vermont's hannah kearny charges for history as she tries to become the first ever double gold medalist in freestyle skiing. all ahead tonight in primetime on nbc as the 22nd olympic winter games continue from sochi! . this morning my question, why is the speaker denying the will of the people? plus people-powered politics is sweeping through the south and the spies of mississippi and the stories we don't tell about the civil rights movement. but first, the games have begun and vladimir putin is at the center of it all.

good morning. i'm melissa harris-perry. all eyes were on sochi, russia, last night as the world celebrated the opening of the 2014 olympic gaels. this is the first time the russian federation is hosting the winter games. while the world watched, the nearly 2,900 athletes parading into the olympic stadium, one person was getting all the attention. no, not the journalists who tweeted out a picture of the yellow water in her sochi hotel that she was e told not to use on her face, nor any of the american athletes waiting on a shipment of 5,000 containers of chobani yogurt. all eyes were on vladimir putin, his government spent an estimated $50 billion making this the most expensive olympics ever. the most powerful person in the world, putin's triumphs and

failures and controversies are on display as the world watching the games. putin has held power in russia for nearly 15 years and only had his presidency interrupted because of term limits. he may pass soviet dictator joseph stalin as the longest-running russian leader if he seeks the fourth term. the image he's showing the world is a proud, powerful economically thriving russia. it's not all a pretty picture. the portrait is of a seemingly intolerate and potentially dangerous russia. two suicide bombings killed 34 people, is threatened the possibility of terrorist attacks. intolerant because russian lawmakers passed a bill banning homosexual propaganda. another law bans the adoption of

russian children from foreign countries. in response to criticism, putin'sed public protest restrictions ahead of the olympics, but protesters are limited to a specific zone, nearly nine miles from the nearist olympic site. president obama and key european leaders decided not to attend the olympics and there was a message for them. >> have the courage to address your disagreements in a peaceful, direct political dialogue and not on the backs of the athletes. >> but the olympic games have sometimes been the forum for political expression and protests, often through the action of the athletes themselves. so while putin hopes the world focuses on the reemergence of russia, it was their internal stripe. nina crew save shah, from the new school. mark steiner host of the mark

steiner show and founder of the center for emerging media. dorian warren from columbia university and david epstein from pro pub ka and author of "the sports gene" inside the science of extraordinary athletic performance. let's start with where the games are beginning. talk to me about the geopolitical significance of the place that is sochi? >> it's a summer resort, which is very russian to have winter limits in a summer venue. it's also one of the things putin was arguing in 2007 when he convinced the olympic committee to run it there is that russia can turn rivers around and can do things that nobody else can do. of course, the joke in russia at the time it has been going on is that when putin, really, all the things you just outlined, all the things he's done on

democratic, on human rights, on anything, on corruption and whatnot, he will not be allowed -- any other country to visit. he cannot ski in the alps, he'll have his own summer resort with his own palaces. that's your basic geopolitical look. >> it is fascinating. i'm not sure how close folks have been following this. this is truly built from the ground up, all the infrastructure, this is why we end up with a $50 billion cost. it's not the venues themselves, it's the roads and literally turning rivers around, building mountains where they don't quite exist previously. >> absolutely. that's another big russian message, that we can do things no other country could do. the question is why do we need to do this? but we do sort of to prove to the world that we're very special. as you outlined, it often back fires because it exposes corruption and absolute inability for russia to be

evolutionary which is the dugout, those foundation pits in 2007 and then they stayed on as foundation pits until six months ago and whatnot. so that is one of the problems with russia. it wants to argue with the results, but how to get there that is really always an issue. >> david, on the one hand -- it's's zi to look at a figure like putin and point to the ways in which there's this dramatic performance of the olympics. but the olympics are always a dramatic performance, particularly a dramatic performance of national pride. so should we be surprised in this case to find that the russians behave as russians behave, in this case on a big stage? and is there something specific about how putin is approaching these olympics that makes it different than other countries? >> i don't think we should be surprised at all. it seems like every time an olympics comes around, there's this idea in the press that this one is more politically

motivated or more nationalistic. it's not true. dating back to 1986 to the first modern olympics, the german and french teams had to be convinced not to boycott. in china it was scandalous and politically motivated that some teams didn't boycott. there really is always these nationalistic messages and hot button issues tied up with the olympics. in this case it's just bigger. it's the most expensive ever. usually the winter olympics are less expensive than summer olympics. because of this confluence of factor factors. i think it's just mall fid this time. >> this notion of flaunting socially conservative message, it's interesting that some writers and observers are suggesting many of the kind of anti-gay legislative efforts are really about distinguishing russia from the west, right? making a kind of clear cultural

argument, particularly vis-a-vis the european union and suggesting that, if you are from a nation that is more socially conservative, that you want to continue to have your allegiances with the russian federation. >> that's right. in fact, we know from political science research, that countries like russia that are oil rich, but they call it -- political science call it the resource curse, tend to be not only autocratic but much more patriarchal. >> putin is very masculine. >> the images that he presents to the world, but also he has a muscularity of -- >> i don't know if that's a stunt double or not. it's not surprising when you think about russia and the broader sense of what kind of country is it, where its wealth base? what's the cultural background? it's not surprising that we see

this almost second generation of anti-gay laws. it's not explicit discrimination, but in effect it is. >> as soon as we get back, i'll bring you in. part of this is now an american critique of the internal politics. i'm wondering if we're feeling too good about ourselves. >> maybe a little. >> when we come back, president obama's message to vladimir putin. we are the thinkers. 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. we've learned how to stretch our party budget. ♪ the only downer?

my bargain brand towel made a mess of things. so goodbye so-called bargain brands, hello bounty basic. the affordably priced towel that's an actual bargain. watch how one select-a-size sheet of bounty basic is 50% stronger than a full sheet of the bargain brand. it takes a strong towel to stretch a budget. bounty basic. the strong but affordable picker upper. and try charmin basic. the strong but affordable picker upper. here in philadelphia you can access a philly cheesesteak . . . . . . . . . inutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. the day building a play set begins with a surprise twinge of back pain... and a choice.

take up to 4 advil in a day or 2 aleve for all day relief. [ male announcer ] that's handy. ♪ to support families in getting back to the table. one day we get this incredible call from cheerios saying "what about breakfast?" together we've created the family breakfast project to help families begin their day together over breakfast. when i'm training, i always listen to music. for the gym, it's hip-hop. for cross-country, classical. and for jumps, i need something...special. so i use my citi thankyou visa card for music downloads and earn two times the points... plus a little extra inspiration. [ ♪ music plays ] the citi thankyou preferred visa card. earn two times the points on entertainment and dining out with no annual fee. citi, with you every step of the way. there's nothing like being your own boss! and my customers are really liking your flat rate shipping. fedex one rate.

