syrian peace talks can rebound off that rocky start. these three u.s. athletes are set to make history at the olympic games. their big leap to shatter the glass ceiling. >> i was watching on tv and i thought that i would never be able to do that. and i wanted to do that more than anything. united nations envi is trying to get the syrian regime and opposition to sit down face to face in geneva after a rocky start yesterday when president o assad's foreign minister angrily attacked positions. i'm joined by the deputy spokesman for state department. great to have you here. i know you have to go back to

the state department and address these issues, but having you here first is so great. let's talk about the syrian peace talks. it's baby steps it seems to get them to go face to face. we know all the way going back to vietnam and paris peace talks, they argued for months and months about the shape of the table. but it seems with almost three years of civil war and so many deaths and the torture pictures that the government had, at least for a couple of months, hasn't independently verified but horrendous death on all sides. what more can we do? >> it is horrendous. it is significant that for the first time yesterday we saw the regime and opposition sitting down at the table together. we know this is going to be difficult. but we are committed to putting the full diplomatic weight of the united states and united nations and our partners into this because it's so horrific and there's no military solution. there's only a solution that happens at the diplomatic negotiating table.

this is just the start of the process though. we know it's going to be a long process. our team is there on the ground right now with the different parties continuing the discussions. the secretary just started yesterday but i think no one is under any illusions this is going to be very difficult. >> can you address the growing perception after all of this time that the u.s. government in all of its bureaucratic complexity, doesn't move quickly enough, that we saw these pictures and the government had these pictures two months ago and i know that they are not independently verified but certainly leading authorities believe that they are legitimate and that they do show at least some of the brutality on the part of the regime. what couldn't the government have spoken out sooner? >> a couple of points, the first is that we didn't xpe out specifically about these photos to protect the source that provided them. this is a dangerous situation. people who come to us with help do need to be protected.

but generally speaking, we have repeatedly spoken out about the brutality of the assad regime and horrible situation they are putting their own people in and brutality of the barrel bombs and chemical weapons and situation in the prisons. we have spoken about it that's why we've been very clear that we need to get to a political transition where assad can't do this to his people any longer. as we work with the opposition and other partners, we have to protect the people that have come to us for help and make decisions about what to make public when. >> edward snowden, his leaks have sparked national conversation. >> absolutely. >> today he's going to do a web chat. now this privacy panel at this hour is recommending that the mass collection of telephone records be abandoned, that the benefit does not outweigh the invasion of privacy. >> i think you saw the president speak about this last friday, about what we do from here. having undertaken an incredibly

thorough review, what he's focused on diplomatically is assuring people we want to strike that balance between privacy and security. having come out of the intelligence community before the state department, i know there are real threats out there. the president knows that. what he talked about with metadata and other things, how we strike that right balance, the changes we're going to make and what we're doing at the state department is going around the world and telling governments what we're doing and not doing, how we want to work together and also telling people all around the world we don't just listen in on average people's phone calls or collect their data if there's not a security reason to do so. >> i wanted to ask you about the travel alert issued for sochi and all of russia really. experts we talked to say within sochi itself at the venues it might be safe. but that elsewhere in russia, that they don't think that going in public transport, taking trains is safe from terror attacks. what is your advise for travelers for the olympians and

their families? >> absolutely. it's not unusual before major international sporting events to have an uptick in threat reporting. we have seen that in the past. that's certainly not unusual. we recommend that american citizens who are traveling to sochi register with the state department so we know how to get in touch with people if we need to and they are aware of their surroundings. we're not telling people not to go. the olympics are a hugely important international event. we also have offered our support to the russian government, both with security personnel and guidance advice, working together to help them combat this threat and make sure the games go off safely. but we're really looking forward to them. certainly we have folks from the state department going as part of the delegation but folks do need to pay attention to their surroundings, absolutely. >> the house intelligence chair rogers suggested on "meet the press" on sunday that he is

suspicious of whether edward snowden had russian help before he made his escape, russian help at the very beginning and said it's not hardly a coincidence he ended up in the arms of the russians. these are questions that were also raised by the senate chair, dianne feinstein. do you and administration and you have a background in intelligence, have any indication that edward snowden had help from the russians? >> i think right now the fbi is doing an investigation to answer exactly those questions and see whether or not he did have help from someone else. i think we'll wait until they issue their findings, but setting aside how he got where he is, what we have made clear, he needs to return to the u.s. now to face the charges, very serious charges he faces. and that if he does have these courage of convictions that he talks about, i'm sure he'll talk about it today, he should come back to the united states and face justice for what he's done. we've been very clear about that, no matter how he got

