>> coming up on "early today" it was hillary clinton before bernie sanders, iowa voters go to the polls two weeks from today. eastern's move to release five americans, leads to lifting of economic sanctions and possibly lower oil pricesnd a new era of diplomacy. inside sean penn's secret meeting with el chapo, the actor speaks out. plus, after successfully launching the jason 3 satellite into oisht the spacex rocket exploded after a landing accident. >> the contradiction have spoken.

the critic's choice awards. all tripped up, this legless lift on purpose. you decide. "early today" starts right now. hi, good morning, everyone, thanks for being with us. i'm shannon mulaire. three of the americans released from iran have arrived safely in germany. the group, including washington post correspondent jason rezaian first landed in switzerland before a trip to germany where they are resting and recuperating at an american air force base. the prisoner change negotiations posted this picture of rezaian after the trio landed in geneva. we are live from tehran with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, shannon, that's right t. three american, possibly even five american iranian prisoners have been released. and this is the culmination of a long and very important diplomatic process between the united states and iran that

ago when the two sides started talking directly to one another, something they hadn't done since the 1979 islamic revolution. we've seen a slight softening of relationships. once the two sides started talking to each other, we seen period of time. we seen the implementation of the nuclear deal. we seen these miner iranian prisoners released. we've avoid an international crisis, when u.s. sailors drifted into iranian territorial waters. so this is a huge and significant change between iran and america. two countries that are ideological opposed to each other. the two sides probably aren't going to be best friends, but this is certainly a step in the right direction, between two countries that have had very bad relationships for almost four decades. shannon. >> absolutely. a day many people have been waiting for. thank you. iraqi security forces have is the up checkpoints in baghdad

reported missing. arab news channel al arabiya said their contractors or trainers were taken by militants on friday. no word yed yet on their identity tis or that of the mill tan. the state department released a statement last night saying, quote, we are aware that american citizens are missing in iraq. it goes on to say, we are working with the full cooperation of the iraqi authorities to locate and recover the individual. two weeks from today, voters in iowa head to the polls. last night they go their final look at the democratic presidential candidates squaring off head-to-head in south carolina. brian moore has the heils. >> reporter: in their final debate to this pre-election season, hillary clinton pounded bernie sanders on gun control. >> he voted to let guns go on to amtrak. guns go into national parks. >> sanders gave no ground. >> you have received over $600,000 in speaking fees for

>> reporter: in refusing to criticize bernie sanders past. >> have i said a word about that issue? no i have not. >> reporter: clinton picked apart the medicare plan he introduced before the plan. >> i'm not sure if we introduced the plan you introduced tonight or nine times in the congress the fact is, we have the affordable care act. >> clinton played the card. >> reporter: i am the only candidate who said i will not raise taxes on the middle class. >> reporter: sanders countered. >> guess what, in terms of polling, we are rung ahead of secretary clinton in terms of taking on my good friend donald trump. >> reporter: governor martin o'malley barely qualified for this debate. he did his best to stand out. >> if donald trump wants to start a registry in this country by faith, he can start by one with me.

say in two weeks. >> the latest nbc news-"wall street journal" poll shows republican front runner donald trump in trouble in head-to-head matchups against the democrats. front runner hillary clinton leads trump by 10%, bernie sanders is up even more, donal. this as senator ted cruz is gaining ground in iowa and new hampshire. halle jackson brings us up to >> reporter: against ted cruz, donald trump's done playing nice. >> he's a nasty guy. nobody likes him. nobody in anywhere once they get to know him. >> reporter: a new attack not on policy, personality.cruz hit new york values. >> our friends in the media, it seems like they lit their hair on fire. they're very confused. what are these new yorkhich you speak? now i would say in the rest of america, people know exactly what that means.

using trump's own more than 15 years ago, marriage. >> i lived in new york city and manhattan all my life so my little different than i lived in iowa, programs r. trump fighting back against rivals who say he is too liberal. >> she running for the party's nomination. he should be conservative. he hasn't shown it. >> i'm conservative. when it comes to different elements that i believe in.ople understand. i will solve our trade problem. i will solve our military provenl i will get rid of isis. >> reporter: as trump targets cruz, trying to pull away, herisk alienating some in the grass roots as he found out in south carolina. the reception from the tea party is there.>> say whatever you want, he didn't report bank loans. that's okay. >> nbc's halle jackson g.

silence on the interview on cbs "60 minutes" last night the lains he was well aware of the risk he was taking for the "rolling stone" interview. >> i was baffled at his will to see us. my article should notthis much noise. el chapo should not have been this popular a figure to read about. i can't say for sure, you know, that there's noe you heard from anybody in the cartel? >> no. >> penn's included, but the controversial interview was aause it distracted from the attention on the war on drugs. the "rolling stone" article "el cham po speaks" was pendafter he was arrested. they stated it was the only way of obtaining an interview. penn called the attitude of professional journalists anible hypocrisy. el chapo is held in the same jail he was in last year.

