>> tracie potts in washington. tracie, thanks so much. >>> and as the president's tax plan moves forward, a federal judge in virginia has dealt a major blow to his health care overhaul, calling part of the new law unconstitutional. the republican judge ruled that congress overstepped its authority by requiring americans to buy health insurance. however, since the plan's minimum coverage requirement isn't scheduled to take effect until 2014, the law will remain in effect until further plans play out. the white house is predicting what many consider to be the hallmark of the obama presidency would be upheld if it makes its way to the supreme court citing two prior cases which have been upheld in lower courts. >>> the death of ambassador richard holbrooke, widely considered one of the most brilliant diplomats of his generation leave as void in washington this morning. he died after undergoing heart surgery. throughout a government career that spanned nearly five decades, holbrooke worked for every democratic president

nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with more on that. >> lynn, good morning. they're making a last-minute push to increase a estate tax credit in the bill. today look for two separate bills. first of all, the house wants to pass exactly what passed in the senate with the exception of a higher estate tax. if that passes, the whole thing goes back to the senate, and we could possibly see some serious delays. but there's a second vote to pass exactly the same version of this bill that passed the senate, and if that happens, it could immediately go to president obama's desk. so be on the lookout for both of those today. also today the senate is taking up the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy of gays in the military. the house passed this by a handy margin of 75 votes which included 15 republicans. the question is there enough to deal with it in the senate? no time has been set for it in the vote. democrats wanted to get it through before republicans take control of the house and get more influence in the senate next year. and the s.t.a.r.t. treaty, they

nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with more on that. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. and it looks like that treaty may be ratified in what was considered a text vote to move this issue forward. 67 senators voted to wrap up the discussion and move on to a final vote. that's exactly what they need to get this ratified. this is the treaty that would limit war heads and an inspection system. they will also vote on a-in-law thl health care. the house has to act on that providing free health care for first reshoenders and others exposed to toxins at the world trade center site. $6.2 billion and reopening part ever the victims' compensation fund. republicans are concerned about the cost of this, and so expect a little bit more debate on that. finally, today president obama will sign the repeal of don't ask, don't tell. the military says it is starting to figure out how that will be implemented. for now the ban remains in place. lynn? >> tracie potts in washington, tracie, thanks. >>> now here's a look at other stories mak

>> tracie potts there in washington. acie, thank you. >>> a global hunt is on for wikileaks founder julian assange after the international police agent interpol issued a red notice to assist in his arrest on suspicion of sexual charges. his appeal to have two rape charges thrown out of court was rejected last week. the ramped up search for the former computer hacker comes amid global war of a massive dump of government documents business his website wikileaks. >>> meanwhile in an interview from an unknown location, assange called for the resignation of secretary of state hillary clinton if she ordered u.s. diplomats to spy on foreign officials. while traveling in kazakhstan, secretary clinton addressed her latest concerns over the release. >> i particularly worry about the human rights activists, the religious leaders, the critics of government who speak to members of our embassy about abuses in their own country, whose name may either be in a reporting cable or who may be identifiable because of the description of the pe

>> tracie potts in washington. tracie, thank you. >>> well, the first day of december delivered a deadly winter-like storm that swept across the nation's mid section and wreaked havoc up and down the east coast. residents in several states were tormented with damaging winds and flooding that stoked out power and snarled traffic for most of the day. nbc's kirk gregory has the story. >> reporter: the powerful storm system left indiana in the deep freeze, numerous accidents near indianapolis and a chilling scare for one motorist whose suv slid into an icy popped. elizabeth perez escaped thanks to two officers who risked their lives to save hers. the storm left a trail of damage from georgia to pennsylvania. near atlanta, the cleanup began at sun up. 56 homes damaged in one neighborhood. in western north carolina, a mudslide swept a home off its foundation. heavy rains and strong winds toppled trees and power lines in northern virginia and maryland. flooding the problem in pennsylvania, more than 3 inches of rain fell o

>> tracie potts in washington. tracie, thank you. >>> a massive snowstorm buried parts of the midwest over the weekend wreaking havoc on roadways and runways across the region. at least six deaths are being blamed on the wicked winterlike weather that brought biting winds and dumped nearly two feet of powerful powder. incomes's frances koe has this report. >> reporter: the great digout has begun in hard-hit minnesota. >> i've never seen it this bad before, i don't think. >> there's a lot of snow on the ground. >> reporter: more than 17 inches of snow piled high and snarled traffic, as blizzardlike conditions swept through minneapolis over the weekend. residents spent most of their sunday trying to free their cars and their homes from the snowy mess. >> this one seems a lot more packed down from the wind blowing. so the snow is really heavy. >> reporter: that weight brought big troubles to the home of the vikings. >> three roof panels ruptured. that caused the collapse. >> reporter: early sunday morning the inflatabl

nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with more o this. good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. the vote was 83 to 15 in the nate. rarely do you see that type of overelming support from both democrats andepublicans here in washington. it was a test vote, but it could very wel foreshah co shadoshado see when the real vote happens, possibly as early as today. democrats and republicans alike say they held their nose and voted for this compromise, but democrats much more so because they oppose that 35% estate tax that would have been0% higher without this deal. but both sides say they had to move forward. so in moving forward after the final senate vote, which could happen again as early as today, this deal moves on to the house of representatives where there is not as much support. house members say they want to make an issue, especially democrats, of that estate tax. but leaders say even though there are some who will vote against this deal, it's not the majorityhey expect to be debating it by the end of the week. president obama, in

as tracie potts reports, lawmakers are getting answers. >> it is completely and totally inappropriatep into a 2,000 page bill and try to pass it the week before christmas. >> they decide to work with us, we will have a happy holiday or we will continue. >> keeping government running and ratifying to start nuclear treat we russia and the repeal of don't ask don't tell. >> the yeas of 250 and the nays are 175. the motion is adopted. >> i urge my colleagues to end discrimination wherever it exists in our country. >> the deal to restart unemployment checks and prevent a tax hike is moving forward. the senate passed it and president obama will hope they will spend and hire. >> they feel optimistic that by working together, we can get some of that cash off the sideline. >> the short-term deal is important. we have to keep the economy going. >> they promised final votes, but the question is will they get to everything else? tracie potts, today in the east bay. >> let's go to brent cannon in the newsroom with what's coming up. >> thanks a lot. coming up on today in the bay at 5:00 and 6:00, a

lynn. >> tracie potts there in washington, thank you so much. >>>ikileaks founder julian assange made a triumphant exit from jail yesterday. meanwhile, congress was told thursday assange and his wikileaks website must be prosecuted to prevent future copycat operations on the internet. nbc's jenny wivel has our report on assange's new-found freedom. >> reporter: julian assange emerge from the royal courts of justice inondon at the end of a very long day, he looked extremely pleased with himself, however, as he branded his release documents and gave a short statement to the hundreds of journalists who gathered from all around the world on the steps saying, firs of all, that he was very grateful for all of the support that he's received, but he remains defiant. >> i hope to continue my work and continue to profess my independence. >> reporter: he then had to head off to his lodging where he's be staying over the coming weeks as he fights his extradition to sweden the. he has, of course, been living in solitary confinement inside britain's largestpr

>> tracie potts in washington. tracie, thank you. >>> well the south korea went ahead with planned artillery drills despite a warning from the north of catastrophic retaliation for conducting maneuvers. the exercise protected by fight jerts took place on the same disputed border island shelled by north korea last month. four south koreans died in that attack. north korea called today's artillery drills "a wreck lis military publication" but in the end would not retaliation. the u.n. security council held an emergency meeting last night but failed to produce any agreement on how to address the potential confrontation. the u.s. and other members wanted the council to condemn north korea's recent attack, but diplomats say china strongly objected. >>> in central mexico, an oil pipeline ignite add deadly inferno that claimed the lives of at least 28 people on sunday. amateur video shows a wall of fire followed by several more explosions that blacken the sky with think clouds of toxic smoke. more than 115 homes were score

incomes's tracie potts joins us from washington with those details. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. a lot of what happens and doesn't happen depends on what happened with the dpra micompro. democrats are united against the president. >> left. >> right. >> left. >> right. >> reporter: don't have don't tell. government spending in the nuclear treaty with russia in limbo. all on the back burner until democrats get their crack at the tax deal i. urge members of congress to move forward on this essential priority. >> reporter: democrats want to take out a reduced tax rate for the rich and big companies. >> this was a take it or leave it deal. we're saying, leave it. >> reporter: shouting just say no, house democrats rejected the president's deal last night. this congresswoman said she was the only yes vote. >> what about all of these people that i represent? >> reporter: the senate votes monday and added energy credits to get more democrats onboard. the fear is that the nasty battle will end up in gridlock. >> look, i disagree. >> rep

