alison burns has been cover egg the hearing for us. will the focus be on on this final day, alison? >> reporter: tori, the focus today is making sure this doesn't happen again. investigators are taking a look at new pipeline technologies, detecting leaks and protecting pipeline integrity. this is a look at the ntsb webcast from this morning's testimony. the bottom line from this panel, there's new technology to find flaws. it's not foolproof. pipeline workers, pg&e are under the microscope today about how those lines are inspected. investigators are taking pg&e to task for not notifying first responders and san bruno residents about the existence of the pipeline. jackie speier says she's introduced legislation to a make sure it -- to make sure it doesn't happen again. >> there's a very sim pill solution. i've-- simple solution, i've introduced hr-2. it would require pg&e and every other utility of this country to notify the homeowner who is within 2,000 feet of a transmission line. >> reporter: the report and safety recommendations are

alison burns is live in our washington, d.c. newsroom with the specific goal the president has for the country. alison? >> reporter: president obama wants to cut oil imports by one- third over the next decade. volatility overseas and in oil markets has pushed prices up more than 50 cents a gallon this year. today, president obama will say reducing dependence on foreign oil is essential. he will intree dues -- introduce -- just this week, scientists warned a congressional committee that the u.s. does not have adequate emergency plans around plants. >> we would be in dire straits if we were faced with that disaster. we have good things on paper. if we put them to practice, we would come up short. we'll have live coverage of the president's speech next hour. for now we're live in washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you, alison. >>> 7:19. the u.s. department of education issued the maximum possible fine, $55,000, against virginia tech in connection with the shooting rampage on campus four years ago. >> the a

as alison burns reports from our wad newsroom, some of the -- from our wad -- walking dc newsroom. >> reporter: this is the video thats that posted of the operations. airborne radioactivity has been detected and the navy said the crew was exposed to about a month of normal radiation. perhaps more worry some is the defected levels of radiation on 17 helicopter crew members when they returned to the ship. they washed with soap and water and the navy says no more contamination was detected. the u.s. military especially the navy is playing a major role in relief operations providing food, water, transportation and other support. reporting live from washington, d.c., alison burns. >> thank you, allison. >>> now a volcano is erupting. they could hear the explosion from miles away. the ash plume went two miles in the sky. do you remember the james bond movies, you will remember this. >>> 7: 17. the body of a man swept out to sea by thank you waves in northern california has still -- by thank you -- by tsunami waves in northern california has still not been found. he just moved from bend oreg

alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> all right. thank you, alison. today, president obama is reviewing the aid the u.s. is providing japan to help it recover from the massive earthquake and tsunami. the president is meeting with the u.s. agency for international development to discuss the disaster assistance. in an interview yesterday, president obama said he wants to make sure the japanese people know we have their back. >>> 8:16. toyota made a big announcement hours ago. it are keep its factories in northern japan closed for at least one more week. the world's largest automaker closed all 12 of the months on monday because the energy sources. that translates to a production loss of 40,000 vehicles so far. the earliest the plants will open again is next tuesday. toyota says it will restart pro diction of spare parts. -- pro duck of spare parts. sanfrancisco-- production of spare parts. sanfrancisco is the biggest market for the hybrid -- hybrid. japanese car dealerships we've talked to said they can't predict if they will have any. they hope a custo

alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you, alison. >>> 8:16.london today, activists occupied a mansion owned by one of moammar gadhafi's sons. the group calls itself "topple the tyrant." and they say they will stay until the property can be returned to the people. the house has swimming pools and a sauna. reportedly is it -- it's worth more than $16 million. >>> new this morning, vivian schiller is -- was forced out by the board this is after a hidden camera video surfaced yesterday and showed an npr fund-raising executive criticizing tea party members as racists an saying that np -- npr would be better off without federal funding. >>> muni needs to get tough during its new round of contract talks with the transoperator union. that's according to one san francisco supervisor. scott wiener says when voters approved proposition g last fall, they gave muni the chance to make big changes in the agreement. muni operators filed a lawsuit saying a portion of prop g virtually guarantees they will not get a new contract. the new law says if the two side

