the outrage over a planned 32% tuition hike, nearly $2,500 a year at the mastiff university of california system. >> we've already suffered the 9% increase and it's just going to get worse and worse. >> reporter: frustrated students try to confront the board of regents and were met by police. in the end the anger fell on deaf ears. the egents approved the hike. half this spring, the balance next fall. >> i'm from the bay area. to come to l.a. it's already super expensive. i don't know if i can afford to come back to ucla next year. >> reporter: an undergraduate degree will cost over $10,000 a year, triple what it was a decade ago, well above the national average of $7,000. regents say there's no choice. >> just as they struggle for votes on health care reform, we struggle every year for votes to raise revenue. >> reporter: experts say california isn't unique. the nonprofit college board reported last month state fudding for public universities is down 12% nationwide from a year ago. those cuts pushed annual tuition up by 6% from last year, forcing many students to borrow even more. >> no more grants, loans, and 32% more? it's unacceptable. >> reporter: but perhaps inevitable until states can put more money into their public universities. in los angeles, brad wheelis, abc news. public health experts warn the number of swine flu infections nationwide could increase during the busy holiday travel season. but over the last two weeks the cdc reports the number of h1n1 cases is down. there are also recent reports to the cdc did fewer doctor visits. america online is announcing major layoffs. the internet provider plans to cut 2,500 jobs, that is one-third of its workforce. aol is offering buyouts to volunteers but if not enough employeestep forward there will be layoffs. aol separates from time warner in three weeks in what's considered one of the worst corporate marriages in u.s. history. the faa is investigating how a computer shut-down dayed thousands of flights nationwide. the four-hour outage was linked to a circuit board failure in utah. the melt-down was noticed just before the morning rush hour on the east coast, frustrating passengers throughout the day. it is the second glitch of its kind in the past year. in northern england hundreds of pem were rescued overnight after getting stranded by rising flood waters. emergency crews use the helicopters and life rafts to pull them to safety. nearly 7 inches of rain fell in 24 hours. hundreds of homes were flooded. fallen trees could be seen floating through the flooded streets. stormy from washington state to montana and on down to northern california today. lso. heavy snow in the cascades and the sierras. downpours along the texas and louisiana gulf coast. foggy in virginia and the carolinas. rain in the northeast. >> mild for most of the country. 60s from atlanta to boston. 52 in chicago. 54 in indianapolis. 55 in kansas city. a comfortable 77 in phoenix. salt lake city 63. billings 60. somebody's christmas is not going to be as merry as they thought it would be thanks to a crackdown in los angeles. >> customs agents were shocked to find 300,000 glass bongs packed in cartons labeled christmas ornaments. agents say some of the drug pipes were so colorful they did look like ornaments. the bongs are worth more than $2.5 million. >> santa's naughty list just got a little bit longer. >> we'll be right back with more "world news now." fresh, minty, handsome. mmm, minty. mindy? beautiful, isn't it? [ female announcer ] for a fresh-breath feeling that lasts up to five times longer, there's new scope outlast. nasa is hailing the success of a six-hour spacewalk by two "atlantis" crew members. a surgeon who has never been in space before joined a veteran astronaut to get the job done. they installed an antenna and cables outside the international space station. two more spacewalks are planned during this mission. and they are on saturday and monday. well, back here on earth some researchers are out with findings that can only be considered controversial. they involve how much alcohol is okay to drink and how often. >> not surprisingly some experts are already being critical. bron win jeffries of the bbc has details. >> reporter: this research was carried out in spain. the drinking culture might be different. but the findings on moderate drinking are similar to research in other countries. for men, it appears to cut the risk of heart problems by one-third. the type of alcohol made no difference. >> we've known for some time a small amount of alcohol affects the fat in the blood. and the risk of heart disease is a balance between cholesterol and other fats. and this helps that balance to be more healthy. so a small or moderate amount of alcohol will have a positive effect over a number of years. >> reporter: this study in the journal "heart" had another, more controversial finding. heavier drinkers seem to cut their risk of heart disease even more. but this isn't backed by other research and it doesn't give the whole picture. the advice on how much to drink is based on your health overall. so, drink a little bit and it could help your heart. but if you drink too much you risk damaging other major organs such as your liver and your brain. the suggesd healthy drinking limit for men is three to four units a day, and for women, two to three units a day. this research doesn't change that advice. >> for heart disease there can be a protective factor. but alcohol's associated with more than 45 different illnesses so drinking at levels beyond the sensible guidelines is likely to increase your chances of suffering from one of those illnesses. >> reporter: with the party season looming that may seem a gloomy message. heal charities say having days when you don't drink, and not having too many on a night out, is the best long-term way to protect your health. bronwyn jeffries, bbc news. >> according to the cdc, for men heavy drink is typically defined as two drinks per day. for women, heavy drinking is considered an average of more than one drink per day. >> i know a lot of heavy drinkers, then. i think a the love people have taken the advice, a glass of wine's good for your heart, and run for it. there's my excuse, i can really get blitzed and it's good for me. >> i do that every day. >> peter grimm, one of them. >> raising his hand over there. oprah winfrey announces the end of an era today. >> her blockbuster syndicated talk show is going off the air. the impact on television and op oprah oprah winfrey will make it official this morning. she is ending her iconic syndicated talk show in 2011. that, of course, major news for her fans worldwide. >> but it's hometown news for chicago where oprah's show originates. >> this is abc 7 news