brian mooar, news 4. >>> new signs to help washington, d.c. better deal with winter storms. d.c. would salt, but not plow alleys. there would be fines instead of summons for homeowners who don't clear a path on their property. >> you have to clean the sidewalk in front of your premises starting eight hours after the end of the storm. if you don't, then you now will be subject to a citation. $25 for first offense and i believe $250 for businesses. >> now the proposal is not emergency legislation, which means if it's passed, it won't be in effect until after this winter. >> turning to the weather, not bad for a december day. >> not bad at all. will it stay? let's find out. first word on the weather from chuck bell in for veronica. >> if you want to enjoy a fine day, today was the day to be out enjoying it. the sunshine we enjoyed is fading behind cloud cover. these clouds may be hard to get out of here before five to seven days for the most part. thanks to the early morning sunshine, with the clouds out there, temperatures warmed delightfully. 51 at the airport. 52 at annapolis. cu

i'm brian mooar in washington. >> many people spend the day celebrating the birth of christ. ♪ dozensttended morning worship services in downtown baltimore. they enjoyed the christmas morning mass which included holiday music. attended church services while vacationing in hawaii. the president and first lady returned to visit with service members and their families. there are expected to return to washington shortly after the new year. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. will we remember most about this holiday season -- what will you remember most? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> someone in maryland will come up as a new millionaire. the winning ticket was sold in cecil county. kim dacey is live with that story. good morning. that is quite a gift. >> the winner has not come forward yet. the winning powerball ticket was sold on christmas eve at wesley's restaurant. the owner said that was the first time their business ever had a winning ticket. they will get a lump-sum of $79 mil

nbc's brian mooar reports. >> reporter: newt gingrich is on a role in iowa and new hampshire, but he spent the day in new york, hoarding the support of donald trump. >> i think one of the differences between my party and the other party is we actually go to people who know how to create jobs. >> it was a great honor to have newt up here. it's amazing how well he's doing. >> reporter: the former speaker is cultivating a tea party hour base that grew stronger over the weekend when herman cain dropped out which spells trouble for mitt romney. >> this translates politically on being out of step with the electorate on fundamental ideological grounds. >> reporter: in a new ad gingrich echoes ronald reagan. >> working together, i know we can rebuild america. >> reporter: ron paul is taking a very different tone. >> what's up with these story politicians. not the bark, when it's show time, women perring like little shih tzus. >> some two-thirds of likely iowa caucus-goers can be persuaded to vote for another candidate. >> reporter: 29 days left and the gop candidates are cramming with their

in washington, brian mooar, wbal-tv 11 news. >> coming up, subject advantage of a different kind of last- minute shopping today. heading to the farmers' market to stock up. coming home. after nine years of war, the last convoy of u.s. combat forces has left iraq. more on their exit from the >> a historic chapter has ended in iraq. all american troops are now out of the country. the mission now, bring them home. >> it was a dignified and to a problematic war. the convoy rolled into kuwait in and organize the line. this time, but body armor was not necessary. they left iraq without firing a shot. >> it felt like a sense of relief. you're no longer in a danger zone. you can kind of relax, kick back, and just enjoy the ride. >> the last 480 american soldiers that will serve in iraq following up 1 million before them. with just one drive left to do, they seemed excited, happy. >> puffing cigars, bar-b-q. tossing footballs. and triple-checking vehicles. no one wanted to break down, not on this trip. [honk] after dark, they set out, 110 vehicles protected by 45 aircraft. then, lights in the dis

