here's abc's jonathan karl. >> reporter: faced with an uphill battle in congress, the president took his campaign for new gun control measures on the road. >> we're not going to wait until the next newtown. >> reporter: the central component of the president's plan is requiring virtually anybody buying a gun to get a background check. but the audience in minneapolis has seen that that's not enough. last september, just a few miles from where the president spoke, minnesota suffered its worst ever mass shooting. the local sheriff met with president obama and believes the current system simply misses too much. >> we've identified gaping holes in the background checks. it's really become what is america's dirty little secret about these background checks. >> reporter: last year, there were nine mass killings in the u.s. eight of the gunmen had a history of mental illness. background check is only as good as the database used to check a gun buyer's record. consider this. only 12 states actively submit mental health records to the federal database. the president has proposed fixing this by

abc's jonathan karl reports. >> reporter: for clint romesha, a high honor and a heavy burden, for aner of a band of heroes through one of the most intense battles of the entire war in afghanistan. >> clint, this is our nation's highest military decoration. it reflects the gratitude of our entire country. >> reporter: this video was shot by the taliban on the day that army staff sergeant romesha helped repel their attack. more than 300 enemy fighters against his unit of just 53 men. defending an outpost the president called tactically indefensible. >> these men were outnumbered, outgunned and almost overrun. >> reporter: he's credited with retaking the outpost and saving many of his brothers in arms. but more than 20, including romesha were injured and eight were killed. their families were here. and romesha spoke about them. >> they'll be there. i just know it. >> reporter: many of his fellow soldiers were here today. romesha told us the medal belongs to them, too. a somber occasion to be sure. though romesha's son colin near little stole the show before it started. you're out of the

he saw his secretary of defense nominee chuck hagel would be confirmed, but jonathan karl tells us it didn't happen. >> reporter: today was the day the president hoped he would have a new secretary of defense, but republicans blocked a straight up or down vote on his nomination. they don't like him for a lot of reasons, but their complaint today, was they said he didn't turn over enough financial information. the white house is calling this unconscionable and the president in an online chat said, quote, it's unfortunate this kind of politics at a time when i'm presiding over a war in afghanistan and i need a secretary of defense. this is a delay for the president. it's a setback for the president, but it's not a defeat. even hagel's strongest critic said he believes hagel will be confirmed, just not quite as soon as the president hoped. >> thanks so much, jonathan karl. >>> still ahead on "world news," all of us on this planet are about to see a close encounter. what former astronauts are doing to watch out for the planet earth tonight. i'm lorenzo. i work for 47 different companies.

here's abc's chief white house correspondent jonathan karl. >> reporter: the president took his state of the union message on the road today to asheville, north carolina, touting his most controversial new proposal -- raising the minimum wage. >> it's time for an increase in the minimum wage, because if you work full time, you shouldn't be in poverty. >> reporter: lucas case of henderson county, north carolina, is a high school grad who couldn't afford college. he makes the minimum wage washing dishes. >> well, it's not fun living paycheck to paycheck. >> reporter: working 30 hours a week, he earns just $217 dollars a week. a raise to $9 an hour would mean $52 a week more in his paycheck. what would he do with the extra money? >> be able to do more things, have a better life. >> reporter: the raise would be enough to lift at least some people out of poverty. a full-time minimum wage worker earns $14,500 a year. for a single parent with a child, that's below the federal poverty line. $9 an hour means the annual salary of $18,000, slightly above the poverty level. but critics say there'

abc's chief white house correspondent jonathan karl was there. >> reporter: for clint romesha, a highburden, for an american hero, leader of a band of heroes through one of the most intense battles of the entire war in afghanistan. >> clint, this is our nation's highest military decoration. it reflects the gratitude of our entire country. >> reporter: this video was shot by the taliban on the day that army staff sergeant romesha helped stop their attack. more than 300 enemy fighters against his unit of just 53 men defending an outpost the president today called tactically indefensible. >> these men were outnumbered, outgunned and almost overrun. >> reporter: he's credited for retaking the outpost and saving many of his brothers in arms. but more than 20, including romesha, were seriously hurt and eight were killed. their families were here, and romesha spoke to us about them just before today's ceremony. in doubt your fallen comrades are going to be in that room with you. >> they'll be there. i just know it. >> reporter: many of his fellow soldiers were here today. romesha told us the

