>> welcome back, america. >> comedian flame monroe, john berman and donie o'sullivan. nfl free agent rk russell, s.e. cupp, and comedian helen holmes. >> come on in. we put chlorine in the pool. >> it's the grand reopening for all the best, all the worst, 2021. i'm tom foreman. welcome, and congratulations. we all survived a tough 12 months packed with unheavals, conflicts, difficulties, and yet also victories, hope, and happiness. that's saying something considering we were up against a raging pandemic and the deepest social divides the united states has seen in decades. so how did we make it through? let's sort that out by starting with the biggest news.