our dan harris, and the iraqi boy named dan he tried to hard to help. a personal journey with a twist that changed both their lives. >>> good evening. we begin with four words designed to get the attention of every american. the moment of truth. it's the title of the wakeup call released today by the president's commission designed to get the united states out of debt. it is a document filled with tough choices and painful proposals to rein in america's now runaway debt. the chairman of the bipartisan panel says now is the time to act or this crisis could destroy america from within. and jake tapper has been going through all the details in the report tonight. >> reporter: that's right, diane. this report constitutions one of the starkest warnings yet and the prescriptions will be tough for the public to swallow, and even more difficult, perhaps, for politicians to support. the co-chairs of the president's debt commission issued a stark warning today. >> this debt is like a cancer. it is going to destroy us from within. >> reporter: the u.s. risks facin

our thanks to dan harris for that. when we come back, an all hands animal rescue., here's what's up next with jimmy kimmel. >> jimmy: tonight, larry king, kate bosworth and comedian greg fitzsimmo fitzsimmons. it's going to be best hanukkah ever. "jimmy kimmel live" is next. ♪ i'm gonna get it, i know i'm gonna get it. ♪ ♪ i can't wait ♪ every little step, brings me closer to the gift. can't be late. ♪ ♪ rip it open in a second and it's time to play. ♪ ♪ i was up all night in anticipation feeling electric jewels of jubilation. ♪ ♪ yule tide carols from the local congregation. ♪ ♪ make it tough to hold my patience in check. ♪ ♪ is it time yet, is it time, i can't wait. ♪ ♪ is it time yet, is it time, i can't wait. ♪

our thanks to dan harris for that. when we come back, an all hands animal rescue., here's what's up next with jimmy kimmel. >> jimmy: tonight, larry king, kate bosworth and comedian greg fitzsimmo fitzsimmons. it's going to be best hanukkah ever.

so dan harris dials them up, asking, after huge airline profits, where is the help? >>> shuttered. so many proud fathers taking pictures of their newborns. hospitals now bannig those photographs? >>> downloaded. tonight, we stand in a sea of ipads. one incredible journey back through the year that was. >>> and, it could be one very happy new year. $237 million on the line. >>> good evening on this wednesday. and here we go again. tonight, a good part of the west coast is getting hit with a major storm. and these are the early pictures coming in. trucks off the highway. this one, in anaheim, california. another flipped over. and in the neighborhoods that already looked like this from the last storm that triggered mudslides, this is not what anyone wanted. roads already closed, power lines down and of course, the biggest concern tonight, the potential for more mudslides. mike von fremd has been with those families for more than a week now. and he starts us off again tonight from highland, california. mike, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, david. as you see, we are flooded yet

i'm dan harris. as you open your gifts, as you welcome your family, as you celebrate this day, we're here to help you kick it all off. >>> and santa's job may be over. but the job of spreading christmas cheer has just begun. so, have your family join ours, for good christmas music, heartwarming christmas tales, and one more visit from the big man in red. ♪ merry, merry, merry merry christmas ♪ ♪ hark how the bells sweet silver bells ♪ ♪ all seem to say throw cares away ♪ ♪ hallelujah christmas is here ♪ ♪ to young and the old weak and the bold ♪ ♪ ding dong ding dong that is the song ♪ ♪ with joyful ring all caroling ♪ ♪ one seems to hear words of good cheer ♪ >>> and christmas has never sounded better. >> they are very good. good morning, america. i'm dan harris. and this is bianna golodryga. >> merry christmas. >> and those singers she's referring to, are the boys and girls choir of harlem alumni ensemble. they're going to be with us all morning. >>> and also on the show, we want to remember the hu

