i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with heading home for the holidays. if you are hitting the roads or the skies this christmas eve, you won't be alone. more people are traveling this year than last year, says aaa. while that's a good sign for the economy, it may not be good for your wallet or patience. stephanie stanton is at chicago's o'hare airport where things are already wicking up. picking up. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lynn. thing, picking up. the kinds you use for your coffee are not banned but the tsa will pay extra attention to folks carrying these. tsa says it has intelligence some terrorists may be using these to carry explosives. as for the scene at chicago's o'hare airport, some 1.8 million travelers expected to pass through here. this is, of course, one of the busiest airports in the country. you can see the security line behind me. it is starting to fill up now. it's slowly starting to get busier and busier. as for the flights themselves, at this point there are no weath

i'm lynn berry. today, we begin with advancing the deal. senate lawmakers rallied a rare show of bipartisan support yesterday with an overwhelming majority agreeing to advance the president's proposed tax cut compromise. the fal approval in the senate could come as early as today, but once the measure moves to the house, its fate is much less certain. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with more o this. good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. the vote was 83 to 15 in the nate. rarely do you see that type of overelming support from both democrats andepublicans here in washington. it was a test vote, but it could very wel foreshah co shadoshado see when the real vote happens, possibly as early as today. democrats and republicans alike say they held their nose and voted for this compromise, but democrats much more so because they oppose that 35% estate tax that would have been0% higher without this deal. but both sides say they had to move forward. so in moving forward after the final senate vote, which could happen again as ea

lynn? >> tracie potts in washington, tracie, thanks. >>> now here's a look at other stories making news early today in america -- in oregon, an elk re cued from an icy pond. not sure how sure he had been wading in the waters. after an hour and several unsuccessful attempts they able 20 pull the elk ashore. it took time to get its footing but it finally got its hoofs back on dry land. >>> and the production of "spider-man: turn off the dark" another accident. a stunt man fell 30 feet. the accident is under investigation although it points to "human error." the fourth injury related accident on the set during production. >>> and one man ran 20 miles in a pink tutu after he promised to rahn mile for every $200 his company helped raise for charity. sure, he had some running gear on, but had you to get past all of that fluffy stuff. he didn't mind, though, and he's vowed to launch an annual tutu run. hopefully he gets some friends to go with him next time. >>> now for a look at your national and

lynn? >> tracie, thanks so much. >>> and while it seems like we've heard a lot of back and forth from both sides of the aisles on the president's tax plan, not everyone feels that way. last night on "the ed show" host ed schulz asked congressman grayson if he thinks the tax bill has been debated enough. >> frankly, we are getting the bum rush. that's what this is. this is a bill that spends a trillion dollars, that's $3,000 for every man, woman and child this country. a couple weeks ago i bought a big screen tv for $1500, my first one in about five years, and i spent more than two hours trying to figure out which was the best big screen tv to buy because $1500 is a significant expenditure. here we're talking about a trillion dollars, $3,000 for every single one of us. and it's being forced through without a hearing, without a markup, without even a study of its economic effects. this is the bum rush. and i'm not happy about it. >> the pr game seems to be working. even 68% of democrats acros

i'm lynn berry. those stories and more straight ahead. this is "first look" on msnbc. >>> we begin this morning for better or worse, finally, a done deal. house lawmakers cleared the final hurdle last night, sending a sweeping bipartisan bill to extend busch era tax cuts for all americans to the president's desk before they expire january 1st. tracie potts joins us from washington with those details and more. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. a lot going on here on capitol hill, including a final vote on that tax deal. the house voted late last night just before midnight 277-148 with both democrats and republicans supporting this bill. so now it goes to the president's desk for his signature. this will keep our current tax rates with no january 1st hike. unemployment will be extended for 13 months. a 2% payroll tax cut next year and business tax credits in addition to that estate tax that democrats did not like. don't ask, don't tell, which has passed the house, will be voted on

