-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com silence is golden. a silent movie makes a lot of noise at last night's academy awards. $4 a gallon, the cost of filling up continues to climb toward a painful new high. and driving rain. the daytona 500 is washed out for the first time in nascar history. good morning, i'm lynn berry. those stories and more are straight ahead. this is "first look" on msnbc. we're going to begin in morning with "the artist" a

black and white nod to hollywood stole the show at last night's oscars. we're joined from hollywood with all the red carpet glitz and glamour. details on who took home the coveted gold. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lynn. you know george clooney joked during our interview that now he's going to be doing silent pictures. after this, that may not be far from the truth. with no color and almost no words "the artist" revived an art form that's not been celebrated by oscar in 83 years. >> and the oscar goes to "the artist". >> reporter: swept the academy awards top three honors winning best picture, best director and best actor. [ speaking foreign language ] >> i love you clm. >> reporter: the first frenchman over to win and oscar was the

second silent film to take the academy's top prize and the first since 1929. another first? best supporting actor christopher plummer, the oldest actor ever to win an oscar at the age of 82. >> you're only two years older than me, darling. where have you been all my life? >> reporter: meryl streep added a third oscar to her mental with best actress win for "the iron lady" beating out viola davis from "the help". >> when they called my name i had this feeling i could hear half of america going, oh, no. oh, come on. why? >> reporter: best supporting actress went to octavia spencer. >> i'm wrapping up. i'm freaking out. >> reporter: another highlight of the evening was billy crystal who returned to host after an eight-year absence. >> nothing can take the sting out of the world's problems like watching millionaire take home

golden statues. >> reporter: woody allen "best night in paris" for best screen play. in hollywood, jinah kim. back to you. a little over 24 hours to go before that all-important primary in michigan as well as arizona on tuesday. mitt romney and rick santorum are battling in michigan where the latest polls show the two are virtually tied. tracie potts joins us from washington with more on this. good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. mitt romney took a day off campaign speeches to enjoy the daytona 500, where he inadvertently caused a buzz online when asked if he's a fan. >> this combines a couple of things i like best. cars and sport. and i appreciate the spirit of the men and women that are driving today. >> reporter: but it's what mitt romney said off camera that has twitter buzzing this morning. asked if he's a nascar fan, romney says he doesn't follow it closely but, quote, i have

friends that are nascar team owners. rick santorum has his own race day take on the state's primary tomorrow. >> hang back there for a while. let all the other cars in front of you wreck. and then run hard in the last few laps and win the race. >> reporter: sources tell nbc santorum will get secret service protection starting today. what he did not get is a key endorsement from arizona governor jan brewer. >> i have decided that i'm going to publicly endorse mitt romney. i think he's the man that can carry the day. >> reporter: that was at the arizona debate. can romney carry the day in michigan tomorrow, where he's averaging a slim two-point lead over santorum. >> what we believe will come out of tuesday is that this is a two-person race right now. >> i think i can show i can fight real hard and come from behind. >> thank you. >> reporter: romney says he still thinks he can win the nomination, as he put it, however long it takes to get that done.

and it's increasingly looking like a delegate fight into the spring, maybe even into the summer. lynn? >> tracie potts for us in washington. taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in eastern afghanistan early today. a car bomb exploded at the gates of the jalalabad airport, killing nine people, mostly civilians. the taliban says it was revenge for burning of korans at an american military base a week ago. on sunday, eight u.s. soldiers were wounded in a grenade attack at a u.s. base in can dur province. hunt continues for a man who killed and shot two men. u.s. military says it is investigating a taliban claim of possible food tampering at a base in eastern afghanistan but that no personnel have been sickened or injured. now, here's your first look at some other news going on around america today. a thief use aid hammer to smash

