should not use androgel. serious side effects include worsening of an enlarged prostate, possible increased risk of prostate cancer, lower sperm count, swelling of ankles, feet, or body, enlarged or painful breasts, problems breathing during sleep, and blood clots in the legs. tell your doctor about your medical conditions and medications, especially insulin, corticosteroids, or medicines to decrease blood clotting. in a clinical study, over 80% of treated men had their t levels restored to normal. talk to your doctor about all your symptoms. get the blood tests. change your number. turn it up. androgel 1.62%. the mystery deepens. new details about a malaysian airlines plane that just vanished. does the passenger list reveal clues? another big snowstorm could be hitting the midwest and east coast this week. exactly when and where? what is protoel protocoprot. the debate is raging after an

apology. george w. bush adviser nicolle wallace tells us which republican really hated her. hey there, everyone. it's high noon here in the east, 9:00 a.m. in the west. welcome to "weekends with alex wi witt." breaking news from overseas where investigators from several countries are searching for the missing malaysian jet liner. the plane vanished seen after taking off on its way to beijing. the boeing 777 aircraft was carrying 227 passengers. 12 crew members. the flight was due to arrive in beijing at 6:30 local time and passengers have been taken to a nearby hotel as they anxiously await for answers on what could have happened to loved ones. malaysian authorities say they

aren't ruling anything out. duncan gholstony has been following everything and joins us from london. officials from austria are confirming two names on the missing plane's manifest match two names on passports that were both stolen in thailand? what do you know about this? >> reporter: yeah. hey, alex, good afternoon. so this is a discrepancy on the flight's manifest. two passengers listed as being on board are, in fact, safe and well, and at least one of them had reported their passport stolen. a spokesman confirmed to nbc news, one of their citizens had been listed on being that malaysian airlines flight to beijing but the system came back as telling them it was a stolen passport. they found the man at home, and he confirmed he had reported it stolen in thailand two years ago. a very similar situation in italy. the foreign ministry in rome saying no italian was on board

despite one being listed on the manifest. a newspaper there reports the passport was also stolen, again in thailand. it could just be distracting detail, doesn't really have any significance. but at the moment, with so little information available about the cause of the crash, it is getting attention. certainly, you can bet chinese authorities are taking an interest in two people who might have apparently been trying to enter their country illegally. alex? >> yeah, it's a very curious occurrence. not one but two instances like this. let's talk about what's going on in terms of reports, conflicting from both vietnamese and malaysian officials as to whether or not there has been signs of debris, oil slicks, wreckage found in the south china sea. what are you hearing? >> reporter: yeah, this is vietnamese air force planes have apparently spotted two large oil slicks in the area off the southern tip in vietnam. each of those slicks about six miles wide. the search has been hampered by it being dark in the area now, so we might not get much more

until daylight tomorrow. certainly, many countries in the area and the united states are sending ships to help in the search. we know from previous planes lost over water that tracking the wreckage can take days and locating and recovering the flight recorders could take months or even years. the black boxes are capable of emitting signals that can be detected from under water. those flight recorders are vital to finding out what happened. until then, it is just speculation and, of course, for the families of those missing waiting, it's an agonizing wait. alex? >> something we don't envy at all. duncan golestani in london, thank you. i want to bring in aviation expert and pilot jay rollins. welcome to you. all these details continuing to emerge. nothing definitive yet. but with the information we have so far, can you make a speculation and educated guess as to what may have happened?

>> well, i'm beginning to think that it's quite possible that there was something catastrophic that occurred during this flight. because there is no indication that the pilots made any sort of attempt to contact anyone by radio. and that's very unusual. either something catastrophic, like an explosion happened in cruise or there was some other large failure like the entire electrical system went out, where they were unable to broadcast. but the other possibility, of course, is pilot error. but i don't think that this sort of thing suggests that, except that an air france situation a couple years back in 2009, it did did turn out to be a pilot error problem. >> right. but in that situation, that was a flight from south america, i think, brazil bound for paris. there was also an ice storm, really bad weather. we spoke with a colleague who

was in singapore today, said nothing but blue skies. absolutely gorgeous weather today, so unlikely weather played any role in this. give me a sense, two hours into a flight, what's going on, from a -- the standpoint of altitude -- you're at cruising altitude. does that mean everything is on autopilot at that point? >> typically, yes. even early in the climb, the pilots will typically put the aircraft on autopilot, and by the time you're at cruise, things are settling back. sometimes on these longer flights, they have actually three pilots aboard. and by that time, the captain will have sent the third pilot back to the cabin in order to rest. so that they can swap out later. in the meanwhile, for the two pilots that are still in -- at their stations, it's pretty routine at that point. you're mainly making radio calls and position reports, and tracking what the aircraft is doing on autopilot. >> yeah, and jay, the boeing

777, it's a pretty great safe aircraft. i mean, it's had a good track record, hasn't it? >> absolutely. of course, it was the subject of the asiana crash, but that turned out to be a pilot error problem, as well. in this particular aircraft, it has been around 20 years. it's one of the finest aircraft around. i certainly think that it's still a safe aircraft. i have no reason to think otherwise. i have actually booked my own son on one for this summer. so i don't think it's an aircraft problem. but we will soon see. >> yeah. and given the lack of information, jay, at this point, how, first of all, frustrated are investigators, and what do they have to go with? >> well, i imagine they will start with the latest -- the position that the aircraft was in, with their latest contact. and start there with their searches. they absolutely will need to find those black boxes.

the wreckage. because that will tell them what was going on in the final moments. >> which, by the way -- may i ask, those black boxes, that sound, that ping noise, that will emit automatically, correct? that's not something that has to be manually triggered? >> that's correct. actually, there's also an elt that once it hits saltwater, it would begin to send out a signal. and i did hear a report that one was heard, but there's so many reports floating around, i can't be certain about that. however, you're right. the black boxes also emit a ping so once they're close to it, they can find it. >> jay rollins, thank you very much for weighing in with your insights. i appreciate that. and we will also hear from nbc's tom costello about the boeing 777, and its safety record at the bottom of the hour. mean time, the standoff in ukraine.

russia troops taking over a military base in crimea. tens of thousands of people fled red square chanting crimea is russia. putin's government says it supports a vote by crimeans to to join russia. a move scheduled to happen just eight days from now. russia is warning that any sanctions the u.s. tries to impose on moscow over this crisis will hit the u.s. like a boomerang. and back in the u.s. on the senate floor this week, senator ben carden of maryland urged congress to stand united against russia's involvement in ukraine. >> nothing justifies russia's aggression. nothing. our political and economic assistance at this time would be a testament to those who died at the maiden just two weeks ago. and a concrete manifestation that our words mean something, and that we do indeed stand by the people of ukraine. >> senator benjamin carden joins me right now. welcome, sir. always nice to see you. >> thank you, alex. good to be with you.

>> let's talk about crimea's moscow backed government which voted to secede from ukraine. they say they do not accept the results. but the u.s. has nonetheless imposed some modest restrictions against moscow. do you think it is wise, sir, for the u.s. to push harder? is. >> absolutely. what putin has done is violate numerous international agreements, his aggression and use of military conter convenes internation international norms and treaties and encourages more of these types of incursions. so the united states and europe and i hope the world will stand by and say, look, the crimea belongs to ukraine, and you can't use military to take it over. >> it has been described many times as being a frosty relationship. between these two world leaders. and it seems like the showdown in ukraine is fast becoming a showdown between president obama

and president putin. >> believe in the role of law and treaties mean something and borders mean something. believe that mr. putin is acting with his kgb background and he is the person who is causing all of these problems. it's in the u.s. interest, because this type of behavior can only help to destabilize areas that are important to the united states. whether it's ukraine or whether it's the western balkans, whether it's south china sea. all those areas could be vulnerable if one country believes they can use their military to solve jurisdictional issue. >> all right, senator, we'll switch gears and talk about democratic senator kirsten gillibra gillibrand's bill to take out of the chain of command. the bill got bipartisan support. you voted for it. but it was ultimately blocked. it failed to get the 60 votes it needed to advance. in fact, there were ten democrats who voted against the bill. can you understand the reasoning for that, why some fellow

democrats voted that way? >> certainly, i'm disappointed we were not able to pass it. i am very encouraged we got over the majority of the united states senator saying this is -- we need a dramatic change in a way the military handles sexual assault matters. but i think there has been a lot of progress made. this issue will not go away. we're going to continue to put a spotlight on what's happening in the military and help those soldiers who have been victimized so they can report and those who have committed these crimes are held accountable. so it's not over. we're still going to fight these issues. >> okay. so let's go with the affordable care act now. because the obama administration has announced just this week that it will allow consumers to renew health care plans that do not comply with the affordable care act. they're going to get to do this for two more years. it pushes the issue beyond this fall's midterm elections. republicans, as you would guess, immediately seize on this move. is this the right move by the obama administration? >> well, i would hope the republicans would work with us to make this law work. but rather they seem to take

every change as ammunition for their point of view rather than working to get people adequate, affordable health care coverage. there are very few people who will be falling into this category. fewer and fewer over time. the vast majority of people have been able to get adequate coverage and affordable coverage. millions of americans who are now benefitting from the affordable care act. i had the opportunity just yesterday to meet with navigators and talk to people who had preexisting conditions and now have full coverage. young people who couldn't afford insurance coverage who can now afford it today. a small business owner who now has affordable coverage. so it's working, and we're getting to where we need to be. but during this period of time, there are going to be bumps along the way and we've got to make sure no one is disadvantaged. >> senator, i want to ask you finally about what your plans are for monday night. i understand you're one of 28 senators staying up all night. you're going to be talking about climate change. so what do you plan to say during this talk-a-thon, and

what do you hope to accomplish? >> well, we're just trying to point out the urgency of climate change and what is happening glob globally and the united states' responsibility. i'm proud to join a number of senators who are going to make this point by speaking on the floor from monday night until tuesday. make it clear that we have to respond. extreme weather conditions are very much related to what we do here on earth. >> absolutely, sir. i hope you'll either be wearing very comfortable clothes or at least loosen that tie. senator ben hacardin, good to s you. >> thanks. he said, he said. the comment that triggered a gop flare up. why senator mccain wants an apology. 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. ♪ see what's new at projectluna.com before chantix, i tried to quit probably about five times. it was different than the other times i tried to quit. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix varenicline is proven to help people quit smoking. it's a non-nicotine pill. chantix reduced my urge to smoke. that helped me quit smoking. [ male announcer ] some people had changes in behavior, thinking, or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop chantix, and call your doctor right away.