really makes my life easier. maybe a promotion is in order. good news. i got a new title. and a raise? management couldn't make that happen. [ male announcer ] introducing fedex one rate. simple, flat rate shipping with the reliability of fedex. one of the wonderful things about the olympics is that you are judged by your merit, how good you are regardless of where you come from, what you look like, who you love, and that i think is consistent with the spirit of the olympics. it is certainly consistent with american values and we want to make sure that people understand that. >> that was president obama interviewed by nbc's bob costas as part of nbc's coverage of the

olympic opening ceremonies last night. marc, i appreciate that. i appreciate that is the aspirational goal of the american dream, but the notion that russia is kind of anti-gay, anti-lgbt but that america is this great and open place is i think not consistent with empirical evidence. >> it's not. a couple things here. one is that there's a divide in america. we're at war with ourselves in this country. there are a lot of folks who would be very comfortable living under russian's beliefs. the other part is this is a larger geopolitical thing playing out, control, china, russia, the united states battling over who is strongest and who is the most vigorous nation. our president plays basketball. their president does judo. >> the point the president was

making that when you go to the olympics, you are judged on your merit. everybody starts at the same place. whoever runs fastest wins. there is consistently this nationalist pride in medal count, this idea that part of what we do is go and show our capacity, our strength, our vigor as a country by winning the most medals. >> this was really on display. look at the last summer olympics in china, all these messages about unity and coming together and spending $10 billion to pick children from the age of 5 to make sure they can win medals in the diving. that's always this sort of competing interest that are held in the same mind of any country hosting the olympics which is giving these messages of brotherhood, so long as you're beating the crap out of everybody else. >> we do the same thing here. if you look at our olympic team, most of the sports are corporate sponsored, they pick kids out when they're 5, 10 years old,

they have to tow the company line. if they don't, they're yeesed out. >> authoritarian regimes do well in olympics because they would massively invest. one of our challenges prior to this level of corporate sponsorship was that we actually didn't invest enough in young people. that said, i want to listen for a moment to brian boitano -- as much as i have a kri teague of lgbt life here in the u.s., i want to listen in on brian boitano. >> i signed on to the presidential delegation know that we would be sending a powerful message. i thought it was such a powerful message that the president was deciding to send that i chose to come out as a gay man for the del brags. >> that's really beautiful. he comes out as a gay man because he's going to be part of the delegation, wants to send that message. it made me think of the mexico city olympics of john carlos, of

them standing there and saying part of what we want to do is send a message. in that case they were sending a message back to america, that it was insufficiently egalitarian. in this case he's saying our country is more egalitarian. >> one of the last closets for gay people is the locker room. we could have either boycotted the games like we did in 1980 in response to the soviet invasion of afghanistan or like john carlos, actually attend and stage a political protest, which is illegal, but to stage a political protest to say, hey, this is who we are, we exist and we're human like you and we can actually compete like you. >> sometimes the protest isn't even a john carlos version, it's just going and beating, and by beating, not only are we human but we may be superior athletes in some way. >> that's right. again, that was a decision in 1936 to attend the nazi olympics. with a certain kind of political significance of actually

attending and having a jesse owens show the world that black people can excel in all sorts of things against the backdrop of you generalics and racist ideology in nazi, germany. >> i wonder if we might see gay athletes, actually vocalize something? >> i do. i don't think the protests will be as big as they might have been otherwise, but the international olympic charter says specifically there is not to be sort of discrimination. i think where the ioc has backed away from supporting that publicly saying leave politics out of that, that's left a vacuum tore the athletes to step up and do it. i want to ask you about the one-on-one meetings president putin has been having in advance of the olympics, not just the political pageantry but the politics of the olympics when we come back. wow! this is incredible!

i know. and now it has more clams! [ male announcer ] campbell's chunky soup. what? [ male announcer ] it fills you up right.

anybody have occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating? one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues with three types of good bacteria. i should probably take this. live the regular life. phillips'.

president obama and other european leaders are not attending the olympic winter games in sochi. but one very important leader is. china's president xi jinping, attended the ceremonies yesterday for the sochi games and met with president putin on thursday saying, quote, china and russia should come from this day forward, continue deepening our consultation and cooperation on major international issues and together maintain world and regional peace, security and stability. so there's been a lot of bilateral conversation going on between president putin and world leaders including in this case china. >> there is a lot of that going on. putin, as we discussed numerous times on this program as well is a very traditional, sort of soviet-trained politician, and, therefore, bilateral is very important to him. he's okay, but not as good in talking to the whole group of

people. but he's very big in creating allegiances one on one. so china has been serving as that kind of goal for putin. it's the second largest economy. as putin perceives it, the united states is afraid of it a little bit. when china and russia unite, we'll show it to the united states, so it is very interesting who attends the olympics this time. it's the east versus the west. everybody else said we're going to boycott or send a low-level delegation. it goes back to your question of gee politics. we come back to recycling the same relationship all over again. so it's russia in the east versus the west and everything else. >> when you say, though, that it is the east versus the west all over again, there's a part of me that thinks it can't be the same version, right? it's not the same thing as the

cold war that we saw, right? even when we look at the many years of power that vladimir putin has been in power and as much as -- the language you used was autocratic, i'm not sure i'm prepared to think of him as authoritari authoritarian. in the bilateralism there seems to be some attempt to consolidate versions of power here. >> there's the dictatorial regime, authoritarian and autocratic. i would put putin in the autocratic formula or, as he calls it, morninged democracy or vertical democracy. a euphemism for an autocratic regime, that is, one man makes decisions, one man creates politics and one man creates policy. it's absolutely not the same, what it was in the cold war because the world even has more countries now than it used to. but i think by now, 2014, russia would move away from even slight

variations of that formula, and i think that's what's so upsetting for us who has been watching the collapse of the soviet union in '91 and russia since '91. it still seems to recycle the same kind of behavior. >> i just want to ask a real quick question around the sports politics. should the ioc consider issues like this? should the ioc as it is looking for and obviously with four, five, six years out from when the olympics are held, should it be asking the ways in which making a decision about hosting a game in an area leads to the potential of this sort of geopolitical behavior that could have ramifications in syria, in china, across the russian federations n the caucuses, iran. >> they're supposed to consider bids that won't have to make

