this from president george h.w. bushiling in the hospital but speaking out in his statement about the passing of general schwarzkopf. general scales, are you still with us by phone? did we lose him? we will try to get him back. tonight, general norman schwarzkopf. i apologize i'm being told some direction here as we try to get our guest back. we are bringing you this news as we are first learning it. i just read to you the statement from president h.w. bush. operation desert shield and storm. deployments of u.s. forces were the largest since the vietnam war and the impact that his military leadership had on this country tremendous. the loss being felt across the pentagon and those who have both served with him and knew him talking tonight. general jack keene former vice chief of staff of the army joining us by phone. general keene? >> hi. >> harris: i wish it were for a different occasion tonight. but i want to get your thoughts now on the passing of general schwarzkopf. >> i have tremendous admiration with the general a

former president george h.w. bush remains in intensive care at a hospital in texas for four days and he still has a stubborn fever. cbs reporter adriana diaz has more on the condition of the man known as bush 41. >> the honorable george herbert walker bush. >> reporter: former president george h.w. bush is alert and in guarded condition in houston at methodist hospital. >> he is conscious. he recognizes people around here. he is joking with his doctors. those are good signs. >> reporter: the 88-year-old was put on a liquid diet wednesday as his fever got worse. the president was hospitalized last month because of a lingering cough. the oldest living former u.s. president made headlines in retirement skydiving to celebrate recent birthdays. how do you feel, mr. president? >> i feel wonderful! >> reporter: several months ago he was at the white house for the unveiling of his son's official presidential portrait. >> i am honored to be hanging near a man who gave me the greatest gift possible unconditional love that would

. >>> former president george h.w. bush remains in the hospital in houston recovering from a terrible case of bronchitis which has triggered a series of complications. while mr. bush's condition is serious, in an e-mail yesterday, a spokesman said the former president hasn't lost his sense of humor. he said to please put the harp back in the closet. the family spokesperson joked i'm thinking heaven haven't seen a barrage of prayers like this since "it's a wonderful life." >>> this is parts of the northeast and midwest be still digging out from the last two winter storms which has left as much as 65% of country covered in snow as of thursday morning. the national weather service said snowfall totals in upstate new york and parts of vermont range from 11 to 15 inches but after a year of almost no snow

cesar ---el expresidente de estados unidos, george h.w. bushado a la sala de terapia intensiva al empeorar su estado de salud take vo ---segn su vocero, bush padre se encuentra internado en un hospital de houston, texas, desde el pasado 23 de noviembre a causa de una bronquitis que en los ltimos das empeor debido de una "persistente fiebre" stop open cesar ---ahora volvemos con ariel rodriguez y el reporte del tiempo.. take pkg cesar ---el precio de las viviendas en el pas aument en un 4,3 por ciento en octubre pasado en comparacin con el mismo mes del aÑo anterior take vo ---segn expertos, este es el incremento ms pronunciado en los ltimos dos aÑos y demuestra la recomposicin del mercado de bienes raices ---ademas, pronostican que la valuacin de las propiedades seguir aumentando debido a la baja de la tasa hipotecaria, el crecimiento poblacional y un aumento en la demanda habitacional topvo ---pausa comercial, pero al regresar, varios compradores huyen de la naturaleza en una tienda en alabama take sot segment ends ramon.. take pkg stop open r

former president george h.w. bush has a message for his admirers around the world. he's not going anywhere. in a message in thursday, his chief of staff said the 41st president's condition is not dire. becker said mr. bush has every intention of staying put and that we can "put the harps back in the closet." the 88-year-old mr. bush is in the intensive care unit of a houston hospital where he's receiving treatment for an elevated fever. >> still has his sense of human. >>> vladimir putin has signed a continue versional bill banning u.s. citizens from adopting russian children. the decision raising tensions between the two countries, seen for retaliation for a new law in the u.s. that seeks to punish russians for human rights violations. the ban will take effect on january 1st, that's really right away it would halt all new adoptions and end those already in progress. incredible. a lot of families in the process of adopting children in russia. >> those poor kids. >>> want to move on to the weather. lots of snow, wind,

house and deputy assistant secretary for economic policy at the treasury department during the george h.w. bush administration is a columnist for the fiscal times and the author of several books including the new york times bestseller imposture how george w. bush betrayed america and betrayed our bankrupt excuse me the american betrayed the reagan legacy his latest book is entitled the benefit and the burden tax reform why we need it and what it will take restraints we now in the studio welcome to be here pleased to have you with us in the american conservative view you recently wrote an article in which you suggested that the modern republican party is suffering suffering from epistemic closure which sounds like a latin for the what if well so i'm nicer than saying what i really think which is that they're all either crazy or stupid i mean it's the things have changed so dramatically since the days when i first got involved with the republican politics when the republican party was the party of ideas and now it's the party of crazy people ignorant tea party people people who know nothing and a

