legislation pipa and going ahead with their online show of force. for those of who basically live online, like i do, tomorrow's going to be a very different day than i've ever seen before, kind of like me doing this whole segment like this, with basically zero graphics and things blinking on and off around me that i can't explain. cruise catastrophe. the death toll rises in last week's italian shipwreck as dramatic reportings surface of the captain who abandoned ship. tension in timberland. the pacific northwest braces for what could be a wicked winter storm. and mighty mineral. look at that. feast your eyes on the world's largest emerald, soon to be up for grabs. good morning, everyone. i'm lynn berry. those stories and more are straight ahead. this is "first look" on msnbc.

and we begin this morning with cruise casualties. the death toll is now 11 from that grounded luxury liner off the coast of italy and it could go higher. in a dramatic audiotape, the captain, who is facing criminal charges, was ordered to go back to the ship that he abandoned friday night. two dozen people are still missing. nbc's michelle kosinski has the latest. >> reporter: a loud blast midday was not an accident. but the fastest way inside the concordia's hull. this video was shot by divers, urgently making their way to holes they punched. then deep inside, the murky silence that friday night was the start of a vacation. they hammer their way through the dim maze of rooms, under 30 feet of water at times, searching for victims.

as the search continued, the ship's captain francesco schettino was in court, charged with manslaughter, causing the wreck, abandoning ship, which an audio recording now reveals. in a heated phone conversation from off the ship friday night, a few hours after the accident, with furious port authority captain defalco. after days in jail, the captain was released and placed under house arrest. his attorney claims he may have saved many lives by acting quickly to beach the ship. otherwise it may have sunk completely in deeper water. back to you. >> and that was nbc's michelle kosinski reporting from italy. the pacific northwest, folks are bracing for what could be a major snowstorm with the potential of several feet of accumulation in mountain areas. travel is already being snarled in cities like portland and seattle where the average annual

snowfall is barely 6 inches. nbc's curt gregory reports. >> reporter: old man winter is slamming into the pacific northwest. snow has been falling steadily in parts of oregon and washington, making road conditions hazardous, with the worst expected later today. seattle, more used to rain than snow, is preparing for a major winter wallop, the national weather service has issued a winter storm warning for much of the region, where up to two feet of snow is forecast in the cascade mountains. >> 34, turn around it going to be closed tomorrow. >> really? >> yeah. >> reporter: interstate 90 through the snoqualmie pass was closed tuesday because of avalanche danger. >> the weather does what it wants to do, so it is hard to predict. >> reporter: this is the scene about an hour outside of portland. major highways are slick and treacherous, as snowplows work to keep up. >> we're expecting more snow, so

our crews are working 12 hour shifts right now, 24 hours a day. >> reporter: around the clock work for a winter storm showing no signs of letting up. curt gregory, nbc news. >> bill karins will have more on that. first, there was a security scare last night at the white house. the secret service locked down the building after someone apparently tossed a smoke bomb over the fence on the north side during a protest by members of the occupy movement. president obama was not there at the time. about a thousand demonstrators had marched to the white house at the end of a rally that started on capitol hill. earlier in the day, four people were arrested after skirmishes with police. new data from the federal election commission shows super pacs or political action committees with unlimited funds have already spent more than $27 million on this campaign season. last night, on the last word with lawrence o'donnell, robert

reich shared his concern about the super pacs' increasing amount of influence. >> this is not a joke. super pacs' money in politics completely out of control right now. it all does go back not just to what the supreme court did two years ago, 5-4 majority, citizens united against the federal election commission, saying essentially corporations are people, and then also combined with the prior supreme court case that said money is speech. well, if corporations are people, and money is speech, the net effect is to open the floodgates to money in politics right now in a way we haven't seen in this country for over 100 years. you have seen in the republican primary some have taken up the invitation to pour as much money as they want into the super pacs. they're secret. right now nobody knows who is putting the money where and run countless huge amount of negative advertising. if you've seen it in the republican primaries, wait until the general election.

