next on msnbc saturday, america looks for work. the fears, tears, and frustrations. what are job seekers finding in their search? can president obama work it out? what does he have within his power to help americans get back on the job? coming up live reports and analysis on america's economic heartache. also ahead, high water horror and the struggle for survival. flash floods turn fatal. plus, it's a prescription for peril. america running short on creditically needed drugs for cancer and other deadly diseases. rescued from the pound. a homeowner finds a dog left on his doorstep and a touching note on its collar. very good morning, everyone. and welcome to msnbc saturday. i'm veronica de la cruz in for alex witt. here's what's happening. when voter frustration growing over unemployment. there is new word on the economy this morning from president obama. in his weekly address the

president says there are steps to be taken right now to create jobs. >> people who you elected serve, we need them to put aside their differences to get things done. we can cut payroll taxes again, so families have an extra $1,000 to spend. we can pass a road construction bill so construction crews who are now sitting idle can head back to the work site. meanwhile, on the campaign trail texas governor rick perry is slamming the president's record on unemployment. this was perry speaking yesterday in florence, south carolina. >> this is the president of the united states that has killed more jobs in america than i think any president in the history certainly in my lifetime. i think the only job he cares about is the one he's got. >> the recession in the u.s. and the housing crisis has affected millions of americans. for some people it's caused incredible heartache. more now from nbc's chris

jansing. >> mary leeward has lived in the same house in brooklyn for half her life. now the great grandmother is facing eviction. >> this is like a nightmare. >> reporter: after refinancing she couldn't keep up with the payments. the house was foreclosed. sdwlirchlgs across the country in california, 35-year-old rosemary is on the verge of losing her home too. >> i went through college. i'm an indicated woman. i thought that at this point i should be able and i have the right to have the american dream like anybody else in this country. >> she was one of dozens who stormed a pasadena bank. >> the stories unfolding across america today are in many ways an alternate reality to what's happening here on wall street. for millions of americans what keeps them awake at night isn't

will i have enough money for my retirement. it's will i be able to pay my bills today. >> that's what we're seeing now is not only the fear of the rising ranks of the have-notes, but the fear that you could be one of those in, you know, the flip of a coin. >> i'm just trying to find something that, you know, that would pay the bills. >> reporter: outside orlando, florida, scores of people at this mall were shopping for job opportunities. >> i just am looking at every nook and cranny that i can find for positions. >> reporter: organizers of a free dental clinic in charlotte, mcincome, were so overwhelmed they were forced to turn away hundreds. >> and holding at $170. >> reporter: in chicago people slept on the side walk overnight to get to a free health clinic. >> unfortunately, it's the state of our times and our economy at the moment. >> reporter: for more and more americans everyday life as scary and uncertain as the stock market. >> it is very emotional, but i'm going to be strong, and i'm going to fight back. >> reporter: chris jansing, nbc news, new york.

and there are more major job fairs coming up next week. the congressional black caucus is holding a massive jobs event in miami on monday and tuesday. miami will be the fourth city to host one of cbc jobs fairs. the job fair comes as the unemployment rate for african-americans stands at 16.8%. that's compared to 8.2% for white americans. i'm joined now live by the reverend jesse jackson, president of rainbow push coalition. good morning to you, sir. >> good morning. nearly 13,000 job seekers have now attended these fairs. reverend, do you feel like they're making a difference? >> well, they're making a difference in that they're hiring a few people, exposing them to those that want and need a job. the black quest for jobs, we're simply canaries in the mind of -- there must be some massive plan to reinvest in america as president barack says to

reinvest in our infrastructure. in addition to enough jobs, fairness in jobs there must be a bigger role for hud to play and if the banks foreclose and we put people back to work. they call the fast rail that -- the department of transportation and the department of labor have big roles to play in the massive jobs plan. >> you know, president obama also held a jobs tour last week, but his was more of a listening tour. he helped town halls of people in the midwest. what do you think, reverend? do you think he is doing enough to help the black community when it comes to jobs? >> well, there must be a renewed focus on jobs. i think that in this rockish ship, we put so much focus on those on the deck of the ship and those in the cabins and not the focus on those in the hull of the ship, and that means we bail out the banks. it was not linked to lend and

