mrs. laura bush. [applause] >> i want to thank the united states congress for allowing me to add my voice to the global chorus of honors for aung san suu kyi and to send along the deep respect of my husband george as well. the transition in burma, or eastern europe, shows that history has a hopeful direction capable of miracles. there is a part of every soul but longs for freedom and any government built on oppression is built on sand. vast historical changes often begin in the single mind, a single heart and a hope that now grows in burma is a tribute. one of the most repressive governments on earth attempted to isolate and silence 1-woman. it must have seemed an easy task. instead of the regime encountered and it immovable object and its legitimacy broke against her character. she became a symbol of courage, perseverance and defiance, a symbol that integrity was still possible in burma and the symbol became an inspiration for activists, monks and millions around the world. when her long isolation en

when the call from mrs. bushboys were on vacation but dropped everything gathering at the office in only 45 minutes. >> it was actually great to hear the president's voice in a cheerful mood. >> reporter: mr. bush, 88-years-old, is in this houston hospital fighting complications of bronchitis. an expected three-day stay now stretching more than a month. but when the band called his room on friday, number 41 had a request. >> he said he was ready to hear some of elvira. ♪ elvira that would make him feel good. >> reporter: the boys picked one of their favorites. >> you'll remember this one. ♪ amazing grace ♪ how sweet the sound ♪ that saved a retch like me ♪ i once was lost ♪ but now i'm found ♪ was blind but now i see >> there you go. >> the day after that mini concert, mr. bush was moved out of the intensive care unit here. but still no word on when he may be allowed to go home. >> clayton, so many in the country thinking about president bush this new year's. when we come back here, the index for the evening and

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

the oakridge boys singing "amazing grace" over the phone for mr. bush. bush asked them to. >> now i see. nobody wants to hear me sing, right. >>> finally, by this time tomorrow, the new year will be upon us. >> new york's times square, air worthiness tests being conducted. yes, they country those tests. isn't it just supposed to fall? it's air-worthy, right? >> a committee. >> how much money was pent on that? about 17 million pieces of it will come down, some with hand-written messages. >>> in baltimore, they've been rigging up the fireworks display. the proverbial bombs will burst through the air at midnight today. >>> and in mobile, alabama, they're ready for the so called moon pie drop. it's an 80-pound treat. proceeds going to a homeless shelter. >> i flash back to grade school. we called them scooter pies back in the day. moon kax. >> it's a good thing. thank you for doing it right all you in mobile. >> for some of you, your local news is dmex. >>> for the rest, behind the scenes from the rose parade. [ female announcer ] what does the anti-aging po

quotes mr. bush, he asked to, quote, please put the harp back in the closet. the family spokesperson joked i'm thinking heaven haven't seen a barrage of prayers like this since "it's a wonderful life." >>> yet another storm could cause some headaches for holiday travelers on the roads and in the air this weekend. this is part of the northeast and midwest be still digging out from the last two winter storms which has left as much as 65% of country covered in snow as of thursday morning. the national weather service said snowfall totals in upstate new york and parts of vermont range from 11 to 15 inches but after a year of almost no snow and a late start this year, folks are trying to make the most of it. snow blowers are out in full force. and out on winter break. kids are enjoying the snow, too but officials are reminding drivers to be careful because roads are slick even if they have been plowed. >>> and now for a look at the weather, here's nbc's meteorologist dylan dreyer with the forecast. good morning. >> good morning, we're talking more snow possible for

mrs. bushidge -- the oakridge boys to sing to the president, his favorite group. mrs. bush is certain the singers are lifting his spirits. >> said we should cheer the president up if the oakridge boys could get together to sing him a song or two. >> when the call came from mrs. bush they dropped everything and go to their office in 45 minutes. the president made a request for them to sing elvira. >>> congresswoman lynn woolsey is one day from retirement. a democrat, who has represented marin and sonoma counties for 20 years will step down wednesday, the 75-year-old is noted fora5m one of consistent liberal voting records in the house she was elected in 1992 in the year of the woman upsetting a powerful republican opponent the first member of congress to call for the withdrawal of troops from iraq. >>> mike joining us with the forecast and so much more. >> are you that hungry? >> i wanted to show folks that mike brought in these-f-bíóutááz cookies. >> beautiful and delicious. >> what a way to en

