this morning the president named army general martin dempsey as the next chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. james is the president choice for vice chairman and ray is the candidate for the new army chief of staff. all three require senate approval. army general martin dempsey would be the first to led combat operation in the post 9/11 areaa. >>> in joplin, missouri. workers are already rebuilding the noun. the number of people unaccounted for is down to 29. 146 people are reported dead. officials say some of them could be duplicates. officials are working to relocate those left homeless. >>> wildfire that threatened homes is also out. the fire broke out friday near lake isabella. no one was injured and property damage was minor. >>> crews are trying for the third day to find a missing diver. he disappeared saturday. a companion diver was rescue. authorities haven't released the names but they are believed to be from southern california. >>> a balloon festival never got off the ground. it was too windy. one balloon that was inflated lurched back and forth and then it was taken down

general martin dempsey as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. admiral james woodifeld as the vice chairman and to succeed general dempsey, general ray odierno. since taking office, i have been very grateful for the leadership of the current chairman, admiral mike ramallah, and the vice chair, general jim 'hoss' cartwright. they have served our nation with distinction for decades. today i will simply say that like president bush before me, i have deeply valued the professional status of mike mullen and his integrity. on his watch, our military forces have excelled across the spectrum of nations, from combat in iraq and afghanistan to relief efforts after the haiti earthquake. he has helped revitalize nato, reset our relations with russia, and steered our relationship with pakistan and china. i believe history will also record mike mullen as the chairman who said what he believed was right when he declared that no one in uniform should ever have to sacrifice their integrity to serve their country. i have also benefited enormously from the advice a

he is expected to name general martin dempsey. if confirmed bynate, senate, dempsey will replace admiral mike mullen works is retiring in the fall. >>> yesterday, the president brought consolation and plejs of help to the people of joplin, missouri. it was one week since the massive tornado tore through killing more than 100 residents. >> reporter: block after block after block. this is what the president saw on his drive in. a disorienting scene of shattered trees. and homes. the whole country is with them. >> this is just not your tragedy. this is a national tragedy. that means there will be a national response. >> reporter: later on in the community memorial, the president reminded of that. >> there are heros all around us. all the time. they walk by us on the sidewalk. they sit next to us in class. >> reporter: while the president saw the skelton of st. john's hospital, those ghostly curtains blowing. he didn't see this. the new hospital. jill howard started running when she saw her hero. >> hi dear, how are you? >> reporter:

earlier in the day, the president announced the admiral's replacement, army general martin dempsey. >> for nearly 40 years in uniform martin dempsey is one of our nation's most respected and combat-tested generals. >> smith: general dempsey will serve as the principal military advisor to the president and his newly reorganized defense team as they tackle the war in afghanistan, conflict in libya and wind down operations in iraq. as wind whipped through the so- called desert of death in afghanistan, marines at camp leatherneck paused to remember their fallen friends. and last night candles in kabul for the more than 1,500 american servicemen and women who have died in the nearly decade-long war. on the home front, there were celebrations of service and star-spangled parades. and there were somber moments like this one at fort snelling in minnesota where 308 white crosses represent the lives of soldiers lost from that community since 9/11. and "taps" played across the land in honor of and in mourning for those who gave their lives to protect the freedoms we hold dear. the long war conti

one hour from now, president obama is expected to nominate martin dempsey as the next chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. he would become the nation's highest-ranking military officer, as well as a critical adviser to the president. cnn's ed henry is at the white house. tell us what you know about this guy. >> reporter: well, that's right. he's a west point grad, and somebody who is very highly respected, because he's been helping to oversee both the wars in iraq and afghanistan and the president, we're told, to expect him to make at least two more personnel announcements, as well. he's going to name a vice chairman of the joint chiefs of staff as well, admiral james winfeld. he's been in charge of the northern command, and general ray odierno, someone we know very well, has been a television spokesman for the war in iraq, but had a son that was fighting and lost an arm. he will be nominated for army chief of staff to replace general dempsey, who's currently the army chief of after. when you ask what we know about him, he's only been army chief of staff for a couple of months. he w

earlier today, president obama named army chief of staff general martin dempsey as his new chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. if confirmed, he will replace admiral mike mullen whose term ends this fall. from the white house rose garden, this is 10 minutes. in arlington, we will pause to show our devotion to those who gave their lives for our country. theirs was the ultimate sacrifice but it is one that every man and woman who wears america's uniform is prepared to make. so that we can live free. the men and women of our armed forces are the best our nation has to offer and they deserve nothing but the absolute best in return. that includes leaders who will guide them, support their families with wisdom and strength and compassion. that is what i expect as commander in chief as we work to keep our nation secure and paramilitary the finest in the world. i found those qualities in leon panetta who announced last month as much as to succeed our outstanding secretary of defense of bob gates who i thank for joining us today. i found these qualities in the leaders who will complete our te

