under way. economists say just if the bleeding is stopped in housing it, could have a huge impact on the overall u.s. economy. >> this has been a drag on the u.s. economy for almost four years now. the fact it's moving into positive territory is a significant shift in momentum for the u.s. economy. >> time for a look at your tuesday forecast. hail, gusty winds, heavy downpours today likely around the great lakes and central plains. heavy rain across the south from eastern texas to georgia. scattered thunderstorms over the rockies and florida. >> 7 in fargo, 77 in the twin cities and 82 in omaha. 10 to 20 degrees above normal in parts of the question, 115 in phoenix 92 in seattle and 92 in boise. >> you know that song noet london bring is falling down ♪ the video we're going to show

you makes you wonder about a heavily traveled bridge. >> you can see it bends, it moves. it even looks as though it's about a buckle. >> wow. the bridge opened over a hundred years ago. it's not too comfort be that one of its designers went on to build another bridge that then collapsed four months later. i used to walk across that bridge of day. >> it seems like that would help absorb the impact if it had a little give to it. >> but when the subways go across, it it really rattles and shakes and scares you. i don't know. i think i'm taking a different path. >> hopefully london's manhattan bring isn't falling down. >> we'll be right back. ♪

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>> octo mom was in a southern california court yesterday and she did not like what she heard. a judge ordered an independent party, essentially a guardian, to oversee the finances of

suleiman's young children. the judge said it's to avoid exploitation of the octuplets. her attorney argued against the guardian based on the family's need for privacy. >> harvard professor henry louis gates and cambridge sergeant crowley will meet at the white house on saturday. >> this morning we are hearing the 911 phone call that started it all. here's t.j. winick. >> reporter: sergeant crowley returned to work monday morning after a tumultuous week where he was indirectly criticized by the president for arresting dr. henry louis gates, jr. in his cambridge, massachusetts home. they made the tapes public presumably to silence critics. >> i noticed two suitcases. i'm not sure if these are two individual who actually work there -- i mean live there.

>> you think they might have been breaking in? >> i don't know. i have no idea. >> reporter: the caller doesn't mention the race of the individuals, only when asked by the dispatcher does she speculate one of the men inside the house might be his panic?^ >> i don't know if they just had hard time with their key. i did know they used a showeder to try to barge in. >> reporter: after officers arrive on seen, crowley is heard saying he claims to live there. >> we can ultimately come back stronger and more unified community. >> reporter: the city announced a new committee devoted to conflict resolution and studying police policies would help residents and authorities move past the events of july 16th. as for that beer that the president invited gates and crowley to have with him at the white house, spokesman robert gibbs said that drink could happen sometime later this week. t.j. winick, abc news, washington.

>> a very different picture when you actually get to hear the 911 often calls. the woman involved, she is saying her biggest concern is that the world is walking around thinking she is a racist when she may have had interaction with the professor because she worked at harvard's alumni magazine. >> she said one of the suspects may have been hispanic. in the police report officer crowley said the witness saw two black men entering the home. hopefully will will all be put to rest at cocktail hour. >> still ahead, the optimism in the real estate market.

nationwide jumped 11%, the third increase in a row. >> but that doesn't mean

everything's rosie in real estate. prices are dropping and so many houses are for sale. lisa fletcher reports on an investor who sees a silver lining. >> this is a very typical home that we buy. a three bedroom, two bath. it's a total wreck. >> reporter: it's a house that most investors would have written off. in california's hard hit moreno valley, banks own empty houses on nearly every street. but bruce norris will pay cash for it and even pour money into repairs. >> there's nothing we can save here. when you're rehabbing houses, that's one of the biggest mistakes you can make is think can you save something and then put it next to something brand new. >> reporter: but after he's done renovating, norris will rent this home at a monthly profit. >> so what is the plan? do you intend to keep it for a decade? >> buy and hold it as a rental. we paid $55,000 for this house, fix it for the contract was

38,000. it will rent for somewhere around $1,100 or $1,200 and we'll just keep it. it's a good return on that envestment. >> such a good return that these days he buys an average of about seven houses a month. people in your position have been called vul turs. what do you think about being called a vulture? >> i think it comes from someone who doesn't understand what we do been how would you like to live next to this house? when we come in, we make it nicer than anyone house on the block. >> reporter: he says it's people like him, investors buying up delinquent properties that are revitalizing it. this house sits on a street with several bank owned properties. >> this is a problem. if there's no way to get these

fixed, then this could be worse in three months. and that's -- this neighborhood is not going to benefit from that. >> reporter: norris has been in real estate for 28 years. >> you have bought how many homes over your career? >> it's more than a thousand. i don't know how many. >> reporter: how many do you hold right now? >> the company usually deals with 25 houses that we buy and sell. >> reporter: he host as weekly radio show where he offers advice to other would-be investors. >> that's for a house that used to be worth 350. i now worth 150. >> reporter: there's not enough buyers to live in the houses to solve the problem. you're going to end up with a lot of vacant homes. that's where investors can come in and help. >> reporter: right now investors can oent get loans on ten homes. >> most of the skilled investors already have ten or more houses. there is not any financing available for someone that does

