breaking news. coming home. a plane carrying americans freed by iran, leaving tehran a short time ago. their long-awaited release coming hours before crippling sanctions were lifted on iran for holding up its end of the controversial nuclear deal. this morning, the journey to freedom and the heartbreak for the family of one man left behind. dueling candidates. hillary clinton and bernie sanders set to face off on a debate stage for the last time before the iowa caucus. the night is expected to be

tight. on the republican side, donald trump booed for slamming ted cruz. >> he didn't report his bank local s loans. say whatever you want, he didn't report bank loans. boycotting the oscars. jada pinkett smith blasts the academy, suggesting a boycott nominees. her husband will smith among nose snubbed. will others join her protest? fantastic finish. a playoff game for the finish. the packers hail mary as time ran out to tie the game. >> oh, what a catch! >> the cardinals answer with a huge play of their own in overtime. >> extending the play, crosses the field, larry fitzgerald. fitzgerald will take it to green bay territory. >> was it enough? let's say, cardinals fans still celebrating today, sunday,

>> announcer: from n bc news, this is "today" live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. welcome to "today" on this sunday morning. i'm erica hill. >> glad to have you with us. i'm craig melvin with sheinelle jones and dylan dreyer also here. bags under the eyes this morning because last night was -- >> late. >> man, a fantastic finish. had that touchdown been the one that ended it, that would have developments coming from the release of the american prisoners in iran. they are expected to make it back to the united states soon, where they will be reunited with friends and family. we have the story covered from all angles this morning. from the freed prisoners to what this deal means precisely. let's start with keir simmons in

headed for medical evaluation. good morning. >> good morning. these very tense hours. we're hearing a plane carrying u.s. prisoners has taken off from iran. a senior official telling nbc news, those who wish to depart iran have left. we think they're on their way to switzerland, then expect them to come here to this u.s. medical facility in germany. they must be breathing a sigh of relief. >> reporter: freed from an iranian prison, five americans. it's a break through on a momentum weekend. former marine, a mir hekmati, held for four years. facebook. saeed abedini, a christian pastor, jailed over three years. boise. >> surreal.

and told them daddy is coming home and out of prison. they were shocked but jumping up and down and excited. >> reporter: jason rezaian, the "washington post" correspondent, was held for over a year and a half, also in solitary confinement. we're so happy. can't wait to see him. >> reporter: matt trevithick, a student, was first to be released. >> we were excited and happy to hear his voice today. we're thrilled he's out of iran him. >> reporter: in exchange, the u.s. agreed to send home seven iranians charged with crimes in america. the attorney for one of the accused thanking the white house. >> thankful to the president. he's thankful to all the people here locally and internationally that helped bring this about. he's just ready to go on with his life. >> reporter: their release announced hours ahead of the historic and controversial nuclear agreement.

europe unfreezing around $100 billion in iranian assets. >> the two tracts of negotiations were not directly related. >> reporter: the relationship forged during the nuclear talks. secretary kerry said opening a path to freedom for the american prisoners. >> the "washington post" has just released a statement. it says, friends and colleagues at the "washington post" are elated by the wonderful news that jason rezaian has been released from evin prison. story. bob levinson, who disappeared in iran in 2007, is not heading home. his family releasing a statement saying, we are happy for the other families, but once again, behind. we are devastated. negotiations. iran appears to be saying, they don't know where he is. thank you. the question is what does this mean for iran and its

richard engel is in vienna, home of the international atomic energy agency. richard, good morning. >> good morning. this is a very significant diplomatic break through. it was announced here last night. for iran, it opens the country back to the international market. it allows iranian businesses and iranian individuals to move money in and out of the country. they can now have access to the banking system. in the past, it was very difficult for iranians to do things like use credit cards. they often had to carry cash and gold out of the country. iran can now sell oil legally and openly and not have to use smuggling methods that have been years. and it gives the iranians a great deal more confidence that their country is once again community. there are also political ramifications, of course. now, the u.s. has a dialogue with iran.

