. >> reporter: at the center of the celebration zoe dunning. dunning has been leading the fight to overturn the resume and allow gay -- overturn the law. >> we have slowly step by step, two steps forward, one step back, but we did it. >> reporter: dunning retired three years ago but she fought the policy when it first came out in 1993 and won. she was allowed to stay in the navy while openly gay. on the streets here in the castro district news of the repealed law spread quickly by word of mouth and by technology. >> i woke up and i got online and was blown away by all the tweets and messages that this went down. people are moved to tears about it. >> reporter: eugene and steven came down to the castro to celebrate the vote. >> i think it is really for family encouraging anytime the political process can make justice happen and it is just very exciting now to feel like inclusion and justice has taken a step forward. >> reporter: opponents of the repealed law estimate there are 65,000 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender serving in the military

what does dunning believe the repeal means to servicemembers now? >> secretary gates reiterated within the last 24 hours that "don't ask, don't tell" is still in place even though the law has been repealed. in the law, it states that implementation can't happen, being you're not able to come out, that can't happen until after the certification process from the secretary of the defense, the chairman of the joint chiefs and the president and then a 60-day waiting period after that. so it's not safe to come out but you can breathe a sigh of relief and not end is in sight. there is life at the end of the tunnel. and it's only going to be a short matter of time before you can go to work each day worrying about losing your career. i spoke to some of them in the future when i was in washington, d.c. and they are excited about the opportunity. they are asking can we go to the recruiters office now? now, because they have to give guidance to the recruiter offers about how they handle these people but i have been contacted by two former servicemembers one a c

. >> reporter: at the center of the celebration zoe dunning of san francisco. a lesbian and retired u.s. navy commander. dunning has been leading the fight to overturn the rule and allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. >> it's been a very long journey and a lot of dark years where we thought we weren't going to make any progress but we have. slowly but surely step by step, two step forward, one step back but we did it. >> reporter: dunning retired three years ago but she fought the policy when it first came out in 1993. and won. she was allowed to stay in the navy while openly gay. on the streets here in the castor district news of the repeal law spread quickly by word of mouth and by technology. >> i woke up and got online and i was blown away by all the tweets and facebook messages. >> people are talking about it up and down the street. >> reporter: they came down to the castro to celebrate the vote. >> it is really for family encouraging anytime the political process can make justice happen and it is just very exciting right now to feel li

but we did it. >> reporter: dunning retired three years ago. but she fought the policy when it first came out in 1993 and won. she was allowed to stay in the navy while openly gay. on the streets here in the castor district news of the repealed law spread quickly by word of mouth and by technology. >> i was blown away by all the tweets and facebook messages that this actually went down and people are moved to tears about it. >> people are talking about it. >> reporter: eugene and steven tom linson came down to the cast co-to celebrate the vote. >> it is really encouraging anytime the political process can make justice happen and it is very exciting to feel like conclusion and justice has taken a step forward. >> reporter: they estimate there are 65,000 gay, lesbian, bisexual an transgender people serving in the military all under a veil of secrecy until now. cbs5. >>> the legislation says the president and his top military advisors must certify that lifting the ban will not hurt troops' fighting ability. after that there will be a 60- day waiti

commander dunning, thank you for being with us. the president called it a good day, but for you it must have also been a very emotional day. >> it was an exceptional day. i mean, the electricity in the crowd was unbelievable in that auditorium. we had leaders from lgbt community, from congress, from all sorts of organizations that were there. it's actually to celebrate the end of this destructive policy. and i couldn't be prouder to have witnessed it. >> now it's, obviously, a very serious change in military policy which has affected so many people. certainly a long fight for you. but we also hear in the midst of this you made the president chuckle? >> i did. i don't know if it was nervous energy or what, but while he was signing, he had 15 pens and i didn't realize this before, but when he signs a bishletter, it'e pen per letter. when we got in the "r" i blurted out and said make sure you spell it right. he laughed. speaker pelosi laughed. for me it was a release of a little bit of nervous energy. >> now you served openly as a les

