alison burns live in our washington, d.c. newsroom with the very aggressive campaign being launched today to try to block this. allison? >> reporter: that's right, dave. we're gonna be catching up with some of the top lobbyists for the airline industry here on capitol hill in just about ten minutes as they try to make the case to members of congress that president obama 'plan will cost jobs ands dis-- and discourage people from trying -- flying. >> the airport transport association is launching this website that says 10,000 jobs will be -- will be lost next year alone if president obama's plan goes into effect and it says regional carriers will be forced out of smaller cities. the president's plan would raise the fee on airline tickets from the current rate of $2.50 to $5. that would go up 50 cents each other topping off at 7.50. the president wants to collect a $100 fee from the airlines for almost every take-off. the president is looking to raise about $36 billion with these new fees and taxes to pay for security improvemen

but as alison burns reports, he's not gaining much traction with congress. allison?ir force one touched down in asheville a few minutes agriculture. -- minutes ago. he started by yelling why, i love asheville and the crowd chanted four more years. the president is blasting republicans for rejecting his jobs bill. now he's urging congress to pass parts of hit plan, including help for states to prevent layoffs of teachers and first responders and money for infrastructure projects. you've got highwaying that need to be built, bridges that need to be fixed, schools that need to be modernized. and that's what america used to do best. >> reporter: the president will make stops in the next three days over -- in the -- over the next three days. the senate is set to debate aappropriations bills this week and go on vacation at the end of the month. >>> reporting live from washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you. >>> 8:15. well, secretary of state hillary clinton insists that a return to private life is in her future. the former first lady and the one-

alison burns is live in our washington, d.c.us about the california case that's kicking off the document et this morning. >> reporter: dave, that's right. we have a crew for arguments in the case. this is about the cuts to medicaid. more on that in a minute. but first looming is president obama's healthcare overall. the obama administration has asked the high court to resolve whether the mandate that every american buy health insurance is constitution. a decision could come right before the election and the experts say the president's political future could be on the line. >> it has consequences to his reelection. >> reporter: the justices take up whether the police can track a gps is monitor without a warrant. and were the fcc's indecency rules for broadcasters go too -- and where the fcc's indecency rules for broadcasters go too far. and whether medical recipients can stop cuts from taking effect. reporting live from washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> 8:18. there are rumors that new jersey governor, chris

alison burns is live in washington, d.c. g this morning has been dominated by a fight over the release of documents related to that company. alison? >> reporter: that's right. democrats are calling this a rigged process. democrats are using the hearing this morning to blast republicans for failing to release documents they say will explain critical information -- critical information about how the department of energy issued this money. democrats want documents released that explain why the department of energy made the decision to do this. >> i don't understand why it shouldn't be part of the record. it's a kye document. it explains the explanation for the subordination for tax payer debt. >>> on the hot seat today, department of treasury officials explaining why they raised red flags about how the department of energy was managing solyndra's loan. >> is it fair to say that based on objections raised before the loan was granted after the loan was granted that the treasury had grave concerns about this loan. is that a fair st

ktvu's alley soon burns is -- alison burns is live in washington, d.c. where congress is holding a hearing today about what this european deal means for the united states. alison? >> reporter: tori, that's right. with economic crisis around -- economic recovery around the world on the line, the obama administration has been pressing world leaders for a breakthrough. now it looks like there is one. european leaders agreed after a 12-hour meeting in brussels to take dramatic action to rescue greece from defaulting on the debts. they will take losses up to 50%. the deal also boosts the european bailout fund to help other struggling countries like italy and spain. treasury department officials are making the rounds here on capitol hill saying resolving the european crisis is critical for the u.s. >> we have substantial trade an investment ties with europe and european stability matters greatly for american exporters and for american jobs. >> reporter: the agreement has pushed stocks up in the united states today. treasury department officials will be testify

alison burns is live in our washington, d.c. newsroom with a new survey that came out today that reveals how post 9/11 vets feel about the wars. >> reporter: a survey shows just half of them said the afghanistan war has been worth fighting. 44% feel that way about iraq. 40% of the veterans said they had difficulty adjusting to life at home. >>> and 37% said they suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. the survey also shows 83% of veterans do not believe the rest of the country understands the myriad of problems they are facing. reporting live from washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> there a shakeup along the front-runners in the race for the republican race. herman cain has moved into a tie with mitt romney for the top spot. both candidates have 17% support from the voters. and rick perry has dropped from 23% to 12% over the past two weeks. >>> the top 12 candidates for mayor will appear in a candidate -- in a forum tonight. the forum will be held tonight at 6:00 p.m. in the robertson auditorium on the

