dr. richard s. i think a cut you off, and you were giving us a real perspective on the impact criminal history has on a person's life, and a one to give you back your time. >> i appreciate the legislation and the work that you do any work you are doing, but i think we have kind -- we do not realize how big a problem this has become. united states today, we are this global power. we are fighting wars that do not end. you all know this. and the war has come home. the war is in the streets. we have arrested millions of people for drugs. thank god i'm in california. show me some pot, you know? california is wonderful, but it is not that way in the rest of the country. they are still giving people felony convictions for possession of marijuana. you guys are really progressive. the rest of this country is not. the rest of this country is fighting a war that you cannot even protest. we are so far, even though barack is in the white house, isn't that great? the country is more right wing than you ever reali

dr. richard s. -- dr. richards. >> [inaudible] >> we love the excitement.s is all intentional. >> i'm happy to be in san francisco, and that kind f

dr. richards is touching on. in the realm of criminal policy, the more fear there is that the more laws we have that limit what people can do, people with criminal records can do. an example of that this session is there is a bill pending from assemblyman night from palmdale that basically what say that anybody who has ever had a drug conviction cannot volunteer in their child's school. there already are laws on the books that allows school districts to criminal background checks, but this would add this permanent exclusion for any -- and i'm not talking only net labs. i'm talking any possession. that is an example of the ever- expanding range of laws that limit people with criminal records. that is ab 2034. >>? there anyone here who can inject a little hope -- is there anyone here who can inject a little hope? we know that there are barriers. we know the laws are overreaching. we have employers that ignore the laws. so what is the solution, dr. richard s. -- dr. richards? how are we going to turn this around for

dr. richard s. -- dr. richards? how are we going to turn this around for california and the nation? >> i am actually giving this paper in two weeks in finland at a conference, but just some of our ideas that come out of the convict criminology group. the first is and the war on drugs. just and it. -- just end it. it started in 1960 with richard nixon. it has been going on 50 years. nobody has even kept count of how many people have been arrested -- 10 million, 20 million, 30 million? it sounds like something out of stalin's russia. turn in your neighbors, turn in your friends. if you turn in 10 people, you get less time in prison. that is what it is, you know? this war on drugs is something out of stalin's russia. and let's stop this war on sex offenders before this gets way out of hand. it is already way out of hand. [applause] i know we are concerned about sexual assault and rape and people assaulting women and children -- i know that. most of the people in prison as sex offenders are not those people. i call them romeo and juliet's. he is 19 and she is 16 or she is 19 and he is 1

dr. richard edwards was severely injured in a brush fire and became only the third person to undergo a hand transplant in america. we'll talk to dr. edwards in a moment. first, here's more on what many call a medical miracle. it took a team of 20 surgeons over 17 hours to perform the complicated and rare procedure, a double hand transplant. family members waited anxiously through the night for updates posted on twitter from inside the operating room. just two days later, with the first look at his new hands, dr. richard edwards did what was impossible just days before. he moved his fingers. >> i'm a blessed man. >> pull the index finger down. that's good and strong. pull that down. that's good and strong. >> reporter: a success that even impressed his doctors. >> look at that. >> reporter: now, with each new movement, edwards has more hope for the future. >> i love to hold my wife's hands and feel her skin and i want to do that again. >> joining us from louisville, dr. richard edwards, his wife, cindy, and dr. warren bridenbach, that led the double hand transplant team. good morning to all

dr. richards, it is my understanding you have some personal experience in this area.ould ask you to share your experiences with us and tell us about the barriers that exist for people who have a criminal record. >> i'm a convicted felon. i'm an ex-con. and i'm a professor. i'm the leader of the convert criminology group. if you just go to google and google

dr. richard besser with the surprising facts. >>> and, going the distance. the lengths some americans are traveling to get a job. nomads who camp out while packing your holiday presents. >>> good evening. exactly four weeks ago tonight, president obama was handed what he called a shellacking. the results of that mid-term election. today, the new house republican leaders walked into the roosevelt room for their first big encounter with barack obama, and, the question is, will there be more partisan paralysis or will the government finally act? what about the big issues? tax cuts and paying benefits for the 2 million americans out of work for almost two years. jake tapper tells us tonight about the summit at the white house. good evening, jake. well, president obama called the meeting productive. republicans call it useful and frank. anything and many, many deadlines fast approaching. the president seemed to be most gratified by a 35-minute stretch of the nearly two hour meeting without any staff present. >> i was pleased to see several of my friends in the ro

