eastern right here on msnbc. let's go back now to the megachurch pastor at the center of a growing sex scandal. in fact, right now bishop eddie long is at services for the second time today. today is the first day that he has faced his congregation since four men accused him of forcing them into sexual relationships when they were just teenagers. bishop long has denied all the allegations, and he told his congregation this morning that he vows to fight the charges but he won't be doing it on tv. >> by the counsel of my lawyers, they are advised me not to try this case in the media. i am not going to try this case in the media. it will be tried in the court of justice and dealt with in the court of justice. >> i am joined now live by publicist terrie williams, the president and founder of the terrie wirmz agency and the author of "black pain it just looks like we're not hurting." she's also co-founder of the stay strong foundation, which means she's a very busy woman. as a publicist how do you think the bishop is

this is "first look" on msnbc. >>> we begin this morning with the battle over taxes. senate republicans vow to block president bush's plan to cut middle class taxes yesterday unless bush era reductions for the wealthy are also preserved. this economic debate has been heating up for months now and on this final primary day before november's midterm elections, it could reach a boiling point. nbc's tracie potts joins us now from capitol hill. good morning. >> good morn pentagon. it's going to be a big day, a big week and a big season headed into the elections as congress tries to figure out whether or not to extend these bush tax cuts that are expiring at the end of the year. now, coming out of the weekend republican leader john boehner who had been critical of the president's plan signaled that he might support it in order to get something done before these tax cuts expire. but all hopes of a compromise were dashed when his party came out very strongly yesterday and said that these tax cuts must be preserved for everyone, the poor, the middle class, and, yes, the wealth

this is "first look" on msnbc. >>> we begin this morning with a no go on don't ask, don't tell. a move by democrats to remove the ban on gays serving openly in the armed services fell short yesterday. it was blocked by republicans who had some claiming democrats were using the issue to score political points. steve handelsman has more. >> i sat here today on two good legs again as a proud gay marine. >> reporter: democrats rolled out their big guns. eric alva, one of the first warriors hurt in battle. >> it did not matter. >> reporter: he got a medical discharge but since don't ask, don't tell took effect, 13,000 men and women have been kicked out of the military. >> it's long past time to repeal this policy which is both unjust, un-american and extremely hurtful to the effectiveness of our military. >> reporter: but republicans blocked a vote. >> the motion is not agreed to. >> reporter: john mccain opposes repeal. >> the senate goes down this path, we will be ignoring the views of the troops and casting aside the professional military advice by given by each of the four servic

let's go to msnbc chiefmiklasze. that case coming out of afghanistan. >> five soldiers charged with killing as many as three innocent afghan civilians in what u.s. military officials call a killing spree by a rogue military unit. but jeremy morlack who was before an article 2 hearing for the military yesterday testified at an interrogation with army cri criminal investigators pointed that staff sergeant who was in charge of that unit saying that he and the others were afraid that if they didn't go along they, themselves, could be killed. in fact, it appears that the defense for all four of those soldiers charged in addition to that staff sergeant gibbs are going to mount a defense that says pretty much that they were forced to do it, dragged into it by their unit leader, this sergeant. >> mik, another story you're covering for us. that is soldier on soldier violence in iraq. >> this shooting occurred in the heart of what used to be the deadliest part of iraq during the height of the war there in fallujah and an argum

right now on msnbc, the gop announces its new pledge to america. now some conservative republicans taking issue with the strategy. will it allow republicans to take back control on capitol hill? >>> adamant denials of sexual misconduct. what a prominent southerner is saying and doing today. >>> and

