you guys only have one speed. i see how you work there. got it. roger. that does it for us tonight. we will see you again tomorrow. now it's time for the last word with lawrence o'donnell. president-elect trump is in the process of building his cabinet right now, and it's going to be a solid gold cabinet, full of all the finest snacks. this is kind of nutty. one of the names on trump's short list for attorney general is ted cruz. senator ted cruz, who of course was trump's bitter rival on the campaign trail. the man he called lying ted over and over again could become our nation's top law enforcement official. we're living in some kind of bizarre world. don't be surprised if he names hillary clinton secretary of state. it could happen. >> the questions continue over who will serve in president-elect donald trump's white house. this morning we have new names on his list for top spots. plus, hillary clinton offers a message to her supporters in her first formal appearance

since conceding the presidential election last week. and the minnesota officer charged in a fatal shooting that was caught on camera and streamed live on facebook. the family of philando castile is now weighing in. ♪ good morning, everyone. it is thursday, november 17th. i'm alex witt alongside ali velshi and louis burgdorf. another day and the speculation has broadened once more about who the new trump administration will put into key roles. a source familiar with the process tells nbc news that trump intends to select lieutenant general michael flynn for national security adviser. flynn was at trump tower yesterday, but his selection has not been finalized. while rudy giuliani and john

bolton were said to be at the top of the list for secretary of state, a new name is on the list. nikki hailey is now said to be under consideration. haley was a rubio backer in the primary and a frequent critic of trump's rhetoric, but she's also praised trump's tone in the days after his election. >> so far, he's done -- president-elect trump has done well. i hope he continues to do that. i hope he continues to be disciplined in his comments and what happens. i don't know. i don't know what we can expect out of communication. i'm hopeful because of the tone he's had since he's been elected. i hope that he can continue to be that same person, using that same tone, that includes everyone and doesn't make anybody feel any sort of division whatsoever. >> haley will meet with the president-elect today at trump tower. also meeting with him, former

secretary of state henry kissinger, florida governor rick scott, four-star general john keane, and michael rodgers lewis. >> until now, the only public appearance we had seen from hillary clinton was a photo on a new york hiking trail. last night she made her first public appearance since her concession speech a week ago. she talked about the disappointment she felt after the election. >> now, i will admit coming here tonight wasn't the easiest thing for me. there have been a few times this past week when all i wanted to do is just to curl up with a good book or our dogs and never leave the house again. i know many of you are deeply disappointed about the results of the election. i am too. more than i can ever express. but as i said last week, our campaign was never about one person or even one election.

it was about the country we love and about building an america that is hopeful, inclusive, and big hearted. i know this isn't easy. i know that over the past week a lot of people have asked themselves whether america is the country we thought it was. the divisions laid bear by this election run deep, but please listen to me when i said this. america is worth it. our children are worth it. believe in our country, fight for our values, and never, ever give up. >> well, the future of the democratic party may lie in the hands of an independent senator, bernie sanders. during a speech at george washington university last night, sanders vowed to hold president-elect donald trump accountable for his campaign promises and sought to explain the lessons that the democrats could learn. >> mr. trump said a whole lot of

things. a whole lot of things. sometimes i think they would just come off the top of his head. toward the end of the campaign, he was actually using the term that many democrats don't use. he was saying that he was going to be the champion of the american working class. well, mr. trump, we have a list of everything that you said. and we are going to hold you to account. all across this country there are millions and millions of decent, good people who are frightened about the world that they are living in. that is the reality that mr. trump perceived to be true. he said, i hear you are hurting and i hear and understand you're worried about the future for your kids, and i alone can do something about it and people voted for him.

pay attention to see what he now does. the question that will be resolved pretty quickly is whether or not everything that he was saying to the working families of this country was hypocrisy, w dishonest, or whether he was sincere. and we will find that out soon enough. >> now, during his speech, senator sanders also criticized trump's appointment of steve bannon as one of his top aides. >> i call upon mr. trump to rescind the appointment that he made of mr. bannon. [ cheers and applause ] a president of the united states should not have a racist at his side. unacceptable. democrats are shaking up their leadership in the senate as the party faces internal turmoil following defeats in last week's election. senator chuck schumer was elected yesterday as minority leader. he will replace senator harry reid, who is retiring, as the top democrat in that chamber. schumer is already diving into

