we get details on this crisis from our own emily schmidt. good morning, emily. >> reporter: the beginning of a new day brought no end to the tension in egypt's liberation square. machine gunfire erupted before dawn. this morning, protesters remain in the square, even after wednesday took a new, violent turn. after days of relatively peaceful protests, calling for president mubarak to step down, pro-mubarak protesters moved in, charging the square on horses and camels. >> mubarak is our leader. >> reporter: for hours, both sides attacked the other. hurling rocks, ripping up pavement to turn it into weapons, injuring hundreds. they threatened foreign journalists on the scene, including abc's christiane amanpour. >> we want you out of here. >> why? >> because i hate you. >> you hate us? >> i hate you. >> reporter: anti-government protesters said it isn't enough for mubarak to not seek re-election in september, as he's promised. the wave of mubarak supporters appeared well-orchestrated. many protesters believe the egyptian government may have org

. >> emily schmidt joins us now from washington with what is being done to get u.s. citizens out of harm's way. hi, emily. >> reporter: rob and peggy, good morning to you. the u.s. plans to evacuate its citizen by ferry today, a sign of the growing violence in the country and the mountingtry and pressure to get americans out. when mo mar gadhafi talked about the nation of libyans rising up against him, he blamed foreigners for encouraging the violence. to those who love gadhafi, go out of your homes and go after the rats, he said. he vowed to fight until the last drop of his blood. there was proof of much more extensive bloodshed along the libyan border, as people fled into egypt. one man said there was shooting everywhere. so, we ran for our lives. a human rights group estimated that gadhafi's forces have killed 300 people so far. the u.n. security council and the u.s. state department condemns the crackdown on the protesters. >> this bloodshed is completely unacceptable. it is the responsibility of the government of libya to respect the universal rights of their own

. >> emily schmidt has some of the reaction, now, from washington. good morning, emily. >> reporter: good morning to you. the numbers are huge. it's hard to imagine adding up to $1 trillion. but as people are getting their first look at president obama's proposed new budget, they are seeing the potential impact of subtracting $1 trillion. the white house warned its $3.7 trillion budget proposal would contain painful cuts. >> if we're going to walk the walk, when it comes to fiscal discipline, these kind of cuts will be necessary. >> reporter: but when the budget hit the halls of congress, it hit critics, who say the cuts aren't big enough. >> this is not an i got the message budget. it's unserious. and it's irresponsible. >> reporter: or who say the cuts are too much. >> to stop cutting some of these things that we need. >> reporter: she's worried about $2.5 billion gone from heating assistance. pell grant assistance would be gone from summer classes. and high-income earners could see the bush tax cuts eliminated. >> we're so far in debt that he needs

emily schmidt is in washington with more on the crisis. good morning, emily. >> reporter: rob and peggy, good morning to you. diplomats say they are not ruling out any options on sanctions. this means that libya's dictator could soon face more resistance from abroad, to go along with the uprisings at home. libyan anti-government protesters are moving closer to their capital, closer to moammar gadhafi's last area of control. and they say, they're united. >> there's no division between us. all one team. and we'll fight as one team, until we die or he's out. >> reporter: gadhafi shows no signs of leaving voluntarily. in a call to state tv, he says the protesters were on drugs. and blamed al qaeda for the uprising. >> translator: it is bin laden who is duping your sons. this is a fact. >> reporter: this independent video from an eastern port city earlier this week shows the force of people fighting for gadhafi. >> they shoot people in the head. and in the chest. direct. the goal was to kill the people. not just to fire on them. >> reporter: the

emily schmidt, in washington. thanks, emily. >>> in other news, now, some controversial parts of the patriot act are now one step closer to being extended. the senate yesterday approved the 3 terrorism-fighting measures for another 90 days. now, a compromise on them must be reached with the house before those provisions expire at the end of the month. >>> and now, for the morning's weather from around the nation. a fresh, wintry blast buries the cascades and sierras under three feet of snow. rain and heavy mountain snow hit montana, idaho and utah. it's a soaker along the pacific coast, getting swamped from seattle to san francisco. and a warmup begins for the rest of the country. >> 47 here in new york. 41 in boston. 70s in dallas, new orleans and miami. 64 in kansas city. 44 in chicago. and just shy of 40 in the twin cities. phoenix climbs to 75. sacramento, 56. portland, 46. >>> and now, to the big upset at the westminster dog show. for the very first time in the history of the event, a scottish deerhound has be

