they won't comment on ro rockefell rockefeller's level of alertness. his lawyers say he's cooperating fully. the seven-car commuter train jumped the track sunday as it hit a curve nearly three times the speed limit. so far investigators have found no mechanical reason for the crash. >> there's no indication that the brake systems were not functioning properly. >> alcohol tests on the train crew were negative. the results of the drug test are not available yet. federal investigators say rockefeller had switched from a night shift to a day shift two weeks before the crash. he reported to work on time at 5:04 a.m. >> there's every indication that he would have had time to get full restorative sleep. >> his union says rockefeller had never been disciplined for job performance. his lawyer calls what happened a terrible accident and tells "the new york times" rockefeller is extremely remorseful. michael mcclendon was rockefeller's supervisor for several years. >> i wish it didn't happen to anybody, but i sure as hell don't want it happening to him. >> late y

an attorney for william rockefeller said his client was in a daze.r passengers were killed, dozens injured when the train went off the track. we have the latest on the investigation. >> for the first time since sunday's metro north derailment outside metro city attention is drifting away focussing on the train's engineer. >> simply put, based on this data there's no indication that the break's systems were not suffering. >> on tuesday two members from william rockefeller's camp suggested human area was to blame. his attorney said he was daze the suffering highway hypnosis. william rockefeller revealed that he had nodded off to a union official. >> sometimes a momentary nod, whatever that might be, how long it lasts, i can't answer that. he caught himself, but too late. >> william rockefeller has been with metro north for 20 years, serving 11 as an engineer. it's the critical seconds before the crash that will be scrutinized, including whether he had enough sleep. >> william rockefeller reportedly went to bed, sleeping for about seven hours. metro nor

. >> sources say engineer, william rockefeller, told first responders that before the train derailed, he began to daze, thinking about nothing in particular. rockefeller and the other crew members were given drug and alcohol tests. >> the results from the alcohol breath tests were negative. the results of the other tests are still pending. >> rockefeller is a 15-year veteran who switched from a night shift to a day shift two weeks before the crash. his union leader says rockefeller nodded at the controls. >> there was a lapse and that was a nod or however they want to capture. however it will be explained today and it was a mistake that any of us could make. and he caught that mistake too late. >> investigators say they will continue to interview rockefeller and that it's too soon to say whether his actions directly caused the crash. vaneta nire. >> investigators also say no problems were found with any signals along the route. >>> don't expect to find messages of team spirit or good will on muni buses anymore. you see them, they say go giants or equality for all. those types of messa

rockefeller's lawyer. >> reporter: the night before the accident mr. rockefeller had good sleep, he went to bed at 8:30 in the evening, woke up at 3:30 in the morning, reported to work after 5:00 in the morning and mr. rockefeller acknowledges he had a temporary loss of concentration just at that vital moment. that is why he's been heard to have said he was in a daze. the ntsb, of course, giving us more details about the investigation today. human error, william billy rockefeller's days increasingly the probable cause. his union representative says he was nodding off and caught himself too late. >> he's extremely distraught over it, and he feels for the families. i don't believe that in my opinion that anybody could ever -- could ever, ever make billy feel worse than he's making himself feel today, so, billy feels terrible. whether it was his fault or not his fault it's his train. >> reporter: having eliminated causes including signal failure, the reason falling upon william rockefeller jr., the enga near. >> they continue interviewing the members of t

what is the ntsb saying about rockefeller's confession this morning? far the ntsb is not saying anything about what he has said in the interviews that he has done. i want to show you the tracks in the affected area. trains are unaring again this morning through this area. meanwhile the investigation goes on. so far the national transportation safety board found nothing wrong with the signals or the brakes. the focus is on the train's engineer rockefeller. he reported for duty sunday morning at 5:04 a.m. it was the second day of a five day workweeorkweek. he had worked a routine 9 hour shift. there's no reason to believe he was sleep deprived. but a union representative admits rockefeller dozed off in the seconds before the crash. >> it was a shock to him. he was stunned. realized it. he went to try to correct it as fast as he could. he was right on the curve. >> you just heard from the union representative because of the comments he has made to the media the ntsb has taken the rare step of pulling the union off of this investigation. >> that is the lat