securing the release of the american prisoners in exchange for freeing seven iranians, who are held by the united states. it could also have implications for dialogue over syria. a very significant diplomatic break through. >> richard in vienna, thank you. the deal is seen as a victory for the obama administration by many, but it's facing criticism from republicans. ron allen is at the white house with more. >> now that the prisoners left president obama sometime later this morning. we expect him to herald this as what diplomacy can accomplish. pushing back on critics who say the iranians can't be trusted. the president said the nuclear deal will help the world prevent another war. the prisoner swap happened because the nuclear talks created a new channel for discussions with the iranians.

gathered momentum after the nuclear deal came together last summer. they said releasing the iranians in exchange was the right thing to do. the administration insists the most important thing is they could not leave the americans behind, and that they're coming home. craig? erica? >> ron allen for us at 1600 pennsylvania. ron, thank you. of course, the prisoner release and the iran deal will be a topic of discussion at tonight's democratic debate, happening here on nbc. hillary clinton and bernie sanders expected to be swinging sharp elbows tonight. that race, of course, unexpectedly tightening, and that has a lot of focus flt . on the republican side, the fight between donald trump and ted cruz is getting more heated. kristen welker joins us from charleston, south carolina. good morning. >> erica, good morning to you. with just 15 days until the all important iowa caucuses, the democratic and republican races are too close to call in the hawkeye state, making tonight's debate pif

>> reporter: with just hours before the democrats duke it out tonight in charleston, the candidates courted voters at a dinner here saturday night. >> we must stand up for working people and low income people in every state in this country. >> reporter: and they took aim at republicans. secretary clinton bringing up the language used when talking about president obama. >> both ted cruz and chris christie called him a child the other night. too often, we hear republicans talking in coded, racial language. >> reporter: meanwhile, sanders announced he supports a bill that would amend a 2005 piece of legislation which limits liability on gun manufacturers. the move is a reversal for sanders and comes after days of attack by clinton, who used the issue to paint sanders as soft on guns. sanders tried to assure the crowd he's not.

the hands of people who should not have them. >> reporter: clinton signalled she'd go further. >> we need a president who will do everything in her power to protect president obama's actions on gun violence. >> reporter: meanwhile, the race on the republican side has donald trump and ted cruz running neck and neck in iowa. trump continuing to slam cruz for failing to report loans while he was running for senate. on saturday, trump's jabs drew jeers. >> excuse me, didn't report his bank loans. say whatever you want, he didn't report bank loans. >> reporter: cruz, who dismissed it, seized the chance to needle his rival, after getting stuck for a few minutes in an elevator. >> who put donald trump in charge of the elevator? >> yesterday, a top clinton surrogate called on bernie sanders to release his medical records. the clinton campaign distanced

since, a sanders aid says they raised more than $3 million since last tuesday in the wake of clinton's stepped up attack against sanders. all an indication of the fireworks we're likely to see here later tonight. >> it'll be a fiery one. kristen welker, thanks. chuck todd is moderator of "meet the press." good morning to you. as kristen indicated, has to be a pivotal night for bernie sanders and hillary clinton. specifically, what does each candidate need to do tonight in charleston? >> hillary clinton has telegraphed what she wants to do with bernie sanders. raise questions about his ability to get things done in washington. his ability to be the most electable candidate. his ability to go toe to toe with the republicans that many progressives are frightened of, a donald trump or ted cruz. bernie sanders needs to pass this -- it's a subjective test -- but pass the commander

every time they sat side by side, hillary clinton has gotten the best of him. can he have a night where he gets the best of her? boy, what a night it would be if he did it tonight. as you know, craig, last debate, last time these two will meet face-to-face before iowa. >> chuck, after iowa, it's on to new hampshire. there's talk about whether or not he could do very well in both those states. when we move to south carolina, there's a question of sanders' appeal among a more broad and diverse group of voters. is that still an issue for him? >> look, i think -- look, everything changes after iowa and new hampshire. i think you cannot make any of these predictions. hilary lary clinton right now, is she stronger among african-americans, hispanics, the broader demographic base of the democratic party? yes. but history suggests this, erica, if whoever wins iowa and new hampshire, and it's the underdog candidate, in this case, bernie sanders, he'll

