DUE TO THE LIVE NATURE OF TONIGHT, WE APOLOGISE FOR THE LACK OF CAPTIONS FOR SOME ITEMS. DESPERATE FOR HELP ` HUNDREDS QUEUE FOR HOURS AT AUCKLAND CITY MISSION. A POLICE WARNING FOR DRIVERS OVER THE HOLIDAY PERIOD ` SPEEDING WON'T BE TOLERATED. AND ONE OF OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL ROWERS SAYS HE'S GOING FOR OLYMPIC GOLD AGAIN. KIA ORA. GOOD EVENING. CHRISTMAS IS BECOMING A TIME OF DESPERATION FOR MANY STRUGGLING TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES. HUNDREDS QUEUED FOR HOURS AT AUCKLAND CITY MISSION TODAY. THEY SAY THEY'VE BEEN PUSHED TO THE BRINK BY INADEQUATE BENEFITS, JOB LOSSES AND RISES IN THE COST OF LIVING. DANIELLE STANBURY REPORTS. THESE PEOPLE AREN'T QUEUING FOR AN AUDIENCE WITH SANTA. THEY'RE LOOKING TO THE AUCKLAND CITY MISSION TO GRANT A SIMPLE CHRISTMAS WISH ` ENOUGH FOOD ON THE TABLE. IT WILL MAKE A LOT OF DIFFERENCE ` AT LEAST PUT A SMILE ON MY KIDS' FACE. YEAH. OH MY GOSH. IT WAS AN EARLY START AND A LONG, TAXING DAY FOR THE HUNDREDS LINING UP AROUND THE BLOCK. THE CITY MISSION USUALLY STOPS GIVING OUT FOOD PARCELS AT ABOUT 5 O'CLOCK, BUT BECAUSE OF THE OVERWHELMING DEMAND TODAY, IT STAYED OPEN FOR AN EXTRA TWO HOURS, AND STAFF ARE PREPARING THEMSELVES FOR A BUSY WEEKEND. THROUGHOUT THE DAY, 20 VOLUNTEERS AND 10 STAFF RACED TO KEEP UP, GIVING OUT A RECORD NUMBER OF FOOD PARCELS. TODAY ALONE WE SAW ABOUT 300 PEOPLE, WHEREAS OTHER YEARS I'D AVERAGE IT AT ABOUT 150 TO 200. FORTUNATELY, IT WASN'T JUST A RECORD AMOUNT OF FOOD GOING OUT THE DOOR. DONATIONS WERE ALSO AT AN ALL TIME HIGH. TODAY WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BUSIEST DAY FOR DONATIONS THAT I'VE EVER SEEN. WE'VE NEVER HAD IT OVERLOADING OUTSIDE THE DOORS BEFORE. LISIA'S WORKING TOWARDS A BUSINESS DIPLOMA, BUT AS A SINGLE MOTHER OF THREE, IT'S SOMETIMES A CHOICE BETWEEN BUS MONEY AND FOOD. EVEN $2 OR $3, THAT COULD GO TOWARD MY KIDS' MILK FOR BREAKFAST. YEAH, EVERYTHING IS GOING UP AND EXPENSIVE, EVEN, ESPECIALLY FRUIT. THE GOVERNMENT SAYS WORK AND INCOME'S GIVEN OUT ABOUT $38M IN FOOD GRANTS THIS YEAR, BUT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO HELP OUT TOO. IT IS SO SAD. IT REALLY IS. THE CHILDREN WERE HERE EARLY THIS MORNING WITH THEIR PARENTS. YOU DON'T SEE ANY POLITICIANS DOWN HERE GIVING THEM A CUSHION OR GIVING THEM SOMETHING TO EAT THEY DO NOT DESERVE TO BE TREATED WITH SO LITTLE DIGNITY AND RESPECT. THEY DO NOT DESERVE TO BE LEFT ON THE STREETS SEEKING CHARITY FROM FOOD BANKS WHEN THE WELFARE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CARE FOR THEM WHEN THEY ARE BETWEEN WORK. AUCKLAND CITY MISSION SAYS THE DESPERATION'S LIKELY TO BE EVEN GREATER