it's a hollywood who dun it that is starting to unravel. so, who killed ronni chasen? >>> king croc. they lurk, a predator atop the food chain with a ton of bulk, needle teeth and explosive ferocity. we go inside the hidden world of the salt water crocodile. >>> and, free fashion. get out of the way. clothing swaps are gaining popularity across the country. but second-hand doesn't have to mean second tier. and that's a "sign of the times." >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," december 2nd, 2010. >> good evening, i'm terry moran. and we begin tonight with a mystery worthy of hollywood, but tragically, it's no fiction. just over two weeks ago, movie publicist ronni chasen buzz driving her mercedes home on sunset boulevard when a gunman pulled up and opened fire. since then the story has emerged in bits and pieces. a sharp shooter, a shabby apartment complex and a neighbor who talked big until last night, when police officers came knocking. mike von fremd has our report

. >> distinguished officers, my former navy commander dunning. >> on hand for the signing of the repeal our conversation with zoe dunning as she arrives back in the bay area. >> and how this dog bounced back from a gunshot wound. those stories and much more tonight at 6:00. allen? >> cute little guy. thank you. >>> christmas seems to be inspiring flash mobs with the seasonal flair. ♪ [ music ] >> this one was in the bay area this week at stoneridge mall in pleasanton. singers from the hayward little theater chorus and the valley concert choral. they teamed up with other groups gathered inside nordstrom's to serenade shoppers. to see more, it's on youtube. >> that sounded good really

. >> zoe dunning served a total of 22 years and active-duty and reserve. she was an open lesbian for 13 years of her career. perry was a victory in a battle she had been fighting for two decades. 18 >> i have witnessed the end to the destructive policy, these are tears of joy. i am happy to be here with you degusted david present for this data i have dreamed up. we will continue to fight until every openly gay service members can serve without peer. >> they did what a war active service members to proceed with caution until the bill goes to the certification process that can take a few months. >> people on active duty to they should be extremely cautious and not come out of it yet. >> former marine, says for members of the military this is a big weight off their shoulders. >> not the king get letters from a pop vocals from their partnersnow they can get letterr phone calls from other partners. what about worried about any type of ramifications. this is the last thing they need to worry about. >> in san francisco did you draw the kron4 news. >> this is bobb

navy commander zoey dunning. she spent two years battling don't ask, don't tell in court. >> i'm ek stastic to be here witnessing history surrounded by colleagues and friends i've been working alongside this sthoou. to share this experience with them is priceless. >> she says the lives of those 14,000 people discharged under the policy were derailed for no other reason than discrimination. one of the 14,000 joined us in our newsroom this evening. he says republicans claims are unfounded that the end of don't ask, don't tell will place another burden on troops. >> in my particular group of a couple hundred people there was not one person who had a problem with it. they they had a problem that i was leaving. they didn't want to lose anybody from the group. we worried about everybody staying alive. >> @ obama plans to sign the review next week. the department of defense must certify that lifting the ban won't hurt troops' fighting ability. after that there's a 60-day waiting period. we have a follow-up to an exclusi

in 1847, the green family came out here, back then this was kind of an empty canyon and sand dun area. they claimed this property. in 1892. george green who's a second generation built the truckdaro club house. there was a hotel then. it was said this was the place to go if you were weary of the dirty city and the police. there were a couple of gun fights the front door has bullet holes. i don't ever repair them. 1931 stig mond bought the property from the green family. she donated it to the city of san francisco and had a specification, i'm giving it to the city that will be used forever for the enjoyment forever of the people of the city of san francisco. it has ever since. every summer the stern grove association in san francisco rec and parks put on 10 free concerts. usually people come out at 10 in the morning it's a family affair. everybody is on the lawn with picnics and it's free. anybody can come out. it's a great way to spend a sunday. >> goes to 1-2 in the afternoon and runs until 5. [music]. thanks to the stern grove association they renovated the concert meadow. it used t

