close to freedom, as he should be. >> bail granted and then put on hold for julian assange. now high profile donors including director michael moore have stepped up, ready to pay to get assange out of jail. and deadly winter blast. dire warnings in cities across the country as more snow and arctic temperatures grip the nation. and heading to the house. congress set to get their hands on the president's tax compromise bill, but how much will he change it before sending it back? plus, pain down under. how hugh jack man's appearance on oprah ended with a bang literally. the swedish government is now saying it will appeal a british judge's decision to grant bail to the wikileaks founder. assange arrived to a mob of reporters at the courthouse this morning where the judge set bail at roughly $315,000.

the appeal proves that his client is being persecuted, his attorney says. >> the swedish process is an abusive process. that is a matter that will be decided by the courts both here and in sweden at a later date. as i stand here now, as i did last week. despite the district judge, we have still not been given the material about these -- and the evidence to which mr. assange is entitled to allow him to understand the nature of the allegations against him. >> stephanie gosk joins me live from london. stephanie, how long is this appeals process expected to take? >> hey, tamron. not that long. it has to be decided within the next 48 hours in british high court. it will certainly dampen the small victory they had with the appeal. should the swedish government lose appeal, assange will be released. there will be conditions. he's going to have to wear an electronic tag. he's going to have to stay at a egistered property in the uk.

passport. but it's not all bad news. he has very rich friends. one of them is supporter offered up a 600 acre estate in southern england. he's going to stay there while his legal team fights the extradition to sweden. he's going to have access to the internet, we're told, and all the freedoms of being in the house and being able to move around. he will have to abide by a certain curfew. but he's not in the clear yet. . he still has to get over the challenge of the appeal that we should know about in the next couple of days. tamron? >> greatly appreciate the up date. later in today's "news nation" gut check. we're talking about controversial film director michael moore. he's actually helping to post $20,000 for julian assange's bail. what does your gut tell you about mr. moore stepping? . and the big other big story this house. the bone chilling cold is

gripping more than half the country. people from the great lakes to florida are in a deep freeze already today. 11 cities have broken cold weather records. since the weekend, 16 people have died as a result of a massive storm that's buried parts of the midwest under snow. in chicago conditions are so bad officials are telling people not to leave their homes. >> all chicagoans should avoid making unnecessary trips outside. >> and on lake michigan, heavy winds whipped waves up to at least 19 feet with some people taking the risk of taking the plunge into the icy water and surf. obviously not a good or smart idea. the water temperatures only 33 degrees in lake michigan. and in minnesota, people there are digging out of the sub zero temperatures. crews try to remove a half a foot or better of snow. eric fisher joins me live from minneapolis.

what's the latest there, eric? >> reporter: well, tamron. they went through a blizzard on saturday. they had the dome collapse on sunday. here we are on tuesday, and the story is the fact that they're still cleaning up from the storm that ended saturday night. throughout the city you have snow banks like this one. this is a pretty small one compared to what's stacked up all throughout the twin cities. crews have been filling up dump trucks and shipping it out of town, and so they can get through the streets. they canceled school again because some of the streets were not passable for the school buses. they didn't want kids to sit outside in the bitter cold windchills. no records, though. this morning, 27 degrees below zero. we're more like six below zero. we are on the road to improvement. as we look forward here, we should be around 12 for a high temperature today. we won't go below zero tonight. tomorrow we're near 20. but the problem with tomorrow is the fact that snow is going to return into the forecast late in the day, into the night.

over at the metro droem, they'll try to prepare that for next monday night's game against the bears. they're also preparing the university of minnesota's field. that's an outdoor stadium. that would be a cold football game. >> thank you. >> and also developing right now out of canada. military choppers are actually rescuing people from this. they are trapped in their vehicles by the snow. at least 300 people are said to be stranded. this is highway 40. about half of them were rescued by helicopter and snowmobile. police in area say road crews put their lives at risk to help these folks out. some of the drivers went around barricades at police closures. and right now florida farmers are doing whatever they can to save their crops for the single digit temperatures hitting the sunshine state. some are coating their fruits in water to keep them frozen at 32 degrees. this morning they brought in

