the park police told us on the scene perhaps there might have been some damage to the washington monumenthave been falling mortar that came down after the earthquake occurred and couple of reports, wolf, the monument was leaning. at this point the park police say that doesn't appear to be the case but they're checking. >> i heard reports some people thought it was tilting a little bit. could be an optical illusion but authorities are saying there's no evidence of that. is that right? >> reporter: that's right. at this point, we can tell you after talking to a park police spokesman, just in the last hour the washington monument is standing tall and proud in the words of that spokesman and there isn't any damage to the iconic structure at this point. here is a little bit of what he had to teld us earlier today. >> it's standing tall and proud like it has for many years. we had earlier reports mortar o. we're doing a close up assessment of the washington monument because of that. >> reporter: the last few moments i've been told, wolf, that the u.s. park police has come out with a statement s

an inch wide and it's near the top, really, near the top of the washington monument. so right now this 555 foot building is off limits to the public. the day after the earthquake shook the east coast, more surveillance camera video of the moment it all started, 1:51 p.m. and everyone, it seems has a story to tell. >> it was like this big shake and then a pause for like three seconds and then it shook more. >> reporter: in washington the chief concern remains the cracks near the top of the 137-year-old washington monument, it remains closed as structural engineers survey the damage. >> they need to probably go back tomorrow and again on friday to determine what is going to be necessary. >> reporter: on capitol hill, crews have cleaned up the paint chips and plaster that fell from the capitol dome but today more cracks were found running along the walls of two committee hearing rooms. meanwhile, the national cathedral which lost handmade capstones and angels during the quake has no insurance to pay for the damage, it's also closed for now. the most powerful quake to hit

cracks were found near the top of the washington monument some say the monument is tilting them. also suffering damage is so washington cathedral whom it is also closed none of the stained-glass was damaged when the pentagon was also damaged here you see all the people gathered outside the were not sure if it was a terrorist attack as they felt the building shaking. and lighter side pictures of the runaway bride and we will show you the picture at >> 630 > we have little bit of fog along coast it is pretty nice out there nice cloudy conditions out there . much cooler around the bay. we are keeping r.i. to the north as there is instability it may produce some lightning strikes. as we head into the 9:00 hours we will have a mixture of '60s and '70s we are staying out of the '90s home this is look of your afternoon heisenber highs. we will keep tt temperatures in this '60s and '70s keeping it in the 60s along the coast. this is a look of your seven day forecast we will have morning fog remaining in the forecast and we will warmup on saturday and sunday. >> the drive is pretty p

but the cracks in the washington monument -- the crack in the washington monument is at the top of thee everyone is familiar with where the stones narrow and go to the tip of the very top of the washington monument. the crack is on one of the sides of that area which narrows. in geometry you'd call it a paramidium. the national park service has a structural engineering firm inside of the washington monument assessing the situation, gathering information. that structural engineering firm likely will need to return tomorrow and probably again on friday. in order to pull together and gather all the information that they need to gather. they will then write a report at which point after that the national park service will assess the situation and begin repairs. >> how do you repair something like this? do you work from the inside or the outside? any idea? >> we don't know yet. we don't know the extent of the damage. that's why we need more data, that's what the structural engineering firm is trying to provide for us. >> you know, i've been tweeting about this quite a bit today and yesterda

the washington monument will remain closed until repairs are finished. and the quake damage at washington nationalcathedral forced a change of plan in the national events. organizers must now find a new site for the memorial honoring martin luther king. >>> tracking a fog bank. you can see looking out towards the bay, we still have overcast skies. temperatures are beginning to recover a bit. right now on the maps, here is the coverage for the entire coast line here pushing through the bay. san francisco and even out towards richmond, oakland and berkeley at last check. here is a look at the forecast story. it will be cooler than yesterday. for tomorrow, cool coast, warm temperatures inland ant weekend will gradually warm things up but not much. here is a look at the current numbers. san francisco, 62 degrees. we had some 70s to report up in santa rosa, fairfield, concord and livermore. san jose reporting 72 degrees. here is the source of the cooldown or one of the sources. the fog bank here. not much of a recovery. still patchy fog. temperatures on the c

they have to check of the washington monument and the washington cathedral. they're looking for possible cracks. it want to make sure it is structurally sound. take a listen to what people had to say about feeling in their very first earthquake. >> i looked out the window, i saw the building shaking. we are in a meeting and i said, i have to leave. >> another major concern, the nuclear power plants, one was 12 mi. away and automatically shut down. donald trump, by the way state in his office building and it worked. >> we are tracking a hot spot on highway 4, let's go to george for the update. >> we continue to see things improve on highway 4 in the westbound direction. that is starting to clear. the drive time is getting back to normal. we have a new problem in the south bay. 101 in the northbound direction. the problem was an accident past blossom hill road that slowed the traffic from highway 85, pushing the drive time up to 26 minutes in the 80 interchange. normally that should be 12-14 minutes. you might want to use highway 880854 highway 88087 if you are

