her 5-year-old son and both are safe. a judge orders her to bring the boy back to lee county thursday at 5:00 or a pickup order for her son and possibly an arrest warrant for mccready will be issued. from the porch of his home, tim mccready tells us he talked to his daughter 15 times but doesn't know if she will comply with the judge's order. the boy was to be at tim mccread's home when they did a welfare check. the worker became concerned after the boy's fort myers school reported he had been absent called in sick for a week since the 22nd. the workers say she feared the child had been taken to arkansas and called cape coral police to file a report. all involved say the boy is safe and sound. >> i talked to him last night before i went to bed. he sounded okay. i just asked him if he was okay. he said yes. >> reporter: in a statement, her

publicist advises that mccready's believes the child is in danger physically and emotionally at her mother's home. as a direct result of being a mother, ms. mccready took action. she spoke exclusively to the associated press saying she is in nashville and won't bring her son back to florida because she is 7 months pregnant with twins. elizabeth billingsley, for abc news, cape coral, florida. >> interesting story. she has the had a long history of some problems with drugs, alcohol, suicide attempts. that's why, it is her parents who hatch kve custody of the li boy. >> she could be a sick woman, being seven months pregnant and taking care of a young child may not be the best set of circumstance for her or the child. >> see how the legal drama plays out. >> does sound like a country song. a bizarre story. moving on the first lawsuit filed in connection with the penn state case. a 29-year-old man says he was

sexually abused by jerry sandusky more than 100 times. penn state students met with the new university president and administrators last night during the townhall meeting the students were told the school will be held to a new hypigher ethical standard. evangelist billy graham has been admitted to the hospital. graham, 93, suffering from congestion, cough and fever. doctors say he was alert, smiling and waving to staff when he entered the hospital yesterday. he was last hospitalized in may for pneumonia and treated for ailments. now that they have been evicted from their campsite, occupy appropriate testeprotest continue their campaign the they stopped outside police headquarters in fact where those who were arrested during the eviction were being held. there are some complaints this morning from occupy protestors in los angeles. they were removed from their encampment early yesterday.

kabc's carlos grandham has the latest now from l.a. >> reporter: police moved into the park at city hall, arrested nearly 300 protestors. the early morning raid shut down the encampment that had been the base of occupy l.a. for 60 days. >> shea shoved out the doors. they scared the people, sitting down on city hall steps. >> reporter: as the the clean-up began, some protestors moved to la placita church where they are able to seek shelter for the night. some protestors claim they were violently removed. >> a whole swarm of shield came at me. like a -- like a freight train. separated me from my family and my friend. >> reporter: most of the prot t protestors who decided to stay in the park were arrested without incident. >> as far as what he is saying, as far as i can tell sitting, standing in here, absolutely not a single violent incident this

evening. >> maybe the finest moment in the history of the los angeles police department. >> reporter: the department is getting praise from the mayor and others saying this was done with great planning. >> it was a restrained application of overwhelming force that perfectly responded to the actions of the crowd. >> reporter: and occupy l.a. says it has a new goal, national moratorium on for foreclosures and threatened more actions against banks. >> if you do not heed our call, expect to see our tents in your lobbies. expect to seep our tents in your board rooms. >> the movement is still alive and well. >> it is. >> with people being thrown out of encampments. >> the next big scene may come in washington, d.c. protestors planning a march from the mlk memorial there, all the way done to atlanta to mlk's gravesite. >> i'm going to be impressed to see that walk. that's significant. maybe in stages with people

joining along the way. like a relay. only thing that makes sense to me. >> don't doubt them. hanging around for months. >> warmer temperatures melting heavy snow in michigan after a disruptive storm knocked out power. southwestern parts of state had to degree out from up to 10 inches of snow. wind topped 50 miles an hour. road were icy. tree branched snapped power lines. after a storm in central indiana, a case of a train versus a snowplow. and it looks like the train won. conductor said the plow slowed at a railroad crossing, slammed into the moving train for no apparent reason, the plow driver taken to the hospital with leg and arm pain but was alert and talking. >> lucky guy. lucky guy. a look now at your weather across the country. windy with more than a foot of mountain snow in the rockies. up to 7 inches around salt like city. cheyen cheyenne, denver. high wind from san francisco to san diego. snow showers around the twin cities. milwaukee and green bay. >> just 25 in fargo. 30, minneapolis. 45, indianapolis.

