at airports across the country, people are keeping a close eye on flight schedules. we'll let you know what's causing some pretty big delays today. also believe it or not one of these guys, yeah, is a doctor. find out why he's making a house call in space. and investigators are still putting together what happened during the rampage at ft. hood. what the pentagon and congress are doing to prevent any more mass killings. all righty, friday eve as we like to call it around here. i'm christi paul and so glad to have you on board with us today. if you're taking an airline flight today, let me forewarn you that you may be in for quite a wait. the systems that the airlines use to file their flight plans

crashed early this morning. there's one near atlanta, another one near salt lake city. and the faa says both systems shut down. now, air traffic controllers had to enter flight plans by hand, which apparently is a lot slower than using the automated system, of course. the faa says the problem has been fixed but air tran was the hardest hit. it cancelled 22 flights. a spokesman says, quote, we will be a mess all day. i just wanted to forewarn you of that if you happen to be flying on air tran today. three of five florida teens accused of setting a friend on fire have pleaded not guilty to attempted second degree murder. south florida's "sun sentinel" reports that another hearing is scheduled in january, but the two 15-year-olds and one 16-year-old are charged as adults. there they are. authorities say michael brewer was doused with alcohol, then set on fire in a dispute over $40, a video game and a bicycle. doctors say he is showing

improvement from last month's attack, but has a long way to go. he has burns over two-thirds of his body but his face and hands were spared. two other boys are charged as juveniles in this case. hundreds of demonstrators are chanting and marching around a ucla building right now where the university regents are preparing to vote on a 32% tuition increase. allen duke is in los angeles, he's on the campus and joins us by phone with an update. alan, i heard students were camped out overnight in sleeping bags and tents. what are you seeing there this hour. >> reporter: well, we've got hundreds of ucla students and actually students have come here from as far away as the university of california berkeley because the regents over the entire university system are meeting inside. there's been some rather loud chanting. it's quieted down right now as they're trying to reorganize and figure out their best line of attack. they really want to try to stop the regents meeting inside from voting on the proposed 32%

tuition increase. it would raise the annual cost to about $12,000 a year, which they say would really price a college education in california out of range for lower and middle income students. so they're being kind of loud here, but so far peaceful. >> alan, let me ask you, yesterday i know the finance committee for the board voted to approve this. is there any chance that these protests will actually make a dent in stopping this thing? >> reporter: no, i don't think that. they may delay it. but yesterday's vote was delayed slightly by some student disruption inside, 14 were arrested but it only delayed it. the state of california and the university system is in such a budget crunch right now that they say the only way they can raise about $600 million for this next year without making deeper cuts is to raise tuition, so it seems to be a foregone conclusion despite the student protests. >> alan duke live for us there on the campus of ucla in los angeles.

so we are going to continue to keep our eyes on that and let you know what happens with that vote that's coming down in just about two hours is when it's expected. also you are seeing some live pictures of the action outside the international space station right now. two shuttle "atlantis" astronauts are on the first of three scheduled space walks right now. they're hooking up a spare antenna and cables to the space station. the extra gear will help the station running well after the shuttle fleet is retired next year but this is the first space walk for dr. robert satcher jr. the first surgeon in space. the first congressional hearing on ft. hood is being held. it wants to know whether the tragedy was the result of federal agencies not sharing intelligence information. 13 people were killed in that shooting. the suspect, major nidal hasan faces murder charges.

he was set to be deployed overseas when he allegedly carried out the shooting. but hasan's alleged actions are not a reflection on muslims in the military. >> the incident and major hasan's behavior is not about muslims and their religion, who are a part of the fabric of american life, respected and asimulated into every aspect of american society, more is it about the 10,000 muslims in the military who, quite frankly, are not seen as muslims but as soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. their contribution, their commitment and their sacrifice is not only appreciated, it is honored. now, today defense secretary robert gates is expected to announce a major review of military procedures that could help avoid another horrific incident like the ft. hood shootings. that's from a senior pentagon official we're hearing.

we're also learning more about nidal hasan's background. it looks as though his residency may have been troubled at walter reed medical center. national public radio returned a memo reportedly written by his supervisor. it said the faculty had had serious concerns about his professionalism and work ethic. we could not reach that supervisor, though, for comment. we want to point out. two weeks later, the big question is still could the shoot been prevented. people are weighing in very strongly here. a cnn opinion research corporation poll finds 64% of people polled thought law enforcement or the u.s. military could have prevented the attacks, but people are split over whether the attacks constituted an act of terrorism. 45% of the people polled, questioned say that it was terrorism. 47% disagree. the washington, d.c. city council is planning to vote on a measure to legalize same-sex marriage next month, but it's not letting the public have a

say. so do you think voters should be able to weigh in on this issue or would putting it on the ballot violate the rights of gays? your views next.

let's get the discussion in gear here. who should decide whether gay marriage is legalized? officials in washington, d.c., say it shouldn't be voters. washington recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other states. opponents are suing, though, to put the issue before voters. they want to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman, but the board of elections and ethics ruled this week that the proposed voter initiative would violate a city human rights law. in the meantime the city council is moving forward with its effort to completely legalize gay marriage in the district itself with the final vote expected before christmas. so this is our your views question. so in other words just to clarify, it's a matter of either

the government deciding or the people of that district deciding. >> right. and the government -- in some states the government has meant the legislature, in some states it has meant the courts, so the government being all encompassing in that way. a lot of immediate comments on this on my facebook page as soon as we posted it. these are the comments we pulled so far. christina says it should be left up to the citizens. after all this is a democracy and should not be left up to the government to advance their own ideas on the subject under the umbrella of acting for the people. so i think christina is afraid of people's agenda getting the best of them. wendy wrote this, i think the issues of equality and fairness should rarely be left to the population at large, since they are responsible for the status quo to begin with and, therefore, will prefer it to remain as such. true fairness and equality will probably fall to the supreme court eventually anyway.

so we'll have to see. frank is calling us from las vegas. frank, from reading what i think you're saying, you're wishing everybody would butt out, right? >> caller: i do. i believe it's not an issue for either to decide. i believe that the rights of people are already guaranteed by the constitution, and i don't believe that we should be going back and reinterpreting the constitution on this issue. whether we agree with same-sex marriage or not, i think their rights to do what they want as long as it doesn't imping on others' rights have already been guarante guaranteed. >> having said that, there still has to be one or another. in most states it is not legal so someone has to make the decision in most cases. having said that, do you think it should be the people deciding or the courts or a legislative body of some sort. what do you think? >> caller: i think honestly that the decision should be whether or not any of us should be ledge lating morality and i think

that's something that's getting to be a dangerous problem in america. >> okay, frank, thank you for your phone call. georgia is calling us from florida. georgia says that it should not be left up to the public. why is that, georgia. >> caller: i think it's up to the governments in this country to protect the interests of the minority. i think we live in such a heterogenous society it's no longer valid for letting people vote on issues, such as the jim crow laws. >> for people that don't know the case, that was the case about interracial marriage. >> caller: about interracial marriage exactly. if it were left up to the people living during the time of jim crow the american people would have absolutely decided that segregation was not only right but necessary and that there were inherent differences between people and we needed to segregate them for everyone's safety and for everyone's happiness. clearly that's discriminatory

and i think we're in that same boat now, where we need the government to step in as an objective mediator and say, okay, we're not attacking your personal views, we're not attacking your marriage, don't take this as an affront but we need to respect everybody. >> okay, georgia, thank you very much. we got a text from danny. you can text us at hlntv. danny says this is the people's country, not the government's. i didn't think that anyone could comment at this complicated of a comment by text but danny did it. that is short and to the point. >> short and sweet. >> you have some comments you want to share. >> i do, i do, none of them that short either. mateo says neither should be making the decision here. he said people are going to base their votes on their own personal views instead of what would benefit other individuals. clearly the government is not for maintaining the idea america is equal. the bigger question is why is this even a problem at this point in time. >> kind of agreeing with what

frank was saying. frank was saying everybody butt out basically. but you can't. you can't really butt out. >> there is a vote scheduled. >> exactly. so continue to tell us what do you think? do you think that voters should have a say-so in same-sex marriage or are you okay with the government being it the courts or a legislative body, deciding this issue for you. call us at 1-877-tell hln or e-mail us at cnn.com/hln. if you have a way with words and you're brief, send us a text at hlntv. we're just getting started. >> i like the if you're brief too. >> you don't have a lot of characters on a text. >> thanks. well, a south african runner gets the answer that she wants to hear about whether she can keep a championship medal but it's the answer the rest of us are interested in that officials are keeping mum about.

investigators are finished now searching the cleveland house of a man charged with five

counts of aggravated murder. they have not found any more bodies. but ten corpses and a human skull had been discovered from that property. the victims were all women and were apparently strangled. the lawyer for defendant anthony sowell met with prosecutors and a cleveland judge this morning and discussed separate rape charges stemming from an alleged attack on a woman at his home in september. a hearing in that case is set for december 2nd. the senate is gearing up for a final showdown over a health care reform bill proposed by democrats. a crucial vote on whether to even begin debate on the bill should take place on saturday. majority leader harry reid says the bill will reduce the deficit while expanding health coverage to millions of americanss. >> 98% of the american people, those that have medicare will be included in that number, will have health insurance. we'll make sure that 30 million more americans who don't have health insurance today will soon have it.

i want to repeat, we not only protect medicare, we're making it stronger. >> now, like the house bill, the senate bill also includes the public option and so far republicans have stood almost completely united against the bill. the federal government could face billions of dollars in p lawsuits over hurricane katrina. this is after a judge ruled that negligence by the army corps of engineers led to the devastating flood in 2005. yesterday a federal judge said the court didn't properly maintain the shipping channel linking new orleans to the gulf of mexico. the people in new orleans recognized the importance of this ruling. >> it's a major, major win, a vindication for st. bernard parish and our residents. so many of the people who for the last 40 years have really fought to make this known, that the mrgo was continuing to be a threat and was going to eventually result in the devastation of st. bernard parish. so we're pleased in that sense, but it's very hard to celebrate

that the destruction was something that had to take place to get this point made. >> now, the mrgo he mentioned is the mississippi river gulf outlet. the judge issued his ruling in a lawsuit brought by six people and one business affected by hurricane katrina. they were awarded damages ranging from $100,000 to $317,000. one attorney says the ruling will also help 100,000 homeowners and business owners in st. bernard parish and the lower ninth ward get compensation. katrina killed more than 1800 people and flooded nearly 300,000 out of their homes. well, even though a dollar doesn't get you what it used to, you can still stretch a buck if you know where to shop. hln money expert clark howard shows us. >> what i'm about to tell you is no surprise. in this rough economy, dollar stores are booming. is everybody else closing their doors, dollar stores are opening up all over town all over the

country. so the question, if you go to a dollar store, are you actually saving money? well, according to "consumer reports" overwhelmingly yes, although there are some product categories that they were like not so excited about. in most things they checked, you're saving a ton. in fact, in comparing dollar stores to the corner drugstores, as you know the drugstore chains have been growing and growing and growing around the country, they both are similar-size stores, they both offer convenience. prices on a lot of goods at the dollar stores are a tiny fraction of what you'd pay for a similar item at a drugstore, so you'll save a ton. i'm clark howard. for more ways to save, go to cnn.com/clarkhoward. >> get more great consumer advice from the one and only clark howard every saturday and sunday at noon and 4 p.m. eastern right here on hln news and views. he'll help you save more, spend less and avoid getting ripped off.

listen to this, kids' letters to santa will probably go unanswered at the north pole. volunteers in north pole, alaska, have been answering kids' letters since 1954. now the u.s. postal service is tightening restrictions on the program because of privacy concerns after a postal worker in maryland recognized a volunteer as a registered sex offender. new postal regulations prevent volunteers from having access to childrens' last names and addresses. call it a sign of the times. j.c. penney is getting rid of its semi-annual big book catalog. instead the company will focus on its online business and digital marketing like facebook and an iphone app. cancelling the catalog will also be good for the environment. j.c. penney goes on to say by doing so it will reduce its use of catalog paper by up to 30% next year. i don't know about you but i waited for that thing by the door when i was a kid. your iphone can help you get directions around town, of course, but what if it could just drive your car for you.

