>> that is interesting. >> word news welcome to "world news." tonight, released, the young man convicted in a famous american trial. michael skakel, kennedy nephew walking out of prison after more than a decade. what twist won him a new trial and what's the truth of a 15-year-old girl who was murdered? revealed, a hollywood superstar known for invincible characters has a message for everyone about acting on a medical problem staring you right in the face. and real money. do you want a big screen tv for less than $100? the one question you need to ask, unlocking a secret of holiday shopping. and a good evening to you on this thursday night. we begin with a reversal of

fortune for a famous defendant in a famous trial, a trial that riveted this nation a decade ago, michael skakel, known as a nephew in the kennedy family was convicted of murdering a young girl, and here he was, the person we saw then, skakel being led off to prison. but here he is today walking outside, free on bail and awaiting a new trial. so what was the big new twist in the case that has fascinated crime watchers for so long? abc's ron claiborne starts us off. >> reporter: tonight, michael skakel is a free man, still insisting he was wrongly convicted of a crime he did not commit. >> hopefully, we are at the first step of righting that wrong. >> reporter: the case combines money, power, and one of america's most famous families. skakel is the nephew of robert f. kennedy and his wife, ethel. his arrest for the 1975 brutal murder of his pretty, young neighbor had the public transfixed from the very beginning.

it happened in ritzy greenwich, connecticut. 15-year-old martha moxley was found under a tree in her family's back yard, bludgeoned to death with this golf club. there were no witnesses to the crime, no dna evidence. skakel was also 15 at the time of the murder. but he wasn't charged until 25 years later, largely on the testimony of a prep school pal who said skakel confessed, saying, "i'm going to get away with murder. i'm a kennedy." >> reporter: a tiny prison cell like this has been skakel home for the last decade. he passed the years painting, a lobster, a clown -- this one titled faith. all the while the kennedy family used their millions and their might to win his freedom. >> it was an attractive narrative for people that somehow this kid, because of his connections to my family which were very tenuous by the way,

had gotten away with murder. the fact is that he didn't commit the murder. >> reporter: just a few weeks ago an appeals judge threw out skakel's conviction saying his former lawyer had bungled his defense. today supporters in court applauding as skakel was released on $1.2 million bond. outside the court martha moxley's mother put on a brave face. >> i'm disappointed but this is life. >> reporter: skakel could still be retried but that could take months, even years, if it happens. tonight, diane, skakel is home, visiting with family. >> as we said, a big reversal. thank you so much, ron claiborne. we want to tell you next about a firestorm brewing tonight. we know americans are tired of gridlock in washington, but today senate democrats made a power move to break the hold of the filibuster, that stalling technique we remember from jimmy stewart in "mr. smith goes to washington." the president said enough is enough and abc news chief white house correspondent jonathan karl now tells us what began happening right away.

>> reporter: for more than a century, the filibuster, immortalized in the movie "mr. smith goes to washington" has empowered the minority party in the senate to bring everything to a halt just by talking. >> i can hold this floor almost unless doomsday. in other words, i've got a piece to speak. >> reporter: it's a tactic republicans are using more than ever. from rand paul who tried to block the president's pick to run the cia to ted cruz who talked nearly 22 hours straight against obama care. republicans are now blocking dozens of president obama's nominees. but today in a controversial and historic move, referred to as the nuclear option, democrats changed the rules, ending the filibuster when it comes to most presidential nominees. minutes later they moved forward on one obama nominee who had been blocked for almost six months.

>> a simple majority vote no longer seems to be sufficient for anything that enough is enough. >> reporter: but republicans called it a naked power grab. >> we are approaching a slippery slope that will destroy the very unique aspect of this institution called the united states senate. >> reporter: republicans tried but failed to do away with the filibuster back when george w. bush was president. then a freshman senator named barack obama opposed the move. he said it would only make bitter parson divisions even worse. diane, he is about to find out if he was right. >> jonathan karl on the big news today. we have other important news out of washington tonight about american forces in afghanistan and what will happen when america's longest running war comes to an end next year. tonight there are fewer than 50,000 troops still in that country, but the white house says it is crucial that some of them stay. abc's chief global affairs correspondent martha raddatz with the latest on the plan. martha?

>> reporter: just to put some perspective on this, at the height of the war in 2010 we had 100,000 troops in afghanistan, today less than half that number. if this agreement goes forward this time next year there will probably only about around 6,000 to 10,000 troops that remain although president obama has not made a firm decision on that. those troops will be there only to continue training afghan troops and to conduct counter terrorism operations against ram nants of al qaeda. how long will they be there? the agreement says another ten years but the administration insists it will be nowhere near that long. one thing that may surprise people is that this is what the troops on the ground i visited with earlier this year in afghanistan want. they want to stay long enough to make sure the afghans are capable of fighting terror on their own. diane? >> martha, big news on another front. we have a note about a milestone on wall street today.

