i cannot go back to fiji because i would have a 10-year ban on me. my mother has a small cleaning business she need help with. when i was in college, i used to spend the day talking about the political and economic agendas, and then at night, i would be a janitor. that was my life. in 2007, the dream act, which would give undocumented citizens like me the opportunity to stay in the country, -- me and a group of other students looked at this group of undocumented students. we are fighting for the dream act to pass. we want to stay in this country to fight to stay where we call home. [applause] >> good evening. i am not a resident, an alien. small businesses are the heart of the american economy, they are responsible for half of all private-sector jobs and create roughly 70% of new jobs in the past decade. small-business this are not only job generators but are at the heart of the american dream. how does the u.s. government treat small businesses when it comes to immigrants and non- immigrants setting up businesses? i can only speak to my own to tradi

heavy rain is swamping the pacific island nation of fiji.ne resource are being forced to leave linarias as flood waters continue to rise. seeing these pictures just how ferocious some of that water is the hardest hit are in the town where these pictures are coming from. at least two people have died and authorities said that the victims' reformers who were trying to save their livestock through. fiji is under a state of emergency rather rain and flooding continues. >>justine: back here at home, it took a few weeks longer than usual but winter has finally arrived. risky area it was taken--the picture of this here was taken back in january and then look at right now. there is a big difference. >>reporter: right now i am standing near the donner summit here yet and you can see the lake behind me and there's a lot of snow up there. >>reporter: this is cisco growth, it was pretty dried then this is how look tuesday afternoon. >>reporter: i want to show you one more thing, interstate 80 was very clear. catherine was still pushing snow off the side

. >>> fiji has lifted its state of emergency. emergency laws were imposed in 2009 that gave the police and military extended powers. the rule also banned public meetings and censored the media. in a new years day speech fiji's military ruler sent consultations to map out a new constitution will start next month. >>> hawaii made state history when a new law went into effect allowing same sex civil unions. >> we now pronounce you are legally joined as partners in life. fords [ cheering and applause ] >> four same sex couples exchanged vows in the opening moment of 2012. hawaii's governor signed a law allowing same sex marriage in february of last year. yesterday's lawyers lisa goodman and drew were the first same sex couples to make it official. they helped draft delaware same sex civil union legislation. five states recognize same sex civil unions. six other states allow same sex marriage. >> 5:17. the first monday in january 2012. sal, let's get people off to a good start. >> now you have an ipad. >> you know how happy i am. >> y

. >>> more than a thousand people are out of their homes after flooding in fiji. homes have been destroyed. a mother, father, and two daughters were killed there and two farmers swept away while trying to get their animals out of the floodwater. >> if you are planning a trip soon new rules are in effect for airlines, those bargain flights are higher, around that is because they have to include the cost of government taxes and fees in any advertised ticket price. >> solar flares bring a spectacular sight to sky watchers here on earth. take a look at the northern lights. the show comes courtesy of the largest magnetic storm to hit the earth since 2003. the green and orange ribbons are formed by electrically charged particles spewing outward from the sun. those scenes i believe taken from finland. >> it doesn't even look real. >> if you are close enough they tingle like crystal wind chimes. >> cool. >> they make a noise. >> still ahead, a gray thursday afternoon out there. find out what the rest of the week looks like. your first warning weather forecast is two and a

severe flooding and landslides in fiji have killed six people and left others homeless. the coastal regions on the west of the main island have been the worst hit. could the quest for oil be about to transform cuba's economy? a rig will begin drilling 100 kilometers of the coast of florida. american conservatives are already worried the discovery of oil will give a huge boost to the island struggling economy. for cubans, the prospect of black gold offers an unprecedented opportunity. are havana correspondent has more. >> out at sea, there could be something far more valuable than fish to extract. cuba is now exploring for oil. if they find oil, it means we will not have to import it, he said, and that should improve all our lives. this rig could make those oil dreams a reality. all the way from china to bypass the trade embargo against communist cuba. it will be the first to use it. it's about 50 kilometers offshore. studies so far suggest there are at least 5 billion barrels of oil to discover. it is not until cuba begins drilling that it will find out for sure. this is

authorities in fiji say they intend to lift martial law. emergency regulations would and next week. the news media bans imposed after it was ruled the military coup of 2006 was illegal. the trial of mubarak has been adjourned after a short hearing in cairo. the 83-year-old is accused of corruption and ordering the killing of protesters during last year's uprising. the proceedings have been sped up to try to reach a verdict by april. the leader of hamas has visited turkey, paying tribute to the nine pro-palestinian activists who tried to break the blockade of gaza. the korean peninsula is at a turning point and there are opportunities for change, according to the president of south korea. the optimism from president lee myung-bak comes after north korea settles under the leadership of kim jong un. he warned pyongyang against any provocative moves. this report from seoul. >> president lee myung-bak described the new year as a turning point for peace on the korean peninsula. he said that following the death of kim jong il, changes and uncertainty was expected, but there could also be n

