quite some time for many people along the east coast the storm turned out to be weaker than many predicted but strong enough to cause damage and loss of life. at least 37 people were killed. around 5 million were still without power in mid-afternoon. some areas report massive flooding. we begin our coverage with correspondent molly line in dartmouth, massachusetts. good evening, molly. >> reporter: good evening. the sun is out today. irene proved to be historic in her reach, of coursing millions of people slamming the eastside community with wind and causing massive flooding far inland. the storm's power washed away historic bridges. cars to raging water and destroying property. >> shannon: we have been pumping 20 times, and the water goes right back in. >> flooding like i've never seen. over the banks. >> reporter: president obama urged continueed caution. >> it will take time to recover from a storm of this magnitude. the effects are felt across much of the country. so our response continues. will make sure that fema will do everything in their power. >> reporter: especially as it weakened, three dozen people were killed, crushed by falling trees and others electrocuted by downed power lines. unprecedented number of homes host power. million -- lost power. millions waiting for it to come on. >> i heard a tremendous crash. my first thought was for my wife, 15 feet away from where the tree came down. >> reporter: some won't see service until the weekend. lower manhattan was evacuated. for the first time, the subway shut down. >> a storm that could have turned out worse. the storm isn't behind us yet. >> reporter: long island took a direct hit but upstate new york suffered after the rain. new jersey saw extensive flooding and governor christie estimates millions of dollars of damage were done. where it first struck, the beaches suffered severe erosion. today for the most part is about clean-up. the danger is not over, especially in the communities flooded there is a possibility that the tributaries and stream will continue to feed in rivers in vermont to cause additional flooding. a dangerous situation. shannon? >> shannon: molly, thank you for the update. pennsylvania authorities say at least five people died in the hurricane and there is considerable flooding. senior correspondent rick leventhal is live in new hope. good evening, rick. >> reporter: good evening, shannon. the mandatory evacuation and curfew in new hope has been lifted. more than 90% of the homes and businesses in the town lost power in the storm. most has been restored and the delaware river behind me crested at just below the 13-foot flood level. look how strong the current water is. the bridge was closed for several hours yesterday. it's now been reopened. 35 miles upriver in eastern pennsylvania, they evacuated 100 homes in the low lying areas and they closed schools on the first day of classes. we spoke with the pennsylvania governor who grew up here and he urged people to remain cautious. >> it appears as if the worst has come and passed. but we're depletely out of the woods yet. there are roads that are impassable and standing water on the road. motorists might think it's not terribly deep and drive in two or three feet of water. we encourage everyone to turn around and not drown. >> reporter: you mentioned five deaths in the state. three of them from falling trees. with the ground saturated that is a concern. nearly 400,000 people in the state without power. some of them might be in the dark for weeks. >> shannon: you mention today was supposed to be start of school. you can't send the kids off without electricity. >> reporter: that is a concern but in easton where they closed the schools mostly due to concern over the river flooding. because it was lower than it an tis pateed it's likely they will be headed to school tomorrow. >> shannon: whether they like it or not. rick leventhal reporting from pennsylvania. thank you, rick. financial impact of the storm, peter barnes reports it might not be negative for the country as you think. >> the tragic losses now from hurricane irene could deliver gains for economy later. flooded homes, closed stores and employees absent from work are costing billions. >> i seen numbers, variety of people now reporting in the three to $5 billion insured loss range. >> reporter: but that is just insured losses. uninsured could be billions more. now the rebuilding begins. include reconstruction from the virginia earthquake and the economic boost could be significant. on sunday, investment firm cumberland advisors increased forecast for growth in the fourth quater from 1 to 2% annual rate to 2 to 3% annual rate. that could equate to $30 billion more more in the construction and more jobs, especially in construction, assuming rebuilding and federal refunding begins quickly. not how president obama wanted to create jobs but he is proceeding with a new jobs plan he will announce next week and named the princeton economist, alan krueger to chair the council of economic advisors. >> even as we deal with the crisis of the moment the great ongoing challenge as a nation remains how to get the economy growing faster. >> the size 06 an economic boost will depend how much extra money victims get from the insurance company, government, state local and federal and whether they divert existing spending on cars, vacations and other goods and services to rebuil rebuilding. some republicans say any new disaster spending from washington will be paid for with cuts in the budget. no deficit spending, as has been the past practice. >> in instances like this, there is a federal role. we'll find money. we need to make sure there are savings elsewhere to continue to do so. >> a major concern for some analyst is the jump-start for the economy may only be temporary and stronger real growth won't take hold until washington officials adopt better policies. >> shannon: peter barnes with the economic side of the storm. thank