rockefeller told police he, quote, zoned out. all this as the metro train was barreling down the tracks out of a 70-mile-per-hour zone and into an area cleared for nearly half that speed. the train was going 82 miles per hour nearly triple the speed limit. by the time the engineer slammed on the brakes it was too late. rockefeller has been described as having a stellar record. his lawyer knows he changed his work schedule to an earlier start time of 5:00 a.m. just two weeks prior to the accident. >> there is every indication that he would have had time to get full restorative sleep. there is no indication that the brake systems were not functioning properly. >> a spokesperson says some metro north trains have systems that brake in the case of distracted drivers but the train that derailed does not have that equipment or that technology. >>> it might feel like february where you are or it is about to. a winter storm is making its way east through the western half of the u.s. and is bringing bitter temperatures. in some cases, as m

we caught that mistake too late. >> investigators say they will continue to interview rockefeller andhat it's too soon to say whether his actions directly caused the crash. cbs news the bronx, new york. >> the ntsb says there's every indication that rockefeller had time to get enough sleep before starting his shift. >>> new video shows an amazing underwater rescue. that man was trapped underwater for almost three days after his tug boat sank in the atlantic. he was the cook on board that boat. it happened in june. video just surfaced now. 29-year-old nigerian man got trapped in a 4-foot-square air pocket after a diver rescued him, spent two days in decompression chamber and returned home in good shape. >>> you won't believe what paul walker did for this couple, and he didn't even know them. >>> a mystery tipper is giving away a fortune at restaurants across the country, and now here in the bay area. >>> they call him mr. christmas. meet the bay area man behind the holiday light show so epic someone just made a movie about it. [ laughter ] he loves me. he loves me not. he loves me. he

the holiday season with the rockefeller center christmas tree, bam. aglow right outside our building here. the 76-foot norway spruce is covered with no less than 45,000 l.e.d. lights. all going to be working for a lot of years. >>> the white house may be in some hot water, this time for one of its furrier family friends. furrier with more fur, i mean to say. sunny obama, the newly adopted dog, so excited during the first lady's christmas decorations unveiling that she knocked one of the attendees, little ashton, to the ground. the good news is ashton is okay. she got a kiss from sunny to help make it all better. >> maybe santa will have to bring her an extra big present under the tree. >> maybe from the president, first lady. >> maybe santa can deliver that. >>> time for a look ahead and back. a hanukkah reception at the white house today. as in past years, president obama welcomes guests for a celebration to mark the last night of the jewish festival of lights. >>> on this day in 1933, the end of prohibition. americans were finally able to drink lega

esa persona que tiene que dormir por lo menos seis horas todas las noches. >> los empleadores de rockefellers 60 millas al sur de santiago, la capital de chile. dos muertos,un centenar de heridos y 52 detenidos dejÓ como saldo una ola de robos y saqueos realizado por, lo que el gobierno de argentina, definiÓ como delincuentes organizados. la policÍas se acuartelÓ por demandas salariales, hoy se llegÓ a un acuerdo y los uniformados renovaron sus labores. el ministerio de deportes de brasil y la fifa rechazaron demandas de racismo por el sorteo de la copa del mundo, las acusaciones de discriminaciÓn surgieron tras la sustituciÓn de una pareja de actores de origen afro,por una de blancos para presentar el sorteo del mundial, un fiscales san pablo abriÓ una investigaciÓn sobre el caso. en instantes una familia resultÓ ilesa despuÉs de que una camioneta ♪ >> son impresionantes las imÁgenes, una camioneta se estrellÓ contra una casa, pero los 6 miembros de la familia resultaron ilesos porque se encontraban en el segundo piso. los investigadores dijeron que el vehÍculo se saliÓ de la carretera a al

. >> the executive director of the employees union says 46-year-old engineer william rockefeller whoinjured in the crash said he caught himself nodding off at the controls. rockefeller told police he zoned out and doesn't remember any of the events just before the metro-north commuter train left the tracks. according to transit sources, after years of working the afternoon night shift, his schedule changed to early mornings just two weeks before the accident. rockefeller was on the second day of a five-day workweek. >> every indication he would have had time to get fully restored to sleep. >> when he realized there was a problem he reached for the brakes and they failed. but data recorders pulled from the wreckage show the brakes were applied just five seconds before the sliding and tumbling railcars came to a stop just inches from the harlem river. >> there's no indication that the brake systems were not functioning properly. >> a union official says rockefeller is, quote, extremely distraught over the loss of life. he's very traumatized. he's trying to put it all together. and that