helicopters to push warmer air closer to those valuable plants. and we turn to capitol hill where the senate could approve the tax cut deal president obama negotiated with republicans and send it to the house as soon as today. now there are also moves by house democrats to repeal the military's controversial don't ask, don't tell policy. joining me now the host of msnbc's "the last word" with lawrence o'donnell. you get the first word this hour. >> don't you miss chicago after looking at that weather report? >> no, i don't at all. >> don't you wish you were locked in your house not hay lowed to leave? >> let's start with what's happening with your thoughts on this tax cut deal. it looks like it will go through the senate. then you have members of the house, democrats and liberals saying they're going to fight it until the bloody end. >> a lot of that is the fake noise you hear when they're in the middle of a rhetorical reversal. for months they were saying

there's no chance they would let that top tax bract continue at the bush level. now that's going to happen. many of them are rhetorically working their way around to that reversal where they will eventually give a speech saying i really hate this part of it. i hate that part of it. >> i hate the tax cut. >> it's a version of what the president is saying. but we're going to do this bill because of everything with unemployment insurance. you're going to see a big vote for it in the house. >> we focused on the liberals and the house upset with this plan. but you have mitt romney coming out now saying this is no good. you also have rush limbaugh and other conservatives chiming in now. it's not just about the liberals or the president's base. mitt romney, who we know wants to run for president is coming out swinging at this, too. >> obama won. that's their problem. what they're analysis says is obama beat the republicans in this negotiation. and obama got a great deal for

himself and a bad deal for republicans. so not everybody can be right here. the liberals saying obama got a bad deal. conservatives are saying obama got a good deal. the public is saying obama got a good deal. >> what do you say? >> 69% support him. a week ago when i heard this deal outlined just before the president announced it, i was amazed at how good a deal the president got. every single person i know who had to negotiate with republicans on a tax deal thinks this is a good deal. every critic -- every liberal critic is someone who has never negotiated a tax deal with the republican. i've been in that room when i looked in the senate trying to negotiate tax deals with republicans. i know what this president achieved here. it is a major accomplishment. yes, it has things he doesn't like. >> i have to ask you about don't ask, don't tell. i can't tell you how many deadlines have said it. it's dead. apparently not.

>> last night on my show steny hoyer said he wasn't willing to announce he was ready to go with the stand-alone bill. it now looks like they will go with the stand alone bill in the house. a stand-alone bill in the senate will have much more of a problem. there's a chance. >> it's not done or dead. thank you, lawrence. we know you're busy. >> they're working me to death. >> well, you can watch the magic every night. let's bring in adam smith of washington state, among the democrats who opposed the tax cut deal. representative, thank you for joining me. he was saying a lot of the opposition from liberals and factoring in conservatives like mitt romney, the background is just that, noise. this tax cut package will move

forward. what do you say? >> that may well be the case. certainly a lot of members have come hout in both sides of the a aisle in favor of it. my problems don't get into the horse trading, who got the better of the deal. my problems get into the impact on the tax code and the impact on our deficit. we just went through an election where the public was strong in saying that the deficit was too high and the debt was too high. also it's a two-year extension. you will not get to the real tax reform and the real efforts to begin to deal with the deficit that we need for at least two years. and there's every reason to believe that we'll have the same election year problems in 2012 that we had in 2012 with actually addressing the issues that need to be addressed on tacks and the the deficit. >> it's intriguing that you bring up the deficit, because that is a similar argument that we're hearing now from conservatives, as i mentioned, including mitt romney here. so why didn't the democrats hit

the republicans who say they had a mandate from the american people to get control of spending. why not hit them hard on that, especially when it comes to tax cuts for the wealthiest? >> well, i am. other democrats have chosen to take some of the priorities that were spent, that they were able to get unemployment compensation. the point i like to make to people is if we do this two-year extension of all the bush tax cuts, what is that going to do to our government's ability to pay for anything. forget about unemployment insurance. to pay for education, for medicare, for medicaid, transportation, infrastructure. all those issues become more difficult. that's the argument i think we should be making. >> a lot of people agree with you that looking at the short sided angle of the argument and not the long haul. and it all comes back eventually two years and slaps you in the face. i have to transition. i got the statement that you sent out regarding the passing of richard holbrooke. you said i'm deeply saddened by