nbc's tracie potts joins us with the details. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. as you can see, there is a lot going on. let's start with taxes. the final senate vote is scheduled to happen today. then it will move on to the house where despite the opposition of many democrats, how democratic leaders also say they think that ts can pass. republicans have warned them, don't change the bill or we won't approve it. even more urgent now, though, is the government spending bill, trying to keep government running and preventing a shutdown. their deadline, saturday. that's whe temporary funding runs out. democrats have put forth a $1.1 trillion bill that republicans want to take another look at. they want to pass ather temporary spending bill until january or february until they have more control in the senate and the house and then deal with the issue. harry reid, senate majority leader, says they could return to deal with this after christmas. and don't ask, don't tell, dems want to get that in wheels they have more influence here in congress. the house appears ready

tracie potts joins us from washington with more. >> reporter: good morning, lynn. a lot going on here from capitol hill including a final vote on that tax deal. the house voted late last night 277-148 with both democrats and republicans supporting this bill. so now it goes to the president's disk for his signature. this will keep our current tax rates with no january 1st hike. unemployment will be extended for 13 months. a 2% payroll tax cut next year and business tax credits in addition to that estate tax that democrats did not like. don't ask, don't tell, which has passed the house, will be voted on in the senate perhaps today or tomorrow. it will take 51 votes to pass, but 60 votes are preferred and as of late, we understand that there are 61 senators who are willing to support that measure. government spending still up in the air. a temporary measure runs out tomorrow, but we understand now that the senate will not be voting on the democrat's $1.3 trillion plan from late night negotiations, but they have abandon that. it includes thousands of earmarks, pork ite

>> tracie potts in washington. tracie, thank you. >>> as for that controversial proposal to extend all of the bush era tax cuts, it appears this majority of american people approve. according to a new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll, 59% of those surveyed support the tax compromise while just 36% disapprove. however, the president's job approval rating has once again hit its lowest level, coming in at just 45%. that's down two points from last month. still the president's battle may not be all uphill. looking ahead to 2012, polls show the president ahead if he were to run against the likes of mitt romney, sarah palin, or senator john thune. >>> the public wasn't quite as optimistic about the nation's direction. 63% think the country is headed in the wrong direction. that's the most since obama took office. and not surprisingly as the nation emerges from what's known as the great recession, a combined 54% say the past ten years have either been a very bad decade or one of the worst decades in american history. >>

nbc's tracie potts joins us live from washiton with the details. tracie, good morning to you. >> reporter: veronica, good morning. good morning, everyone. the senate vote today will tell us whether or not there's enoh support to get this passed in the senate. they expect to take a final vote perhaps as early as tomorrow. now, dick durbin, the number two democrat in the senate, is urging the house to get this passed. he says they won't be in as good a posion to fit it next year when republicans take over. meanwhile, house democrats say they'll bite the bullet on tax breaks for the wealthy, but it's the estate tax that they're really frustrated about. republicans say they need to stick to the president's deal, but democrats say it is excessively generous. they want a sarate vote on that, but admit they won't stop the overall deal from passing, as a result of it. also, in the last cole of days, president obama has gotten a key endorsement. former president bill clinton, at the white house, appearing with president obama saying that thiss a good deal f

nbc's tracie potts joins us with the details from washington. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. the final series of votes should start a few hours from now including that final vote on the tax deal. senators appear to have enough votes to get this through and move it on to the house. senator mitch mcconnell, the top republican in the senate, is warning house democrats, don't pick it apart. don't try to change it. vote on this bill as-is, as we made the deal with the president. but perhaps even more urgent than that is the money that's funding the federal running out as of saturday. the latest extension. they need to pass something. democrats are putting forth a $1.1 trillion spending bill, but republicans want to extend it temporarily yet again until early in next year, possibly february when they will have more influence in the senate and have control of the house, and can get a few more things through. senate majority leader harry reid says if they can't get this done as well as the tax bill they could end up returning afte

here to sort it out, tracie potts. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. democrats and republicans in the senate thought they had a deal to focus on tax cuts and just that until one unknown senator, and now the votes that were happening tonight have been pushed to saturday and they will only focus on the democrats' plan. on the other side of the hill, the house already passed what they say is an extension only for the middle class. something that republicans firmly and candidly oppose. >> trying to catch my breath so i don't refer to this -- this maneuver going on today as chicken crap, all right? but this is nonsense. >> reporter: now, congress did get something done. they pass add temporary extension of the big government spending bills that were behind and after the closed door meetings on tax reforms, progress, looking at extending unemployment and giving them a tax break. those negotiations still ongoing. >> tracie potts, thanks. >>> now here is a look at other stories making news early today in america. in florida, a dramatic rescue scene from a poli

