material materi materials" around a house that you see right there late last night. police don't think anyone is in eminent danger although they have blocked off an area of that neighborhood. they are waiting for a search warrant before they can actually go inside. the other thing that we need to mention here, we don't know anything about the nature of these improvised explosive devices, that is a very broad category. there is our local nbc news truck slowihowing up on the sce. it does come on the same day that iraqi officials have said that there is concern of a christmastime attack by anti-christian terrorists. now, this may have nothing to do with any kind of terrorism. again, we don't even know what kind of explosive devices are being found here. but, we should note that that new information is out. that they also believe that the attack last week in sweden, that

that was also related to these threats. good mornish, i'm chris chancing. right now we're also waiting for expected rapest julian assange to be free. he could get out of jail later today. even as the u.s. is looking at new ways to build a conspiracy case against him. for the first time, we'll meet the man being called the hero of that terrifying florida school board shooting and first to washington where congress is playing a game of beat the clock. luke russert joins us now live from capitol hill and, luke, as we know, these folks are counting down to going home for the christmastime holidays. there have been a lot of different kinds of maneuverings going on. what is going to happen? first of all, let's start with that spending bill, the tax bill. >> yeah, chris, that is the $858 billion christmas monster, if

you will. this is going to go now to the house of representatives today and its fate is not entirely 100% known at this time, chris. the reason is because yesterday house democratic leadership allowed there for a rule to be constructed that there could be a vote on a difference in terms of an estate tax compromise meaning they could substitute preferred tax language within this bill and vote that forward and change the senate bill which contains republican estate tax language very favorable to them and something that could derail the whole process if house, liberal democrats could have enough vote for their provision. the democratic leadership is not going to whip this bill by any means so it is not known what the numbers are at any time and one democratic source say -- sorry, throw it back to you. >> we are -- oh, okay. sorry, luke. finish that thought. go ahead. >> oh, i'm sorry, i was told to

wrap. essentially what they're saying they're not going to whip this bill. that they were actually going to see what exactly will happen and the numbers aren't actually known. one source says they expect it to go down in defeat therefore the compromise can go forward. if it does not go forward the house sends over a different tax cut package. because senate republicans have said they will not move forward on anything else until they fix this tax cut compromise and provision, chris? >> last stand up in a lot of people's minds for don't ask, don't tell. >> don't ask, don't tell passed by the house yesterday and now goes to the senate. olympia snowe of maine indicated she will support going forward on that measure. that gives it four republican supporters and that seems to indicate enough numbers there to break a filibuster and joe lieberman has been aggressively lobbying this.

it looks like it could happen next week, but republicans have been adamant they will not go forward on it until they fix the budget, i.e., the government funding bill on the floor this weekend. it is really a race against the time for don't ask, don't tell repeal. one democratic source says they absolutely 100% want to get it done. they're not freaked out by the christmas holiday. they will stay as long as they need to to get it passed. a lot of folks want to get out of here by christmas, especially what happened last year, chris. >> good luck with that one is my thought. thank you so much, luke. let's bring in our company. patrick gavin and former condoleezza rice speech writer and former dnc communication director karen finey, good morning to all of you. patrick, i want to talk about our new poll. 59% of people approve of this deal on taxes. only 36% disapprove. do you read into that that people love this or they just

aren't upset enough about the tax cuts for the rich to delay their own. >> i think what they're focused on is literally their kitchen table issues. most americans, if they are out of work and if they are short on cash, they're less concerned with the deficit and they are less concerned with the debt and they want food on the table. the reality is if this means more cash to them, they are less concerned about the inside the beltway arguments and how this affects the rich. they're just concerned about themselves. also, they're sort of optimistic and happy that they see some compromise on capitol hill and this is one of the few examples of compromise that we've seen, even if some democrats are upset at barack obama. because of that, i think a lot of americans are pleased with that and that's what you see in the poll. >> karen, house democrats going to vote on two things today. a change to the estate tax and then if that fails, the tax cut deal the senate passed. they are basically saying, here's the deal we want and we will vote for that after we make our point. >> absolutely. look a number of these members