COME CHRISTMAS EVE. AND STAFF EXPECT TO SEE EVEN MORE PEOPLE LINING UP FOR JUST A BIT OF CHRISTMAS CHEER. DANIELLE STANBURY, ONE NEWS. AS MANY PEOPLE HEAD OFF ON THEIR HOLIDAYS, POLICE ARE WARNING DRIVERS THAT SPEEDING WON'T BE TOLERATED. AND MOTORISTS ARE ALSO BEING TOLD TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEATHER. SIMON BRADWELL HAS MORE. POLICE NORMALLY TURN A BLIND EYE TO DRIVERS UP TO 10 K'S OVER THE SPEED LIMIT, BUT FOR THE NEXT FORTNIGHT, FORGET ABOUT IT. IT IS A TOLERANCE OF 4KM/HR, SO IF DRIVERS EXCEED THAT SPEED, THEY CAN EXPECT TO BE STOPPED. IT IS A BIG FOCUS, AS IS DRINK-DRIVING AND ALSO A FAILURE TO WEAR RESTRAINTS ` PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT. WHILE ROAD BOSSES HAVE ONE PARTICULAR FEAR THESE HOLIDAYS. THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF CRASHES WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL DEATHS, AND THAT'S TRAGIC TO EVERYONE CONCERNED. JUST THIS WEEK, FIVE FAMILY MEMBERS DIED IN THIS CRASH NORTH OF TAUPO. THIS YEAR THERE WERE 10 MORE FATAL CRASHES THAN LAST YEAR, BUT 30 MORE PEOPLE DIED IN THEM. POLICE ARE ALSO URGING SLOW TRAFFIC TO BE CONSIDERATE AND PULL OVER IF THEY'RE CAUSING BUILD-UPS. DRIVERS ARE ALSO WARNED TO TURN OFF CELL PHONES AND OTHER DISTRACTIONS. AND THIS YEAR, THERE IS A SPECIAL FOCUS ON DRINK-DRIVING IN FARMING COMMUNITIES. WE'VE ASKED OUR OFFICERS AND OUR ONE-, TWO- AND THREE-MAN STATIONS TO REALLY FOCUS WITH THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES ON THAT. IT'S THE OLD ADAGE THAT COUNTRY PEOPLE DIE ON COUNTRY ROADS. THE WEATHER FORECAST, PARTICULARLY FOR THE NORTH ISLAND, IS ANOTHER AREA OF CONCERN. THE PEOPLE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT, NEED TO PREPARE FOR THAT AND DRIVE TO THE CONDITIONS. THE OFFICIAL HOLIDAY PERIOD BEGINS AT 4PM ON CHRISTMAS EVE AND ENDS AT 6AM ON THE 3RD OF JANUARY. LAST YEAR 19 PEOPLE DIED. THIS YEAR ROAD SAFETY BOSSES HAVE A SIMPLE TARGET. ZERO. ANY DEATH IS ONE TOO MANY. A FAMILIAR MESSAGE THAT POLICE HOPE THE LOWER SPEED-TOLERANCE WILL DRIVE HOME. SCHOOLS ARE REPORTING LOTS OF NEW PROBLEMS WITH THE NOVOPAY SYSTEM. MANY SCHOOLS HAVE CONTACTED ONE NEWS TO TELL US ABOUT STAFF WHO'VE NOT WORKED FOR SOME TIME BEING PAID AT RANDOM. BUT THE EDUCATION MINISTRY IS STILL STANDING BY THE SYSTEM. SHARON FERGUSSON HAS MORE. PLAYGROUNDS ARE SILENT, CLASSES ARE EMPTY. KEYBOARD CLICKS BUT IN SCHOOL OFFICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE TIP-TAPPING OF NOVOPAY ENTRIES RINGS THROUGH THE CORRIDORS. HERE'S ANOTHER ONE WHO'S GOT NO PAY AT ALL. IN YESTERDAY'S PAYROLL, 15 STAFF WEREN'T PAID AT ALL, AND FOUR STAFF WERE ONLY PAID THEIR