chris mitchell, cbn news, jerusalem. >> wendy: so where are all of these christian refugees going? some are landing in europe, and they're bringing revival. dale herd records from berlin. >> reporter: parts of germany are among the most godless areas in the world. polling shows that bee leav belief in god in the east germany is only 13%. but church attendance is growing here, thanks to former muslims from iran. converts to christianity have doubled the size of the congregation. deaconess rosemarie gertz. >> it came like an unexpected new rain. suddenly new people started coming every week and asked to be baptized. in the beginning, only five or six iranians came. they were easy to spot and we got to know them. and then over time, they brought their friends and neighbors. >> reporter: germany has experienced a surge in islam this year. muslims conducted a nationwide campaign to give away qurans, in a country that has largely turned its back on biblical christianity. but iranian immigrants have experienced the oppression in their native land, and they're hungry for christianity and t

chris mitchell was at the airport when more than 50 members of the binine menasha tribe made history.their arrival was tearful and emotional. >> i feel like i'm home. >> i'm excited. i'm overwhelmed. i'm extremely -- it's unexplainable. i feel like crying. >> reporter: and this group is just the first of a long-awaited migration. nearly 2,000 tribe members live in israel, but five years ago the government stopped their return. now a recent decision permits all of the bene menasha, about 7,000, to return. >> the 10 tribes may have been lost to us for many centuries, but they were never lost in terms of their identity. >> reporter: michael worked for years to help bring about this moment. he believes the bene menasha return fulfills biblical prophecy. >> the prophet isaiah says, "fear not, for i am with you." "from the east i will bring your descendents." your descendents. these are the descendents of israel. and they are coming back from the east. it is as if the headline of today was written by isaiah, the prophet, 2500 or 2600 years ago. >> reporter: the syrian empire exiled the trib

chris mitchell, cbn news, jerusalem. >> george: up next, a revolution is brewing. just 90 miles off of america's coastal. find out why change is coming to cuba, when we come back. >> wendy: a highly anticipated new law took effect in cuba this week, ending the country's hated exit visa requirement. cubans formed long lines out sight immigration offices in havana. it means the end of obstacles to travel by those living on the island. most are eligible to leave the country with a current passport and national identity card, lime residents of other countries. >> compared to before, when the process was very difficult and took a long time, and we had to wait for an exit visa and an invitation and spending money, and now we can save all that. >> wendy: the governments of other countries now largely control who can travel from cuba. they will determine who will receive entry visas. in many cases, cubans, like those from other developing countries, will still find it tough to get visas from wealthier nations, like the u.s. for many years, being a christian in cuba was an

i'm andrea mitchell. chris is away this week and welcome to the show. with us today "the washington post's" bob woodward. gloria borger. joy reed from msnbc and "time" michael duffley. while most were gratified congress had acted to avert a financial ca taste raef most were discouraged by all the drama. many have been calculating the tax hit they will take under the new law. the president is calculate, the degree of difficulty he faces ahead. >> we is k settle this debate. or at the very least not allow it to be so all consuming all the time. >> let's talk about this. the president wants a legacy of environment, gun laws, energy, is he going to get this or trapped in this debate over budgets and taxes and spending cuts? >> the budget, tax and spending, not so much on the tax but when history looks at what happened in the deal on the fiscal cliff, a lot of positives there. the 99% of the people get permanent tax cuts. that is a big deal if you're president of the united states. or even in congress. 1% 0 going to pay more. i would say certainly that's the

that does it for us for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports." tomorrow, chris joining us live and joaquin castro. tamron hall is next. >>> next hour, more on the plan president obama will unveil tomorrow. yes, we confirmed it. he'll outline that comprehensive plan tomorrow to combat gun violence, it comes as several states get ready to pass some of the toughest gun laws in the country. plus, lance's big admission or really? why oprah said she was surprised by lance armstrong's answers to some of her questions. is he coming clean as some have reported? also, the justice department is considering suing lance armstrong. i'll talk with "sports illustrated" david epstein and dave zarain. daily protein needs? that's why there's boost® high protein nutritional drink. each delicious serving provides fifteen grams of protein to help maintain muscle and help meet expert recommended daily protein needs. plus it provides twenty-six essential vitamins and minerals and is gluten-free. help get the nutrition you need with a complete and balanced nutritional drink. try boost®

