. these are live pictures you are looking at from columbia, the state's capitol. in moments the confederate flag will start coming down from that flag pole. it has been there for the last 15 years. the flag had flown over the capitol dome for decades before that. our diane eastabrook is live in columbia this morning. diane, tell us what is happening there right now, and what the mood is. >> reporter: well stephanie there are several thousand people here right now, we estimate maybe between 5 and 7,000 people. everyone is waiting for the honor guard and the governor to come out of the state house and begin the ceremony. we were supposed to start at 10:00, these things sometimes run a little bit behind. we don't know a whole lot about the ceremony. we know the flag is going to be taken down. there will be no music, and then the flag will be transported by an armored vehicle to the south carolina confederate relics room and military museum. many different people here in the crowd. there are people from out of state, people we ran into from north carolina, people from atlanta. this

carolina being under one flag -- the american flag. joining us from columbia south carolina we have cnn's don lemon. don, you had the first interview with nikki haley a short time ago after the flag came down. what did she say? >> she said a lot in that interview and it was probably the most personal interview that i have seen of her where, you know you interview governors and lawmakers and, you know they come off as politicians. she did not come off as a politician. she came off as someone who is very very human and very very touched by this. and i think the one word that she said was -- that i can say about this interview, i think, that she learned from this was empathy, empathy. how to walk in someone else's shoes. and she thinks that's what this is a lesson in. take a look. >> it's important for people to know what it's like to be in another person's shoes and if you watch the legislative debate, that's what happened. people put themselves in each other's shoes. so they understood what the respect of tradition and heritage was and that it wasn't about hate. but the other side also lea

like in south carolina, in virginia, in the district of columbia and they see what african-american communities endure

continues now. columbia south carolina this is the state house grounds, the capitol grounds. this flag will come down in just a short time. many have wanted it to come down for decades. thousands have gathered here in front of the state house on these grounds. this flag will be exactly what it should be a relic. it will go into the relic room, into a museum where people if they care to view it can go and view it. but it doesn't have to be in people's faces every single day when they walk here or pass the state house or pass the state capitol. i want to bring in now james mclawhorn who is the president of the columbia urban league. and also my colleague van jones joins me as well. what does this mean to you? >> this is a blessed day for us. 15 years ago we mobilized over 16,000 people. we had a coalition of faith, community and civic organizations that came out because we wanted this flag removed. this flag has had a negative averse impact on the aspirations and the expectations of south carolina particularly african american people. >> you know everybody doesn't see it that way. i

scooping up children along the way at the columbia heights community center on gerard street. police are still looking for the guy who started shooting. news4's jackie bensen is live in northwest with reaction. jackie? >> reporter: doreen, nothing describes the terror of this better than the woman you're about to hear from. she was at this playground with her 1-year-old and her 3-year-old. we're not showing her face. >> this is somewhere happy place, not somewhere where you're running, shielding children from bullets. >> reporter: it was just before noon and the newly remodelled playground at the columbia heights community center in girard northwest was bustling with people. most were young people, many of them participating in summer camps. it happened so fast. witnesses say a young man ran through the playground with a gun in his hand. then they say stood just inside the rear gate and began firing from the playground at some men in the alley. >> and my 3-year-old was just among the group. and i for sure looked for her first and grabbed her little baby arm. in the process i think i prob

-- indefinitely. don champion reports from columbia. >> reporter: crowds cheered and chanted as the confederate battle flag was lowered at the south carolina state capitol. [ chanting ] >> it is a relief. >> reporter: 57-year-old columbia native frances parker a descendant of slaved was among the thousand -- slaves was among the thousand who is watched the power -- thousands who watched the powerful moment in person. >> the flag is just a imboll that other -- symbol that others use and it perpetuates the hate. >> reporter: it ends years of controversy in the state over the divisive flag. >> it's one thing to read about you know history and current events that happened but it's another thing to live in the moment. >> reporter: the flag now heads to a museum. the flag pole will also be eventually removed but there's no timeline on when that will happen. debate over the flag kicked into high gear last month when a gunman seen posing with a confederate flag killed nine black parishioners at a church in charleston. [ applause ] south carolina governor haley used nine pens when signing th

