bernie sanders each winning two states on super saturday, while a disappointing showing for marco rubio has his republican rival suggesting it is time for a two-man race. >> marco rubio had a very, very bad night. and personally i would call for him to drop out of the race. >> "snl" also weighing in, taking aim at the gop front-runner. >> i mean, everyone loves me, racists, other racists, people who didn't even know they were racists. >> this morning, where the roller coaster campaign goes from here. super soaker. at least one person is dead as el nino fueled storms hammer california and that massive system now set to race across the country this week. we'll tell you what to expect. breaking this morning, reports that nfl superstar peyton manning will announce his retirement tomorrow as we head into the next chapter fresh off that super bowl win with the denver broncos.

from fallon to von to gaga and now dreyer. dylan gets ready for a chilly dip this morning in chicago. why she'll be freezing for a reason today, sunday, march 6th, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today," live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> welcome to "today" on this sunday morning, i'm erica hill. >> i'm craig melvin alongside sheinelle jones. dylan dreyer in chicago for the annual polar plunge for special olympics. we're going do that live on television this morning. should be interesting. >> that it will and a little chilly. our top story this morning, though, is the presidential race and those super saturday results. >> donald trump notching two more big wins in the south, kentucky and louisiana. ted cruz, strong showing as well taking kansas and maine. here is where the gop delegate

donald trump 392. 305 for cruz. 130 for marco rubio. and 35 for ohio governor john kasich. >> as for the democrats, bernie sanders won more states than hillary clinton, he took kansas and nebraska. clinton meantime took louisiana . despite her two second place finishes, clinton extended her substantial lead. she's almost halfway to that total number needed to secure the democratic nomination. >> we have complete coverage of both races beginning with nbc's gabe gutierrez. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. donald trump seemed almost unstoppable after super tuesday, now, ted cruz is picking up steam and trump is calling on marco rubio to drop out. hoping to emerge as the anti-trump this morning ted cruz is soaring after super saturday. >> we're seeing republicans coalesce around our campaign because ours is the only campaign that has repeatedly beaten donald trump.

decisive victories in kansas and maine. but donald trump still the front-runner, trouncing his rivals in louisiana and kentucky. >> i want to congratulate ted on maine and on kansas and he should do well in maine because it is very close to canada. let's face it. >> reporter: the billionaire trying to fend off the gop establishment. >> donald trump is a phony, a fraud. >> reporter: in the first contest since mitt romney's blistering attack. trump skipped saturday's conservative political action conference or c-pac and came in a distant third in its straw poll. >> as a party, we should come together and stop this foolishness. >> marco rubio! >> reporter: marco rubio, a distant third in kansas and fourth in maine. today he's hoping to scrape up delegates in puerto rico's primary after campaigning there overnight. >> we knew this would be the roughest period in the campaign given the makeup of the electoral map. >> reporter: and now he's

trump is leading in the polls, but cruz is upping his ground game here, trying to squeeze out rubio and make it a two-man race. trump now calling on the florida senator to drop out. >> i would love to take on ted one on one. that would be so much fun because ted can't win new york, he can't win new jersey, he can't win pennsylvania, he can't win california. i won ted one on one, okay. >> reporter: here in florida, more than half a million republicans have already voted, either early or absentee. and, craig, as if this entire race wasn't already out of a movie, today john kasich is campaigning in his home state of ohio with arnold schwarzenegger. >> california governor is with him. gabe gutierrez in jacksonville, thank you. over to the democratic side, bernie sanders picked up some big wins in kansas and nebraska. hillary clinton countered with a landslide victory in louisiana which widened her delegate lead. nbc's kristen welker is in flint, michigan where the

good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. senator sanders was looking for new momentum on saturday. and he got it with wins in those two key caucus states. but as you point out, secretary clinton did net more delegates than she was already far ahead in the delegate count, making her still very much the one to beat. >> senator bernie sanders. >> reporter: riding high off victories in nebraska and kansas, senator bernie sanders at a democratic dinner detroit saturday. >> we will win in november. if we have a large voter turnout. >> reporter: secretary clinton at that same dinner also had reason to celebrate, earning a victory in delegate rich louisiana . >> i am thrilled we're adding to our pledge delegate count. >> reporter: punctuating her delegate lead, each candidate focused on what's ahead. >> i'm grateful to everyone who turned out to support us. but now all eyes turn to michigan. >> reporter: and with michigan voting tuesday, clinton isn't

