hi, i'm looking to save money on my car insurance. how do i know if i'm getting a good deal? you should talk to the specialist. the specialist? he compares rates side by side. you could save hundreds. it's easy. great. okay, pickles! do your thing. [ bell rings ] that's amazing! i trained him myself. i meant the... okay. same coverage, more savings. now, that's progressive. call or click today. cocktail tastes goodcranberry juice cocktail tastes good but it's also rich in powerful nutrients that help cleanse and purify your body. cranberries are the ninja fruit. wh-wh-whoa! ocean spray -- tastes good, good for you. [ female announcer ] we didn't see it coming but women have made olay #1. not surgical results regenerist is the #1 anti-aging serum

and the #1 anti-aging moisturizer. not drastic. just fantastic younger-looking skin with olay regenerist. [ female announcer ] for dazzling white teeth, give toothpaste the brush off. you need listerine® whitening® vibrant white™ rinse. the mouthwash that gets teeth four times whiter than the leading toothpaste. and kills bad breath germs. listerine® whitening® vibrant white™. [ woman ] most of us don't get enough fiber in our diets. to get more of the fiber you need every day try fiberchoice. with the natural fiber found in fruits and vegetables and 33% more fiber per serving than benefiber. go to fiberchoice.com o get savings and rewards. [ mosquitoes ] [ female announcer ] what's worse, mosquitoes... [ holds his breath ] ...or mosquito spray? huh! [ female announcer ] try off! clip-on personal mosquito repellent. lab tests show this sprayless repellent really repels. in minutes its fan surrounds you with proven off! protection... [ dive, repel ] ...wherever you're sitting. so,

don't spray it on -- clip it on. on a table, chair...anywhere. off! clip-on. keeps bugs off! [ single buzz, swat! ] sc johnson. a family company. i'm home. toilet's fixed. [ male announcer ] of all the things that happen on your wooden surfaces, disinfecting has to be one of them. clorox disinfecting wipes. safe on wood. hard on germs. nenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenene

presenting the cadillac "summer's best" sales event. a fantastic opportunity to get a great offer on an all new cadillac srx luxury collection crossover... ..with a bose premium sound system. and an ultra-view sunroof designed to let more summer time in. summer brings out the@ñ best all ew cadillac. hurry in for great lease or purchase offers on an all new srx during cadillac's summer's best sales event going on now at your cadillac dealer. [ dog barking ] mom! breakfast? in this house? in the morning i can use all the help i can get. that's why i love nutella, a delicious hazelnut spread that's perfect on multigrain toast and even whole-wheat waffles. it's a quick and easy way to give my family a breakfast they'll want to eat. and nutella is made with simple, quality ingredients,

like hazelnuts skim milk and a hint of cocoa. they love the taste and i feel good that they're ready to tackle the day. ♪ ♪ nutella. breakfast never tasted this good. ohhh. cheesecake. ok. what if i just had a small slice? i was good today i deserve it! or, i could have a medium slice and some celery sticks and they would ccel each other out, right? or...ok. i could ha one large slice and jog in place as i eat it or...ok. how about one large slice while jogging in place followed by eight celery... mmm raspberrcheesecake... i have been thinking about this all day. wow, and you've lost weight! oh yeah, thank you! you're welcome. [ female announcer ]yoplait light. with 30 delicious flavors all around 100 calories each. yoplait. it is so good.

[ wom nine iron it's almost tee-time... time to face the pollen that used to make me sneeze... my eyes water. but now zyrtec®, ]e fastest 24-hour allergy relief, comes in a new liquid gel. new zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air®. ÷÷oló> ouch! ow! oops! it's neo to go!® ready. aim. protect. neosporin® gives you infection-protection and pain relief. neo to go!® plus pain relief. every cut. every time. everywhere. [ female announcer ] eyes feeling overworked? discover visine® .tired eye relief with hydroblend™ only from visine®.

just one drop nstantly soothes and revives tired, overworked eyes. and comforts them for p to ten hours. visine® tired eye relief. try now an save $3. russia is turning to firefighting robots to help fight raging forest fires there. the robots are being used around russia's major nuclear facilities. it's a place that people must avoid due to all the radiation. it's the very first time the robots have been used in this way. manchester, connecticut, has begun to say good-bye to the victims of tuesday's workplace shooting. louis felder was buried yesterday. he was one of the eight men killed by omar thornton. diana alvear reports on the grief and the unanswered questions. >> nothing really can prepare us for something like this. >> reporter: families still mourning the senseless shooting, police say, took workers by

total surprise. during his disciplinary hearing, hartford distributor's executives say omar thornton seemed calm, as they showed him a video of him stealing beer. they say he quietly signed a letter of resignation. then pulled out a gun and started firing. >> i'm in the back paper storage closet. >> okay. stay back there. we will come to you. all right? >> help me, please. help me. >> ma'am, we are on the way. please, stay down. stay low. all right? >> reporter: the shooting was over in minutes, leaving eight people dead and two wounded. according to his uncle, after the shooting, thornton called his mother. "i killed the five racists that was there bothering me," he said. then, debating whether to kill himself, he told his mom, "i love you very much. i want you to take care of yourself. i want you to stop smoking. when police arrived at the scene, he turned the gun on himself. thornton's relatives and friends say he finally cracked after

suffering racial harassment in the predominantly white work environment. >> he knew the people who was bothering him was still going to bother him. so bothered him. it was something he wasn't trying to do something at random. no. thlleg >> i don't think this was the iss >> reporter: the hollanders had hired feem edd people with different backgrounds. >> reporter: teamster officials say there's no record of thornton filing a singling harassment compla ws, new york. "the new york daily news," had some other detais leup tlo t was meg. and tey odhm e have surveillance of you stealing beer. they said he was eerily cool. that was the quote from the paper. and his only comment was, the survein ca rea3

eaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaea

has become a source of inspiration to millions of women. and next week, the movie version

comes out, starring julia roberts. >> so, why, exactly, do women around the world, including oprah, feel such a connection to the author, elizabeth gilbert? dan harris has that story. >> reporter: members of what have been what is called the cult of liz, 7 million women, who bought the book "eat, pray, love," and julia roberts, who plays her in a book. this legion of liz gilbert wore champion -- worshippers, who sees her as an icon of female independence, might be surprised to find she has settled down in new jersey. married to the man known in her books as felipe. and has a new book with a new message. that women need to adjust their romantic expectation. >> it makes for such good movies. and it's so lovely. and it's so romantic. but it's a lot to ask that

somebody deliver that, decade after decade. >> reporter: it's not sustainable. notwithstanding the fact that julia roberts is now playing you in a movie. you are, in this book, you're trying to debunk the hollywood version of love. >> i'm saying, turn on the lights. sober up. >> reporter: let's tell you how she reached this conclusion. >> this is a picture of merle haggard with his hand on my shin. >> reporter: in her early 20s, bill gert worked at a new york bar called coyote ugly. ♪ yes, the one from the movie, which was actually inspired by a magazine article that gilbert later wrote. she was 25 and working here when she met and married her first husband. five years later, though, they endured a supremely nasty divorce, during which gilbert occasionally found herself walking through new york city, sobbing. so, she took off on a year-long spiritual journey, designed to repair and rediscover herself. eating her way through italy. praying and meditating in india. and falling in love in bali with

a brazilian man. her book about those experiences came out in 2006. and it is still on the best-seller list today. >> i'm having a relationship with my pizza. this is my no-carb left behind experiment. i'm going for it. >> reporter: and next week, the movie version of "eat, pray, love," starring julia roberts as elizabeth gilbert, opens nationwide. >> i'm going to finish this pizza. then, we're going to go watch the soccer game. and tomorrow, we're going to go on a little date and buy ourselves some bigger jeans. >> reporter: her new book called "committed" picks up the story. the brazilian guy she fell in love with at the end of "eat, pray, love," felipe, turns out they stayed together after meeting the indonesia. but in 2007, when felipe was coming to visit her, he was detained and told he was going to be deported by immigration officials at the airport in dallas. >> the only way to get him back

