merrick garland is 63 years old. you don't usually see that. it would shorten the time he would serve in the supreme court if he were confirmed. the white house seems to say this is the guy who is the least possible controversial pick there is. if you reject merrick garland, this proves your playing politics. mitch mcconnell and other republicans see no political risk in this fight. they see this as something that is crucial to their base. isn't that so? >> absolutely. i think if mitch mcconnell, if he allowed a vote on merrick garland's nomination, he would be seen as betraying the republican base. i don't understand why they would allow that if they have the power not. >> zach wolf, thank you. >>> deadly flooding hitting the south and it's not over yet. we will give you the forecast coming up next. whewhat does it look like?ss, is it becoming a better professor by being a more adventurous student? is it one day giving your daughter the opportunity she deserves? is it finally witnessing all the artistic wonders of the natural world? whatever y

enrique: el presidente obama nominÓ al juez merrick garland con el fin de reemplazar al recientemente fallecido antonin scalia, adelantÓ que no pretende discutir y votar la designaciÓn garland durante un aÑo electoral, Ácido calificado una de las mentes legales de su generaciÓn. ilia: abogados del chapo guzmÁn presentaron queja alega que autoridades penitenciarias no cumplido ninguno de los acuerdos para cuidar la salud del chapo la cual continÚa debilitÁndose. jessica: la defensa del chapo guzmÁn acusará penalmente las autoridades carcelarias mexicanas de homicidio por tortura en caso de que su defendido pierda la vida en el penal del altiplano. la jueza por presentada ante un juez mexicano. se responsabiliza al director del altiplano como autor material de la muerte del capo si Ésta ocurre se aceptÓ que la defensa estÁ armando un frente para acusar a los funcionarios >>tener un acuerdo entre la defensa, entre todos los defensores para fincar responsabilidades. jessica: esposa de guzmÁn loera, ema coronel lo visitaron en la cÁrcel de máxima seguridad, lo vieron muy ma

on the same day that merrick garland held his first meeting tuesday with a republican senator, mark kirk of illinois, the court announced the first major decision that ended in a tie since the death of justice scalia. it leaves a lower court ruling in tact, a victory for unions representing public employees. >>> now new findings out this morning on car head lights that could explain why you have trouble seeing when you drive at night. willie has ha stothat story. >> good morning. how well do your head lights work? according to a study of midsized cars, the answer is, not so well. >> reporter: of the more than 30 midsized cars rated in the study, only one was rated good. the top trim level toyota prius v, with enhanced lighting, enough to see a pedestrian or any obstacle up to 387 feet away. giving a vehicle traveling up to 70 miles per hour time to stop. according to the study released today by the insurance institute for highway safety, out of the remaining vehicles, about 1/3 were rated acceptable. 1/3, marginal. 1/3, poor. >> turns out that head lights aren't performing as well as the

. >> senator pat toomey agreed to meet with merrick garland. toomey agreed to sit down with president obama's choice. however, toomey says not too look into his decision to sit down with judge garland. he plans to tell garland that the senate has no plans to fill the late justice scalia's vacant seats. >>> switching gears now. nova nation getting fired up. wildcats take on miami in the sweet 16. >> john clark live in louisville as part of our team coverage. >> reporter: i'll tell you what, villanova is one of the most dangerous teams in the tournament now. look at it, they won their first two games by a combined 49 points. they're shooting over 58%. that's the best in the tournament. they've made the most three-pointers. they are hot right now facing miami. take a look at the cats practicing today at kfc yum! center and the cats love being in the sweet 16 but want to taste more. they want to make the elite eight for the third time under jay wright. jay wright today says this team is really hungry and they're facing a very good miami team. so i

the president's supreme court nominee merrick garland goes to capitol hill. he is beginning to have the sit down meetings with senators. at this point, none has been with republicans. there are seven senate republicans, including the senate judiciary committee chairman chuck grassley up for re-election. he is now saying he is willing to sit down with garland, but they will reiterate they will not consider him as a nominee or any nominee for that matter right now. the white house believes there is a chance that some vulnerable republicans could be won over and public pressure will be strong. the white house is using twitter and special hash tags. the president had a special phone call with progressives. he urged them to get out and get their voices heard and work on this to show that garland should have a fair shot. it is strange. on the one hand, republicans are saying i don't know why we're talking about this. we made it clear we are not holding hearings. the white house expressing confidence the nominee will ultimately be confirmed. it will boil down to wha

