this isn't just about scranton, pennsylvania. every time president obama sends a bill to congress that includes more money for state and local firefighters and police force workers, republicans, what do they do? they kill it. the republican nominee, mitt romney, is equally dismissive of public workers. >> he wants to hire more government workers. he said we need more firemen, more teachers, more policemen, didn't he get the message? the american people did. it's time to cut back on government and help the american people. >> if this can happen in scranton, pennsylvania, it can happen anywhere in the country. police and firefighters getting minimum wage? it's a disgrace. tomorrow night, mr. judge will join us on "the ed show" and tell us how this is impacting his family and just how he's going to pay the bills and of course the fate of other city employees in scranton. i asked you, will republicans work for the middle class and extend the tax cuts? for the middle class? 98% of you said no. 3% of you said yes. >>> coming up, it's s

we walk to the mayor of scranton, pennsylvania yesterday here in "america's newsroom" about this controversial plan. today we get the other side from the head of the firefighters union on that. plus there is in. >> i'm going to eliminate every nonessential alex spence i have program i can find. that includes obamacare and i'm going to work to reform and save -- [booing ] martha: he says he knew that might not go over that well but he drew really some cheers and jeers yesterday from the crowd. he addressed some of president obama's most loyal supporters but romney says he was sticking to his message at the naacp. we will debate the wisdom of that move. bill: keeping our troops safe in ten pages or less. why some in congress say a new pentagon policy is putting lives at risk. >> it's almost like we're fighting with the pentagon. we should not be in this kind of a position. we both should be working hand

. >>> workers in scranton, pennsylvania, are going to be disappointed when they opened their paychecks today. they are getting minimum wage. a judge ordered to honor union contracts. but scranton just doesn't have the cash. that's a sign of the times, yeah. >>> despite uncertainty over jobs and the economy, couples are still spending big bucks on their weddings. the average tab last year was about $26,000. pretty close to what it was before the recession. >> so is spending on gowns, venues, food and liquor. where they're cutting back on rehearsal dinners, recorded music instead of live, and cutting back on the number of guests. my advise stands, elope and use the money for a new home. >> you have to have a big wedding and a dress. >> not a good investment. you know that. put it in a home. don't waste it on a party where people eat, drink and get drunk. >>> when we come back, an arrest in the case of mickey shunick,

future is here but people who work for the city of scranton pennsylvania hope that is wrong. they have all had their pay slashed to a minimum wage. reporter alain kahane shows us how they plan to survive. lou robert has worked for scranton department of public works for 26 years. he made $19 an hour. last week his salary was cut to minimum wage $7.25 an hour. did we get a house in the city and its two children and wife have car payments and have house payments. and utility bills. that to the mall. >>> said the seven species do in this kind of money. scranton faces a 60 million deposit 29% tax that minimum wage is another. >>> and were trying to balance,

scranton, pennsylvania, is short changing its bravest and we'll talk to one of them tonight. share you thoughts with us on facebook and twitter using the hash tag ed show. we're coming right back. rick! wow, you look terrific! [ female announcer ] crest 3d white glamorous white toothpaste removes up to 90% of surface stains in just 5 days. crest glamorous white toothpaste. for a smile so white, you won't just be the ex. you'll be the one that got away. >>> welcome back to "the ed show." president obama and mitt romney are at a standoff on taxes and democrats definitely should get behind the president on this because he's got the winning aurlt. it's very simple. the president wants to keep tax cuts for the middle class. the president wants to let the bush tax cuts expire for the top 2%. mitt romney pushes the old line about how this will hurt the job creators. but today, in grand junction, colorado, romney did something rarlth strange and extraordinary, i think. he got very nostalgic about the policies of president bill clinton. >> bill clinton called himself a new democrat. h

