open yours, dave! hey, is it cool if i date emily when you're... ...nevermind. vo: less fumbling, more capturing. new windows phone. get yours at at&t. i'm friend, secret-keeper and playmate. do you think i'd let osteoporosis slow me down? so i asked my doctor about reclast because i heard it's the only once-a-year iv osteoporosis treatment. he told me all about it and i said that's the one for nana. he said reclast can help restrengthen my bones to help make them resistant to fracture for twelve months. and reclast is approved to help protect from fracture in many places: hip, spine, even other bones. [ male announcer ] you should not take reclast if you're on zometa, have low blood calcium, kidney problems. or you're pregnant, plan to become pregnant or nursing. take calcium and vitamin d daily. tell your doctor if you develop severe muscle, bone or joint pain, of if you have dental problems, as rarely jaw problems have been reported. the most common side effects include flu like symptoms, fever, muscle or joint pain and headache. share the world with the ones you love! and ask your doctor about reclast. or call 1-866-51-reclast. year-long protection for on-the-go women. good mornd, everybody. i'm contessa brewer. if you don't have the holiday off you may have faced a nasty commute. snow caused dangerous travel conditions and forced the cancellation of flights. the university of minnesota twin cities campus remains shut down for another hour. the storm is moving into new england and another storm will hit the northeast tonight. from whiteout to wipeout, across the plains it's just plain dang yous to drive. >> the roads are getting slick quick. a wet snow that is building up quickly. >> reporter: in wisconsin some roads seeing rollovers. >> a lot of people swerving and some accidents. >> you cannot drive fast in this stuff. you must slow down. you must take your time and if you don't have to go, don't. >> officials are giving the same advice to motorists in the motor city. >> slow down, take your time and be cautious. >> reporter: steady snowfall creating tough driving conditions on detroit's roadways. from coast-to-coast winter refuses to relinquish its hold. majestic in california's san gabriel mountains and serene in central park, new york, but then again -- >> we are getting ever so closer to a record pace of snowfall in new york city set in 1995 and 1996. we get four inches of snow today we will be in a dead heat. >> reporter: that is one broken record some people are already tired of. >> this will be the third time that i'll have to shovel out my in-laws driveway and come home and do my own. >> so much for the prognosticator punxsutawney phil seeing his shadow. in minnesota a winter weather advisory is in effect for most of the state. that is where the weather channel mike seidel is there. >> reporter: good afternoon, contessa. the storm is winding down. it dumped over a foot of snow. 12.3 inches of snow on top of what they've already seen. now it ranks the third snowiest season. we only need four more inches of snow and it beats the 77 inches that fell in '81 and '82. it can snow in minneapolis well into april and may. look at this cleanup operation, bobcats, snow sweepers, guys with shovels. they are piling the snow up in the foreground and they bring dump trucks in and haul it away. snow removal in the twin cities. a little flaky action. airport is up and running, two runways. they canceled 750 flights yesterday, this morning 160. the major carrier here is delta airlines. as far as the forecast, it will warm up a little, into the mid 30s by wednesday, above freezing. above average. arctic air comes in for the friday time frame with highs in the upper teens. there is no snow in at least the next five days across this part of the midwest. >> a little breather there. the teamsters union is planning rallies in 38 states to protest the assault on workers rights in wisconsin that is where a battle is raging to balance the state's budget and thousands of workers are expected to protest for a seventh straight day against this bill that would eliminate collective bargaining agreement for public employees. governor scott walker made clear he is not backing down. >> we are going to turn this state around and balance the budget and the worksers are going to say, i have to pay more for pension and health care but it isless than the average citizen. i'm not going to be forced to be in a union. to me that is the american way. >> is this a state furlough day? >> it is a state furlough day which means workers have the day off. it is unpaid. but we understand they are being bussed in from around the state. we are starting to see groups come in. a group of 200 protesters walking outside of the state capitol. there are more inside. yesterday because the weather was terrible here they kept their dell administrations mainly inside. 