thanks for watching "first look." stay tuned. "way too early" is up next. most people who know me know i'm a pretty friendly guy. and i like a good party. personal relationships are important, and obviously i can always do a better job. and the nice thing is is that now that my girls are getting older, they don't want to spend that much time with ame anyway, so i'll be calling around looking for somebody to play cards with me or something because i'm getting kind of lonely in this big house. >> president obama pushing back against critics who say he should be less a commander and more of a schmoozer in chief. good morning, i'm bill karins. this is "way too early," the show whose legendary after-parties are now open to one mr. president of the united

states. thanks for being up with us on this tuesday, january 15th. we have a lot to talk about including governor andrew cuomo striking a deal late last night with republicans on new strict gun-control measures. how he got overwhelming bipartisan support. plus, socializing wasn't the only topic at yesterday's press conference. the president also compared republicans to hostage takers regarding the upcoming debt limit fight. we begin with developing news late last night. officials in new york have agreed to a sweeping set of changes to the state's gun laws. the new proposals would sail through the republican-controlled state senate by a 43-18 vote are considered the toughest gun-control measures in the nation. it includes a ban on all magazines that hold seven rounds, bans semiautomatic pistols and rifles with attachable cliff cliffs. it requires a statewide registration of all handguns and calls on mental health professionals to report dangerous patients. supporters of the plan including andrew cuomo say it protects the

second amendment adding weapons will not be confiscated from those who currently own them legally. the state assembly is expected to pass the measure as early as today. president obama meanwhile is also reviewing a list of gun-control proposals outlined by vice president joe biden. the items on the table include stronger background checks and limits on assault weapons and ammunitions. during a news conference yesterday, the president responded to why gun sales have spiked since the deadly shooting in newtown, connecticut. >> those who oppose any common-sense gun-control or gun-safety measures have a pretty effective way of ginning up fear on the part of gun owners that somehow the federal government's about to take all your guns away. and there's probably an economic element to that. it obviously is good for business. responsible gun owners, people

who have a gun for protection, for hunting, for sportsmanship, they don't have anything to worry about. the issue here is not whether or not we believe in the second amendment. >> the vice president in a stat outlined 19 areas where president obama could use executive action to enact new gun-control policy. the president confirmed he was willing to bypass congress, if necessary. >> i'm confident that there are some steps that we can take that don't require legislation and that are within my authority as president. and where you get a step that has the opportunity to reduce the possibility of gun violence, then i want to go ahead and take it. >> well, a new "washington post"/abc poll shows 58% of americans are in favor of a ban on assault weapons. 39% oppose. 65% support a ban on high-capacity ammunition clips.

an overwhelming 88% say they support background checks at gun shows. as for the nra's proposal of placing armed guards in schools, a majority of americans, 55% support the idea while 42% oppose. parents of some of the young victims of the sandy hook school shooting are speaking out for the first time. during a town hall victims' family members and other newtown residents launched a group called the sandy hook promise, calling for a national dialogue on guns, mental health and school safety in america. >> it's been one month since i lost my son, dylan, and 25 other families lost their loved ones. at times it feels like only yesterday. and at other times it feels as if many years have passed. i still find myself reaching for dylan's hand to walk through a parking lot or expecting him to crawl into bed beside me for early-morning cuddles before we get ready for school. >> i put two children on the bus and only one came home. i pray that no mother, father,

grandparent or caregiver of children ever have to go through this pain. >> parents at the town hall said they want to ensure newtown is remembered for change, not tragedy. now to the fight over the debt ceiling. with the government on pace to run out of money by mid-february. yesterday president obama warned republican leaders that raising the nation's borrowing limit was nonnegotiable. he also struck back at members of congress who aim to use the issue as leverage to extract deep spending cuts. >> so while i'm willing to compromise and find common ground over how to reduce our deficits, america cannot afford another debate with this congress about whether or not they should pay the bills they've already racked up. they even entertained the idea of this happening, of the united states of america not paying its bills is irresponsible. it's absurd. republicans in congress have two choices here. they can act responsibly and pay america's bills, or they can act irresponsibly and put america

