mr. newman walked in. >> newman's family says in a statement that the 85-year-old reports he's being treated well and that the food is good. newman has been detained since late october when north korean officials took him off a plane as he was getting ready to leave the country. >>> the white house is asking north korea to release mr. newman as well as another u.s. detainee who has been in custody since last year. officials releasing a statement that reads in part, quote, we remain deeply concerned about the welfare of the u.s. citizens held in the custody of the dprk, the democratic people's republic of korea. kenneth bae has been in custody for over a year. we continue to urge authorities to grant him amnesty and immediate release. bae is a missionary and a tour operator. north korean authorities sometimes see missionary work as a threat to their government. bae's sister in seattle say right now he's being held in the hospital and needs treatment. >> our worst fear is they will ship him back to a labor camp and he has chronic conditions that require treatment. ultimately, we haven't given

mr. newman. he's 85 years old. he's got a heart condition. they went into the airplane, took him out of the airplane as he was leaving pyongyang and brought him back. this is the new regime of kim jong-un in the past there was a certain pattern to these detentions. there was a trial. there were confessions. but then there was a negotiation to get him out. in this case, nothing seems to follow a set pattern. >> the war veteran being held as a former member of a u.s. special forces group. they were called the white tigers. who were they and what was their mission? i'll ask a former white tiger who joins me live, next. as a business owner, i'm constantly putting out fires. so i deserve a small business credit card with amazing rewards. with the spark cash card from capital one, i get 2% cash back on every purchase, every day. i break my back around here. finally someone's recognizing me with unlimited rewards! meetings start at 11, cindy. [ male announcer ] get the spark business card from capital o

newman. melissa chan is outside of their retirement community where mrs. and mr. newman live. have they arrived back yet, do we know? >> no signs of them yet. we do expect them at any moment. although the tricky thing with this is that there are several entrances and he may want to avoid the media there has about so focus and attention on his case. with himself there has always been concern about his health. while in north korea he nee need heart medication, and his family never knew if he was getting it. he did look healthy if not a little overwhelmed, and we had brief remarks to reporters. >> it's been a great home coming. and thank you all for the support we got, and very much appreciate it. >> and merrill newman was not able to make it home for thanksgiving, but he is home for the holidays. that is good news. richelle? >> tell us why this trip went so wrong for him. he went to north korea for a reason. explain why it is that he was detained. >> reporter: that's an excellent question because something that a lot of people don't know quite a number of american soldiers who f

mr. newman to return home and reunite with his family." they urged authorities to release kenneth bayh held in that country more an year. it is our top story on the front page. >>> this just in. a 2-year-old boy from vallejo is in the hospital after he nearly drowned. fire crews say the boy was fishing with his grandmother at the time. she turned away and he somehow fell into the water. fire crews say the boy has life-threatening injury. they rushed him to oakland's children's hospital tonight. >>> now to an nbc bay area news follow-up we have new surveillance video of a possible suspect involved in an animal abuse case in san francisco. police say they believe this is the man who threw two cats into the san francisco bay on monday. the man reportedly walked up to a woman carrying several items, including a cat carrier with two cats inside. he took all her items and threw them into the bay. both cats die. witnesses had to hold the woman back from jumping into the water at pier 14. animal control found video after asking several businesses

mr. newman's advantage age and health conditions we urge you to release mr. newman to return home and reunite with his family. the white house urged white house authorities to release kenneth bay held in that country more than a year. we have more video and interviews with newman's wife and son. it is our top story on the front page. >>> we have new surveillance video of a possible suspect involved in an animal abuse case in san francisco. police believe this is the man who threw two cats into the san francisco bay on monday. the man walked up to a woman carrying several items including this cat carrier and threw them into the bay. both cats died. witnesses say they had to hold the woman back from jumping into the water on pier 14. san francisco care and control asked several businesses in the area if they had surveillance video. >> my office has been canvassing the area where this occurred. he's been able to obtain several pieces of footage. splice things together and put it all together. what he found was the gentleman leaving a building downtown and we actu

mr. newman, as well. >> since 2009, six u.s. citizens, including two journalists, have been detained. we're following the store on air and online. we have videos with newman's wife and son on nbcbayarea.com. it is our top story on the front page. >>> police in campbell are investigating a murder/suicide involving an elderly couple. a family member had gone to check on the couple and found the 89-year-old husband and his 92-year-old wife dead from apparent gunshot wounds. police say they are investigating. >> any medical issues that were going on, but obviously we're looking at all possible angles and making sure we do a co comprehensive investigation. >>> a follow-up now, a 2-year-old boy is hospitalized after he nearly drowned. it took authorities a few minutes to find the boy and pull him out of the water. they say his grandmother was with him at the time. >> reported a child approximately two years in age that was in the water. was fishing with his grandmother over hoo. the grandmother took her eyes off him for a short period of time and the 2-year-old fell in. >> the boy was rushed

