just a month before sandy, one of those key g.o.e.s.ellites that monitors the atlantic and caribbean where sandy was born went down. >> there was enough uncertainty that we took the precautionary measure to move the other satellite over. >> reporter: perhaps, some experts say, a foreshadowing. dr. kevin trenberth of the national center for atmospheric research says noaa got lucky they had a back-up satellite standing by. >> if there's a major failure of the satellites, that would be a major disaster and we would be blinded in many respects. we would not be able to see what's going on in the earth's system as well as we can now. >> reporter: there is concern within a few years that safety net may be gone. independent research supports and internal memos show noaa has fallen behind because of budget cuts, complicated organization, and flawed management. of particular concern, the polar satellites that provide so much of the data on hurricanes and the global big picture. the next generation satellite may not be ready by 2016, when the desi

then sandy hit. sandy was the worst storm to strike new jersey in our history. 346,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. nearly 7 million people and over 1,000 schools were without power. 116,000 new jerseyens were evacuated or displayed from their homes. 41,000 families are still displaced from their homes today. sandy may have damaged our homes and our infrastructure, but it did not destroy our spirit. the people of new jersey have comes together as never before across party lines, across ideological lines, across ages, and races, and backgrounds. from all parts of our state. even from out of state. everyone has come together. so today, let me start this address with a set of thank yous from me on behalf of the people of this great state. first, i want to thank the brave first responders, the national guard, and emergency management experts from around this state who prepared us for this storm and kept us safe in its aftermath. i want to thank the members of this legislature for their cooperation in

. >>> hurricane sandy threatening to release massive damage on the u.s. northeast. >> conditions are deteriorating very rapidly. >> certainly felt more rain, more wind, stronger gusts. >> i've never in 26 years of forecasting have ever seen anything like this. >> they are being called superstorms, fuelled by changing climate, higher temperatures, and rising sea levels. >> climate change is real. it's here. it's going to happen again. >> people and cities once safe, now in the eye of the fury. >> i see the weather changing, absolutely. >> is this the era of the superstorm? >> water level is rising substantially. >> and are we ready? >> if this wall had been here -- >> for the next one? >> i've been telling everybody, the big flood is coming. we better start building the arc. >> i'm debra furyk. it was just three months ago that superstorm sandy devastated the east coast and brought new york city to standstill. experts say it's a sign of what's to come. climate change threatens to make the coming storms even more threatening and damaging, raising the questi

then sandy hit. sandy was the worst storm to strike new jersey in 100 years. 346,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. nearly 7 million people and 1,000 schools had their power knocked out. 116,000 new jerseyans were evacuated or displaced from their homes. 41,000 families are still displaced from their homes. sandy may have damaged our homes and our infrastructure, but it did not destroy our spirit. the people of new jersey have come together as never before -- across party lines, across ideological lines, across ages, races and backgrounds, from all parts of our state, even from out of state. everyone has come together. so today, let me start this address with a set of thank- yous from me on behalf of the great people of this state. first, i want to thank the brave first responders, national guard, and emergency management experts who prepared us for this storm and kept us safe in its aftermath. [applause] i want to thank the members of this legislature for their cooperation in answering sandy's cha

just a month before sandy, one of those key g.o.e.s.ellites that monitors the atlantic and caribbean where sandy was born went down. >> there was enough uncertainty while we're still in hurricane season that we took the precautionary measure to move the other satellite over. >> perhaps, some experts say, a foreshadowing. dr. kevin trenberth of the national center for atmospheric research says noaa got lucky they had a back-up satellite standing by. >> if there's a major failure of the satellites, that would be a major disaster and we would be blinded in many respects. we would not be able to see what's going on in the earth's system as well as we can now. >> there is concern within a few years that safety net may be gone. independent research supports and internal memos show noaa has fallen behind because of budget cuts, complicated organization, and flawed management. of particular concern, the polar satellites that provide so much of the data on hurricanes and the global big picture. the next generation satellite may not be ready by 2