today in the east bay's tracie potts has a preview. >> the new total is $21.38. >> spending is up. mastercard reports holiday sales soared 15% over last year. >> they can continue christmas into next year, it would be good. >> economists say it could be the best christmas in four years. >> $39.95? that's ridiculous. >> they were surprised how many trucks they sold. >> that's a good indicator. >> the spend suggest ing is une. >> they were buying christmas presents, but not going out to dinner. >> jewelry is making a come back and some can barely afford gifts. >> i am shopping for my daughter who i can't afford to shop for until the day after christmas. >> will spending translate into jobs? >> we are starting to see job openings in the full positions like finance, engineering, software and so forth. if they get going, they will pull the recollects along. >> perhaps not enough to make a dent in unemployment, but headed in the right direction. in washington, tracie potts today in the east bay. >>> we want to take a look at what's coming up late or. we check in with laura garcia cannon

nbc's tracie potts has more from washington. >> reporter: with a foot or more of snow traffic's at a standstill in new york. fierce winds left visibility at barely a quarter mile. >> we're doing everything we can here in the city to keep our roads safe and clear. >> reporter: all three of the city's major airports, shut down. travelers there and in boston ended up spending the night, hoping for a flight home. >> they're all booked. and 25 to 50 people on standby. >> reporter: grocery stores and hardware stores were packed. >> no shovels. washer fluid. rock salt. ice scrapers. sold a lot of them. >> reporter: atlantic city got 19 inches. >> this is really a blizzard. >> ridiculous out here. i don't think anybody can make it in this snow. >> reporter: to be safe, the eagles/vikings game in philadelphia was cancelled amid forecasts that the blizzard would hit right at kickoff. >> these are probably not the conditions that you want to have a game under. >> reporter: but it wasn't just up north. the south got hammered. in the carolinas, southern drivers not eyesed to this much snow tried

tracie potts, today in the east bay. >> let's see what's coming up in the bay. marla is in the newsroom. >> good morning to you, scott. survivors of the san bruno explosion could be headed to washington. what a hearing on that explosion could star. polluted tap water. a report ranks one bay area city near the top of the list with drinking water that contains a dangerous chemical. we will tell you which city that is. that plus traffic and weather on today in the bay. see you in a few. >> in the middle of flu season, nearly a million kids don't have access to a local doctor. an ivy league study shows the majority are practicing in cities. in rural areas, there is only one doctor for more than 3,000 children and sometimes none at all. this after the workforce grew by 50% between 1996 and 2006. researchers say more needs to be done to encourage medical students to work in remote areas. >>> breast-feeding could make boys starter. boys who were breast-fed for at least a year and a half did better in math, reading and spelling. they follow more than 1,000 children unti

in washington, tracie potts, today in the east bay. >>> let's take a look at what's coming up later. for that we say hello to brent. >> good morning and thank you. a bomb threat that closed the bay bridge kofing commuters more than time and money. we will see what fast track did to the drivers stuck on the bridge. the start of the 2012 olympics is coming and we will talk to olympic gymnastics icon, the famous coach who will bring a couple of two reigning all-around champions with him. we will talk gymnastics from one of the greats. changes coming to your child's school lunches in a few minutes on today in the bay. >> since her release in iran, grad sarah shourd has been vocal in calling for the release of her fellow hostages. now she is becoming a vocalist. >> that is a song called the piece of tile and she released it on you tube to raise consciousness and moneyy. funds raised will be used to help win the freedom of shane and josh. the three berkeley grads are supposed to stand trial in iran in february. iran requested that shourd return for that trial. >>> you got up at 3:00 in the

in washington, tracie potts today in the east bay. >> let's go to the newsroom with a look at what's up today. >> thanks a lot, scott. more in the way of the san bruno explosion. pg&e is ordered to reduce pressure that run under the bay area. we will show you where they are coming up. the wikileaks founder gives his side of the story to the "today" show. we will have a preview and those stories and how to let your holiday guests know when it's time to leave. when the party is over. scott? >> no conclusion yet from the fda whether mercury in dental fillings is safe. an advisory panel concluded that more research needs to be done. the food and drug administration announced the fillings are safe and did not pose a threat, but consumer and dental groups said they as youed flawed data which led to the meeting last week. members say amalgam is safe for most people, but some folks seem to be more sensitive so more studies are needed to learn the safest levels of exposure. >> a former brother is using twitter. jose canseco said no one is returning his calls so she tweeting, begging his forme

tracie potts has a preview. >> 120 million forms, 600,000 workers knocking on 50 million doors acrossca. the 2010 census is done and when the numbers come out this morning, expect to see changes in washington. >> texas really is going to be the big winner. it's expected to gain three seats in the house of representatives. >> georgia, florida, north carolina, nevada, arizona, and utah may gain seats. new york, new jersey, pennsylvania and ohio are expected to lose. the official count of america every 10 years determines how $4 trillion in education, transportation and other projects are funded. >> we will begin to use the data soon and those federal programs for directing money to make sure that the funds flow where the people are. >>> does the census go too far? these days uncle sam wants to know your race, income, whether you are buying or renting and how many kids live at home. too nezy, some say. >> we are doing marketing research for wal-mart and microsoft. they should do their own. >> it's government research and it came in about $1.5 billion under budget. in washington, tracie p

