he said at the interview he enjoyed it and thought it was fair. which is a nice thing. talking to people with whom you disagree is healthy. i find it fun. bob mcdonald, please call me. looking for answers. conflicting details emerge about the u.s. soldier accused in the afghan killing spree. rampage aftermath. afghan president hamid karzai slaps u.s. military with a troubling demand. and a royal sport. the duchess of came bryn shows off her olympic skills at london's olympic park. i'm lynn berry. this is "first look" on msnbc. and we are going to begin

this morning with the afghan shootings. the u.s. soldier accused of killing 16 people has hired a high profile attorney to handle his defense. john henry brown, the lawyer for the unnamed soldier, says his client was not happy about going to afghanistan after suffering severe injuries during three tours in iraq. brown says the decorated soldier's family was totally shocked by his actions and denied reports there were any marital problems. the attorney previously represented serial killer ted bundy and the barefoot bandit. meanwhile, a senior american official told "the new york times" due to stress, alcohol, and domestic issues the soldier, quote, just snapped. the soldier told the times it came from alcohol he drank on the night of the shootings. ft. levenworth, kansas, could be the next stop. he could be flown there today from kuwait. if convicted of murder, he could

face the death penalty. on thursday in the continued fallout from those killings, america's military campaign in afghanistan suffered a double blow. in a rebuke to visiting u.s. defense secretary leon panetta, president hamid karzai demanded a pullback of nato troops fromville labels and rural areas and ask that the transfer of security responsibilities to afghan forces leading up to a complete withdrawal be sped up. in addition, the taliban suspended all talks with the united states thursday blaming a lack of clarity on the issues by the u.s. and doubts about america's willingness to carry out promises, quote, instead of wasting time. well, back here at home on the campaign trail, president obama and vice president biden went all out thursday in maryland and ohio with tough talk aimed at their republican rivals. nbc's tracie potts joins us with those details, tracie, good morning. >> good morning.

democrats on offense after months of watching the republicans slug it out in these primaries and debates. the president and vice president this week decided to jump into the frey giving americans what they call a different choice. >> mitt romney, rick santorum, and newt gingrich, these guys have a fundamentally different economic philosophy than we do. >> reporter: a one, two, three punch in his first campaign event. vice president biden told auto workers in ohio republicans would let their bosses and employees go bankrupt. >> if you give any one of these guys the keys to the white house, they will bankrupt the middle class again. >> joe biden is doing what vice presidential candidates often do, which is calling the other side out on issue differences. >> reporter: in maryland president obama focused on energy and promise the from his republican rivalries of cheaper gas. >> may start acting like we've got a p magic wand and we will give you cheap gas forever if you just elect us. they dismiss wind power.

they dismiss solar power. they make jokes about biofuels. they were against raising fuel standards. i guess they like gas guzzlers. >> reporter: newt gingrich, who's promised $2.50 gas took aim at the president's claims of more drilling since he's been in office. >> this is utter intellectual nonsense. if he wants to represent saudi oil and algae, i'll be happy to represent american oil and american jobs and we'll see this fall who the american people want to elect. >> reporter: a campaign now underway with both sides in the ring. >> reporter: and the president's got more events, campaign events, scheduled today in chicago and atlanta. >> tracie potts for us in washington. thanks. rick santorum has talked a lot about how much mitt romney has been spending on his campaign and how it hasn't really helped romney as much as one might expect. well, last night on the "rachel maddow show" campaign strategist

told rachel santorum's campaign is trying to maximize their campaign spending concentrating on different priorities. >> first of all, i think if mitt romney was here what you would be asking him is how the heck are you spending all of this money and not able to win. this is a great american story that says the guy that can write the biggest check and is struggling. in kansas he got more votes than anyone combined. second, the measurement you're looking at is simply advertising dollars. in many cases we're choosing to invest in being on the ground, phone calls, grassroots, rather than in advertising because if you go on chicago tv, quite frankly, which is the third most expensive media market in the country, you're wasting about 98 cents of every dollar because it's going to people who aren't going to be voting in a republican primary. we also think strategically we're smarter than the romney people. they've spent over $40 million on negative ads and they're still having trouble winning and i think it's because our