for sandy aid. it's only designed to stop fund, the use of this crisis to fund a program that congress did not intend to have an affect. with that, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? >> i rise to claim time in opposition. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. frelinghuysen: i'm pleased to recognize the congressman from new jersey. the chair: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized for three minutes. >> thank you, madam chair and chairman frelinghuysen. mr. runyan: the regional grants program wasest tablied in 2004 to help prevent damages from future natural disasters in coastal states. it is not part of president obama's national ocean policy this program is supported but to a competitive grant program first authorized by president bush in 2004. to support urgent coastal needs. this program is also vol tear and state-led with individ

deb feyerick near the new sandy hook school.s a new location, but the same name, the same sign there up on the building. >> yeah. as a matter of fact, the folks in monroe wanted to welcome these kids. so they decided to put the name sandy hook elementary outside. so when the kids arrive on the buses they will know this is their school. that's really sort of the whole premise. this is their building. this is their school. they'll have their things. people have been working around the clock over the holidays to get in desks, to get in backpacks, cubbies, toys, furniture. everything to make the children feel comfortable. to make them understand, yes, this is a familiar environment. it is also a safe environment. that's one of the reasons the media staging area is more than two miles from the school. they want to make sure that there's no sign that there's something unnatural going on. they want to present this as a big adventure for the kids. they have a new building. it's not just one floor. it's two floors. the kids will be disco

want to make the same mistakes happen with hurricane sandy. these reforms will help address those problems, stream line the process and allow communities to rebuild faster, smarter and save money. >> i want to the thank mr. shuster, mr. had rahall and mr. denim for their important work to bring this matter to the floor so soon after the weekend, after the recess. and i associate myself with the remarks of mr. denim. i therefore rise in support of h.r.219, the sandy recovery improvement act of 2013. this bipartisan measure consists of reforms to expedite the recovery process for those communities that received disaster declarations for hurricane sandy as well as the future presidential declared disasters. i believe this may be the first time these reforms with any significant event have been tested. because many of the provisions included in the bill are matters that we have long worked for and that were incorporated into similar legislation in past congresses. several of the provisions will streamline the rebuilding process to provide jobs in

outrage over the failure to vote on sandy relief. a rocky start, as the 113th congress is sworn in today. >>> also today, together again. students and teachers of sandy hook elementary resume the school year just hours from now. >>> flu fears. could this be the worst season in years? why an early start is an ominous sign. >>> and caught in the act. home surveillance cameras coming in handy. a couple who snapped these thieves in their living room. even a politician, out for revenge. >>> and good morning, everybody. belated happy new year, from me to all you guys out there. and we begin with the presidential seal of approval that should keep the country from plunging back into recession. >> late last night, president obama signed the bill to avert the fiscal cliff. he did it from his vacation home in hawaii, via autopen. it's a mechanical device that copies his signature in washington. >>> and that opposition had house speaker facing opposition from fellow republicans. >> he put his job on the line to get it done, only to be met by a n

we need a comprehensive sandy recovery bill passed today. we hold you to your commitment january 15, not a day later. we need this complete bill. thank you. >> the gentleman from new jersey. >> at this time i'm pleased to yield one minute to the gentleman from new jersey who has seen the devastation. >> thank you, madam speaker. it has been 68 days since hurricane sandy devastated the northeast and over two months of suffering for my constituents. while it is unfortunately long overdue i'm pleased we are finally here acting to help the people of new jersey recover. this hurricane has caused billions of dollars of damage uprooting individuals and families from their homes, forcing businesses it close, and resulting in job loss and revenue loss. my constituents need help now to recover. i have witnessed firsthand the devastation in places lake seaside heights, and i can say that these places look like war zones after the storm. whole communities have been wiped out. governor christie estimated the damage in new jersey to be over $36 billion. i

there are about 100 and 25,000 sandy-related claims -- 125,000 sandy-related claims. we need to rebuild lives to put aside the misery that so many families and businesses have been suffering. it is the right step on january 15. we will be considering a much larger supplemental, a total of $60 billion which will meet the needs -- not all the needs of connecticut, new jersey, new york, and the region -- but the national flood insurance program is a good program. it needs support. this is a good first step. let's do it in a bipartisan manner. i yield back. >> gentleman from new york. >> i yield one minute to the ranking member. >> thank you for yielding. hurricane sandy has devastated new york. thousands of thousands of my constituents lost their homes and their businesses. it is a shame, and embarrassment for this institution that the house republican leadership continues playing games with this essential assistance. more than two months after the storm struck. it is indefensible that, as americans continue to suffer from sandy's impact, the house majority could not get

