new mexico new mexico visited l.a. in 1990 after his release from prison. it's a visit that still r resonates with many today. brian rooney has more >> reporter: they remembered new mexico new mexico all day here at the first ame church in los angeles. they say they have felt a special connection to him here. they took inspiration from him during the civil rights days here in america, and they prayed for him and gave him their support all those years when he was in prison. and, of course, it was a big event here when only a few months after he got out of prison, he came to visit this church. it does beg the question how you memorialize this man in just one sermon. we spoke earlier to senior pastor j. edgar boyd? >> i he dismantled with the prison cell with the help of those here in america and other parts of the world, the giant, the you know grateful and the wronged giant of apartheid. he disassembled it and brought about hope, and it brought about liberation not only for himself but for peace-loving people throughout south africa. >> new mexico new mexico had been out of the public eye for many years before he died but there are parishioners here who met him an

new mexico new mexico has one of the worst situations with poverty the united states we do we do we are. forty seven forty eight forty nine or fifty at the pending on what measures get used but the recent information that is really most frightening is now we're fiftieth in the nation in child wellbeing so we really are mortgaging the future of our children so your group in new mexico what are you doing well we're doing many different things with the children specifically one of the things that we are about to launch is what we called child savings accounts and what we want to do is seed a future for every child in new mexico so in that the idea is that children who are born in new mexico all children not unlike thomas payne would talk about it should be for everyone would have a savings account and that that's. things count would be incentivised matched incentives something that really helps to grow because low income people have very little to save even though it's been demonstrated that they're able to save they have very little and it needs to be incentivized and the idea with that is that. it has been demonstrated that children who have a savings account in their own name are seven times more likely to matriculate in post-secondary education the children don't have that and the most interesting thing about that research done by dr willie elliott at the

new mexico new mexico has one of the worst situations with poverty the united states we do we do we are. forty seven forty eight forty nine or fiftieth depending on what measures get used but the recent information that is really most frightening is now we're fiftieth in the nation in child wellbeing so we really are mortgaging the future of our children so your group in new mexico what are you doing well we're doing many different things with the children specifically one of the things that we are about to launch is what we called child savings accounts and what we want to do is seed a future for every child in new mexico so in that the idea is that children who are born in new mexico all children not unlike thomas payne would would talk about it should be for everyone would have a savings account and that that savings account would be incentivized matched incentives something that really helped to grow because low income people have very little to save even though it's been demonstrated that they're able to save they have very little and it needs to be incentivized and the idea with that is that. it has been demonstrated that children who have a savings account in their own name are seven times more likely to matriculate in post-secondary education that children don't have that and the most interesting thing about that research done by dr willie elliott

new mexico new mexico has one of the worst situations with poverty the united states we do we do we are. forty seven forty eight forty nine or fiftieth depending on what measures get used but the recent information that is really most frightening is now we're fiftieth in the nation in child wellbeing so we really are mortgaging the future of our children so your group in new mexico what are you doing well we're doing many different things with the children specifically one of the things that we are about to launch is what we called child savings accounts and what we want to do is seed a future for every child in new mexico so in that the idea is that children who are born in new mexico all children not unlike thomas payne would would talk about it should be for everyone would have a savings account and that that savings account would be incentivized matched incentives something that really helped to grow because low income people have very little to save even though it's been demonstrated that they're able to save they have very little and it needs to be incentivized and the idea with that is that. it has been demonstrated that children who have a savings account in their own name are seven times more likely to matriculate in post-secondary education the children don't have that and the most interesting thing about that research done by dr willie elliott

. >>> a day of prayer and reflexion for new mexico new mexico from south sfrikdz to half a world away. people honoring his legacyafricf a world away. people honoring his legacy. the same snowstorm that caused problems in the midwest is bringing dangerous weather to the

new mexico has now decided same-sex marriage will be legal in new mexico. the newcourt has just ruled the state may not deny same-sex couples the freedom to marry, saying the current laws in new mexico are unconstitutional. this ruling today is another victory clearly for gay and lesbian couples nationwide seeking to legally wed. it was a unanimous decision by the new mexico supreme court, ordering county clerks to immediately begin issuing marriage licenses to qualified same-sex couples. they join 16 states plus the district of columbia in allowing same-sex marriage. an important development out in new mexico. >>> in new york city, a lawyer for an indian diplomat is at the center of an international dispute, and that lawyer is firing right back. he's accusing marshals in new york city of heavy-handed treatment when they arrested his client on charges of visa fraud and making false accusations. the allegation she underpaid her housekeeper is just plain wrong. >> there are two contracts. one says send about $500 a month to my husband in new delhi. the other contract

new mexico still? how powerful are the echoes from spain? >> spain was in control of new mexico for far longer than mexico was. i think a lot of these neweration and 11 generation. when they look back on themselves, they think of themselves as spanish. >> those traditions, they've continued to thrive in these little pockets. we're cut off from spain. so i once worked with people from spain and they kept cutting up and snickering at me. what they told me was okay, you can knock it off with the don quixote phraseology. the equivalent of me today, talking saying "top of the morning to you, sir." >> really? >> and they were like, stop making fun of us. and i said you know what? i'm not making fun of you. that's the way we speak. we go see grandpa, that's all he knows, is 500 year ago spanish. >> maybe if we're lucky enough, we'll have grandpa play his harmonica the way he used to on the cattle drives. ♪ >> but i have a plan here on this meat. >> all right, the meat is yours. >> all right, good. ♪ >> just call me cookie. some local beef, glowing hot coals, cast iron can. >> pureed green chilies here? >> yes. >> beautiful. i'm going to throw

news continues. >>> gay and lesbian couples living in new mexico can now get hitched. new mexico joins 16 other states in d.c. when it comes to legalizing same-sex marriage. yesterday that state supreme court ruled the ban on gay marriage is discriminatory and unconstitutional. >>> well, ward cleaver has nothing on dads today. a government survey shows dads aren't just providing financial support for their family, they're taking the time to be with their children as well. they are heavily involved when it comes to being hands on parents. they say they give baths, change diapers, help with toilet children, dress their children. basically they're being a parent. among dads with children ages 5 to 18, half take them to and from activities and two-thirds help with homework. >>> you want a nice weekend to tailgate? erica grow has the details on that. boy, it's going to be a good one and christmas is almost here. pretty wild. >> i hope the redskins and rairveggens games -- ravens games are going to be as good as the weather is going to be. temperatures nearing the 70- degree mark. can

new mexico before the supreme court decision. do you think that could be a strategy used in other states, or was this because new mexico's constitution was unique, and you believed it allowed you to do this? >> well, the eight counties that are at issue, three including my county did it voluntarily, i was the first county. this is a strategy that i know has been attempted by a county clerk in pennsylvania. he began issuing licenses but he was enjoined by one of the pennsylvania district courts. so whether this is a strategy that is successful or not i think depends on the state in which you are in. >> lynn ellins, county clerk of dona ana county in new mexico, we appreciate your time. >> thank you. >> as new mexico, uganda's passed a law that makes it illegal for same sex marriage. we are joined by matthew breen and by academy award winner ross adams, god loves uganda, on a shortly list for 2014 academy awards for best documentary. they had talked about the death penalty for homosexual acts. they now passed life in prison. this is actually something supported 50 people of uganda. >> at the very, very popular by the people of uganda. i think 97% of the people of uganda want this law and they got it. but it's all fueled by the churches in uganda. >> i want to get to that in a moment. but how do they justify this? >> they justify this, they say that gay people recruit children. so they equate homosexuality with being a pedophile, with is absurd and ridiculous but that is their justification. >> a parliamentarian named david bahadi said that parliament showed courage. let's see what they say? >> i want to protect our marriages to defend

