to attend the president's jobs speech tonight. >> it is a ponzi scheme to tell our kids who are 25 or 30 years today that you are paying into a program that is going to be there. >> our nominee has to be someone who isn't committed to abolishing social security, but committed to saving social security. >> regardless of what anyone says, oh, it is not, and that is provocative language, but maybe it is time to have some provocative language in this country. >> and it is those comments on social security that has mitt romney's advisers in full attack mode against rick perry the day after the big debate. but is it wishful thinking for the man who was once the front-runner? and another deadly round of floods in western pennsylvania. and more evacuations where 100,000 people are told to leave their homes this hour. and thor a rest in the disappearance of a california nursing student who was last seen in a parking lot and why police say a former high school friend killed her.

everyone, i'm tamron hall, and the "newsnation" is following president obama gearing up forrer tonight's high stakes speech and unveiling the new plan to create jobs and boost this economy. the president will deliver the speech before a joint session of congress and he is expected to unveil a $300 billion package that includes extending the 2% payroll tax which is set to expire at the end of the year. and also, tax incentives for companies to hire new workers an infrastructure projects and extending unemployment benefits and program to prevent teacher layoffs, and this is what a top white house official had to say. >> the american job act which is introduced next week which the president will speak to the night are a series of innovative ideas that have shown almost all of them to have bipartisan support. >> talking about tax cuts for regular working americans and talking about a assistance to small business and help to allow teachers to stay on the job and first responders.

putting construction workers back to work. >> coming up we will talk to two democrats, congresswoman judy chu of the asian american caucus and caucus member robert menend menendez, a member of the hispanic caucus. we will have both of them live for you. and also, up to the northeast, almost 100,000 people in new york and western pennsylvania are forced to evacuate because of the mass flooding. some of these people are evacuated for the second time in just as many weeks. and you can see this tropical storm lee passing over into pennsylvania and some roads accessible only by boat, and three people have been killed by rising waters in pennsylvania. and people from a dozen new england states from eastern coast are hammered by rains. and the weather channel's chris warren has more from binghamton, new york. >> here in binghamton, we are seeing the record flooding.

we are seeing it right now. the last time we had flooding that come paired to this was 2006, five years ago. what makes this different is what we were expecting. the water levels to get above the floodwall which is something that we did not see in 2006, and what many long-term residents say they have never seen here in this town, and we are already seeing the floodwalls completely covered. we have heard the reports -- and it is hard to make out from this vantage point -- but there are reports that the water is spilling over into the city. it is happening where two rivers come together, and we have seen the flooding ourselves and something else from the police that could make things even worse, the walls are keeping the water out, but we are hearing reports that there's cracks in the base of the walls. so that puts into question of the integrity of the walls, themselves. so what is already record flooding could get even worse. tamron, back to you. >> thank you very much. and joining us is senator robert menendez of new jersey and a

member of the congressional hispanic caucus and thank you so much for your time, sir. >> good to be here, tamron. >> let me get your thoughts on what you believe that the president needs to say today. >> well, i think that he needs to say how we are going to build on the job efforts that we have had and get america working again. so i hope that means, you know, research, and get the r&d tax credits extended to create new enterprises and new research opportunities and jobs that flow from that and deal with the infrastructure and the roads and the highways and the bridges and our schools. so let's get construction workers and engineers and architects and all of the office suppliers that work with them, and education moving for those who need to improve their skills in a competitive marketplace, and how do we help small bizpses at the end of the day and mid-sized businesses to get the tax breaks that will give them tin sensitives to the hire people? >> well, what is different about the plan that the president will present or expected to present than what we have heard before?

>> well, i don't know all of the specifics of the plan. my hope is that he is bold in the process, and that we will get, you know, the support from our republican colleagues to put america back to work again, and just having a plan that says that we want to have a president obama to fail doesn't help the country get back to work. >> well, how do you define bold? is that a dollar amount or something that amounts to what critics would call a stimulus part two, but others would refer to as something that is needed, influx of money into the economy? >> well, for me, it's a combination of how you incentivize creating the job growth. you know, build america bonds, incredibly successful program with a slight subsidy from the federal government, and incentivize an infrastructure bank to raise more private sector bonds and let the private sector flow which are innovative