scranton, pennsylvania, is short changing its bravest and we'll talk to one of them tonight. share you thoughts with us on facebook and twitter using the hash tag ed show. we're coming right back. [ heart beating, monitor beeping ] woman: what do you mean, homeowners insurance doesn't cover floods? [ heart rate increases ] man: a few inches of water caused all this? [ heart rate increases ] woman #2: but i don't even live near the water. what you don't know about flood insurance may shock you -- including the fact that a preferred risk policy starts as low as $129 a year. for an agent, call the number that appears on your screen. >>> welcome back to "the ed show." president obama and mitt romney are at a standoff on taxes and democrats definitely should get behind the president on this because he's got the winning aurlt. it's very simple. the president wants to keep tax cuts for the middle class. the president wants to let the bush tax cuts expire for the top 2%. mitt romney pushes the old line about how this will hurt the job creators. but today, in grand junction, colorado,

the city website boasts the future is here but people who work for the city of scranton pennsylvania hope that is wrong. they have all had their pay slashed to a minimum wage. reporter alain kahane shows us how they plan to survive. lou robert has worked for scranton department of public works for 26 years. he made $19 an hour. last week his salary was cut to minimum wage $7.25 an hour. did we get a house in the city and its two children and wife have car payments and have house payments. and utility bills. that to the mall. >>> said the seven species do in this kind of money. scranton faces a 60 million deposit 29% tax that minimum wage is another. >>> and were trying to balance, we get through this is the authority says after paying the workers a minimum wage the city had just $5,000 left. it's that dire. >>> that's right. to send out this letter telling workers that pat would be for the foreseeable future robert lacey is still showing up to work. helping city leaders find a solution soon. >>> sad they came down to this. i can't understand how to get this bad. i could never run a ho

and in scranton, pennsylvania, here's another extreme. the mayor there says to stay afloat financially, everybody -- all municipal workers -- must take a pay cut down to minimum wage. that means, the mayor, police, fire, everybody. it's all part of the larger economic picture that was debated again on the campaign trail today. and we have two reports to start off with here tonight, beginning with nbc's ron allen in scranton. ron, good evening. >> reporter: good evening to you, brian. yes, this battle was back in court today with the public employee's unions trying to force the mayor to pay them their full wages guaranteed by their contract. we're talking about hundreds of firefighters, police and other city employees whose wages were suddenly slashed to $7.25 an hour because the city says they simply just don't have the money. when scranton's rescue 1 answered the call today, firefighters had more on their minds than the usual hazards of a dangerous job. their pay has been cut by as much as 75%, to minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. >> i can go

a showdown over pay cuts for scranton, pennsylvania, workers. ashley morrison has more.d morning. >> good morning, terrell. word this morning that spain plans on raising taxes in a new push for austerity. overseas markets were flat on warnings of weak corporate earnings in the u.s. the nikkei dipped slightly and the hang seng gained a fraction. aluminum maker alcoa got earnings season started by reporting a loss last quarter. the company lost 4% after the report. overall stocks finished lower tuesday. the dow was down 83 points, while the nasdaq lost 29. >>> another california city is declaring bankruptcy. san bernardino's council voted last night to seek chapter 9 protection. the city is facing a budget deficit of nearly $46 million. san bernardino is the second largest city to go bankrupt. stockton, california is the biggest. >>> in scranton, pennsylvania, public employee unions are trying to have the mayor held in contempt of court. they say the marrying in order a court order and cut workers pay to minimum wage. the mayor says it's all the city can afford. >>> the io

. >>> the city of scranton, pennsylvania is flat broke. it's paying its police officers and firefighters minimum wage. one of those firefighters joins me live next. and take a look at this x-ray. we're going to tell you who is very lucky to be alive. this is new york state. we built the first railway, the first trade route to the west, the greatest empires. then, some said, we lost our edge. well today, there's a new new york state. one that's working to attract businesses and create jobs. a place where innovation meets determination... and businesses lead the world. the new new york works for business. find out how it can work for yours at thenewny.com. i think we should see other people. in fact, i'm already seeing your best friend, justin. ♪ i would've appreciated a proactive update on the status of our relationship. who do you think i am, tim? quicken loans? at quicken loans, we provide you with proactive updates on the status of your home loan. and our innovative online tools ensure that you're always in the loop. one more way quicken

