schiavocampo. the situation in the philippines is getting more desperate by the hour. dr. nancy snyderman reports on new problems plaguing survivors. >> reporter: water and wind devastated this country, now there's another threat -- waterborne infectious disease. we're now dealing with the new health emergency, and that is lack of good water. when the storm surge swapped tab although ban, the already fragile water system was one of the first casualties. clean water is now very hard to find. and people are drinking from and bathing in the same waterways that are filled with rotting corporations, dead animals, sewage and debris. that has health officials worried. life threatening dehydration must be treated quickly with iv fluids. there are few places to turn for help. bottled water, when it can be found, is only a stopgap. large water tanks are needed, but they require power and there is none in tab although ban. water so necessary to life and now also a threat to life. >> that was dr. nancy snyderman reporting. and the lack of clean water is only part of what's becoming a great humanitarian disaster. aid workers are rushing to provide survivors with basic needs. one telling nbc news, it's an endless path of misery. ian williams joins us from manila now. what progress is being made? >> reporter: it is painfully slow. offers of age, pledges of aid are pouring in to the philippines from across the world. the actual help is only trickling into the areas that desperately need it. to underline the desperation, we had reports overnight of more looting, this time a government-run rice warehouse just up the coast from tab although ban. eight people died in the stampede to get at that rice. now government officials are on the defensive. they continue to blame the devastation, the debris for blocking access to some of these areas, but insist that things are improving, that roads are being cleared, airports open and that we'll see a rapid improvement over coming hours and days. they say the law and order situation in tacloban is improving, a curfew is being imposed. u.s. marines on the ground will be installing equipment so that the airport can run 24 hours a day. one disappointment, "the uss george washington" which will spearhead the u.s. efforts, has been delayed by bad weather and won't be arriving for another three to four days. >> aid that is in dire need. turning now to washington, more testimony ahead today on the troubled rollout of healthcare.gov. it's coming amid strong words from former president clinton on obama care and a promise president obama made but hasn't necessarily been able to keep. tracie potts joins us live. good morning. how much presh yush is the president under to keep that promise? >> now he's getting pressure from both sides, not only from his critics but from one of his strongest allies, former president clinton. today we're going to see many members of the president's tech team, five of them, here on capitol hill trying to brief congress on where they are with this and whether they've actually made any progress. today the house oversight committee hears from five top government tech experts on efforts to fix the troubled website. >> we ought to start over. it's not solvageable. >> reporter: even john boehner gave president clinton a pat on the back for saying president obama should make good on his promise and let people who like their health care plans keep them. >> even if it takes a change in the law, the president should honor the commitment the federal government made to those people. >> reporter: democrat dianne feinstein said last night she'll back that change. the white house says they're working on it. >> the president has tasked his team with looking at a range of options. >> reporter: but experts tell us keeping your plan may not mean keeping your doctor. >> there may be potential access problems for patients who choose a plan based on price thinking they got a good deal but then they might not get the physicians they need or the hospitals they want. >> reporter: by week's end, the government should confirm just how many people have actually bought insurance through healthcare.gov. early numbers are low, 110,000 most through state exchanges, "the wall street journal" reports, half a million were reportedly expected by now. and keep in mind the goal was 7 million by the end of march. that's the end of the enrollment period. >> thanks so much, tracie. it was a record breaking night at the auction house, and here's why. a painting by francis bacon and last night, get ready, it sold for $142.4 million making it the most expensive work of art ever sold at auction. christies has not disclosed the name of the fire. and later the sculpture balloon dog orange fetched over $58 million. it's made of stainless steel. that's the most ever paid for a single piece of work by a living artist. time for your hump day sports. good morning. >> a balloon dog, my friend. >> yes, indeed. >> all right. good wednesday to you. the dolphins organization changing their mind a little here. the owner will not speak today with player jonathan martin who accuses teammate richie incognito of bullying. they'll wait for nfl investigators first who will now meet friday with martin. nfl.com saying the likely outcome is both not playing as dolphins. cleveland's terry francona is manager of the year. also getting the nod the man who ended a two decades long losing streak, pittsburgh's clint hurdle. congratulations to them. michigan state's fast break gets them an alley-oop on this one. dawson with the slam. game tied at 66. then state scores 3 to break that tie. then seconds left, a two-point game. brandon dawson tips in the extra two, with that kentucky loses 78-74. louisville easily takes on unranked hofstra. kevin ware who suffered that gruesome leg break is two weeks away from play time many are saying. kansas, an exciting duel with duke. jav ary parker drives, steals, then a reverse layup. just over a minute left in the game. the jayhawks defense pounces. andrew higgins returns with the slam there. kansas wins. that's a beauty. the elevator, he says, was not working. so the nhl game analyst can do it so can he. buffalo's play by play announcer there down by the ice with a helmet. maybe a little nervous. and he needed it. duck! >> see? it served him well. >> almost got slammed. >> his first haircut in over 11 years. his famous locks insured for a million dollars. troy polamalu in a