we have not seen matthew todd miller come out of the plane. this is a huge moment for the other american who was held there, kenneth bae as he can walking away with family members. unexpected turn here as far as the release of these two americans who were released from north korea, arriving home in washington. we know that kenneth bae was a missionary there. he was suffering from health reasons. he needs to come back home. he suffered from diabetes, heart problems as well, deteriorating vision. back and leg problems. not sure if we are going to hear from them. as you can imagine everything they have been through, they may be taking all of this in and trying to digest what they have been through and being united with family and friends here at home before they get a chance to share their ordeal. and to give thanks to the many people that have helped them as far as their return home. we have not seen the other american, matthew todd miller come out. he is a california native. we understand he is from bakersfield, california and serving a six-yea

waiting to see matthew todd miller come off the airplane right now. do we know anything about what's next for them? are they debriefed by government officials? released to their family? do we know? >> reporter: not a lot of information. in fact, we were asking officials on base. there was a state department official we spoke to earlier who was not able to provide that information. essentially what he told us is these men are free. welcome to do as they please and what they choose to do now that they are back in the u.s. is really up to them. there wasn't any specific guidelines as far as whether they would be interviewed, debriefed, if they had some plans in order to talk with government officials upon landing. it sounded to us like they would be allowed to go back with their families and carry on with their lives. we're working to get more information on that but that's the latest guidelines we've been provided. >> have you seen any sign of matthew miller yet? we're looking at kenneth bae, so we can't see the airplane now. >> reporter: no, what you'r

citizens, kenneth bae and matthew todd miller, from the dprk. that's the tweet from the state department. so many played a role in this. and the washington lawmakers that are taking to twitter on their social media pages, to congratulate the efforts to get these two americans back home. we understand they're on their way back home. we heard from representative, so happy for kenneth bae and his family, who waited two, long years for this day to come. welcome home. you watching at home or listening, you can tweet poppy. or myself at cnnvalencia. and we'll try to get your tweets and comments on the air. >> it's good to hear they're coming home. thanks, nick. appreciate it. >> you bet it. >>> coming up next, american jeffrey fowle was released a couple of weeks ago. total surprise. flew home free from north korea. he talked to cnn exclusively. hear what he had to say about the release of his fellow detainees. for over a decade, doctors have been prescribing nexium to patients just like you. for many, prescription nexium helps heal acid-related erosi

let's talk matthew todd miller. let's talk about kenneth bae. where do they go next? we know they're going to go home. but will they go to medical facilities? do you know if there is going to be some sort of debriefing by our government to find out what, if anything, the men learned while they were jailed? >> yeah. i'm sure there will be some debriefing. but there is not very much that we're going to learn. kenneth bae is going to get medical treatment because all the conditions that he had -- matthew todd miller is pretty young, pretty good health. he'll be fine. so i think at the end of the day, they'll talk to these guys. but there is very little they can tell us. they were imprisoned in a north korean camp. there is not much that we can learn about that. >> excellent point. matthew todd miller, time in captivity, 213 days, or six months, 30 days, concluded today. and kenneth bae, 736 days in captivity, or two years, six days, including today. too long. gordon, i thank you for your time and expertise and we'll see you again sometime soon. good to talk to you. >> th

matthew todd miller had been detained since april. they were freed after u.s. director of national intelligence james clapper flew to pyongyang the capital at the north's invitation. clapper carried with him a letter from u.s. president barack obama for north korean leader kim jong un. kenneth bae expressed his gratitude at a news conference shortly after he landed in the u.s. >> i just want to say thank you all for supporting me and standing by me during this time. and it's been just amazing to see so many people involved getting me released for the last two years, and not to mention the thousands of people that have been praying for me as well. so i just want to say thank you all for supporting me, lifting me up and not forgetting me. at the same time not forgetting the people of north korea. and thank you for supporting my family as well during this this difficult time for my family. standing strong during this time. >> we also heard from bae's sister, who said their family's hopes and prayers for this moment have finally come true. >> we are thankful for th

matthew todd miller and ken bae. bae's family spoke out about his readjustment to life back home in seattle. ana cabrera has more. >> reporter: john and christine. what a weekend for the families of ken bae and matthew todd miller. both men arriving late saturday night embraced by their loved ones as they stopped off the plane at mcchord field in washington. ken bae has been held captive for over two years. for matthew todd miller, it has been seven months. mystery around why they were released now. the families expressing gratitude. we talked to ken bae's sister and what those first 24 hours back on american soil is like. listen to what she shared. >> we had a late night eating pizza. you know, he is a story teller to begin with. that's what he does. he holds court. he regales people with funny stories. that's who he is as a person to begin with. you can tell he was so hungry for that. >> reporter: terri chung says she is seeing the old glimpses of her brother. she said it will take time to get readjusted to life in

