>> shannon: rick santorum surge. rick santorum pulled ahead of romney in michigan days before the primary. newt gingrich says home state are a must-win. what is the game plan for him in georgia? where santorum is also putting up a fight? we'll talk to both campaigns. crude cutoff. iran oil ministry says it will not give oil to parts of europe. what does it mean for gas prices and for growing concern about iran nuclear stress? and cotra seption controversy. outspoken pastor calls the white house plan to make sure insurers foot the bill, war on religion and freedom of conscience. we'll have a fair and balanced and probably a fiery debate. all that and popular stores are closing their doors in the u.s. moving to china and taking job

with them. i'm shannon bream. america's news headquarters live from the capital starts right now. ♪ ♪ >> shannon: the candidates have a lot of campaigning to do before the next set of primaries. mitt romney is losing ground in his home state of michigan to the man picking up momentum, former pennsylvania senator rick santorum. several new polls released in michigan, average of the polling in the state puts santorum up by six points. both michigan and arizona hold their primaries february 28. steve centanni is live with more on how the field stands. hi, steve. >> hi, shannon. yeah, the candidates were focused on a number of issues today, including those high gasoline prices. the "new york times" reporting republicans are prepared to wage political warfare on fuel, prices and energy prices. newt gingrich jumped on the bandwagon on "fox news sunday" when asked if there was any guarantee prices would fall, domestic production were increased.

>> you can't guarantee anything. but you can guarantee under obama plan it will be higher prices. we have the highest price in history. it's higher prices, more dependency in the middle east and more vulnerability to saudi arabia, iraq and iran. exactly the wrong direction. >> ron paul saying his momentum is growing, though he still hasn't won a primary or caucus. asked if he is prepared to take his presidential bill to the august convention. >> well, yeah. i mean because right now we don't know when the end is. whether it's going to be may, june, july or august. i have to assume it will go to august because we're not going to lock it up in may obviously. so we just have to, you know, wade and see. >> the new front runner santorum took on president obama over prenatal testing in the new healthcare law, saying yesterday in ohio the testing ends up in more abortions than

what the president thinks, that those who are less able than elite who want to govern or country. he was asked about that, this morning. >> we know, bob, 90% of down syndrome children in america are aborted. where does it come from? i have a trial with trisomi 18. almost 100% of them are suggested to be abortion. i know what i'm talking about. >> santorum was not on the sunday talk shows. >> shannon: steve centanni with the latest. thank you. >> santorum is in the midst of a controversy after questioning president obama theology at the christian freedom alliance event this weekend. >> it's not about you. it's not about your quality of life or your job. it's about some phony ideal. some phony theology. not a theology based on the bible.

a different theology. >> the president released a response saying it's the latest low in republican primary campaign fueled by distortion, ugliness and pessimism and negativity. when he was asked about the quote, santorum suggested that the president practices a different kind of christianit christianity. santorum isn't the only one questioning the president on policy and religion. we're joined by alice stewart, press secretary for rick santorum's campaign. and welcome. >> great to be here. >> alice, i want to start with you. so much of what is happening on the campaign trail is focused on the social issues. do you think, should rick santorum become the eventual g.o.p., and head to the general that will be to his advantage or disadvantage when so much of the country says it's the economy they're worried about? >> we are trying to get the topic of conversation on the economy.

in the g.o.p. primary, special issues take the forefront because we are strong on faith, family , pro-life, marriage. but the key, if you go across the country, you have been out there. people talk about the jobs in the economy. steve brought up a great point. gas prices. if we continue to see gas prices go up as the year goes on that is bad news for president obama. high gas prices equal low approval rating for a president. nowhere in the economy do the average american feel a bad economy affects the gas pump and grocery store. with the high gas prices those issues will hurt president obama so santorum has great plan to increase energy production to help the economy overall. not just an economic issue but a national security issue. his plan for continuing the energy program and developing domestic energy will help our economy tremendously. that is what people are concerned with. create jobs and turn the economy around and create security and confidence in the economy. >> shannon: vince, i want to

turn to the current state of your campaign. it has been a roller coaster ride in the gingrich camp. i want to play a so you want bite where he addressed that -- sound bite where he addressed that this week. >> i have been through tim pawlenty. then michele bachmann. then herman cain once. then rick perry. herman cain a second time. now we have santorum. we're just going to keep moving forward. >> shannon: how do you keep moving forward and back to the top of the polls? >> a big message. the big message is we need big change in washington. newt gingrich is one person who has never been changed in washington. four balanced budget, welfare reform, creation of 1 million jobs an largest tax cut in history. two out of three people moved from welfare to work and went back to school. that is how you do it and you do it today by lowering the corporate tax rate to create an explosion in jobs. talk about drilling here, drilling out in america. energy renaissance. you have reserves larger than

saudi arabia in this country that the obama administration insists on not developing those reserves. instead, they talk about hiking the fuel economy standard higher. making our vehicles more expensive and making us less competitive with the international competitors. this is why we will do well over the long haul. staying power. staying power because of his record and he has staying power with his pro-growth job plan. >> shannon: he feels strong along the way about the debate performances. a couple of the candidates, rick santorum and romney opted out of a debate held in gingrich's home state in georgia. alice, he made comments to the effect if you are afraid to debate me, you will have a tough time against president obama. how do you respond? >> there is no doubt that gingrich is a great debater. it's not all about debates. it's about the issues and what you are going to do to create confidence in our economy. and he can get up there and debate, but his problem on the debate is he doesn't release

the facts. if anyone calls him on the record he says they don't have the facts straight. the reason he is doing terribly in the polls people recognize he doesn't represent views and value of the conservative party. one of the original author of individual mandate and has been a supporter of this for 20 years, sat on the couch with nancy pelosi in support of cap-and-trade and supported the wall street bail-out. these are core values of the republican party that newt gingrich is wrong on the issue. that is why he is doing horribly in the poll. no great debate performance in world to change history. the fact is, he is not reflective of what the party wants and needs. >> shannon: vince, a lot too respond to. give you the final word. >> thanks. rick santorum is not looked at by the american people, he is having a surge in the pollstant american people look at his record. everybody has a record. the people who knew him best, people of the pennsylvania threw him out of office by the largest margin in pennsylvania history, 18 points. something about rick santorum's record. talk about a conservative record, against the national

right to work legislation serving in the senate. why? he said he was reflecting the views of pennsylvania. yet, when pat toomey got elected senator, the republican of pennsylvania, what is he doing? sponsoring national right to work legislation. santorum, you know, again, he has a record. part of the record is looking to you and i fedex. he wanted to make it easier for fedex. that won't play well in south. work a social value. we are happy to compare records with rick santorum to who will create job and growth in the country. >> shannon: delving in the record is what the primary season is all about. the general will be as well for either candidate if they make it there. alice, vince, thank you for your time. >> thank you. have a great day. >> shannon: you, too. a lot of heated debate in washington this week. now your turn to weigh in on the president's new budget. we have want to know who is to blame for the gridlock over it? you have been voting in the online poll. here are the results so far, admittedly unscientific. if multiple choice isn't your thing, tell us in 140 characters who is to blame for