this is "first look" on msnbc. >>> and we begin this morning with on the brink. this morning several states in the midwest are trying to stay dry as rivers there are rising to dangerous levels. the situation is particularly precarious along the wisconsin river where one levee built in the 1890s is failing. while it hasn't collapsed, officials don't consider it safe. they recommend evacuation and have warned residents that if the levee breaks, emergency vehicles including police, fire and ambulances will not be able to reach those who stay behind. fortunately water levels are beginning to recede elsewhere in wisconsin where a state of emergency had been declared in several counties. >>> this morning's "new york times" is reporting that federal officials are seeking broader authority to hunt down criminal and terror suspects on the internet. they want congress to have companies to design their network so fbi officials can monitor suspects if the companies are served with a wiretap order. right now those services usin

i'm alex witt and welcome to msnbc sunday. we're approaching 10:00 a.m. here on the east coast, 7:00 a.m. out west. we begin with the white house now and in an

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you're watching "first look" on msnbc. >>> welcome back to "first look." last night on "late night with jimmy fallon," jimmy gave an update on iran's relations with israel. >> during the trip next month, mahmud ahmadinejad said he's planning to throw a rock at israel. that's what he said. he said i'm going to throw a rock at israel. and today, israel introduced the newest defense weapon, paper. dancing with the stars was exciting last night, you guys. i don't know if you saw it. it was very exciting. sarah palin appeared on the show to support her daughter, bristol. sarah was like, please don't let her fall, please don't let her fall. and bristol was like, please don't let her talk. >> lindsey lohan reportedly checked into a new rehab facility today. she said the same thing she always does when checking in -- keep the car running. >>> tonight, jimmy welcomed justin timberlake and belle and sebastian. that's 11:35 central time on your local nbc station. >>> all right, time now for your first look at entertainment news. justin timberlake may be starring in t

we're trying to draw them here at msnbc. we get 50,000 of them, we're going to do a hell of a job at 10:00 every night. >> there was a time, rachel, when i would vote straight irish too. whenever i looked at the ballot, i didn't know the candidates, i would vote for the irish person. but i do think if you're a liberal or progressive, i think you whistle past the graveyard if you don't see the pattern here. even if she had lost a narrow race tonight, i think it would have been very impressive for her. i think people go into voting, i've thought this for 30 years and they vote yes or no. and i think anything beyond that is the subtlety of the thing. you vote do you like the way the things are going? do you like the officials are running the country, the community are running things, you vote yes. if you don't, you vote no. in this case she was a no vote. you don't have to get in details, just know she was running against the establishment. i can't tell you how many times i have heard the word establishment. what a great name,

i'm lynn berry, and this is "first look" on msnbc. stay tuned "way too early with willie geist" starts right now. >>> president obama takes on the economy and frustrated americans at a town hall meeting in washingt washington. what does the president tell a woman who says he's exhausted from having to defend him? >>> meanwhile, jimmy carter tells brin williams he's exhausted from being so much doggone better than all the other former presidents. does carter really believe he's, quote, superior to the other guys who have lived in the white house? >>> and bristol palin debuts on "dancing with the stars," trying to prove she's superior to ballroom heavyweights like the situation, the hoff and carol brady. the question is, was sarah palin in the house rooting on her daughter? "way too early" for this.

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this is "first look" on msnbc. >>> we begin this morning with getting down to business. primaries are over, midterm elections are just weeks away, and now president obama is slamming republicans for holding up his tax plan to prop up small businesses and the middle class. tracie potts joins us now from capitol hill with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the president has a problem because increasingly democrats also disagree with him over taxes, and republicans are digging in, not good signs for a compromise seven weeks before an election. >> reporter: how to win a tax fight and an election. first, solidify the base. >> don't forget who is standing with you and who is standing against you. >> reporter: then put pressure on your opponents. >> we simply don't have time anymore to play games. >> reporter: extending tax cuts to americans earning over 250,000 has become the lightning rod for a nasty part season fight headed into november. more than two dozen democrats now disagree with president obama. republicans are not wavering. >> republicans are united. no t