you back tomorrow when i'm joined by richard wolffe, maggie haberman, chris smith, jamie ruben, and author dave berry. "andrea mitchell coming up next. a kite, a breeze, a dunk of grilled cheese. catches and throws, and spaghettio's. a wand, some wings, soup with good things. sidewalks and doodles and wholesome noodles. puddles and pails and yes, puppy dog tails. for a lunch like this, there's a hug and a kiss. because that's what happy kids are made of. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. we create easy to use, powerful trading tools for all. look at these streaming charts! they're totally customizable and they let you visualize what might happen next. that's genius! strategies, chains, positions. we put 'em all on one screen! could we make placing a trade any easier? mmmm...could we? open an account today and get a free 13-month e ibd™ subscription when you call 1-888-280-0157 now. optionsxpress by charles schwab. >>> right now on "andrea mitchell reports," gabby giffords returns to deliver a passionate appeal for gun laws. >> speaking is difficult, but i need to say something important. violence is a big pro

you back tomorrow when i'm joined by richard wolffe, maggie haberman, chris smith, jamie ruben, and author dave berry. "andrea mitchell coming up next. a kite, a breeze, a dunk of grilled cheese. catches and throws, and spaghettio's. a wand, some wings, soup with good things. sidewalks and doodles and wholesome noodles. puddles and pails and yes, puppy dog tails. for a lunch like this, there's a hug and a kiss. because that's what happy kids are made of. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. we create easy to use, powerful trading tools for all. look at these streaming charts! they're totally customizable and they let you visualize what might happen next. that's genius! strategies, chains, positions.

chris alissa, and michael lighter, susan page, look marcus. andrea mitchellorts is next on mshs. not their short-term ag. [ male announcer ] join the nearly 7 million investors who think like you do. face time and think time make a difference. at edward jones, it's how we make sense of investing. this reduced sodium soup says it may help lower cholesterol, how does it work? you just have to eat it as part of your heart healthy diet. step 1. eat the soup. all those veggies and beans, that's what may help lower your cholesterol and -- well that's easy [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. >>> just minutes from now president obama will fill out his national security team by naming former republican senator chuck hagel as defense secretary and his white house counterterrorism advisor john brennan to head the cia. hagel a decorated vietnam veteran and intelligence advisor to the president is already running into a buzz saw of opposition from his former republican colleagues. >> he has long severed his ties with the republican party. this is an i

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mitchell live in washington. from joe biden at the white house to chris christie in new jersey, andrew cuomo in albany, there's new energy for a comprehensive approach to gun violence control. chris cillizza, and kristen welker. thanks much to both of you. first of all, kristen, you were there today, joe biden opening the task force meetings for a brief photo opportunity saying something is going to get done. they have this end of the month deadline. it's going to be in the state of the union. but how comprehensive is this going to be and is it going to be any different from all of the other failed initiatives, frankly? >> well, we are expecting something to be quite comprehensive, andrea, and one thing out of the meeting is joe biden said the president is considering taking some executive actions. he's not sure what those actions are right now, but that's certainly something that's under consideration. we also expect some of the proposals that the vice president puts forth to include some legislative proposals, stiffer gun laws, including banning assault weapons, banning those high-capacity magazines, as well as

. >> and next, chris matthews and douglas brinkley, andrea mitchell and in a few minutes, "washingtonjonathan caphart on "morning joe." >>> if you joined us yesterday, at an irish club, the bartend , bartender's name, you forget to tell me how you spell your name. >> it's spelled p-a-d-r-a-i-c. >> it's padraic. >> it is. >> we extended you to 30 seconds. that was about it. a lot more to come from the dub lander including the "washington post," jonathan capehart, the second best dressed person in d.c. after michelle obama. you knew that was coming. more in a moment. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ multiple sounds making melodic tune ] ♪ [ male announcer ] at northrop grumman, every innovation, every solution, comes together for a single purpose -- to make the world a safer place. that's the value of performance. northrop grumman. the delightful discovery. the sweet realization that you have a moment all to yourself. well, almost. splenda® no calorie sweetener. splenda® makes the moment yours™. splenda® no calorie sweetener. is bigger than we think ... sometimelike the flu.fer from with aches, fever and chil

and andrea mitchell, i'm just wondering, is there a worry? because everybody -- talk to chris christie, i've heard from both sides of the aisle, from those who do believe there needs to be legislation out of what happened in newtown, that it needs to be threefold, basically. and we know what the three issues are, not just guns, but is there a concern that it will be weighted down in three issues that people will then lock heads over and nothing will get done, or is this different? >> i think the concern is real, and it should be a deep concern because what joe biden telegraphed yesterday and what the white house is signaling is that they don't think they can do the assault weapon ban, and they're not going to try. they're going to deal with the magazines. they're going to talk about background checks, but they're going to try for something that they think is possible and reach as broad a possible coalition. and that means that the assault weapon isolation that dianne feinstein has been pushing and you have similar legislation in the house, the white house does not think that i

