ed show." "politicsnation" with reverend al sharpton starts right now. >> thanks to you for tuning in. tonight's lead, worst socialist ever. today records broken on the economy. >> maybe it's what's due. >> the s&p has not fallen four days in a row all year long. the last time that happened -- never. >> look at your screen, the dow topping 18,000. >> for years, republicans have tried to rip the president on the economy, which was wrecked during the bush years. they said president obama has waged a war on job creators. they've covered the right-wing media with doom and gloom. but today, a true reality check. the stock market hit an all-time high today, closing 18,000 for

the first time in history. it's now up 127% since president obama took office. a fact. new numbers show the economy beat all predictions, growing at least 5% last quarter. that's the strongest growth in 11 years. a fact. one of the big drivers, consumers are spending more, feeling better each day about the economy. another fact. six years ago, president obama inherited the worst recession in a generation. and today after all the attacks and insults, even republicans had to give the president credit. right? after hammering him for years about the economy and rushing out a tax statement any time the economic news wasn't good, today was the first time for

republicans to join together in joy at this new strong economy. so -- no, i can't hear you now. speaker boehner was completely quiet today. not even a statement. senator mcconnell also joined the witness protection program. the republican national committee, missing. as was the republican governor's association. somehow they just couldn't think of anything to say. make no mistake, there's still work to be done on this economy to make it reach the many americans to whom improvement still is too faint. >> over the past four years, we've put more people back to work than all other advanced economies combined. we've now come to a point where we have the chance to reverse an

even deeper problem. the decade's long erosion of middle-class jobs and income, and to make sure that the middle class is the engine that powers our prosperity for decades to come. >> but today, a dramatic, real-world answer to the great right-wing myth. the president doesn't understand the economy? well, that's a myth, proven today. joining me now, a former pennsylvania governor ed rendell and jared bernstein, former chief economist for vice president biden. thank you both for coming on the show. >> thank you, rev. >> my pleasure. >> governor, where are all the republican leaders today? >> well, you know, it really follows a pattern. it's not just on the economy. it's on everything that the president has done. initially they pounded him on ebola. yet it turned out america and the nih and the obama administration did a brilliant

job on ebola. and there was total silence. on isis, they ripped him on isis. they came out and built this incredible coalition that for the first time had muslim nations willing to drop bombs on muslim terrorists. something that had never been done before and there was not a word to be said praising the president. so this is just a pattern. it reminds me of the famous jesse jackson joke where he said that if he went to the banks of lake michigan and walked across the lake, the republicans would say president obama can't swim. >> right. >> and that's basically what we have here. he can swim. he's done a good job on the economy. if not roaring back, we've made steady progress, things are turning the corner and not a word of praise. >> jared, put these numbers in

perspective for me. break it down so the average person can understand it that didn't go to economic school. >> the gdp or gross domestic product, that's the value of the goods and services in our economy. and while as you correctly pointed out, growth isn't everything, there's still a matter of who benefits most from how that growth is distributed to different parts of the economy. you can't get anywhere without solid growth. i mean, it's certainly necessary if not sufficient for the well-being of the middle class, now we have numerous quarters of really pretty impressive growth. for the last two quarters, the last half year, gdp has grown 4 and 5%. go back a few quarters, you see 2 or 3%. so a real acceleration there.

and that growth path is matched by increase in the job market -- >> that's where the rubber begins to meet the road. >> so a stronger growth leads to more employment. the unemployment rate is beginning to come down. the job market rate is going to have to get even tighter if we want the benefits of this growth to be more broadly distributed. >> and we got to deal with wages. >> exactly. it's showing up in gdp, showing up in the stock market, still not quite there in the paychecks. >> not there in the wages. president obama said that america's going through a resurgence. listen. >> the six years since the crisis have demanded hard work and sacrifice on everybody's part. but as a country, we have every right to be proud of what we've accomplished. more jobs, more people insured, a growing economy, shrinking deficits, bustling industry,

booming energy. pick any metric that you want, america's resurgence is real. >> now is this america's resurgence, governor? >> oh, there's no question. the most telling statistic in the first clip you showed in the president is that we have put more people back to work since the 2008 recession than all of the other countries of the world combined. think about that. that's stunning. this is an american resurgence. and if the president had gotten the things he asked for in his jobs bill, like an infrastructure program that would produce middle-class jobs that pay 60, $70,000 a year, then you would see the wage disparity begin to grow. but they turned the president down on virtually everything he asked in the jobs bill. notwithstanding that, this economy is definitely resurging.

