well, the work ahead of amtrak is enormous.u've been underfunded for at least eight previous years. there are two years of the previous administration when the congress was presented with a bankruptcy budget for amtrak. whether bush omb said it's our intention to put amtrak out of business, break it up, so it's part. congress said no. by very strong majorities, bipartisan votes, we restored amtrak's funding, but only as i sat at the time, enough to keep amtrak's nose above water. well, now we have an amtrak authorization bill passed in 2008. we have the $8 billion in high-speed rail funds, presidents have put into advocate for the stimulus. really foliar authorization in five plus billion dollars and i expect will sustain that for as long as this administration is in office. and now you can begin getting your rolling stock in good shape and track in good shape, switches that need replacement and cat marries in the@@@' american disabilities act and the next five years. as you mentioned, yes, our noses above the water line and we

. >>> comingp on news4 at 11:00, an amtrak train slams into a fire truck. we'll show you what happened. >> a local fire fighter accused of crimes against children. >> the airfare wars are in full swing. >> how about our weather? >> today was mild. tomorrow, just as mild, but in way is it going to be pretty. you've got clouds and rain to talk about. >> mike shanahan is talking quarterbacks. wizards reach a record. it ain't good. >>> a d.c. fire fighter is on leave after being charged in a child abuse case dating back 20 years. michael rasmussen was charg with second degree child abuse earlier thismonth. police say he had sexual contact with a close relative from 1989 through 1996. that relative complained more than a decade ago but police were not able to prove anything. last october rasmussen was accused of child abuse in another case. police investigating that incident revisited the prior accusation and they were finally able to build a case. >>> the military plans to relax the rules of "don't ask, don't tell." the military will no longer discharge gays an

. >>> and amtrak introducing more service, wireless internet service inside the gets at union stationix other train stations, the service is free right now, amtrak will later review the policy. >>> number two, the trip on metro could be longer this month. a day after raising fares metro wants riders to be prepared for higher fares even on weekdays, there will be more our commute sunday through thursday. >>> and number one tonight, great news for wine lovers, virginia holding a wine week, more than 100 restaurants and wine shops adding at least two virginia wines for valley by the glass during that week, giving you a chance to try out local wines. you can see a list of all participating businesses by going to myfoxdcom and clicking on web links. brian? >>> thank you shawn, you can hear a little bit about the system working its way up from the south, we all know those are usually difficult, but this one not so much. >> and the storm going to the cape, normally people are worried. we saw it a lot. this time cold air not in place. colder air, not a lot to cause huge problems. most of this

. >> check out the amazing video of an amtrak train and see what happens next. >>> plus, a wild fugitive on the loose. and this suspect is making a and this suspect is making a monkeysettle? now that any pizza at pizza hut is just $10, you don't have to. any pizza, any size, any crust, and any toppings is just $10. all your favorite pizzas any way you want them, just $10. a large meat lover's pizza? $10. a large pan supreme? $10. any toppings you want? just 10 bucks, too. any pizza, any size, any crust, and any toppings. so don't miss out. get any pizza hut pizza today for just $10. only at your pizza hut. the risk-takers. the visionaries. the entrepreneurs... who put it all on the line to build and run their own businesses. at at&t, we know something about that. our company started out in a small lab, with not much more than a dream. and today, we know it's small businesses that can create the jobs america needs. that's why at&t is investing billions to upgrade and build out our wired and wireless tworks. making them faster, smarter, and more secure. connecting small businesses to marke

