you represented newtown as newtown's congressman. now as senator you represent the entire state of connecticut as their senator. connecticut is a small state, but it is a diverse state. it is both diverse in terms of urban and rural areas. it's diverse in terms of its population. and in terms of its political views. how do you talk to your constituents who feel very strongly about gun rights and very wary about gun control, that this isn't going to be something that's going to hurt their freedoms, it's going to help them and help their fellow citizens? >> listen, every decision you that make on legislation is a balancing act. and on this one the test is pretty clear. do you want to pass a law that's going to keep more 6 and 7-year-old kids alive in the future, or do you want to add some convenience to gun owners who want to reload a little bit less frequently or want to pretend that they're soldiers by owning military-style assault weapons? when you pose that question to people in connecticut and frankly across this country as you've

newtown come out as not as a place where it's 20 children, six adults were killed. i want to see newtown come out as a place of change. >> reporter: for many in newtown the movement for change is just beginning. >>> turning now to politics, where a prominent republican is offering tough words to his own party. former secretary of state colin powell was on "meet the press" over the weekend citing recent attacks on the president, he told david gregory that the gop is suffering from an identity crisis. >> there is also a dark -- dark vain of intolerance in some parts of the party. what do i mean by that? what i mean by that is they still sort of look down on minorities. how can i evidence that? when i see a former governor say that the president is shucking and jiving. that's a racial era slave term. when i see another former governor after the president's first debate where he didn't do very well, says the president was lazy. he didn't say he was slow. he was tired. he didn't do well. he said he was lazy. it may not mean anything to most americans, but to those of us who are african-americans, the second word is shiffless. and the birther movement. what do leaders tole

as a symbol. the newtown massacre reignited the gun control debate as well. newtownolice chief weighing in on that. >> a ban on assault weapons, restrict those magazines that have so many bullets in them. >> the families of noah pos ner, the 6-year-old killed in the sandy hook shooting, is also calling for tough new gun laws. tomorrow vice president joe biden and his task force are expected to deliver recommendations to prevent gun violence to the president. susan candiotti attended last night's meeting about the future of sandy hook elementary school, and really what that conversation is even having on the community. first, here's what newtown's first selectman, who is kind of a mayor, essentially had to say about gun violence. >> i think it's -- for many people like me who have long been an advocate of better controls over access to those kinds of weapons, this simply elevates our passion on that issue. >> susan candiotti joins us now. passion on the issue. i think that's what weave been seeing. not only here in newtown, connecticut, but across the country. >> that

newtown wants. we were just talking in the last segment about patricia clark, who is a high-ranking nra official who lives in newtown. and as i think you know, newtown the past has had a fairly large community in support for extreme positions on gun rights. >> ava is one of our fourth grade students, and ava speaks for the heart of the students. the students, not just the students at sandy hook but the students throughout the district had their sense of safety shattered by the incident. and ava is

newtown wants. we were just talking in the last segment about patricia clark, who is a high-ranking nra official who lives in newtown. and as i think you know, newtown fairly large community in support for extreme positions on gun rights. >> ava is one of our fourth grade students, and ava speaks for the heart of the students. the students, not just the students at sandy hook but the students throughout the district had their sense of safety shattered by the incident. and ava is forthright enough to speak about how the children and their families feel about this issue. >> what i was struck by in your testimony is there is no amount of time that can pass that can make hearing another account about what happened there, another voice, today it was you, that doesn't absolutely horrify everybody who was listening. people couldn't keep their composure to what you had to tell them. is it surprising to you that what ava wants, which is so clear, that could run into resistance in washington? >> yes, it is surprising to me.

as well. it will all be live right here on cnn. >>> and we mentioned newtown and as that one month mark from the shooting at newtown approaches, theecting on the tragedy. cnn's national correspondent susan candiotti has more. >> good morning, randi. wounds remain fresh here in newtown, yet the community continues to find ways to help each other heal. the touching memorials we all became so familiar with are gone. but they will serve a new purpose. toys, candles, handmade signs and more are being mulched and preserved and will become part of a new permanent memorial one day. meanwhile, a makeshift memorial marked lie a large american flag has been set up alongside one of newtown's main roads. we have been asked to keep a respectful distance, and we are. created by a local businessman. a lot of mementos from all over the world where people can come inside and reflect. today there is a public meeting in town to talk about future plans for sandy hook elementary. you'll recall students are attending another school now and, tomorrow, a town hall meeting to join the national debate on gun control. in attendance we're expecting to see som

newtown come out as not as a place -- honestly, newtown come out as a place of change. >> 6-year-old noah was the youngest victim. his grandmother is now speaking for the family. >> had the rights to go to school safely. he had the right to live, to get married, to have a job, to have a normal life. and i think that right is more important than the right to own a high velocity weapon that can obliterate whole classrooms in seconds. >> and newtown'sice chief has this message for the white house. >> i don't want us to be on the militaristic state and if we arm everybody with assault rifles, that's what we become. ban assault weapons. restrict those magazines that have so many bullets in them. shore up any loopholes in criminal background checks. >> 30 days, we have had a sustained national conversation. but here's what hasn't changed after 30 days after newtown. the likelihood of passing any new legislatuion on guns. groups have a powerful counterweight. over the weepd, the nra said if the president tries to follow through on promises to push an assault weapons ban and even to ban high capacity magazine clips, he'll fail. >> he's willing to expend political capital, you don't want to make predictions. you don't want to bet your house on the outcome, but i would say that the likelihood is that they are -- >> senate leaders have promised that gun safety legislature will be among the first bills introduced in the new congress, but on