in the nation's capital, the washington monument remained closed while inspectors analyzed cracks near the very top. and at the washington national cathedral, the tops of three spires, gargoyles and other decorative features came crashing to the ground. one lesson of this quake... >> i can't get through. at&t is down. >> reporter: ...is the same lesson learned on 9/11 when cell phone systems became overloaded, hampering first responders. nearly ten years later, congress is still fighting over how to solve the problem. meanwhile, at the national zoo, many animals, including flamingos, lemas, and great apes, sounded the earthquake alarm before humans felt a thing according to senior curator randy smith. >> our gorillas and some of our orangutans took on the trees. >> reporter: as for the washington monument, scott, we're told there is a four-foot crack near the very top. it will be closed indefinitely while they figure out how to fix it. >> pelley: thanks, chip. steve jobs suddenly and unexpectedly stepped down today as the c.e.o. of apple, the company that he helped found in a garage an

specifically the one over my right shoulder, that would be the washington monument. it is now closed indefinitely because last night structural engineers found a crack at the top of the monument and they want to make sure it's structurally sound before they let tourists back in. no clue as to when that will reopen. another iconic building closed at this time, the national cathedral about a few miles north of me here in washington, d.c. often known as the nation's church, it's held presidential funerals, the 9/11 memorial service. that actually fell. they're going to have structural engineers look at that building and make sure it's structurally sound before tourists are allowed to re-enter. a lot of federal workers were allowed to stay home. a lot of federal buildings still closing including the agriculture department, the labor department, department of homeland security. in fact, on my way to the capital at 9:00 a.m., which is usually a hectic commute, the streets were wide open, a lot of workers given the option to telecommute. it might be a little while before you

the cathedral remains closed and so does the washington monument. national park service cruise found at least one crack in the sop part of the 555-foot landmark. it's off limits to visitors until further notice. >> i feel kind of sad because we didn't get to go to it. >> reporter: the washington monument may be closed but it's business as usual at virtually every other museum and memorial here on the national mall. about 80 miles away at the quake's epicenter in the small town of mineral, virginia, things are anything but ordinary. store owners are cleaning up the mess left behind. this was the scene inside miller's market the moment the ground started shaking. as many as 12 million people felt the biggest earthquake to hit the east coast since 1944, while most communities made it through with just minor damage, inspectors are still checking for structural problems. danielle nottingham, cbs news, washington. >>> this morning a first look at part of the september 11th memorial at the world trade center site here in new york. on wednesday crews tested

one example, the washington monument is closed indefinitely after engineers found cracks near the top is in washington now. good morning, john. >> reporter: good morning, rob and tanya. the white house tells us president obama did not feel the quake in massachusetts where he was vacationing on martha's vineyard, but a few blocks away from here at the white house, they felt it. capitol architects are still assessing the damage of a quake that has rumbled all along the atlantic coast. the east coast just isn't used to this. >> we are not prepared at all. our buildings don't sway like those in california and japan. our buildings would collapse if we had a major earthquake in manhattan. >> reporter: it was all too reminiscent of something else. something worse. >> i heard people saying, it's a bomb. a couple scream, it's an earthqhqke. >> reporter: the 5.8 magnitude quake rattled the white house. it rocked the capitol. and it rumbled through the corridors of official washington, evacuating parts of several federal buildings. >> a couple things fell off the table and then everybody scrambl

the national cathedral is closed due to the earthquake >> we're showing you pictures of the washington monument and some of the damage on the east coast they're saying the question in my argument is actually tilting not sure if you could see it in this picture there are some cracks at the top and these are videos out of virginia there are items all over the floor in and this picture is out of n.y. setting where a bride had a run from the courthouse and she was trying to get married this is a runaway bride h. this is philadelphia, as workers evacuate it their buildings and these are looking at a large crack in the building . whe >> we had the yesterday's and now you're getting back into the 80s with >> you will see significant changes in the weather. or starting new out with a shot of the in the afternoons it'll be much cooler than it was '70s and '80s for the inland locations. we do have a potential of some lightning strikes all cool down into the afternoon. 882 greece end allows gatos dog when in the most part we will stay in the upper 60s and seven days 65 in downtown sent to ciscsan francil

washington monument is closed.op of the memorial. nuclear power plant was knocked offline. >> small earthquake shook also the bay area late last night. the u.s. geological service says magnitude 3.6 earthquake centered six miles southeast of oakland and was also felt by people across the bay in san francisco but they do not expect any serious damage there. we don't want to leave the west coast out of the earthquake story. >> no, we don't. although the west coast is making fun of the east coast this morning. that brings us to this. your chance to talk back on one of the stories of the day. the question today it's got to be about the earthquake. never has a shaking of the earth jolted so many people, at least on the east coast. many in virginia, pennsylvania and new york and d.c. were terrified and comedians were terrified-to-! they had to joke about it! >> a lot of people react differently to earthquake down at the city hall, mayor bloomberg they felt the earthquake. he ran and looking for cover and they found mayor

