right now on "news nation,"

live pictures from the senate floor where the final vote on the tax cut compromise has just finished. plus, the latest on the battle over earmarks. congress working overtime with just days to go in this lame duck session. we've got live coverage as the votes are happening. i'm the one that signed the paper, right? okay. i don't remember and i don't know who she is. but let them go. >> facing the unimaginable. school board members try to fight back against a man holding them hostin. new details into how a calendar left by the gunman is shedding light into when he may have planned this attack in florida. and speaking of florida, freezing in that state. record-breaking lows in the sunshine state that could mean higher prices for fruits and vegetables very soon. plus -- >> i'm don johnson. and i'm not jewish. >> you want to hear a secret? i'm not jewish. >> plus, are we loosening up

when it comes to being politically correct? we'll show you the fund-raising video made by a jewish group that makes fun of jewish people. michael smerconish will join me to take on this one i'm tamron hall. we're following breaking news on capitol hill. the senate overwhelmingly approved the tax cut deal president obama made with republicans, and it is now to the house. the vote, by the way, 81-19. and right now, the senate is preparing to vote on whether to begin debate on the new s.t.a.r.t. treaty with russia, which is getting strong opposition from john kn kyl. and the house has just taken up a new effort to repeal don't ask, don't tell. we've got team coverage as this ball is moving fast. kelly o'donnell and ken strickland are both with me this hour. let's start off with kelly o. a lot happening, kelly. let's pick it up with the vote on tax cut.

quite convincing there. >> absolutely. you can watch your congress multitasking today. with an overwhelming vote, the president got what he wanted, senate republicans got what most of them wanted, and many democrats went along as well. and the focus of this was trying to keep tax rates the same for everyone so in a couple of weeks, no one's tax bill goes up. and that is also important when you consider the wider economy. they think that move will boost the economy and create jobs. it also keeps unemployment checks coming for those who have been out of work, 2 million people would be affected by that. the senate has done its piece. it has to be passed by the house. we understand that vote will happen tomorrow. and then if it passes there, which is a tougher sell, then the president gets to sign it. this issue is settled for the next couple of years. a big, big fight here over issues like the deficit and who should get the tax cuts, but they all really came together today and tried to get this done. >> kelly, i want to put up this brand new "wall street journal" poll. it shows that 59% of the folks

out there, at least in the polling, were in agreement with this tax cut deal. 36% oppose it. the poll shows 61% think it is a fair compromise. 23% think president obama gave up too much. 10% think the republican leadership gave up too much. this poll reflects the actions of the senate. as you mentioned, back to the house, kelly. you've got members of the house, liberals who want to make changes, and that will start this all over again. >> and it's not likely to happen because of that. even those who want changes will have their moment to talk about. they've been certainly fighting for it over the last several days. again, last night meeting behind closed doors for several hours. but the senate republican leader has been very clear in a friendly message, you might say, to those in the house that any changes would derail this. so what the house really is facing is a very tough vote for those who think this is too generous for the wealthy and perhaps too difficult for the country because it does add to the deficit. all of this is paid for by

borrowing money. so those are hard issues. but it would appear that as tough as it may be, the president will keep twisting arms. so will democratls to get this done. no one wants to be the one on january 1st to be to blame for tax rates going up. >> all right, kelly. we'll talk about the earmarks battle later. let me bring in ken strickland with the latest on the effort to ratify the s.t.a.r.t. treaty. we have a statement from the white house. gibbs calling what's happening a new low regarding political stunts. what else are you hearing regarding possibly any progress, if it can be made, with this little time? >> here's what robert gibbs is referring to in that statement. in about ten minutes or so, the senate will actually start debate on the s.t.a.r.t. treaty. that's actually the easy part. once they start the debate, we expect that jim demint will require the clerk of the senate to read the entire treaty word for word. that could take up to 12 hours. democrats from harry reid to