. >> reporter: human error, william billy rockefeller's daze, increasingly the probable cause.is union representative saying he was nodding off and caught himself too late. >> he is extremely distraught over it. and he feel for the families. i don't believe that in my opinion, anybody could ever make billy feel worse than he is making himself feel today. so billy feel terrible. whether it was his fault or not his fault. >> having eliminated a number of possible causes including signal failure, the focus of the investigation increasingly falling upon william rockefeller jr., the train's engineer. >> the operations group continued interviewing the members of the crew today including the engineer whose interview is currently underway. >> in the minutes after the derailment according to a source, rockefeller told first responders, going along and i'm in a daze. i don't know what happened. the ntsb says the ten-year veteran driver's hours were routine. >> up he was on the second day of a five-day shift that he had started at 5:00 a.m. in the morning. what time did he finish the shif

moments after the accident, rockefeller told police he zoned out. this as the train was barrelling towards the tracks on a sharp turn. it was coming in an area cleared for half that speed. but when the train was going 82 miles per hour by then, that's nearly triple the speed limit, and by the time the engineer slammed on the brakes, it was simply too latement now investigators are eyeing rockefeller who is described as having a stellar record. his lawyer notes he changed his work schedule to an earlier 5:00 a.m. time just two weeks briar prior to the accident. >> there is every indication that he would have time to get full sleep. based on these data, there's no indication that the brake systems were not functioning properly. >> a spokesperson says some metro north systems have trains that brake in the case of distracted drivers. but this train that derailed was not equipped with that technology. >>> i may feel like february where you are or it's about toment a winter storm is making its way east through the western half of the u.s. and it's bringin

jay rockefeller says a hearing was already in the works before amazon's big announcement.ockefeller says they want to make sure they can meet rigorous safety and privacy standards first. the service is still several years away. >>> for the first time ever problems with the nation's largest student loan services are going under the microscope. diane nmacedo joins us to explan all of this. good morning diane. >> good morning ladies. they announced a new plan to monitor companies to collect federal consumer loan payments. the protection bureau has a rule to permit the agency to regularly examine the 7 biggest loan services which service more than 70 percent of unpaid student debt. the move follows complaints from borrower advocates that they neglect its authority to punish wrong doing allowing things like fees and charges even force delinquencies. the education department told the country's biggest loan servicer sallie mae that removes the government services despite they be under investigation by 3 federal agencies and awaiting impending enforcement due to unlawful practices

behind me is the rockefeller christmas tree.the forecast for the lighting tonight on nbc live at 8:00, 7:00 central looks really nice. you can't ask for better than this. it's warm. and that rain should hold off until later this evening or tomorrow morning. and the big story this huge winter storm and this arctic blast coming from canada, serious travel woes. the northern plains from minnesota all the way through the dakotas and now colorado is getting into the action. look at the weather map here. look at these wind chills. minus 14 up in north dakota. snow. we have snow really breaking out now in the high country just outside of denver. and all of this mess is going to spill into denver and mipz during the day to day. huge travel issues. as we go throughout the rest of this week, the cold air goes south. oklahoma city, dallas, little rock, memphis. we're talking about an ice storm in the days ahead. not so much today but mostly starting on thursday. if you're traveling in the middle of the country, good luck. >> bill looking w

senator rockefeller would be very -- chairman rockefeller would be very familiar with our advocacy fordata security and data breach legislation. >> thank you very much. mr. turow, when we talk about the data broker, and you had a definition of the data broker as somebody who connects the dots for marketers, is that correct, in your testimony? >> that's not my only definition but they can do that. one thing i'd like to point out, i don't know that we've had a discussion about today, which is it's not just discrete bits of information that's going on more and more. and they are sold. it's not just the aggregation of these. really what's happening is the industry and so much of our world is turning into an actuarial activity. it really is a predictive analytics that are changing the ballgame. a person can be giving out the most benign sounding pieces of data and that could turn against him or her a in an instant if it gets put into an algorithm that comes up with than either accurate or inaccurate sense of who that person is. we have no way to deal with this at this point and no way -- i'

announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hey, everybody. it's a very balmy wines day wednesday, december 4th here in new york city, where it's just getting very festive. ♪ >> you've got to know this song. >> disco legend. >> this song must take you back to a time when everything was great. >> well -- >> gloria gaynor is singing this song. >> she was here this morning already singing. >> we were joining her, because -- >> we were out on the plaza. >> we want to see how it looks. ♪ i just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face ♪ ♪ i should have changed that stupid lock i should have made you leave your key if i had known for just one second you would be back to bother me ♪ >> i thought jill was in her pajamas at first. ♪ just turn around now >> everybody got into the swing of things. gloria has a terrific book. >> called "we will survive." she tells about her own life. and then there are stories from people from all over the world. it's a very moving book. she will be with us. she's also here fo

