upside medtronic rose higher and merck pleaded guilty and agreed to pay nearly $1 billion in civil fraud charges in relation to vioxx. federal reserve announced another round of stress tests for 19 financial firms including six of america's biggest banks as the national retail federation said it was suing the fed accusing to buckle to those banks over a cap on debit card swipe fees. another roadblock for at&t's $39 billion merger with t-mobile. the chairman of the s.e.c. has requested a judge's review after his staff concluded the deal is not in the public's best interest. finally, so much for six degrees of separation. thanks to facebook's growing population, a mere five people -- actually 4.74 to be exact -- now separate you from any other person on the planet. so, it really is a small world after all. >>> coming up, all your hockey highlights and a double overtime thriller in college basketball. plus, it was a close race for national league mvp, so who came out on top? your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. >>> as we head toward thanksgiving day, one storm leaving and

upside, medtronic rose higher ç and merck pleaded guilty and agreed to pay nearly $1 billion in civilarges in relation to vioxx. federal reserve announced another round of stress tests for 19 financial firms including six of america's biggest banks as the national retail federation said it was suing the fed accusing it of buckling to those banks over a cap on debit card swipe fees. another roadblock for at&t's $39 billion merger with t-mobile. the chairman of the s.e.c. has requested a judge's review after his staff concluded the deal is not in the public's best interest. finally, so much for six degrees of separation. thanks to facebook's growing population, a near five people -- actually 4.74 to be exact -- now separate you from any other person on the planet. more proof that mark zuckerberg rules the world. >>> coming up, all your hockey highlights and a double overtime thriller in college basketball. plus, it was a close race for national league mvp, so who came out on top? your first look at sports is straight ahead. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. act my age? -why? -why?

meantime, medical device maker medtronic saw its shares up 4.5% on twice its usual volume. earnings were above estimates. new products helped its bottom line despite weakness in heart defibrillators. and that's tonight's "market focus." >> tom: it's not only retailers looking forward to a busy holiday season. the final six weeks of the year sees some of the busiest days for the travel industry. airfares are up an average of 6% this season, even though the air transportation association predicts a 2% drop in passenger traffic. while fewer americans may be flying, online travel firms have seen international visitors pick up. three-quarters of the bookings at name your own price travel site priceline.com come from foreign travelers. c.e.o. jeff boyd admits it's surprising given the sour news out of europe. >> i think part of the surprise is probably attributable to a little bit of overhang related to concerns about the europe debt crisis and the macroeconomic situation. >> tom: expedia.com's business still favors americans on the road, accounting for 60% of its hotels.com busi

he says it is like a fire run lead -- new hampshire's >> my history with medtronic goes back to 1994. -- my history with mitt romney goes back to 1994. [unintelligible] once he began debating mitt romney, the rest is history. what was true then it is true now. he has been the quintessential flip-flop. he has no core values. that was true in 1994. i think it is true in this day and age. host: how important is it regarding the endorsement? guest: mitt romney has shown the ability to win in blue states. the question is can he win in red states? host: statistically a dead heat if we look at newt gingrich. is he the comeback kid? guest: i read a piece yesterday. a match made in heaven or hell. i have not quite figured it out. he is apparently the flavor of the month. he has recognized and put together a website trying to refute some of the questions raised, whether it has been in a personal level or policy. he claimed to be a historian to freddie mac. he was more of a political consultant type. he is full of hubris and has a historical view that i find puzzling. i do not think it will play

minnesota is home to many great corporations including 3m, general mills and medtronic. they produce fantastic products but no corporation should be allowed to prevent others from competing. and competition is what net neutrality is all about. it's about ensuring that the next breakthrough product has the opportunity to reach consumers through a free and open and equal internet. but in addition to protecting innovation and small businesses in this country, net neutrality is also about speech. the internet isn't just where you go to shop for local products and services. the internet is where you go to find political campaign information and read local news stories. the internet is what helped fuel the arab spring, in large part because it has become the soap box of the 21st century. organizers and advocates are no longer stapling posters to bulletin boards to get their message out there. they're now posting their messages on twitter and facebook. but the internet isn't just responsible for an upheaval in how campaigns and advocacy occur, it's also responsible for an uphea