viviana hurtado has details. >> reporter: even though the outbreak of h1n1 or swine flu has been relativelyd, the government believes there will be a resurgence in the fall. health official meeting in washington, were urged to prepare, not just from administration officials, but from the president himself, who called from the g-8 summit in italy. >> we want to make sure that we are not promoting panic. but we are promoting vigilance and preparation. >> reporter: the government is going ahead with developing a vaccine that's expected to be ready for the fall. that's the start of the traditional flu season. and when two factors combine, colder weather, and the beginning of school. the government recommended voluntary mass vaccination programs tbe the administered by local authorities. supplies will be limited, with priority given to school-aged children, pregnant women, health workers and people with other illnesses. but the flu is unpredictable. already, scientists are monitoring this development. three cases in other countries where the virus has become resistant to tamiflu, one of the drug

here's abc's viviana hurtado. >> reporter: a senate committee passed one version of health care reform legislation. >> i move to report the bill as amended. >> reporter: but republicans united and voted against this bill. >> no. >> senator greg? >> no. >> senator alexander? >> no. >> reporter: this debate is far from over. democrats are still divided on key points, including whether to create a gott-run health insurance program and how to fund it. they're also feeling the heat from industry groups and even the democratic national committee. >> my son has cerebral palsy. >> reporter: for the first time, it released a national ad, targeting members of its own party who has expressed skepticism about the president's health plan. >> it's time for health care reform. >> the democratic national committee is responsible for the content of this advertising. >> reporter: then, there's steady pressure from republicans. >> let me point out that this legislation has not one, single provision that is aimed at reducing the cost of health care. >> reporter: the president disagrees. and accuses critic

viviana hurtado has more. >> reporter: the senate confirmation hearings for sonia sotomayor are over.upporters and critics spoke, including two new haven firefighters. they were at the heart of the apoll lat judge's ruling the supreme court recently reversed. the men said they suffered reverse discrimination, when sotomayor sided with the city. >> i was shocked when i was not rewarded for this hard work and sacrifice. but i actually was penalized for it. >> reporter: this sharp criticism was matched with praise. in 1995, sotomayor's ruling ended the baseball strike. >> i believe all of us who love the game, players, owners and fans are in her debt. >> reporter: senators had their last stab at sotomayor. republicans argued her views on abortion, gun rights and controversial comments proved her judicial philosophy is not in the mainstream. the judge addressed the so-called wise latina remarks. >> i regret that i have offended some people. i believe that my life demonstrates that that was not my intent. >> reporter: this answer helped change one republican senator's tone from confrontati

abc's viviana hurtado has the latest on the manhattan. >> reporter: this is the face of a serial killerccording to cherokee county, south carolina authorities, which raised the reward for any information leading to the suspect's arrest. >> the serial killer just the definition. he could also be called a spree killer. but fact is that he is a cold blood murder. >> reporter: the first victim was 63-year-old peach farmer who was killed in his home. last wednesday a daughter and her retired mother were found bound and shot. thursday the owner of a home supply center was shot to death at his business. his 15-year-old daughter was also shot and later died at the hospital. many in the community are terrified and have resorted to arming themselves. >> i've got one on me right now. i've got a 25 automatic with me right now. i'm going to be ready. >> you have no idea. you've got to be ahead of this man. >> it's very interesting. she going after people that are just kind of one of us. >> reporter: about 6'3" with salt and pepper hair, one witness who spoke with him before the shootings said he was

viviana hurtado, abc news, washington. >>> now the forecast certified baltimore's most accurate.ef meteorologist norm lewis, and maryland's most powerful doppler radar. >> take a look at this video out of new york state. we've actually been spoiled by the nice weather we've had here lately. but getting back to the summer storm damage that can left behind. heavy thunderstorms and hail that got down to trees and utility poles, and folks there reporting seeing dime-sized hail. it's just been so nice here. >> we have been so fortunate. we see the severe weather to the north of us, down to the south over the carolinas. both north and south carolina have had just torrential rainfall. and we've been sitting in the cat bird seat. >> how long will it last? >> that's the big question. >> drop the other shoe. >> but we'll take it. we had a beautiful day today. a nice night on tap. another nice day tomorrow. friday night and saturday, we could see some showers. but we do need the rain. >> we haven't had any in a while. >> reporter: your shot from harbor cam overlooking the downtown area. the