50 right here in new york. 60 in atlanta. a frigid 21 in colorado springs. and 51 in albuquerque. check your calendar this morning. somehow, don't know how, we arrived at december 1. where is the year going? actually december 1 means it is world aids day. >> right started marking the occasion, down under, bathing landmarks in red light. the opera house and harbor bridge along with the short fireworks display. look how beautiful. >> on world aid day many people wear red or red ribbons. what a splashy scarlet way to raise awareness, the first world aid day was held back in 1988. what incredible advancen advanc they have made. >> i an active with the design organization, and we have a lot of work to do. i am wearing red. >> holiday theme. >> glad i wore the red in recognition of world aid day. >> exactly.

the lady in red and i will be back right after this. ♪ i only thought i'd win

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♪ ♪ ♪ our house >> i like that house. if the holiday season is a time for giving, then this story has perfect timing. it is about a 103-year-old atlanta woman being evicted from her home. >> but when the bank came to force her out you will never go guess who stood up for her. ryan young reports. >> we just got fantastic news, first of all, the bank said they'll work with you guys and they're not going to make you guys leave. >> oh, that is a blessing.

>> reporter: i got the chance to break the great news, chase bank which services the loan on the house on penelope road has no plans to evict vina hall or 83-year-old daughter from their home of more than 50 years. >> because i love this place. >> i'm glad to hear and read the statement issued by chase. but i am not going to be satisfied. i will be honest with you until the deal is done. >> reporter: the senator, and the mayor's office have been talking with the banks. we were here when sheriffs deputies and movers refused to evict her. her 83-year-old daughter had to be rushed to the hospital overcome with stress. this house was paid for. at some point the family member took out the second mortgage.

there have been court battles and the judge ordered the eviction. now the threat is over. all day people have been calling and trying to bring baskets by. >> i want to thank you for letting us in your home. >> so glad to have you. make me feel good. >> yes, indeed. >> she is something else. so clear headed with the daughter that is 83. >> incredible. >> week as way from her 104th birthday. >> long jeff tvery cool to see . who is upstaging the holiday festivities at the white house? >> all about bo the dog stealing attention away from the first family. you are watching "world news now."

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like christmas at the white house now that the first family is done decking the halls. >> michelle obama welcomed military families to view this year's decorations and its surprise stars. abc's mary bruce has more. good morning, mary. >> good morning, sunny, rob. the holiday theme at the white house is shine, give, share. the real holiday star this year is the first dog. bo. he is everywhere. the obamas famous portuguese water dog made in all sizes from buttons, licorice and pom-poms. there he is standing proudly in front of the 400-pound gingerbread house. >> sort of where's bo. find the bo in every room. he is hidden everywhere. trust me, our dog has been a little confused walking around the house for the last couple weeks seeing himself in gigantic form. >> reporter: bo doesn't seem to mind the attention. he met some adoring fans, children from military families the first to see the winter

wonderland at the white house. the nation's service members play a special role in this year's decorations. >> we're using the holiday season here at the white house to highlight our troops. and our veterans and all of their families. >> reporter: it took 136 volunteers from across the country countless hours to set up decorations and adorn the 37 christmas trees in the white house. tonight, the president will light the official national christmas tree. sunny, rob. >> i have my decorations up. do you have your decorations up? >> are you trying to say the white house is running late. >> i had mine up the day after thanksgiving. they're running late if michelle calls me out. i'll tell her about the time line. >> have the president and first lady, give your household a phone call, try to get their deal hooked up. >> see, see. >> see, there i am. yes, my idea of hell right there. right there. the dog. oh, man.

coming up next, should there be a fire extinguisher app for the iphone. >> engagement rings are not just for women any more. details coming up. where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions, such as tongue or throat swelling, occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then get lunesta for $0 at lunesta.com.

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welcome back, everybody. here, kind of scary iphone related story here. this is came to us out of australia, the "sydney morning herald." a person on the flight, the iphone possibly because the battery overheated right there. the phone started smoking had a red glow to it. set off an emergency situation on the plane back on friday. >> look at it. >> look at the thing. >> investigators are looking into the thing to find out what went wrong. the filight attendant had to pu it out. it spontaneously come busted. >> iphone 4. >> be careful they can start

smoking. >> so interesting. i think on the plane why do they make me turn off my phone and turn it on. if my phone can interfere with the way the plane is flying. there is a problem with the plane. if my phone can blow up. >> a different level. >> all iphone users be careful out there. not an app for plane fire. >> i have the story that i love. out of "the daily mail." men are now wearing engagement rings, man-gagement rings. in large part because they're gaining popularity, the u.s., and in the u.s. idea is focused on new found equality. an ideal for men who wish to indicate to the world that they too are off the market. >> because there are so many of them. >> i am engaged off the market. my husband is floating around the hospital, you know. people are checking him out. >> but we spend a lot of money

on your engagement ring. you got a nice rock out of the deal. and if i'm aware of one, i want you to open up your bank account. i want a fat ring. >>women would do it. >> would you wear one? i like the idea of equality and all that. what i spend on your ring, you spend on mine. give us a little love. >> i think men should. >> let the world know they're off the market. >> yes. >> men are fine with the way things are right now. just saying. this its a pretty cute christmas story right here too. out of, here, upstate new york. kingston, new york. two youngsters called 911, ages 4 and 6. when they called 911 they asked to speak to the police chief or want to speak to santa. ha-ha. >> they wanted to figure out whether or not they were naughty or nice. they get the police. >> adorable story. the police came to the house and gave the family and kids a lecture on what is the proper