. >>> the general said that he did agree with president george h.w. bush's decision not to follow saddam's decision into baghdad. >> ladies and gentlemen, when we here, we were 150 miles away from baghdad and there's nobody between us and bagsd. if our intention to take iraq, to destroy the country, if it had been our intention to overrun the country, we could have done it unopposed from this position at that time. >> schwarzkopf was honored for his service with the medal of freedom. queen elizabeth even awarded him with a knight hood. >>> former president george h.w. bush praised his leadership yesterday. general schwarzkopf is survived by his wife and three kids. he was 78 years old. >>> joining us now by phone, jack jacobs, medal of honor recipient and knew general schwarzkopf well. welcome to "way too early." i know that you knew general schwarzkopf very well. your thoughts on his passing, sir? >> i knew him from years and years ago. he was lieutenant and i was a major. he had the reputation he acquired later on as stormin' norman. he was well known by e

tonight new information on the health of president george h.w. bush. his family issuing a statement on his condition a short time ago. and they put it off for months. law i can makers holding our future in their hands and now barely enough time to strike a deal to save us from one of the highest tax hikes in u.s. history. >> senators and staffers now behind closed doors. we are told they are trying to put together a plan to help us from all going over the fiscal cliff. we are within 72 hours of the deadline, and tonight the new developments. in the wake of the shooting at sandy hook elementary, gun sales are on the rise. what is driving the spike? and the growing number of teachers who are looking to arm themselves. also, one man's trash becomes a child's musical treasure. you'll meet the children's orchestra that plays instruments recycled from garbage. >> i'm harris falkner. they are actually negotiating on capitol hill just as economic analysts say we are about to go over the so-called fiscal cliff, the punishing combination of higher taxes on just

most importantly president george h.w. bush issued a statement from his hospital bed -- we mourn the loss of a true american patriot. more than that he was a good and a decent man and a dear friend. joining me by telephone is retired general barry mccaffery, now a msnbc news analyst. you were widely believed to be his favorite general. so tell us about the man that you knew, and for all of us gen-xers and older who got to know him, tell us about his characterizations. >> a good way to set it up, thomas. i think he was a great man. he was ferociously intelligent, sometimes missed that this guy had a genius-level i.q., a bundle of energy, more importantly to us -- a lot of our senior military leaders are good organizers with great energy, but this guy had a sense of strategic understanding of the battlefield, so what's discounted nowadays is that four-day ground victory for the first war, going into it we were dealing with the fourth largest army in the face of the earth that then was pulled apart by u.s. airpower, naval power, b

. >>> former president george h.w. bush in intensive care, we'll ha the very latest. i vigil for firefighters, a tornado in action and december surfing in the great lakes. "early today" starts right now. >> announcer: this is "early today" for thursday, december 27th, 2012. >>> good morning, i'm mara schiavocampo. a powerful winter storm that brought an odd mix of tornadoes, heavy winds and snow to the nation's midsection is now wreaking havoc on the northeast. snow and sleet have produced treacherous road conditions from pennsylvania and western new york to maine with as much as a foot of snow expected in some areas. this storm so far being blamed for at least six deaths. it's also creating a travel nightmare for those trying to get home after the holidays. more than 1700 flights were canceled on wednesday. nbc's meteorologist dylan dreyer is tracking the storm for us this morning. dylan, what can you tell us? >> well, so far under 400 flights have been canceled in the northeast today. this storm is going to create some travel troubles. it's transitioning over to mor

president george h.w. bush treated this weekend.will back in a morning with more signs to look out for. lan? then you may be looking for help in choosing the right plan for your needs. so don't wait. call now. whatever your health coverage needs, unitedhealthcare can help you find the right plan. are you looking for something nice and easy? a medicare advantage plan can give you doctor, hospital and prescription drug coverage all in one plan... for nothing more than what you already pay for part b. you'll also have the flexibility to change doctors from a network of providers dedicated to helping you stay healthy. call now to learn more. unitedhealthcare has the information you need so you'll be better prepared when making medicare decisions. maybe you'd just like help paying for your prescriptions. consider a part d prescription drug plan. it may help reduce the cost of your prescription drugs. remember, open enrollment ends friday, december 7th. call unitedhealthcare to learn about medicare plans that may be right for you. call no

