i don't think there's a need for msnbc the rest of the liberal media and current tv what msnbc is already doing and i would expect the audience to stay diminishing small. >> well, like they may say we're not liberal. we cover news, do you think current? >> i think the liberals had a hard time finding a market for things. liberal radio never takes off the way that conservative radio does and i think that msnbc has found a niche for themselves and i'm the not sure if there's room for another liberal outlet. >> and squeezed by on abc and-- >> i think it's fair to compare the, you know, the networks to what msnbc is doing. >> all right. well, current is out there if anybody wants to watch it, even if olbermann's ratings are going down. >> 23,000 viewers. >> when we come back, late night humor that was not so funny to some. >> when the fields finally showed up, bin laden said, what took you so long, for god's sake. >> late night comic letterman becomes a terror target after making jokes about bin laden. how did the media react to it? that's next on news watch. glucerna shakes. they have slowly

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you're watching "first look" on msnbc. [ man ] this is my robot butler. say i'm missing england... i type in e-n-g and he gives me a variety of options. would you like to have a look at a map, my lad? ah, why not? should we check on the status of your knighthood? yes. again? yes, again! please. thank you! with my digital manservant, i'll never be homesick again. would you like me to put the kettle on, sir? no! i'd like you to get rid of that ostrich. it's been here a month. [ male announcer ] the new hp touchpad starting at $399.99. ♪ you've been stuck in the garage, while my sneezing and my itchy eyes took refuge from the dust in here and the pollen outside. but with 24-hour zyrtec®, i get prescription strength relief from my worst allergy symptoms. it's the brand allergists recommend most. ♪ lily and i are back on the road again. where we belong. with zyrtec®, i can love the air®. >>> welcome back to "first look." i'm lynn berry. here's a look at top stories making news this morning. an estimate of the u.s. military of c

i'm lynn berry, this is "first look" on msnbc.too early" with willie geist starts right now. >>> the dow's wild pendulum swings back into red as the average drops 520 points with asia moving lower this morning as well. the markets concerned about the health of u.s. and european economies. the question is -- what can and should president barack obama and congress do now to stop this slide? >>> meanwhile the united states strikes back against the taliban fighters believed to have downed the american helicopter last weekend. that killed 30 u.s. service members. the question is, a lot of people have it right now -- what were 17 navy s.e.a.l.s doing on that mission to begin with? >>> and debate night in iowa for the republican presidential candidates, two days ahead of the straw poll in that state. th

you're watching msnbc saturday. wouldn't you like to be them, right? ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] more people are leaving bmw, mercedes and lexus for audi than ever before. experience the summer of audi event and get over 130 channels of siriusxm satellite radio for 3 months at no charge. >> iowa is the state that launched barack obama and iowa will be the place where that presidency is coming to an end. you get to choose tomorrow and i couldn't be more excited. >> michele bachmann just one of nine republican presidential candidates on the ballot today in the iowa straw poll and that voting will run for six hours during the day. for a preview i'm joined by ames, iowa, by host of msnbc's "the daily rundown," you need no production but i'll say it any way. good morning, chuck todd. >> good morning. >> baseded on what we've seen over the last week, who do you think the top three are and does that match up with who will most likely be the overall primary front runners? >> when you talk to iowa republicans both affiliated wi

we're back on msnbc.ot of times, things are right underneath our feet, and all we need to do is change the way we're thinking about them. a couple decades ago, we didn't even realize just how much natural gas was trapped in rocks thousands of feet below us. technology has made it possible to safely unlock this cleanly burning natural gas. this deposits can provide us with fuel for a hundred years, providing energy security and economic growth all across this country. it just takes somebody having the idea, and that's where the discovery comes from. >>> back live in madison, wisconsin on "the last word with lawrence o'donnell." i'm ed schultz reporting live tonight from the state of wisconsin. three republicans have been declared the winners tonight in the recall elections. one democrat has won and two races are very close. in the 18th district randy hopper, the incumbent, being challenged by jessica king. john nichols, what can you tell us the latest? >> jessica king is a little tiny bit ahead but i just