. >> among those who met in san francisco's lgbt community center was zoe dunning who lives in san francisco. she spent two and a half years battling don't ask, don't tell in court. today she choked back tears explaining what the vote meant to her. >> just ecstatic to be here today witnessing history, surrounded by colleagues and friends that i've been working alongside for many, many years on this issue. to share this experience with them is priceless. >> she says the lives of those 14,000 people discharged under the policy were derailed for no other reason than discrimination. one of those 14,000 dischargees joins us now live from our newsroom. paul crockett was an air force intelligence analyst before he was discharged under don't ask, don't tell. >> thank you. >> we heard your reaction, saw is the reaction of people up in san francisco today. now, a moment to talk to you. what did you think? what was your emotion when you heard about the repeal? >> i was glad to see that this is something that finally took place, something that should have been repealed a long time ago. but my reaction w

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>> among those who met at the lgbt community center, retired navy commander zoe dunning, she spent two years battling don't ask, don't tell. she explained what the vote meant to her. >> just ecstatic to be here today witnessing history surrounded by colleagues and friends that i've been working alongside for many, many years on this issue. to share the experience with them is priceless. >> she says the lives of those 14,000 people discharged under the policy were derailed for no other reason than discrimination. now, one of those 14,000 joins us live from our newsroom. paul crockett was an air force intelligence before he was discharged under don't ask don't tell. you told me earlier, this actually happened sooner than you thought it might. people have been trying to repeal it for years. why do you think it happened now? what's changed? >> i think over the past few years, people have started to realize the impact this is having on our country by discharging perfectly good people from the military, from a fiscal standpoint especially. it's caused hundreds of millions of dollars to get r

zoe dunning served a total of 22 years of active duty and reserve, she was an open lesbian for 13 years and her career, for this was a victory in a battle but she had been fighting for two decades. >> 22 years i am glad to see the end to this destructive policy, these are tears of joy am so happy to be here with you guys today. i've always dreamed of this. we will continue to fight and tell every openly gay and lesbian service member can serve without peer. >> navy retirepeople who was oe duty today, should be extremely cautious, do not come out of the a. >> , green said that for the military this is a big weight off their shoulders. >> we can get letters from our partners are their girlfriends or of her boyfriends. without warning about there being any kind of ramifications. whether it's a lieutenant, r r gaudery sgt. that is the last thing they need to worry about. >> in san francisco dave component. >> senators made their cases to date for our gains the new law. >> repealing this policy will make a military stronger. some said this is not the time to repel this policy, their right to

. >> this museum is very popular but it dun doesn't mean that it's gaining a lot of money nor does it have a financial strong footing that the academy of sciences have. >> reporter: the museum's chief financial officer told us that the museum is stepping up fund raising and is in works with a deal to save the museum. the update we've just received from a museum spokesman indicate it is museum has agreed to a 30 day forbearance allowing them all to work to restructures this museum's debt. david stevenson, ktvu news. >>> walker lynne has won the first legal round. this week, a federal judge gave them until mid-jan to file more documents to add two plaintiffs to the case. lindh is currently 32 years old, right now is in the process of serving a 20 year prison term. >>> two suspects arrested, both arrested around the ring of fire circling the pacific basin. the first one was off the coast of the indonesia. later, came a 7.4 magnitude tumbler off the coast of souther japan. a tsunami warning was issued. >>> on to the weather now, we got a little break but more rain is on the way. >> pretty

now, the woman in the brown suit is zoewy dunning, a former navy commander from san francisco, who wasischarged for being a lesbian and then being r einstated after fighting it in court. >> your country needs you, your country honors you and we are welcome you. >> reporter: now , zoey has been watching this. this will stay in effect for the next 60 days until the pentagon figures out how to undo it. back to you. >> thank you, alison. >>> 7:15. the u.s. senate is expected to take a crucial vote on the healthcare that would benefit the first responders to the 9/11 attacks. the legislation would provide nearly $6 billion to the rescue workers after becoming ill from the toxins. it needs 60 votes to move forward. but there's some concern that lawmakers who oppose the measure may try to stall a final vote. >>> the federal government is now joining the investigation into a tragic case of school bullying here in california. department of education investigators want to know if kern county school district officials could have prevented a gay student's suicide last september. family members say