>> let's get into that. because that's where a lot of concern for me and a lot of progressives are. there's a lot of good economic news, but there's something we have to deal with. the stock market has been on fire. but look at this. wages for everyday americans have stayed relatively flat. how can we address this challenge? >> well, what you're really seeing there is the outcome of this economic inequality problem that we've talked about, the president talks about, and governor rendell is absolutely right. he's tried to take measures that would help there. i think what's really going to make a difference, as i said earlier, is, as the economy continues to tighten and the job market gets better, workers are going to get more bargaining power that they've lacked thus far. right now, if you think who has the bargaining power in this economy, it's really been corporate america, that's where the growth has been going, but as the job market tightens up, workers get a bit more clout,

able to basically bid up some severe the wages that they depend on. now, for that to happen, congress has to not screw things up. the federal reserve has to keep things on track, but at the pace we're going, i do think we'll get there. >> now, governor, you know, every year, every single year, the republicans have attacked president obama on the economy. i mean, since he took office. republicans have attacked him on every way in every shape and form they could on the economy. listen to speaker boehner since 2009. watch this. >> the administration's trillion dollar stimulus plan is not working. >> repeal the obamacare and replace it with common-sense reforms that will bring down the cost of health insurance, and protect american jobs. >> i don't believe most americans think that the president's policies have helped our economy. >> the president still isn't serious about dealing with this issue right here. it's this issue. spending. >> do something.

how about anything? to help create american private sector jobs. >> i believe the president's policies are getting in the way of jobs being created in america. >> now, being this wrong this long, governor, will this come back to bite the republicans? >> well, i think if the economy continues to grow over the next 12, 14, 15 months, it's going to be a very difficult 2016 for the republicans, no question about that, rev. no question. but again, i'd ask people, when they think about this resurgence, and people say, well, there's still too many people out of work. wages haven't grown. think back for a second to what president obama inherited. when he put his hand on the bible in 2009 to become president, we were losing 750,000 jobs a month. 750,000 jobs. go from there to where we are

today with the news today, it's incredible. it's a significant resurgence. not all the elements of the economy are there yet, but we're getting there and the president deserves his share of the credit. >> governor ed rendell and jared bernstein, thank you both for your time tonight and happy holidays. >> same to you, rev. >> thank you, rev. coming up, breaking news tonight. a reversal from sony. despite threats from hackers, sony is releasing "the interview" on christmas day in select theaters. is a full release coming? could there be another cyber attack? a big debate on this is coming up. also tonight we're learning more about the heroic lives of the two slain new york city police officers. how can we heal? what is the way forward? plus, another bold move could be coming from president obama. so what is mitch mcconnell

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we're learning more about the brave new york police officers who lost their lives in a senseless act. these were new york's finest, doing their work, protecting the city. so how do we heal? where do we go from here? the brooklyn borough president and a former nypd officer who spent more than two decades on the force, joins me next. the nfl trusts duracell quantum to their game day communication. they're blitzing up the gut! get out of the pocket! hut! duracell quantum. lasts up to 35% longer than the competition.