pacific when i am joined by chris hayes, joy reid, e-mail eveninga henderson, and buzz feed's ben smith. find us at facebook.com/now with alex. "andrea mitchellg up next. treadmill app. pretty sweet, huh? cute. but don't you have any apps on your phone that can make your life easier? who do you think i am, quicken loans? at quicken loans, we'll provide you with myql mobile. this amazingly useful app allows you to take pictures of your mortgage documents using an iphone or android smart phone... so you can easily send them to us. one more way quicken loans is engineered to amaze. ooh, la-la! one more way quicken loans is engineered to amaze. have given way to sleeping. tossing and turning where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta®(eszopiclone) can help you get there. like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, halluci

chris smith, and richard wolf. that is all for now. i'll see you back here tomorrow at noon eastern, 9:00 a.m. pacific. andrea mitchellts is coming up next. ounds ] ♪ [ watch ticking ] [ engine revs ] come in. ♪ got the coffee. that was fast. we're outta here. ♪ [ engine revs ] ♪ behind the silver of philadelphia cream cheese. it always begins with fresh, local milk, blended with real wholesome cream. going fresh from the farm, to our fridge, in just six days. because we believe in fresh taste. that's the way we set the standard for intensely rich, luscious flavor. so our story of fresh taste always ends... deliciously. when it comes to taste, philadelphia sets the standard.

chris smith, and richard wolf. that is all for now. i'll see you back here tomorrow at noon eastern, 9:00 a.m. pacific. andrea mitchells coming up next. ounds ] ♪ [ watch ticking ] [ engine revs ] come in. ♪ got the coffee. that was fast. we're outta here. ♪ [ engine revs ] ♪

mitchell, thank you. not a dollar in aid unless you match it in spending cuts. meet the congressman who is perfectly happy to get in chrise's face. unfortunately, a lot of colleagues were not. >> the president [ woman ] if you have the audacity to believe your financial advisor should focus on your long-term goals, not their short-term agenda. [ woman ] if you have the nerve to believe that cookie cutters should be for cookies, not your investment strategy. if you believe in the sheer brilliance of a simple explanation. [ male announcer ] join the nearly 7 million investors who think like you do: face time and think time make a difference. .. nes, it's how we make sense of investing. isurprise...it's eating less. to losing weight. i'm hungry just thinking about it. thank goodness for new slimful. one delicious, 90-calorie slimful and a glass of water, like before dinner, helps keep me satisfied for hours. so instead of this much, i only need this much. and slimful tastso good... i don't even miss dessert. slimful and a glass of water... eating less is a beautiful thing. >> neil: you want it match dollar for dollar, whate

. >> well, thanks to you, chris, our great thanks to ruth marcus and susan paige and elizabeth bue-miller. it was fun today. that does it for this edition of "andrea mitchellreports." tamron hall is here with a look at the next hour. >> we are following several big stories. coming up, the minister set to deliver the benediction at the president's inauguration withdraws after comments in the '90s of gay rights and referred to as the homosexual lifestyle. the inaugural committee said it was unaware of the minister's past. right now, vice president biden is meeting with the nra. the vice president says tuesday is the day, we can mark our calendars, he'll deliver the task force recommendations to the president. what might we see? >>> charlie rangel has harsh words for the president over the lack of diversity in the president's inner circle. we'll play his comments and the panel will discuss. [ male announcer ] in blind taste tests, even ragu users chose prego. prego?! but i've bought ragu for years. [ thinking ] wonder what other questionable choices i've made? i choose date number 2! whooo! [ sigh of relief ] [ male announcer ] choose taste. choose prego. [ s

joined by chris hayes, governor ed rendell, bill burton, joye reid, buzz feed's ben smith, and actor jeffrey wright. until then, can you find us at facebook.com/now with alex. andrea mitchells coming up next. to prove febreze can keep this car fresh, we loaded it with fast food, sweaty hockey gear, and a smelly dog cage. and parked it at a mall. in texas. for two days. then put a febreze car vent clip on the dash and let in real people. it smells good. like laundry fresh out of like the dryer. yeah. a man fresh out of the shower. nailed it. oh yeah. proof. febreze car vent clips keep your car fresh. another way febreze helps you breathe happy. i've got a nice long life ahead. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, it could save you thousands in out-of-pocket costs. call now to request you