ceremonial haircut, all to bring awareness. >> he gave a whole four inches. >> see he did the samson losing his strength. >> who does that remind you of? >> tiger woods. >> that's right. but this is cheyenne woods. >> must run in the family. >> the safe, clear plastic balls good idea givenen the event was sponsored by a liquormaker. yes, chicago, figure that, was the $10,000 at the 160 team kickball tournament. you play kickball? >> i love kickball. but i wouldn't want to wear those bubble suits. >> interesting to watch. a look at the weather with bill karins. you have a competitive spirit. i see it in you. >> good morning, everyone. bundle up, as advertised very cold air all the way down to central florida. this is impressive for this time of year. a struggle to move through the southeast. we had snow reported as far south as south carolina. on cape cod they had one inch on the ground. it was a very impressive arctic blast. temperatures in the 20s. the wind chills are in the teens. kansas city is one of the lower ones at only 7, 31 in new orleans, 30 in houston, even the extremely warm areas of the country are very cold this morning. there's really no snow any more left. we don't have any rain to worry about. it will be a sunny day and brisk and chilly and cold as advertised. from here on out we'll warm it up. tomorrow is ten degrees warmer than today. >> a little break from it. >> yes. >> thanks so much, bill. new guidelines for the millions of us worried about cholesterol. plus this man's got a ticket to ride. but what exactly is going on in the moscow subway. woah! what? it's called a smoky eye. [ female announcer ] you may not be the best at new trends but you know what's best for your kids. so we listened when you said gogurt should have only natural colors and flavors and no high fructose corn syrup. thanks, mom. are you flo? yes. is this the thing you gave my husband? well, yeah, yes. the "name your price" tool. you tell us the price you want to pay, and we give you a range of options to choose from. careful, though -- that kind of power can go to your head. that explains a lot. yo, buddy! i got this. gimme one, gimme one, gimme one! the power of the "name your price" tool. only from progressive. welcome back. now to some stories making news this morning. jfk's daughter caroline kennedy has been sworn in as u.s. ambassador to japan. secretary of state john kerry recalled the first time he met her more than 50 years ago when he was working for her uncle ted kennedy and his campaign. >> she was about to go riding on macaroni. i remember the pony, and all of us do. i managed to back into her and step on her foot sufficiently that she broke into wild tears. and i thought i would never be welcome again near her. >> freedom, after nearly a decade in prison for ryan ferguson. ten years ago ferguson was convicted of beating and strangling a sports newspaper editor. a missouri court ruled last week the prosecutors held key evidence from the defense. >> to get charged for a crime you didn't commit, it's incredibly easy. you can lose your life very fast. but to get out of prison, it takes an army. the american heart association and american college of cardiology are calling for one-third of all adults to consider taking cholesterol lowering drugs known as statins. remember occupy wall street? a group of those protesters are called rolling jubilee purchased almost $15 million in personal and medical debt for about $400,000, then they simply forgave or abolished all of that dead freeing anyone involved from their bills. finally worth your weight in gold. literally a weight loss challenge in dubai offered citizens one gram of cold for every kilogram of weight they lost. gold worth over $763,000 was given to more than 2600 weight loss winners. we turn to courtney reagan. good morning. >> retailers are hoping to entice employees to give a few more hours this year. they're offering overtime pay, big store discounts and holiday meals throughout their shifts. your teenaejed son or daughter is hoping to find an ipad under the tree this year. ebates finds that 90% of teens want electronics. followed by the new ps-4 and x-box game consoles. markets were shaken by comments from a top fed official who says the central bank could start reducing its economic stimulus efforts next month. if that happens, it would be earlier than expected. is bill looking out for hillary by calling out barack? scrambled politics is next. you can take home your own version of canada's favorite mayor. oves with 0-calorie monk fruit in the raw. ♪ welcome back [ male announcer ] it's made with the natural, vine-ripened sweetness of fruit, so you can serve up deliciously sweet treats without all the sugar. so let no drink go unsweetened. no spatula un-licked. and no last bit un-sipped. you don't have to throw a party, but you'll probably feel like celebrating. raw natural sweetness, raw natural success. you said in a focus group, febreze just masks the smell. find the smelliest item in your home. this is febreze free, it has no perfume. now it smells clean and it doesn't have an odor. you're welcome. 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[ tapping ] sounds good. campbell's healthy request. m'm! m'm! good.® your first look at this morning's dish of scrambled politics. hawaii may soon become a wedding destination for same-sex couples. the state senate passed a bill legalizing gay marriage and the house will sign it today. president obama sat dpourn lunch at molly malone's in washington with five active members of the military to thank them for their service and to hear about their concerns. republican congressman phil gingrey has a new ad that pins his hopes of getting re-elected on appealing the health care law. >> you deserve a senator who gets the job done or gets out of the way. repeal or go home. that's my pledge to you. >> the latest gallup poll shows that shutting down the government to try to kill the health care law sent approval ratings for congress plummeting. from 19% in september it fell to 11% in october and november approval ratings are at 9%. a new quinnipiac poll, 39% of the job president obama is doing while 54% disapprove. toronto mayor rob ford was all smiles as he signed a new bobble head dolls of himself after he admitted smoking crack, they could be a hot holiday gift. but the cash will go to charity. morning joe was on the dailey show with jon stewart last night. >> the thing that you find