you. house majority leader eric cantor identified some priority for the republican legislative agenda on jobs. he pushes for repeal of several upcoming administration regulations are harmful to job growth. they have rules that power plant, coal, ash, farm dust. with changes to the health insurance plans and union election roles. -- election rules. fewer people plan contract to buy homes in july. the national association of realtors says a growing number of buyers can pull contracts if the appraisal showed the homes were less than bid price. consumer spending up .8 in july. personal income up% 3 of a point. that news lifted wall street. dow added 255. the s&p 500 closed 33 ahead. the nasdaq was up 82. some of the greatest heros are not in the greatst mood tonight. members of the veteran of foreign wars feel left out and they are blaming the president. senior white house foreign affairs correspondent wendell goler explains. >> you are the american heroes of vietnam and i salute you. >> the current front runner addressed the veteran of foreign wars the group national commanderer is angry that president obama will not this year, calling it, "an insult of the highest magnitude" that the "white house has decided the great and iconic organization of combat veterans and the members are not worthy of notice." presumably mr. obama was richard eubank's first choice of speakers. the president addressed the group in 2009. the white house denies he spoke this year because rick perry was there. >> i hardly think because we make scheduling decision in advance. >> w. scott gould will represent them. they privacy say they offered more senior officials. and they also offered susan rice, all turned down by the vfw. governor perry's comments included language you wouldn't likely hear from a diplomat. >> we must be willing to act when it is time to act. we cannot concede the moral authority of the nation to multilateral debating society. >> vfw officials declined our request for interview but we may see the administration of the rivalry with the american legion which president obama will address tomorrow. commanderer uebank's criticism may not help him win presidential appearance in future years. a week ago when eubanks lashed out at president obama he also lashed out at perry. he said perry's presidential campaign does not provide him excuse for bad manners and warned the vfw will rob both men but it didn't work with the commander in chief. >> shannon: wendell goler live at the white house. thank you. we will show you how some of your money is paying people to do absolutely nothing later in the grapevine. but first, libyan rebels announced what they will and will not do with the man who blew up an airlineer 23 years ago. >> shannon: checking international headlines iran nuclear chief saids the country would not stop enriching uranium. they demanded end to the process fearing iran could make fuel for a weapon and iran denies any such plan and says it meets material for the medical research reactor. activists in syria say government troop pursuit protesters and the demonstrations continue despite what many consider brutal crackdown on dissent. libyan rebels are asking nato to keep up pressure on premnant of gaddafi's regime. there is pressure on rebels to turn over the lockerbie bom bomber. steve harrigan has the latest from tripoli just after midnight. good morning. >> several members of gaddafi's immediate family one daughter and two sons crossed over the boarder to algeria, according to algerian officials and it happened as both sides prefair for a major battle along the coast. >> what could be final battle with several thousand gaddafi loyalists is shaping up in the home city of sert. they are approaching from three directions. they are waiting for nato war plane to knock out any scud missile launchers in the ars nel. so far no, credible intelligence has been made public. rebels solidified control over tripoli. gun battles trick ailway. for now, the taps are dry. gasoline has driven to $20 a gallon. another problem is what to do about the lockerbie bomber abdelbaset al-megrahi. released on compassionate charges two years ago. he says he is dying of cancer, slipping in and out of a coma. extra division, the new got says is out of the question. >> is it a rule of law you can't take someone to court twice for the same crime. >> so far no, major report of reprisal killing but tremendous number of weapons are in the hands of young undisciplined force. >> establishing a police force from scratch is a major channel for the government. back to you. >> shannon: steve, thank you very much. problem with the russia space leader forcing changes high above the earth. nasa says astronauts on the international space station may need to come home this fall. chief washington correspondent james rosen tells us why. >> cruising 240 miles above the earth, the international space station may be lonelyer place than usual. aum six may be forced to return to earth by mid-november to leave the low-orbiting facility unmanned until russia reactivates the fleet of the vehicles. >> wednesday, this rocket plummeted to earth 5-1/2 minutes after liftoff. >> incredible view. >> today, nasa predicted little adverse impact from the temporary abandonment except for the possibility two critical systems might fail and no one would be around to fix them. >> it's designed for one failure and a backup spring to administration. >> while russia determine what is went wrong, two lifeboats are docked at the station ready to return the human cargo to earth. nas is extenting it for three. the three remaining crew members including a japanese astronaut will likely take advantage of their last scheduled ride to earth on november 16. >> we prefer not to operate in that position without a crew on board. >> if the space station is left unmanned this fall, the first time no astronauts have been aboard since the first crew arrived in 2000. in washington, james