4,900 demonstrators at their peak yesterday. now the union over the weekend agreed to some concessions saying they would accept the financial concessions, they would pay part of their pension and health insurance but want to keep the right to collectively bargain. the governor said no, that is a short-term fix. he is not going to go for this. there is a deadline this friday for the bill to pass for the state to restructure debt to save $165 million. the democratic senators have remained out of state say they are prepared to stay out of state indefinitely and keep this bill from being voted on. >> scott newell in madison, thank you. developing right now, the british foreign minister has suggested moammar gadhafi is fleeing the violence in his country, on his way to venezuela. venezuela's government is denying it. nbc is working to confirm the information. gadha gadhafi's son says his father will stay and fight to the end. there are reports that 11 soldiers very been executed in benghazi because they refused to fire on citizens. two libyan pilots have landed in somalia. not clear if they are looking for asylum. the u.s. navy is tracking a yacht captured by pilots with four americans onboard headed toward the coast of somalia. an fbi hostage team is trying to talk the pirate into releases the hostages. jim miklaszewski is at the pentagon. what kind of efforts is the u.s. government making? >> reporter: the three american warships we have been talking about for a couple of days continue to shadow this yacht with the four american hostages. as many as 15 pirates onboard. one of the first objectives, of course, is to keep that ship with its hostages from landing in somalia. u.s. military officials we're talking to are pretty confident that's not going to happen. but then you create a standoff period where timing and desiss becomes critical. that could happen in the next two or three days. u.s. military officials are telling us they are not ruling out a rescue operation, it is problematic because there are 15 pirates, almost four pirates for everyone one of the one hostages onboard. so this is going to be a pretty dicey situation in flux. in the meantime, u.s. military firnls say their top priority is they are not going to do anything crazy to bring harm to the hostages, so they are monitoring and closely communicating with these pirates to try to talk them into releasing the hostages, but most of all right now they are simply watching. >> jim, that leads me to my big question. thank you, sir. should the american government be responsible for a rescue or ransom? you can share your thoughts with me on twitter, on facebook. my e-mail is contessa y@msnbc.c. scott a friend of scott and jean adam. what do the loved ones of these hostages want the government do? >> contessa, are you with me now? >> can you hear me, scott? >> yes. >> okay. thank you. they feel they have the same rights of any u.s. citizen in a similar situation. they would want all efforts to be made as anyone in the united states would feel the state department should do whatever efforts they can to ensure their safety. >> scott and jean adam have been sailing the world since 2004. were they aware of the danger of pirates especially in the waters off somalia? >> yes, indeed, they were, c contes contessa. i want to emphasize this is a very sane and serene couple. they are very kind people. they are very, very experienced sailors. they were very well aware of the dangers which is why they chose to go in the bluewater rally they were participating in. there was a report they left the rally. i assure you they would not have done so without very good reason. there were some health considerations on board of the two crew. that may have been a reason they tried to speed up. the whole purpose of their going with this rally is safety in numbers. there are about 100 small boats out there like the adams. they are not outlier folks. they are in organized groups for their own safety and security. >> this bluewater rally is a race that happens in the global waters every two years. it took off from gibralter. it says scott and jean your friends were out there delivering bibles. do they consider themselves missionaries? >> it is misunderstood and overplayed. yes, scott and jean are people of faith. they are in the world to use this unique method of sailing to experience other people's culture in native countries. those people don't have the able to come to the united states. their biblical mission as i have understood it is give bibles to people with like minded thoughts. they are not out to go to the islamic world to be evangelical christians. >> thank you for clearing this up. let me just ask one more question, have you been in touch with them since the pirates boarded their yacht? >> no. i last saw scott in the end of december. >> scott, i just wanted to mention the other two americans onboard are phyllis mckay and bob rigle. protesters in libya are celebrating after claiming control of the second largest city. moammar gadhafi's son has a warning. oil is taking a big hit. more on what this could mean for gas prices. also a spectacular crash at the daytona 500 and a spectacular finish for a 20-year-old rookie. for three hours a week, i'm a coach. but when i was diagnosed with prostate cancer... i needed a coach. our doctor was great, but with so many tough decisions i felt lost. unitedhealthcare offered us a specially trained rn who helped us weigh and understand all our options. for me cancer was as scary as a fastball is to some of these kids. but my coach had hit that pitch before. turning data into useful answers. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. to finish what you started today. for the aches and sleeplessness in between, there's motrin pm. no other medicine, not even advil pm, is more effective for pain and sleeplessness. motrin pm. is more effective for pain and sleeplessness. to stay fit, you might also want to try lifting one of these. a unique sea salt added to over 40 campbell's condensed soups. it helps us reduce sodium, but not flavor. so do a few lifts. campbell's.® it's amazing what soup can do.™ a bounce house accident sent a 10-year-old girl to a tucson trauma center with serious injuries. two girls were playing inside that bounce house during a birthday party when a gust of wind picked it up, carried it away. one fell out. the bounce house carried the other girl and dropped her on a roof. a delta flight had just taken off from ft. lauderdale. an engine failed. pieces broke off the engine. all 140 people onboard got off safely. sarah palin's husband todd is setting his sights on becoming top dog at the iron dog, the world's longest snowmobile race kicked off yesterday. it runs 2,000 miles to lake alaska from fairbanks. a possible government shutdown is looming. how that could affect you. plus the big secret senator scott brown was keeping from his wife of 26 years. what do you call more than one toyota prius? it is official. what the plural is. just ahead. cara curtis, owner of the soulless bag line. for going a pr agency she got her products into the hands of the real holiday brokers, personal assistance. her cars caught on with stars lighting up her revenues. every. ♪ 100 ways to enjoy pringles. ♪ ♪ and they're the same price as the leading bag chips. 100 crisps... 100 ways. ♪ everything pops with pringles. you struggle to control your blood sugar. you exercise and eat right, but your blood sugar may still be high, and you need extra help. ask your doctor about onglyza, a once daily medicine used with diet and exercise to control high blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. adding onglyza to your current oral medicine may help reduce after meal blood sugar spikes and may help reduce high morning blood sugar. [ male announcer ] onglyza should not be used to treat type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. tell your doctor if you have a history or risk of diabetic ketoacidosis. onglyza has not been studied with insulin. using onglyza with medicines such as sulfonylureas may cause low blood sugar. some symptoms of low blood sugar are shaking, sweating and rapid heartbeat. call your doctor if you have an allergic reaction like rash, hives or swelling of the face, mouth or throat. ask your doctor if you also take a tzd as swelling in the hands, feet or ankles may worsen. blood tests will check for kidney problems. you may need a lower dose of onglyza if your kidneys are not working well or if you take certain medicines. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about adding onglyza. extra help. extra control. you may be eligible to pay $10 a month with the onglyza value card program. aren't absorbed properly unless taken with food. he recommended citracal. it's different -- it's calcium citrate, so it can be absorbed with or without food. also available in small, easy-to-swallow petites. citracal. oh, boy, nthey are digging in. who will blink first the nation is facing the possibility of the first government shutdown in 13 years over a showdown of $61 billion in budget cuts approved by the republican-controlled house. ken strickland. so you are looking at current funding for the federal government is supposed to run out march 4. the senate is out all this week. how do they resolve this crisis? >> they better do it quickly or there will be a government shutdown. congress is out this week for recess so they have four or five days to figure this out. there is a $60 billion difference between where democrats are in the nat and what republicans passed last weekend in the house. how do they find a compromise? are the conditions right for a shutdown of the government. yes. the bill the house passed is so big it is hard to make a deal in four or five days. conditions are right to cut a deal, maybe a short-term deal. normally in these circumstances when they are trying to figure out how to fund the government, they usually come up with a short-term solution that basically buys them some time until they can get the bigger deal done. what john boehner is said he will not accept a short-term deal unless there are significant cuts. democrats and republicans have to find out something between the $60 billion difference and narrow the gap. the question is politically how do they do it in a way that saves face for both parties in washington it is hard because it comes down to winners and losers. >> let's say they can't get their act together, hy hypothetically speaking, the government shuts down, who would be the winner? who would be the loser? >> the american people would be the loser. social security checks would not come out. parks are closed. so on and so on. >> if the government shuts down who would the american people blame? they would blame congress. the approval ratings are already low. if momentum