give him the calorie-smart is a nutrition of beneful healthy weight. with wholesome rice,real chicken,soy, and accents of vitamin rich veggies... plus a taste he loves. beneful healthy weight...from purina. right now, exclusive new details emerge surrounding allegations against two members of the chris christie administration. a new jersey mayor accuses the governor's office of holding sandy relief money hostage. we are traveling with christie as he meets donors in florida. good saturday afternoon. i'm milissa rehberger in for craig melvin. you are watching msnbc. also ahead, trust tested. >> for our intelligence community to be effective over the long haul, we must maintain the trust of the american people

and people around the world. >> the president is ordering changes to parts of the government's surveillance program while leaving many other portions intact. do those reforms go far enough? i'm declaring a drought emergency in the state of california. >> dangerously dry. california is suffering through its worst drought ever recorded while crews battle hot spots from los angeles wildfire zblrnlg. new stats more than a third of adults live with their parents. it's gotten worse since the recession. what is really behind this trend. plus this -- >> human-controlled racing robots. it's a two-thirds scale prototype that we developed over the last three years. >> racing robots, artists and engineers say the terminator has met its match. the big ambitions behind today's big idea. a new round of subpoenas are issued for current and former aides of new jersey governor chris christie. 18 people subpoenaed by a legislative committee

investigating last fall's lane closures on the george washington bridge. also subpoenaed, the governor's office and his reelection campaign. meanwhile, the governor is conducting business as usual. he's in florida this weekend to help raise money for governor rick scott's reelection campaign. nbc news's kelly o'donnell joins us from florida. >> reporter: good day, milissa. another political challenge for chris christie. and this one is playing out in florida. will he be as effective as a fund-raiser as his reputation suggests now that there is the scandal involving the bridge traffic investigation? christie committed to these events in florida. there are five private fund-raisers in different parts of the sunshine state this weekend. that was all set before the investigation erupted. and so he is keeping this commitment and there was some question in some people's mind, would that be wise? he says he is going to stick with this job as the head of the rga. it's a new position for him, whereas the leader of the

republican governors, it's his role to go around the country and help fund-raise and bring attention to republican governors and candidates. florida governor rick scott is in a reelection bid himself. so part of the money raised will be helping him this weekend. for governor christie, it's a chance to get away from trenton for a couple of days. but you know that the scandal follows him regardless politically. those important influential donors that he'll be meeting with today and tomorrow have certainly been hearing about it. they may be able to size up their own impressions of christie and how he is handling it. this will really be the test and that won't really be known for some time, how effective can he be? but that's the political challenge. christie says he will be focused on the business of being governor, especially back home where he has lots of events scheduled to be visible, to be conducting the business of his state. and at the same time carrying out this political role. so it's an important weekend for christie. it's also a bit of a break getting out of new jersey. but there's work to be done. he'll be meeting many donors

across these events for the next couple of days. >> nbc's kelly o'donnell, thank you so much. i want to bring in valerie huddle who is a democrat, a member of new jersey state legislature committee investigating the lane closures. thank you for being here. your committee's subpoenaed 18 people which include current and former aides to the governor. in addition to that, you've also subpoenaed the governor's office and his reelection campaign. what are you hoping to get out of these documents exactly? >> the truth, quite frankly, and answers. the questions today now are becoming more and more that we don't have answers for. when this governor continued to protect that culture at the port authority and toll hikes are continuing to rise, there needs to be some answers. in light of the disturbing allegations that we heard today, this morning about the mayor and holding back funding, i think we need more answers. and we need to get to the bottom of this. >> our colleague, steve kornacki, had an exclusive this morning. he interviewed hoboken new

jersey mayor dawn zimmer who says two senior members of the christie administration warned her that her city would be starved of hurricane sandy relief money unless she approved a certain project that he wanted -- a development project. what is your response to that? >> shocking and disturbing. and i think in light of these new revelations, we need to even get more answers. and one of the members of the port authority, the chairman, the allegations, he had conflicts. his firm was involved with that development. so i think we need to get answers to the questions and take it from there. we've hired special counsel. it's in the hands of professionals. and we are a legislative investigating as the committee. but as far as the prosecution, that will take place when the nr information comes in. >> the governor said, quote, mayor zimmer has been e fuossive in her public praise of the

governor's office and the assistance we've provided in terms of economic development and sandy aid. so what or who is driving her only now to say such outlandishly false things is anyone's guess. that's a direct quote. how do you respond to that? >> this is so new that we have to take this up with the committee and find out the answers. but it raises serious concerns about the abuse of power and the violation of public trust and if this is an issue, it will be resolved by special counsel. >> there have been a flurry of theories concerning why the bridge lane closures were ordered. "the new york times" reported yesterday a construction site near the bridge that is the centerpiece of fort lee's redevelopment plan is favored by the governor. let's listen to that. >> i cannot give a windfall to one property owner because the governor wants me to in exchange for the sandy funds. i'll tell you, i feel like i'm literally between a rock and a hard place. >> what do you think of that theory? >> i think i take her for her

word. again, they're allegations, they're shocking and disturbing. and i think we need to get the information before we can make any comments. >> we just received this statement from new jersey state senate president, steve sweeney. he says, the lane closings were an abuse of power. these new revelations suggest a pattern of behavior by the highest ranking members of the administration that is deeply offensive to the people of new jersey. if true, they could be illegal. there is no place in public service for actions like this or for people who are responsible. what is your reaction to that? >> that's certainly correct. again, this opens up new questions. and we need to get to the truth. and that is why these subpoenas are very important and this legislative committee is very important to understand what the information -- processing that information and, again, this governor wants to clean up independent authorities. it's the port authority, the first one, that he is protecting. so we need answers. >> what is the next step in your

investigation? and should we expect to see bridget kelly and other high-ranking members in these hearings? >> well, you will know that the subpoenas went out on thursday. by the time we get the information, i'm sure within the next couple of weeks, that information will go to the office of legislative services. it will then go to our special counsel. all the members, which is a bipartisan committee, will have access to the information. and counsel will determine which is relevant and which can be redacted. we'll look at the pertinent information. we're looking for the motivation for why bridget kelly said, it's time for traffic problems in fort lee. that's what we're looking for. the motivation and why and who's responsible. >> thank you very, very much. coming up, mitt romney is coming out in support of governor christie's handling of this scandal. we'll talk about the potential political implications ahead with our "brain trust."

clearing his name. 70 years after a judge sentenced george stinny to death, new efforts to overturn his conviction. real reform, the president proposed new limits to the nation's spying program but rejected key advice from his own panel. plus, 50 and fabulous. the first lady shows off her new aarp guard on her birthday weekend. we'll prove this weekend's big bash at the white house. ate. did you run into traffic? no, just had to stop by the house to grab a few things. you stopped by the house? uh-huh. yea. alright, whenever you get your stuff, run upstairs, get cleaned up for dinner. you leave the house in good shape? yea. yea, of course. ♪ [ sportscaster talking on tv ] last-second field go-- yea, sure ya did. [ male announcer ] introducing at&t digital life. personalized home security and automation. get professionally monitored security for just $29.99 a month. with limited availability in select markets.