this is "first look" on msnbc. stay tuned. >>> after an entire grueling month back from summer recess, congress adjourns until mid-november to go home and get reelected. the question is, do they finally take care of those 9/11 rescue workers before taking care of themselves back in their districts? >>> meanwhile the gubernatorial races in new york and california get ugly with new york republican carl pal dino nearly coming to blows with a reporter. and californian meg whitman faces about a former undocumented housekeeper. will either affect the campaigns? >>> an update on the had hit sitcom "lawrence&levi." what did lawrence reveal last night about

chuck todd, nbc news political director and msnbc correspondent and pat buchanan, msnbc analyst. pat, in the innering sanctum, where you meet sometimes with the heart of a true administration, are they sure they are lucky the right is winning these battles of the republican party? >> i will say this. they act as if there is a little bit of a bounce in their step today, as if they see a path to survival. i'm not going to say it is a path to victory but a path to survival, suddenly, you hear these guys talk about man, maybe democrats will hold the senate, you know? maybe this -- maybe the republican party is going to be too extreme for the middle of the country and while they may have short-term success in november that when they get to -- when they get to washington, the chaos of it is going to allow the president to look like the reasonable adult in the crowd. so, in essence, first of all, i think they are just relieved that fosh three days, for a couple of days, they are not the punching bag and instead, the media is all focus old -- focused on this intraparty feud. let's face i

this is msnbc. [ female announcer ] you use the healing power of touch every day. ♪ now the healing power of touch just got more powerful. introducing precise from the makers of tylenol. precise pain relieving heat patch activates sensory receptors. it helps block pain signals for deep penetrating relief you can feel precisely where you need it most. precise. only from the makers of tylenol. until the combination of three good probiotics in phillips' colon health defended against the bad gas, diarrhea and constipation. ...and? it helped balance her colon. oh, now that's the best part. i love your work. [ female announcer ] phillips' colon health. >>> he won't speak in person until sunday, but today for the first time we hear directly from that georgia bishop involved in a sex scandal. three men accuse bishop eddie long, leader of a mega church of sexual coercion. he says he will address his congregation of about 25,000 people at the sunday service, but though through his lawyer he has said the all

this is "first look" on msnbc. >>> we begin this tuesday morning with taking aim on the trail. president obama took republicans to task for their proposed pledge to america yesterday, calling their policies, quote, irresponsible. today the president sets out on a campaign swing with stops planned in three states to sell his plan to fix the economy. tracie potts is in washington, d.c. live with us this morning with the latest. good morning to you, tracie. >> veronica, good morning. what you'll see this morning will take on a distinct campaign trail feel, designed to use what worked for them two years ago during the presidential campaign, the president swinging through states to energize young voters and to sell his economic plan. part of that plan was helping small businesses. we saw that as he signed the small business bill into law yesterday, creating a $30 billion fund to give them more money to free up money for these businesses to expand and hire workers. today, president obama takes his message to albuquerque, new mexico, where he'll continue a series of backyard meetings

you're watching "first look" on msnbc. bankers are known to be a little bit in love with themselves. are we going up? we can get the next one. i'd like to get your advice on hedging - risk... exposure. what makes us different? for 300 years we've chosen to focus on our clients. what a novel idea. everybody has somebody to go heart healthy for. who's your somebody? eating campbell's healthy request can help. 25 delicious soups with low cholesterol, zero grams trans fat, and a healthy level of sodium. because heart healthy is good for your life... and the people in it. healthy request from campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] at&t and blackberry have teamed up to keep your business moving. introducing the blackberry torch. at&t. rethink possible. . >>> welcome back to "first look." i'm arana sohn. in sports as the baseball season winds down and the pen apartment races heat up one team knows which pitcher will start their postseason. here's fred roggin. >> the twins were first to clinc