is there to find a solution. the hard part in washington is how do you get the solution. how do you feel like everybody has won and save face politically. >> wasn't it senator feinstein who introduced a bill saying the lawmakers would dock their pay for every day the government was shutdown? >> two or three people have an idea like that, the congressmen and women wouldn't get their pay the president wouldn't get their pay. when they come back next week we will see that get legs. dash camera caught an ugly accident. an ster tried to pass a big rig on the right. the semi drifted into the side of the cruiser, shattering the car's windshield. the trucker fled the scene. >> trouble turn three. >> big brewreck. >> half the field. >> about 17 cars got in a sliding pileup during lap 29 of yesterday's race. some of the biggest drivers got caught in the snarl, jimmy johnson, jeff gordon. trevor bayne took the nag and listen to this. >> it's over. cinderella win at the daytona 500. unbelievable. >> happy birthday, trevor bayne. >> bayne is the youngest driver to win the race. he did it the day after his 20th birthday. he beat out legends including dale earnhardt jr. it is not just a case of halloween come early or late, just some animal handlers in panda suits. they are putting a mother panda and her cub in a wildlife reserve. aimed at getting pandas born in confinement back into the wild. more competition for the ipad. how the new xoom compares. plus italian prime minister silvio berlusconi is known for lavish gifts. apparently he gave at least 24 to a teenage prostitute. watches, jewelry, even a car. how does he explain that one? hot on the web. we begin with a girl named facebook. her egyptian fall named her facebook jamal ibrahim. no doubt little facebook will grow up to have many, many friends, some of whom she'll have to ignore. maryland is getting ready to ban fishing boots with souls that cause rock is not. the boots help the algae hitchhike from stream to stream. vermont and alaska are planning to ban the boots. nearly 500,000 people, no, no, 1.5 million have clicked on this youtube video showing two tiny togethers in tie kwon do's tournament. critics might question such a fids cal sport, but these kids barely make contact with kicks and strikes and heavily padded and it makes it all so very, very cute. omers save an average of $293 a month. call lendingtree today. time to face the pollen that used to make me sneeze... my eyes water. but now zyrtec®, the fastest 24-hour allergy relief, comes in a liquid gel. zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air®. ♪ [ folk pop ]a liquid gel. [ man ] ♪ if you got worries then you're like me ♪ ♪ don't worry now i won't hurt you ♪ ♪ and if you got worries then you're like me ♪ ♪ don't worry now i won't desert you ♪ ♪ [ continues ] [ announcer ] when it comes to the things you care about, leave nothing to chance. travelers. insurance for auto and home. call or click now for an agent or quote. welcome back to msnbc. i'm contessa brewer. gas prices are still on the rise. the national average for a gallon is $3.18, up five cents. analysts expect it to go higher. a group of scientists say there is still oil at the bottom of the gulf ten months after the bp spill and killing off life on the sea floor. prosecutors in italy released a list of gifts prime minister berlusconi gave to the dancer he allegedly had sex with. a rolex, a fur stole and promised an audi. jaime zapadda was killed last week. al jazeera is reporting military aircraft are firing at protesters, the government's latest effort to crack down on protesters. here is a look at what is believed to be fighting between anti-government protester and the regime in tripoli. it is grainy video like this posted on youtube. it is the only glimpse what is going on there. nbc news cannot verify this video. dozens are reported dead. snipers shot at people. gunmen in vehicle ran protesters over. the six days of violent protests are threatening to bring down libya's financial system. the country's debt rating was downgraded two notches above junk. now the protests have reached the capital, three big oil companies are evacuating employees. ron allen is in cairo right now. at this point journalists don't have easy access to covering these protests so how do we get information? >> reporter: we get information by calling people in tripoli, in benghazi, the second largest city. there is an expat community of libyans here in cairo. they are holding demonstrations at the embassy. they are trying to make phone calls to people, friends and relatives in the country. there are people in the country who are able to jerry rig a system to get pictures out. there is a stream of that. it is cryptic and very unclear exactly what is going on. the trend certainly seems to be a dangerous and deadly direction. it has been that way for the past 24, 48 hours, especially in the capital of tripoli where fighting started late last night and continued into the day. there was a call for people to come out in the streets at 6:00 p.m. sundown. there is every indication that is happening. fires are burning. where is moammar gadhafi? he is believed to be in the capitol, but that is unclear. the situation seems to be