tell somebody else that's too far so there's the line. that does it for us tonight. to us. >> "first look" is up next. it's wednesday, february 17th. right now on "first look" the republicans are feeling the pressure as the clock winds closer to the south carolina showdown. well, the democrats are upping the odds. and obama takes direct aim at donald trump. a rare moment of pope francis losing his cool and the reason why as he greets the faithful. plus incredible images of a driver going straight into a tornado. world class athlete shares her darkest hour. meet c.j., he beat out more than 3,000 dogs to be named best in show. "first look" starts right now.

>> good morning. i'm dara brown. closing in on the south carolina primary, the republicans shoring up support and push back against critics. in the latest cnn/orc poll, donald trump has a ten point lead over ted cruz and jeb bush is trailing marco rubio. in an economic summit in california, president obama weighed in on the race for the direct shot at republican frontrunner, donald trump. >> being president is a serious job. it's not hosting a talk show. or a reality show. it's not promotion. it's not marketing. it's hard. >> and this is how mr. trump reacted when told of the president's remarks. >> reality show is not promotion, it's not marketing, it's hard. that's from president obama.

[ audience boos ] >> this man has done such a bad job he set us back so far and for him to say that actually is a great compliment. you're lucky i didn't run last time when romney won because you would have been a one term president. >> but he soon turned his attention to fellow republican ted cruz. >> ted cruz who i think is totally unfit to be president, but these are minor details, i really believe that. >> meanwhile in columbia, south carolina, cruz had his own take on the job. >> you know, people will be forgiven this election season for thinking that at times it seems like a bit of a circus. the time for games is over. we need a leader who's prepared to be commander in chief. when radical islamic terrorists waged jihad on the united states

of america, the answer is not to tweet insults at them. >> and cruz picked up two big endorsements ahead of the primary. kansas congressman tim holes camp and dakota meyer. sure to be a big boost in the state where veterans make up over 12% of the population. tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern, join joe and mika for an exclusive town hall featuring gop frontrunner, donald trump. a recent cnn/orc poll has hillary clinton ahead of bernie sanders by 18 points and numbers that clinton is hoping to keep secure. on tuesday, clinton met with civil rights leaders at the headquarters of the national urban league and reverend sharpton suggested his endorsement is decided but under wraps. prompting a slight southern twang from the democratic frontrunner. >> i'm endorsing her -- i said

only you know and you're not telling. >> my lips are sealed. >> later during a speech in harlem, clinton hit sanders again with a charge of being a single issue candidate. >> it's not enough for your economic plan to be break up the banks. you also need a serious plan to create jobs especially in places where unemployment remains stubbornly high. >> but there are signs of trouble in clinton's push as the top african-american democrat in georgia announced he would switch his support from clinton to sanders. state senator vincent ford cited the health care and minimum wage positions as a reason for the shift. sanders held rallies in south carolina where he was supported by erica garner. antonin scalia's body will lie in repose in the great hall of the supreme court friday. with a funeral held on saturday

in washington. scalia's courtroom chair was draped in black yesterday in me more yum. the partisan battle over replacing him continues to up fold. during an iowa radio interview, senate judiciary committee chairman chuck grassley who's in charge of the confirmation hearings said i would wait until the nominee is made before i make decisions. but grassley said he's not open to a confirmation hearing. yesterday, president obama challenged senate republicans to rise above day to day politics. >> this will be the opportunity for senators to do their job. your job doesn't stop until you're voted out or until your term expires. i intend to do my job between now and january 20th of 2017. i expect them to do their job as well. >> and nbc's tracie potts is in washington and tracie, now we have president obama taking direct aim at the republicans. >> reporter: exactly. you know, sometimes we forget that he taught constitutional law.

his argument here that this is not a partisan issue, democrats and republicans, it's a constitutional issue. listen to his response to republicans arguing that a late-term president in his final year should not be nominating a justice to the u.s. supreme court. >> there's no unwritten law that says that it can only be done on off years. that's not in the constitutional text. i'm amused when i hear people who claim to be strict interpreters of the constitution suddenly reading into it a whole series of provisions that are not there. >> now, the president's insisted he will nominate someone who is well qualified. republicans here and on the campaign trail have said they will block those hearings. however, there's some signs of a possible thawing. you heard what grassley said a few moments ago. that sound that you ran from him, although he walked that

back a bit. also, president obama is saying that he will nominate someone who sticks to the law, even if that person disagrees with his politics. dara? >> thanks. tensions continue to mount in regard to north korea's nuclear and missile ambitions. the u.s. flew four f-22 stealth fighters today after ballistic technology was tested. a show of military force comes in response to north korea's latest missile launch. in defiance of the united nations sanctions pyongyang rebuked repeated warnings firing a long range rocket with an earth observation satellite. u.s. military officials would not say how long the f-22s will be in the region. apple plans to fight a federal judge's order that it help fbi investigators hack into the iphone used by one of the