president obama introduced martin dempsey. coming up at 5:30 we will look that challenges. >>> last week 35 million americans said they planned to hit the road for this memorial day and tonight a lot of them are heading home. let's take you around the bay, interstate 80. it is definitely light in both directions on i-80. typically at this time traffic would be a mess. to the gary ward. -- to the golden gate bridge. slowing to san francisco but that's probably people paying toll. interstate 280. quiet for a monday night. a lot of people choosing to stay home. staying home orer flying. this is san jose international airport. they expected an 11.5% increase in the amount of travelers this memorial day weekend compared to last year. >>> bart service in the east bay got back to normal avermentness work caused delays. this was the scene a few hours ago. crews had shut down one track inside the tube to repair electric cables. that caused delayed of 20-40 minutes. work has ended for today but construction and delays will continue next

dempsey. he's been army chief of staff for less than two months. dempsey is a veteran of 40 years in the army. he's commanded troops in iraq and served as both deputy and acting commander at u.s.s. centl command. the president also announced a new vice-chairman of the joint chiefs to replace marine general james cartwright, who is also retiring. the nominee is navy admiral james winnefeld. he's been head of the u.s. northern command and served as a nato commander and on the joint staff. >> i've selected general dempsey between them, they bring deep experience in virtually every domain-- land, air, space, sea, cyber. both of them have the respect and the trust o the frontlines, our friends in congress, and allies and partners abroad. and both of them have my full confidence. they both have something else. for the first time, the chairman and vice chairman will have the experience of leading combat operations in the years since 9/11. >> brown: and with general dempsey moving up, the president ch

dempsey. he's been army chief of staff for less than two months. dempsey is a veteran of nearly 40 years in the army. he's commanded troops in iraq and served as both deputy and acting commander at u.s. central command. the president also announced a new vice-chairman of the joint chiefs to replace marine general james cartwright, who is also retiring. the nominee is navy admiral james winnefeld. he's been head of the u.s. northern command and served as a nato commander and on the joint staff. >> i've selected general dempsey between them, they bring deep experience in virtually every domain-- land, air, space, sea, cyber. both of them have the respect and the trust of our troops on the frontlines, our friends in congress, and allies and partners abroad. and both of them have my full confidence. they both have something else. for the first time, the chairman and vice chairman will have the experience of leading combat operations in the years since 9/11. >> brown: and with general dempsey movin

dempsey. he's been army chief of staff for less than two months. dempsey is a veteran of nearly 40 years in the army. he's commanded troops in iraq and served as both deputy and acting commander at u.s. central command. the president also announced a new vice-chairman of the joint chiefs to replace marine general james cartwright, who is also retiring. the nominee is navy admiral james winnefeld. he's been head of the u.s. northern command and served as a nato commander and on the joint staff. >> i've selected general dempsey between them, they bring deep experience in virtually every domain-- land, air, space, sea, cyber. both of them have the respect and the trust of our troops on the frontlines, our friends in congress, and allies and partners abroad. and both of them have my full confidence. they both have something else. for the first time, the chairman and vice chairman will have the expience of leading combat operations in the years since 9/11. >> brown: and with general dempsey moving

if >> president barack obama is announcing that army general press martin dempsey is a new chief of staff. we will be right back. >> of violent storms pounded michigan this weekend. it was in kalamazoo county. you can see some of the damage, trees are down and power is out. look at the roof torn off. the town of vicksburg, there were people there that say they are sure they sought a president obama got a firsthand view of joplin, missouri from the damage of that monster tornado years ago. he says the damage will take years and he is asking americans to donate to the red cross. his visit happens one week after that tornado came to the city planning homes and leaving 142 people dead. over 30 people still remain unaccounted for. >> if you plan on travelling, and was not that easy. storms in the west could cause more delays. people in chicago last night, i will telo'hare internal canceled 450 flights. no major delays were reported, but here is a lesson i learned, up for the text of boards that the airlines offered. it will tell you if your plan is delayed and you will not get stuck in the air

. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> earlier today president obama named army chief of staff general martin dempsey as the new chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and if confirmed will replace admiral mike mullen whose final term ends this fall. from the white house rose garden, this is 10 minutes. >> all right. good morning. in a few moments i'll be joining members of our armed forces, their families, and veterans for the memorial day observance at arlington. there and across our nation, we'll pause to honor all those who have given their last full measure of devotion in defense of our country. theirs was the ultimate sacrifice, but it is one that every man and woman who wears america's uniform is prepared to make. so that we can live free. the men and women of our armed forces are the best our nation has to offer, and they deserve nothing but the absolute best in return. that includes leaders who will guide them and support their families with wisdom and strength and compassion. and that's what i expect as commander in chief as we work to keep our nation secure and our military the finest in the world. i

