my dad learned the hard way. but you may be able to do something. [ male announcer ] have a heart to heart with your doctor about your risk. and about lipitor.

ng about it being an intimacy disorder, jonathan. >>yeah, and this is true--we deal with sex addicts all the time, and the fundamental core issue is that they've never

known how to truly connect on an emotional or spiritual level with another person, and so therefore there is a great history of trauma, usually abuse. 80% of sex addicts have some sort of abuse in their childhood. and so all of those factors cause a person to believe that either they can't connect emotionally or that it's too scary to connect emotionally, and so sex is an easy way out because it feels like you're connecting with another person, but it's kind of a facade. it's a false intimacy. oprah: yeah. i was going to say that all the people who--you know, because right now, there are women involved with sex addicts and perhaps men also involved with sex addicts. they don't know that the person's a sex addict, but they're asking those same questions like, why can't you commit? why can't you be faithful? why can't--you know, all those things that show up in relationships... >> so common. oprah: are often leading to sexual addiction. >> yes. absolutely. oprah: so, what is your advice to somebody who discovers that this is going on with their

partner and they want to restore the marriage? >> well, i would say, i agree with dr. drew. don't give up too quickly. what we see happen so often is because it's such a painful betrayal, because it hurts a marriage on such an intimate level, that sometimes with that intensity of pain, it appears like the only answer is to just bail out, the only answer is just to immediately go away and forget about the marriage. and what we always try to encourage people is-- oprah: especially when you hear 50 partners. >> sure, yeah. oprah: or 15 partners or--yeah. the number. >> sure, but we always ask people to kind of take a breathing period. there may need to be a separation for a period of time, but don't immediately assume that because there's a separation that the marriage needs to go away. we have found that our intimacy and our relationship and our connection is vastly better than we ever imagined it could be, and so we want people to-- oprah: i believe it. elaine's smiling.

>> yeah. oprah: yeah. >> there's hope. there is hope for change. oprah: yeah. thank you both for sharing that with us today. thank you. and thank you. >> my pleasure. oprah: good-bye, everybody. [captioning made possible by king world] [captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--] [ wind howling ] [ male announcer ] it balances you... [ water crashing ] [ male announcer ] ...it fills you with energy... and it gives you what you're looking for to live a more natural life, in a convenient two bar pack. this is nature valley... delicious granola bars made with 100% natural ingredients. nature valley. 100% natural, 100% delicious.

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it may be hard to imagine but this sunday does mark the fifth anniversary of hurricane katrina. that storm sent waves of destruction over new orleans and much of the gulf coast as the world simply watched in disbelief. >> our bob woodruff was there five years ago. he reports on what has changed and what has stayed the same. >> reporter: these are the enduring images of an epic american disaster. >> we want out of here today, we've had enough! we can't take no more! >> reporter: five years ago, still difficult to comprehend. and impossible to forget. floodwaters set loose by katrina forced tens of thousands from

their homes. some sought refuge on rooftops. >> how many people are still in here? >> reporter: others crowded into the superdome and the convention center, where conditions quickly turned deplorable. >> it is wrong. >> where are the buses? >> reporter: misery was everywhere. relief, hard to find. there was little evidence early on of a federal response appropriate for this once in a generation disaster. >> we are in desperate need. and we are americans. it is terrible. >> reporter: hundreds here died in the storm. and in the initial days, dozens of bodies were simply left in the streets, a sickening sight in an american city. it was a few days after the storm at the corner of magazine and jackson, we met a man who had walked the streets of his neighborhood and had taken it upon himself to bury a stranger. a stranger whose body had been laying in the street for four

days. john lee said he couldn't just leave her, remembering the nuns who would never have forgiven him for doing nothing. >> please go. >> reporter: he asked us to leave him in peace. >> go away. >> reporter: five years later, we went to find john, and we did, on the same corner. john has chosen to stay, living in new orleans, working in education. he told us while burying the woman, neighbors came and told him stories about miss vera. >> it was just the most inhuman, degrading thing i've -- >> reporter: he learned she was a married mother of two who had a constant smile and a meticulous garden. she would never have expected her country to have failed her. >> we were left here. it was just -- neighbors helping neighbors. food, water. burying the dead. >> basically the administration

let you down? >> they abandoned us. >> reporter: and where vera once lay, a shrine now remains. to john lee, vera's memorial is an emblem of lingering grief. a memento of neglect. >> i love you. >> love you too. >> reporter: a close friend of vera smith helped john bury vera that day. then, like so many others, she left new orleans for good, returning to visit this week for the first time since the storm. >> we'll never forget you, miss vera, no matter how many storms, no matter how many years. we'll never forget you, miss vera. we love you. rest in peace. >> amen. >> rest in peace. >> reporter: it's a small reminder of what should never have happened five years ago. you should know the head of fema says the agency has learned so much from katrina that they've actually revamped almost everything. they also have plans to get emergency personnel and supplies in place in case there is another disaster. i'm bob woodruff, abc news, in

new orleans. >> it is painful to watch those images five years later. it's hard to believe that much time has gone by. things that never should have happened in this country, did there. it still gets -- sends chills through you. >> i've gone on tours. i know you're from that area, obviously. but going on tours post-katrina. the most amazing, i guess impressive thing is to see how people have rebuilt. people putting their houses on high cinderblocks, making sure that should this come again they're really prepared for another flood. >> a lot of activity down there. don't let the images give a wrong impression of new orleans and the gulf coast. it's all coming back. a long way to go but a lot of progress in five years. when we return it is time for "the skinny." we're talking about the truth or maybe not the truth about the mariah carey rumor.

the rumor mill is swirling about who will be twirling on

"dancing with the stars." >> well-put. that was very nice, vinita, that was cool. >> that's why i get paid so much here. so this one is kind of surprising. 58-year-old david hasselhoff from "baywatch." >> yeah. >> he could be on the dance floor. and they're saying another name, another name i know you love, mike, the situation. >> the situation, yeah. >> he could be on the dance floor. they're saying those two. the list also includes "cheers" alum, kirstie alley, who i would absolutely love to see dance. >> is she back down? this weight drama -- >> every week it's a different response to that story. i didn't mean that as meanly as it sounded. the other people they're talking about is brandy and "hills" alum audrina patridge could be making a cameo. and the series premiere is september 20th right here on abc. it's the 11th season. >> wow. >> it's not 11 years. they do multiple seasons in a year. >> i see. >> yeah. >> very cool.

