brian mooar reports. >> reporter: at a campaign fundraiser with gays and lesbians in new york, president obama described but didn't dwell on his support for same sex marriage rights. >> i want everybody treated fairly in this country. it doesn't weaken families it strengthens families. [ applause ] >> reporter: the issue has everyone else talking for a second straight week. it's a new battlefront in the 2012 presidential race. "newsweek" magazine has declared president obama the first gay president. over the weekend presumptive republican nominee mitt romney delighted christian fundamentalist at liberty university by defining marriage as -- >> the relationship between one man and one woman. >> reporter: romney seemed less than eager to engaging the issue. >> how important it is to people a few months from now time will tell but my position is out there for people to see. >> reporter: the obama campaign is kicking up the primary season. mitt romney said he's a job creator not job killer. a primary season skirmish now primetime in the fight for the white house. brian mooar, nbc news, washi

brian mooar shows us that president obama officially started his re-election campaign with rallies in key battleground states. >> reporter: in his first official campaign event of the election season, president obama hit the battleground states of ohio and virginia. >> i still believe in you. i'm asking you to keep believing in me. >> reporter: he reached out to the younger voters he needs to win re-election. he had help from first lady michelle obama. >> i'm feeling fired up and ready to go myself. i am. >> reporter: his campaign slogan, forward is a contrast to the hope and change he promised four years ago. the disappointing economic numbers released on friday underscored the challenge president obama faces in firing up voters this time around. >> this is a make or break moment for the middle class. we have been through too much to turn back now. >> reporter: he gave a preview of the tax to come on the republican nominee, mitt romney. >> corporations aren't people. people are people. >> reporter: romney's campaign fired back saying the president is ignoring the past three and a hal

brian mooar, nbc news, washington. >>> else wra, u.s. drone strike killed another top al qaeda in yes man. he stepped out of his vehicle in southern yemen. he was one of al qaeda's most senior leaders linked to several terrorist attacks. he was on the fbi's most wanted list in his role in if the bombing of the uss cole in 2000 that killed 11 american soldiers and wounded 39 others. >>> there will be a trial set for five charged in the 9/11 attacks. nbc's correspondent michael isikoff reports from cuba. >> reporter: in guantanamo bay it was a difficult day for a military judge and a painful one. accused master find khalik sheikh mohammed were brought into court. charged with killing more than 3,000 people. but mohammed and his co-defendants were defiant, repeatedly refusing to answer the judge's questions or put on a headset to hear what the judge had to say. one of the co-defendants stood up and disrupted the proceedings at one point shouting and suggesting that guantanamo bay were trying to kill him, but the judge moved the case forward

brian mooar has those details from washington. good morning. >> reporter: romney has locked up the nomination and now time to consolidate support among his fellow republicans. as mitt romney rolled in republican national committee headquarters in washington, his party was closing ranks behind him. >> americans are tired of being tired of this economy and of this president and want real change. [ applause ] >> reporter: today expected to pick up endorsement of former candidate michele bachmann and is appearing with one of the purported short list vice presidential candidates, virginia governor bob mcdonnell. just a day earlier, newt gingrich suspended his campaign and declared romney conservative enough. >> this is a choice between mitt romney and the most radical leftist president in american history. >> reporter: while gingrich is out of the way he's leaving behind attacks being picked up by the obama campaign. >> are you calling mitt romney a liar? >> yes. i don't know of any american president that had a swiss bank account. >>

brian mooar has that story. >> reporter: from the ceo of jp morgan chase an explanation on a stunning $2 billion trading loss. >> we made a terrible egregious mistake, almost no excuse for it. >> shrugged off mounting concerns that something was terribly wrong with a $100 billion hedge investment that is being described as a bad bet. >> we know we were sloppy. we know we were stupid. we know it was bad judgment. >> reporter: ks a reminder of the meltdown that upended the economy four years ago. mainstream americans paid a steep price and the economy is still crawling towards a recovery. this time around, jp morgan's reputation and stock price are taking a hit but the company still expects to turn a profit. for democrats, this is a warning sign. >> we're not trying to stop banks from losing money, we're trying to stop them from losing moneys that will cause damage to the -- >> reporter: the dodd frank law designed to reign in wall street but republicans say it's stifling investment. >> you have so much government regulation coming in you can't see the forest for the trees. >> reporter:

