(NECN: Washington) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel is in Washington today, speaking before members of Congress.

Speaking through a translator, Merkel expressed the importance of understanding each other all over the world. Merkel stressed the importance of tolerance.

"But, let there be no misunderstanding, tolerance does not mean anything goes," said Merkel.

"Zero tolerance needs to be shown when there is a risk of weapons of mass destruction, falling for example, into the hands of Iran," said Merkel.

(NECN: Reading, Mass.) - Paul Langone, the off-duty security guard who fatally shot a psychiatric patient as the patient stabbed a doctor, is speaking out.

In his first public comments since Tuesday's shooting, Langone says he definitely doesn't consider himself a hero.

Langone says he is "OK," but just a "little shy from the attention."

Langone spoke to reporters outside his parent's Reading, Massachusetts, home on Friday.

(NECN: Worcester, Mass.) - Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick this afternoon delivered some grim news about the state budget.

In Worcester, Patrick announced how he will cut $600 million from the budget.

"We will not shortchange our childrens' future," said Patrick. "We will not cut local aid."

"We are regretably having to prepare to eliminate up to 2,000 additional positions," said Patrick. He has told state agencies to prepare for $35 million in personnel savings.

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(NECN: Washington) - President Barack Obama this afternoon told small business leaders that few people have a bigger stake in health care reform than they do.

He says the House version of a health care bill would help millions of small businesses cut growing health care costs and was written with small business owners in mind.

Obama says small businesses have been hit harder than most and their owners understand the need for changes to the nation's health care system.

(NECN: Washington) - House Democrats this morning unveiled sweeping legislation to extend health care coverage to millions of Americans who lack it and create a new option of government-run insurance.

A vote is likely next week on the plan patterned closely on President Barack Obama's own.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Congress was "on the cusp of delivering on the promise of making affordable, quality health insurance available to every American, and laying the foundation for a brighter future for generations to come."

Pelosi spoke on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

(NECN: Washington) - President Barack Obama says two former senators will lead an advisory board charged with giving him unvarnished counsel about the nation's intelligence.

The president on Wednesday introduced Republican Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Democrat David Boren of Oklahoma as co-chairmen of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board. The job of the board is to provide Obama with an independent source of advice about the effectiveness of the intelligence community.

At a Cabinet Room event, Obama said the two will report to him and have his full support.

(NECN: Boston, Mass.) - Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis says a psychiatric patient at a Boston facility has been fatally shot by an off-duty security guard -- after stabbing a female physician.

The doctor is reported to be in stable condition at this time.

The doctor was treating the suspect at the time of the stabbing.

The attack happened this afternoon at 50 Staniford Street, a high-rise building near Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

(NECN: Washington) - Inclusion of a government insurance plan in Senate health care legislation is posing problems for moderate senators whose votes are critical to passing the bill.

Reverberations could be felt across the Capitol, where House Democratic leaders are finalizing a bill with a government plan.

It's not clear that Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., has the 60 votes needed for the controversial government insurance plan to prevail on the Senate floor. If it fails, that could affect the thinking of House members, particularly moderate Democrats.

(NECN: Storrs, Conn.) - Three people have been arrested in connection to a fight that killed a University of Connecticut football player. One of those men has been charged with murder.

John William Lomax III, 21, of Bloomfield has been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit assault in the first degree. He is currently being held on $2 million bond.

Police say they also charged 20-year-old Hakim Muhammad, of Bloomfield, with conspiracy to commit assault, and 21-year-old Jamal Todd with pulling a fire alarm that emptied the Oct. 18 dance, triggering the fight.

(NECN: Washington) - Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, the leading sponsor of the Democrats' climate bill, spoke this morning at the first of three planned hearings by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).

Officials are looking to make their case before the Senate for aggressive action to combat climate change.

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"Climate change and our dependence on foreign oil are a significant threat to our national security," said Kerry.

The White House has made clear its support for the 900-page