coming up next on msnbc saturday, the botched terror attack fallout. president obama blames al qaeda, but what will he do about it? also, a vacation getaway for the wife of tiger woods. how far has she gone to put distance between them? also, fee fights. new battles over how much you may have to pay to watch your favorite tv channels. and your money in the new year. what you can expect for your wallet in 2010. good morning, everyone. welcome to "msnbc saturday." i'm chris jansing in for alex witt. at 11:00 eastern, 8:00 pacific, here's what's happening -- president obama explicitly blaming al qaeda today for the attempted bombing of a detroit-bound plane on christmas day. in his weekly radio address to the nation, the president revealed what the government has confirmed about the suspect. >> we know that he traveled to yemen, a country grappling with crushing poverty and deadly insurgen insurgencies.

it appears he joined an affiliate of al qaeda than this group, al qaeda and the arabian peninsula, trained him, equipped him with those explosives and directed him to attack that plane headed for america. >> nbc news political director and chief white house correspondent chuck todd is covering the president, who is vacationing in hawaii. chuck, good morning. what do we know about this big meeting tuesday where the president's going to sit down with the head of all of the intelligence agencies? >> well, what we know is the president wants an explanation as for why all of that intelligence, which he shared with the american people this morning, all of those details about -- about abdulmutallab and his movement was known by some entity of the u.s. government before he got on that plane. the problem was nobody put all of the pieces together. there wasn't anybody connecting the dots here, and that's what the president wants an explanation about. so the tuesday meeting in the situation room is going to include all of the heads of the relevant agencies from the

department of justice, attorney general holder will be there, to the fbi and, of course, the people that have been -- that have become familiar names over the last few days, the head of the national counterterrorism center. that's michael lighter. you've got the director of national intelligence, dennis blair, who oversees ntct. of course, janet napolitano. all of them are going to be asked to explain their reviews, explain what went wrong on their end. remember, the president said there were systemic and human failures. so they want to get to the bottom of the human failures but then talk about the systemic problem, and what changes can be implemented to fix that as well, chris. >> when you say human failures, the question is always raised, what are the chances that some heads will roll? >> right. well, right now i'm told very unlikely that heads would roll soon. this is just not in the president's nature. he wants to get all of the information in front of them. i think there certainly has been a lot of finger-pointing at nttc

in mrr and dny. why? those two entities were created in those post- 9/11 reforms. they are charged with connecting the dots. so that's why there's been a lot of public finger-pointing behind the scenes between other agencies saying, hashgs those g guys had all of this stuff. they had a intercept here. they had patient cia report out of yemen there. they had the father's testimony to the u.s. embassy in nigeria in november. the question is, why didn't -- why weren't they able to do all of that? so with congressional hearings coming after this review session the president's holding tuesday, there's still a chance that somebody -- there could be some accountability. that's the buzzword here. but for now, don't expect it right away, chris. >> thanks very much, chuck. and for some perspective, i'm joined now by terrorism expert steve emerson. steve, good to see you. >> good to see you, chris. >> let me ask you about the whole idea of heads rolling. when we talk about human

failures, where would you be looking? >> well, i think on several levels, chris. one is as chuck todd just cited, the failure to connect the dots means that somebody didn't put the picture -- the pieces of the puzzle together. the question is where does this responsibility lie? and i think what we're seeing here is a vacuum in the bureaucracy. there has to be one person that's designated with making these decisions and also somebody who makes decisions about priorities. who gets looked at the second time? who is more important to look at then the other person? >> literally, a person, the buck stops here? >> yeah, i think he's going to be asking, who makes the decision to deny somebody a visa. when you ask that question of the bureaucracy, you get multiple answers. somebody says, somebody at the state department. somebody says, no, somebody at the national counterterrorism center. so i think we're going to have to clarify the chain of command in terms of information gathering as well as decision making. they have to be sort of nuclearized into one central

repository. so somebody's looking at the data and then says, okay, i'm going to make a decision here. and the other thing i would say, chris, is the president made a comment earlier on right after the would-be attack that was a little bit jarring. when he called the would-be attack an isolated event. i don't think that's the message you want to send to the bureaucracy. this was not an isolated event. radical islamic terrorists have been targeting the u.s. for the last 19 years. >> i guess that does raise another question. we just heard i think late yesterday that britain wanted to call this international conference about combatting radical islam in yemen. and i guess a logical question a lot of people are asking is, why this new focus now? >> listen, this is long overdo. and the reality is if you look -- if you examine a problem and then look too closely, not too closely but rather you try to fix the problem by looking at a problem without looking at the