rockefeller informed first responders the brakes were not working properly. until the tracks are cleared and repaired, 26,000 commuters are using buses and subways to get work. 54-year-old james lovely lost his life sunday. he was preparing for the lighting of the rockefeller center christmas tree. 60 others were injured. >> there was a lot of smoke. there was a lot of dirt and a lot of gravel going around. i looked down and realized my hand and my arm was all blood. then do you have start saying to yourself, whose blood is it? >> reporter: ntsb investigators say it could take up to a year to determine the cause of the crash. marley hall for cbs news, the bronx new york. >> officials say this accident would have been much worse if it had happened on the week day. on the weekend the train was just about half full. >>> two boys, 11 and 14, have been charged with armed robbery. it happened yesterday at the wal-mart on chesapeake center drive in glenn burney. one of the women was carrying a knife -- one of the women says the boys were carrying a knife and tried t

the train's engineer you can william billy rockefeller.he's extremely distraught over it and he feels for the families. >> reporter: in the minutes after the derailment according to a senior law enforcement source, rockefeller told first responders going along and i'm in a daze, i don't know what happened. ntsb investigators say that ten year veteran driver was on the second day of a five day shift. >> the day was typical nine hour day and these days were routine days. it was every days that he would have had time to get full restorative sleep. >> reporter: his lawyer says he went to bed at 8:30 p.m. the night before and got up at 3:30 a.m.. that his client had a good night he'd sleep and is cooperating in every way. >> i think it takes a strong man to come down and be honest. and that's what billy is doing. >> reporter: on the question of the brakes, rockefeller had initially claimed according to a source that they didn't work. >> we've determined that the metro north mechanical department performed a proper brake test prior to the accide

. >>> reporter: rockefeller met with federal investigators yesterday afternoon. they won't comment on rockefeller's level of alertness. his lawyer says he is cooperating fully. the seven-car commuter train jumped the tracks sunday as it hit a curve traveling nearly three times the speed limit. >> there is no indication that the brakes were not functioning properly. >> reporter: alcohol tests were negative. the results of the drug tests are not available yet. federal investigators say rockefeller had switched from a night shift to a day shift two weeks before the crash. he reported to work on time at 5:04 a.m. >> there is every indication he would have had time to get full restorative sleep. >> reporter: his union says rockefeller had never been disciplined for job performance. his lawyer calls what happened a terrible accident and tells the "new york times" rockefeller is extremely remorseful. michael mcclendon was rockefeller's supervisor for several years. >> i wish it didn't happen to anybody but sure as hell don't want it to happen to him. >> reporter: marlie

indication wee have had time to get full restorative sleep. >> reporter: those who know william rockefeller meanwhile are driven to tears over the burld he must -- burden he must now bear. >> that was lou young reporting. 911 tapes from the newtown, connecticut school massacre are being released today. this afternoon the contract contract state's attorney will release seven emergency calls made from inside sandy hook elementary school last december 14. 20 children and six women staffers who worked at the school were killed. a report on the shooting investigation released last week said police arrived at the school less than four minutes after receiving the first 911 call and about one minute before the 20-year-old gunman adam lanza took his own life. >>> a private schoolteacher accused of sexually assaulting a student who is autistic appears to have fled the country. montgomery county police are looking for 25-year-old yee pak sharon qui of frostville. police say she went to a 15- year-old boy's home in silver spring twice last month while his parents were away and had sexual contact with h

he caught himself but he caught himself too late. >> reporter: what his lawyer says rockefeller felt well rested earlier that morning, that he had succumbed not to sleep, but to something called "highway hypnosis" -- a kind of trance-like state usually associated with the boredom of long distance driving. >> people that often tell you they have been hypnotized by the highway are in fact, very very sleepy. >> reporter: fatigue is a factor in many transportation accidents. the air disaster outside buffalo in 2009 blamed on pilot fatigue. on the roads experts estimate as many as 250,000 drivers nod off every day. look at this woman, caught on tape, seemingly fast asleep. many victims of something called micro-sleep -- episodes of sleep as brief as a few seconds. your eyes can be open, but your brain is asleep. >> micro sleep is very brief transition from wakefulness to sleep. it can last up to maybe 20 or 30 seconds. >> reporter: i found out first hand when i investigated the effect of sleep deprivation on driving -- staying awake for 30 hours, then getting wired up and behind the wheel