new jersey, by the way. let's go to gene in new mexico. >> boo-yah, gym. this is gene in new mexico. uestion concerns go-go. >> second call from new mexico. i got to tell you, gene. we liked the stock in the early '20s. moved up to 32. got over heated to me. i think it's pull back in the mid '20s. approval in 777. a lot of different plains. keeps driving the stock. i want to wait. let's go to marvin in new jersey. marvin? >> hey, cramer, big boo-yah from newark, new jersey. >> right here, yeah. >> yeah. i have a question about advanced microdevices, amd. >> it's tough here because it almost doubled and then it came back down. the quarter was bad. i still believe in it. that ladies and gentlemen, is the conclusion of the lightning round. [ male announcer ] once, there was a man who found a magic seashell. it told him what was happening on the trading floor in real time. ♪ the shell brought him great fame. ♪ but then, one day, he noticed that everybody could have a magic seashell. [ indistinct talking ] [ male announcer ] right there in their trading platform. ♪ [ indistinct talking con

new jersey, by the way. let's go to gene in new mexico. >> boo-yah, jim. this is gene in new mexico. n concerns go-go. >> it's the second call from new mexico. i got to tell you, gene. we liked the stock in the early '20s. it then moved up to 32. it got overheated to me. i think it's pulled back in the mid '20s. approval in 777. a lot of different planes. keeps driving the stock. i want to wait. let's go to marvin in new jersey. marvin? >> hey, cramer, big boo-yah from newark, new jersey. >> right here, yeah. >> yeah. i have a question about advanced microdevices, amd. >> it's tough here because it almost doubled and then it came back down. the quarter was really bad. i still believe in it. that, ladies and gentlemen, is the conclusion of the lightning round. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ tires screech ] chewley's finds itself in a sticky situation today after recalling its new gum. [ male announcer ] stick it to the market before you get stuck. get the most extensive charting wherever you are with the mobile trader app from td ameritrade. [ male announcer ] if we could see energy... what would we see? ♪ t

new 2014 volkswagen. hurry, this offer ends january 2nd. visit vwdealer.com today >>> breaking news momentsing a new mexico supreme court has declared same-sex marriage legal in new mexicoe 17th state with marriage equality, only 50 days to russian olympics vladimir putin trying to downplay the egregious crackdown on the lgtb community there. this is a day after the white house signaled its displeasure russia's policy sending a delegation to the open ceremonies which will for the first time since zero not include a former president, vice president, first lady or cabinet members. it includes three openly gay athletes, kaitlyn cahow featured in this interview with matt lauer. >> do you think you would have been choten if you were not gay? >> i can't say. i wasn't on the selection committee. there's a lot of issues i stand for. the reality is i've been selected and i'm goal to do my best to support our athletes. >> chad joins me now. great to see you. >> good to be here. >> new mexico, 17th state. the country is moving more and more in this direction. there can still be legislative turns back. >> there's no question it's historic. it's now or 17th state. 38% of americans l

new york. thank you, marlie. >>> well, three railway workers were killed when a trail deremad derailed in southern new mexico. >>> three railway workers were killed when a train derailed in southern new mexico. the train was carried iron ore when it derailed saturday in las cruces. the three victims were the only people on board. the locomotive jumps the tracks and ended up in a ditch. the others remained on the track. four turned on their side. officials say it may take several weeks to determine a krosh. >>> in scotland the death toll rowe rose to nine this morning in a helicopter crash. a police chopper crashed into a crowded nightclub in glasgow on friday. as charlie d'agata reports crews continue to comb for victims. >> reporter: beneath the debris and twisted helicopter wreckage, search teams found what they feared. deputy police chief rose fitzpatrick delivered the news. >> i can confirm that earlier this morning the body of another person was removed from the incident site. >> reporter: police warned there may be more. they released the names of some of the victims, including 36-year-old police officer kirsti nelis seen here in front of the very helicopter she died in when it tore t

newe mexico. wine a little darling of tasters around the usa. it is from new mexico. it is gruet. it is about $15 to $20. it tastes almost like champagne because you have some of the yeastryy notes. >> it is from newo. >> that is right. >> let's go all the way to france. the real champagne. in 1785.founded a gorgeous red color. it is one of the brands that you give the hostess when you go to new year's eve. it is fantastic. mostly known for the canon film festival. forlyn monroe is known wearing chanel number five at night and then woke up drinking eidsieck. it is a very bold champagne. it is from red grape varieties. it is lovely. is one of my favorites. >> and has a story about it. you can google marilyn monroe. >> that is right. that is about $40. one of my favorites and then the one that i had my wedding is charles heiseick. if you can call a champagne masculine, this is like a man- to-man. it is quite bold. it is the rich end of the section. it is $55 a bottle. eidsick had a history with the united states. he celebrated a 160 anniversary. it is part of denver. >> he owned part of denver? >> yes. it had to do something with some try of debt that some and to pay him back. he was known here in t

new mexico after voters rejected a measure that would have entirely banned late term abortions how did activists win this one. in new mexico there was a ballot initiative that was started again by christian fascists dark ages forces to ban abortion after twenty weeks and this was not only it's an attack in albuquerque new mexico women but it was an attack on women nationwide because. at this point there are only four doctors in the entire country who openly do late term abortions two of them are in albuquerque new mexico and this is for women who are really most abortions occur in the first trimester but for women who are in extreme circumstances who desperately need a late term abortion because of a health complication because they couldn't get access earlier because of all the restrictions it's a small percentage but it's a very important percentage of women so this would have been abortion at twenty weeks in albuquerque but it would have had national repercussions and i have to say it was an incredible victory and outpouring of people to defeat that initiative to stand up for women's right to abortion on demand without apology but it's sort of a bittersweet big victory because the fact that fundamental right of women could even be put up for a vote is completely illegitimate and shows how far backwa

new mexico. that video of a traffic stop turned into chaos. a new mexico police officer opening fire on a van full of children after their mother is stopped and still sped away. now, the officer has been suspended pending an investigation into that shooting. newo. >>> growing skepticism surrounding obama care. most americans doubt its problems consider fixed in the next year. >> if that is the case, what then? ed rollins, doug chin, former adviser to bill clinton. gentlemen, good day to you. the first question will be managed by my esteemed colleague. >> he's a gentleman and a scholar. >> some days. doug, 59% of people in this new poll, they say it is unlikely that obama care's problems will be fixed in 2014. they're not believing i guess the president's assurances that it's almost fixed. >> which is what's behind two initiatives. first, the 21-day sales pitch for obama care that is starting to work and the other, which is to try and change the subject and the other to talk about income equality, because it's a message the president believes pete beats the republican message of no. in what obama's trying to do is change their mind and distract them to try to minimize the political. >> that's a tough mountain to climb, don't you think? this is