OVERTIME. THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL OF EPSOM GIRLS' GRAMMAR WROTE TO US DESCRIBING THE DISTRESS OF THOSE NOT PAID OVERNIGHT. PEOPLE COMING INTO MY OFFICE ARE FRIGHTENED, WHITE-FACED, SAYING, 'I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PAY MY MORTGAGE.' PEOPLE WHOSE RENT GOES OUT THE DAY AFTER THEIR SALARY GOES IN, THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO GO WITHOUT A WEEK'S PAY OR A FORTNIGHT'S PAY. MANY SCHOOLS ARE REPORTING PAYMENTS TO STAFF WHO HAVEN'T WORKED AT THE SCHOOL FOR MONTHS OR EVEN YEARS. SO I HAD A TEACHER AIDE FROM LAST YEAR PUT BACK ON THE PAYROLL AND PAID $2500 OUT OF MY OP'S GRANT. d IT'S BEEN NINE PAY CYCLES 8 SINCE NOVOPAY TOOK OVER, ALL OF THEM PLAGUED WITH ERRORS. WE THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE UP TO A YEAR, WHICH IS 26 PAY CYCLES, TO GAIN THE CONFIDENCE OF SCHOOLS IN THIS NEW PAY SYSTEM. EVERY EDUCATION PAY ROUND, ONE NEWS RECEIVES NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS FROM SCHOOL STAFF, PRINCIPALS AND ADMINISTRATORS DETAILING NOVOPAY PROBLEMS. TODAY WAS NO EXCEPTION. AND THE PROBLEMS ARE STILL BIG, MANY INVOLVING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. FOR EXAMPLE, OVERNIGHT $11,000 CAME OUT OF MATAKANA SCHOOL'S BANK ACCOUNT, PAYING FOUR TEACHER AIDES WHO'VE NOT EVEN WORKED AT THE SCHOOL THIS YEAR. A TEACHER WHO'S OWED FIVE DAYS' PAY IN SEPTEMBER, HE WAS PAID OUT OF ANOTHER SCHOOL'S BANK ACCOUNT ` A SCHOOL HE'S NEVER EVEN HEARD OF. I JUST REALLY WANTED TO APOLOGISE FOR THE STRESS AND ANXIETY THAT WE'VE ADDED TO PAY ROLL ADMINISTRATORS, PRINCIPALS AND STAFF. AND FOR THOSE STAFF, IF THEY'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY'VE GOT NO PAY OR A SIGNIFICANT UNDERPAY, WE URGE THEM TO RING THE MINISTRY. AND THERE'S NO TALK OF DITCHING TALENT2. SHARON FERGUSSON, ONE NEWS. CHRISTMAS IS USUALLY A BOOM TIME FOR RETAILERS, AND THIS YEAR'S NO EXCEPTION. KIWIS ARE HITTING THEIR EFTPOS AND CREDIT CARDS LIKE NEVER BEFORE, WITH ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS UP NEARLY 5%. HELEN CASTLE'S BEEN OUT IN THE CHRISTMAS RUSH. IT'S JUST THREE DAYS AND FOUR SLEEPS TO GO UNTIL CHRISTMAS, AND THESE MACHINES ARE WORKING OVERTIME. THERE'S SOME VERY SHARP PRICES AROUND ON GOODS, SO WE THINK THIS IS A GENUINE INCREASE IN VOLUME, NOT JUST DOLLARS. SHOPPERS HAVE SPENT MORE THAN $3.2B WITH THEIR MONEY CARDS IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS. THAT'S $148M MORE THAN THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR. IF WE WERE TO CONTINUE ON WITH THIS LEVEL THROUGH THE NEXT THREE DAYS, THEN RETAIL WOULD FINISH DECEMBER PRETTY SATISFIED, WITH SOMETHING PROBABLY NORTH