other details and the exact location of his passing are not yet known. mr. shadid is survived by his wife and his two children. he was just 43 years old. signs of life? a fresh round of reports renew optimism in the nation's economic recovery. dramatic destruction. authorities in mexico set fire to to a massive haul of drug-remitted munitions. and safe and sound. a four-week-old puppy is pulled from a sewage drain in ohio. good morning, everyone. i'm lynn berry. those stories and more are straight ahead. this is "first look" on msnbc.

and we begin this morning with positive economic signs. the u.s. economy seems to be improving as unemployment claims last week were at their lowest level since 2008. and a bailed out american auto company is now showing record profits. nbc's michelle franzen has details. >> reporter: detroit's largest automaker, general motors, posted earnings of $7.6 billion last year, its biggest profit in nearly two decades. a lot g.m.'s assembly plant in flint, michigan, for the first time in years the overnight shift is back up and running. >> i have a real peace of mind because i feel like i'm back on track. >> the iconic american company still has a long road ahead. the government still owns a big share of stock and g.m. still owes billions from the bailout. on the campaign trail, mitt

romney worked to rev up the crowd to his native michigan. >> i love the auto industry. i want to see it thrive and grow. i'm glad it went through a bankruptcy process which i recommended from the beginning. >> meanwhile, rick santorum kept the heat on the president. >> this is a president who is suffocating this economy. this is a president who doesn't care about you. >> reporter: there are signs companies are starting to hire again. in the past week, jobless claims fell to their lowest in nearly four years. economists point to stronger retail and auto sales along with gains in manufacturing as good indicators the country is headed in the right direction. >> we have had runs of strong data like this before. and this looks like a good indicator. but let's see what we get going forward. >> reporter: one of the hurdles that could hurt, rising gas prices, expected to soar this spring due to increased demand from booming countries like china and ongoing conflicts in the middle east. michelle franzen, nbc news, new

york. contraception and reproductive rights have suddenly become a focus of an intense national debate prompted by the recent fight with the white house over whether religious-based employers must provide insurance for birth control. a congressional hearing got heated. some even walked out in protest. northbound's capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell reports. >> reporter: the politics of contraception provoked outrage on capitol hill. >> where are the women? when i look at this panel, i don't see one single woman. >> reporter: this picture set off that anger, when only men had a seat at the witness table during a hearing related to contraception. >> we have been denied the right to have a witness. >> reporter: politically the left pwe fines this battle as a women's right and health care equality issue. >> i may at some point be moved to explain biology to my

colleagues. >> reporter: on the right, conservatives focus on religious liberties. >> no man or woman should ever be forced to betray that faith. >> the republican chairman invited only faith leaders, not advocates for women's health. >> imagine having a panel on women's health and they don't have any women on the panel. >> reporter: the social issue divide can cut across gender and generational lines. >> if the issue continues it's likely to help the republican party because it could be a way of wooing catholics in the swing states such as pennsylvania and ohio. >> while the economy looms largest, these deeply personal issues can make an impact. kelly o'donnell, nbc news, washington. >> and the battle over birth control was a hot topic last night on the rachel mad dough show. president's obama's compromise is the right solution, but some people are still not satisfied.

>> this is a cold, political calculation that they can appeal to the employers and the insurance companies who might not want to spend money and at the same time try to stir up some kind of misinformation among people of good faith, religious people, by calling this an attack on religion. and, you know, i think this is why people really hate politics. this isn't about trying to find a solution. president obama found a solution. he found a place where people of conviction were not going to be put in the -- in a position of supporting health care coverage that covered something that they had a religious objection to. and at the same time making sure everyone stayed covered, including that women staying covered for basic health care services. there was -- there is a solution

on the table. this problem is solved. >> don't miss rachel mad dough week nights 9:00 eastern here on msnbc, the place for politics. some of the other news going around america today. a very bizarre scene at a pennsylvania walmart. keep it together, bill. a man took off all of his clothes in the parking lot and then he walked into the store nude, allegedly. he then headed for the customer service counter where he stole a pair of socks and put them on. we literally can't make this stuff up. police later tased him and arrested him. some workers at a butterball turkey plant are in hot water after undercover video showed turkeys being kicked and thrown into cages. that's just hard to watch. four have been fired, two more suspended. all of them face miss demeanor charges. it is working on training employees in proper animal care. a 4-week-old puppy was

trapped. its owners couldn't find the little guy until he noticed the dog's mom going over to the train looking for him. a sewer crew showed up, saved the pet, and he is now being treated at an animal hospital. finally, more proof that winter never was. this was supposed to be a brand-new ice rink. a virginia man built it in his backyard for his son to play hockey on. thanks to this year's mild temperatures, he has nothing more than a giant puddle of mud and hoping old man winter shows up before it's game over. now we turn to meteorologist bill karins with your weather channel forecast. >> very ambitious. >> major dad points. no pressure, bill. you're working on a treehouse three feet off the guy. >> you should call a weather guy, does it usually get that