messenger is better and our message is working. >> you don't want to miss rachel maddow's unique look on politics. that's at 9:00 eastern right here on msnbc. the place for politics. here's your first look at some of the other news going on around america today. some frightening moments in columbus, ohio, as a police officer rushed to stop a man who had just stabbed four people near a college. police say the attacker turned toward the officer and that's when she began opening fire. the video shows her knocked backwards, but she managed to hold on to her gun. the suspect and two of the victims are listed as critical. in michigan a devastating tornado could be seen heading for the rural village of dexter last night. it would go on to destroy at least 13 homes and damage more than 100. the storm brought large hail to the area. thankfully there were no reports of any serious injuries. finally, rob blagojevich's last bizarre moments of freedom. smiling for a picture as he flew

to colorado. the former illinois governor's ride to federal prison was full of detours. he actually passed by the prison first just for one last stop at a restaurant where he also signed autographs conveniently. blago will be out of camera view for a while. he begins a 14 year corruption sentence. now for a look at your national weather we turn to meteorologist ryan phillips. he joins us from wnbj. welcome. >> good to see you. >> nothing like a blago story to keep you on your toes this morning. >> nothing like signing autographs before reporting to prison. >> and a burger and fries. >> why not. that warm weather pattern we got used to will return. we've got some changes forthcoming at least for the northeast into the upcoming weekend. what a spread yesterday. clouds, gloomy cool weather in boston, 42. new york, 52. then record breaking warmth in d.c. yesterday up to 82.

we had a host of locations yesterday that broke records. some of those chicago, atlanta, st. louis. warm weather pattern in place at least across the heart of the nation that will continue as we head into our friday and saturday forecast. cool in minneapolis at 43. 52 in washington, 62 in atlanta. we have clouds and showers. we have some thunderstorms that developed overnight just south of st. louis. they're marching off to the south. this will head off to jonesboro. active weather here. not looking for any widespread severe weather. this is the last weekend of winter and we have no winter storms out there to talk about. huge ridge of high pressure in place here across the northern plains and central plains. from oklahoma city over towards memphis, nashville, and atlanta, some showers around. some of those showers will be marching into the mid atlantic and northeast today. we make up for that into saturday's forecast. today in the northeast, showers around, may see a thunderstorm. still cool in boston at 47.

61 new york. afternoon storms in atlanta, 81. beautiful in the southern plains. 70ed and sunshine in texas. northeast looking good. more sunshine and warmer weather. sunday, spectacular. sunshine and mid 60s in the northeast. 80s with plenty of sunshine down in florida. that is the "first look" with your forecast. ryan, thanks so much. coming up, the day of the ipad. more good news on the job front. and some green ketchup with those fries. your "first look" at business headlines is straight ahead. coming up the richest deal in nfl history. a slew of nba trades and, yeah, march madness. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. this at&t 4g network is fast.

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welcome back to "first look." i'm lynn berry. here are some of the top stories making news this morning. north korea says it will launch

a long range rocket mounted with a satellite next month. the provocative move comes only weeks after it agreed to nuclear concessions including a moratorium on long range missile tests. united nations secretary said yesterday that more than 8,000 people had died in syria over the past year. he said the bloody crackdown by the opposition by syrian troops is, quote, indefensible. the most dangerous drivers in america are from st. louis, missouri. this according to "men's health" magazine. second worst came from dallas. the safest were from st. paul, minnesota. ben & jerry's ice cream is producing a limited batch of a new flavor to support a same-sex marriage law in england. they're naping it apply ever after. here's your first look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens 13,252 after 15 points yesterday. the s&p gained eight points. the nasdaq was up 15.