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topping the saturday headlines, two american citizens are among the 21 people killed in a taliban attack in afghanistan. police in kabul say two gunmen opened fire at a popular restaurant moments after a suicide bomber blew himself up.

the taliban claims the attack is revenge for an afghan military strike against militants earlier in the week. two teenage suspects are in custody after two students were shot inside a philadelphia high school gym on friday. the incident happened at delaware valley charter high school. the two victims were wounded in the arm. both suspects are reportedly students at that school. the west virginia chemical company blamed for a massive spill that left 300,000 people without safe drinking water has filed for bankruptcy. freedom industries filed the papers yesterday. the company is under federal investigation and facing several lawsuits. president obama tried to reassure the nation and the world friday that he intends to make the government surveillance program more transparent. let's listen. >> i'm also calling on congress to authorize the establishment of a panel of advocates from outside government to provide an independent voice in significant cases before the foreign intelligence surveillance court.

>> jeffrey stone is a professor of law at the university of chicago. he was a member of the five-person nsa review panel appointed by the president and he joins us now. >> hi, milissa. >> hello. the president laid out a laundry list of changes. are you satisfied there will be more transparency at this point? >> absolutely. i think the president's speech framed the issue very well, endorsed a number of very important reforms and suggested many other reforms will be in the wings. yes, i think this is a major step forward although as he said it's only the beginning. >> your panel made 46 recommendations. did the president's plan cover all of those? >> no, not in the speech, certainly. we've talked to the president about them. and my expectation is that when all the dust settles, we will wind up implementing the vast majority. but the speech focused only on a handful of issues that have been generated most in the public eye. >> the president made a distinction between meta data and content of phone calls.

what's the difference between the two and what is their impact on privacy? >> content refers to what two people say in their phone calls. a traditional wiretap would listen to that and record that. meta data means only the call numbers. it's as if somebody looked at your phone bill and saw the numbers that you called and the numbers of the people who called you. no information about the identities and nothing about the content. >> the president didn't quite lay out a timetable for a change. let's listen to something quickly. >> this effort will not be completed overnight. given the pace of technological change, we shouldn't expect this to be the last time america has this debate. but i want the american people to know that the work has begun. >> is that too vague? should there be a specific timetable for this reform? >> he was quite specific about a number of the reforms. what he was saying there at the end, i think, is there are a lot of elements to this process.

some of them could be put in place quickly and he is moving forward on some of them right away. many require congressional approval and the president doesn't have the authority to implement them on his own. that's obviously going to take time and be complicated. what the president is saying, i think, what i can implement, i will do now. there's a lot of things i can't implement. some of them i will go forward with. some of them -- of our recommendations, he's more skeptical about. but i found this a very promising speech. i think a lot of the criticism of it of why doesn't he just do these things is misguided. he doesn't have the authority to do these things. we knew that. we were looking for recommendations that he would then put forward to the congress and then hopefully congress will enact. >> critics such as senator john mccain said the president left many questions unanswered and that a senate select committee should examine these issues. do you think that's an appropriate response? >> again, to the extent that there are issues about call for legislation, the senate and house could obviously use

whatever procedures they want. we've met with the senate intelligence committee and members of the house intelligence committee, with the senate judiciary committee. i don't think, frankly, that most of these issues that the president addressed yesterday are terribly complicated. and i think that they could be and should be enacted pretty straightforwardly. >> geoffrey stone, many of the president's nsa review panel, thank you very much for being with us today. >> my pleasure. more now on the president's nsa plan, let's bring in molly ball, reporter for "the atlantic" and david rhoad. molly, has the president's position on this issue resonated with his base? >> i think his base has had a hard time with all of these disclosures, with the nsa stuff, the snowden stuff. in fact, most of the erosion in the president's job approval rating over the course of 2013, which was a pretip us to drop over the course of the year, came from democrats and people

who had voted for him. republicans -- people who didn't vote for him didn't approve of him to begin with. but coming off that reelection high, there was a steady decline. a lot of young people were p infuriated with these disclosures. there's a defensive tone to the president's speech. a lot of civil libertarians saying it didn't go far enough. people in the president's party, like the senator from new mexico, saying they would have liked to have seen him go farther, make more commitments. i'm not sure those people are going to be satisfied. >> the president addressed some of the national implications. let's listen to come of that quickly. >> the leaders of our close friends and allies deserve to know that if i want to know what they think about an issue, i'll pick up the phone and call them rather than turning to surveillance. >> how do you think that kind of remark resonates with german chancellor angela merkel whose phone calls were listened in on? >> it might resonate with merkel

herself. but i think the bigger issue is the publics that are out there. american technology companies were disappointed in the speech yesterday because there was nothing about the panel's recommendation about the nsa not undermining commercial american companies trying to create new encryption technologies. it's hurting the sale of american technology abroad in germany and brazil, all over the world. why are you going to buy american software or hardware? you're going to think the nsa is tapping it and obama didn't address the issue. maybe it helps with leaders but not with the general public. >> how much of an impact has the scandal really had on the u.s. and our allies? >> i think it has. it adds to this perception of american double standards. it plays into suspicions that people already saw the u.s. as a lone, out-of-control superpower and the speech isn't going to reverse that view. >> molly, bloomberg news reports the president made its final

decision to move some of the surveillance data storage from government to private hands as late as thursday night. but there's no firm plan as to how this is going to work. quote, mr. obama gave attorney general eric holder and the nsa 60 days to develop a plan for storing bulk telephone records outside of government custody. why announce this before they know how it's going to work? >> well, i think they are scrambling a little bit. and there's been a very reactive nature to the way they've handled this whole controversy. there's a huge irony about the position that obama has found himself in on national security throughout his presidency. when david was just talking about the worldwide image of an out-of-control superpower, in a lot of ways, that's exactly the perception that obama was elected to reverse. that was the way people thought about the bush administration that obama specifically pledged he was going to correct that perception that the rest of the world has. instead, disclosures like this one and programs that he hasn't

curbed or kept in check in all kinds of ways, whether it's spying or drones or other national security programs, have not really done much to change the impression of the united states on the world stage. >> david, the president's speech has received some mixed reviews. in an editorial in today's "new york times," i want to read to you, but even as mr. obama spoke eloquently of the need to balance the nation's security with personal privacy and civil liberties, many of his reforms were frustratingly short on specifics and vague on implementation. what is likely to happen next? >> that's the big question. what will congress do and what will the administration follow through on these promises. there was a big speech the president gave last spring about shifting drone strikes from the cia where they're completely secret to the u.s. military where they would be more public. that hasn't happened at all. i think his base, back to the politics, are going to watch very closely if he does carry this out. politically it was interesting and molly was right about this younger voters. he took a swipe at edward snowden and he said that the nsa

had done nothing unlawful. i don't think that kind of rhetoric plays well with his base. >> molly and david, thanks to you both. live from new york, it is the comedienne who makes her debut with the "saturday night live" cast tonight. she is the first female cast member of color on the "snl" stage since mia rudolph left six years ago. they say she is more and ready for the spotlight. >> it's talent and her work ethic, all of that combined with all the natural beauty she has that makes her just meant to be a star. >> "saturday night live" with guest host drake airs tonight at 11:30 eastern on nbc. ♪ [ male announcer ] you're watching one of the biggest financial services companies in the country at work.