new fallout from the chaotic highway shooting involving police in new mexico, firing at a car loaded with children. abc's tai hernandez has this story. >> reporter: this morning, abc news has confirmed the new mexico police officer who fired at a minivan full of kids has been fired himself. [ gunshots ] officer elias montoya arrived as backup for this october routine traffic stop that escalated way too far, way too fast. it began when 39-year-old oriana farrell was pulled over for speeding. >> you were doing 71 in a 55 back there. >> reporter: but police say she did not follow the first officer's orders. >> turn the vehicle off for me. >> reporter: not once, but twice. her van takes off. >> you're facing evading charges right now. you ran away from me, okay? >> sir, i pulled back over. i didn't run away. >> reporter: the tension escalated when her 14-year-old son scuffled with police. the back window was smashed with a baton. >> open the door. >> reporter: and the moment state police cost officer montoya his job. as the van pulls away, three shots fired. she was arrested immediately following. she's pleaded not guilty to charges of child abuse, fleeing from authorities and possession of drug parap

new mexico is the latest state to legalize same-sex marriages. that decision came down from the state's highest court. a new mexico justice ruling there are no marriage statutes in the state that ban gay marriage. laws that presented same-sex marriage are unconstitutional. new mexico is the 17th state to legalize same-sex marriage. it's also legal in the district of columbia. at the live desk, i'm scott macfarlane. >>> i'm looking at these three colors of red. you think red comes in one color, you are wrong. >> on a nice warm day. >> kind of a warm red, a warmer red and the warmest. this is the temperature trend, right? >> that's it. >> record warmth in the forecast for sunday, if you can believe it. high temperatures in the low 70s. wait until you see the seven day. it will tie the record high temperature if we hit what we are forecasting right now. look outside. just high, thin clouds in the sky, filtered sunshine. it's mostly sunny. more importantly, the temperatures, look at where we are at right now. 61 in washington. 60 in college park. 59 in rockville and 58 in gaithersburg. temperatures tonight inside the beltway by the water will not get that cool. only in the low 40s. pretty comfortably have to walk the dog late tonight or early tomorrow morning o

new mexico. the state supreme court ruled that it is unconstitutional to -- new mexico is now the 17th state to legalize gay and lesbian marriage. a deadly crash as a casino bus tour overturned on the interstate. one person is dead, 22 injured, the bus was en route to a resort casino, about 50 miles north of san diego. police say the driver was traveling 55 miles an hour, when the bus began to swerve. the driver lost control and the bus flipped on it's side. headed to trial, a michigan judge rules the man who shot a young woman on his porch, must be tried for murder. why officiating his son's wedding cost a pennsylvania minister his job. >> evey sunday night, join us for exclusive, revealing, and suprizing talks with the most interesting people of our time. this sunday, >> i spent my whole life thinking about themes and thinking about how to structure movies, so this is highly unusual. >> the director of the sixth sense, says there are five things we can do to fix education in america >> the united states has education apartheid, that's the facts... >> talk to al jazeera with m. night shayamalan sunday at 7et / 4pt on al jazeera america today.ig development it is the case of a man who shot and killed a young woman on his porch last month. the suspect is white, the victim lack. the latest from dearborn heights. on his front porch back in november. throughout his exam, the judge heard from several witnesses that more light. he tried to help mcbride, and she was bleeding but for some reason she walked away from that scene. what is unclear, is what happened from the point of that accident to the hours that passed that mcbride wound up on wafers front door. now, wafer has long maintained that he thought someone was trying to break into his home. and when he went to answer his door, his gone accidentally went offshooting mcbride. now the defense argued that wafer did not intend to shoot mcbride she also had marijuana her system. the judge in this case, he heard testimony for a day and a half, and during today's hearing he explained why he felt it necessary that wafer stand trial. take a listen. >> what are other things he could have done. well, he could have not answered the door. he could called for help. i know this is house and someone is knocking on his door. there is evidence to infer that he could have done just that, other options as opposed to shooting first. the family was in court today, they have been very vocal throughout this whole ordeal, and today, they said so farther pleased with how this case is proceeding. a pennsylvania minister is speaking out. he says he is shocked and disappointed that the united methodist decided to take away his credentials. he is calling on the church to change what he called exclusionary poll citizen. you know it took me many years of becoming a support every of her of lgbt issues soky not judge anybody. and that's what i'm seeing going on right now within our church as well. there are people that feel strongly on the other side of the issue, but i am hoping they will go through this evolution, and get to the sam place that i have come to p and expect all members to our church. >> the former pastor says he has already been invited to join several other churches. he talked about urge rest in ukraine, and the continued imprisonment members of a controversial punk band, he also made a surprise announcement as peter shape reports. >> he is already spent more than ten years in jail. it's a serious punishment. he refers to circumstances of the humanitarian nature. his mother is ill, and i think bearing in mind those circumstances, it's possible to make that decision. and i will soon sign an order about his pardon. earlier, still more good news, just two days ago he was offered $15 billion to it's trouble navy ukraine, a bail out to save victor's floundering economy from bankruptcy. apparently no strings attached. even some consolelatory words directed at the union once accused of wooing ukraine away from the russian embrace. we simply say we have to protect our economy. we cannot leave it unchanged. which arrived in prison for two years in a so called performance in the main cathedral. expected to walk free over the next few days. and the arctic 30 rounded up by police, in the freezing northern waters and the russian drilling rig, will also it seems be home for christmas. >> as for the fact that they are covered by the amnesty, and as far as i know they are covered by it, they are not doing it for them. but if they are covered that is good. >> thursday's news conference is an annual event, but it comes at a perfect time, to put presidential spin on recent events. just sick weeks before the start of the hill picks and the ar

new mexico's supreme court ruled in favor of marriage equality, making new mexico the 17th state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage. but then came today. and i don't know why this one feels different. but this one feels different. today, a federal judge in utah, yes, that utah. struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage. the very first federal ruling since the supreme court's landmark rulings this morning. this summer. state's law prohibiting the law was unconstitutional and violated the right of the people of utah. in his ruling today, less than two and a half weeks after he first heard arguments in the case, the judge set himself a self-imposed deadline that he would rule, make a decision by january 7th. it's nowhere near january 7th and he surprised everyone when he just went ahead and ruled today in a sweeping ruling. he thought apparently, there was not only no rational reason to uphold utah's gay marriage ban, but that there was no reason to wait and so, the ruling came down. surprising everyone at 2:00 local time in utah and by 3:00 local time in utah, people were getting married in that state. people who probably thought they would never, ever, ever in their entire lives ever be able to get married in utah let alone today. does this utah decision today just feel like it's a bigger deal than all the others because forgive me, it's freaking utah? or is the fact that this is a federal court ruling and that the reasoning of the ruling, does that mean this is more than just the next step? that this could be a harbinger that antigay laws around the country really are more done than we thought they were? joining us now, the chief justice professor at nyu law school. thank you for being here. am i just having an emotional reaction to the word, utah? or did something qualitatively different happen? >> i think something different happened tonight. and two regards. one is if you look at the polling with these back to which states favor same-sex marriage, utah's always on the bottom five. they never thought they would get utah in the next decade. the other thing goes to what you said, i remember sitting here in this studio on june 26th of 2013. we were sitting in adjacent chairs waiting for the supreme court to hand down the windsor case. which was admittedly somewhat ambiguous, what it would mean for same-sex marriage and this is the first time a judge has clarified. you can debate whether it was a state's decision. leads me to think of this as a gay rights. >> let me explain the why i understand what's qualitatively important about this today compared to other states. and you tell me how it got wrong. it seems to me that when we've had previous rulings, it's been state supreme courts. state courts ruling on state laws. ruling on the tenants of their own state constitutions. or like in new mexico's case, the sort of awkward situation where some courts, some clerks are going ahead, but no state law that defines it either way. seems like we all thought those types of rulings were going to run out quickly. there's always a constitutional ban that written into the state constitution that says marriage does not include gay people and so, i did not know that the windsor ruling was going to mean that those states, those more than 30 states in their constitution would see those vulnerable. >> so that is amazing. can i just start by saying i'm really sad here because i think you'd make a lot better of a law professor than i would make media anchor. you were great. and just to recap, you know, the bullets there, is exactly this notion if we were running out, same-sex rights, marriage advocates are running out because if it's in a statutory level, so that plays keep away from the united states supreme court. which we don't think is ready. so, in so far as these were statutes, it c

