brian mooar has our report. >> reporter: with gas prices spiking, washington is facing mounting politicalpressure to do something. that may include tapping america's strategic oil reserve to help bring down prices. >> we're looking at the options. the issue of the reserves is one we're considering. it is something that only is done and has been done on very rare occasions. >> reporter: pump prices are topping $4 in some areas. we've all seen the cause. the unrest and upheaval rippling through libya and the middle east. we're all feeling the effects. that steady surge at the pump. it's threatening to increase the cost of everything, from food to air travel. and that's bad news for the economy. the last time prices spiked like this, the answer seemed simple. >> drill, baby, drill. >> reporter: but even drilling proponents realize energy is a long term problem. >> i'm buying an electric car tomorrow and that's going to give me the patriotic pleasure of plugging in and not sending money overseas to people trying to blow us up. >> reporter: rising prices and anxiety that go far beyond the pump

for more information on the operation, we go to nbc's brian mooar. >> reporter: with a second day ç offighter jet attacks and missile strikes, european and american forces have blinded moammar gadhafi's air defenses, crippled his air force and now are threatening to pound his army into submission. >> we judge these strikes to have been very effective and significantly degrading the regime's air defense capability. >> reporter: the libyan leader threatened a long, bitter fight. hours later, he declared the second cease fire in less than a week. in brazil, president obama declared libya's fate will be decided by libyans. >> the change they seek must be driven by their own people. >> reporter: and he's drawn sharp boundaries for the u.s. military. >> the president has been very clear that we're not going to put any boots on the ground. this isn't about occupation in any way, shape, or form. >> reporter: the mission? halting gadhafi's attacks on civilians. but the end game is not so clear. >> so the mission can be accomplished and gadhafi can remain in power? >> that's certainly potentiall

and as nbc bay area's brian mooar reports, that's forcing washington to try find solutions. >> reporter: washington is facing mounting political pressure to do something that may include tapping america's strategic oil reserve to bring down prices. >> we're looking at options. the issue of the reserves is one we're considering. it is something that only is done and has been done in very rare occasions. >> reporter: pump prices are topping $4 in some areas. we've all seen the cause, the unrest and upheaval rippling through libya and the middle east. and we're all feeling the effects, that sudden surge at the pumps. it is threatening to increase the cost of everything, from food to air travel. and that's bad news for the economy. the last time prices spiked like this, the answer seemed simple. >> drill, baby, drill. >> reporter: but even drilling proponents realize energy is a long-term problem. >> i'm buying an electric car tomorrow, and that's going give me the patriotic pleasure of plugging in and not sending money overseas to people trying to blow us up. >> reporter: rising prices and

brian mooar, nbc news, washington. >>> we have the very latest from japan right now also at nbcbayarea.com. there you'll find additional reports from george and pictures and video of the recovery as well as the latest estimates on recovery costs. you can check it out on nbcbayarea.com. >>> also coming up we'll talk to the san jose family of the woman missing in japan and take you back to the disaster area as well. >>> also coming up at 5:00, changing gears a bit, bart crews are scrambling to clear a ten-car train from the tracks after a serious derailment today. we'll have a live report straight ahead on that. >>> and we'll show you the latest pictures coming out of sendai. that's the city in northern japan that was hit hardest by friday's tsunami. >>> also a nervous day as st. mary's awaited its fate for the ncaa tournament. we'll let you know if they're in or out later on in sports. >>> and i'm rob mayeda tracking some rain bushing back into the bay area. here's a view of the radar and you can see some of that rain moving through napa and off to the west of san francisco. a little heavy

brian mooar, nbc news, washington. >>> well, one week since japan's worst ever disaster, new stunningootage has emerged from a local japanese news crew. they were in a taxi seconds before catastrophe struck. carl dennin of england's channel 4 tells us their story. >> reporter: these are the decisions that keep you alive. stay in the car or run for it? they run, telling the driver to do the same. they find a building. the water pooling at their feet now. as they climb the stairs, the tsunami bursts through the corridor. they reach the window as two huge red containers sweep across the path. leaving the taxi was a good decision. it's now floating. but not everyone made shelter. there's a woman on the wall, a man in a tree, and standing on a car roof, a father clutching his two young children. someone finds a fire hose. it becomes a rope. as dusk falls, a human chain is formed and reaches the children. despite the aftershocks, despite the snow, they pass the children from person to person across the tops of shipping containers. >> just remarkable there. >>> elsewhere, the united nations