brian mooar, nbc news, washington. >>> elsewhere, a u.s. drone strike has killed another top al qaeda leader in yemen. officials say the missile hit fahd al quso as he stepped out of his vehicle in southern yemen. he was one of al qaeda's most senior leaders linked to several terrorist attacks. he was on the fbi's most wanted list for his role in the bombing of the "uss cole" in 2000, which killed 17 american sailors and wounded 39 others. >>> well, after years of delay, a tentative trial date has been set for next year for the five terror defendants charged in the september 11th attacks. an arraignment hearing was held this weekend, featuring even more delays. nbc news national investigative correspondent michael isikoff reports from cuba. >> reporter: at guantanamo bay it was a difficult day for a military judge and a painful one for the families of the 9/11 victims. accused mastermind khalid sheikh mohammed and his four co-defendants were brought into a courtroom here to be formally arraigned on charges that they plotted the attacks that

nbc's brian mooar is in washington with those details. brian, good morning. >> hi, lynn. the president is hosting a bipartisan lunch at the white house and some of the items on the menu, republicans will find hard to swallow. today, president obama is issuing a to-do list for congress, and holding a rare hit-down with top lawmakers from both parties to get it all done. one of the first orders of business, raising the debt ceiling so the government can pay bills. house speaker john boehner is already drawing a hard line. >> when the time comes, i will again insist on my simple principle of cuts and reforms greater than the debt limit increase. >> reporter: that is setting the stage for yet another partisan showdown on capitol hill. >> american people had enough of this brinksmanship. they want us to get things done. >> reporter: on "the view" the president wants to do what republicans won't, raising taxes on the rich. >> everybody sitting on this couch will have to pay a little more in taxes so we don't have to raise taxes for middle class families. >> reporter: the presid

brian mooar reports. >> reporter: on this memorial day weekend, get-aways don't get much better thans. >> starting to kick off summer, just chilling with some friends. always a good way. i mean, beautiful memorial day weekend. >> reporter: not so in myrtle bea beach, where swimming was probated as beryl was bearing down on the southeast, threatening to make a wet memorial day. but it was a great day for a parade in chicago. addressing graduating cadets at west point, vice president biden noted that america's days at war are now numbered. >> president obama and i came to office determined to end the war in iraq responsibly and today our troops are home. >> reporter: across america, a weekend of relaxation and reflection. brian mooar, nbc news. >>> still ahead on the broadcast tonight, goats are normally nuisances, but not in prince george's county. why the animals are helping clean up a popular shopping center. >>> plus -- why prince william never thought he would settle down with just one woman. details of the new biography up next. >>> coming up tonight, a triple threat of extreme w

brian mooar, nbc news, washington. >>> a blind chinese activist who spent seven years in prison and under house arrest in china is now in the united states. cheng guangcheng landed at an airport an hour ago. he found refuge in beijing. they left a few hours after being notified of an agreement with the united states. he was jailed for his campaign against forced abortion. the agreement allowed him to go to the u.s. to study law at new york university. >>> the man behind tesla motors was hoping to watch his private spacecraft lift off today. watch the countdown. you don't see or hear this very often. >> three, two, one, zero and lift off. we have had a cut off. >> with less than one second to go, the launch of the space x rocket was canceled. it was supposed to have been the dawn of a new area. the launch of an aircraft to the international space station. the founder watched the aborted launch from california. apparently high chamber pressure triggered a computer to shut down the launch at the last second. it was supposed to send 1,000 pounds of supplies to the international space station.