here's abc's chief white house correspondent jonathan karl. >> reporter: faced with an uphill battle in congress, the president took his campaign for new gun control measures on the road today. >> we're not going to wait until the next newtown. >> reporter: central component of the president's new plan is kwooifring virtually anybody buying a gun is a background check. but the audience in minneapolis has seen that that's not enough. last september, just a few miles from where the president spoke, minnesota suffered its worst ever mass shooting. 36-year-old andrew engeldinger went on a rampage at this sign store after he was fired. shooting and killing six employees. according to his parents, he was mentally ill and refused treatment. here's the thing. he legally bought his gun here after passing a background check. >> our son struggled for years with mental illness. in the last few years, we no longer have had contact with him. >> reporter: the local sheriff met with president obama and believes the current system simply misses too much. >> we've identified gaping holes in the backgr

let's go straight to abc's chief white house correspondent jonathan karl on that. jon? >> reporter: diane, well, the bulk of the speech will be on the economy. the president will say that a growing economy that creates good middle class jobs, quote, must be the north star that guides our efforts. but the emotion in that room, in that chamber, will come on the issue of gun violence, as several victims of recent mass shootings will be watching in person from the visitor's gallery. when the president gives his big speech, the visitor's gallery is usually packed with friends and family members of congress. but among the faces that will be looking down on him tonight will be those shaken by gun violence. the mother of a.j. will be there. he was a teenager killed in the aurora movie theater shooting. a teacher shot and wounded in the sandy hook massacre will also be there. and the motherle of gabe zimmerman, among the six people killed in the assassination attempt on gabby giffords. all told, more than 40 people with their own tragic stories will be spread throughout the cham

jonathan karl, abc news, the white house. >>> and there's a big move under way tonight, two u.s. airline goliaths, a report today of a megamerger between american airlines and us air. one source close to the negotiations say the airlines are close to a deal, but there are details to be worked out. no announcement is likely until next week. and if approved, the merger would create the largest airline in the world. >>> and still ahead here on "world news," with air fares already on the rise, our real money team to the rescue of one family, planning a spring vacation. what time of day you book could save you real money, did you know that? next. [ male announcer] surprise -- you're having triplets. [ babies crying ] surprise -- your house was built on an ancient burial ground. [ ghosts moaning ] surprise -- your car needs a new transmission. [ coyote howls ] how about no more surprises? now you can get all the online trading tools you need without any surprise fees. ♪ it's not rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade. did you know not all fiber is the same? citrucel

abc's chief white house correspondent jonathan karl tells us about the news today. >> reporter: by one count, president obama has already used unmanned cia drones to drop strike more than 300 suspected terrorist targets, even more than his predecessor. but today we learned just how much authority the administration believes it has to kill, without trial or evidence, suspected terrorists, even american citizens. a newly disclosed justice department document says american citizens tied to al qaeda can be killed, if, "an informs, high-level official believes the target poses an imminent threat." but the documents say, it, quote, does not quire the government to have clear evidence. case in point, anwar al awlaki, top al qaeda leader, linked to several terrorist attacks. he was killed in a 2011 drone strike. human rights advocates say the justice department memo goes way too far. and -- >> justifies essentially a claim that the executive branch can be judge, jury and executioner. >> reporter: as soon as he became president, barack obama stopped cia tactics like waterboarding that he consid

thank you so much, jonathan karl. >>> and in alabama tonight, law enforcement officials are searching for enough wisdom to prevent a tragedy. a standoff is under way, a frightened 5-year-old boy held hostage in an underground bunker. his captor has a gun. so, what should police do next? abc's gio benitez is there. >> reporter: just beyond that line of trees, a 5-year-old boy named ethan is spending his third terrifying day in captivity. dozens of police and s.w.a.t. teams have the property in this tiny alabama town surrounded. hostage negotiators have been talking regularly to the kidnapper, 65-year-old jimmy lee dykes, through a ventilation pipe. >> it's an innocent kid. let him go back to his parents. he's crying for his parents and his grandparents and he does not know what's going on. >> reporter: police say the two are in a six by eight foot bunker four feet underground. >> i've actually seen the hole, the bunker that he's in now. he's got steps made out of cinder blocks going down to it. >> reporter: authorities say the veteran has enough supplies to last weeks. he is allowing t