OF $5B. AND OVER THE PAST SEVEN DAYS, SPENDING'S JUMPED 6%, MAKING IT ONE OF THE BIGGEST WEEKS OF THE YEAR. MOST OF THE TRANSACTIONS ARE EFTPOS; AROUND 30% IS ON CREDIT CARDS. THEY'RE REASONABLY CAREFUL WITH THEIR MONEY, AND THAT'S WHY DEBIT CARDS DOMINATE OUR MARKET HERE. AND THE SHOPPING CONTINUES. AS OF MIDDAY, SHOPPERS DIDN'T SEEM TOO FRAZZLED. MY WIFE DOES 90% OF IT, SO I JUST DO THE LITTLE ONES AT THE END. IT'S VERY GOOD. WE'RE JUST ABOUT FINISHED. NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO GO WITH IT. IT'S WHAT WERE TRYING TO DO RIGHT NOW. IT'S A BIT OF A NIGHTMARE. THE RETAILERS ASSOCIATION SAYS THE SURGE MAY NOT BE OVER. YOU'VE GOT A FULL WEEK. YOU'VE GOT A WEEKEND AND THEN MONDAY AGAIN, SO I THINK THE NEXT THREE DAYS WILL BE HUGE. SHOP WORKERS SAY PERFUME AND FRAGRANCE SETS ARE THE MOST POPULAR CHRISTMAS GIFTS THIS YEAR. APPLIANCES LIKE SODA STREAM MAKERS WHICH YOU CAN TAKE ON HOLIDAY ARE ALSO FAVOURITES. BUT THEN PEOPLE GET DESPERATE TO FILL THE CHRISTMAS STOCKING AND BUY THINGS LIKE MEN'S UNDERWEAR AND SOCKS. A HANDY REMINDER THAT THE LATER YOU LEAVE IT, THE MORE LIKELY YOU ARE TO SPEND MORE THAN YOU WANT TO OR BUY SOMETHING NO ONE WANTS. A HIGH COURT JUDGE IS EXPECTED TO RULE OVERNIGHT ON CANCER TREATMENT FOR A NZ MUM'S BOY (7). SALLY ROBERTS IS FIGHTING AGAINST THE DOCTOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HER SON, NEON, TO UNDERGO RADIOTHERAPY. EUROPE CORRESPONDENT GARTH BRAY IS FOLLOWING THE CASE. SALLY ROBERTS HAS SPENT THE WEEK BOUNCING BETWEEN COURTROOMS AND HOSPITALS, THREADING HER WAY THROUGH LEGAL APPEALS AND CAMERA CORDONS TO ARGUE NO TO RADIOTHERAPY FOR HER SON. SHIFTING HIM FROM HIGH TO STANDARD RISK. HIS DOCTOR INSISTS HE NEEDS TO BE PREPARED NEXT WEEK FOR A YEAR-LONG COURSE OF RADIOTHERAPY TO HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF SURVIVAL, EVEN THOUGH HE ESTIMATES IT COULD ALSO COST NEON AROUND TWO IQ POINTS. RADIOTHERAPY COULD AFFECT THE CHILD'S ABILITY TO LEARN, AND THEREFORE THEY MIGHT NEED MORE SUPPORT IN SCHOOL. SALLY ROBERTS ISN'T CONVINCED. AFTER MANY, MANY HOURS OF RESEARCH ONLINE AND TAKING ADVICE FROM THOSE WHO'VE SEEN THE COVERAGE, SHE SAYS... WAYS THAT MIGHT INCLUDE CHEMICAL IMMUNOTHERAPY TO TRICK HIS BODY INTO FIGHTING RESIDUAL CANCER CELLS OR EXPERIMENTAL INHIBITORS THAT MIGHT ATTACK THEM DIRECTLY. LAWYERS FOR BRITAIN'S NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE ARE TAKING ISSUE WITH THE LIST OF ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS AND EXPERTS THAT SALLY ROBERTS' LEGAL TEAM ARE PUTTING UP, POINTING OUT ONE MISSPELLED THE NAME OF THE CANCER HER SON IS SUFFERING FROM AND MISUNDERSTOOD HOW SERIOUS IT CAN