here is abc's viviana hurtado. >> reporter: the president took his pitch for health care reform to the heartland to enlist american support. while taking questions at a town hall meeting outside of cleveland, the president extended his original august deadline for health care reform, but with conditions. >> are you willing to speaker pelosi to stay in washington and get this job done? >> i have no problem. if i think people are really working through these difficult issues, and making sure that we get it right. >> reporter: but he turned up the heat on lawmakers who will be going home soon for recess. >> calling your congress people, calling your senators, making sure they know this is important. >> reporter: president obama was forced to move the deadline after the senate majority leader announced there would be no senate vote on health care reform until the fall. >> it's better to have a product that is one that is based on quality and thoughtfulness rather than trying to jam something through. >> reporter: in the house speaker nancy pelosi continues to insist her members are on sche

here is abc's viviana hurtado. >> reporter: the president joined the men at the center of an inflamed racial debate for a beer. cambridge police sergeant james crowley arrested henry louis gates, junior for disorderly conduct at his own home. he described the meeting as productive and cordial, and said this was the beginning of talks between the two. >> i think what you had today was two gentlemen agree to disagree on a particular issue. i don't think that we spent too much time dwelling on the past. >> reporter: moving on is also what the president wants. crowley's arrest made headlines for days. but president obama's comment that the police acted stupidly touched off feelings. and the acknowledgment of different views. >> and you lose sight of just the fact that these are people involved, including myself, all of whom are imperfect. >> reporter: no one expects the complicated u.s. history of u.s. race relations to be solved over cold brews. but with the president's involvement, some observers say it could slightly narrow the teachable divide. >> the teachable lesson here is that bla

viviana hurtado reports. >> my name is bo. >> reporter: this video makes public what the military has known for two weeks. bo birdle all is in enemy homes. >> i'm scared i won't be able to go home. it's very unnerving to be a prisoner. >> reporter: he disappeared in eastern afghanistan after he wandered off his military base. it's still not known why he left. >> i have a very good family that i love back home in america. >> reporter: in his hometown of haley, idaho, peace signs as the family asks for privacy and the public to pray for their son's safe return. this coffee shop where the he worked before joining the army is organizing support. >> they're going to start setting up financial fund for bo's parents in case they have need to travel. >> reporter: the military has mobilized resources to get him back, including dropping leaflets asking locals for help, and threatening his captors. the kidnapping and proof of life video have prompted strong reactions from u.s. officials. >> our commanders are pairing no effort to find this young soldier. and i also would say my personal reaction

abc's viviana hurtado reports it's the latest escalation in the war there. >> my name is bowe bergdahl. >> reporter: this video makes public what the military has known for more than two weeks. private first class bowe bergdahl is in enemy hands. >> i'm scared, scared i won't be able to go home. it is very unnerve tock a prisoner. >> reporter: the 23-year-old soldier disappeared in eastern afghanistan after he wandered off his military base. it's still not known why he left. >> le i have a very, very good family that i love back home in america. >> reporter: in his hometown of hailey, idaho, peace signs as the bergdahl family ask for privacy and for the public to pray for their son's safe return. this coffee shop where the kidnapped soldier worked before joining the army is where people are organizing support. >> they're going to start setting up a financial fund for bowe's parents in case they have need to travel. >> reporter: the military has mobilized resources to get bergdahl back, including dropping leaflets, asking locals for help, and threatening his captors. the kidnapping and

viviana hurtado, abc news, washington. >>> now an absolutely disturbing story out of st. mary's county. an 18 is-month-old girl is recovering tonight after getting caught in a fire in her home. a fire the girl's mother is accused of starting. state fire official says 19- year-old jenny navarro locked herself and her daughter inside their lexington park home and then set it on fire. navarro's husband and neighbors were able to rescue her and the child. >>> back in baltimore, 27-year- old letter carrier has pleaded guilty to mail fraud, theft of mail, and identity theft. mailman leonard jenkins confessed to stealing over $100,000 of u.s. treasury checks. authority says he would steal the checks and then exchange them for cash with his co- conspirators. the checks would then be cashed using fake ids. jenkins faces up to 20 years in prison. other defendants have already pleaded guilty. >>> putty hill liquors is open for business again, just a week after the owner was shot and killed. the store on putty hill avenue was reopened earlier this week by stale shaken employees. poli