larger problem here, then you're not going to fix the problem. you're only going to postpone a decision -- a problematic decision to the next time this hams when a would-be bomber boards, let's say, in somalia or something. so i think here is where the president needs to be saying, look -- and acknowledging there's a radical islamic terrorist threat that in profiling -- this is something that's not done today and i have been saying this all week, we need to do smart screening where you consider certain criteria into the entire -- in the entire mix, chris, such as ethnicity and religious factors, not exclusively but you put that into the entire mix to make sure someone understands there's a priority threat list and that's who the people they have to focus on initially as opposed to 88-year-old women from sweden in wheelchairs. >> all right, steve emaerson, appreciate you coming in always. thanks so much. see you soon. >> sure. police in northwest pakistan say a suicide bomber who killed 96 people at a volleyball tournament apparently was exacting revenge. that new year's day bomb attack

took place in a village that was trying to resist infiltration by the taliban. the explosion happened right near a meeting of elders who had set up an anti-taliban militia. pakistan's minister is vowing to abolish taliban trying to deflate the country. rush limbaugh's heart tests so she did not have a heart attack and show nothing wrong. the conservative radio talk show host was released from the hospital after being admitted wednesday from suffering severe chest pains. doctors say they don't know what caused his pain. >> i wish i knew what it was. all people can do is make wild guesses about it. best guess was it might have been a spasm in an artery, but this angiogram showed literally know heart disease or arterial disease whatsoever. >> limbaugh is expected to return to his radio hosting duties this wednesday. some brand-new tee tadetail on what could be a serious snowstorm for new england states and the plunge in temperature as

cross the plains and midwest. nbc meteorologist bill karins has your forecast. obviously one of the problems here is a lot of people still traveling for the holiday, bill. >> yeah. cold is annoying but the snow and the ice is going to be the issue in new england. if you're anywhere near the great lakes. this is the coldest it's been all winter long. this may have been the coldest it's been in a long time. areas of the central plains have seen temperatures bottom out this morning. fargo had a record low this morning. international falls had a record low. i think there are like 20 location that's had record lows. the windchills are almost unbearab unbearable. what i did on this map, anywhere colored in as a windchill below freezing. 80% of the country has a feels-like temperature on your skin below freezing. only coastal california up through washington, florida down in the deep south and texas and louisiana do not feel like you're below freezing. in minneapolis, these will be your high temperatures this week. this is going to be your coldest week you have seen in a long time. overnight low tonight, going to be about minus 13. that's not even taking into account what we're dealing with

temperaturewise with the winds. now, florida, you have a freeze warning. any time talk about florida and freeze warnings, you worry about the citrus, sensitive plants. it's really a tropical climate south of orlando. we have freeze warnings outside of tampa and outside of ft. myers and naples. miami, you look fine and west palm beach looks fine. central coast and west coast of florida. overnight lows in orlando, 33 t will be cold. five mornings in a row on wednesday, down somewhere near 30 degrees. i'll end with the snow. this is not a blockbuster snow event, chris. northern new england. they get snowstorms. this will be a minor snowstorm. but the timing with everyone trying to get back to school on monday will make things difficult, especially for our friends in maine. >> thanks very much, bill. and just how long this current blast of arctic air could last and for all weather details wherever you are, just go to weather.com. new economic numbers this week show signs of a recovery in 2010. jobless claims are down to their lowest levels in 18 months. wall street starts the year up

more than 19%. i'm joined now by msnbc financial analyst sarah gibbons. >> hi, chris. >> that's about as good as i can make the news here. >> right. >> we're up 19% but how far were you down the year before? what's ahead for stocks in 2010? >> nevertheless, it was nice to see stocks rebound from the depths of way down to the bottom. >> was the alternative. >> best performance you have seen in six years. positive for 2010, 401(k)s actually look like 401(k)s. ahead for 2010, it depends how the rally plays out. not only due to the liquidity of the government intervention, money being pumped into the system but also based on expectations this recovery will actually take hold. we actually need to see evidence of that recovery in 2010 for stocks to repel higher. some analysts are saying 10%, 15%. >> two indicators of the recovery always, employment or unemployment and housing. how are they looking? >> we're going to get more

