, absolutely. >> reporter: so at abc news, we got to work find eing a mentor r hank who could guide him along his new path. we found a film legend. >> these guys are heroes. we need to help them. >> reporter: the man who created movies hank always loved. george lucas. >> i have some questions for you if you don't mind. >> reporter: moviemaking 101. >> your training in the military is exactly the training you need. >> reporter: it was a face-to-face encounter with film history. r2-d2, han solo. >> the script was 250 pages. i cut it in three and it was a sequel. >> reporter: while george lucas taught him how to write it. his team at lucas film taught him how to make it. >> amazing george lucas would take time out to talk to me, because i am a veteran was fantastic. >> reporter: hank one of hundreds of thousands of veterans coming home is getting a chance to learn from a master. just like in the movies. >> the force will be with you always. >> reporter: the r i'm only in my 60's... i've got a nice long life ahead. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i got

refused to come to work. disney, by the way, is the parent company of abc news. >>> a north carolina man who was lost for weeks, he was found 1,000 miles from where he disappeared. 72-year-old hugh armstrong on vacation in new hampshire in late july. when he didn't return, his family called police who searched for days but turned up no sign of him. that is until last week when he turned up in his home state of north carolina. armstrong says the day he went for the walk he lost his memory and pieced together clues about his life over the 16 days he was missing. >> they were surprised by the fact that he survived. they said that he is an avid outdoorsman. spends a lot of time hiking. >> armstrong apparently hitchhiked, sleeping in cheap motels. working odd jobs to make money. deputies managed to jar his memory. when his wife drove up he remembered her and the car. how about that one? >>> coming up, whitney houston was looking forward to this week. >> her comeback movie shot before her death is being released. bittersweet premiere. it is all next. ♪ >> announcer: abc's "world news now

and rumors the stories that marked his career at abc. this is just over an hour. .. author of the new book "exit interview." david westin is presently the president and ceo of newsright, an ambitious venture to license original news content and collect royalties from aggregators. newsright was launched more than almost six months ago and hopefully he will tell us a bit about it before the evening is a. he was president of abc news for over a decade from 1997-2010. during his tenure, abc news received 11 peabody's, 13 dupont, for polk, and more than 40 news and documentary emmys, plus more than 40 edward r. murrow awards. innovation was the hallmark of his administration. he created and built an array of special units for all abc news outlets, led by brian, hard-hitting investigative unit. and 2007, he announced the largest single expansion of foreign news coverage in history of abc news by spending -- sending seven are digital reporters to hotspots around the world. abc also airs john miller's interview with osama bin laden, alas with the western journalist. and from afghanistan. as w

three months to go. >> results of our latest abc news poll are just being released. it is wednesday, august 8th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >>> good morning, i'm sunny hostin in for paula faris. >> good morning, everybody, i'm rob nelson. we'll get to the positives and negatives for both candidates in our new poll coming up in just a moment. >>> also ahead this half-hour, tucson shooter, jared lee loughner, gets his day in court. the plea deal that will send him away forever for shooting gabrielle giffords and killing six others in the tragedy in tucson a year and a half ago. >> also this half-hour, wild olympic ups and downs from disqualified runner who was let back in due to a reversal of fortune for gabby douglas. >>> then rihanna gets a little raunchy. the pictures she tweeted saying, it's me being me, later in an expanded version of "the skinny" today. we have so much good stuff, two versions of the "the skinny" today. stay with us. a whole lot of nasty, tawdry stuff. nasty stuff. >> yes. >> indeed. stay tuned, a few minutes for that. >> we'll begin

holmes and when? it's thursday, august 2nd. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >>> good morning. i'm sunny hostin. paula faris is on assignment. >> and i'm rob nelson. we'll get to our exclusive new reporting about the colorado massacre in a moment. some interesting questions, new information is posing, absolutely. >>> also ahead in this half-hour of the show, the mitt romney veep-stakes shifts into high gear. two potential runningmates have been asked to be ready for an announcement at any time. >> wow. >> most expect this to come next week. >> i can't wait. i have got to tell you. it just changes the dynamic of the race at that point. >> and ends all of the media speculation. let's get past the -- who is it going to be? let's roll. build-up to the republican convention end of the month. we're getting there. >> that's right. we are almost there. >>> then golden girls, the american women making such a splash in london. how does the overall medal count stand right now as the u.s. and china battle to be the best? and it's close. >> that's shaping up to be the bi