use of 911. >> hope th

this morning on "world news now" -- damage control. penn state administrators meet with students to discuss their fears, frustrations and angers after the jerry sandusky sex abuse scandal. >> while another accuser steps forward with disturbing allegations and a lawsuit against a former coach. it's thursday, december 1st. good morning, i'm sunny hostin. >> and i'm rob nelson. penn state students met faculty and administrators at a special townhall gathering on campus last night. some of them voiced concerns about the scandal and its impact on their education. meanwhile, sandusky's legal fight has now started with the first lawsuit from an accuser. >> also this half-hour, a

stunning jail house confession by a former member of the k.k.k., the impact this confession is having on the case of three men in the 60s. remember the story told in the movie "mississippi burning." >> incredible movie, real-life crime there, we'll have more on that in a second. later in this half-hour, a woman's obsession with hippos. she is so taken with her favorite animal that she made her car look like a hippo. wait till you see how she has decorated her house. >> wow. >> everyone need a hobby i guess. >> that's right. >> good lord. >> an emotional night on the penn state campus as the the new president promised a higher ethical standard at the school. >> this comes as yet another young man comes forward to say he too was abused by former coach jerry sandusky. >> reporter: it was a time for soulsearching at penn state. >> i feel shame. what do i do with these feelings? >> reporter: at a townhall meeting between students,

faculty, administrators, the penn state community dealt with the possibility of a lasting mark against the school as a result of the child sex scandal surrounding jerry sandusky. one administrator argued that the students might be better for the experience in the end. >> it is very important that we learn to question authority and in many cases being here and being part of this experience might actually make you a better human being. >> reporter: but there was more bad news for penn state. in the first civil suit filed against jerry sandusky, now 29-year-old man alleges he was sexually assaulted by the former penn state football coach, more than 100 times between 1992 and 1996. not one of the eight boys sandusky is already charged with molesting. his attorney read a statement from the plaintiff. >> i am hurting and have been for a long time because of what happened, but feel now even more

tormented. >> reporter: he claims sandusky threat tuned hurt him or his family if he told anybody about the alinged abuse. also named in the suit, penn state university and the second mile foundation, the charity jerry sandusky started for at-risk boys. and where he is accused of finding his victims. >> we said from the beginning the scary part of this story is just how many young men are out there who were probably victims. some will come forward, some we will never know about. >> really this is the beginning for penn state. they did the right thing having the forum, right. they have lost so much confidence in their student body. people are ashamed to be affiliated with penn state. we know the prices of education of what you put into going to college. choosing an institution. you can imagine what some students are feeling and going through. >> the woman's question, what am i supposed to do with all the feelings? the question to the panel. plus, the football program enjoyed such a squeaky clean image. it has been eradicated.

>> this is what people remember penn state for. a stain on the reputation. >> see if they can dig their way out. we'll switch gears to financial news this morning. if you have any money in the stock market well you got wealthier in the last 24 hours. the rally isn't over just yet. asian markets have been soaring overnight, some more than 5%. all of the buying is in reaction to a move by asian banks to lower borrowing costs. banks worldwide also united to make changes to prevent a european economic meltdown. that same action sent the dow up 490 points yesterday. that's the biggest point gain since way back in march 2009. the other major averages were also up more than 4%. a good day. now to the latest on the missing florida mom who vanished after appearing on the people's court. her 3-year-old twins are back with their father, who is the prime suspect in her disappearance. ryan hughes of orlando's wftv has the details.

>> reporter: seemed like a joyful night at dale smith's father's home as the his little boy rode around in the backyard in a toy car. an unidentified woman hung on to his daughter and walked around. hours before a much different scene. as smith knocked down an abc news photographer as he walked into court to gain custody of the 3-year-old twins. he was successful. >> i turned the babies back over today. >> was that hard? >> i cried like a baby till i got there. >> reporter: michelle parker's mother wasn't happy with the judge's ruling but it hurts her more knowing her daughter vanished two weeks ago and hasn't been around her kids. >> i just really, really, really wanted her kids to grow in with her. >> caller: t orlando police named him the prime suspect. she hasn't been seen since she dropped off the kids at smith's condo in south orlando, november 17. hours before parker and smith appeared on a recorded episode of the people's court. all day, searchers scoured lake

eleanor for any signs of parker. >> she wouldn't want to be in cold water in the dark. there are bad things that happen in our word. i can't wrap my head around that at all. >> reporter: michelle parker's mother told me she does have concerns with the twins being with dale smith but wouldn't go into detail. in court attorney for department of children and family said the twins should not be with smith. because he has a violent criminal history. >> surprised. >> extraordinary that -- that after hearing emotion and emergency custody, judge, conference in front of the judge that the judge took the kids and placed the kids back with him. >> cloud suspicion hangs over him. such an odd move. dramatic moments last night. actually a body found near the florida/georgia state line. a frenzy thinking here she is. fortunately it was not. >> it was not her. some people are saying, you know statistically after 12 days if someone hasn't been found you can suspect foul play.