columbia. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: a cheer erupted from a crowd of about 7,000 when the confederate flag was finally removed from the south carolina state house grounds today. the state patrol honor guard lowered the flag folded it up and it was transported to an area museum. this has really been a whirlwind week for the people of south carolina. less than two days ago the legislature voted to take town the flag and the governor signed it into law less than a day ago. this has been a very divisive issue here in south carolina, but a lot of people are here relishing the moment. >> diane eastabrook in columbia south carolina. >>> immediately after the flag came down president obama tweeted this: we're joined by a professor of african american history at queens college, and she said the flag will now be in its rightful place. >> as a professional historian, i don't want to do away with the historic legacy and importance of the civil war and its icons. i think they have a place, but i don't think outside of a national park or battlefield or museum that it should be left to k

from columbia. ron, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. all that remains of the confederate flag here now is the concrete slab behind that monument on the ground that the flag pole used to stand in. a flag that for more than 50 years as one editorial writer put it signaled to about a third of the state's population, the black population, that they did not matter and that there was absolutely nothing they could do about it. now today largely because of the massacre at mother emanuel church in charleston south carolina took that flag down. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: a massive outburst of emotion as south carolina brought down one of the most divisive symbols in the nation. as many as 10,000 jamming the streets around the state house for a dignified six-minute ceremony, there to bear witness. >> finally! >> a new chapter in south carolina's history. >> reporter: many wiped away tears, including governor nikki haley. an epic moment that happened many believe because nine innocent souls were massacred in their church and their relatives have shown grace and

columbia, south carolina. >>> people are stopping by the south carolina state capitol to get one last look at the confederate flag. john terry was a long-time supporter of the flag flying at the capitol. >> but i'm happy to say like the state have changed my views and i'm very glad that it's coming down. >> reporter: after more than 13 hours of debate, the south carolina house made history early this morning approving a bill that will remove the confederate flag and the pole from capitol grounds. >> i was very glad to hear it, very glad to see it. proud day for south carolina. >> reporter: once the flag is taken down, it's expected to be moved to a nearby civil war museum. the decision follows three weeks of protests and debate all sparked when nine churchgoers were massacred by a gunman who was seen posing with the confederate flag. the governor issued a statement saying, it's a new day in south carolina. she said a day that truly brings us together as we continue to heal. governor haley is scheduled to sign the bill this afternoon. the flag will be taken down friday morning. don champion

in columbia. >> the flag will be moved from the capital grounds here at 10:00 friday morning, not everyone is happy to see it go. >> reporter: the move gained momentum last month, following the deaths of nine black parishioners at the emanuel ame church in charleston. don champion, cbs news, columbia, south carolina. >> and there is a confederate flag debate brewing much closer to home. in alexandria the mayor says it is time to reconsider flying the stars and bars at a busy intersection. the city raises three of the flags at prince and washington streets on robert e. lee's birthday in january and on confederate memorial day in may. mayor bill ulle wants to put an end, and he expects the city council to take up the issue when they reconvene in september. >>> meanwhile people in emmettsburg, maryland are dealing with their own controversy on history in race. a world war i monument that was damaged in a car crash last month, they would list, and we're quoting here, "colored soldiers" at the bottom of the bronze plaque that they will consider a new plaque that is desegregated. >> and

years ago red by james earl jones. then on saturday morning, the capitol grounds in columbia, south carolina, a 30-year-old african-american woman named bree newsome scaled a flagpole and brought down the confederate flag. as she climbed down with the flag in hand, she said, in the name of god, this flag comes down today. >> in the name of god, this flag comes down today! amy: we were at the jail where bree newsome was taken in columbia. we will speak with the supporters who gathered there before her release. then we remember the legendary folk musician and activist pete seeger. >> realize that little things lead to bigger things. that is what it is all about in this wonderful parable in the new testament, the sower scattered seeds, some get stamped on and don't grow. some fall and the rocks and they don't grow. but some seeds fall on hallowed ground and they grow and multiply thousandfold. who knows where some good little thing that you have done may bring results years later that you never dreamed up. amy: all of that and more, coming up. this is democracy now! democracynow.org, t

