mrs. medvedev. wednesday, president obama travels to italy for the g-8 summit through friday at the vatican in rome. saturday, he flies to africa for a visit to the capital. for more about the russian summit, a portion of today's "washington journal." host: we are joined by helle dale of the heritage institute. we are talking about america- russia relations. what do you think the president needs to accomplish on the trip? >> he needs to establish himself as a world leader with a vision, seriousness, and with a right set of priorities the russian government. he is also going to africa. so he has a wide-ranging agenda. i am concerned that his undead that is not necessarily the agenda that i have. he is going to talk about arms control with the russians. they want a new treaty. i do not know if that is what the world needs right now. host: explain the treaty. guest: it outlines the type of weapon that can be held by certain countries, essentially, nuclear powers in the world. that is not the case anymo

mr. medvedev, it's waste of time, because mr. any political weight, any weight at all. >> eric: the president of the united states says medvedev is thoughtful, forward looking and doing a fine job running russia. those are the words of president obama. >> i can express my own opinion about dmitry medvedev. s he doesn't have any political experience and doesn't understand what politics are. the best thing is speak with other people. >> eric: you mean putin? >> yes. putin is not much better than medvedev, but at least putin managed in the last eight years built his mafia. >> eric: his mafia? >> yes. which is obedient to him. >> eric: we hear it all the time how he has a grip on russia. how does the president of the united states deal with that? >> it's, it's difficult. he is the president of the united states. he must deal with the regime. we cannot neglect russia. russia is still a very important play in the world. my unctioning is it's a third world country with a lot of weapons, nuclear weapons. >> eric: there are like 20,000 nu

mr. medvedev and told the associated press he wants to reset america's relationship with russia. >> time to move forward in a different direction. i think medvedev understands that. i think putin has one foot in the old ways of doing business and one in the new. >> reporter: the leaders are meeting to discuss nuclear disarmament, the growing threats of nuclear and iran. they'll also focus on afghanistan. the u.s. wants guaranteed access to key supply routes that run through russian territories as they ranch up the fight against the taliban. on those key issues, analysts say mr. obama must deal directly with putin. and he must be tough. prime minister putin has said he hasn't ruled out another run for the presidency in 2012. all the more reason that while mr. obama may want to focus on the current russian president, he cannot ignore the powerful prime minister. jeremy and vinita? >> yunji, curious of getting sense what the russian people think of the new american president. >> reporter: it's very interesting because recent polling suggests the majority of russians have a very favorable vi

mr. medvedev.e told the associated press he wants to reset america's relationship with russia. >> it's time to move forward in a new direction. i think medevdev understands that. i think putin has one foot in the old ways of doing business and one foot in the new. >> reporter: the leaders are meeting to discuss nuclear disarmament, the growing threats of north korea and iran. they'll also focus on afghanistan. the u.s. wants guaranteed access to key supply routes that run through russian territories as they ramp up the fight against the taliban. on those key issues, analysts say mr. obama must deal directly with putin and he must be tough. >> this is going to be a real leadership test for him because this is going to test really how tough, really cold-blooded he can be. >> reporter: prime minister putin has said he hasn't ruled out another run for the presidency here in 2012. all the more reason that, while obama may want focus on russia's current president, he cannot ignore the powerful prime mini

mr. medvedev danced around it. that's because his press conference was all about trying to highlight where they agree in dealing with iran's nuclear program, still something where they are not exactly on the same page, wolf. >> i find it significant that the president took the first lady and his two daughters with him on this important visit to moscow right now, a symbolic gesture, obviously interesting to the first lady and sasha and malia, but also it does underscore perhaps the desire to improve this relationship which has been strained over the past few years. >> absolutely. bringing the family, getting them involved, that certainly brings it on a personal level to get beyond some of the rancor that dominated in recent years. president obama shielding his kids, but because of the summer months, they are not going to miss time in the classrooms. it seemed a good opportunity to let them soak in this history. >> next stop will be italy and ghana and africa, important for the gung girls to see what's going on, espe

mr. medvedev. yes, he is weak. you are right. that's why he was -- like his successor.e other hand, he's younger. he had no experience in kgb. and he has experience in business. which is great news. and this is a window of opportunity. and i think that to use such kind of opportunity will be quite smart position. >> thank you so much, boris. >> thank you. >> we will be right back. >>> now for our question of the week. last week i asked you whether you approve of the moves treasury secretary geithner has made so far. after something of a rocky start, we wondered, do you think he's doing better? the answer from gps viewers i'm afraid is a resounding no. almost unanimously our viewers were critical of secretary geithner with many opining he should be replaced. perhaps today's interview change add few minds. my question for this week is actually a question i raised at the top of the show. is the u.s. stimulus large enough? do you think it will eventually work or do you think we need a second stimulus as many on capitol hill and many economists are suggesting? let me know. a