his new role as he's set to meet with vice president-elect mike pence today. he announced a ten-member leadership team yesterday, which will include senator dick durbin and patty murray, while bringing on joe manchin, bernie sanders, and elizabeth warren. schumer plans to create a wedge between republican lawmakers and president-elect trump by finding common ground on him with a number of issues. the times says democrats are looking to work with mr. trump on tax credits and childcare credits. >> we will take it issue by issue, case by case, but i can tell the american people this. we're ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with republicans, working with soon-to-be president trump on issues where we agree, but we will go toe to

toe against the president-elect whenever our values or the progress we've made is under assault. >> well, in the house, the democrats' long-time leader is looking to hold on to her job as she faces growing dissent. nancy pelosi formally announced yesterday she was running for re-election as house minority leader. she wrote quote, it is with both humility and confidence that i write for your support. i'm pleased to report the support of more than two-thirds of the caucus. this move comes after house democrats announced that leadership elections would be delayed. reports have surfaced that some house democrats are trying to woo congressman joe crowley and others are looking to tim ryan. meanwhile, the line of hopefuls looking to lead democrats around the country is shorter. martin o'malley announced he won't pursue chairing the dnc. o'malley that just floated his name for the job on friday.

his decision comes amid growing support for congressman keith ellison. and president obama is waking up in berlin this morning and has a packed schedule ahead. it includes a private meeting with german chancellor angela merkel. before arriving in germany yesterday, the president delivered his final speech on foreign soil in greece. he pushed back for calls against isolationism. >> this impulse to pull back from a globalized world is understandable. if people feel they're losing control of their future, they will push back. but given the nature of technology, it is my assertion that it's not possible to cut ourselves off from one another. we now are living in a global supply chain. our growth comes through innovation and ideas that are

crossing borders all the time. the jobs of tomorrow will inevitably be different from the jobs of the past. so we can't look backwards for answers. we have to look forward. so i firmly believe that the best hope for human progress remains open markets, combined with democracy and human rights. but i have argued that the current path of globalization demands a course correction. in the years and decades ahead, our countries have to make sure that the benefits of an integrated global economy are more broadly shared by more people. and that the negative impacts are squarely dre lly addressed. now to the latest on the deadly police shooting that shook the nation. minnesota prosecutors have decided to charge the officer who shot and killed 32-year-old philando castile. nbc's blake mccoy has details. >> oh, my god. please don't tell me he's dead. >> reporter: the aftermath of

philando castile's killing was seen around the world. the officer who fired the final shots is being charged. jeronimo yanez was charged with second-degree manslaughter. yanez has previously said he thought castile was reaching for a gun. castile had a permit to carry and warned the officer. >> i told him not to reach for it. i told him to get his hand off it. >>. >> reporter: the cant attorney said castile was calm and complying with commands. >> his dying words were in protest that he wasn't reaching for his gun. there simply was no objective threat posed to officer yanez. >> reporter: the july shooting sparked sometimes violent clashes with police. demonstrators camped outside the minnesota governor's mansion for weeks. and castile's girlfriend gave several impassioned pleas.

>> it was god that made sure that those bullets did not ricochet. because it could have been all three of us. >> reporter: minnesota's police union said it is disappointed with the charges, adding that no one can speak for officer yanez as to what he actually encountered. with a not guilty plea expected, castile's mother warns this is just the beginning. >> it's the beginning to a different chapter, and we all hope and pray that the right thing is done. >> reporter: she hopes the eventual outcome of this case will be felt nationwide. >> that was blake mccoy reporting. still ahead, what we're learning this morning about the engineer who was behind the wheel when a commuter train crashed in hoboken, new jersey, in september. plus, patriots quarterback tom brady pokes a little fun at himself over the deflategate scandal. those stories and a check on weather when we come right back. ordinary tissues left dakota's nose sore and red.

so dad slayed the problem with puffs plus lotion, instead. with lotion to soothe and softness to please. a nose in need deserves puffs, indeed.