jonathan karl abc news the white house. >> all right. on to the weather forecast. spencer here as always. very cool outside tonight. cooler than it has been. >> these true. even cooler as the week progresses. pretty chilly by the weekend. lack at live view from the high definition east bay hills camera. looking out over the bay on mainly clear night. we expect a few clouds to develop but not many. and there could be some pockets of interior valley fog. right now look at live doppler 7 h dl. mainly cloud free sky and temperatures that the hour are generally in the 40's in our inland areas up in the north bay. napa 45. santa rosa 45. fairfield 45. and we have even in the inland east bay soumer 40's at cop cord livermore. low 50's at oakland redd with city 50 degrees flat at san jose. forecast feature mostly clear and chilly overnight. we see cold showers on thursday and friday. sunny milder conditions prevail this weeken weekend. composite image shows a dr one that pushed clouds through early today and behind that a little bit of cool air but no precipitation with th

jonathan karl, abc news, the white house. >>> and as congress tries to limit those drone strikes, the president has his own message for capitol hill about the economy. on march 1st, deep cuts to government spending will kick in. so, the president is telling lawmakers, if they cannot get a big deal together by that date, they should, at the very least, pass a short-term agreement. we've certainly seen that before. but right now, there's no indication the lawmakers are close to any kind of agreement. >>> and mr. obama has a visit to the middle east on his agenda. the president will go to israel this spring, his first trip there since 2008, when he was a presidential candidate. while he's there, he will visit the west bank and jordan. >>> in the region right now, iranian president, mahmoud ahmadinejad, is visiting egypt. he was forced to cut short a visit to a mosque in cairo yesterday, when a man threw a shoe at him. that is a deep sign of disrespect. ahmadinejad's trip is the first by an iranian leader since iran's revolution in 1979. >>> abc news has learned that federal investigators

here tonight, jonathan karl. >> reporter: today, the white house planned to focus on the economy. >> too many of our children are being taken away from us. >> reporter: he invoked the memory of hadiyah pendleton, who was gunned down. >> no law or set of laws can prevent every act of violence in this country. when a child opens fire on another child, there's a hole in that child's heart that the laws can't fill. >> reporter: earlier, the president in tears. >> they gave all they had for the most innocent and helpless among us. the courageous heart, the selfless spirit, the inspiring actions of extraordinary americans. extraordinary citizens. >> reporter: bill sherlach blew a kiss to heaven as he accepted the award for his wife, sandy hook's school psychologist mary sherlach. she was killed as she ran toward the shooter. the president hugged the mother and daughter of teachers' aide rachel davino, also killed that day. the president offered a rare reflection when he said i wish i had a father that was around and involved. >> a very personal reflection there. you'll talk about the debat

abc's jonathan karl was there. >> reporter: for clint romesha, a high honor and heavy burden, leaderof a band of heroes through one of the most intense battles of the entire war in afghanistan. >> clint, this is our nation's highest military decoration. it reflects the gratitude of our entire country. >> reporter: this video was shot by the taliban on the day that army staff sergeant romesha helped repel their attack. more than 300 enemy fighters against his unit of 53 men, defending an outpost the president called tactically indensible. >> these and outgunned. >> reporter: he's recredited with retaking the outpost. but more than 20, including romesha, were injured and eight were killed. their families were here and he spoke to us about them. no doubt that your fallen comrades are going to be in that room with you. >> they'll be there, i just know it. >> reporter: he told us the medal belongs to them, too. a somber occasion to be sure, although his 18-month-old son colin nearly stole the show before it started. you're out of the military. what are your dreams and aspirations and hope

jonathan karl, abc news, the white house. >> here's an interesting stat. 1. 2% of college grads are paid wage. >> some people argue, get a better job. someone us has to clean the hotel room, someone always has to check you out at the walmart. you know, we have to take care of those people, whether it's health care or making sure they can get by on the basic fundamentals. so it will be interesting to see what capitol hill does. >>> coming up next, tonight's the day. table for two at one of the city's most romantic restaurants. >> don't worry, i'm going to check it out for your first. a valentine's "insomniac ♪ girl, you're in the kitchen, chilling in your robe ♪ >>> put on some clothes in the kitchen. >> suddenly i have the urge to go to the bathroom. >> not the kitchen? >> it's art kelly. >> there's a naked lady in the kitchen. for some of us, a fancy night out is a full plate of ribs at appleby's. >> i visited one of new york city's finest french restaurants where i learned you don't have to be a five-star chef to make a meal you don't remember. it is valentine's day morning. a lot of f