looks from the broader portion of the democratic party. i wouldn't assume that what the polls look like today with african-americans and hispanics won't change if sanders wins new hampshire and iowa. >> let's turn to iran quickly. the prisoner swap, the nuclear deal break through, the administration touting this, of course, as a victory. republicans saying it makes the administration and america look weak. in terms of long-term implications, what do you think? >> well, let's see. i mean, you know, the obama administration's argument, and i think it's a good one, is look what opening up a conversation with iran has done. it's made uncomfortable diplomatic moments a lot easier to solve. the sailors detained. the administration argued, never would have seen that solved within 24 hours before this nuclear deal. that said, even hillary clinton wants to see more sanctions against iran.

may be one step forward and two steps back when it comes to the long-term future of the united states and iran. >> chuck todd, always good to see you. thank you. we look formuch ward to much more coming up where hillary clinton and bernie sanders will both be your guests. catch the pair tonight for the democratic debate, 9:00 eastern, 6:00 pacific on nbc. we know at least one american was among those killed in the terrorist attack in west africa. 45-year-old michael was a missionary who moved from florida with his wife to work at an orphanage. he traveled to burkina faso to meet other americans. he was in the cafe that was under attack at the gunmen went to the hotel. the declaration was signed by president obama, providing funds for bottled water, filters and other things as the city deals with lead contamination.

city switched its water source to save money. check now of your sunday weather. there's severe, dangerous weather out there this sunday. >> we had reports of four tornadoes possible in florida. sarasota was hit hard, as the tornadoes passed through a mobile home park. we have reports of two possible deaths and several injuries because of the strong, gusty winds and the tornadoes that moved through. things are weakening right now. this storm system is winding down, but we do still have the threat of possible tornadoes, especially through southern florida. unfortunately, more storms are firing up near sarasota now. this will continue to move eastward. by this afternoon, we'll lose the threat of severe storms. it has still been a threat. eastward. behind this, we're looking at the chance of a couple more storms.

will >> that's your latest forecast. >> thanks. as we mentioned off the top of the broadcast, a wild night in the nfl playoffs, with an amazing finish to the green bay packers-arizona cardinals game, here on nbc. here it is. the clock counting down to zero in regulation play. green bay quarterback aaron rodgers, hail mary, connects with january eff janice. that sent it to overtime. >> insane!

quickly followed by a 75 catch and run by larry fitzgerald for the cardinals. >> inside the 30, the 20. >> if he scores, it's over! >> insane! >> if that wasn't enough, short pass to fitzgerald for the touchdown. arizona wins. heck of a finish. matchup between the patriots and the chiefs earlier. the patriots were back in super bowl form. defending super bowl champs beating the chiefs, 27-20. they're advancing to their fifth straight afc title games. today, divisional playoffs wrap up with the seahawks and the panthers. and the steelers taking on the denver broncos. roethlisberger expected to suit up for that. >> seems like every weekend, we've had a crazy finish. >> fun one. >> makes it fun to watch. >> i had fun watching yesterday. >> we know you did. patriots number one fan, dylan dreyer. a long-awaited exhibit in

delight of a long line of fans. the giant panda cub out in the open for everyone to see at the smithsonian national zoo. kristen dahlgren has more. >> reporter: after months of anticipation and waiting in line -- >> good morning, everyone! >> reporter: -- it's safe to say all the hoopla hasn't gone to bei bei's head. the five month old couldn't have cared less if he was the day's biggest draw. he slept through his debut. >> he sleeps 90% of the day. >> reporter: didn't stop the crowd from trying to catch his perfection. >> he's very cute. >> reporter: from the time he was born, bei bei was a star. from the first images of a pink cub, the size of a stick of butter, with his proud parent. a healthy checkup. >> lungs are good and clear.