was to marry him. we were effectively sentenced to wed by the i.n.s. >> reporter: they decided to go for it, even though they were terrified. while they waited for papers to come through, they spent months in a sort of exile traveling through asia, with gilbert questioning everyone she met about the institution of marriage. poring through reams of research on marriage, gilbert discovered that divorce rates skyrocketed when marriage evolved from a business contract into a love match. >> and they started saying, i want somebody who inspires me. you know? >> reporter: that's a lot to ask. >> that's a lot to ask on a wednesday morning at 8:00 a.m. you know what i mean? like, inspiring? >> reporter: you do all this exploring. then, you get to the point where you're wrapping up. and you say, do i sound like i'm trying to talk myself into something here? people, i am trying to talk myself into something here. >> absolutely trying to talk myself into something here. >> reporter: in 2007, after ten

months in exile, liz and felipe were allowed back into the states. where they got married in this old, converted church that they bought and turned into a home. notwithstanding your deep aversion to marriage. >> uh-huh? >> reporter: did you allow yourself to have some, you know, moments of true happiness? >> oh, i was crying the entire -- oh, yeah. i was very happy. i was very moved. >> reporter: she may not necessarily believe in marriage, she says. but she definitely believes in the person she loves. this is dan harris, in new jersey. >> if there are any questions about how huge this book is, there's going to be a merchandise line on hsn. >> oh, wow. >> and if you're wondering, what would they be selling? it's going to be things like jewelry and clothing and furnishing from india, italy and bali, the three places she went to in the book. >> are you going to buy some? >> i'm going with a no. >> really? >> i don't think so. >> so harsh today. we'll be back.

if you fight to sleep in the middle of the night why go one more round ? you don't need a rematch but a rethink. with lunesta. lunesta is thought to interact with gaba receptors associated with sleep. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. lunesta has some risk of dependency. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. stop fighting with your sleep. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a co-pay as low as

zero dollars at lunesta.com discover a restful lunesta night. [ female announcer ] swiffer wetjet absorbs and traps so much dirt you'll never go back to your old mop. [ funny voice ] hey, mop! wanna suck up dirt and grime like swiffer wetjet? then try the absorb-a-straw! now you're gettin' it. [ female announcer ] sorry, mop, but swiffer wetjet has a dirt dissolving solution and super absorbent pads that trap and lock dirty water deep inside the gradient core while mops can just spread it around. / swiffer cleans better, or your money back. / ♪ she blinded me with science ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ and finally this half hour, a young man who is beating the odds. we all know, of course, that higher education does not come cheap these days. >> and for one college senior, that financial burden is heavier than most. that is because he is homeless. david muir has more. >> ever since high school, i always knew i wanted to go to ucla. but i never saw that as accessible or affordable or not even a possibility. >> reporter: not even a possibility, he thought. and yet, at 22, diego sepulveda is now a senior at ucla. he says his parents work in

sweatshops in east l.a. he worked full-time at subway and at mcdonald's to earn the money. >> all my money went to tuition. and -- but i was walking around hungry all the time. i didn't have clean clothes a lot of the time. i would wear the same things for maybe three days. >> reporter: on campus, where most of us see labs and lecture halls, diego also sees a place to sleep. >> when i didn't have a place to sleep or when i didn't have a place to go, i started staying in the dorm lounges and the library. >> reporter: or he would come to this student center. >> i would sleep on this couch. >> reporter: going home means four buses and four hours. >> we've been on the bus for four hours. and it's really tiring. >> reporter: to that tiny apartment where he grew up. >> my sister sleeps on this bed. my parents sleep on this one. this couch is actually where i slept. i love this couch. this couch is like my best friend. >> reporter: and out back? >> we're going into what i call my backyard.

we have a washer. we have to keep it outside because it doesn't fit in the apartment. >> reporter: not afraid to show us where he comes from, diego was also not afraid to reveal something else. he is one of those undocumented illegals we've all been arguing about. his parents moved him here from mexico when he was just 4. >> i can't receive any scholarships. i don't receive work studies. i just want to go to school. i just want to get my degree. >> reporter: friends who've watched him wor so now watch over him. a food pantry iom near school now offered to him rent-free. >> i've never had half of the room. so, this is an honor >> ter:nor ys. aware his status is part of te >> no matter what, i'm going to finish ucla. and i'm really, really, really optimistic about my future. >> reporter future. but so was the thought of college when he waoung david muir, abc news. >> an amazing story, huh? >> yeah. it's inspiring to see someone

who is working that hard.pipipipipipipipipipipipipipipipipipipipipipipipipipipipipipino

! roa a >>op the leak. stop the leak. the success at the bottom of the gulf. >> we are very pleased with that. >> the final step after some big accomplishments. then, calls for help. a gunman's co-workers plead with police during a fatal rampage. and the legal victory for same-sex marriage rights. the court ruling and the next battle. it's thursday, august 5th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." of course, on both sides, there's so many talks about what will happen next. one side saying we want to repeal this. and one side saying we want a stay of this ruling. >> of course, everyone saying it's going to the supreme court

no matter what. the legal game is far from over. >> to say the least. good morning. and thanks for being with us on this thursday. i'm vinita nair. >> and i'm rob nelson. after gushing almost 206 million gallons of oil, the blownout well in the gulf of mexico has finally been plugged. >> tons of mud did the trick. an infusion of cement to reinforce the well is next. matt gutman has the latest from alabama. >> reporter: the fight to stop the oil has been won. making use of the largest armada of ships since d-day, engineers pumped into the top of the well a 2 1/2-mile-long column of mud. it forced the oil back into the earth. scouring the well, research teams found no sign of a leak. it worked. no more oil will ever spill out of this well. >> so, the long battle to stop the leak and contain the oil is finally close to coming to an end. and we are very pleased with that. >> reporter: the nail in the coffin. a column of cement, nearly two football fields long, poured in on top of the mud.

>> we want to make sure it's permanently sealed with cement. >> reporter: but to make sure this well stays dead, the government is pushing ahead with the first relief well, about 2 weeks and 100 feet away from injecting cement into the bottom of the well. and on the surface, three-quarters of the oil appear to be gone. >> the vast majority of the oil has either been cleaned, skimmed or contained. >> reporter: the fleet of 800 or so skimmers only mopped up about 3% of the oil. mother nature did the lion's share of work. bacteria gobbled up millions of gallons. as much as one-quarter of all of the oil simply evaporated. that leaves 15 million gallon of oil unaccounted for. some has been cleaned up on beaches like this. but millions of gallons lurk out at sea or have been absorbed into the sediment and could linger there for years. matt gutman, abc news, dauphin island, alabama. for the people who live and work in the gulf region, the economic impact is enormous. shrimp and crab fisheries are reopening.

their staffers are scrambling to recover what they can from their shortened season. although some who depend on tourism to make their living have lost everything, others are still hopeful. >> we're open. we're ready. we're clean. and we're -- there is no reason to not come. >> for my restaurant, i, myself, will have to go out of business because i didn't with the window of opportunity, the 100 days of high volume, did not happen. >> while locals along the gulf coast applaud the progress, most are concerned that bp and the government may eventually use focus on the cleanup. police in arizona want to know why a 2-year-old boy died after he apparently wandered away from home. emmett trapp had been missing since monday night. and his body was discovered yesterday morning about a mile away from his family's house. his mother told authorities when she woke up from a nap, he was gone. and she could not find him. >> what really surprises me with emmett, is the terrain that he hiked through to get where he was at.

he went over hills and thickets, through washes that were tracking him through. the little guy, he went through a lot. you know? but i think that he was drawn to the lights. >> the area where emmett's body was found is now considered a crime scene. even so, police say the boy died because of the elements, not because of foul play. police in connecticut have now released some of the 911 tapes from tuesday's workplace massacre. and some of them are very hard to hear. most of the calls came from terrified workers, trying to hide from a gunman. as clarissa ward reports from manchester, the calls paint a disturbing and terrifying picture. >> reporter: horrifying new details of omar thornton's deadly rampage have been emerging with the release of 911 calls from employees who were trapped inside that building. in one, a man who was shot in the head, calls asking for help. >> 911. what's going on? >> somebody got shot. i got shot.