through another economic crisis. but they will not collect ransom in exchange for not crashing the american economy. the financial well-being of the american people is not leverage to be used. the full faith and credit of the united states of america is not a bargaining chip. >> as you would expect, republicans quick to respond. senate minority leader mitch mcconnell said in part the president and his allies need to get serious about spending, and the debt-limit debate is the perfect time for it. republican congresswoman marsha blackburn of tennessee took it a step further, suggesting her party was ready for a government shutdown. >> we're going to look at all of these options. you know, there is the option of government shutdown. there is an option of raising the debt ceiling in short-term increments. >> would you be willing, if you don't get the kind of cuts that you think are necessary, would you be willing to go into default or to shut down the government? >> i think that there is a way to avoid default if it requires

shutting down certain portions of the government, let's look at that. >> according to a recent gallup poll, there are growing concerns about washington's ability to balance the budget. 20% say the federal deficit is now the most important issue facing the nation. 18% say they are dissatisfied with the government. what's amazing is that people are now more concerned with the deficit and our dysfunctional government than they are with unemployment. the first time since 2009. there's a troubling new statistic from the department of defense involving u.s. service members. the number of suicides in the military surged to a record high of 349 last year. that's according to the associated press. that exceeds the 295 americans who died fighting in afghanistan in 2012. the military has launched a number of new programs to improve mental health services and increase awareness of the problem which the pentagon has now labeled an epidemic. there's an unlikely voice entering the obesity debate. with local governments considering measures similar to mayor bloomberg's crackdown on

large sugary drinks in new york city, soda giant coca-cola now stepping into the conversation. coke has unleashed a new ad campaign that defends its record while acknowledging the company's role when it comes to america's weight problem. nbc's chris jansing with the details. ♪ ♪ teach the world to sing to perfect harmony ♪ >> reporter: the company that once wanted to buy the world a coke, whose commercials turned adorable polar bears into pop culture celebrities has just launched a very different ad campaign. >> today we like people to come together on something that concerns all of us, obesity. >> reporter: for the first time ever, a soft drink company is marketing itself as part of the solution. >> the well-being of our families and communities concerns everyone. >> reporter: in a battle over obesity that increasingly targets sugary drinks as a big part of the problem. >> i think what they're trying to do is to get in front of this issue as much as they can. >> reporter: it's clear the pressure is mounting. >> we've taken bold action in new york city because obesity is

a national epidemic that's getting worse. >> reporter: new york mayor michael bloomberg spearheaded a ban on soft drinks over 16 ounces. other cities are considering similar bans. health experts warn the evidence is mounting. >> sugary beverages can affect body weight quite quickly, perhaps more so than any other single food product. >> reporter: the growing criticism seems to be having an impact. soft drink consumption has been declining steadily since 1998, down 17%. >> public opinion is really turning against the industry. i don't think they can use a pr effort to cover up all the harm that their products are doing. >> reporter: responding in the primetime ad and company statement, coke argues it's already offering smaller sizes, putting calorie counts on cans, and expanding low and no-calorie alternatives. >> over 125 years, we've been bringing people together. >> reporter: taking up the fight because it didn't get to be one of the world's most iconic brands by sleepwalking through

the challenges of changing times. >> that was nbc's chris jansing reporting. after seven weeks at a houston hospital, former president george h.w. bush back at home. the 88-year-old was admitted with severe bronchitis just after thanksgiving. doctors initially expected it to be a quick stay, but his condition worsened, putting him in intensive care for several days. the former president has made progress recently, and aides say he's in good spirits. mr. bush will continue physical therapy from home. now to business. apple shares fell more than 3% yesterday, closing out an 11-month low amid weak consumer reports for the iphone 5. down from its high of more than $700. steve, what gives? after a poor fourth quarter, apple was supposed to turn it around here in the new year. >> yeah. i mean, let's get this in perspective. they've still got 15% of the world's smartphone market, that's up from the previous figure of 14%. the problem is these google