. >>> news around the nation, this is individual grow a chicago bound amtrak train, headed for michigan on the morning of march 1st. smooth sailing until then, the train carrying 69 people, then all the sudden the train crashes into the back of a fire truck. the fire department is looking into why a firefighter was parked on the tracks. >> >>> she may not be south carolina first lady anymore, but jenny was back at the governor's mansion, but had was the annual easter egg hunt. the easter tradition for the children's hospital patients. she says that even if she's not the first lady of south carolina she wants to fulfill the duties and have fun for everyone. >>> all right. it is 5:33. the honeycuts from knoxville tennessee are stone-cold red necks. when they decided to get married, there was only one place, the local bass proshop. >> you can get the water fall t decorations is just perfect. >> you notice that; right. camouflage tie. >> look again, she has a camouflage dress on or at least the top is. did you see that. >> that's beautiful, beautiful day. they spent the honeymoon on a ponto

amtrak was as you know a recipient of nearly $1.3 billion of american recovery reinvestment act of 2009rant funding to read as i speak more than $1 billion worth of projects are under way and i expect when the deadline our lives to be wary, 2011 we will have completed the replacement of all significant part of the bridges, improvement and repair of 38 facilities and 270 stations and return of 81 store and damaged cars and 15 locomotives to service. throughout the process we've pursued three important but subsidiary objections. to ensure we get the best possible value for the money to get as much as possible done within the allotted time to make the spending process as a transparent as possible with the important overriding focus of creating jobs. the federal railroad administration approved more than 99% of the total funding and we expect to make the bulk of our release in 2010. we are reporting and meetings with the fra more frequently as we work through the grand contacting process. about 49% of the funding has come under the northeast corridor projects while the remaining 51% has bee

amtrak runs into a major, it happened to be a fire truck. >>> and mark your calendar, looks like a niceweekend we have something th cherry blossom peak arrival. . >>> organizers don't want those dismal numbers again. with stephanie blake, and they're metings with leaders in faith-based community and hope to spread the importance of filling out the questionnaire which is only ten very short questions. >> the most important thing you can do in the next few weeks and months is to make sure everyone is counted, that everyone is counted. [applause] >> this year's census takes less than five minutes to fill out. you can do it with your coffee, and the information you supply will be kept confidential. >>> we are talking about vitamin d, we all know how important it is to maintain, but a new study finds many infants in this country, well fed infants are not receiving enough vitamin d it may not be evident for many years to come but they're serious. here is timothy johnson. >> reporter: babies not getting enough vitamin d face an increased risk for cancer and other diseases later in life. a repo

megyn: fox * amtrak suspended.mtrak has suspended service because the tracks are under water in parts of rhode island. look at these homes. look at that person's front door on the right where the columns are. can you imagine way it's like inside that home on the first floor? amtrak saying the rest of its new england trains will continue running but you can expect weather delays so call before you get on the trains today. the obama administration pledging $1 billion to help rebuild haiti. many americans opened their hearts and wallets to help the victims. but two months later the situation is little improved. steve harrigan is live with more in port-au-prince. >> reporter: we have been trying to find out how much the situation has improved for people we talked to days after the earthquake. we talked with a husband and wife who lost five of their children. we went back to their destroyed home where some of the bodies of their children still lay in the rubble. it's not easy for her to look at the bodies of his childre

amtrak has also suspended rail service because its tracks are under water. >> i pumped just, like -- >> what will you do? >> call my husband and cry. or i could turn on the jet ski and go for a ride. what can you do? mother nature's winning. >> at the least she's got a sense of humor about it. new jersey governor chris christie is asking president obama to declare federal disaster area. issued a emergency declaration for the entire state of rhode island already. >>> well there, has been a claim, we've learned, of responsibility for this week's deadly bombings on the moscow subway. a chechen militant says he personally gave the orders for the attack. according to a chechen website. 39 people were killed in monday's bombing. police say female suicide bombers were behind it. russian investigators had suspected chicken rebels but until now no one had claimed responsibility. >>> we've learned new details about a militia group accused of trying to start a war against the government. taking place for eight members of the hutaree militia. the hutaree members call themselves christian warrior

satisfaction rates" with certain aspects of government- run entities, whether the post office or amtrak fannie mae or freddie mac. [laughter] there are certain -- [applause] there are certain things that government alone can do, like defined the country and provide for the justice system -- like to defend a country and provide for the justice system. government has a clear role. we are perhaps carried away in our rhetoric. we're not anti-government. we recognize the important role of government. you have to have regulations and laws and rules so that the parties that want to participate in free economy know the guidelines and rules. effective and efficient markets require that. where you have an opportunity to allow a function to be carried out in the private sector, it will overwhelmingly be more effective and more efficient and more satisfying to the public if you let market dynamics actually manage that portion of the economy. i remember that conversation i had with regard to prisons, for instance. i mentioned to some legislators that i thought we ought to take a look at having priso