mr. newman to go back to north korea. there's still some very hard feelings about this whole operation that took place during the korean war. the north koreans are not particularly receptive to folks who have been a part of those units. >> reporter: officials have been detaining him since late october. he was detained just as he was boarding a plane to leave. we'll here from experts about the possible political implications of his detention. >>> thank you. vice president joe biden has a week long trip planned to asia this week, including a stop in south korea. there's no word at this point if he plans to discuss or meet with anyone regarding mr. newman. we're following the story on air and online. we have it at nbcbayarea.com. >>> we have some developing news on a deadly train derailment in new york. authorities say there are some indications of what may have caused the commuter train to crash this morning killing four people. >> reporter: tonight investigators say they've located the black box in the wreckage of the comm

mr. newman is on his way home. >> so lots of joy that newman has been released. however, there's another american being held, and the u.s. is calling for the release of kenneth bae. what will it take in order for his demise to end up very similar to newman, and return home? >> reporter: again, really don't know, now that mr. newman is home, u.s. officials are telling me that all attention now is on kenneth bae. he's been in north korea for over a year, a missionary, and they say he was trying to subvert the government. his family issued a statement about the release of mr. newman. let me read a little bit of it for you. we're pleased to hear that mr. newman was released from the dprk, the name for north korea. we believe that our kenneth should come home soon. we have faith in o our government to bring kenneth home, and we dearly wish that we will have joy us holidays with kenneth. obviously, the bae family, they worried there would be diverting attention from getting kenneth bae out, so they're hoping this he can use this momentum to push for his release. >> all

is it good news were mr newman. >> i think it is good new, as bizarre as it is. this was a surprising turn of event. it doesn't make sense for anyone here but the good news is when you have a public confession that that sets it up for him to be released. he is 85 years old. he has a history of heart and health problems. that is a good thing. obviously the confession he wrote he did not write. you know. in it is the south korean line hostile policy. he doesn't know about hostile policy that's a north korean government phrase, and it signals that they wrote it. when they say if i come home soon to the united states - that's probably a strong indication that he'll be released. >> is that critical that one line grabbing on to it "if i come home to the united states." it's the line and stepping back. it's also the fact that there's a public confession. we have not heard anything from kenneth bay, another american seized. sadly and unfortunately, there is a history here of americans who ended up being captured and imprisoned. sometimes they are missionaries folks who w

mr. newman made it home yet? >> he hasn't. he has not come home. apparently they have some alternative arrangements in place. he landed a couple hours ago at the san francisco international airport. he looked terrific. he seemed to be in good spirits. this is a guy who is 85 years old who had been in custody since the end of october and this is what he said just moments after landing. >> good morning. i'm delighted to be home. i want to thank the swedish i'm ba embassy in bong yaponyongyang a british embassy. i'm tired but i'm ready to be with my family now. and thank you all for the support we got and very much appreciate it. >> well, mr. newman was an intelligence officer during the korean war and did some top secret work. apparently he had a burning desire to go back. and it's clear a he said the wrong thing to someone and he was taken into custody, as you said, he was accused of war crimes. no one knew what was going to happen to him. he did give this sort of stilted apology a few days ago and then just suddenly, the north korean government jus

mr. newman will be reunited with his family. >> as i said he will be home for thforholidays. >> we'll get to kenneth bay in a second. do we have any information on why mr. new flman was held? >> we are learning that newman was not an ordinary soldier he was part of secret unit called the white tigers so from the north cor korean officers persps not a normal soldier. >> we are getting pictures in from beijing. and they are the first pictures of merle newman being released. they are not live they are taped picture. we have just received them. he is coming off the plane in beijing and ?riel smiling and ay day after a morchl month in cap. we are talking about kenneth bay who is still being held is there more hope that ke kenneth bay my be released as well. what did kenneth bay do? he was in north korea spreading the word of christia christiani. , ththe question is if he is evr going to be let go. we have the pictures and clearly merle newman is in beijing tonight heading home. >> newman fought in beijing. and i asked the hosts of vit veterinariaveteranradio what th. >> i'm happy he has been r

