Weapons for the possible use against the military people in the form of aerial bombs. Jim miklaszewski reports. Reporter as the fighting grows more intense and Syrian Rebels close in on damascus, the Syrian Regime has turned increasingly desperate. U. S. Officials tell nbc news the Syrian Military loaded the precursor chemicals for sarn nerve gas into aerial bombs. That could be dropped from dozens of syrian fighter bombers. This week u. S. Intelligence detected a flurry of activity at chemical weapons sites like this one. While u. S. Officials confirm the precursor chemicals are loaded, they must still be mixed together to create the deadly sarin gas. The development shook the world. President obama and secretary of state Hillary Clinton issued strong warnings to syrias president assad that there would be serious consequences if he used chemical weapons. Its the point of no return. Theyre going to lose any sort of backing that they had from the chinese and russians in terms of blocking the u. N. Vote. And its my its a suicide move. Reporter iraqs Saddam Hussein killed 5,000 kurds with a sarin gas attack in 1988. Jim miklaszewski, nbc news, pentagon. Back here at home, fiscal cliff negotiations in washington are still up in the air. Most lawmakers have gone home for a long weekend break. This as Timothy Geithner says the Obama Administration is willing to go over the fiscal cliff. Nbcs tracie potts joins us live from washington with an update. Good morning to you. Reporter lets start with geithner. He told cnbc that instead of continuing tax breaks for the wealthy, the Obama Administration is willing to go over this cliff which means theyre willing to let your taxes go up and unemployment checks go away massive spending cuts happen if the pentagon instead of continuing the tax breaks for the wealthy. Now theres been very little progress here on chiapitol hill which is why so many have gone home. We know that president obama and john boehner spoke by phone. Republican sources telling us they had a conversation yesterday. We dont have a readout on what that was about. We dont know that if any meetings have been scheduled. But any small sign of progress is welcome here on capitol hill. Now with so many lawmakers headed home and likely to face the ire of their constituents, we saw one protester in baltimore yesterday over social security. There are a few left. Today theres a joint Economic Committee hearing. Theyre going to hear from a top economist not only about the jobs numbers coming out tomorrow but also about what can be done to avoid this issue at the end of the year. Tracie potts for us in washington. Thank you. Last night on the ed show, steny hoyer explains why he thinks the debt ceiling vote should be taken off the table. The debt ceiling is a phone y vote, frankly. And from time to time democrats have made it an item that they demagogue down and the republicans have demagogued on it, as well. The debt limit is a recognition of what we already spent, what we already decided to do. And its irresponsible for us to say that the most credit worthy nation is not going to pay its bills. I would hope Speaker Boehner would take this off the table. Be sure to watch the ed show on msnbc. Egypts state envelope tigs is vorting five people were killed in overnight clashes between supporters and opponents of president morsi. Morsi assumed near absolute powers. The opposition is vowing more protests later today. So this morning two australian radio hosts are apologizing for a prank call that is getting world wild attention. Its a head scratcher. The hospital where britains duchess kate is being treated for acute morning sickness is where this all happened. Nbcs Annabelle Roberts is live with the latest on this including her latest visitors. Reporter the latest on the condition, lets start with that. Shes resting and feeiling better. Shell remain in the hospital for a little longer. Her husband william has been add her bedside every day, pippa went last night and also her mother carol. This is what got everyone talking is that phone call. Two australian radio deejays posed as the queen and Prince Charles and rang the hospital which is one of the most exclusive hospitals in the country. They were put through to the nurse who allegedly gave them an update on kates condition. Have a listen. Hello, good morning. Hello there. Can i please speak to kate, please, my granddaughter. Yes, hold on. Thank you. Kate my darling, are through . How may i help you . Im wanting to talk to my granddaughter kate. While the hospital has, of course, apologized and stressed given out the information was already in the public. The Radio Station also apologized adding that the presenters were a little bit surprised to be put through given their accents were so awful. Lynn. Put through at all, regardless of the 5 00 accident. Annabelle, thank you. Now heres your first look at this mornings dish of scrambled politics. Marco rubio of florida was asked about the question of the best leadership in washington, d. C. Instead of an official pop li politician, he named Robert Griffin iii. Morris said that mitt