italy. he won the bronze star. he was awarded the purple heart. he was a true war hero. he turned that service into public service, local politics and then national politics. he had big ambitions to become president, to become vice president. he was on the ticket with gerald

ford, and he ran three times himself and ultimately becoming the nominee in 1996, losing to bill clinton in a very hard fought battle. but even if defeat, bob coal turned that painful disappointment into another kind of public service. he worked on advocacy and public contributions in other ways. one of the big lasting achievements is the work he put behind the world war ii memorial here in washington where there will be that public service later today. in his later years, spending so much time welcoming the honor flights, the world war ii veterans who had come to see their monument, and ultimately would find bob dole meeting them and talking with them. there would be times my cell phone would ring when i was covering another political

event, and it would be bob dole checking in to give me his take on some of the matters of the day, and in some ways his passing is not only the passing of one remarkable american life, but of an era of the world, and he also was about governing and has a long list of accomplishments that do affect the lives of americans, the americans with disabilities act and international treaty for persons with disabilities, and he helped with those that suffered poverty, because growing up in kansas he understood some of the hard life experiences with the great depression, and elizabeth dole was the leader of the american

red cross, public service was his legacy. lester, as you know from the times we have dealt with him, his wit, he was always so funny. he poked fun at his own shortcomings, and he was somebody that once you were in his circle you stayed in his circle, and that's why this church behind me at the national cathedral is so full today. >> a remarkable man. i spoke with him a few years ago at the world war ii memorial, and he said he had a great life. we are joined by moderator of "meet the press," chuck todd. kelly talked about a generation, a diminishing generation within

government, within the tone of government. >> lester, when i heard kelly say that, first of all, i thought, this is what i think the dole's passing -- ent. >> when i heard kelly say that is, this is what is making the passing harder on us. it feels like we have lost all the greatest generation. look, time passes on. it was eventually going to get to this was eventually going to this point. but there's something about dole's passing that gives this phi naturalty a bit to the greatest generation that our long time friend and colleague, tom brokaw, of course, coined. but you're right about they're all gone now. we've buried colin powell, john mccain, former president bush, the first president bush, bob dole. it feels like it's an entire era of politicians who were institutionalists, too. the thing about bob dole that i also think has a lot of us shedding a tear about what's been lost in our politics recently, lester, is that bob dole had the experience in some

ways the tough life experiences that we want our public servants to have and to be thinking about when they're in office. and it's like i think we all wish our public servants, nobody wishes anybody have to go through what bob dole had to go through and the suffering he had to go through, but it made him a public servant that so many people could look up to and trust. and it feels like we've lost that public service doesn't draw that kind of person any more, right? it's been celebrified, it's become instagram influencer like. it doesn't have that same resonance. bob dole go got into public service because he felt like he had to give something back because of what the country gave to him and, of course, he gave so much to the country. it was almost like a never ending circle. there is something about this passing that feels like we're burying an entire generation now and we're not going to have -- and we've lost them all and it is something to lament.

>> as you were speaking, we saw a picture of nancy pelosi and chuck schumer and mitch mcconnell. it's moments like this that bring everyone together and washington together with a single mind of those, the loss of a great leader. i want to bring in nbc news presidential historian michael beschloss. michael, if you'd like to continue the thought that chuck just shared with us about, you know, a passing certainly of a remarkable life, but the symbol of a passing of a way that we used to approach difficult things. >> you're so right, lester and chuck, as usual, was right on in saying that. you know, bob dole is someone that james madison would have loved. james madison hoped that there would be congressional leaders in the hundreds of years of america's future who would have strong beliefs as bob dole did, but make deals across the aisle because with what madison and

our founders wanted is they wanted congressional leaders and members of congress to fight all day long over policy. that's what we had fought the revolutionary war to be able to do. but at the same time, at the end of the day, they wanted them to have a tankard of ale together and make deals and be friends and remember how hard it was to gain our independence. and replay one of the great congressional leaders in american history. you know, and then you know, lester and chuck, i'm not sure how many other americans do these days, clay was known as the great compromiser. he was honored for the fact that he was able to hammer together compromises, some good, some bad in the light of history, especially on slavery, but held this country together. james madison hoped that there would be congressional leaders who could do that. but now here we are in 2021 and bob dole, to a great extent despite today is a prophet