tell your doctor about any history of mental-health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these, stop chantix and see your doctor right away, as some can be life-threatening. tell your doctor if you have a history of heart or blood-vessel problems or if you develop new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping, and unusual dreams. my quit date was my son's birthday, and that was my gift for him and me. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. and that was my gift for him and me. we'll be here at lifelock doing our thing: you do your swipe from anywhere thing, watching out for your identity, data breach or not. get lifelock protection and live life free.

some big names in the gop are looking to rally the conservative base as cpac wraps up on this its third and final day. congresswoman michele bachmann addressed the crowd earlier today, offering her version for the midterm elections this november. >> we all remember how great we felt in 2010 when we rose up and we pulled the gavel out of nancy pelosi's hand. that was a sweet day. and with your hand, we will create that exact same magic and then some this year in 2014. >> newt beginning is scheduled to speak later this hour and sarah palin takes the stage this evening. straw poll results will be revealed later today. cpac, of course, is a chance to rally and bring conservatives together, but there have also been sharp words exchanged, pitting new school republicans against some of the old guard. nbc's kristen welker is in sunny south florida for us where the first family is spending the weekend. and kristen, cpac is usually a

pep rally, what is all this in-fighting about? >> right. and it's a pep rally this year, as well, alex. but there's really a fight about how exactly to win back the white house. that is the back drop, as sarah palin prepares to take the stage and deliver the keynote address this evening. her goal will be to unite and rally the party faithful. tonight will be no different, as she prepares to deliver the feenl speech at cpac. >> a bold and inspiring vision for america. >> we are coming together and we are going to do this. >> i am talking about electing lovers of liberty. >> reporter: potential 2016 candidates took the stage from former texas governor rick perry. >> defend our country.

provide a cogent foreign policy. >> to rand paul, who called for the base to look beyond party affiliation. >> we must elect men and women of principle and conviction and action who will lead us back to greatness. >> reporter: but it was tea party favorite, senator ted cruz, who may have drawn the most scrutiny, when he argued softening core conservative principles. >> and president romney. >> reporter: and that brought this sharp review from senator john mccain who said while he can take the heat, cruz should apologize to dole, a world war ii veteran. >> i wonder if he thinks that bob totally stood for principle on that hilltop in italy when he was so gravely wounded and left part of his body there, fighting for our country. >> reporter: dole also chided cruz, and defended his own voting record, arguing, it is that of a traditional republican conservative. cruz's office released a statement, saying cruz respect

the senators but adding cruz won't back down on matters of conservative principle, even if others may disagree. and alex, the other big event tonight, the straw poll, a whopping 26 candidates this year. a lot of folks think it's a pretty good indicator of potential 2016 candidate who will have strong support amongst the base. you'll recall, rand paul won last year. we will be monitoring it all from sunny florida. this, as you said, where the first family is vacationing. they are expected to be here through sunday. >> all right. you monitor it. we'll report it. thank you so much, kristen welker. here are two words you don't want to hear, more snow. unless you're headed to a ski resort. when and where it's coming. and the best place to find a job in today's number ones. ean. [ doorbell rings ] the johnsons! stall them. first word... uh...chicken? hi, cascade kitchen counselor. stop stalling and start shining

with cascade platinum packs. over time, platinum fights cloudy residue 3x better than the competing gel. it's so powerful it even helps keep the dishwasher sparkling. avoid embarrassing moments... at least for your dishes. cascade. beyond clean and shine every time. cascade. hey there, i just got my bill, and i see that it includes my fico® credit score... is that new? yup, you have our discover it card, so you get your fico® score on every statement. and, it's free. that's pretty cool of you guys. well, we just want to help you stay on top of your credit and avoid surprises. good. i hate surprises. surprise! whoa. is it your birthday? yep. cheers. at discover, we treat you like you'd treat you. free fico® credit score. get the it card at discover.com. coach calls her a team player. she's kind of special. she makes the whole team better. he's the kind of player that puts the puck, horsehide, bullet. right where it needs to be. coach calls it logistics. he's a great passer.

dependable. a winning team has to have one. somebody you can count on. somebody like my dad. this is my dad. somebody like my mom. my grandfather. i'm very pround of him. her. them. a seven day cruise to alaska or the caribbean from just $549. that's seven days to either marvel at mayan ruins... savor the very best local flavors... or sail in glistening glacier bay. with a cruise line voted best in alaska. a seven day cruise to alaska or the caribbean from just $549. call your travel agent or 1.888.book.now for this limited time offer. princess cruises, come back new. so i get invited to quite a few family gatherings. heck, i saved judith here a fortune with discounts like safe driver, multi-car, paperless. you make a mighty fine missus, m'lady.

i'm not saying mark's thrifty. let's just say, i saved him $519, and it certainly didn't go toward that ring. am i right? [ laughs ] [ dance music playing ] so visit progressive.com today. i call this one "the robox." they don't know it yet, but they're gonna fall in love, get married, have a couple of kids, [ children laughing ] move to the country, and live a long, happy life together where they almost never fight about money. [ dog barks ] because right after they get married, they'll find some financial folks who will talk to them about preparing early for retirement and be able to focus on other things, like each other, which isn't rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade. a midwestern community is solving its frozen pipes dilemma with garden hoses. plainview, minnesota, is running

hoses between homes so neighbors can supply each other with water and winter's fury might not be over yet. let's go to meteorologist dylan dreyer. you have some explaining to do. seriously. it's enough. >> and it's a storm about four to five days out. we saw how that worked out last weekend. we do have time to iron out the details, but it looks like there is the chance we could see some snow in the midwest on tuesday. and we could see it turn into a bigger storm system, the time frame would be wednesday into thursday for parts of the northeast. just know that for now. it's something we're watching. but the details still way too early to kind of pin those down, because the storm hasn't even developed yet. but let's talk about a warmup. that will make everybody happy, right? too bad we lose an hour this weekend, because it's going to be one of the nicer weekends we've had in a long time. 51 in new york city and washington, d.c. even boston is at 50 degrees. it is still pretty chilly in minneapolis at 24, and chicago at 28 degrees. but high temperatures will still stay cool in the midwest today. you folks will get the warmup tomorrow. but we should top out in the 40s and 50s later on this afternoon.

even close to 60 degrees in washington, d.c. perfect for the cherry blossoms as they get ready for the festival in a couple weeks. we do have a cold front, though, bringing lighter snow showers through northern ohio and stretching back even into kansas and oklahoma. >> sunday northern could end up to 4 to 5 inches of rain, especially along the coastline. as for snowfall, with the lighter snow showers, light. only a dusting in parts of oklahoma and up across northern ohio. so temperatures today look really nice, but tomorrow that's when the warmup is going to be felt back through denver. high temperatures close to 70 degrees. but the warmup in the northeast is short-lived. again, it is going to cool down by the it time we go into sunday. so that's about all of the explaining i can do right now, alex. >> okay. it was a good one. thank you for that, dylan dreyer. money on the mind in today's list of number ones. we begin with the job hunt.

wallet hub.com looked at a number of factors to determine the best large cities in which to find a job. and the lone star state comes out a big winner. three of the top five cities are in texas with ft. worth leading the way, followed by the nation's capital and then tampa. arlington, texas and dallas round out the top five. meanwhile, most job openings, anaheim, california, tops with easterly 18 job openings for 100 residents. arlington, texas, and long beach, california are second and third. the recent $50 million purchase of a new york city condo reminds us just how pricey big apple real estate is. but new york ranks only sixth on the wealth report list of the world's most some of real estate markets. its real estate is less than the priciest of all, monaco, where spending $1 million will get you only 160 square footage of space. 250 square feet in hong kong and 269 in london. and did you hear bill gates is the richest person in the world

again? his net worth of $76 billion was top of the "forbes" billionaire list for the first time in five years. and those are your number ones. ♪

