antonin scalia. and amy klobuchar will be here on this show live tomorrow night. until she cancels at the last minute because she's being vetted for the supreme court. until she cancels at the last minute because she's being vetted for the supreme court. "first look" is up next. it's tuesday, february 16th, right now on "first look" -- as the political battles swirl around choosing the next supreme court nominee the personal attacks get more bare knuckled. >> this guy ted cruz is the most dishonest guy i ever met in politics. never heard a politician call another politician directly a liar. >> when both marco rubio and donald trump scream liar liar liar, it makes you wonder how they'd handle with putin. and what happened with adele's return performance and the multiple tributes that brought the house down. and plus tornadoes and

driving snow wreak havoc around the u.s. and the faithful meet pope francis. and a creature from the depths of the polar vortex. "first look" starts right now. good morning, i'm dara brown. the battle lines have been drawn between democrats and republicans over who should fill the supreme court after antonin scalia's death. the republicans are tripling down that the nomination should be left to the next president, becoming a battle cry on the campaign trail. >> i intend to make 2016 a referendum on the u.s. supreme court. >> we are not moving forward on a nominee until after the election. >> the republicans should not allow it to happen. >> on the other side of the aisle, democrats are holding true that it is president obama's responsibility. >> for the president this boils down to something very simple. just doing his job. we expect the senate to do the same. >> it would be the height of irresponsibility for the republican leadership not to

have a vote on the nominee. >> the president will not announce a nominee until senate returns next week. and he won't make a recess appointment, at least not for the time being. tracie potts joins us from washington. good morning, tracie. >> reporter: good morning, everyone. not announcing a nominee this week. and no names coming out of the white house, but apparently he has a short list, that from the top democrat on the judiciary committee here. the committee that will consider any of the nominees. they also say they have some names to pass along, but the big question -- will any of the potential nominees actually get a vote? >> it is unprecedented, it's pure politics. >> reporter: from capitol hill -- >> it is wrong. it is not responsible. >> reporter: to the campaign trail. >> talk about cowardice. talk about obstructionist. >> reporter: democrats are pushing back hard at republicans refusal to give president

obama's supreme court nominee a vote. >> let's have a hearing, let's hear from our constituents what they think. and then vote. not saying no vote at all. >> the people of this country should send a clear message that's not the way our constitution works. >> reporter: they point out anthony kennedy was confirmed in president reagan's final year. >> exit u.s. not include exemptions for the last terms of office. we're in an election year. so i'm not going to pretend that's not part of the atmosphere jeer. >> the replacement for antonin scalia should not be president obama's choice. >> the republicans should reject i think the new president should have that option. >> the practical implications are nil. it's all about politics. >> reporter: they argue even if an obama nominee is confirmed it could be too late to have any impact this term. and new overnight a "washington post" op-ed that was posted by top democrat harry reid he calls

this nakedly partisan and he argues that republicans are insulting americans by blocking the vote. >> thank you so much. and president obama will hold a news conference today at 3:00 p.m. eastern where he'll talk about his two-day summit with ten southeast asian nations and he will likely talk about the latest on the supreme court nominee. turning to the race for the white house, former president george w. bush is back on the campaign trail. jeb bush is hoping to cash in on past bush family successes in the palmetto state. both bush 41 and 43 won south carolina's primary. but jeb's strategy may be too little, too late. frontrunner donald trump continues to lead the field ahead of saturday's republican primary. meanwhile, trump is renewing threats to run as a third party candidate for president after being booed in recent debates in which he refers to as special interests and donors trump

claims the national committee is defaulting on the pledge to treat him with respect. >> the rnc better get its act together. because i signed a pledge. but the pledge isn't being honored by them. i signed a pledge, the pledge isn't being honored by the rnc. the rnc does a terrible job, a terrible job. and just remember what i said. remember in this room. i signed a pledge, but it's a double edged pledge. and as far as i'm concerned they're in default of their pledge. >> plus, the democratic race tightens ahead of the nevada caucus. nbc's dan schenamen has the latest. >> reporter: jeb bush got some help on the campaign trail in south carolina from his brother. former president george w. bush with choice words for gop frontrunner donald trump. >> the strongest person usually isn't the loudest one in the room. >> reporter: for his part, the billionaire dismissed jeb bush's campaign. >> his brother came today to try to make it better. i don't think it will happen.