we're right back here on msnbc. stay with us.ght underneath our feet, and all we need to do is change the way we're thinking about them. a couple decades ago, we didn't even realize just how much natural gas was trapped in rocks thousands of feet below us. technology has made it possible to safely unlock this cleanly burning natural gas. this deposits can provide us with fuel for a hundred years, providing energy security and economic growth all across this country. it just takes somebody having the idea, and that's where the discovery comes from. a network of possibilities. in here, the planned combination of at&t and t-mobile would deliver our next generation mobile broadband experience to 55 million more americans, many in small towns and rural communities, giving them a new choice. we'll deliver better service, with thousands of new cell sites... for greater access to all the things you want, whenever you want them. it's the at&t network... and what's possible in here is almost impossible to say. man: day care can be so to sa

mornings here on msnbc this fall. >>> home stretch. the battle over the debt finally nears an end marked by the emotional return of congresswoman gabrielle giffords. >>> ruckus in russia. a rare tornado makes a deadly strike in the country's far east. >>> and surface snapshot. nasa unveils the first close-up images of an asteroid over 100 million miles from earth. good morning. those stories and much more straight ahead. this is "first look" on msnbc. >>> almost a done deal. house lawmakers approved an 11th hour compromise to raise the debt limit in time to avoid a first-ever default. among the 269 congress members, gabrielle giffords making a return to the capitol to cast her vote. tracie potts joins us from washington with more. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. it will likely pass the senate this afternoon. meaning president obama will get this bill just hours before our government was set to default. >> the bill has passed without objection. >> reporter: it passed with the help of congresswoman gabrielle giffords. >>

kand charlie cook msnbc political analyst.bate, what did you find surprising? where was jon huntsman, is mitt romney flying over the field? >> i think mitt romney and michele bachmann held their own at the top tier. i think pawlenty did well enough to survive where his candidacy is really on the edge. he did well enough to survive. i thought jon huntsman and herman cain were just awful. i thought they didn't help themselves at all. i thought it was kind of fun to watch newt going after fox. it was sort of out of character, but interesting. >> by the way, right now we see mary pawlenty introducing her husband tim pawlenty out at the state fair. he's about to get up on that soap box. he as you can see is much more casual and relax laxed. he was terrible at breakfast this morning. he was wowing the crowd. a sense of humor. a little stiff last night. took some jabs at her. and you say, held his own. >> i thought pawlenty did as well last night as i had expected him to do in previous events. i thought santorum for a guy that doesn'

>>> next on msnbc saturday. show dmoun the hawkeye state. the iowa straw poll. which of these republicans. live reports and analysis straight ahead. >> plus, he is not even running in iowa, but he looms large in the fight for the republican nomination. are americans willing to elect another texas governor for president? also ahead, against his will. an american living in pakistan taken from his home at gunpoint. and back to florida. there's a judge's order that puts casey anthony's life in jeopardy? good morning, everyone. welcome to msnbc saturday. i'm alex witt. it is 9:00 a.m. on the nose. today marks the first major 2012 test for republicans. just hours from now iowa residents will cast ballots in the ames straw poll, and when the results are in, wheel see whose campaign is on fire, and whose message is falling flat. most of the major candidates are on the ballot, and not all of them are courting the iowa voters. nbc news capitol hill distribute kelly o'donnell is live are for us in ames, iowa with a good saturday morning to you, kelly. today's results will

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msnbc meteorologist bill karins joins us with the latest on what to expect. good morning, bill. >> good saturday morning to you, alex. the heat's been a huge summer all summer long not stopping today. incredible temperatures continue with texas and oklahoma. yesterday, 107 in dallas. almost as hot as phoenix at 109. a little bit of a break in kansas city with showers and thunderstorms yesterday. i think that's going to happen again today. heat warnings are in orange. almost all of the state of oklahoma including tulsa and oklahoma city. dallas, heat advisory and heat warnings around the memphis area. everywhere in the yellow, heat advisory. in other words, a good chunk of the southern half of the country today is still going to be very dangerously hot. the report streak continues in dallas. we've now had 35 days -- can you imagine? 35 days in a row each in the afternoon hit 100 degrees at least. the record is 42. we're now only a week way from that. check out the five-day forecast in dallas. no rain in sight. temperatures are easily going to be above 100 for