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

mr. bush's high fever. so, he is on a liquid diet. he is said to be alert and conversing with medical staff. doctors are cautiously optimistic. >> he's in a bad way. but the doctors believe there's a path for him to recover from this. and if we can get him to rally a little bit, we can start talking about a discharge date. but we're not there yet. >> former first lady, barbara bush, and the former president's children have been at his bedside during this crisis. >>> former south african president nelson mandela is out of the hospital. he spent more than two weeks in the hospital with a lung infection and other ailments. the 94-year-old will receive other medical care at his johannesburg home. >>> now, to the fiscal cliff. still looming large as president obama returns to the white house this morning. the president cut short his christmas vacation in hawaii to get back to washington. congress will be in session today, amidst fading hope that a deal could be reached by the new year. no agreement

tonight, mr. bush is here at houston's methodist hospital. he spent the holiday with his wife, the former first lady, barbara bush, as well as his son neal and other family members. there were gifts and he received e-mails and telephone calls from family members and close friends. the former president was initially admitted about a month ago for what was described at the time as a bronchitis-type cough. in the weeks since his doctors have said he has developed some problems which include becoming very weak and he also has a low-grade fever. in their words, they say they are cautiously optimistic that he will recover. since leaving the white house, mr. bush still summers in maine but houston is his primary residence. he's been treated by the same team of doctors here at methodist for a number of years. a spokesman says that he is challenged by this very long visit but generally is in good spirits. meanwhile, there is no timetable for his discharge. carl? >> janet shamlian for us in houston tonight, thanks. >>> still ahead as "nightly news" cont

mr. bushthe oldest living former president and has been in the hospital for treatment for a bronchitis related cough. and the public will get a chance to see the emancipation proclamation in person at its home in the national archives. >> it lines up with the declaration of independence. >> the emancipation proclamation signed by president lincoln january 1, 1863. it's 150 years old on new year's day and is making a rare public appearance sunday through tuesday at the national archives. >> when you can see lincoln's signature and all of the other provision of the document, it brings the document to life. >> it declared that all slaves in states rebelling against the union were to be forever free but didn't immediately end slavery. lincoln didn't have the power to enforce in areas under confederate control. what the document did do was become a symbol of hope for nearly four million slaves and fundamentally changed the character of the war. >> it was important. it was a military measure. lincol

mr. bush's war-time commander has died.n schwarzkoph was a highly decorated four-star general known for the leadership in operation desert storm. they look back at his distigished service to the united states. >> high was born in trenton, new jersey. son and stounder of the new jersey state police. his father set the bar high for young norman and heap spear headed investigation of the lin berg baby. elder schwarzkoph trained national police and advised the shah. he graduated with a degree in engineering and served two year necessary vietnam . getting a reputation of protecting his troops and subjecting himself to enemy fire. he was a soldier who loved soldier . but he did not suffer fools and quick tempered with less than ready officers set him apart. >> is it that why there is. >> over and on top. >> his plain spoken qualities and bluntness endeerdeared him to the press and people. >> as far as saddam hussein being a great military strategist. he is neither a strategist nor is he schooled in the operation of art and he is

mr. bush is in a regular hospital room at methodist hospital in houston. he has been there since november 23 been treated for bronchitis. the red cross says it had a busy year. the agency responded to 113 large-scale disasters through december 1. that works out to the response somewhere every nine minutes. the red cross opened more than 900 shelters for more than 100,000 people displaced from their homes. the organization says the work for superstorm sandy was the biggest response in five years. let's check in with another busy man, meteorologist tony pann. >> things will quiet down for the rest of the weekend. partly cloudy skies in baltimore. 37 at the airport. stay tuned. we will >> now the forecast with meteorologist tony pann. >> the winter weather advisories have been cancelled. the map is lit up in the northeast part of the country. our little snowstorm has turned into a big snowstorm in the northeast part of the country. several inches of snow around boston already. they will pick up close to a foot in connecticut, massachusetts, in the higher terr

