and the earliest it could possibly happen is late tomorrow once the jury is handed the case tomorrow afternoon. so keep that timing in mind. and watch this space. watch this space. "first look" is up next. it is friday. right now on "first look," gas prices are going to get crazy over the next week. the families of the newtown, connecticut, shootings are given hundreds of thousands of dollars. closing arguments in the george zimmerman murder trial just got a little more complicated. plus, it's reed versus mcconnell in a battle of whits. and the top ten reasons people hate their jobs. good morning, everybody. all right. so if you are thinking about filling up your gas tank, you better do it now. gasoline is expected to jump 10 to 20 cents a gallon over the

next few days. you can blame it on a perfect storm of rising oil prices and the peak driving season, but that's not the only thing shooting up. the stock market got some extra fuel, surging to all-time highs. the dow was up 169 points at 15,460, and the s&p 500 rose 22 points to 1,675. the record highs are in response to word from the federal reserve that it will continue its bond-buying program. the prosecution has now made its closing argument in the closely watched and highly charged trial of george zimmerman. zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of trayvon martin, but that charge became an issue in court on thursday as the jury is now allowed to consider a lesser charge of manslaughter. the jury could have this case as soon as today. nbc's ron mott reports from sanford, florida. >> a teenager is dead.

he is dead through no fault of his own. he is dead because another man made assumptions. >> reporter: the state started its closing in a less explosive fashion than it opened 17 days ago. >> [ bleep ] punks. these [ bleep ], they always get away. >> reporter: but made the same argument about trayvon martin's killing to the all-women jury. >> the man who is guilty of second-degree murder. >> reporter: that george zimmerman should go to prison for profiling, following, confronting, and shooting the unarmed teenager last year. >> why does this defendant get out of the car if he thinks that trayvon martin is a threat to him? why? why? because he's got a gun! he's got the equalizer. >> reporter: with zimmerman's and martin's parents all in court for the first time since day one, the prosecutor said zimmerman sized up martin as a criminal during a call to police. >> i would submit to you that he uttered it under his breath, and

that itself indicates ill will and hatred. >> reporter: and for a second straight day -- >> he's saying that armpits -- how does he get the gun out? >> reporter: the state's life-size foam dummy was thrown into is the mix. >> my firearm on my right-side hip. >> reporter: did you see where he's pointing to, where he's grabbing? with the prosecutor questioning the account. >> this was never an easy second-degree murder case for the prosecution. it seemed to get more difficult every day of trial. while the closing arguments seemed effective, it may not be enough for the crime of murder. >> reporter: earlier, sparks flew as both sides argued over adding charges. >> doesn't the court realize this is a trick by the state? just when i thought this case couldn't get anymore bizarre, the state is seeking third-degree murder based on child abuse? >> reporter: martin was 17 when he was killed. the judge denied the third-degree murder charge but

ruled the jury may consider manslaughter in lieu of second-degree murder. zimmerman's attorney objected to any lesser charge. zimmerman has pleaded not guilty, saying he shot martin in self-defense after being attacked. >> the state has charged him with second-degree murder. they should be required to prove it if they can. they can't prove it, then that is the failing of the prosecution. >> reporter: ron mott, nbc news, sanford, florida. >> this morning, the defense will offer its closing arguments followed by a rebuttal from the state. unless something unforeseen happens, the jury is expected to be charged with the case by this afternoon. now to newtown, connecticut, where details are emerging about the sandy hook victims fund. families are expected to begin receiving nearly $8 million in payments next month. the preliminary recommendation from a meeting thursday is that each family of the 26 victims receive $281,000. $20,000 to the families of each 12 surviving children who

witnessed the shootings. and two teachers who were injured would get $150,000 between them. the families of some victims say the process has caused them more anguish. 20 children and six educators were killed on december 14th at sandy hook elementary. now here's your first look at this morning's dish of scrambled politics. so close but yet so far. yet, eyes are on 2016 and in battleground state iowa, a new ppp poll gives hillary clinton a whopping 71% lead over vice president joe biden's 12%. republicans, meanwhile, well, no straight front runner. kentucky senator rand paul at 18% with new jersey governor chris christie right behind at 15%. sparring on the senate floor, did you see this? a throwdown between minority leader mitch mcconnell and majority leader harry reid.