we need a comprehensive sandy bill today. we hold you to your commitment on january 15, not one day lead -- not one day later. >> gentleman from new jersey? >> i am pleased to yield one limit -- one minute to the gentleman from new jersey. >> madam speaker, it has been 68 days since hurricane sandy devastated the northeast. while it is long overdue, i am pleased the we are finally here acting to help the people of new jersey. it has caused billions in damage, forcing businesses -- businesses to close, resulting in job loss and revenue loss. my constituents and need help now. i have witnessed firsthand the devastation in places lake seaside heights, and i can say that these places look like war zones after the storm. whole communities have been wiped out. governor christie estimated the damage in new jersey to be over $36 billion. i applaud his swift action on sandy recovery and join him with all local and state federal leaders in new jersey to ensure all relief funds get to new jersey and families and busy as quickly as possi

house republicans are getting ready for round two of sandy sandy aid talks what the bill entails and why it's taking so long to pass coming up. and what can only be described as an editorial flub the gray lady may reveal her true colors when it comes to the decades old dispute over the west bank what a simple headline might say about it in bias in the new york times office ahead. it's tuesday january fifteenth eight pm here in washington d.c. i'm liz wahl and you're watching our t.v. . well today family and friends laid to rest young man who helped make the answer not what it is today aaron swartz is remembered for his dedication to a free and open internet but he was haunted by a federal case in which prosecutors called for extremely stiff sentences and his death a new debate has emerged about government and prosecutorial overreach are the producer many rob lowe is in chicago today with a look at. relatives friends activists and several alternative voices arrive together on a somber note at central avenue synagogue in chicago to pay their respects to an internet pioneer aaron swartz

first, elaine quijano on the storms of protest over sandy aid that got action. elaine?reporter: good evening to you, anthony, well, here at the statehouse in new jersey, republican governor chris christie said the people of his state are being used as political pawns just two months after sandy hit. >> 66 days and counting. shame on you. shame on congress. >> reporter: superstorm sandy caused over $36 billion in damage in new jersey. governor christie says he was assured by congressional leaders that the aid package would be put to a vote. but house speaker boehner pulled the legislation and did not return christie's phone calls. >> disaster relief was something that you didn't play games with. >> reporter: do you feel betrayed right now, governor? >> yes. if the people of new jersey feel betrayed today by those who did this in the house last night then they have good company, i'm with them. >> reporter: boehner says he pulled the bill because of scheduling problems. but some members of congress questioned how the $60 billion aid package would be spent. new york congres

let's take the superstorm sandy situation. we know that, for example, amtrak is receiving i think a little over 150 million to repair its tracks that were damaged by superstorm sandy. those are jobs, men and women will be working. but it's also steel, electrical wires, it's consultants and it will undoubtedly be various kinds of electrical systems that will be used by amtrak in rebuilding. similarly with regard to the subways in new york. now if we were able to write into the superstorm sandy legislation that 85% of that money that is being used came from american-made products, in other words, buy america, then that would not only put people back to work but stimulate the steel industry, the electrical industry and certainly the consultants, engineers and architects,. i'm going to re-introduce that legislation, too late for superstorm sandy. but for other legislation. we will have to rewrite a new transportation bill in this session. it there is a two-year bill that is in place and will expire at the end of the 113th congress

all of them sustained damage during superstorm sandy. the storm damaged the education building on the outer island research station, which is also the most visited island. as a result, the natural resources on outer island cannot be currently or properly managed. on outer island, the lack of repairs will have serious environmental consequences. if the seawall isn't repaired, erosion will undermine the building dislodge the septic tank and cause significant contamination and lead to major repair costs. we need to have disaster aid so they can recover from this storm just as we have many times in the past for other refuges affected by disasters. let me give you some examples. after hurricane katrina, hurricane ike, we appropriated $71 million for wildlife refuges in texas, $20 million in mississippi, and $74 for refuges in louisiana. the sponsor of this amendment's home state. one of the central responsibilities of this institution is to act on behalf of the american people whenever a major disaster occurs. federal disaster relief is meant