before he is today. >> marie harf, thank you so much. >> that new report by the independent bipartisan agency concluded that the nsa's records collection program is illegal and should be stopped. although two of the three panelists dissented they called for major changes. this as the justice department aaccusing the private contractor who conducted edward snowden's background check and majority of background checks of massive fraud. joining me now from the world economic forum in davos, jane harman, president of the woodrow wilson center and key member of the intelligence committee for years. first, your reaction to this conclusion by the privacy panel that the data collection it illegal and should be abandoned? >> well, i don't think it's illegal. i was in congress when we amend the foreign intelligence surveillance act and set in

place safeguards and made sure not only did this program comply with law but it was subject to federal court review and congressional oversight. so i don't think it's illegal but i do think we may have reached a tipping point here. this is the latest group to weigh in and say that this vast collection of data is not that useful and infringes substantially on personal privacy. the president tried to address this last friday and said in a short period of time he wants recommendations, but i think at this point we should seriously consider not -- >> congresswoman harman, let me interrupt you just for a moment. we've got breaking news out of miami. stand by if you will. right now in miami, justin bieber has been arrested on a number of charges. the judge is reading the charges, including resisting arrest and driving under the influence, he's appearing now before the judge for his bond

hearing. let's watch. >> all right, mr. perez and mr. craigo. >> okay. state? >> on case of mr. bieber the state is asking -- >> your honor, we agree with that. >> okay, what would the standard bond be. >> on the count of resisting without violence $1,000. dui, $1,000 and accounts of driving without a driver's license -- >> corrections on expired dl? >> 500. >> 2500, your honor. >> so the total bond would be $2,500 broken down $1,000 resist ago without violence, $1,000 for the dui and $500 for the expired

driver's license. is there anything else before me involving mr. bieber? >> no, your honor, but thank you very much for hearing us right away. we appreciate your courtesy. >> you're welcome. >> corrections, do you need anything else other than what i've noted? >> no, your honor, thank you. >> thank you. >> okay, as you just saw, justin bieber's bond was set at $2500. you heard this after an incident in miami, driving under the influence and some cursing at the arresting officer. let's get back to what we were reporting on. we were talking about the new report on the independent bipartisan agency as well as other foreign policy news, jane harman is i believe still in

davos switzerland. if we can pick up the conversation. you were saying you were in congress and you approved and voted for the way the records were not only being held but collection of records. what evidence did you have that you can share or attest to that the collection of so much -- so many records, millions and millions of records, all of the telephone records of americans is worth it because the suggestion has been made if you have everything you have nothing. >> andrea, that is really not what i was trying to say. we approved the contours of the program. we did not approve how much data would be collected and i no longer serve in congress as you know and haven't been on the intelligence committee for some time but what i was trying to say is that at this point, given all of this criticism, especially in europe, it's in

the newspaper today that microsoft is going to start using servers outside the united states so that it can keep people's data safe. i can just imagine people in the united states wanting to use the microsoft or other servers outside the united states. this is becoming -- unmanageable. and my suggestion is at this point that we look for alternatives and that section 215 so far as i understood before the president spoke was something the white house was considering abandoning. the president didn't abandon and gave three options. one that has the most appeal to me which he didn't explain carefully is tagging data so you can actually find needles without having to have the haystack. wouldn't that be better? wouldn't that be reassuring to people? at any rate, i want to commend the privacy and civil liberties commission which we set up in 2004. i was one of the authors of the law as part of the intelligence

reform law for making a careful stab at this. they weren't fully functioning until last year, it took nine years to have this panel functioning, which is unfortunate. >> let me just clarify and i apologize. thank you for explaining. are you saying that when were in congress and this was set up, you approved the broad contours of it but it was never the intention of the committees in the legislation -- >> no. >> to have so much metadata collected? >> no, i didn't say that. i said we didn't describe how much metadata should be collected. we understood that it was being collected, those decisions were made by the executive branch. i assume nsa and reviewed by a federal court. the fisa court and contours of the program were reviewed on a regular basis and the fisa court as we have all learned since some of its decisions have been made public has disapproved some things and nasa has -- nsa has