romney would win in a landslide with 325 electoral votes. He also made the prediction that president obama might pull out of the race. A New Washington post abc news poll said that Hillary Clinton would be approved for president obama. And another path said that Michelle Obama would do well. Right now she leads republican senator mark kirk of illinois 5140 . So a new congressional report shows wasteful spending of tax money that was intended for counterterrorism purposes, some of the worst examples, the Homeland SecurityDepartment Paid for a hog catcher in texas. A fish tank and an underwater robot in a midwest city with no major rivers or lakes nearby. Former republican senator Allen Simpson has a message, use the tools to sign up people for the can kicks back campaign to avoid the fiscal cliff and cut the national debt. The 81yearold simpson went gangnam style to make his point. I have a bum knee. Horse, horse. Ride the horse. Senator, thank you for that. And thats your morning dish of scrambled politics. And now for a look at your national weather, lets turn to bill karins. He has your Weather Channel forecast. The best part is the underwater robot for a place that doesnt have water. Maybe its a pool. Yes. And they need to inspect it. Counterterrorism measures in the backyard. You never know. Good morning, everyone. Getting out the door this morning, its very cold up in new england. Tell you what, the lack of snow is really becoming a slightly alarming especially if you have any interest in snowy weather recreation or skiing or ice skating or maybe you like to go snowmobiling. The northern half of the country is sparse. 7 of the country has snow cover. Most of that is the high elevations in the rockies and northern rockies. Its about as low as it gets. Last year at this time we had 20 of the country covered with snow. This shows you were well behind schedule to build up that snow pack. Were not doing it this morning in the northern plains. Plenty warm there. The cold wind chills are in place in new england, especially north in areas of providence, hartford, connecticut, all the way up through boston. Temperatures this morning all the way down to d. C. , about 25 degrees colder. So that cold front that went through yesterday has really ushered in a nice chilly air mass this morning. Be prepared when you step outside for that. The only areas with snow or rain, minnesota, light rain. Maybe snow showers in northern wisconsin. Thats not going to accumulate either. So the forecast for today, its a very cold start to your day in new england. It will improve a little bit this afternoon. Sprinkles and showers in florida. For the most part, a nice, quiet thursday around the country. A rainy friday for a lot of us. Good news in the fight against cancer. And that cup of starbucks may be a little easier to find. Plus, billionaire bill mcafee is in police custody. What did he know about the murder of his neighbor and why was he fleeing police for three weeks . Youre watching first look on msnbc. If it wasnt for you dont know what id do id have nothing to prove id have nothing to lose [ male announcer ] zales is the diamond store. Take an extra 10 percent off storewide, now through sunday. [ male announcer ] zales is the diamond store. Try running four. Ning a restaurant is hard, fortunately weve got ink. It gives us 5x the rewards on our internet, phone charges and cable, plus at Office Supply stores. Rewards we put right back into our business. This is the only thing weve ever wanted to do and ink helps us do it. Make your mark with ink from chase. Military families face, we understand. At usaa, we know military life is different. Weve been there. Thats why every bit of Financial Advice we offer is geared specifically to current and former military members and their families. [ laughs ] dad dad [ applause ] [ male announcer ] life brings obstacles. Usaa brings advice. Call or visit us online. Were ready to help. John mcafee, the eccentric typhoon has been arrested in guatemala for entering the country illegally. He has requested asylum. Hes been a fugitive after the murder of his neighbor in november. In the philippines, the death toll from that powerful typhoon increased to 350 and almost 400 people are still missing. That number will go even higher. And in new york city, a homeless man is facing charges of seconddegree murder in the death of a man who was pushed right in front of an on coming subway train. Davis is being held without bail and due back in court on tuesday. Well what goes up must come down. That is not what apple investors want to hear. The iphone maker stock continued to fall in extended trading after plunging more than 6 in the regular session for the worst single day decline since 2008. Apple is now down more than 20 since the september peak. Meanwhile, citigroup shot up on news of the companys cost cutting measures that will slash 11,000 jobs. Starbucks is expanding with plans to open 3,000 new cafes in u. S. , mexico and canada. A new Government Commission report finds that exporting the nations new found surplus of natural gas would do the nation good