nbc's brian mooar reports. >> reporter: a win in the texas primary gives mitt romney enough delegates to clench the republican nomination. he thanked his supporters and released his birth certificate. on romney's big day, republicans were revisiting the fight over president obama's birth place. earlier, romney joked about a businessman who wanted to have the constitution rewritten to make sure presidents have business experience. >> in addition to the age of the president and citizenship of the president and the birth place being set by the constitution. >> reporter: romney spent his evening at a big money fund-raiser with donald trump who rekindled the birth of the debate. >> you're not allowed to be president if you're not born in the country. >> reporter: romney didn't defend trump but didn't disagree, either. >> i don't agree with all the people who support me. >> reporter: as newt gingrich threw his support behind romney he didn't buy into the birther game. >> we believe this is an american born job-killing president. >> reporter: a big night for mitt romney, and a reprieve for a

brian mooar, nbc news washington. >>> four american soldiers who survived combat, a staggering 45% of veterans are filing for disability benefits. that's a historic rate. more than 700,000 former soldiers have applied to the department of veterans affairs for compensation for injuries they say are service related. many of america's newest veterans, mostly from the afghanistan and iraq wars, say they have multiple injuries from bomb blasts. the 45% filing disability claims is more than double the number who did so after the first gulf war in the early '90s. j memorial day festivities could be a washout for some folks in the southeast after tropical storm beryl made landfall in northern florida this morning. beryl was bringing heavy rains and winds of up to 50 miles per hour to coastal areas of the southeast. knocking out power to more than 20,000 customers in the jacksonville area alone. nbc's curt gregory has more on holiday hazards around the nation. >> reporter: on this memorial day weekend, wild weather is turning the holiday into not quite a great day at the beach. >> we're really

nbc's brian mooar reports. >> reporter: from the ceo of jpmorgan chase, an unambiguous explanation on a stunning $2 billion trading loss. >> we made a terrible, egregious mistake. there's almost no excuse for it. >> reporter: jamie dimon shrugged off mounting concerns last month that something was terribly wrong with a $100 billion hedge investment that now is being described as a bad bet. >> we know we were sloppy. we know we were stupid. we know there was bad judgment. >> reporter: it is a nightmarish reminder of the wall street meltdown that upended the economy four years ago. main street americans paid a steep price for those bailouts, and the economy is still crawling toward a recovery. this time around, jpmorgan's reputation and its stock price are taking a hit, but the company still expects to turn a profit. for democrats this is a warning sign. >> we're not trying to stop banks from losing money. we're trying to stop them from losing money in ways that will cause damage to the rest of the system. >> reporter: congressman barney frank was co-author of the dodd/frank law designe

brian mooar, nbc news. >>> president obama is headed back to the bay area this month. he visited san francisco in february for a fund-raiser and several private fund-raisers as well. the president is due back for a public fund-raiser at the fox theater. ticket prices start at $250. tickets are sold out. the least expensive ticket is $1,000. if you want one-on-one time, fork over $35,000 for a private dinner. >>> some of the season's first graduation ceremonies were held across the bay area. at dominican college in marin, it was bittersweet. 25-year-old jordan was one of the crew members killed in the yachting race a few weeks ago. today, 350 of his classmates and friends paid tribute to him during the graduation ceremony. >> we will be giving a degree to his family. he was very close to graduating and should be here today. to honor him, we are going to offer them his degree. >> the president read a poem he wrote about sailing and handed the diploma to the family. a scholarship is being established in his name as well. >>> thousands of other graduates were honored at uc