what these guys do full time. >> reporter: outside a trustee sale in the hard hit empire, many of the would-be investors gathered to learn about the latest foreclosure. what kind of deals do you get? >> usually the homes were in very good condition because they just were left by an owner occupant. >> reporter: while he believes additional investor financing is key, he also believes it should be tough to make it safe for the banks. >> we need all of us in unison across the country to solve this problem. if we do, then we get to the other side of this much, much quicker. there's a lot of people that owe let's say 50 or $100,000 more than their home is worth but the majority of them are hanging in there, making their payment because that's what they signed up to do. i think the only way you reward them is get the price supported by getting rid of all this

vacant inventory as fast as you can. even if you didn't like investing, you'd say i guess we have too many houses. >> reporter: this is property number what for you? >> more than a thousand. i started with a high school diploma, married at 17 and i live in a country that allows me to pursue the dream of being wealthy and provided for my family. we've provided services when we take a home, fix it up and make a profit or keep it as a rental. you need the big investor to step up. >> reporter: to step up and turn foreclosures back into family homes. this is lisa fletcher for "nightline" in riverside, california. >> still a catch 22. there are great deals to be had if you're an investor. you can't always get those loans. so it's created this problem that they say the news housing market could be the worst. >> a glimmer of good news.

now analysts are saying we need lots of months to reverse what happened. >> let's keep this thing going. >> your papers -- >> yeah, papers. >> it is, papers time. >> i was excited. >> you still are. ight, [ rooster crow ] it affects your entire day. to get a good night's sleep, try 2-layer ambien cr. the first layer " dissolves quickly... to help you fall asleep. and unlike other sleep aids, a second dissolves slowly r to help you stay asleep. when taking ambien cr, sleepwalking, .and eating or driving... while not fully awake with memory loss for the event... as well r as abnormal behaviors... such as being more outgoing or aggressive than normal, confusion, agitation and hallucinations may occur. don't take it with alcohol... as it may increase these behaviors. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath, swelling of your tongue r throat may occur... side effects may include next-day drowsiness, dizziness, and headache. in patients with depression, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide ma occur.

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day 87 and tyler b. determined to find the answer for his acne. get a life. i'm trying. acne...even when it's mild... is a medical condition. huh? medical...as in doctor ? ohhhhhh. and that's how tyler came to his senses, sort of, and learned about once-a-day prescription epiduo gel. if you're not getting the results you want, ask your doctor about epiduo: two of the most doctor-prescribed acne-fighting ingredients in one gel medication. a product you can't get in the acne aisle. dryness, redness, peeling, stinging, burning or itching may occur. don't use irritating products when using epiduo. overexposure to sun, sunlamps, extreme wind or cold may increase the risk for irritation. go to truthaboutzits.com and learn how to pay

no more than $20 for your epiduo prescription. awesome! to learn more about epiduo gel talk to your doctor, nnouncer: "world >> announcer: "world news now" delivers your "morning papers." >> this is some incredible video. it's basically a 26-year-old artist who goes to these beaches and makes these unbelievable, enormous like art -- pieces of art in the sand. then he has to race against the tide. he says the way that he does it is he takes a lot of time sketching them out in his sort of like sketch book. he goes to the trouble of recreating them on a computer. then he waits for a full or new moon to make sure the tides are low and puts down the incredible

pattern and then it gets washed away. he has some unbelievable works of hart. 26 years old, now he wants to travel to some of the world's other great beaches and just make these creations. >> it's sort of like us. we spend our nights creating art and then it just gets washed away. disappears. >> i have never heard that's what we were creating. i heard other words. >> yeah. yeah. >> okay. maybe not. hey, so apparently we've shown this to you before but i say you never can have enough of a good thing. our researchers tell thus has appeared on "world news now" before. but one more time with interest. remember the radio -- >> is there a story here are we just think it's funny? >> no, there is a story. >> it's a monkey from down in texas. but for 18 years now this monkey has ridden on the back of the border collie and scared lots of

sheep and helped rustle everybody up. >> i'm noticing it says "daily mail." >> one of the sort of new things to this is animal rights activists have got i don't know on owner of this guy saying doesn't this thing belong in a rain forest or something? he said, look, i rescued this guy from a stinking cage in florida. i can assure you he would let me know if his life wasn't good. >> for any woman out there who thinks he's never going to propose, this story really is going to make you think twice. because at 92 years old a woman was finally proposed to by her 93-year-old sweetheart. i know what you're thinking, oh they probably met at 70. no, they met in third grade. they knew each other for a year and basically lost contact for 85 years.

