costello: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on h.con.res 264. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. costello: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. costello: mr. speaker, house concurrent resolution 264, authorizing the use of the capitol grounds for the 29th annual national peace officers' memorial service, a solemn and respectful public event in our nation's capital, honoring our heroic civil servants who were killed in the line of duty in the previous year. 116 brave men and women were killed in the line of duty in 2009. the fewest number since 1959. the total number of officers killed in the line of duty declined 16% from 2008. unfortunately, the number of officers shot and killed had a dramatic rise and increased 22% from the previous year. according to the national law enforcement officers

here's jamie costello. >> reporter: a corner picture is worth 150 pounds. >> yes. >> reporter: no way, it's the same lady. her daughter lost. >> actually 83 1/2 pounds as of today. >> 75 pounds as of today. >> reporter: and now it's time to make room for daddy. >> what's the first thing you want to do? >> i think i'm going to have a beer with my buddy bill. [ laughter ] >> reporter: laughs from a love seat in japa town,. >> january of 1972 i had just moved to overly from dun back. >> reporter: the day william med eldridge at overland high school. voted most likely never to be out of shape, they were football stars for the falcons. >> there'sal and there's me. >> i was 78, he was 89. >> reporter: nearly 40 years later, they grew up and they grew out. >> i always struggled with weight and then it's always, you know, haunted me. >> reporter: three weddings and a whopping weight gain. the father of the bride needed help. >> there was an intervention about two years ago, i guess, we were all at hershey park in october. >> reporter: so a man who starred at double rock park and rosedale park

we begin with nbc's tom costello. tom, good evening. >> reporter: brian, we are hoping to hear back soon whether rescuers have made to it that second emergency refuge chamber where they are hoping that those miners may be holed up. you may remember there was a plan to drop a camera down into the mine to check the refuge chamber. that plan failed because the drill hit a solid beam. this is now the second rescue attempt today. earlier today, rescuer ers tur back by heavy smoke. well let's paraphrase where we are on this story. we have a technical glitch with our tape. bottom line is rescuers first made it into the mine early this morning. however, they made it almost, within about 1,000 feet of the second rescue chamber. it was clouded in smoke, poisonous toxic smoke. they then put nitrogen into the mine. the nitrogen would rob the fire of oxygen. they now believe thought was safe enough to go back into the mine. rescuers went back in at about 2:30 this afternoon and they immediately went to the second refuge chamber to

that's where we begin with tom costello at the kennedy space center in florida. tom, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. the shuttle program is retiring this year. another program, constellation was supposed to replace the program. that program was literally running behind schedule and had been underfunded. so the president's plan kills constellation, at least in the short term, wnd a it potentially a lot of jobs. so nasa can focus on going to mars. from the mercury missions to gemini, apollo and the space shuttle, nasa has been launching astronauts into space for nearly 50 years. leaving a legacy beyond moon and space walks, huge advancements in computer technology, communications, and medicine. now, some of nasa's icons are blasting president obama's plans to abandon the next generation constellation rocket program in which nasa already invested $10 billion, and hand over mad missions to the space station to private companies. in an unprecedented statement to nbc news, commanders neil armstrong, james lovell and gene cernan write, "it destines our n

our own tom costello is in naoma this evening with the very latest there. tom? >> reporter: good evening. they have been ventilating this mine around the clock, taking air samples every 15 minutes. they believe that those poisonous gas levels inside the mine are starting to drop again and hope to send the rescue teams back in some time this evening. with low clouds and rain moving in, four eight-man rescue teams ventured 4.5 miles into the mountain. after four hours, explosive gas levels in the mine started rising and commanders ordered them out. for rescuers, concern for fellow miners, total frustration. >> you can imagine hauling equipment for a long distance, getting out there, getting exactly where you need to be and then having to double-time back out because you find yourself in harm's way. >> reporter: experts continue to say the four missing miners could have only survived if they made it to one of two rescue shelters five miles inside the mine, where there should be enough oxygen to last at least until tomorrow afternoon, and probably longer. the plan n

nbc's tom costello reports. >> reporter: in the battle against high blood pressure, heart attacks, andokes, health experts say too much salt has emerged as a clear villain. >> salt is a very serious problem in our food supply. it is a major cause of disease in this country. >> reporter: now for the first time, the fda is considering ways to cut salt consumption by working with food manufacturers to set new lower salt standards. dietary guidelines generally call for limiting salt to 2,300 milligrams a day, a little more than one teaspoon of salt. but americans regularly consume 50% more, even double that every day. registered dietitian colleen gurg says salt or sodium seems to be in every can, jar, bottle, and box in the grocery store. >> if you were to eat this one whole can of soup, you'd be consuming 2,300 milligrams of sodium. exactly the amount that you should get in an entire day. >> just in one can of soup? >> right. >> reporter: the cdc reports that only 5% of the salt we consume comes from home cooking. 6% comes from the salt we add while eating. most of the salt or sodium we e