ktvu's alison burns is covering all of this for us from washington, d.c. alison? >> reporter: dave, gadhafi's government is vehemently disputing these reports of a deal, and we've just heard that the libyan leader is expected to make a speech any minute now. meanwhile gadhafi's forces are still doing all they can to try to crush the opposition. this is the aftermath of the fighting in a key oil refinery town. this video is airing on libyan tv as rebel leaders say gadhafi is working on a deal to leave the country. they say he's agreed to step down if the opposition can guarantee him safe passage and protect him from prosecution. nato is debating a no-fly zone. >> the option is on table but people need to understand the complexities of it and the implementation of what it can and cannot achieve. >> reporter: will the fighting continue continue in tripoli? we'll stay on top of it for you and have the latest here on the morning news. for now we're live in washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> it's 7:16. president obama has ordered the redumbtion of

alison burns is in d.c. and is back with surprising testimony from san bruno's fire chief this morning. alison? >> reporter: dave, that's right. fire chief dennis hague says pg&e had not alerted the fire department had the existence of the pipeline before the september 9th explosion. this is a look at the live webcast from the national transportation safety board. chief hague is the first witness today and he was asked how he would have better prepared for disaster if he knew about the pipeline. explosion killed eight people and destroyed dozens homes. >> it gives the fire service a chance to preplan and do senator-based -- scenario-based training. obviously, this was something that happened that we would never imagine but it gives us an opportunity to draw up zonessed a look at evacuation zones -- zones and look at evacuation zones as well. >> reporter: we'll have more live coverage of the hearing for you during my next update in an hour. alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you our coverage of today'

but as ktvu's alison burns reports from the washington, d.c. wsroom, the attacks, at least for now, appear to be continuing. alison? >> reporter: tori, within an hour of libya's cease-fire declaration this morning, rebels reported that moammar gadhafi's forces had launched new attacks and killed at least 25 25 -- 25 people. the united states, france and britain are preparing after yesterday's vote that call force a flo-fly zone over libya and for the states to do whatever it takes to protect the libyan people. just about a half hour ago, secretary of state hillary clinton expressed skepticism about the cease-fire and explained the need for the resolution. >> colonel gadhafi 'refusal to hear the repeated calls up until now to halt violence against its people has left us with no other choice but to pursue this course of action. >> reporter: rebels celebrated in the streets after the u.n. resolution was passed. it's still unclear what the international operation against gadhafi forces might look like and what arab nations might be involved. france

alison burns. >>> time now 5:16. today in chile president obama will take questions about the no fly zone over libya for the first time. mr. obama is in chile for a joint news conference with the chilean president. president obama and his family have spent the last two days in brazil. they will be coming home wednesday after a stop in el salvador. >>> lawmakers will be back in sacramento this week. those funds will be redribbled. lawmakers have cut $14 billion out of the state budget. governor brown still faces the challenge of getting a handful of republicans to get $11 billion worth of tax extensions before the voters on a june ballot. >>> pg&e set a thursday deadline after a number of bay area communities approved moratoriums on the wireless leaders. some customers are concerned they may pose a health risk or lead to higher electricity bills. they insist the devices are safe and will continue the program. >>> sal, how is highway 24? >> you know, it will be okay so far. we are hoping today will be a good day for hi

alison burns is covering gate's trip for us. alison. >> reporter: first let's get to new video here with meeting with the troops. he shook hands with each and every one of them. one of them asked him about long-term deployment. secretary gates says both the u.s. and afghan government wants the u.s. involved after the planned 2014 combat operations. he says the u.s. is in talks with the afghan government about what the presence would like like. he also offered encouragement for the troops. >> you've had a tough winter. it will be a tougher spring and summer. you have made a lot of head way. i think you are proven with your afghan partners that this will work and we will be able to prevail. >> reporter: there is a lot of speculation in d.c. that secretary gates is preparing to resign and this could be his last trip as defense secretary to afghanistan. reporting live from washington, d.c. alison burns. >>> in libya government forces again launched air attacks on rebel forces today. the troops loyal are trying to prevent the rebel fi