>> major developments this morning in the michael jackson death investigation. the drug investigators say was in his system. >> then terrorism takedown. federal aths arrest a group of americans accused of supporting terrorism. >> and honey ham. after saying i do, why so many newlyweds pack on the pounds. >> you're not exercising as much because you're busy working on your marriage. >> it's tuesday, july 28th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> you see what you have to look forward to. >> i can't wait. as soon as i get married, i'm going to be like taco bell,

burger king. oz knows the plan, too. he's on board. >> that's what your honeymoon is going to consist of. run for the border. >> nicely timed taco bell there. good morning. thanks for being with us. i'm vinita nair. >> i'm jeremy hubbard. we are following a developing story in the death of michael jackson. abc news has learned investigators believe their final report will list the powerful drug propofol as a contributing factor. >> sources say there were other prescription drugs found in jackson's system. in other words, a drug cocktail. according to the associated press, dr. murray gave jackson propofol through an iv sometime after midnight on the day he died. an addiction specialist and pharmacologist in northern california said giving jackson such an injectable is questionable. >> if i were to write a prescription, it would be possible to get it and it would be unusual and it would raise eyebrows and it might not be good practice. but it wouldn't on the face it have be illegal.

and as of yet drug enforcement administration doesn't control this drug so there are fewer restrictions on it. >> reporter: murray's attorney denies he did anything that should have killed jackson. we'll have much more on this story on "good morning america." >> harvard professor henry louis gates and the massachusetts sergeant who arrested him will have beer with the president on friday. here's yunji de nies. >> reporter: cambridge city officials say they are releasing the tapes to put this incident behind them. >> there is no way we can continue to go forward if there is any lingering doubt there is anything being hidden. >> reporter: so they made public the phone call that started it all. >> i don't know what's happening. i just had a little older woman standing here. she had noticed two gentlemen trying to get in a house. >> reporter: the caller is clearly confused by what she sees >> they kind of had to barge in and they broke the screen door

and they finally got in. when i had looked, ewent further closer to the house a little bit after the gentlemen were already in the house, i noticed two suitcases. i'm not sure if these are two individuals who actually work there -- i mean who live there. >> reporter: contrary to the police report, she does not specify that the men are black. >> there were two larger men. one looked kind of hispanic but i'm in the sure. the other entered and i didn't see what he looked like at all. >> reporter: her attorney says her client is outraged at the accusation she was the racist spark that ignited this controversy. >> when you hear what she said to the 911 operator, that's anything but the truth. she never used the word black ever. >> reporter: when sergeant crowley arrived at the scene he radios headquarters and is clear gates has told him he i was there here. >> the gentleman says he resides here. he'sin cooperative. keep the cars coming.

>> reporter: cambridge police say the tapes will provide a learning experience. >> i've already identified a number of things that for myself, for the department, that we can do differently and do better. >> reporter: there are still a lot of questions because there are no tapes of what transpired between gates and crowley. the sergeant is back on the beat and the city of cambridge is ready to move on. yunji de nies, abc news, cambridge. >> the government is putting out an emergency call on the obesity epidemic. health fixes held an unprecedented meeting in washington yesterday to address the crisis. america's obesity related health care spending is $147 billion a year, double what it was a decade ago. so after years of trying to get individuals to make healthy choices, the cdc is lobening lawmakers to take the lead. >> if you go with the flow in america, you will end up overweight or obese. >> to pay for the changes, health officials are kicking around the idea of putting a

federal tax on soda. add 3 cents to a can can generate over $24 billion over the next four years. >> the senate judiciary committee votes on the supreme court nomination of sonia sotomayor. sotomayor is all but certain to become the court's first hispanic justice. only one committee republican has said he will vote for her. the panel's democrats will ensure her approval today. the full senate will vote on her nomination next week. >> there are signs this morning the real estate market may finally be bouncing back. sales of new homes shot up 11% in june, the biggest monthly gain in eight years and far better than economist himself predicted. chris bury is in illinois. >> reporter: in this sprawling

illinois development, buyers are tiptoeing back. do you think you've hit bottom? >> if we haven't hit bottom, i don't see it getting much worse. i think the market's starting to stabilize. >> reporter: the june jump in new home sales is strongest in the midwest and west. the glut of homes in iowa shrank a whopping 40%. >> we have less for sale, shorter sales time and number of pending sales is up exponentially from what it was a year ago. >> the june numbers are bouncing off the basement floor. nationally sales are way down, more than 20% from 2008. economists are encouraged. >> the good news is we're finally moving up and moving up more rapidly than some had hoped. >> reporter: new homes are selling better because prices have tumbled. a year ago the median home sold for more than $234,000. last month just over $206,000, a 12% drop. builders are also dangling incentives. in iowa john russell and meredith stein got upgraded siding, windows and cabinets. they also took advantage of uncle sam's new tax credit, $8,000 for first-time buyers.