. >> senate majority leader mitch mcconnell says judge merrick garland won't get a hearing or a vote. the white house argues the senate should do its job, not wait until after the election. today mcconnell and mcdonough face off. on "fox news sunday." plus, governor john kasich wins his home state of ohio and vows to press on in his campaign for president. >> you better believe it's about america. it's about pulling us together, not pulling us apart. >> we'll ask the gop candidate what's his path to the nomination? amist talk of a con tegs. amidst talk of a convention. plus we'll ask about the plan to stop trump. and our power players of the week, baby bald eagles steal the spotlight, all right now on "fox news sunday." hello again from fox news in washington. we begin with the capture and questioning of most wanted man in europe believed to be the sole fugitive from the paris massacre that killed 130 people in a a moment we'll get reaction from the white house chief of staff denis mcdonough this week and mitch mcconnell is standing by on that. but first, let's bring in fox news corre

were you surprised with the choice of merrick garland? >> i was. i thought he would pick someone with a more political advantage to the democratic party. he picked someone 63 years old. not someone who is going to rally the troops, but someone who is qualified to be on the supreme court. he took off the table for the republicans any argument for whether he is qualified. the republicans have the argument that this is too important. >> we don't want this person. it's all about that, right? >> that's what the people have to decide, whether that's legitimate argument or not. >> it's not just the white house saying this guy is incredibly qualified. republicans themselves have said he is incredibly qualified. let me play a clip of republicans saying this at prior nominations. >> based on his qualifications, i support the nomination of mr. garland and i encourage my colleagues to do the same. >> i believe mr. garland is well qualified for the court of appeals. >> i can find no fault with the person the president has put forward. >> democrats said similar

president obama announced merrick garland as his pick for the supreme court. the question becomes, will the senate hold a confirmation hearing for him. republican senators have said that they would not until the next president is elected. >>> i'm rosemary connors in north philly, students are remembering a classmate who died of bacterial benin gimeningitis. they released balloons into the sky for his memory. >>> we now know that pennsylvania governor tomorrow wolf plans to treat prostrate cancer with radioactive seeds. doctors insert seeds near the cancer and they release radiation to kill cancer cells but spare healthy tissue. wolf will continue with his regular schedule and duties. >>> sounds you make when you eat could help you lose weight. >> we'll explain that new discovery, next. >>> the change you can expect on your instagram feed. >>> all new on nbc 10 news at 5:00, local teachers prepared to strike within days. why the district they work for says their actions might be illegal. lemme get a mcpick 2. check out the fresh new look on mcdonald's mcpick 2

merrick garland was welcomed by democratic senators but republican leaders do not plan to hold a confirmation hearing or a vote. they want that left to the next president. but some on both sides of the aisle say that could be a risky move. >> i would rather have a less liberal nominee like merrick garland than a nominee that hillary clinton, if she were president, would put forward. >> their failure to do their job and give judge garland the consideration he deserves ties them to trump in a way they cannot untangle. >> a few senate republicans have agreed to meet with garland but majority leader mitch mcconnell is not one of them. >>> coming up a pro soccer team coming to san francisco. >> it's exciting to bring what's called the beautiful game to our beautiful city. >> the plan to bring a professional team to a former home of the 49ers. >>> professional soccer team is coming to san francisco and it's set to play its games at kezar stadium, the first home of the 49ers. >> final approval was given to the plan. as rob roth tells us, some folks who live near kezar stadium are worried about traff

illinois senator mark kirk is set to become the first republican senator to meet with merrick garland today. according to a running count by nbc news, 16 republican senators say they will meet with garland. that's over 25% of the gop caucus. this after kirk shook a shot at his republican colleagues for refusing to hold a hearing and vote on garland. president obama selected the 63-year-old to replace the late antonin scalia who died in texas last month. >>> it might soon be harder for police to get access to your welcome aboard my starship. ahoy, mateys! it's full of things i love... like me brave crew... and my fellow space adventures and free of things i don't. like aliens. just like eye patches. and when it's time to refuel, i eat chex cereal. it's full of stuff we pirates need. no artificial flavors, and it's gluten-free. excelsior! eat up, me hearties! keep it down! i'm exploring the galaxy. arrrr, that's not even a real spaceship. >>> it may be more difficult for law enforcement to access your e-mails. members of congress are hoping loophole it would require a warrant to look at

garland. it hurts americans's faith in government. man mu is hive with this. >> republicans are showing absolutely no willingness. no hearings, no votes. not until there is a new president. the one area where there is some convention is whether to even meet with merit garland. a handful of gop senators will meet with garland. they say it doesn't mean there will be any movement on his nomination. yesterday i spoke with chuck grassly. he said this to say. >> if i can meet with a dictator in uganda, i can surely meet with a decent person in america. >> now, the white house and senate democrats have started their first space of a furious public realizes push. the president plans to be very visible during this fight. he spoke to npr and said he was "pruz "puzzled." watch for this intensifying fight to head to battle ground states next week when the senate begins a two-week recess. >> we have breaking news to tell you about. this out of north korea and its latest response to u.s. sanctions. pyongyan

. >> mel, thanks for that update.d supreme court nominee judgeudge merrick garland will visit thele hilda and meet with two leading democrats senate minority leadel harry read and patrick lee hay.h president obama named himama nam yesterday a former prosecutorroo and he is considered to be adetb moderate.te this is the start of what will w likely be months of talks nowow between garland and republicansp who have said he will not getubt hearing and he probably will nol get confirm. >> this president will not fillt this vacancy.an the senate will not confirm this nominee.e >> the goal in this nomination is to get a fifth solid liberalb vote to join the four liberalsor on the court. >> garland oversaw some of the e biggest investigation during the clinton era like the oklahoma om city bomb and the union bomberor case.ca >>> chief judge for the u.s.e f. district court in d.c. is retiring a mid a sex scandal. being sued by utah woman whotahn says he sexually assaulted herer decades ago.. fox5's annie yu joins us lives with more on this story.s sto annie >> reporter: good morning to g all of yo