company's former chief operating officer, tim cook, will take over as apple's ceo. >>> the washington monument, but other monuments in the nation's capitol have reopened, following yesterday's rare magnitude 5.8 earthquake on the east coast. authorities say the washington monument may not open to the public until after engineers fix the cracks at the top. >>> civil sexual assault charges are still pending against dominic strauss kahn. prosecutors had requested the criminal charges be dropped after they began to question the credibility of the hotel housekeeper who leveled them. we'll see what happens next. >> we certainly will. certainly wish the best to steve jobs and his family. obviously got to be a difficult decision for him to be stepping down. isha, thank you very much. we'll be right back. we'll be on at 10:00, but back a little bit more tonight. we'll be right back. 50+ advantage one a ds has ginkgo for memory and concentration, plus support for bone and breast health. a great addition to my routine. [ female announcer ] one a day women's. [ male ] using can american fuel is just a pip

. >> meanwhile this morning in the nation's capitol washington monument remains closed as crews examine cracks in the structure after the 5.8 magnitude earthquake. thousands of residents from washington, d.c. and pennsylvania still cleaning up. there was no extreme damage done by the rare quake it did damage hundreds of buildings including a national cathedral and sent loose bricks down on cars in several cities. it was centered in mineral, virginia. >>> there was also a had hefty quake in southern colorado. it caused damage as you can see here. why this one and the one back east are rare usgs says they are not connected. the last known earthquake of comparable size in denver area was 6.5 back in 1882. usgs says all three of the quakes have one thing in common this are a great reminder to put together an earthquake kit. >> three hours from now bart board is expected to come face to face with some of the same protestors who have managed to shut down several bart stations repeatedly over the past few weeks at a special meeting. amy hollyfield is live at the civic center station in san fra

like no it's mine your way but i think my favorite part was when meghan kelly said that the washington monument was tipping i think that was definitely the hot news along with allan for a while that maybe the washington monument just had a little a little tilt so that we could have had our own leaning tower of washington you know they see earthquakes i lived in l.a. for a little bit there's nowhere where you see the come trails today and it was always been a lot in. the city to shots and i was very. well actually. i don't know i mean that was my i obviously that's how it happened but that was my first ok all right maybe not right that one we just met that was my first thought that i was actually really really i mean it took four shots to get to putting out albums so you never know who the funny thing is i realized how different it is to be exhibit life else earthquakes are for i just immediate was like oh it's an earthquake whereas other people being here from d.c. they're like we thought it was a blog but then we realized that there wasn't a sound well i also thought that equipment was. good s

was tipping i think that was definitely the one with allen for a while that maybe the washington monument just had a little a little snow so that we could have had our own readings our washington you know they say earthquake i lived in l.a. for a little bit there's no earthquake you see become trails today but it was always bin ladin you see they say they say two shots and that was. well actually. i don't know i mean that was my i obviously that's not happened but that was my first ok all right maybe not but that was likely dismiss the theory that was my first thought though i was actually really ok i mean it took four shots to get to the still putting out albums so you never know well the funny thing is i realize how different it is to be exhibit is it. tells earthquakes are for a just immediate was like oh it's an earthquake whereas other people being here from the sea they're like it we thought it was a bomb but then we realize that there wasn't a sound also that equipment was trying to steer you know you know weird stuff going on here there are g.'s studios sometimes let's look at a f

even cracking the washington monument. we'll hear from one e mily caught at the top when it hit. >>> into the monster's eye. hurricane hunters hover over irene, now bashing the bahamas and setting its sights for the east coast. get ready for what may be the most powerful hurricane to hit the east coast in a decade. >>> battle for libya. we go inside gadhafi's infamous compound to see fighters crushing symbols of his power. the dictator escapes for now. but this man wears his hat and necklace. our reporter live in tripoli. >>> and the jury rules in the trial l the mom who punished her son with hot sauce. >> what happens when you lie to me? >> i get hot sauce. >> you get hot sauce. >> why her mommy confession on air may now be sending her to jail. >>> good morning, everyone. the big question for allllf us in the east yesterday afternoon, did you feel it? >> uh-huh. i was in yoga class and didn't feel a thing. that's the place you want to be. >> you were very zen. >> no, i dididt feel it. but you did, right? >> i did. i was u

