investigation. and the shriver report, a closer look at the continuing economic challenges for america's women with maria shriver, our conversation on family and work and poverty before she brings the report to the president later this afternoon. >> they are saying our families are stressed and our economic situations are stress, please help us, whether you be a man or woman or democrat or republican. >> good day, everyone, i'm andrea mitchell in washington. chris christie returns to the state, not to apoll giz but take credit for all that is right with new jersey. he will mention bridgegate in his state of the state address and expected to stay mostly in his lane for the most part keeping the focus on all of the other issues facing his

constituents. joining me now, weap"washington post" editorial columnist and kelly o'donnell, your reporting from the governor's aides that he will mention it at the top. how is he going to frame it? >> reporter: exactly, right off the top. the idea according to those around christie working on this speech is that he will try to say to the lawmakers who will be his primary audience in the chamber that together they have worked on issues in a political environment. there have been other controversies and disagreements in the past. and this is a situation they've got to get through together and focus on the job at hand. look for ways where they can find mutual agreement on topics important to the state. so it will be addressed but think of it in terms of a rfrns point, not something where christie will restate his comments from last week about not knowing the particulars. i'm told he's not going to address the issue of his own credibility, for example. but he will sort of set the atmosphere that is political and

say there's a job to get done. that works in a speech like this because a state of the state as you know, andrea, is sort of a laundry list of to do items for people who are working together for the people of new jersey. the elected state senators and assemblymen who have a lot to do. of course, this goes out to the wider audience as well and will be seen from a national political lens, but he's able to talk about some of the policy initiatives he wants to work on, talk about some of the successes of his first term and try to change the subject at least for some of the local media that will be covering this and the people who have interest and business with the state to see what chris christie has in store for the year ahead. so controversy will be present but it will not be dominant in his roughly 30 to 40 minute address. andrea? >> at least from his perspective of what he's trying to present, but ruth marcus, in the audience

there in the general assembly are the chair of the transportation committee, for instance and some of the general assembly members and state senators who felt they had been punished as well. >> sure, it's an odd moment. i'll having a little bit of a flashback and moments are not entirely snon mus or analogous. >> to the state of the union. >> state of the union and bill clinton as they were in the middle of considering impeachment proceedings against him. chris christie, it is what it is. what he needs to -- what -- he's doing what he needs to do. he has to mention it then move on. it's not that anybody there is going to forget or the state of the state address will divert everybody's attention from the george washington bridge where i expect many unhappy hours in traffic. >> on a good day. >> and make it go away. but he's handling it as best he can at this moment, i think. >> the debate with the bridge is always lower level, upper level. >> which way are you going to be

messed up more really? >> kelly o., take a step back, the big picture here is that chris christie is trying to get around it, trying to get over the bridge situation. but more and more is coming out and there's this parallel investigation, fill us in on the whole issue of whether or not they should have used the money for sandy relief for that add which could be considered a political ad in a political year involving his family. >> reporter: yes, we all saw the tourism campaign tv spots that feature the christie family encouraging people to come to new jersey and spend money. something that even democrats say was necessary, meaning a tourism campaign. the question is, starring the christie family, was that going too far? an audit will be done, a review of the contract and some democratic lawmakers from the federal level frank palone raised concerns last august saying a bid that cost more money than was necessary was

chosen. and that particular bid did include the christie family in the ads. his office says the review that's been called for this audit is something that happens for all contracts. that's very standard. they expect when the review is completed, the determination will be that the money spent, which was approved by the obama administration through hud, that it was valuable to helping new jersey get back on its feet. so they are not viewing that particular issue as kind of front burner for them. obviously the bridge traffic and the issues that relate to the senior staff, that's a much more hot button issue for them. the return of the -- stronger than the storm campaign as a political storm is one of the things he's got to deal with, but a lower priority would seem based on just talking to aides. >> kelly o'donnell, thanks so much. we look forward to the speech and your reporting on it afterwards. thanks to you, ruth mark u.