-20 you would eventually find yourself in columbia south carolina and today roughly 10,000 people turned out into the streets to see history made after the legislature there voted this week and governor nikki haley signed legislation yesterday afternoon to take down the confederate battle flag on the grounds of the state capitol there. we have known this was coming for a couple days now but seeing it is different. history today. >> this is an nbc news special report. here's matt lauer. >> and good morning everyone. i'm matt lauer along with hoda kotb. history about to be made. the confederate flag on the grounds of the state house in columbia, a symbol of hate for many heritage for others is about to be taken down and moved to a museum. ron allen, can you hear me? >> yes. >> give me a sense of what you're seeing and hearing. >> i hear a lot of emotion. i see a lot of teary eyes. i see a lot of people straining to take in every second of this moment. >> last night we talked about how that confederate flag on the grounds of that state capitol, it only went up in 1961 not 1861 in 196

got hit hard.ok at columbia road near little river turnpike. crews worked all morning to clean up wires and tree that fell across the roadway. drivers had to find alternate routes into work this morning. utility companies are still working to restore the power to thousands. more than 4400 dominion customers and 1200 bg and the customers are still in the dark. pepco is reporting the largest outages with more than 10,000 customers impacted now. the storm shuffled things up on the national mall overnight. porta potty's were tipped over and park police had the job of putting them back up. the wind even knocked down one of the big tent set up for this weekends fourth of july celebration. much calmer conditions in store for you today. doug hill is here with a look at our first forecast with hopefully no storms inside. doug: not at the moment, but later this afternoon, there could be an isolated shower. as we get to the next several days we will have shower and thunderstorm chances. a beautiful view from alexandria. gorgeous conditions through most of the afternoon. temperatures at 81 in

columbia, the capital of south carolina. this is "cnn tonight." i'm don lemon. in just ten hours, this con fed rat flag is going to come down. can you believe it? it has been flying here for more than 50 years. the governor of this state order that the flag be removed and the countdown has begun until it is down for good. we're going to be here live for the ceremony and after. i'm going to bring in now a colleague, you have been here covering this all this week. you were inside for this historic signing. what was it like? what went on? >> you really got the sense that this was a historic moment. that something big was about to happen. and when the governor walked into that room, the energy was absolutely electrifying. everybody was clapping. everybody was cheering her on. and then they all want today hear what she had to say. she walked over to the seat, you know, to the chair, sat down, signed that bill into law and everybody was just taking that moment in. >> what did you notice? was everybody quiet? what set out to you? >> people were trying to stay quiet so they can listen and real

rape case that received national attention. the tomb it's columbia university. the accused rapist is paul none guesser. his accuser is emma sul ka wits. they're outed their own identities. she became nationally known as the mattress there girl and the name came after she started traveling everywhere on campus with her mattress the one which she allege her assault took place. he say allege because the university applying a low burden of proof concluded she nonetheless failed to meet that burden of proof and found no sexual assault occurred. she's touted as a feminist icon from the "the new york times." new york magazine profiled her with a piece called "how to start a revolution." the wag post wrote how it was no longer just a mattress but a symbol. in fact she gained so much attention that she landed a seat at the state of the union as a guest of new york senator kirsten gillibrand. none of which informed the people that there are serious questions about whether this young woman is a victim at all. now none guesser, the defendant, the man accused is not only suing the school he's acc

here. >> reporter: comey says the fbi examiner failed to make contact with the columbia south carolina police department which arrested roof on the felony drug charge in part because of a clerical error that listed the wrong police department in the online court system. after three days of waiting for the background check, the south carolina gun shop legally used its discretion to sell roof the gun, even though his status was still pending. senate judiciary chairman grassley said in a statement quote it's disastrous that this bureaucratic mistake prevented existing laws from working and blocking an illegal gun sale." but for the family of one charleston victim surprise and understanding. >> i thought being that it was a fbi check that they were very thorough. i was surprised they weren't very thorough. and so -- but i know people make mistakes. >> reporter: and there are already calls on capitol hill to make changes. senators chris murphy and senator blumenthal are calling on president obama to take some executive action. they want changes that would stop the gun dealers from being abl

burtonsville volunteer fire department building at 13900 old columbia pike. the suspect broke in the volunteer and career firefighters' cars between april 10th and june. tonight we talked to a captain here at the firehouse. let's hear what he has to say. >> we're glad we got a picture of him. we hope to catch him soon. sooner than later. you always don't like when your privacy is invaded. no one likes that. and especially when you come here and you're out running calls, and someone is doing that when you're out, that can be particularly irritating. >> reporter: we can all learn from this and broaden it. police recommend that you keep your car doors unlocked. and the inside, on the dashboard, or inside between the seats, make sure you don't have your belongings or items visible from the car window. live from silver spring, i'm shomari stone news4. >>> we saw a flash flood watch pop up tonight with some of the rain moving in. doug, that going to be a problem for us overnight? >> i think it could be a problem if you're out on to the roads say between 2:00 and 6:00 in the morning. after

