yesterday, but in a couple of other votes it really pit conservatives versus moderates. in indiana we saw the longest serving republican in the senate lose his seat after 36 years. senator dick lugar is out losing to a candidate backed by the tea party, indiana state treasurer, richard murdock. the issue of gay marriage was on the ballot. the initiative to define a marriage as between one man and one woman was won. finally in wisconsin this race that's garnered so much attention because of union rights, governor scott walker now has a democratic challenger, milwaukee mayor, tom barrett. they will face off in the recall election june 5th. on capital hill for once democrats and republicans agree on something. low interest rates for millions of college loans. ununfortunately they can't agree on how to pay for it. senate republicans blocked a proposal that would keep interest rates at 3.4% by closing a loophole allowing them to avoid some payroll taxes. republicans want to keep the rates down by diverting money set aside for the new health care law. without an agreement by july 1st interest rates will double to 6.8%. howard dean spoke about the republicans to preserve low rates. he told ed that the gop's priorities will hurt the party in upcoming elections. >> look, this is what the problem is. this is why the republicans, i think, is going to lose the election. i think there's a reasonable chance if the president wins fairly decently, democrats can take over the house which is necessary. look, here's what these guys do. they don't care about the average working american, all they care about is the corporations that have given them all of that money to put them in office. who are they going to serve? are they going to go after exxonmobile? no, they'll want to cut exxonmobile taxes but you have to pay for that so you are going to make ordinary college students pay $1,000 a year more to get a tax break. the american voters are not stupid. these guys are going to pay for this. they are on the side of the 1% and the president's mostly on the side of the 99%. the 99% a lot better number when you're running someplace in the polls. i don't think this works. they want it tell women what to do in their personal lives, they don't like latinos, they want to take money out of college students' pockets so they don't have to take exxonmobile's tax break away when they made a record amount of profits. their priorities are not the right priorities for america. >> catch "the ed show" at 8:00 p.m. new details are emerging on a terror bomb plot in yemen. for the first time the cia has an operative inside al qaeda. it appears the u.s. was equipped to deal with the threat of a new underwear bomb. nbc's steve handlesman has that story. >> reporter: u.s. officials say the full body scanners in many u.s. and overseas airports probably would have picked up the latest al qaeda bomb. >> i think all things considered, yes, in high likelihood it would have been detected. >> reporter: the fbi is analyzing the device. the next version of the underwear bomb that fizzled in 2009 worn by al qaeda terrorist umar farouk abdulmutalleb. >> they are adapting. the last one and the increasing sophistication of the device they're using. >> reporter: the cia is adapting in yemen scoring a huge coupe. >> we don't have to worry about the ied or the would be bomber. >> reporter: sources say it was never a worry but a cia source, an asset who brought the bomb out of yemen, infiltrating al qaeda would be a break through. >> this is something we've been trying to do for a long time. these sources of our collecting intelligence are the crown jewels in terms of disrupting these plots. >> reporter: the same cia source helped target a u.s. drone. senior u.s. officials tell us. administration officials are feeling good. >> since 9/11. not one plane has been brought down by a terrorist. >> reporter: i'm steve handlesman, nbc news washington. here's your first look at other news going on. in colorado, amazing video of a motorcyclist who actually survived when that car smashed into him. police say the car ran a red light. other views show the motorcycle rider upside down in midair just from the force of the impact. he has had to undergo a number of surgeries in the days following the crash. he's lucky he survived. in new york, another car plowed into a group of people in buffalo including a teenager who was sent flying. police say the driver didn't even stop. again, thankfully the victim is now out of the hospital and a 19-year-old accused of being behind the wheel is under arrest. in oregon, a life saved with only seconds to spare. now a sheriff's deputy grabbed a suicidal man just as he was about to jump off that bridge. >> good going. >> the deputy and his partner quickly restrained the man. they had caught up with him moments earlier after getting a report he might try and kill himself. finally in florida, not everyone had a happy easter. a yellow rat snake swallowed a ceramic easter egg left out for a hunt. the egg could be seen bulging from the snake's mid section right there. a veterinarian performed surgery on the snake and it worked. the little guy is now all stitched up. he's ready to start slithering once again. and now for a look at your national weather he we turn to nbc meteorologist bill karins. >> could there be any worse name for a snake? a yellow rat snake? >> double whammy. they eat ceramic eggs. >> yes, they do. good morning, everyone. slow weather day out there. just a little bit of light rain. let me give you an update of where we stand this yeerp climate wise. we had this amazing end to winter. it was so warm. that has continued right through the spring. we just got the stats in from april and it was the third warmest april ever recorded in our country. this is the warmest start to any year in the u.s. march, we only had one tornado outbreak. that was our only billion dollar weather disaster of the year. last year was incredible. we had 14 billion dollar weather disasters which was off the charts for the drought, flooding, tornado outbreaks. this year so far at least the dollar sign is a little bit improved. let's talk about what's going on weather