the gridlock. republican members of congress? everybody? president obama? somebody else? we love to hear from you so tweet us your answers -- we will read some of your responses later in the show. tension between iran and west rising again as the iranian ship pass through the suez canal and haul oil shipment. we go to doug mckelway for the latest. >> the latest development ads to the uncertainty of iran behavior. the latest maneuver announced this morning, halting oil export to britain and france in apparent retaliation of the european union decision to boycott iranian oil beginning in june. this weekend, iranian naval ship moved through the suez canal to the sea. second passage of the ship through the canal since the ice lammic revolution of 1979. a move the iranian naval chief

calls a show of might and mission of peace. in other development, they called for sanction of iran but called for them to be ratcheted up. bolton said it should not be mistaken for lack of resolve. >> i think trying to play it safe. he doesn't want to tip israel's hand. he is the defense minister and everything he says about the iranian nuclear weapons threat is watched very carefully. so i think he will talk more like a foreign minister than a defense minister for the foreseeable future. so not to give any tactical warning whatever. >> the u.s. has been trying to pressure israel not to attack iran. emphasizing the need to let sanctions take their course. >> i think that the economic sanctions and the international cooperation we have been able to gather around sanctions is beginning to have an effect. i think our diplomacy is having an effect. and our preparedness.

>> the u.s. believes iran is still a year away from developing a bomb. israel believes the critical time to act to disrupt the key stage of the uranium enrichment is months away. >> shannon: doug mckelway with the latest. thank you, doug. prosecutor and judge were killed in syria. it's the latest in series of violent incidents in the country. thousands have been killed since uprising against the syrian president began. senator john mccain is overseas in afghanistan today says it is time for the u.s. to intervene. >> some people say the united states should to the be involved directly. tell that to the iranians and the russians. who are clearly assisting bashar assad to continue this massacre. i believe the united states can play a far more active and productive role. almost shameful that we have not. >> shannon: mccain says he isn't advocating putting boots on the ground there. rather he suggests the u.s. and other nations send

medical care, technical help and offer to give safe havens to refugees. many believe the 11-month-old uprising in syria is pushing the country to the brink of civil war. fox news world affairs contributor dominic di-natale is live in beirut with the latest. >> shannon, you know the united states very much concerned about what is going on now. and the action can be taken there. the u.n. security council in washington's eye seems as obstack to bring an end to violence. along with senator mccain who you just heard there. senator lindsey graham also said we have to find a way to get around the security council in order to move forward and bring about some relief for the violence and the people suffering in syria. here is what he had to say. take a listen. >> we have to form a track outside of the united nations. using the arab league as the center of gravity. put on the table the idea of economic and humanitarian

assistance with the possibility of arms provided at a later date. this is a moment in time to replace assad, with something new that would be blow to ira iraq. >> perhaps a good feeling. opposition in many way isn't as armed as well as it could be at the international community gets involved. we just saw yesterday in damascus, a massive protest between 10 and 15,000 people take to the streets. it caught the government very much by surprise. opened fire in the crowd and killing one of them. the funeral today of that man who perished unfortunately in the violence. we saw more people come out in support, showing their defiance against the regime. although, a tight, tight security. very concerned that major protest is very close to the heart of the government when that happened is now under lockdown with the scores of syrian government troop and militias that the syrian

government is using to keep back the opposition and keep back protesters. meanwhile in the city of homs, the brunt of the government recession, stirred the violence today. more ground are moving in and around the city. if the ground troops march forward there is fear there could be all-out slaughter. back to you. >> shannon: dominic di-natale live if beirut today. thank you. whitney houston will be buried today next to her father in a new jersey cemetery. yesterday, friends and family gathered to remember her at a private ceremony in the church where he is grew up. it had performance by alicia keys and stevie wonder. her "bodyguard" co-star kevin costner spoke in the emotional ceremony. pope benedict held a mass this morning for special honorees including a popular american. we tell you who, coming up. republican majority leader on "fox news sunday" talked about new plans to create jobs for americans. >> said we have to afford

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>> shannon: pope benedict led a mass for 22 newly installed cardinals known as the princes of the church. among the group, new york archbishop timmy dolan. they will one day vote in secret for the next pontiff. of note is pope benedict's condition. the 894-year-old appeared tired and sounded hoarse delivering the homily today. republican house majority leader eric cantor took a firm stance on the president's budget calling it not serious. he told "fox news sunday" host chris wallace democrats ultimately need to abandon the political game and consider bipartisan policies. that wasn't all the republican had to say. >> is the president's budget he submitted this week dead? >> the president's budget is really something that is not serious. we are not going to pass a budget that rocks up another

$300 trillion in debt without any attempt to try address the real problem of cutting spending, dealing with entitlement or growth. >> will the house pass a measure to block the president revised rule on birth control for religious institutions? >> this is a question of religious freedom. you know what? i don't think that barack obama and his administration know more about the catholic faith than the catholic church does. >> will the house cut off military aid to egypt if they refuse to stop their crackdown on pro-democracy american activists? >> egypt does not demonstrate it sees things in a way we do in terms of the promotion of freedom, human progress in protection of right there will be repercussions on capitol hill. no question about it. >> shannon: today, chris sat down with newt gingrich to talk about the state of his campaign.

man arrested for plotting to blow up the capital and tension with iran. examples of threats to americans here at home and abroad coming up, inside look at the state of intelligence network. former homeland security chief tom ridge. uh oh.

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♪ >> shannon: mardi gras madness taking oh over in new orleans. more than a million people expected for one of the biggest parties on the planet. the celebrations culminate on tuesday before the start of the lenten season for christians. >> shannon: the gop primary race is tightening and according to candidate newt gingrich home state wins are now vital. it is the bottom of the hour. steve centanni with your top stories. hi, steve. >> reporter: gop presidential

hopeful newt gingrich says a home loss could make mitt romney a very, very damaged candidate. his home state of michigan will hold its primary next week. georgia, where gingrich is from votes march 6. rick santorum's home state, pennsylvania, doesn't vote until april and texas ron paul's state won't hold its primary until may. a sue b suicide bomber kilt least 20 recruits in iraq. the fda has dehe sided to investigate whether inhalable caffeine is safe. it was introduced in massachusetts and new york last night and marketed as a dietary supplement. consumers put the cansters to their mouth and breathe in the caffeine. several lawmakers calling for an official investigation of google. three want to know if claims google has been tracking web habits is a violation of a

privacy settlement between the company and the federal trade commission. >> shannon: two weeks after blocking a united nations resolution you restructuringedt aiming bashal assad to step down in syria china will now accept the proposal. the united nations estimates the nearly year long uprising led to the deaths of more than 54 pun people. after a cruise by iranian naval warships thistthere is breaking news this morning. this plans to stop shipments. joining us to talk about the issues and much more, former homeland security secretary tom ridge. thank you for joining us this morning. what do you you make about the developments with iran and israel. tom donovan in israel trying to head off a preemptive strike.