pessimistic? no president ever has. but then, look at mitt romney. in the latest abc news/"washington post" poll, a mere 40% of americans see him favorably. about half just don't seem to like him. no challenger had such low favorability since abc news began polling in 1984. lower even than walter mondale and he went on to lose 49 states. but there is one man who suddenly find himself popular with both sides. >> i want to thank bill clinton. >> president clinton. >> president clinton. >> president bill clinton. >> that's right even mitt romney is looking for a little clinton magic. look who stars in his latest ad. >> america's basic bargain of providing opportunity and demanding in return responsibility. the ad makes the questionable claim that president obama is undermining the welfare reform law signed by bill clinton. something clinton himself says is not true. even newt gingrich is getting in on the act. he once led the drive to impeach bill clinton. in a call sponsored by the romney campaign today he sang clinton's praises. >> in many ways, obama is the anti-clinton. he, clinton was tr

most troubling question of all -- could the massacre have been prevented? clayton sandell, abc news, centennial, colorado. >>> and we now have an all points bulletin from the nation's top weather experts. hurricane season is about to rev up and could pack a more powerful punch. you can already see it in the gulf of mexico. tropical storm ernesto gearing up there. and now, a new storm is on the way. abc's weather editor sam champion tells us what we're in for and why. >> reporter: as tropical strom ernesto dumps flooding rains across central mexico, it is one of two hurricanes and four tropical storms to develop already this season. >> tropical storm beryl is just coming on shore. >> holy cow. >> the roads are impossible. the sidewalks are flooded. >> reporter: tropical storms alberto and beryl flared up before the season even officially began, downing trees, flooding streets. and according to noaa, this bad season is about to get worse. >> it takes a whole set of conditions to produce a hurricane. and right now, that whole set of conditions is favorable. >> reporter: among those conditions? muc

hurdles blocking president obama's bid for re-election. but our new abc/"washington post" poll shows mitt romney has more trouble, too. for now, at least, fewer americans liking him than before. in your voice, your vote, abc's jon karl tells us what they're doing about it. >> reporter: look at the polls and you'd think neither one of these guys can win. take president obama. in one poll this week, two-thirds of voters say the country is going in the wrong direction. how does the man in charge get re-elected when so many are so pessimistic? no president ever has. but then look at mitt romney. in the latest abc news poll, a mere 40% of americans see him favorably. about half just don't seem to like him. no challenger has had such a low favorability since abc news began polling in 1984. lower even than walter mondale and he went on to lose 49 states. but there's one man who suddenly finds himself popular with both sides. >> i want to thank bill clinton. >> president clinton. >> president bill clinton. >> reporter: that's right, even mitt romney is looking for a little clinton magi

greenblatt is in colorado with details of the new reporting by abc news and our denver affiliate kmgh. good evening, mark. >> reporter: good evening, diane. for weeks the world has focused attention on james holmes and the worst mass shooting in u.s. history. tonight we're getting an indication that holmes's psychiatrist may have expressed concerns about him long before the shooting. for weeks the world has been wondering if there were signs this would emerge from an ordinary student. abc news has learned dr. lynn fenton, who was treating holmes, at the university of colorado, was also a key member of the school's threat assessment team. in fact, these documents show fenton actually wrote the university's policy on threat assessment. what's more, our affiliate is reporting exclusively that by early june, fenton notified other members of the team about her concerns about holmes's behavior. on june 10, three days after he bought an assault weapon, he suddenly told the university he's quitting. so sources tell us the larger threat assessment team never had a formal meeting and never intervened

, prosecutors believe she should spend the next 20 years in prison. ryan owens, abc news, dallas. >> married mother of three. and the video they used as evidence did not show her face. however, they were able to trace it to her because it had a familiar tattoo and very recognizable tattoo in the video that belongs to her. allegedly, reportedly. >> videotaping no less. apparently, four of the instances included not one, but multiple students. >> multiple students. >> not a one-on-one thing, a group thing. >> interesting. another student who ryan owens mentioned in the piece said he did not believe that the teacher committed a crime. he says, i'm not a victim. and he said he was happy to be at her home. i think that -- i don't want to put you on the spot. what a lot of men are thinking about there. >> 18, in school, a boy, later on when i you grow up, you might say probably was taking advantage. at 18 maybe not complaining. depend on the person the i suppose. >>> let's move right along. still ahead, a reunion that tells us a lot more than relationships between two brothers. >> thes

look a terrible idea. >> lessons learned here. a seattle news anchor and extended member of the abc news family has died after a challenging battle. kathy gortsen fought brain tumors, and viewers watched her valiant battle. she worked at abc affiliate in seattle for 30 years. she was 54 years old. >> thoughts and prayers go out to her family. >> this year's flu vaccine should attack three strains of the virus predicted to make americans sick. the fda approved the shots which will go into production by six drug companies. 20% of americans get the flu each year. public health experts recommend the vaccine each year for any one 6 months or older. >> talking about flu. oh, boy. federal government spending millions of dollars on drought relief to help farmers and ranchers. the agriculture department will buy $170 million worth of pork, lamb, chicken, catfish. farmers cannot afford to feed their herd. meat and fish will gofood -- bang . >>> late day hail. gusty wind and flash flooding from boston to d.c. stormy, buffalo, pittsburgh, charleston, west virginia. showers in the southeast. rai