and bold and at the same time how much money you put to an economy this size is important, and most economists will say that the size is as important as the methods that you use. >> and how do you have a starting kwon vconversations sa that the members of the congress and senate say they would rather be home watching a football game rather than listen to the president's speech? >> well, those people are republicans, and they have to use their efforts to ensure that they send a message to the members that, that is not acceptable. everybody should be there and everybody should be looking to find common ground and looking to put america back to work. >> it is great in theory and how the system is should work, and that everybody in anal ideal situation, but it is not ideal times when we look at the meks of congress, and again, going back to the parties showing up

for the job, and members of congress saying they don't want to be there, so how is it that you or anyone else would expect the american people to expect something to be done here? >> well, hey, tamron, i am going to be there and i can't be responsible for the people who are not going to be there tonight? who say tlas ns they are not go be there tonight? republicans. when republicans say they want barack obama to fail, and the problem is if you could divorce barack obama from the presidency, maybe as a political tactic, you could accept it, but that means the president fails and when the president fails, the country fails and that is what the voters have to think about when they listen to the president's speech and look at who is there and not there and look at what happens in the days after the president's speech. >> thank you, senator. and now joining us is democratic congresswoman judy chu, and thank you for joining us. what would you like to hear from the president? >> well, i would like to see

bold action. far too many americans suffering and including the asian-pacific islander community where people are unemployed for longer periods of time than any other ethnic group, and they are suffering, and we need strong and decisive action. >> i asked the same question to senator menendez and how is "bold" defined, because it is seeming like a talking point at this time, because i am hearing this line of wording with bold, and that is what you want to see, but give me specifics on what that means? >> well, i would like to see an investment in infrastruckture and there are roads and highways and ir poairports that need to rebuilt. the average school is 40 years old. if we were able to get jobs in that kind of infrastructure, we would be able to put so many millions of americans back to work. >> and some of the reporting out there is the plan will be at least $300 billion and a few tax cuts and a lot of money for the

financed job, and infrastructure and the things that you named there and from what i am told there, what is the dollar figure? is that not bold enough? >> i wish it were more and the president is going in the right direction and i'm glad that he is not getting this money or proposing that these fees come from cuts, but instead from the ending of the tax credits to the millionaires? >> are you confident that an agreement can be reached at this point and i asked the senator the same question, when you have some republicans who i is a they don't want -- who say they want don't want to show up for this speech, what is there to hold on to for some compromise? >> well, i think it is disrespectful to not show up when the country is at a critical point right now, but i do believe that the president must make his best case, and he must challenge the republicans to finally do a jobs bill after nine months of them being in control of the house, and if not, then he has to take it to

the american people. >> congresswoman chu, thank you for your time and i appreciate it, because i know you are both very busy. msnbc will bring you the president's speech when he addresses a joint session of congress. and today, mitt romney is hitting rick perry really hard when it comes to social security. in the debate, perry called it a quote ponzi scheme, and today, governor romney's camp is accusing him of saying that social security should not exist. and today, there is note of how rick perry addressed climate change. >> just because you have a sense of scientists out there saying it is, and then galileo was laughed at for a while. >> joining us is michael smerconish and michelle bernard and president of the bernard center for women, politics and public policy, and michael, thank you for joining us, and

what do you make of the galileo comment? where was he going there? >> well, it placated the base. he didn't make any faux pass th -- fa faux pa, is that will hurt him. i thought that romney looked more presidential and i'm hoping that jon huntsman was emerging last night, because he adds a voice of sanity to the debate that has been lacking thus far. >> and michelle, let me bring you in there, because jon huntsman tweeted out the comments of climate changing say i believe in climate change and evolution, and you have mitt romney with the comments onb social security realizing they have to play to a larger audience if they get the nomination, but in the middle of that or that, they have to get past rick perry who last night was clearly the front-runner despite any poll you would look at it or know about because that

was handling rick perry as a front-runner. >> well, tamron, i watched last night and excited about the way that the debate fell out. i thought that governor perry did much better than mitt romney last night. if you imagine yourself as a member of a jury and you are watching a trial and you are looking at the demeanor of the people before you, many times former governor romney looked nervous and uncomfortable, and mitt romney just didn't seem to feel completely at ease, and i thought that jon huntsman did a very good job and he merged and he is clearly in third place and he was reasonable in terms of a general election candidate, he hit the nail on the head when you look at independents and people who are right of center and left of center and most likely to vote in 2012. >> i e wawant to play another comment of rick perry talking about executions in the state of texas and now over 200 in his administration.