scranton, pennsylvania, is short changing its bravest and we'll talk to one of them tonight. share you thoughts with us on facebook and twitter using the hash tag ed show. we're coming right back. [ male announcer ] if you had a dollar for every dollar car insurance companies say they'll save you by switching, you'd have like, a ton of dollars. but how are they saving you those dollars? a lot of companies might answer "um" or, "no comment." then there's esurance. born online, raised by technology, and majors in efficiency. so whatever they save, you save. hassle, time, paperwork, hair-tearing-out, and yes, especially dollars. esurance. insurance for the modern world. click or call. >>> welcome back to "the ed show." president obama and mitt romney are at a standoff on taxes and democrats definitely should get behind the president on this because he's got the winning argument. it's very simple. the president wants to keep tax cuts for the middle class. the president wants to let the bush tax cuts expire for the top 2%. mitt romney pushes the old line about how this will hurt t

scranton, pennsylvania, 400 municipal workers had their pay slashed to minimum wage. $7.25 an hour. i want to play some reaction for you. >> i can go down the street and scoop ice cream that a high school kid for the summer is makinge ining $8.50 an hour doii have firefighters running into a building at 7.25 and police officers wrestling with criminals in the street. >> they are doing a great job. but i can't make it work if i don't have all the money. >> so what's your answer to cities, to mayors, to city administration who say we just don't have the money? >> well, i think what we're seeing across this country, chris, is 40 years of an economic policy that has put us in a position where not everybody is paying their fair share. the wealthy and corporations have been let off the hook. so cities and states are starving. and we have to figure out how this election is about getting this country back on the right track in the way that president barack obama has been telling us, which is -- >> what could be the answer for a city like scranton, pennsylvania, that probably doesn't have a

the economy it's all the layoffs and you know i saw an interesting story yesterday out of scranton pennsylvania joe biden's hometown where they're going to lower the pay of cops and firefighters and the minimum wage. and so now we're going to have guys that are cops and firefighters in scranton making as much emberg person in america scranton said why they simply don't have the money to pay anybody anymore so i think we're looking at a real crisis we're in are unable to do these taxes he's on and he's trying to get the city council to raise property taxes i mean his hands are sort of tigers the only things you can raise are property taxes and garbage taxes really parking meters and stuff like that he doesn't have the broader discretionary powers of the state of pennsylvania does sam wasn't there a federal effort to help out cities and states they got shot down yes i mean the rule of hiring cops and teachers is normally been left in a state level but once the economy went into meltdown mode in two thousand and seven the federal government said well we need to provide some aid to these states to

even the vice president hometown of scranton, pennsylvania, cut public work torres minimum wage.oming up. senate democrats blocked a vote on the tax policy. how much should you pay in taxes? what is fair? how do current taxes break down? detailed report from jim angle. romney ventureed to sometimes unfriendly territory for republicans addressing the naacp convention in houston. the speech and his reception to his reception. the house voted again to repeal the president's healthcare law. in the grapevine, new evidence about global cooling. "special report" from washington starts at 6:00 eastern. i'll send it back to new york and "the five." ♪ ♪ >> andrea: welcome back to "the five" and we know it. pro-anorexia blog doesn't agree and thinks kate upton is too fat. i asked people in new york city what they think. ♪ ♪ >> they think kate upton, sports illustrated cover girl needs to lose weight. what do you think? >> no way. >> relax and stop judging everyone else. >> i would kill for that body. >> she has a bigger bottom. other than that, she is good. >> wonderful. just like you. >> w

. >>> the city of scranton, pennsylvania, facing a severe budget crisis. right now officials there say it has roughly 5,000 left in funds. to try to cut the costs the mayor has cut nearly 400 city workers paid minimum wage now. he says the city council is to blame for the cash shortage. he claims they passed a budget that borrowed a large sum of money from bajs without figuring out how to pay it back. unions representing the workers are planning a federal lawsuit against the mayor. >>> now to presidential politics, today president obama and mitt romney both campaigned in states that voted democratic the last time out. and they talked about taxes. the issue is red-hot with an end of the year deadline, a new presidential proposal and another battle looming with congress. steve handelsman has the latest. >> reporter: iowa is where barack obama's rise to the white house began in 2008. like they did then, iowans lined up to see him today, but not as many. >> the biggest thing right now is to get everybody back to work. >> reporter: polls here show the race a de