>> we need some information, sir. who got shot? >> omar thornton is shooting people. i just got shot. >> you got shot where? >> in my head. >> reporter: in another, a caller is hiding in a paper storage closet. >> i'm in the back paper storage closet. >> okay. stay back there. we'll come to you. all right? >> help me. >> reporter: meanwhile, relatives of thornton insist he was a gentle man. they say he enjoyed playing chess. and that he was simply pushed over the limit by constant racial taunts at his work. >> he knew the people that were bothering him were still going to be bothering him. it wasn't something where he was trying to do something at random. >> it couldn't have ha you have the third shift coming off. offf th the sales staff there. couldn't have happened at a worse time. >> reporter: behind me, friends and family memb victims have come to this church

to commemorate the dead, as this community desperately searches for answers to this horrifying crime. clarissa ward, abc news, manchester, connecticut. newly-released videape shows a maryland police cha coming to a very unexpected end. the officer was pursuing a carjacked suv about two weeks ago, when he thought he had suspects cornered. then,taok a that's when the driver put the suv in reverse and drove up on the police car before tipping over on its side. one of the three young suspects was slightly injured. all of them are now facing a slew of charges. american airlines says it is investigating the deaths of seven puppies who died on a flight from tulsa, to chicago. the early-morning flight out of tulsa was delayed an hour by stormy weather. then, in chicago, baggage handlers say when they unloaded 14 puppies, they looked a little lethargic. employees did what they could to cool off the dogs until vets could examine them. 7 of the 14 pups did not survive. well, the extreme heat that

is baking a huge part of the nation is also destroying crops and harming livestock. dairy farmers in sweltering tennessee are keeping their cows in the shade and in the water. those cows are drinking twice as much water as usual, which means up to 80 gallons a day. the farmers say the cows' milk production is down about 30% this summer. everyone feeling the sweltering heat. >> bring on the fall already. we're expecting the intense heat to return, especially this afternoon in many states. >> let's get the latest, now, from accuweather's ava dinges. >> good morning, rob and vinita. dallas-ft. worth has been in triple-digits for five-consecutive days. since the end of july. yesterday, the same story. 101. memphis set a record of 104 degrees. that broke the record of 1947 of 103. even louisville was up to 102. that was their record. records could be another big story on this thursday across the south, we will have widespread 100s in texas, arkansas, into louisiana. dallas may be one of the hottest of spots.

108 degrees. that's expected to be a record into the afternoon. now, it's not just the heat we talk about. it is the humidity. 70s and even 80s for the dew points. you put that in place for the 90s and 100s for the actual it can feel as hot as 110 and 115, in cities like dallas, baton rouge, and raleigh, north carolina. we have strong storms expected across the northeast. anywhere from memphis, tennessee, back across boston. heavy downpours and some very strong, damag this is going to push some of hea >> all right. if the floppy shoe fits, you got to wear it. and you might get a an part of the greatest show o >> we're talking about the ringlin and they're looking for new clown and they just had a casting call plenty of jugglers, puppeteers and other funny faces turned out for the circus' clown college audition in san francisco. >> clowns who make the cut sign on for just a year. circus executives say they won't get rich. but they will have a lot of fun.

>> fun terrifying children and adults. we'll be right back. [ female announcer ] you'll love swiffer dust & shine so much you may never go b to your old furniture polish. ♪ love stinks ♪ ♪ love stinks, yeah, yeah ♪ it's the only furniture polish with febreze freshness. [ record scratches ] that's right febreze freshness... to help eliminate odors, while you clean and condition. so your furniture is "swiffer clean"... and your home is "febreze fresh." swiffer gives cleaning a fresh new meaning. [ knock on door ] / ♪ ♪ let me tell you about a very important phone call i made. when i got my medicare card, i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement nsurance card, too. medicare is one of the great things about turning 65, but it doesn't cover everything. in fact, it only pays up to " 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare call now to find out how an aarp... medicare supplement insurance plan / insured by unitedhealthcare insurance

company, helps cover some of .the medical expenses... / not paid by medicare part b. that can save you from paying .up to thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endorsed by aarp. when you call now, you'll get this free information kit... with all you need to enroll. so you can join the millions of people who have already... / put their trust in aarp p medicare supplement insurance. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. the prices are competitive. i can keep my own doctor. and i don't need a referral o see a specialist. call now to get a free information kit. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. and the advantages don't end there. choose from a range of medicare r supplement plans... that are all competitively priced. we have a plan for almost everyone, so you can find one that fits r your needs and budget. with all medicare supplement plans there are virtually p no claim forms to fill out. plus you can keep p your own doctor and hospital that accepts medicare. and best of all, these plans are...

the only medicare supplement plans endorsed by aarp. / when they told me these plans were endorsed by aarp... i had only one thing to say... sign me up. call the number on your screen now... / and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. you'll get this free information kit... and guide to understanding medicare / to help you choose the plan that's right for you. / as with all medicare supplement plans you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts # medicare get help paying for what medicare doesn't... / and save up to thousands of dollars. / call this toll-free number now. whoo! i'm doing another one of my sleep studies. looks like aches and pains are keeping these people up. so... advil® pm or tylenol® pm? middle of the night. awake again? blissfully asleep. with advil® pm she is spending less time lying awake with aches and pains and more time asleep®. he should switch to advil® pm.

the difference is a better night's sleep. well, it is a big victory for same-sex marriage rights. a federal judge in san francisco has ruled california's ban unconstitutional. >> an appeal on this emotional issue, of course, is inevitable. and it's almost certainly headed to the u.s. supreme court. here's how san francisco's abc 7 covered in our "american landscape." >> this is abc 7 news at 6:00. >> i have been waiting for this day, this moment. never could have imagined it. when we could be legally married. a signed, sealed, delivered, legal marriage. >> she is one of the women who challenged california's proposition 8. and walked away today with a historic legal victory.

a federal judge strikes down the state's ban on same-sex marriage. >> but don't rush to get a marriage license just yet. the judge issued a temporary stay of his own ruling. he'll review briefs to consider keeping that stay in place while the case is appealed. in a detailed opinion that took months to write, judge vaughn walker says the ban on same-sex marriage fails to advance any rational basis, singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a license. carolyn tyler is live to begin our courage. >> reporter: the celebration began just before 2:00 this afternoon outside the federal courthouse. as word spread of the decision released inside. one same-sex marriage supporter said equality is in the air. ♪ going to the chapel and we're going to get married ♪ >> reporter: that was also the emotional response from the gay and lesbian couples who won their lawsuit to overturn prop 8. >> equality is something that

our nation has always been about. we read about it in school. our ancestors came to this country in search of it. well, this decision today brings paul and i, and so many others like us, closer to that equality, too. >> reporter: in his 136-page ruling, chief u.s. district judge vaughn walker said, there is no rational basis for voter-approved proposition 8, which limits marriage to a man and a woman. walker said the evidence shows conclusively, that proposition 8 enacts, without reason, a private, moral view that same-sex couples are inferior to opposite-sex couples. and late this afternoon, the attorneys who fought to keep prop 8 in place issued a statement saying, in part, the judge's invalidation of the votes of over 7 million californians violates binding, legal precedent and short-circuits the democratic process. they are now appealing this landmark ruling to the u.s.