mr. medvedev. have an idea what exactly the agenda will be once he does land? >> reporter: well, the really key issue here is going to be that nuclear disarmament treaty. the current one expires in december. we do not expect them to have a full treaty by the end of the summit but if they can figure out a road map, if they can figure out a road to get there, that will be significant. >> yunji de nies live from moscow this morning. thank you. >> in los angeles michael jackson's mother will be in court today hoping to get control of her son's fortunes. meanwhile fans lucky enough to have won tickets to the pop star's memorial tomorrow must be there to pick them up today. ryan owens reports. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands of michael jackson fans are anxiously awaiting word they are among the chosen few randomly selected to attend tuesday's memorial service. more than 1.6 million people applied online. less than 1%, 17,500, will get inside. >> i realize the chance i will get it is really, really low.

mr. medvedev. you are right. on the other hand he is younger, he has no experience in kgb and he has experience in business, which is great news. this is a window of opportunity and i think that to use such opportunity will be quite smart position. >> thank you so much boris nemtsov from moscow. >> thank you. >> we'll be right back. ♪ is to get as far away from it all as possible. don't let erectile dysfunction get in the way. ♪ viva viagra! viagra, america's most prescribed ed treatment, can help you enjoy... a more satisfying sexual experience. ready to talk to your doctor? find out how at viagra.com ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. don't take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain... as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. side effects may include headache, flushing, upset stomach, and abnormal vision. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting... more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away... if you experien

mr. obama and president medvedev which will begin in the next hour. we'll bring that to you live just as soon as that happens. >>> saying good-bye to the king of pop. millions of people want to be at the statements center tomorrow but only 8,750 fans will get tickets today to attend the memorial service. meanwhile, michael's mother, katherine jackson, will go to court today regarding michael's estate. let's begin with how the ticket process works and then we'll talk about his mother. >> okay. a lot of developments out here. heidi, the number of people that are expected to watch this, it's just massive, unprecedented. many analysts now say hundreds of millions of people expected on tv and online to watch the service. as you mentioned, just under 9,000 people, the lucky ones that actually have these tickets. they were notified via e-mail, given a secret pass code. they will have to go to dodgers stadium and go to that with a secret i.d. number and wrist band. they will try to assure that none of the tickets are resold. if the wrist bands are damaged or

mr. medvedev, hang on one second, i think we're going to get something out of this. >> and the decision has been adopted on setting up the joint russia-u.s. presidential commission to develop cooperation. >> translator: gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen of the press, colleagues, we have just completed our negotiations with the u.s. president. the first visit of u.s. president barack obama in russia was a very busy one. the first day showed that we managed to discuss all the items of our agenda, and it was a very big one. i would like from the outset to say that there was a very useful and very open business-like conversation. this no doubt was a meeting that has been expected both in this country and the united states of america. and on which, not only the future of our two country defense, but also to a larger extent the trends of world development. i would like to emphasize once again. of course, the first day of negotiations, our meeting one-on-one and limited composition and larger composition were very open and sincere. and this is extremely important. we have agreed that we will continu

nuke lear arsenals by as much as a third, signed by president obama and russian president dmitry medvedev. mr >> once you do that, then you've got an international community that is collectively focused on the issue so that when we approach north korea or iran, it is as a united front. >> reporter: the president also prodded this government-controlled nation to become more democratic. in a speech today he said governments that serve their own people survive, those that seven their own power do not. chip reid, cbs news, moscow. >> couric: and i'll be back with the music and magic of michael jackson. to a good breakfast. one coffee with room, one large mocha latte. medium macchiato, light hot chocolate hold the whip, and two espressos. make one a double. she's fiber focused! i have two cappuccinos, one coffee with room, one large mocha latte, a medium macchiato, a light hot chocolate, hold the whip, and two espressos, one with a double shot. gonna take more than coffee to stay this focused. stay full and focused through the morning... with a breakfast of kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats® cereal;