geography, what is in the middle of south carolina? columbia, the state capital. that is the most controversial thing that sherman is involved with. not what sherman did, what sherman is involved with. columbia burned. way worse than atlanta. it is a mess. columbia burned because of cotton. i am going to get grief from this, i know. actually on this tour, i am not going to columbia south carolina. that was not a conscious decision. it's just that the publisher arranges my tours, i wanted to go to columbia but -- [laughter] in colombia there are people who are still angry because sherman burned columbia. no, he really didn't. the fire was actually started by confederate cavalry under wade hampton because they did not want the cosan to fall into the hand -- the coffin to -- the cotton to fall into the hands of the union soldiers. as sherman rising, there is a storm brewing. the winds are whipping like crazy. it's almost like there is snow in the air. it's not snow. there -- it's flex of cotton. that is where the fire begins. that wind whips up the fire. sherman's own people, his own

georgia and columbia south carolina and why sherman is not the villain of popular ledge. get the complete weekend schedule at c-span.org. >>> on wednesday the head of the international monetary fund christine lagarde talked about the greek debt crisis and how the imf is trying to provide assistance. he discussed initiatives on global development, promoting financial stability and climate change. her remarks at the brookings institute in washington, d.c. are just over an hour. >>> good afternoon, everyone. we have the great pleasure to have christine lagarde managing director of the imf with us and a panel that i'll introduce in a few moments. thank you to all of you to come. and also you just made i before the major storm. i think excellent timing. the topic today will be financing for development, financing for the post-2015 development agenda. and we'll stick to that because, you know otherwise the world is so full of problems. of course, christine can talk about what he wants. but i think we should stick to that. it's a big enough, important enough topic. everybody knows of course chri

away from that. craig, take it away. >>> we are live here in columbia, south carolina. first on "the rundown" this morning, history in the making as the confederate battle flag flies here for the last time. roughly an hour from now, the flag will be moved once and for all from the state house grounds in columbia where it has flown for more than five decades now. we are expecting a short, simple solemn ceremony. the governor promises that the flag will be removed, quote, with dignity. the honor guard taking the flag down will be the same department of public safety honor guard that served add senator clemente pinckney's funeral. governor haley set the stage by signing the bill in front of a packed house in the capitol. in doing so she used nine pens and gave one to each of the families of the charleston nine. those killed by the man who had embraced that flag as a symbol of hatred and racism. we learned a few moments ago that governor haley will be watching the flag as it comes down from the steps of the state house, and she will be flanked by two former governors, governor jim h

cheered outside the capitol building in columbia as a state police honor guard removed confederate flag. many remember the nine people killed inside a charleston church last month. the accused gunman was seen in pictures holding that flag. >> we can be united. we can live this this country together. it's not a black white issue. it's a united states of america issue. >> taking it off the poll and sticking it in a museum and hiding it and putting it under a rug isn't going to open a dialogue. >> the flag did move to a nearby museum for display in the confederate relic room. coming up tonight, new details on the suspect in the massacre. why he should have never been able to purchase the weapon. >>> she stepped down as the office of personal management. this comes a day after the government revealed the personal information of more than 21 million people were stolen. those affected are mainly federal employees. critics say the resignation was necessary and the next director should have a background in cyber security. >>> up next setting the bait. the eradication effort to stop a tiny

starting to see that now hereby in south carolina as well. >> diane in columbia, south carolina. leo woodbury is a pastor at the kingdom of 11/20/07. he has worked as part of the take down campaign since the 1980's, and spoke with al jazeera about the movement. part of the guisiveness is trying to tie the flag to history. it isn't so much a history call symbol as it is an affront to new york the people of color who have been battling to have this symbol removed. >> he called to be more vocal in calling for the flag to be removed from the state capitol. defense secretary ash carter is on capitol hill today depending the obama administration strategy against isil. carter and joint chief chairman are testifying before a senate committee. carter is insisting that the president's policy is the right one and that isil will be defeated. jaime you have been watching this, what is that are saying? >> well, b.c., it's been a tough sell for defense secretary, and the joint chiefs chairman, as they are counseling patients to a decidedly impatient congress. who was not seeing any signs of signifi

