thank you secretary lahood. thank you to the incredible leadership, senator feinstein, nancy pelosi and mayor lee and the board of supervisors to chairman nol an from the sfmta. i am on pins and needles. do we have anything else to report? it's still at the same point we think they're in commercials. i am reminded from the song from "top gun" "take my breath away" and $942 million takes my breath away and i think to mayor lee for that amount i think we should get a leather flight jacket to thank mr. lahood for the great gift to our great city. the new money that is going to be used here is going to create 1,000 new jobs before the end of the year with many more jobs to come after that. that is something to applaud. thank you again secretary lahood for that. this is one point 7 miles very similar to the length of the golden gate bridge when 75 years ago that was going to be built and little did we know what that bridge would bring to the economy of san francisco and marin and as we look ahead for 75 years it's in

thank you san francisco. >> secretary lahood. thank you very much for that wonderful news. >> [inaudible] >> it's a really truly a great day for san francisco. great cities need great public transportation systems, and you know what? you know what makes our city great with all these leaders? they listen. they listen to our communities. they understand -- because for years our communities pleaded we need better transportation systems what makes our leaders so great they listen and they act. that is so wonderful. that is what standard that we have for all of our public officials. secretary lahood if you could thank president obama from all of us. yes. [applause] because i know today we're going to spend a lot of precious moments thanking leader pelosi and congress women fine 79 and boxer and. >> >> we're going to thank all of our community members and from china town and all of them have worked very hard. these are not easy projects. they're very complicated and people had to work at the highest levels to make sure that every aspec

lahood, i've been hearing this story for many years now. when it first came up in front of the state senate, it was if you'll just support this, we will have a private investor before it goes to the ballot. we just need to be able to show that the legislature supports it. there was no private investor. but then they said, wait a minute, if we just pass it, if the voters pass it, then we're going to have a private investor for sure, because we'll show that the state is obligating these funds, and we're going to be ready to go. there's still no private investor. wait a minute, if we just get the stimulus dollars, we will definitely have a private invest or come in because now we've got the state, the federal and the voters on the hook for this $33 billion. then it became a $98 billion that was going to take an extra decade. and we said, okay, well, if we just have the true numbers, a private investor will come. so i keep hearing about all these private investors, all these steps, if we just jump through one more step, we're going to have this

with secretary lahood and governor clinton on the train. by thanksgiving, we began delivering that same 110 mph to regular amtrak passengers every day. inner-city passenger rail is already stimulating development on the corridor and in cities like normal breast tissue has attracted $200 million in related private investment. we have creatred 250 news jobs in rochelle where rail cars are being built. i witnessed caltrans giving the manufacturer of the notice to proceed. collaboration began in 1980 and gained traction in the 1990's whena 10 state initiative prepared a plan estate development for high-speed rail to upgrade existing track and passenger rail frequencies and use new technologies to enable faster, safer passenger trains on all of our existing rail corridors. with years of solid planning in place, illinois and its midwest partners were ready to move quickly on april 16 in 2009 when president obama called for a national network that connected high-speed rail corridors. secretary lahood earlier compared the president's vision to the

kitchen appliances, the lahood needs to have the screen and filter cleaned probably if you cook a lot once a month. take it out and put it in the dishwasher. that is what i recommend. take that out. all of these goods have a screen and filter that filters out the papers, and you stick it in the dishwasher. every couple of years, take up your support thanks. every fireplace? >> you want to make sure the damper is working in the shut position and you do not have the fire on so you're not losing energy for the outside and it is easy to open when you're going to use a fire. you want to lubricate that and make sure it works properly, you want to make sure the door is sealed so if it is a gas unit, there is no gas leaking into your room, and if you have a wood burning fireplace you should have every summer or once a year, you should have your chimney cleaned out because chimney fires are a huge cost of residential fires and that is when the chimneys are not cleaned out, they are fire starters there. so it is critical that if you are going to use a wood burning fireplace, you ain't it out on

