13-year-old girl on life support could be over in a few hours' time. another set back in the rescue to save 74 people stranded on a ship off the coast of antarctica. will people make better food choices once calorie counts are put on vending machine? it's our "news nation" gut check. we begin with developing news, damage control after two deadly suicide missions in as many days. 31 people have been killed and dozens more injured. raising security concerns ahead of the winter games. the twin blasts rocked volgog d volgograd, 550 miles south of moscow and 400 miles northeast of sochi, where the olympics will be in six weeks. the latest attack happened when a bomb tore through a trolley bus packed with commuters. 14 killed and 28 others wounded. yesterday a suicide bomber

targeted the city's train station, that attack left 17 dead and more than 40 wounded. so far no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks but russian investigators believe the two bombings are related. in a third attack on friday, three people were killed by a car bomb in a different city, about 170 miles from sochi. today president vladimir putin ordered strengthened security throughout the entire country. jim maceda has the latest. >> reporter: investigators in volgograd are operating under the strong suspicion that the latest attacks were the work of islamist insurgents from the north caucuses area of southern russia. we understand the police have found some links. they are vague and not very specific. but we understand there are links between the attacks, two attacks in volgograd that happened in the past 24 to 36

hours. it's -- we understand the same group or cell that carried out both of the train and the trolley bus bombings that explosives and components used, especially the shrapnel used were very similar in both cases. investigators are linking the two bombings to a public appeal made several months ago by the war lord, an appeal directly to his fighters to kill civilians and disrupt in any way possible the upcoming sochi winter olympics, an event which russian president putin has not only spent a fortune onto the tune of 51 or $52 billion, but also staked his prestige on. now, putin has and will deploy some 40,000 special forces. police and agents around sochi to make it safe. but why volgograd? why is that such an important

target? it is a huge transportation hub in southern and central russia. if you drive to or from sochi you're likely to pass through volgograd, a major city, population of a million plus and only 400 miles from the olympic venue. the other car bombing that happened on friday, which killed three, was only 170 miles from sochi. it's the proximity to sochi, so close to the games that's sending out now a very disconcerting message to say the least to russian people and to the government here that the militants can strike really anywhere and at will. brian, back to you. >> we appreciate it. long day for you. we want to bring in nbc news terrorism analyst evan coleman joining us via skype. >> good afternoon. >> jim touched on the efforts russia has gone through to try

to secure sochi and thousands of cameras and security perimeter is huge. snipers in the mountains and a lot of people are very nervous. put it in perspective from your view how nervous people should be about traveling here. >> well, look, there are obvious concerns. we see the last few days what's going on with the chechens and we have a window into that since the boston bombings in the u.s. i think people now recognize there are groups there that are really looking to threaten russia and see this as an opportunity to make a public statement on the world scene. that's not the only threat. let's not forget russia has become em broiled in the syrian conflict. in the last few weeks we saw a drone strike take place in yemen where a senior al qaeda leader in yemen was killed alongside a russian militant. there's a lot of different indications here suggesting that there are legitimate concerns.

>> in terms of -- it's been pretty well documented that russia has sought out advice in terms of security. it's a two parter here, how prepared are they for this, and what knowledge does the u.s. have that could possibly have been helpful here? >> well, first of all, it's fair to say the russians have put a lockdown on the area around sochi. in order to get in there you need a special permit. they are trying to prevent transportation or travel for individuals from the caucuses into the region but they can't be perfect. this is a large region and a lot of different ways in. i don't think they can close off every avenue. could we help them? maybe but if you look back at what happened in boston, the russians tried helping us by providing us information and it couldn't help us stop two individuals on their own from carrying out a bombing in boston. it's not looking too optimistic if someone wants to do something we can really 100% stop that. >> in your view then, putin has done a pretty good job and doing

the best he can? >> he's done what he can. but ultimately they have very serious conflict caucuses and extreme militants have taken public positions they'll do anything in their power to disrupt the games. no matter how strong putin thinks he is, there's no 100% guarantee and that's what these attacks in volgograd show. >> to sum it up for people listening, if they are coordinated enough and smart enough, they can get something done if they want to in sochi. >> yeah, there's so many different actors involved. we're talking about chechens and dagestanis here and people have motivation to teach people a lesson on the world stage. it's not clear the russians have 100% hold over what the folks are doing. >> i will be there and i was in salt lake city in '02 and tight