two countries came together to give bei bei his name. in a way, the 23 pound cub is carrying the weight of the world. the panda program, an important diplomatic tie between china and the u.s. bei bei will stay in washington for four years, then be sent to china, where less than 2,000 giant pandas remain in the wild. >> we're breeding pandas here, and the next generation of pandas will hopefully start to go back into the wild. >> reporter: bei bei's mission may be conservation, but for most, it's all about cuteness. while not everyone got the best view, how could you not forgive this face? kristen dahlgren, nbc news. >> nothing like a cute panda. up next, "saturday night live" putting a hilarious spin on the republican debate. we have the highlights the flu virus hits big. with aches, chills, and fever, there's no such thing as a little flu. and it needs a big

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and pad at lowe's. we are back on a sunday with your morning dose of funny. "saturday night live" is back after the holiday break. >> former cast member darrell hammon returned to play the donald. sheinelle is in the orange room with more. >> the first sketch of the night was a reenactment of the republican debate, and trust me, there were a lot of laughs on this one. >> frankly, maria, i'm glad everyone is talking about my good friend rafael eduardo cruz. people are coming up to me all the time saying, donald, ted cruz was born in canada. he can't be president. his campaign is illegal. their words, not mine. >> donald, the debate about natural born citizenship is just

canadians are well-liked. i am not. canadians are rugged and outdoorsy, and i'm made of pudding. they're genuine and warm, whereas, when i smile, it looks like i'm paying. >> one of the stars of the new "star wars" was the host, adam driver. he played his character, kylo ren. you can't go wrong on "snl." >> great last night. thank you, sheinelle. still to come on "today," jada pinkett smith slams the oscar voters, calling for a change at the award show. steve harvey trying to make amends for the mistake at this year's miss universe pageant. we'll hear from him you totaled your brand new car. p nobody's hurt, but there will still be pain. p it comes when your insurance company says they'll only pay p three quarters of what it takes to replace it. what are you supposed to do?

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homicide in westwood... the victim is 23 year old kareem howell. just before six p-m saturday.. police were called to a wooded trail... behind the 31-hundred block of bracken woods lane for repors of a person down. when police arrived they found howell with a gun shot wound. center.. where he died from his injuries.

a 24 year old man is facing sex crime charges... accused of innapropriately touching a teenage girl. evan beccaccio -- is accused of touching the girl nearly two years ago... after tying her to a pole in his basement! she was 14 at the time. according to jail records -- he's being held on a 120 thousand dollar bond. sunday morning, look for a few peaks of sunshine, however another arctic front will bring a few snow bursts to the area sunday afternoon. right now, between 2 - 6pm appears to be the most likely time to see that snow . while this system is not as intense as the last few . but accumulations of up to half an inch in spots is possible. while most wont see those kinds of total, we will all see and feel the cold. temperatures quickly drop into the teens and single digits sunday night leading to a frigid holiday. monday is mlk day and if you don't have to work or head to school early in the morning, you are lucky! it will be another single digit start with wind chills below zero! and even with a lot of sunshine...it will still stay only in the teens. another chance for snow will build in as temperatures rebound wednesday. right now snow should be light with minor

david bowie transformed whatever space he was in, whatever medium he was using, and that night for me, he transformed live television. >> reporter: . a touching tribute on "saturday night live," as we

january 17th, 2016. we come back and welcome our crowd on the chilly plaza. five americans held prisoner in iran will be reunited with family and friends back home. left tehran this morning. the americans were released as part of a prisoner exchange between the united states and iran, hours ahead of a nuclear agreement with the nation. police in belize say they have a man in custody in connection with the death of an american tourist. the 39-year-old woman's body was found near her resort. police say a gaut uatemalan man is being questioned in her death. celine dion mourning the loss of her brother daniel who died of cancer on saturday. his death comes two days after the loss of her husband to the same disease. we begin this half hour with the controversy over the 2016 academy award nominations.