♪ [ girl ] my mom, she makes underwater fans that are powered by the moon. ♪ [ birds squawking ] my mom makes airplane engines that can talk. [ birds squawking ] ♪ my mom makes hospitals you can hold in your hand. ♪ my mom can print amazing things right from her computer. [ whirring ] [ train whistle blows ] my mom makes trains that are friends with trees. [ train whistle blows ] ♪ my mom works at ge. ♪

stamps.co it took a lot of juggling to keep it all together.k. for some low-income families, having broadband internet is a faraway dream. so we created internet essentials, america's largest low-cost internet adoption program. having the internet at home means she has to go no further than the kitchen table to do her homework. now, more than one million americans have been connected at home. it makes it so much better to do homework, when you're at home. welcome to what's next. comcastnbcuniversal.

welcome back to "weekends with alex witt." time for headlines at the half. a woman working it at this thrift store was killed friday when a gun that was in some dropped off clothing accidentally discharged, striking her in the chest. what a story, right? police say the woman and a co-worker were sorting through clothes at the chicago store when the co-worker shook a stock from the pile a .22 caliber gun and fell into the co-worker's hands and discharged. the woman was taken to the hospital where she died. investigators are trying to figure out how lsd got into a steak, sending a family of four from florida to the hospital. there was no indication the family had any idea the steak was laced with that hallucinogen when they ate it monday night. the woman became so sick, doctors induced her and she delivered a healthy baby boy. the entire family is now at home

and doing well. another bizarre story. and it's that time of year again. tomorrow at 2:00 a.m., we spring forward and lose an hour for daylight saving time. check your clocks ahead before you go to bed. also a good time to put the new batteries in smoke detectors in your home. to the latest now on the missing malaysia airlines jumbo jet. rescue planes have spotted large oil slicks and a column of smoke off its coastline. but it cannot be confirmed if it is from the missing aircraft. the jet was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members when it disappeared more than 20 hours ago now. three americans, including an infant, were among those on board. let's get right to nbc's tom costello following this story. first of all, the boeing 777, pretty good overall impressive safety record, right? >> reporter: very good safety record. this is the boeing 777 200 series, the earliest model of this plane. and this one in particular was about 11 or 12 years old. there was one incident with this

particular plane back in august of 2012 when it was on the ground in shanghai. it clipped the tail of another plane, and we're told the piece of the wing tip broke off. and then the plane was repaired. so, you know, we have all these hypotheses right now about why this plane has disappeared, and what might have happened to it. this will be among those hypothesis. did something happen to that repaired wing that caused this plane to suddenly apparently break up in flight? the other concern that we have at this hour is that we have now got it on the record that two individuals who were said to have been on the plane when it went down, one austrian, one italian, in fact, were not on that plane. that their passports had been stolen within the past year or so. so who was using those passports, and what, if anything, was their intent? you can imagine right now government sources have told nbc news that they are, in fact, going through the passenger

manifests and looking very closely at who was on this plane. might there have been any nexus, if you will, towards some sort of ill intent. we don't know at this hour. we can also tell you that as you mentioned, you've got not only the vietnamese who have launched a search and rescue operation here, because they have spotted these oil slicks in the water, and rather large at that. we're told six miles in one case, nine miles in another case. so in addition to the vietnamese experts and search and rescue teams, you've got malaysian and chinese authorities assisting and u.s. moving toward that region. >> okay. the fact that there is no distress signal. talk about that. why would that be? >> reporter: very concerning. you know, we don't know. and i would preface everything by saying, it is rare to be this far into an incident and have so little information. so up front, we don't know. why is it that we are not getting a distress signal or the pinger, if you will.

one possibility, it is in the water, and we don't know how deep the water is, wherever that plane might be. but in the wreckage and in the water, deep in the ocean. these pingers do have a pretty good transmission range, up to 100 miles or so. but that obviously can be deleted, if you will, or rather diluted, i should say, if you are deep in the water and wreckage. if there is some sort of a massive, catastrophic failure in the air, presumably, and in most cases these black boxes and a pinger survive. but we don't know if whatever happened might have affected these pingers and the black boxes as well. >> yeah, i think you have hit the nail on the head, tom, with regard to why this is so disconcerting. 20-plus hours now into this and don't have much information to go on. >> reporter: that's right. >> thank you for what we do have, tom costello. we'll talk more about the two stolen passports with michael leiter at the top of the hour. we'll give his take on what that all might mean at 1:00 p.m. eastern gno

eastern. let's go to washington. despite an apology after this week's nasty exchange with congressman darrell issa, cutting the microphone of cutti cutting colleague elijah cummings. >> we have members here, each who represent 700,000 people. you cannot just have a one-sided investigation. there is absolutely something wrong with that, and it is absolutely unamerican. >> hear, hear. >> the congressional black caucus is calling for representative issa's removal from the committee, saying he violated house rules. congressman cummings' office apologized for his conduct. joining me now, former virginia congressman, tom davis, who served as chairman of the national republican congressional committee, and msnbc contributor, dr. james peterson, director of africana studies and associate professor at lehigh university. congressman, i'll begin with

you. you spent more than a decade in the house, watching the hearings play out and all of the controversies go down. do you think your fellow republican, congressman issa, crossed the line and violated rules when he blocked cummings' comments, not to mention showing disrespect and bad manners what is protocol? >> i was chairman of that committee for four years. i was ranking minority member for two years with henry waxman. we would never get into that kind of high political theater. technically, the chairman has the authority to adjourn the meeting on their own. but it's not what you like to see in politics. you like to see them working together. unfortunately, these two gentlemen have really not found a rhythm in terms of being able to work together. and that's the disadvantage of the house. but, you know, so it's an unfortunate thing. i think chairman issa has expired, and we go on from there. but i don't think there is any violation of house rules or any ethics complaint. i think it's being overdramatized to drive a

political point home. the issue here was whether the irs should produce documents to congress. they're not claiming executive privilege. institutionally, i think the house should get these documents, and that ought to be the issue. and i think ranking member cummings did a good job in obscuring that issue defending the administration by getting on to this sideshow. >> do you think, sir, potentially, all this hoopla over this bad behavior will obscure the issue of what this hearing was about to begin with? >> it certainly did this time. i mean, the republicans and the chairman lost his message this day, so -- >> okay. james, along with the congressional black caucuses call for issa to be removed. jesse jackson tweeted and said congressman darrell issa's behavior was crude, wrong, racist and mean towards congressman elijah cummings. do you agree with that statement by reverend jackson? do you think the argument buoys or diminishes the case against darrell issa? >> i think that congressman i a

issa -- chairman issa has conducted himself in a way that is probably not consistent with the sort of ethics and etiquette of a chairperson in the house of representatives. and i think what you're seeing from congressman cummings and anyone who has known congressman cummings and seen him around his constituents knows he's a very upstanding, very affable and actually a very, very calm person. so to see that outburst i think suggests to you not just the fraegs in that moment, but the frustration with the kind of etiquette that chairman issa has displayed over the course of his term as chair of that particular committee. and so i think whether or not it's racist or not is not as important to me as i think what representative marcia fudge is talking about, some violation of rules. there is gray area. yes, he has the power to adjourn when he needs to but there are also rules to suggesting that the ranking member should have had five members or other members of the committee should have had time to balance out the proceedings and that did not occur there. so i think the question of whether or not he violated rules

will be resolved in the house hopefully soon. but the reality here, you don't want a chairperson of this kind of committee to conduct themselves in that kind of manner on any given day. >> right. i'm just going to say, we have had representative cummings on our show many, many times. and -- >> great guy. >> nothing short of just an absolute gentleman. whether or not he agrees with the point being made. so i'll go with that officially. >> let me stipulate, they're both good guys. this is political theater, and they each have their turf to fight on this. this is certainly not racist. they have taken this thing off and made it a political sideshow and political theater. >> i don't think congressman cummings is engaging in political theater. >> i think jesse jackson is engaged in political theater here. that's what i'm talking about. and congressman cummings is a friend of mine, good guy. >> he was frustrated in that moment. >> well, you know, let's take a listen to representative issa himself. because he spoke with reporters after all of this, and here's part of what he had to say. >> mr. chairman, how much of this is a political play for

republicans in the election? >> none. not a shred. not a smidge of it. >> so he said this is a sideshow. was this part of it? was this an act of bravado, do you think, by representative issa, as well, putting on a show? >> i talked to him after. look, i think there was no script for this. traditionally when the meetings adjourn members start talking. listen, this is not the most egregious thing i witnessed in the house. i remember chairman of the ways and means calling in the police to take out the minority one time when a meeting had adjourned. but it's not what the american public likes to see. let me just say, i think the chairman has apologized. we ought to move on. the house ought to get these documents. this will clear up once and for all who did what. right now a lot of finger-pointing and no real evidence until they have seen the documents. >> before there is any clearing of a dust settles, do you think what happened at the hearing on wednesday, do you think it might have a backlash? any lasting impact? >> it's all right had its

backlash. chairman issa is not interested in whether or not people like him. he has a political mission and sticks to it. so i don't think he's going to care much about this. but i think for the american people to see that outburst and understand congressman cummings' frustration is addictive of the ways in which we think of congress not being productive and engaging in things that don't have a lot to do with the interests of the american public. and i think that's where at the end of the day, we're going to end up on the short end of the stick when it comes to what they're doing and how they conduct themselves in the house of representatives. >> all right. dr. james peterson, former virginia congressman, tom davis, thank you very much. so what it was like to advise sarah palin in the 2008 campaign. nicolle wallace in office politics, next. an. here's another. try charmin ultra strong. it cleans so well and you can use up to four times less than the leading bargain brand. thanks mom! make me proud honey! [ female announcer ] charmin ultra strong has a duraclean texture that's soft and more durable to help your kids get clean while still using less. and it's four times stronger than the leading bargain brand. so you can keep the biggest kids in the family clean too.