reinvestment. somehow it must be. the bush tax cut extension gave more wealth to top 1% and all the state's budget. that must be repealed early on to have enough money to reinvest and put america back to work. of course, there are patterns of race discrimination. we need the president to have a real focus on the impact of why blacks are so -- we voted first and voted most and then we have the most pain, but that pain appeals to him to hear our cry and address the direct focus away. >> i mean, 16.8% unemployment for the african-american community. that is being compared to, what, 8.2%? to what do you attribute these numbers? these are near depression numbers. >> the fact is it's more like 25%. in new york city, 50% of black men are unemployed. >> you think it's even higher than this? >> oh, these are were bigger numbers. you have a combination -- you are living in chicago or

detroit, the jobs are outside the city. you can't get there through private transportation if you are on welfare wrush can't own a car. public transportation will not get you there, and then you are locked away from the jobs. that's why the public transportation must play a role in the discrimination of access to jobs, education, and health care. patterns of health discrimination. outside chicago, 3,200 blacks die a year from health care disparity, for example. if you go, the worker needs several things wrush nye need daycare. you need transportation, job training, and a job. there must be a real focus. we're living in a state of emergency. a b a focus on how to put together urban employment and development. >> interesting. interesting. all right. >> let me say, while blacks are in the pain, rogers district in kentucky, in appalachia, there are no whites unemployed than

blacks. somehow those who are in pain must have their pain addressed, and we resolve the pain of insurance companies and banks and those that want tax cuts. the hull of the ship is in great misery. >> reverend, i want to get your take on something. congresswoman maxine waters says this summer has been a defining moment for the african-american community, and she says essentially the tea party got the upper hand in the arguments over the debt ceiling debate. she and other cbc members are saying that the black community needs to speak up, and they need to start their own tea party-like movement. what do you think about this? >> well, that's what the civil rights movement on. you have now the tea party, those that want to undermine the government and destroy the captain of the ship. in the subsense, our activity, our being alive, fighting, protesting, voting as an asset to him and so we have been -- because we have been trapped

between our loyalty to him and protesting against him when it is not. our protest, in fact, empowers him, ask it helps determine the direction of the flow of america's agenda. >> all right. reverend jesse jackson, the president of the rainbow push coalition. reverend, we appreciated your time today. it's nice to see you. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> well, it has been another tough week for the stock market. traders at the new york stock exchanging on friday were selling again as they did on thursday. for the week the dow was down more than 4%. the nasdaq more than 6%, and the s&p was off more than 4.5%. president obama is on his second full day of vacation on the massachusetts island of martha's vineyard, but the administration is make it clear that the change of scenery does not mean that he is not working. kristen joins us now from martha's vineyard, where it's a gorgeous day there. what is this trip been like so far, kristen? >> hey there, veronica. it certainly is a great day. we should say president obama had a date night last night with

mrs. obama. certainly some r & r on this trip. white house officials say this is also very much a working vacation. in fact, the first emage that we saw of this trep was a very serious one. president obama getting briefed by his counterterrorism advisor john brennan, and white house officials are saying that these briefings will go on throughout this trip. in fact, another advisor is going to fly in. then the president headed out. a bit of family time with daughters to buy some book. a lot of his supporters vacation in this area, so they were chanting four more years when mr. obama and his daughters stepped out. he shook some hands. he did play a little bit of golf as well. republican candidates have been hammering the president. they say he shouldn't be taking such a nice vacation. they say it's the wrong place at the wrong time. white house officials have really been pushing back against that type of criticism saying the office of the presidency really travel with mr. obama wherever he goes. they also point to the fact that

