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former law makerer, burned her copy of the medical record and flushed the ashes down the toilet. both have pleaded not guilty. >> the city of chicago is going all out in its bid to lobby olympic officials for the 2016 games. oprah went fri and michelle obama arrived in copenhagen to boost her hometown in a tight competition with rio, tokyo and madrid. >> in the city to most recently host the olympics, beijing, china, there were hassive celebrations marking their 60s birthday.

>> reporter: nobody with would argue with them lighting the emtire state building green for st. patrick's day or pink to bring attention to breast cancers but honoring china with its checkered history of human rights abuses and oppression? well, chinese americans say that ain't right. there were protests all over the city today of china and the repression of that communist nation's government but also of the decision by the manager of the empire state building to honor china >> it kind of goes against what we stand for as a city. >> reporter: but no one was smiling on the streets tonight nor sell bratting the founding of communist china. >> i don't think that new york city wants to pay tribute to the 60th anniversary of china. they're an oppressive regime, one that doesn't share our values. there's plenty of opportunities for diplomacy. >> that report again from jim dolan of our new york station wabc.

>> several published reports say comecast is in talks to buy nbc university from general electric. comecast is the nation's largest cable providers. if a deal is finalized, it not not only take offer the network, comecast and ge executives are not commenting. >> big news. here's a look for this thursday. heavy ran and flooding from business mark to des moines, leftover show in the colorados and showers in the pacific northwest. 65 in portland, just 62 in salt lake city, 84 in sacramento. it's 69 in baltimore, 76 in atlanta and 87 in miami. >> this is kind of cool for some school kids in florida. they're preserving history by burying the past. >> a newly built elementary

school created a time capsule filled with a lunch card, song lyrics and other twine rel particulars. >> the project, part of the hundredth year celebration of the west palm beach school district, it aimed at showing students the importance of the past, present and future. >> soon you're going to be saying what is this "i know you want me, i know i want you." >> i wrote a letter to myself ten years from now. in the letter i wrote i would i will be a journalist. i hope one day to be one. >> i was going to make that joke. >> we'll be right back.

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>> more americans are surviving breast cancer but the news is not encouraging for all women. the american cancer society says there's been a 2% drop in the breast cancer death rate this year. that means aggressive treatment has saved 15,000 lives. but among african-americans, the number of deaths are about 40% higher compared to white women. >> you probably heard many americans demanding the same medical care coverage as members of congress, the kind they receive as the debate over health care reform continues. >> we're getting a look at a capitol hill clinic that kateers to lawmakers. here's chief medical editor dr. tim johnson. >> reporter: hundreds of members of congress are receiving some of the best health care in the country without ever even using their federal health insurance and all right in the u.s. capital at a little known and rarely discussed clinic called the office of the attending physician. >> they have a very small pharmacy, they have physicians and nurses that will see you on the spot, on the beck and call.

>> reporter: congressman steve kagan turned down the options offered to congress but even this winter he used the office. >> they have physical therapy available which i took advantage of when i had my knee surgery. it's one of the, quote, benefits of being a members of congress. >> for a flat $500 yearly fee, members have access to almost all the primary care they could ever need from exams and x-rays to minor surgeries. last year about half of congress paid the fees. sources say if a specialist is needed, one will be brought to the capital, all of this for no additional charge. >> cardiologist, dermatologist, rheumatologist, gastro entologists, just a wealth of specialists that support the office. >> reporter: they office does serve a broader purpose, providing emergency care to anyone on capitol hill. in its mission statement,

providing primary care to congress. we asked for an interview or a tour and were denied. when we tried to visit, we were asked to leave. representative lee terry of nebraska does not use the office. >> this thing called the office of the attending physician, which you smile and say, oh, yes, why do you do that? >> well, it's a great asset. somebody pabes out on a tour, it's our attending physicians that are there right then. there is an option you can use them in essence as your family practitioner while you're there. >> reporter: terry is introducing a bill to offer the same options to all americans. >> i'm thinking if you're going to introduce this bill for the federal health plan, why not throw in something like this office that is provide primary care. if congress can have those kinds of thing, why can't we? >> that's a fair question and they should have that. frank lishing having a physician that you can call and contact

actually helps drive down the costs. >> reporter: an ingredient everyone agrees is necessary for true health care reform. >> aside from primary care, they of course talked a lot about emergency treatment. this office really was valuable about eight years ago when there was the anthrax scares. they had to test a lot of the staffers and people in congress. that offices varietial in that regard. >> it does reek of hypocrisy, though, when those guys who themselves are spending only $500 bucks a year, even minor surgeries. >> hypocrisy seems like a recurring theme. >> coming up, as saturn reaches et end the road, we'll look back at how it began, coming up next.

