two, crucial days ahead. a america is at a tipping point when it comes to cushing gun violence. >> when newtown, aurora and tucson, all sides are m co-ing to the table. >> tahman bradley joins us now from washington. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, sunny and rob. the obama administration does not want to lose momentum for new gun legislation. they think now is the moment to act. so, the vice president is bringing together all of the stake holders this week at the white house. the white house is speeding up efforts to reach a consensus on new gun legislation. a task force on gun violence, headed by vice president biden, will meet with victim groups and gun control advocates today. and gun owners groups on thursday. >> it's not a problem that can be solved by any specific action. it encompasses mental health,

education, as well as access to guns. >> reporter: with the one-month anniversary of the shooting at newtown, connecticut, approaching, washington is pressured to take immediate action. gabby giffords who was injured by a gunman two years ago, is taking a prominent role in the gun debate. giffords and her husband have pushed for congressional action, on mental health, high-capacity gun magazines and background checks to purchase a gun. >> i bought a gun at walmart recently. and i got a background check. >> reporter: the shock over the elementary school shooting has led many communities to offer gun buyback programs. >> if we can prevent one child, one innocent bystander from being the victim of a random accident, or the target of an unstable person, it will be well worth our time and effort. >> reporter: but at the same time, gun stores say their merchandise is flying off the shelf. >> people want to be able to

protect themselves. >> reporter: the biden task force hopes to make recommendations by the end of the month. and president obama may act before congress by executive order. sunny and rob? >> do we have any idea what the vice president and his group will ultimately propose? >> well, president obama says he would like to see the assaults weapons ban reinstated. and maybe a background check database, they're considering. they're also thinking of making gun trafficking a felony and restricting high-capacity magazines. but we'll see. >> tahman bradley, thank you so much for joining us from washington. more gut-wrenching evidence in a high-profile gun violence case. tapes from 911 calls made moments after the aurora theater shooting were played by prosecutors. one of the calls lasted 27 seconds. but 30 gunshots are heard in that time. detectives testified that suspected gunman james holmes acted bizarrely during their

questioning of him. one officer testified that holmes pretended that paper bags on his hands were puppets. his attorneys claim he is mentally ill. the wife of a former fbi agent who was kidnapped in iran has released a new series of images of her husband. robert levinson is shown draped in chains and dressed in what appears to be a mock prison uniform. he holds a sign. one reads, quote, help me. levinson was kidnapped on a business trip in 2007. and for the first time, the white house is suggesting that it might not -- that it might leave no u.s. troops in afghanistan after december 2014. that goes against the pentagon view that thousands of troops would be needed to stay indefinitely to help keep al qaeda in check. some analysts say floating this idea woucould be a negotiating

strategy, ahead of the meeting with hamid karzai at the white house. there's a bad dream for boeing this morning. another 787 dreamliner jets had a problem. this time, a fuel leak. it was the second incident for the dreamliner in as many days at boston's logan airport. on monday, a fire started in a battery on a japan airlines jet while it was being readied for another flight. iceland air confirmed it had to restrain a passenger because he was hitting people, screaming profanities and spitting. you might remember there was a spill picture of the guy last week. now, this cell phone video has surfaced. passengers claim the man had drunken an entire bottle of duty-free liquor. he was met by police when the plane landed in new york. on capitol hill, the new question may be how low can it go? meaning how far can public opinion of congress continue to sink? 9% of people in a new national

survey had a favorable view of congress. and the public policy poll put lawmakers up against notoriously negative things. and found that congress is less popular, less popular, than cockroaches, traffic jams, root canals, even lice. >> my, my. >> man. time, now, for the weather around the nation. stormy from houston to new orleans. heavy rain, gusty winds and the possibility of a tornado. the rain will move into atlanta by dinner time. early snowshowers in rochester, new york, and burlington, vermont. rain in the pacific northwest. >> it's practically a spring-like day for much of the nation. temperatures rising in the northeast about 15 degrees warmer than usual. we have 40s in salt lake city, seattle and portland. colorado springs and kansas city are in the mid-50s. pleasant in miami at 83. when we come back this

morning, if you've been holding out for a cheaper iphone, your wait could soon be over. then, it's on. the price-matching war that started over the holidays is here to stay. and shoppers will be the winners. and a tough day at work for a sheriff's deputy. on the los

welcome back, everybody. a tough decision, today, for the biggest company to get a government bailout. aig's board will decide whether to join a lawsuit charging the bailout cheated shareholders. if aig did not join the suit, it could be sued by those investors. but many are calling aig ungrateful for even thinking about it. and it may take a little