brian mooar, nbc news, washington. >>> here is your first look at some of of the other news in america today. in florida, police have arrested 31 men who thought they were going to meet children for sexual enkournlts. instead, there were undercover officers waiting. police say it shows the battle against online predators is far from over. one of the suspects allegedly brought his own child to the home. >>> in illinois, a school bus full of children slammed into the back of a big rig. the bus driver and a student were seriously hurt. ten other kids suffered minor injuries in the crash along interstate 55. the fifth and sixth it graders were headed back from a field trip to the state capitol. >>> in georgia, this is fascina fascinating, a wallaby is being given treatment usually reserved for humans. eye chiropractor it hoping to save the animal. it's believed the wallaby got injured after running into a fence. it's being fitted with a brace. >>> and, finally, also remarkable, in new york, a 93-year-old woman has been declared the world's oldest yoga teacher/instructor by guinness book of

brian mooar reports. >>> we apologize. we were having a technical issue. meanwhile, millions of americans are hitting the hirms. and numbers greater than last year. that's partly because gas prices are lower than this time last year. brian mooar has our story. >> reporter: how is this for a good sign some gas prices going down just in time for the unofficial kickoff of summer. from postcard picturesque palm beach to the golden gate of san francisco, nearly 35 million americans travel 50 miles or more this weekend. nearly nine out of ten are going by car. and those going by air are paying a steep price. >> paid a little extra it for the ticket or you pay a little extra for the luggage. >> reporter: of course the meaning of this memorial day is about americans who made the ultimate sacrifice. at arlington national cemetery, troops placed an american flag on more than a quarter million graves. >> every one of these veterans are touched and shown that they are remembered. and i think it's very humbling to be a part of that. >> reporter: vice president joe bide

brian mooar, nbc news. >>> in honor of memorial day, boy scouts and girl skoutds from around the country the day placing flags at national cemeteries including right here in the bay area. scouts and their families volunteer their time at golden gate national cemetery in san bruno this morning to help plant flag says at each headstone. one scout leader says as many as 3500 people showed up today to make the tradition a success. >> there's about 112,000 flags, and it did take us an hour to two hours with the number of people that we have come out here. they do a fantastic job. >> organizers say the goal is to honor veterans that serve the country on this memorial day weekend. >> coming up next at 6:00, a new gym in the bay waterfront trail opens this memorial day weekend. we'll go there. >>> look at this. it's snow in the sierra. we'll show you. >>> a memorable memorial day in the sierra. take a look at this. it's snow. not many taking a dip in lake tahoe today. what do you think? there was a dusting of snow lakeside, and more than 6 inches in the high country. there were even chain contro

brian mooar reports from washington. >> reporter: today in chicago, nato officially endorses a plan to wind down the war in afghanistan by the end of 2014. >> we will make clear our commitment to a long-term partnership. >> reporter: as president obama hosts the final day of the nato summit in his hometown, he's trying to get nato allies to commit money and manpower to not only finish the war, but help afghanistan after 2014. appearing with afghan president hamid karzai, he conceded the road ahead will not be easy. >> we're on the right track, and what this nato summit reflects is the world is behind the strategy we've laid out. >> afghanistan is fully aware of the task ahead. and what afghanistan needs to do to reach the objectives that we all have. >> reporter: as nato leaders held their meetings, protesters demonstrated outside in the street. >> on the street. on the street. >> reporter: from chicago to kabul, a diplomatic effort to end a decade long war. the u.s. commander of nato forces in afghanistan says he expects the fighting to continue right up until the pullout. brian mooar

brian mooar has the latest on the camp david talks. >> reporter: at maryland's camp david, president fellow g- 8 leaders declared they would stand united on fixing a global economy still facing stiff headwinds. >> this has been a frank and useful conversation and gives me great optimism about our ability to meet these challenges in the future. >> the most pressing concern, a greek financial crisis that is threatening to spread. the greek people have thrown out the government that agreed to strict austerity measures in return tore a european bailout. the g-8 leaders expect greece to honor its commitments. >> the american role here is very minimal. we can offer advice, but we are simply sitting on the bleachers. >> reporter: this meeting is an initiation for the new leaders of france, italy and japan. but the agenda covers familiar ground. in iran, the leaders threaten sanctions if the nation continues its nuclear program. and the g-8 countries are working on oil supply contingencies if iran retaliates. the leaders discussed issues ranging from a peaceful transfer of power in syria to

