what a bad picture that shows the country. >> zipty doo dah, zipty eh. my oh my what a wonderful day ♪ >> we could hear more details about the deal when president obama hosts a town hall meeting later this morning at the university of montana. that too will get pretty hot. >> better singing than crying. the pentagon is announcing today the time has come to end don't ask, don't tell. that's the policy that bans gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military. it will be abolished in 60 days. the announcement will take place in an event at the pentagon this afternoon shortly after new defense secretary leon panetta is formally sworn in. two suspects are in custody in connection with the brutal beating of a san francisco giants fan at l.a. dodgers stadium in march. brine stow is listed in serious condition from that attack. he spent months in a coma and the new arrests could mean another suspect who's already being held for the beating will be exonerated. a new nfl labor daily could be in place by the end of the day. at a meeting in georgia yesterday, league owners approved a new ten-year agreement that would end the current four-month lockout. nothing that is easy, though. the players have yet to vote on that agreement. they still say there is no deal. but if they approve it today, team facilities would be back open tomorrow. an e elosive charge is being made against james murdoch, the son of media mogul rupert murdoch. the testimony he gave british lawmakers on tuesday about the ongoing phone hacking and bribery scandal is being questioned by a former adviser, among others. they say murdoch knew about the extent of the hacking years ago and that there's e-mail evidence to back that up. a california judge is telling lindsay lohan to get cracking on her community service. lohan was told yesterday that she needs to complete 480 hours of service by next april and there will be no extension. also, lohan was told she must enroll in psychological counselling. she has to complete three anti-shoplifting classes by her next court appearance in october. do you own apple stock? if you do you'll like this story. apple is on the verge of becoming the world's most valuable company. with more than 6 billion in cash on hand, the company may be looking to buy the online video service hulu. neal karlinsky reports. >> reporter: there's the ecocomy that we all live and breathe. stagnant growth and lingering unemployment. and then there's apple. >> apple. and the earnings solidly beat expectations. apple came out with a gang buster number -- >> they have done it again. >> reporter: the tech giant's success this beak defies normal economics. consider this. the ipad, a form of device that never existed, has been adopted by consumers faster than any other new technology. already in 16% of households in just over a year. by comparison, it took the cell phone nine years to reach that point. the color tv also took nine years. >> apple has caught a wave for the past decade of inventing and reinventing things that people really, really want. >> reporter: listen to what steve jobs told me after unveiling the first iphone just four years ago. >> it's very clear to us that the world's going mobile. >> reporter: little did we know he was already working on the ipad, which has since spawned imitatorers, even counterfeiters. look at this fake apple store in china. all rip-offs. with apple's success, a whole new economy in apps. developers have raked in $2.5 billion. >> it's started entire new companies who in turn become very successful and make money for themselves. >> reporter: unlike traditional companies which sell products people like, apple has managed to do somemeing unique. to sell things people love. and change the way we live in the process. neal karlinsky, abc news, seattle. >> you've heard of the kentucky derby. the preakness, and of course the belmont. forget all about those races. >> who cares about the triple crown when this weekend is the big wiener dog race. racing event in your hometown of seattle. they held some qualifiers yesterday ahead of the big showdown tomorrow. oh yeah. >> you don't mess with the weiner. the winning dog's owner gets cool prizes including a weekend away with their hot dog, you get to bring the wiener dog. what? >> i'm sorry. it's clearly friday here. have you ever owned a wiener dog, messed with a wiener dog? >> i would get a dachshund. i do like those dogs. >> she's pushing me to get one. >> little long-haired dachshunds, they're supposed to be great dogs. you lot of the westies. >> i like little dogs, i'm one of though those. don't likekehe purse dogs but i like -- >> a little wiener. we'll be back with more "world news now" right after this. [ male announcer ] every day, thousands of people are choosing advil. my name is lacey calvert and i'm a yoga instructor. if i