actually poised to do something in that building behind me. i'm jonathan capehart in for ari, it's like winning the jackpot. >> 8, 20, 14, 17, 39 and mega ball is 7. if no one reached it will be $950 million. play on, america. >> not last night's near mega millions jackpot, believe me if i had one of two winning tickets, i would still be here. maybe. the jackpot we're talking about the nation's first full budget in a divided congress in nearly three decades. the final senate vote is coming up in about an hour. while we would like to turn it into a cliff hanger to boost ratings, i am forced to say by all that is against the cable news gods, it will pass. if i'm wrong, maybe they'll replace me tomorrow. but, with the house long gone and senate majority leader harry reid isn't ready to dismiss the

chamber just that. more to come in breaking news at the bottom of the screen. reid wants votes on several judicial nominees about wrapping up and threatening to play scrooge and keep members in washington until christmas eve. ba hum bug. make they can catch a ride with fat saint nick. i said it. enough of me ruining my tv career. let me bring in luke russert on the hill with the latest. >> reporter: that is one of the top five intros i've ever gotten. well done, my friend. there's not a lot of suspension on capitol hill. i wish had a corny countdown clock for you. what we'll see around 4:30 is a two-year budget agreement, it will pass, reduce the deficit by $23 billion. as i mentioned yesterday on your program, this is more along the lines of the top number the gop

really wanted a few years back that paul ryan initially put forward in this budget. there were some conservative opposition to this because it was more of the 967 billion you have under sequester but it should pass and pass pretty decently well with a lot of democrats and handful of republicans. moving forward, you mentioned the nominees, there's a backlog and he wants to get that done. if he waits until next year, president o many obama has reto resubmit these nominees, which is a process they don't want to go forward with again. he's threatened to keep the senate here until december 24th. a lot of republicans are calling him the glinch. this is textbook harry reid. they go back and forth. the more interesting harry reid comment came out in an article in role call, he wants to be senate majority leader for eight more years. >> chuck schumer happy about

that. >> reporter: chuck schumer and durbin were high fiving about that. >> when i have the scoop about abby huntsman running -- >> i'm feeling it. >> it's a go. >> thanks again, luke. >> josh barrow, we had chuck todd on the program earlier and i was asking him about not just this deal but what can we expect to see from republicans? is there going to be pressure on them to pass unemployment insurance in particular, something that democrats are upset wasn't included in this deal? let's take a listen to what chuck had to say. all right, that is not chuck. that is janet yellen, not chuck. that is a picture of janet yellen who we'll talk about later. what chuck basically said,

unemployment insurance, there's going to be a lot of pressure to pass this. he could see it being combined with something like the farm bill and also brought up the fact that minimum wage is another issue like that where there's a lot of public support for lifting the minimum wage and he thinks republicans could cave to the pressure in an election year. >> i think they are different and it's very unlukely you'll get vote for a mun minimum wage increase out of the republican house. minimum wage increases are popular when you poll them. but some issues, gun control, you ask do you support it and overwhelming amount say yes but if you're a republican congressman you're not afraid of losing votes from people in the middle but from people on the right that view a minimum wage increase as a violation of free market principles. it's attack ad ready, congressman so and so voted to allow 1.3 million people to lose unemployment benefits -- >> it's hip critical when

republicans have been the ones pointing out the continued long-term unemployment crisis. >> the house has had to vote a number of times to extend unemployment. when you look back a year ago, republicans talk a good game but not wanting an unemployment insurance extension and then they voted for one. there were arguably things that republicans were getting in exchange for that. but i think there's some desire among republicans to not have that issue on the table in the next election. i don't know it's enough for them to go through and vote. i think it's quite possible we are seeing the end of extended unemployment benefits as part of this budget deal. >> one issue that republicans want to still see on the table is paul ryan signaled when the debt limit comes up they'll be back to more hostage taking tactics and mitch mcconnell saying the same thing. listen. >> every time the president asks us to raise the debt ceiling is a good time to try to achieve