>> reporter: earlier in the day at a news conference, trump repeated his attacks on ted cruz. >> he doesn't have the right to serve as president or even run as president. he was born in canada. so i will bring that lawsuit if he doesn't apologize. >> reporter: senator cruz suggested the suit was a sign of desperation. >> this is the most rattled i have seen trump today. >> reporter: on the democratic side, hillary clinton focused on saturday's caucus in nevada and hopes to rebound against bernie sanders. >> i'm not a single issue candidate because this is not a single issue country. >> reporter: bernie sanders has brushed off the charge and took his campaign to michigan. he said he met with families affected by the water crisis in flint. >> i just come from a meeting which was one of the more difficult meetings that i have ever attended. >> reporter: analysts believe the flint water crisis is is an issue that resonates with african-american voters across the country. dan schenamen, nbc news.

>> and a programming note, msnbc and our sister station telemundo will be hosting a town hall meeting featuring hillary clinton and bernie sanders live from las vegas, nevada, from 9:00 to 11:00 eastern. hosted by chuck todd and jose diaz-balart. last night, the best of the best in the music world got together for the grammy awards. there were epic performances from kendrick lamar and taylor swift and moving tributes to the late glenn frey and david bowie. here are the highlights. ♪ ♪ jumping in the street all night long ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ the thrill is gone it's gone away for good ♪ ♪ ♪ rebel rebel you don your dress ♪ ♪ rebel rebel your face is a mess ♪ ♪ ♪ >> and the night wasn't without its mishaps though. just ask adele whose highly anticipated return was upstaged by a sound problem. after the show she tweeted that the mikes fell on the piano strings causing it to sound out of tune adding she was going to treat herself to in and out burger now. so maybe it was worth it. rihanna was supposed to perform

and had to bow out on doctor's orders due to problbronchitis. let's get down to business. >> and the markets are starting off with lots of green arrows today. it was boosted by a jump in the oil prices and crude is up again today. above $30 a barrel as officials from saudi arabia and russia are meeting. the saudis, russia, venezuela and qatar agreed to freeze production at january levels. and millennials and drinking may bring to mind craft beer or keg party, but don't forget about wine. millennials drank 42% of all wine in the u.s. last year, more than any other generation. and the average two cases per person. they're shelling out for a good wine, paying more than $20 a barrel, just in the past month. and hey big spender, chinese consumers bought nearly half of the world's luxury goods last year. they spent nearly $117 billion.

the chinese government says 120 million tourists went overseas contributing to 12% of global spending. i'm susan lane. well, best selling horror writer stephen king tells us his scariest presidential candidate. and would you pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a license plate? and we're tracking a powerful storm across the east coast this morning as well as a tornado threat. we'll have your national forecast coming up. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. here's a little healthy advice.

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a massive storm system spread misery from the gulf coast all the way up to maine. suspected tornadoes touched down in florida's panhandle and mississippi destroying more than a dozen homes. in century, florida, video captured a moment that a woman was pulled from the debris of her tornado-damaged home. rescuers carried her to safety. the mississippi officials say storm damage was reported in 20 counties with homes

destroyed, trees downed and power outages. and the storm brought nearly four inches of fresh snow to the nation's capital. much of the d.c. area under a winter storm warning with dangerous driving conditions. nbc's meteorologist raphael miranda is here. >> the temperatures are back to the 50, but another stormy day across the east coast. we have the massive storm system from canada down to florida. but this time for the northeast, rain with temperatures with elle into the 40s and -- well into the 40s and 50 later on today. we have the tornado threat across florida. tornado watch in effect until 8:00. a line of strong storms moving to west palm beach. expect travel delays early on this morning especially. and we have winter storm warn g warnings and advisories for the northeast. now inland sections so as you head into work today, it could be icy in the suburbs north of new york city and boston and heavy snow expected around

