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"weekends with alex witt" is next. >>> new year's resolution? will a last-minute fiscal cliff deal get done? and if it does what will it look like. >>> we have a deal. we may still get hit with an automatic tax hike. how much will that cost you? in time for the new year, a new snowstorm headed to the northeast. we'll let you know how bad this will get. and the yore in review, up with of the most unique and appalling takes on the year in review. good morning to you all. welcome to weekends with alex witt. no alex today. taking a much deserved weekend off. i'm t.j. holmes, good to be with you. new this morning, president obama outlining his course of action if we all go off the cliff. >> if an agreement isn't reached on time, then i'll urge the senate to hold an up-or-down vote on a basic package that protects the middle class from an income tax hike, extends vital unemployment insurance for americans looking for a job and lays the ground work for more economic growth and deficit reduction. >> the president is optimistic that a deal can be reached

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this is "weekends with alex witt." new prilosec otc wildberry is the same frequent heartburn treatment as prilosec otc. now with a fancy coating that gives you a burst of wildberry flavor. now why make a flavored heartburn pill? because this is america. and we don't just make things you want, we make things you didn't even know you wanted. like a spoon fork. spray cheese. and jeans made out of sweatpants. so grab yourself some new prilosec otc wildberry. [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. satisfaction guaranteed is bigger than we think ... sometimelike the flu.fer from with aches, fever and chills- the flu's a really big deal. so why treat it like it's a little cold? there's something that works differently than over-the-counter remedies. prescription tamiflu attacks the flu virus at its source. so don't wait. call your doctor right away. tamiflu is prescription medicine for treating the flu in adults and children one year and older whose flu

and welcome to "weekends with alex witt." we're calling it a tragedy, but that particular word nor any other could describe what happened on a cold, bright winter morning in newtown, connecticut. i'm afraid the answers we try to provide in the next hour to the most pressing questions will feel inat adequate to all of us, but we'll try with an admitedly heavy heart. here is what we know. there are new details to report among the 28 people dead are 20 schoolchildren, ages 5 to 10, and the gunman, who also killed his mother, prior to the massacre. this is the nation's second deadliest shooting. 33 people died at virginia tech in 2007. at this hour, investigators are working to learn as much as they can about the gunman. he's been identified as 20-year-old adam lanza. so far, authorities have not spoken publicly about a possible motive. ♪ >> the community is in mourning, at least 2,000 gathered for a vigil last night at a local church, lighting candles and singing hymns while trying to console each other. many in shock. >> when i

you're watching "weekends with alex witt." [ woman ] ring. ring. progresso. in what world do potatoes, bacon and cheese add up to 100 calories? your world. ♪ [ whispers ] real bacon... creamy cheese... 100 calories... [ chef ] ma'am [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. i tell them dentures are very different to real teeth. they're about 10 times softer and may have surface pores where bacteria can grow and multiply. polident is specifically designed to clean dentures daily. its unique micro-clean formula kills 99.9% of odor causing bacteria and helps dissolve stains, cleaning in a better way than brushing with toothpaste. that's why i recommend using polident. [ male announcer ] polident. cleaner, fresher, brighter every day. >>> headlines from newspapers in the west now. first a banner headline from arizona's daily star about the second winner of that $587 million powerball jackpot. he hails from a wealthy suburb of phoenix and wants to remain anonymous. he's decided to collect now and not next year over f

welcome back to "weekends with alex witt." i am t.j. holmes in for alexed to.ve three days now to avert another financial crisis. whether it's a big deal or a small deal, president obama will he have something to sign in time? moments ago i spoke with democratic congressman elijah cummings. listen to what he had to say about the standstill. >> there is a sense of urgency. the problem is that we've got a group of tea party folk over in the house who basically has pretty much dictated what mr. boehner can agree to. boehner, who's a good guy who wants to make a deal, he really wants to make a deal, but he can't. >> all right. head to capitol hill. there's mike viqueira standing by for us. you know something else that representative cummings said. i just said you're standing by. it seems like even when they come back to d.c. they're going to be standing by. they don't seem to have much to do in the house right now. >> reporter: that's absolutely right. don't have anything to do in the house. for now they don't have anything to do in the senate, t.j. that's the thin

you're watching weekends with alex witt. and when you switch from another company to us, we even reward you for the time you spent there. genius. yeah, genius. you guys must have your own loyalty program, right? well, we have something. show her, tom. huh? you should see november! oh, yeah? giving you more. now that's progressive. call or click today. a regular guy with an irregular heartbeat. the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib: atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. i don't think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but not anymore. bob's doctor recommended a different option: once-a-day xarelto®. xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem, that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce the risk

