>> ann curry from tehran again tonight. thanks. there is much more of ann's reporting including her journey within iran. we have put it on the website tonight, nbcnightlynews.com. >>> now to that reaction from washington and around the world. our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell at her post at the state department again tonight. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. based in part on those comments to ann curry, u.s. officials are eager to test the new president of iran's seriousness, possibly as early as next week in new york when both leaders will be at the united nations. president obama and rouhani have already broken the ice with a warm exchange of letters mr. obama initiated. as headlines from around the world noted his comments to ann curry disavowing a nuclear threat. the administration acknowledged a clear change in tone from tehran. is it a positive sign coming in this interview? >> the comments have been very positive, but everything needs to be put to the test. we'll see where we go and at the

>> ann curry from the tehran again tonight. thanks. >>> there is much more of ann's reporting including her journey within iran. we have put it on the website tonight, nbcnightlynews.com. now to the reaction from washington and around the world. our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell at her post at the state department again tonight. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. based in part on those comments to ann curry, u.s. officials are eager to test the new president of iran's seriousness, possibly as early as next week in new york when both leaders will be at the united nations. president obama and rouhani have broken the ice with a warm exchange of letters mr. obama initiated. as headlines from around the world noted his comments to ann curry disavowing a nuclear threat. there was a clear change in tone from iran. is it a positive sign coming in this interview? >> the comments have been positive. but everything needs to be put to the test. we'll see where we go and at the right moment i think the whit

refugee crisis. ♪ ♪ >> the images you just saw were from our very own ann curry.ian refugee camp in jordan. nearly 2 million syrians have sought refuge in these camps and nearly 1 million are children. the u.n. has called the conflict in syria the worst humanitarian crisis in 20 years. ann, great to see you again. >> great to see you, david. >> the story of that last image, that little boy in that refugee camp, his story got to you. >> his name is abraham, 10 years old, born with a birth defect. his mother said he was robust and walking, healthy, happy before the war. now having seen his father killed and now in that refugee camp in jordan, he's lost nearly a fourth of his body weight, david. he's not walking. he can barely eat because the water is so bad. kids are complaining about their stomachs hurting and not being able to eat. he is one of a million children who are refugees from this war, and they are the majority of this war. in fact, the true face of the syrian war refugee is not only a child, it's a child under the age of 11. >> so what happens to them? b

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so we begin tonight with nbc's ann curry in tehran. >> reporter: brian, good evening. in our interview iran's president was clearly trying to send a message ahead of the first speech of the united nations that there was a different iran, one that wants to make a deal. the world believes that iran could build a bomb very quickly. you have said this period of time for resolving the nuclear issue will not be unlimiunlimit. just how short is this window -- weeks, months or years? >> translator: we have never pursued or sought a nuclear bomb. we are not going to do so. we are seeking peaceful nuclear technology. >> reporter: can you say that iran will not build a nuclear weapon under any circumstances whatsoever? >> translator: the answer to this question is quite obvious. we have time and again said that under no circumstances would we seek uh aweapons of mass destruction. >> reporter: the supreme leader made a strong statement recently on diplomatic flexibility. he said, i believe in what's already been called heroic flexibility. even a wrestler can show flexibility. what

ann curry by satellite. much more of ann's reporting on our website and tomorrow morning on today. for more on this we want to go to andrea mitchell at the state department. so this is the newman. the world came to know ahmadinejad before him. what was important about what he just said versus what we he have heard from iran before? >> reporter: well, this is a very, very big deal. and i can tell you at the white house and the highest levels of the state department, they were watching for this all day. they were looking for these signals in this interview. he made it very clear he wants a deal on the nuclear weapons. the president said just yesterday he wants to test his seriousness. and that is what they're going to be looking for at the u.n. there's no formal meeting scheduled. they're not planning one, but unlike his predecessor, you can very well understand that when both of them are at the u.n., same time, same place, they're going to look for an opportunity to see each other, perhaps to have a real conversation. and they believe iran wants this because of the sanctions, becaus