here's dan harris with the "nightline" interview. >> reporter: we're heading out to a speaking engagementh sam harris. do you have a sense of how you're going to be received tonight? >> people get quite heated. >> reporter: the writer and scientist who has become famous, or some might say, infamous, for his ferocious attacks on religion. >> so, you don't think i'm only picking on islam, consider the catholic church. >> reporter: attacks he launched in "the end of faith." >> the problem i want to talk about is the problem of belief. >> reporter: in a series of public pronouncements, which have fueled angry debates on youtube. >> i know i'm going to offend some people in this room. >> reporter: all of this has earned harris a reputation that has made it necessary for him to travel with security guards and live with his family in an undisclosed location. but here's the twist. it not just the faithful who are furious with sam harris these days. it is also his fellow atheists. >> i just wanted to say that i'm very disappointed by your speech. and -- >> i imagine you're in good company. >> repo

tonight, dan harris talks with a forecaster who saw it all coming, and who has less than promising newsor what's coming next. >> reporter: it's hard not to be impressed when you see entire houses being swept away by flood waters in the west. part of the same storm that, tonight, is creating road closures, evacuations and wild spread fear of mud slide. meanwhile, the madness continues over in europe, where the snow and freezing temperatures that paralyze major cities is only now starting to relent. there is one person who is happy about all of this, though. >> i'm extremely pleased that it's very cold and it's very cold in europe as well. >> reporter: this rather odd-looking man is pierce corbin, who actually predicted this nasty weather, which the british government failed to do. >> we predicted that this winter in britain and europe would be the coldest for 100 years. >> reporter: corbin's methods are, to say the least, unorthodox. he forecasts based on the magnetic connection between the sun and the earth. though many people say his correct forecasts are just a fluke, he remains supre

our surprise special chef this morning, dan harris himself.us some of his grandmother's famous cookies. >> betty johnson's cookies. i've been doing christmas at the same house in the same town for pretty much 40 years. every year, we have the same cookies. i'm going to show you how to make them. first step, dump pecans into the blender. i hope when betty watches it, she's not -- pulse it is the key apparently. >> you've done this before. >> there we go. nice. nicely done. all right. i think that suffices. let's go with everything else. >> flour. >> what was that? >> flour. sugar. something else. >> vanilla. >> and something else. oops. as you can tell, i have never made this before. sorry, granny. does the butter go in? yes, let's put the butter in. butter goes in, i'm told. >> two sticks. >> these are very good for you, in case you're wondering, people at home. >> healthy butter. >> all right. here we go. the key is to pulse it. hit it a little bit, hit it a little bit more. there you go. all right, let's show you what happens next. while bey

i'm dan harris. tonight on "world news," end game. they call it a lame duck congress, but they seem to be getting a lot done. they're still in session on this sunday night, as president obama tries to eke out one last victory. >>> totaled. an epic storm is pounding the west tonight. they're bracing for a foot of rain, 15 feet of snow, mudslides and even avalanches. meanwhile, there's a blizzard crippling europe tonight and more snow is on the way there. >>> winning streak. a towering achievement in college sports. but is it not getting enough attention because the players are women? >>> and, the secret santa leaving a trail of tears, smiles and dropped jaws after he quietly drops cash in the very place where he knows the people who need it will find it. >>> good evening. it seems like members of congress may be getting more done during this so-called lame duck session than they have all year. yesterday, that historic vote to let gays serve openly in the military for the first time in american history

dan harris, abc news, atlanta. >>> but will an arena full of humans be kind to lebron james tonight?e is facing the fans he spurned. he'll play on his former home turf, cleveland. not on his old team but against it. lebron james defected from the cavs to join the miami heat. his former fans have threatened rough chants and cheers and a legion of undercover cops will be on hand to keep the peace. >>> coming up, one athlete's 15-foot crawl and the meaning of victory. oot crawl and the meaning of victory. to ge capital for money. they come to us for help. at ge capital, we've been financing taylor guitars for over eight years, helping them build a strong dealer network. bringing music to people... i like that. ♪ ♪ [ bob ] i didn't know you could play. i didn't either. ♪ the doctor leaned over and said to me, "you just beat the widow-maker." i was put on an aspirin, and it's part of my regimen now. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. go see your doctor now. you won't believe your taste buds. you won't believe it's fiber. benefiber. clear