the passing of richard holbrooke. he spent his life making america stronger, safer and more respected. kind and beautiful words from you. we also know there's a report that mr. holbrooke, before he went to emergency surgery said you have to end in war in afghanistan. you've spent time in afghanistan. you're back. we're waiting on this review. is this latest strategy working? six soldiers now losing their lives at the out post at the the beginning of this week. >> first of all, it's a huge loss to this country and to the world. he dedicated his life to diplomacy and giving us a more peaceful world. he was amazing at his job. it is a great loss. certainly we offer our thoughts and prayers to his family. as far as afghanistan is concerned, he's right. it is enormously expensive in afghanistan. we have 100,000 troops. it goes beyond the military. we have an enormous commitment on the civilian side as well.

i think we are making progress. i saw some of that progress. but the key is the transition. it's to turn these responsibilities over to the afghans. i think we have to do that sooner rather than later. >> so many agree with you. we'll see where this review takes you. congressman smith, it's a great pleasure to have you on always. thank you. >> absolutely. >> still ahead on ne"news natio" a luxury cruise ship finally docked after being rocked by 30-foot waves. we'll hear what passengers are saying now. plus, rahm emanuel still fighting for his political future. this time it's in chicago. why rahm is defending his right to run for mayor. plus -- danger down under. hugh jackman literally crashes the oprah show. blood is involved in this stunt, and we've got it in the scoop. an but i knew that i was going to need a day job. we actually have a lot of scientists that play music.

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the perfect recipe for success. visit yellowbook360.com and go beyond yellow. welcome back. in today's "news nation" money minute, breaking news. as expected federal reserve policymakers decided to leave key interest rates unchanged at a closely watched meeting today. it's also decided to continue ilgts much criticized $600 billion bond buying program launched last month to help bolster our economy. also the dow is up 70 points. s&p 500 up slightly as well as nasdaq. we'll keep an eye on how traders react to the news. and there is shocking news out of springfield, illinois. police responding to a 911 call

earlier this morning found the city's mayor shot to death in his own home. reports say the gunshot wound was self inflicted, but state investigators have yet to confirm this. at the time of his death, he owed the federal government gr 90,000 in unpaid income tax. several liens were filed against his home. and dozens of passengers on the nightmare cruise in the mediterranean are tending to this their injuries today after the ship finally docked safely. it was rocked by 30-foot waves and hurricane-forced winds as passengers were tossed around the ship, they say like rag dolls. royal caribbean offer ad full refund for the ordeal after mass protests from the passengers. reporter john ray is with our british news partner itn. he is live from malta. what else are these passengers saying now that they're on safe ground? >> well, a lot of them are

retelling terrifying tells. you can see them behind me. imagine waves so high they were crashing on the tenth floor of that vessel. some people were saying they thought they were going to die. they thought think would go over balconies and through windows. that terror turned to anger. something like ha mutiny on board demanding answers from the managementment and some kind of compensation. answers i don't think they have got yet. i've just been on a tour of the boat and there is still plenty of evidence of the ve rosty of the storm that hits. and what a lot of passengers are asking is why on earth was this vessel still sailing into the storm? the answer from the ship's captain st to blame the weather

man. that the weather forecast was wrong. they were told that what they would be sailing into would be half as bad. the captain says these were the roughest seas he's ever encountered. >> and i believe we have sound from the passengers who were on board that cruise ship. let's play that. >> we were on the eighth floor. and the waves were past our balcony. >> really scary. really scary. we had our feet against the window holding the bed bang and hanging onto the tv. we thought we were done for. we thought that was it. some people thinking that was it. a great depail. we appreciate your great report. john ray with our british news partner itn. thanks, john. coming up. who will be "time" magazine's person of the year?

the big announcement is tomorrow on the "today show." but our own michael smerconish has a list and predictions. and a bus driver quits his job after plowing through a snow man someone placed in the middle of the street. did this guy get a bum deal? the "news nation" back after this. i like to volunteer... hit the courts... and explore new places. i'm breathing better with spiriva. spiriva is the only once-daily inhaled maintenance treatment for both forms of copd... which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. i take it every day... it keeps my airways open to help me breathe better all day long. spiriva does not replace fast acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. stop taking spiriva and call your doctor right away if your breathing suddenly worsens, your throat or tongue swells, you get hives, have vision changes or eye pain...