wise out there. there's no billion dollar weather disasters brewing out there. light rain to deal with on the eastern sea board. this is the peak of tornado season. very' getting very lucky. all the hot, humid air is pushed to the south. i don't see any occurring over the next week which is rare to say as you head into the middle of may. just some light rain on long island. southern portions of new england down here. southern jersey into delaware. light rain showers but that's about it today. your forecast the middle of the country, another beautiful spring day from kansas city to denver. you've been so hot this year. this actually feels nice and refreshing. dallas around 80 today. showers and storms up and down the eastern sea board. another round later this afternoon. that will be in the southeast and head northward. even as we linger into your thursday forecast we'll still see a couple of showers down there around areas of south florida. areas on the west coast looking great, too, lynn. we're not dealing with too many weather disasters. bill, thanks so much. mcdonald's disappoints. jobs posts jump. for one unemployed man, it paid to advertise. your "first look" at this morning's business headlines is straight ahead. coming up, five elimination games in the nba and nhl playoffs and an unforgettable night for josh hamilton. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. 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[ cellphone rings ] everyone grows with miracle-gro. welcome back to "first look." i'm lynn berry. here are some of the top stories making news this morning. at the trial of former presidential candidate john edwards a former speech writer testified edwards told her he knew a wealthy donor was supporting his pregnant miss stress. edwards has denied knowing about the payments. a judge in chicago blocks enforcement of an eavesdropping law that could send people to jail for 15 years if they record audioof a police officer. activists challenge the law because it says the protesters at this year's summit could be jailed for using smart phones to record police. he has been denied for a sixth time. berkowitz terrorized new york city in 1976 and '77 and was convicted of killing six people. a new record has been set for a work of contemporary art at a new york auction. mark rothko's 1961 abstract painting orange red yellow sold for almost $87 million. i just do not get it. there you go. here's your "first look" at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 12,932 after losing 76 points yesterday. the s&p shed five points. the nasdaq was down 11. taking a look at overseas trading this morning. in tokyo the nikkei dropped 136 points while in hong kong the hang seng dipped 164. after months of watching greece struggle to stay afloat the financial disaster has now resurfaced. stocks suffered most of the day after a greek leader put its international bailout at risk by saying the country is under no obligation to live up to promised austerity measures. weak source sales from mcdonald's added to the day's cautious tone. accessory makers fossil fell 38% after slashing its forecast on weakness in europe. oil prices fell below $97 a barrel this morning in the wake of an unexpected jump of u.s. crude supplies. the labor department reports u.s. job postings hit a four-year high in march fueling future employment reports going up. green mountain coffee demoted its founder and chairman. both made emergency stock sales after a recent price plunge despite a company ban against doing so. more fallout from the resume inaccuracy dogging yahoo's new ceo. the company launched a formal investigation. bank of america is sending notices to some 200,000 customers who may have their mortgage reduced by an average 30% thanks to a national settlement. kooep an eye today on disney. after the bell the company posted impressive second quarter earnings. and congratulations to that guy for being pretty smart. he's an enterprising young man from minneapolis who put his face on a billboard to get a job. his $300 investment landed him a job in sales and marketing. perfect fit. the nuggets stay alive. the bulls stop the sixers. and the devils eliminate the bullies. plus slug fest in baltimore as one texas ranger makes major league history. your "first look" at sports is straight ahead. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. 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exxonmobil teachers academy... ...and astronaut sally ride's science academy are helping our educators improve student success in math and science. let's shoot for the stars. let's invest in our teachers and inspire our students. let's solve this. ♪ i can do anything ♪ i can do anything today ♪ i can go anywhere ♪ i can go anywhere today ♪ la la la la la la la [ male announcer ] dow solutions help millions of people by helping to make gluten free bread that doesn't taste gluten free. together, the elements of science and the human element can solve anything. solutionism. the new optimism. welcome back to "first look." i'm lynn berry. in sports in both pro basketball and hockey last night was a moment of truth for several playoff teams. nbc's fred roggin. good morning. it was elimination night in the nba and nhl playoffs. five possible closeout games. we will get right to t. we'll start at indy. the magic didn't go out without a fight. played their harlts out for three-quarters. it's not how you start, it's how you finish. the pacers switch gears in the fourth. outscored orlando. indy advanced 105-87. that is stan van gundy's last game as the coach likely. the hawks live to play another game. he led everybody with 19. the bucket gave atlanta a four point lead. he had a chance at the buzz zer down one. rajon rondo dribbled, lost the ball and that's the game. boston didn't even get a shot off and the hawks escaped 87-86. no derek rose, no noah, no problem for the bulls. they got it done with the defense. held the sixers to 26. a game high 24. chicago avoided elimination with a 77-69 win. in los angeles, lakers rally from 15 down but they couldn't get over the hump. nuggets up three. kobe bryant's shot off the mark. despite 43 from