. ♪ >> squeeze that [ bleep ] ♪ ♪ i'm a cup cake [ bleep ] ♪ dun can hines in the house ♪ squeeze thatbleep ] >> jimmy: well, i don't know. maybe it is. yesterday in washington, d.c., president obama signed the healthy hunger free kids act. this idea is to fight childhood obesity by making school lunches healthier, which -- i don't know, i'm going to miss the fat kids. i really am. fewer cat kids could seriously cut into our future supply of fat adults. and childhood obesity is first lady michelle obama's number one concern. she said it is national security concern, because 1 in 4 young people, apparently, are too overweight to join the military, which -- remember, mom, if you don't want your kid getting shot at by the taliban, feed him twinkies. couldn't we just have a separate fat army to fight in countries where they don't have hills? you know? anyway, the president signed the bill at a local school surrounded by kids and teachers. and when the president signs the bi bill he uses different pens. unfortunately, the pens were damaged during the ceremony itself. and don't worry, they'r

. >> we caught up with dunning at her home at home where she shared photos of her years on duty. >> i actually created greater bonds with my service members because i could be who i was without fear. >> all of the no votes today came from republicans. tom whose daughter is in the air force rotc is vice chair of the state republican party. >> my problem is as a father of someone in the military are the politicians making this decision right before christmas because they want to satisfy their base or are the democrats really doing this because they think it's best for the country? >> during the news conference the opponents of don't can ask, don't tell recited the policemen of allegiance and all of them said it felt just a bit different today. the uss hornet a did he commissioned aircraft carrier on which gays and lesbians could not serve. but soon they will be able to come out on all military vessels thanks to today's historic vote. this is john sasaki, ktvu, channel 2 news. >>> what's next for the u.s. military and the impact of the controversial law? that story is coming up at 10:30.

smoothing out as all lanes are clear and we have a 19-empty drive and add on the travel time as speeds come dun out of the areas hit by rain a few minutes ago. a caution for the drivers. back to you. >> thanks, mike. a federal panel in san francisco will hear argue ams on california's same-sex marriage ban. the three-judge panel will hear about two hours worth of arguments. supporters of prop 8 that ban same-sex marriage will appear a lower court ruling and reenstate the ban. today's hearing will be televised nationally. the ninth circuit court of appeals is review the decision. experts say it's likely that the case will wind up in the u.s. supreme court. the ruling from the ninth circuit could narrow the argument made at the supreme court level. hearings begin at about 10:00. today in the bay will join us later on in the newscast and he will have a live report. the ninth circuit court is made up of three men with different perspectives. judge steven rhine hart of los angeles was appointed by jimmy carter and considered the most liberal judge on the panel. senior circuit judge michael hawkins w

members from the bay area are joining local lawmakers at the signing this morning including zoey dunning. she is a commander that was discharged for being gay and reinstated after a court battle. we will bring you live coverage throughout the morning on the morning news. reporting live from washington, d.c. alison burns. >>> time now 6:15. the senate is expected to take a crucial test vote today on a health care bill that would benefit those first responders to the september 11th attacks. this bill would provide more than $6 billion to the rescue workers that became ill after exposed to poisons at the world trade centers ruins. it needs 60 votes to move forward. california's senators boxer and feinstein are putting pressure on the federal government to set standards for acrasin gin. the chemical compound is known as chromeon six. right now there are no six state or federal guidelines for the amount that is allowed in drinking water. the compound in tap water in 31 u.s. cities including san jose. >>> the federal is government is joining the investigation into a tragic case of school bully