you're watching "first look" on msnbc. i'm good about washing my face. but sometimes i wonder...s left behind? [ female announcer ] new purifying facial cleanser from neutrogena naturals. removes 99% of dirt and toxins without dyes, parabens, or harsh sulfates. so skin feels pure and healthy. [ female announcer ] new from neutrogena naturals. >>> welcome back to "first look." i'm lynn berry. and last night on "late night with jimmy fallon," jimmy talked about a new product he's obviously not looking forward to. >> hey, guys, i heard that 7-eleven is now selling potato chips that taste like hot dogs. seriously? i'm still waiting for 7-eleven to sell hot dogs that taste like hot dogs. what is that brown thing? hey, check this out. a new study found that women gain more weight after marriage, but men gain more weight after a divorce. yeah. the divorce usually takes place after men point out that women gain more weight after marriage. travel in new york is still crazy because of the hurricane. in fact, they lost a woman's cat at jfk. and the airline -- the airline put out food and wa

jared bernstein is a msnbc contributor.r joining us. >> my pleasure, alex. >> i'm glad you're here. what are we in for tomorrow? >> the thing we want to look at starting when the asian markets open are the interest rates or economists call them yields on government debt, on treasury bills. if borrowers of the u.s. government in this case have to pay a higher rate, what's called a risk premium on the interest rates we could see it happening quickly. those who lend to us insist that they have a slightly higher payback rate, interest rate to account for the debt downgrade. i personally think that's probably not likely. remember, there are three rating agencies. only one of them took our debt rating down a notch. typically when this happens -- it's never happened here before but when it's happened in other advanced economies you don't necessarily see much reaction. we better watch for it. >> if you look between standard & poor's, fitch, moody's, if they look at what the other one is doing because standard and poor's is getting

>>> next on msnbc saturday, the disgrace of downgrade. is the u.s. no longer a safe investment, and how will america's credit rating affect your pocketbook? >>> then how will it play out politically in the battle for the white house? we have live reports and analysis coming up straight ahead. >>> good morning, everyone. welcome to msnbc saturday. i'm alex witt. just past 9:00 a.m. in the east, 6:00 a.m. out west. let's see what's happening out there, and we begin this hour with the breaking news out of afghanistan where senior administration officials say 31 u.s. special operations forces and seven afghan soldiers have died after a nato helicopter crashed during an overnight operation in the tangi valley just wetz of kabul. we begin now live with atia with the very latest. atia, with another good morning. i know you have been following the story for us. have officials given an explanation, confirmed how this happened? >> good morning, alex. we're still waiting to hear from u.s. and nato officials here in afghanistan. they seem to be very tight lipped

you're watching "first look" on msnbc. at exxon and mobil, our smart gasoline works at the molecular level to help remove deposits and clean up intake valves. so when you fill up at an exxon or mobil station, our gasolines help your engine run more smoothly. it's how we make gasoline work harder for you. >>> and here's some of the top stories making news this morning. amid the famine, crisis in africa, thousands of refugees have streamed into somalia's capital, serging for food after the withdrawal of islamic rebels. their departure has raised homes that hume tearian groups will be able to set up aid deliveries for the first time in five years, the united nations was able to airlift aid to mogadishu. meanwhile, president obama has approved an additional $105 million for relief efforts in the horn of africa. >>> the hotel maid who is accused ex-international monetary fund boss, dominique strauss-kahn of sexual assault is now suing him for unspecified damages. the woman, whose credibility has been questioned, says she was su

this is "first look" on msnbc. we begin this morning with a budget breakthrough. president obama announced last night that lawmaker mis-washington have reached a last minute agreement to raise the nation's debt ceiling before tuesday's deadline. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with the details. good morning to you. >> reporter: veronica, good morning. the deal will raise debt ceiling and deal with most of the tough questions well before the 2012 elections. the white house and top democrats and republicans agreed on over $2 trillion in budget cuts, allowing the u.s. to borrow that much more. >> it will allow us to avoid default, it will allow us to pay our bills, it will allow us to start reducing our deficit in a responsible way. >> reporter: here's the deal. almost a trillion in cuts now, much of it from the military, another trillion and a half decided by a panel of democrats and republicans in the fall, including tax reform and medicare. if they don't agree or if the government overspends, automatic

