definitively if the traffic study line is true. and if it's proven to not be true, what happens to chris christie then? good wednesday morning. mega millionaires, the second largest lottery jackpot has two grand prize winners. we'll tell you where. blackhawk down. six u.s. soldiers pay the ultimate price in afghanistan as war against the taliban rages on. battle in big sur. hundreds of fire fighters are facing raging flames and thick smoke in california's driest season on record. plus, police chief for a day brings joy and shaq to a a-year-old. the voice crowns a new winner during a star studded evening. and president obama sends a clear message to russia about anti-gay policies.

chris has come early for these two people in california and georgia who have winning lottery tickets for last night's massive jackpot. both tickets match all six mega millions winning numbers which are 8, 14, 17, 20, and 39 with a mega ball of 7. the california ticket was sold at jenny's gift shop in san jose. the store owner said he was contacted by lottery officials and hasn't been able to sleep since. the winning ticket in georgia was purchased at gateway newsstand in atlanta. the winners have yet to come forward f there had been no winner tonight, the jackpot would have approached the $1 billion mark for friday's drawing. instead, we have two new millionaires in our midst. there are more questions than answers this morning in reno, nevada, after a fatal shooting. police say a gunman opened fire at a medical center killing one person before taking his own life. two others were injured including a doctor. both are in chris call condition. police say the gunman fired

several rounds on the third floor inside the sender for advanced medicine and urology. the medical center was put in lockdown amid the chaos. the motive is unclear. turning now to afghanistan. the single deadliest incident for u.s. forces there in more than a year. six americans are dead after the soldiers blackhawk help captainer crashed. it's unclear whether it was because of enemy fire or mechanic failure. >> reporter: there were two u.s. army blackhawk helicopters flying in tandem over southern afghanistan when without warning one of the blackhawks suddenly dropped from the sky. the u.s. military launched a rescue peopteam but it was too . sixst crew were killed. only one survived with serious injuries. the incident occurred in the province in southern afghanistan where taliban fighters remain a

serious threat. there are currently some 43,000 american forces in harm's way in afghanistan. under a pending security agreement with the afghan government, that number could drop to 7,000 to 10,000 by the end of 2014. but would commit u.s. forces to another ten years in afghanistan. to train afghan military forces and keep al qaeda in check. >> al qaeda would still love nothing more than to be able to say after 12 years of combat that they outlasted us. turning now to washington and a rare moment of bipartisanship that expected at the capitol. the senate is expected to give agreement to a two year budget agreement. tracie potts joins us with the late latest. >> what's happening here is there is still opposition but by all indications will lawmakers said publicly how they voted so

far. it seems to strongly suggest that we could have a budget in place by the end of the day. >> the motion is agreed to. the house approved it and left. today it's up to the senate to send the president a $1 trillion budget for the next two years. >> we're seeing, you know, washington do some of the things it's supposed to do. congress do some of the things it's supposed to do. >> it's not the spending plan everyone here wanted. ut would prevent another government shutdown on january sa 15th. in it budget, more money for the pentagon and other areas that saw deep cuts this year. a medicare fix so doctors can get paid for the next three months. and higher fees for corporations and airline tickets. but no new taxes. no more unemployment extensions, higher pension contributions for federal workers and smaller increases for retired veterans. >> people who serve 20 years in the united states military, their spay going to be cut as

much as $70,000 for staff sergeant over there. and we need to think about that. >> reporter: this budget would erase $23 billion in red ink just a fraction of what the nation owes. >> it is certainly not the comprehensive agreement that the american people deserve. >> reporter: a late afternoon vote and an early christmas gift to the nation. and the senate is in a hurry to get this done. they want to get it done and on the president's desk so he can sign it before he leaves on vacation later this week. >> all right. thanks so much. the massi ivive wildfire continues to rage on. it grown to one square mile in size and destroyed 2 # buildings including 14 homes. onest houses destroyed belonged to big sur fire chief martha carsto in. s who was trying to function as a chief for now. there are 830 firefighters on the scene hoping the wind he could operates with them today.

