Is nbc nightly news with lester holt. Good evening. Two americans being held in north korea are on their way home to the United States tonight. Freed this morning after a secret mission by this countrys top intelligence official. Kenneth bae in prison for two years and Matthew Miller held in north korea for seven months are flying back to the United States with u. S. Director of National Intelligence james clap who are made the trip to pyongyang earlier this week to secure their release. Clapper is the highest ranking american official to travel to the reclusive nation in 14 years. While todays news is cause for celebration for both mens families, the exact nature of the talks that led to their release remains in secrecy. We have two reports beginning with nbcs Chris Jansing at the white house. Reporter good evening, lester. The official u. S. Government statement said simply theyre on their way home. Quite an understated admission. Adding to the intrigue the man who helped win bae and millers release is americas top spy, james clapper. Hes on the plane with them right now on the last leg of their journey to freedom. The long nightmare for kenneth bae and Matthew Todd Miller ended dramatically, like something out of a spy novel, the secret character to win their release is americas top intelligence official, james clapper. After abruptly canceling a meeting in new york, he flew to pyongyang for negotiations. This was the final step in a very well choreographed ballet. This was something that had been predetermined. So there was no real uncertainty when he arrived in pyongyang as to the fact that he was going to bring these two guys back. Reporter baes family campaigned tirelessly for his return and said in a statement, we have been waiting for and praying for this day for two years. Our thanksgiving celebration this year will be one we will never forget. A wonderful day for them, their families. Very grateful for their safe return. Reporter miller had been arrested this spring after reportedly ripping up his visa at the airport, charged with espionage and sentenced to hard labor. Bae, an american missionary, had been held for two years, in a labor camp and then in a hospital in failing health. But he sent a message to his family back in february. I havent lost hope or given up. Reporter the release comes weeks after Jeffrey Fowle returned to his family after six months in north korea. He spoke to us by phone. Im very happy all three americans are back home, or on their way back home at least. Thats a good thing. Reporter their release leaves no known prisoners in north korea, cloaked in secrecy with an unpredictable leader whachlt is still an open question is north koreas motive in all this and does it mark a broader shift in policy for this country. Lester. Nbcs Chris Jansing tonight, chris, thanks. Our chief Foreign Affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell has more now on todays release and what was whiend it. Should we review this release in the context of a Bigger Picture . Reporter lester, good evening. Officials say no. The top spy to americas mysterious armed missions the cia has not been able to penetrate does not signal a diplomatic opening. General james clapper, im told, did not meet with kim jongun. But they tell me that the u. S. Spy chief was carrying a brief message from president obama to him. Im told the message was short and to the point. But the general was the president s personal envoy just to bring home the two americans. U. S. Officials are saying this does not mean a warming of relations. They say that will not happen until north korea stops violating agreements to get rid of its Nuclear Weapons program and stops launching missile tests. In another big obstacle, by the way, to normalizing relations north korea has just been found guilty of horrendous human rights abuses at its notorious prison camps by the u. N. And is facing condemnation by international tribunal, an issue experts say has been worrying the north korean regime. Its significant that general clapper is the first cabinet official to go to pyongyang since Madeleine Albright in 2000. Even though john kerry was nearby in neighboring beijing, it was decided not to send a diplomat. President obama announced a historic choice to be the countrys chief official, he nominated Loretta Lynch the top federal prosecutor in brooklyn to be the next attorney genre placing eric holder who is stepping down. We get more tonight from nbcs kristen dahlgren. Reporter flanked by president obama and outgoing attorney general eric holder, Loretta Lynch accepted the nomination for what the president called the peoples lawyer. I will work every day to safeguard our citizens, our liberties, our rights and this great nation which has given so much to me and my family. Reporter the 55yearold is currently the u. S. Attorney for eastern new york, known for tough convictions like the new York Police Officer who assaulted louima. She might be the only lawyer who battles monsters and terrorists and still has the reputation of being a charming peoples person. Reporter the daughter of a librarian and minister, lynch is a wife and stepmother, harvard educated. And if confirmed would be the first africanamerican woman to hold the post. Significant to civil rights leaders who the next attorney general will oversee federal investigations including the one in ferguson, missouri. I think Loretta Lynch certainly satisfies all of us that she will continue in the same vain that eric holder had began. Reporter while the president urged a speedy confirmation, republicans may not be as quick to push lynch through a lame duck congress. Senator Charles Grassley saying to expect a fair but thorough vetting. While Mitch