tons of construction, to lack of discrimination. there are so many things in their own charter that they don't seem to pay attention to at all. again, the pattern is now whoever spends the most on their bid wins. that's accident happened here. based on their own guidelines, they should be paying attention although they don't seem to. >> the only entity more corrupt than the ioc is the new jersey politics. >> or the ncaa. >> the ioc -- historically one of the most corrupt bodies in the last 40 years especially anywhere in the world. >> specify that for me. we hear that. what do you mean by corrupt? >> the benefiting or the family members are benefiting from deals made in these olympics and in these different organizations. they turn a blind eye. they don't care. that's part of the deal. >> so old-fashioned corruption,

the kind that lines the pockets. >> which is why new jersey's governor is going to be on the ioc. i shouldn't say that. i'm just teasing. >> we are not breaking news here. new jersey governor is not going to be on the ioc. >> the only part of it is, this is the real politics that the world played out. russia is saying we are taking our empire back but doing it in different ways. we're not going the rule the ukraine directly. we're going to say you can't lie with the west. >> putin announced, if we need to use force, we may be able to do that. >> you're saying they're taking it back the old-fashioned way. >> i'm not breaking any news either. it's entirely possible tanks would roll in. that's the way we do things. putin is very proud of the way we used to do things. >> you think he would do that? >> i don't want to predict that. if push comes to shove, we may.

if he claims russian interests are threatened, he would say, you know what? we need to help our slavic brother by rolling the tanks. >> thank you so much for being here. coming up next, the power of the people. advocates for justice taking to the streets make their voices heard on everything from stand your ground laws to voting rights. more at the top of the hour. they lived. ♪ they lived. ♪ (dad) we lived... thanks to our subaru. ♪ (announcer) love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. [ ding ] i sense you've overpacked, your stomach. try pepto to-go. it's pepto-bismol that fits in your pocket. relief can be yours, but your peanuts... are mine.

[ squirrel ] it's pepto to-go. legs up! legs up! legs up! verizon has free tablets and free phones. get here anyway you can. good job! free tablets. free phones. on the best network. only at verizon. get tablets like the verizon ellipsis 7 free. and when you trade in your old smartphone, you can get the samsung galaxy s4 free. or the droid maxx by motorola free. plus get a data plan with unlimited talk and text for as low as $45. this week only. getting free tablets and phones on the best network. that's powerful. verizon. 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. [ mawhile a body in motionat restends to stay in motion... start your day with a delicious new crunch. staying active can ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, this can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain

and improve daily physical function so moving is easier. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain. and it's not a narcotic. you and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, like celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions, or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. don't take celebrex if you have bleeding in the stomach or intestine, or had an asthma attack, hives, other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history. and ask your doctor about celebrex.

for a body in motion. ♪ [ male announcer ] bob's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today his doctor has him on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. monday marks the beginning of a trial in a florida case whose details may feel all too familiar. the defendant, b 47-year-old michael dunn who is white was charged with murder and attempted murder after shooting and killing african-american teenager jordan davis. the incident unfolded in 2012 in jacksonville the day after thanksgiving. according to the prosecutor, davis and his three friends stopped at a convenience store to pick up gum and cigarettes

after a day spent at the mall talking to girls. dunn pulled up and parked next to the teen's vehicle and asked them to lower the volume of the music they were playing in their car. after the two refused and the two got into a verbal altercation, dunn reached into the glove compartment for his 9 millimeter and fired nine bullets into the teenager's vehicle. three of those bullets entered the leg and liver of jordan davis who according to police died almost immediately from his wounds. dunn says he fired in self-defense after he saw either a shotgun or other weapon in the teenager's car. in this week's open statement, the prosecutor said when they searched, they found a basketball, basketball skoos, a camera try pot. the heart of this case is stand your ground, the same as in the

case of trayvon martin. the defense didn't base their case on stand your ground. the judge did cite the law in her instructions to the jury. the jury then returned with a not guilty verdict for george zimmerman. now michael dunn's attorney is using stand your ground. by now we're all well versed in what that means. michael dunn who pleaded not guilty to first degree murder and attempted murder believes he had the right not to retreat, but to use deadly force to prevent himself from being harmed. it's no coincidence this central legal question at issue in this case became and continues to be a subject of national attention and public scrutiny because it's due in large part to the sustained efforts of the parents turned activists who push for reform even through their deepest grief. one of them went to court this week to hear testimony about the night her son died. lucia mcbath, the mother of

jordan davis has emerged as a leading voice calling for an end of the stand your ground laws. she testified last year before a senate committee hearing and has since become the national spokesperson for moms demand action for gun sense in america, an organization that calls on legislators to act on gun reform. this week in a q&a with an lat tick writer mcbath said, quote, the lord kept saying he would open doors for me and i would walk through them. i don't understand how jordan's death would be used, but i begin to understand that this was much, much bigger. it grave creed dance to what was happening in this country socially, just as people. this is not the intention god has for our country. in god we trust, and we have put our faith in our guns. >> mcbath continues her fight alongside sabrina fulton, the mother of trayvon martin. both mothers would have celebrated their boys' 19th year

of life. trayvon martin's parents are continuing the work they began when they used the spotlight and the spotlight on their suffering to call for change. right now the trayvon martin foundation, the organizations founded by his parents is leading a peace walk in florida to kickoff a weekend of activities. in the on going work of these grieving parents, there's a visible reminder that amid the politics of gun violence, there remains the very personal cost to the families and communities who are left behind. joining me is heather mcgee, president select of dmos. mark steiner, host of his radio show and the founder of center for emergency media. dorian warren and allison kill ketity, co-host of citizen radio and a reporter for "the nation." thank you for being here. >> thank you. >> allison, i want to talk to you first about the idea of the transformation of personal tragedy into political activism.

apparently the families of oscar grant and emmitt till are also going to be at the peace rally today tieing back the kind of long history of people who turned personal tragedy into political activist. >> that's what's important to remember. it's not just about the act itself, it's much larger. we're ear no longer talking about the individual deaths of these young men, but it's about race, racism, about the stand your ground laws. with the fast food strikes, it's not just about their individual jobs. it's about wage. it's about capitalism, reforming those issues as well. >> it feels to me, like, in that sense it becomes difficult than having to think about what a win is. if a win is or if justice is michael dunn goes to jail and george zimmerman goes to jail. if george zimmerman does not, in farkts get convicted and go to

jail, you have to redefine what justice looks like. is it a repeal of stand your ground? it's hard for me to know what justice looks like in this case? >> i think it is a repeal of stand your ground, debates in further states where these laws could be passed, becoming centered around these issues that have been elevated by these incredible individual tragedies and people who would be opposed to them are sort of couch sitting about it, would actually stand up and say i know what that could look like in my state. i think the question about what does justice look like also has to be the fact that we have had a national conversation that has put this not problem tiesed fear for black men first and foremost. people are having conversations with their families and children saying, actually, is it reasonable form everyone in our society to be afraid of a young black man because he's a young black man?