>lynn, i have to question your judgment. i think you should have led the news off with the fact that scart johanssen is now available. >> breaking news, top of the show, bill karin has a chance. >> i wouldn't go that far. i'd have to bring that back to the editing room and cut that last part o. >>> all right. this comes to us from providence, rhode island, where shoppers in one mall were treated to a surprise concert. an acapella group invaded the food court in a flash mob performance they called a random act of music it was a pleasant surprise for the unsuspecting diners. the group of 17 school kids say the mini concert was their way giving back to the community, especially during the holiday season. they've got some moves there. >>> i'm lynn berry, and this is "early today," just your first stop of the datoday on your nbc station. >>> and this is a cold morning here in the nation's capital. 22 degrees right now at 4:28. good morning to you. i'm joe krebs. >> i'm eun yang. welcome to news 4 for this wednesda december 15th,

i'm lynn berry. today, we begin with legislative logjam. a final vote on the president's tax cut plan should happen today in the senate. however, a trillion dollar spending bill proposal and a plan to repeal don't ask, don't tell could keep congress on the hill well into their holiday break. nbc's tracie potts joins us with the details. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. as you can see, there is a lot going on. let's start with taxes. the final senate vote is scheduled to happen today. it appears they do have the votes to get that passed and then it will move on to the house where, despite the open session of many democrats, house democratic leaders also say they think that this can pass. republicans have warned them, don't change the bill or we won't approve it. even more urgent now, though, is the government spending bill, trying to keep government running and preventing a government shutdown. their deadline, saturday. that's when temporary funding runs out. democrats have put forth a $1.1 trilli bill that republicans want to take another l

i'm lynn berry. today we begin with advancing the deal. senate lawmakers rallied a rare show of bipartisan support yesterday with an overwhelming majority agreeing to advance the president's proposed tax cut compromise. final approval in the senate could come as early as today, but once the measure moves to the house, its fate is much less certain. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with more on this. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. good morning, everyone. the vote was 83-15, and overwhelming number supporting the bill in the senate. rarely to you see that number of yes votes particularly with both democrats and republicans. it was a test vote but could foreshadow in a vote we'll see could be as early as today. both sites held their nose voting for this bill speshlgsly democrats really spaking issue with this 35% estate tax, 20 points higher had this deal not be in place. in many cases members on both sides say they to get this move forward. they're deal wig a january

i'm lynn berry. here are some of your top headlines this morning -- "the washington post" reports this morning that across the country errors recorded by air traffic controllers increased by more than half this year. in some cases, causing planes to narrowly avoid fatal consequences. air traffic controllers in the region surrounding the nation's capital who direct more than 1.5 million flights made a record number of mistakes this year. >>> authorities in australia are warning that floods already devastating the country will worsen in the coming days with more damage expected across the continent. more than 200,000 people have been affected by relentless rain with the flooding zone stretching over an area bigger than france and germany combined. >>> dramatic video out of china shows two workers dangling from a building's window as they try and escape intense flames and smoke from a factory fire. they both dropped two stories to the ground and are believed to have survived. >>> and queen elizabeth of

good morning. >> good morning, lynn. not easy for him. it's cold, he has to bundle up. >> hopefully you have good news for him. >> not bad. let's talk about the weekend problems. for today, not many weather issues. but this weekend, if you're in new england, you could be dealing with a snowstorm possibly. another, another big blast of cold air coming down in the northern plains. the west coast will be soggy. anyone travel to go california over the next weekend will get drenched. as far as the temperatures go this morning, the freezing line not too bad. 20s up in new england as you would expect. now, we're going to watch this storm system that is now in northern texas. this is what will be moving across the country in the southeast and this will possibly be the east coast snowstorm. as of now, it looks to be just far enough off the shore that most of the mid-atlantic misses it. but long island and areas of eastern new england could still get hit. so still snow from albuquerque to santa fe. but as far as any travel issues, just showers arou