we're leashing more today about the two heroic officers gunned down in a senseless act of violence. today a moment of silence at 2:47 p.m., the exact time the officers were executed. mayor bill de blasio led the tribute at city hall. >> it's a time of pain for our city. it's a time of mourning for two good families. and it's so important that we saul stand in solidarity with them. >> officer ramos' family will lay him to rest saturday. and vice president joe biden and his wife will be there. ramos just finished a course to become a volunteer chaplain. his grieving family says it's

doing as well as can be expected. >> my nephews are -- they're just like their dad. they're going to be fine. he taught them to be good boys. he loved them. the air he breathed through his lungs was his family. and they're going to be good men, just like him. we're not worried. we're good. it's just hard. the next few days are going to be extremely hard. >> i hope and pray that we can reflect on this tragic loss of lives that have occurred, so that we can move forward and find an amicable path to a peaceful co-existence. >> officer liu's family is waiting to plan his funeral until other family members can arrive from china. today there's a report that he shouldn't have been in the car. "the daily news" reports he volunteered to work a fill-in shift. he was a newly wed, a husband for just three months.

his new bride thanked the community for their support. >> we would also like to express our condolence to the officer ramos' family. this is a difficult time for both of our families. but we will stand together and get through this together. thank you. >> so how do we move forward? how do we begin to heal together? eric adams is the borough of brooklyn's president, and a former nypd officer, who spent more than two decades on the force. eric, thank you very much for being here. >> thank you. >> i want to talk about how we heal, but before i do that, you were a police officer. you were that when i first met you years ago. and you were that for a long time. it's not easy. what's it like being out there on the street working every day?

these two were in brooklyn. you and i know the area well. give people a sense of what it's like to be a policeman on the street there. >> that's so true. particularly the officers like officer ramos who make the transition and realize it's so important to spend time in healing communities. they go beyond the call of duty. he wanted to be a volunteer chaplain to create the right relationship between the police and the community. so it's a challenge to fight crime and you don't get caught up in the belief that everyone in the community is a criminal. over 90% of the people are attempting to live a productive life. >> what struck me, so many people in the community were saying, these were good policemen. ramos, they knew well, was involved. and a lot of us that have raised questions on policing, people don't understand, we actually are friends with cops. when i knew you for many years, we were all friends, everybody knew each other. it was just some police issues

we may have raised and disagreed with. but community policing is dangerous, and it's something that we need, because it's dangerous in a lot of the communities. >> so true, so true. and that's what many people, i believe, attempt to cloud the issues. when you're calling for police reform, you're not calling for police harm. you're not calling for harm for anyone. your belief is that life is important. and that's what the belief that those of us that want to improve the system of policing. people interpret that as being anti-police. no one wants police officers in their community to create a form of public safety more than those who are calling for the reform. >> now, the mayor had called for a moratorium on protests. there's a march going on now. people are walking in the streets. but i think people are also saying that they respect the police, but there is a protest going on. what do you think of that?

>> i understand what the mayor was saying. that was one of the earliest calls and i stated during the time that those officers are being placed to rest, that we should have a moratorium and allow this to go and allow their families to grieve. their families are grieving. i'm glad you opened your show showing the two families. because sometimes we don't look at the human aspect of this. these are two families that are in pain. that's why we had the prayer vigil at the location, so that police can see, you're not mourning alone. we're mourning with you. you lost a member of your policing family. we lost a member of our family in the human family and we feel their pain. >> the mayor called for the city to move forward. listen. >> there's a lot of pain right now. we have to work our way through that pain. we have to keep working to bring police and community closer together.

we have to work for that more perfect union. >> "the new york times" wrote today, quote, mr. de blasio is right when he insists harmony is possible. hating police brutality and respecting the police are not contradictory impulses. so you can raise specific issues without being anti-police. >> so true, so true. >> and you were saying that. >> we can disagree without being disagreeable. the police union's philosophy may be different from the mayor's, how he implement policies, but the mayor is the mayor. police unions should be looking after their members. they should not be putting in place policies. i think that's where we are now. when you look at the diverse group of people, these are the grandchildren of the civil rights movement. they are now saying, we want to live in a better america. where lives are not cheap, by committing minor infractions or no infraction, innocent lives should not die in america.