>> we decided to save up enough money, with the mortgage rates being so low, we decided to go ahead and build and get something that we wanted. >> reporter: just as housing led the way into the recession, it could signal the path out. housing makes up such a huge sector of the economy, it doesn't take much of a bump to make a big impact. >> this has been a sector of the u.s. economy that's been a drag on the u.s. economy for almost four years. the fact it's moving into the positive territory is a significant momentum for the u.s. economy. >> reporter: the housing numbers suggest a modest recovery is under way. economists say just stopping the bleeding in housing could have a huge impact on the overall u.s. economy. chris bury, abc news, north aurora, illinois. >> strong storms around the great lakes today, into the central plains with hail, gusty winds and heavy rain from michigan to colorado. also very hot in parts of the west. >> a blistering 115 in phoenix, 102 in portland, 95 in seattle.

mid 80s in saint lieu irs >> mid 80s in st. louis, detroit and indianapolis. 73 in fargo, 77 in the twin cities. near 90s for much of the east coast. >> it's the list that so many universities hate when it's released, dubious distinction, penn state university leads the pack. >> the 2009 princeton review survey names penn as the nation's number one party school. the university of florida slipped into second place. the university of mississippi rounded out the top three. >> this is the first time penn state has taken the title. its football tailgate walklikely gave it the edge. >> i still remember what a beg deal this was when you were looking at prospective colleges. oh, is it going to be a party school? mine was never a party school. >> the schools didn't brag about it, the fraternities probably did. by the way, there are prudish schools known on the list, the stone cold sober school, brigham young university.

>> i'm surprised northwestern didn't make it on that list also. >> well, after you left it probably will. >> party animal that i was. >> we'll be right back with more "world news now." ♪ you got to fight for your right to party ♪ c'c'c'c'c'c'c'c'c'c'c'c'c'c'c'c'

>> federal agents descended on a north carolina neighborhood arresting seven men accused of terrorism. >> it was a shocking scene for suburban neighbors where the men allegedly trained. we have coverage from our raleigh station wtvd. >> announcer: this is abc 11 eyewitness news. >> tonight a terrorism bomb shell right here in the heart of carolina.

seven men are under arrest charged with supporting terrorists and training for a violent jihad. good evening. the fbi calls them home grown terrorists who were heavily armed, organized and making plans to wage jihad overseas. fbi agents raided this house in willow spring picking up 39-year-old daniel boyd. the fbi tells us its swat teams from washington, norfolk, atlanta and charlotte all swooped in for the arrest. the fbi tells us boyd was the ring leader of the alleged terrorist operation. according to this federal indictment, boyd called himself sword of god. his two sons, 20 and 22 years old, are also charged. the other four men charged are all north carolina residents. according to the indictment, daniel boyd wend to pakistan and afghanistan and received military-style training in

terrorist training camps for the purpose of engaging in violent jihad. he also fought in afghanistan. the indictment also says the men obtained automatic weapons they allegedly used while practicing military tactics on private property in caswell county. the fbi says the defendants trained in the u.s. for battle and were willing to die as martyrs. they raised money to support their training and in some cases recruited and radicalized others to further their cause overseas. on facebook we discovered pictures of two of the defendants. the facebook account says the men were in alexandria, egypt in omar's house in 2007. the indictment says they conspired to kill people on that trip to the middle east. tonight people in johnston county are in disbelief. federal agents descended on the

neighborhood early today and they are still there on lake side circle at that house. they're there still working the case tonight. this is north of highway 210 and west of i-40 in johnston county. derek has been talking to people in the neighborhood getting their view of the boyd family tonight. >> reporter: police here still have the road blocked off to the home of daniel boyd. this is a subdivision of very active families who claim to know their neighbors who tonight are saying at least they thought they did. a line of unmarked government vehicles parked outside a rural home in a shadio oak subdivision. neighbors say they never suspected their neighbor of terrorist activity. >> we're all very confused, very bewildered, very upset about it. >> reporter: they say they had known daniel boyd as a very family-oriented man. >> our kids play with their kids. >> reporter: some neighbors

knew the boyds were muslim but could not recall any political conversation which might hint of radical violent views. >> other than the prejudice of muslims that we all have and a lot of us have from the 9/11, you would never suspect that there was anything going on. >> reporter: some neighbors did speak of a bonding moment when daniel boyd's 16-year-old son was killed in a car wreck. >> i mean, their son died about a year and a half ago, and we went down and visit with them and stuff. they were nice people. >> he was always a very nice man, even in the middle of that. >> reporter: some neighbors also said they saw about 2,000 fbi agents combing through the home of daniel boyd today, sifting through papers, taking things out of the house. those government vehicles are still here. >> the indictment says they conducted training in caswell county. >> we talked to stunned neighbors in a county just west of here. >> reporter: here in caswell conte, many residents first heard of this alleged terrorist training activity from us. they were shocked and concerned to think that type of this thing could happen here.