yesterday he nominated general martin dempsey for chairman of the join chiefs. in 2004, dempsey led the battle against the insurgency in baghdad in the iraq war. he has three masters degrees, including one in english in duke university and one from the national war college. his hobby is singing. ♪ start spreading the news ♪ i'm leaving today ♪ i'm going to be a part of it >> general dempsey apparently loves to sing and has been known to perform "new york, new york" frequently. ♪ new york, new york ♪ it's up to you new york, new york ♪ >> yea! >> not bad. holding that note reasonably well. nine minutes past 8:00. chris, you disagree? >> no, i like it. >> find a person that tells him he doesn't sound good. sounded great, sounded great. >> we should book him for a summer concert. i mean that seriously. >> why not? all of the sinatra hits. >> i'm in. "summer wind." ♪ >> can't even speak today let alone sing. marysol castro, i'm handing it over to you. >> i will take it from here. good morning everyone apt home. good morning, chris, erica. take a look a

obama is expected to name martin dempsey as the new chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. admiral mike mullin is stepping down from that position in september. dempsey commanded u.s. troops in iraq. he later led training efforts for iraqi forces. >> this week pg&e crews will be getting ready for high pressure pipeline testing in two bay area cities. that testing involves filling pipes with water at a pressurized level higher than usual. first crews need to vent the gas from those lines. that will happen tomorrow in newark and then on wednesday in san jose. the actual testing should be done later this week. pg&e is testing the lines in response to the san bruno pipeline explosion. >> 5:34. gasoline prices keep dropping this holiday season. during the state -- around the state drivers are pay aping ing a little more than 4 dollars for a gallon, that is also the case in san jose and oakland. in san francisco drivers are averaging 4.15 for regular. that is down 7 cents from last week. every place all over california gas is costing about a dollar more than we paid last memorial

one he is expected to announce a new joints chief chairman, that is general martin dempsey. you know today is not the only day that people have marked memorial day. the events have been taking place throughout the weekend here in washington. there you see thousands of bikers coming to dc for the annual ride to freedom event by the rolling thunder. that is where defense secretary robert gates addressed the crowd. >> for those of us gathered here it is an affirmation of our commitment to remember those heroes who have fought or died or been captured in defense of our nation, not just this weekend but every day of our lives. we have a sacred obligation to those who have born the heavy burden in the past, the men and women now protecting us on the front lines gain comfort knowing that if today they are missing or captured we will not rest until they are accounted for and welcome home to the honor they deserve. >> of course there are other events here. you can see on arlington national cemetery's website a moment of silence later this afternoon and also the national memorial day

here on the home front today, president obama announced he would nominate general martin dempsey to be the new chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. and the president laid a wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier at arlington national cemetery. more than 4,400 u.s. soldiers have died in iraq since the war started in 2003. and over 1,500 have died in afghanistan. where our mike boettcher, embedded for a year with the no slack battalion of the 101st airborne. the men were just weeks from coming home when they found themselves in the battle of their lives. tonight, a report that gives meaning to the idea of uncommon valor. >> reporter: there was nowhere to run. so we dove into a muddy hillside. i ducked in with my camera next to captain ed bankston. headquarters company. no slack battalion. 101st airborne. nine months earlier, he'd been shot in the legs but fought to get back to the front. that's where he was now. out front and exposed. bankston's mission was to hunt and kill the taliban in remote fountain valley near the pakistan border. but the taliban had struck first. they were hu

martin dempsey, he's a command veteran of iraq war and afghanistan. he would replace the departing mike mullen. >> former vice president and governor john edwards is facing criminal charges after the green light was given to investigation criminal charges. they stemmed from a relationship with a former worker, rielle hunter. his lawyer said tonight his client did not break the law. >>> when we come back tonight, dramatic developments in the case of the man held for the shooting of gabrielle giffords, gerald loughner. will he ever face a jury? >>> and they have been deployed before, but not to joplin, missouri. and tonight, they make a difference. sglool jared loughner, the man of killing three people, wounding 13 people was in court today. mike tiebi was with us with the bizarre scene that erupted in court. >> law enforcement sources told nbc news that has brynn one of liz delusionings whethall leung, th had killed gabby giffords. today, he yelled thanks for the freak show. you're changing it. he was removed from the court room. a moment later, the ju

he's army general martin dempsey, a west point veteran and iraq war veteran who describes himself as an irish kid from new jersey. the next step, confirmation by the senate. >>> still ahead, americans at war far from home. a young soldier and his platoon in one of the most remote places you can imagine. >>> and later, they're brave, smart, and they never complain about the food. meet america's dogs of war, as "nightly news" continues on this memorial day. >>> we're back now with our special series "far from home." jim maceda has been profiling the men and women of the u.s. military who are doing the hard work of america's war in afghanistan. and we thought memorial day was a good time to tell the story of another one of these brave warriors. today, jim has the story of a young soldier from california who is very far from home in one of the most remote parts of the war zone. >> reporter: bageese, it means home of the winds. a remote province with no electricity or paved roads. for staff sergeant nick lewis and his platoon of calvary men, this is as far forward as it gets. >> like last