>> if you take amtrak or acela your train will get more convenient. amtrak said it's installing wireless access on all 20 of its ela trains. union station and several other stations along the northeast track will be getting wi-fi. the service will be free to start but then reviewed after an introductory period. >>> it's the district's largest private hospital and being criticized after more than a dozen nurses and staff members were laid off. washington hospital center officials say those workers did not show up for their shift during the recent historic snowstorm. all this comes in the midst of a contract dispute. one of the nurses who was fired stated she could not get to work because of the road conditions but she was told -- >> it's your responsibility to get in here, and that if you do not come in to work you could be subject to suspension or termination. >> anyone who is considered essential, who we had offered rides to or we offered means of transportation who chose not to come in those were the individuals that we looked at. >> the hospital sa

amtrak guest rewards members, take two roundtrips on northeast regional and get one free.ot how soft skin could be. (announcer) new gold bond ultimate softening lotion. seven moisturizers, plus shea butter for softer smoother skin. this stuff really works. >>> welcome back. here at 9 news now we recognize more of you are getting up earlier in the morning and we are going to start a 4:30 a.m. newscast. starting monday, marchleth, 9 news no run 84:30 to 7 a.m. join us for the latest news, weather and traffic and then the cbs "early show" will air 7:00 to 9:00 followed by inside edition and the insider from 9:00 to 10:00. >>> 9 news now learned that storm the dc council will deliver the most severe punishment to barry for his allege misuse of his council authority. sources close to the city's legislative body say the ward 8 councilman will be censured stripped of his committee assignments and more. and the vote could be unanimous. >> i take full responsibility this for this lack of good judgment. >> reporter: this week marion barry apologized for what he called bad judgment a

." >>> investigators in michigan have released video from onboard an amtrak train that slammed into a fire truck earlier this month. that train was traveling from dearborn, michigan to chicago wh it came upon a car parked along the tracks. and they were responded to another accident near the tracks before the train arrived. investigators are looking for why they left the truck parked on the tracks in the first place. >>> the family of a seaworld trainer killed by a whale says video of the incident will cause them severe harm if it's released. veteran trainer dawn brancheau died when a whale pulled her into the water and thrashed her around in orlando last month. today, her family was in court, fighting to keep the pictures permanently sealed. several news organizations have requested the video. a judge has issued a temporary injunction again the video's release. however, unless that judge steps in on behalf of the family, the video will become public, when the police investigation wraps. you. >>> a brazen robbery of a jewelry store caught in vero beach. main was holding a ring when he

the reason is amtrak is making permanent some discounted fares. a year ago the service started to discount as much as 25% off of some northeast regional fares. it now decided to make them permanent. one-way travel between washington and new york will go for as little as $49 or washington to philadelphia for $35. the discounts require a 14-day advance ticket purchase. >>> there's a lot of excitement over new expectations for apple's iphones. this year it could be available for verizon wireless and sprint nextel customers. since the launch in 2007, the iphone has been available in the u.s. only to at&t subscribers, but the wall street -- but "wall street journal" reports they plan to release an iphone that will work on technology used by verizon wireless and sprint nextel in the u.s. >>> big doings at see on the hill university. students who arrive next year will be getting a free ipad. they are replacing text books with computers and allowing them to down load text books cheaper and they will get a mac book pro. it is a catholic liberal arts colleg