abc's viviana hurtado reports. >> reporter: achieving consensus on how to deal with the world's mostnting challenges is difficult. at the earthquake-ravaged town. >> obviously our hearts are broken by the death and destruction that took place after the earthquake. and i'm very pleased that the united states, like many other countries, will be contributing to help the rebuilding process. >> reporter: instead of tougher sanctions against iran for violence or north korea for its nuclear launches, statements were issued. >> it's very important for the world community to spook to countries like iran and north korea and encourage them to take a path that does not result in a nuclear arms race in places like the middle east. >> reporter: the leaders of the most industrialized nations also couldn't agree on how to tackle climate change. instead of cutting greenhouse gases, the g-8 agreed on a nonbinding goal. it would reduce emissions by 50% worldwide by 2050. industrialized countries would cut by 80%. the g-8 failed to convince china and india to go along. these major polluters and other de

abc's viviana hurtado has the latest. >> reporter: president obama set the tone before walking into a meeting with democratic lawmakers concerned about the eye-popping 1 1/2 trillion dollar price tag for health care reform. >> we are closer than ever before to the reform that the american people need, and we're going to get the job done. >> reporter: but concerns from progressive and fiscally conservative democratic lawmakers have succeeded in slowing down the president's goal of having the house and senate pass health care bills before the august recess. in the senate, a democratic member of the finance committee says negotiations won't be rushed. >> i know that there is such an interest in this deadline. it's just a totally not a useful exercise. >> reporter: republicans seem to agree, as was noted by the g.o.p.'s chair on cnn. >> it took us a year and a half to put the medicaid program into place. we want to fundamentally reorient 1/6 of our economy in two week. and that makes no logical sense to me. >> reporter: on capitol hill, they're united in their opposition to the president'

viviana hurtado, abc news, washington. >>> tonight many in the academic role are hoping this controversy will turn into a learning experience for the entire nation. a sellout crowd involved quite a match at m&t bank stadium tonight featuring two of the world's top soccer clubs. delia goncalves was there for it all and joins us live from outside the stadium. delia? >> reporter: well, you know, fans are heading home right now. it took a long time to get here. and now with all this rain, it will take a long time to get out. there is a very long line wrapping around this stadium of cars trying to get home after an exciting game. and even though milan fans suffered a loss tonight, no one left disappointed. >> it was a thrilling match worthy of a sold-out crowd. >> i'm going to root for both teams. i'm not going to pick sides. >> you just want to see a good match. >> yes, a lot of goals. >> reporter: more than 70,000 people packed into m&t bank stadium to watch two of the world's elite soccer clubs go head to head. chelsea versus ac milan. and the fans came from all over to watch the champs. >

viviana hurtado has the story. >> reporter: good morning. neighbors can now breathe easier that authorities say they've killed a man responsible for the south carolina deaths but it may be a while until life goes back to normal. south carolina law enforcement officials say patrick tracy burris was a serial killer who terrorized the community of gaffney over the past week and a half. the break in the case happened early monday morning across the state line in nearby gaston county, north carolina. >> he's committed crimes in many states and at the time mr. burris was killed, he was on a brmbation violation. he was wanted for being an habitual felon. >> reporter: police say they shot burris after he opened fira ballistic tests on the gun and bullets match those from the south carolina crime scene. neighbors notice burris and an suv that matched law enforcement descriptions. before the killing spree came-to-answered, five people were slain. the first victim was 563-year-old peach farm are gunned down in his home. on wednesday a daughter and her

viviana hurtado joins us with details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning.es it's not if but when there will be a new outbreak of swine flu. that's why there's a plan being put in place to vaccinate a good part of the american public. even though the outbreak of h1n1 or swine flu has been relatively mild, the government believes there will be a resurgence in the fall. local health officials meeting in washington were urged to prepare, not just by administration officials but by the president himself who calls from the g-8 summit in italy. >> we want to make sure that we are not promoting panic but we are promoting vigilance and preparation. >> the government is going ahead with developing a vaccine that's expectedo be ready for the fall. that's the start of the traditional flu season and when two factors combine, colder weather and the beginning of school. >> i can say with confidence that we will have a vaccine that we will be making a decision on in the fall. >> reporter: e government recommended voluntary mass vaccination programs to be administered by lo