bryant, denver held on to win it 102-99. ice, devils and flyers. both teams tried to set the tone early. a number of huge hits. this goal summed up the series for philadelphia. ilya bryzgalov tried to clear the puck, ricochetted off david clarkson's stick and in. devils eliminate the flyers 3-1. they have either the rangers or caps in the eastern conference finals. finally the rangers josh hamilton slugged his way into the record books. four home runs in baltimore. just the 16th player in baseball history to play off such a fete. to put that in perspective there have been more perfect games pitched than four home run gaims. that's your first look at forts. i'm fred roggin. >> we check back in with bill karins. he has your forecast. >> i don't mind telling everyone in inning that it's another gloomy day. i know what the weekend holds. it's been a very gloomy may. anyone living up in new england, today the rain is mostly in southern new england. it's getting locked in pretty good here. southern rhode island into cape cod. boston, looks like you're on the northern fringe of that. showers from new york city down through philadelphia. this will continue to move northward as it goes throughout the morning. we have one little batch of rain for the morning. then there will be another batch with steadier rains moving on through today. cloudy, on and off showers. have the umbrella handy. it's pretty warm with a southerly wind. the southeast, your round of thunderstorms will come this afternoon. some of those could be on the strong side. florida once again pretty warm. middle of the country looks fantastic. as we look at tomorrow, that storm system still lingers just off shore. boston, some showers for you. the weather will improve during the day on thursday. as we fast forward, i want to go to mother's day. a lot of people trying to make their plans. a lot of people do outdoor plans. the only area i'm concerned with a possible washout could be louisiana, alabama, mississippi, tennessee. overall, not a bad looking mother's day forecast. >> bill, thanks so much. coming up, celebrities turned life savers and more trouble for john travolta. plus, brad pitt gets big bucks to be the main spokesperson for a woman's product. ladies do like brad. your "first look" at entertainment is straight ahead. in here, great food demands a great presentation. so at&t showed corporate caterers how to better collaborate by using a mobile solution, in a whole new way. using real-time photo sharing abilities, they can create and maintain high standards, from kitchen to table. this technology allows us to collaborate with our drivers to make a better experience for our customers. 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[ kyle ] it's like we're connected. no we're not. yeah, we are. no...we're not. ♪ the allstate value plan. dollar for dollar, nobody protects you like allstate. ahh, cloudy glasses. you didn't have to come over! easy. hi. cascade kitchen counselor. look! over time, the other premium pac can leave cloudy, hard water deposits, but cascade complete pacs help leave glasses sparkling. cascade. love it or your money back. i read that in the last year new jersey governor's chris christie's approval rating has gone up six points. ush will the i toenl he only picks up a dozen is when he goes to crisp pi cream. most people can go ten minutes without lying said a new study. since the study took 20 minutes, nobody knows what to believe. listen to this. new survey ranked trump tour in new york city as one of the ugliest buildings in the world. even trump's hair was like, yeah, what an eye sore. check this out, sixth grader in illinois is making news for getting a perfect score on the math section of the s.a.t. so on behalf of everyone here at late night, i just want to say, nerd! tonight jimmy welcomes new "america's got talent" judge howard stern. battleship star brooklyn decker. and celebrity chef jann janna delorentes. that's late night with jimmy fallon at 12:35 a.m. >> i love how you say that so your wife is not watching. >> i'll bring her with me. >> celebrities seem to be getting caught up in the super hero. tmz said mila helped someone survive a violent seizure saturday. she grabbed the man's head and turned it to the side so he wouldn't choke. she volunteered to ride in the ambulance. a man who had a heart attack while jogging in london, dustin hoffman helped save his life. he saw it all happen, was very concerned, and stayed with the man throughout. >> rain man saved him. >> always with him. he always wins. also a second person has filed suit against john tra voel at that making similar claims of unwanted sexual advances. travolta's legal team promises to sue the lawyer and his clients after having the suits thrown out. finally, e news reports brad pitt has signed a seven figure deal to become the face of chanel's number 5 scent. >> why is he getting paid all of that money for the female perfume. >> women look at brad pitt and they want to spend their money. i'm lynn berry. first look on msnbc. "way too early" is next. election night. 36 years of service in the united states senate ends in primary defeat for indiana's dick lugar. voters in north carolina approve a ban on gay marriage in their state. the question is what do these votes in swing state tell us about the state of the electorate and the future of the presidential election. in a contorted political jed dye mine trip mitt romney said he deserves a lot of credit for the rebirth of michigan's automobile industry. the question is how does the man who was against the president's auto bailout figure that one? we'll let him explain. a night in baseball you're likely to see only once in your lifetime as the rangers josh hamilton goes deep four times in a single game. the question is if you're the orioles, at what point do you start thinking about pitching around the guy? "way too early" for this. good morning. i'm willie geist. this is way too early. the light hitting show that's going to honor josh hamilton by striking out four times this morning. i'm glad you're up with us watching on msnbc or listening on sirius radio. shoot me an e-mail or tweet me. what are you