i'm lynn berry.oday, we begin with getting along. high-stake talks between president obama and gop leaders seemed to take on a notable shift in tone at the white house yesterday, resurrecting hopes that washington leaders could be ready to put party politicking behind and advance several major issues. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with more. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. after that white house meeting, both sides are pledging to work together. it's going to be a challenge, though, because they're really on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to what to do about these expires tax breaks at the end of the year. president obama appointing his treasury secretary, budget director, to work with republicans. they and democrats, to come up with a quick solution before the end of the year. they'll start meeting today. also today we'll hear from the deficit commission. their controversial play-end to reduce the massive debt in this country, including things like s

lynn? >> tracie, thanks so much. >>> it appears the majority of american people approve to the tax cuts. according to a new poll, 59% of those surveyed support it while 36% disapprove. however the president's job approval rating has come in at 45%, down 2 points from last month. still the president's battle may not be all uphill. looking ahead, it shows him ahead if he would run against mitt romney, sarah palin or senator john thune. they were not quite as optimistic about the country's direction. 63% think it's headed in the wrong direction. not surprisingly as the nation emerges from what's known as the great recession, a combined 54% say the past 10 years have been either a very bad decade or one of the worst decades in american history. >>> back to the s.t.a.r.t. treaty that is the nuclear arms agreement with russia that tracie mentioned earlier, the president wanted it to be ratified before the holidays. last night on "the rachel maddow" show she asked john kerry why he thinks it's so

i'm lynn berry. today, we begin with winter wallop. residents in western new york got a bitter taste of the season's first big snowfall. hundreds of travelers were trapped in their cars wednesday night and into thursday after waves of lake-effect snow swept across the region forcing authorities to shut down several miles of the region's most traveled throughway. nbc's kurt gregory has our report. >> reporter: a sure sign of winter. lake-effect snow in western new york. more than a foot of snow and counting as some communities near buffalo deal with the first major snowfall of the season. >> we all know that lake-effect snow can produce lots of snow, inches of snow per hour. we've seen it with this lake-effect snow band. >> reporter: the storm caused blizzard-like conditions on the new york throughway, forcing thousands of motorists to spend the night in their cars. >> 11 hours. 11 hours. 9:30 to 8:30 in the morning. >> shoveling them out. shovel them out. >> reporter: schools across the buffalo area

i'm lynn berry. this is nbc "early today." >>> it doesn't look green but one christmas tree is certainly eco friendly. in taiwan a christmas tree made of recyclable spoons lit up the holidays. the 39-foot tree is built with more than 80,000 plastic spoons. made by a team of students, its winning design is meant to encourage others to recycle all year long. >>> well, what do you do with an olympic venue long after the games are over? put it to good use. artificial snow transformed the bird's nest into a winter wonderland for big and little kids alike. the 2008 olympic venue had remained mostly unused since then, despite a $500 million price tag. organizers hope the freezing festivities will draw more visitors. >>> here at home, some are getting into the holiday spirit by getting out of their clothes. dozens of runners in california stripped down for the speedo run. while less is more for the jog, the idea here is to raise as much as possible for a local children's charity. in spite of the nasty weathe

lynn? >> tracie potts in washington. >>> as for a proposal to extend auld the bush-era tack cuts it appears the majority of americans approve. 59% of those surveyed support the tax compromise while just 36% disapprove. however, the president's job approval rating has once again hit its lowest level, coming in at just 45%. that's down two points from last month. still, the president's battle may not be all uphill. looking ahead to 2012, polls show the president ahead if he were to run against the likes of mitt romney, sarah palin, or senator john thum. 63% think the country is headed in the wrong direction. that's the most since obama took office. and not surprisingly as the nation emerges from what's known as the great recession, a combined 54% say the past ten years have either been a very bad decade or one of the worst decades in american history. >>> and this morning's new york times reports that federal prod cuters are trying to build a conspiracy case against wikileaks founder julian a

