welcome to "world news." tonight, number one. general motors recaptures its crown as the world's largest automaker. and we'll tell you the secret of engineering. a huge comeback. made in america. a $600 billion boost for the economy. our team first told you how foreign tourists can create 1 million jobs. tonight, the white house takes action. wild day. rick perry drops out. newt gingrich surges amid controversy. and mitt romney learns, he didn't win iowa after all. healthy living. are millions of women getting unnecessary medical tests? a new study, tonight, changes what we know about women and strong bones. and kodak moments. one of the great american

companies goes bankrupt. tonight, we remember the weddings, the family vacations, the snapshots of our lives. good evening. we begin with a big comeback for the usa. and tonight, general motors is back on top. again, the number one automaker in the world. leaving the giant japanese rival, toyota, in the bust. how did gm come roaring back? and what is the secret for powering up other jobs in this country? abc's david muir has it all. and he's here right now. david? >> reporter: great to see you, diane. this was an unthinkable headline, just two years ago. but general motors, as diane mentioned, is back on top. as the world's top-selling automaker, gm is making money again.

in every corner of the globe, from north america to europe, from south america to asia, sales of general motors cars and trucks are up. more than $7 billion in profits. final figures are expected to rise. 640,000 more cars and trucks sold last year than the year before. ♪ see the usa in your chevrolet ♪ >> reporter: it was hardly the journey dinah shore once dreamed of. a grueling road back after gm's 2009 bankruptcy and taxpayer rescue. gm has now paid back nearly half of that. >> it's clearly a comeback story. and one of the notable aspects of it is that they've been able to achieve this sales success not using the incentives that they might have used in years past. >> reporter: without those incentives or rebates, he adds, gm had to win with quality. and tonight, brand-new signs of ford's turnaround, too. ♪ have you driven a ford lately ♪ >> reporter: the answer to that, for many americans, is yes. sales, up 11% in the last year. and tonight, ford is now planning to give raises to 20,000 employees. contributing more to their 401(k)s. union workers, under a new, four-year contract, got signing bonuses, and profit-sharing.

a giant change of fortunes. to think ford was 40 billi$40 bn the red. the colalucas of dearborn, michigan. with four generations on the line. there's been prayers at the dinner table about the carmaker's future. >> i'm telling you, we were close. we were close to going under. >> reporter: ford, borrowing $23 billion in private loans, to get back on track. we pressed ford's ceo on that staggering figure. how much of that $23 billion do you still have to pay back? >> we have repaid over $21 billion of the $23 billion. >> reporter: so, you're almost there? >> almost there. >> reporter: our recent sitdown with ford's ceo. one industry insider said what ford and gm had to do was pair down their product lines and make the cars and trucks they're are selling better. we know japan's toyota had a rough year with the tsunami. they're back in force this coming year. but the american automakers feel they're ready. >> comeback, kids. all right, david. up next, big news, action

today on a story you covered in part of "made in america." another potential source of american jobs. we learned that foreign tourists are eager to spend a lot of money in this country. but have a hard time doing it. the average chinese tourist wants to spend $6,002 here. but there's a huge backlog. in china, the u.s. has only five places to get a visa. and in brazil, tourists had to wait 145 days just to be interviewed to get a vacation in the u.s. and spend their money here. well, today, look who showed up at disney world to make a big announcement. saying, that is going to change. and abc's jake tapper was right there. jake? >> reporter: good evening, diane. well, the white house says that every 65 foreign tourists equals 1 american job. and the travel industry says, if you add up all the jobs that could be created if the u.s. government eased restrictions on these foreign tourists, it could total more than 1 million new american jobs over the next decade.