. >> reporter: the train's engineer william rockefeller, jr., has not yet spoken to investigators. a law enforcement source told cbs news, rockefeller informed first responders the brakes were not working properly. until the tracks are cleared and repaired, about 26,000 commuters are using shuttle buses and subways to get to work. 58-year-old james lovell is one of four passengers who lost his life sunday. the audio technician was heading to manhattan to prepare for th lighting of the rockefeller center christmas tree. several others were injured including this man who was treated and released from the hospital. >> there was a lot of smoke, dirt and gravel. i looked down and realized that my hand and arm was all blood. and then you have to start saying to yourself, whose blood is it? >> reporter: ntsb investigators say it could take up to a year to determine the cause of the crash. marlie hall for cbs news, the bronx, new york. >> officials say this accident could have been a lot worse if it happened on a weekday during the commute. the metro-north train was only about half full ye

we're going to have a preview of tonight's rockefeller tree lighting ceremony. to those who've waited... worried... poked and prodded... taken risks... and lived in a state of "what if?"... welcome to a new state... of health. welcome to covered california. the place to find quality, affordable coverage. financial help for those in need. and nobody can be denied because of a pre-existing condition. enroll now at coveredca.com or call 1-800-752-6631. >>> welcome back. a georgia man speaking out this morning. >> it was a saturday morning, no. >> even though it's a small amount of electricity, it's justified? >> yes. >> you would do it again? >> absolutely. >> he says he only charged his car for 20 minutes, drawing about a nickel's worth of electricity. >>> we're getting a clearer picture on the substitute of two planned developments next to the new levi stadium in santa claire wra. the city council considered combining the two proposals. it includes one by 49ers legend joe montana. city managers say combining the projects will make sure the designs are similar. bo

the man at the helm william rockefeller jr. nodded off and caught himself too late before the wreck. what he said, i was in a daze. and that's a direct quote from him. four people were killed. rockefeller's lawyers calling it a case of highway hypnosis. we get more from nic robertson. >> reporter: the lawyer representing william rockefeller, the train drievgs says that the driver acknowledges he had a lapse of concentration. the highway hypnosis, zoned out when driving the train shortly before hitting that bend. he was doing 82 miles an hour going into a 30-mile-per-hour curve. his lawyer said his client had a good night's sleep. went to bet at 8:30 in the evening, woke up at 3:30 and got to work at 5:00 a.m. the ntsb saying they have looked at the train, they have found nothing wrong with the signaling that the train was using. and nothing wrong with the brakes on the train. >> we've determined that the metro north mechanical department performed the proper brake test prior to the accident train leaving the station and there w

william rockefeller jr. wasn't completely focused according to law enforcement officials and rail union chief. the engineer said he slipped into a daze just before the crash. >> he zoned out. had one of those whoa where you drive the car, stair at the same thing so long. he zoned. he caught himself but too late. >> tuesday the ntsb said alcohol tests for rockefeller and the crew came back negative. they wouldn't comment on his state of mind but found no sign of mechanical trouble. >> there's no indication the brake systems were not functioning properly. >> just two weeks before the crash the ntsb says rockefeller switched from night shift to day shift. he clocked in sunday 5:04 a.m. second day of a workweek. he typically worked nine how are shifts and was supposed to make two round trips that day. >> there's indication he would have gotten full restored sleep. >> rockefeller hasn't been seen publicly since the crash. the former supervisor and friend came to his defense. >> it was everyday practices for him.

coons, tester, udall of new mexico, rockefeller, carper, stabenow, manchin, king, hirono, heinrich, nelson and baucus. mr. reid: i move to concur in the house amendment to the senate amendment to h.r. 334 with an amendment. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from nevada, mr. reid, moves to concur in the house amendment to the senate amendment to h.r. 3304, with the following amendment numbered 2553. mr. reid: i ask for the yeas and nays on my motion. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the yeas and nays are ordered. mr. reid: i have an amendment that i have asked the chair to order reported. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the amendment. the clerk: the senator from nevada, mr. reid, proposes an amendment numbered 2553 to the instructions of amendment numbered 2552. mr. reid: i now move to refer the house message with respect to h.r. 3304 with instructions. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the motions. the clerk: the senator from

chains brace for another walkout and truck thieves get more than they bargained for and the famous rockefeller christmas tree lights up new york city. >>> a brutal weather system is baring down across the u.s. more than 30 million people are in a path of this arctic invasion. snow, ice, and extraordinary drops in temperature are expected. it's not over yet. we have that story. >> the big chill impacting 33 million americans is bringing a brutal mix of snow, ice, and subzero temperatures to 27 states. near deluth, minnesota, three feet of snow in two days. >> it's going to be a white christmas. >> the arctic blast burying cars. conditions like these on the roads claiming six lives. by friday, it could be 20 degrees below zero. states from california to mississippi to kentucky are bracing for pockets of record cold. >> we haven't seen anything like this for a while this early in the season. >> across much of the west, temperatures could plummet 40 degrees below normal. in denver, it went from nearly 60 degrees to 6 in one day. perfect for the polar bear at the zoo, not so ideal for this snow plo