he is hard at work, they say, on a jobs plan, which he will unveil in september. part of that plan we're getting a glimpse of that and it will include tax cuts as well as investing in construction projects. they also, veronica, made the point that, look, he is a father, he is a husband, and they don't think the american people will begrudge him a little bit of quality time with his family. >> any comparison to presidents past? he is only taking, what, like, 60 days in comparison to other president who's have taken, what, like 100 -- like double or triple even? >> yeah. right. even more. that's absolutely right. this is according to the unofficial white house historian mark knoller who is with cbs news radio, and really tracks these things. even the white house refers to him according to mark knoller, president obama has taken 61 vacation days so far. president george w. bush had taken 180 vacation days at this point in his presidency. ronald reagan had taken 112. interestingly, bill clinton had taken far fewer.

about 28. it is interesting to sort of see the match-up. we don't know what president obama has planned for today, but we're certainly going try to get a glimpse of him, and we can tell you a lot of folks around here are going to be looking out for hem as well. >> we'll be checking back with you. kristen welker, thank you. >> thank you. they plead guilty to the murder of three cub scouts, and then they were released to freedom. plus the dangers of flash flooding. people caught in the tloez of rushing water with no warning. zooirchlgts it's a doggy at a doorstep and a note to break your heart. you're watching msnbc saturday. well i always worry about what's in the food

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this is the first morning of freedom for the west memphis three. the three men were released from prison in arkansas yesterday. they accepted a plea deal with prosecutors that released them for time served.

they have been held since 1993 for the killings of three cub scouts. since then, the three have maintained their innocence. they spoke at a news conference on friday. >> have you to worry about your own safety. it don't matter what kim it is. you have to worry about your safety. >> from the beginning we told nothing but the truth, and we were innocent, and they sent us to prison for the rest of our lives, and we had to come here, and the only thing that the state would do for us was say, hey, we'll let you go only if you admit guilt. that's not justice no matter how you look at it. because of the agreement the west memphis three will not be allowed to sue the state for monetary compensation. an earful of criticism. this is congressman maxine waters speaking at the congressional black caucus jobs fair on friday. >> the president is going to have to fight, employ he is going to have to fight hard. we cannot back up from the tea

party. we cannot be intimated. we cannot compromise away the ability for us to put together proposals that are going to get this country back on the right track. >> joining me now is msnbc contributor and managing editor of the brio.com. it's to so nice to see you. s. >> thanks for being here. >> we're just listening to congressman waters there saying the president needs to stand up and fight. we spoke to reverend jesse jackson just a moment ago, and do you think the president has been weak? is he letting himself be pushed around on this issue? >> i think part of what you are seeing in these town halls and the reaction to the congressional black caucus is a certain frustration that people have because of an expectation that they have that president obama can in and sweep over washington because he had the kills and change would be something that would wash over washington, and we're finding that's bumping up against the realities of the process. right? the process is built to be slow and incremental, and then, fainkly, you have a party on the other side, republicans, who

have thrown every potential roadblock in front of this president and have made it clear they do not intend really to allow him to govern. i think the frustration is starting to boil over, and i think for african-americans in particular i think there might have been a feeling that, well, more could be done specifically for african-american communities, but, of course, that's not possible if you can't even get a basic jobs bill through the house of representatives. i think the frustration is sort of coming to a head because, frankly, people are hurting in a lot of these communities. frankly, have been for decades. >> you have actually attended some of these jobs fairs. what have you been seeing? >> well, i think what you saw at the atlanta specifically -- i mean, detroit we saw a lot of frustration, but detroit is such a special case. the auto market retracting away from detroit really sort of destroyed those communities. in atlanta what we really saw were two things. the biggest applause lines we saw on that stage were, number one, when maxine waters said we cannot shrink from going to this president and telling him what we want and what we need. the second thing is the plot line was when another member of the panel said we need to make sure this president is re-elected. you have within these