all right. welcome back. was a sleep disorder a factor in the deadly train crash in new jersey in september? two u.s. officials told the associated press that the conductor suffered from undiagnosed sleep apnea. one of the officials says investigators are looking at it as a potential cause. thomas gallagher was reportedly diagnosed after the crash. the ntsb tells nbc news it's investigating possible undiagnosed medical impairments with the engineer that may have contributed to the accident. new jersey transit says they do have a sleep apnea screening program. the train plowed into a hoboken train station at twice the speed limit. one woman was killed in the accident. the conductor has said he has no memory of the crash. and ali, president obama has anounlszed this year's recipi t recipients of the presidential medal of freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. amongst this year's honorees, kareem abdul jabbar and michael jordan, tv host ellen degeneres,

and producer lorne michaels. tom diana ross and bruce springsteen. what a list. the awards ceremony is next tuesday, the 22nd. we'll hear more in just a bit. >> you can never get enough of vin scully. shouldn't we have him on the news? >> best story teller. >> anyway, let's get to the weather. >> still tracking this snowstorm. big changes for the middle of the country today and tomorrow. looks like the end to our warm november. the snow this morning is in the mountains near salt lake city down to cedar city. getting a good deal of snow right now in the mountains between jackson and casper in wyoming. this will eventually move to the plains. our blizzard watch was just turned to our first blizzard warning of our upcoming winter

season. it's for the north dakota and minnesota. these are winter storm warnings in nebraska and south dakota. a lot of people are getting their first winter weather with this storm. here's how snow is expected to fall. actually a pretty wide swath is going to accumulate on the ground. this is what's falling right now over wyoming. the mountains getting the highest, as you'd expect. then it pushes out into the plains. denver, you probably see snowflakes out of this. we're not expecting a lot of accumulation. as we head into nebraska, the northern portion of the state, that's 3 to 6 inches of snow. tomorrow when the storm gets stronger and the winds start to howl, we get the blizzard conditions. just north and northeast of the sioux falls area along the south/minnesota border, this is going to be about 12 inches of snow, possibly even a little bit more just north of minneapolis. so just north of duluth, just out to international falls, mostly through the rural sections there of central minnesota. the rest of the area -- i mean, everybody east of the mississippi today is going to be

in the 60s, 70s, even a few 80s. bad news for the southeast. no chance of rain in the next seven days. we have all those fires that are burning, the smoke and the air-conditions are poor. then we cool off the middle of the country. but we have a stretch of three or four days in the areas of the east it's going to feel like september. >> yeah, but not in the central part of the country. winter is on. thank you, bill. still ahead, the toronto raptors hold their annual drake night honoring the superstar rapper, but warriors star kevin durant not so much interested in that scene. we'll explain next in sports. our mission is to produce programs and online content for african women as they try to build their businesses and careers. my name is yasmin belo-osagie and i'm a co-founder at she leads africa. i definitely could not do my job without technology. this windows 10 device, the touchscreen allows you to kind of pinpoint what you're talking about. which makes communication much easier and faster

than the old mac that i used to use. you can configure it in so many different ways, it just, i don't know, it feels really cool. i feel like i'm in the future. mobility is very important to me. that's why i use e*trade mobile. it's on all my mobile devices, so it suits my mobile lifestyle. and it keeps my investments fully mobile... even when i'm on the move. sign up at etrade.com and get up to six hundred dollars.

♪ ♪ ♪ i want a hippopotamus for christmas ♪ ♪ only a hippopotamus will do ♪ no crocodiles ♪ no rhinoceroses ♪ i only like hippopotamuses ♪ and hippopotamuses like me too ♪ at the united states postal service, we deliver more online purchases to homes than anyone else in the country. and more hippopotamuses, too. ♪ i only like hippopotamuses ♪ ♪ so whatever your holiday priority, our priority is you.

hello, mr. scully. >> yes. >> hi there. my name is josh earnest. i'm the white house press secretary. >> oh, my gosh. i certainly know the name. how are you? >> i'm great. how are you this afternoon? >> we're fine. >> mr. scully, i know you're really busy. i wanted to call and talk to you about something. every year the president gives out something called the presidential medal of freedom. this year he's going to give it to you. >> oh, my gosh. no. >> yes. so you've had -- >> are you sure? i'm just an old baseball announcer. >> well, listen, you've had a remarkable impact on the lives of generations of sports fans in this country. >> i'm rather overwhelmed and humbled. >> congratulations, sir. >> thank you so much, josh. >> my pleasure. take care. >> bye for now.