something important to the country. debt ceiling legislation is a time that brings us together and gets the president's attention. i can't imagine it being done -- we'll have to see on what the house adds to it as a condition. >> shutdown is bad enough for america but playing with the debt ceiling is really, really bad stuff. are they really talking about doing more hostage taking around that or setting up the radio right and base and saying, we're still willing to do this stuff, and then actually they'll do the right thing? >> i think this is posturing and we've seen this from the last two debt ceiling fights we've had, one around a year ago and one around the time of the shutdown. the question is, how do you define something. a year ago something was an agreement that the senate had to pass a budget. it could be any budget, didn't have to be reconciled or cut government spending. all that had to happen was the senate passed a budget and that

was what the republicans got in change. similarly when you had the government shutdown, republicans giving up a debt ceiling increase in exchange for not very much. i expect you'll see that again. you have forces within the republican party in the business community that were maybe okay with the shutdown although they didn't like it or very afraid of hitting borrowing limits and causing trouble in the treasury bond market. i think part of the reason that republicans were eager to do a government shutdown a couple of months ago, they knew the debt limit was never a credible threat. they could more kredably threaten to shut down the government. it doesn't make the debt ceiling more viable strategy. i think when we get around to february and there's probably a little wiggle room around that when the debt limit has to be raised. i think they know the white house will not get them anything really substantive. >> what could they possibly get next year that they couldn't get

this year when they threatened to blow up the full faith and credit of the united states. they were pushing for a repeal or defunding of obama care as one of the conditions for raising the debt ceiling. do they go down the obama care route again to fulfill mitch mcconnell's pro fphecy? >> i think they'll get something symbolic. in 2011 republicans made big threats over the debt ceiling and got a lot of deficit reduction and i think the president looked at that and decided it was a tactical mistake and figured out if he said no, no no, i won't give you anything substantive, eventually republicans will fold. they'll have to come up with a new symbolic measure. >> i don't think they'll give him a symbolic -- they are trying to break the precedent you get something for raising the debt ceiling.

even if it's symbolic, you're not setting the precedent they want to. >> i think they have made peace with symbolic gestures. i think that the white house understands that john boehner needs to save face with various people. >> not a fig leaf, no matter how small. >> for the matter i'm going to enjoin a budget passing. but josh, i want to shift gears a little bit. there's something a bit strange going on at amazon that you've been writing about and essentially people can sign up to get benefits using a fake baby name, putting in a fake birth of a baby. you tweeted this, you're encouraging this, get out your fake baby and sign up for amazon. the premise is simple and it sounds rewarding. but it's also sounds unethical and wrong and i thought you were a good guy. please explain that behavior. >> i think i'm a very good guy and very good fake parent.

here's the way this works. on amazon if you signed up having them send you something every month or six months you can get the subscribe and save discount, 15%. amazon mom, you get 20%. you have to give them a baby name and date of birth. >> what is your name? >> i put my baby's name as mad glashs, a girl, born today. >> you say this is wrong. who's getting hurt here? there's a loophole on a company that you're saying -- >> josh, what is amazon saying about this. >> murky, tour'e. >> amazon, we got two statements for amazon. first, they said it's open to all kinds of moms and dads but parents of imagery childrenmy find they won't be able to take full advantage of savings on things like diapers.

>> but then this morning after i ran the piece they e-mailed and said it's on the honor expect and the vast majority of people will be honest about it. you have some kinds of discounts like veterans, it wouldn't be okay to get the discount. that's a thank you in honor for somebody's service. then there is price discrimination where amazon thinks parents scour the coupon pages more closely. i don't think consumers have any obligation to help businesses engage in price discrimination. >> amazon is not even into making money. they don't -- they break even, right? >> amazon -- it's interesting, amazon has been roughly break even -- been open for 15 years -- >> ait may never make money. >> it's unclear. they are not losing money. they have time to go on doing this. it's a real dilemma for other retailers. if you're best buy your business is being severely disrupted that

people are buy from amazon. if you're up against a competitor who doesn't seem focused on make a profit, that's a challenge -- >> i still say even if it is a corporation that you're lying to, it's still a lie -- >> maybe it's a gender thing. >> lies told in the forest and there's no one around to hear them, is it still a lie? >> if a lie is told to a corporation, it's not really a lie. >> if you're staying in a hotel and they have a weekend deal to get the romance package, i say yes, you can lie about that. >> it's complicated. thank you very much. up next, you will thank you when you're older. i've always hated that expression. when it comes to health care it's right. getting folks to sign up and check on the oval office meeting as the cycle rolls on for wednesday, december 18th. so, this board gives me rates for