i'm lynn berry. today, we begin with capitol hill countdown. there may be 15 days till christmas, but the holiday spirit appears to be in short supply in the nation's capitol. lawmakers have more than a week to wrap up a long and controversial list of unfinished business before they can head home for the holidays. incomes's tracie potts joins us from washington with those details. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. a lot of what happens and doesn't happen depends on what happened with the dpra micompro. democrats are united against the president. >> left. >> right. >> left. >> right. >> reporter: don't have don't tell. government spending in the nuclear treaty with russia in limbo. all on the back burner until democrats get their crack at the tax deal i. urge members of congress to move forward on this essential priority. >> reporter: democrats want to take out a reduced tax rate for the rich and big companies. >> this was a take it or leave it deal. we're saying, leave it. >> rep

i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with rounding the bend. in a rare bipartisan push, the senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of a proposal that will prevent a new year's day tax hike for millions of americans. still, despite the inclusion of a much debated provision to extend jobless aid to many, house democrats say they'll try to make one more change before it's a done deal. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with more on that. tracie, good morning. >> lynn, good morning. house democrats simply put do not like this estate tax provision and today they're going to make a last-ditch effort to change it. so expect two votes in the house today on this huge tax deal. number one, a vote without that 35%, in fact, they want to raise that 35% that will be charged to estates. and one vote that's exactly the same version as senate passed. if, in fact, they're able to change the estate tax and make people who pass on those wealthiest states pay more, then this whole thing goes back to the senate and

i'm lynn berry. today, we begin with no easy compromise. not long after lawmakers touted a new era of cooperation on capitol hill, democrats and republicans have gotten off to a rocky start in their search for common ground over bush era tax cuts. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with the details. tracie, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, good morning, everyone. republicans claim that what the white house is saying is different than what democrats are doing here on capitol hill. they are moving forward with a vote only on tax cuts, continuing for the middle class, which republicans say they absolutely will not support as a result, senate republicans, all of them in a letter, are now threatening to block any legislation until there is a deal on this issue. providing those tax cuts, continuing them past the end of this year, could actually add to the nation's debt. and we've now heard from the deficit commission, and what some are saying is a radical plan to cut down on the nat

i'm lynn berry.ere are some of your top headlines this morning -- the supreme court says it will decide whether the largest employment discrimination case in the nation's history can continue against walmart. more than 1 million current and former female employees are seeking billions of dollars in damages through a class action lawsuit, because they say they were paid less than men and given fewer promotions. a group of companies against class action cases, including general electric, the current other than of this network, signed a petition urging the courts to hear the case. >>> new york's daily news reports al qaeda terrorists are planning to create a horrific new type of suicide bomber, one who has explosives surgically implanted into their body. defense analysts are concerned about the development because the so-called franken bombers could be potentially undetectable. >>> the fight over gay rights has moved into a california courtroom where a federal appeals court is hearing arguments from bot

i'm lynn berry. today, we begin with wheeling and dealing. last night, house democrats managed to advance a nearly $1.1 trillion proposal to keep the government operating before the current budget expires this month. but lawmakers in both houses still have a lot to deal with >> reporter: lynn, good morning. let's start with the big tax fight. vice president biden told fellow democrats that if they try to change the deal between republicans and president obama, this won't happen. democrats are upset not only on the tax breaks or the wealthy, but corporate tax breaks and renewed estate tax that would now be much more generous. 50 of them have signed a letter opposed to this. a house vote could be next week. there could be a filibuster to delay that. now to up p ante we understand there will be a big e-mail blast from the white house today. plus, the administration saying if this fails to pass we could slip back into recession. also here on capitol hill, don't ask, don't tell, the senate test vote on th

that's the best thing. >> reporter: best door, kate lynn is getting ready for her operation. did you look in the mirror this morning? >> i did. i actually did and i was just like, good-bye old body. >> reporter: how is mom feeling today? >> worried. >> reporter: did it make you feel better after you had it done? >> oh, yeah. yeah, it did. >> reporter: this one's not next, is she? >> no, no. >> i love you. >> i love you, too. >> take care of her. >> so, that's the saline that's getting filled into the implant. >> reporter: large c implants are inserted into tiny incisions under her breasts. >> see how that's just a little bit bigger though we used less saline. >> reporter: kate lynn. have you ever felt a pain like this? >> not so much. >> reporter: it's pretty bad? can you describe what the pain feels like? >> it feels like somebody's been throwing bricks at my breasts. >> dr. rose will be with you in a few minutes. >> okay, thank you. >> reporter: three weeks later, kate lynn is thrilled with her new assets. >> they're perfect. >> they are. they're perfect. i can venture out