we'll see you later in the show. governor christie wants to change the subject, who wouldn't. will the national media let him? will the comments today quiet critics? >> this abuse of power is the problem. we don't know exactly what he ordered or didn't, but the bottom line is this is the culture, this what i call i am propriety that is pervasive in his administration. >> said i am not a bully. i am honored to be considered for the presidency. i am so disappointed and sad. well, he was saddened not by what had happened to the people of ft. lee or the citizens trying to kroogs the bridge, he was sad that he had been lied to. it was all about him. >> joining me now is michael steele, msnbc analyst and former republican national chairman and ed rendell, nbc news analyst and

pennsylvania governor and political chairman. first to you, michael, i haven't heard a whole lot of republicans coming to his defense. >> i think they have. they've been more quiet about it than you would think i would hope. i would like them to be much more vocal out there. look, christie is -- a former state u.s. attorney. he wouldn't put himself in a box unless he knew there was a way out of it. there's no way out of the corner he's painted himself in with the language he used at the last press conference. i think he's very, very confident right now and i think the party should be confident in supporting and backing him openly. this is quickly become a sort of political straw dog for the left. they want to keep biting away at every nuanced word. at the end of the day there won't be anything that directly links this governor to what happened that day. there may be questions about why didn't you question x, y and z at the time but that doesn't mean he orchestrated and determined the outcome of what

happened in terms of traffic jam. >> i don't know. ed rendell, you are a veteran of tough big city politics, first philadelphia then of course the state politics in harrisburg. and then national politics. what does this tell us, even if he wasn't more directly involved? what does it tell us about what he permitted to go on in his name? >> well, it's a difficult situation for governor christie. can't see how he can win. it is a problem, michael, a recent poll showed that 56% of new jersey think he's lying. and i don't know you overcome that. heergz the problem of let's assume governor christie is telling the truth. it strikes me as not very credible. when i was governor, my deputy chief of staff who's office is 25 yards from mine, would no sooner have done something like this without clearing it with me than they would have run naked down the capital rotunda. it doesn't happen. particularly when you have a strong governor like governor

christie was and like i was. let's assume for the moment he's telling the truth. why did he let that traffic problem go on for five days? because they told him it was a traffic study? well, let me tell you, from day one, i'm governor and there's that type of traffic jam and the excuse i get from the port people is it's a traffic study, i would say you can take that traffic study and throw it in the waste basket and come to trenton and tell me why we need one but i want those lanes open in 30 minutes. that's what a hand on governor would do and chris christie made his reputation being a hands on governor. why didn't he do that? why did he let it go on for five days? those are huge questions and i don't think there's a credible way out. >> especially when he had appointees on the port authority, he may say he didn't know david wildstein that well, but it was his appointee. >> i think that's where i think the governor tried -- i think very add mirably to put into

context that he was getting a flow of information that was coming in and i'm sure to governor rendell's point and as a former state official myself, i agree, lieutenant governor being the watch dog for the governor, you would want to know, what's happening here. all of that still gets flushed out. there's more in terms of documentation and more about the story that comes out and what christie said in the interim. but i think it's a legitimate question to ask, why didn't he push this. but again, that depends on the kind of information his staff was feeding him that may have swajed that desire too open the port right now. >> on the subject of david wi wildstein, the wall street journal has a picture of them together mid-september. christie said he hadn't spoken to him since way before the election. it depends on how you -- >> mincing words. >> let's switch gears to ed gillesp gillespie. you both know him well. first to you, ed rendell, this

is going to be a really competitive race, running for senate against mark warner? >> well, ed gillespie is a good guy and done bold and courageous things in his life and i admire him. he's running against a great governor who virginians have a great opinion of. if ed gill leespie was running against a flawed candidate, he would have a chance. but mark has been a great governor and senator, and i don't think he can be beat. but ed gillespie has done good things. >> it is virginia. >> it's a purple state. ed will be fine. i remember ed and i talking about a possibility of his running for office one day when i was national chairman and encouraged him then i encourage him now. i think it will be a competitive campaign. and i think of all of the republican candidates who could go for this seat at this time,