transportation secretary ray lahood announced 10 million more dollars for new jersey thursday.ly schmidt, washington. >> that just sounds like a drop in the bucket. >>> in case you missed it live, here's a holiday treat we've reheated for you, the lighting of the national christmas tree that took place earlier tonight down on the ellipse right outside the white house. >> four, three, two, one. [ cheering and applause ] >> the free is ball. the president and his family -- the tree is beautiful. the president and his family are beautiful. it's a beautiful night in washington d.c., isn't it? that's a colorado blue spruce that came this way from virginia. it was transplanted in october. >> this is our third tree in as many years. our long standing tree was lost in a storm and then its replacement didn't take hold. if just goes to show nobody's job is safe here in washington. >> you know, storms have left a lot of trees in the last couple years. there are 56 trees surrounding the big one representing the 50 states, the district and our u.s. territories. they'll be hit every night th

>> lahood damp. not much more than sprinkles. it has been a while.dy was probably the last significant measurable rain we have had. we can use it. we will have chances on and off throughout the weekend. consider yourself lucky. it is friday. we do have showers north and west of the metro. everybody is sucked in with the cloudiness. nothing is sitting in the district right now. there are some drizzles at dulles. we had a touch just to the south and moving over towards the eastern shore at this time. it is a beautiful stark, isn't it? take a look at this gorgeous picture overlooking a georgetown. temperatures are not terrible. it is 40 degrees at this time. it is 36 in gaithersburg. temperature in manassas, 39 degrees. we had a drizzle at dulles. temperatures are better this morning than they were yesterday. at least we have that going for us. a cold front is starting off out to the west. we have a little area of low pressure. we are kind of stuck in between with no huge break. neither of those are dominating our weather. our forecast for today, cloudy

louis to chicago high-speed rail corridor with secretary lahood and governor quinn on the train. and by thanksgiving we begin delivering that same 110-mile per hour experience to regular amtrak passengers every day. intercity passenger rail is already stimulating development on the corridor in cities like normal illinois where new multimodal station has attracted $200 million in related private investment and in joliet where construction of a new multi-mobile station is under way. plans also include new or improved stations were six other cities on backorder. we have greater 250 new jobs in rochelle illinois where rail cars are for california and the midwest are being built. last week i was able to witness -- that manufacture the notice to proceed. illinois in the midwest collaboration on high-speed rail began in 1980, but gained attractions in the '90s when a 10 state midwest regional -- regional rail initiative a joint study and prepared a stamp -- plan to upgrade existing track, and passenger rail frequencies and use new technologies to enable faster, safer passenger trains on

welcome, secretary lahood. your recognize. >> mr.chairman, let me begin by congratulating you on a job well done as chair of this committee. i served when making your shuster who is the chair and i heard all of tim oberstar's lectures as you have a very long period of time. he accomplish in a short period of time as chair of the committee is extraordinary. a transportation bellemont as long as either one of us wanted, but it's a good bill. an faa bill is a good bill. we couldn't do the work we do at the department of transportation at the leadership of this committee and your chairmanship over the last time that we've been together. so you've done a lot and you have a lot to be proud to. we haven't agreed on everything, but we've agreed on most things because we agree how important transportation is for america. i want to offer my words of congratulations to you i may also want to say a word as a former staffer of 17 years around here. jim kunz and his team really did a good job on both bills and a lot of other things and i know jim

now in the case of john olver, ray lahood said to me one night at dinner, and he's been a fast friend, for those of us interested in transportation in western massachusetts and indeed central massachusetts, ray lahood said to me, you know, john olver is one smart guy. and he said, the meetings in his office can go on for a long time. but he said, i've got to tell you, he really understands transportation theory. and he understands transportation implementation. couple of great things we were able to participate in because in western massachusetts we always use the argument that people don't pay enough attention to our part of the state, but it was a small -- but it was small things like extending broadband access into the hilltowns of western massachusetts. improving rail transportation from new haven, to springfield, and on to vermont. in the case of john olver, very help to feel me when i asked him in the transportation legislation to make sure that my congressional district and constituency were able to secure the funding that we desired. that's an important part of the legislators