some claim the award show has a lack of diversity. one actress is out with the strongest call to action yet. morgan has more from los angeles. >> good morning. the sbher internet is erupting with the #oscars so white. jada pinkett smith is the latest calling for change, but she wants people to step offline and into action. >> reporter: she's setting it up. >> don't make me get ugly up in here, ladies and gentlemen. >> reporter: this time, on twitter, jada pinkett smith suggesting a boycott of the oscars. this is the second year in a row the academy hasn't nominated a single actor of color. at the ososcars, people of color are always welcomed to give out awards but we're rarely honored

some say the reason is simple. >> well, it's just -- it's a matter of our membership. >> reporter: the president of the academy is a woman of color. 74% of academy members are white. so are nearly 2/3 of all characters in the top 100 films, which is why people are upset enough to boycott. >> there's an old saying, don't shop where you can't work. >> reporter: acknowledging that this year, there was no shortage of top talent. including will smith's role in "concussion." "concussion." sylvester stallone was recognized for his role in "creed" but not his protege, michael b. jordan. there was also the actor who played his father ice cube in "straight outta compton." it got nominated for best original screenplay, but the screenwriters are white.

it's the oscars. they do what they do. >> reporter: and acknowledge what they don't. >> we'll continue to work hard to bring in more inclusion into the academy, into hollywood. >> nearly half of movie ticket buyers are minorities. with the conversation gaining traction, it remains to be seen if and when real change will occur. in an interesting plot twist, the oscars will be hosted by chris rock, who tweeted, the oscars, the white bet awards. >> funny. morgan, thank you. now to a clearing of the air of sorts. steve harvey opening up about what really happened at last month's miss universe pageant. he will be sharing his conversations with both miss colombia and miss philippines. sheinelle has more on that. >> it was one of the most uncomfortable situations on live tv. steve harvey will use his day time talk show to answer everyone's questions about the

>> miss universe 2015 is -- colombia! >> reporter: it was the flub seen around the world. >> i have to apologize. the first runner up is colombia. miss universe 2015 is philippines. >> reporter: last month, harvey mistakenly crowned miss colombia, before realizing the real winner was miss philippines. he said he misread the card. >> it was my mistake. it was on the card. the internet >> reporter: the internet memes were swift and merciless. the jokes didn't end there. >> the winner is "straight outta compton." i'm sorry, folks. i made a mistake. it's here on the card. >> i'm sorry.

first runner up. >> reporter: the incident, deeply. >> i couldn't sleep. but my wife was the best. >> reporter: this week, harvey will sit down face-to-face with both contestants to make amends. >> come on, let's move forward. let's be happy. >> okay, cool. >> is that what you were waiting for? >> reporter: and answer some of the biggest questions. >> i didn't do any interviews or anything because i wanted to talk to the women first. >> reporter: harvey also talks about that tough walk back on stage. >> can i tell you, i didn't want to walk back out there? looking back on it, man, it's been days since then i wish i hadn't have walked back out there. >> steve heart rhee ee

harvey's producers said miss colombia will sit down with harvey, too, and talk about how it's affected her and if she can forgive him. time for a final check of the weather. >> it's colder and windier. everyone at the plaza has dropped their sign at one point. they've been blowing around. craig, you pointed this out. we found grandma. we're all adopting you as our grandma. >> i love you. i love you. >> where are you visiting from? >> minnesota. >> cold out there today, for sure. >> still cold here. >> i know. it's true. the wind is making everything feel so much colder here in new york. take a look at how cold it's going to be today, as the high pressure system sags down. in minneapolis, feels like 33 degrees below zero. in chicago, it feels like it is well below zero when you factor in the wind. it won't warm up much this afternoon. highs of 3 in minneapolis. des moines, 8 degrees. chicago will top out around 7 for a high temperature.