chairman, the paperwork is already being done on these grants as a result of sandy. they're already being recorded on a computer in fema. it is not an undo burden to make that information transparent. i just flew back in from kansas, as did many of my colleagues, from the district, and last week i did four town hall meetings in additional to 140 in the last two years, and my constituents look at this spending and our trillion dollar deficit, they want to know where all the money goes, not just over a million dollars, and this amendment would take one step to providing transparency and accountability. so i ask this committee add the amendment, and i'd also file two amendments that would have needed waivers. these seek to ensure that local governments are not violating the second amendment right office law abiding citizens. and then number 60 would require certification by the secretary of homeland security that no recipients were receiving funds if they were agent acting actinn contravention to the law preventing gun con confiscation. when guns were improperly confisc

officials from sandy-affected areas were critical of boehner. they reacting to the upcoming vote today? >> good morning. they were as you said very critical. we heard from new jersey governor chris christie, being very angry at speaker boehner. mayor mike bloomberg of new york spoke about this last night. let's listen to that. >> we will get the relief. i'm convinced. he has promised to do it. i am not telling him how to run the house, and he's not telling us how to run the city. he is committed to getting done. we will get the money and we will use it intelligently and recover. >> and so mayor bloomberg is confident that this is going to be passed and most people are expecting it to be passed later on this morning. what happened, the senate voted for this relief, and then boehner put it off. now the house will vote it in two parts, the first part, for the national flood insurance program. 9.7 billion in new barrowi borr authority. that program was going to run out of money next week, which is right around the corner. the house would vote on tha

i'll never another get one resident who came up to me the day after hurricane sandy, or superstorm sandy and said i have lost everything, but at least i'm alive. we need to now backstop these individuals. we need to make sure these moneys are there, they flow quickly, be sure they can rebuild and the homes, businesses, and municipalities that have done yeoman's work gather and unite behind them. problems assisted those with hurricane katrina in 2005 in a mere two weeks. we are now past two months. we need to be clear, the president didn't send this up until december 7. there was a loss of several weeks. we do have a bill. it's about 25% less than what the states have said they needed. they said about $80 billion. it's down approximately $60 billion. it is less. le i have seen and run through the numbers our state has sent to this body as well as to the president. they are very well vetted. chris christi used to be a u.s. attorney. many of people are all former prosecutors. they hate waste, fraud, and abuse. and they are trying to ensure that the money is there in the amounts needed to ma

relief for hurricane sandy victims. >> for crying out loud, please help us! you know, you helped katrina in 10 days. >> it is why the american people hate congress. >> the fury that's pitting republicans against each other on the eve of the new congress. >>> plus have you heard about this? a war on kwanzaa? one lawmaker calls it a leftist plot to destroy america. guess what, he's not backing down. >> we have a packed two hours straight ahead. new york congressman michael grimm and peter king have a lot to say about hurricane sandy. also joaquin castro and pennsylvania governor tom corbett. >> it is thursday, january 3rd. "starting point" begins right now. >>> good morning, everyone. good morning to you. >> hello. how are you? >> very well, thank you. >> good. >> our starting point this morning is a fresh start to the children of sandy hook elementary school. >> yes. >> the kids will return to class today for the first time since 20 of their friends, six of their educators, slaughtered by a gunman three weeks ago. >> we have deb feyerick, she is live there for

"outfront" tonight, the battle over super storm sandy. so the house of representatives is going to vote tonight, really just imminently, on a controversial relief package for the victims of the devastating october 29th storm. a $17 billion aid package was approved earlier today and at this moment, another $34 billion is at stake. i know this might sound like an easy vote because disaster relief always gets approved but right now, when it comes to spending this country's money, every single dollar is getting subjected to scrutiny and just as we saw with the fiscal cliff battle, not everyone in washington thinks this disaster relief should pass. >> $16 billion is to quintuple the size of the grant program, the slush fund that pays for such dubious projects as doggy day care centers. it doesn't even have to be spent in the hurricane area. $2 billion is for highway repairs, anywhere in the country, including up to $20 million each for guam, american samoa and the mariana islands that aren't even in the same ocean as hurricane sandy. >> $20 mi

ahora en un grupo la promesa de sandy hook, dijeron que la masacre pasÓ en su comunidad, pero podrÍan cualquiera del paÍs, y quieren transformar su dolor en acciÓn.