>> that is just too cool. that was legendary dodgers announcer vin scully receiving a call from white house press secretary josh earnest to let him know he's been named as a recipient of the president shl medal of freedom. meanwhile, major league baseball has honored a pair of pitchers as this year's cy young award winners. max scherzer was the overwhelmi choice in the national leeague. scherzer won the honor for the detroit tigers in 2013. he becomes just the sixth pitcher to win cy youngs in both leagues. a closer ballot in the american league as boston's rick porcello edged out detroit's justin verlander. porcello led the majors with 22 wins and is the first member of the red sox to win the cy young since pedro martinez back in 2000. the news didn't sit well with verlander's fiance kate upton, who took to social media with tweets withe can't show you.

if you have twitter, we suggest you use caution when looking those tweets up. the chicago cubs won their first world series championship in 108 years and celebrated with a historically massive parade. according to team owner, there's still at least one more thing to check off the list. ricketts told usa today he hopes to find closure with the infamous interfering fan steve bartman. turning now to the nba. a special night for the raptors hosting the warriors. drake night in toronto. the raptors honoring the hometown rapper and superfan with a night in his name. check this out. drake bumps into the warriors' kevin durant during the player's post-game interview. durant responding with a cold stare before answering more questions. here's what he had to say about it. >> this was drake night here. he's the one who just interrupted us. give me a taste of what the trash talk was like, what the interaction is like with your buddy there. >> i don't give a damn about no

damn drake night. >> durant had already backed up those words on the court, scoring 30 points in the game. steph curry apparently feeling the same way, leaving with 35 of his own. and finally, patriots quarterback tom brady stars in a new commercial for foot locker that pokes fun at the so-called deflategate saga that led to his four-game suspension at the beginning of this season. >> how is it possible it keeps getting better, even after all these years? >> kind of makes you wonder what foot locker is up to. >> that's an unfortunate mind set you got there. just because something is great year after year doesn't mean is going on. it's ju >> it's just a question. >> questions turn into assumptions and assumptions turn into vacations. why would you punish for something that never happened? >> it's supposed to be a joke. it seems brady is using a platform to mock the incident that's left a little bit of a smudge on his legacy. you can start your nfl weekend

early with thursday night football on nbc tonight. the carolina panthers host the new orleans saints. the coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. eastern on nbc. >> all right. >> we may not be able to stay up for it. >> i just might, which will be my excuse for tomorrow. still ahead, all eyes on donald trump's son-in-law jared kushner. what we're learning about his potential role in the white house. >> plus, senator bernie sanders weighs in on how donald trump got in the white house. we'll be right back. (vo) stank face.

an expression of disgust caused by inadequate litter tidy cats is the cure. with new guaranteed tidylock protection, you won't have to face one more stank face. tidy cats. every home, every cat. there's a tidy cats for that. mshe said i should think of my rteeth like an apple. it could be great on the outside not so great on the inside. her advice? use a toothpaste and mouthwash that strengthens both. go pro with crest pro-health advanced. it's uniquely formulated with activestrength technology to strengthen teeth inside and is better at strengthening the outside than colgate total. crest toothpaste and mouthwash makes my whole mouth feel amazing. advance to healthier gums and stronger teeth from day one. my check-up was great. and we're partnering with cigna to help save lives. by getting you to a real doctor for an annual check-up. so go, know, and take control of your health. doctor poses. learn your key health numbers and take control today. every tv doctor knows scrubbing is serious business.

they also know you need to get your annual check-up. now with one touch using the mycigna app you can find a doctor in your plan's network to save money. need to be thorough.

welcome back, everyone. i'm alex witt alongside ali velshi and louis burgdorf. it's the bottom of the hour. as president obama called for a, quote, course correction on globalization, this while addressing his last foreign audience as president yesterday. from greece he travelled to germany, where he's set to hold a private meeting with chancellor angela merkel. the two are expected to hold a joint news conference sometime later this afternoon and are already touting the relationship between the two nations in a joint op-ed published in germany this morning. ahmad rahami has been charged in court almost two movants to the day after he allegedly planted bombs in the chelsea area of new york city. he faces life in prison. officials are still investigating possible terrorism ties. second-degree manslaughter is among the charges filed

against a minnesota police officer in the shooting death of philando castile. the immediate aftermath of the shooting was livestreamed on facebook by castile's girlfriend. her daughter was also in the backse backseat. the prosecutor says castile told the officer he had a handgun. however, he said there's no evidence castile ever tried to remove that gun from his pocket, ali. well, either the trump transition team is on track and steaming ahead or it's in disarray after a shake-up last week that set it off course. sean spicer of the rnc says the first wave of so-called landing teams are set to be announced today. those are groups coordinating the handover from the national security council, state, justice, and defensive departments. there's been no contact so far between the new administration and the current one at the state department or the pentagon, which has raised concerns. and a white house official tells "the new york times" agencies are still legally barred from giving their successors guidance because critical documents

