nbc's michelle franzen is live for us downtown there. so with another good morning to you, michelle, boy, that line doesn't seem to be getting any smaller behind you, does it? >> reporter: well, it is getting smaller, and that's because it was wrapped around the building and a lot of people showed up very early this morning. the first few couples at 4:30 this morning. right now we're told that the people who started lining up at about 8:30 this morning are just getting ready to move inside to go through the process. so that gives you an idea that they certainly are moving along but not certainly at a very quick pace. but the city assures me that everybody here in manhattan and all the other boroughs of new york city will marry. in all, 823 couples today in new york city. they had entered a lottery and the city made sure that all who had entered would get a chance to become a part of history today and also making it official for them. we've got an exit door on the other side, and you've got people showing up there who are just wishing the

nbc's michelle franzen has the latest. >> reporter: raising the stakes. but still no deal on raising the nation's debt ceiling following president obama's meeting with house and senate leaders. the president said republicans and democrats will work through the weekend. >> everybody acknowledged that there's going to be pain involved politically on all sides, but our biggest obligation is to make sure that we're doing the right thing by the american people. >> reporter: lawmakers have until august 2nd to keep the government from defaulting on loans. before the meeting house speaker john boehner once again said raising taxes is not an option. but for the first time he opened the door to tax credits and closing some loopholes. >> we agree that it would make america more competitive, help create jobs in our country and it's something that is under discussion. >> reporter: there are reports the president may be open to medicare, medicaid and social security reform. a move that put him in the hot seat with progressive democrats. meanwhile, obama says the ongoin

nbc's michelle franzen is live at the new york city clerk's office where the wedding business was brisk today. michelle? >> reporter: well, lester, those back-to-back ceremonies started early this morning an wrapped up some eight hours later. hundreds of same-sex couples saying their vows and making history along the way. >> on behalf of the state of new york, i pronounce you a married couple under the state of new york laws. >> reporter: making it official. michael and doug robinson were among the first couples married in new york city today. the first day same-sex marriage became law in new york state. together more than 25 years, they shared the moment with their two grown sons as their witnesses. >> and we're so happy that they can be together. >> reporter: new york city ushered in the biggest wave of newlyweds. officials say out of the more than 800 who applied to get married today, 659 picked up their licenses. in manhattan, meredith and tiffany waited five hours before making their debut as a married couple. >> this is the most amazing day for new york. it's just a celebration of

michelle franzen, nbc news. >>> back in this country now, you could have probably cut the tension in the room with a knife at the white house where president obama summoned congressional leaders for a crisis meeting on the debt ceiling fight. but 24 hours after republican house leaders said they were done negotiating with the white house, there are hints a deal may finally be near. nbc's mike viqueira is at the white house to bring us up to date. >> reporter: good evening, lester. congressional leaders are now taking charge, meeting here throughout the weekend, scrambling to find a way out of this mounting crisis. and today there's at least some hope that they can announce at least a framework of a deal by tomorrow night. on the morning after the collapse, house speaker john boehner was on his way back to the white house. summoned by the president and seated beside him. the leaders met for just under an hour, returning to the capitol to try to find a way out of a looming disaster. >> it went well. we're here to work. >> reporter: now racing the clock, hill leaders huddled late today

michelle franzen has a look and the pride and politics in new york today. >> take you, connie -- >> take you connie, to be my spouse. >> spo be my spouse. >> reporter: hundreds of couples made history today at city clerk offices in new york city. saying "i do" on the first day same-sex marriage became legal in new york state. >> by the laws of the state of new york, i now pronounce you married. >> reporter: all around the city and state, koums lined up and waited hours to get approved for a marriage license. >> for better or worse. >> for better or worse. >> reporter: before making it official. >> oh, it feels great to finally new york is recognizing our relationship. >> absolutely. >> and that we can be on the record as being a family and get all the rights that we deserve. >> reporter: the first weddings in the state started just after midnight. at niagara falls, kitty and sheryl, who have five children and 12 grandchildren, couldn't believe their moment had finally arrived. >> i keep thinking -- i keep thinking there should be something more i have to do to get here. i keep thinking t