mr. newman. he's 85 years old. he's got a heart condition. they went into the airplane, took him out of the airplane as he was leaving pyongyang and brought him back. this is the new regime of kim jong-un. there was a trial, there were confessions, but then there was a negotiation to get them out. in this case, nothing seems to follow a set pattern. so this is the new re regime sending signals not just of hostility but known kind of bargaining postures they want. >> you said you're concerned that you haven't heard back, why specifically are you concerned? are you thinking this is not good news? >> well, i usually hear back from the north koreans. i've been involved in several of these detentions some successfully. but it's been almost a week. and i haven't heard anything. i've sent -- i had a phone call, e-mail, they asked me to put my requests in an e-mail and nothing. usually there's some response. and i know the state department and the white house are working hard to try to secure the release. but unfortunately, we don't have any represen

mr. newman decides to reappear. >>> all right. and the mysterious release of merrill newman is giving hope to another american family, that family of kenneth bae. in prison at a labor camp in north korea for over a year. his family is desperate to see help freed, releasing this statement saying, quote, we are pleased to hear that mr. newman was released from dprk. we believe that our kenneth should also come home soon. we have faith in our government to bring kenneth home, and we dearly wish that we will also have joyful holidays with kenne kenneth. >>> unlike newman, bae was sentenced for his alleged crimes, given 15 years of hard labor for, quote, hostile acts. >>> president barack obama says he's keeping his options open when it comes to maintaining national security. we'll go live to washington where he just wrapped up a discussion about the middle east with israeli leaders. >>> and a singer with an all american look is trying to win the title of "arab's got talent." we're aig. and we're here. to help secure retirements and pro

mr. newman? >> good morning, victor. this is certainly good news. an reasons after what they're calling an apology from newman made earlier this morning detailing allege d in inde. and now he's happy to have been released and we got a chance to catch up with him, reporters did in beijing. let's listen to what he had to say there. >> i'm very glad to be on my way home. and i appreciate the tolerance that bprk government has given me to be on my way. >> how do you feel now? >> feel good. feel good. >> what are you going to do first thing? what would you like to do? >> i'll go happily and see my wife. >> and certainly, after merrill newman sees his wife, there is going to be a lot of people like us want to talk to him. victor. >> athenia, i know there's people waiting for him at the airport. we know vice president biden was in south korea today. did his visit -- was he there, was there in any capacity to try to free newman? did he had have a role in freeing newman? >> he said he offered to give him a ride home hone air force two. but newman instead chos

mr. newman lives. iwas it a coincidence that they decided to release mr. man when vice president biden was vsiting south korea? talk about the timing. >> rkthat is a really good question. you would though that the vice president would be involved in the negotiations but as you mentioned biden says he was not involved. biden being in south korea won t help. if there was a country that could have some influence it would have been china. >> the release of mr. newman, merle newman what could it do do for relations between the united states and north korea because they are still holding somebody else. >> absolutely. >> the fact is that there is another american being held, ken kenneth bay. what is enlightening about merle newman he was considered an enmy. they feel that kenneth bay was a greater threat. what was he doing in he was spreading the word of christianity in north korea where the state has a official political religion. the question for kenneth bay is ever going to be released or he is going to serve out his 15 year pri prison sentence. the two sides m

mr. newman's advanced age and health conditions we urge the dprk to released mr. newman so he may return home and reunite with his family. the state department individuals u.s. citizens against traveling to north korea. the state department also called for the released of another you had citizen detained by authority korea. kenneth bay has been held captive since last november. he was sentenced to 15 years hard labor after being accused of carrying a computer hard disk that contained pictures of starving orphans living in the country. >>> a shocking loss out of hollywood tonight. actor paul walker, best known for his roles in "the fast and the furious" films was killed today in a car accident north of los angeles. a statement posted on the 40-year-old's facebook page said he was a passenger in a friend's car when it slammed into a light pole and burst into flames this afternoon. these are images from the scene showing what is left of that red porch. porche. they say he was attending a charity event when he went for a ride in the friend's porche and the friend was a

mr. newman's advanced age and health conditions, we urge the dprk to release mr. newman. the state department recommends against travel by all u.s. citizens to north korea. >>> community members came together in oakland today to raise money to help the family of a slain toddler. it's been more than two years since the 2-year-old was struck and killed by a bullet fired during the making of a rap video in west oakland. today, proceeds from a car wash went toward a scholarship for the family's new baby. >> it just feels good to know that my new baby is in people's prayers and in their heart to give her a scholarship to better her life in the future. >> a 17-year-old gang member is facing the death penalty for the toddler's death. the vid the. >>> a group of protesters organized a flash mob on black friday in honor of a 13-year-old santa rosa boy killed by a sheriff's deputy. you can hear the protesters chanting yesterday afternoon at the santa rosa plaza. they posted it on their facebook page. andy lopez was shot last month when the deputy mistook his bb gun for an assault r