haven't been handed over. mike pence was forced to sign new ones after the ouster of o chris christie as transition chief, handing them over tuesday, but more are needed, including code of conduct agreements that according to "the times" as of last night had not been turned in. the current and soon to be vice presidents met yesterday. joe biden reflected on the transition. >> you think the administration is going to be ready on day one? >> no administration is ready on day one. we weren't ready on day one. i've never met one that's ever been ready on day one. but i'm confident on day one everything will be in good hands. >> but according to the latest nbc news reporting, the transition process got thrown off track a week ago on thursday morning when trump's children, ivanka, eric, and donald jr., met at trump tower to go over appointments. a list of cabinet level and transition positions had been signed off by chris christie and senator jeff sessions. that list had been put together while the trump family had focused on the campaign,

reluctant to devote attention in the heat of the battle. jared kushner, trump's son-in-law, sent lieutenant general michael flynn to the meeting. he eliminated candidates for top defense positions, including marine general peter pace, retired admiral william mcraven, who led the bin laden operation, retired marine general james mattus, and former house intelligence chairman mike rodgers. a source familiar with the tr transition process tells nbc news president-elect donald trump intends to select flynn for national security adviser. still, for the reports of factions, the trump team maintains claims of disarray are entirely overblown. >> there's been reports that the transition has been tricky. >> completely false. we're doing great up there. i was in d.c. yesterday at both transition offices. very engageful of energy. that's really the hive of activity down there. i looked around the room and saw folks who had done transition and served in the reagan administration.

then i looked past them and saw young men and women who were born after ronald reagan left office. it's a very exciting place. president-elect trump is very engaged. he's up there forming his federal government, meeting with advisers, meeting with possible candidates for these positions. it's actually going very well. >> for all the high-level meetings, trump did find time meet with boxer floyd mayweather yesterday. meanwhile, a source familiar with jared kushner's thinking tells nbc news the president-elect's 35-year-old son-in-law is mulling whether to serve in the white house with the role of special adviser. amid reports of requests for top-secret security clearance for trump's chilen, senior intel officials tell nbc news no paperwork has been submitted for them or kushner. a trump official tells nbc no request has been made for kushner to get security clearance to participate in the presidential daily briefing, though that could change in the

future. president-elect trump's team is looking to calm concerns after continuing complaints over a lack of press access. it came to a head after trump bypassed tradition, making an unannounced trip to a new york city restaurant. the president-elect departed trump tower tuesday without reporters covering him, who had been told earlier in the evening that his day has ended, signaling he would remain home. the press and the public were only alerted to trump's departure after reporter dining at the same restaurant saw him and tweeted a picture. hicks spoke with nbc news on the matter saying, quote, we're still in the process of formalizing a protective pool structure and look forward to implementing that as soon as possible. trump's communications director held a press conference last night and echoed that sentiment. >> one thing to keep in mind is we don't have a formal structure in place. obviously that will change when he becomes president. we're working toward that. one of our goals is to improve

communication with members of the press so folks are given timely and accurate information. do we always bat .1000? not necessarily. last night was probably an example of where there could have been better communication. >> the president of the white house correspondents association weighed in saying, quote, one week after the election it is unacceptable for the next president of the united states to travel without a regular pool to record his movements and inform the public about his whereabouts. the white house correspondents' association is pleased to hear reassurances by the trump transition team that it will support a pool structure, but the time to act on that promise is now. alex, senator bernie sanders was at george washington university last night to promote his new book. during a question and answer session, he tried to explain why so many people voted for donald trump in the election. >> let us be clear. there are people in america who

are racists. there are people i america who are sexists, who are homophobes, who saw in the very ugly remarks made by mr. trump somebody they felt comfortable with. i believe those people are a very small minority of the people who voted for mr. trump. i think a lot of people gave up on the democratic party in terms of standing up for working people, and they said, okay, i'm going to go with this guy. let me also say -- and we should not forget this -- that trump enters the white house as the least popular person in this position in the history of this country. so don't think that everybody agrees with his sexist remarks, his attacks on women, his racist remarks. that would not be the case. i think there are a lot of people out of desperation saying, i'm hurting, i'm in pain, i'm worried about my kids. this guy says he's going to do