there were we'll have more police officers than demonstrators on the washington monument at half past morning. only six buzzeds had passed on the ellipse and few gatherers gathered at the monument. they started to warrior that it was going to flop. mr. rustin, it's past 6:00 said one of them you promised a march of near the 100,000. where are all the people? rustin looked carefully at a yellow pad on his hand. gentlemen, everything is going exactly as planned. standing beside him one of his deputies noticed the pad he was looking at was blank. from a suite at the willard hotel martin luther king, jr., looked down at the mostly empty lawn. he got gotten to washington the night before and he spent the five days before in new york working on a speech and book manuscript in atlanta checking on fundraisering and in washington, d.c., to be on "meet the press." and when he checked into the willard hotel on the night before the march, he had nothing remotely approaching a draft of what he would end up saying the next day. he previously worried about a violent demonstration on the march, he sa

the washington monument is a big concern right now.e confirming that there are cracks, they think, up near the top of the monument, so you got engineers that are going in there today and taking a close look at the washington monument to see how sound it is and what kind of repairs might be needed. national cathedral up in northwest washington, d.c., that also sustained damage yesterday. three of the spires that sit on top of the tower if you will have fallen off or been significantly damaged, and the tower they fear might be leaning, so they're looking at the national cathedraled is to see what, if anything, needs to happen. the cathedral is, of course, where they did the funeral or ronald reagan and gerald ford and the 9/11 service, really part of the national fabric, especially in washington, d.c.. the d.c. area schools closed today as they check the integrity of the buildings in the school systems and a lot of government buildings in and around d.c. are shut down as well today as they check those buildings to make sure that they're

but park service shut down tourist sites like the lincoln memorial, and the washington monument. the washington monument being the most concerning because it's a complex structure, i will tell you, it was very scary. >> a 5.8 earthquake rocked the mid atlantic region and could be felt hundreds of miles way n washington 80 miles from richmond, the capitol complex buildings were evacuated and no one was taking chance autos we saw people from the office take the stairs out. >> everything just started to shake a little bit. >> as far as north carolina, and as far north as new york city, people evacuated buildings. the earthquake interrupted the manhattan district attorney, giving a news conference. the last time a quake of this magnitude hit the region was 1897, intense enough to cause damage to well-built structures. >> and seismologist walter moody says the quake occurred on a fault that is 100 million years skpold says it gets energy from a ridge in the atlantic ocean, which is pushing north mesh and europe apart. >> we did have an earthquake in this region 100 years ago. and the

you find your way you know but i think my favorite part was when meghan kelly said that the washington monument was tipping i think that was definitely the fox news that would bow in for a while that maybe the washington monument just had a little a little tilt to it we could have had our own leaning tower of of washington you know they say you're earth quake i lived in l.a. for a little bit there's no earth quake did you see the come trails today and it was always bin ladin. shots and it was very. well actually. i don't know i mean that was my i obviously that's not happen but that was my first ok all right maybe not but i don't know whether one really does make it was my first thought though i was actually really i mean it took four shots to get to parker still putting out albums so you never know well the funny thing is i realized how different it is to be exhibitors that i felt earthquakes or for i just immediate was like oh it's an earthquake whereas other people being here from d.c. they're like we thought it was a bomb but then we realize that there wasn't a sound people also thought tha

plus monumental quake damage to an iconic washington structure.uation room" >>> again, our breaking news story at this hour, steve jobs, the ceo of the iconic apple incorporated has announced he has resigned. we got ahold of his letter of resignation and i want to read that to you at this time. it says i have always said that if there ever came a day when i can no longer meet my duties and expectations as apple's ceo. i would be the first to let you know. that day has come. i here by resign and he asked to serve if the board sees fit as chairman and an apple employee. as far as his successor goes, he asked that they name tim cook as the ceo. i believe the most brightest and innovative days of ahead of it. i look forward to contributing to success in a new role. i made some of the best friends of my life in apple and i thank you for being able to work alongside you. an iconic american company that had so much influence in this computer industry all over the world. joining me now on the television is cnn's dan simon. dan, you picked this information

danielle nottingham reports on the trouble found at some of washington's most treasured monuments. >>> reporter: stone masons in hardhats get a firsthand look at the damage tuesday's earthquake did to the washington national cathedral. the 5.8 quake knocked statues loose and sent capstones from the highest parts of the towers crashing down to the roof. it's a sad sight for some members of the mason group. >> from 1994 to '98, we spent four years up here doing restoration work. >> reporter: the cathedral remains closed and so does the washington monument. national park service crews found at least one crack in the top part of the 555-foot landmark. it's off limits to visitors until further notice. >> i feel kind of sad because we didn't get to go to it. >> reporter: the washington monument may be closed, but it's business as usual at virtually every other museum and memorial here on the national mall. about 80 miles away at the quake's epicenter, and the small town of mineral, virginia, things are anything but ordinary. store owners are cleaning up the mess left behind. this was the sc

