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tv   Weekends With Alex Witt  MSNBC  January 4, 2014 4:00am-5:01am PST

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time. i would love to discuss them live, in person, without interruption. it will be easy to set up. you apparently already have my number. that does it for tonight. we appreciate it. happy new year. >> "weekends with alex witt" starts now. deep freeze. historic cold freeze across the u.s. it is bringing mind boggling low temperatures. exactly how low and where? details next. clemency for edward snowden? what will it take for that to happen or if it should happen. the biggest security operation in sports history, but will it be enough? new questions today about the olympic games in russia. sticker shock. that's what you might find at the grocery store in the new year. how high might some prices go?
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good morning, everyone. welcome to we"weekends with ale wit witt". a historic cold is creeping across the country just a day after a huge snowstorm hit tense of millions. the latest sweep of winter is already blamed for 16 deaths. as the digging out begins, a deep freeze is gripping the midwest. >> it's a nightmare. it is cold. the winds are brutal. >> i'm layered up. i have four sweat shirts. >> philadelphia got more than six inches, as did new york central park. snow shut down jfk for hours. nationwide, more than 2600 flights canceled and over 5,000 delayed. in hard-hit massachusetts, residents cleaned up after the storm dumped two feet of snow in that state. and windchills reached as low as 20 below.
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>> i've had enough of it already. >> i don't like it. i have no chance except to stay with it. >> that's the problem with mother nature, right? what is next for the million still digging out from the storm? dylan dreyer is here with more. good morning. >> good morning, alex. as we dig out from the cold and the snow in the northeast, it's only going to get colder. temperatures in the single digits. well down below zero in southern new england where most of the snow is. new york city, 11 degrees to start off the day. you factor in the wind and it feels like 5 in new york, 12 below in boston. and you head up into maine, it feels 20, 25 degrees below zero. bundle up and dress for the temperatures. with cold this intense it is going to be pretty brutal outside. windchill, 11 below in fargo, north dakota. colder air will surge into the
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plains and the upper midwest the next day or so. we're looking at snow to develop. right now it doesn't look like much of a storm. it gets even more intense on sunday when temperatures drop even more. look at some of your estimated snow totals. areas like chicago, up into detroit, indianapolis. we could end up with 6 to 12 inches of snow. a lot of fluff. it is easy to shovel, but it is going to be pretty brutal to shovel. a high temperature without the windchill is 11 below in chicago. it is going to be really, really cole as that surges into the upper plains today and spreads eastward into sunday. >> right along the immediate coastline, the next storm system will bring warmer air from the south. 47 in new york city. up to 41 in boston. so rain and the warmer temperatures. a lot of melting.
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it will be slushy and messy in the northeast by sunday. alex? >> thank you so much for that. well, boston saw record-breaking snowfalls, more than a foot. that is where we find richie lui. minus 11 below is what they're expecting. i don't want to hear your complaining. anyway, let's get to the conditions this morning. >> alex, i've got to tell you, it just dropped. i've been watching the measurements. it is now negative 14. so chicago looks relatively warm at that number you just gave me. so the concern today still remains. frostbite. staying out of the cold and remaining warm. >> within about three minutes with a windchill the way it is now you can start to get damage to the skin if you're not appropriately covered. >> in three minutes?
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>> roughly three minutes. >> that was ron mott there with the burn unit. concern of flooding yesterday. that did happen. high tide at noon. they did see some areas they were concerned about. back here the death count unfortunately now is at 15, according to the associated press. they did see 15.1 inches of snow at logan airport yesterday. they set a record on thursday as well. but if you're getting up here in boston and if you are well protected, you might want to get out and enjoy some of the snow. we were talking about that champagne powder. i don't know if you can hear this. it is still light and fluffy. and i know you're a skier. >> yeah. >> so folks can get out two hours outside of here and enjoy until probably around noon. around noon is when we will see the temperatures go above 20. what that will mean is that the
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salt will start working in the streets. the streets are clear. but then there are the streets outside of boston. they still have snow on it. that will be helpful for the the state and city workers. another thing that will help them, alex, is that the temperature in the water here in the harbor is at 39 degrees. it didn't help yesterday, but it should help today as they go through this warmout and digout you were describing. >> richard, putting together all the information you're giving us with the concern about frostbite, the wind chill, the fact that the salt has not been able to work very effectively because it's been too cold to met the snow. >> right. >> i'm so glad i'm not seeing anybody in the background of your picture. if you need to go outside, go outside. >> they are boston strong. but this morning maybe stay in a little bit longer. >> richard, thank you so much for braving the elements. appreciate that.