this is "1st look" on msnbc. we begin this morning with a tea party takeover. across the country, the votes are in from a string of primary races providing a xwlgrim himse of what is to company. the gcop staefbment was upended by the tea party. tracie potts joins us there capitol hill with more. good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. we have results from seven states including washington, d.c. where the city will will get a new mayor, one of several upsets during this primary election. >> don't ever underestimate the power of we the people. >> reporter: the tea party favorite who republicans said couldn't be elected dog catcher won the party senate nomination in delaware. and in new york, political newcomer carl polidino overcame his challenger's lead to become the republican's candidate for governor. >> if we've learned anything tonight, it's that new yorkers are as mads as hell. >> reporter: he'll take on andrew cuomo. also in new york, charlie rangel beat five other democrats and a dozen other ethics charges in his bid to stay in washington. >> no ma

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welcome to msnbc saturday. bp says crews are now pumping cement to permanently seal the blownout well at the bottom of the gulf of mexico. it spilled 256 million gallons of oil into the ocean killing 11 workers. kristen dahlgren is live in venice, louisiana, with a good saturday morning to you. when are the crews expected to be finished with the permanent seal so it is a done deal? >> reporter: hey, good morning, alex. well, it is likely based on the timeline we have been given, at this point they would be waiting for it to cure, but bp has said it does expect later today to make the announcement that the well is permanently killed meaning it will never leak oil into the gulf of mexico again. we are talking about that relief well that they started drilling shortly after the disaster began. they drilled down about 2 1/2 miles beneath the floor of the gulf and intersected the well that had been leaking and they michigan to pump in the cement. that's the final bottom kill. after they permanent he seal this well, i

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the number is 1-877-ed-msnbc. tonight's question is, do you think the gop and the righty talk show hosts are destroying the american dream? press the number 1 for yes. press the number 2 for no again, the number to dial, 1-877-ed-msnbc. we are right back. the most powerful half-ton crew in america has a powertrain backed for 100,000 miles. chevy silverado half-ton a consumers digest best buy and the most dependable, longest-lasting full-size pickups on the road. now get 0% apr for 72 months on 2010 silverado half-ton models with an average finance savings around $5,600. [ male announcer ] ever have morning pain slow you down? introducing bayer am, an extra strength pain reliever with alertness aid to fight fatigue. so get up and get goin'! with new bayer am. the morning pain reliever. with new bayer am. president obama: yeah, i took a trip to elkhart, indiana, today. elkhart's a place that has lost jobs faster than anywhere else in america, and the people who've lost them have no idea what to do or who to turn to.

all this week nbc news and msnbc focusing on how to improve our schools. one critical issue, high school drop out rates. america's promise alliance to help children from all economic groups and on "morning joe"ed it they talked about the dropout crisis and what must be done. >> all children need five basic things in their lives. a caring adult, healthy start, safe places to learn and grow after school, a marketable school to an effective education and an opportunity to give back. high school graduates used to be able to go out and work on the farm. drop out of school, go work in the automobile plants and go work in the steel factories. those jobs don't exist any more. so, that we have to think about where we are as a nation right now and what our needs are and start to educate our children to fill those needs and to ensure the future of this country. >> i make this point, education is not just something that happens in school. education begins the first moment that an infant recognizes that it's mother voice is its mother's voice. from that mother, that ch

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>>> stay tuned for msnbc. we'll have that for you. also the weather channel will cover what's happening with igor in bermuda. right now, that's a wrap of our live msnbc coverage. something special coming up, the nbc fall preview show for us. a 30-minute special coming up. >>> we'll look on sarah shourd, to address the media at 3:00 p.m. we'll carry it live. when life's this hard, graduating can be even harder. but you can help jose and the students in your community make it through by visiting boostup.org. stay twice... earn a free night! two separate stays at comfort inn or any of these choice hotels can earn you a free night -- only when you book at choicehotels.com. [ woman ] chopping and peeling can be kinda relaxing at the end of the day. [ female announcer ] relaxing for who? try new market creations from lean cuisine. the new steam pouch locks in the fresh taste of crisp veggies, tender chicken, and al dente pasta, new market creations from lean cuisine.

