prince nayef is also known to be a hard-liner to some extent, but he's also done a good job when it comesty and interior ministry here and the interior politics. business looks as usual despite all these questions here in saudi arabia. the country is in morning, but the tock market is working and actually a few points up. now we know saudi arabia has the biggest economy in the world and biggest oil exporter. that's why the issue of succession with such aging leadership has probably posed some worries although officials here are trying to cast a message of political and economic stability especially when it comes to oil prices, charles. >> okay. thank you rima maktabi joining us from riyadh where the funeral of the crown prince is due to take place in a few hours. >>> thailand declares national holidays to help people deal with unprecedented floods. we'll vermont latest on the situation in bangkok and beyond. ( phone ringing ) okay... uhh. the bad news, it's probably totaled. the good news is, you don't have to pay your deductible. with vanishing deductible from nationwide insurance, you g

if nayef makes an allegiance to them, it could jump as much as $20 a barrel.is saudi unrest or disorderly transition to the next generation oil could go get this $200 a barrel. that would send prices here in the u.s. as high as $8 a gallon. succession in saudi arabia is a big story around the world. the prosecution wrapped up the state's case today against dr. conrad murray. now his defense team has a turn to try to poke holes in the state's theory that murray's reckless use of the drug propofol which was used to help michael jackson sleep, makes the doctor criminally responsible for the star's death. ted rowlands was in the courtroom for us today. so the defense now has the floor. what are the holes that they can try to exploit? >> well, one thing the prosecution's theory dictates is that michael jackson died from an i.v. drip and the problem they have is that at the scene at jackson's house they didn't find that i.v. cord anywhere. that's something i think the defense will try to work through and get that message across to the jury. the other thing they have

if nayef makes an allegiance to them, it could jump as much as $20 a barrel.there is saudi unrest or disorderly transition to the next generation oil could go get this $200 a barrel. that would send prices here in the u.s. as high as $8 a gallon. succession in saudi arabia is a big story around the world. the prosecution wrapped up the state's case today against dr. conrad murray. now his defense team has a turn to try to poke holes in the state's theory that murray's reckless use of the drug propofol which was used to help michael jackson sleep, makes the doctor criminally responsible for the star's death. ted rowlands was in the courtroom for us today. so the defense now has the floor. what are the holes that they can try to exploit? >> well, one thing the prosecution's theory dictates is that michael jackson died from an i.v. drip and the problem they have is that at the scene at jackson's house they didn't find that i.v. cord anywhere. that's something i think the defense will try to work through and get that message across to the jury. the other thing the

any immediate change in policy, but the likely new heir apparent as crowned prince will be prince nayefdliner after 9/11 he said some despicable things, blaming it as a conspiracy on the jews, only then changing his mind after al qaeda attacked the kingdom itself in 2003. what kind of relationship are we going to have with the saudis in the future? >> well, much remains to be seen. i am, in fact, traveling to the region this wednesday and thursday, and hope to have discussions to see what the nature of that relationship is going to be, but king abdullah has been a good friend to the united states. he's very much in charge. he may use this opportunity to start putting more people in place that would be, have a more moderate line than perhaps we're hearing from prince nayef. >> after the death of the crowned prince over the weekend, prince sultan. >>> up next another plan to help beleaguered homeowners? we'll ask the secretary of housing and urban development right here. this is "andrea mitchell reports" only on msnbc. [ male announcer ] tom's discovering that living healthy can be fun. s

prince nayef bin abdul aziz was 85 years old, suffering from colon cancer.that decision may be left up to a council. earlier we found an expert to give us more insight. >> joining us with more on the death of the saudi crown prince is an international relations professor at an american university. the crown prince was the man believed to be the heir to the saudi throne. the likely successor is the current prime minister. he is controversial. i understand he's against reforms especially for women the sultan supported. >> it's conservative, closed to that, some of the religious elements and religious leadership who are conservative. however, i remember also king abdullah when he took his post and before that he was also said to be very closed to that religious establishment in saudi arabia. but since then it has been prince -- the former prince, abdullah, who is now the king, who has been pushing for reforms in saudi arabia. >> very interesting. >> and has taken some important steps. i think while the prince has been seen as a hard liner, especially when it co

an oil analyst told "outfront" if king abdullah dies and prince nayef takes over, oil could jump as muchmber two, severe sliding and mud slides in northern italy have left at least six dead. cnn crews on the ground say conditions are improving in coastal towns hammered by days of rain. the situation is so bad that several towns can only be reached by boat. the towns also lack power and drinking water. officials are calling in the military to help. >>> number three. ponzi schemer bernard madoff told abc's barbara walters the the hardest part of prison is not seeing his family and knowing they hate him. this conversation comes out a day after bernard's wife told cbs that they both had attempted suicide. ruth was one aware of the ponzi scheme until the arrest. >>> nearly 100 representatives signed ton a letter urging the 12-member super committee to cut $4 trillion from the deficit, nearly three times as much as it was required to. earlier i talked to a congressman who signed it, democrat jim himes of connecticut. he says there's a lot of concern in congress about the possibility of the sup

an oil analyst told "outfront" if king abdullah dies and prince nayef takes over, oil could jump as muchre sliding and mud slides in northern italy have left at least six dead. cnn crews on the ground say conditions are improving in coastal towns hammered by days of rain. the situation is so bad that several towns can only be reached by boat. the towns also lack power and drinking water. officials are calling in the military to help. >>> number three. ponzi schemer bernard madoff told abc's barbara walters the the hardest part of prison is not seeing his family and knowing they hate him. this conversation comes out a day after bernard's wife told cbs that they both had attempted suicide. ruth was one aware of the ponzi scheme until the arrest. >>> nearly 100 representatives signed on a letter urging the 12-member super committee to cut $4 trillion from the deficit, nearly three times as much as it was required to. earlier i talked to a congressman who signed it, democrat jim himes of connecticut. he says there's a lot of concern in congress about the possibility of the super committee fa

state run saudi television reports the new crown prince is nayef bel aziz. was a high level u.s. delegation to saudi arabia to offer condolences over last weekend's death of the previous crowned prince. a big announcement from hewlett-packard today. it is keeping the personal computer division after all reversing an earlier plan to spin it off. new urgency in the occupy wall street protests across the country because of what you're seeing right there. tuesday a former u.s. marine was seriously injured when police broke up a demonstration in oakland, california. scott olson is in fair condition today with a fractured skull. he was standing next to his friend joshua shepard who talked to us moments ago. >> i'm aware of a police investigation but i'm also aware of, you know, a somewhat ambivalent tone to their responsibility for the entire incident. i think there is a definite need for a serious accountability. this is not an isolated incident in oakland. >> we'll keep our eyes on that one. an important story. erin burnett "outfront" coming up at the top of the