buffalo. look at that high temperature, 55 in new york. heavy rain and wind later on today so expect travel delays again from boston down towards d.c. 36 in chicago. still very warm out west. near 90 in los angeles. but that's changing starting tomorrow, turning stormy in the northwest. even los angeles back down to the 70s and back down to the 40s. but quieter weather for the northeast and lasting through the end of the week. >> i think we'll take it, raphael. thank you. well, over 50 people were killed in air strikes on seven schools and hospitals in syria. one of the hospitals was supported by doctors without borders who is accusing russia or syria for the attacks. >> this has been a period of intensified bombing, particularly in the north of syria. we have condemned that in the strongest terms. >> this comes days way from the cease-fire between syrian government forces and rebels that's supposed to go into effe

effect by wyche week's end. and the eagles of death metal return to perform. >> for lack of a better way to describe it, my friends died beautifully with great courage. you know? so i'm not going to let the bad guys win. >> the frontman, jesse hughes saying until nobody has guns, everybody has to have them. well, halfway through his week long tour of mexico, pope francis celebrated mass yesterday with hundreds of thousands of indigenous pilgrims in the southern state of chiapas. one powerful moment earlier in the day, the pontiff blessed a child who was lifted up in his wheelchair to come in contact with pope francis. an airline pilot's union is coming together to curb the use of lasers. this after a flight had to return to london after a laser

beam affected the pilot's vision. and miners have unearthed the largest diamond ever. the 404 carat stone could be worth $14 million. and can you believe this delaware license plate sold for $325,000 at auction on sunday? delaware is just one of the few states where low digit plates can be bought and sold directly by residents. the plates are considered investments. grammy winner jimmy carter and stephen king's scariest candidates. "scrambled politics" is up next. the life behind it. ♪ those who have served our nation have earned the very best service in return. ♪ usaa. we know what it means to serve. get an auto insurance quote and

see why 92% of our members plan to stay for life. they represent blood cells. and if you have afib-an irregular heartbeat that may put you at five times greater risk of stroke they can pool together in the heart, forming a clot that can break free and travel upstream to the brain, where it can block blood flow and cause a stroke. but if you have afib that's not caused by a heart valve problem, pradaxa can help stop clots from forming. pradaxa was even proven superior to warfarin at reducing the risk of stroke, in a clinical trial without the need for regular blood tests. and, in the rare event of an emergency, pradaxa is the only oral blood thinner other than warfarin with a specific reversal treatment to help your body clot normally again. pradaxa is not for people who have had a heart valve replacement. don't stop taking pradaxa without talking to your doctor. stopping increases your risk of stroke or blood clots ask your doctor if you need to stop pradaxa before any planned medical or dental procedure.

pradaxa can cause serious, and sometimes, fatal bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding. and seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have kidney problems, stomach ulcers, a bleeding condition, or take certain medicines. side effects with pradaxa can include indigestion, stomach pain, upset or burning. don't just go with the flow. go with pradaxa, the only blood thinner that lowers your risk of stroke better than warfarin and has a specific reversal treatment. talk to your doctor about pradaxa today. it took joel silverman years to become a master dog trainer. but only a few commands to master depositing checks at chase atms.

technology designed for you. so you can easily master the way you bank. now here's your tuesday dish of "scrambled politics." . >> >> planned parenthood shares a good -- >> new ted cruz ads attacking trump link him to the heavily edited videos by the center for medical progress that purported to show the sale of fetal tissue. now trump is firing back saying he'll sue cruz over his eligibility if he doesn't take down the ads and retract the lies. horror master stephen king weighed in on cruz saying he's very scary. and that electing cruz would be like electing an imam since his

guiding principle would be scripture rather than the constitution. he added even if he was able to govern without blowing up the world, could we look at a guy who resembles a cable game show host for four years? well, 91-year-old jimmy carter is now a two-time grammy winner. the 39th president won both spoken word album for the audio version of his memoir "a full life." this roof is burning. california high school teacher darren wilkerson and his wife are bernie sanders supporters, but they took it to the next level, painting his logo on their roof. >> bernie sanders is the most honest politician in the history of politics. it's bold and it's big and it gets people's attention and it makes people talk and think and go home and go, why did he do that? >> but the mural isn't a permanent feature. in late summer they'll be putting on an addition and removing the roof. good thing, sarah says she isn't as upset since they'll be getting that new roof. that is your morning dish of