court of appeals. live in san francisco, outside city hall, carolyn tyler, abc 7 news. >> all right. thanks, carolyn. >> legal analyst dean johnson is here. and carolyn mentioned the appeals process. we have a very long appeals process likely, dean. how important is this decision on other states, in terms of a precedence being set? >> well, technically, it's not binding on any other state. but of course, the logic is very powerful. and there's some 31 states that have the functional equivalent of a prop 8. i have no doubt that in some of the states we'll see this opinion will inspire further litigation. all that may make its way to the supreme court, along with parry versus schwarzenegger. >> dean johnson, thank you very much. >> this ruling is bringing a sense of relief and celebration for the gay community here in the bay area and around the country. we have a live camera in san francisco's castro district tonight. hundreds of people have gathered

there to mark this occasion. abc 7's heather ishimaru is with them. >> reporter: today's ruling is a being hailed as a victory for the gay community and the constitution. there are all kinds of people here celebrating, not just from the gay community. the march and rally promises to be quite a party, with supporters making the most of the moment. >> thrilled. a vote for justice. and i want to point out that this is a federal judge appointed by george bush the first, a republican president. so, it's nice to see that justice is not a partisan issue. >> i became a voter in 1978, the year prop 6 was going to make it illegal for gays to teach. the same stuff is going on. and i'm proud to be here in san francisco on this day. >> cheers. >> let's drink to the fall of prop 8. >> reporter: reporting live in the castro, heather ishimaru, abc 7 news. >> of course, coverage from our affiliate in san francisco, abc 7. according to the most recent abc poll, the nation is still pretty

divided on this. 47% in favor. 50% opposed. it could take years to get to the supreme court. this is one big step. we have years before this is really settled. >> i see 47% and 50%, and i think we're making strides. the gap is smaller. >> it's closing. >> yeah. >> in the hands of the judges. >> exactly. "skinny's" coming up next. including financial troubles for the next person who wants to be the president of haic

♪ skinny, so skinny ♪ and welcome back, everybody. let's get right to it on "the skinny" today. wyclef jean said i want to be president of haiti. that's great and wonderful to want to help that country out after the earthquake in january. he may want to pay his tax bill first in the u.s. he was having a conversation

with wesley snipe. he decided not to pay his taxes here. he owes 2.1 million bucks. some federal tax liens have been placed against him. this isn't the first time he had trouble, either. the state of new york and the state of new jersey have also filed liens against him that were settled. apparently he owes the feds this comes out days after he said, i'm going to jump into this race for haiti's president and run out there. but some money troubles. some back bills for wyclef. >> he's compared himself to a modern-day moses. you have to think that moses would have paid his taxes. >> moses would have paid the taxes. yes. so, get on it, wyclef. we're talking about whoopi goldberg before we went to break and what exactly happened on "the view." i'm not going to tell you what happened in terms of the gossip and controversy. take a look at what happened. the ladies on "the view" are up there. they're doing their group thing. michaele or michaele, i don't

know how you say it. the gate-crasher from the white house is there. did you see what happened? you're going to see it again. she is talking about something completely different. and whoopi comes up and touches her. two very different interpretations. >> why is whoopi not on the touch with the rest of them? >> they were talking about "the real housewives of d.c." that this lady is going to be on. and whoopi came up and said along the lines of get to what happened at the white house. now, what she was -- >> the state dinner. >> right. >> she was obviously referencing that. now, michaele or however you say her name. i don't want to learn. she took it as startling and threatening. immediately after this played out, whoopi and the lady had some harsh words exchanged. >> backstage? >> with michaele or whatever her name is, with her attorney she said whoopi shook her arm. it was not violent but it was startling. and whoopi confronted her and said what are you talking about?

i was telling you to talk about the white house. we didn't want to hear your drama. take a listen to what happened about a minute later in the show, when sherri decides she's going to address michaele or whatever. >> you and tareq crashed the white house. you crashed the state dinner. you say you didn't. i have to say. we talked about it. i think you going in there and getting that close to the president, you guys should be in jail. >> ooh. sherri, all right. >> apparently she bawled after the didn't like it and she doesn't want to be referred as the gate-crasher. they asked them don't refer to me as the gate-crasher but throughout the interview, they kept saying, hey, gate-crasher. they obviously didn't learn her name, either. if you're wondering, the red sari she wore, it's going to be1 or ime e s >> she by, s, i star attraction o gate-l so, all right.

rough day on "the view," huh? oky. apparently, a big question, who is going to replace steve carell on "the office"? now, apparently, there's reports that ricky gervais may come in and take that role. he says, i'm not going to do it. he's already making money because he's the e.p. of the u.s. version. he's in talks to perhaps take over that role. they chose mobility. they chosehe scooter store. and this is the team of mobility experts who made it all happen. ii great news, you've been approved for payment. dr. cruz, i'm calling on behalf ofmarie stanford. and they can make it happen for you. hi, i'm doug harrison, if you're living with limited mobility, call the scooter store today. i promise, no other company will work harder to make you mobile or do more to ensure your total satisfaction. i expected they'd help me file some paperwork with medicare and my insurance. i never expected them to be so nice or work so hard to get me a power chair at no cost to me. call today and let the scooter store work for you. / if we qualify you and medicare denies

your claim for a w scooter or power chair, i'll give it to you absolutely free. that's the scooter store guarantee. you don't qualify for medicare? / no problem. / we'll wo with your insurance company, even help with financing. if there's a way we'll find it. when they delivered mom's power chair, i expected they'd show her how to use it once or twice. that man stayed for hours! you can just tell they care. / whatever it takes, as long as it takes. that's our guarantee. why do we go to < uch great lengths? because making you mobile is our mission. we'llwork wit your doctor. we'll work with medicare and lçur private insurance. we'll even service your scooter anywhere in the country. call the sco÷"er store today. find out what great lengthsthe scooter store / will go to fo you. / improve lçur m

if you fight to sleep in the middle of the night why go one more round ? you don't need a rematch but a rethink. with lunesta. lunesta is thought to interact with gaba receptors associated with sleep. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. lunesta has some risk of dependency. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. stop fighting with your sleep. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a co-pay as low as

zero dollars at lunesta.com discover a restful lunesta night. zgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzgzg here's some stories to watch today on abc news. the president's nominee for supreme court, elena kagan, is expected to get enough senate votes for confirmation today. but some republicans plan to denounce kagan as a political activists. jurors in the rod blagojevich corruption trial are set for their seventh day of deliberations. the former illinois governor pleaded not guilty to numerous charges, including trying to sell president obama's senate seat. and after last night's birthday celebration, the president has a full day of events in chicago. he's visiting a ford manufacturing plant today. and later on, a political fund-raiser. and finally this half hour, the billionaire challenge. bill gates and warren buffett are giving away vast amounts of their fortunes to charity. >> so, they challenged their billionaire friends to do the

same. here's bianna golodryga with the ultrawealthy willing to share vast sums of money. >> reporter: $249 billion. the equivalent of almost $1,000 for every american, is how much these 40 americans are worth collectively. and they pledged to give at least half of their wealth away. >> we probably called somewhere between 70 and 80 people on the "forbes" list. and it was a very soft sell. >> reporter: warren buffett, together with bill gates, personally called their fellow billionaires, even hosted private dinners, in hopes of convincing them to donate to charities of their choosing. is it surprising that, given the uncertain economic times we're in right now, 40 billionaires already pledged to give roughly half of their money away? >> remember, we have dire economic times. and rich guys usually aren't the guys that look really good in dire economic times. so, it's really good p.r. to align yourself with buffett and gates right now. >> reporter: among the donors, new york city mayor michael bloomberg. >> what we want to do is find

those things that would really make a difference. >> reporter: in a statement to abc news, donor pete peterson had this to say. "private philanthropy has a unique and urgent role to play in both helping the less fortunate and in educating, motivating and activating the american public." but not all billionaires are as eager to take the pledge. >> some billionaires are saying, you know what? i don't really need to be called out publicly whether i give money back because i've created tens of thousands of jobs. >> reporter: so, who will hold all these billionaires to their word? so, we may see a pledge watch? >> oh, yeah. you're definitely going to see a pledge watch. >> reporter: bianna golodryga, abc news, new york. >> and according to this pledge, they can give while they're alive or give after their passing. at least 50%. some, according to warren buffett, are giving more than that. >> we don't want to out some of the people who said we are not stepping up, the billionaires.