alison burns is following the latest developments from our washington, d.c. newsroom. alison. >> reporter: pam, moammar gadhafi's government is disputing these reports. opposition leaders say he has offered to step down if they can guarantee him safe passage out of the country. he wants assurances that neither he or his family will face prosecution. this is video of some of the rebel leaders they are rejecting gadhafi's offers and will not engage in peace talks until 44 leaves the country. president obama has his toughest message yet. >> i want to send a clear message to those around colonel gadhafi. it's their choice to make how they operate moving forward and they will be held accountable for whatever violence continues to take place there. >> reporter: rebels have seized several cities from government control. they have encountered fierce resistance. progadhafi forces have launched air strikes. nato is stepping up its response. for now we are live in washington, d.c. alison burns ktvu channel 2 news. >>> time now 5:14. president obama has ordered the resumption of mi

alison burns is in our newsroom after new details. alison. >> reporter: pam, president obama continues his south america trip today in chile. his aids insist he is capable of dealing with the situation in libya while engaging in talks in south america. over the weekend the u.s. took the lead of launching attacks in libya including this one at moammar gadhafi's compound. the u.s. will soon play more of a backup role in the international effort to protect libyan civilians. back in washington a number of democrats and republicans are speaking out saying they are confused about the u.s. role and the goal of the mission. >> we have not discovered who it is in libya we are trying to support. obviously the people that are against gadhafi but who? >> reporter: as for whether gadhafi will stay in power, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff mike mullen said in several television interviews yesterday it's uncertain how the operation will end and it's a possibility that gadhafi will survive it politically. reporting live from washington, d.c.

alison burns reports about a hearing that about to start in about 15 minutes. alison. >> reporter: dave, some members of congress say the nuclear crisis in japan is a wakeup call for the potential of a similar disaster here. energy secretary steven chew and the head of the regulatory commission will be testifying about it tomorrow. he told lawmakers yesterday the 104 reactors in the u.s. are protected. he said the u.s. is committed to nuclear power and will learn from the disaster in japan. >> are there going to be lessons learned? i'm sure there will be. we look back at our reactors and we up our game. every time we do this, we march on to ever increasing safety. >> reporter: some members of congress are not satisfied with his assurances. they point to maps like this that show nuclear reactors in the area. yellow dots indicate seismic activity here. eight of the reactors are on the west coast. they are worried they do not have the appropriate protections especially if they lose power for long periods of time. reporting live from washington, d.c. alison burns kt

let's go to alison burns with more on that and the mounting criticism facing president obama. alison. >> reporter: dave, moammar gadhafi forces are reeling after days of air strikes but at this point it's still unclear how it's all going to end. for the first time since the operation began more fighters from other nations are striking on libyan targets than american fighters. the cell phone video shows the explosions near moammar gadhafi's compound in tripoli. he has not been seen since the air strikes has began. the goal is to protect libyan civilians but several members of congress are confused about the u.s. role. >> it doesn't make a whole lot of sense us shifting gears. my main argument is we don't have the authority and when we get involved it generally very rarely does much good. >> reporter: president obama reiterated yesterday that the u.s. involvement will be limited. a brand new poll out shows half of americans approve of how the president is handling the situation in libya. 29% disapprove. now at least one member of congress says president obama's action on this is

as alison burns reports from our washington, d.c. bureau, cia agents are on the ground in libya trying to figure out exactly who the u.s. is helping over there. alison? >> reporter: dave, let's get back to a live look at that house armed services committee hearing going -- committee going on right now. they are testifying about the u.s.-led operation in lib ba. in the last hour, the secretary gates acknowledged the u.s. knows very little about the rebels taking on the libya regime. >> there are multiple, multiple agendas, at this point we don't have a lot of visibility in those. >> reporter: cia operatives, now on the ground in libya, they've been reportedly working in labia for weeks trying to gain the strength of gadhafi 'forces -- gadhafi's forces and they are trying to find out if cade is there -- if al qaeda is there. back to you. >> okay. alison. thank you. >>> a really wild scene in syria. look at this. a speech by president of syria yesterday aingeed, rather than appeased those who -- angered rather than appeased those who wan