>> matthew todd miller. i can't really say. kennett bae was really the kind of card thermive they were hoy holding. and north korea wanted to get as much out of this as they can. three weeks ago they said come get him out. and the americans followed the directions. and we'll be talking to sources and getting more details. but this has been in the works for a little bit. the united states is very mum about what happened with jeffrey foul. why? because they said look we have two others and want to preserve the ability to get them out. so there have obviously been some quite conversations going on and the north koreans really wanted to get a lot of bang for that you are buck. and releasing all three didn't do that for them. >> we want to welcome our viewers not just in the united states but around the world right now. kennett bae and matthew todd miller t two americans who have been held in north korea are being released on their way home we once. gordon, your thoughts on why now do you think this is happening. >> reporter: i thin

matthew todd miller and kenneth bae are in the air right now. they were released unexpectedly today. and while analysts try to figure out why and why now, they're two families are really looking forward to their homecoming. our ana cabrera is in tacoma, washington, where they will be landing. thank you for rushing up there. i am wondering what you know about when they may land on u.s. soil. >> reporter: poppy, it's great to be able to cover a happy story for once. we just arrived at the air force base, where these two men are supposed to be touching down sometime in the next few hours. sometime this evening. we have been asked not to show the air field. but i can tell you, we're just on the edge here. and, of course, the families are extremely excited for this moment. something that they have been waiting for for months, even years in the case of kenneth bae. i can tell you when the plane touches down on board, we're expecting both men, kenneth bae and matthew miller, along with james clapper, director of national intelligence and additional del

you're looking at the first pictures here of kenneth bay and matthew todd miller as they finally come home. stepping foot on u.s. soil with family there on the tarmac. they are greeted to hir arms and their hugs. and it's a really wonderful thing to be able to wake up to. this is what was happening as you were sleeping. >> absolutely. put away the politics. now it's all about a family -- two families reuniting. a and what a thanksgiving they will face. >> we know that miller and bay are waking up as free men for first time in many months, seven months for miller and two years for kenneth bay. it was interesting to hear what bay said when he thanked not just the u.s. for getting him home and state department and the president specifically, but thanking north korea. >> that was a surprise. it sound as if they touchdown in washington state last night. let's listen to some of that. >> i just want to say thank you all for supporting me and standing by me in this time. and it's been just amazing blessing to see so many people being involved getting me released the last two years. and not to

matthew todd miller had been detained since april. he spent a lot less time in north korea. he was also at that press conference. he didn't make a statement, however, and was reunited with his family. >>> well, back to today's events in berlin. the german chancellor angela merkel is live at the berlin wall. very emotional part of berlin. this is where so many east berliners lost their lives, killed by border guards in many cases trying to cross from east to west. events are underway on this very special day. pretty soon we're expecting the lighting of candles at the national memorial for the victims of the berlin wall. angela merkel making her way to that location where she will be honoring those who lost their lives all these years ago over the decades that the wall stood from 1961 to 1989. chancellor merkel will also officially open the country's new permanent exhibition in the documentation center of the berlin wall memorial. all that and more to mark, of course, the quarter century since the wall came tumbling down. according to t

denth bae and matthew todd miller were freed after the u.s. director of national intelligence flew to pyongyang for talks. bae had been sentenced for 15 years for anti-government activities, miller six years for espionage. >> reporter: back home on american soil, kenneth bae step off a plane at a military base in washington state. followed by matthew todd miller. the two men were immediately reunited with their families. miller was jailed earlier this year for disturbing the peace. bae a christian missionary had been convicted nearly two years ago for trying to convert north koreans. >> thank you for all of your support and prayer. and your love. that is really been encouraging for me. and for others who are in the same shoes. thank you. god bless you. >> reporter: the men's release by the north koreans was welcomed by president obama. >> it's a wonderful day for them and their families. and obviously they are very grateful. for their safe return. and i appreciate the great job on what was obviously a challenging mission. >> reporter: director

