. >>> we invite you to follow transportation secretary ray lahood denied an allegation the government suppressed a safety problem in the volt. they made the allegation last night in a letter to the highway traffic safety commission. the agency deliberately failed to disclose that a volt caught fire last spring after undergoing crash tests. ray lahood told reporters today, the safety investigators needed time to determine whether the volt was the source of that fire. >>> quite a story of survival for a brave dog in texas. she was inside her home yesterday during a firy natural gas explosion. they made it out okay. they couldn't find the dog and thought she was dead. this morning when the fire was out and the smoke cleared, there was diva. >> between the pantry and the freezer. under a couple hampers of clothes. she saw me and her eyes opened up. i picked her up and got her out. >> investigators aren't sure what caused the explosion. call 911 if you ever smell natural gas. >>> coming up at 11:00. the latest on the shooting at virginia tech. the air force responding to criticism that it

ray lahood will join me in a moment. could you survive in the car wicar without a cell phone, hand's free or not? >>> two officials are scheduled for a day in court friday. tim curley and gary schultz are accused of failing to report criminal acts against jerry sandusky, and this morning, sandusky's attorney dispelled any ruer mores of a plea bargain. >> there has not been any talk of a plea bargain in this case. any sort of plea bargain would involve a life sentence for jerry san ddusky and given the fact that he is 67, and he has maintained his innocent. >> 11 alleged witnesses were standing ready to testify yesterday at the hearing. he is accuse of 67 counts of child abuse. we will talk to thomas roberts at the top of the next hour right here on msnbc. [ male announcer ] wouldn't it be cool if you took the top down on a crossover? if there were buttons for this? wouldn't it be cool if your car could handle the kids... ♪ ...and the nurburgring? or what if you built a car in tennessee that could change the world? yeah,

line pilots association is happy with the new rules, except they don't apply to cargo pilots who lahood wants included voluntarily. >> i invite the ceos of cargo companies early next year in january to come to my office and i'm going to encourage them to voluntarily adopt this rule. >> reporter: the rules take effect in two years and are the first to address pilot fatigue in 25 years. garvin thomas, nbc bay area news. >>> the los angeles dodgers' financial responsibility in the bryan stow case could be so massive it may threaten the ability of the team to pay its creditors. earlier this week we got an exclusive look at stow's road to recovery after that opening day attack at dodger stadium. his family wants money from the team for its alleged negligence in protecting the fans at dodger stadium. attorneys for the team's creditors said the dodgers are already more than $600 million in debt. today the group said that any payout to stow would add to that debt. the dodgers say it's -- they're not liable for this attack on bryan stow. ♪ >>> singer emmy lou harris is among hundreds who turned

lahood said drunk driving deaths are down in 32 states and the vict -- district, thanks to the work ofseveral organizations and police, sheriff's, and state troopers. >> the truth is we would never ever be where we're at today in america in terms of getting drunk drivers off of our roads without good laws, go enforcement from these great law enforcement people who represent law enforcement, who take seriously the idea that driving and drinking is a serious violation. >> the secretary lahood reminded drivers they need to turn off their cell phones and wear a seatbelt. >>> we all know the dangers of texting while driving. an influential government agency wants to put a stop to it. the ntsb is recommending all states ban the use of cell phones and other electronic devices behind the wheel, except in the case of an emergency. jimmeningel reports. >> reporter: i see -- jim engel reports. >> i see people texting all of the time when driving. >> reporter: the national transportation safety board is calling for a nationwide ban on electronics behind the wheel, urging american drivers to focus

transportation secretary ray lahood kicked off the drive sober or get pulled over campaign today. driving deaths are down in 32 states and the district thanks to the work of several organizations and law enforcement officers. >> the truth is we would never ever be where we're at today in america in terms of getting drunk drivers off our roads without good laws, good enforcement from these great law enforcement people who represent law enforcement, who take seriously the idea that driving and drinking is a serious violation. >> secretary lahood reminded drivers they also need to turn off their cell phones and wear seatbelts. >>> it could soon cost some of us more to use public transit, not because of a fare hike but rather change in federal law. fox 5's john henrehan explains that change. reporter: currently under federal law there are foxx benefits for workers who get -- tax benefits for workers who get subsidized help from their employers with the cost of parking or the cost of using mass transit. the benefit are roughly equal. jamie shaw spends $10 a day taking metrorail between