deteriorating by the hour. >> ron allen from cairo. college students would get the right to carry concealed handguns on campus if texas lawmakers get their way. half the state's lower chamber co-sponsored a bill to allow students to pack heat. senator jeff wentworth, good to see you. >> morning. >> why do you think it is important for students to be able to carry concealed weapons. >> not all students. just those who have licenses. in texas you have to be 21 years of age. you are not talking about your traditional freshmen, sophomore and junior students. we are talking about faculty, staff, graduate students and seniors. it is wholly a matter of self-defense. i don't want repeated in texas what happened at virginia tech where a mentally deranged suicidal person comes into a classroom and picks off students like defenseless ducks because they are law abiding and don't carry weapons. >> senator, i understand there are victims from virginia tech who were shot or lost loved ones in the virginia tech shooting and again more than 30 people were killed in 2007 now who are urging state lawmakers in texas not to pass this bill. >> well, i've heard from one or two. but texas state university, the only major public university in my senate district just editorialized in favor of the bill. their student government and this is a 32,000-student university campus just passed a resolution endorsing the bill. so, yes, it is not going to be you unanimously approved, but texas students would like the right to save their lives if possible. >> i also wanted to mention in order to have a concealed weapon permit you have to pass a training course, a criminal background check. that would be a precursor to carrying guns on campus. what is the next step for the legislation? >> the lower house has not passed this bill. i passed this bill in the texas senate two years ago. it failed in the house. i have reintroduced it in the senate again. neither house nor senate has voted on this bill yet. we expect senate and house to vote on it again in march or april and it goes to the governor's desk hopefully. >> texas state senator wentworth. thank you for your time. >> yes, ma'am. scott brown is making shocking revelations "against all odds." in it brown writes he was brutally beaten by two stepfathers and sexually abused by a camp counselor. he talked about why he didn't tell anyone including his wife. >> it was tough. i wrestled with talking about it. i thought it was important to let others know you can fight back. if i help somebody speak up i have done a good thing. >> one thing a lot of people remarked to me, i can't believe his wife didn't know. >> she knew something had happened. we have been together 26 years. but she didn't know the extent of it and my mom and dad didn't either. in retrospect it would have been nice to have told someone. in that situation your abusers say if you tell anybody, i'll kill you or they won't believe you. i was a perfect candidate back then for that type of control. >> brown also says he wouldn't change a thing about his life. >> rod blagojevich wants to block fbi wiretaps. hundreds of recordings made by the feds contain gaps which could prove misleading to a jury. blagojevich is accused with trying to sell barack obama's vacant senate seat. police in south africa are investigating the death of a newborn at oprah winfrey's johannesburg academy for girls. the 17-year-old mother gave birth at the school. the baby's body was found in a plastic bag. it is not clear if the baby was born dead. we are awaiting the outcome of the police investigation. while at the same time respecting and protecting the lerner's privacy. the academy strives to ensure the health and well being of all of our learners and we are providing counseling services accordingly. the royal wedding invites are in the mail. we'll tell you which big names get one and the big names who don't. the tablet wars. apple has the ipad, microsoft has the xoom. which one gives you the most bang for the buck. here is presidential trivia for you. who was the tallest u.s. president and who was the shortest? we'll give you the answers in three minutes. when your eyes are smiling... you're smiling. and when they're laughing... you're laughing. be kind to your eyes... with transitions lenses. transitions adapt to changing light so you see your whole day comfortably... and conveniently while protecting your eyes from the sun. ask your eyecare professional which transitions lenses are right for you. i'm not just someone who's quitting with chantix and support... our kids go to school together. -we work together. -i'm in your cooking class. we play ball together. [ male announcer ] chantix is a non-nicotine pill proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. and you can even smoke during the first week. quitting on my own never seemed to be enough. this time it was different. this time i was ready. ready to take control. ready to talk to my doctor. [ male announcer ] some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these symptoms or behaviors, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop serious allergic or skin reactions, stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some of these can be