welcome back to weekends with alex witt. w questions concerning the tragic turn in the royal radio hoax. anabell roberts live in london. good morning, anabell. what's the latest? >> reporter: well, alex, good morning to you. the latest is from australia where the boss of the radio station where the two deejays worked says they have been taken off air until further notice, their twitter accounts have been shut down. he also says they are completely shattered by this event and it was a tragedy nobody could really have reasonably foreseen. also separately the station decided to drop all advertising for the time being. seems to be some kind of pre-emptive move, they are pulling out because of the affair. >> they said nothing illegal was done here, right? not like they are going to face some sort of prosecution, these two presenters. >> i think that is not really entirely clear. the media in australia has also given and interview saying it's not entirely clear whether laws have been broken, regarding, for example, whether someone

hello to you all and welcome to weekends with alex witt. i'm t.j. holmes filling in for alex. consequence of history in the nation's capital if congress cannot reach a compromise deal on tax and spending cuts. a short time ago, we were hearing from the president talking about the fiscal cliff negotiations. he spoke exclusively on "meet the press" and he had a message for congress. >> at minimum, make sure people's taxes don't go up and 2 million people don't lose their unemployment. i was modestly hopeful yesterday. now, the pressure is on congress to produce. >> the president responded to what would happen if no agreement is reached and the nation does fall over that cliff. >> if you look at projections of 2013, people generally felt that the economy would continue to grow, unemployment would tick down, housing would continue to improve, but what's been holding us back is the dysfunction here in washington. if people start seeing that on january 1st, this problem still hasn't been solved, that we haven't seen the deficit reduction that we could have had, the republicans willi

out west, welcome to "weekends with alex witt." here are some of the first five stories trending at this hour. new prospects of cliff diving into the new year. trying to get back to normal for sandy hook students. the nra won't back down on its gun stance. the royal couple missing christmas with the queen. santa tracker gets competition. details on all those stories throughout the hour. but first -- new today, after refusing to let anyone ask him anything during a public statement friday, the ceo of nra is facing challenging questions today. this is from "meet the press." >> there is no new gun regulation -- >> this is what would work. >> if every -- >> i'm asking you a direct question. is there any new gun regulation you'd be willing to support? >> i'm giving you the answer. >> you're saying you should prosecute more criminals. >> i'm asking you if there's a new gun regulation after the debates of the '90s and so forth today, could we make the assault weapons ban better, any more effective? >> you want one more law on top of 20,00

i'm alex witt. it is a day of questions and fresh insight about the sandy hook elementary school shooting. there is information about the gunman, how he entered the school and killed 20 children and six adults before he killed himself. >> we have established the point of entry. it's believed he was not voluntarily let into the school at all. that he forced his way into the school. but that's as far as we can go on that. >> in a moment, chris janzen in connecticut with more on that news conference. first compelling new information about the shooter and what he did in the days before the attack. nbc's pete williams is in washington. pete with a good day, what have you learned? >> reporter: alex, the connecticut authorities have not yet formally identified the gunman, but we're been told and i think it's widely known it's adam lanza is his name, 20 years old who was living with his mother. they say the shooting actually began that morning about three miles from the school at the home where he was livin

>>> good morning, welcome to "weekends with alex witt." what is happening out there. ten days and counting. president obama and house speaker boehner left washington without reaching a deal on the fiscal cliff. before heading to hawaii, president obama said he met individually with leaders of the house and senate, asking them to work toward a package that prevents a tax hike on middle class americans. >> this is something within our capacity to solve. it doesn't take that much work. we just have to do the right thing. so call me a hopeless optimist, but i still think we can get it done. >> earlier in the day, speaker boehner held a news conference. a vote on his so-called plan "b" was scrapped thursday night when it became clear it did not have enough support among house republicans to secure passage. >> a situation where because of the political divide in the country, because of the divide here in washington, trying to bridge these differences has been difficult. if it were easy, i'll guarantee you this would have been done decades before. >> joining me now, congress

that's coming up on "weekends with alex witt." copd makes it hard to breathe, but with advair, i'm breathing better. so now i can be in the scene. advair is clinically proven to help significantly improve lung function. unlike most copd medications, advair contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help improve your lung function all day. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair. if you're still having difficulty breathing, ask your doctor if including advair could help improve your lung function. get your first full prescription free and save on refills at advaircopd.com. [ male announcer ] it started long ago. the joy of giving something everything you've got. it takes passion. and it's not le

and we are going to be joined by alex witt, but that is not alex. that is t.j. is that you? >> yes.levision sets. he lis is a, so good to be with you and let me get through the preview before they kick me off of msnbc as soon as i get here. and the fiscal cliff deal, and are we going to get it done? we will talk to three top lawmakers and they are not in washington yet. and you have been hearing about the movie "django unchained" and the tarantino film has sparked controversy and also a feud between two top directors. and you will get some alex witt this weekend, because she talked to lester holt about what he got dragged into doing on his thanksgiving vacation. and also a lot of people ringing in the new year, and there are going to be issues with snow. s causing issues with people returning back home after the holidays. get ready. we'll have all that. so yes, melissa, good to see you this weekend. >> thanks, t.j. as t.j. might say, don't sleep on our legendary foot soldier who still inspires us all. by t? by the barrelful? the carful? how about...by the bowlful? campbell's soups g