an irresistible photo op. cinderella castle in the distance. >> i confess, i am excited to see mickey. it's always nice to meet a world leader who has bigger years than me. >> reporter: and here, the president announced he would try to reverse the trend from the last decade that saw the u.s. share of global tourism industry shrink. >> i want america to be the top tourist destination in the world. >> reporte tourists from emerging economies, such as china, india, and brazil, are ministimulus packages. a key part of the tourism economy, says robert iger, president and ceo of the walt disney company, the parent company of abc news. >> the international tourist comes, stays longer, spends money. and that creates jobs. >> reporter: but since 9/11, the u.s. government has made it more difficult to obtain tourist visas. look at these long lines in rio de janeiro. potential tourists also have to be interviewed. >> there are only four visa

offices in brazil. and the waiting time to get a visa is about 120 days. >> reporter: many brazilian girls when they turn 15 are given the choice between a big party or a big trip. today, we met a bunch who opted for the trip. would more brazilians come to the united states if it were easier? >> that's for sure. >> reporter: so, many simply go elsewhere, costing the u.s. economy an estimated $606 billion and 467,000 jobs over the last decade. so, the president, today, said the u.s. government will ease interview requirements for many young people and seniors, increase the number of consults to speed the process and extend how long tourist visas apply. >> obviously, our national security is a top priority. but we also want to get more international tourists coming to america. >> reporter: when it comes to tourism and tourists' dollars, it's a small world after all. jake tapper, abc news, with president obama in orlando,

florida. and now, "your voice, your vote." and a wild day on the campaign trail. two days before the south carolina primary. a major shakeup in the republican race for president. one candidate is out. another has new strength amid controversy. and abc's jon karl is in south carolina for us tonight. >> i would love to have your support. >> reporter: tough times for mitt romney. >> tonight, we made history. >> reporter: just a week ago, it seemed he had the nomination sewn up. with victories in iowa and new hampshire and a big lead here in south carolina. today it turns out, he didn't even win in iowa. a recount turning his 8-vote victory into a 34-vote lead for rick santorum. >> guess what? we defeat mitt romney in iowa. >> reporter: romney didn't want too talk about that today. what is your reaction to iowa? no longer winning? and that big lead in south carolina? no more.

a new poll today shows gingrich surging now within striking distance. and this , on the eve of the last debate before the south carolina primary. >> today, i am suspending my campaign and endorsing newt gingrich for president of the united states. i believe newt is a conservative visionary who can transform our country. >> reporter: we also asked romney about that. could you comment on rick pery? >> governor perry. a great guy. was great in the race and we'll miss him on the stage tonight. >> reporter: how worried is romney? he's lashing out at gingrich. >> the speaker was talking about all the jobs he had helped create in the reagan years. he had been in congress two years when reagan came into office. the idea that he was author of reaganomics, not real likely. >> reporter: but gingrich is riding high, attracting large, enthusiastic crowds a getting a big boost from a debate this week where actually got a standing ovation. but complicating matters for gingrich, his ex-wife has given an interview with abc's brian

ross, talking about the affair they had when they were married. >> he asked to have an open marriage. and i refused. >> he wanted an open marriage? >> yes. i accepted the fact that he have somebody else in his life. >> and you said? >> no. no. that is not a marriage. >> reporter: gingrich's two daughters, today, said their father never asked for an open marriage. >> divorces are always very painful. they're never easy. they're always very sad. dad tried very hard to make the marriage work. and unfortunately, it didn't. >> reporter: when voters go to the polls here in south carolina on saturday, they may be a little confused by the ballot because it's filled with candidates, like michele bachmann and herman cain, and now rick perry, who have dropped out of the race. diane, here's the ballot. you probably can't see it. but there's nine candidates listed. only four of them still left in the race. >> okay, jon. thank you so much. as you heard our chief investigative correspondent,

brian ross, conducted that headlinemaking interview, with the ex-wife of newt gingrich. and you can see this "nightline" exclusive and the reaction. it's all later tonight on "nightline" on abc. we move overseas, now, to the new clues about what really happened when that cruise ship ran aground off the coast of italy. another recording, a new recording, from the moment of crisis. and who was the mystery woman with the captain that night? abc's chris cuomo on the scene in italy again for us. chris? >> reporter: diane, we've learned captain francesco schettino has been suspended by costa cruise lines. and the company will not provide a defense for the captain. but tonight, there is a woman at who may be at the heart of this story. her name is dominica cermotan, a 25-year-old from moldova. on the fateful night, she was seen dining with the captain. later with him on the ship's bridge when the accident happened. crew members we spoke with recognize her. do you know the girl? have you seen them together

