nbc's anne thompson reports. >> reporter: these are the chosen. three syrian families, now living in rome. 12 refugees brought to italy by pope francis. >> it's like a dream. it's like a beautiful dream. >> reporter: today she took her first italian lesson. a mike roy biologist in syria, her husband and their 2-year-old boy are finally looking forward and expanding their knowledge of italy. >> lasagna, pesto. >> reporter: something they found impossible in their war-torn village on the lebanese border and in lesbos, greece, their home for the last month. all the families got word late friday of their new home, just hours before the pope's visit. still stunned, they flew to rome on the papal plane, and when they landed, it was francis who greeted them. >> i said to him. thank you very much for changing our fate. thank you for my baby beautiful future. >> reporter: sahala who came with her husband and three children initially thought it was a trick to send them back to turkey. today she called pope francis an angel. all the refugees are muslim, but

anne thompson, nbc news, nashville. >>> and that is going to do it for us on a monday night. lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching, and good night. >>> i want to know -- >> i want to know. >> i want to know what they're going to do about health care. >> i want to know what they're going to do about equal rights for women. >> immigration, everything we have going on with this. >> i want to know what they're going to do about business. >> affordable housing. >> cleaning up california. >> poverty. >> the economy. >> the sticher's pay. >> i want to know what they're going to do about making it easier for businesses to stay in california many. >> what effects -- >> live from the university of the pacific in stockton. this is the united states senate debate. tonight's debate is presented by --

ann thompson, nbc news, london. >> incredible. that is "nbc nightly news" for this sunday night. a reminder, if you haven't got an extension, tomorrow is the deadline to file your tax returns. best of luck if you haven't even started yet. i'm kate snow reporting from new york. for all of us here at nbc news, have a great night. high speed internet from at&t. with 99.9% reliability you can, keep calm, your internet's on. ==terry/vo== seeing the devastation firsthand. >>> it started and then there was a big boom and then the lights went out and everybody ran out of the restaurant. >> seeing the devastation firsthand. a local man in ecuador tells us what it was like to survive such a deadly disaster. >> good evening. i'm terry mcsweeney. >> i'm peggy bunker. the latest news out of ecuador are grim. more than 240 dead off the 7.8 magnitude earthquake. the number is only expected to grow higher especially as you assess the damage here. it struck on the coast about 100 miles from the nati

anne thompson, nbc news, new york. >>> we're tracking another bitter blast as this frigid start to springontinues into the weekend across a big part of the country. 95 million people under freeze advisories tonight through sunday. and believe it or not, some light snow is in the forecast from the great lakes up through parts of the northeast. a rough start to the season after a pretty mild winter. >>> still ahead tonight, one big company paying its employees to sleep. we'll explain what that's about. >>> also disappointment for thousands of bruce springsteen fans while some applaud his decision to cancel a concert. >>> we're back now with a wake-up call for big business and the millions of sleep-deprived workers in america. the cdc says one in three adults isn't getting enough sleep. and more and more companies are realizing that's bad for the bottom line. one big company is even going so far as to pay workers for getting enough r and r amid calls for change in the american corporate culture. here's nbc's morgan radford. >> reporter: we've all been there. that alarm goes off, and it's lik

anne thompson, nbc news, nashville. to do it for us on a monday night. i'm lester holt. of us at nbc news, thank you for watching, and good night. kathleen matthews: in the race for congress, i don't believe that big money can buy votes -- not in our district. and i won't claim to have single handily passed just about every bill in annapolis. we can't settle for the same old politics, not when our basic rights are being threatened by trump and cruz. i'll stand up to their bigotry and be a passionate voice for maryland women and families. in tv and in business, i built relationships. and i approve this message. >>> lights, camera, access. >> you come home at 3:00 a.m. and lie to me. >> is she revealing the truth here? if so

ann thompson, nbc news, new york. >>> still ahead tonight, dramatic weight loss. growing evidence that a type of diet once rejected by experts really works. how this woman dropped over 100 pounds while still eating pizza and doughnuts. >>> also, a wild car chase caught on camera. the suspect doing doughnuts in a the suspect doing doughnuts in a ♪jake reese, "day to feel alive"♪ ♪jake reese, "day to feel alive"♪ ♪jake reese, "day to feel alive"♪ or if you're young or old.e if you run everyday, no matter who you are a heart attack can happen without warning. if you've had a heart attack, a bayer aspirin regimen can help prevent another one. be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. bayer aspirin. we've been together since 2012. dinner is absolutely our favorite time together. i do notice that sometimes i eat better than her. i get my healthy bowl of beneful, and she eats a cheese stick and a cracker. that's what she ate last night. cheese stick and a cracker. can you believe what some people put in their bodies? (vo) beneful originals is a