newtown, connecticut returned to class but in a different building in a different town. there were some anxiety as newtown school buses rolled through the community but their new route were lined with signs of support as they made their way to the newly renamed sandy hook elementary. the students attend ad re-outfitted middle school. the windows were decorated with snowflakes, some made by other students around the country. a gunman killed 20 of their classmates last month and that school is still a crime scene. >>> secretary of state hillary clinton is reportedly recovering well after being released from a hospital this week. while clinton is recuperating at home, she's also working. a spokesman said she called into thursday's meeting of the foreign policy advisory board. secretary clinton spent three days in the hospital being treated for a blood clot discovered during a follow-up exam for a concussion she suffered last month. mrs. clinton plans to return to work next week. >>> well, president obama is continuing his holiday vacation in hawaii. one day after returning to the island, the president treated his daughters to some bowling and an iconic hawaiian island treat. shaved ice. the president has been said to have emerged with a blue and red multiflavored ice in hand. >> more than 5,000 miles away, vice president joe biden was participating in a mock swearing in of new senators when this awkward but funny moment happened with democrat heidi highcamp of north dakota. >> spread your legs -- you say that to somebody in north dakota, they think it's a frisk. >> i'm at a loss. i don't know where to go with that. spread your legs. you're about to be frisked. >> spread your legs could have been avoid. maybe a cop can say it and get away with it. >> some funny moments in there too. a series of stuff. good morning, everyone. let me take you on a little tour of the weather headlines for our climate summary that we just got done with in 2012. in the lower 48, ended up being the warmest year ever recorded. our recorded history goes back in some cases 80 to 100 years. very impressive. then we had 11 billion dollar events. hurricane sandy and the drought that gripped so much of the country. back in 2011 we had 14 billion dollar weather events. usually we have four to six. this one is an interesting stat. we haven't had a tornado death in 194 days in this country. if we can make it three more days without a tornado death it will be the longest stretch ever recorded without a tornado fatality and this year was the fewest tornadoes since '89. although we had those billion dollar events and disasters we didn't have as many tornadoes as normal. now as far as what we're dealing with as far as the weather pattern very quiet in the west, very cold in many areas of the interior west. the pattern will change a little bit. we have a cut off flow that will move offshore saturday into california. plan on a dry day today san francisco up the coast. saturday upper level low will come with clouds and showers. prepare for that but no prothe through central california, chance of showers every where else sunday. details on that little approaching storm in your weekend forecast coming up. >> sounds good. >> international child porn investigation nabs 200 adults. rare martian meteorite. bristol palin's frightening gift from a stalker. and deep horizon agrees to pay up. is it enough? you're watching "early today." >>> welcome back. here are some stories making news this morning. >> the 15-year-old pakistani school girl and women's activist who was shot in the head by the taliban in october has been released from a uk hospital. she's expected to have more reconstructive surgery within the next month. rape and murder charges have been filed against five men accused of attacking a 23-year-old medical student in delhi, india last month. the brutal gang rape sparked protests by women and other who called for stronger punishments of rapists. >> immigration and customer enforcement officials announced they arrested 240 people in an international investigation of child porn graphy. 123 child victims ranging in age of 17 to less than a year old were identified. 110 of them were located in 19 u.s. states and the rest were in six other countries. >> this just into nbc. disturbing new video shows thousands of freshly cut shark fins laid out to dry in hong kong. the delicacy is banned in some countries. each year some 75 million sharks are killed only for their fins. >>> scientists say a rock found in the is a had a a desert is part of a martian meteorite. it contains about ten times more water than any other space rock from mars. though it's from the red planet the entire rock is black earning the name black beauty. >> scientists say our milky way galaxy contains 110 billion planets. their suns are smaller and cooler than our own so maybe only 200 billion planets. >>> on to wall street. the dow lost 21 points to close at 13 bs 391. the s&p was down three and the nasdaq lost 11. overseas the nikkei soared 292 points but the hang seng dropped 67. >>> investors will look to 28:30 a.m. jobs report to determine just how stocks will ride out the first friday the year. one thing sure to heat up this cold january day, go daddy is set to unveil their 2013 go daddy girl. supermodel bar refaeli will be announced this is their spokesmodel. she'll pair up with race car driver danica patrick in a 30-second spot. >> transocean will pay $1.4 billion in addition to admission of criminal conduct. bp paid $4.5 billion settlement in november leased the platform from transocean which built and staffed the deepwater horizon. >>> and former vice president al gore personally will pocket about $100 million from the sale of this personal tv channel to al jazeera. he will serve on the board but will not be paid. >>> if you have a smartphone, listen up, that glass that covers your device is about to get a whole lot stronger. corning will unveil gorilla three glass next week. the glass covering is already in 975 android and apple devices. >>> and if you'd like to own a little piece of barack obama history, the inauguration store is open for business. you can pick up a $10 shot glass and $15 tube socks and $7500 metal and silver medallions of course made in america. >>> straight ahead on "early today" an update on that school board member who hit a student with her car. >>> plus, an unusual gathering of sharks causes these u.s. beaches to be cleared. details next. you're watching "early today." >>> welcome back. here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. we begin with an update on the georgia school board official accused of intentionally hitting a teen with her car over a parking spot. in the wake of her arrest the woman has resigned from the school board. >>> next, to pittsburgh where a massive water main break flooded roads and