capital grounds last week. from south carolina state capitol columbia, alan fisher reports. >> this is free speech in america, a protest by the ku klux klan and their allies and angry voices raced in opposition to their message. they marched on to the steps of south carolina state capital building surrounded by police. they came to object to the removal of the confederate flag, waived by the man who shot nine people dead in a church in this state last month. for more than an hour, they rallied. some stood silently, others shouted abuse at the crowd which outnumbered them easily by 10 to one. there were fights, skirmishes. there were arguments and there were arrests. >> for the ku klux klan, this was about heritage and freedom of speech. they shouted at the people who turned out in force to oppose them. >> for many on the steps this was about more than removing a flag. >> the selling of confederate flags went up tremendously because of that. she did nothing but bring our people out. look at that, they brung them out. i want to see a white revolution is the only solution. >> to those

throughout the government. i met with steven benjamin, who is the mayor of columbia, south carolina because i had worked in south carolina with the southern election fund, helping blacks get elected in the 70s. when i talked to him, he is also the national president of black mayors. i told him how we were going to organize with him, to help mobilize voter registration. because i see the wave coming, based upon what a lot of politicians, both republican and democrat are now speaking out on voting rights as of one of the issues that sprang from the nine families or the nine individuals that were killed in charleston. >> going back to that awful tragedy, some of the things that people are talking about addressing, what are some of the things you think are so important that we need to address? >> well one of the things that immediately came out is the issue of gun control. the other thing that came out of that was the flag. i think that romney, republican. he boxed in a lot of republican legislators and forced them to back down and reverse their position on the flag. same thing with hil

become an issue and it is addressed and i think we are starting to see now that now dianne in columbia, south carolina. also in south carolina investigators are on the scene of a midair collision between two planes. a military f 16 jet collides about 11 miles north of charleston. the pent upon says the fighter jet pilot ejected but is still unclear what happened to whoever was on board the other plane. the self-imposed deadline was supposed to be today. reaction from teheran. >> iranians are may taping both at an official level and those people i am speaking to that these deadlines are not theirs. they want the best deal they can get, and the best deal they can get includes the removal of sanctions now we talked very generally about sanctions but there are very very different regimes of sanctions that have been imposed over time. there are united nations sanctions. trade sanctions and economic sanctions. there are particular united nations sanctions have to do with nonnuclear weapons conventional weapons and there are the u.s. sanctions including the swift banking sanctions now swift s

cheers rising up from the massive crowd in columbia. it was an emotional moment for people open both sides of the controversy surrounding the flag. we will have that story. >> a historic moment more than half a century in the making. after decades of debate the confederate flag came down from the groups of the south carolina statehouse. >> thousands gathered to witness a day many thought would never come. >> people outside coming to celebrate and protest. >> the nag represents history of the civil war and the people of the south hating big government and high taxes. the flag has nothing to do with charityin' people or slavery. >> the flag lowered for the last time a direct reaction to the killing of nine church goers last month in what has been called a hate crime. their families standing by on thursday as the governor signs the bill. these nine pins are going to the nine families of the church. >> this ignited a fierce debate about the symbolism of a flag. >> symbol of hate. >> we have taken people that respect their southern heritage and kicked them in the teeth of the the debate c

of both houses to take the flag down. diane eastabrook al jazeera, columbia south carolina. >>> green energy is big in hawaii. people have been installing solar panels alongside regular electrical units, but they say the process is so difficult, they are cutting links with the electrical grid entirely. >> reporter: when the owner of this multi-million dollars mansion told his solar installer that he wanted to get off of the electrical grid, it was a first. >> it shocked me. i had never seen that before. and when the crew came out to do it, they had the same response. they said here goes our jobs. >> reporter: cutting ties to the electrical company was not the original plan. solar seems easy here and the client just wanted to rely on the grid for backup power. but hawaii is complicated. hawaii is one of the most isolated centers of population in the world, and it is incredibly complicated to provide power here. you can't borrow power from the next state or island over, they are separated by water that is just too deep. you add solar power to that mix, and things get very com