making its way on shore from the pacific. we are going to see about a couple inches of rain. it won't be as heavy as the storms we've seen recently, but we could see two to six inches of rainfall through northern california. the mountains, 6 to 12 inches possible. florida, the storms will exit the area andsunday morning, look for a few peaks of sunshine, however another arctic front will bring a few snow bursts to the area sunday afternoon. right now, between 2 - 6pm appears to be the most likely time to see that snow . while this system is not as intense as the last few . but accumulations of up to half an inch in spots is possible. while most wont see those kinds of total, we will all see and feel the cold. temperatures quickly drop into the teens and single digits sunday night leading to a frigid holiday. monday is mlk day and if you don't have to work or head to school early in the morning, you are lucky! it will be another single digit start with wind chills below zero! and even with lot of sunshi...it will ill stay only in the teens. other chance for snow wil build in as temperatures rebound dnesday. right now snoshould light with minor accumulation possible during the day. >> that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you. up next, our sunday stories.

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back now on a sunday morning with a story that sounds like it's straight out of a science fiction movie. from washington state, we go to space to mine for asteroids. >> as the weather channel's dave malkoff reports, it's an effort to bring the riches of outer space home. >> reporter: asteroids, those hunks of rock and metal, are deep space bonanzas. >> you're trying to mine asteroids? >> we're creating an industry which will bring the resources of space within the economic influence of this planet. >> reporter: in an office building outside of seattle, chris, a leader of two nasa mars rover missions -- test facile ity ies facilities. >> reporter: -- is building a company to mine asteroids. biting the >> feel that.

>> reporter: the metal asteroids could be worth trillions. because they contain an out of this world amount of platinum. >> hundreds of times higher concentration than the most productive mines on earth. >> reporter: the company plans to launch dozens, if not hundreds, of small, relatively cheap probe satellites to take an up close look at near earth asteroids. find out how much they're worth and, eventually, dig in with robotic mining ships. >> that's it? that's your spacecraft there? >> yeah, it's about the size of a cereal box. >> reporter: asteroids have the spaceships, water to drink and the stuff that rocket fuel is made of. finders, keepers. >> is it possible a person working in this building could become a trillionaire from this? >> with a "t." that's something that we're very excited about. our investors, of course, are

>> reporter: the current investors investors range from google's employees to sir bronson. >> we might go the way of the dinosaurs. >> today's cost, just one glass of water transported into space, it would cost around $10,000. but if you could get the same glass of water in limitless supply from an asteroid, it would make space travel a whole lot cheaper. for "today," dave malkoff in washington. >> wild story. >> fascinating. >> sounds scary, the notion of messing with space. at the same time, i guess, it's a lot of platinum rings. >> you wonder what the consequence will be of messing

>> says the meteorologist. still to come, a medical mystery within one family, and how they found the courage to deal with what they're you've finally earned enough reward miles on your airline credit card. now you just book a seat, right? not quite. sometimes those seats are out of reach, costing an outrageous number of miles. it's time to switch... to the capital one venture card. with venture, you'll earn unlimited double miles on every purchase, every day. and when you're ready to travel, just book the flight you want, on any airline and use your miles to cover the cost. now that's more like it.

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we are back on a sunday morning with a story that almost seems too impossible to be true. jason and stacey were happily raising their five children in a small oregon town. >> their lives were turned upside down when they learned their children could have or develop a rare heart defect. >> it takes each one of us to make us a family. sierra is compassionate and loving. megan, who is confident and athletic. lindsey has been our little bossy jabber jaws. line. then hunter, who is just happy go lucky. >> oh, yeah. >> full of energy in life. gabe, the family clown. >> we love it. it's a party. >> reporter: parties, of course,