nbc's brian mooar reports. >> reporter: from the ceo of jpmorgan chase, an unambiguous explanation on a stunning $2 billion trading loss. >> we made a terrible, egregious mistake. but there's almost no excuse for it. >> reporter: jamie dimon shrugged off mounting concerns last month that something was terribly wrong with a $100 billion hedge investment that now is being described as a bad bet. >> we know we were sloppy. we know we were stupid. we know there was bad judgment. >> reporter: it is a nightmarish reminder of the wall street meltdown that upended the economy four years ago. main street americans paid a steep price for those bailouts, and the economy is still crawling toward a recovery. this time around, jpmorgan's reputation and its stock price are taking a hit, but the company still expects to turn a profit. for democrats this is a warning sign. >> we're not trying to stop banks from losing money. we are stop trying them -- stop them from losing money in ways that will cause damage to the rest of the system. >> reporter: congressman barney frank was co-author of the dodd/fr

nbc's brian mooar reports. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands of bikers roared into the nation's capital on the 25th annual run of rolling thunder. a moving tribute to americans who served and sacrificed. many of these bikers are veterans. and in this election year, they could be the key to winning the white house. current and former military members are well represented in several swing states, including florida. and that has president obama and republican mitt romney focusing on veterans and the issues that affect them. >> it's not enough just to make a speech about how much we value veterans. it's not enough just to remember them on memorial day. >> reporter: president obama's touting what he's done to help veterans. mitt romney promises to keep the military itself strong. he'll be marking memorial day with john mccain who lost the 2008 election, but won with veterans. the senator and war hero is paying tribute to the heroes he served with in the vietnam war. >> our motto was home with honor. and because of their leadership and their love for us, we did come home with honor. >> report

nbc's brian mooar reports. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands of bikers roared into the nation's capital on the 25th annual run of rolling thunder. a moving tribute to americans who served and sacrificed. many of these bikers are veterans. and in this election year, they could be the key to winning the white house. current and former military members are well represented in several swing states, including florida. and that has president obama and republican mitt romney focusing on veterans and the issues that affect them. >> it's not enough just to make a speech about how much we value veterans. it's not enough just to remember them on memorial day. >> reporter: while president obama's touting what he's done to help veterans, mitt romney promises to keep the military itself strong. he'll be marking memorial day with john mccain who lost the 2008 election but won with veterans. the senator and war hero is paying tribute to the heroes he served with in the vietnam war. >> our motto was home with honor. and because of their leadership and their love for us, we did come home with honor. >> r

brian mooar, wbal-tv 11 news. >> the horse's name says it all.s after winning the kentucky deshia. mario gutierrez pulled away in the final furlong of the 138th running of the kentucky derby. i'llhaveanother is the santa anita derby winner went off at 15-1 in one of the deepest and evenly balanced fields in recent years. >> come on, javi refment! >> racing fans were enthused for the stakes, getting a glimpse of the preakness which missed getting a slot by one slot. we are getting a better look of what to expect. >> in the in field we have changed things, we have olympic volley ball going on out there. so it is a great, great day. >> yesterday, at pimlico, he came in third. two necks behind the winner. >> the 137th running of the preakness stakes. we'll carry live team coverage of the preakness stakes here on wbal-tv 11 news. >> that boy going like this, do you think he was really cheering on a horse? >> i don't know. >> one or the other. great news for b.g.e. customers. culling up, how much can you expect to save on your bill. >> if you are ready