i'm dan harris. on "world news" this sunday, through the roof. amazing footage tonight of heavy snow bringing down the dome of a football stadium in minneapolis. this storm is also paralyzing travel and now, dangerously cold air is moving in. >>> the madoff suicide. we have new details on what may have led bernie madoff's son to kill himself. and why madoff's 2-year-old grandson might now be liable for repaying the scam victims. >>> desperate measures. it has come to this. cash strapped cities now charging accident victims who need help. this woman was billed $1,500. they're calling it the crash tax. >>> and, the fur is flying. the american invader that has even the british royals up in arms. this is a fight to the finish. >>> good evening. people in the midwest are, of course, used to punishing snowstorms, but it has been a long time since they've endured anything like this. this is an epic blizzard, dumping a foot and a half of snow across the upper midwest, paralyzing travel, even bringing down th

we asked dan harris to find out. >> reporter: jet blue made $148 million in profits in the third quarter of this year, more than twice what it made last year. and yet, when we tried to call the customer service line today, we got this message. >> this call will end now. but we look forward to helping you as soon as we can. >> reporter: they just hung up. continental airlines made $412 million in profits in the third quarter, up nearly ten-fold. and here's what we heard when we called. >> we apologize for the inconvenience. and thanks for calling continental. good-bye. >> reporter: we were able to get through to the other major airlines. but at least one customer service rep admitted we got lucky. so, me reaching you in ten minutes is good? this travel morass comes at a time when the major carriers are seeing soaring profits because of higher prices. many raised prices by 20 bucks just this week. and new fees on everything from checked luggage, to booking a ticket over the phone, to pillows and blankets. making matters worse, the airlines are offering fewer flights these days. and they've

i'm dan harris. tonight on "world news," whiteout. the epic blizzard bringing blinding snow and screaming winds to more than 70 million americans tonight. how long will this thing last and how bad will it get? >>> nowhere to go. highways shut, trains halted, thousands of flights canceled. stranding travelers heading home from the holiday. >>> shocking questions. a new generation of powerful tasers, even some police officers say they may be too dangerous. >>> and, wheel of misfortune. the game show contestants who lost $800,000 even though they answered the big question correctly. and all they're getting now is a do-over? >>> good evening. forecasters call this kind of dynamic intensifying storm a bomb. and tonight, more than 70 million people are feeling the fallout. the snow is piling up from the deep south all the way up to canada. this is a time lapse picture from central park here in new york city today. blizzard warnings are posted from maryland to maine. close to two feet could fall in some pla

dan harris has the story. >> reporter: doctors in phoenix say their patient likely would have died of heart failure, killing her unborn child, too, were it not for the abortion. the decision was approved by sister margaret mcbride, a long-time senior administrator at the hospital. when the local bishop, thomas olmstead, heard about this, he excommunicated mcbride. on tuesday, bishop olmstead went a step further, stripping st. joseph's of its affiliation with the catholic church. >> instead of treating the disease, st. joseph's decided that the healthy 11-week-old baby should be directly killed. >> reporter: but the hospital ceo said that is not true. >> our first priority is to save both patients. if that is not possible, we always save the life we can save. >> reporter: today, we heard from people in the anti-abortion community who applauded bishop olmstead. >> that was a courageous, moral decision by the bishop. >> reporter: but we heard from critics of the bishop today, including some catholics, as well as a slew of doctors, who used words like frustrating, troubling and horrible.