transportation secretary a lahood is 67. andrew cuomo is 55. former tv crush of mine years ago, actress general mean turner still -- janine turner still beautiful at 50. british actor know clark is 57. actress lindsey price is 36 today. happy birthday if it's your day too like our colleague shelly. happy birthday to you. i6 >>> hello. welcome back to 9news now. 5:46 on this thursday morning. it's definitely colder this morning. you'll need to bundle up. >> i wish i had the ear muffs when i was on the weather terrace. frederick down to 23. that just gives you an idea. they are the cold spot. we have lots of 20s out in the suburbs. even charlie in catlett called in at 27 in fauquier county. thankfully the winds are relatively light, generally 5 miles an hour or less. here's a look at the bus stop forecast. you already know it's cold outside but it will be sunny. winds this morning northerly at about 5, 8 miles an hour. they go southeast this afternoon with 20s and 30s. the sunrise 7:13. we'll lose a few more minutes before we get to the solstice

this morning on behalf of president obama and secretary lahood, i also thank you for this opportunity to discuss our planning and development efforts in the northeast corridor which has been states is one of the most valuable transportation assets in the united states, and the details about these efforts which were called nec future are detailed in my written submission. today as we look ahead we know the northeast region's passenger rail market is as strong and full of potential as any in the country, but clearly the time has come to plan for and invest in the future of the northeast corridor. and so we're moving forward with a strategy that is focused on both it immediate and long-term needs. we are overseeing a comprehensive regional planning effort, and this multistate transportation planning project is one of the largest ever undertaken in the united states. as we look to invest in next generation of nec services, our initial focus with this planning project is to thoroughly understand the true needs of the market. this is going to be a market-based assessment, and we know from t

lahood, how could we expect to get an update on who these private companies are that are able to investcome much are they willing to invest that i have heard him say the same concern for over a year now. when do you anticipate the governor would work with you to present a package of how we might be able to get the private investment? >> i'm not going to speak for the governor. this has not been determined. companies that want to invest. >> can you also expressed to the governor on half of this committee that he would give some of state whether he wants to do it through closed sessions are give this committee some better sense of what we can anticipate of a real commitment of private investment? >> my next question is you said the president has a vision. i think he is actually putting money up front on the table to begin the process. he says there is no plan. could you help us to better understand what the specific plan is of the president's vision for high-speed rail in california? >> the president's decision for the country is to connect 80% of the country over the next 25 years. we be

administration has already designated more than two-billion dollars.transportation secretary ray lahoodnced ten million more dollars for new jersey thursday. the governors' requests come as washington is caught in heated debates on how to avoid the fiscal cliff. in washington, emily schmidt, kron4 news you won't take my life. you won't take our future. aids affects us all. even babies. chevron is working to stop mother-to-child transmission. our employees and their families are part of the fight. and we're winning. at chevron nigeria, we haven't had a reported case in 12 years. aids is strong. aids is strong. but we are stronger. and aids... ♪ aids is going to lose. aids is going to lose. ♪ a fresh-cut tri tip sirloin served with a succulent lobster tail. just $16.99. sizzler. >>pam: now for today's market update. stocks post little gains amid the ongoing budget talks in washington. apple stock rebounded from yesterday's drop off. after c-e-o tim cook said the company would start making next year. gabe slate tech report which is spoken of tech report and also, the dow gained nearly 40-

. >> at that point and junk chure, we had secretary lahood here and he was talking about high speed rail and he said we will need the money and he will be opening these opportunities to private sector competition. do you see any problem with that? >> no, as he said last week, and i think he's been quite consistent on this, we welcome private sector investment to be able to leverage the public naunds are available. we want to make sure that where that money comes in makes the most sense, is the most cost effective way to do it, that the contracts are put together in a way that protect public interest. >> i would concur with all of those, particularly our job is protecting the public interest. also i think it's important that we maintain the ownership of that infrastructure that we're contributing to build along the way. i think you're never going to get the congress to give you $151 billion even over a period of 30 years. but if we could attract private capital and that's where our managing director of morgan stanley maybe could she had some light. right now we take in about a billion dol