in an exclusive interview with pbs "newshour's" spencer michels. >> it drives me crazy when people say, you haven't done anything. should we cut the colleges more and pump it into the prisons? >> our spotlight on politics coming up next. >>> good evening. welcome to "this week in northern california." with the presidential inauguration coming up on monday, and major developments this week on gun control and immigration reform, we focus tonight on politics from california to washington, d.c. we'll hear from governor jerry brown later in the program. and to help analyze it all, we're joined in studio by carla marinucci, "san francisco chronic chronicle" senior political reporter." debra saunders, "san francisco chronicle" conservative columnist. scott shafer, host of the "california report" joining us from washington, d.c. scott, let's start with you. you've been talking to our california lawmakers this week on the push for immigration reform. is there progress on comprehensive reform, and what are you hearing from our congressional officials? >> well, it seems like the stars are alignin

." >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ moving our economy for 160 years.f, the engine that connects us. >> and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> woodruff: on this third day of the new year, the u.s. congress officially re-convened for the 113th time. bringing a new set of faces, to join those already in place; and a familiar set of issues. with the prospect of more battles over taxes, spending and deficits. >> if the senators to be sworn will now present themselves at the desk. >> woodruff: high noon was swearing-in time in the senate today. vice president joe biden, who serves as senate president, administered the oath of office to the freshmen and re-elected members. >> do you so solemnly swear that you will support

. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> bnsf railway. >> support also comes from carnegie corporation of new york, a foundation created to do what andrew carnegie called "real and permanent good." celebrating 100 years of philanthropy at carnegie.org. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and friends of the newshour. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> brown: information trickled out today about the siege of a natural gas plant in algeria. there was word that one american hostage had been killed, but a definitive accounting of all the captives remained elusive. at the same time, the algerians allowed the world to see pictures of some who'd been rescued. amid continued confusion, these were the first images of natural gas workers freed by algerian special forces. >> ( translated ): we went out and waved up white banners so the national army would recognize us as workers and let us go. >> brown: others w

. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> brown: washington and the nation were witness again today to the quadrennial pomp and color of a presidential inauguration. it marked the public start to the second obama administration, and it featured presidential appeals to extend prosperity and full freedoms to all americans. as the sun rose over the nation's capital on this monday hundreds of thousands of people began descending on the national mall to witness the occasion. officials estimated 500-700,000 attendees. that was far fewer than four years ago when nearly two million turned out. but today's crowd gave no h

. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> bnsf railway. >> support also comes from carnegie corporation of new york, a foundation created to do what andrew carnegie called "real and permanent good." celebrating 100 years of philanthropy at carnegie.org. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and friends of the newshour. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> brown: information trickled out today about the siege of a natural gas plant in algeria. there was word that one american hostage had been killed, but a definitive accounting of all the captives remained elusive. at the same time, the algerians allowed the world to see pictures of some who'd been rescued. amid continued confusion, these were the first images of natural gas workers freed by algerian special forces. >> ( translated ): we went out and waved up white banners so the national army would recognize us as workers and let us go. >> brown: others w

." >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ moving our economy for 160 years.f, the engine that connects us. >> and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> woodruff: former u.s. senator chuck hagel faced a hostile reception today from half of the committee that must sign off before he can become secretary of defense. his senate confirmation hearing centered heavily on criticism from his one-time republican colleagues. the atmosphere was friendly enough at the outset as chuck hagel began his big day before the armed services committee. he quickly sought to allay concerns on both sides about his positions on everything from iran to israel to nuclear weapons. >> no one individual vote, no one individual quote, no one individual sta

." >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ ♪ moving our economy for 160 years, the engine that connects us. >> and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> woodruff: former u.s. senator chuck hagel faced a hostile reception today from half of the committee that must sign off before he can become secretary of defense. his senate confirmation hearing centered heavily on criticism from his one-time republican colleagues. the atmosphere was friendly enough at the outset as chuck hagel began his big day before the armed services committee. he quickly sought to allay concerns on both sides about his positions on everything from iran to israel to nuclear weapons. >> no one individual vote, no one individual quote, no one individual stat

. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> and by bnsf railway. >> support also comes from carnegie corporation of new york, a foundation created to do what andrew carnegie called "real and permanent good." celebrating 100 years of philanthropy at carnegie.org. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and friends of the newshour. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> woodruff: the future u.s. military role in afghanistan was front and center today as president obama met with afghan leader hamid karzai. they reported progress in their talks, and said the pace of the security transition will be expedited. at their first face-to-face meeting since may, the leaders announced they're accelerating the handoff from u.s. and coalition forces to afghan troops. >> let me say it as plainly as i can-- starting this spring, our troops will have a different mission: training, advising, assisting afghan forces. it will be an

. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by:

. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> bnsf railway. >> support also comes from carnegie corporation of new york, a foundation created to do what andrew carnegie called "real and permanent good." celebrating 100 years of philanthropy at carnegie.org. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and friends of the newshour. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> sreenivasan: a federal appeals court rejected several recess appointments made by president obama last year saying the moves were unconstitutional. the president appointed three people to the national labor relations board last january. the president argued he was justified in doing so because the senate was away for a 20-day break. but republicans and business groups said the senate was still technically in session, if only for a few minutes every few days. the panel of three judges-- all appointed by republican presidents-- said mr. obama had done an i

. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> bnsf railway. >> support also comes from carnegie corporation of new york, a foundation created to do what andrew carnegie called "real and permanent good." celebrating 100 years of philanthropy at carnee.org. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and friends of the newshour. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> sreenivasan: a federal appeals court rejected several recess appointments made by president oba last year, saying the moves were unconstitutional. the president appointed three people to the national labor relations board last january. the president argued he was justified in doing so because the senate was away for a 20-day break. but republicans and business groups said the senate was still technically in session, if only for a few minutes every few days. the panel of three judges-- all appointed by republican presidents-- said mr. obama had done an inap

." >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ moving our economy for 160 years.f, the engine that connects us. >> and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> brown: as unemployment, growth and budget concerns continue, the man who will lead president obama's new economic team was formally nominated today. the announcement came this afternoon, the latest in a series of major cabinet changes. >> one reason jack has been so effective in this town is because he is a low-key guy who prefers to surround himself with policy experts rather than t.v. cameras. >> brown: with that, the president introduced his nominee to be the next secretary of the treasury, jack lew, the man he made his chief of staff, a year ago yesterday. lew would succe

. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> sailing through the heart of landscapes and river you see differently. you get close to iconic landmarks, to local life, to cultural treasures. it's a feeling that only a river can give you. these are are journeys that change your perspective on the world. and perhaps even yourself. viking river cruises. exploring the worldn comfort. >> bnsf railway. >> and by the bill and melinda gates foundation. dedicated to the idea that all people deserve the chance to live a healthy, productive life. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> woodruff: president obama will lay out his strategy tomorrow for stopping deadly attacks involving guns. that word came today, amid reports that he's considering 19 administrative policy changes, as well as congressional action. it's been just over a month since 20 children and six adults died in the school s

. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> thisrogram wasade possie byhe corporaon f public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> brown: battle lines were drawn at either end of pennsylvania avenue today over the national debt and government spending. the opening shots came from president obama at his white house news conference. >> i thought it might make sense to take some questions this week as my first term comes to an end. >> brown: the questions were domited by the looming debt ceiling fight. the president sternly warned republicans not to balk at raising the nation's borrowing limit. >> they will not collect a ransom in exchange for not crashing the american economy. the financial well being of the ameri

." >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> ifill: the challenge of gun violence, and the looming political fight over what to do about it, dominated a high- profile hearing today. the senate judiciary committee played host to leading voices from both sides of the debate. it was a day of drama in the packed hearing room. >> this is an important conversation. >> ifill: even before the senators had their say, former congresswoman gabrielle giffords stepped up to the microphone to make a brief and halting plea. >> speaking is difficult but i need to say something important. violence is a big problem. too many children are dying. too many children. we must do something. you must act. be bold, be courageous. americans are counting on you. >> ifill: giffords was shot in the head two years ago as she met with constituents in tucson, arizona. six

." >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> woodruff: while much of the country kicked off the new year by going back to work today, washington said its goodbyes to the 112th congress, after a late night of final suspense on the fiscal cliff legislation. it gave the president much of what he wanted on taxes, and left republicans sharply divided. for president obama, the end-- for now-- of the washington budget drama, meant returning to hawaii today to resume his holiday vacation. but last night, before leaving, he welcomed house approval of the fiscal cliff bill. >> a central promise of my campaign for president was to change the tax code that was too skewed towards the wealthy at the expense of working middle- class americans. tonight, we've done that. >> reporter: the final vote in the house was 257 to 167 on a bill theenate had alady a

." >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ ♪ moving our economy for 160 years, the engine that connects us. >> and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> brown: algeria's state news agency now says special forces have completed a mission to rescue dozens of foreign hostages, including some americans. they'd been held by militants tied to al-qaeda. but there are wildly varying accounts of how many got out alive, and how many were killed. >> because of the fluidity and the fact that there is a lot of planning going on, i cannot give you any further details at this time about the current situation on the ground. >> brown: even this afternoon, as secretary of state hillary clinton suggested, the situation in algeria remained confus

. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> ifill: for the first time in years, there was serious talk today of getting congress to act on immigration. senators from both sides of the aisle joined to offer propos manies and said they'll work to get them passed by summer. >> we are dealing with 11 million human beings who are here undocumented, the vast and enormous majority of whom have come here in pursuit of what all of us would recognize as the american dream. that's what we endeavor to move forward here on. >> ifill: that announcement today moved immigration reform to the front burner in congress. eight senator

. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> viking river cruises. >> bnsf railway. >> and by the bill and melinda gates foundation. dedicated to the idea that all people deserve the chance to live a healthy, productive life. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> woodruff: one week into his second term, president obama officially took on the issue of immigration today. he said it comes down to a simple question: whether the country and the government have the resolve, finally, to deal with the long-festering national challenge. the president launched his effort in nevada where more than a quarter of the state's residents are hispanic. >> i'm here today because the time has come for common sense, comprehends i have been immigration reform. ( cheers and applause ) the time is now. >> woodruff: the campaign-style event at a las vegas high school came a day after a bipartisan g

." >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ ♪ moving our economy for 160 years, the engine that connects us. >> and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> woodruff: on this third day of the new year, the u.s. congress officially re-convened for the 113th time. bringing a new set of faces, to join those already in place; and a familiar set of issues. with the prospect of more battles over taxes, spending and deficits. >> if the senators to be sworn will now present themselves at the desk. >> woodruff: high noon was swearing-in time in the senate today. vice president joe biden, who serves as senate president, administered the oath of office to the freshmen and re-elected members. >> do you so solemnly swear that you will support a

." >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> ifill: a major new study released today concludes that one in eight american teens has had suicidal thoughts. one of every 25 has attempted suicide. those findings come from a survey of nearly 6,500 teens published in the journal "jama psychiatry"-- the largest in- depth analysis of teens on this subject. more than half of the young people who planned, thought of or attempted to kill themselves had received at least some treatment. nearly 1,400 teens between the ages of 13 and 18 took their own life in 2010. for more about the study and some of the issues it raises, we talk to two experts. doctor timothy lineberry is medical director of the mayo clinic psychiatric hospital. and brian daly is a clinical child and adolescent psychologist and professor at drexel university. >> welcome to you both.

. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> woodruff: today's announcement at the white house sets up a pair of potential confirmation fights. president obama's choices to oversee the pentagon and the c.i.a. will now be called to answer questions about everything from israel to iran to interrogations. there has been much speculation about both nominations, but the president made them official this afternoon in the east room of the white house. >> my choice for two key members of my national security team. chuck hagel, former secretary of defense and john brennan for director of the central intelligence agency. >> w

." >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> brown: the u.s. military has a new order of the day: working up plans for putting women on the front lines. the process was set in motion today at the pentagon. >> not everyone is going to be able to be a combat soldier. but everyone is entitled to a chance. >> brown: with that, defense secretary leon panetta-- joined by the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, general martin dempsey-- announced he's ending a 1994 ban on women in combat roles. >> as secretary, when i've gone to bethesda to visit wounded warriors, when i've gone to arlington to bury our dead, there is no distinction that's made between the sacrifices of man and wom

." >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ moving our economy for 160 years.f, the engine that connects us. >> and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. a... >>hisrogram was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> brown: algeria's state news agency now says special forces have completed a mission to rescue dozens of foreign hostages, including some americans. they'd been held by militants tied to al-qaeda. but there are wildly varying accounts of how many got out alive, and how many were killed. >> because of the fluidity and the fact that there is a lot of planning going on, i cannot give you any further details at this time about the current situation on the ground. >> brown: even this afternoon, as secretary of state hillary clinton suggested, the situation in algeria remained confused. t

." >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> ifill: a major new study released today concludes that one in eight american teens has had suicidal thoughts. one of every 25 has attempted suicide. those findings come from a survey of nearly 6,500 teens published in the journal "jama gestn-ry"-- the iarp depth analysis of teens on this sject. mo than half of the young people who planned, thoughof, ilhatmpd l totoil kthemselves ced re edas at led t some treatment. nearly 1,400 teens between the ages of 13 and 18 took their own life in 2010. for more about the study and some of the issues it raises, we talk to two experts. doctor timothy lineberry is medical director of the mayo clinic psychiatric hospital. and brian daly is a clinical child and adolescent psychologist and professor at drexel university. >> welcome to you both. dr. daly, how con