[ laughter ] [ female announcer ] used by more plumbers than any other brand, try charmin. it's clog-free or it's free. try charmin. when jake and i first set out on we ate anything. but in time you realize the better you eat, the better you feel. these days we both eat smarter. and i give jake purina cat chow naturals. made with real chicken and salmon, it's high in protein like a cat's natural diet. and no added artificial flavors.

we've come a long way. and whatever's ahead, we'll be there for each other. naturally. purina cat chow naturals. a 401(k) is the most sound way to go. let's talk asset allocation. sure. you seem knowledgeable, professional. i'm actually a dj. [ dance music plays ] woman: [laughs] no way! that really is you? if they're not a cfp pro, you just don't know. cfp -- work with the highest standard. hi boys! i've made you campbell's chunky new england clam chowder. wow! this is incredible! i know. and now it has more clams! [ male announcer ] campbell's chunky soup. what? [ male announcer ] it fills you up right.

in the history of mankind. has one march. meant. so. much. your quicken loans college basketball bracket picks could change your life...forever. ♪ the quicken loans billion dollar bracket challenge with yahoo sports. pick a perfect bracket. win a billion dollars. enter today at quickenloansbracket.com.

developing now. we are waiting for former presidential candidate newt gingrich to take the stage at cpac, and i believe that is his wife calista there. congresswoman michele bachmann addressed the crowd earlier. today is the third and final today. and results of the straw poll will be revealed. in this week's office politics, former communications director for the george w. bush white house, nicolle wallace, gives me her take on who may come out on top in the straw poll and reflects on her experience, advising sarah palin in the 2008 presidential campaign. but i began by asking nicole, what's behind the dramatic divisions within the gop? >> we as a party sort of thrive in and love the chaos. we are not an orderly party. we never have been. in the history of the republican party has always been that in the upheaval and in the chaos, we will find our path. a leader will emerge. i think that what has changed is that this new media climate

tends to focus exclusively on our fractures, exclusively on our divisions and doesn't let us see enough of our commonality. and so i think what's maybe new for us is not the different wings of the party that used to make it a majority party, the diversity of opinions. i think this new media culture shines a light so intensely on our divisions that it doesn't let us see ourselves as one anymore. >> let's talk about cpac. at the end, they always take a straw poll. rand paul won last year. predictions for this year. what do you think? >> i think rand paul excites a lot of conservatives. i'm not it interested in his views on certain american isolationism. i think that would be terrible. you look at what's happening in ukraine, syria. i c i think the idea of pulling in and ignoring these problems because they're intractable are because they don't offer any good options is a really bad idea.

i'm worried about that strain of my party. but i think scott walker excites a lot of people that go to cpac. sean bolton is always a sort of favorite who makes the list. jeb bush is someone who people are feeling more and more confident is seriously considering a run. paul ryan is always very popular at cpac. but i don't know who will win. but i think that group will make up the cluster of the top. >> interestingly, sharpe is sarah palin is going to be speaking at cpac. does she have a political future? >> sarah palin has always been the only one who knows what sarah palin wants to do and the only one who controls whether she'll be successful. you know, she at any point wants to get serious about anything, reality television, writing books, politics, she has a record of showing she can do it. i think the more important part for sarah palin, what does she want. i don't know the answer. i never did. >> well, and speaking of never did, and you have said that the book "game change" and "the

film" and those two entities very actively described your time as a senior adviser with the mccain/palin campaign. but what was that like, now that you look back on it? >> i have worked for a couple other politicians. i've learned things from jeb bush and george w. bush and mccain. and so to pour everything i knew how to do to help a candidate or politician. and to have her feel so angry and resentful and, you know -- she really hated me in an almost like obsessive capacity. i was so disoriented by that. i have never done anything, you know, to earn anyone's distrust that i had ever worked for. she could have picked up the phone and called george w. bush or any of my colleagues in the white house or john mccain who i worked for for six months. for her to be so convinced of her own sort of paranoia and dislike and distrust of me without asking anyone else, felt

like it was about me. but i think that's a sort of thoughts-obsessed -- >> do you think it was about you? >> no. just being honest, in the moment it felt very personal. >> we'll have more of our conversation sunday at noon when we talk about the female factor and why nicole thinks women politicians may be the answer to this country's political problem. the legal battle for a florida woman who fired a warning shot. how can marissa alexander face triple the penalty at her retrial? "feed us -- we've awakened from our long winter's nap and we're peckish to the point of starvin'"!! i don't understand... your grass, man! it's a living, breathing thing. it's hungry, and you've got to feed it with scotts turf builder. that a boy, mikey! two feedings now...in the springtime strengthens and helps protect your lawn from future problems. [ scott ] get scotts turf builder lawn food. it's guaranteed. feed your lawn. feed it!

[ male announcer ] nothing says, "you're my #1 copilot," like a milk-bone biscuit. ♪ say it with milk-bone. [ female announcer ] one drop of ultra dawn has twice the everyday grease-cleaning ingredients of one drop of the leading non-concentrated brand... to clean two times more greasy dishes. dawn does more, so it's not a chore.

[ male announcer ] this man has an accomplished research and analytical group at his disposal. ♪ but even more impressive is how he puts it to work for his clients. ♪ morning. morning. thanks for meeting so early. oh, it's not a big deal at all. come on in. [ male announcer ] it's how edward jones makes sense of investing. ♪

makes sense of investing. to nbcuniversal's coveragens of the biggest loser olympic winter games ever, with the most coverage of the most events on every device. and the most hours of streaming video on the nbc sports live extra app, including the x1 platform from xfinity. comcast was honored to bring every minute of every medal of nbcuniversal's coverage to every screen. so what's next? rio 2016. welcome to what's next. comcast nbcuniversal. a 33-year-old florida woman is facing a second trial and the possibility of 60 years in prison for firing what she says was a warning shot in self defense against her estranged husband. marissa alexander was found guilty of aggravated assault and handed a 20-year sentence in her first trial. however, a judge threw out that conviction because of faulty jury instructions. now there is a new trial set to begin at the end of july.

alexander is now also facing a much harsher prison sentence, 20 to 60 years. joining us to discuss this is legal analyst, leaisa green. welcome. >> hi. >> how do you go to 60 years, triple the potential sentence here? >> there are two opposite trends going on and marrissa alexander finds herself at the center of them. self defense and sentencing. let's start with sentencing. what the prosecutors are saying is under florida court divisions, this judge hearing the case again is going to have to, if convicted of three counts, make her serve those counts consecutivively. >> these three counts being 20 years for the estranged husband and his two children in the area. 60 years, no matter what you think about the undercurrents, 60 years for firing a gun into a wall seems to many extraordinarily excess yef. b . that's the threat from prosecutors, she suffers the possibility of a much longer sentence. her lawyer saying i will fight this on self defense and if that judgment is rendered, i'll argue

unconstitutional. >> so that's why these things are going in opposite directions. >> that's right. because of a sentencing issue. on the other, the florida legislature is considering a bill called the warning shot bill and what it would allow is for someone like marissa alexander to argue understand your ground law. that merely the threat of force affords her a self defense. what they want to do is strengthen the case for defendants who say i deserved a self defense defense. i deserve the same protection. >> so her trial doesn't begin until july 28th. can she use that if it is put into law? >> there is a provision in the bill that may apply to her, one that would allow a defendant who is sentenced under these laws to ask for executive clemency. it looks like they're sending in the exactly the same way. >> here's the issue. let's go back to george zimmerman and trayvon martin.

he fired a shot that resulted in the death of trayvon martin. he was killed. as opposed to someone who fires a warning shot to allegedly abusive husband and says get away from me. >> i think legislators are saying, supporters are saying that's the anomaly we want to correct. but critics might say this is all getting incredibly complicated, especially when you've got as they say this two-tier thing with relaxed self defense provisions on the other hand. where do you end up? confused place. >> what is next for her? what does she do between now and july 28th? >> her lawyers prepare a similar defense to the one she tried the first time, which is she was legitimately in fear of her life. there is evidence brought into trial the first time about her husband being abusive, and barring any talks about some sort of settlement, they go forward and try again and see if they can get a better result than the first time. >> just extraordinary situation. okay.

lisa green, thank you very much. we'll have you back to talk about it again. we'll have more in breaking news we have been bringing you. a malaysia airlines jet has vanished with more than 200 on board. after a break. >>wanna see some allergens? eww! what is that thing? they could be all around you right now. how would you deal with them? >>ummm.... ninjas. no need for ninjas. reduce up to 95% of inanimate allergens becoming airborne from fabrics... ...with new, dermatologist tested, febreze allergen reducer. get fresher air and breathe happy. also available in air effects. new business owner, it would be one thing i've learned is my philosophy is real simple american express open forum is an on-line community, that helps our members connect and share ideas to make smart business decisions. if you mess up, fess up. be your partners best partner. we built it for our members, but it's open for everyone. there's not one way to do something.