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this is msnbc. after using rogaine for a while, i went to my stylist and she said hair was growing back... i was like, yes, this works... [ male announcer ] only rogaine is proven to regrow hair in 85% of guys. puhh puhh puhh putt and that's it. [ male announcer ] stop losing. start gaining. until the combination of three good probiotics in phillips' colon health defended against the bad gas, diarrhea and constipation. ...and? it helped balance her colon. oh, now that's the best part. i love your work. [ female announcer ] phillips' colon health. >>> a house committee is considering legislation that would issue minimum guidelines how school districts handle stun student athletes recovering from a concussion. each room emergency rooms treated 135,000 concussions among kids, 18 and under. but the unreported number is thought to be a whole bunch higher. nbc tom costello joins in washington, d.c. explain for all of us. we know how dangerous concussions are on the onset but what are some of the potential

this is "first look" on msnbc. we begin this morning with one step forward, two steps back. small business legislation cleared congress yesterday, however, divided democrats punted on a vote to preserve middle class tax cuts until after midterm elections in november. nbc's tracie potts joins us. good morning, tracie. >> reporter: what to do about taxes. the senate confirmed what the house already said, this is not going to happen before you go to the polls in november. senate democrats got together, but could not agree on how to move forward. the issue is whether or not to preserve the bush tax cuts for everyone or just for the middle class and let taxes go up on the wealthy. it is a political hot potato headed into november. not one that the democrats now say they want to touch before you go to the polls, however, what they did back, a small business bill, $30 billion, a new fund to help small businesses get loans. this was mainly a democratic issue. the idea here is that if businesses have more cash, they'll hire people, buy equipment, expand and help pull this economy out

we'll have continuing coverage of the critically important subject here on msnbc news and msnbc all week long. of the shrimpers and fishermen, hotel or restaurant workers who lost their jobs to the spill. i'm iris cross. bp has taken full responsibility for the clean up in the gulf and that includes keeping you informed. our job is to listen and find ways to help. that means working with communities. restoring the jobs, tourist beaches, and businesses impacted by the spill. we've paid over $400 million in claims and set up a $20 billion independently-run claims fund to cover lost income until people impacted can get back to work. and our efforts aren't coming at tax-payer expense. i know people are wondering-- now that the well is capped, is bp gonna meet its commitments? i was born in new orleans. my family still lives here. i'm gonna be here until we make this right. [ woman ] my house wants me to live here for a long time. [ man ] my retirement savings have places to go. [ male announcer ] plans...dreams... they're important to you. [ woman #2 ] our girls should focus on their future,

. >>> good friday morning, i'm chris jansing live from msnbc world headquarters in new york. we have some incredible video of that violent and deadly storm that ripped through the new york city area leaving widespread damage. hurricane-force winds uprooted trees as the storm barrelled through the region during rush hour yesterday. this morning, more than 26,000 homes in new york, more than 11,000 more in northern new jersey are still without power. look at these pictures taken from the shore looking at the statue of liberty. here is some of that damage we were telling you about. police say a driver was killed and her passenger injured when a tree fell on a car in queens. neighborhood have been littered with downed trees and tree limbs and residents say the intense storm caught them completely by

welcome to msnbc saturday. developing right now, a judge sentenced her to 30 days in jail for failing a drug test. lindsay lohan is a free woman this morning. the 24-year-old was released from jail overnight. nbc's kristen well kker is live hollywood outside lohan's home. why was lindsay lohan let out so soon? >> what happened, alex, and good morning to you, is that a superior court judge overturned a ruling that was passed down earlier in the day and essentially let lindsay lohan out on bail. let me trach you through the koufrs events. lindsay lohan went to court yesterday at about 9:00 a.m. a judge, judge eldon fox, sentenced her to 30 days in jail without bail for a probation violation. she tested positive for drugs just weeks after she had gotten out of rehab. he was trying to prove a point to say that you cannot keep making these mistakes and falling off of the wagon. however, a superior court judge said that lindsay lohan is only facing a misdemeanor and given that, she is entitled to bail. so she set bai