deleted data that was collected not in compliance with the program but this program has been looked at a number of times. federal courts have looked at it. there was a conflict between two courts right now, the d.c. circuit court thinks the program is unconstitutional and other the district court and another district court thinks it is constitutional. so probably this thing will go back up to the supreme court. my own view was and still is, that the program is constitutional but that's only one piece, the second piece is politically, does it make sense and in terms of u.s. security, to have a program which is creating so much dissension in our own country and certainly in a country like this one, switzerland, germany, where davos meeting is being held. and causing u.s. communications companies like microsoft to invent ways to get around the

fisa program by telling people in europe that if they use microsoft as their carrier, the data from that -- that relationship will not be stored in the u.s. will be outside the reach the nsa program in the west. >> thank you. we appreciate you joining us from davos. >> hope it wasn't too confusing. >> nope, perfectly clear from your end. and going back to that breaking news out of miami where justin bieber has appeared before the judge including resist ago arrest and driving under the influence, mark potter is outside the courtroom. mark? >> reporter: andrea, we're outside the miami beach police department. in the 4:00 hour he and another man were drag racing through a residential community here. bieber driving a yellow rented

lamborghini going 55 to 60 miles per hour in fay residential area where the posted speed limit was 30. the arresting officer said when they stopped him he was aggressive and didn't cooperate. he cursed at the officers. and eventually was put under arrest. the officer said he also smelled alcohol and saw that bieber had bloodshot eyes. brought here to the police department, charged with three things, dui, resisting arrest without violence and driving with an expired driving under the influence, one that he had obtained in georgia. the police chief said when he got here to the police department, he calmed down his demeanor changed and he started cooperating and quit cursing at the officers. they said he admitted that he had consumed alcohol, marijuana and some sort of prescription drug. he was then taken to the jail and the hearing you just saw was actually conducted in two different buildings. bieber was in the jail talking by videotape to judge joseph farina in a courtroom in another

building where they had the bond hearing. one of the things you might have noticed was that the lawyer representing justin bieber one of the most famous in the country, mr. roy black. famous here and famous all around for high profile clients and he told us that he was hired by justin bieber's manager to represent the young star that he has not yet talked to justin bieber. he wasn't able. and was hoping to do that today. our presumgs is now that bond is granted and time required for a release after dui eight hours has passed or about to pass, that sometime today it's likely he'll be released, andrea. >> that is a high profile case, so a high profile lawyer. thank you. in new jersey, chris christie's official schedule has two education related meetings today while the fbi and state democratic leaders dig deeper into the scandal circling his

administration. senate majority leader loretta weinberg joins me now. >> thank you. >> there was a hearing of an attorney for mayor zimmer last night in hoboken at the city council. tell me what is the next step regarding the joint legislative investigation? >> well, we announced the joint legislative investigation this week. we will be meeting on monday both the senate and the assembly to formally create the joint committee, to formally name the chair people assemblyman john wisniewski and myself and for the senate president and speaker of the assembly to name members to each committee. we will be receiving the first -- i should say the second round of subpoena documents. i think on february 3rd. those documents will be reviewed and pending what they say, we

will decide the order of witnesses that we will ask to come forward to the committee. >> and what about this separate hoboken issue and what mayor zimmer has said. have you had any interactions with lieutenant governor kim guadagno that replicated the scenario that mayor zimmer alleges. >> the allegations that mayor zimmer has made are certainly serious. the denials are certainly strong. and our committee has started with bridgegate and depending upon what these documents show, depending upon what we hear from witnesses, we will then decide whether we are moving into a larger area of an environment of intimidation. but i can't say yet because we really are trying to keep this

efficient, impartial and fair to the people that we're going to be calling before us. getting a subpoena and appearing before the committee does not indicate that anybody is guilty of anything. it just indicates that we on the committee want to get more information and we will see as this unfolds over the next couple of weeks. >> so, the committee, joint committee is going to focus initially on the original issue, the closure of the lanes in ft. leon the george washington bridge -- >> then we will decide after we get some answers whether and how we continue to explore the entire environment in new jersey. >> latest poll numbers from rutgers show slumping numbers for governor christie since this all started. yet he's still does have the approval of a majority of citizens in new jersey. how is this do you think

affected his mandate and ability to govern? >> well, you know, i think both the governor and legds lure are keenly aware that we've got a lot of problems in new jersey, starting off with the first big problem, on how we solve the growing budget problem and make our pension and health benefit payment that the governor promised to make. so we've got big issues and we are going to have to conduct this investigation and to address those issues at the same time and i think the governor will have to conduct this investigation or participate as he sees fit and continue governing in new jersey. it's going to be difficult and distracting. but the problems that are before us are too important for us to not concentrate on also. >> thank you so much, state senator loretta weinberg, thanks for being with us today.