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a family gathering of sorts for president obama and first lady, hosted a group of moms highlighth important role that they play in getting their kids and husbands and friends enrolled in obamacare, it comes it key time for the law signing up before december 23rd allows users to begin coverage at the begin ning of 2014. obamacare is views unfavorably by 49% of women. tuesday the administration also

announced microsoft executive delbene will replace jeffrey zients next year. next guest says much like the website americans are not getting the big enough bang for the buck with the health care system in general. they explore why in the new book "american health care parabox" why spending more is getting us less. elizabeth bradley, professor of public health at yale and lauren taylor, presidential scholar of medical health at harvard. thank you so much for being here. elizabeth, i wanted to start with you. we talk a lot about how expensive the american health care system is and how little we get for it. but you're actually saying we're not measuring cost in the right way. explain that. >> yeah, the american health care paradox is we are spending double what any other country in the world is spending and yet our outcomes are much worse.

and how could that be? one of things we need to look at is what are rereally spending on health care and what are we spending on the other social services that may produce a healthy population? if you add them together and now compare us to the rest of the countries, the comparison is very different. some are spending in the middle of the rest of the country. >> so the bottom line here is that when you look all inclusively at social service and health care we're not spending that much. lauren, one of the other areas that you look at is you look at scandanavian countries and the fact that they have good outcomes and seem to get it at a reasonable price. you point to differences in values between the u.s. and scandinavia that led to the delivering health care systems. >> absolutely. one of the big things we found, there's a different conception

of health in the scandanavian countries, individuals we spoke to took seriously the sleep patterns and diet and physical activity had implications on their health outcomes and certainly the health bills that they faced and so i think that was different. here in the united states we often know intellectually that these social determinants of health have impact, but when it comes time to our own health, we tend to forget that fact. >> it's great that's working in those countries and the reality is back here at home we have different value. what's working there is not going to work here at home and you have a whole chapter, titled an american way forward. what are some things we can do at home more of an american approach that would work better here? >> one of things that we saw across the country is really diversity in the xikind of

experiments being undertaken, sometimes public sector, private sector to focus all resources possible on the area of health, not just health care. and we saw this survey as i said, public sectors, people who are wealthier and real diversity across the country which is one of our hall marks that we can use our ingenuity to really entegrate the services for better health outcomes. >> elizabeth, it seems people don't seem to make the connection between high rates of disease and health care in this town. if you talk about spending more money on social services to improve health outcomes you get accusations of socialism. and when you have a mayor like michael bloomberg who tries to do things to improve people's health, whether it's ending smoking in bars and restaurants or going after big gul p sodas, he's be accused of running a nanty state.

what do you suggest be done to break this mindset? >> some of what can be done is looking at the evidence carefully. there have been decades of research demonstrating that some of the investments we make in early education and nutrition do pay back in terms of limited -- more limited health care spending. it's hard for us to see because it's over time. and it's hard for us to see sometimes because we may not relate to it in our own lives. but if we look at the data, it's pretty clear. changing the conception, it's hard, it's not quite so easy as i have a problem and i'm going to see my doctor get one pill and i'm better but thinking hard about the social services. >> lauren, we're hearing this about death panels and how the whole program will fold in on itself and new situation that sara writes about in the "washington post," saying even if young people don't sign up in droves and underperform for this

market, we're going to see a 1% change in the prices and i would even question that because we're seeing in $500 million push by the health insurance companies saying, there's all of these new customers coming in the market rkts we want them on our side. there's no incentive to raise prices quickly. so this idea of a death spiral doesn't seem realistic to me at all. >> yeah, i agree. i read that same article this morning. it was excellent. i think there have been other commenters who have said things similarly. it's more about really the health ratio in these exchanges than it is necessarily about the age. that being said, i have to applaud the president and i just think the idea of exchanges and bringing people into an insurance program is really important for managing population health over the long term which is what the american health care act is focused on. these large population health