mr. obama and medvedev each head into the meeting with plans to cut nuclear weapons.'s important because an existing treaty regulating the number of long range weapons -- >> i think it shows americans have a lot in common and people themselves want to see better relationships between the countries on a geopolitical basis. >> reporter: the u.s. president will negotiate matters between two countries with two russian leaders. medvedev is the president. but prime minister putin is considered key decisionmaker. obama will meet with putin even though protocol doesn't demand the visit. >> he will spend more quality time with mr. putin and really understanding what makes this guy tick. >> reporter: the leaders will also discuss north korea, iran and afghanistan. the u.s. hopes russia will lend territory and air space to help fight the taliban. abc news, washington. >>> still ahead on "good morning maryland" -- after the death of a close friend an unusual pair becomes best friends for life. the story just ahead. >>> and coming up new at 6:00 on "good morning maryland" -- a sto

mr. obama's equal is russian president medvedev. the two met face to face briefly in london in april. but it's generally accepted that former president and current prime minister va lood mere putin is the real power. mr. obama is hoping his newly warm relationship with medvedev changes putin's attitude, which has been more adversarial. >> i think that it's important that even as we move forward with president medvedev that putin understands that the old cold war approaches to u.s./russian relations is outdated. >> reporter: the business of this trip is something right out of the cold war. meet a december 2009 dlooin to come up with a new arms restriction treaty known as s.t.a.r.t. or as some are wanting to symbolically call it, new s.t.a.r.t. then the president heads to the g-8. when in rome, mr. obama will also have an audience with the pope. the last stop is ghana, a west african country that u.s. presidents have showcased recently as a model of democracy and for its symbolic importance to african-americans recalling the history of the slave trade there. but the success of this trip

mr. medvedev, the president and president obama seem to be getting along quite well.eneration, young and lawyers. and that is important. >> absolutely. all right. jill, appreciate it. thank you. still to come in the newsroom, a soldier and little boy write to each other from far away but become more than just pen pals, they become teacher and student. poor leg circulation. doctor says it's p.a.d. peripheral artery disease? hmmm. more than doubles your risk for a heart attack or stroke. so i hear. better ask your doctor about plavix. plavix can help protect you from a heart attack or stroke. plavix helps keep blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots, the cause of most heart attacks and strokes. my cousin the m.d. call your doctor about plavix. (male announcer) if you have a stomach ulcer or other condition that causes bleeding, you should not use plavix. when taking plavix alone or with some other medicines including aspirin, the risk of bleeding may increase so tell your doctor before planning surgery. and, always talk to your doctor before taking aspi

mr. medvedev, right? >> exactly. >> whether it's power sharing or not. john harwood, thanks very much.ohn will be with us through the day. >>> heard on k street, john his on deck. we need to consider if the economy does not recover as consensus expects in the second half. >>> then your best market moves now to profit in the second half and beyond. we've got your cnbc edge. and a small-cap hot hand tells us how his high quality growth strategy is paying off in he's volatile markets. five-star fund is up more than 20% this year. "squawk on the street," live from the financial capital of the world. >>> our next guest says even though it appears the economy has stabilized that is a very different thing than actually getting better. and it could still take another turn for the worse. so, he's come up with four scenarios that investors should consider if the u.s. does not recover in the second half of this year. john hilsenrath is with the "wall street journal." good to have you with us. >> the reason for pulling this up is aed what pretty dismal job numbers last week. they weren't as bad as

mr. obama is driving a edge between medvedev and putin. >> the old cold war is outdated.ink medvedev understands that. i think putin has one foot in the old ways of doing business and one foot in the new. >> mr. obama is lobbying for russian cooperation in iran's nuclear cooperation. a topic in italy for the g-8 summit. other major issues will be the financial crisis, climate change and evidents to wipe out global poverty. he will have an appearance with pope benedict, sure to garner national attention. ed henry, cnn, washington. >>> the coast guard rescued a kayaker who is making a trip around the world. a chopper picked the man up from the coast of alaska. the french kayaker called for rescue after a few days in rough seas. he became too exhausted to paddle. he tried to go around the world using a kayak and a bike. >>> new orleans musicians are paying tribute to michael jackson. the icons of the big easy music scene are talking about the difference he made in their lives. >>> a deadly accident at walt disney world in florida where two monorail trains collide in an early

dimitry medvedev also welcomed mr.bama's ballistic missile review. >> before we just heard that all the concessions have been made. they do not concern you. >> but not all is sweetness and light here. the president said he had a frank, that means cold exchange with president dimitry medvedev over georgia saying the ter tore qual integrity and sovereignty must be on respected in the future. there is fallout there as well. for the first time since the united states suspended military cooperation with russia after it invaded georgia in august 2008, those have been restarted and the u.s. and russia expect to have 20 exchanges this year alone. bret: frank discussions are always a little chilly. so far it has always been about dimitry medvedev but tomorrow there is time for the president to meet with vladimir putt tifn. what can you tell us about that? >> that's right, bret. usually when a u.s. president meets a prime minister, it is a diplomatic formality, an expression of kindness, but not here in russia because putin issu