have a real problem with the estate tax and remember these guys are all up in two years and they feel accountable to their people. at the same time -- >> and they want to get on the record. >> and they want to get on the record so they can say, look, i did say i was against the estate tax and i took that vote but at the same time these guys don't want to, as they've said, be the reason that tax rates go up in january for exactly what patrick was talking about. for a lot of people, it's not just unemployment insurance, also some people actually take out loans to buy christmas presents that they pay back with their tax refund. people are really living paycheck to paycheck and all sorts of means here. a real acute sense from the members that they want to make their point, but they can't be the reason this doesn't pass, ultimately. >> all other things out there like s.t.a.r.t. and we just heard from luke the house asked to repeal it. i want to play you a clip of megan mccain who was on "last

word" last night. >> i think my father will filibuster probably and i think that this will probably pass and i think gay marriage will pass in this country. >> what do you make of someone who is saying y need more time to study that report from the defense department about how this will impact the troops? >> straight spending. that's what i would say. >> is that what this is, just great spending, elise? >> i think they'll still stall in don't ask, don't tell. >> is it a little disingenuous to say, i need more time. they didn't have the report and they didn't know what the report was going to say. >> i think it's a huge mistake for republicans to repeal don't ask, don't tell. this is an issue that really resonates with young voters and i think lawmakers are behind the curve on how they see this issue. >> is it going to pass, patrick? >> i think it will. you can connect the dots on these two issues. the estate tax and the tax compromise and, don't ask, don't tell. if you accept the fact that the liberal wing of the democratic party is not happy with this

compromise to also not give them, don't ask, don't tell is a massive blow to them. the democratic party feels like they have to give them one or the other. >> patrick, karen, elise, we have to let that be the last word. we're going to talk again in a couple minutes. going back to the breaking news in new haven, connecticut, where fbi agents have joined local police where improvised explosive devices were found in a home. there were reports overnight of smoky materials around that house that has now been broken off. brin of our wtiv is at the scene and what are you hearing there, brynn? >> this has been a scene for quite a while. police have been here since 11:00 last night when a neighbor spotted smoky material in the area of this house in new haven. now, when police and fire officials arrived to this scene, they did find materials, which they are calling it, you said

improvised explosive devices and this street has been closed since that point. police have put tape up around the house at the address on hubinger street as well as a truck across the street. again, we're not quite sure where, again, those devices were found. at this point we don't know what kind of explosive devices we're talking about and the new haven police chief is actually to the the right of me talking to the press and giving me the latest update of what is going on. now, i have been seeing people coming through this street and walking. so, as of right now, there does not seem to be an immediate threat but the latest we're hearing is that police are waiting for a search warrant to go into this house that these suspicious devices were found around or in at this point. >> brynn, thank you very much. family members of a man who took a florida school board hostage says he suffered from stress, financial problems and mental illness. clay duke's wife, who was

separated from him, says her husband was a "gentle giant" who was frustrated because she had been fired from her teaching job. rebecca duke and his former lawyer from a previous case described clay duke as a troubled man. >> the economy and the world just got the better of him. and along with his bipolar, it just set him up for this horrible event. >> he was the guy that everybody you hear about on the news that believes in the end of the world and conspiracy theories and things of that nature. he was that type of guy. >> clay duke killed himself after shooting at school board members. coming up at 11:30 eastern time we're expected to hear from the security guard for the time. the one being held as a hero after he confronted the gunman. it is a treacherous commute across large swaths of the country. icy roads being blamed for five deaths in mississippi and alabama. road crews in alabama were out

in force overnight, as well. this morning the warning there is simple but definitive. stay off the roads. in atlanta highways are closed and schools are shut down or delayed. icy conditions reportedly caused as many as 1,000 accidents around atlanta. nbc meteorologist bill karins joins us and what are we talking about here? major winter storm it looks like, another one. >> a fast-moving storm. kentucky last night ice storm and now heading into the cold air and mid-atlantic and areas that don't get a lot of snow are seeing it right now. it is starting in washington, d.c. the radar, everything in the white and the gray here snowflakes being picked up by the radar. c.d. we're calli d.c. we're calling for one to two inches. possibly three to five inches in richmond. further to the south, it's a mess in north carolina. we've got sleet, freezing rain from raleigh all the way back to greensboro and eastern north