>> have you struggled to sleep at night with the idea that any one of those might have been innocent? >> no, sir. i have never struggled with that at all. in the state of texas, if you come into our state and you kill one of our children, you kill a police officer, you are involved with another crime and you kill one of our citizens, you will face the ultimate justice in the state of texas. that is that you will be executed. >> so, michael, that got an applause line from the audience there, and what do you make of some of the web sites and most of them liberal or progressive who are zeroing in on rick perry and the executions in the state of texas. >> interestingly it got a lot of applause from the audience even before he began to answer it. what is really going on here is that there is a tremendous journalist at the new yorker called david graham who wrote a lengthy story about a man who was executed one of the 234 cameron todd willingham, and my hunch is that brian williams had that case in mind, because there is a school of thought out there

that a innocent personb was executed in texas and look out if that emerges in the state of the election. >> thank you, both. next on "newsnation," newly released audiotapes offer a chilling new glimpse into the morning of 9/11. >> we have several situations going on here and it is escalating big time, and we need to get the military involved in it. >> what is going on? >> get me somebody who has the authority to get military in the air now. >> and chuck schumer made an emotional speech on the floor this morning remembering the victims of 9/11. and jury selection begins in the trial of michael jackson's doctor conrad murray. and olympian arrested, paul hamm for assault. details ahead on "newsnation." r, r, even accents of tomato and avocado.

yeah! come on! [ barking ] gotta love the protein for muscles-- whoo-hoo! and omega-rich nutrition for that shiny coat. ever think healthy could taste so good? [ woman announcing ] new beneful healthy fiesta. another healthful, flavorful beneful. while i took refuge from the pollen that made me sneeze. but with 24-hour zyrtec®, i get prescription strength relief from my worst allergy symptoms. so lily and i are back on the road again. with zyrtec® i can love the air®. i've tried it. so lily and i are back on the road again. but nothing's helped me beat my back pain. then i tried this. it's salonpas. this is the relief i've been looking for. salonpas has 2 powerful pain fighting ingredients that work for up to 12 hours. and my pharmacist told me it's the only otc pain patch approved for sale using the same rigorous clinical testing that's required for prescription pain medications. proven. powerful. safe. salonpas.

as i wiz drive as i was driving quickly to my office i saw another plane fly in low over the potomac and another plane going over and that is when i said, world war three has started. then i flew to new york the next day and i think about it everyday. >> that is u.s. senator chuck schumer describing what he saw on 9/11. he joins me live from washington. thank you for your time. i know among other things you will ring the opening bell with secretary clinton and rudy giuliani in observance of the attacks and here we are ten years later and i have been listening to the family members talk about the loss of life and the loss of love, and what are the feelings here as we approach the anniversary today? >> well, first, your heart goes

out to the families who lost loved ones. know a lot of the f and the hole in the heart never heals. it was a mindless act of savagery, and you never get over that. second as a new yorker, i'm proud of my city. the resilience that new york showed right after 9/11 happened, they were writing new york off, and big cities that would be targets and people would not want to live there in areas that might be targets and downtown would become a ghost town and that is all down spak, but there is a third thought here, and that is that the politics has so deteriorated in the last ten years that you wonder if god forbid another attack occurred would we have the same unity and the resolve and the focus looking forward to how we solve the problems as opposed to pointing the fingers of blame? would that occur the way it did

after 9/11 or would we have in a month deteriorate to people yelling at each other as to whose fault this was? so i think it is useful for us to think about america and in particular american politics responded after 9/11, and can we bring some of that back? i mean the crisis that we have now is economic, and it is a little different of course, and we haven't lost 3,000 people, and we were not attacked by an outside enemy, but it is very, very serious, and none of the good things that helped us to come together after 9/11 seem to be in the politics today? >> what does that here we are that we could not answer that question with certainty that we would be able to pull together in light of the debates happening, and to your point, we have millions of americans out of work, who are losing their homes and losing their livelihood and can't think of taking or sending their children to college, because they want to worry about paying the day to day bills and the lawmakers cannot pull together, and this