at 10:00. chicago's number one news. the suspense is over for fans of oprah winfrey and so is her show. her production company announcing today that she will end her television talk show in 2011. winfrey will tell viewers about their plans during tomorrow's show which will be broadcast live from chicago. >> we will have reaction from fans and a look at what this means for chicago's economy. first cheryl burton with more on the announcement itself. >> reporter: according to insiders oprah told her staff of her decision late this afternoon during a company meeting. the mood was described as emotional, supportive, and respectful. recently oprah told me twice she had to pick a decision by the end of the year, and she kept her word. >> we still have something to say to our audience that is inspirational, that allows them to be entertained in a way that only we can do. and that's why i keep coming back. >> how many more years are you going to do this? >> well, i have to make that decision. this year. that decision has to happen this year. so, i don't know the answer yet. i really, you know, have been praying about it. you'll know soon. >> reporter: that was september 8th. the day she kicked off her 24th season during a block party on michigan avenue. but it all started back in january of 1984 when the girl from mississippi began hosting "a.m. chicago" here on channel 7. >> welcome, everybody, i'm oprah winfrey the new host of "a.m. chicago" and i'm thrilled to be here. >> reporter: then, one year later it became "the oprah winfrey show." she's interviewed countless celebrities and ordinary citizens. the talk show was just one entity of the harpo empire which includes radio and publishing. >> "o." ." >> reporter: nine years ago she unveiled "o" magazine. oprah has graced every cover since except two times when her rival, ellen degeneris, and first lady michelle obama joined her. in a letter written to staff members harpo president bennett said, we want that thank you for the partnership and friendship we have shared over the years. your invaluable support has helped us to create the phenomenon of "the oprah show" that we've all been so proud to be a part of for the last 24 years. it went on to say, if you think the last quarter century has been something, then don't touch that dial. as together we plan to make history in the next 20 months and beyond. >> the city has never failed me. i could start crying right now, talking about the city. >> oprah has no plans to move from chicago. at least through september of 2011. we've also learned tonight that the harpo offices and studios in the west loop will remain open. abc 7's john garcia is joining us live from there now with that part of the story tonight. john? >> reporter: harpo studios is best known for producing "the oprah winfrey show." in reality it is a busy production studio that does work on other television shows as well as oprah.com, oprah radio, and the angel network. we're told by a spokesperson tonight all of that work will continue long after "the oprah show" ends. as word of her decision to end the ow began to spread tonight among oprah fans, reaction was immediate. at the wishbone restaurant across from harpo studios fans can hardly believe it. >> it's sad to see her go. >> i don't believe it. maybe because i don't want to believe it. i think it would be such a great loss. i think it's a negotiation ploy. >> reporter: the oprah winfrey show attracts about 7 million television viewers a day. the show means so much more to the city of chicago in terms of visibity andarketing the city. oprah's association with the city is considered by many to be one of chicago's most valuable assets. she was one of the biggest drawing cards as part of the delegation that recently went to copenhagen to pitch chicago for the 2016 olympics. >> oprah means a lot to everyone. her giving heart. >> reporter: harpo studios and productions also employs several hundred chicagoans. and anchors a revitalized west side area of development. mayor daley heard the news after her company released it to the media tonight. >> i will talk to her about -- she has huge real estate holdings on the west side. she employs quite a number of people. >> reporter: the show is also a major tourist attraction. those fortunate enough to get tickets to the taping of her show come from all over the country and the world. the economic impact is in the tens of millions of dollars. >> she is a chicago icon. you know, on the level of a michael jordan. and what that means to chicago is, you know, over 25 years a lot of eyeballs on our city. and you can't put a price tag on that. >> reporter: we expect to learn more about oprah's exact plans during that live announcement tomorrow. but we can tell you a few things. first of all, it is a closed set. no outside media is invited in. and oprah license on doing no interviews after the show. but after that show, she goes on hiatus with the show until january. >> you heard john mention it in his report, she really has helped revitalize that west loop area of chicago. brought in a lot of businesses and residential stuff because of her presence there. there's even an oprah store where you can go load up on oprah goods. this is her when she first started there. >> it's interestingly, everyone's wondering about her future. there's talk she could go on to her own network and host another show there. 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. why should you call the scooter store today? because their mobility experts are also medicare experts. and that means the scooter store is your best shot at qualifying for a scooter that costs you little to nothing. hi i'm doug harrison. pay little to nothing out of pocket. how do we do it? we know what it takes to get you your power chair it's our strength. it's our mission. and we back it up with the scooter store guarantee. if we qualify you and medicare denies your claim for a new powerchair or scooter, i'll give it to you absolutely free. i paid into medicare all my life, and when i needed it the benefit was there for me. the scooter store made it so easy. 