rebecca cooper is live in boston. >> first, scott thuman with more on mitt romney's the. >> mitt romney hosting a fund raiser at the ritz carlton and it will be a very busy time in virginia for a lot of reasons. earlier today he kicked off his campaign in virginia. it was no coincidence mitt romney was surrounded today by women. >> at an -- at a woman owned business and introduced by a woman -- >> we appreciate all these women being here -- >> his mo is not hard to figure out. he is offering economic empathy. >> i will make america a great place for entrepreneur doors again. for women and men who own businesses. we have to get business going again in this country. >> when i go to the polls, it is about this. i see how it affects families. >> i actually do have a small business. i just need government to stop overtaxing me. >> he faces an up hill battle. polls show him down 13 points among women in virginia. >> it will come down to webb and i think. absolutely. the records between those two are night and day. his record is clearly abysmal on that issue. >> expect plenty more of that in t

in prince william county virginia, rebecca cooper. >> thank you. there has also been controversy about the timing of the announcement. it happened right after vice- president joe biden gave his support to same-sex marriage. he has apologized for getting ahead in the discussion. we ask you today on facebook whether you thought his opinion on same-sex marriage will help or hurt his chances of reelection in virginia. a 46% said it will help and 54% say it will hurt his reelection. thank you for voting. >> then there is this story about mitt romney's response to what appears to be principled as a teenager. the issues come to life in the washington post story today. he was a group of boys who held onto another boy while others cut his hair. he says he does not remember the story but he has changed since high school. >> an on-line petition has begun in response to this we oppose the passage of north carolina oppose a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. the democratic party says their plans for september will not change and the convention

rebecca cooper, abc 7 news. >> president obama's comments come as a majority of u.s. states have constitutional amendments that define marriage as between a man and woman. six states and the district of columbia have legalized same-sex marriage. maryland is one of three states that passed, same-sex marriage bill, but the law has not yet taken effect. >> the president's comments are a particular interest for people living in maryland. the state is in the middle of a battle over the issue that could end with the same sex marriage referendum on the ballot this november. the debate is only going to get more heated in our region. >> there is a bit of excitement from same-sex couples of the president's remarks but they are still waiting to see whether that bill that was signed into law by governor martin o'malley will actually stand. one couple we spoke with night is hoping that marylanders will follow along with the president. >> together for four years, they say is amazing to hear that their views now have the blessing of the president. >> he is a wonderful leader. to com

rebecca cooper has the story. >> along route 9 in western loudon county, traffic is not a concern thoughwonder why they should pay for expanding metro. >> it is ridiculous for us to be taxed to support a metro system that does not do anything for us. >> she says everyone at george wants to know how they could protest also. -- everyone at church. >> they are not interested in commercial development or big companies coming here. this area is closer to the actual airport. many people think building a metro would be vital to the economic development of this region. >> i think it will increase the property value of my house. that is why i on the house, so that i can 1 debicella for more money. i do not think it is terrible. >> it will be easier for people to get in and out of the county. i think there is a lot of benefit to it. >> some say it would ruin the quality of life that brought them to this region. bexar really do not want the increase in traffic and population is going to bring. we are already very crowded in loudon county now. >> rebecca cooper, abc 7 news. >> neighbors in northwest

rebecca cooper is in the satellite story with latest developments. >> they cannot retrieve one of thecase. they know where it is. one man in the center of that all will most likely remain in jail until they get it back. >> it was a gift from her boyfriend that turned fatal. this 27-year-old was and gliding with an instructor when witnesses say things went wrong. >> she was no longer horizontal and she was hanging vertical and was trying to stay up. it looks like she was slipping down his body. eventually she let go at the very end. >> they initially assumed the death was an accident. but now her instructor is under arrest all because of this tiny memory card from the camera on the glider. he swallowed the memory card following the fatal plunge. >> there have been x-rays taken. we have confirmed and we are in the waiting process here. >> and john is very upset. he is very saddened by everything that has happened. >> authorities want to know why he would cover up something key to the investigation. ride out the evidence remains inside. until it comes out they will not know if any of the

rebecca cooper has the numbers. cox critics thought facebook was overvalued for a company who does not know how to make big advertising bucks. today it closed at $32.13 a share. that is well below the original price. >> would investors who once wanted and say they're glad they missed out on the ipo. >> i saw all people on wall street were getting first dibs on the action. i felt that was not there and i was missing out. i am glad i missed out. >> investors in california filed a class-action lawsuit alleging facebook hid facts about future revenue. nasdaq is being sued saying they lost money due to the technical which -- technical glitches. regulators have issued subpoenas for morgan stanley officials wanting to know if the lead bank gave top investors an exclusive heads up for an earnings forecast. >> we have a different set of facts and the affirmation and analysis from the average retail a investor. yes, that is troubling. >> they say they want answers. >> there are issues we need to look at. >> senate banking com