he's going to name general martin dempsey as the joint chiefs chairman replacing admiral mullen, the army chief of staff, in the front lines of overseeing the wars in iraq and afghanistan and the bottom line of why he picked general dempsey, it's in the context of other moves being made. in june defense secretary robert gates will be stepping down and leon panetta is in line to replace him, already a member of the national security team, and so this boils down tocontinuity. even as iraq still winding down, few troops there, some troops there, about 100,000 troops in afghanistan, he needs countntiny to finish these wars, no doubt about it. >> ed, in addition to all of his credentials apparently general dempsey can sing as well. we'll talk about that, talking with the outgoing chairman of the joint chiefs admiral mike mullen at 7:25 eastern today. stay tuned. >>> on this memorial day the president and first lady will be hosting a breakfast at the white house for families who have lost loved ones in combat. they'll visit arlington national cemetery where the president will lay a wreath

dempsey. he commanded troops in the iraq war and spent nearly 40 years in uniform. he will be the top military adviser to the president and his national security team. if the nomination is confirmed by the senate, dempsey will replace admiral mike mullen when he steps down this fall. >>> there's a setback for governor brown's plan to close a fourth of the state parks to save money. they receive federal money that requires the parks to remain open. the national parks service says the funding is like a contract. the affected parks include castle rock state park in santa clara county, twin lakes state beach in santa cruz, portola redwoods as well as candle stick point near san francisco. >>> not a rosy picture for libraries in oakland, some may be forced to close after a drastic budget cutting proposal. the mayor has suggested slashing 14 of the city's 18 libraries, including the african-american museum and library, unless unions agree to cut their pay or the voters approve an $11 million parcel

tomorrow president obama is expected to nominate general martin dempsey as chairman of the joint chiefs. he would replace admiral mike mullen with general robert gates is being replaced himself next month by cia director leon panetta. the new leaders will inherit responsibility for this country's involvement in two long wars, iraq and afghanistan, as well as the u.s. mission in libya. tonight richard engel reports on america's complicated role in these conflicts. >> reporter: a deadly fight with the taliban in afghanistan, a stability operation in iraq, and a support mission in libya. american troops are at war on three fronts, 150,000 in harm's way. especially in the longest war in u.s. history, afghanistan. last thursday, eight americans were killed while on a foot patrol in kandahar in a roadside bomb attack. >> we love the troops. why do we love the troops because we don't have to be the troops. we have a small number of americans defending 310 million people. it's easy to forget them. but we shouldn't forget them. today's a good day to remember that we have troops in combat. >> rep

he picked army general martin dempsey, an accomplished veteran of the iraq war. >> but it is your lifetime of accomplishments that brings us here today and i thank you you for your willingness to take on this new assignment. >> reporter: right now, dempsey is army chief of staff. the senate will need to confirm him before he steps up to replace admiral mullen. danielle notingham, cbs news, the white house. >>> will she or won't she? sarah palin keeping everyone guessing about 2012. and whether she will run for president. the former alaska governor kicking off her east coast tour in washington, d.c. this week. palin and her family traveling by bus to all of the historic sites, on their way to the politically critical state of new hampshire, and what she is calling her one nation tour. today, she visited the national archives. home of the u.s. constitution. palin though says the trip is not political. >> this is not a campaign bus. this is a bus to be able to express to america how much we appreciate our foundation, and to invite more people to be interested in all that is good about america

dempsey as his new chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. he made the announcement shortly before laying a wreath to american war dead at arlington national cemetery as part of the memorial day commemorations. general dempsey is replacing outgoing admiral mike mullen. now, of course, this year marks the 150th anniversary of the american civil war. slavery was one of the central issues that divided the north and south, and many african-americans joined the conflict to fight for their freedom and forever change the country. that military history is told at the museum and here in washington, d.c. for the latest in our series, caur-rator harry jones recounts the story of the man who went to war and their legacy today. >> the story of african-americans in the civil war briefly stated is the story of a disenfranchised, enslaved population who freed themselves, while helping to preserve the union. elders had counseled that a day would come when, in league with the constitution, you could end the tyranny of slavery. elders had prayed that this oppor

earlier in the day the president announced army general martin dempsey will be the new chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. . >>> and in the bay area there were several memorial day tributes including this one at san francisco's presidio. an estimated 2500 people turned out for the ceremony marking theth anniversary of this country's entry into world war ii. the 400,000 americans killed during that war were honored. the presidio ceremony one of the largest in the nation. >>> memorial day is a painful one for families missing decades after the conflict ended. >> but they don't give up. ann notarangelo is in walnut creek where mia's were remembered today. an app? >> reporter: elizabeth, there are nearly 83,000 u.s. service members still missing in action. it is a stunning number. and, today, we renewed our commitment here in walnut creek to continue looking for our fallen heroes. you know, each person represents family and friends and colleagues that are waiting and praying for that person to come home. you may have heard kathy strung's story but this h memorial day it bears repeeding.