something for me. i'm going to give him a shot. when he comes up with ideas that mach sense for working people, i think we should be working with him. when he is racist and sexist and homophobe and islamophobe, i think we're going to be vigorously in opposition. ordinary people have got to know that the democratic party has the guts to stand up to some very powerful people today whose greed is destroying the middle class and working class of this country. and if we can't do that, i don't see much of a future for the democratic party. in her first public appearance since last week's election, hillary clinton spoke at a gala for the children's defense fund last night. in an emotional moment, she talked about the impact her mother had on her. >> i draw hope and sustenance from another person who influenced my life and still does every day, my mother.

i've talked about her difficult childhood. she was abandoned by her parents when she was just 8 years old. i dream of going up to her and sitting next to her and taking her in my arms and saying, look, look at me and listen. you will survive. you will have a family of your own, three children. and as hard as it might beo imagine, your daughter will grow up to be a united states senator, represent our country as secretary of state, and win more than 62 million votes for president of the united states. [ cheers and applause ] >> the former secretary of state also said that she was, quote, deeply disappointed in the outcome of the election. let's turn to business. the u.s. dollar reached a 13-year high yesterday, driven up by rising u.s. bond yields

and expectation of a fiscal stimulus under the trump administrati administration. loui louisa, i'm thinking to myself drop everything and head to london because i'm going to get a great deal right now. >> hey, we're happy to take you, happy to take your money, especially with brexit around the corner. you never know what's to come from this end. but it is the perfect dollar soup that we have at the moment. we've seen this massive run up in the u.s. currency here over the last couple weeks, especially after the trump win. we've seen this continuing. some people had repositioned themselves a bit to be a bit more dollar neutral heading into the actual election. afterwards, the feeling is that inflation is going to continue to drive higher, and that is really helping the dollar along as well. it has fallen back a little bit in early trade today. i have to say we have two whole months to go before the actual inauguration. so can we continue to push higher for the next two months? some are saying money has to come out of the dollar trade. also, the fed fund futures are

fu fully pricing in a rate hike. so therefore, also it might already be priced into that dollar rally that has been seen. of course, janet yellen will be speaking a little later today. the head of the fed. speculation is she might be looking to talk the dollar down a little bit. she could express concerns about the pace with which we've seen the dollar rise happening and also all the tightening you already alluded to that has happened, namely in the form of these yields in the bond markets already having moved up substantially. we could be listening to interesting topics from yellen later on today. >> talk to me about the tpp. even president obama has said there's no way forward for this. essentially, it's dead. but it involves a lot of other countries. a number of those asian countries have already started to go into damage control mode, coming up with their own solutions. >> and you can understand why. it's taken such a long time to get anything on the table with regards to a really big massive trade deal as the tpp is. and now what we're hearing is, well, a, trump is meeting with the japanese prime minister

shinzo abe today. for sure they're going to be talking about tpp. japan being the last nation to go ahead and sign on with the tpp. mr. abe earlier saying that the tpp is in a difficult situation. at the same time, you also of course have australia looking to back the broader plans coming out of china and pushing for an even bigger asian trade deal of sorts. the australian trade minister is stated as saying this will be a new agreement amongst 16 asian and pacific countries and excludes the u.s. so there's also a separate proposal to that called the free trade area of the asia pacific. so they definitely are looking at other options to tpp. >> louisa, good to talk to you. get a list of restaurants ready for me. >> you got it. a lot has been made about switching from reliance on fossil fuels, but the u.s.

geological survey has just announced the discovery of the largest oil and gas deposit found on or under american soil. it contains 20 billion barrels of oil and 16 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. that is almost three times the amount of petroleum found in north dakota's bakken shale that led to the modern day gold rush in fracking a few years back. npr reports it's nearly three times the amount of petroleum used by the country in a year. alex, you were in great britain. you just took advantage of this whole strong dollar thing. >> i did. i mean, i didn't have a lot of money to spend, but i made the dollar really go the distance. it was awesome. and i have a good recommendation for you. i'll tell you about a restaurant. still ahead, bob dylan does not have to show up in stockholm to get his nobel prize, but there's at least one requirement. we'll explain that. plus, firefighters working around the clock in several