is a crisis. >> it really is. i don't have doubt that the, you know, the first responders would rush to the towers again, and rush to the crisis and that there would be millions of acts of generosity in giving among the american people. but our political system is so fractured and so nasty and so broken that one wonders if we could have the same very, and history will regard the response to 9/11 both at the local level at new york and the national and international levels as very, very positive. would we have that again? i just wonder, because we are so fractured. you know, i remember, you know, i became very opposed to the iraq war, but i still routed for us to win, even though it might benefit george bush, who was pursuing that war. these days you seem to get the feeling that the people who are opposed to barack obama almost wish the economy would be bad as a way to sort of unseat him, and that is a very, very painful and

troubling thought. >> senator schumer, we greatly appreciate your joining us today and your words that you spoke on the senate floor, just sends tremors through all of us reminder that we are in this together, we absolutely are. thank you is much. okay. and newly released recordings of 9/11 shows the confusion as the air traffic controllers were struggling to get a grasp on what was happening and thou government responded. listen to this realtime transmission as the second plate struck the world trade center. >> you have a plane 500 feet east of the -- you see him? >> yes. >> is he descending also? >> yes, really quickly, yes. 4500 feet, and he chopped 800 feet in 1.3. >> that is another situation. >> what play is that? can you tell? >> i don't know. another one hit the building. >> wow. wow. >> hit it hard.

>> small building just came apart. >> holy smoke. >> msnbc will have special coverage of the tenth anniversary of the world trade center site starting tomorrow and throughout here on msnbc. we will be right back. [ male announcer ] this is lara. her morning begins with arthritis pain. that's a coffee and two pills. the afternoon tour begins with more pain and more pills. the evening guests arrive. back to sore knees. back to more pills. the day is done but hang on... her doctor recommended aleve. just 2 pills can keep arthritis pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is lara who chose 2 aleve and fewer pills for a day free of pain. and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels.

crisp, clear, untouched. that's why there's brita, to make the water we drink, taste a little more, perfect. reduce lead and other impurities with the advanced filtration system of brita.

prego?! but i've been buying ragu for years. [ thinking ] i wonder what other questionable choices i've made? [ '80s dance music plays ] [ sighs ] [ male announcer ] choose taste. choose prego. even though i'm a great driver, and he's... not so much. well, for a driver like you, i would recommend our new snapshot discount. this little baby keeps track of your great driving habits, so you can save money. [sighs] amazing. it's like an extra bonus savings. [ cackling ] he's my ride home. how much can the snapshot discount save you? call or click today.

i go to e-trade and tap into the power of revolutionary mobile apps to trade wherever. whenever. life isn't fully experienced sitting idly by. neither is investing. [ birds chirping ] welcome back the "newsnation." the doctor charged in the death of michael jackson is back in court today for jury selection. a handful of people gathered outside of the courthouse some of them reading "justice for michael." conrad murray is charged with manslaughter in his death. the polled jurors are given a 30-page questionnaire to ask about their experiences with prescription drugs, and joining us now to talk about this is mark geragos, and what do you make about the 30-page questionnaire, and one paper described it as exhaustive.

>> well, part of it is that it is to winnow out a lot of the jurors who will not be able to serve either because of financial hardship or because they have made up their mind. so maybe it is exhaustive, but at the same time, it will save all kinds of court time in not having to sit there and individually go through half an hour to hour with each juror. >> what is learned when you ask them about questions on celebrities and we all know a celebrity and we may not buy the tabloids, but we know about the celebrity life and doctors and what does that tell you about a juror? h. >> well, first of all, one of the problems when you select a jury is that you have a limited amount of time to decide if this is somebody that you want if you are either the prosecutor eor te defense to sit on this case, so you are trying the get an idea of who the person is, and then you can read the questionnaire, but when you see them, you try

to get an instinctual feeland s seem silly and some of them are, and it is more of an art than science, but still, these people will be deciding the fate of dr. murray and judging whether or not the prosecution has proven the case. >> and the judge has warned the jurors they cannot negotiate to capitalize on the experience for 90 days. so that is an interesting note from l.a. and mark, we will talk to you more as this trial will get a lot of attention. thank you. and coming up former union leader andy stern says that president obama has lost quote his sense of power. i will talk to stern and see what he thinks that the president needs to say to hit home with workers. and an unprecedented move by a university. if the students want to stay in school, they have to agree to be drug tested. it is today's "newsnation" gut check. nal constipation, diarrhea,

gas and bloating. with three strains of good bacteria to help balance your colon. you had me at "probiotic." [ female announcer ] phillips' colon health. you had me at "probiotic." purina cat chow helps you well-being. we're all striving for it. nurture it in your cat with a full family of excellent nutrition and helpful resources. purina cat chow. share a better life. and form a layer called biofilm so strong it survives brushing. thankfully, there's listerine® antiseptic. its triple-action formula penetrates biofilm, kills germs and protects your mouth for hours. fight biofilm with listerine®.