. >> i'm dan harris. this is saturday, december 18th. this morning, super saturday. it's mayhem at the mall with christmas just a week away. this is one of the busiest shopping days of the year, but here's the question, will the last-minute shoppers holding out for deals actually be rewarded? >>> down to the wire. key legislation is up for a vote today. don't ask, don't tell, an important international treaty, and then their fund could help our 9/11 first responders. just why hasn't congress approved that? the anger and emotion is boiling over. >>> western wallop. the west coast is about to get hit with heavy rain and snow. they're bracing for mud slides and up to ten feet of snow in the mountains. we're going to have a live report. >>> and mystery solved? people haven't stopped looking for amelia earhart since she disappeared 83 years ago. now researchers think they may have found her remains. did she live as a castaway on a south pacific island? captions paid for by abc, inc. >>> hard to believe just one week away. >> i know, i know. we're really close. i've got an

dan harris reporting. despite the outcome both danes say they would do the whole thing again and the younger dan says he is happy to be back in iraq. he is recording rap music and in college studying to become a reporter. we wish him well. >>> drowning in death, the panel tried to end the deficit releases its plan, what they would cut and what they would save. >>> hiring for the holidays. a bay area business that is booming right now and how the seasonal jobs could turn into full-time work. >>> plus, it is definitely not what you would expect from the freed iran hiker. coming up, the sarah shourd music video. >>> and the lpga changes its rules to allow transgender ares to play. anothe ne [ mom ] my son only nted one toy this year. i want a robosan 4000. [ mom ] the one no one could get. toy stores are reporting long lin and empty shelves. a robosan 4000. [ mom ] and mean no one. so i did most of my holiday shoppi on citi specials. th the money i saved, i bid online -and got exactly what he wanted. -a robos

i'm dan harris. >> scene i'm bianna golodryga. it's sunday, december 26th. this morning, the nightmare after christmas for stranded holiday travelers, as a rare snowstorm freezes the south. and a dangerous blizzard looms for the northeast. >>> more mall madness. the big post-christmas sale starts this morning. we're going to tell you where the best deals are. and while you're there, how to return those unwanted gifts. >>> and from a white christmas to the red carpet, the oscar gold rush is on. we'll preview the movies and stars who could win big on hollywood's biggest night. >>> plus, a holiday vacation without leaving the house. it is the best of our "weekend window." >>> and merry christmas. >> thank you. >> did have you a good holiday? >> i did. i went up to boston and saw my grandmother, who is 87 years old. very nice. how about you? >> we stayed here. went to a lot of movies over the past few days. just took it easy. >> nice, i like that. >> but did bianca get everything she wanted? >> bianca, my wife, did get everything she wanted, which is nice. plays

dan harris, the abc reporter, has helped to bring dan, the iraqi teen, to the u.s.but the young man almost immediately runs into trouble. he parties his way through college until finally he's expelled and suddenly he's on the brink of homelessness, with his options running out. at this moment of extreme peril for dan, both of us are at a loss. do you think you can make people proud still? now? >> with what? how am i going to make you proud? tell me and i might do it. i'll tell you if i could or not. tell me how am i going to make you proud of me right now. >> reporter: but then we catch a break. after making dozens of phone calls, i manage to convince some generous people i know up in maine to help dan get into a group home for troubled teenagers. >> if i ruin this one, that's it. >> reporter: if you ruin this one -- >> if i got kicked out of this one, my life is done. this is my room. >> reporter: it quickly becomes clear that there are many more rules here than dan experienced at thomas college. you think you'll be able to adjust here, though, without all the free

i'm dan harris. >> i'm bianna golodryga. it's sunday, december 12th. this morning, winter whiteout. nearly two feet of snow blankets the midwest. interstates are closed. hundreds of flights canceled and the blizzard conditions aren't over yet. up next a bitter cold is about to freeze out much of the country. >>> sins of the father. one of bernie madoff's sons commits suicide two years to the day his dad was arrested from stealing billions of dollars from investors. brian ross has details on the latest twist in the saga. >>> a mother's message. more than a thousand mourners gathered to say good-bye to elizabeth edwards as her daughter shares with the world a mother's heartfelt words. >> all i ever really needed was you, your love, your presence to make my life complete. >>> and the royal snapshot. here they are, the official engagement photos for prince william and kate middleton just released overnight. we've got the pictures and some new details about security concerns on the big day. >> dan, i know you were anxiously awaiting those photos. >> needed to see them. >> they looked bea