it doesn't tell us why it happened. >> reporter: investigators have confiscated rockefeller's cell phone to find out if he was texting or talking before that crash. >> as you said he was a seasoned engineer for about 11 years on the job. >>> and now, next here tonight, a big day for health care. did president obama deliver on his promise to bring the health care website back from the brink? the white house says as of today a lot of the tangled mess has been fixed, that 750,000 people visited the site by 5:30. jonathan karl looks at the whole picture right now. >> reporter: healthcare.gov may be working better but dan howard of freeport, pennsylvania has been trying to enroll for two months and is still out of luck. >> i can log on and amazingly i can log on darn quick, but whenever i finish my actual log in it says i can't go any further because i'm not verified that i'm me. >> reporter: he received a cancellation notice from his insurance company back in september. now howard is worried he's running out of time to get a new policy. >> i had a heart attack nine years ago. i'm terrified o

said rockefeller had switched from a night shift to a day shift two weeks before the crash. he reported to work on time on sunday at 5:04 a.m. >> there's every indication that he would have had time to get full restorative sleep. >> reporter: investigators are looking at his 15-year work history and reviewing the 72 hours leading up to the accident but already conclusions are being drawn by some new york lawmakers. in a radio interview, governor andrew cuomo said excessive speed was to blame. >> pelley: today, former m.t.a. supervisor, michael mcclendon, a friend of rockefeller, came to the engineer's defense. >> to say safety was something uncommon to him, it was everyday practices for him. >> reporter: the governor of new york wants m.t.a. employees to participate in a safety review and, scott, the cleanup here at the scene has progressed to the point where one of the tracks will be back open tomorrow ready for the morning commute. >> pelley: jeff pegues at the crash site on the harlem river. thanks very much. that n.t.s.b. investigator you saw in jeff's report said the tr

william rockefeller. >> he was very distraught over the loss of life. >> reporter: rockefeller said he zoned out before the crash. his attorney describes it to nbc news as quote, an auto pilot kind of thing. the union representative said he zoned out or nodded off, it happened as the train was full speed and fast approaching the dangerous curve. >> that momentary lapse, he was not able to catch in time. by the time he did and put the controller and took the power off and went to emergency, it was too late. >> reporter: at 82 miles an hour, the train entered the turn and went flying off the tracks. as medics worked on the sidewalk, a photographer snapped this photo of rockefeller walking past the injured. he himself was later treated at an area hospital for minor injuries. just two weeks earlier, he switched from working afternoons and evenings to working the 5:00 a.m. shift. now the ntsb is looking at whether exhaustion or sleep deprivation was a factor in the crash. >> was the engineer fully conscious at all times? it's premature to be able to say yes he was or wasn't. >> reporter: in

but we don't know how many hours rockefeller worked. >> this was his regularly scheduled route, makingrips each day, with a typical day lasting approximately nine hours. the engineer had been running this particular route full time since november 17. there's every indication that he would have had time to get full restorative sleep. >> reporter: the train left poughkeepsie at 9:54 sunday morning. the last stop about 20 minutes before the crash. in two minutes, the train accelerated from 60 to 82 miles per hour as it approached the 0-mile-per-hour curve. the ntsb isn't ready to say if this was mechanical error or human error. >> there was truly excessive amount of speed. there was no equipment failure, no track problem. >> reporter: investigators cut their interview request rockefeller short monday because of his emotional state. a union rep telling cnn -- >> he's extremely distraught over it. and he feels for the families. >> reporter: whether investigators determine he was at fault or not, william rockefeller must live with the fact he was at the controls when the train left its path.