>> emily schmidt live in washington this morning.nk you, emily. >>> gabby giffords ront continues to make remarka pr progress, one month after being shot. she has started to speak. she asked for a piece of toast recently. doctors say it is significant. she was shot in the left side of her brain, the side that controls language. >>> lindsay lohan is a free woman this morning, at least for now. the actress leased onreleased o $40,000 bail after pleading not guilty to grand theft. she is charged with stealing a $2,500 necklace from a jewelry store in southern california. yesterday, the judge in the case gave her a stern warning. >> you're no different than anyone else. so, please, don't push your luck. do you understand what i'm telling you? >> yes, sir. >> lohan is already on probation for drunk driving. and this latest charge could lead to significant time behind bars. >>> santa clarita, california, a supreme court guard was struck and killed outside the set of the hit cbs show quality ncis." police say a van that hit him had just dro

. >> emily schmidt begins our reporting now. >> reporter: good morning to you. protesters are gathering, marching again, right now, in cairo. they're hoping that they found new momentum, even as they may face new obstacles. today, egyptian protesters enter a third week of demonstrating with what's become a familiar call. >> we need freedom. freedom. freedom. >> reporter: the message is the same, day after day. but despite the repetition, the crowds are growing, going for the first time yesterday to the country's parliament. google executive wael ghonim was an organizer for the first protest. then, spent ten days in government detention. now, released, he told the crowds yesterday, they won't abandon calls for the end of the regime. egypt's ambassador to the united nations, said that change >> how long will that p not be immediate. >> this is beginning of a process that's going to take place. >> how long will that process >> the >> the sooner the better. as soon as it takes. >> reporter: president hosni mubarak is still appearing in photo opes, while the vice pre

emily schmidt has the latest. >> it's day 18 in cairo.eople are gathered in the square for what they vow will be their biggest gathering yet and there's news that military leaders have held an important meeting about all that's unfolding. but the protestors it's like day one, the first day after demonstrators thought they had forced their president to step down. for that reason much of thursday there was joy and relief. >> our dream came true and whatever we had been fighting for since the 25th of january is now being realized. >> the crowds gathered waiting for president mubarak to resign in a televised address. they were stunned by what he said. mubarak told him though he would transfer some powers to his newly appointed vice president, he would remain in office until september. he said to assure stability. the angry crowd began to chant leave, leave! even when vice president siberman told them go back to your homes. (chanting) >> president obama issued a written statement saying we urge the egyptian government to move swiftly with the

emily schmidt has details about the president's first speech to the nation's chamber of commerce. good morning, emily. >> reporter: rob, good morning to you. president obama is telling businesses he wants them to hang out more help wanted signs to help american workers. but critics say, that's one tough sales pitch, in this economic and political climate. with the markets up and unemployment down, president obama says it's time for u.s. businesses to invest in america. >> american companies have nearly $2 trillion sitting on their balance sheets. >> reporter: his audience has also been his frequent critic, the u.s. chamber of commerce. >> if there's a reason that you don't share my confidence, if there's a reason you don't believe this is the time to get off the sidelines, to hire and to invest, i want to know about it. i want to fix it. >> reporter: house speaker john boehner said in a statement after the speech, president obama has retooled his rhetoric, but not his job-destroying policies. a chamber executive said there's simply too many regulations. >> if you're a business and