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that's straight ahead here on "msnbc saturday."i always worry about what's in the food that i put on my children's plate. that's why we use all-white meat, breading that is whole grain with omega-3 and no preservatives. it is my goal to make the highest quality, best-tasting nugget on the market. i want consumers to go, "dang, that's a good nugget." ♪ [ recorded voice ] onstar. we're looking for city hall. i'm sending directions to your car. [ recorded voice #2 ] turn right on hill street. go north for two miles. ♪ [ man ] this is onstar. i got a signal there's been a crash. do you need help? yes, please. i've got your gps location. i'm sending help. [ female announcer ] introducing onstar fmv. get it installed on your car at best buy or visit onstar.com for more stores. >>> texas governor rick perry is attending a massive christian prayer and fasting event in houston that kicked off just in this last hour. live events right now. live pictures of the event called "the response." rick perry is undecided whether he's running for pres

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stay with us here on msnbc. but with 24-hour zyrtec®, i get prescription strength relief from my worst allergy symptoms. so lily and i are back on the road again. with zyrtec® i can love the air®. >>> you only have to look at the weather maps to understand just how big this storm is and how young it is and it's heading basically directly for us. we've never done a mandatory evacuation before. we wouldn't be doing it now if we didn't think the storm had the potential to be very serious. if you want to be safe, now's the time to start moving. >> that was new york mayor michael bloomberg talking about his city's unprecedented evacuation plans yesterday. welcome back to msnbc's special coverage of hurricane irene. here are some of the latest updates on travel along the east coast. if you're planning a weekend get away make sure to call your carrier before heading to the airport. more than 6,000 flights are expected to be cancelled through monday. as a preoccasion against the approaching storm and the clock is tickin

send us your tweets at msnbc tv, and include the hashtack irene.'re gonna look so handsome once i get these little white pieces off you. how many do i have? more than you think. [ female announcer ] you can't pass mom's inspection with lots of pieces left behind. that's why there's charmin ultra strong. its diamondweave texture is soft and more durable versus the ultra rippled brand. so it holds up better for a more dependable clean. fewer pieces left behind. you sure clean up nice. yes i do. [ female announcer ] we all go. why not enjoy it a little more with charmin ultra strong? and to help feel fresh and clean, try charmin freshmates. >>> good day, everyone. i'm tamron hall. we are back with msnbc's continuing coverage of what is now tropical storm irene. you're looking at live pictures of montauk, new york, the tip of the south shore, the destructive run continues at this hour as it churns up the east coast taking aim now at massachusetts and rhode island. now in new jersey the concern is flooding. a fresh round of eye vac ways as the rivers co

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>>> next on msnbc sunday, chopper down in afghanistan. what led to taking the lives of 30 u.s. service members. a live report straight ahead. >>> plus, the fire and the fury. anger sparks rioting and it may not be over. >>> more to come. a warning that the u.s. credit rating may be lowered again and soon. good morning. i'm alex witt. welcome to msnbc sunday. it's 11:00 a.m. here on the east coast. 8:00 a.m. out west. there is new reaction for the deadliest day of u.s. service members in afghanistan since the war started in 2001. 30 u.s. troops were killed yesterday. americans across this country are reacting. >> it brings it hope and makes you more nervous about what is going to go on. >> another good day to you, tia. any word about the official cause? what are you hearing? >> reporter: good morning. nato officials are still being tight lipped. what we do know is that there will be a press conference tomorrow where we will get new information. 30 u.s. service members were killed when their helicopter went down by insurgent fire. a group most recently credited for hunting down a