we have a live report coming up next on ""weekends with alex witt."" i'm done! mom?" i'm gonna find out. [ female announcer ] swiffer wetjet's pads are better than ever. now they have the scrubbing power of mr. clean magic eraser so you don't have to get down on your hands and knees to scrub away tough, dried-on stains. hey, do you guys think i'm "momtacular" or "momtrocious"? ♪ [ female announcer ] swiffer. now with the scrubbing power of mr. clean magic eraser. >>> we will cam back to "weekends with alex witt." 33 past the hour. >>> new develops if theth in newtown school tragedy. the medical examiner will release results of the autopsy from adam lanza and his mother, nancy. he shot her at her home before killing himself after opening fire at the school. sandy hook students will resume classes on wednesday but at a different location. the rest of the school district will return to class on tuesday. >>> and just a few minutes ago, connecticut state police released new details about their investigation. they said detectives are processing both crime scenes right

welcome to "weekends with alex witt." here's some of the first five

. ♪ >> happy holidays from the alex witt team. >> happy holidays from up with chris hayes. >> happy holidays> merry christmas. happy holidays. ♪ >> happy holidays from msnbc. ♪ >> happy holidays. >> merry christmas. happy holidays. >> happy holidays from the p.a.'s. >> from all of us at msnbc, merry christmas and happy holidays sxwloosh merry christmas. happy holidays. ♪ >> merry christmas. happy holidays, everybody. ♪ ♪ >> hello. what a wonderful 2012. i'm looking forward to a fantastic 2013. happy new year. when you lost the thing you can't believe you lost. when what you just bought, just broke. or when you have a little trouble a long way from home... as an american express cardmember you can expect some help. but what you might not expect, is you can get all this with a prepaid card. spends like cash. feels like membership. sure. cake or pie? pie. apple or cherry? cherry. oil or cream? oil or cream? cream. ♪ [ male announcer ] the sound of reddi-wip is the sound of joy. ♪ is bigger than we think ... sometimelike the flu.fer from with aches, fever and chills- the flu's a really big deal.

coming up, "weekends with alex witt." time for citi price rewind.er really wants that pink castle thing. and you really don't want to pay more than you have to. only citi price rewind automatically searches for the lowest price. and if it finds one, you get refunded the difference. just use your citi card and register your purchase online. have a super sparkly day! ok. [ male announcer ] now all you need is a magic carriage. citi price rewind. start saving at citi.com/pricerewind. yofor giving the perfect gift?le just have a knack they put real thought into it. and find just... the right...thing. how do they do that? more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. pick up a ridgid jobmax multi-tool starter kit and get a free head attachment.

welcome, everyone to ""weekends with alex witt.""e police, talking about the many facets of this investigation. some things he can answer, others he cannot. he says taking these things out of context makes for a very difficult way for people to understand what's happening and they are trying so desperately to keep things as clear as possible. once again, so many layers that they still have yet to investigate. and of course, so many questions remain about why the shooter, adam lanza, took those young children's lives as well as his mother's. joining me now with the latest in the investigation is nbc news justice correspondent, pete williams. pete, a good day to you. did we hear anything new there? >> reporter: the only thing

." >> happy holidays from the alex witt team. >> happy holidays from "up with chris hays." >> happy holidayshristmas. happy holidays. >> happy holidays from msnbc. >> happy holidays. >> merry christmas. happy holidays. ♪ >> happy holidays from the pas. >> from all of us at msnbc, her rekr merry christmas and happy holidays. >> merry christmas. happy holidays. >> merry christmas. happy holidays, everybody. ♪ >> hello. what a wonderful 2012. i'm looking forward to a fantastic 2013. happy new year. with aches, fever and chills- the flu's a really big deal. so why treat it like it's a little cold? there's something that works differently than over-the-counter remedies. prescription tamiflu attacks the flu virus at its source. so don't wait. call your doctor right away. tamiflu is prescription medicine for treating the flu in adults and children one year and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu tell your doctor if you're pregnant, nursing. have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or sig

." >> happy holidays from the alex witt team. >> happy holidays from "up with chris hays." >> happy holidaysrom "nerdland." >> merry christmas. happy holidays. >> happy holidays from msnbc. ♪ >> happy holidays. merry christmas. happy holidays. >> happy holidays from the p.a.s. >> from all of us at msnbc, merry christmas and happy holidays. >> merry christmas. happy holidays. >> merry christmas. happy holidays, everybody. ♪ >> hello, team. what a wonderful 2012. i'm looking forward to a fantastic 2013. happy new year.