her top surrogates former president bill clinton and daughter chelsea will campaign here, sanders aides say a win in michigan would prove he can be competitive in larger more diverse states. sanders signaling a new focus on independence. >> the way to the white house is to win democrats and to win independents and to make sure trump does not win independents. >> reporter: both candidates preparing to face off tonight at a debate in flint, where sanders will likely take aim at clinton over her support of trade deals west belt. clinton will continue to paint herself as at candidate with the realistic policies and there will be no shortage of jabs for the republican contenders. >> really, you just want to pull your hair out when you see that insult fest that goes on. >> on our worst day we will be infinitely better than the republicans on their best day. >> reporter: both candidates will spend much of the day getting ready for tonight's

crisis will be a central topic with residents demanding specifics from both of the candidates and this has been an issue that has resonated all across the country, particularly with african-americans. erica? >> kristen welker for us this morning, thank you. chuck todd is nbc's political director and moderator of "meet the press." good morning to you. good to see you, my friend. >> good morning, craig. good to see you. >> these were the first contests since romney's passionate plea for trump -- for folks to dump trump. we saw the piling on thursday night at the debate. how real is the possibility that these anti-trump forces are starting to pick up steam and that this is, in fact, a two-man race? >> well, i have to say i want a little more information. there is two ways to look at what happened yesterday. on one hand, yes, maybe this is a coalescing, maybe ted cruz has some momentum, splitting the four states and actually netting more delegates than donald trump. however, it is also four states that were closed republican contests meaning independents participate. and the one primary that cruz

against trump, louisiana, was another state that touches the state of texas. so what happens tuesday? michigan, mississippi, those are places that trump's heavily favored. if we see him struggle there, then i think it is time to connect the dots back to thursday from romney to that debate to a coalescing. but i can tell you this, i think one clear piece of evidence from yesterday is that if there is an anti-trump candidate, it is cruz. marco rubeio with three thirds and a fourth, i don't think it will be him. >> rubio focused on florida. but ted cruz is really focusing there too, opening a number of new offices in state, trying to steal that momentum. what happens to marco rubio moving forward? is there something he can do between now and march 15th? >> you know, i don't think so anymore. i think florida is everything for him. he needed to win somewhere else, though, in this sort of in between week between the two super tuesdays and now it doesn't look like he has that opportunity at all. what he's got to fear, on tuesday, in mississippi, and

extra focus actually on both states. what if rubio finishes fourth in both states, one week before he tries to win the florida primary? it could really zap momentum for him. i think there is a lot of pressure on marco rubio to show some life on tuesday in michigan or mississippi if he has any hope of catching trump in florida. >> let's turn to the democrats quickly. bernie sanders picking up two states yesterday, but, again, these states, like the others he picked up, largely homogenous. i want to show our viewers the delegate count now for democrats so they can see where this thing really stands. hillary clinton with literally almost twice as many delegates as bernie sanders right now. is there still even a path for sanders to victory at this point, chuck? >> well, it would mean hillary clinton would have to collapse, he would have to win more than 60%. we're now at the point -- he has to win more than 60% of all remaining delegates in order to somehow capture this nomination. yesterday was a prime example of

he won two states. she won one. guess who won more delegates for the night? she did, because she won african-americans by such a large margin in louisiana. she won the whole state by a large margin. and when she loses to sanders, she doesn't lose by the same margins he loses to her in states where she wins. this path is becoming less and less viable by the day for him. >> chuck todd, thank you very much, good to see you. we'll be watching when your guests this morning on "meet the press," former republican presidential nominee mitt romney. >> want to turn to that wild weather that we mentioned hitting northern california. it is the start of what is going to be a big storm system, which will roll across the country this week. we'll have dylan's forecast in a moment. first, sheinelle has more details on the system. >> yes, after a relatively dry february, march is turning out to be a very wet one on the west coast with the series of storms moving in from the pacific. it caused massive flooding in northern california overnight, claiming at least one life.