new mexico's supreme court unanimously rules to legalize same-sex marriage. before the ruling the state neither legalized nor banned gay marriages. new mexico is the 17th state along with washington, d.c., to legalize gay marriage. >>> hhs announcing a hardship exemption. it's for those whose insurance policies were canceled under the affordable care act and feel they cannot find affordable health insurance through the marketplace. hhs says the exemption will provide those affected a shield from the individual mandate penalty, and it will allow them to buy catastrophic plan through the marketplace. >>> the most annoying words of the year. at number five, obviously followed by just sayin'. >> that's a bad one. >> you know at number three. like at number two. and the most annoying word for the fifth straight year in a row, whatever. >> obviously. >> yolo. right, bill? >> no. >> we'll leave that one alone. >>> nework city taxi drivers are stopping traffic with these hot images. shall we satan th tantalizing drivers. >> your bar is a little lower than mine. >> the drivers at their most seductive and has sold 4,000 copies already with all the proceeds going to charity. this is one taxicab confession you don't want to miss. hey, you get a good laugh, right? >>> time now for a look ahead and a look back. the first family leaves for vacation tonight. as in past years, the obamas will spend christmas in hawaii. this time it's a 17-day visit. >>> on this day in 1989, invading panama to capture noriega as reported by tom brokaw on nbc. >> american military forces, a nighttime invasion of panama and sporadic fighting continuing this evening. but noriega remains at large tonight. >> have a great weekend. >>> armed and amount run. right now the search is on for five men involved in a violent home invasion robbery in fremont. how the thieves got away, coming up. >>> plus you can not giving up hope. the maj

new mexico has become the latest state to allow same-sex marriage. the supreme court said it is unconstitutional to deny marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. the ruling was unanimous. new mexico is no law banning or allowing same-sex marriage. ,7 states, including maryland now allow same-sex couples to marry. >> federal prosecutors are pushing back on claims that an indian diplomat was mistreated following her arrest for fraud. the us attorney in charge of the case of the depalma was not handcuffed, allowed to use her cell phone, and was offered food and coffee. the country's foreign minister accuses the housekeeper of blackmail. >> the manhattan attorney should consider his obligation to justice. >> the indian government removed the safety barricades outside of the u.s. embassy. the state department is trying to ease tensions and find a solution acceptable to everyone. >> injuries found two men inspired by al qaeda guilty of killing a british soldier. the family of liebert b says they are satisfied with the verdict. he was stabbed to death on a london street in may. the killers were english and raised as christians before converting to islam in their teens. the to call themselves brothers of allah. >> coming up, holiday shopping trip may have cost millions more than bargained for. aretarget customers vulnerable to financial fraud. >> a video trumps the -- >> you're watching abc 7 news at 6:00. >> the montgomery county woman who was victim of a carjacking says that justice has been served. a judge sentenced a man to 35 deal.as part of a prosecutors say the crime was one of several violent robberies he committed stretching from anne arundel county to alexandria. >> i'm glad he is going to be in jail. i know that is a stiff sentence. it is more than a murderer gets. that there were four victims. tonight on abc seven at 11:00. >> thieves are making changes after seeing an officer using a taser on a suspect for 30 seconds. the video surfaced last month that shows a confrontation -- the joe young terminating featuringters are that only allows five second burst. one of those is the manassas man convicted in 1982 of mr. beating heroine. the president called his and other sentences harsh. the white house says the inmates would receive shorter prison terms if they were sentenced under current guidelines. next, live in falls church. if you did holiday shopping at target, hack

new mexico supreme court ruled the anti-gay marriage laws were unconstitutional. it validates marriages in eight counts. new mexico joins 16 states and the district of columbia in allowing gay marriage. >>> brian boy tono announced he is gay. he won a gold medal in 1988 and he will join billie jean king as gay athletes on the delegation. some see it as a message from had it white house about russia's anti-gay laws. they said it represents the diversity of the united states. >>> friends remembered a 62- year-old woman killed while bicycling in oakland tuesday night. they have not released the victim's name because police are trying to reach or family. a big rig hit her. she met her while both were riding to work and she said the woman traveled all over the world. >> while we were home dealing with our families over the thanksgiving weekend she was hopping off to south america because that was a four day weekend. >> friends say she was a researcher in san francisco. >>> the president of the california state senate wants to restore money for mental health programs to help jail inmates. money would be used to help mentally ill inmates. >> it is focused on mental health departments and supervisors putting together the best strategies that they can to help people living living with mental illness when they are in jail and help them with care after they leave jail. >> the sheriff was at the news conference. he said 10% of the inmates need some sort of mental health treatment. >>> first batkid, now wonder girl. >> i just keep a smile on my face. that is pretty much it. >> however she does it, she got a super hero welcome. her special day to honor her bravery in the face of cancer. >> we got a look at the permanent fix on the eastern span of the bay bridge, how strong it will make the bridge. >> after the break, we will talk about the winds that are dying down. the wind advisory that is still in place and the beautiful sunset and the bay area weekend, how warm will it be on saturday? i will let you know. yes you did. yes you did. no i didn't. no i didn't. yes you did. yes you did. no i didn't. no i didn't. did not. yes you did. [ male announcer ] find some peace this holiday. get an 8 piece meal, any recipe, with a dozen cookies baked in-restaurant. the kfc festive feast. that's a lot for just $19.99! today tastes so good. [ cheers and applause ] >>> listen to that. a wonderful

new mexico bowl. it felt like a holiday for the cougars, connor halliday, much of the afternoon, throwing a new mexico bowl record six touchdown passes against colorado state. this one to vince mayle to put the cougars in front. they led at one point by 22, but the rams scored three times with less than three minutes to play. kapri bibbs with his third touchdown of the game. quarterback grayson pulls off the old statue of liberty play. more disaster for the cougars on the ensuing kickoffs. the rams recover the fumble. two plays later, a 41-yard field goal field goal as time expiredded to win 48-45. usc against fresno state in the las vegas bowl where the trojans were playing for their third head coach in less than four months. today the bulldog were not match for the trojans. kessler through for a las vegas record four touchdowns and finds marqise lee for the score. just before halftime, lee had seven catches, 118-yards and a pair of scores. steve sarkisian had been the head coach after this 45-20 win. >> joe and jennifer montana taking in the newl and seeing their son nicholas throw this interception for tulane, picked off by louisiana- lafayette's trim. 82 yards and score to give the ragin cajuns the lead. tulane came back to make a game, but missing a tieing field goal. louisiana-lafayette a winner. >> one other bowl game, the ever iconic idaho potato bowl, san diego state outscored beautiful. >>> it's always an adjust when an auto racer switches from one style of car to another. as fred inglis reports it will be two switches for juan pablo montoy who was getting reacquainted with open-wheel racing. 38-year-old juan pablo montoya is taking laps in an indycar for the first time since 2000 as the newest member of the penske racing season. >> cars are faster and we do road-courses, big ovals and you tell me why not? >> juan pablo montoya wins the indianapolis 500. >> montoya is a cross over success, winning indycar, cart series, formula one, grand-am and nascar race, but this is like coming home. >> i am excited to be back in t