ship there as well. we'll see how it goes. we appreciate your time. >> thank you very much. >> also developing now, a california family is hoping for a miracle in what is a heart wrenching fight to keep a 13-year-old girl on life support. doctors at children's hospital oakland say there's no point keeping her on the machine and unhooking her unless there is another court order. two have withdrawn previous offers to take the teen after she was ruled brain damage after basic ton sil surgery. now they are hanging hope in new york state, that may be willing to perform the needed surgery to keep her on life support. a spokesman says unhooking her is the right thing to do. >> there's no amount of hope or prayer that can bring her back. and i think everybody in this

hospital everybody in this community, all of the friends and family and family all are grieving because this is and ir reversible and sad situation. >> joining me now, "san francisco chronicle" reporter henry lee. let's start generally on what's your sense of what's going to happen? >> in a little more than six hours, children's hospital of oakland will be able to remove the ventilator from jeni and they have a court order that allows them to do so. the family is still holding out hope. they want her to be kept alive as long as possible, as long as there's a heartbeat they want her hooked up to the ventilator. >> four doctors and judge came to the same conclusion. anybody out there saying she can recover? >> no, unfortunately, other than the family, who are citing her heartbeat, she is clinically brain dead. there is no brain activity at all. if you were to compare someone who is in a coma or vej tative state to a television, there

might be a fuzzy picture but in this case the tv is unplugged and all doctors are saying she is brain dead. >> lawyers laid out three conditions. they want the facility to understand the current condition of the body and what is being done to maintain it under a temporary restraining order. it must be lawfully transported as well and coroner has to sign off. the comments made by the hospital as they expressed regret and sadness, is this a little bit about money as well? because if they don't think she can recover, they don't want to spend the time and effort and money to keep doing this? >> in this case what's been asked of the hospital and the attorney for the family is won't an autopsy determine the cause of her death? we all agree that some kind of complication occurred from the surgery. the hospital saying this was a far from routine surgery. there were several procedures being done at once. family's side, the attorney is making very clear, he is not in it for the money. he has taken this case pro bono and will not be the attorney to

file suit if it goes through that path. as far as keeping her alive, it does take money. there is no need to provide services medically to a deceased person and many facilities have opted out. if you need a feeding tube and there needs to be surgical procedures for transport, well, we aren't willing to accept that if indeed this is a deceased body. >> it's disturbing. i have three children and i've had to put two of them under general anesthesia for simple things and it's scary to any parent out there. the last question i want to give you, is there any broad right to life issues brought up like terry shiavo case? >> this is unfortunately not a case where she might quote/unquote wake up from a coma, where there might be brain activity. all of the doctors independent and within children's are saying, no amount of prayer or medical services will bring her back. at this point they say according to the hospital they are simply

keeping her heartbeat and ventilator going so that the normal post mortem activities don't occur. >> we appreciate it. back to benghazi, republicans pushing back at the new york times report that bolsters the oba obama administration's claim that -- >> this shows al qaeda was not involved. the group that was involved was al sharia, part of the al qaeda network. >> another official who helped oversee is retiring just as enrollment tops a million. you can join our conversation on twitter at newsnation and me at b shaqman. if yand you're talking toevere rheuyour rheumatologistike me, about trying or adding a biologic.

this is humira, adalimumab. this is humira working to help relieve my pain. this is humira helping me through the twists and turns. this is humira helping to protect my joints from further damage. doctors have been prescribing humira for over ten years. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. for many adults, humira is proven to help relieve pain and stop further joint damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira , your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores.

you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your doctor if humira can work for you. this is humira at work. i sense you've overpacked... your stomach. try pepto to-go. it's pepto-bismol that fits in your pocket. relief can be yours, but your peanuts are mine! ♪ relieso, thyes.ours, but your peanuts are mine!