>> we have tragic news where a fire at a nursing home killed three people. 30 residents remain missing. crews have been battling a ball of fire in subzero temperatures making rescue efforts much more dangerous and difficult. most of the residents could not get around on their own. ♪

♪ [ male announcer ] don't wait for awesome... totino's pizza rolls gets you there in just 60 seconds. ♪ [ coughs ] i've got a big date, but my sinuses are acting up. it's time for advil cold and sinus. [ male announcer ] truth is that won't relieve all your symptoms. hmm? [ male announcer ] new alka seltzer plus-d relieves more symptoms than any other behind the counter liquid gel. thanks for the tip. [ male announcer ] no problem. oh...and hair products. aisle 9. [ inhales deeply ] oh what a relief it is. ♪

legs, for crossing. feet...splashing. better things than the joint pain and swelling of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. if you're trying to manage your ra, now may be the time to ask about xeljanz. xeljanz (tofacitinib) is a small pill, not an injection or infusion, for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers have happened in patients taking xeljanz. don't start xeljanz if you have any infection, unless ok with your doctor. tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. your doctor should perform blood tests before you start and while taking xeljanz, and routinely check certain liver tests. tell your doctor if you have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common, and if you have had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take,

and if you are pregnant, or plan to be. taken twice daily, xeljanz can reduce the joint pain and swelling of moderate to severe ra, even without methotrexate. ask if xeljanz is right for you. there could be big changes for the next round of presidential primaries and the convention calendar. joining me now, chris cillizza and managing editor of postpolitics.com and casey hunt live at the rnc winter meetings. casey, let's talk about the calendar. they are trying to consolidate the primaries and also move up the convention. how is that likely to turn out? >> they are trying to minimize damage to the nominee and trying to compress the calendar when mitt romney ran in 2012, he ran

out of money through the summer and pummeled on the air waves by the obama campaign and never quite recovered. they are also talking about states that want to move earlier and adjusting how delegates are awards to minimize damage to the ultimate nominee. also as a side note as well in the early stages of deciding where the national convention is going to be in 2016. we've got several cities following all over themselves to be the city that gets picked. bob dole came out actually for kansas city at the reception last night. denver is handing out broncos gear and las vegas is paying for the wi-fi. >> we've all -- we're in kansas city have the 1976 convention, that would be a second time around for kansas city. denver, of course was the site of the democratic convention. chris, what are you hearing in terms of where they might choose to put the convention and primary calendar?

>> first of all on the convention, i think it's early. i think casey is exactly right about cities angling for it. that usually comes a little bit later and tends to be, although i'm not sure there's much evidence of this, tends to be a state where the party wants to make a mark and show their commitment to say president obama had the convention in 2012 in charlotte, obviously he lost north carolina, narrowly. i am fascinated of a prospect of a convention in las vegas, nevada. but on the primary dates, what you're seeing here. if the measure before the rules committee passes and what happens and we expect to happen happens, you'll have iowa, south carolina, nevada, and new hampshire in the first block and then nothing until march 1st unless those states want to be badly penalized. florida has moved up in both of

the last nominating and has been worth it. i think they'll rethink it, put more of an emphasis on those first four states, iowa and new hampshire going first, south carolina first in the south then nevada first in the west. >> casey, what are you hearing about chris christie there? what is the buzz? >> so in talking to a wide sort of selection of rnc committee members here, they are still at the point where they are not writing him off yet. you are hearing a lot of, as long as that other shoe doesn't drop, he might be able to figure it out. it's pretty clear he's gone from being at the top of list of potential establishment potential 2016 candidates, to just being one of the crowd. he's now on that same list with referring to -- they do say for the most part people i've talked to say they expect it will be a governor. they are pushing their gop governors forward. scott walker has gotten a lot

more discussion in the wake of this. while i think there's still willingness to forgive christie assuming the sin is not greater than we already know, his hill is a little bit steeper. >> and then in virginia, elections matter and we have a democratic -- and he is saying he is not going to defend the virginia ban on gay marriage. >> huge, i would say in terms of elections matter, the previous ken cuccinelli one of the leading people bringing suit to the supreme court about the health care law. so it shows you the power that those people have. saying he won't defend the law. this follows kathleen cain said something similar earlier this year. fascinating and as you said earlier, if people don't think down ballot races matter, it was