. >> coming up this half-hour on 9news, some good news for former president george h.w. bush. he's doing good coming up ahead. >> we have a dense fog advisory for the entire metro area. we'll talk about how long that's going to be around, if it's going to last into your morning commute and look ahead to a pattern change, maybe in time for christmas. >> plus, a tea party favorite and a historic change on capitol hill. we'll be right back. >>> south carolina governor niki haley has chosen representative tim scott to replace jim demint in the senate. scott is a tea party backed conservative and he would be the first african-american senator in that state's history. he is also the only african- american senator to serve in the upcoming 113th congress. scott will take office in january after demint resigned to take the helm of a conservative think tank the heritage town daition -- foundation. >>> there is some good news to report for ex-president george h.w. bush. after three weeks in the hospital, doctors expect he will be able to celebrate the hl dows at home -- holidays at home.

chris pallone, nbc news. >> former president george h.w. bush took a turn for the worse last night. he's developed a fever and will be spending christmas in the hospital. his doctors now say they are cautiously optimistic that mr. bush who is 88 will recover. he has been hospitalized since thanksgiving suffering from bronchitis. >>> as members of congress spend christmas at home they are hearing about guns, for and against further restrictions shaping up to be one of the next year's biggest battle. justice correspondent pete williams has details. >> if you things illustrate the nation's divide over guns as sharply as this. the debate over high capacity magazines that can hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. on the website of brown el's which calls itself the biggest supplier of accessories, 20 and 30 round magazines are featured stocking stuffs. the company's president says sales in one 72 who your period equalled what's usually sold in 3 1/2 years. connecticut state police say adam lanza used several clips on a semi-automatic rifle to shoot the 26 victims at sandy hook elementar

that and george h.w. bushwe have two developing stories on both fronts there. >>> hawaii's lieutenant governor is representing his state in the u.s. senate. he's been appointed to succeed the late senator daniel inouye. he arrives in washington, d.c. today in style. he was aboard air force one as president obama returned to the white house. what a become. he will serve in the senate until the election is held in 2014. and the president is returning to washington as the treasury secretary warns the country is not in a good place when it comes to the national debt. timothy geithner says the government may hit its $16.4 trillion borrowing limit on monday. the president will hear about the fiscal cliff problem as well as members of congress return to washington to address the fiscal cliff. talks will take place behind closed doors. no public negotiations set. you have the debt and the fiscal cliff. it's not looking too good right now when it comes to the u.s. economy. >> geithner told congressional leaders that hi

former president george h.w. bush is waking up in icu this morning. president bush was moved to intensive care at a houston hospital earlier this week. this, after a series of medical setbacks including a persistent fever. president bush's spokesperson says that he is alert and he's talking to medical staff. >> his doctors are cautiously optimistic that they have his current issues under control. and so he's surrounded by his family. that's the best medicine. it's not the ideal way to spend christmas but he's playing the hand that he's been dealt. >> at one point doctors said the president bush was doing better and thought he may be able to be home for christmas. the 88-year-old was admitted to the hospital last month for a lingering cough and bronchitis. >>> five days and the clock is ticking. that's how long the president and congress have to come up with an agreement to avoid going over the fiscal cliff. president barack obama is on his way back to washington from his vacation -- he's expected to arrive in d.c. later this morning. congress is back i

