welcome back to first look, i m amara sohn. in sports, negotiators in washington could do worse than use the nfl as an example. with the deadline approaching for canceling significant portions of the upcoming season. the owners and players settled the lockout in a deal that not only saved the season, but lasts for ten years. here s nbc s fred roggin. good morning, break out the giant phone finger and dust off your barbeque and join a fantasy football league, because the lockout is finally over. it s been a long time coming and football s back and that s the great news for everybody. i want to thank all the players for their leadership and for securing the long-term future of the game. having a ten-year agreement is extraordinarily great for our game. but most importantly our fans. open later this week, free agency opens on friday.
welcome back to first look, i m amara sohn. in sports, negotiators in washington could do worse than use the nfl as an example. with the deadline approaching for canceling significant portions of the upcoming season. the owners and players settled the lockout in a deal that not only saved the season, but lasts for ten years. here s nbc s fred roggin. good morning, break out the giant phone finger and dust off your barbeque and join a fantasy football league, because the lockout is finally over. it s been a long time coming and football s back and that s the great news for everybody. i want to thank all the players for their leadership and for securing the long-term future of the game. having a ten-year agreement is extraordinarily great for our game. but most importantly our fans. open later this week, free agency opens on friday. thursday september 8th between the packers and saints on nbc.
president obama and house speaker, john boehner escalated the battle over the debt limit last night. they both appealed to american television viewers in speeches that reflect the two sides being farther apart than ever on the issue. nbc s tracey potts has more from washington. we re now one week away from the deadline for default and it looks like the white house and congress are no closer to a deal. this is no way to run the greatest country on earth. it s a dangerous game that we ve never played before. and we can t afford to play it now. reporter: president obama is taking his behind closed doors fight public, urging taxpayers to pressure republicans into considering taxing the wealthiest americans. the president wanted a blank check six months ago and he wants a blank check today. this is just not going to happen. reporter: boehner, who insists i gave it my all before negotiations broke down argues the crisis isn t in congress, it s in the oval office. presiden
today we begin with dualing over the debt. president obama and house speaker john boehner he escalated the battle over the debt limit last night. they both appealed to american television viewers in speeches that reflect the two sides being farther apart than ever on the issue. nbc s steve handelsman reports. reporter: president obama came on primetime tv to fan public outrage. on week until default, and still no deal. this is no way to run the greatest country on earth. reporter: not raising the debt limit would cost all of us. interest rates would skyrocket on credit cards, mortgages, and car loans. that results on a huge tax hike on the american people. reporter: tax hikes are the problem republicans refuse. driven by tea partiers saying they would rather seek default. that s not right. it s not fair. reporter: medicare and the like would suffer, the president said, without tax hikes on the well off. keep in mind that under a balanced approach that 98% of a
debt limit last night. they both appealed to american television viewers in speeches that reflect the two sides being farther apart than ever on the issue. nbc s steve handelsman reports. reporter: president obama came on primetime tv to fan public outrage. one week until default, and still no deal. this is no way to run the greatest country on earth. reporter: not raising the debt limit would cost all of us. interest rates would skyrocket on credit cards, mortgages, and car loans. that results on a huge tax hike on the american people. reporter: tax hikes are the problem republicans refuse. driven by tea partiers saying they would rather seek default. that s not right. it s not fair. reporter: medicare and the like would suffer, the president said, without tax hikes on the well off. keep in mind that under a balanced approach that 98% of americans who make under $250,000 would see no tax increased at all. reporter: on capitol hill house speaker boehner buff