>> i think that is probably a regular meeting. both countries have their dip diplomatic officials meet on a regular basis. the nuke intentions are not peaceful. if we were sitting in the mameer capitals of the ward attacked by these radical islamicists we would say the greatest net to our security and this is israel as well would be a terrorist state having a nuclear weapon or a terrorist having a nuclear weapon. take a look at that equation. the number one nuclear state, the number one terror state in the world is iran. they are moving toward nuclear weapons. and that equation means trouble not only for israel and the united states and the western world. i think we take a look at the u.n. and see sanctions have been ineffective and we shouldn't be surprised that israel would be ramping up to strike with action,

particularly the nuclear facility. >> we did hear from the cavernous facility iran is moving forward with. you are saying military action shouldn't be unexpected from israel. >> ever since ahmadinejad was technically elected back in 2005, the antisemitic israel rhetoric has been directed at them. the big controversy whether we interpreted the persian transcript correctly did he really threat ton wipe out israel. he has said time and time again death to america and death to israel. denied the holocaust and called israel a germ. the notion that israel leaders would do anything other than take his rhetoric seriously would be foolish for them not to. should we be surprised they would be preparing potentially for military attack sanctions issince caption been ineffective and it appears

that america, appears that we may be willing in thissed administration to accept a nuclear iran they will have to defend themselves. >> shannon: should we becounseling israel not to make a strike. in you mentioned sanctions haven't worked injuries we are sort of at an impass. iran suggested it is willing to come back to talks. some say that is just a time waster. what is our role at this point? >> first of all, we value voters been doing this dance for with the iranians for years. we talk and then there is sanctions and they continue to move relentlessly toward nuclear weapons. everybody in the world understands that. what do we caution israel? i think we have to understand that israel at the end of the day as a sovereign country threatened by a country with nuclear weapons may have to act in its own interests. one of the most surprising developments in the past couple of months is how the european

union and the united states concern about ben ghazi made a united effort in libya. a public united effort and i'm not talking about military action with the eu and the united states at this time but we are kind of slow to understanding and appreciating israel's predict ament. we better make up. >> shannon: as the first person to head up the department of homeland security there was a foiled plot with a gentleman who thought he was coming to bomb the u.s. capital. you have to be heartened in the intelligence community was on top of that. >> there have been several plots uncovered. the question i have about this particular insurance kent is whether or not we was an enabled terrorist before we dealt with him. did we pick a name up and then befriended him and then equipped him or did we think he truly had the capability to

attack unilaterally himself. we will know at the end of the day how effective obviously the fbi was effective. we will know his status. was he enabled or were we enabling. that is a difference. i don't want americans to be wreckless about this. 300 million plus plots we have seen over the past couple of years, arrest american citizens or those here with permanent legal status. unfortunately, the world we live in we have a strong intelligence -- fortunately, we have a strong intelligence community and strong fbi and we will deal with it as successfully as we have in the past. >> shannon: and we need to keep our eyes open as well. >> frankly, even my time as secretary, there have probably been tips from individuals who have led the fbi to some very fruitful investigations. so be alert and be aware and

enjoy being an american. let's not be reckless about this, we will take care of it. >> shannon: we appreciate your time. thank you for soming in. the jurors in the so called honeymoon trial are hearing dramatic testimony from witnesses about what they saw under water when a couple was scuba diving in australia. the dive ended with the the death of the wife. elizabeth prann joins us with details. >> gabe watson is accused of killing his wife while they were scuba diving in australia. they say he turned off her oxygen tank and he swam up to the boat. prosecutors claim his motive what he thought was a life and travel insurance policy on his new bride. the prosecution calling dr. stanley stutts who told the jury he saw gabe embracing teen that underwater as if he was

giving her a bear hug and he thought that he was helping his wife but then she sank to the bottom of the ocean shortly thereafter. here is the doctor on the stand. >> sort of like this. and they were -- >> would you describe it as a thrashing. >> she didn't have a lot of energy. she was not like in any way swimming. she didn't have the strength to swim. >> reporter: other it testimony from witnesses on the boat say gabe's story just doesn't add up. keep in mind he already served 18 months in australia for negligent manslaughter before being extradited here to the u.s. defense claims a number of currents including the dive being too dangerous for teen that. they also say she panicked under water and lost control and drown and also say she had too much weight on her belt

because she was a novice diver which explains why she sank to the bottom of the ocean. there is no international rule for the double jeopardy. they have to prove that gabe watson premeditated and planned the murder before they left for their honeymoon back in 2003. shannon? >> thank you very much. >> shannon: a movement that called many of the shots in the 2010 election but has the tea party momentum cooled during this political season? we will talk to one of the group's cofounders coming up. and celebrating what is still one of nasa's most exciting moments. we'll bring that to you, next. so who ordered the cereal that can help lower olesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. [ woman ] lower cholesterol. [ man 2 ] yummy. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste and whole gin oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. and hello to "whoa, yum."

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>> shannon: nasa honors some of its heros on what is the 50s this anniversary of project mercury. during the ceremony john glenn cracked some jokes at his own expense. >> with all these references to

it aids tonight i want to put the lie to one thing sunday that is that it is not true that nasa would not let me go -- age tonight. that nasa would not let me go out on a spacewalk, it is not true that they would not let me go out because i would wander off some place. >> shannon: most political observers agree that the tea party movement played a divisive role in the 2010 election. what kind of impact will is have in 2012? joining us to talk about the meckler one mark montreal of the cofounders and author of a new book. thank you so much for joining me today. >> thank you for having me, shannon. >> shannon: what do you make of the current gop field? any one there that satisfied the tenets of the tea party? >> i don't think anybody in particular. if you mash them all together you maybe have the perfect tea

party candidate. all have a some what checkered past when it comes to upholding tea party principles but the good news is they are all talking tea party principles. that is the victory for tea party. >> shannon: in 2010 many of the primary races and general election results were directly impacted by the tea party. many are not hearing as many from the tea party in the gop primary. why not? >> if you look at the overall tone and tenor of the race and the subject matter they are discussing right now they all go to the tea party's core principles. fiscal responsibility. constitution around limited government. you you have all of the candidates talking to our rips that gives us a selection of people who say they are going to enforce the principles that we would like to see in government. >> shannon: would you be happy to see the gop head to a brokered convention or maybe