situation coming out friday than news is not expected to be good, which will remind investigators how fragile the economy is. housing for 2010 really expected to be weak. you will not see a rebound in housing until we see strong job gains here. you're not expected to see that for some time here. housing if you're a buyer, you're still in the driver's seat. >> if you can get a mortgage. >> you still have to have very good credit. have you to have a sizable down payment. a lot of hurdles for buyers to jump through here. but the tax credit's been extended through the end of april. there are really good prices out there. 3.9 million foreclosures last year, more foreclosures this year. it's a bargain hunter's -- >> somebody else's bad news could be your good news. i hate to say it that way. finally, quickly, some of the suggestions for jobseekers. a lot of people in that boat now. >> i this you need to broaden your approach. in past recessions, jobs started coming back. this is more than a recession here. a lot of jobs are going overseas, india, china. the nipt internet has changed the way a lot of companies do

business. >> and companies coming back decided to continue to be lean. >> they're being lean and mean at your expense. product levels at an all-time high. they're doing better, doing just fine without you. challenging environment. they need to broaden your search, try different things all together. there are a few areas that are growing, health care and education. try something new. a lot of people are thinking about starting their own companies. >> let's do, what do you say? >> if we can get the financing, let's do it. >> thanks, vera. coming up -- new year, new laws, including a mandated smokeout on tobacco road. also great deals on wheels. one carmaker's offer to help buyers who lose their jobs. announcer: trying to be good to your heart? so is campbell's healthy request soup. low in fat and cholesterol, heart healthy levels of sodium, and taste you'll love. chef: we're all kind of excited about it. guy: mmm! i can see why. announcer: campbell's healthy request.

m'm! m'm! good! for your heart. with all the pet hair in the air my eyes would really itch. but now i have new zyrtec® itchy eye drops. no other allergy itchy eye drop works faster or longer. zyrtec® itchy eye drops work fast i can love the air™. (announcer) find it in the allergy aisle. zyrtec® itchy eye drops work fast i can love the air™. ♪ (announcer) right now, all over the country, discover customers are getting five percent cashback bonus on travel. it pays to get more, it pays to discover. doesn't mean they're protected. oh, ladies. let's say you have osteoporosis. i do. you could be losing bone strength. can i get it back? (announcer) ask your doctor how to help treat osteoporosis with once-a-month actonel. actonel is clinically proven to help increase bone strength to help prevent fractures. so you can get back some of what you lost. do not take actonel if you have low blood calcium, severe kidney disease,

or cannot sit or stand for 30 minutes. follow all dosing instructions. stop taking actonel and tell your doctor if you experience difficult or painful swallowing, chest pain or severe or continuing heartburn. these may be signs of serious upper digestive problems. promptly tell your doctor if you develop severe bone, joint or muscle pain, or if you develop dental problems, as serious jawbone problems have been reported rarely. to get a free trial offer of once-a-month actonel visit actonel.com. and ask your doctor how once-a-month-actonel can help you reverse bone loss.

none of the terror plots against a u.s. airliner and an apparent shift in strategy from the u.s. white house.

after a muted attack apparently in the days following the immediate attack, the u.s. is meeting with the security agency with meeting as cross the board and now warn it's will hold the government accountable for any intelligence failures. i'm joined in washington by msnbc analyst pat buchanan and democratic strategist peter fenn. okay. i want you to put on your political hat, pat buchanan. pretend you're president of the united states. you're going into the situation room. where are you pointing the finger? what question are you asking? >> i don't know you point the finger but the questions you ask are what peter and i were talking about in the last segment, in go down the list of things this fella, he gets on board. he doesn't have any luggage. he's paying in cash. there are reports he was in yemen. there are cia reports. he's -- he's got no visa to just say -- would i ask him, look, here's all of the information. why did this not come up on some computer to at least give this guy a second look before he got on any airliner? as the president i think said

this morning, there was human failure and there was system failure. so i think i would start around -- start with that particular question and go around the table. >> and if you go around the table, peter, and it's clear that somebody dropped the ball on this, does the president need to -- and i asked this question of chuck todd -- have some heads roll? >> you know, i think the question is what did people do, when did they do it? and if -- if it got all the way up the chain and folks ignored it or weren't working the problem, then they probably should have heads rolling. the question is where is the failure here? and it appears it's all over the place. i mean, i think of ed harris' great scene, you know, in "apollo 13" when the spaceship's about ready to blow up coming into the atmosphere and he calls everybody in. everybody's pointing fingers and arguing and he says, "fellas, work the problem. fix the problem." i think that's the attitude the president of the united states is going to take tuesday.