i'm back with continuing coverage of hurricane irene on msnbc. the national hurricane center reports that sustained winds for the storm have decreased. but irene will remain a hurricane as she travels up the mid-atlantic coast even as the storm is expected to lose more strength as it hits land. strong winds are extending 100 miles from irene's center. at least 60 million people are in irene's path including 3.5 million residents along the north carolina coast where the storm is expected to make landfall later this morning. let's bring in jeff who's been tracking the storm. what's going on with it right now? >> we're seeing it getting close to landfall along the outer banks of north carolina. for those of you in the north carolina area hopefully you have evacuated because those outer banks are getting lashed right now. the winds are at 100 miles per hour in the center of the storm. you can see it winding up on the radar as we've been showing you. there's the ie wall at the -- the eye wall at the bottom of your storm. it's 37 miles away down here f

for for watch "your business" sunday mornings at 7:30 on msnbc. >>> welcome back to msnbc's coverageane irene. i'm contessa brewer. rom new york city. there is new york harborer a beautiful shot of the statue of liberty. the boats are still out. we're not seeing much of the high, rough surf coming into new york harbor yet. but norfolk, virginia, that may be changing. we know it's changing in north carolina. here is norfolk, virginia, right now. looks like a gorgeous day at the beach. the governor has ordered the state offices in coastal areas to close today at 3:00 p.m. it's an encouraging private employers to do the same thing. they want people to be taking very seriously the threat of this hurricane. in fact, let's show you the weather channel map to give you an idea of why it needs to be taken so seriously. the threat level here from wind, rain, waves and especially storm surge up and down the northeast corridor. at water's edge now we're being told this threat the catastrophic, potentially deadly. hurricane and tropical storm warnings are in effect from south carolina up to new j

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you're watching "first look" on msnbc. (announcer) everything you need to stretch out on long trips. residence inn. exclusive to the military. and commitment is not limited to one's military oath. the same set of values that drive our nation's military are the ones we used to build usaa bank. from free checking to credit cards to loans, our commitment to the military, veterans, and their families is without equal. ♪ visit us online to learn what makes our bank so different. usaa. we know what it means to serve. whether it can be done safely and responsibly. at exxonmobil we know the answer is yes. when we design any well, the groundwater's protected by multiple layers of steel and cement. most wells are over a mile and a half deep so there's a tremendous amount of protective rock between the fracking operation and the groundwater. natural gas is critical to our future. at exxonmobil we recognize the challenges and how important it is to do this right. >>> welcome back to "first look" i'm lynn berry. the new york yankees ma

this is hrd hshd only on msnbc. [ p.a. announcing america's favorite cereal is now honey nut cheerios! yup, america's favorite. so we're celebrating the honey sweetness, crunchy oats and... hey! don't forget me!! honey nut cheerios. make it your favorite too! [ coughing continues ] [ gasping ] [ elevator bell dings, coughing continues ] [ female announcer ] congress can't ignore the facts: more air pollution means more childhood asthma attacks. [ coughing continues ] log on to lungusa.org and tell washington: don't weaken the clean air act. >>> house democratic whip steny hoyer talk toing about the debt deal. >> we need to vote not as republicans or democrats but as americans. americans concerned about the fiscal posture of their country. concerned about the confidence that people around the world have in the american dollar, which is, after all, the standard of the world. that is what i think this vote is about. >> and when that's over, expecting a vote in about an hour and a half from now. >>> we'll be right back. [ male

we're joined by msnbc political analyst richard wolfe and john heilemann.ou've been on the campaign trail with all of these folks. >> it's clear bill keller is right in the sense that a lot of candidates use their religious connections to, as he said, pry open people's wallets in certain religious parts of the base. that's on display in this republican primary season. it's also the case that i think more broadly that presidential contest, presidential elections, are about character to a large extent and voters want to understand what the candidates they're about to vote for or not vote for what they believe in. those candidates do put their faith as they put their families on display to try to show people who they are at a deep level. to that extent i think it is fair as keller suggests to ask certain kinds of questions about what they're beliefs are and how they bear on public policy. >> look what happens when you do that, richard wolffe. as a fox news debate, michele bachmann was asked about comment she made in the past about a wife's duty to be sub miss