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. "world news now" deliver your "morning papers." >> i would say that most people would consider a city council meeting a pretty boring thing. >> i've covered a few many them and yes, they are. >> ver quite boring and they drag on for a good amount of time. somebody in durango decided to surprise councilors with an unscheduled visit. they're talking about a backyard hen ordinance. a chicken just walks in, makes a couple of weird noises, and he carries a sign featuring a misspelled chicken, check marks, takes a few turns and sits in an otherwise empty gallery. they still don't know who this guy is. just some random weirdo reserve kept everyone from falling asleep. >> they laughed but they're wondering, who is this guy? >> only in colorado. >> lots of time on their hands. >> billboards are supposed to get your attention but not cause a crash. these might have the opposite effect. check out this first billboard. it's advertising a rest stop. they have you driving into the mouth of a wan. interesting. >> that's pretty cool. >> this is supposed to remind you to wear your seat belt or you'll get catapulted out of your seat. this is for a muffin company and one of the muffins fell out of the pan. >> those are cool. >> polka time! ♪ politics and foreign wars all the weather all the scores ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ tapes that roll in way too slow ♪ ♪ stuff you saw on koppel's show ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka nooits ♪ it's late at night you're wide awake and you're not wearing pants ♪ ♪ so grab your world news now mug and everybody dance ♪ ♪ have some fun be a pal every anchor buy and gal ♪ ♪ do the world news polka ♪ everybody ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ insomniacs only ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ who cares what the bosses think they're a goofy crew ♪ ♪ and if your neighbors call the cops here's all you have to do move ♪ ♪ ♪ tell them it's news to me ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ they make us work the graveyard shift that's why we go for broke ♪ ♪ so why not tune in abc and join our little joke ♪ ♪ five whole days every week we're here with a tongue in cheek ♪ ♪ and the wld news polka ♪ it's the world news polk oprah's out. after a quarter century, oprah winfrey announces today when her blockbuster talk show will go off the air. then, online evidence. investigators uncover suspicious e-mail sent by the suspected ft. hood gunman. >> there are warning signs and red flags galore. and, airport agony. the faa computer problem that delayed thousands of flights. expert advice for frustrated passengers. it's friday, november 20th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> there have been rumors in recent weeks that oprah might end her talk show because she was getting this television network and maybe she'd do something there. still, when the news came down earlier today i was a little stunned. >> it was interesting to hear her say, i'll be doing something, but not expound upon exactly what that is. whatever it is we're eager to see, the world is eager. >> good morning on this friday. i'm jeremy hubbard. >> i'm vinita nair. the countdown begins today. the end of the television era of oprah winfrey. she will announce the date of her final syndicated talk show. >> it is part of a money-making media empire of course and john hendren has the details on the announcement this morning. good morning, john. >> reporter: good morning, jeremy and vinita. america's best-known talk show host is making a surprise announcement and it may change your viewing habits. oprah era is nearly over. on friday's show, the queen of daytime television will announce "the oprah winfrey show" will end. at the close of its 25th season in september 2011. the influential syndicated talk show has made history, billions of dollars, and huge ratings. with audience give-aways and coveted interviews like this week's exclusive with sarah palin. >> let's talk about the interview with katie couric. >> must we? >> did you think that was a seminal, defining moment for you, that interview? >> i did not. >> oprah is by far the biggest television personality in the industry. she's a force. she's not just a tv star. >> reporr: the talk show star has used her fame and weth for pet causes, founding a school in africa, raising money to fight diseases, and launching spin-off stars such as dr. phil and decorator nate burkis, and organizer peter walsh. >> talk to us about this space. >> reporter: oprah's best friend, gayle ki, is famous for being -- well, oprah's friend. the host elevated chicago's profile with her own, traveling to denmark to lobby for the city's failed olympic bid, and getting emotional in grant park over the election of chicago's own back obama. >> this happened because we did this. we did this, america did this. barack's victory is america's victory. that's what's so great about it. >> reporter: a statement from oprah's production company hints her career isn't over. saying, together we plan to make history in the next 20 months and beyond. what exactly she'll be doing only oprah and her production company know. jeremy and vinita? the first test for senate democrats' health care reform package is set for tomorrow. the bill is more than 2,000 pages. one republican had threatened to have read it aloud, something that would have taken days, delaying the senate's thanksgiving break. every senate republican plans to vote no on the bill. saturday night. this morning it appears the democrats will have enough votes. the senate's plan would extend health insurance coverage to an additional 31 million americans. the full debate on the bill is expected after thanksgiving. we are getting a first look at e-mails that accused ft. hood gunman nidal hasan sent to a radical cleric with ties to al qaeda. as the pentagon promises to review the way it identifies problem soldiers, abc's brian ross has uncovered more details about major nidal hasan's past. >> reporter: major hasan still lived in this apartment comple in suburban washington last december when he began to send a series of e-mails over a six-month period to yemen. u.s. intelligence agencies intercepted 18 of them. 16 from hasan, two back from the cleric, anwar awlaki. i can't wait to join you in the afterlife, hasan wrote awlaki. according to an american official who has seen the e-mails. >> it sounds like code words. he's either offering himself up or he's already crossed that line in his own mind. >> reporter: other messages include questions, the official said. when is jihad appropriate? is it permissible if there are innocents killed in a suicide attack? the major, who investigators say sent tens of thousands of dollars overseas to islamic charities, also wrote "my strength is my financial capabilities." two fbi task forces in washington, d.c. and san diego received the intercepted messages but deemed them innocent. on capitol hill, senators questioned how that could be. >> the choice of this recipient of e-mails says a lot, i think, about what hasan was looking for. >> reporter: the american-bornal laukky is considered by authorities to be a recruiter for al qaeda. he's been in hiding since the shooting. they show hasan was "almost a member of al qaeda." >> there are warning signs