more now from dan harris.e road in dayton, ohio, locked in a life or death struggle for a man reaching for his taser. he gets help but from an unlikely source, a good samaritan, a total stranger who pulls over and dives right into the fight. initially the woman's name wasn't released but we now know who it was. angela pierce. >> i did it because i feel like he believes in him and nobody else. everyone ran past. >> reporter: pearce says when the other officers arrived on the scene finally taking the assailant down they initially handcuffed her but quickly took off the cuffs and gave her a high-five. >> they just thanked me and let me go. >> reporter: she was moved when she heard officer jonathan cider saying he thought she was a guardian angel sent by his parents who are dead. >> i appreciate what you do and my wife and children. >> reporter: the officer says he doesn't recommend they jump into police alter cases but in this case he's glad angela pierce had his back. dan harris, abc news. >> certainly is a fasc

dan harris has the story. >> reporter: doctors at st.hospital in phoenix say their patient likely would have died of heart failure, killing her unborn child too, were it not for the abortion. the decision was approved by sister margaret mcbride, a long-time senior administrator at the hospital. when the local bishop, thomas olmstead, heard about this, he excommunicated mcbride. on tuesday, bishop olmstead went a step further, stripping st. joseph's of its affiliation with the catholic church. >> instead of treating the disease, st. joseph's medical staff and ethics committee decided that the healthy 11-week-old baby should be directly killed. >> reporter: but the hospital ceo said that is not true. >> our first priority is to save both patients. if that is not possible, we always save the life we can save. >> reporter: we heard from people in the anti-abortion community who applauded bishop olmstead. >> that was a courageous, moral decision by bishop olmstead. >> reporter: but we also heard from critics of the bishop, including some cath

here's dan harris. >> reporter: an officer on the side of the road in dayton, ohio. locked in a life or death struggle, with a man who was reaching for his gun and taser. >> give me some help. >> reporter: he gets help but from an unlikely source. a good samaritan, a total stranger who pulls over and dives right into the fight. initially, the woman's name wasn't released. but we now know who it was. angela pierce. >> i did it because i felt like he needed a hand. and i -- wasn't nobody else. everybody just ran past. and i just helped. >> reporter: pierce says when the other dayton officers arrived on the scene, finally taking the assailant down, they initially handcuffed her. but quickly took off the cuffs and gave her a high-five. >> they just thanked me and let me go. >> reporter: she said she was moved when she heard officer jonathan seiter on wednesday morning, on "gma," says he thought she was a guardian angel, sent by his parents, who are dead. >> i would like to say thank you, to her. >> reporter: overnight, with our cameras rolling, he said thank you to her,

and with airlines now making record profits, abc's dan harris went looking for some answers. >> reporter jet blue made $148 million in profits in the third quarter of this year. more than twice what it made last year. and yet, when we tried to call the customer service line, we got this message -- >> this call will end now but we look forward to helping you as soon as we can. >> they just hung up. >> reporter: continental airlines made $412 million in profits in the third quarter, up nearly ten-fold. and here's what we heard when we called -- >> we apologize for the inconvenience and thanks for calling continental, good-bye. >> reporter: we were able to get through to the other major airlines. but at least one customer service rep admitted we got lucky. >> so me reaching you in ten minutes is good? >> reporter: this travel morass comes at a time when the major carriers are seeing soaring profits because of higher prices -- many raised prices by 20 bucks just this week -- and new fees on everything from checked luggage to booking a ticket over the phone to pillows and blankets. making mat

and dan harris is joining us live now from new york. i know the weather's gotta be one of the top stories. i'm a fortunate person. i just barely managed to get out of atlanta last night. >> you're absolutely right, carolyn. good morning to you. coming up on "good morning america," we're going to talk a lot about the weather. it was a white christmas throughout the south as you know through recent travels and that same storm barreling up the east coast through the travel rush. how much snow will there be, what's the travel forecast? how will it impact people out west? full coverage at 7:00. the snow arrives right after the post-christmas shopping bing begins. advice on everything from where to find the biggest and best deals to how to return those unwanted gifts with minimum hassle. also this morning with new year's just days away, it is time, of course, to take a look back at the year that was. which events and which people shaped 2010. we're going to do the whole thing in just three minutes with our john berman. and we have opened our

