you are watching "weekends with alex witt." the gulf's best tourism season in years. in florida we had more suntans... in alabama we had more beautiful blooms... in mississippi we had more good times... in louisiana we had more fun on the water. last season we broke all kinds of records on the gulf. this year we are out to do even better... and now is a great time to start. our beatches are even more relaxing... the fishing's great. so pick your favorite spot on the gulf... and come on down. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. mid grade dark roast forest fresh full tank brain freeze cake donettes rolling hot dogs bag of ice anti-freeze wash and dry diesel self-serve fix a flat jumper cables 5% cashback signup for 5% cashback at gas stations through september. it pays to discover. it's about time we made our homes work for us. so let's make our dryers do the ironing. have our fridges cater our parties. and tell our ranges to whip up dinner. let's plug in to summer savings before they're gone... ...without

>>> good morning, welcome to "weekends with alex witt." we begin with news from london and the 30th olympic games, michael phelps and ryan lochte will face off in the 400 individual medley. it is a tough race encompassing all four strokes, qualifying heats began this morning. police arrested more than 100 cyclists near olympic stadium. scotland yard says the procycling rally brow through the security corps done. and 80,000 spectators packed into the olympic stadium for the opening ceremony. there was an unexpected cauldron lighter and appearance by the queen and song by sir paul mccartney. let's go to nbc's michelle kosinski live in london. good day to you, it is an exciting day as we get things going. what's happening today? >> reporter: hi, alex, you mentioned the swimming heats taking place as we speak and last tonight we'll get to see ryan lochte face off with michael phelps, his teammate and rival right now. that individual medley, 400 meter event, michael phelps set the record in 2002 and broke his own record in 2008. that record sti

. >>> welcome back to "weekends with alex witt." i'm richard lui in forxd alex witt.bout whether the health care law will survive challenges. >> you fought in the trenches to get this thing passed. it wasn't easy. is repeal unrealistic? >> yes. >> mitt romney to republican leaders, we're going to lead the charge on this? >> i think that part is over. do we want to fight for better? we want to continue to lower costs and we built that into the affordable care act. >> joining me now, former deputy communications director for the obamaç administration and incoming traveling press secretary to the 2012 campaign, jen sochi and white house political director and cnbc political director, sarah taylor fagan. >> good afternoon. >> certainly. the house will vote to repeal the affordable care act. that vote largely seen as symbolic. what exactly are the republicans hoping accomplish with this? >> it certainly makes the point that the way this law came about, the -- the political dealing that took place in the senate to get this passed is indicative of zhao how unpopular it is a

welcome back to all of you to "weekends with alex witt."irst full day of competition with 12 gold medals up tore grabs, tonight attention will move to aquatic centre where ryan phelps and ryan lochte will swim the grueling 400 meter individual medley, the qualifying heats began for that race this morning. >>> london is buzzing about last night's opening ceremony, more than 80,000 spectators and 10,000 athletes packed the olympic stadium, including the queen there. this morning's newspaper splashed images of the dazzling ceremony on the front pages. many britains called it the greatest show on earth. that was particularly spectacular when those golden olympic rings. >>> queen elizabeth is taking an active role, she appeared in a video with daniel craig before her body doubles parachuted into the stadium. nbc kevin tibbles is live with more. if you would have heard me laughing at the tv when that happened. i thought that was hysterical. she's got a good sense of humor. >> reporter: first off, alex, i'm going to fire my personal trainer and my

>>> welcome back to "alex witt."ney's time at bain capital cess can alating today with surrogates for both candidates taking to the airwaves to keep up their fight. >> he was still ceo and had shares but he wasn't responsible for management and that's the -- you know, that's the bottom line. >> he said chairman, ceo. sole shareholder, president. you can't, as president of the united states, you can't have a sign our desk that says gone fishing. >> 8.2% unemployment, 23 million americans struggling to find work. we have record deficits. we have people, you no i, people trying to find the job that can't find one. people that have a job are really worried about losing it. and the president does not have an answer to that for the american people. >> as the governor of massachusetts, use taxpayer dollars to outsource jobs to india. and now, you know, his tax policies now encourage the same type of outsourcing. this is a legitimate discussion about romney's record in the past. also what he wants to do now for this country.