mr. medvedev. but for some of the really tough issues, things that we are more -- that we're deeply concerned about russian behavior, and that our very, very high priorities for our interest, got to find a way for mr. obama to convey that to mr. putin. >> on the table, diffusing tension over a u.s. missile defense shield in europe, pursuing a new nuclear arms reduction treaty and helping with the war in afghanistan. president obama sees russian cooperation in keeping iran's nuclear ambitions in check. but can he get them to agree to a possible economic sanctions. a positive sign, russia voting with the u.s. against tougher sanctions against north korea after the recent nuclear test. mr. obama telling european allies. >> i've reaffirmed our commitment to a more substantive relationship with russia, working with the russian government on issues where we agree and honestly working on those areas where we disagree. >> reporter: kiran there are signs of goodwill. a new agreement allowing u.s. to use rus

mr. medvedev would remind them of the date which set off a bomb in new mexico because we have to get somef these nuclear bombs off the planet. it is flat out terrible. host: this rector on twitter -- this writer writes on twitter. good morning, on our line for independents. what you think the president's goals and objectives should be in his first trip as president to russia? caller: i think it is a nice attempt to show the people that the united states is painting a picture, that even if they want to get rid of the nuclear weapons -- we're the ones who invented these things. so, every other country in the world will try to follow suit. host: do we set the example and reduce our nuclear weapons, or do we say to other countries that we will reduce our is when you reduce your stacks caller: i think we have surpassed that, that as long as we have nuclear- weapons the others will continue to develop them. everyone wants to follow suit to do with the united states is doing and has been for decades. as long as we continue to have them of their countries like iran, afghanistan, pakistan, india -

mr. obama only met once with this currents president medvedev in april and now, mr. and secretary of state clinton keep talking about hitting the restart button with russia on relations but the russians are still afraid the u.s. policy is based on having a weak country over there. and now other issues to watch, big ones, obama wants russia to get tough on iran, though the two have been partners, and medvedev wants the u.s. to rule out military alliances with the ukraine and georgia. former soviet republics and neither part is giving an inch so far. >> jamie: of course a big trip, and we'll be talking shortly with the former ambassador to the vatican about the meeting with the pope and what else does he have on the i tinary. >> while in italy he'll be at the g8 meeting and big topics there, economy and climate change and meeting with the pope as you said and then, on friday, he heads to ghana an africa to talk about relations with that continue then. >> jamie: following all the details as the president gets ready to depart. thank you. >> eric: a "fox news alert" now,

mr. medvedev, but at least mr. obama is giving him the courtesy to meet with him. tomorrow, with mr.utin. so she is taking his bets, meeting with both of them. host: let us hear from the callers. on the independent line, carmen from indiana. caller: i see we had the heritage foundation again. all of these people from the think tank -- the think tanks, what they do this so thoughtful for america. when i think about what they do for america, i get so frustrated and disgusted. i cannot the way you keep letting these eric h. foundation people back on. they are the ones that started nafta. now they want to get involved with russia. everything they do is to exploit resources of other countries and they also put a tax on american people. you are the ones that put us into this massive debt. imf at c-span for letting these people back on -- i am mad at c- span for letting these people back on. host: can you explain what the heritage foundation is to our viewers? guest: absolutely. we are an independent research institution. we cover politics with a conservative point of view resting on thre

medvedev has said. it was consistent. >> translation, mr. obama would not and could not take to the bank what he heard yesterday from president dimitry medvedev until putin verified it. on missile defense, senior obama officials say russia is moving closer to seeing iran as a potential nuclear threat. mr. obama is reviewing plans to build iner interaccept interceptors in poland. u.s. officials reject that but have offered russia flexibility in the final staging of those interaccept stores -- interceptors. >> in terms of missile defense, there is a chance for collaboration on this issue. >> on proposed cuts in nuclear warheads and bombers and missiles, mr. obama vowed not to give up warheads for obsolete russian ones or trade away bombers and subs that can deliver non-nuclear payloads. >> everything that we are doing is being thoroughly scrubbed by our nuclear experts, by our defense department. we will not do anything that endangers our national security. >> back to that lecture from putin, it got started when president obama asked what he th

