>> and i'm carolyn

good evening. as we come on the air tonight, for viewers in the west, congress and the white house are playing a hike stakes game of chicken that could lead to the first government shutdown in more than 15 years. that countdown clock in times square shows just how close we are without a last minute deal, consequences s affecting every american begin to cascade at midnight. and there are so many. for our military serving overseas, everyone waiting for a tax refund and the 800,000 federal workers who must turn off their phones at midnight or face a criminal penalty. this story is changing by the minute. there are late signs that a deal may be imminent. let's go jake tapper at the white house. >> reporter: good evening, george. that's right. we are just a few hours away from that midnight deadline. and, of course, issues remain the same. how much the spending cuts should be. it's just a few billion dollars that separate the two sides.

really not much in the scheme of the $3.8 billion budget. and, of course, whether or not the federal government should fund planned parenthood. this may be the last group to see the view from atop the washington monument for some time. as the national monuments close for the night and maybe longer. what's standing in the way of an agreement to prevent a government shutdown? each side says something different. democrats say republicans are obsessed with ending the more than $363 million in federal funding for planned parenthood. >> it's about cutting women's health care. and that, to me, is extremely offensive. >> reporter: republicans say democrats are not willing to be serious about spending cuts amid a debt crisis. >> when we say we're serious about cutting spending, we're damn serious about it. >> reporter: these fights over spending cuts and planned parenthood came to a head last night in the oval office. president obama told speaker boehner he could agree to $35 billion in new spending cuts. said boehner, i need the number to be higher. the president said he could go

higher, even up to $38 billion if programs the president supports, such as head start, were spared. boehner agreed in theory, but he would not agree to kill the provision to defund planned parenthood. after all, boehner needs the support of tea party freshmen, such as blake farenhold, who says if he's not going to get all the spending cuts he wants, he needs a political victory. >> that way, i can look the folks at home in the eye and say, look, i couldn't get $100 billion, but i got you x, y and z. >> reporter: at last night's meeting, the planned parenthood debate angered vice president biden. "well, fine," he said. "let the american people decide this issue." so, the disagreement continued all day today. >> you don't have to go to planned parenthood to get your cholesterol or blood pressure checked. if you want an abortion, you go to planned parenthood. >> the tea party is trying to move this extreme social agenda, issues that have nothing to do with funding the government. >> reporter: and george, as the

clock ticks down, officials are still negotiating a deal before the government shuts down. >> and jake, we've been talking to our sources for the last couple of hours and it does seem from both the white house and capitol hill there's a lot more optimism right now than there was at the beginning of the day. >> reporter: there is, and there is talk of a compromise being hammered out. there's talk on a temporary agreement to remove the planned parenthood provision. but as of now, nothing has been decided. >> nothing has been decided be they are fighting over relatively small amounts of money. >> reporter: absolutely. about one-tenth of one percent. >> so, the next question, how could these differences bring the government to the brink of a shutdown? jon karl has been putting that question to lawmakers all day. and he joins us now. jon? >> reporter: george, the shutdown wouldn't happen until midnight. but all day here, it seems like we have had political breakdown.

why negotiate when you can spend all day holding press conferences to beat up the other side? >> republicans are responsible. >> we're not going to roll over. >> not on our watch. >> no way, no how. >> we just say no. >> reporter: on the spending side, it all seems to boil down to a difference of about $2 billion. are we going to shut the government down over $2 billion? >> every billion is important. >> reporter: but you wouldn't want to shut the government down for $2 billion, would you, really? >> well, why would my democrat colleagues not want to shut it down over $2 billion? >> reporter: well, i don't understand either. but wait. $2 billion is less than two-tenths of one percent of the $3.8 trillion budget. put another way, think of that $3.8 trillion budget as the entire surface area of the earth. republicans and democrats are fighting over an area the size of ecuador. >> give me a break. >> reporter: isn't that crazy for both sides? i mean, this is just nuts. >> no, it isn't. it's a matter of principal. i mean, my gosh. it's time we start fighting