rosen, fox news. >> shannon: the u.s. taken out another major al-qaeda leader. al-rakman was killed in a drone attack last week in the war zyr stan area of pakistan. he had been the second in command since usama bin laden's death in may. they say al rahman will be difficult to replace. japan decided on a new prime minister. finance minister was elected the head of the ruling party today and will become japan's sixth prime minister in the last five years. he inherits economy in 20-year slide. ongoing nuclear crisis and recover from last spring earthquake and tsunami. still ahead, $20 million to create 14 jobs you paid for it first, the big fight in the republican party about let me tell you about a very important phone call i made. when i got my medicare card, i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement insurance card, too. medicare is one of the great things about turning 65, but it doesn't cover everything. in fact, it only pays up to 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare, call now to find out how an aarp... medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, helps cover some of the medical expenses... not paid by medicare part b. that can save you from paying up to thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endorsed by aarp. when you call now, you'll get this free information kit... with all you need to enroll. put their trust in aarp medicare supplement insurance. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. the prices are competitive. i can keep my own doctor. and i don't need a referral to see a specialist. call now to get a free information kit. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. and the advantages don't end there. choose from a range of medicare supplement plans... that are all competitively priced. we have a plan for almost everyone, so you can find one that fits your needs and budget. with all medicare supplement plans, there are virtually no claim forms to fill out. plus you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts medicare. and best of all, these plans are... the only medicare supplement plans endorsed by aarp. when they told me these plans were endorsed by aarp... i had only one thing to say... sign me up. call the number on your screen now... and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. you'll get this free information kit... and guide to understanding medicare, to help you choose the plan that's right for you. as with all medicare supplement plans, you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts medicare, get help paying for what medicare doesn't... and save up to thousands of dollars. call this toll-free number now. >> shannon: republican leaders are dealing with parties that want to do exactly that and we report on a big fight over the campaign calendar. >> the first test of 2012 is less than ten months from now. the national committee calendar puts the caucus on the 6th. then the caucus on the 18. south carolina first in the south primary is 28. the rnc rule prohibits states voting before march 6 or they lose half nominating delegate. nine states scheduled so far. the rnc has banned winner take all contest throughout march. instead, all delegates will be allocated proportionately under rules left to the state. two important swing state, arizona and florida rebel against the new rnc rule and calendar and are voting early for greater impact. led by governor jan brewer, republicans have been eyeing january 31 for the primary. they are required to announce it 150 days in advance to make the deadline for september 2. this friday. florida republicans are watching closely and determined to volt fifth after new hampshire, south carolina. florida confidented attention and influence of early primary date for decades. next year will host the republican national convention in tampa. florida has a critical role, start to finish in the proprocess. that is the logic behind putting us up earlier in the process, despite what the rnc calendar looks like. >> state law, they must have a panel to set primary date in the next few weeks but they are waiting to see what arizona does first. if they forfeit that have delicates for violating the rules florida is expected to jump in as well. south carolina to keep the first southern primary would land on or around january 24. that would push nevada caucus to saturday 21 or thereabouts. new hampshire first in the nation primary would shift to january 10. that would land lead-off ku cusses in iowa on january 2. the states are supposed to timize the calendar with the rnc by october 1. iowa an new hampshire will wait until every other state lockelocked in the date before y announce their own. for years, they said if they have to vote before christmas they will. get the shopping done early. >> shannon: thank you, carl. >> mark wilson says he will run for the seat that is going to be vacated by kohl. many other candidates are expected. a federal judge temporarily blocked enforcement of alabama's new immigration law. it won't go in to effect thursday. the judge needs more time to consider legal challenges by the justice department and others. promising a ruling by september 28. the federal judge in san francisco hearing arguments whether to unseal video of last year's trial concerning the constitutionality of the same-sex marriage ban. lawyers want reporting made public. attorney for banned supporters do not. that ended with the judge declaring the law banning same-sex marriage unconstitutional. al gore takes a crew said against global warming skeptics to a new level. you want to hear what he is saying now next in the grapevine. you are paying millions in tax money for postal worker toes do absolutely nothing. nationwide insurance, what's up ? what's vanishing deductible all about ? guys, it's demonstration time. let's blow carl's mind. okay, let's say i'm your insurance deductle. every year you don't have an accident, $100 vanishes. the next