outcomes, infant mortality, the things we do so poorly on, have been because no one is accountable for certain segments of population health, getting them in for preventative care and following up. the extension of the insurance we're seeing is really a step in right direction. >> thank you both. >> thank you. >> up next, the white house is set to release an outside report on its surveillance practices. could it change nsa protocol? plus, a check on budget vote and who's got the golden lottery ticket. it's a busy wednesday and we've got you covered here on "the cycle." ♪ by the end of december, we'll be delivering ♪ ♪ through 12 blizzards blowing ♪ 6 snowballs flying ♪ 5 packages addressed by toddlers ♪ ♪ that's a q ♪ 4 lightning bolts ♪ 3 creepy gnomes ♪ 2 angry geese ♪ and a giant blow-up snowman

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breaking news the federal reserve will start pulling back its monthly stimulus program.

ben bernanke says starting next month they will cut $10 billion from the current $85 million a month bond buying program citing the improving job market as the reason. stocks originally sold off but now recovering. >> from wall street to capitol hill now where the senate is winding down final debate on the ryan/murray budget plan. the two-year deal is expected to pass and the president says he's ready to sign it. >> at least two people are $318 million richer today. they are splitting last night's near record mega millions jackpot of $630 million. i can't even imagine. gabe gutierrez is outside the gateway news stands where one of the two winning tickets was sold. the lottery president is about to speak at the georgia mega millions headquarters. any indication who it is?

>> reporter: we do not have any indication who the winner or winners may be. announce with this announcement scheduled a press conference for 3:45 eastern and say the winner will not be in attendance, however the president of the georgia lottery corporation is expected to speak. the speculation all day at this high end rise office building in buckhead, the speculation here has been that it is some sort of office pool that actually won the winning tickets. we spoke with the store owner who sold the winning ticket and saw many people coming in buying lots of tickets, and 120 tickets at a time. that's been the speculation all day. we hope to find out in just a short amount of time. here in georgia, the winner had 180 days to come forward. the other ticket was sold in san jose, california. that winner had one year to come forward. again, we're expected to hear who won the georgia mega millions jackpot in just a few

minutes. jonathan, back to you. >> gabe gutierrez, if you have the golden ticket, call me. temperatures are warming up slightly. is the snow finally over? depends on where you are. weather channel meteorologist chris warren is with us to break it down. >> it does depend on where you are. you can see that it has warmed up above freezing from boston to philadelphia, temperatures are running in the mid to upper 30s, even a little bit more yellow on the map here as it is now right at 60 degrees from kansas city, but still on the warm side -- cold side around the great lakes where there's still some snow coming down. in the coming days, in particular this weekend, there will be some wintry weather but a huge chunk of the country will be dealing with rain and some thunderstorms possibly severe thunderstorms on saturday. by sunday morning, there could be a fair amount of snow going into chicago and michigan. this going to be the best bet for wintry weather saturday night into sunday.

out ahead of that rain it is going to be very warm in the south. even making it up in the mid-atlantic by sunday, some of these daytime highs notice this, in the upper 60s and lower 70s. but keep in mind, might feel warm but not going to look real nice, clouds and rain on the way. >> thanks a lot chris warren, from the weather channel. turning now to a red hot issue, security versus privacy. just this afternoon the white house announced it will release an outside panel's full report on american surveillance practices. >> this morning the president met with the members of the review group to discuss that report, which they submitted last friday. we'll have a readout of that meeting for you later today. >> comes after a federal court decision this week that the nsa's data collection practices are probably unconstitutional, a decision that has roots in a debate that's been going on since 9/11 and much earlier. how much surveillance is

necessary and how invasive should it be? and how much citizen liberty is granted by the constitution and how much of what government calls necessary to keep us safe is actually an unnecessary power grab. after 9/11 tensions were so high the american intelligence community was dramatically reshaped. but this year's snowden revelations proved to some, at least one federal judge, that our intelligence apparatus has grown out of control. for a look at the state of our intelligence community let's bring in michael allen, spent seven years in national security in the bush administration and author of "blinking red" about the development in the modern intelligence community. has it grown so large and so aggressive that the apparatus itself is the problem and as a bush white house guy, how do you feel the obama white house is doing dealing with the problem? >> the intelligence community is vast. and that's what the congress and president were after in 2004 when they tried to create sort