she was last seen november 17. >> getting to that point. >> we're there, yeah. gary giordano is back on u.s. soil for the first time in four months. the maryland businessman arrived in miami yesterday from aruba where he remains the prime suspect in the disappearance of robyn gardner. giordano had left aruba when appeals court ruled that pr prosecutors lack sufficient evidence. we'll hear more from gary giordano today during his exclusive interview on abc's "good morning america." >> in other news this morning, the fbi is looking into an alleged jail house confession by the man convicted of the 1964 murders that inspired the movie "mississippi burning. "a former cellmate of edgar ray killen says the 86-year-old admits to killing the three civil rights workers. >> reporter: at the heart of the story, the killings of three young freedom riders who call to mississippi in '64 to register black voters. their story immortalized on film

in "mississippi burning." >> i guess they never left mississippi. >> they're dead. >> reporter: in 2005, justice caught up with this former clansman, edgar ray killen, sentenced to 60 years for manslaughter but never confessed or told who helped. the man who spent time with killen at a prison hospital says killen told hum he would confess to the killings, name who helped, and reveal 32 other murders, but only if the 86-year-old was allowed to serve his remaining years under house arrest. >> i already knew, no one is going to believe me. i said, so, edgar, do you want your thoughts to get out there. write this stuff down. >> reporter: amazingly stern has pages and pages of letters. this should assure the state given the medical release. my confession to personally killing. there is more i will tell you about. >> if edgar ray killen were to

cooperate and testify that may give authorities enough information to prosecute the case. >> reporter: mississippi's top prosecutor said making deals to get out of jail isn't something the state will do. he is open to new information. killen should feel free to call anytime. how much legal weight would a written confession possibly have? >> well, a lot. >> that's it, right, case closed. >> never case closed. confessions can be the bed rock of a case against some one. it is remarkable, what i love about our system, being the federal prosecutor that i was. never too late for justice. never too late for justice. >> why do we think -- would motivate some one to admit it all the years later? >> some times a guilty conscious. some times they want something. sound luke ike he wants out. >> unlighter news this morning, the first graduating class from oprah winfrey's school in south africa is heading to cling. all 72 seniors accepted to universities there in south africa, or right here in the u.s. more than a dozen of them have

received full scholarships. in recent years the $40 million campus built with oprah winfrey's money has been plagued with reports, including allegations of abuse. one stew deudent said the bad coverage made them longer. >> more than just the show, that could be oprah's legacy. >> she is really into education. one of her platforms. that is fascinating if you think about it. so many of those children, school there, and now coming to the u.s. for college. >> never would have the chance without her. >> never. no. she is the oracle. >> ha-ha. >> here is your thursday forecast. fierce santa ana wind from san francisco to san diego. the wind also reach las vegas, the rockies. up to 7 inches of snow around denver. salt lake city, cheyenne, blizzard warnings in wyoming. snow showers from minneapolis to milwaukee. >> just 30 in the twin cities. 39, omaha. 44, chicago. 46, beantown. 52, baltimore. 60s from atlanta to dallas.

phoenix, 63. sacramento, 67. well it's that time of year. >> 'tis. >> making plenty of appearances all over the place, the last couple days, but none quite like this one. >> this is good stuff. the jolly guy had trouble as he attempted to drop into a mall in south florida. seems his beard, that pesky beard it got stuck in the ropes santa was using to climb down. >> eventually santa took off the beard, wig, hat, made his way down. by the way santa was a pro ne professional rope climber. did the gig at no cost. seems right. if you take everything off. kids are traum tips atized in s florida. >> don't worry, santa will come to your house. ♪ santa claus is coming to town ♪ let me tell you about a very important phone call i made.

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welcome back everybody. a warning for parents, about something that you probably give your child every single day. juice. >> a study confirms that some brands of apple juice include high levels of arsenic. just how bad is it? here is abc's t.j. winick. >> reporter: there is disturbing new evidence about what is in that juice your child may be drinking. when consumer reports looked at both apple and grape juice, testing 88 samples they found 10% had total arsenic levels greater than the federal standard for drinking water. and 25% of them also had higher lead levels than the fda standard for bottled water. >> soup of the best known granb have arsenic in apple juice. dr. oz sparked a fierce debate. dr. besser argued that arsenic found in some juices was

harmless. >> you're telling parents they're poisoning their children. and you have absolutely no evidence. dr. besser said the fda provided faulty data. >> they said there was industry standard, turns out there is not. they said the type of arsenic in apple juice was the safe kind, turns out it is not. >> working with new findings dr. besser recommends that children 4 to 7 should have no more than 4 to 6 ounces a day. older children, 8 to 12 ounces is safe. as the for the juice industry leading interest group responded this way. juice is not water. to compare the trace levels of arsenic or lead in juice to the regulatory guidelines for drinking water is not appropriate. >> we need to pay attention to the result of the process which is setting a lip it and telling manufacturers of juice look for these levels and don't exceed this number. >> in response to the consumer reports investigation, all the fda will say is that they're collecting additional data.