>> yeah, it's a little bumpy, but it gets us around. >> believe it or not, somebody has come up with an app for that.

the first congressional hearing on the massacre at ft. hood is underway right now, being held by the senate homeland security committee. it wants to know whether the tragedy was the result of federal agencies not sharing intelligence information. 13 people were killed in the shooting, remember, and the suspect, major nidal hasan faces murder charges. the army psychiatrist was set to be deployed overseas when he allegedly carried out the shooting at the army post. at least one person testifying before the panel speculated about what was going through hasan's mind before that attack. >> at a glance, major hasan's rampage at ft. hood looks a lot like what used to be called going postal. a deepening sense of personal

grievance culminating in a homicidal rampage directed against co-workers, in this case fellow soldiers. for hasan, going jihad reflects the channelling of obvious personality problems into a deadly fanaticism. >> now, today defense secretary robert gates is expected to announce a major review of military procedures that could help avoid another incident like the ft. hood shooting. that's from a senior pentagon official. we're also learning more about nidal hasan's background. it looks as though the accused shooter's residency may have been troubled at walter reed medical center. national public radio obtained a copy of a memo reportedly written by major hasan's supervisor and it said that faculty had serious concerns about his professionalism and work ethic. we could not reach that supervisor, by the way, for comment, but did try. sarah palin is also talking

about the ft. hood shootings. last night she said the massacre was an act of terrorism. we'll give you that in just a couple of minutes. we don't have that video pulled up for you just yet, but we'll let you know exactly what she said. again, she did call it an act of terrorism. now, two weeks after the shootings on ft. hood, people have said some pretty strong -- say they have pretty strong feelings about this attack, so how does her opinion line up with the rest of the people that we polled? well, a cnn opinion research corporation poll finds 64% of people polled thought law enforcement or the u.s. military could have prevented the attacks, but people are split over whether the attacks did constitute an act of terrorism. 45% of people questioned say it was terrorism. 47% disagree. let's get back to what -- okay. i apologize. i want to get to another story

here. hundreds of demonstrators, you just saw the video that popped up. hundreds of demonstrators chanting and marching around a ucla building where the university regents plan to vote in about a half an hour on a 32% tuition increase. the uc board of regents is considering raising undergraduate fees by $2500. this would happen by 2010. the president of the ten campus system says he's requested an additional $913 million from the state, but isn't likely to get it. yesterday police arrested 14 protesters at ucla on charges of failing to disperse and disturbing the peace. demonstrators are also being held at other uc campuses. you know, if you're taking an airline flight today, you might be in for a wait i'm sorry to tell you. the systems that the airlines use to file their flight plans crashed early this morning. one is near atlanta, the other is near salt lake city. now, the faa says both systems just shut down. air traffic controllers had to enter flight plans by hand, which is obviously a lot slower

than using the automated system, but the faa says the problem has been fixed. air tran, however, seems to be the hardest hit airline. it cancelled 22 flights and a spokesman says, quote, we will be a mess all day. so just take note of that if you're heading to the airport. here are some pictures of the action outside the international space station today. two shuttle "atlantis" astronauts are on the first of three scheduled space walks. they are hooking up a spare antenna and cables to the station. the extra gear will help keep it running well after the shuttle fleet is retired next year. this is the first space walk for dr. robert satcher jr. who is also the first orthopedic surgeon in space. three of five florida teens accused of setting a friend on fire have pleaded not guilty to attempted second degree murder. south florida's "sun sentinel" reports another hearing is scheduled in january. the two 15-year-olds and one 16-year-old are charged as adults. authorities say michael brewer

was doused with alcohol and then set on fire in a dispute over $40, a video game and a bicycle. doctors say he is showing improvement from last month's attack but has a long way to go. he has burns over two-thirds of his body and his face and hands were spared, we understand. two other boys are charged as juveniles in that case. are your views question coming to us from the nation's capital. who should decide whether gay marriage is legalized? officials in washington, d.c., say that it shouldn't be voters. here's what we know. washington recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other states. well, opponents are suing to put the issue before voters. they want to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman, but the board of elections and ethics ruled this week that the proposed voter initiative would violate a city human rights law. in the meantime, the city council is moving forward with its effort to completely legalize gay marriage in the district with a final vote expected before christmas.

so our question to you, do you think the citizens should have the right to vote on same-sex marriage or are you okay with the government or a legislative body deciding that issue for you? call us at 1-877-tell hln. e-mail us at cnn.com/hln. text us at hlntv or go to any of our facebook pages. new details emerge from the search warrant in the shaniya davis case. what a kidnapping suspect admitted to police in the 5-year-old girl's abduction.

so glad that you're with us. we are learning more about the arrest of the suspect charged with kidnapping 5-year-old shaniya davis. local media report a search warrant reveals 29-year-old

mario mcneill, the man you see here, told police he picked her up in front of her home in fayetteville, north carolina, then drove her to a hotel last week. now, that's the last time she was seen alive. police say they collected hair, fibers, clothes and a straw from mcneill's car. last night on "nancy grace" there were new disclosures about the suspect's alleged criminal history. >> what's his criminal history exactly? let's pin it down. >> well, you're right, nancy, it's a mile long. it started in june of 2001. he was arrested for shooting someone in the face, neck, shoulders and arms. >> whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. shooting someone in the face. >> yes. >> the neck, the shoulders, the arm. if i'm correct, matt, two other people, that makes three people were injured in that shooting incident. >> yes, you're right, nancy. now, what happened was is that he was out waiting on trial. about a year later he was arrested again, this time for drug possession. >> stop, pause, pause, pause. did you just say that he was out

waiting for trial? in other words, a judge let him bond out on a shooting, a multiple shooting, correct? >> yes, yes. >> okay, all right. go ahead, please. put that rap sheet back up, liz. >> so what happens is is that they consolidate the two cases. he pleads to two lesser assault charges and a lesser drug charge. he's given 40 to 50 months of probation for shooting someone in the face. >> straight probation for shooting somebody in the face and drug charges. all right. but it doesn't end there, does it, matt. >> no, it doesn't. just a couple months later he violates his probation. he is arrested again for drug possession. he violated his probation. he is sent to prison. now, he's sent to prison from october, 2003, to may, 2006. >> shaniya davis' body was found last week dumped off a road near sanford, north carolina. her mother, antoinette davis, faces charges of human trafficking and child abuse in the case. authorities accuse her of selling her daughter into

prostitution. breaking news tonight, nancy grace investigates the death of shaniya davis and has all the breaking developments at 8 and 10 p.m. eastern right here on hln. police investigating the killing of a 7-year-old florida girl say they have received more than 4200 tips, but so far they haven't named any suspects in summer thompson's murder. the second grader disappeared last month while walking home from school. her body was found in a landfill 50 miles away in georgia. her mother says she's still, as you can imagine, trying to come to grips with her daughter's death. >> it's been difficult, but i owe it to the other children and somer to get up every day and just continue to go on. >> a spokeswoman for the orange county sheriff's office says investigators are hopeful evidence now being processed will generate some strong leads. the secretary of health and human services is reassuring women and their doctors that

mammograms are still recommended starting at age 40. a federal advisory panel says women under the age of 50 don't need to get mammograms. we've been talking about this all week. well, secretary kathleen sebelius says the u.s. preventative task force, quote, does not set policy. on abc's "good morning america" a task force member rejected suggestions the recommendation was aimed at cutting health care costs. >> costs are not considered all. this is all about providing high quality health care for individuals, allowing them to provide the information that they now -- that they need to know to make a well-informed decision. we do not provide any assessed cost at all in our decision-making about this. it is the most -- the recommendations were based on the most rigorous peer-reviewed comprehensive, up-to-date accurate information about the evidence about the harms and benefits of treatment and then that was peer reviewed and provided information for women

and the physicians who take care of them is good medical care. that's informed medical care. >> the task force has disagreed with other guidelines. its recommendation for diabetes screening is at odds with the american diabetic association and its prostate cancer guidelines conflict with the american cancer society's as well. some celebrities are speaking out about the mammogram recommendations. last night on hln's "the joy behar show" olivia newton-john said her own early detection of a breast cancer lump may have saved her life. >> you were in your 40s when you were diagnosed with breast cancer. >> yes. >> how did you detect it? >> i found the lump myself. >> you found it by breast exam? >> yes, self breast exams. that's why i'm so up in arms, why would they not advocate we do self breast exams. it's an obvious thing to do. it's common sense. if you find something that isn't right, then you go get it checked out, which is what i did. >> yes, we're going to get to that with the doctor. i just want to hear your story. did you follow it up with a mammogram. >> yes, i did.

the mammogram actually was negative, which is unusual. i don't say that to scare people, but i instinctively felt there was something wrong. >> really. >> so did the doctor so he did a needle biopsy first, which was also negative which is not common either. but still didn't feel it was right because i'd had lumps before and i wasn't feeling my best. so he did a surgical biopsy and then found the cancer. so i was very fortunate. >> catch "the joy behar show" at 9 eastern and pacific right here on hln. tonight's guest is comedian and late-night show host george lopez. fema called hurricane katrina the single most catastrophic natural disaster in u.s. history. now a judge's ruling could make the government liable for big bucks related to that storm.