dr. richard besser. this is a big study. >> it's very exciting. >> -- out tonight. thank you. >>> as we said earlier, we do have a note tonight about a woman who has shown enormous strength battling cancer in the public eye since 2004, elizabeth edwards. we are told her family and friends, including her estranged husband, have gathered at her bedside in north carolina. doctors say further cancer treatment would be unproductive. she is separated from the former vice presidential candidate john edwards after that searing public drama we all know about. they have three children, from 10 years old to 28 years old. elizabeth edwards has put a message on her facebook page saying, "the days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. we know that. and, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. it's called being human. but i have found that in the simple act of living with hope, the days i do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. with love, elizabeth." >>> and, in other news, less than a week in

dr. richard besser reports. >>> and, christmas choir. the surprising songbirds, their mission, put a smile on your face as you face the stress of holiday travel. >>> good evening. a year's worth of rain in one week. that's what parts of california are dealing with tonight, and after five separate storms, this is what san diego looks like. a watery, muddy mess. a hotel under water. qualcomm stadium looks more like a massive swimming pool. the worst of the storm hit today, a state of emergency declared in six counties. so, we start in california tonight with david wright in laguna beach. good evening, david. >> reporter: good evening, george. you can see these work crews clearing away the mud. they've been at it for hours now. this area is a natural funnel, so, all the rain up in the hills just swept through downtown area early this morning, turning laguna beach into a lagoon. and it's that way all the way down the coast. in san diego, the flooding turned one coastal inn into an island, with water surrounding on all sides. lifeguards had t

dr. richard kenyon, who added one of our most important prongs' -- nutrition -- to the 10-year plan. that was truly innovative. [applause] so it is my great pleasure that so many members of the original 10-year plan are here. and of course, the federal homeless czar under george bush, who has now gotten project homeless connect in over 50 states, and i think it is over 230 cities in the united states along with the 10-year plan, was also a member of that original committee. we are here today -- and judith is going to help me -- this is one of the most incredible human beings, and she has been in charge for six years doing one hell of a job taking care of the four -- the poor. >> thank you. today, we are going to begin with a beginning and vacation. can i get an acknowledgment for the jewish relations community council and the consortium of jewish community groups that are here today? if you could please stand, let's give you a round of applause. >> good morning. are you all very comfortable? good, stand up. [laughter] now, i will make this very quick and very easy. the best way to un

dr. richard besser reporting. to remind you to watch the abc news special "be the change, save a life." it will air this friday at 10:00 p.m. eastern. the series is sponsored in part by the bill and melinda gates foundation. >> good work, mandy moore, a great cause. certainly the e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e

dr. richards probably will not authorize this, but i am going to make a plug for the book he has written.ant to say he has written the book "convict criminology." another book called "behind bars." and "beyond bars." so check it out on amazon. wels

dr. richard besser is here. he's going to walk us through here.asis of this. >> this is important news out of washington this morning. a committee is meeting to see if the surgery, lap-band surgery should be extended to more people. in lap-band surgery, an inflatable ring is put around your stomach. and that decreases the amount of food you can take in before you feel full. it's been effective in those that are morbidly obese. and it's being looked at to see if it is available for more people? >> who are we talking about here? >> you have to have a body mass of 40. someone who is 5'9", that means you would have to weigh 271 pounds. for the new classifications, the same person would have to weigh 237. and if you have a medical condition like diabetes, even lower. like around 200 pounds. >> why is that? >> if you have those conditions, you're at greater risk of dying from being overweight. they're expanding the indication. >> of course, the surgeries are not without side-effects. >> that's right. it is very effective in the population. but 90% of pe