circuit court judge merrick garland to the supreme court. "i can't win anything this week," screamed jojo from "the bachelor." [ laughter ] today president barack obama nominated judge merrick garland to be the nation's 113th supreme court justice. a lot of you out there probably don't know much about judge garland, so to help you out, it's time for a segment called "getting to know judge marrick garland." >> seth: he's currently the chief judge of the u.s. court of appeals in the district of columbia. he graduated as valedictorian from harvard university. he was born in chicago, illinois. those are some pretty generic and found several more interesting things about him. he's fully licensed to own and operate a gavel. merrick is short for america. [ laughter ] he remoistens his eyeballs regularly through a process called blinking. he once attended law school. his friends describe him as judgmental. an easy way to remember his name is to think of a delicious eric. mmm, eric! [ light laughter ] he was also nominated by his wife to take out the

senator mark kirk of illinois the first republican to sit down with merrick garland after party leaders vowed to hold no hearings and no vote until a new president is elected. >> i'm showing what a rational, responsible guy would do. >> and telling news radio she will meet with garland too. >> there are some that are unhappy with me. this is just a solemn responsibility. >> and they believe the democrats can force it to the senate floor telling role call i don't know if they can keep republicans from having a vote. >> there is no precedence for this, to be the state of the court for a year or year and a half with only eight members. >> there is only two split decisions following anthony scalia deaths, the 4-4 vote in a union case. >> it's time for individual rights to be placed above the rights of the powerful unions. frederick is argues she should not be forced to pay fees to a union she does not want to join. >> it seemed they would rule 5-4 in fredericks favor. but now it favors the union with the 4-4 split. >>> it's time now for the "action news" traffic report. lets swing it to mat

earler why this month president obama nominate merrick garland and republicans are not meeting with him. >>> carline spencer is loading up water and wipes and driving them no flint, michigan, all the items were collected through newcastle county. spencer says it's important to help families in need. >> they have been dealt a hand that they did not deserve. they didn't do anything to deserve the position they have been put in. this is a tangible thing we can do. >> spencer says she wants to teach her kids about humanitarian work. >>> there is more ahead on "action news" at 12:30, mike cost shuts down a chat bot after it turns racist. and why the jury gave hulk hogan more than he was asking for. when "action news" comes right back. >>> a notorious bosnia serb leader is sentenced to prison for being responsible for genocide, they said he was the mastermind of the siege of sar you've oh with many people died. the worst mass killing in europe since world war ii. >>> president obama is using his last day in argentina to make a mends. thousands of people died or went missing following a 1976 c

supreme court nominee merrick garland. he says the seat should remain vacant till next year, but he agreed to meet judge garland, quote, "out of courtesy and respect for both the president and the judge." other republican senators facing tight reelection races have said they are open to meeting garland. a-rod willorting step away from the game when his contract expires. of three otherup players who have hit a home run before they turned 20 and after they turned 40 just last year. local news -- global news powered by our 2400 journalists in more than 140 news bureaus around the world. betty: a new report coming out from pimco, reducing their outlook for growth in 2016. simplified measures are becoming increasingly ineffective. earlier, we talked exclusively with james miller, who says there is only so much central banks can do -- james bullard, who says there is only so much central banks can do. james: there is a business cycle. monetaryn a good policy, there is a business cycle, but it is not as big. it is driven by facto

merrick fp garland was confirmed in 1997. after at that time seven republican senators still sitting in the sonar, those seven senators actually voted for merrick garland, including senator orrin hatch, who had this to say about him, talking about merrick garland in 1997. >> based on his qualifications, i support the nomination of mr. garland, and i encourage my colleagues to do the same. to my knowledge, no one, absolutely no one disputes the following -- merrick garland is highly qualified to sit on the d.c. circuit. his intelligence and scholarship cannot be questioned. >> now, hatch has said that things have changed now. he put out a statement saying really agreeing with senator mcconnell, and chuck grassley, saying i think highly of judge garland, but his nomination doesn't in any way change current circumstances. those circumstances being that the republicans just will not consider a nominee, no matter who he is. some is republicans in touch reelection races will feel a lot of pressure, mark crook, the illinois republic

caroline shiley has more, of the judge, judge merrick garland and how the senate is responding. >> reporter: selecting a nominee , in the middle of an -- of a contentious presidential campaign, it is made difficult. >> today i nominate judge merrick garland to join the supreme court. 4 the rose garden ceremony, president. obama announcing his top choice to replace the late antonin scalia on the highest court. >> this is the greatest honor of my life. other than my wife agreeing to marry me. >> the white house is selling it as a consensus candidate hoping to appeal to republicans and democrats. but the gop may not buy it. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell says he thinks the next president should choose the next justice and republicans are vowing to block the nominee from getting a floor vote. >> the senate will revisit the matter when it considers the qualifications of the nominee, the next president nominates. whoever. >> who would want to accept that nomination knowing you will not be confirmed.>> reporter: scalia was a conservative voice, and lauded as a strict constitutionalist. dem

