Page 19 - Ellen Ratner News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

There are a thousand homes asked to leave and we are seeing patrols coming through every 15 minutes. driving up and taking a peek at the hillside to say how much rain. we are getting heavy rain, then it stops, and comes back. the steady rain is expected to come. this is the second of three major storms >> they do get some warning? people are driving in examining the hillsides. they get an idea? >> reporter: yes, a lot homeowners have stayed here. they have packed up their belongings. the wind is coming through here with leftover ash from the fire.

Some are concerned the irs proposing a new rule last november redefining political activity is a new way to go after these five 501(c)(4) organizations. a house democrat suggests these investigations could go too far. >> always wanted to cut down the irs down to nothing and they're taking this opportunity to, i think, try to destroy the irs and my argument is, we're upset. make sure that doesn't happen again. we ought to make sure whoever was responsible gets found out but don't use this opportunity to do what you always wanted to do, which is get rid of the irs. >> reporter: irs budget has be...

Contracting to buy homes flattened and that could have nothing to do with the weather because sales rose in the northeast where it was frigid and fell in the northwest where it was warm. falling incomes and rising home prices maybe the bigger issue. and consumer confidence rose this month. so mixed data over all and the question is to blame the weather or not blame the weather. nice gains today. >> it is easy to blame the weather. >> reporter: very easy. the irs under the microscope on the hill. lois learner was called for more question and another committee heard about the tax agencies effo...

Committee. >> reporter: immediately after the attack, petraeus rankled some lawmakers when they say he seemed to down play the skill needed to fire mortars on the cia annex. that attack killed the two former navy seals. new testimony is likely to be public in this case. >> i would prefer to have an open to session. i think that would be, i think, enlightening to everybody who has concerns about what happened on that september 11th day that took the lives of our americans. >> reporter: and three leading republicans said on the senate floor that there was ample intelligence that there was no pro...

Mainstream media. we have a reporter here ellen ratner and you make no bones about it. you are a card carrying liberal and what do you think about the pocket of the irs coming after liberal groups? >> i am this happening in the '80s when i got unusual questions from the irs on my tax return and my accountant refused to answer them. this has been going on and the issue is what is going to make it stop targeting the right or the left skwhie and why isn't the press covering this. >> the aclu and the syria club are upset about the regulations but you are not hearing much in the media, why snnot?