>> and does he have an important political calculation on his hands as well, peter, especially given all of the criticism that's been leveled against him that he seemed to be slow to react in the first three days? >> any a sense, chris, i think this is something every president deals with, especially when there's a vacation involved. but the sooner we take politics and finger-pointing out of this, the better off we'll all be. we're all in the same boat. it's not republicans or democrats on these planes. it's all of us. you know, i think the important thing is, you know, that to show some anger about this, too. i mean, look, we have been through this now for eight years. enough already. can't we get this together? can't we get international cooperation? >> how do we get to this point, pat? i went back and i looked at the 9/11 commission report -- >> exactly. >> and i'm reading it and i'm saying to myself, okay, everything they recommended in here and have spent $40 billion

trying to put in place, the problems are the same. >> you know, you've gone right to the right spot. now, the national -- the national intelligence community, they took it away from the cia and put it under i guess add memory blair now. where is the central authority which is supposed to collate, get all of this information and really spit out what should be done? and it seems to me you had state, of course, which has the visa problem. you have other people on the airline side. what is the center? >> isn't it the ntct? isn't that why that was created? >> that's exactly where i was going. i think that's exactly right. what you find out, was the information sent to that unit and what did they do with it when they got it, because i think that's where the buck stops. and that's the last place. quite frankly, i think if there's going to be a problem for anybody in high authority, that's where it's going to be. >> all right. there is, peter -- >> i agree totally with that. >> go ahead. >> i was going to say, i totally

agree with that. look, we were supposed to have these computers now that talk to each other. you should have one agency that's running this show. but also you need stronger -- you need more bomb-sniffing dogs. you need more of these body scanners and you need international cooperation. everybody has got to be on the same page here or it won't work. >> that's easy to say. haven't we been saying this over and over and over again? it all goes back to human intelligence. i mean, i feel like i'm deja vu all over again. >> i think you're right. >> we talked about this seven or eight years ago. >> i think you're right, chris. one person -- the whole idea of the 9/11 commission was one party's got to be responsible. the cia wasn't talking to the fbi and the folks up there in minnesota, the guys taking, you know, flying lessons only had to steer the plane. somebody did not put all of this together, as steve emerson said, connect the dots. who do we put in charge of connecting the dots? that person i think, or that unit, is the one that ought to be held accountable if it got the information and the

information was not withheld from it. >> i'm going to get killed for asking this question because we're out of time but i'm asking, be brief on this. pat, do we need to have a bigger presence certainly with intelligence and special ops in yemen? and do we need to look at putting more boots on the ground in that country? >> no, no as to putting the military army on the ground. i think putting the army in iraq and putting an army in afghanistan has metastasized the problem of the spread of al qaeda. do we need folks, maybe special forces going in with its cruise missiles or something like that? maybe we do. leave it up to the experts. but for heaven's sake, no more invasions and no more wars. they create more terrorists than they kill. >> peter, you agree? >> i agree with that. this is about targeting intercepts and making sure the information gets there. we had the intercepts on this guy. we had it back in august, chris. the motion is this is not going up the chain. it's got to go up the chain. those 500,000 people, we should know them. we should be on them.

we should have -- we should have a list, checkoff list here on the computer, boom. they're not getting on flights without getting checked. >> and we can't get enough of peter and pat. you're coming back with your list of most admired people, your list, as opposed to the gallup poll list. i can't wait to see that. they asked me, do you want to know what it is in advance? i don't. i want to be surprised. surprise me, gentlemen. >> okay. >> we'll see you in the next half hour. in a moment -- a fight over tv. see why it could end up with you paying more for less. why is that new? you're watching msnbc saturday. [ male announcer ] crunch, wheat thins.

that's what's gonna happen here. ♪ because you're tasty with toasty whole grain. [ crunch ] wheat thins. toasted. whole grain. crunch. the crunch is calling.

this morning, thousands of people turn on their tv sets. they want to get their favorite program. don't adjust your dial. for many of you, not only is your favorite show gone, the entire network it is on is gone. tom o'neil is senior editor for "in touch weekly" magazine. good morning. >> good morning. >> say it isn't so. how can it be that i can't watch, what, the food network? >> or hgtv, the home and garden

channel. >> why? >> because the cable carriers are finally saying enough. when these channels say we want more money, the cable carriers are saying, uh-uh. >> they don't want you to pay more than 8 cents, 10 cents, 12 cents per home. fox and time warner were able to reach a deal. >> yes. but that's fox. if you are cable carrier and you're not bringing the viewers "american idol," there will be heck to pay. it could get very ugly. >> there were football games involved. >> there were football games and sports. what's happening is we're finally seeing the networks fight back, where the carriers caved in to fox. they're finally drawing the line here with hgtv and food. as you say, by the way, hgtv is 14 cents a month. food is 8 krenlts pcents per mo. msnbc is 15 cents per month. vh1 is 14 cents. comedy central 14 cents. >> where are you going to get so much quality for 15 cents? >> this is the best bargain,