hour blew across northern california from saturday into sunday, dumping heavy rains that should continue off and on throughout to the today. trees down, power outages across the city of sacramento. the storm drenching neighborhoods, submerging cars and homes. >> almost knee deep and it is really bad. >> reporter: california's highway 70 overflowing. the intense storm created a river below the highway 65 overpass, swallowing a car with two people who tried to circumvent a blockade. >> water was six, eight feet deep by the time we could get into the vehicle. took the dive team a while to follow it. >> reporter: the woman didn't make it. able to get out. the wet elements are expected to bring up to three feet of snow to the mountains. these stormy weather delays dozens of flights into san francisco for hours and could cause more problems on the west coast today. erica?

as we said, dylan is in chicago this morning where she'll be taking that plunge to the chilly great cause. moment. but, dylan, talk to us about the stormy weather out west and what we can expect across the country. >> well, we are going to see another couple of rounds of this wet stormy weather out west. i'd say. we had the bulk of the heaviest rain yesterday where we did get reports of eight inches of rain. we saw wind gusts in the highest peaks in mount diablo of 88 miles an hour. a wild storm system that moved in yesterday. we'll see more wet weather tonight and tomorrow morning and another storm on tuesday. we are looking at additional two to four inches of rain and also another two to four feet of snow in the sierra mountains. want to point out as the whole system moves eastward, we are looking for the possibility not of a severe weather outbreak, but isolated tornadoes possible through the plains, down into texas. we could see large hail and flash flooding. and we also need to focus on the

this transitions over to some heavier rain. we could end up with about three or more inches of rain with isolated higher amounts and that could lead to river flooding. more of the springtime setup where you get the severe storms and the potentithe 30s to near 40 degrees. expect sunday to be sunny and with full sunshine temperatures will warm to near 60 degrees this afternoon. today will be the coolest day this week. high temperatures monday will be in the mid-60s and into the 70s starting tuesday. the warm work week will also be dry with the next chance for rain returning next weekend. starting >> and i'm not not talking about the lake yet, hoping don't have to go in. we'll get to more on that and the special olympics in a few minutes, guys.

a report out just this morning that superstar quarterback peyton manning is about to announce his retirement. espn reports the five-time mvp and sure fire first ballot hall of famer is going to leave the game after 18 seasons. nbc news has not independently confirmed this report. manning expected to make that announcement tomorrow at the denver broncos headquarters. he goes out on top, of course, after winning his second super bowl last month. he is the nfl's all time leader in passing touchdowns and passing yards. he played 14 years with the indianapolis colts and won a super bowl with them in 2007. in other news on this sunday morning, the coast guard is searching the seas off florida for a missing cruise ship passenger. royal caribbean's navigator of the seas reporting a 46-year-old man fell overboard early saturday morning. the coast guard is searching an area about 40 miles south of key largo, a fellow passenger reported seeing the man fall

that's 100 feet above the water. lena dunham, creator and star of hbo's series "girls" is in the hospital this morning. she needs surgery for a ruptured ovarian cyst. she's been struggling with endometriosis, more than 6 million women in the country suffer from the painful condition. dunham posted on facebook that she's lucky to have the support of the whole girls gang. a wild story out of florida to tell you about. a scuba diver who says he's lucky this morning to be alive after being sucked into a large pipe at a nuclear power plant. sarah sarah dahlof has more. >> reporter: off the aqua american waters are three submerged structures, a mystery they decided to investigate while diving last july in close proximity to the st. lucy nuclear power plant. >> i felt a little current and it got quicker and i said this isn't right.

