i'm steve handelsman, nbc news, capitol hill. >> now here's a look at other stories making news early today in america. in california, police are looking for two teenage girls who they say vandalized a man's elaborate christmas display. the two, unaware of a home security camera, dismantled most of the lights and damaged a charity donation box. police hope leads from the public will help them identify the suspects. >>> new york city mayor michael bloomberg oversaw the installation of what's being called the survivor tree at the world trade center site. it was recovered about a month after the september 11th attacks, scorched with snapped roots and standing only eight feet tall. it now stands 30 feet high, a testament to the city's unyielding spirit. >>> and in rhode island, one resident pulled an april fools' prank on the neighbors in december. it's a dummy on a ladder appearing to be falling while hanging christmas lights. and it's so realistic, some people have even stopped to help. some got a giggle, but others say the hanging dummy needs to come down. >>> now for a look at your na

nbc's steve handelsman has the report. >> reporter: in trouble with democrats over his compromise on taxes, president obama took his defense public. >> a long political fight that carried over into next year might have been good politics but it would be a bad deal for the economy, and it would be a bad deal for the american people. >> reporter: he got what democrats want, a 13-month extension of unemployment benefits and a one year, one-third cut in social security taxes to help working class families, but mr. obama gave republicans what they want on taxes. no hikes on the top bracket to be sure the rest, 98% of taxpayers, keep their cut. bipartisanship, says the president. >> i am happy to be tested over the next several months about our ability to negotiate with republicans. >> reporter: but liberals hate the deal. >> that really works out well for the 2%-er, the millionaire, but it doesn't work out for working families at all. >> house leaders aren't buying in. speaker pelosi, it would fail to create jobs. house democratic leader hoyer, a lot of us have real concerns. vice preside

nbc's steve handelsman has more from washington. >> with christmas just days away, and new year's next week, two things concern homeland security officials. holiday crowds and recent holiday history. the underwear bomber nearly blew up his plane last christmas. >> we need to be on much to our game, particularly during the holiday season. >> reporter: john brennan, top counterterrorism official at the white house says the lesson from the failed times square bombing, the mass murder at ft. hood, the package bomb sent to the u.s. from dubai and 'emmen are being applied now at u.s. airports. better scanners, tougher searches, better watch lists. fearing terrorism by a lone wolf or a big group. >> and so we are staying very focused on our ability to detect those types of attacks and stop them whether or not they are by individuals or they are part of a larger organizational effort. >> in subways and the like, local police are on alert. >> looking for people who are doing something unusual. they look like they don't belong. you look for their eyes. are they looking at the crowd or looking at

steve handelsman, news4. live from the hill. back to you. >> thank you. >>> stoc on wall street ended kind of flat this week. the dow jones end the day down about seven points. the nasdaq closed higher by about six. the s&p 500 picked up one point. >>> that little bit of snow we had yesterday hascome and gone with you there was word there might be more this weekend. are you still out that way in alexandria? >> reporter: we've been looking at this the past wk or two weeks. this storm will be a coastal storm. typically during la nina winters, they are not able to come up the coast with a lot of energy that's what will happen with this next one as well. i'm not expecting much snow. 34 degrees, the current temperature. windchill around 29. a very chilly night. as temperature fall below freezing, just about anything that meld will refreeze overnight. down to 28 in hagstown. fwhik baltimore. annapolis at 31 degrees. down toward leonard town, down to 24. same thing with salisbury. satellite and radar showing the stormystem down to the

nbc's steve handelsman reports. >> everyone will find something in this compromise that they don't likein fact, there are things in here that i don't like. >> reporter: president obama said he had to cut a deal with republicans or middle class taxes would rise and a million jobs would be lost. so mr. obama agreed, taxes won't rise for the top bracket for two years. republicans agreed to extend unemployment benefits for 13 months and for a year to cut social security payroll taxes by a third to 4.2%, which helps lower income families most. a four-part deal. >> it's the right thing to do for jobs. it's the right thing to do for the middle class. it is the right thing to do for business, and it's the right thing to do for our economy. >> reporter: the president says he wanted a tax hike for the rich, and even though senate democrats failed to pass one saturday, liberals say the president caved too soon again. >> there's no question republicans won again. 50/50. not 90/10. >> reporter: now the fight is between liberals, republicans and hits own party. >>> an intelligence specialist statione