todd miller. the two men had been held in prison camped in north korea miller was jailed for six years in april on espionage charges, buy a christian activist had been jailed two years ago. he had been trying to convert north koreans he had been serving a 15 year term. >> thank you for all of your support and prayer and love. it's been encouraging for me and others in the same shoes. thank you. god bless you. >> reporter: news of the men's release have been welcomed earlier by president obama. >> reporter: director clapper is james clapper, the u.s.' director of national intelligence. he was the highest ranking american to visits pyongyang in more than a decade. it's not clear why clapper was brought in to negotiation or whether he had a second reason for meeting the with official in pyongyang. the north koreans prefer to deal with former presidents or high-profile citizens. there is some speculation that by releasing the end that kim might being trying to soften thoughts on korean. and the u.n. s

matthew todd miller seven months detained, kenneth bae two years detained. they were released today and are right now flying back to the united states and now that these two men are out that leaves no more americans detained in north korea. our elise labbit is following it closely from washington and she has the details about the diplomacy and an important thing that james clapper brought along with him, right, elise? >> that's right, poppy. the u.s. and north korea have been talking several months about the release of american detainees a couple weeks ago they released jeffrey fowl and a plane was summoned to bring him home and now the north koreans asked for a cabinet-level official to come bring kenneth bae and matthew todd miller home. the president chose the director of national intelligence james clapper and senior administration officials tell me that mr. clapper did bring a letter from president obama to north korean leader kim jong un to let him know he was president obama's personal envoy, certainly a message from president obama to the north korea

kenneth bae and matthew todd miller are now back home with their families here in the u.s. it's after north korean leader kim jog un has

a plane carrying kenneth bae and matthew todd miller touched down in washington state early this morning. they were released after u.s. director of national intelligence james clapper flew to north korea to discuss the men's' situation. kenneth bae spoke shortly after arriving in the united states. listen. >> i just want to say thank you all for supporting me and standing by me during this time. and it's been just amazing blessing to see so many people being involved, getting me released for last two years and not to mention the thousands of people who prayed for me as well. >> reporter: kenneth bae there. matthew todd miller, the other american detained in north korea had been in north korea since april. his family was also at that news conference but not make a statement. >>> back to today's events in berlin, the german chancellor angela merkel has arrived at the berlin wall memorial. let's take a look at some of the events unfolding in the german capital. ceremonies are getting under way. it's a very special way. you're seeing on your screens some of the speeches taking place at that

. >> kenneth bae and matthew todd miller are coming home. released after a high-stakes, secret mission. the official flew to pyongyang. >> this was the final step in a well choreographed ballet. this was something that had been predetermined so there was no real uncertainty as to the fact that he was going to bring these two guys back. >> matthew todd miller ripped are up his visa at the airport. kenneth bae had been held more than two years in a labor camp. when his health declined, his family released a statement. we have waiting and praying for this for two years. the celebration will be one we will never forget. >> obviously we are grateful for their safe return. >> fellow prisoner was released home to his country. >> we will be monitoring the story overnight. look for updates tomorrow morning on news4 today. >>> police are investigating a shooting in southwest d.c. a man was shot a few blocks from the waterfront metro station >>> three men took part in a gangland-style shooting that wounded 13 people in the district. they are facing lon

kenneth bae and matthew todd miller are now back home with their families here in the u.s. it's after north korean leader kim jog un has ordered their release. this leaves many people wondering if he will want something in return. i'll bring in paula hancocks, live in seoul, south korea. paula, the big question, why now? >> nothing happens by accident in north korea. everything that comes out of that country is highly choreographed. every picture you see of the leader, everything on state-run media, and the fact that they have released these two u.s. citizens. every analyst says there is definitely something that north korea wants. now, they have pegged this as a humanitarian gesture, and they have effectively said that they should doing this because of the u.s. president barack obama having a number of requests and also an apology which, of course, is propaganda gold for the north korean leader being able to say to his own people the most powerful man in the world has apologized for what these two men have done. their crimes or at least crimes as they're seen in north kore

he's joined soon after on the tarmac by matthew todd miller. the two men had been held in prison camps in north korea. miller was jailed for six years in april on espionage charges, bae a christian missionary had been convicted for alleged anti-government activities. he had been trying to convert north koreans. he had been serving a 15-year term. >> thank you for your support and prayer and your love. >> has really been encouraging for me and for others who are in the same shoes there and elsewhere. thank you. god bless you. >> news of the men's release had been welcomed earlier by president obama. >> it's a wonderful day for them and their families and obviously, we are very grateful for their safe return and i appreciate doing a great job on what was obviously a challenging mission. >> director clapper is james clapper, the u.s.'s director of national intelligence. he was the in. >> neither bae nor miller will be prosecuted for travel to go north korea. the obama administration is warning other americans it's not a good idea to visit. victori

