hunter walker, dafna linzer, thanks to both of you. we will have coverage of chris christie's press conference 2:30 eastern time here on msnbc. >>> checking the news feed now, connecticut is the first state to raise its minimum wage to $10.10. that's the amount president obama had been pushing nationally. state officials say more than 90,000 people will get a raise. governor dan malloy signed the bill yesterday. >> we're the first state in 50 states to do what the people want to do, and that's to raise the minimum wage to $10.10. this is going to take a whole bunch of people who are working 40 hours a week and living in pover poverty, out of poverty. that's the goal in connecticut, to get people working at a job that allows them to support their families. >> it's a three-step process, though. the pin minute goes to $9.15 next year, finally $10.10 in 2017. >>> president obama is urging troops to negotiate. he said vladimir putin says the west is taken advantage of russia on this impression. >> what i have repeatedly said is that he may

let me bring in our company, msnbc.com managing editor dafna linzer and washington post reporter, nia malika henderson. good morning. >> good morning. >> dafna, let's start with income inequality and the new plans to take executive action yet again, give overtime to workers who previously would be exempt. "the new york times" calls them fast food managers, loan officers, computer technicians. a lot of others if you put them in a category, are executives or professionals. what is this move by the president tell you? >> a couple things. one is, last summer we had worker strikes all over this country, trying to improve their minimum wage and how much they are making, so this president is interested in raising the minimum wage. he's done everything he can from sort of an executive order level earlier this year, it was a promise in the state of the union address he would do so. now he's pushing on overtime. this is a president working very hard, i think, to make sure worker rights are protected and as you said, this is about, you know, bridging that income inequality gap and allowing peopl