. >> president obama jou martin dempsey was nominated replacing the long. he will replacing mullen. >>reporter: in the east bay, a special service in danville. veterans from different wars and community members a way for people to show their appreciation. and to teach their children the honor who served. >> i like the memorial day celebration my wife is playing in the band and we came out to support the veterans. and of course my wife. >> my father served in the world war two and korea and i've lost friends in the service. and i try to get out to here always when i can. >> to remember that freedom is not freak we have to think the war veterans. freedom is not free--and to thank our veterans--i am patriotic and i love this country. they have given the ultimate sacrifice. hi >> craig sklar? >> as the twilight [la >> to the bay iraq, and through milp to the bay-area. ad milpitas is a somber occasion with the flag and a 21 gun salute. similar ceremonies were all through the south bay from redwood city, campbell, san jose. craig sklar, kron 4 news. >>catherine: new details after a violen

army general martin dempsey. as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, dempsey will lead our nation's wars in afghanistan and iraq, taking over for admiral mike mullen who will retire in october. i'm joined by our senior foreign affairs correspondent martha raddatz who has just returned from the front lines in afghanistan. at the top of his list will be how to advise president obama on that withdrawal from afghanistan. >> that's what he'll have to do. as you know, general dempsey spent many years in iraq, but there is no question that afghanistan is where a lot of his focus will be now. the president wants to begin a draw-down in july, but on our trip to afghanistan, the soldiers and generals say there is a lot more to accomplish before the u.s. can claim success. for one year, major general john campbell has commanded a deadly dangerous 450 miles of afghanistan that borders pakistan. 30,000 soldiers. more than 150 combat outposts. many of them routinely attacked. >> rockets, mortars, suicide deaths. >> reporter:

also this morning, the president is expected to announce he's chosen army general martin dempsey as the new chairman of the joint chiefs. if confirmed by the senate he would be replacing retiring admiral mike mullen. >>> u.s. troops in afghanistan paused yesterday to remember their fallen comrades, in nearly ten years of fighting more than 1400 americans have been killed there. this memorial day comes before the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attack. that day triggered the u.s. involvement in afghanistan, the hunt for osama bin laden, and changed the taliban government. president obama plans to start drawing down u.s. forces in the region beginning in july. [ playing taps ] >>> memorial day was originally known as decoration day. it began as a remembrance of those soldiers who fell during the civil war. today, it is a national holiday with ceremonies to remember the fallen in cities across the country. besides the solemn rituals, memorial day is a day of parades and family gatherings. the holiday also represents the unofficial start of summer. >>> the latest batch of severe weather to st

martin dempsey is the choice to head the joint jchief of staff--replacing the veteran of the iraq war. dempsey's vice chairman is a also pinpointed. >> both of them have the respect and trust of the front lines and our friends in congress and allies and partners, abroad. they both have my full confidence. the bulls have something else. for the first time, the chairman and vice chairman of the experience of leading combat operations 95 11. >> ladies and gentlemen. 95 11. >> start your engines. >> the 2012 is getting into gear. white candidates are touching base and one the state. what they are saying about getting into the race. >> pailin? >> a >> and why the president's approval rating is at the highest point in 15 months. it is at 52% after the death of osama bin laden. now, the number is up at 52%. it is quite a change because in the middle of april it was only 41 percent approval. the lowest of his presidency. and the meantime, the republican challenger spent memorial day looking for support. >> i think americans are ready for a true change. >> pailin has to perhaps kind of contemp

over the weekend, we learned that the president will announce today that general martin dempsey is going to be his pick to replace you as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. is he your pick, as well? >> well, the president is the one that makes all the selections for these senior appointments. just like you, i await that announcement. i know there has been a lot of speculation about it. i don't want to get out in front of the president. >> before we do, i want to congratulate you on your 42 years of service in the american military. in all that time, what is your proudest moment? >> thank you, george. i appreciate that. i think, probably, the time as chairman, certainly, this is a -- this is a level of both leadership and commitment. and opportunity. it's been a great privilege. i think saying a specific moment, i really wouldn't pick one. but the opportunity and the privilege to serve during these two wars and lead 2.2 million young men and women who make up the best military of the 42 years that i have been serving. >> well, admiral, thank you for your service and joining us today.

