is going to be the kind of vote that people will not only remember, it will be the kind of vote that follows senators around for the rest of their careers. and if there is any justice in the world, through the rest of their lives. watch this space. the rest of t. "first look" is up next. good friday morning. right now on "first look," billion-dollar deal. the l.a. clippers might have a new owner in a microsoft billionaire, but donald sterling says not so fast. could shinseki last? but if he goes is there somebody who can clean up the scandal. space commuter. the new generation spacecraft can go to space and return with the accuracy of a helicopters. plus huge reaction to the nbc exclusive with edward snowden. the thrill of victory on and off the ice. and rescued from the brink. it's friday, may 30th. early today, rather "first look"

starts now. good morning. i'm richard lui. $2 billion. that's how much the l.a. clippers may be going for at the moment. the wife of donald sterling released a statement. it says she signed a bidding contract by the sterling family trust to steve ballmer. ballmer says he intends to do everything in his power to ensure the clippers continue to win in los angeles. he also thanked shelly's willingness to entrust him with the franchise. the sale comes ahead of the a tuesday hearing because of insensitive remarks he made. an attorney for sterling telling nbc he has not agreed to sell at any price. they each other 50% of the team. now to more than 100 lawmakers from both parties at

what the firing or resignation of eric shinseki. one administration official saying he's, quote, on thin ice. good morning to you tracie potts. what's the temperature now? >> reporter: the temperature heating up for eric shinseki. didn't look good particularly for the phoenix va. now lots of questions about whether or not he should keep his job. today v.a. secretary eric shinseki speaks for the first time since the inspector general found 1700 vets in phoenix haven't put put on the official waiting list for an appointment. democrats and republicans now want shinseki to resign. he's lobbying to stay meeting with veterans and senators. >> general shinseki is not a bad

administrator. he's a bad public affairs officer. >> reporter: the president says he's reserving judgment until the report is in. >> reporter: some vets are defending the agency. >> they're not against you. this system's just -- it's turning too slow. >> reporter: now there are other problems. private doctors turning vets away because it's taking too long to get paid. >> the reimbursement was often months and sometimes even longer. >> reporter: more issues with a system that's now under the microscope. and the v.a. secretary very much under the microscope. for now he still has the support of the top democrat and republican here on the house side. as for the american legion, they're sympathetic, but they still want him to resign. >> tracie potts, thank you so much. the nsa responded to edward snowden's first television interview. snowden telling brian williams exclusively that he tried to go

through proper channels before leaking u.s. intelligence data and claiming the nsa has proof. chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell reports. >> reporter: under pressure from the senate intelligence chair and seven days after nbc first asked about snowden's claim, the nsa released only weeks before he classified documents and fled. in it he raised a technical legal question offering his opinion about which laws take precedence over others. the nsa lawyer answered in part, you are correct, adding please give me a call if you would like to discuss further. in a written statement, the nsa said, the e-mail did not raise allegations or concerns about wrong doing or abuse, but posed a legal question that the office of general council addressed. we have searched for outreach from him in those areas. the white house continued to hammer away at snowden.

>> there were and there are numerous avenues that mr. snowden could have used to raise other concerns or whistle blower allegations. >> reporter: and john kerry tonight. >> he should do what many people who have taken issue with their own government do which is challenge it, speak out, engage in an act of civil disobedience. but obviously accept the consequences of that civil disobedience. not fine refuge in authoritarian russia. >> reporter: u.s. officials are angry and embarrassed. vladimir putin's media are enjoying that. >> they keep using this as a way to say the american security services can't be that good. if they were so good at surveillance and policing the world, then why didn't they catch snowden? >> that was andrea mitchell reporting.

terrifying moments at chicago's willis tower, formerly sears tower. 103 floors up in the glass enclosures called the ledge, the 1 1/2 inch floor seemed to become cracking there. ernesto and his family were on the ledge when that happened. >> well, i'm sitting down. all i'm seeing from the ledge to the glass. i see that part crack, i hop off. i literally run to the other side of the building. >> nobody was at risk on that. the structural glass is designed to hold 10,000 pounds. >> reporter: engineers say the crack was only in the glass' protective coating. they began replacing that yesterday. t-i-e. it was a rare tie last night at the scripps spelling bee.

the two spelled so many words correctly, they were named co-champs. here are the winning words. >> s-t-i-c-h-o-m-y-t-h-i-a. >> correct. >> f-e-u-i-l-l-e-t-o-n. >> correct. >> what are those words? well, they are the first co-champs, at least, we got since 1962. the most enthusiastic contestant, though? the award if we had one for the most enthusiastic it would go to jacob williamson. he made it to the finals but then he had to spell the kabaragoya. >> i know it! i totally know it! >> it was a tough one, but he

