marriage out there in the general public the u.s. military has permitted same-sex couples to conduct their wedding ceremonies in military chapels. and, in fact since september of 2013 in those states where it s considered legal now, as you said a moment ago, that same-sex marriages ceremonies will be permitted in military chapels in all 50 states. and it was back in september of 2013 when the u.s. military actually decided to provide benefits to these spouses of same-sex couples, health care benefits access to military facilities and benefits and the like, which was a huge step forward for the military and the pentagon. after all, it was only 2011 when the pentagon finally lifted don t ask, don t tell ended that prohibition against openly gay service members serving in the
but i might just go request a new one to make sure. better safe just be safe from this point forward. but, jim, we thank you for your patience and for your willingness to be with us today on the air and talk about your reaction to what this means for you. thank you very much. ari melber thank you, too, for all your reporting outside as it s been a rush and flurry of activity since 10:00 when we got the ruling handed down from the supreme court. and with that ruling today we are getting the word that the u.s. military will now allow for same-sex weddings in military chapels in all 50 states. want to bring in nbc s pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski. this is a caveat for certain distinctions. first of all, it may surprise a lot of people that in this heated debate for nearly the past two years, over same-sex
here s what the pentagon officially says from the spokesperson. military chapels have to be open to all denominations and as such can t have permanent symbols of one particular religion or another. yet, this has been going on for a long time. last three years, though, it seems things seem to be changing. that s right. and i talked to some conservative leaders, tony perkins from the family research council and they say this is a very scary trend within the past three years where we have seen crosses and other christian symbols cleansed from the military. just last week at my web site, i did a story about a cross in california, camp pendleton that s under investigation right now because it may violate regulations. the thing is these are supposed to be nondenominational buildings, correct? for people to worship? right, but the question is what s the point of a chapel if you can t have religious symbols in the building? the military says they have to be religiously neutral when t
and good morning to you. boy, the temperatures, top story again. wow. sizzling heat, and most of the country right now is dealing with triple digits or at least feeling like triple digits. as we ve been saying, not just uncomfortable, dangerous and deadly. welcome. friday, july 22nd. let s get right to it. intensely hot against across a huge portion of the country. it started in the midwest, it s come heeft. washington, the high, 103 today but it s going to feel like 115 with the humidity. triple digit temperatures are expected across the mid-atlantic, up and down the east coast and into the ohio valley and as many as 2,000 related deaths now reported. utilities around the country are bracing, asking you to conserve energy as people crank the ac. in new york, the power company said that store owners who leave their doors open could be fined. wow. trying to stay cool. match fn you re a polar bear in this heat? animals in the detroit zoo were treated to popsicles with
anything that can go wrong, would. we are working with toilet paper and a pie plate and broom and egg. great. it s 9:00 a.m. on the east coast and 6:00 a.m. on the west coast. i m don lemon. in washington, lots of talk but no action on a deal to avoid a debt crisis with only about a week and a half before the deadline. the white house is shooting down reports that negotiations are getting close to an agreement. for millions of americans in the eastern united states, the ferocious heat wave hits its peak today. in some areas it will feel like 115. land mark day for the military. today the pentagon is expected to start the process of lifting the ban on gays serving openly. up first, will the nfl players vote for a new labor contract and save the coming 2011 football season? joe carter is in the middle of the action outside the owners meeting right now. joe, is today the day this ends? reporter: ah! i think football fans across the world are hoping we can say yes. i me