mitchell live in new york today. the gun debate took on new emotional force with the reappearance of gabby giffords in the senate judiciary hearing. joining me now for our daily fix, chrisillizza, msnbc contributor and managing editor of washingtonpost.com and ruth marcus. well, it was so personal, so emotional, so painful. chris cillizza, could anybody do a better job than gabby giffords to bring home the powerful impact of the gun debate and, in her case, the magazines? >> you know, andrea, it was incredibly sort of personal and touching, and i think even more so for those members of congress who know that she was at a constituent service event when this happened, that it could have been any one of them, and it happened to be her. i did think it was telling senator durbin from illinois, apologize former congressman giffords had already left, but apologized to mark kelly this hearing wasn't happening two years ago in the wake of her being shot, but i do think it's a telling sign that we tend to, newtown may have changed this dynamic, but we tend to have a huge discussion about guns and gun control and the need to regulate them, then that discussion goes away quickly. t

mitchell live in new york today. white house is now gearing up for two big confirmation fights. the president's nominees for defense secretary and cia director. joining me now for our daily fix chris alis why, msnbc contributor and managing day editor and nbc's chuck todd, chief white house correspondent political director, and host of the daily rundown here on msnbc. chuck, from the white house perspective now, where do they think they their biggest fight? i know that they feel confident going forward that they're going to be able to win the day, but as you saw in our open, even people like democrat ben carden had their doubts, their problems with chuck hagel in particular for defense. >> andrea, they're awfully confident. number one, they feel very good about brennan. they feel as if that the questions that were there four years ago mainly coming from the left, prankly, not from the right, that those questions have been answered or will be answered. that the things that brennan did create some transparency on drones. will satisfy some in the u.s. senate. on hagel they think some of this is much ado about nothing. they -- there are some that i have talked to that acknowledge that

chris van hollen, also tom brokaw. >> toomey voted for the deal. >> andrea mitchell joins us and "the politico playbook" with mike allen. >>> first, bill karins with the forecast. >> be careful how that advil interacts with the other meds. >> right. you know what? i'll stick to the heavy stuff. >> nice. good morning, everyone. hope you're off to a great new year. let me get you out the door, back to work and back to school for many people. new england, very cold. we're covered in snow. and the windchills, the coldest so far this winter season. we're in the single digits from boston to hartford to albany to buffalo. much of this area going to struggle to even hit freezing today. so temperatures for the highs will be the coldest of the winter. maybe a few snow flurries around buffa buffalo. middle of the country, we are dry. there's really no big storms heading this way. so if you have snow on the ground, it's most likely going to stay there for a while. but no new snow anticipated. it's cold. chicago, minneapolis, kansas city, a lot of locations including all of the rockies in the single digits or negative numbers. your

chris smith previewing this afternoon's house hearing. secretary clinton will be fielding more tough questions at 2:00. >>> next, whom can we rely on to protect american diplomats in an increasingly volatile africa? this is "andrea mitchell reports" only on msnbc. [ thinking ] i wonder what other questionable choices i've made? [ club scene music ] [ sigh of relief ] [ male announcer ] choose taste. choose prego. some brokerage firms are. but way too many aren't. why? because selling their funds makes them more money. which makes you wonder -- isn't that a conflict? go to e-trade. we've g0t over 8,000 mutual funds and not one of them has our name on it. e-trade. less for us. more for you. honey, i think you shrunk my pajamas. looks like he was up late watching nba on his phone again. why? do i look tired? no, you look like kevin durant. you look fine to me. really? he looks fine to you? go play. mommy's got some things for daddy to do. [ male announcer ] unlimited nba from sprint changes everything. get truly unlimited data from sprint. official wireless partner of the nba. >>> hillary clinton testified today that she took responsibility, but that congress is still now asking how security requests got turned down or were

chris matthews a cast of thousands. let's start with mike barnicle and john meachem. >> also michael steele. good to have you here michael. and mnbc chief foreign affairs correspondent, andrea mitchell. >> look at those uggs. >> i got to be outside all day. this is my only warm moment. >> i'm impressed. they look great. >> hardly fashionable. >> mika are you excited? compare today to how you felt four years ago. >> yeah but i think it's measured. and i think that's actually probably the tone the white house is taking at this point. there's a lot to be done. and a lot of things that have happened that i think need to be grown on or corrected, given the first four years. but it's always an exciting day to be able to be a part of witnessing history as it happens here in washington. it's an amazing day. >> john the second term i don't care what the counterintuitive historians and essayists say, the second term is so much more difficult than the first term. you're racing to the midterms where after that you know you're, in effect a lame duck. >> starting at 12:01 or thereabouts, everyone in the process will be looking to their next election except for the president. so his clock moves fa