t.j. winick, ax newbc news, new. >> i don't want my kids to have anything that has arsenic. >> best thing ties do is follow guidelines. this is why people get frustrated with government standard for water but not for juice. kids drink juice all the time. >> why is the information dripping out. why don't we have it from the beginning? >> no industry standard makes no sense. hopefully the fda will get its act together. we'll get our act together too, and be back with more from abc after this.

♪ vacation >> welcome back, everyone. with the holidays, that beans buying presents having relatives over and doing cooking. if you are looking for last minute travel deals to escape it all.

maybe we can help. joining me is travelocity's rep, welcome to the "world news now" first-class lounge. >> nice. i love it. >> i know you have tips for us. one of my questions is, a lot of people go home for the holidays and travel home to visit their family. but my understanding from speaking with you is that some people take that opportunity to get away from their families and get away, some, go some place else? >> if you are flexible and don't have to go to your family. great time to take advantage of discounted hotels and -- travel packages to places like the caribbean, to the west coast, and so. you want some sun now is a god time to try it out if you can get away. >> well i know that airline fares have gone up about 6%. is there any -- are there any hotels that are trying to make up the difference for travelers? >> yes, actually. hotels are, trying to get travelers in. so they're offering all sorts of incentives.

free nights. free breakfast. free parking. which adds up to substantial savings some times. >> give us tips every traveler should know? >> these are, start with, being flexible. being flexible equals savings. flexibility equals saving. being flexible what days you fly. use the flexible date finder on travelocity when you are going three days before, three days after. avoid the sunday return. sundays are expensive. everybody is flying back. try to come back monday if you can. also be flexible with the air ports that you use. in new york there is three major airports but also weep we were talking westchester airport. you may find savings. other airlines, more flights to choose from. all great. >> have to remember the f word, be flexible. >> be flexible. >> yes. >> thanks to travelocity's melissa coreman for joining us.

visit our facebook page wnnfans.com. you're watching "world news now." ♪ vacation

♪ out of my dreams get into my car ♪ ♪ get into nigh car get out of my dreams in the back seat baby ♪ >> finally this half-hour, the houston woman who one could say is a true enthusiast of hippos. >> she has taken her love for the animals so far she surrounded herself with every conceivable, every conceivable hippopotamus item known to man including her head-turning car. here is ktrk's deborah wrigley. >> reporter: when sue drives she does it with purpose, have a

laugh, make other do's the same. it is an adventure. >> love it! >> thank you. >> reporter: how can you not do a double take at the sight of a hippo on wheels, bright red, blinking blue eyes, her name is cherrio and the view even better from the back with the swishing tail and for the extra effect -- it's the second hippo car she has commissioned. both have been fixtures of the art car parade. but this is just the tich tp of hippo iceberg. she has been collecting hippos big. >> i don't remember the names. >> reporter: small and everything in between for the past 40 years. when she says she saw dancing hippos in the movie "fantasia." >> i saw the little hippo. that started it. when you have three then you start the collection. >> reporter: it's grown to several thousand pieces, paintings, a hippo in the bathtub. it is about more than an animal.

>> i'm not a doctor, i don't do anything like that to help people. but i make people smile. for me that works. >> reporter: so she took her hippo show on the road, had her new rav-4 converted into cherrio outfitted with a custom hood and remote control effects including the wolf whistle and drives it around every day looking for people to whom she can bring a smile. >> she winks. >> the lips are cute. >> yeah. >> and the back end too. >> the two little baby hippos on top. >> it works. a little bit of drive-by laughter. >> i think that makes me snimil. >> if i make you smile. >> don't think this woman is alone. a hippo reunion in toledo, ohio for the international hippo society. i an the president in case you did not know that. hippos? >> not that one.