before? >> i saw that girl. she is a hostess. >> reporter: in an interview, she defended the captain. saying, after the ship ran aground, he took charge. telling officers to repair to abandon ship and to take care of children and the disabled. that he did a great thing. saved over 3,000 lives, by steering the ship towards shore. >> get the kids. go. >> reporter: but what she doesn't answer is why that call to evacuate came so late. at 10:12 p.m., a full 40 minutes after the ship ran aground, a port official radios one of the officers of the ship. do you have problems onboard? the ship's response, yes, affirmative. we have a blackout onboard. it wasn't until a full 68 minutes after the crash that the evacuation began. the judge blasted the captain and crew, saying, the grave imprudence and incompetence is evident and indisputable. today, the rock embedded in the "costa concordia's" hull is a reminder of how this tragedy began.

rescuers, today, scaling the sides, searching for the missing in a desperate race against a coming storm. authorities worry storm waves could push the unstable ship into deeper water. and it may become swallowed by the sea. for those waiting for word about the missing, the next 24 hours could be tense, diane. >> well, chris, we want everyone to know that tomorrow night, you will have an anchor, a special "20/20" "cruise ship confidential." all the new details on this ongoing drama. and what you need to know before you take a cruise. and we want to tell you about a cyber attack against the u.s. government websites under way tonight. hackers have shut down the websites of the justice department and the patent office. and have been trying to do the same to the fbi. all in retaliation for the justice department indicting the leaders of the biggest file-sharing website in the world called megaupload, a site where some people illegally download movies, video games and

other copyrighted material. and still ahead on "world news" -- millions of women worried about their bones may be getting unnecessary tests. we'll tell you. to the rescue. the billionaire who decided to save the washington monument for us all. and one of the iconic names in america. kodak declares bankruptcy. you go to your scrapbooks for a lot of memories. forty years ago, he wasn't looking for financial advice. back then he had something more important to do. he wasn't focused on his future. but fortunately, somebody else was. at usaa we provide retirement planning for our military, veterans and their families. now more than ever, it's important to get financial advice from people who share your military values. for our free usaa retirement guide, call 877-242-usaa.

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in "healthy living" tonight, a ground-breaking new study says millions of american women are getting unnecessary tests for osteoporosis. and that there's another way to make sure american women have healthy bones. it changes what women have been told for years about a test that medicare pays for and is suggested every two years. abc's claire shipman has the story. >> reporter: all of us lose bone density as we age. but it turns out, it happens much more slowly than we thought. the dramatic report in "the new england journal of medicine" says a 67-year-old woman whose bones test strong, doesn't need to be tested again for 15 years. to those women, doctors will say -- >> good for you. continue your calcium. continue your vitamin d. keep walking. we don't need to do this test

soon. >> reporter: fewer scans are a good thing. but doctors worry the headlines hide a danger. they say it's critical that more women get that first test by age 65. right now, only 13% of women are getting that vital baseline test. so, who should be getting scans and how often? a 67-year-old woman with a normal bone scan can wait 15 years. women whose bone scans show moderate loss should be tested every five years. and women with severe bone loss should get the test every year. there are risk factors which mean you should be tested more often. a family history of osteoporosis. a broken bone after age 50. having more than two drinks a day. or taking medicines like steroids that can weaken bones. but today's good news, get that first bone test. and if you get a clean bill of health, you can take osteoporosis off your worry list for 15 years. claire shipman, abc news, washington. and coming up, an american