san bernardino shooters. court papers veal apple de -- reveal apple declined to provide assistance. farook and tashfeen malik shot and killed 14 people in san bernardino, california, on december 2. in a message to customers apple says it has cooperated with the fbi investigation and writes in part, but now the u.s. government has asked us for something we simply do not have and something we consider too dangerous to create. they asked us to build a back door to the iphone. investigators are trying to figure out who the shooters were communicating with and who helped to plan and carry

this area the closest that many can get to the pontiff. pope francis will tour today in a five-day journey of hope. in a country where it's desperately needed. >> he's a life-changing pope. he's reforming the church. i think he's wonderful. >> reporter: his message to hundreds of thousands who spilled into the streets and arenas to listen has been focused on compassion for immigrants and a challenge to eliminate the economic conditions, crime and corruption force manager across the border. but most agree, changing things

here will take some time. >> i hear a lot -- as the pope goes things are going to change. i keep reminding them, the pope is not god. he is not going to change things immediately. but over time. >> reporter: francis is expected to echo the message of persistence, faith and family to more than a million this afternoon in juarez and tens of thousands who gather in sun bowl stadium. connected by their faith and a two-way video feed. in a place where many can't go home for the pontiff's historic visit. >> i'm close to mexico, which i haven't seen in 20 years. it is very emotional, you know, being here. >> reporter: emotions affecting so many in separate countries. but from a single faith. let's get down to business with cnbc's landon dowdy. good morning. >> hi, there. good morning to you. the markets may look to add to

the tuesday's gains. despite a drop in oil prices. boosted by industrial and tech names such as boeing and yahoo!. crude is inching higher this morning, but is trading below $30 a barrel. look for information on new home construction. larry summers said it's time to get rid of the $100 bill. he argues corruption is aided by large denominations of paper currency as it's easier for terrorists to move cash illegally in large bills. u.s. government says it has no plans to take any bills out of circulation. meanwhile, would you like a budweiser with that big mac? mcdonald's will start serving beer in south america. beer is limited to one per burger and must show an i.d. back over to you. >> thanks, landon. now to sports and call it the season of college upsets. 24th ranked texas taking on number 10 west virginia in austin. the longhorns managed to take

and keep the lead along with an 85-78 upset. across the state, baylor battled number 13 iowa state in the game that had 14 ties and 14 lead changes. baylor with a 100-91 upset at home. any idea what this guy earned last year as nfl commissioner? according to the latest nfl tax filings roger goodell earned just over $34 million in 2014 and that's done from the $44.2 million that he earned in 2012. and talk about smashing the ministry dunk team from liberty university has raised the bar on the trampoline dunk shots. that shatters the backboard and talk about your showstopper. now to one of the most bizarre slow speed chases ever. and ronda rousey reveals her darkest thoughts following her epic loss. you're watching "first look." ♪ you're not gonna watch it! ♪

♪ no, you're not gonna watch it! ♪ ♪ we can't let you download on the goooooo! ♪ ♪ you'll just have to miss it! ♪ yeah, you'll just have to miss it! ♪ ♪ we can't let you download... uh, no thanks. i have x1 from xfinity so... don't fall for directv. xfinity lets you download your shows from anywhere. i used to like that song. welcome back, everyone. we have some incredible video

out of florida. a dashboard camera was rolling as a man drove straight into the path of a tornado in pompano beach on tuesday. you can see the sheer force of the twister as tree limbs fly through the air. now, it was part of the severe weather we saw yesterday across much of the eastern seaboard. all way from new york city down to florida. a much more quiet weather pattern today. not much going on on the radar that is good news for travelers. we're expecting a quiet day in the northeast. also the midwest. the west does turn stormy for a change from california up to the northwest. look at this beautiful day, temperatures in the 40s from boston to d.c. not as warm as yesterday, but again enjoying some quiet weather. near 80 in florida. and tracking rain later on today and mountain snows from northwest towards california. tomorrow, chilly in the

northeast with temperatures in the 30s. it gets milder day by day as we head into the weekend. we could be in the 50s here in new york on saturday and sunday. >> i like that forecast, thank you. well, there is a new top dog in town. c.j. a sherman short haired pointer won best in show at the westminster show late last night. he beat the best of the best including the german shepherd who was the rumored favorite having won over a hundred competitions. the eagles of death metal band had an emotional concert since the paris attacks three months ago. they led a tribute to the victims on stage. check out this police dash cam video of a backhoe running from sheriff's deputies in the florida keys seven-mile bridge. with sparks flying behind it. deputies were able to finally stop 59-year-old driver by throwing spike strips in front of the backhoe. on "ellen" ufc champ ronda rousey was emotional after she

recounted her single loss in her career and her saving grace. >> i was down in the corner, and i was literally sitting there and thinking about killing myself and in the exact second i'm like nothing. i looked up and i saw travis was standing there and i looked up at him and i was just like i need to have his babies. i need to stay alive. >> and now stephen colbert's advice to the donald about his potty mouth and tonight, chris matthews goes one-on-one with john kasich. that's at 7:00 p.m. on msnbc. we'll be right back. a knack for predicting the future. reflexes faster than the speed of thought. can a business have a spirit? can a business have a soul? can a business be...alive?