the missouri woman accused of attacking police after cutting in line at a walmart is finally getting her day in court here. heather ellis' felony trial got underway yesterday. some customers shoved her and used racial slurs when she switched lines. almost three years ago this happened. when police were called, ellis claims an officer told her to go

back to the ghetto and ear roughed her up. police say she was belligerent, kicked an officer and split another's lip. if convicted, ellis could face up to 15 years in prison. she was offered a plea deal two years ago but turned it down. i'm jane ve llez-mitchell a here's my issue. prosecutors in missouri are wasting time and tax dollars prosecuting a schoolteacher because of what i think is a relatively minor incident at a walmart. an african-american woman joined her cousin in line at a walmart checkout. employees accused her of cutting in line. to put it simply, things spiralled out of control. she claims racism, cops claim she assaulted an officer. now she's facing 15 years in prison. i don't know what happened, i wasn't there, but i do know she didn't go in there to rob or murder anyone. there are so many horrific crimes that go unsolved in this country every day. i just wish we would focus on

the killers and the rapists first instead of prosecuting a teacher who might have had a bad tantrum at a store. is that worth 15 years of her life and our tax dollars? i'm jane velez-mitchell and that's my issue. >> watch issues with jane velez-mitchell every night at 7:00 eastern right here on hln. we have this just in for you, defense secretary robert gates has just announced a major review of military procedures that could help avoid incidents like the ft. hood shooting. >> so i have every confidence in the army's ability to do this, but i think it's important that we look at it from a departmental-wide perspective. i have not seen -- i mean the whole purpose of what i've just laid out is to answer the first question that you've asked, to determine whether in fact there were lapses or problems. but more importantly, and it's really focused more on where we

are today and looking ahead, what can we do to prevent something like this from happening again. >> we're also learning more about suspect nidal hasan's background. it looks like the accused shooter's residency may have been troubled at walter reed medical center. national public radio obtained a copy of a memo reportedly written by his supervisor, and it said the faculty had serious concerns about hasan's professionalism and work ethic. we could not reach that supervisor, by the way, for comment. the federal government could face billions of dollars in lawsuits over hurricane katrina. this is after a judge ruled that negligence by the army corps of engineers is what led to the devastating flooding in 2005. yesterday a federal judge said the court did not properly maintain the shipping channel linking new orleans to the gulf of mexico. today lawyers for the plaintiffs called the ruling a landmark decision. >> today the people of the city of new orleans are vindicated.

because they cannot hide behind an immunity, they have to pay, so it's time for the people of this community to be compensated. the larger message to be compen. the larger message here is that this corps is not the same corps that built the panama canal. >> the judge issued his ruling in a lawsuit brought by six people and one business affected by katrina. they were awarded damages ranging from $100,000 to $317,000. now, katrina, the hurricane killed more than 1,800 people and flooded nearly 300,000 out of their homes. afghan president hamid karzai officially started his second term today. he was sworn in this morning and promised to fight corruption and drug trafficking. u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton had a front-row seat. president obama is deciding whether to send up to 40,000 more troops to afghanistan. the arkansas officer who tasered a 10-year-old girl has been suspended for a week for

not wearing a camera to record that incident. this is according to local media. the police report says the girl's mom told the officer he could tase the girl after she kicked him in the groin. the mother is defending her decision to call police for help. >> i want to make this clear, i'm not calling them over here to handle my problem. i'm having them come over here to protect my daughter from hurting herself or hurting somebody else. >> the father has said that he will fight for custody. the ban that keeps u.s. citizens from traveling to cuba has been in place for nearly 50 years now. at least one member of congress says it's time to end it. these are pictures of -- we're going to have pictures for you of the house foreign affairs committee which is holding a hearing on lifting the travel ban. at the beginning of today's proceedings, howard to the best of your memory -- birmen sid by any objective measure, the ban

simply has not worked. finally, it is the day you "twilight" fans have long be awaiting for. wait till you hear from some fans.             

angry college students in cash-strapped california stand their ground outside a campus building to protest plans to hike their fees. we'll take you to ucla. investigators are still putting together what happened during that rampage at ft. hood. what the pentagon and congress are doing to prevent any more mass killings. and at airports across the country, people are keeping a close guy on flight schedules. we'll let you know what's been causing all those delays. this is hln "news and views." i'm richelle carey. hope you're having a good day so far. let's get started with the first congressional inquiry into the massacre at ft. hood. it began on capitol hill today. the senate homeland security committee held a hearing on

whether or not the tragedy was a result of federal officials not sharing intelligence information. 13 people were killed in that shooting. the suspect, major nidal hasan, is facing murder charges. he was set to be deployed oversays when he allegedly went on this shooting spree at that army post in texas. and defense secretary robert gates is heading a pentagon review of the shooting. we're learning more about hasan's background. it looks like the accused shooter's residency may have been troubled at walter reed medical center. national public radio obtained a copy of a memo reportedly written by his supervisor. it said the faculty had serious concerns about hasan's professionalism, about his work ethic. we couldn't reach that supervisor for a comment. the federal government could face billions of dollars in lawsuits about hurricane katrina. a judge has ruled that negligence by the army corps of

engineers led to that devastating flooding in 2005. yesterday a federal judge sided with six residents and one business finding the army corps didn't properly maintain the shipping channel linking new orleans to the gulf of mexico. during a news conference today, an attorney who represented some of the plaintiffs in the case against the corps of engineers, praised this ruling. >> today, the people of the city of new orleans are vindicated. because they cannot hide behind an immunity. so it's time for the people of this community to be compensated. the large e message here is that this corps is not the same corps that built the panama canal. >> the judge didn't award one couple damages but the others were awarded damages ranging from $100,000 to $317,000. one attorney says the ruling will also help 100,000 homeowners and business owners in st. bernard parrish and the

lower ninth ward get some compensation [ katrina killed more than 1,800 people and flooded nearly 300,000 people out of their homes. 3 of 5 florida teens accused of setting a friend on fire have pleaded not guilty to attempted second degree morning. another hearing for them is scheduled to happen in january. authorities say michael brewer was doused with alcohol, then set on fire all in a dispute over 40 bucks, a video game and a bicycle. doctors say he is showing some improvement since the attack happened. he has burns over two-thirds of his body. but his face and hands were spared. michael's parents say they are amazed at his strength. >> i know i couldn't do what he was doing. if this had happened to me, i probably wouldn't be here. he's incredibly strong, and he's my hero, he really is. i tell him every day. >> the other day, he wanted to

talk to his uncle danny. and i put the phone up to his here and he said, hey, dan, i got burnt, i'm in the hospital. >> the two 15-year-olds and one 16-year-old accused in the attack are charged as adults. two other boys are being charged as juveniles. learning more about the arrest of the suspect charged with kidnapping 5-year-old shaniya davis. local media report a search warrant reveals 29-year-old mario mckneel told police he picked her up in front of her home in fayetteville, mcnk, then drove her to a hotel last weekend, the last time she was seen alive. police say they collected hair, fibers and clothes from mcneil's car. her mother faces charges in this case of child abuse. she's accused of selling her daughter into prostitution. last night on "nancy grace" there were new disclosures about the girl's mother.

>> not only do we learn that mommy handed over her 5-year-old little girl, shaniya, to a convicted felon, according to police, we also hearn that department of family and children's services had been to the home on several occasions but nobody bothered to tell daddy. >> shaniya davis' body was found monday dumped off a road near sanford, north carolina. all the breaking news in the tragic death of 5-year-old shaniya davis, investigators reportedly retrieved 11 bags of evidence from mario mcneil's vehicle including children's clothing, dna. nancy grace has the latest breaking developments tonight. hundreds of ucla students aren't taking a proposed 32% fee hike lightly. look at the pictures here. they're marching and chanting on the campus. earlier today, some protestors even took over a building. the uc board of regents is

considering boosting undergraduate fee, the equivalent of tuition by $2,500 by the summer of 2010. uc's president says considering a $21 billion budget gap in california over the next year, he may not have a choice. our reporter joins us from the ucla campus. these students seem to mean business. but i'm sure the board of regents does as well. >> reporter: that's very true. right now, we're live on the back side of the building, where the meeting is under way right now. a lot of the demonstrators are here. they've literally surrounded it on all sides. as for the meeting, the community input, the public input portion of that meeting is under way now. even though there's a steady stream of demonstrators and a very strong presence, it appears the board is going to approve that fee increase. hundreds of demonstrators held signs and chanted outside of a

university of california regents meeting on the campus of ucla in westwood this morning. police in riot gear watched on as faculty, students and staff from ucla, uc dafs and uc santa cruz surrounded the building. >> i work there. it's obvious they don't really care. >> reporter: the 26-member board of regents were scheduled to vote on a proposal that would increase student fees by 32%. the uc regents say the tuition and registration fee increase is necessary to fill a $535 million budget gap. >> instead of increasing payroll those people at the top, they need to start at the top, not at the bottom. >> reporter: students may have to pay increased registration fees of $900. tuition fees next year could also increase by nearly $2,000. >> the uc should not rest everything on the backs of students. they're supposed to help us help the world economy, become

innovative. >> reporter: some students say the price tag for a uc education now will exceed $26,000. >> we know we need to undergo some of this burden. but we're not willing to take it all. i think that it should be all equal and i think that it's not. >> reporter: 14 people were arrested here yesterday. and a groond off students even took over a classroom building. so far today, things are fairly calm. police haven't had any problems like that. but there is a very strong presence of security here. the entire area is sealed off with security barriers. that meeting is under way right now. live in westwood, i'm kirk hawkins. >> kirk, students from other campuses have all pretty much focused their attention on this particular campus, because this is where the vote is happening, right? >> that's right. and the uc system has about ten different campuses. more than 220,000 students, we've talked to students from uc

santa cruz and uc davis. a very strong presence, hundreds of people this morning, but the crowd continues to grow. >> i know you'll keep us posted. kirk, we appreciate it. the $700 billion bailout, you know t.a.r.p.? it's set to expire at the end of the year. but it may be extended. we'll have more details from cnnmoney.com and find out if t.a.r.p. is really helping the economy.

berlin prides itself on being a green city. and the german capital is proud of the many different new ways it's found to feed its need for fuel. in this edition of eco solutions, we see how berlin's water works gets a value by-product from sewage. >> reporter: what you see here

is sludge where the water has already been extracted. it doesn't smell very good. but this sludge will now be burned and turned into energy. this man of the water works company showed me how the fermented waste is turned into electricity and heat. the plant consumes less than half the energy a regular sewage plant needs because it makes its own power. >> people here look for alternatives and they find alternatives in this renewable resources, sludge made of sewage. >> cities environmental's office says thanks to a $2.7 billion urban renewal plan, berlin's cut its emissions by 20%. been more than a year since the government authorized the $700 billion bailout of the financial system, you know, t.a.r.p.? will the program be extended. poppy harlow joins us from new

york to talk about this. there's talk of a future for t.a.r.p., poppy? >> reporter: what's interesting is this $700 billion program, i think most americans thought it would go on until the money was gone. that is not the case. it technically expires december 31st of this year. how far, treasury secretary geithner can extend it for ten months. that could prove to be very politically unpopular. a lot of critics of t.a.r.p. but at the same time, we've got most people agreeing that at least the program prevented a catastrophic collapse of the financial system. but when you look at the real u.s. economy, we're really still struggling. unemployment is over 10%. the credit crunch is certainly not over. and today, there's a hearing on capitol hill on financial regulatory reform. lawmakers push hard on the fact, why not let t.a.r.p. die? here's how geithner responded to that.