news right now. new mexico has become the 17th state to legalize same-sex marriage. the state supreme court unanimously ruled today it is unconstitutional to deny a marriage license to gay and lesbian couples. new mexico had no laws either specifically permitting or banning same-sex marriage. eight of the state's 33 counties have been issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples since august when a county clerk independently decided to allow those unions. >>> and still ahead, the pennsylvania pastor who defied church doctrine by officiating his son's same-sex wedding holding a news conference right now responding to a church official who forced him out of the pulpit this morning. we'll have the latest. >>> plus, the unanswered questions from the report recommending big reforms to the government's surveillance program. the most controversial elements remain in place. pete williams will join us. >>> and first lady michelle obama gets personal in a one-on-one with the reverend al sharpton. >> i want for the rest of america what my family has, you know? i want people to have the peace of mind that i have. because it's hard enough being a mother. >> we'll play more of the first lady. and join our conversa

new mexico police stop where an officer shot at a van carrying five children. that's next. >>> there's a major development in that new mexico traffic stop gone wrong. we first brought you the story last month. a mother driving with her five kids in a minivan was pulled over for speeding. she asked to wait, but she disobeyed and drove away. when she was again stopped, chaos ensued. [ screaming ] >> please, please. >> no! no! >> get back! get back! >> get on the ground! get on the ground! get on the ground! get on the ground! get on the ground! get out right now! get out! >> get them out. open the [ bleep ] door. open the door! open the door! [ screaming ] [ gunshots ] >> the police officer that shot said he was aiming at the rear tire. today we learned the officer elias montoya has been suspended with pay as the investigation continues. there's still a lot of details we don't know about this case. but nothing justifies using deadly force on a vehicle with five children inside. we'll keep following this story. hi honey, did you get the toaster cozy? yep. got all the cozies. [ grandma ] with newl a box and ship it for one flat rate. so i knit until it was full. you'd be crazy not to. is that nana? [ male announcer ] fedex one rate. simple, flat rate shipping with the reliability of fedex. ♪ [ male announcer ] laura's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today her doctor has her on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. >>> finally tonight, the world remembers nelson mandela. in south africa we saw both grief and celebration today mourning his loss but rejoicing in his legacy. the death of this great man was the top story across the globe. [ speaking in foreign language ] >> president obama will travel to south africa next week to attend the memorial service. there is no doubt nelson mandela was a great man. i was honored to have been in his presence on a few occasions. but i tell you what was striking to me as i studied mandela and thought about him i

new mexico fires his gun and now east fired. in tonight's episode of "bad cop, worse cop," we have two new mexico state police officers. >> oriana ferrell and a state police officer are arguing over a ticket. >> you will see officer devas viciously endanger the kids in the car, and you will see him do that out of nothing but rage. >> when that officer starts bashing in the window of that car, he went from being a professional law enforcement officer dealing with a frustrating situation to an angry man with a gun. >> ferrell starts to drive off while another officer fires at the minivan full of kids as young as 6. >> what you just saw was a completely unconstitutional use of deadly force. >> when somebody's leaving the scene of an incident, trying to fire at the vehicle make is s n sense at all. the officer said he was firing at the tires. perhaps even a marine sniper would have difficulty hitting tires. >> her moeks and her errors don't excuse the officer's callous disregard for the ages of the kids in the back of that car. >> police work is a lot of ambiguity. this is not ambiguous. >> on friday, the officer who fired his gun was fired. here's another look at the action that proceeded that shooting. >> this traffic stop is going to go one of two ways, okay? you can cooperate -- >> i am cooperating. >> i'm giving you a lawful order to turn the vehicle off, okay, while i go back and tell dispatch, okay? if you don't want to pick, if you don't want to choose -- your other option is telling me you want to go see a judge on the matter right this second, okay? and i can arrange for that, okay? >> get out of the vehicle right now! get out right now! get out of the vehicle right now! [ screaming ] get out of the vehicle right now! get out of the vehicle, ma'am! >> i'm not doing this -- >> get out of the vehicle right now! [ screaming and crying ] >> get out of the vehicle! come back here and talk about it! close the door! close the door! listen to me -- step out of the vehicle right now! >> officer! >> tell your son to get back in the vehicle. >> get in the car! >> get back in the vehicle right now. >> >> i'm trying to make this -- sir, i'm trying to just -- >> step out of the vehicle right now. >> i'll sign whatever you're asking me to sign, sir. i will sign it. i wasn't trying to create no stink. i was trying to be honest -- >> okay, you cannot -- i stopped you, i'm trying to tell you what to do, and you take off. you understand what you just did? >> that's not what happened. i wasn't trying to take off. i said stop right there and i'll be right back, and you took off, okay? go ahead and turn around, just turn around for me, okay? turn around for me. there are going to be two other officers here in just a second. turn around and face your vehicle. ma'am, listen to me. >> please don't -- [ screaming and crying ] >> get back! get back! >> sir, sir! please! [ screaming ] >> no! no! no! >> get on the ground! get on the ground! get on the ground! get on the ground! [ screaming ] >> get on the ground! get out! get out right now! get out! >> get them out. >> open the [ bleep ] door! >> open the door! open the door! [ screaming ] [ gunshots ] >> joining me now, msnbc analyst jamescavanaugh, who is a retired atf agent and a former hostage negotiator for the atf. also joining us, msnbc contributor, goldie taylor. james cavanaugh, you know, i said as soon as i saw that, that that was a violation of the deadly force rule, and i didn't have to see neworce rule, which they were withholding from me for a couple of days, because the supreme court in 1985 ruled that shooting illegal. that they made it finally illegal in all 50 states, police deadly force rules had to comply with the supreme court finding that you do not have any legal authority to shoot at fleeing suspects. and that is what we were watching there, wasn't it? >> and every police commander in the country would agree with you, lawrence. it's a bad shoot, and just from looking at the video. he should have never even broke leather, that officer. there was no reason to break leather in this situation. >> goldie, it seems to me that that police officer and the others who joined him had no comprehension of what it might feel like to be a mother from out of state in that situation, with her children, not familiar with local laws, not completely understanding what she was up against, and what her options were, and it seems to me, you can see her trying to figure out what is the

new mexico. state highest court declared it is unconstitutional to deny marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couple. ruling states that none of the new mexico marriage statute specifically prohibit same sex marriage. state law as whole have prevented gay lesbian couple from marrying. >> new report out tonight reveals disturbing trend in school bullying involving muslim students in california. council on american islamic relation care says 1 in 5 muslim students suffer bullying because of their religion. 7 news reporter is in san jose where one family is sharing the story. >> 15-year-old fatima and her mother won't forget a bullying incident last spring at fatima's high school in the east side union hay school district in san jose. but it didn't involve a fellow student but one of her teachers. >> everyone was like chatting and whatever and then my teacher just turned to me if you don't stop talking i'll rip it off the head then the whole class was like so silent and shocked and gapsed. >> teacher was talking about fatima islamic head scarf. fatima told her principal who took quick action and called a meeting with the family and teacher. >> she said she was like joking around and i told her she shouldn't ever joke about. especially like sensitive things. >> complaint was