mr. obama said he trusted medvedev to a point. >> president medvedev and i are committed to leaving behind the suspicion and the rivalry of the past so we can advance the interests that we hold in common. >> reporter: now, brian, tomorrow the president meets with prime minister vladimir putin. now, today the president was quite nimble in trying to deal with the question of whether medvedev or putin really hold the power here. he said, quote, my strong impression is that president medvedev and prime minister putin are working very effectively togeth. i think he'll get a firsthand look about putin tomorrow, brian. >> all right. chuck todd at the meeting of these two leaders in moscow tonight. thanks. >>> we'll have more on just who is in charge in russia these days a bit later on in this broadcast tonight. >>> now to domestic politics and the bombshell from alaska governor sarah palin's announcement. she's quitting her job, getting out of the game. but why, and then what? our own andrea mitchell is in wasilla, alaska, tonight with more on that story. andrea, good evening. >> reporter: good e

mr. obama met with his russian counterpart, dimitriy medvedev. the two world leaders announced they plan to reduce the number of their country's nuclear warheads by as much as one- third. >>> the nations has something to say about north creigh's missile tests. >>> we'll continue to learn oe abot ere rdstmuf ev mcnair. you are watching fox 5 morning news.  >>> making headlines this morning, we're learning more about the murder of former baltimore ravens quarterback, steve mcnair. he was found shot to death inside his girlfriend's nashville condominium over the weekend. her dead body was lying beside him. here is mcnair vacationing with 20-year-old sahel kazemi three months ago. police say she bought a semiautomatic handgun two nights before the shooting but tts not clear if it was the same weapon found the scene. mcnair's wife is said to be distraught and keeping quiet. >>> a manassas woman has pleaded guilty to killing her adopted daughter. 13-year-old lexy glover was found aded de na prince willia county creek. in

i think medvedev understands that. >> reporter: mr. obama is also lobbying for cooperation, a subject that will also be a major topic in the midding of the week at the president's second stop, italy for the g-8 summit. other issues will be financial cry circumstance climate change and efforts to wipe out global poverty. next friday he'll have a private audience with the pope and then head to ghana. t.j.? brooke? >> we'll have more this evening. reynolds? it's going to be okay for him. certainly in better parts of the southeast although it's going to be looking pretty this evening. if you look outside, you can see gray skies, pretty gloomy in some places, but that's not a bad thick. clear down to downtown atlanta, parts of florence, just north of birmingham and over toward hoover we're seeing rain. heavy storms west of tupelo, elvis presley's home town, don't you know. the reason why we're seeing that precipitation is pretty simple. we have a stationary front, cold front and warm front. we have plenty of moisture coming in. combined wit

mr. obama appears to be trying to work through some of the sticking points by driving a bit of a wedge between medvedev and putin who's still around as prime minister. >> the old cold war approaches to u.s.-russian relations is outdated. it's time to move forward in a different direction. i think medvedev understands that. i think putin has one foot in the old ways of doing business and one foot in the new. >> reporter: mr. obama also lobbying for russian cooperation in dealing with iran's nuclear program. that of course will be a major topic of discussion at the president's second stop in the middle of the week when he goes to italy for the g-8 summit. in addition to iran, of course afghanistan, as well as the financial crisis, climate change, and the industrialized nations trying to wipe out global poverty, all major topics of discussion there. the president will wrap up his trip next weekend in ghana. obviously there will be a lot of international attention on a visit to ghana by the first african-american president. ed henry, cnn, moscow. >>> as for the vice president, joe biden, admitting the obam

mr. obama's approach may be reaping fruits. the white house says presidents obama and medvedev agreed to cut nuclear weapon stock piles by as much new tone for helping to gain some progress on ending nuclear threat from iran and north korea, despite recent north korean missile launches. >> on north korea what we saw was very strong unanimity around a very strong sanctions regime that two or three years ago might not have been imposed by either china or russia. we're going to have to see whether a country like russia, for example, is willing to work with us to apply pressure on iran. >> reporter: the challenges are daunting but mr. obama hopes his new efforts toin gauge russia will create an important ally out of a country that was an arch enemy. president obama will only be halfway through his trip. he's expected to meet with the pope at the vatican before traveling to africa. >> china's president has cut short his trip to the summit in italy because of the worsening ethnic fight at home. violence broke out in western china as sobbing muslim women scuffled with riot police. >> a diplomatic solution could be in the works to resol

. >> woodruff: medvedev did not directly name iran, but mr.bama did, when it came turn for his response. >> in the middle east, there is deep concern about iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons capability, not simply because of one country wanting nuclear weapons, but the fact that if iran obtained nuclear weapons, it is an almost, it is almost certain that other countries in the region would then decide to pursue their own programs. and we would then see a nuclear arms race in perhaps the most volatile part of the world. >> woodruff: the u.s. has cited that threat as justification for placing a missile defense system in eastern europe. but russia opposes any such plan, and there was no official resolution today. >> the difference that we've had has been on the specifics of a missile defense system that the united states views as a priority not to deal with russia but to deal with a missile coming in from iran or north korea or some other state, and that it's important for the united states and its allies to have the capacity to prevent such a str