. >>> we'll also have an update on former president george h.w. busht here on the weather terrace, but we're going to have another cold night. take a look at that monday wakeup weather forecast. it's christmas eve tomorrow morning. temperatures will be only in the 20s in the outlying suburbs at 6:00 a.m., warming into the 30s by 10:00 a.m. dry to start, but rain is on the way. details coming up in that full forecast. >>> as we move closer to the january 1 fiscal cliff, senators from both sides continue to blame the other for the lack of progress on the plan to keep the country from going over that cliff. that's raising taxeand cutting program benefits. >> i think there's unfortunately only going to be a small deal, but unless we get to four trillion dollars we're just kicking the can. remember we took 4 1/2 trillion dollars out of our revenue stream. we're only talking about, with the bush tax cuts, we're only talking about putting a third of that back in. >> it's going to take both houses of congress and everyone to realize we can't let taxes go up on

george h.w. bushmourned the loss of a true american patriot and one of the great military leaders of his generation. george h.w. bush remains hospitalized in houston. he is getting excellent treatment and ask people to put the harps back into the cause. set.e ball liis 288 new triangles or added to eveiconic new yourear's ball. dick clark posted the celebration for more than 40 years. not the same without him. >> 5:12. 39 degrees downtown. wherever you go, you likely see a smartphone or a tabet. >> amazon continues to beat apple when it comes to customer satisfaction. that is coming up in the bloomberg business report. >> the traffic situation is looking good on the west side. >> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. let's update you on what is going on. we have closures in annapolis along hilltop lane. 50 looks good to and from the bay bridge. no delays on the beltway. 70 in the green at this hour. this is the west side

troubles that come with it. >> thank you very much, dylan. >>> an update on the health of president george h.w. bush, who remains in a houston hospital. nbc news has learned his stubborn fever has gotten worse and that he was admitted to intensive care unit on sunday on a liquid-only diet. a bush spokesperson says the president is alert, speaking with medical staff and is surrounded by family. mr. bush, who is 88 years old, has been hospitalized with bronchitis since just after thanksgiving. >>> president obama is aboard air force one right now and some lawmakers will weather the storms to get back to washington today with five days left to avert the fiscal cliff, and now all eyes will be on the senate after house republicans say it's up to senate leadership to reach a deal. nbc's danielle leigh is live on capitol hill. danielle, what's the latest? >> reporter: mara, good morning. it's a new day and a new standoff. this time, house speaker john boehner is hinting he won't bring house members back to town until the senate comes up with a passable plan. as president obama leaves his tropical retreat i

. >>> former president george h.w. bush is in intensive care after another health setback. a spokesman says doctors are not able to lower mr. bush's high fever. so, he is on a liquid diet. he is said to be alert and conversing with medical staff. doctors are cautiously optimistic. >> he's in a bad way. but the doctors believe there's a path for him to recover from this. and if we can get him to rally a little bit, we can start talking about a discharge date. but we're not there yet. >> former first lady, barbara bush, and the former president's children have been at his bedside during this crisis. >>> former south african president nelson mandela is out of the hospital. he spent more than two weeks in the hospital with a lung infection and other ailments. the 94-year-old will receive other medical care at his johannesburg home. >>> now, to the fiscal cliff. still looming large as president obama returns to the white house this morning. the president cut short his christmas vacation in hawaii to get back to washington. congress will be in session today, amidst fading hope tha

. >>> and this morning former president george h.w. bush is being treated for persistent fever in the intensive care unit of a houston hospital. mr. bush was admitted to the icu sunday following a series of setbacks and is now on a liquids-only diet. he remains in guarded condition but doctors are cautiously optimistic about his treatment. president bush has been in the hospital since november 23rd for treatment of a lingering cough. mr. bush, the 41st president, is 84 years old. >>> former south african president nelson mandela is home after being released from the hospital. doctors say he's not fully recovered from a lung infection but he's well enough to go home. mr. nelson is 84 years old. >>> and now to the efforts to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. president obama returns to washington later today and the senate is due in session, but just about everyone agrees with just five days left, the possibility for a grand bargain to avoid across-the-board tax increases and spending cuts is all but lost, and even prospects for watered down d

. >> george h.w. bush takes a turn for the worse. >> this is a live picture on the west side. it looks pretty good here. >> welcome back to 11 news today. 5:09. 41 degrees downtown. a few clouds in the sky. the precipitation has ended downtown. temperatures are above the freezing mark. that keeps the roads from freezing. some areas could be dealing with some black dice. the cold spots and the bridges and the overpasses could see some ice today. anyone south, this is mostly wet weather. more coming up in the forecast. >> the health of george h.w. bush continues to deteriorate. mr. bush has been moved to the intensive care unit at a houston hospital. he has been hospitalized for more than a month with bronchitis. doctors say he is now in guarded condition and the medical staff remains cautiously optimistic. residents are remembering a pair of fire fighters that were killed in a christmas eve and bush. police say a man said his house on fire and then opened fire on the first responders. >> thousands of people are asking a church to be labeled day he'd gate group. the petition can