no details too small. american express open forum. this is what membership is. this is what membership does. predibut, manufacturings a prettin the united states do. means advanced technology. we learned that technology allows us to be craft oriented. no one's losing their job. there's no beer robot that has suddenly chased them out. the technology is actually creating new jobs. siemens designed and built the right tools and resources to get the job done.

so i tri ed depend so i it really made the difference between a morning around the house and getting a little exercise. hi-ya! and i tried a baking class. one weekend can make all the difference. unlike the bargain brand, depend gives you the confidence of new fit-flex® protection.

it's a smooth and comfortable fit with more lycra strands. it's our best protection. take your weekend on with a free sample at depend.com a possible big clue has surfaced in the search for the malaysia airline that disappeared over the south china sea. and while we still don't know where that plane is, the nature of the investigation could be shifting. inside the minivan. the children of that mother who drove the van into the atlantic ocean are talking about what happened, and what they're saying is downright chilling. and rocky mountain high

search and rescue crews from several countries are scouring the land and sea between there and vietnam, looking for any sign at all of that missing plane. >> we have activated the search and rescue teams. our team is currently contacting next of kin of passengers and crews. >> meanwhile, the malaysia is denying reports of the plane crash south of vietnam. nbc's duncan golestani joins me from london. where are authorities right now on this investigation? are we any closer to knowing what happened to this plane?

>> reporter: still no closer, because, of course, it's nighttime, so that has hampered the investigation in place of facts coming out. there is this intriguing development, discrepancy on the flight's manifest. two passengers listed as being on board are, in fact, safe and well. and at least one of them had reported their passport stolen. an austrian foreign ministry spokesman confirmed to nbc news one of their citizens had been listed as being on board that malaysian airline flight to beijing, but their system came back as telling them it was a stolen passport. they found the man at home, and he confirmed he reported it stolen in thailand two years ago. a very similar situation in italy. the foreign ministry in rome saying no italian was on board despite one being listed on the manifest. a newspaper in italy reports the passport was also stolen in thailand. it could be distracting tail. that doesn't really have any secretary cans but at the

moment, but with so little information available, it is getting attention. >> so, all right, duncan. we have several countries involved in search and rescue operations. it is past 2:00 in the morning now local time. so is it an active search right now, or have they had to suspend it because of nighttime? >> reporter: we understand that many of the airplanes are no longer searching, because, of course, they can't see from the air. but we understand that many ships are still out. we have no distress call from the pilot. this plane just seems to have disappeared from the radar. aviation experts say that might point to whatever happened being sudden and catastrophic. we're not going to know more until the wreckage is located and brought ashore, and crucially, the black box flight recorders are analyzed. so we can find out what happened in the final moments. there is a big multicountry response with many countries in the area and the united states sending planes and ships to help

scour the area. just one development, vietnamese air force planes have spotted two large oil slicks in the area off the southern tip of vietnam. each slick apparently about six miles wide. as you say, the search hampered by the fact it is nighttime there so we might not net more information until daylight tomorrow. >> i will share the u.s. is sending a missile destroyer, a couple helicopters on board which can be equipped for search and rescue operations in the high seas. thank you for that. let's get more on the two stolen passports. msnbc counterterrorism expert, michael leiter. welcome to you. talk about the kinds of questions this raises now. two passengers may have been carrying passports stolen in thailand. >> thanks, alex. it does change some of the fo s focus. and u.s. officials are looking at this with a much more concerning eye than they were

this morning. 12 hours ago, this was a plane that disappears. it's suspicious. you don't know what's gone on. now with these passports, it's not that rare or infrequent that someone travels with a stolen passports. it's very rare that two people would be on the same plane with stolen passports. and it's obviously extremely rare that you would have that and a catastrophic accident with that aircraft. so you now have intelligence officials in the u.s. and globally looking at the rest of that flight manifest, trying to figure out if there are any other people with suspicious ties, where they have traveled before, and that will then be combined with the traditional accident investigation to see whether or not there is some nefarious activity. >> i think what i'm going to read here by u.s. government officials, it's going to show how very careful the government is being here. here's the quote. we are aware of of the reporting on the two stolen passports. we have not determined a nexus

to terrorism yet, although it's still very early and that's by no means definitive. we are still tracking. so your reaction to this, to the tenor of this kind of statement. >> with, u.s. government officials and terrorism officials are kind of by nature cautious. because these are small bits of information. and it's really hard to expand to understand the entire picture. but i think that's basically the right tone. people travel on stolen or fraudulent passports for a variety of reasons. to get to a country or go to work. it doesn't mean they're terrorists. and even if you know these people got on the plane using false documents, you still don't know what happened to the plane. so it becomes a very, very important element. it starts to make the counterterrorism community stand up and listen in a way they don't just when there is any plane crash. and it will start kind of a flurry of activity, again, looking at the other passengers, making sure when pieces of

these -- this aircraft are recovered, that certain things are looked for that might indicate terrorist activity. and then any other linkages that u.s. officials, malaysian officials, chinese officials, might be able to find. >> yeah. but you know, michael, no indication of any bad weather at all, no indication of any type of emergency on board. this boeing 777, it just vanished. malaysian authorities certainly not leaving out at this point. but here we are approaching 21 hours into this incident, and we don't know anything. we're not even sure of where that plane is. do you find that surprising? >> there is no doubt this entire situation is -- it's shocking and it's hard to piece together. now, we have in the case of the air france flight several years ago, we had the weather. but it took a long time to figure out why that aircraft, that advanced airbus, went down. i flew in the navy for six years. regrettably, planes do crash. there are lots of suspicious

things here. this is a very advanced boeing 777. it happened apparently catastrophically at a very high altitude. now you have the false passports that may have been used. so you have little bets of information. as i said, the passport piece now changes the tone. it becomes more of a security issue to the intelligence community. and i would say you go from sort of a low-level of concern attention to a pretty high concern and suspicion without knowing anything more yet. >> all right. our counterterrorism expert, michael leiter. many thanks for your time and insight. >> thanks, alex. >> i'm going to talk to tom costello on the boeing 777 and where the investigation stands from the u.s. perspective. let's go to politics and new this hour. former house speaker newt gingrich rallying the base at cpac just moments ago. >> we must stop being the opposition movement, and we must become the alternative

government movement that will help make the life of every american better. so that they understand what we would do that would be right, not just what the left is doing that is wrong. >> mean time, our first family is spending the weekend in florida after the president and first lady visited students at a miami high school on friday. it is part of the president's new effort to encourage young people to pursue a college education. >> we still have more work to do. all of us. elected officials, principals, teachers, parents, students. because as michelle says, education is a two-way street. folks like us have to work hard to give you the best schools and support. that you need. but then you have got to hold up your end of the bargain. >> the president's plan would increase funding by $300 million for the race to the top program, which funds innovative state education projects and a $200 million initiative to help teachers integrate digital teaching technology into their

classrooms. we are learning a bit more today about the terrifying moments inside a minivan when a woman drove it straight into the ocean. right now, she is in jail, charged with attempted murder as police and her family try to figure out how and why this happened. here's nbc's mark potter. >> reporter: the images are heart-stopping. on daytona beach, a minivan with a pregnant mother and her three children in the ocean surf, as rescuers rush to help. now that mom, 32-year-old ebony willder son, is in jail, facing serious charges. >> ms. wilkerson has been arrested on three counts of attempted first degree murder and three counts of aggravated child abuse involving great injury. >> reporter: the county sheriff's office says wilkerson purposely drove her minivan into the surf to kill her children, locking the doors and rolling up the windows. according to a police report, all three kids told an investigate tore, "mom tried to kill us." and one of them said "mom is

crazy." >> she told them to close their eyes and go to sleep, she was taking them to a better place. >> reporter: while she had past domestic issues, wilkerson has no known history of mental illness. but there were recent problems. last saturday, wilkerson called 911 in south carolina. >> 911, what is your emergency? >> in myrtle beach. >> what's going on? >> he raped me. >> the husband has not been charged. and his lawyer says the domestic violence allegations are baseless, and were the result of extreme mental illness. the next day in nearby north charleston, police say wilkerson claimed she was being followed, and requested an escort to the city limits so she could take her children to florida. on tuesday, after wilkerson arrived in florida, her sister called 911, concerned about her mental health.

