it's the first contest in the south for democrats in the south and the first where they are competing for the african-american vote. on this business night. clinton and sanders find themselves competing for attention with a republican candidate. our team has it

first to south carolina carolina. >> reporter: clinton campaign officials feel confident. they are hoping to match or beat senator sanders' win in new hampshire. that would give second clinton big momentum heading into super tuesday. >> thank you so much, columbia. >> reporter: secretary clinton coasting to an expected win in the first southern primary. for clinton, south carolina is a key part of her southern firewall. it's a test for whether she can reclaim what was lost here in 2008. >> i want to congratulate senator obama. >> reporter: after her defeat here in barak obama that all but ended her white house bid. >> i think what happened, she wants redemption and voters here in south carolina want redemption. there are thousands of voters here in south carolina that were planning on voting for her. then barak obama won iowa. they don't regret who they voted for, but now they are able to vote for who they thought they were

>> reporter: many of the african-americans who propelled obama to victory casting their ballots for clinton. given you voted for obama, how does it feel to vote for clinton today? >> that same way. that feeling of excitement. just ready to get the country moving in a more of a positive direction. >> reporter: why do you like hillary? >> i believe she's the most qualified. >> reporter: some feeling the bern. why did you decide to vote for bernie? >> he said he will raise the minimum wage. i'm a big fan of that. >> reporter: african-americans make up a majority of the electorate here and in some super tuesday states. 2008 exit polls show blacks comprised more than 50% of voters in georgia and alabama and nearly 30% in virginia and tennessee. even while south carolinians voted, clinton and sanders campaigned in super tuesday states where they lobbed their sharpest attacks at republicans. >> it does bother me

the rhetoric coming out of the republicans. you do have to be careful about what you say and how you say it. [ applause ] >> we can defeat trump and defeat him soundly. >> reporter: clinton officials are hoping that a big win here will help to put this race out of reach with more than half of the democratic delegates up for grabs over the next month, many of them for the taking on tuesday. lester? >> thanks. a loss by sanders in south carolina would deprive him of much needed momentum going into the super tuesday contests. casey hunt is with the sanders campaign tonight in austin, texas. >> reporter: lester, good evening. the sanders campaign is bracing for the worst as polls are set to close in south carolina. sanders has hardly campaigned in south carolina this week. his advisors are downplaying expectations. instead, he is looking ahead to super tuesday

he is sharpening his attacks against hillary clinton. >> if you are going to give a speech to goldman sachs or other wall street institutions and if you give that speech behind closed doors, why don't you make those transcripts public? >> reporter: even more telling than that, he is going to be in minnesota as polls close in south carolina. that's one of the states he is looking to on that super tuesday map. he also wants to do well in massachusetts, vermont, colorado. all places where there's a lower share of minority voters. lester? >> casey, thanks. let's bring in our political director, chuck todd. he has been looking at exit polls for insights into today's election. what are you seeing? >> i can tell you, it's older, more

it does not favor bernie sanders. as you can see here, voters in south carolina just 32% are under the age of 45. look at the number in new hampshire. over 40% were under the age of 45. let's move to the breakdown among race. the electionoralte in 2008, 55% african-american. look at the number. over 60% at 61%. there's some evidence it may be higher than that. then look at the difference between south carolina and the first three states here when it comes to the idea of continuing obama's policies. 70% in south carolina want to continue president obama's policies. in the other three states, you had a thad closer to 50 and under in new hampshire. and then there's the overall ideology. this is the least liberal electorate of the first four states so far as you can see there. south carolina just 52% of democrats identify themselves as liberal.

this is an electorate that looks more like democratic electorates across the country. much less like an electorate that bernie sanders can do well in. >> coming into south carolina, hillary clinton and bernie sanders were quick to tailer their messages to african-american voters who as chuck pointed out make up more than half the electorate. i spoke to some black voters in south carolina who wanted the candidates to know that not every issue should be framed in black and white. the need you? >> they need my vote. >> which is why when we spoke to kara she was taking her time deciding between hillary clinton and bernie sanders. >> for me, i have to feel brought in. no one tap mid interest. >> bernie is solid. >> voters like this barber, the issue sanders built his campaign on are african-american issues. >> the universal healthcare. everything he stands for are the same

>> south carolina is the first of several south where african-american voters hold huge influence. constituency for both african-american women. younger and older women. >> people like kara, a millennial who works for a non-profit and are a ramona brown. a schoolteacher. you were a supporter from 2008? >> i have been a hillary clinton. >> the fact that you were supporting hillary clinton and not obama in 2008 speaks against the notion that african-americans it's a mono linlic vote. >> absolutely not. the issues that impact my life personally may be the same as a white american or a hispanic american. >> do we do ourselves a disservice when we talk about it in terms of african-american vote versus the rest of the vote? >> we do. many of us have the same challenges.