. >> reporter: mr. bush is fighting complications of bronchitis.ed three-day stay stretching more than a month. but when the band called his room on friday, number 41 had a request. >> he said he was ready to hear some "elvira." that makes him feel good. >> then they picked one of their favorites. >> you'll remember this one. here we go. ♪ amazing grace, how sweet the sound ♪ ♪ that saved a wretch like me ♪ i once was lost but now i'm found ♪ ♪ was blind but now i see >> there you go. >> reporter: the day after that mini concert, mr. bush was moved out of the intensive care unit here. but there's still no word yet on when he may be allowed to go home. clayton sandell, abc news, houston. >> that's the kind of thing that happens when you're a former president. >> and music can heal. >>> still to come, we go behind the scenes of the rose bowl parade to see how the epic event comes together. all roses and floats and all that good thing. >> but first, it's been a history making year. we'll look back at some of the top stories of 2012, all coming up on "

when the call came in from mrs. bushere actually on vacation, but dropped everything, gathering at the office in 45 minutes. >> it was actually great to hear the president's voice in a cheerful mood. >> mr. bush, now 88 years old, is in this houston hospital fighting complications of bronchitis, an expected three-day stay stretching more than a month. but when the band called his room on friday, thub 41 had a -- thub 41 had a request. jay he was ready to hear elvira. >> ♪ i was singing elvira. ♪. >> and then the boys picked one of their favorites. >> you will remember this one. >> ♪ amazing grace ♪ how sweet the sound ♪ that saved a wretch like me ♪ ♪ i once was lost ♪ but now i'm found ♪ was blind, but now i see >> there you go. >> that's great. >> whatever helps it out. >>> it has been a chilly weekend. fortunately though we have received some sunshine. we have had great weather the past two days after the rain from christmas. but how will the new year's eve holiday turn out? leigh glaser has been checking on your weat

mr. bush was treated for bronchitis in early november.n the hospital for more than a month. >>> and you know who knows if you've been bad or good. norad is tracking santa as he delivers presents around the world. he is definitely on the move. we're here to report, making his way to the u.s. norad says it uses fighter jets and even santa cams to watch st. nick. he's been watching us all year, now we're watching him. i'm natalie allen with a look at the headlines this christmas eve. now back to the "the two marys." ♪ >>> for centuries, she has been portrayed as a sinner, a prostitute whom jesus saves. in films such as "jesus christ superstar." ♪ i never thought i'd come to this ♪ >> what do you think? >> and "the last temptation of christ." >> is it so bad showing a prostitute's room? >> that tradition continues. [ bells toll ] and yet, mary magdalene is also adored by millions, who see in her humanity what jesus saw. a humanity that makes her a powerful witness to his life and his resurrection. it's no surprise, then, that today she is the

mr. busheen hospitalized there since last month with what is being described as a stubborn fever. >> a spokesman for his office said that the 88 year-old is on an all liquid diet and has been in the icy you since sunday. >> busch sr. was a resume limited to the hospital for a bronchitis like a cough. >> the call as improve the now the fever is the issue. doctors say that they are treating the fever tylenol. >> south africa's president c says for president nelson mandela has been released from hospital. >> the 90094 year old had been hostile to the beginning of this month. >> he was diagnosed with lung infection and also had surgery to remove also. >> a presidential spokesman says mandela will receive more medical care at his in johannesburg home until he finally recovers. >> the f b i and the part of homeland's security considered the occupied move and a potential terrorism threat before he began. >> the information comes from the fbi internal documents released under the freedom of informatio

mrs. busham secretary, our thanks and appreciation to both of you for not only taking the time to be here today, but for your many contributions to this effort and for your commitment to advancing the cause of freedom and democracy in burma. i would be remiss if i did not also mentioned someone who is not with us here today and that is congressman tom lantos. he and his staff worked so hard on burma for so many years. i wish you were here today to share this moment in history with us. today is an amazing day. today is an incredible day. who would have thought that when this bill was introduced in the house in 2008, when aung san suu kyi was still under house arrest, that in a few short years she would be standing or sitting here with us on u.s. soil receiving this honor, and as a member of the burmese parliament? back then we thought about granting the medal in absentia, which may have been the first time in history that a person would have received it while in detention. who would have thought

that's the story, tax increases under mr. bush and surpluses under mr. clinton tax increases as far as the eye can see under mr. obama. >> wheno the spendg cuts happen, sarah? >> never. >> and you often see the tax increases kick in and inhe health care law, and spending never gets cut. >> i think you need to look where the spending goes, providereventive care. and we saw 80 million acces preventative care and that's a net savings for the entire health care system passed on to all of us. >> how have job cuts we've en the medical device makers, they're soued the horn about them. how does it help the broad economy though? >> what you're seeing is readjusting of the economy. most of this tax money ces out ofhose m making 250,000 or mo more, an increase on those individuals. at the same time that we're finding out her on capitol hill about a drease on those making 250 or less, so, majority of amerans. when we have this increase on aery small portion, we see that those folks are welcoming this increase, a poll released the day befor christm put thugh american