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so you have predictions, i understand. >> when i interviewed the red tor of "thyme" magazine it's got to be both back ward looking and forward looking. when you evaluate the so-called finalists there are some you can rule out immediately. i know chilean miners, for example, are very popular. people voting at the "today show" website and saying it ought to be the chilean miners. i don't know what's forward looking about the chilean miners. when you go through the list i can narrow it to two. julian assange and the tea party. and probably it's the tea party because it's both back ward looking in terms of the effect in the midterm elections and that congress that the tea party put in power is going to be around for at least two years. >> so the past winners. 2009 was ben bernanke. 2008, president obama. 2004, george w. bush. 2001, rudy giuliani. 1992, bill clinton. so it seems like politics helps move you up on the list there, michael. >> yeah, and it is supposed to be for better or worse. you take a look at the very

interesting 2001 pick. at the time, i remember being caught in the ferver of it thinking it should be giuliani and it shouldn't be bin laden. if it's really for abort or worse, it probably should have been bin laden. even individuals who are on the other side of the political fence from the tea party i think would have to acknowledge they had a profound impact on this cycle's election. >> so let me ask you since i mentioned the candidates, the unemployed american, to me that seems like that affects us certainly in the past and continues to affect us in the future. you have some people out there who perhaps will never work again. those folks who are in their 60s and who will be pumped out of the line by younger people coming into the workforce or industries like the auto industry who has not recovered. that's the only place they worked their whole adult lives. >> and you know it impacts 10% of americans. it's a significant portion of society. if there were a way to encompass

the economy, and maybe it's that simple. maybe it is. also rick stengle emphasizes who or what impacted the news the most. gone are the days where it needs to be an individual. i could see it being the economy. >> and if it is the economy, what is the picture of the economy they would put on their cover. you're right. good to see you. we'll talk to you tomorrow. >> you got it. coming up, michael steele's surprise announcement. the rnc chair says he will run for re-election. what are his chances, though? plus, michael moore hands over $20,000 to bail out wikileaks founder julian assange. ...with...stage presence. ♪ now get an htc surround for $199.99, and get one free. only from at&t. rethink possible. and get one free.

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if anything, i thought i'd get hit by a bus, but not a heart. all of a sudden, it's like an earthquake going off in your body. my doctor put me on an aspirin regimen to help protect my life. [ male announcer ] aspirin is not appropriate for everyone. so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. to my friends, i say, you know, check with your doctor, 'cause it can happen to anybody. [ male announcer ] be ready if a heart attack strikes. donate $5 to womenheart at iamproheart.com, and we'll send you this bayer aspirin pill tote. welcome back to "news nation." bone chilling temperatures gripping much of the country with 38 states dealing with brutal weather. in ohio alone, up to two feet of snow, and it is not over yet. rahm emanuel may have left the

political battles of washington behind, but he is still fighting. why rahm is having to prove he is eligible to run for mayor of chicago. and disobeying orders. today is first day of a military trial for an army doctor who refused to deploy because he questions president obama's birthplace. plus crash on camera. hugh jackman's grand entrance onto oprah's stage goes terribly wrong. the snow just keeps coming down in parts of ohio. cleveland could get another nine inches today. almost two fweeet is already on the ground, and a winter storm warning is in effect until tomorrow morning. mike seidel is just outside of cleveland with an update. >> hi, tamron. it's another bitter cold day across northeast ohio and across all the great lakes, but the lake-effect is finally backing off around cleveland. it's starting to wrap up around south bend in those areas. we had one report of as much as 31 inches over the past few