>> she's talking about jesus and that there are demons in my house. >> reporter: a few hours later, the van was in the ocean. authorities say wilkerson told them she was actually trying to drive out of the water, and did not intend to harm her children. mark potter, nbc news, miami. russian troops take action today in crimea, while moscow ignores warnings from the u.s. how will this all play out? i'll ask a former u.s. ambassador to ukraine coming up. fancy feast elegant medleys. inspired dishes like primavera, florentine and tuscany. fancy feast. a medley of love, served daily. to stretch my party budget. but when my so-called bargain brand towel made a mess of things, i switched to bounty basic. look! one sheet of bounty basic is 50% stronger than a full sheet of the bargain brand. bounty basic. the strong but affordable picker upper. the end. lovely read susan. but isn't it time to turn the page on your cup of joe?

gevalia, or a cup of johan, is like losing yourself in a great book. may i read something? yes, please. of course. a rich, never bitter taste cup after cup. net weight 340 grams. [ sighs ] [ chuckles ] [ announcer ] always rich, never bitter. gevalia. [ amarge: you know, there's a more enjoyable way to get your fiber. try phillips fiber good gummies. they're delicious, and a good source of fiber to help support regularity. wife: mmmm husband: these are good! marge: the tasty side of fiber. from phillips.

to nbcuniversal's coverage of the biggest loser olympic winter games ever, with the most coverage of the most events on every device. and the most hours of streaming video on the nbc sports live extra app, including the x1 platform from xfinity. comcast was honored to bring every minute of every medal of nbcuniversal's coverage

to every screen. so what's next? rio 2016. welcome to what's next. comcast nbcuniversal. at quarter past, more on the breaking story out of asia. families and friends of passengers on board the missing plane anxiously awaiting new details about the flight's 'tis appearance and potential whereabouts of their loved ones. take a look any a new photo showing an aerial view of an oil

spill 200 miles or so offshore. it is unclear, though, if this is connected to the missing jet liner. air traffic controllers suddenly lost contact with malaysia flight 370, an hour into its flight from kuala lumpur into beijing. three american were on board, two may have been carrying stolen passports. not americans, we should say, an autstrian citizen as well as a german citizen. warning shots from pro russia gunmen fired to prevent an unarmed international military observer mission from entering crimea. new reports of an unarmed ukraine border guard came under fire and no one was hurt. this morning, president obama discussed the ongoing situation in ukraine with european allies, making individual calls to the british prime minister, france's

president hollande and also a conference call with the president's of lithuania, latvia and list tonia. john herbst is joining us. i understand you were in ukraine during a period known as the orange revolution. that was during a -- yu chenko's presidency. how can what happened then guide to move forward now? >> the government came in by winning a fair election after the previous government tried to steal the election. and they came in with a great deal of goodwill. but unfortunately, they fell into fighting among themselves. he was undermined by his prime minister. and fighting among themselves, preventing them from spending time dealing with the urgent issues facing the ukrainian people. so they lost their own legitimacy. mr. yanukovych, who stride to steal the election in 2004, won a fair presidential election

which was conducted in 2010. >> okay. so a delayed reaction there. but the changing of the guard. russia is currently warning that any sanctions that the u.s. tries to impose on moscow over this crisis are going to hit the u.s., come back at them like a boomerang. so what role should the united states be playing? are we playing one right now? >> i think the president's policy is very good. russia is actually afraid of sanctions. the sanctions put in place not just by the united states but also by europe. it would have a major effect. it would not just prevent senior russian officials from traveling to europe, it would also freeze their substantial assets that are in europe. that's why i think the president probably called european leaders this morning, to try and persuade both visa sanctions and financial sanctions. >> yes, a joint effort there. however, look, the cold war is over. this crisis certainly causing a further showdown between presidents obama and putin. why does the outcome in ukraine

matter to the united states? >> well, we are supporting the choice of the people of ukraine to have a free and a fair government. these demonstrations that began in late november were first against yanukovych's decision to turn away from a trade agreement with europe but quickly morphed into demonstrations against the increasingly authoritarian rule that mr. yanukovych was opposing with the approval of mr. putin. that is our interest, to help the ukrainian people decide their own future. mr. putin does not want a ukraine which is a democracy, interested in good relations with europe. and the crisis we're seeing in crimea, this naked aggression by the kremlin s because mr. putin is unhappy that the youkian people threw out mr. yanukovych. >> all right. but how much might it matter if a majority of the people in crimea want to secede from ukraine? what are the international norms on something like this?

>> if that were to happen, that might be considered reasonable. but that's not what's going on. the ballot, which has been produced for this referendum, has two choices. the people in crimea can vote for independence from ukraine, or they can vote for annexation from russia. not being offered the choice to vote for staying in ukraine. it's worth remembering that 20 years ago, more than 20 years ago, in fact, there was a referendum in ukraine to ukrainian independence. every region of ukraine, including crimea at that time, voted to be independent from russia. the last census in crimea was in 2001. 13 years ago. according to that census, 58% of the population of crimea was russian. that means that today, there is less than 58% of the crimean population is russian. the tartar community is much larger today than then. >> so give me conventional wisdom where this would go in terms of a vote. >> it's very simple.

mr. putin is not allowing outside observers. the ukrainian media, including crimea, has lost its air space, it's unable to report. they're going to conduct a farce referendum and they'll declare at the end of it, which has no reliable international observers, that the people of crimea voted by majority to -- either for independence or annexation by russia. that's completely unacceptable. >> former u.s. ambassador to ukraine, john herbst, many thanks. >> my pleasure. for better or for worse? big changes coming to the s.a.t. but not everybody is celebrating. nouncer ] the secret to luminous, shiny color? innovative cc cream from nice 'n easy. our advanced treatment helps keep highlights and lowlights shiny and luminous. cc cream, find it in every box of nice 'n easy. the most natural shade of you. as a police officer, i've helped many people in the last 23 years, but i needed help in quitting smoking. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix varenicline is proven to help people quit smoking.

chantix reduced the urge for me to smoke. it actually caught me by surprise. [ male announcer ] some people had changes in behavior, thinking, or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of mental-health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these, stop chantix and see your doctor right away, as some can be life-threatening. tell your doctor if you have a history of heart or blood-vessel problems or if you develop new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping, and unusual dreams. i did not know what it was like to be a nonsmoker, but i do now. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you.

but i do now. a 401(k) is the most sound way to go. let's talk asset allocation. sure. you seem knowledgeable, professional. i'm actually a dj. [ dance music plays ] woman: [laughs] no way! that really is you? if they're not a cfp pro, you just don't know. cfp -- work with the highest standard. yeah... try new alka seltzer fruit chews. they work fast on heartburn and taste awesome. these are good. told ya! i'm feeling better already. [ male announcer ] new alka seltzer fruits chews. enjoy the relief! but when we start worrying about tomorrow, we miss out on the things that matter today. ♪ at axa, we offer advice and help you break down your insurance goals into small, manageable steps. because when you plan for tomorrow, it helps you live for today. can we help you take a small step? for advice, retirement, and life insurance,

connect with axa. for advice, retirement, coach calls her a team player. she's kind of special. she makes the whole team better. he's the kind of player that puts the puck, horsehide, bullet. right where it needs to be. coach calls it logistics. he's a great passer. dependable. a winning team has to have one. somebody you can count on. somebody like my dad. this is my dad. somebody like my mom. my grandfather. i'm very pround of him. her. them. the jury still appears to be out on the big changes announced this week for the s.a.t. starting in 2016, the perfect score will be sent back to 1600. the essay optional. fewer he is owe itterric words and the practice for penalizing students for wrong answers will end. joining me now to talk about this, julia ryan of "the atlantic." welcome back. nice to see you.

>> hi. thanks for having me. >> these changes come as american students are lagging behind those in other developed countries when it comes to math. they roughly average or so in science and reading. so making this test relatively easier, some are saying it's dumbing down american students. >> i think that might be unfair. we're not going to see example questions until april 16th when the college board releases some more information about what exactly this is going to look like. the college board president, david coleman, has described the s.a.t. as being a while wide and an inch deep. i think now we're going to see the s.a.t. diving deeper into the work that students are doing in their high school classes. >> okay. we have some students who may be rejoicing about this, because the essay has become optional. some adults are not. kathleen parker is writing in the "washington post" calling it a shame. the essay, for instance, wasn't a call to mer seasonian excellence but a way to determine whether a student could compose a coherent sentence. the subject, verb, all that stuff. not to mention whether one can think. a person can't write a series of

sentences to express a koejent thought, is that person qualified for an education? does she have a point? >> i disagree. the old essay introduced in 2005, asking questions like is failure necessary for success. and then asked students to provide examples, which were never fact-checked. you could write an essay and receive a perfect score claiming something like the war of 1812 happened in 1945. you could claim that the cold war was a border dispute with canada and still receive a perfect score. the essay also asked students to draw on personal experiences, which is a problem when you're dealing with a wide range of socioeconomic levels. >> and i want to say, you give that example about saying you talk about the war of 1812 and instead saying it began in 1945, because you used big words, and so you cover it up so the sound -- it sounds more eloquent. that's -- we're talking about using fancy words and prominent figures and that kind of thing will garner a perfect score on

an essay that nonetheless is factually incorrect. that needs to be fixed and clearly is going to be. but the s.a.t. maintains this test is biased, in favor of students from wealthier families. wealthy kids can take some expensive prep classes, if not private tutoring, take the test multiple times. do you think this is going to level out the playing field, all these changes? >> i think these are important steps towards a test that will help with those issues. is it perfect? i don't think so. i think we're seeing real effort on the part of the college board to address these issues. they are partnering with khan academy to provide free online test prep to all students. which i think will be useful. that said, the test prep industry feeds off of parents and students' anxieties and changes are just going to bolster that anxiety. students and parents don't know what they're going to be facing in 2016. research shows that test prep really only boosts scores by 30 points. and that is not a lot in the

scheme of things. >> yeah. especially considering what some parents are paying for private tutoring. julia ryan of "the atlantic." thank you. >> thank you. my next guest, patrick kennedy is offering a word of warning about weed. that little guy cleans, brightens and fights stains. so now i can focus on more pressing matters. wow! isn't it beautiful? your sweet peppers aren't next to your hot peppers. [ gasps ] [ sarah ] that's my tide. what's yours?