BE, WHILE ANOTHER ISN'T A REGISTERED MEDICAL PRACTITIONER. THE NHS LAWYER ARGUES THOSE OPTIONS ARE UNPROVEN AND ONLY USED WHEN STANDARD THERAPY HAS ALREADY FAILED A CANCER PATIENT. SALLY ROBERTS WILL HAVE ONE LAST CHANCE TO CONVINCE THE JUDGE BEFORE HE RULES TOMORROW. HE SAYS HE SEES THIS CASE AS A BALANCING OPERATION BETWEEN THE DISADVANTAGES OF RADIOTHERAPY AND THE IMPROVED PROSPECTS OF LIVING. GARTH BRAY, ONE NEWS, LONDON. KIWIRAIL WORKERS HAVE JOINED AN EMOTIONAL FAREWELL TO DUNEDIN'S HISTORIC HILLSIDE RAILWAY WORKSHOPS. TRAINS STOPPED NATIONWIDE FOR TWO MINUTES AT 11, AND SUPPORTERS LAID FLOWERS AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE 130-YEAR-OLD WORKSHOPS. JOB PROSPECTS ARE BLEAK FOR 90 WORKERS MADE REDUNDANT. I UNDERSTAND THERE'S ABOUT EIGHT OR 10 PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOT JOBS, BUT THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF JOBS AROUND. IT'S CHRISTMAS, SO I THINK THE PLAN FOR MOST PEOPLE IS JUST TO TAKE THEIR TIME, HAVE A BIT OF A BREAK AND START AFRESH IN THE NEW YEAR. THE WORKSHOPS' FOUNDRY WILL STILL OPERATE, PROVIDING JOBS FOR 18 WORKERS. NZ'S EFFORTS TO HELP OUR CYCLONE-RAVAGED PACIFIC NEIGHBOURS HAVE MOVED UP A GEAR. AN AIR FORCE HERCULES HAS DELIVERED GENERATORS, EQUIPMENT AND CIVIL DEFENCE PERSONNEL TO SAMOA AND FIJI. NICOLE BREMNER REPORTS. IT'S BEEN POURING INTO THIS OLD DOCKSIDE WAREHOUSE FOR DAYS NOW ` EVERYTHING FROM TOWELS AND TOILET PAPER TO WATER, MEDICAL SUPPLIES, CLOTHES AND TOYS. BLOWN AWAY. (LAUGHS) IT'S CHRISTMAS SPIRIT, AND THAT'S IT ` PEOPLE HAVE DONE SOME AMAZING STUFF, AND THE GENEROSITY IS UNBELIEVABLE. WORD OF AN APPEAL TO AUCKLAND'S YACHTING COMMUNITY SOON TURNED INTO A WAVE OF SUPPORT. A SINGLE EMAIL REQUEST FOR HELP HAS LED TO THIS, AND BY BOXING DAY, ORGANISERS SAY 20 TONS OF SUPPLIES WILL SET SAIL FOR NADI, ARRIVING THERE BY NEW YEAR'S DAY. AND IT'LL GET TO FIJI'S RED CROSS IN STYLE ON SUPER YACHT 'BIG FISH'. EVERYBODY GETS TOGETHER AND, UM, MAKES AN EFFORT BECAUSE WE'RE ALL PART AND PARCEL OF THE SAME AREA. ANOTHER PLAN IN SUPPORT OF THE TWO SMALL CYCLONE-RAVAGED NATIONS WAS LAUNCHED TODAY ` PACIFIC LEADERS BEGAN MAPPING OUT A LONG-TERM PLAN TO ENSURE SAMOA AND FIJI ARE WELL SUPPORTED AS THEY LOOK TO REBUILD IN THE MONTHS AHEAD. CO-ORDINATION IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL, AND WE'RE TRYING TO ENSURE THERE IS A REAL TEAM NZ RESPONSE. A SMALL STEERING GROUP WILL DRAW ON THE BLUEPRINT THAT WAS TRAGICALLY MAPPED OUT IN THE AFTERMATH OF SAMOA'S TSUNAMI THREE YEARS AGO THAT CLAIMED MORE THAN 120 LIVES. A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO DO DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT THE MORE WE CAN HAVE A COHESIVE APPROACH, THAT'S A BETTER USE OF NOT JUST RESOURCES BUT ALSO TIME AND ENERGY. A TOUGH ROAD AHEAD, BUT THE MESSAGE FROM HERE IS FIJI AND SAMOA WON'T BE TRAVELLING IT ALONE. NICOLE BREMNER, ONE NEWS. JUST AHEAD ` DIRE WARNINGS AS THAT FISCAL CLIFF LOOMS IN AMERICA. A CALL TO BAN HIGH-CAPACITY GUN MAGAZINES IN THE WAKE OF LAST WEEK'S MASS SCHOOL SHOOTING. 