days. meanwhile, i-90 not looking too bad. better than last night. we drove through a white-out that was white-knuckle driving. we still have snow and blowing snow. but getg from buffalo to erie to cleveland, back and forth, is improving. we'll see a better day tomorrow with sunshine. that will start to dry off these roadways. in the mane time, it's the bitter cold. windchills around zero. temperatures will stay in the upper teens to around 20. that's almost 20 degrees below average. and although the lake-effect will end here, and end late tomorrow around syracuse and rochester, we're going to stay in the deep freeze through the weekend with temperatures failing to get above freezing. tamron? well, rahm emanuel has been getting grilled for hours at a packed hearing. at issue, whether emanuel is really a resident of chicago and is qualified to prun for the mayor of the nation's third largest city. so far the normally hard charging emanuel known for his salty language has calmly answered the questions.

>> i was renting in washington. but keeping my voter registration in my chicago home. >> how many days were now in chicago during the 30 days before the february 2nd, 2010 election? >> how many days was he in chicago? >>. >> joining know now is lynn sweet, also with politics daily. how did it go so far for rahm proving he is still a resident of chicago? >> well, the pretrial briefs are mirroring what is happening at the hearing. he just says he never gave up his residency. he went to serve in the united states government. illinois law, he argues, doesn't mean you abandon your chicago residency. that's on track with what the hearing is going to be about. right now he's being questioned

adversarily in trying to establish that he wasn't there. those questions he will argue are removed. everyone knows where he was. that is serving as the chief of staff in the white house. >> is this challenge coming from other potential candidates? rahm is considered by some to be the leading candidate in the race. but chicago being the town it is, there are just rival camps if not for specific candidates. there's one lead attorney taking this on because it's a point of law. why is he doing it? because he can. he's not supporting rahm's candidacy. there's about 30 objectors in all. some are in it just because it's the sport of chicago politics. and they want to -- they want to see if the challenge can stick. it is obviously to the advantage of other candidates if rahm is knocked off the ballot.

>> has he been connecting with voters in chicago? i've seen him on a number of campaign events. there was an awkward moment when someone through an egg or something. is there a washington, d.c. rahm and now a rahm who wants to be mayor of chicago? >> well, there are two rahms. when rahm wants to be, he can be a sweet cup cake. when he doesn't want to be, he can be an abrasive personality. he knows when you're seeking elective office you're the cup cake. in the hearing today it's the sweet rahm you're hearing from. also these questions are predictable. a lot of this territory has been covered in the prehearing skermishes. >> so is he expected to be able to pass this by and go ahead and run without any opposition at least regarding his residency. >> this will be a legal battle that may go all the way up to the illinois supreme court. i wouldn't be surprised if at the lower level this is a

hearing officer. it goes to the board of direction officers. it goes to the courts. >> great pleasure will having you on. >> despite allegations he financially mismanaged the republican party and you've got the stripper controversy and his self described with foot in mouth disease, michael steele is running for a second term. steele surprised many with his big announcement made last night on a conference call. he says his critics want to replace him because his style is different than most party chairmen. he says he's more of a guy of the street. or more of a street guy. just after the midterms i asked steele about his chances of reclaiming his seat. >> despite a lot of the hits that you've take in the media, some of what many describe as gaffes or whatever, you're in an excellent position because of the results last night in the midterm elections to seek re-election as your party's chair. do you believe you are in a better place this morning because of those results than the night before?

>> i don't know if i'm in a better place, worse place, and to be very straight up and honest, i have not looked at it in that context. >> i'm joined by deputy political director mark murray. he said he had to look at it in the context of victories under his leadership that were chapped up to the republicans. on that conference call yesterday he started in for a long while naming all the good things that have happened since he was chairman and then said i want to run again. >> certainly the republican results from november is one that miele headache. but it will be an up hill climb for him. yesterday's news took washington and the political world by surprise. there were a lot of indications steele might not run. he's not shy about talking to the press. but there have been virtual radio and tv silence. there were no indications he built campaign infrastructure for re-election. and lastly we've now seen several republicans enter the