. >> in washington, tracie potts today in the east bay. >> it becomes collateral damage for politicalarfare here in washington. >> instead president obama reluctantly freed to keep tax breaks for two years in a compromise to preserve tax cuts for the middle class. it will cost a half trillion dollars. liberal democrats against tax breaks for the rich are expected to revolt. >> fay a democratic president and house and senate to follow the bush economic philosophy of tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires is wrong. public policy, i will do whatever i can to see that 60 votes are not acquired to pass this piece of legislation. >> the president said to continue this fight while americans are suffering -- >> it would be the wrong thing to do. >> the deal extends unemployment to the end of next year. millions started to run out this month is something new. a 2% cut in payroll taxes. analysts think in the end, democrats have no choice but to vote yes. >> it's a bitter pill and they make faces and at the end of the day they hold their nose and vote for it. >> tracie potts today in the e

tracie potts, today in the east bay. >> the regular today in the bay starts in a few minutes. turn to brent cannon. >> the regular one in a little bit. an east bay city will decide whether to honor the man accused of breeching national security and releasing documents to wikileaks. they can name bradley manning as a hero. one city could put something in your drinking water no matter how you feel about it. the awards season kicking off in a few minutes. the golden globe nominees are about to be announced. who is up for the big awards coming up in a little bit. >> what are if you learned that the fake fur you are wearing is the real thing? the humane society said they used a fur from a raccoon dog which is neither a raccoon or a dog, but it is a real animal. a legal loophole has many buying real fur without knowing it. >> it was easy to spot the item that store after store in san francisco's union square. >> a lot of people buying these? very popular? >> it wasn't so easy to find out if they were real or fake. even when signs were posted saying faux fur and even when we asked th

tracie potts, today in the east bay. >> time to check what's coming up on today in the bay. we say good morning to laura. in the newsroom working on more of the stories that matter most to you. >> good morning to everywhere at home. the controversial so-called death panels that are part of the health care overhaul are back in the news. we will break down why and what the president is doing. the 49ers need a new head coach. we will look at the tenure of mike singletary and who might be his replacement. those stories and more later on today in the bay. >> see you in a few. a way for college students to access financial aid is raising eyebrows. financial one has an arrangement with about 700 colleges to let them draw money from student financial aid. they get a debit mastercard. hire one gets transaction fees and debit card fees from the students. they add up to about $20 to replace a lost card and 50 cents for a pin transaction instead of a swipe and $19 for inactivity fees. sales of dvds are on the decline, upscale cousins are on the market. blu-ray jumped 75%. it's because t

tracie potts explains what you need to know. >> in november, economists predict private companies hired and more governments laid off. expecting a net gain of 140 to 170,000 jobs. not enough to make a dent in the 9.6% rate. >> we are recovering, but not recovering as fast as we need. >> with extending benefits up in the air, congress is focusing on preventing the tax hikes. >> the tax cut will create jobs because people will spend that money. >> with republicans still firmly opposed -- >> chicken crap, all right. this is nonsense. >> the motion is adopted. >> the house extended tax breaks for the middle class and a last minute snafu pushed senate votes to saturday with no republican ideas being considered. >> it's my understanding that one senator held it up. i don't know who it is. >> we will fight for doing this right and hopefully we can get colleagues to join us. >> the deficit votes on their plan to slash $4 trillion from the debt by extending the retirement age like the home mortgage disaster. it's not expected to pass. in washington, tracie potts, today in the east bay. >> we wan

tracie potts joins us from washington with those details and more. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. a lot going on here on capitol hill, including a final vote on that tax deal. the house voted late last night just before midnight 277-148 with both democrats and republicans supporting this bill. so now it goes to the president's desk for his signature. this will keep our current tax rates with no january 1st hike. unemployment will be extended for 13 months. a 2% payroll tax cut next year and business tax credits in addition to that estate tax that democrats did not like. don't ask, don't tell, which has passed the house, will be voted on in the senate perhaps today or tomorrow. it will take 51 votes to pass, but 60 votes are preferred and as of late, we understand that there are 61 senators who are willing to support that measure. government spending still up in the air. a temporary measure runs out tomorrow, but we understand now that the senate will not be voting on the democrat's $1.3 trillion plan from late night negotiation