decided far less than 1,000 votes, terry mcauliffe and elected lieutenant governor, relatively easily, the mark herring race was the one in doubt for some time. they quite clearly have consequences because i guarantee if the republican nominee for state attorney general, if he was the attorney general, we would not be having this conversation today. >> we should point out mark herring said he was wrong to support the ban on gay marriage back when he was in the assembly in 2006. >> that's right, he had previously voted for it and reconsidered and reflected on his position, which frankly a lot of elected officials in the same time period, have done something similar. >> chris cillizza and casey hunt, thanks for the daily fix. the weather map telling a tale of two countries. in the east, a bitter cold snap expected to last through the

weekend with lower than average temps. out west, california and other states plagued by one of the driest winters on record. in this nasa satellite photo, you can see a difference a year makes. california in january 2013, much greener and significantly more snow in the mountains compared to the picture from this month that you see on the right showing the impact of the severe drought conditions. [ julie ] i've got to credit my mom. to help me become an olympian, she was pretty much okay with me turning her home into an ice rink. ♪ she'd just reach for the bounty select-a-size. it's the smaller, powerful sheet that acts like a big sheet. look, one select-a-size sheet of bounty is 50% more absorbent than a full size sheet of the leading ordinary brand. use less, with the small but powerful picker-upper,

bounty select-a-size. i have a big meeting when we land, but i am so stuffed up, i can't rest. [ male announcer ] nyquil cold and flu liquid gels don't unstuff your nose. they don't? alka seltzer plus night fights your worst cold symptoms, plus has a decongestant. [ inhales deeply ] oh. what a relief it is. and five simple whole grains, new multigrain cheerios dark chocolate crunch is breakfast... with benefits. start your day with a delicious new crunch. healthy never tasted so good.

you're saying i can get at&t's network with a data plan and unlimited talk and text for as low as $45 a month? $45 a month. wow...no annual contract. no annual contract. no long-term agreement. no long-term agreement. really? really. ok, so what's the catch? there is no catch. ok, i'm obviously getting nowhere with you. i'm gonna need to speak with the supervisor. i am the supervisor. oh, finally someone i can talk to. [ male announcer ] it's not complicated. new smartphone plans starting at $45 a month, with no annual contract. only from at&t. with only 14 days until the sochi games again, mounting concern for athletes and families and spectators as the ring of steel and artillery and rockets have been installed at the mountain venues to thwart off any 9/11 style attacks.

vice president for study it's ka carnegie endowment. how much of a challenge is the security in sochi and throughout russia at large. >> i think they are sparing no expense, you see the ring of steel and men and material and technology to build what is going to be a very i think intrusive security regiment here that just to get to the ski slol oms you may have to show your i.d. three times. it is a unusually constrained environment. ru ru >> richard engel is in sochi. we have a big satellite delay but you have been reporting on the challenge of getting in and out of ring of steel and to the venues themselves. >> reporter: we were just walking around today and almost

everywhere you go you have to show your i.d. to get through check points, not just a matter of buying tickets either. they have to preregister so not only the athletes and media will be registered but even if you want to just attend a hockey game you have to preregister and get a special spectator's pass which you present with your ticket. so you go online and it can take several days, russian officials say they are trying to speed up the process to preregister too attend the events. yes, this is a very strict procedure to take part in the olympics. >> and what's the latest on the wanted posters for the so-called black widows and the terror suspects that may or may not have penetrated the sochi ring of steel? >> unfortunately no updates. the posters are still up. they are on some bus depots and

sochi area. there are six photographs but they are for four women and two men. one of the women, however is believed to have been killed in a counter terrorism raid over the past weekend. so that means five people who are still believed to be at large, three women and two men. one of those women was reported to may have entered the sochi area but we don't have any updates or information about their whereabouts at the moment. >> and finally, does it seem as though russian and u.s. security on the ground is improving as it seems to be at the higher levels here in washington? >> we wouldn't really see on the ground any u.s. russian cooperation. what we see here is lots of uniformed russian police doing patrols, checking badges. then there's the invisible layer of security, the electronic