we begin with nbc's tom costello. tom, good evening. >> reporter: brian, we are hoping to hear back any time from them. this is their second attempt of the day. earlier they were sent back because of smoke. earlier today, rescuers turned back by heavy smoke. >> it's no good. when you've been deployed, it lets your hopes down. >> it's heart wrenching. those guys are doing what i'm doing. they are trying to feed their family and take care of their family. >> reporter: then at 2:30 this afternoon they immediately went to the second refuge chamber. >> if they didn't make it to this refuge chamber, there is no way they could survive. >> reporter: four days after the explosion left at least 25 miners dead, they paid tribute to rescue others who put their own lives on the line. >> this nation owes them a debt of gratitude. >> reporter: coal cuts through the mountains and the lives of nearly everyone who lives here. >> it's your family. >> reporter: ronny worked with some of the men missing. he's been waiting word. he's now f

tom costello has that angle of this story for us tonight. tom, good evening. >> reporter: hi, brian. every day of this explosion the company was cited again for safety violations at the mine. this is a company county, in fact. a lot of people here are reluctant to speak out against the employer, but today some started talking about what they think are questionable safety practices. 30,000 people in west virginia make their living off coal. with more than 2 dozen dead, some veteran miners who work for massey energy say they believe the company's lax approach to safety led to the tragedy at the big branch mine. >> coal first, safety last. that's how a lot of guys feel. >> reporter: they fear retribution if they show their faces, but claim the largest energy company in central appelachia isn't as safe as it should be. ray worked with the company for 40 years. >> there is no way that should have happened. if a state mine inspector and found that, that mine should have been closed until they took care of it. >> reporter: after receiving 515 feder

carol costello in our special a.m. series "addicted." it's 36 minutes past the hour.ving sync system... d- in the taurus from ford. sfx: ((sync beep)) please say a command. read message. highway 8 closed. update route. turn right on silver road. the most innovative full- size sedan in america: the taurus, from ford. drive one. >>> welcome back to the most news in the morning. it's 39 minutes past the hour right now. you've probably seen the headlines of tragic deaths. stars like heath ledger, michael jackson, but america's problem with prescription drug addiction is growing in places far away from the hollywood spotlight. it can be deadly not only for the addict, but in some cases for the doctor who comes between the addict and his fix. carol costello joins us live from washington with the latest installment of our special series "addicted." good morning, carol. >> good morning, kieran. it's easy to sit back and shake your head about people addicted to prescription drugs. you say it's sad, but it won't touch my life, well that isn't true. it is so pervasive and so dan

. >>> good morning i'm jamie costello. >> i'm megan pringle.joining us before we get to anything, a special good morning to sheila from franklin square hospital. >> lovely lady. have a wonderful day, happy easter. >>> good morning to justin berk.

jamie costello, your words alone are inspiration. that's worth watching again. good job, man.d job for those people working hard to drop the pounds. >>> we got a good job on our storm center weathernet. two cameras, these are interesting. with the sound of my voice, i know you're busy doing your morning routine, it'll be a slow commute, come to the tv and check this out. we have a view from the street lights, it's really foggy, you can barely see across the parking lot at veterans elementary. is this an idea of what we're talking about. trying to drive at highway speeds which may not be possible this morning. you won't be able to slow down in time when you see break lights. ease off the throttle, you may not be able to see some of the overhead street signs. in spots it is cut down to less than 100 feet. check this view out. that's an ominous cloud. fog hanging just about 50 to 100 feet above the field at sparrows point high school. 52. they're just below the fog affecting put rest of us. that is just a neat shot this morning. wanted to share that imagery with you. sometimes yo

jamie costello explains why. >> reporter: bive you head to the airport or hit the road, you may want to consider travelers insurance. cover our absence. inshierns can help protect you in case of sickness, death in the family, loss of luggage, flight cancellations or unpredictable event. according to a pole by angie's list it's worth the money. how much the trip is really not flexible. for example you might be able to pay $100 change a plane ticket or cancel a hotel reservation, you need to think about how much money tabor toing be out if the trip gets canceled. rates are based on age, cost of the trip, and level of coverage desired. but don't just trust any company. it's important to do research on the company you are buying the insurance through. buy a reputable company. sometimes they go under and you are out. use it when the cost to cancel or postpone a trip is high. find a trusted company make sure the risks are covered. make sure to save all documents related to our travel in case you have to file a claim. during your travels this season, shop around for deals. it pays to ask, m