interesting casting, including the situation. i told you, we talked about it earlier this week, he's making a lot of money off "the jersey shore." >> i know. >> crazy. >> not just off "the jersey shore." >> now that he's a star, yes. well, apparently rumor mill swirling too about mariah carey. apparently it's pretty much out there now. the couple's not talking about it, apparently mariah and nick are expecting. apparently mariah is four months pregnant. they don't want to talk about it, may not want to jinx it or feed the media speculation, all that. but apparently she'd been spotted at a concert in brazil, gone are those sexy tight dresses and some more loosely fitting clothes now. apparently nick -- all this according to radaronline -- >> is that not sexy and not loose-fitting? for mariah? >> by her standards. usually she's all tightly wrapped and busting out. so apparently there's a bit of change in clothes now. i want to talk about it, nick's running around telling friends,

guess what, it's going to happen. >> you know what's interesting? i feel we've heard this kind of from him before. she's never confirmed any of this. in the past he has said -- made references or rumors. >> b shemad in cloth ramte rp. foat t time it is us. >> speaking of babies there is a new kate gosselin, kate and jon plus 8, there's a new family. they have shot eight episodes with the family. victor and digna carpio. they have sextuplets this hasady ly months early, 1 1/2 pounds each. it's going to be on tlc. they say basically we watched as the babies mastered the art of walking, talking. each episode follows the daily challenges. they say the typical day, 50 on top of the six they also have a 9-year-old son in a modest-sized home here in new york. tlc has made an empire between "19 kids and counting," this is their bread and butter. so here's the new family and the kids look absolutely adorable.

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/ call this toll-free number now. here here are some stories to watch today on abc news. the suspected serial stabber accused in five murders could be moved today from an atlanta jail to michigan where he faces charges. elias abuelazam is an arab israeli. he was arrested moments before he tried to fly out of the country. rod blagojevich returns to court today in chicago. the judge may schedule a new trial for the former illinois governor. some insiders say the corruption case could be retried within months. the latest numbers on unemployment are released from the labor department this morning. that is after this week's back-to-back bombshell reports on the housing market. and finally this half hour, the tiny mistake that cost new jersey possibly $400 million. >> the state was competing in the white house's race to the top challenge.

but a minor mistake on their application has led to a major headache for the garden state. here's linsey davis. >> this is our race to the top application. >> reporter: the larger than life governor of new jersey, chris christie, is on a tear. >> does anybody in washington, d.c. have a lick of common sense? >> reporter: what if you were responsible for making a mistake that cost all the students in your state to lose out on $400 million? that's what happened to a mid-level new jersey state official. they made a simple but costly mistake on an application for federal money. >> are you guys just down there checking boxes like mindless drones? >> reporter: yesterday, the department of education announced the ten states that will split $4.5 billion. they're all winners of round two in the race to the top school reform grant competition. new jersey finished 11th. it could have happened to anyone. the governor of new jersey is quick to point out, they only made a mistake on one of the pages. one out of 1,000 pages.

on page 260, they were asked to compare education spending in 2008 and 2009. but new jersey's application provided information about funding levels for 2010 and '11. >> if you can't fill out your application correctly, there is some indication that maybe you don't have the apparatus in place or the competence to execute the money that you could win. >> reporter: the department of education says a redo is not an option. they say the requirements were clear. this was not an open-ended process. at some point we had to say time's up, pencils down. as for the person who's behind the state failing to make the grade -- >> they don't deserve to be called out in that way. >> reporter: the governor isn't naming names. linsey davis, abc news, new york. >> how did that person feel during that press conference yesterday, knowing that was your mistake that cost the state all that money. >> it's interesting, that question, you saw linsey hold up the stack, t t t t t t t t t t t t

t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t

t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t

t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t hate crime investigation. the victim, a muslim new york cab driver. >> i'm dead. >> the knife attack and the young suspect. then, vital votes. the senate primary race in alaska that is still too close to call. and, silence broken. what tiger woods has to say after his ex-wife's first interview. it's thursday, august 26th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> she gave a really interesting interview. she let the reporter hang out with her for 19 hours over four days. it was a really in-depth interview she gave. the first time she's really spoken out about all that's going on in that marriage. >> really honest for her to say,

i was totally embarrassed, it was hell. >> therapy helped her get through. very revealing there. so clean break hopefully for both now. good morning, i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm vinita nair. a new york college student is charged with a hate crime this morning after a vicious attack on a cab driver. police say 21-year-old michael enright slashed the driver's throat because he was muslim. >> enright's motive is puzzling, since he was a volunteer for a group that promotes interfaith dialogue and peace. here's wabc's jim dolan. >> he starts yelling. this is checkpoint, mother [ muted ]. i have to put you down. >> reporter: ahmed sharif was trying to figure out what the man in the back of his cab was screaming about when suddenly the passenger started attacking him with a knife. stabbed in the arm, slashed across the throat, again in the face -- >> no doubt in your mind he wanted to kill you, he intended to kill you? >> yeah. i move like this, he trying to

get my throat, i'm trying to hold his hand. >> reporter: but his attacker was younger and stronger and relentless. >> so much anger when he hit me. he feel good if he can kill me. i'm dead. >> reporter: but he wasn't dead. as sharif fought off his attacker the man gave up and escaped. bleeding and weak, sharif called 911 and a nearby officer quickly arrested 21-year-old michael enright of brewster, putnam county. he was charged with attempted murder in a bias attack. police said he appeared extremely intoxicated. sharif said he doesn't understand the rage and hatred of his attacker. he said he moved to new york, raised his family in new york, because of the diversity it provides. >> this is the city for all color and race, all religion. we are all together. i don't know what he's -- why he get this way. what force him to do this to me.

>> reporter: in case there's any question, the attacker in this case never mentioned the mosque and cultural center that's proposed for a couple of blocks from ground zero. so far as we know, the attack had nothing at all to do with that project or that controversy. mr. sharif's wounds are not considered life-threatening. in fact, he's scheduled to meet with mayor bloomberg on thursday. in lower manhattan, jim dolan, channel 7 eyewitness news. a spy who worked for britain's intelligence service has been found murdered in an apartment near the agency's headquarters. investigators say they found the body of gareth williams stuffed inside a sports bag. williams had been working for britain's eavesdropping agency and had been reported missing for several days. the pentagon says a foreign spy agency has pulled off the most serious breach of defense department computer networks ever. investigators believe hackers inserted a flash drive into a u.s. military laptop. the previously classified incident took place back in 2008

in the middle east. a malicious code on that flash drive spread through both pentagon computer systems. results of the alaska republican senate primary remain up in the air. senator lisa murkowski is trailing challenger joe miller by less than 2,000 votes. >> it could be some time before critical absentee ballots are finally counted. the incumbent murkowski was expected to win pretty easily. karen travers now has the latest. good morning, karen. >> reporter: good morning, rob and vinita. well, that anti-incumbent fever that we've talked so much about, it might have claimed its latest victim way up there in alaska. she may be on the ropes but alaska senator lisa murkowski is not quite ready to throw in the towel. >> it ain't over until it's over. >> reporter: with over 99% of the votes counted, joe miller, tea party candidate and political unknown, leads murkowski by around 1,500 votes. 7,000 absentee ballots still need to be counted. but alaska republicans acknowledge it will be difficult for murkowski to take the lead.