>> i talk to many police who say, i agree with what you're saying, reverend, i agree with some of the other things, but i don't want to be dehumanized. i think on the other side, we don't want to be dehumanized. and someone like you, who had the experience of being an officer for over two decades, and now an elected official and you were a state senator before, that has stood on the issues, really understands that both sides are not as far apart in terms of their reaction to the name-calling on both sides. rather than talking about the real issues. >> so true. i don't think people realize how close we are to finding solutions to some of these problems. it's about first seeking to understand before you understood. and how do we take this pain that the mayor talked about and turn it into purpose. we need to use the incidents around eric garner and these two

officers, there's something biblical around these lives. this is our opportunity to do so. >> thank you for being here tonight. >> thank you. coming up, some great news on the president's health law. yet millions could lose coverage if republicans get their way. plus, it's a twist straight from hollywood. sony makes a new move in the hacking scandal. and it's a big one. stay with us. her smile is so white. i was pretty stunned myself. removes fourteen years of stains. see? crest whitestrips work on a deeper level than paste. whitening toothpaste only removes surface stains, but whitestrips go below the enamel surface to safely remove deep stains. don't miss our buy one get one free offer this holiday season! alright, so this tylenol arthritis lasts 8 hours, but aleve can last 12 hours... and aleve is proven to work better on pain than tylenol arthritis. so why am i still thinking about this? how are you? aleve, proven better on pain.

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developing news tonight from hollywood. despite threats from hackers, sony pictures is releasing the movie at the center of an international controversy. >> the cia would love it if you two could take him out. >> hmm? >> take him out. >> like for drinks? >> take out? >> like to dinner, to a meal.

>> take him out. >> like on the town? >> party? >> no. take him out. >> you want us to assassinate the leader of north korea? >> yes. >> president obama called it a mistake to pull it. what is he saying tonight? and could another cyber attack be coming? that's ahead. flower, with new covergirl full lash bloom mascara. finally! volume that's soft - not spiky. new full lash bloom mascara from easy, breezy, beautiful covergirl goodnight. goodnight. for those kept awake by pain... the night is anything but good. introducing new aleve pm. the first to combine a safe sleep aid. plus the 12 hour strength of aleve. for pain relief that can last until the am. now you can have a good night and a... good morning!

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have gained health insurance just this past year. enrollment is beginning to pick up again. during the open enrollment period, the uninsured rate is at a near record low. since the law passed, the price of health care has risen at its slowest rate in about 50 years. >> the number of people without insurance dropped from 40 million last year to 30 million this year. ten million fewer people without health care. we saw the lowest yearly increase in health care spending since 1960. but despite all the good news, the gop threat still hangs over the aca. >> if republicans seek to take health care away from people who just got it, they will meet stiff resistance from me. >> we learned today that on march 4th, the supreme court will hear arguments in another

gop-driven legal challenge to the law. if the court sides with the challengers, millions of low-income americans would lose their health care subsidies. just one of the many political skirmishes president obama's gearing up for, for next year. joining me now are jonathan capehart and michelle cottle, thank you both for being here. >> thanks, rev. >> thanks, rev. michelle, what's in store for the fight ahead on health care? >> well, look, a lot of republicans were still campaigning on the whole repeal and replace mantra. so i think that they'll have to kind of go for it in the house and make some kind of show, but that's not, i don't think, what is the trickier issue here. the trickier issue is the supreme court hearing and that will be what the white house has to focus on. as a political matter, the higher those numbers tick up with people enrolling, the harder it is for republicans to pull that benefit.

so i think the supreme court thing is what the white house will focus on. >> but isn't that the point, jonathan, that republicans become the party against health care, which millions of people are signing up for? >> let's say the republicans get their act together and pass a bill to repeal the affordable care act, as the president said in the clip you just said, good luck, they'll meet stiff resistance from him. but there is an issue with the supreme court. they're having those hearings in march. but let's say the supreme court comes back and rules in favor of the people trying to strip the subsidies away, the republican party will have a very big problem on its hands, because, still, after four years of going up against the affordable care act, they have yet to offer an alternative health care plan. so if the supreme court comes in and strips the subsidies away, those people who have health care, the american people who have health care now, are going to turn to congress and say, now what?