his way into a philadelphia jewelry store window grabbing thousands of dollars in merchandise on the way. a store clerk came rushing to the display right as the robber took off. the man carried out the robbery in broad daylight saturday afternoon. he dropped the hammer at the scene and remains on the loose. in new orleans, crews worked very slowly and carefully to move a two-story building across town. the former coast guard barracks weighed in at more than half a million pounds. a contractor hired to demolish the structure decided to go green instead. they used remote krol dollies and a barge to get the job done. and finally a story you may find hard to swallow. saturday marked world sword swallowers day. putting the metal to their mouths at one of many celebrations around the world and raised money for ees so geel

cancer research. we turn to meteorologist bill karins with your weather channel forecast. good morning to you, bill. >> so, i did not see even one film that won an award last night. >> oh, you did not? >> no. >> you and i are in the same boat. >> no, you saw -- >> i saw "the help," you're right. >> we talked endlessly about "the artist". >> i feel like i have to see it. >> exactly. >> you do it first. >> we're like this. >> yes. >> both pathetic. good morning, everyone. over the weekend we had decent weather. windy on the east coast. we got an interesting forecast down in daytona. yesterday the daytona 500 was washed out, rained all day. takes 2 1/2 hours to dry the track and they never got a chance to do that. the rain hasn't stopped. they're supposed to get the big race in. this is the super bowl of racing down there. they're going to try to get it in today at noon but a lot of wet weather coming in off the gulf. it's going to be a challenge out there to dodge the showers to try to get the race in today. maybe they can do it later this

evening. they have lights. maybe later tonight. as far as the east coast, the rain is isolated as southern georgia in northern florida may skirt through areas of south carolina. down along the texas coast, moisture returning off the gulf is going to cause you cloudy skies with a chance of showers also. the snow from last night is ending up there if wisconsin. so, the stage is being set. looks like we have a pretty good snowstorm to deal in the plains. looks like even on wednesday, areas of new england you'll get snow and sleet and ice out of this storm too. cold air is now in place. 13 in billings. plenty cold enough now in the northern plains. we have a blizzard watch. this could be one of our first real blizzards of the winter season. we're mostly talking dakotas. minneapolis has a chance of 6 to 12 inches. it's go to be a close call to see fitz all snow or snow mixed with sleet and ice. as far as snowfall totals, 6 to 12 inches through the plains and

then into wisconsin. green bay could get a good snowstorm. michigan is going to be messy, an ice storm for areas of grand rapids and north of detroit. today, beautiful weather, carolinas northward. rainy along the southern half of the country. we'll wait for that snowstorm in the plain tomorrow, lynn. looks like in new england could have a couple inches of snow to deal with come wednesday. >> thanks so much. coming up, gas prices soar. data pours in. and folks in greece have some fun at their leader's expense. your "first look" at this morning's business headlines is straight ahead. and upset in college basketball, an all-star game shootout and unbelievable goal from the pitch. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. [ male announcer ] juice drink too watery?

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welcome back to "first look," i'm lynn berry. syria's president bashar al assad says his country is under what he called a media attack

but he says his forces are, quote, strong other the ground. 55 syrians died sunday in an army attack in homs and other cities. intelligent services in russia claim to have stopped assassination plot against vladimir put. putin is expected to win in russian elections on march 4th. sunday, more than 30,000 russians protested against putin joining hands to form a ring around boss cow. in canada three railroad engineers died in a derailment. more than 30 passengers were also injured in the accident when a look motive and passenger cars went off the track and flipped onto their sides. and former south african president nelson mandela left the hospital on sunday. he's resting comfortably at home. the 93-year-old underwent minor surgery over the weekend. and now here is your "first look" at wall street. the dow opens at 12,982 after losing a point on friday.