these things and getting the spending done. >> reporter: could there be politics, too? >> when either party gets dominated by its ideologues, the far right or the far left, they lose. >> reporter: so this will be good politically for you if it shuts down? >> well, we're not saying it will be good for us politically. it is bad for everybody. >> reporter: yes, bad for everybody. but democrats are also banking on it being good for fund-raising. today, senate democrats launched a fund-raising letter about the looming shutdown. remember, george, this all started as a battle to reduce the deficit. and here it is. we have a $1.6 trillion deficit this year. even if they get agreement tonight on the full $40 billion in spending cuts, what does that do to the deficit? well, it takes it down about that much. not -- >> can't really see. >> reporter: not enough to call it a start. >> i can barely see that line. let me pick up with you where i left off with jake tapper. are you picking up the same vibrations on capitol hill that

we are closer to a deal now than we were at the beginning of the day? >> reporter: absolutely. the expectation here, among democrats and republicans, is that they are so close that they can get a deal by midnight. of course, those last minute things can break this up. but they really believe both sides they can get a deal by midnight and that they can do it in a way that prevents the government from shutting down. but george, that clock is ticking. >> that's right. as you say, nothing would surprise any of the negotiators right now. but if that shutdown comes, the shockwaves would hit americans here at home and onto the front lines in afghanistan, throwing, as we said, a wrench into everything from tax refunds and adoptions to that next paycheck most military families depend on. david wright spent the day finding out how americans are bracing for the impact, and he's in san diego tonight. david? >> reporter: good evening, george, from the aircraft carrier "midway" here in san diego bay. you know, when we hear the phrase "government shutdown," we all tend to think of a big faceless bureaucracy.

but this means uncertainty for everyone in uniform. a huge impact across the country and around the world. in afghanistan, morale took a huge hit today. these men of the 101st airborne just survived one of the most harrowing firefights of the war. only to find out today that their paychecks may be delayed. >> i have three kids and a wife, and, you know, i need to pay my rent. >> reporter: six of their comrades were killed in last week's firefight. but a shutdown would mean that, for now, the pentagon would not be able to pay the usual $100,000 death benefit. a slap in the face to these men. >> we're here taking care of the country. we expect the country to take care of us when we're away from the homeland. >> reporter: now fighting for their country, worried about pay. here on the homefront, lance corporal mike goodwin and his wife denise are being extra careful about their grocery list. stocking up today at the local food for less instead of their usual store. >> we're definitely stressed not knowing if we're going to be

able to make rent this month and, you know, our car bill and stuff like that. >> reporter: does this make you angry? >> i definitely have mixed emotions about it. hard to stay motivated and focused at the task at hand when you're more worried about providing food. >> reporter: as the politicians bicker, they're pinching pennies. from the statue of liberty to yosemite national park, the shutdown means national parks may be closed. grand teton national park was going to be the majestic destination for the keen family's father-daughter trip. >> for them to shut down over something like a budget is just silly. >> reporter: vacations now in jeopardy. today, we heard from half a dozen disappointed school classes, planning field trips to washington, d.c. over spring break. they're still going, even though the sites will all be closed. and from seattle to south florida, the people who work for the federal government are now having to plan for no paycheck. >> this is america. we shouldn't be in a predicament

like this. >> reporter: but america is in this predicament because the politicians in washington can't seem to agree. and it's worth noting, george, of course, that the politicians in washington are going to be paid whether or not there's a shutdown, leaving hundreds of thousands lower down the food chain to bear the brunt of this. >> that's why many members of congress say they will not take their pay even though they're entitled to it. we're going to stay on this story all night long, including tonight on "nightline." and we want to hear how the government shutdown will affect you. so, tell us your story at abcnews.com/worldnews. turning now overseas to syria, where the streets swelled with protesters in cities around the country. and in a southern city, the day turned bloody. at least 23 were killed when security forces opened fire on the crowds. and in cairo, a kind of deja vu. tens of thousands of egyptians swarmed tahrir square, demanding that ousted president hosni mubarak be tried for allegations of corruption. and in japan, exactly four weeks after the devastating

earthquake and tsunami, there was a grim reminder today of the continuing fallout from the catastrophe. a massive debris field has been discovered and it's heading toward our shores. here's neal karlinsky. >> reporter: enormous chunks of entire towns washed out to sea by the tsunami are now being found floating in open waters. sailors from the u.s. navy's 7th fleet say they've never seen anything like it. >> it's very challenging to move through these, considering these boats operate on propellers and that these fishing nets or other debris can be dangerous to the vessels. >> reporter: that now famous dog rescued off a floating house nearly a week ago gave us a glimpse of what's out there, but there are cars and furniture, too. even floating homes. all now a threat to shipping traffic. the debris field is massive, stretching as much as 500 miles across the pacific. a distance of new york all the way to michigan. and it's headed straight for the united states. it will move with a powerful current called the north pacific gyre, carrying the remnants of 200,000 destroyed buildings