you ain't seen nothing yet. >> lean forward with the last word each night as host lawrence o'donnell takes on the day's most compelling stories. the last word with lawrence o'donnell is week nights 10:00 p.m. eastern only on msnbc, the place for politics. here is your first look at other news going on around america today. a shoplifting duo's getaway was leaving to an all-out brawl there inside a new jersey store. the scuffle began when the male suspect attacked the employee who confronted him. the couple escaped with over $1400 worth of baby formula. no arrests have been made. tennessee authorities rescued over 100 dogs crammed into a truck and minivan for a cross country trip. police made the heart breaking discovery after 25 dogs were spotted inside the minivan without any food or water. further inspection revealed other animals locked inside the cargo area of the truck. the owners were arrested for aggravated animal cruelty. and finally, animals doing

tricks, we love this, right? this is a pet of one louisiana artist. she may have a little picasso in her. video of a squirrel paint abstract art has gone viral and the animals' work is starting to get some attention. one piece has sold for 40 bucks, which has been donated to a local animal shelter. better than i. now for a look at the national weather, we turn to meteorologist bill karins. i want to take an unscientific poll, what is better, the squirrel painting or the monkey that rides on the back of the dog in the school classroom, remember that one? that's always good. >> i always go with another animal riding on top of another. >> that's funny. >> the elephant painting it's been done, the squirrel painting -- >> not so impressed. >> the monkey on the dog at the rodeo still takes the cake. >> is he wearing a hat too? >> to youtube after this weather. good morning, everyone. big snowstorm in the pacific northwest. we are watching the heavy snow,

but not in seattle. oops. forecast there, kids will be disappointed. yesterday, they were thinking maybe 8 to 12 inches, that forecast has been lowered probably down to maybe 2 to 4 inches for downtown seattle. so i know the schools are already closed, the flights are already canceled. it is too late now. heavy snow stayed to your south. from tacoma southward to olympia and portland, snow with sleet mixed in over the last couple of hours. those are the areas that will get the highest totals. the mountains and ski resorts end up with feet of snow out of this, the headline grabber was downtown seattle getting the epic storm. now it doesn't look -- for them, it is more of a typical winter event. in the mountains, it is a very impressive snow event. you see the snow total cut down from bellingham all the way down to seattle. we're still going to get a huge snow event as we go throughout the next two days moving through the inner mountain west. boise to the mountains outside of boise getting nailed. great ski areas. those are going to pick up the

feet of snow. as far as what we're dealing with in the east, yesterday was a crazy weather day for january. we had six tornadoes reported. we had numerous thunderstorms with damage in areas like indiana, louisville, all through central kentucky and then last afternoon into the evening, we had really strong winds from erie to cleveland, all the way back up to buffalo, rochester, syracuse, still thousands of people without power up there. things have calmed down. that cold front has blown through. it is still windy. boston, wind gusts to 44. that's a strong wind gust. winds are still very strong from d.c. to hartford and new york and philly. a windy day out there as the cold air moves in, the winds will slow down as we go throughout the day. the thunderstorms from yesterday are just about over with, just pushing off shore here, just south of north florida. today's forecast, if you're in the east, you do not need the umbrella today, just snow showers near the great lakes and little bit of rain there with the front in north florida. but we had six tornadoes yesterday. middle of january, it was warm, we had thunderstorms, just a

wild winter. >> bill, thanks so much. rocky times for cruise lines. yahoo!'s co-founder walks away. and burning cash to stay alive, literally. your first look at this morning's business headlines is straight ahead. coming up, the colts make a move. miami turns up the heat with a big third quarter. and look out mr. president, the first lady has a bat. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. wake up!

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welcome back to "first look." i'm lynn berry. an online protest is under way right now. as many as 10,000 websites are either blocking access or protesting in some manner, trying to stop congress from passing online piracy legislation. but one congressman who supports the act argues demonstrators are spreading misinformation about the legislation. new violence in syria reportedly claimed 34 more lives. the government says it

absolutely rejects any talks of allowing outside troops into the country. in wisconsin, those behind an effort to recall governor scott walker were required to collect more than half a million signatures to get it on the ballot. yesterday, they showed up with nearly twice that number. walker has been under fire for effectively ending collective bargaining for most state workers. cameras caught president obama and first lady michelle heading into a washington restaurant last night to celebrate her 48th birthday. the first couple were joined by friends at a d.c. steak house. and in canada, check this out, it is the world's largest cut emerald. it is $57,000 carats, weighs over 25 pounds and is valued at $1.15 million and it could be yours. the emerald goes up for auction next week. i'm not sure you use it as a arm rest or chair rest. good luck on that. here's your first look at how wall street will kick off the day.