longer to get your tax refund this year because of the impasse over that fiscal cliff. the irs will start processing tax returns eight days later than usual. the tax agency needs the extra time to program its computers and print its forms. and apple may be feeling the heat from the competition. less-expensive android phones are taking market share from the iphone. so, "the wall street journal" says the company is working on a cheaper iphone. apple could launch it later this year or scrap it entirely. target is feeling the heat, too. its stores will now match prices from its top competitors' websites all year, not just at christmas. those sites are best buy, toys "r" us, walmart, amazon and even target.com. the retailer hopes to stop what's known as showrooming where customers check out products in stores and then order online for less. and don't be surprised if on your next visit to disney world the characters greet your kids

by name. as part of modernizing the magic kingdom, visitors will get digital wristbands that contain information about them. they'll be able to pay for food and souvenirs and even reserve a place in line. disney, of course, is the parent company of abc news. and when we come back, hot on her trail. we'll show you the suspect being called the bank robber babe. and the country's flu crisis has hospitals scrambling to set up emergency tents to care for the people who need it most. [ ariel ] my mother was never into our coffee at all. she would only get a splash of coffee in her cup and then fill the rest up with cream and it -- mommy, what's going on? what are you doing? so when we did the blonde roast, she finally went from a splash of coffee to only a splash of cream. and i thought that was so cool, i said "well she's enjoying this." ♪

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or lasts longer than children's motrin. be ready with children's motrin. ♪ ♪ ♪ grown in america. picked and packed at the peak of ripeness. the same essential nutrients as fresh. del monte. bursting with life. firefighters in australia are battling dozens of wildfires as the country suffers through record high temperatures. the thermometers soared to 113 degrees in some areas. and the national parks were evacuated. authorities are warning that hot, dry and windy conditions were combining to raise the threat to its highest alert

level. now, we'll take a look at your morning road conditions here at home. stormy along i-10, from houston to new orleans. wet roads around seattle and portland. snowy on the roadways in el paso. >> and it looks to be a good day for air travel with delays in only three cities. houston, memphis and dallas. it's the health crisis not going away anytime soon. it's this year's fast-moving flu outbreak. >> and some hospital emergency rooms are so taxed, some paramedics are forced to take patients elsewhere. here's abc's larry jacobs. >> reporter: the season strain of the flu virus is so vicious, several major hospitals in the chicago area had to take action. emergency rooms were so overburdened with patients, ambulance operators bypassed them. illinois is reporting at least five deaths. 150 flu patients have been admitted to intensive care units. special tents have gone up outside a hospital in allentown, pennsylvania, to treat flu

symptoms. >> having trouble breathing is a clean sign you need to seek medical attention. >> reporter: the old and young seem to be most at risk. a dallas 6-year-old may be the latest. her grandparents say her symptoms were so bad, they took her to an e.r. where they waited hours for a doctor. >> they checked her ears. vitals were all good. told me what to do and make sure she got a lot of fluid. >> reporter: she was discharged. and hours later, she was dead. hospital administrators insist proper procedures were followed. doctors are telling everyone, it's not too late to get a flu shot. but in some areas, including this oklahoma drugstore, demand is up and supplies are running out. larry jacobs, abc news, new york. washington's national cathedral will soon begin performing same-sex marriage ceremonies. the 106-year-old church will become one of the nation's first episcopal congregations to implement marriage equality.

the cathedral dean says including gays and lesbians in the former rite of marriage is what jesus would have done. they're calling her the bank robber babe. and police in scottsdale, arizona, are on her trail. surveillance video caught the 20-something woman at a chase branch on monday. she was nicely made up with what looked to be freshly-styled hair and had on red gloves, as you see there. the suspect never showed a weapon. and thankfully, no one was hurt. and a florida road was turned into a rodeo when a truck hauling 32 bulls blew a tire and crashed, touching off a free-for-all. one bull ran down a sheriff's officer in the middle of the road. that officer is okay, by the way. but a runaway bull was shot and killed in what turned out to be a six-hour struggle to corral those animals and reopen the highway. disgraced cycling legend lance armstrong may be about to come clean about the doping allegations that cost him all seven of his tour de france titles.

armstrong is sitting down with oprah winfrey, for what is being billed as a no-holds-barred exclusive interview to air next week. armstrong is expected to address the charges he used performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career. thousands of mans swarm the tuscaloosa airport, to welcome the coming home of the crimson tide after the drubbing of notre dame. now, for the rest of sports highlights, here's our friends at espn news. >> good morning. i'm doug kezirian with your "sportscenter" update. we start in the nba. and kobe bryant put it best. when it rains, it pours. pau gasol and dwight howard, out indefinitely. l.a. in houston. steve nash, a milestone night. his 10,000th career assist, fittingly on a pick and roll. as for the game, the lakers led by as many as 14. but rockets rallied. jeremy lin with a long two.

and then, later in the third, rockets up nine. james harden with the dunk and the foul. fourth quarter, harden, from distance. l.a. falls, fourth-straight loss. also 4 games below .500. elsewhere, defending champs, starting a six-game road trip. miami, 7-6, away from south beach. dwyane wade buries the three. 66 of miami's 77 points. lebron james to the rack. 22 points. 33rd-straight game with at least 20 points to start the season. second-most all-time. later, lance stephenson, deep for the three. and then, paul george, coming off the pick. he hits a three. 29 points, 11 rebounds. his seventh double-double. the pacers beat the heat, 87-77. a season-low in points for miami. pacers also out-rebounded the

heat 55-36. have a great day. coming up next, "the pulse." and who was snubbed and who got some love as nominations roll in for award season? and jimmy kimmel, joking his way into his brand-new time slot. and he had a little help from his friends. stay with us, everybody. [ female announcer ] how do you define your moment? the blissful pause just before that rich sweetness touches your lips. the delightful discovery, the mid-sweetening realization that you have the house all to yourself. well, almost. the sweet reward, making a delicious choice that's also a smart choice. splenda no-calorie sweetener. with the original sugar-like taste you love and trust. splenda makes the moment yours.

in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion.

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live" debuted in its new time slot last night. it moved a half-hour earlier to better compete with the other shows. >> jennifer aniston was his first guest, destroying his desk. joking that she thought it was the old one. and it had bits that jimmy is known for, including celebs reading very mean tweets about themselves. >> dr. phil, why don't you shut the [ bleep ] up, you bald-headed, big-mouthed hillbilly. >> my asian orthodontist, says jessica biel has horse teeth. >> that kirstie alley is a dirty whore. there, i said it. thank you. >> i'm not being mean. but why does anderson cooper remind me of dinosaurs? [ bleep ] you. >> how do you really feel, anderson? best of luck, jimmy.

enjoy that new time slot. and still catch "nightline," just an hour later. >> we get some mean tweets, right? i don't read mine. >> really. movie award season is kicking into high-gear. this morning, the british version of the oscars announced its nominees. and it would appear they like our work. >> the historic bio pic "lincoln" leads the race with ten nominations. including best picture and three acting awards. but director steven spielberg was left off the list, surprisingly. the brits also liked the epic musical "les mis" giving it nine nominations. also, with nine nods, "life of pi." the winners will be announced february 10th. and "lincoln" was just incredible, in my view. >> i've got to go see it. i'm slow to the theaters, always. but i want to see it. here at home, we're saluting the worst that hollywood has to offer, with the golden raspberry awards, affectionately known as the razzies. >> and despite earning close to $1 billion at the box office,

the "twilight saga: breaking dawn 2" racked up 11 nominations. worst actor, worst director, and worst picture. they called it the final showdown that will determine the fate of romantic but boring monsters everywhere. and in my view, i feel that that's particularly harsh. >> we have a little extra time on the show today. i know you're a huge fan of the series. take a second and just say it. >> i don't know what's going on. i mean, i thought there would be some oscar nods. >> oh, really? really? >> at least something. >> as a grown woman, what do you like about that movie? i have always wondered that. >> it's romantic, rob. >> oh, yes. >> he says he wants to love her forever. >> yes. it is right up there with "citizen kane." for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, we'll be back with gabby giffords and a portrait of strength. it for us.

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>> live from the kgo broadcast center, this is abc seven news. >> good wednesday morning. it is 4:28. i am kristen sze. >> i am fine, thank you for asking. now the forecast, we have a chill coming, mike nicco is back to tell us more. >> we have cooler weather in transition. it could be a few showers. you can see on live doppler 7 hd it is going to be a quiet start to the morning as far as the wet weather. there is some fog. pretty quiet this morning. the fog will lift to clouds. i put sprinkles on the map. the green is showing up which scattered and light showers today. be prepared for that. temperatures are cooler in the mid-50's. >> good morning, everyone. it is light out there this

morning traffic-wise with areas of road work the northern part of the golden gate bridge span is down to one lane northbound. there are two lanes southbound because of the road work. the "caution" signs are lit. eastbound highway 4 you have road work until 5:00 a.m. westbound is moving nicely from antioch. both directions of 101 between poplar and 92 you have road work until 6:00. >> in the news investigators with the national transportation safety board will try to hit the ground running as they join the probe into why an oil tanker hit the bay bridge. now live to treasure island. the pilot was warned he was off course? >> yes, the coast guard telling abc7 that the bar pilot got a warning and the 750' long oil

tanker, "overseas raymar", sitting here in san francisco bay, anchored between alcatraz and treasure island. the warning did come but it did not prevent the ship from hitting the bridge but it may have prevented a far worse accident. the investigation continues. look at the coast guard officials boarding the "overseas raymar" yesterday conducting their investigation and the national transportation safety department with their investigation when the oil tanker sideswiped the base of the tower on the west side. the coast guard has found out that it appears fog suspected earlier perhaps not a factor. also, the bar pilot got the warning. >> ntbs was in constant communication with the pilot before the incident. >> do you know what was being said and how the ship got off course? >> i don't have that information. the coast guard is investigating. >> a national transportati