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new numbers show the flu is getting worse and spreading throughout the country. it has more than doubled now to 25 states with widespread flu activity. texas one of the hard 6th hit states. everyone over age 6 months should be inoculated. boeing approved a new contract. 51% approved the deal. they will building the new 777-x airplane in washington state. boeing had been exploring the prospect of building the new model elsewhere. >> smoke bill lowing from radio city music hall. no injuries reported. there were no events either scheduled at radio city friday night. now to politics. new this morning, president obama addressing congress directly, urging lawmakers to act quickly to extend the
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benefits. >> to offer some security for job seekers. even when the unemployment rate was lower than it is today. instead of punishing families who can least afford it, republicans should make it their new year's resolution to do the right thing and restore this vital economic security tore their con teufp wepstituents ri >> he will be hosting an event tuesday at the white house where he will be joined by americans who have lost their unemployment benefits. meantime, eric cantor sent a memo to colleagues. unemployment benefits are not on that list. and rand paul is filing a lawsuit against the obama administration over the nsa data collection. >> we now have several hundred thousand people who want to be part of the suit to say, no, you
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can't have our records without our permission or warrant specific to an individual. it is an individual class-action suit. we think everybody in america has a cell phone would be available for the class-action suit. janet napolitano is sharing her take on recent calls to give edward snowden clemency. she spoke to "meet the press" moderator david gregory. >> if we're concerned about other documents, other materials he has, should clemency for him be on the table if it meant securing some of this other information? >> well, i think that would acknowledge more knowledge of what he allegedly has. from where i sit today i would not put clemency on the table at all. >> you can watch tomorrow on "meet the press". russian president vladimir putin is in sochi today.
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security fell higher today due to the twin bombing that killed dozens. >> reporter: russian president putin making sure every olympic venue is ready for its close up. he even tried out the slopes. looking relaxed, in control. a contrast to wednesday, just 400 miles away in volgograd. since islamist militants declared war on the olympics. it is called ring of steel for a reason. drones will be watching above, offshore. high-speed patrol boats.
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even ultra sensitive sonar listening under water. it is clear this is a dangerous neighborhood. if you're wondering just how close sochi is to trouble, we will take a drive to the border with a breakaway republic and potential flashpoint. it is now 1:06 in the afternoon. let's get started. and here we are at the border and the gateway to the rest of the north caucuses, one of the most dangerous places on earth. and that took exactly 15 minutes. many security experts are convinced there will be more bombings. >> for these groups and individuals, a successful strike on the games themselves, that is the holy grail. >> reporter: for putin, whose reputation is built on order and control, that would be a disaster. he beefed up forces across the country. but security analysts are
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skeptical that will be any more effective than after previous bombings. and the former head of the kgb has no answer to the throat of a lone and determined suicide bomber. alex, back to you. >> all right. jim, thank you very much. so, how hard will it be to secure all the facilities in sochi? i will speak with a former secret service agent later this hour >> why change? will it taste any different. [ male announcer ] this is kevin. to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for him, he's agreed to give it up.
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that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. i was okay, but after lunch my knee started to hurt again. and now i've got to take more pills. ♪ yup. another pill stop. can i get my aleve back yet? ♪ for my pain, i want my aleve. ♪ [ male announcer ] look for the easy-open red arthritis cap. i just served my mother-in-law your chicken noodle soup but she loved it so much... i told her it was homemade. everyone tells a little white lie now and then. but now she wants my recipe [ clears his throat ] [ softly ] she's right behind me isn't she? [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. [ male announcer ] with nearly 7 million investors... oh hey, neill, how are you? [ male announcer ] ...you'd expect us to have a highly skilled call center. kevin, neill holley's on line one. ok, great. [ male announcer ] and we do. it's how edward jones makes sense of investing.