to assess the ernl quake damage to the washington monument. the national parks service distributed pictures today showing there is a lot more damage than first thought. one show it's been dislodged near the top of the monument. and they looked at the stairwell. and and there is one of two firms there is a detail add sesment. the monument has been off limits since the earthquake hit on tuesday. there have been seven after shocks so far. it's few. >> the obama administration is reportedly considering further action to help strengthen the struggling housing market a cording to "new york times", they'd have backed mortgages to cut interest rates about 4%. and a program would help stabilize prices by preventing foreclosed homes. the government said they'd fallen another 6% in six months thanks to number of foreclosure sales, a new wave of refinancing could stimulate the economy by reducing your house payment, allowing you to spend money on something else and there is a trouble condition, next year, how a trip to summer camp is helping kids cope with

cracks were found at the top of the washington monument and it will be closed indefinitely. to one tourist who was in the white house when it started shaking. >> i mean the wall just shifted and the painting went and i was like let's get out of here let's get out of here. >> there were concerns about nuclear safety. one plant 20 miles from the epicenter automatically shut down but emergency systemels worked as they should and were designed to keep the plant safe. live in washington carol hahn ktvu channel 2 news. >>> broadcast on libyan television calling on muammar gaddafi to free tripoli from the devils who have over run it. they continue to celebrate the take over of muammar gaddafi's compound. they have not found muammar gaddafi but the state department says it is clear his regime has nearly collapsed. >> we stand with the libyan people and their transition has begun with whom we maintain daily hourly contact is preparing to lead the country through democratic transition. -- transition. >> muammar gaddafi still controls parts of tripoli and that includes the hotel where

yesterday's earthquake that hit the east coast left significant contraction in the washington monument. it was discovered near the top of the structure during a helicopter inspection. it is now closed while engineers determine the best way to fix it. >>> charges have been filed against two men in connection with the biggest wile fire in arizona's history. the two are accused of leaving a camp fire unattended. it destroyed 32 homes and they face a total of five charges. >>> we [ screaming ] [ zapping ] there goes dwayne's car. oh, man. there goes dwayne's house. whoa! whoa! and there goes dwayne. man, that thing does not like dwayne. [ male announcer ] state farm's got you covered. nice landing. it was. [ male announcer ] get to a better state. . >> right now i want these protests to end and you want to go back to business as usual but there is no going back. not if business controls an outof control -- out of control police department. >> what i would like to see is that this forum be the forum for those who wish to protest, to have your grievances addressed, here. to speak to the boar

the washington monument several federal buildings and schools in d.c. and virginia remain closed as engineers inspect for structural damage. shock waves of a different sort today in libya. rebel forces seize control of tripoli. the international red cross helps free journalists being held hostage in the press hotel. but where is muammar gadhafi? the hunt continues as he vows to fight until victory or death. >>> and is the tomorrow barrelling toward the u.s. hurricane irene. now a category three storm closing in on the bahamas, next stop the east coast. north carolina's outer banks are already being evacuated. >> get your evacuation kit ready. get your medicines ready. take your insurance documents and have a plan to get out if you have to. treat this seriously, but then pray real hard that north carolina will be fine. >>> good day, i'm andrea mitchell live in washington. we'll start in libya and the hunt for muammar gadhafi. rebel forces searching the capital for the fallen try rant who used a radio address this morning to call for more bloodshed. rich

however, the washington monument itself will stay closed until engineers repair cracks at the top andse are the headlines. coming up at the top of the

washington monument remains closed this morning. a police helicopter spotted some cracks near the top of the 555-foot-tall landmark so it's going to be closed until they can make sure that it's structurally sound. other monuments closed briefly but are back open today. there was also damage at the washington national cathedral. >>> this morning libyan leader moammar qaddafi nowhere to be found but he has made himself heard after rebels stormed his compound in the capital city of tripoli. today local tv aired audio from qaddafi from an unknown location. he vows to fight on until victory or martyrdom. although rebels still don't have complete control of the country, their supporters have been celebrating on tripoli's green square. a lot of dancing, clapping and gunfire. >>> some loud rowdy protests here too at bart stations with board members taking a second look at a decision after they decided to cut off cell phone service for the a single of passenger safety. joining us is stephanie chuang by telephone outside bart headquarters in

in washington, d.c., even the white house shook. the capitol and national monuments were evacuated. the national cathedral closed after losing chunks off its center spire. the 5.8 magnitude quake was centered northwest of richmond, virginia, and was felt from georgia and south carolina to maine, even michigan. >> tremors like everything was just shaking, the whole building was shaking. >> reporter: trains and planes were delayed. now experts warn more rumbling could follow. >> we will have earthquakes that will occur over days and weeks ahead from an earthquake like this. unfortunately, most often than not the aftershocks are smaller. >> reporter: good news for people along the east coast already shocked enough. kristen dahlgren, nbc news, washington. >>> well, elsewhere moammar gadhafi's fate appears to be all but sealed after rebels stormed and looted his tripoli compound yesterday. just hours ago with the elusive leader's whereabouts unknown, gadhafi released an audio address rallying loyal residents against rebel forces. brian mooar has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: goo