cascades of water spilled on to passing cars. the 12-inch line rupture also led to the evacuation of a college dorm forcing students to wait out the two-hour ordeal in single digit weather. >>> downtown minneapolis, the rupture turned roads into rivers before crews were able to put a clamp on the massive leak. >>> a school of sharks forced florida officials to shut down jensen beach. the closure came down two days after a winter storm warning suffered a shark bite. marine scientists say the sightings are unusual since the sharks' natural food supply has not been spotted in the area. >>> and finally, a virginia bagel shop has come up with a dish they feel best describes the fiscal crisis in washington, d.c. it's called the congressional sandwich made with mayonnaise, mustard, cheese and of course lots of baloney. >>> in sports, oregon's de'anthony thomas ran back the opening kickoff 94 yards. to jump out to a lead before some people even took to their seats. the ducks went on to crush number five kansas state 35-17. >>> tonight, it's the cotton bowl game in arlington texas as number 9 texas a&m plays 11th ranked oklahoma. >> in new york, an alley-oop shot of j.r. smith lead to an acrobatic backwards jam. the knicks got a 100-83 win over san antonio. in baseball, former yankees player nick swisher signed with cleveland. a deal worth $56 million. >> an autopsy found dallas cowboys practice squad player was legally sober when he killed a teammate in an accident. >>> and here they go again. green bay fans turned out to help the packers get ready for saturday's playoff game against the vikings by shoveling the snow out of the seats at lambeau field. and they get paid ten bucks an hour. >> "early today" sports is brought to you by touch of gray. get rid of some gray never all. >>> just ahead, middle earth coming to a theme park near you. a disturbing story surrounding sarah palin's daughter bristol. and "star wars" creator george lucas gets ready to tie the knot with a pretty powerful woman. you're watching "early today." >>> welcome back on this friday morning. so we'll end our tranquil weather pattern here in the west as we go through the weekend. not for today. today looks fine. increasing clouds from portland southward in central and northern california. sunshine lower down there in the southwest. no problem. as we take you through the weekend we introduce the rain. not a blockbuster soaking rain or severe weather. some periods of light rain especially during the day saturday. san francisco, sacramento, also showers in the northwest and by sunday it dives further to the south. we'll introduce showers in los angeles. but, again, not going ruin anyone's weekend. just a little bit of wet weather. >>> the top-selling song of 2012 was not "gangnam style." ♪ now you're just somebody that i used to know ♪ >> goyte's "somebody that i used to know" sold 6.8 million digital copies last year. i bought one of them. and it made it the top selling song over "call me maybe." >> after seven years of courtship george lucas is officially engaged to melody hobbson. >> bristol palin has been granted a restraining order against the man who sent her an engagement ring. >>> universal studios and warner brothers have reportedly been in talks with the tolkien estate to build a theme park. the success of harry potter has been the driving force. hopefully, the hobbits will be tall enough to get on a ride. >>> do you think we missed the latest kimye news? sources say they do not intend to get married because kim is still married to kris humphries. >> that's not legal? >> not two at once. and speaking of baby kimye, this is what he or she would look like. cute baby. they are good looking people. >> i just want to be there when the child learns about her parents. the first time the child googles mommy. >>> this next one comes to us from kxas in dallas, texas where a sister and brother teamed up to take on a life-threatening health scare. the siblings have displayed a unique bond even as adults their connection has stayed strong especially when casey needed a kidney. taylor was the matching donor paving the way for a sibling rescue and a great memory to take into the new year. that's very heart warming. most of us would do that for our siblings. >> you would think. there's stories that don't get along so well with their siblings. >> still touching. i'm mara schiavocampo this is "early today," this, your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. >>> a chilly tourist attraction is leaving tourists out in the cold. the ice and snow world in china is the largest theme park of its kind with 2,000 art works on display. they are beautifully lit at night with nearly every color. over 30 recreational activities await visitors with everything including ice bumper cars to frozen slides and bicycles on ice. >>> some birds can put on quite a show. even on the ground. a japanese zoo set the stage for a favorite seasonal attraction a penguin walk. one little penguin even got up and close and very personal with enthusiastic fans. look at him. he's friendly. >>> in belgium, one typical farm cow is shaping up to be quite the stallion. an 11-year-old girl has managed to teach her cow to leap like a horse. oh, wow. the girl was inspired by seeing a similar trick on youtube. and decided to give it a try. the stunt took a year to learn. now, she can leap over a 2 1/2 foot bar with the same grace as a horse. that is inspiring. >> when is the disney movie? >> if you can teach a cow like a horse, that's like a life's lesson. am i being too sentimental? >> there's wilbur and charlotte's web. there's a movie about the pig that rounded up the sheep. there's a precedence for this. >>> time for an early look at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day on nbc. former arizona congresswoman gabrielle giffords visited newtownnnecticut. giffords who was shot and wounded at an event two years ago will have a private meeting with students and teachers where 20 students was killed. >>> idaho senator michael crapo is due in court on driving while intoxicated charges in alexandria, virginia. the senator has apologized and taken full responsibility for the incident. >>> on this date in 1943, soviet dictator joseph stalin appeared on "time" magazine as the 1942 man of the year. all day long stay on top of the very latest developments on these stories and the best political analysis on nbc. and watch "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. and finally here's what's coming up on the "today" show. as john boehner returns to the house after the fiscal cliff, hear why a member of the gop is still not happy. >> and details how the man with the golden voice ted williams has given back two years after being discovered on a street corner. keep it on this channel for continuing news, weather, sports and more. i'm mara schia