the first vote for sandy victims coming on friday. jonathan karl, abc news, the white house. >> our thanks to jonathan. >>> so, the speaker conceding to pressure over sandy aid. but he's taking a stand on another issue. "the hill" newspaper reports that boehner is promising to end any further one-on-one talks with the president, reportedly an effort to regain his party's respect. >>> and despite all of the controversy in the last few weeks, boehner is expected to be re-elected as speaker today, as the session opens at noon for the new congress. the 113th congress will have the fewest number of military veterans since world war ii. also, several long-time lawmakers will not be returning. including congressman barney frank and senators joseph lieberman and olympia snowe. >>> the new senate will have the largest class of women ever. a record 20 female senators. they all sat down with "world news" anchor, diane sawyer, sharing their views on everything from their male counterparts to a female president, possibly. you can catch diane's int

we don't know if that money is going directly to sandy victims. you know, the flood insurance program itself is broken. people should be asking why people are paying premiums, but yet the fund doesn't have enough money to pay out the claims. these are fundamental problems, and every time we get into a disaster, we do the exact same thing. we keep kicking the can down the road and asking our children to pay for it. that's what we're doing -- >> let me ask ron reagan to weigh in. ron, after the senate early passed its version of the sandy aid bill, senators john mccain and tom coburn put out a list of what they call questionable spending in it, including, for example, $2 million to repair damage to the roofs of museums in washington, d.c., while many in hurricane sandy's path still have no roof over their heads. $150 million for fisheries as far away from the storm's path as alaska. $15 million for nasa facilities though nasa itself has called damage from the hurricane minimal. all of those provisions were stripped from the bill the house approved t

have you thought about going up to sandy hook? >> i would love to go to sandy hook. whether it's me being paralyzed or me finding other people who were in a school shooting, it helped me a lot just to heal mentally. good therapy. probably the best therapy i have had is having other people that went through the same thing i have, whether it's a spinal cord injury or a school shooting. >> i have seen a lot of people on twitter and facebook, and this is a fiery debate with lots of emotion on both sides, i have seen a lot of young people saying enough is enough and something has to be done. i have a feeling the younger generation is not as entrenched in the views that everyone should have any gun they want. what do your friends and people you know think in your age group? >> they feel that something does need to be done, but what? what can we do? in our case, it wasn't a semiautomatic or a fully automatic. it was semiautomatic, i'm sorry, but what can be done? we do have a cop in our high school now. that's there all day. but what else can be done? you know, something ha

they were destroyed by hurricane sandy. it did not stop my family and his neighbors to go out and sit through the feets of sand to find that memorial. it was that precious to them. they did not wait for the federal government to come to hold them by their boot straps. they are humble and proud people that have been affected by this. he will recover. -- they will recover. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i think it is important to set the record straight. last night many of us came to the floor and rightly said that the conduct of the republican leadership was disgraceful, indefensible, and is immoral. let me lay out the facts to how we reach the situation. we're not in the position of name-calling. this goes far beyond any of that. the fact is, 10 days after katrina, $60 million was appropriated. it has been nine weeks and nothing has been appropriated at all by this congress to the people of new york, new jersey, connecticut, and long island, which i represent. over that last five or seven weeks, we did everything that the repub

the bill for aid for super storm sandy will pass in the house of representatives.the pentagon will not put u.s. troops on the ground in west africa but it will help the french gather intelligence. that's the word today from our defense secretary leon pa net attachment france unleashed its air and ground assault on islamic extremists in the nation of mali last week. those militants largely control the country's north. yesterday they took a town in central mali. investigators say many of them do have ties to al qaeda. today secretary panetta warned they could still pose a dangerous threat to the united states. >> the fact is that the war on terrorism continues. >> we have made good progress. we have underline the ability to conduct but the war on terrorism continues. >> same time, the french announced that they are expanding their own troop presence in mali from roughly 800 soldiers to roughly 2500 that is a big up. jennifer griffin at the pentagon. there is still a chance that the u.s. might provide more than just intelligence; is that right? >> that is right. u.s.