anne thompson, nbc ws >>> and that is going to do it for us on a monday night. i'm lester holt. of us at nbc news, thank yo >>> prince's $300 million estate in turmoil. the battle over his music fortune as the superstar is cremated. now on "extra." >>> did prince have a will? and will his sister inherit it all? >> "extra" is in minnesota with breaking new details on the star's death. >> new questions about the drugs, his rumored addiction, and his final days. and his former fiancee sheila e on the secret vault of unreleased music that could net tens of millions. >> there's hundreds, if not thousands of songs in the vault. >>> plus, "snl's" star packed tribute. >> he lived his music, and it just came through him. >>> beyonce versus designer rachel roy. is jay-z's wife taking aim at his rumored mistress in her new album "lemonade"? >> he better call becky with can cool air. >> rachel roy's cryptic tweet that many believe is aimed at beyonce. >>> kelly ripa ready to reunite with michael strahan? >> she's going to be back tomorrow, which we're all excited about. >> new behind-the-sc

ann thompson, nbc news, london. >> incredible. that is "nbc nightly news" for this sunday night.n't got and extension, tomorrow is the deadline to file your tax returns. best of luck if you haven't started yet. i'm kate snow reporting from new york. for all of us here at nbc news, have a great night. . welcome, everybody! i'm steve harvey, and this is "little big shots"! 1, 2, 3, 4! we have searched the entire planet for the next generation of superstars. come on, boy! all day! they're gonna show you what they do. after this, you're gonna push your leg out. boom! [ shouts ] [ chuckles ] got a problem. got a problem right here. [ chuckles ] ba-yah! this is not a competition. we're gonna have a great time tonight. -[ squeals ] -[ laughs ] people call you handsome sometimes? -yes. -yes. [ laughter ] y'all answer at the same time? -sometimes. -sometimes. [ laughter ] harvey: they're gonna perform. they're gonna talk. bah! they're gonna blow your mind. do they know me in croatia?

let's get more on that from nbc's anne thompson. >> reporter: pope francis, the massive of the gesture. ♪ >> reporter: today dispensing advice for families. in his document "the joy of love," he's both family and marriage counsellor, surprising some by acknowledging in long-term marriages, sexual desire will change, writing finding the inner beauty in your partner will get you through even when they are no longer physically appealing but intries and annoying. to young couples he said developing routines that could include a morning kiss, an evening blessing, waiting at the door to welcome each other home, and he turns to pop culture, the oscar-winning film. and to illustrate the importance of joy and gratitude in family life. >> he speaks plainly because he's speaking as a pastor. >> reporter: monsignor tom sandy leads the parishoners at new york city's trinh try church where colleen and mark glaser belong. >> to realize we're more about caring than we are about judging, and i think that's a really important takeaway. >> reporter: on thorny issue of divorce and remarried catholics the

ann thompson is on the ground for us this morning in the vatican city. let's talk about this trip. >> reporter: good morning, jose. in fact, bernie sanders is just a couple of minutes from the vatican. he is running late. his plane landed about 50 minutes late. he was scheduled to speak at this academic think tank here at vatican grounds at 4:00. that speech is going to slide. when he gets here, he is going to speak about what he calls the urgency of a moral economy, and you will see him give a shout-out to a man he is clearly a big fan of, that is pope francis. he will praise the pope for his work in pointing out income inequality and the difference of those on the edges of society, the poor and marginalized. his communications director says this is a chance of a lifetime. it is an opportunity for bernie sanders to talk about the issues that are very near and dear to his heart, such as income inequality and climate change, two issues where he agrees with pope francis. it also gives the sanders campaign, they believe, a chance to compare and contrast the