taking a look at overseas trading. in tokyo, the nikkei added six points. in hong kong the hang seng was down 35. today may be another big day for apple after its stock hit $600 for the first time yesterday before falling back. ipad customers m asia were greeted with cheers as they entered stores to buy the popular new version of the tablet computer. there are long lines right now here in the u.s. as people wait to get their chance. and there is a new tablet reportedly in the works from nokia in finland. the company is working on a device they hope is going to be able to compete with the ipad. there's a new mobile phone payment service from paypal. it allows businesses to accept paypal credit or check payments using a small triangular card reader attached to your phone. wall street's winning streak is still very alive. yesterday's gain for the s&p left it closing above 1400 since

the first time since 2008. the u.s. and england may release oil from strategic reserves just to lower gas prices. president obama and prime minister david cameron discussed this issue this week. and the rising gas prices at the pump may have pushed the consumer price index which will be released today. the number of americans claiming new unemployment benefits last week fell to a four-year low as the economy shows more signs of improvement. boeing says next year it will move production from seattle to utah and italy. it will not result in any job losses at the seattle plant. listen up. this is yummy. st. patrick's day right around the corner. burger king is celebrating with free french fries. even more appropriate, saturday and sunday you get the free value size order with green ketchup. appropriate, i'm just not sure how that would taste. coming up, trade day in the

nba. another huge nfl contract. and march madness marches on. last night virginia commonwealth pulls up an upcity set win over wichita state. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. [ female announcer ] with swiffer dusters, a great clean doesn't have to take longer. i'm done. i'm gonna read one of these. i'm gonna read one of these! [ female announcer ] unlike sprays and dust rags, swiffer 360 duster's extender gets into hard-to-reach places without the hassle.

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spiriva is the only once-daily inhaled copd maintenance treatment that does both. and it's steroid-free. spiriva does not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. tell your doctor if you have kidney problems, glaucoma, trouble urinating, or an enlarged prostate. these may worsen with spiriva. discuss all medicines you take, even eye drops. stop taking spiriva and seek immediate medical help if your breathing suddenly worsens, your throat or tongue swells, you get hives, vision changes or eye pain, or problems passing urine. other side effects include dry mouth and constipation. nothing can reverse copd. spiriva helps me breathe better. does breathing with copd weigh you down? ask your doctor if spiriva can help. welcome back to "first look." i'm lynn berry. in sports yesterday's nba trade deadline saw many players changing addresses, but the big man everyone expected to be traded is staying put.

here's nbc's fred roggin. >> good morning. the ncaa basketball tournament got underway. before we get to the upsets. there were a couple of notable trades in the nba. perhaps the biggest deal was the one that didn't happen. dwight howard is staying put in orlando. he terminated his option. he'll be a member of the wizards next year. they traded nick young to the clippers. the lakers got some help at the point guard position. they picked up ramon sessions from the calves. they sent derrick fisher to the rockets. mario williams was signed to the buffalo bills. six years, $100 million. it is the richest contract for a defensive player in history. get your brackets out. we'll begin in the east where top ranked syracuse received a scare from u.n.l.c. he finished with 15. syracuse escaped 72-65. kentucky, the number one seed for a reason, simply too much for western kentucky.

at one point they were up by 32 and the wildcats won easily, 81-6 81-66. yukon was crushed by iowa state. they get to play top ranked kentucky. colorado not supposed to be in the tournament. now they're moving to the round up 32. they led against u.n.l.v. finally last year's cinderella is once again the bell of the ball. bcu knocked off wichita state. darius theus got the friendly bounce off the iron. vcu was up. wichita state the last chance. vcu pulled off another upset, 62-59. have a great weekend. now for another look at the weather here is nbc meteorologist ryan phillips. ryan, yesterday i famously predicted that long beach state would take it all.