. >>> in fiji severe flooding is forcing locals and tourists to leave the island. 1,300 have been evacuated. torrential rains are turning streets into rivers and triggering landslides. a father, mother and two daughters reportedly killed and two farmers swept away trying to save lifestock. >>> searchers are picking through the rubble of two adjacent collapsed buildings in brazil this morning. one was a 20-story building. the other 10 stories. it's not clear what caused the collapse. the crews are looking into whether structural failures or gas leak could be to blame the the civil defense department says two people were killed but city hall says no deaths were confirmed. >>> on saturday crews will begin to move fuel from a cruise ship that ran aground off the coast of italy nearly two weeks ago. rescuers found 16 bodies, 17 others still unaccounted for. a couple from minnesota are the only americans missing in that wreck. the captain remains under house arrest. >>> this just in. authorities arrested the former top executive of a french company at the center of a breast implant scandal. impla

. >>> severe flooding is forcing people out of the local islands of fiji. heavy rain is swamping the island forcing a state of emergency as flooding continues. >>> back in the u.s. water is drenching areas of texas as well. rain fell for hours wetting roads across the dallas area but that didn't stop some drivers from trying their luck. they got trapped in floodwaters. that's something we never want to do. >> you never want to drive through flooded roadways. for some reason people want to do it all the time. >> it's the thrill of it? it's dangerous. you don't even know if the road is going to be there. definitely don't do that. luckily we don't have that today but we're going to get rain. let's talk about that. beforehand, lots of tornadoes across the south there and still a long moisture fetch all the way back into the gulf of mexico as of now. so the south still has a ways to go. you can see as we check out into louisiana, all the pushing into mississippi as well, even into alabama, this is pushing in our direction as we go throughout the day. we already

flood ravaged areas in fiji with deadly landslides.so far have died and hundreds are now homeless. the rain is supposed to let up giving hope that the worst is over for now in fiji. >>> back here at home, a government watchdog says u.s. taxpayers were still owed billions of dollars from the financial bailout. the acting inspector general says some of that bailout money will never be paid back. the government paid out about $413 billion in the bailout. so far about $318 billion has been repaid. >>> foreclosures sales went down in the third quarter of last year. however, foreclosure sales still make up 20% of all the homes sold in the july through september periods. that's about 4 times more than at the height of the housing boom. the pace of foreclosures is expected to pick up again when new rules for banks and leners are in place. >>> new this morning, fewer people bought new homes in zeise, making 2011 the worst sales year on record. according to the commerce department, new home sales fell last month to a seasonally adjusted annual p

we currently have the united states outvoted by fiji. what it leads to is that the most cynical nation's absolutely operate with no moral compass. this is a very serious problem. you have to take it seriously. i am for very aggressively taking on the system corruption and the anti-american ideology and insisting on deep comprehensive change. one of the hardest jobs i will nominate is an ambassador to the un who will find themselves engaged in constant conflict, forcing the system to change in taking it head on. it is a very important topic. i am thrilled you are here. i want to ask you to vote on tuesday for me. i want to ask you to talk your friends and neighbors. i think we could have a surprisingly good result by tuesday. when you see the gap between the values of a reagan conservatorship, there is a real chance we will gain strength. i really appreciate your help in talking to your friends and neighbors. we'll get a chance for every single one of you to talk to me. i look forward to it very, very much. thank you. [applause] [song "in

during a message to fiji residents.in addition to lifting the state of emmrgency...ational consultative process would to start charting out new constitution. an investigation is now underway in arkansas... after hundreds of dead birds were found scattered across yards. this is the econd time in just over a yearr.. this has happenee.last time... it was determined the deaths were caused by fireworks.still... residents say it's bizarre. "it was petty wild. we got up and backed out of the driveway and it was like freaky man. i mean, there were dead birds lying everywhhre. this year is not near as bad as it was last year" year." the neighborhood is located near a roosting area for the blackbiids. some good news for legennary blues singer, ettaajames. aacording to her manager... james... who's diagnosed with leukemia... is doing slightly better.he also says her blood pressure is normal... and that she no longer needs a respirrtor. james is diagnosed with an untreatable form of leukemia. lebron james finds a special way to ring in thh new year... by getting engaged!the n-b-