kenneth bae and matthew todd miller stepped off the plane on american soil after efforts to free them. the enjoy, america's top spy, national intelligence director james clapper met with leaders. a few hours later, president obama had this to say. >> obviously i'm incredibly thankful for james clapper and efforts he made. couldn't be happier for the families as we enter the holidays to know their loveed ones are back. it's a good story. >> anna cabrera is live in seattle near kenneth bae's family home. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning randi. it's been a little over 24 hours that these men have been back here in the united states. it was an emotional reunion with both their families when they arrived late saturday night. while matthew todd miller's family has asked for privacy, we have been in touch with the family of kenneth bae from the greater seattle area. they tell us he is enjoying time home, eating pizza, sharing stories and laughing with family and friends. they say their prayers for the past two years have finally be answered. after months and years of detention,

again that is matthew todd miller. earlier we saw kenneth bae. they're home after separate detentions in north korea. we're wondering whether or not they're going to speak. so far there hasn't been any comments but we're seeing emotional reunions with their loved ones and you can assume there is going to be a long recovery for them. experts saying that there is a long recovery process after going through something like this. we understand there is a podium set up inside the building where they're headed so hopefully, we'll hear from them, kenneth bae and matthew miller and perhaps from the director of national intelligence, james clapper with more details, perhaps, on how this release was secured. again, speculation from analysts being that kim juning-un is feeling vulnerable because of the fact the united states released a report in which north korea was accused of flagrant human rights violations, and this report could actually lead to indictments against some of the top north korean leaders including kim jung-un himself and that he is quite wo

kenneth bayh and matthew todd miller are on their way home as we speak. and just a short time ago, kennethbae's family released a statement. she was speaking on behalf of the family. she said, the day we have been waiting for has finally arrived. and many others are reacting in similar ways, especially on social media. cnn's nick valencia is here with that. >> so many people weighing in. government agencies, elected officials, all talking about the release of these two americans, kenneth bae and matthew miller. many elected officials from the state of washington and california are weighing in, that's where kenneth bae and matthew miller call home. senator patty murray tweeting, i'm thrilled kenneth bae is finally back home. his amazing family never lost faith. representative adam smith, also there in washington, saying great news that kenneth bae is free and headed home. thanks to the state department and the bae family for their tremendous work to get kenneth home. adam schiff, he tweets, good news, americans kenneth bae and matthew todd miller are final

he's joined soon after on the car mack by matthew todd miller. the two men had been held in prison camps in north korea. miller was jailed for six years in april on espionage charges, bae a christian missionary had been convicted nearly two years ago for alleged anti-government activities. he had been trying to convert north koreans. he had been serving a 15-year term. >> thank you for all of your support. and prayer. and your love. that is really been encouraging for me and for others who are in the same shoes as well. thank you. god bless you. >> reporter: news of the men's release had been welcomed earlier by president obama. >> reporter: director clapper is james clapper, the u.s.' director of national intelligence. he was the highest ranking american to visits pyongyang in more than a decade. it's not clear why clapper was brought in to negotiator whether he had a second reason for meeting with officials in pyongyang. the north koreans reportedly prefer for negotiate with either former presidents or high-profile diplomat on his the fate of u

matthew todd miller was in prison this year. we have paula hancocks with information, be we start with ana cabrera. give us the latest. >> reporter: good morning to you. it has been a long time coming for the families. two years for the family of ken bae and seven months for family of matthew todd miller to hug and hold and catch up on what is happening in their lives. matthew todd miller's family choosing to keep quiet. for ken bae, we had a chance to talk to his family and friends. he is from the greater seattle area. we talked to his sister who shared with us the first 24 hours about reconnecting. they have a huge sense of relief to have him home. he spent his first meal eating pizza with the family and she shared stories and laughs. she said despite what he went through in north korea, he still holds the people of north korea very close to his heart. listen to what she told me. >> what are his plans moving forward? >> i don't think anybody knows. i don't think he knows yet. at this point it is just to catch up with family an