. >>> america's top nuclear regulator goes before congress this morning as ktvu alison burns reports from our washington, d.c. newsroom. he's expected to face tough questions about the safety of nuclear plants here in the u.s. in light of the crisis in japan. alison. >> reporter: pam, ahead of this mornings hearing i got this letter that members of congress sent to the head of the nuclear regulatory commission. they are very concerned about the safety of nuclear reactors here in the united states. they point to maps like this one from the u.s. geological survey which shows reactors in the area of seismic activities. there are 35 nuclear facilities in all of the u.s. with potential for high seismic activities. reactors are meant to stab more. >> we design so there will be no significant release of the radiation to surrounding population. >> reporter: some here are just not buying it. more on their concerns during my next update in an hour. for now we are live until washington, d.c. alison burns ktvu channel 2 news. >>> european energy administrators have agreed to conduct stress tests

alison burns ktvu channel 2 news. >>> 6:17. secretary of state hillary clinton is in paris today meeting with leaders about the crisis in libya. she will also meet with members of the libyan opposition. this comes after rebel fighters in libya continue to press the international community to impose a no fly zone over the country. forces loyal to gadhafi have retaken rebel health territory by launching air strikes. >>> pg&e facing a very critical deadline tomorrow. state regulators plan to impose state fines if they don't produce records proving all gas transmission lines are safe. last month they admitted they were missing important test information on almost a third of their pipelines. since then, workers have been looking through hundreds of thousands of documents stored. >>> sal has had a busy morning. how sit looking? >> you know right now traffic is getting a little bit heavier especially if you are come into the bay bridge. we will see more people showing up there. the metering lights have been switched on and the traffic

alison burns. >>> time now 6:15. for the second time in a week an air traffic supervisor has been suspended. on sunday the faa says the supervisor at reagan national airport directed assault west airlines jet to fly too close to a private plane. they asked -- that incident comes after an air traffic controller fell asleep on the job at the very same airport. >>> the u.s. department of education issued a maximum possible fine of $55,000 against virginia tech university. this is in connection with that shooting rampage four years ago. the agency says the university did not provide timely warnings about a threat to the campus on the day of the shootings. a gunman killed 32 people before killing himself. virginia tech has been criticized for waiting two hours after the first two victims were found to issue a campus wide alert. virginia tech says it will appeal that fine. >>> back here at home a woman is dead, another one is in jail. 26-year-old harren was stabbed in the neck. witnesses say the two women were arguing when

alison burns is in our washington, d.c. newsroom getting reaction from capitol hill. alison. >> reporter: dave, president obama is emphasizing that u.s. participation is limited and that control will be handed over to coalition partners but at this point no one knows when that is going to happen. as france, britain, and other countries step up their air strikes on libyan targets. it's unclear who will take over the reigns and leave the operation and when. nato members are divided over the goal and how far the coalition will go to aid libyan rebels. president obama also facing opposition from the left and right in congress. >> we are not coordinating with the rebels. will we leave some rounds and at the mercy of gadhafi. >> he needs to define what the united states vital mission is here. what is our vital mission. >> reporter: ohio democratic congresswoman says president obama committed an impeachable offense but committing u.s. forces without congressional approval. but it looks like the american public is more understanding. a brand new cbs news poll out this morning

now as ktvu alison burns reports the news comes as the united states, britain and france are getting ready for possible strikes against libya. >> reporter: there is skepticism whether libya will follow through on this brand new cease fire. president obama has been on the phone with his counterparts britain and france. this is the scene on the streets of benghazi as the united nations security council took a criticalset it calls for -- critical vote it calls for u.n. members to enforce a no fly zone. it is still unclear how the international operation might unfold. france says it's prepared to strike to cripple libya's military within hours. the pentagon says the u.s. involvement will likely include ships and planes already nearby. to help with air traffic control and other surveillance aircraft. there are already two u.s. assault ships in the region with 400 marines on board. reporting live from washington, d.c. alison burns ktvu channel 2 news. >>> later today president obama will embark on a five-day trip to latin america. the president is scheduled to visit brazil, chile, and el s

that was alison burns reporting. we will have more details coming up later on. >>> in egypt they are calling for a million woman march. organizers say they are angry that women who took part in the protest that forced president mubarak out of power have been excluded from the new government. one demand they want a woman to have a voice in drafting the petition. >>> here in the bay area there are several events to commemorate international women's day. at 10:00 this morning the google international women's day walk across the golden gate bridge that begins with a welcome address by oakland mayor jean quan. in santa clara they are having a attribute to women at 5:00 to 7:00. >>> president obama has ordered the military trials resume for the detainees at guantanamo bay. the president requested the transfer of prisoners to u.s. but congress blocked that. the president says he remains committed to shutting down the prison camp in cuba 172 detainees remain at guantanamo bay. >>> governor brown says he does not think he can