year, another $100. where am i going, carl ? the next year... that was weird. but awesome ! ♪ nationwide is on your side >> shannon: now fresh picks from the political grapevine. taxpayers were on the hook for $4 million in the first half of the year to pay postal workers to do nothing. audit showed standby time where they're paid and not having anything to do totaled 170,000 hours but that is down from 2009 when they cost the government $31 million. the postal service expects to lose $7 billion this year. al gore is comparing climate change skeptics to racists in the civil rights movement. we still have racism, god knows but it's different now and so much better. we have to win the conversation on climate in some quarters, it has become almost politically incorrect to use the word. >> gore says politicians denying global warming are part of organized effort against the entire scientific community. finally we know vladimir putin isn't shy when it comes to publicity stunt so it should be no surprise when a doctor asked russian prime minister about his knelt a tour of a hospital, putin quickly stripped down to have the doctor check out what he called nagging shoulder injury. we have seen him take off his shirt in a variety of photo shop, perhaps to boost his macho image ahead of next year's presidential election. our top story at the bottom of the hour, clean-up from hurricane irene is under way along the east coast. at least 37 people died in the storm, six in new jersey. 600,000 people there are without power. mike tobin has more. >> of the hundreds of thousands of people without power, significant portion are in new jersey. some of the houses are in the floodwater. because of that, some cases the pow ker not be turned on because the breaking boxes are wet. rescues were the order of the day. hundreds of rescues were executed throughout the day. people who were ra mooned in the upper floor of their home because floodwaters were below plucked out of there. mostly by truck, but sometimes by boat or health. as we speak, there are familiefamilies that refuse to e the upper floors of the home. one man got out just in time. after he took his wife and two dogs to safety, the house blew up from a gas line that was leaking. that house is still burning as we speak because of the floodwaters. the fire crews cannot get big equipment or hoses to douse that particular fire. new jersey boosts the largest transit system but at the moment it doesn't work because the big train station in trenton is under four feet of water. there has been a lot of talk that the media or government overhyped the ferocity of this storm. all the people in this area say tell that to somebody in a flooded-out house. >> shannon: excellent point. mike tobin on the scene in new jersey. nuclear regulatory commission is sending inspection team to a plant in virginia to assess the effect of last week's earthquake. the magnitude 5.8 quake centered near there and they determined the ground motion may have been stronger than the facility was designed to withstand without damage. the plant has been offline since the quake. sticking with energy, government made a chunk of money available for people to make homes energy efficient. correspondent dan springer reports from seattle things are not going according to plan. >> reporter: this home is undergoing retrofit to save energy and taking advantage of stimulus program. he is practically alone. seattle got $20 million grant, one year in the program, only three homes have had upgrades and 14 jobs created. the city officials promised 2,000 new jobs. >> the job are not there they are training people for jobs that don't exist. once the money runs out. >> seattle is not alone getting a slow start. michigan added or retained 15 jobs. kansas city, 18. phoenix, 24. portland is leading with 91 full-time workers. the goal of the $408 million is 131,000 retrofit. 31,000 jobs created. third of the way through the program, jobs are scarceed and 9,000 buildings have been weatherized. seattle's mayor says it's too early to call at it failure. >> we may adjust how we market it. at the beginning, we say i need product development. this did, too. >> contractors doing installation to new appliances accuse the city of erecting barriers. companies are required to pay double prevailing wage for workers, provide benefit and hire from city sponsored training program. >> other cities are interested in reducing the energy usage, the city of seattle is interested in creating career jobs and using energy program to do that. >> department of energy issued statement it's please pleaseed h the progress. they are on track to save thousands of homeowners money on the utility bills. in seattle, dan springer, fox news. >> shannon: hurricane katrinhurricane irenehave come . the all-stars talk about the > fema has been around since 1978 and has one of the worst reputations for bureaucracy ever. i win elections because i fight for the constituents to overcome bureaucracy. you have can't imagine how many calls we get because fema is getting in the way and they can't get the check or the bail-out. >> fugate, janet napolitano and president obama have been excellent and with us since day one. before the stam arrived they were here. it worked really, really well. this is a much better fema than olden days. >> shannon:dy jury gent opinions coming from a fan and foe of fema. bring in the team to talk about. bill kristol, editor of "weekly standard." mara liasson of national public radio. and syndicated columnist charles krauthammer. we report all of you kept your power and is safe and sound from the storm. good news there. let's talk about the issue of fema. it's time for those who are not happy with it to say listen, they will look good in the wake of the storm but there is criticism to be had is this a time to play politics with the issue? >> no. when someone says is this the time to play politics? the right answer is to say no. i don't know how