new mexico has become the latest data legalize marriage equality after its highest court ruled that denying same-sex marriage licenses is unconstitutional. new mexico is the 17th state, along with washington, d.c., to legalize same-sex marriage. the ruling takes effect immediately. in pennsylvania, officials with the united methodist church have defrocked a pastor who officiated at his son's marriage to another man. frank schaefer has told officials he could not uphold church teachings that he viewed as biased. he responded to thursday's decision at a news conference. >> as you can tell, i am visibly shaken. i guess when i went into the hearing this morning with the board of ordained ministry, i was hopeful it would not come to what it has come to, my defrocked meant. anm a very positive person, optimist, you could say, i was look at the glass half full. i said to myself, i just can't see them take my credentials. i mean, what i did was an act of love. -- an act of love for my son. they did anyhow. >> the senate has passed a sweeping pentagon bill that keeps military sexual assault cases within the chain of command while adding some new protections for survivors. it also raises military pay by 1% and bars the transfer of guantÁnamo prisoners to the united states. democrat majority leader harry reid fell the senate will take up the issue of unemployment benefits in early january when he returns from break. jobless payments will expire for one .3 million people just three days after christmas. a former bp engineer has been convicted of ob

new mexico is now the 17th state in the nation to recognize marriage equality. on thursday, the state's highest court said that new mexico's constitution offers equal protection to gay and lesbian couples who wish to get married. congratulations. before using her newof america credit card, which rewards her for responsibly managing her card balance. before receiving $25 toward her balance each quarter for making more than her minimum payment on time each month. tracey got the bankamericard better balance rewards credit card, which fits nicely with everything else in life she has to balance. that's the benefit of responsibility. apply online or visit a bank of america near you. >>> after another election season filled with republican-fueled accusations of voter fraud and other abuses, the ohio secretary of state is unveiling the truth behind a problem with voting rights and the activists have known that doesn't exist. secretary of state announced during a press conference this week that 17 noncitizens out of 5.6 million people in the buckeye state voted during the 2012 election. now, he conceded that there is no evidence of a plot to register noncitizen voters. but despite this revelation, the republican-led legislature just passed a bill making it

new mexico is now the 17th state to legalize gay marriage. the state supreme court ruled today it is unconstitutional to bar same-sex unions. new mexico law never directly addressed the issue, but, until recently, county clerks historically denied marriage licenses to gays and lesbians. still to come on the newshour: a massive data breach at a major american retailer; surprise leniency for dissidents in russia; what the budget deal means for life outside of washington; north korea's leader tightens his grip on power; and putting a value on priceless art in a bankrupt detroit. >> ifill: the retail chain target confirmed that hackers breached tens of millions of credit card and debit accounts at the height of the shopping season, just before thanksgiving and right up until december 15. the theft occurred when people swiped their cards in store, not online. the retailer confirmed that customers' names, credit card and debit card numbers and security codes were stolen. it's the latest in a series of major breaches in recent years. we explore them with two experts: steve surdu is with mandiant, a cybersecurity firm; how did 40 million accounts get compromised? >> well, we don't know the details at this point in time. they're still investigating am but obviously information had to be siphonned off from the organization. attackers almost certainly came in from outside, put software if place that allowed them to aggregate the information over time and then remove it so they could use it. >> ifill: put software in place in each individual store or some central server? >> that's also unknown. either one is possible. in order to have as much of impact as they've had with 40 million cards it would seem likely that they've had access at the centralized part of the organization in the central network that maybe allowed them to reach into the individual point-of-sale systems, or at least distribute the software from that central point into many point-of-sale systems. >> ifill: and an inside job, perhaps? >> not likely. there are a lot of situations like this that we've seen over time. and it's never been an insider, not in our experience. we've dealt with hundreds of these situation. >> ifill: let's talk about these kinds of situations. you say that this happened before. this is only unusual in its side? >> yes, i don't know if it's's unprecedented but in the past breaches like the tjx breach jz which is t.j. maxx stores. >> yes. hannaford, there have been other not just retail breaches but breaches of financial institutions, payment processors, that are similar in that the attacker came in from the outside, aggregated information and removed it. >> ifill: let's talk of the hardware for a moment. why does it make a difference that it happened with people who swiped their cards? would it have handed if you just handed your card over in some other way. >> just handed your card over-- . >> ifill: to the cashier, they're going to swipe it too, i guess. >> you're to the going to get-- in order to do this large scale it has to be automated. >> ifill: and so what period of time are we talking about here? we heard from before thanksgiving until december 15th. but would it take long tore get that many or is it just because the shopping season is in full swing. >> well, it's high volumes now, so this is the royalty time to do it. i think it's still really early in the investigation. my guess, because it sounds like they only said they were able to condition taken it as of the 15th, my guess is they discovered it relatively recently, put the brakes, the stops son whatever activity was going on, and i think now they should be deep into an investigation which may take a considerable amount of time still. >> ifill: now a lot of the people who are watching this story who perhaps have just gotten home from doing a little christmas shopping are thinking to themselves, who is liable. who gives me back my money if i have fallen victim to this? >> well, the card brands make sure that the individual consumer doesn't have that type of liability. if you contact your credit card organization, your issuing bank as quickly as possible if you see fraud charges you're always indemnified from that. so that shouldn't be an issue that anyone needs to worry about. >> ifill: is the store itself, is the chain itself responsible? >> well, responsible ultimately they would have financial obligation to the card brands. there typically would be fins if they were found to be in breech of the payment card industry security standard. >> ifill: and what responsibility do consumers have to make sure that, to protect themselves, or is there anything they can do at all to protect themselves from this kind of intrusion? >> in this type of situation there isn't much a consumer can do. they're really putting their confidence in the institution they're dealing with. and all they can do is check their cards, their statements to make sure that if they see inappropriate activity they respond to it quickly. >> ifill: are you saying even after all the hacking episodes we have seen, we have survived, that technology is such that there is no way to protect against something like this happening? >>. >> oh there are many protections. there are many different things that you can do to ward off it. but there aren't any guarantees. you can't ever say that you're absolutely secure. security is an assymetrical type of issue where you can protect yourself in thousands of different ways. and attacker only needs to find one way in. >> ifill: give me an example of one way to protect, for the company, to protect its consumer. >> a company typically would perform assessments of their environment to determine whether they had vulnerables the attackers could take vac of in their web sites so they could test them to see if they have problems. they would evaluate their computers to see if they configured them appropriately. because there are known ways to take advantage of systems, so they would be self-inspecting those types of things. >> ifill: so the very first thing is there is self-inspection from the retailer or as i saw today the secret service gets involved in this? >> the secret service would be involved to help them investigate but wouldn't be there to help them defend themselves. pain, almost all major organizations have full-time security staffs where they are always looking at their environment and trying to make sure that they're up to date on their software that if they find a problem they fix it. but it's a tough thing. the larger the environment, the more difficult it is to find and resolve the issues. >> ifill: okay, steve suddeno from mandiant, thanks so much for helping us out. we have more how you can guard against credit card thieves you can find a best practices guide on our home page. >> woodruff: russian president vladimir putin presided over his annual newsference today, and, despite the marathon session with reporters, he held back the most news-making announcement until after it was over. the tightly choreographed event attracted hundreds of russian journalists, with some holding signs-- and even stuffed animals and dolls-- hoping putin would notice and call on them. but the russian leader saved his biggest headline until the four- hour-long news conference finally ended, announcing he will pardon the jailed oil tycoon, mikhail khodorkovsky. >> ( translated ): he has already spent more than ten years in jail. it is a serious punishment. he refers to circumstances of the humanitarian nature; his mother is ill. and i think that, bearing in mind those circumstances, it is possible to make that decision, and i will soon sign an order about his pardon. >> woodruff: khodorkovsky was once the wealthiest oligarch in russia, but he was arrested at gunpoint in 2003 after criticizing putin and funding opposition parties. he was convicted of tax e