was in to win it. let's take you to sports right now. the new york rangers returning to the stanley cup final for the first time in two decades. dominic moore sweeping it in for the rangers. that's the only puck that gets past canadiens goalie. all the rangers needed to move on. in the nba playoffs, russell west broom gets air firing that dunk there. beauty. the spurs respond with a dishout to ginobili who puts them up by ten before the half. kevin durant, game high of 25 points. not enough to stop this duo. san antonio soared past oklahoma city. spurs lead the series 3-2. in the french open, rafael nadal dominating the clay courts winning in straight sets. american twin brothers bob and mike brian win their match against a home team there. they'll move on to the third

round. and on the west coast, the dodgers/pirates. l.a. trailing 6-3 when yasiel puig, he makes this amazing catch in foul territory. the pirates hold out for the win. bill, kairns, did you do a couple of those when you were playing ball? >> never into a fence like that. >> every game he's making a catch like that. >> i think don mattingly called him the best right fielder in baseball. let's talk about this forecast out there. we're going to continue to watch the deep south with some showers and storms over the upcoming weekend. it looks warm throughout much of the eastern half of the country. the acception being new england. especially new orleans to mobile there with the rain.

the forecast today, shower and storms from dallas to kans and to new orleans. new england is going to be a little bit chilly especially around boston. sunday being the better of the days over the weekend. >> still warmer in the midwest. >> midwest toasty lately. >> they need it after that winter. it was tough for them. the future of space travel is here. we'll show you what it looks like next. plus a watch that could predict a heart attack. and sage advice to the class of 2014. we've got the best from around the country for you.

what's your favorite kind of cheerios? honey nut. but... chocolate is my other favorite... oh yeah, and frosted! what's your most favorite of all? hmm...the kind i have with you. me too.

all right. let's get down to business. morgan, good morning. it seems like it's the season for recalls. >> it certainly does seem that way. ford is now recalling nearly 1.4 million vehicles most for the loss of power steering. the recall affects the ford explorer, escape, and mercury mariner. it's received reports of 15 accidents. meanwhile, former microsoft ceo

steve ballmer strikes a deal to buy the clippers for $2 million. it would be the most ever paid for an nba team. the l.a. dodgers sold for $2.1. billion in 2012. mark zuckerberg and his wife are donating $120 million to the san francisco area school system. it will be spread out over five years. this is the biggest allocation from the $1.1 billion in facebook stock the couple have pledged to charity. >> where were they when i was there? that would have been great. thank you. some stories making news this morning, it can shuttle seven astronauts to earth with accuracy of the helicopter. we now pay the russians to get up to the iss at about $71 million a seat.

musk spacecraft would cost less than a third of that. some were surprised to see dra drawn-on clothing to alter their yearbook photos. they say the students were warned about that. it's one of the fda sternest. the black box warning. now the tanning beds will get them. it's short of banning them from minors altogether. limits will also be required. how about a smart watch that can predict a heart attack? samsung will develop one that will provide realtime data to your doctor. and they are just two weeks old, they think. five rescued wolf pups there yelping from a den. firefighters found them amongst the 200,000 acres burned in the funny river fire. without mom around, sugar water is best to rehydrate. they'll go to the alaska zoo for

the moment. i don't know if the firefighters can let them go back, they're so cute. it was a secret lunch at the white house that was not on any public schedule. scrambled politics is next. in . where you can explore super destinations and do everything under the sun. 12 brands. more hotels than anyone else in the world. save up to 25% and earn bonus points when you book at wyndhamrewards.com. save up to 25% and earn bonus points i missed you, too.ou. hi buddy. mom! awesome! dad!! i missed you. ♪ oh... daddy. chevrolet and its dealers proudly support military appreciation month. with the industry's best military purchase program, for all that have served.

honestly, the off-season isn't i've got a lot to do. that's why i got my surface. it's great for watching game film and drawing up plays. it's got onenote, so i can stay on top of my to-do list, which has been absolutely absurd since the big game. with skype, it's just really easy to stay in touch with the kids i work with. alright, russell you are good to go! alright, fellas. alright, russ. back to work! and i get a lot in return with ink plus from chase i make a lot of purchases for my business. like 60,000 bonus points

when i spent $5,000 in the first 3 months after i opened my account. and i earn 5 times the rewards on internet, phone services and at office supply stores. with ink plus i can choose how to redeem my points. travel, gift cards even cash back. and my rewards points won't expire. so you can make owning business even more rewarding. ink from chase. so you can. where you can explore super destinations and do everything under the sun. 12 brands. more hotels than anyone else in the world. save up to 25% and earn bonus points when you book at wyndhamrewards.com. all right. you made it through the work week, now here's your first look at this morning's scrambled politics. the white house confirms president obama and hillary clinton met for lunch thursday. they say the meeting was private and informal. just this morning a

bipartisan coalition in the house voted to -- it's the first time either chamber has taken steps to protect marijuana distributors and users. paul ryan says he's been mistaken for anthony weiner. >> flight attendants were looking at me. they were whispering to each other and looking and pointing. finally one of them comes up and says you're somebody famous, aren't you? are you anthony weiner? i have been confused with anthony weiner twice now. >> the price of notoriety. that's your morning dish of scrambled politics. the nation's top republicans are doing what might surprise some. speaker john boehner and eric cantor who breaking from their own party in calling for the v.a. secretary to resign. >> i'm going to continue to

