i'm steve handlesman, nbc, tampa. >>> more syrian rebels die in street battles. government troops forced them out of the suburb of damascus which they had seized over the weekend. the death toll is said to be more than 1 hundred. 000 of syrians have died during ten months of protest against the government and bashar add sad. at the united nations they are demanding president assad stepped down. the u.s. and its allies want it passed quickly. secretary of state hillary clinton said monday the situation in syria is, quote, unstainable. >>> here is a look at some of the other stories making news early today in america. >>> last night, a wild high-speed chase in los angeles at speeds up 90 miles per hour before detouring to city streets causing numerous close calls there. two people inside the car finally jumped out and took off running, but were later captured. >>> near buffalo, a battle between rifle pizza joint turned violent. surveillance video shows a man using his jeep to plow right into a sign on a sidewalk promoting one of the pizza places. it's after the dri

i've steve handlesman, nbc bay area news. >> politics in full force. we'll check back with you tomorrow once again. >> reforming unemployment is on the table as congress returns to washington. and high school diplomas might play a big role in the overhaul. some want to require anyone collecting unemployment check s to have a high school diploma or be in an adult education program. also under consideration, shortening the length of time benefits could be collected. older workers would be hit the hardest. more than 1/3 of people getting unemployment benefits are 50 and older. >>> still ahead here at 5:00, closing the door on cannabis. >> the obah ma administration lied to us. >> medical marijuana patients are on the verge of another defeat. >> with a donation a retired nurse made to help former gang members. that story is coming up only on nbc bay area. . >> plus, could the solution to memory loss be available over the counter? the surprising solution. >> are you paying attention to the nfl playoffs? quarterback tim tebow breaking another record. and it'

steve handlesman, news 4, live in columbia, south carolina. aaron, back to you. >> steve, thank you. as we look ahead to florida, the candidates will debate in tampa bay on monday during a special edition of rock center. brian williams will monitor that debate. you can watch it monday night at 9:00 p.m. right here on nbc 4. still ahead tonight, the future of the alexandria waterfront has been decided. the results of a vote that could bring major changes to old town. how marion barry's friends say he's doing after surgery. and ♪ okay, so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. that's yours. lower cholesterol. lower cholesterol. i'm yummy. lower cholesterol. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste? honey nut cheerios. want whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. it's a win win. good? [ crunching, sipping ] be happy. be healthy. can i try yours? >>> the council approved a plan by a 5-2 vote tonight. more than 100 people weighed in on tha

i'm steve handlesman, nbc news, tampa. >>> coming up next on nbc bay area news at 5:00, did you know a top player for the new york giants grew up in the east bay? how are his friends coping with the conflict? do they route for their buddy or their team? >>> trackingi round three of a powerful series of storms now bringing heavy rain to the mountains and much-needed snow to the sierra. a look at that fecast me back.co >>> some folks are rooting on the giants or at least one of their players. that's because he grew up in the bay area. we have the story and check out his picture from his high school days with a 49ers hat on. >> reporter: number 71, david tollefson, is a hometown boy. he was drafted by the green bay packers and spent some time with the raiders before moving to new york. >> he's been a standout. >> it's not because he's the biggest guy or the strongest person. it's because his heartbeats a lot stronger than anybody else on that football field. i truly believe that. >> reporter: he's still close to a group of friends from high school who say they are so proud of where he i

as steve handlesman reports with this, an election year, the president will also likely argue he is the one who can fix it. >> running for re-election, president obama is polishing a speech aimed at middle class voters, outraged over the growing income gap between them and the wealthy. >> we want an economy that's based on everyone doing their fair share, everybody playing by the same set of rules. >> the president wants a new rule for millionaires, a higher tax rate over 35%. would be obama opponent mitt romney paid about 15%, the lowest rate. he fired a shot from tampa. >> the president will do what he does best, he'll give a nice speech, a lot of is. >> reporter: i'm steve handlesman, news 4, capitol hill. >>> the state of the union could mess up your travel plans if you're trying to navigate around downtown d.c. tonight, be prepared for some major street closures, and it's not just the cars that will be having a tough time getting around tonight. starting at 6:00 this evening, the u.s. capitol square will be closed to all pedestrians except those with special credentials. then start

steve handlesman, nbc news. >> details now on the romney tax return. in 2010, romney paid about $3 million in federal tax on more than $21 million in income from his investments. charitable gifts reduced his tax rate to less than 14%. his estimate for 2011 shows romney will pay about $3.2 million with an effective tax rate of more than 15%. newt gingrich released his contract with mortgage giant freddie mac for what were called, quote, consulting and related services. he was paid a total of $1.6 million for his years of work at freddie mac. >>> tonight, the political spotlight shifts to president obama as he lays out his vision for the nation in his third state of the union address. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with a preview of tonight's speech. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. a critical speech for the president. effectively an argument here for a second term. he's expected to address the big topic, jobs and the economy, drawing distinctions between himself and republicans, what he wants to do, what congress has n

nbc's steve handlesman has more on the fight for undecided voters in iowa. >> it's the final push to win over iowa republicans like jennifer buyer. >> we are getting constantly bombarded with candidate's phone calls, mailers, everything you request imagine. >> rick santorum's first ad joined the air war. >> a trusted conservative who gives us the best chance to take back america. >> so-called independent groups have put up more than $12 million in ads here. >> ever notice how some people make a lot of mistakes? >> it's probably a mistake. i made a mistake. >> negative spots by a promitt romney group helped push newt gingrich from front-runner to fifth. >> we do need you to go tuesday night to the caucus. we need to you get all of your friends and neighbors to go. i think this is very much -- >> polls polling 45% of iowans are still undecided. >> i would like to hear who can beat barack obama. >> i would like to see a change in the white house. >> they once backed rick perry. he's still here. >> if you'll go to the caucuses tuesday, i'll have your back if you'll have my back for the n

steve handlesman has more now from des moines. >>> rick santorum tonight in far northwest iowa. his tireless campaign across this state is finally paying off. santorum could win tuesday night. >> i said this is an episode of survivor. you just got to survive. if you can keep surviving you just never know what can happen. and, here we are. we just kept surviving. >> the new des moines register poll puts santorum third. if you count gop voters surveyed on the last two days of the four day poll, san tore up is tied. and a surge could win him the endorsement of conservative steve king. >> closer on the social issues with rick santorum of those three. no question. >> reporter: mitt romney, sounding like the nominee. >> president obama and i offer extraordinary stark contrast. >> ron paul with a shot of winning ruled out a third party bid for now. >> i am essentially tied for first place. and why would i kid doing anything like that. newt gingrich fourth look ford a bright spot. >> 41% in the des moines rez stej po -- register poll were open to changing their mind. >> in iowa at churc

steve handlesman has more. >> reporter: in florence, south carolina, mitt romney focused on barack obama. >> i am so distressed as i watch our president try to replace ambition with envy. >> reporter: romney claimed he would be the strongest obama opponent. so did newt gingrich. >> i don't want to bloody his nose, i want to knock him out. >> reporter: rick santorum -- >> a better contrast and better chance to win in the fall. >> today's washington post news poll finds only obama is winning the matchup. santorum by 11, gingrich by 12. team obama revealed today, they'll duplicate the outdoors spectacular they staged in '08 that helped barack obama win colorado. filling bank of america stadium in charlotte to try to repeat in north carolina. >> president obama and the democrats will not seed any ground in 2012. >> reporter: romney defended his record at bain capital, saying 10,000 jobs were lost in takeover deals, but many more were added. >> we had 120,000 jobs. very simple. four companies got 120,000. >> gingrich too talked math. >> consolidating into a gingrich candidacy would guarantee

steve handlesman has the latest. >> reporter: at 7,000 polling places across florida, 1.5 million voters are expected today. >> voted for mitt romney. i think he has the best chance at beating obama. >> i trust his values, him as a person. more than i do mr. gingrich. >> reporter: you voted early. >> yes. >> reporter: for newt gingrich? >> yes. >> reporter: because? >> he's a conservative. >> reporter: mitt romney worked the phones. every prevote poll points to a win. and romney is looking past florida to a fight with president obama who yesterday told about an unemployed engineer, called it interesting he can't find work. >> i think this underscores the fact that the president is really out of touch with what's happening in america, what's happening in florida. almost 18% of the people in florida are out of work or significantly underemployed. >> reporter: if newt gingrich is worried florida may end his presidential bid. he gave no hint. >> it's not over if you lose big here? >> you watch tonight, the conservatives are going to outpoll romney. >> reporter: newt says he will not quit. >>

steve handlesman has the latest on this primary. soon we will know if any candidate has even a shot at stopping mitt romney. across new hampshire, republicans voted their choices, who they want to take on the president in the fall. >> for romney, anyone that can get enough votes to beat obama. >> ron paul. i want the dialogue to keep going. >> rick santorum. because i really want to see this country change. >> i voted for huntsman, i feel he's the most moderate. >> reporter: the former governor surged to third. he's looking at the next primary. >> south carolina will light up, because well will approve that very important point of electability. >> reporter: ron paul second before the actual vote. eyes are on rick santorum, who nearly won in iowa. will he emerge as the top conservative? >> we're the one that can turn this economy around. >> can newt gingrich regain his spot as the alternative to mitt romney. >> it will be a clear campaign and contrast. >> reporter: romney assumes he'll win here, but a weakness emerged. romney rivals

live from manchester, new hampshire, steve handlesman reporting. back to you. >>> be sure to stay with news 4 for continuing coverage of the new hampshire primary. we'll have results tonight at 11:00. for the latest any time of day, you can head to our website nbcwashington.com. >>> in virginia the american civil libl ert liberties union supporting candidates trying to get on the state's ballot. rick perry says the access law is unconstitutional. perry, gingrich, santorum and huntsman did not get the required number of signatures by the deadline. a hearing is set for saturday. and in the meantime, a court has halted the distribution of the state's absentee ballots. they have to be printed and mailed out by january 21st to comply with the state law. >>> one of the most hated men in prince georges county. jason scott was sentenced to 100 years in prison today for a string of burglaries and home invasions. that ruling comes as he awaits trial for a double murder. pat? >> jason scott is 28 years old. with this sentence it's likely he'll die in jail. th

steve handles manhattanite commitment to thousand 12 update. -- steve handlesman has tonight's 2012 update. >> at this south carolina surprise. newt gingrich wednesday. >> he started his stuff on the sunday morning talk shows. >> it is as close to despicable as anything i can imagine. >> gingrich won over south carolina. "stay tuned," he said. >> his second term of obama will be a disaster, and i am committed to beating him. i could take him on and on do his $1 billion campaign. >> romney's campaign got undone last weekend he is making a step to undo that this week. >> i will release might 2010 return on tuesday. >> we just made a mistake in holding off as long as we did. it was a distraction and we want to get back to the real issues of the campaign. >> i have flaws and weaknesses. i've had a long career. what you see is what you get. "santorum is already campaigning in florida. some floridians have already voted, nine days early. wbal-tv 11 news. >> you can follow the race to the white house and keep track of who is in, who is out on the politics page of our website, wbaltv.com. >> arizo

i'm steve handlesman, news. >>> nour political trouble tonight for d.c. mayor vince sent gray and council chairman kwame brown. formal papers filed in an attempt to recall the two embattled city leaders. tom sherwood joins us with the story. tom? >> no city wide recall effort has ever been succeed but that doesn't mean they couldn't be troubled. mayor gray on wednesday was hosting his biweekly news conference on all sorts of routine issues. absolutely excited to be going to concord new hampshire. >> reporter: downtown at the d.c. elections board, formal papers were being filed to force fray into a recall election, saying he has been a poor mayor, caught up in scandal. recall leader fred butler. >> complete grassroots efforts, i think the citizens of d.c. are following move on this i have been receiving nothing but phone calls and e-mails. >> reporter: butler was a strong supporter of adrian fenty you can the map gray defeated in 2010 >> reporter: butler is a strong supporter of adrian fenty, the map defeated in 2010 and filed papers against kwame brown. g

nbc's steve handlesman reports. >> reporter: mitt romney threw the first punch at newt gingrich. >> the idea i'm anti-immigrant is repulsive. >> you tell me what language you would use to describe someone that thinks deporting a grandmother or grandfather from their family -- >> our problem is not 11 million grandmothers. >> reporter: florida's housing crisis is blamed by freddie mac. >> we should have had a whistleblower, not a horn tooter. >> frankly, i've had enough of this. we discovered governor romney owns both shares of freddie mac and fannie mae. >> reporter: they fought about spending in space, going to the moon. >> i do not want to turn around and say, it doesn't really matter. let the chinese dominate space. >> that's what got us into the trouble we're in now. we have to say no to this kind of spending. >> reporter: ron paul and rick santorum piled on. >> we have to be responsible in the way we allocate our resources. >> well, i don't think we should go to the moon. i think we should send some politicians up there. >> reporter: gingrich cried uncle. >> i would be glad to have

i'm steve handlesman, nbc news, columbia, south carolina. >> so what now? traditionally republicans settle on their presidential nominee pretty early on in the process, so how does yesterday's outcome in south carolina fit into the mix? no one is more excited about than nbc bay area political analyst larry gerten because this really does make things interesting. what does it mean for the race now? >> sure, it's very exciting. who knows. a couple of things to consider. you look at the data in terms of what happened last night. newt gingrich winning, winning big, winning really big. it really seems to be at least for now the republicans are coalescing around newt gingrich but who knows. that could change. they have colesd around so many people already, but for the time being he is the anti-romney conservative. the question is can he go on from there? that's the question. we know that the contests have served a purpose these three, they have narrowed down the number of contestants from about 12 to four, and that's important but now the race takes on a differen

live from columbia, i'm steve handlesman, news4. >>> and even as south carolina votes, we're looking ahead to florida. the candidates will debate on a special edition of "rock center." you can watch it monday night at 9:00 p.m. right here on nbc 4. >>> coming up in the broadcast, how marion barry's friends say he's doing after surgery. >>> and the battle over old town that's underway as we speak. and we're staying on top of our winter witness, chuck will have this full forecast right after this. >>> d.c. councilmember marion barry is out of the hospital tonight. the 75-year-old had surgery on his urinary tract. people who spoke to him said he's in a good mood and is glad to go home. still no word tonight on whether a major redevelopment project will get the green light in old town alalexandria. they're debating the pros and cons of bringing new parks, hotels and commercial development to the water front. critics worry that building hotels will take away from the city's unique historic character. a vote is expected at some point tonight. >> next up on the broadcast, new developments i

i'm steve handlesman, nbc news, charlotte, north carolina. >>> on wall street, stocks ended the day on a positive note. the dow jones industrials gained 96 points. the nasdaq was up 41 points and the s & p 500 closed 14 points higher. today's numbers were fuelled by positive news about the greek situation, the debt situation there, and better-than-expected news about the housing market here. >>> the supreme court has ruled that people who get unwanted calls from telemarketers and other businesses can sue those businesses in federal court. the ruling involves a case in georgia, a man said he was getting repeated phone calls from a financial company. he filed suit in federal court under the federal telephone consumer protection act, but an appeals court threw it out, ruling it did not qualify as a federal case. today, the high court stepped in and said in a unanimous opinion that it will allow federal lawsuits against tell mark earth. >>> the district's only public university is getting a new student center. the university of the district of columbia broke ground today on the $40 million

steve handlesman, nbc news, new hampshire. >> as steve mentioned, mitt romney continues to lead the polls. a survey released friday has romney ahead of his closest rival by better than a two-to-one margin. for more, let's bring in political analyst larry gerston. let's talk quickly about rick perry. he said he would send troops back into iraq. is that going to get him traction? >> it's going to get him traction with the part of the republican party that's military oriented. there are people who would like to see that. i think most americans are weary of war. but the problem always is going from the primary to the general. the voters who turn out at primary are much more conservative. there will be a larger cohort there. >> all right. well, let's talk about whether or not the deal -- what happens on tuesday in new hampshire, first primary in the nation nation, will seal the deal. >> maybe not seal the deal, but romney's victory, if there is one, and many think there will be, will probably up the ante. take a look at that poll for a second, kris. we see what's going on here. you can see tha

steve handlesman is live in manchester new hampshire tonight for the latest on this race. >> thanks aaron. good evening to you from new hampshire, this was not nearly as negative as a lot of people led by newt gingrich predicted it would be. instead, didn't seem to have any bearing on who remains the front-runner in this race. >> reporter: as they met in new hampshire two and a half days before the vote the republican candidates debated who would create more u.s. jobs like the 200,000 in december celebrated by mitt romney. >> it's very good news i hope we continue to see good news. but it's not thanks to president obama. his policies have made the recession deeper. >> reporter: santorum who surged to third here attacked romney. >> he said i have business experience. well business experience doesn't necessarily match up with being the commander in chief of this country. >> reporter: romney's firm bing capital reorganized troubled businesses. >> and net-net, taking out the ones where we lost jobs and those we added, those businesses have now added over 100,000 jobs. i have a record of learn

. >> i'm steve handlesman. nbc news, manchester, new hampshire. >> coming up next, at 11:00, a flash, boom, before you know it. fbi agents were swarming one south bay neighborhood. tonight the prank that went too far. >> all alone and his parents were nowhere to be found tucht night we have new information about the 6-year-old boy found wandering the streets of oakland at 3:00 in the morning. >> a family's plea to help their son was answered by hundreds of people. tonight we'll show you mao you can help too. t. beth! hi. looking good! you've lost some weight. thanks! you noticed! you know these clothes are too big now, so i'm donating them. not going back there again. good for you! how'd you do it? eating right, whole grain. whole grain? whole grain. [ femalennouncer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't... multigrain cheerios has five whole grains and 110 lightly sweetened calories per serving... more grains. less you! multigrain cheerios. laces? really? slip-on's the way

from columbia, south carolina, i'm steve handlesman, nbc bay area news. >> steve, thank you. >>> an unexpected tactic now, the floor of the state legislature, it happened after a state senator tried to override a veto from governor brown. it would have been the first veto override in 30 years. sam blakley wanted to override brown's veto of a law that would have allowed cities or counties to temporarily take over operations of state parks closed zhu to budget cuts. some of the senators didn't want to use this tactic on an issue. blakley got his vote but it was promptly defeated. he wants to try again in a few weeks. >>> the bay area has the fastest rising apartment rental prices in the nation. over the past four years, rents fwl the san francisco oakland market increased by 10.4%. that's with the average rent of just over $1700 a month. the san francisco city limits, the rents are significantly over $2000 a month. san jose prices are climbing even faster by 12.2% with an average rent of nearly $1800 a month. the housing slump is pushing more homeowners back into the rental market. >>> a mess in

from capitol hill, i am steve handlesman. >> here is a look at some of our other top stores. three students at george washington elementary school are being treated for scarlet fever. all three students are classmates. scarlet fever is highly contagious and is spread by a person to person contact including coughing and sneezing. the school remains open but they are undergoing a major scrubdown. a guilty plea from the woman accused of orchestrating her husband's murder last year. jacqueline martin pled guilty to first-degree murder for her role in the shooting death of her husband, lee martin. she enlisted the help -- help from her brother and two other acquaintances. can county prosecutors put charges on hold against kevin walsh of chester town. he was arrested after an alleged scuffle with the police and the kicking of the police dog. this is while dressed as frosty the snowman. he will undergo a mental health evaluation. >> accused in one the murder of a young woman and sentenced in and other. we are covering the world and next. >> book airline tickets now. air fare costs a

steve handlesman is on capitol hill with the latest. >> good evening, mitt romney is pulling away in the polls in large part because a growing number of republican voters see him as the most electable candidate in the fall. there's a debate over that this week in south carolina. in florence, south carolina, mitt romney focused on barack obama. >> i am so distressed as i watch our president try to replace ambition with envy. >> reporter: romney claimed he would be the strongest opponent. so did newt gingrich. >> i don't want to bloody his nose, i want to block him out. >> reporter: rick santorum, less drama, same claim. >> the better contrast and better chance to win in the fall. >> reporter: today's washington post poll finds only romney is winning the matchup, 48 to 46%. ron paul trails the president by 7, santorum by 11, gingrich by 12. to try to widen any winning gap, team obama revealed today, they'll duplicate the outdoor spectacular they staged in denver in '08 that helped barack obama win colorado. filling bank of america stadium in charlotte to try to repeat in north carolina

from manchester new hampshire, i am steve handlesman. >> still ahead, your ability to defend off pneumonia may start off with what ever farmers are feeding their livestock. >> the fda is cracking down on what they demand farmers cut back on. >> the latest of a messy and water main break when we come back. i come in peace. but you go in pieces. [ female announcer ] you can't pass mom's inspection with lots of pieces left behind. that's why there's charmin ultra strong. its diamondweave texture is soft and more durable versus the ultra rippled brand. so it holds up better for a more dependable clean. fewer pieces left behind. i go in peace. yes, you do my little alien. [ female announcer ] we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin ultra strong? >> a messy water main break left many businesses with all services for much of the day. a 10-inch line broke right along the 2100 block. water in the area should be restored soon. >> in tonight's medical miller, it is something that health advocates have complained about for years. livestock has been said -- livestock being fed and to be honest. hu

steve handlesman news 4, live from the hill. doreen, back to you. >> there will be one empty seat at the state of the union address tonight. republican senator mark kirk of illinois will not be able to attend as he suffer he covers stroke he suffered over the weekend. joe manchun and mark kirk westbound planning to attend. >>> if you're going downtown tonight, the state of the union address could make it a bit difficult to get around. beginning at 7:00, police will block off every street within a two or three block radius of the capital. the entire capital square is also offlimits to pedestrians who don't have special credentials, all of the restrictions are expected to last until the state of the union concludes later tonight. >>> the man accused of firing shots at the white house pleaded not guilty to trying to assassinate the president. oscar ortega hernandez is accused of firing a rifle at the white house on november 11th. the president and mrs. obama were not home at the time. he was arrested several days later in pennsylva

the president will also likely argue that he's the one who could fix the economy steve handlesman joins us with a preview.

i'm steve handlesman, news 4 tampa. >> we're staying on top of this race for youen to the, we'll be hosting a live web chat as the results come in. you can join the conversation on nbcwashington.com starting at 8:00 tonight. >>> now to a developing story in prince georges county, there's been an arrest in the murder of lenny harris, a community activist who disappeared several months ago. the break in the case seems to have come last week, when an anonymous tip led police to harris' body at the bottom of a well. >> reporter: police did make one arrest, but they also made it clear, additional arrests will happen possibly as early as today. the motive for the killing was robbery. police also said the man in custody for this crime has confe confessed. >> prince georges county police have charged linwood johns with the murder of lenny harris. >> the motive in the murder is robbery. we have recovers what we believe to be the murder weapon. >> reporter: police would not say what led them to johnson, but the arrest comes just five days after investigators got an anonymous tip that the body was in

i'm steve handlesman, nbc news, charlotte, north carolina. >>> president obama goes into this campaign season with a public that is sharply div 1r50ided over his job performance. 48% surveyed for a new "washington post"/abc news poll say they approve of the job he is doing, 48% disapprove. on the issue of job creation, 45% approve, 51% disapprove. >>> veronica has the weather. >> even at 11:00 last night, it was plenty mild. >> 60 or something, right? >> exactly. we hit our high today, 58 degrees at midnight today. so, we have been falling ever since. falling into the cold air and getting blasted with a lot of wind, too. take a look around the area there, you see a lot of lights there yeah, uh-huh, not too far here past sunset, 58 degrees was our high today at midnight. the low, currently, we are at 36 degrees you can the average high, 43. in fact that high was just after midnight, 1:31 in the morning. by 5 a.m., already at 46 degrees so, just in that short time span, the mercury really dropped in a hurry, other high temperatures throughout the area, up north, frederick, maryland, moun