the family spokesman and he said, quote, one point we would like to make clear is president and mrs. bush share cautious optimistic the treatment will be effective. it's a effort made to aid his recovery. as president bush said, he has not plans of going anywhere. in the last few days he's been placed on a liquids only diet. despite the setbacks, he's with his family and reportedly in very good humor, even joking, we're told, with hospital staff. >> and david lee, we know president bush in recent years has been very active, we've documented skydiving. what about his health problems? >> in the last few years, he celebrated a number of birthdays by skydiving but more recently, he's been suffering from parkinson's disease. the recent ale. started with a lingering cough. >> he battled bronchitis for three weeks. at age 88, it takes a toll. coming out of that, he was doing physical therapy. it was going well until the middle part of last week where he had low energy days and things snowballed. it probably was exactly the wrong time pause of his weakened condition. >> mr. bush is the country's

mr. bush who is 88 years old has been hospitalized with bronchitis since just after thanksgiving. >>> now, for a look at your national weather here once again is nbc meteorologist dylan dreyer. >> well, it's been busy across the northeast, especially the whole eastern third of the country really for this holiday. we are going to see the chance of more snow falling across northern portions of new england, as this continue continues to move off to the north and the east. we are looking at an additional several inches, especially upstate new york, into vermont, into new hampshire as well but it has now transitioned over to rain to southern new england. and we are going to see this area of low pressure continue to move up through the north and east through the day. so the worst of the wind is over. we're pretty much done with the most severe thunder storms that we've seen out of this system. we do still have winter storm warnings up across the northeast, where again an additional 6 to 12 inches of

when the call came in from mrs. bushe boys were actually on vacation, but dropped everything, gathering at the office in 45 minutes. >> it was actually great to hear the president's voice in a cheerful mood. >> mr. bush, now 88 years old, al in this houston fighting complications of bronchitis, an expected three-day stay stretching more than a month. but when the band called his room on friday, thub 41 had a -- thub 41 had a request. jay he was ready to hear elvira. >> ♪ i was singing elvira. ♪. >> and then the boys picked one of their favorites. >> you will remember this one. >> ♪ amazing grace ♪ how sweet the sound ♪ that saved a wretch like me ♪ ♪ i once was lost ♪ but now i'm found ♪ was blind, but now i see >> there you go. >> that's great. >> whatever helps it out. >>> it has been a chilly weekend. fortunately though we have received some sunshine. we have had great weather the past two days after the rain from christmas. but how will the new year's eve holiday turn out? leigh glaser has been checking on your weath

mr. bush's chief of staff says the 41st president's condition is not dire. she says mr. staying put and that we can put the harps back in the closet. that's my favorite part. the family says they are confident he will be out of the hospital soon. certainly hope so. at 88 years old he's the oldest living former president. >>> let me just start by saying -- >> general norman schwarzkopf has died. he was the face of the persian gulf war, operation desert storm. leading a lightning fast ground assault that lasted just 100 hours. imagine that. his televised briefings became a staple of the war and made him a household name. he was already a decorated commander in vietnam. he retired with four stars after taking over the u.s. central command. defense secretary leon panetta calls him one of the great military giants of the 20th century. he died after complications from pneumonia. he was 78 years old. >>> in india, growing demonstrations after a woman was gang raped on a bus in gnu deli. she's fighting for her life in singapore. doctors say she has taken a turn for the worse and

mr. bush's condition is serious, in an e-mail, a spokesperson said for the family said that the president hasn't lost his sense of humor. of the recent outpouring of concern and support, the family spokesperson said, i don't think that the heaven hasn't seen a barrage of prayer since it's a wonderful life. >>> parts of the northeast and midwest are still digging out from the last two winter storms, which has left as much 65% of the country covered in snow as of thursday morning. snowfall totals in parts of new york and vermont range from 10 to 16 inches. folks are trying to make the most of it. snow blowers are out in force. kids are enjoying snow, too. roads are slick even if they have been plowed. >>> now, here's your first look at this morning's dish of scrambled politics. the first time in history that the turnout of blacks exceeded that of white voters, won't be confirmed until the spring until the census bureau publishes its results of the election. >>> matt damon, in an interview, damon said that he sometimes feels the game is rigged and no matter how hard you work to change things