we're back with much more on msnbc. after this. 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. and replace your old mayo [ female announcer ]e it's time to raise the bar with the full flavor of kraft mayo with olive oil. ♪ made with half the fat and calories of hellmann's real mayo... ...kraft mayo with olive oil is the new standard in mayo. >>> breaking news on msnbc. it is official that dominique strauss-kahn is a free man after the judge has now officially dismissed the charges against him. the judge saying that the respondentities of the district attorney is to determine whether the case is credible. the court understands that there are others with different views on this. but they could not deem this to be a credible case. one reason the court decided that no special prosecutor would be handed over to this so quickly was for possible appeal proce

you're watching msnbc saturday. well i always worry about what's in the food that i put on my children's plate. that's why we use all-white meat, breading that is whole grain with omega-3 and no preservatives. it is my goal to make the highest quality, best-tasting nugget on the market. i want consumers to go, "dang, that's a good nugget." ♪ anything for you ♪ >>> this is the first morning of freedom for the west memphis three. the three men were released from prison in arkansas yesterday. they accepted a plea deal with prosecutors that released them for time served. they have been held since 1993 for the killings of three cub scouts. since then, the three have maintained their innocence. they spoke at a news conference on friday. >> have you to worry about your own safety. it don't matter what kim it is. you have to worry about your safety. >> from the beginning we told nothing but the truth, and we were innocent, and they sent us to prison for the rest of our lives, and we had to come here, and the only thing that

this is "first look" on msnbc. stay tuned.geist" starts right now. >>> the white house spent the weekend attacking the credibility of standard & poor's after the united states receives a stunning downgrade to its long held aaa credit rating friday. this morning we'll see what that move does to the already struggling markets. the question is, should we be more focused on fixing the root of our economic problems than on shooting the standard & poor's messenger. >>> meanwhile, a devastating weekend in afghanistan where a helicopter shot down 38 people dead. 30 american service members, 22 of those navy s.e.a.l.s. the question is how did it happen and what does it peen for the war? a live report from richard engel. >>> a bad night to be a yankee fan as

vera gibbons, msnbc analyst and colonel jack jacobs, also an msnbc military analyst. an extensive background on wall street working in the financial industry for more than ten years now. welcome. vera, we have this credit downgrade. unemployment rates above 9%. a tick down from july. does it give you an indication of where the economy is head snd. >> ae also appear to be off the recovery wagon. if you look at the economic data, it's been bad across the board from manufacturing to spending, economic growth basically here is at zilch. our global economic concerns are concerns about the u.s. currency and its ability to pay its debt, and people don't have jobs. you mentioned the rate at 9.1%. it's closer to 16% when you consider the number of discouraged workers. definitely a lot of head winds out there, which has had more people talking about possibility of double dip. >> i want to talk with you, jack, about the companies that have announced layoffs this week, because there seems to be this disconnect between companies saying we have to let you go and yet they're sitting

breaking news right now on msnbc.igating a man with a gun on the virginia tech campus. that's the site, as you'll all remember, of the 2007 deadly mass shooting. now, the campus alert is telling students and employees to stay inside and to lock their doors. my colleague, peter alexander, has been covering this from the very beginning over the last hour. he's going to stay in studio and join me as we continue to watch what's taking place here. peter, as you were reporting early this morning, you got the first breaking news that there was a facebook update from virginia tech. bring us up to speed about how this all went down. >> we want to give you an update on that. let me start with breaking news we're just now learning, and we're in contact with the local medical center and hospital center in blacksburg, virginia, only a short distance away from the campus. we are told, although again, it is important to note, there is no verification of any actual gunman on campus, just a report that was provided by three young camp