murkowski is a member of one of the most powerful political families in alaska. her father was a former senator and governor. she's part of the republican senate leadership and she outraised miller 10-1. so how is murkowski so close to ending up as the biggest upset of this election year? perhaps it was palin power. miller was backed by the former alaska governor. >> he's got the backbone to confront obama's radical agenda. by contrast, lisa murkowski has voted with the democrats more than any republican up for re-election this year. >> reporter: republican insiders say it's more than just palin's endorsement. they put the blame on murkowski for critical strategic errors, including not taking miller's candidacy seriously and not countering his negative attacks with her own. instead she touted her experience. >> lisa murkowski, a proven record of defending alaska. >> reporter: if miller holds on for the victory, murkowski would be the third sitting senator to go down in defeat. before the general election. don't hold your breath for a

conclusion on this one. the final outcome may be weeks away. next tuesday, they'll start to count those absentee ballots. but under alaska state law, a 15-day review period is allowed. rob and vinita? a high-ranking republican is coming out to say he is gay. former rnc chairman ken mehlman also managed george bush's 2004 presidential campaign. mehlman says he's telling everyone about his sexuality because he wants to be an advocate for same-sex marriage. mehlman's gop leadership work took place when the party was trying to put anti-gay ballot measures before the public. in other news now, tiger woods says he's focused on his first win of the season when he tees off this morning at the barclays tournament in new jersey. >> but that may not be easy after his ex-wife's revealing interview. t.j. winick has details. good morning, t.j. >> reporter: good morning, rob and vinita. the "people" interview was done in four parts totaling 19 hours. elin may have broken her silence but she says she has no intention of speaking publicly

about this again. for the first time we're hearing elin nordegren's side of the story. tiger's ex told "people" magazine in an exclusive interview about the first time she discovered her now ex-husband tiger woods was being unfaithful. absolute shock and disbelief. i felt stupid as more things were revealed. how could i have not known anything? the mother of two opened up about the past nine months and about the divorce that was finalized on monday. initially i thought we had a chance and we tried really hard, but she decided without trust and love it couldn't work. >> i wish her the best and everything. you know. it is a sad time in our lives. >> reporter: speaking to reporters before the barclays tournament, tiger admitted his personal troubles have taken an emotional toll and made it more difficult to focus on the golf course. >> you try and block out as best you possibly can and focus on a shot. at times it certainly was, yes. >> reporter: nordegren also

what really happened in the moments leading up to that infamous car crash outside the family's florida home last "there was never any violence inside or outside our home," she says. "the speculation i would have used a golf club to hit him is truly ridiculous. i've been through hell," elin said of the ordeal that led up to this week's split. elin said she's working on trying to forgive her ex-husband and she knows she will get there eventually. rob and vinita? doctors in louisville, kentucky, say they've successfully performed a rare double transplant, giving a burn victim two new hands. surgeons spent nearly 18 hours on the delicate operation. they took some of the patient's existing nerves and put them into the hands from a donor. they say that could give the unidentified man more sensation than in past transplant patients. we can put a name to the face of that british woman who shoved that cat into a dumpster. the whole scene caught on camera. mary bale has since apoled. she says it was completely out

of character and did not intend to harm the cat or her owners. bale also promises to cooperate with animal cruelty investigators. bale said the worldwide outrage is getting out of hand saying, "it was just a cat." >> i'm sure the animal folks won't appreciate that quote. here's a look at your weather around the country. a drier day ine nost northern new england and the d.c. area. thunderstorms and occasional downpours from miami to charlotte. more rain in the four corners ler paci 68 in seattle. 74 in portland. phoenix 106. boise 101. 80 in the twin cities. 76 in detroit. mostly 80s in the at. well, it's finders keepers for two tennessee men who saw a penny and picked it up. >> the men were street sweepers. they were cleaning hen tted in. it was no ordinary penny. it turns out to be a french silver coin. >> the coin dates back to the time of king louis xv, a time when fren solwereeit wort what, p

intended. >> i imagine they won't be street sweepers for long. we'll be right back.

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[ female announcer ] fact. when pain keeps you up nothing is proven to help you fall asleep faster than advil pm liqui-gels. rushing real liquid relief to ease you to sleep fast. for nighttime pain, make advil pm your #1 choice. now for a really chilling look inside the mind of a vicious person. he is a serial killer who sits on death row, convicted of murdering without any remorse. >> while it's hard to imagine, there is something that we can actually learn from this killer. as martin bashir reports, it actually might save lives. >> first time i killed somebody, it was such a rush. >> reporter: tommy lynn sells was once a boy growing up in st. louis. but around the age of 14, he says he became addicted to killing. how many people have you killed?

>> lord, i don't know. >> 20? >> probably. >> 30? >> it's up there. >> 50? >> you see, i'm not keying, making notches on my holster. >> reporter: sells is on death row for one murder. but he's linked to at least 17 more. the drifter's vagrant lifestyle helped him elude police for nearly 15 years. his victims turned up from coast to coast. >> i am hatred. when you look at me, you look at hate. >> reporter: his methods for killing were as random as the people he targeted. he raped many before cutting their throats or beating them. stabbing others and strangling some. dr. adrian rain has studied the brains of people scientifically determined to be psychopaths.

