when methane gas is trapped in water chris centrals, the ice like material can be extracted and burned like natural gas. japan oil gas and metal national corporation says drilling will begin in mid february about 07 kilometers in central japan. the organization will try to extract the methane hydrate next january to see if stable and long-term drilling is possible. >> translator: extracting the methane hydrate effectively is a really big challenge. if we can start commercial production, methane hydrate will be one of the few domestically produced energy resources. >> it is believed the test site could supply the equivalent of about 14 years of natural gas consumption. next we go to bangkok to find out what's going on in the region. >> pakistan's supreme court says it will charge the prime minister with contempt. the case seeks further pressure on the prime minister from the judiciary at the same time as he faces strained ties with the military. the court said on thursday that the prime minister will be indicted on february 13th. it had ordered him to reopen a corruption investigation a

should be highlighting in the race and not make you the republican candidate the central issue in the campaign. >> chris: let's talk about romney. obviously we all know that the jobs numbers were pretty good relatively speaking on friday. they came out for the last month of january, 8.3% unemployment. a quarter of a million jobs created and you have said about romney that if the economy keeps improving then his candidacy in question -- is in question because he will have nothing to offer. what do you you mean? >> well, he is pretty much a uni dimensional candidate. talks about being the c.e.o. and businessman. first of all, i'm not too sure that is the greatest qualifications for being president of the united states. but if it it is the qualification is i'm someone who can run the economy even though i don't believe the president runs the economy. the president creates an environment if he can work with congress in a regulatory atmosphere to improve the atmosphere but the president of the united states is the commander in chief. the president of the united states! efstatesexecutes the laws and tries to

should be highlighting in the race and not make you the republican candidate the central issue in the campaign. >> chris: let's talk about romney. obviously we all know that the jobs numbers were pretty good relatively speaking on friday. they came out for the last month of january, 8.3% unemployment. a quarter of a million jobs created and you have said about romney that if the economy keeps improving then his candidacy in question -- is in question because he will have nothing to offer. what do you you mean? >> well, he is pretty much a uni dimensional candidate. talks about being the c.e.o. and businessman. first of all, i'm not too sure that is the greatest qualifications for being president of the united states. but if it it is the qualification is i'm someone who can run the economy even though i don't believe the president runs the economy. the president creates an environment if he can work with congress in a regulatory atmosphere to improve the atmosphere but the president of the united states is the commander in chief. the president of the united states! efstatesexecutes the laws and tries to

to watch a special edition of "20/20" tonight as abc's chris cuomo investigates "sins of a father." that is tonight at 10:00 eastern, 9:00 centralhe shelling goes on round the clock, turning the city of homs to ruin and keeping people trapped inside their homes. hundreds were killed in the last week. the u.s. is hoping to organize an international group to find ways of bringing syria's misery to an end. >>> the other big story this morning, the nation's first new nuclear power plant in a generation has now won federal approval. the reactors could be online in about five years. abc's steve osunsami reports on this highly controversial decision. >> reporter: it's been 33 long years since america has said yes to a new nuclear reactor because of the scar of three mile island, the near catastrophe that sent nearly 300,000 frightened people running for safety and cost more than a billion dollars to clean. the southern company, which is building the two new reactors southeast of atlanta, joined some federal officials saying the new plant will bring jobs, will lower utility bills, and will operate safely. but the chair of the nuclear re

central bankers are saying well we need lower interest rates to increase liquidity in the system that's patently false it shows that they have absolutely no idea how this economy works so unlike a chris whalen for example is a true banking analyst will tell you in order to get the cash flowing again you need to start to raise rates and incentivize banks to lend to each other or those creating the basis of an inflationary scenario that would create the jobs and the growth that some people say is their objective but clearly it is not but let's talk about this point here max because you've often talked about raising rates and all the time you hear screeches of horror that this cannot possibly happen because when the fed cuts rates by five percent as it has done over the past two years we get point zero five percent taken off our interest rate so we have to pay for mortgages all the rest goes to the bankers all the rest is taken from savers and shifted to bankers so there is a vocal portion of the population who screeches and in horror and pain and their voices get heard out over the people who are savers and who could possibly provide the capital from which capitalism can once again ret

washington d.c., in our federal centralized government because they are doing just fine with the way things are going. the american people are hurt want to see a change. >> chriswhat do you think of chief of staff jack lew about the birth control flap and the idea of a health care mandate. >> guest: i was shocked at the spin in the message. he sounded like a press secretary. i don't know why we are not arguing the basic premise of the man date. regardless of faith-filled americans who are offended by the assault on the freedom of religion, and the basic premise of this government mandating to private employers and to insurance companies what they must provide, what gives government the right to tell us what we must consume in what we must purchase and provide for our employees? >> chris: look at the overall picture. you were critical of obama in your key note speech. the economy is improve unemployment rate dropped five month in a row and down to the lowest point in three years and as a result public approval of the president is up to 48 percent, highest since last june, are things turning around and does he have to be favored to win reelection? >> guest: i ar