of a super spy, a director of national intelligence to be able to look after the 16 intelligence agencies. i think president obama like president bush recognized we spent a lot of money on intelligence. they rely on their staff and rely on the director of national intelligence to be able to supply them good information and that's what the nsa's job is, to be able to give our policy makers a decision advantage on foreign policy and national security issues. >> mike, if you look at life post 9/11 at the nation, how much we have spent, how many lives have been lost, how many people are injured and how much security has grown, the nsa not to mention the personal freedoms we've given up. the nation has been transformed. you can argue that's exactly what the terrorists wanted. by what metric should the american people analyze who is actually winning the war? >> i think that you have to look at the fact there have been no

large scale 9/11 style attacks since 2001. we have admittedly invested many billions of taxpayer dollars to increase the game of the intelligence community. so they can get better information and provide more direct action on targets around the globe. so i think that's the best metric to look at that while there have been some scattered terrorist attack attempts, nothing large scale has gone off like in september of 2001. >> mike, what is the way forward in terms of how we can have public accountability on places like the nsa, intelligence services? because they can always say we can't tell you what we're doing but there haven't been attacks and we promise it's worth it and we're keeping you safe and averted these things we can't tell you about. how do you have effective public accountability of something that is supposed to be secret? >> well, two things, one, you

need effective checks and balances, you've got to have one an effective executive branch that looks closely at the legality of the programs and two, you've got and your viewers need to demand effective congressional oversight from the u.s. congress. that is essentially the deal we've struck here in the united states. that our intelligence communities have got to tell the congress what they are doing and the congress has got to provide a check, has got to give advice to the intelligence community to make sure its consistent with our values, but also to make sure it's effective so we don't have a repeat of the intelligence failures on 9/11 or with iraq wmd. >> jonathan capehart, long time no see. congratulations on the book. >> thank you, jonathan. >> one of the things -- i'm thinking about new york city and new york city has had basically its own intelligence gathering operation since 9/11 when one of the reasons for this was because of a lack of cooperation between

the nypd and federal intelligence gathering operations and i guess my question to you is, what kind of impact does the nypd having its own intelligence operation had on federal intelligence gathering? has it complicated it or has it enhanced it? >> jonathan, i think it's enhanced it because the nypd has been able to build a world class intelligence unit up there in new york. now, it's special. what they do in new york doesn't need to be replicated all over the united states where the terrorist threat is less. but because it's a very important thing that's high on the list of the terrorist places they want to attack, the nypd had to be innovative and use their own intelligence techni e techniques to be able to thwart a variety of different attacks and as long as they work more closely with the federal

authorities and we have constant information sharing, i think the system can work pretty well. >> michael, one of the things you touch on in the book perhaps the organization of our intelligence community, part of the problem, 16 different organizations, spread out across various different cabinets in bureaucracies and we rejected a department of intelligence model in which all agencies would have been collected in one place. do you think that would have been better for the intelligence community and for american citizens? >> that's the essence of the book. your viewers can sort of get a view into how the bureaucracies jockey for power here in the united states. i don't think a department of intelligence would have been a good idea. and i don't think it's on the table any more here in washington as you see from the snowden revelations, most people are interested in trying to increase the oversight and decrease the authority of the intelligence community. i can't see us embarking on a new large scale intelligence

reorganization that would require massive bureaucratic change to create a secretary of intelligence. >> all right, michael allen, thank you very much. after the break, we've got a real treat for you. a lovely triple threat. if you're a fan of cheers or chicago, you'll love seeing bebe neuworth at the table. this is the quicksilver cash back card from capital one. it's not the "fumbling around with rotating categories" card.