that quite frankly is what gets in the way of the hurricane sandy bill.ok at about $60 billion a year is how much will come interest the government from taxes, what is the santa passage? 60 billion. it's a bush. they people say all you've down is push sequestration and spending and pushed the deficit down the road. >> some which said the sandy bill is too much. would you be part of the chorus to say it's too much for the legislation? >> listen, the guys in new york, peter king, michael grimm are friends of mine. my family settled on staten aisle in '63. i don't think any amount of money is too much. the question is, right after the fiscal cliff vote, which was a tough pill to swallow, but the reality was the president won, he wanted to raise taxes, he got to raise taxes, then rho photofor another $60 billion, i would have voted for it, i was helping the guys whip the votes, but let me say this about the 60 billion. i serve on the interior appropriations subcommittee. we sent people out to new york and new jersey. just our small little portion was 1.5 bill

sandy is blamed for billions in damage and counting.e to tell us of one industry that may benefit. >> there's not a lot of good you can say about hurricane accepted, but the rising tide of destruction may have risen the boating industry. along with huge losses came huge payouts. when hurricane sandy barreled through the northeast last october, it leveled homes and businesses along the coastline. it also damaged or destroyed 65,000 boats. >> hurricane sandy was the single largest loss to recreational boating since we have been keeping track since 1966. >> reporter: as a result, one might suspect a lot of boaters and boat manufacturers were out of the water and out of business. >> best december we've had. >> reporter: welcome to the world of unexpected consequences. the boating industry is expected to enjoy one of its best years ever. why? nearly $650 million are being written by insurance companies to boat owners who are looking to get back on the water. this new injection of cash is helping manufacturers and creating new jobs, says jeff

shame on congress. >> sandy killed at least 113 people in the united states. and left millions without power after pounding parts of the east coast in late october. new york and new jersey. they were hit hardest with the estimated storm damage in new york alone at almost $42 billion. people there still haven't gotten back inside their homes. >> as we were saying the congress will be sworn in today and a new speaker will be chosen on capitol hill and this is going to be

we did it on sandy. i think perhaps we can set the way so that the house can follow a little bit because particularly on the republican side and the house, they're just paralyzed. >> senator chuck schumer, again, happy new year. good luck to you. >> it is a happy new year. thanks. >> thank you very much. >> and as we follow the voting on speaker boehner's second term, politico's mike allen will be joining us mechanics. you've watched the live stream of the vote line on msnbc.com. still ahead right here on andrea mitchell reports, an emotional day for connecticut parents and their children. students from sandy hook elementary returning to class at a new school in a neighboring town today. this is andrea mitchell reports only on msnbc. we've all had those moments. when you lost the thing you can't believe you lost. when what you just bought, just broke. or when you have a little trouble a long way from home... as an american express cardmember you can expect some help. but what you might not expect, is you

have you thought about going up to sandy hook? >> i would love to go to sandy hook.her it's me being paralyzed or me finding other people who were in a school shooting, it helped me a lot. just to heal. ment mentally. it was good therapy. probably the best therapy i had is having other people that went through the same thing i have. whether it's a spinal cord injury or a school shooting. >> i have seen a lot of people on twitter and facebook about this debate and there is a lot of emotion on both sides leading the call of enough is enough. i get a feeling that a younger generation is not as entrenched about views of everyone should have any guns they like. perhaps their parents's generation and so on. what do your friends and people that you know think of your age group? >> they feel that something does need to be done. but what? what can we do? in our case it wasn't a semi automatic or fully automatic. it was, i'm sorry. what can be done? we have a cop in our high school now. that's there all day. what else can be done? something has to be done with the guns that al