alison burns is in the washington d.c. newsroom with the surprising comments about the war from a former u.s. commander. >> that's right. former u.s. afghanistan commander stanley mcchrystal stayed they had a frighteningly simplistic view when it invaded and that's why the war has lasted 10 years. this is a flag draped protests casket of a u.s. soldier killed in afghanistan arriving at dover air force base yesterday. president obama has called for 30,000 of the 1,000 troops there now to leave this summer. the goal to ends the war in late 2014. we talked to the antiwar members of congress this week who said she is skeptical whether there is really a time line for bringing troops out of the war zone. every time a date is put before us, moves farther away >>> gop candidate mitt romney is criticizing president obama's handling of the war in afghanistan. i will have more on that during the next update in about an hour. for now we are live in weighing d.c., alison burns. ktvu news. >>> 1,782 american men and women have been kill

alison burns live in morning in our washington, d.c. om with how the obama administration is responding today. alison. >> reporter: that's right. the secretary of state hillary clinton is meeting with the swiss ambassador to iran this morning. administration officials are reaching out to their counterparts around the world about how to punish iran if light of what they say is a bold terror plot on u.s. soil. now, federal officials say this man, a naturalized u.s. citizen, was working with a member of iran's revolutionary guard in a plot to kill saudi arabia's ambassador to the u.s. >> some are calling it acts of war. >> they have more blood on their hands than most of the terror organizations on the state department's terror list, and that's what makes this so serious . >> reporter: the u.s. already has numerous sanctions against iran, and now the focus is creating what the state department calls an international chorus of condemnation. iran insists there is no truth to the accusations. the state department is warning americans to be on

alison burns is live in our washington, d.c. bureau where a new report says the state that would be hit the hardest by these cuts is california. alison? >> reporter: that's right, tori. the aerospace industry association is out with a new report. it says more than a million jobs would be lost nationwide and california would take the biggest hit because of its thousands of defense contractors. the study projects 125,000 jobs and $7.4 billion in earnings would be lost in california. the special bipartisan committee here in d.c. looking for ways to cut the deficit is deadlocked now. if there's no deal, automatic across-the-board cuts kick in along with defense cuts over the next ten years. but john boehner says he's not gonna let that happen. >> i would argue that they've taken more than their fair share of the hits. >> the democrats warn unless republicans are willing to agree to some tax increases, these big defense cuts will be inevitable. reporting live from alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> all right. thank you, alison. >>>

reporting live from washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you, alison. >>> 8:three days after that devastating earthquake in turkey, survivors are still being found. today three people were rescued from a collapsed building, including an 18-year-old man. now, 460 people are known to be dead in turkey. about 2,000 building collapsed in sunday's quake. >>> the votes are still being counted in tunisia's landmark election. but it appears the candidate from an islamic moderate party has won. tunisia was the first of the arab countries this year to overthrow the long-time ruling dictator. international observers are praising for a free and fair election. 90% of the nation's registered voters cast their ballots. >>> 8:18. today, international meditators will meet with palestinian and israeli officials in an effort to restart peace talks. former british prime minister tony blair is the envoy for the so-called middle east quartet. blair and other meditators will meet separately with palestinians in the west bank and israelis in jerusalem. >>> and in afghanistan, officia

alison burns is live in our washington, d.c. newsroom with why bay area lawmakers are not happy with this trade deal. alison? >> reporter: that's right. president obama welcomed president lee to the white house in grand style this morning. it was raining but that did not stop the big ceremony president obama and first lady obama greeted president lee and his wife. last into the the house gave final a -- last night the house gave final approval to trade agreements. local companies like ebay, facebook and sisco say the deals will make them more globally competitive. but some members of the bay area delegation voted now. >> they were not fair trade, in my estimate aches. those trade -- estimation. those trade bills are gonna cost a lot loss of american jobs, no matter how you look at it. reporting live from washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you, allison. >>> bay area executives are feeling pessimistic about the regional economy and that could mean a shrinking work force here. a new survey by the bay area

alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you, alison. >>> 8:17.te assemblywoman has launched a -- launched a phone campaign against leland yee's bid against him. she spent $600 for robo calls -- robocalls to discourage voights for him. california senators barbara boxer and dianne feinstein are among those urging the obama administration to let homeowners with underwater mortgages refinance. many bay area homeowners say they would love to refinance to take advantage of new, lower interest rates. however, a lot of them owe more than the home is worth. ther a push to -- there is a push for responsible homeowners to refinance even if they are underwater. >>> checking for earthquake damage. >> yes. in washington, d.c., there's one particular company very busy for the next few weeks, building engineers will be checking the national cathedral for damage. this is -- this is the same crew that held from the monument. >> this just hits more -- it gets more ent tanging for us while we're up there. >> reporter: they recovered one large chunk of limestone from