in politics is, if you do stand up to the more extreme elements that are out there, you're actually rewarded and not only by your people but, this is shocking to some in the republican party right now, independents and democrats, they may even vote for you. and that used to be a good thing. and that's your morning's dish of scrambled politics. joining me for our first look at politics is "the washington post" aaron blake. thank you for being here. >> thank you for having me. >> congress' approval numbers have hit a record low. as politico's reporting today congress is pretty much done working this year. they're not expected to pass much new legislation. all of this after the disastrous government shutdown. do you thing the public has had it? will we see significant turnover in congress next year? >> that's the big question. we always think there will be a big anti-incumbent election coming up because we've seen congress' approval rating declining, but it always seems to affect one party more than another. usually the party in the white house is kind of at stake in a referendum. i don't think that we're necessarily going to see wholesea chanwhol wholesale changes in congress. most of these members come from safe districts. but people might have the throw the bums out mentality and say members of both parties need to go home. >> in a controversial move president bill clinton said that the president should honor his promise to let people keep their health care plans. there's a lot of concern that it will bring democrats down in future elections. is he acting as a proxy to help hillary clinton distance herself from this mess. is this a political calculation? >> we look at the clintons and we want to ascribe political motive. in this case it's kind of hard to not think this is a way of distancing the clintons from this problem. this is a big problem, a growing problem. now there are reports that the website may not be ready by the end of the month. if this is a political move, it's a smart one because i think there's only more problems ahead for this whole situation, especially with that november 30th deadline looming so close. >> if anyone's thinking a few steps ahead, it's the clintons. >> always. chris christie's administration in new jersey has only distributed about a quarter of the $1.2 billion in federal sandy aid. he's made that a cornerstone of his political persona. but has the recovery been less stellar than he'd like everyone to believe. >> certainly the moment at which the honeymoon isn't over for chris christie. he didn't get push pd hard in his re-election campaign. he's enjoining a huge victory, 60% of the vote. but he hasn't had an intensive look at his record. that will start now that he's everybody's golden boy in the campaign 2016. aaron blake with "the washington post," thanks so much for getting up early with us. >> thank you. coming up, first buzz, we'll tell you what caught our attention to including this, how moscow is trying to drum up support for the 2014 sochi olympics. hectic. angie's list saves me a lot of time. after reading all the reviews i know i'm making the right choice. online or on the phone, we help you hire right the first time. with honest reviews on over 720 local services. keeping up with these two is more than a full time job, and i don't have time for unreliable companies. angie's list definitely saves me time and money. for over 18 years we've helped people take care of the things that matter most. join today. see who does good work and compare costs. it doesn't usually work that way with health care. but with unitedhealthcare, i get information on quality rated doctors, treatment options and estimates for how much i'll pay. that helps me, and my guys, make better decisions. i don't like guesses with my business, and definitely not with our health. innovations that work for you. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec-d®. powerful relief of nasal congestion and other allergy symptoms -- all in one pill. zyrtec-d®. at the pharmacy counter. ♪ [ male announcer ] united is rolling out global, satellite-fed wi-fi to connect you even 35,000 feet over the ocean. ♪ that's...wifi friendly. ♪ [ female announcer ] let betty do the measuring and get a head start on delicious homemade cookies. visit bettycrockercookies.com for fun holiday ideas. betty crocker cookie mix. just pour, mix...love. time for first buzz, all the stories that caught our attention this morning. bill, you have telling -- >> digital globe has done these before and afters of the destruction from the typhoon in the philippines. on nbc news.com there's more than just this about the image on the left is the before and the image on the right is the after. you can see what the storm surge did and relocated the coast line. you see the big oil tank. it was like 70,000 hopes have been destroyed. you can see the red dots from the roofs and those were just wiped off the map. that's the big tragedy now taking place on the ground is these people that did survive, they have no homes, no shelter. >> that's always a challenge is getting immediate aid, but then there are the long-term needs. >> you look at these pictures, how are they going to do it. >> getting around is so difficult. >> richard, something much lighter. >> ever have a grade that did you not like? >> still have a couple. >> you're going to go to court maybe for this. this individual did. a lehigh student who got a c-plus in a class, took her grade to court. wants to get a b. and w$1.3 million. a previous judge ruled against her. now going for another relook. a trial over a c-plus grade. her lawyer saying she got zero out of 25 for participation and she got the bad grade because of her views on gay marriage. we'll quickly leave you with video from moscow. it is subway riders doing squats for a free ride. if you can do 30 in less than two minutes you get to skip the 90 cent fare and take the ride for free. this machine makes sure you don't cheat. "way too early" starts now. remember how he sold us obama care? >> if you like your insurance plan, you will keep it. >> but now millions of americans have had their coverage ripped from them. i believe it's the plot of "taken 3." first loses daughter, then his wife, now they've taken his health plan. i have a particular set of skills. yes, i'll hold. >> if you like it, you can keep it. words president obama used to rally support around obama care. and now even the likes of bill