cold in virginia? >> roller hockey. >> the funny thing about virginia, anywhere on the east coast has a chance of getting significant snow this weekend, it's probably virginia, especially up in the mountains. but i haven't even ruled out the possibility of snow in areas outside the mountains. we'll talk about this storm as we go throughout this weekend. right now it's located south of phoenix. it has a long ways to go. it's a slow mover. not a lot of cold air available. 95% of the storm is going to be a heavy rain event. we're already getting some of that rain in texas. a wet two days in texas. and then throughout the southeast, don't expect a lot of sunshine today right through your weekend. now, the northern stream will stay to the north. areas like boston, philadelphia, new york city, it doesn't look like you're going to get snow out of the storm. doesn't look like you will probably get rain. most of it to the south. washington, d.c., baltimore, you have a chance of getting some snow. here's a look at the radar

currently. all rain. breaking out. moderate rain for waco and austin. soon it will be in the dallas fort worth area. in the forecast, a very heavy rain event. one of the heaviest rain event we have seen in a couple months of southern louisiana, also into the houston area. this yellow and orange, our computers are saying two to three inches of rain possible into areas of atlanta. as far as snow goings it wouldn't be until sunday afternoon, sunday evening. virginia will definitely get a lot of snow. we will have to see how much cold air is available for d.c., richa richmond and areas in between. there's all heavy rain in the deep south. we track it through the southeast on saturday. then by the time we get to sunday, that's when the storm should be headed off the north carolina coast. it could get messy in the mid atlantic. lynn, it does not look like a blockbuster snowstorm for any cities. maybe just the mountains of the appalachians. >> bill, thanks so much.

coming up, socks soar. apple shines. and the starbucks drink that should take the guilt out of our early morning coffee splurge. coming up, pacers turn out the lights, incredible rally by the blue devils, and jeremy lin is headed to the all-star game. you're watching first look on msnbc.

welcome back to first look. i'm lynn berry. authorities say a federal i.c.e. agent turn odd one of his own in long beach, california in what they call a workplace shooting. a third i.c.e. agent shot and killed the agent who originally opened fire. the new jersey state assembly voted to legalize same-sex marriage yesterday after the state senate did the same. however, governor chris christie is promising a veto. f-16s were scrambled after

the pilot of a cessna veered into restricted airspace while president obama was aboard the marine one helicopter over southern california. the pilot complied with orders to land, but there was one more surprise waiting. more than 20 pounds of marijuana on board. he's not accused of wanting to harm the president but could still face drug charges. a pulitzer prize winning correspondent for the "new york times" has died in syria. anthony shadid sufrdz an apparent asthma attack at age 43. weapons destroyed in a move designed to send a dramatic message to drug cartels. the dow opens at 12,904, after gaining 123 points yesterday. the s&p nudged up 14 points. the nasdaq climbed 44. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo, the nikkei claimed 146 points,

while in hong kong the hang seng gained 214. stocks on fresh highs thursday driven by optimism out of greece. as we mentioned earlier, some of that welcomed economic news here a lot home starting the day out strong. word that greece expects to get approval on monday for a debt swap that would ultimately help the company avoid a disastrous default. signs of strength in manufacturing, home construction and news that weekly jobless claims tumbled to its lowest level since march 2008. general motors shot up 9% after posting a record profit of $7.6 billion. g.m. did, however, report weakness overseas and slim fourth quarter margins. among the day's big movers, microsoft soared 4% to a new 52-week high. apple reversed an early decline to finish above the 500 level in heavy trading. elsewhere on the earnings front, data storage company netapp led

with a 7% gain thanks to quarterly sales growth. on the down side, smucker's slipped 8% after slashing its full year earnings outlook. blue nile tumbled 10% after a disappointing quarterly report. yelpers will soon be able to invest in the online service. thanks to a blogger and barista who dreamed up the most expensive starbucks drink ever your morning brew this morning will sound like a bargain. the trenta size with soy milk, fruit purees rang up a whopping $23.60 and frankly doesn't really sound that good. so there you have it. well, coming up, duke stages

a a come back and fans say good-bye to a baseball great. lights out for the pacers in indiana. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. [ male announcer ] we put a week's worth of bad odors in a home. some aerosols may just mix with them. can febreze really remove it. we asked real people what they thought. [ moderator ] take a deep breath for me. describe the smell. it's very pleasant. fresh. some kind of flower maybe? [ moderator ] remove the blindfold... awww, oh yuck! i didn't smell any of that!