. >>> amtrak rolled out wireless internet access. free wi-fi on all 20 acela express trains between washington and boston and also in gate areas of six major stations along the northeast corridor including baltimore's penn station. the service is free for now but the railroad says it's going to review the policy so we'll wait and see. >>> speaking of the price of things, is the price of your water heating bill bringing your blood to a boil? cool off because there are ways to bring that cost down. we have some tips to lower your heating bill. if your monthly bill always seems high -- you're not alone. according to the department of energy water heating can account for up to a quarter of the total energy consumed in your home. but there are many ways to bring that number down. >> one of the easiest ways to reduce water usage, check for leaks. a lot of times we leave these unattended and you not only have the cost of the water but also potential damage that might be caused if the leak goes undetected. >> reporter: according to the epa 1

whether that is the post office or amtrak or fannie mae or freddie mac, -- [applause] there are certain things that government alone can do like the fennec country. -- like to defend a country. government has a very important role. we have perhaps become carried away in our rhetoric. it those of us who are conservatives recognize the important role of the government. to set the rules for a market to work you have to have regulations, laws, rules of some of those who want to participate know what the guidelines are. efficient, effective markets require that. where you have an opportunity to allow a function to be carried out in the private sector it will be more effective, efficient, and satisfying if you let market dynamics or the private sector actually manage that portion of the economy. i remember conversations i had with regards to prisons, for instance. i mentioned it to some legislators that i thought we ought to take that having the presence in massachusetts managed by a for-profit prison company. based upon my calculations they could save us a lot of money. the response of the i

this afternoon amtrak stopped service from new york to boston and highway officials closed several stretches of interstate 95. throughout the day rescue teams have been working in neighborhoods flooded from the pawtuxet river. it feels familiar to many residents because this is the second major rainstorm of the month in the northeast. let's bring in rhode island senator sheldon whitehouse, a democrat. senator, how bad is it in your state? >> it's pretty serious, david. we have, as you said, 95, our major artery out. we have three of our waste water treatment systems inundated. i went through a factory in cumberland this morning going through the loading dock in an inflatable boat, families that have been in their homes for 35, 50 years and never seen flooding in cranston are now flooded out. down in south kings town where i was yesterday you've got the major part of downtown flooded out. it is a real challenge. it's been described here as a 500-year flood. >> what would you like the federal government to do? >> send the cavalry. we have a lot of people who have, you know, rhode island is in

. >>> the moment of impact between an amtrak train and fire truck.stigators say the truck had stopped to help with an earlier accident when the train came down the tracks. a police cruiser backed out of the way just in time. hey, by the way, nobody got seriously hurt here. >>> much more ahead in our next half hour. you know things are bad when the new york post and new york daily news can't decide on how many women tiger woods has slept one. now one says he owes her an apology. we'll tell you what facebook has to do with the spread of syphilis. we'll be right back. [ female announcer ] the latest athletic fabrics inspired stayfree® to create thermocontrol™. designed with the comfort of athletic fabrics in mind, stayfree® with thermocontrol™ quickly wicks moisture away for exceptional dryness. thermocontrol™ only from stayfree®. combination of seven tantalizing flavors your cat craves. friskies signature blend. feed the senses. >>> hope you're having a good we wednesday, everyone. saudi arabia announces one of the biggest terror busts in recent histor

amtrak video. there. firefighters and police were on the tracks dealing with a car crash.he train had about 69 people on board. and investigators want to know why the fire truck was parked there. >>> you may think those funny status updatious post on facebook are for your eyes and iendonly. well, maybe not. >> you think an employer or person of powers that right to come after their employee for what they post on their facebook pages? >> we're goingo hear how some of you answered that question, just ahead. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> today, after all the votes have been tallied, health reform becomes part of the law of the united states of america. >>> dr. murray was giving cpr to michael jackson. he halted it so that he could collect vials of propofol. >>> involved in an accident. >> they could fix these problems easily, but it would cost check about $500 a car nationwide. it's hard to tell the truth when those numbers are at the bottom of that truth. >>> i think when you're doing facebook stuff, it's like being friends. it's like socializing. >>> how you enj