a lot of the people are hedge fund m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m

m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m

m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m meheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheh step forward. same-sex marriage advocates celebrate a court victory. >> -- marriage only for a man and a woman. >> but the opposition is ready for the next fight. then, high-profile. supermodel naomi campbell's day in court and why the world awaits her testimony. and special delivery here in the u.s. are foreigners coming to america just to have kids? it's thursday, august 5th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." never dull in naomi campbell's life, huh? something going on. >> she is at the center of a fascinating trial. >> we'll have details on that. good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> i'm vinita nair.

we begin with the victory for same-sex marriage rights. after a federal judge ruled california's ban on those marriages is illegal. >> celebrations followed that decision even though this is far from the final world. don guevara has the details from los angeles. >> reporter: rob and vinita, this is a major victory for same-sex couples in california who want to be married. but the battle over the state's gay marriage ban is far from over. a celebration in the streets of california, after a judge ruled proposition 8, the ban on gay marriage, unconstitutional. judge vaughn walker said, quote, opposite-sex couples are not better than their same-sex counterparts. instead, as partners, parents and citizens, opposite-sex couples and same-sex couples are equal. the plaintiffs' attorneys hailed the ruling. >> this is a victory for the american people. it's a victory for our justice system.

>> reporter: two same-sex couples filed the lawsuit to overturn prop 8. >> we know that we have the law, the incredible people you see behind you, and so many more, on our side. thank you. >> reporter: prop 8 supporters argued traditional marriage needs to be protected. and children are better off with biological, married parents. in an appeal the judges ruling, likely leaving the decision to the supreme court. >> marriage is a state jurisdiction. the voters have said twice now, keep marriage only for a man and a woman. >> reporter: this same-sex couple wasted no time, rushing to get married, moments after the ruling. >> we're here to ask for a marriage license. >> reporter: despite the victory for same-sex couples, they can't get married yet. they still have to wait to see if the judge will allow gay marriage to resume during the appeals process. in los angeles, don guevara, abc news. rob and vinita, back to you. elena kagan is expected to be confirmed by the senate this morning to become the supreme

court's fourth-ever supreme court female justice. during debate on her nomination, it became clear that kagan will be confirmed. still, many republicans say she's too liberal. kagan's being seated marks the first time the court has ever had three women justices serving at the same time. model naomi campbell is testifying at the war crimes trial today of former liberian leader, charles taylor. >> they say he gave her a blood diamond in a big scheme involving weapon, rebels, and civil war. sonia gallego is in london, joining with details. >> reporter: good morning, vinita. naomi campbell was ordered to testify in the war crimes trial of charles taylor. he's the former liberian leader, accused of diamonds for weapons deal during the civil war in the african nation of sierra leone. he's pleaded not guilty to 11 charges. prosecutors and the actress mia farrow claim taylor gave a so-called blood diamond to the supermodel. it was allegedly given to her during a celebrity dinner party hosted by nelson mandela. the trial and her involvement in

it has been somewhat of a headache for campbell. and she was reluctant to talk about the issue, storming away from a recent abc news interview. she rebuffed initial requests to testify, until the tribunal ordered her to appear. or face contempt of court charges. her management released a statement, saying she would attend the trial to, quote, help clarify the events in 1997. >> after the dinner party, she was visited by men who gave her diamonds. and said that these diamonds came from mr. charles taylor. and we believe it's important because it shows his possession of rough diamonds, close in time to the bringing into sierra leone a large shipment of arms and ammunition. >> reporter: the high-profile nature after campbell's that charles taylor sold appearance is to link up allegations that the former liberian leader charles taylor sold diamonds and sold weapons to rebels, who were known for hacking off the arms

and legs of civilians during the ten-year civil war. campbell's appearance at the court is cloaked in secrecy in the hague this morning. she has demanded that no cameras follow her appearance in the court today. rob? vinita? >> our thanks to sonia gallego, live in london. former new york mayor rudy giuliani's daughter was arrested for shoplifting. police say a surveillance camera caught 20-year-old caroline giuliani stealing about $100 worth of makeup at a manhattan store. police released giuliani last night after charging her with petty larceny. her father is asking for privacy, calling the arrest a private matter. after spewing nearly 206 million gallons of oil for more than three months, the blown out well in the gulf of mexico is now sealed. engineers say the tons of mud they pumped into the well have finally plugged that leak for good. the next step, though, comes today, when crews will begin adding cement to that mud for reinforcement.

gulf coast locals say they are cautiously optimistic. but they say the economic impact has taken a terrible toll. some believe they will never recover what they lost this summer. here's jeffrey kofman. >> reporter: that didn't take long. just days after much of the louisiana fishery was reopened, the crab nets are full. any sign of oil on these? >> no. >> reporter: none? >> you can taste them. >> reporter: there were no massive fish kills. test after test finding that gulf seafood is perfectly safe. the only incidents of oil we've heard of are a few isolated oyster beds. that's why most of the fisheries that were closed have reopened or will soon. we first met cindy and henry in june when they were delivering one of the last shrimp catches to the processor. shrimp season could resume as early as this week. they are ready. but they are worried. >> if the perception of the shrimp being tainted doesn't change, i don't know. >> reporte peo normally this is peak season on

dauphin island in alabama. but wary tourists are staying away. >> i have to go out of business. the window of opportunity, of 100 days of high volume did not happen. >> reporter: it is too late for fae. others will come back. it's not clear how long it will take. jeffrey kofman, abc news, buras, louisiana. an emergency jobs bill is speeding its way through congress, now that supporters have overcome a republican filibuster. the bill would save some 300,000 jobs. most of them teachers, firefighters, police and other public workers. the cost is $26 billion. house members who are now on summer vacation are being called back to washington to vote on that bill next week. president obama spends today, the day after his 49th birthday, in chicago. he celebrated his birthday last night at a restaurant with friends, including oprah winfrey. earlier in the day, the president received birthday phone calls from the first lady

and daughter, sasha, who are in spain. he also spoke with his oldest daughter, malia, who is at camp. here in new york, baseball history. the yankees' a-rod became just the seventh and youngest player to ever hit 600 home runs. a-rod made the fans wait for it. it had been 12 games since he hit 599. yesterday's historic homer came three years to the day after he hit his 500th homer. some say it is a tainted milestone, given rodriguez's admitted use of steroids. >> so young. 34 to have accomplished that. here is your thursday forecast. temperatures continue to soar across the south. heat advisories are posted in 20 states. gusty winds, thunderstorms, hail and flash floods, from boston down to memphis. showers along the gulf coast. and heavy rain in the four corner regions of the southwest. >> 110 in phoenix. 93 in salt lake city. 99 in boise. upper 80s from kansas city to

detroit. dallas climbs to 108. new orleans, 95. mostly 90s, from miami up to new york. well, we all know they got milk. but now, you might say they got power, too. >> we're talking about cow power, too. an energy company in wisconsin just broke ground on an operation that could turn cow manure into electricity. the plan is to pump manure into tanks from three farms. >> as the manure breaks down, methane gas is captured. and believe it or not, that generates electricity. this should be enough to power 2500 homes. hopefully the smell and the aroma isn't there. we'll be right back with more. hotwire.com knows the secret to an excellent getaway. get a four-star hotel at a two-star price from hotwire and have extra money for shopping