mr. newman detained. >> does kim jong un win in some respects? if merrill newman comes back and really hits this hard about how he was mistreated, that's going to be a big loss for north korea. if merrill newman dies in custody, that's an even bigger loss for the regime. we don't know how this scores out until he is over. >> thank you. >> thank you. >>> tonight's money and power. online retailer amazon.com has introduced plans for a stunning new revelation, delivery by drone. >> with one tantalizing video, amazon is revitalizing the notion of a big idea. they are calling it prime air. miniature drones delivering packages directly to your front door only minutes after placing an order. if it wasn't december, most people would think it's an april fools joke. >> let me show you something. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: it was introduced last night on 60 minutes. >> half hour delivery. these generations of vehicles that could be a 10 mile radius from a fulfillment center. so in urban areas it covers significant parts of the population. >> reporter: it h

mr. newman. "given his advanced age and health condition, we urge the dprk to release mr. newman so he can return home and reunite with his family." the state department is advising u.s. citizens against traveling to north korea. >>> the state department is also calling for the release of another citizen being held by north korea. kevin bay has been held for over a year. he is a missionary who has been sentenced to 15 years hard labor after being accused of carrying a computer hard disk containing pictures of starving orphans living in north korea. >>> paul walker, best known for his starring role in the "fast & furious" movies is being mourned by family, friends and fans this morning. he died yesterday in a fiery southern california car crash. he was a passenger riding in a friend's porsche that burst into flames after hitting a tree or a post just north of los angeles. the driver was also killed. walker made dozens of films and often performed his own stunts. two of walker's friends heard the crash and rushed to the scene. >> we heard the crash. we heard the explosion. we

mr. newman. given his advanced age and health condition, we urge the dprk to release mr. newman so he can return home and eunite with his family. they are also advising u.s. citizens against traveling to korea. >>> the state department is also calling for the release of another citizen being held by north korea, he is a missionary who has been sentenced to 15 years hard labor after being accused of carrying a computer hard disk containing pictures of starving orphans living in the country. >>> paul walker, best known for his starring role in the "fast & furious" movies is being mourned by family, friends and fans this morning. he died yesterday in a fiery southern california car crash. he was a passenger riding in a friend's porsche that burst into flames after hitting a tree or post just north of los angeles. the driver was also killed. walker made dozens of films and often performed his own stunts. two of walker's friends heard the crash and rushed to the scene. >> we heard the crash. we heard the explosion. we got up here as quick as we could to find out what it was. >>

mr. newman's advanced age and health conditions, we urge the dprk to release mr. newman so he may return home and reunite with his family. all this, as vice president biden visits asia this week, with a stop in south korea. the united states has no official diplomatic relations with north korea, but swedish embassy officials visited newman on saturday, they say he's alive and receiving his medication. in a statement saturday night, in a statement saturday night, the newman family implored the north korean government to take into account his health and his age and as an act of humanitarian compassion, allow him to depart immediately for home. now, there's optimism for his release, given his apparent treatment so far, but also, the reality of how serious this captivity is, another american also accused of hostile acts, has been held for more than a year. and this morning, the state department and the white house warning again to u.s. citizens not to travel to north korea. dan and bianna. >> jeff, our thanks to you. >>> this is also a crucial weekend for the obama adm

mr. newman. "given his advanced age and health condition, we urge the dprk to release mr. newman so he may return home and reunite may return home and reunite with his family." the state department is advising u.s. citizens against traveling to north korea. >>> the state department is also calling for the release of another citizen being held by north korea. kevin bay has been held for over a year. he is a missionary who has been sentenced to 15 years hard labor after being accused of carrying a computer hard disk containing pictures of starving orphans living in north korea. >>> actor paul walker, best known for his starring role in the "fast & furious" movies is being mourned by family, friends and fans this morning. he died yesterday in a fiery southern california car crash. he was a passenger riding in a friend's porsche that burst into flames after hitting a tree or a post just north of los angeles. the driver was also killed. walker made dozens of films and often performed his own stunts. two of walker's friends heard the crash and rushed to the scene. >> we heard the