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the carlisle group private equity firm, says he is personally donating $7.5 million. in this tough american economy, it is the largest gift ever made to the trust for the national mall. and he did it so we can call enjoy the monument. and every month, we like to introduce you to a bold, new american thinker, whose ideas may change the world. and tonight, a chicago chef who says we have to think about food in the future in a whole, new way. how our eyes fool our tongues. he was a star at the conference of big, new ideas, better known as the t.e.d. conference. when i was in the windy city, i stopped in to see what's cooking. think of it as part-kitchen, part-superfuturistic, high-tech laboratory. welcome to the world of homaro cantu. that's him, with the devilish grin. the genius chef is behind one of chicago's most sought after dinner reservations, moto restaurant, where even the

menu is on the menu. after you order, take a bite. and the edible paper on a cracker tastes like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. >> people pay a premium for moto restaurant because it's food that they're never going to see anywhere else. >> reporter: and now, take a close look at that juicy, rare hamburger meat. unhealthy fat? remember, in this kitchen, nothing is what it seems. >> we kept it very simple. just a burger with a bun. but it's actually made from what a cow eats. >> reporter: he sculpts corn, barley and beets to have the exact texture of meat. nothing like those dry veggie burgers. and the beet juice ensures it looks really rare. and what about the artery-clogging cheese on these nachos? it's in fact fantastic mango. the salsa is strawberries and kiwi. and just for fun, he asks me to eat this dirty, old cigar, snuffed out in an ashtray. this is like god's tamale. >> it's actually a philadelphia cheesesteak that looks like a philly cigar.

>> reporter: but this is artistry, this fun also has a serious purpose. recently on the t.e.d. stage, cantu wowed the audience, asking them to bite into a raw lemon. they were stunned that it tasted like the sweetest, freshest lemonade. he did it wi a little pill made from a wild berry grown in west africa. it's nicknamed the miracle berry and looks like a long cranberry. inside, a mysterious protein that tricks the taste buds. so, if you wait a minute after you put it on your tongue -- >> just go ahead and lick that lemon. >> reporter: it's lemonade. no calories. no chemicals. and in a world facing an epidemic of diabetes, he wonders if this could replace the craving for something sweet. and in a world that this berry could make shrubs and grasses that are bitter but nutrition,

turn into something that everyone loves to eat. >> you have yourself a dish that could be procured from your backyard, depending on where you live. >> reporter: in his kitchen, anything possible. as one american chef tries to whip up a whole new way of thinking about the future of food. >> it looks good and makes you hungry, why not? >> thinking way out of the box. if you want to see more of his magic, for instance, turning watermelon into what you could swear was seared tuna, watch his full t.e.d. talk at abcnews.com/worldnews. and coming up next, kodak goes bankrupt. and we remember all those great goes bankrupt. and we remember all those great snapshots of our lives. this was th's best tourism season in years. all because so many people wanted to visit us... in louisiana. they came to see us in florida... nice try, they came to hang out with us in alabama... once folks heard mississippi had the welcome sign out, they couldn't wait to get here. this year was great but next year's gonna be even better. and anyone who knows the gulf knows that winter is primetime fun time.

the sun's out and the water's beautiful. you can go deep sea fishing for amberjack, grouper and mackerel. our golf courses are open. our bed and breakfast have special rates. and migrating waterfowl from all over make this a bird watcher's paradise. so if you missed it earlier this year, come on down. if you've already been here come on back... to mississippi... florida... louisiana... alabama. the gulf's america's get-a-way spot no matter where you go. so come on down and help make 2012 an even better year for tourism on the gulf. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home.

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♪ in this constantly changing world, we all cling to our old friends. those names, so much a part of american life. but today, kodak declared bankruptcy. and it got us thinking about childhood. in fact, our producer showed me an old brownie camera. remember this? and the true colors from the classic commercial. and a lot of you sent us in your photos, too. so, we say good night, now, with some of the kodak moments, back when america seemed so young.

♪ true colors >> kodacolor film. no film gives you more accurate, realistic color. ♪ true colors are beautiful ♪ ♪ like a rainbow ♪ ♪ i'm f feelin' subway ♪ let's go

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