states across the southeast. crews coming as far away as alaska. the latest on that fire fight. plus, bill karins is going to tell us if the weather will cooperate in this. per roll more "doing chores for dad" per roll more "earning something you love" per roll bounty is more absorbent,

so the roll can last 50% longer than the leading ordinary brand. so you get more "life" per roll. bounty, the quicker picker upper watry...duo fusiong heartburn relief? duo fusion goes to work in seconds and lasts up to 12 hours. tums only lasts up to 3. for longer lasting relief...in one chewable tablet try duo fusion from the makers of zantac

an expression of disgust caused by inadequate litter tidy cats is the cure. with new guaranteed tidylock protection, you won't have to face one more stank face. tidy cats. every home, every cat. there's a tidy cats for that.

[burke] hot dog. seen it. we know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪ welcome back. authorities across the southeastern united states continue to scramble to stamp out dozens of wildfires which have scorched more than 80,000 acres of land. in north carolina a fire has spread across 5,000 acres and only a small fraction is contained. the state of virginia has enlisted inmates to help contain the fire as national guard he helicopters have been dropping water on the hot spots. wind gusts are forecast to top 45 miles an hour. let's go right now to the weather and check with nbc meteorologist bill karins on the weather. we've got snow places, but everything going to be okay with these fires soon enough? you think weather is going to help?

>> no, i think it's only going to get worse. i saw one thing around chattanooga. 200 people had to go to the emergency rooms just because of the bad air quality. here's the visible satellite picture. this is from yesterday. we put on the map where the fires are located. you can see these plumes. this is smoke drifting all the way down to southern georgia and north florida. these are plumes from the fires in western north carolina. we continue with these active blazes. they flare up and die off. i mentioned chattanooga. nashville too. charlotte has had poor a quality problems. atlanta for the most part, it's been to the east. but it's not far away. here's the rainfall forecast. this is over the next seven days. this is zero. this is a goose egg. no rain expected for the next week. if we go another week with no rain, atlanta will break your longest stretch of dry weather you've ever recorded. that's how significant of a dry spell we're in. not just in the last month but it even goes back further than that, through much of the

summer. the only significant rainfall in the country over the next couple days is going to be on the west coast. let's track this front. we mentioned this snowstorm in wyoming, going for areas of south dakota and minnesota later on tonight. ahead of this, we're still on pace for our warmest november ever across this country. today it's going to be very warm. southerly flow, 83 in houston. chicago at 70 degrees this time of year. that's like air-conditioning weather. a lot of people probably wearing shorts to school. 81 in memphis today. d.c. at 63. then the cold air begins to arrive in the middle of the country. it's not exactly freezing, but it is much colder. still on friday, 70 in detroit. new york city at 63 degrees. that'll continue into saturday for the east coast. that'll be it on sunday for the east coast. that's when that colder air will arrive. as far as the fires and drought goes in the southeast, it's not -- there's no end in sight to this. >> that's worrisome. by the way, you should be proud of me. yesterday i actually brought an umbrella to work. >> you did? >> you know i never do that. >> it was sunny and nice

yesterday. >> at least i got the umbrella. i'm getting there. baby steps. all right. last month we told you that acclaimed singer/songwriter bob dylan won the nobel prize for literature, but for days it following the announcement, he kept everyone in suspension. yesterday the swedish academy released a statement saying they heard from dylan that he had pre-existing commitments and would not be able to come to stockholm. who does that? according to the academy, dylan's only requirement to claim the prize is he give a nobel lecture within the next six months. if you get a nobel prize, are you going to go? >> i'm going to show up. i promise you that. i'm going to give that speech. one more story before we go to break. a baby who's lucky to have such a quick-moving big brother. take a look at this video. the top right-hand corner of the screen, the mother puts the 11-month-old on the changing table. just before he hits the ground, his big brother catches him. can we watch that one more time?