>> we are working to put the t.a.r.p. out of its misery and no one will be happier than i am to see that program terminated and unwound. and i want to point out that we are moving very aggressively to close down and terminate the programs that define t.a.r.p. at the beginning of the crisis. >> reporter: there's also a lot of talk, richelle, right now getting attention about how do you use the remaining t.a.r.p. funds? there's about $300 billion left. do you use that to continue to aid the banks? do you help create jobs with that money? do you aid small business directly? legally, it's a very fuzzy area, whether you can use the t.a.r.p. money for other purposes. that's something to keep a close eye on as the end of the year draws closer. >> i think our viewers have some ideas about what to do with t.a.r.p. we won't reach out that way. i know the treasury secretary isn't the only one talking

t.a.r.p. on capitol hill today, pop poppy. >> reporter: no. harvard professor elizabeth warren is the one that overseas the committee that oversees how the treasury department spends the t.a.r.p. money. she wrapped up a hearing on the effective of the t.a.r.p. program. one of the main criticisms she has is that it hasn't done enough to help main street. here's what she told us this morning. >> we shoveled money into the large financial institutions. and instead of lending it, they held on to it. and we didn't put any restrictions on that back on the front end. the single biggest mistake was a year ago. if we had intended that money to go into the hands of smaller businesses and to be loan money, then we should have put some restrictions on it up front. >> reporter: nothing they can do about that. hindsight is, of course, 20/20. you can see that full interview with elizabeth warren on cnnmoney.com. >> thank you, poppy. former miss california usa

is fighting back after news of a sex tape. who she could be turning to for help.

if you're taking a flight today, you may be in for a wait. the system they use to document their flight plans crashed. air traffic controllers had to enter flight plans by hand which is clearly much slower than using the automated system. the faa says the problem has been fixed. airtran seems to be the hardest hit airline. they had to cancel 22 flights. a spokesperson says, we will be a mess all day. just so you know. former beauty queen carrie prejean is trying to work to save her career in light of the sex tape scandal. there are reports she is turning to the donald -- donald trump, once again. "showbiz tonight's" a.j. hammer is in new york.

she's asking the donald for advice? i know donald thinks he's pretty wise. >> yeah, he does think highly of himself. but this is what we're hearing. and donald trump owns the miss usa pageant where all the carrie controversy began. according to the "new york post" carrie prejean has been reaching out to donald trump now that her credibility is shot since it was revealed she has a sex tape or perhaps tapes. according to the "post," trump told one source -- >> and according to the "post," she wasn't entirely kidding. and here wearing from carrie prejean's dad. he's speaking out about the impact that all of those sex tapes or sex tape, what it's doing to his daughter and how important all of this is. and he talked to e!.

his response speaks for himself about the flak she's been getting -- >> i'll offer this about that -- really? >> really? >> didn't see it that way at all. >> i don't either. but that's a dad sticking up for his daughter. >> exactly. >> there you have it. yesterday, christi and brooke were just chatting about the sexiest man alive saying this robert pattinson guy got robbed. folks went crazy on facebook. >> you should have seen the "showbiz tonight" morning editorial meeting today. we posted the fact that people were up in arms at our meeting on our facebook page. so a lot of our fans were sounding off. a lot of people defending johnny depp for sexiest man alive.

we had several comments -- . >> there you go. you're saying you're on team pattinson? >> no, johnny depp, all the way. >> coming up tonight on "showbiz tonight," much or on these stories. also, we'll be talking about the war in hollywood over sarah palin. yes, her new tull-all book is out and startling news about levi johnston's future. is he going to become a reality tv star. >> i'm almost certain he will. thanks, a.j. >> i think we're already there. next month, d.c. city council plans to focus on

legalizing gay marriage but aren't letting the public have a say? should voters be able to weigh in or could that violate the rights of gays? @@@@@@@@@

we told you we'd keep an eye on this protest. these are students in the university of california system, specifically this is the ucla campus. what they're upset about is a vote that's supposed to be happening with the board of regents today where they're going to vote to more than likely increase tuition and fees by 32%. specifically for undergraduates. so this is going to translate to about a $2,500 increase by 2010. they're fired up. you can tell right there. the president of uc's ten campus systems says he has requested an additional $913 million from the state. but they don't think they're

going to get it. we've been following this since yesterday when 14 protestors were arrested at ucla on charges of failing to disperse and disturbing the peace. but no one's been hurt. for a time yesterday, students tried to take over the campus. one building where the vote was happening for a smaller committee -- today, for the most part, they were camped out at one building. but you can see the protest is moving now possibly across campus. we'll try to get you more particulars. but it appears to be peaceful and it appears to be growing as well. we'll keep you posted on this. but the vote may be happening as we speak. but certainly expected to happen today for sure. 3 of 5 florida teens accused of setting a friend on fire have pleaded not guilty to attempted second degree murder. another hearing for them is scheduled in january. authorities say michael brewer was doused with alcohol, set on

fire all in a dispute over 40 bucks, a video game and a bicycle. doctors say he's actually shown some improvement since last month when this happened to him. he has burns over two-thirds of his body but his face and hands were spared. michael's parents say they are amazed at his strength. >> i know i couldn't do what he was doing. if this had happened to me, i probably wouldn't be here. he's incredibly strong, and he's my hero, he really is. i tell him every day. >> the other day, he wanted to talk to his uncle danny. and i put the phone up to his here and he said, hey, dan, i got burnt, i'm in the hospital. >> the two 15-year-olds and one 16-year-old accused in the attack are charged as adults. the two other boys are charged as juveniles. we are learning more about the arrest of the suspect charged with kidnapping 5-year-old shaniya davis. local media report a search warrant reveals 29-year-old

mario mack -- mcneil told police he picked her up in front of her home in fayetteville, north carolina, then drove her to a hotel last weekend, the last time she was seen alive. police say they collected hair, fibers, clothes and a straw from mcneil's car. last night on "nancy grace" we learned more about the suspect's criminal history. >> what's the history? >> it started in june of 2001. he was arrested for shooting someone in the face, neck, shoulders and arms -- >> whoa, whoa! shooting someone in the face, the neck, the shoulders and the arm. and if i'm correct, matt, two other people, that makes three people were injured in that shooting incident. >> yes, you're right, nancy. he was out waiting on trial. about a year later, he was arrested again, this time for drug possession -- >> stop, pause, pause, pause. did you just say that he was out

waiting for trial? in other words, a judge let him bond out on a shooting, a multiple shooting, correct? >> yes. >> go ahead, please. put that rap sheet back up, liz. >> what happens is they consolidate the two cases, he pleads to two lesser charges and a lesser drug charges. he's given 40 to 50 months of probation -- >> straight probation for shooting somebody in the face and drug charges. all right, but it doesn't end there, does it, matt? >> no, it doesn't. just a couple of months late r, he violates his probation. he is arrested again for drug possession. they -- he violated his probation. he is sent to prison. he's sent to prison from october 2003 to may 2006. >> shaniya davis' body was found last week just dumped off a road near sanford, north carolina. her mother, antoinette davis, is charged with human trafficking and child abuse involving

prostitution. police investigating the killing of a 7-year-old florida girl say they've gotten more than 4,200 tips but so far they haven't named any suspects. somer thompson disappeared last month walking home from school. her body was later found in a landfill 50 miles away in georgia. her mother says she's still trying to come to grips with her daughter's death and hearing about shaniya davis' death brought back painful memories. >> i actually would love to speak to mr. davis and let him know that i know exactly what he's going through and that i've got a shoulder for him to lean on. and i can't believe that a parent would be involved in hurting their own child. >> tonight, nancy grace investigates the death of shaniya davis. she has all the late-breaking developments. that's at 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. eastern time right here on hln. the federal government could

face billions of dollars in lawsuits over hurricane katrina. that's because a judge has ruled that negligence by the army corps of engineers led to the devastating flooding in 2005. yesterday, a federal judge sided with six residents and one business finding the army corps didn't properly maintain the shipping channel linking new orleans to the gulf of mexico. during a news conference today, an attorney who represent some of the plaintiffs in the case against the corps of engineers explained the significance of this ruling. >> on august 29th, 2005, katrina destroyed new orleans, over 85% of st. bernard parish and greater new orleans were inundated with a flood. the army corps of engineers maintained then and right up till yesterday that katrina was a natural disaster. however, the people of new orleans and st. bernard parish had known for a long time, for 40 years, that the mississippi river gulf outlet would someday

cause the catastrophic flooding of their homes. unfortunately, that truth came to pass on august 29th. >> the judge didn't award one couple damages. but the others received awards ranging from $100,000 to $317,000. one attorney says this ruling will also help 100,000 homeowners and business owners in st. bernard parish and the lower ninth ward get some compensation. katrina flooded nearly 300,000 out of their homes and killed 1,800 people. the first congressional inquiry into the massacre at ft. hood. it began on capitol hill today. the senate homeland security committee held a hearing on whether or not the tragedy was a result of federal officials not sharing intelligence information. 13 people were killed in that shooting. the suspect, major nidal hasan, is facing murder charges. he was set to be deployed

oversees when he allegedly went on this shooting spree at that army post in texas. steps need to be taken now to prevent a similar event from happening in the future -- >> he's providing individuals with the help they need and the at the same time, the decision was made, let's send this guy to afghanistan. these are all the kinds of things that you have to peel back. this is why i think it is important for congress to immediately begin an investigation with the ultimate goal of identifying the failure points and trying to put in place policies so these types of things don't happen again. >> just moments ago, defense secretary robert gates announced a major review of what military officials knew before the ft. hood shooting, whether anything could have been done to prevent it. gates has appointed former heads of the army and navy to conduct the effort. it may take about 45 days. during question, the secretary refused to characterize the attack as an act of terrorism. he simply said, quote, i'm not

going there. hasan apparently had a bumpy start to his medical career. national public radio got a copy of a memo reportedly written by his supervisor at walter reed army medical center in 2007. it says hasan demonstrated a pattern of poor judgment and was counseled for inappropriately discussing religious topics with patients. >> put his islamic obsession aside, put aside hasan's apparently extremist islamic views. what this memo is saying, it's right there in the army's official's credentials file, saying this psychiatrist could be a danger to his patients. yet he kept getting promoted. as we all know, he was sent to ft. hood to treat some of the most vulnerable soldiers in the army. >> cnn cannot verify the authenticity of the memo or reach the supervisor who signed it. hasan's supervisor at ft. hood said hasan's past evaluations

didn't raise any red flags about a potential for violence. passengers across the country are having trouble taking off on time. find out what's causing all these flight delays.

if you're taking a flight today, you may in for quite a way. the system the airlines used to file their flight plans crashed this morning. a circuit board and a critical component of the system failing preventing air traffic controllers across the country from communicating with each other. the problem's been fixed. it's airtran that seems to be hit the hardest. they had to cancel 22 flights. a spokesperson says, we will be

a mess all day. just so you know. look at this. this is pretty cool. you rarely get to see a meteor this clearly. a fireball lit up the sky in utah yesterday. did you see that? the head of salt lake city's planetarium estimated it was the size of an oven and was going about 80,000 miles an hour. live pictures of the action outside the international space station. two shuttle "atlantis" astronauts are on the first of three scheduled spacewalks right now. they're hooking up a space antenna and cables to the space station. this will help keep it running after the shuttle fleet is retired next year. this is the first spacewalk for dr. robert satcher, jr. who is the first orthopedic surgeon in space. quite the overachiever. even though a dollar doesn't get you what it used to, you can still stretch a buck if you know where to shop. we're asking clark howard about

that. he's got the scoop. >> what i'm about to tell you is no surprise in this rough economy, dollar stores are booming. dollar stores are opening up all over town, all over the country. so the question, if you go to a dollar store, are you actually saving money? well, according to "consumer reports," overwhelmingly, yes. although there are some product categories that they were like not so excited about, in most things they checked, you're saving a ton. in fact, in comparing dollar stores to the corner drugstores -- as you know, the drugstore chains have been growing and growing around the country. they both are similar size stores, they both offer convenience. price on a lot of goods at the dollar stores are a tiny fraction of what you'd pay for a similar item at a drugstore. so you'll save a ton. i'm clark howard. for more ways to save, go to cnn.com/clarkhoward.