. >> and nbc's anne thompson is joining us from rome with more on that interview w. a day long distance, what else did he say? >> reporter: alex, the alarm when itself off really early for bernie sanders this morning at 5:30 a.m. so he could be up at 6:00 a.m. to meet pope francis in the hallway of the vatican hotel. >> that is where the pope lives and it's where bernie sanders and his wife jane spent the night. it was a brief conversation, about five minutes in length. there was a translator, monsignor was there. he runs the academy where bernie sanders spoke. the discussions centered on climate change and income inequality as bern benefit as he said expressed his appreciate yapgs and his angst to the pope for leading the way in these crucial issues we hard about his whole life. now he fit the meeting. why he leaves just days before the critical fork primary. here's his answer to that question. >> i tell you why, i am a great aid mireer of pope francis. when i received this invitation, i believe that i would have kicked myself for the rest of my life if i did not at

this morning he told nbc's anne thompson the opportunity to meet the pope was one he couldn't pass up. >> today certainly was the highlight of the trip. i think he will go down in history as one of the great leaders of this particular moment in world history. >> reporter: late friday sanders making good on his prom nis to release his 2014 tax returns. the document showing sanders made $205,000 and gave just over $8,000 in charitable donations. the sanders campaign touting that unlike clinton's tax release, sanders' returns underscore he hasn't accepted money for corporate speeches. sanders railing against the influence of money in politics while speaking abroad. >> our very soul as a nation has suffered as the public has lost faith in political and social institutions. >> reporter: clinton is closing in on new york. the latest poll showing her with a lead of 17 points. today bill clinton will rally voters in upstate new york after his comments on sanders' supporters fell flat with some friday. >> i think it's fine that all of these young students have been so enthusiastic for opponent

ann thompson waiting for them and covering it all. msnbc.y to feel alive"♪ ♪jake reese, "day to feel alive"♪ [so i use quickbooks and run mye entire business from the cloud. i keep an eye on sales and expenses from anywhere. even down here in the dark i can still see we're having a great month. and celebrate accordingly. i run on quickbooks.that's how i own it. it's my decision to make beauty last. fix. roc retinol started visibly reducing my fine lines and wrinkles in one week. and the longer i use it the better it works. retinol correxion from roc. methods, not miracles. they found out who's been who? cking into our network. guess. i don't know, some kids in a basement? you watch too many movies. who? a small business in china. a business? they work nine to five. they take lunch hours. like a job? like a job. we tracked them. how did we do that? we have some new guys defending our network. new guys? well, they're not that new. they've been defending things for a long time. [ digital typewriting ] it's not just security. it's defense. bae s

new reaction from bernie sanders who sat down with nbc's anne thompson in rome following his brief meeting with pope francis. sanders discussed his decision to go to the vatican just days before the critical new york primary. >> is there a political advantage in this trip, do you think? >> i don't know that there is or isn't. the disadvantage is i'm not in new york right now. but, you know, we'll let voters make that decision. this was an invitation that i received and i just could not refuse. >> in the most recent new york poll sanders trails hillary clinton by 17 ints po. on the republican side, donald trump maintains his lead at 54%. john kasich is solidified his second place standing with 25%. ted cruz in third place in new york sets his sites on wyoming today. he will address the state republican convention this afternoon hoping the state's 14 remaining at large delegates. this as trump continues to rail against republican party officials over what he considers an unfair primary system. >> you though the system is rigged, folks. and the top republicans called up, said, donald, please,

anne thompson, nbc news, new york. >>> an american photographer has been released four years after he had been abducted. kevin dawes was captured while driving through syria. dawes was described as a freelance photographer, he had taken up arms with a mission in libya battling forces to then muammar gadhafi. he went in as an aide worker but then helping that fight. >>> spacex looking to launch and land a rocket. we'll tell you where you can see it happen. >>> plus presidential candidates have their eyes on new york. a war or words between hillary clinton and bernie sanders. (sco adibsarks) =stt/u= >>> welcome back to you and happy friday. the markets are mildly higher this morning after getting just a drubbing yesterday. adobe says hackers have found a way into its adobe flash plug in and can use that vulnerability to insert ransomware into the computers. you used to see flash all the time. but a lot of sites don't use it anymore. youtube moved away from flash years ago. but you will run into it on the internet from time to time. you may not even realize the added part of a website is

for "today," anne thompson, nbc news, new york. >>> a major milestone for the world memory project. it's an effort to pull toke as many records as possible of holocaust victims and survivors. the u.s. holocaust memorial museum and ancestry.com say there are now 1 million people in near database. you can go through all of those records. >>> if the launch goes off as planned, the international space station will soon have a first of its kind inflatable lab. spacex is sending 7,000 tons of supplies from cape canaveral this afternoon. it's mostly cloth that's expandsable and inflatable. spacex will attempt to land the rocket upright on a ship in the atlantic. from just onepeed s . >> a man received tickets, the driver says he was fined nearly every day for two weeks. >> i was sick. i got 13 speeding tickets from a camera that's not even here. >> d.c. police have not told us why the camera vanished, some city's speed cameras do rotate to new locations. police have not explained why the speed limits change so frequently in that area. >>>h more likely to take risks, depending on how much s

ann thompson joins us now with more. ann, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, erica. i don't think that question is going to go away anytime soon. there are a lot of people who really wonder why bernie sanders chose to do this when there was no guarantee that he would meet pope francis. now it is very clear he will not meet pope francis, at least in an official capacity. he had hoped to swing by the conference at 7:00 tonight, but because he has a very early morning call tomorrow because he is going to greece to try to draw the world's attention to the plight of refugees who are trying to enter europe, the pope will not be attending. he apologized for that. he sends his blessings and g goodwill, but the question is what does bernie sanders get out of this trip politically? he was a speech that was very much in line with the stump speech that he gives as a presidential campaign, but 24 hours in a crucial state like new york, especially a state that's very crucial to the sanders campaign, why take the time? i asked that of the communications director of the sanders camp

andrea. >> thanks so much. >> anne thompson at the vatican.we have a lot of stars including at the podium right now and making sure to tune in by the way to msnbc tomorrow at 9:00 for coverage of president obama's final white house speech. he's been working on it very hard. follow us on facebook and twitter, craig melvin is up next right here on msnbc. ok team, what if 30,000 people download the new app? we're good. okay... what if a million people download the new app? we're good. five million? good. we scale on demand. hybrid infrastructure, boom. ok. what if 30 million people download the app? we're not good. we're total heroes. scale on demand with the number one company in cloud infrastructure. now that i work there, i value dothe food even more. i feed it to yoshi because there are no artificial colors, preservatives and it's made with real chicken. i'm so proud to make dog chow natural in davenport, iowa. i accept i do a shorter i set these days.22. i even accept i have a higher risk of stroke due to afib, a type of irregular heartbeat,

nbc's anne thompson is at the vatican. anne, great seeing you.between the pope and the vice president. >> reporter: well, actually there were two meetings, jose. the first meeting took place backstage at the auditorium. it was a private meeting between pope francis and vice president biden. it happened after vice president biden spoke to a vatican conference on regenerative medicine and before the pope did. then they met publicly after the pope's remarks and the pope came down the stairs at the auditorium and shook the vice president's hand and the vice president introduced him to his son, hunter. now, the purpose of both those speeches was to talk about cancer. vice president biden challenged the world to come up with a cancer moon shot of its own, saying that the world needs to tackle cancer the same way, with the same kind of urgency that it does when it comes to infectious diseases. and he called on the world to find a cure for cancer, to end cancer as we know it. now, as you know, cancer is very personal to the vice president. he lost his so

joining me now is ann thompson. thanks for joining me over there. it's late at night. why did -- did he get invited by the pope? >> no. he got invited by the bishop that runs this. this is not an invitation from pope francis. it's not even necessarily approved by pope francis. the pontiffcal academy is a think tank that operate here at the vatican. the first one was founded back in the 1500s. this was was 1594. a group of people from all over the world, some are catholic, many are not. they come together to discuss big ideas, if you will. what they were discussing today is the 25th anniversary that saint john paul, ii wrote about the world's economy after the fall of communism. what has happened in the world socially, economically and politically in the last 25 years, and then secondly, what his catholic teaching done about the issues and what can it do in the future. >> so this is like an italian or catholic renaissance weekend. >> exactly. that's a good way to think of it. >> okay. great having you on the show. >> but what is interesting -- >> okay. >> what is intere

>> all right, msnbc's ann thompson. let's bring in kristen welker covering the clinton campaign and msnbc's kasie hunt following the sanders campaign but not all the way to rome. we're going to talk, first, to kristen welker. she's all the way over in california already fund raising today. what's on her agenda for the rest of the weekend and leading up to the new york state primary? >> you're right. she is going to be fund raising. she's attending the fundraiser that's hosted by amal and george clooney later this evening and tonight, so you can expect a star-studded event at both of those instances, kate. but earlier today, here in new york, she did, as you pointed out, stop by to talk to seniors in harlem and she talked to them about an issue that's critical to latinos, to the african-american community and that is housing. one of the reasons for that, kate, african-american community leaders said we know you've layed olaid out this plan for criminal justice reform but we want to see ways you'll help the community. tha

nbc's anne thompson has more. >> reporter: whether it is blessing an ohio girl slowly going blind, oroday's massive -- this week the challenges of families are at the top of pope francis' agenda. in the joy of love the pope acknowledges what long married couples know, sexual desire will change. there is no guarantee that we will feel the same way all through life, he writes. and tells couples to renew their devotion over the decades. that kind of plain spoken advice is peppered throughout the 260-page document putting on paper the kind of personal touch that is a hallmark of francis' papacy. what's not here any change in church teaching on the hot button issue of divorce and remarriage. he writes divorced and remarried catholics should not feel excommunicated and should be able to live and grow in the church. francis does not say they can receive communion, an omission that may disappoint some. on the issue of gays and lesbians, he urges respect and compassion but little more. and from the pope some surprising parenting advice, endorsing sex education at a time when he says sexuality

nbc's anne thompson is live at the vatican where bernie sanders addressed a conference on social, economic and environmental issues, and ann, as i understand it, some of what he had to say would sound fairly familiar to those in the u.s., especially those who would have attended one of his campaign events. >> absolutely, erica. if you have heard bernie sanders' stump speech, then you have heard what i told the pontifical school of social sciences today. it was a speech that very closely mirrored what he said in the united states. a short version, it was only about 10 minutes or so, but he focused on, first of all, climate change. no surprise here because pope francis in the past year has issued a cyclical on-climate change. bernie sanders said again that the world needs to move away from an economy built on fossil fuels, that fossil fuels need to stay in the ground and that we need to do a better job of protecting our planet. he also went off about the issue of income inequality, pointing out that 1% of the world owns more than 99% of the world. that is a big issue to pope francis as well.

as nbc's anne thompson explains, it's far quicker and easier than a traditional biopsy, and it doesn't require surgery. >> reporter: what if a simple blood test could replace invasive biopsy to quickly find the best therapy? a new study says that's what a liquid biopsy can do to fight the most common type of cancer. the boston cancer institute will offer it to all patients soon with nonsmall cell cancer. when one drug stopped working, jeannie larsen could not have a traditional biopsy to determine what to do next. >> i didn't want to have another collapsed lung like the time before. so i was very, very hesitant to do that. >> reporter: instead, this mother of two had a liquid biopsy. to combat this nonsmoker's lung cancer that spread. here's how it works. cancer tumors shed dna into the blood. by analyzing the mutations, doctors can tell what new taerked therapies could be more e fecktive and monitor their progress. liquid biopsies are less painful, more accurate in detecting mutations, and most important, they are fast. results in three days as opposed to up to five weeks for traditio

ann tom anne thompson was there. >> reporter: bernie sanders took a few minutes to tour the vatican. a meeting with pope francis. >> it was a brief meeting. but to me it was a real honor and a joy. >> reporter: it happened at 6:00 this morning in the guest house where the pope lives and the presidential candidate spent the night. were you looking for a papal endorsement? >> god, no. god, no. this just came out. no. >> reporter: do you think this can help withatholic helpers? do you see this helping in new york? >> i am here because of my profound respect for the pope. the work that he has done. >> reporter: the invitation was to speak at a vatican conference on social justice. >> we must reject the foundations of this contemporary economy as immoral and unsustainable. >> reporter: issues that are his passion but cost him a day and a half off the trail in new york. did you put the primary at risk? >> we have been working very hard, believe me, in new york. i think the opportunity to come here to meet with the pope is something for my own life is extraordinarily important. >> reporter:

anne thompson, nbc ws >>> and that is going to do it for us on a monday night. i'm lester holt. >>> prince's $300 million estate in turmoil. the battle over his music fortune as the superstar is cremated. now on "extra." >>in> did prince have a will? and will his sister inherit it all? >> "extra" is in minnesota with breaking new details on the

. >> bernie sanders not in the country, not in the state of new york, but he did speak with ann thompsonut his visit and meeting with the pope. let's listen to what he had to say. >> i'm a great admirer of pope francis. when i received this invitation, i believe that i would have kicked myself for the rest of my life if i did not attend the conference here in the vatican to deal with issues. >> did you put the new york p primary at risk? is it worth if you lose? >> i don't think that's how it works. >> do you think it puts new york at risk? >> hillary clinton is fund raising in california. she has a double digit lead over saerns sanders. they do not plooef believe if h unable to win in new york, it won't be because he went to speak about a core theme of his campaign. he has been campaigning aggressively. it's not that he hasn't been in new york. i don't think they saw it as a major distraction. you saw sanders campaign hit for attending this high dollar fund-raiser. >> what do you think is the real goal? some say maybe he'll pick up catholic voters but contested convention for the democr

ann thompson covers the church and knows pope francis and his teachings so well. of what the pope is trying to accomplish from his perspective with this document. >> i think what pope francis is to meet people where they are at. he talks about the need to make the gospel relevant in the lives of catholics and speaks in very plain language. in this document, he talks about marriage as a friendship with passion. and some may be shocked he acknowledges the sexual desire will wane over time. while he acknowledges that, suggests for long-term couples they look for the inner beauty in each other and that will get you through the times even when physically, your partner changes or they become annoying to you. and it's that kind of language that we speak in all the time that i think really endears this pope not just to his catholic flock but to people all around the world. >> how does he address the partner of what to do about divorce, remarriage, and communion? >> this is a big issue in the catholic church and as you know, people, catholic couples who get divorced and ci

ann thompson asked bernie sanders about what comes next after the new york primary. take a listen to what he said. i'll get your reaction on the back end. >> if you don't win new york, can you win the nomination? >> i think we can. i don't want to speculate and my hope is we will win new york. it's a tough state for us. secretary clinton has been elected to the senate there twice. you have voting rule which is make it impossible for independents to participate in the democratic primary. we do very well with independents but we're going to fight and we have a chance to do very well. >> so obviously new york is a close primary state, independ t independents can't vote, but do you think sanders would be doing better against clinton in new york if it was an open primary not a closed? >> there's no doubt he would be. blank voters, as we call them here, because there's no such thing as an independent voter in new york, would be able to vote for him if there was the general election but they're going to stay home largely on tuesday and that really hurts a candidate like tha

here is anne thompson with the report. >> reporter: whether it is blessing an ohio girl slowly going blind or today's massive the top of pope francis' agenda. in the joy of love, he acknowledges what long married people know. sexual dede sire will change. there is no way we'll feel the same throughout all of life. and tells couples to renew devotion. putting on paper the kind of personal touch that is a hallmark of francis' papacy. what's not here, any change in church teaching on the hot-button issue of divorce and remarriage. he writes, divorce and remarried catholics shouldn't feel excommunicated and should be able to live and grow in the church. he doesn't say they can receive communion, an omission that may disappoint some. on the issue of gays and lesbians, he urges compassion, but little more. from the pope, surprising parenting advice. time he says sexuality is trivialized. comes down hard on helicopter parents. saying obsession is not education. telling them to back off so their kids can learn to face challenges. the pope admits no family is permit per perfect perfect, but i

he told nbc's anne thompson the opportunity to meet the pope was one he could not pass up. >> today was the highlight of the trip. i think he will go down in history as one of the great leaders of this particular moment in world history. >> reporter: late friday, sanders making good on his promise to release his 2014 tax returns. documents showing sanders made $205,000 and gave just over $8,000 in donations. the sanders campaign touting that unlike clinton's tax releases, sanders returns under score he hasn't accepted money for corporate speeches. sanders railing against the influence of money and politics while speaking abroad. >> our very soul of a nation has suffered as the public has lost faith in political and social institutions. >> reporter: clinton is closing in on new york. the latest poll showing her with a lead of 17 points. today, bill clinton will rally voters in upstate new york after his comments on sanders supporters fell flat with some friday. >> i think it's fine that all these youngsters have been so enthusiastic for an opponent. >> reporter: the sanders campaign firi

ann fennelly. grisham writer-in-residence, megan abbott. pendarvis, you know. poet chiyuma elliott. wright thompsonatkins. poet derek harriell is originally from milwaukee. crime novelist billy boyle from brooklyn. downstairs, currence's restaurant city grocery cranks out many delicious things. the man known as big bad chef, aka "johnny snack", is sending some of those goodies upstairs as there's nothing professional writers like more than free food. usually you put five writers in a room it's a ugly hell broth of envy, hatred. >> writer: we all hate tommy. >> writer 2: no, that goes without saying. >> tom: even me, i hate me the worst of all. >> jack pendarvis: around here anyway, the writers are really supportive of each other. for writers to argue would be like arguing over a piece of dirt. i mean, what are we fighting about? the stakes are so low, why would you be a jerk about it. >> anthony: if mississippi were a country and there were a national hero, uh, dead or alive, by consensus, statewide, who would -- who would the statue be of? >> wright thompson: elvis. >> anthony: really? wouldn't be