or a night out. hotwire has special deals with hotels. when hotels have unsold rooms they use hotwire to fill them, so you get them at ridiculously low prices. / like four stars in chicago hotwire hot rate from $76. hotwire.com. four-star hotels. two-star prices. ♪ h-o-t-w-i-r-e ♪ ♪ hotwire.com ♪ save big on car rentals too. from $13.95 a day. ÷÷oló>

welcome back, everybody. yesterday, we reported on the push by some powerful republicans to amend the

constitution. at stake here, the 14th amendment. >> those republicans say illegal immigrants are taking advantage of the clause that gives automatic citizenship to anyone born here in the u.s. dan harris reports. >> reporter: this is the sound bite from republican senator lindsey graham that got the whole debate started. >> people come here to have babies. they come here to drop a child. it's called drop and leave. to have a child in america, they cross the border, they go to the emergency room, have a child. and that child's automatically an american citizen. >> reporter: so, we wanted to know, is this allegation true? we did find there is a cottage industry of travel agencies and hotel chains catering to so-called birth tourists. for example, this is a turkish-owned luxury hotel right here in manhattan, that actively markets birth tourism packages to expectant mothers from overseas. they lured more than a dozen

pregnant foreigners last year. the package includes a room for two months, a baby da estimated cost, north of $17,000. so, we asked senator graham's office, how much is birth tourism really happening? his office cited a number from the national center of health statistics, which says, of the more than 4 million live births every year, 7,670 were children born to mothers who said they did not live here. not a huge number. there is some evidence, however, that some of the lawmakers who wrote the 14th amendment to the constitution, which says anyone born here is a citizen, did not design it to apply to foreigners, but instead, for recently emancipated slaves. >> in defending the 14th amendment citizenship provision, the senator said clearly that he did not believe it applied to aliens or foreigners. and yet, another senator said equally clearly that he believed that it did. >> reporter: but still, the

courts have repeatedly supported the notion that people who are born here are automatically citizens. and if congress passed a law changing that, experts say it would likely be struck down. dan harris, abc news, new york. >> and as you imagine, a lot of people, there are a lot of critics saying, is this just a game of politics at this point? and not really getting to the heart of the issue, the people who need help. >> amazing what happens in an election year, isn't it? never dull. coming up next, the highly-rated tv show you'vne

odds are that most adults have never seen the nickelodeon show, "icarly." but if you have a tween in the house, odds are, they are pretty big fans. >> the show, and its star, miranda cosgrove, have made the

show a cultural phenomenon with kids. john donvan looks behind the scenes of the ratings blockbuster. >> reporter: a quick look at some tv numbers. "60 minutes," 7.8 million vau viewers. "the bachelorette," 10 million viewers. "america's got talented" 10.5. how does this little show pull in 12.4 million viewers? ♪ i know ♪ >> reporter: "icarly." the story of a 16-year-old girl in seattle who makes web shows with her friends, sam and freddie. a show within a show. with a lot of the zany, of course. >> come and get it, nora. >> reporter: in reality, miranda cosgrove is 17. and a superstar, if you know which universe to look in. how are you dealing with actually quite gigantic fame? >> i'll go out and tons of people will come up to me. and freak out over the show. it's really cool. and it's exciting.

i don't like it sometimes if i don't look good. other than that, i love it when people come up. >> reporter: what this is a situation comedy for kids. thought up and crafted for nickelodeon, by a one-time teenager-playing actor himself. you may remember this guy in the old '80s show, "head of the class." >> how about wienies? >> reporter: he's dan schneider, a man with a gift. the gift of knowing what is fun to people of a certain age. say, 12 or 9. >> the kid audience is definitely my bread and butter. that's what i'm paid to do. i'm paid to get kids from all the way from 6 to 14, glued to tv sets. that's my goal. that's my sweet spot. >> reporter: there's not a shot without schneider's imprint on it. he's constantly tweaking the joke, asking for retakes. >> the reveal of miranda, she was making a funny face, something like this. and i thought, put the tongue

out. >> reporter: there's more there. >> a teeny bit funnier. it's that highbrow comedy that pushes "icarly" over the edge. >> reporter: he says it's a challenge to figure out what kids will laugh at. >> i heard of a lot of writers who say, oh, you're writing for kids. kids will watch anything. that must be really easy. actually, it's kind of harder because your parameters are more narrow in what you can write for a kids show. sex, politics, religion, all that stuff you have to avoid. we can't make reference to what happened seven years ago because kids don't know what happened seven years ago. >> reporter: one of the last steps before final taping, a complete run-through where invited guests can watch from behind the cameras. and this is not canned laughter. >> woo! m nowadays, that's a cultural

phenomenon. and dan schneider likes that fact. >> the audience is so fragmented now, you don't have that mass, mass audience watching any show anymore, like they used to 20 years ago. well, it still exists in one place. good luck finding any kid between the age of 6 and 16 that hasn't seen an episode of "icarly" recently. that's the last area of television where there's an entire demographic watching the show. >> reporter: a demographic, any of whose members watching this, should listen carefully, go to sleep. it's past your bedtime. you can laugh in the morning. >> that's our show. >> reporter: i'm john donvan, in los angeles. >> my favorite part of that story is that the guy from "head of the class," is brains behind all this stuff. i used to love that show, back in the day. >> if you also thought about miranda cosgrove looks familiar she's the little girl from the movie "school of rock" with jack black. she played the smart/dorky girl. she's beautiful.

i'm sure she will grow up to be a beautiful, young lady. >> and a rich one. coming up, who called 911 for a ride to the liquor store? and lederhosen. >> lederhosen. >> we have it next in "the morning papers." bu with lunesta. lunesta is thought to interact with gaba receptors associated with sleep. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. lunesta has some risk of dependency. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. stop fighting with your sleep. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a co-pay as low as

zero dollars at lunesta.com discover a restful lunesta night.

÷÷oló>

"world news now" delivers your "morning papers." >> welcome back, everybody. the longer we do "morning papers," the more i realize that drunk people make fantastic news. >> why do you think we're so good? >> that's right, vinita. this guy, named george, 57-year-old guy down in florida. he had a little too much to drink. call to get a ride. don't get behind the wheel. good advice. this guy over the weekend, called 911 three times in a row, drunk. and asked them to take him on a beer run to get more alcohol. he wasn't done. he wasn't calling for a ride, he

would have gotten more booze 911 was not happy. did not give this man a ride to his beer run. >> is there any reason why he's shirtless in mug shot? >> he's a drunk dude in florida. >> okay. >> it's hot down there. >> right. this just in. the world's largest lederhosen record has been broken. do you know what lederhosen are? probably not. they're traditional leather shorts. those are the largest pair, confirmed by the guinness book of world records. they say they're 15 feet long, 4 yards wide. and it took this guy two months to cut and stitch from 77 square yards of cowhide. lest you think that walter sinnhofer is not talented, not only does he hold the record for the largest lederhosen. he also has the smallest lederhosen, which are 38 millimeters long. >> leather shorts, though? >> are they like chaps? >> you want to chime in here?

oh. >> thank you, jim. >> thank you, jim, for that. keep going. cool video here. have you ever wondered what would happen if you put a brick inside a washing machine, there you go. >> wow. >> it just falls apart. >> wow. i want to try this. >> i'm sure your husband will like that. >> we live in new york. we don't have our own dryer. we can't. >> wake up the whole building. >> it keeps running, huh? >> yeah. it busts apart like that, huh? >> okay. >> brick, one, machine, zero. from the dryer to your stomach. look at this. this is an epic cake made from pies. it's called a cherpumple. cherry, pumpkin and apple. and they imbedded that in yellow white spice cake. you can get the recipe. it's not good for your heart. t the recipe. let's end on the washing machine. and jim talking about chaps. >> yeah, jim.diabetes

you can get the recipe. let's e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e

e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e ecccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc

ell at the bottom of the gulf. the relief along the coast. then, summer sizzle. the killer heat wave in much of the country. extreme conditions. and today's warnings. and liz gilbert's next chapter. >> it's so lovely. and it's so romantic. >> the best-selling author takes her story to the big screen. it's thursday, august 5th. i think i have to reread this book. this is really like the cult hit with so many women. and i read it. i did not connect with it at all. >> really? >> but a lot of women swear by this book. they swear by the plot.