citing the Overall Economic boost would outweigh higher domestic prices. And Economics Team at virginias Lynchburg College crunched the numbers and found if the nation goes over the fiscal cliff, high income californians would beat out new yorkers and hawaiians for the potential highest tax rate at nearly 52 . Forbes is out with the 2012 most powerful people list. President obama held on to the top spot for a second year. The pope climbed two notches from last year. He is in fifth place. Facebooks ceo Mark Zuckerburg went to number 25. Former president clinton held on to number 50. And tonight be sure to watch Brian Williams sit down with tim cook. By the way, hes number 35 on the forbes list. Finally, no, this is no joke. Pizza hut in canada sent more than 100 bottles of pizza cented perfume to facebook fans. The fragrance boasts freshly baked hand tossed dough. Some optimistic news in the fight against Breast Cancer. Women who took the common estrogen blocking drug tamoxofin cut the chance of getting Breast Cancer in half. Coming up, corey booker lives on food stamps. The nfl steps in with a Million Dollars for Jovan Belchers orphan daughter and High Resolution images of your planet earth from space. The new Technology Uses filtering techniques that allows the images such as city lights, gas flares, auroras, wildfires and reflecting moonlight to be seen by the naked eye. Id like to thank eating right, whole grain, multigrain cheerios mom, are those my jeans . [ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who dont. Multigrain cheerios a regular guy with an irregular heartbeat. The usual, bob . Not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib Atrial Fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. I dont think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. But not anymore. Bobs doctor recommended a different option onceaday xarelto®. Xarelto® is the first and only onceaday prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem, that doesnt require routine blood monitoring. Like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce the risk of an afibrelated stroke. There is limited data on how these drugs compare when warfarin is well managed. No routine blood monitoring means bob can spend his extra time however he likes. New zealand xarelto® is just one pill a day, taken with the evening meal. And with no dietary restrictions, bob can eat the Healthy Foods he likes. Do not stop taking xarelto® rivaroxaban without talking to the doctor who prescribes it for you. Stopping may increase your risk of having a stroke. Get medical help right away if you develop any signs or symptoms of bleeding, like unusual bruising or tingling. You may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take xarelto® with aspirin products, nsaids or blood thinners. Talk to your doctor before taking xarelto® if you currently have abnormal bleeding. Xarelto® can cause bleeding, which can be serious, and rarely may lead to death. You are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto®, and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. Tell your doctors you are taking xarelto® before any planned medical or dental procedures. Before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions, such as kidney, liver or bleeding problems. Ready to change your routine . Ask your doctor about onceaday xarelto®. For more information including cost support options, call 1888xarelto or visit goxarelto. Com. Heres your first look at other news going on. A relationship was legitimatized a short while ago as the clock struck 12 00 at west, Pete Peterson and jane became first same sex couple to receive a marriage license in the ever green state. A fitting honor for the couple. They were featured in the ad campaign to legalize same sex marriage. Newark mayor in new jersey corey booker is gearing up for his food stamp challenge. It starts tuesday. Booker is going to be on a steady diet of beans and vegetables and whatever else he can afford living on 30 worth of food stamps for the week. The mayor took on the challenge after getting into a debate with one of his twitter followers. And finally, just north of the border, a few military vets suited up for team usa at the world sledge hockey challenge despite the Inspiring Stories of lost limbs and sacrifice, it was team canada that beat the americans 21. However, team usa did earn enough wins for a spot in the semifinals. In sports, were going to tip off in the nba. Bobcats and knicks with three seconds left, new yorks j. R. Smith took the inbound pass and hit a fallaway jumper from the left. A dramatic buzzer beater for a 10098 win in char lot. Kobe bryant is the only fifth player in League History to score over 30,000 points. Hes the youngest player to reach that milestone as los angeles beat new orleans. Andre johnson of the Houston Texans took a dozen at risk kids on a shopping spree at toys r us. The final bill of almost 20,000 was paid for by johnsons charitable foundation. The infant daughter of Jovan Belcher of the Kansas City Chiefs will collect at least 1 million from the nfls surviving child