great. >>> good morning, everybody, and welcome back to msnbc.s roberts and we're following the breaking news that's coming to us out of virginia tech this morning. the campus is on lockdown after reports from three summer campers there on the virginia tech campus in blacksburg, that they saw a gunman on campus this morning. they gave a description -- a white man with light brown hair, 6 feet tall, wearing a blue and white striped shirt, gray shorts, brown sandals. he was described as clean-shaven, according to the university's website. we're taking a look on the left-hand side of your screen there is from a web cam from the virginia tech campus, where we've seen some activity, people walking by, some people on bikes, other police vehicles that have been driving by. however, the campus remains on lockdown. virginia tech notified people this morning on their home page and through facebook, posting the following alert, saying "a person with a gun reported near dietrick. stay inside. lock doors. emergency personnel responding. call 911 for help." a

welcome to msnbc live coverage of hurricane irene. i'm alex witt here at msnbc world headquarters. we're going to get the latest forecast for you on irene's path. it is now hitting north carolina head on. mark potter is live for us in nags head. a good morning to you, what's it like? >> reporter: hi, alex. we're getting some very strong east windows now. it's been blowing all night and it's kicking up at this hour. we're expecting it to get considerably worse as the eye of the storm approaches us. the tide as you can see behind me is coming up. we're just finishing a high tide. that's a factor in this. the good news is i'm not seeing any areas where the tide has breached the sand dunes. they're holding and that's good news. more good news is at least in this area in the upper outer banks area nags head we're not hearing any reports of serious damage. we have two teams out already on the roads. they're not seeing any on instructions on the roads. no washouts. there's a few reports of tree limbs down and things like that. things knocked over in people's yards. but nothing substantial

you can read more of my work and watch my new show weekend mornings here on msnbc this fall. now it >>> good evening, americans, welcome to "the ed show." i'm reverend al sharpton. the house passed the bill that will raise the debt ceiling and cut trillions in spending. we actually got it back for now. this is "the ed show," and as ed would say, let's get to work. >> congressman cleaver said this was a satan sandwich. >> it probably is with some satan fries on the side. >> democrats are forced to come out in favor of that satan sandwich to save the american economy, but you still can't make some republicans happy. >> what we're doing here in washington is about to destroy the country. >> tonight, complete coverage from capitol hill including vermont senator bernie sanders and minnesota congressman keith ellisson and i take on one of the tea partiers effectively holding the country hostage, kansas congressman tim mulecamp. the only thing standing in the way of the most massive debt reduction package in american history is the united states senate. shortly after 7:00 p.m. easte

and we want to bring in msnbc contributor and cnbc columnist ron insana and ezra klein, a msnbc contributor. what can we expect from the president, ron? >> well, given how deeply the dow futures were down about 370 points after yesterday's 600-point sell-off and then markets around the world began to rally back. so it appears they are putting a lot of the pressure on the fed to say something strong, to say there is a qe 3 that the fed will engage in more stimulative efforts to prop up the economy and we don't know the shape lit take, because the fed has bought in excess of $2 billion in treasury bonds and mortgages to keep down the interest rates, and there are other things that they can do, but i'm not sure that is what we will hear when the statement comes at 2:15 eastern time. >> ezra, because president obama has been hit on all sides because he is not showing the leadership as we talked about with the poll numbers with kristen, does he need to stop blaming the bush administration and say what he is going to do the solve this crisis, because we know that president obama takes a calm, coo

this is "hardball" only on msnbc. >>> we're back. the he said/she said tussle between karl rove and sarah palin is gaining speed. it began with what seemed like a fairly innocent observation by rove on saturday. >>> we're back. the he said/she said tussle between karl rove and sarah palin is gaining speed. it began with what seemed like a fairly innocent observation by rove on saturday. >> she has a schedule next week that looks like that of a candidate, not a celebrity. and then this video she released yesterday, you know, she made a surprise appearance at the iowa state fair and now she released a video saying see you september 3rd. you know, look, either this is her last chance. she either gets in or gets out after this visit next week. i think she gets in. >> on monday palin's pack put out a statement blasting rove that reads, any professional pundit claiming to have inside information regarding governor palin's personal decision is not only wrong but their comments are specifically intended to mislead the american public. and la