eavesdropping, the cameras. the intelligence that is being collected by the fsb. it is the fsb, the old kgb, responsible for security here. and a lot of their work isn't done in public. >> there's a lot a mutual suspicion to overcome today. they spoke about a number of things, syria, iran and also olympic security. you had the meeting where this came up between martin dempsey and the head of the russian military. but what can u.s. officials on the ground actually do if there were an event, there will be diplomatic security in limits numbers to protect the american delegation, but evacuating americans -- >> u.s. officials when you speak to them privately are still pretty worried. there's tons of russians doing security and the u.s. presence is small. it's something that's nominal and liaison function but the

primary role for evacuating people and dealing with consequences of some awful thing that might come to pass, that's really all going to fall on russians lap. >> and if something were to happen, it would be a soft target, transportation hub, train, something outside the olympic area. >> that's what experts are saying, presumably a much harder barrier to entry for these groups. they are typical mode is not to do two three, three year jess tags planning. but these are groups that are very small and there's not a lot known in the west about them. there's questions on how well the russians keep tap on them. >> then there's edward snowden. vladimir putin said he's free to go any place, could snowden go to the olympics. snowden, who is going to have a live web chat this afternoon, we'll have to wait and see how that gets accomplished, adama

adamantly denied he had any connection with russia and this in contrast to what the house intelligence chair mike rogers said on "meet the press," suggesting there may have been some connection and this is being investigated. >> i thought it was really striking what marie hart said a few minutes ago. there's an ongoing fbi investigation. the administration is investigating and keeping a close eye on what kind of ties snowden had to other countries potentially in the runup to his going public. the russianses are protecting edward snowden and provided a safe haven for him. there's questions how he ended up there in the first place and whether this was a good idea or avoidable situation. the bottom line is that putin is reveling in the embarrassing this is causing for the united states and harm it's doing to u.s. relationships around the world. >> andrew, thank you very much for being with us today. our thanks to richard engel to his reporting from sochi. team usa revealed the opening

ceremony ensemble on the "today" show is a patriotic look but has economy tigs. check out the norway curling team. they hope they have a winning plo look. let us know what you think. three u.s. women are set for an is torically men have been ski jumping since 1924. now it is the women's turn to take flight after a very difficult lawsuit which they won against the ioc. lindsay van has been leading the fight to compete in the olympics for more than a decade. the team told the "today" show what it meant to finally compete at the olympic games. >> very much looking forward to going and jumping in sochi and representing my country and showing the world our sport. [ male announcer ] winter olympian ted ligety can't take a sick day tomorrow. [ coughs ] [ male announcer ] so he can't let a cold keep him up tonight. vicks nyquil. powerful nighttime 6 symptom cold and flu relief.

♪ [ female announcer ] no matter the occasion..., your home's the place everyone gathers. so be ready with a stouffer's lasagna. it's the mouthwatering recipe that keeps them coming back. stouffer's. made with care for your family. you know the shirt he'll choose... the wine he'll order. you know him. yet now,

after exploring vineyards in the hills of italy, he doesn't order the wine he always orders. he asks to be surprised. and for that moment, he's new to you. princess cruises. come back new. ♪ which 4g lte map has the most coverage? this isn't real difficult... pretty obvious to me. i'm going to have to say verizon. verizon. that's right! the choice is obvious. verizon's superfast 4g lte network is over three times larger than any other 4g lte network. now get one, two, or even three-hundred dollars off a new smartphone depending on the smartphone you trade in on america's largest, most reliable 4g lte network. that's powerful. verizon. now get a free lg g2, with a 13-megapixel camera. still running in the morning? yeah. getting your vegetables every day? when i can. [ bop ] [ male announcer ] could've had a v8. two full servings of vegetables

for only 50 delicious calories. you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec-d®. powerful relief of nasal congestion and other allergy symptoms -- all in one pill. zyrtec-d®. at the pharmacy counter. after weeks of conflict in

kiev, the opposition is protesting against the president's allegiance to russia rather than the european union. clashes have left the capital looking for like a war zone. joining me now to discuss all of this and other foreign policy stories katy kay for bbc world america in washington and aymen moledine. this is a push/pull that involves vladimir putin and caught between two places and ukraine is hugely important in europe. >> there are certainly echos of the cold war and it looks like from the pictures out of kiev that are astonishing, two sides with pitch battles on other side of the camps in the streets of

kiev, unbelievable pictures out of the ukraine. you've got ukraine caught between a desire to pass fi moscow and do trade with moscow and pass fooi europe. opted to go with moscow with strong arming from putin and that infuriated the people on the streets of kiev. they've been there since november. they are not going anywhere, we're going to take this fight right to the police. we've had a couple of protesters dying. >> ayman, you were there not too long ago and seen firsthand how passionate the people are and jay carney saying this is the direct result of the president of the regime not taking into account legitimate grievances of the people. >> that's correct. that's been the commentary coming out of the political opposition in ukraine since this began. that the government was representing only one person or one part of that society and that is the society that still