>> these are dark days in the history of the senate. i hate that we have come to this point. we have witnessed the majority leader break his word to the united states senate. >> no matter how often my friend rudely talks about me not breaking my word, i'm not going to respond talking about how many times he's broken his word. >> reid does say he's prepared to go nuclear, though. both men will be on nbc's "meet the press" on sunday. you do not want to miss that. and on the house floor, more harsh words. >> mitt romney was right. you all do not care about the 47%. shame on you! >> that zinger from florida rep corrine brown calling it a sad day in the house. the majority struck down the food stamp measure of the nation's farm bill. newly minted san diego mayor making a stark apology amid sexual harassment allegations allege calls for him to step

down. >> i am embarrassed to admit that i have failed to fully respect the women who work for me and with me and that at times i have intimidated them. if my behavior doesn't change, i cannot succeed in leading our city. >> he says he needs help and is seeking it professionally. okay. switching gears now. texting one president an apology to another. jay-z tells hot 97 that, yes, he does text president obama. jay says the prez likes sports metaphors, so here's what went down right before his re-election. >> hey, you know, fourth quarter, just give me the ball. >> word. and now a strange interaction between justin bieber and bill clinton. strange is right. e news reports the syringe called the former president to apologize for saying "f bill

clinton" earlier this week. clinton reportedly saying, quote, if that's the worst thing you've ever done, all is well. he told justin to focus on doing good in the world. that is your dish of morning scrambled politics. all right. cities throughout the eastern part of the country are cleaning up after massive storms just ravaged their towns. a city in northeastern ohio has gotten so much rainfall, yep, residents there are using boats just to get around. and a tornado that touched down in western pennsylvania on wednesday, you see, left massive damage in its wake. luckily, no fatalities or major injuries have been reported. nbc's bill karins is here with your weekend weather. we wish it was good news for folks in the d.c. area. >> last night was a bad night. still rough. the morning commute is going to be a nightmare, especially east of d.c. that's where the heaviest rain is. washington, d.c. last night picked up about four inches of rain in about six hours. we have flash flood warnings all through the downtown area of washington, d.c. especially to the west of town

around centerville and by dulles airport, four inches of rain officially in the last six hours alone. it is still pouring in this region. here's some of our radar estimates. by the centerville area, possibility as much as six inches fell in this short period of time. that's going to cause flash flooding anywhere. here's how the radar has looked. notice the red is the heaviest thunderstorms it and rain. it's shifted from the west side of the d.c. area now heading towards the annapolis area. right over the chesapeake. this will try to head across the chesapeake. you get the general idea. it's still raining in the area. by far the worst weather out there. there were water rescues as of a couple hours ago, people being rescued from their homes. your friday forecast, a flood threat on the eastern seaboard. throughout the weekend, a chance of storms in the southeast. won't be quite as bad. the heat continues in dallas. looks like that'll break on sunday as some clouds and cooler weather arrive. again, around the d.c. area we're waiting to get some pictures in. pretty epic. >> okay. thank you, bill. former secretary of state

hillary clinton is cashing in big time these days. plus, former bulls super star scottie pippen sued for $4 million. that's all ahead. stay with us. every parent wants the safest and healthiest products

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welcome back. some stories making news this morning. the wreckage of asiana flight 214 is being removed from san francisco international. this as it's revealed there was no problem with the mechanics on the aircraft. the remains of long-time boston strangler suspect will be exhumed in hopes forensic testing will prove once and for all that he was the killer. dna from the scene of one of the strangler's victims will be compared to desalvo's own dna, possibly closing a decades' old case. according to "the washington post," hillary clinton is raking in over $200,000 per speech to groups did like apartment complex developers, human resources professionals, private

equity, and other business fat cats. female college students with sugar daddies has posted a billboard in pittsburgh. arrangementfinders.com is using a porn star, who happens to be one of charlie sheen's exs as their pitch person. no comment there. and you like to complain about your job? you are not alone. a new study lists the top ten reasons full-time employees just hate their jobs. so at number ten, they think the grass is greener somewhere else. number nine, their values don't line up with the company. number eight, they don't feel valued. number seven, job insecurity. number six, no room for advancement. let's go to number five. they are unhappy with their pay. a lot of people complaining about that. number four, there is just too much red tape. number three, they're not being challenged enough. number two, the passion is gone. heard that before. and drum roll, please.