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it's a little rough. i'm jealous of my buddies down south is at school. >> it's crazy. i was outside a little bit today just walking around. my friends's parents were trying to get us to get outside, but we just couldn't. >> probably for good reason.
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for a large part of the country it is just the beginning. here's a look at the current wind chill temperatures from the weather channel. if that seems cold now, that is nothing compared to what is expected the next few days. leanne gregg is in denver where a new blast of arctic air is taking aim. i feel for you out there. how cold are we talking about, leigh-ann? >> good morning, alex. right now the temperatures are in the upper 20s. that's the warmest it will be today. by this afternoon, the temperature in denver could drop to 5 degrees. windchill minus 4. that's just the beginning. it will affect two-thirds of the united states and will head to the east. in the midwest, upper midwest, some areas could see windchill up to 50 to 70 degrees below zero. so really dangerous cold is heading to many areas where records could be broken in at least two dozen cities. the accumulation is expected to
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be anywhere from 3 to 6 inches. in the higher elevations, up to 10 areas. keystone, breckenridge, the tunnel. all the ski resorts will see accumulation. great day when there's new snow there. yesterday it was 60 degrees here in denver. so it's quite a shock. a january blast. >> i'm looking at you, and you are bundled up. you don't have a lot of exposed skin. we were talking to richard lui from massachusetts. serious concerns about frostbite. are there warnings out there by those in the medical community like cover up? >> that is exactly what's happening. within a couple of minutes, exposed skin could be stricken
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with frostbite. it's very much of a concern. and the emergencies across the metro area are bracing. they're ready. they have beds available. and they're warning people to bundle up. stay inside if you possibly can. if you have to go out, just cover up. >> leanne gregg, thank you so much from denver. a new turn in the battle over what happens to a 13-year-old california girl. jahi mcmath was declared brain dead after having her tonsils removed. >> reporter: her family is claiming victory after a day of emotional court hearings friday. the 13-year-old can now be moved from children's hospital oakland where three weeks ago a team of doctors declared her brain dead after a complex tonsillectomy. >> this is a very fluid situation.
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arrangements are being made. what we needed to know is that when all the balls are in line that we could move quickly. >> reporter: with jahi's family certain the little girl alive, she needs a breathing and feeding tube before she can be placed into a long-term care facility. children's hospital said it would be unethical to perform the surgeries on what doctors declared a dead body. friday, a judge ruled in the hospital's favor. >> regarding jahi's condition, i'm going to deny the request. >>reporter: the family will need to find their own outside physician. >> there are doctors who are ready to perform the procedures. >> it's horrible this child has died. it's also horrible that the family do not accept the death. >> reporter: her family will need to secure a care facility. they are receiving help from
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terri schiavo's family. she was kept on life support for 15 years. >> there's a team -- several organizations that are working together to try and help find a place for jahi to be transferred. >> her story is making headlines around the world, reigniting the debate over life and death as time for the 13-year-old on the ventilator runs out. in the future, self-driving cars will dominate the roads. and the future might be sooner than you think. it's a big money headline. we want to hear more from you. head over to facebook and like us, won't you? ger food. so i can't afford to have germy surfaces. but after one day's use, dishcloths can redeposit millions of germs. so ditch your dishcloth and switch to a fresh sheet of bounty duratowel. look! a fresh sheet of bounty duratowel leaves this surface cleaner than a germy dishcloth, as this black light reveals. it's for everyday surfaces where dishcloths deposit germs. and only bounty duratowel
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including postage and a digital scale. (coffee be♪ng poured into a cup.) save your coffee from the artificial stuff. switch to truvia. great tasting, zero-calorie sweetness from the stevia leaf. in today's three big money headlines, going up, a new driveway and just a test. joining me to break it all down, regina lewis. happy new year to you.