are examining two major landmark the washington monument remains closed as a debate look at cracks at the top this is pretty unusual for the coast the engineers announced they have some more cracks at the very top of it they have been surveying it by a helicopter and assumed lands also washington national cathedral is closed today they are describing at the damage as there are broken pinnacles on the towers they are asking for donations on the web site to pay for the repairs the quake was centered in a virginia but they felt and down in georgia they said it they are hard to determine the damage in their state >> we have decided this morning and an examination of state buildings across the state that may happen or impacted by the earthquake for structural damage we feel this is a good safety precaution to take >> at 440 some odd a.m. the we are checking the fedogview , dom sorry no camera there are drastic situation they shut down a self also closed on august 11th >> our position the cell phone network is a designated public forum under the u.s. constitution and what that means part ca

they found yax in the top of the washington monument. in virginia near the epicenter, parts of an office building collapsed. they say at least four smaller aftershocks have been registered. they say earthquakes are rare for the east coast but a good reminder to always be prepared. >> earthquakes don't have a season and they are not just a western hazard. >> first day of school have been cancelled throughout the washington region and parts of virginia today. nuclear commission says no major damage was found at 12 nuclear power plant sites. >>> firefighters near sacramento are calling in a team from texas to help extinguish a raging fire from a propane tanker. it caught fire yesterday afternoon in the town of lincoln. firefighters are pouring water on it to keep the tanker from cracking that could trigger a massive explosion. experts called in from texas will perform an operation called a hot cap. >> apply pipe to the tanker scar maintain the safety of the individuals that are there and the safety of the public and then we're going to have

the washington monument will be closed indefinitely after engineers found cracks near the top. >> i don't know that in reason history i can remember anything as traumatic as this. >> the big quake also knocked pinocles off the national cat theatral. >>> the bureau was forced into the street and we will have a live report from that bureau coming up. >>> there was no major damage but the powerful quake nearly brought down several homes in the small town of virginia and closed schools in that area. president barack obama was on vacation when it hit and he was just starting a round of golf when the ground started shaking and did not feel the quake. but several people with the president definitely felt the earth move. ed lee says this quake send a clear reminder that earthquakes can hit any time anywhere. he released that statement yesterday and before last night's quake here in the bay here. >>> new this morning somebody shot at a san francisco sister area. the man ran towards the officer and opened fire. the officers was not hit but his car was damaged and there are conflicting descriptions

the washington monument remains closed this morning. a police helicopter spotted cracks near the top of that 555- foot-tall landmark. it will be closed until they get a closer look. other monuments closed briefly but are now re-opened. there is also damage at the washington national cathedral. this is interesting. >>> a dog in springfield virginia was able to sense that 5.8 magnitude quake. look at his reaction. his owners were not at home at the time but they had a camera set up to keep an eye on their dog named red. now, you can see his reaction just before the quake, see the shaking there. up, the dog could sense that earthquake. but owners say they know he could feel it before it even happened so kind of amazing to see his reaction there. >> got a cone on his head. >> camera set up. >> okay. >>> 6:04 now. the cell phone shutdown takes center stage at this morning's bart meeting. stephanie chuang is in oakland with the new demands that may end those rowdy demonstrations that have been going on the last couple of monday nights. she ha

cracks appeared at the top of the washington monument.he popular tourist destination will remain closed until that damage is repaired. >>> a path of destruction is left behind by battles in the libyan city of bre dwrkz a. we look at the efforts by firefighters to contain a major blaze in a major oil town. [ male announcer ] they'll see you...before you see them. cops are cracking down on drinking and riding. drive sober, or get pulled over. >> the forces of gadhafi were here for about three months, the fire chief says. and we were afraid that everything would be destroyed. but then little by little the revolutionaries advanced and the gadhafi forces were ousted. but before retreating, gadhafi's troops fired tank rounds into the facility, hitting four of the giant storage tanks. the firefighters say they've been fighting this blaze for the past six days. they tell us they don't know how much longer we're going to have to be there before the flames are out. and they also say they don't know how extensive the damage is and how long it will t

and pat robertson figures the quake's crack in the washington monument is a divine message. should we ask tougher questions about candidates' faith? >>> and aren't exploding over the book, colin powell says the former vice president is like a gossip whose new book is full of cheap shots. >>> rick perry doubles down on his claims associate security is a ponzi scheme. that may be a fine way to win tea party votes, but is this any way to run a national campaign. >>> let me finish with the complaints that hurricane irene was overhyped. starting with the politics of the hurricane. ed rendell, former governor of pennsylvania. michael steele, former chairman of the rnc and both are msnbc political analysts. governor, start with you. a quote from lee siegal who wrote something for the "daily beast" and "newsweek." elected officials are acting responsibly by acting hysterically. is there truth in that statement? >> well, there is. look, if you're an elected official you want to err on the side of caution. want to get as many people out as you can, because you don't want to take the c