brian mooar, wbal-tv 11 news. >> 64 degrees on tv hill. how much a servant sleep disorder can increase the risk for cancer. >> eating healthy is usually a good place to start. the location of where you eat can help. >> don't forget to e-mail us your response to our water cooler question of the day. do you think i'll have another has what it takes to complete the triple crown? you can share your response on wbaltv.com, on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> keeping tabs on a few accidents. one affecting [ boss ] okay, okay. let's...uh, skip the chitchat and get down to business here. now listen, i need all of you thinking of ways to improve our bottom line. so let's just sit here awhile and toss around some ideas. this isn't a conference call, hickle -- i'm actually in the room. [ male announcer ] with fares this low, why not surprise a few people? airtran is having a sale with flights all over the country starting at only $69 dollars. book at airtran.com before it's too late. because with $69 fares they're

brian mooar, wbal-tv 11 news. >> pete gilbert must be sleepy this morning. we just saw them at pimlico. he was out last night for a good cause, the brothers and big sisters. he was the emcee for a gala downtown and presented the art of caring award posthumously. they operate in all 50 states as well as 12 other nations around the world. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. shaping up to be a nice ride around the area. building volume. skyteam 11 is over the north side of the beltway. not a lot in the way of delays. things are starting to build on the west side as you travel in the outer loop. right now northbound 95 approaching 32, we have a disabled tractor-trailer. we hava problem in westminster on eastbound route 97 at old hanover road. watch for delays because of a disabled vehicle in that intersection. closures in advance of previous at rogers. those delays between liberty and edmonton. this is old court road. looking good. no delays until you get to liberty road. this

. >> brian mooar, wbal-tv 11 news. >> we take a moment to mourn those who have paid the ultimate price always thank those currently in service and their families to sacrifice. you can honor veterans by sharing your photos. go to wbaltv.com and click on "u local." >> this year crabbing season is off to a slow start. there are plenty of smaller crabs out there according to the waterman's association, but not many big crabs. there was also a drop in adult females. scientists are not sure if the number of females is down or they simply moved out of the area because of a wet fall and early -- late winter. >> this is the opening of drude hill park pool yesterday. druid hills and other pools will be open full time beginning june 23rd and weekends until june 23rd. >> a less painful way of detecting diabetes. the hopkins developed test ahead in "medical alert." >> talk about thinking outside the box, the unusual way one maryland mall is going green. we'll explain. >> first a live picture outside. ava is up next with your insta-weather plus forecast. [ female announcer ] with xfinity, you can al

brian mooar celebrates. >> reporter: how's this for a good sign? gas prices going down just in time for the unofficial kick of summer. from postcard picturesque palm beach to san francisco, nearly 30 million americans traveling 50 miles or more this weekend. those going by air, paying a steep price. >> either paid a little extra for the ticket or you pay extra for the luggage. >> reporter: of course, the meaning of this memorial day is about americans who've made the ultimate sacrifice. at arlington national cemetery, troops placed a flag at over a quarter million graves. >> each one of these veterans are touched and shown they are remembered. and i think it's very humbling to be part of that. >> reporter: vice president joe biden paid tribute to the survivors of fallen warriors speaking to his own loss years ago. >> there will come a day that the fog of your son or daughter or husband or wife brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye. you are not alone. >> reporter: on this memorial day 2012, honoring the americans who've sac

>>> brian mooar, thank you. >>> now here is a look at other stories making news, "early today" in america. a police officer was nearly killed in the line of duty after being shot during a traffic stop. the officer was able to return fire but the suspect did escape. the manhunt came to an end when the gunman killed himself after police surrounded him. the injured officer is recovering. >>> a phoenix home is damaged when the helicopter crashed through the roof. two men were treated at a trauma center. investigators are look into the cause. >>> a new jersey mom pleaded not guilty to child endangerment. the mother admits to tanning 20 times a month, has vehemently denied her child to tan during one of her visits. she claims normal sunburn caused the injury. she is free on $2500 bond. >>> finally, one north dakota homeowner is turning his home in a land mark with polka dots. city hall officials call the paint job an eyesore. the retired painter began the project after a deal to sell his home through the city fell through, he now wants $150,000 to sell the home. that is one way of doing it. fiv