dr. richard besser, abc news. >> and dr. on "world news," if you build it, will they come? what if you build noah's ark, as it is? in the bible? noah's ark. will the jobs materialize? one state is betting on it. we'll tell you where it is and what they're doing tonight on "world news." >> and that's the news at 8:07. >>> time for sam champion and the weather, with a packed house of sting fans. good morning, sam. >> good morning, juju. just imagine. you're going to be within ten feet of sting. you don't have to imagine, juju. you will, as well. >> i will be right there. >> i know you're running downstairs. good morning, everybody, by the way. i have to talk about this. it's your birthday, right? >> yes, it is. >> do you want to say numbers? do you not want to say numbers? because you told me the number. >> i'm 70. >> look at this lady. look at this lady. where are you from? >> i'm from milwaukee. but i'm originally from germany. >> you are lovely. let's get to the boards. one or two things going on this morning as you step ou

dr. richard besser, has more. >> reporter: rita believes lap band surgery saved her life.bese, she had developed diabetes and hypertension. >> i tried weight watchers, jenny craig, l.a. weight loss, prescription diet pills, over the counter diet pills, and nothing worked. >> reporter: growing in popularity, the surgery involves inserting an inflatable ring around your stomach which decreases the amount of food you can take in before feeling full. and people can use 65% of their excess weight, 40 pounds on average. right now, the fda states lap band surgery is only appropriate for the morbidly obese. here's how it breaks down. today, a 5'6" person without medical problems would need to weigh 247 pounds to qualify for the surgery. but that could change under the new proposal. they'd qualify weighing 216 pounds. if that same person has diabetes or hypertension, they would be approved for surgery weighing just 186 pounds. while effective at helping people lose weight, it is very serious surgery. 90% of those who undergo it experience side effects. nausea, difficulty eating, re

dr. richard besser reporting.news special "be the change, save a life." it will air this friday at 10:00 p.m. eastern. the series is sponsored in part by the bill and melinda gates foundation. >> good work, mandy moore, a great cause. >> for information on services for oldeadults, the eldercare locator can help! >> i havlived in my house for 40 years and want to stay in my community. having someone help me with transportation makes that possible. >> the eldercare locator can put you in touch with loc resources to help older persons find home and mmunity based services. call 1.800.677.1116 or visit eldercare.gov today! the eldercare locator is a free public service of the u.s. administration on aging.

dr. richard besser reporting.ws special "be the change, save a life." it will air this friday at 10:00 p.m. eastern. the series is sponsored in part by the bill and melinda gates foundation. >> good work, mandy moore, a great cause. >> good work, mandy moore, a great cause. certainly the need i >> i'm a big believer in the power of we. we can tackle the tough challenges we face and build community through service and volunteering. the reality is - we're all in this together. it's time for you to raise your hand, go to serve.gov and get involved in something you believe in. are you with me? are you with me? >>> remembering richard holbrooke. the veteran diplomat who pushed for peace for decades. >>> deep danger. after a major snow storm and icy blast. >> 30 degrees windchill. skin can freeze in minutes. >> the deadly toll. >>> and, florida's freeze. the worst snap in years reaches precious cropland. it's tuesday, december 14th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> a brutal winter day for so many folks aro

dr. richard besser is going to tell you how to protect your child and why this time of year might be thet crucial time. >> lots of people visiting. they don't know po tut the medicines up where kids can't reach them. >>> first this morning, we're going to look at the case around amanda knox. she's the 23-year-old american student convicted of murdering her roommate in perugia, italy. now an italian judge has granted her lawyer's request for an external test of crucial dna evidence used to convict her. in a moment, we'll talk to her mother. first the very latest on the case. amanda knox returned to the courtroom joined by her family, as her case took a dramatic new turn. an italian appeals court ordered new dna tests on the only physical evidence linking knox and her boyfriend, raef yale sollecito, to the to 07 murder of meredith kercher. >> we think that inevitably amanda knox will be found not guilty and returned home. >> reporter: in an appeal of knox's conviction and her 26-year sentence, the defense argued that the evidence was contaminated and that dna evidence was inclusive. this 1