some other late arrival get into the party and on to the ticket? >> there are certainly people who are talking about that. there is actually an organization out there called open convention.org that is promoting that. the long race is healthy. if you look at it historically in 2008 you had clinton and obama going at it through june. it was a down and dirty campaign and ended up well for them. obviously obama became the president and hillary clinton became secretary of state and politician inar poll the world. the long battle is good for the republican party. >> shannon: if your book you discuss the biggest myths about the tea party. what are they? >> it the number one myth is that we are republicans. i myself am not a republican. i'm out here in california. 40% of tea partyers are either republicans or democrats and so i think people need to understand it is a broad spectrum, a nonpartisan movement. we support people based on principles not personality or

party. that is the number one meth out there. >> shannon: what is next for the tea party? >> next is the 2012 elections. the tea party movement is growing every day. i travel from southern, florida, to washington state and every tea party is adding members. the enthusiasm is way up. everybody knows it is an election year and a lot is at stake. folks are engaged at the city council, county board, school board level on up through the state legislatures up to the presidency. it is an up and down ticket interest level across the country. >> shannon: we wish you the best with the book. thanks for joining us today. >> thank you for having me. >> shannon: some well known u.s. retailers have their eyes on overseas markets. casey stegall has more live from los angeles. >> an increasing number of stores are setting up shop in places like china but some analysts say this is good news for the u.s. economy. we'll explain why when america's news headquarters continues, next.

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>> shannon: here is a look at some of today's top stories. a winter storm is brewing. it will affect the mid atlantic and the southeast injuries the heaviest snow is expected to hit kentucky, virginia, west

virginia and north carolina. >> gretchen: espn is apologizing for posting a racial slur on its website. it is reviewing the incident to find out how the headline made it on to the site. and florida lawmakers looking at a plan to add money to the state's hurricane catastrophe fund before the storm season begins. insurance experts say if the state fails to make changes floridians could end up paying more for storm insurance coverage. those are some of our top stories today. >> a new trend that could give u.s. companies a much needed boost. major stores are branching out overseas particularly in china where the appetite for american goods is on the rise. casey stegall to explain how it all works. hi, casey. >> hi, shannon. analysts say the trend could actually be a shot in the arm for our own economy because these stores may be expanding into foreign countries but keep in mind these are american companies meaning the profits captured in those foreign countries returns back here into our own u.s. economy.

and all eyes are on china. the national retail federation says that that country has the fastest growing consumer market in the world. in fact, its fashion market alone is predicted to triple over the next ten years. and while luxury goods sales in particular have been on the rise now the climate is moving more toward middle of the road affordable goods so stores like wal-mart are now getting onboard there. >> there is a lot of disposable income now in china, particularly in the big coastal cities like shanghai. and there is a lot of pent up consumer demand in china as chinese travel abroad and they are looking for the sort of retail experience that they get in the united states. >> one company fully embracing the chinese market is forever 21. the discount fashion chain just opened its first store in china and executives see it as a

golden opportunity because u.s. sales figures are not back to prerecession levels for clothing retailers. >> capitalism at its best. it is basically there is an opportunity created by the demand and retailers including american retailers will go to try and meet that demand and make money along the way. >> there is, however, a down side. with some retailers like gap, for example, they are expecting to triple its market in china within the next year. however, they are closing some 200 stores here in the united states and shannon as we know that translates into lost jobs here at home. >> shannon: never a good result. casey, thank you very much. >> sure. >> shannon: according to our next guest the people of virginia are going to be cheated in the gop primary. they need a totally different ballot than the one they are going to get.

virginia rules forgetting on to the ballot are unreasonable for candidates and voters he says. he joins us with an interesting proposal. cameron, thanks for coming in. >> thanks for having me. >> shannon: in virginia the only thing voters will have it mitt romney and ron paul. that is their choice. there are rules that the candidates have complained about and legal battles over this. they didn't make it in time so whose fault is it? >> i think the faults rest with the whole system. candidates itself as well is the parties and the state's lawmakers have fault in it. not so much creating ballot restrictions but in doing so they created opportunities to disenfranchise voters. in virginia voters have two choices and right now we see a strong field of four candidates plus a couple others. virginia voters won't have that opportunity. when you talk about fault you have to look at the reasonable outcome of what the fault is.

not necessarily delegating the responsibility of why they didn't get on there but the impact of not having them on there. >> living here in d.c., a lot of folks live in the virginia suburbs. i hear that people don't have a chance to vote on the full slate of candidates. you are doing something unique. tell us about smite the vote. >> reempowering the true meaning of democracy and we will provide the voters in virginia and a few other states we are really starting to ramp up operations in with the opportunity to go out and cast a ballot with a full slate of candidates and we will take the results and present them back to the state as well as national party in hopes that they will look at that and reflect on it saying this is what if the voters were given a full slate would have chosen. >> shannon: there will be places where people can go and get a ballot with a lot more names than just the two and cast a vote and you will tally those.

>> absolutely. we will looking at about 200 voting locations throughout virginia. more journal than precinct wise. about 750,000 voters we are hoping will turn out for the primary on may 8. and it will take about 3,000 volunteers to all this off. >> shannon: where are you getting them all from? people are reconciled up about this situation and the fact that the ballot is so narrow in virginia and other places as well. >> throughout the state. if the ballot restrictions require 10,000 signatures it is 10,000 people willing to express interest and efforts. we are going to continue to reach out and build our current list and we will get to that magic number and be all set and we are going to be returning that opportunity of choice back to the voters in virginia and possibly anywhere else that has been disenfranchised. >> shannon: a very interesting concept. we would love for you to report back to us when you get done. >> absolutely. >> shannon: and we will see if virginia has the same results in your version and the official primary or whether

there is a different choice voters would have made there. >> thank you very much. >> shannon: iran announces it will cut oil exports to two allies. more on the breaking international news, next. [ male announcer ] juice drink too watery? ♪ feel the power my young friend. mmm! [ male announcer ] for excellent fruit and veggie nutrition... v8 v-fusion, also refreshing plus tea. could've had a v8.