it's schwab at your fingertips wherever, whenever you want. one log in lets you monitor all of your balances and transfer between accounts, so your money can move as fast as you do. check out your portfolio, track the market with live updates. and execute trades anywhere and anytime the inspiration hits you. even deposit checks right from your phone. just take a picture, hit deposit and you're done. open an account today and put schwab mobile to work for you.

welcome back to "newsnation." stunning twists, police make a break in the case of a missing nursing student and charge her high school friend with murder. was the motive a love triangle? and fighting the flames. texas firefighters calling the conditions difficult as they try to contain massive wildfires that have destroyed 1,400 homes. and plus, an olympian arrested, a star gymnast is arrested on assault. we have stunning details. and the shocking disappearance of a california nursing student that could be the result of a love triangle. a girl is set to be released today with the disappearance of michelle le who went missing in may. esteban is a former friend of hers in high school and police believe she killed her in the parking lot where she went missing. the body has not been found. and i'm joined by michelle sigona, and tell us more about the theory or the motive that the police are working with?

>> well, earlier today, tamron, i spoke with lieutenant keenan who is working this case early on and we have been in touch throughout the summer, but they have specific evidence linking her to the murder, but unfortunately michelle's body has not been found. but they have cell records and dna on the bottom of the suspect's shoe and surveillance tape linking the puzzle of this murder together along with the alleged suspect and michelle's cell phone were traced from the same tower leaving the medical center as they went away. unfortunately, we don't know where they ended up, but there was definitely blood found. >> as i pointed out, michelle disappeared three months ago and she had gone out to the parking lot where near she was working and literally disappeared without a trace, and this being a month now, what led the police to follow this lead if it is in fact true that esteban murdered her? >> well, they have had a few persons of interest, and she was

definitely one of the persons of interest, and i can confirm on may 28th, investigators were at her home, and on may 29th a search warrant was actually served. at that point, she did speak out to a local assignment editor in the area at a local station saying that i'm a person of interest, and something along those lines, and then from that point, things sort of went quiet up until the search warrant was served again yesterday. you know, the investigators went inside and gathered a lot more materials and more than what they did back in may and moved forward with picking her up and putting her behind bars. she has not spoken to them yet thou though. >> and do we know if the women have had any altercation or police report filed in the time before? >> well, they knew each other from high school and then they moved from san francisco, and attending medical school together, and the alleged suspect was at in school at the same sort of medical program, and she dropped out. then there was some sort of,

something that happened and something that jolted the relationship, and investigators won't say what that is, but there are reports out there that they were fighting over a guy. i can also tell you that the suspect in this case, and she was going through a custody battle with the boyfriend, and there is possibly a love triangle in all of this and i'm sure it is all going to coll out very soon. >> and michelle sigona, thank you for joining us on this terrible story. and new details about the deadly wildfires across the state of texas. emergency officials say that now 1,400 homes have been destroyed in bastrop county alone where the largest fire in the state has been burning for two days. firefighters say that the potential for new fires is high. it is only 30% contained. in a new audio message libyan leader moammar gadhafi denies he has left the country, although it has not been

verified, he has not been seen publicly since he went into hiding. and a french court has convicted a fashion designer for making anti-semitic remarks. he was not given prison time, but he got a fine of $8,000, and he is not required to pay it, but it leaves him with a criminal record. he was fired as the fashion designer of christian dior after he was fired. one question that is lingering tonight is whether the president has the clout to get anything approved by this congress. joining me is andy stern, former president of the powerful service employees international which has 1.2 million members. andy, thank you for your time. there is a quote for you from politico on their website. it say has the president has sort of lost the mystique and power of the presidency, and also a sense that people are not squared of h scareded of him, and that is very dangerous. talk to me about the comment? >> well, when the president has been doing what most people