"new york times" investigation is reigniting the attack on benghazi. the times report disputes republican versions of what happened and put the issue back on the political front burner where it may remain through 2014 and perhaps in the 2016 presidential election. first and foremost, the article undercuts claims that al qaeda had a direct role in the attack. the times report claims up months of investigation turns up no information that al qaeda or other terrorist groups had any role in the assault. it points to an anti-western group which the times says does not have ties with osama bin

laden's al qaeda. republicans took issue with that. >> there's a group that was involved that claims an affiliation with al qaeda. now, al qaeda is not a central command and control. it was in fact a loose group that could take general statements and act on that. >> differences of opinion with al qaeda? >> yes. >> affiliations with al qaeda core, definitely. >> the distinction between bin laden's al qaeda makes the point that focusing too closely on al qaeda may have distracted u.s. experts from other dangers in bengha benghazi. it was not infiltrated by al qaeda but contained rave local threats to american interest. the attack does not appear to be meticulously planned but neither was it spontaneous or without warning signs. another key point it indicates that anti-islam video that circulated at the time did help fuel the violence. that supports early claims made

by susan rice which were sharply rejected by her republican critics. on sunday the chairman of the house oversight committee still reje rejects the u.s. version of events. >> they did not name this video as a prime cause. there was a small piece of information and they seized on it along with a lot of other information and chose that as a talking point. >> the administration has not disputed the article even though its actions before the attack are called into question, the report's main author says the u.s. missed warning signs and relied too heavily on local militias. >> there was a real intelligence failure, the u.s. expected to help protect the same mission. >> joining me now, mark murray. thanks for joining us. this is sort of cutting on partisan lines and generally speaking, is that how it's being

received in d.c.? >> this has always been a part san issue, even during the 2012 presidential election when it came up at the final debates between mitt romney and president obama. and it's continued to play out as such. i would argue before this article though came out, it was dying as a big political issue. daryl issa and others used investigative powers in the house of representatives to bloody up the administration on this but were able to quickly go on to other issues like the botched healthcare.gov rollout. it seemed to be the republican focus more than benghazi, although that was certainly a point the republicans wanted to make during the months of may and june and july. >> there wasn't a lot of pressure on the white house so it doesn't alleviate pressure or solve problems because it's not really a problem for them? >> it's not a problem. they are dealing with other things and republicans first brought up the benghazi as a last minute effort to stop the

re-election. one of the big calling cards and one of the things he campaigned on was that osama bin laden lied and died under his watch. a lot of republicans used benghazi, al qaeda is not december decimated. after the presidential contest now the attention turned to hillary clinton, secretary of state, when it comes to 2016. but whether or not benghazi is going to be a front burner issue three years from now if hillary clinton runs remains to be seen. i would argue we're going to see many more issues between now and then, particularly issues on the campaign trail. >> i want to bring that back up but i want to play a bite from daryl issa again. when asked if this is good cover for hillary clinton because she came under intense criticism.

take a look at his response. >> some people have suggested, well this is trying to clear the deck for hillary clinton in 2016. >> don't know but i found it interesting that there's this rollout of stories, including susan rice would go on tv and have a direct discussion on this we still have an ongoing investigation in the house intelligence committee. >> do you think that's to protect -- >> i find the timing odd. i don't want to speculate on why they might do it. >> that was mike rogers and not daryl issa. you seem dismissive, but i had a chance to talk to people in d.c. they say this is the one major important thorn in our candidacy? a lot of republicans feel they are sitting on something big here and you don't seem to agree. >> it is a potential thorn right now. my argument is 2016 is a whiles off. there's a campaign and primaries to be had and something could come on later on. i think republicans have used this to bloody up president

obama as well as hillary clinton now she's out of her position as secretary of state. whether or not it has lasting power with persuadable voters is something to be dermds. it fires up the conservative base. does it fire up people in ohio and florida? i'm not so sure since it didn't necessarily work in 2012 when benghazi, that attack played out at the presidential debates on tv and during the last stages of that campaign. >> nothing that's going to dissuade her from running? >> i don't think so. we would be getting a sign from hillary clinton if she was thinking of not running and she put out no signals on that. overall this new york times story is the best contribution, shows how nuanced and complicated everything that had gone on that killed four americans, we don't know everything that happened. that's one of the good things

about journalism, somebody to say, that's the contribution from the time piece. >> he does hedge at a few key spots but you're right about that. mark murray, thank you. still ahead here, the minimum wage strategy. can democrats turn the movement for higher pay into a winning issue for 2014? and the u.s. coast guard now says it's standing by after another setback from crews trying to rescue 74 people trapped in an ocean of ice off antarctic. we'll have the latest on that story. .