that one was angry. >>

this morning on "world news now" -- soaring stocks. the markets take off like a rocket after banks worldwide change their policies putting investors in a wild mood. >> this morning the market surge is having a positive impact from wall street to your street. it's thursday, december 1st. happy thursday morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> i'm sunny hostin. well, financial experts often say don't check your 401(k) statements every day. this morning you might want to make an exception. >> yes. >> the good news is sending foreign stock markets up sharply. we'll look into this major economic mood swing to see if the upward trend will last. >> maybe this is finally hit the

point where things are going to surge up and end 2011 strong head into a new year with, you know, an economy with some new life in it. fingers crossed. everybody's fingers crossed. john hinckley's major legal request. he has been in a mental hospital since his attempted assassination of president reagan years ago. hinckley insist his psychotic condition is in remission and doesn't need constant mental health care. i'll let you decide on that coming up. i see that look in your eye. >> i try not to show it -- try not to be so transparent. >> later this half-hour, those little lottery scratch off tickets can really pay off. we'll meet a south florida instant multimillionaire. he is a guy who could really use a break. >> after that story earlier this week about mystery connecticut lottery winners, won quarter billion dollars. nice to see an average joe who needed the money win big. good story. before all of that, the soaring stocks. asian traders have taken up where wall street left off.

overseas this morning they're in a serious buying mood. >> markets in tokyo, seoul, hong kong along with all the other major asian exchanges have been soaring in overnight trading. some of the averages climbed more than 5%. >> so nice to have good economic news. yes, the worldwide rally. started on wall street yesterday. the dow climbing 490 points. that is its biggest point gain since way back in march 2009. abc's dan harris tells us why stocks are now headed to the stratosphere. >> reporter: rocket booster one, this is really the biggy, the federal reserve and central banks from all over the world announced a coordinated effort to stabilize europe which has been teetering on the brink of recession, threatening to bring america down with it. >> if europe goes down there will be repercussions for us. if a full blown panic goes out as we saw in 2008 there is really nowhere to hide. >> reporter: rocket booster two, american jobs, a new report says

american companies hired 206,000 new workers last month. best month for hiring in nearly a year. >> over half the jobs came from the small business sector and that suggests we are seeing new business formation pick up which is critical to have sustained recovery going forward. >> reporter: rocket booster three, china cuts interest rates, goosing its own economy making it easier for come pans and workers to borrow money and perhaps buy american products. for the past four months, the stock market has been on a crazy roller coaster ride. look at this graph. what is the average investor to do in this environment? experts say -- stick to your financial plan and try not to look at your portfolio too often. >> unfortunately that's the best advice i can give. if i knew what the market was going to do on a daily basis i would own my own island in the caribbean. >> wouldn't we all. there are still looming problems out there including the european crisis which could take years to solve. you can call this market a lot of things, but you cannot call it boring.

there could be more wild swings to come. dan harris, abc news, new york. >> we actually could see another upward swing tomorrow. unemployment report will be out. that could be another jolt that could help the economy. >> little bit of a damper. apparently the price of a barrel of oil went up to 101, when the economy improves, demand for oil goes up. >> such a debbie downer. look at the bright side. look at the bright side. >> didn't want to say it. got to look at everything. >> we'll talk the good for now. all right, from wall street now to the irs where uncle sam may be holding on to your tax refund check. the irs says it is looking for nearly 100,000 taxpayers out there due refund checks that were either returned or simply not deliverable. average check is worth more than $1,500. you do the math on this -- the irs is holding on to $153 million and it is all your money. if you did not get your check, update your address with the irs to get your cash.

>> i need to update mine. >> it's the holidays. >> things are getting back to normal in britain following the largest strike there in decades. public service workers union say as many as 2 million workers joined yesterday's strike. they're angry about the government's plans to address massive debt by cutting pensions. teachers joining the strike forced most schools to closed and thousands of operations were postponed at public hospitals. back here at home, penn state's new president says the university will raise the visibility of ethics to a new level following of course that child sex abuse scandal. the comments came during a town hall meeting held on the campus last night. another top administrator tried to reassure students that being a penn state graduate is still something worthwhile. >> it is very important that we learn to question authority and in many cases being here and being part of this experience might actually make you a better human being. >> another development in all of

,000 this -- the first lawsuit has been filed in connection with this case. a 29-year-old man says he was sexually abused by jerry sandusky more than 100 times. >> gary giordano has been reunited with his family in the u.s. after spending four months in an aruban jail. the businessman is a prime suspect in the disappearance of robyn gardner. an appeals court in aruba ruled that they could not hold giordano without evidence of a crime. the world is waiting to hear his story. so stay tuned for the exclusive interview with gary giordano later this morning on "gma." herman cain says a face to face meeting with his wife and family tomorrow may determine the future of his campaign. at a stop in new hampshire, cain has spoken to his wife only by phone since a georgia woman claimed they had a 13-year affair. earlier religious broadcaster pat robertson told the audience cain should drop out. robertson said cain was good at making pizzas but was in over

his head when it came to foreign policy what a meeting with mrs. cain that should beep. president obama marks world aids day at an event. yesterday he was here in new york where he sought to reassure jewish supporters he is committed to the security of israel. mr. obama hit three fundraisers during his stop in the big apple including one that went for more than $35,000 per person. big money. >> the man who tried to assassinate president ronald reagan, john hinckley requesting to spend more time outside a washington mental hospital. the subject of a hearing that continues to dacht as abc's pierre thomas reports, that hearing started with surprising testimony. >> reporter: last summer the secret service had john hinckley under surveillance on approved leave from a mental hospital. hinckley was visiting his mother in williamsburg, virginia, when he faked going to the movies. instead headed to a barnes &