welcome to weekends with alex witt. a tragedy on the scale of colorado takes days and weeks, even months, to thin from a nation's bloodstream. for those with a direct connection to the killings, it takes forever. if a measure of relief can be gained, those still early in the process, perhaps we might see that in a matter of hours when president obama arrives in the city to share the country's grief and console his fellow citizens later today. that will play out and we will, of course, bring it to you. >>> that is just one story line on a day we have learned new and critical details on what happened just after midnight on a friday in a crowded theater in a suburban american city. within the hour, we heard from the aurora police chief and he described how his officers identified james holmes as the suspect and not a s.w.a.t. officer despite all of his ballistic gear. >> there was one particular piece of equipment that he had on him that was out of place. i am so proud of my officers that they spotted that right away and c

talking about it next here on "weekends with alex witt." thoug. huh?ld've used roundup. it kills weeds to the root, so they don't come back. roundup. no root. no weed. no problem. his morning starts with arthritis pain. and two pills. afternoon's overhaul starts with more pain. more pills. triple checking hydraulics. the evening brings more pain. so, back to more pills. almost done, when... hang on. stan's doctor recommended aleve. it can keep pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is rudy. who switched to aleve. and two pills for a day free of pain. ♪ [ female announcer ] and try aleve for relief from tough headaches. >>> welcome back to with the kwkds with alex witt." well, the feds are giving the green light on a right to vote challenge in florida which means that the state can now use a homeland security database to check on whether its residents and non-residents have the right to vote based on citizenship status. all this is playing out in the midst of a close presidential relationship in the battleground state. steve is joining me

welcome to "weekends with alex witt." in awe aurora, colorado. >> president obama will leave washington for colorado shortly and meet with families of the victims. the trip includes meetings with local officials. james holmes will appear in court tomorrow for the first time. the sheriff says he is isolated from other inmates. reports suggest he is refusing to talk with police. the fbi detonated explosives they have collected from his apartment in the outskirts of town. today, the crews remain at the apartment hunting for more evidence. nbc kristin dahlgren outside the apartment and chris jansing outside the theater. we will go first to you, kristen, with the latest on what's going on outside the apartment. what are you seeing? >> reporter: not a whole lot of police activity here today. the investigation really focusing on the things that were taken out of this apartment as they disarmed those boobytraps yesterday. with holmes not talking, the evidence could come down to that. that is his apartment on the third floor. you

welcome back to "weekends with alex witt." time for your fast five headlines.in cairo with her feefirst meeting with president muhammad morsi. >>> in paris today, pomp, pageantry and patriotism, it's bastille day that markses the beginning of the french revolution in 1789. among the festivities, a parachute show that drove one parachuter off by a half mile. he wound up suffering a sprained knee. >>> back in this country, visa, mastercard and several of major banks have agreed to pay retailers about $6 billion to settle a lawsuit. as part of the deal, merchants are going to be allowed to charge customers a fee to use a credit card. we'll talk more about that. >>> the effects of thursday's massive solar flare could interfere with electronics. power grids are most vulnerable, the solar storm also may generate a display of northern lights this weekend. >>> and in the year's final running of the bulls a bit earlier today, four people were injured but no one was gored. over the course of the eight stampedes there in spain, the bulls got the better of 38 people who ne

you're watching "weekends with alex witt." ok!sional constipation, diarrhea, gas or bloating? get ahead of it! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap a day helps defend against digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. hit me! [ female announcer ] live the regular life. phillips'. until i show them this. the new oral-b pro-health clinical brush. its pro-flex sides adjust to teeth and gums for a better clean. the new pro-health clinical brush from oral-b. >>> here is the latest on the tragedy in colorado. the alleged gunman is 24-year-old james holmes. neighbors described him as smart but shy. police say they will soon release the names of the deceased. 12 people died, 50 other injured. the white house issued photos of president obama yesterday as he reacted. the president called aurora mayor from the motorcade while driving to the airport in palm beach, florida. a bit later president obama and vice president biden met in the oval office to discuss the tragedy. >>> the shooting massacre is not just making headlines he

that is a wrap-up of this hour with alex witt. be sure on assure to gin me at 2:00 eastern. next on msnbc. up next, there's my friend chris hayes. [ male announcer ] it's simple physics... a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. celebrex can be taken with or without food. and it's not a narcotic. you and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen, and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such

>>> good morning, welcome to "weekends with alex witt."e begin with news from london and the 30th olympic games, michael phelps and ryan lochte will face off in the 400 individual medley. it is a tough race encompassing all four strokes, qualifying heats began this morning. police arrested more than 100 cyclists near olympic stadium. scotland yard says the procycling rally brow through the security corps done. and 80,000 spectators packed into the olympic stadium for the opening ceremony. there was an unexpected cauldron lighter and appearance by the queen and song by sir paul mccartney. let's go to nbc's michelle kosinski live in london. good day to you, it is an exciting day as we get things going. what's happening today? >> reporter: hi, alex, you mentioned the swimming heats taking place as we speak and last

