making news in america this morning. >> the motion is adopted. >> an overnight vote on capitol hill means that dreaded spike in your taxes will not happen. but members of both parties voice their frustration. did not have sarah palin's support. she opens up about the bill and more in a new interview with our robin roberts. and larry king's good-bye. a nightly staple signs off. good morning.ith us. read my lips. no new taxes.

last night, the house worked overtime and finally approved that compromise tax package just after midnight. it extends the bush-era tax cuts for everyone for two more years. >> and now, that bill is on its way to the president, who is expected to sign it later today. karen travers joins us now with how the vote went down. good morning, karen. >> reporter: good morning, rob. before this vote was passed with bipartisan support, both democrats and republicans expressed their displeasure. after months of fierce negotiation and contentious compromise, the house of representatives passed a temporary extension of all of the push tax cuts. >> on this vote, the yeas are 277. the theys are 148. the motion is adopted. >> reporter: the senate easily passed the same measure on wednesday. the $858 billion tax plan will extend the bush tax plan for two more years.

extend unemployment benefits for an additional 13 months for approximately 9 million americans. and provide $400 billion in tax cuts and credits, aimed at boosting the struggling economy. with this legislation, the average u.s. household with an income of nearly $50,000, will continue to keep its tax cut of over $2,000. the most contentious element of the bill, the extension of tax breaks for the wealthy. the 5% of americans making more than $250,000. as a candidate, mr. obama promised to roll back the cuts and keep those for the middle class. with republicans threatening to hold up all of the extensions, democrats backed down. democrats were outraged. but president obama said compromise was necessary. >> this isn't an abstract debate. this is real money, for real people, that will make a real difference in the lives of the folks who sent us here. >> reporter: last night, members of the president's party continued to vent their frustration. >> it gives away $120 billion to the super rich. >> reporter: republicans said the bill was the best they could

get right now. >> this tax deal is not perfect. >> reporter: none of the provisions in this bill are paid for. so, as democrats and republicans fight about spending and cuts, these tax cuts are going to add nearly $1 trillion to the skyrocketing national deficit. rob and vinita? >> karen travers live in washington this morning. thank you. sarah palin, for one, thinks the plan is a, quote, lousy deal. in an exclusive interview with "good morning america" anchor robin roberts, palin said extending the push tax cuts for only two years creates too much uncertainty for businesses. palin said she is thankful that obama give tax cuts to the wealthy, too. although, she doesn't call it a compromise. >> it is a flip-flop on his position on taxes because he was so adamant about not allowing the tax cut extension to take place for job creators. all of a sudden, one day, he was fine with it. >> palin also opens up about her kids and even takes robin

snowmobiling. don't miss the interview this morning on "good morning america." travel stress just got a little more stressful, with a new warning about terror attacks possibly coming over the holidays. state and local law enforcement have been warned about the threats. but no specific plots have been uncovered here in the u.s. the warnings follow claims from rebels who have been captured in iraq. at the same time, riders of washington, d.c.'s metro system will be subject to random bag inspections. the searches are not in reaction to any particular threat. with memories of the massacre at ft. hood, texas, still fresh, officials at a north carolina base weren't taking any chances last night. they put pope air force base on lockdown after a shooting incident in which no one was injured. the extra security measures have now been lifted and a soldier is in custody. also in custody this morning, an unemployed japanese man who attacked passengers on a bus with a knife. four people were stabbed and nine others were hurt trying to get away. most of the injured were

students on their way to school. the man confessed, saying he wanted to end his life. he has already been charged with attempted murder. julian assange is free on bail this morning. but the wikileaks founder says a secret u.s.-grand jury is considering espionage charges and may indict him. assange said being jailed was a good experience for a journalist. but that his current situation may be more of a problem. >> why i am free, am under house arrest, in a way that seriously interferes with my privacy. as an investigative journalist dealing with the most sensitive material in the world and sensitive sources. >> assange is confined to a friend's mansion north of london. but he will have unlimited use of the internet. stay tuned. julian assange will talk live with george stephanopoulos coming up on "good morning america." the security guard that may have saved many lives by

shooting the crazed gunman at a school board meeting says he's not a hero. mike jones, a retired police officer, came forward yesterday with an emotional account of the ordeal. he said he was peeking through the door, when he saw clay duke take aim at the board. >> i saw him square up like this, in front of the superintendent with both hands. i thought, here we go. it's on. i fired two more rounds and hit him twice. and he went down. then, his arm came up. and he was firing at me. >> duke, as you know, then shot and killed himself. jones expressed grief over his death, saying his heart goes out to duke's family. snow has stopped out in west virginia. but the roads are so treacherous this morning, as all the melting snow refreezes. several inches of snow had many cars and trucks slipping and sliding off highways yesterday. a real mess. plows even had a tough time keeping up, etch on the most heavily-traveled roads. now, for a look at this morning's weather from around the country. rainy across much of california, from san diego up to sacramento.