robert gibbs at the white house have been blasting demint saying this is a political stunt. the democrats make the point that the treaty has been available to senate members for eight months. they've had 20 hearings. every republican secretary of state has signed off on this treaty. but republicans argue that there are many substantive issues they have problems with, whether it's missile defense or whether or not the nuclear arsenal that's left after the reduction will still be working and whether there will be enough of it. at the core, their argument is this. is there really enough time to debate this treaty? republicans say no. and so now the question is do they have enough votes? that's the first question. are there enough votes to pass the treaty? harry reid says yes. jon kyl, who is the point person for the gop leadership on this, says no. basically, don't trust harry reid. he's been wrong before about whether the votes are there. there does appear to be enough republican support, but a lot of that support has a caveat, that the process for the treaty be fair and open, that there be plenty of amendments to get the

treaty done and that can be changed. a lot of democrats say if the treaty is changed, that could send it back to the negotiation table with american and russian leaders. we'll hear from john kn kyl lat today. we'll hear from john kerry. and then we'll find out whether or not at about 2:30 or so america can hear every word of the treaty being read on the senate floor. >> all right, ken. thank you. we are keeping an eye on the house where they are taking up the new effort to repeal don't ask, don't tell. also, the "news nation" is now learning the gunman who opened fire at a school board meeting in florida may have planned his attack well in advance. it was all caught on camera and the video we are about to show you to say the least is intense and can certainly be disturbing to watch. we now know that clay duke, the gunman, fired 14 live rounds at point-blank range. miraculously missing each of the school board members he targeted. >> leave. you may leave, you may leave.

you can leave. six men stay. everyone else leaves. if you're going to kill yourself or kill us or whatever, at least let us know what's going on. i'll be very honest with you, i swear, i don't know who your wife is or what she did. i have a feeling that what you want is the cops to come in and kill you because you're mad. you said you're going to die today. but why? this isn't worth it. this is a problem -- please don't. please don't. please. >> i am going to -- >> mark potter joins me live from panama city, florida. a reminder again to our audience, mark, all of those people in there survived. the gunman eventually turned the weapon on himself after the man who is being called a hero, security guard and former police

officer mike jones stepped in to challenge him. what is the latest on this man's background and why he targeted these school board members, mark? >> well, his stated reason for anger was that his wife had been a teacher in the school system about a year ago. she was let go. that's what he was angry about. but he was rambling. he wasn't coherent. he wasn't describing what he was concerned about in any detail. he's a man that many believe was unhinged. he had mental problems. he somehow got this weapon, a high-powered weapon. he had ammunition in that weapon. he also had an extra magazine in his pocket, ammunition beyond that. this man was determined to do some damage here. to himself, obviously, and to other people. it is miraculous that no one but him was hurt. and that's -- for several reasons. one, just pure luck. he fired point blank at point-blank range and he missed.

also, the good work of the man you talked about, mike jones, who came in and began firing at him in the middle of this barrage. he came in and dropped the suspect awho then turned the gu of himself. the school board member who you'll meet in just a second tried to talk him down off the ceiling, to try to get him talking, to slow things down, to get -- to buy more time, to figure this scene out while they were under the tremendous pressure of having a gun pointed at them. everyone walked away unharmed except the assailant. it's hard to believe when you hear the description of that room, with bullet holes right where the board members were sitting. blood on the floor. a mess -- bullet holes in the door where mike jones came through. it is really hard to believe that no one else was hurt. >> and quickly, mark, do we know any more about this man a's wif? he claimed he was targeting the school board because his wife had been fired.

>> she has not spoken publicly and says she doesn't want to do that now. the police say they contacted her and that she has expressed shock at what her husband did. it's very hard for the family. and the board members here have expressed their sympathies for his family, saying that they are victims, too, tamron. >> thank you, mark. and thankfully, each of those school board members escaped unharmed. the ordeal surely did a great amount of emotional damage to them. earlier today, those board members described what it was like to be staring down the barrel of that gun. >> i was very afraid. i was scared to death. i did my talking on behalf of my life and my friends. i've got a great wife. i've been married 40 years. i've got two great kids. and i'm not ready to die. >> and that was jerry register. he joins me now from panama city, florida. thank you so much, sir, for joining me. >> thank you. >> how do you feel?