and the washington monument is still closed after they found cracks at the top. bill lie i don't know is the spokesperson for the national parks service, how long did it take you to discover the cracks there? >> the monument closed right as the earthquake was happening yesterday around 1:51 to 2:00 in the afternoon. the monument has remained closed since. the crack was discovered approximately 6:00 many the evening after the united states park place helicopter as well as national parks service officials did a visual inspection from the helicopter. the damage and there's a crack that is in the upper, upper reaches of the monument after -- most people are familiar with it as it goes to one central tip or point. on one of the sides in that very upper reaches of the monument is where there is a crack. we have an engineering firm, a structural engineering firm that is taking a look at it, examining, gathering data, gathering information as to the extent of the damage. they may need to take all of today or tomorrow or friday even to collect all the data that they need.

. >> we had some early reports that washington monument had a few brick and mortar that may have come a little bit loose. >> somebody came running in from the outer office and said hurry up. out of the building. the building is shaking. >> i mean, manhattan anything could happen, right? >>reporter: well it can and it did. frightened office workers pour in the streets after today's earthquake on the east coast. even parts of the white house and the pentagon were evacuated. good evening. as earthquake go this was hardly a catastrophe but certainly had an impact and got people's attention. epicenter of the quake was in mineral, virginia but felt from massachusetts down to south carry lane and west to chicago and milwaukee. there was a 4.2 after shock this afternoon after the bigger 5.8 magnitude initial quake. the national park service says the washington monument lincoln memorial jefferson memorial and old post office power rae main closed as precaution. structure are being inspected and evaluated for safety. more tonight from abc david muir pulling in union station in washington when t

. >> cracks have been spotted in the washington monument and three capstones broke off the national cathedral. there was no damage to the nation's infrastructure. this earthquake was different. >> this is a much sharper earthquake than i've ever felt in san francisco. earthquake's we've had rolled on for a longer period of time, but they weren't nearly as abrupt. >> much stronger than anything we felt in san francisco. >> there have been three aftershocks, but no major damage reported. >> this was a moderate earthquake, but people felt it for thousands of miles. why the seismic waves traveled for such a long distance. >> people felt the shaking all the way from maine to atlanta to cleveland. >> there's another tremor. >> why would a quake be felt so far and wide when the west coast would only be felt in the bay area. the hazards team. >> that's because earth is hotter in the east coast. the seismic energy doesn't travel away from the earthquake fault nearly as far. >> while california is known as earthquake country, it's not as well known that most of the u.s. is at risk for an earthquake. th

earthquake waves travel much further and therefore people feel them over a farther distance. >> the washington monument the cracks and the cathedral, do we worry there might be serious structural damage to some of these monuments and buildings? >> i think there is cause for concern. that's the type of building that is most prone to damage in an earthquake are these older, masonry and brick structures that are very brittle. the earthquake shaking really affects them quite severely, and we see the kind of damage that has resulted. >> we've got chad here to ask some questions. >> people have asked me about this aftershock fore shock thing. and i've described the f foreshock, it's usually an hour or so. we are just going to feel aftershocks now, correct? >> i think so, yeah. likely weeks and even months. many of them will be so small, many won't notice them. >> and they are shorter in duration. this was almost a minute for some people. an aftershock is seconds? >> yes, the smaller the earthquake magnitude, generally the shorter the earthquake is, as well. >> a little bit of shaking can do damage because th

lala tonight, the national park service reported a crack was discovered in the top of the washington monumenthere's abc's david muir with the east coast unexpected case of the shakes. >> reporter: we were pulling into the train station in washington, d.c. when the station suddenry began to wildly shake. officers yelling to us and to everyone to get out. passengers ran to safety. there were immediate fears here that this was something worse. >> grounun started shaking. people started screaming, running around. >> all of a sudden, everything just shook. things fell off the table. and then everybody scrambled. >> reporter: what we then realized was that millions of americans had felt the same thing. it was 1:51 this afternoon. >> stay from the front of the building. >> reporter: when that giant rumble sent fear through entire cities. our camera at the white house swaying. helicopters hovering over washington. the national cathedral damaged. part of one of the pinnacles falling to the ground. this woman tweeted "i'm holding a piece of the national cathedral in my hand. kws in northern virginia, c