would think is the right thing to do which is trying to reason, but with unreasonable people as you see the debt ceiling or the continuing resolution, in the end the president has to move to be the adult in the room. and the american people are beginning to wonder, and the republicans i think are beginning to take advantage of the fact that in the end, they can push him around. that, it is time for the president, which i ohope he will do tonight is to stand up and speak out for the american people. it is not a fight about democrats or republicans, but a fight for our families. >> you say he has lost a sense of the power and mystique of the presidency, and is that about the republican party or the presentation or the big sell he needs to make to the working folks out there? >> well, the real audience here is the american people. as he said when he ran for office that washington is a pretty bad place to have a real perspective of what is going on, and the president tonight needs to talk to the american people. they are the only people who will break the gridlock here,

and the thought of trying to reason with people who are trying to defeat him is not going to do. >> but what about do what harry truman do, paint them as do-nothing-congress, and agree with tax cuts for example and when they say no, present it there. look, i have been reasonable, and this congress, it is just not working for the american people at this point. be bold, but push this congress, those republicans, who in some cases don't even want to show up for this speech tonight. >> well, i think that would be a great strategy, because i don't think that it is just what the president says tonight, but it is really what he does tomorrow and the administration do from now through the election. >> the follow-up. >> yes, in tenhe end, it will ba great speech, because he is a terrific speaker, but the american people want to do a practical thing. there are $1.3 trillion overseas that could be brought into the country and fund the things that

the president wants. so people are looking for bigger and bolder ideas and more importantly, they want a sustained focus on what is important to them which is their lives, their jobs and their families. >> all right. andy stern, thank you for joining us, and we appreciate your time. msnbc will bring you live coverage of the president's speech on jobs when he addresses the joint session of congress tonight at 7:00 p.m. eastern and join thegrio.com for post speech analysis. you can go there to the grio.com or hash tack thegrio.com. chanting by the protesters put a stop for the first full deficit reduction super committee this morning. they have until november to slash $1.4 trillion from the budget. but they are warning that steep cuts could endanger national

security, and you can hear the chanting already there. and the ten-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks is bringing up painful memories for the nation, but for the loved ones who lost their families that day, the pain will never go away. and michelle was a air looline attendant, and she is said to have died protecting crew and passengers. her husband joins us today. thank you for being here with us today. >> thank you. >> i loved to read about your relationship with michelle and you described her as your friend and partner and love and beautiful words, and here we are ten years later without the love your life, and what are the feelings that we are so close to this anniversary again? >> well, here we are approaching the ten-year anniversary, and to be quite honest and candid with

you, it doesn't seem like it was ten years ago. it seems like it was just yesterday and that is applicable not just to me, but the majority of the families who lost someone that day. and going forward, i consider myself very, very fortunate from the standpoint that as you mentioned, i had 29 years with michelle, if you think of the poor children who died at the pentagon aboard the airplane, they never had a chance to experience life as you and i know it. >> yes. >> or the young people in new york who were just start tharg lives and careers out. so i look at it, it might be a little jaundiced, but i look at it as the grass being half full and not half empty. >> well, you done some incredible things since you lost your wife. you went back to work first week of october to fly, and you organized this ride across the country in 2006 with four other airline pilots for 33 days, so

you have interestingly enough found ways to deal with this by being active. >> well, that has how anybody deals with grief in different ways. >> right. >> i did it with involvement with the pentagon memorial so that the families would have some place to go to remember their loved ones. i did this bike ride that you mentioned across the country, and what is significant about the 33 days is that one day was ridden for each crew member. the 33 who perished that day. they were literally the first of the first responders, the first of the combatants on this war on terror and sadly at the five-year mark and even now, we lose sight of the actions that they took and did that day on the airplane. >> absolutely. and what are your plans for sunday, thomas? >> sunday, i will go to mass with my children. and go to the cemetery, and we will celebrate my grandson's birthday. he was born 29 years after she

was born and within 30 minutes within alison was born on september 10th, the eve of 9/11. so we will celebrate a new life, and continue on with our lives, at least that is what we will try to do. >> what a blessing to celebrate that new life and our thoughts are certainly with you and your family and all of those who lost their loved ones. thank you, thomas. remember, msnbc will have special live coverage of the tenth anniversary of 9/11 right here throughout the weekend on msnbc. we will be right back. with arth. that's a coffee and two pills. the afternoon tour begins with more pain and more pills. the evening guests arrive. back to sore knees. back to more pills. the day is done but hang on... her doctor recommended aleve. just 2 pills can keep arthritis pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is lara who chose 2 aleve and fewer pills for a day free of pain. and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels.