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>> shannon: tensions with iran on the rise. u.s. and israeli officials meeting today to discuss growing concerns over iran's nuclear ambitions. the u.s. says the international community needs to give sanctions more time to work but israel says a streak on iran could stop its nuclear program before it is too late. i'm shannon bream. hour number two of america's news headquarters begins with doug mcelway with the latest on the situation. intense speculation continues about iran's motives. first, iran suspended oil sales to britain and frangela today in apparent retaliation for the eu decision to boycott iranian oil beginning in june. may also be an attempt to curry favor domestically in advance of iranian elections this year. in another provocative action, iranian war shop transited the suez canal this weekend into the mediterranean sea. the iran naval chief says it is

a show of might and mission of peace. all this as the u.s. continues to implore israel not to attack iran but rather give sanctions time to take hold. chairman of the joint chiefs of staff who just returned from talks in israel. >> i think that the economic sanctions and international cooperation that we have been able to gather around sanctions is beginning to have an effect. i think our diplomacy is having an effect and our preparedness. >> the u.s. is confident that iran is still a year away at least from developing a nuclear weapon. longer still before it can develop a missile to deliver it. but ambassador john bolton believes they don't necessarily need a delivery lesson. >> put it in a box car and put it on a transstreamer and sail it in the world or disai'mable it it and give it to terrorist groups. that is why iran with nuclear weapons like north korea with nuclear weapons is already a

global threat. the israeli prime minister welcomes sanctions against iran but called for it to be rach cheted up. benjamin netanyahu last week said that the sanctions are not working. >> shannon: a prosecutor and judge were killed today in syria. it is the latest in the series of violent incidents in it that country. thousands of people have been killed since the uprising against the syrian president began. senator john mccain who is overseas in afghanistan today said it is time for the u.s. to intervene. >> some people say the united states should not be involved directly. tell that to the iranians and the russians who are clearly assisting assad continue this massacre and i believe the united states can play a far more active and productive role and it is almost shameful that we have not. >> shannon: mccain says he isn't advocating for putting boots on the ground there.

rather he suggests the u.s. and other nations send medical tare, technical help and offer save live ton refugees. many believe syria's 11 month old uprising is pushing the country to the brink of civil war. world affairs contributor dominik dinatale is live in beirut with the latest. >> the governments in damascus caught by surprise by the scale of an enormous demonstration between 10,000 and 15,000 people right in the heart of the government's quarter. government troops opened fire and killed one young activist. this is in a middle class neighborhood and normally an area where you would expect support really of the government. after the scale of the demonstrations yesterday the government now rather scared that there is strength in the opposition that they hadn't anticipated in the capital and has september out extra troops on the streets to qed uell any

potential violence. the focal point of the opposition, government ground troops moving into a tighter ring around the city there and opposition saying that they are concerned that they willle move in and conduct what they consider to be a widespread ms. query. we have -- massacre. we have no way of independently confirming it at this time because the government is restricting foreign media access to the country. you are hearing from senator john mccain a short while ago. on the trip to afghanistan is also senator lindsay graham who says we need to circumvent the u.n. security council and bring an end to the violence. >> we have to form a track outside of the united nations using the arab league as the center of gravity and put on the table the idea of economic and humanitarian assistance with also the possibility of arms being provided at a later date. this is a moment in time to replace assad with something new that would be a blow to

iran. >> something new to replace assad. how soon rather will that actually come. possibly a week today when assad when holds a referendum on the constitution who will bring around a multi-party system and elections win 90 days. the opposition says it as sham and ploy and they will boycott it. in between now and then, continued violence is expected. back to you. >> dominik live in beirut, thank you. >> shannon: the gop candidates have a lot of campaigning to do before the next set of primaries. mitt romney is losing ground in his home state of michigan to the man who is picking up momentum. several new polls released in michigan this week. an average of polling in the state puts santorum up by more and six points. both michigan and arizona hold primaries february 28th.

steve centanni is live with how the field stands. >> the gop campaign hit the air waves with rick santorum grilled on controversial statements he made yesterday in ohio when said president obama has a different theology, one not based on the bible. he explained today he wasn't questioning the president's christian faith but he was talking about environmental issues. >> and that man is here to use the resources and use them wisely, to care for the earth, to be a steward of the earth but we are not here to serve the earth. the earth is not the objective. man is the objective and i think a lot of radical environmentalists have it upside down. >> former speaker newt gingrich seized on mitt romney's difficulty winning voters in his home state of michigan. here he is. >> if any of the three of us lose our home state, if san forum loses pennsylvania, romney loses michigan or i lose

georgia you have a weakened campaign for any one of us. i was home to stay to all my friends back home georgia really matters, you cannot take this for granted. >> gingrich said under president obama there will be less american oil production and higher prices. his comment comes as the "new york times" reports republicans are preparing to use gas prices as a major campaign issue in the coming months. candidate ron paul was asked if he is prepared to take his campaign all the way to the convention in august. >> well, yeah, because right now we don't know when the end is whether it is going to be may, june, july or august. so i have to assume that it will go into august because we are not the going to lock it up in may obviously. so we just have to, you know, wait and see. >> meantime, mitt romney spoke last night in salt lake city but is making no television or campaign appearances today. shannon? >> thank you for keeping us updated. after days of heated negotiations on capitol hill the house and senate passed an extension of the payroll tax

holiday. also this week, plenty of heat over the president's budget proposal. here to help us break it all down, steven hayes from the weekly standard and fox news contributor are juan williams. thank you to you both. finally got a deal done on capitol hill. the republicans are being accused of conceding a whole lot in the deal. >> the problem for republicans is they didn't want to go into the final stages of the general election campaign having president obama position himself as a tax cutter and that is what happened last september when the first iteration happened. i'm sympathetic with the republicans on the political problems that they face. the problem that i have and a lot of conservatives have what they did is gave in to a party that couldn't come up with $100 billion in spending cuts in a budget that is more than

$3.6 trillion. that is a problem. >> shannon: how big a win for the white house? >> i think politically not going to agrew to much if you are looking towards the fall elections. in terms of what has been going on here in washington the idea that the congress is so low in public esteem and so much of that is blamed on republicans would give the president some kind of political weapon which he could simply say listen i'm running against the do nothing republicans in congress. i must say that that, though, to me is not the intriguing story here. the intriguing story is what is going on among republicans. just as steve was revealing to the audience the fact is you have people on the republican side especially in the house who said to john boehner the speaker of the house i can't go along with you our leader mr. speaker because we have been saying that barack obama is blowing up the deficit in this country and here you have now we are approving a tax cut that has nothing to pay for it. so it is going to blow up. exactly what is our argument against the president here.

and even in the senate there were senators republican senators who were saying we have. been involved in this deal. we don't underand it what is going on and john boehner cut us out of the action. looks like a lot of long nights knives on the republican side for each other. >> the harshest criticism of the president on this deal came from democrats. tom harkin went to the floor of the senate and let the president have it on social security. harkin who has been long a defender of social security says we can't have a payroll tax cut like this because it makes it more likely that we will be unable to raise the rates, the rates from 4.2% on the employee side back to 6.2% on the employee side down the road and that threatens he argues social security. i don't buy his arguement because i think the whole social security trust fund is afication but if you are democrat and supporter of the president that is a huge problem. and the language that tom harkin used is what really struck me.

he went after the president. he said i never thought i would see in my lifetime a democratic president threaten social security. >> shannon: a lot of folks on capitol saying it is dead on arrival. we had house majority leader eric cantor with chris wallace on "fox news sunday" saying he he just doesn't take it seriously, juan. >> i don't think anybody takes it seriously in terms of passing. at some level the republicans don't want to give the president any legislative victories. their hand was forced on the payroll cut we just discussed. this puts lots of money into infrastructure. the eye tina you are going -- the idea that you are going to grow your way out of the recession. republicans are making an issue of the debt spending and saying this president is irresponsible.