favors a very strong russian hand involved in ukrainian politics and the problem is that the country is divided. there is an overwhelming majority of people who are supporting the orientation of ukraine towards europe. one of the things that has really angered and began vallized the opposition, has been the use of force by the government. this started as a political opposition movement and dissent, but as the government began to crack down on these protesters early on, that galvanized the opposition more and that is what has been one of the main rallying points amongst all of the opposition that represents from the ultranationalists to the more modern forces in the movement. they are saying the president is not only orienting towards russia but returning the ukraine to a more awe thor tear yan rule of government. >> as we heard from jane harman, the nsa issue exploded on the

administration is having a big effect among foreign leaders and their attitude and the huge internet companies. >> you have official in germany, andrea, this week, suggesting that relations between europe and america have not been this bad since the war in iraq when they reached terrible lows. the president reproposed reforms but this had a big impact in europe, perhaps bigger story than it is here and particularly in germany, which is such a strong ally of the united states, where people are very angry about the fact that angela merkel's telephone was intercepted and cause something of a breakdown in relations between europe. now you have the internet companies at davos saying it's not just europeans angry with the government but us losing business. we see this as a threat to american businesses abroad. you see the ceo of yahoo! saying we have to have changes here because this is directly hurting our businesses.

>> and ayman, the president's position was to continue to collect the telephone records but the government won't keep them. that's not what those companies wanted to hear. now you've got this privacy panel saying we shouldn't even continue to collect the records, that that in and of itself is illegal. >> that's right. that is central to the ongoing debate. the use of metadata which depending on who you ask is important or is not important but at the end of the day in the eyes of critics is violating the privacy of citizens whether it's world leaders or whether it is american citizens. the concern is just how pervasive this technology has become and who has access to it, not only the u.s. government but certainly foreign governments may have it and more importantly corporations and what all of that will come down to in terms of the privacy of individual citizens. that is a fundamental question that everybody is trying to grapple with and yet to answer conclusively. >> thank you very much from bbc

america. which political story will make headlines in the next 24 hours? that's next here on "andrea mitchell reports." open to ambition. open to bold ideas. that's why new york has a new plan -- dozens of tax free zones all across the state. move here, expand here, or start a new business here and pay no taxes for ten years... we're new york. if there's something that creates more jobs, and grows more businesses... we're open to it. start a tax-free business at startup-ny.com. hearty oatmeal, softly baked with a drizzle of cinnamon. it's a soft take on a morning classic. soft-baked oatmeal squares from nature valley. i took medicine but i still have symptoms. [ sneeze ] [ male announcer ] truth is not all flu products treat all your symptoms. what? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus severe cold and flu speeds relief to these eight symptoms. [ breath of relief ] thanks. [ male announcer ] you're welcome.

ready? go. [ male announcer ] you're welcome. it'but sleep train's huge foryeais ending soon.models for a short time, save hundreds on tempur-pedic mattresses. get the most highly-recommended bed in america at closeout prices. plus, get interest-free financing and free same-day delivery. why wait for the new models? sleep train's year end clearance is ending soon. superior service, best selection, lowest price, guaranteed. ♪ sleep train ♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪

which political story will make headlines in the next 24 hours? casey hunt is back with us from the republican national committee's winter meetings. i think it's going to be mike huckabee. now, let's put into context here. what mike huckabee was doing was saying that republicans are not waging a war on women, that they are waging a war for women and he accused democrats of trying to portray women as some weak figures who need protection. but this is the way he phrased it. >> if the democrats want to insult the women of america by making them believe that they are helpless without uncle sugar coming in and providing for them a prescription each month for birth control because they cannot control their libido or their reproductive system without the help of the government, then so be it, let us take that discussion all across america, because women are far more than the democrats

have played them to be, and women across america need to stand up and say enough of that nonsense. >> that was mike huckabee trying to say that women don't need birth control and the democrats shouldn't be demeaning them by making them appear so weak. but the way he phrased it is only going to add to this past arguments and continuing arguments about the way some republican candidates in the past have talked about women. >> and the tone in particular, and that's sort of what we've talked a lot about, as far as how the gop has been trying to reach out and broaden its appeal to women voters. the way he phrased it sort of comes as republicans here are actually trying to focus on rebranding the party, and helping them reach out to other constituent groups. while it's clear that huckabee was saying that this is how democrats feel, it was still sort of the tone and the nature of the way that he made his comments has already raised a lot of eyebrows. >> well, he is the featured keynote speaker there, so they