. >> matthew todd miller was also reunited with his family. the man who helped win their release is national intelligence director james clapper. he flew to north korea for the high stakes 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. >> president obama reacted to the news the men were released. >>> i think it's a wonderful day for them and their families and obviously -- >> miller, who is from bakersfield, had been arrested this spring after reportedly ripping up his visa at the airport. he was charged with espionage and sentenced to hard labor. bae, a korean american missionary from seattle had been held for more than two years. both in a labor camp and then in a hospital in failing health. >> we have to exercise a certain skepticism -- >> a senior fellow at the hoover institution at stanford institution offered insight on the timing of the

matthew todd miller stepping off the plane as well. this is at an air force base in washington state. miller was arrested for ripping up his travel visa. bae was forced into a labor camp. he says he's so grateful to be back on u.s. soil. >> i want to say thank you all for supporting me and lifting me up and not forgetting me. >> the men were rescued by the director of national intelligence james clapper, our nation's top spy, after a long series of top secret negotiations with north korea. >>> right now president obama is headed to beijing to attend the asian pacific economic cooperation summit. the apec summit brings world leaders together. while in beijing he'll attend sessions and go to a state banquet with with the chinese president. midweek he'll head to myanmar, finishing up the week in australia for a g-20 leaders retreat. >>> all eyes on this federal prosecutor from brooklyn after president obama nominated her to be the country's chief law enforcement official. the president has tapped loretta lynch to replace eric holder. kris

now, matthew todd miller, he and his family have asked for their privacy. he did not speak upon his arrival but kenneth bae did. listen. >> thank you all for supporting me and standing by me during this time. it's been just amazing blessing to see so many people being involved, getting me released for the last two years. not to -- not only mentioning for the thousands of people that have been praying for me as so i just want to say thank you all for supporting me, lifting me up and not forgetting me. at the same time also not forgetting the people of north korea. and thank you for supporting my family as well. this has been a tremendously difficult time for my family and there's so many people who have been supporting them to stand strong during this time. and i just also want to thank president obama and all the people in the state department working tirelessly hard to get me released as well. and also i'd like to thank the north korean government as well for allowing me to go home and -- come home and be united with our family and. it's been an amazing tw

ken bae and matthew todd miller were set free. bae's family spoke to the media after the life back in seattle. ana cabrera has more. >> reporter: john and christine, what a weekend for the families of bae and miller who have been reunited after months, even years apart. both men arriving late saturday night embraced by their loved ones as they step off the plane at mcchord field. bae has been held captive for over two years. for miller, it has been seven months. mystery surrounding the details of why they were released now. both families expressing gratitude. we talked to ken bae's sister about the first 24 hours back on american soil have been like. listen to what she shared. >> we had a late night eating pizza. you know, he is a story teller to begin with. that's what he does. he holds court and regales people with funny stories. you could tell he was hungry for that. >> reporter: she said she is seeing glimpses of her brother. she said it will be time for him to readjust with life back in the u.s. i also want to mention we reac

matthew todd miller then took his turn stepping onto american soil. afterward they thanked president obama and others who orchestrated his release. >> it's been an amazing two years. i learned a lot. i grew a lot. i lost a lot of weight in a good way, but i'm very strong because of you. >> reporter: north korea accused 25-year-old miller of spying after he allegedly tore up his visa and demanded asylum seven months ago. the regime charged bae, a missionary with anti-government plans. he served hard labor. james clapper brought the two men home. during his secret mission he didn't meet kim jong-un who mysteriously disappeared from the public this summer but he brought a letter from president obama for the regime's young leader. he certified he was obama's personal envoy sent to negotiate their release. an obama administration official said north korea floated the possibility of a release several weeks ago and requested a senior u.s. statesmen. in his first term president obama sent former president clinton to secure the release of two journalists, but

then matthew todd miller stepped off.miller had been detained since april -- and sentenced to six years of hard labor. he's been accused of tearing up his tourist visa and seeking asylum upon entry to north korea. miller did not speak to the media after his arrival. their release comes after north korea unexpectedly reached out to the white house to send a cabinet-level official to discuss the detentions.but apparently there wasn't a guarantee that the americans would be brought home. they were set free after director of national intelligence james clapper went to the capitol of pyongyang in a secret mission -- delivering a letter from president obama -- to north korean leader kim jong un. the letter was said to be "short and to the point" -- and clapper did not meet with kim. i think it's a wonderful day for them and their families. obviously we are very grateful for their safe return. and i appreciate director clapper doing a great job on what was a challenging mission. their release comes less than a month after north korea let go jeffrey fowle -- an ohio man who spent five months in