msnbc. >> i think so. >> espn is $3.25 a month. >> seriously. if you're not a sports fan, forget it. you can't not get it on your cable. >> right. >> and they're not going to ever let you pick and choose because a lot of people probably like me would pick and choose ten stations instead 2of 200 stations. >> don't you think someday we will be in power to say i will pay for this and that. right now the model isn't working. if you're cablevision, and this is the case we're talking about now, a cable carrier in the new york area that's saying to these networks no and drawing the line, the other networks are -- i have lost my train of thought. >> i think the point you're trying to make and it's true, there's two like sort of small, little cable operations that i actually watch. >> right. >> so i call my cable carrier, but they're in two different packages. >> uh-huh. >> so i only want those two. i don't want 20 here and 20 here. i only want one and one but i have to pay for 20 and 20

because they don't happen to be in their same little box. >> yes. and as somebody at home, the only option have you is either to take let's say time warner or cablevision or directv or dish were the old options. but now verizon and at&t are getting into it. >> the more options, the more complicated it gets. >> it brings the monthly bill down for me, which is good. yet if you're a cable carrier, all of the channels want more money from you. it's a terrible tile to be a cable carrier. >> thanks very much, tom. >> okay. hgtv, do you know what that's going to mean? i'm telling you. >> spring is coming. they've got to plant their gardens. >> my sister-in-law will be very unhappy about that. let's talk tiger woods' new development in this saga. this time it's about his wife elin. we'll fill new on where she was spending her new year's holiday. or just one brita filter. ( drop plinks ) brita-- better for the environment and your wallet.

during the share the love event, you helped us donate almost $5 million dollars to charity. i chose meals on wheels because i believe in food for all. i chose habitat for humanity. our pets are our kids. we chose the aspca. we're sharing the love again this year. because giving back feels good. get a great deal on the subaru outback, motor trend's 2010 sport/utility of the year and two hundred fifty dollars gets donated to your choice of five charities. and two hundred fifty dollars (announcer) right now, all over the country, discover customers are getting five percent cashback bonus on travel. it pays to get more, it pays to discover.

hey! announcer: you don't drive every time you smoke. yet you smoke every time you drive. driving and smoking don't have to go together. re-learn life without cigarettes, free, at becomeanex.org. a new way to think about quitting. today, and this is the first time publicly, president obama laid blame on al qaeda in the arabian peninsula for the failed

christmas day terror attack. that's putting new focus on the country of yemen, where counterterrorism officials say the terror network is thriving. for some perspective, i'm joined now by nbc terrorism analyst evan kohlmann. we were just talking a few minutes ago, evan, how britain said yesterday they want to call international conference about the growing problem of islamic extremism that's based in yemen. what can we say about that? >> well, look, there has been a network that has been in yemen foreign a long period of time. if we go all the way back to 2002, there was a suicide boat bombing attack very similar to the attack on the "uss cole" on a french oil tanker. ever since then we have seen occasional activity. but it's really been in the last two years, it's really been since january 2008, where the lion's share of activity we have seen recently has popped up and the significant activity that would be a threat beyond the borders of yemen. again, one of the big parts of that is the return of a group of saudi, guantanamo bay veterans, people that were mid ranking al qaeda commanders, who were

returned back to saudi arabia, who fled their rehabilitation program, and who rejoined al qaeda in yemen and who bav it a real boost. i mean, their presence has given this movement a tremendous boost. so the thinking is perhaps if we target these individuals and get rid of them, perhaps we can do some serious damage to al qaeda in turn. >> there's going to be one whole debate about what to do about these guantanamo inmates and, you know, i was just talking to barry mccaffrey, the general, and he was saying they have got to go to the high-security prison in illinois. that's obviously one part of the equation. the other part of the equation, though, is these new recruits, the growing number of islaming clerics who have gotten a voice over the internet and actually are exchanging e-mails with people like abdulmutallab. how big a threat is that? >> well, that's the big change, i think. heretofo heretofore, when we have been talking about training camps in yemen, we have been talking about training camps that have been mainly focused on training saudis and yemenis. people from the arabian peninsula. people from that region.