viviana hurtado reports on tough questions on the final day of confirmation hearings. viviana?reporter: good morning. the judiciary committee is allowing more statements to be added to the record today but yesterday was about final words from senators, witnesses and judge sotomayor. the senate confirmation hearings for sonia sotomayor are over but before the day ended, supporters and critics spoke, include it would go new haven firefighters. they were at the heart of the appellate judge's ruling that the supreme court recently reversed. the money said they suffered reverse discrimination when sotomayor sided with the city to pass them up for promotion, even though they scored better on an am than african-americans. >> i was shocked when i was not rewarded for this hard work and sacrifice, but i actually was penalized for it. >> reporter: this sharp criticism was matched with praise. in 1995 sotomayor's ruling helped end a baseball strike. >> i believe all of us who love the game, players, owners and fans are in her debt. >> reporter: senators had their last stab at sotomayor. r

good morning, viviana. >> reporter: good morning.g in her power to stop the buying but she says the school failed her and her son. mrs. walker told lawmakers her life changed forever this past april. this working mom was cooking dinner while her son was in his room. she checked on him thinking he was doing homework. >> i found him hanging by an extension cord tied around his neck. he was 11 years old. >> reporter: walker is calling for measures that would improve school safety and prevent violent behavior such as bullying. she said her son ended his life because he was bullied at his new school. verbal taunts that he acted gay escalated to being shoved and death threats. walker said she immediately informed the school but was told the situation would resolve itself. psychologists say for kids to learn, schools need to be safe places. >> a child who's afraid at school, humiliated in the hallway, does it really matter how good my instructional lesson is? >> reporter: antibully advocates say schools, families and students need to stand

. >> i'm viviana vigil and this is "open house." week designer lauren gold shows how to turn antique treasures into modern designs.

viviana hurtado joins us this morning. >> reporter: good morning.ill have the spotlight at a news conference this evening, but leading up to this event, mr. obama alternately applied pressure and gave praise to lawmakers. president obama tried to ease democratic lawmakers' concerns about the price tag for health care reform. it's expected to top $1.5 trillion. he focused on common ground. >> we are closer than ever before to the reform that the american people need and we're going to get the job done. >> reporter: both the democrats' bill and the house and senate would reform insurance rules to prohibit denying coverage for those with preexisting medical conditions, offer a government-run plan and and compete with private plans and focus on wellness plans. the president replaced carrots with sticks. >> i know that there are those in this town who openly declare their intention to block reform. >> reporter: some who have put the brakes on reform are members of the president's own party. >> there's about ten issues we're concerned about. cost cutting

viviana hurtado speed-reads the bill for us this morning. >> reporter: president obama and democratsant a victory when a senate committee passed one version of health care reform legislation. >> i move to report the bill as amended. [ applause ] >> reporter: but republicans united and voted against this bill. >> no. >> senator gregg? >> no. >> reporter: this debate is far from over. democrats are still dwighted on key points including whether to create a government-run health insurance program and how to fund it. they are also feeling the heat from industry groups and even the democratic national committee. >> my son has cerebral palsy. >> reporter: for the first time it released a national ad targeting members of its own party who have expressed skepticism about the president's health plan. >> it's time for health care reform. >> the democratic national committee is responsible for the content of this advertising. >> reporter: then there's steady pressure from republicans. >> let me point out that this legislation has not one single provision that is aimed at reducing the cost of he

viviana hurtado joins us with the latest on what could be a dangerous flu season. >> reporter: pub officialsworking to get ahead of what many are predi season of regular and swine flu. health officials put over half the population on a priority list to receive the h1n1, or swine flu, vaccine. at the top were those at the highest risk of exposure, show are papto this ers being those o infants under six months 19 to 64-year-olds with health problems such as asthma and diabetes. college-age students were also a g >> we know we can't eliminate it, protect everyone, but we're hoping to minimi the number of hospitalizations and deaths that occur. >> reporter: only 40% of americans get the regular flu shot, casting doubts on whether people will be willing to try this new vaccine. >> once the virus actually hits and we get a lot of illness, all of a sudden there will be a huge interest in vaccines. >> reporter: but not all public health experts are on board with the vaccine that's still being developed and may only be effective after two doses. >> we have to be very, very careful not to oversell thi