i was thinking about you this morning. i saw you on the "today" show and again in several interviews. how do you feel when you see that video? it's one thing to be in the moment. it's another thing to see it like a movie playing out. >> well, it's kind of -- it goes back to say that yesterday i was afraid for my life. and we started our board meeting yesterday about 24 hours ago. during the board meeting, we had a lot of recognitions. and then the latter part of the board meeting, we were just beginning the second half. we let all of those children out, all the recognized children out, and he did have a little bit of conscience, i will say, not to do what he did in front of all of those parents, grandparents, children, and everyone else involved. when i look back at it, it's just been a total nightmare. we had a supreme being there who

helped support us. and what we saw. and thank god that all of us made it through. >> you know what, you are absolutely right about that. we greattally appreciate you joining us, jerry. i know that perhaps when you finally get home and look around your walls in your bedroom, you can relax. but you have been, as so many others, called a hero, staying calm in the midst of that. that security officer, mike jones, who stepped up and saved those lives. thank you so much, jerry. we wish the best for you. >> thank you. appreciate it. thank you sgljts we're keeping an eye on the senate floor. senators will vote on whether toopeden bait on the s.t.a.r.t. nuclear reduction treaty. republicans may call for the treaty to be read in its entirety. which could take more than a dozen hours. also ahead, florida is freezing. temperatures are plunging to record lows in some parts of the state. we'll have the update on hoyte impacting crops and tourism. plus -- >> okay, fine, i'm jewish. you got me. what gave it away?

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welcome back. the picture you're seeing here, live pictures that bottom of your screen. this is tape from earlier of the spacecraft carrying a three-person crew that blasted off from kazakhstan moments ago. it's headed for the international space station. the crew put aside last-minute jitters about the spacecraft as they underwent final preparations for this launch. the top of your screen, that's moments ago. the bottom of your screen is tape of the three astronauts inside. the tape is at the bottom of your screen, excuse me.

the tape sat the top. i'm really messing this up. but it's breaking news that i'm happy to deliver to you so smoothly anyway, freezing weather is shattering records across central florida. temperatures plummeted to 32 degrees, and that's damaging florida's biggest crops. here's a picture sent by a viewer of just how cold it was when irrigation water was sprayed over some citrus trees to protect them from the sub-freezing temperatures. the cold is affecting florida's tourism. fewer people have showed up at disney world where tourists bundled up in hats, scarves and gloves. it's usually between 53 and 73 degrees this time of year. kerry sanders is in orlando right now, bundled up, but at least you've got friends with you, kerry. >> i do. it's packed here at universal orlando resort. the difference is folks who thought they were coming on vacation in florida to wear some t-shirts and shorts and relax found that if they came down from a cold-weather climate,

they had to get their jackets on, their scarves on. it's warmed up a little bit here. it was 32 this morning. it's going to get cold again tonight. it's not like folks are canceling their vacation. they're just having to endure what they didn't expect. the area hotels that have their swimming pools empty. nobody is going for a swim right now. you talked about the agriculture. let's give you an idea of what's going on. we've checked with a wholesailor to talk about what's happening. just to give you an idea, green peppers, last week wholesalers were buying a box for $7 to $10. it's now $15 to $17 a box. call flour last week was $15 to $17 a box. now it's up to $40 a box. strawberries really tell the story here. $16 a box last week. now $38 a box for strawberries. we looked at these pictures.

you see the citrus with the -- the ice that's on there. let me explain what that is. it seems counterintuitive. they spray it with water. strawberries, the citrus. and that ice becomes a blanket at 32 degrees. so when the temperature drops below 32, as happened through much of the state last night, 28 degrees, 23 degrees in some spots where agriculture exists, it keeps it at a warmer temperature at 32 degrees. tomatoes, i've spoken to growers in southwest florida, down near naples and goodloe. they say they're devastated. we'll see the prices of a lot of the things that we like to eat, the fresh food, going up if it's not already up at your market. >> all right, kerry. thank you for the update. coming up on "news nation" -- >> jews are givers. they see people in need. they may be pushy about it, but they're going to help you.

>> celebs join in on a great cause to help so many. this was sponsored by a jewish humanitarian organization. we'll tell you why some people are raising a new eyebrows about this. and america gives congress an all-time low approval rating. and the rock and roll hall of fame announces its newest inductees and we've got "the scoop." 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.