and he asked the other dan, dan harris asked the other dan, are there days when you wish you never mete days i wish that, even though i know the opportunity that i had. >> a metaphor for high expectations but they were dashed when it comes to this country and iraq. high expectations but they were dashed when it comes to this country and iraq. tory. around his house. these people chose freedom over restrictions. independence over limitations. they chose mobility. they chosehe scooter store. and this is the team of mobility experts who made it all happen. ii great news, you've been approved for payment. dr. cruz, i'm calling on behalf ofmarie stanford. and they can make it happen for you. hi, i'm doug harrison, if you're living with limited mobility, call the scooter store today. i promise, no other company will work harder to make you mobile or do more to ensure your total satisfaction. i expected they'd help me file some paperwork with medicare and my insurance. i never expected them to be so nice or work so hard to get me a power chair at no cost to me. call today and let the scooter

. >> ron is in for dan harris, who is on assignment this weekend. it's saturday, december 4th.morning, everyone. >>> also ahead, one of our favorite things to do every week. that is check in with you and see how things are going. we look at "your week in three words." >>> we begin with the murder mystery that has gripped hollywood for the past 2 1/2 weeks now. police are investigating the shooting death of ronni chasen, went to question a person of interest. that's what they called him in the case this week. but he killed himself before they could talk to him. beverly hills cops are saying they're not sure he's even involved in that case. abc's mike von fremd has more on the investigation. >> reporter: harold martin smith. for the first time we see photos of the convicted felon, the person of interest, in the death of powerhouse publicist ronni chasen. abc news has learned that smith, in fact, had a lengthy criminal past and was out on parole. smith took his own life in this los angeles hotel, when confronted by police. beverly hills investigators confirm they were checking out

dan harris is on assignment this weekend. are you a picky eater? is your child? well, it might not be a matter of taste. it may be a disorder of eating, eating disorder. we're going to go into that a little later and what you can do about it. that's coming up. >>> plus, no harm in throwing a few snowballs, right? seems like fun. that's probably what the university of cincinnati's mascot was thinking when he got into a snowball fight with fans at the game yesterday. but it turned into much more than that. you'll never believe what happened. we'll tell you, coming up next. >>> first, tiger woods right now is looking a lot like the old tiger woods on the golf course. he goes into today's final round of a golf tournament in california, eight shots ahead of the pack. a seeming lock to win his first tournament, first title since his personal problems erupted a year ago. and mike marusarz is here to tell us how tiger finally got his game back on track. >> reporter: ron, guys, good morning to you. it's the tiger we knew. but with new

more now from dan harris. >> reporter: an officer on the side of the road in dayton, ohio, locked inn't. nobody else. everybody just ran past him. >> reporter: pierce says when the other officers arrived on the scene finally taking the assailant down they initially handcuffed her but quickly took off the cuffs and gave her a high-five. >> they just thanked me and let me go. >> reporter: she was moved when she heard officer jonathan seiter saying he thought she was a guardian angel sent by his parents who are dead. >> i do truly appreciate what you did and my wife does, too, and my children. >> you're welcome. >> reporter: the officer says he doesn't recommend tins jump into police altercations, but in this case, he admits he's glad angela pierce had his back. dan harris, abc news. >> certainly is a fascinating story. >> in many ways. >>> here's a look at your friday forecast. heavy rain in san francisco and sacramento. light showers in southern california. up to 2 feet of snow in the sierra range. rain and snow in the rockies and showers from jacksonville to savannah. >> 78 in miami.