>> rog >> roger penske, the businessman who planned to buy saturn from general motors has backed out and thousands could be out of work. >> saturn's concept was supposed to revitalize general motors. a look back at our news vault from july 5th, 1985. >> reporter: given. in what used to be called the mule capital of the world, a lot of people are very excited about horse power. general motors is expected to announce next week it will build a whole new line of cars in the tiny town of spring hill, tennessee. it will be one of the largest manufacturing complexes in the world. >> reporter: if you travel 30 miles north of nashville, you'll come to spring hill, population 1,100. but the home of the raidlers soon become the new home of general motors saturn plant.

>> i'm excited. >> this is probably one of the greatest things that ever happened to this area. >> we won. with this facility america will win the new competition for the global automobile market. >> reporter: it means a $5 billion investment and 6,000 employees, even though most will come from other gm plant, another 15,000 related jobs are expected to be created. for general motors, the introduction of sat rn means a whole new plant design, moreau bots and new work rules. gm hopes to cut production costs enough to give the japanese some real competition. the goal is to produce half a million of the subcompacts by 1988. the bidding wars for saturn have been practically out of this world. ohio, missouri and illinois put up bill boards in detroit. dozens of states gathered up their cheering sections. six governors even appeared on the phil donahue show to plead

their case. why would general motors choose spring hill? people here say it's a natural. >> the lay of the land had a lot to do with it, the facing state highway on one side, railroad tracks on the other side. >> reporter: people here are already talking about the changes saturn will bring, jobs, new roads and improved water system, maybe a new high school. land prices have doubled in the last week. >> my farm may become a subdivision, it may be sold. i don't know. >> a lot of people are going to make some money on this. >> i think so. i'd like to be one of them. >> reporter: welcome signs were going up today but not everyone shares the isn'tment. >> we're not set up for it. and it's kind of like dropping an atomic bomb. >> i personally moved here so i could get peace and quiet. looks like got everything else but now. >> reporter: the saturn plant is expected to be built in this cow pasture and a way of life

will change forever in this small town. many say the future will be brighter. certainly for some it will be a lot richer. rebecca chase, abc news, spring hill, tennessee. >> this is dan quarts. the saturn project is as important to united auto work, as it is to spring hill. union workers approved a contract for saturn employees different from other u.a.w. members. the u.a.w. will get the first crack and lifetime employment. no decision can be made new york action can be taken without agreement by the workers. now that is a degree of co-determination never before achieved in u.s. collective bargaining. >> reporter: on the other hand gm will pay saturn employees yearly salaries instead of complicated hourly wages.

and though their starting pay will be the same as other g.m. workers, after one year base salaries will drop to 80% of pay at other gm plants. what they finally earn will depend on bonuses tied to productivity and profits. gm will get the right to use workers more flexfully, for example moving employees freely from job to job. that will let the company use robots and automated automation to a bigger degree. >> what will happen at saturn will be transferred or attempted to transmit throughout general motors and throughout the automobile history. >> reporter: if he's rate, other car makers will be able to build small cars much more cheaply and perhaps turn back some of the flood of japanese imports. >> as you can imagine the numbers in terms of closures and jobs lost, they are staggering. 350 dealers will lose saturn franchises and looking at more

than 13,000 jobs lost. >> they tried to brand it as a different car company. my wife's first car was a saturn. the big thing enwas no haggling. when you bought the car, they all applauded. it was a real pleasant experience. but not anymore as we all know. 6/ (announcer) still tired of morning coming in the middle of the night?

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may occur and in rare cases may be fatal. side effects may include next-day drowsiness, dizziness, and headache. in patients with depression, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide may occur. if you experience any of these behaviors or reactions contact your doctor immediately. wake up ready for your day- ask your healthcare provider for 2-layer ambien cr. >> announcer: "world news now" delivers are your "morning papers." >> i got an e-mail from a friend of mine, mark, an anchor in kansas city. he watches us every day. he says i love the morning paper segments but i notice you guys don't really do stories out of papers. so today we are doing stories out of papers >> >> mark, what would lead to you believe we follow any rhyme

or reason here? that was a nice shutout for mark. >> this is from the daily mail. when most of us think of hippos, we think of something like five tons. take a look at this. it's a pigmy hippo. these are now critically endangered, less than 3,000 remain in the wild. they're apparently hunted fo their meat. fully grown it just over three feet tall. >> that's a tolerable hippo. hippos are violent, menacing, big, ugly scaring beings. this one still candidly a little bit ugly but at least not large and menacing >> how about that. s they the beg scary one. >> down in your home state of texas, they know how to do domestic disputes with a little bit of flair. they really have got this thing figured out.