. >> right in the middle is judge merrick garland who president obama tapped as his nominee. today he begins what is going to be a long road and that road ultimately could lead nowhere. >> we get the details from abc's kenneth moton joining us from d.c. good morning, kenneth. >> reporter: good morning, kendis and reena. senate republican leaders have made it clear they will not fill the supreme court vacancy until after the november election. but that won't stop the president's nominee from marching up to capitol hill today. this morning supreme court nominee merrick garland will meet face-to-face with democratic senators but it's the republicans who control his fate. >> at a time when our politics are so polarized this is precise precisely the time to play it straight. >> reporter: it intensified the second president obama introduced his pick and the rose garden moment emotional for the >> hadthis is the greatest honor of my life other than lynn agreeing to marrying me 28 years ago. >> reporter: the harvard educated chicago native has dedicated his life to the law. a top pro

today president obama announced judge merrick garland as his nominee. garland was clearly emotional while accepting the nomination. >> fidelity to the constitution and the law has been the cornerstone of my professional life, and it is the hallmark of the kind of judge i have tried to be for the past 18 years. >> garland is currently the chief justice of the d.c. court of appeals. reaction to merrick garland's nomination has been swift including from a bay area law professor who has known him for years. ktvu's john sasaki has our report. >> reporter: uc hastings constitutional law professor rory little couldn't be happier for his friend. >> i said for awhile that merrick garland is without a doubt the best qualified guy. he's got such a long record of service and a totally transparent record. there's no skeletons in his closet. >> reporter: two men worked together under then attorney general janet reno. >> he would change the court. when the republicans say this would change the court and settle lots of social issues that are important, they're right. t

supreme court, today president obama introduced judge merrick garland as his nomination. the president is now calling on senate republicans to meet with the nominee and consider his appointment. >> republican leaders made it clear they do not plan to act. jana katsuyama here to tell us about the judge and the political battle shaping up here. >> reporter: merrick garland is 63 years old, he is considered a moderate, received praise in the past from republicans and chief justice john roberts. [ applause ] in an emotional speech, merrick garland acknowledged his family. >> thank you, mr. president. this is the greatest honor of my life. other than when my wife agreed to marry me. >> reporter: and shared what has guided him on his road from humble beginnings in chicago. to the top of his class at harvard, he made partner at a prestigious law firm but gave it up to become a print -- a federal prosecutor and a judge. >> as my parents taught me by words and deeds, life of public service is as much a gift to the person who serves as it is to those he is serving. >> reporter: gar

president obama made his case for 63-year-old merrick garland. garland appointed to the dc appeals court by president bill clinton in 1997 and confirmed by a 76-23 senate vote with bipartisan support. now the ball is in the republican's court, and they vow judge garland will not get a hearing. >> it seems clear that president obama made this nomination not, not with the intent of seeing the nominee confirmed, but in order to politicize it for purposes of the election. >> the white house asked mcconnell if he would meet with garland, but mcconnell refused. >>> judge michael donio live with his take on president obama's pick. >> a supreme court judge in new jersey and served on the atlantic county criminal decision. appointed to the court in 1995. hi served on the civil and criminal sides. he retired from the court in august 2510. >> judge, thanks for joining us. republicans quick to respond to president obama's nomination, not favorably. do you think it has a chance of going through congress? >> that's the $100 question today in washington. i hope

merrick garland would fill the seat of scalia. garland is considered a moderate. the current dean worked for him under the attorney general janet reno and says garland is not a predictable vote on the court. >> judge garland looks at each case and there is no pattern of his decisions. >> if judge garland is not confirmable nobody is. >> the republican lead senate confirmed garland 76-23 to the u.s. court of appeals for the district of columbia. >>> friends and family of sierra lamar are not giving up hope four years after her disappearance. >> the tribute they paid to the missing teenager and the new effort to bring her home. >> and riots in the streets. the bold prediction donald trump is making tonight. >> and a story you first saw from seven on your side's michael finney. the major announcement auto makers are set to make in the morning that will make the roads safer for everyone. >> i am abc7 news meteorologist sandhya patel. we have another warm winter day on tap, but changes are ahead as we get closer to the weekend. i'll tell you all about them coming up. >

david, merrick garland, what do you say about the choice? >> frankly, i think it's an excellent choice, a guy with an amazing temperament, the model of judicial restraint. he seems to be a man of both amazing integrity and capacity to be emotionally moved. so everything i hear about him is superlative. and if i'm a republican, frankly, running the senate, i think this is the best i'm going to get. if donald trump is down 15 points in the summer or fall, i would confirm this guy because hillary clinton, if she gets elected, who knows what the senate will be like, it will be from the republican view a lot worse. so i think republicans will say we'll take this guy because, from their point of view, he's a model of restraint. >> i agree and echo what david said about judge garland. judy, the knocks on him from the liberal side, a, he's a white male. you know, you have to have somebody who's -- i don't know what -- biracial or something else. >> woodruff: but he's too much of a centrist. >> and he's 63 years old, which doesn't seem old at all to