. >> president medvedev and i are committed to leaving behind suspicion and a rivalry. >> congratulations, senator. >> mr. al franken, the washington post and gov. sarah palin leaves you know. >> i will not shut any door. >> the nation's unemployment rate is currently at 9.5% and currently headed to double digits. with the president out of the country vice-president biden conceded the initial predictions that unemployment would peak at 8.5% were too optimistic. >> the truth is, we and everyone else must read -- miss read the economy. >> this is the greatest abdication i have seen. >> the question is, do we need a second stimulus? >> the first stimulus bill was like taking a half a tablet of niagara and have also a budget can be mixed and. >> that is warren buffett, they are called -- the oracle omaha. dempf the president said he and his advisers did not mislead the economy but he did say they had incomplete information about how bad things were. but it claims he would have not done anything differently even if they had more information. how long will voters way before they try to exact retribution? we al

. >> president medvedev and i are committed to leaving bind the uspicion and relry of the past. congratulation >> mr. franken goes to washington and gov. palin leaves juneau. >> i don't know what the future holds. i will not shut any door. tba >> the nation's unemployment rate is currently at 9% and probably headed forouble digit. with the president of the country, vice president biden conceded the itial predictions that unemployment would peak at 8.5% were too optimistic. >> the truth is, we and everyone se must read the economy. >> this is the greatest abcation i have seen since 've been in congress. >> the question w is, do we need second smulus? >> theirst in limbo was like taking half a tabl of viagra and also having can be mixe and. >> warren buffett,alf a tablet viaa -- like a metaphor. previn and obama says his and s advisers didot misad the econom as biden says, but it diday they h incomplete formation about how bad things were. nevertheless, he claims he wodn't have done anything differently even if the hav more informaon. the question , howong will the ters would until they begin to exact

medvedev. he has formal power but vladimir putin has influential putin. mr. obama will meet with him tomorrow in an important test of diplomacy, the first of its kind since the early part of george w. bush's presidency. we will keep you informed. >> investigators are waiting for the autopsy results of two men found in a burning home inci upr marlboro. they were killed late saturday night after a fire at the home on wheeling avenue. it took about 45 minutes for firefighters to bring it under control. when the home was searched they discovered the bodies. friends and neighbors are shaken by the tragedy. >> my heart was empty right now. it really does. i don't know. what can you say? >> the blaze was so intense it melted the siding on nearby holes. the names of the victims have not been released. authorities are trying to determine what sparked the fire. d.c. fire officials believe a natural gas leak may have caused an explosion that levelled a northwest home saturday night. that caused more than a million dollars in damage to the home near rock creek park. the

. >> president medvedev and i are committed to leaving behind this the shouldn't read -- the suspicion and revelry. >> congratulations. >> mr. l franken comes to washington and gov. sarah palin decides to leave. >> i'm not going to shut any door. >> the nation's unemployment rate is currently at 9.5% and probably had it to double digits with. what the president out of the country vice-president biden conceded the initial predictions that unemployment would peak at 8.5% were too optimistic. >> the truth is we and everyone else misread the economy. >> now, this is the greatest abdiation i seen since i've been in congress. >> the question now is, do we need a second singles? >> the first in less bill was sort of like taking a half a tablet of by agra, you know, and having a budget can be mixed in. >> that is warren buffett, the oracle of omaha -- half of tablet of viagra -- metaphor. obama did say the had an incomplete and -- information of how bad things are. but nevertheless he claims he would not have done anything differently, even if he had more information. the question is, how long will the voters wait until they exact

mr. obama is trying to work through sticking points by driving a wedge between medvedev and putin. >> the old cold war approaches to the u.s./russian relations is outdated. time to move forward in a different direction. medvedev understands that. i think putin has one foot in the old ways of doing business and one foot in the new. >> reporter: mr. obama is lobbying for russian cooperation in dealing with iran's nuclear program. it will be a topic at the g-8 summit. next friday the president will have his first audience with pope benedict before moving on to ghana. it will be a historical moment to garner national attention. >> marion berry back in news and back in custody. former d.c. mayor now a council member in d.c. we're told now that he was arrested last night after a woman complained of something like a stalker. so he was actually charged on a misdeamnor charge of stalking. you'll remember marion berry, his legal problems are far and wide but they kind of all started back in 1990 when he was arrested on drug charges. he's had a number of brushes with the law again in the subsequent