unfortunately i learned they were knocked out. bill said they were a little bit of a sleeper team. >> they were, that's for sure. you can readjust your bracket now. we've got some active weather this morning first thing across southeastern missouri across arkansas, light showers. we'll have some showers around for friday. i think overall the weekend looks great. there's a huge ridge of high pressure in the heart of the nation which will lead to a lot of sunshine and warm conditions. let's not for get a wet pacific northwest. the forecast really not looking too bad. temperatures in the heart of the nation, kansas city at 63, 68 in dallas. 62 in atlanta. clouds and showers today. little bit cooler than what we were used to earlier in the week. 47 boston, 61 new york. down across the southeast, 70s and 80s back into texas. a great day in an san antonio. nice in the northeast, 60s and 70s. things looking great, i thud

say, for the seventh annual jazz in the gardens music festive call that will be held in sun life stadium both saturday and sunday. wonderful weather for that. >> ryan, thanks so much. coming up, russell brand was arrested yesterday. wait until you hear what he blamed it on. plus, it's not the jump street that we all remember. it is expected to take the top seat at the box look. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. ♪ oh, my maltipoo's depressed. but my affordable prius c means i can pay for his acupuncture. whew. i love my pooch. oh no! my homemade sushi... turned p-ushi! use estimated 53 mpg to find a gluten-free alternative. look, this means i'm a chef. [ male announcer ] be a winner with the all-new prius c from toyota. ♪ from toyota. [music playing]

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welcome back to "first look." well, england's duchess of cambridge swapped her gowns and jewels for a track suit to train

with the national field hockey team yesterday. our english broadcasting partner itn has the story. >> reporter: at marlboro college where kate played hockey they learned that if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. she said, my radar's off, even without a goalkeeper. but seven years after she last played she did eventually score a goal. >> she's very good. i think we would probably want her on the team now. no, she is good. she just seems natural. she's obviously played for quite a few years. i think the first two hits she had a goal she was just getting back into it. the third and fourth one she hit sweetly. >> reporter: and they game her a team vest named cambridge number 1. later, a first public engagement with the in-laws, kate, charles and camilla together at an art gallery to see a project for

primary school children supported by the prince of wales. >> can you choose my background? >> absolutely. >> reporter: they did some lace work and then some ironing. kate, a former student of art history and now an armed forces wife, seemed comfortable. but ironing is something that her father-in-law does not do very often at home. tim ewert, itv news. >> we've got the extensive coverage of ironing. this weekend the top ranked r-rated comedy makes a comeback. while no other movie debuting nationwide, 21 jump street starring jonah hill and shannon tatum is looking to regain the raunchy box office mojo that r rated come disenjoyed last summer. they think it will muscle out ""the lorax"" with at least $30 million. speaking of r rated comedy

success, there's been lots of talk about the overbudgeted, underperforming john carter, there's been less notice for "project x." it's a party flick that cost 12 million to make. it should finish in the top five this weekend passing $60 million in earnings. finally, russell brand turned himself in yesterday to new orleans police to face the music for grabbing a photographer's phone monday and throwing it through a nearby window. in a tweet brand joked he did it as a tribute saying, quote, since steve jobs died i cannot bear to see anyone use an iphone irrev very recently. that's sort of -- need a little bit of class there. people need to edit their tweets. >> with him it's always something. there's always something. >> yeah, he is a he got to make a little bit of noise when he's doing something. >> always. maybe detract from the fact that he was arrested for throwing an iphone. >> oh, yeah. >> make news in another manner. >> two and two. >> are you seeing any of the movies this weekend? 21 jump street?

>> that's the one i would like to see. >> yeah, we'll see how that turns out. i'm lin berry and this is 23irs look on msnbc. way too early with willie geist starts right now. afghan president hamid karzai tells defense secretary leon panetta he has seen enough and wants american troops out of the rural villages of his country. this as we learned from the accused shooter's attorney why the staff sergeant, quote, snapped last weekend. the question is will this incident be the historic moment that pushes the u.s. out of afghanistan once and for all? we'll have a live report from the ground there. president obama and vice president biden come out swinging campaign style calling out the republican candidates by campaign. the question is did we hear yesterday the clearest line of attack the white house will use against whomever becomes the gop nominee? syracuse is