brian mooar, wbal-tv 11 news. >> our commitment to any fault coverage continues on line. you can keep -- commitment it 2012 coverage continues on line. you can keep track at wbaltv.com. prince philip left the hospital this morning after undergoing treatment for a blocked coronary artery. the 90-year-old prince spread four nights in the hospital recovering from a successful coronary stent procedure. prince philip did not speak to reporters as he was driven away from the hospital, although he smiled and waved. still ahead, we're talking taxes in "consumer alert," with saving tips before the new year. a utah woman turns to facebook for help. how her friends came to her rescue. >> i took a step in and i hit him hard. >> a store clerk did not let a weapon keep him from fighting back. it was all caught on tape. carrie engel is here to answer your plant and gardening questions. >> minutes after a man with a gun tried to rob a north carolina business, he ended up on the floor unconscious, decked by the court. the clerk, his mother said, is a fan of martial arts. he used the trick

i am brian mooar in washington. back to you. >> mitt romney is getting help from a popular new jersey republican. chris christie is speaking to undecided voters. he insists that mitt romney is the man to get the country back on track. >> let's be real clear -- president barack obama came out to iowa three years ago and he talked to you about unchanged. let me tell -- talk to you about hope and change. lemme tell you, after three years of obama, we are hopeless, changeless, and we need mitt romney to bring america back. >> in section it 2012, an end of the year press conference made it clear that gov. martin o'malley will push for an increase in the gas tax next year. he says that tax hikes are inevitable to make up for massive shortfalls in the state budget. although budget cuts have been made, governor o'malley says that the gas tax could improve the state infrastructure, transit system, and job creation. >> a budget that uses a balanced approach that every family has been using to weather the recession -- that wil

nbc's brian mooar joins us from washington with the latest on this. brian, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the candidates are way on the ground and stepping up the air war. >> good to see you. >> reporter: the gop presidential candidates are making their closing arguments in iowa. >> don't do anything to any other country we don't want them to do to us and that would solve a lot of our problems. >> reporter: ron paul is the wild card, polling second, but with a well-organized army of supporters. that makes him a target. >> ron paul would dangerous as a president of the united states. >> one of the people running for president thinksist okay for iran to are a nuclear weapon. >> reporter: mitt romney has a shot at winning, if he can convince enough voters he's conservative enough. >> i'm mitt romney. i believe in america and i'm running for president of the united states. >> reporter: it's a battle for social conservatives, who are split. rick santorum is gaining ground. rick perry is trying to get it back. >> which rein running for president vo

nbc's brian mooar joins us from washington with the very latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the candidates are sprinting toward the starting line. >> what's going to happen in this process -- >> reporter: with six days to go before the iowa caucuses, the gop presidential campaign is getting personal. mitt romney mocked newt gingrich's failure to get on the primary ballot of his home state of virginia. >> more like lucille ball at the chocolate factory. you know, you've got to get it organized. >> so, our campaign is going to stay positive. >> reporter: gingrich insists he's going to be positive, his supporters have launched attacks on romney, and a new text message campaign calling romney's once pro-choice views. rick perry portraying the other candidate as washington insiders is campaigning with the ultimate outsider, controversial sheriff joe arpao. rick santorum's campaign is finally gaining momentum and michele bachmann is desperately trying to get momentum back. knowing with less than a week left a lot can happen. romney is strug

nbc's brian mooar reports. >> the nays are -- >> reporter: the senate payroll tax cut extension slammed into a republican roadblock in the house. house republicans are trying to shame vacationing senate democrats back to the bargaining table. >> i need the president to help out, all right? >> reporter: house speaker john boehner refused a direct vote on the senate bill. instead, sending the legislation to a conference committee. but democrats say they will not negotiate. president obama accused republicans of brinksmanship. >> the clock is ticking. time is running out. and if the house republicans refuse to vote for the senate bill, or even allow it to come up for a vote, taxes will go up in 11 days. >> reporter: not only will 160 million americans see a tax increase, 2.2 million people lose long-term unemployment benefits and 48 million seniors could lose medicare doctor reimbursements. republicans are demanding a one-year extension. not just 60 days. >> fixing something for two months is not fixing something. >> reporter: democrats see other motivations. >> an excuse because they neve