. >> scranton, pennsylvania mayor is cutting his salary along with municipal worker to 7.25 an hour. >> the reality is because council underfunded their budget. we don't have enough money to pay minimum wage. if more money comes in we'll be happy to make those payments. >> the department of public works workers along with police and firefighters are preparing for the worst. >> so after a couple weeks, i'm going to be real financial hardship. >> city of detroit is on the brink of insolvency and the largest city to declare bankruptcy. that title belongs to stockton, california that filed two weeks ago. >> when you run out of cash, you run out of cash. >> stockton was unable to reach a deal to restructure hundreds of millions of dollars of debt under a new state law designed to help municipalities avoid bankruptcy. >> in good times we acted the good times the we not would never stop. >> they filed for financial protection all the way back to 1937, since then, about 640 have filed. >>> and providing a picture of cool on this otherwise hot day. >> trying to keep everybody calm cool and co

almost 400 people who are employees in scranton, pennsylvania today and that pay was cut to $7.25. we're talking about fire, police, public workers and they cut their pay even though a judge took them to task and said they couldn't do it. immaterial to bri i want to bring in tom jennings. he represents three of the unions. i'm glad you were able to join me. you are fresh out of a meeting with the judge. hold up did things turn out when you took this issue to the judge today? >> well, our meeting today with the judge was a hearing for a preliminary injunction. that was to make the injunction issued yesterday permanent. we were very successful. the judge entered exactly the injunction that we requested. an hourly later the mayor violated it by issuing checks for $7.25. on monday we'll be in court on pursuing contempt moments against the mayor and the city of scranton. >> i'm sure there are people that say this is a bit of a sign of the times. unions have had a pretty good run up and some cities have gone bust. stockton went bankrupt saying it's because of unions and pensions. the cit

. >> in the tough economic times, some police departments cut jobs, pensions and in scranton, pennsylvania, they are only offering the minimum wage. the union leaders say the success in cutting crime here could be jeopardized if the department doesn't enhance recruiting and the benefits of the officers out there on the streets. we don't need more police. what we need is better policing, a better deployment of resources, and taking better care of the police officers on the street who got the job done for you over the last four or five years. >> they call on the department to require two years of college or military service for new recruits. fop brought in a consulting group and compared baltimore's police department to those of other cities to come up with the recommendations over the last year and hopes the search committee will use them to become the next top cop. jeff hager, abc2 news. >>> firefighters took the microphone at city hall this morning at the board of estimates meeting some members protested a raise and contract extension for fire chief. firefighters went upset about the exte

let's start in scranton, pennsylvania. damaging rains and winds blue through the town and elmiria, new york. the first images of a tornado that ripped roofs from hopes and trapped people in their cars. pounding hail? cincinnati. incredible lightning around the great lakes. it's been a wild week. the nation had 700 reports of damaging wind since monday alone. these images from topeka, kansas, power lines snapped by powerful winds. the severe storms being fed in part by the extreme heat. the nation still blastered with heat warnings and advisory. it's been so hot, cooling pound ponds outside nuclear plants are either getting too warm for the plant to function safely. >> it's at unprecedented levels now and will only go up. >> reporter: across the nation the heat is twisting rail lines and buckling roads. with all of these dangers, it's still too dry. a phrase echoed from coast to coast. almost every state now has some level of drought giving grass fires like this that started burning along an oklahoma interstate plenty of fu

