frank deserves his privacy and a nice ring and happily ever after. mazel tov, barney and jim, from all of us here. "first look" is up next. the gloves are off. mitt romney and newt gingrich come out swinging in last night's florida republican debate. deadly collapse. residents in rio run for their lives when a 20-story building suddenly comes crumbling to the ground. and spectacular skies. the northern lights put on another rare and dramatic display. good morning, everyone, i'm lynn berry. those stories and more, straight ahead. this is "first look" on msnbc. we begin this morning with a fight in florida.

it was a verbal battle in jacksonville between mitt romney and newt gingrich and the final debate before tuesday's primary. they squabbled about many issues, including housing, immigration and even a colony on the moon. nbc's tracie potts reports. >> reporter: good morning, lynn. analysts saying this was romney's strongest debate yet and he needs it. florida is a big prize. and with four days to go, this one is still a horse race. new polls put mitt romney seven or eight points ahead of newt gingrich last night. he came out swinging when gingrich described romney as anti-immigrant. >> that's inexcusable. my father was born in mexico. the idea that i'm anti-immigrant is repulsive. don't use a term like that. >> reporter: romney accused gingrich of being a big spender after proposing big projects in key primary states. gingrich fought back. >> you don't have to be cheap everywhere. you can have priorities to get

things done. >> reporter: gingrich said he wants to put a colony on the moon in eight years. everyone took issue with that. >> that's a great thing to get votes but it's not a responsible thing. >> if i had a business executive come to me and say they wanted to put a few hundred billion dollars to put a colony on the moon, i would say, you're fired. >> i don't think we should go to the moon. maybe we should send up politicians up there sometimes. >> i don't know of any american president who had a swiss bank account. i'd be glad for you to explain that sort of thing. >> reporter: they sparred in their involvement in freddie mac and fannie mae during the housing crisis. turns out they both invested. >> tracie potts there for us in washington. thanks. the continuing debate over mitt romney's taxes drew reaction from elizabeth warren who is running for a u.s. senate seat in massachusetts. she talked to lawrence o'donnell on "the last word" about

romney's taxes and why she believes millionaires should pay more. >> i think i do understand it. and that is that mitt romney pays 14% of his income in taxes and people who get out there and work for a living pay 25%, 28%, 30%, 33%. i get it. mitt romney gets a better deal than any of the rest of us because he manages to earn his income in a way that has been specially protected for rich folks. i think that's wrong. at the exact same moment they say to young people you'll have to take on more debt to get an education or say to seniors, you may have to learn to live on less, inmy view, that's really, in many ways, what this election is about. do we really believe that the investments we should be making as a country are all about protecting it for those who have already made it or do we believe it ought to be about investing in the future, investing in young people?

and honoring the promises that we've made to our seniors? >> you don't want to miss lawrence o'donnell's "last word" on biggest issues and the most compelling stories of the day. it airs 10:00 p.m. eastern time only on msnbc, the place for politics. a former u.s. marine pleaded guilty to shooting a gun at the pentagon and other military targets last year after the 24-year-old entered a guilty plea, prosecutors released a video he made, showing him in his car, waving the gun at the camera. you can see a muzzle flash from the gun. he recorded himself wearing a mask as well. no one was hurt in the shootings. he was arrested last june and admits to five separate shootings in october and november 2010. twice at the national museum of the marine corps and once each at the pentagon and at coast guard and marine corps recruiting offices in virginia. prosecutors say he intended to

strike fear throughout the region. he agreed to a 25-year prison term and will be sentenced in april. australia's prime minister says she's okay after a narrow escape from angry demonstrators. there were tense moments when she was dragged by security guards by a protest that turned violent. dozens of riot police and one swift-handed body guard came to the prime minister's rescue. paul davies from our english broadcasting partner, itn, has the story. >> reporter: shock, clinging on to her body guard, just a few minutes earlier, australia's prime minister julia gillard had been taking part in her country's biggest celebration. this year's australia day will be remembered for these images of a leader forced to flee from angry demonstrators, losing her shoe as well as her dignity. the prime minister and leader of the opposition had been presenting bravery awards to emergency workers at a restaurant when protesters who

had been taking part in a aboriginal rights demonstration nearby became aware of their presence. australia day is known as invasion day by these activists. their numbers began to grow, increasingly nervous security staff feared the restaurant's glass walls might give way. this was the moment the prime minister was told it was time to run. in the rush to get away, the shoeless julia gillard is knocked off her feet by her own security team. she's eventually bundled into the back of a car. although there was a brief confrontation between police and demonstrators, the prime minister later insisted no harm had been done. >> i'm fine. the only thing that really angers me about it is it disrupted such a wonderful

event. >> reporter: the protesters leaders says she's welcome back any time to collect her shoe. >> quite a scene there. here is your "first look" at some of the other news going on around america today. dramatic video shows a nashville police officer being attacked at a gas station after he responded to a report of a man causing a disturbance. police say the man punched and choked the officer as a store clerk tried to intervene. other officers showed up in time to save their colleague and arrest the suspect who now faces attempted murder charges. in california, a man police are calling the evil clown bandit due to his mask was stopped in the middle of a convenience store robbery. the store owner's father, a retired police officer in his 70s visiting from india fought the robber, ripping off his mask and forcing him to left empty handed. the suspect is still on the loose. in san diego, a suspected drunk driver was arrested three times in just five days. video shows one case where the