in washington, brian mooar, wbal tv 11 news. >> and the news is very good on wall street. a jump in construction in the u.s. and news from europe sent stocks up. the nasdaq and s&p reported strong gains. new on wbaltv.com, we are asking about the stress on your wallet and the economy. you can vote on our survey on the front page of wbaltv.com and see what is inside the bill that was passed. >> st. mary's college, vc voyager, is solution to one of the-- st. mary's college, sea voyager, a solution to one of their problems with dorms. and a look at the spike in deaths coming up in tonight's medical alert. >> these are some of the last troops coming back from iraq for troops coming back from iraq for the final time ♪ [ female announcer ] light up your season with a brighter, whiter smile. with crest 3d white professional effects whitestrips. it penetrates below the enamel surface to whiten as well as a $500 dentist treatment. the secret's in the strip. for a smile that's sure to stand out. crest 3d white professional effects whitestrips. use these products together for a white

brian mooar joins us with more from washington. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, lynn. it's clear iowa's social conservatives are still shopping around and that's good news for mitt romney. five days before iowa, the gop presidential deck has been reshuffled again. this time mitt romney's on top. >> this is an exciting time. we're going to take back the white house thanks to you guys. thank you. >> reporter: ron paul has slumped to second but picked up a key endorsement from michele bachmann's co-chair. she says he was one time offered a lot of money to switch sides. he denies 2. >> i believe opportunity to elect conservatives. >> reporter: rick santorum has suddenly vaulted into third place. >> how many times do you hear this as a conservative. don't try to impose your morality on us. >> reporter: newt gingrich is now on a slide, and he's lowering expectations. >> what do you have to do here in iowa? >> you have to be in the top three or four. >> you have to win either iowa or new hampshire? >> south carolina. >> re

nbc's brian mooar reports. >> the nays are -- >> reporter: the senate payroll tax cut extension slammed into a republican roadblock in the house. house republicans are trying to shame vacationing senate democrats back to the bargaining table. >> i need the president to help out, all right? >> reporter: house speaker john boehner refused a direct vote on the senate bill. instead, sending the legislation to a conference committee. but democrats say they will not negotiate. president obama accused republicans of brinksmanship. >> the clock is ticking. time is running out. and if the house republicans refuse to vote for the senate bill, or even allow it to come up for a vote, taxes will go up in 11 days. >> reporter: not only will 160 million americans see a tax increase, 2.2 million people lose long-term unemployment benefits and 48 million seniors could lose medicare doctor reimbursements. republicans are demanding a one-year extension. not just 60 days. >> fixing something for two months is not fixing something. >> reporter: democrats see other motivations. >> an excuse because they neve

brian mooar in washington. back to you. >> still ahead, did you get rid of your home phone line to avoid it telemarketers? soon it they may be able to target your cellphone. plus, when you are crocodile and you are hungry, even a lot more looks tasty -- a lawnmower looks tasty. it took the lives of five family members, and now learning that this christmas day fir >> we are falling breaking news. the inner loop of the beltway at loch raven boulevard is closed. there is an accident involving police at the location. there is no word of injuries or who was at fault. we don't know how long that portion of the beltway will be shut down. drivers are encouraged to avoid at area. investigators say the fire that killed three young connecticut girls and their grandparents on christmas day appears accidental. an initial investigation shows that fire and embers were thrown away in drawers and likely sparked the fire. the flames were so intense that firefighters were iunable to rescue the victims, trapped on the upper floors

nbc's brian mooar has more. >> reporter: newt gingrich is on a roll in iowa and new hampshire, but he spent the day in new york. courting the support of donald trump. >> i think up with of the differences between my party and the other party is we actually go to people who know how to create jobs. >> it was a great honor to have newt up here. it's amazing how well he's doing. >> reporter: the former speaker is cultivating a tea party power base that only grew stronger over the weekend when herman cain dropped out, which spells trouble for mitt romney. >> this translates politically into being out of step with the electorate on fundamental ideological grounds. if you're conservative, you're looking for conservative, and you don't think mitt romney is. >> reporter: in a new ad gingrich echoes ronald reagan. >> working together, i know we can rebuild america. >> reporter: ron paul is taking a very different tone. >> what's up with these sorry politicians? lots of bark. when it's showtime, whimpering. >> reporter: iowa's top republican predicts nothing but the unpredictable. >> some two-t