given the makeup of virginia, ed is one who can have a controversy across the spectrum of voters out there who can talk to the folks in the south and southwestern portions of virginia just as he can with the folks in northern virginia. he'll be fine. >> thank you very much. thank you michael steele and ed rendell. want to live in the real life alpha house? now is your chance. there is a vacancy, chuck schumer is seeking a candidate as george miller announce he is retiring this year. they've been sharing the d.c. crash pad for 21 years, as you know it is the -- what set the scene for alpha house, the amazon online video. as senator schumer tweeted, seeking roommate 20 terms in the house and unmatched record

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iran's agreement over the weekend to freeze some of its nuclear program in xhafrpg for limited sanctions relief is only a first step and already congressional leaders in both parties are fighting the white house on short term sanctions relief. >> if they fail to walk through this door of opportunity, then we are in a position to reverse any agreement and put in place additional pressure to make sure that iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon. my preference is for peace and diplomacy and this is one of the reasons why i've sent a message to congress, that now is not the time for us to impose new sanctions. >> he says he will veto any sanctions, joining me now is bob

corker, a member of the foreign relations committee and the senate banking committee as well. senator, what is the status of sanctions legislation? i know there's strong bipartisan support for it but the president will veto it. why go through the exercise? >> yeah, andrea, there's a bill that adds 58 or 59 co-sponsors at present and i don't think they are likely going to be a vote on that in the next week or two. i do think there are legitimate concerns in congress overliking -- most of us would like to see the implementation language that none of us have seen relative no what happened over the last week. i did have a good conversation with wendy sherman from paris on sunday but i would like to see the language. secondly, andrea, i think there are legitimate concerns also about once you let the genie out of the bottle, once the world begins to think that iran is no longer going to be a rogue nation but part of the international community, there is going to be a rush -- already seeing it to do business with

them. you've seen reports of russia really wanting to up their supply of iranian oil over this next year. reading articles a french businessman wanting to go there. it's one of those things where the country of its size, once you again let the genie slightly out of the bottle, people are going to be rushing to do business. i think there's a lot of water to go under the bridge here. i think all of us and i stress this strongly to wendy on sunday, we want to see a negotiated settlement and see diplomacy work. the way diplomacy works is ensuring on the front end up structure something that has the ability to work and i think that's where concerns in congress in both sides of the aisle are. >> wendy sherman and deputy secretary of state burns have been the point people under john kerry negotiating all of this. speaking of john kerry, a big flap today. the israeli defense minister has not denied that he slammed

kerry, calling him messy and obsessed. other members of the cabinet, including the foreign minister lieberman and netanyahu, at least quoted that way as coming to kerry's defense. what about this? the state department on the record, jen traveling in rome today with secretary kerry has said this is, if correct, is wrong and deeply offensive, especially given everything that the united states is doing to help the security of israel and that this is not the kind of language we expect from a close ally. what's your take? >> well, look, andrea, governments are made up of people and diverse people. and we see that here and see that in a lot of places around the world. it's a natural thing. so sometimes people say things where they do not speak necessarily for their country or maybe -- >> this is the defense minister,

senator. nobody more important in israel than the defense minister other than the prime minister. >> it is a parliamentarian form of government. look, i have to give senator -- secretary -- still call him senator -- kerry, i have to give him applause for working on the tough issues of the day. on other hand, sometimes people can see the world as they wish for it to be and not as it is, but again, i appreciate him working so diligently on so many issues. i have concerns about some of the agreements, i have strong concerns about our syria policy. i've expressed those directly and strong concerns about this interim agreement which doesn't cause iran to have to do much and yet you have sanctions relief. and i do think hais heart is in the right place and taking on the tough issues of the day.