now what are you going to do to recover my insurance, to make sure that insurance companies don't throw me off my plan because i have a preexisting condition? there will be a world of hurt for americans, but also the republican party for putting themselves in that position. >> you agree with that, michelle? i mean, if the republicans try or succeed in knocking down health care, is this a big political liability? >> it becomes much trickier for them. it is always easier to oppose what exists than to actually get in there and get down to the details of trying to replace it. so if they find themselves backed into a position where they have to come up with something that people are going to like just as well, then they will have a lot of work to do. >> you know, senator mitch mcconnell did an interview with "the new york times." in the interview, he says, quote, during a private luncheon with mr. obama this month, mr. mcconnell said they focused on three areas where they believed

they could potentially find agreement. tax reform, trade promotion, and infrastructure spending. can president obama and senator mcconnell actually find common ground, jonathan? >> i think they can. those two individuals, i mean, look, the president time and time again when he couldn't depend on speaker boehner to seal a deal to keep the government open or to make sure the country didn't go over -- or crash through its debt ceiling, they focused on then senate minority leader mitch mcconnell. now he's in the majority, even though he doesn't see eye to eye with the president, i know the president views mitch mcconnell as someone he can do business with. so as long as mitch mcconnell can pull his conference along, and as long as republicans in the house play ball, we could actually see some head way made on those three areas. >> michelle, there are some that are saying that the president

and mitch mcconnell actually have a good working relationship. the way the president would say it, someone he could do business with, unlike mr. speaker boehner. what are you hearing? >> mcconnell is known for being a fairly pragmatic guy. this doesn't make him loved among the tea party radicals, because he knows how to get things done. that said, it is tough to get things through the senate. every senator is his own little kingdom and you can cause a lot of trouble over there in you want to. but mcconnell is the guy who gets things done and knows how to get things done. so, you know, it's promising, i guess. >> jonathan, the times had an op-ed piece talking about what the president can do in his fourth quarter in office. quote, he might find a way to

finally close guantanamo bay, he could commit the prison sentences of the non-violent drug offenders sentenced to ten years in prison. can obama become our best lame duck? yes, he can. closing gitmo, commuting sentences, more action on climate change. what can the president get done in the last two years? >> the suggestion to commute the sentences was, the timing on that was just before inauguration. so the timing on that, if he were to do that, might be a burr in the saddle of the incoming congress and the next president. but look, the president has made it clear since the midterm elections that he's not slowing down, and in fact, with the cuba announcement, which no one saw coming, it looks as though the president is revving up.

from the folks i talked to the white house, the president views the next two years not as a lame-duck time period, but time he's got left on the clock. and a lot of things on his to-do list he wants to get done. and he's going to push in areas with where we can take action on his own, like with cuba and immigration, and on climate change, he's going to do it while -- >> michelle? let me get her in because i'm going to run out of time. what three things would you like to see him do? >> would i like to see him do? i think i'll be more pragmatic and say, i do think that the things you were talking about, trade, infrastructure, and taxes, i think they'll work on those, because they see a path forward. now, as far as him acting by himself, i think the cuba thing was brilliant. and i think he's much more back in his groove. he's committed now that he doesn't have to worry about the mid terms, to taking some

action. it will be interesting to see what other surprises he may have. >> all right, jonathan capehart and michelle cottle, thank you both for your time. and certainly a happy holiday to both of you. and sorry to interrupt you jonathan. >> that's all right, merry christmas, rev. sony pictures reverses direction. a limited release of "the interview" is happening. plus, could drinking at work actually help performance? wait until you see this study. and we're getting our gifts together. who is getting one? who gets coal? "conversation nation" is next. i will light up every room i walk into. olay presents the regenerist luminous collection. renews surface cells to even skin tone. in just two weeks, see pearlescent, luminous skin.