statehouse grounds in columbia could come down a feud. governor haley posted a statement on facebook which reads, in part. began after last month's church shooting rampage in charleston by a suspect seen posing with the flag. the alleged gunman shot and killed nine people during a bible study at the e manuel ame church in charleston. among those killed was clementa pinckney who was also a state senator. we will continue to monitor this and another update the next hour. i'm vai sikahema, nbc10. >>> confederate flag controversy isn't just happening in south carolina. ahead at 5:15 you'll hear from a local man who says tefshe was target for flying the flag. >>> in montgomery county a school is under investigation after a teacher was fired. matt delucia is live. tell us more. >> reporter: that fired teacher margie winters was received with a standing ovation from parents who bleelieve that what happened at this school wasn't right. >> it's about doing the right thing. >> reporter: al perry put four kid throughh6 ts that margie winters was fired after two parents reportedly complained tha

random gunshots were fired, sending scores of people running for fire. we are live at the columbia heights reaction center park where it all happened. mola lenghi has more. >> reporter: yes. witnesses described several men ran through here, exchanging gunfire as children were playing on this popular playground. >> this is a place where you should have a happy face, not be shielding children from bullets. >> reporter: the columbia rec center playground was happy until children and parents heard what they first othought were fireworks. then this mother, who didn't want to be identified, came to a terrifying realization. >> i think two or three young men, and i saw a gun, which is when i realized it was not fireworks. >> reporter: she heard half a dozen gunshots and everyone started scattering. >> there were babies all over the park. we didn't even know where to run. >> reporter: she said when the shots rang out, parents grabbed any child they could reach, running behind cover, behind trees, bushing and sheds. >> you don't expect to run and collect children on a day at a park because

festival interrupted on the streets of columbia as a multiracial crowd gathered to celebrate the lowering of the flag. >> years of oppression are over with. everyone is out here. it is a great day. it is a great today in south carolina. >> there were dissenting voices who regard these colors as an emblem of southern heritage rather than a fabric of hate, but they were outnumbered by people who waited all of their lives for this day. in the midst of the carnival, a short and dignified ceremony. an honor guard at the state highway patrol brought down the colors that had flown at the state capital for more than 50 years. [cheering] >> for many this represented a break from the unhappy past. for them the flag meant slavery, segregation, and subordination. they will not have to look at it in this public place again. [singing] >> you can sense the catharsis when they moved on. >> the flag is down. >> it is a great day. it is historic. their lives are not lost in vain. >> a national celebration. the bringing down of a flag will not solve america's racial problems, but it is an important

. courtney keeley is live in columbia south carolina. we're hearing there are going to be more stepping taken there in a few minutes. >> reporter: hi good afternoon, bisi. yes, the flag pole still remains. the only symbol left of where that flag flew next to the memorial to the confederate veterans. the flag came down swiftly today, but the cheers that erupted really cemented the historic moment. even journalists -- there was just this energy in the crowd, and that -- and that flag came down so quickly and in fact some people told me they just wished it had gone a little more slowly to savor the moment. but interestingly enough though, there were lots of confederate flags, i counted at least ten. some people have wrapped themselves in the confederate flag others were wrapped in the american flag. and after the flag came down there was a lot of dialogue between those holding the confederate flag and other people saying we respect that you honor this and it's your heritage, but not here on public grounds, your backyard your car, but no longer here at the state grounds. it has become a div

expect tomorrow during the 10:00 a.m. confederate flag removal ceremony in columbia, south carolina. nbc news reports tonight there will be no speeches. state troopers will simply walk out of the capitol, lower the flag, and walk it back inside. south carolina governor nikki haley signed the bill today to take down the flag and relatives of the charleston church massacre victims are relieved. >> it was just a symbol that our grandfather and the other victims did not die in vain. >> every time i think of my wife and the other eight people i can't think of a better thing to happen than that flag coming down. >> you see in this picture state police and barricades now surround the confederate flag and monument in columbia. tonight will be the last time it flies on state house grounds. >>> the decision today to take down the flag could also lead to more jobs in south carolina. 15 years ago the naacp began an economic boycott of the state when lawmakers decided to keep the flag on capitol grounds. the united auto workers union joined that boycott. and so did the ncaa. it banned south caro