that's basically what the jury said, basically what the stand your ground standard of evidence is making us all -- >> i'm so glad you brought this up. it's a discourse i can remember from being a young person that was always about, oh, white ladies pull their purse up close are to them. even president obama in his philadelphia race speech talked about seeing the discomfort in the eyes of white women who might clutch their purse closer. now it goes from that, which is a micro aggression, walking the streets and feeling that someone feels afraid of you in a mike xwroe aggression way to life and death aggression. marc, for me, i guess that's part of what's been hard. i can't try the dunn case. i don't know what's going to happen in that case. what i do know is that the defense in that case, because it has to arrest on being afraid of these boys, we can already see what they're doing is crafting a narrative that because the music was loud, because they were black boys, because of all these

disreputable things that make them these kind of scary and aggressive black boys, that it is reasonable for their client to have shot that gun into that car. >> this case is a heartbreaking case. when you see what they're saying, even more blatant than what happened with zimmerman, they're making this real racist argument and appealing that way. >> racialized. because the word racist is so difficult for people to hear. but it is a racialized argument. >> much better way of putting that. i'll use that from now on. i think this is something in some strange ways could bring in more white people who are concerned, into this conversation than even trayvon martin did. i'm hoping that. when i look at the moral majority movement happening and i see that movement in the south going on, people standing up

together, i'm hoping there's a connection that can take place between these two. it's right there, at the heart of it all. i think that could happen. >> it's interesting that there is potentially something about jordan davis sitting in the car. and also when you hear from lucia mcbath -- i was reading the interview, part of what she says in the interview, now my eyes are open. it does not matter where you raise your kids, doesn't matter what your religious upbringing in. she says it just doesn't even matter. we did everything right. we have two great parents here, living in the right places. we had these conversations with our kids and he was yet killed. i do wonder if maybe then there's a way, as troubling as tuesday to talk about the respectability -- i wonder if there's a way to build a coalition that says, look, if you are vulnerable when you are this kid, when you're coming back from the mall with your friends, then none of us are safe. none of us in this country can be safe. >> yes, but this is nothing new.

black personhood has always been subject to either vigilante justice and murder, so to speak, or violence by the police. i'm thinking of dee al lieu from the late '90s, his hands up in the air. later we'll talk about mississippi in the 1950s and '60s. the worth and value of black bodies has always been devalued in america. this is the latest incident of this. there is a hopeful side. to go back to zimmerman, many have engaged in politics to stop this ridiculous celebrity boxing match with zimmerman and dmx. now dmx is backing away saying i don't know if it's on. if we keep putting pressure, that thing will be canceled and we can focus back on the real claims of justice. >> this goes back to this question of how you mobilize on going justice movements about it. for example, a boxing match,

whatever emotional individual angst that might work out for you is obviously -- does not constitute what justice is. stay with us. we're going to talk more about this. marc brought up the issue of moral mondays. we'll talk about the moral mondays march that's happening on a saturday, close to where the latest incident happened in north carolina. [ male announcer ] whatever the reason. whatever the dish. make it delicious with swanson. [ male announcer ] whatever the reason. whatever the dish. a 401(k) is the most sound way to go. let's talk asset allocation. sure. you seem knowledgeable, professional. would you trust me as your financial advisor? i would. i would indeed. well, let's be clear here. i'm actually a dj. [ dance music plays ] [laughs] no way! i have no financial experience at all. that really is you? if they're not a cfp pro, you just don't know. find a certified financial planner professional who's thoroughly vetted at letsmakeaplan.org. cfp -- work with the highest standard.

you want everything.orks an expert ford technician knows your car's health depends on a full, complete checkup. the works. because when it comes to feeling safe behind the wheel, going the distance and saving at the pump you want it all. get our multi-point inspection with a a synthetic blend oil change, tire rotation, brake inspection and more for $29.95 or less. get a complete vehicle checkup. only at your ford dealer. on your busiest day, you see the gray. try root touch up by nice 'n easy. just brush our permanent color matching creme right where you need it. then rinse. in 10 minutes, zap those grays and get on with your day. nice 'n easy root touch up. you know how painful heartburn can be. for fast, long lasting relief, use doctor recommended gaviscon®. only gaviscon® forms a protective barrier that helps block stomach acid from splashing up- relieving the pain quickly. try fast, long lasting gaviscon®.

i just served my mother-in-law your chicken noodle soup but she loved it so much... i told her it was homemade. everyone tells a little white lie now and then. but now she wants my recipe [ clears his throat ] [ softly ] she's right behind me isn't she? [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. [ clears his throat ] [announcer]...if you think the she'best bed for one of you she? might be a compromise for the other one... [woman]ask me about our tempur-pedic. [announcer] they're sleeping on the newest tempur-pedic bed... the new tempur choice... [man]two people.two remotes. [announcer] firmness settings for the head,legs,and back... and with tempur on top,that famous tempur-pedic comfort comes any way you like it! [woman]ask me about the lumbar button. [man]she's got her side...and i've got my side. [announcer] tempur-pedic.the most highly recommended bed in america. [woman]don't touch my side! what is this place? where are we? this is where we bring together the fastest internet and the best in entertainment. we call it the x1 entertainment operating system.

it looks like the future! we must have encountered a temporal vortex. further analytics are necessary. beam us up. ♪ that's my phone. hey. [ female announcer ] the x1 entertainment operating system, only from xfinity. tv and internet together like never before. for the last year, monday in north carolina has signified something. the day is claimed adds moral monday, holding more than 30 protest rallies at the state legislature. the protesters have been challenging the hard right shift away from north carolina's progressive policies that began

when the coalition, collectively known as the forward together moral movement has expanded in size and scope since its in1e7gs. today they're adding saturday to their protest calendar with a massive rally in raleigh that is under way right now. thousands are expected to con vrnlg on the north carolina state capitol to set the agenda for grassroots action going forward. five fundment demands, to secure pro labor anti poverty policy, to provide quality educational opportunities for all, to promote environmental justice and health care for all, to address the continuing inequalities in the criminal justice system and to protect and expand voting rights to ensure equality under the law for every person. joining me now by phone from raleigh right in the thick of the rally is ari berman, a contributing writer for "the nation," author of "herding

donk donkeys." how is it going there? >> can you hear me? >> is it a big crowd in north carolina? >> it is a big crowd. reverend barber of the naacp said they're expecting upwards of 25,000 people. there's 100 buses from all across the country. when you're at these things it's hard to get a sense of exactly how many people there are, but there are definitely thousands of people streaming into raleigh on a cold and cloudy saturday. >> ari, you made this point about the buses. last year there was major criticism from the north carolina republican party that the folks who were leading moral mondays were these outside and staters, the same language we heard in the civil rights movement. this time, in fact, the moral mondays movement is welcoming people from around the country. why the shift? >> well, the moral monday movement is growing, it's not just in north carolina now. it's coming to other states like georgia, like south carolina. it's being expanded greatly in north carolina now that 2014 is an election year.