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let's get started with what's going up. >> well, food price. meat, poultry and fish. so what you will start to see probably first at restaurants is the lowest tier in those categories being glamorized. think tilapia instead of salmon, beef shavings. it goes back to recent droughts when herds had to be cut back and they haven't had time to bring them back up to the new demand fueled by an improving economy. high-end meat is in higher demand when the economy improves. >> what about this new way to drive that's just down the road? >> it's really unbelievable. and the projected growth numbers indicate it's not just a matter of if we will have self driving cars or sdcs as they are called,
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by 2025, 230,000 on the road. it leaps to 11.8 million. what's really fascinating is the side benefits. not just in terms of traffic. but there should be a direct correlation with a decrease in automobile accidents, which is really amazing. the ford focus, self parking. you don't even have to be in the vehicle. if you are 10 years old, god willing when you go to visit your family in 20 years, you will probably have your family in one of these self-driving vehicles. >> do you have any nerves about this? >> there are some concerns. it is being widely tested. they are starting some road tests. >> overall it's inevitable.
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i agree we need to get it right. >> there are certainly some people i've driven with where i wish it was a self-driving car. how about this new test for netflix? >> they are lowering prices to $6.99. that's because this is -- there you see reed. he has redeemed himself. what has happened is the category is so competitive. hue lieu, amazon prime. watch agriculture i whole series of television shows in a single day. it's an interesting sign of the times. they have the biggest brand in the category. i think there will be some consolidation. >> they are trying to cut down, for instance, with netflix, someone will have a subscription
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and somebody else borrows it. >> you see that simultaneous stream number going down so you would not be able to do multiple things at once. >> regina lewis, thank you for that. >> sure. >> the numbers behind the winter olympics in sochi are staggering. a security expert weighs in. colorado legalizes recreational use of pot. should other states follow? follow me on twitter. i'll be reading some of your tweets throughout the day. [ male announcer ] this is kevin. to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for him, he's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. i was okay, but after lunch my knee started to hurt again.
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and now i've got to take more pills. ♪ yup. another pill stop. can i get my aleve back yet? ♪ for my pain, i want my aleve. ♪ [ male announcer ] look for the easy-open red arthritis cap. i can't believe your mom has a mom cave! today i have new campbell's chunky spicy chicken quesadilla soup. she gives me chunky before every game. i'm very souperstitious. haha, that's a good one! haha! [ male announcer ] campbell's chunky soup. it fills you up right.
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welcome back to "weekends with alex witt". 30 minutes past the hour. time for fast five headlines. radicals in iraq linked to al qaeda have gained control. the city of fallujah. it is extremely dire. it is a spillover from the civil
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war in syria. australia ice breaker carrying 52 people rescued from an ice bound research ship is heading for its home port. the chinese ship got stuck. it is not in distress and does not need help. protesting against a plan to reduce the shark population. nets will be deemployed to catch sharks 10 feet or longer and kill them. the car actor paul walker was in was going more than 100 miles per hour. the report rules out drugs or alcohol as a cause of the crash that killed the "fast & furious" star and the driver. one half of a pioneer rock and roll duo has died. phil everlley.