dr. richard besser, abc news, new york. >> the whole health care debate the country experienced over theons of a for-profit health care system. profit is one of the issues that's making these shortages reality these days. >> we've heard of the term black market. they're saying what's occurring is essentially a gray market, an area where now basically you have the haves and the have nots, people who can afford the genuine, because the generics like dr. besser pointed out aren't covered by insurance. >>> coming up next, help for one family struggling with money. >> some creative approaches to help them save a bundle. that's next. ow >>> of course christmas is just a few days away. but right after that, of course, comes new year's, which means the all-popular new year's resolutions. you have any yet, or no? >> every year i say i'm going to run a marathon, this is the year. i can keep saying it every year. >> every year. i've resolved to stop making resolutions i won't keep, that's my goal. many families make the resolution to save cash. elisabeth leamy went to one family's home to show them

dr. richard besser. >> reporter: micah andrews is your typical 2-year-old little boy.ves to play, is outgoing and happy. >> a bubbly personality. likes to make you laugh. >> reporter: but four months ago this toddler was in a traumatic car accident that left him in a coma with brain damage and another condition that shocked even his doctors. micah was internally decapitated. >> this would be the worst injury that we could imagine. he had it. >> reporter: the impact of the car accident completely tore the ligaments that connect micah's skull to his spine, leaving the neck supported only by muscle and skin. it's dangerous because it leaves the spinal cord completely unprotected. so that the slightest movement can be fatal. >> this space shouldn't be here. >> reporter: micah needs emergency surgery to reattach his skull to his spine. his parents are terrified. but they received words of comfort from micah's surgeon. at the barrow neurological institute. >> he turned to us and he said, i'm going to operate on him as if i were operating on my own child. and we were -- you k

dr. richard besser. those things are important to know. >> thanks so much for bringing us this story.ctions for properly installing your child's car seat. >>> when we come back, robin, an intimate talk with her mom. >> you're being mothered. conge. it's your fault. naturally, blame the mucus. well, i can't breathe. did you try blowing your nose? of course. [ both ] and nothing came out. instead of blaming me, try new advil congestion relief. what you probably have is swelling due to nasal inflammation, not mucus. and this can help? it treats the real problem of your sinus symptoms, reducing swelling due to nasal inflammation. so i can breathe. [ mucus ] new advil congestion relief. the right sinus medicine for the real problem. what if something bad happens? so what happens if someone gets my credit or debit card and buys a ton of stuff? that would be... really, really bad. [ male announcer ] with bank of america's zero liability guarantee, you're not responsible for any fraudulent charges on your card. guaranteed. bank of america says they'll credit any fraudulent charges back to my

dr. richard besser, abc news, new york. >>> some bad news for retail giant walmart. has agreed to hear an appeal in the largest sex discrimination class action lawsuit in u.s. history. it covers every single woman who has ever worked at walmart's 3,400 stores and is up to 1.5 million women. the lawsuit argues women were paid less than their male colleagues and got fewer promotions. >>> while the early winter is bringing more bone-chilling cold to the eastern half of the country, today could be the worst day yet. the unusual frost is posing a threat to citrus crops in florida and is dumping more heavy snow from the midwest to the northeast. accuweather's ava dinges joins us now with more. >> good morning, rob and vinita. not a whole lot changing with the forecast, unfortunately for the northeast. we're still expecting very cold conditions and some heavy snow, at least coming right off of the lakes. the snow belts into western pennsylvania, back into upstate new york, some areas could see an additional foot throughout the day, creating for poor travel on i-90 south of

dr. richard beamen, author of "plain, honest men: the making of the constitution." i'll start with you, doctor. how big was the gap at the beginning of this country between the ideas we all talk about and the reality? >> obviously, the gap was huge. whether it was savely, the denial of full citizenship to women. the gap was huge, but was already narrowing by the time the 55 men gathered in philadelphia down the street from us in independence hall to try to create a nation. >> am i wrong to try to emphasize how consistent moral progression had been in trying to close that gap? >> we were talking before we came up here. i have a somewhat different take on the constitution. i think it was and even looking at those words now, sort of reenforces it for me. a very practical document. i think the phrase a more perfect union can be thought of in a number of different ways. i think arguably everyone would agree they were dealing with a highly imperfect union before under the articles of the confederation and that doesn't imply that it's going to be a perfect union. so, you k