. >>> on a south pacific nation of fiji, the governor declared a natural disaster. at least eight people have lost their lives, including a family of four, buried in a landslide. a popular tourist area is experiencing flooding as well, and heavy rains are in the forecast for the days ahead. >>> in slovakia, hockey practice turned frightening for a youth team. players immediately skated to the side of the rink, which had just opened, when the roof began to give way. after several moments it fell onto the ice. no one was hurt. the weight of the snow on the roof appearancely caused it to collapse. >>> a woman from concord is under arrest, accused of suffocating her boyfriend last november. city told police, -- she told police, her before had a history of medical issues. after the investigation, police accuse steen of killing bennett during a fight. she has now been charged with murder. >>> mohammed haroon ali admitted he strungled her. an appeal's court granted him a new trial saying the prosecutors improperly dismissed at least one black juror. >>> the south bay stude

. >>> on a south pacific nation of fiji, the governor declared a natural disaster. at least eight people have lost their lives, including a family of four, buried in a landslide. a popular tourist area is experiencing flooding as well, and heavy rains are in the forecast for the days ahead. >>> in slovakia, hockey practice turned frightening for a youth team. players immediately skated to the side of the rink, which had just opened, when the roof began to give way. after several moments it fell onto the ice. no one was hurt. the weight of the snow on the roof appearancely caused it to collapse. >>> a woman from concord is under arrest, accused of suffocating her boyfriend last november. city told police, -- she told police, her before had a history of medical issues. after the investigation, police accuse steen of killing bennett during a fight. she has now been charged with murder. >>> mohammed haroon ali admitted he strungled her. an appeal's court granted him a new trial saying the prosecutors improperly dismissed at least one black juror. >>> the south bay stude

the galapagos islands, fiji, and south africa's cape of good hope.y never made it out of port. when she was just 13, decker create aid storm of herr own when a dutch court ruled she was too young to make the journey. with her parents' support she fought back and won. >> to go sailing now. and that's great. >> reporter: during her voyage decker blogged the entire way, saying some nights were like "taking a roller coaster ride." the days and nights were "an endless valley of waves." and that all she wanted was "a whole night of sleep in a bed that is not rocking, not salty, and not soaking wet." through it all dekker fixed her own sails, even baked her own bread. the journey so lonely, so dangerous the guinness book of world records won't even certify it for fear of encouraging others. >> reporter: the last to even try was american abby sunderland. but she had to be rescued after a heavy storm in the indian ocean. now that dekker's accomplished her dream, she says her next goal is to finish school, but not before a simple celebration, a burger and frie

more than 1,000 people in fiji are forced out of their homes by severe flooding.rential rains are turning streets into rivers, triggering deadly landslides and destroying homes. a family of four was reportedly killed. and two farmers were swept away earlier this week. >>> well, the man at the center of a global breast implant scandal is now in police custody. french police arrested him in southern france. he is the founder of the implants. and the company at the heart of the health scare, affecting 300,000 women worldwide. they were banned last year in europe because they were found to contain industrial, rather than medical-grade silicone. >>> a scary situation for australia's prime minister as she gets caught in a crowd of rowdy protestors. the prime minister was rushed to safety. but she wasn't hurt. as hundreds of protestors rallied today, outside a ceremony that she was attending. the demonstrators are speaking out against australia day, which marks the arrival of british colonist negligence sydney. >>> also in australia, the company's transport minister is a

bimla boyd was then 46 years old, born in fiji, a single mother of three who had come to america twoecades before. a devout jehovah's witness who was three times divorced. after the murders in 1998, boyd had hired a new caretaker, dan spencer. he had moved into the same mobile home where the killings had occurred. family members say boyd and spencer soon became more than friends, but boyd family and neighbors say threatened spencer when he said he wanted to leave. here's what one neighbor had to say. >> she had told dan before that he would never leave that hill alive. >> and dan spencer did not. bimla boyd admitted shooting spencer, but claimed she had caught him sexually abusing her teenaged daughter. in the end, boyd cut a deal, pleading guilty to manslaughter, and agreeing to serve nearly seven years in prison. and in a prison just ten miles away from the scene of the murders, the news of bimla boyd's conviction was more than surprising. >> my cellie came down there and said hey, man, you're on the news. i said yeah, what's up. he said that gal that testified against you killed s

