marines who took down the flag more than five decades ago. >> never thought i would be going back, but i welcome the chance. >> i'm going to love seeing that flag go back up. >> yeah, i think about it every night now. seeing the flag go back up. it means a lot. >> the ceremonial reopening of the u.s. embassy in one of the world's few remaining communist dictatorships does not come without controversy. cuban dissidents, pro-democracy who forms america's primary link to 50 years are not invited to the flag raising. while a hand 46 picked group will meet with secretary kerry today, it will be behind closed doors. they say it will give the u.s. a chance to reach out to all cubans. >> we want to be able to engage with, again, cubans across the aisle and in the government, on the street, in civil society, wherever we can. >> i want to bring in two of my colleagues who are in havana this morning, lester holt and nbc's chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell. what's your impression of how -- good morning -- how the cuban people are dealing and reacting to what's going to happen there today, no doubt a historic event? >> i have only been here a few hours so i don't have a complete accurate read. there's a sizable crowd here around the embassy grounds right now. a smattering of americans but a lot of cubans who have come here, curious to watch this moment. everything being staged. just before dawn, they put up the signage on the building, the embassy of the united states of america. and of course, the flag to be raised here. so i think everyone recognizes it's a significant moment in relati relations. as i noted earlier, it's not the total burying of a hatchet. there's still a lot of major issues between the time-out countries but it's billed as an opening. they have the platform, the apparatus to speak to one another. >> andrea, you have been following and covering this story from the beginning almost. what was the deciding factor in how thing s got to where they ae today? >> well, fascinating backstory. i want to point out, because you have been looking at pictures of john kerry. he's off the crutches for this trip, at least so far today. you can see him using a cane, and it was teddy kennedy's cane. obviously, from the kennedy family, offered to him. so such a great symbol, symbolic gesture. as we all know, the history of the kennedy family, john f. kennedy, and that's when relations were broken back in 1961. more symbolism, is john kerry bringing with him three marines, the former marines who lowered the flag in 1961. and they will hand the flag in the ceremony within the next hour or so, handing the flag to the marines now on duty at the newly opened embassy to raise the stars and stripes. there's a lot of symbolism. as you point out, correctly, they have not, and kerry will acknowledge this in the speech, we're understanding, that they have not buried all of the past disputes. they haven't healed the wounds. there's a lot of work to be done. the united states is not going to interfere in cuba's decisions as to whether it turns into a democracy. that is a big step from where cuba is today. and the fact that the dissidents have not been invited. the "washington post" editorialized today saying the fact there's not enough room here is a lame excuse, the words of the "washington post" editorial page. there's going to be a lot of criticism. kerry is going to deflect it in his speech, but he's going to have to answer questions about it. he did say to you he's going to go out to old havana restored with u.n. money because of the trade embargo. and he's going to walk about and try to meet people, whether he can actually engage with people given all the security and the celebrity, it remains to be seen. we should also point out, fidel castro turned 89 yesterday. still photos today of him withava morales and others from the region, his close friends, and he's still invoking the past, not the future. we, by the way, talked to young people, our producers have been on the ground here. and the millennials are really looking forward to change. they want to see a difference in cross-strait visits. they want to see better careers for them with better economic engagement with the mainland, with the u.s. >> and of course, that's not even discussing the issue of what their politics and, you know, the lack of freedom that exists there that a lot of people want to see changes there. lester, either way you cut this, it's pretty extraordinary to see you and andrea and others in a place that for 55 years has been quite clearly an enemy of the united states of america, and yet today, that flag, the american flag, is going to be raised just a couple yards from where you all are standing. >> well, certainly for people of my age, i call myself a child of the cold war. it's absolutely significant. andrea has been here. this is my first time here. certainly checking one off my journalistic bucket list, but also personally. those of us who remember the berlin wall falling and now this. and the sweeping changes. and we were commenting earlier, what a year it's been. the same year that this overture was made, this opening, we watches the historic nuclear agreement with iran. that negotiation. so we're witnessing so much in such a short amount of time. >> and if i could point out, jose, kerry is going to make reference to the fact that he was in hanoi only last week. he fought in the vietnam war, of course. memorably was a protester afterwards against the war. but the fact is, as he has repeatedly said, we have diplomat ic relations with almot 200 countries around the world. many of them communist or totalitarian. the fact we have diplomatic relations with cuba now, full diplomatic relations does not mean we have full economic relations certainly. the toughest embargo in the world is on this country, not north korea, this country. not on iran, even. so this is a step, but we don't have just diplomatic relations with friends and allies. and he's hoping there could be more people to people and government to government relationships. >> andrea mitchell and lester holt, thank you both for being with me this morning. i so appreciate your time. thank you. >> you bet. i want to bring in one of the most fovocal critics of the deal, ileana ros lehtinen. >> i didn't get my invitation to go to cuba. it must have been lost in the mail. >> you called kerry's trip part of a, quote, global capitulation tour. what should the u.s. be doing differently? why not start something, as andrea was saying, that for 56 years has had an embargo in place and that same dictatorship continues even