Mcconnell said her nomination should be considered in the new congress. What could be a high power partisan battle shaping up over a woman the president says has always been more about making a difference than making headlines. Kristen dahlgren, nbc news, new york. In iraq today a series of bombings in and around baghdad killed more than 40 people, just the latest attacks in a wave of violence. At least some being tied to isis militants. It comes one day after the United States announced a significant escalation of its role in iraq authorizing an increase in the number of u. S. Troops from 1,400 to almost 3,000. For more on the expanding u. S. Mission in iraq, we turn to retired fourstar general and nbc news military analyst barry mccaffrey. This role were told will be training iraqi troops. So my questions to you are, havent we already done that . And will it make a difference . Well, its hard to imagine, you know, onequarter of the iraqi army took off like wild hairs leaving their billions of dollars worth of u. S. Tanks and aircraft up in mosul. So training isnt the issue. The problem is political reliability, the quality of their leadership and then finally the big mission to us, lester, is the security of our 5,000plus people at the u. S. Embassy in baghdad. This is a dangerous situation. Well, what kind of force would be required to turn the tide in this . And of course you cant ask that without talking about the possibility of Mission Creep on the part of the u. S. Well, you know, i think the administration very sensitive about the boots on the ground and Mission Creep criticism, but the bottom line to all this is, you know, thank god for u. S. Air and naval power. They are hammering the isis insurgents particularly when they mass around places like kobani. But at the end of the day its a ground battle. And the iraqi army is unreliable, theyre a shiite repressive force. There are shiite militias that are menacing the sunni population. Iraq has come apart. Its hard to imagine that the iraqi armys going to put it back together again. A sober assessment. General mccaffrey thanks so much for being with us. Good to be with you, lester. Theres new outrage in mexico tonight after authorities there announced that dozens of College Students missing for six weeks are now presumed dead in what appears to be a horrific mass murder. The students were abducted in the Southwest City of iguala. We get more from nbcs Gabe Gutierrez from mexico city. Reporter the mass murder of 43 College Students was chilling. Mexican Authorities Say drug gang members confessed they packed bodies so tightly into a dump truck that 15 young men suffocated to death. The rest were shot, the bodies burned for 15 hours then dumped along the river. It was obscene. I mean, its absolutely barba c barbaric. Reporter the students went missing six weeks ago sparking nationwide protests. Even for a country used to drug violence and disappearances, more than 26,000 over a sixyear period, these kidnappings have struck a nerve. These were just students. On september 26th a group of firstyear students drove to a protest in iguala, a city three hours outside the capital. Prosecutors say the mayor and his wife, a coupl ee later handed the remaining 43 a cartel. He barely escaped. The Police Wanted to kill us, he told me. Federal authorities did not launch an investigation until ten days after the students went missing. And riots broke out. This is the inside of iguala city hall after the students disappeared protesters set it on fire. Its become a grim reminder of the viviolence that has shaken this city. Now detained, 74 people including dozens of local police, the mayor and his wife. This event that kind of reminds us all that organized crime is very continues to have a very strong presence in certain parts of the country. And theyre very much linked to politics and politicians. Reporter the students seen in this school video smiling a month before they disappeared. His father, a farmer, says his only son recently enrolled at the college in search of a better life. Tonight he is being remembered by a nation outraged by this massacre. Gabe gutierrez, nbc news, mexico city. In this country a fourth teenager has died after being shot by a classmate two weeks ago at a high school in washington state. 15yearold Andrew Fryberg was among those shot when his cousin, jaylen fryberg, opened fire at a group of students sitting in the cafeteria. The shooter also died after turning his gun on himself. Much of the countrys about to see a big change in the weather as a huge wave of cold air starts to descend from canada with High Temperatures well below average. Weather channel meteorologist mike seidel is in minneapolis watching it all for us. Mike, what are we looking at here . Reporter hey, lester. Just about everyone in the eastern twothirds of the country is looking at their temperatures taking a nose dive. Here in the midwest were talking about shivering and shoveling. We have winter storm watches across parts of minnesota and wisconsin. A swath of snow spreading east sunday night and monday. Could be as much as a foot of snow for many the first time you have to shovel. Chicago, you get off easy, no snow this time. The biggest impact will be the blast of arctic air. Look at these monday highs in the 20s. Nearly 25 degrees below average. On tuesday its a blue norther, a cold wind sweeping into texas with crashing temperatures. But look at that High Temperature in casper, only 12 degrees. The big chill continues to move east wednesday. Chicago struggles to freezing. And the first subzero lows are likely in the high plains. Back here in minneapolis st. Paul, were forecasting at least 11 Straight Days below freezing. That would tie the second longest stretch on record in november. Lester. Mike seidel for us tonight. Thank you. When nbc nightly news continues, the new research on kids and sleep. What were learning about how they change. What were learning about how they change. Later, one clear huh . My nutritional standards are high. Im not juice or fancy water. Ive got 8 grams of protein. Twist my lid thats three times more than me. 17 vitamins and minerals. And zero fat hmmmm. You bring a lot to the party yay new ensure active clear protein. 