say about catholics quote, mating like rabbits. this is "way too early." ♪ >> hey, everybody. i'm thomas roberts. it is tuesday, january the 20th. welcome to "way too early." we wonder what our fourth grade teacher sister theresa would say about that pope rabbit comment. we want to begin in washington as we are hours away from president obama's sixth state of the union address. it will be his next to last one. and for the first -- for the republican controlled house and senate and this is an opportunity for the president to present his ideas and he's vowed to play quote offense, with showdowns looming over the keystone pipeline and immigration reform and other issues will be on full display. relations with cuba. one of president obama's guests

will be alan gross, who spent five years in a cuban prison. on the other side, john boehner and -- they're expected to oppose the tax credit plan. it also increases taxes on the wealthy and big banks. nbc's tracie potts has a preview for us. >> our job is to make sure that every american peoples a part of the comeback. >> reporter: tonight a cross-section of these americans that president obama is targeting. a woman had surgery on a brain tumor thanks to obamacare. >> i just remember laying there and just thinking, wow, i'm just really grateful and blessed that i had insurance. >> reporter: carolyn reed, a government loan helped her exband the family business. >> now we have seven stores and we have over a hundred employees. so things have worked out very

well for us. >> reporter: tonight, president obama will urge congress to cut taxes for the middle class and get rid of tax breaks that allow the wealthy to shield millions by giving money to their kids. >> even republicans acknowledge that that loophole ought to be closed. >> reporter: but the president's tax plan isn't likely to go far in this congress. >> i think the president's plan to raise taxes is dead on arrival in this congress. it won't work. it will cost us jobs. >> reporter: jobs and personal wealth still a big concern. our new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll finds americans are more optimistic about the economy, but just over one in four say their own financial situation is getting better. tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >> all right, so let's dig deeper into the new nbc news poll the president has a 46% approval rating, that's the highest since the government shut down and at 49% his economic leadership. at the strongest level since the first year in office.

and while fewer than half of those polled are satisfied with the economy it marks the strongest number in a decade. most people feel their financial situation is staying just about the same. and an overwhelming number 85% of americans, say creating jobs is the absolute top priority for the white house and congress this year. the other compelling issues include defeating isis, reducing the deficit, securing the border and addressing iran's nuclear program. domestic issues like entitlements and health care rank lowest on the nation's most pressing problems. bobby jindal is making waves overseas with his controversial criticism of no go zones in europe. at a think tank yesterday, he slammed the alleged enclaves that in his words, quote, carry out as much of shiia related laws as they can without regard for the laws of the democratic countries which provided them a

new home. nbc caught up with the potential presidential contender who stood by those comments. >> well you know we spent several days here we met with several elected leaders. what you hear are -- for example, so called no go zones i think is a mistake for any country to allow the development of areas within their countries whether it's neighborhoods or other areas where the same laws, the same values don't apply. >> so in another interview, the governor doubled down on his remarks. when pressed to give specific neighborhoods of these no go zones, he said the following. >> yet a police chief here in london said to the daily mail, there are neighborhoods -- i'm not talking entire cities as others have tried to suggest. there are neighborhoods where the police say they don't go as frequently, there are neighborhoods where women do not feel comfortable walking without veils. >> you're not backing awhat from the so-called -- away from the so-called no go zones in the united kingdom? >> not at all, and i'm making a

bigger even controversial point, that radical islam is a grave threat. we need muslim leaders to denounce the individuals, not just the acts of violence and also that it is absolutely correct and insist on assimilation assimilation, that they adopt our values. >> david cameron has strongly rejected claims that no go zones exist in england. four men will face a judge today in france in connection to the paris terror attacks. the prosecutor's office said they were arrested because of possible links to one of the gunman. five others taken into custody were released without charges. they are pushing for dramatic changes in the aftermath of the attacks. those include more intelligence and information sharing as well as an air traveler database. and european police are demanding better weapons and protective gear. one union official says in part quote, we were not prepared in terms of equipment, or mindset. we don't want necessarily the

arms that american police have. we need weapons that can respond. turns our attention now to yemen where officials say nine people are dead and dozens more injured after violent erupted in the capital. for much of the day, shiite rebels clashed with yemeni soldiers with machine gun fire and mortar shells falling on residential neighborhoods. the rebels were able to seize control of the news agencies before agreeing to a cease-fire before late afternoon. government officials are calling the attack an attempted coup. yemen's president has been on shaky ground since the rebels seized control of the capital in september. the government is battling sunni militants including some aligned with al qaeda. nbc news learned overnight that there are no plans in place to evacuate the american embassy in yemen's capital. the united states is signaling a change in how it intends to deal with syria and its president moving forward. the new york times is reporting the u.s. has welcomed proposals

from the u.n. and russia that would transfer power from bashar al assad to another government. without assad, there would be nothing to prevent the rise of islamic extremism in syria. a russian proposal of power sharing between assad and opposition factions are two concepts that are reportedly being considered. billionaire tom steyer is considering running for bar ba boxer's seat in california. he has already said his focus would focus on decreasing green house gases, shifting the tax burden to those that are wealthy and he had an outsized influence on the 2014 midterm election cycle. he dropped $74 million there. the most money of an individual donor in this cycle. already attorney general pamela harris has announced she will run.