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temperatures are plunging with a deep freeze moving in. some areas could see temperatures as low as 60 degrees below zero. nbc's ron mott is braving it in boston where some of the heaviest snow has fallen. ron, how are you and everyone else holding up? >> reporter: it's cold. we were flirting with an overnight low. minus 4 is the record. we got to zero. the windchill is trouble some here. 15 to 20 below in the boston metro literally freezing the city in its tracks. snowpacked streets and sidewalks largely empty. many shops darkened still after a record 10.6 inches fell on the city. about a foot in all. >> it's a good thing when the public heeds the advice we give about staying off the roads are going home early because that enables us to help everybody. >> on the north shore, roughly
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two feet of snow in parts. on the south shore, icy flooding. streets caked in white. but along with a weekend's worth of cleanup duty ahead made a bit easier by the fluffy dry powder are brutally cold temperatures. >> i'm layered up. i have four pairs of pants and four sweat shirts. so i'm cold. >> reporter: a clock reads 15 degrees when it was really about 6. hospitals are on stand by to treat people dangerously exposed to the bitter air. massachusetts general reported no frostbite emergencies despite how quickly trouble can develop. >> with the windchill the way it is now, you can start to get damage to the skin if you're not appropriately covered. >> parts of the state will see temperatures as low as 50 below zero. >> from minnesota to maine. the priority for many is simply
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staying warm. a deep arctic chill threatens to set record. so cold minnesota governor ordered public schools closed on monday. while the nation's capital struggled to thaw out. >> i helped my dad shovel the snow. and stay inside and keep warm. >> reporter: in philly, a challenge just to get out. some of those ditching the spinning wheels. >> as you can see, it's pretty bad out here. >> reporter: especially tough on firefighters, braving frigid work conditions in nebraska, detroit, vermont. >> we're having trouble with water. the the trucks are freezing up. >> reporter: a teeth chattering cold for those who have to be out. and warnings for everyone else cost the frostbite to head in. at the height of the storm, 600 calls poured into the mayor's 24-hour hotline. outline four involved people who lost heat at home and needed a warm place to stay. that is very good news in the boston area. we're expecting one more cold night. tomorrow, temperatures in the
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low 40s. that should start to melt some of the stuff. we're expecting rain. it will be a messy commute on monday. they did a good job getting downtown cleared out. >> just as you have done a great job reporting on all of this. thank you so much, ron mott, there in boston. >> reporter: thank you, alex. >> how cold will it get the next couple of days. hi, dylan. >> hey, alex. good morning. it is cold in the northeast. temperatures well down into the single digits. zero in providence. tupelo, scranton. it feels well below zero in most areas across the northeast. it feels like 11 in philadelphia and pittsburgh. we have kwully cold air across the upper plains and upper midwest. that's going to get even colder over the next day or so. 11 below in fargo. that will feel nice compared to what's moving in tomorrow. snow will take hold in the u.s.
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not much this morning. it will be more attention this afternoon. could end one 6 to 12 inches from chicago, detroit, parts of indiana, north western ohio. not so much because we're going to see a massive snowstorm. more because of the fact that temperatures will be so cold. you have a lot of fluff factor. it accumulates very easily. it also blows around easily too. visibility will be very poor, especially sunday, monday in chicago. monday's high temperature in chicago. without factoring in the windchill, the high temperature will be 11 below zero. so brutally cold. we are looking at a high of 30 in chicago with some of the snow moving in. down in the south, that's where the warm air is. 70 in phoenix. tomorrow the cold air will continue to flood into the northern plains and upper midwest. we will see rain showers on the east coast. 41 degrees in boston on sunday. alex? >> okay. thank you so much, dylan.
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appreciate that. a new report by the cdc shows a massive spike in flu case, this at the height of the flu season. officials in nearly half the states reporting widespread flu activity, from just 10 last week. the shows particularly high numbers of the h1n1. it is putting an extra strain on parents whose children have become hospitalized. >> it's tough. especially for a first-time parent like me to see a child this way. to know i can go through it and fight. but you can't fight for them. >> it's hard. some of the flu cases are so severe that the illness has led to a number of adults and children to be put on life support. doctors say it's still not too late to get a flu short. they urge the elderly, people with weakened immune system and caregivers to go out and get vaccinated. on monday, the senate will hold a vote for long-term
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unemployment benefits. monday's vote is expected to pass in the senate. the house, as always, is a different story. member of the house budget committee with a welcome to you. happy new year. i see my irony, cynicism was not lost on you. given the history, you have to ask, does this half a hope of passing in the house? >> well, i think there's a hope, alex. good morning and happy new year to you. you know, just like in kentucky we have 18,000 people who have lost their benefits. it is being repeated in state after state after state. and i think there are probably enough republicans in pennsylvania, ohio, places where pockets are pretty high unemployment where there will be a significant amount of pressure
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for them to do something. the real key is how we come up with $6 billion to pay for the extension for three months. if we come up with an offset that is acceptable, then i think we can get it done. it is ultimately, like everything else, this is up to speaker boehner and majority leader cantor to work their majority to get enough votes. virtually every democrat will vote for an extension. >> 1.3 million americans working it out. there has to be some in your own backyard. what are you hearing from your constituents? >> absolutely. the funny thing, the ironic thing again is that the american people understand that unemployment benefits are a very, very effective way of transitioning people back into the workforce. in 2012, 2.5 million people were helped back into the workforce and sustained in their search for unemployment benefits.