let's go to steve handelsman who has the report from capitol hill. >> reporter: in the senate debate, some republicans backed the nuclear arms deal with russia. >> progress on the new s.t.a.r.t. treaty is extremely important for the national security of our country. >> reporter: the deal would reduce both sides' missiles, and long-range bombers, and nuclear warheads, and allow inspections. president obama, who signed the treaty in april with russian president medvedev, needs 66 senate votes to get it ratified. he wants the vote now before he loses democratic senate seats next month. most republicans call that a rush. >> no senator should be forced to make decisions like this so we can tick off another item on someone's political checklist before the enof the year. >> reporter: democrats say there have been 21 hearings and meetings. >> we have been on this treaty for a year and a half. not just for six days. >> reporter: there's a new controversy. r ur sha claiming the treaty could ban u.s. missile defense. designed as a shield against iran. >> they would have a delivery system with a

from capitol hill, i'm steve handelsman, wbal-tv 11 news. >> the time is 5:10. 30 degrees on tv hill. retailers are pulling out all the stops this weekend. coming up, the details they have for you. >> it is called restoration gardens. a special place for homeless young people in baltimore city. that story coming up. >> but first, it is a live picture outside. more snow in the forecast for the weekend? let's hope not. john has your insta-weather plus forecast next. stay with us. "11 news saturday morning" is "11 news saturday morning" is just getting started. try cortizone 10 intensive healing. the strongest itch relief medicine now has three vitamins and seven moisturizers. feel the heal. the next, you start one feeling a bit off.ne. the moment you feel run down or achy, nip flu-like symptoms in the bud, with oscillococcinum. get oscillo and feel like yourself again. oscillococcinum, nip it in the bud. >> the potomac river frozen. the potomac river winds through the nation of the -- through the national monuments. it is early for it to freeze. what does that say, john? >> it says "col

steve handelsman has our report. >> reporter: today the deal was whher he got enough democrats. >> if we do not act, taxes will go up. >> reporter: the deal would keep all income tax rates what they are now. no hikes for the top bracket and wealthy families would get a big break on inheritance. no tax when the estate is up to 0 million. then just 35%. house democrats vowed to fight back. >> literally it boweils down to $600 families. >> but barack obama is insisting it will be helped by people getting bigger paychecks. >> they're more likely to spend. they're more likely to be confident about the direct of the economy. >> reporter: in a "washingt post"/abc poll 69% said they support the compromise. his post election work with republicans. >> i think you're seeing the president acknowledging, okay, we've got to do a mid course correction. the question is how fast will the rest of the party do that? >> today they faulted both sides. >> the only thing that unites both parties right now is, that they want something for nothing. that they want a free lunch. >> congress estimates the tax co

i'm steve handelsman, nbc news, capitol hill. >>> and the don't ask don't tell policy, patrick murphy introduced a stand alone bill and house majority leader hoyer brought it to the floor. the house already passed the defense authorizion bill that included a repeal of the policy but that stalled in the senate. we'll be following evelopments in t center and bring you an update ashe votehappens. >>> when news4 at 4:00 continues this afternoon, the federal government moves to help children sleep more safely at night. >>> a local family's effort to help their son through the fight of his life after a beating attack that nearly killed him. >>> a holiday gift inside a northern virginia jail for incarcerated thers. >>> and it's day six of our 12 days of giving. we feature work of a group called mentoring to manhood which helps teenage boys navigate the pit falls of adolescence. lend a helping hand. >>> a mother in california has filed a lawsuit against mcdon d mcdonald's claims they exploit young children with the happy meal. she said the children do not have the ability to understand the ma

steve handelsman on capitol hill with the latest on this. >> reporter: you're right. it is a procedural vote. this could have a hard time passing in the house but in the senate where president obama needed 60 votes to move forward, last i checked he h more than 80 and they're still voting. it is a big win for president obama and a strong indication that his tax compromise in the final vote will win. it is a good sign for the president and his tax deal with republicans. in the vote to move forward in the senate, he got enough democrats like max. >> if we do not act, taxes will go up. >> this proves both parties can work together to grow our economy and look out for the american peel. i recognize that folks on both sides of the political spectrum are unhappy with certain parts of the package. >> reporter: the deal would keep all income taxes what they are now. no hike for theop bracket and wealthy families would get a big break on inheritance. house democrats vowed to fight back. >> literally it boils down to $25 billion for 6,600 families. >> repter: in a "washington p