joe, thank you for joining us and now back to the "pbs newshour." ank you for your support. >> ifill: finally tonight, yesterday was the 175th anniversary of mark twain's birth. we take a second look at the story behind the very long wait for his autobiography. "newshour" correspondent spencer michels explains. >> reporter: behind a decorative gate and a security checkpoint in berkeley, california and through an unmarked, locked door in the bancroft library lies a remarkable and valuable collection of letters, documents and writings that describe the life and passions of mark twain perhaps america's greatest and funniest writer. this rare and damaged film of twain late in his life is part of the archive as are early copies of huckleberry finn and tom sawyer, regarded as monumental american novels. overseeing the vault-- as the room is sometimes called-- is robert hirst, general editor of the mark twain project, which this year 2010 is finally publishing along with the university of california press twain's uncensored autobiography. finally, because t

major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> okay, listen. somebody has got to get serious. >> i think... >> we need renewable energy. >> ...renewable energy is vital to our planet. >> you hear about alternatives, right? wind, solar, algae. >> i think it's going to work an a big scale. only, i think it's going to be affordable. >> so, where are they? >> it has to work in the real world. at chevron, we're investing millions in solar and biofuel technology to make it work. >> we've got to get on this now. >> right now.

major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: major funding for the pbs newshour has been ovided by: and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting.ic and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> ifill: president obama spent the day on the road, and back at the white house, lobbying for a tax cut deal that may be winning republican support, but has angered members of his own party. >> ifill: as democrats and republicans neared agreement on extending tax cuts for thes middle class and the wealthy,or president obama today urged compromise. he spoke in winston salem north carolina. >> we've got to make sure we're coming up with a solution even if it's not 100%lu of what i want or what theat republicans want. now there's no reason that ordinary americans should see their taxes go up next year. >> ifill: but the president is hoping to exact something in exchange for his concession ond tax cuts for the wealthy, which he wants pledge to rollth back

newshour" online. hari? >> sreenivasan: we pick up where paul left off with a video up of performances of handel's "messiah" with contributions from local pbsaff and many others. find that on "the rundown." on "art beat," jeff wraps up a series of end of the year conversations. tonight, the most under- appreciated albums of the year. plus our readers and staff weigh in with lists of their favorite films, books and music. all that and more is on our web site: newshour.pbs.org. margaret? >> warner: and that's the "newshour" for tonight. on monday, we'll have the first of a two-part look at how the federal health care reform law is playing out across the country. i'm margaret warner. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. "washington week" can be seen later this evening on most pbs stations. we'll see you online and again here monday evening. have a very merry christmas. thank you and good night. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> this was me-- best ribs in nelson county. but i wasn't winning any ribbons managing my diabetes. it was so complicated. there was a lot of information out there, but it was frustrating trying to ge

major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> lehrer: the long-awaited pentagon study on the effects of ending "don't ask, don't tell" was released today. it concluded there could be initial disruptions from dropping the ban on gays serving openly in the ranks, but there would be no long-lasting problems. the pentagon study began ten months ago. the question: what happens if congress repeals the policy that forced more than 13,000 personnel to leave the military in the last 17 years. some 115,000 troops responded to a mailed questionnaire. 70% said allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would have positive, mixed or no effect. on the other hand, 30% predicted negative effects. among combat troops 40% were opposed to the idea. that figure climbed to 46% among u.s. marines who answered the survey. defense secretary gates and the chairman of the joint chi

major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> well, the best companies are driven by new ideas. >> our history depends on new ideas. we spend billions on advanced technologies. >> it's all about investing in the future. >> we can find new energy-- more cleaner, safer and smarter. >> collaborating with the best in the field. >> chevron works with the smartest people at leading universities and tech companies. >> and yet, it's really basic. >> it's paying off everyday. >> i want to know what the universe... >> looks like. >> feels like. >> from deep space. >> to a microbe. >> i can contribute to the world by pursuing my passion for science. >> it really is the key to the future. >> i want to design... >> a better solar cell. >> i want to know what's really possible. >> i want to be the first to cure cancer. >> people don't really understand why things work. >> i want to be that person that finds out why. and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. and with the ongoing su

major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> i do a lot of different exercises, but, basically, i'm a runner. last year, i had a bum knee that needed surgery, but it got complicated because i had an old injury. so, i wanted a doctor who had done this before. and united healthcare's database helped me find a surgeon. you know, you can't have great legs, if you don't have good knees. >> we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. united healthcare. >> and by the bill and melinda gates foundation. dedicated to the idea that all people deserve the chance to live a healthy productive life. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> ifill: capitol hill lawmakers spent today behind various closed doors working to avoid or guarantee a coming legislative logjam. for now, democrats and republicans are holding fast to their positions on nearly every issue. the skies o

major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> okay, listen.omebody has got to get serious. >> i think... >> we need renewable energy. >> ...renewable energy is vital to our planet. >> you hear about alternatives, right? wind, solar, algae. >> i think it's going to work an a big scale. only, i think it's going to be affordable. >> so, where are they? >> it has to work in the real world. at chevron, we're investing millions in solar and biofuel technology to make it work. >> we've got to get on this now. >> right now. >> and by the bill and melinda gates foundation. dedicated to the idea that all people deserve the chance to live a healthy productive life. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> brown: there were hints of hope today for americans hunting for jobs or trying to keep the ones they have. government figures showed first- time claims for unemployment