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the people in kentucky understand that. we have 8% unemployment in the state. you take that money out of the economy, that hurts the job. the situation as well. people are way ahead of the poll takings on this. again, i think republicans who resist extending this policy, which was, again, implemented under a republican administration and in prior years didn't even require an offset, i think they will pay a price for it. >> as you've heard, though there are critics of the extension for reasons we can't afford it. then you have job reports recently. we have to keep in mind, they were originally put into place as emergency benefits. so are they still needed? >> well, absolutely. i think the average person has been out of work for 37 weeks. most states pay up to 26 weeks. this is not like these are
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exceptions to the rule or out liars or dead beats. this is the average person who is out there through no fault of their own looking for work. this is very important. again, this is $2 billion a month that comes out of the economy if we don't extend these benefits. that's a pretty big hit when we're trying to sustained some momentum in the economy. virtually every reason imaginable. foremost among them, the humane reason these people need to have a way to keep alive, we ought to be doing this. >> with regard to health care, yesterday as you know eric cantor sent out a memo out lying the agenda for january. on the top of the list was obama care, particularly the security of healthcare.gov. do you have concerns there? >> well, i have sat through several hearings on the security issues. and i think this is an overblown
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concern. you want to make sure that every security measure is in place. but, you know, the most important concern is whether health histories are vulnerable. they're not. they aren't even a part of the exchanges and the federal program. so i am really not that concerned about security. but i think we ought to be cautious and make sure that people's social security numbers and fundamental issues are protected. i'm not overly concerned about that. again, this is another fear tactic that the opponents give up repealing the law. they're seeing demand for the law. they're raising further questions. it's another red herring. >> the administration announced enrollment in the top 2.1 million as we were hitting the new year. are you surprise bid that number
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given big picture where we are? >> well, i think after the incredibly bad october and november enrollments, 2 million is phenomenal. in kentucky, just over the last few weeks, we have seen 170% growth in private enrollment. it is out grossing medicaid now. they have found out they are eligible for a subsidy. now they are picking their plan. all the signs are very, very positive right now. while you still have -- it's all a matter of what happens three months from now and six months from now. but i think the trends are very, very positive. i'm pleased with the way things are going. >> we appreciate you coming on and doing a little work this morning. >> good to see you, alex. online movement causing a
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big change to one of the most iconic brands of breakfast cereal. that's next. at 25th and hoff. ...and the little room above the strip mall off roble avenue. ♪ this magic moment it is the story of where every great idea begins. and of those who believed they had the power to do more. dell is honored to be part of some of the world's great stories. that began much the same way ours did. in a little dorm room -- 2713. ♪ this magic moment ♪
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it's one of america's most iconic brands of breakfast cereals. in light of concerns among consumers, cheerios is changing certain ingredients. stephanie gosk shows us why. >> reporter: general mills says the classic cereal is about to change. the food company will no longer use ingredients with genetically modified organisms or gmos. robin was part of an online campaign pressuring them to change. >> we have a food system loaded with a lot of ingredients we have not necessarily chosen to eat. >>reporter: gmos are foods that have gone through genetic engineering often to improve production. they are controversial. the fda regulates their use. but an estimated 85% of all corn
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in this country is still genetically modified. in a statement, general mills said there is a broad consensus that food containing gmo's is safe, but we decided to move forward with this in response to consumer demand. other flavors, including honey nut, are not changing. it is easy to see how this is a business decision as well. this is nature's path. they are clearly labelled nongmo. >> the uproar is based on little scientific evidence. >> you can cherry pick information saying this is not safe. but the fda and the world health organization both deemed gmo foods as safe. >> general mills is not the only company listening to their customer base. whole foods is requiring every supplier to label gmo product by 2018. mexican fast food chain chipotle recently announced they would be gmo tree.