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. >> transportation secretary ray lahood has a message for anybody who plans to hit the road this holiday season. drive slower or get pulled over. he made the announcement this morning. his message couldkick off the drug driving crack down. the also rolled out a new campaign to keep drunk drivers off the road. >> dollar coins are being cut. the treasury department announced it will stop making the coins because they are not popular. taking the claims of a rotational save taxpayers $50 million a year in a production and storage free the treasury has more than 1 billion of the clients sitting unused. >> people looking for a job. why there are not so many openings. >> we now they add up quickly. find out how much of us are paying to keep our utilities running. >> one candidate vows no negative ads and promises to keep campaign to clean. who is it and is it possible? one of the opponents says now. i will explain. >> a string of sunny december days is coming to an end. i will tell you what to expect next. the seven-day forecast minutes >> here is the latest in the republican battle. >> newt gi

. >>>>> this morning, ray lahood had a simple and sincere message. >> drive sober or get pulled over. >> he announced the kickoff of the holiday drunk driving crackdown. officials ruled that a new ad campaign to try to prevent drunken drivers. they also announced new statistics. then driving fatalities declined last year for the fifth straight year. on december 2010, 415 people across the country died as a result of drunk drivers. >>> it started at really chilly but the temperatures climbing into the 50's. >> right. this is a really do timeline. -- a really cool tomlin. notice how the ground looks fairly white in this first frame. that is closer to about 7:30 a.m. that this frost on the freeway and the rough. i will put this into motion and you will see how the green slowly turns from that white to a green color as the frost belt's off. pretty cool. -- as the frost belt'smelts off. pretty cool. annapolis, no surprise, plenty of sunshine there. you know that sinking motion in the atmosphere, that inhibits the clouds from forming. 45 degrees on the water. right now we're 48 in the distr

ray lahood, secretario de esa agencia dijo que esta es una importante decision para la seguridad aereava regulacion entrara en vigor en dos anos y fue motivada despues de que un avion de continental se estrellara cerca de buffalo, nueva york, en febrero de 2009 donde 50 personas perdieron la vida.... se determino que el accidente fue parcialmente causado por fatiga de los pilotos... lideres comunitarios de casa de maryland y otras organizaciones se reunieron con varios centenares de inmigrantes y sus familias para celebrar los logros obtenidos el aÑo que termina. alfredo miranda nos trae este informe. patricia dice que trabajaba en casa de diplomaticos en condiciones de explotacion me hacían trabajar muchas horas me pagaban menos de lo que decía el contrato y me amenazaban si me escapaba o si hacia algo que me tenían que deportar. el 2011 fue el anho que termino su sufrimiento. pedi ayuda en casa de maryland y por eso salí de esa casa este ano y estoy luchando por mis papeles.oscar se enfrentaba procedimientos de deportacion pero dice que este anho le fue particularmente bueno gracias

i have been there at least twice with secretary lahood, jose, and many representatives of our congressionaland senatorial bodies. they are seismically retrofitted. it will be even more beautiful. you will see a lot of scenery and around that. we're excited about completing phase one and look forward to starting phase two. for the trans-bay terminal, one of the most important projects we're building downtown, we have had the program since the bay bridge was built. the trans bay terminal houses different transportation modes. we already have under construction the rebuilding of that terminal as a transportation hub. there will also be a brand new neighborhood of offices where people live and work. there will be a beautiful series of buildings where designing in the most sustainable and environmentally friendly way to make sure we keep our status of as being the greatest city in north america. we anticipate there will be 27,000 permanent jobs created as a result of that terminal. we are building the north terminal hub for high-speed rail. we're going ahead and building it. we're building it in

lahood at that praised the families of those who were killed and said they helped lead the charge toflying safer. >> these families showed unbelievable advocacy and leadership. and these families, with unimaginable heart brake, turned that into a powerful commitment to save the lives of others. they pushed us to make progress, the progress we're making today. >> reporter: cargo planes though are exempt from these new rules. the faa says it woe be too costly for cargo companies to adopt them. but secretary lahood says he is urging those cargo companies to voluntarily opt into the new requirements. one last thing. we got a statement in from congressman john michael. he is the republican chair of the house transportation committee and he has weighed in on these new rules. they do provide improvement for aviation security but he says pilots have to take personal responsibility on reporting to work rested. jon? jon: that sounds like a good idea. let's hope they keep things safer in the air. molly, thank you. jenna: speaking of the sky, a major new development in the search for extraterres