i'm lynn berry. today, we begin with more wild weather. another raging storm is wreak g ing havoc in the western united states as heavy rain and snow has caused major damage along the entire west coast. this comes after an already devastating week of wet weather. here is nbc's kurt gregory with the story. >> reporter: more relentless rain in southern california. this following a week of wet weather and much so severe that some 100 residents were evacuated in the highland area. >> i'm afraid. everyone here is keeping their fingers crossed and their toes, hoping that we won't get too much more rain. >> reporter: authorities blame heavy rain and high winds for the death of a woman killed in santa rosa when a large tree crushed her tent at a wildlife preserve. and there's desperation in lake tahoe, a blizzard is complicating search for a missing snowboarder. >> it's been difficult. like i said earlier, the blizzard conditions, the heavy snow, the heavy winds, there are no tracks that we can find. >> repo

lynn? >> tracey potts in washington, thank you. >>> meanwhile, as the president's tax plan moves forward, a federal judge in virginia has dealt a blow to his health care overhaul calling part of the new law unconstitutional. the judge ruled that congress overstepped its authority by requiring americans to buy health insurance. however, since the plan's minimum coverage requirement isn't scheduled to take effect until 2014 the law will remain in effect while further appeals play out. the white house is predicting what many consider to be the hallmark of the obama presidency, would be upheld if it makes its way to the supreme court citing two prior cases which have already been upheld in lower courts. >>> secretary of state hillary clinton called him "the consummate diplomat, able to stare down dictators and stand up for america's interests and values, even under the most difficult circumstances." ambassador richard holbrooke died last night at a washington hospital after undergoing heart sur

i'm lynn berry. today, we begin with a tough sell. vice president joe biden heads to capitol hill today to try and convince rebellious democrats to support president obama's tax compromise with republicans. this comes a day after the president himself launched a forceful defense of his concessions he made, including extending tax cuts to the nation's highest earners. nbc's steve handelsman has the report. >> reporter: in trouble with democrats over his compromise on taxes, president obama took his defense public. >> a long political fight that carried over into next year might have been good politics but it would be a bad deal for the economy, and it would be a bad deal for the american people. >> reporter: he got what democrats want, a 13-month extension of unemployment benefits and a one year, one-third cut in social security taxes to help working class families, but mr. obama gave republicans what they want on taxes. no hikes on the top bracket to be sure the rest, 98% of taxpayers, keep their cut

i'm lynn berry. today, we begin with for better or worse, finally, a done deal. house lawmakers cleared the final hurdle last night, sending a sweeping, bipartisan bill to extend bush-era tax cuts to the president's desk before they expire january 1st. tracie potts joins us from washington with more. good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. the house voted late last night 277-148 in favor of the deal, both democrats and republicans supporting it. so now it goes to the president's disc. here's what it does for you, keeps the current tax rate until january 1st, more unemployment for people who run out, a payroll tax cut that will put more money in your pocket next year. and if you own a business, be on the lookout for tax credits that could benefit your business as well. also here on capitol hill, don't ask, don't tell, the repeal of that policy. it's been passed by the house. the senate expected to take that up with a vote tomorrow it needs 51 votes to pass, a simple majority. they are looking f