of your shoes at the airport. jim avila, abc news, washington. >> i think it is kind of ludicrous they will go after the guy. he tried to signal for help. >> stayed on his jet ski. the first move he made. nobody came to help. >> they have to drop that. >> strange way, should be thanking the guy. make it more secure down the road. >> not the first time, i believe it happened in philadelphia not too long ago. >> the black jeep. >> yes, remember jim avila had a report, think a couple weeks ago if not a couple months ago that they leave these big airliners unlocked. on the runway. >> doesn't sound like a good idea does it? >> kind of sound look a terrible idea. >> lessons learned here. a seattle news anchor and extended member of the abc news family has died after a challenging battle. kathy gortsen fought brain tumors, and viewers watched her valiant battle. she worked at abc affiliate in seattle for 30 years. she was 54 years old. >> thoughts and prayers go out to her family. >> this year's flu vaccine should attack three strains of the virus predicted to make americans sick. the fd

vigil tomorrow night for the families. abc 7 news. >> thank you roz. they are calling on sikhs to take measures, including installing closed-circuit cameras. for updates any time of the day go to our website wjla.com. leon? >> maureen, more on the shooting of the gabrielle giffords. a hearing is being held to the man accused. there were six people killed 12 wounded. the judge must decide whether the schizophrenic is competent. >> now, to our weather. a little bit of rain and a lot of humidity. >> we turn out to our chief meteorologist doug hill in the weather center. >> your typical early august heat and humidity out there but the storms are well to the south and will stay there. let's get started off in our belfort furniture weather center. in damascus in montgomery county, it shows you how we had some low clouds, then breaking sunshine midday, then more and more sunshine, all as a cold front is slowly advancing in our direction. most of the showers and storms have remained well south and west of our area. in brunswick 90 degrees the same thing in helen, md., and we will see the

wireless system transmitting signals during emergencies. and abc 7 news was invited to observe the first day from the system command center but workers told us they didn't like wearing lan yards which are attached because attackers could use to it choke them. two days later, it happened. just like predicted. a patient tried to strangle a worker with a lanyard. >> he's fine and was released from the emergency room that evening. >> and members of the biggest union have filed a grievance charging the new alarms are malfunctioning, many are defective and go off when there are no emergencies. the union says it's giving a false sense of security. >> they should pull them back and make sure they're working properly. >> abc 7 news learned the hospital was having so much trouble, with the new alarms in this section that they pulled them yesterday from staffers there and equipped them with old alarms, the subject of complaints. today, officials met with many of the 900 members. one big issue is that hospital is making staff responsible for charging the alarms. >> if not charged they're being

week later, page bought the gun used in sunday's shooting. larry jacobs, abc news, new york. >> new york's mayor says the shooting offers yet another reason for the presidential candidates to put forward proposals to cut gun violence. michael bloomberg made the comments during a meeting with sikh leaders here in new york. bloomberg has been a long time advocate for gun control. senator the llautenberg is tryi close the terror gap. post 9/11, the fbi has no authority, no authority to block firearm sales to international or domestic terror suspects. that bill would give the justice department the power to do that. >> that's been something the justice department, at least attorneys with the justice department have been discussing for quite some time. there is no teeth. you can be a prosecutor but if you don't have the law to back you up there is nothing you can do. i think it is especially important, given the fact that this guy was on the radar of federal investigators. and nothing could be done. even if there was a -- just more information. >> we don't know if -- in this situation if

spoke with abc news. page's stepmom believes his life took a turn after he entered the military. >> he told us that was the best thing he could have ever done, was join the military, and we were happy for him. now, i greatly question that direction. >> reporter: abc news has learned page had deep ties to white supremacist hate groups. ♪ adapt to the trying times southern poverty law center had actually been tracking page through his bands for years. >> he felt that the movement so-called was not doing much of anything and that somebody had to get out there and start killing. >> reporter: among the people investigators are speaking with, page's former girlfriend, misty cook. you see her here in these web photos provided by the anti-defamation league, in some, she poses with others, wearing t-shirts and holding a banner of a white supremacist group. a number of tributes and condolences to the six victims is still growing, just another sign of the profound sense of loss here in wisconsin. at a vigil the tight knit sikh community remembered the lives lost. sikhism is a religion fo