federal aviation administration babbitt was as a champion of safety by ray lahood. officials are contemplating his future with the agency. night, police pulled year-old administrator over on the allegation that he driving the wrong direction. he was charged with driving intoxicated. he was the only person in the on his own released recognizance. no one answered when i knocked on the door of his song. talk with people at a airport aboutonal allegations. >> it is a terrible thing, i think. you are doing something that is the lives of innocent people in danger. >> it has to be dealt with. >> monday, he took a leave of absence. say he did not inform arrest until early monday afternoon. >> in this scenario, what was the excuse? there is no excuse. let's think about it. >> authorities are not releasing his blood alcohol level. council members held meeting today. -- harry thomas. his home was raided by the fbi friday and he remained at a site at the wilson building. he is accused of taking more than $300,000 of city money for personal use. the full council will vote that w

in washington, transportation secretary ray lahood will unveil new rules designed to reduce fatigue among airline pilots, including more rest between shifts and fewer maximum hours in a work day. the rule will be the first change since the 1940's era regulations since they were amended in 1985. a memorial will be held at arlington national cemetery, marking the 23rd anniversary of the bombing of pan am over lockerbie, scotland. killed 270 people. postal officials say today is the last day to ship anything by priority mail if you want it to arrive anywhere in the u.s. in time for christmas. >>> all day long you can stay on top of the very latest developments in those stories and others as they break on msnbc. and tonight be sure to watch brian williams with "nbc nightly news." finally, here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. republican presidential candidate michele bachmann speaks out against her gop opponents and the current deadlock in congress. and musical legend tony bennett is live in concert with a special holiday performance. keep it on this channe

transportation secretary, ray lahood was disappointed. he campaigned against drunk driving. he is working to implement an annual holiday crackdown supposed to happen later this month. despite all that, lahood thanked babbitt for his service, saying it became safer and stronger under his leadership. now the question now, who is at the helm of the faa? it's michael. he will serve as acting administrator and lawmakers expect he'll remain acting administrator so the white house can avoid any nomination battle leading up to the presidential. laura evans tonight. >> the fate of two of the redskins top players has hung in the balance in sunday's loss to the jets. today, the nfl made its official ruling. dave feldman, now the consequences of their actions. dave. >> we knew what was going to happen. we didn't know when it would happen and now we do. it happened at 4:28 this afternoon. the redskins released a statement put out by the league making it official. by then, fred davis tackled trent williams, done for the season. suspended. last sunday was the last time we will see these tw

just hours after he was gone, lahood blasted the way he learned about the rest. -- the arrest. the former airline capt submitted his resignation. tonight, at those in his neighborhood question how this happened to the personable family man they all know. been a one time occurrence. something off the wall. going the wrong way is a serious infraction. >> he was the only one in the car at the time. released from jail on his own reconnaissance. >> we asked for your thoughts on this story. of you are caught -- many you are split. on our facebook page, frank writes -- disagrees --ee to share your thoughts, go to facebook.com/wjlatv. >>> we are learning more about the web of corruption that led of jackunishment johnson. a judge ordered seven years in prison. johnson arrived record to date pleaded for and mercy. the judge scolded him before announcing the sentence. point, he was the top official heret and the county. in less than two months, his new cell.ll be a jail >> mr. johnson will not be statement at this time. >> and jack johnson in march courtroom,ral to seven years behind bars

. >> ray lahood blasted the way he learned of his arrest. >> i was very disappointed in the way i learned about this, through a press release. >> the former airline captain submitted his resignation stating that serving as the faa administration has been an honor and the highlight of my professional career, but i am unwilling to let anything cast a shadow on the outstanding work done 24 hours a day by my colleagues at the faa. those in his neighborhood questioned just how this happened to the personable family man they know. >> we have seen them in the restaurants and things. i have not seen him over and biting. >> this may be a one time occurrence. going the wrong way though, is pretty much an indication of a very serious infraction. >>> and we have a traffic alert for drivers planning to head downtown to that. take back the capital protesters will march down k street from franklin park to ferreted square. officials say drivers could face delays starting later on this morning and lasting into the evening commute. >>> lehman brothers is closer to ending the largest bankruptcy in american