i'm lynn berry this is msnbc. stay tuned, "way too early" with willie geist starts right now. >>> tea was the topic of the weekend with sarah palin and iowa celebrating christina o'donnell's win. and clinton warning people not to be dismissive of the people in the tri-cornered hats. should president obama be talking more like president clinton? >>> and the old clips of christine o'donnell keep coming. the latest from bill maher has the republican senate nominee dabbling in witchcraft. the question is what is a midnight picnic on a satanic altar? >>> and the brothers manning square off. the question is do the mannings have any more children who can

let's bring in msnbc contributor, dave weigel, also political reporter for slate.com. dave, good evening. >> good evening. >> senator demint claims the energy that his candidates are going to bring will make up for whatever support they lose from the moderates and the independents. is there any evidence for or against that yet? >> well, you just presented some of the evidence against that. the thing that irritates some people about what demint's doing, and let's give him some credit, i mean, flip the script. how much happier -- how unhappy are democrats with joe lieberman? how unhappy would republicans be with a senator mike castle? the problem republicans have with demint is, they don't know how much research he put into these candidates and these states and these races before jumping in. in delaware, i know that he talked to christine o'donnell a couple of times, but, you know, he didn't seem to understand or care about the reality on the ground there. and that's happened with -- the tea party express and demint, palin to a lesser extent have kind of dive-bombed into

on msnbc. >>> leaving 1200 people homeless, many more starving. despite requests to help, pakistan's foreign minister joins me in the theater. thank you so much. what is the latest toll and the situation with the flood as far as your efforts and the international community's efforts to try to help the people who are suffering so terribly? >> i'd like to thank the international community for the help they've given. yesterday we had a very good meeting at the u.n. there were some additional measures made. they have been to a great extent met. 92% of the money has been realized. a second appeal has been launched. the situation in pakistan is fairly serious because 20 million people have been affected. this is the largest and most historic national calamity we've ever dealt with. we have issues, we have issues of food, we have issues of shelter, we have issues dealing with one on one allegiance, we have mobilized national resources to deal with the challenge, but they are not enough. so international attention and international assistance is very impo

right now on msnbc, a real soaker. florida expected to avoid a direct hit from tropical storm nicole, but parts of the system are set to blanket the east coast with a lot of rain. >>> and will it work? from backyard discussions to massive rock concert-like rallies, president obama takes tough questions as he tries to inspire disillusioned democrats. >>> and a disturbing trend just weeks into the school year. three teenagers in three

and msnbc is doing just that, and god bless msnbc. >> and somewhere, by the way, for saying lamestream media, somewhere sarah palin's ears just sort of flapped out, because she heard you say that. sharing the phrase with her. thank you very much, author and columnist, dan savage. >> thank you. >>> you and i may have thought that fox was just a fund-raising arm of the gop, but sharron angle has now admitted and it the witch of delaware has now taken advantage of it. >>> nice. liz cheney's arrogant unsubtle about the president for absorbing terrorism when it was her father that made absorbing terrorism unavoidable. >>> and when rachel joins you at the top of the hour, the billionaire's fund-raising club for the republicans and the man behind it, this guy. >>> another tea partier with another brilliant idea to privatize something in government that actually works, va hospitals. and the danger to the gop of the loose cannons like sharron angle. occasionally they will shoot at their own side. we all know fox is a fund-raising arm of the republican party, but that doesn't mean they wanted to