so the thinking was if they're training saudis and yemenis, they're going to be training attacks in saudi and yemen. it's a problem but not much of the problem for the united states. the idea that the camps now inside yemen are turning into training foreigners, westerner, people who are specifically able to cross international boundaries, have passports and visas that allow them to come at the united states, that's something new. that's something that really has been fairly recent, and it's much more concern for u.s. national security. again, it's not just the matter of what's going on within the borders of yemen anymore. these guys are trying to reach out and touch someone, very literally. it's not just in saudi arabia. it's not just in the middle east. it's right here in the united states. i think if you look at the statement that al qaeda and yemen issued, they said, look, there was a technical fault in this explosive, but we're going to continue on this path until we achieve succession in this mission. i think you have to take that threat seriously. >> it's in ft. hood. it's in the skies over detroit. if we're not paying attention, it's our own fault this time.

evan, thanks so much. now to the latest on the missing utah mother, susan powell. police continue to search for clues that can help them locate her. the mother of two has been missing for nearly a month. her children are being cared for by her husband, josh. cops call him a person of interest. i talked to susan powell's father about what he thinks about all of this. >> well, i talked briefly with him when i was able to see my grandchildren on christmas day, and the police have their reasons for naming him a person of interest. obviously, i would like him to cooperate with the police, him and his attorney to talk with the police and tell them anything he knows so that we can get on with ruling him out and finding my daughter. >> friends and family are planning a number of ways to widen the search for susan powell, including using social network sites like facebook and twitter. there's a designated channel for susan on youtube. and friends are asking supporters to wear purple ribbons, which is susan's favorite color.

two men in san francisco are facing charges after passing out in a car right in the middle of a highway. i guess they partied a little too hard on new year's eve. one of the passengers was so out of it, an officer had to carry him to the police cruiser. both men were then arrested. retailers are hopeful for 2010, especially after a new report by mastercard saying retail sales were up 3.6% for the 2009 holiday shopping season. joining me now, rick newman, chief business correspondent with "u.s. news & world report." hey, rick. >> hi, chris. >> i don't want to ring on anybody's parade but it's up from what was a dismal year the year before, right? >> right. that's just by one measure. we will get more numbers over the next couple of weeks over a couple of different sources and those might be a little lower. some people think overall retail sales will be up by about 1% or flat. i mean, this is just a ho-hum outcome frankly. i think the headline is it's not as terrible as it was last year when it went down by 3 1/2% or 4%. and we talk about 1%, 2%, or 3%,

it doesn't sound like a big difference but a couple of percentage points mensz billions of dollars of spending and thousands of jobs and it could mean the difference between life and death for retailers and other companies that are sort of on the edge. >> and there's a couple of things at play here. one is we say what's the good news in all of this? the good news, people are saving more. if they're saving more, they're not spending as much as they used to spend. and there's still this issue of people being concerned about their jobs. so they tend to retrench. they're not as likely to go out, particularly for big-ticket items. >> you have been talking about jobs and housing all morning. and this is the same story with retail. people have to feel comfortable about their jobs. they don't right now. and housing is where some of the wealth comes from that makes people feel comfortable in the first place and housing prices are still falling so it's all connected. >> i have been surprised by the number of people who have told me they think their house is now worth less than their mortgage, which is really a tremendously scary thing. what can we look for over the course of the next year to really give us a guide to see if this recovery's going to happen? >> you know f. we can see healthy, kind of sustained

increases, don't think they need to be large but let's just see consistent increases -- >> you mean a trend. >> but to go back to what we were talking about, before that happens, we need to see improvements in jobs, companies actually hiring and housing prices stop falling and at least stabilize. what i think is going on, you know, there is a recovery if you look at the numbers. gdp is increasing, economic output is increasing. what's not reflected in the retail sales is who is spending the money. i think this is a big question we will learn more about the next couple of months. is it mostly just wealthy people who are feeling better because those are the people who are invested in the stock market, and so they've regained some of their losses? surveys and other things indicate yes, that's where we are seeing most the spending. i think a lot of americans don't have a lot of investments like that or are saying, geez, i didn't increase spending. i'm scared to death i might lose my job or i did lose my job. where are these numbers coming from? i think there's a disparity we're not aware of yet between wealthier consumers who do feel the recovery and many others who

don't. >> big surprise that there's a gap in this country. rick newman, thanks. >> thanks, chris. >> it's good to see you. paparazzi under fire. there's a new law that could put star-seeking photographers in hot water. we'll have the details coming up on msnbc saturday. the sea salts of the world vary in color, taste, and intensity. now campbell's has found one that tops them all. it's naturally flavorful. adding it helps us use less salt than before in campbell's tomato soup. that famous, familiar flavor, as delicious as ever. now with less salt.