without honor in his own time. because dole's manner of politics, which was to be friendly with democrats, to try to make deals, to try to act for the good of the country, that is so out of fashion today i can't begin to tell you. and one nice thing about today might be if some of the people who practice slash and burn politics, which is so many nowadays, might look back at the time of bob dole and say maybe this wasn't so bad after all. one last point, republican party has changed. what bob dole, a centrist be able to be elected, republican senator from kansas? i'm not so sure. would he be able to be party leader? i really doubt it because nowadays, member of the senate want someone who is a lot more belligerent toward the other side. would bob dole be nominated for president as he was in 1996 by republicans? i doubt it. so what this provides us today

with is an opportunity to know how much has passed since the moment that bob dole left the senate in 1996 and to ask the question was that all such a good thing. >> as usual, some astute observations from you, michael, and a lot for us to chew on as we approach the beginning of this service at the national cathedral. we are expecting president biden's arrival shortly. let's go back outside to nbc's senior white house correspondent kelly o'donnell. kelly. >> certainly president biden is en route here to the national cathedral. picking up on what michael said, we'll have some measure of that tomorrow in kansas because at the end of washington observances about bob dole today, senator elizabeth dole and family will fly senator dole's casket to kansas and there will be a day of remembrances in his home state and hometown and there will be opportunities for the public in the state he loved and long

represented to show their appreciation for bob dole and perhaps that will give us some sense of the mood and the sense of appreciation and history of his connection there. there is also a bob dole institute of politics in kansas, which he was very, very proud of, that will carry on his legislative legacy and be a place where people can learn about civics. and so there will be a chance for kansas to have its own personal connection today. i expect when the president addresses this congregation today and the friends and the dignitaries who have assembled here, he will talk about the personal friendship he had with senator dole over time. and i expect he will talk about the connection that president clinton had, as well. they all served at the same time. and there were those difficult legislative and governing clashes that happened in realtime day-to-day, difficult times with the government shutdown back in the 90s and

hard issues they were trying to deal with. but president biden will, i'm sure, reflect on the fact that bob dole talked about his greatest accomplishments were when he acted as an american first and as a partisan second. and i reflected on the concession speech that bob dole gave in 1996. i went back and watched it again in full. i was in the room when he gave it back those 25 years ago and when he talked about calling president clinton to congratulate him, there was that murmur in the room as there always is when supporters were disappointed. and he stopped the crowd and said no, he was any opponent, not my enemy, as we see the president and first lady arriving here. and that is the distinction that bob dole made then and one we have not seen as often now, conceding in defeat and promising to work with the president who had defeated him. >> the president, as you noted, the president and vice president, their spouses now taking their seats in the

cathedral. we expect this memorial to begin shortly. chuck, before we go too far down this road of nostalgia, of politics then and now, we should point out while bob dole did appreciate the art of compromise, he was an unapologetic conservative. >> look, his nickname was mr. republican. he stood by nixon. later, you know, said it looks like i was misled. you know, he also wasn't afraid to admit eventually he was wrong. he did an interview two months ago with "usa today" and he said, look, i'm a trumper and trump los lost and rudy giuliani was running around doing wrong. he was conservative in his era. he was the more conservative candidate compared to george h.w. bush. he positioned himself that way. by '96, he wasn't. in many ways, bob dole didn't

change. the party kept moving more and more to his right. his nickname was mr. republican for a reason. he was a partisan warrior. but as kelly o'donnell said, he didn't view the democrats as enemies of the people. he didn't view the press as enemies of the people. and that's the big difference. it was being a partisan warrior for your cause, but at the end of the day, respecting the institutions that you use to have those debates and have those conversations. and i think that is what a lot of us are lamenting. and by the way, to me, bob dole and joe biden, you know, they had -- they really have had -- they had parallel political careers in many ways. they got into a -- and they both ran for president three times. and biden got there. and i do think there's been an interesting bond between the two of them. i know biden, he's spent time with dole a couple of times, i believe, as president already.