transportation secretary ray lahood was there and several disney characters helped round out the fun day. >>> kind of cold out there today. >> it was. you definitely feel that christmas is in the air. it feels like december now. temperatures only in the 40s. >> this is the way it's supposed to be, right? >> this is the way it's supposed to be. no more 60s and 70s. here's a look at video we got of the total leunar eclipse. a lot of folks got to see it first in sydney, australia. this is pretty cool stuff here. the next one in 2014 and we got to see it here in d.c. my friends in california got to see it. the next one will be in 2014, only visible in parts of asia and australia. this year's eclipse has a red, rusty tone to it due to dust. it was a pretty sight out there. i hope you got to see it early, early this morning, around 5:00, 6:00 this morning. i imagine a lot of folks were probably sleeping through the total lunar eclipse unless you're a big star gazer. we're talking about cold air settling into the area. a very cold night. already into the upper 30s around arlington, bethesda

. >> reporter: transportation secretary lahood says these new rules will require more rest for pilots and therefore, more safety for passengers. these new rules have been consideration for many years. a deadly crash three years ago finally provided the impetus to make the changes. in february of 2009 continental connection flight 3407 crashed near buffalo, killing all 49 onboard. neither pilot had slept in a bed the night before. one had just arrived in newark after a cross country flight. both could be heard yawning on the cockpit voice recorder. the rules announced this morning are designed to prevent that. >> this is a big deal because for 25 years people have been talking about this and haven't done a dang thing about. and we have. >> reporter: the new rules require a pilot to have eight hours of uninterrupted sleep before a flight. place new limits on flight hours weekly and monthly. ensure pilots have more off-duty hours per week. give airlines more flexibility to adjust scheduling and require fatigued pilots to inform carriers of their condition. researchers say fatigue impairs

. >> reporter: transportation secretary lahood says these new rules will require more rest for pilots therefore, more safety for passengers. these new rules have been consideration for many years. a deadly crash three years ago finally provided the impetus to make the changes. in february of 2009 continental connection flight 3407 crashed near buffalo, killing all 49 onboard. neither pilot had slept in a bed the night before. one had just arrived in newark after a cross country flight. both could be heard yawning on the cockpit voice recorder. the rules announced this morning are designed to prevent that. >> this is a big deal because for 25 years people have been talking about this and haven't done a dang thing about. and we have. >> reporter: the new rules require a pilot to have eight hours of uninterrupted sleep before a flight. place new limits on flight hours weekly and monthly. ensure pilots have more off-duty hours per week. give airlines more flexibility to adjust scheduling and require fatigued pilots to inform carriers of their condition. researchers say fatigue impairs a p

. >>> and ray lahood says the volt is safe even though the government is investigating the fire that is broke out inside the electric car. experts conten the fires likely started -- shall contend the fires likely started after liquid crystal eyed creating an electrical short. >>> they are considered quick and easy meals but why are so many children ending up in the er as a rei result of ramen related injuries. >>> -- as -- ers as a result of ramen related injuries. >>> how one red kettle drive got a big boost this season. we will gib you the stories and much more -- give you the stories and much more in the 6:00 hour of "good morning maryland." we are back in a bit. >>> you are watching the station that works for you, died morning maryland." >>> huge decision to make the morning after pill available over the counter. what it means for girls as young as 12. >>> december 7th, 1941 a date which will live in infamy. >>> 70 years ago today live in hawaii this morning on "good mo

and of course, secretary lahood, as well, for their responsiveness in getting this going. it was not long a time after, san francisco can be the beneficiary. but it is no accident that we would be a leader, an adult -- a model to the country, having an initiative of national significance right from the start. collaboration, regional collaboration -- dave is gone but i am not taking attendance, but i was referencing him. but, steve, you know that early on if the mtc said we have to think regionally. we have to take our best shots. we have to help each other. and that collaboration among the bay area has served us very well. it was actually written into one of our -- into the transportation bill, a long time ago. so the san francisco bay area, once again, in the league. in the private sector that the mere reference, the low-income housing tax credit, has been a priority for our office for nearly 25 years. because when i went to congress, it was iffy. then it was we had to approve it every year. then we wanted to make it permanent. that was a way for the private sector to vis