central has not confirmed that but they're not denying it. hopefully, she gets better. the show might go back on as early as next week. >> chris day dtwo in a row. thank you very much. >>> let me now take you to washington state where the president is preparing to speak at a boeing facility. kristen welker is traveling with the president. what's the latest there? >> reporter: good afternoon, tamron. president obama is here to talk about boosting american manufacturing and exports. i'm standing behind a boeing 787 dreamliner. this is the newest american made jet liner. president obama using boeing as a backdrop to talk about this theme, which he first sort of mapped out during his state of the union address. he said it's his goal to double exports by 2014. the white house says it is on pace to do that. we expect president obama today to talk about some more of his ideas to boost american manufacturing, including calling on the export-import bank to investing companies that are facing stiff opposition over ses as well as setting up a pilot program. we're just hearing that the president has been introduced. here is president obam

chris was in charge of finding them all. at the request of producer and star brad pitt. fitting because, after all, centralit was going to work out. >> hell, no. i didn't have an idea. i had no idea what i was doing but i got here, you know, i landed and had a meal at mcdonald's and got the paper. by the end of the week i was an extra. >> reporter: so was john wayne, ronald reagan, even desperate housewife eva started as an extra. pretty humble beginnings that are enough to keep some 300 new applicants coming to central casting every week. >> if you're looking for someone who has a lot of different like... like him. like that screams biker guy. >> exactly. smrt. >> reporter: this woman is one of the casting directors who has at her finger tips an unlimited database. if her screen came alive it might find something like this. >> biker, downscale bar patron, homeless. cop, doctor, lawyer, news reporter, baseball player. >> hair down. homeless. mental patient. that's a mental patient. hair back. nun. medical technician. nurse. >> there are people who have been an extra in so many different films that they're

and chris cuomo will have much more on a special "20/20" tomorrow night, at 10:00, 9:00 central. >>> we return to the changes coming today in airport security that should make hopping a plane a whole lot easier. the government is easing up a lot of the screening brought in after 9/11. jim avila joins us from denver airport. good morning, jim. >> reporter: good morning, george. this is a huge change for the tsa. it will no longer treat everyone as a terrorist. instead, they'll allow those who will -- will submit to a background check and pass that check to go through a separate, faster line, leaving everybody else to keep their shoes off and their jackets on. shoes off. jackets off. laptops out. cosmetics in plastic bags and out. the tsa says these measures have done their job, making flying safer. but they concede it's time to end the current system that treats every passenger like a potential terrorist. >> it used to be fun to fly. i have been flying for 35 years. since 9/11, of course, the fun went away. >> reporter: everyone was considered a threat. now, a sea change. it will mean

central and very polarizing. just the last week, governor chris christie of new jersey weighed in on this and weighed in on what you'veeen saying. take a listen to what he had to say. >> warren buffett keeps screaming to tax more. >> he should just write a check and shut up and keep contributing. the fact of the matter is, i'm tired of hearing about it. if ept to give the government more money, he has the ability to write a check, just write it. >> he's not the only person that feels that way. we got a lot of viewer e-mail that came in. we've been sitting down and doing this ask warren session for the last four years or on. this year more than any year there were a lot of e-mails that came in that similarly echoed what chris christie had to say. >> i hope they were a little more eloquent than that. you know, it's -- it's sort of a touching response to a $1.4 t l trillion deficit. first person to come up with that was senator mcconnell. i really -- it's sort of astounding to me that somebody that has the responsibility to being the minority leader in the senate would think that you attack a $1.2 trillion or so deficit

central bank's first rrr cut this year. its second in under three months. let's talk more about it. chris wiley, we had a guest earlier on, our guest host, in fact, who said with inplagues so high it was n inflation so high it was not a wise decision. what are your thoughts is this. >> it's interesting that just very recently we've had some indications that inflation isn't being quite as quiescent. i don't think the chinese have a lot of choice at the moment. there is a slowdown under way, plenty of evidence of that, showing up in all sorts of different indicators. so they're doing what they can. how much latitude do they have, how far can they go in this direction? i think quite a lot of hope has been pinned in the last few months and the fact that the cycle has turned. the rate cycle has turned, that the monetary policy cycle has turned and one has to say it's not just about rates, it's also the other measures such as the reserve ratios. and the underlying assuming that is fine, now it's turned, we can go into a nice easing cycle the last couple of years just like the historical paralle