>> and, chuck, as you speak and as our viewers can see elizabeth dole being led into the cathedral now, being escorted by general mark milley, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. ♪♪

the ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪

♪♪ [ bells tolling ]

[ bells tolling ]

[ bells tolling ] >> we should note, that is -- we should note that is robin dole seated next to elizabeth dole, daughter of the late senator, as his body is brought into the cathedral.

>> i am resurrection and i am life, says the lord. whoever has faith in me shall have life even though they die. and everyone who has life and has committed himself to me in faith shall not die forever. as for me, i know that my redeemer lives and that at the last, he will stand upon the earth. after my waking, he will raise me up. and in my body, i shall see god. i myself shall see and my eyes

behold him who is my friend and not a stranger. for none of us lives to himself and no one becomes his own master when he dies. for if we have life, we are alive in the lord. and if we die, we die in the lord. so then whether we live or die, we are the lord's possession. happy from now on are those who die in the lord. so it is of the spirit for they

rest from their labors.

good morning. my name is randy holleras and i am the dean of washington national cathedral. on behalf of the dioceses of washington and michael curry, the presiding bishop of the episcopal church, welcome. welcome to this house of prayer for all people. we are honored to host this service for senator dole, yet we recognize that we are gathering yet again to lay to rest a great american only five weeks after having saying farewell to

another icon in our nation, colin powell. we have, indeed, seen too much loss in recent days. to elizabeth, robin and the entire dole family, please know that this cathedral and this nation grievous with you and you are in our prayers. bob dole was one of the greatest of the greatest generation, a patriot who always placed country above partisanship and politics. while we mourn his loss, we gathered this morning to give thanks for and to celebrate his extraordinary life. although senator dole has gone from us, he is not lost. the same god who raised jesus from the dead will raise bob dole, as well. that is the good news. our faith tells us that we will meet again in a place where there is no death.

no sorrow and pain are no more, where there is only life everlasting. this, then, isn't good-bye because in god's story, death never has the last word. for now, it is enough to say on behalf of a grateful nation, well done, good and faithful servant, well done. thank you.

♪♪ ♪♪ . ♪ lift high the cross the love of christ proclaim ♪

♪ till all the world adore his sacred name ♪ ♪ each newborn soldier of the of the crucified ♪ ♪ bears on the brow the seal of him who died ♪ ♪ lift high the cross the love of christ proclaim ♪ ♪ till all the world adore his sacred name ♪

♪♪ saved by this cross whereon their lord was slain ♪ ♪ the sons of adam their lost home regain ♪ ♪ lift high the cross the love of christ proclaim till all the world adore his sacred name ♪ ♪♪ ♪ lift high the cross

the love of christ proclaim ♪ ♪ till all the world adore his sacred name ♪♪ >> the lord be with you. >> and also with you. >> let us pray. oh, god whose mercies cannot be numbered, accept our prayers on behalf of your servant, bob, and grant him an entrance into the land of light and joy in the fellowship of your saints. through jesus christ our lord who lives and raips reigns and

lives with you in the holy spirit from now and forever. amen.s reigns and lives with you in the holy spirit from now and forever. amen. reigns and lives with you in the holy spirit from now and forever. amen.reigns and lives with you in the holy spirit from now and forever. amen. >> a reading from the prophet

isaiah. do you not know, have you not heard, the lord is the everlasting god, the creator of the ends of the earth. he will not grow tired or weary and his understandings no one can fathom. he gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall. but those who wait upon the lord will renew their strength. they will soar on wings like eagles. they will run and not grow weary. they will walk and not faint. the word of the lord. >> praise be to god.