and i know they're going to see the movie. >> is it a woman's book? should i not -- >> it is decidedly a woman's book. if the title didn't clue you in. >> no kidding. good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> i'm vinita nair. though bp and the government won't say the gulf crisis is over, they do say the work to contain the mess hit a significant milestone. >> the mud that's plugging the leaking well is holding. and the next step, using cement to seal it off for good. t.j. winick has details. good morning, t.j. >> reporter: good morning, rob, and vinita. there's encouraging news from the gulf. government scientists now report that 75% of the spilled crude has been captured, dispersed or has evaporated. it's the type of oil shortage that gulf residents welcome. after the deepwater horizon explosion, the busted well was killed. no more oil will ever leak from it again. >> it was a tremendous amount of relief that we know that it was finally accomplished after all

this time. >> reporter: the static kill, the procedure to choke the well permanently, appears to have been a success. for eight hours, engineers forced heavy mud down into the well, which forced the crude oil back down to its source. >> so, the long battle to stop the leak and contain the oil is finally close to coming to an end. and we are very pleased with that. >> reporter: engineers will now utilize a column of cement nearly two football fields long to pour in on top of the mud. >> we want to make sure that it's permanently sealed with cement. >> reporter: to make sure this well stays dead, the government is pushing ahead with the first relief well, just 2 weeks and about 100 feet away from injecting cement into the bottom of the well. according to the white house, president obama would be willing to lift his moratorium on new deepwater oil drilling before november, if certain conditions he has set, including safety standards, are met before that. rob and vinita? bp has already started scaling back its cleanup efforts

in the gulf. though the work there is far from over. crews are starting to remove some of those orange, plastic booms from the coastline. they were laid down immediately after the spill, to absorb and encase all of the floating oil. celebrations and a whole lot of legal work were set off by a federal judge's ruling that overturns california's ban on same-sex marriage. supporters celebrated by marching through san francisco. attorneys for them and for those who oppose the marriages have until tomorrow to file their respective arguments. terry moran has more. >> reporter: federal judge vaughn r. walker's ruling was sweeping and definitive, striking down the ban on same-sex marriage in ringing terms. "because california has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians, the court concludes that proposition 8 is unconstitutional." by striking down proposition 8, judge walker, a republican appointee, declared that the 7 million californians who voted for the ban got it wrong

constitutionally. voters, he said, were driven by "nothing more than a fear or unarticulated dislike of same-sex couples." adding, "opposite-sex couples are not better than their same-sex counterparts. instead, as partners, parents and citizens, opposite-sex couples and same-sex couples are equal." reaction was swift and intense. from the lesbian couple that brought the case, jubilation. >> this decision says that we are americans, too. we, too, should be treated equally. >> reporter: their lawyers were a high-powered political odd couple. democrat david boies, who represented al gore in the 2000 election dispute. and republican ted olson, who argued for george w. bush in that case. but they found common ground in fighting for the rights of gays and lesbians. >> this is what american justice is all about. >> reporter: on the other side, there was anger. and in this election year, republicans see an opening. senator jeff sessions of alabama blasted the ruling. >> it's an example of a judge

feeling that they know better than the people what higher and better values are. >> reporter: now, the judge stayed this ruling from going into effect. so, there will be no gay marriages in california yet. this case is headed for an appeal. without question, all the way to the supreme court of the united states. terry moran, abc news, washington. in other news, now. the daughter of former new york city mayor rudy giuliani has been arrested for shoplifting. police say a surveillance camera caught caroline giuliani stealing makeup at a cosmetics store in manhattan. police later released her. she is charged now with petty larceny. some heavy rain in the area around des moines, iowa, gave people a sinking feeling. sinking as in sink holes. a 12-foot-wide crater closed part of a busy road. luckily no one was driving past when that road gave way. then, another hole opened up in a parking lot. the holes appeared after a major downpour. the extreme heat remains the problem across a large part of

the south. and there's no relief in sight today. millions have the oven-like feeling from texas and oklahoma, all the way to georgia. abc's steve osunsami is among those sweating it out. >> reporter: in memphis, the thermostat read 104. add the stifling humidity, and it felt more like 120. >> it doesn't quit. like, it's hot at night. hot during the day. it's hot all the time. >> reporter: so far this week, at least 12 people have died in the triple-digit temperatures breaking records across the south and midwest. including one man who ignored the heat advisories and was out mowing his lawn. firefighters are going door to door, urging residents to cool it. >> i'm just about through. >> just about through. okay. well, you stay hydrated. >> reporter: in columbus, georgia, and jacksonville, texas. >> we put these cookies on our dash about an hour and a half ago. >> reporter: it was hot enough to bake cookies in the heat. >> it's kind of messy.

it's ooey and gooey. but it's still good. >> reporter: in mississippi, farmer drew burns t1 o i it's been as high as 80% in the past few days. no matter how much you sweat, you just can't cool off. in tulsa, they opened cooling centers and turned on the fountains. >> it can put you down, to make you sick, all the way to death. >> reporter: steve osunsal and that excessive heat could become dangerous by this afternoon in many states. >> accuweather's ava dinges has the details. good morning, ava. >> good morning, rob and vinita. the heat wave began in the southern u.s., at the end of july. and ever day since then, dallas has been in the triple digits. 101 degrees. memphis set a record of 104. that broke the record set back in 1947 of 103 degrees. and we even had records as far north as louisville, at 102. 100s will be the big story again on this thursday.

anywhere from texas across arkansas, even across the mississippi river valley. and it looks like we could see a few more records. dallas expected to be at 108 degrees. the record stands at 106. it's not just the temperatures that we talk about. it's the humidity, as well. dew points in the 70s and 80s. that means it could feel as hot as 110, even 115 degrees across much of the south, even into the carolinas. heat exhaustion, heat stroke, all big concerns. but unfortunately, we'll see strong storms in the northeast. anywhere from memphis, tennessee, all the way cit heavy downp and damaging wi that wibe tn on thursda >> all right thanks re tful beautiu so it's no surprise they're drawing lots of attention. >> two flamingo chicks joined the flock at south carolina's river banks zoo. those are flamingos. they don't look like their older relatives right now. but the white feathers will turn pink in about a yea >> taby ming

hang out with the flock by day. but they'rept ife p each night to protect themppre >> they g the carotenoids in t soeonede t >> ou, h

[ wom nine iron it's almost tee-time... time to face the pollen that used to make me sneeze... my eyes water. but now zyrtec®, ]e fastest 24-hour allergy relief, comes in a new liquid gel. new zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air®. ÷÷oló> ouch! ow! oops! it's neo to go!® ready. aim. protect. neosporin® gives you infection-protection and pain relief. neo to go!® plus pain relief. every cut. every time. everywhere. [ female announcer ] eyes feeling overworked? discover visine® .tired eye relief with hydroblend™ only from visine®.