. >> i'm jamie costello. >> what a great weekend it was. >> we haven't pooed mike gonzales in the last boos may have settled down because the allergies but you are feeling it you are not alone. we have pillet up the pollen across the area, part of it has to do with the dry weather put we have a system that will hopefully drop rain tomorrow which will take some pollen out of the air and give you some relief. today will be bad off the allergy friend, and in glen burnie, we have a dry set up here, we did have a cool front blow through and in maryland's most powerful doppler, five sweeps and we are sounding the all clear. it will probably drop a few more notching this morning. an exphowr a half away from sunrise, when the sun comes up and mostly sunny although a cool, sunny breeze, baltimore gets to 70 with 60s outside the beltway, the sun will up until 7:41. just one tick before 5:00. >>> the first look at traffic on a monday morning as you get ready to start your day, 695 and hartford, we look at the cameras

i'm jamie costello. megan will be on the clock tomorrow. the nfl draft is today. ravens will be picking late tonight, late tonight. this is the first time we've done this on a week night. she's sharing draft secrets right now with mel kuiper. orioles lost yesterday 4-1. >>> here is justin berk. >> megan does know her stuff. it's time someone finally utilized her talents. >>> we have a talent, showing you the most extensive look the area uh, vantage points. we have more views than anybody else. this takes us back overnight. watch the building fog getting pretty darn thick this morning. street lights are off. it's just barely visible across the parking lot and across the street. that's glen oak and baltimore. 48 degrees, 100% humidity. let's take you to baltimore county. this is stevenson university. we can barely see across that parking lot as well. 47, tucked in the valley off green tree valley road. original stevenson campus. 47 degrees. their fog is matched in other spots. ellicot city, veterans elementary. they're at 43. we should be able to see it again in the

. >>> good morning, maryland, i'm jamie costello. >> i'm megan pringle. thank you for joining us.ather. >> i almost had more people in my backyard than there yesterday. temperatures well below normal. it will feel chilly. you'll need a light jacket purely for the fact we're not accustomed to cool temperatures that will be stuck in the 50s. about a half-inch below normal of rain for the month. the first time this year. even though theground water is high we have the reservoir systems at full capacity. we could actually use the rain. and the pollen levels will be dropping, that's good news. even though the rainfall is not expected to be that heavy, just enough to clean things up. 48 westminster. 49 owings mills. 52 edgemere. and the rain in western pennsylvania there, we're expecting some of that moisture to try to get here maybe by lunchtime. more on that coming up. here's traffic are -- with troy. >>

>>> good morning, i'm jamie costello >> reporter: hang in there, i'm megan pringle. thank you for joining us. on this tuesday. did you know that there, mr. fault line? here's justin. >> all science is out the window. >> some people say there's something to be said about the full moon influencing seismic activity and there is one coming up toow

good friday morning i'm jamie costello. >> i'm megan pringle.ing us it's going to be a fabulous day. >> great weekend i think. let's find out right now. justin berk. >>> if you loved yesterday and the day before, love keeps spreading. a fantastic set up as we are heading through the holiday weekend. headlines for today, stayed warm for a while, sunny and dry. we may not be as warm as we hoped at least for the official reporting station. southeast wind yesterday, dragged cooler weather off of the chesapeake bay held news the lower 70s. chance of hitting 80s was there there. if z it's not happening until tuesdayment may not happen today or tomorrow. we got fantastic weather here. clear skies. 45 frederick. 50 across the bay. low 40s to 50s this morning the. jumping to 77 with sunshine this afternoon. let's go to the roads. >>> good morning. traffic really quiet and very light volume as we peek around the area. in baltimore there is a structure fire and on gillford between or liens and center in the process of getting the equipment off the roads. t