viviana hurtado has both sides. >> reporter: good morning. esident's comments on the arrest of an african-american professor by a white police officer has overshadowed the struggle for health care reform and put the spotlight back on race relations. the racial divide seemed to deepen with the president at the center. >> i agree with the president saying that the cop did act stupidly. >> reporter: in an exclusive interview with "nightline," mr. obama stood by his statement. he was referring to the arrest for disorderly conduct of harvard professor henry louis gates, jr. when he was trying to get into his home. >> from what i can tell the sergeant involved was an outstanding police officer but my suspicion is it's probably that it would have been better if cooler head himself -- cooler heads prevailed. >> reporter: professor gates seen here on cnn is demanding an apology from the white police officer. >> this man clearly was a rogue police officer. >> reporter: sergeant crowley said the professor and president were out of line. as far as saying

viviana takes a looks at that question. >> reporter: sardena walker told lawmakers her life changed foreverhis past april. this working mom was cooking dinner while her son was in his room. she checked on him thinking he was doing homework. >> i found him hanging by an extension cord tied around his neck. he was 11 years old. >> reporter: walker is calling for measures that would improve school safety and prevent violent behavior such as bullying. she says her son carl ended his life because he was bullied at his new school. verbal taunts that he acted gay escalated to being shoved and death threats. walker says she immediately informed the school but was told the situation would resolve itself. psychologists say for kids to learn schools need to be safe places. >> the child who is afraid at school. the child who is e-mail mealated in the hallway, doesn't matter how good my instruction is. >> reporter: advocates say schools, and students need to stand up. >> if one kid stands up and says why don't you say something with me? i think the kids can make a difference for the kids. >> the most im

viviana hurtado has more from washington. >> reporter: president obama is meeting in italy with leaderse g-8 sum that will focus on the global economy and international security. in meetings with the russian president, the prime minister, graduate students and opposition politicians, president obama tried to solve u.s.-russian relations. >> we may not end up agreeing on everything but i think that we can have a tone of mutual respect and consultation that will serve both the american people and the russian people well. >> reporter: mr. obama's approach may be reaping fruits. the white house says presidents obama and medvedev agreed to cut nuclear weapon stock piles by as much as 30%. mr. obama credited this new tone for helping to gain some progress on ending nuclear threat from iran and north korea, despite recent north korean missile launches. >> on north korea what we saw was very song unanimity around a very strong sanctions regime that two or three years ago might not have been imposed by either china or russia. we're going to have to see whether a country like russia, for example,

vivia viviana hurtado joins us with the latest. >> reporter: the president will have the spotlight tomorrow when he hold as primetime news conference and talks about health care. he'll be trying to regain momentum on an issue that has many on edge. the president remains personally popular but since earlier in the year approval on how he's handling key issues has dropped according to the latest abc news/"washington post" survey. among those polled, mr. obama is down 8 points on the economy, on the deficit 9 points. on one of his signatures issues, health care, he has slipped 8 points. >> the more people learn about it, everybody knows an awful lot about health care and they do want change but they're worried about the cost, they're worried about whether they're going to have to give up what they have. >> reporter: even though the poll shows the president is more popular than republicans in a conference call the gop assailed mr. obama's push for health care reform. >> if we're able to stop obama on this, it will be his waterloo. >> reporter: at a washington area children's hospital, the presi

viviana hurtado reports from washington. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. continue to grill sotomayor but during yesterday's round, the judge seized the opportunity to set the record straight. in hours of questioning, sonia sotomayor rejected republican senators' assertions that her feelings or biases would influence how she decides cases. the judge also wanted to set the record straight, especially concerning remarks she says critics have taken out of context. when asked about the controversial comment that a wise latina will reach a better conclusion than a white male, she said she meant to inspire young women and hispanics. >> taking the rhetorical flourish, it's a bad idea. >> reporter: she said her comment that appeals courts is where policy was made is misunderstood. the top republican on the judiciary committee didn't buy it. >> you do believe that your background will accept -- affect the result in cases. >> my record shows that at no point or time have i ever permitted my personal views or sympathies to influence an outcome of a case. >> reporter:

viviana hurtado is in washington this morning. >> reporter: good morning.e president still doesn't have the health care reform he wants but he's one step closer. president obama and democrats won a key victory when a senate committee passed one version of health care reform legislation. >> i move to report the bill as amended. >> reporter: but republicans united and voted against this bill. >> senator greg. >> no. >> reporter: this debate ifar from over. democrats are still divided on key point, including whether to create a government-run health insurance program and how to fund it. they're also feeling the heat from industry groups and even the democratic national committee. for the first time it released a national ad targeting members of its on party who had expressed skepticism about the president's health care plan. >> it's time for health care reform. >> the democratic national committee is responsible for the content of this advertising. >> reporter: then there's steady pressure from republicans. >> let me point out this legislation has not one sing

viviana hurtado joins us from washington with the details. >> reporter: good morning.bama said he was fascinated by everyone's fascination with what he scald -- called just folks having a drink after a long day. the president joined the men at the center of an inflamed racial debate for a beer. cambridge police sergeant james crowley arrested henley lou it's gates, jr. for disorderly conduct at his own home. he said of this the beginning of talks between the two. >> i think you had two gentlemen agree to disagree on a particular issue. i don't think that we spent too much time dwelling on the past. >> reporter: moving on is also what the president wants. crowley' arrest of gates made headlines for days but mr. obama's comments that cambridge police acted stupidly touched off a media frenzy. before meeting the president said the hype had drown out the opportunity for self-reflection and the acknowledgement of different views. >> you lose sight of just the fact this these are people involved, including myself, all of whom are imperfect. >> reporter: no one expects the co

viviana hurtado joins us with more. >> reporter: good morning.e advisory committee will be meeting later this morning, debating who should be first in line to receive the vaccine and if the government should go ahead with mass vaccinations. who should get the h1n1 or swine flu vaccine once it's available? health workers have top priority. right behind them are pregnant women because the virus seems to be especially dangerous for them. >> your immune system is so weak and the flu affects you differently when you're pregnant. it really knocks you down. >> reporter: the centers for disease control examined the 266 deaths in the u.s. 156 them were pregnant women. the first death was a 36-year-old texas pregnant woman. her daughter delivered by c-section survived. in in seattle, a family is suffering as the mother fights for her life. doctors recommend that pregnant women get inoculated against seasonal flu. most don't and may be even more reluctant with the new flu vaccine. not this expecting mom. >> if it's going to help not to have the swine flu an

viviana hurtado is in washington with more on that. >> reporter: senators begin questioning sotomayorter this morning and there may be fireworks based on what was said during day one of the hearings. sonia sotomayor's weeks of preparation came down to this moment. >> i want to make one special note of thanks to my mother. >> reporter: her family behind her, sotomayor thanked them for supporting her dreams and each step before beg nominated to the supreme court. then the appeals court judge got right to answering the question on many lawmakers' mind, what kind of supreme court justice will she be? >> the task of a judge is not to make law, it is to apply the law. >> reporter: critics say sotomayor will try to legislate from the bench. and that her views lie outside the mainstream. they point it remarks where sotomayor said a latina drawing on her life experiences can make a better conclusion than a white male. >> some wonder if you're the kind of judge that will veer us off course and to new rights inventedy judges rather than ratified by the people. >> reporter: supporters say her rec

viviana hurtado has the details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning.dent takes his pitch for health care reform to ohio later today but last night the president used the spotlight to make his case to the public. speaking to americans in primetime, president obama argued that the economic well being of the country depends on health care reform. >> but i think that's a good thing. because ultimately we can't afford this. we just can't afford what we're doing right now. >> reporter: the president laid out some of his plan's details. for those with insurance, he promised more stability and security. >> it will prevent insurance companies from dropping your coverage if you get too sick. >> repter: mr. obama also promised a government-funded plan for those without insurance. he vowed to reject any measure that would be mainly funded by taxing the middle class. the president acknowledged the public's unease with the ballooning federal deficit. >> i've also pledged health insurance reform will not add our deficit over the next decade and i mean it. >> reporter