. >> city workers in scranton, pennsylvania, vice president joe biden's hometown, are suing after the democratic mayor slashes the pay of public employees, including his own all the way to minimum wage. plus, as the mystery surrounding congressman jesse jackson junior's medical issues deepen, several democrats are now calling on congressman jackson to come clean. what's prompt this had move by some democrats. >>> and join our conversation on my twitter page. it it it's@t it's@tamron hall. by making it without 100% real cheddar cheese. but then...it wouldn't be stouffer's mac & cheese. just one of over 70 satisfying recipes for one from stouffer's. the kids wanted a puppy, but they can be really expensive. so to save money i just found them a possum. dad, i think he's dead. probably just playin' possum. sfx: possum hisses there he is. there's an easier way to save. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. >>> in an emergency meeting the city of san bernardino, california, last night the city council voted to file for bankruptcy, now the third city

and with his city out of cash without negotiation the mayor of scranton, pennsylvania, cut the pay of city workers including police, firefighters, and even himself to minimum wage. city worker unions have launched several court actions against the cuts. >>> and finally for the third time in the six years cnbc has done a list of the best states for business. texas has finished number one with top ten finishes in six out of ten competitiveness categories. >>> well, coming up the l.a. clippers' big man signs for big bucks and a motorcycle racer's premature celebration. >>> plus the all-star game's lone home run is good enough to win the mvp award. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. soo so the big heat has left. the question is when will it come back. your forecast is coming up. you're watching "early today." >>> good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." and in sports last night in major league baseball summer classic, the all-star game, the national league shut out the mesh league, claiming home field advantage in the fall's world series. here's

. >> sean: and coming up tonight, employees of the cash-strapped city of scranton, pennsylvania, they got hit with a minimum wage pay cut. the unions are going after the mayor who says he is doing what he can to save the city. this is a democrat. dana perino and greg gutfeld are going to sound off next. president obama will not appear at the naacp convention. will it cost him votes with one of his largest voting blocs? su. and so too is the summer event. now get an incredible offer on the powerful c250 sport sedan. but hurry before this opportunity...disappears. the mercedes-benz summer event ends july 31st. we believe the more you know, the better you trade. so we have ongoing webinars and interactive learning, plus, in-branch seminars at over 500 locations, where our dedicated support teams help you know more so your money can do more. [ rodger ] at scottrade, seven dollar trades are just the start. our teams have the information you want when you need it. it's anothereason more investors are saying... [ all ] i'm with scottrade. i have to know the weather patterns. i upgraded to th

. >> sean: and coming up tonight, employees of the cash-strapped city of scranton, pennsylvania, theygot hit with a minimum wage pay cut. the unions are going after the mayor who says he is doing what he can to save the city. this is a democrat. dana perino and greg gutfeld are going to sound off next. president obama will not appear at the naacp convention. will it cost him votes with one of his largest voting blocs? [ manager 1 ] out here in the winds, i have to know the weather patterns. i upgraded to the new sprint direct connect. so i can get three times the coverage. [ chirp ] [ manager 2 ] it's like working in a giant sandbox with all these huge toys. and with the fastest push-to-talk... i can keep track of them all. [ chirp ] [ chirp ] [ male announcer ] upgrade to the new "done." with access to the fastest push-to-talk and three times the coverage. now when you buy one kyocera duracore rugged phone, for $49.99, you'll get four free. visit a sprint store, or call 855-878-4biz. [ chirp ] [ male announcer ] it started long ago. the joy of giving something everything you've got.

. >> a shocking decision by the city of scranton, pennsylvania.udes salaries down to minimum wage. for some, that's less than half of their normal paycheck. the city is facing a $16 million budget gap. mayor chris doherty said he had no other choice. the mayor went on to say that he had just $5000 was left after paying the workers and their unions including police and fire fighters are expected to file lawsuits over the pay cuts. >> a swimming of the the team his life when an alligator bites his leg nearly all. we talk about the stunning attack on a florida river. >> i have to lose my arm or am going to die. >> 17 -year-old fred langfield horrifying decision to save his life. he came face to face with an 11- foot long alligator while swimming in a river. >> i got about 11 yards from the bank and my friends started yelling gator. >> the team tried to keep the gator from biting him by holding up his head and wrapping his legs around it. >> he tried to put me in a death row, and when i was swimming, he got my arm. and he did another dust bowl and bro