amtrak guest rewards members, take two roundtrips on northeast regional and get one free. at amtrak.com. >>> seaworld >>> seaworld reopened its shows at its parks this weekend. had a special and moving tribute to the trainer who was killed, dawn brancheau, as t debate continues as to what should happen to killer whales in captivity. to they free tilly like they freed willie. experts say why that's the last thing you want to do. good morning, america. >> i'm george stephanopoulos. >>> also this weekend, the anatomy of the earthquake, what does it really feel like. lisa fletcher right there. she's also going to have important tips on what you need to do to take your home and family if the quake hits. >> she's in a simulator right there. >>> first this half hour, the latest on a 17-year-old honor student missing since last thursday. chelsea king was seen jogging in a park just north of san diego. last night, police arrested sex offender john albert gardner in connection with the case. mike von fremd has the latest. >> reporter: since she failed to return home from a jogging w

. >> amtrak says that the new low fairs to the eastest destinations are permanent.. >> and stay with wjz-13, maryland's news station. complete news and weather at noon. noon. upup,,,,,,,,,,,, é

. >>> here's what the operator of an amtrak train saw just moments before colliding with a fire truckrs released the tape showing the fire truck had stopped on the tracks while helping with an earlier traffic accident. a police cruiser backed out of the way just in time. fortunately, there were no serious injuries. >>> now here's brian williams with a look at what's coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news." brian. >> coming up tonight on "nightly news," we'll look at turning around the unemployment rate. what will it really take to create jobs that the politicians say get folks back to work? some of the challenges and solutions out there. all of it tonight on "nightly news." natalie, for now, back to you. >> thank you, brian. 8:04 right now. let's go back outside to meredith and ann. >> some university of oregon ducks. >> this is interesting. you missed ben stiller? where was he that you missed him? >> the david letterman show. >> you see? you get to see him here. look at that. all right. >>> look at how thrilled ben is. he's excited! he's thrilled! all right, let's check your weather,

trying to get the health care system looking more like the post office or amtrak is not going to workthe way to get the health care cost down is to apply the magic ingredient that applies to every other aspect of economic life and that is to see if we cannot get health care to act more like a market. in health care, you do not have the provisions of the market because the consumer of health services has virtually no stake in what the cost is of treatment. when to pay the deductible, it is free. in the hospital is going to charge 50,000 for surgery or 5000, you could not care less. the insurance company's going to pay. there is no pricing mechanism. there is no cost benefit that goes on that allows the patient to have input. i would change that. i would change the incentives for doctors and providers. instead of getting a fee-for- service reimbursement, there is a more -- i also would not think that a president would say, let's take something like one- fifth of the u.s. economy and get some congressional staffers together and decide how we will change it all. we're going to write a cou

this video is from amtrak.ighters and police were on the tracks dealing with the car crash already. the train had 69 people on board. investigators are tryi to find out why the fire truck was parked there. there you see the police car there getting out of t way. and there it goes. not pretty. >>> tiger woods was seen practicing at augusta national yesterday. where he'll make his return to golf. golfers who played with him recently said he looks to be in top form and they expect him to win the tournament. >>> the first day of spring felt more like the defend winter for people in parts of arkansas. look at the snow in fayetteville. scott flanagan sent us this report. he said it started snowing saturday, the first day of spring, over course, and just didn't stop. he says by noon sunday this is what it looked like. flanagan says snow this time the year is not unusual but adds it was a good accuse to get outside and have some hope. hope did you that scott. thanks so much for sharing the pictures with us. if you have