authorities say a houston area woman who was mad at her former common law husband fried up their pet goldfish and ate them. yeah. it's a civil matter. no charges will be filed in the case. seven goldfish purchased by the couple during happier times. they have a big argument, the woman takes off with the goldfish. he calls police sand says, hey, get over there, she's got the goldfish. cops arrive, they find four fried goldfish on the plate. the woman says, oh, i already ate the other three. >> ew! i didn't know you could eat goldfish. >> i guess you can eat just about anything. >> that reminds me of the movie "war of the roses" when she pretends she's eaten the dogs. >> this is texas style. >> from one animal to another and i think there's a separate side story in this story. this is a fat skunk. teak a lock at this picture. this skunk is 15 pounds, twice his recommended weight.

the owner, though, says the way that the skunk got so fat was eating bacon buddies. i didn't know that was. i had to look it up. it's it's bre k! help meeeee! somebody help her! c'mon deputy, let's go! hold on!

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then you can sleep well. >> wiped out. this morning tens of thousands of left homeless and the death toll is rising. >> then the end of the road for saturn, once considered gm's car of the future. >> they did a lot of work bringingout and then they let the product age and become uncompetitive without putting moore money into it. >> and a good samaritan risks his life to rescue a little boy trapped in a burning apartment. it's thursday, october 1st.

>> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> very fright i don't knowing video. >> horrifying. the kid is going to be okay. the kid was unconscious. the guy's like i'm no here combroe, i did what everybody else would have done. >> hard to watch. good morning, thanks for being with us. i'm vinita nair. >> i'm jeremy hubbard. we are learning more about that deadly tsunami that hit samoa in the south pacific tuesday. >> at least 119 were killed. that number is srn to climb. >> neal karlinsky reports from one of the hardest hit areas. >> reporter: in the village it looks more like a garbage dump. tanya was here, home with her two children when the ground started shaking. >> you were in here when the earthquake struck? >> in here, like 00 meet that's

way. >> reporter: she made it out before the waves hit. the quake she says was the longest and worst she's ever been through. >> in here, like 50 meters that way. >> reporter: she made it out before the waves hit. the quake she says was the longest and worst she's ever been through. people here say the waves hit so fast they had little time to reach higher ground. in all four waves as high as 15 to 20 feet slammed coastal villages and resorts. >> the wave was coming from that side. >> reporter: this man's father was washed away in his car but he escaped between waves. >> lucky the window was up. >> reporter: so they were floating in their car like it was a boat. >> yeah. >> reporter: dozen are reported missing. power outages and poor communication have made it difficult to assess the hardest hit places, places that in many cases are very difficult to reach. back on western samoa, we witnessed people digging through piles of rubble with nothing but

their bare hands. the word most often heard around here was lucky, thankful the quake didn't strike at night when scores would is been washed away in their bed. most foreign relief has yet to arrive. people here have a lot of work left ahead of them. >> the experts say there is no connection between the quake that caused the tsunami and a different quake that struck indonesia. the quake yesterday collapsed thousands of buildings, killing at least 220 people and trapping thousands more. just hours ago a powerful after shock struck the same area. landslides have cut off some remote communities. one indonesian official calls it a high-scale disaster. >> president obama has plenty to review after a white house meeting on war strategy on afghanistan and pakistan. the president and his national

security team spent three hours yesterday reviewing how the situation in that region has changed since march. the u.s. commander in afghanistan is pushing for up to 40,000 more troops to secure afghanistan from the taliban and al qaeda. >> reporter: a legal victory for the cia and its fight to keep information about detainee interrogations secret. a new york judge ruled it does not have to release hundreds of documents related to interrogations using harsh methods. the a.c.l.u. says it is considering whether to appeal. >> ben bernanke heads to capitol hill to talk about fighter -- tighter financial regulations. he'll reportedly tell the house committee the government has a responsibility to see financial institutions doesn't get so big that their failure could devastate the economy. he's expected to ask congress for tougher laws to protect

consumers. >> it is the end of the road for yet another general motors brand. gm says it will shut down its saturn division after a deal to save it fell through. chris bury reports. >> reporter: for more than 300 saturn dealers and 13,000 gm employees, this is the end of the road. for gm, saturn had become an unwanted, unprofitable step child. >> i think general motors really ignored saturn. they launched it strong, did a lot bringing it out and let the product age and become uncompetitive. >> reporter: saturn debuted 20 years ago, gm's long-awaited answer to japanese imports. saturn pioneered no haggle pricing. management and union boasted of a team approach but sales peaked in 1994. it never made a profit. >> it looked good and was well marketed but it was mediocre at best and slid downhill from there. >> reporter: roger penske, a potential savior, hoped to sell saturns, not make them. the deal collapsed when he couldn't find a manufacturer who would.