carolina starting off as snow. all the colors on the radar. the green is the rain and it looks like kentucky is finally getting a break after all the ice last night. as far as the snowfall prediction goes, still a little bit left in minneapolis up near chicago and all still has to move off the east coast. three to six inches from northern kentucky to the coach near richmond. philadelphia, new york and boston, this snow storm misses you. so, temperature wise, it's another cold day out there, too. with the areas not getting snow, wind chill is 8 in detroit and not much better in areas of new england. this winter storm is here to stay. a possible storm up along the new england coast on sunday. >> thank you, bill. breaking news out of london, wikileaks founder julian assange could be a free man in just a few hours. a british high court judge has rejected the prosecutor's argument and has upheld a decision to release. this was his lawyer a few

moments ago. >> as you can imagine, we're utterly delighted and thrill would the results here today. we think it was an unnecessary appeal. i think it's unfortunate and it's clearly evidence is part of the continuing vendetta on the part of the swedes against julian assange. >> now, we're watching the courthouse in london for any sign of julian assange. of course, we'll bring you any new developments. his lawyer indicated he hoped that julian assange would have a statement. so, we'll wait and see if we hear from him. big day pay for several wall street fat cats could actually drag down goldman sachs earnings. there are reports several top execiutives will get more than 1 $111 million in stocks. delayed compensation from 2003 to 2007. those bonuses had to be paid. gut check time for president obama's war strategy in afghanistan. are u.s. troops making enough

progress to start coming home? plus, ever go into a starbucks and see a group of tweens or teens and they have coffee. richard lui is looking into just how much caffeine kids are drinking. richard? >> hey, chris. a lot, evidently. if you think it's not your kids, you better think again. we dig into a surprising discovery on the gallons and gallons of soda that have caffeine in it that your kids are likely drinking. ♪ [ ted ] for years, i was just a brewer. until one of the guys brought in some fresh bread that he'd made from our pale ale. and from that first bite, i knew my business would never be the same. [ male announcer ] when businesses see an opportunity to grow, the hartford is there. protecting their property and helping them plan their employees' retirement. ♪ beer or bread? [ male announcer ] see how the hartford helps businesses

at achievewhatsahead.com. 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.

well, it sure looks pretty at the white house and capital. a little bit of snow coming down there today, but a lot of serious business going on, as well. including that long-awaited review today of president obama's afghan war strategy. finally it's in. american-led forces are making significant gains against the

taliban and al qaeda and the progress is fragile and u.s. troops plan to leave next july, the full draw down will take until the end of 2014. of course, reaction to that time frame has been mixed. take a look at our new nbc news poll. 53% support a four-year plan. 45% do not. dan oshay is a navy s.e.a.l. officer and commander in the reserves. good to see you, thanks for coming in. >> good morning, chris. >> the war is not popular. not all americans are willing to sort of wait this one out. as someone who understands that there is a war strategy and then there's a pr war that is being fought, as well. what do you think the u.s. military has to demonstrate to show that this is worth it, that we will be able to shift control to the afghans? >> first off, i'm here in private capacity and these are purely my opinions and i have to

put this in context where 2003 through 2007 spent a lot of time in iraq and i remember 2006 when this very debate was in the news and we failed, let's get out and we push forward in the surge strategy. that hit at the root cause of a lot of the issues in iraq. i just got back from iraq three weeks ago and the dynamic in iraq today is far different. my context of afghanistan is predicated on time in afghanistan last spring, understanding that this report that will come out tomorrow is weekly reports. every six weeks, all the metrics that are coming in that go from nationwide down to the private level how well we're moving forward. >> for the americans who don't have your experience, what do you think the people back home need to see or what would you at least want to tell them? when you say things are different, that the surge is working. >> listen, ten years of combat, especially in afghanistan, people are rightfully tired and