newtown, connecticut, newtown, newtown, how many more? how many more? how many more colleges? how many more classrooms? how many more movie theaters? >> asf this afternoon, this advertisement has received over 6.5 million views on the list of celebrities including jamie foxx. now, he is the star of the film "django unchained." it is joined on that list why "zero dark thirty", and "les miserables." and nearly half of those scenes, 30 involve guns. not all of the violence is real-world violence, but take gamester squad, for example, featuring sean penn. in fact from the film recently took out a scene where aunman shoots up a movie theater after the tragedy in aurora. look, i'm not advocating getting rid of violence in movies but i'm saying that maybe hollywood should stick to moviemaking and stay out of politics. that is what i think. now, we want tonow what you think. here's our question tonight. is hollywood critical when it comes to gun control? la mancha gerriwillis.com, vote and i will share the results at the end of the show. >> coming up on "the willis report", republicans split on their debt ceiling stances? we have against the wei

newtown. and the way they have responded to newtown has been widely derided, even by the political right as just nuts, as ridiculous. "nra loon in bizarre rant over newtown." that was "the new york post," which is not to be confused with something like "mother jones." that's the right. wayne lapierre proposing more guns in school as a solution to gun violence. saying guns are not the problem, hollywood is the problem. hollywood glorifying gun violence, that's the real problem, america. and at the same time that wayne lapierre was blaming hollywood glorifying gun violence for violence in this country, the national rifle association at its headquarters, at its national firearms museum was reupping its exhibit to show how much the nra loves hollywood guns. this is the kind of behavior that might pass muster for some sort of club that exists simply to comfort and entertain its own members in private. this is not the behavior of a political group that expects to be taken seriously in politics, expects to be seen as an important and influential actor on serious issues. i mean, your behavior, especially when all eyes are on you on your supposed area of expertis

newtown and beyond his comments are triggering intense outrage as you can imagine. in a statement newtown first selectman pat lodra took aim at fau. shame on you, too, fau, to even have someone like this on your payroll. i can assure you that the events occurred exactly as reported. now we invited professor tracy to come on the program. he's a professor. he talks in front of students. we would think he would be willing to defend his thesis. he declined. john zarrella went looking for him. you went looking for this guy, this professor. again, we'd like to offer people a platform. if they have an argument which is valid, we want them to express it and see if it actually holds up to scrutiny. you caught up with him. what did you learn? >> yeah, anderson, we actually tried again to get him to come on to your program or at the very least to explain his opportunities. professor tracy said he wasn't willing to do it. so we went to his house and he respectfully declined to meet with me or talk with me at all today. he did say during two telephone conversations i had with him today during the first conversation i had with him he said that he would provide me an e-mail response to some of the criticisms that he has been under, the fire he's been under. he said in part in his e-mail response that his observations have been reduced to headlines and sound bytes placing him in a severely negative light. he's confident he's put forth questions befitting any decent and reflective citizen, journalist, or scholar. and he concludes by saying, i apologize for any additional anguish and grief my remarks and how they have been taken out of context and misrepresented may have caused the families who've lost loved ones on december 14th. at the same time i believe the most profound memorial we can give the children and educators who lost their lives on that day is to identify and interrogate the specific causes of their tragic and untimely demise end quote, anderson. >> by the way, what is he a professor of? is it like media studies or something? >> yes. yes. communication. he's in the department of communications, correct. >> interestingly, a guy who's in the department of communications does not want to address the media at all. when you asked the president about this, what did they tell you, are they standing by him. >> right. we talked to president mary jane saunders and they are clearly separating themself from professor tracy. >> we want to make it very clear he was speaking as an individual. he was not speaking in his role as a professor. the university has a very different statement about the shootings, the terrible tragedy that took place in newtown, connecticut. the university does not support this position. i am heart broken about the additional threats to these families at this time. >> now there's no word on what the university could or would do, anderson. he is a tenured professor, as you mentioned, and, in fact, the blog that he writes on is not in any way affiliated with the university. >> people are free to express themselves as they want. i think, you know, if he's a legitimate professor he should be able to defend his statements. >> in that sort of -- in that statement he gave which it's a nonapology, apology. the story of i'm sorry if i offended someone. one is left to inquire whether the sandy hook shooting ever took place, at least in the way law enforcement and the nation's news media have survived. then he suggests, there may have been, quote, trained actors working under state and federal authorities and in cooperation with the broadcast network talent. would they meet with government officials and have hired cris