so the car that once seemed the future of gm now joins the scrap heap of its past. chris bury, abc news, chicago. >> maryland is the latest state to outlaw text messaging while driving. the law takes effect today and carries a maximum fine of $500. some critics say that's too much but texting has been blamed for a growing number of accidents involving distracted drivers. 18 states and the district of columbia have banned texting while driving. >> attention nba fans, don't expect any tweets from your favorite players during games. the nba has banned all coaches, players or anyone involved in the team's basketball operations from using twitter from 45 minutes before the game until 45 minutes after the game. >> michael vick has landed an endorsement deal with his old sponsor, nike. the sporting goods company dropped vick two years ago after he was convicted in federal charges in a dog fighting ring.

his agent isn't saying how much the deal is worth. >> now here's a look at your thursday forecast: severe weather moving late into the day into memphis and st. louis. some leftover snow in the mountains of wyoming and colorado. >> just 55 in colorado springs, 69 in albuquerque, a wet 59 in seattle, st. louis climbs to 74, detroit 65, fargo 53, 60s from boston to baltimore and 87 in miami. looks like it will be in the 70s in vinita, oklahoma. >> is it on the map? >> no, but i'm just guessing. >> a general. it's that time of year, time for stories about mazes. the first one we've had in a while. creative juices are flowing as corn mazes become more and more elaborate. >> that's because they're using cutting edge technology to carve that out.

this is entitled "lost in space" to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the moon landing. the 21-year-old who designed it used a farm tractor equipped with gps and an on-board computer. he creates the pathway simply by driving where the computer tells him to. >> that's cheating, isn't it? >> kind of. >> he says it takes about four or five hours per maze and says it is just like a video game. >> i prefer the old fashioned way. >> i do, too. >> i do, too. ♪ how could i know, how could i see, feeling like lost in space ♪ assistance getting around their homes. there is a medicare benefit that may qualify you for a new power chair or scooter at little to no cost to you. stay tuned for this important medicare benefit information and free scooter guarantee. imagine... one scooter or power chair that could improve your

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i didn't pay a penny out of pocket for my power chair. the scooter store got me back out in the world again. talk to. there is a medicare benefit that may qualify you for a new power chair or scooter at little to no cost to you. >> >> investigators at boston's

logan airport found a note saying there was a bomb on board a miami-bound flight. the luggage was removed and it was checked by bomb sniffing dogs. the entire plane was searched. no sign of explosives. >> the nation's top expert on terrorism answered tough questions on capitol hill about a recent threat and homeland security. >> they insist the danger is over following a bomb plot. >> reporter: the head of the fbi attempted to calm many lingering fears about an alleged terror plot in new york city. >> we do not believe there is an imminent threat. >> reporter: a sky scraper in dallas, a federal courthouse in springfield, illinois and new york city's subway system all targets of alleged terror attacks. federal agents made multiple arrests of people they described as home grown terrorists.

>> al qaeda and its allies remain intent on attacking u.s. interests at home and abroad. >> reporter: during wednesday's hearing, panelists agreed they're connecting the dots far better than they were prior to 9/11. >> indeed things have happened in the late eight, nine months that i think have improved coordination but it's something we are always working on. >> reporter: their single biggest concern is with westerners joining al qaeda. >> al qaeda has made a concerted effort to recruit europeans and westerners, understanding they can fly under the radar in terms of passing through border patrols. >> reporter: the secretary of the department of homeland security said when the zazi question was unfolding, officials considered raising the u.s. threat level. >> we thought about it and

rejected it. we didn't have a specific location, time, threat to justify actually raising the color code. >> reporter: a review panel recently recommended changing the current threat advisory system to three levels instead of five to simplify things >> this brings back the notion of the color code system, even though we haven't herd heard that much about it. now they're talking about simplifying it, making it easier for people to know what that means. >> it sort of loses all of its meaning. it also brings back memories right of a 9/11 of the cia and fbi not cooperating. there was talk the n.y.p.d. and fbi not being cooperative. but robert mueller said that's not true and he's dismissing all that. >> coming up, we'll look back at the devastating tsunami five years ago. tsunami five years ago.