communities a dichotomy. people support the president, want him re-elected, but they want action and they just are feeling helpless. >> do you think that they feel as though if they don't support the president on this issue they're being disloyal? this is his biggest base of supporters. >> i don't think it's that. i think that, you know, we glossed over really quickly, and for me it was amazing how quickly we got through the idea of electing the first black president. for african-american communities, this is revolutionary. think of it like nelson mandela becoming president of south africa, how revolutionary that was. well, apartheid was jim crow, right? for african-americans, the idea of a first black president is a significant, emotional attachment, so people still support this president and are very protective of him particularly because the tea party is over, and because he gets so much of a fight that they feel is different than the fight that previous presidents have gotten. i don't think that he is going to see a lack of support, but what he needs to look at and this is an opportunity for the president, really to look at the pain that these communities have been on since before he came

into office and to somehow find a way to make these folks feel that he is working hard for them. >> with that said, what do you think he needs to do? he is on a bus tour, and like congressman maxine waters has been saying, he is not passing through african-american communities. >> the difficulty is president obama is a president of the entire country, not just of african-americans, so he has to address all americans. at the same time i think the cbc has gotten an opportunity here. they deal with these communities specifically. these are their districts. they have now shown that they can do something proactive. they've gone on the ground and done job fairs that are really xekting people, which is what they want wrfsh if they can marry that agenda with the white house and find a way to get legislative action by pushing the way the tea party did, then i think these communities will be grateful. >> let's shift gears and talk about this new illegal immigration legislation that has been passed, this policy.

basically pill legal immigrants face no security. what is your take, and do you think it's going to calm the frustration from the latino base that's been growing, as you know? >> this white house has been tougher on immigration enforcement than the bush one, and i think the examination is they were expecting imgralgts reform, not so much just enforcement, but i think having credibility on that in terms of enforcement, the white house is now free to make good policy and good politics, quite frankly. people who pose no threat to the society, there's really no reason to sort of forcibly deport moms and american sit sfwlenz and going after people. >> how does this play out with latino voters? >> it's always hard to say because latino voters, again, are two-thirds democratic in terms of their voting. when you take out cuban-americans, it's a very democratic block. i don't think the president was ever in danger of losing this

block to republicans because their rhetoric is so harshly anti-immigrant, but i think, again, like african-american voters, you don't want the base to be so exhausted and so demoralized that while they support you, they don't go out of their way to vote. this could help in that regard. >> joanne, it's always a pleasure to see you, and i think you'll attend the miami jobs fair, is that right? >> down to miami, which should be interesting because miami is a hard hit community in terms of jobs. >> all right. well, go ahead and give us an update when you get back. >> thank you. will do. >> nice to see you. if you have watched any of the little league baseball world series this year or at any other time, you might just forget that they're battling it out for ball field supremacy, and they're kits kids on top of all of that. two players from the first base yesterday. pennsylvania and kentucky teams appear shaken by the collision, and then they burst into tears. they were okay, and they both stayed in the game. after all, kids are quite resilient. oh. you're watching msnbc saturday. we'll be right back.

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in today's tech watch, it appears apple is developing a new ipad. the tech industry experts say apple has ordered key components for the ipad 3. it reportedly will have a higher resolution display than the current ipad. speculation has it that the new ipad will hit the market early next year. an abandoned dog in washington state has a new home today after he was discovered on a neighbor egg doorstep with a mysterious note and $100 strapped to his collar. mr. b is now living with a family that includes three young children. mr. b's new owner just heard about the dog from a man he shares an office with. the man who found mr. b while leaving for work one morning. >> i found this hanging around

his nem neck, and i saw some people, and it says open. so i opened it up, and i found a note. it says please take care of mr. b. my parents got divorced, and mr. b was supposed to go to the pound. i think he has a better chance with you. >> a vet checked the dog and said aside from this some dry skin and clogged ears, mr. b is in good shape. good news. it has been a bad start to the weekend for one houston homeowner. police say a woman drove through a garage wall and into the backyard pool. the driver got out safely, and no one are the hurt. investigators have not released the driver's name, and it's not known if she lives at that house. the cause of the accident is still unknown. five chicken breasts individually wrapped, so you can use what you want and put the rest in the refrigerator. and the best part is it only takes 10 minutes. it's my go-to meal. and the best part is it only takes 10 minutes. or creates another laptop bag or hires another employee,