knew what they were getting. this is the way he phrased it. but again, he was conditioning it, saying that if democrats believe that women are such weak creatures. to be continued. >> i did bump into mike huckabee on his way out of his speech, and he didn't have anything to say about his comments. >> it's obviously creating a lot of buzz there. thank you very much. i think that's it for today. that does it for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports." thanks to casey hunt. tomorrow on the show, edward snowden's legal adviser in the u.s., and the director of the new documentary "mitt." mitt romney as you haven't seen him before. follow the show online and on twitter, and my colleague tamron hall with a look at what's next on "news nation." >> a lot going on in that hour. in the next hour, developing news from miami, where justin bieber just made his first court

appearance, accused of drag racing while drunk, resisting arrest, and allegedly telling investigators that he had been smoking marijuana. is bieber becoming a cliche of a young hollywood star? plus, republicans as you heard gathering for their winter meeting right now. just as two of its rising stars quickly make a fall. bob mcdonnell under federal indictment and in court tomorrow. and chris christie, as you well know, facing a flurry of investigations. and seattle seahawks cornerback richard sherman responding for the first time to what he said were racist words directed at him after his infamous postgame rant. he says the word "thug" is the new "n" word. >> the only reason it bothers me is because it seems like it's the accepted way of calling somebody the "n" word nowadays. . the job jugglers. the up all-nighters. and the ones who turn ideas into action. we've made our passions our life's work.

we strive for the moments where we can say, "i did it!" ♪ we are entrepreneurs who started it all... with a signature. legalzoom has helped start over 1 million businesses, turning dreamers into business owners. and we're here to help start yours. turning dreamers into business owners. my dad has aor afib.brillation, he has the most common kind... ...it's not caused by a heart valve problem. dad, it says your afib puts you at 5 times greater risk of a stroke. that's why i take my warfarin every day. but it looks like maybe we should ask your doctor about pradaxa. in a clinical trial, pradaxa® (dabigatran etexilate mesylate)... ...was proven superior to warfarin at reducing the risk of stroke. and unlike warfarin, with no regular blood tests or dietary restrictions.

hey thanks for calling my doctor. sure. pradaxa is not for people with artificial heart valves. don't stop taking pradaxa without talking to your doctor. stopping increases your risk of stroke. ask your doctor if you need to stop pradaxa before surgery or a medical or dental procedure. pradaxa can cause serious, sometimes fatal, bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding or have had a heart valve replaced. seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have a bleeding condition or stomach ulcer, take aspirin, nsaids, or blood thinners... ...or if you have kidney problems, especially if you take certain medicines. tell your doctors about all medicines you take. pradaxa side effects include indigestion, stomach pain, upset, or burning. if you or someone you love has afib not caused by a heart valve problem... ...ask your doctor about reducing the risk of stroke with pradaxa. purina dog chow light & healthy is a deliciously tender and crunchy kibble blend. with 20% fewer calories than purina dog chow. isn't it time you discovered the lighter side of dog chow.

purina dog chow light & healthy. that it's given me time toabout reflect on some of life'seen biggest questions. like, if you could save hundreds on car insurance by making one simple call, why wouldn't you make that call? see, the only thing i can think of is that you can't get any... bars. ah, that's better. it's a beautiful view. i wonder if i can see mt. rushmore from here. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. i have a big meeting when we land, but i am so stuffed up, i can't rest. [ male announcer ] nyquil cold and flu liquid gels don't unstuff your nose. they don't? alka seltzer plus night fights your worst cold symptoms, plus has a decongestant. [ inhales deeply ] oh. what a relief it is.

right now on "news nation," amid growing security concerns in sochi, some u.s. olympic athletes are hiring private security to protect them at the winter games. richard engel will join me live. justin bieber accused of drag racing just a week after a raid at his home. is the pop star turning into a cliche of young hollywood? plus, an injured gop comes together for its winter strategy meeting, as chris christie and bob mcdonnell, once the stars of the party, face major scandals. and developing within the last hour, mike huckabee telling the crowd that democrats want to insult women by making them believe that they are helpless without "uncle sugar." "news nation" is following the extraordinary added security