8 grams protein. Zero fat. 17 vitamins and minerals. In delicious blueberry pomegranate and mixed fruit. Take life in. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. Everybody knows that. Well, did you know genies can be really literal . No. What is your wish . No. Ok. A million bucks oh no. Geico. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. Its in this spirit that ingu u. S. Is becoming a new kind of company. One that helps you think differently about whats ahead, and whats possible when you get things organized. Ing u. S. Is now voya. Changing the way you think of retirement. Doctors have been prescribingdecade, nexium to patients just like you. For many, prescription nexium helps heal acidrelated erosions in the lining of the esophagus. There is risk of bone fracture and low magnesium levels. Side effects may include headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. If you have persistent diarrhea, contact your doctor right away. Other serious stomach conditions may exist. Avoid if you take clopidogrel. Nexium 40 mg is only available by prescription. Talk to your doctor. For free home delivery, enroll in nexium direct today. If you have kids at home, then youre probably all too familiar with the challenges they face in getting enough sleep and getting through the school day. New research out this week found that the problem only gets worse as kids get older. We get more on all this tonight from nbcs miguel almaguer. Reporter its the sound so many of us dread every morning. For 9yearold fin li riley, an early start even on this saturday. Good morning baby girl. Reporter like so many children her age, shes getting less sleep every year. Howd you sleep . Reporter school days are never easy. Sometimes i just want to throw my head on my desk and just fall asleep at school. Reporter experts say finley is part of a growing trend of children going to school fatigued and losing valuable sleep as they age. A new study from Brown University tracked 94 children for two years. Researchers found the typical 9yearold falls asleep 00yea 9 28 p. M. But by age 11 their bedtime naturally shifts to 10 00. 15yearolds went to bed just after 10 30. Two years later they too stayed up an extra 30 minutes. Problem is the morning bell time at school stays the same. We end up in a position of chronic insufficient sleep. Reporter studies show the lost sleep affects academic performance and could contribute to obesity. Its estimated 40 of high schools in the u. S. Start school before 8 00 a. M. Good morning teachers and students. Reporter this year more schools like this one in South Carolina are following recommendations from the American Academy of pediatrics, sliding its start time from 7 45 a. M. To 8 35. I definitely think i see effects of sleep in them. Would love to see them have a few extra hours. I have the alarm go off, just like, oh, i want to get back in bed. Reporter no matter how old you are, getting out of bed may never be easy. Miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. Up next, getting life saving medical equipment to those in need. Soon it could arrive by drone. woman the constipation and belly pain feel like a knot. How can i ease this pain . man when i cant go, its like bricks piling up. I wish i could find some relief. announcer ask your doctor about linzess a oncedaily capsule for adults with ibs with constipation or chronic idiopathic constipation. Linzess is thought to help calm painsensing nerves and accelerate bowel movements. It helps you proactively manage your symptoms. Do not give linzess to children under 6, and it should not be given to children 6 to 17. It may harm them. Dont take linzess if you have a bowel blockage. Get immediate help if you develop unusual or severe stomach pain especially with bloody or black stools the most common side effect is diarrhea, sometimes severe. If its severe, stop taking linzess and call your doctor right away. Other side effects include gas, stomacharea pain and swelling. Bottom line, ask your doctor about linzess today. Does your mouth often feel dry . Multiple medications, a dry mouth can be a side effect of many medications. But it can also lead to tooth decay and bad breath. Thats why theres biotene, available as an oral rinse, toothpaste, spray or gel. Biotene can provide soothing relief and it helps keep your mouth healthy too. Remember, while your medication is doing you good, a dry mouth isnt. Biotene, for people who suffer from a dry mouth. But when we start worrying about tomorrow, we miss out on what matters today. At axa, we offer advice and help you break down your retirement goals into small, manageable steps. Because when you plan for tomorrow, it helps you live for today. Can we help you take a small step . For advice, retirement, and life insurance, connect with axa. For aintroducingrement, and life insurance, a pm pain reliever that dares to work all the way until the am. New aleve pm the only one with a sleep aid. Plus the 12 hour strength of aleve. Ever wonder what it looks like from inside of a water bubble . The astronauts aboard the International Space station did. So they stuck a gopro vitd owe camera inside one and got to see for themselves as the bubble and camera floated around in weightlessness. It was actually a serious side to the exercise to better understand how water behaves in space. Looks like it was fun though. As weve seen in recent years, the use of unmanned drones is becoming more and more common especially in the military and increasingly in business. In the netherlands one man is testing another use that might help save lives in medical emergencies. We get the story tonight from nbcs ayman mohyeldin. Reporter its the difference between life and death. I think he had a heart attack. Reporter waiting for paramedics to arrive, agonizing minutes. But life saving help may be coming from above. 