they want to move forward with a different strategy and we've got to be honest with certain things. i'm a fellow at the center of advance studies and they're releasing a power piece for the way forward in afghanistan. looking back and drawing back on some of the big picture issues but a lot of that has to be situations driven by what's on the ground. i think the report tomorrow will have fairly honest assessment that will come out of general david petraeus' headquarters. >> we heard a lot about this in wikileaks whether you have a stable government because you can make as much military progress as you want, but without a strong, central government you'll continue to have problems there. how optimistic are you there on that front? >> that's the root of the issue. iraq was a very challenging environment with the sunni and shia. the central government is the issue at hand and part of the key points coming out of this

paper talks about we're going to get the critical issue is legitimacy coming from the sense of government. counterculture to everything that is against afghanistan. we have to have a strong central government when powers at the local level. we need to start looking back at putting an afghan face using the form of government down to the village level and empower at the village level. because you cannot come top down from the government, it has to come village up. not seeing a benefit in its life, we're trying to hold up a regime that many consider corrupt or not addressing their needs or their requirements. >> good of you to come in, thank you so much. >> thank you, chris. >> later this morning, the president will address the afghanistan report along with secretary of state hillary clinton and secretary gates. msnbc will have it for you live. andrea mitchell sits down for vice president biden for an

exclusive interview. that's coming up on "andrea mitchell reports "at 1:00 p.m. eastern time. did she mislead friends, colleagues and the police about being raped? ♪ oh, my gosh. oh, my gosh. ♪ [ male announcer ] you know her. we know diamonds. together we'll make her holiday. that's why only zales is the diamond store. where you can get up to $1,000 off now through sunday. that's why only zales is the diamond store. 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. her morning begins with arthritis pain. that's a coffee and two pills. the afternoon tour begins with more pain and more pills. the evening guests arrive. back to sore knees. back to more pills. the day is done but hang on... her doctor recommended aleve. just 2 pills can keep arthritis pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is lara who chose 2 aleve and fewer pills for a day free of pain. and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels.

that saves you hundreds of dollars a year. it's called the new humana walmart-preferred prescription plan. ♪ it's a breakthrough in medicare prescription drug plans... hey buddy! hey grandpa! ...with monthly plan premiums less than $15 and copays as low as $2. but for savings this big, visit walmart.com or call 1-800-808-4003. introducing the new humana walmart-preferred prescription plan. a medicare prescription drug plan that's a step forward in health care... and a step forward in affording the things that really matter. but don't forget, you can only save if you enroll by december 31st. ♪ call humana to take advantage of the medicare prescription drug plan with the lowest national premium in the country. go to walmart.com for more details. ♪

♪ well, it feels so good [ female announcer ] new charmin ultra soft has an ultra-cushiony design that's soft and more absorbent. so you can use four times less versus the leading value brand. new charmin ultra soft. well, a weather caster could be out of a job or facing jail time after allegedly filing a phony report about a very serious subject, an attempted rape. heidi jones is a forecaster for wabc tv and "good morning america" here in new york. she has been suspended indefinitely after lying to police about an attack and a stalker who may never have existed. mike taibbi is here with us. what can you tell us, mike?

>> hi, chris. yeah, very disturbing story. at age 37 heidi jones' career as a tv weather forecast and meteorologist was on the rise. she was also an avid fitness buff and fitness buff. did a lot of running here in central park and that's where she claimed someone tried to rape her. heidi jones went from an indiana girlhood to forecasting weather on abc huge new york tv station. >> we get into late september. >> reporter: reporting countless stories from the field. >> perfect day for this, it is called beach tennis, believe it or not just for hackers and slackers like myself. >> one of the best tune-up races we had yet to date. >> reporter: often filling in on abc's nationally broadcast "good morning america." >> heidi jones is here. >> hi, guys. good morning, everyone. >> reporter: on her facebook page and run with heidi page she writes about her prowls as a

long-distance runner. but she didn't tell her fans what she told police. as he grabbed her when she jogged and then tried to rape her and then three weeks ago near her apartment but police weren't so sure. after all, two days after thuledged rape attempt in september heidi wrote on her facebook page, good day, how was yours? after the man threatened her in november. here's your turkey day forecast, gobble, gobble. now a police source confirmed that jones admitted when confronted with inconsistencies in her story and the fact that she waited two months to tell it that she made it all up. the local newscast reported that jones is now off the air. >> heidi jones, a wabc-tv meteorologist faces misdemeanor charges for filing a false police report. jones faces fines and jailtime if she's convicted.