for that i have appreciation who are what he's doing to do. >> bob corker, thank you very much, senator. >> take with us here on "andrea mitchell reports," erin brockovich joining us next from west virginia where she is fighting to safeguard those residents' water and health. [ male announcer ] it's simple physics... a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. celebrex can be taken with or without food. and it's not a narcotic. you and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam

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licorice. >> reporter: you could smell it at the elementary school and henry nearman is the principal. >> there is a faint smell coming off the water. >> reporter: does that concern you at all? >> i have trust in the authorities that they are advising us the right things to do. we're following the protocols. they said there might be a slight smell. if that's the case, there is no danger. >> ann thompson reporting on the devastating chemical spill in west virginia that threatened the health and safety of 300,000 charleston residents. 30,000 people have turn the tap water back on but it seems the problem could be flowing down the ohio river towards cincinnati, where people are now on watch. erin brockovich, the environmental activist and turned household name when julia roberts portrayed her in the movie. erin joins me now from charleston, west virginia. good to see you again. thanks so much for being with

us. >> thanks. nice to hear you. >> right at the scene again of another water related environmental disaster. how can this happen? how can it be they have not been inspected since 1991 at that storage facility? we saw the pictures of the rusted walls and pipes there. how is this possible in the state of west virginia? >> that's a really good question and it's an all too common occurrence that we see playing itself out, not only here in west virginia but really in every state across america. we have a lot of oversight issues, agencies are overburdened and under funded. they are understaffed. they don't have funds and it's just a lays faire attitude has been developed that safety doesn't matter and it's really

frustrating and concerning to every single one of us, but it's a situation and scenario that plays itself out beyond this situation, which is frightening, because you're looking at leaking storage tanks and facilities and chemicals being released very close to our intakes. this is a first of a series we think could be possible of hundreds of thousands of people being rendered helpless with no water in a contaminated water supply. >> and we saw the principal of that school in ann's reporting saying he has to trust the authorities. should people trust the authorities? it was partly the authorities and the combination of the company and authorities but other authority figures who didn't even tell them for days after the leak had started. >> it's really frustrating. you keep bringing up a key word and that's trust. a lot of the community members don't trust the situation. i'm out here because within 48 hours of the situation, i had

5,000 residents rendered without water contacting me. could you please come talk to us. we had a community meeting with them last night and they don't trust the situation and asking some really valid questions. they are frustrated because they don't feel they are really getting the truthful answer. what they are going to do is rea lion their own common sense. if the water still smells, which everyone is reporting it does, they are not going to drink it. they are still going to send their kids to school with bottled water. this is going to be a long process to have a municipal system shut down is a big deal. to bring it back online is definitely going to be a process. and during the interim, people are going to be vigilant and going to be proactive and paying attention. they are asking great questions. they don't trust it yet. and that's their position until they feel more confident. >> but bottled water is expensive and one of the women interviewed by ann thompson in her story last night is on food

stamps. how do you stretch your budget to include expensive bottled water? >> that's a really good point. we have had that discussion last night. i know that there are service members out there that are trying to help assist and provide water. we've had conversations with groups that were helping with the homeless that weren't receiving that and had been using the water. they were concerned because they were sick or they had open sores and sores in their throat. but they are trying very hard to go out there because bottled water is expensive. it's almost become a luxury and that's the scary thing here. what's going to happen when water systems are so expensive, only those that have money get water and those who don't don't? i think that's a very scary scenario and one that's very possible. here in this situation, i do know of agencies and groups and services trying to provide bottled water to those who can't

afford it and until the system is up and running and everyone feels safe about it. >> erin brockovich, thanks for struggling with the bad audio. we really appreciate it and everything you're doing now for decades on water and health safety. thank you. >> i appreciate that. thank you. >> and at least two people now have been injured during a school shooting this morning in roswell, new mexico. a 13-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy were air lifted to new mexico eastern medical center in critical condition. the suspected shooter is under arrest. berrendo middle school in roswell remains on lockdown. students are being bussed to a nearby mall. coming up next, our look inside the shriver report. my conversation today with maria shriver before she presents her findings on women and the economy to president obama later today. [announcer] a healthy dog is a playful dog. give him the calorie-smart nutrition of beneful healthy weight.