nbc's brian mooar reports. >> reporter: a sharply divided senate shot down competing attempts at payroll tax cuts. >> the motion is not agreed to. >> reporter: republicans refused to raise taxes on millionaires. democrats wouldn't agree to slash federal jobs. and if congress doesn't extend the tax cut and unemployment insurance, president obama is threatening to keep lawmakers in town through the holidays. >> we are going to stay here as long as it takes to make sure that the american people's taxes don't go up on january 1st. >> reporter: the president is refusing to bow to republicans in the last big showdown of a politically toxic year. >> they think we should do a payroll tax but the question is, what price will they extract from the president in order to get it done? and i just want to make clear. this is not about me. >> reporter: republicans are pressuring the president to sign off on building the keystone oil pipeline from canada. >> at a time when the american people are still asking the question, where are the jobs, i think this is a bipartisan proposal a president ought to end

brian mooar, nbc news, washington. >>> now here's a look at other stories making news early today in america. a momentary distraction may lead to a lifetime of embarrassment for one miami police officer. oops. he was reaching for a fallen pen when it caused him to lose control of his cruiser and drive up a wire attached to a utility pole. stuck at a 45-degree angle the officer, who was not hurt, thankfully, needed a rescue crew to help him exit the car. >>> a gun-wielding thief disguised in a scoopy doo ski mask has the public asking for help. they released surveillance video hoping someone may be able to identify him. >> he just wanted a scoopy snack. >>> an oklahoma restaurant has snacks for you. they have taken all the fun foods from state fairs and put them on their menu. customers at the eatery can now get a year-round fix of funnel cakes, bill will be very happy to hear that, fried candy bars, corn dogs, indian tacos and other popular dishes. >>> for a look at your national and regional weather, here is nbc meteorologist bill karins with your weather channel forecast. good morn

brian mooar, nbc news, washington. parents, listen up to this. we'll have that coming up next. >>> plus we know which sears and k-mart stores will be closing. >> and here's a top ten list for 2011. yeah, you got to see it to believe it. the coast guard's brand new push for recruits. >>> a popular toy is being recalled. the build a bear workshop is recalling 3 # 0,000 colorful hearts teddy bear. the eyes can loosen and fall out posing as a choking hazard for kids. now if you have a colorful heart teddy bear, you can return it to a build a bear workshop and receive a coupon for any stuffed animal in the store. 4:55. the nationwide closure of sears and k-mart stores will not hit the bay area. they posted a list of 48 stores slated for closure. only three in california. two down in san diego. one in los angeles. sears expected to announce the closure of 41 more stores in the near future. >> al ka traz was famous for keeping prisoners locked up tight. a georgia woman claims two family members escaped decades ago. she says her two brothers clarence and

nbc bay area brian mooar reports both democrats and republicans are now betting the other will either cave or take the blame if taxes go up. >> 229, nays are 193. >> the payroll tax cut extension slammed into a republican roadblock in the house. house republicans are trying to shame vacationing senate democrats back to the bargaining table. >> i need the president to help out! >> reporter: house speaker, john boehner refused a direct vote on the senate bill, instead, sending the legislation to a conference committee. but democrats say they will not negotiate. president obama accused republicans of brinksmanship. >> the clock is ticking. time is running out. if the house republicans refuse to vote for the senate bill, or even allow it to come up for a vote, taxes will go up in 11 days. >> reporter: not only will 160 million americans see a tax increase, 2.2 million people lose long term unemployment benefits and 48 million seniors could lose medicare doctor reimbursements. republicans are demanding a one year extension, not just 60 days. >> fixing something for two months is not fixing