i'm lynn berry. today we begin with legislative logjam. a final vote on the president's tax cut plan should happen today in the senate. however, a trillion dollar spending bill proposal and a plan to repeal don't ask, don't tell could keep congress on the hill well into their holiday break. nbc's tracie potts joins us with the details from washington. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. the final series of votes should start a few hours from now including that final vote on the tax deal. senators appear to have enough votes to get this through and move it on to the house. senator mitch mcconnell, the top republican in the senate, is warning house democrats, don't pick it apart. don't try to change it. vote on this bill as-is, as we made the deal with the president. but perhaps even more urgent than that is the money that's funding the federal running out as of saturday. the latest extension. they need to pass something. democrats are putting forth a $1.1 trillion spending bill, but

lynn? >> todd, thanks so much. >>> now here's an early look at the morning headlines and entertainment. it turns out steven spielberg will not become the wizard behind the curtain. spielberg spokesman was quick to turn around a statement of denial saying, quote, he has made his career directing actors, not political people. spielberg's spokesman was quick to turn around a statement of denial saying, quote, he has made it his career to direct actors, not political figures. there you go. >>> no joke, no gimmick. marvel economics said one member of the fantastic four, either mr. fantastic, invisible woman, human torch, or the thing will die next month in issue 587. >>> finally, the late anna nicole smith has made wikileaks. a 2006 diplomatic document published by "guardian newspaper" shows after smith was granted an unusually swift residency in the bahamas, the deputy chief cabled washington, quote, not since category 4 hurricane betsy made landfall in 1965 has one woman done as much damage in

i'm lynn berry. today we begin with cutting a deal. as expected, a weekend vote in the senate took democrats' proposal to extend bush-era tax cuts for only some americans off the table. now with the clock ticking on this lame duck session of congress, lawmakers on both sides are signaling they may be ready to compromise and get a deal done. nbc's brian moore has our report. >> reporter: with time running out for the lame duck congress, republicans and democrats are softening their hard lines on extending the bush-era tax cuts. >> at least in theory, i think an agreement could be reached in the relatively near future. >> and you think so, too, senator? >> it could happen. i'm not going to rule it out. >> reporter: senate republicans rejected two different bills on saturday, insisting the tax cuts remain in place for everyone, not just the middle class. and without action, taxes go up for everyone on january 1st. but republicans say they're not going to let that happen. >> i don't think we can. i think that would be disastrous. >> report

i'm lynn berry. today we begin with old man winter. only a day into the new season, but already winter is off to a rough start across much of the nation. including central colorado where up to eight feet of snow is in the forecast. nbc's chris clackum has more. >> reporter: in the water logged west, it's still raining and the mud still sliding. mud covers much of the road in both directions near malibu. >> in a matter of minutes, we were slopping around in water. >> reporter: the worst of the storm hasn't hit yet. 5 to 10 inches of rain is expected by wednesday. residents are resorting to any means to keep the water out. >> it's gotten to the point where pretty much we can't get in and out anymore. >> reporter: in the northwest, the roads have been turned into a skating rink. it will make its way cross-country by christmas day bringing many on the east coast their first white christmas since 2002. >> it's that time of year. i mean, christmas, there should be a little snow on the ground for christmas.

poe lynn shoots it ahead for the easy layup. the cardinal led the entire game. >> final second here at mains pavilion, ferris with the leader, and the win streak is over. it's over. uconn's win streak ends at 90 and the streak of a thousand days has -- >> they win 71-59 ending the husky's 90-game winning streak. >> connecticut was a great opponent and i compliment them on how hard they played and how well they played and tonight it was stanford's night. it was amazing. >> such a great atmosphere to play in, you know. >> this is december, but the final four in december, we're trying to prepare for the future. not trying to look ahead per se but prepare day by day. >> this losing stuff is getting old, man, i hate it. i just wish we'd get a, catch a break every once in a while so these kids can have some success. >> the raiders play their final game of the season in kansas city. soon to be free agent richard seymour hopes it isn't his last in the silver and black. >> the fans are kind unlike any other in the league, they are defini