of cable news and remembers the news stories that marked his career at abc. this is just over an hour. .. david westin is presently the president and ceo of news rite an ambitious license to original news content. news rite launched more than almost six months ago and hopefully he will tell us a tbit about it. he was president of abc for over a decade from 1997 to 2010. during his tenure, abc news received 11 peabody, 13 due points, and more than 0 news and documentary emmys. plus more than 40 ed awards. innovation was a hallmark in his administration, he created and built an array of special uniteds from for abc news outlets lead by the hard hitting investigative unit. in 2007 he announced the largest single expansion of foreign news coverage in the history of abc news by sending seven new digital reporters to -- osama bin laden the last with the western journalist from afghanistan. as well as barbara walters with monica will win sky, the highest rated news program in the history. before joining abc he was a partner at will her cutler and pickerring he was a law clerk to supreme cour

seech, david. now, what about this new man causing a stir. abc's jon karl up close with a look at his history, his family, who he is. >> hey. >> reporter: for the most part, paul ryan seemed to enjoy the iowa state fair, although he didn't want to talk politics with us. >> later. >> reporter: ryan's wisconsin roots run deep, part of a prominent family in janesville, where the sixth and eighth grader became prom king and class president. when he was 16, his father died. ail sudden heart attack at 55. he dedicated his life to making dad proud. since then, he's been in a hurry. arriving in washington at a 22-year-old intern. he's obsessive about fitness. a devotee of tony horton's hyper intensive workouts. here's how he explained his daily routine to politico. >> pullups, situp, lots of cardio, jump training, yoga. >> reporter: ryan's wife jana, the daughter of local democrats is now staying at home with the three kids. ryan is a numbers geek, often seen with his ipod, alternatively listening to led zeppelin and policy issues. >> i've been reading these things since i was 22 years old. y

. richard besser into the battle lines of one of the most dangerous diseases on earth. abc news exclusive. >>> and to catch a thief. this woman is trying to take a baby from the hospital. how the plot was foiled. >>> and singular sensation. she gaving us the familiar songs from "the way we were" to "0 chorus line" ♪ tonight, we remember the incomparable marvin hamlin. >>> good evening. we begin tonight with a surprise ending to an american tragedy. with a nation still reeling from two mass shootings in the last month, we learned the fate and heard the words of the man who opened fire at a safeway in tucson nearly two years ago. jared loughner killed six, wounded 15, including congresswoman gabrielle giffords. gabby giffords is weighing in on the decision and we are learn for the first time how loughner wept for one of his victims. there are we all remember the disturbing grin and the eyes and that the flag and the rambling tour from the college from which jared lee loughner dropped out. in court today, the judge said loughner is now a different man after months of being forcibly medicat

still waiting for action. one issue is pension reform. abc 7 news reports waiting this late to address this issue doesn't sit well with those who want reform. there are lawmakers voting and one proposal remains unwritten. long-promised overhaul of public pensions. key points have been leaked instead of a hybrid plan including a 401(k) type option there will be a yet to be determined benefit cap. something like $100,000 a year limit. and there are current employees will have to contribute more. >> there are going to be people that are not going to be thrilled with it. >> having been shut out of negotiations in recent days. >> year upset they feel obligated to take out this on working men and women in california. it's going to damage the ability to working men and women to retire in dignity. >> another thing adding pressure is a november election. a feeling among democrats is that it must show the public they're reigning in costs. >> this general public feels retirement benefits are too generous, average pension is roughly $3,000 per month. >> we'll be sold a sizzle. there won't be any s

>>> this is an abc news special report. your voice, your vote. mitt romney's choice. >> good evening. we begin tonight with breaking news. top republicans close to his campaign say presidential candidate mitt romney has chosen wisconsin congressman paul ryan as his running mate. the romney campaign would not comment on the decision but said it will be announcing tomorrow morning in norfolk, virginia, from aboard the "uss wisconsin." paul ryan has served in congress for seven terms but his profile skyrocketed over the past several years around his plan to drastically cut spending in an effort to reduce the national debt. ryan, just 42 years old, is married to a tax attorney with whom he has three young children. for the latest we're joined by abc senior political correspondent jonathan karl from norfolk, virginia, where he's traveling with the romney campaign. jon, how much of a surprise is this? >> reporter: well, to those who really know romney it's not that much of a surprise. he has been fascinated with this young, conservative superstar for a long time. but he's only 42 y