coming up, ann curry has just returned from the largest syrian refugee camp.hares her firsthand account. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. i knew that i could smoke for the first 7 days. i knew that i wasn't putting nicotine back into my body to try to quit. [ male announcer ] some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these, stop chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. tell your doctor if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, or if you develop new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack

coming up, ann curry has just returned from the largest syrian refugee camps. shares her firsthand account with me after this short break. but tracking all the action and hearing everything from our marketing partners, the media and millions of fans on social media can be a challenge. that's why we partnered with hp to build the new nascar fan and media engagement center. hp's technology helps us turn millions of tweets, posts and stories into real-time business insights that help nascar win with our fans. [ female announcer ] with the weight watchers app you have the power of weight watchers. and helpful tools like the pizza cheat sheet so you can make the most of any situation. what can i get you? i'll have that one. even saturday nights. and the barcode scanner so weekend road trips don't mean losing your way. you can lose weight and still live big. get the app today when you join weight watchers online. hurry, join by september 14th and get one month free. >>> we're back this morning with our "sunday inspiration." an artist from seattle is trying to bring a

imaginations to make a better world than they've been handed, i hope. >> and when we come back, ann curry >> and when we come back, ann cur[ male announcer ] when you have sinus pressure and pain, you feel...squeezed. congested. beat down. crushed. as if the weight of the world is resting on your face. but sudafed gives you maximum strength sinus pressure and pain relief. so you feel free. liberated. released. decongested. open for business. [ inhales, exhales ] [ male announcer ] powerful sinus relief from the #1 pharmacist recommended brand. sudafed. open up. >>> here now, "images to remember" by nbc's ann curry from her reporting on the syrian refugee crisis. ♪ ♪ >> the images you just saw were from our very own ann curry. she just returned from a syrian refugee camp in jordan. nearly 2 million syrians have sought refuge in these camps and nearly 1 million are children. the u.n. has called the conflict in syria the worst humanitarian crisis in 20 years. ann, great to see you again. >> great to see you, david. >> the story of that last image, that little boy in that refugee camp, his st

under that setting, our own nbc's ann curry in tehran has just completed the first broadcast interviewnew iranian leader. ann is joining me now by phone. ann, congratulations, first of all. tell me your impressions. i know you'll have a lot to report tonight on "nbc nightly news." >> that's right, andrea. in fact, we just left iran's presidential compound here in tehran where we conducted an exclusive interview with iran's new president rouhani. it's his first interview in years. andrea, under questioning, he made a categorical statement. he said, iran will, quote, never develop nuclear weapons under any circumstances and that he has, quote, full authority to make a nuclear deal with the west. he was, of course, clearly stating that he has the complete support of iran's supreme leader who is in charge of iran's nuclear program. iran's president also said that everything, andrea, is on the nuclear negotiating table. it was a wide-ranging interview. he made news on a number of topics. he also said -- it was also a very different kind of interview from former president ahmadinejad, who we

ministry of foreign affairs. >> joining me now from tehran, iran, is nbc's international correspondent, ann curryd contributor who worked with ann on that interview. and ann, congratulations on that interview, fantastic, fantastic interview. everyone should watch it. my question is first of all, why do you think rowhani sat down with you? >> reporter: i think rowhani wanted to send a clear message ahead of next week's appearance, his first appearance at the united nations where he is going to be giving a speech on the 24th of september. i think as you said, he is trying to send a very strong message that under his administration, there is a new iran and an iran that wants to make a deal. he did not rule out, chris, a possibility, although there is no meeting set, of a meeting with him and president obama. he clearly is extending his hand to the west and he wants to make the message very clear to the west and specifically to the white house, that if there is a chance to make a nuclear deal, that chance is now. >> how much of this is your sense of a turn because of the changes in the domestic polit

