jonathan karl, abc news, the white house. >> a lot of times people go through something like this, you are humiliated in the public spotlight, there's a way to find catharsis and move an. she's been trying to. it's been, what, two decades now. she's said she hasn't been able to move on. no one will hire her. she went to london school of economics but after that it was really hard. i think this may be a way for her to start anew. >> 41. maybe still dealing with it. >>> coming up here, celebrity endorsements. the big-name stars turning to commercials to help their career. turns out it's not just about the machine anymore. >> and ahead in our next half hour, an incredible story about a boy with autism getting help from an unlikely place. how that robotic voice onnior cell phone is helping change the life of a remarkable young man. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" ♪ >>> celebrity advertisers used to consider this a deal of shameful secrets. something a-listers might only do abroad where most americans wouldn't really see it. >> that's not the case anymore.

here's abc's jonathan karl. >> reporter: it was supposed to be a mission accomplished moment. chris christie touting the rebuilding of the jersey shore on the second anniversary of superstorm sandy. but then a protester accuses christie of not doing enough to help storm victims who are still suffering. >> i got the picture. i read it. so -- you do yours, too, buddy. >> reporter: christie is known for his occasional outburst, and this was classic christie. >> we're going to get into a debate here today. it's going to get very interesting and very fun. for somebody like you that doesn't know a damn thing about what you're talking about except to show up when the cameras are here. i've been here when the cameras aren't here, buddy, and done the work. i've been here when the cameras weren't here and did the work. >> reporter: last year christie celebrated the rebuilding of the jersey shore with president obama. this year a much different scene. >> so listen, you want to have the conversation later, i'm happy to have it, buddy. but until that time, sit down and shut up. >> reporter

jonathan karl catching up exclusively with the younger bush, asking the question on so many minds. >> reporter: is your dad going to run for president? >> i think he is still assessing it. >> reporter: do you think it's more than 50% or less than 50%. >> i think it's more than likely. that he is giving it a series serious thought -- >> reporter: that he will run. >> that he will run. >> could we be in for a bush/clinton rematch? stay tuned. >>> we turn to hawaii and a river of lava creeping towards dozens of homes. you can see it here. families ready to evacuate at a moment's notice. abc's clayton sandell has the latest. >> reporter: it is the big island's lava monster, now on the doorstep of this small town. from the air, a view of the inevitable. lava and the houses just hundreds of yards apart. . in the last 24 hours, the lava scorched a path three more football fields long, bearing closer to dozens of families now being told they may have to evacuate as early as tuesday. >> it's really hard to leave the home that we have been here for over 40 years. >> reporter: experts believe th

let's get right to abc's cheech white house correspondent jonathan karl. what do you make of this? >> reporter: well, david, the president was home all weekend, too. and today, the only time he ventured out was to go to sasha and malia's school for parent-teacher conferences. so, what's going on? well, the president's approval rating is at an all-time low. just 40%. and in many of the states with the big races, it's even lower. so, while the president will be out campaigning for some candidates for governor this week, you won't see him in a single place with a competitive senate race. >> well were talking earlier, jon, we've seen second term pments with low approval ratings before. you went digging for george w. bush's schedule on this day back in his second term? >> reporter: that's right. and bush was even more unpopular than president obama, but on this day, eight years ago, he was out campaigning in two different states, traveling more than 2,000 miles and was out virtual little every day in the home stretch. >> you heard me mention the stakes here for the president. the senate

he is getting ready to make a decision about whether or not to run for president. >> all right, jon karl at the white house. jon, thank you. >>> with the holiday season almost here, now to that new image raising alarm. the u.p.s. driver and the $12,000 package. abc's tom llamas asking, what happened to handle with care? >> reporter: we've seen it before. dreadful deliveries, caught on camera. and tonight, that new video. a u.p.s. driver on long island, rolling and kicking that box, inside? a sensitive pressure gauge worth $12,000. >> i'm shocked. i see him push this box across the floor and then proceed to basically bowl it across the lawn onto the street. >> reporter: around the country, shocked customers uploading evidence to youtube. last year this fedex worker lost her job, busted hurling packages. in 2011, watch as this driver tosses a flat screen computer monitor like a basketball. he was later disciplined. and tis the season. u.p.s. and fedex alone preparing to ship more than 850 million packages for the holidays. when your special delivery doesn't arrive as planned, make sure to