the president announced that general dempsey will take over of the joint chiefs of staff. >> martin dempsey is one of our nation's most respected and combat-tested generals. in iraq, he led our soldiers against the brutal insurgency. he knows the nation's must take responsibility for their own bread soaked -- responsibility for their own security. he understands that in iraq and the contestant, security gains and the progress must go hand in hand. just as the challenge to the army to embrace a new tactics, i expect him to push all of our forces to be ready for the missions of today and tomorrow. host: bill gertz, the "washington times" says after two months, the president has now made him the head of the joint chiefs. who is martin dempsey of what we know about him? guest: he is the army chief of staff. this will clearly give the army prominence within the small circle of top military advisers. i think the real story here is who did not get the job who was general car right who was considered obama's favorite general. he lost out in a big political battle with the current chairman as well a

martin dempsey is a technical expert from cyber to missile defense and strategic thinker, whether it was updating our nuclear posture or preparing us for 21st century missions. as he concludes before decades of service, he can do so knowing that our nation is more secure and the military is stronger because of his remarkable career. i know i am joined by celebrating deborah mullen and sandy cartwright for their service. it is my hope that leon panetta will take the reins as secretary of defense. ends thisullen's term fall. i am announcing my choice for their successors today, because it is essential that the transition be seamless. i want to thank the deputy secretary of defense for the continuity he will provide during this transition. for nearly 40 years in uniform, martin dempsey is one of our nation's most respected and combat-tested generals. in iraq, he led our soldiers against the insurgency. having trained iraqi forces, he knows the nation must ultimately take responsibility for their own security. having served as the commander for central command, he understands the securit

dempsey nominated to be the next chief of staff. he served two tours in iraq and is the highest ranking army officer. he would replace mike mullen who retires on october 1st. >>> sarah palin's east coast bus tour takes her to mt. vernon and gettysburg. she revved up as they took part in an annual motorcycle ride saturday. she remains cryptic about her plans. >> best tour is to remind americans about our foundation, our constitution and historical sites that should be a reminder every day to every american how important it is to stand strong our our foundation. >> they are spending their memorial day cleaning up after a tremendous thunderstorm. 75-mile-per-hour winds brought down trees and cut electricity to 100,000 customers. >> our sign blew off above us. a lady is freeinging out, screaming. our manager screamed, get in the women's bathroom. our back entrance door busted out, glass, ceiling tile, light hanging down. roof caves in in the dining room. >> the national weather service now says that the joplin tornado cut a 13-mile path

army general, martin dempsey as the new chairman of the chiefs of staff. he will be taking over for admiral mike mullen, who is stepping down in september. >>> our time now 7:10. sal is watching our memorial day commute if there is one out there. you're watching the roads, anything going on? >> nothing major right now right now, traffic is doing very well, as you might expect it to be on this memorial day. most people do have the day off. the chp is still doing their maximum enforcement period. they have more officers on the road, watching for all sorts of things. traffic is moving well at the bay bridge toll plaza, coming into san francisco. in the south bay, a couple of spots here, where you can see just a little bit of slowing. really, nothing major. if you drive during a commute day, today, everywhere is going to seem light. 7:10, let go to steve. >>> a lot of low clouds in place. they came roaring back, that has been the theme. you watch for things. we haven't had any heat yet. the fog has no problem coming back in, because another system just keeps d

martin dempsey was tapped to be the next chief of staff. wadefeld was picked to be joint chief of staff. all have to be confirmed by the senate. >>> a 51-year-old woman is behind bars in southern california tonight after police say she was found pushing a trash can contained a man's body parts. carmen montenegro was arrested last night. she was booked on suspicion of murder. the coroner has not releasted the identity of the victim. a woman who identified herself as a relative of montenegro called a tv station saying that montenegro came to her home looking for help to dispose of the body. >>> estimated that some 450 high risk prisoners were freed as unsupervised parolees. they found 31 were not eligible for unsupervised parol and nine were determined likely to commit violent crimes. in that, investigators estimate that more than 450 high risk inmates were released last year as part of a new program aimed at easing overcrowding in the jails. >> in 96% of these cases it's simply a computer program that pops out those scares, and based on that

martin dempsey was tapped to be the next chief of staff. wadefeld was picked to be joint chief of staff. all have to be confirmed by the senate. >>> a 51-year-old woman is behind bars in southern california tonight after police say she was found pushing a trash can contained a man's body parts. carmen montenegro was arrested last night. she was booked on suspicion of murder. the coroner has not releasted the identity of the victim. a woman who identified herself as a relative of montenegro called a tv station saying that montenegro came to her home looking for help to dispose of the body. >>> estimated that some 450 high risk prisoners were freed as unsupervised parolees. they found 31 were not eligible for unsupervised parol and nine were determined likely to commit violent crimes. in that, investigators estimate that more than 450 high risk inmates were released last year as part of a new program aimed at easing overcrowding in the jails. >> in 96% of these cases it's simply a computer program that pops out those scares, and based on that

witnesses are army secretary john mchugh and chief of staff martin dempsey. the army requested almost $145 billion with an additional $71 billion for were spending. senator daniel inoye of hawaii, the chair. >> the committee for the second time decided to welcome for the first time general martin dempsey, army chief of staff. thank you on behalf of the committee for being here with us today to review the budget request for fy 2012. the department of the army's fiscal year 2012 based budget request is $144.9 billion. an increase of $7.2 billion over last year's base budget. the army is also requesting $71.1 billion for overseas contingency operations for fiscal year 2012. which is a decrease of $30.5 billion from last year's request. and it reflects the ongoing drawdown of the forces from iraq. as part of the fiscal year 2012 budget bill, secretary gates said a goal for the department defense to achieve overall efficiency savings of $100 billion over the next five years. the army share of this initiative is $29.5 billion, with only 2.7 billion of those savings