. >>> dying to go back to dun dishindunkirk, new york to see what's flying now. >> why don't you guys come visit? >> no, you're fine. >> i think you're enjoying it there. you want to stay through tomorrow? >> no, no i'll be back in the studio tomorrow. i'll tell you, though, the lake-effect snow has been cranking, all five great lakes have lake-effect snow coming off of them. take a look at what's going on. you've got the snow coming across the great lakes. snowfall totals. syracuse, probably picks up another one to two feet before it's all over. buffalo about three to six inches, cleveland will see some snow, all the way up into new england, we'll be looking at some snow. and as you look at these departures for temperatures from normal. 20 degrees below normal in charleston, cleveland 12 degrees below normal. 20 degrees below normal in miami. 39 right now, it's 24 in washington, minus 3 in des moines and those are the windchills. and as you look at what the highs are for today, we'll see temps warm up a bit. but not by much. only 10 degrees in buffalo. 47 jacksonville. 20 degrees in

retired navy commander zoey dunning is here from san francisco. she just tweeted the line to get into the ceremony this morning is more than a block long. we'll be covering all of it for you here this morning on the morning news. reporting live from washington, d.c. alison burns. >>> time now 5:15. the senate is expected to take a crucial test vote on the health care bill that will benefit the first responders to the september 11th attacks. this will give more than $6 billion to the rescue workers that became ill. the bill needs 60 votes to move forward but there is concern that lawmakers that oppose the bill can stall a final vote. >>> california lawmakers are putting pressure on the federal government to set standards for a car sin gin that is showing up in the south bay drinking water. the chemical compound is hxeovalia chrome zone or chrome zone six. barbara backer and feinstein say they will set a deadline to meet a standard. they found that in 31 american cities including san jose. >>> the federal government is step into an investigation of

. >> testimony in the richmond gang rape case is dun to the final two witnesses.t defense attorneys do not want the jury to know. >> tracking a lot of clouds spilling into the bay area, but not much rain yet. just you wait. the seven-day forecast is packing a lot of rain and a little bit of fog as well. >> we have a winter stormwatch and snow starts to fly for tuesday and should come down heavy at times. today around the bay area, increasing clouds and highs to low 60s. a dry day except for areas north of lake port. the rain still south for tomorrow through the rest of the bay area. wednesday a brief break and more rain to wrap up the week. >> 6:40 right now and this morning a 13-year-old girl and her 18-month-old brother are fighting for their lives after being stabbed after an intruder broke into their home. even more disturbing, a 14-year-old boy is to blame. we now know the two were alone sunday in the vacaville home when the 14-year-old boy stabbed her with a kitchen knife and raped her. the teen then stabbed the girl's brother when he woke up during the rape

the commute westbound, you are looking at the 18-minute drive dun to the toll plaza.ow you the issue and the dense fog advisory and hard to see the clouds getting across the bridge in either direction. you have to deal with lower visibility. we will extend to the golden gate bridge there is fog and definitelisoming down the coast. the fog and the drizzle is a look ahead to the weekend. you have the forecast in a moment. >>. >> thanks so much. >>> final exams continue at stanford, but one student is getting permission to leave for a good reason. quarterback andriy luck is getting ready for the heisman trophy presentation in new york. they attended the college football awards in orlando. luck said he only owns one suit and needed to buy another for all the events she invited to. nominee cam newton of auburn picked up the outstanding player award. luck is expected to be the higher draft pick in the nfl. we will keep you posted. a story about a dog saving the life of another. the ts in this cas.e nobody wants. hey, you got groceries! yeah! i thought we'd eat at home. save

the white house dun playing any major setbacks saying this is all part of the legal process and in the end, they believe that they will prevail because the merits to this case are strong. they point out there have been two other similar cases in federal courts. one in michigan, the other also in virginia where the courts ruled that the law is constitutional. the big question, though, being asked now is if this ruling will give any ammunition now whatsoever to critics out there who believe this law should be repealed white house spokesman robert gibbs says he doesn't believe it will have any impact whatsoever. but already incoming house speaker john boehner was reiterating that republicans had planned and pledged to repeal the health care law and he says that's exactly what he'll do. >> dan lothian at the white house. a ruling that reignites the political debate. now the perspective of a man who challenged the law and won. at least this first round. what do you think this makes this decision better than the other two decision? >> well, whenever you have a state in the part of the federa