. >> reporter: lynn zednick shaw created one of the most successful theater programs in the country -n with these guys wrap your leg around them. >> reporter: right here at j.j. pierce high school in richardson, texas. when shaw put on a show she set the bar high. and nobody wanted to be the one to tell her "no." >> i have to stay here work you and finish the backdrop. ♪ i'm flying ♪ >> reporter: peter pan needed to fly, and so he did. jell us needed to rise from the dead in "jesus christ superstar." and when she directed "miss saigon," she needed a showstopper. so, they built a helicopter and flew it in sideways. and just like in the hit show "glee," she also found kids who needed a place to shine. ♪ don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade ♪ >> reporter: lauren woods today is nothing like the shy new girl who transferred to pierce high school back in 2001. ♪ who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade ♪ >> reporter: and when she recruited the cool kids. ♪ i can see that we will share ♪ >> reporter: shaw found will hughes on the baseball field. elizabeth judd was a sophom

so -- >> my name is mad lynn macky i'm with the american red cross. i have been on staff with the red cross for 4 months. i have been a volunteer for over 5 years. and i started with the red cross because like many of you during that dreadful day in september of 2001 i was in front of my tv and feeling helpless and hopeless. i said if something happen indeed my community i didn't want to feel that way. i wanted to go out and lend a hand and be able to help and make a difference. i knew i needed training. what they were saying was everyone was showing up to the disaster site but they were getting put aside because they didn't have the skills. i went to the red cross and received disaster training. i got training in shelter and case management and said i'm ready for the big sdaefrt. the red cross said, no, you are ready for any disaster they handed me a hard hat and flashlight and said go forth and help your community. at 2 in the morning my phone will ring and a family would have suffered a sdaefrt and we would go out and we would provide is shelter an

. >>> i'm lynn berry, and this is "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

let me start with you, secretary lynn.o often in the past, we have constrain a member of dod employees without placing limitations on the number of service contractors. we have not been told where categories of contract services are covered by the secretary's directive. my -- am i correct in understanding that critical functions, like weapons systems maintenance, health care services, and logistics support to our troops will not be affected by the planned reduction in contract services? and when can we expect to see a clear definition of what categories of contract services are covered by the plan recovered and what categories of services are excluded? >> your assumption, mr. chairman, is correct. this reduction in service support contractors would not affect critical war fighting capabilities like weapons maintenance. the general definition of a support service contractor would be someone who provides staff augmentation to government employees. i realize you're looking for something more precise, and we are endeavoring to

carol lynn carroll, the last woman i talked about, i was in new orleans with lynn ashley and we were at the program at the world war ii museum, and when i was at the airport after i had left the program on the came up behind this woman with a huge pack on her back [inaudible] i came up to her by being a bottle of water and said excuse me, would you like me to set up your zipper and she was very gracious. and so i thought here is a woman i might be able to interview. then she came out of that little store. we stood and talked and i tell you she was the most interesting, wonderful person and so gracious to leave her let me interview her over the telephone. she had a son in iraq as mine was at the same time with the first calvary division while she was in afghanistan he was an iraq. so her devotion of what people go through in multiple rounds of the military families and active-duty military at the same time, but i want to see thank you for being here today and having a chance for me to tell you some of the great stories about the wonderful women and i bet every one of you has a super s

caley's mother, lynne murray is still recovering from a broken pelvis and other injuries. >> lynne cried her first tears, which is to me a great step in healing. >> reporter: ling's mother-in- law says she doesn't remember the accident but somehow feels responsible. >> she told me, momma, i'm sorry my fault. i said no, it's not your fault. not at all. and she struggled with it. >> reporter: police say caly's death and ling's i think juries are because of holloway. >> the driver did admit to being distracted by use of the cell phone through those records and her statement we'll determine if there was any incoming, outgoing phone calls and text paging. >> reporter: police say they hope to wrap up their investigation and turn the case to the district attorney. using the cell phone while driving is against the law. caly's family won't comment publicly on what they hope to see with the case. but they hope some good will come from a tragedy. >> hopefully it'll get people to get off their phone and quit texting. put the phone in the backseat. >> reporter: a memorial for caly is scheduled for su