rebecca cooper is live in the newsroom with the latest from the campaign trail. >> the president's campaign officials did not need coffee to get their jolt this morning. polls show them running even, even after that rough-and-tumble republican primary. >> the gun himself under attack from a voter in the audience. >> -- the candidate found himself under attack. >> several million dollars of your personal income taxes being paid to foreign countries instead of ours, were you took over $1.50 million in foreign tax credits in 10 years. >> i will look at it. [laughter] i am not familiar with that. >> obama officials were put on the defensive, showing the race already neck and neck. the new poll of george washington university shows likely voters favoring romney by 48% to 47% for obama. this weekend, the president told her supporters, try harder, and picked up his campaign in richmond and columbus. >> if you are willing to work even harder in this election, then you did in the last election, i guarantee you we will move this country forward. >> today the obama campaign launched a new ad designed

this is "washington business report" with abc7 national correspondent rebecca cooper. >> thanks for joining us for a look at business and fance re ithe washinon region. we wl be talking about jobs numbers, china and news from our region th our roundtable. the firsfocus is ourocal sinesses. duringhe recessionon experts new charitabable donations would drop but analysts re surprised by how much. donations tank by a full 20%. far m more than in previous downrns. now thslow speed of the recovery is continuingg to drag on charitable donations. every year at ththis time, business leade come together to recognize businesses who make philanthropy a t priority. joinining us today, john rter senior vice preresident of bb&t bank, and kim fiske of fiske & harvey. first, we wa to tatalk aut the bottom line for both of your indust it. let's start with banking. john, what is the outlook? >> thank you for having me. i think banking hasurned a corner. for my bank bb&t, we have had a great first quarter. >> according to the financial press, you had net incomee jumpining 91%% for bb&t the first quarter and it

this is "washington business report" with abc7 tional correspondent rebecca cooper. captioned by thee tional captioning institute --www.ncap.org-- >> sings for joining us for a look at businesess and finance in the washington region. this wee what went wrong with the facebook ipo? tracking concerns about the health of the global economy. we will have those topics comiming up later in the show. first, some career advdvice from a washington area hometown girl made good. here is what happen when we got the chancece to discuss the media industry, her career, and life as a working mom with katie couric. katie couric, welcome to "washington business report." >> thank you very much. >> welcome to abc, too. was that a big decision for you? >> of course. switching networks, i have gotten to be pretty good at it by now. after five years being with cbs, i decided it was not the best venue for what skills iring to the table. i'd like to interact and have fun and do serious stories as well. to be in a less confining foat. so i talked to different folks and i thought it abc presen

this is "washington business report" with abc7 national correspondent rebecca cooper. >>>> thank you f for joining us for a look at business and finance here in the shington region. the rush to like the facebook ipo, big banks makg risky gagamble those topics are coming up in our roundtable segment today but first a funny man who iss also a small businessman and successful entertainer generating serious headlines for his critici of prpresident obam owner of the jon lovititz comedy cl and podcast theatater snl's jon lovitz took president obama to task saying that the rich aree paying too much in taxes, saying it is s bad for the country and a flat out wro when the president t says the wealthy are not p paying their f fair share. here is an excpt of his rant that when viral. >> this whole thing with obama saying the rich do not pay their taxes, is [beep] i am a democrat. what a [bee] isn't that enough? for every dollar you may come at for every $2, you have to give a dollar back. no that is s not enouugh. it is ha. >> jon lovitz is a a businessman and hehe was sitting and one of the co

this is "washington busisiness report" with abc7 national correspondent rebecca cooper. >> thank you for joining us for a lolook at business and finance in the washington region. it was a week where a $1 billion loss by j.p. morgan case raises questions about regulation and as president obama. for fairness, republicans y they will not be distracted by talks about gay marriage. let's look to e economic outlook for our region. what does the smar money saved? when the question comes up, we callll investor, an entrepreneur, and owner of the washington cassels professional texas team -- tennis team. he has a catalog issues tt move young companies to move out of theistrict. markthank you f for java in a. of what is t the outlook for the rest o of 2012? is it an investment opportunity? >> i think things are saying it stable but will be bumpy for a while. i think we are in the middle f someacro trends that will be here. the companies are movoving in, stay in. at the same time,e, governmenent spending l less and consolidating real-estate. i think you have a mix of things that willl kp them bu

rebecca cooper, abc 7 news. >> coming up, a police officer's mother is in trouble after a shooting in virginia. >> young sellers-- spellers take to the stage. >> some women say no thanks to a drug that could prevent breast cancer. >> a local bank's flyer is causing a lot of controversy tonight. >> this was a flier sent out to the thousands of members of the u.s. senate federal credit union. some of them work here on capitol hill. i am not sure where reaction they were hoping for but they did get a strong one. >> it is disgusting. i do not think it sends the right message. >> i do not think it is appropriate at all. wow. >> this is the added drawing all of that. a pop-up had mailed a few days ago in to -- members to take out a loan. but a loan for what? open up the fire and the caption says -- got big plans? let us worry about the money. the credit union has three branches in our area including one on capitol hill and as one in alexandria. she has been a member for years and could not believe her eyes when she receive the mailing. >> i think it was upsetting they were using women's bre