satisfaction rates" with certain aspects of government- run entities, whether the post office or amtrak or fannie mae or freddie mac. [laughter] there are certain -- [applause] there are certain things that government alone can do, like defined the country and provide for the justice system -- like to defend a country and provide for the justice system. government has a clear role. we are perhaps carried away in our rhetoric. we're not anti-government. we recognize the important role of government. you have to have regulations and laws and rules so that the parties that want to participate in free economy know the guidelines and rules. effective and efficient markets require that. where you have an opportunity to allow a function to be carried out in the private sector, it will overwhelmingly be more effective and more efficient and more satisfying to the public if you let market dynamics actually manage that portion of the economy. i remember that conversation i had with regard to prisons, for instance. i mentioned to some legislators that i thought we ought to take a look at having pr

aviation and farming, congress has provided $1.8 billion in grants to help local transit agencies and amtrak secure a rail and transit networks. we work with the administration last year to place emphasis on surface transportation security with the special response teams and funding to better coordinate security efforts in non-aviation modes like pipe lines, highways, mass transit, rail and shipping. this subcommittee has increased research and development of technologies to thwart threats that have yet to materialize. before the christmas day bomb plot, tsa had been working on a non-metallic explosive threat. this subcommittee supported. on december 25, went to more -- when mark -- the terrorist attempted to detonate a bomb, our fears were realized. we wrapped up deterrent a -- we ran up procurement for this. the failure of dutch streeters to detect the explosive on christmas day was one piece of the blight -- break down that permitted the would be barred to get as far as he did. after ordering a top-down review of all aviation security proceedings, including our terrorist watch list system

congress has provided $1.8 billion in grants to help local transit agencies and amtrak secure transitnd rail networks. we've worked with the new ministration to place additional emphasis on -- with the new administration to place additional emphasis transportation to carry. be a place emphasis on non- aviation transportation. we encourage research and development of technologies to thwart threats that have yet to materialize, well before the christmas day bomb plot. tsa had been working to field a solution to the nonmetallic explosive threat by evaluating advanced imaging technology which this subcommittee supported. on december 25, when the christmas day bomber attended to detonate an explosive device, our fears about this threat were realized. as a result, tsa ramped up its securement and deployment plan for the new screening capacity. for that, you should be commended. however, the failure of dutch screeners to detect the explosives on christmas day was just one failure of our security systems that would have prevented the would-be bombers. president obama initiated a number of ref

in the 1971 richard nixon invented amtrak. he said in two years and made a profit -- it has not made a profit yet. let's sell the earmarks back to the railroads and seven other $10 billion. i think it is a great idea. host: in a book with the washington times" on front page coverage -- since taking control in 2007, democrats have taken steps to bring transparency to earmarks. next is a call from bethlehem, pa., on the democrats' line. caller: i don't think earmarks are the big to a problem. some are correct, of course. the real problem is logging. when george bush took office there were 5000, when he left there were 35,000. if that is not an indication that people were going there with whellbarrows full money and dumping them on congressmen and senators -- i don't know what is. thank host: let's take a call from pennsylvania, on the republican line. caller: i am one of these old republicans who was in the air force watching russia from alaska long before sarah palin came along. my only comment is that the dems are now trying t

. >> last march, the vice president was at a ceremony for amtrak at union station in d.c.aid, you know, just call me joe, had the audacity to call him mr. vice president. here's what he said. >> mr. chairman, how are you? >> an hour late. give me a [ bleep ] break. >> see, it's the open mike and the f-bomb. they go perfect. vice president biden, we love you. >> could you love that man even more? >> hard to imagine my heart has any more love than it already does. >>> sarah palin looking to cash in. the book, speeches. we told you a couple weeks ago she was in discussion with discovery channel to do a reality show about alaska. not about her family, not too cheesy, about the state of alaska. well, "variety" is reporting that deal is all but done. the show is going to win her $1 million an episode. >> an episode? >> $1 million an episode. that's friends money right there. >> how many episodes? >> we don't know that. it's not going to be a like full 22-episode season. >> how much is she going to do? how many? >> i heard 45. >> chris said 45. but then he said, no, 45 second lef

notwithstanding the fact that the only media outlet this town has ever given me a fair shake as amtrak gentlemen, thanks for having me. i bless you and god bless our troops. [applause] [applause]