towards washington state, then oregon and california. oceanographers say a year from now, we'll begin to see things that easily float, like boats, wood from houses and plastic children's toys. two years out, things that don't carry as well in the wind, like fishing supplies and nets will come ashore. and after three years, shoes, plastic furniture, even entire dining sets. >> so, you have to imagine a city, say, the size of about seattle, put it through a grinder and what happens? you wind up with all kinds of debris. >> reporter: sad reminders of a disaster so enormous, parts of japan will finally come to rest half a world away. neal karlinsky, abc news, tokyo. and still ahead on "world news," are children being physically abused because some churches believe it's god's will? the growing campaign to ban teenagers from tanning booths. and why the jonas brothers and millions of others are giving up their shoes.

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americans have never heard of -- an ifb or independent fundamental baptist church. >> my brother is a baptist pastor in the ifb. my father is a baptist pastor in the ifb. my husband was an ifb pastor. so, we come from a long line of people within the ifb. >> reporter: there are thousands of them across the country. ultra-conservative, interpreting the bible literally. zichterman is one of many former members, who, in a "20/20" investigation, claim they're lifting the veil on physical and sexual abuse within some ifb congregations and churches that cover it up. it all begins with what she calls church-sanctioned abuse. >> if you're not bruising your child at times, you're not spanking the child enough. >> one pastor says two weeks after they come home from the hospital. >> reporter: a 2-week-old baby needs to be spanked? >> yes. >> reporter: for what? >> crying too much. >> reporter: what happens when church members take biblical discipline too far? last year, this ifb couple was

charged with beating their 7-year-old daughter to death. they pleaded not guilty but police say they were following the disciplining techniques in a book widely read in ifb circles. and last month, two leaders of an ifb church in wisconsin were charged with child abuse. they pleaded not guilty. this ifb pastor condemns the abuse and insists that ifb churches are not all the same. >> they're independent fundamental baptist churches that are highly controlling, that do some quite bozo things. but to broad brush them and to say okay, this is what every independent fundamental baptist church is, isn't fair-handed. >> reporter: is there a problem with ifb churches and the abuse of children? >> we happen to be fundamental. we believe in historic christianity. that doesn't mean we're part of an organization of hiding abuse. >> reporter: we spoke to several women who say they were sexually abused as girls and felt they were blamed while their attackers were allowed to remain in the church.

at least two teenage girls were forced to stand up in front of their congregations and confess their sins. one of them was just 15 years old when she was allegedly raped. her alleged rapist was sitting in the congregation. >> for something that was done to them. and you'll have the full report tonight on "20/20." thanks, elizabeth. when we return, teenagers, tanning beds and cancer. is it time to ban teens from the tanning booth? like everyone else. but to be successful, i knew i had to be different. ink, ink, ink, ink, ink... i mean i love that card. it does things differently too. great customer service, going above and beyond to help me out as a small business. it's accepted in twice as many places around the world as american express, and if i ever need to give my employees ink cards, they're free. announcer: make your mark with ink. chase what matters. go to chase.com/ink. dr. scholl's custom fit orthotic center recommends the custom-fit orthotic that's best for your tired feet.

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wonder where the durango's been for the last two years? well, it toured around europe, getting handling and steering lessons on those sporty european roads. it went back to school, got an advanced degree in technology. it's been working out -- more muscle and less fat. it's only been two years, but it's done more in two years than most cars do in a lifetime. thanks in part to sarah palin, who put a tanning bed in

the alaska governor's mansion, and snooki of "jersey shore" fame, she said every home should have one, tanning beds now have some cache. but those sun beds can also boost the risk of skin cancer, especially for young people. so, britain just banned them for teenagers and as linsey davis reports, many american lawmakers are now following that lead. >> reporter: the bright bold colors of prom season are back. when tanned skin is often the accessory of choice. but not if you're a teen in great britain. children are now banned from using sun beds. that same effort is also under way here in the u.s. 12 states currently have bills pending that propose age restrictions for using commercial tanning salons. in the golden state, voting could begin as soon as monday to ban those under 18. texas already has a law which prohibits those under 16 and a half. >> i have a name for these tanning beds. i call them cancer coffins. and i think if they only knew the real risk, because, you see,

