This is nbc nightly news with Brian Williams reporting from havana. Good evening. Earlier today, just 14 hours after the president spoke about his opening in the state of the union, we arrived here with the first senior american official to visit this nation in decades. We flew here along with secretary of state roberta jacobson. When she set foot on cuban soil, you it changed in its own way a lot of history in just a day. And with the likes of havana harbor in the backdrop for us tonight, its where we begin with our chief Foreign Affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell covering it all for us. Andrea good evening. Reporter good evening, brian. The cuban people clearly want this to work. But for the president s new opening to become reality, both sides have to overcome decades of mistrust. She is the highest ranking u. S. Diplomat to go to cuba in 38 years, leaving miami for havana this morning. Assistant secretary of state roberta jacobson. Set to begin negotiations tomorrow to normalize relations with cuba. Her counterpart, a powerful cuban diplomat josefina vidal. That meeting took place in a constructive and respectful atmosphere. Reporter prompted by the opening president obama celebrated last night made possible in part by the freeing of american aide worker alan gross. Revolution, the bay of pigs bizarre cia attempts to assassinate fidel castro. The u. S. Economic blockade. The emotional tugofwar in both countries about who would get custody of a ship wrecked boy, elian gonzalez. A retired banker and his wife have seen it all and hope the talks will produce change. It will be for the first time and perhaps we will have really a new deal. Well see. Reporter Good Neighbors and a new deal. We need to move on. And the United States needs to move on. The major thing we got to fix is the economy. Everything comes out of the economy. Reporter tomorrow the two countries will first talk about opening embassies in havana and washington. Negotiating regular commercial flights will take longer, perhaps even a year. Then banking, credit, financial ties. Most challenging for the cuban government say observers universal access to the internet, exposing more people to a wider world. The hope is that tomorrows talks will pave the way for secretary of state kerry to come in a few months and finally a meeting in april, the first between cubas president raul castro and president obama. Brian . Andrea, i have to say given the flight we both took here today, given the sense of moment about this, it didnt feel like a big moment to be on it. I realized the assistant secretary went down the air stairs first and her assistant and that left me the third american walking down the stairs part of no delegation i didnt have time to reach for my phone. That i know of theres no photo of them setting foot and arriving, which is odd. Reporter we asked to take pictures and they did not want pictures. They want a lowkey approach. They truly do not know how this is going to go and talks start tomorrow and theyre optimistic. But they dont know what kind of reaction theyre going to get from the other side. All i know is we witnessed something happen here when the president finished last night in washington. Pretty cool. All day and all night. Andrea, thanks. Now to the story back home that has millions of people talking tonight because it has to do with the most popular sport in our country. This past weekend, for example, 50 million of us watched football. The big story in football is the footballs themselves. They might have been tampered with by the new England Patriots in their crushing of the colts. Nbcs ron mott is following all of it for us in glendale, arizona. The super bowl will be played 11 days from now. Reporter good evening to you. Eleven days before kickoff and the nfl is dealing with this growing controversy that is overshadowing the game tonight. And folks think this could linger long after a new champion is crowned. Espn citing Anonymous Sources reports that the nfl found 11 of 12 game balls used by the new England Patriots were under inflated, which could make the balls easier to throw and catch especially in the rain as was the case in sundays victory. The controversy over deflate gate as its called on social media, whether they tampered after they were inspected by the referee. I think its possible the curtain has been pulled back here on a whole series of things that go on behind the scenes that no one was really aware of. Reporter according to league rules, two hours before the game 12 balls from each team are checked by officials, measured and weighed to meet league specs and marked with the refs signature. Ten minutes before the game given to ball runners on both sidelines where they remain. So how could it happen . In just a few seconds someone carrying a small pump needing like this can insert it into the ball and release pressure. Enough to gain an edge even if its barely noticeable. Nfl rules do not govern access to footballs during games but stipulate if any individual alters the footballs, they face discipline including fines. I believe the loss of draft picks might be in play. I believe a suspension for the head coach might be in play just depending on what kind of proof they have and even what kind of chain of custody they have on these stupid footballs. Theyve come this far. Theyve played good football. Why would they want to jeopardize it . Theyre cheaters. They should be punished for it. Reporter the patriots and coach Bill Belichick were heavily fined for spy gate in 2007 videotaping an opponents signals during the game. The patriots pushed the boundaries of the rules constantly. Most of the time they are within the realm of whats acceptable. This time it appears theyve gone outside it. Reporter while some colts players joke they would be happy to replace some players, dwaine allen said he could have played with soap and beat us. The coach says the team is cooperating and a League Official tells me they will release an update as soon as possible. And as you can see and hear the preparations are being made for the pro bowl game set to be here on sunday night. Ron mott, thanks. Now back to politics and things geopolitical. Fresh off his state of the union address, as