the media puts that -- the separation. many of us, we're facing the same things. we have the same concerns. >> there remain issues that resonate more forcefully in black communities. >> for example, education. the incarceration. those two are tied together. >> they are the issues clinton and sanders are largely in agreement on how to tackle. can they convince voters that they mean what they say? >> it feels good to finally be acknowledged and recognized to know we have a voice and that now you need our voice. you have to listen. we're going to make some noise and hold you accountable. >> as we pointed out, clinton and sanders face more contests in the south where the african-american vote could prove key during this coming week's super tuesday primaries. for the republicans, donald trump is being fed some of his own medicine tonight. insults and taunts as his competitors struggling to gain

out stops to halt his momentum as the candidates make a push. we get the latest from katie tur. >> reporter: marco rubio is getting personal. >> he is flying around on hair force one. >> i see him with makeup. it's like he is putting it on with a trowel. >> amazing to me that a guy with the worst spray tan in america is tacking me for putting on makeup. >> rubio's 1-won nothing. he couldn't get elected dog catcher in florida. >> it's time to open our eyes. we cannot allow a con artist to get access to the nuclear codes of the united states of america. >> reporter: the race getting dirty going into super tuesday. trump has all the momentum. he continues to lock up voter support with a campaign built around a border wall. >> who will pay for that wall? >> reporter: the wall between the new yorker and republican establishment is starting to crack. first with the chris christie endorsement. now with endorsements

governor january brewer and maine governor paul lepage who two weeks ago was meeting in secret with party leaders to try and stop trump according to the "new york times." now on a radio talk show saying we could do worse. >> i think he could be one of the greatest presidents ever if he sits down and puts together a good team. >> reporter: the kasich and rubio campaigns are talking about taking it to the convention. >> i don't care if i get in my truck and drive around like did i when i ran for senate. donald trump will never be the nominee. >> reporter: cruz is trying to attack trump from the right. questioning why he won't release his taxes. >> maybe his tax return shows that he doesn't quite have as much money as he says he does. in addition to that last year he wrote a big check to planned parenthood. >> reporter: in the last month, trump has proved he can turn out politically varied voters.

out as a political joke in washington is looking more and more like a political reality. as you can see, donald trump has just landed here in tennessee. a super pac supporting marco rubio is on the air in states across super tuesday states spending more than $6 million on negative ads against donald trump. marco rubio himself has released his taxes. in it they say that rubio has made over 500 grand for the last four years that he was in national office. most of that money coming from book deals. >> katy tur, thank you. in southern california, a big collision left three people dead and several in critical condition. police had two cars rr racing on the i-5 free way in commerce when one of them lost control and ran into a ups semitruck. the truck then hit the center median, crossed the divider and struck several other vehicles. the truck driver was among those killed.

went into affect in syria. it was a long awaited pause in the deadly conflict between the government and rebel forces. was worked out with the help of u.s. and russia. it's considered a test of whether the sides are committed to broader negotiations on a political transition. dan rivers is on the ground for us in damascus. >> reporter: here in damascus, things have been calmer than they have been for a very long time. yesterday, we witnessed this intense bombardment from jets circling the skies above the capital. today, we haven't seen or heard any aircraft. both sides are claiming there have been some low level breaches of the cease-fire. the syrian army is claiming that the square, a notorious square where a lot of mortar attacks have happened, was mortared at 8:00 a.m. this morning. they claim in breach of the cease-fire. we went down there. we spoke to one local man who says his house

early this morning. in fact, while we were there we heard one mortar explosion going off. on the other side, the rebels claim there have been numerous breaches of the cease-fire by the syrian government. something the syrian government denies. they say there has been shelling of rebel-held areas in breach of the cease-fire. overall, things are still much calmer and much quieter than anyone dared to hope. the aid agencies are hoping this will last, it will give them a crucial opportunity possibly to get into some of the areas and to stopart delivering aid to people who were cut off. >> dan rivers in damascus. when "nightly news" continues saturday, tens of thousands of cubans pour into united states. the question is growing louder. folks out there whose diabetic nerve pain... shoots and burns its way into your day,

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year. this cuban boo electrician says she came seeking a better job, a better life. since the u.s. and cuba re-established diplomatic relations, thousands of cubans have headed for the u.s. illegally in boats and rafts. tens of thousands through south and central america and mexico. hundreds a day are flown to the u.s. boarder from costa rica where for months they were stuck when nicaragua sealed its border. they are processed by u.s. customers and board he protection in just a few hours. then receive a coveted parole stamp allowing u.s. entry. walking out the door, they are quickly met by cuban american arrangers who for a fee provide a place to rest, then a ride to join relatives. most head for miami. since the mid 1960s, cubans have enjoyed a special emigration privilege in the the united states. cubans arriving in this country, even if

are almost always allowed to stay, unlike other immigrants who are detained and turned back. central american migrants fleeing gang violence must prove their u.s. asylum claims. many are deported. >> the irony is that the cubans are not fleeing violence. they are fleeing -- they are pure economic refugees. >> reporter: calls for an end to the law are increasing. >> there's an underlying current of frustration and tension building up as to why cubans are given preferential treatment. >> reporter: resumers in cuba the u.s. law could soon change convinced this man and many others to leave right away. >> warning. come on. we need to go to the united states. >> reporter: us.s. officials insist there's no current plans to change the law. taking no chances, more and more cubans now head for the u.s. border. mark patter,potter, nbc news.