president obama is kicking off his international tour, first stop russia, meeting with medvedev, tomorrow with putin. so far, mr obama's visit has generated $1.5 billion worth of deals. pepsi says it's planning to invest $1 billion in russia to open a new plant, john deere says it's going to build a tractor factory there, shares of pepsi are trading higher, deere part of the selloff today down about 2.25%. >> if those companies are betting on russia, should you? let's meet two of the street's most respected russian investors. once the largest western investor in russia for over a decade. he now has about $50 million invested in that country. and john conner with third millennium russia fund another long-time russia investor with $50 million in assets under management. thank you, gentlemen for joining us. it strikes me that both of you have obviously had success in russia, but you also both have cautionary tales. john, i'll start with you. you make the point that a lot of time it's hot money that goes into russia. goes in quickly and comes out quickly. is it the place for the individual investor, then? >> well,

mr. obama will meet with the christian president, medved medvedev. the u.s. and russia have agreed on the outlines of a new nuclear arms control deal. one agreement expired in december. joining us to look ahead is david clark, chair of the russia foundation on the phone from oxford. david, thanks for zoibing us. although this meeting is there to agree to a new nuclear arms deal. what is the most important part? what are we trying to see or get achieved here? >> well, president obama, shortly after he was inaugurated, said he wanted to press the reset button with relations on russia which is to say that he wanted to overcome all of the tensions that had built up between the bush add mip administration and russia and make a new state based on common interests that they could work towards and one that would be free of tensions that had man faftd themselves in the previous eight years. and i guess the summit really is an attempt to try and set out an agenda and a framework in which that new agenda and that fresh start can be built. >> mr. putin has said mr. obama

with president medvedev, the real power in russia is held by prime minister vladimir putin, whom the president will join for breakfast on tuesday. their relations could be tense following mrama's assertion last week that mr. putin was one foot in the outdated, old ways of doing business. asked if that comment could be taken as an insult it would make negotiations even more difficult, a white house official said no, that it will simply pressure mr. putin to show he's, "a modern guy." chip reed, cbs news, moscow. >>> the ousted president of honduras, manuel se lie ya was turned back when he tried to return home. zelaya's backers battled security forces at the airport yesterday. at least one man was killed. when zelaya arrived, his plane was backed. he headed to el salvador. >>> in western china, a muslim ethnic group battled police in a deadly confrontation. the province has been the scene of ethnic unrest and calls for a separate political state. government officials say at least 140 people were killed in yesterday's rioting. the muslims had gathered to demand an investigation for a fight at a factory last month. the latest from beijing. >> reporter: in northwest china, a

medvedev has formal power this but prime minister vladimir putin has influential input on how russia is run. mr. obama will meet with him tomorrow. the two-day summit is the first of its kind since the early part of george w. bush's presidency. >> investigators are waiting for the autopsy results of two men found in a burning home in upper marlboro. they were killed late saturday night after a fire at a hem on wheeling avenue. it tookirefighters about 45 minutes to bring the fire under control. when crews searched the home they discovered the bodies of the two men. friend and neighbors are shaken by the tragedy. >> my heart just feels empty right now. really does. i don't know. what can you say? >> the blaze was so intense that it melted the sidings on nearby holes. the victim names have not been released. authorities are trying to determine what sparked the fire. meanwhile, d. krchc. fire offic believe a natural gas leak may have caused an explosion that leveled a northwest home saturday. that blaze cause more than a million dollars in damage to the home near rock creek park. the force shatter

medvedev is the president but prime minister putin is regarded as a key decisionmaker. obama will meet with putin even though protocol doesn't demand the visit. >> obama would spend better time with mr. putin. >> reporter: the leaders will also discuss north korea, iran and afghanistan. the u.s. hopes russia will lend territory and air space to help fight the taliban. emily schmidt, abc news, washington. >>> it's a real estate deal that sounds too good to be true. it's estimated this house in dallas, texas would sell for $500,000 if it were in perfect shape but the current owner says he'll give it away to anyone who can move it. >> to move it they would actually cut the top and cut one of the sides, is what the movers told me. then put the three pieces on a trailer and then haul them off. >> here's the deal -- we're told it will cost $100,000 to move the house. it's been on the market for three years. while plenty of people checked it out there still have been no buyers. >>> abc2 news is working for you to help you out in these tough times. you can find money-saving tips on our "financial survival guide," on abc2news.com. from there you can find work from home, jobs that will really