. >>> you've likely heard the president george h.w. bush is in the hospital and an aide to the 41st president says the 88-year-old has every intention of getting better and going home. the former president bush remains in intensive care at a houston hospital. and he'll be there a while as doctors deal with the stubborn fever. bush was admitted a month ago for bronchitis. >>> retired general norman schwarzkopf died last night. he gained national attention back in 1991 when he led operation desert storm which of course liberated kuwait after the iraqi invasion. schwarzkopf was known as storming norman. he reportedly died at his home in tampa. he retired there. former president george h.w. bush offered his condolences in a statement. he was 78. >>> after a hyattsville man tried to take his own life a calm and cool 911 dispatcher and is the power of love and friendship seemed to have saved him. >> now david dawson wants to help others, he hopes they can learn from his experience. debra alfarone spoke to dawson, his mom and the dispatcher. a sto

george h.w. bush is in stable condition in a houston hospital. as been undergoing treatment for bronchitis. doctors are still optimistic that bush will make a full recovery. he still needs to build up some strength before they can release him. >> i know senator michael crapo has been arrested for dui in virginia. iled a field sobriety test and was arrested just before 1:00 a.m. he's due back in court on january 4. >> 28 degrees at b.w.i.. how do you say thank you to the people who deliver your mail or collector trash? >> that is a good question. a live picture on the beltway at york road. we will let you know of any problems to avoid thisc1 >> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> time to take a look at your morning commute. a nice ride out there. let's look at some of the area roads. 55 on the north side. problem free on the west side. 63 miles per hour eastbound on 70. this is baltimore national pike. outer loop traffic down towards 95, problem free at the moment. all clear on the harrisburg expressway down to the beltway. 55

now get a lucid by lg, free. >> eric: president george h.w. bush under close watch at a houston hospital. christine has the latest. give us an update on bush 41. >> it's a watch and wait situation for reporters outside the methodist hospital in houston. as of last night and this morning, the 41st president of the united states, george h.w. bush remained in the intensive care unit battling a stubborn fever. he was alert and talking to the medical staff. we did speak to the spokesperson about an hour ago and we were told he was waiting for the family to authorize another statement. we have not received that updated statement. as you know, the older bush spent one month at the hospital for treatment for a lingering cough before doctors decided to transfer him into icu sunday. the spokesperson says no new information will be given until there's a change in his condition but we spoke to the spokesperson an hour ago and are waiting for a statement from him. the elder bush is the oldest living former president and father of another former president. he se

look like the roads should be ok. >> former president george h.w. bushout of intensive care and improving. the bushes thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes. mr. bush is the oldest living former president and has been in the hospital for treatment for a bronchitis related cough. and the public will get a chance to see the emancipation proclamation in person at its home in the national archives. >> it lines up with the declaration of independence. >> the emancipation proclamation signed by president lincoln january 1, 1863. it's 150 years old on new year's day and is making a rare public appearance sunday through tuesday at the national archives. >> when you can see lincoln's signature and all of the other provision of the document, it brings the document to life. >> it declared that all slaves in states rebelling against the union were to be forever free but didn't immediately end slavery. lincoln didn't have the power to enforce in areas under confederate control. what the document did do was become a symbol of hope for nearly four million sla

tonight, 88-year-old george h.w. bush remains in a hospital in houston where he's been since last month battling a bad cough. the former president now has a persistent fever. bob orr joins us now from washington with details. bob. >> reporter: good evening, jim. well, a spokesman for the bush family says that former president george h.w. bush is in "guarded condition," with that stubborn fever you mentioned that's not responding well to tylenol. the 88-year-old former president is on a liquid diet, and tonight he's in an intensive care unit at the houston hospital where he's been battling bronchitis and a series of setbacks over the past month or so. the spokesman said mr. bush's condition seems a little bit worse than it was on sunday, but he noted at the same time it's a bit better than it was yesterday. we're told he doesn't have very much energy, but his doctors are said to be "cautiously optimistic," and they believe they have all of his health issues in hand. jim. >> axelrod: thank you, bob. the news is better for s