lieutenant governor of california gavin newsom is sitting the election out. last night, mike huckabee weighed in on his criticism of the obamas for allowing their daughters to listen to beyonce. speaking on "the daily show" he discussed his views on musical taste. ♪ ♪ with a stroke of my hand they know they get it from me ♪ ♪ know just where to go and i'd do it all again ♪ ♪ cat scratch fever ♪ >> all right. a song called "cat scratch fever" and that bass player is a name by mike huckabee, a show that children can watch. do you see my pointed? >> you excuse that type of crudeness because you agree with his stance on firearms. you don't approve of beyonce

because she seems alien to you. >> when ted nugent did that song, 1978 never got nominated for a grammy. my point is, that song is an adult song. geared for adults. but today, we have a very different kind of depiction and things that are considered perfectly okay for kids. >> all right. so the comments were made in huckabee's new book and we'll talk to him about that book the criticism, his potential plans for 2016 when he joins "morning joe" coming up later this morning. still ahead on "way too early" -- earliat? anyway, i made a new word. the patriots and seahawks caught up in controversy just a day after making the super bowl. but only one team is being investigated for possibly sabotaging another team. i think i know why i made up that word. i'll tell you later. and snaggletooth tiger, a

mishap that has the golf pro missing a tooth. i think i know where i went with earliat. i know how that happened. >> i sent a message today to the united states olympic committee spelling out my own position. that unless the soviets withdraw their troops in a month from afghanistan, that the olympic games be moved from moscow to an alternate site or multiple sites. or postponed or cancelled. if the soviets do not withdraw their troops immediately from afghanistan within a month, i would not support sending our american team to the olympics.

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welcome back, everybody. time for sports. we begin with the controversy in the nfl. the league is looking into whether the new england patriots knowingly used deflated footballs in order to gain an edge in sunday's rainy afc championship victory over the indianapolis colts. coach bill belichick has denied that allegation, saying the first time he heard about it was yesterday morning and he said the team will cooperate with the investigation. and in an interview with weii, tom brady laughed at the report. >> they say that, you know, the acceptable limits between 12 1/2 and 13 1/2 -- >> per square inch. >> so they deflated more you can grip the ball better. did you have a sense you could grip the ball better than the colts last night? [ laughter ] would you care to weigh in on that? >> i think i heard it all at this point. so -- oh, god. >> so patriots defensive lineman vince wilfork can add a new

title to his resume. hero. get this, the player was driving home after sunday's game when he pulled over to help a driver in an overturned vehicle near gillette stadium. according to the police report he arrived before troopers and he is credited with pulling the 38-year-old out of her jeep. the driver though was later arrested for dui. seahawks quarterback russell wilson was very emotional after sunday's comeback victory, breaking down into tears, and they decided to use it in a tribute to martin luther king. it was later deleted after it sparked negative reaction. the organization apologized saying we did not intend to compare football to the legacy of dr. martin luther king. lindsey vonn break the record for all-time world cup victories after notching her 63rd win in yesterday's super "g" event. but it was her boyfriend tiger woods who stole the show when he arrived to support vonn while he is competed.

the reason he stole the show -- he was missing his front tooth. his agent explained that the tooth had been knocked out by a camera while standing near the photographers at the awards podium. others speculate that he was having work done to replace a discolored tooth. bill karins, your thoughts? >> i want a side by side of that image with mike tyson. [ laughter ] >> we shall see. >> doesn't look like tiger. >> doesn't. he's incognito for sure. he has a couple of teeth on the skull tooth. the knicks snapped a 16-game losing streak against the pelicans last night. carmelo anthony led the way and the knicks got a four-point lead. they win it 99-92. and then at a dunk contest, the

chinese basketball association -- oh, one competitor leaps over five people. comes up short. instead, landing face -- >> wasn't even first. he didn't -- >> oh. >> he couldn't have leapt over one person. could he even dunk? >> let's show it again. oh. all right. didn't make it. he's okay though. everybody survived. let's get a check on your weather with bill karins. put that video on a loop. >> yes. did you see this car -- sunday morning of course we had the ice, you know probably one of the worst cases of freezing rain and ice that we ever had in new jersey/pennsylvania area. that video is insane. that's on the jersey turnpike. obviously, not just an 18 wheeler but a double rig. imagine that sliding at you. probably going 40 or 50 miles an hour. how fortunate were they? >> very lucky. >> nightmares. and thankfully we're not dealing with anything like that.