23yearold belgian student came up with the idea of a life saving ambulance drone as a graduation project. With its builtin defibrillator, a camera can see realtime instructions provided by emergency operators. All designed to save time shaving long minutes off the average Response Time of a street ambulance. His Research Suggests the ambulance drone could dramatically increase chances of surviving a heart attack. Most people they hear the word drone and associate it with killings and death. Youre trying to change that. Yes. So im trying to change this perception that drones cannot only do those bad things, but can also do very good things for our society. Reporter for years drones have been used by the u. S. Military as lethal killing machines, but now more and more companies are trying to expand how theyre used. Dominos is experimenting with drones to deliver pizza. Amazon. Com is developing a drone delivery system. And farmers are using drones to help protect their fields, in this case from wasps. And while the ambulance drone is just a prototype and a few years away from actually saving lives, it has already changed one life. Youre a popular guy on campus these days, right . At the moment im very popular, yeah. But, yeah, that definitely changed my life. And a lot of companies are contacting me. But my first purpose is to see how we can take this to the next step. Reporter the next step maybe, but more likely the next flight. Ayman mohyeldin, nbc news, the netherlands. Were back in a moment with some food for thought. How to keep Young Offenders from landing back in ja [ male announcer ] over time, youve come to realize. [ starter ] ready [ starting gun goes off ] [ male announcer ] its less of a race. Yeah [ male announcer ] and more of a journey. Keep going strong. And as you look for a Medicare Supplement insurance plan. Expect the same kind of commitment you demand of yourself. 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Tum, tum tum tum. Smoothies only from tums. Finally tonight, some of the tastiest food around is being served up by an Unlikely Group of young people finding a road to success right on the road. Heres nbcs rehema ellis. Reporter the booming food truck business is changing peoples eating habits. I got the Grilled Cheese and the brussels sprouts. Reporter it just sounds good. Its so good. Reporter but this truck in new york city is also changing lives. This is my first job ever in my life. Reporter this is the first honest, legal job youve ever had in your life . Yes. Reporter 24yearold Christopher Thomas got into trouble at a very young age. This is terrific. After multiple incarcerations, chris was selected to participate in a new Nonprofit Program called drive change, given a Second Chance to learn gourmet cooking. And now he helps operate snow day, a stateoftheart food truck. A recipe to help young exoffenders find jobs, cooked up by jordan lexon while Teaching High School at new yorks rikers island, a city jail. 70 of the young people i worked with, 16, 17 and 18yearold young men were recycling back into the system. Reporter its a nationwide problem. Two out of every three released prisoners are rearrested within three years. Warrant waterman knows the challenges. I know nothing in life is easy. Reporter he spent 13 years behind bars. I know what its like to be young and having felony convictions on my record and trying to find a job and having countless doors close. Reporter but waterman didnt give up. In jail and after he took courses and earned a business degree. He owns a Catering Company and now mentors the team of 12. Im contributing to make them look at things from a different perspective. When you put your mind to something, no matter what it is you can push through, you can persevere, you can succeed. Reporter the snow day team spends eight months learning the business, marketing, social media and Money Management all while earning a livable wage. Is the Food Truck Team making a difference in your lives . Were making money and thats motivation to not be on the streets and stay out of trouble. Its definitely a gamechanger to me and everyone. I want people to know to never give up. That theres always hope out there. Reporter one young team with a truckload of determination to make a fresh start. Rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. Thats nbc nightly news for this saturday. Im lester holt reporting from new york. Ill see you tomorrow morning on today and then right back here tomorrow evening. Good night. Lets go. Wow. The blitz is back for the playoffs, emotions running high. The scoring plays are exciting. Theres lots of intrigue as we bring you the very best sights and sounds of High School Football in our area. Welcome to the high school blitz. Im john clark. Im jillian mele. Conference championships t start of playoff football. Even the Oldest High School rivalry in the nation. Were pumped. Were going to begin in phillys public league. They moved a step closer to crowning the champions. Public semifinal, simon grass on the run against Martin Luther king