man pulled up to a gas pump and forgot to put his suv in park, causing it to roll backwards and into another vehicle. in pennsylvania, a middle school is saying no to uggs. the popular boot have been banned because officials say kids are using them as a place to hide cell phones and food. the horror. the horror. students will be allowed to wear them to and from school but they'll have to change out of the uggs once they're on campus. i'm glad we cleared up that issue. now for a look at your national weather we turn to nbc meteorologist bill karins. he has your weather channel forecast. you can't see your feet underneath a desk. people can't see mine. i have to wear heels. you on the other hand, i've seen you sneak a few slippers in here, maybe an ugg. >> the fuzzy uggs. >> don't give yourself a reputation, bill. that's my job. >> you should see what i hide in my uggs. we're continuing to watch

rain this morning, many areas of the east, a tiny bit of snow for far northern new england. temperatures soar into the 60s maybe as far north as new york city. that's the way this winter has been. it's been hard to hold on to the cold air. with all the ski resorts are dreading the weather like this with the warm temperatures and rain heading your way. it turned over to sleet and freezing rain, the pink, the greene is the rain. notice how it's creeping to the north along with the warm air. really only in more than maine are we going to keep it in all snow. even in bangor, maine it's mixing in with sleet, eventually turning to rain. washington, d.c., showers moving by. it ill with be very warm. eventually this afternoon the cold front will go through and we'll see a line of showers and storms. we may even get a thunderstorm at the end of january in areas as far north as new york city. thunderstorms in florida, i-4 probably one of the worst drives

out there this morning, a soaking rain from sarasota up north to tampa. orlando to sanford and daytona beach. even that should make it down to south florida. temperatures i mentioned, it's warm. 54 in washington, d.c., to start your morning. shows you all that warm air is heading up the east coast, eventually it will arrive in southern new england. today's forecast, we'll call for temperatures to be warm, unusually warm in some cases. there's the thunderstorms in florida. also snow showers for our friends in the north dakota area, minnesota, wisconsin, rain showers in kansas city and a beautiful day in dallas today, 65 and sunny. san antonio looks good, too. our friends on the west coast, lynn, no problems there either. first half of the day, then this evening it should clear out, most areas of the east. >> thanks so much, bill. coming up, unemployment nudges up. caterpillar hums and taco bell for breakfast? delicious. your "first look" at this morning's business headlines is straight ahead.

coming up, a pair of buzzer beaters, incredible crash at the x-games and the only draft where you want to be selected last. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. [ male announcer ] drinking a smoothie with no vegetable nutrition?

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welcome back to "first look." i'm lynn berry. here are some of the top stories making news this morning. the international organization doctors without borders has stopped its work in miss rat ra. they only saw detainees sent back for further interrogation. they vowed to address the abuse but insists it's not widespread. the united nations got an unexpected delivery earlier this month. 35 pounds of cocaine. the narcotics stuffed inside hollowed out textbooks were

intercepted at the u.n. mail room inside forged diplomat pouches with no return address. u.n. officials say the packages originated in mexico city. tragedy struck rio de janeiro late wednesday night when a 20-story building spontaneously collapsed and crumbled, taking down two more buildings with it. rescuers have pulled six bodies from the rubble. more than a dozen are still missing. this week's spectacular light show continues in northern europe, all thanks to the biggest solar storm in six years. folks in norway were treated to this amazing display of aurora boreal borealis, which doesn't even look real. the dow opens at 12,734 after losing 22 points yesterday. the s&p was down 7 points, the nasdaq lost 13. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo, the nikkei fell 8 points. in hong kong, the hang seng

gained 62. today we'll get fourth quarter numbers on the economy as the commerce department releases the report on gross domestic product which is expected to show growth. elsewhere transocean, the owner of the rig that exploded in the gulf of mexico in 2010 is off the hook on pollution claims. this according to a federal judge's ruling. the number of people filing for unemployment benefits rose last week from a nearly four-year low. still, economists say the long-term trend is pointing to further job begans ahead. the average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage rose from the lowest level on record. but it still remains below 4% for the eighth week in a row. orders for durable goods rose 3% last month due to a rebound in business spending on machinery and equipment. among positive earnings reports, caterpillar says its fourth quarter profit jumped 60%, an indicator of the strength of the global economy. profits were up 3% on 3m on

higher demand for products for the home, office and car. strong smartphone sales for samsung sent profits up 17%. and jcpenney soared 19%. taco bell is jumping into the busy fast food breakfast market. it's now selling breakfast burritos and hash browns at some of its restaurants. starbucks profits are up 10% and they're adding stores. but the very first starbucks location on the east coast, this one in washington, d.c., will close forever this weekend to make way for an updated shopping center. i guarantee there's probably about five or six about a mile away. i think people are fine. coming up, the magic blew a huge lead. a couple of bombs from way downtown. remember when the all-star game used to just be the all-star game? plus, it is what speed and thrill chasers watch the x games for, monumental wipeouts.

that's one of them. your "first look" at sports is straight ahead. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. ♪ ♪ so let's set the world on fire ♪ ♪ we can burn brighter ♪ than the sun ♪ carry me [ male announcer ] the all-new chevy sonic. from your first time... to the time of your life. chevy runs deep.