and red flags galore. >> reporter: at ft. hood, federal investigators continued to gather evidence for the criminal prosecution of hasan. while the secretary of defense announced his own investigation of the incident. >> to find possible gaps o deficiencies in defense department programs, processes and procedures for identifying service members who could potentially pose credible threats to others. >> reporter: secretary gates promised a full and open disclosure. so far, that's been in short supply. members of congress say even though they have top secret clearances they cannot get their questions answered in closed, classified briefings from top intelligence officials. brian ross, abc news, new york. a north carolina man already accused of kidnapping 5-year-old shaniya davis faces charges of murder and rape. 29-year-old mario mcneil is believed to have abducted the girl from her fayetteville home. shaniya davis' body was found this week in a wooded area. her mother is charged with child abuse and human trafficking. the faa now knows what went wrong with a vital computer system that shut down, delaying thousands of flights. the system that air traffic controllers rely upon failed and investigators traced the problem to a single circuit board. it was down for four hours thursday, backing up airline traffic for much of the day. later this half hour we'll have expert advice for passengers facing frustration at the airport. nasa is calling a six-hour spacewalk involving a veteran astronaut anrookie surgeon a success. their goal, carry antenna and cables out of the international space station during their spacewalk. "atlantis" crew men michael foreman and orthopedic surgeon dr. robert satcher jr. managed to install a spare antenna and connect cables. it's the first of several spacewalks for the crew. >> i thought i'd read somebody dropped something again, that it went off into outer space. it must not have been too important because we didn't hear much about that. >> we didn't see that clip again and again. >> it wasn't the $100,000 tool bag this time. here's your friday forecast. stormy from washington state to montana and down to northern california with rain and strong winds. heavy snow in the cascades and sierras. downpours along the texas and louisiana coast. thick fog in virginia and the carolinas. and rain in the northeast. >> it will be mild for most of the country. 60s from atlanta to boston. 52 in chicago. 54 in indianapolis. 55 in kansas city. a comfortable 77 in phoenix. salt lake city at 63. billings will be 60. i know you're excited about this. moviegoers across the country could not wait to sink their teeth into the latest teen vampire drama. >> that's right, long before the "twilight" saga "new moon" opened at midnight they descended on theaters in droves. some camped out overnight to be among the first to see it. teens skipped school. groups of grown women ditched work. there were plenty of moms in the crowd. maybe even a couple of grandmas. >> wow. the first "twilight" film brought in $385 million at the box office. >> i hope i'm going to be able to get a ticket to see this this weekend. >> you might have to wait in line. i heard the taylor lautner kid -- >> hot. >> he's going to be at the building today. regis and kelly tape in this building. maybe you'll be here. maybe ylseeyou o cf&-und. is [ female announcer ] if you're using the leading sensitivity toothpaste, you may be missing some of the protection you need. only crest pro-health protects against sensitivity and all these areas in a single, all-in-one toothpaste. ♪ , crest pro-health. back to the faa computer malfunction that delayed thousands of flights nationwide on thursday. >> the system air traffic controllers rely upon failed for hours. creating a huge hassle for airline passengers. >> here with expert advice on what passengers can do in these situations is rick seeny from faircompare.com. thanks for joining us. >> great to be on. >> how does one computer start all of this? >> it's a network of computers together. usually in a secure environment. and usually has -- should have multiple redundant systems. obviously glitches occur in technology, it happens. but you know, in these kind of things you really want multiple backups and this shouldn't occur. >> it started at 5:15 a.m., one glitch, i take it it was a trickle-down effect? >> as things go on through the day it has a trickle-down effect. these are flight planning issues. it wasn't so much the planes in the air, it was filing your flight plan to get off the ground. we had the same issue last year in the atlanta area. bottom line is that the stuff that the faa has is old. it needs to be updated and we need to get that stuff updated and quit farting around with all this -- i didn't mean to say that. >> that's all right. >> no, no. >> we need to quit goofing around and get money into that system and get it upgraded. if we're going to have 75% more flights by the year 2025, let's get that thing going. >> senator sue merced the faa system is in shambles. do you agree? >> i agree. i can carry a cell phone around that has the technology they're trying to get in by 2025. it's absolutely crazy. i know it's a little more complicated than that but bottom line that's what we need. >> the question for every passenger, i thought this so many times at an airport, i'm sure you have also, if they know there's going to be delays, why can't we be notified? why don't they tell us ahead of time, four-hour delay, stay home. >> the biggest issue around the holidays is information, good ality information. sometimes the gate agents don't have good quality information. sometimes the people at the desk. one by one as 15 minutes tick off people start to explode at the airport and it gets worse. you really have to get out there. you can sign up for some of the technology and get information faster than sometimes the gate agents get it. go to airline sites. sign up for their flight status. there's a site called flightstats.com, get text messages on your phone. even your loved ones that are going to pick you up at the airport, no sense sending them in a snow storm to pick you up if you're not going to make it there. >> as for the thousands left in the lurch, delayed for hours yesterday, are there any -- is there any recourse, can they do anything? >> it's tough because the planes are extremely full. because business travelers have left the aridus in order to make up the rev the airlines are discounting a lot, getting more people on the planes so they're full, o po puso they're full, glitches on sort of an average basis 25% of flights are typically either delayed or canceled on any given day. especially when mother nature comes in the colder times. it gets