next coming up, weekends with alex witt.r gets great rewards for his small business! your boa! [ garth ] thor's small business earns double miles on every purchase, every day! ahh, the new fabrics. put it on my spark card. ow. [ garth ] why settle for less? the spiked heels are working. wait! [ garth ] great businesses deserve great rewards. [ male announcer ] the spark business card from capital one. choose unlimited rewards with double miles or 2% cash back on every purchase, every day! what's in your wallet? [ cheers and applause ] i tell them dentures are very different to real teeth. they're about 10 times softer and may have surface pores where bacteria can grow and multiply. polident is specifically designed to clean dentures daily. its unique micro-clean formula kills 99.9% of odor causing bacteria and helps dissolve stains, cleaning in a better way than brushing with toothpaste. that's why i recommend using polident. [ male announcer ] polident. cleaner, fresher, brighter every day.

>> happy holidays from the "alex witt" team. >> happy holidays from "up with chris hayes." >> happy holidaysristmas. happy holidays. >> happy holidays from msnbc. >> happy holidays. >> merry christmas. happy holidays. >> happy holidays from the p.a.s. >> from all of us at msnbc, merry christmas and happy holidays. >> merry christmas. happy holidays. >> merry christmas. happy holidays, everybody. >> hello, team. what a wonderful 2012. i'm looking forward to a fantastic 2013. happy new year. >>> happy new year. the question today. are you ready to go cliff diving? breaking news tops our agenda this hour. can congress avoid turning into a pumpkin at midnight? we're watching capitol hill where any moment the senate will reconvene for the first time this morning. they left last night at 7:30 p.m. trying to cobble a deal together before 2012 becomes 2013. here is where the negotiations stand right now. negotiations down to just two. senate minority leader mitch mcconnell and vice president joe biden. reports say the two are making significant progress this morning. mcconnell reached out to the vee

right now, it is time for a preview or weekends with alex witt hosted by a black guy. >> oh my goodnessn, oreo cookies, a-hole thrown in there. i'm on the wrong show. i digress. good morning to you all. the house is back. the senate is back. everybody is back and the president is talking this morning. he's talking exclusively to "meet the press." we'll have details on what may be a small deal developing. also, what will not be in that deal. also, folks, looks like your taxes are going to go up in some fashion. we'll explain all of that. the pieces are in place for bounceback 2013. that's good news. there are three more ways washington could mess this whole thing up. >>> plus, the rush to buy guns since the newtown shooting. we talk to a person who went to a gun show. also in today's office politics, alex is talking to lester holt with his fascination of aviation and the interesting people he rocked out with. all of that coming up shortly. get back to the bubbly now. >> i hope i still get to do this next week. >> you'll be back. >> thanks for sitting in today. >> no problem. >>> up next,

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coming up, "weekends with alex witt." [ emily jo ] derrell comes into starbucks with his wife, daniellell hasn't been able to visit his mom back east in a long time. [ shirley ] things are sometimes a little tight around the house. i wasn't able to go to the wedding. [ emily jo ] since derrell couldn't get home,

coverage of the tragedy at sandy hook elementary school continues on "weekends with alex witt" next.h a fancy coating that gives you a burst of wildberry flavor. now why make a flavored heartburn pill? because this is america. and we don't just make things you want, we make things you didn't even know you wanted. like a spoon fork. spray cheese. and jeans made out of sweatpants. so grab yourself some new prilosec otc wildberry. [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. hi, i'm ensure clear... clear, huh? i'm not juice or fancy water. i've got nine grams of protein. that's three times more than me! [ female announcer ] ensure clear. nine grams protein. zero fat. in blueberry/pomegranate and peach.

today on msnbc's weeks with alex witt, elijah cummings from maryland said he is getting more hopeful.worked out were at best 20%. i feel a little bit more comfortable believing that something is going to be worked out. and give it about a 70% chance. the fact that boehner and the president have pretty much gotten to a point where they'll be sitting down, trying to work this out as opposed to a lot of cooks in the kitchen, i think that's helpful. >> with me now, joe nadler, democrat from new york. congressman, good saturday afternoon to you. thanks for coming. >> good afternoon. >> you just heard your colleague from maryland saying 70% chance that a deal gets done. what say you? >> i don't know. i just hope that if a deal is done, it is a reasonable deal. i won't vote for any deal that cuts social security or that reduces benefits to medicare. and i hope no one else will either. >> let's talk about reducing benefits to medicare. when you talk about reducing benefits, are you talking about having wealthier americans pay higher premiums? >> wealthy americans already pay higher premiums,