what we have is an impass. so sad to say they will do nothing again and have continuing resolution and that is how this government will function in terms of its budgetary agenda going into the election. >> shannon: can they make the argument for deficit reduction? >> they can make that argument because what you are talking about is something less than $100 billion in the latest argument. what the president and his party has purchased for. what you are -- had pushed for. $15.6 trillion in the budget. a budget from the white house that literally doesn't even pretend to come into balance ever. not like he is going to balance the budget in 60 years or 100 years. you have the president and white house engaging in all of these absurd budget gimmicks, savings from wars that we are never going to fight. opt missic projections on the overall level of economic growth. you have all of these things that are totally preposterous.

the biggest argument, i hope republicans do, this i was encouraged to hear that eric cantor said this is a budget we can't take seriously. i hope that republicans and their presidential candidates incorporate a debate it about this budget and entitlements in particular. president obama gave a press conference from january of 2009 where he talked about swimming in red ink. if we don't do something serious we will be swimming in red ink forever and said a central part of that discussion is going to be entitlement reform. that is three years ago and he has not proposed anything. >> let me ask you something. you are a big fan of paul ryan. he has taken on then titlement issue and willing to put his neck out and in fact he got whacked for it. in paul ryan's budget there are deficits as far as the eye can see and you don't seem to acknowledge it and then talk about accounting gimmicks. what about not putting the wars in iraq and afghanistan on the books so the american people

can see. that was the case during the bush years. >> they should have done that. no question about that. it is not true that paul ryan's budget doesn't pal. it does balance in 50 years. >> he was blaming the president for some kind of stuff like that. >> it is about the trajectory of the debt. the president's budget the debt goes like this under president obama. under paul ryan goes like this and eventually balances. >> shannon: gentlemen, we have to leave it there. agreeing to disagree. we will work on charts and graphs. >> thank you, shannon. >> shannon: you don't like this and this. >> we will have you back with visual aids. thank you both for coming. >> you heard what juan and steve think. what do you think? who is responsible for the budget mess. lisa says why don't they all accept responsibility. all of them man up. fire them all and start over. keep tweeting to us. we will read more responses later in the show. it is a girl's weekend

apparently. first lady michelle obama spending the president's day weekend with her daughters. they left dad behind for a ski trip in aspen, colorado. they are reportedly staying at a friend's house. a happy ending for elizabeth smart. she was married in hawaii over the weekend. after news of the impending summer nuptials broke the couple moved up their date. you will recall smart was kidnapped and held at gun point for nine months. what impact will rising gas prices have on recent gains with the overall economy? that's next. [ male announcer ] we know you don't wait

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>> shannon: rising gas prices once again have many americans pinching pennys. right now the average price of a gallon of gas is holding around $3.55 a gallon. brenda buttner from new york with more on the bigger impact all the gas price hikes may have. hello, brenda. >> gas pains adding to the hurt americans feeling in the economy. that is the fear. as the latest government numbers tell us what we already know, drilled down in the tame official inflation numbers out friday to just gas costs and

discover they are up 9/10% last month. plus, gas prices at the highest level ever for this time of year. yes, the winter has been a warm one for the east coast but the higher prices could have a chilling effect not only on consumers but on our tepid recovery. some predictions are gas reaches a record $4.25 nationally by late april. and that is higher on either coast. look at gas prices and you have to go back to oil prices well over 100 bucks a barrel. the threat from iran it may choke off supply through a key straight. the tension in israel that it could retaliate over iranian weapons. a cold winter in europe and rising demand in countries such as china is helping fuel higher prices in crude. here at home there are other

factors adding fuel to the fire. the forecast for the spring and summer is a tough one. this is the time that refiners suspend their operations and many are close to being sold or shutting down. for that reason, prices almost always take a hike in spring. then, in summer driving increases in prices go, well, up again. by many estimates even a 25 cents in gas prices increase over a year costs the u.s. economy about $35 billion or 2/10%. that doesn't sound like much, just a drop in the bucket, right. but when we are growing under 3% a year that is a gusher that could take the heat out of any recovery. shannon, back to you. >> shannon: thank you very much. >> thank you. >> shannon: a late night rarity. our own bill o'reilly visits 30 rock and mixes it up with the cast of saturday night live. check it out. >> with the host of the o'reilly factor and author, bill o'reilly.

>> called killing lincoln. >> that's right. >> what can we learn about lincoln today? >> deandre, i was a teacher in miami and i know that the times now are a lot like the times during the civil war. because we are a divided nation. it is not as intense as back then but what we need most now is leadership. we got to pull together and -- ♪ pulling together >> all right. now, it is going to take the kind of tremendous leadership that president lincoln had to give this country. all right. that is what we need to get it back on force. ♪ back on the path, yeah, >> okay. so we can have that leadership and it was just a tragedy that he -- lincoln had that leadership and it is a tragedy that he died the way he did. ♪ it is a tragedy baby and i got to say woowee ♪

♪ >> shannon: we are going to be holding auditions for backup dancers and singers here on america's news headquarters. not really. coming up the progressive organization media matters and its public war on the most powerful name in news. we will talk to one of the journalists investigating the tax exempt group who says its mission is educational. we will report and you decide. [ male announcer ] juice drink too watery? ♪ feel the power my young friend. mmm! [ male announcer ] for excellent fruit and veggie nutrition... v8 v-fusion, also refreshing plus tea. could've had a v8.

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>> shannon: new you video of military exercises in iran. they say they have begun two days of land training against possible attacks. iran has also stopped oil estimates to parts of europe in light of imposed sanctions on iran's oil exports. some more video out of iran that caught our attention. 3,000 women being trained to become elite ninja asass sins.

they range from age five to 56 years of age. the training program was first started more than 20 years ago. women trained part time and say if called upon they are ready to step up and defend their country. the gop primary race is tightening and according to candidate newt gingrich home state wins are vital. it is the bottom of the hour. steve centanni standing by with your top stories. >> gop presidential hopeful newt gingrich says a home loss could make mitt romney a very, very damaged candidate. romney's home state of michigan will hold its primary next week. georgia, where gingrich hails from votes on march 6 and rick santorum's home state of pennsylvania does not vote until april. and in texas, ron paul's state, they won't hold their primary until may. a suicide bomber has killed at least 20 people in iraq. the attack happened in baghdad as a group of police recruits

were leaving the academy. the fda has decided to investigate whether inhalable caffeine is safe. aeroshot was introduced in massachusetts and new york last month and it marketed as a dietary supplement. consumers put the cansters to their mouth and breathe in the caffeine. several lawmakers calling on an official investigation of google. at least three want to know if claims that google has been tracking web habits of safari users is a violation of a privacy settlement between the company and the federal trade commission. those are the top stories right now. back to you. >> shannon: thank you very much. right now whitney houston's family and friends are saying final goodbyes. the private burial is taking place in new jersey. still talk of the memorial and who attended and who left early. bobby brown went to the funeral but didn't stay long. he arrived, touched the casket