alison burns has more. >> reporter: biden did say nothing is off the table.the united states, federal officials say this man, a u.s. citizen in texas, was working with iran's revolutionary guard to try to get a hitman with a mexican drug cartel to assassinate the ambassador. iran denies that top officials signed off on the top. >> the iranians have crossed the red line. if this could have -- this would have been an act of war if it were carried out. >> reporter: for now the state department is focusing on building -- holding a forum tomorrow. >>> new this morning, a surprise plea from the so- called underwear bomber. umar farouk pleaded guilty to all charges. the 24-year-old nigerian could spend the rest of his life in jail for that attempt. sentence something set for january 12th. >>> jurors in another terror trial are scheduled for executions today. three north carolina men are -- defense attorneys say the men are nothing more than dissing -- discussing ideals that others may find octoberable. >>> a california inmate tried to escape with the carriage under

ktvu's alison burns is live in our washington, d.c. newsroom where a house committee is $ing if it's a safe bet. alison? >> reporter: that's right, dave. supporters of online gambling say legalizing it will bring in billions in tax revenues. members of congress will hear both sides this morning. proponents say 15 million americans are already gambling online using overseas websites and they say allowing licensed sites to operate in the united states would generate jobs and help boost the economy. but critics -- but critics say it would encourage a dangerous addiction. congress banned the transfer of money to online gaming sites in the u.s. in 2006 and the obama administration shut down several big online poker sites in april, we'll have live coverage from the hearing room during my next update in about an hour. for now we're live in washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> 7:17. well, union leaders and a group of san jose city employees are key manning that -- are demanding that another city employee be retired. they say

. >> few now we are live in washington d.c., alison burns. >> our time now is 5:13. >>> another credit agency will downgrade the u.s. credit rating. that is according to go to merrill lynch. if they can't, they will downgrade the credit to double a. and merrill lynch experts expert these are expecting them to do the same thing. >>> new york performance artist is turning the birth of her child into a work of art. she has turned her studio into a home birth center and plans to deliver her baby there for a performance called the birth of baby x. giving birth is the highest form of art. >>> an engineer that is stuck in a south pole for two months will pass through the bay area. >> nicole desour is on her way to the hospital. she suffered a stroke in august while working on the south pole research station. with proper treatment, she will almost completely recover. >>> our time now is 5:14. san mateo sheriff's department is blaming two people for an armed robbery and assault. it happened near san can carlos. they stole another man's wallet and cut him with a knife. they are both wearing blac

reporting live from washington d.c., alison burns. channel 2 news. >>> the debate is brewing over the obama supporters over the solyndra deal. >> a former energy department official pushed for a speedy decision for the fremont based solyndra. in light of the collapse, the fund raising roles should be scaled back. but the obama administration say spinner wasn't involved in the discussions and solyndra has a made up controversy. >>> our time now. new this morning. oracle is buying a montana tech services company called right now. oracle is based in redwood shores is paying one and a half billion dollars for right now. it is over the premium stock price. the deal will close next year. it will happen manage questions and complaints over the internet rather than installing software on commuters. >>> officials in arizona have seized the troubled walnut creek pmi group. now, state insurance regulators have ordered the company to pay half of its claims starting today. if the remaining 50% will be deferred to the policy holder claim. they have

as alison burns reports the bill faces the first major test. >> the senate will be voting tomorrow on whether to advance president obama's jobs bill. democrats need 60 votes and so far not a single republican has expressed any support for it. president obama wants to spend about $450 billion to try to boost the economy and pay for it with a new 5.6% tax on millionaires. it is a back lash against the rich that is prompting the occupy wall street protests across the country. president obama ceased on the theme and took on the republican opposition during his weekly address. >> some see this as class warfare. i see it as a simple choice. we can either keep taxes exactly as they are for millionaires or billionaires or ask them to pay at least the same rateases a plumber or bus driver. >> reporter: still the president's jobs bill appears doomed. we'll take a closer look at whether there are potential areas of compromise. for now we are live in washington dc. >>> house hold inm cans dropped more after the recession ended. that is according to a study by two former us census bureau officials