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two thirds of american women are the primary or co-bread winners of their families and one in three lives near the poverty level. they serve as the focus point for the newly released shriver report. later this afternoon, nbc special anchor maria shriver will meet with president obama to discuss the report. >> she works hard to hold down a job or even two to provide and parent, often without a partner. to juggle the needs of young children and elderly parents and be the backbone of the family because she has to. she is one missed paycheck, one sick child, one broken down car away from losing it all. >> and joining me now is maria shriver, author and founder of all of this, the shriver report. maria, all of these years after

we first started studying poverty in america under your father sarnlg shriver and you've been studying women's roles. what are we learning about how disadvantaged women still are in the workplace? >> i think we learned in this report what we probably knew many years ago, is that women need support in their multiple roles as bread winners and caregivers and caretakers, they need things like sick leave and need a foundation they can stand on instead of always being told they have to reach for the ceiling. i think this report also details that one in three women struggle on the brink of poverty. it also reveals that there's a persistent wage gap and two thirds of all minimum wage workers are women and that they are predominantly in low wage jobs. >> how does this inform the debate we're having in congress over the minimum wage? >> i think it informs not only that but the debate that i hope

democrats and republicans will continue to have about sick leave, paid leave, the ability to earn sick takdays. i've been heartened to hear people like ryan and rubio talk about the war on poverty. i don't agree with them but i'm sure they don't agree with parts of what i'm talking about. there's a consensus on both sides of the aisle that something has to happen to help millions and millions of families in the greatest nation on earth really struggling even though they are working and doing everything right. >> it's so shocking that working women don't have sick days. women who are the primary caregivers for both elder parents and for children and who have so many family emergencies, how can women cope without having sick days? >> they can't. i think we're seeing the effects on their own health. obviously children who grew up in stressed houses and pore houses have disadvantages when it comes to school, the ability to go home if you're being

raised in a single parent or dual parent household, when they are so stressed financially that affects our children. there are bills up there on the hill that are being proposed that talk about sick leave and talk even about the ability to earn sick time for every 30 hours you work, you earn an hour of sick leave, an hour for sick time. i think there is some movement. i know people say we've heard that before. it's never going to happen. but i think women, particularly underestimate the political power that they have to push the hill. we have seen that when it comes to assault in the military and other issues when there is a will, when the culture breaks through and tells capitol hill, this is important to us and what's good for women and good for men. because men are finding themselves in these stressed out roles as well. they are having to care for aging parents and having to do things around the house that they couldn't, they weren't doing before. this helps the entire american family as we know it.

>> and the persistent wage gap catching up but still 77 cents on the dollar. what are you going to tell the president, you have the rare opportunity to go to the white house today and present this report, your findings and research to the president of the united states, what would you like to see him take away? >> i think he already knows a lot that is in this report. i'm going to try to talk to him about the stress that the american family is under. i'm going to talk to him about the findings of this report, which are that as i said, one in three women on the economic brink and what policies that they need to survive. i think obviously he knows probably far more than i do. but the american people are really hoping for some bipartisan consensus on these things. the poll, which we did, which is huge, shows overwhelming support for sick days and for closing the wage gap and lack of discrimination against women who are pregnant. these are issues that democrats