mr. newman? >> well, in the past with kim jong-un's father, i would have been hopeful.are going to do next. it's totally unpredictable. it's bizarre how they treated mr. newman. they took him out of an airplane. he was heading home. he was there legitimately. now he's incarcerated with kenneth bay, the other american detainee. he was in north korea and an american envoy was going to take him out but then the north koreans said, no, we're not going to negotiate for his release. in the past the north koreans have used the american prisoners as bargaining chips. in this case nothing has happened. kenneth bay has been incarcerated for a year. it's bizarre. another factor is this is a korean war veteran, you recall you visited north korea with me at a time when the north korean military turned over remains of american soldiers fighting in the korean war as a gesture of friendship, yet they are turning against a korean war veteran. it seems no one is in charge. it's very bizarre what's happening. you can't predict what's happening next. hopefully it will mean a release. a con

mr. newman, can you tell us about your time in prison and how they treated you. >> reporter: seemingly overwhelm, newman discussed the act about them. his detention put further strain on diplomatic relations when north korea showed video to him reading a couldn't federal governments to war crimes. it wasn't clear if it was coerced. they said the korean war veteran whoover saw war time gorillas was released because he had apologized for his alleged crimes during the war and his age and medical condition as air force security escorted he and his family to a waiting car, i asked the question everyone wanted to know. >> what is the first thing you will do once you make it back to your door? >> probably take my shoes off. >> reporter: family say he is meeting with friend and family in santa cruz to celebrate his safe rush. >> before him, north korea detained six american, five have been either released or deported. the country is still holding kenneth bae now there for more than a year. he's a korean missionary sentenced to 15 years hard labor. he is accused of carrying a computer disc that contained

mr. newman's advanced age and health conditions, we urge the dprk to release mr. newman so he may return home and reunite with his family. that coming out of the national security council spokesperson there. and so i think given what the state department's also saying you said a short while ago, there is now a sense of cautious optimism that something could be happening behind the scenes. harris? >> well, i want to go back to this idea of korea actually accepting this apology and whether or not they are really prepared to let him go, dom. >> it's an important act of contrition, quite frankly. that's what it is here. and you know, we've seen it once before and seen it happen to other american citizens in other countries, as well. he apologizes, he says it's his fault, describes killing civilians and troops during the korean war and that he was up to subversive activities during his recent trip. we can actually hear precisely the element of his apology from that video. take a listen. >> on this trip, i can understand that in u.s. and western countries there is mislea

mr. newman only saying he was delighted to be home at the airport. >> it's been a great homecoming, and i'mh my family. >> newnewman's son sent us this photo showing his family enjoying this meal together. mr. newman, a veteran of the korean war, has refused to answer any questions about his treatment during captivity but the younger newman says he'll let us know when his father is ready to talk about his ordeal. >>> there are only two games left at handle stick. today the 49ers play the biggest game of the season of the seahawks and starting tomorrow niners fans will be able to own a piece of the stick. but how much will it cost to take home your favorite piece? that story and all the days news coming up at 7:00. right now, here is more of the "today" show. good morning nelly! woah. hey! have you ever tried honey nut cheerios? love 'em. neat! now you on the other hand... you need some help. why? look atchya. what is that? you mean my honey wand? [ shouting ] [ splat ] come on. matter of fact. [ rustling ] shirt. shoes. shades. ah! wow! now that voice... my voice? [ auto-tuned ] what's wron

mr newman will return today and be reunited with his family. >> more from rob mcbride in beijing. >> merrill newman's release has come from delicate behind-the-scenes negotiations. he arrived in one flight from pyongyang, and is on his way to the west coast of america. he said little. he said he's pleased to be free and is looking forward to seeing his wife, obviously, and the american embassy here said that he received consular assistance, and the state department welcomed the release. it seems to have been arrived at on account of his apology that he gave last week. he'd been held for a month for alleged hostile acts against north korea. what they were we still don't know. it could have been connected with his war service. we know that he was working with american special forces, training and operating with partisan unit behind enemy lines during the korean war. was he held personally responsible or did they get the wrong merrill newman. another theory is they could have mistaken merrill newman for a more celebrated veteran of the same now. his family said there was a misunderstand

mr. newman? >> absolutely. s of his captors trying to intimidate him, but him finding ways around that. merrill newman is finally back home in california after more than a month in north korean captivity. >> what's the first thing you'll do? >> probably take my shoes off. i'm tired, but ready to be with my family now. >> reporter: in a remarkable news statement, newman himself explains why he think the the north koreans detained him, saying, quote, i've given considerable thought to this and have come to the conclusion that i just didn't understand that, for the north korean regime, the korean war isn't over, and that even innocent remarks about the war can cause big problems if you are a foreigner. newman says he requested for visit an area where korean partisans and anticommunist guerrilla guerrillas and possibly meet with those who were still alive. the new yorkance seemed to have misinterpreted my curiosity as something nor sinister. newman confirming this so-called confession. >> i understand in u.s. and we