noodle, just gong. >> reporter: he was sucked inside an intake pipe that delivers hundreds, thousands of gallons of water a minute to reactors inside the plant. the terrifying ride lasted up to five minutes. he feared he would be chopped into pieces, devoured by machinery. >> all i could think about is these horror movies, you know, this big turbine coming and i'm coming for it, you know. it is going to chop me up and kill me. i just contemplated, you know, do i pull the regulator out of my mouth and just die? started thinking about my family, you know. how are they going to survive without me. >> reporter: as he struggled with those dark thoughts, light. >> fish everywhere, crystal clear water, the sun is shining, i'm, like, is this heaven? >> reporter: the journey took him a quarter mile along the 16 foot wide pipe, from the ocean intake, to a reservoir pool on plant property. he borrowed a phone from a surprised worker and called his wife, leaving her a miraculous

>> hey, it's me. i got pulled through a [ bleep ] pipe. i'm okay. >> reporter: and connecting with her moments later. >> something is telling me to pick up the phone. so i did. and it was him. >> she picks up. and she just goes, hello. i said, i'm alive. >> reporter: le cun filed a lawsuit alleging negligence. the utility company has not yet responded to the suit, but in a statement claims the diver intentionally swam into one of the intake pipes after bypassing a piece of equipment to minimize the entry of objects. he denies those allegations as well as florida power and light's claim that the buoy marking the area that day claimed the warning to stay back 100 feet. meanwhile, he's savoring time with his wife and kids. remembering how close he says he came to losing them. for "today," sarah dahlof, nbc >> can you imagine? >> no. >> no. >> being the wife on the other end of the call too. >> sucked into a pipe.

>> doesn't happen every day. >> meanwhile, it is the end of an era on tv tonight. the series finale of pbs wildly popular "downton abbey" but will it be the last time that fans get to enjoy the drama. kelly kelly kelly kobeila has more. >> you're not the only one watching. while tonight is the last time you'll see these characters on tv, the show's creator told me they may not be gone for good. after six seasons of ups and downs, it is time to say good-bye to america's favorite aristocrats. >> the world is changing. >> reporter: the period drama with british humor, history, and manners -- >> presenting the lady rose mcclaire. >> reporter: is taking its final bow tonight. it was an unlikely hit finding

royals, our own first lady, even p. diddy. >> i wasn't expecting the success we got, because i think if you expect that you're a mad person. you know. that happens very rarely in a career, if ever. >> reporter: the show won 12 emmys and three golden globes. incredible considering it almost never made it to america. >> remember being told by one american executive that no one in the united states would ever be interested in this idea. >> reporter: how wrong they were. it had something for everyone. romance, rivalry, and a grammy with great one liners. >> i take that as a compliment. >> reporter: before long, big american names were clamoring for a role. >> don't worry, i'm well prepared for cold baths, warm drinks and most of all the food. >> reporter: above all, "downton abbey" was about family, whether they lived upstairs, or downstairs. but how will it all end? will edith ever find love?

afters? and are the doors of downton abbey really closing for good? the show's executive producer told me yesterday that these characters will never be back for season seven. his words. but a movie is a real possibility. but, first, of course, we have to see how it all ends tonight. the show already aired on this side of the pond. i've seen it. >> no spoilers. >> no spoilers for you. all i have to say is bring your tissues. >> oh, geez. thank you. >> thanks, kelly. >> i love the little one liners she's got. remember she said, what's a weekend? >> we don't have weekends. >> perfectly applicable. >> coming up -- >> i just got that. nice. key players in the o.j. simpson case speaking out more than two decades after the trial of the century. prosecutor marcia clark, as she watched the guilty verdict slip away. cathy's gotten used to the smell of lingering garbage in her kitchen

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not yet! pull the peach!

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on a deadly crash this morning. that accident happened on i-485 near rocky river road around 4 this morning. investigators say a man was trying to help a stranded driver change their tire... when he was hit by another vehicle. authorities have not released the victim's name or said if any charges will be filed. that section of 485 was closed for most of the morning but has since reopened. its shaping up to be another beautiful day... this is a live look at uptown... where its starting to feel more like spring. meteorologist john wendell has the