what do you mean? your grass, man. it's famished! just two springtime feedings with scotts turf builder lawn food helps strengthen and protect your lawn from future problems. thanks scott. [ scott ] feed your lawn. feed it. thanks scott. then don't miss sleep train's wbest rest event.st ever? you'll find sleep train's very best mattresses at the guaranteed lowest price. plus, pay no interest for 3 years on beautyrest black, stearns & foster, serta icomfort, even tempur-pedic. and rest even better with sleep train's risk-free 100-day money back guarantee. get your best rest ever from sleep train. superior service, best selection, lowest price, guaranteed. ♪ sleep train ♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪

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. ♪ welcome back to "weekends with alex witt." 31 past the hour. let's go to the latest on the missing malaysia airlines jumbo jet. still working in the dark. svietnamese rescue planes spottd oil slicks earlier but the vice minister of transportation says they cannot confirm if it's from the airplane. this picture is the latest we have gotten of the oil slick. the jet was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew when it disappeared more than 20 hours ago now. three americans, including an infant, were among those on board. let's get right to nbc's tom

costello, following this story from the beginning. what's the latest, tom? >> reporter: let me give the latest from malaysia airlines, they released a statement in the last few minutes. i'm going to read it for you. we don't have it in graphic form yet. malaysia airlines says, quote, it has been more than 24 hours since we last heard from this flight 370 at 1:30 in the morning. the search and rescue team has yet to determine the whereabouts of the boeing 777 200 aircraft. and international search was mobilized this morning, says the statement. at this stage, they have failed to find evidence of any wreckage. the sea mission will continue overnight while the air mission will recommence at daylight. we would mind you, it's 11 hours earlier or later, rather, there in the malaysia area, and in the gulf of thailand, where we're talking about. the gulf of thailand near the south china sea, between malaysia and vietnam. vietnam, as you mentioned, thought they spotted that oil slick, but we don't know if that oil slick is in any way connected to this missing plane,

which has now been, as you said, 24 hours since we have heard from this flight. there is also this concern out there. we now know, at least from austrian authorities and italian authorities, that two individuals who were thought to be on the plane with an austrian passport and italian passport, were, in fact, not on the plane. and they had reported their passports had been stolen within the past year or two. now, that in and of itself does not suggest necessarily any sort of criminal or terrorist link, but you might expect that right now authorities on both sides of the ocean here in asia and also in the u.s., are going over this manifest list to get a sense of who was on the plane, and do they have any connections to a criminal element, to terrorism, to anything at all. again, this is not to suggest that terrorism brought this plane down. but yet another piece of this puzzle. and this is very much a mystery at this point. why did this plane suddenly stop communicating with everybody, roughly an hour and a half to

two hours into this flight so abruptly? was there some sort of catastrophic mid-air disaster that brought this plane down from 35,000 feet? and so as night is now very much in full there in the gulf of thailand, they're hoping to learn more as sun breaks in a few hours. back to you. >> you know, tom, i have to ask you. it is confounding that we are this far into the incident without having any information. and if we're not able to find flight data recorders, anything that indicates what was happening, i mean, there is a great chance that we will never know what happened. right? you can't get information? >> reporter: recall that's what we thought when the air france flight went down in the atlantic ocean, and nobody found it and nobody could hear from it. all they had was a few pieces of wreckage on the ocean floor. but two years later, the french government found it. a french naval submarine found it and spent a lot of money lifting that up off the bottom of the ocean floor to give them a sense of what brought the

plane down. but they had an immediate piece of data, recall, on that air france plane. and that was the plane was sending real-time telemetry data back to its base in france, advising the base, the computers, back in france, what was happening with this plane. we don't know, candidly, whether this 777 was sending a similar set of data, telemetry, back to its home base in malaysia. that's something we'll be asking as this process unfolds. >> okay, tom costello in d.c., thank you for. peter goels, you heard me talk about this time line, 24 hours, plus, with not a lot of details emerging. i don't do you think we have gone so long with nothing to go on? >> well, open ocean recovery extraordinarily difficult. i can remember, i'm sure tom does, as well, even with twa-800, which crashed only nine miles off long island, it took us almost a week to find the

flight data recorder and the voice recorder with good pingers. this is going to be a real challenge. because the oil slick may or may not be from the aircraft. the currents will have moved it. they're going to have a very difficult time finding this wreckage. >> yep. give me the protocol, please, at this point, peter. what's happening a couple hours into the flight? is this all on autopilot? they have reached a cruising altitude and everything should be smooth sailing? >> absolutely. and the pilots are doing primarily paperwork, they're checking in periodically with their base or with air traffic controllers. as tom indicated, the real question is whether there was any telemetry he was talking about being sent back to the home base at malaysia. it will take a day or two to find out. that might give us an indication if there was some sort of break-up, suddenly occurring in the aircraft.

but the flight crew was at their station, uneventelful, no weather, something catastrophic happened and we don't know yet what it was. >> let's talk about the safety record of the 777. how does this fleet compare with other passenger jet models and service today? >> this is a fabulous plane. it's been in service you know, since the 1995. it is rugged. the customers like it. it is safe. there's been only two issues with it. one that was attributed to an icing in a rolls-royce engine. and then the recent asianic crash, which there has been no probable cause determined. but i think people are zeroing in on pilot activity. this is a very solid aircraft from boeing. >> okay. peter goels, many thanks. appreciate that. >> thank you. let's go now to the nation's capital. the latest to weigh in on the debate over marijuana use and legalization in this country. on tuesday, washington, d.c.'s

counsel voted to decriminalize the drug, scaling back the fine to just 25 bucks, similar to that of a parking ticket. here is some local reaction. >> well, i think it's a pretty good idea. since the punishments are not equally spaced, that the decriminalization will make a more equitable law enforcement. >> all right. there is one good idea. but not everyone thinks it's a good idea. patrick kennedy is waging what some call a fierce anti pot campaign. he worries widespread legalization of marijuana could cause what he calls a public health nightmare. and the former congressman is joining me now. patrick, welcome. >> thank you, alex. >> i want to talk about, first of all, where you are right now. you're a studio in vermont, which has a pretty big heroin problem in that state. i know that you have said that marijuana takes you to the same place as cocaine and heroin, it just takes longer. talk about that. do you base that on scientific evidence or anecdotal evidence? >> we do need more research, but

let's just follow our common sense. people here in vermont are in crisis. heroin overdoses and addiction rates are all-time high. the governor up here in vermont has said it's a major public health crisis. but people don't just start injecting heroin the first time they use a drug. they start, you know, maybe taking oxycontin, which like medical marijuana, can kind of deceive you. because it's medicine. that's what they say. like, medical -- it can't be hurtful to you. and what happens is, alex, your tolerance for more and more drugs grows and you want to increase that level of high. and then you move on to the street level drug. and then next thing you know, you're either dead or you're overdos dosed or in a real crisis in your life. i think this thing with marijuana is really insidious. because we're dealing with a kind of marijuana that is much stronger than the kind found in the '70s and '80s.

this is genetically modified marijuana, very potent. and we also see increased usage amongst teenagers. the survey that the nih publishes shows a marked increase of teenage drug use in marijuana. and alex, it corresponds to this whole debate over legalization and decriminalization. so there is a correlation, alex, between talking about this being medicine, talking about it being no big deal, and more kids in our country using it, because, quite frankly, now the accessibility of this and the affordability of marijuana is just becoming easier and easier. so why should we be surprised if more and more kids are using this drug on a daily basis? >> here's an interesting stat here, patrick. recent "wall street youshl" poll found small amounts of marijuana should be legal. 25% saying no to that. it seems, patrick, you may have

an ally in the most unlikely of places. here's what california governor jerry brown said about legalizing marijuana last week on "meet the press." >> the problem with anything, a certain amount is okay. but there is a tendency to go to extremes. and all of a sudden, if there is teasing and legitimacy, how many people can get stoned and still have a great state or a great nation? the world is pretty dangerous, very competitive. i think we need to stay alert if not 24 hours a day, more than some of the pot heads might be able to put together. >> interestingly, patrick, he's echoing some of your argument there. >> yes. so governor brown is highlighting the problem here. and that's the commercialization of marijuana. there is a new wall street push called the green rush. it's investors investing in these pot dispensaries. and they're advertising now. and the problem is, alex, just like big tobacco, before it, advertisers will target kids. they want a new market of consumers. that's the real worry out here, alex, is that you're going to let this become a commercialized

product. more people are going to get hooked. because you want that -- that's what consumerism and capitalist system, which is for-profit. this is going to be for-profit, alex. so i just think it's -- jerry brown is absolutely right. we need to worry about this. this country, it's a difficult time. our young people have trouble getting jobs, affording homes, being able to do anything. and we're going to say to them, if you've got anxiety or depression, just smoke this. it will make you feel better. i don't think that's the message we want to send to kids who are enormously stressed out. we need to be teaching them coping skills and things of that sort to support them. not let them go down this road that's not going to lead them to anywhere positive. >> you know, i say as a mother and i think many people with common sense are certainly going to support what you're saying there in terms what have kids need these days. here is an interesting angle here, because more than half of the states, including some on the conservative south, patrick,

are considering decriminalizing the drug or legalizing it for medical or recreational use. what do you think is the driving force behind this? does it come down to perhaps tax dollars, revenue? or is it something else? >> yeah, i think it does come down a lot to the tax dollars. a lot of these states are fiscally challenged. but keep in mind, with alcohol, where we do collect taxes, for every dollar we collect, there is $10 we spend in emergency room costs, in law enforcement costs, in other associated costs, social costs, as a result of alcohol. i think we're going to see a much greater cost to our society from legalization than we'll ever garner the kind of revenues. while on the one hand, they look like it's a lot of money coming in colorado, we still don't know what those costs are going to be. because those costs are diffuse. their truancy rates in school, kids dropping out, lower test scores. i loved your story about s.a.t.s.