we mentioned a few moments ago, president obama is hitting the road to sell the ideas he outlined last night with what some called a swagger that prompted sharp reports from republicans angling for his job, some of them. Our report tonight from our senior White House Correspondent chris jansing. Reporter its not where youd expect to find president obama on the day after his state of the union address. His first visit to idaho as president , a deeply conservative state where he got just a third of the vote in 2012. A banner reinforcing last nights message to the middle class. Im happy to start a conversation. Tell me how were going to do the things that need to be done. Reporter Moorehead State University is the latest stop in whats been an expended road trip recently for an energized combative president whose cheeky quip created last nights most viral moment. I have no more campaigns to run. [ applause ] my only agenda i know because i won both of them. Reporter headlines called it a zinger, a taunt, an epic putdown. Eight unscripted words in a message. The details generally penned by republicans. One rare exception, paul ryan. I agree with every word he said in the speech with respect to trade and asia. Reporter but ryan isnt running for president. Others who might be werent so supportive. It is time to move on beyond president barack obama. Some of the stuff, frankly, was difficult to listen to and keep a straight face. Reporter last night Hillary Clinton tweeted about an economy that works for all. And twice today the Vice President hinted he might run against her. To be blunt with you, i think i could do a good job, yes. Theres a chance. But i havent made my mind up about that. Reporter the list of candidates and political battles taking shape with 657 days still to go before the election. And a new political battle exploded today. House Speaker John Boehner invited israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress Without telling the white house. Thats an unprecedented breach in protocol and one that allows a foreign leader to stand in the house chambers and reject new sanctions for Irans Nuclear program. Brian . Chris jansing back at the white house tonight. Chris, thanks. Notably absent from state of the union last night was the Senate Minority leader, the democratic leader, harry reid. His office today revealed that he will undergo surgery next week in hopes of fully restoring vision to his right eye. The senator injured his eye, fractured bones in his face along with a couple of ribs when a piece of exercise equipment broke while working out on new years day. We have an update tonight on the Measles Outbreak and the trouble its spreading out west. It has spread now to five states with oregon now reporting a case. California, where this outbreak is believed to have started among visitors to disneyland at first, has 59 confirmed cases now. Colorado, utah, washington and new mexico are also reporting cases. One major reason for concern at least a handful of those afflicted have been vaccinated for the virus. And from havana tonight we have a bit of a caution for all those americans who may think that in a year or two this will all be different, teaming with american tourists and big american brand names. Id like you to hear part of a conversation i had today with a 26yearold. Her name is paola laura mendi. She has a biology degree but works as a freelance producer here which is how we met her. She chooses to stay in cuba, live in cuba, when most of her own family in fact has left for the United States. And as youll hear she loves her country while seeing its faults. How long will it take until cuba is ready for thousands and thousands its going to take so long. Its going to be so hard because the first people we have to train is the people. Educate to understand why what do we have to do to respond to that in a good way. Other members of your family have left for the United States. Why not you . Is. I think i always knew whats happening now has to happen at some point. And i really wanted to stay for it because i know its going to be so good, so rich. And i really love being in my country. I love my people. And i think i would feel empty if i left because i have so many friends that left and came back and when they came back they have so changed. How does america change people you know whove been to america . I think its the lifestyle. Its so rush. Its so fast. Its so consuming. Its more about my job is, i earn that much, i just bought a shirt that is 300. When americans are here and planes and hotels and the cars are 2015 cars and not 1958 cars, what happens to the revolution . Cuba is not the revolution. When you talk about cuba, you dont have to talk about the revolution. Revolution is the moment in your story. People have been dragging it for years and years, but revolution is something in the moment and then its gone. Do you understand that . Uhhuh. Now were having new revolution. Americans come to cuba and its renewing the revolution for the country. We have been waiting for this. Young people are born, we dont share this thinking of our fathers or our grandfathers. So that billboard i just passed on the way from the airport with Young Fidel Castro saying the revolution lives on, thats what you mean were living in it now. Were living in it now. The view of a young cuban who wants to be here to see whats going to happen next. Still ahead for us tonight, big Financial News that affects every american with a mortgage and those who are even considering buying a home the change could save millions of families a lot of money. Also a spectacular view very few americans have ever seen because they havent been allowed to until now. The boom and the cranes that are on the move here in cuba. As we said before the break, there is Financial News and it affects millions of american homeowners. The Mortgage Bankers Association Reports applications for new mortgages are suddenly surging up 63 from this time a year ago. Driven they say, almost entirely by people taking advantage of lower Interest Rates. And the experts say there may be no better time to refinance than right now. We get our report tonight from nbcs tom costello. Reporter for Many Americans its suddenly getting cheaper to make the payments on their biggest investment. A year ago a 30year Mortgage Loan averaged 4. 