life-threatening. dosing may be different if you have kidney problems. until you know how chantix affects you, use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. ♪ ♪ i'm not just someone who's quitting with chantix and support, -i'm your coworker. -teammate. -friend. -friend. [ male announcer ] over 7 million people nationwide have talked to their doctor about chantix. chances are, you could be one of them. and now through march 31st visit chantix.com for a limited time money saving offer and for terms and conditions. [ tires squeal ] an accident doesn't have to slow you down. introducing "better car replacement," available only from liberty mutual insurance. if your car's totaled, we give you the money to buy a car that's one model year newer with 15,000 fewer miles on it. there's no other auto insurance product like it. better car replacement, available only from liberty mutual. it's a better policy that gets you a better car. call -- or visit one of our local offices today, and we'll provide the coverage you need at the right price. liberty mutual auto insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy? i'm andrea mitchell, coming up in 15 minutes, labor battles in wisconsin. the governor accuses democrats of taking a vacation on the takes payers dime. can the democrats save money for planned parenthood. and the clock is ticking toward the latest government shutdown with steve israel and lawrence o'donnell. "andrea mitchell reports" up next. a car crash and shooting at an italian airport is a story today. witnesses say the shooting happened after the man got out of the car, pulled out a knife and tried to attack the cops. police have no motive, but terrorism is not suspected. a man wired with explosives blew himself up in afghanistan, killing 30 people and injuring 40 more. a rash of deadly attacks on taxis killed 12 people in acapulco, mexico, over the weekend. those killings began friday. police have four suspects in custody and they think drug cartels are involved. just over two months until the social event of the century. well, at least so far. now the wedding invitations for prince william and kate middleton have gone out. if you check your mailbox and don't get one, you are not alone. the guest list is limited. royal watcher neal shawn joibs us live. i can't get over all these tv people are disappointed about not being invited. >> you are secretly hiding yours. >> i just saw chris jansing needle for a date with you. here is what i'm interested in. they are inviting the big british pop stars, right? >> yeah. yeah. that's right. david and victoria beckham are the number one guests. we brought this first on this channel. we were spot on. victoria has forged this good friendship, not just through her fashion connections and respected as a fashion icon, her designs are selling well. we understand kate middleton could be leaving in one of posh's creations. how is that for a seal of royal approval. not bad, hey? >> no. that is very good. >> elton john is on the list but so is kanye west? >> oh, no. listen, don't believe the hype. everybody is jumping on the bandwagon saying i've been invited. next we will read lindsay lohan has been invited. sir elton john i can see having an invitation. his connection with diana. kanye west, don't believe what you read. >> the next thing was not a talented person, but you did not say that. the obamas, president and mrs. obama it appears not invited. but also i'm surprised by this, sarah ferguson, duchess of york. i thought there was talk she was going to get an invitation. she is an aunt by former marriage. >> you are spot on. over here in england we are stunned not because of the way she is put out in the cold but prince andrew is going along with her children. prince andrew is not happy because he is very, very close to sarah ferguson the duchess of york. given what she has done in the past it is not too warm in that abbey before she pops her head in. she is going to spend time in america when the wedding is taking place. as far as the obamas are concerned, we like them. they are coming over here in may. this is not a state occasion. it is a royal family wedding. if it was a state occasion they would have an official invite. not to say michelle who is stunning and beautifully dressed wanted to come over, they would welcome her with open arms. >> it sounds like the event if not the century, at least the decade. time for the answers to the presidential trivia questions we had today. who is the tallest president? abraham lincoln, 6'4". he was the also the first president to sport a beard. the shortest president james madison, a foot shorter at 5'4" and reportedly weighed just 100 pounds. wow. [ male announcer ] this is charlie whose morning flight to london starts with arthritis pain... and a choice. take tylenol now, and maybe up to 8 in a day. or...choose aleve and 2 pills for a day free of pain. enjoy the flight. or...choose aleve and 2 pills for a day free of pain. i'm sam chernin, owner of sammy's fish box. i opened the first sammy's back in 1966. my employees are like family, and i want people that work for me to feel that they're sharing in my success. we purchase as much as we can on the american express open gold card so we can accumulate as many points as possible. i pass on these points to my employees to go on trips with their families. when my employees are happy, my customers are happy. how can the gold card help serve your business? booming is taking care of your business by taking care of your employees. diabetes testing? what else is new? you get the blood, hope it's enough, it's-- what's this? freestyle lite® blood glucose test strip. sure, i'll try it, but-- [beep] wow. yep, that's the patented freestyle zipwik™ design. it's like it-- [both] targets the blood. yeah, draws it right in. the test starts fast. you need just a third the blood of one touch.