alison burns is covering the u.s. response for us. she is in our washington, d.c. newsroom. >> reporter: the white house tells us the president's chief of staff notified him about the quake about four and a half hours ago. president obama issued a statement offering condolences and saying the friendship and alliance is strengthful as they overcome this tragedy. now as we take a look at some of the dramatic images of the devastation coming out of japan vice president joe biden also made comments about it this morning. he called it a mega earthquake. the u.s. pacific command reports all u.s. service members have been accounted for and there are no reports of injuries. the u.s. is preparing to send aid to japan while the federal emergency management agency help. president obama will held a priestly scheduled news conference later this morning. it's taking on a lot more urgency as we understand more about the full scope of this disaster. reporting live from washington, d.c. alison burns. >>> time now 5:25 google once again is doing its part to help out with earthquake

reporting from washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news >>> all right. thank you, alison. >>> 8:15. in libya, rebel forces faced renewed air attacks today. the troops loyal to moammar gadhafi want to keep the forces from addens vaing to the city of tripoli. the-- from advancing to the city of tripoli. >>> a hearing will take place today after allegations that a contra costa county refinery is not monitoring its pollution properly. the controversy is centered over the conocophillips in rodeo. people who live there say it doesn't work. today's hearing will take place in county offices in martinez. >>> in paris, a corruption trial has just begun today for former french president, jacques chirac. he's charged with embezzlement for allegedly using city employees to work for his right wing political party while he was mayor of paris before he became president. it's not likely he will go to prison if convicted, but in theory, he could be sent up to ten years an fined up to $200,000. >>> back here in california, although jerry brown promised transparency, now he'

alison burns is live in washington, d.c. where those talks continue today. alison? >> reporter: dave, the labor deal that was set to expire last night now expires tonight. that means that the nfl players' reps and owners returned -- return to the office in d.c. today. this time they will are sitting down separately with the mediator, they have been talking about a plan that would shift profits and a major lockout is looming and the 2011 season is still in jeopardy. president obama is making clear, he will not intervene. >> i'm a big football fan. but i also think for an industry that's making $9 billion a year in revenue, they can figure out how to divide it up in a sensible way. >> reporter: the players' union estimates more than $160 million in revenue would be lost in cities with teams and more than 3700 jobs lost. not to mention the of the lost -- not to mention the lost sales tax revenues on game days in oakland and san francisco. there's one interesting local note here. the oakland alameda county coliseum authority actually spends more than it makes on game da

reporting live from washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you, alison. 7:17. president obama, meanwhile, continues his five-day tour of latin america with a stop in chile. the president is expected to arrive in the country later this afternoon becoming only the fifth u.s. president to visit that south america nation. today's stop comes after the president spent the day in brazil. yesterday he was in rio rio de janeiro saying freedom and democracy are human rights. >>> in the last 30 minutes we've learned that smoke is now rising from reactor number 2 at the fukushima dai-ichy in japan. earlier this 0 morning -- early this morning, smoke started to react from number p -- from number 3. the smoke is a sign that overheaters are reacting. officials spent all weekend trying to keep the reactors cool by spraying sea water on them. and they are urging not to overreact to the radiation turning up in vegetables and some water supplies. >>> we have video of an 80-year- old woman and her 16-year-old grand son being rescued -- grandson being rescued. both were conscious b

alison burns is in our washington, d.c. newsroom now with more on how the obama administration is reacting to the way japan is handling this international crisis. allison? >> reporter: u.s. officials are quoted as saying the next 24 to 48 hours are critical or the situation could be deadly for decades. this is a picture that the white house released of president obama's call with japan's prime minister. there are reports tensions are escalating between the two countries over japan's reaction to the crisis, including this helicopter waterdrop. one expert called it clueless and floundering. another key area of disagreement is the evacuation zone. japanese officials are ordering people within 12 miles of the damaged reactors to leave. u.s. officials say the evacuation zone should be 50 miles. >> we took a look at the information that we had and compared it to the actions that we would take here in the united states. as a result of that, we determined that in the united states, we would make a recommendation to evacuate personn

alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you. >>> 8:15. here in california, officials at the state's two nuclear plans are reassuring residents their facilities can withstand large earthquakes. the san onofre plant is in mount diablo county. pg&e says diablo county can handle a 7.5 quake. the operators of san onofre say it can withstand a magnitude of 7 quake. >> we mean the ability to shut it down safely. you are not intending to operate it and protect the public, we can do that. >> both plants are located the right at the specific region. officials in san onofre will meet next month to their over -- to go over their plant safety. >>> simon winchester says big quakes have hit three of the four corners of the pacifics and since quakes sometimes happen in clusterrer, he says the u.s.'s west coast and california can be next. >> bellingham, washington, portland and then, of course, northern california and san francisco. so people need to be aware -- not -- i i am saying people need to be aware. >> now, he says -- and he points out -- there wa

as alison burns reports from our washington, d.c. newsroom, there are new questions about the effectiveness of those strikes. allison? >> reporter: that's right. gadhafi's forces are still advancing the civilian death toll is riding and now there are some serious questions about whether the coalition effort against him is working. as coalition forces continue to pound libyan target, moammar gadhafi sounds as deffant as ever. he made his first appearance since the attacks reported -- started. >> translator: we are making fun of their tacts -- of their tactics. >> reporter: president obama is facing questions about the scope and leadership. he says it's saving lives but many are wondering how long the u.s. will go to help rebels under siege by gadhafi. >> we'll be examining our all of our options. >> reporter: hillary clinton says she's been told people close to him are reaching out to others around the world asking for help. alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you, alleyson. >>> 8:18. well, federal agents and fix police are jo

alison burns is covering his response. alison. >> reporter: pam, since my last update the administrator for the federal emergency management agency has posted a video message online. he says fema is preparing to help states that could be impacted by the tsunami. >> right now people need to heed the evacuation efforts. we need to focus also on the threat from a tsunami particularly in hawaii and on the west coast of the united states as this develops this morning. >> reporter: this is some of the incredible video of the devastation in japan. the u.s. pacific command say all american forces in japan have been accounted for. there are no reports of u.s. military injuries. the white house press says president obama was notified four hours ago. and says the u.s. stands by to help japan. san francisco congresswoman nancy pelosi also issued a statement calling on her constituents in san francisco to stay vigilant and heed all warnings. we'll stay on top of the response for you here in d.c. and have the latest on the morning news.

alison burns is in our washington, d.c. newsroom with a preview. allison. >> reporter: pam, president obama wants to cut oil imports by one-third overth next decade. and today president obama will say reducing dependence on foreign oil is key top more price stability in the u.s.. it's unclear how specific he will be but the white house says he will offer new incentives to increase the use of bio fuels and natural gas and make cars and trucks more fuel efficient. president obama will also reaffirm his support for nuclear power. meanwhile here on capitol hill we are hearing a lot more cries from republicans to drill baby drill. we'll see what the white house says about drilling in the u.s.. for now we are live in washington, d.c.. >>> for the second time in a week, an air traffic supervisor has been suspended. on sunday the faa says the supervisor at reagan national airport directed a southwest airlines plane to fly too close to a private plane. they had asked the southwest pilot to check on the other plane because it was not responding to calls. >>>

as alison burns tells us navy crew members have already been exposed to the radiation. >> reporter: claudine, tests detected low levels of radio activity on u.s. navy crew members. this is the picture the defense department has put on its website of some of the helicopter missions. 17 members tested positive for low levels of radiation exposure when they returned to the uss ronald reagan after conducting disaster relief missions. no further contamination was detected after the crew washed up with soap and water. the ronald reagan started delivering aid in the coastal regions in the japan's perfectture yesterday and passed through a radio active cloud. the crew was exposed to the same amount of radiation to one months radiation exposure. they are also senning nuclear scientists to deal with the reactor disaster. more of that in our next update. >>> secretary of state hillary clinton is in paris meeting with european leaders about the crisis in libya. she will also meet with members of the libyan opposition. all of them say the rebel fighters in libya continue to press the international commit