and walked to the back of the church. brown says he didn't want to cause a seen at the service. a series of human remains found at a dumping grounds that may be the work of a serial killer. >> a suffolk county inspector says it is too early to tell if the human remains are relate to the other four sets found in the area in recent years. but adds to the mysterious events going on on the eastern end of long island. the man says it was an entire body but looked like the corpse had decomposed years ago because trees were growing up through it. >> it appeared to be wrapped in bed sheets and then bagged in large plastic garbage bags and duct taped around and laid out square. when i first saw it, i just saw the top of the skull out. >> police say the state the remains are in suggest the body was dumped about five years ago

but they are bringing in experts to help determine that information as well as the age gender and identity of the person. and also the area has been used as a dumping ground in the past. the remains of two men were discovered in the same wooded area in 2000 and 2003. manorville was also the place where someone dumped pieces of two dismembered women along with 8 other are corpses. one of the women found in the area was identified as a 20-year-old from new york city named jessica taylor. her torso was found four miles away from the site of friday's discovery. we will keep you updated on the investigation as it unfolds. >> shannon: parents of children battling a potentially deadly cancer are on edge today wondering if a drug shortage will delay treatment. one of the families now hoping and praying for a dose of good

news. >> oh lan mcmaster spends his down time killing the bad guys on x box but his doctors are running low on the ammo they need to kill his cancer. the drug used to treat the type of leukemia known as all. >> kind of making me feel pretty bad and i just kind of stick through it. >> owen has done everything asked of him. he doesn't complain or say i don't want to go to get my chemo today. he says anything i have to do to get well, it what i will do. give than a 12-year-old with cancer can have that attitude it is not fair that the drug that he needs will not be available. >> if we don't fix this problem soon children with leukemia are going to die because they can't get the drug. >> his father is a cancer surgeon at the university of louisville and sits on the board of a pharmaceutical company. he says methotrexate is a

generic drug cheap to make which means there is no incentive for the drug producers to promake it. >> it is an absolute embarrassment that the united states of america can't provide its children with the critical drugs that they need to cure them of cancer. >> the fda says it is working aggressively to ensure that the crisis is averted but the mcmasters still worry. in a statement to us the fda writes that the product will be available by the end of this month to meet demand and avert a shortage. >> this is meeting his needs that will keep him alive and as a mother it is not acceptable. we will do whatever it takes if we have to two go to another country for his treatment we will go to another country for his treatment. >> that was bennett haverly. the fda says it is working with four suppliers to ramp up production. nasa honored the 50th anniversary of project mercury. we mistakenly said he was the

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[ male announcer ] these are real tempur-pedic owners. ask someone you know. check out twitter or your friends on facebook. you'll hear it all, unedited. ask me how i wish i'd done this sooner. ask me how it's the best investment i've ever made. [ male announcer ] tempur-pedic brand owners are more satisfied than owners of any traditional mattress brand. ♪ to learn more or find an authorized retailer near you, visit tempurpedic.com. tempur-pedic. the most highly recommended bed in america. if any of the three of us lose our home state, if santorum loses pennsylvania, romney loses michigan or i lose georgia you have a weakened candidacy for any up with of the three of us. i was home campaigning to say to all of my friends back home georgia really matters you cannot take this for granted. >> shannon: that was newt gingrich on "fox news sunday" this morning. he said even if he loses gas it

georgia it doesn't mean he is dropping out. he drove home governor mitt romney's ability to win in michigan where he is trailing santorum. santorum is also doing well in georgia where he is picking up speed with evangelical and tea party voters. as president obama's decision to shift the cost of contra septembecontraceptives settlede debate or reignited it? gentlemen, we thank you both for joining us today. i want to start with you, john. i want to make sure that we understand catholics for choice and your position. do you think the president has settled this or should go even farther? >> when the pilgrims first came to this country they were religious folks running away

from other religious folks in europe trying to kill them. that is the reason we true religious freedom is a two sided coin. freedom of religion and freedom from religion. what the president has done is make contraception affordable for many folks who are hurting these days. birth control can be expensive. he managed to give people a choice of no pay birth control. that matters a lot to american women and matters a lot for planned parenting. catholics use birth control, born again christians tuesday. the idea we give people more choices is something that fiscally conservative voters can get behind. it means providing birth control is a lot less expensive than dealing with unplanned pregnancy. what the president tried to do was to do this in a reasonable way. he already gave an exemption to churches and churches are not included within the plan. but there is big business, big

business that is healthcare. big business that is education. and if the bishops want to play in that area and by the way very often taking taxpayer your dollars, i think they need to play by the same rules as everybody else. is what is fair and that is what is american. >> shannon: let's bring in dr. land. this isn't about contraception, it is about who is going to pay for it. >> it is about conscience. not contraception. are it is about conscience and compelling catholic charities and catholic schools and baptist schools and baptist charities to pay for that which they find unconscionable and we have a first amendment protection against that called freedom of religion. and it is the difference between freedom of worship which is a very constricted right that is the space between your ears and the space between your shoulders and it is just churches, home and church. and freedom of religion which

is more expansive which involves education and catholic charities and baptist charities and this is an attempt by the government to compel people of faith to support and to finance that which they find unconscionable and there is a first amendment protection against it and we are going to insist on our bill of rights. >> shannon: what with the president saying listen i have taken it away from the religious organizations and they will not sh to pay for it and i'm putting the burden on insurance companies. that doesn't solve it for you? >> my question is still it is like putting lipstick on a pig and how dumb does he think we are? southern baptists we self-insurance. we have our own insurance program called guidestone. asking our insurance company which is a southern baptist insurance company to pay for it solves nothing. and by the way, so far the president's compromise is a statement in a speech. the actual reg that was filed on that friday has nothing about the president's compromise in it.