i'm brian mooar in washington. >> keep it. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day.t will you remember most about this holiday season? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> it looks like more people are using their five finger discount to get those holiday gifts this year. shoplifting is up 6% this year. experts blamed higher jobless rates and lower wages for the increase. huge holiday crowds make it easier for some people to slip something under their coats. at least 800,000 drivers will require assistance this holiday season. they will remove at least 100,000 sets of keys from locked vehicles. 800,000 calls is still a small percentage of the population. stocks are closed today. but business and money never sleeps. cali carlin has more in the bloomberg business report. >> good morning. nearly half of u.s. adults are optimistic that 2012 will be better for their finances. part of the optimism may stem from the fact that many people plan to make financial changes like cutting back on eati

nbc's brian mooar joins us with the details. brian, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, veronica. everybody out there in tv land, did you get what you wanted for christmas? >> santa. >> reporter: after speeding around the globe to deliver all his gifts on time -- ♪ jingle bells jingle all the way ♪ santa and friends spent time surfing in cocoa beach, florida. and if facebook is any measure, the man in red did a pretty good job this year. foul weather left u.p.s. scrambling to get tens of thousands of packages delivered on time. speaking of scrambling, it's now crunch time for the republican presidential candidates. just eight days left before iowa. president obama and the first family are chilling in sunny hawaii. this is, of course, the season of giving. and many spent their christmas day doing just that. 1,800 meals served at a church in north carolina. 22,000 in atlanta. in florida, volunteers delivered boxes of groceries to their needy neighbors. now that christmas is over, it's time for serious shoppers to spring

brian mooar, nbc news, washington. >> all right, 4:55. we want to check the drive if you're just getting ready to head out the door. mike inouye, how does it look? >> good morning. we have one accident to report out of the north bay. your eastbound 29 onramp to eastbound 237. there is an accident brewing right there. no injuries, a minor solo spinout there. there may be moisture on the roadway because in the same area, we're talking about fog as you're approaching the bridge. and further north through american canyon. so westbound 80 commuters, that's your direction towards the carquinez bridge. we'll track that commute and send it back to you. sort of a spare the air day. why experts say you're allowed to curl up next to a rooring fire, but you shouldn't. >>> and a journalist who admitted to faking more than 40 articles says he's trustworthy enough to become a lawyer. >>> for all your news, weather, traffic updates and all sorts of good things, check us out on facebook. search nbc bay area news. >>> and we give you a live look over the a

nbc's brian mooar has the details. >> reporter: house republicans are rejecting a senate bill that would have given 160 million american a tax break for another two months, saying it just creates more uncertainty. >> the senate did its -- they did their job. they produced a bill. the house disagrees with it. >> reporter: speaker john boehner and fellow republicans are demanding a full-year extension and trying to shame senate democrats into coming back from vacation to meet at the bargaining table. >> are you willing, are you at least willing to work over the hole addition holidays so that maybe the american people might have a little better christmas? >> reporter: the democrats thought they already had a deal. the bipartisan bill passed by a wide margin in the senate on saturday. >> what we see now is stalling action on the part of those who never really were for a payroll tax cut in the first place. >> what is happening is a partisan convulsion driven by the tea party. >> reporter: another showdown in washington. but this time one side's not even in town. brian mooar, nbc news, washing

brian mooar has details. >> reporter: in tiny kansas, president obama delivered a message aimed at both middle class americans and politicians back in washington. >> i believe this country succeeds when everyone gets a fair shot. whether everyone does their fair share. when everyone plays by the same rules. >> reporter: the president argues he's defending the working class while republicans are standing with the rich. it's a rallying cry for the current tax fight in washington and his own re-election campaign. >> and in 1910, teddy roosevelt came here, to osawatomie and he laid out his vision for what he called a new nationalism. >> reporter: roosevelt argued that welfare was more important than wealth. an argument this president is laying out a century later. >> we simply cannot return to this brand of you're on your own economics if year serious about rebuilding the middle class in this country. >> reporter: far from soaring rhetoric, republicans and democrats on capitol hill are struggling to keep a middle class payroll tax from expiring at the end of the month. democrats are offerin