many of them going even a step further refusing to even meet with merrick garland right now. democrats are firing back at their gop colleagues and msnbc's chief correspondents ari joins us to walk us through what is going on on a thursday afternoon. some have met with him. some are not and refusing to. we have a huge fight on capitol hill. and mitch mcconnell made it clear he doesn't want to take this any further. >> a hundred percent kate. you've covered these before, as have i. the speed, heat of this debate and even the meetings themselves as you mentioned, kicking it off here to get everyone updated. mitch mcconnell on the senate floor making his point clear. take a look. >> republicans, democrats simply disagree. we simply disagree. republicans think that the people deserve a voice. the president does not. >> saying we are too close to the election, the voice will come in november and we will take it from there. here is harry reid responding. >> republicans are slamming the door on a good man, simply why? because president obama nominated him. that's how they've treated

washington appeals court judge merrick garland meeting. with the top democrats on the senate judiciary committee. majority leader mitch mcconnell says he will not meet personally with garland. he is leading a republican effort to block a hearing or confirmation vote so court vacancy can be filled by the next president. >>> the republican national committee cancelled next monday's presidential debate in salt lake city. the night before the utah caucus and arizona primary. front-runner donald trump refused to take part saying there has been enough debating and that he had a speech planned for that evening. that prompted rival john kasich to drop out as well. trump told cnn on wednesday that his supporters might riot if he is denied the republican nomination at the party's convention in july. >>> u.s. secretary of state john kerry today declared that violence by islamic state against religious minorities was genocide. kerry said the united states would do everything it could to hold the militant group accountable. in a statement he said "in m

merrick garland would be replacing justice antonin scalia, who died last month. the president scheduled to make an official announcement in about a half hour. that's coming up at 11:00 a.m. >>> checking the weather, though, right now. cloudy, showers late in the day, 62 for the high. upon the spotty showers, 47 degrees. tomorrow mostly cloudy with more rain possible near the end of the st. patrick's day parade. 66 for the high. >>> coming up next on the "today" show with kathie lee and hoda, eugene and dan levy. >> >>> it's winesday wednesday, otherwise known as st. patrick's day eve. we want to have a game of "who knew." hoda is with the crowd. ready to hand out 100 bucks to those who get it right and those who do not, that person gets a signed copy of her book, which is awesome. here with me is collin hammel, the irish artistic director of an irish theater in boston. >> pints for breakfast. >> we're going to go right over to hoda. >> what's your name? where are you from? >> linda from oakridge, tennessee. which city has been dyeing its river green for st. patri

i spoke to several people today. >> merrick garland steps in the spotlight. >> a spectacular lawyer and a terrific person to work with. >> former general counsel of the f.b.i. shapiro worked with garland in the mid-1990's when the judge was the deputy assistant attorney general in criminal department of the department of justice. >> he drills down to m he understands every aspect and nuance of an issue. >> he calls his supervision of the oklahoma city bombing case notable and inspiring. he also supervisorred the unibomber prosecution. in earlier years the judge worked on the drug case against marion berry. >> i hope that it is will -- he will be confine -- i hope something will happen in this country. >> in the upscale bethesda neighborhood the residents spoke excitedly about the president's announcement. >> i can't imagine a better person for his commitment to public service and the dedication long-term. 18 years of tutoring is a long time. >> principal considers the judge the perfect supme kellye: when asked what kind of supreme court justice he said garland would make, he said carefu

. >>> supreme court nominee merrick garland is making the rounds on capitol hill. yesterday judge garland met with harry reid and patrick leahy it may be in vain. republicans vowing not to even consider his nomination until the next president see lected. some cracks are starting to show. eight republicans would be at least open to meeting with judge garland although some say it won't change their minds. >>> and golf-ball size hail to north texas leaving a lot of broken windows in its wake. sadly tilled eight exotic birds, and a late storm dumped more than two feet of snow in the rockies. more than the town had in the past two months. >> i think it says it's the first day of spring on sunday. right? it does. >> old man winter. march can get late surprises. >> what's up? >> the northeast, the buzz, the target, are they going to get a big nor'easter to end their winter season? looks like we'll see a storm. as of yesterday, a lot of disagreement. now the models are a little more in agreement on a storm track a little more to the east. it would still have a possibility

hill.appeals court judge merrick garland will be meeting with democratic senators.republican leaders are still refusing to consider any nominee, saying the seat should be filled by the next president.but some gop senators say they will speak with him. pennsylvania is one step closer to legalizing medical marijuana use. use.in a 149 to 43 vote, the state house of representatives passed the measure.now, the bill heads back to the senate for additional review. pennsylvania governor tom wolf voiced his support for the lawmaker's efforts.he says he looks forward to the bill reaching his desk to be signed into law. wmax fullcooler out the door this morning with dry conditions means a quiet start to thursday. skies stay mostly sunny today as highs increase to 60. you will notice that winds pick up from the west this afternoon and gust up to gmts anim"you're watching good morning tri-state at 6 on 9 on your side!" massive flares at a refinery in california.witnesses say they could see the problem from miles away earlier this week...and according to official it was all because a balloon hit a