also nbc's ann curry who interviewed the iranian president in tehran last week. the first interview he had granted to a western journalist. ann, there were seeds and signs of this in your conversation with him, and what are you hearing about what transpired today tonight? >> in fact, what we're hearing is that this is the sign of respect that president rowhani has been talking to us about when we were in iran talking, a sign of respect that he has been wanting for iran, that iran's been wanting. this is the biggest sign of respect that this country has gotten in 34 years from the united states. and president rowhani has said that without respect, there is no relationship and there is no nuclear deal. it is essentially a formal recognition by the united states of a president -- of a country that the u.s. has no diplomatic relationship with. and it is much more important to the iranians than a handshake, because this conversation, we understand, lasted ten minutes, maybe even a few minutes more. it did talk about the nuclear topic. and so for the people at home in i

joining me now, ann curry, and hooman majd. today was a huge day in u.s.ranian relations, i think it's fair to say. >> huge. >> the biggest in decades, would you say? >> for the first time in 34 years that the highest ranking meeting happened. and it happened and it was a significant meeting. this is the meeting, of course, that included the secretary of state, as we just saw, and also the foreign minister of iran. in 34 years, we've not seen that kind of level of engagement and they talked about nuclear weapons and they talked about the possibility of having a conversation about nuclear weapon, and in fact, they set their next meeting, just three weeks hence, on october 15th and 16th. and they've said that they're going to actually start talking seriously. >> substantively, in three -- right? so this is a major shift. >> this is not just a kind of, you know, occasionally, you'll see diplomatic overtures that seem designed to essentially perform some kind of talking with nothing moving forward. this is something different than that? >> well, on top of that

most interestingly, ann curry, our colleague, had had the first interview with rouhani last week. when asked about ahmadinejad, his predecessor's, denial of the holocaust. he said, i'm a politician, not a historian. when he was in new york and was asked again about ahmadinejad, he said what the nazis did was a massacre of jews, that it was a crime against not only jews but muslims and christians and a crime against jews is a crime against all of humanity. he said he would not get into the numbers because he would leave that to the historians but it was a massacre and something that should not be tolerated. very strong language on the holocaust. it does seem, as you point out, he's also speaking to the audience back home and that picture, perhaps, of him and president obama that did not happen is not a picture that they feel they could show back home right now. >> well, i think that what's happening here is that, you know, the president's simple offer of a quick briefing, a quick meeting and a handshake tested this bubble. because if the iranians cannot even ultimately have a hands

but first, a look at my colleague, ann curry's, exclusive interview with the newly elected presidentaled that you and he have exchanged letters. could you please describe the tone of those letters? ♪ my name is mike and i quit smoking. chantix... it's a non-nicotine pill. i didn't want nicotine to give up nicotine. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. [ mike ] when i was taking the chantix, it reduced the urge to smoke. [ male announcer ] some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these, stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. tell your doctor if you have a history o

does he have the authority as he told nbc's ann curry to make a disarmorment deal with the united states? is iran ready to give up any nuclear capability when it comes to weapons of mass destruction? these are questions out there. also, the issue of syria huge at the able at the united nations and whether or not the u.s. is going to continue to push for u.n. resolution to back up the deal with russia to get rid of the chemical weapons in syria. >>> former president bill clint made candid and personal remarks in an interview on late night. he described a personal connection to one of the victims of the attacks. >> i was looking at a picture on my phone of one of our great employees. 33-year-old dutch nurse who had just gotten her phd. she and her baby's father were in that mall and were killed. so this is very personal to me. we lost someone very important to us in africa that i was taking a picture of six weeks ago. >> clinton discussed the crisis in syria and u.s./russia relations. >> the u.n. report made it clear that the chemical weapons were fired from a place that the syrian governm

our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell is here, also nbc's ann curry who interviewed the iranian president in

the strong reaction to what the new president of iran told ann curry about nuclear weapons.nd tonight what he says about the prospect of a meeting with the american president. >>> and no way out for tens of thousands of tourists trapped in a beautiful spot that has turned ugly. with no power, no cash and no way home. "nightly news" begins now.