airport, abc 7 news. >> thank you, lisa. you can get latest information on delays nationwide at our airports through the abc 7 news flight tracker, just look under see it on tv. >> two scares in the sky for southwest planes today. >> officials tell us cabin pressure problems caused an emergency on a plane headed from sfo to denver. the pilot had to land in oakland and there is a both planes that landed safely. >> mars rover has beamed back the first high resolution photos of mount sharp it will dig down to determine the chemistry. >> this rover sent back a new song by musician will-i-am. >> california health officials now investigating an outbreak of illnesses tied to salmonella tainted mangoes. 73 people have been sickened in the state. >> authorities have not been able to identify the source but the similar strain has been reported in western dma da. authorities say they were imported from mexico and sold under daniela brand. several u.s. grocers have pulled the brand as a precaution. >> 1700 people received warnings they may have been exposed to a deadly virus while camping at yo

next. martha raddatz, abc news, washington. >>> i can't keep up. i can't keep up with all of this. >> that news can keep all of us up at night. i found the story chilling. made me think of the story earlier this week, they had the flight, two hours into it and turned around they found the suspicious camera. from that report that is the kind of stuff they have to look out for. you don't know these days what they're turning into bombs, teddy bears, prosthetics, body cavities they will go to any lengths. would rather have the plane turn around and be late than not make it at all. >> many people were pooh-poohing that story. why would a plane turn around just because of this camera left -- on the seat? well. >> if you wonder why, watch martha's story again. you will see why. >>> more news this morning, fire crews battling a raging wildfire in northern california say they will not have it under control until sunday. the fire has now burned across 500 acres near lake shasta, forcing people to flee their homes. more than 300 firefighters are out there on the front lines, on the ground an

better than ab cl. 7 -- abc 7 news at 4:00? abc 7 news at 4:00 on a $22,000 television. why it's so expensive, coming up. >> checking out traffic now, taking a look at the skyway in downtown san francisco. normal crawl left to right for those folks heading to the east bay. a lot better if you're heading southbound towards peninsula on the righthand side. back with more on abc 7 news at 4:00. >>> we're now less than an hour from the start of the biggest baseball game in petaluma history. >> at 5:00 the petaluma little leaguers take on texas this is another elimination game. and as abc 7 news found out no one is talking about losing, everyone talking about boys of summer who put petaluma on the map. >> in this cafe, they're serving up omelettes, but there is one topic. the boys of summer representing the city. >> no question about it. great group of kids. fantastic for the city and everybody. >> and there is a buzz county wide. >> neighbors say they was all excited and it put them on the reach. it reached down in sonoma. >> the owner remembers when it was best known as egg capitol of

called him mentally ill. it is friday, august 10th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >>> good morning, everyone. i'm john muller. >> i'm sunny hostin. rob and paula are off today. >>> in a moment, the latest defense moves in the colorado shooting case. >>> also this half-hour, dangerous dishwashers that can catch fire. in fact, they're so hazardous, safety experts want them disconnected immediately. >> they say don't run it when you leave the house and make sure you are awake. >> good as gold on the field, in the pool, in the ring. women of team usa are rocking it at the olympics. all the latest action and medal count from london. >> yes, yes. ooh. i'm loving the olympics. >>> later, forget the cover of "rolling stone." lady gaga lands a gig on the cover of "vogue." in typical fashion, leaks a sneak peek to her fans. we'll snow you that pic when we do "the skinny." >> "the skinny." >> she looks so good. look at that. >> looks good. sounds good, too. >>> first, lawyers for james holmes claim their client suffers from mental illness. some survivors are not buying

romney neck and neck, could be a make or break issue. it's monday, august 20th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >>> good monday morning. i'm paula farris. only four days until friday. >> four days and counting. >> rob is coming back from paris tomorrow. >> rested and raring to go. >> but it's been great to have you here. >> great to be here. i am john muller. we begin with politics. a skinny dipping scandal involving republicans and a missouri lawmaker who made controversial comments about abortion and rape. >> and the man who got him stuck in that deep hole out in the middle of nowhere. how a lost shoe led to this strange ordeal and who happened to hear his calls for help. >>> later this half hour, unwelcome visitors in your home. if you've had mice or bugs move in, it could be worse. this home was overrun by baboons. >> not cockroaches, not nice >> baboons. and the homeowner had a solution. we'll tell you about that. >> they're just taking over in the kitchen there. but first, the next major event in the race to the white house begins one week from today. it's the republi

u.s. forces. martha raddatz, abc news, washington. >>> thanks to martha for that report. now to a rescue in mississippi thanks to an army of good samaritans. passing truck drivers grabbed fire extinguishers as the flames grew closer to the two sisters trapped inside the crashed car. one of the women was disabled. some people doused the fire. several others used crowbars to pry them out. the driver was flown to the hospital with serious head trauma. >>> wildfires raging this morning in more than a dozen western states. most destructive has scorched thousand of acres in central washington. it is 25% contained. more from neal karlinsky. >> reporter: across the scorching west, 60 large fires were burning through 14 states including 11 new fires. at the worst of them in washington, finally, some good news. as firefighters got a chunk of it under control. despite 70 homes lost, some amazing close calls. few would have belt this home would have survived, but we got an update. this picture showing the same home surrounded by burned land yet seemingly untouched. how? a good clue is the met