. >>> as we pointed out, newtown, newtown, connecticut, today, marks exactly one month since a gunmanldren and six adults at sandy hook elementary school. and some of the people in town, they have banded together. you see the ribbons there on their lapels here, they banded together in the aftermath to try to find a positive response to the tragedy. the result, this is what was unveiled this morning, it is called the sandy hook promise. two mothers who lost their children that day read the group's mission statement. here they were. >> the sandy hook promise. our hearts are broken. our spirit is not. and it is with this knowledge that we are able to move forward with purpose and strength. this is a promise to support our own -- our families, our neighbors, our teachers, our community with dedication and love as well as the material and financial needs they will require in the days ahead. this is a promise to truly honor the lives lost by turning our tragedy into a moment of transformation. this is a promise to be open to all possibilities. there is no agenda other than to make our commu

newtown. >> we did have newtown but one incident does not tell you what policy should be and in any case as everyone pointed out a million times the particular things proposed would have is nothing to do with newtownhot a single proposal on their menu that would have stopped mr. lanza from buying the guns and having the guns apparently. there would have been a registry in which people would have known she had the gun. would that have helped? >> chris: i was astonished to learn during the 2012 campaign the nra contributed $20 million to various candidates and the gun control groups $4,000 and that more than 50% of the people on capitol hill have an a rating from the nra. do you see any movement on this issue? >> it is a very difficult heavy lift, chris. you think back to when bill clinton tried this in 1993. he had a large major etan of democrats in the -- majority in the house of representatives and was barely able to get anything done and now, of course, the republicans control the house of representatives. and you put your finger on it the opponents of taking additional steps tend to be much better organized and better funded. my guess is most of the action in the regulatory arena and the admini

as newtown tries to move forward. >> it definitely is a new beginning for sandy hook but, you know, we won't be able to forget. >> reporter: newtown board of education chair debbie lightline says security has been beefed up throughout the school district and the media is being kept at a distance from the new sandy hook. how long do you anticipate police presence will be part of every school in newtown? >> as long as necessary. >> reporter: she says getting back to a familiar routine will help the school heal. randall pinkston, cbs news, monroe, connecticut. >> grief counselors and comfort dogs are in the new school in order to help students. >>> well, after spending 11 years on death row, justin wolfe could walk out of prison a free man as early as today. that is unless a federal appeals court intervenes. wolfe was twice charged with capital murder for the 2001 slaying of a northern virginia drug dealer. on both occasions, a federal judge tossed out the verdict after allegations of misconduct by prince william coty prosecutors surfaced. virginia's attorney general's office is asking the federal appeals court in richmond to stop th

newtown connecticut,'s sandy hook singing this morning. the song's release comes as a group of concerned parents from newtown who will work to deter gun violence, and they will raise money for survivors and their families and the first responders. meanwhile, in neighboring new york the state became the first to enact stricter gun safety rules since the tragedy in newtown which was pushed by andrew cuomo includes a ban on semiautomatic weapons and magazines that hold more than seven rounds. it requires universal background checks and institutes stricter penalties for gun-related crimes. >> if there is an issue that fits the definition of necessity in the state of new york today i believe it's reducing gun violence. >> jennifer: despite opposition to the national rifle association which predictably called the new york bill draconian governor cuomo was able to get support from new york's legislature. it's too bad that few republicans appear to play ball with president obama even though he made gun safety reform a centerpiece of his second term. tomorrow the president will outline his plan. he'll be joined by vice president joe biden as well as children who wrote him letters after the newtown shootings. >>> here to tell us if any of the president's proposals has a chance of passing the republican controlled house of representatives is democratic congressw

newtown. quite frankly, i have been as touched and as absolutely devastated to what happened in newtown as everybody -- >> sir, nobody is disputing that all of us have been devastated by what happened. nobody is disputing that. but joy was just asking you a specific question about louisiana and you don't appear to have a reasonable response to the statistics. >> i'm not sitting here with the statistics. the truth is the newtown shooting is a gun-free school zone. the aurora shooting was a gun-free zone -- >> i would love to ask a question. i take liberties, it is your show, martin. how would the shooter in newtown have killed all those children without a semiautomatic rifle. how could he have committed that crime otherwise? >> he could have committed it with a handgun. he could have committed it with a knife. he have committed it like happened in china. he could have committed it -- >> he could have killed 26 people -- >> sorry, sir, on the very day that happened as you know in china a madman went into a school with a knife and he may have inflicted injuries but none of them were fatal. so that's nonsensical and also just a little reference to aurora, colorado. we heard today about a 911 tape which lasted 27 seconds. do you know how many bullets were fired by the individual shooter during those 27 seconds, sir? >> i did not see the story. >> 33 bullets from a semiautomatic weapon in 27 seconds. i think that

. >> newtown, connecticut, is known for the awful tragedy that happened there, but residents also feel that they can be the strongest voice for change. >> they always think of the town as newtown, where this bad thing happened. you think of it as a change happens, something happened that ignited a flame in people. i want them thinking of my town as how we bounce back and what we get about it. >> on the national mall, surae chin, wusa9. >>> gun sales have seen an increase since the sandy hook shootings ings and there were a few shootings. a few short weeks. thousands were committed to today's rally. police believe they have the man responsible for killing a young woman in a residential d.c. neighborhood. it all happened early yesterday morning at the corner of 5th and nicolson street in northwest. ken is there live. they are looking for a motive, or have they wrapped that up at that point? >> still looking for a motive. this is the corner where police found the body. she had been laying on the ground dead of a gun shot. today, they are announcing they have arrested 21-year-old alexander buckly and charged him with her murder. the 18-year-old victim, we're being told, lived in t