michelle franzen, nbc news. >>> state senator leeland wi wants to run for mayor for san francisco, he is looking forward to talking with voters about how to improve public schools, the environment and economy. he has served in the state senate since 2006 and served three terms in the state assembly. one of the main competitors for the job would be mayor ed lee, that is if lee decides to run. until recently, lee has said he wants to return to his old job as city administrator. however, when asked on friday, lee system pimply said, i have e a decision. >>> talking about a gorgeous day, what's ahead for the weekend and some heat down the road. >> yeah, finally, maybe we'll live up to july standards later on in the week, but right now, pretty comfortable night, 62 degrees in san jose, looking at patchy clouds. right now in oakland, it's northwest winds at seven miles per hour. and san francisco, if you look closely towards the top of the screen, we've got low clouds hanging over the bay bridge. and probably misty skies there, too. we were at 60 degrees, northwest wind at six, and as all t

in new york, michelle franzen nbc bay area news. >>> speaking of hitting the road. this is the first full weekend of lower vehicle license fees and a lower sales tax. local auto dealers are hoping those two things will drive business up this holiday weekend. the california sales tax dropped by 1% and the vehicle license fee dropped by a half. on the vehicle priced $25,000, that means a break of $250 on sales tax and $125 savings on the registration fee. june was a tough month for dealers, who offered fewer incentives because of the tsunami in japan. nationwide automakers sold more than a million vehicles last month. up 7% over last year. if you were busy car shopping today and didn't get a chance to watch sports on tv, hey, henry wofford is here in the studio to tell us what you missed. >> there's a lot going on, garvin, coming up in sports, barry zito returns to the hill. his teammates provided the run support, we'll tell you where zito has not gotten the win. the u.s. women's world cup soccer team has something to prove. today they were trying to outkick columbia.

the law goes into effect on sunday, and nbc's michelle franzen meets one some of the happy couples. >>> upopen it -- >> reporter: tiffany and meredith got the word they've been waiting for. >> that's it! we're done! >> reporter: an e-mail telling the couple they had been chosen from the new york city lottery to marry on sunday. >> i'm saying this, i agree to this, and we're doing this in a public way with somebody watching. like this is -- it's been validated. and to us, that means a lot. >> reporter: the big apple will usher in the first day of legalized same-sex marriage with back-to-back ceremonies. the city clerk's office originally planned to wed 764 couples on sunday. it announced it would expand hour to make sure all 823 who registered could marry. new york city's mayor, michael bloomberg, is also marking the first day with a special evening ceremony at gracie mansion. he will officiates the marriage of his chief policy adviser and consumer affairs commissioner. >> this is about celebrating our relationship, but in many ways it's really about our children who have often asked u

michelle franzen has more. >> reporter: raising the stakes, but still no deal on raising the nation's debt ceiling following president obama's meeting with house and senate leaders. >> everybody knows that there's going to be pain involved politically on all sides, but our biggest obligation is to make sure that we're doing the right thing by the american people. >> lawmakers have until august 2nd to keep the government from defaulting on loans. before the meeting house speaker john boehner once again said raising taxes is not an option, but for the first time he opened the door to rollbacks on some tax credits and closing tax loopholes. >> we believe that comp rehensie fax reform would make america more competitive, help create jobs in our country, and it's something that is under discussion. >> there are reports the president may be open to medicare, medicaid and social security reform. a move that put him in the hot seat with progressive democrats. meanwhile, obama says the ongoing talks are just that until a deal is done. michelle franzen, nbc news, washingto washington. >> at ken

michelle franzen joins us live from downtown manhattan with the day's developments. michelle? >> reporter: well, wendy, this case hinges on the prosecution's witness, the accuser, the hotel maid that accused strauss-kahn of attacking her in the hotel room in may. now prosecutors say she is accused of lying. not only about details in this case, but also about her background. suddenly this case has turned upside down. a smiling dominique strauss-kahn walked out of a new york court following a bail hearing, free from house arrest. >> the defendant will be released in his own recognizance. >> reporter: the former chief of the international monetary fund still faces attempted rape and other sexual assault charges, accused of attacking a hotel made at a midtown luxury hotel. but prosecutors admitted the strength of their case is now in jeopardy. that after the credibility of strauss-kahn's accuser came into question. >> we are absolutely convinced while today is a first giant step in the right direction, the next step will lead to a complete dismissal of the charges. >> reporter: co