but the next storm system we deal with, it will cause problems on the roads is now coming down out of alberta. this is going to produce one to two inches of snow up here in the dakotas, towards minneapolis. tomorrow, into areas like chicago and the ohio valley. going to put a little glaze out there. not so much ice, it should be mostly be light snow but it will make its way to the east coast. very unimpressive but this gray stripe is where we have the best chance of seeing that one to two inches and that include the philadelphia and new york city areas wednesday evening. the commute home wednesday night might be a problem. it was 70s yesterday in oklahoma and also in kansas. i know can you imagine what 70s would feel like? tomorrow, 62 in atlanta. you'll find out tomorrow you said? >> yeah, when i go to miami. miss universe. you want to come? >> no. >> jen's coming. >> i wasn't invited.

>> i have a big entourage. stephen is coming, joey is coming. >> i guess i'm not good enough for you. >> you're invited. coming up on "morning joe" our panel will preview the state of the union address. why jumping in early doesn't appear to be paying off for jeb bush. plus, jane fonda talking about the infamous vietnam photos that angered many veterans and earned her the name hanoi jane. you want to hear this. we're back in a moment. and bill, open your e-mail. paperless post. >> jen going? >> i'm not telling.

we're about to play a game of catch phrase. i'm playing with jennifer, but higgins needs a partner. please welcome anthony mackey. oh, wow. >> oh, this is when you like -- you're in a game and you -- you knock your hands together. >> fist pump. >> yes. >> yes. okay. wednesday is known as -- >> hump day. >> hump day. >> throw money in the air. >> oh -- >> yes. >> hey, hey, you talking too fast, you need to -- >> slow down. >> oh. >> oh, that's fun. that's fun.

all right, let's get a check on the other headlines. j.lo on "jimmy fallon" playing games. and the pope will begin his four-day visit on september 20th with stops in washington, d.c., philadelphia and new york city. details still being ironed out but organizers are talking about appearances at the white house, possibly a mass at madison square garden. he was headed home from the philippines and when asked what he would say to those families with more children than they can afford, some people think that excuse my expression that in order to be good catholics we have to be like rabbits. no parent hood is about being responsible that is clear. the pope reiterated the church's stance against contraception, saying there are many ways for you to control your family size while staying in line with church teaching. on the front page of several pages this morning, a prosecutor was found dead as he was set to

testify against the country's president. he accused the argentine president of accusing those of bombing a jewish community, but hours before he was set to testify his body was found in a room locked from the inside with a gun next to it. reports say the death was ruled a suicide with an autopsy claiming he was shot at point blank range. but many have protested outside the country's capital holding signs that said, no more blood. and today, we are all alberto nissman. many compared it to something out of a tv show like "house of cards." investigators won't rule out the possibility that he was forced to shoot himself. nearly 40 years after being called hanoi jane and criticizing the u.s. over the vietnam war, jane fonda is offering a big mea culpa. she doesn't regret the trip but regrets photos that suggested

that she was anti-american troops. she was seen sitting with a helmet gun on an anti-aircraft battery. she made the comments friday in frederick, maryland. and according to the frederick news post she said quote, whenever possible i try to sit down with vets and talk with them because i understand it makes me sad. it hurts me and it will to my grave that i made a huge huge mistake. i made a lot of people think i was against the soldiers. i know my dad was a vietnam vet, and when you bring up jane fonda he doesn't want to talk about her. if you want to sound smart today, tell your friends that the record for the applause interruptions belongs to president bill clinton. interrupted for applause 128 times. our current president averages around 90 interruptions. see what happens tonight. next a look at the stories we'll be talking about in the days ahead. "morning joe" moments away.

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let's get a check on the day ahead. the big story, president obama's state of the union address tonight. and msnbc's special coverage begins this evening at 8:00 p.m. we encourage you to tune in. and jury selection begins today for accused colorado movie theater shooter holmes. the jurors have to wrestle where he was insane when he carried out the attack. all right. so that's going to do it for the tuesday edition of "way too early." stick around. "morning joe" starts right now. >> kerry's general french chiness, that thing that lost him our presidential election, is what makes him our perfect envoy. all right. he's meeting french president hollande, no, no, i don't think -- no, he doesn't want to touch! pull back, no. he's not wanting that.

you know i've got to check out that hug, utilizing nfl's replay technology. let's see. all right, he's walking in. there you go. now the frenchnow, the french president goes with the open hands. i just want to touch hands. keep it at this distance. kerry says [ bleep ] that come on baby. bring it in. oh, we're bros. now the french president is saying, i've had enough. no. all right. i'm done. i'm done. hollande tries to get out. watch kerry says i tell you what, though i am never letting you go. >> wow. he's got a friend. >> you guys yesterday did not seem especially moved by that. willie, they were just sort of staring at it. >> we're talking about -- >> moment in diplomacy. >> james taylor singing "quoufyou've got a friend." but they did not have