trus president medvedev to not only listen and to negotiate nstructively, but also to followhrough on the agreements that are contaed here today. >> the personalelationship betweemr. obamand mredev was just part of the intrigue today in moscow. the leaders announced a framework for arms control agreements >>> now tohe bigger picture, that framework foar control. it came with the current u.s./russian treaty s to expire indecember. but now they hav signed a preliminary deal to reduce their countries' stopile of nuclear weapons by as mucas a third. e russians have also agree to allow e u.s. to fly tops and weapons througrussia to afghanistan. joininus from washgton is ambassador steven piper acting director othe center of the united states and europe at the bookings instute. his foreign service career includes 25 years at state dertment and servg as ambassador in e ukrae. thank you for joining us. >> thank you. i'm happy to be with you. >> it's a pleasure. what do you ma of this compromise we saw today? manypele expected it, but obviously a powerful message hearing the presidt today. >> well, this understanding o ducing stregic nucle forces is a good step. if you g back to 1991

medvedev four times. he never once mentioned prime minister putin. i asked him was that your indirect way, mr. swering the question you tried to dodge yesterday who really is in charge? russia? here is the president's answer. >> i think that the president medvedev is my counter part the president of russia. the prime minister who i just met today obviously still has enormous influence. interestingly, nothing putin said contradicted anything that medvedev has yesterday. it was consistent. now that is absolutely fascinating, guys. that's absolutely fascinating for a couple of reasons. first of all, if, in fact, prime minister putin had said something that contradicted what president medvedev said to president obama just yesterday in their very first summit here in moscow that would be sensational news. the fact that it was an open question that in fact there was a potential that prime minister putin could trump the president of russia. president medvedev is a fascinating look into the way the u.s. administration views this tandem of power here in russia. the fact that they were consistent in what

and finally with presiden medvedev, he made very agreements.rogress on tangible we should n minimize these. they are important. >> mrmuch. >> you are so happyight now. that's great. >>> coming up, we will go to the staples centerhere the king of pop will be remembed hours from no but first aheck with erin burnett when we contin. these days, people are catching on to walmart's unatab prices. unbeatable pces on groriries. unbeatatle prices on thehengs your familyy needs every day. no wonr r wo is gettinaround. sasa m mon. live better. waart. ♪ [ female annouer ] arthritis rgets your body where it's wk. where it's vulneble. ♪ tylenol arthtis works withour body tolock the pain, thout interfering with certain high blood pressurure medicis li ale sometimes can. ♪ soouou don just feel better, you feel betetter owowg doctorrereend tylenol more than any other bran of pain relier ♪ right now, all over the country, discover card customs are gettin 5% cashback bonus at theump. now more than er, it pays toiscover. >>>> theree it is. new yorkrk cy,y, the big apple.. a beautiful rm summer day.y. sowhere through th haze y will find

mr. obama who's really in charge here in russia, the president didn't miss a beat. >> my understanding is that president medvedevminister is the prime minister. and they allocate power in accordance with russia's form of government, in the same way that we allocate power in the united states. >> reporter: after their breakfast, i asked mr. putin how his first encounter with mr. obama went. >> translator: we have many points we agree on. >> reporter: cnn's ed henry asked mr. obama what he thought about mr. putin. >> i found him to be tough, smart, very unsentimental. >> reporter: president obama and prime minister putin may not be walking in lockstep, but at least they're not tripping each other up. jill dougherty, cnn, moscow. >>> we want to get to our paula newton, she's on the phone with us from the site of the g-8 summit. and, paula, a lot of concerns about the global economy and whether the global stimulus packages enacted by a number of these countries and the leaders of these countries, whether those plans are actually working. i'm imagining that is at the top of the agenda for this meeting. >> it is, abso

mr. obama placed a wreath at russia's tomb of the unknown soldier. he then went to the kremlin to meet with russian president medvedevhole host of issues, including security issues, economic issues. discovering we have more in common than we have differences. >> the russians have agreed to allow the u.s. to use russian territory and air space to move arms into afghanistan. >>> a judge has given the green light to a plan for general motors to quickly emerge from bankruptcy. the profitable assets would be sold to a new company under government ownership. it rejected objections from bond holders and dealers. a four-day stay of the order could allow the sale as early as thursday. >>> and roger federer has now won more grand slam tennis championships than anyone in history. the 27-year-old from switzerland did it from winning wimbledon yesterday in a marathon match against andy roddick. it was quite a match. federer now has 16 championships, 6 of them at wimbledon. pete sampras, the guy who held the former record, was there in the stand to watch it all happen. >>> katie couric has a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news.