>> emily schmidt in washington this morning. thank you. >>> after yesterday's developments what is happening on the ground right now? aaron katersky joins us live from cairo. aaron, what are you seeing? >> reporter: good morning. we're on the road to the part of cairo where the presidential palace is located. where president mubarak has been under heavy guard with members of his family, where they heard the speech that enraged people here. on the way, we're seeing empty streets. people are praying at friday prayers. but there's been calls for 21 egyptians to come to the streets. and we're waiting to see how the army responds to the protests. >> it seems the military is almost posturing itself in a coup. will the military turn against mubarak in all of this? >> reporter: that's one of the questions. we're not sure if the army and president mubarak are on the same page. the supreme military council, like our joint chiefs of staff. they convened another meeting today. they said they would issue a statement shortly. we're still wait

>> emily schmidt in washington for us this morning. thanks, emily. >>> and new zealand's leader says that the earthquake that hit the city of christchurch could cost the country around $15 million. the quake damaged one-third of the city's buildings. and put some 1,500 people out of work. 150 people have been confirmed dead. about 200 are still unaccounted for. the first funeral was held today. that was for a 5-month-old boy who died in his home. >>> protesters are still in the wisconsin state capitol this morning. they have been protesting for almost two weeks. officials wanted to clear the building yesterday afternoon, to give it a thorough cleaning. but police stepped in. and they refused to forcibly remove any of the demonstrators. >>> thousands of federal government workers could be on furlough next weekend. congress has until friday to pass a short-term budget extension or the government will shut down nonessential services. abc's rick klein has the details on that shutdown. >> reporter: will basic services cease? no. the mail wi

>> emily schmidt, in washington. thanks, emily. >>> saudi arabia is taking steps to make thur the protests in that region do not spread to the kingdom. king abdullah returned wednesday after three months away for back surgery. and brought with him a massive economic aid package. it will provide saudis with interest-free home loans, unemployment assistance and debt forgiveness. >>> there's grim news in new zealand in the wake of that massive earthquake. officials say the death toll has climbed to 98. clarissa ward reports from the devastated city of christchurch. >> reporter: in so many parts of this shattered city, the race is on. >> we are pulling people out. some very lucky to be in a pocket. other people, not so lucky. we don't know. >> reporter: at this building, relief. roslyn chapman found alive. her first day on the job. she was trapped for hours in a tiny space under her desk. rescue workers cut through pancaked floors and ceilings to reach her. hundreds of rescuers have been working around the clock, careful

emily schmidt, abc news, washington. >> cal sports fans usually want the ax, not the budget ax. officials are set to announce tomorrow whether their baseball team and four other sports programs will be saved. school officials decided to cut the men's baseball, rugby, men and women's gymnastics and lacrosse teams after this school year. it would save an estimated $4 million per year. fund-raising campaigns raised about $15 million so far. a new report says cutting those women's sports programs would throw cal's athletic department out of title 9. >> interesting for stanford fans. a good rivalry. >> i knew you would mention that. the stanford grad so -- >> yeah, good rivalry's fun. let's talk to mike about this weather. not exactly windy. a little breezy still? >> some of the higher elevations down in the valley, definitely calmer and colder this morning. a look from mount tamalpais where you can see how the camera's shaking a little. sausalito, san francisco and all the way to fremont and hayward. let's talk temperatures. this is what you should be prepared for when you step outs

i'm emily schmidt in washington.rotestors and government spar over how much disagreement that country can take. story's coming up. >> school closures in concord caused heartache and even ♪ >>> welcome back. 6:42. look at all the sunshine across our wonderful state. upper 50s eureka, big sur and into fresno. low to mid-60s sacramento and chico with upper 60s san diego, palm springs. the warm spot l.a. 75. the cool spot a dry but sunshine 39 in tahoe. eric? >> mike, thank you very much. it's 6:42. more news for you. egyptian protestors continue to fill cairo's central square this morning two weeks after their uprising began. the crowds are growing more angry over a new demand by the vice president negotiate or the government will be forced to move in. that's a quote. but the demonstrators say they won't go until president mubarak leaves. emily schmidt has the latest. >> today egyptian protestors enter a third week of demonstrating with a familiar call. >> we need freedom! freedom! >> the message is the same day after d