been removed from the ground of the state capitol in columbia. correspondent don champion shows us history in the man making. >> reporter: crowds cheered, chanted as confederate battle flag was lowered in the south carolina state capitol. >> it is a relief. >> reporter: fifty-seven year-old columbia native francis parker a desend event of slaves was among thousands who watched the powerful moment in person. >> the flag is just a symbol that others used, and it perpetuates the hate. >> reporter: driving historic moving and years of controversy in the state over the divisive flag. >> it is one thing to read about, you know, history and know that it happened but there is another thing to live in the moment. >> reporter: flag now heads to the museum, flagpole will also be eventually removed but there is no time line when that will happen. debate over the flag, kicked into high gear last month when a gunman seen posing with the confederate flag killed nine black parishioners at a church in charleston. south carolina governor nicki haley used nine pens which signing the bill ordering the

she did in columbia, south carolina that has a lot of op pele talking. marcus washington shows us how she's adding to the confederate flag debate. >> reporter: her move to the pole has been the topic of the conversations from kitchen tables to the b.e.t. awards red carpet in los angeles. >> i would have helped her climb up that pole and snatch it down. >> reporter: she removed the confederate flag from the pole standing outside south carolina state house against orders from law enforcement, arrested and charged with defacing monument on the capitol grounds. but it was here in columbia, maryland that many people watched the budding activist grow. she graduated from oakland mills high school in 2003. many of her former classmates say she was a sweet nice person but you could tell she was not a pushover so her recent actions are not a surprise. the removal of the flag that flies high in many southern states has been the topic of many conversations after nine blacks were killed in a historic south carolina church by a man linked to white supremacist groups. it's a flag that means differen

-20 on the measure already approved by the senate. don champion is in columbia with the details. don, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. the vote calls for the flag to be removed within 24 hours after governor nikki haley signs the bill. after the bill haley issued a statement saying it is a new day in south carolina in her word, day we can all be proud of a day that truly brings us all together as we continue to heal as one people and one state. now, the house debated more than 13 hours early into the morning. conservatives who see the flag as a symbol of pride say the flag was hijacked by democrats, black democrats who remind them of the history's past -- >> i'm 44 years over. i never thought i'd see this moment. i stand with people who never thought we would see this as well. we cannot be happier that we no longer have a symbol of division standing on state house grounds. -marie we're told this flag could come down as soon as tomorrow. >> all right. don champion columbia south carolina. thank you, don. following yesterday's troubling and jarring shutdown. exchang

state house grounds. jonathan serrie has more from columbia. >> reporter: this flag flying on south south carolina' capitol ground the subject of debate for the state's general assembly. lawmakers opening up discussions on whether the confederate banner will remain here. it's been flying somewhere on the state house property for more than five decades. >> we have a right whatever banner they want to put up at their house. at this state house on these state house grounds it is different. >> reporter: nationwide calls for the banner to go growing stronger after last month's killing of nine people at a charleston church. pastor and state senator clem pinckney among those murdered. president obama and south carolina governor nicky haley among those saying it's time for the flag to come down. one lawmaker says that's not why his colleagues should approve the legislation. >> i am asking you to pass this bill as it stands today not with the amendment for a very simple reason and it's because it's the right thing to do. >> reporter: opponents of the flag say it is a symbol of racism. but th

that now here in south carolina as well. >> diane eastabrook reporting from columbia the capitol there. thank you. >>> high-level negotiators will keep working to try to reach an agreement on iran's nuclear program. officials say they will stay at it even if some diplomats might leave the talks and then come back. >> we are interpreting in a [ inaudible ] way our deadline. which means we're taking the days we still need to finalize the agreement, which is something that is still possible. >> reporter: secretary of state john kerry and his team are under increasing pressure as they meet in vienna if a deal is not sent to congress by thursday the period in congress that they have to review the deal will double to 60 days. >> reporter: iranians are maintaining both at an official level and those people i'm speaking to that these deadlines are not their deadlines; that they want the best deal that they can get, and that includes the removal of sanctions. we talked very generally about sanctions, but there are very very different regimes of sanctions that have been imposed overtime. there a

columbia's police, the bureau's own contact list omits columbia even though part of the thousand is in lexington county. james comey says we're accountable for not having reflected the geography of south carolina. had that happened, we wouldn't be having this conversation. david shapiro is a former fbi agent and prosecutor. >> we do have a serious problem in getting information both as complete and as timey. >> when they went to the choice, that same copier examiner was working 15-30 other cases. transactions were submitted to the fbi that day. roof's was among nearly 2200 marked pending. when the three day waiting period expires it's left to the gun store's discretion whether to sell the weapon. roof got his gun. last year there were 8.2 million gun transactions. less were delayed large than three days. 8-- were never resolved. >> axelrod: the confederate flag led to a historic moment in the state house yesterday when the flag was lowered for good. today because of that the naacp 4reu69d its economic boycott on south carolina. six months after playing for the national college football