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welcome back, everyone. we're following breaking news on "news nation" out of washington. the justice department has filed civil lawsuits against bp and eight other companies involved in a massive gulf oil spill last april. let's listen in to eric holder. >> i've seen the devastation that this oil spill caused throughout the region, to individuals and to families, to communities and to businesses.

to coastlines, to wetlands as well as to wildlife. even though the spill has been contained, even though it no longer is the focus of the round-the-clock news coverage that we saw and the subject of front-page headlines, the department's focus on investigating this disaster and preventing future devastation has not wavered. while today's civil action marks a crucial first step forward, it is not -- it is not a final step. both are criminal and civil investigations. they are continuing and our work to ensure that the american taxpayers are not forced to bear the costs of restoring the gulf area and its economy goes on. as i've said from the beginning, as our investigations continue, we will not hesitate to take whatever steps are necessary to hold accountable those who are responsible for this spill. the civil investigation into the gulf coast spill is being handled by the united states environmental protection agency,

the united states coast guard, the national oceanic and atmospheric administration and the department of interior's u.s. fish and wildlife service and bureau of ocean energy management, regulation and enforcement. i want to thank all of these partners for their tremendous efforts. as our investigations move forward, justice department attorneys will continue to work closely with our federal, state, and local partners to get to the bottom of what caused this disaster. and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable and that they are brought to justice. the american people and especially the people of the gulf coast deserve no less. i want to hand it over now to the head of the environmental protection agency administrator, lisa jackson. >> again, we are listening to attorney general eric holder outlining the civil lawsuit filed against bp exploration and eight other companies in relation to the gulf oil spill disaster. in the lawsuit, they're alleging that safety and operation regulations were violated, and

the defendants failed to keep the well that exploded under their control. they failed to use the best available and safest drilling technology to monitor the well's conditions. mr. holder also indicating he does not want the taxpayers to bear the brunt of the bill for the cleanup and the recovery that is still ongoing in the gulf. we will go to a quick break and be right back with more news on "news nation." >> ♪ >> ( party horn blowing ) >> ( speaking chinese ) >> ( speaking chinese ) >> ( laughing ) >> introducing cisco umi.

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he recommended citracal. it's different -- it's calcium citrate, so it can be absorbed with or without food. citracal. welcome back. we're following breaking news as the senate decides whether the open debate on the s.t.a.r.t. treaty. just a few minutes, republican senator jon kyl is expected to hold a news conference. he said he will work hard to ensure s.t.a.r.t.'s defeat if it is brought to the senate floor. u.s. nuclear upgrades and the treaty's impact on missile-baset defense systems will be discussed.

government spending. many lawmakers promised they'd end pet projects known commonly as earmarks. there are 6,000 earmarks in the senate version of a $1.1 trillion bill that would fund the federal government through the next fiscal year. those earmarks by democrats and republicans total $8 billion. john mccain says congress failed to get the message. >> the american people said just 42 days ago, enough. are we -- are we tone deaf? are we stricken with amnesia? what is going on here? >> mark murray joins us live from washington. mark, before we talk about this earmark debate and senator mccain's comments, i got this note that president obama is saigh he wants the house to approve the tax-cutting legislation without changes. what else are we hearing on this? >> that's the only way that this is going to pass.

we heard the verdict from the senate by that overwhelming 81-19 vote. getting the senate to renegotiate, redebate legislation is very difficult. so for these tax cuts newt go up that beginning of the new year, pretty much the house is going to have to pass what exactly the senate did. really that's been the handwriting on the wall for the past two or three weeks now. >> let's talk about this earmark debate. senator mccain saying what's going on here? is there amnesia? many of categorized this as one last party before members of the tea party roll into town. >> exactly, tamron. one of the biggest changes in washington over the past two or three years is how the earmark has become a four-letter word. it used to be that earmark was the way that members of congresses were able to get roads, bridges and other projects. it was the normal practice, the way of doing things. but first in the 2008 presidential race by john mccain, who was just mentioned, along with the rise of the tea party and now president obama

really wanting to curb the practice of earmarks, there is starting to be this sentiment in washington that earmarks are bad. and so all -- we see $8 billion in earmarks. the senate just passed $900 billion worth of tax cuts in that tax cut deal package. some appropriators, people who like these earmarks, are pointing out the inconsistency there. >> right. mark, what's on the list? these are the things -- this adds to the reason people raise an eyebrow when they hear about earmarks. you've got the beaver management in north carolina, n and virus-e wine grapes in washington state. maybe valuable to those states, but if you don't live there, you may not see the value. >> exactly. that's why in some respects, why the tables have turned on this issue. you can look individually at the earmarks and they look outrageous and pro poeposterous