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this after lightning struck the monument, damaging the thumb on the right hand. you can see it right there. the statue is reportedly hit by lightning six times a year. i'm milissa rehberger in more craig melvin. here's a quick look at some other of the top stories making news now. the supreme court has agreed to hear two cases focusing on whether police can search a suspect's cell phone without a search warrant. police are allowed to search other items during an arrest. justices will determine whether a cell phone search constitutes an unreasonable search. senate majority leader harry reid is backing legalizing medical marijuana saying it may benefit those suffering from certain illnesses. marijuana is still illegal under federal law. senator reid's home state is debating that issue. firefighters in south australia are battling several brush fires burning out of control today. extreme heat with temperatures soaring to 108 degrees are fueling those flames. one person has been killed.

at least 12 homes have been destroyed. meanwhile, firefighters in southern california are battling an 1,800-acre wildfire. drought conditions in the region are partly responsible for that. 2013 was a driest year on record for the state, prompting governor jerry brown to declare a drought emergency. >> now we're facing a phenomenon of nature that makes us realize we're dependent on rain, we're dependent on one another. and to the degree that we can collaborate and cooperate as the greater community of california, we will have a better quality of life. >> the weather channel's julie martin has the latest now from that fire zone. >> reporter: weather conditions cooperated overnight. and that allowed fire crews to get in and set a number of backfires to help control the colby fire from spreading any further. still, it has consumed over 1,800 acres.

that's about the size of two central parks to give you some perspective. here at the base camp, crews getting ready to head back today for another very long one. and the weather will be challenging. once again, those santa ana winds are expected to kick up later on today in through this afternoon. we could see gusts upwards of 30 miles an hour in the mountains. that's going to make it tough for firefighters once again, coupled with the drought here and those winds. they're going to have another tough day, at least for today. in terms of containment, the county fire officials tell me it could be a few days before this fire is fully contained. meantime, about 300 residents still remain displaced today, unable to get into their homes. reporting from irwindale, california, i'm meteorologist julie martin. back to you, milissa. coming up, the life of the party. >> i'm going to be 50. >> [ applause ] . >> yeah. i'm not exactly sure yet what i'm going to do. but it might involve some

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this week, president obama promised to expand college opportunities for young americans. >> when young people are properly prepared from high school, we have to make sure they can afford to go to college. we took on a student loan program and said, let's give the money directly to students. we were able to double the grant aid that goes to millions of students. and today, more young people are earning college degrees than at any other time before.

>> you are a young american yourself, thank you for joining us. >> i am. >> thank you for joining us. do you think the president's actions go far enough from what you just heard and what you know? >> i think the president and the first lady in their speech earlier this week had goodwill to encourage colleges to increase their socioeconomic diversity. colleges have made a commitment to get people from poorer backgrounds to go there as a pathway to success. but we haven't seen them fulfill that pledge. and in fact, the bigger problem is completion. a lot of the people from poor neighborhoods will enroll in college. but they have to drop out due to unexpected costs like room and board and, of course, the fact that there's not enough support systems often for them to stay through. they have to work jobs, take care of family obligations. it's, what can we do to actually create an environment so that they can endure, graduate on time, not amass more debt and eventually be more poised to succeed in the job market. >> what else do you think does

need to be done? >> well, specifically, there's a need for more investment publicly, first and foremost. in public service position, in areas where there's need for disaster relief, in teaching, there's a massive need for teachers in different communities and in high-growth fields, engineering and tech jobs. and you need entrepreneurship. our generation has to be more entrepreneurial. how can we most effectively market our skills to employers so that we are an asset to the workforce as opposed to people who are just begging for jobs. >> many millennials, 36% of the nation's millennials live in their parents' home, that's the highest in four decades.

what does that statistic tell you about opportunities for today's america's young people? >> it's an incredibly disheartening statistic. the bigger issue besides the inconvenience of having your mom and your dad as your roommate is the fact that this has massive lingering and macro implications on the economy. look at what it's going to do to the housing market when people aren't being able to buy homes anymore. and the auto market. and on top of that, you have student loan debt which is accumulated. so the next generation is really going to face a difficult time getting their head above water. and more and more people are living at home because we've seen wages also stagnate. there are 70% of people who are more likely over the last decade to work minimum wage jobs with a college degree. i'm incredulous with that statistic. think about it.

70% more people with a college degree working for $7.25 an hour. that's untenable. we have to ensure there are bigger wages and more job opportunities. >> your group did have a little fun with the statistic. i want to play a clip of the video you made. >> sure. >> hey, america, i'm 25 without a care in the world. i'm in your face, taking it to the extreme, totally digital. i'm also unemployed and living at home with my parents. >> you know, it's funny but it's not. i know you made it but what is the way out of this? >> i think the way out of it ultimately is for a congress and a policy sector to say, what are we going to do to create young jobs? are we going to expand energy and teaching and engineering fields which the president's committed to. but will congress appropriate money? and i think our generation has to be creative and come up with some solutions like we already

are. and as consumers, we're going to have to support small and new businesses. we can vote with our wallets. we should put money into companies founded by young people to help stimulate more demand for their products and ultimately help them grow their own businesses and create jobs as a result. >> what do you see as the biggest economic obstacle facing your generation specifically? >> specifically besides jobs and unemployment and underemployment, student loan debt, without question. we have over $1 trillion of student loan debt as a society. the average person's share of that is almost $30,000. and think about that. that debt accumulates over time and when people can't find work immediately, they're entering the workforce in such a hole that it takes them forever to start their lives and achieve financial independence and start a family and that, like i said, is bad for the macro economy. and will affect everyone, not just our generation. >> matthew segal, thank you.

very good luck to you. >> my pleasure. thanks, milissa. >> thank you. could a 70-year-old murder conviction be overturned? george stinney jr. was just 14 years old when he was convicted of murder and executed in south carolina. now, all these years later, advocates for stinney and relatives of one of the murder victims are arguing over his fate. nbc's mark potter explains. >> reporter: in the lumber mill town in south carolina in the spring of 1944, the grisly murders of two little girls, 11-year-old betty and 7-year-old mary emma, both white, shattered the community. their bludgeoned bodies were in a ditch. >> their bodies were found in a low creek of water right behind me in that woodline area. >> reporter: a few days later, police took 14-year-old george stinney jr. into custody.

officers claim stinney gave an oral confession but there's no written record of that. stinney's family members who claim he was with them at the time of the murders were run out of town. >> he had absolutely no chance. >> reporter: stinney's murder trial in this courthouse lasted only about three hours. the all-white jury took just ten minutes to convict him. stinney was then sentenced to die. no physical evidence was presented. the defense put on no case and filed no appeal. and stinney's cell mate claims stinney said he never confessed. >> he said, johnny, i didn't do it. i didn't do it. he said, why would they want to kill me for something i didn't do? >> reporter: but on june 16, 1944, the 95-pound stinney, the inmate on the right, was executed in the electric chair. >> he didn't get due process. >> reporter: now, 70 years later, a south carolina law firm is trying to clear stinney's name, claiming he was framed.