new mexico has legalized same-sex marriage. the anti- game areas laws in the state are unconstitutional. the unanimous ruling allowed county clerks to issue marriage licenses to qualified same-sex couples. new mexico will be the 17th state and the district of columbia to allow same-sex ceremonies. >>> some are expressing concern about newnd over. a government appointed panel suggest treatment is only needed for older adults when their systolic or the top number hits 150 over 90 instead of 140 over 90 as it is now. millions of people would not need take blood pressure medication. experts say aggressive treatment can cause is bad interactions and not enough is known about new recommendations. >>> a new white house report assuring a much money people are saving because of the affordable care act. consumers have saved $5 billion over the past two years because of the new requirements that force insurance companies to spend more premium money on patient care. the reports say more than 7 million seniors and people disabilities have saved on average $1,200 per person on prescription drugs these reports come with calls from republicans to repeal the plan. >> we saw gusty conditions overnight but right now winds have died down and you'll notice in fairfield seeing sustained wind speeds in the teens a wind advisory remains in ef

new mexico police officer opening fire on a mother in a minivan full of kids. this happened, and then she sped off again. the officer has now been suspended pending an investigation into that shooting. state of new mexico.0='u ♪ ♪ martha: well, president obama stepping up his push to win back support from his base, especially among young adults, attending several events this week, but college students saying the president isn't delivering on his word. here's one of them. take a look. >> when he made all these promises during the campaign that he really hasn't been able to keep. unemployment's still the issue. when i graduate from college, i want to be able to have a job open in the market praise for me, and the way the -- place, and the way the president is enacting his policies, i don't think that is becoming a reality as he had hoped. martha: so meanwhile, in this week a new obama is losing support among millennials, 18-29-year-olds. 41% say they approve of the job he is doing, 54% disapprove. tucker carlson is co-host of fox and friends on the weekend, and chris stirewalt is fox news digital politics editor. wow, great panel. good morning, guys, good to have you with us. you guys have a lot of titles. [laughter] tucker, let me start with you. i thought this or harvard study was fascinating, you know, because this is a group that has always loved the president, gave him tremendous support in both of his elections, and now they seem to be changing their mind a bit. >> well, love is the word. i mean, i think the emotional connection has been powerful, not clear how deeply grounded it was in understanding what policies might turn out to be. the truth is that obamacare only works ifo= it. i mean, this is the payoff to insurance companies that guaranteed their support for the law three years ago which is lots of new customers, hell the people -- healthy sendi

new mexico, only 57 students ok the computer science a.p. exam in 2012. this is the result in part of the fact that new mexico does not offer computer science teacher certifications for middle and high school teachers and is one of the 36 states that does not count computer science courses toward high school graduation requirements for math and science. computer science provides students with a 21st century skill necessary for innovation by teaching design, logical reasoning and problem solving. yet, too few students have access to this rigorous course work. that's why i co-sponsored h.r. 2536, the computer science education act, that will help ensure that more students have access to computer science education by making it a core academic subject and including computer science teachers in professional development. i urge my colleagues to join me in support of the computer science education week and computer science education act. it is critically important that every student have the opportunity to learn computer science at an early age. when we show them that they have the power to create the next great app, not just use it, i believe we will capture their hearts and minds and foster the next generation of innovators. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. enyart, for five minutes. mr. enyart: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise to honor the memory of one of my constituents, mr. john rednauer. john passed away on december 1, and i had the privilege of attending his funeral service last week. all of us came to honor a man who did so much for southern illinois. john had many titles and most of us knew him as the mayor of decoin, a position he held for 24 years. he was a businessman, a banker, an ironworker. he served for many years in the illinois state police merit board, but none of those title do the man justice. he was one of the most foremost civic leaders in illinois, and he worked tirelessly to improve southern illinois and to create opportunity and jobs for its people. john was a self-made man who rose from humble beginnings, but never forgot where he came from. his passing is the loss to our region. most of all, it is a loss for his family and today i ask my colleagues to remember the rednauer family, especially john's wife of 61 years, wanda, who was his true partner. southern illinois is a better place because of john rednauer and today i'm proud to honor my friend's memory. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from ohio, ms. kaptur, for five minutes. ms. kaptur: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for five minutes and include extraneous material in the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. kaptur: thank you. mr. speaker, the political turmoil in ukraine demands the world's attention. it is now 5:00 p.m. in kiev where protestors in independence square are regrouping after a night of violent clashes with ukrainian security forces. as of now, the security forces have begun to pullback from the crackdown and despite intimidation and threats of violence, the opposition has created control of the name given to independence square in a clear sign of solidarity with europe. the united states has cited unequivocally with those ukrainians who are demonstrating for an independent ukraine, for their rights to free assembly and free speech under provisions of international law, including the universal declaration of human rights. our secretary of state has called upon the government of ukraine to respect the rights of all people and express disgust of the united states with the use of force against peaceful protestors is unbefitting a democracy. as secretary kerry noted, the right to free assembly is a universal value, not just an american value. the house ukrainian caucus, which i co-chair with mr. levin and mr. gerlach, have expressed the rights of the ukrainian people to exercise their rights to political speech and free assembly. yes, these are difficult yet hopeful times for ukraine which is trying to find its rightful place among the community of nations despite daunting challenges. the country is gripped by uncertainty which is exacerbating an already difficult economic situation. the current crisis was triggered by the decision of the current political leadership to pursue free trade with ukraine's eastern neighbor, russia, rather than neighbors to the west. the european union. regardless of the police plithcal discord in ukraine, this congress should ask them to settle this peacefully and without violence. ukraine's soils historically have been showered of the precious blood of country men and women at a higher rate than most human beings can imagine. brilliantly recounted blood lands, written by a yale scholar, tells their story. yes, though ukraine's very name means border land, she, too, often has been a blood land. may this not happen now. ukraine must adapt to embrace a world in which her own independence from interference surpasses any other priority. she should be free to engage all directions, east, west, south and north. without fear of retaliation. . e is a bridge to all nations as the national security advisor to president carter writes in today's "washington times" two decades of independence, of growing pride and rediscovering of ukrainian history and discovering the western neighbors is creating a new mindset. that mindset is not embracing anti-russianism but it is asserting ukraine's own historic identity. he believes the current political change in ukraine is part of an historically significant but political transformation. he believes ukraine and russia, too will eventually orient to the west, and i have ultimate respect in his opinion and pray he is correct. those of us who love ukraine have longed for the day when it is no longer a prisoner of geography hemmed in between germany and russia but a fwree and willing member of the community -- free and willing member of the community of democratic nations. perhaps one day ukraine will break free of the shackles of domination of the past. perhaps one day ukraine's geographic location will be an asset, not a liability, a day when ukraine looks both east and west and in fact in all four directions. but as we can see from the images coming to us from kiev, the road will not be smooth. we know the future lies with freedom and with drau