an unlikely location to turn up terrorist training activity. >> i really can't believe it. not in caswell county. you don't see anything around here except tobacco and cows. terrorists? that's a little much, don't you think? it kind of makes you feel unsafe anywhere. if you can't be safe in the country, where can you be safe at? >> scary thinking about somebody being in the back woods doing something like this. >> reporter: this was a common reaction from residents today as the news spread. federal agents say the seven suspects were training in a rural area of caswell county, a county that ironically boasts two top training facilities for special military forces and antiterrorist teams. dana way owns third degree tactical institute, a range that military and law enforcement groups use to sharpen their shooting skills. she opened it wanting to give security staff a better place to to train. she says today's arrest how important it is to have a place military and police can prepare. the sheriff was unavailable

today to discuss what assistance, if any, his office may have offered in the investigation leading to these arrests. >> of course as they mentioned there, these were seven men all believed to be of the muslim faith. the worship center in that area is saying they had never seen these guys. according to the indictment right now, they think the plotting was this was just within the past two months. >> interesting, too, the associated press said in '91 boyd and his brother were convicted of bank robbery in pakistan, sentenced to have a hand and a foot cut off but the sentence was overturned. >> coming up, the controversial decision that could put michael vick back on the field. >> i thi

>> i think the way the commissioner is handling it is unfair for michael vick. i don't think it's fair for him to be suspended four more games. it's like kicking a dead horse in the ground. >> that was terrell owens reacting to michael vick's conditional return to the nfl.

>> one man's opinion. now that he's served his sentence, he says he's grateful for the second chance. vick could have problems finding a team. >> reporter: former atlanta falcons quarterback michael vick may soon be back on the field. monday, nfl commissioner roger goodell announced he'd been reinstated with conditions. >> whether he makes it on the field with the nfl will be determined on the field. he has some big decisions off the field to make with the way he conducts himself. >> reporter: while no team has indicated interest in signing vick as of yet, his reinstatement allows him to take part in preseason practice, workouts and meetings and play in the final two preseason games. he was suspended indefinitely after pleading guilty to federal dog fighting charges in 2007. a raid of his virginia estate yielded equipment typically used in dog fighting, as well as

several dogs, some in such bad shape they had to be euthanized. he was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison. >> i offer my deepest apologies to everyone. >> reporter: vick's incarceration was a stunning fall from grace for the former number one draft pick. the quarterback set several records and earned millions from lucrative endorsement deals, deals that ended with his arrest. he filed for bankruptcy shortly thereafter. following goodell's announcement, vick issued a statement thanking him saying being quote, the last two years have given me time to reevaluate my life. mature as an individual and fully understand the terrible mistakes i made in the past. diane alvear, abc news. >> a second chance for michael vick. we wanted to see what you had to say about this. we posted a question on our facebook page, basically do you agree with the nfl

commissioner's decision to reinstate michael vick? we already have dozens of responses. we'll put some of your responses on the air tomorrow. >> right now peta is saying should he get reinstated with a team, they plan to picket outside those games. >> it's a delicate act for anyone who does sign him. more news coming up. imagine... one scooter or power chair that could improve your mobility and your life. one medicare benefit that, with private insurance, may entitle you to pay little to nothing to own it. one company that can make it all happen... great news. your power chair will be paid in full. the scooter store. why should you call the scooter store today? because their mobility experts are also medicare experts. and that means the scooter store is your best shot at qualifying for a scooter that costs you little to nothing. hi i'm dan weston. at the scooter store, more than 91% of our medicare

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find out if you pre-qualify for medicare and insurance payment on a brand new power chair or scooter. call the number on your screen. day 87 and tyler b. determined to find the answer for his acne. get a life. i'm trying. acne...even when it's mild... is a medical condition. huh? medical...as in doctor ? ohhhhhh. and that's how tyler came to his senses, sort of, and learned about once-a-day prescription epiduo gel. if you're not getting the results you want, ask your doctor about epiduo: two of the most doctor-prescribed acne-fighting ingredients in one gel medication. a product you can't get in the acne aisle. dryness, redness, peeling, stinging, burning or itching may occur. don't use irritating products when using epiduo. overexposure to sun, sunlamps, extreme wind or cold may increase the risk for irritation.

go to truthaboutzits.com and learn how to pay no more than $20 for your epiduo prescription. awesome! to learn more about epiduo gel talk to your doctor, >> black eyed peas. crank it, wake the neighbors up. finally this half hour, couples planning summer weddings might >> black eyed peas. crank it, wake the neighbors up. finally this half hour, couples planning summer weddings might plan on more than just gaining a spouse after exchanging vowses >> research shows married people are more than twice as likely as singles to become obese. stephanie cy reports. >> reporter: newly married pedro already suspects tying the knot will mean loosening the belt. >> i'm starting to gain weight

already and we just got married. >> reporter: the idea that couples let themselves go after marriage is backed up by mounting evidence. >> we found that married couples were much more likely to be obese and they were much more likely to watch a lot of tv and not engage in enough physical activity relatives to couples who were just dating. >> look at us, 8:00 at night and we're already in our pajamas. >> reporter: but unlike on tv sitcoms, it's women who stand to gain the most weight, even women just living with their boyfriends have a 63% increased risk of obesity. one year after her wedding, nancy went to the doctor. >> he said to me you must be very happy. i thought that to be a strange comment. i said, yes, i am. he said, yes, you must be because you've gained 15 pounds. >> reporter: 35 years later the pounds had multiplied for nancy and husband marty. even their dog gained weight. >> i think you're content. you're not exercising as much because you're busy working on your marriage.