the dow opens at 12,482 after gaining 60 points yesterday. the s&p added four points. the nasdaq rose 17. taking a look at overseas trading this morning. in tokyo, the nikkei climbed 84 points while in hong kong the hang seng nudged up 59. investors return to work tuesday to slight but significant signs of improvement overseas. stocks got an early boost from modest improvements in china's economy, while surprisingly solid interest in debt auctions in spain, greece and europe's bailout fund eased fears about recent credit downgrades. however, early gains were paired by a steep drop in citigroup's profit that sent its shares tumbling 8%. wells fargo rose after reporting a 20% jump in quarterly profit. carnival cruise lines plunged nearly 14% in the wake of that deadly cruise ship disaster involving one of its italian lines. royal caribbean also slid 6% as analysts worry about a possible ripple effect in the industry.

kraft is cutting 1600 jobs in north america this year as part of its restructuring plans. on the upside, shares of struggling retailer sears shot up on speculation that the now publicly traded company could soon go private. lions gate entertainment added 4% after agreeing to buy the owner of the popular twilight franchise. a late day warning from the world bank could impact markets today. the bank's biannual report cautioned that europe's recession and weaker growth in developing countries will slow global economic growth. after the bell, shares of yahoo! inched higher after the struggling search engine's co-founder jerry yang announced his departure. and finally, proof for you that cash really is king. a hiker was recently trapped for two freezing nights on snowy mt. rainier and he staid warm by burning leaves, his socks and $1 and $5 bills. must have had a lot of them.

coming up, the big shake-up starts in indianapolis. arch rivals square off in college hoops. and baseball's world champs start a little trouble at the white house. plus the heat pound on san antonio to get back on the winning track. your first look at sports is straight ahead. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. when i grow up,

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so i used my citi thank you card to pick up some accessories. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? we talked about getting a diamond. but with all the thank you points i've been earning... ♪ ...i flew us to the rock i really had in mind. ♪ [ male announcer ] the citi thank you card. earn points you can use for travel on any airline, with no blackout dates. welcome back to "first look." in sports, the first step in what many believe to be a total overhaul of an nfl franchise

took place yesterday. here's nbc's fred roggin. >> good morning. the indianapolis colts continue to clean house yesterday and fired head coach jim caldwell. it is the latest in a handful of moves made by the team last week. he led indianapolis to the super bowl in 2009, but without the injured peyton manning they were 2-14 last season. indy has the number one pick in the draft and will likely choose andrew luck. that raises the question, is peyton manning the next one to be forced out of indy. the heat got back on track against the spurs. busted the game wide open in the third. outscored san antony by 27 in the quarter. lebron james stopped and popped for two of his 33. moments late, the spin and the dunk by chris bosh. the heat cruise without dwyane wade 120-91. derrick rose missed another game. like the heat, the bulls had no problem getting a win. carlos boozer filled the void 31 points against the suns. chicago won it 118-97. college hoops, big ten may be the most competitive conference in the country.

seems like every game goes down to the wire. case in point, number nine michigan state, 19th ranked michigan. final minute, stu douglas gave the wolverines a lead with the layup. last chance for the spartans, town one. green with the runner, but couldn't get it to fall. michigan held on to win it 60-59. to the victors go the spoils. the world series champions st. louis cardinals visited the white house yesterday. bill dewitt gave the obamas bats prompting the president to say this. >> worried about giving my wife a bat. if i mess up -- >> i'll take my bat. >> just goes to show you, doesn't matter if it is your house or the white house, a woman rules the roost. i hear she has a pretty powerful left as well. that's it for sports. i'm fred roggin. >> take notes. now for more weather, here is bill karins. >> we all know who is running