latest abc news poll on the candidates favorability. romney's favorability has dropped to 40% among americans polled. 49%, view the candidate unfavorably. president obama's numbers are up slightly. with a 53% favorable view. 43% have an unfavorable view of the president. his popularity is lower among registered voters. >>> keeping with politics, president obama heads to colorado today for two days of campaigning in that swing state. mitt romney searches for votes in iowa. two candidates continue to battle over major economic issues, most recently, welfare reform. abc's karen travers is covering the campaign. >> reporter: president obama has been hammering mitt romney for his economic plan. >> governor romney's plan would effectively raise taxes on middle-class families with children by an average of $2,000. >> reporter: at a fund raiser in connecticut, the president launched a new attack. and the crowd loved it. >> it is like robin hood in reverse. it's romney-hood. >> reporter: the romney campaign is focusing on welfare accusing the president of gutting welfare reform by granting w

work out an olympic-size amount of problems. it is monday, august 13th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >>> good monday morning, i'm paula faris. back from a very relaxing vacation. >> a whole week. looking all tan and perky. >> i want to michigan. he said -- what, you can vacation there? >> i said, the sun comes out there? >> it does come out there. >> said it to get your goat. you get fiercely proud when you talk about michigan. >> of course. >> she thinks i am a new york snob. not the case. not the case. >> we have got to get him to come west. >> i would like to go. >> lake michigan. >> great golf and fishing. >> don't have to worry about sharks in lake michigan. >> by the way, i'm john muller for rob nelson who is in paris. we'll take you to london for the olympic extravaganza. game changer in the presidential race. mitt romney's running mate, paul ryan, what he brings to the ticket and how the re-election campaign is quick to react. >> both sides love this. an analytical, policy guy. >> democrats have the blueprint to attack this guy. everybody is happy. >>> al

that a dam could collapse just 80 miles outside new orleans. abc's extreme weather team is out once again across the storm zone. matt gutman starts us off in new orleans. >> reporter: these are the desperate scenes playing out in louisiana tonight. look as these faces, young old, yet relieved as the rescuers arrive. so many on the move as the waters rise. new anxiety tonight. tens of thousands of people told to evacuate when a dam threatened to evacuate. many were given just 90 minutes to gather all that was dear to them and flee. >> pictures -- baby pictures of me and my siblings, my children, my sister's children. >> reporter: how stressful is this? you have very little time. >> very stressful. >> reporter: the flooding and rain have simply swallowed up whole communities -- this deer barely able to keep its antlers above the water. in laplace, louisiana, more than 3,100 residents evacuated in a helter-skelter rescue by helicopter and boat. we set out with the alpha team of the louisiana wildlife and fisheries. >> we'll work our way back. >> reporter: we found an eerie scene. even

happened. >> reporter: a sudden change that came slowly. abc news, atlanta. >> interesting. and hootie johnson -- >> what year is it? >> the chairman applauded this said condi and darla moore -- moore is his good friend -- applauded them. a person with knowledge of club operations according to "the washington post" said rice and moore were first considered five years ago, as members, and rice loves sports, golf. >> a good move. decades too late by some. glad that we finally got there. >> there is still a lot of female-only golf clubs out there and male-only golf clubs out there, as well. >> welcome, condoleezza and darla. >>> still to come, "trouble for toddlers and tiaras." >> a pageant mom in custody court. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: abc's "world news now" will continue after this from our abc stations. >>> well you may have seen the show toddlers and tiaras and show "toddlers and tiaras," it features girls all dolled up for those beauty pageants. >> the show has come under fire accused of sexualizing children and now a mom may have gone too far. linsey da

come, firefighters in washington are gaining ground, but worried, too. neal karlinsky, abc news, seattle. >>> and in dallas tonight, they're mobilizing against a different kind of threat. the outbreak of west nile virus we told you about last night. for the first time in 45 years, the city and county will conduct aerial spraying of insecticide throughout the night. a desperate effort to curb the mosquito population. there is opposition to the chemical mist, but the mayor says, i cannot have any more deaths on my conscience because we did not take action. the virus killed ten people and caused at least 200 others to fall ill in dallas alone. >>> and we head overseas too u.s. forces fighting the long war in afghanistan. a black hawk helicopter crashed, killing everyone on board. seven u.s. troops, three afghans and an interpreter. and abc's martha raddatz has been looking into what happened tonight. martha. >> reporter: diane, it's not certain a helicopter was shot down, but there were no weather problems, no indications from the pilot of mechanical failure and the helicopter was flying de