>> reporter: but psychologist amy gorin says marriage can work in your favor. >> if one spouse decides to lose weight and makes changes in their eating and exercise, it's likely to have a positive influence on the other spouse. >> reporter: since marty started dieting, nancy has naturally lost weight, too. >> she does all the cooking in the house. we ate 95% of our meals at home. she used ingredients to keep that calorie and fat content down. >> reporter: they are living proof that the vow in sickness and in health carries some real weight. >> you don't want any, no. >> reporter: stephanie cy, abc news, west hartford, connecticut. >> feed it to the dog. >> it sounds like that's what they were doing. >> i believe, it though. you get married, you sit on the couch, who are you going to impress? >> reporter: did tanya lose

weight when you started to lose weight? >> yeah, she did. she didn't need to anyway, right, honey?

>> america's fat fight. startling new details about obesity and how it is costing everyone. >> if you go with the flow in america, you will end up overweight or obese. >> then mideast mission. resistance for president obama's team in israel. what could hold up a white house goal toward long-term peace. >> hi, babe. >> and dreadful drama. a movie that became a cult hit because it was so bad. >> i seriously think it was supposed to be a drama that went terribly wrong in production. >> it's tuesday, july 28. >> announcer: from abc news, there is "world news now."

>> we're laughing because that whole description of cult hit because it was so bad vaguely seems reminiscent of what's happening up here night after night. >> we can relate to that movie, that's for sure. very funny, interesting movie coming up this half hour. i'm jeremy hubbard. >> and i'm vinita nair. here is some food for thought as you might be nibbling on that late-night snack. americans spend $147 billion a year on obesity-related health care. >> now the government is trying to find new ways to tackle the nation's weight problem. here's sharyn alfonsi. >> i got this body eating pizza, burgers and chocolate. >> reporter: forget vanity. put aside the health risk. obesity is expensive and weighing more heavily on the country than ever before. a normal weight person spends about $3,400 on medical expenses every year. an obese person,

first government conference of its kind addressing the so-called weight of the nation. >> if you go with the flow in america, you will end up a normal weight person spends about $3,400 on medical expenses every year. an obese person, nearly $4,900. driving those costs, prescription drugs. a person of normal weight spends about $700 a year. an obese person almost $1,300. those figure changed is our environment. >> reporter: after years of trying and failing to get individuals to make healthy choices, the cdc is now lobbying lawmakers to take the lead, encouraging them to slim their cities by doing everything from creating parks to moving schools within walking distance of residential areas. but who will pay for all that?

well, health officials seem to like the idea of a federal soda tax. they say we consume about 250 more calories a day than we did just 20 years ago and most of those calories come from the soda can. adding a tax of 3 cents a can to high-calorie sodas could generate $24 billion over the next four years. opponents argue americans won't tolerate another tax. still, supporters say it could cut health care costs and america's ever expanding bottom line all at once. sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> on capitol hill lawmakers met late into the night trying to bridge differences on health care reform. the so-called blue dog democrats in the house are worried about the cost of the bill. but they weren't able to reach an agreement. in the senate weeks of secretive talks have produced a compromise that omits two key items but includes provisions to reduce the cost. >> there are new details about the criminal investigation into michael jackson's death. abc news has learned that the powerful drug propofol is connected to his death. investigators believe their final report will list the drug as a contributing factor to the singer's passin

sources tell us that in addition to propofol, an autopsy found several prescription drugs in jackson's system. according to the associated press, jackson's doctor, conrad murray, gave jackson propofol through an iv sometime after midnight on the day he died murray's attorney said murray did not administer any drug that should have killed jackson. >> an alleged home grown terror plot has resulted in the arrest of seven north carolina men. the indictment does not allege that they plan to attack targets inside the u.s. they have a court appearance scheduled for thursday. >> defense secretary robert gates is in the middle east this morning on a mission to reassure israel about u.s. diplomatic intentions toward iran. israel is insisting it will do whatever it tax to keep nuclear weapons away from tehran. simon mcgregor-wood is in jerusalem. >> defense secretary gates arrived in israel for a six-hour visit. iran add its nuclear program will dominate his agenda. his izs hosts are skeptical about u.s. efforts to engage

diplomatically. he was here to reassure them and remind them the u.s. is against israel taking matters into its own hands. >> the timetable that the president has laid out still seems to be viable and does not significantly increase the risks. >> special envoy to middle east peace george mitchell was the first to touch down in the region. it was damascus's president long shunned by america now seen as a partner in the plan for peace. it would include syria, lebanon and the palestinians all making peace with israel. the u.s. wants goodwill gestures to get the ball rolling. for israel, it's still waiting for a freeze in settlement construction. it's an issue that's caused real tension. without it the palestinians say they won't talk. in this settlement near jerusalem it was business as usual. 200 new homes being built it year, over 900 planned for next year. a settlement freeze is hard for prime minister netanyahu to deliver. his is a right-wing government built with settler votes and