1 THE GOVERNMENT'S NOMINATED TIM GROSER TO HEAD THE WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION. MR GROSER HAS BEEN AN MP SINCE 2005, MOST RECENTLY SERVING AS THE MINISTER FOR TRADE AND CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES. IF SUCCESSFUL, HE'LL BE THE SECOND KIWI TO HEAD THE WTO AFTER FORMER PRIME MINISTER MIKE MOORE. JOHN KEY ALREADY FACES A CABINET RESHUFFLE BECAUSE OF THE DEPARTURE OF SPEAKER LOCKWOOD SMITH. FEARS ARE GROWING THAT AMERICA'S FISCAL CRISIS WON'T BE SORTED OUT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. IF IT ISN'T, HUGE TAX RISES AND SPENDING CUTS WILL BE TRIGGERED ` THE SO-CALLED FISCAL CLIFF. AND THAT'S PROMPTED DIRE WARNINGS, AS THE BBC'S MARK MARDELL EXPLAINS. IN WASHINGTON, THE FISCAL CLIFF STALEMATE REMAINS. THE LATEST ON THE FISCAL CLIFF. FISCAL CLIFF. FISCAL CLIFF... THE UGLY PHRASE THAT'S ON EVERYONE'S LIPS ` FISCAL CLIFF ` IS WHAT AMERICA COULD TUMBLE OFF IN JUST 11 DAYS' TIME. WHAT IT MEANS IS IF THE PRESIDENT AND WARRING PARTIES IN CONGRESS CAN'T AGREE ON A PLAN TO SORT OUT AMERICA'S FINANCES, THERE WILL BE AUTOMATIC SAVAGE CUTS AND BRUTAL TAX RISES. NEITHER SIDE ARE BUDGING MUCH. REPUBLICANS BLAME PRESIDENT OBAMA; HE BLAMES THEM. IT IS VERY HARD FOR THEM TO SAY YES TO ME. UM... BUT, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOTTA TAKE ME OUT OF IT... AND THINK ABOUT THEIR VOTERS. FOR WEEKS, THE WHITE HOUSE HAS SAID THAT IF I MOVED ON RATES, THAT THEY WOULD MAKE SUBSTANTIAL CONCESSIONS ON SPENDING CUTS AND ENTITLEMENT REFORMS. I DID MY PART. THEY'VE DONE NOTHING. FEW DOUBT FALLING OFF THE CLIFF WOULD BE DRAMATIC. IT WOULD MEAN AUTOMATIC SPENDING CUTS WORTH MORE THAN A TRILLION DOLLARS. TAXES FOR THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLDS WOULD GO UP BY AROUND $3500. THAT'S ABOUT �2000. MOST ECONOMISTS SAY THE USA WOULD BE PUSHED BACK INTO RECESSION AND GLOBAL GROWTH FOR 2013 COULD BE HALVED. THE US DEFENCE BUDGET ALONE WOULD FACE A CUT OF $500B. COMPANIES LIKE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS EADS ARE VERY NERVOUS JOBS WOULD GO, BUT IT'S ALREADY HURTING BUSINESS. THIS IS A CONFIDENCE DETRACTOR. SOMETHING FOR WHICH FOLKS LOOK AHEAD AND SAY, 'DO I REALLY HAVE THE CONFIDENCE LEVEL NECESSARY 'TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT IN SOME PARTICULAR ASSET 'WHEN I KNOW LITTLE ABOUT ` NOT JUST AREN'T CERTAIN ` KNOW LITTLE ABOUT 'WHERE THIS IS GOING?' IT'S NOT JUST THE BIG BOYS WHO WORRY ABOUT STAYING ALOFT. SCALED DOWN, THIS TOY SHOP HAS THE SAME FEARS. THE BOSS WANTS TO OPEN ANOTHER STORE, BUT NOT IF CUSTOMERS WILL HAVE LESS MONEY. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY MORE TAXES, EVERYBODY IS GOING TO HAVE TO PAY MORE TAXES. PEOPLE MAY SPEND LESS MONEY, THE ECONOMY GOES BACK INTO RECESSION. THE CALAMITOUS EFFECT OF FAILING TO DO A DEAL ARE QUITE DELIBERATE, DESIGNED TO FOCUS MINDS. BUT IT'S A DANGEROUS THING FIGHTING ON THE EDGE OF A CLIFF. YOU CAN FALL OFF WITHOUT REALLY MEANING TO. FUNERALS HAVE TAKEN PLACE FOR FIVE MORE VICTIMS OF LAST WEEK'S SCHOOL SHOOTING IN CONNECTICUT. AS THEY WERE BEING HELD, VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN BEGAN HIS TASK OF CURBING GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA. ONE IDEA UNDER CONSIDERATION, BANNING HIGH-CAPACITY GUN MAGAZINES. THE ABC'S JOHN QUINONES HAS THE STORY. THEY COME IN CASES OF 20, 30, EVEN 120 BULLETS. MAXIMUM FIREPOWER PACKED INTO HIGH-CAPACITY MAGAZINES. A LOT MORE FIREPOWER. A LOT MORE FIREPOWER. WHEN A MAGAZINE IS LOADED INTO A WEAPON, A SHOOTER CAN KEEP FIRING UNTIL IT'S EMPTY. BY THEN, THE DAMAGE CAN BE DEVASTATING. AND THIS IS WHY THE POLICE CHIEF IN BALTIMORE COUNTY, MARYLAND, WANT TO OUTLAW ALL BUT THE SMALLEST OF THESE MAGAZINES. RIGHT HERE. THIS IS IT. YES, SIR. THE FEWER THE BULLETS, THE MORE OFTEN THE SHOOTER HAS TO STOP FIRING, EJECT THE EMPTY CARTRIDGE AND RELOAD ANOTHER ONE. AND THAT WINDOW ` WHY IS THAT CRUCIAL? FOLKS THAT ARE BEING ATTACKED HAVE TIME TO REACT. EXACTLY HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU HAVE IN THAT WINDOW? WE PUT A CLOCK TO IT. AN EXPERT LIKE THIS POLICE OFFICER CAN SWITCH MAGAZINES IN LESS THAN TWO SECONDS. WE TRY IT OURSELVES. OUR FASTEST TIME, 4.2 SECONDS. FOUR SECONDS ` ENOUGH TIME FOR SOMEONE TO FLEE THE ROOM OR TACKLE THE SHOOTER. SIRENS WAIL IN THIS 2007 POLICE VIDEO FROM TEXAS, THE SUSPECT FIRES 11 TIMES AT LAW ENFORCEMENT. WHEN HE EMPTIES HIS MAGAZINE, HE DIVES BACK INTO HIS TRUCK. THAT GIVES POLICE TIME TO OPEN FIRE. IT HAPPENED IN ARIZONA DURING THE ATTACK ON CONGRESSWOMAN GABBY GIFFORDS. JARED LOUGHNER WAS WRESTLED DOWN WHEN HE STOPPED SHOOTING TO RELOAD HIS PISTOL. AND THEN THERE WAS THAT SCHOOL SHOOTING RIGHT HERE IN MARYLAND EARLIER THIS YEAR. THE SUSPECT, IN THIS CASE, TRIED TO RELOAD THE WEAPON. WE HAD A TEACHER TACKLE HIM DURING THAT PROCESS. A TEACHER GOT HIM? A TEACHER. A BRAVE TEACHER. LAST WEEK, AT SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY, POLICE