new mexico, arkansas and north carolina are 142% -- that would be new mexico. 138% -- that would be arkansas. and 136% in north carolina. what do each of these states have in common? well, they're represented by senators who voted for this bill perhaps believing that what the president said would be true. but their constituents are having to pay the price. such premium increases are particularly burdensome for senior citizens and other folks on a fixed income. for example, in texas, in copper canyon, texas, recently, one of my constituents wrote to me and said that because of obamacare, her monthly premiums were increasing by $200, which is only $27 less than her monthly social security income. in other words, it takes up almost the entire amount of her social security check for her to purchase this insurance. that's wrong. in addition to premium hikes, many americans entering the obamacare exchanges are facing higher deductibles. i mentioned that a moment ago. in a front-page story just yesterday in the "wall street journal," it was reported that many obamacare deductibles are so high that people with modest incomes may not be able to afford the portion of medical expenses that insurance doesn't cover. what's that all about? in fact, according to one study, the average do you believe for for -- the average deductible on the obamacare exchange is 42% hire than the average deductible for individual health insurance earlier this year before most of obamacare kicked in. 42% higher deductible. and as we know, many of these deductibles we're hearing are in the $4,000 to $5,000 for individuals and up to $10,000 for married couples. i don't know many households in texas or across america that can absorb $10,000 in a deductible for your health insurance policy. certainly that doesn't strike me as a success if the purpose is to cover health care costs and to prevent people from suffering economic hardship as a result. that strikes me as an epic failure. in other words, obamacare is making it significantly harder for many americans to pay their bills, to buy groceries, and take care of their families. again, i said many times before, it didn't have to be this way. it didn't have to be this way. in 2009, polls demonstrated that the overwhelming majority of americans who had health insurance liked what they had, and they were broadly satisfied with it. that's why the president said, i assume, that if you like what you have, you can keep it. because about 90% of the respondents said we like what we have. so if you're the president trying to sell this affordable care act, so-called, you wouldn't want to scare those 90% of people into thinking you can't keep what you have even though you like it. and so you misrepresent what you're selling. you tell people, no, you can keep what you have. and you know what? your premiums are going to go down and it's all going to be all right. if we had focused on those people who either did not have coverage or who had inadequate coverage, obviously a smaller subset of americans than that whole he country, if we focused on them and dealt with their challenges in purchasing health insurance, we could have done much better. there were millions more who had low-quality medicaid coverage that many doctors refused to accept, because in my state medicaid pays a doctor about 50 cents on the dollar compared to private insurance. and many doctors said, look, i want to see more medicaid patients but i simply can't afford to do it. i've got to opt for higher-paying private insurance patients. and we know that medicare was facing a fast-approaching bankruptcy date. what congress could have done, what we should have done is to enact sensible, narrowly drawn, targeted tproerls, number one -- targeted reforms aimed at improving the coverage options for each of these groups and strengthening and preserving he medicare and medicaid. we needed to bring down the costs, not jack the costs up. i mean, if you ask most people what the biggest problem they have with their health insurance, they say it costs too much, and we've made it worse. it's worse, not better. to bring down the costs, we could have allowed people to buy health insurance across state lines. i know that doesn't sound like a panacea, but most states have captive insurance markets, and many state legislatures, including the texas legislature, have mandated coverage that many people simply don't want but it adds to the cost of their health coverage. so i could have the choice to buy insurance across state tphraoeupbs we enact this had reform and say i like the insurance coverage in wisconsin, louisiana or somewhere else. if that suited my needs, i could buy it there and we would have a true competitive market, and people would compete based on quality and price. but we don't have that now. what else could we have done? we could have expanded the use of tax-free health savings accounts paired with high-deductible plans like the kind i talked to a number of my constituents in austin, texas, about who are employed at whole foods. they cover roughly 80% of the out-of-pocket costs for health insurance through health savings accounts and a high deductible insurance. the employees -- i think it's still the case, it was then -- still vote on an annual basis what kind of coverage they want. and they vote for this type of coverage because they're satisfied with it and it gives them a sense of ownership which is actually true that the money put into a health savings account they get to keep, and if they don't use it on their health care they get to save it like an ira or something like that. it also changes the calculation. it makes people much smarter shoppers, and it comes farther, moves us farther along to a system where people can shop for their health insurance and their health services like they do everything else, and it will bring down costs and it will improve quality of service as a result of competition for that business. and we could cracked down on frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits which caused defensive. think about it, if you're a doctor and you're worried about losing everything you've worked a lifetime to achieve in terms of your assets and your medical practice, the last thing you want to do is to be subjected to a lotterytype lawsuit. so the easiest thing for those doctors to do -- i know they don't do it on purpose -- but is to make a decision to provide a test or treatment not so much based on your clinical opinion but based on your desire to not be sued and not to be second-guessed two years later when somebody comes in and said you should have done this, srurbd done that. the temptation is to do everything and to run up the costs of health coverage. these are just a few examples. by lowering costs across the board, these are forms, like i talked about, which the president and his political party rejected. we could have helped people who already had coverage. and we could have helped those who previously could not have afforded coverage. now some people have said -- i've, if i've heard it one time, i've heard it a thousand times -- they said we need obamacare because people with preexisting conditions couldn't get coverage. that is a serious concern. but we already have in place high-risk pools in the states. and if we needed to help those states provide coverage to people with those high-risk health conditions, we could have done it a whole lot cheaper and a whole lot more efficiently than creating this huge monstrosity, this huge bureaucracy, this huge expense known as obamacare. so we could have increased funding to the high-risk pools that were already operating in about 3 dozen u.s. states. the irony is that the people in the high risk pool in texas, they got a letter, said your coverage has been canceled, effective december 31, the very people obamacare was supposed to help. your coverage is canceled because obamacare kicks in january 1. but because people were worried about their ability to get on the exchanges due to the web site problems, the state, texas legislature, the texas department of insurance decided to extend the coverage of the high risk health insurance pools in texas so people wouldn't fall through the cracks because of this train wreck of a rollout of obamacare. and how about medicaid? we hear a lot of discussion about medicaid. i've already mentioned that medicaid only reimburses doctors about half what a private insurance policy would so a lot of doctors can't afford to see a new medicaid patient. in texas, only one doctor out of three will see a new medicaid patient, for that reason. it's not because they don't want to. it is because they can't afford to do so. we could have made it a lot easier for states to bolster their medicaid program and deliver targeted policies that would allow them to manage medicaid populations. for example, create a medical home, for example. but because of the red tape that washington refused to cut, medicaid ends up in many instances being an appearance of coverage, but you can't find a doctor that will see you. what good is that? that's, to me, a sleight of hand and part of the reason why i call this one of the biggest cases of consumer fraud in american history. and to help medicare patients -- those are of course our seniors -- we could have increased private competition and patient choice by kpwraeugs kpwraeugs -- embracing the choice model chosen by president clinton's medicare commission in 1999. the reforms i've just outli