fiji heavy rains blamed for six deaths. landslides buried four members of a family.wo farmers drowned yesterday as they tried to save their livestock from flooding. the united kingdom. a cape hand made from the naturally yellow silk of more than 1 million madagascar spiders is on display in london. this textiles artist says the cape is virtually weightless and took four years to make. >> it involves about 80 people going out every morning, collecting spiders,. >> he says milking the silk didn't hurt the spiders. and that's a wrap on this fox trip around the world in 80 seconds. >> around the world is brought to you by verizon, the droid raiser, more colors, same edge. >> shepard: i'm shepard smith. this is the fox report. it's the bottom of the hour. time for the top of the news. it's a virtual dead heat in florida. according to the latest polls, mitt romney now leads newt gingrich by two points in a new "time" magazine survey that goes along with cnn. just a week ago mitt romney was up by more than 20 points. rick santorum and ron paul way behind. in fact, congressm

>>darya: fiji will be lifting its state of emergency. and >>darya: jets were sent out when aired traffic controllers lost contact with an airplane. the plane landed in oakland without incident. >>darya: a stockton woman is accused of driving drunk while her for four kids were in a car repair. she's struck and killed a 29 year- old man outside its home on new year's eve. there is video from the scene. that woman was arrested and faces charges of vehicular manslaughter, felony dui and endangered her children. there is a new law about the wide it takes effect today their targets drunk drivers who are repeatedly--who are repeated offender harry anyone in the state convicted of a deal like three or more times this fall on the they now of today's the actual holiday even uses yesterday it goes to the money they were defrauded of of a weakened soles of his clothing seize but >>darya: looking at the weather, you could act to go golfing and of hope right now. we have had a dry december. the 7 day around the bay forecast shows warm and dry weather

took the lead in the polls after that, and one of the reasons people said, he came over as angry and fiji and rigid, and he never ever recovered from that. >> host: you also write about this sort of threshold that a presidential candidate needs to cross, like he's ready. or she is ready. and that for barack obama, that may, in fact, have been a threshold. but talk about that a little bit, about a candidate kind of, people are looking i to i on their television set. >> guest: that's the key to the whole thing. in obama's case, the issue after, spoken and unspoken, is this guy really ready to be president? is he cool enough? he has to be cool enough under pressure. can handle himself? and up to that point, up until the first debate people have seen these candidates in their own settings, political events, staged events by their own campaigns and whatever. all right now, how is obama going to handle himself against john mccain? now we are in the big leagues. and let's see. well, obama presented himself as somebody who is calm and cool, and much lighter and competent. the other thing was did

tourists and residents in fiji are being forced to evacuate this flooding.heavy rain is evere - swarming the pacific island... destrrying towns in low-lying areas.at least two peoole have died.fiji is ccrrently under a state of emergency... while the rain and flooding conttnues. aatress demi moore is seeking treatmmnt this morning... after being admitted to a california hospital.moore's rep released a statement saying quote - "because of the stresses in her life right now... demi has chosen to seek professional assistance to improve her overall health." the actress recently split from husband, ashton kutcher. meanwhile... tracy morgan is getting back to work tooay... after being released from a utah hospital.that's according to the actor's publicist... who blames morgan's collapse at the sundance film festival on exhaustion and altitude.she says it had nothing toodo with drinking.the publicist also noted that morgan ii diabetic. if you need medical attention... you're in the right place... a new report says baltimore has the best hospitals in the nation. healthgrades ranked 9 out of 19 b

i had the rat run across my chest in fiji when i was in a very remote area. my gosh. all right. i love it though. i'm on the website. i'm go going to look at out of them. >> i just love jeanne moos, she just talks no matter what she's talking about. that's the news from a to z. >> "starting point" is coming up next. beat that, soledad. >> i know, where do i go from the rat running across the chest thing? i'm just going to start. our starting point are these words. it is only a technical failure. those are the words from the captain of the capsized italian cruise liner who was speaking to the port authority just moments after abandoning ship. that captain is appearing before a judge right now. >>> also this morning, mitt romney is under fire. his republican rivals demanding he release tax returns. what the gop front-runner says he's going to do that maybe, possibly. >> april. >> could happen. >>> also, the most unproductive congress in history and apparently the most unloved, getting back to work. a new cnn poll rateing the job that they're doing and numbers a