wabc has suspended jones pending the outcome of an internal investigation. >> reporter: jones' critics have taken to her facebook wall. you're a disgrace. fire her and put her in jail. jones reportedly made up her story to win sympathy because of personal problems. >> often times people do dramatic things when they're going through personal issues. people leverage support in a variety of different ways. >> front moving through. >> reporter: what's likely to happen now to a career that was clearly on the rise? >> if it's all true, there's no question that heidi jones' career is in serious trouble. >> reporter: jones' lawyer says that she urging everyone not to jump to conclusions and also said that she will plead not guilty to any criminal charges against her. she could face one year in jail for each of the two counts of filing a false police report. murder mystery, new questions about the four bodies found on a long island beach in new york. could they be connected to a

2006 cold case out of atlantic city, new jersey? amily... you know, son, you should take up something more strenuous. you have different needs and desires. - i'm reading a book. - what's a book? so we tailor plans for individuals, featuring a range of integrated solutions. you at your usual restaurant? son: maybe. see you tomorrow. stairs? elevator. to see how our multi-faceted approach... can benefit your multi-generational wealth, look ahead with us at northerntrust.com. can benefit your multi-generational wealth, host: could switching to geico realis a bird in the handre on worth 2 in the bush? appraiser: well you rarely see them in this good of shape. appraiser: for example the fingers are perfect. appraiser: the bird is in mint condition. appraiser: and i would say if this were to go to auction today, appraiser: conservatively it would be worth 2 in the bush. woman: really? appraiser: it's just beautiful, thank you so much for bringing it in. woman: unbelievable anncr: geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more.

with an irresistible full key... oh, too much? now get an lg quantum™ for $199.99, and get one free. only from at&t. rethink possible. but my doctor told me that most calcium supplements... aren't absorbed properly unless taken with food. he recommended citracal. it's different -- it's calcium citrate, so it can be absorbed with or without food. citracal.

we want to bring you the very latest on an alarming situation in connecticut. police have found what they call improvised explosive devices around a home in new haven. a hazardous device unit is on the scene, the fbi is there, as well. late last night police got a call about "smoky materials." crime scene tape is up around the house and a pickup truck is parked outside and streets around the home have been blocked off as police wait for a search warrant before they can go inside to investigate a little further. so, we're keeping a close eye on that for you. but we also want to tell you about u.s. intelligence officials. they're calling it a credible terror threat that al qaeda may be planning suicide attacks here in the u.s. during the christmas holidays. iraqi authorities say captured insurgents have confessed to the terror plots and claimed last weekend suicide bombing the one

in stockholm was just the beginning. authorities are closely watching two people in an unprspecified european country being linked to the plot. let's bring in evan kohlmann, roger cressy and a former white house terrorism adviser. so, we don't want to jump the gun here too much, guys. but, roger, let me ask you your thoughts about what's going on there in connecticut. we were just saying, we don't know if this is a kid tryingmuc. what is the fbi looking for there? >> well, in the holiday season it brings out a broad range, that's just very stupid or it could be very serious. it's so early, we just don't know. i would really caution against anyone drawing links between what was going on overseas and what was discovered in new haven. the fbi will look to ascertain if they are ieds what type and who was involved and any other information they can find in the

house once the search warrant is executed and then try to draw a picture of what this all means. but it is so early in this type of an investigation that, frankly, we do not know. >> let's talk about the iraqi intelligence reports and, evan, they say the terror threat is credible and we know what happened in staockholm. what else can you tell us? >> something going on in the background. alcada and iraq is involved in a very specific campaign targeting christians. it began a few weeks ago and we saw the bombings of mosques in iraq or, excuse me, of churches and alk qaeda and iraq suggeste they want to take it beyond the borders of iraq and when you see these kind of reports and you see what happened in stockholm last week and putting that together, it's an unpleasant picture. we're not sure how credible it is yet, the plot out of iraq, but certainly given what happened in stockholm and targeting christians and the christmas holiday, you can see where this is going. >> roger, this intelligence