that is a wrap of our special early edition of "weekends with alex witt."see you again next weekend at this same

welcome to weekends with alex witt. liter first five stories trending this hour.n exploding this weekend. still more heat and danger, geek squad layoff, will there be history in britain? bowing flying while a big prediction. details on those stories the next hour. but first -- >>> heat is loosening its grip on parts of the u.s. but only slightly. all told it is to blame for 61 deaths across this country n st. louis, temperatures saturday record of 107 degrees yesterday. police around the country -- people around the country say the heat is unbearable. >> i would rather much have it 20 below zero than 102 degrees, 'cause 102 just drains you. >> you sweat. you're constantly drinking gatorade or water and you can't cool it unless you have a cooler because there's no refrigerator. >> listen to this daurk's reagan national airport, look at that, that plane sunk into an overheated taxi way this picture

that is a wrap of our special early edition of "weekends with alex witt."see you again next weekend at this same time. wake up early with me, everyone. up next, we have men's volleyball. russia wit germany. the 2012 olympic games on msnbc begins about five seconds from now. >>> good morning, everyone, and welcome to our nbc olympics headquarters in new york. i'm kelly tilghman. day two here features exceptional american women whose keen eyes, steel nerves and steady hands have allowed them to take aim in medals in shooting and archery. we'll also get to witness the dazzling brazilian soccer superstar. but right now the action is already under way in men's volleyball. russia, one of the gold medal favorites, is playing germany. let's head over to earls court where we join our announcers. >> day two of the olympic volleyball competition in london. and now we move over to the men's side. and a good one under way between russia, the number two ranked team in the world, taking on number 13, germany. the very late stages of set number one. and germany fell behind

welcome to a special edition of "weekends with alex witt." we begin this morning with news from london and the xxx olympic games. american swimmic ryan lochte. phelps fourth place, didn't medal. fans outside the aquatic center told us they were stunned. >> i'm very shocked. usually you would think fell ps is a guarantee to medal if not first. at least usa won but not the one you thought. >> we were hoping that ryan would win. he's the underdog. >> and the new guy. so i mean, that's exciting. >> meanwhile, beach volleyball stars they won their opening match against australia. the two-time defending gold medalists extended the record to 15-0. and olympic officials launched a probe in to why seats are empty at sold out events. some fans said the venues were about half full, in fact. we'll have a complete report on that just ahead. >>> but first, let's get to l london for a look ahead for today's events. stephanie gosk is there. wishing i was there. let's talk about the big moments to watch going forward today. good morning. >> good morning. a da

i'm alex witt.are now approaching 33 hours since those tragic and still inexplicable moments in a crowded theater. imagine every seat side by side, every row front to back filled at a suburban mall in the heart of colorado. moments when actual gun fire broke the sell of fictional violence on the big screen and in that time, 33 hours, we have learned enough to frighten and sadden us for a lifetime. but practically speaking we have learned rather little. in fact, at this hour police remain mystified by booby-traps carefully arranged inside the suspect's apartment. officials say removing the trip wire may include a detonation, a blast and fire. we'll have more on that remarkable and developing situation in a moment. but back at the shooting scene where this horror show began with one man and four guns, there remain more unanswered questions about the time just before the gunfire started as the investigation enters its second full day. my colleague msnbc's chris janis sing is joining me life. good day t

coming up next, "weekends with alex witt." hey. hey eddie. i brought your stuff. to keep this. it'd be weird. take care. you too. [ sighs ] so how did it go? he's upset. [ male announcer ] spend less time at gas stations. with best in class fuel economy. it's our most innovative altima ever. ♪ [ female announcer ] letting her home be turned into a training facility? ♪ this olympian's mom has been doing it for years. she's got bounty. in this lab demo, one sheet of new bounty leaves this surface cleaner than two sheets of the leading ordinary brand.

coming up next, "weekends with alex witt." e is ! where ? where ? it's getting away ! where is it ?that's why we got a subaru. love wherever the road takes you. wow, there it is. i don't want to just eat plants.

welcome to weekends with alex witt.en months, to thin from a nation's bloodstream. for those with a direct connection to the killings, it takes forever. if a measure of relief can be gained, those still early in the process, perhaps we might see that in a matter of hours when president obama arrives in the city to share the country's grief and console his fellow citizens later today. that will play out and we will, of course, bring it to you. >>> that is just one story line on a day we have learned new and critical details on what happened just after midnight on a friday in a crowded theater in a suburban american city. within the hour, we heard from the aurora police chief and he described how his officers identified james holmes as the suspect and not a s.w.a.t. officer despite all of his ballistic gear. >> there was one particular piece of equipment that he had on him that was out of place. i am so proud of my officers that they spotted that right away and chal llenged him. in that chaos, it is quite reasonable that

coming up, weekends with alex witt. why should our wallets tell us what our favorite color is?step should tell us we made the right decision. so when we can feel our way through the newest, softest, and most colorful options... ...across every possible price range... ...our budgets won't be picking the style. we will. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. make room for savings with $37 basic installation on martha stewart living and platinum plus carpet.