just one drop nstantly soothes and revives tired, overworked eyes. and comforts them for p to ten hours. visine® tired eye relief. try now an save $3. russia is turning to firefighting robots to help fight raging forest fires there. the robots are being used around one of russia's major nuclear facilities. it's a place that people must avoid due to all the radiation. it's the very first time the robots have been used in this way. manchester, connecticut, has begun to say good-bye to the victims of tuesday's workplace shooting. louis felder was buried yesterday. he was one of the eight men killed by omar thornton. diana alvear reports on the

grief and the unanswered questions. >> nothing really can prepare us for something like this. >> reporter: families still mourning the senseless shooting, police say, took workers by total surprise. during his disciplinary hearing, hartford distributor's executives say omar thornton seemed calm, as they showed him a video of himself stealing a beer. they say he quietly signed a letter of resignation. then pulled out a gun. and started firing. >> i'm in the back paper storage closet. >> okay. stay back there. we will come to you. all right? >> help me, please. help me. >> ma'am, we are on the way. please, stay down. stay low. all right? >> reporter: the shas minuving people nd is fte i killed the five racists that was there bothering me, he said. then, deb himself, he told his mom, lov i want y yourself. i want to sg. when police arrived at the scene, he turned the gun on

himself. thornton's relatives anends say he finally cracked af suffering racial harassment in the predominantlyk >> he knew the people that was bothering him was still going to bother him. so bothered him. it was something he wasn't trying to do something at random. no. >> reporter: the company denies the allegation. >> i don't think this was the they hired people with very diverse backgrounds. >> reporter: teamster officials say there's no record of thornton filing a singling harassment complaint. authorities staed diaa al newnw "the new york daily news," had some other details. leading up to all of this, there was a and they cornered him saying we have video surveillance of you stealing beer. they said he was eerily cool. and his only comment was, the surveillance cameras are really clear. they went on to say that the guy who was the one who was first shot was the person who actu

welcome back. the movie, "eat, pray, love," has become a source of inspiration to millions of women. and next week, the movie version comes out, starring julia

roberts. >> so, why, exactly, do women around the world, including oprah, feel such a connection to the author, elizabeth gilbert? dan harris has that story. >> reporter: members have been what is called the cult of liz. inclutd inclutding the 7 million people who bought her book "eat pray love," and julia roberts, who plays her. this legion of worshippers who sees her as an icon of female independence, might be surprised to find she has settled down in new jersey. married to the man known in her books as felipe. and has a new book with a new message. that women need to adjust their romantic expectation. >> it makes for such good movies. and it's so lovely. and it's so romantic.

but it's a lot to ask that somebody deliver that, decade after decade. >> reporter: it's not sustainable. notwithstanding the fact that julia roberts is now playing you in a movie. you are, in this book, you're doing your part to try to debunk the hollywood version of love. >> i'm saying, turn on the lights. sober up. >> reporter: let's tell you how she reached this conclusion. >> this is a picture of merle haggard with his hand on my shin. >> reporter: in her early 20s, gilbert was working at a new york city bar called coyote ugly. ♪ yes, the one from the movie, which was actually inspired by a magazine article that gilbert later wrote. she was 25 and working here when she met and married her first husband. five years later, though, they endured a supremely nasty divorce, during which gilbert occasionally found herself walking through new york city, sobbing. so, she took off on a year-long spiritual journey. designed to repair and rediscover herself.

eating her way through italy. praying and meditating in india. and falling in love in bali with a brazilian man. her book about those experiences came out in 2006. and it is still on the best-seller list today. >> i'm having a relationship with my pizza. this is my no-carb left behind experiment. i'm going for it. >> reporter: and next week, the movie version of "eat, pray, love," starring julia roberts as elizabeth gilbert, opens nationwide. >> i'm going to finish this pizza. then, we're going to go watch the soccer game. and tomorrow, we're going to go on a little date and buy ourselves some bigger jeans. >> reporter: her new book called "committed," picks up the story. the brazilian guy she fell in love with at the end of "eat, pray, love," felipe, turns out they stayed together after meeting the indonesia. but in 2007, when felipe was coming to visit her, he was detained and told he was going to be deported by immigration officials at the airport in

dallas. >> and the only way i could get him back was to marry him. so we were effectively sentenced to wed by the i.n.s. >> reporter: they decided to go for it, even though they were terrified. while they waited for papers to come through, they spent months in a sort of exile traveling through asia. with gilbert questioning everyone she met about the institution of marriage. poring through reams of research on marriage, gilbert discovered that divorce rates skyrocketed when marriage evolved from a business contract into a love match. >> and they started saying, i want somebody who is m you >> reporter: that's a lot to >> that's ao as wedday ing a.m. you know what i mea like, inspiring? >> reporter: you do all this exploring. then, you get to the point where you're wrapping up. and you say, do i sound like i'm ingylf ser people, i a to

something into h >> absolutely trying to talk myself into somethi >> reporter: in 2007, after ten months in exile, liz and felipe were allowed back into the states. where they got married in this old, converted church that they bought and turned into a home. notwithstanding your deep aversion to marriage. >> uh-huh? : u al yourself to have some, you know, moments of true happiness? >> oh, i was crying entre - i was very happ i was very moved. >> reporter: may but she definitely believes in the person she loves. this is dan harris, in new jersey. >> if there are any questions about how huge this book is. there's going to be a merchandise line on hsn. >> oh, wow. >> and if you're wondering, what woe seggs l jewelry an furnishings from india, italy, and bali, the three places she went to in the book. >> are you going to buy some? >> i'm going with a no. >> really? >> i don't think so.

>> so harsh today. we'll be back. if you fight to sleep in the middle of the night why go one more round ? you don't need a rematch but a rethink. with lunesta. lunesta is thought to interact with gaba receptors associated with sleep. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. lunesta has some risk of dependency. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. stop fighting with your sleep. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a co-pay as low as

zero dollars at lunesta.com discover a restful lunesta night. [ female announcer ] swiffer wetjet absorbs and traps so much dirt you'll never go back to your old mop. [ funny voice ] hey, mop! wanna suck up dirt and grime like swiffer wetjet? then try the absorb-a-straw! now you're gettin' it. [ female announcer ] sorry, mop, but swiffer wetjet has a dirt dissolving solution and super absorbent pads that trap and lock dirty water deep inside the gradient core while mops can just spread it around. / swiffer cleans better, or your money back. / ♪ she blinded me with science ♪

♪ paperback writer ♪ ♪ and finally this half hour, a young man who is beating the odds. we all know, of course, that higher education does not come cheap these days. >> and for one college senior, that financial burden is heavier than most. that is because he is homeless. david muir has more. >> ever since high school, i always knew i wanted to go to ucla. but i never saw that as accessible or affordable or not even a possibility. >> reporter: not even a possibility, he thought. and yet, at 22, diego sepulveda is now a senior at ucla. he says his parents work in

sweatshops in east l.a. he worked full-time at subway and at mcdonald's to earn the money. >> all my money went to tuition. and -- but i was walking around hungry all the time. i didn't have clean clothes a lot of the time. i would wear the same things for maybe three days. >> reporter: on campus, where most of us see labs and lecture halls, diego also sees a place to sleep. >> when i didn't have a place to sleep or when i didn't have a place to go, i started staying in the dorm lounges and the library. >> reporter: or he would come to this student center. >> i would sleep on this couch. >> reporter: going home means four buses and four hours. >> we've been on the bus for four hours. and it's really tiring. >> reporter: to that tiny apartment where he grew up. >> my sister sleeps on this bed. my parents sleep on this one. this couch is actually where i slept. i love this couch. this couch is like my best friend. >> reporter: and out back? >> we're going into what i call my backyard.

we have a washer. we have to keep it outside because it doesn't fit in the apartment. >> reporter: not afraid to show us where he comes from, diego was also not afraid to reveal something else. he is one of those undocumented illegals we've all been arguing about. his parents moved him here from mexico when he was just 4. >> i can't receive any scholarships. i don't receive work studies. i just want to go to school. i just want to get my degree. >> reporter: friends who've watched him work so hard now watch over him. a food pantry in a small room near school now offered to him rent-free. >> i've never had half of the room. so, this is an honor. >> reporter aware his status ir of >> no matter what, i'm going to finish ucla. and i'm really, really, really optimistic about my futre. >> reporter: an uncertain but so was the thought of college when he was oung david muir, abc >> an amazing story, huh? >> yeah. it's inspiring to see someone who is working that hard.

>> absolutely. that's all the news for oprah: we decided to do what we do best and that is a show about and with everyday people. this show always allows people to understand the power they have to change their own lives. if there is one thread running through each show we do, it is the message that you are not alone.