noble where he read book about president reagan and presidential assassinations. >> if he is that obsessed what a reasonable person would say he might want to go try something else. >> reporter: authorities claim it was concerning that hinckley searched the internet for photographs of his female dentist. hinckley is currently living in a washington, d.c. mental hospital for shooting president reagan and nearly killing former white house press secretary james brady. he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. hinckley's attorney say the government is fear mongering and his psychosis is in remission they believe he should have home visits of 24 days at a time and eventually live outside of the hospital full time. prosecutor read from a 1980s note in hinckley's diary. of his doctors he said they will never know the true john hinckley. it is up to a federal judge to determine the true john hinckley and if he should eventually be free. pierre thomas, abc news, washington. >> we have heard cancer going

into remission? psychosis? >> thought it could be managed. i didn't know it could go into remissi remission. bottom line is he fakes going to the movies on a court approved visit to his mother and looks up things on the internet that are inappropriate, goes to barnes & noble. and sort of -- must be obsessed with president ray gap. reagan. thank goodness the government did step in, and follow him, and give a better picture. you don't want to keep people indefinitely. >> bizarre story. society has to be safe. a lot of questions. very strange. also strange story out of michigan, this morning, some scary moments in fact at a basketball game there last night. during the time-out, a cheerleader who was being held in the air, fell to the floor, slamming down face first. 20-year-old taylor young strapped to a back board and carried off the court. she gave two big thumbs up on the way out which the crowd cheered to. young went off to the hospital. they do say the young lady is okay. cheerleading can be very dangerous.

face first on a hard floor. >> my goodness. it can be very dangerous. thank goodness she is okay. >> good for her. >> good for her. >> here is a look at your weather. wind up to 70 miles an hour for much of california. windy, snowfall from denver. foot and a half in the mountains. light snow in the upper midwest. freezing rain in the texas panhandle. >> 65, dallas. 61, new orleans. 73, miami. 50, new york. 41, detroit. 47, kansas city. fargo, 25. 30s in billings and boise. well, surely the holiday season must officially be upon us now, my favorite time of the year, only because last night right here in new york they lit the big christmas tree at rockefeller center. >> look at that. >> beautiful. >> 74-foot norway spruce grew in a small town in pennsylvania. the chief gardner for rockefeller center saw it from the highway and simply asked the owner, lovely older woman if he could have it. >> apparently the answer was yes. there it is decorated with some 30,000 lights.

they will be on until early january when the tree will be turned into lumber for habitat for humanity. >> nothing like the holidays in new york. >> i know. >> we'll be back. ♪ underneath my christmas tree the only place you want to be is underneath my christmas tree ♪ are you crazy? i would never go out without my covergirl. i want to look natural, not naked! but look! with covergirl, all you need is 3 little things to make beauty powerful for you. lashblast for voluptuous volume, outlast -- to keep your lips beautiful and not come off if you kiss... simply ageless foundation to help you look young. see? just three. easy breezy beautiful covergirl. ♪ when i got my medicare card, i realized i needed an aarp...

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yes. but lately we've been using k-y® intense™. it stimulates arousal so the big moment is... (announcer) k-y® brand intense™ - intensifies female satisfaction. ♪ ♪ >> we can all learn something from the next story. it tells us even if hard times we should still do the right thing. >> we love it. that is the lesson, a homeless veteran in boston is teaching us actually. despite his situation when he found a lost wallet he knew exactly what he had to do. wcvb's correspondent reports.

>> reporter: do you feel safe when you are out here? >> not at all. not at all. i always go to sleep with one eye open. >> reporter: david keeling is 52 years old and has been homeless for nearly seven years. he served his country in the navy until a back injury forced an honorable discharge. keeling who has a teenage daughter said his life began unraveling when his marriage fell apart, his father died of cancer and when he took care of his mother who died of alzheime alzheimers. uh. >> i did everything right, that a son should do. it took me three years to get over. >> reporter: last night, keeling was barbara's hero he found her pocketbook on the street and turned it in. keeling says he learned right from wrong from his parents. and his mother taught him to never touch a woman's pocketbook. >> she was a hairdresser. she used to have women in the house all the time back in the olden days they would come to

the house. there were pocketbooks and coats all over the place. my father taught me. manners. be polite. not to hit a lady. you know, respect your elders. >> reporter: he took those values with him and kept them close even when depression kep. >> i would say, drinking a little bit, trying to kill the pain. >> reporter: he says he is alive because of shelters like the new england center for homeless vets and right now he is feeling good. >> i feel like a good man. all i wanted to be, a good man. a good father. >> reporter: keeling says he is taking advantage of a lot of different programs intended to get him back on his feet. he says he feels at peace inside, so that a year from now he will be in a whole different place. >> people do the right thing. i love that he talked about be nice to the elderly. >> exactly. do the right thing. simple advice. >> be nice to lady. >> there are better angels out there. a sad stat here -- any given night there are 107,000 homeless vets on the streets. they sacrifice their lives, come back and fall on hard times.