"scrambled politics." political analyst and best selling author ellis henican is here. >> watch out for the roofs. >> i love it. >> it's the bird vote we're talking about. >> everybody flying by. so ellis, we had some interesting things today. we have the political chess game being played now. >> indeed. >> a nominee for supreme court judge. but there's an article that that ari melber wrote and it talks about the 17-day window that president obama might have at the end of the ten year. >> that's right. ari is focusing on the calendar in november. if democrats regain the senate, there would be a 17 day window, and the president can jam somebody through. but we have an awful lot of fighting before january. >> a long way to go before that. very true. there's another way, which is the usual route and we have president obama making the

nominee. >> nothing usual this year by the way. >> exactly. it's the way that the candidates are going, so goes this. there's opposition from the republicans and do you think he'll announce a nomination? >> he's going to put up a nominee. the constitution requires it. he'll put the ball back in the senate's corner. this person is qualified for the 47 reasons and now you guys have to come one a decision about about whether to act on it, whether to block it or hold hearings. whether to do all of the things that the senate is required to do in the constitution. and i think, you know, the senators had hoped he wouldn't do everything but i think it's very clear that the white house is not going to take that approach. >> do you think that will have any impact on the actual campaign for presidential candidates? >> it already has. i mean, you see these guys at the debate over the weekend, the republican debate in south carolina. angling on this, trying to figure out what to do, and clearly, clearly they want to find some way to push it off into the next president, hoping a republican gets elected.

>> quick, george w. bush showing up with jeb. is it too late? >> oh, maybe. you know what? he seems to nice. he's -- his hair is thinning a little bit though. did you notice that? >> i did notice. >> jeb lost the glasses. >> well, ellis henican, thank you for weighing in. always good to have you. just ahead the lincoln memorial is about to get a makeover. plus, when life gives them snow, three brothers make snow art. details on their cold weather creations up next. staying in rhythm...

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leading the news in "the new york times," lincoln memorial to get major renovations.

the national park service announced it will get the biggest restoration to date. it will include opening a space for classrooms and exhibits. graffiti from workers will also be on display. saunas, a bridges, and others fight inside the mexican riot jail. when authorities investigated the riot that killed 49 inmates last week, they discovered luxurious amenities such as food stands, saunas and bars. the contraband was dismantled and the superintendent has been arrested. from the depths of the frigid vortex that is a minnesota winter, meet octavius, the snow octopus, standing 18 feet tall and over 35 feet wide. it took the barge brothers 500 hours to carve the massive sculpture out of 150 tons of snow. >> we're not ice fishing, we're out here working on the sculpture. >> don't you ever get cold? >> never. >> they have been building them for the past five years and this

year they're taking donations to raise money for clean water in haiti. i'm dara brown. and this is "first look" on msnbc. don't forget to like us on facebook. "way too early" starts right now. ♪ we're spending a lot of time on a ranch where we have become tree farmers. it gives me a chance to practice my stump speech. i have been one to defy expectations. i have been misunderestimated most of my life. and it's a real shock to people, i have become an oil painter. [ cheers and applause ] let me assure you i know that the signature's worth more than the painting. >> former president george w. bush is back on the campaign

trail and he brought jokes. but he made it clear he isn't laughing about donald trump's critiques of his handling of september 11th. plus the circular firing squad continues, fights over ads and now threats of a lawsuit. new questions are being raised about the value of a cease-fire after air strikes in syria target schools and hospitals and leaving people dead. it's 5:30 on the east coast, 2:30 on the west. this is "way too early." >> good morning. i'm chris jansing and it is february 16th, a tuesday. we are coming to you live from columbia, south carolina. that's voting here on saturday so we have lots to get to. let's start with the biggest