. >>> in the hospital, an update tonight on former president george h.w. bush, amid word his health has taken a turn for the worst. >>> supersized, at the movies this holiday season, something we noticed about a lot of these oscar hopefuls. why are they all so long? >>> and the celebration across america and around the world this christmas night. "nightly news" begins now. >>> good evening. i'm carl quintanilla in tonight for brian. a large part of the country doesn't have to dream of a white christmas tonight. we are getting it. a major winter storm is bringing snow and thunderstorms to texas, oklahoma, alabama and arkansas. but that's not the only threat. tornadoes are a big concern along the gulf coast as the storm now moves to the north and east, threatening holiday travel. we have two reports tonight from those who cover it best, our friends at the weather channel. we begin with meteorologist jim cantore in hattiesburg, mississippi. >> reporter: this tornado outbreak is far from over. we've already had damage with injuries off to my south. and we are just

>> guest: the same way that the george h.w. bushdministration defeated very similar efforts by what was then the palestine liberation organization in 1989-1990 to enhance the status in the u.n. at that time, secretary of state jim baker said flatly and unequivocally if any u.n. organization enhanced the plo's status from that of observer organization, that he would recommend to the president that the united states cut off all funding, assessed or voluntary to that u.n. agency. you know, that worke worked in e world health organization, it worked in unesco and the general assembly. the issue was dead for 20 years until the obama administration showed weakness on that point last year in unesco. that vote that admitted the palestinian authority as a member state foreshadowed what happened last week. it was entirely avoidable. the loss brought on by the united states weakness. >> eric: a group of bipartisan senators, or saying just that. they are threatening to cut off the palestinian funding. $500 million because of this. from your vie

take a look at george h.w. bushresident for eight years, director of cia, former member of congress. look at hillary clinton's resume. former first lady of arkansas, former first lady, former secretary of state, former senator. no question about it, regardless whether you're a republican or democrat you can say hillary clinton is a hard workers, she's tenacious, she's been around the block and would come to the white house with definitely a lot of experience. >> the other thing you could say about her is because of her role as secretary of state she's been able to sort of however above the fray. traditionally secretary of states don't get involved in political matters. her role as the nation's senior diplomat discourages her from wading into domestic political matters that the tradition and etiquette. but the gag order will soon be lifted and i could make the case that's it's irrelevant any weigh marriage equality is a matter of human rights and not politics and she's powerful and beloved enough to say whatever she

. >> former president george h.w. bush is transferred to intensive care. we will have an update. >> i giant aquarium suddenly collapses. >> everyone has that fear when they stand by it. it is terrifying. the wind is picking up today. >> this is a live picture of the qtw=!n >> welcome back to 11 news today. 6:13. 41 degrees downtown. see that spotlight above the city? that is the moon. it is almost a full moon. the roads are wet rather than a sheet of ice. there are a few sprinkles in delaware. york county is seeing some flurries at this hour. nothing major but a few flurries are possible. a few flurries could show what been garrett county. a lot of problems in upstate new york because of the heavy snow. there could still be some delays in new york, boston and with strong winds. the temperatures are above freezing. the roads are mainly wet. county and thes patuxent river. 33 the wind is picking up out of the northwest. 13 in westminster. 25 miles per hour over at the eastern shore. the temperatures will pretty much hold steady for the day. 45 in ocean city.

president george h.w. bush is still in the hospital tonight.okesman for the former president tells cnn bush has a stubborn fever. bush is in the guarded condition and on a liquid diet. the spokesman says there have been no dates set for the former president to be released from the hospital. says he is conversing with his doctors and is surrounded by his family. we wish him well. >>> meanwhile, nelson mandela has been released from the hospital. a spokesman for the south african government says he will continue to receive treatment at his home. the 94-year-old entered the hospital earlier this month for treatment of a lung infection and later underwent surgery to remove gallstones. >>> our fourth story, it's not just your taxes. if lawmakers can't find a way to work together before the new year, taxes won't be your only problem. milk prices could double. unemployment benefits could expire for millions of americans. the postal service could go bankrupt and hurricane sandy relief could be stalled. so what needs to happen for congress to wake up? "