really tough. the good news is right now with a lot of capacity cuts out there, we have a lot fewer flights than we did two or three years ago. >> you mentioned the notion of iscs.u mentioned the notion of i'm just curious to know, right now we're satisfying all these surcharges, things added on. was there anfrus forers are pn ably si where they feel like they're beiick the bag fees, gee ni imeg. it's really tough on consumers of air travel. really what they like about air travel is looking at the airport in ther-vie mi travel is looking at the airport in ther-vie mi and so they want to get on ose destination, have their the rest of the stuff is sort of, you know, the thing that you do all the time. if you can just get us there, get us our bags happy with it. t'sout g.h it. is it sort ofgss gohand norouys fw? >> absolutely. if this would have happened next wednesday, typically ths day of the ye thanksgivingould people think l.a. when itsun looking at out t, ifr flight inwr j delayed and it's inbound from l.a. or connecting in denver it affects you too. it can cause a trickle-down effect al acr cou. >> you were kind of saying, though, this is sort of an act of god. this is something that really is rare to have happen. >> it is rare and it shouldn't happen, it absolutely shouldn't when it dirli ly ther dirli so they will try their best to accommodate you but it'soda when there's noe toou. ttingoundrl you ml bet. ly hml bet. >> it's the mid welcome bac. the obama administration's new military plan for afghanistan is still in the works but defense secretary robert gates says if it includes sending more u.s. troops to the war zone he says those forces could get there rapidly. there are significant logistical challenges including afghanistan's lack of roads but gates says troops could move pretty quickly once orders are issued. britain is our nation's staunchest supporter in afghanistan. just aamerica's war dead come home through dover air force base, britain's soldiers come through a town called wooten basket. sonia gallego has witnessed the heartfelt welcome for the fallen. >> reporter: the bodies of two british servicemen killed in afghanistan, back home. rifleman philip allen and samuel john basset are met with this solemn tribute. their coffins passed through the town of wooten basset, their sacrifice honored. this unofficial ceremony began two years ago when a british army veteran spontaneously saluted the cortege. now the town comes to a standstill each time the afghan war dead pass through. at times, thousands have come here to pay their respects. a sharp contrast to the private ceremonies for american troops killed in combat. for 18 years the press were banned from covering their return home. until president obama lifted it this year. perhaps nowhere else in the country has the toll of the war in afghanistan been felt more strongly than here in wooten bass where the coffins are now passing through almost every week. since 2001, over 230 british troops have died in afghanistan. almost half killed this year alone. this spike in fatalities has led many here to question the war. >> what are we fighting for? how can we fight something that we don't know? >> i wish we weren't there. but we are there so the guys that are there should be given the best support possible. >> reporter: with anti-war feeling on the rise, both the prime minister and foreign minister have begun discussing a timetable for withdrawal. >> we should set a timetable for transferring districts to afghan control, starting next year in 2010. >> reporter: until then, the people here will stop and salute the fallen. sonia gallego, abc news, wooten basset, england. >> as you can see in the piece it really all has become very formal which includes the tolling of those bells. they say there's a halting of the hearses at the town's war memorial. they want to take a moment and commemorate these people coming home. >> we focus on american casualties we sometimes forget there are other nations suffering the same losses we are too. there's constant reminders of the violence going on in that part of the world. yesterday a suicide bombing in afghanistan killed 13 people. we're learning about a u.s. missile strike that has killed eight people that are suspected militants in northwest pakistan. ongoing conflict in that area. sadly we're going to see a lot more of those coffins coming home. >> certainly feels we're in that cyclical wave of people passing away. it's like your old mop's worst nightmare. ♪ [ thunder crashes ] [ man ] love stinks. ♪ love stinks! 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(announcer) aybe we could all use... a little more ! softness. with ultra downy, you're surrounded with softness. the kind you can't get from detergent alone. feel more. save a dollar at owny.com. the holiday shopping season is now just a week away and people are cranking it into high gear. >> one of the hottest big-ticket items that sell this time of year are large-screen televisions. >> our tech contributor becky worley has some advice about getting your money's worth. >> reporter: the holiday shopping season is big for tv sales. almost 40% of tvs are sold at the end of the year and retailers have conditioned us to expect big holiday price drops. here are three inside tips to find the lowest prices on big-ticket tech items like tvs. first, use an online comparison site like pricegrabber.com. it lists prices from retailers all across the web to show you the best deals. you can also set up an e-mail alert so you'll get a message if the price on your tv drops. and that brings up the next point. buy now, or wait? pricespider.com tracks an item over a six-month period. in the last six months the price on this tv has dipped below $700 a few times. that means as the holidays approach, retailers will probably drop it down again. so in this case, i'd wait to buy. and here's the final tip. even after you buy your tv you should continue to track the price. that's because many stores like this best buy have a price match guarantee. who has time to check prices every day after you buy? that's where priceprotectr.com comes in. you tell the site where you bought your tv, when you bought it, and how much you paid. priceprotectr tracks the price and e-mails you with any changes. if the price drops you go to the store and get a refund. and remember, you can use these websites and tips to buy any electronic item. not just tvs. for abc news, i'm becky worley. >> i will say unless they've changed the policies fairly recently, you're limited to the number of days that you can go back and say, that went on sale. i think it's like a 14-day window last time i tried that. >> some of these prices are ridiculously low. black friday