michelle franzen explains. >> reporter: the july 4th holiday getaway is on. this year, more than 39 million americans are expected to travel. that's down 2.5% last year. >> it's really all about the sustained period of very expensive gasoline prices which are right now about 80 cents more than they were this time last year. >> reporter: the majority of travelers are still hitting the roads, but this year there is also a shift. despite a jump in ticket prices, air travel is expected to be up 9%. >> it certainly seems that will is a pent up travel demand. people have definitely put their leisure travel on the back burner over the last few years and it appears that they're ready to travel again. >> reporter: when it comes to destinations, orlando still tops the list for families along with national parks and the beach. but whether flying or driving, travel sxermexperts say there a still deals. >> they should be taking advantage of added value deals from hotels. this is free nights, free room upgrades, kids stay free. take advantage of all of those offerings to o

the weddings have already begun and michelle franzen is live in lower manhattan to tell us more.rning. >> reporter: good morning. couples started lining up before day break at city clerk's office, wrapped around the corner here. in all, more than 800 couples throughout new york city will say "i do" today. but for couples around the state, some of them were the first to marry just after midnight. for many, today is just as much about making history as it is about making it official. >> just open it. >> reporter: word came in the form of an e-mail. for tiffany and meredith. >> have been selected -- >> that's it. we're done. >> i love you. >> i love you. >> reporter: the engaged couple are among the 823 who entered the new york city lottery and chosen to marry on the first day same-sex marriage is legal in new york state. >> i'm just so happy. i mean, we wanted to get married in new york so badly because this is where we live. this is where we made our home. this is where we met. this is where we fell in love. >> reporter: douglas and michael will officially make it legal today, usi

michelle franzen has more. >> reporter: the july 4th holiday getaway is on. year more than 39 million americans are expected to travel. that's down 2 1/2 perz last year according to triple-a. >> in temz of fewer people driving, it's all about the sustained period of very expensive gasoline prices, which are right now about 80 cents more than they were this time last year. >> the majority of travellers are still hitting the roads, but this year there is also a shift. despite a jump in ticket prices, air travel is expected to be up 9%. >> it certainly seems like there is a pent-up travel demand. people have definitely put their leisure travel on the back burner over the last few years, and it appears that they're ready to travel again. >> reporter: when it comes to destinations, orlando still tops the list for families along with national parks and the beach. but whether flying or driving, travel experts say there are still deals if travellers are flexible about where you go and where you stay. >> they should be taking advantage of added value deals from hotels

michelle franzen has the latest. >> reporter: raising the stakes. but still no deal on raising the nation's debt ceiling following president obama's meeting with house and senate leaders today. the president said republicans and democrats will work through the weekend. >> everybody acknowledged that there's going to be pain involved politically on all sides. but our biggest obligation is to make sure that we're doing the right thing by the american people. >> reporter: lawmakers have until august 2nd to keep the government from defaulting on loans. before the meeting, house speaker john boehner once again said raising taxes is not an option. but for the first time, he opened the door to rollbacks on some tax credits, and closing tax loopholes. >> we believe that comprehensive tax reform, both on a corporate side and personal side would make america more competitive, help create jobs in our country, and is something that is under discussion. >> reporter: there are reports the president may be open to medicare, medicaid and social security reform. a m

michelle franzen has our report. >> reporter: raising the stakes.ut still no deal on raising the nation's debt ceiling following president obama's meeting with house and senate leaders today. the president said republicans and democrats will work through the weekend. >> everybody acknowledged that there's going to be pain involved politically on all sides, but our biggest obligation is to make sure that we're doing the right thing by the american people. >> reporter: lawmakers have until august 2nd to keep the government from defaulting on loans. before the meeting, house speaker john boehner once again said raising taxes is not an option. but for the first time, he opened the door to rollbacks on some tax credits and closing tax loopholes. >> we believe that comprehensive tax reform, both on the corporate side and personal side, would make america more competitive, help create jobs in our country, and it's something that is under discussion. >> reporter: there are reports the president may be open to medicare, medicaid and social security reform. a

michelle franzen joins us from new york with the latest. first question, what happened to this case? how could something that seemed to big and sensational become apparently falling apart? >> yeah, wendy, it unravelled in the last 24 hours, and prosecutors say over time and during their investigation with the accuser, the hotel maid who accuses dominique strauss-kahn of attacking her in that hotel back in may, that they said her story just wasn't adding up in certain parts, that accounts of the attack had some holes in it. and they also said that they found out and that she admitted, prosecutors say that the accuser admitted to lying on an application for asylum here in the u.s. going so far as to make claims that she was raped in her native guinea. prosecutors say she admitted that that did not happen, that she falsified that. her attorney today says he stands by his client, saying that she certainly was attacked, and he said that there is additional evidence there is dna evidence. and there is also independent evidence taken from the scen