captured from iraqi insurgents and how credible is it likely to be? >> well, as evan pointed out what happened in stockholm, if they're able to directly tie that to any information or any individuals inside iraq, i think that would be a very significant development. up to this point, i'm not aware of any type of al qaeda in iraq capability to project outside of the region. this would be very, very new. i think we've also been dealing with a threat in the west in europe principally since the late summer. looking to attack a number of different potential targets in western europe. this, i think, is separate and distinct because of the church component the anti-christian component that evan references. what it means that u.s. intelligence will just have to put this on top of everything else that they're tracking right now and one does not prioritize against the other just yet. it just means a very active threat picture. >> roger, evan, thanks to both of you. once again, we'll continue to get information, bring it to you as we have it from that developing situation in

connecticut. homeland security secretary janet napolitano is on her way to arizona after an american border agent was killed in a gun battle. 40-year-old brian terry was one of four border patrol agents who took on a group of suspected bandits in the arizona desert on tuesday. one of those suspects was wounded in the shootout. the federal government revising its estimate on how many americans get food poisoning each year. the cdc now says one in six of us gets sick from food. not fun if it's you, but fewer than was previously thought. another challenge to the president's new health care law today. florida's attorney general plans to ask a u.s. district judge to rule it invalid. foreclosure rates in november made their biggest drop in five years, unfortunately, that drop has nothing to do with the recovery. it's mostly due to the freeze in foreclosures after the

robosigning scandal. an unscripted moment at new york city's concert he was serenading a fan when she turned around and kicked him in the face. it was all an accident and later she apologized, where else, on youtube? from soda cans to cups of coffee. how much is too much when it comes to caffeine and your kids? richard lui has been gathering the facts and also drinking some of the props this morning maybe. >> not drinking them yet as of now, chris. but what i have here is 21 cans of soda. what this represents is how much caffeine a new study says most kids under 12 are drinking every week. the university of nebraska research is right, that means the equivalent of over 100 gallons of soda a year. that's enough soda every year to fill this box right here. 100 gallons of soda. that's what a kid is drinking according to the study. this is surprising because

previous studies said only 50 gallons or half the amount that you see in that box there. your kid, your kid is most likely drinking that much. there's a study that says almost eight in ten kids drink at least one caffeinated drink each and every day of the week. 75%. you can see these little jolt marks here and the age groups getting the buzz might surprise you here too, chris. listen to this, 5 year olds are drinking enough caffeine in about one soda every day and 8 to 12 year olds are drinking three sodas each and every day. the sheer quality is not surprising researchers, the kids in the study were not more likely to wet the bed. sleep quality was also mentioned. in the lincoln journal star, the study researcher saying with all the reason that kids are sleepless and gaining weight, as well. look at this ad. hold your eyes. it shows drinking one soda a day

is equal to drinking fat. adding ten pounds of fat a year right to your belly. >> it's disgusting. >> it gets even worse. they throw the fat on top of that class. a soda tax. researchers say consumption could be reduced by 10% to 20% with such a tax which could mean your kids drinks 20 gallons less a year. that's important. critics also say, though, when you think of this, that might mean fatty foods are bought instead of caffeinated drinks in the end. parents just need to be more aware, chris, of what their kids are drinking. >> i see kids in coffee shops all the time with the frothy, sweet kind of coffee drinks at certain unnamed -- unnamed places. you know with the energy drinks out there, that's also a concern. >> thank you so much, richard. well, let's talk about the president. people like him. people like president obama. that does not mean they agree with his policies. the numbers are coming from our

new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll. here they are, personally, 58% approve of the president. professionally the number drops to 36% and something else we found that was interesting. 64% of people think the president got the message from the elections. but just 35% think he's making the adjustments. let's bring back our company, patrick gavin, elise jordan, karen finney. karen, they like him, but they don't like the job he's doing. if you're the president's communication strategist, what do you want him to do with those numbers? >> i tell you, whenever i look at polls, those numbers about likability are really important because if people like you, they're more willing to trust you and kind of give you the benefit of the doubt and i think president obama is a really important place here. people like him, they're not so sure about his professional abilities. there's still some questions. they're kind of willing to give him another chance and they think he got the message and the message that i would say to the president is it is critical