up to two feet of snow in the see areas. rain and mountain snow in the southern rockies. snowshowers around the great lakes. meanwhile, rain from northern minnesota into michigan. showers in savannah, tallahassee, and new orleans. >> 78 degrees in miami. 53 in atlanta. and 34 in new york. a bitter 11 degrees in fargo. 13 in minneapolis. and 29 in detroit. phoenix will climb to 62 degrees. and 20 in billings. coming up next, a weight warning for anyone who eats lunch at their desk. then, an abc news investigation. gaping holes in airport security. guns and knives missed by screeners. how safe are we? and a brawl breaks out in parliament, sending some lawmakers to the hospital.

overseas stocks are mostly higher to end the week. tokyo's nikkei average was down slightly this morning. but hong kong's hang seng is higher. and in london, the ftse opened slightly higher, as well. on wall street, the dow was up 41 points yesterday. the nasdaq rose 20 points. hybrid cars are environmentally friendly, of course. but they're not particularly friendly to the blind. well, that's about to change. a bill requiring hybrid and electric vehicles to have a minimum sound level is now headed to president obama's desk, after the house approved it thursday. blind pedestrians have complained that the quiet purr of the hybrid cars poses a risk

to them. the obama administration has unveiled a new proposal to protect your privacy online. it would require companies to give clear notice of what data their collecting, while giving customers a chance to opt out. any new rules require congressional. the fees on debit card transactions. limits could result in discounts for customers. but the card companies say it comes at their expense. the holiday shopping season is entering the home stretch. and many online stores are participating in free shipping day today. and tomorrow is supersaturday, the last saturday before christmas. it's expected to be one of the busiest shopping days of the year. and next week, many store sls stay open around the clock. well, if you go online shopping or maybe play solitary while you each lunch, you may want to stop. researchers have found that eating at your desk makes you more likely to snack later in the day. when you're distracted, it

affects our memory of what we eat b, and affects our appetite. next on this friday morning, the government pulls its recommendation for a popular drug that treats breast cancer. police used this video to track down the women who attacked a pregnant teen on a city bus. and on top of that, larry king signs after 25 years. but does not say good-bye. revlon growluscious mascara. helps lashes grow stronger.

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raleigh. wet on i-10, from jacksonville to new orleans. and slick out west, on i-5, from sacramento to san diego. rain and snow on i-20 and 40 in the southern rockies. >> if you are playing today, expect just a few airport delays in san francisco, los angeles and new orleans. we mentioned that new warning about possible terror attacks over the holiday season. well, such warnings only increase the pressure on tsa agents at the nation's airports. >> they are supposed to serve as a last line of defense. but some apparently aren't paying much attention. our brian ross investigates. >> reporter: in the midst of last year's christmas travel period, tsa screeners at houston's bush airport somehow managed to miss a loaded high-powered glock pistol in an empty computer carry-on bag. this is what it would have looked like. authorities tell abc news it happens all the time, screeners asleep at the screen. >> with a determined threat,

that should be troubling news, indeed. >> reporter: in fact, the owner of the gun in houston boarded a continental flight and flew to his destination before realizing the gun was in his carry-on bag. >> i mean this is not a small gun. it's a .40 caliber gun. >> reporter: houston business man, farid seif, who says he carries a gun because he works late, and says he forgot to unpack it before the trip, and reported the incident as soon as he landed, astounded at the security lapse. >> there was nothing else in there. how can you miss it? you cannot miss it. >> reporter: the failures of tsa screeners to spot guns and other dangerous items is a closely held government secret. results from the most recent so-called red team test by the government accountability office were apparently so bad they are classified. and despite billions spent on equipment, the last line of defense remains tsa screeners, faced with a mind-numbing task. >> we don't pay them very much money and we don't train them very well. and you get what you get. >> reporter: in the case of that

the screeners at the scene, were disciplined but not fired. brian ross, abc news, new york. the los angeles police department is asking the public to identify 150 women whose pictures they found at the home of a suspected serial killer. they've now posted those photos online. lonnie franklin is accused of killing ten women, some in the '80s. and others between 2002 and 2007. because of that gap in years, he's now being called the grim sleeper. meanwhile, investigators in seattle say surveillance video taken on a city bus helped them arrest five teens in a senseless attack. police say the teens took an mp3 player from a pregnant 17-year-old girl and then beat her when she asked for it back, even though her boyfriend tried to intervene. the girl needed six stitches to close a gash above her eye. thankfully, though, the baby was not hurt. breast cancer patients may use access to the world's best-selling cancer drug. the fda say the risks of avastin

outweigh the benefits. avastin will be used for other cancers. but cutting its use for breast cancer could cost the drugmaker $1 billion a year. steel beams for the freedom tower reached the 52nd floor yesterday, more than 600 feet above the ground. workers are trying to finish up the 104-story building by the end of next year. and once completed, that building will be the tallest in the country. it's fair to say things got a little personal, not to mention physical, between lawmakers in ukraine. pro-government and anti-opposition lawmakers went at it. the brawl erupted after the minority members spent most of the day protesting a criminal investigation of one of their members. they got the worst of it, with four of them going to the hospital. there was also some physical contact last night, as week 15 in the nfl got under way. details on that, now, from espn news.