androids. they're selling in greater quantities than apple's. you're right, the share price was 705 bucks back in september. at one point they had a $498 handle, back to $501. there's concern they're ordering less components, and that means they're expecting less sales in the first quarter of 2013. a little better news for dell, 13% as the struggling pc maker looks like it may well be in talks with a couple private equity guys to potentially take the company off the market and go private. >> steve, let me ask you about walmart. yesterday they announced their plans to hire any military veteran who wants a job. amazing story. how many jobs do they expect to give out? >> yeah, this could be 100,000 jobs over the next three years as well. michelle obama was right in saying this is absolutely historic. and it goes back to the fact that veterans have a higher unemployment rate than the broader nonveteran population. it was 12% previously, got down to 10% in 2012, but that

compares with nonveterans who have an unemployment rate of 7.9%. if it comes through, it could mean 100,000 new jobs at walmart and would be historic. they already employ about 100,000 veterans out of a total work force of 1.4 million. back to you, bill. >> a great story. cnbc's steve sedgwick live in london. shoot us an e-mail why you're awake waytooearly@msnbc.com. still ahead, lance armstrong comes clean. big surprise, right? telling oprah how he won his seven tour de france victories. and clarence thomas breaks his silence on the bench after seven long years. it must have been really important. we'll tell you what he had to say. and we'll get a check on weather with the lovely dylan dreyer when "way too early" comes right back.

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just begin with america's favorite soups. bring out chicken broccoli alfredo. or best-ever meatloaf. go to campbellskitchen.com for recipes, plus a valuable coupon. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. in the moneytime, we still need to get you your full forecast to get your day started. >> mm-hmm. >> let's get to it. >> go to the paper. >> first i'm going to look at your current temperatures out there. it is 18 degrees at tulsa international, but guess what? you will not need the umbrellas. there's a look at your radar. the state may not be perfectly drawn. your headlines for the week, it's a cold start to the week. we'll be talking about that, an end-of-week warm-up and the forecast which you'll see in just a second. >> have to give props. andrew kozak out of tulsa,

oklahoma. his weather computers crashed, and he improvised very well, i must say. now with your high-tech forecast, meteorologist dylan dreyer joins us. and what people don't realize is you have that little remote with a nine-volt battery in it. that dies, you've got nothing. >> it's so true, and it's died on me before. you know, my handwriting is so much better than my computer skills. >> tomorrow maybe we'll go with the cue cards. >> i like it, hey. you know, you need like a whole crayon box to get the colors on this map here. so much for high tech. we are going to see temperatures back in denver start off below zero, windchills feel like it's about 10 to 15 degrees below zero. so that's where the cold air is, clearly. but the east coast still enjoying above-average temperatures, but it still comes with some rain. it's a very, very slow-moving front, and it is going to continue to bring rain right from washington, d.c., down to new orleans today and tomorrow. but the rain, it does look like we could end up with another two to three inches of rainfall from western virginia right down into mississippi. the rain that we started off the

day with in new york city, it was out there earlier this morning. it is winding down and will continue to be mostly dry through the day today. temperatures in the 40s across the mid-atlantic region. 60s down through atlanta, but 58 degrees in new orleans today. cold air still sitting up across minneapolis and chicago. and then tomorrow, it will start to warm up in kansas city. that rain does push east, but that front will finally start to pull away, and it's back to realities with we go through the rest of the week. >> kind of balance things out a little bit after a couple of extreme temperature changes. thanks, dylan. appreciate it. on to sports now. as expected, lance armstrong admitted to using performance enhancing drugs during the taped interview with oprah. it may end up costing him millions. he's in talks to return some of the $30 million in sponsorship money paid to him by the u.s. postal service. he's also considering testifying against people in the cycling world who had knowledge of his doping and possibly helped facilitate it.