but first, r, ann curry's excle interview with iran's new president.nd today's trivia question, under which president was the congress al bucongressional bud office created? first person to tweet the correct answer gets the shout out. >>> time for your business entrepreneurials of the week. these are just a few of the small business owners in bedford, pennsylvania. these entrepreneurs are trying to fill empty store fronts and bring in new customers. find out how they have helped revive downtown on your business sunday morning at 7:30 on msnbc. has it's ups and downs. seasonal... doesn't begin to describe it. my cashflow can literally change with the weather. anything that gives me some breathing room makes a big difference. the plum card from american express gives your business flexibility. get 1.5% discount for paying early, or up to 60 days to pay without interest, or both each month. i'm nelson gutierrez and i'm a member of the smarter money. this is what membership is. this is what membership does. guys, you took tums® a couple hours ago. why keep

but to go back, you know, when you look at what rouhani said to ann curry and the different pledges that he claimed, they're not pursuing a weaponized nuclear program. he wants to be treated the same as the other 40 nations that are pursuing nuclear power an things like that. but i think it's opening the door in a way to inspections and to trust but verify. and that really hasn't happened. they still hide some of what they're doing. they don't seem to -- they claim they want the iaea to work, essentially the world's nuclear energy watchdog group, they want that to work but haven't attempted to help them. >> but they're supposed to be getting to the lunch sometime in the next half hour. we'll see whether -- >> and this is a lunch -- >> the lunch is always held. >> it's iffy because in the past -- >> you're seeing some of them are arriving now. >> some leaders don't show up because of religious reasons, correct? >> as well as there are also walkouts at the general assembly. >> and they have already announced they're doing it today. >> israel said they're going to walk out before they know

from his interview with nbc's ann curry to his column in the "washington post," what do we make of this new charm offensive? is it a positive sign coming from rouhani in the interview. >> very positive. everything needs to be put to the test to see where we go. at the right moment, i think the white house -- >> good day i'm andrea mitchell in washington. after the mass shooting at the naval yard, a shooting in chicago, in all 23 people shot all over chicago including two fatalities, the latest round in the city's gun violence. john yang joins me in chicago. i know i heard you saying statistically the fbi is reporting a net decline in the numbers of people killed. at the same time it just feels awful in chicago. >> that's exactly right. it's a great frustration on the part of the police commissioner that the numbers are dropping. but the perception is still there that this is a very violent community. it doesn't help when you have violent nights like last night. the number of incidents across the city. thirteen people shot in one incident alone in this park around 10:15 around the south

he also made assurances during a recent interview with ann curry. >> >> translator: we have never pursued or sought nuclear weapons and we are not going to do so. >> it's been more than 30 years, dating back to president jimmy carter just before the islamic revolution and the american hostage crisis which lasted more than a year. events that fostered decades long diplomatic freeze. >> it's not very often that you can see the hinge of history moving. you may have seen that this week. a step-by-step process that can change one of the key relationships in middle east and in the world. >> that was nbc's kristen welker reporting. >> it is that time of year again. today was the tickoff of the flu shot campaign. thousands of people showed up to get the vaccine. many used the drive through clinic to get the shots. many say they appreciate the convenience >> we don't have to get her out, get her in a wheelchair and get her in and out. >> doctors say seasonal flu activity can begin as early as october. the centers for disease control recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone six months of age an

you know, ann curry's interview was terrific. she went through everything with him. if you believe him, then this is a good development. if he can be trusted, this is good. i guess we just don't know yet if he can be trusted. >> david sanger puts it this way in "the new york times." president obama finds himself at the opening stages of two unexpected diplomatic initiatives with america's biggest adversaries in the middle east, each fraught with opportunity and danger. chris, it looks good now, but could this turn bad quickly? >> well, certainly that's always a risk in the middle east. but i think what the new iranian president's point is really showing here is that the sanctions are working. they are tough, they are crippling iran and there is a bit of an outreach here from the new regime to see if there's a way maybe to loosen them. and i think the other thing folks should look at is our engagement with syria through the russians and that negotiation really showed iran that we are willing to talk when it comes to violence in the mideast and may have opened the door