>> get more great consumer advice from clark every saturday and sunday at noon and 4:00 p.m. eastern time. that's here on hln "news and views." clark is fantastic at helping you save more, spend less and avoid getting ripped off. demonstrators are still right there in the streets on the campus of ucla marching to block traffic to the university of california board of regents. they're trying to vote to possibly increase tuition by 32%. that would really translate to about a $2,500 increase in undergraduate fees by 2010. the president of uc's ten campus system says he's requested an additional $913 million from the state, but isn't expected to get it. the group is making -- was making a large circle of -- i apologize. they're making a circle to get back to campus now.

that's what this protest is all about. we'll keep you posted. how much do you know about the news we talk about every day? some of you know a lot. test your news and knowledge with the cnn challenge. you get to choose your host for the game. i hope you pick me. welcome to the cnn challenge. i'm richelle carey. i'll be your host. it is my job to teach you how this game works. it's your job to get the highest score you can. my colleague robin meade is a host, too. so check out cnnchallenge.com and show us how smart you are.

the ban that keeps u.s. citizens from traveling to cuba has been in place for nearly 50 years. at least one member of congress says it's time to end that. the house foreign affairs committee held a hearing on lifting that travel ban today at the beginning of today's proceedings. howard berman says the u.s. has no right to restrict u.s. citizens from going to cuba. berman also said, quote, by any objective measure, the ban simply hasn't worked.

take a look at this car right there in flames. huge plumes of smoke, quite distracting to driver, i'm sure. this is on the side of the freeway in hampton, virginia. we don't know if anyone is inside. but clearly the car is destroyed. we certainly hope the people got out. trying to get you more information. certainly a distraction to the drivers. again, we hope everything works out there. the senate is gearing up for a final showdown over health care reform bill proposed by democrat. majority leader harry reid says the bill will reduce the deficit while expanding health coverage to millions of americans. >> 98% of the american people, those that have medicare will be included in that number, will have health insurance. we'll make sure that 30 million more americans who don't have health insurance today will soon have it.

i want to repeat, we not only protect medicare, we're making it stronger. >> like the house bill, the senate bill bill includes that c option. so far republicans have stood almost completely united against the bill. the missouri woman accused of attacking police after cutting in line at walmart is getting her day in court. she said customers shoved her and used racial slurs. an officer told her to go back to the to get and another roughed her up. the police said she was belligerent, kicked an officer and split another's lip. this has divided the community along racial lines. ellis was offered a plea deal two years ago but turned it down. >> i'm jane velez-mitchell. here is my issue. prosecutors in missouri are wasting time and tax dollars

prosecuting a schoolteacher because of what i think is a relatively minor incident at a walmart. an afternoon american woman joined her cousin in line as a walmart check out. employees accused her of cutting in line. things spiralled out of control. she claims racism. cops claim she assaulted an officer. she is facing 15 years in prison. i don't know what happened. i wasn't there. i know she didn't go in there to rob or murder anyone. there are horrific crimes that go unsolved every day. i wish we would focus on the killers first instead of prosecuting a teacher who had a bad tantrum at a store. is that worth 15 years of her life and our tax dollars i'm jane velez-mitchell and that's my issue. >> wash "issues with jane velez-mitchell" every day.

"new moon" opens at midnight. here is what fans have to say after watching an advanced screening. 

angry college students and cash strapped californians stand their ground outside a campus building in protests against hiking their fee. three of the teens accused of setting a boy op fire make a court appearance, how they pled and how the parents of the victim say he is doing. before a judge weighs in on same-sex marriage. should you have a say at the ballot box? on this friday eve, i'm so glad to have your company. i'm christi paul. thanks for being with us. hundreds are demonstrating,

chanting, marching around ucla building right now where the ucla regents are wrapping up their vote on a 32% tuition increase. protesters marched around campus, through streets, around the university, they blocked traffic. officers with bean bag guns are standing by. the uc board of regions -- here is a live picture you can see how many people is outside the building where the board of regents is voting. they began voting an hour ago. they would raise tuition by $2,500. the president of the campus requested $913 million from the state but isn't likely to get it. allen duke is on the los angeles campus and joins us by phone. i understand if i was told correctly you are actually with some of these angry students as they were marching around,

right? >> right. they have been doing this since early this morning. they decided they were going to parade around campus to recruit more to their numbers. in fact, they did. i followed them as they loudly paraded through the ucla campus. their numbers have grown as they snake back around where the regents are taking a vote. it has been really peaceful. the police have had a heavy presence here. we have been joined by california highway patrol men, the c.h.i.p.s. officers near the building in case things change. it is loud by peaceful as the students say they are not going to lay down. they know they probably can't change the regents vote but will be heard as it happens. >> i know that is exactly what is happening. have you seen any indication, to be on the safe side, that things won't get more volatile? that they will continue to be peaceful protests once this vote goes through?

>> i really don't see any signs of anything but loud shouting. some cursing. a lot of chants that are well, let's say colorful. you have the c.h.i.p.s. officers, they have tasers, they have pepper spray, riot gear, helmets, et cetera. there is a lot of security here. i have not seen any indications anybody is going to try to storm this hall. it is a foregone conclusion what is going to happen with the vote today. they want to be heard. one student said she is going to have to get a third job to pay for her tuition. she is from a middle income family. her parents don't help her because they are busy paying their mortgage and supporting three other children. >> is that the story you are hear something. >> the minority student groups here, hispanic, asian, african-american groups are large in presence because they say they will be hit the hardest

by these tuition hikes. >> what are they chanting behind you. i can hear them chanting. >> shame on you. shame on you. shouting toward the regents. >> and how are they going to find out -- i mean, is something going to come out and announce what the vote was even though it is a foregone conclusion we believe. but how are they going to get word it has gone through? >> several dozen students are inside watching the meeting. it is being webcast by the university system. i don't think it will take us long. in fact, any moment now we will find out the vote has been taken and the measure most likely passed. >> we can see the signs and hear the chanting. it does look like it has been a crowd that has been well controlled and they've been well behaved. allen duke, thank you so much for your perspective and taking

us to that area. we appreciate it. >> certainly, christi. >> take good care. moving to florida, three of five teens accused of setting a friend on fire have pleaded not guilty to attempted second degree murder. the south florida "sentinel" reports they have another hearing in january. he has burns over 2/3 of his body. >> i know i couldn't do what he is doing. if think had happened to me, i probably wouldn't be here. he is incrededly strong. he is my hero. he really is. i tell him every day. >> the other day he wanted to talk to his uncle danny. he said, hey, dan, i got burned. i'm in the hospital. >> the two 15-year-olds and one 16-year-old accused in the attack are charged as adults. there are two other boys charged

as juveniles. they poured alcohol on michael and set him in fire in a dispute over $40, a video game and a bicycle. we hear more from his parents in just about 30 minutes. the first congressional inquiry into the massacre at ft. hood began on capitol hill. the senate homeland security committee held a hearing whether the tragedy was as a result of federal agencies not sharing intelligence information. they looked into the threat posed by homegrown terrorists. 13 people were killed in the shooting. the suspect major nidal hasan faces murder charges. the army psychiatrist was set to be deployed overseas when he went on this shooting spree. defense secretary robert gaits is heading the army and navy to head that commission. he may have had a troubled

residency at walter reed medical center. national public radio obtained a memo reportedly written by his supervisor saying the faculty had serious concerned about his work ethic and professionalism. >> what this memo is saying is this psychiatrist could be reckless for his patients. he could be a danger to them yet he kept getting promoted. he was sent to ft. hood to treat some of the most vulnerable soldiers in the army. >> so far cnn has not been able to verify the authenticity of that memo or reach the supervisor who signed it. investigators are finishing their work, searching the cleveland house of a man charlged with five counts of aggravated murder. ten corpses and a human skull have been controversied from that property already. the victims were all women. they were apparently strangled. the lawyer for defendant anthony sowell met with prosecutors and

a judge and discussed separate rape charges stemming from an alleged attack at his home in september. a hearing in that case is set for december 2nd now. afghan president hamid karzai officially started his second term today. he was sworn in at an inauguration ceremony this morning and promised to fight krups and drug trafficking. secretary of state hillary clinton had a front row seat. president obama is deciding whether to send 40,000 more troops to afghanistan. secretary of state hillary clinton attended the inauguration. afterwards she said karzai's inauguration speech laid out an ambitious agenda. >> i was very pleased to hear today when president karzai says that he hopes that within three years the afghan security forces will have the lead in important areas and within five years,

which is an ambitious goal but he stated it, the afghan security forces would have the lead throughout the country. >> okay. from those fresh pictures today to these of the action outside the international space station. live pictures. you seat the feet on the right-hand side. one of the astronauts there, two shuttle astronauts, in fact, are on the first of three scheduled space walks. the extra gear will help keep the space station running after the shuttle fleet is retired next year. this is the first space walk for dr. robert sacher, the first orthopedic surgeon in space. passengers across the country, i know some of you are having a tough time taking off today, aren't you? find out what is causing serious flight delays.

if you are taking an airline fright today i hate to forewarn you, you might be waiting. the system the airlines use to file flight plans crashed this morning. a circuit board apparently failed. that prevented air traffic controllers from communicating with each other. the faa says the problem has been fixed but it seems airtran has been hit the hardest. it canceled 22 flights and a spokesman says we will be a mess all day. just passing that along. the ban that keeps u.s. citizens from traveling to cuba has been in place 50 years and at least one member of congress says it is time to end it. the house foreign affairs committee held a hearing on lifting the ban. howard berman said the u.s. has no right to restrict u.s. citizens from going to cuba. by any objective measure the ban simply hasn't worked. a man who was with the three u.s. hikers accused of spying in

iran says he could easily have been jailed as well. it was by chance he was so sick that day he decided to skip the hike. families say they accidentally crossed into iran as they were touring iraq. a lot of people brought up the question why would they be hiking somewhere like that? >> it seems crazy that we might be in iraqi kurdistan in the first place. it is a very safe place. the recent iraq war is central and southern iraq. nothing has happened in the north. a friend of ours told us it was the most beautiful area in the world. we went to the area. we were looking forward to being in the outdoors. we had been cooped up in smoggy cities. i decided to stay behind in the hotel because i was under the weather. i was on the way to meet them the next morning.

i spoke with shane. he says the weather was totally beautiful. i should come meet them. they sounded content and relaxed. i was on the bus to join them when i got the call from shane. >> the obama administration has called for the hikers' release asking the iranian government to exercise compassion. the senate is gearing up for a health care reform bill proposed by democrats. a crucial vote on whether to even begin debate on the bill should take place saturday. harry reid said it should reduce the deficit while expanding health coverage to millions of americans. 98% of the american people, those who have medicare will be included in that number, will have health insurance. we'll make sure 30 million more americans who don't have health insurance today will soon have it. i want to repeat, we not only protect medicare, we're making it stronger. >> now like the house bill, the senate bill also includes the

public option and so far republicans have stood almost completely united against that bill. keep talking to your doctor. that is the big message from health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius about new mammogram guidelines. a federal advisory board said women in their 40s should avoid routine exams. the american cancer society, of course, disagrees. and sebelius says programs like medicaid will keep paying for the exams. the guidelines are recommendations not government policy. >> we want women to have a doctor, take the information but then have that conversation about your own health history, what the risks are of having a mammogram versus the benefits and make a determination based on an informed decision. >> the new guidelines have caused controversy and confusion, i know. the advisory board behind them says the recommendations have been misunderstood.