field officially to replace him. al those signs added up to the fact that steele wouldn't run, but he surprised everyone by getting into the race last night. >> you name all the reasons why we should be surprised. one of our producers said knowing this guy, he's a rebel. he's always tried to go against the establishment. should we have been surprised? >> meaghan is totally right on as always. but steele is very unpredictable. and even in first read yesterday we had a caveat thing. all signs were pointing to him not running. but when it comes to michael steele you just never know. the results for his re-election will be difficult. he's going to need a majority of the 168 members of the republican national committee. i was chatting with some of his die hard supporters. there are people among the 168 who do want to see him reelected. the question is if there's a majority, particularly when you add other candidates to the field. it's not an easy case. not only with the things i was

talking about the the financial mismanagement you cited earlier along with the gaffes, too. >> we will see, it should be exciting to see how this will come down. he's not going to go out with a fight it seems. a court-martial proceeding is under way for an army doctor who refused to go to afghanistan because he has not seen a copy of president obama's birth certificate. 18-year-old army vet an bronze star resip yebt is a so-called birther. a group that believes president obama was not born in the united states. jim miklaszewski joins me live now from the pentagon. what's the update? we understand he already pleaded guilty to one of the two charges against him. >> that's right. the lieutenant pleaded guilty to one charge. that he failed to show up in april for a flight to afghanistan. this is not about any reluctance on his part to go to the war front.

he claims any order from the commander in chief, president obama in this case, would be unlawful because he claims obama still has not proven he was born in the united states. >> i am choosing to disoe bay what i believe are illegal orders. including an order to deploy to afghanistan. i will disobey my orders because i, and all servicemen and women deserve the truth about president obama's constitutional eligibility to the office of the presidency and the commander in chief. >> now pleading guilty to this one charge could bring him a sentence of 18 months in a military prison, but army officials say that's pretty unlikely. instead, it is likely that the army will simply discharge him from the army. now that could prove very expensive for lakin. at 18 years in the service, that would give him two years short

of full retirement, which over a lifetime could cost him as much as $2 million in retirement pay and benefits. and mark madoff hung himself saturday morning in his manhattan apartment two years after his father was arrested. his attorney says he will stage a private service at his prison in north carolina where he's serving a 150-year sentence for fraud. and prime minister berlussconi won back to back votes. he's been battling sex scandal after sex scandal against his aides and a breakup with a close political ally. and an illinois bus driver quit after video surfaced on youtube showing his bus running over a snowman in the middle of

the street. the video appears to show the bus swerving into the snow man on the university of illinois campus. when the company started to investigate the incident, the driver abruptly resigned. coming up, your golden globes breakdown. a movie about the british monarchy steals the spotlight. but first there's a lot going on today. here are things we thought you should know. south carolina's naacp is planning a march to protest ball. they say this is nothing more than a celebration of slavery. the ball in charleston commemorates the 100th anniversary of the succession from the union. and the conservative group is about to launch the first offensive of the 2012 election cycle. they are rolling out a $400,000 radio campaign ad targeting 12 house democrats who won re-election by very slim margins.

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welcome back to "news nation." it's a big day for the scoop. we have the golden globe award nominations plus hugh jackman gets injured twiing to do a stunt for oprah. we have courtney hazlett. >> the award season gained a ton of moe meng tmentum with the announcement of the golden globe nominations. here's a look at who made the cut in film and acting. a film about a king's battle to overcome a speech impediment led the way this morning's golden

globe nomination. "the king's speech" earned seven nominations overall including best drama and best actor for colin firth. the chase for best drama also ic includes "the social network" along with "inception", "blue valentine" and "the boxer." that film also brought mark whalberg a best actor nomination. michelle williams is among the nominees for best actress. she's joined by halle berry, nicole kidman and natalie port man for "black swan." "alice and wonderland" leads the contender for best comedy or musical.

that also brought johnny depp one of two nominations. "the kids are all right" is also in the field for best comedy or musical with best actors nomination for anette benning and julianne moore. the awards will be handed out january 16th. courtney hazlett, msnbc. so obviously that was all the film run down. there's also a ton of television shows that get nominated for the golden globes as well. that's why the show is so much fun. best drama, boardwalk empire, dexter, the good wife, madmen and walking dead. best tv comedy musical, tough, tough category.