early, but do we know if kenneth bae or matthew todd miller will speak? >> we don't know at this point. we don't know if either will be up to facing the press or the government. we don't know what it means for north korea or the u.s. going forward. they are the last two american citizens held in the country, and it could signal that kim jong un is reaching out a little to president obama and the western world saying, "hey, here we are, we are ready to play ball a bit." >> a lot of questions remain. allan schauffler in seattle >>> we talked about katharine moon, senior fellow at the brookings institute and asked if this offered hope between kim jong un and washington. >> i think it offers hope. with north korea we have to watch for consistent substantive action. so what is interesting is that in the last six months, north korea has shown in europe, with japan, with south korea, and with the united states - first they released jeffrey fowl, and now the two gentlemen released today. i would say this is consistent in terms of the substantive positive actions.

nbc's dan shinneman tell us how kenneth bae and matthew todd miller made it home. >> the last known american prisoners in north korea released after a highly secretive mission. >> i want to say thank you all for supporting me and lifting me up and not forgetting me. >> one led by the nation's top spy, director of intelligence james clapper who flew to pyongyang for a final step in what officials have called a long-term negotiation. >> 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: matthew todd miller was arrested last spring after reportedly ripping up his visa at the airport. he was charged with espionage and sentenced to hard labor. kenneth bae was held for more than two years. when his health declined his family issued a statement upon news of his release. >> we have been waiting for and praying for this day for two years. our thanksgiving day celebration this year will be one we will never f

. >>> three days ago, kenneth bae and matthew todd miller were in north korean prisons. now the americans are home in the u.s. with their families. cnn's ana cabrera shows us the dramatic events that suddenly took them from the departmeths solitary confinement and hard labor to home. >> reporter: after months and years of detention, two americans held prisoner in north korea are back in the united states. first off the plane, kenneth bae, who had been held two years, sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for hostile acts against the government. claiming he was part of a christian plot to overthrow the regime. >> i just want to say, thank you all for supporting me and standing by me during this time. and it's been just amazing blessing to see so many people being involved, getting me released the last two years. and not to mention, now mentioning the thousands of people who have been praying for me as well. >> reporter: then matthew todd miller stepped off. miller had been detained since april, sentenced to six years of hard labor. he had been accused of tearing up his tour

matthew todd miller declined to speak to the media. >> pizza tastes very good. thank you so much. >> entering the new phase in the it aagainst isil, the fate of the group's leader remains unclear. a u.s. raid friday targeted senior isil fighters in iraq shortly after iraq state t.v. reported al baghdadi was critically injured in the talk. the pentagon says those reports are unconfirmed. let's head to baghdad. turns out it was a tweet that set off rumors of baghdady's injuries. what are you hearing? >> the fact that we are in the middle of once again, a propaganda war. this original tweet was allegedly from the isil spokesman, however that was quickly denied by other isil sources who said that this twitter account was run by jordanian intelligence. that's really the tweet that sparked everything off. then we had the state media here begin to report, using ministry of information and interior sources that baghdadi had been injured. that was denied again. the pentagon say they have no idea whether baghdady was injured in that attack or not. the british are saying i

matthew todd miller was arrested in april after destroying his tourist visa and demanding asylum. he was sentenced to six years of hard labor for what's described as hostile acts. the release following the release of another american, jeffrey fowle. ian joins us. what are you hearing? >> reporter: what we can say for sure is they are on their way home accompanied by james clapper who was in pyongyang. who's been in pyongyang since midweek. although the u.s. insists there was no deal. also, the swedish embassy's been on this case for some time. now, those two individuals, kenneth bae and matthew miller, couldn't be any more different. miller showed up there, reportedly tore up his visa and asked for asylum. which was puzzling to the north koreans and so they put him in jail for six months. kenneth bae was sentenced for 15 years. he's been undergoing hard labor now for two years. he's a tour operator. after the timing of this, it was one thing that's predictable about north korea is its unpredictability. it's hard to say why they chose this moment to do it. no americans are now in c

matthew todd miller was sentenced in in april. for attempting to investigate human rights conditions at at north korean prison. james clapper travelled to the secretive country to secure their release and is accompanying them back to the u.s. today. stick with us and msnbc throughout the day for updates on this breaking story. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] united is rolling out global, satellite-fed wi-fi to connect you even 35,000 feet over the ocean. ♪ that's...wifi friendly. ♪ that's...wifi friendly. maestro of project management. baron of the build-out. you need a permit... to be this awesome. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle... and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. (aaron) purrrfect. (vo) meee-ow, business pro. meee-ow. go national. go like a pro. >>> my foot soldier this week spent three years documenting the lives of six children as they studied in juilliard's saturday outreach music program, for communities underserved in t