and i was a pack-a-day smoker for 25 years. i do remember sitting down with my boys, and i'm like, "oh, promise mommy you'll never ever pick up a cigarette." i had to quit. ♪ my doctor gave me a prescription for chantix, a medication i could take and still smoke, while it built up in my system. [ male announcer ] chantix is a non-nicotine pill proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic

or skin reaction to it. if you develop these, stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some of these can be life-threatening. if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack. dosing may be different if you have kidney problems. until you know how chantix affects you, use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. ♪ my benjamin, he helped me with the countdown. "5 days, mom. 10 days, mom." i think after 30 days he got tired of counting! [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about chantix. over 7 million people have gotten a prescription. learn how you can save money and get terms and conditions at chantix.com.

hey, jessica, jerry neumann with a policy question. jerry, how are you doing? fine, i just got a little fender bender. oh, jerry, i'm so sorry. i would love to help but remember, you dropped us last month. yeah, you know it's funny. it only took 15 minutes to sign up for that new auto insurance company but it's taken a lot longer to hear back. is your car up a pole again? [ crying ] i miss you, jessica! jerry, are you crying? no, i just, i bit my tongue. [ male announcer ] get to a better state. state farm. sgli 'm ezra klein in for martin bashir. we ask if president obama is ready to go big enough to tackle the nation's crippling unemployment crisis. and was there a win over the gop debate last night someone who was not on the stage? it is all coming up. well, tonight, the nfl

season opener kicks off with the matchup of the two most recent super bowl champs, the defending champion green bay packers taking on the saints and of course, the wiper of the lombardi trophy two seasons ago, but the last one is the one that matters. both are led by the mvp quarterbacks aaron rodgers and drew brees. that is going to be a good game on nbc. and an olympian is arrested for assault in ohio. and the hip-hop awards nominees are out. and an ice cream that issic but apparently tastes good. we go the courtney hazlett. >> well, the olympian is paul ham arrested saturday who was hitting and kicking a taxi driver. this happened in columbus, ohio, and he is also accused ofr not paying the $$23 cab fare.

and you see him passing out, and wakes up and finds out that the door is locked and becomes outrageous and beats on the windows to get out. >> that is in the back of the cab? >> yes, and in the back of the cab a similar thing, and he is overheard on audio which you can find on the internet telling a police officer saying he had had eight drinks and handcuffed in the backf of the cruiser and the officer said, you don't understand, i will kill you guys. and he is free on bond waiting september 15th hearing, and you hate to see things like this happen to people, and especially with someone who is trying for the olympics this next go around. he was in the 2004/2008 olympics, but had to withdraw after the first day of competition in 2008. >> that is terrible. >> and what a difference a year makes for lil wayne.

>> he was in prison a year ago. >> yes, he was nominated for 18 b.e.t. hip-hop award nominations. they include best hip-hop video and something called "reece's perfect combo award" which is for collaboration, and lyricist of the year and i won't go through all 18 of them, but a fantastic comeback from the way -- >> and i like the way with his new carter fourer ofive, but it is sold on itunes. >> yes. >> and finally the ice cream flavor rumored is a reality. we are talk about a flavor inspired by the "snl" skit called "sweaty balls." >> so that is the name of the ice cream? >> yes, this is a guy who plays pete sweaty who is famous for his balls of chocolate and thing likes that, dessert balls, or something like that -- >> oh, stop it. >> and awkward conversation is

exactly what this sketch is about and ben and jerry's has made an inspired ice cream flavor with malt balls and rum. >> hence, the balls. >> this is awful. and so, here you go, you can try it. and since we are talking about ice cream, the favorite food of pregnant people all over the globe, i want to clear something up right now, yes, i am pregnant with child. >> you are! >> i have to clear up a lot of the internet speculation and such. yeah, expecting my first baby, and excited and terrified. >> thank you. i won't take the ice cream away from the pregnant woman. and that is a scoop, courtney. congratulations. for the latest go to scoop.today.com. that ice cream was thick there. and i will go on facebook to congratulate courtney on the new baby and the sweaty and not too bad -- and i will not say the