i'm dan harris. >> and i'm bianna golodryga. it's sunday, december 19th. this morning, historic vote. the senate overturns don't ask, don't tell, opening the door for gays to serve openly in the u.s. military for the first time ever. advocates call it a giant step forward for civil rights. and it's a big victory for the president. >>> epic storm. a once-in-a-decade winter storm is pounding the west coast. heavy rain is already causing mudslides. and 15 feet of snow expected in the mountains. we're live in the thick of it. >>> crucial victory. hope for amanda knox as an italian court rules that it will allow a review of dna evidence used to convict her of murder. could this eventually set her free? we'll talk live with her mother and father. >>> and royal affairs. prince william and kate middleton make their first public appearance since their engagement. while prince harry makes his first public comments about his new sister-in-law-to-be. >>> and it was a historic vote in washington. bill clinton was in the white house 17 years ago when don't ask, don't te

and a last look at what might have been, the iraqi dan boarded a flight back home which is where dan harris visited him a few months ago. >> reporter: hey. what's going on man? a little over a year after dan left america i went back to iraq to see him for the first time. >> how are you doing? good to see you. >> reporter: good to see you. you have a beard. >> i do. >> reporter: initially, he strikes me as a little bit dejected. are there times when you wake up and say, i messed up? >> yeah. every day i think about what i did, every time i say, i messed up, and it's my fault. >> reporter: but after spending several days with dan, i start to see a more positive picture emerge. he's back with his family he's making rap music with his friends. he simply seems happier, and as he reminds me he still has his whole life in front of him. but there are times when you think, i'd be better after if i never met dan. >> sometimes i do. but most of the time i say i'm glad. because i had to get over lying, i had to get over -- i had to find myself. you know what i mean? and i really did find myself. >> rep

dan harris is here now.des are convinced they're doing the right thing. >> reporter: that's right. neither side is backing down. both sides holding dueling press conferences. this is a story that involves a nun, described as saintly. a catholic bishop, a world-class hospital, and a controversy now discussed across the country. this all started last fall at st. joseph's hospital in phoenix, arizona, when a 27-year-old mother of four came in, 11 weeks pregnant and seriously ill. doctors said if her pregnancy was not terminated, she would likely die of heart failure, taking her unborn child with her. the decision to terminate was approved by sister margaret mcbride, a long-time senior administrator at the hospital. but when the local bishop, thomas olmsted, heard about this, he excommunicated sister mcbride. even though that move caused an uproar, with some critics pointing out that even many pedophile priests weren't excommunicated, on tuesday, bishop olmsted went a step further. stripping st. joseph's hospita

i remember, i was anchoring "world news" last summer, when dan harris did a story, an interview withon your facebook page that you had quit being a christian. it created an uproar all over the web around the world because you had famously written about jesus and angels and devils and vampires. since then, what has the reaction been like? >> it's been overwhelmingly supportive. i've gotten thousands of e-mails from believers who say they had the same reservation about organized religion. >> what were yours? >> i'll tell you. they were detheological preservation. what moved me was the social and political inclination. terrible things i had seen in the last year, really, that i didn't want to be complicit in the eyes of my readers and friends, with those things any longer. >> and you thought the catholic church has become anti-gay? >> very much anti-gay. i think it's always been anti-gay. but what surprised me and upset me was the campaign to interfere with the rights of gay americans to have same-sex marriage in california. the fact that the church, which doesn't recognize any civil un

. >> i have an ongoing debate with my co-anchor of the weekend, dan harris. he's a cat man.e organic. big trend in dog and cat toys. the more they chew them, the better for the teeth. we're in hanukkah, make a lot of fun for cats. >> we love the animals. but some of them just come with bad breath. >> they do. and that's a big faux pas, underneath the missile stow. and the pedigree dentatix are great. it's good for those who are getting kisses under the mistletoe. >> i'm all about spoili ining p. the last thing, i don't know if i'm catching on to this. the pet speak center. >> it's pet acoustics. you put your ipod in the speaker. and it reduces the high and low frequency that your dog is sensitive to. if you want to blast the holiday music, you might want to hook it up. >> how much do these go for? >> a little under $300. >> 300 bucks. we should stick to those under 50 bucks. >> that's for the fancy pooch. and these are the stocking stuffers. >> thank you for bringing piper in. >> she'll be available for autographs. >> we'll get her signing. for more about the holiday gifts f