>> reverend, clergy, distinguished guests, among the

many memories from 50 years of friendship was one that especially captures what bob dole was as a man and as a patriot. we were on our way to the 50th anniversary of d-day in normandy, but we started in italy. many has been written about his time. but to be in anzio, he was on a mission in the markets, nazi gunfire and mortar fire was thick. a man was dieing, men were dieing. facing a hail of bullets, second lieutenant robert joseph dole

hurled a grenade into an empty gun nest. he was trying to help a fallen comrade, his platoon radioman when everything changed, and i mean everything changed. his spine was damaged because fire tore across the hills shattering his body. grievously wounded, he was paralyzed. dragged behind a wall, bob would pass in and out of consciousness dreaming of home as he lay bleeding in a foxhole for nearly nine hours. he was 21 years old. nearly eight decades on, we gather here in a world far different from the mountains battlefield in 1949 -- '45. but there's something -- there's something that connects that

past and present, wartime and peace, then and now. the courage, the grit, the goodness, and the grace of second lieutenant named bob dole who became congressman dole, senator dole, statesman, husband, father, friend, colleague, and a word that's often overused but not here, a genin hero, bob dole. dean, and the clergy officiated today's service, president clinton, vice president harris, vice president pence and cheney and speaker pelosi, leader schumer, leader mcconnell, members of the congress of both parties past and present, members of the cabinet, general

milley, leaders of our military, distinguished guests, most of all, the dole family. elizabeth, it's been said memory is the power to gather roses in winter. bob left you with 45 years' worth of roses, of a life built and a love shared that is going to guide you through the difficult days ahead. jill and i will always be there for you, as many others in this church will be, as you and bob were always there for us in ways nobody knows. and, robin, you carry your father's pride, grace, and character. he will always be with you. as the old saying goes, as the irish say, you are your father's daughter. you are your father's daughter.

bob dole's story is a very american one. born and raised in the three-room house through the dust bowl of the great depression. shipped out as a young man to world war ii, wounded in battle. on the same weekend that franklin delanor roosevelt would be mourned by millions, bob came home, rebuilt his life, painful hour by painful day by painful week by painful month by painful year. he and dean talk about the recovery for literally several years. it was astounding. god what courage bob dole had.

he then went to school on the gi bill. came to washington with a new frontier. bravely voted for civil rights and voting rights in the years of the kennedys, lyndon johnson and martin luther king jr., ran for president on a ticket with gerald ford. and through the ages of nixon, carter, reagan, bush the elder and clinton, bob was literally the master of the senate. we served together for 25 years. we disagreed, but we were never disagreeable with one another. not one time that i can think of. i found bob to be a man of principle, pragmatism, and enormous integrity. he came into the arena with

certain guiding principles that began with devotion to country, to fair play, to decency, to dig at the, to honor, to literally attempting to find the common good. that's how he worked with george mcgovern to fight hunger in america, particularly as it affected children and around the world. he worked with teddy kennedy and tom harkin to bring down the barriers of americans living with disabilities, a profound change and a profound act of grace. he worked with daniel patrick moynahan to literally save social security because bob believed every american deserved to grow old with their basic dignity, basic dignity intact.

and over the opposition of many in his own party, and some in mine, he managed to build a federal holiday in the name of martin luther king jr. bob dole, bob dole did that. he never forgot where he came from and i never forgot what he said to our colleagues about the effort for the king holiday. and i'll quote. he said no first class democracy can treat people like second class citizens. no first class democracy can treat people like second class citizens. bob didn't hate government. he knew the people that needed him most were the people most in need.

he wanted government to work. to work for folks like him would came up the hard way. just give everybody a chance, joe. just a chance. during the depression, bob's parents moved into the basement of their three-room -- not three bedroom, their three-room home in russell, kansas, so they could rent out the upstairs. bob understood hardship. he had known hardship. and he never forgot it. he never forgot the people, as well, who sent him to washington. people from russell, from kansas. bob was a man who always did his duty, who lived by a code of honor. almost seems strange to say that today, but he lived by a code of

honor and he meant it. just as his colleagues, republican and democrat, looked to him, i think they saw him the same way i did. just ask any who served with him at the time. bob dole fit my dad's description. he said you might be a man of your word. without your word, you're not a man. bob dole was a man of his word. he loved his country. which he served his whole with life. the bible tells us to much is given much is expected. and bob dole, for all his hardship, believed he had been given the greatest gift of all. he was an american. he was an american. and he felt it.

let's be honest, bob dole was always honest. sometimes to a fault. he once endured the wrath of his fellow republicans when there was a legitimate fight going on to defund amtrak. now, i have traveled over 1,200,000 miles on amtrak because i use it every single day. when it came time to the deciding vote on whether we were with going to defund amtrak. and he cast the vote against his party deciding to keep funding amtrak. obviously, my guess, he was asked why. why would you do that? he said the best way to get joe biden the hell out of here at night so he's not -- excuse my language. true story.

absolutely true story. god, i loved the guy. as i said, he was always honest. but bob relished a good political fight, as much as anybody i've ever served with in the 36 years i was in the senate. and bob gave as good or better than he got. he was a proud republican. he chaired his party. he led his caucus in the united states senate. and he bore the banner as nominee for vice president and president of the united states. he could be partisan, and that's fine. americans have been partisan since jefferson and hamilton squared off in george washington's cabinet. but like them, bob dole was a patriot. he was a patriot.

and here is what his patriotism teaches us, in my view. as bob dole himself wrote at the end of his life, and i quote him, i cannot pretend that i have not been a loyal champion of my party. but i've always served my country best when i did so first and foremost as an american. end of quote. first and foremost as an american. that was bob dole. literally, that was your husband, that was your dad, always as an american. he understood that we're all part of something much bigger than ourselves. and he really did, i felt. he really understood it. and a compromise isn't a dirty word. it's the cornerstone of

democracy. consensus is required in a democracy. to get anything done. that's how you get things done. again, listen to bob dole's words, not mine. i'm quoting him again. i learned that it's difficult to get anything done unless you can compromise. not your principles, but your willingness to see the other side. those that suggest compromise is a sign of weakness misunderstand the fundamental strength of democracy, end of quote. in his final days, bob made it clear that he was deeply concerned about the threat to american democracy. not from foreign nations, but from the division tearing us

apart from within. and this soul has reminded us, and i quote, too many of us have sacrificed too much in defending freedom from foreign adversaries to allow our democracy to crumble under a state of infighting that grows more unacceptable day by day. grows more unacceptable day by day. he wrote this when he knew his days were numbered. in small numbers. my fellow americans, "taps" is now sounding for this soldier of america. forged in war, tested by adversity, "taps" is now sounding for this patriot driven by a sense of mission to give

back to the land that gave everything to him for which he nearly gave his all. "taps" is now sounding for this giant of our time and of all time. we're bidding this great american farewell, but we know as long as we keep his spirit alive, as long as we see each other not as enemies, but as neighbors and colleagues, as long as we remember that we're here not to tear down, but to build up, as long as we remember that, then "taps" will never sound for bob dole. for bob will be with us always, cracking a joke, moving a bill,

finding common ground. in his final message to the nation, bob said that whenever he started a new journey, whenever he started a new journey, the first thing he would do, and i quote, is then start standing up for what he thought was right. bob is taking the final journey. he is sitting back now watching us. i salute you, my friend. your nation salutes you. and i believe the words of a poet when he described heroism

better fit benefit you better than anyone i know. when the will defies fear, when duty throws a gauntlet down to fate, when honor scorns a compromise with death, that is heroism. angels singing while you rest, bob. god bless bob dole. god bless america. and may god protect our troops.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪

>> mr. president -- let's try that again. mr. president, madam vice president, distinguished guests all, elizabeth and robin, bob dole was a kansas naught you have son.

he along with his hero dwight david use enhour are kansas' favorite sons and they represent the vision and the promise of america. life in our state bolted bob and ike, open prairies, wind -- always the wind -- wheat fields, agriculture, where man is at the mercy of chance and weather but can still be confident in the dignity of his labor. bob's early life in russell, kansas, with the population hovered around 2,000, included the dust bowl and the great depression. bob characterized russell when addressing the russell high school graduating class of 1986.