for now live in washington ds, alison burns. >>> strong antiterrorism measures are being blamed for an increase in destructive insects and pests. a new the associated press has found hundreds of agriculture scientists responsible for stopping invasive speccies at the border were reavined to antiterrorism. homeland security says it is stepping up agriculture inspections at border check points and airports. >>> a mountain lion siting is prompting warnings at a popular bay area park. a hiker spotted the big cat in the windy hill open space preserve. it was seen saturday morning 3 miles from the razor back ridge trail head. you should make a commotion, wave your arms and throw rocks at it. >>> keep an eye on yahoo stock after reports the company may be going private. the cofounder is reportedly talking to private equity firms. yahoo would be free to make actions without approval. >>> if you have received a red light camera ticket in napa earlier this year you may not have to pay for it. more than 500 red light camera tickets have been dismissed. a supreme court judge confirmed an earlier r

now we're live in washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> well, new this morning the first pictures have come in from this morning's terrorist attacks in iraq. a string of car bombs targeted iraqi police throughout the country. so far 25 people are dead. dozens of others are injured. now, no one has claimed responsibility yet, but these attacks are usually the work of sunni militant groups such as al-qaeda. the bombings will likely increase concerns that iraqi forces will not be able to protect the country once the u.s. pulls out at the end of the year. >>> political prisoners will be released today. 6300 detainees. the military has ruled the asian country since 1962. it has denied for decades that political prisoners even existed. but it must now free detainees if it wants western nations, including the u.s., to lift economic sanctions. >>> in a controversial move the city council in topeka, kansas voted to decriminalize domestic violence. last night's vote was in response to the announcement by the county's district attorney last month that he would no longer prosec

as ktvu alison burns reports, this reporting shows that college is more expensive than ever. >> reporterition soared this year at twice the rate of inflation. the college board reports that tuition and fees at four-year public colleges are up 8.3%. that means students are paying about $631 more than the year before, and the increase is even higher in california where tuition is up about 21%. president obama will use a stop in denver today to announce his plan to institute a pay as you earn plan that could dramatically reduce monthly payments for college loans. it would limit payments to 10% of a person's income and wipe the balance off the books after 20 years. we are going through this college board report now to find out just how much student loan debt people are carrying these days. imhave that for you -- i will have that for you in my next update in about an hour. >>> well, talks between nba owners and players are scheduled to resume today. both sides walked away from the table thursday after an acrimonious three days of negotiations. today's meeting will be with small groups from ea

as ktvu alison burns reports, president obama reveals his plan today to help students pay off their college loans. alison. >> reporter: palm, president obama is using a stop in denver today to announce he is taking executive action to make it easier for college students and graduates to pay off their loan and look at how expensive it is to go to college these days. the college board reports this morning that tuition and fees at four-year public colleges are up 8.3% nationwide. that means students are paying about $631 more than the year before, and the increase is the biggest in california where tuition is up about 21%. the report says students are leaving college with an average of about $22,000 in debt. the plan president obama will announce today will encourage students to consolidate their loans through a government program that will lower interest rates. the government program caps payments at 10% of income and wipes the balance off the books after 20 years. i will show you what the secretary of education has to say about it during my next update in about an hour. >>> well, in afghanis

ktvu's alison burns is live this morning in our washington, d.c. newsroom were whether the new millionaire's surcharge helps the chances of passing. >> reporter: the united states senate will vote tomorrow on whether to advance this bill that president obama says will boost the economy and create more jobs. president obama a plan will be paid for with a 5.6% surcharge on people who earn more than a million dollars. we learned over the weekend, that tax would raise about $453 billion over ten years. president obama wants to use the money to cut payroll taxes, extend unemployment benefits and rebuild roads and schools but republicans are not budgeting in their opposition. >> we don't think doubling down on a failed stimulus policy is the right way to go. >> reporter: republicans say they will support changes to corporate tax rates and tax incentives for hiring veterans. as for the whole bill passing, it's looking unlikely. >> go brown has vetoed legislation that would have allowed race and gender to be considered in admission. berkeley college republ

for now, we are live in washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you, alison. >>> 7:17. the biggest subsidiary of the financially troubled walnut creek group pmi has been seized by arizona regulators. starting today, those regulators are ordering pmi to begin to pay only half of all claims. the remaining 50% will be deferred as a policyholder claim. the company has suffered billions of dollars in losses after paying mortgage insurance claims on foreclosed homes. pmi's physical headquarters are in walnut creek but it's incorporated in arizona. >>> a big debate is grewing -- brewing among president obama supporters over the role of a top fund-raiser who was linked to the failed solyndra deal. the "l.a. times" shows that the employee pushed for the loan. the obama administration says spinner was not involved and sees solyndra as a made-up controversy. >>> 7:18. the u.s. credit rating may be downgraded again. a merrill lynch economist says there are warnings from moodies's and fitch rating. they will probably downgrade. >>> the san mateo county sheriff's department is