it is his suggestion on the way it might be solved over the next year. go check it out. the actual federal reg has nothing about the president's so-called compromise which is an accounting trick and a distinction without a difference. >> shannon: so mr.-- >> it is very touching to see southern baptists and some of the leadership of the gop get so behind the 350 members of the united states conference of catholic bishops and one wonders what their real motivation in raising this bogus issue actually is. nothing talked about it the consciences of the workers who are at these institutions who you are asking the state to discriminate against. workers are entitled to get contraceptive coverage as part of the affordable care act. the idea that you would discriminate against the consciences of workers and not allowing them to follow their own light in making a decision to use birth control or not. again, i think that that is very unamerican to do that. what we have here with the

provision of contraceptive coverage is actually true religious freedom. the bishop and some fundamentalist christian groups who are involved in the business of taking taxpayer money and provide services whistling what they actually want to do is to not play by the same rules as everybody else. if you are providing services to a victim of sex trafficking that you would not provide that victim of sex trafficking with emergency contraception but want the american people to actually pay for the services that you are providing. i don't think that that is fair and i don't think that that is right and i don't think that is truly following protection of conscience as we understand it as catholics, 98% of sexually active catholic women have used a method of birth control that the bishops don't like. what about their consciences and the consciences of the many againians and born ben cristons who use birth control. religious special interests are trying to carve out for

themselves. pressuring the leadership of the gop and pressuring the democratic party because what they want to be able to do is have their cake and a eat it. take taxpayer money but not play by the same rules as other americans. >> shannon: i will quickly give you the final word. >> the final word is when you can't make an argument to attack motivation of the people you you oppose. the same thing as giving conscientious objector status when we had the draft. no one is saying that these people captain have contraceptives. if you are going to a kosher deli you don't expect to get pork. if you are going to a catholic hospital or working for a catholic charity you ought to expect to have them play by the catholic rules. >> it bogus comparison. >> it is the same thing. >> shannon: we appreciate both of your time very much. thank you for coming in for this important debate. >> great. >> shannon: our gop candidate rick santorum finds himself in the midst of a religious

controversy after questioning president obama's theology at an event for the christian aa liancalliance this weekend. >> it is not about you are your quality of life or about your jobs. it is about some phoney ideal. some phoney theology. oh, not a theology based on the bible. a different theology. >> the president's campaign released a response saying santorum's remarks were "the latest low in a republican primary campaign that has been fueled by distortions, ugliness and seeing pessimism and negativity." santorum says the president practices a different kind of christianity. maryland has approved a measure that will allow gay marriages, joining six other states that allow it. the bill passed not long after governor chris christie vetoed a measure in his state. it will go to the maryland

senate where it is expected to be passed and signed into law. we want to support troops overseas. what is the best way to do that? we will check in with one of our favorite groups always making sure that the specific needs of our troops on the frontline are being met. stay with us. ♪ [ male announcer ] you're at the age where you don't get thrown by curveballs. ♪ this is the age of knowing how to get things done. so, why let erectile dysfunction get in your way? talk to your doctor about viagra. 20 million men already have. ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain; it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach, and abnormal vision. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. this is the age of taking action.

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mandatory evacuation infrared glow rocks and night vision binoculars sound cool. these are necessities provided by a group, troops need you. thank you for coming in. >> thank you, shannon. >> shannon: we he love your updates. you find out specifically what troops need and send those exact items. you have high tech things here today. tell us a little bit about what is the most important thing and why our troops need it. >> what is happening is the pentagon announced as has been in the media that the shift of the burden for fighting afghanistan is going over to special forces. and what that means is they are spreading out into smaller teams and going further and further out into what we call cowboy country or contested territory to try to influence the villagers and locals and things. when you go in the small units and trying to go farther, faster, it -- some of the things you need, you can seuss

some of this technology to called a force enabler or force protection. we have a few things that troops have specifically requested to help them out. >> shannon: tell us about the rock because i had to ask you what that is. really cool and functional for the troops. >> it is called an infrared glow rock. there is a little sensor right there and what that does is you can set this on the ground and if someone walks by it will light up. you would use this say in a village engagement where you are going some where and don't have enough security and not going out there with a huge presence. maybe there is areas that you need protection or you want to know if someone is moving around. you let them out and nobody can see them along a path or roadway and if they light up somebody knows there is somebody walking over there. helpful from a force protection or situational awareness point of view. >> and communications as well, you have a couple of things. >> first of all, night vision binoculars. the troops all have night vision but those are really

designed with for inside very close quarters because the range on those isn't as good. the range here is good. the adversaries know what the ranges are so they tend to go outside those so it is harder for us to see. wrist mounted gps. mount it to their kit or wrist and keep their hands free which you always need. another is a wi-fi enabled video monitor. we have something similar to this for our babies at home but this is a good way for tactical surveillance any time you want to keep eyes on. this is probably the most important element that we are shipping in this particular shipment. a handheld signals intelligence communications frequency intercepter. this is what you need when you are going, say you cross the ridge line to go down into a village or valley all of a sudden people know you are coming and at that moment you want to know who is calling whom to get a sense and maybe what they are saying, maybe

over a radio frequency or cell phone call because maybe that is dangerous to you or you want a sense of who is communicating with whom. troops always go out with these. here is what happens. as they split the teams there is only so many trucks that have this kind of technology and now they are asking we need hand held ones to be able to possibly save our lives and have that advanced warning if someone is saying move your assault element over to that ridge because they are coming this way. our troops need to know that before they start taking fire. >> shannon: you having your own experience in service to our country you saw the need and put together a wonderful charity that meets specific needs of our troops. it can be a lifesaver. we want to let folks know, troops need you .com. people have gotten involved and made it possible for you to send these things. thank you for the work you are doing and all the folks that helped as well in donating to the group. >> your audience has been a big

help. this has been a ministry to me. i love my neighbor, practical application of that and your viewers have been a part of making it possible. thank you. >> shannon: a grandmother gets a second chance at life thanks to her grateful grand daughter. how she paid back years of kindness, next. >> like i had to do it because she has been just a fantastic strong woman. and she saved my life. [ male announcer ] you love the taste of 2% milk. but think about your heart. 2% has over half the saturated fat of whole milk. want to cut back on fat and not compromisen taste?

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[ babbling ] ...covergirl. that's what i'm talking about. see? what did you just say? i'm looking for some "beeza-beeza-vuza-vuza." he asked a million times are you sure you want to do this but i had no doubt in my mind i was going to do it. >> shannon: a thankful woman in the nation's capital gave the gift of life to the grandmother who raised her. she volunteered to donate her kidney to her sick grandmother doris. happy news to report. both are doing fine and doris says she is excited to get back to work in her yard again this summer. wishing them all the best. we love hearing from you at home. who do you think is responsible for the budget gridlock here in washington. hundreds weighed in today on twitter and facebook. here are some of your responses. karen says obama is the problem for most current issues in this country. tim writes republicans don't want obama to do anything. they block him.

ely wrote the budget problem is the fault of all of us. we vote these people into office. thank you for sharing. we love to hear from you. today is our twitterversary. three years ago we started tweeting. we thank you for your support and all of your responses over the years. keep them coming. and please encourage your followers to follow us at anhgdc. i'm shannon bream. that is it for america's news headquarters here in washington. "fox news sunday" is up next. chris wallace has two exclusive interviews. first, he sits down with presidential candidate newt gingrich to talk to him about getting some wins back on the board going into the all important final primaries. and super tuesday. after that, house majority leader eric cantor talks about the president's budget and what happens next in washington. in case you missed it we leave you with super cute video taking you tube by storm. a little five month old guy learned a thing or two from h