Happened to the vix on october 24th, 2008, that big red arrow there. Thats when the stock market crashed in 08, one of the worst days of the great recession, record high vix. Another spike happened may 20th, 2010, when there was sudden news that europes economy was even in worse shape than we thought. It spiked at a twoyear high august 8th, 2011, when the u. S. Credit rating got downgraded. Republicans in congress had threatened to default on our national debt, and the Credit Rating got downgraded. As you can see there, wall street freaked out. Vix went way up. You can think of a high vix reading, a spike in the vix as a red light flashing. Alert, alert. Maybe your economy is tanking. Maybe it isnt. But a lot of people on wall street have reason to believe that it is. Panic. Well, today, as he kicks off his inauguration weekend, president obama was given a great present by the vix. This is the present that vix gave to barack obama today to celebrate his inauguration as a secondterm pre
With a day of service, and the first lady hosted a special concert for children of military families last night. This is what inauguration is all about. Its about celebrating who we are as americans and all the things that makes this country so great. And when i think about who we are, when i think about what makes america great, i think about all of you. On tuesday, its back to work for congress, and there are two big issues that are going to dominate the beginning of the president s second term. Guns and the nations debt. Joining me now to debate those i issues democratic senator Chuck Schumer of new york and newly elected republican senator ted cruz of texas. Welcome back as senator cruz to meet the press. Back to both of you. I want to start on the gun debate. Because as i say, even before the second term is officially under way, this debate is well under way. Here are the highlights of what the president wants to accomplish. Universal background checks. Hed like to pursue a ban on
Headlines. The president kicking off the national day of Service Today volunteering at a school here in the d. C. Area. The first family and 500 volunteers joined him. Tomorrow president obama will take the oath of office in a private white house ceremony. Monday, hundreds of thousands are expected as he takes the oath on the capitol steps. Former president s clinton and carter will be present at that ceremony monday. Not attending former president george h. W. Bush and his father, former president bush, the younger bush staying at home because his father is sick. The president was just released from the hospital after an extended illness. Also today a Big Development on the debt limit. A vote is scheduled for next week and well dig in to those details later in the show. First, though, the stars are coming out for that national day of service that we just mention mentioned. Eva longoria who is an inaugural committee cochair. And Chelsea Clinton were one of the first speakers at the eve
Earlier today the president and first lady volunteered at a school in the washington, d. C. Area, nbcs ron is standing by the national day of service day tent at the mall and you have a special guest there with you as well, good day to you, sir . Reporter hey there, craig. My special guest is being mobbed by the crowd behind me. Its the Senior Adviser to president obama. She will make her way here in a second. As she comes up, we will give her a big welcome. Welcome, valerie. Pleasure to see you. Pleasure to be here. Can you believe the crowd . Its amazing. Reporter the president and first lady created this to really hopefully make it a standing tradition for inaugurations going forward. Not just inaugurations, my message is lets do it every day. Lets make service a part of our life, we will have a big celebration for inaugurations when people go home on, we want them to find a way to serve in their Home Community and that is what makes the fabric of our country stronger. Its exciting
Capit capitol, that familiar scene before the eyes of the nation and tens of thousands there to glimpse history in person. The president will raise his right hand in a moment for the ages. Good afternoon, everyone. Im alex witt. We are live from washington, d. C. In this next hour and a half, well try to bring perspective and context to the second inaugural and this historic presidency. My panel is joining me right now from Washington Post, the columnist sally quinn, nbc news president ial historian Michael Beschloss, james peterson, director of Africana Studies at lehigh, and joey grio, msnbc contributor. Now the program is over. Long intro because you all deserve it. Sally, i read through your article, and it was a wonderful one here talking about its not just for washington, its all about americans when it comes to what happens in the second inaugural. Tell me, why do we need a second inauguration . There are many twwho wonder whe its the same president why bother . Of course our fa