74 passengers and crew have been stranded since christmas and have to spend new year as there as well. the australian ice breaker aurora got within 10 miles of the research ship but had to turn around due to heavy wind and snow. this morning on "today," the

leader of the trapped crew talked about the options that are still on the table. >> the big thing is one possibility is would hopefully the ice breaker will try again. we could also try a helicopter evacuation or tentatively, the beautiful vessel called polar star is in the region. if that were to come, it would get us out. the variety of options we're keeping hope. >> martin fletcher joins us from the london bureau. they've been stranded almost a week here. and we've been keep hearing they are okay. when does some danger kick in? >> hopefully never, brian. the thing is there's so many people trying to help in the moment is under control. the real concern is the weather and timing. the ice is so thick that so far ice breakers from france and china and australia failed to

get through. planned evacuation by helicopter depends on the weather. too much snow and wind and the chopper can't take off. there's plenty of food, fresh and dehydrated for a couple of weeks. as to more ral, that seems to be good too. the passengers are warm and well fed. they can communicate easily with their families. there seems to be enough alcohol for the holiday season too, according to this passenger. >> going to bunker down mode and drink gin and tonic and use the time as productively as you can. >> the team leader said they are all keeping busy with books and the only thing that really scares him is the rumor of quiet practice. >> they don't have to worry about the bathrooms too, they can walk on the ice and get privacy. just to mention, why don't they just let them out of there and be done with the story?

>> well, that's a good question. at the moment it's difficult because of the weather. we just saw some pictures of clear skies and the helicopter could land. to be honest i don't have a clear answer actually. it would seem logical thing to do. there's a small chopper. i can only take three or four passengers. there is 74 with their gear. they are hoping the ice breakers will cut through. plan b is the helicopter evacuation and it could happen -- could take place any time they decide it's really necessary. >> i hope they all like each other because they are going to have to talk to each other quite a bit. martin fletcher live in london. >> "duck dynasty" reversal, a group accuses a&e of putting profits ahead of gays and lesbians to reinstate phil robertson. >> still feeling uneasy about the health care law despite new numbers showing a surge in

enrollment. >> there's nothing wrong with trying to help people but there's a better way. this isn't the way. >> some people say they are paying too much to help other people get insured. ned how to stretch my party budget. but when my so-called bargain brand towel made a mess of things, i switched to bounty basic. look! one sheet of bounty basic is 50% stronger than a full sheet of the bargain brand. bounty basic. the strong but affordable picker upper. hi boys! i've made you campbell's chunky new england clam chowder. wow! this is incredible!

i know. and now it has more clams! [ male announcer ] campbell's chunky soup. what? [ male announcer ] it fills you up right. it's hard to describe, because you have a numbness, but yet you have the pain like thousands of needles sticking in your foot. it was progressively getting worse, and at that point i knew i had to do something. once i started taking the lyrica the pain started subsiding. [ male announcer ] it's known that diabetes damages nerves. lyrica is fda approved to treat diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eyesight including blurry vision, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling, or skin sores from diabetes. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery

until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. it's specific treatment for diabetic nerve pain.

a top obama administration official who oversaw the building and rollout of healthcare.gov is retiring. michelle snyder served as chief operating officer as centers for medicare and medicaid services. the chief announced the retirement saying she originally planned to leave in 2012 but stayed on at tavenner's question. the site saw a surge of 975,000 enrollments on healthcare.gov for the month of december. that pushes the total enrollment sips october 1st to 1.1 million. john yang where president obama

is vacationing in honolulu. you're having a better day than me weatherwise, for sure. what's the reaction been from the house? >> reporter: the administration is pointing out that michelle snyder did delay her retirement to try to get the healthcare.gov, the federal marketplace website up and running. and retired the end of 2012, stayed on a year. she has a 41 year veteran of the government. so they try to paint this as something that was coming any way. once the president said as he did in november, that the rollout was in his word as he said, fumbled and said they would be looking around to see exactly what went wrong, i think it was pretty clear now that some folks would be leaving their jobs after this. >> let's talk about people who might be coming in. getting rid of some people but there's a lot of clammer in a report that there's pressure on