>> a shameful statistic. >> very shameful. coming up the performers singing about their grammy nominations this morning. >> also kris humphreys wants more than just a divorce from kim kardashian. we'll have the scoop in "the skinny." from kim

♪ skinny ♪ so skinny ♪ so skinny >> everybody loves the song. >> i love it. >> let's start with the grammy nominations came out last night. clear winners out there. people had the big night. big stars, kanye west, adele, foo fighters, and really kanye west the leader. of the pack here. he has nods in seven categories overall. on top of that album of the year nominees, adele, 21, foo fighters, wasting light. lady gaga, born this way. bruno mars, doo wops, and rihanna, loud, song of the year.

adele, roll in the deep, and bon iver ,holocen. bruno mars and katie perry. see the show february 12 in l.a. >> your prediction? >> think lady gaga will win the night. >> me too. perhaps adele's rolling in the deep. ♪ rolling in the deep i like that one. >> ooh. >> yeah. >> is there a cat in here? >> i know. i'm a shower singer. anyway -- how about this, justin bieber, justin bieber and mariah carey, they debuted "all i want for christmas is you" video. people are talking about it. felt it is too much. he is 17. she is 41. thought she was a little too sexy. >> oh. >> i am actually offended by that. so what she is a mom? so what she has two kids? she looks good. if it was reversed. a 41-year-old rock star and 17-year-old girl, no one would have a problem. >> playing the double standard.

>> because you are a sexy mom, -- sexy mom, all of a sudden it is too much. there are sexy moms out there, okay. >> i have love for the cougars. >> sexy moms. >> she looks good. jenny craig. >> sexy moms unite. >> justin bieber had a right to be excited and dance around. don't fool around, no more lawsuits. all right, more news out of the kardashian marriage, kris humphreys will seek annulment from kim kardashian. filed papers on wednesday seeking to annul the marriage on the ground of fraud, prenup, no kids. kim all along wanted an annulment. lawyers advised against it. see what a judge does. legally trying to make the marriage seem like it never existed. which probably after 72 days is the best move. >> lady gaga's recipe for good skin is simple. orgasms and spinach. >> i'm so, what was that? >> orgasms and spinach.

>> luck would spin -- liquid spinach. >> she doesn't have a man. she is taking care of her own business. god bless, girl. get some good skin, take a nice nap.

♪ isn't she lovely this hollywood girl ♪ >> that's old school britney spears i think. recognize the nontalent. finally it is time for our -- our what? boom, favorite story of the day. we have all bought a scratch-off lotto ticket once in a while. if we are lucky we win a few bucks. >> a man outside palm beach, florida was feeling lucky. he bought a ticket. the feeling paid off to the tune of $3 million. wpbf's ted white has more. >> that's tough. >> it is tough. >> reporter: the convenience store on main street in

belglade, the news spread, some body purchased a scratch off ticket and struck gold. >> i'm glad for him. >> reporter: how does it feel? >> i feel great. i'm speechless really. i'm just, still absorbing it. >> reporter: 24-year-old matthew martinez on a winning streak the day before thanksgiving. >> i had bought two of the tickets. and i won $60. won $20 and won $40. >> reporter: he returned to cash out and bought another tick it. nothing would prepare him for this. i sat in the truck outside the store, scratched the numbers and i seen it. $3 million. >> reporter: that's right. $3 million. 3 million reasons to celebrate. came straight home. showed my mom and my dad. they thought i was playing a joke on them. i was crying and yelling. i couldn't control myself. >> reporter: martinez whose brother and sister wasted no time to get to lottery headquarters in tallahassee. not bad for a young man out of work looking for a job. the last year and a half.

a proud dad. >> i'm happy for him to -- to get what he got. he deserves it. >> reporter: martinez chose the one time lump sum payment of $1.95. what does he plan to do with the cash? >> buy my mom a car. make some good investments. enjoy life and marry the woman of my dreams. >> reporter: have you found the woman yet? >> yeah, i have. >> took the lump sum. but a lot more than he had. he'll do the right thing. he wants to get married. get mama a car. doing all the right stuff. when the real people win the lottery like to see that. >> the lottery office reports the odds of winning. see, told you we should have played. told you. >> wish i had known. >> got to be in it to win it. >> could have doubled my year's salary with the money. >> the odds of winning are 1 in 2.95 million. >> congratulations. enjoy the money. do the right thing.