and we know the ntsb is evaluating the train's brakes and also continue to interview rockefeller. yesterday they had to cut short their interview with him because of his emotional state. >> renee marsh porting for us live. i want to get the legal view now from danny cevallos. here is this one. 82 miles per hour. criminal? big question mark. that's the big question for you. and this is too hard to see probably. there you go. take a look right here. they've got him circled. that's the driver walking past all the people who are on, you know, spine boards it looks like. so obviously some pretty stressful times for him ahead. not only what he's been through, but also what he's been to go through. >>> can you walk me through how it might be different for him dealing with the feds. is he lawyered up at this point? should he be lawyered up at this point? >> sure he should. let's start with the criminal side of it. the district attorney is going to look for at least some level of negligence. it's not the same idea as the civil idea of negligence. it's almost recklesses in. they're going to

pro, going to rockefeller center to see the tree get lit., going to the fourth hour of the "today" show to see the hosts get lit. same place. >> turn around. there's the tree. >> don't have to move. >> don't have to move. >> who is that guy? who is that guy, getting in on the jokes? >> that was the sidekick. >> oh, i've never seen him before. >> you haven't? >> no. >>> "the voice" was on last night. it's getting down to the nitty gritty. >> down to the top three. >> top finalists perform. two were sent home. the ones who made it are tessanne, the girl we love and the other girl who we adore, on christina's team, jacquie. >> i'm not sure which one she is. >> these are the bottom three. of these, two are gone. let's watch. ♪ shameless oh i don't have the power now i don't want it any how so i've got to let it go ♪ ♪ without you i can't live with or without you ♪ ♪ the sound of feet upon the ground carry on no it's never gonna stop us now ♪ >> okay. and those are the three. so only one survived. one survived. >> i think it was the last one that

thank you to senator rockefeller. with that, we will adjourn the meeting. thank you. [indiscernible] >> thank you very much. we have been in touch and will continue to be in touch. >> if you are a middle or high school student this competition most to know what the important issue is that congress can do it next year? be sure to include c-span programming for your chance to win the grand prize of $5,000. the deadline is january 20. get more info on the website. marked the one-year anniversary of the sandy hook elementary school shooting in newtown, connecticut. an acknowledgment, president obama and michelle obama lit candles at the white house. each one represents the students were killed at the school. it was followed by a moment of silence. [silence] [silence] >> in this weeks address president obama remembers the victims of the sandy hook shooting. he also talks about the health care law. one year ago today we were shattered by unspeakable violence. parents, as americans, it filled us with grief. newtown is a town like so many of our hometowns. those educators and

. >>> and the famous rockefeller center christmas tree lights up new york city. "early today" starts right now. >>> this is "early today" for thursday, december 5. >>> good morning. i'm mara schiavocampo. a brutal weather system is bearing down across the u.s. more than 30 million people are in the path of this arctic invasion, snow, ice and extraordinary drops of temperature are expected and it is not over yet. >> reporter: the big chill is bringing a brutal mix of ice, snow and subzero temperatures to 27 states. in minnesota nearly three feet of snow in two days. >> it is going to be a white christmas. >> reporter: the arctic blast burying cars. by friday it could be 20 degrees below zero. states from california to mississippi to kentucky are bracing for pockets of record cold. >> we haven't seen this in a while this early in the season. >> reporter: temperatures could plummet 40 degrees below normal. in denver it went from nearly 60 degrees to 6 in one day. perfect for the polar bear at the zoo. the deep freeze is crippling california's citrus crop. 80% of the

officials tell abc news rockefeller zoned out. >> sometimes you have a momentary nod.as, i don't know. but he caught himself too late. >> reporter: andrew cuomo said this to a public radio station. >> there was no track problem or equipment failure. and this is a serious situation. the operator has rights, but there's questions of liability. >> major train wreck. five cars on their side. >> reporter: federal investigators say the train was traveling 82 miles an hour in a curved stretch of track zoned for 30. the brakes weren't applied until seconds before the train came to a stop. >> simply put, based on this data, there's no indication that the brake systems were not functioning properly. >> alcohol tests for the engineer have come back negative. investigators say his cell phone was not on at the time of the accident. john, diana? >> all right, matt. thank you. >>> millions of people are bundling up as a deep freeze moves across the west with two dozen states in its grips. more heavy snow is coming down today from nevada to the rockies and midwest. dozens of cars, lik

rockefeller, 20-year veteran of the record, why was the train going so fast? we know investigators say he tried to brake but the train didn't stop according to a law enforcement official. the ntsb, they will look at whether fatigue was a factor. >> we don't have the work history at the moment. we will be developing what we call a 72-hour time line so that we have a good understanding of what sort of activities preceded this accident. >> reporter: rockefeller appeared ko herein another official said, but drug and alcohol tests were conducted. the ntsb says there's no indication at this particular time of sabotage, but they are reviewing surveillance video from a nearby bridge. upon word speed played a role in the crash, new york governor cuomo said any responsible parties will be held accountable. john, zoraida? >> thank you, renee. >>> obama care website has had its first major test in relaunching on sunday and it got close to the 100,000 users it's supposed to handle on a daily basis. people in some states were met with a page that put them in line to get hel