it's a perfect time for s.a.t.s to dumb down their methodology, because more and more of our kids are going to be using this. and this should frighten all of us as americans. our country cannot be a first-rate nation and go to pot like so many of our states are moving towards. >> all right. former congressman patrick kennedy, i can envision you on the floor of the house right now, making your case. thank you so much. >> thank you, alex. why is former secretary of state condoleezza rice creating such a firestorm at one university? the big three is next. r. clean doesn't want to lug a whole bunch of cleaning supplies. that's why he created the magic eraser extra power. just one eraser's versatile enough to clean all kinds of different surfaces and three times more grime per swipe. so instead of fussing with rags and buckets, you can get back to the great outdoors, which can be pretty great. that's why when it comes to clean, there's only one mr. [ bird screeches ] there's only one mr. so i tri there's only one mr.

ed depend so i it really made the difference between a morning around the house and getting a little exercise. hi-ya! and i tried a baking class. one weekend can make all the difference. unlike the bargain brand, depend gives you the confidence of new fit-flex® protection. it's a smooth and comfortable fit with more lycra strands. it's our best protection. take your weekend on with a free sample at depend.com ♪ ♪ ♪

if you have a business idea, we have a personalized legal solution that's right for you. with easy step-by-step guidance, we're here to help you turn your dream into a reality. start your business today with legalzoom. we're here to help you turn your dream into a reality. when jake and i first set out on we ate anything. but in time you realize the better you eat, the better you feel. these days we both eat smarter. and i give jake purina cat chow naturals. made with real chicken and salmon, it's high in protein like a cat's natural diet. and no added artificial flavors. we've come a long way. and whatever's ahead, we'll be there for each other. naturally. purina cat chow naturals. here in philadelphia you can access a philly cheesesteak anytime, day or night. just like you can access geico anytime, day or night. there is only one way to celebrate this unique similarity. witness the cheesesteak shuffle. ♪ cheesesteak, cheesesteak ♪ ♪ it's the cheesesteak shuffle! huh! ♪

♪ every day, all day, cheesesteak, cheesesteak! ♪ ♪ every night, all night cheesesteak, cheesesteak! ♪ ♪ 9 a.m. cheesesteak! ♪ 2 p.m. cheesesteak! ♪ 4 a.m. cheesesteak! ♪ any time (ruh!) >>geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. time for the big three. rice wronged, cpac squabble and best week, worst week. let's bring in msnbc contributor, goldie taylor, whose column is featured every monday. and susan dell percent o. nice to see you. let's go first to rice wrong. the president of rutgers

university saying condoleezza rice will deliver the commencement address in may. this letter is in response to the faculty council trying to oust rice, because they say she does not, quote, embody moral authority and exemplary citizenship. i'm going you go through this first, morris. condoleez condoleezza rice made history. is the faculty council making something partisan that should not be? >> well, you have a tendency that some of these faculties are more liberal-leaning at these public universities. so they're not conservative like a pepperdine. but the fact is that condi rice is a patriot. she loves america, she is a great citizen, has done great things. i think the kids will benefit from her message. i'm one person who believes that everyone should have an opportunity to have a platform, whether you're right or wrong from your perspective. but certainly this is a person that cares about america. >> and goldie, former secretary rice will be receiving $35,000, and an honorary doctorate for

her speech. what do you think of that? any problem with that? >> you know what, i don't have a problem with it at all. i may very well have a problem with condoleezza rice's history, and track record at the white house and a big problem with her stance on torture. i have a really huge problem with her stance on iraq and what i believe was an unlawful invasion in iraq. i may have a problem with that. but the university has a right to choose its commencement speaker and she has a right to put her views in the public square and face a democratization of ideas. she ought to put those views out for public challenge. and so i don't -- i'm for more voices, not viewer and bring her on as a commencement speaker and let her be challenged. >> in addition to coming out against secretary rice, so have some staff members, students, alumni, also some high school students say they're going to withdraw their rutgers applications if she is allowed to speak. so do the critics have a point? >> absolutely not. if you can't tolerate a different point of view, then you probably shouldn't be in the

higher education. either as a student or frankly as a member of the faculty there. it's absolutely outrageous that these -- these faculty members would seek to ban her from speaking republicans believe this is going to help them in the midterms. but aren't we past that yet? >> not if you're ted cruz. that's what he has become known as. he throws this stuff out there. he's well respected within his own group of tea party members and it plays well to the base. but there are other points of views and that was very helpful in this cpac meeting to hear chris christie, to hear paul ryan, to hear others basically

have -- give different representations besides that of ted cruz. >> rand paul, too. there's a squabble with john mccain calling on ted cruz to apologize for these comments. here's that. >> and then of course all of us remember president dole and president mccain and president romney. those are good men, they're decent men. but when you don't stand and draw a clear distinction, when you don't stand for principle, democrats celebrate. >> when you don't stand for principle, is there a better way to criticize a certain wing of the party without insulting the old guard? >> i think there's a much better way to do it. no matter where those three gentlemen stand and on what, there are people in the republican party who love them one and all. i think ted cruz ought to find a way to bring his party together, to heal the fractures so they have a more viable road towards this white house. i seem to believe that ted cruz's best opportunity is probably 1950. in 2016, i don't think this is

his chance in 2016. not with the kind of rhetoric that he spews. but i think he owes bob dole and apology. i don't like mccain very much but i think he owes him an apology, too. he ought to find a better way to bring his party together. >> your take, morris? >> i think it's just fabulous. keep it up, ted. >> what? >> he's doing a great job. >> because you're a democrat, is that why -- i get you. >> taed cruz is an awkward individual that's looking for the limelight. i think that he would step on his mother at this point to try to get the nomination. i think it's pathetic what he's doing and i think the three people he beat up are people he should be celebrating. when we're democrats and we lose, we used to beat up our losers as well. we don't do that because everyone helps you get to that finish line. ted cruz needs to understand you win by bringing people together,

not by tearing them down. >> a bookmark to history, the best and worst next. so i'm going pro. [ male announcer ] new crest tartar protection rinse. the only rinse that helps prevent tartar build-up and cavities. a little swishing. less scraping. yes! [ male announcer ] new crest pro-health tartar protection rinse. it helps you escape the scrape. tartar protection rinse. ♪ ♪ nothing says, "you're my #1 copilot," like a milk-bone biscuit. ♪ say it with milk-bone. this is mike. his long race day starts with back pain... ...and a choice. take 4 advil in a day which is 2 aleve... ...for all day relief.

"start your engines" predibut, manufacturings a prettin the united states do. means advanced technology. we learned that technology allows us to be craft oriented. no one's losing their job. there's no beer robot that has suddenly chased them out. the technology is actually creating new jobs. siemens designed and built the right tools and resources to get the job done.

let's get to the best and worst of the week. morris, you're up first. what are yours? >> my winner is the economy. it added 175,000 jobs. that's good stuff, moving in the right direction. loser is the ukraine. this is only the beginning of our problems with russia. this is going to be a real problem going forward. >> goldie? >> my loser of the week is bobby jindal for comparing eric holder to george wallace. not knowing his history. my worse of the week is this cajun mac and cheese. >> worst week goes to congressman darrell issa for

shutting down a committee hearing on one of his colleagues. >> thank you all so much. i'm wrapping up on time, duly noted her, craig melvin. seven more seconds. he can't stand it. >> a first. >> craig's up next. ng, they're like music to your nose. ♪ your love ♪ ♪ love keeps lifting me ♪ ♪ higher and higher [ male announcer ] lift your love with new gain flings! more gain scent than ever plus oxi boost cleaning power and febreze. it's our best gain ever. ♪ higher and higher ♪ higher and higher [ male announcer ] new gain flings! what does an apron have to do with car insurance? an apron is hard work. an apron is pride in what you do. an apron is not quitting until you've made something

a little better. what does an apron have to do with car insurance? for us, everything. yeah... try new alka seltzer fruit chews. they work fast on heartburn and taste awesome. these are good. told ya! i'm feeling better already. [ male announcer ] new alka seltzer fruits chews. enjoy the relief!

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. we are working with authorities who have activated the search and rescue team to locate the aircraft. our team is currently calling the next of kin of passengers and crews. >> rescue crews take off from vietnam. good afternoon to you. i'm craig melvin. you're watching msnbc. they are on their way right now to search for flight mh-370 as the questions about what happened. as those questions grow, now we want to know, who was on that flight? back in washington, president obama has been on the phone with world leaders about the crisis in ukraine even as the