major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> opportunity can start anywhere and go everywhere. to help revitalize a neighborhood in massachusetts; restore a historic landmark in harlem; fund a local business in chicago; expand green energy initiatives in seattle. becauswhen you'rgiving, lending and investing in more communities across the country, more opportunities happen. >> this is the engine that connects abundant grain from the american heartland to haran's best selling whole wheat, while keeping 60 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year. bnsf, the engine that connects us. intel. sponsors of tomorrow. and the william and flora hewlett foundation, working to solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> lehrer: president obama talked up military progress on the war front today, but economic progress on the

major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> auto companies make huge profits. >> last year, chevron made a lot of money. >> where does it go? >> every penny and more went into bringing energy to the world. >> the economy is tough right now, everywhere. >> we pumped $21 million into local economies, into small businesses, communities, equipment, materials. >> that money could make a big difference to a lot of people. >> this was me-- best ribs in nelson county. but i wasn't winning any ribbons managing my diabetes. it was so complicated. there was a lot of information out there, but it was frustrating trying to get the answers i needed. then, my company partnered with united healthcare. they provided on-site screenings, healthy cooking tips. that's a recipe i'm keeping. >> turning complex data into easy tools. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. united healthcare. and the william and flora hewlett foundation, working to solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. and with the ongoing support of th

major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> for three hours a week, i'm a coach, but when i was diagnosed with prostate cancer, i needed a coach. our doctor was great, but with so many tough decisions, i felt lost. united healthcare offered a specially trained r.n., who helped us weigh and understand all our options. for me, cancer was as scary as a fastball is to some of these kids, but my coach had hit that pitch before. >> turning data into useful answers. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. united healthcare. >> and by the bill and melinda gates foundation. dedicated to the idea that all people deserve the chance to live a healthy productive life. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> suarez: the nation's largest city faced another day in the throes of snow, as crews labored to clear streets. there were calls for and promises of i

major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> well, the best companies are driven by newdeas. >> our history depends on new ideas. we spend billions on advanced technologies. >> it's all about investing in the future. >> we can find new energy-- more cleaner, safer and smarter. >> collaborating with the best in the field. >> chevron works with the smartest people at leading universities and tech companies. >> and yet, it's really basic. >> it's paying off everyday. >> turning complex data into easy tools. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. united healthcare.çç >> and by the bill and melinda gates foundation. dedicated to the idea that all people deserve the chance to live a healthy productive life. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> lehrer: the justice >> lehrer: the justice department began legal action today against b.p. and other

major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: moving our economy for 160 years, b nsf, the engine that connects us. >> oil companies is have changed. >> oil companies have changed my country. >> oil companies can make a difference. >> we have the chance to build the economy. >> create jobs, keep people healthy and improve schools. >> and our communities. >> in angola chevron helps train engineers, teachers and farrs, launch child's programs. >> it's not just good business. >> i'm hopeful about my country's future. >> it's my country's future. >> and by the bill and melinda gates foundation. dedicated to the idea that all people deserve the chance to live a healthy, productive life. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> brown: for thousands of people today, the trip home for the holidays turned into an ongoing battle with a blizzard. airports began reopening after the big storm that blew up the

major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> okay, listen.>> i think... >> we need renewable energy. >> ...renewable energy is vital to our planet. >> you hear about alternatives, right? wind, solar, algae. >> i think it's going to work an a big scale. only, i think it's going to be affordable. >> so, where are they? >> it has to work in the real world. at chevron, we're investing millions in solar and biofuel technology to make it work. >> we've got to get on this now. >> right now. >> bank of america-- committed to helping the nation's economic recovery. bnsf railway. intel. sponsors of tomorrow. and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions captioned by media access g

major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> this was me-- best ribs in nelson county. but i wasn't winning any ribbons managing my diabetes. it was so complicated. there was a lot of information out there, but it was frustrating trying to get the answers i needed. then my company partnered with united healthcare. they provided on-site screenings, healthy cooking tips. that's a recipe i'm keeping. >> turning complex data into easy tools. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. united healthcare. >> opportunity can start anywhere and go everywhere. to help revitalize a neighborhood in massachusetts; restore a historic landmark in harlem; fund a local business in chicago; expand green energy initiatives in seattle. because when you're giving, lending and investing in more communities across the country, more opportunities happen. >> chevron bnsf railway. >> and by the bill and melinda gates foundation. dedicated to the idea that all people deserve the chance to live a healthy, productive life. and with the ongoing support of the

major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> well, the best companies are driven by new ideas. >> our history depends on new ideas. we spend billions on advanced technologies. >> it's all about investing in the future. >> we can find new energy-- more cleaner, safer and smarter. >> collaborating with the best in the field. >> chevron works with the smartest people at leading iversities and tech companies. >> and yet, it's really basic. >> it's paying off everyday. >> this is the engine that connects abundant grain from the american heartland to haran's best selling whole wheat, while keeping 60 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year. bnsf, the engine that connects us. bank of america-- committed to helping the nation's economic recover that's health in numbers. united healthcare. intel. sponsors of tomorrow. and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made po