effective fema is. watching the coverage of this is something argued about in katrina. which was a terrible outcome. there was fingerpointing and lam casting. what struck me is how secondary the role of fema is. the governors were making decision, mayor making decisions, mayor bloomberg. it's clear when you look at it that fema plays a secondary and supportive role. in that respect, the bush administration, years ago blameed so badly was probably more right than wrong, at least the first reaction to katrina to say they were so much more dependent on what the mayor and did rather than federal government. >> shannon: fema officials emphasize throughout the weekend the state and local governments were doing the heavy lifting and an umbrella coordinating things. the president called on them to be involved. there is an issue whether they have to money to do what they need to do. let's listen to the input on that today. >> we knew going in the end of the fiscal year we'd get close to a point we have to look at the community needs funding at some point. the goal is respond to the disasters and maintain reserves for new disasters until we get to the next fiscal year. >> the house acted and funded $1 billion for additional disaster relief money. that money has been offset by savings elsewhere. >> shannon: so can't can't can't siz they have done their job. but lays this at the feet of the senate if there is not money there. >> in the big debate, fundamental debate we'll have about the role of government and how bloated government is and where we should cut it back. fema with the exception of ron paul is a basic function of government. most conservatives would say the federal government should have coordinating responsibility for disasters. as eric cantor saide, he is not slashing fema. he just wants to offset it with cuts elsewhere. in general, fema got good reviews. memory of katrina is sered in the memory of every politician of america. and president obama made sewer his fema would be up to the job. i think they will be funded to the extent they need it. >> shannon: controversy arose today. we think back a few months to joplin, missouri, the tornado that wiped out a third of the town. there were some suggests that money would be diverted to help folks out with the immediate needs of hurricane irene. fugate administrator for fema talked about that and said individual assistance is not going away. we'll help those with needs in joplin and big procedure jects. like roads and schools. that money may be averted. a lot of reaction. senator blunt had this to say. recovery from hurricane damage on the khost must not come at the rebuilding effort. if fema can't fulfill its prom to our state because of other disasters that is unacceptable and we need to look at how the disaster policies are funded and implemented. how do they sol tv crisis? >> he is wrong to imply it's favoring one region over another. what fema is doing is favoring the media disaster over the remote one. the remote would be involves infrastructure which you can delay for a wile without affecting immediate lives. if someone lost a house or need shelter, you can't put a delay on that. it makes sense. apparently this kind of shifting from the long range infrastructure to immediate happened in previous years. this is the way you would expect it to operate. it's a mistake for republicans to make too much of a case to look for the offsetting cuts. if there is extra money required for pima. in principle, of course, yes. this but this is an election season. if republicans don't want to feed in stereotype of a party that cares only about the numbers and the budget and not about the suffering americans it would be wise to not do anything to threaten increase right now. have the argument later. >> shannon: some the language used by the white house. others in the administration struck people as odd because it referred to the federal families. response to irene. it didn't say government. did it strike anybody as odd "federal family"? >> nothing strikes me as odd anymore. after $800 stimulus and obamacare. we're just one happy family. the president came back early from martha's vineyard. it reassured me to see him at the fema headquarters personally managing all of these things. a little ridiculous, frankly. but after katrina, it's, no president is going to not look as if he is totally on top of this. personally hands on. managing the emergency. the president looks -- deserves credit. look how much milder irene was. what more does president obama campaign have to say? >> shannon: not making any links. >> this president has had share of bad breaks and bad luck. natural disasters are are an ironfy of politics. if you handle it well, you don't get a bump but if you handle it badly, your numbers can fall. it's not extraordinary thing to provide emergency response. but if you fail to do that, as with president bush, you are really hurt. >> you watch him in the middle of the desk at noa in the middle of the hurricane what is he doing? i know you are not supposed to ask that. the pictures speak for itself but you wonder what extraordinary intellectual powers is he applying. on the night he won the nomination in 2008 he promised that night would be remembered as a night the earth began to heal. the rise of the ocean to slow. so he at least was fulfilling a campaign promise. slowed the rise of the ocean. >> shannon: if he can turn it in to an ad, he will have to credit you. >> unlikely source. >> shannon: stick around. next up, the 2012 campaign shifts. we want to hear from you. vote in our online poll. the home page at foxnews.com/specialreport. we'll have results of thi right now we're working with each state to mange sure they're in compliance with the rules that the rnc and dnc set forth. i think right now, everything is going as planned. >> florida has a critical role, start to finish. that's the logic behind putting us up in the process despite what the rnc calendar looks like. >> shannon: florida is one of the state asking about moving up. we have asked you should iowa and new hampshire go first in the presidential primary season? 