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okay patrick, let's go base, shark, blitz. the nfl trusts duracell quantum to power their game day communication. abort! abort! he's keeping it! duracell quantum. lasts up to 35% longer than the competition. it's time for "conversation nation," joining me tonight, political strategist angela rye, democratic analyst jimmy williams, and zerlina maxwell. thank you all for being here tonight. breaking news out of hollywood. the show will go on. sony pictures has reversed course. despite threats from a group saying they are the hackers, reportedly from north korea, sony is releasing "the

interview" in select theaters on christmas day. up to 200 theaters are expected to show the movie. sony saying today, efforts to secure more platforms in more theaters continue. and quote, while we hope this is only the first step of the film's release, we are proud to make it available to the public and to have stood up for those who attempted to suppress free speech. the movie star and director seth ro rogen responded on twitter, the people have spoken, the people have prevailed, the interview will be shown on christmas day. what do you think? >> i think sony needs to be bought and the management needs to be fired. this is a complete debacle. the first amendment is the first amendment. last time i checked, i don't remember there being a whole lot

of terrorists in north korea. i mean, there's al qaeda or maybe the taliban sitting in north korea, i don't remember that happening. maybe isis? so the idea that north korea bullied sony into doing this is ridiculous. they bungled this from the very beginning. it's a movie. it's a comedy, for gosh sakes. what more can you say about it? it's all ridiculous. the whole thing is. >> zerlina, they got hammered for not showing the movie, everyone from the president to george clooney. what do you say? >> i think rightfully so. 2014 will go down as the year that a seth rogen movie created an international incident. when this movie comes out, everyone is going to realize that such a big deal was made out of something that is essentially an international version of dumb & dumber. i think we've made a big deal about -- yes, free speech is

important, but we negotiated with terrorists over a seth rogen movie, again, something that's so silly. >> angela, you've worked a lot in politics, there are some hot issues here. how do you see this? >> i also worked on the homeland security committee and while north korea may not be known for its terrorist attacks, i think the bigger issue is the fact that this movie was ever made. i think sony execs need to be challenged on that point. all jokes aside, there's nothing funny about the assassination of a world leader, whether we like their politics or not. that's not a joke. it's not a game, and it's not funny. so i hope that people do not support sony and don't go see this movie. >> it's called comedy. >> i don't like it. i wish they would have gave him another name. i really don't like it. sorry if i'm sounding real republican over here, but i'm not feeling this at all. [ laughter ] >> let me ask you, jimmy, while angela has her republican meltdown --

>> really, rev? >> do you think the public will come out? has there been -- >> no. [ laughter ] >> i mean, has there been some level of fear put in the public with the threats from the hackers? aside from whether it's a comedy or not, you are dealing with the reality that there was this very public threat and a lot of people thought it was bluffing. a lot of people may not know. >> i think it was a massive pr stunt on their part. listen, you know who is going to go see this movie? actually, i don't know anybody that's going to go see this movie. it's a terrible movie. i like seth rogen. after franco's performance at the oscars a couple years ago, when he was clearly on a different substance other than sobriety -- >> ooh, jimmy. [ all speak at once ] >> i got to push you here. these e-mails, though are not a pr scheme. they actually -- wait a minute. they hacked and got --

>> i understand the hacking. >> -- real e-mails. this is serious. whether the threat was real or not, the hacking and the e-mails and the revelations of some of what was going on and is going on in that company was very real. >> yes, absolutely. and if i were the head of sony pictures, i would have doubled down and said, i'll be damned if i'm not going to release this film on christmas day. i know the north koreans hacked into our system, i'm still going to release this film. they spent $80 million to produce it and make it. for gosh sakes, at least make 80 million bucks so you can call it a draw. >> like build a school. >> that's a hot one. let's agree to disagree. >> indeed. >> stay with me. when we come oback, it's time t hand out some christmas gifts, and a little coal. that's next. is there such a thing as a sure thing in business?