thanks to a very special sea salt. ♪ so many, many reasons ♪ it's so m'm! m'm! good! ♪

across the u.s. today, lots of new laws to abide by. those laws taking effect at the stroke of midnight, january 1st, right when we all were celebrating a new year. how will the new laws impact your life in 2010 and beyond? nbc's jeff rossen joins me now with all of the details. jeff, let's start with the smoking ban and kind of an unlikely place. >> you wouldn't think of north carolina, chris, a place you ban smoking. after all, north carolina is where big tobacco sort of exists but there's that ban there now. so what's going to happen is if you smoke in indoor areas of almost all restaurants and bars in that state as well as in closed areas of thohotels and i, if food and drinks are served there, you will face a $50 fine. pretty much across-the-board ban

on smoking indoors in north carolina. and how bad is smoking in that state? look at these numbers, 21% of adults smoke compared to 18% nationwide. we'll move west now to california. now a tough new law for paparazzi who stalk celebrities. paparazzi will pay more if they break the law to get that special celebrity photo. and the victims, the celebrities themselves, will actually be able to sue the publishers of the material obtained when the laws are broken. that new law was championed by actress jennifer aniston. also in california, now the first state to partially ban the use of trans fats in restaurants. a lot of cities have a ban on trans fats. now california the first state to do it. we'll move to new hampshire now. that's the fifth state to legalize same-sex marriage. in fact right after midnight, you can see some of these pictures. 15 same-sex couples tied the knot at the state capital in concord. the temperature was just 21 degrees but that didn't stop, as you can see, the celebrations.

also in new hampshire -- now a ban on texting while driving. that ban is also now in effect in illinois and oregon. that makes 19 states to enact bans like that. and the secretary of transportation now says he wants the law to go nationwide. police will now give out tickets to drivers caught texting. and there are several new laws pertaining to our four-legged friends, chris. i know this is your favorite. massachusetts, dog racing has been banned in california. there's now a new ordinance that stops dairy farmers from clipping off cows' tails, which i didn't know was a problem, but apparently it is. and apparently they do this to keep the cows cleaner. so don't clip off the tails if you live there. >> all i can think of how relieved you personally must be about that new paparazzi law so you can finally have some peace and quiet. >> look, i just want to live a private life. if it's not the teenage girls chasing me down the streets, it's the florida director who's laughing. >> taylor lawsuit ner's got nothing on you, baby. jeff rossen, thank you.

>> don't even know what to say. >> that's a first. >> i know. president obama's starting 2010 as the country's most admired living man. "usa today" and gallup polled americans and found the president blowing away the competition. america's most admired woman -- hillary clinton. although she took the title in a nail-biter over sarah palin. i'm joined live from washington by msnbc political analyst pat buchanan and democratic strategist peter fenn. i'm going to ask you one by one. peter, let me start with you, who's your most admired man? >> well, first chris i want you to know pat and i are really worried about the paparazzi as we come out of the studio. >> they're outside of the studio as we speak. >> they're just lined up. it's tough for us. but, listen, you asked me man or woman first? i'm sorry. >> i don't remember. man. let's start with the man. >> well, you know, i was going to joke and say tiger woods. but -- >> he made the list with 1%.

but anyway -- >> he would have been a little higher last year would have been my guess. president obama i think is a logical choice. he is certainly my choice this year. the interesting thing is his numbers are pretty darn high. i think only john kennedy and george bush after 9/11 as presidents were higher. so it's been a tough year but he's gotten us through it and i think we got a better year to come. so i would put him at the top of my list. >> and a nobel prize to boot. >> noble prize. being my number one and nobel prize are kind of the sail, hme? >> pat? >> if i pick obama, i get thrown out of the conservative movement. so i don't think we will do that here. i'm going to go with -- i was going to go with tiger also until he went 15 over par. but i think what we'll go with is -- we'll go with pope benedict xvi. i think we'll go with something on the other side of the spectrum, if you will. >> pope benedict xvi. actually, he got the same amount as glenn beck in this poll.