a week away. walmart has revealed deep discounts. they have afy-inch plasma sony hd tv for $598. >> wow. >> 50-inch. i had to get an hd when they first came out, one of those huge, archaic, cumbersome ones. cost six times that. maybe i'll go to walmart. >> track it during the show. >> i'm not very patient about those things, i guess. shooting suspect. the accused ft. hood gunman's e-mail sent to a radical cleric. the secret messages revealed. then, domestic drama. what martha stewart has to say about a competitor. >> she professed that she cannot bake. >> and rachael ray's response. and, finish line. nascarans are revved up as the racing season ends. it's friday, november 20th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> i know this nascar race is huge. i have to say this martha stewart interview is also huge. it is so worth seeing. >> really? >> because it really changed my perception of her. she's very dry and sarcastic and i just thought charming. i liked her. >> interesting. we'll stick around for that. >> could i have teased it in better? >> that's pretty good. >> good morning and thanks for being with us. i'm vinita nair. >> i'm jeremy hubbard. the pentagon is launching investigations into how it can prevent shootings like those at ft. hood in the future. >> investigators are looking into how officials missed the warning signs for this rampage. john hendren is in washington this morning with more. john? >> good morning, jeremy d vinita. investigators have pored through the e-mails from the man blamed for the ft. hood shootings and what they found raises new questions. in e-mails to a radical cleric, the alleged ft. hood gunman looked forward to death. according to an american official who has seen the messages nidal hasan wrote cleric anwar awlaki, "i can't wait to join you in the afterlife." >> it sounds like code words that he's actually either offering himself up or he's already crossed that line in his own mind. >> reporter: in 18 intercepted messages hasan asked questions, the official said, such as, when is jihad appropriate? and is it permissible if innocents are killed in a suicide attack? >> the choice of this recipient of e-mails says a lot, i think, about what hasan was looking for. >> reporter: at the pentagon, defense secretary robert gates announced an investigation into extremism throughout the military. >> the shootings at ft. hood raise a number of troubling questions thatemand complete but prompt answers. >> reporter: the 45-day review requires the army, navy, air force and marines to probe how they can prevent any future incidents like the massacre in killeen, texas. the multiplying investigations include the criminal probe, a review ordered by president obama into what intelligence agencies knew, a senate judiciary committee probe, and an investigation by the senate homeland security committee. >> was this another failure to connect the dots? >> reporter: investigators have learned that hasan gave $20,000 to $30,000 a year to overseas islamic charities, and he was also apparently worried about the results of ahiv test he'd recently taken. abc news recently saw the aids drug combivir in his apartment. jeremy and vinita? >> thanks to john hendren. a north carolina man will face murder and rape charges. in the case of shaniya davis. police say he abducted the little girl from front yard. the body was found this week in a wooded area. prosecutors have charged shaniya's mother with child abuse and human trafficking. the faa is investigating a computer system shut-down that delayed or canceled thousands of flights nationwide. it's not the first time this type of problem has happened. it's raising customers concerns about passenger safety. lisa stark has more. >> reporter: as planes began backing up around the country, on the ground and in the air, the faa scrambled to unravel the glitch in the air traffic control system. >> i just walked in the airport, looked at the board, it said your flight's canceled. >> i'm tired and i'm frustrated. >> reporter: no one was going anywhere fast. extensive delays stretch from new york to atlanta to houston. by one calculation, the glitch may have caused as many as 2,000 flight delays. the problem began shortly after 5:00 a.m. eastern when a single circuit board failed in an air traffic control center in salt lake city. it meant controllers around the nation were no longer receiving information about flights electronically. instead, they had to resort to phone calls and manually inputting flight information into their computers. >> you have to type it into the computer and it's time-consuming and cumbersome. rather than the computer transferring that data around from air traffic control facility to facility. >> reporter: abc news learned the faa immediately notified the u.s. military and homeland security. we've also learned the military, which since 9/11 is supposed to get faa radar images showing the location of every plane in the air, was not getting some of that information. it managed to work around that. but as a precaution, it also began using an awac surveillce plane as an extra eye in the sky. this was is second time in a little over a year that a computer glitch brought the nation's airlines and airports to a halt, increasing calls for better and more reliable equipment. as for that system that failed in salt lake city, it will be replaced. lisa stark, abc news, washington. after two days of tense campus protests the university of california board has approved a $2,500 a year hike in student fees. that is a 32% fee increase. it pushes up the cost of an undergraduate education at the public school to more than $10,000 a year. and students complain annual fees are triple what they were a decade ago. approval for the hike came during continuing protests on campuses thursday. a test vote is scheduled for tomorrow evening on the senate democratic leadership's health care reform package. the plan, revealed by majority leader harry reid yesterday, is nearly 2,100 pages long. a republican senator claims it would take aut 48 hours to read it out loud. tomorrow night's test will show whether democrats have the 60 votes necessary to move the bill forward. it appears they do, especially since the package includes $100 million for a skeptical democrat state. after a rapid spread of swine flu this fall, federal health experts say new cases may have peaked. the cdc reports the number of infections is down over the past two weeks. there are also reports of fewer doctor visits. public health experts warn the situation could turn quickly and the busy holiday travel season begins soon. travel could be very difficult today in washington state. bracing for more heavy snow after a week of storms. after 2 feet of snow piled up in parts of the cascades yesterday alone, making it tough for drivers to get through the mountain passes. for the season, some areas have already accumulated a record 10 feet of snow. going to be a good year to ski >> you're telling me, look at that. not so good to drive, put the chains on like that poor guy. it's good snowboarding weather. here's a look at your friday forecast. that western storm brings snow into the sierras. up to 6 inches of rain in southern texas and louisiana. thick fog from virginia to the carolinas. showers from philadelphia to new england. >> 60 in boston today. 