guardsmen on standby. natasha barrett, abc 7 news. >> well, we are here live at tampa at the republican national convention here. behind me, the official nomination and the seconding of mitt romney for president, and i can tell you here, people are very concerned about hurricane isaac, because they have to have a delicate balance. they want to come here and celebrate, but they do not want to appear too joy is if there is serious whether that is putting people in peril, but mitt romney is in town everybody in place, and this is really underway. mitt romney arrive with wife ann for her rehearsal and many here are hoping that her speech tonight will soften voters up to mitt romney, but most voters are getting to know her. >> barbara bush and laura bush, they have been such wonderful first ladies, so, you know ann romney has a lot to live up to. >> paul ryan also a rod with his family and children in tow and reporters and celebrities filled the streets. singer pat boone a romney supporter, and founder of a tea party, one of the eager attendees who wants to be to barack obama. -- to beat bar

morning. and students had to be evacuated. water rushed into the gym and classrooms. oo. abc news is at the scene tonight. don? >> i'm down about a half mile where the sink hole s you can see mud along this area here, it was taking almost three hours to cap that water main break. and there is some idea, voters taking a look from sky 7 hd. not only was with ther an issue but the sink hole, as you said posing -- closing this area where there has been sewer work done just eight months ago. and a lot of water from the main. and began the -- when daily city crews came by to sweep way mud joined by homeowners as well. and there is no houses but they have been evacuated. >> this is like a big river next door. and this is next thing we know it was flooded outside. >> water sokd these slabs and counter tops. and most affected is a nearly school and there are schools closed the rest of the week. there is a drop in water pressure. a dissturing tact that there is water flowing into the bay. this is the first p.u.c. heard about it. they're going to have to look into that. and they're going to hav

president ever has. but then look at mitt romney. the latest abc news poll shows just over one-third of voters see him favorable. no challenger has had such a low favorability rating at this point in the campaign since polling in 1984. but there's one man who suddenly finds himself popular with both sides. >> i want to thank bill clint top. >> president clinton. >> president bill clinton. >> reporter: that's right, even mitt romney is looking for a little clinton magic. just look who stars in his latest ad. >> america's basic bargain of providing opportunity and demanding in return responsibility. >> reporter: the ad makes the questionable claim that president obama is undermining the welfare reform law signed by bill clinton. something clinton himself says is not true. even newt gingrich is getting in on the act. he once led the drive to impeach bill clinton, but in a call sponsored by the romney campaign today, he sang clinton's praises. >> in many ways obama is the anti-clinton. he -- clinton was trying to move the party to the center. obama's moved it to the left. >> reporter: but i

"world news now" will continue after this from our abc stations. >> yes! >>> national anthem has to be one of the hardest songs to sing and, unfortunately, the most scrutinized. >> an 11-year-old girl's version has gone viral on youtube. not in a good way. abc's ryan owens has the story. ♪ o say can you see >> reporter: it was supposed to be her big break. and even this 11-year-old knew she blew it. >> yeah, it wasn't my best at all. >> reporter: before a nationally televised major league soccer game in a stadium packed with 22,000 fans, well just listen. ♪ perilous fight >> reporter: 11-year-old harper gruson had been practicing for weeks. she said she couldn't hear herself and was thrown off-key by the annoying horns so popular with soccer fans. ♪ and the rockets red glare ♪ i turned around and i was like starting to sing, and i was like, wow -- that's, that's the wrong key i'm supported to start in. >> reporter: on youtube some one posted "my ears are bleeding," the web site called it "the worst national anthem rendition ever." "so bad it had to be heard to be believed. i wa

at pizza hut. linsey davis, abc news, new york. >> the famous scene in "wedding crashers" where they put the visine in bradley cooper's wine. >> hugging the porcelain. >> funny in movies. not in real life. >> you want my attention i will pay attention. >> if i wanted your attention, i would just whack you. >> visine works great in the eyes. had some this morning. >> in your eyes, not in the drink. >> still amazed it works. >> couple drops. >> bad news. get enough, you can have cardiac arrest, coma, you can die. and the police say she wanted attention. she didn't want to kill him. >> they have a child together. in a relationship for a long time. $75,000 bail, she is free. head back to court next month. thinking he should dump her? >> i think. or she better get help. assuming she is guilty. not proven guilty yet. have to say that. allegedly. >> reportedly. >> reportedly. >>> still to come, you ask and we will answer. >> the "world news now" inbox is up next. >> announcer: abc's "world news now" will continue after this from our abc stations. ♪ >> now to our new segment becoming