they are defiantly against a freeze. but without one, president obama's plans are stuck. there is talk now of a compromise deal emerging, which would allow israel to finish the buildings it already started in return for a settlement freeze. but not without the arab states coming forward with gestures of normalization. >> there is new insight this morning into that crash of a commuter plane near buffalo, new york back in february. 50 people died when the plane crashed in icy conditions shortly before landing. a new cockpit voice recorder transcript reveals the flight's co-pilot complaining about being ill but not wanting to pay for a hotel room if she called in sick. an investigation of the crash showed several critical errors were made before the crash happened. >> the shuttle "endeavour" undocks from the international space station today after the crew completed a fifth and final space walk. two astronauts breezed through some rewiring and other outdoor

chores. they were so speedy they took on some extra work before going back inside. they spend three more days in orbit and come home friday. >> here is a look at your tuesday forecast: stormy in parts of the midwest and central plains with severe weather in eight states from michigan to colorado. heavy rain from east texas all the way to atlanta. scattered thunderstorms in florida. >> upper 80s from boston to miami. 85 in st. louis, 92 for dallas, heating up out west. a record 102 in portland, 95 for seattle, also 95 for sacramento and 115 down in phoenix. a real scorcher in that part of the country for tuesday. >> every time you feel like complains about the weather in new york, just think of poor old phoenix at 115. >> we'll find something else to complain about. >> oh, i'm sure i will. >> no. >> we'll be right back with more "world news now."

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>> this is a shocking statistic really. safety experts say drivers who >> this is a shocking statistic really. safety experts say drivers who send text messages are 23 times more likely to cause a crash. >> virginia tech researchers studied truck drivers for a year and a half and say their findings should send a strong warning to everyone behind the wheel. they say typing out text messages while driving is much more dangerous than taking the wheel while intoxicated. >> anyone who thinks they can text and drive is misleading themselves and even worse. they are going to be killing other people on the highway. >> researchers say drivers talking on cell phones are four times more likely to cause an accident. that's about the same as drunk driving. >> the idea of a truck driver trying to control a big rig and

send a text message is scary. >> even a car, it's hard. >> former president bill clinton addressed public health experts yesterday to push for health care reform because he says it will benefit obese children. >> the centers for disease control says the obesity rate among american children between the ages of 6 and 11 has doubled in the past 20 years. >> it's putting children at risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer as adults. the former president says we must reverse that trend. we must reverse that trend. >> ireland has a national campaign against it, the u.k. has a national campaign against it, india has a national campaign against it. how could they possibly need it? they have the world's i think more interesting diet because they're chunking can rapidly in favor for western fast foods, particularly in urban areas where people are too busy to prepare all that lovely food at home and they have limited amounts of disposable income. the other night i went to the

annual fund-raiser of the new york city food bank, and it's wonderful. they are terrific. and they were honoring my friend john bon jovi, who is a very good citizen and always does stuff for us up there. so i went by and tried to support them because food bank has lost quite a lot of money, as you might imagine, because of the collapse of so many wall street institutions and financial efforts and they feed a huge number of people, our food bank does every year. so they were saying, you know, we might have a million more people in new york city this year who are short of food because of this economic collapse. and the ultimate irony of that stuck me because we also have more people who are at risk of childhood obesity in new york city. it's really important to see the social and economic context of

this. because if we want to change this, we have to change what goes on at home and in the community and in the neighborhood and in the schools. if we want to change, it we have to give people rational information and understand that both the economic and the psychological pressures that have made this perhaps the number one public health problem in the country. certainly put the younger generation at risk of being the first in the history of our country to have a shorter life span than their parents. this is something you should all think about. the most important thing is to save these kids' lives and give them a future, but it is important to see it in the context of this debate that is unfolding in washington. now then there's a new debate

here trying to bat away every change. for a long time i thought we were making progress in this health care year because the administration was making a really strong case that we had to fund more primary and preventive care and we had to set up basic care networks and trying to stop bad things from happening in the first place. so the people all of a sudden start producing articles saying this might not really save us very much money because we're going to be spending primary and preventive care on people who wouldn't have got i don't know sick anyway. and then people who are at real risk, their primary prevention, that will cost a lot of money and you're going to spend primary and preventive care on a hundred % of the people to keep on 10% of them from getting really, really sick. oh, it may be a nice thing to do but we may not make money on it. give me a break.

i say that -- [ applause ] you know, it's kind of fun when you're not in anymore, you just sit up in the peanut gallery. and i can see who the baseball manager is sending up to about the and what they're trying to do to get them to strike out. i don't like it. it really matter what happens here. it matters whether we save this generation of kids, it matters whether we save our country's health system. this is a social issue. we are trying to turn the titanic around before it hits the iceberg and it is very much worth the effort. >> certainly the dominant blech health issue of the next couple of decades, no doubt about it. he did have compliments for people like rachel ray who he says is on board with his program and also the food and

beverage industry, who he says has done a better job of putting better food in vending machines. >> he also mentioned that chelsea clinton, the former first daughter are went back to grad school to get her master in public health. it is a big issue for them as a family. >> in a moment, who is telling jessica simpson to keep out? >> and real life drama for katie holmes.