normal americans. certainly, a lot of these appropriations and these earmarks have been vetted. people think these are worthwhile. >> all right, mark. thank you very much. we'll see what happens with this debate when we see the new congress. and president obama says he's looking for creative ways to put a spark back into the economy. he's asking some of the biggest names in business for their help. earlier today, the president met with ceos from more than 20 companies including pepsi, ups, ge, which is the parent company of nbc, and american express. the president told reporters he's going to put pressure on them to create more jobs. >> i am looking forward to getting good ideas from them. but i definitely am going to talk to them about how we can get more hiring out there. >> and joining me now is austin ghoulsby and scott davis. scott, i'll talk to you first. we talk to austin all the time.

i'm curious on how you answer the president's question, how do you create jobs now? >> well, it's a challenge in time. certainly, the purpose, objective of the meeting was to grow the u.s. economy. and obviously to increase jobs. we start be increasing exports in the united states. the president has set a goal to double the exports over the next five years. >> that's a starting point, but is that a point that gives you confidence? we hear the whispers that big business believes that this president does not have their best interest at heart. that there is somehow an agenda in the white house that leaves business behind. do you believe that? >> no, i'm very confident that we have the same objective. the president said today, we both win if we grow this economy and we create jobs. so we have exactly the same objective going forward. >> austin, the objective going forward, part of it is security. and many analysts say that the reason the president pushed so hard for this tax cut compromise is because he wants business

and, quite honestly, the american workers to have a sense of stability, a sense of confidence, where we stand, for example, on tax cuts, that get this done and that gives you a little bit of solid ground. >> yeah, i think that's right. you don't want to pull the rug out from under folks before the christmas holidays. you heard discussion about that in the meeting. a lot of the focus was really about growth strategy over the medium-run. not necessarily the next two months, but how do we get innovation, how do we train the workforce, how do we grow the exports, how do we grow the investment at home? it was a pretty productive meeting. >> are any of these questions really new, austin, as we watched the unemployment rate tick up a bit? >> well, are any of the questions new? i thought some of the ideas were pretty important, you know. there was some on the tax side, but let's pass the south korea free trade agreement to get exports up to fast-growing parts of the world. you saw a lot of different ideas of how to get investment going.

and r and d, we've got to make the tax cut permanent. there was a fair amount of discussion about the fiscal context, that we not run up the deficit while doing that. >> scott, as you well know, the reports are that big businesses are sitting on $2 trillion, that the money is there, but the desire to reinvest, the confidence is not. how do you feel regarding this amount of money that could be put back into this economy, perhaps to get things going? >> well, i think a lot of that is visibility. and we talked a lot today about consistency of policy and having a viewpoint of policy longer, more than just one or two years. very productive discussions in that area. but we've made a lot of progress in the last two years. two years ago, we wouldn't have thought we would have been this far along. it's getting better. the economy is getting better. it's time to invest again. >> we hope for the sake of american workers that this turns into progress. thank you very much.

austin, it's always great to see you. thank you, scott, as well. this holiday season a jewish human rights organization is taking an unconventional approach to spread the message of giving. the american jewish world service has released a new video. it highlights the millionles it has given away in charitable donations, all while poking fun at jewish stereotypes. take a look. >> last year american jewish world service gave away more than $22 million in grants to 458 organizations in 34 different countries. that really throws a wrench in the jews are cheap premise. i mean, if you think that's cheap, there's no way you're asian because you're really bad at math. >> joining me now, michael smerconish. he's also an msnbc contributor. sarah silverman is hilarious. you do have some people wondering if it's ever okay to kind of, you know, work the action that's going on there or if we've loosened up when it comes to be overpl politically

correct. >> i'm the wrong person to act. every time that jackie mason has come to broad wway with his politically incorrect shows, i've gone to them. i love them. you can do it if you're an equal opportunity offender. tamron, i do think that self-dep riication is a good thing. having fun so long as there's not any animus involved, as long as it's not mean-spirited. and this is to raise money for charity and, man, they've been effective at it. >> maybe if it's your own, we see tracy morgan who is obviously not jewish. i won't say the name of the comedian, but there's a very famous white comedian and said to me, what is with you blacks and your names? i laugh ten years later, but at the time i did not think it was funny. does it matter if you're on that team or in that tribe when it