chief judge, merrick garland, from district of columbia. sri srinivasan , a judge on the same court. wall watford since on the ninth circuit court court of appeals. the republican committee is launching ad campaign that reince priebus calls the most comprehensive judicial response effort in the part's history. all right, lou, i will go to you. if we thought this election couldn't get anymore chaotic. if we thought there couldn't be more fireworks in the pyromaniac silo, what do you think will happen here? >> i think nothing. i think republicans for once are doing exactly the right thing. they are not going to hold hearings. i think they will hold the line on that. i think it is exactly the right response. the future of the republic is at hand. it is going to be determined both by the supreme court justice that this president now will not be able to get through judiciary committee on to the senate. the number of justices who will be likely replaced next year, forward through the first term of succeeding president. this is, this is for all th

garland before the presidential election. now republicans are calling for president obama, calling him lake duck and say the neck president should be able to fill the vacancy which become available the death of antonin scalia back in february. >> protesters hit the streets in cleveland ahead of the republican national convention they're worried about something they say the city is buying. what they're calling on officials to be honest about. >> these cats walking around chicago are no strays. in fact they have a very important job. what they have to do with the demolition of a hospital. >>> an robot on a mission. this gadget could soon deliver goods right to your hand. the safeguards in place to make sure this robot keeps on rolling. ♪ >>> people in parts of louisiana are lining up for food assistance following record flooding that devastated much of the region. the state department of children and family services is stabbing applications sites across the state. meantime the historic floods are impacting communities through

the obama administration says that are sticking by judge merrick garland no matter what. those republicans say they are going to do so in two weeks. >> so all splen to register for the draft by their 18th birthday but one college freshman is now you trying to change that. you will final out why she thinks women should have to we'l >> welcome back. there is one aspect that is for men. we are talking about the draft. buzz one college freshmap us now trying to change all of that. that is because she says it times for all women to step up a ang serve their country. fox talked about the lawsuit she say as she has now filed. >> elizabeth kyle labelle played softball, with went to home coming dance and made the mom so proud at graduation. now, she is all moved to the freshman dorm in bethlehem, a pretty typical teenager are, but this girl from new jersey is lass trail blazer. she thinks it is time women register nerd draft. >> and gain, i felt strongly about gern equality since was ril. >> so strongly, she is now the and suing to have women reg ter for see k willingive service l

. >>> two more meetings on the hill today for supreme court nominee merrick garland. he met with democratic senators kristin gillibrand and al franken. of the 54 republican senators, only three have said they would be open to having a hearing. at least 15 of them say they will meet with garland. democrats are urging a vote on the nominee. republicans believe the next president should fill that empty seat. >>> "first at 4," the metro shutdown earlier this mon signal more disruptions ahead. metro's general manager was at a summit with area leaders and said the system can't keep going from crisis to crisis. paul wiedefeld said there are no easy solutions. metro may have to shut down entire lines for months. adam tuss reported extended shutdowns are possible in order to let crews get in and fix some of the issues. wiedefeld is working on a plan to fix those problems. the details of which we'll be hearing about over the next few weeks. >>> now a developing story. two white minneapolis police officer will not be criminally charged in the deadly shooting of a black man. some

. >> vice president biden calling on the republican-led senate to consider judge merrick garland and give him an up or down vote. all right. so i want to say a little bit of what joe biden said about the similar situation, about the circumstances. back in 1992 on the senate yourself. >> president obama consider following the practice of a majority of his predecessors and not -- and not name a nominee election is completed. >> all right. george, this week he spoke about this. he said there is no such thing as a biden rule. but the reference to the remarks are tough for him and the administration zblment there wasn't a biden rule until republican leaders decided to take his pronouncement as cathedral somehow and worship biden's theories on this stuff. consider the case today -- this week of jerry moran. very conservative senator from a conservative state of kansas. hearings. we got 50-some senators who vote him down. they have the hearing and discuss the place of the supreme court and the american regime and then vote on it. and he's now being denounce the as a rhino, republican. >> le

what do you think of president obama's nomination of judge merrick garland for that vacancy? >> well, probably not the most progressive pick that he could have made, but i will strongly support the president's selection of justice -- of judge garland. the idea that the president should not be able to make a nomination is totally absurd. republican obstructionism just tells us what's been going on for the last seven years. i will do everything i can to see that there is hearings, that a vote takes place and that garland becomes seated on the supreme court. >> one of the things that has been one of the most compelling story lines and evolving things we've learned about president obama over the time he's been in office is to watch how he has responded to republican obstructionism, whether he has, you know, continuesed to expect them to cave or whether he's been optimistic or pessimistic about these things. i don't know where you are on that score, do you actually think the republicans on an issue like this will eventually cave, that they'll eventually do the right thing or is th

there are at least three republican senators who are saying judge merrick garland should get at least a hearing. >>> the battle between the two top republican presidential candidates over their wives is turning even nastier. the latest escalation came after trump tweeted a picture of both women side by side. here's abc's lauren lyster. >> reporter: a political campaign war over wives, all beginning with this old photo of melania trump in "gq" magazine from her former modeling days as seen in an ad released by a pro-cruz super pac attacking donald trump. trump then blaming cruz for the ad posting on twitter, be careful, lyin' ted or i will spill the beans on your wife. the war of words escalating from there. cruz telling "gma" trump should stay away from his spouse, heidi. >> for donald, she is way out of his league. if he wants to get in a character fight, he should stick with me. >> reporter: trump defending his actions on fox business. >> i wrote, i said, be careful because otherwise i'll have to start talking about, you know, your situation. now, do i like doing that? no. >> report