. >> dan: first man in was david harris, rex ryan decide tongue bring the pressure on henne and pouha right in the middle here is going to get the sack. but it's number 52 coming right up in the middle here. getting away from ricky williams forcing henne up in to the pocket. say goodbye. that's fourth sack for jets this afternoon. that one was huge, it sets up a very difficult third down conversion try for henne. >> ian: a third and 12. henne is limited to 55 passing yards today. fakes the hand off. henne was trying to throw the screen. incomplete over the head of ronnie brown out in the flat. the dolphins go three-and-out with calvin pace and brodney pool supplying the pressure on henne. >> dan: brandon fields has had great day averaging well over 55 yards a punt. but remember, the jets did block a punt back in game one on fields. >> ian: brandon fields with the punt. cromartie is deep. cromartie back pedals to the 20. cromartie, hit at the 30 he's buried there. spot it just shy of the 30 after the 56-yard punt. tim dobbins downfield to make the play. tonight on cbs, all new beginnin

ends, but senate majority leader harry reid has promised to bring this to a vote even threatening to call senators back after christmas if he has to to get it done. dan? >> amy, thank you. amy hollyfield reporting. >>> bay area house members are lining up against the extension of bush era tax cuts that was overwhelmingly approved by the senate today. >> at some point are we ever going to talk about living within our means? >> the senate supported the measure 81-19 today, but in the house few liberal democrats support it. they argue a provision to cut the estate tax would give $25 billion to 6600 of the nation's wealthiest families. >> think of what you could do with that $25 billion. first of all, you could reduce the deficit. >> the house could vote as early as tomorrow. president obama wants the bill to pass unchanged so he could sign it quickly, without a deal. taxes for nearly all-americans will go up january 1st. >>> tonight police are investigating the stabbing death of a newark teenager. his friends are calling him a good samaritan. the stabbing happened after 3:30 this afternoon at a bus stop at ceder boulevard and birch street. they believe

dan quayle will represent the northern phoenix metro area. -- republican ben quayle. the third represents the fifth district, covering the northeastern phoenix metro area. he defeated the three term incumbent democrat, harry mitchell. the new congress will convene on wednesday, january 5th, with live coverage on c-span. arizona is one of several states that will gain a new congressional seat during the 2011 redistricting. according to the "christian science monitor" 12 seats are in flux. texas will gain four new representatives and florida will gain two. arizona, georgia, nevada, south carolina, utah and washington will gain when new seats each. of these winners, six are considered politically conservative. >> the c-span network -- we provide coverage of politics, political affairs, and books, all available on television, radio, online and social media networking sites. find our content on time at -- anytime in c-span's video library. we bring our resources to your community. it is washington your way, the c-span networks, now available in more than 100 million homes. created by cable, provided as a public service. >> tonight, primetime on c-span, a discussion on the role of limited government. that is fo

dan, we'll be following every step of the way. thank you so much. >>> once an ax on the tax deal, the senate has another piece of urgent business. majority leader harry reid says debate will begin as soon as tomorrow on the strategic arms reduction treaty known as s.t.a.r.t. the nuclear agreement with russia must be passed by the senate before it can take effect. the two-thirds vote is needed. republican senator john kyle says it would be a big mistake to bring it up now. he won't say if he has the votes to block the ratification. want to go back to another top story we are following. let's go back to our chad myers at the cnn center. there are hundreds of people who are stranded in a highway whiteout. chad, what are we looking at? >> part of the storm system that's a lake-effect event president. that usually happens in buffalo of south of buffalo or cleveland. this is lake huron. lake huron with a wind out of the northwest dumps snow right to the east of sarnia, ontario which is northwest of detroit. and for hours yesterday, literally 28 hours, the snow came down so hard, the wind was blowing so hard it was simply a whiteout. for a while when this i