>>> john, on this memorial day president obama has nominated general martin dempsey to take over as his top military adviser. dempsey became head of the u.s. army just last month. if he's confirmed by the senate, he'll take over as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff in the fall. >>> "360" followed the man charged with threatening the creators of "south park" for depicting the prophet muhammad in a bear suit has been arrested in morocco. a website co-founded by younis muhammad says he awaits extradition to the u.s. muhammad, who's from new york and converted to islam, says he has done nothing wrong. >>> the pbs network confirms that hackers broke into his website and posted a false story, claiming that rapper tupac shakur is alive and in new zealand. the hackers said they were responding to a pbs documentary on wikileaks. in case you hadn't heard, tupac has been dead for almost 15 years. >>> and john, snooki has gotten herself into some trouble in italy while filming season 4 of "jersey shore." italian police tell "people" magazine that they took snooki to a police station for some pa

the man to the right is martin dempsey who he wants to replace retiring joint chiefs mike marlin. it is just last month that demp si became chief of staff, so he was not considered a favorite for the top job. and all of the nominations require senate confirmation, and the president hopes they happen as swiftly as possible. >>> from the rose garden, the president traveled across the potomac river to the arlington national cemetery where he placed a wreath at the tomb of the unknowns and paid tribute to the section 60 which is designated for troops killed in iraq and afghanistan. and chris lawrence was there. how was the president received? >> well, very well, joe. i mean, people were, you know, coming up to him, and there was a huge crowd around him as he made his way through what is a hot day, and one in which a lot of the families here have spent the majority of the day. we got here about 6:00 in the morning, and there were families here an hour later, and some of them, i can still see that are still here today. i think that the overall thing that you get from talking to the fami

he's nominating general martin dempsey, currently the army chief of staff, to replace the retiring admiral mike mullen as the retiring army of joint chiefs. >> between them, they bring deep experience in virtually every domain. land, air, space, sea, cyber. they both have something else. for the first time, the chairman and vice chairman will have the experience of leading combat operations in the years since 2007. >> president obama also nominating general ray odierno. you might remember ray odierno. he's the former commander of u.s. forces in iraq. he will be the new chief of staff. this major overhaul didn't start today. the president's also moving the cia chief, leon panetta, to defense secretary, and bringing the soon to retire general david petraeus home to run the cia. all this shuffling can lead to some big unanswered questions. with us now from washington, cnn national security contributor, fran townsend. she advised president bush and is now on the cia's external advisory board. fran, several of the bush holdovers, defense secretary gates and admiral mike mullen, the military's t

. >>> shortly after 7:00, the president is expected to introduce martin dempsey as the choice to lead the joints chief of staff. sources tell the "associated press," the accomplished iraq war veteran will succeed navy admiral mike mullen whose term ends. the announcement will be made in a white house rose garden ceremony. >>> residents in michigan are cleaning up the damage left behind by high winds and possible tornado that swept through the state on sunday. one of the hardest hit areas was vicksburg in kalamazoo county. they say the storm was quick and unexpected with wind gusts of up to 80 miles per hour. which ripped property apart. the winds knocked down trees and power lines in the city of battle creek. no word yet if the michigan storm called any fatalities or injuries. >>> 5:14. we want to turn our attention to our weather for this memorial day weekend. tail end. do we have any more showers coming? can you hold them off after the barbecues are done? >> i can do that. personally, or i'll come over to your house or hold the umbrella. >> okay. you're sure of that. awesome. >> bro

dempsey as the new chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. if confirmed he'll replace admiral mike mullen whose final term ends this fall. we'll go live to the white house tomorrow morning at 10:00 eastern for that announcement. after his remarks he'll head to arlington national cemetery at the tomb of the unknowns to lay a wreath. he'll then proceed to the amphitheater where he'll deliver his annual memorial day address. you can see the president's comments live monday morning at 10:50. also tomorrow, more commitment addresses and we begin with actor denzel washington at 3:00 p.m. eastern, after that actor an diabetes research advocate john ratzenberger and following that a speech from supreme court court justice soda highor . -- justice sota-mayor. >> people often say to me a perfectly good question, how much of your time is spent writing and how much of your time is spent doing research. great question. no one asks how much of your time do you spend thinking? that's pretty much the most important part of it. in the q&a interview, his writi

general martin dempsey the current chief of staff for the army went to west point, got a master's in english from duke university, also a pretty good singer with a fondness for frank sin at ra. a three-hour program for you today. in our first 45 minutes are f our thoughts are going to turn to voting laws in the nation. the "new york times" a has a cover story about various areas of the state that have tightened their laws. some dealing with photo ids. we want to get your thoughts on if tougher voting rules are needed within the state. so if you call in or tweet in or e-mail in you can give your thoughts, your state's example. and then we can have a conversation about it. the "new york times" is where we find this story. it specifically looks at state laws regarding voting rules. here's the headline. and it's targeted to g.o.p. legislatures hoins saying that they moved to tighten rules on voting. key states enact laws. writing out of miami. >> some of these rules are being tightened or tuffednd. we want to get your thoughts on these types of rules, tighting these types of rules, tight