not holidays in rockefeller center.dcasting the lighting of the christmas tree as a live special for 16 years. and the rockefeller center christmas tree has been new york city's best known christmas landmark for 81 years with no help from bill o'reilly. oh, and bill o'reilly's beloved pilgrims who he was celebrating on thanksgiving, yeah, they banned the holiday of christmas in the massachusetts bay colony in 1659, and they kept it banned for over 20 years. and bill, the aclu had nothing to do with that. ♪ hmm. mm-hmm. [ engine revs ] ♪ [ male announcer ] oh what fun it is to ride. get the mercedes-benz on your wish list at the winter event going on now -- but hurry, the offers end december 31st. [ santa ] ho, ho, ho! [ male announcer ] lease the 2014 glk350 for $419 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer. >>> the house of representatives passed a bill today. yes, the republican house of representatives, and the democrats voted for it. it was virtually unanimous, and it was not just any bill. it's a bill that bans c

christmas cheer shifts into high gear as the power goes on for the rockefeller christmas tree. >>> the average college grad is $30,000 in debt. and the figures are growing. the stats don't tell the entire drawing. juan carlos molina spoke to young americans who know what it means to be buried by bills. >> 400,000 in debt. i don't know how i will pay it off, really. >> philicia combest is a dentist and it took a fortune to get there. knowing how much she owes is taking a toll. >> it's overwhelming. i thought about going into the military to take care of some of my loans for the repayment part. >> there is the debt and also dealing with getting a job. >> on the streets of new york city is didn't take long to find college students or graduates that fall into this category. >> this is a senior in college and owes $20,000 in loans. >> it's stressful when you think about growing up and buying a house and starting a family. you have to factor in the extra bill you will have. >> she's working to pay off her loans while taking classes. >> it becomes a point where you don't have time to do what

rockefeller? is he still talking and cooperating with both the feds and local police?r: absolutely. that's what his union rep and lawyer says and that's what the ntsb say. they spoke to him about three hours yesterday. talked to him the day before as well. what seems to be happening here, perhaps this explains to some degree, why his union representatives would want to come out and put in the public domain how mr. rockefeller is feeling and the explanation that he has for what happened is he's very remorseful and been in tears and that he realized what happened and as acknowledged that it was him at the wheel nodding off for those moments, highway hypnosis, it's been called. lack of concentration. his lawyer even struggling to find the precise words. but it's for that reason the union has become involved in it. and really, i think this is -- this is the thrust now. not just for the investigation, but for the public's knowledge as well about what happened. and clearly this engineer very remorseful about what has happened here, ashleigh. >> and the public's knowledge. ev

coming up, new yorkers get ready to light up the rockefeller christmas tree. tÑ >> welcome back to aljazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. here are today's headlines. we update you on our breaking news out of florida. an opportunity was shot outside of orlando. the police are still searching for the gunmen. a school sports person said that the student was taken to the hospital in critical condition. >> obama: a dangerous and growing inequality in lack of upward mobility which has jeopardized america's basic dreamic you can work hard you can get ahead. >> the president said income inequality threatens the middle class and congress must make the economy work for everyone. >>> vice president joe biden is meeting with flood leaders in b. a state run newspaper accused the u.s. of taking japan's side in the clash. >>> a leader of hezbollah was gunned down in front of his home in beirut. hezbollah blames israel and israel denies the accusation. if you're lucky enough to have a job you're passionate about, you may not be lucky enough to get the insurance to go with it. one group is trying to hel

not holidays in rockefeller center. nbc has been broadcasting the lighting of the christmas tree as a live special for 16 years. and the rockefeller center christmas tree has been new york city's best known christmas landmark for 81 years with no help from bill o'reilly. oh, and bill o'reilly's beloved pilgrims who he was celebrating on thanksgiving, yeah, they banned the holiday of christmas in the massachusetts bay colony in 1659, and they kept it banned for over 20 years. and bill, the aclu had nothing to do with that. [ male announcer ] this duracell truck has some very special power. ♪ [ toys chattering ] it's filled with new duracell quantum batteries. [ toy meows ] [ dog whines ] [ toy meows ] these red batteries are so powerful... that this year they'll power all the hasbro toys donated to toys for tots. want to help power some smiles? duracell. trusted everywhere. [ male announcer ] they are a glowing example of what it means to be the best. and at this special time of year, they shine even brighter. come to th