tracie potts has the latest. >> tax breaks for the rich?mocrats said they will swallow hard and vote for that. they are pushing to scale back an excessively generous estate tax. >> we will not hold it up at the end of the day, but we think the simple question should be put to the test. >> for allows the wealthy to pass on 10 million with no taxes at all. republicans say democrats should stick to the deal. >> the answer is no, we are not interested in changing the deal. >> they are confident they will bite the bullet and vote yes. >> the nature of compromise is you have to accept things you don't like to get things that are very important. >> keeping taxes from going up january 1st will cost under $900 billion. doing nothing could send us back into a recession. >> if you let them expire which they will in 20 days if we do nothing, that would be a serious blow to the economy. >> for they block the deal, it will be the first thing democrats pass when they take over in january. in washington, tracie potts, today in the east bay. >> we want to l

in washington, tracie potts, "today in the east bay." >>> let's check in with christie smith. she's been talking about oakland dropout rates. no, i guess we're going to talk to brent next. okay, brent, you get to go first. >> i can talk about those too. >> it's shocking numbers. >> she's on the story and will have that coming up on "today in the bay." also a major meeting of the bigwigs in the nfl. we'll talk about how that meeting could affect the way that your kid plays football in the future. it could trickle all the way to high school and peewees. >>> a popular mtv show has an unwanted effect. how it impacts teens all across the country. >>> plus an update on the bad santa. macy's may not want his sense of humor anymore but another business does. we'll have that and more coming up in a few minutes on "today in the bay." >> thank you, brent. >>> an fda panel backing the release of the first prescription diet pill in more than a decade. a federal advisory committee voted that the benefits outweigh the risks. trials conducted by the drug maker found the drug caused a rise in

in washington, tracie potts today in the east bay. >>> 6:16 now. if you are looking to read electronically, you have options. here are tips to help you make your decision. four main choices. amazon's kindle, barnes and noble's nook, samsung's galaxy tab and apple's ipad. each has pros and cons. the kindle can store content and has no video element. the nook has a video player, but is heavier. the galaxy tab is more expensive, but am can comes with wireless internet and a camera. the ipad is big and bulky, but has great storage space and a nice screen. >>> a georgia church is putting a twist on the christmas carol. they are using ipads and iphone to make music. the north point community church in georgia thought it would be fun to try to play music with nothing more than aps. they posted on the internet and it's become a viral sensation. >> a lady on the third row pulled her ipad out and turned on a lighter application and started waveing it back and forth. from that moment on we knew, this is going to work. >> voot received 1.5 million hits on you

tracie potts tells us what we can expect today. >> mr.ent, fist these new tax breaks -- >> reporter: despite concerns about tax breaks for the rich -- >> they don't need it and we can't afford it. >> i'm going to vote no. >> reporter: the senate is under the gun. >> the time for gridlock is gone. >> we had to move forward on this. >> reporter: today they'll likely approve the deal that prevents a new year's tax hike amounting to $3,000 per household but that's only half the battle. house democrats want to viet the generous estate tax. >> it should be stopped right now. we have to stop shoveling money out. >> reporter: but republicans warn they won't go for any changes. >> this agreement is not subject to being reopened. >> reporter: today president obama pitches this deal to big business leaders, ge, dow, pepsi, encouraging them to start hiring and investing. >> they'll want to know what steps we're taking to ensure that those tax credits are there. >> reporter: the president will insist this deal creates jobs, but democrats are skeptical

today in the east bay' tracie potts has details. >> reporter: are you willing to pay higher taxes to keep america from going even further in the red? in an ap poll this week, most americans said no. but president obama insists continuing tax breaks for the wealthy will cost america $700 billion we can't afford. >> it would be unwise and unfair, particularly at a time when we're contemplating deep budget cuts that require broad sacrifice. >> reporter: republicans argue the tax breaks will help. >> stopping all the looming tax hikes and cutting spending would in fact get the economy moving again. >> reporter: the president's new tax team hopes to hammer out a compromise with republicans. they meet for the first time today. also today the debt commission reports its controversial plan to put america back in the black. slow down social security benefits, raise the retirement age to 69, raise the gas tax 15 cents a gallon, pay cuts and job cuts for federal workers and limit tax credits and deductions. >> this deficit and this debt is like a cancer and it's going to destroy our country fro