what do you make of that? >> glenn who? is he on some network somewhere? >> and reverend billy graham. >> listen, let me tell you about reverend graham. when i saw that name, reverend graham was number two most admired, i remember, back in 1969. we were looking for it then because nixon got number one and agnew, if you can believe it, got number three. billy graham i bet has been on that list 50, 60 years. >> and hillary clinton for 17 years f. you can believe that. we have to move on to most admired woman. pat, let me ask you first. >> you know where we're going. we're "going rogue" on this one here. >> oh, no, no new york ci, no! >> we're going all the way to wasilla. >> what i want to know, pat, did you put down the credit card and buy that book? >> no. i tell you, they september nt m advance, somebody like me. you get an advanced copy of a book like that there, chris. >> you are a big shot. how about your most admired woman? >> all of his boy friends got

copies of the books. pat's been there a long time. i kind of like queen victoria but i guess maybe i got a little problem there with the timing. >> yeah. >> it is a great movie, by the way, "young victoria." >> you like that. one i haven't seen. i will put that on my list. >> you should. it's terrific. fabulous movie. hillary's amazing. i think her numbers are across the board. it isn't a polarized number. everybody is really blown away by the job she's done as secretary of state. the way she's supported the obama administration. she hasn't gone rogue, and not yet as she has just done an amazingly great job. i have to go with the flow on this one, too and support hillary for sure. >> that was fun, guys. maybe one time we can actually do movie reviews. how about that? >> okay. >> pat, how often are you at the movie theater? >> listen, i don't go to the theater too much but i'm a great movie buff. many of those old movies, i'm a

netflix man all the way. >> all right. >> okay. >> we'll get you your best pictures from 2007. that's fantastic. >> try >> oh, gentlemen, and you know what? good luck with those paparazzi out there. >> we'll fight them. thank you. coming up, the best and worst car deals. we'll take a look at them in a moment, right here on msnbc, where somehow, i lost control in that segment awhile ago. yeah. are on sprint mobile broadband. 31 are streaming a sales conference from the road. 154 are tracking shipments on a train. 33 are iming on a ferry. and 1300 are secretly checking email on vacation. that's happening now. america's most dependable 3g network. bringing you the first and only wireless 4g network. right now get a free 3g/4g device for your laptop. sprint. the now network. deaf, hard-of-hearing and people with speech disabilities access www.sprintrelay.com. with all the pet hair in the air my eyes would really itch. but now i have new zyrtec® itchy eye drops.

no other allergy itchy eye drop works faster or longer. zyrtec® itchy eye drops work fast i can love the air™. (announcer) find it in the allergy aisle.

in these tough economic times, some carmakers got really creative to move vehicles off the lot, and some, not so much. joining me from pittsburgh via skype, editor of edmondsautoobserver.com. >> happy new year. >> your website lists the top ten and top worst deals in 2009. let's start with the hyundai insurance program. what is it? >> hyundai assurance is sort of

a guarantee, if you will, that if you lose your job or you have some other drastic life altering event and you've bought a new car, a new hyundai within the last year, you can give it back. and walk away from the payments. and at a time when, you know, i'd say anxiety about employment is probably a national epidemic right now, it's a deal that really resonated with buyers this year. >> you also really like the idea of paperless auto manuals. what's so great about that? >> well, do you read your auto manual, chris? >> i have tried in the past, it's not that easy to navigate, honestly. >> i know, it's not. and it's a lot of paper, right? there's a lot of paper that gets thrown into the glove compartment of each and every car every year, right? those people never take a look at their owner's manual. so chrysler decided, let's put them on dvd. if you're interested or want to know something about your car that you don't already know or you think you need to know, fire up your dvd player and have a look at it.

a lot of cars have dvd players in the car. so if it's something crucial at the moment and you have a dvd player in the car, you can look at the manual right there. >> i'll disagree with you. what if your dvd player isn't working? then what do you do? >> that could be an issue. i will also say there's still a kind of an executive summary of the owner's manual that is in the glove compartment, it's printed, so it hits all the highlights, if you will, with all the nitty gritty left on the dvd. >> we've got about 30 seconds. i want to hit the absolute worst idea on the list, the dealer dump, when gm and chrysler closed. what about that? >> this seems to be sort of a mon mentally unthought out deal, if ever there was one. you know, there's no question, gm and chrysler over the years, part of the problem that got them to the place that they were in 2009 was the fact that they had too many dealers. so they thought one way to save a lot of money was to just sort

of not -- you know, not renew the contracts of thousands upon thousands of dealers. so about 1900, i think, between the two companies. and you know, while they definitely need to get rid of some dealers, chris, this turned out to be an idea that probably wasn't thought completely through, and now there's a lot of trouble. >> people can learn more at edmondaysauto.com, thanks for coming in. and in a moment, how far elin has gone to get away from it all. sometimes the little things in life feel like our biggest enemies. [dripping] [shower running] they can be damaged... they can be stolen. happily, there's the american express charge card.

if something you recently bought with the card breaks, it can be repaired... replaced... or your account can be credited. you'll even get membership rewards points with each purchase... and peace of mind when you travel. can your card say that?