>> we return to our top story

that, tsunami that hit the samoan island. a u.s. coast guard plane carrying emergency aid supplies is on the way. >> they expect to find tens of thousands of people who need help and new zealand's government is sending tents, stretchers and a temporary morgue to samoa. this week's disaster brings back memories of a much longer tsunami that hit a wide region of south asia. >> we have coverage from december 27th, 2004. >> reporter: these are the remains seen from the air. along the southern and eastern coasts of this island, destruction is everywhere. and at ground level it looks no better. this is something a british tourist and a mother never thought she'd say. this is her own macabre vacation video.

water seen from a hotel balcony just when the tsunami hit. >> get inside. come on, guys. >> reporter: and this is the sound of anxiety. >> okay, i'm getting frightened now. >> reporter: terror experienced by tourists and natives alike. numbers too difficult to calculate, too massive to imagine. along the beaches, relatives search for signs of loved ones. a man holds the body of his dead child in his arms. and one swedish tourist could only watch and do little. >> it's all dead bodies floating, people screaming. they were very concerned of course because they had lost many relatives. >> military choppers hovered overhead looking for people dead or alive. the country is overwhelmed by this disaster. so are its victims. mike nelson is an american a diver and photo journalists who

was caught in the confusion along with his wife and two children. their hotel room was on the second floor and water had gotten up to the floor just below them. >> grownups, adults, were panicking and frightened because they couldn't get out of their room because their door was being pushed closed by the water that was sweeping into their room. outside there might be children or youngsters. >> reporter: they eventually made it to the airport after seeking sanctuary in a buddhist temple nearby. >> we were there all day long. there was no police or military or help or any sort of help that came to assist these people. >> >> reporter: this is one of the hardest hit parts of the hardest hit countries. scores of villages washed away.

the bbc was there. >> people were taken by surprise when the second wave came across from the beach and made its way right through the heart of the city taking with it vehicles and people, basically devastating everything in its path. >> reporter: and some fear there may be worse, especially in the most inaccessible parts. the northern part of this island is controlled by antigovernment rebels, making the rescue operation even harder and more dangerous. but it is hard to find a single place untouched. rail lines were washed away by the floods, hospitals were packed to capacity and outside people were collecting supplies for the countless people left homeless. with a million people displaced from their homes without shelter and also drinking unclear water,

authorities are very concerned that water-borne diseases such as cholera could tack hold and push the death toll of this catastrophe far higher. that is why so many of the people here are so frightened and the tourists have so many questions. >> they coming out, asking what's left of their houses. their families are gone and they still want to help. >> here along the highway littered with destruction, the group of japanese workers volunteered to clear the route to the capital. but there are many more paths to be cleared, many more bodies to be recovered before this disaster is over. this is neck watt for "nightline." >> this tie island one s one of the most popular destinations in

the region. >> this is one of the stretches hardest hit by the tsunami. how in just a few minutes did their tropical paradise become a tropical heap of murder and debris, destruction and death? for those who witnessed and survived, it the memories are still vivid and frightening. >> you try to race the water to get away from it. it is sheer terror. >> this family found themselves trapped on the third floor of the hotel. it was just chaos. >> there was chaos and def administration at inform turn.

a nearby failure beat of businesses wiped out as a wall of water pashth away be 20 feet high. >> amazing outcome next.

>> welcome back. a police officer in missouri was targeted in a street fight and the violence was caught on camera. >> the t >> a >> a police officer was caught in a police fight. >> when the police finally got everything under control, three

people were arrested. the police were investigating complaints with gunshot just moments before this big, nasty scuffle. >> wow. >> finally this half hour, another dramatic scene captured on camera involving a brave stranger and a little boy who could have been killed in a burning apartment. >> the boy is in the hospital and expected to recover right after some heroism right here in new york.