ken etdz bae and matthew todd miller were allowed to leave the country today. bae had been in custody since 2012. miller had been retained since april. bae and miller are set to arrive at a washington state military price later on tonight. more details on the story and the obama administration's efforts to secure their return home. >>reporter: two detainees have been released by the north korea n government. just weeks after another detainee was released. >> i didn't realize i was getting released until half an hour before we took off. it hit like a ton of bricks. >>reporter: they were the last known americans being b tand. bae and miller's release follows a dramatic trip by james clapper. >> it's a wonderful day for the family. i appreciate him doing a great job on what was a challenging mission. >>reporter: north korea initiated the trip contacting u.s. government and urging them to send a cabinet level official. the u.s. government is facilitating the men's return home but it's not clear exactly when they'll arrive in the u.s.. according to state department

they have released denneth bae and matthew todd miller. bae convicted of unspecified crimes was held for two years. miller charged with entering the country illegally. he was held for seven months. the men are on their way back to the u.s. now. >>> president obama getting set to announce his nomination for the next attorney general. in about half an hour, the president will name loretta lynch as the head of the justice department. if confirmed, lynch would be the first african-american woman to hold the post. the second stint as u.s. prosecutor for new york. i'm kelly wright. now back to cavuto on business. you're watching the most powerful news, fox news. >>> all right. the midterm shake up isn't slowing down the amnesty train. the president is vowing action on immigration by the end of the year. most likely meaning he would delay deportation for millions of illegals already here. charles payne, when you say all negotiations off in that department, right? >> he's not going to use executive action. we are talking 11 million. we know about

matthew todd miller was in the country seven months. >> it's a wonderful day, obviously, we are very grateful for their safe return. and i appreciate the director doing a great job what was obviously a tough settlement. >> reporter: this comes after the release of another american the swedish government helped to negotiate his release. he was said to be involved in time as well but there are few questions, like why the director of national intelligence? how long were these so-called discussions and are there any conditions tied to bae's and miller's release? one u.s. official told the associated press that nothing was offered in exchange for the return of these two men. >> all right. coming up on nbc "nightly news," they will get further into what was behind this release. we have the latest at 6:30 right after our broadcast. new at 6:00, a maryland woman is in critical condition. the two alarm fire broke out just before 2:00 this afternoon in hanover. firefighters pulled the woman out. paramedics rushed her to the hospital. investigators are trying to figure out how that started. >>>

he and one other american, matthew todd miller, are back on u.s. soil, suddenly freed from custody in north korea. and their long hard labor prison sentences. our paula hancocks is in seoul with more on how their freedom was negotiated. >> reporter: mission in the dead of night. a top spy chief from the united states arrives in pyongyang carrying a letter from the u.s. president. he leaves one day later with two former prisoners. no conditions and no strings acatch attached according to the u.s. why this sudden humanitarian gesture from north korea? >> clearly they crave having this kind of high-level attention. obviously they're pleased general clapper came. >> reporter: kim jong-un wants to show he's still in charge after disappearing for six weeks. he's back in the spotlight, limping but without the cane. others believe pyongyang's recent charm offensive including a high-profile visit to seoul, technically enemy territory is a pr exercise to improve its image. the trigger, abuses a report termed crimes against humanity. >> had to basically show

. >> both bay and matthew todd miller were release bid korean officials today. they were sentenced to years of hard labor for committing hostile acts. >>> back in the bay area been antioch police made a gruesome discovery, a body found with a gunshot wound. kromn 4's willie jagal says police are ruling this a homicide as the city of antioch has seen a slew of shootings. >> reporter: in front of patrick mccabe's home, the body of 356-year-old man found on the corner of grass lan and whitehook ways. >> it's unusual. this is a quiet neighborhood. >> reporter: the man suffered at least one gs gs wound. he was discovered just before 2:30 when police responded to a report of man possibly sleeping on the swobbing near mccbe's house. what we do know is it's been a violent 7 cays in nantioc p. last sunday a woman was wounded by a stray bullet. 3 days later in the same area, a security guard was solved in a shootout near a starbalks after a man who was eventually arrested pulled out a gun. the man from pittsburgh was was shot to death after shopping with his brother. >> a