president george h.w. bush is now out of intensive care. doctors moving him into a regular patient room at the houston hospital where they have been treating him since november. president bush who is 88 years old, the oldest living former president, and tonight we are glad to report he is on the mend. mike tobin is live outside the methodist hospital in houston, texas. mike, this is a big development. >> and certainly a welcome development. george herbert walker bush did a little less than a week in the intensive care unit. it was a fever that was triggered by a case of bronchitis that has had him in the hospital since the end of november. doctors feel there is no more need to be monitored in the icu. his condition continues to improve, harris. >> you know, we have been hearing all along that he has been chatting and singing. i understand though he got a call from the oak ridge boys. >> isn't that neat? apparently this is barbara bush's idea. once they heard about it the oak ridge boys were more than happy to gather around a speaker phone t

george w. bush ended a worker lockout. harris? >> harris: phil keating thank you very much. a family spokesperson says former president george h.w. bush is now singing in the intensive care unit. you will recall earlier this week his spokesperson said doctors had moved the president to the icu after, quote, a series of set backs including a fever and a cough related to bronchitis. the fever very high would not go away. and today the spokesman releasing a statement saying the president is getting better. quote, he is alert and always in good spirits. and exchanges with doctors and nurses now include singing. the bushes thank everybody for their prayers and good wishes and like their doctors are cautiously on mission stick that the current course of treatment will be effective. end quote. at 88 years old, president george h.w. bush is the oldest living former president. and a series of health stories now with national impact have made some of the biggest headlines of the year. among them deadly outbreaks of fungal meningitis, the west nile virus. it has been a busy year in the spotlight for the centers for disease control and prev

former president george h.w. bush is out of intensive care and said to be improving this morning. he is in a regular room at houston methodist hospital. a family spokesperson says the family thanks everyone for their prayers and good wishes. he is being treated for a cough. a lawyer for one of the survivors of the newtown school massacre says the state of connecticut didn't do enough to keep kids safe and wants to sue for $100 million. the attorney says the state failed to provide a safe setting for his clintd, an unidentified 6-year-old girl. he says after hearing gunfire, she was left with emotional scars. to howard county where police say they've cracked a string of burglaries that hit homes in columbia and ellicott city. nadia ramdass has the story. >> the alleged victim is concerned the man she accused of burglarizing her home will be on the streets again. this woman who asked us to conceal her identity lives in fear after coming face to face with a burglar at her howard county home. >> he knows who i am. >> poli

there is bill clinton clearly on the left and in the center is george h.w. bush. and next to him he is shaking hands with george wallace, the famous segregational governor 6 alaska. i couldn't-- i turned it upside down trying to figure out where could this have happened where these three men were together. >> it is sort of like kennedy and johnson. a lot of people said is this photo shopped it couldn't be possible that this picture exist. a lot of the people who twoted about this said this must have been photo shopped too. because first george wallace is a figure out of the '60s and clinton bush '80s and 90s. plus 1 of the worse segregationists in american history so why would clinton and bush be at a picnic with him eating lobster. the other thing is they didn't really sort of see it in terms of bush an clinton being at a picnic years before they ran against each other why would they have been so friendly. plus bill clinton looks as if he is about 12 years old. >> ifill: plus bill clinton later went on to defeat george h.w. bush and their famous relationship came

i'm michael finney, 7 on your side. >>> former president george h.w. bushto a regular hospital room, more good stuff for him. ♪ ♪ amazing grace how sweet the sound ♪ ♪ ♪ >> barbara bush was able to get some old family friends, the oakridge boys to sing to the president, they are his favorite group. doctors at methodist hospital in houston are not confirming the 88-year-old president is on the mend but mrs. bush is certain he is >>> longtime bay area liberal congresswoman is retiring from congress, lynn woolsey is stepping down. her replacement will be sworn in thursday. the 75-year-old is known for her outspoken anti-war views she supported the 2001 joint resolution that paved the way for the invasion of iraq she regretted that vote and became the first member of congress to call for the withdrawal of troops from baghdad. >>> mike joining us with one of the final morning forecasts of 2012. >>> we could probably squeeze a couple more in before 7:00. did you use the -- you live in the city so you probably didn't have frost in morning. >> no. >> peninsula? >>