. >> rebecca cooper goes one on one with katie correct to talk about growing up in virginia and the new show she has on abc 7. >> parents cannot figure this out on their own. this is an issue that needs to be dealt with by the federal government. it collects these mothers are taking their fight to capitol hill. >> a live report where police say a man >> a 13-year-old girl took matters into her own hands. >> a man approached her with a sharp object. that is when she fought back with her backpack. jennifer donelan live where the search is on for the suspect. >> this is a very strange and violent attack on a 30-year-old girl. news was beginning to spread around this evening. the man cut and slashed the girl's arm but she fought back. >> here in this neighborhood where police stood at guard and a knock on doors after a girl was attacked. it was monday when a man tried to take her ipad. he took a sharp object and repeatedly slashed her arm. >> it is very scary. >> she was sitting in her backyard when search dogs appeared out of nowhere looking for the armed and dangerous man. >> it is a grow

. >> rebecca cooper joins us with reaction to this new study. >> about one and three babies in the u.son. doctors say the risk of childhood obesity is not a reason to forgo unnecessary caesarean section. >> after going through hours of labor just was not progressing , so i needed a c-section. >> i voted against it because of the surgery portion of it. at that particular time it was an unnecessary procedure. >> the study by children's hospital in boston found a surprising new risk. babies born by c-section or twice as likely to be obese by age 3. for children born to be a vaginal delivery, the way it is reducing the rate is 7.5%. -- the rate is 7.5%. >> there is not a reason to totally avoid them, but they should be used consciously. >> a new campaign encourages women to be better educated about various forms of delivery and not assume c-sections are always easier. >> there are potential long-term and short-term risks for mom and baby. >> the trend toward elective c- sections is troubling. the doctors we spoke with said the study is one more reason women should make the decision careful

rebecca cooper is in the newsroom. >> mitt romney and his aides deliberately avoided focusing too mucho keep the focus

child protective services to stay away from his sons but both parents continue to cooperate with authorities. meantime, rebeccas trying to keep her daughter's name in the public. attending vigils and updating her facebook page including this picture she posted friday with this message. bring isa home, please. we miss you. miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. >>> up next, memorial day observances around the area. >> "news4 at 5:00" starts right now. >>> a day of tributes on this memorial day as the nation stops to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. good evening. i'm richard jordan. >> i'm nancy goss. jim and wendy have the night off. president obama spent this memorial day honoring the sacrifice of men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. this morning, place ad wreath at the tomb of the unknowns at arlington national cemetery. he noted this is the first time in a decade that americans are not fighting in iraq. and that american troops will soon be coming home from afghanistan. >> after a decade under the dark cloud of war, we can see the light of a new die on the horizon. as

cooperative since the beginning. for the first time, the police are calling this abduction. rebecca celis is turning to the community to keep isabel's story alive. >> i know in my heart she's somewhere out there. >> police say they are still working under the assumption that isabel is still alive. they have gotten more than 1,000 tips so far. but none have led them to isabel. dan? >> such a sad story. >>> this has been an interesting weekend for mark zuckerberg, on friday, his company, a little outfit called facebook, started selling shares on wall street, instantly earning the 28-year-old $19 billion on paper at least. and then yesterday, he got married in a secret, surprise ceremony. ron is back with this pretty major status update. >> an interesting week. a huge week for mark zuckerberg. on monday he celebrated his 28th birthday. on friday, facebook had its ipo. and yesterday, he tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend. >> let's do this. >> reporter: on friday, this seemed to be the biggest day of mark zuckerberg's young life. taking his company public and making himself $20 b

cooperate with authorities. >> my husband is a great father. the kids, my husband loves those boys, loves my daughter, is a great husband. >> reporter: meantime, rebeccaelis is trying to keep her daughter's name in the public, attending vigils and updating her facebook page, including this new picture of isabel she posted on friday, with this message -- bring isa home, please, we miss you. for "today," miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. >> nbc news analyst clint van zandt is a former fbi profiler joining us now live. clint, good morning to you. >> hi, peter, good morning. >> so i want to begin with some of these new documents that we heard in these reports, 500 pages of them, about footprints that are found on electrical boxes, a side of the home. can you give us any sense of the significance something like that could be for investigators? how do they determine if that's an important part? >> one of the things you do as an investigator, peter, is you take everything, you try anything that could possibly be evidence. now you know, maybe it rained the day before isabel went missing, so this was a fresh footprint or maybe it's been there for a month