nbc's keir simmons traveled to the region and has an exclusive look at a remote haven for thousands of desperate refugees. it's a place unseen to the outside world until now. >> reporter: riding motorized canoes in 110-degree heat we cross lake chad where boko haram fighters have launched recent attacks reaching this island. thousands of refugees have built simple homes here after escaping with their lives from militants who believe education is sinful. and who kidnap women and girls. jennifer, who was a student, and her friends all say they fled from boko haram. women captured by the militants are sexually exploited. >> they kill them. >> reporter: later we saw this woman who saw boko haram militants cut her son's throat. his children now fatherless. including this 12-year-old and this one, just 3. further on another gathering. are you sick? more families begging for help. he's not well. not well. when medicine arrives the scale of the need shows. mothers holding up their babies clamoring for supplies included water purification tablets. the aid workers are overwhelmed and they just g

♪ see i am wonder mike and i'd like to say hello ♪ >> reporter: for "today," keir simmons, london. >>d more about keir simmons in that interview. that's adorable though. very cute. "minions" from our sister company, universe.n.niversealuniversal, opens july 10th. >>> it daniel silva out with his new summer thriller. his fans cannot wait for this one. >>> giada's also got some summer party food we cannot wait to taste. >>> but first, this is "today" on nbc. >>> we are back now at 8:45. daniel silva has a new book "the english spy." it is a good one. daniel good morning. >> how are you? >> i'm doing great. 15th book now with this character. it never gets old. this one is just as exciting as the last one. we've got now a british royal, perhaps the most famous woman in the world, once married to the future king of england, killed on a boat. some people are going to see shades of diana i think in this story line. >> that's okay that they should see shades of diana in the character. she doesn't have a name. she's unnamed. i borrowed from a couple of different members of the royal family to

. >> reporter: keir simmons for msnbc, outside the epicenter building stockholm sweden. >> it isn't goingither. >>> that does it now for this edition. i'm francis rivera in for tamron hall. i'll see you back here at 1:00 when my colleague thomas roberts on his show and catch "newsnation" every weekend day right here on msnbc. up next, "andrea mitchell reports." ♪ i built my business with passion. but i keep it growing by making every dollar count. that's why i have the spark cash card from capital one. i earn unlimited 2% cash back on everything i buy for my studio. ♪ and that unlimited 2% cash back from spark means thousands of dollars each year going back into my business... that's huge for my bottom line. what's in your wallet? [ male announcer ] at northrop grumman, we've always been at the forefront of advanced electronics. providing technology to get more detail... ♪ ♪ detect hidden threats... ♪ ♪ see the whole picture... ♪ ♪ process critical information and put it in the hands of our defenders. reaching constantly evolving threats before they reach us. that's the value of performan

. >> that was keir simmons reporting. he will still be under house arrest.prosecutors go get their way in november he could though be back in prison for much longer. >>> that does it for this edition of "news nation." i'm tamron hall. up next, "andrea mitchell reports." american express for travel and entertainment worldwide. just show them this - the american express card. don't leave home without it! and someday, i may even use it on the moon. it's a marvelous thing! oh! haha! so you can replace plane tickets, traveler's cheques, a lost card. really? that worked? american express' timeless safety and security are now available on apple pay. the next evolution of membership is here. you've heard of a "win-win," right? what about a "win-win-win"? pick up the limited edition metallic droid turbo by motorola. water-repellent. up to 48-hour battery life and ballistic nylon back. that's your first "win." plus, it's only on verizon. the #1 network. there's your next "win." now for final "win." get $250 when you trade in any smartphone. and get 10 gigs of data for

sandra bullock sat down with nbc's keir simmons. how they ended up rapping?o the rhythm of the boogie the beat ♪ >> rapping with sandra bullock. how did that that happen ♪ now what you hear is not a test i'm rappin' to the beat >> reporter: it began as an interview about her new children's movie "minions" in which for the first time she plays a villainess named scarlet overkill. >> in the movie you are playing a villain. >> i am. >> for the first time. >> a villainess. >> how was that? >> delicious. nobody wants to be nice all the time. everybody's bad. we just wait for the cameras to stop rolling. unless you get caught or arrested. and i haven't been arrested. didn't have to think about that one. almost been caught. but you sort of want to keep these things on the dl -- down low. >> i'm thinking more -- >> about the down low? >> respect. power. >> bana that. >> banana! >> and it feels so good to be bad. >> reporter: there were no cameras for "minions," just voiceovers. the movie about innocent little pill-shaped banana loving creatures. >> a banana! >> repor

. >> keir simmons in london. thank you.lots ahead on a busy monday morning where action could come out of the supreme court. groundbreaking decisions on same-sex marriage and the affordable health care act. we'll bring you details as soon as we get them. >>> also continuing to follow developments in upstate new york. the trail is getting hotter for the search of two escaped convicts. are we narrowing the manhunt? i'll have details for you on "the rundown." boys? ♪ mamas, don't let your babies...♪ stop less. go more. the passat tdi clean diesel with up to 814 hwy miles per tank. hurry in and you can get 0% apr plus a one-thousand dollar volkswagen credit bonus on 2015 passat tdi clean diesel models. dude totino's blasted rolls. sweet. totino's blasted crust rolls... yeah. flavor at full blast when i started at the shelter, i noticed benny right away. i just had to adopt him. he's older so he needs my help all day. when my back pain flared up we both felt it i took tylenol at first but i had to take 6 pills to get through the

nbc's keir simmons is in russia where this all begun. >> reporter: good morning.lace one of the former homes of the russian czars. on the trail of what's been called the eighth wonder of the world. the amber room. this is stunning but this is a replica. you're not going to believe what some folks think happened to the real thing. a golden room lined with precious panels of rare amber. >> it's like a box of jewelry. >> reporter: it belonged to the wealthy russian czars, the original a royal gift. >> you can see the detail and it's priceless. >> reporter: the nazis knew that too. in world war ii they ripped off the palace walls. six tons of amber packed in 27 crates. even the way it was transported by a mystery. perhaps by road. more likely by train. it was last seen under nazi control in a nearby city where it was destroyed in a fire. that's where the trail went cold. in germany, huddled around a map in the 1940s i meet a group of treasure hunters. karl pavel, alexander and nicholas. they're searching for the amber room. in one of 170 underground bunkers beneath th

keir simmons you lucky dog. >> why did i agree to do this?p for the experience the pain of labor. i agreed to do the same. being the birth of your child is life changing. research says when dad is present, helps mom relax. but a new study finds fathers can make the pain worse, too, simply by being there. it depends on mom's psychology how she copes with pain. >> get out! >> it can be a bit confusing for us. but some places outside the u.s. men can experience simulated labor with a special machine. one that is used primarily to treat sports injuries with electricity. >> what we're going to do we're going to take some electric stimulation. >> i was a little nervous. >> this contraction is short. you're going to be fine. >> perhaps. but i'd seen these internet videos of others having this treatment. the idea is to help expecting dads empathize. some believe doesn't come close enough to the real thing. >> i think that women probably do have a higher level of pain tolerance. pain of labor and delivery is a sustained long term pain, the intensity o