it's nice to see you, and welcome to "msnbc sunday." it's 11:00 in the east, 8:00 out west, and we get straight to what's happening right now. >>> developing are the attacks on the libyan capital of tripoli. mortar rounds and gunfire were heard in the city last night, and this may be the first time in the six-month uprising that the libyan capital has come under assault by rebel forces. nbc's michelle kosinski is in london for us. michelle, bring us up to speed. what's the latest as we understand it with the forces moving into tripoli? >> reporter: yeah, these are some of the most dramatic developments we've seen, and it's seven months since this has devolved into a revolution within libya. the rebel forces now have taken over the city of zawiya, which is the left of the capital, and they've been making their way very slowly closer and closer. now, reportedly, within about 20, 25 miles of the capital from the west. but they've come under heavy fire. there are reports that pro-gadhafi forces have snipers on many of the buildings and they

you're watching "first look" on msnbc. it's quicker and easier for you to start your business... protect your family... and launch your dreams. at legalzoom.com we put the law on your side. andconfidence, withams. depend in color. now available in gray. looks and fits like underwear. same great protection. depend. good morning. great day. >>> welcome back to "first look," i'm lynn berry. and in sports, the twins' jim thome smacked his 600th career home run last night. and that was reaching that number faster than anyone else, except babe ruth. here's nbc's fred roggin. >>> good morning, the phrase, it couldn't happen to a nicer guy is widely overused, but not when you're talking about the minnesota twins' jim thome. chasing 600 home runs, he belted number 599 in the sixth inning against the tigers, a two-run blast gave the twins the lead. an inning later, there it is, number 600. the crowd in detroit gave him a standing ovation, just the eighth player in major league baseball history to reach that. next stop, cooperstown.

you're watching "first look" on msnbc. every time a local business opens its doors or creates another laptop bag or hires another employee, it's not just good for business -- it's good for the entire community. at bank of america, we know the impact that local businesses have on communities, so we're helping them with advice from local business experts and extending $18 billion in credit last year. that's how we're helping set opportunity in motion. >>> welcome back to "first look." i'm lynn berry. here's some of the top stories making news this morning. the washington monument will be closed for repairs indefinitely after a half dozen cracks, including a four-footer, were discovered following tuesday's 5.8 magnitude earthquake in virginia. there have been at least five aftershocks, including one today measuring 4.5. >>> angela merkel tops this year's forbes list of most powerful women followed by secretary of state hillary clinton. last year's leader, michelle obama ranks eighth. >>> an unmanned russian rocket carrying th

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you're watching "the daily rundown" on msnbc.ust 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. you could save a bundle with geico's multi-policy discount. geico, saving people money on more than just car insurance. ♪ geico, saving people money on more than just car insurance. in 1927 when nicholas sacco and vanzetti were executed. they professed their innocence until the end while historians continue to debate their guilt or innocence, massachusetts govern michael dukakis exxon rated both of them. >> reacting cautiously to the end of gadhafi's regime. last month, mitt romney accused the president of mission muddle in libya. yesterday, he struck a different tone. >> now the president is saying we have to remove gadhafi. and then your question comes up, who's going to take his place? who's going -- this whole powell doctrin

. >>> this channel, msnbc, was founded as a cable tv channel in 1996.out ten years into msnbc's life that this channel really began to solidify its place in the market and really started to take off. in the interim years in that first decade, one of the things that msnbc did that people do not believe this company did, one of the things that msnbc did that seems patently impossible in retrospect but i know for a fact happened, one of the things msnbc did in its first decade, was it broadcast a tv show for 23 weeks that was called "allen keys is making sense." >> also, a reminder the chat room tonight is busier than the court office at the court. the mere fact i raised that question proves i'm a nut. hold up. stop there, please. don't talk over me. don't talk over me. we'll cut your mike up if you don't stop when i start. >> clips from "allen keys is making sense." that's the name of the show. if you have to insert in the name of the show the host is making sense, it tells you something about what the people think the host might be. something has taken o