one member says the panel is talking about routine exams for women in their 40s. some celebrities are weighing in. last night on "the joy behar show" olivia newton john says early detection may have saved her life. >> you were in your 40s when you were diagnosed? >> yes. >> how did you find it? >> i found it myself. >> self-breast exam? >> yes. i am up in arms why they wouldn't advocate regular self-breast exams. if you find something that isn't right you go get it checked out which is what i did. >> we are going to get to that with the doctor. did you follow up with a mammogram? >> yes. the mammogram was negative. it is unusual. i don't say that to scare people. i instinctively felt something was wrong. so did the dr. he did a surgical biopsy. he did a needle biopsy that was

negative which isn't common. he did a surgical biopsy and found the cancer so i was very fortunate. >> "the joy behar show" 9:00 p.m. tonight's guest comedian and late night show host george lopez. it has to be a tough time to be a turkey this time of year. one turkey causing a ruckus along a new jersey roadway is given reprieve. tammy the turnpike turkey, in a moment.

hups of ucla students are staging a major protest. they are outside a building where the university rejeegentse voting on a 32% increase. look at the signs they are holding up. it has been a very peaceful protest so far.

there are officers armed with bean bag guns in case things get unruly. one student has been arrested from obstructing an officer. otherwise, it has been a peaceful protest thus far. berkeley, california, may ban the release of balloons at some events. people supporting the event says balloons can be mistaken for jelly fish and that can cause a problem. >> there are documented cases of the cords strangling birds and balloons and the latex getting into digestive tracks. >> what is wrong with this measure? it is just about balloon releases. no, it's not. it's about perception. >> the man's arguing that this could hurt the industry's image and local balloon merchants says a ban could put some stores out of business. the woman who gave birth to sarah jessica parker's twins is

expected to take the stand in a local courtroom. martin's ferry police chief barry carpenter broke into their home and took personal items, schemed with neighboring bridgeport police chief to try and sell the items to the paparazzi. the chief says he went inside when he saw a door open and secured the place. that is his excuse or explanation, i should say. look at this while turkey. it has been running around a new jersey turnpike toll booth for months. it is off the road. fish and wildlife officials caught her yesterday. they were calling her tammy the turnpike turkey. they adopted her. drivers were complaining. they set out to catch her. the first attempt didn't go so well. >> i was concerned. i was afraid we were going to see headlines, tammy two,

turnpike zero. she is heading to a zoo and we understand she will soon share a home with a male turkey named gobbles. maybe a love connection there.

live pictures coming to you as hundreds of demonstrators are marching around a ucla building where the university regents are wrapping up their vote on a tuition increase. a large group of marchers left campus and marched through the streets. that group is back on campus. officers that are armed with bean bag guns are standing by in case things get unruly. so far it has been a peaceful protest. one student has been arrested. if the vote passes undergraduate

fees would go up $2,500 by 2010. the president of the ten-campus system says he has requested $913 million from the state but not likely to get it. that vote should come down any moment. three teenagers accused of setting a boy on fire are pleading not guilty. they appeared in a broward county, florida, courtroom and the victim's parents spoke about their son. >> does he know he is in a hospital? does he know what happened to him? >> sometimes he does. sometimes he just -- he's, like i said, he is on a lot of medication. >> the other day he wanted to talk to his uncle danny. i let him put the phone up to his ear, hey, dan, i got burned. i'm in the hospital. >> 15-year-old michael brewer hasn't been able to fully grasp

what happened to him but he has flashbacks. what does he say? >> i need some water to put these flames out. >> the teens doused him with alcohol and used a lighter to set him on fire. >> the first time i don't remember. i was in shock. i remember fear. for him. >> fear for their child who they say wasn't afraid of anything. his parents say he loved to swim, skateboard and play with his cousins. a typical teenaged boy, one his father always wanted. >> when we first got together i said give me a son. i tell you what, he can be a male like me but have your green eyes. he came out with green eyes. >> his family says he has a big heart. >> he still comes and sits on my lap. >> he comes out in the morning when he wakes up and gives me a

hug. he used to give me a hug when i dropped him off at school but at 14 that stopped. >> wheen michael's father was hit by a car he pulled through. the family is hoping they are witnessing another miracle with michael. >> he has shown us his strength and stamina is like a superhero. i'm having a cape made for him. >> they believe his recovery is going to well because they stay positive. >> i don't cry in the room with michael. he can sense what mood you are in. >> because of all of the prayers reaching them from the community around around the world. >> i want to thank everybody for everything they have done for my son and our family. it renewed my faith in humanity. after this horrific thing, it has really empowered us and

helped us to concentrate on michael. >> boy, our thanks to shannon horry from wfor for the report. two other teenagers are facing charges in florida juvenile court. we are learning more about the arrest of the suspect charged with kidnapping shaniya davis. a search warrant reveals this man 29-year-old mario mcneil picked her up in front of her home and drove her to a hotel. that was the last time she was seen alive. police collected hair, fibers clothes and a straw from mcneil's car. shaniya's mother antoinette davis facing charges of human trafficking and child abuse. authorities accuse her of selling her daughter into prost tucson. >> not only do we learn that mommy handed over her 5-year-old

little girl shaniya to a convicted felon, according to police, we also learned that department of family services had been to the home on several occasions but nobody bothered to tell daddy. >> shaniya davis' body was found dumped near a road. breaking news. investigators retrieved 11 bags of evidence from mario mcneil's vehicle including children's clothing, dna and blankets. nancy grace has the latest breaking developments for you tonight. look at the pictures we are getting of the action outside the international space station. two shuttle "atlantis" astronauts are on the first space walk. they are hooking up spare antennas and cables. the extra gear will help keep it running well.

this is the first space walk for dr. sacher jr. the first orthopedic surgeon. so how much do you know about the news we talk about every day? test your news knowledge with the cnn challenge. you get to choose your host for the game. you can pick my colleague, richelle carey. >> welcome to the cnn challenge. i'm hln's richelle carey. it is my job to teach you how this game works. it's your job to get the highest score you can. >> there she is. my other colleague robin meade also a host. check out cnnchallenge.com and show us how smart you are. i know you are. a huge protest underway at ucla with hundreds of students marching and chanting. even taking over a building, in fact. live pictures coming to you as we are expecting the vote any moment now.

want to share something we just have in to us at hln. this is surveillance video of the alleged line cutting incident at a missouri walmart. it was played in court today. we've been telling you about this story. here is the incident as it happened. heather ellis is charged with a felony attacking police after cutting in line at a walmart. she says customers shoved her and used racial slurs. the video shows people at a checkout counter pushing items back. when police were called ellis claims an officer told her to go back to the ghetto and another roughed her up. police say she was belligerent, kicked an officer and split

another's lip. the case has divided the community along racial lines. if convicted she could face up to 15 years in prison. she was offered a plea deal two years ago but turned it down. this is the video we are just getting in now. i know you've been waiting so long for "twilight." well, the sequel. >> it's my birthday. can i ask for something? kiss me. >> "new moon" there it is opening nationwide at midnight tonight. to say there is excitement and frenzy among fans and i reporters wouldn't come close. 1,300 showings are sold out, 900 midnight screenings include. some lucky twihards as they are called in san diego, went to an advanced screening last night.

>> did i like it? let's just say i'm not the target demo. it is hard to deny the fact the people in there got a kick out of it. >> it was amazing. i really liked it. jacob, i didn't think i would like him. but they wrote him like edward so i liked him. >> so much better than the first one. i can't wait for the third. >> what did you think of it? >> i was blown away. it was so awesome. i can't believe it. i with an more. >> more! >> more! >> i'm betting they are going to go see it again. thank you from our i reporter. if you plan to see "new moon" go to ireport.com, click on upload now link and instructions on how to submit your stories. thank you so much for doing so. how does this sound for a snack at the movies. three quarter pounders topped with three pats of butter.

that is what you are eating when you get a medium sized popcorn and soda. the medium popcorn was nearly 1,200 calories before you put on the budgetary topping. the reason for the high calorie count is theaters cook with coconut oil. think about that next time you go. yikes. don't adjust your tv sets. it is not 1984. the world's biggest one-on-one break dance contest was held in new york. i didn't know people still did that. i have never been able to do it, but it is fun to watch. look at him go. wow. yeah. can't even come close. you think you are good at rock, paper czscissors, ru you good enough to be a world

champion? there was the final move that won it all. paper covering rock. conrad takes home $7,000. 512 people competed. really, is there any strategy to that? okay. it took a while but look at this little guy. he finally has a name. yun zi was born at the san diego zoo three months ago but in keeping with chinese tradition was not named for 100 days. the zoo asked for the public's health. yun zi means son of cloud in chinese. oh, beautiful, wouldn't you like to cuddle up with him. too cute. a watchdog group wants to you watch out for the toys on the list of ten worst toys. safety problem, choking hazard. a dark night and a wolverine action figure are on the list.

wally foam rocket launcher. the nonprofit group w.a.t.c.h., world against toys causing harm has been making this list since 1973. the famous christmas tree at new york's rockefeller center is going green. the environmentally friendly star was unveiled yesterday. the massive swarovsky star is 720 l.e.d. lightbulbs. the power used is a single 100 watt lightbulb. it took nine craftsmen three months to assemble the star. the south african runner who was a focus of a gender dispute will keep her gold medal.

she can keep her prize money as well. questions were raised about muscular build and time improvements. newspapers reported she had male and female organs. the international association of athletics federations will not confirm that. the test results will be kept confidential. senator john kerry's oldest daughter has been arrested accused of driving drunk. alexandria kerry was stopped in hollywood and booked into jail. she was held for five hours and released after paying $5,000 bail. no comment from senator kerry. >> i'm jane velez-mitchell and here is my issue. prosecutors in missouri are wasting time and tax dollars prosecuting a schoolteacher because of what i think is a relatively minor incident at a walmart. an african-american woman joined her cousin in line as a walmart checkout. employees accused her of cutting

in line. thing spiraled out of control. she claims racism. cops claimed she assaulted an officer. she is facing 15 years in prison. i don't know what happened. i wasn't there. i know she didn't go in there to rob or murder anyone. there are so many horrific crimes that go unsolved in this country every day. i just wish we would focus on the killers and the rapists first instead of prosecuting a teacher who might have had a bad tantrum at a store. is that worth 15 years of her life and our tax dollars i'm jane velez-mitchell. and that's my issue. >> find out what else jane has on her mind. watch "issues with jane velez-mitchell" every night at 7:00 eastern on hln. your iphone can help you get directions around town. what if it could just drive your car for you. >> it is a little bumpy but gets us around. >> believe it or not, somebody

has come up with an app for that.