the dow hitting a new record. for the first time in history, closing above the 16,000 mark, fueled by encouraging new jobs numbers. next tonight a jumbo sized mistake in kansas. how did a giant cargo plane land at the wrong airport and one with such a tiny runway. the plane was stuck there for hours. an investigation is under way into the pilots who clearly had a very bad day. abc's david kerley has the latest. >> reporter: this afternoon, this giant boeing cargo plane which carries plane parts took off from a very small kansas airport. but how it got there is the story. in the darkness of the middle of the night, the pilots of the so- called dreamlifter put it down at the wrong airport. >> mcconnell is nine miles south. >> yes, sir, we just landed at the other airport. >> reporter: how could that happen? the huge modified 746 was headed to mcconnell airport but

the smaller jabara airport is nine miles north and that's where they landed. >> it's got to be human error. looking out the window saying i see a runway but it wasn't the runway they intended to land at. >> reporter: this comes on a day when the faa warns about cockpit computer systems, some call it automation addiction, auto pilots and warning systems. they have created the safest skies ever but the faa warns all that technology can lead to errors. >> the machines have outpaced the human beings and now the human beings are making mistakes because they're not able to stay up with technology. >> reporter: the faa wants more training, manuel flying and on simulators for pilots and is asking plane makers to simplify the cockpits, reduce the number of buttons so that man and machine produce safer skies. david kerley, abc news, washington. and on the subject of planes tonight, the rules may be changing for passengers when it

comes to using your cell phone on airplanes. the government is considering allowing you to talk on your phone during flights above 10,000 feet. it could take a year before a final decision. airlines began easing restrictions on useing other electronic devices a few weeks ago. now one of hollywood's biggest leading men, hugh jackman with a wakeup call for absolutely everyone. he revealed that he saw something troubling on his skin but he delayed going to the doctor. he says his wife nagged him and sure enough, it could have been real trouble. here's abc's chief medical editor, dr. richard besser. >> reporter: wolverine. star of le miz. oscar host. he has the single most common form of cancer. 45-year-old hugh jackman, sent out a selfie today. doctors found a basal cell

carcinoma on his nose and removed it. please don't be foolish like me he put on instagram, get yourself checked. see that mark on his nose? that's the cancer. deb said to get the mark on my nose checked. he admitted he only got it checked because his wife insisted. boy was she right. it's caused by sun damage. although it won't kill you, it can be disfiguring, destroying tissue and bone. sun screen is your best defense, summer and winter. listen to wolverine, get yourself checked and use sun screen. dr. richard besser, abc news, new york. and we move next tonight to a national memory. tomorrow, the nation will pause to remember the dark day that changed history, the 50th anniversary of president kennedy's assassination. there is something americans did not know. the president and his family once had a kind of secret bunker, a private island to protect them. president kennedy and his wife jacqueline were to hide there in the event of a tragedy.

abc's anchor david muir is there for us tonight to take us inside. david, hello and what are we seeing behind you? >> reporter: diane, good evening from the kennedy bunker here on a man made island just off the coast of florida. it took the navy just a few days to build this bunker and tonight we're taking you inside. the kennedy family spent a lot of time here in florida during his presidency at the so called winter white house in palm beach but they were also aware of the quick route to this bunker. they practiced it, living under the threat of cold war. they knew these tunnels were here for them. >> president kennedy is rushed by a toddler. >> reporter: this is the part of camelot we knew about, his last summer with his children 50 years ago. >> jr. knows the ropes is first aboard the cop ter. >> reporter: those sun splashed

images of the presidential yacht, the honey fitz, carolyn in the president's lap and down the stairs to share a swim with her dad four months before she would lose him. a back stroke before getting on board, her mother waiting. jumping back into the lap of her father. behind those golden images, the black and white reality, the very real fears of the cold war, the tense nuclear standoff with the soviets. >> good evening. this government, as promised, has maintained the closest surveillance of the soviet build up on the island of cuba. >> reporter: away from the public eye, the secret bunkers being built for the president and his family. >> he tested it. >> yes, he did. >> twice? >> twice. >> reporter: today we took the ride that the president took himself to a bunker once camouflaged by trees 50 years ago. built by the navy in less than two weeks, protected by 12 feet of concrete and steel, the tunnels, the decontamination shower. >> they had enough for how many people? >> this was designed to hold 30 people for 30 days.

>> reporter: some of the original bunk beds still here, the transmitter ham radio, shelves stocked with survival kids. >> you can see the drinking water they had down here. back then they came in led cans, never would have been used today. >> reporter: mrs. kennedy new about the bunker. after he husband was shot she wrote a letter. dr. mr. chairman president, one of the last nights i will spend in the white house in one of the last letters i will write on this paper at the white house, i would like to write you my message. i send it because i know how much my husband cared by peace. she goes on about the relationship they forged. the kindness of khrushchevs extended to them and of mrs. khrushchev i read she had tears in her eyes when she left the white house. signing the book of mourning. please thank her for that. a fragile bond that kept those bunkers from view had this

country come under attack and they figured out that this is where the president and first family were kept safe, there was one more escape route. they could have climbed these stairs in the back of the bunker here. you can see the hatch at the top here, a secret escape to the outside world. obviously the bunker was never used and in fact the white house didn't even acknowledge that this existed until ten years after his assassination. diane? >> that was incredible to see, thank you, david muir. one note for all of you about your huge reaction last night on hospital bills. you sent us so many powerful stories. we want you to know we'll be back on this issue next week. and tonight real money. a big secret for holiday shopping. flat screen tvs for less than $100? which of america's biggest stores are willing to lose money to get your business? looking for mr. rabbit, thousands of strangers pitching in to find a 3-year-old girl's best friend when we see you here in two minutes. [ male announcer] surprise -- you're having triplets.