the lead water crisis in flint, michigan continues, drawing more attention on a national scale. debate in south carolina yesterday, hillary clinton became the first candidate of either party to mention flint, stating the ave been victims of government screw-ups water. she went on to highlight what contributed in response to the crisis. also yesterday, president barack obama declared a medical emergency in flnt freeing up to n federal aids. however the president denied governor rick snyder's request for a declaration. taking time to respond, reverend jesse jackson stated flint is a crime scene and called for governor snyder to take responsible for hispom icon cher, part in other words with water company

voice her support. developing overnight the u.s. coast guard says search and rescue crews have located don't to be from two u.s. military helicopters that collided a tough coast of oahu in hawaii late thursday t.e kaerl 12 u.s. mission. there have been no sign of survivors. active. crews have been facing the efforts. so far it's covered more than 18,000 squaresevere weather spawned two tornadoes that tore through central florida early sunday. a couple was killed, five family injured, when one of the twisters destroyed their mobile home. nbc meteorologist bill kierans is here. i saw people tweeth about that,r people to be careful. >> it was the middle of the night.

of rough weather, tampa,ta, ft. meyers. unless you live under a rock in the eastern third of the country, will you hear rumors of a snowstorm coming ay of this week. don't listen to anybody this far out about snowfall amounts. the storm itself is well out here in the pacific. system we'll watch in the days ahead. let's kind of track the trend with that storm and the one we are dealing with right now a. little snow in eastern mass,lakes. lake effect machine will be on today and tomorrow. we will watch one storm the beginning of this week a. clipper low brings us light snow t. bicker storm the one get all the buzz this week will probably not develop until thursday, somewhere near texas. friday, somewhere in the southeast. it's too early, who will gethe rain. it looked to be just enough of cold air. it's possible for a significant

i do know this morning, you are rhode island. that's your national weather. now, here's a closer your die ahead. temperatures are cold, too. look at the great lakes today. yesterday was a frigid day with the wind chills. it's still cold, not quite as a high temperature today will struggle to get above zero today from duluth to minneapolis. so tweel have more details ahead, yes, the possibly exists for the first significant snowstorm for the east there it was bound to thank you. well, the big bin ihe critics choice awards, plus the one actor who stole everyone's heart. and the good and bad of spacex's latest tails on that. you are watching "early today." walgreens says, carpe med diem. t of life and medicare part d. just switch to walgreens for savingshlight of your day.

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choice awards.g ] >> yeah. >> with actor comedian t.j. miller on hosting duty and his friends there. leonardo dicaprio won best actorr the "revenant" "mad max, furry road" had eight wins in all. "lime?on for best ensemble. one of the most memorable moments was when amy schumer explained the key to her >> are you an act tres, have you this area right here, you have to write your own stu. if you want to get it er the stars who stole everyone's heart was ja come tremplay when he won best young actor for his star turn in "theally acclaimed room." >> i want to say thank you to all the critics who voted for me. it must be a super hard vote er great

and i know where to put this, right on the shelf right beside myfalcon. >> that little voice. for the first time ever, rock legend david bowie garnered a number one album on the this following his death last week after an 18-month battle with cancer. his 27th and final album on top. despite foggy weather yesterday, nasa successfully launched a spacex rocket carrying an oceansatellite into orbit. however, the landing wasn't quite as smooth. when the rocket landed on to a floating barge in the pacific, there it goes.e off. the rocket toppled over and exploded in flames. so, not as good as the last one. just ahead, when a perfect team has nothing to look forward to, i'm explain that one.

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all right. let's check sports now. the nfc and afc championship games are set. we begin in charlotte. first place

stewart a. good start to his day. inside the 40. >> not a bad start for team panthers. moments later, jonathan stewart would score the first of two rushing touchdowns. carolina was red hot, scoring on a defensiveon 3rd and 14, cam newton throws a lace tore greg olson putting up 31 unanswered first-half points.le. seattle finally fights back. a russell wilson strikes a germane curse and connects to tyler lockett who manages to keep his feet seattle gets as close as 31-24 when an onside kick goes carolina's way. they hold on to advance tothe carolina cardinals next week. to denver, steelers and broncos ground out every yard and point. pittsburgh up 1. peyton manning hands

into the end zone. broncos up 20-13. two minutes to play, big benles, loses the ball. broncos win it setting up the 17th edition of manning versus tom brady. you might hear about that this next the controversial on the hard court, oregon state versus utah, after the ref went for the ball. it appears the senior ref who falls onto the floor. the referee calls it technical and ejects reed with under three minutes in a tied game.ost this one 59-53. we likely have fought heard the last of this situation. za smu remains the nation's only team in the top 20 after winning their 17th against tulane, 60-45. wah.just ahead, two men in virginia have been arrested for trying to join isis.

plus, high school musical is celebrating its rsary with something super special. details on that coming up don't stare at me. see me. see me. see me to know

>> what do you think the president's legacy in american politics will turn out to be? he's only got one year left. >> hundreds of thousands of people. >> you hear some republicans saying, hey this president promised to bring this country together, he's actually made it more >> i don't think this president,

responsible for the country being so divide. we all are responsible for it. >> has it made it 't think he made it worse. i think there are people because of his election made a conscious decision who said we will not get a had obama been treated differently because of his race, i really believe. that you wouldn't hear if it would have been a white democrat or republican speakingsomeone holler out, "you lie." a member from the republican party. >> you think that was race? >> i think part of that was and you wouldn't have a governor putting her finger in the face of a white president. i think there are invisible signs of disrespect for the man.lways said, if you don't respect the man, respect the position. so when the president said to me in the evening at the state of walking down

i said, mr. president, i love you,