reporter: newtown, connecticut is known for the awful tragedy that happened there, but residents also feel that they can be the strongest voice for change. >> they always think of the town as newtown where this bad thing happened. they think of it as a town where change happened, something happened that ignited a flame in people. >> i want them thinking of my town as how we bounced back and what we did about it. >> gun sales have shot up since sandy hook. there were a few counter protesters at the rally today. the events started with two dc residents who took to facebook after the massacre in just a few short weeks, thousands responded and committed to the rally today. >>> several party guests at a hotel in maryland were robbed at gunpoint. police say a woman had invited several friends by text to a room at the home wood suites. that brought several people to the party including the robbers, say police. the suspect made off with cash, cell phones, and other items from eight victims. tonight 18-year-old jackson julius is in police custody. he was arrested as he boarded a ride-on bus according to police. he's charged tonight with several robbery and gun offenses. >>> in texas firewo

newtown was originally asking for snow flakes as a show of support but officials say they received enough slowflakes to cover the entire state. so today these children created one large valentine to send to newtown. >> the iconic building that once housed san francisco's exploratorium is looking for a new tenant. the building went for $490,000 a year. it was originally built for the 1915 panama pacific exposition and made to look like an ancient ruin. now that the exploratorium is moving to a new building, its old home is vacant. the recreation and park department wants to keep the existing theater at the palace of fine arts and could take a year or two to find a suit tenant. >> playoff fever hits san francisco, and tomorrow playoff tickers go on sale. the niners host the green bay packers on saturday at 5:00 p.m. the number of seats is limited so fans are encouraged to visit the ticket stange. it's possible more tickets could become available later, only available ticket haven'ter. >> what a teenager is saying about a facebook post that led to his arrest. >> taking a peek outside, we had a mixed bag of sun and clouds. leigh glaser will let us know if the rain will return during >> ama: chaos er

newtown, connecticut. you don't want to miss this. >>> we're back, now, with a very special group of kids. the newtown music project. we've been talking about them all morning. listening to them, as well. i'm here with amy robach. amy, you spent so much time in newtownty, the newtown community, that is taking action and finding a way to heal. these children, an amazing group of children right here, most of them from sandy hook elementary school, they found a way to do both, through a song. we want to mention, this song is available on amazon and itunes starting this morning. something everyone can enjoy. >> and they're working with ingrid michaelson, the folk singer. where are the proceeds going to go? >> it's going to go to newtown music academy and united way of western connecticut. this is going to move everyone at home. take a look at how it all came together. at first glance, they're just any group of happy kids. playing outside, when they should be in school. but these are the children of newtown. and only a month after unimaginable tragedy rocked their world, they are eager to help their community. >> so many of the students came. all i could see in their eyes and from what they were telling me, is how do we help? >> reporter: they made banne

newtown. >> and when he tells stories as he did yesterday about grace that reminds him of what happened in newtown. for him to not see action through legislatively i think would be a huge personal failing for him in a really visceral way. >> the juxtaposition of the two pieces of paper, the constitution and the drawing of grace, but that was sort of the image that he was talking about. sort of the nra checklist and the second amendment versus this drawing by this kid. that's a powerful image for these people. >> you have to remember the second amendment is still there, and the supreme court cases on it are still there, and he doesn't have any power to change that. >> nor is he trying to change it. >> no, but that really limits the scope of what he can do. >> i don't think the president has ever said we're going to do these things and never going to have another newtown. i think constantly he has said shouldn't we be doing the best that we can be doing? shouldn't we try to have more effective gun safety laws? shouldn't we try to understand an interlinkage between violence in the media and violence in our cities and schools? >> i'm not faulting the president on either his messaging or his intent, but i think that sort of realistically when you look at things like the assault weapons ban, there's no evidence that the one that we had any impact. maybe it will do something different with it next time, but, many of the, the stuff that's within the kind of acceptable political and the constitutional policy scope is really small ball. the background checks are probably the biggest thing and the most likely thing to get done, but also the thing that had the most preexisting support even from gun owners and nra types. >> the nra has not been a fan of background checks, ben. >> there's another thing that's happening here, which is that there's a signalling tha

december 14 as his homeland security advisor john brennan tells him that 26 people, including 20 first graders, were shot to death at sandy hook elementary school in newtown, connecticut. today, newtown got a visit from a famous victim of gun violence and jim axelrod is there. >> reporter: this is former representative gabrielle giffords, accompanied by her husband mark kelley after meeting with local officials in newtown and families of those killed. those present want to keep the details private. on wednesday, giffords, america's highest profile living gunshot victim and kelley met with new york mayor michael bloomberg. he's been a vocal supporter of stricter gun control laws. but nowhere is the gun control debate more personal than newtown. desiree viauso has a fourth grader at sandy hook elementary and is friends with the family of josephine gay, a first grader who turned seven just three days before she was killed. viuso, who's been an n.r.a. supporter, owns two rifles an an air pistol. how have your opinions changed since the shooting? >> i used to be completely opposed to any kind of legislation about guns. but now, as long as it's balanced with the mental health issues as wel