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[ male announcer ] progresso. 40 soups 100 calories or less. the most epic day in america. and the end of a journey that began here... when the swipe of a visa card... gave one man the chance to bring happiness to ten friends, and a new lease on life, to one. that was a false start. [ phone rings ] what!? yeah, meema. yes? i won tickets to the super bowl. pack your bags. [ male announcer ] use your visa card for a chance to win. to choose your ten, go to our facebook page. welcome back to "first look," i'm lynn berry. in sports there's having a bad season and then there's the why even bother showing up season. that's how it's been for the magic so far. here's fred roggin with an early look at all your sports headlines. there's something about the celtics that brings out the

worst in the orlando magics. the magic blou a 27-point lead to the celts last night, outscored by 19 in the quarter. it's been a forgettable week to say the last. the magic lost at 91-83. the clippers in memphis wore some of the ugliest jerseys you'll ever see but there's nothing ugly about this. if you like that, you'll love this. north carolina state's lorenzo brown threw up a prayer and it was answered. that was the only bright spot for the wolf pack. north carolina danced all over nc state 74-55. even if you don't like hockey, you have to love the way the nhl splits up the all-star teams. each team has a captain. one by one they pick the all-stars for their teams. it's like playing in the park and choosing sides. in this draft you want to be selected last. that's because the final pick gets a brand new car and no, it was not a zamboni.

the sharks logan couture never heard his name. no problem. he gets a giant key to a new honda. even if they thought he was the worst all-star, logan gets the last laugh and drives away in style. a spectacular moment, no bad how it looks, the rider was okay here. x games, snowmobile freestyle. he lost his grip on the snowmobile and down he went. amazingly he bounced right back up. he ducked his head at the last second and took fall on his back. he was better than okay. got back on that snowmobile and won the event. the word crazy doesn't even begin to describe these athletes. that's your "first look" at sports. have a great weekend, i'm fred roggin. now for another look at the weather here is nbc meteorologist bill karins. he has your weather channel forecast. >> have you ever been on a snowmobile. >> i'm a safety sally. i like to do things that avoid getting killed. i keep on solid ground.

>> i did it once for a charity snowmobile ride. we had to have eggs in our snow suits and go on the ride. it was just for a charity. >> what kind of charity? >> i crashed the snowmobile on the lake, flipped it. >> see? >> and had egg all over me. >> that's what you get. >> that was before youtube, thankfully. good morning, everyone. we are watching cold air in northern portions of new england. that's about it. there's a lot of warm up coming up the east coast. you don't need the gloves and heavy coat today. but you do need the umbrella and rain boots. the big cities i-95, more showery weather. it won't be a consistent, steady rain all day, just periods of rain. temperatures mild and warm, though, middle of the country, also watching colder air arri arriving finally. we're seeing a little bit of snow as well. as we go through the weekend forecast, there's not much weather concern. 40s in denver, deep south cooler, still nice. new england won't be bad either. sunday, the only trouble spot,

northwest with a little bit of rain. looks like a nice last week of january. >> any other bedtime stories you want to share with the crowd. >> i'll think about it. >> maybe in the next block. the wild card and the dark horse at the box office this weekend. plus, is this actor about to revive his most beloved film role? no kidding. how do you do that? your "first look" at entertainment is straight ahead. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. -i love this card. -with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card,

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welcome back to "first look." time for entertainment news. new box office blockbusters. between new films and holdovers it shapes up to be a super close battle.

the safe choice of many is last weekend's champ went underworld awakening" eking out a second straight win with $12 million to $13 million. the wild card top choice for some based on liam neeson's box office success is this r-rated debut thriller "the grey" with 14 million or $15 million. "one for the money" is also drawing underdog support. the only film with female draw and the only true date movie. some experts think it could win big. the suspense thriller "man on a ledge" seems to have it all. >> looks interesting. >> except good reviews. most see it lucky to open in the top five. finally putting together clues from a youtube teaser video that appeared yesterday, the scenes that matthew broderick may be reviving his ferris bueller character but it's just for a commercial for the upcoming super bowl. talk about a downer. i mean, like -- >> that's in the sequel, the 20-year reunion.

>> i don't know if it would play that well when you're 45. >> come on. i'm lynn berry and this is "first look" on msnbc. stay tuned. "way too early's" next. immigration, taxes, blind trusts and lunar colonies. all on the agenda at last night's republican debate where mitt romney flipped the script on newt gingrich and had the crowd cheering for him. the question is, with the polls in florida airtight at the top, how does newt or mitt edge ahead by tuesday? mark halperin will join us live in just a minute. defense secretary leon panetta introduced a new military budget. the question is how will he and the president convince members of congress already screaming bloody murder about this to go along with the new plan? and on any other day, it would be our top story.