mr. newman's difficult journey. we ask for you to give us time to to be with his family. we ask that you not forget another american, kenneth bay. >> kekenneth bay is still in prison. he was caught spreading christiachristianity. newman missed thanksgiving and it was not clear when or if he would be let go. happebut happily for his familye returns before the holidays. >>> now time in the news hour to get the weather with stef. >> thanks, david. >> in this news hour we'll look at the weather across parts of china. recently it's been settled. which is not a good thing. with a settled weather it has kept a lid on the pollution this is shanghai you can see how murky it is. the pollution levels are very high also in beijing we have seen severe air quality there. lahazzardhazardous. at thi levelat this level peopld to stay in doors. as far as the air quality goes it's good news it's reduced part kel --part particles there and only people sensitive to pollution are having issues. this s is sweeping across other areas as well and will bring relief. what you will also notice thoug

mr. newman. >>> two d.c. rappers on their way back after filming a video in north korea.sn't about politics. it was about the music. this is a look at another music video they released. they raised $10,000 through a crowd sourcing website to pay for their five-day trip. the rappers say they didn't have any problems there. the state department issued a travel warning to the country. the rap group hopes to release their newest video. >> in scotland crews are searching for bodies while removing parts of a helicopter that smashed into a packed pub. prayer services took place across scotland for the eight confirmed dead. more than a dozen others hospitalized with serious injuries from the accident. police say roughly 100 people in the pub listening to a band when the helicopter came down. >>> we are getting a first look at an alaskan plane crash this morning. this picture one of the only images of the fatal accident. the cessna went down killing four people. one survivor walked to the closest village a mile away for help. police say there were ten people on that plane. >>> liv

mr. newman? we were happy for the newman family, but it was a bittersweet moment for our family to see the happy reunion and something that we have been fighting for, for the past 13 months. and kenneth esteem remains in prison in north korea. so that was a sad moment for us in that way. >> i know you recently got a letter from kenneth. what did he say? >> he reiterated his desire to just be home and be reunited with us. and you know, he knows the holidays are coming up. and he had hoped to be home by the end of this year. something that we have been praying for by the end of this year. he reiterated that he would need help from the u.s. government to bring him home. that it is not something that we can just do on our own. >> so he believes he wouldn't be released without some type of intervention by the united states. do you have -- i mean, have you been following this with the united states? has the government been in touch with you? is there a sense there may be some sort of attempt to send an

mr. newman? now, we were happy for the newman family, but it was a bittersweet moment for our family to see the happy reunion and something that we have been fighting for, for the past 13 months. and kenneth esteem remains in prison in north korea. so that was a sad moment for us in that way. >> i know you recently got a letter from kenneth. what did he say? >> he reiterated his desire to just be home and be reunited with us. and you know, he knows the holidays are coming up. and he had hoped to be home by the end of this year. something that we have been praying for, as well. he needed help from the u.s. government to bring him home. that it is not something that we can just do on our own. >> so he believes he wouldn't be released without some type of intervention by the united states. do you have -- i mean, have you been following this with the united states? has the government been in touch with you? is there a sense there may be some sort of attempt to send an emissary there? >> nothing that w

mr. newman does come home?guess is they will be either quiet or someone will reach out or we'll do the bill richardson jimmy carter model and i know bill richardson well where there is a third party that goes to north korea on a humanitarian mix and he is released with mr. bayh and mr. merrell as well. >> today was the day healthcare.gov was supposed to be fixed. >> the administration says the site should work for most people. >> we are on track to have a significantly different user experience by the end of this month. that was our commitment. >> the goal is to have the site handle 50,000 users at once. the obama administration says 90% of users can now create an account. at the sign up center in virginia people enrolled without any problems. >> it was really fast this morning. i did forget my password but i was able to recover it quickly. and it was great the helper, diana was able to help me to select a plan that was best for my need. >> tech experts have been working around the clock for five weeks to fix t

mr. newman had to say shortly after arriving into san francisco. >> good morning. i am delighted to be home. i want to thank the swedish embassy in pyongyang and american embassy in beijing for all their help. it's been a great homecoming. and i'm tired but ready to be with my family now. thank you all for the support we got and very much appreciate it. >> newman didn't really say much about his treatment by the north koreans. he was asked about the food. he had a one-word answer and said it was healthy. he seems to be in good health and in good spirits. he was an officer during the korean war, had a burning desire to go back and said apparently the wrong this evening to someone and he was placed into custody and the government released him really without explanation last night. >> and vice president joe biden was there. did he have any role in this release? >> it doesn't appear that the vice president had a direct role but cnn is told by a white house official that the white house did have some sort of direct connection with the north korean government, which is u