we have this just in. as expected the university of

california board of regents has passed a 32% hike of undergraduate fees. this affects all ten campuses with 200,000 students. you can see some of them right there. for a second straight day hundreds of angry chanting students were out full force to protest this hike. the university of california's board of regents has faced huge budgets cuts and says they have no choice. 14 people were arrested yesterday. some came from other uc campuses and stayed in a tent city concocted near the building. that vote has passed so the 32% hike in fees is going to into effect in 2010, next year. speaking of money, it's been more than a year since the government authorized the $700 billion bailout of the financial system known as t.a.r.p. the question is will the program be extended. poppy harlow joins us from new

york with more. this is supposed to expire at the end of the year, isn't it? >> that is exactly right. there is $300 animal abusers can come from any income bracket. the dogs, by the way, were taken away. they are, with casts, recovering. that is the deputy that was, well, caught stealing    

students are on the march in southern california. what they are trying to stop. investigators are still putting together what happened during that rampage at ft. hood, what the pentagon and congress are doing to prevent any more mass killing. a failure to communicate leaves airline schedules up in the air. what in the world went wrong. this is hln news and views. hello, everyone. thanks as always for your time. we have news happening right now to tell you about. protest at ucla could be getting a bit unruly, now that the board of regents improved that 30% increase in undergraduate fees we've been telling you about. we knew it was coming. it has happened. hundreds of demonstrators have

been marching around the ucla campus all day to protest the tuition hike that's happened. alan joins us by phone to give us an update. word has spread it's actually happened. what do you see happening now? >> immediately the hundreds of students on the other side of the building heard the regents passed it. they shifted to parking lot exit. now they are at each of the exits to the parking lot. they are saying they aren't going to let the regents leave now that they made the vote for 30%. it's a little tense. students, probably 50 or 60 at each exit sitting with arms locked. then we've got a couple dozen or more california highway patrolman right here and also campus police officers also appropriately equipped, apparently planning their

strategy for opening up the parking lot exit. it's a scary situation if you're sitting around, because these guys have tasers, they have pepper spray and i don't know what other tools. there's a lot of chanting going around and emotions are running high. >> when you say tasers and pepper spray, i'm taking for granted you don't mean protesters came armed as well. you mean police are armed. >> no indication protesters have anything but their own armed and those are locked in each other's, their next fellow student's amplts the tasers and pepper spray are visible along with the riot gear officials have. they are going to have to open the parking lot some way. i'm not sure if they are going to try to wait the students out or what. it's going to be interesting to watch this play out. >> alan, is there any indication that police anticipated they needed to ramp up security as the vote happened. we were pretty clear on what the vote was going to be. they can't be surprised the crowd got increasingly agitated.

>> they did. that's why they brought in the california highway patrol. this morning i only saw campus officers ringing the building. then about lunchtime, the chp showed up. and, well, they are certainly prepared for that. we have. i don't have even know what these are, weapons or what. they have some interesting tools in their hands they apparently will be used if they don't move voluntarily. frankly, i don't think they are in the mood to do that. >> it doesn't seem like they are. they haven't been in the mood quite frankly alan since yesterday and they knew it was coming and it was a done deal. it wouldn't surprise me if more students show up now that it's happened. cnn's alan duke. thanks, alan, be careful. an officer has reportedly been shot and a suspect killed all after a chase which included

several exchanges of gunfire to date. this is coming from our denver affiliate kusa westminster police say an officer had to be taken to the hospital. no word on that officer's condition. a second officer was also said to be injured in this. a second suspect reportedly involved as well. it's not clear if he or she was also injured. again, all this happening after a chase. witnesses told kusa a half dozen police cars were chase ag silver car. you can see the car there. police said the chase was the result of an armed robbery. defense secretary robert gates beginning investigations into the shootings at ft. hood. he announced former navy chief vernon clark and togo west will head a broad review. how military identifies service members who might be a threat to others. >> i have every confidence in the army's ability to do this. but i think it's important that we look at it from a

departmentalwide perspective. i have not seen -- the whole purpose of what i've just laid out is to answer the first question you've asked, to determine if there were lapses or problems. more importantly, it's really focused more on where we are today and looking ahead, what can we do to prevent something like this from happening again. >> the senate homeland security committee opened up the first congressional inquiry into the ft. hood massacre today. they want to know if it was a result of federal agencies not sharing intelligence information. thirteen people were killed in that shooting. the suspect nidal hasan facing murder charges. he's a psychiatrist deployed overseas when he carried out shootings at the army post. the former chief of staff says hasan's alleged actions are not a reflection of muslims in the

military. >> the incident and major hasan's behavior is not about muslims and their religion, who are part of the fabric of american life, respected and simulated into every aspect of american society, nor is it about the 10,000 muslims in the military who, quite frankly, are not seen as muslims but as soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. their contribution, their commitment, and their sacrifice is not only appreciated, it is honored. >> two weeks later the big question is still, could the shootings have been prevented. people are weighing in very strongly. cnn research opinion poll finds 64% of people polled that law enforcement or the u.s. military could have prevented the attacks. but people are split over whether the attacks were an act of terrorism.

45% of people questioned said it was terrorism, 47% disagree. a woman in missouri is on trial after cutting in line at walmart. jurors got a closer look at what went down. heather ellis was accused of attacking police at a missouri walmart. this is the alleged incident that was shown to jurors yesterday. she said customers shoved her and used racial slurs when she changed lines. some people pushing items back and putting other items in their place. while the police were called, ellis claims an officer told her to go back to the ghetto, another roughed her up. police there arriving. police say she was belligerent, kicked an officer and split a lip. she was offered a plea deal a few years ago but turned it down. two astronauts wrapped up the first space walk of

"atlantis" mission to the space station. they installed a spare an ten ark, hooked up cables and a handrail. at one point they were two hours ahead of schedule prompting another astronaut to tell the they were rockin' the house. the first orthopedic surgeon is in space. taking a flight today, in for a wait. you probably know this. maybe this is caught up. we hope so. this is something the airlines use to file flight plans it crashed a critical component of the system failed. air traffic controllers across the country are communicating with each other. faa says the problem has been fixed and it was airtran that took the worst hit, canceled 22 flights. a spokesperson says we will be a mess all day. let's hope they have been able to catch up. washington, d.c. city council plans to vote on a measure to legalize same-sex marriage next month of it's not letting the public have a

choice. do you think voters should weigh in or would putting it on a ballot violate the rights of gays. your views next.

who should decide whether same-sex marriage is legalized. that's a loaded question. officials in d.c. say it shouldn't be voters. the district recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other states. they are pursuing the issue to put it before voters. the board of elections and ethics ruled this week proposed voter initiative would violate a city human rights law. city council is moving forward with its effort to completely legalize same-sex marriage in the district with a final vote expected before christmas. >> my name is ron, i'm from west virginia. i believe people should vote on

whether or not there should be gay margin their area. that's the democratic system. that's the way it works. people don't always agree with what the legislature does or says. it should go back to the basics and people voting on it. that's my opinion. >> that's ron's view. we want to know what you think. some e-mails to share as well. an e-mail here, how it reads. would we have left -- carrie is calling us from california where clearly this issue has been in the spotlight for quite sometime. carrie, i understand that you agree with this e-mail, because this the second time we've shared this e-mail.

you heard it first time around and called in. why do you agree? >> i agree because for the first and foremost, i am a lesbian, so this is an issue that i really feel passionate about. >> okay. >> and at the same time when i was younger, i grew up in church. it's like i wanted -- i want this to pass. i want to have that freedom there, and i feel like, you know, in states like california where we are known as a very, you know, liberal state, you know, it's been overturned by just this slightest margin. and left to the people to decide, i don't get that right. whereas if it was up to the government, where we have that -- where the government says, you know, you guys have the right, it's, you know, there

and available. >> let me ask you this. would you feel that way -- would you want it to go to a court if you weren't certain that it would go in your favor? would you still feel like the courts were the way? >> oh, yeah. oh, yeah. just basically growing up in the church, i would have thought held, fire and brim stone against homosexual lifestyle. and i feel that as a person, all people, black, white, even it doesn't matter who deserve to be loved and have love. >> you feel like the courts are the way. >> yes. >> thank you for your phone call. let's hop over to maine. a call from maine, tavis -- i'm sorry, i was saying your name wrong. first the law said same-sex marriage was fine, then voters repealed it. >> yeah. you know, i mean, i agree with the democratic process and i think it's a great thing, but i think for something of this

nature, it's not right. i think as americans, we're born with, you know, inalienable rights and i think marriage is one of those. i don't understand how a person can claim that they can tell somebody whether they can marry the person they love or not. i don't think that's a right of the majority to impose on minorities. >> so you feel like it's an equal rights issue. with it being an equal rights issue, you feel like it should be a law as opposed to something to handle in the courts or legislature as opposed to something the majority can vote on. >> i think it's along the same lines as the woman's right to vote and things like that i think within years the constitution of the united states will be changed to allow marriage between any person who loves one another. >> okay, tavis, thank you for calling in. we appreciate it. we still want to know what you think about this. e-mail us at cnn.com or send us a text at hln tv.

katrina, the most catastrophic natural disaster but the judge says the storm alone isn't responsible for the damage. that means someone could pay big bucks.

the federal government could be facing billions of dollars in losses over hurricane katrina because a judge ruled negligence by army corps of engineers led to the devastating flooding in 2005. yesterday a federal judge sided with six residents and one business said it didn't properly ling shipping channels in the gulf of mexico. >> today the people of the city of new orleans are vindicated because they cannot hide behind an immunity. it's time for the people of this community to be compensated. the larger message here is this corps is not the same corps that

built the panama canal. >> the judge didn't award one couple damages but the others were awarded damages from $100,000 to $317,000. one attorney says the ruling will help 100,000 homeowners and business owners in st. bernard parish get compensation. katrina killed more than 1800 people and flooded nearly 300,000 out of their homes. famous christmas tree at new york's rockefeller center is going green this year. the new more environmentally friendly star was unveiled in new york. the massive crystal star is made up of 720 led light bulbs on 3,000 feet of wire. all those tiny white lights will only use up about as much power as a single 100 watt light bulb. it took nine craftsmen three months to put that star together. it's very pretty. kids letters will probably go unanswered at the north poll.

volunteers in north poll, alaska, have been answering kids' letters since 1954. now u.s. postal service are tightening restrictions because of privacy concerns. after a postal worker recognized a volunteer as a rink stirred sex offender. them prevent volunteers from having access to children's last names and addresses. call this a sign of the time. jcpenney is getting rid of it's semiannual big book catalog instead of focus in online marketing and facebook. jcpenney says it will reduce catalog paper by up to 30% next year. on wall street stocks headed lower right out of the gate and never recovered. felisha taylor joins us with a look at business. >> hey, richelle.

stocks tumbled as investors pulled back for the second straight today. there's concern the market has come too far too fast. they took a beating as stronger dollar weight on oil prices. dow jones industrial fell 93 to close at 10,332. they had been down 170 points. nasdaq dropped and s&p lost more than 1%. tech stocks took a hit led by intel. shares of the chip giant fell 4% after bank of america cut its growth forecast for next year. b of a said the sector is overextended after big gains so far this year. troubled internet company aol plans to cut a third of its workforce, about 2500 employees. its parent company time-warner confirmed earlier this week that it will spinocity unit next month. time-warner is also the parent company of hln. job cuts expected to save aol about $300 million in operating costs. even the ceo will give up his

share, 2009 bonus worth a cool $4 million. >> my goodness. >> that's just the bonus. >> what in the world. thanks, felicia, appreciate it. more to come on hln.