>> one of the key differences that we find in the brains of psychopaths is that there's a structural impediment to part of the brain called the medulla. this is a part of the brain very much involved in the generation of emotion. >> i like to watch the eyes fade, the pupils fade. >> what do you like about that? >> it's just like setting a soul free. >> i tried to get in this door right here -- >> reporter: two days after his final murder, tommy lynn sells walks police through the crime scene. >> i opened the window all the way up, right about like this. and that's what i did. >> kind of stayed up a little later and we got in a little fight about where we were all going to sleep. >> reporter: crystal, 10 years old at the time, was sleeping over at her friend katie harris'. >> i woke up startled a little bit. and out of nowhere. and i was kind of confused. to a loud noise. >> i woke this girl up. >> reporter: her friend katie was asleep on the bottom bunk. >> i kind of leaned my head up a

little bit and i could see that there's this scary old -- older man that i'd never seen before. >> i stabbed her here. then she like jumped back. and i cut her like this right here. >> and he had a hand on her mouth and a knife on her neck and she's looking at me and he cut her throat and she fell to the ground. >> and she fell down right here. >> she was like gasping for air and choking like she couldn't breathe. >> reporter: 13-year-old katie harris lay dying on the floor. >> he was about to shut off the light and he looked one last time and he noticed that i was there. and he didn't hesitate at all. i mean, just shut the door, came right back towards me with the knife. >> i walked over here. i went like this. >> the only thing that he said

is, "move your hands." because i had them up here. he reached over the top and cut my neck. >> reporter: sells sliced crystal's neck, severing her windpipe and grazing her carotid artery. >> i am very sure he thought he killed me. >> reporter: crystal sells identified tommy lynn sells as her assailant and her friend's killer, putting an end to his homicidal spree. what if i called you something that you didn't like? you'd think about killing me? >> well, if we was in a fight. y'all get your head down in the concrete. you know, so be it. >> what happens when my head goes down to the concrete? >> well, what do you think happens? it cracks like a coconut. >> and then what happens? >> you die. >> and that again was martin bashir reporting. sells went on to say during that

interview he blames that murderous rage he has inside on sexual abuse he suffered as a child. his logic behind all of that was, i suffered through all of that, i know how hard it was growing up with that, i don't want someone after i sexually assault them to have to live through that. >> that's the twisted rationale on all that. wow,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,w,wowo

you may have noticed the cost of prescription medicine is continuing to rise, even while inflation continues to fall. >> a powerful nonprofit organization has noticed it as well. as ron claiborne reports, that group is now demanding an explanation. >> reporter: the aarp report found that even as consumer prices as a whole went down last year, the costs of the most

popular prescription drugs kept soaring. >> i trust my heart to lipitor. >> reporter: aarp looked at the 217 brand name drugs used most by older americans. the average retail cost of those medications rose 8.3% in 2009. this while overall consumer prices actually fell. >> something out of whack here about no increases in the rest of the economy, and very substantial increases with pharmaceuticals. >> reporter: when they look back over five years the price of those prescription drugs went up more than 41%. that means someone who takes three brand name drugs is paying an average of $1,900 more each year for their medicine. surging prescription prices are especially hard on elderly americans on fixed incomes. many of whom are on the medicare prescription drug plan which leaves them uncovered after they spend $2,800 on medications in a single year. >> they bear the full cost out of pocket when they reach that

coverage limit. and that's why this is of particular sensitivity to older persons. >> reporter: pharma, the pharmaceutical industry group, declined our request for an on-camera interview. and did not answer questions we submitted in writing. they called the aarp report distorted and misleading because they did not include cheaper generic drugs which account for 75% of all prescriptions. the aarp says for most of the drugs they surveyed, such as thecholl drre i g people to go towards those generics. "world news now" delivers your "morning papers." er patent. 217 in some ways it's forcing people to go towards those generics. i've done that many times. the price differential is huge.

unforgettable date at the ballpark for a reporter.

"world news now" delivers your "morning papers." >> it is time for your "morning papers." >> so it is. >> i wasn't sure if you knew or not. >> i'm sorry. we'll start this part casually. go ahead, you take it over. >> are you going to do your story? >> am i up first? i'm sorry. it's toward the end of the week. >> we're almost there. >> that's actually a perfect segue. all the mistakes in live tv sometimes. have you ever been on youtube and watched tv news reporter bloopers, do it, you will laugh for hours, it's hysterical stuff. this one i'm sure will go viral too. check out this german tv reporter during the soccer game. jessica gastraub, a reporter for

sky sports, just gets clocked. >> can i just say? how lucky is she that mike did not hit her teeth or her nose? she would have gotten a bloody nose from that. okay, willis. i love that we put that on slo-mo 30 times in case you missed it. that's what it looks like. >> poor thing. we've all been there as i was 30 seconds ago. >> i've been in live shots before where drunk people have come in my live shots. >> really? >> yeah, when i was working in denver. i had it happen once and i shoved the guy right out of the shot. not today, not on my time, no, ain't going to happen to me. i have a gift for you. >> really? >> i think this could be the gift i give you for christmas. >> oh. >> they're calling it the lazy man's way to wipe the rear-end. and that's what it is. >> yes. >> this is the extending toilet paper feature.

and they basically say -- it's called the easy reach bathroom tissue holder. not the best name. but it's for $17.95. it's actually for people with limited mobility or those in older homes who can't, you know, reach. so you have that little wall mount, you could extend it right out and make things work. >> we've all had rough nights something like that could come in handy. i like that. for christmas i can expect that? >> hnk this guy was just on a -- on the motorway, he saw this barbecue on the side of the road, decided he liked it and wanted to carry it home with him. he literally straps himself inside the barbecue and tries to ride home with this thing. a passing car saw it, took a photograph, gave it to police, police investigated and they eventually got this guy for what? careless driving. he was driving like 50 miles an hour with this barbecue, looking out of the actual grill. >> that's funny. it's funnier because in new york don't you always see people

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alaska anxiety. the senate primary race too close to call. what it means to sarah palin and the republicans. then, surprising survey. the number of drivers who admit getting behind the wheel drunk. and, celebrity justice. lindsay lohan's early release from rehab. >> she's healthy, she's clear-headed, she is positive and looking forward. >> it's thursday, august 26th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> maybe a new chapter for lindsay starting this morning. >> i was dumbfounded hearing that she and her mom could be getting a $1 million offer to host a radio show. >> american celebrity in its finest form.

it will happen. >> they're doling out advice. i'd be really curious to see how that works out. >> stay tuned for that. good morning, i'm rob nelson. >> i'm vinita nair. a major upset in the making in alaska. incumbent senator lisa murkowski is trailing her challenger joe miller in the republican primary. several thousand absentee ballots could determine the final outcome. >> because of sarah palin's influence the race is being closely watched around the nation. here now is jonathan karl. >> reporter: it could be the upset of the year. joe miller is a hardline conservative, and until now, a political unknown. but with almost all the votes counted, he's ahead of alaska's senator lisa murkowski in the state's republican primary. >> alaskans recognize that this is a heavy-handed government that's put us down economically -- >> reporter: miller is a lawyer and west point graduate with little political experience.