there's a sense that what's happening in north carolina, as reverend barber says, it's a state with national implications. people are paying attention. north carolina is the ground zero for voting rights, women's rights, labor rights. people all across the country are interested in what's happening here. moral monday has been led by people in north carolina. the featured speakers today are from north carolina. all the meetings i've been at are led by people from north carolina. this is a movement rippling out, not the other way around. >> hold on for one second. don't go away. heather, i want to ask you about this. this notion that the movement is growing, just to hear ari make that sentence, the movement is growing, i get excited, because that idea that an actual organized thing with clear directives, are we to look back at this and this is 1955 and of

the course of the next decade we'll see important legislative change? >> i think so. if you look at across the country, all these issues really coming together, the beautiful screen shot you have that has trayvon and public education and strike for a living wage, it's all about what kind of country we're going to be and can people, can the actual realities of most american people set the agenda? can we make etch other's lives better together? if you look at the fight for minimum wage, across in see at, new york state where an important citizen-led fight is happening on public financing for elections which is one of those structural things that unlocks everything, you have regular citizens standing up and saying this isn't an immediate kitchen table issue for me. it's about voting rights, democracy, what kind of elections we have. but i know that it ripples down to everything and that's so important. >> literally i can say today there's this peaceful rally going on around stand your

ground laws in florida, say florida again, election year, say florida, and in thk north carolina we have thousands of people gathered. on a cold saturday in florida and north carolina, we have action happening. allison, is that indicative of the idea that when you add that with what's left of the occupy organizing, with the min wum wage organizing, immigration organizing, are we the new movement? >> i would say so. it is a peaceful protest. let's remember that 945 people were arrested in 2013 during a moral monday protest. the protests are peaceful. i don't know about the state, the police, the gop-controlled legislature, but the protesters are certainly peaceful. i have to say in covering the moral monday protests, this is by far the most diverse group of people i've seen. occupy wall street was a good income inequality movement. for the most part, it was primarily white, student aged individuals participating.

the moral monday protests i think are a much better representation of what america actually looks like. >> ari, let me ask you about that. as you're standing right there with folks who have come from all over the country, are you seeing the kind of representative diversity allison is talking about here? >> yeah. the moral monday movement really represents the diversity of north carolina. it's young, it's old, it's blark, it's white, it's brown. it's very socioeconomically diverse. the main thing is to be so inclusive. everyone feels welcome. everyone is fighting for each other's issues. people interested in voting rights are fighting for workers' rights. there's a realization that all things are related. you can't have single issue advocacy and that's how you're going to succeed because that creates the groundwork to fight the legislature on so many

fronts. remember north carolina passed dozens of bad policies and that's why this broad based coalition emerged to fight it. >> we only have like ten seconds. there has been a demonization of reverend barber by the opposition of the moral monday movement, that he's a des pit in certain ways. based on your assessment of reverend barber, what do you think his goals are? >> i don't think this is about reverend barber. it's always been bigger than him. he's trying to build multi racial, multi racial politics throughout the south, to transform the south and transform the country. he used used himself as a vessel for that change. it's not about him, never been about him. i think he'll be the first person to tell you that. >> that's been my experience of him as well. ari berman on the phone from raleigh, north carolina. thank you for sending those images of the rally. those are your pictures. ist made tv very pretty today. >> thank you. miss you guys. >> come on back any time. up next, the newest

battleground in the fight over voter i.d. laws, another installment of "this week in voter suppression!" he's got to power through it. ♪ vicks dayquil. powerful non-drowsy 6 symptom cold and flu relief. 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. ♪ i asked my husband to pay our bill, and he forgot. you have the it card and it's your first time missing a payment, so there's no late fee. really? yep! so is your husband off the hook? no. he went out for milk last week and came back with a puppy. hold it. hold it. hold it. at discover, we treat you like you'd treat you. get the it card with late payment forgiveness. ♪ every now and then i get a little bit hungry ♪ ♪ and there's nothing good around ♪ ♪ turn around, barry

♪ i finally found the right snack ♪ [ female announcer ] fiber one. i can download anything i want. [ girl ] seriously? that's a lot of music. seriously. that's insane. and it's 15 bucks a month for the family. seriously? that's a lot of gold rope. seriously, that's a signature look. you don't have a signature look, honey. ♪ that's a signature look. [ male announcer ] only at&t brings you beats music. unlimited downloads for up to 5 accounts and 10 devices all for $14.99 a month. ♪ afghanistan, in 2009. orbiting the moon in 1971. [ male announcer ] once it's earned, usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection. and because usaa's commitment to serve current and former military members and their families is without equal. begin your legacy.

get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve. ♪ ♪ nothing says, "you're my #1 copilot," like a milk-bone biscuit. ♪

say it with milk-bone. missouri republicans are ready to give the show me state motto a whole new meaning, by a new requirement for show thing voter i.d. the republican state legislature recently held a hearing on the bill to put a proposed amendment on the ballot this november which, if approved by voters, would allow for a voter i.d. law. it would require missouri voters to show state or government issued identification in order to cast a ballot. military i.d.s would count. student i.d.s would not. missouri's state supreme court in 2006 struck down a voter i.d. law and the u.s. supreme court refused to revive it in 2008. at the end of january, they

thought they fixed the objectionable issues to receive the new i.d.s without cost. the missouri secretary of state says it could keep hundreds of thousands of current ves dents from voting. joining me is jason candor, secretary of state for the show me state. given this insistence, i assume there must be a serious problem with voter fraud in your state. can you tell me what you have encountered as secretary of state? >> the sponsors of this legislation say it's targeted voter impersonation fraud which is something we haven't had in missouri. so this would be the most extreme law in the entire country if it were passed. 220,000 registered voters could be disenfranchised. even calling it a photo identification law i think underplays it. it requires a very specific form