and republicans actually agree on. i think they are -- they are saying our families are stressed and economic situations are stressed. please help us, whether you be a manor woman or democrat or republican. >> you know very well, better than most people what it's like to work across the divide. you were a democrat in a republican administration when your former husband was the governor in california. you've worked in legislature and seen your uncle teddy work across the aisle on major pieces of legislation, what approach should the obama white house take when you have so much pushback -- >> i don't think i will advice the president. there's a lot of exciting things going on in states, as you mentioned. i was a democratic first lady in a republican administration. what i learned from that experience is that there are a lot of good ideas on both sides of the aisle. i think to see the other party as the enemy doesn't help

anybody. and i'm not saying that's what the president does but i think that i would hope it's a new year and i would hope that perhaps there is some inspirational leaders that can put past judgments or preconceived notions aside and down. what the american people want, i believe, is to believe in washington, believe that it can work. believe in their elected leaders. i grew up at a time in washington when that was the case. it was admirable to be a political leader and get things done. and we have great examples of people whether it's even reagan and tip o'neill's relationship for coming together for the good of the people. i do believe that washington is capable of that, especially when it understands that people are really hurting out there and want to see people talking about issues that affect them. >> and 50 years after lbj created the war on poverty, so

nobly led by your father and the whole legacy of sarge shriver carried on by you and your brothers. what would you like the shriver corps to do? >> we're announcing it through the shriver report. what i learned by being first lady in california, there are so many programs that the people don't know about. what we did there is brought them all together. if you're eligible for the earned income tax credit, probably also eligible for health care, might be eligible for food stamps and eligible for energy assistance. there is an innovative ways that the programs can come together and volunteers can actually go out into the streets and help people sign up, stream line the process and modernize the process, innovate on the ground. i'm hopeful that the shriver corps will be able to make it a more streamlined process to get it and be made aware of the programs that exist. >> thank you so much, maria

shriver. congratulations again. >> thank you. >> on the shriver report. and for more on the white house response to the shriver report i'm joined by the president's close adviser valerie jarrett. >> my pleasure. >> why does the president want to set aside this time and meet with maria and just with a one on one meeting, the impact of this report? >> well, first of all, i had a chance to be briefed before maria before the holidays on the report. she's done a tremendous job, great research, very important suggestions. and i think the president has invited her to the white house so he can help shine a spotlight on an issue that is very, very important to him. keep in mind, andrea, he was raised by a single mom, a mom who relied on food stamps during a portion of his childhood. he watched his grandmother struggle working in a bank trying to hit the glass ceiling and go through it and getting stopped time and time again.

since day one, since he's been in office, he has worked very hard to try to provide those opportunities to women and girls, just think about the very first bill he signed was lilly ledbetter fair pay act. women are still only earning 77 cents on the dollar. we have to close that gap. maria is right, women right now make up half of the workforce. two thirds of families were the sole bread earner or co-bread earner, the contribution to our economy is more important than ever. we need a 21st century workplace that recognizes that value and contribution they can make. that's wihy the president calle for a summit later this spring focusing on working families. what can we do to create an environment where women thrive and grow? later this week the president invited literally 60 plus university and college presidents to come to washington to focus on how can we get

disadvantaged folks into college, applying to college, succeeding in college and graduating? because we know that's the gate way to economic security as well. there are lots of things we can do that don't necessarily require congress. some do. we know the president has called for the extension of the unemployment insurance, which is an important safety net particularly again to women. we know he's called for raising the minimum wage, again, a way of trying to provide that stability to those families holding onto the brink. so there is lots we can do and so we're excited that maria is coming over this afternoon and look forward to having a conversation with her. >> one of her conclusions as you pointed out was that women need to stay in school as long as they can but that's empowerment. so tuition access for those who are less advantaged is critical to that so everybody is happy the president is meeting with university president. he said today in his cabinet meeting, i've got a pen and ich got a phone. >> and telephone, you got that right. >> what does that mean? >> well, the example would be

picking up the telephone and calling the university presidents and college presidents and asking them before they come to make a commitment for what they are going to do to make it easier for young people particularly those who are disadvantaged to access that important education, calling on the business community just as the first lady did to encourage them to hire our veterans. we've now seen hundreds and thousands of jobs created for our veterans as they come home from the war, simply because you've made -- we have so many that want to serve and businesses that want to make a contribution. all we need is to be asked. the president is going to pick up the phone and sign executive orders that he can do within his power that don't necessarily require congressional action. but he's also going to continue to work with congress just as we are right now today. >> valerie jarrett, thank you so much. great to see you. >> thank you. >> thanks for highlighting the shriver report. >> thanks. >> we'll be right back with newly released letters of