merrick garland would fill the seat left vacant by antonin scalia. republican majority leader senator mitch mcconnell vowed not to hold confirmation hearings until after president obama leaves office. but senator harry reid thinks that's an empty threat. he tweeted, no question in my mind that senator mcconnell will cave and president obama will fill this vacancy this year. >>> police have found a van that was stolen from a family. hear from them in a live report on "abc7 news" at 5:00. >>> two san francisco men have been sentenced to decades in prison for the 2009 murder of a tourist in san francisco. the victim's father, who works in afghanistan, flew in for the sentencing. he talked to eric thomas, who is live with the latest. >> reporter: it's taken a year and a half to bring this case to resolution. a tourist murdered for $50 and a cell phone by men police call gang members and the victim's father flying halfway around the world to make sure justice was done. the man on the left got 44 years to life for his role in the killing of michael bailey.

and president's nominee of merrick garland. would senator cruz typically support him if there wasn't someone under foot? >> that is further down the road than i'm prepared to answer. i haven't talked to ted since the announcement. he previously committed to stick with his republican colleagues in the tradition the democrats have set of letting the american people have a say on the next supreme court justice by holding it off for the next president. i don't think, frankly, there's enough information out there yet on this particular judge to answer your sort of deeper level question and frankly, we're not prepared to do that because ted has staked out a position with his republican colleagues of holding off and withholding their consent until after the american people speak in the november election. and nobody is better prepared for exactly those kind of appointments than a person who was chief justice's clerk. who argued before the supreme court nine times and submitted 80 briefs and has been the primary defender of the constitu

guy, the coverage hpresident obama picked a moderate, merrick garland. republicans wasn't even give him a hearing. >> it does. although the thing that strikes me most about the coverage of this story is how muted it is compared to what i think it normally would be in a political cycle like. this i think if n. any presidential campaign except for this one, a supreme court vacancy and appointment by the president by a lame duck president would be a blockbuster. it would dominate. it's like a second or third level story because of the trump factor certainly and also i think the timing of the ncaa tournament, americans just aren't tuning into this the way they might in a normal circumstance. >> wow. blown out by march madness. do you see much of this in the coverage? democrats and republicans are both hypocritical on this position. they change positions on which party controls the white house. >> i just want to point out guy's position that this is muted. it's far from muted. what's going on here, if you compare the bork nomination to july 1st of 1963, the c

even a moderate like merrick garland who hopes he's doing more than going through the motions. the white house hopes to keep the pressure on with pro-confirmation rallies in dozens of cities. in a conference call today with supporters, president obama said, make yourselves heard. the supreme court, thank you. >>> still ahead tonight, accidental poisonings in children. a danger in so many homes, that it's sending kids to the emergency room every >>> trying to fire up what if one piece of kale could protect you from diabetes? what if one sit-up could prevent heart disease? one. wishful thinking, right? but there is one step you can take to help prevent another serious disease. pneumococcal pneumonia. if you are 50 or older, one dose of the prevnar 13 vaccine can help protect you from pneumococcal pneumonia, an illness that can cause coughing, chest pain, difficulty breathing, and may even put you in the hospital. even if you have already been vaccinated with another pneumonia vaccine, prevnar 13 may help provide additional protection. prevnar 13 is used in adults 50 and older to

yeah, i've got to say, i love it already-- merrick garland. his name sounds like an exotic spice. ( laughter ) "oh, my god, kate, that chicken is amazing. what's your secret?" "well, i let it cook for 20 minutes. and then i sprinkle on just a little merric merrick garland. garland. and then the senate rejects it. ( cheers and applause ). >> trevor: we'll have more on that tomorrow, chatting more about that tomorrow but right now we're still dealing with last night's primaries. it was the secretary super tuesday in three weeks, and this one really delivered. for instance, on the democratic side, hillary clinton racked up wins in every state, meaning she's started to look like a broken hip on the set of "indiana jone"indiana jones 5--. >> a clean sweep for hillary clinton. >> clinton moves closer to locking up the democratic nomination. >> her delegate lead is now 700 making it all but impossible for sanders to make up the difference before july. >> trevor: yes, sad but true. it's not looking good for bernie sanders. but-- and it's a big but-- t

meet merrick garland. the nominee teared up after being introduced ae orning: >>> president obama announces his pick to replace the late antonin scalia on the supreme court. merrick garland cried when he was introduced at the rose garden ceremony this morning. >> this is the greatest honor of my life. [ crying ] >> other than [ indiscernible ] agreeing to marry me 28 years ago. >> he became chief judge on the u.s. court of appeals in washington, dc in 2013. as for his politics, well, he is described as center left. he supervised justice department investigations into the 1995 observations bombing. born in chicago, garland graduated from harvard law school. kpix 5's ken bastida tells us he may be something of a centrist but the confirmation process will be anything but a cakewalk. >> reporter: absolutely. we finds ourselves in this year of intense and often bizarre politics. it's increasingly focused on the u.s. supreme court. and tonight, that man, merrick garland, is in the eye of the storm. >> he also is