with the embargo. why not try something new? >> because we should tell the castro brothers, why don't you try something new? try democracy, try human rights. try freedom of the press. you know, i think it's shameful that the american flag that is the most beautiful flag in the world, it stands for freedom and democracy and human rights, and it's going to be hoisted in a ceremony where not a single cuban dissident has been invited. we have actually disinvited all of the dissidents, all of the opposition leaders and the administration uses one of two lame excuses. first they say, oh, because this is government to government. or else they say, oh, the room is just too small. they're invited to this massive eventilator in the afternoon, but that is not the same as, and most of them have turned that invitation down because they know it's a second-class invitation. we talk about how we're going to -- things are going to change for cuba. remember, the misery that is in place in cuba is not because of the u.s. embargo at all. there's no embargo on food and the cuban people are hungry. there's no embargo on medicine, and the cuban people lack medicine and good health care. it's because of the cuban regime that's there, and president obama once said, we will extend a helping hand once you unclench your fist. now, we're not even asking for anything in return. >> congress pm womwoman, i wanty for you what marco rubio said just this morning about today's events. >> as a symbol of just how backward this policy shift has turned out to be, not a single cuban dissident has been invited to today's official flag raising ceremony. at the new u.s. embassy in havana. cuban dissidents have fought for decades for the very democratic principles president obama claims to be advancing through these concessions. their exclusion from this event has insured it will be little more than a propaganda rally for the castro regime. >> now, congresswoman, the secretary told me, secretary kerry, that of course, and you just referenced it, there will be an opportunity to meet with some dissidents behind closed doors afterwards. let me, if i could, deal with the bigger picture, which is this. the united states has diplomatic relations with china, not exactly the poster child for democracy. it has relationships with vietnam, where more than 50,000 americans lost their lives. it has diplomatic relations with countries that are never going to get the seal of approval of being good democracies, and yet, why and why only should the united states not have relations with cuba? >> well, look, i am not here to apologize for china or vietnam. i vote against them each and every time in the united states congress. i think that's the wrong move. however, one could make the case, jose, that the economy in china is open, that the american businesses are doing business in cuba. it is not the embargo that has prevented u.s. businesses from doing business in cuba. cuba doesn't want u.s. businesses there. if you were to open up your business, you know what you would have to do? you would have to go through the regime, and they would actually own the land, own the property. they would hire the workers. you pay the regime, the regime paid the worker in undervalued pesos. it's a totally different system. they don't even have economic freedom in cuba. our flag stands for a lot more than just the bottom line and cash. i know a lot of american businesses are thinking, wow, i'm going to go there and open up a new market. remember, castro owns everybody a lot of money, and the cuban people will wake up on saturday and say, what is different? nada. >> congresswoman, thank you very much for being with me. >> thank you. >> i appreciate your time. >> our coverage of the flag raising ceremony over the u.s. embassy in cuba will continue in a couple minute. for now, i'm going to send it back to frances rivera in new york for some of today's other top stories. >> always good to see you. and now we're also watching this at this hour. presidential candidates from both parties are descending on iowa at the state fair. you're looking at live pictures of jeb bush in iowa at this moment talking to reporters as he works his way through the crowd. they're talking about how important iowa is. the state fair is an election season tradition that can be a launching pad to victory or an opportunity for embarrassing gaffes. the pressure is on for jeb bush and also hillary clinton with new speculation that former vice president al gore might be considering entering the race. this comes amid a report from the associated press on the content of the two e-mails from clinton's private server that an inspector general has deemed top secret. the state department has yet to determine if it agrees with the intelligence community's assessment. they were classified at the time they were sent. joining me now from washington is nbc news white house correspondent kristen welker. always good to see you. first, talk a little bit about what's reportedly in the e-mails, specifically when it comes to talk about drones. >> great to see you. the a.p. is reporting two of the e-mails on hillary clinton's private server include a discussion of a news article detailing a u.s. drone operation and a separate conversation that could point back to highly classified material in an improper manner. now the report states that clinton did not send those e-mails herself and clinton has consistently said she never knowingly transmitted classified information. still, it's one more reason the democratic race seems to be shaking up. with ongoing questions about hillary clinton's private e-mail, new reports this morning that former vice president al gore could be informally considering getting back into the game. buzz feed reporting that gore, who lost to george w. bush in 2000, is having conversations with supporters to see if there's a path financially and politically, but a high-level democratic source tells nbc news there's nothing substantive happening. however, the current vice president seems to be giving it some serious thought. according to two democratic sources, vice president biden, who is vacationing in south carolina, has started to reach out to close friends and allies to discuss a possible run, including what it would take to start this late. still, all of the quiet conversations aside, hillary clinton's e-mail issue has made some democrats jittery. democrat martin o'malley already in iowa for the state fair, telling kelly o'donnell -- >> do you think the clinton e-mail issue provides an opening? >> i think that people are hungry for an alternative. >> meanwhile, the