coming out of the block in january that there is an aggressive strategy where you put forward your vision, show the kind of passion that you show, sort of in the second part of that press conference we saw the other day about what you want to accomplish for the american people and make it clear that is your primary goal because while people trust you and like you, even if they don't agree with your policies, they will give you the benefit of the doubt. you won't be able to hold on to that forever. so, you've got to use that pretty quickly because you know republicans will be attacking. >> what do you make, elise, the fact that people say they think president obama got the message but he's not doing anything to respond to it. >> well, it's the likability factor. again, they like him, but they don't see decisive action. we kind of had a 23-month period where he was really hammering in on president bush and reminding people, i'm not president bush, we're in this mess because of president bush and voters basically said, we're sick of that. we want to see action from you, president obama. i think that is what we're seeing right now. >> we should also say there is another poll that shows the

congressional approval rating is 13% and by that standard, he's doing pretty well. let me ask you about another interesting one in this poll, patrick. sarah palin, a 50% negative rating and in a potential 2012 matchup president obama beats her 55-33. what does that say to her and to the republican party? >> it looks like he beats almost everybody. he beats romney. i think if you put any sort of generic republican up right now barack obama will beat him. what we were saying before, this is his saving grace, come is his likability. it probably comes naturally to him. but you look at president clinton and you look at george bush and not to say that people don't actually genuinely dislike barack obama as a person, some do. you get the sense george bush and bill clinton a larger segment of the population that disliked them as people and i think that affected a lot of their favorability ratings. i think with barack obama you have a lot of people who don't like his policies but more than your average president still like him as a person. as long as he can hang on to that and cultivate that, i don't know how he does it. but he's had a bumpy presidency

so far and that number doesn't dip as low as it does. that is one of his saving graces, i think. >> sorry, ckaren, we're out of time. all that breaking news out of connecticut. look behind karen, maybe we can showkaren. it is snowing. that is not the only wild weather. look at this. you can hear those golf ball-sized pieces of hail ripping through australia pummeling sydney. roofs collapsed, cars were stranded. flooding. these pictures also tell you how frigid the temperatures have been on the shores of lake erie in ohio. this is not a joke. this is a real lighthouse that became incased in ice because the wind has been blowing lake

erie on to the lighthouse. it instantly froze. it looks fake, doesn't it? absolutely incredible. [ 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. ♪

[ male announcer ] you know her. we know diamonds. together we'll make her holiday. that's why only zales is the diamond store. where you can get up to $1,000 off now through sunday. for adults, stelara® helps control moderate or severe plaque psoriasis with 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. in a medical study, 7 out of 10 stelara® patients saw at least 75% clearer skin at 12 weeks. and 6 out of 10 patients had their plaque psoriasis rated as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and increase your risk of infections. some serious infections require hospitalization. before starting stelara®, your doctor should test for tuberculosis. stelara® may increase your risk of cancer. always tell your doctor if you have any sign of infection,

or have had cancer. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition. serious allergic reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you or anyone in your house needs or has recently received a vaccine. with 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses, it's stelara®.

so police in l.a. are turning to the public for help to identify possible victims of an accused serial killer again as the grim sleeper. lonnie franklin jr. is accused of murding seven women back in the 1980s but investigators found nearly 1,000 graphic photos and videotapes when they searched his house. they will release 160 pictures of women and they want to know if these women are still alive. meantime, police in new york aren't yet say figure they have a serial killer on their hands, but in the words of one officer, i don't think it's a coincidence. four bodies discovered along a beach four miles east of new york city and now the fbi is investigating a possible link to