we are starting sunday off with cool temperatures with readings in the 30s to near 40 degrees. expect sunday to be sunny and with full sunshine temperatures will warm to near 60 degrees this afternoon. today will be the coolest day this week. high temperatures monday will be in the mid-60s and into the 70s starting tuesday. the warm work week will also be dry with the next chance for rain turning next weekend. starting tomorrow dozens of mcdonalds fast food chains will hold a fundraiser for two people shot and killed earlier this week. mcdonald's in caldwell, catawba, and burke counties will hold a fundraiser codi watts and richelle lail. they were shot at a hickory mcdonald's on wednesday. the fundraiser kicks off monday and runs through next sunday, march 13th. a dollar from every big mac extra value meal will go to the victims' families. you can also donate inside the stores. today, people will gather to remember a west meck high student, killed earlier this week in a car crash. last night, family and friends

year old heavan seay the family is holding a visitation today from 4 to 6. it will be at forest lawn west funeral and cremation service. seay will be laid to rest in a private ceremony tomorrow. the today show is next... then join us back here at 9am for hour next newscast. have a great day. now at 9 -- highway patrol is investigating a

this guy loves me, don't you? wait, what's that?

as i was saying, everyone loves me. i even got this got this piece of -- behind me now. isn't that right, chris? >> yes, sir, thank you, sir, plea please, please, sir, may i have another. >> "saturday night live" skewering donald trump last night and that conference with chris christie. a great sunday morning crowd here on rockefeller plaza. >> she's from wichita, kansas. >> from wichita? >> i'll run over there and give her a hug. >> dylan dreyer standing by in chicago to jump into that frigid lake behind her for special olympics. >> she's excited. >> she is very excited. it is a great cause. we'll get to dylan in a bit. >> it will be quick. we want to get you caught up on this sunday's headlines. let's begin with politics. ted cruz waking up with new momentum in the republican presidential race this morning. the texas senator won saturday's contest in maine and kansas.

in kentucky and louisiana. marco rubio finished no better than third in all four states voting on saturday, leading trump to call on rubio to end his campaign. >> every time he comes in third or fourth, he says you got to be able to win. and he has not been able to win and i think it is time that he drops out. >> rubio's campaign quickly rejected that call from donald trump. >> on the democratic side, bernie sanders topped hillary clinton, two states to one, taking both kansas and nebraska, but clinton increased her lead in the delegate count, fueled by her massive win in louisiana. and massive el nino fuld storms are triggering major flooding across california, heavy rains turning roads into rivers in this neighborhood as you can see in the northern part of the state. dozens of flights were delayed in san francisco there. there is more rain expected today and tomorrow. also this morning, renew ed attention on the o.j. simpson case, both in the headlines and on television. much of it fuld by that riveting

tonight, key players from the actual trial will speak out on "dateline." here's nbc's josh mankiewicz. >> los angeles, june 12th, 1994, two horrific murders, defined by just three words, the o.j. case. a collision of pop culture and legal drama that still fascinates us today. >> i want him to finish this day alive. >> reporter: a new dramatic series airing on fx, "the people versus o.j. simpson" is winning ratings and review s. actress sarah paulson plays one of the stars who emerged in the trial, lead prosecutor marcia clark. >> we're taking him to trial. >> are you watching the miniseries? >> i am. i didn't think i could bear it, just reliving of the nightmare. >> reporter: the nightmare began when nicole brown simpson and her friend ron goldman were

l.a. neighborhood of brentwood. kris jenner, nicole's best friend, remembers getting the horrible news. >> i was, like, what, what do you mean nicole died? it was devastating. >> reporter: then came the infamous low speed bronco chase, which had marcia clark watching and seething. >> we looked like the biggest idiots ever. >> possibly armed, use caution. >> it was surreal. it was -- could this get any worse? >> reporter: it did. simpson was soon arrested and charged. >> we do have sufficient evidence to convict him. >> reporter: evidence rich in simpson's blood and dna. but the defense would undermine the prosecution's case by suggesting that evidence was tainted when gathered by a sloppy police department. >> i had had so many days of going back up to my office and feeling like, we're toast. it's over. there is no way. >> reporter: eventually the

became a case more about race than evidence. as defense attorney johnnie cochran preached to the jury. >> stop this cover-up. if you don't stop it, then who. >> reporter: the jury deliberated barely four hours. >> orenthal james simpson not guilty of the crime of murder. >> that was not justice. >> reporter: josh mankiewicz, nbc news, los angeles. >> clark moved to private practice after that trial and started winning. her latest book "blood defense" comes out later this spring. hear more from her, kris jenner, cato okaykaelin and others tonight at 9:00, 8:00 central. dylan dreyer in chicago, getting set to take a polar plunge into a frigid lake michigan. good to see you there, dylan dreyer. >> good morning, guys. this is the 16th polar plunge in chicago. and millions of dollars have been raised for the great cause, special olympics. i'm joined by casey hogan, the

this has become quite the celebrity affair. what can we expect this year? >> we're going to expect a lot this year. we are at a record-breaking year with over 5,500 plungers expected to join us. we have surpassed last year's fund-raising goal and we have the great crew of chicago fire, chicago pd, chicago med, our local chef graham elliott is joining us. and you never know, there might be other surprises. >> we're looking at video of lady gaga did it a couple of years go, jimmy fallon has done it. you can see more ice in the lake than we're seeing today. are you surprised by the weather? >> this is unreal. if you're going to do the plunge, today is the day. this is unbelievable weather. we're calling it the tropical plunge. you picked a good year yourself to do it. >> yes. i think al roker and i had a little control in the year we were going to do this. >> this is great. we're really excited to have you here too. >> so much money has been raised good luck today. >> thank you. >> and i guess good look to myself too, because you're not jumping this year, but you've

>> the last nine years i've done it. you're going to have a blast. >> i'm looking forward to it, kind of. it is going to be fun. i think when everybody gets here and the weather in chicago is actually all right. we should top out in the 50s. all part of this warmup that is moving across the country. we're going to see spring-like warmth through the northern plains, stretching into the midwest. this is all going to move east as we get into the middle of the week with temperatures topping out in the 60s and 70s. look at that, new york city, 70 degrees by wednesday. little further south we should top out in the mid-70s. the warm air is coming, just got to jump in thisthe 30s to near 40 degrees. expect sunday to be sunny and with full sunshine temperatures will warm to near 60 degrees this afternoon. today will be the coolest day this week. high temperatures monday will be in the mid-60s and into the 70s starting tuesday. the warm work week will also be dry with the next chance for rain returning next weekend.

and, guys, the plunge happens at 10:00 central time. so we're not going to get to do it on live tv, but we'll have it all on our website. check back there later today. and al roker and i have -- >> what are you going to wear? can you get some kind of warm suit or something? what is your strategy? >> they recommend not wearing too many clothes, though i will not be wearing a bikini by any means, but we have a t-shirt and shorts plan going, al and i do. >> good luck. we know you're going to knock it out of the park. the best news is, dylan, not only is it for a good cause, but it is quick. dylan, thanks. >> real quick. up next, our sunday stories from a rodeo star back in the saddle after being told that would never happen again, to a taste for freedom for a man who spent a decade on death row for a crime he says he didn't commit. harry smith is in the house,

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overcoming obstacles. >> amberley snyder devoted her life to horses and rodeo. when a car accident tried to derail those plans, she wasn't going to let it get in the way. >> reporter: from the time she was a toddler, this is where amberley snyder has wanted to be. >> happiest place for me on earth is on my horse's back. >> reporter: a world champion barrel racer at age of 18, amberley was living her dream. then a car accident changed everything. >> i overcorrected my truck, and i was ejected and hit a fence post on the side of the road, which is what broke my back. >> reporter: amberley was paralyzed from the waist down. doctors predicted she would never walk, and certainly never ride again. >> the very first day of therapy, when my nurse asked me what my goals are, i tell her, walk, ride, rodeo. there is not and if, there is not an and, there is not a maybe. this is what we're doing.