we don't know if the money is going to sandy victims. the flood insurance program itself is broken. people should ask why, people are paying premiums, but the fund doesn't have enough money to pay out the claims. these are fundamental problems and every time we get into a disaster, we do the exact same thing. keep kicking the can down the road and asking our children to pay for it that's what we're doing right now. >> let me ask ron reagan to weigh in after the senate passed an earlier version, senator john mccain and tom coburn talked about questionable things. $2 million to repair damage over mumps in washington, d.c. $15 million for nasa facilities, though nasa itself has called damage minimal. all of the provisions were stripped from the bill that the house approved today. it was pork free. what do you make of this? >> as far as provisions being in there in the first place, unfortunately, that's how sausages are made in washington, d.c. let's remember, we're talking about an appropriation that is some 10,000 million dollars. you cited less than $200 million out of the $10,000 mi

so people need to clearly understand this isn't all sandy but it is as a result of sandy that we come to the process we're considering. here's what want us to begin thinking. in this country, in the year 2012, there have been 46 disaster declarations, and in the year 2011 there were 99. so, we need to invest in mitigation of funds now and i don't understand the need to delay those mitigation circumstances further. i have a statement, i am going to read it. i've been saying for a long time that we need a faster way to end-run around political games like this, or from first failure to even bring the senate boil the floor for a vote last congress, to try to hold up the vote on this bill, demonstrates exactly how important it is to have other options to get help to americans who have lost everything so they can get back up on their feet, and footnote right there, several of us have experienced in our various areas of the country, smaller disasters that don't meet the standard that large and awesome disasters like sandy, but you know something? when a person loses their house in a tornado,

the school will keep its name sandy hook elementary. there'll be a large police presence at the school in monroe, connecticut. but the teachers want to keep it as routine as possible. >> grade deal of thought and volunteer work to make this as seamless as possible. at one point there were 80 people in the building cleaning up the building, doing the kinds of things, painting it to make it really look cheerful and happy. >> on december 14th gunman adam lanza skilled 20 students and 6 staff members. >> secretary of state hillary clinton is home after having been in the hospital. >> reporter: secretary clinton was discharged from the hospital where she was being treated for a blood clot. earlier on wednesday secretary clinton was seen for the first time in the public in three weeks. along with a smiling bill and chelsea clinton and along with security detail. her spokesperson released the statement moments after her motorcade pulled away, saying her medical team advised her that she is making good progress on all fronts and they are confid

we talk about the tragedy at sandy hook. there were 26 tragedies in the school that day. 26 tragedies, and that is because he got to use the kind of weapon and the kind of ammunition clip that president obama and carolyn mccarthy are trying to make illegal. they're trying to make those unavailable to the kinds of people who go in the schools like that. and his mother bought this stuff legally. she clearly was not the law breaking type. she would not have tried to obtain weapons legally. if she had not been able to obtain the weapons legally, they would not have been in the hands of the killer that day. and we would not have had the tragedies that day. he would have killed some people with that gun, but not 26. >> and vp joe biden said don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. and you know, we can't prevent every killing in this country. but that doesn't mean we don't have an obligation to try. you know, enact these common sense solutions that we know will be successful in decreasing gun violence in this country. i mean

g students of sandy hook elementary school. >> claims it entertains.ny to the has a good time on the vacuum cleaner. -- tot has a good time on theth vacuum cleaner. vacuum cleaner. >>> new beginning for students and staff traumatized by thethe school shooting at sandy hook elementary school.enta survivors will return to schoolc in a neighboring town tomorrow.. david has more from monroe,mo connecticut. >> reporter: signs welcoming students and staff at sandy hooa elementary school line the road leading to the new school. >> the students coming completeo the circle. that's what's missing right now is getting the students back. >> our goal is to make it a safe and secure learning environment for the kids to return to, with the teachers also. >> reporter: parenting parentsrt and students getting a firstet look at the school.tiho the building has not been in use for more than a year, and has been renamed sandy hook elementary school. amenworkers and teachers spent k getting it ready for thethe children, staff brought in desks, backpacks and other items to

the new school will be renamed sandy hook elementary. >>> new this morning, a d.c. police officer putting the focus on what he says is an error with at least one of the city's speed cameras. >> but first, a ups driver targeted in a robbery less than a month after a similar crime in the same neighborhood. fox 5 morning news is back in a moment.  >>> another truck driver delivering packages robbed at gunpoint in southeast. the latest happened wednesday morning in the 4300 block of southern avenue. two masked men forceed a ups driver into his truck at gunpoint and drove to alabama avenue at reed terrace and started unloading packages. a similar robbery happened just blocks away to a fedex driver back on december 22nd. neither driver was hurt and police are trying to determine if the crimes are related. >>> metro transit police are asking for your help tracking down four gunmen in connection way vile antitax on a metrobus. these men are suspected of taxing two women on the number 93 bus in southeast on new euro's day. investigators say the men go