>> good morning. a good one in the nfl last night. at least on paper. the chargers and niners. two teams that have turned their seasons around. no antonio gates for san diego. out with a foot injury. first chargers' possession of the game. philip rivers, looking deep for vincent jackson. and he's got him. look at that effort by jackson. 7-0, san diego. so nice, we show it twice. jackson, literally takes it away from nate clemens. a 50-yard touchdown. fourth quarter, san diego in control. rivers to jackson again. their third connection of the night. the chargers win 34-7. they are now 8-6, in that tight afc west. let's go to the nba. paul pierce and the celtics riding an 11-game win streak, hosting the hawks. late second quarter. kevin garnett down low. that's a high-percentage shot. garnet with 17 points.

we go to the third quarter. marvin williams knocks down the three. 26 points for him. fourth quarter action now. paul pierce, the big guy can hit the three ball. pierce with 15 points. he also had ten assists. dishing this to glen davis here. the celtics win 102-90. that's 12-straight wins for boston. one of the hottest teams in the nba. that will do it for me. i'm ducis rodgers. an icon in our business has stepped aside. larry king ended his nightly show last night after 25 years on cnn. >> he was joined by many people he interviewed over the years. abc's diane sawyer and barbara walters were both there. so was former president bill clinton. >> larry even interviewed a version of himself. and then, he offered a farewell. >> i am -- i don't know what to say, except to you, my audience. thank you. and instead of good-bye, how

about, so long? >> and with that, the trademark background dimmed, leaving just his iconic microphone behind. >> what a career. well, coming up next, why online shopping will spike today. what online retailers are offering for free. depression is a serious medical condition that can take so much out of you. i feel like i have to wind myself up just to get out of bed. then...well, i have to keep winding myself up to deal with the sadness, the loss of interest, the trouble concentrating, the lack of energy. [ male announcer ] if depression is taking so much out of you, ask your doctor about pristiq®. pristiq is a prescription medicine proven to treat depression. pristiq is thought to work by affecting the levels of two chemicals in the brain, serotonin and norepinephrine. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens or you have unusual changes in mood, behavior, or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens and young adults.

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this friday. president obama signs that historic tax compromise into law. it keeps tax cuts in place for everyone, extends unemployment benefits and funds other tax cuts and stimulus programs. but it adds nearly $1 trillion to the national debt. federal officials are warning of potential terror attack against targets in the u.s. and europe this holiday season. but they say no specific plot against the u.s. has been uncovered. another meeting of the minds today at the white house. after t president discusses the economy with top executives this week, he will meet today with labor leaders. and a last-minute deal to send off your holiday gifts. more than 1,000 retailers are offering free shipping today. and are promising to get those packages delivered by christmas. >> those days are numbered for standard shipping. coming up on "good morning america," robin roberts travels to wasilla, alaska, for a visit with sarah palin. >> the former governor shares her views on everything from the new tax bill to the holidays out in alaska. for some of you, your local

news is next. >> for everyone else, the late-night comics honor larry king in their very own ways. my mom's brother's accountant. yeah. that guy is a maniac. okay. i love jason. isn't he a riot? chili's $20 dinner for two. all you need is somebody to go with. share one appetizer, choose two entrees. now with crispy fried shrimp. just $20 for two at chili's.

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and finally from us this morning, another salute to veteran interviewer larry king, who signed off for good last night, after a quarter-century on cnn. >> a salute of sorts, right? after decades of sitting down with the world's most powerful leaders and hollywood big wigs, king's final show did not go unnoticed by the late-night gang. >> i don't know if you got a chance to see larry's last show earlier tonight. kind of a tearful -- he denied being a lesbian. and i thought, wow. [ laughter and applause ] >> congratulations to larry. larry is stepping down after 40,000 interviews. seven wives and one sister-in-law. >> after 25 years with cnn, larry king, tonight, shot his very last "larry king live." he's going into semiretirement. he wants to have more time to spend with his son, regis. >> ten things overheard during

larry king's final show. number four, we'll be right back after this message from poligrip. number three -- put together a special farewell larry king montage. i hope you enjoy it. here you go. ♪ you're the meaning in my life ♪ ♪ you're the inspiration >> somebody killed her. >> you really want to go there? >> who do you think? >> who do you think? >> how do i know? >> how do i know? >> since the jack in the box, e. coli outbreak. >> the whole world knows that larry king had sex with an elephant. >> that's what dancers do. [ laughter ] [ talking at once ] >> i'm listening. >> go ahead. >> no. why would he -- >> you had sex with an elephant. >> oh, man. >> be carefuln