msnbc's alex witt has been tracking it for us for hours. alex, what have you seen?at's been posted to twitter and youtube less than an hour after shots rang out. men showing up lain costume, so of that only adding to the movie. people were taken out all bloody. let's watch that for a moment. there's someone dressed up in a costume i was talking about. and we also will keep an eye on those that are exiting, some of them walking more slowly than one would expect, but they are certainly trying to get out of that theater. we're also watching twitter. richard, a lot of things have come out but reflected as the sentiment with the president just now. we have eric canter and nancy pelosi talking about best wishes for the family and the victims. thank you. >> thank you so much. that wraps up this hour of janua jansing and company. chris jansing headed to aurora, colorado. we'll be right back. ... across every possible price range... ...our budgets won't be picking the style. we will. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. get 10% off or up to 24 months

"weekends with alex witt" starts now. >> mitt romney on the defensive about the bain game. what's behind the media blitz? >> kennedy arrested, what got her in trouble with the law. >>> the penn state scandal and its effect on college sports and the new report about joe paterno's sweet deal inked as the scandal unfolded. >>> what kind of teacher do you think melissa harris perry is? you might be surprised. good morning we'll get to what's happening out there. we begin with front page politics and mitt romney's all-out media blitz. the former massachusetts governor giving five separate interviews saying he end d his management with bain capital in 1999, that's after the obama campaign picked up on a "boston globe" report that mr. romney's name was listed on filings as a company officer through 2001. during his interview governor romney responded to a claim by president obama's deputy campaign manager who suggested mr. romney might be guilty of a felony for misrepresenting his position at bain to the sec. >> the president's campaign has been i think outrageous in making the ki

. >>> welcome back to "weekends with alex witt."ight now the survivors in colorado are reliving the terror while police piece together exactly what happened. meanwhile, police are hoping to enter the suspect's booby-trapped apartment to remove trip wires in there. nbc's miguel alga mer is near the apartment today. >> reporter: good afternoon, the police are about four miles from this location trying to enter james holmes' apartment, as you whengsed that is rigged with explosive devices. they think some of the answers to this massacre may actually be inside his home, but they have been very cautious about entering the home because it is rigged with so many explosive devices. meantime, back here at the crime scene -- >> miguel, hold that thought. we're taking everyone to a briefing by the aurora police department. >> here at the suspect's residence on paris street, first i'd like to point out i will not be taking any questions. and governor john hickenlooper, aurora mayor steve hogan have arrived on scene. they have been with us. once

. >>> i'm alex witt. back to "hardball." >>> welcome back to "hardball."ok some hits this week over photos like these of him on a jet-ski at his summer home in new hampshire. that comes as new questions are being raised about his offshore finances. "vanity fair" reports that romney has stores in places like bermuda and the cayman islands. the obama team has a new web ad out knocking romney on the topic. take a look. >> i do not have a bank account outside of the u.s. >> i do not have a swiss bank account, an account in the caymans. >> i've never heard of anyone that i know having an overseas bank account. >> wouldn't have an overseas bank account. i don't think our next president should either. >> he needs to come clean about where that money is and why it's there. >> how big of an image problem does romney have when it comes to his wealth? susan milligan is a contributing editor for u.s. news and world report. according to "vanity fair," mitt romney has several offshore accounts about which not much is known. he has money stored in tax havens where accord

welcome to "weekends with alex wi witt." tale of two economies. computer virus coming monday?ys gets personal. taylor swift and patrick schwarzenegger rumors. >>> first, a record-breaking heat wave is hanging on to much of the country again today. at least 46 people have died over the past two weeks and stories from across the u.s. suggest a rise in the misery index as well. >> this has been a horror story. we've been here 30 years. this is the worst set of days we've experienced. >> i woke up feeling sick to my stomach and cramps in my legs. those are signs of heat stress. >> we've been expecting a dry year somewhere along the line, but this year is wort than expected. >> about five hours we checked in with michelle franzen in new york central park. how is it out there now, michelle? >> reporter: it's starting to heat up here in central park, which means in other 82s of the city it's also heating up. we're supposed to be flirting with 100 degrees but the heat index will make it feel between 105 and 110. i'm still in pretty good company out here at noon, a lot of people runnin