i'm shelby lynn. >> there is late word that the republican running against jerry has finally concededhe said he called him to say congratulations to him on winning the election. the race between them was extremely close. at one time he led by less than 300 votes. >>> the president is hale hails a new trade deal with south korea as a boom for the economy. he said it'll benefit a number of united states industries from farming to electronics and car making. he added that the best way to speed up an he economic recovery is to open new markets around the world. >> we don't just want to be an economy that consumes other country's goods. we want to be building and exporting the goods that create jobs here in america and that keeps the united states competitive in the 21st century. >> the president said the agreement with south korea could boost exports by $11 billion a year. the deal must still be approved by congress. >> in news of the world, under fire by several governments, wikileaks has lost a major source of revenue. pay pal cut them. they said they took the action because the website

lynn knew what had to be done next. devastating task of telling yoko ono that john was gone. >> she was sitting in a little room right off the e.r. >> reporter: hospital administrator chandra was with ohno, she had never spoken about that. >> she was in shock, he was anticipating because she was expecting that john could be saved. >> she probably said something i have really bad news, in spite of all of our efforts to save your husband, we were unable to, and he died. >> reporter: ono was devastated. >> she was literally lying on the concrete floor of our emergency room department hitting her head against the wall. i put my hands behind her head, fearful she was going to hurt herself. >> i talked to dr. lynn, i said, this is 1980. obviously medicine was good in 1980. but in 2010 with medical advances, would you have been able to save him. he said the degree of his injuries were so extensive that nothing could have possibly saved him. >> i was wondering the same thing. yesterday, you had talked about how they decided the

crew were called out to 17th avenue and before lynn street at 5:30 tonight.san francisco firefighters responded to some false fire alarms triggered when the power went out. the power was restored by 8:00 p.m. this evening. >> we could be in store for more power out annuals and there may be wind associate associated with the next storm. sandy is tracking here with us and has the fork. >>reporter: that wind and the rain at least the heaviest part of that storm will come in tomorrow afternoon and evening so that could lead to power lines being knock down or trees being knocked down. here's a look at live doppler 7 hd and see a few sprinkles showing up around ukiah. no rain falling locally but we expect a completely different scene as we head towards tomorrow night. numbers right now in the fritz and the 50's. here are the highlights. rain tomorrow. heavy in the evening. wet early wednesday with cool and breezy conditions for the afternoon on wednesday and get ready for a cold thursday morning. behind the front. so here's the front that we are watching. it has al

crystal lynn is the one that's been the longest. it's made from crystals. it is firm, hard like crystal. they're over 85% or 90% of the market now. they have the highest efficiencies. in other words, they'll capture more of the sunlight per square foot than the other technology. this can be significant especially in a city like san francisco when maybe you don't have a lot of roof space, but you want to get as much power as you can. this is probably the choice preferred for most homeowners. the second technology which is coming on strong is called thin film. that's really a whole different technology using a lot less material. it's like sprayed or painted on, a different way of producing electricity. this stuff has a lot of potential because it can be used in a lot of different ways. this is a thin film panel here, right here and one of the innovative ways you can use this thing is on thought metal seamed roofs. they have an add he'sive backing on and they can stick down on the roof without penetrating the roof. it's a very effective and cheap and safe inst

doctor lynn knew what had to be done next.tating task of telling yoko ono that john was gone. >> she was sitting in a little room right off the e.r. >> reporter: hospital administrator sandra cschoen wa with ono. >> she was in shock and anticipatory because at that point she was expecting john could be saved i'm sure. >> i probably said something i have very bad news. in spite of all of our efforts to save your husband we were unable to and he died. >> reporter: ono was devastated. >> she was literally lying on the concrete floor of our emergency department hitting her head against the wall. i put my hands behind her head fearful she was going to hurt herself. >> wow. powerful stuff we haven't heard before, john. great reporting in there. there will be a full special on this. the idea yoko ono was hoping john lennon might be saved, the nature of his wounds, those gunshots, would that be different today? is anything different? i mean, he was -- it was in central park, very close to the hospital. could he have been saved 30 year