sarah palin's endorsement put him on the political map. in stark contrast, murkowski has been one of the most powerful family names in alaska politics for decades. her father was a former senator and governor. she's part of the gop leadership and raised more than ten times as much cash as miller. >> lisa murkowski. a proven record of defending alaska -- >> reporter: she touted her experience and clout in washington. but this year, voters don't seem to care much about clout or experience. if miller holds his lead, there will be about eight tea party candidates running for senate this year as republicans. most of them ousted candidates

supported by the gop establishment. >> they take pride in the fact that they're running against the system, that they're running against everything that in the past candidates were so eager to have. the support of the establishment. >> reporter: john mccain was one who was able to buck the trend. but it wasn't easy. especially on immigration. >> complete the dang fence. >> senator, you're one of us. >> reporter: it's not over yet in alaska. miller's lead is now down to fewer than 1,500 votes and there still are about 7,000 absentee ballots to be counted. alaska officials say the process of counting all of them and getting an official result could take two weeks or even longer. jonathan karl, abc news, capitol into a cb t talk wiiverh asked him if he was a muslim. when the driver said yes, police say enright gave an arabic greeting and then began a brutal knife attack. >> he said asam malikem, then began to stab the driver sort of throug >> first he knife here.

i lean back when i see the knife, then came right here. >> besides that serious neck wound, cabbie ahmed sharif suffered wounds to his forearm, face and one hand. prosecutors say he was trying to fend off enright. president obama will address the nation from the oval office tuesday to mark the end of u.s. combat operations in iraq. the withdrawal of u.s. troops has triggered a new wave, though, of rebel attacks aimed at testing the strength of iraq's security forces. dan harris reports now from mosul. >> reporter: out on a mission in mosul with u.s. army desert roads battalion, we could hear reports of insurgent attacks coming in. >> be aware of two ieds on the main road -- >> reporter: how common is a report of an ied for you? >> across mosul and entire operations here, i'd say twice a day. >> reporter: attacks raise new questions about the heart of president obama's iraq strategy, that the iraqis are now able to take over their own security. we heard three very different opinions on the matter over the

last 36 hours. lieutenant colonel ross kaufmann, a charismatic commander, echoed the white house, pointing out the iraqis have been in charge of security in mosul for about a year now pthi, wheein here in 2010 is the iraqi army's more professional than i've ever seen. >> reporter: however, we heard concerns about the iraqi forces from some of colonel coffman's own men who live and work side by side with iraqis. how ready do you think these guys are? >> i think that they're a lot more ready than they were a couple of years ago but they've still got a ways to go. >> reporter: here is how some iraqi soldiers greeted u we enteir s.oop the peace here? "to be honest," he said, "no. we need a couple more years." but the iraqis won't get much more time. all american troops are scheduled to pull out of iraq by the end of next year. dan harris, abc news, mosul. southern california's metro link commuter rail system says it will pay $200 million to victims of a fatal crash.

25 people were killed when a passenger train ran a red light and collided head-on with a freight train. investigators believe the engineer was sending text messages before the crash two years ago. under federal law $200 million is the maximum liability for a cra drung as part of its annual labor day crackdown on drunk driving the government has released some shocking figures. millions of americans admit they have driven while drunk, despite the well-known dangers. lisa stark has details. >> reporter: who is today's drunk driver? it turns out many more of us than you might think. >> cops everywhere are stepping up enforcement and cracking down like never before -- >> reporter: recently the government asked drivers, and an astounding 17.2 million of them -- 8% -- admitted they had driven drunk at least once in the past year.

some in the youngest group, 16 to 20 year olds, had had as many as six drinks before getting behind the wheel. >> we have got to do more to close the gap between believing that drunk driving is a threat and actively doing something about it. >> reporter: although males overall are much more likely to drive drunk, one surprising finding that is men who have had too much to drink were more likely to try to find another way home, whereas women picked up their keys anyway. it's a big concern because a recent survey found drunk driving increasing among young women. as you might expect, the most dangerous time on the road is between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. the safest days? monday through friday afternoon. >> have you had anything to drink tonight? >> reporter: a good reminder for all of us, there's still much to be done to get drunk drivers off the road. lisa stark, abc news, washington. more americans will travel over labor day weekend this year than last.

aaa estimates 10% more people will take a holiday weekend getaway. that is nearly 34.4 million americans. most will travel by car or plane but concerns about the economy will certainly keep them closer to home. hurricane danielle is gaining strength out in atlantic. danielle is now a category 2 storm. winds are topping 100 miles an hour. forecasters expect it to grow to a cat 3 hurricane by the time it passes by bermuda over the weekend. danielle should then curve back out to sea. with that, here's your thursday forecast now. drying out in the northeast with lingering scattered showers around northern new england and washington, d.c. thunderstorms with periods of heavy rain in the carolinas, georgia, and florida. and more thunderstorms across colorado and new mexico. >> 87 in albuquerque. 95 in salt lake city. 92 in sacramento. 80s from fargo to kansas city. 90s for dallas. 82 here in new york. 90 in atlanta. 92 in new orleans. well, not only did they

paint the town red literally, they also splattered everything and everyone in sight. >> this is on my bucket list. i want to go to this one year. tens of thousands of people jammed into a small spanish village for the world's biggest tomato fight. revelers at the annual festival tossed 100 tons of ripe tomatoes, the kind that really stain your clothes, turning the streets into a sea of mushy pulp. >> i always wonder how you clean this up. the food fight dates back to the mid' 40s when a group of kids started throwing their lunch at each other. now kids of all ages are joining in that fun. >> i want to be one of the kids. we'll be right back. and that begins with the one touch ultra 2 meter. easy to use, fast results... at no additional cost! liberty helps keep you on track by delivering diabetic supplies to your door...and

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welcome back, everybody. now to chile where those 33 trapped miners got some very discouraging news that much of the world has already known for days now, that it could be months before those men are rescued. >> while they wait 2,200 feet underground, the focus above ground is their physical and mental health. jeffrey kofman reports from chile.