>> reporter: as the smoke poured out of the fourth floor windows of this apartment building, the store owner snapped into action. >> i ran, i got my ladder, got close to the fire escape, climbed my way up and found somebody. >> reporter: he knew the sweet boy named christopher was upstairs. he alerted firefighters and raced up the fire escape just in time to place th he ran d cradling the cf1 o and using as he lay the the landing,f1 o remember th i'm going to m something now. this is probably the last seconds he o >> reportef1 o he gave a thumbs up to the crowd 3 lli he just ra first time he's step as a 12-year-old in romania, he saved his younger sister from the house fire that tragically killed their father. >> you got to keep your head clear and just worry about what can you do for the person. >> reporter: the little boy was home with his grandfather.

he made it out himself. obviously the family is very grateful to the hero store owner and the fdny for s son. >> a true definition of a hero on that one. the latest word on the little boy, they're saying at last check he was in serio cf1 o bec their seats are not usedorrectly. buthe latch sysm mes it easier

get rig and to hold your kids tight. anchortether. latch. learnore safercar.gov. my name's brandon. in 9 years, i'll be an alcolic. all: hi, brandon. i'll start dg with the older kids, and whatever they do... i'll do. announcer: kids who drink befo age 15 are 5 times more likely to have alcohol problems when they're adults. so start talking befo they start drinking. i know it'll start with alcohol. i'm just not sure how it's gonna end.

>> killer tsunami. relief efforts are under way >> killer tsunami. relief efforts are under way in the south pacific after 20 foot waves flatten entire villages. >> then team usa, the first lady and the chicago delegation making the rounds in copenhagen. can the united states bring home the gold for best olympic bid? >> and super rich. forbes releases its list of the

wealthiest americans. who can afford to be in this elite club? it's thursday, october 1st. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> like the rest of us, the rich are getting poorer it seems. the richest of the rich lost something like $300 billion over the last year. >> i thought bernie madoff would be on that list. he was not. >> good morning, i'm jeremy hubbard. >> i'm vinita nair. we are following a couple of developing humanitarian disasters on the other side of the world this morning. we'll get to the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in indonesia. >> but we start with the destruction of a popular tourist island. margaret connolly joins us from tokyo with the latest. >> reporter: good morning. rescue workers have had a day on the ground to search the rubble for survivors after a tsunami swept the samoan islands killed over a hundred people.

villages wiped out, homes destroyed. families search for loved ones. over a hundred people are dead and more are feared missing. the waves from this quake, as shown in this animation from the u.s. geological survey, reached as far as here in japan from the west coast of the united states. on the samoan islands, for many survivors it came down to being in the right place at the right time. as neal karlinsky reports. >> reporter: this man's father was washed away in his car but he escaped between waves. >> lucky the window was up. >> reporter: so they were floating in their car like it was a boat. >> yeah. >> reporter: foreign aid is on the way as residents figure out who to piece their lives back to the. >> there are boats on dry land

and cars in the harbor. something like this on a small, isolated island will have repercussions well beyond people losing their car or their home or their job. this is going to ravage our economy. >> reporter: the devastation tally from this tsunami has just begun. while communication on the ground is limited, we are learning of more amazing stories of survival on samoa. >> margaret, what do we know about the latest on the relief efforts there? >> reporter: we have heard the navy has arrived bringing in medical and water supplies. the air force has cargo planes also on the way. the samoan community is planning memorial services and the final update that we heard was that american flight -- flights to american samoa are resuming today. >> margaret connolly reporting to us from tokyo. >> reporter: now we turn to indonesia, which is reeling in the wake of deadly earthquakes

and aftershocks. our producer in indonesia joins us on the phone now from jakarta. dina, what can you tell us about the situation there? >> reporter: hi. the powerful earthquake that rocked indonesia late wednesday afternoon destroyed hundreds of buildings and thousands of homes, caused dozens of land slides and panic among the population. it also triggered fires, rendered roads inaccessible and cut off power and communication. at the moment local officials are saying that over 467 dead bodies are found and hundreds more and thousands more are feared to be missing and unaccounted for. rubble that may have trapped people in the hospitals, major hotels and the city's main mall, the government officials are bringing in more aid and search and rescue teams. and then early this morning, the very next day, another powerful quake registering 7.0 on the

richter scale struck an adjacent city causing even more panic. fortunately this time the epicenter was closer to the mountain area so not much damage has been reported yet. now, this string of quakes and aftershocks left the people of indonesia in particular quite anxious and in panic mode. the fact that indonesia is located right on top of the so-called ring of fire and the heavy downpour right now in the surrounding areas does not help assuage people's fears of more disasters coming their way. >> certainly frightening to hear that death toll could be nearing 500 now. talk open less that a week after a suk kret u.s.

>> first lady michelle obama is leading team usa in copenhagen. their mission: convince the olympic committee to bring the 2016 summer games to chicago. >> reporter: from the moment her feet touched the ground, the first lady was in campaign mode. i am so excited. we've got a lot to work to do. we're not taking anything for granted. i'm going to go talk to voters. >> reporter: on her team, chicago's mayor. >> this is a very tough campaign, very competitive

cities. >> reporter: brazil's president brought soccer star pelee to wu voters but chicago does have glamour of its own. >> hi, everybody! >> it really is a cam pan, not even of sorts. it is. i don't think people are as man -- mean and ugly. >> reporter: most of the campaigning is happening behind the scenes. the first lady is meeting one-on-one with ioc members. there are more than a hundred members and she's reaching out to every single one. there's nothing like making the pitch in person. >> it will be an athlete's paradise. >> reporter: this contest is going down to the wire. many of the ioc members are power players themselves. even the prospect of meeting president obama on friday leaves some of them unfazed. >> so you're not impressed by the president? >> never, never. >> reporter: this is a crowd accustomed to be schmoozed by european royalty. >> it feels quite intimidating. >> reporter: tom tresser runs no game chicago.

>> we think the bills will go through the roof and taxpayers will be soaked. >> reporter: but for michelle obama's team chicago right now, it's not about money, it's about votes. she has 48 hours to bring home the gold. yunji de nies, abc news, copenhagen. >> gm says saturn has reached the end of the road. once advertised as a different kind of car company, saturn was created in the 1990s to compete with japanese imports but it never made a profit. the move puts more than 13,000 jobs at risk and leaves 350 dealers were nothing to sell. saturn owners will be able to get service at other gm dealers. >> bank of america ceo condition lewis says he is calling it quits by the end of the year. lewis has been the focus of controversy and investigations after he engineered the merger of countrywide, a mortgage lender rocked by the subprime mortgage mess. >> time to take a look at your thursday forecast. hail, gusty winds, isolated tornadoes from texas to tennessee.

windy with high fire danger in southern california and scattered showers in the northeast. >> high of 65 in new york, 62 in boston. new orleans hits 83, dallas 87. it's 63 in chicago and omaha and 56 in the twin cities. phoenix get up to 92. sacramento 84 and pore land a rainy 65. >> got a real estate bargain for you this morning. a real steal. looks like a palace made for an ancient king but it's just a stone's throw from chicago and it's never been lived in. >> this posh 30,000 square foot mansion in an upscale community is about to hit the auction there is a 2,500 square foot master sweet and garage.

i toll you it was a bargain here, the starting bid yow, just 6 million. >> paefrntly this was a doctor who is moving his plate a florida. >> i'm trying to fill out the signs of that nature. >> houses. we'll be right back with more "world news now." assistance getting around their homes. there is a medicare benefit that may qualify you for a new power chair or scooter at little to no cost to you. stay tuned for this important medicare benefit information and free scooter guarantee. imagine... one scooter or power chair that could improve your may entitle you to pay little to nothing to own it. one company that can make it all happen ... your power chair will be paid in full. the scooter store.

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there is a medicare benefit that may qualify you for a new power chair or scooter at little to no cost to you. >> we return to our top story this morning, the tsunami in the island paradise of the south pacific. >> tidal surges ripped villages apart at the crack of down, sweeping people away and leaving tens of thousands of survivors needing help. here's neal karlinsky. >> reporter: this village is a postcard of disaster.

the church just a few years old was hollowed out by the huge waves way. cars have been tossed about, smashed up against trees luns of yards from the coastline. but as much damages that is and there is an endless stretch of it, the sight of this man right here was perhaps the most striking image of the day. he's part of a small team locking for a little boy. >> they don't even know where he is. some say he was at the house but maybe he's been crushed inside here. but if he's not, maybe the seas just drift him out. >> reporter: while some search for the missing, others are preparing to bury the dead. these men are digging a grave for their village matriarch, a just about everything is imported from across the globe, jerusalem limestone, italian market and moroccan doors. and there's a 20-car garage. >> it recently listed at $25

million but i told you it was a bargain here. the starting bid now, just 6 million. >> the hume -- on a day like today, it wasn't in there when the waves came. >> it just was uncredible. >> she says the quake the strongest thing cease ever felt. she was hanging on to her two kwhirn and playing when it rattled their warld. >> my pick up's up a tree ashed the corner. >> and then there were the thing links, a powdery set preserved,

even though the house wasn't. >> you know, i've seen it on tv. i never thought it would come to tv. >> it's not just here but across the southern stretch of owe yearn. >> you -- we've been all day with hurst often between little or no connection. especially as soon as the devastating equipment in frour. when this quake struck, there was no warning. not even 15 to 20 foot waves.

that more it 7 is. he's happy. the relief efforts are now under way. it can't come soon enough. >> reporter: you don't know where to start? >> yeah? >> just doesn't know what to do. >> it's even a save place for them any more. >> u.s. navy ship has already afd there, identities it's a would i to am ^--