. >> the mayor of scranton, pennsylvania, will find out whether he faces contempt charges for not following the judge's order to pay city workers their full salaries. city unions successfully challenged it, but he says the city has no money to follow the judge's orders. >>> and jennifer lopez turns 43. >>> all day long you can stay on top of the very latest developments in those stories and more as they break on msnbc. and tonight be sure to watch brian williams with "nbc nightly news." >>> and, finally, here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. hear an inspiring story of courage and survival about two best friends caught in the middle of the colorado shooting. >>> and the report of the olympic swimmer ryan lochte will be going for the gold, aiming to beat michael phelps in london. >>> now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports, and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day, today on your nbc station. have a good one. >> reporter: president obama spends one last night in the bay area b

hundreds of workers in one pennsylvania city now seeing a slash in their paychecks. the reason? scranton's bank accounts are now busy. >>> who has to pay for the power outages, good morning and thank you for joining us. i'm megan pringle. >> and i'm charlie crowson, welcome back. >> thank you very much. >> where'd you go? >> poison, def leppard. >> we've got pictures on facebook if you want to check those out. time now for a check of the forecast. hello gun web to meteorologist -- once again to meteorologist lynette charles. >> we have a tranquil thursday on tap for us, get out there espn joy it because we are dry with some clouds right now. seasonal temperatures. and it will be less humid today. that's going to make everybody happy right? we look at maryland's most powerful radar and we are dry. all five sweeps are on and we should pretty much stay that way through the day. today will be a carbon copy of what we saw yesterday with less humidity in the picture. so waking up this morning stepping out the door in ohings mills, coming in at 63 degrees. good morning columbia at 64 degrees. fee

. >>> and with his city out of cash without negotiation, the mayor of scranton, pennsylvania, cut thef city workers including police, firefighters and even himself to minimum wage. city worker unions launched several court actions against the cuts. >>> and finally, for the third time in the six years cnbc has done a list of the best states for business, texas has finished number one with top-ten finishes in six out of ten competitiveness categories. >>> coming up, an l.a. clippers big man signs for big bucks and the motorcycle racer's pre-mature celebration. >>> plus, the all-star game's lone home run is good enough to win the mvp award. your first look at sports is straight ahead. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. ] let's say you need to take care of legal matters. wouldn't it be nice if there was an easier, less-expensive option than using a traditional lawyer? well, legalzoom came up with a better way. we took the best of the old and combined it with modern technology. together you get quality services on your terms, with total customer support. legalzoom documents have been a

you can see it here from around charlottesville to frederick, maryland up to scranton, pennsylvania aslook quick lie at the futurecast. the storms do pop this afternoon and then they hit the southern areas harder than northern areas, just stay up on the weather. have the yellow alert today for the storms and again tomorrow for the storms. 98. 96. mid 70s tonight with some upper 60s in the real cool spots. 92 tomorrow again, scattered storms in the afternoon. only an isolated storm sunday and i think most of it is going to be east of the bay. high around 890 so if your going to the shore consider that. and in fact we'll show you the rest of the seven day forecast. chances of storms each day at the beach. tomorrow sunday and monday. but around here, sunday, quieter 90 and then next week chance of mainly afternoon and evening storms monday through thursday. highs upper 80s to around 90. we'll be right back with 9news now at noon in just a moment. >>> if you have not made plans for the weekend, you'll want to to take the family to the national aquarium on 14th street because guess what? it

and in scranton, pennsylvania, police and fire fighters are now getting paid minimum wage. $7.25 an hour. so, why are some of the u.s.'s big cities right on the edge of financial disaster? i spoke with economist peter navarro and financial consultant in scranton gary lewis. professor navarro told me the root of the problem is u.s. trade policy. >> the best jobs program is trade reform with china. what the heck does china have to do with scranton? everything. they stole our jobs. we shot down 50,000 factories over the past ten years. we got 25 million people, poppy, in this country, who are underemployed, not earning a decent wage. and the reason why is, we don't make stuff anymore. we consume more than we make. and the tragedy of these cities is that they can't do anything. the only thing they can do is basically penalize people and cut their wages or cut pensions or make the bondholders take a hair cut. that's the only thing they can do. and bankruptcy is a tool to do that. >> let's talk, gary. would a bankruptcy filing in scranton really allow you to pay police officers, firefighters,