mr. newman? now, we were happy for the newman family, but it was a bittersweet moment for our family to see the happy reunion and something that we have been fighting for, for the past 13 months. and kenneth esteem remains in prison in north korea. so that was a sad moment for us in that way. >> i know you recently got a letter from kenneth. what did he say? >> so he believes he wouldn't be released without some type of intervention by the united states. do you have -- i mean, have you been following this with the united states? has the government been in touch with you? is there a sense there may be some sort of attempt to send an emissary there? >> nothing that we're aware of specifically, i'm not sure if something is being planned or if we're not just being told because of the sensitive nature. but from where we sit it is very frustrating. it has been 13 months, so you know, i'm not sure what it is going to take. but we do want to see kenneth home now. it is far past time. >> how is your brothe

mr. newman led a unit of guerrilla fighters. mr. eportedly reached out to surviving members of his former unit before his trip and planned to meet some of them in south korea. this new information comes after north korea released video of newman apologizing for war crimes committed during the korean war. >>> also new this morning, vice president joe biden is in china. second stop of his week-long trip to asia. here's some new video of the vice president meeting with china's vice president. he also met with china's president. one area of tension between the two nations, china's recent declaration of a new air defense zone over disputed islands in the south china sea. both the u.s. and japan have refused to recognize china's declaration. >>> it is 7:15. former santa clara county supervisor george shirikawa is scheduled to appear in court on suspicion of campaign mail fraud. he was sentenced for a year in jail for misusing public money. this afternoon, he faces an additional fell now count accused of selling illegal mailers to discredit

mr. newman's family, their wish for a homecoming before the holidays comes true.good morning america," gloria riviera, abc news, beijing. >> this will be a christmas that family will remember. >>> let's get back to ron claiborne with the other headlines of the morning. >> we begin with new fallout from the chaotic highway shooting involving police in new mexico, firing at a car loaded with children. abc's tai hernandez has this story. >> reporter: this morning, abc news has confirmed the new mexico state police officer who fired at a minivan full of kids has been fired himself. the officer arrived as backup for this october routine traffic stop that escalated way too far, way too fast. it began with 39 oriana ferrell was pulled over for speeding. but police say she did not follow the first officer's orders. >> turn the vehicle off for me. >> reporter: but once, but twice. her van takes off. >> right now, you ran away from me, okay? >> sir, i pulled back over. i didn't run away. >> reporter: the tension escalated when her 14-year-old son scuffled with police. and t

mr. newman. this is par for the course. they basically feel they have enormous leverage over you.ison. you say that. sometimes it's led in the past under kim jung un 's father to a release. there was a young man from seattle who confessed and shortly thereafter i was called over to bring him back. but since then, it's been bizarre. although with president clinton and president carter when they went over there were confessions too. and they were released. but with this new, young leader, he's not doing it. he even sent back an american envoy who was going to bring back kenneth bay. he has been there a year, the longest ever. so you know, this is a big unknown, what this young leader wants to do. the problem is that they are developing their nuclear weapons. they are continuing. they are continuing that nuclear reactor. they have five or six nuclear weapons. they have 1.5 million men in arms. so this is a challenge for american foreign policy. >> i appreciate you being on. we'll continue to follow it here. and just ahead, rush limbaugh painting the pope red. the panelists take on th

mr. newman said he ran into trouble after asking about the north korean anti-government activist that he n during the korean war. while he was detained, newman delivered a videotaped apology but he says the words, they were not his. and they were not delivered voluntarily. he came back to the bay area on saturday and he's now resting. >> he seems a little tired, you know, but that's to be expected. it's been a long month, you know, probably emotionally taxing, you know. he seems okay. he seems like he will be just fine. >> mr. newman said he will talk more about his experience later after recovering his strength. >>> there's new privacy concerns about the release of information from the covered california website. thousands of californians have gone online since the state's insurance exchange page launched back in october. many of those people started but did not finish the application process. well, now the state has given their contact information to private insurance agents who are being asked to help people finish the enrollment process. lieutenant-governor gavin newsom says that idea