alison burns has bonn monitoring a satellite feed of gate's visit with the troops. she is back with details. >> reporter: dave, the big news came when secretary gates was taking questions. he shook hands with each of the troops that came out to see him. one of them asked about long- term deployments. he said the u.s. should stay involved in afghanistan after the plan 2014 end of combat operations. >>> obviously it would be a small fraction of the presence we have today. but i think we are willing to do that. my sense is they are interested in having us do that. we will be going through this negotiation over the next several months. >> reporter: gates is also meeting with afghan president on the trip. we will stay on top of it with you. and have the latest of secretary gate's message to the troops. >>> bay area gas prices continue to be among the highest in the country. this morning drivers are getting a little bit of a break. triple-a updated its averages. it shows prices have not gone up since yesterday. i'm looking at crude oil prices right now. they are trading u

as ktvu alison burns reports from our washington, d.c. newsroom this comes after u.s., france, and britain get ready to launch air strikes. alison. >> reporter: france says it's prepared to launch strikes within hours. in a dramatic turn around the u.n. security council voted to use all necessary measures to stop libya's leader from attacking his own people. this is a lock at the celebrations on the streets of benghazi. a fierce fite seems eminent. >> this resolution should send a strong message to colonel gadhafi and his regime that the violence must stop, the killing must stop, and the people of libya must be protected. >> reporter: it is still unclear how the international operation and military strikes against gadhafi's regime might unfold. two arab countries are expected to join the u.s., britain, and france. they are now ordering a cease fire. at the same time he's threatening retaliation including attacks against passenger planes. we will take a look at what the u.s. military involvement might look like. >>> time now 5:15 president

ail little son burns is live if our washington, d.c -- alison burns is live in our washington, d.c. bureau with that and the growing criticism. >> reporter: fierce fighting continues on the ground between rebels and moammar gadhafi's forces. coalition air strikes are hitting libyan defenses but at this point, it's still unclear who is in charge of the operation and how it's all going to end. for the first time since the operation began, more fighters from other nations are striking on libyan targets, then american fighters. this cell phone video shows the explosions near moammar gadhafi's compound in tripoli. he's not been seen since the air strikes began. a top u.s. military official says the goal is to protect libyan civilians. but several members say they are confused about the u.s. role. i would say it doesn't make a whole lot of sense by shifting gears. but my main argument is that we don't have the authority and when we get involved it generally very rarely does much good. >> reporter: president obama reiterated yesterday that the u.s. involvement will be limited but nato coun

alison burns is covering this with what's been done so far this morning. >> reporter: since my last update an hour ago, this entire hearing has focused on the type of shutoff valve that pg&e was using on the san bruno pipeline on september 9th. this is video from the ntsb webcast of the hearing. you can see the pg&e executives being sworn in, it is their first time testifying under oath. investigators have been targeting most of their questions at pg&e's risk manager, chi long lee. he's being asked how long the automatic shutoff valve worked versus the hand one. eight people were killed in this disaster. >> let me put it this way, would it take 60 minutes or a 90 -- or 90 minutes for a remote valve to close. >> no. >> would it take 40 minutes? >> no. >> cy not sure investigators ever got a straight answer. this is a fact-finding hearing. the ntsb's final report and more safety recommendations are expected in september. back to you. >> thank you. >>> 8:19. we're watching libya right now. today, u.s. savely and airs force -- air force teams are moving closer to -- closer to libya. in meantim

alison burns ktvu channel 2 news. >>> time now 5:15. san francisco supervisor has joined a campaign to save a vintage coca-cola sign. he will draft a proposal to work around billboard laws to save this world war ii sign. they restored that sign to mint condition. however, some neighbors complained he put up a commercial sign in a residential neighborhood. >>> 5:15 is the time right now. we're checking in on the morning commute because it's pretty bad in some parts. sal. >> it is. we are urging you to allow extra time. highway 24 so far looks okay on the way to oakland and beyond that if you are driving on 24 to 580 and 580 traffic looks okay. this is a look at westbound bay bridge toll plaza. you can see it's light there. if you are driving on the peninsula southbound 1010 traffic looks okay all the way down to the airport. no problem there is. we have not heard of any air delays yet. 5:16 let's go to steve. >>> sal, thank you sir. our system is moving through the strong associated low has moved well to the north. it's sending out ahead