last word. i will not. [ man ] ♪ gone, like my last paycheck ♪ gone, gone away ♪ gone, like my landlord's smile ♪ ♪ gone, gone away ♪ my baby's gone away with dedicated claims specialists... and around-the-clock service, travelers can help make things better quicker. will your auto and home insurer... be there when you need them most? for an agent or quote, call 800-my-coverage... or visit travelers.com. helps defends against occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas and bloating. with three strains of good bacteria to help balance your colon. you had me at "probiotic." [ female announcer ] phillips' colon health. (announcer) everything you need to stretch out on long trips. residence inn.

time now for the "newsnation" gut check. controversial mandatory problem starting at lynn technical state college in lynn, missouri, by the way, which is the far-reaching drug prevention program at any college or university in our nation. all first-year students must submit to drug tests as well as returning students who took a semester or two off. the test screen for 11 drugs including pot, cocaine, and students who test positive can stay in school while on probation, but must test clean 45 days later to remain enrolled. new and prospective students were advised about the program in the spring and fall orientation, and civil libertarians are calling it a violation of the student's fourth amendment protection against unlawful searches and

seizure and invasion of privacy and likely lawsuit target. well, the school leaders say they are necessary for the student's safety at a campus where the coursework is heavy maintenance and nuclear technology and other dangerous t tasks. so, what is your gut telling you? should colleges require all students to take drug tests? go to "newsnation."msnbc.com to cast your vote. and see what "newsnation" is saying about the gut check yesterday. it was about a birthday party that was the loudest at her home, and should neighbors repeatedly disturb the piece by holding loud parties be arrested, even if it is in front of their kids? 77% say yes, and good thing i don't live next to you, and 23% of you say no. ah, that does it for this edition of "newsnation." i'm tamron hall, and you can catch "newsnation" everyday at 2:00 p.m. eastern each day, and

martin bashir is up next, with ezra klein sitting in. so i was the guy who was never going to have the heart attack. i thought i was invincible. i'm on an aspirin regimen now because i never want to feel that helplessness again. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. talk to your doctor, and take care of what you have to take care of. talk to your doctor, do you have an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, or afib, that's not caused by a heart valve problem? are you taking warfarin to reduce your risk of stroke caused by a clot? you should know about pradaxa. an important study showed that pradaxa 150mg reduced stroke risk 35% more than warfarin. and with pradaxa,

there's no need for those regular blood tests. pradaxa is progress. pradaxa can cause serious, sometimes fatal, bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding, and seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have kidney problems or a bleeding condition, like stomach ulcers. or if you take aspirin products, nsaids, or blood thinners. tell your doctor about all medicines you take, any planned medical or dental procedures, and don't stop taking pradaxa without your doctors approval, as stopping may increase your stroke risk. other side effects include indigestion,stomach pain, upset, or burning. if you have afib not caused by a heart valve problem, ask your doctor if pradaxa can reduce your risk of a stroke. for more information or help paying for pradaxa, visit pradaxa.com. and form a layer called biofilm so strong it survives brushing. thankfully, there's listerine® antiseptic.

its triple-action formula penetrates biofilm, kills germs and protects your mouth for hours. fight biofilm with listerine®. your nutritional needs can go up when you're on the road to recovery. proper nutrition can help you get back on your feet. three out of four doctors recommend the ensure brand for extra nutrition. ensure clinical strength has revigor and thirteen grams of protein to protect, preserve, and promote muscle health. and immune balance to help support your immune system. ensure clinical strength... helping you to bounce back. ensure! nutrition in charge!

good afternoon, i'm ezra klein in for martin bashir on this thursday, september 8, 2008. does the president have enough to fix the economy? washington wants to know one thing about the president's speech, which is now less than four hours away, will he go big? >> i think that the president needs to come out with a bold plan, and a very rational plan. >> i think that the president really needs to come out there strong. >> he has got to give some kind of sweeping speech that says, let's really get the country moving again, and do it in an aggressive political way. >> going big is the only way that the president can grab the debate back. >> so, is he going to go big, sweeping bold? well, the earlier reports are that the plan will