the number one reason, their boss sucks. let me just say, if you feel that way and you want to be gainfully employed, don't say that out loud. now for your first look at business, we turn to courtney reagan, who does not think her boss sucks. >> no, he's the greatest ever. well, mortgage rates keep rising. the average hit 4.15, a two-year high. although, it's still low by historical standards. rates have risen in tandem with bond yields on expectations the fed will pull back on stimulus programs. and sprint cuts the price of its unlimited data program to $80. the move was partly prompted by customer concerns it would stop offering such plans. the change could put pressure on verizon and at&t who have steered customers away from unlimited data plans. and best buy is holding a two-day trade-in event this weekend letting customers swap old ipads for a gift card.

it follows their successful iphone trade-in last month. betty? >> all right. thank you, courtney. straight ahead, the captain's scary return and all your sports highlights. that's next. regular guy with an irregular heartbeat. the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib: atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. i don't think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but not anymore. bob's doctor recommended a different option: once-a-day xarelto®. xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem, that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce the risk of an afib-related stroke. there is limited data on how these drugs compare when warfarin is well managed. no routine blood monitoring

means bob can spend his extra time however he likes. new zealand! xarelto® is just one pill a day, taken with the evening meal. and with no dietary restrictions, bob can eat the healthy foods he likes. do not stop taking xarelto® rivaroxaban without talking to the doctor who prescribes it for you. stopping may increase your risk of having a stroke. get medical help right away if you develop any signs or symptoms of bleeding, like unusual bruising or tingling. you may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take xarelto® with aspirin products, nsaids or blood thinners. talk to your doctor before taking xarelto® if you currently have abnormal bleeding. xarelto® can cause bleeding, which can be serious, and rarely may lead to death. you are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto®, and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. tell your doctors you are taking xarelto® before any planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions, such as kidney, liver or bleeding problems. ready to change your routine?

ask your doctor about once-a-day xarelto®. for more information including cost support options, call 1-888-xarelto or visit goxarelto.com. time now to get the latest in sports from paige hopkins. >> good morning. former nba star scottie pippen is being sued for $4 million

over an altercation with an autograph seeker last month. pippen was questioned by police, but no charges were filed. an nhl star walks away from $77 million. that's right. >> get out of here. walked away? >> sure did. new jersey devils forward i'lya kovalchuk walked away to retire because he wants to spend more time with his family. and derek jeter returned to it the majors and hit a slow roller to third base for his first hit. he left early with tightness in his leg muscle. and team usa went on an early lead in the women's world cup in softball. go, girls. at the tour de france, about 20 riders were involved in a crash just behind the race leaders. there were some serious injuries, including one broken shoulder. and nfl hall of famer began a 213-mile trek from buffalo bills stadium to canton, ohio,

home of the hall of fame. it's all to benefit people who need prosthetic legs and other expensive treatments. good for him. >> such a good cause. and some low lights from the pga. a horrible ball next to a tree, then hit another tree. and another never found his ball in the high woods. then a deer ran across the course. >> how ironic. >> and at the u.s. senior open, mark o'mara's tee shot struck another ball. both went flying in opposite directions. the ball he hit was returned. he saved his par. he's now tied for the lead. >> quite a day in golf. all right. thank you. well, speaking of quite a day, it was a bruising battle of words on the senate floor with the majority leader and the minority leader throwing verbal punches. joining us for round one, shall we say, is politico reporter.