i'm going to meet with merrick garland and i'll take it from there. >> all right. senator, your candidate has dropped out of the race, senator marco rubio. will you endorse someone else? right now. but i'll probably wait a couple of weeks and see. i'm still hopeful that we can get a nominee that we can be proud of and take us through the election. >> can you support donald trump? >> it's a tough one there. i don't want to say anything now but i find it difficult given the statements he has made. i believe we need to win the white house and we have got to i'm not certain he can. >> do you want donald trump picking the next supreme court nominee? >> that's another question we will have to consider! so you mentioned all these things. a lot of factors that go into this and, you know, these are high stakes. there's no other way to say it. >> all right. >> senator flake, good to see you this morning. thank you so much. >> thanks for having me on. >>> a question -- how safe is your water? millions of people nationwide could be at risk from lead in their drinking water! to

there are ten that have agreed to meet with merrick garland. a different position than mitch mcconnell has taken and even those saying they are doing it as a courtesy not because their position has changed. the republicans believe that his appointment to the supreme court would fundamentally alter the balance of the court and saying no hearing, no vote until after the election. >> one of the big questions now, how much of a campaign issue this becomes both in the presidential election, also in these key senate elections. >> reporter: the white house is doing an all-out campaign. putting pressure on the republicans that face tough reelection campaigns forcing them to give him a hearing or make them pay a price for denying him. >> okay, jon karl, thanks very much. >> interesting days and weeks ahead. >>> now to the latest on that american student behind bars in north korea after attempting to steal a political poster. the 21-year-old breaking down in court after a judge sentenced him to 15 years of hard labor. abc's bob woodruff is following the

. >>> happening today, supreme court nominee merrick garland will sit down with two other senators. it follows garland's first republican senator. mark kirk was the first republican to meet with garland on tuesday. he said he could consider voting for the president's nominee. so far, just 16 senators have discussed meeting with garland. >>> coming up, nbc's edward lawrence will have more on the supreme court nominee. >>> so, some not so exciting news for those of you who drive. gas prices have gone up 30 cents this month. they've been on the rise every day for the last three weeks. the national average, $2.05. you're paying a few cents more than that if you drive in d.c. and and a few cents less in virginia and west virginia. >>> time to check the forecast with storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. a cold start to the day. 37 degrees here. >> yeah, many spots below freezing. temperatures compared to yesterday morning. 5 to almost 20 degrees colder compared to yesterday. 5 at national airport. but 15 to 20 degrees colder on your way out the door across much of northern and central v

. >> reporter: president barack obama introduced an emotional merrick garland as his choice to replace the late antonin scalia on the supreme court. but for me there could be no higher public service been serving as a member of the us supreme court. >> reporter: garland's chief judge on the was court of appeals in washington dc. is regarded as a moderate. he was born in chicago and graduated from harvard law school. president barack obama described him as one of america's sharpest legal minds. saying people should wait until after a new president takes office. >> the next justice could well change the ideological makeup and the balance of the supreme court for a generation to come. and fundamentally reshape america. >> reporter: garland makes his first visit to capitol hill on thursday to meet with members of congress. >>> garland led the investigation and prosecution after the oklahoma city bombing. >>> the next republican debate has been canceled by fox news. donald trump said he would not attend and governor john kasich and ted cruz whacked out. that was a network pulling the plug.

." >>> supreme court nominee merrick garland heads to capitol hill today, but the senate's gop leaders refuse to meet with him. >>> breaking news. seaworld says it's going to end its controversial killer whale shows. the company's ceo is in studio 57. >>> and major league baseball player gives up 13 million dollars in a showdown over his son spending te in the clubhouse. we begin this morning with a look at today's "eye opener." your world in 90 seconds. >>> the next president is going send us a nominee and we will deal with it then. >> the president's nomination hits the republican wall. >>> i didn't think the president should send anybody up now happen. it's just more division. now we have more fighting, more fighting. >> donald trump has decided not to participate in the debate this upcoming monday. >> for whatever reason, it seems that donald trump finds you a very, very terrifying person. >> kasich said if trump is not coming he is not either. a lot of overtime pay down the drain for the fox news techies. i hope they can sleep tonight. >> a victim's family calling for the death pe

chief judge merrick brian garland to join the supreme court. [applause] >> reporter: his experience as a federal appellate judge is deep. his credentials unquestioned. but the president today said what sets garland apart is his temperament. >> to find someone who just about everyone not only respects but genuinely likes, that is rare. >> reporter: garland seemed a long shot, the oldest nominee in modern history, he's been on the short list for previous vacancies and passed over. today, finally, was garland's moment. >> this is the greatest honor of my life other than my wife agreeing to marry me 28 years ago. >> reporter: his wife and one of his daughters were among more than 100 supporters in the rose garden. >> i only wish my father were here to see this today. i also wish that we hadn't taught my older daughter to be so adventurous that she would be hiking in the mountains out of cell service range. when the president called. >> reporter: garland joined the federal appeals court in 1997. he's considered a moderate liberal who builds consensu