>>> john, on this memorial day president obama has nominated general martin dempsey to take over as his top military adviser. dempsey became head of the u.s. army just last month. if he's confirmed by the senate, he'll take over as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff in the fall. >>> a "360 follow." the man charged with threatening the creators of "south park" for depicting the prophet muhammad in a bear suit has been arrested in morocco. a website co-founded by younis muhammad says he awaits extradition to the u.s. muhammad, who's from new york and converted to islam, says he has done nothing wrong. >>> the pbs network confirms that hackers broke into his website and posted a false story, claiming that rapper tupac shakur is alive and in new zealand. the hackers said they were responding to a pbs documentary on wikileaks. in case you hadn't heard, tupac has been dead for almost 15 years. >>> and john, snooki has gotten herself into some trouble in italy while filming season 4 of "jersey shore." italian police tell "people" magazine that they took snooki to a police station for some p

reports say the president will nominate general martin dempsey for the post. he's currently the chief of staff for the army. if confirmed by the senate, he would replace admiral mike mullen whose term ends september 30th. mullen has been chairman since 2007. >>> it's 5:26 right now. cyberattack hits a bay area company. we'll have details coming up next. >>> plus east bay jails say they have the space but there's another thing preventing them from taking inmates from state prisons. >>> and two homicides in one day in san jose. and no one is in police custody. good morning. i'm marla tellez. i'll have the latest on the search for suspects. >>> and a live look outside san ramon this morning. hoping to see hot air balloons there. >>> good morning. i'm christie smith live in oakland. it's memorial day. we're going to be talking about observations being held across the bay area coming up in a live report. >>> and the search continues this morning for an east bay nursing student. why police say it may be foul play. >>> plus, why california firefighters may have to re

the president announced that general dempsey will take over of the joint chiefs of staff. >> martin dempsey is one of our nation's most respected and combat-tested generals. in iraq, he led our soldiers against the brutal insurgency. he knows the nation's must take responsibility for their own bread soaked -- responsibility for their own security. he understands that in iraq and the contestant, security gains and the progress must go hand in hand. just as the challenge to the army to embrace a new tactics, i expect him to push all of our forces to be ready for the missions of today and tomorrow. host: bill gertz, the "washington times" says after two months, the president has now made him the head of the joint chiefs. who is martin dempsey of what we know about him? guest: he is the army chief of staff. this will clearly give the army prominence within the small circle of top military advisers. i think the real story here is who did not get the job who was general car right who was considered obama's favorite general. he lost out in a big political battle with the current chairman as well a

. >> reporter: now also this morning, president obama is expected to nominate martin dempsey to the joint chiefs of staff. >> thank you very much. admiral mike mullen is with us. >> you'll be retiring, stepping down as chairman of the joint chiefs. osama bin laden located and killed on your watch. what will you take away most from these four years snr. >> well, i think these four years is the privilege and opportunity to lead and serve with over 2.2 million young men and women who in the almost 43 years i've had the privilege of wearing the uniform are the best i've ever seen. they've been tested and they have delivered time and time again. they, their families, truly it has been a great, great privilege to be with them. >> we continue to pay the huge price certainly in afghanistan now going on almost ten years. i mentioned the killing of osama bin laden. you were recently in pakistan speaking to your counterparts there. what was your message to them after the hard feelings about the u.s. taking that unilateral action on their soil? >> i felt it was an important visit. i was there with se

he's also preparing as early as tomorrow to nominate general martin dempsey as the new chairman of the joint chiefs, the president's top military adviser, of course. he is currently the army chief. he would take over for departing chairman admiral mike mullen. earlier, i was on the "today" program mentioning general cartwright. i misspoke there, because he had been ortaken by some criticism of him. but harold, a point about not just the week ahead, but the politics. >> you're president obama. can you imagine being able to run on i brokered a deal to cut spending in medicare and social security? he ought to lead on this front. i saved and created millions of jobs in the car industry, we killed bin laden. you come back in the fall when the jobs numbers aren't where you want and urge republicans, after you've given them a fiscal austerity bill to do a jobs bill. he's unbeatable. if you don't do those things, i think you're weaker next year. >> and you've got to be able to say, look, i'm for the thing that the republicans are for, but they're just way too extreme. >> deficit reduction is n