this show. >> that's right. i don't even need a bat. >> just sit there -- >> looking terrifying. just a little slide glance here and there, we know. good morning, everyone. yesterday was just another mild day. we have gotten so -- if you don't like cold and snow, this has been such a great winter for you. but for everyone else that likes snow and wants to see some not too much in sight, it is another mild morning. but the cold air is on the way. it is one of those days where it gets colder as the day moves on. it is a windy morning out there too. though it is warm, you'll feel the wind gust as you head out the door. there are lake effect snow showers that are blowing up all the way to central pennsylvania and central new york. if you're driving to new york state through way or the pennsylvania turnpike, you might get into snow squalls. the big cities on i-95, jersey turnpike, new england, 95 looks fine. looks like a decent day today. clear but windy. the big story is the snowstorm in the northwest, which for seattle, more of a hit than a miss. coming up, ricky says no

more. and good news and bad news for lindsay lohan. plus, six months before opening night of the next batman film, they are already selling tickets. your first look at entertainment is straight ahead. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. got a surprise for you! a mouthwatering combination of ingredients... i know you're gonna love. [ barks ] yes, it's beneful healthy fiesta. made with wholesome grains, real chicken, 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 ] beneful healthy fiesta. another healthful, flavorful beneful.

and i'm a master roaster at starbucks coffee. brian hayes. i'm a master roaster at starbucks coffee. sitting right here we have 40 years of roast experience. how can we use that and do more with it? new starbucks blonde roast was created to increase the offerings that we can give to our customers. [ anderson ] we decided that we would take our experience and apply it to the lighter, mellower, more subtle side of the bean. it's for the person who always wished that starbucks had a roast like this. [ hayes ] they're gonna love it. i mean, it's a fantastic blend. the one you swore you could memorize. that's the all-natural straight from the earth sugar she puts on her grapefruit. but is she eating sugar this week? she ate pizza. but she did blot it with a napkin.

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have you seen this. president owe beca president obama is visiting disney land with a new plan to boost tourism. it is going to be awkward when he walks into the hall for presidents and sees mitt romney.

happy birthday to first lady michelle obama who turned 48 years old today. i got her a beautiful birthday cake. take a look. yeah. she's going to like that. she'll enjoy that. check this out, during a charity auction over the weekend, donald trump bought $12,000 worth of tim tebow memorabilia. as it was known on monday, $15 worth of tim tebow memorabilia. >> tonight, jimmy welcomes comedic legend bill cosby, actor anthony mackey and musical guest wale. that's "late night with jimmy fallon" on your local nbc station. entertainment news, just how big is the next batman movie going to be? so big. six months in advance, midnight imax screenings of the dark knight rises in new york city, san francisco and l.a. have already sold out.

in fact, the new york observer reports seats are already being resold on craigslist for 100 bucks a piece. we would imagine ebay would be next. why not just wait? ricky gervais says he'll never host the golden globes again. he said hosting was like a parachute jump. you can really only enjoy it in retrospect when you release and realize you didn't die, quite an amazing thing to do. always something with lindsay lohan. yesterday, she got her second thumbs up in a row from her judge who said she's definitely on track to complete probation by the end of march. pat on the+7x back. but eonline reports her comeback role as elizabeth taylor may be over before it even starts. did you know she had a role? >> yes. i've been studying it. >> it is a lifetime movie, being shot in canada, where her conviction record, unless she gets special permission, she won't be allowed into the ñgw1

minor detail if she wants to shoot that movie. >>o[[ cana; >> isn't that unfortunate? they'll move it into new york or something or somewhere where she can do it. i'm lynn berry. this is "first look" on msnbc. stay tuned. "way too early with willie geist" starts right now. threeht days now until what could be the decisive primary in south carolina and mitt romney comes clean to the public, reporting he pays a 15% tax rate on his income. this as newt gingrich calls for santorum and perry to fall in line behind him as the conservative candidate. the question is, how did that plan sit with rick santorum? not so well. just a little while ago, the search for unlikely survivors of the downed cruise ship off the coast of italy was suspended as the massive ocean liner shifted in the water. the question is, did you hear the audiotapes of the coast guard screaming at the captain as he floated away in a lifeboat while his ship went down.