. >>> former president george higgs boson bush remains in intensive care he is -- george h.w. bush remains in intensive. doctors suspected he would be home in time for christmas but his condition worsened, he is alert and talking to hospital staff. >>> there is a bright spot for the economy, new homes selling at fastest past in more than 2 1/2 years. strongest showing since april 2010. when home buyer tax credit boosted sales but still below the 700,000 level that economists consider healthy. experts say it is proof the housing market is recovering. real estate website zillow expects 2013 to be a seller's market special the bay area, las vegas and phoenix best places to buy, cleveland, chicago and philadelphia. >>> mike is ahead with our forecast. >>> tricky forecast coming up. system coming didn't at us is going to develop near us rainfall amounts are going to vary greatly. latest details on how long that will last. i found more than one day of dry weather. >>> update to a recall effort we brought from you 7 on your search the stores that are agreeing to pull -- >>> frightenin

. >>> former president george higgs boson bush remains in intensive care he is -- george h.w. bush remains in intensive. doctors suspected he would be home in time for christmas but his condition worsened, he is alert and talking to hospital staff. >>> there is a bright spot for the economy, new homes selling at fastest past in more than 2 1/2 years. strongest showing since april 2010. when home buyer tax credit boosted sales but still below the 700,000 level that economists consider healthy. experts say it is proof the housing market is recovering. real estate website zillow expects 2013 to be a seller's market special the bay area, las vegas and phoenix best places to buy, cleveland, chicago and philadelphia. >>> mike is ahead with our forecast. >>> tricky forecast coming up. system coming didn't at us is going to develop near us rainfall amounts are going to vary greatly. latest details on how long that will last. i found more than one day of dry weather. >>> update to a recall effort we brought from you 7 on your search the stores that are agreeing to pull -- >>> frightenin

. >> former president george h.w. bush in intensive care at a houston hospital. doctors are trying to control a stubborn and rising feature. >> he's conscious, joking with his doctors but the president looks like he's done a few rounds with mike tyson. >> president owe pa ma returns to washington today with five days to avoid the fiscal cliff. >> all eyes will be on the senate after house republicans said it's up to senate leadership to reach a deal. >>> starbucks is urging action asking baristas in his washington, d.c., cafes to write the word "come together" on the cups. >> a new york newspaper facing backlash after it published the names and addresses of local gun owners. >>> a busy shanghai shopping center a shark tank exploded. >>> the windy city of chicago will sport america's most expensive parking meters. >> what do you think about that? >> too much. >> all that -- >> smith catches, shoots puts it up, puts it in at the buzzer! j.r. smith with another game winner! >>> what is your favorite app? >> scrabble. >> sometimes i want to yank that out of your hand

. >>> and big news about the health of president george h.w. bush. keep it here. yoceebatailein niorteuhesal yo cavg anmas u ssrrab. quitnciree aim buthacicevs se od cacae idroon henal ar twe dn, ndoc'tro yo emeba. myenstecmee tht us pnel bau ihes senhe thenme a ielveits i aoo j. because a chicken is what it eats. [ jim ] this seal verifies we feed my fresh all-natural chickens an all-vegetarian diet including corn, soybeans, and marigolds. no animal by-products. no meat and bone meal. when you put my chicken on the table, you know where it came from. that i put on my children's plate. that's why we use all-white meat, breading that is whole grain with omega-3 and no preservatives. it is my goal to make the highest quality, best-tasting nugget on the market. i want consumers to go, "dang, that's a good nugget." basically feeling like lower 20s because of the brisk winds. we'll hit the lower 40s by lunch time. a high at reagan national. most areas will stay in the lower 40s. beverly in. >>> we have issues if you travel northbound 28 out of centerville. you can get

after feeling dehydrated and week as she recovered from a stomach virus. >>> former president george h.w. bush intensive care in a houston hospital where he is recovering from complications of bronchitis. it is one day after barbara bush made a call to the oak ridge boys, one of his favorite bands. clayton sandel has the story. >> ♪ amazing grace >> it was a spirit lifting serrona de e ordered by barbara bush. >> she called and said we should cheer the president up. and if the oak ridge boys could get together and sing him a song or two. >> for decades the bush family and the oak ridge boys had been mutual fans. when the call came in from mrs. bush, the boys were actually on vacation, but dropped everything, gathering at the office in 45 minutes. >> it was actually great to hear the president's voice in a cheerful mood. >> mr. bush, now 88 years old, is in this houston hospital fighting complications of bronchitis, an expected three-day stay stretching more than a month. but when the band called his room on friday, thub 41 had a -- thub 41 had a request. jay he was ready to hear elvira. >> ♪ i