brian mooar has the story. >> reporter: this aaa video shows how a teen joy ride can suddenly take a dangerous turn. >> oh, my god. are you okay? >> reporter: a new study by the foundation for traffic safety, accidents sky rocket when teens drive with passengers under the age of 21. >> when two passengers are in the car, the risk doubles. and when three or more passengers are in the car, we see the risk quadruple. >> reporter: when someone over age 35 is on board, the risk drops 62%. >> unfortunately, when the parents leave the car, we see the risk go up dramatically. >> reporter: transportation secretary ray lahood says it's time for peer pressure. >> when you're in a car with a friend, and you see them with that cell phone in their ear or the texting device, you ask them to put it away. >> reporter: 17-year-old elliot johnson got whibehind the wheel soon as it was legal in south dakota. >> thinking about it now, it's scary knowing that i started driving at 14. but back then, i thought it was empowerment. >> reporter: but now he realizes he put himself and his friends at risk. >> we

brian mooar, nbc news. >>> guards and police are still stationed outside the beijing hospital where chinese activist chen is staying. it's unclear if he's being treated for illness or under house arrest. they are demanding to see chen. meantime, in a phone interview, his wife said today that applications for travel documents had not been started and no date set for them to possibly leave that country. >> at this time, it is the best choice for both sides. china would like to see him go overseas, whether or not he can return to china is still uncertain. >> yesterday, the chinese government announced chen may be able to leave the country to study abroad. u.s. diplomats, including secretary of state hillary clinton who left china today had been negotiating his fate around the clock. there's no word from china on their decision. hillary clinton went to bangladesh to quiet strikes and protest. at least five people died. clinton stressed the importance of unity in the poverty stricken union. she warned of protest to the international community and to investors. [ speaking foreign language ] >> th

>>> brian mooar, thanks. >>> the daughter of former senator and presidential candidate john edwards may testify today at her father's trial on charges of using campaign contributions to hide his extramarital affair. we don't know if edwards will take the stand. yesterday, the defense called several key witnesses to testify about the money trail. nbc's jay gray has more. >> reporter: the pace of the trial increased dramatically for the defense. >> it was speed defending, five witnesses in the morning session. >> reporter: a group than cludded former mooib agent jim walsh ho ho told joors fred barron deposited tens of thousands of dollars in rielle hunter's account, undercutting the government's claim it centered on his run for the whites house. former commissioner scott thomas took the stand, his testimony was limited. outside the presence of the jury, thomas told the court "this is a clear cut case that the payments were not campaign contributions and that edwards had not violated the law" the judge ruled the opinions were inadmissible. >> he was able to tell the jury how complex the fe

bri brian mooar has those details from washington. >> now, mitt romney has nailed down the republican nomination has to nail down support from his follow republicans. >> americans are tired of being tired of this economy and this president and want real change. >> reporter: today, he is expected to pick in the endorsement of former candidate, michele bachmann and appearing with one of the reported short list vice-presidential candidates, virginia governor, bob mcdonnell. just a day earlier, newt gingrich suspended his campaign and declared romney conservative enough. >> this is a choice between mitt romney and the most radical leftist president in american history. >> reporter: while gingrich is campaign is stopped, he's already given food to other attacks on the way. >> are you calling mitt romney a liar? >> yes. >> reporter: sure to echo into the fall election. as the race for the white house gets under way. >> reporter: he not only has to shore up support but build up a campaign chest to compete with president obama. >>> an emotional trial. a friend of his late wife, elizabeth, tes