. >> two american prisoners, kenneth bea and matthew todd miller, returned to u.s. soil from north korea. >> we had an indication that there was a possibility of release, and we pursued it. it's a good-news story. >> stephen: is it a good news story, sir? 'cuz fox news is reporting, "obama cans also two americans' vacations." yeah, shocking. obviously, the most miraculous part of their release is that it was not negotiated by dennis rodman. (laughter) >> this release was secured by america's top spy, james clapper, the director of national intelligence who carried a personal letter from president obama to north korean leaders. >> stephen: yep, we gave them a dose of the clapper! (laughter) and all it took was a letter from the president. that was a nice personal touch. these days, too many kids just text their pardon requests. (laughter) folks, i've got to say, i don't envy these men. two years of forced labor. that could not have been good. >> i learned a lot. i grew a lot. lost a lot of weight in a good way. >> or maybe it was great. you know what they say -- you

matthew todd miller seven months detained, kenneth bae two years

. >> meanwhile, the other captive, matthew todd miller, he serves eight months before his release. he was arrested in april after entering the country on a tourist visa and then tearing it up asking for asylum. >>> the cdc has asked for millions of dollars of protective gear. it will be divided into 50 kits for u.s. hospitals. they will include special gowns and coverals. with demand to high in africa, the cdc placed the order ahead of time before supplies run out. >>> today is is the last day kaci hickox will have to stay way from the general population. she says she's looking forward to going out to dinner with her boyfriend. she's worried about the reception she'll get. the couple is moving out of town soon. >>> three crew members from the international space station are back on earth. is there they pushed off at 7:30 eastern time last night. they landed three hours later in a russian snowy field. the crew incollided reed weissman. >> coming up, doritos-flavored soda. >>> plus, breaking business news overnight. the report shows how harmful those detergent pods can be. >>> and th

. >> reporter: the release of kenneth bae and matthew todd miller comes after two weeks after jeffrey fowle won his freedom. two things are certain. this decision came from the top and it was made for a reason. pyongyang released a statement claiming that the u.s. president had made many requests and also an apology. now if that's the case, this domestically is propaganda gold for a leader who wants to remain and show that he's relevant on the international stage. paula hancock, cnn, seoul. >> so now we're joined by gordon chang. he's live in toronto. >> gordon, thank you for being with us. you heard paula hancock's reporting. no conditions, no strings attached according to u.s. officials. i heard you earlier say you think there's a charm offensive, that might have been part of the motive for north korea here to release these two men. charm who? elaborate on that for us. >> yeah. north korea wants to charm the international community specifically russia, japan, south korea and now us. the reason is about a year ago there was a rupture in their relations with their primary backer which

matthew todd miller, held captive after entering north korea illegal in april. north korea says he asked for asylum there. they arrived over night. >>t's been amazing two years. i grew a lot. lost a lot of weight. >> reporter: both released because of a secretive trip by director of national intelligence james clapper last wednesday. u.s. officials say it was not an apology or negotiation. and he did not meet with kim jong-un, the mysterious leader >> this is what we call a charm offensive, where they're saying, we're really not that bad and we can show you we can make life easier for everybody. >> reporter: just last month, the other american held there also freed. jeffrey fowle, caught by officials leaving a bible in a bathroom six months ago. >> they were aside of me. >> reporter: how did they treat you physically? >> physically, i was not abused at all. i had three meals a day. >> reporter: the bae family says they can't wait for thanksgiving. >> we are happy to have him home. >> and bob is here. you have been to north korea five times, really extraordinary.

he was sentenced to 15 years hard labor, and his health was failing. 25-year-old matthew todd miller was also in the country for seven months. he was from bakersfield and he was held there after ripping up his entrance visa. both men were forced to work eight hours of hard labor a day. today president obama reacted to news the two men had been r released. >> very grateful for their safety return. >> reporter: the swedish government reportedly was involved in negotiating the release of the two men. today we talked to thomas hendrickson, senior fellow at the hoover institution at stanford university, about the timing 69 release. -6. >> they do release people when they really sort of milk all the good out of it they can get. and also, they can get the intelligence chief, clapper, to make a trip to north korea. so that also makes the government look good in the eyes of the people, that america's coming and sending a is up plikant, someone begging for the release. >> o'bbama administration officials say the timing of the that starts january 10th. >> a faster and more reliable bus line is