>> how old are you? >> five. >> reporter: when trouble visited the family, it came in bulk. family size. at 12, sierra had been living with a transplanted heart for half her life. then, came lindsey's tummy ache. it was 2012, six years after sierra's transplant. >> we thought, well, it could not be the same. i think both of us were probably in denial. >> reporter: they took lindsey to the er in bakers city, where the doctor examined her, then asked jason and stacey about sierra. >> he says, yes, she has the same thing. >> enlarged heart. >> i think i lost it. i remember just sobbing. >> reporter: lindsey grew so sick, so quickly, that the very next day, she was flown to the children's hospital. the same place they brought

six years earlier. now, it was impossible not to think there was some genetic link involving their daughters' heart disease. >> it was our d-day, i think. we were sat down and told of our five children, that all of them either had cardio miopothy or flags or symptoms that could turn into it. >> reporter: the doctors were as astonished as they were. all the children, every one, would be confronted with the possibility of one day requiring a heart transplant just to stay alive. >> this is a rare thing that you're having done to you. >> reporter: that's when we first met the binghams, and they agreed to trust us, to allow our cameras to follow them. through moments of despair. >> just when you get the transplant doesn't mean it's over. it's just beginning. >> reporter: and courage. >> what else are we going to do now? >> wait until a heart comes, right? >> reporter: bottomless love. >> love you, too, gabe.

anything you've ever seen before. >> guess what? >> i have it? do i have a heart? >> you have a heart! >> you do. >> yay! [ screaming ] . >> oh, my goodness! >> in the three years since lindsey's heart transplant, the binghams endured three more open heart surgeries. they're waiting for another donor. you can see more of their story tonight on "dateline." the story, where the heart is, airs tonight at 7:00 eastern, 9:00 pacific on nbc. >> as a parent, i cannot imagine it. times five. >> i think the adults, the parents, learned so much from the kids. i mean, they're a spirit you can't imagine as an adult. >> so true. ahead, remembering why we honor dr. martin luther king jr. this weekend.

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this morning on sundays with harry, many of you have the day off tomorrow in honor of the celebration of dr. martin luther king jr.'s birthday. harry smith joins us with a remembrance of the man and his legacy legacy. >> good morning. there is a part of the mlk holiday that's turning into something like presidents' day. i noticed the malls are packed, there's lots of sales going on, and not very much thought, it seems, about the man whose life we are honoring. >> reporter: people like martin luther king are rare. someone who could rally a nation into a new consciousness.

charisma could earn converts to the cause of justice. someone who knew history would be on his side. >> i have a dream. [ applause ] that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. >> reporter: he preached with passion. he preached from scripture. while the crowds were mostly black, it were whites who knew wrong. wrong. he was spied upon and spat upon, a disciple of change is rarely trusted by the status quo. beloved. a man so hated, he practically prophesied his own death. >> like anybody, i would like to live a long life, longevity has its place, but i'm not concerned

i just want to do god's will. and he has allowed me to go up to the mountain, and i've looked over and i've seen the promise land. >> reporter: gone now almost 50 years, we wonder what he would make of our america. where a failure to signal can land you in jail. where a 12-year-old with a pellet gun is presumed to be a threat. where there are plenty of places where black lives don't matter. poverty, prison, unemployment, african-americans have more than above above. the dream, it seems, had its limits. >> i barack obama, do solemnly swear. >> reporter: there are times when hope turns to reality, color doesn't matter, when preconventions get turned on their heads, and people realize

happy birthday to the prophet. may we all seek to make his dream our own. >> you know, in this line of work, you see the best of us and the worst of us sometimes. i think back in this past year, and remember being in charleston, when all the people were on that bridge together. and you see those moments, experience those moments, and you want that to have some sort of viral quality, so it can spread. it's something that we lose consciousness of. we go by in our busy, every day lives, and i guess the sense of this message for me, i do an editorial this morning, there's work to be done. there's still work to be done. >> very well done. >> thank you. >> harry smith, thank you. thanks to you, as well. quick reminder to tune into "meet the press," where chuck will be talking to hillary clinton and bernie sanders. >> catch the democratic debate

bc. we want to wish a happy retirement to ronnie jordan, one of our own. 40 years. 28 years here on "weekend today." she is a smile every morning and a joy to work with. we love you, adore you, will miss you and enjoy it.