the interview will air this thursday. on to the nfl. it didn't take long after the broncos' double overtime loss for critics to question coach john fox's decision to have peyton manning take a knee with two time-outs and 30 seconds left in regulation. yesterday fox and the broncos eck executive john elway defended the strategy as they played for overtime. >> i'd do it again ten times if it presented itself ten times in that situation. when you look around on your sideline with 31 seconds to go in regulation, even with two time-outs backed up, you know, it didn't seem like the time, you know, being on the ropes to try to get a knockout punch. >> our guys were shocked when all of a sudden you get a 70-yarder thrown on them and they score when there's 30 seconds to go in the game and all of a sudden it's tied up going into overtime. i mean, we were in shock. and i think, you know, to me that was a good move to be able to regroup, get ourselves, get the guys back together and, you

know, start the overtime period. >> if you want to defend them, if they had turned the ball over with an interception with 30 seconds left, they get a field goal and lose without even going to overtime. on to the nba, the heat hit a bit of a rough patch, losing 6 of their last 9 games. last night they fell to the jazz in utah, 104-97. and could the where will lebron go sweepstakes be back on? a report from "the akron beacon journal" has raised the possibility that none other than the cleveland cavaliers will be pursuing lebron james when he becomes a possible free agent in 2014. he can opt out if he wants of his contract. the question is, would he even be welcomed back in the area? more now from the nba. bulls facing the hawks. we'll leave the call to sports net chicago's stacy king. >> he jacks one and missed it. >> that's a heat check. >> oh! does anybody know how to post videos s ts to facebook?

oh, my goodness, taj gibson just friend requested him. www.myface.com. >> go to that website. actually, don't. who knows what's on it. that was a beauty, taj gibson there. look at this. full extension. and even hangs on the rim. the bulls ended up winning, 97 -- to -- get this -- atlanta only scored 58 points in that entire game. embarrassing. coming up at the top of the hour on "morning joe," president obama holds a defiant news conference, drawing a line in the sand with republicans over a possible debt-limit fight. and weighing in on gun control. we'll break it all down with the "morning joe" crew. when we come back, we'll huddle around the water cooler where you might think this west point cadet would be a hero to an mol lovers for saving this tiny little mouse, that is until you see what happens next when "way too early" comes right back.

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enough with the real news. gather around the water cooler, and louis, what do you have for us today? >> well, bill, good cooler today. it's nice to have you back, by the way. >> no problem. maybe tomorrow if you're lucky. >> supreme court justice clarence thomas had a big day on the bench yesterday.

justice thomas spoke for the first time after seven long years of silence. he hasn't said a word since february 22nd of 2006. why did he break his silence? well, the court transcript isn't really clear on this one. all the transcript picked out was four words, just four words, there you go. well -- he did not -- that's pretty groundbreaking stuff. according to the people in the room, thomas cracked a joke about the qualifications of one of the lawyers from yale, which is his alma mater. if you're going to break silence, what better way to do it with a joke. seven more. let's move on. john tower in the control room is telling many he to move on. so to a story that's near and dear to my heart, very near and dear to my heart, buckingham palace has announced the duchess kate is due, and her due date, according to an official statement prince william and kate's baby will arrive sometime in july. >> summer baby. >> that is baby in the singular, which dispels any rumor of royal twins which i know disappoints you, bill. you were really crossing your fingers for that one. the big july date is close to

princess diana's birthday, july 1st, and it's the only reason i'm doing this story. according to british bookmaker william hill, the odds of the baby being born on diana's birthday is 33-1. those who track kate's life pretty closely believe she conceived last october. >> i didn't calculate it. >> makes you a little creepy, bill. which makes the baby more likely to arrive in the middle of july. >> how do we know that? >> so, you no he, maybe the bet's not great, but i'll take it anyway. perhaps america's celebrity royalty will steal the show. kim kardashian and kanye west are expecting their baby in june. we did the baby story. >> give me something funny now. >> let's turn to jimmy kimmel who checks in with west point when a cadet tries to remove an unwanted guest. take a look. >> a cadet found a mouse in his dorm room. and instead of killing it, he did the humane thing, brought it out and released it into the

wild. and that's when hakuna matata set in. >> you're free. go. get on out. good luck. >> how do you feel? >> i feel relieved. that he's not going to wake me up in my bed anymore, crawl on my leg. it's kind of sad, you know, i just got to know him. oh, no. no! no! are you kidding me? he didn't last five minutes! >> one minute you're living in a dorm. >> that's horrible. >> maybe a little military training. >> he's releasing that animal into the wild. >> he releases him near the snow pack. a brown mouse on the white snow, he had no chance. >> that's probably one of the more sad things that i've seen. >> you're not sad, be honest.

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