® okay. freestyle test strips. i'll take 'em. sure. call or click-- we'll send you strips and a meter, free. can't i just have these? freestyle lite test strips. call or click today. ever get that nawing question, what is the purl for a toyota prius. if you say i open -- it is prii. those who studied latin won. the plural of prius, is not priuses. the plural is prii. rest soundly. don't say i don't give you things to talk about the water cooler, okay. the ipad is facing stiff competition. motorola is trying to cut in with a new android device known as the xoom. experts say it is not going to beat apple's baby because of one little word. price. here to tell us about tablet wars -- >> if i had a dollar for every tablet coming out, i would have $24, $25. the price is about $800. that is much higher than the entry level ipad. some folks reacted, whoa, this is too much money for me for a tablet. >> tablets don't do everything computers do? >> they have a touch screen. for a lot of people they are more portable. there are seven inch ones. the xoom is ten inch, the ipad is ten inch. some people love it and swear by it and pref it over their computer. >> ipad is ubiquitous. my mother owns one but i don't. the four directors walk around with them. they look cool. daniel doesn't have one. >> it's true. this is my tablet right now. an analog device. i'm on the fence. there is a lot of development with tablets. some of the competition has to do with the operating system. android is running on the motorola xoom, apple, microsoft. rim has the play book. >> can't you make it easy, buy this one? >> there are so many out there. the difficulty is trying to distinguish themselves. so many have two cameras, the ability to do web surfing, you can watch video and e-mail. this is the tech gold rush. everyone company is rushing out trying to capture this market. i'm not sure which one is right for me. we'll have to wait and see what the ipad ii looks like. >> when people pose a question like what is the plural of prius, i have a solid answer. >> i have no stake in any of these companies. >> i let you off the hook. just teasing you. we are talking about what role the u.s. government should play in rescuing or ransoming the four american hostages ambushed by pirates. there are warships tracking that yacht. richard day says the government should play a role. who else can help them. edward zelnis says, yes, within reason. ransom, absolutely not. these people put themselves in harm's way. george kays says we can't expend unlimited time and resources on every one who happens to run afoul in foreign water. that wraps up this hour me. i appreciate the time you have spent with me. see you back here tomorrow noon eastern. up next, andrea mitchell reports and andrea joins me now. hi, andrea. >> democratic state legislators from wisconsin, who has been hiding out in illinois? how real is the threat of a government shutdown. we tackle that with steve israel. and msnbc's "last word" host lawrence o'donnell is here. "andrea mitchell reports" is next. >> here is your business travel forecast on this presidents day. there is snow out there. snow from minneapolis, detroit, and areas around new york city. rain from philly to d.c. detroit and chicago, a wintry mix. the west coast, you are looking clear. have a great day. like this one. and this one. and oops, my bad. so, they give expedia ginormous discounts with these: unpublished rates. which means i get an even more rockin' hotel, for less. my brain didn't even break a sweat. where you book matters. expedia. a living, breathing intelligence that is helping business rethink how to do business. ♪ in here, inventory can be taught to learn... so products get routed to where they're needed most. ♪ in here, machines have a voice... so they can tell headquarters when they need refilling. ♪ in here, money works smarter... so financial institutions can turn dreams into realities. in here, medical history is brought to life... so doctors can see a patient's medical records -- even if they're away from home. it's more than advanced technology. it's the at&t network -- a network of possibilities, creating and integrating solutions, helping business, and the world...work. rethink possible. right now on "andrea mitchell reports" the u.s. orders all nonessential diplomats and their families to leave libya now. anti-government protesters claim they are in charge of several cities as a revolution threatens to topple moammar gadhafi. the wisconsin day seven. the republican governor won't budge. what now? a democratic state lawmaker iversons us from an