>> that is beautiful. >> here he is. look at those hands. that is amazing. that's just one of the perks of having a big brother. i know from experience. you can also guilt them into paying for every meal. >> that kid needs a baseball contract. >> i have a big brother, and he poured a whole gallon of milk over my head once. >> they can be cruel. they also serve a purpose. >> two ends to the speck trouble. anyway, developing news from arizona, where a police officer is under investigation at video surfaced which appears to show him punching a woman in the face. we'll have the latest on that. world ugly and messy. they are the natural born enemy of the way things are. yes, ideas are scary, and messy and fragile. but under the proper care, they become something beautiful.

an expression of disgust caused by inadequate litter tidy cats is the cure. with new guaranteed tidylock protection, you won't have to face one more stank face. tidy cats. every home, every cat. there's a tidy cats for that.

welcome back. well, this is a disturbing scene from arizona, where a flagstaff police officer has reportedly been placed on leave as the department investigates a video of him allegedly punching a woman in the face. the video shows the officer striking the woman yesterday as he and another man who appears to be a police officer as well attempt to arrest her. look at that. our local nbc affiliate reports the women told the men multiple times, look, you don't have a warrant for arresting me and began struggling with them as they tried to handcuff her. the police department said they are very concerned by what is depicted in this video. >> wow. turning overseas now to syria, where the intense bombing campaign has continued in aleppo after a nearly month-long moratorium. u.s. officials tell nbc news that the syrian regime is responsible for the latest aleppo attacks, while the russians have been focusing on

other areas. among the latest destruction, the only children's hospital in eastern aleppo. n nbc's richard engel has more. >> reporter: the only children's hospital in eastern aleppo was bombed, witnesses say, by syrian helicopters. it served 4,000 patients a month, no more. one of the doctors filmed the aftermath for us. hospitals are targets in syria, and the regime has been bombing them ruthlessly. from the basement, one doctor spoke to us over skype. he asked us not to show his face. >> there are more than 90,000 children in eastern aleppo. so these children are not terrorists. we are not terrorists. >> reporter: nbc news has been fill. ing at the children's hospital for two months. it had the only relatively advanced maternity ward in the rebel-held section of aleppo. now it's out of commission. the syrian regime has relaunched

its offensive to take back the city, and people there are not expecting help from the outside. what do you think the change of power in the united states will mean for you and for aleppo? >> for me personally, i'm not worried because of trump because mr. obama didn't do anything for the eastern aleppo. >> reporter: and the bombs are still falling there. rescue workers pulled a girl from under rubble. she survived, but this offensive is gearing up for what some fear is a final push on the city. >> that's nbc's richard engel reporting. we'll be right back with a look at the stories in the day ahead.

anyone with type 2 diabetes knows how it feels to see your numbers go up, despite your best efforts. but what if you could turn things around? what if you could... love your numbers? discover once-daily invokana®. it's the #1 prescribed sglt2 inhibitor that works to lower a1c. a pill taken just once in the morning, invokana® is used along with diet and exercise to significantly lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. in fact, it's been proven to be more effective at lowering a1c than januvia. invokana® works around the clock by reducing the amount of sugar allowed back into the body, and sending some sugar out through the process of urination. and while it's not for lowering systolic blood pressure

or weight loss, it may help you with both. invokana® can cause important side effects, including dehydration, which may cause you to feel dizzy, faint, lightheaded, or weak, upon standing. other side effects may include kidney problems, genital yeast infections, changes in urination, high potassium, increases in cholesterol, risk of bone fracture, or urinary tract infections, possibly serious. serious side effects may include ketoacidosis, which can be life threatening. stop taking and call your doctor right away if you experience symptoms. or if you experience symptoms of allergic reaction such as rash, swelling, or difficulty breathing or swallowing. do not take invokana® if you have severe liver or kidney problems or are on dialysis. tell your doctor about any medical conditions and medications you take. using invokana® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. it's time to turn things around.

lower your blood sugar with invokana®. imagine loving your numbers. there's only one invokana®. ask your doctor about it by name. so before we toss it over to "morning joe," we're going to get a check on the stories you'll be hearing about in the day ahead. >> vice president mike pence will be back on capitol hill. pence going to join a meeting of the house gop conference before meeting with mitch mcconnell. he'll also sit down with chuck schumer and nancy pelosi. and lawyers for the man who admitted to opening fire and killing three people at a planned parenthood in colorado last year will be in court.

robert deer has been undergoing psychiatric treatment since a judge ruled he is not competent to standtrial. the judge will decide to release evidence from the case. and of course the ♪ >> president obama was in greece yesterday to meet with the greek prime minister. obama went to the birth place of democracy to say spoiler alert. that's right. obama began his final foreign trip in athens, greece, while job held his final toga party. >> good morning. it is thursday, november 17th. joe is off this morning. with us on set here in new york city, we have veteran columnist and msnbc contributor mike barnicle. managing