nbc's brian mooar has the details. >> reporter: house republicans are rejecting a senate bill that would have given 160 million american a tax break for another two months, saying it just creates more uncertainty. >> the senate did its -- they did their job. they produced a bill. the house disagrees with it. >> reporter: speaker john boehner and fellow republicans are demanding a full-year extension and trying to shame senate democrats into coming back from vacation to meet at the bargaining table. >> are you willing, are you at least willing to work over the hole addition holidays so that maybe the american people might have a little better christmas? >> reporter: the democrats thought they already had a deal. the bipartisan bill passed by a wide margin in the senate on saturday. >> what we see now is stalling action on the part of those who never really were for a payroll tax cut in the first place. >> what is happening is a partisan convulsion driven by the tea party. >> reporter: another showdown in washington. but this time one side's not even in town. brian mooar, nbc news, washing

brian mooar joins us from washington with the details. good morning. >> reporter: wouldn't you know it? the drama has one last cliff hanger. if even one lawmaker objects, the vote would have to be pushed into next week. house republicans have surrendered in the fight over extending the payroll tax cut. >> we were here fighting for the right things. may not have been the politically the smartest thing in the world, but i'm going to tell you what, i think our members waged a good fight. >> reporter: facing immense pressure from the 160 million americans that face a january 1st tax increase and from members of their own party with a costly backlash, republicans decided to go along with the two-month extension passed by the senate. but a key provision, language that protects small businesses from nightmarish reporting requirements allows gop lawmakers to walk away with an important consolation prize. it's a holiday gift for taxpayers and an election year present for president obama. >> this is it. this is exactly why people get so frustrated

brian mooar joins us from washington with the details. good morning. >> reporter: well, lynn, one last bit of drama and guesswork here today. if even one lawmaker objects, the vote would have to be pushed into next week. house republicans have surrendered in the fight over extending the payroll tax cut. >> we were here fighting for the right things. may not have been the politically the smartest thing in the world, but i'm going to tell you what, i think our members waged a good fight. >> reporter: facing immense pressure from the 160 million americans that face a january 1st tax increase and from members of their own party with a costly backlash, republicans decided to go along with the two-month extension passed by the senate. but a key provision, language that protects small businesses from nightmarish reporting requirements allows gop lawmakers to walk away with an important consolation prize. it's a holiday gift for taxpayers and an election year present for president obama. >> this is it. this is exactly why people get so frustrated

. >>> nbc's brian mooar joins us from washington with the details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. it's been a rough primary season, but the republicans are about to face their first official test. one week before the iowa caucuses, ron paul is leading the gop presidential pack. but it's still anyone's race. >> usually the iowa caucuses aren't completely defined until very close to the end. >> reporter: while rick santorum is hunting for votes -- >> you're not electing someone to cast votes. you're electing a leader. >> reporter: michele bachmann is getting ready to hit all of iowa's 99 counties. rick perry released a new attack ad. but it's aimed at washington. >> get a job like everybody else back home. >> reporter: mitt romney is still trying to convince iowans he's conservative enough. >> i'm going to do something to government. i'm going to make it simpler and smaller and smarter. >> reporter: newt gingrich failed to make virginia's primary ballot, and days before iowa, that's a setback he can't afford. >> we're disappointed but it was