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how'd you learn to do that? what'd you use? every project we finish comes with a story built-in. it's how our rough ideas become "you did that yourself?" so when we can save more on the projects that let us fix, make, and do more... that just makes the stories even better. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. add some style to your sink, with this moen banbury faucet for the new lower price of $79. we have breaking news out of iran where two american hikers have been sentenced to eight years in jail. iranian state tv says joshua fattal and shane barrett were found guilty of spying. they have been detained for two years. they along with american sarah

shord were arrested near the country's board we are iraq. after her release last year. we'll be hearing live from northbound's ali aru sfwl sxwl i in tehran. two american hikers found guilty of spying. we're going to get you more on this developing story. now, at half past the hour, here with your headlines. rebels in libya say they've now captured the oil port after a battle that lasted for more than a week. the rebels are now closing in on tripoli. survivors of last month's massacre have returned to the island where children were gunned down. survivors and families have gone there for a day of remembrance. kim jong il has arriveed in russia and will meet with russia president dmitri medvedev. it is kim's first trip to russia since 2002. in spain world youth day celebrations with tens of thousands of young people cheering pope benedict outside madrid's cathedral.

the pope held mass today and will hold a prayer vigil later tonight. back in the states the first lawsuits from last saturday's stage collapse in i should end have been failed. one was found on behalf of one of the six people that died. the other four a survivor, and those are your fast five headlines. well, a pair of powerful storms moved through pittsburgh, pennsylvania, causing deadly flash floods. a mother and two children were killed when they are car became submerged. the heavy rains reportly overwhelmed drainage systems causing roads to literally rupture. >> then the road just opened up. i mean, just opened up, and a white car surnk. this big red pickup truck went under, and then water started coming in my doors. i called 911. the water by that point was over my head. >> oh, my goodness. rescuers were able to pull 11 people from the rushing water. so are there more storms on the way? nbc meteorologist bill karins joins us now with a look at what you can expect outside.

bill. >> that was riddick lug husband. water was rushing out of the manholes, literally shooting up, because the sewer systems were backed up. we saw severe storms rolling through new england. we had pneumonia reduce reports of large hail and damaging winds, so we did have a rough day yesterday. i don't think today is going to be quite as bad. the weekend storm outlook today st. louis, central missouri, southern portions of illinois, maybe indianapolis, that's it for strong storms today, but sunday afternoon and evening, we have to watch out in the big cities again. d.c., baltimore, philly, new york, boston, hartford, and providence. you could be looking at a very stormy sunday afternoon. keep that in mind for your plans. also, probably one of the bigger weather stories that will doppler throughout the weekend into next week. the next tropical threat. a very large tropical wave is about to head for land areas there around the virgin islands, the st. lucia area, martin ique. that's the problem throughout this week. near puerto rico on monday. now, this storm is going to be covering a lot of the land wrar. filths near the land areas, it

will be weaker. if it stays out over the water, it will be stronger. by the time we get to friday, whatever is around, probably thursday into friday, it will be right near florida. anyone with plans in the southeast at the end of this upcoming week needs to play close attention to this forecast, and watch this system. if it does get a name eventually it would be irene. your weekend forecast, from boston, new york, to d.c., to philly. also, dallas, 107 today. you'll be hotter than phoenix. we're going to be warm in the pacific northwest. if are you just waking up and joining us, this should be one of your warmest summer days yet around portland, oregon. you could hit 90 for the first time. that's ridiculous. then there's your sunday forecast. the east coast, veronica, is the areas that will be dodging those afternoon storms. veronica, i think the big buzz as we go throughout the next week will be what is heading towards florida? we could be dealing with our first significant tropical threat. >> we appreciate you watching it. thanks, bill. we want to bring you breaking news out of iran where two american hikers have been sentenced eight years in jail. let's go now by telephone to