coming up, "weekends with alex witt." [ male announcer ] wouldn't it be cool if we took the nissan altimas 38 mpg highway... ...advanced headlights... ...and zero gravity seats? yeah, that would be cool. ♪ introducing the completely reimagined nissan altima. it's our most innovative altima ever. nissan. innovation that excites. ♪ >>> hi, everyone. high noon in the east, can the in the west. alex is office. first five stories trendsing this hour. dangerous heat wave. china rising or falling? new laws take effect today across the nation, actors' big leap, swimmer michael phelps. details throughout this hour for you. >>> but first -- right now, 2.6 million people without power and air conditioning, following this weekend's mid-atlantic çóstorms. crews restoringç power in eigh states and washington, d.c. the damage is catastrophic and admit power could be out for a week in certain places, falling trees are blamed for many of thi 13 deaths across the region. president obama is offering federal assistance and funds to local responders, and people are spending today viewing the damage and clean

coming up, "weekends with alex witt." [ male announcer ] wouldn't it be cool if we took the nissan altima ...advanced headlights... ...and zero gravity seats? yeah, that would be cool. ♪ introducing the completely reimagined nissan altima. it's our most innovative altima ever.

welcome back to "weekends with alex witt."ary clinn ha aivedn cro th h feir meeng wit present hamm rsi. > inaris today, pomp, pageantry and patriotism, it's baille day that markses the ginng of t fnch reluti in 89 amonthefeivits, a rachehowhat dve one parauterff b a hf mile. he wound up suffering a sprained knee. >>> back in this country, visa, mastercard and several of major banks have agreed to p tails abt $6illio ttle a lawst. as pt of thedealerchts are ing be allowed to charge customers a fee to use a credit card. we'll talk more about that. >>> the effects of thursday's masse sar fre cld inteere thlectnics powe gdsre mt vulnable e sar srm ao m genete a dplay of northern lights this weekend. >>> and in the year's final running of the bulls a bit earlier today, foureople were injured but no one was red. er t couef t eig ampes the in spai the bus go the bterf8 opleho ndedo g the hoitalwhicnclus fr opleho wered. dhose aou fast five headlines. >>> new reaction today defending new york city police a its controversial stop and f

first, time for a preview with alex witt. >>> stories everyone this morning, emergencying on what's happeningking to police. we are also hearing some compelling tales of heroism from the century 16 theater. at least three people died shielding their loved ones from the killer's bullets. you are going to hear who some of these folks were. >>> this is a bizarre story with no definitive answers. is katherine jackson, the mother of michael jackson, missing? >>> america, what are you thinking about on this july day in the year 2012? there is a new survey that suggests it is not what you might imagine. there is a tees for you, melissa. back to you. >> thank you, alex and thanks to chef tiffany daley and chef serena johnson, who we can't wait to have back home and to charlotte drukman who has a fabulous book coming out and michael ralph, my friend and colleague at nyu. up next, five minutes in two. lashblast 24hr with anti smudge power will last through all your drama. who knew lashes this big could last this long. lashblast 24hr from covergirl. and on small business saturday bothey remind a nations

have had to make, i am now going to say, by the way, now it is time for a preview of "weekends with alex witt. i'm checking it all out. whoo! >>> dangerous heat with triple-digit temperatures in large parts of the country today. is there any relief in sight? >>> plus, the expanding drought could hit you in your wallet if the situation doesn't improve soon. >>> no politics a new article asks, do campaigns really change voters minds? it's a fascinating look at numbers that you really think should have an impact. >>> and katy perry's new film, does it go too far? it's a raw look at her life in her breakup with russell brand, is it worth seeing? i don't know, we'll see, won't we. okay, melissa, back to you. blouse straightened up there, we go. >> thank you, alex. coming up, bring the kids back in, because we are talking about fighting for representation and what's considered beautiful. this is definitely one one that family-friendly. that's our foot soldier, and it's next. and a choice. take advil, and maybe have to take up to four in a day. or take aleve, which can relieve pain all day with just

i'm alex witt. those tragic and still inexplicable moments in a crowded theater. imagine every seat side by side, every row front to back filled at a suburban mall in the heart of colorado. moments when actual gun fire broke the sell of fictional violence on the big screen and in that time, 33 hours, we have learned enough to frighten and sadden us for a lifetime. but practically speaking we have learned rather little. in fact, at this hour police remain mystified by booby-traps carefully arranged inside the suspect's apartment. officials say removing the trip wire may include a detonation, a blast and fire. we'll have more on that remarkable and developing situation in a moment. but back at the shooting scene where this horror show began with one man and four guns, there remain more unanswered