reserve judgment on general shinseki. the question i ask myself is him resigning going to get us to the bottom of the problem? is it going to help us find out what's really going on? and the answer i can give is no. >> joined now by kevin from the hill. some might be saying this is not expected. what do you think the speaker's thinking here? >> happy friday, richard. thanks for having me. i think speaker boehner really is perhaps, you know, keeping some political clout here as this, you know, situation emerges. but i've got to be honest. more and more bipartisan report for shinseki today. he is scheduled to give a speak this morning. it will be interesting to see whether or not he addresses that deteriorating political support. so he's facing a lot of pressure, and the more he's in that role and the more folks are

calling for him to step down, the more that this story is going to continue particularly with the focus on him. but the speaker is right that, you know, to make sure to focus on this issue. >> the secretary, he had an uncommon op-ed saying that after 38 years in the army, i am honored and privileged to serve as the secretary of veterans affairs. i remain committed to providing the high quality care and benefits that veterans deserve. and we will. in this tone as you read through it, will this influence some of the leaders who will be making a choice for his call for resignation or not? >> i think after last night, wherever you are on this issue, after last night seeing so many increasingly democrats call for his resignation, it's tough to see. as more and more of her investigation continues into the v.a., i think that perhaps there

will be others who will come under scrutiny as well. but i don't really see the pressure getting off of him any time soon. >> any time soon. >> something that you're watching on the hill right now is something that was passed yesterday. an additional $19 million for the fbi background check system. that was in response to the tragedy that happened had santa barbara. republican leadership there split on this. what does this tell us about future gun-related legislation that perhaps you will have some republicans pushing forward on legislation like this? >> well, that's a great question. and what's interesting about this bill that the house passed yesterday is that it largely reinforces some of the laws that are already on the books. and that's something in a midterm election year, and you hate to talk about such a horrible tragedy through the prism of election politics, but something in an election year that would perhaps give some republicans a little bit more political cover when you think back to the nra fight we had.

>> thank you so much. coming up, we want to give a shoutout to the class of 2014 with some of the most interesting words of advice for this year's graduates. not bad, right? i'll have some more! that's a double dip! you... double dipped... new pringles tortillas. you dip 'em or don't. pringles!

afghanistan, in 2009. orbiting the moon in 1971. [ male announcer ] once it's earned, usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection. and because usaa's commitment to serve current and former military members and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve. nbr: scott - we're concerned. you just fed your lawn earlier this spring and now you're at it again. scott: (chuckles) indeed, a crucial late spring feeding helps defend the grass against the summer heat to come.

nbr: we knew that - right guys? oh yeah! scott: feed your lawn. feed it!

it's graduation season. as colleges and universities send the class of 2014 off into the world, we wanted to try to capture some of this year's best sendoffs. take a listen. ♪ >> you will change the world.

i want you to take the craziest dream you ever had had, i want you to go after it. i don't want you to dream. i want you to do. ♪ >> i think this orientation is better for you, the audience. you achieve big things not with one big step but with many a small steps. >> graduates, smile, because i'm taking a selfie. ♪ >> if you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made. and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better. >> i'm just ready to go out there and get started. >> i know all of you are so proud today, but i will tell you as a mother myself, your families are more proud.

>> how proud can i be? i can't be any prouder. >> no matter what path you took to get here, you kept your hearts set on this day. >> my daughter does not know i'm coming today. i'm so proud of you. a 14 1/2 hour flight from kuwait to d.c. another three hours to denver. but when i saw her, it was all worth it. >> your life and your happiness will be way more defined by the quality of your relationships, not the quantity. it's about being there for the people you care about and knowing they'll be there for you. >> mom and dad, i love you so much. >> thank you for everything. >> for giving me all of your love and support. >> today is for you. >> congratulations! >> that just makes you want to go to your graduation all over again. >> bill kairns didn't go to his

graduation. >> i had to go to work. some of us have to work for a living. >> do you need cake with a icing? >> depends what kind of icing. >> this is your "first look" on msnbc. "way too early" with thomas roberts who did go to his graduation ceremony starts right now. ♪ it's unknown. >> way to go. >> radamanthon. >> oh, yeah! >> a word i know this time, please. >> wouldn't that be nice. >> carcharodont. -c-a-r-c-h-a-r-o-d-o-n-t. >> correct. >> yes! >> t-i-e. that's what you're going to

spell what this epic finish means to the scripps spelling bee. the nsa is pushing back against edward snowden's claims that he tried to be a whistle blower before taking it to the press. and someone call it a steal, but it is no sale price tag. the potential new owner of the l.a. clippers. this is "way too early." ♪ hey, hey, everybody. good morning. it is friday, may 30th. i'm thomas roberts. welcome to "way too early," the show that had the collection to buy the l.a. clippers game and we came up a few hundred million dollars short. it wasn't a lack of effort. we really tried to get there. but it does appear that the nba's donald sterling nightmare may finally be over. we've got these overnight developments where ex-microsoft ceo steve ballmer is set to purchase t