>> i don't believe george stinney did it because of the evidence that we have uncovered. >> sad thing to happen. >> reporter: but among relatives and friends of murder victim betty benaker there is strong opposition to clearing stinney. this woman says the day before the murders, stinney threatened her. >> he said, if you don't get away from here and if you come back, i'm going to kill you. >> reporter: her nieces are convinced of his guilt. >> he was sentenced and he was put to death according to the laws in 1944. i think they need to leave it alone. >> reporter: stinney is buried in an unmarked grave in this cemetery. on tuesday, a judge will be asked to revisit that past and decide if the guilty verdict still stands. mark potter, nbc news, south carolina. we want to take a moment to say congratulations to a recent guest that we had on our show.

>> for best documentary feature, the nominees are "the square,". >> documentary filmmaker was on our show in october and talked to us about why she made "the square." >> we wanted to film what was happening, our country was changing. it's still changing. and i make films which follow the emotional story, that gets behind the headlines. so what you see on the news is the million man march, you see the election. but you don't understand exactly how you get there in a personal way. so that's what this film is about. e it up with olay regenerist. formulated with a skin energizing complex, it penetrates 10 layers of the skin's surface. because energized skin is younger looking skin. ♪

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is that true? says here that cheerios has whole grain oats that can help remove some cholesterol, and that's heart healthy. ♪ [ dad ] jan? could racing robots be the future of sports? that is today's big idea. it is called the prosthesis, a more than three-ton, two-story-tall so-called anti-robot controlled by a person inside an exoskeleton.

it moves when the pilot moves. one day, this could rival formula one racing. jonathan tippett is the inventor. he joins us. how did you come up with this idea and try to make it happen? >> well, it was probably -- i would have to give my inspiration to the burning man festival. ten years ago, i started going there and saw massive sculptures and thought, i'm a mechanical engineer, i can make these sculptures walk and i want it to be ridden by a human. >> why is it called an anti-robot? >> well, the anti-robot moniker speaks to the fact that it is totally dependent on human skill to operate. it has no autonomy, it couldn't walk or run or balance by itself. it's completely up to the skill of the pilot to make it move. >> so how far along is the robot

now? >> well, we have one prototype done. it's called the alpha leg. it's a two-thirds scale prototype. this is the interface i brought along to give a sense of what it's like to get your arm in the gauntlet. and you control that one giant leg with your arm. we've been doing engineering development and some early training on the alpha leg. >> what challenges have you faced as you go along? you must have had some interesting conversations with people. i want to build this giant anti-robot and can you fund it? so what kind of challenges have you faced along the way? as far as literally start to almost finish? >> yeah, i mean, you hit the nail on the head with the funding issue. we're in the middle of a campaign right now, we have about a week and a half left. that's how we're trying to get enough to complete the machine. i've funded the machine so far

out of my retirement fund. we've gotten a lot of support from an educational charity that we founded a few years ago to support these kind of large-scale art projects. that all have a clean energy theme running through them. we've built an amazing community of volunteers and partnerships with local universities as well that have helped make it a possibility. >> so my understanding is that it's your goal to start racing circuits and have people race these giant robots? is that the only application for the robot or will there be other things that it can do and when will you be able to meet this goal? >> well, the project originally was built to be a single machine that could be operated basically by the people that built it as something -- just as an amazing experience. but as the project developed over the last three years or so, it's become apparent that what we were really doing was

building a sports machine. it was a machine that would unite human skill and high-tech engineering to achieve lie levels of performance. that essentially is racing. so the racing vision kind of grew out of the original idea of just building something that would be awesome to operate. >> i love it. it's definitely a cool idea. and i'm definitely looking forward to seeing it when it's done. jonathan, thank you very much. >> thanks very much. >> do you have a big idea that is making a difference? tweet us with the hashtag, what's the big idea. tell us about it by e-mailing us. time to flash back now to this day in 1958 when willie o'ree broke the nhl color barrier when he took to the ice for the boston bruins. it wasn't for another 35 years, 1993 until all 50 states observed the martin luther king jr. holiday.

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president obama is hosting a dance party for his wife who turns the big 5-0 this weekend. first lady michelle obama is taking the milestone in stride tweeting a picture of her with a brand-new aarp membership card. guests have been told to wear comfortable shoes for the party. and if you're wondering what type of dancing the first lady may be doing tonight, here's a hint -- ♪ liza mondy is the author of "michelle, a biography" joins us. the guests have been asked to eat before they arrive. how have people received that advice? >> well, as an article said yesterday, there will be a lot more parties now, caterers

better be prepared for a lot more parties that's champagne and dessert. >> tell us about the theme of tonight's party. >> sounds like there's going to be a lot of festivities, a lot of dancing and a lot of fun for the people who are there. >> well, the president is throwing the big bash. and here's how he described it yesterday. let's listen. >> going to be a rolling birthday weekend. >> how big a milestone is this birthday for her? she's 50. she obviously doesn't look it. and she's obviously embracing it with her new aarp card. from what you know of her, what does this sort of milestone mean for her? >> well, there was a great piece in "the washington post" today pointing out that there was another first lady who celebrated her 50th in the white house. that was hillary clinton. and at the time it might have looked like she was winding down her tenure there, winding down

her career maybe and in fact it was the beginning of -- she was just ramping up a whole new career. i think it will be really interesting to see how michelle obama spends these coming years. i suspect that it will also be an on-ramp to a significant post-white house career. >> do you think she'll follow the path of hillary clinton, being the -- following her path into politics or do you see her taking more of a traditional role? >> well, i don't know about electoral politics. people ask that a lot because they have the similarity of both being attorneys. she comes from a family that was very distrustful of politics. and barack obama had to do a lot of work to persuade them to be on board with him as a politician. so it would be a real 180 for michelle obama to enter politics herself. but i do think it would be something significant on the public stage in a high-profile way. traditional means going off into

the good night, i think she will be very sought after to do something high profile. >> "the new york times" profiled the first lady in an article yesterday. i want to read you a portion. quote, the mix of hollywood and quirky individualism underscores the conflicting diptych of glamorous mystery woman and regular pta mother that defines america's modern woman. >> i think it's hard to look to the first lady to be representative of the modern american woman because it is a traditional and constraining role for a woman who's had a career, professional career on her own. it really so far does require you to take time out. i think, though, she is very representative of the modern parent, obviously very, very closely involved with her family life, very, very attentive to her daughters. i'm sure at this point in her life, she's also very aware that

they're going to be going to college in a few years. >> do you think the first lady considers herself a role model? >> oh, i think she must consider herself a role model. i think you couldn't be in that office without considering yourself a role model because people are always evaluating and analyzing and judging what you're doing, whether you want to or not, you are a role model. >> the spotlight is definitely on her and certainly on her tonight. liza, thank you. >> thank you. new details on allegations against chris christie's staff. one new jersey mayor says there was political payback. the msnbc exclusive is ahead. plus, attacked in afghanistan. a taliban bomber killed more than 20 people, including american citizens, outside a popular restaurant. we are live with the taliban's motive next. [ 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.