benefit. Belcher killed the babys mother and then himself on saturday. For now disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong is holding on to his olympic bronze medal. The Olympic Committee postponed a decision to strip armstrong of the medal but is expected to do so. And the fourth tennis match in london on saturday between two former rivals at wimbledon, they turned out to play mini tennis on ice near the National History museum to promote the event. Baby pingpong. And now for a look at your weather, here is bill karins. He has your Weather Channel forecast. Good morning. I wouldnt trust you to do that. I know. Youd go for the overhead shot, right . Yes. Right between the eyes. You know me very well. You have good tennis skills, too. No tennis in new england today unless youre indoors. Wind chills are getting your attention. 14 in albany. 19 in hartford. Wind chills in the teens all the way through vermont and New Hampshire and maine. Its one of the days where you have to grab all the winter gear. D. C. To philadelphia, its not nice. Temperatures with the wind chill are only in the low to mid 20s. As far as what well deal with today, the sun will be out. This is improving over the next couple days. Were going in the opposite direction. After one sunny day in new england, were going to get cloudy and a chance of rain four days in a row. Forecast for new york city, it warms up. Its not going to rain the whole entire time. There will be a chance of rain each and every day with periods of rain all the way through monday. So today is not bad, lynn. That rain will develop on friday and spread from there. All right, bill, thanks so much. Just ahead, this years grammy nominees and the cbs head honcho finally weighs in on the angust. Jones drama. And he may lavish living in his video gangnam style but well tell you why he is living the high life. Nd. Because your daughter really wants that pink castle thing. And you really dont want to pay more than you have to. Only citi price rewind automatically searches for the lowest price. And if it finds one, you get refunded the difference. Just use your citi card and register your purchase online. Have a super sparkly day ok. [ male announcer ] now all you need is a magic carriage. Citi price rewind. Start saving at citi. Com pricerewind. [ male announcer ] campbells green bean casserole. Its amazing what soup can do its healthier, and the only one clinically proven. With aloe, vitamins, and no ammonia. My hair looks healthier than before i colored. I switched. You can too, to natural instincts. At legalzoom, weve created a better place to handle your legal needs. Maybe you have questions about incorporating a business youd like to start. Or questions about protecting your family with a will or living trust. And youd like to find the right attorney to help guide you along, answer any questions and offer advice. With an a rating from the Better Business bureau legalzoom helps you get personalized and affordable legal protection. In most states, a legal plan attorney is available with every personalized document to answer any questions. Get started at legalzoom. Com today. And now youre protected. Senator mccain . Thank you very much, mr. Secretary. A little good natured ripping. Im sure kerry had a snappy come back. Thank you very much, mr. President. Bam babam two things one, solid, concise joke. Two, little disproportionate. All right. Its time for some entertainment news. One song is apparently all it takes to become a millionaire. Lets start thinking of one, bill. Gangnam style has made over 8 million for that one song. For the dancing or song . Both. The world will have to wait to see if hell become a one hit wonder. The nominees for the 55th annual Grammy Awards are revealed. The top contenders includes kanye west, frank ocean and jay z. The black peas and jack white. You can google and find out who they are. I know who jack white is. Jazz pianist dave brubeck died at the age of 91. They put out take five one of the bestselling jazz songs of all time. Les munves weighed in on that angust. Jones comment. He says compared to Charlie Sheen this is a piece of cake. He added, by the way, jones is still collecting his 300,000 a week paycheck. Its doing great in the ratings. It has buzz there. Any publicity is good publicity. Finally, jimmy fallon has done it again. He and mariah carey decided to get everyone in the christmas spirit. That just reminded me, i have to get myself my christmas sweater this year. Im lynn berry. This is first look on msnbc. Stay tuned, way too early starts right now. It took us three months to establish trust. These guys dont trust each other. They dont even trust each other in their own party. We have leaders who are people behind them with a shift hoping they can get their job the next go around. Durbin has someone looking over their back. Every time they deal and over on the republicans, boehner has to go to work and come back and now theres 70 of them left, the tea party guys. These are guys that went to congress not to limit government but to stop it. So what are you going to do . We have five