so, let's get right to abc's jonathan karl. jon, you covered this from if white house for some time. shifting opinion on this? >> reporter: david, i don't think we've ever seen public opinion move so dramatically. take a look at this. just ten years ago, 59% of americans opposed gay marriage. today, 59% favor it. an incredible turnaround, with young people leading the way. and the impact of today's action or inaction by the supreme court could be felt immediately. you could see the story in the pictures. today in virginia, same sex couples getting married. this afternoon, this morning, it would have been illegal for them to do that. but there is still a legal battle ahead in at least 20 states, gay marriage is still prohibited. but david, the trend here is unmistakable. >> jon karl, thank you. >>> now, to a dramatic new development in the manhunt for one of america's most wanted. the someone accused of that deadly ambush on state troopers. a letter from the accused gunman himself. seen right there in that documentary about a wa

>> the casino has asked billionaire investor karl icon to take over the taj and invest one $1 million in it. he owns the tropicana. he told the press the unions have to make concessions in order to keep it open. >> in tech bytes, a refund from at&t, they will pay for cramming. >>> apple will issue new ipads, the latest cryptic invitation says it's been way too long. we'll see the new mac operating system and hardware. htc has one button operation and shoots stills and videos and send them to your smart phone. they don't need a view finder because they have a wide angle lens. >>> google used a camera to a hump of a camel. it's the first time they trapped a camera on a four legged creature, looks incredible there. >> mountain lion is caught on camera bouncing on some guy's car. >> the flyers start the season the way they started the last one with an l. >> reporter: we're looking at cool temperatures to start out. a lot of us are in the mid 50s, this afternoon you might getaway with t-shirt. i'll have the day-park forecast coming up next. hi, i'm henry winkler and i'm here to tell homeow

jon karl asked him about another campaign. >> is your dad going the run for president? >> i think he's still assessing it. >> reporter: more than 50% less than? >> i think it's more than likely that he's giving it serious thought. >> reporter: that he'll run? >> that rooel run. >> if he does, it could be bush versus clinton begun. jeb versus hillary. >> we'll stick with politics. the new poll showing approval of members of congress is the lowestst ever been. 77% disapprove of the job they're doing. a quarter of the people polled like the job republicans are doing. two-thirds of those polled gave a thumbs down to congressional democrats. >>> at part of the government under scrutiny this morning. fallout from the exploding air bags. a review of the national highway traffic safety administration has been ordered over the handling of the recall. nhtsa first got the numbers wrong. the next day, the number of bags needing replaced was 8 million. safety officials say 20 million should be replaced. at least three people have been killed by the air bags under recall. >>> nearly

jon karl with more. and these concerns blowing back on president obama. >> reporter: they are. the president is getting low marks from the public for his handling of the crisis. in our poll, only 41% approved of what he has done so far. and at the root of that is this, the public thinks more should be done. fully 64% say that not enough is being done to prevent further ebola cases here in the united states. >> and you have seen calls from senator john mccain calling for an ebola czar, and bans on travel from others. and the cdc says they have new measures. >> reporter: they're right. they say there was a breach in protocol. reviewing the protocols and how they're enforced and sending additional personnel to dallas. it's a delicate balance. the white house wants to reassure the public that the chances are extremely low of an epidemic but they are taking action. >> you don't to want feed the anxiety, but not out of touch. thank you very much. >>> and now to the scare in the skies. a passenger plane making an emergency landing after the w l walls inside the cabin started to buckle

. >> let's bring in jon karl and dr. rich besser. the president outlining what he's going to do as republicans like speaker john boehner calling for a travel ban. others saying that the director of the cdc needs to be fired. >> reporter: the president has confidence in the director. and a travel ban would be a problem, hindering the flow of relief workers to and from west africa. but the president acknowledged they should have been more aggressive at the start. the bottom line is the same. the president said that he is absolutely confident that they can prevent a serious outbreak of the disease here in the united states. >> what the president did not announce yesterday is something you have been talking about. taking any ebola patient to a special treatment center like the one at emory university where amber vinson is right now. >> i think that was missing from the statement. one thing the go teams, rapid response teams would be looking at, if they can be treated there or transported. but i think it's a stretch that any hospital can