they found yax in the top of the washington monument. in virginia near the epicenter, parts of an office building collapsed. they say at least four smaller aftershocks have been registered. they say earthquakes are rare for the east coast but a good reminder to always be prepared. >> earthquakes don't have a season and they are not just a western hazard. >> first day of school have been cancelled throughout the washington region and parts of virginia today. nuclear commission says no major damage was found at 12 nuclear power plant sites. >>> firefighters near sacramento are calling in a team from texas to help extinguish a raging fire from a propane tanker. it caught fire yesterday afternoon in the town of lincoln. firefighters are pouring water on it to keep the tanker from cracking that could trigger a massive explosion. experts called in from texas will perform an operation called a hot cap. >> apply pipe to the tanker scar maintain the safety of the individuals that are there and the safety of the public and then we're going to have

but he told our producer they are concerned that the washington monument may be tilting. they are concerned that the monument may be tilting. that's all i have. a one-line event. now i'm getting word from mike tobin that we are now having evacuations as far north as canada just across the border from detroit. that city hall was evacuated due to this quake. so this is a widespread event in terms of where it is being felt and who is feeling it. now i want to get to john rundle who is a seismologist at u.c. davis. my apologies. harley benz. my apologies for the name. i appreciate you being here. tell us about the 5.9 magnitude quake. >> we just had a magnitude 5.9 earthquake in central virginia. north of -- an area known for seismic activity but not this large. the largest one in this area in many, many years has been in the magnitude 4 range. megyn: yet 5.9 more extraordinary? >> certainly much bigger than we have seen in the past. megyn: what can people expect in the wake of a 5.9 magnitude quake? what kinds of damage stan injuries typically if any? >> certainly to unreinf

washington d.c. even the white house shook. the capitol and national monuments were evacuated. the national cathedral closed after losing chunks off its center spire. the quake was centered northwest of richmond, virginia, and was felt from georgia and south carolina to maine, even michigan. >> they're felt over a much wider area and that has to do primarily the difference between older geologic structures. >> so workers evacuated buildings in many eastern cities like new york and philadelphia. >> felt tremors. everything was shaking. >> reporter: planes and trains were delayed. and now experts warn more rumbling could follow. >> we will have earthquakes that will occur over days and weeks ahead from an earthquake like this. fortunately, most often than not, the after shocks are smaller. >> reporter: good news for people along the east coast. kristen dahlgren, nbc news, washington. >>> well, elsewhere muammar qadhafi's fate appears to be all but sealed after rebels stormed and looted his tripoli compound wednesday. just hours ago with the elusive leader's whereabouts unknown, q

the quake did more damage than originally thought at the washington monument.at the top of the structure so the monument will remain closed for the foreseeable future. also, the quake caused significant damage to washington's national cathedral. it is expected to remain closed at least through saturday. >>> a pilot and passenger were hurt at los angeles international airport last night when a jetway, the bridge between the plane and terminal, collapsed. the airport says it happened as people were leaving an american airlines plane that came in from chicago. the airline says it is pengtsing their jetway as a result of the accident. apparently they fell ten feet. as we discussed earlier, that's -- of all the things that worry people about air travel, that wasn't on the list. >> no. not on my long list of things worry about in air travel. amazing dash cam video to show you. shows an oklahoma city police cruiser in a head-on collision with an suv, there it is, traveling in the wrong direction. remarkably neither driver was injured. i can't believe that. neither dri

. >>> the washington monument is cracked and closed, but other monuments in the nation's capitol have reopened, following yesterday's rare magnitude 5.8 earthquake on the east coast. authorities say the washington monument may not open to the public until after engineers fix the cracks at the top. >>> and gathering storms in the atlantic. hurricane irene bigger and stronger, bearing down on the east coast. where it will hit. winds over 100 miles an hour, what it will do to a city like new york. >>> on the other side of the world, battles still raging in tripoli. moammar gadhafi forces going house to house. is this the colonel's last stand. sara sidner, what's it like to be in the middle of the chaos. this is "piers morgan tonight." tonight's breaking news. steve jobs stepping down as ceo of apple. joe, is this a surprise, lots of speculation about steve jobs' future because of his health? what's your view? >> the only real surprise is that it happened tonight, really. he's been sick for a long time. he has not looked well, obviously, in appearances recently he's had a liver transplant

engineers were scramble to plug holes in the washington monument which was damaged in tuesday's earthquakeey were stuffing flexible insulation in the holes. they were also working on the turrets on the smithsonian castle to protect it from the winds and rain of the storm. the city officials have been telling residents to be ready. let's listen to what vincent gray, the mayor, had to say about what we could expect to see here in washington. >> roughly a period of 24 hours during which we would experience the conditions of a hurricane. there could be some flooding. we don't know the extent of that at this stage. our department of public works for the last 24 hours has been making sand bags available to people who would like to have them to address their concerns about the possibility of flooding. >> reporter: and so he mentioned sand bags. the city handed out 7,000 sand bags to families yesterday. they ran out at 5:00 p.m. they had to stop delivering. that is supposed to start up again today at around noon at a stadium nearby. they will hand out another 2,700 today. they are limiting five pe