>> reporter: the families were lighting candles and saying prayers for the 33 husbands, fathers and sons they had not seen for three weeks. this makeshift community at the gates of the san jose mine overflows with shrines and signs honoring the miners trapped half a mile below the surface here. we learned those men have been told the sobering news, that getting them out is not going to be easy or fast. >> for the first time we talked to them yesterday about the time frame that's involved in this rescue operation. that, as you may know, is a three-month period, 90 days, beginning from now. >> reporter: her husband raul busto is one of those miners. she waited for 17 days to find out if he was alive. she is undeterred. "yes, i can wait here for months," she says. "the miners can survive too. they are strong, they know we are sending our love.

i came here to bring my husband home." she sent a letter down to her husband. he wrote back, "you know that the words that you sent me made me cry. well, i don't know how to tell you that they're always with me. god left us alive by a miracle and with a purpose." "this kind of pain is much easier to tolerate," she says, "than the pain of not knowing." it's terrible, she remembers, the days after the collapse. like the whole world has toppled down on top of you. the mine collapsed on august 5th. immediately in this country that has some of the biggest mines in the world, teams of engineers and experts methodically searched for signs of life. seven times they drilled holes to areas where they thought the miners might be sheltered. an eighth attempt was made early sunday. christian astadio was the geologist supervising that eighth drilling operation. pinera, had been alerted and arrived moments later to read

the notes and break the news to the world. "we are fine inside the shelter," read one of the notes. "the 33 of us." spontaneously, a celebration exploded. first among the families keeping vigil at the mine site, and then as word spread, across the country. a world cup victory or olympic gold has nothing on news like this. now the hard work. getting the men out. this huge portable rock drill, normally used to make ventilation shafts, has been brought to the site to bore a 26-inch wide, half mile long

hole down to the men. when it is completed they'll be raised up one at a time. they are living in the refuge where they took shelter and in adjoining mine tunnels. the heat, close to 90 degrees. the humidity, more than 90%. as more contact holes are made, conditions should improve incrementally. but until that rescue hole reaches the men, they'll have to endure a captivity beyond comprehension to most of the world outside. lila ramirez has no doubt her husband can survive. he's been a miner more than half a century. he began when he was 12. that frame holds the letter he sent her. "dear lila," it begins. "i am okay, thank god. i hope to get out soon. patience and faith." those 33 chilean flags billowing on the hillside by the mine are a constant reminder of the 33 men trapped inside. they have been found, but they have not been rescued.

not yet. i'm jeffrey kofman in copiapo, chile. >> and the reports now that are among the 33 men, a leader has emerged, somebody who is taking care of everyone medically, someone spiritually. they say that's a really good sign because being there such an extended period of time they have to have structure. it makes sense, otherwise people would be at each other's necks. >> officials in chile are taking this very seriously. they're saying they are going to pursue criminal charges in this case, and mine safety officials in that country have already been fired even though their safety record is actually better than ours here in the u.s. >> it was not a safe place from everything that's being reported. >> thoughts and prayers for those men for sure. even

it was a brutal one-two punch from the housing sector this week. if back-to-back reports, sales of both new and existing homes both plummeted.

>> those numbers add to the fear that the economy is a long way from recovery. karen travers is in washington, d.c. with more. good morning, karen. >> reporter: good morning, rob and vinita. experts were hoping for some good news from the housing market yesterday. but once again, those hopes were dashed. the housing market has typically helped lead the nation out of recession. the new data is another punch in the gut for the struggling economy. the commerce department says sales of new homes plunged 12.4% in july. far worse than experts were projecting. this follows reports that sales of existing homes plummeted more than 27% last month. a record drop. a decline in sales was expected once the tax credits for first-time home buyers expired earlier this summer. but these new figures are sparking greater concern. >> the problems in the housing market that were there before the tax credit are still there. >> reporter: several factors would seem to be enticing to home buyers.

prices are down about 30%. the average rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage is less than 4.5%, a 50-year low. >> there couldn't be a better time to own a home, you just have to look at it as a long-term investment. >> reporter: yet americans are hesitant to take the plunge. because of concerns about job security and the difficulties of securing a loan. the housing figures are just the latest in the continuing barrage of bad economic news for the obama administration. with the president on vacation, vice president biden assumed the duty of defending the administration's economic policies. >> we believe that middle class taxes on everybody under $250,000 should continue to get the tax cuts. >> reporter: the grim housing data drove stocks down early wednesday but markets bounced back and closed 20 points up. >> interesting too when you listen to analysts when they think really was the cause of all this, whether it was the expiration of those $8,000 federal tax credits or people are fearful these days to make such a big financial investment

like a home. midterm las vegass cominge

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welcome back, everyone. lindsay lohan is out of rehab and her lawyer promises that she is, in fact, on the road to recovery. >> a judge has ordered the actress to a strict regimen and has also delivered an ultimatum. don guevara has the latest from l.a. good morning, don. >> reporter: a lot of people are going to say lindsay lohan got yet another break. but this time it was her doctors who said it was time to let the

star free. after spending 23 of her 90-day sentence at this ucla rehab center, lindsay lohan is out early. just like that 90-day jail sentence beforehand in which lohan served only 14 days. >> the judge allowed her to leave early only because the treating doctors at ucla felt that she had done everything that had been required of her there. >> that's 90 days in jail -- >> reporter: that judge was not marcia revel. she removed herself from the case after complaints from the prosecution. but lohan did not get off easy with her new judge. still on probation, she must submit to random drug-alcohol tests. if she fails it's back to jail. lohan must also attend therapy sessions multiple times a week. >> she's still on judicial radar. the d.a.'s office is still keeping tabs on her. so she needs to be careful. >> reporter: lohan's release is perfect timing to jump start her

career. she has a new action movie to promote where she plays a nun with a gun. lohan's personal life has been its own action-packed drama since her 2007 arrest involving cocaine and alcohol. her attorney says this freed lindsay is a new lindsay. >> she's healthy, she's clear-headed, she is positive and looking forward. >> reporter: the judge dismissed two drug counts lohan had pleaded guilty to back in 2007. if she follows all his orders until november she'll be released from probation. in los angeles, don guevara, abc news. >> i really do think a lot of people in the country, not that this is new, have a problem with out of jail early, out of rehab early. i think they're like, why this apparent double standard for the celebs? >> it's amazing to see her career go from where it was to now million dollar offers for a radio show, a million dollar offer for the after post-jail interview. certainly her bank account is going to be doing a lot better from all of this and that says a lot about our culture. >> nothing sells like sex rlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrl

taxi terror. police say the driver was attacked because of his religion. >> first he put the knife here, then look back. when i see the knife then hit me right here. >> the suspect now accused of a hate crime. then, troubled talk from tiger woods' ex-wife. her inside story and the golf star's reaction. and, hurricane heartbreak. new orleans nightmares five years after katrina. it's thursday, august 26th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> bob woodruff did an amazing story last night from new orleans just touching on this

issue where the city is five years out. it's kind of a heartbreaking story, but on the light side there's a lot of recovery going on. we'll get a taste of that as coverage continues over this anniversary week. >> it's hard to believe it's already been so long. >> i know. a lot's been accomplished, a lot more to go, obviously. >> good morning and thanks for being with us. i'm vinita nair. >> i'm rob nelson. we begin with the brutal attack on a new york city cab driver that's now being labeled as an anti-muslim hate crime. >> police say the attacker is a 21-year-old college student who did volunteer work in afghanistan. aaron katersky has the story. >> reporter: on the day he was released from the hospital, new york cabbie ahmed sharif described how he was attacked. >> then first he knife -- when i look back, when i see the knife it came right here. >> reporter: the 43-year-old father of four picked up a fare tuesday evening. on the drive, michael enright asked sharif, are you muslim?