but there's also and truck, which i started work on $1.1 billion which is 82% of amtrak's funding.nvestments will result in the replacement of 80,000 concretize. restoration to service 60 and fleet passenger cars. twenty-one super liners, 15 locomotives and the improvement of 270 passenger stations. faa has completed work or is work underway on 94% of its $1.2 billion, 663 projects. those projects went up so fast because of the unique contract team authority aviation agencies, airport authorities who can advertise, award bids but withhold work on the project until the funding is available, were able to get further ahead of the work than the transportation agencies. so those aviation investments have produced 155 runway improvement projects, 139 airports that accommodate 11 million takeoffs and landings a year, 82 taxiway improvements that 78 airports come additional airports that accommodate 8 million operations. the epa has awarded $582 million for 57 superfund construction projects for design projects and work is underway or completed on 45 of those that are at a total of $502 mi

the amtrak is offering wireless service on the fastest train.here is something in the packet that says don't download video. if you do this, you will take up the band with. would lead to interact with each other. they're doing this because this is a shared medium and today are trying to meter this on the basis of applications. there is a contrast between fios and uverse. we have leverage the existing wires. now we are getting new wires. the price tag for putting in the fiber was $24 billion. at&t is doing it for $7 billion. they are doing this by leveraging the and the sistine infrastructure. -- leveraging the existing infrastructure. they have to deal from one source, themselves. limiting people's ability to manage the

corporation, the department of homeland security, the army, the executive office of the president, the amtrak board of directors, the national transportation safety board, the equal employment opportunity commission, the farm credit administration, the department of commerce, the department of housing and urban development, the department of treasury, the department of health, the department of veterans affairs, the department of state, the department of energy, the nuclear regulatory commission, the national council on disability, the tennessee valley authority, fellow americans, i think you get the picture that this is a list of systematic efforts to undermine the ability of the executive branch to do its job. if we simply look back on the nominations on which we've had to file cloture and hold a vote in this chamber, two-thirds of those nominees have passed by more than 70% of this body. many of them had 80 or 90 votes, because there was no sincere objection to this individual, that he or she in a number of these departments, but it was a systematic effort to delay the capability of the ex

number 18, amtrak losing $32 per passenger nationally and awarded with a windfall of $1.3 billion. widening in arizona interstate even though the company that won the contract has a history of tax fraud and pollution. $21.8 billion. i'm going to submit this for the record. but i get on down to the last things. number nine, resurfacing a tennis court in montana, $50,000. number eight, university of indiana studying why young men do not like to wear -- i don't want to say that. number seven, funds for massachusetts roadway construction to companies that have defrauded taxpayers, polluted the environment, and have paid tens of thousands of dollars in fines for violating workplace safety laws and the millions of dollars sent there number six, sending 11 students an four teachers from the arkansas university to the u.n. climate change convention in copenhagen using almost 54,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from the airline travel alone. that's $50,000. number five, winding down to number one, story telling festival in utah, $15,000. number four,or mats in the department -- dormats in the d

amtrak to to the natural drama that is inherent when we human beings think we can overcome nature. the dustbowl i'll be worst hard time and i was attracted to that because no one had ever seen the earth turn inside out. no one had ever seen a time when you literally had mountains of the earth 5000 feet high, 100 miles wide moving toward people and blotting out the sun and i like the drama that. i also like the fact that people left. many wonderful people so i could look into their eyes and say tell me what it was like 75 years ago to live through this horrible disaster. with this fire i didn't have anyone alive as it happened 100 years ago so i had to go back and look at the figures both vague and small who gave us this drama. early on the fire was so fascinating. i thought i was going to write a book just about the peer sort of atmosphere of the fire that we have never had in our history and let me give you a rough outline of this thing. 3 million acres is how much land was burned, an area equal to the size of connecticut. 3 million acres in 36 hours. less than a weekend, 33 milli