. >>> next on msnbc saturday, the finish line. why today may be the day the oil well is plugged for good. >>> bracing for igor. >>> sarah palin goes to a presidential proving ground to rally the gop troops. >> oh, no, lo. good morning, everyone. welcome to msnbc saturday. it's just past 9:00 eastern. 6:00 a.m. out west. we're talking about the blown out well at the bottom of the gulf of mexico that could be sealed sometime today. crews managed to cap the gusher. now, they are working to make sure it's stopped for good. let's go to kristen who is live in venice, louisiana. how is the operation going at this point? >> reporter: hey, good morning, alex. they started pumping the mud into the blown out well at about 1:30 local time yesterday. it's likely, at this point, they finished that cementing and are waiting for it to cure. bp expects today to make the announcement the well is permanently sealed. it will no longer ever leak oil into the gulf of mexico. now, this is the culmunation. it took months to drill below the well. they con

msnbc political analyst richard wolffe is author of the book "renegade, making of the president" and he joins us from the white house. we should say, richard, the white house is denying this, but even if they aren't thinking about the ads, are they thinking about how the tea party works into their strategy for the fall midterms? >> reporter: well, it's hard for anyone not to think about these kind of things but the white housen sifts there is no truth behind the story, they are sticking to their strategy of pointing out the sharp differences on economic policy. remember, the president's doing this town hall, cnbc town hall, hater this morning, and what they want to point out is the other side has the set of policies tried before and failed, if they say, if the individual candidates in their races want to go out and point out these differences, about the tea party, about a republican party that's out of the mainstream, they're free to go ahead and do that, but that's not the message coming out of the white house for this election. >> so the message from a former president, i guess you

. >>> i'm chris jansing from msnbc world headquarters in new york. take a look at the live pictures from the united nations in new york city. president obama just arrived and set to address the general assembly just moments from now. he is going to be talking about efforts to jump start the middle east peace talks, but also about the fight against terrorism and this is just one day after three top members of his administration told congress the threat of a terrorist attack on u.s. soil is very real. so, we're following that. >>> also developing right now, house republicans about to unveil what they call their pledge to america. now, basically, this is a set of promises for what they'll do if they take over the house. 12 republican house lawmakers are at the tart lumber company in sterling, virginia. they'll roll out the pledge and talk to small business owners. luke russert is on capitol hill for us and, luke, give us the thumbnail sketch here. what is in this pledge? >> the pledge has to deal with five other areas. it has to deal with jobs, the econ

hear it directly from hear next on msnbc. stufy, make the call. ♪ [ dialing ] [ beeping ] [ beeping ] [ beeping ] [ eli ] it's go time. ♪ ♪ ♪ so, we set out to discover the nutritional science at purina one, we want your cat to be as healthy as possible in some of nature's best ingredients. that's how we created purina one with smartblend. nutritionally optimized with real salmon, wholesome grains and essential antioxidants, for strong muscles, vital energy, a heapurina one improved and a real dwith smartblend.r cat. discover what one can do. >>> a recent series of troubling stories about student athletes receiving con suggestions has prompted congress to deal with these injuries. a house heard compelling testimony from everyone from professional football players to teenager ls who have suffered really troubling effects of concussions. >> the headaches lingered and i began to forget things. not just day-to-day, but morning to evening or moment to moment. my sleeping patterns change. i slept more feeling constantly tir

citracal. >>> welcome back to msnbc. i'm chris jansing. crews are battling this wildfire in herriman, utah, burned more than 300 acres and more than 1400 people evacuated. >>> police are searching for a man suspected of killing a daughter of a north carolina police chief. the target of the manhunt, this guy, michael harvey, a convicted sex offender. police consider him armed and dangerous. >>> the number of people killed in crashes due to driver distraction dropped 6% last year, down to 5500 from 5800. and almost 500,000 people were injured in distracted driving accidents, which is about 16% of all accidents on the road because people are texting or otherwise distracted. >>> more tape is popping up showing christine o'donell saying bizarre things like, she was into witchcraft. >> i dabbled into witchcraft i never joined a coven. >>> you were a witch? >> i didn't join a coven, let's get this straight. >> i love this. you're a witch. i was a witch. >> that's exactly why -- >> how you used to be a witch? >> i dabbled into witchcraft, i hung a