the president to appoint a ceo for the federal marketplace. any word on the credibility of that report? >> reporter: well, that's right i was talking to administration officials about this just a few minutes ago before i came on. they are a little puzzled by the story. they thought they had taken care of this issue because as it has been something that a number of administration allies have been calling for, including ee zeekial manuemmanuel, to manage federal marketplaces. they felt they had done that when jeff zienst left. they appointed the former microsoft executive. they felt that he was the sort of ceo type person to run this. so they are a little puzzled as

to why this reuters story would say there are people still calling for this when they feel they've already done it. >> john, i want to quickly put a focus on the numbers. the 1.1 million, over a million and supposed to be over 3 million at this point. somehow the 1 million feels like a good story and probably not going to make the 7 million by march 31st but who knows. it's not the best news but still feels it's being perceived better than it is worse. >> reporter: i think it's what the administration certainly wants to see after that rollout was so bad and that they liked -- the story of people not being able to sign up. they wanted to focus on the people signing up who are signing up. another thing they point out is that this number reflects only the number of people signing up at federal marketplaces, only 36 states are doing that. the 14 other states that are running their own marketplaces, some of them pretty big,

including california with some 430,000 people who signed up in their state marketplace, new york officials say 200,000 have signed up. there's some analysts say when you put all of those numbers together, the federal marketplace and state marketplaces, you could ends up with about 2 million at this point. as you pointed out, their goal is 7 million by the end of march which is when the 2014 enrollment period will end. they still have a little bit to go on that. >> don't work too hard, john. john yang reporting from hawaii. as coverage kicks in for millions of americans on wednesday, a lot of people, including those in small businesses are still facing confusion and uncertainty over the health plan. senior investigative correspondent lisa myers has more. >> reporter: four employees of extreme dodge came face to face with the new realities of health

care. most did not like what they see. >> how is this helping the average american who works 40 or 50 hours per week? >> reporter: at the annual benefits meeting they were told the current insurance was cancel because it doesn't comply with the new health care law and that the dealership had decided to take things in a new direction. >> it doesn't add up. >> reporter: the company is changing how it handles health insurance this year. instead of actually providing a company health plan as it has for 35 years, the business now will give each worker $2400 to buy insurance or spend on something else. that $2400 is slightly more than the company spent per worker on health insurance this year. the change is to control future costs. >> is it a step back in your commitment to provide health care? >> as a business owner, you know, we have to be viable first and provide services. >> reporter: the owner brought in an insurance broker to help

them figure out if they would be better off buying insurance elsewhere. there were a handful of winners, mostly low income workers who can get insurance through very little through the new government health care exchange. excited? >> oh, yeah, anything that can help me and my family out, that's what we're going to do. >> reporter: others make too much for a government subsidy and will use the $2400 from the company to buy a group plan it recommended. under the new plan they face much higher out-of-pocket costs. the deductible will go from $1125 this year to $3,000 next year. maximum out-of-pocket costs jump from $2250 to $6350. and for families, those numbers double. >> you don't make that much money to begin with. and the prescriptions are going to kill me. >> while employees here are used to cost going up every year, it's never before been this dramatic. most of this group count themselves as losers under the

new law. many feel they are paying too much to help others get insurance. >> there's nothing wrong with trying to help people but there's a better way. this isn't the way. >> reporter: a veteran mechanic said he hoped the new law would help his family. now he's upset. >> the days of low deductibles and all of that stuff are gone. not going to get any better. it's going to get worse. >> lisa myers, nbc news, jackson, michigan. i want from switch care over to the minimum wage, starting january 1st, more than a dozen states will see a boost in the minimum wage of the of the 13 states, three, california oregon and washington are increasing it to $9 or more. other states will see a range of increases between $7.50 to $8. the increases come after the fight to raise it of course gained steam over the last year. we have the fast food strikes in over 100 cities and walmart workers protesting on black friday. within the year they predict a

dozen more states are expected to consider increases. joining us now, michael, thanks for being with us. >> happy to do it. >> more than 3/4 of americans, 76% would support raising the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour if it were on the ballot. that's pretty solid support and i guess the midterms and 2016, is there a counter to it? will the republicans push back on this? >> i think there would be a counter pushback from the republicans, especially republicans who believe deeply that raise -- a rise in the minimum wage would actually hurt employment and cause small businesses especially to employ fewer people to layoff people which they will see as a good thing. that will be their argument. i think the president and his party are counting on the fact that as you suggested the polls seem to be so positive from