chris. you'll have much more on the powell family tragedy on a very special "20/20," sins of the father, tonight, 10:00, 9:00 centraln abc. >>> now to a major challenge facing mitt romney this morning. "your voice, your vote." he's set to face a key conservative grup today. jon karl says he has a tough road to try to rally support. >> reporter: he sure does, robin. later today, the battle comes here. you'll have thousands of conservative activists from all over the country listening to gingrich, santorum, and mitt romney. ♪ it's been called woodstock for conservatives. a three-day gathering featuring just about every conservative group under the sun. they take aim at target number one, barack obama. >> the president of the united statess looks like he's a good father, a good husband. but he's a terrible president. >> reporter: they're not ready to fall in line for mitt romney. what do we think of romney? >> what do we think of romney? >> individually, i'm not a fan. >> reporter: mitt romney. >> not a fan. not a fan. >> reporter: two words. mitt romney. >> eh -- he's all right. >> honest to god, i have never met a tr

chris, thank you very much. we'll have much more from you on the powell family tragedy on a special "20/20" friday night, 10:00/9:00 central right here on abc. >>> now to a major reversal in the rape case against broadcaster greg kelly, the son of new york's police commissioner. prosecutors have decided not to file any charges after a two-week investigation. and abc's senior national correspondent, jim avila joins us to explain why. good morning, jim. >> reporter: vindication for the son of new york's top cop. he said when first accused that the district attorney's office would find him innocent of rape. and this morning the d.a. agrees, there is no proof of a crime. the anchorman son of police commissioner ray kelly will be on television again. with a clean name. greg kelly, a former marine pilot, accused of raping a 30-year-old paralegal, has been cleared. the manhattan district attorney's office saying that it concluded that the established facts do not constitute a crime under new york criminal law. no charges will be filed. the statement continues, after a two-week investigation that included a review of receipts, sec

chris said at the beginning is very important. that we've shown no evidence that these decisions were coordinated in any way. but the real central point here is that at some point, you've got a c.e.o. and then you've got the federal regulator and we could talk about that at some point. and they can see both parts of the business. and so they should see what the left hand and the right hand is doing. and maybe put two and two together that this combination creates bad incentives. host: we'll take up that point after this call from ryanhold, pennsylvania. independent line, mike. caller: good morning. i have lived in my house for 30 years with a conventional loan and refinanced with wells fargo last year through an f.h.a. if banks are members of fdic, why do we pay a mortgage insurance? host: chris arnold, why don't you take that. >> well, you're going to ask me to talk about the inner workings of the mortgage insurance business. i think that mortgage insurance serves an important purpose in mortgage finance. you could argue title insurance, there's a whole bunch of issues, how come every time you refinance your home, you've got to

chris connelly has their story. ♪ >> reporter: it's called "que viva" a talent search show taking former husband and wife marc anthony and jennifer lopez on separate journeys to the countries of centralsay? >> only about the dancing. >> well, in order to let everybody get to know you better, let's look at this. you're about to see six lives change forever. meet joshua and bridget, steven and gabrielle and tim and tara. they're all in love. this morning they'll go to incredible lengths to prove it. >> she's just different than everybody else. we're very compatible. we get along. we love to do everything together. >> she's going to be in tears. >> we're so different. opposites attract. we fit together like a puzzle piece. >> she's everything to me. everything i think about every day. i knew it was something special. i didn't want to let go of her. she makes me laugh. >> reporter: the women have no idea what's about to happen. they think they're here for a fun segment on valentine's day dates. we gave them this fake questionnaire to fill out. >> step jump step jump. >> reporter: what they don't know is that the guys have been busy rehearsing massive proposal in the heart of times square

and what chris said at the beginning is very important that we've shown no evidence that these decisions were coordinated in any way. but the real central point here is that at some point you've got a c.e.o. and then you've got the federal regulator and they can see both parts of the business. and so they should see what the left hand and the right hand is doing and maybe put two and two together that this combination creates bad incentives. host: we'll pick up that point after this call. mike, good morning. >> good morning. i have a question. i flive my house for 30 years with a conventional loan. and i refinanced with wells fargo last year with an fha. if banks are members of fdic, why don't we pay -- why do we pay a mortgage insurance? host: chris, why don't you take that. guest: well, you're going to ask me to talk about the inner workings of the mortgage insurance business. i think that mortgage insurance serves an important purpose in mortgage finance. you could argue title insurance, how come every time you refinance your home you've got to pay another 1200 to a company to come in and say yes the title is good and there's a lot o

chris matthews and our friends here on set. the polls in most of michigan, part of michigan in the eastern time zone have just closed, but a few counties on michigan's upper peninsula in the central time zone, their polls close at 8:00 p.m. local time, central time, 9:00 eastern, we have another hour to go before all the polls are closed in the great state of michigan. even though you will see poll results coming in this hour from majority of michigan, where the polls have closed already, there can be no characterization of the michigan race overall until the whole state has the polls closed which will be in a little under an hour. there is as primary tonight in arizona, polls across the state of arizona close one hour from now, at 9:00 eastern. just about to get the first look at what voters said was important to them today when they talked to the exit pollsters. our first look who turned out today, but before we get that first data, has to be said the stakes are high, nobody would have put michigan in play at the start of the primary season, nobody would have thought anyone would get close enough to mitt romney in his home state to warn any suspense at all about the results of