republicans wasted no time capitalizing on speculation the democratic field could get bigger. >> there's a lot of disarray in the democratic party. i'm sure that people like joe biden and al gore are seriously considering it. >> for her part, clinton will try to turn the page in iowa this weekend and she'll have plenty of company with most candidates expected to turn out to court key voters and perhaps enjoy some of those signature treats. now, the clinton campaign says they have no way of confirming if that a.p. report is accurate, but they stress the part of the report that says clinton did not transmit the sensitive information herself. meanwhile, just to put that speculation about al gore into a little bit of context, his name has been floated as a possible candidate in every contested democratic primary since he lost back in 2000. >> watching al gore and also the vice president as well. kristen welker, thank you very much for us there in washington, d.c. we're just getting started on this very busy friday edition of "the rundown," taking a live look right now at havana, cuba, on this historic day at this hour, the american flag will be raises over the u.s. embassy over the crowds there are continuing to gather. jose will join us shortly and we'll have complete coverage throughout the show, including a report from havana. >> also, developing political news at home. jeb bush is at the iowa state fair today, a state where he is not fairing well in the polls. he'll speak there next hour. we'll bring you a live report straight ahead. >> plus, the united states believes isis is employing chemical weapons in iraq. we'll have the latest on this potentially startling escalation and the fight. all coming up right here on "the rundown." defiance is in our bones. new citracal pearls. delicious berries and cream. soft, chewable, calcium plus vitamin d. only from citracal. to breathe with copd?ow hard it can be it can feel like this. copd includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. spiriva is a once-daily inhaled copd maintenance treatment that helps open my airways for a full 24 hours. spiriva helps me breathe easier. spiriva respimat does not replace rescue inhalers for sudden symptoms. tell your doctor if you have kidney problems, glaucoma, trouble urinating, or an enlarged prostate. these may worsen with spiriva respimat. discuss all medicines you take, even eye drops. if your breathing suddenly worsens, your throat or tongue swells, you get hives, vision changes or eye pain or problems passing urine, stop taking spiriva respimat and call your doctor right away. side effects include sore throat, cough, dry mouth and sinus infection. nothing can reverse copd. spiriva helps me breathe better. to learn about spiriva respimat slow-moving mist, ask your doctor or visit spirivarespimat.com welcome back to "the rundown" on this historic day between the united states and cuba. but not without controversy. after 54 years, the u.s. flag will soon be raised at the american embassy in havana with secretary of state john kerry in attendance. gene ramirez with our affiliate is live outside the u.s. embassy in havana. good morning. >> good morning to you, jose. how are you doing? >> good. you have been talking with people who traveled from the united states to be in cuba this morning. what are they telling you? why have they decided to come? >> sure, there was one family that i met down in tampa, florida, where i flew from. they actually planned their trip four months ago. they were curious about cuba, as so many people in the states are right now. the timing just happened to be perfect. they were really excited because they were bringing their yun teenage son on the trip. he's about to start the school year, but the mom said what a learning experience to experience history in havana. i have also talked to people in the crowd who are from cuba who are excited, who are optimistic, but also have reservations. >> gene, you speak spanish. you can travel and talk to people. what do you think the expectations are infor the cuban people? is this step, which is no doubt historic, how do they see this step? what do they want to see? >> sure. well, ultimately, they want to see, people who have spoken to, the embargo coming to an end. they want more economic opportunities for themselves, for their children. some are still a little cautious, they have a little reservation when it comes to that, especially the young millennials i talked to, walking where lester was to my live location right now next to the u.s. embassy. some of these young people think they could still have better opportunities if they were to leave cuba and head to the u.s. something as simple as carrying an american flag they're doing without fear, but i interviewed a gentleman who told me he was okay with the american flag right now. tomorrow, not so much. as i was walking away from the interview, he gave me his government i.d. number. he said please check back on me in a couple days to make sure i'm okay. >> what was he fearing? >> carrying an american flag in cuba not long ago was a punishment offense. you could go to jail. they didn't give you an exact amount of time. he said one day they take you to jail for an american flag. the next day, it could be a longer term. i had a cab driver who was waving one from his rear-view mirror. he also had an american themed air freshener hanging there as well. i asked about it and he told me the same thing. long ago, you could go to jail. you can't buy them in cuba so the people who have american flags are getting them through friends in the united states. i heard one gentleman got it from a friend in colombia. they're protected today because the world's media is here, but there is concern they're not going to have these freedoms they're enjoying while the u.s. and world's eyes are on havana. >> gene ramirez, thank you very much for your time. frances rivera picks up things after the break from new york. i'll be anchoring telemundo's coverage of the u.s. flag raising ceremony in the embassy in havana. i'll rejoin the broadcast after the ceremony concludes. up next, frances will have other stories we're following today, including the devastation in china following the twin explosions. a glimmer of hope. we'll explain next on "the rundown." from bank of america to buy a new gym bag. before earning 1% cash back everywhere, every time and 2% back at the grocery store. even before he got 3% back on gas. kenny used his bankamericard cash rewards credit card to join the wednesday night league. because he 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