mr. newman was not up to talking about the details of his detenti detention. >> it's been a great, great homecoming, and i'm tired but ready to be with my family. >> jeff newman, his son, sent us this photo showing his father and his mother enjoying a meal on the back porch of their home in santa cruz. merrill newman, who is a veteran of the korean war, has refused to answer any questions about his treatment during his 42 days of captivity. his son says if that changes, he'll let us know. >>> merrill newman's homecoming gripped much of the bay and the nation. we have more online at nbcbayarea.com. >>> new this morning, south africans flock to the houses of worship for a national day of prayer and reflection to honor former president nelson mandela. ♪ president jacob zuma join eed mandela's ex-wife winnie and members of the family at a church service. the national day of prayer and reflection was called for south africans to celebrate the life of mandela and his legacy in places of worship, homes, and in their communities. >> i came here to say i'm not mourning him, i'm celebrating his lif

mr. newman? >> yesterday he actually got a visit from an ambassador at the swedish embassy. that's because the u.s. does not have diplomatic relations with north korea. in a statement, the family expressed their appreciation for that visit and it does help ease some of their concerns about what happened. now, after that visit yesterday, the family gave us a statement. they say he has received the medications he was asking for and medical personnel are checking on his health several times a day. they said merrill reports he's being well treated and that the food is good. also, yesterday, the white house released a statement saying it was deeply concerned about the welfare of newman along with american kenneth bae, who's been detained for more than a year. newman, of course, disappeared more than a month ago. he has been visiting north korea. he's akorean war veteran. it was his dream to go back there. he was there on a nine-day visit, was about to leave, was actually on the airplane to leave when a military officer came and pulled him off. no one had really had a chance to in

mr. newman as of right now. they have had this political theater and they should release him in the interest of humanitarian gesture, his health and the right thing to do. this is an exceedingly difficult regime to do with. >> tom donilon, thanks very much. >>> when we come back -- the roundtable reacts from two surprise announcements. one from the pope and one from the president. >> so, you may want to stay in washington because of sasha? i don't want to pin you down but i am. >>> later, the growing debate over america's favorite game, is football too dangerous for its own good? [ tires screech ] ♪ [ male announcer ] 1.21 gigawatts. today, that's easy. ge is revolutionizing power. supercharging turbines with advanced hardware and innovative software. using data predictively to help power entire cities. so the turbines of today... will power us all... into the future. ♪ man: [ laughs ] those look like baby steps now. but they were some pretty good moves. and the best move of all? having the right partner at my s

mr. newman reading an apology statement that was clearly written for him. thank you very much. >>> president obama defended his six-month nuclear deal with iran when he spoke at a d.c. forum. it requires iran to apparently cap nuclear activities in exchange for slightly relaxed sanctions. the president suggests his critics are being very unrealistic if they believe that iran would suddenly give up all nuclear capabilities forever. >> one can envision an ideal world in which iran said we'll destroy every element and facility and you name it, it's all gone. i can envision a world in which congress passed every one of my bills that i put forward. i mean, there are a lot of things that i can envision that would be wonderful. >> well, the forum's being held by the brookings institution which is a washington think tank. >>> well, defense secretary chuck hagel is visiting u.s. troops today. during a surprise trip to afghanistan. he also met with afghan officials to discuss a security agreement which would allow some of the nato-led troops to stay in the country pa

mr. newman said. >> he was over there for closure for his north korean war activities. anyway, we're glad he's home. and you're right, the attention has been elsewhere, mr. chairman. it has been on iran, and i want to play you something that the president said yesterday. >> we can envision is comprehensive agreement that involves extraordinary constraints and verification mechanisms and intrusive inspections but thatiran to hav program. >> so iran with a peaceful nuclear program means it will have some enriched uranium at a much lower level than the 20% that is needed to build a nuclear weapon. is that okay? >> we've been working on these sanctions for a decade, since i have been in tcongress, and to get to the point where the administration, whatever party, could negotiate with iran to dismantle their nuclear weapons programming, what i'm concerned about is we have not dismantled their program, and yet relieve the sanctions which is a $7 billion economic aid to the country. when i talk to former administrations, the bucsh administration, they tell me one of the biggest

mr. newman was released from north korea. we have faith in our government to bring kenneth home. end quote. >>> let's talk weather in a bad way. a major storm is on the march from the gulf coast to the great lakes. it's already hit several states in the form of an ice storm. the dallas, fort worth area among the hardest-hit. it knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of people. much of the state has been plunged into bone chilling cold. at least one death has been attributed to weather conditions. >>> a tow truck spun off an icy bridge, killing the driver. as the storm swept into arkansas, trees and power lines were down. the governor has declared a state of emergency. the weather is now moving up to the northeast. a winter storm warning has already been issued for central ohio. as you can tell, this storm isn't over yet. something tells me it is just picking up steam. alexandra steele is in the weather center. what should others expect? >> hi, fred, good morning. those pictures aren't really what it is going to look like with this new storm. what we saw with the ice from dal