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"politicsnation," getting into the holiday spirit. we're ready to give out some gifts and even some coal. angela, let's start with you. who on your gift list this year for their good work? >> so my gift goes to ava da vernay because she's done an amazing job with this "selma" film. i want to give her a gold-plated director's chair. >> okay, who gets the lump of coal? >> well, as you know, last segment, we were talking about things that were oh so tacky. so governor pat aky this week in his tweet about eric holder and bill de blasio and their anti-police rhetoric. i want them to act like true statesmen and take all of that back. >> jimmy? >> it's a microphone for hillary clinton, the former secretary of

state. and i'm giving her a microphone, because i want her to declare that she's running for president. i'm ready for a woman president. i want hillary to run, run, run. i'm going to send up a microphone to new york and do that as quickly as possible. >> what about your coal? >> that would be all the democrats that didn't bother to show up in the elections this past november. because of them, because of you, not you, reverend. we lost the senate. going to be hard to get back and you should be ashamed. >> and the graphic, you can see the elephant is actually in the booth voting. [ laughter ] >> zerlina, what's your gift? >> i want to give eric holder a cold beer and a nice beach view. he's had an incredible legacy. i think his brutal honesty about race in this country, starting off with saying we're a nation

of cowards and all the way through he's been on point and very honest. i think that looking back, his legacy is definitely enshrined very firmly. >> and your coal? >> i want to give that to prosecutor bob mcculloch who i think all of america is realizing this week might need to make an appointment with the bar association -- the state bar. >> i want to give my gift to all of the "politicsnation" viewers, you that watch us, you that support us, you that have met us out on the road, whether it was voting, policing, whatever it is, i give my christmas gift to you. my coal goes to vice president -- former vice president dick cheney. i would like to give him some truth serum so that he can take some serum and tell us everything, the whole truth, nothing but the truth. >> good luck with that. >> vice president, that's my coal for you. thank you all for your time,

merry christmas to all of you. >> merry christmas to you, too. thank you. >> we'll be right back with something that will make you sni smile. i promise. ♪ goodnight. goodnight. for those kept awake by pain... the night is anything but good. introducing new aleve pm. the first to combine a safe sleep aid. plus the 12 hour strength of aleve.

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there's been a lot of tough news events this year, but we've also seen many examples of kindness that made us all smile. in houston, texas, nfl receiver andre johnson bought toys for local children in protective services. >> got a guitar for my sister. and a football. >> how does that make you feel? >> awesome and happy and joyful. >> elsewhere, holiday shoppers are being brought to tears by

absolute strangers. >> this man said that he was paying it off for me. >> not so secret santas called lay-away angels show up at stores and pay off balances for families who can use a hand. a waitress in virginia got tip-bombed, a big hearted gesture by an anonymous group of samaritans. they left a $1200 tip simply to spread holiday cheer. >> in ft. lauderdale, a 90-year-old man is continuing to feed the homeless, despite being arrested for it. the memphis grizzlies team got a special surprise from members of the nba team. >> the man had a tough time. he lost his car. somebody stole it. and everybody chipped in for him for christmas, it was the holiday season of giving, that's what we wanted to do.

[ laughter ] >> and in michigan, a local police department decided to play santa for the holidays. >> the xbox 1, that's what your kids want? >> yeah. >> that's the go-to present for your kids. because they're not going -- but they're not going to have it. >> are you serious? >> yeah. >> oh, my god. the kids are going to love this. >> 2014 has been a tough year. but also uplifting in so many ways. and the way you and i can show how we are uplifting in our own ways is, don't judge yourself on

christmas by what you receive. judge yourself by what you give. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. have a merry christmas. "hardball" starts right now. barack obama, ready for his close-up. let's play "hardball." ♪ ♪ >> good evening, i'm chris matthews in washington. president obama scores another big day. sony pictures gets a bad day. remember last week when sony said they had to kill its movie about killing the head of north korea because the theaters wouldn't show it? well, "the washington post" reports that claim is untrue. some theaters were ready to show the film. it was sony that refused to let them. again, that's