tracie potts has a look at what's ahead today. >> reporter: the yeas are 193 and the nays are 165. >>s extended again, frozen until march, one of the last big hurdles congress needed to overcome to get home on time. they rolled back the military's don't ask, don't tell policy on gay troops serving openly. president obama signs it today. >> we will fulfill our pledge to make don't ask, don't tell a memory by the end of this year. >> reporter: a $1.4 billion overhaul of the nation's food safety system is now a done deal, awaiting the president's signature. >> the motion is agreed to. >> reporter: the s.t.a.r.t. treaty, limiting nuclear war heads with russia, could pass today. 67 senators moved for final vote. >> this is not over. you know, we have to count every vote and stay on this. >> reporter: a bill to provide free health care for 9/11 first responders faces a key vote today. >> get the deal done and protect these heroes that are standing behind me. >> we can pass this vote and it will be a christmas miracle. >> reporter: with so much getting done, a white house that took a self-pr

i'm tracie potts.. >> thanks for the latest, tracy. >> it can prevent cavities in the first place. a lot of people assume that the tap water has flouride added, but that's not necessarily the case. especially in california. today in the bi's chris sanchez is live in los altos with the fuss over flouride. >> reporter: good morning, brent. a lot of folks think what's the big deal? the big deal is that had t has to be added in though it's naturally occurring. that's the discussion that will be happening here. no vote. just a lot of information. they are considering whether to add up to 1.2 parts per million credited with the decline in tooth decay. they get their water from the silicon valley water district that don't add flouride. about 70% have flouride in the water, about but only 30% have access to the water from their public supply. the pros are a decrease in cavities by strengthening the enamel on the teeth. one in three children are starting kinder garden with cavities according to the santa clara

. >> in washington, tracie potts, today in the bay. >> a curtain call for television icon. legendary host larry king decided to hang up his suspenders for good. >> i don't know what to say except to you. my audience. thank you. instead of goodbye, how about so long. >> after 25 years, larry king bid his audience a final farewell in an emotional and star-studded goodbye. his family joined him on set and special guests were president obama and a taped goodbye. former president clinton, donald trump, tony bennett saying a song and the 77-year-old king conducted more than 40,000 interviews and recorded about 6,000 shows for cnn. british talk show host pea rs morgan will replace him in january. >> lots of complaints that kids are not learning science and math. scott, you say there is another way to look at it. >> a lot of complaints from kids that they are not teaching science and math interestingly. that and english. i thought you might want to see this class in the small school called global cool of silicon valley. the kids are fired up and preventing they are in charge of tra

tracie potts joins us from washington with those details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. today we're looking to see a key test vote on the s.t.a.r.t. treaty, whether or not they will be able to end debate and move on to a final vote. this would reduce into you cnuc warheads by 700. the pressure is on the obama administration, all making phone calls here to capitol hill lobbying republicans to vote in favor of ratifying this treaty. the chair of the joint chiefs of staff said that the sooner this treaty is ratified, the better. and now we do see more republican support. scott brown of massachusetts has said he will vote for it. judd gregg has said that he is leaning toward voting for it. their compromise seems to be centered around amending a resolution that would go along with the treaty to address some of republicans' concerns about whether or not the u.s. would be able to develop its missile defense. we could see a final vote on this this week. >> tracy pots in washington. thank you. and now here's a being look at other stories making news early today in america. in mas

nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with more on this. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: the vote was 83-15 in the senate. rarely do you see that type of support from both democrats and republicans here in washington. it was a test vote, but it could very well foreshadow what we'll see when the real vote actually happens possibly as early as later on today. democrats and republicans alike say they held their nose and voted for this compromise, but democrats much more so because they opposed that 35% estate tax that would have been 20% higher without this deal, but both sides say they had to move forward. so in moving forward after the final senate vote which could happen again as early as today this deal moves on to the house of representatives where there is not as much support. house members say they want to make an issue especially democrats of that estate tax but leaders say even though there are some who will vote against this deal, it's not the majority they expect to be debating it by the end of the week. president obama in reactio

tracie potts is live in washington with a rundown of which cars are considered the safest. r: hi marla, good morning. there are 66 cars on the list this year, more than twice as many as last year. the insurance industry saying cars are getting better and better and that's good news because last year there were over 3,000 fatal accidents in california. people need to drive better cars. so take a look at the manufacturers with the most cars on that list. hyundai, kia, volkswagen, audi, both had nine cars on the list. gm, ford, toyota, eight cars apiece. subaru had five. by the way, each one of subaru's cars in those categories made tops in the list. now, missing are any pickup trucks. they didn't test the large ones. the small ones just didn't seem to cut it, according to the insurance institute. there's only one minivan on the list, the toyota ciena. check out the insurance snult's website for a full list. there's 66 of these cars. these are the cars that pass their crash tests, front, side, rear impact and rollover tests with a brand new roof crush standard. they say that if