nbc's ali arrouzi who is standing by in tehran. what are you ku tell us? >> we were expecting a heavy sentence like this. all the speculation during the two weeks since their last trial was that these guys were going to get a heavy sentence for espionage and illegally entering the country, but not all is lost. i spoke to their lawyer who said that the hikers still have the right to appeal, to reduce their sentence, and all the conventional wisdom in iran says that these guys in all likelihood will be let go in ram dawn as a goodwill gesture. i don't think this eight years is carved in stone. they're not going to be languishing in an iranian prison for the next eight years. there's still a big ray of hope for the end of the month of ramadan that these guys will be let off for islamic compassion, as it's called here. veronica. >> in the meantime, ali, there was a third hiker, sarah shord. what exactly happened with her?

>> well, she was -- according to the authorities in iran, she was let go on compassionate grounds because she was a woman, and apparently she was -- her health was dwindling in an iranian prison, so on compassionate grounds they let her go. the first tile the hikers had, they expected her to come back and stand trial. she didn't. the second trial she wasn't expected to, so i think her case is over and done with. there's no danger of her coming back here or facing time. iran is not in the business of doing the u.s. any favors. there's still dangerous ground in the next two weeks. >> you did mention that there was chance for an appeal. do you hear more about that? >> no. i mean, i just spoke to the lawyer. the lawyer said that is still an option to appeal the case to try and reduce the sentence, but they want to see what's going to happen in the next two weeks by

the end of ramadan. >> ali arouzi, we'll check back at the top of the hour. we appreciate he it. thank you. rick perry is continuing his campaign blitz through south carolina. the newest presidential candidate focuses attacks on president obama saying he has killed more jobs that be any other president. meanwhile, newt gingrich is making his pitch to asian-americans and pacific islanders holding events in hawaii tonight. according to politico, it also coincides with his 11th wedding anniversary. herman cane is holding four events today in new hampshire. he is making the case to voters that he is still a contender. >> you will hear that there's only three real serious candidates out there -- michelle bachmann, rick perry, and mitt romney. that simply is nott true, folks. once again, the media is trying to select the nominee based upon

high name id, whether they got a cagillion dollars or can raise cagillion dollars. >> jolene kent joins us. cain says the frontrunner shouldn't be based on name recognition and money, but is this realistic? >> the campaign says that his name recognition has gone up since the iowa debate. in turn, cain told me yesterday he only is spending money if he gets it, only opening an office here in the critical state of new hampshire after he has raised the funds. it does look like cain is managing expectations, but momentum since entry of rick perry has decreased, but here in new hampshire, which has about 41% independent voters, it is possible for one like cain to get more visibility among these voters so, we'll have to see how things pan out. it's still early, veronica. >> exactly. let's go ahead and listen in on this exchange between herman cain and a boy who had a

question for him. take a listen. >> if i were any superhero, who would it be and why? >> uh-huh. >> not very political, but -- >> super man. >> why would you be superman? >> because we have a super mess in this country. we need superman to bail us out. >> all right. you were there and you have been traveling with the campaign. what kind of job has herman cain done in connecting with voters? how would you deskrub his style? >> well, i would describe herman cain's style as very outgoing, very gregarious. he has a lot of experience in the media. he often writes columns. he is on the radio. he has a no nonsense sort of approach to things. he definitely is putting that media experience to use. voters do seem to respond very, very well. the question is how much voters can he reach? >> jolene kent there traveling with the cain campaign.