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of mine, how to lose a guy in ten days. >> how to lose a guy in ten days. yes. go. >> wait, i'm sorry, why ten days? >> five days is too short we go to press in 11. yes. >> it is such an honor to welcome bebe neuwirth. i want to get to the things you're doing with partners on point. you have done it all, you've danced, broadway star, tv star, movie star. what is your favorite? >> well, i've been dancing since i was 5 so i feel most at home on the stage. and even i think when there's a camera in front of me, i make believe i'm on the stage. >> that what you're doing right now? >> i saw your dance moves over there hanging out. >> i didn't even know it. >> you're here because you're an

ambassador partners on pointe, not just another classic cal ballet company, average urn mitchell started in 1969 to show the ballet world that black people can do this and give them a chance. it's an important organization. >> it's become quite racially diverse. it's african-americans and other racial minorities as well as few white people. but it's -- it is more than anything it's just a very, very beautiful ballet company and great school. i've seen -- i've gotten the chance to watch the students in class and do demonstrations of their work. there's something that arthur mitchell has still and had as a dancer which was very unique. he had a nobility and elegance and a strength and mass clinty

that was palpable when he was on stage. somehow the entire school, all of the children, from the little peanuts dancing to the older teenagers, they embody that same kind of spirit. and the school -- the company is now run by two of mr. mitchell's dancers, virginia johnson and leave veen. that legacy has continued and it's a really beautiful thing to see students own themselves and to have natural -- there's something noble about them and self-confident. really, no matter what field they go into, if they become newscasters or accountants or no matter what they do, they will have that sense of self, really believe mr. mitchell and his protéges have helped continue. >> it's so important too. i feel oftentimes when schools

in cities are under budgetary pressure, the first thing that goes are the arts. >> cut the arts. >> so programs like dance or musical theater or anything in that realm are the first to go. and i think having that -- >> such a shame. >> having that creative outlet is so important and helps develop the brain in a different way than other subjects do. >> it helps us -- art helps us know ourselves and helps us express ourselves or somebody else can if you're not -- maybe you're having trouble with it somebody else does it, that's what i mean. that's why art means so much when we see paintings and dance companies. because we know ourselves. i once heard brish kof say art heals us. actually said art heals us. but it does and i think it's very important that we find a way to if cities and states can't afford the arts, then there are places like dance

theater of harlem which brings the arts to the community, not just their school. their school and company goes out in the community and introduces children to themselves really. >> it's jonathan in washington. i'm so jealous i can't be there to meet you. speaking of expressing yourself. let's go to "chicago." i was singing along in the inelectroto the show. i've seen it a couple of times. but you have played velma kelly and roxie and now our about to play ma ma. >> true. >> you will have played all three main characters in the musical. why? >> why? >> she's just that fabulous. >> i love the show and love the material and it sounded like so much fun. it's a great -- mama morton is a fantastic role. and i would -- i just thought it

would be really fun to walk around in her shoes for a while. >> it's a tough world too. >> imagine. >> i imagine there were times along the way i can't keep going, especially for young kids getting into it. i wanted to be on broadway, that was my dream. what advice do you have -- especially for young kids to keep going even when you're told, you're not good enough. i'm sure you were told that at some point too. >> that's so embarrassing, that's me acting back in the day. >> so cute. >> in the sound of music. that's embarrassing. >> i say to students and people who are studying, be true to yourself, be true to yourself. and i would wager a guess that if you have been really, really had looked at who you were is that maybe i am better suited for this and this is -- what you're doing now is really who you are and you're very, very well suited to it.

that's why you excel at it and you're probably very happy and at peace with yourself in doing it. but i think it's really to be true to yourself and maintain integrity and find the truth of what you're doing always. no matter what you're doing really, the arts or not. it's about finding truth. >> that's so true. such great advice. we asked our facebook fans who wanted to be part of the conversation as well. >> can i say i'm not on facebook or twitter. >> good for you. >> it's just there are people that -- certainly i'm being impersonated. >> it's not the real you. >> not really me. >> ben goodman wants to know, will we are get a "cheers" reunion special? >> wouldn't that be fun. we had a reunion about a year ago in october. it was the 30th anniversary of the show. and we all got together for a party but there were no cameras