when sharif answered yes, police say enright pulled out a leatherman knife and slashed him on the face, neck and arm. >> he said asam malikem, then began to stab the driver sort of through the partition. >> reporter: sharif pointed to the controversy over a muslim community center planned near ground zero and said in his 25 years in new york, he has never felt so insecure. police say enright was drunk but he was still charged with attempted murder as a hate crime. his attorney now wants him in protective custody. >> there's a healthy population of people of the islamic faith in jail, and they may prejudge the situation. something may happen to him and i just want to prevent that. >> reporter: enright volunteered for a group that supports the construction of the mosque near ground zero. in may he returned from afghanistan where he had been working on a film promoting peace across different religions. police believe this attack to be an isolated incident but that in no way lessens the concern city officials here have about potential consequences of such

intense rhetoric surrounding the proposed islamic community center at ground zero. aaron katersky, abc news, new york. a man wanted for killing four people in buffalo, new york, has turned himself in at a local tv station. ricardo mccray was charged with four counts of second degree murder. he's expected to make a court appearance later today. the shooting two weeks ago took place outside a restaurant. one victim was a texas man celebrating his wedding anniversary. it could be days or even longer before the close race for alaska's republican senate nomination is finalized. right now incumbent lisa murkowski is trailing challenger joe miller by less than 2,000 votes. murkowski hopes several thousand uncounted absentee ballots will turn the tables in her favor. miller, a political newcomer, is backed by sarah palin and members of the tea party movement. rescuers in chile say they're concerned about how the 33 trapped miners will cope. they've been told it could take three more months to dig them

out. jeffrey kofman has the latest now from outside that mine in chile. >> reporter: in these first closeup images of the rescue effort you can see drills working to create more access holes to the chamber half a mile underground, where the 33 miners have been trapped for 20 days. as family members on the surface are granted more access to their loved ones below, government officials and psychologists decided it was time to tell the men the truth about how long the rescue may take. >> as you may know, it's a three-month period. 90 days. beginning from now. >> reporter: the minister told abc news that a natural leadership structure has emerged underground. the foreman, luis arsua, is recognized as the group leader. the oldest miner, mario gomez, who once survived a shipwreck, is the spiritual leader. the only man with nursing training, yanni barrio, has emerged as the medical leader, doing psychological evaluations. all of these are encouraging signs, according to experts. >> i think it's a very good thing that structure is starting

to emerge in that group. it will add civility and a more normal feeling if they have that kind of structure while they're in the mine. >> reporter: meanwhile, rescue efforts are moving ahead. that giant drill that's meant to bore a 26-inch wide, half-mile long hole into the ground is now in place. they are preparing to begin. work is expected to begin saturday. they just don't know how long it will take to reach the men so far down because the ground here is so fragile. jeffrey kofman, abc news, copiapo, chile. police in a small north carolina town are trying to figure out how a woman's body went unnoticed in a hearse for nine days. they say complaints about a foul odor led them to the body. police say the funeral home picked up a woman's body from her apartment and left it in the hearse. while no criminal charges are likely, the funeral home could lose its license. in other news now, tiger woods hits the links this morning at the barclays tournament in new jersey. he's looking for his first win

in what's been a dismal season, both professionally and of course personally. >> the question is can he drown out all the hoopla surrounding his ex-wife's comments in "people" magazine. t.j. winick has details. good morning, t.j. >> reporter: good morning, rob and vinita the "peopleview place in four p elin may ha but she says she has no intention of spubl about this again. for t, we hearing elin nordeg exclusive interview about the first time she discovered her now ex-husband, tiger woods, was being unfaithful. "absolute shock and disbelief. i felt stupid as more things were revealed. how could i have not known anything?" the 30-year-old mother of two opened up for the first time about the past nine months and dithat finalized o "initiay i ght chance and we tried really ardsays but she deced and l it 't w everything. it's a sad time in our lives.

>> reporter: before the barclays tournament in new jersey, tiger admitted his personal troubles have made it more difficult to focus on the golf course. >> you try to block out as best you can and focus on the shot. but you know, at times i certainly was, yes. >> reporter: nordegren also wanted to set the record straight about what really happened in the moments leading up to that infamous car crash outside the family's florida home last november. pictures of which were captured by the website tmz. "there was never any violence inside or outside our home," she says. "the speculation i would have used a golf club to hit him is truly ridiculous. i've been through hell," elin said, of the ordeal that led up to this week's split. >> my actions certainly led us to this decision. and, you know, i've made a lot of errors in my life. and that's something i'm going to have to live with. >> reporter: elin says she's working to try and forgive her ex-husband and she knows she will get there eventually r and

>> certainly the story everyone is talking about. >> oh, yeah. here is a look at your thursday forecast. another wet day from florida to the carolinas. isolated showers around d.c. and new england. much he neastut and salt lake city, and triple and boise. 84 in omaha. 75 in chicago. and 79 in indianapolis. 80s from boston to baltimore. and 90 in atlanta. well, this is a truly unique way to knock back a few cold ones, or should we say, hot ones. >> you might want to bring your i.d. along with your appetite at this year's texas state fair. that's because the menu will include fried beer. it looks like sauteed ravioli but it's pretzel pockets filled with beer. >> this is a bad idea. i'm just going to go out there -- look, it's all running out. >> it sounds delicious. >> this concoction is part of the big tex choice recipe contest. we're told the beer does not lose its potency.