>> brian mooar in washington. n, thank you. >>> well, the white house is condemning a series of terror attacks in nigeria that killed nearly 40 people on christmas day. an explosion at a catholic church near the nigerian capital claimed the lives of at least 20 people who had just finished observing christmas mass. it appears to be a coordinated assault. a bomb exploded amid gunfire in a city in the central part of the country and a suicide car bomber attacked the military in the northeast. a muslim sect responsible for holiday bombings that killed 90 people last year reportedly claimed responsibility. >>> new violence in iraq this morning as a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb at a checkpoint leading to the interior ministry in baghdad, killing six people. on sunday, vice president joe biden talked by phone to prime minister nuri al maliki, offering condolences after last week's violence killed up to 70 in baghdad. their conversation comes amid fears of a sectarian split after al maliki's coalition issued an arr

nbc's brian mooar joins us from washington with the very latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the candidates are sprinting toward the starting line. >> what's going to happen in this process? >> reporter: with six days to go before the iowa caucuses, the gop presidential campaign is getting personal. mitt romney mocked newt gingrich's failure to get on the primary b ballot in the homestae of virginia. >> more like lucille ball at the chocolate factory. you know, you've got to get it organized. >> so, our campaign is going to stay positive. >> reporter: gingrich insists he's going to be positive, his supporters have launched attacks on romney, asking whether a moderate can be trusted, and a new text message campaign calling romney's once pro-choice views. rick perry portraying the other candidates as washington insiders is campaigning with the ultimate outsider, controversial sheriff joe arpaio. rick santorum's campaign is finally gaining momentum and michele bachmann is desperately trying to get momentum back. knowing that even with les

nbc's brian mooar has details. >> reporter: what began as a school bus trip in missouri ended in a deadly chain collision crash and more than a year later it's leading to a call for an outright ban on drivers using mobile phones. >> and, yes, that does apply to bluetooth, hand-held, hands-free. a visual and cognitive distractions and manual distractions we're concerned about. >> reporter: it's one of the most sweeping recommendations ever by the national transportation safety board. >> it may seem like a very quick call, a very quick text, a tweet or an update. but accidents happen in the blink of an eye. >> reporter: drivers could still use gps or other devices that aid driving. and passengers wouldn't be affected, but the ntsb call is only a recommendation. distracted driving has been cited in a fatal commuter train accident in california, a deadly boat collision in philadelphia and a passenger jet that strayed 100 miles past its destination. investigators say the true toll of distracted driving is impossible to measure. while a phone ban may be inconvenient -- >> death is inconvenient.

brian mooar is in washington with tonight's "project 3d." what began as a school bus trip ended in a deadly chain collision crash. more than one year later, calling for an outright ban on drivers using mobile phones. >> yes, that does apply to bluetooth, hand-held, hands- free. it is both a visual and a cognitive distraction and manual distractions we are worrying about. >> one of the most sweeping recommendations ever. >> it may seem like a quick call, a quick tax, a tweet, or an update, but accidents happen in the blink of an eye. >> drivers can still use gps and passengers would not be affected, but the ntsb's calls on the recommendation. in the 2010 misery crash, they found a 19-year-old pickup driver had exchanged numerous text messages before slamming into right track and being hit by two school buses. >> we did not set out looking for a driver distraction accident. driver distraction bound us. >> and has been cited in a fatal commuter train in california, a border collision, and a passenger jet that went 100 miles past its destination

nbc's brian mooar is in washington for us with the latest. good morning. >> good morning, lynn. neither side seems willing to bend and the clock is ticking down. >> let's see if my credit card still works. >> reporter: while his family is in highway', president obama is staying here in the nation's capitol to battle republicans over the payroll tax cuts. he's taking to twitter asking americans what they would do with an extra $40 in their paycheck, holding an' haven't later today with some of the 160 million americans who will pay if republicans don't pass a bill before january 1st. >> the house needs to act. they're not behaving in the interest of the country. >> reporter: the senate pass adibi partisan tax bill before leaving on vacation. >> the ayes are 89, the nays are 10. >> reporter: house republicans want a one-year extension, not just two months and pressuring the senate to get back to the bargaining table. >> so work with us to work with us to resolve our differences so we can do what everybody wants to do. >> reporter: the house is refusing the go home, also ignoring d