an overwhelming moment for retired navy commander zoe dunning who has worked to repeal the law sincets beginning. >> very emotional. i just had an active duty service member who has done three tours overseas and served 11 years with tears in his eyes thank me. you can't ask for more than that. >> the principal core value is integrity first. >> reporter: former major mike almay served in the air force until superiors determined that he was gay and he was discharged. he came to capitol hill to watch congress vote. >> soon we can serve in the military without having to sacrifice our honor, our integrity without having to lie every day about who we are. >> the yeahs are 65. the nays 31. >> reporter: the bill passed with 65 votes. eight of them republican. including main senator susan collins. >> we should welcome the service of any qualified individual who is willing to put on the uniform of this country, fight for us in war zones such as afghanistan and iraq and put freedom on the line for us. >> reporter: connecticut independent joe lieberman called it one of the best days of his 22 ye

several people injured. 84 westbound, heading to the dun martin. >>> the senate will get one last chance to repeal the military's don't ask, don't tell policy before going home for the year. that's after the house approved legislation yesterday that would end the 1993 law banning gays from serving openly in the military. the bill moves to the senate as so called privilege bill streamlining the process for bringing to it a vote. along with the don't ask don't tell legislation lawmakers on capitol hill have important issues to act on including controversial tax deal. with so much going on, senate majority leader harry reid floated the idea of keeping the isn't in session during the holidays. sandra is live with reaction to that idea. >> reporter: good morning. he seems loo tick scrooge of the season at least when you are talking about lawmaker and capitol hill. there is so much to do for the lawmakers with little time they are up against clock. the tax deal is a huge issue that needs to be done before the year is over because that's when the current tax law expires that was passed in the s

. >> ginger littleton sneaks up on him from behind and tries to knock the dun out of his hands. >> probably not one of the smathest things i ever did. i don't know why he didn't pull the trigger. >> reporter: it's the psychological piece that makes this such an extraordinary story, how the group dynamics came together. lisa van sustren has high praise. >> the response of these people psychologically was extraordinary at this moment? >> this was unemotionally sophisticated group of people looking out for each other, rather than giving in to the impulse simply to protect themselves to survive. >> reporter: van sustren -- she says in that situation, you don't want to challenge an assailant on his thinking. it was right after that comment that duke started shooting. brian todd, cnn, washington. >> we are standing by waiting to hear from mike jones, he is the security guard who shot the gunman. >>> and if you are like most of us around the country right now you are in a deep freeze. karen maginess is watching your weather. with will talk to karen in just a minute. [ technician ] are you busy? ma

than the service men and women in this room, distinguished officers, like former navy commander zoe dunning. [applause] marines like eric alva, one of the first in iraq. [applause] leaders like captain jonathan hopkins, who led a bullet -- platoon into northern iraq, quelling ethnic riot, earning a bronze star with valor. [applause] he was -- he was discharged only to receive letters and e-mails from his soldiers saying they had known he was gay all along and thought he was the best commander they ever had. [applause] there are a lot of stories like these -- stories that only underscore the importance of enlisting the service of all who are willing to fight for this country. that is why i hope those soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coastguardsman who have been discharged and this discriminatory policy will seek to reenlist once the repeal is implemented. [applause] that is why i say to all americans, gay or straight, who want nothing more than to defend this country in uniform -- your country needs and wants you. we will be honored to welcome you into the ranks of the finest military thi

than the servicemen and women in this room, distinguished officers like former navy commander zoe dunning. [applause] marines like eric alva, one of the first in iraq. [applause] leaders like capt. jonathan hopkins, who led a platoon into northern iraq during the initial invasion, quelling an e thnic riot and earning a bronze star with a valid. -- valor. [applause] he was discharged only to receive letters and emails from soldiers saying they had known he was gay all along. [laughter] and that they thought he was the best manner they ever had. -- best commander they ever had. [applause] there are a lot of stories like these, stories that only underscores the importance of enlisting the service of all who are willing to. that is why i hope that those soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who weapon discharged under this discriminatory policy will seek to reenlist once the policy is implemented. [applause] that is why i say to all americans, gay or straight, who want nothing more than to defend this country in uniform, your country needs you, your country wants you, and we would be honored