emily schmidt, abc news, washington. >> a very big day for a big cruise liner.plendor is scheduled to set sail from san francisco this morning after undergoing two weeks' worth of major repairs. a fire in the engine room back in november left the splendor adrift at sea without power or communications. 4500 passengers and crew members were stuck at sea for three days. food, water and medical assistance had to be flown in before the ship was towed to shore. san francisco had the only die drok big enough to accommodate repairs. >> cruise ships known for their lavish buffets but they had spam and -- >> they got a credit, right? >> they did. >> go on another cruise. >> mike, they beat the rain by getting out of the area or they're going to. >> absolutely. no joy getting away especially next week when it feels like winter again. good morning to you this morning. kind of feels like winter. chilly out there because of the nearly calm conditions. we have a little wind around hayward out of the northeast at 7. northeast at 3 at oakland. north at 7 in napa, north 9 mph at

>> emily schmidt, in washington. thanks, emily. >>> arabs are out in force today, despite a government ban on public gatherings in bahrain. protesters are defiant, saying they will bring down the 200-year-old monarchy. >> the white house is chastising the government's violent crackdown on protesters. and urging some restraint. >>> the obama administration is also reaching out to support democracy in egypt, redirecting funds once meant for hosni mubarak's government. >> marches are planned across that country today, to celebrate one week since the end of the mubarak regime. lama hasan joins us, now live, from cairo, by phone, with more. good morning, lama. >> reporter: good morning. tens of thousands have massed in tahrir square, liberation square, for what they're calling a victory march, celebrating hosni mubarak stepping down exactly a week ago today. and the idea is also just to put pressure on the army. the army is now in control. and reminding the generals of their other demands, such as removing the emergency la

emily schmidt has the latest. >> when talking about rising up against him as his four decades of rule, he blames foreigners encouraging the violence. >> to those who love ga -- qaddafi, go out of your homes and fight. there was more bloodshed along the libyan border as people fled into egypt. one man said there was shooting everywhere so we ran for our lives. qaddafi forces have killed 300 people so far. the u.s. state department condemn the crackdown on protestors. >> this bloodshed is completely unacceptable. it is the responsibility of the government of libya to respect the universal rights of their own people, including their rights to free expression and assembly. >> airports in the region are packed with people evacuating libya. >> we're just thankful to be here. >> outside the white house last night, dozens of protestors showed support for people risking their lives to change libya. >> we're so proud of them they finally -- they said this is it, isn't going to work for us anymore. >> u.s. economy feeling the effects of libya's uncertainty. yesterday oil saw its biggest jump in

emily schmidt has the late east a third week of demonstrating with what's become a familiar call. message is the same day after day. despite the repetition, the crowds are growing, going for the first time yesterday to the parliament. president mubarak is still appearing in photo opes while he says the country can't bear these protests. he called his egyptian counterpart yesterday urging a transition that's prompt, peaceful, meaningful and legitimate. >> what we need now is continued progress by the egyptian government to make these important real changes to demonstrate progress for the people. >> the administration insists, however, it won't determine who leaves and when they leave. >> there are reports this morning that police are releasing prisoners from jail so they can intimidate the protestors who continue to gather. protestors say they will not leave until their president does. emily. >> school officials decided to cut the men's baseball, rugby, men and women's gymnastics and women's lacrosse teams after the school year. now, it would save an estimated $4 million a year. th

emily schmidt, thank you. geelt more from the region with a live update from cairo later in of half hour. >>> president obama suffered another major setback to the health care legislation. a federal judge in florida has ruled the entire law is unconstitutional. the court said you simply can't force people to purchase health insurance. florida's now the 26th state to challenge the legislation and the case will likely wind up before the supreme court. >>> and in yet another blow, president obama's hand-picked ambassador to china may be trying to take the president's job. ambassador john huntsman submitted his letter of resignation monday and many speculate the former governor you've that is planning a run for the white house in 2012. >>> investigators troor iing to determine the cause of a deadly helicopter crash noou near tucson. the pilot of a sheriff's department chopper was killed and three passengers badly injured when the chopper slammed into a mountain. the terrain was so rugged, the victims had to be air