their perspective. they both not only succeed in a federal minimum wage but also that it's a good political issue to lay on the table ahead of the midterm elections. >> the whole story, this is what fascinated me the most, this is an effort to get out the vote, the democrats are really turning to the minimum wage as a 2014 strategy. from the article you said, quote, top democrats see not only a wedge issue that they hope will place republican candidates in a difficult position as we just talked about, but also a tool with which to enlarge the electorate in a nonpresidential election when turnout among minorities and youths typically drops off. the question to you outside of reporting, do you think this is a way that will get more of that vote out in the midterm than it would normally turn out? >> that's the gamble. when you look at the electorate, it's a very different electorate that turns out in a midterm

election. tends to be older, not college students and minorities that pour out for barack obama. the trick is how do you get more of those people? the president is not only using minimum wage but more broadly this whole sort of populist question about income inequality and whether or not even as the economy i am proves, whether everybody is not improving at the same pace. their hope is if you can focus on that kind of solidly middle class, middle lower class people and say and argue to them, the policies that we're proposing are going to be better for you, that you can get more, come out and vote in the mid terms. >> we'll see what kind of message he'll deliver in state of the union. michael, we appreciate the insight. still ahead -- >> ducks talk and so does money. a&e lifts the suspension of phil

robertson after the controversial remarks about gays and african-americans. we'll have reaction. ♪ ♪ ♪

to roll out a perfectly flaky crust that's made from scratch. or mix vegetables with all white meat chicken and homemade gravy.

but marie callender's does. just sit down and savor. marie callender's. it's time to savor. a robbery stopped in the act, tops the stories around the news nation. over the weekend in arizona, a 40-year-old mario edward garnet. police have linked him to a string of robberies, including one where a police officer was kilds in mississippi last week. fbi has also confirmed the same man served time for making threats against president obama in 2010. michael shoe maccer remains in critical condition. neurosurgeons say they are taking it hour by hour after schumacher suffered a head

injury while skiing. nine days after handing down a suspension of phil robertson, a&e announced he will be back on air this spring. network says after discussions with robertson family and consulting with numerous advocacy groups, a&e decided to resume filming duck die nasty later this week with the entire family. a&e faced huge backlash after the network suspended robertson for controversial remarks about gays and african-americans that he made in an interview with "gq." it's a story that keeps running. ted johnson, how are you? >> good, thank you for having me. >> no worries. before the suspension was lifted a&e noungsed plans for the psa campaign with tolerance. based on how this is shaking out, they are looking maybe more

sensitive and getting him back on the air. is this going to work? >> right now they are facing kind of the backlash to the backlash to the backlash. it's what exactly they didn't want to happen, which is to have this linger and linger on. there's a number of lgbt groups, maybe african-american rights groups really looking at this situation and wondering is there pressure maybe that can be placed on advertisers? and that is one of the risks that a&e has. my personal view is that this will eventually blow over. the question is when is that going to happen? they kind of fell in the situation where this happened during the holidays and the news cycle is slow and people are home. they are able to kind of put pressure on the networks and more attention on issue as to i think more important issues that are out there. >> they get huge numbers on show

anyway. when he comes back, they'll get huge numbers. can you put a perspective an how much money they would have lost by not bringing him back? >> well, that's hard to say. this is a $400 million franchise. i think the risk for a&e is that he wouldn't be back, there would be a fraction in the family and that somewhat production would be delayed and they would lose one of their major hits. these cable networks really are in the hit business and one hit can actually make a network and and a&e was long in need of one. anything that damages that puts not just that show at risk but puts in many ways kinds of the entire network at risk. >> we'll see if the backlash has any impact on the numbers when he comes back on air. ted, we appreciate it. happy new year. >> happy new year. thank you for having me.