melanoma, malignant melanoma, kills people, and it kills our younger people. >> reporter: according to the skin cancer foundation, indoor tanning before age 35 raises the risk for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by 75%. lori greenberg had no idea she could be putting herself at risk when she started using tanning beds in the ninth grade. >> i was told that it was safe. >> reporter: she's been battling melanoma off and on for the last decade. do you think that your daughter got cancer because of the tanning beds rather than natural sunshine? >> definitely the tanning beds. >> reporter: the world health organization recently added tanning beds to its group one list of cancer-causing substances, the same group as cigarettes. while the fda is considering stricter regulation on tanning beds, they are currently in the same medical category as band-aids. the indoor tanning association maintains the decision should be left up to a teen's parents. they released this statement -- "if such a law were to pass, a 17-year-old could drive a car, get married, have children, go off to college, join the military and not be allowed to

suntan indoors." linsey davis, abc news, new york. and when we return, he's inspired the jonas brothers and thousands more to go barefoot for a cause. and he's our "person of the week." (announcer) chug that coffee, bolt that burrito. no matter what life throws at you, you can take the heat. until it turns into... heartburn. good thing you've got what it takes to beat that heat, too. zantac. it's strong, just one pill can knock out the burn. it's fast, the speed you need for heartburn relief. and it lasts, up to 12 hours. so let them turn up the heat. you can stop that heartburn cold: (sssssssss!!!) zantac. he needs some gellin'. yeahhhhhhh. gellin' is like having a teeny tiny foot masseuse in your shoe.

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finally tonight, our "person of the week." he's built a multi-million dollar business by getting people to buy his shoes. and now he's trying to change the world by giving them away and getting celebrities like j.lo to go barefoot. >> i never would have imagined that i'd become a shoe salesman so that i could give away shoes. i mean, that idea seems ludicrous. >> reporter: though it may be crazy, but now the 34-year-old founder of toms shoes, blake mycoskie, calls himself both ceo and csg, that's "chief shoe giver." and he wants to make sure every child that needs a pair of shoes gets one. he calls the business model one to one. >> i want to help these kids get shoes. and i didn't want to make it hard to keep track of so i said we'll sell is a pair so then we can give a pair. >> reporter: and he meant it. toms, which stands for a better tomorrow, has given away over 1 million pairs of shoes in the

u.s. and 24 other countries, to keep kids' feet warm and keep them protected. each year mycoskie and his employees take part in about a dozen "shoe drops," personally pairing shoes with children. >> when you're putting that shoe on a child's foot, it's a very intimate, personal experience you're sharing with that child. you know, seeing the joy on these kids' faces really touched me. that child will never care about the numbers of shoes we've given away. all they care about is they're getting a brand new pair of shoes in a loving way, and that is such an awesome experience. >> reporter: it's catching on, too. this past tuesday, toms launched their annual "day without shoes" campaign, encouraging others to experience what so many poor kids deal with every day. hundreds of thousands took him up on it, including heather graham and the jonas brothers, all kicking off their shoes and going barefoot. they took the cause to the streets and online, posting their pictures and videos on the

internet. >> it really is a day of awareness and activism because you're not just creating awareness, you're actually doing something. when you give people the opportunity to do that, it transforms their experiences. they're part of a movement. >> reporter: a movement that began with one man's brainstorm. >> i had an idea and it was a small idea when we started. anyone can make a difference and you don't have to have it be some huge global campaign. you can start small and that's just as important. >> reporter: and so we choose blake mycoskie. i love that slogan. sell one, give one. make sure you the jury get to work in the barry bonds perjury trial. the evidence they asked to review and the key figure who walked out of jail today. >> also a banner day for the world champs, front row seat for all the opening day festivities.

>> a big blast in the oakland hills as the end comes to a landmark facility. >> and new report that is raising concerns about the seismic safety of thousands of california schools. a full day of deliberations wrapped up in the perjury trial. >> they are deciding three counts of perjury and one count of federal obstruction of justice. prosecutors say bonds lied to a grand jury about his use of steroids. heather ishimaru is following the trial from federal court. >> the jury worked with a lunch break and they asked the judge, they sent two notes to ask to revisit two items from the trial. >> jury will begin monday morning hearing kathy hoskins testimony read back to them.