. >> emily schmidt reporting this morning in washington. let's get a check live of abc's aaron ket tersky on day 14 of the uprising. what seeing this morning in any sense we really have reached a turning point? >> reporter: i'm not sure this is a turning point, rob. or a continuation of the status. many who fill the square this morning say they are not giving up. they say they have achieved so much so far, and they see no reason to turn back now, especially because they believe they have the government on the brink. already there have been a series of concession. they're not convinced these are actually all that meaningful. they think they're just more cosmetic. and they say that even though the government is portraying this idea that they're getting back to normal, they're getting people back to work, they're getting a political process going, the people in the square say they still have the power of the street. and i think they're keen to use it. >> aaron, we just heard it from the president himself, the muslim brotherhood is known to hav

>> emily schmidt, live in washington this morning. thank you. >>> clearly, the government of bahrain is going all-out to avoid a repeat of the revolution in egypt. >> abc's laura setrakian joins us live, now, from cairo. so, laura, do you think they will be able to do that? >> reporter: they're just clearing out the square. and what we expect to see is the battle could move toward the southern suburbs, just below the square, where there's heavily shiite areas, where we've seen unrest in the past, between in disconnect between the shiite monarchy and the majority. and this could get hot. they have a hard time putting a lid on it. because this has happened so many times, they've gotten used to ways of really containing this kind of protest. >> laura, what does this mean for the u.s. navy, who has a huge presence there in bahrain, with the protests not ending anytime soon, at least for now. >> reporter: well, so far, they're taking a wait-and-see approach. they've been reluctant to say anything about these protests. and they're keeping t

emily schmidt has the latest. >> when moammer gadhafi talked about his nation about the libyans risingainst him and his four decades of rule, he blames foreigners for years of violence. to those who love qaddafi, go out of your homes and go after the rats, he said. there was proof of much more extensive bloodshed along the libyan border as people fled into egypt. one man said there was shooting everywhere so we ran for our lives. groups estimate qaddafi forces killed 300 people so far, the u.s. security council and u.s. state department condemn the crackdown on protestors. >> this bloodshed is completely unacceptable. it is the responsibility of the government of libya to respect the universal rights of their own people, including the right of free expression and assembly. >> airports in the region are packed with people in libya. >> we're just thankful to be here. >> outside the white house last night, dozens showed support for people risking their lives to change libya. >> we're so proud of them that they finally just, you know, stepped up and said this is it. it doesn't work for us

i'm emily schmidt in washington. that's coming up. >> swearing in ceremonies usual quiet but not the case [ female announcer ] most women in america aren't getting the calcium they need. but yoplait wants to change that. only yoplait original has twice the calcium of the leading yogurt. that's 50% of the daily value ♪ ♪ so pass on the news and we can help close this calcium gap together. to get you started, we're giving away a million free cups at yoplait dot com. the yoplait you love now in a 4-pack. try it today. . >> welcome back. 4:50 on this friday. 2 below in great falls. mid to upper 30s in portland. that's where our weather is coming from. the east coast, delays from atlanta all the way up to boston. >> in libya rebel forces called for a new push today to oust long-time leader moammer gadhafi by staging more demonstrations. the united nations will step in to consider actions against qaddafi's regimen. >> libyan anti-government protestors are moving closer to their capital, closer to moammer gadhafi's last are

emily schmidt is joining us from washington. the governor's budget cut plan, 14 people left. senate democrats fled the state to stall the bill. >> the drastic measure is what the governor's done.

we begin, now, with emily schmidt. >> reporter: this is bahrain.