mr. bush's condition is serious, in an e-mail yesterday, a spokesman said the former president hasn't lost his sense of humor. he said to please put the harp back in the closet. the family spokesperson joked i'm thinking heaven haven't seen a barrage of prayers like this since "it's a wonderful life." >>> this is parts of the northeast and midwest be still digging out from the last two winter storms which has left as much as 65% of country covered in snow as of thursday morning. the national weather service said snowfall totals in upstate new york and parts of vermont range from 11 to 15 inches but after a year of almost no snow and a late start this year, folks are trying to make the most of it. snow blowers are out in full force. reminding people to be careful because roads are slick. >>> now, a look at the weather, here's nbc meteorologist dylan dreyer. >> good morning, we're talking more snow possible for saturday. last year, we had this year or season where we didn't get a whole lot of snow and we're certainly making up for it. we're looking at a storm system back through louisiana th

. >> reporter: mr. busheen in this houston hospital for more than a month fighting complications of bronchitis. he's not only a huge oak ridge boys fan, he's friends with the band members and when they called friday, he had a request. >> and he said he was ready to hear some of "elvira." ♪ i've been thinking elvira elvira ♪ >> that would make him feel good. ♪ my heart's on fire >> reporter: they sang it then picked one of their favorites. ♪ i once was lost but now i am found was blind but now i see ♪ >> there you go! >> hey, thanks. >> reporter: the music may have been good medicine. the day after the oak ridge boys called in, mr. bush was moved out of intensive care. for "good morning america," clayton sandell, abc news, houston. >> great news, and bianna was singing "elvira" along with it. >> no, i wasn't. >> that was great. >>> now, to a very different kind of story that starts with a bank teller abducted from her own home in phoenix on friday night and a suspected bomb strapped around her neck. the fbi i

in fact, the spokesman said late yesterday that mr. bush, in fact, had been moved to the intensive care unit here at methodist hospital here on sunday and on a liquid diet since yesterday and in icu because of his advanced age. he is 88 years old and because of his weakness. he's been in the hospital now for over a month. he was admitted on november 23rd suffering from a chronic cough. a cough that turned in to a fever last week and now doctors are trying to figure out exactly what is causing that fever. that being said, the doctors according to the spokesman are saying that they're cautiously optimistic that mr. bush will make a recovery. he's certainly getting help from the family and friends. barbara bush, the former first lady, at his side. other family members here. his daughter was here yesterday and christmas day, neil his son, and his family enjoyed a chinese meal in the hospital room with the president. >> charles hadlock from houston, thank you. >> reporter: sure. >>> up next, democratic congressman pascrell to rejacket to the neg

a fever that kept mr. bush in the hospital over christmas has apparently gotten worse. ctors have him on a liquid- only diet. a bush family spokesperson says the 88-year-old was alert, joking with doctors, but had yet to respond to fever- reducing medication. a bronchitis cough initially sent him to the hospital in november. >>> a cash payout coming to millions of toyota drivers. >>> right away, i thought, a card from an angel. >> lost and found. a thrift store discovery that managed to connect friends that were lost and found a new friend along the way. >>> costs go up to survive. we have to do it. >> and your next batch of shirts could cost a little more. the international trade dispute that has your dry cleaner wired for a surprise hike. >>> hi-def doppler is showing rain-free conditions throughout the bay area. mostly clear, chilly conditions. beautiful shot from our new oakland cam. i'll have your foreca,,,,,,,,,,, a class action lawsuit over unintended accel >>> toyota says it will pay more than $1 billion to settle a class action lawsuit over unintended accelerati