also from the radio project, pete, cheryl lee from the united church of christ, michael dom, lee dun with senator mccain's office. there have been many, many people who have worked hard. i know that lee terry, his staff, too, has worked very hard on this issue and that all of our staffs deserve credit. they're the unsung heroes behind the scenes that do all the work. brad with lee terry's office has been just great on this too. so i want to thank my colleagues. i have no more speakers so i'll reserve the balance of my time and give mr. stearns the chance to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from florida. mr. stearns: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers. i think the gentleman pointed out this is a bipartisan bill. it took a while and the national associated broadcasters are now supporting this. it doesn't cost any money so i urge its adoption and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr.

north bay with ice and thundershowers rotating through petaluma dun to novato.d day today with rain off and on. highs in the mid 50s and soggy and we catch a break thursday and friday. we'll be right back after the short break. [ female announcer ] safeway talks gift ideas. music makes a great gift. i like rock, hip-hop, country... and you are telling me this, why? i...uh...thought you might be my secret santa? no. i'm giving for skunk. uh, i can hear you. no. not you. the other skunk. [ female announcer ] safeway is the place to stock up on itunes gift cards. right now, save $6 on a $40 4-pack. keep 'em on hand. only at safeway. ingredients for life. >>ar 7:28 and a new study on u.s. drinking water said san jose's contains a determiningous chemical. a u.s. environmental group found chromium, a probable carcinogen in the drinking water of 35 cities. san jose ranks fifth on the list of the worst water supplies. 24 other cities on that list had levels that surpassed them. >>> 7:30 on a monday morning, it's december 20, 2010. it's frosty here in new york, 26 degree

from the initial openings under richard nixon and chairman nao to the codification of the agreements dunand jimmy carter, there's been a sense american/chinese relationships rested on a three-legged stool. one leg, it was better for the countries to work together that be to view each other as certain enemies. there was ground for partnership between the two. the second leg of the stool was the idea that china's prosperity need notbe at the direct expense of the rest of the world, including thenited states and leg number three was nonetheless, there would be serious disagreements between the countries still over matters of international policy, over domestic politics in both u.s. and china, et cetera, et cetera, and seems to me over the past 3 years, you can say the ups and downs of the relationship have been within that band. there have been some times of real days agreement. there have been some times of relative lack of disagreement but it's been within that arc. the question is whether the last year has taken us outside that band of 30 years understanding whether a sense of real chang

ourselves wi with, which is the 9.8% u unemployment rate and the fact that a lot of people across thi dun are hurting and don't have jobs. i think that the issue of exte extending unemployment benefits which will be dealt with and fo how long, i'm not sure. should it be paid for? i believe it should. some don't. but in any case i think that'll be dealt w but that is a sympto -- that is not the case. cause. the cause for the people who ar hurting in this country is that we have policies in place that are making it more difficult fo small businesses to create jobs. the best solution to this for the american people is a job. is to get people back to work. and raising taxes has never bee a way of creating jobs. now, the $250,000 threshold i think the other side concluded was not good plifntle so it's been tested and polled. that's a losing issue because i does impact so many small businesses across this country. so the latest version of this i to raise that to $1 million and that's a vote that we're going to have, i think, sometime tomorrow. but the fundamental point a ma make, mr. president,

thr five people applying for every open job in this dun. in michigan and ohio it is probably worse than that. these are not people not wanting to work. i stand on this floor -- i'll spare nigh colleagues because they've heard me do this. but i read letter after letter after letter from ohioans saying, here's my story. i have lost my medical coverage because i don't have a job and you're cutting off my unemployment benefits they're saying. "you" meaning the republican filibuster. they'll say, i'm about to lose my house and i have to tell my 12-year-old daughter that we're going to have to switch schools and i don't even though what school we're going to go to because we're going to live in an apartment because our house is foreclosed on. they're getting food from a food bank. i say to my republican clerks to they know any of these people? they've got to explain to their wife that they got their insurance canceled because they won't extend unemployment benefits. this is not a big, new welfare program. this is extending unemployment benefits.