>> she thought i was crazy. >> reporter: one of the biggest hurdle for amberley, wasn't getting into the saddle, it was staying there. how was her balance initially after the accident? >> really bad. to the point where even if she was sitting in bed and raised her arm to brush her hair, you know, she could fall over. >> i had mentioned to my therapist that my balance is better on my saddle than anywhere else.saddle in and i got on the saddle and my balance was better there. >> reporter: four months after her accident, she was in the saddle, on her horse. when you first got back on the horse, is it what you expected? >> the first time i got on the horse was the hardest day of my life. >> reporter: why? >> because in that moment, i realized my whole life was different. >> reporter: later that year, amberley hit bottom. for eight months she didn't even want to see her horses, let alone ride them. >> stubborn. i was, like, no, not doing it, not doing it. >> reporter: you needed your own

>> reporter: at one point, amberley begged her mother to sell the horses. tina snyder refused. >> i said, amberley, your horses have been injured before, and you waited for them to heal. they're going to wait for you. >> reporter: the wait paid off. 18 months after her accident, amberley snyder returned to regular competition. >> the very first time we went out for a race, you want to win. the competitive nature is still there every single time i go in the arena. >> when she's on a horse, she's like everybody else. she gets to leave the wheelchair behind and the horse is her legs. >> reporter: now, six years later, amberley snyder is firmly back in her saddle. >> i had outrun myself of what i have before my wreck. even though i'm strapped in and can't kick, i still can run with

amberley's able to saddle her old seat belt. >> we cut this out of a junk card car. >> reporter: and a series of straps and rubber bands to hold her steady and keep her legs in place. >> they go around my feet and my stirrups. >> reporter: her horses have also adjusted to this new normal. >> they learned to just completely ignore my legs. they don't even pay attention to them anymore. >> reporter: as positive as she is, amberley doesn't shy away from her daily struggle. >> i don't think i'm ever going to roll over when i get out of bed in the morning and go, man, i'm glad i'm getting into that chair. you just have to shift the way you look at it. my goals have not changed. i'm just giving myself a little more time in order to accomplish them. >> reporter: when you look at her today, what is first thought that comes to your mind when you look at your daughter? >> awe.

>> to say amberley and her mother tina are incredible would be a gross understatement. she regained some feeling in her legs. you can real more about it at today.com. she said she's convinced it is from the riding. >> from the stimulation of it? >> she thinks it helped. she's a motivational speaker. but she's phenomenal. and caroline gottlieb, our producer, thank you, you found us an incredible story. >> we're back after this. at johnson's, the products in our bath time routine work together like a team. the washes with the shampoos, the shampoos with the lotions. a combination designed to help improve your baby's skin barrier while you stimulate his senses. with johnson's, the more you put in, the more they get out. johnson's . so much more plants may have their limits.

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(donkey sound) (elephant sound) there's a big difference between making noise, (tapping sound) and making sense. (elephant sound) (donkey sound) when it comes to social security, we need more than lip service. our next president needs a real plan to keep social security strong. (elephant noise) hey candidates. enough talk.

we're back with new developments in a controversial case out of texas. >> dwayne brown was sentenced to death for a crime he insisted he didn't commit. he was freed last year after new evidence was uncovered in a retired detective's garage. i visited him recently and found someone surprisingly not bitter, but thankful. say the word freedom to a man who hasn't had it for more than a decade, and you may hear the unexpected. >> freedom for me is being around things that i can actually get up and go do and i enjoy doing. it is a feeling that you can't explain. >> reporter: in 2003, dwayne brown was charged with murder in the shooting death of charles clark, a decorated police

the killing happened during a robbery at a check cashing store on the southeast side of houston. the store's clerk alfreda jones was also killed. >> never been any signs on this case that implicates him. never a shred of evidence, no dna, no gunshot residue. >> reporter: brown was convicted and sentenced to death. spending 23 hours a day in a prison. >> when you're on death row, did you think that the day would come when you would actually get out. >> when you're in that place, you don't -- at least i wasn't thinking that far ahead. i was trying to take care of what's today, what i'm going to do today. and that's how i live my life every day. day by day. >> reporter: his saving grace, a single piece of paper, subpoenaed phone records that proved he was at his girlfriend's apartment during the crime, records that his appellant attorney said were