transportation secretary ray lahood called the changes long overdue. >> this is a big deal today. it's a big deal because for 25 years, people have been talking about this and haven't done a dang thing about it. and we have. >> reporter: beverly acert was killed in the continental connection crash. her sister, susan bourque, helped push for these new regulations which she wishes had been in place before the flight's pilots ever took off >> i would have liked to think they would have been more rested and possibly have been able to make better decisions, but we'll never know. we'll never know. >> reporter: passenger airlines will have two years to implement these new regulations, and, scott, some safety experts are disappointed that cargo carriers will be exempt. for them, the f.a.a. says, these new rules are simply too expensive. >> pelley: mark, thank you very much. captain sully sullenberger is our cbs news expert on aviation. and, sully, we just saw the details of the continental connection crash. i wonder, how pervasive a problem is fatigue in the cockpit? >> it's endemic. it h

the administration is not -- transportation secretary ray lahood says it's not a major problem hand-held phones and texting is. a third of us talk on the phone while driving. we are not ready to use phones as wallets. less than a 4th of us are willing to make payments. it will take another 2 to 4 years for widespread adoption of mobile payments. and researchers have found it's easier to lie in a text message than face-to-face or a phone conversation because there's less personal involvement when it's word on a screen. those are your tech bites. >>> now "good morning maryland." >>> welcome back a bridge damaged during hurricane katrina is being put to good use. crews started to build the second three wreaths wednesday using concrete from the highway bridge that spanned the lake. new bridge was built to take the place of the old one. wreath are expect to restore part of the lake's ecology and a third will be built next year nothing like putting the material from katrina to good use across lake ponchartrain. >> they could have severe weather down there and we will show you in a couple minut

. >> reporter: ray lahood is passionate about the issue. back to the airlines for a moment. they are flying 85% full. that means if for whatever reason you miss a flight, chances are you could be waiting days until you are able to get on another flight that has some room. kate, back to you. >> get there early. tom costello, thanks so much. the roads are dry in d.c. and across much of the country. but it has been slow going for some folks traveling today, thanks to rough weather out west. kelly cass is tracking it for us at weather channel headquarters. fill us in on who may see the bad weather and who might see a white christmas. >> kate, we were looking at blizzard conditions in new mexico shutting down major interstates. we are going to track the same storm across the southern tier of the country. that is going to bring a lot of rain to texas where we do it will come to texas where we need it and it will get in the way of holiday travel plans into christmas eve. there is rain and snow in texas. believe it or not. if you're dreaming of a white christmas some of you will get

transportation secretary ray lahood called the changes long overdue. some critics say the rules don't go far enough. >>> eight u.s. soldiers are now facing charges in the death of a fellow soldier who committed suicide in afghanistan. the family of army private daniel cenz said he was hazed and bullied because of his chinese-american background. charges range from involuntary manslaughter. >> bank of america has agreed to pay the largest settlement in u.s. history more than $300 million and it is related to residentials fair lending practices. you that deal resolves allegations of countrywide, the unit that was purchased by bank of america back in 2008 -- 2004 to 2008 to steer latino borrowers into risky loans. alexis christoforous has more. >> reporter: the justice department complaint alleges countrywide engaged in a nationwide pattern of discrimination from 2004 to 2008. the government says more than 200,000 qualified african- american and hispanic borrowers were charged higher rates and steered into risky subprime mortgages, all because of the colo

airlines have two years to adapt to the new rules, and transportation secretary ray lahood is now turning his attention to cargo airlines as well, hoping they will voluntarily follow these new rules. >>> the arab league is expected to send a delegation of observers into syria this morning a day after government forces there allegedly killed more than 100 people. this is video of another recent turmoil that came in the streets of syria. activists are calling the resents violence, quote, an organized massacre. they say troops loyal to president assad fired rockets and bombs into a valley where civilians fled from a village before soldiers moved in. the white house says it is deeply disturbed by the reports. human rights group calls these the bloodiest in the nine-month crackdown against opposition protesters. >>> in iraq this morning a wave of violence killed at least 57 people in the capital. health officials say an additional 200 people were wounded. the coordinated attacks make up the worst violence to hit bagdad in months, coming amid a fresh political crisis in the country where the sh