so, they did that in sandy hook and it saved lives. we will do that exact same thing should that event happen at any point in san francisco, and we're going to train so that that's the case for as long into the future as we can see to keep our kids safe. i, like supervisor cohen, want to applaud the mayor's leadership on this, to identify the most lethal ammunition, and to have allow the citizens to allow the police department to maintain the database. being the first city in the country to make that ammunition illegal as you will hear later, dr. campbell from probably the best trauma ward in the country will tell you what that ammunition does to people when they are hit by it. and then, again, to ask for a reporting on people that purchase as much or more as 500 rounds of ammunition so we cannot only track those people that are buying ammunition, but frequency of purchase as you can stockpile that ammunition. it is not going to be the -- any sort of suspension of the constitution. this is just smart, thoughtful community coming togeth

sandy. but those increases have not helped ter resa. she has been working at the same bank for 10 years before being laid off. >> it affects everything. >> reporter: wall street would like better news. the numbers were in line with expectations but nothing to celebrate. >> we had lot of temporary hiring at the end of the year. it's nothing beyond that. a real true test of the numbers is the next reporting period. >> reporter: she has been job hunting for a year and half and took an overnight shift at a retail store to make ends meet. all told they added rough lit same as the year before. over 12 million americans are still looking for work. alexis christoforous, cbs news wall street. >>> the labor department actually revised november's rate upward. >>> we're going to take a live look at the funeral service in woodbridge for prince william county young. he was killed after his motorcycle -- authorities are looking into exactly how that officer was killed. >>> police are looking for the man wh

tonight, what the new law will mean for you and why the victims of superstorm sandy feel left in the lurch. >>> out of the hospital. late word tonight that hillary clinton has been released from the hospital. >>> constant craving. is one of the most popular ingredients in the american diet making us overeat. tonight, what ntists are able to see for the first time. >>> and making a difference. rebuilding a great american city with a simple bowl of soup and a lot of good ideas. "nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >> good evening, i'm kate snow in tonight for brian. after weeks of negotiations and last-minute hold-ups over the fiscal cliff, congress late last night finally passed an agreement on taxes and spending. in a moment, we'll tell you what that legislation means for every american. but it's what the house did not do last night that caused an uproar today. lawmakers left before considering a bill to help victims of superstorm sandy, and that had republicans from hard-hit states taking aim at

more than 100 newtoww youth players came out for the clinic. 3 &pafter the tragedy at sandy hook eeementary school... new efforts are underway to protect children across the country. in oklahoma shoootng simuultion. everything from sweeping classrooms to neutralizing a threat was being rehearsed. "ttat's whaa we try tooget out of this training, aalevel of realism and what decisionn they'll make if and when they get the all." call." henryetta 55-hundred....with only 12 police officers. the nearest back-up is hours away. so they ssy traiiing for sittations ike these are a must. since the tragic schooo shooting in newtown connecticut,,there are calls for stricter guns laws. but do hey work? ///crime and justice reporter joy lepola is here now with new information from the fbii... ...that might impact the debate much of thh focus of new calls for stricter gun control has focused on assault rifless like the ar-15 used by adam adults in ewtown connecticut. but statistics ccmpiled by rifles is tte firearm least likely to be used in murder. in fact,,clubs, knives ann other lunn force instruments ac

it's been renamed sandy hook. parents like john are nervous. >> i think the kids are more ready than we are. >> reporter: school officials tried to make it a normal day. students' desks and even their backpacks and other belongings have been moved from the old building. snow flakes from around the world hang throughout the school welcoming more than 400 students. >> everything is in order where it should be. the desks are there. even down to the teacher's tick tacks are in the right spot. they've done a wonderful job. >> reporter: the road to the old school building remains closed. police are blocking access. and the sandy hook elementary school sign that was once on this post has been removed 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