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so today, i'm prepared for anything we may want tomorrow to be. every someday needs a plan. let's talk about your old 401(k) today. here in los angeles this afternoon, thousands came out to hear elton john. it was announced yesterday and the location at the tower records parking lot was revealed this morning. it was a thank you to the city of west hollywood for its support of the elton john aids foundation. as l.a. gets ready for the academy awards tomorrow night, there is controversy over a lack of diversity. chris rock posted a tweet about a blackout at the oscars. >> reporter: it's the

ever. could this be leo's year? a five-time nominee, he is a front-runner for best actor. >> i'm worried about him. >> reporter: alongside, brie larson, a top pick for lead actress. speaking of which -- >> this year we all know there's an elephant in the room. >> reporter: there are no actors of color among this year's 20 nominees causing dozens to boycott. >> this is bigger than they are. >> reporter: which is why all eyes are on >> let's do this. >> reporter: he hasn't said much, simply tweeting see you oscars. >> he has always skwu entertainment industry. could be the most diverse show ever. this issue goes beyond the red carpet. it's about the

right now, 18% of films have no black characters at all. only 12% of film directors are minorities. in fact, the academy is 91% are white. >> this is a conversation that we have been needing to have for a long time. >> we need to focus. >> reporter: a conversation less about the oscars and more about opportunity. morgan radford, nbc news. life imitates art. how some ibs-d. you know the symptoms when they start. abdominal pain. urgent diarrhea. now there's prescription xifaxan. xifaxan is a new ibs-d treatment that helps relieve your diarrhea and abdominal pain symptoms. and xifaxan works differently. it's a prescription antibiotic that acts mainly in the digestive tract. do not use xifaxan if you have a history of sensitivity to rifaximin, rifamycin antibiotic agents, or any components of xifaxan.

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it's one of the most famous bedrooms in the history of art. a series of three works by the dutch painter van gogh on display at the art institute of chicago. if seeing isn't enough, our kevin tibls tells us how if you want, you can spend the night. >> reporter: chicago art lovers have been lining up for their bedtime ever since vincent van gogh came to town. >> i can feel his presence in a painting. >> reporter: the troubled dutch artist painted three unique versions of his bedroom in the late 1880s. perhaps in an attempt to find some inner peace. >> bedroom was a very unusual subject to paint in the 19th century. we all have bedrooms. we all can easily identify with the bedroom. >> reporter: this is really rare. in fact, it's the first time all three paintings have even been together in north america. the folks at the art institute of chicago

visitors to the online booking site air bnb started noticing some guy named vincent has been renting his bedroom out for cheap. i'm charging $10 for no other reason than i need to buy paint. >> everyone fantasizes about what it would be like to step into a painting. now you really do have that opportunity. >> reporter: it took about a month for two painters and two carpenters to meticulously recreate van gogh's bedroom in a chicago condo. the 2016 bed is bigger than the 1888 version. the brush and pitcher of water are glued down. otherwise, welcome to vince's place. one of the first lucky guests is chicago photographer kyle buckland. >> the weirdest is you waking up and i will hop out of bed and be like, wait a second. where exactly am i right now? >> reporter: the art institute says the response to its post impressionist slumber

may, has been overwhelming. would you leave with your ears intact? >> i hope i would be. >> reporter: three rare van goghs in one place. an art connoisseur's dream, to sleep in his bed, sweet dreams. i'm in a painting. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. that will do it for us saturday night. i'm lester holt reporting from los angeles. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night.good evening... i'm michael

michael: good evening, i'm carol: and i'm carol goldsmith. welcome to special coverage of carolina. michael: voters have made their decision. the state. no results just yet, but we'll start seeing numbers roll in soon. just watch the bottom of your screen throughout the night. and of course on our wyff4 app and wyff4.com. carol: we'll also take you live speak tonight. and now let's send it over to nbc for a special report. this is a decision >> good evening. it's 7:00 eastern. the polls have closed. the democratic presidential primary in south carolina. at this hour, nbc news is projecting that hillary clinton has defeated bernie sanders winning with a majority of voters. this is the first test south and the first where african-americans make up more than half the voters.

tuesday primaries. let's go to chuck todd. what do you make of this? >> let me show you something inside the exit polls that show the dominance of hillary clinton. it's among the breakdown by race. a majority of the electorate, over 60% is african-american. she won 84% of african-americans. despite losing the white vote, as she has been doing to bernie sanders throughout the early states, when you have a lot more african-american vote, it makes a huge difference for her. this could foreshadow a big night for her super tuesday. half the states being contested super tuesday have electorates that are anywhere from 30% to 50% -- over 50% non-white. this could be the beginning of a march to the nomination for hillary clinton if tuesday looks anything like tonight. >> chuck todd, thanks. more on tonight's south carolina results