four unsolved murders in atlantic city back in 2008. michelle sigona is an investigative crime reporter. good morning, michelle. >> good morning, chris. >> i don't think any of these women in new york have been positively identified but one woman thinks her daughter who was advertised on craigslist as an escort. what are you hearing? are police looking at a possible internet connection here? >> that is one possibility. there are a couple different links that they're looking at right now. the first set of bones were found over the weekend last saturday and the other three bodies were found on monday and various stages of decomposition. we know at this point that they are females. we don't know their race yet and we don't know the cause of manner or cause of death. it may take a little bit of time especially because of the various places that the bodies were found and the areas and the stages and things of that nature. >> the idea that they might be linked and you have one woman

potentially who worked for an escort service and were the women who were found in atlantic city believed to be escort or prostitutes? >> they were, in fact, prostitutes. i worked in this case for a long time in 2006. i was at the golden key motel behind there where the bodies were found. so in 2006, there were four bodies. they were 60 feet apart from one another and all facing with their heads face down in the water a few inches of water. they were all, all had their clothing on, chris. their socks and their shoes were missing and their faces were facing east towards atlantic city. i can also confirm because i went on to the streets of atlantic city and really spoke with a lot of the prostitutes out there for a few evenings in a row and these were all street walkers, women who really sort of worked the streets of atlantic city. now, if these other victims in new york, you know, did, in fact, use the internet, of

course, there will be some sort of electronic trail. >> michelle, i know you'll stay on top of it for us, thank you. >> you got it. have a good day. >> you, too. after millions of them have been recalled the government banned to remove dropside cribs. deaths have been blamed on the popular cribs that has a side rail that goes up and down. that rail can come loose and create a gap that traps the child. all cribs must have fixed sides by next june. what is going on here? that is pope benedict and some guys taking their shirts off. we'll explain. nobody in my family ever had a heart attack. 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.

got to see it to believe it. in vatican city where the pope may have gotten more than he bargained for. a crew of acrobats. these are famous italian

acrobats but then look what happens. this isn't an official audience. this is a mass. yes, don, yes. and they have, you know, guest singers that kind of thing, but, patrick, is there an advance person who is going to lose his job? >> this is a new trend i'm seeing. i feel pretty good this morning and now i feel like i need to go to the gym and lose 20 pounds. >> the upper body strength is impressive. >> or these guys are going to get their own tv shows. >> i'm enjoying it. >> you're enjoying it? >> i said the nuns are looking like they're enjoying it. >> the nuns with the skarves cad

all that. >> to watch the dance ahead of time. >> they're famous. they're famous. well known. let's get these famous italian acrobats and nobody said, by the way, they strip down. i think simple youtube search would have solved this very quickly. >> i said that is photoshop. they photoshop the acrobats into the vatican. apparently not. this, i thought, was fake, too. but it might not be. another religious gathering, a gathering in a church with a tiny little baby preacher. listen. >> wow.

>> now, what would jon kyl have to say about that? >> that sounds like he needs to be on -- >> what kind of lullabies are the parents telling him. >> notice the mike is always right up to his mouth. so, do we think this is really him? i know we have a different clip. a second clip of this little prodigy. >> i'll try, i'm strong. our song, i'm done. >> how do they put that baby to bed at night. >> he has a career in televangalism. >> he has the motions down perfectly. >> can we sign him up like today? >> i think we should.

he will be my new co-host. where's richard lui. sorry, richard, you have been ousted by a 2-year-old. thank you for being here today and we'll keep you posted on both of those things. at the top of the hour, a live update on some breaking news we have been following out of new haven. suspicious device found in a home. we'll get the latest. and hear from the security guard. he's being called a hero. he's responsible for taking down the man who walked into a school board hearing and opened fire. that's next on "jansing & company." happybaby strives to make the best organic baby food. in a business like ours, personal connections are so important. we use our american express open gold card to further those connections. last year we took dozens of trips using membership rewards points to meet with the farmers that grow our sweet potatoes and merchants that sell our product. we've gone from being in 5 stores to 7,500. booming is using points to make connections that grow your business.

her morning begins with arthritis pain. that's a coffee and two pills. the afternoon tour begins with more pain and more pills. the evening guests arrive. back to sore knees. back to more pills. the day is done but hang on... her doctor recommended aleve. just 2 pills can keep arthritis pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is lara who chose 2 aleve and fewer pills for a day free of pain. and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels.