resolution. [ laughter ] >> bret: that's it for "special report" tonight. fair, balanced, and unafraid. [captioning made possible by fox news channel] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- trace: tonight a fond farewell to oral roberts and one republican senator is now calling for an investigation into how this health care deal went down. i'm trace gallagher in for shepard smith. the news starts now. >> the united states senate knocked down a filibuster aimed at blocking a final vote on health care reform. trace: the president calls it a big victory but critics call it a big mess. >> the majority will pay a heavy price for ignoring the wishes of the american people. trace: tonight, what the senate's latest moves actually mean and what to expect next. plus, deciding the fate of a 9-year-old boy at the center of an international custody case. now, the court's in recess but the chief justice says time to get this thing done. and it started with a snow ball fight. >> then someone hit an off-duty officer's car. and he pulled his pistol. >> the crowd kind of freaked out. >> tonight, what happens when you bring a gun to a snow ball fight. [captioning made possible by fox news channel] trace: well, whether or not you wanted it, it looks like health care reform is going to be the senate's christmas gift to america this year. lawmakers now on track to approve the 871 billion-dollar reform bill on christmas eve. that's after the senate's 58 democrats and two independents held together on a key test vote late last night that basically prevented republicans from holding up the bill indefinitely. >> i don't think legislation like, this which effects every one of the 300 million americans in their own health care should be subject to this kind of special, smelly deal-making and some conference room somewhere. >> never have we been so close to reforming america's broken health insurance system. the american people, once they have the information, will be totally in support of this bill. trace: ok. so what's actually in this bill? here have r. a few of the provisions. companies would not be able to deny coverage because of pre-existing conditions. people without coverage would generally have to buy it or pay fines up to $750. and the bill would also expand medicaid to cover more of america's poorest families. of course, all that comes at a cost. we have team fox coverage. major garrett with developments from the white house. but, first, to jim angle live for us tonight on capitol hill. jim, if the senate does move ahead with the bill, lawmakers would still have to reconcile it with the house version, which has some significant differences. >> that's right, trace. there are several key differences between the house and the senate. for one thing, the bill that was produced by speaker nancy pelosi has a public option in it, which the senate bill does not, of course. it also has a different approach on federal funds and abortions. it also does not have a tax on the so-called cadillac health care plans. the kind that unions enjoy. but this weekend democrats were warning their brethren in the house that significant changes could be fatal. >> it is very clear that the bill, the final bill, to pass in the united states senate, is going to be -- have to be very close to the bill that has been negotiated here. otherwise, it will not get 60 votes in the united states senate. >> now, the house may want to make a lot of changes in that senate bill, but it could upset a very delicate balance, trace. trace: jim, lawmakers made deals to make this happen including one agreement with the american medical association. right? >> well, that's right. the ama did come out today and announce that it does support the bill. the ama represents about 1/3 of doctors. take a listen. >> america has the best health care in the world if you can get it. but for far too many people access to care is out of reach because they lack insurance. >> but the ama insisted on several changes before giving its support, trace. it vigorously opposed the medicare buy-in because doctors get paid far left under medicare and that was dropped. the new head of the ama doctors objected to 10% tax on cosmetic surgery. senator reid dropped that in the changes he announced this weekend and replaced it with a tax on tanning salons. now we have a vote with a final vote on the overall bill on christmas eve. and at this point, there is very little the republicans can do to stop it. trace? trace: jim angle live for us on capitol hill. jim, thank you. president obama says the senate made history with its vote late last night and scored a victory for all americans. >> by standing up to the special interests who have prevented reform for decades and were furiously lobbying against it now, the senate has moved us closer to reform difference makes for families, for seniors, for businesses and for the country as a whole. trace: the president says this bill represents more security and stability for a lot of people. and he says it does not carry the cost that critics say it does. major garrett with that part of the story live from the white house. major, the president focused heavily on the price of this bill today. >> that's right. he touted the congressional budget office, the nonpartisan congressional budget office analysis that $132 billion would be saved in the first 10 years. more than a trillion, the president said, in the next 10 years. and the president said that should put the whole cost-cutting debate to rest once and for all. let's listen. >> for all those who are continually carping about how this is somehow a big-spending government bill, this cuts our deficit by $132 billion the first 10 years and by over a trillion in the second. that argument that opponents are making against this bill does not hold water. >> one addendum needs to be noted trace, the congressional budget office says it was so hurry in its analysis that it made an error to the projection of the second ten years. republicans say that error could be $500 billion, not exactly what we would call a rounding error. trace: major, the republican party chairman told said he thinks the white house was pressured by the congressional budget office to fudge the numbers a bit. >> that's right. michael steele made what could only be described as an explosive allegation because the congressional budget office chartered by congress, traditionally nonpartisan, republicans have used its analysis throughout the debate to say this health care reform plan may be too expensive. today the republican national committee chairman changed his tune. let's take a quick listen. >> the cbo itself came out originally talking about what this is going to cost. they thought it was too much. they thought it increased the deficit. the president calls them down to the white house, takes them to the wood shed and all of the sudden they are getting these numbers that fall right within the framework of what they are trying to do. >> now, michael steele is referring to a meeting that occurred here in late july between the president and the director cbo doug he will men doppler. at the time the said come up with analysis of health care costs in the future. at the time elm men -- elmendorf. >> there are still a lot of questions about health care reform including what sort of deals democrats had to make in order to get it done. and now one republican is asking his states attorney general to investigate one deal to see whether anyone did anything wrong. details are coming up inside "the fox report." well, the storm is over but the mess remains. across the east coast, millions of commuters had to deal with snow, slush, and ice on their way to and from work today. that's if they could make it to work at all. after some areas saw record amounts of snowfall this weekend, leaving many people stranded at airports for days. >> i was supposed to be going into washington, d.c. and that was canceled. then i came back yesterday, and it was canceled again. they told me to come back this morning at 5:00. i came back this morning at 5:00 5:00, it was canceled. i have been in line since 6:00. i got up there and they told me it's canceled again. trace: he seemed to be taking it in friday. but it's a frustrating situation which has been repeated all over the region. some airlines added extra flights today but analysts say after a day of major cancellations it can take up to three days to get everybody where they need to go. and this, by the way, is just the first day of winter. for more information on this, head to fox news.com. well, at least if you are stranded in the airport you can visit the food court. take care of some shopping. maybe even get a massage. you can't do that if you are stuck on an airplane. and in recent years passengers on thousands of flights have been forced to wait on the tarmac for hours on end eted. today an effort to prevent that the feds ordering airlines to allow passengers to get off the planes if they have been sitting on the ground for three hours. steve centanni is live tonight at reagan international airport in virginia with more on that. steve? >> hi, trace. yes, and not only will passengers not be allowed to stay on the plane past three hours but after two hours they are going to be required to get food and water. and during that whole time the bathrooms have to be operating. and the airlines have to provide medical care if any is required. we all know the horror stories. this happens all too often being stranded on the tarmac for hours after leaving the gate. it happened 864 times up through october 31st of this year alone. and the average over the past couple of years at 2007 and '08 was about 1500 times each year. now the airline industry session it will comply with the new rules issued by the department of transportation but they don't like it too much. the air transport association saying and we can take a look at this quote. the requirement of having planes return to gates within a three-hour window or face significant fines is inconsistent with our goal of completing as many flights as possible. to which ray la hood, the transportation a second, replied. i don't know what could be more disruptive than letting people sit on planes for five, six, seven hours without any explanation. so, the new rules are going to take effect, according to the rule-making process in 120 days, just in time for the spring and summer travel season. trace? trace: the weather gets better the rules get better. steve, thank you. thousands of passengers in europe don't know if they will be home for christmas because the chunel is still cut down. amateur video from inside the tunnel between loan dand and france. caught inside for 16 hours. >> we just want to open the door door. trace: everyone did eventually get out. the trouble began friday night when euro star trains from paris broke down in the tunnel. snow got into the engines because of what it calls unprecedented winter weather in france. it says it tested the trains today and they seem to be working well. it is hoping the up and running again tomorrow. but with only two thirds of its normal schedule. now, another delay in a five year custody battle. a new jersey father in brazil tonight hoping a high court will let him take his son back to the u.s. but he just found out he'll have to wait a little longer. details on that next. new clues about the death of a young hollywood actress. brittany murphy, just 32 years old. now her family is speaking out about her final hours. that's coming up on "the fox report." trace: the american father fighting for custody of his-year-old son in brazil will wait another night to see if can he take his son back to new jersey. the court expected to announce its decision tomorrow. the mother took the child to south america five years ago. she got divorced, remarried, then we died during childbirth. relatives say the boy wants to stay in brazil but last week a lower court approved david goldman's request bring his son back to the u.s. but at the last minute a supreme court judge decided the child might have to testify first. david lee miller is live for us in the newsroom. david lee, how likely is it that david goldman and his son will reunite tomorrow. >> trace, it is very possible but it is far from certain. this, we do know. the supreme court in brazil has said tomorrow that a decision is going to be announced concerning the fate of 9-year-old sean. that fate now being pondered by the court's chief justice. congressman chris smith who is travelling with david goldman says if the court rules in favor of goldman, the next stop will most certainly be the airport. >> they would immediately board a plane and there is several flights that you know, i'm on a flight tonight, you know, next night, we are all getting ready to head back if that decision is made. >> now, all the parties here are holding their breath. we have to keep in mind that on sunday, the court said that a decision was going to be announced today. once again, they say the decision will be tomorrow. trace? trace: you mentioned next stop is the airport david lee. if the ruling does favor david goldman, is this case finally over? >> this is not going to be the end of this case. number one, an attorney for sean's brazilian aressives say that they are going to appeal this to a another appellate court in brazil. and even if the boy is returned to the united states, it is very possible, in fact, even likely, trace, that the matter could then be litigated here in the united states, which is where legal experts say it should have been decided all along trace? trace: david lee miller in new york tonight. actress brittany murphy was sick for days before her sudden death this weekend. that's what her family is reporting tonight. paramedics were unable to revive the 32-year-old star of film such as "8-mile" and "clueless" after she class collapsed inside her hollywood hills home. prescription drugs were renoofd from the house as we was battling flu-like symptoms. fox 11 in los angeles has more. >> the autopsy on brittany murphy's body now underway. coroner's office telling us it's going to take six to eight weeks for that to be completed because of toxicology tests. also, they would like to talk to brittany murphy's doctors and get a little bit more information about her history. her family has reportedly said that brittany murphy suffered from type 2 diabetes. here is what we know, it was 8:00 yesterday morning on sunday. her mother discovered her in her hollywood hills home. brittany murphy had apparently collapsed in the shower. her husband then called 911. paramedics rushing to that home, unable to revive her. they then rushed her to cedar sinai hospital here in los angeles. she was pronounce reasonable doubt dead by doctors at 10:04 in the morning. now, the coroner's office is also saying that she was very ill in the hours before she collapsed. that she had been suffering flu-like symptoms and that she had possible been taking prescription medication. tmz.com reporting that prescription pills were found all around her house. again, that autopsy, an official cause of death will not come back for another six to eight weeks. in the meantime, hollywood reacting to the death of brittany murphy, ash ashton kutcher who has dated brittany said this in a tweeted, the world lost a little piece of sunshine and clueless star alicia silverstone saying i feel love in my heart for her and hope she is at peace. that's the latest from los angeles, bob, back to you. trace: bob, thank you. police call him a person of interest in the mysterious disappearance of his wife. now he is showing his face in public. we'll tell you why joshua powell traveled to another state as the police investigate and the anonymous reward now being offered to find the missing mom from utah. plus, remembering oral roberts. the emotional memorial service for one of the world's most famous evangelists. the legacy and the tribute are next. trace: devoted fans and followers descending on the campus of oral roberts university today to say goodbye to the evangelist who started the school more than 40 years ago ♪ >> we're told thousands filled the university's center in tulsa, oklahoma for today's service. roberts remembered as charismatic and influential religious leader who used the power of television to reach millions around the world. he is widely credited for taking the pentecostal movement mainstream. roberts died of complications from yiewm i can't last week. he was 91 years old. do you know what happened to miss will mom susan powell? it could worth up to $10,000. a reward to help police find her. remember, susan powell disappeared two weeks ago from her home in a salt lake city suburb. her husband josh says the last time he saw her alive he was taking their two young children on a midnight camping trip. in freezing temperatures jonathan hunt with me. we hear josh powell has left utah. >> we are led to believe that he left some time yesterday when we what we know for sure is last night he turned up at candlelight vigil for susan powell which was being held in her father's hometown. that was something of a shock to the family. also, a shock to the cops in west valley city, utah. they said they had no idea owas leaving although they told us he is under no obligation to tell them about his movement because is he charged with nothing at all. trace: is the strain getting to them. >> you get a sense. having talked to them a lot over the last couple of weeks. they really are feeling the difficulties of this now as this wait goes on and on and on. we spoke to shelby gifford the family spokesperson earlier today. most of the family do not feel they have any more to say. they cannot do any more media interviews until they know something for certain. as for right now it doesn't look like they will know anything for certain before christmas. trace: what do we know about his financial situation? >> interestingly, we got ahold of these documents today which are the bankruptcy central division. they reveal in 2007, josh powell filed for bankruptcy citing debts of some $200,000. that doesn't say -- doesn't lead us to any conclusions about what may or may not have happened to susan powell. but it does speak to what some friends have said, that this couple, trace have severe financial difficulties as well. >> it does, indeed. jonathan, good to see you. one republican calls it sleazy. he is asking for investigation of how senate democrats got their votes to keep the health care bill alive. was it compromise or corruption? we report. you decide. and you could cash in on this weekend's monster snow storm. even if you nor where near the northeast. the blizzard means even better deals for last-minute shoppers. we are live at the mall coming up on "the fox report." a new ge. to ensure our forces are safer and stronger. to take the world we share to tomorrow and beyond. announcer: around the globe, the people of boeing are working together-- to make a difference. that's why we're here. i heard about him from all the other girls. we were working at the same company. and she was something else. announcer: take care of each other, and your health. with nature made cholestoff. cholestoff helps lower ldl cholesterol, the bad kind, naturally, by using the same types of phytonutrients found in nuts, grains, fruits, and vegetables. he makes me laugh. he still does, but it's nice. announcer: learn how to lower your cholesterol, naturally, at cholestoff.com. nature made. fuel your greatness. trace: court ruled she was too inexperienced to try. now police say dutch teenager laura decker ran away from home. and they found her 5,000 miles away. we're told decker left her boat behind and took off to the netherlands to the island of saint maarten in the caribbean. she was born on a boat in new zealand. the court says it will reconsider her case in july if she makes better preparations for the trip. i'm trace gallagher in for shepard smith. this is the fox report hd. it's the bottom of the hour. time now for the top of the news. they got his vote. he got a deal that will save his state millions upon millions of dollars. senator ben nelson of nebraska is the key vote for democrats on the senate version of the health care reform bill. he is the 60th senator to support the measure. making it impossible for republicans to block it in the meantime the bill gives nebraska benefits that will save people more than $100 million at the expense of the rest of us. now one of his colleagues in the senate is calling for an investigation. carl cameron is following this across the street from the capitol. karl? >> hi, trace. republicans call it vote buying and it really began a month ago when louisiana democrat mary landrieu got 300-million-dollar deal for her state on medicaid. nelson's deal is even more sweet than that. and today the majority leader harry reid cast it pretty much as just business as usual. >> i don't know if there is a senator that doesn't have something in this bill that was important to them. and if they don't have something in it important to them, then it's -- doesn't speak well of them. >> only a handful of states with powerful democratic senators were protected from some of the biggest costs and reforms now facing the rest of the country. republicans call it vote-buying. >> this bill was the result of back-room deals with specific senators. persuading them to vote for cloture. what has caused some people to calling on the blogs and internet cash for clort. ben nelson of nebraska was the last democratic holdout. he turned to yes vote when the snat won the only permanent exemption from medicaid expansion worth at least $100 million. another wheeler-dealer montana democrat baucus who chaired hearings all year. he chaired kent conrad budget committee obtaining a huge medicare break for states with more frontier counties which include only baucus montana, utah, wyoming, south dakota and conrad's north dakota. >> my state along with the other frontier states, five in number, get an increase in their medicare levels of reimbursement because we're the lowest states in the country. and that doesn't offend me at all. it's, in fact, fair. >> nelson's special deals for nebraska have already divided the state. the governor has state the state didn't want them and he opposed to them. nelson has said i can always rescind them. don't wait for any big dealings there. south carolina has something to say about this. lindsey graham has asked his state's attorney general to look into the con stew constitutionality people in some statements can get special deals and lower rates and exemption programs while people in other states will be forced to deal with them. trace? trace: karl, thank you. senators have been putting in long hours in health care reform bill. last time the senate went so long before a day off was right before we went to war with germany the first time. take a look. senators haven't had a day off since coming back from thanksgiving break. that's 22 consecutive days of work. if the senate were to be in session all this week, including christmas day, it would tie the record of 26 consecutive days. that was set 92 years ago back in 1917. in the run-up to america's involvement in world war i. fox news on the job hunt. and while the economy is still far from healthy, experts are predict ago strong finish to the year, far better than previously expected. one reason, is that more u.s. workers are finding temporary employment. despite the uncertain nature of temp work, it's considered a key early indicator for future employment trends. a signal that more full-time hiring could soon follow. the labor department says the temporary workers have increased four straight months, similar to what we have seen after previous recessions. james rosen with the news. he is live tonight in washington. james? >> trace, good evening. at the white house today, president obama said if you see a way that government can do its job better or do the same job for less money, i want to know about it. well, uncle sam has already caught on to one proven way of doing that good old temps. >> according to the u.s. bureau of labor statistics 5 thousand temps were added to payrolls last month up from october. 17,000 have been hired since july. increase of 7% over four months' time. >> if history is true, we should expect to see positive jobs growth sometime during the first quarter and maybe early in the second quarter. >> indeed. the last two recoveries in the early 1990s and late 2001 saw similar upticks in temp hiring. but the news isn't all good for temps. there are 1.86 million of them employed in america today. that's down from 2.12 million one year ago. >> but to have an increase from being 25 and 35% down in the mid year to only 9% down year over year is a pretty significant increase in hiring that we have seen since the summer. >> many employers are now using those agencies as defactor recruiters and screeners, and then hiring the temps if they seem to fit in as full-time employees. >> more than a third, in our case almost 40% of the people that we have on temporary assignments, and we're talking hundreds of thousands of people per year get hired by our clients eventually. >> and about those federal temp jobs, check out u.s.a. jobs.gov. they have classified ads there from for a 19,000 adds year tree climber to physiologist to the u.s. air force. got to keep them flying. >> james rosen live in washington tonight. james, thank you. for more on the job hunt, log on to fox news.com, click the red on the job hunt link at the top of the home page. that takes to you our interactive map where can you see all the employment stories we have covered. again, that is@foxnews.com. then click on the job hunt. snow storms across the nation forcing shoppers to stay home the weekend before christmas. one of the busiest of the year. and now retailers are hustling to make up for a snowy super saturday. online sales on friday and saturday reportedly rose 24% from the same day last year. the sales uptick came as areas from the carolinas to new england got a winter whipping. many retail web sites are trying to build on that weather related success by extending deadlines and offering free shipping. and businesses in your local malls and shernts are also working their haddest to make up for a lost weekend. adam shapiro from the fox business network is live for us in elizabeth, new jersey, at the jerusalemy gardens mall. adam, tell us about some the deals in these stores. >> well, almost all the stores here, when you start are discount stores. these are outlet stores and some pretty big names. but you see in every window a sign that says sale. but, be careful, because inventories nationwide are very tight. and although there might be a specific item that is being offered for 50% off, the rest of the stuff in the store won't have quite that kind of deal. because inventories are tight. but there are sales out here. for instance, victoria secret down the way has 75% off sale. although i don't think they have anything in your color. there is plenty there if you want to shop. are the shoppers taking advantage of these deals. >> they are taking advantage of the deals which exist. i have seen loft big bags. one thick unique about this mall because we're so close to new york city they get a lot of international travelers. this mall is doing well even with the snow storm. i have been talking to people are they worried about the economy? s that prevented them from shopping? most of them said they are worried but they are still shopping. so go figure. trace: adam shapiro from the fox business network. thank you. the search for a parking spot at the mall of america in minneapolis just got a little easier this holiday season thanks to twitter. it's our top story on a fox trip across america. >> minnesota. the mall using its twitter account to send out live updates on its traffic situation. the tweets tell folks the best place to park when they get there. and what their exit strategy should when they are done shopping. massachusetts. what a day for a wedding on cape cod. the big snow storm that blew through over the weekend making for a memorable ceremony for one couple but the bride says she and her husband didn't mind a bit. >> it's the most magical day i have ever had. here we had this beautiful location, this wonderful snow swirling around and i'm with a tremendously wonderful man. >> only a dozen or so family members were able to make it but the knot was tied. new york, a five alarm fire heavily damaging a row of stores in the bronx. fire officials say the blaze apparently began in a supermarket, then spread to a diner, a dental office, and beyond. two firefighters reported hurt. oregon. want a nutcracker? this woman in hillsborough now displaying her unusual collection. she says she has close to 600 nutcrackers. including spiderman and superman. her husband says he goes with the flow. >> i think it's a little nutty. i have to wake up every morning. i don't know if i'm sleeping with my wife or a nutcracker. [ laughter ] >> he had to build an extra room for the collection. and that's a fox watch across america. >> well, it was a massive snow ball fight organized through twitter. the perfect setting thanks to that monster snow storm. but a cop got caught in the crossfire and what happened next has the officer under investigation. the whole thing caught on video. next. >> you are going to jail. trace: it began as a massive snow ball fight in the streets of our nation's capitol. but a washington, d.c. police officer now under investigation for apparently pulling his gun during the chaos. as you can see, hundreds went to battle after saturday's record snow storm. a video posted online shows this, off duty police officer approaching snow ball throwers. moments after he and his car were hit. witnesses say someone called 911 after the cop flashed his gun. that's when a uniformed officer showed up on the scene and pulled his gun. and now the police department is speaking out about what went down. paul wagner from our d.c. affiliate wttg live for us in washington. paul, what kind of punishment did the department hand down here? >> the top brass at the police department is furious over this incident. the chief of police calling the detectives action totally inappropriate. she is leaning towards firing this officer. currently he is on desk duty. his police powers have been revoked. his badge and gun have been taken away from him. trace: what about the other cop who drew his gun, paul? >> the police today said that that officer and the other uniformed officers that came to the scene acted completely appropriately because they were responding to the report of a man with a gun. they did not know that it was a detective on the scene. they said that those officers that actually acted professionally and had deescalated a very tense situation. trace? trace: paul wagner from washington, d.c. thank you. tearful testimony at the trial of a former u.s. citizen accused of helping to kill nearly 30,000 jews during nazi, germany. 89-year-old john item i don't item i don't know yuck showing no emotion. they accused the ukraine born man death camp. he immigrated to the united states in the 1950s and worked at on ohio auto plant for three decades. in may, officials extradited him to germany for trial. he denies having any involvement in the holocaust. that was the sound of afghan police in a gun battle with taliban militants. we're told it happened in the center of a main provincial capital after insurgents stormed a marketplace with dozens of civilians inside. the whole thing reportedly lasted three hours before police and nato forces killed the mitt tans. store keeps closed up shop and militants stayed inside during the gunite. local cops say three bystanders and a police officer were hurt. this latest violence comes as the united states prepares to send 30,000 more troops to fight the war in afghanistan. there was also violence in neighboring iran. a reformist web site in the country claiming a group of plain clothes men on motorcycles attacked the car of this man, mere hussein sousa i have. we're told one member of his was hurt. we were told he was returning from a funeral procession an event in which tens of thousands of people turned into antigovernment protest. it our top story as we go around the world in 80 seconds. iran. witnesses say mourners had filled the major streets of a holy city south of tehran. for the funeral of the country's most senior dissident cleric. but this amateur video indicates the scene turned into a huge protest. the cleric was said to be viewed as the spiritual patron of an opposition movement. kenya, a cargo train jumping the tracks in nairobi. the wreck reportedly killing at least two people, then some locals tried to loot the train. the train was carrying cooking oil. poland. police say they found the nazi sign work says you free stolen from the intrafns the former auschwitz death camp. we're told five men arrested. the sign cut into three pieces. a replica hangs in its place for now. police say the men may have been looking to make some money off of the theft. australia. formerly con buenad twin sisters now out of a mel born hospital. the release just in time for their third birthday. doctors say the girls who were born in bangladesh joined at the top of their heads have made tremendous progress. that's around the world in 80 seconds. just into the fox newsroom rudy giuliani will not run for the senate next year. that is according to news score. it's a news wire service within news corporation, the parent company of fox news. a source close to the former mayor says giuliani will pursue other business areas and use his status within the republican party to focus on national issues that are important to him. giuliani says he has also ruled out a run for new york governor in november. they give their all for the fans every sunday, sacrificing their bodies to make the big plays. but now the nfl is asking for more from its players. it's asking for their brains. fox report's live next. trace: football is one of the hardest hitting sports around. and research shows those hard hits may have lasting effect. it is something the nfl is now admitting as it announces a new partnership with brain researchers at boston university. the league also encouraging players to donate their brains to science after they die. it all comes after recent criticism over the nfl's stance on concussions as well as a congressional hearing on the very same topic. laura incorporate ingle is live with us from the newsroom with more. >> the brain trauma debate over repeated hits to the head has been going on for a long time as sports fans know. in addition to the calls for giving away gray matter, the nfl has reportedly pledged a million dollars or more to boston university. to fund more research brain disease and disorders. now, the university says it encouraged the nfl to find ways to get players to participate but didn't request financial support from the nfl. the university school of medicine insists on neutrality in the research to real vs. perceived conflicts of interest. >> what our growgroup is focusin is the long-term effects of repetitive blows to the head that seem to set in motion a disease of the brain. it adegenerative brain disease. that doesn't start showing its symptoms until years or decades after someone stops playing. >> the nfl recently changed some of its rules. one of them saying a player who gets a con concussion should not return to action on the same day if he shows symptoms like a headache or memory loss. in the old days, as long as you were conscious you could get back on the field and play even if you were dizzy and punch drunk. cardinals wide receiver sean morey and ravens center new england four nfl players willing to pass on their brains after death. 61 normer nfl players are also on board for the study. trace? trace: lawyer remarks thank you. science, readingenned math the basic subjects in schools that most need to grasp in order to graduate and get a diploma. thousands in washington state are not passing think high school exit exams the man in charge of the state schools is now lowering the bar. he says it gives the kids a chance. critics say it only cutters those kids. dan spring better details. is he live for us in seattle. dan? >> students in washington state routinely score above the national standard on standardized tetst tes. still some 40,000 tenth graders who can't pass the math and science portion of the exam. they will not get to the dip employee that in two years dim diploma. he delayed that they pass until 2015 and then when it counts he wants kid to have an additional year of mouth and allow them to graduate if they reach a basic competence. right now they have to be proficient. >> i say let's not put it under and wait until there is a train wreck. let's say boy, look at those numbers. we have a problem. what are we going to do differently? how are we going to get them there? >> business leaders say the way to get there is with not lowering the bar. they argue even in jobs that don't require a college degree like auto mechanics or machinists at boeing math and computer skills are a just. many technical jobs are going overseas. microsoft are frequently hiring people from places like india or pakistan. >> when you. less you give less and you get lower achievement and you close the doors of opportunity. the. >> the superintendent's proposal has gotten a thumbs down not a whole lot of politicians out there bragging, trace, about a basic education. trace: not much to brag about. dan springer in seattle. thank you. a fire at the famed guinness brewery in dublin, ireland has badly damaged a build and sent two firefighters to the hospital. we're told a construction worker blaze blow torch to fix the felt like roof of the building there was reportedly no beer inside. just empty containers and some machinery. guinness's parent company says bureauing operations and tours continued. they are located in other buildings a half mile from where the fire took place. each year millions of animals are put to sleep in shelters across the united states, but now one group is trying to turn the trend around by uniting unwanted dogs and cats with pilots. we'll explain next. boss: we're f people interested in all the money they could be saving by switching to geico.. gecko: yeah, 'course. boss: boy, did we miss you last week. that temp wasn't working out at all. exec: took me all morning but i got those quarterly figures for ... you. (hissing noise, gulping) gecko: aw, he ate all my mints. anncr: geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. trace: top stories coming up. first cool critters. some going airborne to find new homes. 4 million homeless dogs and cats are euthanized each year, mostly because of overpopulation. now an inspiring project is helping save them from death row row. animal rescuers are teaming up with volunteer pilots to get out of high-kill shelters into loving homes, even if those homes are hundreds of miles away. >> this 6-year-old jack russell chihuahua mix traveled a long way to get here. after rooming the streets of springfield, ohio, original gangsta, akao.g. was picked up by the humane society. only a family lives 500 miles away in new york. his owners have no idea how he got there. >> we was shocked we left him with someone in brooklyn. >> after the birth of their twins, the wilsons left their pet with some friends because the dog wasn't adjusting well. those friends somehow lost him and o.g. ended up in ohio. but now he has a first class ticket back home. >> never dreamed we would be sticking dogs on an airplane. >> pilots and paws is a nonprofit worse a network over 1200 pilots that volunteer their time and money to transport animals out of shelters. come on -- and into loving homes. >> every single animal that's in this building, somebody owns them. somebody had them. they were their pets. maybe 8% to 10% of them actually go back home. >> the mission saved these beloved creatures before it's too late. >> to know that some of these animals were really in a shelter hours, literally hours before being put to sleep. so, when you know you are making a difference like that sure man it's 1, 2 or 10 animals at a time per pilot it's still more than we had before that. >> doctor by day, pilot by night, john lee is one of those heroes. >> it just makes me feel good that i know the animal is finally finding a place. engine get started most animals lay down and go to sleep. >> for o.g. it's been a bumpy ride but this happy family reunion proves there is no place like home. >> best gift anyone could possibly get. you know. it's amazing. it's such a beautiful miracle. >> in new york, julie banderas, fox news. >> updating some of our top stories tonight, senate democrats preparing for a final health care vote. likely on christmas eve. this thursday. at the same time, the american medical association now says it supports the democrats' plan. the brazil supreme court expected to make a decision tomorrow in the custody battle over the 9-year-old american born boy sean goldman. and there is good news for air travelers. the feds announcing a new three hour limit on how long an airline can keep passengers stuck on a plane before take off. and on this day in 1970, singer elvis presley met with president richard nixon at the white house to discuss the u.s. government's war on drugs. at the time, presley was one of the biggest stars in the world. as the story goes, he wanted to offer his services to help keep kids off drugs. so, on the morning of the 21st, presley showed up at the white house, wearing a purple, velvet suit and matching cape. apparently none of the guards searched him because when he met president nixon, presley presented a gift. a vintage colt 45 pistol. in the end, nixon turned down presley's offer to help in the war on drugs and seven years later the singer died after years of suspected drug abuse. but the king met the president 39 years ago today. and that's "the fox report" for monday, december 21st, 2009. i'm trace gallagher in for shepard smith. i'll see you back here tomorrow for the livees