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right now on msnbc, the taliban attacks. an explosion heard miles away sent people fleeing for their

lives. now more than 20 people are dead, including two american citizens, as the taliban talks about their motive behind the bombing. hello on this saturday afternoon, i'm milissa rehberger in for craig melvin. also ahead -- >> it's not fair for the governor to hold sandy funds hostage for the city of hoboken. >> a new jersey mayor is accusing chris christie's office of withholding sandy relief money for her hard-hit city. the exclusive new details you'll only see on msnbc. goodness gracious, that is a big piece. >> the president signed a trillion-dollar budget bill but how did it pass without unemployment benefits? and the pope's punishments, former pope benedict defrocked hundreds of priests over claims of sex abuse. plus, facing the fallout. disturbing revelations are coming out after a factory left

thousands with toxic tap water. the checkered records of businesses and government inspectors putting you at risk. we start with the u.s. condemning a deadly attack in afghanistan that left 21 people dead. the attack took place at a popular restaurant in kabul. two u.s. citizens from the american university of afghanistan are among those dead. nbc's annabell roberts is in london with the latest. can you tell us exactly what happened? >> reporter: well, milissa, the restaurant that was targeted is in a part of kabul that's considered reasonably safe. a number of form embassies are based in this district and the restaurant was perceived as having more or less adequate security measures, meaning that aid workers, journalists and other expatriots were authorized to visit. but eyewitnesses say a suicide bomber arrived at the entrance and detonated explosives. then two gunmen followed him in and started shooting indiscriminately at the diners in fact restaurant.

the two u.s. citizens killed worked for the american university in afghanistan. they have not been formally named but their families are being informed. the president of the university said, we are devastated by the news. 21 people are known to have been killed, 13 of them foreigners, as well as the two u.s. citizens, three u.n. personnel died and the imf's top representative in the country. now, this was, in fact, the deadliest attack against foreign civilians in afghanistan since the war began nearly 13 years ago, milissa. >> we also understand that former first lady laura bush and hillary clinton have tied to the university that the two americans attended. what are you hearing about that? >> reporter: that's right. it's understood that laura bush was instrumental in the founding of this university. it's a very symbolic place. it's co-educational, women study alongside men. and she certainly met students who attend the university last time she was in kabul visiting at the presidential palace.

we see her there meeting students, discussing, chatting with students there. so it's a very, very symbolic place. the president, though, saying tonight that their work will continue and that this attack and the loss of the two members of staff flies in the face of everything that they and their students wish for afghanistan. milissa? >> thank you. the christie investigation heats up. a new jersey mayor says two senior members of governor christie's administration warned her her city would be starved of hurricane relief money unless she approved a redevelopment plan favored by the gvt. dawn zimmer spoke with steve kornacki this morning. take a look. >> why come forward now and not before now? >> i probably should have come forward then. this is probably the hardest thing i've ever done. so i probably should have come forward. but i literally feel like i have

to act in the best interest of hoboken. >> joining me now is host of msnbc's "up," steve kornacki, thank you for being with us. >> sure. >> governor christie's office responded to the mayor's claim. i want to read the exact quote -- mayor zimmer has been effusive in her public praise of the governor's office and the assistance we've provided in terms of economic development and sandy aid. what or who is driving her only now to say outlandishly false things is anyone's guess. a spokesman for the second administration official also denied that he made such a threat. what impact do these allegations actually have? >> first of all, when you show those responses from the governor's office, it speaks to something that's actually true. that there was for a long time, dawn zimmer became the mayor of hoboken in 2009, same year chris christie was elected governor. they genuinely were governing partners. there was a partnership between the state, the christie administration and the city of hoboken. dawn zimmer has frequently been effusive in her praise of the christie administration.

they have worked together on a lot of things. and the relationship really started to hit, according to her, to go in the other direction when these two things came to a head at the same time. one was this redevelopment project in hoboken that she says the governor strongly supported. and the other was her city being in need of sandy aid after the storm at the end of 2012 and in applying for all these funds that christie controlled. basically she said that the lieutenant governor and that a member of characterization chris christie's cabinet pulled her aside and told her there was a linkage there. she would get her sandy money if she expedited this development project in hoboken. >> we received this statement from new jersey state senate president steve sweeney. he says, the lane closings were an abuse of power. these now revelations subject a pattern of behavior by the highest ranking members of this administration that is deeply offensive to the people of new jersey. if true, they could be illegal. there is no place in public

service for actions like this or for the people who are responsible. what does this mean for the investigation? >> there was a similar statement that came out from john wisniewski, the chair of the assembly complete looking into this. it suggests, my laymen's reading of it, that one or both of these panels looking into the bridge situation -- this is the scope might be expanded to include this as well. there are any other number of investigations that are in place or could be put into place. this seems like something that you would expect might be added to that mix. the mayor was on the show, we asked her about this. her proof is she kept a diary. she kept a diary as all this was going on. she showed us the diary. it's many entries here of of a personal and mundane nature and she's recounting in the diary, which i've been told the diary would be admissible in court, she's recounting the situation with the lieutenant governor, the situation with the member of

christie's cabinet and she said on our show, look, any investigative body, any court that wants me to appear, take an oath and swear to this under oath, i will. and take a lie detector test. and she said, i would say to the christie administration to do the same. >> let's talk about the subpoenas that were released yesterday, included the governor's office and his reelection campaign. what can they get out of these documents that they're talking about? what are they looking for? >> in terms of the bridge situation, it's answers to the questions that were posed by the last document that is came out. for example, one document that came out in that wildstein and baroni document dump, showed when the top guy of the new york side, pat foye, he fired off this e-mail that said, this is a violation of state -- a potential violation of state and federal law. these lanes need to be reopened. that memo was received by bill baroni, was one of christie's

appointees at the port authority. it was received by him that morning on the 13th. we learned that it was forwarded to regina agea, christie's director of his authorities unit. from the stuff that's come out, we know she was forwarded this on september 13th. what we don't know is what happened when she got it. did she forward it to somebody else? did she forward it to the governor? did she talk to the governor about it? did she write to somebody to talk to the governor about it? that's an example of the kind of things that might happen with more subpoenas of documents. >> steve, thank you for joining us. you can watch steve's program each weekend at 8:00 a.m. eastern time only here on msnbc. after years of bitter battles over how to fund the government which included a shutdown and several short-term fixes we now have a budget. president obama signed the $1.1 trillion law yesterday. it overwhelmingly passed both chambers this week.

the budget spells out how much money each federal agency will get for the 2014 fiscal year. the president thanked staffers and described the importance of this agreement. >> these aren't numbers. these are homeless folks who are getting housing. these are laid-off workers suddenly enrolling in community college and finding the job that allows them to save a home and get back on track. that's some young scientist who's maybe going to find a cure for cancer, alzheimer's. that's what those numbers represent. >> wisconsin democratic congresswoman gwen moore voted for that spending bill. she joins us. thank you very much. i want to go through some of the highlights of the budget. there is no new funding to implement the health care law but it maintains current funding levels for medicare and medicaid services.