>> tracie potts there in washington. thank you. >>> sarah palin, mastercard, swedish prosecutors, what do they all have in common? well, apparently they've all been the target of hackers, making a show of support for the website wikileaks in what's being called "operation payback." kurt gregory reports. >> reporter: the websites of mastercard and visa came under cyber attack along with pay pal and a swiss bank. the four organizations all stopped processing donations to wikileaks after the united states criticized the website's release of sensitive diplomatic communiques. >> technology allows people to amass enough power that they can go up against a major corporation. >> reporter: the credit card's websites were both inaccessible to online customers for parts of the day. the attackers? activists who call themselves anonymous, essentially flooded the websites with armies of computers, an effort to knock the websites off line. a tweak prompted the on websites calling for hackers to fire their weapons. >> if these hackers a

nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington. good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. house democrats are making a last-minute push to make that estate tax. one would pass exactly the version that passed in the senate with the exception of a higher estate tax. if that happens everything goes back to the senate and looking at possibly long delays in trying to get it done. the second would pass exactly the same version that came through the stat and very likely go straight to president obama's desk for his signature. also today, the senate has begun debate on the repeal of don't ask, don't tell. the house has passed that measure by 75 votes which included 15 republicans but the question in the senate, is there enough time to get this done? no timetable has been set for the vote yet. democrats wanted to get it through before republicans take control of the courthouse and have more influence over the senate in january. also, still on the agenda, the s.t.a.r.t. treaty with russia, the senate has to rat fie it and president obama ratified. a two-thirds majority is needed to

nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with the details. >> reporter: good morning, everyone. the senate vote thaad is essentially procedural lew will tell us whether or not there is enough support to get it passed in the senate and expect to take a final vote perhaps as early as tomorrow. now, dick durbin, the number two democrat in the senate is urging the house to get this passed. he says they won't be in as good a position to fight it next year when republicans take over. meanwhile, house democrats say they'll bite the bullet on tax breaks for the wealthy but it's the estate tax that they're really frustrated about. republicans say they need to stick to the president's deal, but democrats say it is excessively generous. they want a separate vote on that. but admit they won't stop the overall deal from passing as a result of it. also, in the last couple of days president obama has gotten a key endorsement former president bill clinton at the white house appearing with president obama saying that this is a good deal for americans. he endorsed it saying at this point it is th

tracie potts is live now in washington, d.c., to tell us what we can expect today. >> reporter: well, final series of votes in the senate to start just over three hours from now. it could take several hours because there are some amendments, but they're not expected to pass. this is the last chance for the senate to try to pass this deal as president obama brokered it with republicans. it is expected to pass. but in the house, democrats are still very upset about that estate tax that they say is much more generous and would have kicked in on january 1st and they are going to try to force a separate vote on that issue. republicans this morning warning them if they try to change the bill from what was passed in the senate, it won't go through. they won't support that. on top of all of this, the congress still has to deal with the spending bill, temporary spending for government agencies runs out on saturday. republicans say let's extend it again into next year when, of course, they'll have a lot more influence in both houses of congress. democrats want to get that $1.1 trillion bill com

tracie potts is live in washington, d.c., to tell us what we can expect later on today. >> reporter:ew hours we will start to see those series -- that series of votes in the senate. they'll be voting on some amendments which are not expected to pass and then finally sometime shortly after lunch, that final vote in the senate on this package that president obama brokered with republicans on whether or not your taxes are going to go up january 1st. that package includes tax breaks for everyone, including the wealthy, and unemployment checks through the next 13 months, through the rest of next year. plus a payroll tax cut. it appears that democrats and republicans in the senate have come together and do have the votes to get this passed. but in the house, it is a different story. democrats are still pushing back at that estate tax. 35% that they say should be 20% higher without this deal. they say they won't fight passage of the bill, but they will fight for a separate vote, which could delay things into next week. now, also today president obama is meeting with 20 top business leaders.

tracie potts joins us from washington with those details. tracie, good morning. >> lynn, good morning. as you can see there is a lot going on. let's start with it taxes. the final senate vote is scheduled to happen it today. it appears they do have the votes to get that passed and it will move on to the house where despite the opposition of many democrats, house democratic leaders, also say they think that this can pass. republicans have warned them, don't change the bill or we won't approve it. even more urgent now, though, is the government spending bill, trying to keep government running and preventing a government shutdown. their deadline, saturday. that's when temporary funding runs out. democrats have put forth a $1.1 trillion bill that republicans want to take a closer look at. they want to pass another temporary spending bill through january or february until they have more control in the senate, control of the house, and then deal with the issue. harry reid, the senate majority leader, now says they could possibly return a deal with