then the remaining ones there, it's anybody's game. so there are head scratchers in year at the golden globes. mainly the tourist. i don't understand why that got so many nominations. the hollywood foreign press, you can't predict them that well. but interesting list. >> it always reminds me of how many movies i haven't seen. there's a lot of good ones. what happened to hugh jackman. he's in australia taping oprah winfrey's show. she's doing a huge stunt in i it of itself where she flew audience members to australia. he was going down the zip line from -- here you see him. from the sidney opera house. he's meant to land on the stage but he's still going. his brake never hit. he runs into the lighting and the set there -- oh! poor wolverine.

good thing he is wolverine. he was bleeding but he's okay. and it makes for great television. and this week michael jackson's new album "michael" comes out. this is what we've been hearing about so much. interesting. a lot of critics say you can't have a michael jackson album without him micro managing in the studio. it's an interesting look at his life without his -- >> you have a copy of it. >> i do. >> i was looking around for it. >> it's at home. >> i thought it was my christmas gift. >> keep waiting. >> great scoop. get the latest entertainment news and all the pleasantries that exist. scoop.todayshow.com. today's gut check is up next. film maker michael moore posts bail for wikileaks founder

julian assange and he promises to do whatever he can to keep the wikileaks website alive. plus an update to yesterday's gut check. a jets coach learns the price he'll pay for tripping a dolphins player. was it enough of a punishment. do woodchucks chuck wood? (high-pitched laughter) man: hey you dang woodchucks, quit chucking my wood! vo: geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. if anything, i thought i'd get hit by a bus, but not a heart. all of a sudden, it's like an earthquake going off in your body. my doctor put me on an aspirin regimen to help protect my life. [ male announcer ] aspirin is not appropriate for everyone. so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. to my friends, i say, you know, check with your doctor,

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tonight booerk berkeley california city council will vote whether to pass resolution to call manning a hero. he's already charged with leaking classified information for allegedly giving wikileaks video documenting the killing of unarmed civilians in iraq. time for today's "news nation" gut check. an academy award winning film maker is rushing to the aid of julian assange. michael moore the outspoken director is pledging $20,000 of

his own cash to get assange out of jail on bail. assange is fighting extra diction to sweden where he faces charges for sex crimes. a london magistrate set the bail at $380,000, and moore has not commented on whether he believes assange is guilty of those crimes. he's interested only in openness and transparency. a statement on michael moore's website. he says, quote, among the few weapons of citizenry has to protect itself from the powerful and the corrupt. he sees assange as a pioneer of free speech and transparent government. so what does your gut tell you? should michael moore step up and help julian assange? go to newsnation.msnbc.com to cast your vote. michael moore will be a special guest on count down with keith olbermann tonight on msnbc. we'll see what mr. moore has to say. and the jets coach who intentionally tripped an opposing play frer the miami

dolphins game on sunday. he's been suspended for the rest of the season and post season without pay. he's also being fined $25,000. let's see what the "news nation" had to say about this dirty play. 46% of you say he should have been fired. 54% of you say he should be fined. there you have it. interesting. i thought you would think he should get fired. that does it for today's edition of "news nation." i'm tamron hall. catch us at 2:00 p.m. eastern time on weekdays. richard lui picks up the coverage after a quick break. ah, it's stinging a little bit more than usual! yeah, you'll get used to it. the longer you keep your high mileage car, the more it pays you back. get castrol gtx high mileage. it helps engines last longer by fighting the main causes of engine failure. i think a dime went up my nose. yeah, it happens. don't change your car. change your oil to castrol gtx high mileage. its more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. aren't absorbed properly unless taken with food.

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defending julian assange. could he face espionage charges in the united states? and where are the jobs? new hope for a paycheck in the new year for you perhaps? plus wicked weather. bitter cold is moving east x and it's not even winter yet. hello, everyone. i'm richard lui. first we begin with one of the