62 in new york. 82 in miami. detroit gets up to 49. omaha's 56. minneapolis 52. around 50 in seattle and portland. and 56 in a wet sacramento. >> it's been awhile since we've had a good animal story. >> has it? >> it has. >> it's been a few days. >> we used to do them every day. here's one for you today. an odd couple can be seen canoodling at a zoo in germany. >> very odd. a girl penguin named sandy has fallen head over heels with her human zookeeper. sandy spends a lot of time with andove pends a lot of time with they even travel to schools together. >> this is the second sanonce cf1 pfopegu once her beau died she went waddling right back to her first and apparently only love. >> as we just saw right there. we'll be wit wor [ female announcer ] once you switch to swiffer sweeper vac, you'll never go back to your old broom again. ♪ , ♪ [ man ] love stinks! ♪ love stinks! [ female announcer ] swiffer sweeper vac does it all. its powerful vacuum picks up the big stuff, and swiffer dry cloths trap and lock dirt and dust better than a broom or your money back. guaranteed. ♪ welcome back to "world news now." major shock waves are going through the broadcasting industry right now ahead of oprah winfrey's announcement this morning she is ending her current talk show. winfrey will tell her audience today she is ending her sin dated show's run in 2011, after it will be 25 years on the air. she's expected to start up a new show on her own cable network also in 2011. another titan of television in all things domestic is martha stewart. >> she's optimistic about her company's future despite the recession and the big losses they suffered after her legal troubles in 2004. >> in an interview with cynthia mcfadden, stewart showed her quirky and combative sides. >> reporter: despite all that has happened, martha stewart remains ever the exacting, impossibly perfect, homemaker. >> nice penmanship. >> reporter: it is that over the top attention to detail that makes her fans love her. >> since i have my own hens i always try to bring my own eggs. >> reporter: this approach lies in stark contrast to a rival domestic diva. >> beef. and baked bean chili. >> reporter: rachael ray. >> she drops things on the floor and throws them in the batter. >> to me, she professed that she cannot bake. she just did a new cookbook which is a re-edit of a lot of her old recipes. that's not good enough for me. i really want to write a book that is a unique and lasting thing. something that will really fulfill a need in someone's library. so she's different. she's more of an entertainer than she is -- with her bubbly personality, than she is a teacher like me. that's not what she's professing to be. >> well, doesn't she profess to be someone who can get you through that meal? >> but she can. oh, she can. but she does it very differently than i do. she's a totally different kind of cook than i am. i don't know if she has a garden. i don't think so. but if she does, she doesn't show that on her show so much. >> reporter: stewart was on rachael ray's show last week. >> in prison, i nt to prison by the way. >> martha stewart killed it. she was hysterical. >> i sat down with martha right after she did your show. >> no kidding, are you serious? >> and she said, "she doesn't do what i do." >> it's true. i don't. >> "it's not good enough for me." >> it's true. it's 100% true. >> it doesn't make you mad? >> why would it make me mad? her skill set is far beyond mine. that's simply the reality of it. that doesn't mean that what i do isn't important too. >> needling by martha stewart doesn't hurt? >> i don't consider it needling. i really just think she's being honest. she does have a better skill set than i do when it comes to producing a beautiful, perfect, high-quality meal. i'd rather eat martha's than mine too. >> reporter: there's definitely an audience for the classic stewart. >> furniture development. >> reporter: 2007, she led the company to a remarkable comeback. >> you're here at the largest store in the world. >> reporter: in the wake of the economic crisis, it's now time to do it again. >> windows are dirty. >> reporter: there is plenty of change afoot. all martha's enterprises are n housed in onenormous block-long office. >> that's retail design. then edit, tv edit, radio back there. >> now we're in? >> decorating over behind there. >> now we're in food? >> this is food. >> food and magazine? >> food and magazine. all this is magazine. >> so, do you love them best? >> who? >> are they your favorite child? >> who, food and magazine? no, all children are equal. >> ah. you lie. >> some are more equal than others. >> reporter: the company is in rapid expansion mode. buying emeril's company. there will soon be martha stewart cookie and brownie mixes in stores. though they're still being perfected. >> to me, though, it's still not quite a brownie. >> reporter: according to analysts, the key to further growth lies in selling her products. the end of her lucrative deal with kmart in january was a blow. but the company has responded by launching a new deal with home depot and petsmart, as well as producing a new line of green cleaning products. >> finally, green equals clean. >> everybody, lift! >> reporter: and there is the ongoing deal with macy's. >> for ambiance. >> speak english, martha. >> look how pretty that's folded. >> reporter: of course, everything has to be approved by martha. and without you there isn't a company. >> no, that's not true at all. that is not true at all. >> in your heart ohearts you believe if you got hit by a bus tomorrow, this company would go on without you? >> yes, it would. definitely. but i'm not going to get hit by a bus tomorrow. >> or the next day. >> i've already been hit by the bus. once is enough. >> well said. >> so interesting to hear how integral she is in terms of every little detail. she did say about the five months in prison, the one thing she thought was interesting is all that time spent investigating her could have been spent investigating bernie madoff. >> perhaps. she's a force to be reckoned with, that's for sure. >> she certainly is. when we return