michelle franzen, thank you very much. very perplexing story.hanks for that update. >>> no deal yet to the debt ceiling standoff. with a new solution -- will a new solution win the support that it needs to pass? so strong it survives brushing. thankfully, there's listerine® antiseptic. its triple-action formula penetrates biofilm, kills germs and protects your mouth for hours. fight biofilm with listerine®. [ female announcer ] something unexpected to the world of multigrain... taste. ♪ delicious pringles multigrain. with a variety of flavors, multigrain pops with pringles. delicious pringles multigrain. ...was it something big? ...or something small? ...something old? ...or something new? ...or maybe, just maybe... it's something you haven't seen yet. the 2nd generation of intel core processors. stunning visuals, intelligent performance. this is visibly smart. >>> president obama with the government on the cusp of hitting the debt ceiling. the president urgently called for both sides to compromise to avoid a default. >>> the parties are not tha

michelle franzen, thank you so much.ew york city. >>> well, fans and the music industry are mourning the death of singer amy winehouse. the grammy award winner was found dead yesterday at her north london home. she was just 27 years old. earlier i spoke to ian drew of "us weekly" who said it was clear she was a standout very early on in her career. >> she had an incredible fragility and vulnerability that i think is what set her apart as an artist. in speaking to her, there was just such a frailty there under everything. emotionally, she was very sort of unguarded. and i found that so refreshing and so beautiful. and i think that the great artists of all time sort of have that in them. >> for the latest now we head to nbc's tazeen ahmad, who's in london for us. tazeen-w a good morning to you. i know it's a somber day there in london. when might we learn what happened to amy winehouse? >> reporter: what we're going to learn, it will probably take place over the next few days. the autopsy is now expected to happen tomorrow

. >> michelle franzen, thank you so much for that. that the house will vote on senate majority leader harry reid's debt reduction deal between 2:00 and 2:30 eastern time. now, they are all scheduled to come back into session about 20 minutes from now, so they'll have a couple hours of discussion, someone-minute speeches will go underway for about an hour or so, and then again in a very largely political move, the house will vote down as expected. senator reid's bill today, it will happen between 2:00 and 2:30 eastern time. of course we'll be watching that very closely on msnbc saturday, and we'll have more on that coming up. we'll talk about that next on msnbc saturday. ...was it something big? ...or something small? ...something old? ...or something new? ...or maybe, just maybe... it's something you haven't seen yet. the 2nd generation of intel core processors. stunning visuals, intelligent performance. this is visibly smart. just don't feel like they used to. are you one of them? remember when you had more energy for 18 holes with y

>> michelle franzen, thank you. >>> tropical storm don has made landfall just south of corpus christind it quickly fizzled out. the storm did bring some rain to the area, but not as much as expected. >>> we look at the capitol and get ready for the house floor to take action just three days away from the debt default deadline. and members of congress still have not come up with an agreement. we'll have a live update from the white house. >>> plus, analysis of what's been going on. just one phillips' colon health probiotic cap a day helps defends against occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas and bloating. with three strains of good bacteria to help balance your colon. you had me at "probiotic." [ female announcer ] phillips' colon health. vietnam, 1967. i got mine in iraq, 2003. u.s.a.a. auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation, because it offers a superior level of protection and because u.s.a.a.'s commitment to serve the military, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto insurance quote. u.s.a.a. we know what it means to

nbc's michelle franzen is live in stewart'stown, new hampshire with more on the story. rning, lester. investigators are expected to be back here at the command center this morning for a briefing. and then possibly out searching again. but rain is moving in. it adds to the challenges here of challenging terrain, as well as few tips to go on. so far investigators have not been able to rule out any thing or anyone. standing out. hundreds of volunteers walk through miles of tall brush, and wooded terrain near west stuartstown, new hampshire, searching for 11-year-old celina cass. up above, investigators used a helicopter equipped with a high-tech camera to scan the area. nearby, the community school serves as a command center, where more than 100 investigators map out their day, follow up on tips and chase new leads. but after nearly a week, still no breaks in the case. >> simply do not know where she is located at this time, or how she got to wherever she is. >> reporter: new hampshire attorney general jane young says cass was last seen monday night, on the computer, at her