appointed attorney during his original trial. it would have confirmed his alibi. turns out they were discovered eight years later, in the garage of the investigating officer. he has since retired. last june, the district attorney dismissed his case, saying she did not have enough evidence to convict in a new trial and set him free. do you think you were set up? >> very much so. very much so. >> they were seeking a conviction at any cost. in a high profile case. and but for our work, they would have gotten away with it. >> reporter: nbc news reached out to the houston police department for comment, they e-mailed an audio recording of a june 2015 press conference where the police chief said the case was improperly investigated and would not comment on the evidence. the district attorney's office declined to comment. >> we shouldn't be in a justice

years of work from a number of lawyers, probably over a million dollars in probono fees and expenses and those types of things to exonerate one man. about. but that's what it took here. >> reporter: brown's daughter kiara was 2 years old when her father went away. what has it been like having dad back? >> it has been amazing. he's strict. but he's not strict. he's like a cool dad. >> reporter: what is he strict about? boys? one thing that strikes me about you, you're not angry. you smile. it is the strangest thing to me. how is that? how are you not mad at the world? >> i don't have a word for it, i don't have an answer for it, i'm just enjoying myself. i'm doing the things i like to do. >> and under texas law, people wrongly convicted, they're entitled to $80,000 a year. brown's legal team petitioned

about $973,000. the state has until april 7th to respond. >> that's remarkable story. >> he's a remarkable guy. you would be surprised how happy he is about life. >> a great story. craig, thanks. up next, an amazing display in the skies over nebraska after this. earning unlimited cash back on purchases. that's a win. but imagine earning it twice. you can with the citi double cash card. it lets you earn cash back twice. once when you buy and again as you pay. it's cash back then cash back again. and that's a cash back win-win. the citi double cash card. the only card that lets you earncash back twice on everypurchase with 1% when you buy and 1% as you pay. with two ways to earn, it makes a lot of other cards seem one-sided. when your cold makes you wish... ...in bed all day... ...you need the power of... new theraflu expressmax.

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this morning on sundays with harry, something to get you in the mood for spring. good morning, harry smith. >> good morning. feeling a tiny -- spring is a couple of weeks away, but i saw crow crocuses in central park and they reminded me of something we shot, we got to see a couple of years ago too, a great seasonal

the middle of the country. interstate 80. if you're on it, you race through places like carney, nebraska. but this time of year it is hard not to notice the birds here. yes, those are birds in the sky. thousands and thousands of snow geese migrating northward, slowing down for a rest. talk about a roadside attraction. 20 million or so birds would be offended to hear nebraska referred to as a flyover state. the birds and their ancestors have spent every spring here for several thousand millennia. these are sand hill cranes, mike forsberg, a photographer, author and conservationist has been watching the cranes for more

>> it would be like missing christmas. >> reporter: this is good. this is really good. revered since ancient times, mike says the graceful elegant birds dance sometimes because they're nervous, sometimes because they're in love. and sometimes because they just like to dance. but the best time to watch them is at first light, with the golden moon in the western sky, you can barely see the birds, and you sure can hear them. the cranes spend the night on the bank and the sandbars of the plat river and as day break comes, the birds get louder and louder, building to a dramatic crescendo, a wake-up call the likes of which you have never heard. crane lovers come from all over the country, and all over the world, to visit audubon's rose sanctuary. lynn hobsa can't wait to see the birds up close. you're all pumped up.

i can't help it. >> reporter: we used to say you know it's spring when the swallows return to capistrano. now, you know it's spring when the cranes return to carney. so mike forsberg, the photographer, he sent me this picture, which we'll put up on the screen, that was taken just last week. >> oh, my goodness. >> the migration has started already. so if you're in the middle of the country, get to the plat river and be awed. >> thank you, harry. >> thanks, harry. tune into "meet the press" this morning. chuck will have more on the super saturday results and he's speaking with mitt romney. >> don't forget to check out our facebook page. dylan dreyer, the polar plunge.

go, dylan, go! the new details in this breaking news story you all morning. and the fight continues today, after a split of

where the candidates stand moment before next round of voting. good morning everyone. we'll get to our top stories in just a minute, but first lets talk about your forecast. taking a live look at uptown charlotte. looking . thank you so much for joining us this morning here on nbc charlotte. i'm tanya mendis alongside meteorologist john wendel. we are starting