the s&p added two points. the nasdaq was up six. taking a look at overseas trading, tokyo the nikkei lost 13 points while in hong kong the hang seng dropped 189. on wall street and main street these days, it's all about oil. rising nearly $2 a bare ol friday, oil prices continue to trade in the $109 range overseas this morning. and the rising cost of crude rose gas prices to an average $3.69 a gallon. fresh economic data includes auto sales, chain store sales and u.s. manufacturing data. also ahead, corporate earnings from dreamworks, costco and staples. officials from a group of 20 of the world's leading economies postponed providing europe with more financial aid yesterday, putting pressure on germany to step up in europe's debt crisis fight. on wednesday, the european central bank is expected to announce a second round of low interest loans to boost confidence and drive down yields on government bonds.

back at home, bp's civil trial owe the gulf oil disaster will not begin today as talks surrounding a possible $14 billion settle. continues. warren buffett says an unnamed successor has been chosen to run berkshire hathaway when the time comes but he insists he's not going anywhere. and tough times in greece were set aside for the country's biggest carnivale parade yesterday with handmade floats that pokes fun at the country's political leaders. well, coming up, the badgers beat buckeyes. one amazing backwards goal. plus, the west hang on to win last night's all-star shootout. your first look at sports is straight ahead. your finances can't manage themselves. but that doesn't mean they won't try.

bring all your finances together with the help of the one person who can. a certified financial planner professional. cfp. let's make a plan. with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaids, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine

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where's i.t. mom? she quit. [ male announcer ] even with technology -- it's all you. staples easy tech can help with everything from new computers to set-ups to tune-ups. stapes. that was easy. welcome back to first "first look." kobe bryant made history last night in orlando. here's mario solis. good morning. as hollywood rewarded the best in cinema, the finest basketball players in the world took center stage at nba all-star game. to orlando. this is the game for you lebron james gets the crowd going with an early wind mill. he had a team high 367. blake griffin knows a think or two about dunking, takes a feed from chris paul and throws it down. west up 19 at half. kobe bryant made history had in the third passing michael jordan for most points in all-star history. kevin durant had a game to remember. 36 points and the mvp award

appeared like the west was going to run away with it but the east rallies in the fourth. lebron dials long distance, east pulls within one and that's as close as they go. griffin with final touches. west leads from start to finish and win 152-149. to the college ranks. 15th ranked wisconsin versus ohio state. badgers shot the lights out from beyond the arc. made eight three pointers but none bigger than this. berg ran knocks down the trip well 30 seconds left. wisconsin upsets ohio state 63-60. nascar daytona 500, great american race, was postponed because of rain. they'll try to start their engines today at noon. golf, match play championship. hunter mayhen from 179 yards out, up, on line and comes an inch away from going in the cup. he will tap to go 4 up and beat rory mcilroy. finally amazing goal to show you from spain. real madrid in red.

renaldo with a flash of brilliance scores with the back of his heel, no-look backkick into the net, could be the kick of the year. real madrid wins 1-0. i'm mario solis. for another look at the weather here is nbc meteorologist bill karins with the weather channel forecast. good morning once again. >> i'm excited. february is almost over. i mean, march is coming. unfortunately, doesn't look like the weather will cooperate, figures after a mild and warm winter that we'll end february with a good snowstorm moving across the northern portion of the country. gold, northern new england is very cold. big cities in the 20s. big cities of i-95 in the thirds. it's a gold monday morning out there. a lot of kids returning back toll school after last week off. a beautiful afternoon so a day you'll carry the jacket home.

60 in d.c. from boston to philly. northern new england will have a good warm-up today. as far as the storm is concerned, right now it's out in the west. today it will bring areas of rain to southern california and areas like phoenix with a chance of showers. then it will move to the middle of the country tomorrow. snow will break out throughout areas of the dakotas. could be looking at a sizeable snowstorm, blizzard conditions as the storm intensefies over the top of minneapolis, areas of the dakotas, wisconsin will get good snow and then very messy. chicago, you'll be warm enough. grand rapids michigan through northern michigan it will be a mess. we have voting and primary taking place tomorrow. should be fine for tuesday. it's not until wednesday the worst of that weather will occur. by wednesday morning it's in the daytime hour on wednesday. all of central new england could get snow mixed with sleet, maybe freezing rain, too. looks like the big cities are going to be okay, lynn but we'll track the storm over the next three days. >> thanks so much. coming up, navy s.e.a.l.s raid the box office this oscar