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. make you feel like an svp desk instead of a vp? then you might be gearcentric. ♪ this president's day, all chairs are on sale! save $150 on this chair! office depot officemax. gear up for great ®.

now here's your hump day dish of "scrambled politics." on the scare factor, "usa today" suffolk university poll found that donald trump frightens 62% of democrats, 17% of republicans and 30% of independents. on the other side, 60% of republicans are frightened by hillary clinton, joined by 8% of democrats and 35% of independents. but that hasn't stopped them from getting their own comic books. clinton and trump along with bernie sanders and jeb bush are out today and all four are hoping to prove super come november. and being depicted as not so heroic is ted cruz. a facebook page opened in may of 2014 alleging to represent south carolina congressman trey gowdy who was created and reportedly posting a message switching his support from marco rubio to cruz.

gowdy demanded that cruz and his campaign to repudiate the dishonest tactics. the cruz campaign denies any involvement with the page. on the late show, stephen colbert had a few tips for trump when the candidate called in from colbert's home state of south carolina. >> bring out the trump phone, everybody. let's talk about what experts are calling your potty mouth. >> i have decided to stop -- i mean, i do that for emphasis. these are minor words and i actually bleeped them out myself. >> why don't you have a swear jar. every time you swear you put a billion dollars in it. i'm from south carolina. i want to help you out here. let's hear you say, please vote for me, y'all. >> well, i could say that, please vote for me, y'all. >> and that is your morning dish of "scrambled politics." in washington, i'm joined now by politico reporter lauren french. good morning. >> good morning. >> we have a big weekend shaping up for the presidential

candidates and polls aside, which candidates have the best ground game in south carolina and nevada? >> you're really looking at jeb bush, marco rubio and ted cruz as the ones putting a lot of emphasis on south carolina for the republican primary which is february 20th. they have been in this state, they have been working those voters. especially jeb bush. really does need to have a better than expected showing there to maintain his campaign through the first of the south primary. in nevada, hillary clinton is leading. this is a very hispanic state. a populous base she does well in. she is hoping to win there and put new hampshire behind her where she did come in a resounding second to bernie sanders. >> but nevada it's not quite the slam dunk that the clinton team may have been expecting because they're upping their ad campaign sale sales and despite the polls showing her leading. can bernie sanders pull off an upset? >> nevada is trending more white than it was in past elections

and you also have hispanics out there campaigning for him which could sway some those latino voters. it could come as sanders really inching towards hillary clinton. he's gaining on her in a lot of national polls. she does have the lead, but it is right now hers to win. >> and you touched on this, south carolina it is a pivotal primary for jeb bush because he's now ranked fourth. does having formersi >> that's what the bush campaign is hoping for. they trotted out his brother, former president george bush, hoping his popularity in the irst of primary second or the third place. right now he's fourth. george bush very popular in the state, left over from his presidential years. his father very popular in that state. but it's really remains to be seen, jeb bush is trailing and has never been able to break away from marco rubio, ted cruz and of course donald trump. so whether or not this last

minute appearance by his brother is enough to be seen. this is a year of outsider politics and the family name is just not what it used to be. >> lauren, one last question. what are voters thinking about this now argument between who's going to possiblyte f a you have republicans saying they supreme court justice? won't confirm any nominee from president barack obama and you have all of the presidential candidates in south carolina making the argument that they're the ones for it. ted cruz is appealing to evangelical voters saying that he would support judges that of course protect life. so everyone is making this argument that they're the ones who need to nominate the next supreme court justice. >> lauren french, thanks so much. i'm dara brown. this is "first look" on msnbc. don't forget to like us on took. stay tuned. "way too early" is up next. can a toothpaste do everything well?

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♪ whoever is standing where i'm standing right now has the nuclear codes with him. and can order 21-year-olds into a fire fight and have to make sure that the banking system doesn't collapse. and the american people are pretty sensible. and i think they'll make a sensible choice in the end. >> you're lucky i didn't run last time when romney ran because you would have been a one-term president. >> president obama taking on donald trump insisting he will not be the next commander in chief. plus -- >> do you ever feel like it's hopeless, like there's no reasoning with this group of people or that group of people and they're not listening to me and there's nothing i can do,

why am i here, why am i not home in bed? >> am i allowed to lie? >> of course. isn't that what politicians do? >> secretary of state kerry tempers expectations on a cease-fire on a war torn syria and the spokesman says it's time for russia to put up or shut up. and apple is wanted to up lock a phone used by the san bernardino shoot effort but it's turning into a fight. it's 5:30 on the east coast, 2:30 on the west coast. this is "way too early." hey, everybody. good morning. let's get down to business, wednesday, february 17th, m