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>> to be able to go back to the brands and restore that relationship, it means so much. >> the makers of the little os appear to be following the classic motto, the customer is always right. stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york. securing the olympic games in sochi. how will the u.s. help the russians keep them safe? that's next. how did edward jones get so big? let me just put this away. ♪ could you teach our kids that trick? [ male announcer ] by not acting that way. it's how edward jones makes sense of investing.
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>> there is fresh optimism about where the economy is headed this year. it comes from outgoing chairman ben bernanke. he says the economy will be stronger because americans are doing better and the housing market is moving. other than that, he believes there will be less drag on spending cuts and tax increases. bernanke, by the way, steps down on monday t. senate is expected to confirm janet yellen to succeed him. concerns about the upcoming olympic games in sochi, this following two terrorist bombings in russia that killed over 30 people. in an exclusive interview for
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tomorrow's "meet the press," former homeland security janet napolitano weighed in. >> they will have security people on the ground so i think we will have to rely on that. we look to cooperating with the ioc, with the host nation and the other countries that are there in terms of protecting the security of the games. >> joining me now is former secret service agent dan bongino. he was the leading agent for several overseas trip. he is a democratic candidate for congress in maryland and author of "life inside the bubble." good morning to you. >> thanks, alex. >> we have sochi about 400 miles or so away from volvo grad, t-- volvograd. all of these places i mentioned militant hot beds. so it begs the question, is it
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too close for comfort, sochi, relative to these other places? >> i think so. i think the selection of the site was poor for a number of reasons. v volgograd was targeted. it was a rife between the chechens and dagestan for years for selection. >> in regard to this, you have 11 sports divided up in two areas. they're about 30 miles or so apart. >> that is a lot of geography. so how difficult is that to secure? >> very difficult. when you are doing security for the president of the united states and he goes to multiple site, remember, alex, it's not just the sites that have to be secure. it's the transportation hubs in between and this particular group of terrorists, they're incredibly vicious and they're
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known to target transportation hubs. so it's not good enough to just secure say the olympic village and the hockey venue. the entire transportation corridor in between those has to be secured as well. that's where it gets very difficult. you have to look at varying motorcade routes, hard cars, that kind of thing. >> clearly, vladmir putin's government is aware of this, to the tune of billions of dollars russia is taking. 40,000 special polices and forces dough employed, drones flying overhead, also, sonar listening devices will be off shore taking a listen at things. is that good enough in your mind or is that just a good start? >> here's my problem. sometimes we tend to inflate access control with all of these money and military personnel may be terrific at controlling access, who comes in and out. but a football tick at a football game the access as well. you are relying on the security personnel and their training to be able to detect certain
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patterning on clothing for explosives or potential secreted weapons. i'm not sure if the training is there to insure, you know, an adequate level of security at the games. >> yeah. one can't take any presum shuns here, the fact is, if there is somebody who is willing to give their live, a suicide bomber who blew herself up in the train straigs station there in volvograd. if that extreme is willing to be taken, what can you do? >> frankly, not much. it's the investigation beforehand and the intelligence network you can develop that's going to have to stop it before it starts. once that kind of attack is initiated, there is really not much, sadly, there is not much can you do. >> very quickly with 1972 munich, 1976 atlanta and the terrorist attacks there the bombing in atlanta, security has changed a lot since then, so do we feel safer going into sochi? >> well, you feel safer, but the question is do you feel safer or
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do you feel safe? terrorists want eyeballs, every eyeball in the world will be on the olympics. there is no bigger target. >> thank you, dan, bofgino. i appreciate it. >> that is it for now. be sure to join me at 2:00 right now, we have smart political talk on "up" with steve kornacki. 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.
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