charleston. roof was arrested february 28 at a shopping mall in columbia, south carolina. a police report says he admitted illegally carrying a drug. the fbi says if they had known that, they would have blocked roof as an illegal drug user from buying a gun. he applied for a handgun at this south carolina gun store that submitted his information for a background check. his criminal history showed he was arrested in lexington county. they told them to contact the columbia branch. they only showed a west columbia police department with no record of arrests. the examiner called the prosecutor but never heard back. the background check was still under way after the three-day waiting period expired. roof got his gun because federal law allows it to go ahead if it's not blocked. we are sick this happened. we wish we could turn back time. fbi agents met with family members of shooting victims including the husband of myra thompson. >> it made me angry. i wasn't angry at dylann i was angry at the system. >> reporter: some states have longer waiting periods and former atf official says that

to the state capitol there in columbia south carolina. cheers this morning erupting as that flag came down for the very last time. [cheers and applause ] i have nick valencia in columbia but first to the breaking news regarding dylann roof he never should have gotten the gun in the first place? >> reporter: absolutely. that remarkable admission coming from the fbi director james comey. the fbi made a mistake when they conducted his background check when he purchased a gun back in april in south carolina. and basically, it was a breakdown in the system here brooke. it was a confusion with paperwork and with the system. essentially, the fbi examiner con ukt conducting the background check never made contact with the police that arrested dylann roof on a felony drug charge and during that arrest he admitted to police that he had the possession of the drugs. had the fbi known that he would have never been able to buy that gun because he would have never passed the background check. so there are a series of -- as director comey says factors that led to this resulted. it is sickening to him

going to be okay. major johnson is with the 55th squadron based in columbia, south carolina. flight wing commander, steven joe said that the pilot was on a solo training mission on his way to charleston to practice instrument approaches. >> our pilots are well trained to fly the approaches in and out of there. and all of the facts at this point indicate that the pilot was talking to air traffic control as they normally do when the accident occurred. and unfortunately, everything beyond that is subject to speculation and will soon be under investigation. >> the two onboard the cessna had taken off from the nearby berkeley county airport and had been in touch with air traffic controllers, and they may have been headed to myrtle beach. the weather was good, and it was not cloudy. and visibility is good. it's highly unusual to have a midair collision between a civilian and military airplane. but there are times this when he do share the same air spice. the national transportation safety board will be investigating this accident, and the military said that it's thoughts and prayers go out to

family had. they're able to have more freedom. this is true for another man who is from columbia georgia. he says the same thing. he felt his community was more involved with watchmen or activities. it is not a one-sided thing where the south is bad and the north is good. we can see more of that story. i think these examples are interesting. the elders were still around that were participating in that protests. he went to school with a principal who was his uncle. they used to come home from their holidays. they would share with him all of these experiences. the north is this magical place. he takes him north. they go and a visit. he said, i cannot. i was never the same. really in a space of his family, these are people who look like me and they aren't counting airing -- and they are encountering life this way and i'm encountering life in this way. where is the cousin from? you remember the state? louisiana. her cousin really wants to come visit her. the caretakers are saying, no way. do they say why? my fingers are making quote signs. is the north better? that is her cousin. sch

. i'm toure. the confederate battle flag is gone forever from the state capitol in columbia. the civil war era symbol had flown there since the '60s and now been taken down for the final time. three weeks after nine worshippers more killed mother emanuel by a man who posed with the confederate flag and reportedly told friends he wanted to start a race war. nearly 10,000 people packed the block surrounding the confederate memorial as the flag was lowered for good. now the only flag at the capitol is the stars and stripes as the lyrics of the 1897 march proclaims, the flag of the north and south and west in the flag of flags, the flag of freedom's nation. president obama today tweeted, south carolina taking down the confederate flag, a signal of goodwill and healing and a meaningful step toward a better future. the governor haley said the proper place for the confederate flag is a museum. >> the state house that's an area that belongs to everyone and no one should drive by and feel pain. no one should drive by and feel like they don't belong. that is hopeful day for south carolina.