embassies will get less money for security. more than $8 billion are set aside for head start programs and u.s. military personnel will get a 1% pay increase. once again, you voted for i. what are we celebrating about this budget? and should we be celebrating this budget? >> you really did point out some of the worst features of the bill. of course the obvious thing is we didn't fund long-term unemployed persons and their families. and that's a growing problem. but you did name some of the really sticking points in this budget. i don't know that we're dancing in the street. but what we're celebrating is that we literally, to use maria shriver's narrative, pulled millions of people from the brink of catastrophe. and certainly we have staved off

yet another continuing resolution at the sequester levels and really stanched a lot of the human misery that the sequester caused. >> as you were just saying, is this a step in the right direction to avoid other potential crises as we're approaching the debt ceiling deadline? >> absolutely. and as we approach the debt ceiling crisis, my concern is that republicans will continue to use things like the unemployment insurance, things that we really, really need to not only help individuals but to help our economy. i want people to remember, when you have 1.3 million people unemployed and then 72,000 people joining the ranks of those folks that won't get unemployment every week thereafter, you're talking about 200,000 jobs that are going to be lost. you're talking about millions, billions of dollars being lost in the economy. that unemployment insurance

provides $1.50 for every dollar that we provide toward our economic benefits. so those big box stores that found that they weren't getting their money at the end of the holiday season, those were unemployed people who weren't spending money. and so we're harming our econ y economy. and i just am one of the people -- and i hope -- it sounds like folk like speaker boehner and paul ryan, republicans in the house, really understand that they need to govern. recently -- >> i think people are obviously very frustrated and so are probably politicians alike. but for people who are outside of washington, it does look a bit like there are some political games going on. what is next -- >> oh, absolutely. >> what has to happen next to actually fix this? >> actually, john boehner has got to stand up to the billionaire funders of the tea party which he has done recently.

they're the people that didn't want this budget deal passed. they didn't want to end the sequester. they're people that want this brinksmanship and this drama. and he said just recently that it's ridiculous and that these funders, these billionaires are just using their members and their campaign contributions. and he's tired of it. paul ryan recently said that they're the majority party. they need to govern. if they continue -- if the republicans in the house continue on this path, they realize that the people might turn on them. no longer are we talking about the proverbial welfare queen that we're trying to support. literally a third of our population are finding themselves on the brink of some sort of economic catastrophe because of the way we're handling our budget. >> wisconsin congresswoman gwen

moore, thank you very much. >> thank you. battle over the ballot box. a new bipartisan plan aims to reinstate parts of this. and mitt romney is responding to the chris christie scandal. what he says about how the new jersey governor is handling the pressure. you're watching msnbc. i'm randy, and i quit smoking with chantix. as a police officer, i've helped many people in the last 23 years, but i needed help in quitting smoking. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix varenicline is proven to help people quit smoking. chantix reduced the urge for me to smoke. it actually caught me by surprise. [ male announcer ] some people had changes in behavior, thinking, or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, and suicidal thoughts or actions

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topping the news now, new figures from the centers of disease control show the number of flu-related deaths among children in 40 states has doubled in one week. ten children died during the second week in january alone. that raises the pediatric death toll for the season to 20. a federal judge struck down a north carolina law that

required abortion providers to provide ultrasounds on patients while reading a script explaining the images. rick bratton is sponsoring a proposal that could bring execution by firing squad to that state. the move comes as pharmaceutical companies are halting sell of drugs for executions. bratton says firing squads are also cheaper than drugs. there is a new bipartisan effort on capitol hill to restore the 1965 voting rights act. key portions of that landmark law were struck down by the supreme court last june. three congressmen introduced the voting rights of 2014. the movement comes at the same time there is renewed action on voting laws at the state level. let's bring in the president of the naacp legal defense and educational fund. thank you for joining us today. >> thanks for having me. >> congressman jon lewis lauded

this new effort. let's listen to that. >> the right to vote is precious, almost sacred. it is the most powerful, nonviolent tool we have in a democratic society. >> tell me, what exactly is in the measure. >> well, the bill is designed to do certain things that were removed by the supreme court's decision last year. it does them in kind of interesting ways. it provides a means to include certain dates and jurisdictions under a preclearance provision, that is a provision that would require them to submit any voting changes to a federal authority. and it doesn't use a geographic measure. so it essentially applies nationwide any state that has a certain number of voting rights act violations could be subject to this provision. it provides for notice of voting changes all over the country, once again.

it gives the department of justice the opportunity to use federal observers when they've received complaints about voting challenges to language minorities. there's a whole menu of provisions that are all designed collectively to intertwine to provide a net, a safety net of protection to replace the safety net that was essentially wrested away after 48 years when the supreme court decided the shelby county, alabama, case last june. >> do you think it was enough to get back? >> i've said from the very beginning that this is a first step. i think there's still a lot of work to be done on this bill. it's hard for us. we represented black voters in shelby county, alabama, to imagine a bill that doesn't contemplate covering alabama. and this one, by its terms, by the provisions within it, would not cover alabama. i think there are many of us who work with minority voters who want to see practice-based

triggers that would cover states. that is, states that engage in certain kinds of conduct or voting changes that we know tend to have a discriminatory result. and then there are many people who are disturbed about the fact that it really limits the ability to use voter id challenges as part of the basis upon which you can have a jurisdiction covered under the preclearance provision. >> as it moves forward, do you think that it will continue to have bipartisan support? >> yeah, i'm actually really quite encouraged. we began with four republican congresspeople, two of them from the south, spencer baucus from alabama and trey gowdy from south carolina. just recently, representative duffy from wisconsin joined. this is after the first announcement. what we expect over the next few weeks and months is that more republicans will begin to trickle in. we also expect to have republican support in the senate which we don't have yet. this is early days yet.

this is how it happens. a bill is produced. what representative lewis said that first day, he said, i find it amazing -- it's amazing, unreal to me that we were able to produce this. remember last june people said it wouldn't be possible to even introduce a bill in this current political climate with this deadlock congress. here we are less than a year after the supreme court's decision with a proposed bipartisan bill available for us to begin to work on. and so i think over the next few weeks and perhaps months -- although i hope not too long -- we're going to keep working on this bill to make it better. those of us in the civil rights community are going to press to make it better. we're going to see more and more support come aboard. eric cantor said he's looking at the bill. a number of republicans are looking closely at the bill. the voting rights act has always been a bipartisan measure. every reauthorization of it has been overwhelmingly bipartisan. i think this is a democracy issue. no member of the united states congress, democrat or republican, wants to stand

against democracy, wants to stand against inclusion and the right of every citizen to participate in the political process. so we feel quite optimistic. >> cheryl, thank you for being here today with us. >> thank you. now to that burning question that americans have been asking for decades -- >> hey, where's the beef? >> i remember that commercial so well. we found lots of beef with this new survey from "time" magazine. they recently gathered a team of historians and burger experts to determine the most influential burger of all time. and the winner is the white castle slider. the patty was the first burger to spawn a fast-food empire. rounding out the top five are mcdonald's, in-and-out, new york's 21 club burger and