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and next tonight, our "real money" team is back with secrets for getting a big tv and a big deal. abc's paula faris on keeping the money in your pocket. >> reporter: it's the most wonderful time of the year, but this holiday season, it's an all-out war for your business as retailers offer their most competitive prices on electronics in years. >> it's like a civil war for electronics. it's bloody, brutal and there are going to be a lot of casualties. >> reporter: and here's why. this year's holiday shopping season is just 26 days long. last year it was 32. retailers are trying to lure you into their store first by offering ridiculously low prices on flat screen tvs, hoping you leave with much more. the average family has roughly three tvs. and at wal-mart they've ordered 65% more televisions and twice as many tablets for black friday as last year and will slash prices. a 32-inch flat screen tv?

$98. amazon is offering new deals every ten minutes the week of black friday. best buy ceo tells abc news they're offering students a free year of sprint service with the purchase of any smart phone. >> are you willing to take a loss to stay in the game? >> we're price competitive and our strategy is to be price competitive. >> reporter: to find the best buys this season, number one, know where to buy, using sites such as nerdwallet.com. they find the deals, like at target, where on black friday you can get a $100 gift card when buying an ipad. number two, know what do buy, using tools like wirecutter.com, which researches the best products on the market. and number three, never miss a deal. target, amazon, wal-mart and best buy are matching their competitors' prices, but you have to ask for it. paula faris, abc news, new york. we have a riddle for our "instant index." why is a 26-year-old hit back on the charts tonight? the answer next. ♪ oh, we're halfway there

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11 million people watching it and propelling the song up to 26 on the charts again. and something for neighbors everywhere who are annoyed. a mcdonald's in australia took an unusual approach toward rebellious teenagers, a lot of them loitering in the parking lot at mcdonald's. so mcdonald's decided to blast them with opera. ♪ >> yes, they fought back with opera and classical music. it worked. the crowds of kids dispersed. absolute genius. next here, have you seen mr. rabbit? thousands of strangers jumping in to help a little girl. ere, have you seen mr. rabbit? thousands of strangers jumping in to help a little girl.

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inseparable since the day ruby was born. here they are in paris sharing a hot drink together and with matching bandages on their forehead. friday the stewarts and mr. rabbit went out for dinner and the bunny vanished. >> i asked her where she thought he might be and she said she thinks the crocodiles ate him. >> reporter: zoe took to twitter using the hashtag find mr. rabbit, imploring all londoners to help. >> there's people in japan, people in america, there's people in so, so many countries have helped to retweet. it's been amazing. it's been so lovely. >> reporter: volunteers are handing out fliers, missing, mr. rabbit, age 3, with long, fluffy ears and no stuffing in his neck from being loved so much. we set out to retrace his steps. the stewarts had dinner at the flat iron steak restaurant, leaving around 6:30 p.m. they strolled a few blocks, believing ruby was holding onto mr. rabbit. then ruby and her parents, with

mr. rabbit of course, walked down this busy oxford street and straight into this subway station. when they got home the bunny was gone. we asked everyone. >> if i do see it i will definitely get in contact with the people who have lost it. >> reporter: no luck yet as a little girl waits to be reunited with her best friend. lama hasan, abc news, london. >> mr. rabbit, phone home. and we thank you for watching. don't forget "nightline" later and i'll see you again tomorrow night. good night. and i'll see you again tomorrow night. good night. tonight, watch out for winds. advisory in effect for next 24 hours and beyond. >> bart says no to the botched agreement that helped settle a strike. what is going to happen next? will there be another walkout?

>> campus outraged over a dorm hate crime. disturbing allegations of racial bullying. or was it just a prank? >> and imagine a car that can spread it's wings and fly. how long before you can drive one of these babies in your driveway? >> wow, who days of rain, now winds. good evening. >> pg&e is taking steps to protect power lines. you can see a crew pruning tree that's could bring wires down. that just might happen. a wind advisory supposed toke into affect now but it was issued hours ago. spencer christian is here with a forecast for the winds. >> the winds are poe tn shally damaging. clear skies right now. but winds are brisk. we have a

wind advisory gusting 45-70 miles per hour during overnight hours downed trees are a possibility. a local power outage is possible with the strong winds. taking a look at our current wind gusts. it's breezy right now. winds north at santa rosa. napa, 33 miles per hour. 43 miles per hour gifts now in fairfield you can see winds are strovenlg we'll get stronger especially over the higher elevations. we'll have a look at weather coming up in just a few minutes. abc7 news weather app has latest wind warnings and weather alerts. >> section 4.