>> good morning. happy friday. >> did you see it? harry reid went so far as to say he's prepared to go nuclear. what is going on with these two guys? >> the nuclear option. in fact, mitch mcconnell said he thinks harry reid wants him to sit down and shut up. it was a very intense day yesterday on the senate floor, but what this is regarding is, of course, the nuclear option. it would lower the filibuster for the minority from 61 to 50, and that would give the majority party the ability to kind of push through nominations that they say the republicans have been stalling ever since president barack obama took office. >> you know, these are important issues no doubt. but is this just a lot of political grand standing? i really did find it comical that before the insults started flying, they made a point to call each other friends of all things. >> yeah, they're friends, but they disagree, right? so i think that this is an example, definitely, of politics at play. if you think back to it the last

time we had this fight in 2005, actually harry reid was very much against this, writing in a book even, a whole chapter devoted to why the nuclear option shouldn't happen. but i think that if it does happen, and we'll know early next week if they're going to go through with this, we could see if the republicans take back the senate. i think that they would use the strategy too. whoever is in the majority really does want this to happen. >> all right. well, we appreciate your insight today. thanks so much for joining us. >> thanks for having me. have a great weekend. >> you too. coming up, paige hopkins and bill karins are back for our first buzz, including this amazing contraption and other stories that really caught our eyes today. i'm tony siragusa and i'm training guys who leak a little, to guard their manhood with new depend shields and guards. the discreet protection that's just for guys. now, it's your turn. get my training tips at guardyourmanhood.com

check it out. here is one way for protesters to get noticed. dress up as your cause. but can you tell what it is? about 200 protesters in paris dressed up as embryos. yeah, that's what that is. they're against a draft law that would allow research own human embryonic stem cells. a parliament vote is expected on tuesday. and it is time now for first buzz. one of my favorite segments of the entire day. and i love this one. i'm going to start because it's my favorite. you got to check this out. these babies singing "we will rock you." ♪ we will, we will rock you ♪ we will, we will rock you >> i was so impressed by the littlest one. seemed to be the one singing the most. >> i know.

that's incredible. love it. >> they're in separate tubs. that's really cute. >> probably for good reason. you've got a cool one too. >> who needs an engine to fire up a helicopter? apparently they don't in toronto. a group of creators it and engineers have put together a human-powered helicopter. it's amazing. take a look. the guy is actually pedaling. that's what's getting the helicopter up off the ground. they won $250,000. it took 30 years in the making. >> okay. hold up. 30 years to decide you can actually do this by pedaling? >> yes, with one bike. the guy said you get on and it's really hard. you just don't think about it and pedal your feet off. >> definitely not the wright brothers. >> but they won a prize. >> so we go from that to -- >> yes, the biggest thing last night. "sharknado." number one trending on twitter last night. number three on twitter, number one on google plus. entertainment weekly is saying

"sharknado" another sci-fi disaster film gone horribly right. buzz feed has the seven best worst lines from the movie. it's got this -- if you haven't dvr'd it, do it now. >> it's a tornado with sharks? >> it's supposed to be this horrible storm so bad it sucked up all the sharks from the ocean. it's not the point. >> but i'm trying to visual lu figure out what the heck a sharknado is. >> a tornado with sharks. >> so they're throughout a city once the tornado hits? >> don't ruin the whole plot. >> i'm just trying to help people understand. >> she's trying to analyze the plot of a sci-fi movie. >> why only sharks? >> yeah, why only sharks, bill? you're the scientist here, right? >> do you need blue whales falling out of the sky too now? that would be part two. killer whales. >> whalenado. >> i should write for sci-fi. >> you should. >> it would be pretty easy.

>> sounds like discrimination against other sea life. >> good stuff. back to reality now. we have harry reid, mitch mcconnell on "meet the press" this weekend. you definitely want to see it. don't miss that. they went head to head on the floor. see how it turns out. this is "first look" on msnbc. a teenager is dead. he is dead through no fault of his own. he is dead because another man made assumptions. he is dead not just because the man made those assumptions but because he acted upon those assumptions. unfortunately, unfortunately, because his assumptions were wrong, trayvon benjamin martin no longer walks on this earth.

>> the murder trial of george zimmerman winding down. what can we expect as the defense gets set to present its closing arguments? going nuclear? the leaders of the senate in a war of words over the use of the filibuster. and the movie that's sweeping the nation. we're talking about "sharknado" and the twitter response that has sharks all over the world planning their 15 minutes of fame. this is "way too early." hi, everybody. so we'll get wet and wild with "sharknado" in a moment. i'm thomas roberts in for brian shactman. we want to start off with something serious. later this morning, 24 days after the murder trial of george zimmerman began, the defense will deliver its closing argument. yesterday in its closing argument, the prosecution portraying george zimmerman as a, quote, want-to-be cop who profiled the teen.