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the vatican has confirmed news reports that nearly 400 priests were defrocked over two years for molesting children. the actions took place under the reign of pope benedict. thank you for being here with us. father, let me start with reading something to you from a vatican spokesperson who told nbc news this. the defrocking was imposed on some as a disciplinary measure while others requested it themselves. the number refers to two recent years but they are the consequence of events that go back many years. is that right? >> yes, what we see here is the results of the procedures that were set up by pope benedict and actually earlier when he was a cardinal.

pope benedict established zero tolerance for abuse by priests. this is the procedure for getting them out of the priesthood so that they can no longer act as a priest, can no longer minister, can no longer be out there as a priest where they might do harm to children. so this is bad news that there were 400 priests that were doing this, but it's good news that the vatican has kicked them out. >> joelle do you think that defrocking is enough of a punishment? that's my first question. my second one is really, do you think this signals a new era in the cath lolic church? >> the big problem is yes, these men were defrocked. but the problem is, they are out there. we don't know who these men are or what kind of crimes they committed. we don't know what countries they're in or anything about them. they've been kicked into society with know repercussions whatsoever. sure, they may no longer have

their big pension from their local diocese. but other than that, law enforcement hasn't been informed, survivors haven't been informed. it's really nothing more than a defense maneuver on behalf of the vatican. >> under normal circumstances somebody who was proved to have molested somebody would be in jail. >> exactly. where are the police reports? it doesn't really matter to survivors that 400 priests were defrocked. what matters is if 400 child predators are arrested and put in jail and exposed. >> father reese, these numbers were first disclosed this week in the course of questioning by a united nations human rights committee. the church was criticized for its lack of openness on this issue. so why does disclosure of past abuse continue to be such an issue for the church? >> well, the newspaper that i actually work for right now "the national catholic reporter" has been on this story since the mid-'80s. it's a lay-run catholic newspaper, independent.

and it's been raising this questions continually, asking, okay, let's have more transparency, let's have more information. let's hold bishops accountable for what they have done and what they didn't do in protecting children. this is very important. we have to keep this pressure up to make sure that these things are done well. now, remember, these 400 priests are not just from the united states. they're from all over the world. and we've got to make sure that the church does a good job on this all over the world. >> thank you both. >> thank you. chemical concerns, more than 33,000 chemical incidents like explosions and spills happen in the u.s. last year alone. who is looking out for our safety? that's next. [ 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?

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in the aftermath of the chemical spill in charleston, west virginia, that left more than 300,000 residents without drinkable water. freedom industries filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on friday. the chemical storage company was behind that spill. and residents in charleston are leery of the official word that the water there is once again safe. chemical spills in this country remain a problem. information about individual chemical incidents is hard to come by. but more than 33,000 chemical spills were reported nationwide in 2013. in august, a blast allegedly caused by improperly stored chemicals in a town of west texas killed 15 people and injured more than 300. let's bring in rick hind. he joins us now. whose responsibility is it to make sure that dangerous chemicals are handled safely? >> ultimately it's the responsibility of the facilities that make, handle and store them. but the federal government has a

role and actually could do a lot more, add could states. >> "the new york times" in an editorial on the west virginia crisis notes this, the federal government also has a checkered record on chemical safety, the main law regulating chemicals, the toxic substances control act of 1976, has allowed tens of thousands of inadequately tested chemicals, including mchm, to remain in use. the epa has tested just 200 of the roughly 85,000 chemicals in use today and restricted fewer than a dozen. house speaker john boehner said on tuesday that more regulation is not the answer. let's listen to that. >> the issue is this, we have enough regulations on the books. what the administration ought to be doing is actually doing their jobs. why wasn't this plant inspected since 1991? i am entirely confident that there are ample regulations already on the books to protect the health and safety of the american people. >> do you think the speaker is

right about that? >> absolutely not. if the speed limit is 100 miles an hour, what good is it to go and test for 60 miles an hour, right? so the problem is that the federal government actually has legislation on the books but hasn't issued regulations. and regulations could have been in place that actually prevented this disaster, either at the plant by preventing the leak to getting into the river, or preventing and noticing the water treatment plant so they had a chance to shut off their water intake before the poison got there. same with west texas. it was all preventible if we had the current law implemented with more aggressive regulations. but the president's executive order in august created a task force of agencies working on that very thing. and reports are due on the president's desk on may 1st.

>> do you see states cracking down on local businesses without federal pressure added to it? >> the federal government sets the minimum standards and the states can exceed that anywhere they like. and should, especially in states like west virginia or you look at louisiana or down the river where this mess is going in louisville, kentucky. states can exceed the federal standards by setting more strict standards and many states have done that. and we welcome any state to do that. >> rick hind from greenpeace, thank you very much. >> thank you. some of the other top stories making news now, emergency officials in southern california say many of the residents evacuated because of a raging wildfire can now return home. much of the fire has been reduced to smoke and ash at this point. but dangerous conditions do still exist. the blaze destroyed five homes and damaged 17 other structures. in philadelphia, a second suspect turned himself in today after a high school scooting left two students wounded. the incident happened yesterday

at delaware valley charter high school. the victims were both shot in the arm and both suspects are students at that school. octomom will head back to court in february. she was released after pleading not guilty to three counts of welfare fraud. suleman was accused of failing to report $30,000 in earnings while applying for federal assistance. house republicans could be taking a new run at the affordable care act. so let's go straight to our "brain trust" to talk about that. bring in aisha moody mills, bob franken and nick gillespie. thank you all for being here with us today. aisha, let's begin with you. house speaker john boehner is planning to unveil a new plan to replace obamacare. the hill reports, an alternate to obamacare will be one of the big issues the house gop will

discuss at its annual policy retreat. how productive is this? >> it's completely counterproductive to what we need them to be doing as the legislative body for america right now. i can't help but to laugh. it's really just sad that they've had several years to present some kind of alternate policy, to present their ideas about what they would think would make obamacare work a little bit better, what we could do to reform health care for our country and they've refused to. they focused specifically on repeal, repeal, repeal, we want to get rid of it. and now all of a sudden that the elections are coming around, they're like, maybe she should come up with an alternative plan. it's clear they intend on doing nothing up there. >> bob, what do you think? why do you think the main gop objective here seems to be replacing the whole thing? >> well, first of all, we've seen the replacements before and usually they take about one page to say anything but what is in obamacare. if they are really serious about

that, all they have to do is to go to some of the conservative think thanks that had come up with plans that are strikingly similar to what we now call obamacare or they can go to romneycare in massachusetts. >> nick, does this public posturing by both sides -- where does it leave the american people? >> where we've been for a long time, a majority of people did like obamacare. it is getting less popular every day that it's currently in place and every time that obamacare or the administrators they they have to delay some. most recently pushing back the deadline for enrollment, the deadline for people with pre-existing conditions. the republicans don't have any credibility on this because it's true. they've sat around and fiddled while they said rome was burning. having said that, it's clear that obamacare doesn't need minor adjustments. obamacare really does need a complete overhaul. i would prefer that it be stripped out completely. but having said that, there are

some -- in some of the republican plans floating around, there are some good things. some are talking about deductibility of insurance. they're talking about selling insurance across state lines which would actually fix what is looking like it's going to be a major catastrophe for obamacare, which is that individual states are not going to have the kind of range of patients on the individual markets of young, healthy people and older, sick people that they need. you need a national market in health care if you actually want to equalize costs. >> as we continue on with the "brain trust," an msnbc exclusive, new details on allegation against chris christie's staff. one new jersey mayor says there was political payback. that's coming up next. when jake and i first set out on our own, we ate anything. but in time you realize the better you eat, the better you feel. these days we both eat smarter. and i give jake purina cat chow naturals. made with real chicken and salmon,

