gwen: right, right. and if it would have been anybody other than john mccain it wouldn't have been quite the same. >> which also may have pushed the presidential buttons as well. i think that there is a strong contingent among the upper echelon at the state department and at the white house that think that president should go forward with that nomination. gwen: should? >> should. i think there are others who say let's not pick this fight now. we have plenty to work on you the upcoming fiscal cliff and immigration. i think when susan collins appeared after a meeting, i believe it was on wednesday, who, you know, is not exactly a red meat republican who voted for the stimulus, for crying out loud. there were onlyly republicans to do so. came out and expressed reservations about susan rice. that was a red flag. gwen: let me ask you about what's happening on the hill. we have heard quite loud and clear from people like kelly ayot, john mccain and lindsay graham, and where are her defenders? >> i think there

once again, live from washington, moderator gwen ifill. gwen: good evening. its hard to believe, but weve been here before. first, negotiators pledge to work together then they test what the other side is willing to give. then they submit plans they know the other side will reject. and then, only then, a deal is struck. maybe, but not yet. and with every day that passes, congress and the white house edge close to raising taxes, cutting spending and sending the nation back into recession. here are the arguments -- >> the speaker's proposal right now is still out of balance. he talks about, for example, $800 billion worth of revenues but he says he will do that by lowering rates. when you look at the math, it does not work. >> this week we made a good-faith offer to avert the fiscal crisis and that offer included significant spending cuts and reforms and it included additional revenue and frankly, it was the balanced approach that the president's been asking for. now we need a response from the white house. we can't sit here and negotiate with ourselves. gwen:

once again, live from washington, moderator gwen ifill. gwen: good evening. if it seems like we have been here before, it's because we have. but this time the fatalities included 20 elementary school-aged children and 7 additional adults, including the shooter. shocking violence, innocent victims, expressions of outrage and from the president today, a promise to act. >> as a country we have been through this too many times, whether it's an elementary school in newtown or a shopping mall in oregon or a temple in wisconsin or a movie theater in aurora or a street corner in chicago, these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods and these children are our children. and we're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics. gwen: but what if anything can or will government do about it? the newtown shootings provide more fodder for a debate that interestingly enough we didn't even have in the 2012 presidential election. any sign so far anything will be different, reid? >> i think there were. i th

gwen: we'll be watching for that. we have to go for now because the conversation will continue online. all that stuff on "the washington week" website. you'll find links and the latest over the battling turnover fiscal cliff. we'll see you here next week on "washington week." good night and happy new year. >> funding for "washington week" is provided by -- >> this rock has never stood still. since 1875 we've been there for our clients through good times and bad. when their needs changed, we were there to meet them. through the years from insurance to investment management, frorealm estate to retirement solutions, we've developed new ideas for the financial chaenge this rockev h ntoas serod s still. and that's one thing that will never change. prudential. corporate fund for "washington week" is provided by -- norfolk southern, boeing. additional funding for "washington week" is provided by the annenburg foundation. the corporation for public broadcasting, and by contributions to your pbs station from vwe]lie like you.

gwen: we'll be watching for that. we have to go for now because the conversation will continue online. all that stuff on "the washington week" website. you'll find links and the latest over the battling turnover fiscal cliff. we'll see you here next week on "washington week." good night and happy new year. >> funding for "washington week" is provided by -- >> this rock has never stood still. since 1875 we've been there for our clients through good times and bad. when their needs changed, we were there to meet them. through the years from insurance to investment management, from real estate to retirement solutions, we've developed new ideas for the financial challenges ahead. this rock has never stood still. and that's one thing that will never change. prudential. corporate fund for "washington week" is provided by -- norfolk southern, boeing. additional funding for "washington week" is provided by the annenburg foundation. the corporation for public broadcasting, and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers l

gwen has been part of the alliance for about 15 years now. gwen is a elder and retired from the american indian district titles four, seven and nine of the indian education act. she has moved beyond the limits of her duties for the families in her district. she spends time volunteers for all community functions that the alliance puts on. the families that she serves remember her fondly and all that she did for them. she offered her talents to powwows, food booths, graduations and dinners and let's watch a video on gwen stirrer. >> i am [inaudible] known as the keepers of the western door. they're on the western side of new york and they're the biggest of the tribes. i'm the one -- i'm the one that creeks that runs through our reservation now. indian community -- there was nothing in the beginning. for 20 years that i work in the school district helping the children understand that their heritage was important, and important to be proud of being indian, and so that gave them reasons to study harder and to be a better student and stay in school

let's talk to gwen now. it will be a little chilly out there. >> i saw him as he was going out the door. bundle up, guys. definitely chilly. a bit of fog in some fares so do be aware because it will impact visibility on the roads. make sure you drive cautiously. wind are very calm as they were yesterday. not quite as chilly as we started but still a little bit on the cooler side. reagan national airport, 39 degrees, 38 at dulles. not a lot of sunshine in my forecast today. we are talking by midday to be about 42 degrees. spotty showers are going to creep up here and there. i think mainly in the overnight hours. i wouldn't be surprised for some of you get a little sprinkle or two before that. some of that is happening to the south of the district. not a washout day by any means. don't panic on that. we do have a little bit of warm- up coming up for the weekend. that is good news for everybody. i'm sure they'll be happy when the weekend comes that they can take off a layer or two. >> thank goodness. let's chec

let's go to fox 5's gwen tolbart. how strong were they out there, gwen? >> reporter: we had record at reagan national airport, dulles as well as baltimore were in excess of 40 to 45 miles per hour, reaching up to 51, actually, at dulles. there are some areas that maybe we didn't get reporting stations from yet. we'll have some update on that, but those winds are definitely strong. these are official numbers that came in just prior to the 5:00 hour. here is a look at current wind gusts now, still vety strong, from 17 to 32 miles per hour. they're going to start to diminish and that's good news. we'll have light wind as we move into the overnight hours. temperatures, 40 degrees at reagan. 37 at dulles. i want to say that those winds today gave a significant wind chill and only felt like it was in the low 20s in many of our neighborhoods. skies not too bad. we had a few clouds. we are looking mostly clear through the course of the night. mostly clear, will be cold. the winds will improve, 32 degrees for the low and light winds is the good news for sunday and

hey, gwen. >> how are you this morning? >> cold! >> it is a cold start to the day. >> yes. >> before the day is over, wisdom, you'll be very comfortable. >> is it going to be 90? >> well, anyway -- [ laughter ] >> okay, then. >> he's not in the bahamas, folks, although he thinks he s let's get to it. a live look outside at the national christmas tree, and what a wonderful day to get down and see it. we had some really strong, gusty winds yesterday. that's not the case today. you can go down and enjoy this tree and get into the christmas spirit. look at the beautiful blue sky. ridge of high pressure bringing us plenty of sunshine today and the good news, we had really gusty winds yesterday. today, the winds will be light. what a difference a day makes. plenty of sunshine. also, we have unsettled weather to talk about for christmas eve. and in the course of the next seven days, temperatures will be up and down and all over the place. looking at the winds right now, calm everywhere, light winds, and that's going to be the story of the

back to you. >> looking forward to that one too, gwen. thanks so much. >>> and the state of the skins comes down to this, a rivalry showdown with the dallas cowboys, a win and washington wins the nfc east. a loss and they will need help from two teams in order to make the playoffs. this will be the final game of the season for dallas. if they lose, the game has an eerily familiar feeling for the cowboys who last to the giants in this very situation last season. the g men went on to win it all. the skins can make the postseason if they lose but only if both the bears and the vikings get beat today. the burgundy and gold hope it doesn't get to that point and that they can ride the momentum of their six game winning streak. >> the pressure we are used to because our backs have been against the wall but this is really everything on the line or the season is done until next year so everybody is going to be playing, you know, with just leave it on the field. >> these are the games you'll remember for the rest of your life, win or go home. i don

gwen tolbert, what will the weather be like for the afternoon? >> we've got the clouds going and we've got the rain and it's really not going to be too much of a change. the seats are definitely going to be wet out there. be prepared, everybody. let's take a look at radar. we've got a fair amount of rainfall moving in acrossea. we've got a frontal system to the south of us that's going to move to the north as a warm front before it's said and done. the rain, off and on throughout the day with the drizzle, so do be prepared. let's go to the weather maps. here's a look at fog advisory currently in effect, this until 11:00 this morning, mainly for areas of delmarva. and temperatures, 51 degrees right now at reagan national airport, 50 at bwi. not expecting that to change too much. 1:00 kickoff at fedex field. we do anticipate it to be cloudy, dreary and with a chance of showers and drizzle, 47 to 50 will be that temperature at that point. for the day, rain will be on and off throughout the course of the afternoon. do prepared. we do have changes for

i'm gwen ifill. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight, we'll update negotiations aimed at avoiding the fiscal cliff. >> ifill: then, we look at michigan's debate over right-to- work laws which would prevent labor unions from requiring membership. >> woodruff: paul solman explores the tax deductions that could be on the chopping block in the quest to bring down the deficit. >> we estimate $1.1 trillion a year in revenue the government gives up because of all the tax breaks. that's enough to solve the revenue problem but it's not going to happen. >> ifill: ray suarez has a newsmaker interview with secretary of homeland security janet napolitano. >> you can discuss border security and immigration reform simultaneously now. we don't have to this kind of first this and then that. at this point they actually go together. >> woodruff: special correspondent rick karr reports on the polluted waters that spilled into new york homes and businesses in superstorm sandy, raising health concerns. >> everybody sort of got sick at

>> thank you, gwen. >>> and that does it for us. fox 5 news is always on myfoxdc.com. keep it right here. sports is here in two minutes. this holiday, share everything. share "not even close." share "you owe me..." share "just right." the share everything plan. shareable data across 10 devices with unlimited talk and text. hurry in for a droid razr m by motorola for $49.99. >>> happy holidays and thanks for staying up with us. i'm lindsey murphy. coming up, what did mike shanahan say to motivate his team? and the debate on kirk cousin's future. >>> first, we start on the hardwood. journell town improves to 10-1 overall but their schedule is about to get a lot tougher. in two weeks, their big east schedule begins. but, another tuneup against another squad. gentlemen, jeff jones and au looking for a win over georgetown for the first time since 1982. the hoyas had 10 threes on the day. he had a double-double 16 point with 15 boards but au made it a

>> gwen, first of all, i'm delighted to be here. i think what the president had to say was extraordinarily significant. we're coming to the point now where we may be at or very close to a tipping point in syria. where the assad regime may be in serious jeopardy of going down. nevertheless, there are still millions, literally millions, of syrians on the fence. they have no illusions about the corruption, the incompetence, the brutality of this regime. but they do wonder what's next. recognizing this organization, making it clear that there is international support for it gives these syrians an opportunity to see what's next. >> ifill: murhaf jouejati, do you think it's significant? >> it is significant. it's very important. this is a superpower that recognizes the syrian national coalition. this is a permanent member of the security council. now there are three that recognize the syrian national coalition. we heard in the introductory segment there are over 100 countries now that recognize it. this truly delegitimizes the assad regim

thank you, gwen. i appreciate discussing this topic. i think it's so very important to the citizens of michigan. it is really important when you look at the statistics. i appreciate congressman sander levin's concern. when you look at the bureau of labor statistics and a 12.5% increase in jobs and economic benefit. when you look at companies like android industries in indiana that are bringing new jobs to indiana simply because of right of work it's important that we give workers that freedom to choose what they think is best for them and their representation-instead of paying that private industry, that private union that is instead providing what is in some cases a sub par service. you ought to be buying a service that you believe in and you believe is going to represent you well. 17% of michigan are union folks today. 17% will be union tomorrow, gwen. >> ifill: state senator john prose, republican and representative sander levin, a democrat. thank you both very much. >> thanks very much. >> woodruff: now, back to the battle over the

i'm gwen ifill. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the newshour tonight, we get perspective on the partisan tug- of-war in washington, from one half of the team that produced the deficit-cutting plan republicans say is their inspiration, democrat erskine bowles. >> there are over $7 trillion worth of economic events that are going to hit america in the gut. i think impact would be really strong. if anybody thinks this is going to be a slope better wake up. >> ifill: the link between brain injury and sports, new evidence ties repeated blows to the head to long-term damage. we take a look. >> brown: ray suarez looks at the firestorm over israel's announcement it will expand settlements in the west bank. >> ifill: elizabeth brackett looks at how one chicago school is dealing with the transition to new state-wide standards. >> i really did find that the kids do understand more, and they learn more. they're more interested in what they're learning. >> brown: plus, as global carbon dioxide levels hit record highs, we analyze the increasi

>> gwen, first of all, i'm delighted to be here. i think what the president had to say was extraordinarily significant. we're coming to the point now where we may be at or very close to a tipping point in syria. where the assad regime may be in serious jeopardy of going down. nevertheless, there are still millions, literally millions, of syrians on the fence. they have no illusions about the corruption, the incompetence, the brutality of this regime. but they do wonder what's next. recognizing this organization, making it clear that there is international support for it gives these syrians oportunity t see what's next. >> ifill: murhaf jouejati, do you think it's significant? >> it is significant. it's very important. this is a superpower that recognizes the syrian national coalition. this is a permanent member of the security council. now there are three that recognize the syrian national coalition. we heard in the introductory segment there are over 100 countries now that recognize it. this truly delegitimizes the assad regime. it

if the doctors clear him, he is good to go >>> coming up, gwen tolbart has the holiday forecast. and trying to find the perfect present for your kids? not a lot of time left. one group is connecticuting furry friends with a new forever home thousands of miles away. we'll tell you about that. we'll be right back. >>> this week, our colleagues at fox 5 presented our christmas tree to a charity. >> allison seymour has more on the one deserving family whose children's lives have changed, thanks to our military kids. >> reporter: since 2004, the group, our military kids has been providing money for after school sports and extra curricular activities for military families. >> we honor them this year with our tree and all your beautiful ornaments but, first, here is a look at one deserving family whose children's lives have changed, thanks to our military kids. >> beautiful, beautiful >> reporter: 7-year-old braun is one tough hit ir. braun and his little brother danny are able to enjoy the sport because of a grant given by our military kids. since 2004, our military kids has been helpi

i'm gwen ifill. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. we'll see you online, and again here tomorrow evening. thank you, and good night. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> bnsf railway. >> macarthur foundation. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> this is n.b.r. >> susie: good evening. i'm susie gharib. just 28 days to go before the fiscal cliff deadline, today house republicans sent the president a counter-offer, calling for big cuts to entitlement spending, and no new taxes on the wealthy. >> tom: i'm tom hudson. auto sales speed up in november, with buyers taking advantage of ultra-cheap financing to ditch

. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. on the "newshour" tonight, we get the latest on today's announcement-- a move by the company to cut costs, increase profits and speed its recovery from the financial crisis. >> woodruff: then, we turn to the standoff over the fiscal cliff. kwame holman updates the state of the negotiations and we talk with tennessee republican senator bob corker. >> ifill: jeffrey brown examines new concerns over syria's chemical weapons capability and what, if anything, the u.s. can do about it. >> woodruff: from florida, hari sreenivasan has the story of endangered coral reefs. many of them dying because ocean temperatures are rising and the waters are more acidic. >> i remember seeing fields of elkorn ral that you couldn't see throh it and you couldn't see beyond it and those same areas are dead you know 99% dead. ♪ >> ifill: and we close with a remembrance of jazz great dave brubeck who died today, one day shy of his 92nd birthday. >> woodruff: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major fundi

. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. on the "newshour" tonight, we get the latest on today's announcement-- a move by the company to cut costs, increase profits and speed its recovery from the financial crisis. >> woodruff: then, we turn to the standoff over the fiscal cliff. kwame holman updates the state of the negotiations and we talk with tennessee republican senator bob corker. >> ifill: jeffrey brown examines new concerns over syria's chemical weapons capability and what, if anything, the u.s. can do about it. >> woodruff: from florida, hari sreenivasan has the story of endangered coral reefs. many of them dying because ocean temperatures are rising and the waters are more acidic. >> i remember seeing fields of elk horn coral that you couldn't see through it and you couldn't see beyond it and those same areas are dead you know 99% dead. ♪ >> ifill: and we close with a remembrance of jazz great dave brubeck who died today, one day shy of his 92nd birthday. >> woodruff: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major

i'm gwen ifill. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. we'll see you online, and again here tomorrow evening. thank you, and good night. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> bnsf railway. >> macarthur foundation. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> this is "bbc world news." -- "bbc world news america." funding for this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, and union bank. >> at union bank, our hardionship managers use theiwk to know your business, offering specialized solutions in capital -- and capital to help you meet your growth objectives. we offer expertise and tailor solutions for small businesses and major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news america." >> th