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it may be hard to imagine but this sunday does mark the fifth anniversary of hurricane katrina. that storm sent waves of destruction over new orleans and much of the gulf coast as the world simply watched in disbelief. >> our bob woodruff was there five years ago. he reports on what has changed and what has stayed the same. >> reporter: these are the enduring images of an epic american disaster. >> we want out of here today, we've had enough! we can't take no more! >> reporter: five years ago, still difficult to comprehend. and impossible to forget. floodwaters set loose by katrina forced tens of thousands from their homes.

some sought refuge on rooftops. >> how many people are still in here? >> reporter: others crowded into the superdome and the convention center, where conditions quickly turned deplorable. >> it is wrong. >> where are the buses? >> reporter: misery was everywhere. relief, hard to find. there was little evidence early on of a federal response appropriate for this once in a generation disaster. >> we are in desperate need. and we are americans. it is terrible. >> reporter: hundreds here died in the storm. and in the initial days, dozens of bodies were simply left in the streets, a sickening sight in an american city. it was a few days after the storm at the corner of magazine and jackson, we met a man who had walked the streets of his neighborhood and had taken it upon himself to bury a stranger. a stranger whose body had been laying in the street for four days.

john lee said he couldn't just leave her, remembering the nuns who would never have forgiven him for doing nothing. >> please go. >> reporter: he asked us to leave him in peace. >> go away. >> reporter: five years later, we went to find john, and we did, on the same corner. john has chosen to stay, living in new orleans, working in education. he told us while burying the woman, neighbors came and told him stories about miss vera. >> it was just the most inhuman, degrading thing i've -- >> reporter: he learned she was a married mother of two who had a constant smile and a meticulous garden. she would never have expected her country to have failed her. >> we were left here. it was just -- neighbors helping neighbors. food, water. burying the dead. >> basically the administration

let you down? >> they abandoned us. >> reporter: and where vera once lay, a shrine now remains. to john lee, vera's memorial is an emblem of lingering grief. a memento of neglect. >> i love you. >> love you too. >> reporter: a close friend of vera smith helped john bury vera that day. then, like so many others, she left new orleans for good, returning to visit this week for the first time since the storm. >> we'll never forget you, miss vera, no matter how many storms, no matter how many years. we'll never forget you, miss vera. we love you. rest in peace. >> amen. >> rest in peace. >> reporter: it's a small reminder of what should never have happened five years ago. you should know the head of fema says the agency has learned so much from katrina that they've actually revamped almost everything. they also have plans to get emergency personnel and supplies

in place in case there is another disaster. i'm bob woodruff, abc news, in new orleans. >> it is painful to watch those images five years later. it's hard to believe that much time has gone by. things that never should have happened in this country, did there. it still gets -- sends chills through you. >> i've gone on tours. i know you're from that area, obviously. but going on tours post-katrina. the most amazing, i guess impressive thing is to see how people have rebuilt. people putting their houses on high cinderblocks, making sure that should this come again they're really prepared for another flood. >> a lot of activity down there. don't let the images give a wrong impression of new orleans and the gulf coast. it's all coming back. a long way to go but a lot of progress in five years. when we return it is time for "the skinny." we're talking about the truth or maybe not the truth about the

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the rumor mill is swirling about who will be twirling on

"dancing with the stars." >> well-put. that was very nice, vinita, that was cool. >> that's why i get paid so much here. so this one is kind of surprising. 58-year-old david hasselhoff from "baywatch." >> yeah. >> he could be on the dance floor. and they're saying another name, another name i know you love, mike, the situation. >> the situation, yeah. >> he could be on the dance floor. they're saying those two. the list also includes "cheers" alum, kirstie alley, who i would absolutely love to see dance. >> is she back down? this weight drama -- >> every week it's a different response to that story. i didn't mean that as meanly as it sounded. the other people they're talking about is brandy and "hills" alum audrina patridge could be making a cameo. and the series premiere is september 20th right here on abc. it's the 11th season. >> wow. >> it's not 11 years. they do multiple seasons in a year. >> i see.

>> yeah. >> very cool. interesting casting, including the situation. i told you, we talked about it earlier this week, he's making a lot of money off "the jersey shore." >> i know. >> crazy. >> not just off "the jersey shore." >> now that he's a star, yes. well, apparently rumor mill swirling too about mariah carey. apparently it's pretty much out there now. the couple's not talking about it, apparently mariah and nick are expecting. apparently mariah is four months pregnant. they don't want to talk about it, may not want to jinx it or feed the media speculation, all that. but apparently she'd been spotted at a concert in brazil, gone are those sexy tight dresses and some more loosely fitting clothes now. apparently nick -- all this accog tornli-- >> is that not sea no lo for mariah? >> by her standards. usually sheghtl wrad bu so apparently there's ait o change inclw.

i want to talk about nick runrounifri guess what, it'o happen. >> you know what's interesting? i feel we've heard this kind of from him before. she's never confirmed any of this. in the past he has said -- aretevearan tims se. >>b new kate golin sh epies with victor and digna carpio. they have sextuplets. this family has already really been through a lot. these babies were born three months early, 1 1/2 pounds each. it's going to be on tlc. they say basically we watched as the babies mastered the art of walking, talking. each episode follows the daily challenges. they say the typical day, 50 diaper changes. on top of the six they also have a 9-year-old son in a modest-sized home here in new york. tlc has made an empire between "19 kids and counting," this is their bread and butter. so here's the new family and the kids look absolutely adorable. >> let's hope unlike the last time we saw this the marriage

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/ call this toll-free number now. here are some stories to watch today on abc news. the suspected serial stabber accused in five murders could be moved today from an atlanta jail to michigan where he faces charges. elias abuelazam is an arab israeli. he was arrested moments before he tried to fly out of the country. rod blagojevich returns to court today in chicago. the judge may schedule a new trial for the former illinois governor. some insiders say the corruption case could be retried within months. the latest numbers on unemployment are released from the labor department this morning. that is after this week's back-to-back bombshell reports on the housing market. and finally this half hour, the tiny mistake that cost new jersey possibly $400 million. >> the state was competing in the white house's race to the

top challenge. but a minor mistake on their application has led to a major headache for the garden state. here's linsey davis. >> this is our race to the top application. >> reporter: the larger than life governor of new jersey, chris christie, is on a tear. >> does anybody in washington, d.c. have a lick of common sense? >> reporter: what if you were responsible for making a mistake that cost all the students in your state to lose out on $400 million? that's what happened to a mid-level new jersey state official. they made a simple but costly mistake on an application for federal money. >> are you guys just down there checking boxes like mindless drones? >> reporter: yesterday, the department of education announced the ten states that will split $4.5 billion. they're all winners of round two in the race to the top school reform grant competition. new jersey finished 11th. it could have happened to anyone. the governor of new jersey is quick to point out, they only made a mistake on one of the

pages. one out of 1,000 pages. on page 260, they were asked to compare education spending in 2008 and 2009. but new jersey's application provided information about funding levels for 2010 and '11. >> if you can't fill out your application correctly, there is some indication that maybe you don't have the apparatus in place or the competence to execute the money that you could win. >> reporter: the department of education says a redo is not an option. they say the requirements were clear. this was not an open-ended process. at some point we had to say time's up, pencils down. as for the person who's behind the state failing to make the grade -- >> they don't deserve to be called out in that way. >> reporter: the governor isn't naming names. linsey davis, abc news, new york. >> how did that person feel during that press conference yesterday, knowing that was your mistake that cost the state all that money. >> it's interesting, that question, you saw linsey hol