of identification. as you mention, student i.d.s wouldn't be good enough, voter identification card you receive in the mail wouldn't be good enough, expired driver's license, a military i.d. that's expired, it expired in november 2013. if this law were to pass, i wouldn't be allowed to present it and vote in 2016. a law like that, anything to disen franchise a single eligible voter is something i'll fight against. >> that's so important, the clarification you made. often when i had the conversation with people who support voter i.d. at the stable, they say you need one to get on a plane, but the notion it is, in fact, quite hard to comply with this law, that it's not reasonably demonstrate you are who you say you are. >> the bill, it makes a show of trying to say, well, we're going to get an i.d. for you, the state is going to pay for it. but it really just makes a show of it. at the end of the day there's still underlying documents that

cost money, the fact you have to take off work to go stand in line to get an i.d. we're talking about a constitutional right. it's pretty outrageous. you mentioned that the republicans if my state like to say they fixed it, i think you'd find their fix pretty interesting. of all the state constitutions in the country, our state has one of the strongest voting rights provisions in a constitution anywhere in the country. the republican strategy here is to amend our state constitution to weaken the voting rights provision and then pass the most extreme version of this kind of law in the entire country. so it's pretty simple, the bill is so blatantly unconstitutional that even the sponsors concede the only way for it to take legal effect is to change our constitution. >> let me ask you this. you as a secretary of state, being out this early in front of this, you haven't waited until next week, the state legislators are voting on this. you're talking at this point about trying to raise awareness

about a change to a constitution. why get in front of this so early? >> this is a constitutional right. it's incredibly important. as i said, 220,000 registered voters in my state could be disenfranchised by this. melissa, that's 8% of the number of people who voted in the 2012 presidential election in missouri. that's a substantial number. i i'm to make sure only eligible voters vote and has the opportunity to vote. i take those very seriously. >> dorian, i want to come to you on this. it was striking to us that missouri is now a state i would be talking about in the context of voter i.d. law. when you look at the map of the 50 states, you're seeing these expansive, restrictive voter i.d. laws spreading. we did have it turned back in pennsylvania, both in texas and north carolina that you see in

yellow, challenged by the d.oj. all these states in red, these things are in place and missouri bringing it up, too. what's happening here? >> it's clear this is not just a southern strategy, but it is a strategy of the republican party. and if you can't win by attracting voters, kick voters out, suppress the vote. we're seeing republicans breathing new life into jim crow laws under a different name. it's a strategy because they know they can attract new voters. they have to restrict it to try to rig the game to stay in power. >> mr. candor, in addition to being out in front of challenging this, you've taken proactive steps, voex in missouri can register to vote online. >> i appreciate you mentioning that. i've been in office a year. i'm proud of our record of making sure every eligible voter should be more convenience at the polls.

that makes sense. that's why we're the 16th state to have an online voter registration form, pushing forrer lir voting. we have pour the first time have bipartisan legislation on it. i'll continue to work on that. my job is to make sure there's more convenience for eligible voters. for some reason, there are republicans in my state and around the country who are very uncomfortable with that. i don't really understand that. i think it's pretty fundamental. >> mr. candor, you're so eminently reasonable. you may not get a lot of play on this cable situation. your voice is all moderate and you have all this empirical evidence and such. i appreciate you joining us. >> thanks. >> thank you for joining us. up next, my letter of the week from someone refusing to hear what the people are saying.

[clicks mouse] nice office. how you doing? good. automatic discounts the moment you sign up. because an empty pan is a blank canvas. [ woman #2 ] to share a moment. [ woman #3 ] to travel the world without leaving home. [ male announcer ] whatever the reason. whatever the dish. make it delicious with swanson. ♪ [ male announcer ] bob's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today his doctor has him on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen.

♪ yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! ♪ we are one, under the sun ♪ under the sun... [ female announcer ] fiber and protein. together as one. introducing new fiber one protein cereal. paws off pal. [ female announcer ] new charmin ultra soft is so soft you can actually see the softness with our new comfort cushions. plus you can use up to 4 times less. enjoy the go with new charmin ultra soft. here is the exciting thing about democracy. even after the people elect our leaders, wet don't have to sit

on the sidelines waiting for the next campaign. we have an ongoing right and responsibility to make our voices heard. in recent years perhaps no issue has seemed more sustained mobilization of ordinary people than the effort to press lawmakers for comprehensive, humane immigration reform. thousands rallied, activists fasted on the national mall, even eliciting a show of support from the president, a ppt who has repeatedly insisted that immigration is at the top of his political agenda. it's not just the white house. a bipartisan working group in the senate passed a comprehensive reform bill in june. immigration is the one issue that political observers opined could gain some traction in this fractured partisan world of washington, d.c., until thursday when this happened. >> listen, there's widespread doubt about whether this administration can be trusted to enforce our laws, and it's going to be difficult to move any

immigration legislation until that changes. >> oh, my. so this week my letter goes to speaker of the house john mccain. dear speaker boehner, it's me, melissa. you told the country this week that immigration reform is unlikely to happen this year because of the president? i've got to say it looks like you are the one standing in the way. i know you're aware of the widespread demonstrations showing support for reform. it's not just actionivists, mr. speak, it's american business leaders, mark zuckerberg and marissa mayer have been calling for reform. influential conservative groups have expressed support for it. 65% of americans agree that the current immigration system is either completely or mostly broken. according to a poll from just last week, 81% of americans support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who meet specific qualifications. even if your home state, ohio, where you know you run for

re-election every two years, 72% of residents report that it is important for congress to enact immigration reform. but it seems like maybe you're less interested in what is good for the economy, good for immigrant families and the american people. it seems you're more focused on what's good for your fellow house republicans, like representative raul labrador who said if you bring an immigration overhaul to the floor, i think it could cost him his speakership. over, mr. speaker, are you getting bullied by that itinerant conservative caucus again? it might be worth remembering that while republicans in the house elected you speaker, it's the people who elected you to congress in the first place. when ohio business leaders are flying to washington to ask for reform and constituents are staging rallies and protests and showing up at your ohio office to demand action, maybe it's time to focus on them. immigration reform is not about whether or not you get to keep

being called mr. speaker. americans across the country have been willing to put their bodies on the line for this reform. undocumented activists have risked deportation and separation from their families, they've put it all on the line. maybe it's time you become willing to put your gavel on the line, you know, pour the good of the country. sincere sincerely, melissa. momuments men? yes.