newtown the victims are shining down on the victims there. the newtown fire house has now 26 stars on the roof and there's the display of 26 large and small bronze stars as a memorial to those. >>> in the wake of the shootings school officials are taking all gun related gestures and threats seriously. now one little boy from maryland is learning that even pretending to have a gun is no joke. a family says their 6-year-old was suspended from the elementary school in silver spring after using his fingers to mimic a gun. the school sent a letter home to parents describing what happened as a serious incident. the child was suspended for a day and the incident will be on his permanent record. other parents in the area have mixed reactions about whether or not the punishment was justified. >> nowadays with everything going on it's something very scary. you know. for a kid themselves. but at the same time, i think that was a little too harsh for a 6-year-old. >> i wouldn't expect someone to do that to my child. if they did i mean i would expect you know, some type of discipline. >> the parents of the 6-year- old are appealing the one day suspension. they say th

newtown. >> newtown. >> newtown. >> how many more. >> how many more colleges. >> how many more classrooms. >> enough. >> demand a plan. >> right now. >> asom. >> as an american. >> for the children of sandy hook, demand a plan. >> enough. >> enough. >> and here was reaction, democratic strategist michael brown and from town hall.com katie, happy new year. >> happy new year, sean. >> sean: it's ironic to get lectures on gun use from armed guards from the action movies firing weapons all over the place. i think that ad is pretty effective. it actually makes me laugh. >> i could have sworn i heard you chuckling in the background. >> sean: i was, that was me. but you know what i didn't see in that video, sean. >> sean: yeah. >> i didn't see charlton heston standing up playing moses and talking about being the spokesperson for the n.r.a. so, i think the hypocrisy perhaps goes both ways. >> sean: what's hypocrisy, he doesn't want to take away gun rights. >> i think more importantly, i think, sean, i think the issue is of all the folks that watch these movies, very small percent whether it's to point something, it's too many, but the bottom lin

newtown ct. looking for support to curb gun violence. an assault weapons ban perhaps as well as a tenant limit on ammunition. 26 people mostly children were killed newtown in ct. export the call for action even though they diller did not technical use an assault rifle. he said it is not just the mass shootings he's concerned about. . >> it is not just the high- profile mass shootings but also what happened and a day in and day of basis. places like chicago and philadelphia where people are to tens of gun violence every single day. . >> policies on wednesday the national rifle association bows to block any of those. the message was loud and clear. some 200 parents and teachers and students were shutting down cps officials on a hearing. hellbent uptown. (cheering) pack the bleachers at truman college. several rallies to close underutilized schools. if cps cewoo as a list to be consolidated by the 21st of march. university of chicago medical center after weekend protests turned ugly. call it the right return of riches he searches protesters claim that there were roughed up by officers during a sit-in and they use the example of the damien turner as an exam

newtown conn. those are staggering overwhelming numbers. another 440 were shot because the heartbreaking newtown shooting occurred at one time the incomprehensible magnitude of the tragedy made a worldwide news story but three times as many child murders occur in chicago over the course of the year yet the public cries nowhere near as loud as in newtown the reality that in two years 86 schoolchildren were killed. it is difficult to comprehend that a society can become numb to the killing of children. i think it's easier for us to get our brains around it one individual who does a terrible thing and seeing that as an isolated incident i think the solution to persistent violence and repeated shootings and ongoing murder's are much more challenging. intervene in the lives of kids earlier so that we can make a difference before they are engaged in the kinds of horrendous choices that they sometimes make deschanel they and their colleagues understand that the killing of children has become a public health crisis the advocate for people in courts jails presence and child care systems who need treatment for alcohol drug and mental health problems they know that the treatment for problem children should begin at an early age. he eventually went afoul of the lot and went to prison he was one of the kids that grew up to take a life scientists

as geithner's replacement. president obama promised quick action on vice president joe biden's proposals on new gun control laws following the shootings in newtown, connecticut. >>> in newtown, connecticut, they are being overwhelmed by donations. though town officials said they have more than they can handle, toys, school supplies and other gifts keep pouring in in the wake of the massacre newtown now has a warehouse to hold the items being trucked in every day. a task force will figure out how to deal with all of the donations. >> people just want to feel like they're doing something. >> yes. >>> as we have reported the obama administration is promising quick action on new gun control laws following the shooting at sandy hook elementary. it is clear plenty of people across the country want to get their hand on guns and now. abc's mark greenblat has more. >> reporter: the surging demand for guns drew so many to this gun show near los angeles over the weekend, the worry wasn't weapons but the size of the crowds. this father brought his daughter along to stock up. worried about looming gun reforms. >> we went through and came down here to got what we wanted before everything

right our starting point as we'll talk about that no doubt later on, right now in newtown, connecticut, it is a return to school and hopefully a return to some normally in newtownndy hook elementary school are back to school for the first time since a gunman killed 26 children and educators, nearly three weeks ago. deb feyerick is live near monroe, new location but same name for that school. >> reporter: it really is and that was something school officials insisted on, they want to make the young kids k through fourth grade feel comfortable and make them feel this is their environment, their new school. the children did have an open house over the last couple of days and also met with their teachers and bonded over pizza. there is some sense of what's going to happen today as they go into their classrooms. they know their desks are the desks they had in the old school have been moved to the new school, so there's a sense of connecon, and that's really important as they go about trying to start the year. so you were in the gym and you were in the art room. b ben and ethan heard the gunshots and screams that horrible morning. three weeks isn't nearly enough time