another local who lost his home said it was raining fire everywhere you looked. and turning now to sports. good morning. >> good wednesday. president obama choosing two openly gay athletes to represent the u.s. at the olympics. a clear messagest president's view against russia's ban on gay propaganda. hockey star kaitlyn kahow and billie jean king will walk in the opening and closing ceremonies. it's the first time since 2000, a president, vice president or former first lady will not be there. the uconn women dominating the duke blue devils here. a career high, count them, seven of those. seven three pointers. huskies, 83-61. time-out. time-out. michigan state coach tom izzo here grabbing the mike, gives a ka grat la torre speech for the retired referee. he officiated for three decades.

he's known instead of giving technicals to pull players aside and say just knock it off. the trail blazers down the caps 119-116. check out this last second shot. damon willard icing the team there. justin tucker gets thank yous from all over the world for his 61 yard game winning field goal over detroit. green bay packers qb aaron rodgers saying, unbelievable. that 61 yarder was amazing. it's amazing that we're sitting here 7-6-1 with a chance to win two and then be in the playoffs. thank you amazings ravens kicker for keeping us barely alive packers in the hunt. legatron is greater than mega tron. three carolina pan theshgsz by the way, including cam newton took 20 kids on a shopping spree. they also got head phones and backpacks. the kids were selected based on how much they needed help.

and the kids' schools also got $25,000 grants from cam newton's foundation. his father was also on site to help out. >> that is the christmas spirit. >> that's a family. adrenaline junkies. this is for you. first super man double back flip. he makes it. it's never been landed before on a mountain bike. what do you think? give him a ten on that one. >> unbelievable. i can hardly look. you know, i'm cringing. >> good thing your kid is very young right now. you don't have to worry about that yet. >> she will never do that, mark my words. now for a look at the weather. here is bill karins. are you saying i'm not going to be able to control my children. is that what you're saying? >> we all say we can when they're 2. the storm is leaving new england. the roads are slick. there's black ice out there. there's cold shoveling to be done. there are still snow showers coming off the great lakes. this is the coldest morning for

a while. after you walk out the door this morning, you're going to want it. the wind chill in boston with six inch oes on the ground. we're going to warm up in the eastern half of the country. all the starmyness is in the middle of the country. rain and snow on the backside of the storm, too. look at the changes coming your way. a coal morning in d.c. who did not get the snow yesterday. you could be up into 60 to 70-degree range. that is t-shirt weather by sunday. back in chicago, different story for you. you're not going to see that warmth. you're going to be on the backside of the storm. you could be dealing with ice and snow by saturday and sunday. not a lot of travel trouble out there today. we deserve a break. areas of the mid-atlantic and great lakes, it's been a brutal start to winter. >> amazing to seat temperature swings. >> it will be a little shocking this weekend. you still want to put the big coat on. >> thank you so much, bill. toronto's favorite punching bag mayor cuts a rug. we'll show you the video. plus, an incredible story of a

man and dog who really is his best friend. it's donut friday at the office. and i'm low man on the totem pole. so every friday morning they send me out to get the goods. but what they don't know is that i'm using my citi thankyou card at the coffee shop, so i get 2 times the points. and those points add up fast. so, sure, make me the grunt.

'cause i'll be using those points to help me get to a beach in miami. and allllllll the big shots will be stuck here at the cube farm. the citi thankyou preferred card. now earn 2x the points on dining out and entertainment, with no annual fee.to apply, go to citi.com/thankyoucards ♪ through 12 blizzards blowing ♪ 6 snowballs flying ♪ 5 packages addressed by toddlers ♪ ♪ that's a q ♪ 4 lightning bolts ♪ 3 creepy gnomes ♪ 2 angry geese ♪ and a giant blow-up snowman ♪ that kind of freaks me out [ beep ] [ female announcer ] no one delivers the holidays like the u.s. postal service. priority mail flat rate is more reliable than ever. and with improved tracking up to 11 scans, you can even watch us get it there. and look for our limited edition holiday stamps.