comes to what you say? >> i think it does. i watch the latenight comedy shows on hbo where the "n" word gets used. i never get used to it, but i guess it's acceptable sometimes. it sure wouldn't be if a white comedian said those things. i'm reminded of potter stewart when he described pornography for the supreme court. he said, i know it when i see it. i don't think i could write or articulate for you what crosses the line, but somehow the alarm goes off. or it ought to. >> all right. michael, it's good to see you. interesting topic. i always love to hear what you think about these things. up next, "time" magazine names the person of the year. this year's honoree changed the world by doing something that's never been done before. plus, this is a hot one. michael vick opens up to nbc about his dogfighting scandal and if he would ever get another dog. right now in chicago, it is day two of a hearing on whether

rahm emanuel is eligible to run for mayor. the woman who rented his chicago home after he became obama's chief of staff is testifying today. she refused to break her lease to allow rahm to move back into his home. he testified for nearly 12 hours yesterday. and america's view of congress has hit an all-time low. in a new gallup poll, just 13% of you said that you approve of the job congress is doing while 83% disapprove. and the rock asand roll hal of fame may have snubbed jon bon jovi this year, but president obama did not. bon jovi will be on the white house council of community solutions. those are the things we thought we you should know. when it comes to investing, no one person has all the answers. so td ameritrade doesn't give me just one person. questions about retirement?

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a programming note for you today. on the dylan rhadigan show, dylan kicks off his "steel on wheel wheels" tour. dylan is launching a campaign to create jobs and renew the spirit of america. that is at 4:00 p.m. eastern right here on msnbc from gridiron bruiser to animal abuser and back again, michael vick's life has certainly been a roller coaster ride of extremes the past few years. after serving two years in federal prison over dogfighting charges, vick is back in the nfl, dazzling fans and what many are calling an mvp season. vick says his time in prison has made him a more valuable person. in an interview, vick even says he would love to be a dog's best friend. >> i think just to, you know, have a pet in my household and to show people that i genuinely care and my love and my passion

for animals, i think, it would be -- i think it would be outstanding. >> i'm joined by mara. it's so interesting. i've had this conversation with so many people that love football and still battle with michael vick. they see him doing well, they kind of want to root for the guy, but then, of course, his past comes right back. >> people are very conflicted as to how to feel about him, especially fans of him on the field. just a quick note. the courts have banned vick from owning any animal. his desire to get a dog is not doeg going to happen, but he says he does love all animals and thinks that owning a dog would help his rehabilitation. since being released from prison, vick has been working on his redemption off the field. for more than a year, he's been volunteering his free time with the humane society, talking about the ills of dogfighting. the humane society sells he approached them and they believe he is genuinely trying to atone

for his past. as for his time in jail, vick says it really changed him for the better and the michael vick of today is a much different person than michael vick of 2006. >> that mike wouldn't listen to nothing that i had to say. so, you know, i think it would be like talking to the wall. the conversation wouldn't last no more than two minutes. you know, the old mike would have walked away. >> and the new mike? >> open. honest. >> now, going back to his love for animals, vick couldn't really explain to me how someone who loves animals could do what he did. he just said the dogfighting washington, d.c. part of the culture he grew up with and he didn't know it was wrong. he says he does think of the dogs that were rescued from his kennels and he's happy they are in good homes. that whole interview is at thegrio.com. >> thank you, mara. follow those guys on twitter. thank you. "time" magazine announces it

person of the year. and the rock and roll hall of fame announces its inductees. let's get the scoop from courtney hazlett. both things can be debated. >> that's right. let's start with "time" person of the year, mark zuckerberg. i'm going to say what a lot of people are thinking. they think they're looking at an issue of "time" from 2007. message here, seems a little bit too late. mark zuckerberg's facebook empire has been gaining steam this year, of course, but a lot of that is due to a movie about him that isn't entirely true. i think that facebook definitely deserved this sort of attention a few years ago. right now, i would argue that julian assange has done so much more about privacy on the internet and bringing those issues to light than mark zuckerberg did in the year 2010. that's my view. >> the generational gap, you know, "time" magazine audience, maybe probably a little older. the younger audience would say -- >> yeah. maybe they're just getting on facebook.