BELIEVE ADAM LANZA WAS ARMED WITH HIGH-CAPACITY MAGAZINES. HE DIDN'T HAVE TO STOP TO RELOAD UNTIL HE HAD FIRED AT LEAST 30 TIMES. ANY REASON WHY YOU THINK THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD HAVE A HIGH-CAPACITY MAGAZINE? NO. NO PLACE FOR IT. JUST AHEAD ` YOUR WEEKEND WEATHER, PLUS ONE OF OUR GREATEST ROWERS ANNOUNCES HE'S GOING FOR OLYMPIC GOLD AGAIN. TO SPORT NOW, AND OLYMPIC SINGLE SCULLS CHAMPION MAHE DRYSDALE HAS ANNOUNCED HE'S COMMITTING TO RIO 2016. HERE'S CRAIG STANAWAY. IT'S A BRAVE DECISION TO CARRY ON. FIVE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TO GO WITH HIS GOLD MEDAL, THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO PROVE. THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY YOU CAN GO, UNLESS YOU FIRMLY BELIEVE YOU CAN SUCCESSFULLY DEFEND YOUR OLYMPIC TITLE. DICK, YOU KNOW, HE SAID, 'WELL, I THINK YOU CAN IMPROVE, 'I THINK YOU CAN BE BETTER THAN YOU ARE NOW 'AND YOU CAN STILL BE COMPETITIVE.' DICK TONKS' SUPPORT OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS IS CRUCIAL, ESPECIALLY NOW AS ROWING'S JEDI MASTER IS NO LONGER HEAD COACH. HE'LL OVERSEE THE WOMEN'S PROGRAMME, BUT IS PREPARED TO MAKE AN EXCEPTION WITH DRYSDALE. HE'S TAKEN ME TO AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL, SO, YOU KNOW, LIKE, HE'S SOMEONE I 100% TRUST. ANOTHER PERSON HE TRUSTS IS HIS BEST FRIEND, NORWEGIAN OLAF TUFTE. HE'S ONE OF ONLY FOUR ROWERS IN HISTORY TO SUCCESSFULLY DEFEND AN OLYMPIC SINGLE-SCULLS ROWING TITLE. HE VERY MUCH PROVED THAT, YOU KNOW, IT ONLY COMES DOWN TO ONE RACE IN THAT BEIJING CYCLE. HE DIDN'T HAVE A GREAT BUILD-UP TO THAT, BUT PULLED IT OUT WHEN IT COUNTED. DRYSDALE WILL BE 37 WHEN RIO ROLLS AROUND. TUFTE, AT AGE 36, BOMBED OUT AT LONDON THIS YEAR. IT WAS HONESTLY SAD TO SEE HIM IN THE B FINAL. HE'S A DOUBLE OLYMPIC CHAMPION. IT'S NOT THE PLACE YOU WANT TO SEE HIM, BUT... AND THAT WAS PART OF MY DECISION. I HAD TO BE CONFIDENT THAT THAT WASN'T THE WAY IT WAS GONNA END FOR ME. OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S NO GUARANTEES, ESPECIALLY WITH THAT ARTHRITIS PROBLEM IN HIS BACK. OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, DRYSDALE WILL COMPETE IN THE COAST TO COAST, THE NZ PGA PRO AM GOLF EVENT AND EVEN AN IRONMAN. SABBATICALS MAY BE THE TREND THESE DAYS, BUT BY THE TIME DRYSDALE RETURNS TO ROWING IN THE MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR, HE'LL BE FULLY FOCUSED ON RIO. CRAIG STANAWAY, ONE NEWS. TO YOUR WEEKEND WEATHER. FOR WEATHER, SEE ONENEWS.CO.NZ THAT'S IT FROM US HERE ON TONIGHT. THANKS FOR WATCHING. GOODNIGHT. THAT'S IT FROM US HERE ON TONIGHT. THANKS FOR WATCHING. GOODNIGHT.