weekend. plus, we knew it was coming, right? sacha baron cohen trademark publicity stunts creates chaos on the red carpet. you're watching "first look." the economists make some good points. we need safer energy. [announcer:] who's right? they all are. visit powerincooperation.com. i'm going to own my own restaurant. i want to be a volunteer firefighter. when i grow up, i want to write a novel. i want to go on a road trip. when i grow up, i'm going to go there. i want to fix up old houses. [ female announcer ] at aarp we believe you're never done growing. i want to fall in love again. [ female announcer ] discover what's next in your life. get this free travel bag when you join at aarp.org/jointoday. over a million people have discovered how easy it is

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welcome back to "first look". we filled you in on the big winners and losers at last night's oscars but a lot of buzz today will be about what everyone was wearing on tonight's most glamorous night. here is nbc's jinah kim. >> reporter: even before the academy awards were handed out last night, the red carpet produced plenty of winners according to fashion designer

nick bariose. >> thank goodness color is back and thank goodness actresses are taking chances. >> reporter: best actress nominee michelle williams. >> i thought she looked stunning. the coral red color was perfect. >> reporter: kudos also for sandra bullock. >> the back of that dress. i love the cowl back. another trend is the open back. we saw a little on rooney's gown. i love that she didn't wear black. thank you, thank you, rooney. >> reporter: it was a golden night for best actress winner meryl streep. >> looking glamorous and very 1940s with that gown and it was gold. >> reporter: another double winner, best supporting actress octavia spencer. >> i absolutely loved that gown. the neckline and beading head to toe was a trend, sequins, all-over sequins. >> reporter: but maybe the biggest winner, jennifer lopez.

>> if i was around her i would have left. she looked so stunning. >> reporter: overall, major fashion faux pas were few. >> that's why i want helen bonham carter to come back. >> reporter: but one major letdown. >> sacha baron cohen, i think he should have done more in items of his outfit. why not? >> reporter: no swan outfits bjork or gold amex cards but you can bet the outfits on this red carpet will define trends for months to come around the world. nbc news. now it's time for a little more entertainment news. the navy s.e.a.l.s film "act of valor" with the help of young movie goers made $27 million beat out new films from tyler perry and jennifer aniston. a little more oz car buzz for you. in case you missed it, "the

artist" won best actress, best picture and best director. best actress went to lovely and amazing meryl streep. she had a wonderful pore trailer of margaret thatcher in "the iron lady" and as we just saw, comedian sacha baron cohen made good on his threat showing up in character and he did quite a splash when he did that. not in a good way. he spilled what he said were the ashes of north korean dictator kim jong-il on ryan seacrest. talk about the last guy that would be really cool about it. he was cool about it but he's a little pretty boy. he likes his hair perfect, his clothes perfect. >> poor ryan. what was he supposed to do? >> i literally said he was in shock. >> a lot of people were debating maybe the wardrobe malfunction that jennifer lopez got. >> that's getting a little play. >> if she did it. >> i don't know if we can show

that. >> probably shouldn't. i'm lynn berry. stay tuned "way too early" is next. a grenade attack wounds seven more united states service members hours after two american officers were killed by an afghan security officer. all this in response to the burning of some muslim holy books by nato troops. the question is, what does the last week of events mean for the u.s. role in afghanistan going forward? we'll have a live report from kabul. meanwhile, republicans in michigan and arizona vote tomorrow in the race for president with mitt romney looking strong in arizona and hoping he can hang on to his home state, despite a good fight there from rick santorum. the question is, have two weeks of focus on social issues hurt santorum? we'll show you the latest numbers a day ahead of the voting. they partied last night like it was 1929 at the oscars with a silent film winning three of the night's biggest awards. the question is,