to it and it wasn't in a bar. >> you had an extraordinary character and brought this physicality to her and she was so tight then she opened up, took her hair done literally one time and became more sensual. and amazing character. >> thanks. i think that was the fun of her is that duality, that she was all buttoned up and repressed. once she let her hair down this was another side of her. but the physicality, i guess because of dancer first, i like to discover a character from the outside in sometimes. if i know how -- i knew she sat a certain way and moved a certain way. and that helped me know who she was to create the character. >> interesting. >> do you put yourself -- when you are taking on a new character, do you feel like you change in your normal life too? >> i hope not. because velma killed her husband

and sister with an ice pick. >> mama might be cool to embrace. >> i'm interested to see how she is physically. i'm interested to start rehearsing and find that. but the fun thing about that, now that i'm in my mid-50s, i'm 54, when i was doing the show i was 37. i think a lot of the girls in the show now in their 20s or maybe early 30s, probably 20s. so i probably will feel maternal toward them. so i'm interested to see how that huge age discrepancy plays in to the playing and relationships on stage. >> it's true. you do not look or feel -- >> thank you very much. >> like mama. >> it's so fun having you here. >> thank you so much for doing this. >> good luck with everything going on. >> thank you. >> up next, a little capehart

commentary on why the usa is the place to be. as we go, a little ode to your new role in chicago. ♪ stick with innovation. stick with power. stick with technology. get the new flexcare platinum from philips sonicare and save now. philips sonicare. hands for holding.

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for gay and lesbian americans, things are going pretty darn well. in june, the so-called defense of marriage act was declared unconstitutional, which led to a cascade of positive change in the last week. the pent gone announced last week that service members in all 50 states with same-sex spouses will be able to avail themselves of the same benefits as their straight counterparts. on monday, the treasury announced greater flexibility for same-sex couples in their

health care savings accounts and flex spending plans, and that same day, the social security administration announced it was starting to process some paid benefits to the surviving members of same-sex marriages. oh, and the woman who sparked it all, edie windsor? she was a runner-up for "time" person of the year. but she lost out to the pope who said, "who am i to judge" when talking about gay people in the catholic church. but the respect and dignity being afforded lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender americans stood in stark contrast to their counterparts elsewhere. in australia, the highest court there overturned a law in the national capital territory that allowed same-sex couples to marry in october. that's because australia has had a version of doma on the books since 2004, and efforts to change that have been thwarted at least twice by the prime minister and his conservative coalition. in india, the supreme court there held that it was constitutional to ban, quote, carnal intercourse against the order of nature.

translation, the 2009 law that de krilized same-sex relationships was overturned. and then there's russia where just last week russian president slat mere putin dissolved the state news agency and created a new one headed by this man, a man who is on record saying that the heart of someone gay killed in an accident should be burned or buried because it would be, quote, unsuitable for extending the life of another. marsha guessin, told me during a human rights panel earlier this month, the best thing the u.s. could do was help gay people get out of russia. during that same event, she demanded that the world force putin to sit alone during the open and closing ceremonies of the olympics next month. guessin specifically demanded that first lady, michelle obama, not attend. well, yesterday marsha's wish was granted when the white house announced the delegation heading

to sochi. the first family nor the bidens will attend. but tennis great, billie jean king who is openly gay and more than a few allies will be among those representing america in russia. may their presence be of some support to the lgbt russias now living in fear. the speed with which laws have taken hold is startling. the court reversals in india and australia are troubling. and gays in many other nations are facing just as serious or even worse circumstances as their governments and neighbors persecute and prosecute them because of who they are. it's very easy for us in america to forget that. and them. and we shouldn't. that does it for us. the ari melber experience is next. we'll see you tomorrow. >> love that name. [ female announcer ] we give you relief from your cold symptoms.

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but for everything we do, we know you do so much more. wout of landfills each year? plastic waste to cover mt. rainier by using one less trash bag each month, we can. and glad forceflex bags stretch until they're full.* so you can take them out less often. good afternoon. i'm ari melber. it's december 18th. within this very hour, we may have a budget deal in place. and that's real talk. >> because of budget, what else has he got in his sack? >> the bill that nobody seems to love. >> don't expect peace, love and harmony. >> tired of everybody screaming from the sidelines. >> lacks some intellectual death integrity. >> keep the government fuon