tom costello is in washington with more. good morning. >> reporter: today is the deadline for toyota to accept or fight a $16.4 million fine. the company is expected to pay up, the largest fine ever assessed by the government against a car maker. the government alleges toyota knew about sticking gas pedals last september, but hid the effects and issued a recall. toyota is facing mounting civil lawsuits as well as criminal investigations. a $16 million fine for toyota is really not significant, but it is yet another strike against the company's reputation. toyota recalled 2.3 million vehicles in january for the sticking accelerator. the company has recalled more than 8 million vehicles worldwide because of acceleration problems and braking problems. a government official tells nbc news by paying the full civil penalty, toyota is accepting responsibility for hiding this safety defect from nhtsa, the national highway safety administration, in violation of the law. it now has 30 days to write the check. natalie? >> tom costello

costello i think the truman for recognizing me and apologize i was supposed to be with the panel but i was chairing an aviation subcommittee down the hall but i do appreciate the opportunity to address the subcommittee and i would ask an analyst consent to please my full statement into the record. >> certainly. >> for the last year i've been working closely with the bipartisan working group of the 40 members and established the congressional levy caucus with congressman rodney alexander to discuss issues related to the fema modification process. a common theme that ran through the meetings was number one the local jurisdictions need more time and more accurate information to address the impact of the new flood maps and number two the burden of land for a flood insurance for individuals and communities will be too much to bear during the economic downturn. as a bill introduced yesterday by chairwoman waters addresses both of those concerns and builds on legislation i introduced last year h.r. 3415. the solution crafted in this legislation will help a broad range of member congressiona

nbc's tom costello is in naoma with the very latest. tom, good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning. at 4:55 east coast time this morning, these 32 rescuers entered the mine. before they went in, they had to shave very, very closely to their skin because the rescue mask, the breathing apparatus, has to fit very tightly against their mouth. the concern is they are going into an area that's had very poisonous gases. they believe those poisonous gases have now dropped enough that these rescuers can venture five miles deep into the mine. for days now the drilling operations have been going round the clock. 1,100 feet above the mine to vent lethal levels of methane, hydrogen and carbon monoxide, all with the goal of clearing away for four eight-man rescue teams now going in to search for the four missing miners. >> we're still in a full rescue mode. >> reporter: experts say the miners would likely have only survived if they made it to 1 of 2 rescue shelters inside the mine where there should be enough oxygen to last at least four days wh

carol costello joins us live. interest and then phil nickel son, he was on fire and made it really interesting. >> reporter: i'm not really a big golfer fan but i watched as well and phil mickelson made it so emotional. you forgot about tiger woods. now we can talk about what happened to his swing. the story of this masters turned out to be the good husband and aggressively spectacular golfer phil mickelson. there he is after shooting a bogey free 67. he made the spectacular shot through the pine trees. so emotional. there's his wife amy recovering from breast cancer, struggled to make it to the tournament and phil mickelson held her for a full 30 seconds. it is an endless hug, put the green jacket on and his wife amy was on his mind in his moment of glory too. listen. >> i really want to recognize my family. my wife -- we've been through a lot this year. and it means a lot to share some joy together. [ applause ] >> kiran, didn't that make you cry? i was crying. >> it was an emotional moment. he did say he was su

costello. >> the chair thanks the chairwoman for recognizing me. let me apologize. i was supposed to be with the member panel but i was chairing an aviation subcommittee down the hall and i ask unanimous consent to place my full statement into the record. >> yes, certainly. without objection. >> madam chair i've been working closely with a bipartisan working group of forty members and worked on the levy caucus with rodney alexander to discuss issues related to the fema map modification process. the common theme that ran through every one of our meetings. was one's the local jurisdictions need my time and more accurate information is to address the flood maps and the communities will have too much to beer. the bill addressed by chairman waters addresses both of those concerns and builds on legislation that i introduced last year. the solution crafted in this legislation will help a broad range of member congressional districts. new rate maps will go on schedule so homeowners will have information about their risk. however, the mandatory flood insurance requirements w

i want to mention mara friedman, bob kidder, jason madden and marianne costello, because it's their work that allows me to come here and read the statement that i think you for the opportunity to be here, and will answer whatever questions you have. >> your appreciation of staff comes from long experience on capitol hill some years ago. we remember you will. mr. rymer? >> good morning, mr. chairman, ranking member cockburn, senator kaufman. thank you for the opportunity to appear here today and present the results of the federal interest. ever deposit insurance office of inspector general work relating to washington mutual bank. wamu represents the largest bank failure today. at the time of the to wamu operate over 2300 branches in over 15 states and assets of $307 billion. because of wamu's size, the circumstances leading up to the failure, and the nondeposit insurance fund losses, such as shareholder value, we initiated a review of wamu to indict what the actions of the office of thrift supervision and the fdic. we very much appreciate the cooperation we received from the ots and the f