brian mooar, nbc news. >>> president obama is headed back to the bay area this month. he visited san francisco in february for a fund-raiser at the ma sonic center. coming up on may 23, the president is due back for a public fund-raiser at the fox theater in redwood city. ticket prices start at $250. if you want one-on-one time with the president, fork over $3,500 at a private dinner. >>> u.s. drone strikes are continuing in yemen. reports as many as seven al qaeda militants died today. it happened in the south in the past two weeks. u.s. drone strikes killed at least three senior al qaeda operatives as well. >>> greek headlines today. one step away from disaster as the country struggles to stay within the euro zone. they met as a last ditch effort to form a coalition after last week's vote. >> then it was starting a program that was completed without -- so, we are now trying to find a way out. i think it's the only possible solution for us, is another election. >> if the president fails to forge a governing coalition, he's obliged to form a caretaker government. >>> i

brian mooar has the details. brian, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lynn. the president is hosting a bipartisan lunch at the white house with some items on the menu republicans will find hard to swallow. today president obama is it issuing a to-do list for congress and holding a rare sit-down with top laud makers from both parties to get it done. one of the first orders of business, raising the debt ceiling so the gosvernment can pay its bills. john boehner is already drawing a hard line. >> when the time comes i will again insist, my simple principle of cuts and reforms greater than the debt limit increase. >> reporter: and that is setting the stage for yet another partisan showdown on capitol hill. >> american people have had enough of this brinksmanship. they want us to it get things done. >> reporter: on "the view" the president says he still wants to do what republicans won't, raising taxes on the rich. >> i think everyone sitting on this couch is going to pay more on taxes so we don't raise taxes for middle class families. >> reporter: and the preside

brian mooar live in washington, d.c. president's request for more money and manpower. good morning, brian. >> hi, laura, the windy city is a steadying contrast right now. you have the protests, clashes in the street. but behind the scenes and in front of the cameras, the nato allies are presenting a united front. today they're going to be endorsing president obama's plan for a pullout by the end of 2014 with a major milestone in the middle of next year. that's when afghan forces start to stand up and start to fight for themselves. president obama did meet in chicago with afghan president hamid karzai, both of them acknowledging that the road ahead will be difficult. >> but we're confident that we're on the right track and what this nato summit reflects is that the world is behind the strategy that we've laid out. >> afghanistan is fully aware all the talk ahead and what afghanistan needs to do to reach the objectives we all have. >> well, that will take some more money, some more manpower, and some more commitment by the

brian mooar reports. >> reporter: how's this for a good sign? gas prices going down just in time for the unofficial kickoff of summer. from postcard picturesque palm beach to the golden gate of san francisco, nearly 35 million americans traveling 50 miles or more this weekend. nearly nine out to have ten are going by car. and those going by air are paying a steep price. >> either pay a little extra for the ticket or you end up paying extra for the luggage. >> reporter: of course the meaning of this memorial day is about americans who've made the ultimate sacrifice. at arlington national cemetery, groups placed an american flag on more than a quarter million graves. >> every one of those veterans are touched and shown that they are remembered. and it's very humbling to be part of that. >> reporter: vice president joe biden paid tribute to the survivors of americans fallen warriors. speaking of his loss of his wife and daughter nearly 40 years ago. >> there will come a day, i promise you, when the thought of your son or daughter or your husband or

here's nbc's brian mooar. >> reporter: today in chicago, nato officially endorse as plan to wiped downar in afghanistan by the end of 2014. >> we will make our commitment to long-term partnership. >> reporter: as president obama hosts the final day of the nato summit in his hometown, he's trying to get nato allies to commit money and manpower to not only finish the war but help afghanistan after 2014. appearing with afghan president karzai conceded the road ahead will not be easy. >> but we are confident that we are on the right track and what this nato summit reflects is that the world that's behind the strategy we have laid out. >> afghanistan is fully aware of the task ahead. and of what afghanistan needs to do to reach the objectives that we all have. >> reporter: as nato leaders held their meetings, protesters demonstrated outside in the streets. from chicago to kabul a diplomatic effort to end a decade long war. the u.s. commander of nato forces in afghanistan says he expects the fight to continue right up until the time of the pullout. brian mooar, nbc news, washington. >>> at l