>> once your mom gets on facebook, you're supposed to give up. but maybe that -- that magazine represents a generational gap about what is -- what was cool for younger people a couple of years ago. >> that's the best argument to be made for it. i wish it were more well-timed. rock and roll hall of fame inductees. neil diamond, alice cooper, dr. john, darlene love will be inducted into the rock and roll fa hall of fame this year. this year is the first year that jon bon jovi and his band were qualified to be part of that. the qualification is 25 years has to pass between your first album and your performances now. then they also factor in how much of an impact you've had and that sort of thing. so i've got a discussion about this going right now on "the scoop" blog and people are incensed that bon jovi has been left off. they're saying kiss should have been inducted. a lot of discussion there.

>> people in the hall of fame, they love that this sets off a huge debate. >> it's when the hall of fame is most relevant. >> thank you, ma'am. appreciate it. >> you got it. >> logon to scoop.todayshow.com. we'll be right back. [ male announcer ] this is james. the morning after the big move starts with back pain... and a choice. take advil now... and maybe up to 4 in a day. or, choose aleve and 2 pills for a day free of pain. smart move. ♪

stella: hmmm. we're getting new medicare benefits from the new healthcare law. jane: yea. most people will get free cancer screenings. and 50 percent off of brand name prescription drugs if you're in the donut hole. stella: you read my paper. jane: i went to medicare.gov. it's open enrollment, you know. so i checked out all the options and found a better plan to fit my budget. stella: well, you know what they say...knowledge... jane: knowledge is power.

think trying to jam it in before christmas is not the best way to go. and is so some of it is about what's in it, and some of it is about how they're handling it. and john kyle has thus far shown they're pretty immune to what they're saying outside the senate. >> kelly, thank you very much. and, of course, if you have any thoughts on what's happening on the senate floor or what's going on in the house, or just anything, you can join the news nation. we want you to do it. e-mail me at news nation at

msnbc.com. you can tweet me at twitter.com/tamronhall or go on facebook at facebook.com/tamron ha hall. and tomorrow we hope to get this guest in with us. it was supposed to be a news nation gut check. an alabama teenager is suing for the right to play basketball, he wants to wear braids, this is a picture of the young man, 14-year-old blaze taylor, and filed a suit against the auburn school system. his coach won't allow him to play on the team unless he gets rid of those braids. we hope to talk with blaze's mother and the family's attorney on what their goal is here. hope to have it for you. in the meantime, thank you for joining us, we have a lot of breaking news. i'm tamron hall. you can catch news nation weekdays at 2:00 p.m. eastern time right here on msnbc. thomas roberts picks up our 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,

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but with advair, i'm breathing better. so now, i can join the fun and games with my grandchildren. great news! for people with copd, including chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both,

advair helps significantly improve lung function. while nothing can reverse copd, advair is different from most other copd medications because it contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator, working together to help you breathe better. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair. i had fun today, grandpa. you and me both. if copd is still making it hard to breathe, ask your doctor if including advair will help improve your lung function for better breathing. get your first full prescription free and save on refills. hi, everybody, i'm thomas roberts. jobs. it is what 15 million americans want for christmas. well, they get their wish. it certainly gives more urgency

to the meeting that the president is holding at blair house today. where president obama welcomed the leaders from some of this country's biggest and most profitable corporations. we're going to talk to one leader who was in that meeting about when you might start to see an improving economy as well as job market. we're also going to talk to valerie jeret, an adviser for president obama. we are also watching capitol hill where congress is aflurry on voting today, and in this hour, the house is attempting to bring a stand-alone bill, repealing don't ask, don't tell. it's happening as we speak. we'll bring you every development throughout the hour. we want to begin with the senate vote, voting to pass the tax cut compromise bill endorsed by president obama and hammered out by vice president biden and leaders. luke russert is live for us on capitol hill. is this a sign for all of us watching that bipartisanship is alive and well in washington, d.c., or was it a case of lawmakers holding their noses to vote for something they