karl pierson has written on his arm the latin phrase meaning the dye has been cast. he wrot the numbers and letters for rooms in the building including the library where he planned to kill a teacher. two astronauts will perform a series of space walks to repair a broken cooling pump on the international space station. in toronto, mayor rob ford danced along with other city council members to celebrate an agreement to promote a live music along with austin, texas. and since the austin city council ends their meetings with music, toronto did the same. morgan stewart who suffers from spinal muscular atrophy was honorary sheriff for a day in

georgia. hundreds turned out to participate and even nba great shaquille o'neal made a special appearance much to morgan's delig delight. the winner of the voice is tessmine chin. >> she was the big winner on nbc's blockbuster "the voice," along with winning the crown for herself and adam levine, she'll receive $100,000 and a record deal. now here is a first look at business. we turn to cnbc. >> good morning. here's our news that we're watching. a super sized talent agency is in the works. reports say william morris has a deal with merge with img for $2.3 billion. img represents celebrities such as justin timber lake and taylor swift. retailers are rolling out the red carpet to help the last

minute shoppers. there are extended hours. best buy is using at which timer to promote deals and several stores embraced to day as free shipping wednesday. and investors are waiting the fed's decision this afternoon. the central bank is expected to signal they may start cutting back on the economic stimulus programs early next year. >> thanks so much. i'm all about that free shipping wednesday. republicans are dropping like flies making 2014 all the more interesting. we'll have details coming up next. you give them the giggles. tylenol cold® helps relieve your worst cold and flu symptoms. but for everything we do, we know you do so much more. tylenol cold®.

but for everything we do, welife's an adventureh more. and it always has been. but your erectile dysfunction - it could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet

approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial. [ ding ] cheese plate? cheese plate. no, i made something better. you used the oven? boom. [ male announcer ] pillsbury crescents. make the holidays pop. ♪

and now here's your "scrambled politics." it's the season for retirements. republicans tom latham of iowa and frank wolf of virginia and jim mathis son made separate announcements on tuesday. they join six other gop house reps bringing the total number of retirement announcements to at least nine but just one democrat. is it because federal employee morale is at a record low? satisfaction is under 58% compared with 78% satisfaction in the private sector. mitch mcconnell's morale might drop once he hears this. a ppp poll finds republican lead certificate least popular snar in the country. 31% of voters approve of the job he's doing. 61% disapprove. he is also neck and neck with his senate challenger democrat

alice son grimes. he is leading in the poll by just one point. in alabama, bradley burn wins the special election for the state's vacant first conditioningtial district seat. elizabeth warren says your credit score should not cost you a job. she introduced legislation that would prevent employer discrimination. >> people ought to be able to get out there and compete for a job based on whether or not they can do the job. not based on whether or not they can pay their bills or whether or not they've had a problem in the past. >> and here's someone war sen familiar with. scott brown, well, the dnc is taking a swipe at the republican, posting a politician for hire ad on craig's list. according to the ad, the qualifications including willing to relocate to multiple states and will replace vehicle tags for state of alleged residence. brown announced tuesday he

intends to establish residency and register to vote in new hampshire. and president obama says he wishes washington were more like house of cards. the series features a ruthless majority whip played by kevin spacey. listen to what obama said to tech executives at the white house. among them, netflix's ceo. >> i wish things were that ruthlessly taken. that's true. i was looking at kevin spacey, man this guy is getting a lot of stuff done. >> and that's your morning's dish of "scrambled politics." and joining me now for our first look at politics is "washington post" reporter ed o'keefe. he joins us from washington. good morning, ed. >> good morning. >> so let's start with these congressional retirements that we just reported on. as we mentioned, they're more likely to favor democrats. but how significant of a factor do you think there will be in helping democrats to overcome a 17-seat deficit to retake the

house? >> in both cases, there's a chance the democrats could pick up the seats in iowa and virginia. but really what the retirement signal is that folks that have been in congress now for, you know, more than ten years, risen through the ranks don't really see incentive to stick around anymore. latham and wolf used to work for the house appropriations committee. it's not controlled by a bunch of tea party guys that don't put a lot of value in seniority. >> turning to the senate where the report is to pass the budgets, senator mccain called republicans who plan to vote no on the bill lacking intellectual integri integrity. where is there such a disconnect now? >> the one big concern among those republicans opposed to this is the fact that military retirees, folks who put in a considerable amount of time in the service and retiring maybe in their mid 40s are going to see a slight decline in the cost of living adjustments until they

hit their 60s again. they argue these are people who shouldn't necessary sli to suffer but that the negotiators turn around and say for years we've been asking federal employees to take pay cuts, to not see as big an increase in their pensions. it's time to spread that pain across the rest of the government. and mccain understand that's. others understand that. this budget will pass easily later today. >> and paul ryan wants to become the next head of house ways and means. after the 2012 campaign, there was assumption he had his eye on the white house. is he positioning himself to be a congressional power player than president? >> this is one of the biggest parlor games on capitol hill. he's going to try to become chairman of the tax writing committee in the house. it's the most powerful. some suggest this signals that he's interested more in perhaps one day becoming speaker of the house than in running for president. but either way, it's expected that he'll continue to rise through the ranks and he hasn't ruled out running for president in 2016. but certainly becoming head of

this big committee suggests he's more interested in staying on capitol hill than moving down the street to the white house. >> all right. we'll keep an eye on him, of course. "washington post" ed o'keefe, thank you for your time. coming up, bill karins and richard will be here for "first buzz." we will tell you about the story of man's real best friend. it's amazing. you don't want to miss it and it's coming up. afghanistan in 2009. on the u.s.s. saratoga in 1982. [ male announcer ] once it's earned, usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaa's commitment to serve current and former military members and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve.

time now for "first buzz." the story we're talking about this morning, i just mentioned during the break that my house growing up there is wine and cigars for santa. my dad is italian.

>> cigars and wine? >> the santa in my house needed cigars and wine. this is a really great story. a blind man in new york city is on the subway tracks. he has a seeing eye dog with him. the dog starts barking to alert him. the man falls on to the tracks. the dog without hesitation according to witnesses jumps on to the tracks after him, starts nudging him and licking him trying to wake him up. then the train comes, it passes over both of them. they both survive. the dog completely unscathed. the man, as can you see in this photo has injuries to his head but otherwise is okay. >> the train went over them? >> the train went over them. >> so the dog -- >> i can't believe that -- the dog laid down and wnt down there to try to save him. >> how old ishe? >> 11 years old. the twist in the story is that man now says the dog is retiring in january and he can't afford to keep him as a pet because insurance pays for him as a seeing eye dog. >> time to get the spare change out. >> now this was -- led us to

santa is your story. >> that's a hard act to follow. yes, we were talking about santa durgt break. the question is gift registries for kids. are they too presumptuous? does it encourage the wrong thought process? >> i don't think it's any different than make ag wish list to santa. >> i have relatives that would love it. >> what did do you? >> i ended up sending a facebook message about what my kids want. >> i would write a letter to sant why. and i didn't get everything i wanted. i put a puppy on the lits every year. it never happened. >> we totally believe in santa but we did not do those things. >> the kid gets the wrong gift. but one economistist said that cost of mismatching gifts per year is $14 billion to the economy. >> bill, you have some quick photos? >> you don't think i can do this. five photos. that is the citadel. that is a palace, the utah river. looks like the river is above. and we have the island of love

off the coast of croatia. or naples, italy. or my favorite this was actually an artist that the one that made this picture of this kid in a field. >> amazing. >> that's in belfast, ireland. >> i'll never doubt you again. >> done. i think john boehner is one of the prime examples of worthless, worthless republicans. >> this is basically democrat light. >> the speaker is absurd. >> the speaker demonstrated a poverty of leadership. the speaker demonstrated he can only -- >> he just got 332 votes. >> he did get 332 votes because he got the democrats to vote with limb. >> the democrats. boehner helped broker the most basic of compromises to keep the government functioning at the current incredibly pathetic levels. with a promise november

shutdowns for a couple of years. it would be like if mayor rob ford's new year's resolution was i promise to maintain my present level of crack smoking. >> all right. so congress has to get all its work done so everyone can go home for the holidays. and that means the senate moves forward with a vote today on a budget deal that already passed john boehner's house. also, relations between the u.s. and russia only getting more tense. no one from the white house is going to the olympics as mr. putin pledges billions to try to support the ukrainian government which is still taking serious heat for backing out of a european union trade deal. so who is more overexposed, rob ford or ron burgundy? tough call. we're not sick of a dancing mayor ford. at least not yet. this is "way too early."