[trumpet playing "reveille" fades to silence] >>> right now on msnbc sunday, the pastor of a georgia mega church is expected to address his congregation this hour. we've got a live report coming up. >>> back to court, the american student known as foxy knoxy faces another trial this week in italy and we're going to tell you why. >>> yard sales, the woman known as octomom tries selling her stuff to avoid foreclosure. >>> good morning, everyone. i'm alex witt. this morning, the influential pastor at the center of a sexual scandal will address the allegations against him this morning. four men now say bishop eddie young lurd them into sexual relationships when they were teens. bishop long has denied all of the allegations. i'm joined now live by the reverend eugene rivers, pastor of the izuzu christian community and a msnbc political analyst. how are you doing? >> i'm well, alex thank you. and you? >> i'm well, thank you. first of all, your reaction to what's happening there in georgia? >> first, prayers to the family, the wife and the kids and secondly, regardless of how this turns out

and msnbc is doing just that, and god bless msnbc. >> and somewhere, by the way, for saying lamestream media, somewhere sarah palin's ears just sort of flapped out, because she heard you say that. sharing the phrase with her. thank you very much, author and columnist, dan savage. >> thank you. >>> you and i may have thought that fox was just a fund-raising arm of the gop, but sharron angle has now admitted and it the witch of delaware has now taken advantage of it. >>> nice. liz cheney's arrogant unsubtle about the president for absorbing terrorism when it was her father that made absorbing terrorism unavoidable. >>> and when rachel joins you at the top of the hour, the billionaire's fund-raising club for the republicans and the man behind it, this guy. i know who works differently than many other allergy medications. hoo? omnaris. [ men ] omnaris -- to the nose! [ man ] did you know nasal symptoms like congestion can be caused by allergic inflammation? omnaris relieves your symptoms by fighting inflammation. side effects may include headache, nosebleed, and sore throat. [ inhales deep

we have been looking at that here for you at msnbc. to give you more information on and andy barr reporting for politico a lot has to do with that debate over afghanistan and the number of troops. >> right, i don't think there is any big surprises there was a very contentious debate in the white house on this. what the book offers is more gritty detail on who was saying what, where the positions were and what was being fought over. but, i mean, you heard a lot of this especially from the left very concerned about that decision to send more troops in and still a big debate about what is going to happen as that august deadline shows up. >> what does it say about the the way the obama administration is working inside the white house, are they getting along sph. >> of course, you know, what's been highlighted right now is the contention talked to a few white house officials and they look at this as, look, you have to open up, you see on the whole their view is the president comes off well and the president has a lot of advisors that agree

right now on msnbc, party cra crashers. what does tea party wins mean for republicans trying to win senate control in november and for democrats who are trying to keep it? >>> the money trail, the feds zero in on a new york city man that feds say funded the times square bomber. >>> then, luke, give me your money. what police are calling one of the world's dumbest criminals. >>> great to have you

joining us now is msnbc's own lawrence o'donnell. the last word with lawrence o'donnell premiers monday night at 10:00 p.m. eastern on msnbc about which we are all very, very excited. lawrence, thank you so much. >> but you excite so easily. >> i do. i'm excitable. it's nerves, you know. have i the nerves. what happened today? republicans said they wanted to introduce amendments. harry reid said he wasn't opposed to that, and then republicans voted against it anyway. what really happened? >> well, you know, each one of them is citing a different senate tradition and protocol to support their position. they're is a tradition of unlimited amendments in the senate. but the way the senate actually works is the leaders on each side make an agreement. let's limit the agreements to this, this many. sometimes limit it to 100. it doesn't have to be some tiny little thing. but let's understand what the road map is when we take this bill out here. even if one party is opposed to it, they're going to allow the bill to go to the floor, and then,