others. ron claiborne, abc news, new york. >> that brings us to our facebook question of the day -- >> we want to know what inspires you to exercise. log on to our facebook page at wnnfans.com to let us know. i personally loved the commercial. because the isn't that really what the olympic spirit is about. you find your own strength. your own greatness. and anyone can be a great athlete. >> apparently he inspired his mom. >> hey, nice. good looking there. how many miles did you do that day? >> i don't count miles. >> i am inspired in summertime. >> you got to show more flesh. >> exactly right. >> it is hard to exercise on this shift though. because you have to sleep. >> off hours. last thing you want to do. my feeling you have to go right to the gym. if the bed is there, you are never going to. go to the gym before you go home. >> i don't do that. i go to sleep. i get up. >> very dicey. >> no yoga today. >> coming up a condiment conundrum. >> the paper cups in restaurants. apparently there is a proper way to use them. that's coming up next. >> oka ♪ just eat it >> i am going to

news now" "inbox" stay with us. >> announcer: abc's "world news now" will continue after this from our abc stations. feature "world news now" "inbox" stay with ♪ >> the youtube video seen here has almost 45,000 hits. after almost an hour and a half of gnawing on a few nuts she was ready to paint her masterpiece. ♪ [ laughter ] >> that -- that was -- >> awesome. >> that was spectacular. >> the squirrel was eating the paint brush. >> you know, i -- i still have the same reaction months later. >> yes, journalism at its finest. that was just one of many times that we have kind of gotten into just a tiny bit of trouble. which seems to be a common denominator, theme here. >> indeed. >> brings us to "world news now" "inbox." been doing it for a couple of weeks now. we allow you to ask questions. anything goes pretty much. >> that's right. we will answer. we've had great questions from you. let's start with -- barbara asked us. what is your most favorite story that you both cracked up so hard and almost lost it while reading? >> oh, we totally lost it. couple months back. producers pit

beltway. day,more throughout the including when abc 7 news starts at 5:00. good afternoon. i am steve chenevey. in cynne simpson. following breaking news from georgia. we will have the first female member at the football club. they invited connolly's a rice to become the first women of the club's 80-year history. women accepted the invitation. pressure for under s to admit women. murder conviction was set aside. let's check again where he joins us with more on today's's ruling. exonerate,eing a outcomeabout as good an be expected. he is now a free man. the charges against him have been legally dropped. after a six-month review, they t have another evidence or evidence, he says, bring an indictment, despite that the interview about 40 witnesses. they continue to review the case. from this arean was freed from prison after years of a life sentence. a judge overturned the conviction and said there was from one of the co-defendants. right now, it looks like michael hashes and the clear. to said prosecutors continue this investigation and could possibly bring future charges against them if

dangerous new storm. abc's extreme weather team out in force tonight. >> oh! >> while here in florida, everything's on hold. the delegates are hoping tomorrow they get to do what they came here to do and nominate a presidential candidate at the 40th republican national convention and we are here in tampa bay. >>> good evening. tonight from the hall of the republican national convention, the events here postponed one day because the giant storm isaac is barreling toward the gulf coast. and it is really seven years to the day since katrina devastated new orleans. at this moment, the storm is gaining strength on track to become a category 2 hurricane. it's almost the size of texas. it's already sideswiped the florida keys, and at this hour, is moving through the gulf. toward the gulf coast. a state of emergency in four states, more than 5,000 national guard troops mobilized. and our extreme weather team is spanned out across the storm zone. and abc's weather editor sam champion leads us off in new orleans right now. sam? >> good evening, diane. and that's lake pontchartrain behind me. th

. >> reporter: best to avoid that. here is to smoother flights. i am going to sit down. jim avila, abc news, over wilmington, north carolina. >> he has a strong stomach. >> great man, jim. >> not doing it. >> some of this tush silence just phenomenal. heads hit the top of the cabin. i have been in turbulence. >> hold on. >> this has been a turbulent ride here at "world news now." are you okay? hold on a second. john, here you go. john's not feeling so well, everybody. we will have to take a break. we need a barf bag for you, don't you. >> i'll be all right. i'll be all right. >> we need some vodka to calm his stomach, too. >> nice. >> i enjoyed that. impromptu. keep us on our toes. >> definitely do keep us on our toes. >> practice our acting. >> jim avila did a story about turbulence and, i think a couple months ago. amazing how flexible the wings are and how much they can take. >> incredible. >> but, no, thank you. if we can avoid turbulence at all costs -- >> way to go, honeywell, good job, jim avila. >>> a model goes international. you would think this is her big break. >> she is so unhappy ab