seconds later t the car b bursto flames essentially. she ♪ skinny, so skinny

>> a scare is what we're going to start with for the actress katie holmes, wife of tom cruise. basically she was in a car film being a scene and she had just gotten out of this car when seconds later the car burst into flames essentially. she narrowly escaped disaster over the weekend. the car battery began erupting sparks and fumes. quite a scare for her. she took the rest of the day off. the entire staff was worried about it. they looked over the special effects to see what went wrong. >> can i ask the follow up which is what is t >> i don't know. it's with guy pierce. it's a movie they're doing in australia. >> i've seen her so much on broadway. i figured maybe she was transitioning out of movies. i guess i'm wrong. >> she's right back on the big silver screen. >> this next split you're going to be happy but i liked them together. there it is, kim kardashian and reggie are done. >> reggie, what were you thinking? >> i have a theory why. keep in mind he's 24 and she's 28. when asked about engagement and marriage she said we are totally happy and we have a great relationship and it's definitely

where things are heading but hopefully it will be a surprise. sounds to me like all those rumors we had been hearing maybe she was pressuring him that, she shopped for her own ring, which she says are all fake, maybe there's a little truth to that. at 24 i can see him saying maybe we're at different places. that's just my theory, not abc's. >> that's four years different. >> at 24 were you thinking about getting married? because at 28 the ladies start thinking about it. >> it's too bad for him because he just lost i think the most gorgeous woman in hollywood. don't you think? >> i will agree that she is gorgeous and that's where my compliments will end. >> i've got a whole much more in if you want to keep going. >> no, i've heard you drool about enough women up here. >> speaking of couples on the outs, jessica simpson reportedly banned from tony romo's home. usmagazine.com is reporting there was actually a sign hung at the entrance of tony's home that said red alert, tony romo has made some changes to his

list of people allowed in, jessica is no longer on the list and not approved for access. >> how do they know he hung this sign? >> who knows if he hung it but they're saying he allowed it to be hung. but how bizarre is that? she was planning this big barbie and ken theme birthday party, he apparently wanted no part of that and they split up. now not only does he not want to be ken, he doesn't want her around the house. >> i could have seen that sign hanging at the cowboy stadium. >> cowboy fans everywhere are rejoicing. >> kelly clarkson has a new song out called "already gone." her concern is that it sounds too much like "halo." she's throwing her music producer under the bus. take a listen to the songs and see what you think.

>> that's beyonce and now here's kelly. >> this is beyonce. >> sorry, flip that. >> sounds a lot of like. >> same backing track is what they say.

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>> here are some stories to watch today on abc news: vice president joe biden travels to philadelphia today along with attorney general eric holder. they'll announce how the federal stimulus money will help police departments nationwide. the senate judiciary committee will vote on judge sonia sotomayor's nomination to the supreme court. the full senate could vote as early as next week. >> and abc news has learned investigators believe the powerful drug propofol was a contributing factor in michael jackson's death. >> finally this half hour, the dreadful drama that is so awful in so many ways, people want to see it over and over again. >> it really could be the

citizen kane of bad films. alex stone reports on why audiences love to hate it. >> reporter: you'd think these crowds were lined up to see a hollywood blockbuster. but chances are you've never even heard of the film they're waiting to see. and for good reason. the room has been called the worst movie ever called. >> i seriously think it's supposed to be a drama that went terribly wrong in production. >> reporter: the acting is, well, bad. the shots are out of focus and parts of the movie just make no sense. >> you are tearing me apart, lisa. >> reporter: but "the room" has built a strange cult following. >> this is our second attempt at trying to see this. we came a few months ago and it was sold out. i don't even know what it's about. i really don't. i just know i need to see it before i die. >> reporter: actually, it's a love story about a banker whose wife cheats leaving his heart broken. this lead actor is this man, he's also the writer, producer and the one who raised $6 million to make the film.

>> i did "the room i "not for me. i did for the public. his fans show up to screenings across the country to pretty much make fun of his movie. they reenact scenes, mock the dialogue and throw things at the screen. "the room" has grown with age. it was made five years ago but only now are crowds lining up once a month to see it or make fun of it. you never know who might be in the audience. >> we got here to this theater and there was a line of all these people. i said what's going on? they said it's the movie "the room." i said what's that? they said it's the best worst movie ever made. >> reporter: this might not be the only bad movie he makes. there are rumors now of a sequel. alex stone, abc news, los angeles. >> a sequel? i have a friend who got a copy of that movie on video, had a screening with a bunch of friends and they said it is as bad as you could possibly imagine and worse. >> they were throwing things in the air. there's inexplicably a framed

spoon and when people see it they throw plastic spoons.