he said, "there are two kinds of education in this world -- there's one where you give yourself and another you get from others." you can get an he had caution on the farm or in a factory or in a science lab and church pew, if you're from russell, you can get an he had caution just from looking at life around you. when i was a boy, i doubt we knew the names of our congressmen or senators. but we were blessed to have friends and neighbors who knew cared for one another. when times were tough, people were tougher. when the winds howled and part of the prairie it self was blown away, you could barely see to deliver the newspapers on my

paper route. but because came from russell, because i came from kansas, you was granted a special vision, one which has seen me all the years since, one which you can rely on just the same. he defined this kansas vision by saying, "my friends, you hope that you will never stop looking at the stars. i hope you will never forget our state motto, to the stars, through difficulties. i hope you will never stop believing in in things you cannot see. i hope that your future is as hospitable and beckoning as mine was when i stood on a similar platform more than 40 years ago. i hope that in the making of life for yourselves, you won't neglect serving your country. most of all, i hope that

wherever you go, and whatever you do, russell will go with you and for then i know that you will be well guided. and well guided he was in attaining his vision and embodying the promise of america. when we lost bob on sunday, there was a pause throughout the state of kansas. as kansasians from all walks of life stopped to reflect. bob dole was a person that meant something to everyone. in the coffee shop, the campaign traul, the halls of congress, whether we were in topeka, abilene, wichita or dodge city, i saw bob dole connect with kansasians always on a personal level. he would share with them this

vision, this promise and would help them to achieve it just like the folks did in russell in supporting him. now as a young staff and later a member of the house of representatives, following senator dole's footsteps, i certainly understood bob dole's influence and power. on a thursday in 1983, he would be fighting to protect social security with president reagan, senator moynihan, others in the white house and then on saturday he would be listening to film in kansas telling hum that social security meant to her daily life and pocketbook. and when he returned to washington with that empathy of his and knowing kansas and

knowing thelma, it enabled hum to win the vukt ruz he did for the disabled, for veterans, for the hungry, or for any of the issues of the day that needed negotiation. steady compromise and the vision of america's promise. bob never lost his common sense famous wit. it was in his naught to deliver that punch line, waiting for the room to light up which it always did, for the barriers to come down, letting the air out of the partisan balloons. dole's manner and influence were so strong that if if i were for something, people thought bob was for something. and i never informed them or bob otherwise.

while the work we did was serious, it was a different time. there were lighthearted times too. i would call up his chief of staff and say, where is my speech? and the scramble was off to get the leaders' remarks. they eventually figured it out. it was roberts again and i made sure my staff didn't take calls from dole's office for the rest of the week. when his official public service came to an end, bob could have faded away with his dear elizabeth, telling stories, remembering the good old days, but that was not his nature. there was still so much vision and promise. still so much he could do for his fellow veterans and for his nation. let everyone know that without bob dole, they would not be a world war ii memorial.

bob also stressed at the time that there should also be a memorial to ike so that veterans could salute and thank their commanding general. that effort took 24 years. and again with bob's help, they dedicated the eisenhower memorial last year. bob dole understood it was just not recognition that this greatest generation deserved. it was reflection and renewal. it is the great generation to inspire the next generation. the honor flags would roll up, kansas veterans escorted by kansas high school students would visit their memorial. to reflect on their fight to

preserve a free world. and there was bob shaking every hand, posing for every picture, listening to all the stories and the thanks -- the thanks of a still grateful nation. when elizabeth told us he passed in his sleep, and we all knew that an era had come to an end, my first reaction was one of sadness and grief, losing a dear friend and mentor. but then thinking about it, i think the good lord touched bob's hand and told him it was time to come home. see his folks. there were quite a few world war ii veterans and some from korea and vietnam that were looking forward to thanking him as well

as folks who were disabled, quite a few dog and cat lovers and quite a few folks from farm country still upset about something and a whole castle of folks from kansas and all over, a lot of them republicans who say they voted for him, and some democrats who say they should have. and then he said don't worry, bob. our heavenly gates are guarded by united states marines. so thank you, lord, for enabling us to live in such a time and space that gave us the opportunity and privilege to know bob dole. a kansas star who truly shined through difficulty.