we have been tasked to find art the nazis have stolen. [ male announcer ] george clooney. matt damon. bill murray. john goodman. and cate blanchett. [ man ] this is our history, and it's not to be destroyed. we better get it back. [ male announcer ] "the monuments men." rated pg-13. starts with freshly-made pasta, and 100% real cheddar cheese. but what makes stouffer's mac n' cheese best of all. that moment you enjoy it at home. stouffer's. made with care for you or your family. ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] with five perfectly sweetened whole grains... you can't help but see the good. they have the same walk. same grin. and the same beautiful hair. [ female announcer ] with nice 'n easy, get the most natural shade of you.

get three salon tones in one step. with expert highlights and lowlights. for color so true to you, they may think you were born with it. i'm a lucky guy. [ female announcer ] with nice 'n easy, get the most natural shade of you. keep your shade aglow with innovative cc cream. find it in every box of nice 'n easy. 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. new alka seltzer plus-d relieves more symptoms than any other behind the counter liquid gel. oh what a relief it is. smoke? nah, i'm good. [ male announcer ] celebrate every win with nicoderm cq, the unique patch with time release smartcontrol technology that helps prevent the urge to smoke all day long. help prevent your cravings with nicoderm cq. there's nothing like being your own boss! and my customers are really liking your flat rate shipping. fedex one rate. really makes my life easier. maybe a promotion is in order.

good news. i got a new title. and a raise? management couldn't make that happen. [ male announcer ] introducing fedex one rate. simple, flat rate shipping with the reliability of fedex. when i say civil rights movement, what immediately comes to mind? you likely have images of courageous protesters. what else do we know? sometimes civil rights movement has been reduced to a bus, a lunch counter and mlk. it was more complicated than that. there are many more stories to tell and hear. one of those stories is the vulnerability that the movement faced from within. this particular story is of what happened in mississippi when the state government legally spied on and terrorized its own people

in order to thwart deseg grags as a result of the supreme court's ruling in brown v. board of education. the new documentary "spies of mississippi" chronicles the work of the mississippi state sovereignty commission, who used a network of government officials, private detectives and paid informants to uncover plans for marches and protests as well as track the lives of civil rights advocates. >> it was the spy agency during the civil rights movement. >> the sovereignty commission wanted to know who the activists were in the black community. ♪ >> they were out to stop overt efforts at integration. >> joining the table, producer and director of "spies of mississippi," dawn porter.

dawn, how did you come to be making this film? how do we know what we now know about this commission? >> this is one of those, it's as you said, we teach civil rights history as if there was slavery, martin luther king and president obama gets elected. yeah, we've over come. actually it was much more complicated. one of the things i was attracted to about this story is putting myself, putting ourselves in that time, 1950s, 1960s, mississippi, civil rights, very confusing, very dangerous. when you think about how the actual white supremacists were going to keep power, it makes complete sense that they would try to infiltrate the civil rights story. so there's a young adult book by rick bowers of the same name, "spies of mississippi." i read this book and i was fascinated with the story. we literally got on a plane. we went to saifl rights convention. we met all these activists and they started telling their

stories. >> the late lawrence guy yad is in the film. he said if you registered to vote, you immediately became an enemy of the state. given what we've been talking about about voter i.d., if you reasonable centered to vote, you became an enemy of the state? >> that's why it's so important to tell these stories. the segment you just did about voter suppression, there's a history there, a long history of trying to stop the african-american vote and trying to stop civil rights. i think if we understand all the ways in which people were trying to suppress the vote, that's how we were making sure it doesn't happen any longer. >> marc, one of the reasons i wanted you at the table is because of your own history of engagement in the civil rights movement. as i was watching, i'm thinking they're paying people who are in the movement, but it turns out they're spying back, sending information back. >> first of all, incredible documentary, thank you so much for making this piece of work,

amazing piece of work. when people get together from that era, booichb in these conversations when people talk about who was the agent, actually figuring out who the person was who did the snatching on us in those groups in the same and in cambridge, maryland and other places. they were there and they were paid by the police. it happened in cambridge, maryland, in mississippi, wherever the movement was. the way you told that story was so chilling, to thinks about the deaths of the people in mississippi who died that summer, died during that struggle, directly related to this commission? ooh. >> the investigative work it takes to figure out who is the snitch. because of what they're saying and how they're being paid, end up taking the lives of folks. but also the redacting of the documents and the way you visually show the unredacting of documents happen as a result of

local journalists. i kept thinking, oh, my god, if the local paper is gone, who is ever going to uncover these stories? >> i'm so glad you pointed that out. one of the other heroes of the civil rights movement are the journalists. jerry mitchell, these documents were leaked to him in 1989 and he starts to write for the clarion ledger who then bravely publishes these documents. the state of mississippi sealed -- one thing that's important to know is that these documents are all available online. if you or your any of your family was in mississippi during that time, you can type your name in and see if you were spied on. it's a fun little spy activity on a cold winter morning. but jerry mitchell started to write about these activities. his reporting directly led to the conviction of med ger evers' murderer. if we don't have investigative journalists, if we don't support these people, these atrocities

don't come to light. a victory for journalism. >> it was, a victory for journalism. i love that you made inlinks from that moment to our contemporary domestic spying issues. "spies of mississippi" airs monday on pbs. before we go, as we go out, i want to suggest a little bit more of the film. there's a moment where they're talking about the spies who look like us and who you think you're looking for in the room versus who you'll be looking for. we'll look at that as we go out. up next, former ser surgeon general joins us. >> you're always looking at the white guys in the pickup trucks down the road to take tag numbers down when we were leaving. we never decided to look around the room. we were not understanding that perhaps people were being paid who looked like us to spy and report back.

♪ turn around, barry ♪ i finally found the right snack ♪ [ female announcer ] fiber one. we are the thinkers. 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. her long day of pick ups and drop offs begins with arthritis pain...

and a choice. take up to 6 tylenol in a day or just 2 aleve for all day relief. all aboard. ♪ i can't believe your mom has a mom cave! today i have new campbell's chunky spicy chicken quesadilla soup. she gives me chunky before every game. i'm very souperstitious. haha, that's a good one! haha! [ male announcer ] campbell's chunky soup. it fills you up right. bulldog: you know, not all heroes wear capes. bulldog: you know, some wear fur. and mattress discounters good deed dogs is here to help them. meet yara. she helps veterans like marv stay independent. this is caspin. he helps wallace with things she can't do on her own. and goldie helps children with developmental disabilities, while suzie works with people in the hospital. you can be a hero, too. give it mattressdiscountersdogs.com, or any mattress discounters. mattress discounters good deed dogs: helping dogs help people.