michelle franzen live in new york city. good morning to you. i see a big old line, which i suspect is right about what's going on today. >> reporter: that's right, alex. that's the entrance to the city clerk's office back here and that line snakes around the building, as you mentioned. nearly a thousand couples here in manhattan, over 400 already hearing cheers at exit doors. some of the first marriages taking place inside. today just as much about making history as it is about making it official. >> just open it. >> reporter: word came in the form of an e-mail for tiffany and meredith. >> you have been selected. >> that's it, we're done! >> i love you. >> reporter: the engaged couple are aplong the 823 who enters the new york city lottery and were chosen to marry on the first day same-sex marriage is legal in new york state. >> i'm just so happy. i mean, we wanted to get married in new york so badly, because this is where we lib, this is where we made our home, this is where we met. this is where we fell in love. >> reporter: douglas and micha

we'll talk thoo her exclusivelyn a moment, but first nbc's michelle franzen has details. >> good morningut in his brooklyn neighborhood as a member of his church and as a student who earned scholarships. no one expected he would die of ha hazing-related incident. a sophomore at new york's prestigious cornell university had a bright future ahead of him with hopes of becoming a doctor one day. his life, family and friends say, cut short this past february following a drunken hazing ritual at his fraternity. >> he just had this way that was so, you know, giving and loving. just very unusual in some ways for a teenage boy. there are week, his mother filed a $25 million wrongful death suit against sigma alpha epsilon and the former pledges she says are responsible for her son's death. the suit claims her son was involved in a mock kidnapping by pledges during their initiation. the complaint alleges they bound his wrists and ankles with zip ties and duct tape and compelled him to consume alcohol until he lost consciousness. back at the frat house, he was dumped on a couch and left to die. an a

michelle franzen franzen is at e search command center in new hampshire. anine crews also searching as well as the nearby rivers. it's an overwhelming response for this community with fewer than 1,000 people. and the residents here have been overwhelmed with a scale of this investigation now stretching into nearby vermont and across the border into canada, which is just a mile from here. residents are also overcome by their emotions as they wait and hope for her safe return. >> vanished, the search is intensifying for 11-year-old celina cass, last seen on her computer in her family's home monday night in new hampshire, a small community of 800 just a mile from the canadian border. investigators say there are no signs of struggle or reason to believe cass ran away or was abducted, and not enough evidence to issue an amber alert. >> she was last seen in her house, so we don't have a last seen thing, a vehicle description, we don't have a direction of travel. >> reporter: few clues but enough for the fbi to bring in its elite child abduction unit. their main f

michelle franzen has more. >> reporter: the family of lith 8-year-old killed on his walk home from campearned more devastating details this week. the medical examiner's report shows the cause of death was by smothering and intoxication from an acute mixture of drugs. >> bring closure to a family that has been the victims of this kind of torture. >> reporter: prosecutors say at the hands of the stranger police say lieby turned to for help, shown on this surveillance tape walking behind him. >> aaron took lieby to his apartment where he caused the child to ingest a large number of drugs and then aaron use aid towel to smother the child until he died. >> reporter: drugged, murdered and then dismembered. a grand jury indicted aaron on eight counts, including first-degree murder. aaron faces life without parole and is currently undergoing a psychiatric evaluation. at his arraignment earlier this week, his lawyer voiced concerns about his client's mental state. >> he's indicated he hears thha >> reporter: the other attorney quil quit this week. in a statement, his family says they continue to

nbc's michelle franzen has the touching story. >> good morning.ht time in afghanistan when he met a boy suffering from a rare and life-threatening birth defect. that boy captured the major's attention and heart. now with the help of doctors and a host family in new jersey, he's thriving and teaching us a few things along the way. at the family home in new jersey, muslam is like any other 7-year-old playing in the back yard. but a few months ago this young boy from afghanistan couldn't have imagined running around like most kids his age. >> he couldn't do anything six months ago but hold his bladder and walk with holding his bladder to protect it. >> reporter: he suffered from a life-threatening birth defect born with his bladder on the outside of his body. he traveled here last fall for a series of corrective operations and is staying with the hoplinger family but he's ready to return. it was the help of a army may jo who made it all possible. they met in afghanistan last year when his mom desperately reached out for help. >> i stopped and saw mus