right back to the campus at ucla. these are live pictures. what we're focused in on folks carry brief cases. those are the board of regents who cast a vote that outraged hundreds of students. this is a vote to raise tuition and fees 32%, specifically for undergrads. this is going to go into effect next year. the students have been protesting yesterday. that ramped up today when the vote actually happened. these students walking side by side, step by step, too close

for comfort, with these board of regents. let's hope everything stays calm. the protest seems to have grown throughout the morning and got a little feisty, loud, once the crowd realized the vote had happened and all their protests weren't able to make this stop. actually alan duke of cnn has been in the middle of these protests following it throughout the day and was there earlier when the protest started to get really loud. alan, what do you know right now? >> well, it's tense right now. we have basically two protests going within about 40 yards or 20 or 30 yards of each other at the exits to the parking deck where regents would have to leave if they are going to drive cars out of here after the vote. well, as soon as the vote was taken, they blocked these exits. you've got a couple dozen riot police in front of the students on each exit and you've got probably 75 students and 50

others sitting down chanting and blocking the exit. they said they don't want the regents delayed now. a couple of the regents walked out through the crowd of students and were heckled, shame on you, shame on you, they said, as they left. they were told by the organizers, the students are, if you don't want to get arrested, don't resist arrest. giving them legal tips on how to avoid that. it looks like some of them are determined to resist the police if it comes down to that. >> i'm shocked, alan, i don't know if you are, that some of the regents came out here and dealt with that head on. >> i'm not sure if you call it head on. what they did was they left. the only way out was to walk through the students. what i saw, i got some pictures of this as they walked out. there is one regent who voted against the measure. that regent has been cheered here? >> i'm sorry, alan, what was this last part you said? >> the one regent who voted against the measure, they were

cheering him. >> they know exactly who voted for what. >> my question is how long are the campus and police in california going to block these exits before they start physically trying to remove them. that's what we're sitting here watching. >> exactly. the question is how patient will they be. exactly. alan, we appreciate it. you be careful and keep us posted. let us know any updates we need to know, to see how patient law enforcement is going to continue to be with this. we appreciate it. let's explain this, 32% increase means tuition will go up $2500 by 2010. regents said they had to raise fees because they can't meet funding needs. one regent voted against it to no avail. something else into hln to tell you, an officer has been shot and a suspect was killed all after a chase which included

several exchanges of gunfire. this is coming to us from denver affiliate kusa. westminster police said an officer had to be taken to a hospital. we don't know how that officer is doing. a second officer injured. a second suspect reportedly involved. we don't know if he or she was injured in all this. witnesses told kusa half a dozen police cars were chase thanksgiving small silver car there. all this was the result of an armed robbery. three of five california teens accused of setting a friend on fire have pleaded not guilty to attempted second degree murder. south florida sun sentinel reports another hearing for them is scheduled for january. authorities say michael brewer was doused with alcohol, set on fire in a dispute over 40 bucks, a video game and a bicycle. doctors say he is improving since this attack happened to him last month. has he burns over two-thirds of his body. his face and his hands are spared. his parents say they are amazed at his strength. >> i know i couldn't do what

he's doing. if this had happened to me, i probably wouldn't be here. he's incredibly strong, and he's my hero. he really is. i tell him every day. >> the other day he wanted to talk to his uncle danny, and i put the phone up to his year. he said, hey, dan, i got burned. i'm in the hospital. >> the two 15 years old and one 16-year-old accused in this attack, they are all charged with adults and two other boys are charged as juveniles. we are learning more about the arrest of the suspect charged with kidnapping five-year-old shaniya davis. local media report a search warrant reveals 29-year-old mario mcneill told police he picked her up in front of her home in fayetteville, north carolina, and then drove her to a hotel last week. that's the same time -- the last time, rather, she was seen alive. police say they have collected hair, fibers, clothes and a straw from his car. her mother faces charges of

human trafficking and child abuse. authorities accuse her of selling her daughter into prostitution. on nancy grace, there were new disclosures about the girl's mother. >> not only do we learn mommy handed over her five-year-old little girl shaniya to a convicted felon, according to police. we learned that department of human services had been to the home on several occasions but nobody bothered to tell daddy. >> shaniya davis's body was found monday dumped off a road near sandburg, north carolina. police investigating the killing of a seven-year-old florida girl say they have got more than 4200 tips. so far they haven't named any suspects in sommer thompson's murder. her body was found in a landfill 50 miles away in georgia. her mother says she's still trying to come to grips with her daughtered death. hearing what happened to shaniya

davis in north carolina brought back some painful memories. >> i actually would love to speak to mr. davis and let him know that i know exactly what he's going through and that i've got a shoulder for him to lean on, and i can't believe that a parent would ever be involved in hurting their own child. >> tonight nancy grace investigates the death of shaniya davis and has late breaking developments at 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. eastern time on hln. next month d.c. council plans to vote on same-sex marriage. they are not letting the public have a say. do you think voters should weigh in or would that violate the rights of gay and lesbians? your views next.

the federal government could face billions of dollars over hurricane katrina. the army corps of engineer was ruled negligent. look at the pictures. a federal judge sided with six residents and one business saying they didn't properly maintain the shipping channel linking new orleans to gulf of mexico. an attorney who represented some of the plaintiffs criticized the army corps of engineers. >> when i was in high school, i was told we're the greatest engineering country in the world, because we could build something so incredible, so enormous, it could affect world commerce and world trade. this army is no longer a corps of engineers. they subcontracted out. too cozy, waste money.

they are not interested in the welfare of people, they are interested in their own welfare. not only must the congress compensate the members of this community, it has to look at the reform of the corps. >> the judge didn't award one couple damages but the others were awarded damages ranging] from 100,000 to $317,000. one attorney says the ruling will also help 100,000 homeowners and business owners in st. bernard parish and lower ninth ward get compensation. katrina killed more than 1800 people and flooded nearly 300,000 out of their homes. okay. this is what we've been talking about today. and your views topic, who should decide whether same-sex marriage is legalized? officials in washington, d.c. say it should not be the voters. the district recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other states. opponents are suing to put the issue before voters.

they want to define marriage as the union between a machine and a woman. the board of elections and ethics ruled this week the proposed voter initiative that it would violate a city human rights law. the city council is moving forward with its effort to legalize same-sex marriage with the final vote expected before christmas. you have been commenting on this topic all day on my facebook page. richelle carey, if you want to debate this. some debated all through night. here are some comments. janice says -- all right. thank you, janice. michael says this --

and adam made his comment to our views cam. all right. check out adam. >> i'm adam. i was born and raised in lawrenceville, georgia. i feel like it doesn't really have to be put to a vote. as we saw in california, prop 8 was voted for. it's a constitutional issue, gay marriage. and it really is something that's right now ahead of where we are but the same as when civil rights happened in 1975 where a lot of the country was opposed to a lot of the civil rights reform going on. by the same token we should really keep an open mind and say look at this from a constitutional law issue and say this is a human right and not really argue about whether it should be put to a referendum by the people. that's it. >> and that's it. all right. a lot of people shared the same view that adam did. a lot of other people said, new

york city it's about the vote and about what a community wants and the public should vote on it. thanks for all of your comments. we appreciate it. how much do you know about the news we talk about every day? i think you're pretty darn knowledgeable. test your news knowledge with cnn challenge. you get to choose your host for the game. i hope you pick me. check this out. >> welcome to the cnn challenge. i'm hln's richelle carey and i'll be your host. it is my job to teach you how this game works. it's your job to get the highest score you can. my friend and colleague robin meade from morning express is also a host. check out cnn.com and show us how smart you are. she cut in line at walmart and now she's on trial for what happened next. of a the break, new video that could shed light on what really happened that day.

our prime news is coming up in just a few minutes. time to turn to mike galanos. has he a preview of what's coming up at the top of the hour with a story people have a hard time getting their mind and

hearts around, what happened to shaniya davis. we're still looking for angles, answers, anything. mike. >> absolutely. we're still going to cover that first and foremost, what happened to this little girl. cute little girl, sleepy eyed five-year-old taken into a hotel room for god knows what. she ended up dead and found at the side of the road. we're getting a glimpse of the motive here. it comes down to money. shaniya davis's mom sold her to pay for a debt, possibly a drug debt. that's what we're dealing w we'll get you updated, we have experts standing by. 1-877-tell-hln is the number. a 15-year-old girl is being charged as an adult for first degree murder for killing a nine-year-old. it's hard to imagine, a 15-year-old girl charged with murder. she confessed, and we're getting motive. she wanted to know what it felt like to kill. that's the mind of a serial

killer, no at 15-year-old girl. that's what we have here. so your thoughts, help us come to grips with it. we'll have a conversation 1-877-tell-hln is the number. completely flip the deck at the end of the show and talk about carrie prejean. what we gather here, vivid enter statements dole out hard core pornography. they have gotten ahold of her. she doesn't call it a sex tape. some call it a sex tape. it's not good for her. they want to talk to her and make a deal. kind of looking at it from a legal front. what resource does she have? she sent the tape to her boyfriend. is that it? >> you would hope she does have recourse. you would hope this company can't just do what they want with it, right? >> that's what we're starting with this conversation. 1-877-tell-hln is the number, e-mail us or send a text at hln tv. start your message with the word

prime. >> can you say prime, hi, mike or just prime. >> just prime. >> thanks, mike. sounds good. all right. this is a story that following on prime. a woman in missouri on trial after cutting in line at a walmart. today jurors got a closer look at what went down. heather ellis attacking police after cutting in line at this walmart in missouri. it happened three years ago. this is surveillance video, the alleged incident that jurors saw today. ellis says customers shoved her and used racial slurs when she changed lines. the video shoes people at a checkout counter pushing back items and others in their place. police were called. you'll see police in a minute. ellis claims an officer told her to go back to the ghetto and another roughed her up. police say she was belligerent, she kicked an officer and she split another's lip. if convicted ellis could face up to 15 years in prison. she was offered a plea deal a couple years ago but turned it down. if you're taking a flight today, you may be in for a wait.

you may have already experienced this and got to your destination finally. the airlines and this morning and critical and air trans and at one point they were two hours ahead of schedule. so another astronaut said, hey, you're rocking the house. one of the spacewalkers, robert thatcher junior is the third orthopedic doctor in space. a fireball lit up the sky in

utah yesterday. they estimated it was the size of an oven and was going over 80,000 miles per hour. how would you like to be able to drive your car using your iphone as the remote control? i guess you can. engineers in austin did it. using a rigged car that uses the internal sensor. you just turn the phone. >> we like to drive it with the roof of the car, or the hood, something like that. it gets the wind blowing in your hair, that type of thing. that's a lot of fun. >> they have driven the car up to 30 miles per hour. that's funny looking. it's the day that "twilight" fans have long been waiting for. "new moon" opens at midnight. they are getting a chance to see an advanced screening.