we appreciate it. thank you. >> thank you. and we eninvite you to watch "meet the press" tomorrow. savannah guthrie will be stepping in. she'll be speaking to mitch daniels. if it's sunday, it is "meet the press." check your local nbc listings. arizona congresswoman gabrielle giffords aware of the six people who lost their lives in the tucson massacre. a spokesman for giffords says days before her surprise return to capitol hill she was told of the identities of the victims. her family and friends kept her in the dark about those six people for nearly seven months when they felt she was far along -- enough along in the recovery process. among those killed was one of giffords staff members, gabe zimmerman, and a close friend of hers district judge john roll. another weekend of stress and worry for investors on wall street. the stock market suffered another week of losses. the dow fell more than 450 points for the week. joining us now to talk about all this, the market, the economy, is annie lori, economy reporter

for slate. good morning to you, annie. is there going to be any good news this week for the markets? anything to look forward to? >> you know, gold prices are really well, and one thing that investors have looked forward to is the fact that to borrow money right now is very cheap, to invest in stocks is historically cheap. there aren't a lot of bright spots out there. the u.s. gdp grew at a price of less than 1% per year in the first six months of the year. it indicates we're very, very close to recession again. there sent a lot of good news. >> how close? >> some economists think we might have actually tipped back into recession, and we don't really have all the day data to know whether the economy is expanding or contracting for several months afterwards. we're going to know a little bit more about this in the fall. one way or another, there is just no sign of a lot of growth in the economy. one way or another. whether we've actually started contracting or whether we're growing, one way or the other, the numbers are not good. >> we should look to the fall then? you're saying that's what the timeline is here?

>> absolutely. we saw a lot of bad data starting in the spring. what happened essentially is that the government spending started to contract. the economy started to slow down. that basically we know about now in the summer. we're looking to the fall to see whether the economy has continued to expand. consumer spending has held up. the data isn't clear whether the economy is growing again or whether we've really just completely sputtered out. >> all right. annie lori with slate. hopefully some good news around the corner. we'll keep our fingers crossed. thank you. there is a critical shortage of medicine for some serious diseases. at least 180 drugs have declared in short supply this year. that's according to the "new york times". that's a new record. these drugs are crucial for treating colon and breast cancer, childhood leukemia and other diseases. a nationwide stockpile of cancer medications is being proposed as a solution to the problem. we'll be right back.

the suj for a missing utah woman has led police to

abandoned mine shafs along the mountains of eastern mav nav. susan powell, a mother of two young boys, vanished in december of 2009 after failing to show up for work. her husband, josh powell, is considered a person of interest, but police won't say what evidence led them to mine shafts. northbound's miguel has more. >> reporter: from the skies above the back country of eli, nevada, to the ground where investigators combed through steep rugged terrain, the search for missing mom, susan powell, winds through forgotten dirt roads, focussing on hundreds of abandoned mine shafts that pockmark this unforgiving landscape. >> they were able to clear numerous mines, and they were able to document and photograph each and every single one of those that they were able to clear. >> reporter: though police wouldn't discuss the new clues that brought them here, they did not appear to be looking for anyone that could be alive. this is a place where human bodies have been found before. >> you could be walking along the edge, and ucht to peer over,

and the ground could go right from under your feet. >> reporter: on a frigid day josh powell tells police he loaded up the family van for a camping trip. it was 12:30 a.m., and he took the boys camping. police believe he was the last person to see susan alive. they soon name josh a person of interest. he stopped cooperating with police. it's a claim josh has always denied. a husband who was never charged in this case. >> luckily, the police have a credible lead. i can't say that -- i can't say that doesn't cross my mind that this will be vindication as well. >> reporter: josh suspects susan ran away with another man. not so, says susan's father. he believes susan would never

leave her children and says friday's search has done little to help close his daughter's case. >> i have no idea what's possibly a connection that she could have to eli, nevada. >> reporter: a missing mom gone two years. a search that has taken investigators to the middle of the nevada desert. neither of susan's parents oofr her husband was contacted about the search in nevada. investigators say they're working on credible leads and decided not to share specifics, even with family members. in a moment ranking the republican field in the battle for the white house. who is coming on strong, and who is going, going, gone? you're watching msnbc saturday. free access to chase atm's wherever you are. that's a step forward. chase customers can avoid atm fees with over 16,000 nationwide.