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feel the power my young friend. mmm! [ male announcer ] for excellent fruit and veggie nutrition... v8 v-fusion, also refreshing plus tea. could've had a v8. gomery and v8 v-fusion, also refreshing plus tea. abigail higgins had... ...a tree that bore the most rare and magical fruit. which provided for their every financial need. and then, in one blinding blink of an eye, their tree had given its last. but with their raymond james financial advisor, they had prepared for even the unthinkable. and they danced. see what a raymond james advisor can do for you. welcome back to "first look". i'm lynn berry. the knicks's newest sensation will join some of the other rising stars in orlando to play for team shaq. >>reporter: good morning. jeremy lin has made the all-star

team. not exactly. he was a last minute add to the rising stars challenge, a game of rookies and second-year players. linsanity hits orlando next weekend. 23 points and 10 boards against the celtics. chicago continues to run without derrick rose. now to indiana where the pacers literally shut the lights out. running offense in the second quarter. the arena went dark. took five minutes for the game to resume. and when it did, granger lit up the nets, scoring 32 points. pacers win it. the nets dropped eight straight. college hoops, number 4 duke received a scare from nc state. trailed by 20. clawed their way back into the game. blue devils took the lead in the final minutes and escaped with a 78-73 win. number 21 florida avoided an upset. down two to virginia tech. michael snare for the win and he got it. seminoles rallied to beat the

hokies, 48-47. hall of fame catcher gary carter passed away yesterday. known for his brown curls and infectious smile, he played 12 years for the expos and the mets in '86. he was diagnosed with four brain tumors. he lost his battle yesterday. he was 57. the blackhawks snapped their winning streak in a big way. tate got things started with a penalty shot netted in the game. chicago scored four in the first and beat the rangers, 4-2. that's your "first look" at sports. have a great weekend. i'm fred roggin. nbc meteorologist bill karins has your weather channel forecast. following big weather headlines, right? >> i'm here for public safety. two reasons. >> i completely understand. >> you don't feel that telling everyone that dense fog is around -- >> i'm just saying. it must be a slow weather day. >> it's a little slow, but it's

a concern. all right. for everyone that lives in virginia, also north carolina, washington, d.c., you do have dense fog to deal with on your morning commute. typically we tell you to drive slowly, leave a little early just in case there's low visibility and traffic problems. lynn would like to admit that from our broadcast. as far as what we're dealing with from the rain, just a light sprinkle and little drizzle in areas of new england. so you may want to bring that small umbrella with you. it will clear out throughout the day. it will be a nice late afternoon once the sun comes out. temperatures in the 40s and 50s. very mild air in place. all the heavy rain is developing in texas. it will move through the southeast. once again, it looks like the only people who have to worry about snow is in the mountains of virginia and west virginia. possibly d.c. to richmond. it doesn't look like it will be a huge snowstorm. you have to wait until the end

of the forecast. that's why we have to keep. >> you all right. it worked. coming up, stephen colbert mysteriously sus spends production at his show >> and johnny blaze makes a come back but can he take a top spot at the box office? you're watching "first look" on msnbc. i can't wait till morning. wait! it's morning in china! ♪ [ male announcer ] it's sweet, it's nutty... it's absolutely delicious. kellogg's crunchy nut. it's morning somewhere. what ? customers didn't like it. so why do banks do it ? hello ? hello ?! if your bank doesn't let you talk to a real person 24/7, you need an ally. hello ? ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense.

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president obama visited a factory in wisconsin that just brought back 100 jobs from china. it's got to be tough. it's got to be tough for the workers in china who lost their jobs. but kids always bounce right back.

i heard cnn is letting viewers ask questions at its republican debate. this question is from mark in texas. mark asks, what else is on? political news, during a speech yesterday president obama said ask what you can do to bring jobs to your country and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed. then he added, speaking of jobs, anyone know of a good speech writer because that quote sucked? i don't know. tonight jimmy welcomes ricky gervais and school of seven bells. that's late night with jimmy fallon, week nights at 12:35, 11:35 central on your local nbc station. time for a little entertainment news. nicolas cage is hoping to burn the competition at the box office this weekend. >> i get it, burned. >> as he returns as johnny blaze

in ghostrider's spirit of vengeance. it should ride away. that's another pun, with $29.5 million. >> one more pun, please. >> considerably less than the first ghostriders film. reese witherspoon's "this means war" is expected to draw a largely female audience. >> things are blowing up. >> they're cia agents and they date her. both of them. it's expected to debut with $17 million. >> i want to see it. >> so do i. >> neither is expected to beat last weekend's champ the vow. i want to see that. >> i don't. >> it's a true story. stephen colbert unexpectedly suspended production this week due to unforeseen circumstances. there's a source linked to show that tells the houghington post that his mom is seriously ill. we wish them all the best. it's very unusual, like the first time they have not had a

scheduled episode. >> i never thought bit. those guys are always on. >> there's no sub. exactly. we wish the best to them. i'm lynn berry. this is "first look" on msnbc. stay tuned. "way too early" is next. the "new york times" is mourning the death this morning of its pulitzer prize winner foreign correspond epbt anthony shadid who covered the war inside syria. how did this universally respected reporter lose his life? back home, mitt romney, comparing rick santorum to donald trump, michele bachmann, the latest to challenge his republican throne. what happens if he loses michigan? and the man behind santorum's campaign, the cash anyway, stops the great andrea mitchell in her tracks with his analysis of the history of cont