abc's jonathan karl on the sequester bearing down. >> reporter: with absolutely no deal on the horizon, those cuts are almost certain to go into effect. the question is -- how bad will it really be? the white house brought out the transportation secretary today to warn of massive delays at airport across the country. >> you're going to be delayed. >> calamity. >> this is a big deal. >> reporter: and it's not just airport hell. the administration has warned of meat shortages, greater risk of fewer fbi agents, kids thrown out of childcare and worse -- warnings ridiculed by the president's opponents. >> this is hardship on a whole lot of people. seniors -- middle class families. >> reporter: we've heard about more wildfires, more workplace deaths, higher risk of terrorism, criminals set free. is there any exaggeration going on here? >> all of those things come from reduced numbers of people fighting fires. those are just the facts, jon. >> reporter: that may all happen, but the cuts represent a tiny fraction of government spending. take the department of transportation. it would be forced

here's abc's chief white house correspondent jonathan karl. >> reporter: today, the president brought firefighters and cops to the white house to warn that emergency workers will be among the first to go, if those across the board spending cuts are allowed to happen. >> we've got these automatic brutal spending cuts that are poised to happen next friday. they will hurt our economy, they will add hundreds of thousands of americans to the unemployment rolls. this is not an abstraction. people will lose their jobs. >> reporter: and we now face cuts of $85 billion in one fell swoop. that's less than 3% of the budget, but the white house says virtually everybody will be hurt and will see long lines as tsa agents are furloughed, 1,000 fbi and other law enforcement agents forced off the job and 70,000 preschoolers dropped from the head start program. you'd think that would prompt emergency meetings between congress and the white house, but you'd be wrong. has the president had a single face-to-face meeting with the republican leaders since january 1st about averting these spending cuts? >> i

this is jonathan karl and jay carney. >> how does dropping a bomb on an american citizen without judicial review, any trial, not raise more human rights question than something like waterboarding. >> the questions around this issue are important and the president takes them seriously. >> let's be clear, this is giving legal justification for killing american citizens without any trial whatsoever. >> i would point you to the ample judicial precedent for the idea someone who takes up arsenal against the united states in a war against the united states is an enemy. >> bob, you wanted to say something. >> holder said eminent threat to the united states. the condition a leader present an imminent threat does not require united states to have clear evidence of a specific attack will take place in the immediate future. in other words, they can drop a drone on a u.s. citizens with no justification whatsoever as johnathan karl pointed out. it's murder without evidence behind it. the idea you can do this without -- i can understand if there's a plot you knew about but they say you don't have to hav

abc's senior white house correspondent, jonathan karl, now, joins us to explain who did this and how. good morning to you, jon. >> reporter: good morning, josh. this is quite a story. the secret service tells abc news it is now investigating the apparent hack of e-mail accounts of both former presidents. this done by somebody going by an alias gucci fur. getting three years of personal bush e-mails back to 2009. and has posted several personal photographs, including one of the elder bush in the hospital. abc news is not going to air any of the hacked material, which also includes addresses of family members. josh, as you mentioned, even the security code for george w. bush's home in dallas. the story was first reported by the website smoking gun. this morning, a bush family spokesman confirms the breach, telling us, quote, there's a criminal investigation going on. there's not much else to say. you can imagine, this has certainly caught the attention of authorities. >> jonathan karl in washington. thank you for that. >>> the obama administration's controversial drone program targeting

jonathan karl joins us now to explain who did this and how. >> reporter: good morning john josh, this is quite the story. it's now investigating the apparent hack of e-mail accounts of both former presidents. this done by someone going by aalias guccifer. e-mails going back to 2009. have already posted several personal photos including one of the elder bush in the hospital. abc news won't reveal the hacked information. the story was first reported by the website smoking gun. this morning, a spokesman confirms to abc news, quote, there's a criminal investigation going on. >> jonathan karl in washington thank you for that. >>> meanwhile obama administration's controversial drone program targeting america terrorist suspects could be regulated by court. that possibility has been raised by testimony by john brennan, he defended the strikes saying they're launched only as the last resort. >> closely to intervening in civil war, leon panetta has revealed that he and former secretary of state hillary clinton wanted to arm the rebels trying to topple the syrian president. but the white house s