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we are back with our "brain trust." bob, there are new allegations

today that new jersey governor christie's administration engaged in political bullying. earlier on msnbc's "up" with steve kornacki, hoboken mayor dawn zimmer said two of christie's officials told her her city would only receive sandy relief funds if she approved a specific development project. >> the bottom line is, it's not fair for the governor to hold sandy funds hostage for the city of hoboken because he wants me to give back to one private developer. and it's important that -- i know it's very complicated for the public to really understand all of this. but i have a legal obligation to follow the law, to bring balanced development to hoboken. >> a spokesman with governor christie's office just released this statement. the governor and mayor zimmer have had a productive relationship with mayor zimmer even recently saying she's very glad he's been our governor. it's very clear partisan politics are at play here as

democratic mayors with a political ax to grind come out of the woodwork and try to get their faces on television. how damning are these allegations, do you think? >> first of all, it's kind of a casablanca reaction. bullying in new jersey politics? i'm shocked! shocked! >> nick, you're laughing, what do you think? >> i'm laughing because i'm from new jersey and i recently wrote about the kind of psychodynamics in new jersey. everybody in new jersey, and i say this with love, everybody in new jersey, especially in politics, is probably lying about things. but it does hurt chris christie, not so much the individual charge, but it's one more bean on the bag that's going to flip over. one more straw on the camel's back. his biggest problem, i think in going national is from kind of a libertarian republican perspective -- this is a guy who's increased spending every year he's been in office. he's very pragmatic, he's awful

on issues like gay marriage. he's awful on the drug war and on medical marijuana and he's no good on spending. i don't see him going very far with the libertarian contingent which is going to determine who the republican nominee is in 2016. >> aisha, before these latest allegations, mitt romney came to governor christie's defense in the george washington bridge scandal. he told "the washington post," i think chris has handled this in a very effective way. a member of his administration did something that he was unaware of and that he found reprehensible. he faced the american people for two hours, took their questions. he dismissed people who were responsible. he took personal responsibility. that is what a leader does. do you think that this can be seen as a blessing from a mainstream republican while so many of them have been at odds with chris christie? >> let me tell you what, i'm a jersey girl, too, originally from south jersey. and if i were someone who was sitting there trying to get over that bridge, i would be really frustrated with the fact that in

that almost two-hour press conference, governor christie never actually apologized to me. so while he may have gotten up there and said, i'm going to take responsibility and he might have fired some people and tried to distance himself, really for his own political good, he still has not demonstrated the type of empathy and compassion for what the residents of his state has been going through. that is what it sounds like we're hearing a bit around the the hurricane sandy relief and how he might be withholding funds from people who needs it. that's going to be a problem for him down the line as he tries to pursue other political offices. >> i may be the only person here not from new jersey and right now i think i say that with a bit of pride. but first of all, can you imagine on the bridge with so many of the drivers doing with their hands? >> right. >> but the point i want to make is, i think that he's in trouble even in new jersey. you have bruce springsteiesprin

new jersey, making fun of him on national tv. >> i want to play an online attack ad from the dnc. let's watch that. >> that is the big, big problem here. there's some kind of culture that told people this was okay. >> one of the legitimate criticisms here is that every single organization is a reflection of its principle. >> so, nick, how do you respond to that? obviously the democrats are not going to let up on this. >> and i actually think that bridgegate in any case is less important for 2016 than it is for within new jersey. i think it's going to make it harder and harder for christie to govern at all. i also think, though, that it really depends -- what he's been popular for, why he became known wasn't because he's doing a good job in new jersey. it's because he was willing to tell teachers and an

increasingly long line of constituents and special interests to shut up because he thought they were idiots and people rallied around that for a certain degree. but i think when you're looking for what people are going to be looking at in 2016, christie is actually christie is too much of a mainstream muddling politician. and i enjoin the jey the jersey to be quite frank. some of the other big state governments have done other things to change collective bargaining, to change tax rates, bring spending down where they've had a radical and generally successful medicaid substitution program that's helping poor people. christie has nothing similar to any of that to run on. >> we're going to take a break but our brain trust is going to stay with us. >> coming up, one of the biggest

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this just in from the state department. officials say three americans were killed instead of two in the attack by the taliban. we are now back with our brain trust. we want to take a look at stories that were overlooked and underplayed. iesha, let's start with you. >> sure. maria shriver accomplished a report talking about women. it was ground breaking. what was really ground breaking is it included lesbian, bisexual and transgender women in a conversation about the economic plight that they face. we don't always talk about all women and all women aren't represented. it really great that her report is amplifying the issues that

these women face and to have lesbian and transgender women, because they live at the brink and fall to the bottom of almost every economic metric is a huge deal. it's my wife, daniel, that wrote that essay that contributed to the report so good job, wife. >> i had a chance to look through it and it is a great piece of work. you're right. bob, what but? >> well, they averted a government shut down but within six weeks, the drama queens and kings will have to deal with it. my opinion would be big deal, government shutdown averted. >> i found that mtv's 16 pregnant teen shows got a lot of

press. the reporters didn't seem to read the whole report which showed that more than twice that amount or the same economists said that a rotten economy actually meant that -- was a factor in a decline in about twice as much in terms of teen pregnancy. i would like to see more media literacy from the media where they don't just really grab a headline rather than looking at more important longer lived trends and factors. a really long-term decline in teen pregnancy, which is a good thing really. aisha and the rest of our brain trust panel, thank you very much. it is nfl championship weekend but is the league doing any better at preventing head injuries? i'll talk to former chicago

bears quarterback jim mcmahon. but first "disrupt" with karen finney. have a great saturday. yes! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues... with three strains of good bacteria. [ phillips' lady ] live the regular life. phillips'. if you have a business idea, we have a personalized legal solution that's right for you. with easy step-by-step guidance, we're here to help you turn your dream into a reality. start your business today with legalzoom.

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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 ♪ hello, disrupters. i'm karen finney. coming up, new allegations drag chris christie's administration back into the fray as he tries to show florida donors he's stronger than the verse in new jersey. and shock -- fox news gets it wrong again! >> chris christie is in florida this morning on a fund-raising mission for the republican party. kristy is taking the trip after 20 subpoenas went out. >> subpoenas went out to the governor's office himself. >> the political peril he's