. >> and mr. bushs the oldest living former president, and suffers from a disease that makes his legs immobile. >> congress cutting it close to avid the fiscal cliff. nation back into another recession, today, name calling picked up. boehner for letting lawmaker goes on vacation. house members not due back ununtil sunday. that is two days before the tax increases take affect. boehner is putting the ball in the court and says the house will take action on whatever the senate can pass. the president has spoken to senate and house leaders from both parties but had no plans to meet with congressional leaders tonight or tomorrow. >> three people have filed a federal lawsuit against city of san francisco arks kusing the police department of conducting illegal searches. this occurred at the henry hotel. saying police officers entered room was a master key provided by the hotel, then, began searching through personal belongings without warrants or just cause. thist@2p is camera footage of te searches by public

mr. bush is in intensive care after doctors were unable to lower his fever. and they still don't know what's causing it. they've now placed him on a liquids-only diet. they are not explaining why. mr. bush was admitted to the hospital november 23rd for bronchitis. doctors say they remain cautiously optimistic about his recovery. >>> and toyota has agreed to pay more than $1 billion -- that's "b" as in boy -- to settle a class-action lawsuit from drivers who say their cars sped up without warning. now, abc's brian ross was the first to expose this problem. the lawsuit which was filed two years ago blamed a flaw in toyota's electronics. now, although a government investigation later flamed poor-fitting floor mats and sticky gas pedals. if a judge approves that settlement, toyota will compensate some owners for the car's loss in value. and will install new safety equipment in more than 3 million vehicles. >>> and police in miami are looking for five brazen robbers who are behind a jewelry store h

mr. bush is 88. >>> south carolina congressman tim scott is poised to become the first black senator from a southern state since 1981. today the governor of south carolina chose scott to take over the senate seat of jim demeant who is leaving next month. both men are republicans. >>> with two weeks to go to the deadline, there are signs we could be on track to avert the fiscal cliff tonight. president obama and house speaker john boehner met 45 minutes today. their talks included a deficit reduction package that would increase taxes on people making more than $400,000 a year and cuts in health care spending programs. a new poll by usa today finds 66% of americans think both men should compromise to get us to an agreement. >>> today virginia governor outlines the changes he wants to make. new spending would cover medicaid, $128.2 million for virginia's rainy day fund and $58 million for a 2% raise for teachers, principals, librarians and instructal aids. >>> they debated aid for hurricane sandy

mr. bush was taken to icu on sunday night. he was admitted last mop with a brompk kitis-like cough that has not gone away. >> the country retailers found holiday shopping season wasn't as rosie as they hoped. sales were up just a tiny, disappointing 0.7% compared to last year. david louie is live tonight. how bad is that number? >> well, dan that, is the smallest increase in spending in four years. now, when there is a retraction that can have implications for the overall economy. the last minute discounts and deals gave impression of a frenzy but retail sales didn't match forecasts by a sizeable margin that. is after some shoppers said they spent more on gifts. >> i spend more. and did a lot online. >> that puts pressure on retailer autos they need to sell that inventory to complete the disfis cal year, and also to provide cash to take them in to the new year as well. >> the professor is executive director of the retail management institute. retail spending accounts for 70% of the kmaigs naigs's economy w sales up a scant 0.7

the statement released tonight says mr. bush had a few low energy days and he'll stay in the hospital a little longer just adds a precaution, they say. the 41st president has been in the hospital since just after thanksgiving. he was initially admitted for a nasty cough braunbronchitis. >>> still ahead a call for stricter gun control in the wake of the tragedy in newtow >>> the nra argued this week that more guns in schools in the hands of trained professionals could protect america's children. you can see an exclusive interview with the wayne la pierre tomorrow morning on "meet the press" at 10:30 right here on nbc 4. >>> well, what's your excuse? ahead tonight some of the surprising things people will tell their bosses to get the day off from work. >>> plus no more wind. it's now just >>> if you've ever told a little white lie to your boss to get some time off, apparently you're not alone. a new survey of 500 full-time workers found nearly half of them have called out sick when they were really just playing hooky. 27% say they

mr. bush8 years old, has been in the hospital since late last month. >>> and former south african president nelson mandela is out of the hospital. government leaders say that the anti-apartheid icon has been released after spending more than two weeks in the hospital. he was suffering from a lung infection and other ailments there. the 94-year-old will receive more medical care at his johannesburg home. >> many are celebrating that move that he's going home, but you know you can't be 100% okay and healthy if you're going to be getting home care. so you wonder if he's going to have issues down the road. >> this is an interesting case, because there's an entire nation waiting to see if he's going to be okay. at 94 years old, a lot of things can happen when you get admitted to the hospital. sometimes you're there for something simple and it just continues and continues. we're not talking about just a south african leader, this is a global icon. >> definitely for everything he's done. we'll keep y