5 . Today its down to 3. 81 , even lower for 15year loans. California Mortgage Broker is swamped with refi applications. Rates have dropped a half a percent in the last 60 days, and everybodys running to take advantage of it. Reporter the lower rates mean bill and jerry grimes should save enough to renovate a bathroom. They just refinanced in december, now theyre refiing again. Its just been amazing. I didnt expect this to happen at this time and this quickly. Reporter when should you refinance . Experts say if Interest Rates are at least half a percentage point lower than rate youre currently paying. It may be smart to do the math. A family with a 30year 300,000 mortgage at 4. 5 pays about 1367 a month. But at 3. 8 that Monthly Payment drops by 150. Total savings over the life of the loan 22,575. And market analysts believe Interest Rates will stay low or could go even lower over the coming months. Surprisingly, nearly half of consumers dont comparison shop for the best possible loan rate. You should shop. If youre shopping for shoes, you should definitely shop for something thats your single largest investment. Reporter advice from experts, its better to refi now than to hope rates will go lower. Back in a moment, as promised, with a big secret a lot of partners have been keeping from each other. Those j. D. Power awards, its not a coveted title as travelers see it. But every year we learn which airport is named the busiest. And the title has mostly gone back and forth in recent years between hartsfield in atlanta and ohare in chicago. Well, the results are out for 2014 and when passenger and cargo traffic are combined, congratulations are in order again for chicago. Ohare back on top for the first time in a decade. More than 881,000 arrivals and departures last year. Thousands of people cant drink the water in the town of glendive in northeastern montana. In the water supply, officials have found benzine which can cause cancer at three times the level safe for consumption. This is downstream from the site of a 50,000gallon oil spill over the weekend. Emergency responders have trucked in bottled water for the people there. And about the environment, thick ice is now slowing up the cleanup effort. This next item will no doubt cause a lot of hubbub in a lot of american households tonight. A new report is claiming one in five americans have spent 500 or more on something without telling their partner about it. And more than 7 million americans are apparently hiding bank or credit card accounts from their loved one. And men, according to this report, do that a lot more than women by a couple million americans. As we said, bound to cause hubbub. When we come back, there arent many places left on the planet that most americans just have not seen yet, but one of them is a twohour drive from here. As we leave you here tonight and as we prepare to leave cuba, we want to show you something few americans have seen. Its a twohour drive from here and its one of the more spectacular beaches here because of the u. S. Travel ban, americans were until recently, prevented from going to the beach in cuba. So this is a place mostly canadians and europeans know about. Its the kind of place the u. S. Tourism industry dreams about. The beaches are white, the water is clear, and that would be a golf course in castros cuba. This is not the old havana with cars from the 50s and facades that havent been touched since the turn of the century. This is varadero beach, the number one Tourist Destination in cuba, 90 miles to the east of havana. Highend hotel resort properties funded in part by big money from europe frequented by a lot of tourists from great britain, germany and canada and part of a booming Construction Business on this end of the island. The people are friendly. And, you know, its fun to end all that, you know, the embargo. Reporter when our correspondent Gabe Gutierrez visited just yesterday, he actually found an american tourist from boston in fact who used his swiss passport to get here. I think, yeah, its good. For the country, for the people this place is sort of stuck in time. Reporter this life is out of reach from most of those who live in cuba. And cubas critics say money like this will only keep the regime in power. The golf club is next to the estate once owned by the dupont family. And many who are here enjoying it all, taking it all in, get the distinct feeling that by being here now, they are beating the rush. Want to come back in 10 15 years and see how it has changed, how much has changed. A lot of people weve spoken to have good thoughts and bad thoughts. It will be nice to see how it actually works out. Reporter so much change here in the past few years. The history we witnessed on that arriving aircraft today may drive a lot more of that change in the years to come. And thats our broadcast on this wednesday night. Thank you for being with us. Im Brian Williams reporting tonight from havana, cuba. We hope to see you back home in new york tomorrow evening. Good night. Right now at 6 00 an illegal casino offering in a neighborhood, and our sources say its just one of many. Good evening and thank you for joining us. Im jessica aguirre. No need to travel. There may be a slot machine on your block. In that neighborhood with a story you will see only on nbc. Damian, Police Telling you its not the only one across the bay. Thats right. Neighbors tell me theyre shocked but at the same time not surprised at what was happening next door. These are pictures obtained by the nbc bay area of the alleged casino. They were taken inside this home on south capitol avenue a home that included surveillance cameras, locks and two pit bulls. I have no idea how they got away with it for so long. You had no idea . I had no idea. He owned the Auto Parts Store next door. He wondered why there were so many people coming and going from the home some asking him for change. They came in and asked me to change money, and i said no i cant be doing changing. I kicked them out. The parking stalls meant for customers were always taken up by people going inside the alleged
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