he's already had a warm exchange of letters with president obama telling ann curry -- >> translator: from my point of view, the tone of the letter was positive and constructive. >> reporter: the two presidents will both be speaking at the u.n. tomorrow, but will they meet? if they do, it would be the first meeting between u.s. and iranian leaders in more than three decades. since the iranian revolution. the choreography would be delicate. president obama gives his speech to the u.n. in the morning. they could meet at lunch if rouhani shows up. if so, would it be a casual chat? just a hand shake? even that would be symbolic. but it could be risky for mr. obama. rouhani speaks to the u.n. after lunch. president obama has no idea what he might say. and key allies like saudi arabia are warning to set a trap. >> we'll continue to smile. we'll continue to appease. and will smile. >> reporter: bill clinton said on the pbs news hour -- >> i think this is positive. the new president seems to want to reproach with the united states. and we have to make sure that if we do this, it's real. >> re

the president had a conversation with ann curry, asking about the comment that ahmadinejad made about israel. and endorsetep up the position but he did not refute it either. he is dancing around the top issues. charles may be right. at the end of the day, it will be the same iran we have been dealing with. there is also the argument that sanctions are starting to bite. he ran does feel the impact of those sanctions. there is only one way really to do this. that is to play this out and see if they are serious. we are not going to get everything we want from them. we want them to not go forward with their nuclear weapons and to have much more verification, in the words of ronald reagan, trust but verify. getwe are not going to everything we want on israel. everything with hezbollah. this will be a negotiation. either it works or it does not. there is no way to know in advance other than to play it out. >> we can avoid making your and the enemy, that would be a good thing. guard is badnary news. they are certainly a threat to israel. aer the long run, they are big middle-class country th

our own ann curry joins me with her firs

. >> this past weekend, the iranian president sat down with ann curry. >> we have clearly stated thate not in pursuit of nuclear weapons and will not be. >> does this style of retail diplomacy assume that mass audiences are bright enough to figure it out for themselves or dim enough to be fooled. join us tomorrow on air and online. the number of people living alone in the u.s. has increased dramatically. we will show you how micro apartments create liveable spaces for some of them. >> we are standing in every room. we are standing in my kitchen, dining room, living room, bedroom and my bathroom is just around the corner. >> recapping today's top story, voters in germany are preparing to elect a new government. that is it for this edition of pbs news hour weekend. thank you for watching. pbs news hour weekend is brought to you by judy and josh -- the millstein family. corporate funded is provided by mutual of america. that is why we are your retirement company. additional support is provided by: and by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions from viewers like you,

. >>> in tehran, ann curry the first western journalist to speak to the new president of raf iran, rowhani. >> we have never pursued or sou sought a nuclear bomb and we won't did so. >> can you say that iran will not build a nuclear weapon under any circumstances whatsoever? >> the answer to this question is quite obvious. we have time and again said that under no circumstances would we seek any weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. authorize will we ever. >> rowhani also was asked if he thought president obama looked weak because the united states backed off air strike against the assad regime in syria. >> we consider war a weakness. any government that decides on war, we consider a weakness. and any government that decides on peace, we look on it with respect for peace. >> speaking of syria, president assad also talking publicly and he reminds defiant that his government did not carry out a chemical attack on its own people. a newly released u.n. report found conclusive evidence an attack took place last month and officials say all evidence points to assad's regime. the