newtown was referenced, the quiet lanes of newtown were referenced in the speech. that is on the top of the president's agenda as well. and he brought up climate change, this critical environmental issue, several times. especially compared to the one mentioned in his 2009 inauguration. so i think that the fiscal priorities as well as dealing with gun control, getting some legislation there and some movement on the climate, these are the things that seem to be emphasized and seemed to be at the top of his agenda as he dives into his second term. >> let me bring in congresswoman allison schwartz, democrat from pennsylvania. good morning. good to see you. >> morning. how are you? >> i'm well. >> busy weekend, wasn't it. >> busy weekend for everybody, for sure. let me read to you how david remnick from "the new yorker" described the president's speech. this was barack obama without apology, a liberal emboldened by political victory and a desire to enter the history books with a progressive agenda. his rhetoric was not high flung but it was muscular, clear. gone was the primacy of compromise which marked obama's days as president of the harvard law review and even his first years in office. i'm wondering, did you see a different barack obama out there yesterday? >> well, you certainly saw a very strong and determined president and i think that's good for this country. i think he is also a president and by personality, someone who does believe in compromise and negotiation, and some of the difficult fiscal questions we have going forward, he has been absolutely willing to compromise with the republican leadership on, and is certainly going to be willing to work with them and need to work with them in the future. but he made it very clear that in some ways, what he was referencing is that's the work of government that we have to get done. that's in some ways, it shouldn't be so difficult. we need to raise the debt ceiling so we should do it. we need to, you know, have a budget and need to reduce the deficit and need to make investments for the future. what he wanted to talk about is what a great country it is and how we need to make sure it's a country that offers opportunity for all americans and expands the middle class. >> you have been in the trenches. you know how divided congress is. do you think by not using words like compromise, by not reaching out in that very high profile speech, that it was a missed opportunity as some republicans are suggesting? >> well, i think that, you know, it's a little bit of looking backwards and the president was looking forward. i think what he was really saying is and reflecting in a way on his last two years, is he sought to compromise and compromise and compromise again and has gotten so little from the republican leadership. i think what the speech yesterday was about is we need to move forward and if going to, you need to know i'm going to be a determined president. we know the path forward. we may disagree on some things but let's get done what we need to get done in government and let's really think about the future and what we want this country to be. and those visions may be different for the republicans who see only a smaller government, only less in entitlement, only less spending, and that's really a very small vision of who we are in this country. and it's really very different than what the president wants to put forward. >> the president did not specifically mention guns but he did talk about protecting our children and did mention newtown. andrea mitchell told a great anecdote. she was interviewing connecticut governor dan malloy and joe manchin walked over. here's what he had to say. >> i think i'm with the rest of the people, connecticut and the united states, we want action. no gun should be sold without a background check. you can't get on a plane without a background check. you shouldn't be able to buy a gun. >> is there anything that you sense in there that everybody comes together, feels a little kumbaya for 48 hours, maybe it feels like that, but is there anything that suggests to you that the two sides will be able to work together in barack obama's second term? >> well, i'm a moderate centrist democrat. i do believe we can find common ground. i also believe that we have to stand firmly on what we believe in and after what happened in newtown and actually after a series of really tragic mass shootings and of course, what happens daily in this country, loss of life from gun violence, i believe strongly that the

newtown, though newtown was really the final straw for me, the tragedy of that day, it was also the fact that a realization as a parent that it's not safe now to send our children to schools or to send them to malls or even movie theaters or religious services. that what once was the exception is now becoming the rule. we can expect these type of mass shootings as a part of american life and i personally believe it's a combination of many things frfrplt violent american culture to mental health issues to gun issues. i think that's one of three issues. ideologues on both sides will disagree with -- take exception to one or two of those problems, but for me that is not about symbolism anymore, it's about saving children's lives and if it's true that dick cheney and george w. bush believe in the 1% solution if there was a 1% chance that we could stop another 9/11 they would do what it took to take rid of that 1% chance. the i think if that was our approach after 9/11 it should be our approach in protecting our children at schools and shopping malls and religious services. and society abroad. >> rose: and do you think the experience that you had and the awareness that you have reflected here and on your own program in public speeches has resonated with other republicans? >> it has resonated with other republicans but only because they were thinking the same thing as i was thinking. i can't tell you, charlie. i come from northwest florida, also known as the redneck riviera. some people call it l.a.-- lower alabama. we're very conservative. jerry falwell said my district was the most conservative district in america. i grew up in the southern baptist church with a lot of hunters. i lived in mississippi, we spent our summers in the woods. i can tell you, i grew up around hunters and guns and relatives that had shotguns in the back of their trucks and had guns in their houses and what stunned me was after newtown when i came out sighing enough is enough, the second amendment does not mean that survivalists have a right to carry around whatever assault weapon they want to carry around, i was shocked by the number of positive messages i got from the very conservatives, the hunters, the n.r.a. members, the southern baptists that i sat with in pews growing up that agreed with me 100%. i got a lot more response from conservatives, mainstream conservatives than i did even from liberals. so that's why i'm concerned about the republican party, whether they can really listen to wayne lapierre and follow the most extremist elements of the n.r.a. or whether they're going to listen to hunters and constituents in their own districts. >> rose: the n.r.a. represents gun owners or does it represent corporate interests? >> the n.r.a. is about money. the n.r.a. is about protecting gun manufacturers and retailers and people that, let's face it, they make millions and millions of dollars off of the tragedy in new