major announcement from one of the country's largest drugstore chains this week. in what could be called a watershed market, cvs said they will stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products by october 1. president obama praised the decision saying, quote, cvs caremark sets a powerful example. other pharmacy chains are expected eventually to follow. how will this decision impact the fight against tobacco use and the more than 480,000 smoking-related deaths in the u.s. every year? joining me now from new orleans is former u.s. surgeon general, dr. benjamin. now endowed chair of public health at xavier university in louisiana. dr. benjamin is hosting a summit on the tobacco report this tuesday. the purpose of the event is to find out what will lead to tobacco-friedgen ration. good morning, dr. benjamin. >> good morning. >> i want to ask a question about this. if cvs is making a decision at this point to lose something

like $2 billion in sales, this strikes me as really surprising on the part of a whole corporation. >> i come end cvs and caremark on taking such a bold and courageous step and putting people's lives before dollars and helping this become a more healthy and fit nation. this couldn't come at baiter time because this is an anniversary of the 50th anniversary of the surgeon general's first tobacco report and we are celebrating that right now. >> dr. benjamin, obviously part of that report was to talk about the addictive aspects of particularly cigarette smoking in addition to the kind of other negative physiological consequences. i'm wondering if all of a sudden there is a reduction in the availability of cigarettes and especially for rural communities where there may not be a of stores, we just have been reporting on the legalization of marijuana in many states and the sense that it is better to go ahead and create more access and

now we are talking about restricting access to tobacco. talk to me about why that makes sense in this case. >> particularly with the young people, every day in this country, 1,200 people die from cigarette smoking. each one of those deaths is being replaced by two young smokers. we call it the replacement smokers. 90% of all smokers start before the age of 18 and 99% start before the age of 26. if we can just prevent our next generation from taking a first cigarette before the age of 26, there is less than 1% chance they will ever start. we do know that nicotine is one of the most addicting substances that there is. so the exposure to them, marketing to this young group that -- 18 to 26-year-old, is tremendous. $27 million a day is being spent on marketing tobacco products. that's over $1 million an hour. just to make smoking and tobacco products glamourous again. if we can stop doing that, we really can help our next

generation become tobacco-free. >> as you talk about the engagement of big dollars and the health consequences of young people, i also just have to ask about other kinds of drugs that exist especially prescription drugs which we know, you know, we have been thinking about the recent tragic death of philip seymour hoffman and the ways that may have been addicted with heroin addiction and prescription drug use. i'm just wondering, you know, as we focus on cigarettes and tobacco, should we also be expanding out to talk about the ways these dollars influence politicians which then creates a great availability of prescription drugs? >> prescription drugs, you know, are there and it is a problem. a major problem. it is one we should discuss even more and we are seeing more and more deaths around prescription drugs. don't forget nicotine is one of the most addicting drugs out there. it is available. the fact it is so available and it is so addictive, nicotine

is -- so addicting that it is even more sensitive to the adolescent's brain. some of the things we are doing with the new products and things of -- with addiction, new ways to deliver them. the e-cigarette, for example, is a new way to deliver nicotine. the whole purpose is because mick teen is addicting. once the young person is addicted to it, they are addicted to nicotine for life. >> the e-significant vet not a good alternative? >> it is a new delivery system for it. any drug that's addicting and you are promoting it, no, it is not a good alternative. >> i appreciate you saying i have some members of my team that are young people and we are trying to make sure they don't become smokers or give up the smoking. we want their land to be tobacco-free. i appreciate you, dr. benjamin, for coming on the show today and talking about the continued health concerns around tobacco. >> thank you. thanks to you at home for watching. i will see you tomorrow morning

at 10:30 a.m. eastern right after the women's ice hockey in the olympics right here on msnbc. right now it is time for a preview of "weekends with alex witt." >> let's tell everyone you did not get to sleep in. you were at n studio at 10:00 a.m. watching the games. thanks so much. the olympic games are under way now. we will hear from the first olympic darling who fell on the first jump of her training run. aar erin brockovich joins me to talk about the water problems in west virginia. the target attack. how the hackers went in the back door and what it means for other major companies. office politics, dee dee myers talks about the pitfalls of being the first female in that role. legs up? legs up! legs up! legs up! verizon has free tablets and free phones. get here anyway you can. good job! free tablets. free phones. on the best network. only at verizon. get tablets like the verizon ellipsis 7 free.

and when you trade in your old smartphone, you can get the samsung galaxy s4 free. or the droid maxx by motorola free. plus get a data plan with unlimited talk and text for as low as $45. this week only. getting free tablets and phones on the best network. that's powerful. verizon. hey there, i just got my bill, and i see that it includes my fico® credit score. yup, you get it free each month to help you avoid surprises with your credit. good. i hate surprises. surprise! at discover, we treat you like you'd treat you. get the it card and see your fico® credit score. ♪ ♪ ♪ told ya you could do it. (dad vo) i want her to be safe. so, i taught her what i could and got her a subaru. (girl) piece of cake. ♪ (announcer) love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru.

i just served my mother-in-law your chicken noodle soup but she loved it so much... i told her it was homemade. everyone tells a little white lie now and then. but now she wants my recipe [ clears his throat ] [ softly ] she's right behind me isn't she? [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. the coconut maine tail in new lobster in paradise -- amazing! [ male announcer ] don't miss red lobster's lobsterfest! with the year's largest selection of lobster entrees, you won't find choices like these anywhere else. my favorite is lobster lover's dream! the dueling lobster tails are both winners. [ male announcer ] two maine lobster tails, one crab-stuffed, and one topped with savory garlic shrimp. nobody does lobster like red lobster. [ male announcer ] hurry in to red lobster. and sea food differently. ♪ she'd just grab the bounty select-a-size. one select-a-size sheet of bounty is 50% more absorbent than a full size sheet of the leading ordinary brand. use less, with bounty select-a-size.

you know how painful heartburn can be. for fast, long lasting relief, use doctor recommended gaviscon®. only gaviscon® forms a protective barrier that helps block stomach acid from splashing up- relieving the pain quickly. try fast, long lasting gaviscon®. this is a live look at the olympic torch in sochi, russia. we will get the latest the first day medal and who are the u.s.'

best chance for gold. one of the first big stories of the game, an olympian who will not be able to compete this year. we will hear from her about the early heartbreak. another new chapter in the chris christie chronicles. what did he know about the e-mail sent by his champ? and it is another blast of winter. will it turn into another juggernaut that hits the northeast? we will get the latest forecast. hey there. it is high noon in the east. 9:00 a.m. out west. welcome to "weekends with alex witt." the first medals have been awarded in the sochi winter games and given for a first-time event. the snowboard slope style event. sage kotsenburg was among the favorites. if you don't want to look because you don't want to have it be spoiled for you. meantime, team usa dominated over finland in the ice hockey