. >> thank you, jon karl. let's go to amy with the other top stories. >>> we begin with breaking news near chicago. an appalling discovery. a suspected serial killer with as many as seven women among his victims in the or not west indiana cities of hammond and gary. abc's alex perez is on the case. tell us what we know so far. >> reporter: good morning, amy. at this point, authorities are working this case. they believe the suspect they have in custody may be responsible for murders dating as far back as the mid '90s. overnight, more female bodies were found in northwest indiana, this, after police say they have man in custody that may be linked to four murders. charges may come as early as many morni this morning. >> it was like a domino effect. >> reporter: the search started when this woman, named africa, was found dead. a man led police to six more bodies. aneeth jones is the only body identified. she was reported missing october 8th by her family. >> we'll have to do a timeline back wards to see who the l

. >> jon karl for more. that disgust with washington defining so many of these. >> that's right, george. it seems all the elements are in place for a big change election. the president is about at his lowest popularity ever. there is discontent with both parties in congress. most people think the country is seriously on the wrong track. you have anxiety about the economy, terrorism, ebola. all the big names are out, both obamas campaigning, jeb bush, everybody who wants to run for president. they are trying to appeal to an elect rat fed up with everybody in power. >> and the biggest prize, control of the senate. the republicans need to pick up six states. >> reporter: you have a dozen states with seriously tight races. unfortunately for democrats most of them are seats controlled by democrats where republicans have a real chance of winning. so nate silver of the five thirty-eight blog says republicans have a 68.5% chance the taking over the senate. >> that's been creeping up. and finally the president is cam

here's jon karl. >> you're offering the most full throated defense of obama from anybody who is not on the obama payroll right now. >> right. and it's funny because i was critical but that's the point in a way. people who had this idea that obama was going to bring a transformation of america, i thought were being naive but, by god we got health reform. we got a significant financial reform. we are getting the environmental action is not everything you would have wanted but it's more than anyone else has done for decades. >> put it in context. what are you saying, one of the most successful, fdr -- >> no, fdr is in a different leak. >> where are you putting him. >> in the end reagan did not leave the structure of american society particularly different. he did not, in fact, change the basic legacy of lyndon johnson and fdr. i think if my ranking of consequential presidents in modern history fdr, lbj, obama and then reagan. >> leon panetta says that obama too often relies on the logic of a law professor rather than the passion of a leader. does he have a point. >> i'm allergic to this k

chief white house correspondent jonathan karl met up with him in college station, texas. >> i want to thank all of our candidates, as well. >> reporter: down in the heart of texas, there's another george bush running for office. george p. bush has been immersed in politics about as long as he's been walking. >> i pledge allegiance -- >> reporter: he was just 12 when he first took the stage of the republican national convention. few have spoken at so many of them. now 38, he finally has his campaign bus. and you've been drawn to politics for a long time. this is the first time you're actually running. >> that's right. you know, until you put your name on the side of a bus or a placard or on the ballot, it's a different level of sacrifice, and it's one that i take very seriously. >> reporter: now he's running to be texas land commissioner. but on the stump his focus goes beyond texas. >> this president is the one leading the war on women. >> reporter: and this bush whose mother is from mexico says he wants to broaden the republican party appeal to hispanics and to young people and to mo

abc's chief white house correspondent jon karl has more on what it will take to restore confidence in the president's protectors. >> mr. reagan. >> reporter: in 1981 when secret service agent tim mccarthy took a bullet for ronald reagan, he was just doing his job. the bond between an agent and a president is built on trust and respect, and despite the agency's security lapses and scandals during his six years in the white house, president obama has always stood up for the secret service. you still have confidence in the secret service? >> the secret service does a great job. and i'm grateful for the sacrifices they make on my behalf and my family's behalf. >> do you solemnly -- >> reporter: a week ago came director julia pierson's disastrous appearance before congress. >> profoundly inaccurate, shocking, disgraceful. outrageous. is there any one of those adjectives you disagree with? >> no. >> reporter: her resignation came after a series of new revelations first reported by "the washington post." the september 19th fence jumper armed with a knife made it much further into the white h