the supermodel accused of telling people to avoid eating. >> a supermodel saying that? imagine. the weekend movie premier that's attracting crowds of kids we're talking about "twilight." >> we are and we have your daily date on "twilight." that's all we've been talking about recently. it's finally november 20th so all those teenage girls with all those crazy, excited, camping out loins in front of the movie premiere finally can get a chance to see it. the kicker is it's not only teenage girls. apparently there's a whole group of women called twilight moms, something like 30,000 of them who not only enjoy the story but travel around the country for twilight mom conventions. and lest you think these are a crazy group of women, kelly ripa admitted she is a twilight mom. so right now, pattinson is telling abc it's gotten so funny to him, this crazy crowd of women, that women that are his mother's age have asked him to marry them. >> wow. >> interesting. in case you're wondering, i mean, they're expecting it to be an enormous weekend. the prerelease audience says they would probably give it $90 million worth of ticket sales so it could possibly exceed $100 million this weekend alone. >> wow. >> this is the "it" movie right now. >> the only movie that's done better than that this year is "transformers: revenge of the fallen." with all the hype surrounding this one, who knows. maybe it will go bigger than that. >> such an enormous franchise with the books and movie and continuing movies that are coming out. >> i don't know the first thing about any of them. >> watch "twilight" and you'll understand. >> maybe i will. don't you dare call eddie cibrian a cheater. >> who is he? >> an actor on "csi: miami." he's been in some movies. don't you dare call him a cheater. never mind he left his wife for leann rimes. after being caught on camera kissing her while he was still married. don't call him a cheater. because he's suing "life and style weekly" magazine for defaming him over a recent story claiming he was cheating not on his wife but on the girlfriend, leann rimes. he's seeking over $1 million and an injunction preventing the republishing of the magazine. basically this story claimed he was having an affair with an aspiring actress, both he and the actss have denied the affair, and he became tabloid fodder a few months back when he was working on a television movie for lifetime with leann rimes and things got hot and heavy, allegedly. >> he's cheating on the lady he cheated with? >> he's cheating on the lady he cheated with, allegedly. >> allegedly. >> we don't know. >> the key word to everything we say here, allegedly. kate moss. talking about ths suel who's making headlines. if you're thinking skinny, you probably might have thought of kate moss. she's at it again. she was quoted or she was saying in one of her mottos in life, this is the motto, "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." as you can imagine, a lot of people are saying this is basically an anthem, to tell young girls to avoid eating. her modeling agency has come out and said, this is part of a longer answer kate gave during a wider-ranging interview. they say it's been taken out of context and completely misinterpreted and she does not support this as a lifestyle choice. as you can imagine a lot of groups are saying, when you're in this sort of public big position with so many girls looking up to you, you cannot say things like that ever. >> she doesn't look like she's hit the smorgasbord lately. so i sort of tend to believe that she meant what she said in the interview. that there's no way to misinterpret that. >> you always hear supermodels s tef?eat. >> i don't know what that's like but perhaps it's >> bizae we don't have time for c to re at "g"? >> peter, are you going to go >> no. >> right. >> he hasn't been to the movies since "gone with the le g asleep or staying asleep... remember 2-layer ambien cr. the first layer helps you fll 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 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. here's some stories to watch today on abc news. the convicted mastermind of a plot to blow up chicago's sears tower is due to be sentenced today. batiste could face up to 70 years in prison. two accomplices were sentenced yesterday. the u.n. security council meets with german leaders today to look for new ways to put pressure on iran. that's after iranian leaders refused to stop uranium enrichment. astronauts at the international space station may take another look at the shuttle "atlant "atlantis" to look for any problems after its launch. previous inspections revealed only a few minor issues. finally this half hour the annual end of a very long road. the nascar season which began in february reaches its final finish line on sunday. >> lots of left turns. the times have changed for nascar which has gone from a regional curiosity to a worldwide phenomenon. as abc's michael barr reports. >> from the charlotte motor speedway -- >> reporter: for years, nascar was known for its towel-chewing, get up on the wheel and stand on it drivers from the south. from richard petty to the late dale earnhardt. these are the faces of nascar today. polished, clean-cut drivers who are more madison avenue than moonshine. >> it's all i've ever done. i'm glad it's worked out because i don't know what the hell i'd be doing otherwise. >> reporter: three-time chpion jimmie johnson is from california and so is his teammate jeff gordon who's married to a supermodel. nascar's come a long way since the days of prohibition and fast cars delivering illegal whiskey and outrunning police. the sport originated in the southeast. now many drivers are from out west. the sponsors have changed as well. motor oils and tobacco have given way to m&ms. for over 30 years the series itself was called winston now sprint is the title sponsor. back in the day, many times you had to wait to see a race. abc's "wide world of sports." that was mixed in with the world lumberjack championships. today it's flag to flag live coverage, multiple cameras around the track and in the car. with the speed and the dramatic crashes -- for the most part that has stayed the same. michael barr, abc news. >> and we've got the vibe going right here. careful, now, we only can turn left. >> almost spun us out. >> wait, there's a car behind, i think that's cbs "up to the minute." >> that's jimmie johnson, i've got to floor it. >> that's right. he might overtake -- >> he only has to finish 25th to win. >> he's really on fire, isn't he? it's history-making. >> i think we just got bumped. >> let's play bumper cars now. >> they say rubbing is racing, right? you get bumped up you really know that you're doing something. wow, a