>> ted johnson from variety. still ahead, the new health care law bringing calorie counts where you've never seen them before. vending machines. >> i think it's a great idea. i would definitely use it. >> i think it's kind of silly. >> my cheatos are so good. calorie counts at vending machines lead to healthier food choices? why tell you how to weigh in. [ male announcer ] we all deserve a good night's sleep. thankfully, there's zzzquil. it's not for colds, it's not for pain, it's just for sleep. ♪ because sleep is a beautiful thing™. ♪ zzzquil. the non-habit forming sleep-aid from the makers of nyquil®. zzzquil. is a really big deal.u

with aches, fever and chills- there's no such thing as a little flu. so why treat it like it's a little cold? there's something that works differently than over-the-counter remedies. prescription tamiflu attacks the flu virus at its source. so call your doctor right away. tamiflu treats the flu in people 2 weeks and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu tell your doctor if you're pregnant, nursing, have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or signs of unusual behavior, stop taking tamiflu and call your doctor immediately. children and adolescents in particular may be at an increased risk of seizures, confusion or abnormal behavior. the most common side effects are mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. so don't wait. attack the flu virus at its source. ask your doctor about tamiflu, prescription for flu. we do?

i took the trash out. i know. and thank you so much for that. i think we should get a medicare supplement insurance plan. right now? [ male announcer ] whether you're new to medicare or not, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. it's up to you to pay the difference. so think about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, they help cover some of what medicare doesn't pay and could really save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. call now. with a medicare supplement plan, you'll be able to stay with your doctor. oh, you know, i love that guy. mm-hmm. [ male announcer ] these types of plans let you visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. and there are no networks. you do your push-ups today? prepare to be amazed. [ male announcer ] don't wait. call today to request your free decision guide and find the aarp medicare supplement plan to go the distance with you. go long.

a lot going on today. former president clinton will swear in bill de blasio on new year's day. he worked for the clinton administration in the housing and urban development. sonia sot tomayor will press the button that sends the giant crystal ball high above times square on the 60 second

countdown to midnight. time for the "news nation" gut check. calorie counts are soon to be posted on vending machines all across the country. the goal is to help you make healthier choices. the question is, will it work? joe fryer reports. >> reporter: a 4, b6, c, the letters and numbers we're used to seeing on vending machine. soon a new crop of information will appear, the calorie count. >> for me it's a great idea. i will definitely use it. >> i think it's silly being it's a vending machine and most people don't go to a vending machine for a nutritious snack. >> reporter: calorie information will soon be required on about 5 million vending machines nationwide. >> it makes sense, this is one of the ones that are really a flop. >> reporter: absolute vending has hundreds of machines and says the cost will be hard for

smaller companies to absorb. >> it equates to cutting down on jobs and other things. >> reporter: the fda estimates it will cost $28.5 million up front and $24 million a year after that. that is how much the health care system could save the fda says if just .02% of obese adults ate 100 fewer calories a week. >> on the upside saving 100 calories a day can help lose 10 pounds a year. >> reporter: there's a wide range of options from a bag of chips with $100 to a pack of calories that total 650 calories. many restaurant chains now post calorie information all thoel early research shows most customers don't pay attention. >> but because some people will find this useful, there's no downside to using this kind of information. >> reporter: once the fda releases the new rules early next year, vending machine companies will have a year to

comply and make sure every code comes with a calorie count. joe fryer, nbc news, los angeles. >> pretzel m&ms, low calorie and they are delicious. what does your gut tell you? do you think calorie counts will get people to make healthier food choices? all you have to do is go to news gs nation.msnbc.com/vote. "the cycle" is coming up next.

[ male announcer ] marie callender's knows you may not have time to roll out a perfectly flaky crust that's made from scratch. or mix vegetables with all white meat chicken and homemade gravy. but marie callender's does. just sit down and savor. marie callender's. it's time to savor. ♪ >> the cycle is your afternoon delight. new year's eve ball is in place in times square. and you're in place for a special edition of "the cycle" before we toast to another year.

three made it to work but ari is out there somewhere. don't worry, lots of him coming up in the show. the big talker or important news of the day or sometimes a little bit of both. >> let us answer the call of history and carry into an uncertain future that precious light of freedom. >> i went down to d.c. for the president's inauguration and it was truly spectacular. >> last night's super bowl gave us plenty to talk about. but first i want to start -- wait a second. what just happened? >> did you do that? >> momentum is going to be completely changed. >> stunning news from the vatican. pope benedict is stepping down. surprised pretty much everybody, even the pope's inner circle was surprised. >> the sequester countdown is over. >> oh, my. >> what just happened? >> blow things