ann curry flew to rap to interview the leader. he says iran and people are now a different country, one willing to make a deal. >> can you say that iran will not build a nuclear weapon under any circumstances? >> translator: the answer to this question is quite obvious. we have time and again said that under no circumstances would be seek any weapons of mass destruction including nuclear weapons. nor will we ever. >> he also confirmed he has exchanged letters with president obama. he calls them tiny steps for an important future. that future starts next week. at the u.n. where a meeting with mr. obama is not off the table. the white house says it is testing iran's seriousness at the u.n. general assembly. officials say there is a short window for a deal on nuclear weapons. >>> chilling details keep pouring in three days after the deadly navy yard shooting. investigators found inscriptions on the shotgun of aaron alexis and a website they say he created. tracie potts is live with the latest. just what are investigators learning? >>

ann curry with an exclusive interview this morning. thank you so much. >>> new information on the navy yard massacre and what really happened inside that building. today national investigative correspondent jeff rossen is in washington with more. jeff, good morning to you. >> matt, good morning. investigators are trying to figure out what made aaron alexis snap and this morning new clues about his troubled mind. he scratched two phrases into the shotgun he used. one said better off this way. the other said, my elf weapon. they don't know what that means. now there are bigger questions looming. why was he allowed on the base in the first place? aaron alexis was free to come and go at the navy yard. granted special security clearance, despite his past. including three run ins with police and recent struggles with psychiatric issues. >> there were some red flags, of course, there were. and should we have picked them up? why didn't we? how could we? all those questions need to be answered. >> reporter: just last month alexis complained of

he's already had a warm exchange of letters with president obama telling ann curry -- >> translator: from my point of view, the tone of the letter was positive and constructive uh. >> reporter: the presidents will speak ott t at the u.n. tomorrow but will they meet? if they do it would be the first meeting between the u.s. and iran since the iranian revolution. the choreography would be delicate. president obama gives his speech to the u.n. in the morning. they could meet at lunch if rouhani shows up. if so, would it be a casual chat, a handshake? even that would be symbolic. it could be risky for mr. obama. rohani speaks in the afternoon. president obama has no idea what he'll say and there are warnings that iran could be setting a trip. >> rohni will continue to smile, appease and smile all the way to the boom. >> reporter: bill clinton said on the cbs n srks -- pbs news h >> this is positive. the new president seems to want a reproachment with the united states. we have to make sure if we do this it's real. >> reporter: they do not expect rohani to attend after all. there could be

last week you will recall in an exclusive interview with ann curry he distanced himself from ahmadinejad's claim held for years that the holocaust was somehow a myth. today in an uh off-camera interview in new york with journalists including andrea mitchell he went further saying the massacre by the nazis was condemnable. they committed a crime against jews which is a crime against christians, muslims, against all of humanity. he added the nazies carried out a massacre that cannot be denied especially against the jewish people. >>> still ahead for us tonight, having the ability to handle all of your electronic business at the wheel of a vehicle. a ton of technology raising a ton of new concerns about safety on the road. [ agent smith ] i've found software that intrigues me. it appears it's an agent of good. ♪ [ agent smith ] ge software connects patients to nurses to the right machines while dramatically reducing waiting time. [ telephone ringing ] now a waiting room is just a room. [ static warbles ] ♪ [ male announcer ] bob's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today his doctor has

. >> in the interview with ann curry it sounds like the president is extending an olive branch.should we interpret. >> he is well versed on the rhetoric. we have no reason to believe. that the window of diplomacy with iowa ran is many times and they have never proven themselves to be more than just talking points which is what we are hearing now. the release of 11 prisoners and attempt to make nice on the eve of the general assem blow. why not release our american pastor that is held in iran and why is there hangings every day and why are you helping the assad regime in syria. our administration is dealing with iran as if they have two different personalities. one helping bashar assad and almost had military strikes against syria and they will be marching in new york city and addressing the world on a global stage. >> the public face and then the role face. is this an opportunity. is he more of a moderate? >> he is a moderate on paper. but his actions and his resume and the blood on his hands speaks louder than his well versed diplomatic rhetoric that he is offering. and the ira