perhaps more nursing care. >> the former president's chief of staff added that mr. bushston and he would ask that people "put the harps back in the closet." >>> secretary of state hillary clinton is planning to return to work next week. mrs. clinton has not been seen in public in about two weeks. she's been recuperating at home since suffering a concussion. it happened when she hit her heard during a fainting spell brought on by a stomach virus. >>> overseas now, the united states has temporarily shut down its embassy in the central african republic. rebels advance on the capital and the state department is warning americans to avoid the republic. u.s. citizens already there are told to leave and there are no plans to evacuate u.s. military personnel. >>> now to a terrifying scene for shoppers in friday. if you are afraid of sharks, you may not want to watch this video. this was an indoor tsunami. a huge shark tank burst, sending broken glass and water crashing into onlookers. more than a dozen people were injured. sadly, the sharks did not survive. >> who thought that w

his doctors now say they are cautiously optimistic that mr. bush who is 88 will recover. he has been hospitalized since thanksgiving suffering from bronchitis. >>> as members of congress spend christmas at home they are hearing about guns, for and against further restrictions shaping up to be one of the next year's biggest battle. justice correspondent pete williams has details. >> if you things illustrate the nation's divide over guns as sharply as this. the debate over high capacity magazines that can hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. on the website of brown el's which calls itself the biggest supplier of accessories, 20 and 30 round magazines are featured stocking stuffs. the company's president says sales in one 72 who your period equalled what's usually sold in 3 1/2 years. connecticut state police say adam lanza used several clips on a semi-automatic rifle to shoot the 26 victims at sandy hook elementary. >> these mass killings have to stop and we have to do everything we can. it will include looking at how many bullets do you need in a magazine in a semi-aut

mr. bush, who is 88, was hospitalized with bronchitis last month in houston. he was moved into intensive care december 23 after he developed a fever. doctors say his condition is improving and he was moved to a regular hospital room today. they say he is in good spirits. >>> well, our recent winter storms have washed away many of our memories of last year's very dry season. but for those keeping track, the storms have concerns we could be headed for another drought. >> reporter: snow fell again today in california's mountains, the latest in a string of storms. >> if this particular trend continues, we'll be looking at excess water rather than a water shortage. >> reporter: meteorologist paul deanno says the mounting snow pack, already 146% higher than normal, means the state's reservoirs will be in good supply. >> it's almost like putting water in a bank and then saving it for summertime, when we get virtually no rainfall. >> my gut feeling is this is going to be a good year for us. >> reporter: john is a water manager in southern california, where part of l.a

mr. bush was moved to intensive care earlier this week to treat a persistent fever. >>> with the new year just days away, law enforcement is beefing up patrols to combat drunk driving. agencies from every corner -- police agencies from every point of the bay area have dui checkpoints right now and throughout the weekend they'll continue to do so. the drunk driving crackdowns come as state senator jerry hill proposes tougher penalties for repeat offenders. the democrats' plan includes a requirement that repeat offenders have their car fitted with ignition interlock device like you see there. the device prevents a car from starting if alcohol is detected on the driver's breath. >> we've tried increasing fines, we've tried to revoke licenses to deter those chronic offenders. we need to do more to save lives. >> during the christmas holiday, police made 1200 dui arrests. >>> a driver accused of speeding away from a traffic stop and hitting another car in oakland is now facing a vehicular manslaugh

the 88-year-old mr. bushvember 23rd for a bronchitis-related coughing. [ guns shooting ] [ trumpet playing ] >> the 19 cannon salute part of the final farewell for senator daniel inouye. the senator, army veteran and war hero died of respiratory complications last monday. president obama and military leaders were on hand as the state bid farewell to its most favorite son. daniel inouye was 88 years old. he was the second-longest serving senator in u.s. history. >>> remember the story? bronco, the police dog. he's been found. the loudoun county sheriff's office says the german shepherd made a getaway on friday afternoon while on his way to visit the dog groomer. the sheriff's department put out an alert and several people called in to say they had spotted the dog. bronco was found on ivandale road in the county. we're told he appears to be okay but was taken to the vet for a checkup. >>> coming up, the updated christmas forecast. stay with us.