gwen will host this collaboration of all our national news and science programs. check your local listings. i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. we'll see you online and, as it's looking like the end is not upon us yet, again here monday evening. have a nice winter weekend. thanks for joining us. good night. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> and by the bill and melinda gates foundation. dedicated to the idea that all people deserve the chance to live a healthy, productive life. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org captioning sponsored by wpbt >> this is n.b.r. >> susie: good evening, everyone. i'm susie gharib. tom is off tonight. preside

i'm gwen ifill. thank you, merry christmas, and good night. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> bnsf railway. >> and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financialor literacy in the 21st century. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations.ra and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation forr public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs ation from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. on the newshour tonight, we get the latest on the search for an agreement from the "wall street journal's" carol lee and wnyc's todd zwillich. >> woodruff: then, we turn to the shootings in connecticut. ray suarez has our update, as some students return to school and two more families bury their six-year-olds. >> ifill: one lawmaker's change of heart: virginia senator mark warner, an n.r.a. supporter, now says "enough is enough." year from gun violence, if we can cut that number in half, if we can cut that number by 20%, if we can cut that number by 10%, we save thousands of lives. >> woodruff: plus, neighbors and friends in newtown are searching for a way to turn the horror of friday's killings into something positive for their community. hari sreenivasan has our conversation. >> ifill: kira kay reports on an election to watch in india, where the leading candidate for chief minister of one state, narendra modi, is both loved and loathed. >> for all of modi's popularity, he is also on

i'm gwen ifill. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. most of tonight's newshour will focus on the shootings and their aftermath. ray suarez has the latest on the investigation and the reaction in connecticut and beyond. >> ifill: we talk with california senator dianne feinstein, who hopes to revive a law banning assault weapons. >> they aren't hunting weapons. you don't need them for defense. they are military-style weapons and they don't belong in the streets of our city. >> woodruff: we assess the public policy questions raised by the shooting about access to guns, mental health issues, and more. >> ifill: hari sreenivasan reports from newtown on a community in mourning. >> woodruff: and as parents around the country nervously dropped their children off at school today, jeffrey brown talks to a psychiatrist and a school psychologist about what to say and not to say in times of crisis. >> ifill: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, th

i'm gwen ifill. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. on the "newshour" tonight: we look at the white house's stepped up response to the newtown elementary school shootings with illinois governor pat quinn among others. >> ifill: then, jeffrey brown examines a new report blaming the state department for systemic failures in security at the diplomatic mission in benghazi, libya, where four americans died. >> woruff: from damascus, i.t.n.'s alex thomson reports on the impact the rebel siege of the syrian capital is having on supporters of the assad regime. >> in this educational district and the one next door alone, in the past two weeks 35 small children and two teachers have been killed. >> ifill: we sit down with retiring connecticut senator joe lieberman, the democrat turned independent reflects on the tragedy in his home state and his 24 years in u.s. senate. >> there is reason for people to be angry skeptical and cynical about t willingss or capacity of congress to act or stop mass violence in our country. >> woodruff: and kwame holm

. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. on the newshour tonight, we get the latest on the search for an agreement from the "wall street journal's" carol lee and wnyc's todd zwillic >> woodruff: then, we turn to the shootings in connecticut. ray suarez has our update, as some students return to school and two more families bury their six-year-olds. >> ifill: one lawmaker's change of heart: virginia senator mark warner, an n.r.a. supporter, now says "enough is enough." year from gun violence, if we can cut that number in half, if we can cut that number by 20%, if we can cut that number by 10%, we save thousands of lives. >> woodruff: plus, neighbors and friends in newtown are searching for a way to turn the horror of friday's killings into something positive for their community. hari sreenivasan has our conversation. >> ifill: kira kay reports on an election to watch in india, where the leading candidate for chief minister of one state, narendra modi, is both loved and loathed. >> for all of modi's popularity, he is also one

i'm judy woodruff. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. we'll see you online and again here tomorrow evening. thank you and good night. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productins captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org woman: welcome to one of the most iconic parks in the world, new york city's central park. tonight, tens of thousands of new yorkers are gathered on the great lawn as they await to be serenaded by the international superstar, italian tenor andrea bocelli. i'm paula zahn, and, as you can see, the stage is set and the musicians are in place in anticipation of an evening that mr. bocelli calls his gift to new york city. and what a gift it promises to be