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republican candidate mitt romney is gearing down on a controversial comment that he made at the state fair. corporations are people and now he's releasing a new political ad explaining his comment. >> i'm talking about businesses

important to you. it's astonishing to me that the obama folks would try and argue that businesses aren't people. what do they think they are? little men from mars? when they tax business, they tax people. >> i'm joined live now once again by michael and msnbc contributor and nationally syndicated radio talk show host with km radio. gentlemen, let's go ahead and start with you. is romney winning this argument? >> i don't know if he wins that argument. he solidifies his base. those opposed to him probably still oppose to him. i wonder how it plays in the middle, where this is going to be determined. veronica, i think mitt romney had a good week. i say that, because rick perry getting in splits a vote with michele bachmann that was already not going to mitt romney. mitt romney is the establishment who is remaining and in the end

could not these primary voters. >> let's turn the conversation to joe and start rick perry who is facing criticism. after suggesting that ben bernanke is convicted of treason. what do you think, joe? do you think that perry looked unpresidential this week? do you think he had a good week? >> god yes. i'm sorry. i couldn't even wait for you to finish the question. absolutely. i mean, first of all, he's a republican. he's an appointed -- was appointed by a republican. this is the most nonpresidential statement that has been made and that's why he caught it from basically republicans. can you imagine what texas bankers were saying when they heard that? and how he would be treated in and what do we do to people who are treasonness? he thinks he was being cute and to go back to mitt romney?

i mean, come on. people are corporations. that's what mosolina said. and we used to call it fashionism. there is an effort by republicans in that town to have corporations like people. this is very dangerous but this is a large group of people and that's why they are getting a lot of attention. >> who do you see as having the most momentum? >> i would say at this point in time it's too early. because that's my position. it's just absolutely too early to tell. you know, i think michael is right. this split for the social conservatives is between michele bachmann and now perry and hopefully the republicans will say, you know rng the grownups need to get into the race and mitt romney probably looks a

little bit better than the two extremes. and that's what the republicans have to avoid. just like democrats have to avoid it. extremes don't get elected in this country. >> all right. let's leave you with the next question, michael. we just saw tim pawlenty drop out of the race. who do you think is going to be next? >> a number of candidates can be eliminated in terms of their ability to win this thing but i'm not sure who i would rank at the top. my hunch is that mitt romney and jon huntsman, should he emerge from the pact, have a prospect of being a strong, general election candidate. who is not on that list, i don't think it's michele bachmann. i don't think she could cultivate centerist support. it's not going to be rick santorum. perry is still a bit of a wild card but there is a lot of time left on the clock. it's fun to prognosticate but there's still time to go. >> and it's not going to be herman cain.

>> no. >> not herman cain. >> i was just agreeing with michael. it's not going to be herman cain. there's going to be a long list that is going to be eliminated. >> all right. gentlemen, thank you so much. it's always a pleasure. that's going to be it for me this morning. always nice to spend a saturday with you. my colleague, craig melvin is up next. among the top stories that he's going to bring you, the two american hikers that have been sentenced to eight years in prison. but is their fate sealed? police are being given homes force free. that's straight ahead on msnbc saturday. [ doug ] i got to figure this out. i want to focus on innovation. but my data is doubling. my servers are maxed out. i need to think about something else when i run. [ male announcer ] with efficient i.t. solutions from dell, doug can shift up to 50% of his company's technology spend from operating costs to innovation.

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