>> they're saying honolulu,

micha >> some big news out of wisconsin. the wisconsin tourist federation has changed its name. the changed it because the initials for the wisconsin tourist federation were "tfw, which thanks to ten roofer has a completely different story. >> i didn't realize that came from text messages. that vulgar phrase is now part of the lek cron. >> this first story, i don't know what to say about it. i would say this is breaking news if you haven't heard by now

the national enquirer is reporting that john andless beth edward might be calling it quit. according to the national enquirer, they say even though she's still battling stage four breast cancer she has vowed to destroy her husband of 32 years by disclosing everything she knows of his political career in divorce court and she wants her share of the $53 million. in a book, an aide was saying he seduced other women on the campaign trail. she has been very vocal in saying in the past this was one mistake, there's been so many other great things, i don't want to let go of all of that. but according to the national enquirer, she flipped out when reading portions of the book. >> there are those who would discount the story because it's

being reported by the national enquirer but we should say they've led the charge on this story from the beginning and they've broke this story from the word go. just take that into account. >> my heart just goes out to her, though, to be battling all of this and find all of this out publicly, it keeps getting worse. >> well, so you think you can flash. talk about some dirty dancing. there was dirty dancing on fox the other night. talk about overexposure. we'll slow it down for you and try not to get too carried away. i hope we blurred it at least, did we? this woman is celebrating on the show and she gets down and does a little happy dance and -- >> did we sensor some undergarments that were

revealing. >> that's the question. the thought at first there was no undergarments. nigel, he said nobody knew what was going on. now he's saying we checked the tape and this was actually a crease in the so there were undergarme the >> so they saw that flash then? >> yes. whether it was undergarment or not, we'll let you decide. go to youtube. >> remember that story, we felt like we broke it about the quaids. >> the hotel. >> they had something like a $10,000 bill. they left without paying it. the hotel went after them and they ended up being arrested, they were taken to jail. now they're saying it's a giant misunderstanding, they say they want to be front and center in court on october 19th. according to them they didn't think they had to pay the bill before they left. the reason for why they didn't pay it at a later date is that they had moved so the bill must have gotten lost in the mail.

>> what hotels do they stay in that are different from the ones that make me pay when i check out? >> i was trying to think that perhaps they checked out online and then thought it -- i don't know. >> did the rapid checkout? >> it doesn't sound good for them. the d.a. said he's not dropping the charges. >> they think this has gone on at other hotels. randy quaid, pay the bill. that's how it works. when you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep... remember 2-layer ambien cr. the first layer helps you fall asleep quickly. and unlike other sleep aids, a second helps you stay asleep. when taking ambien cr, don't drive or operate machinery. sleepwalking, and eating or driving while not fully awake with memory loss for the event as well 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 or throat

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ask your healthcare provider >> here are stories to watch today on abc news: a second earthquake has hit indonesia following yesterday's jolt that caused widespread damage. hundreds are dead as the search for more victims continue. >> john travolta may testify again in the trial of two people in bahamas. they're accused of trying to extort millions from the actor after his son died. >> and the pilot who landed a jet in the hudson river returns to the skies.

>> i'm sure a lot of people will feel safe and sound on that trip. >> finally, the 400 wealthiest americans lost a whopping $300 billion last year. >> even moguls lost a pretty penny due to the recession. >> reporter: in the last year, bill gates and warren buffet lost close to 200 million an hour. yet once given the philanthropic friends are number one and two on the list of america's richest, an enviable perch but not quite what it used to be. >> last year needed $1.3 billion to make it, this year only $950 million. beg decline in the price of admission. >> reporter: with his oracle stock flat, the yachtsman broke even. but everyone else sank. so when winfreys, trumps and

jobs of america are losing hundreds of millions, who could possibly be up? well, there's jerry jones, further enriched by selling out his new cowboy stadium and facebook found are mark dziukerberg worth $2 billion at age 25. and texas banker andrew biehl who tripled he is worth by bottom feeding on cheap loans from desperate banks. >> he's done a tremendous job of making his fortune out of others' misfortune. >> millionaires are smart they say but billionaires are smart and lucky. but one new member also carries the label of suspicious. jeffrey is worth at least $1 billion after investing with bernard madoff and cashing out right before the ponzi scheme collapsed. a lawsuit may knock him off of next year's list but either way, the 2008 red ink blood bath makes this list one to forget, even for those who can afford to lose a million dollars an hour.

bill weir, abc news, new york. >> a million dollars an hour. how unfathomable, yet he's still at the top of the list, warren