56% of you say no. 44% say yes. talk about it with the panel. what do you think? >> iowa and new hampshire are always going to go first, regardless of whether people think they should. they have enshrineed their first in the nation spot. if everybody else moves up, they will go in 2011 if they have to, by state law. >> it will push iowa and new hampshire earlier tonight. for most people covering politics we like it. it happens in february. it's orderly. ideas how to reform the primary process. one of my favorite after the first four guys you have rotating series of four regional primaries. super tuesdays. that didn't catch on. >> florida and arizona talk about it. it's deterrent. >> anything could threaten that. no one won the nomination without winning either iowa and new hampshire since beginning of the modern system. if you bring two of the three, you will be the nominee. florida is saying what about us? every other state is saying what about us? maybe we'll have a long spread out process, candidates stay in, obama and clinton like democratic side in 2008 but a good thing to be citizen of iowa or new hampshire. >> shannon: who do you think stands to stay or lose if the candidates do a different schedule? >> michigan is making noises about going early. mitt romney has family history, it might help him. not sure if it helps one or the other but an amazing demonstration of how weak the national parties are in america. they have one major function. select delicates to dominate a candidate. they can't control the calendar. this is insurrection. this is 1861 all over again. if the parties want to exercise influence, and deterrents they ought to remove all the delegates. not half. all of it. like it's a beauty contest. of course people count on in the fact in the end with the winning candidate, extend a pardon to the state. that disobeyed and will allow the delegates. earlier on in the process, before you have obvious winning candidate, it could be factor. strip of all the delegates and see if it works. >> shannon: stern parent. >> as charles suggest if michigan gets in with a change, possibly benefiting romney. with arizona and florida change, does it benefit any particular. >> i don't know if michigan benefits romney anymore. some of the polls have not shown him ahead. this is a race that is so close, it's beginning to resemble 2008. you have two giants like obama and hillary were. you have romney and perry. this is a huge battle. it's unclear what form it will take. tea party insurrection, state rights, conservative against moderate businessman? establishment republican? i don't know. great battle. >> shannon: you're shaking your head. >> interesting race. i would say what strikes me the most, big develop in the the past two or three weeks, rick perry began his campaign three weeks ago and is now comfortably ahead in national republican polls and is ahead in the polls in iowa. if you were ahead if the national poll and iowa poll, in the past, you have won the nomination. either party. if i were in the romney campaign, think hard about sending some of the money he raised to nick at rick perry. i'd think about competing in iowa. do not think romney can sit back and let perry muscle inside the conservatives in iowa. i think it has to happen. he will now compete in iowa perry, if no one else gets in the race it could become an interesting two-person race. >> shannon: a lot of time left. thank you for weighing in on that. that's if it for panel. stay tuned. a busy weekend for reporters in element braving hurricane irene to bring you the news. some of them had company out there. let me tell you about a very important phone call i made. when i got my medicare card, i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement insurance card, too. medicare is one of the great things about turning 65, but it doesn't cover everything. in fact, it only pays up to 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare, call now to find out how an aarp... medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, helps cover some of the medical expenses... not paid by medicare part b. that can save you from paying up to thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endorsed by aarp. when you call now, you'll get this free information kit... with all you need to enroll. put their trust in aarp medicare supplement insurance. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. the prices are competitive. i can keep my own doctor. and i don't need a referral to see a specialist. call now to get a free information kit. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. and the advantages don't end there. choose from a range of medicare supplement plans... that are all competitively priced. we have a plan for almost everyone, so you can find one that fits your needs and budget. with all medicare supplement plans, there are virtually no claim forms to fill out. plus you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts medicare. and best of all, these plans are... the only medicare supplement plans endorsed by aarp. when they told me these plans were endorsed by aarp... i had only one thing to say... sign me up. call the number on your screen now... and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. you'll get this free information kit... and guide to understanding medicare, to help you choose the plan that's right for you. as with all medicare supplement plans, you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts medicare, get help paying for what medicare doesn't... and save up to thousands of dollars. call this toll-free number now. >> shannon: finally tonight, almost every reporter out there has covered a hurricane or snowstorm that we tell the viewer to stay safely at home. sometimes folks just don't listen.