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i want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the hundreds of thousands of messages, nearly 800,000 which my children and i have received over the past few weeks. the knowledge of the affection after which my husband was had by all of you has sustained me. >> that was 50 years ago today, jacqueline kennedy making her first public comments since her husband's death. appearing on television with her brothers in law and attorney general roberts f. kennedy and robert m. kennedy, she thanked the public and said she would treasure each and every message. now a series of condolence messages have been released by the jfk library and museum. it includes these photos of jackie's personal secretaries sifting through boxes of letters sent to the first lady and

change of letters that is specifically poignant between denise mcnair, one of the four young girls killed in the 1963 one of the four girls killed in the church in birmingham. in a heartbreaking handwritten letter maxine wrote to the first lady, isn't it strange how people with so much to give to the world are taken? that's god will, however, and not for us to question. [announcer] word is getting out. purina dog chow light & healthy is a deliciously tender and crunchy kibble blend.

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our ruth marcus is back to talk to us on what's going to happen in the next two hours, we're going to hear from chris christie. the state of the state speech. you're from the same town. >> i am a livingston girl. you know exactly the environment. is this unusual for new jersey or is this politics? >> is that like what we call a leading question? new jersey politics i think is

what you might call rough and tumble. >> that's what we used to call the former senator sally, the torch? >> something like that. look, we're a boisterous, tough, no blow-dried pole tested politicians in new jersey. and we now how to play rough. so, there you go. >> and as it's despiced in "american hustle" loosely taken after the abscab scandal. >> a couple of things are breaking on the hill we're waiting from the republican and democratic caucuses how that test is going to be laid out today for unemployment compensation. and we just had message from the intelligence committee the fisa

court judges are pushing back on that would increase the burden on them. to be determined what exactly reforms be going to be embraced but this is leading up to a big day on friday when the president is going to give a speech on exactly what recommendations he's going to take. >> right. that's going to be fascinating and it's interesting maybe not surprising that the fisa judges are being heard from because that is asking for a lot more work from them. regular federal judges have kind of magistrates to help them with some of the work on search warrants and things. and i think it may be well worth considering having junior fisa judges if you will. this is a big case load for them on top of federal judges. >> thank you very much. that does it for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports. "tomorrow, kristen gillibrand. my colleague tamron hall is back

and a look at what's next on "news nation." >> wow, you have been on fire the last few days, my friend. >> thank you, andrea. i'm happy to be back here on "news nation" and msnbc. we're following breaking stories. what could be the most important speech of chris christie's speech. the governor is expected to discuss the bridge scandal when he delivers the state of the state address. that's happening in about an hour. we'll talk to the democrat lawmaker, who will give the democrat response to christie's speech. plus, that massive settlement with the nfl and concussions has just been rejected by a federal judge who says $765 million is not enough. justice correspondent pete williams will join us. and los angeles officials are searching the home of justin bieber right now looking for evidence linking him to a bizarre case of vandalism involving a neighbor.

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♪ hi, everyone. i'm tamron hall. the "news nation" is following three breaking stories right now. we're getting new details about what chris christie is expected to say in what could be the most important speech of his career to date. in an hour, christie will deliver the state of the state address which was scheduled before the bridge scandal came to light in a federal investigation of a tourism ad featuring christie. plus, pop star justin bieber's home is being raided. and just in, a judge rejects the nfl's $765 million settlement over