have any soreness, i'm not going to be able to do my job. but once i take advil, i'm able to finish out strong. it really works! [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] make the switch. take action. take advil. [ male announcer ] make the switch. i hope you're ready because it's time for the -- ready -- favorite story of the day. >> got it right today. >> that was very good. we all know the times are tough and for many that means cutting corners to save a little bit of cash. >> the overruled, florida, jail is taking cutting corners to an extreme. to save on the budget it is cutting corners of toilet paper they issue to the inmates. wftv's kenneth craig reports on the government waste. >> reporter: they are life's basic necessities that must be stocked at the orange county jail. foodod clothing. even toilet paper. but we found out taxpayers almost paid for a lot more than just the basics. about $118,000 too much. >> and that's huge. >> that's enormous. >> reporter: the toilet paper almost got the county's stamp of approval. until the $274,000 annual bill popped up on a recent agenda. it caught the eye of commissioner jennifer thompson. >> it seemed dollar for dollar that that may be a little more than i'm paying for my charmin at home. >> reporter: we learned that year-long contract with the toilet paper vendor was more expensive than 12 other bid that does were all thrown out. we're told that happened because they didn't meet the jail's strict standards. they took into consideration the size of the rolls, their weight, even the number of sheets. they even threw out some of the rolls because they say they wouldn't fit on the dispenser. thompson tells us it turns out when the county took a second look, that wasn't a problem. they also realized the opportunity to go with a much cheaper state contract that will save taxpayers nearly $100,000 over three years. we're told that is how the jail will get the toilet paper from now on. >> you know what, i know this is not -- orlando's not the only area where this has happened. but i mean, how -- >> it's a good place to cut back. although this is a roll here -- we did the toilet flush. >> of course. >> this is a pretty decent roll. some of the rolls here are on the cheapy side. who knew cheapy was so expensive. newark, san francisco, two other places where they're cutting back on tp. >> that square looks small to me. >> this is two-fly. >> this seems like a small square to me. tough times. oh, man. we'll be right back, stay with us. one of the most-anticipated summer movies opens today. we're talking about "captain america: the first avengers." >> peter traverse, "rolling stone" film critter and host of abc news now's "popcorn" sat down with chris evans. >> i'm going to start by asking you in the most concise manner possible to tell those poor souls that never -- they don't know what a marvel comic is, they never read it. this is the first avenger. your guy steve rogers is not the second avengers. >> he's the first. >> who cares? first avenger i really care about. who is he? >> he's a guy, he's living during the time of world war ii, he's got a laundry list of ailments, shortcomings. >> he can't enlist. >> can't enlist. he's trieded multiple times in multiple cities. lied on his application form just to have multiple chances. every time it's 4f. unfit for service. and he's discovered by this doctor. dr. erskine. played by steny tucci. stanley tucci sees qualities in him fitting for the experiment he's about to undergoing. >> because he's a good may be. in the face of all the things that life has dealt him, i think it's pretty easy for most people to become jaded. he's fallen victim to none of that. he still chooses to do the right thing. because it's the right thing to do. he's an incredibly noble guy. he's got good values. he's not doing it for people to see and for people to say, good jojo to give him praise. he's doing it because it's the right thing to do. >> yet while you're playing steve rogers, you are a 90-pound weakling. >> that's right. >> i looked at that and i said, wait a minute. >> isn't it good? the special effects? >> it's amazing. >> so good. >> so i thought you were going to sit here and tell me as an actor with theater back-ground that you just did it. >> went and lost 90 pounds. >> at least he had to be 90 pounds, right? >> would have been nice to have done that. time did not afford it. but it wasn't just about the weight. when you see what they did, i just saw this great behind the scenes thing here going to put in the dvd. they didn't just make me skinny. they, you know, shrunk my frame and took out my jawline and made my cheek -- certain things that just -- it was -- it was structurally based. my skeleton was smaller. so no matter how much weight i lost it wouldn't have achieved what they were looking for. >> rogers, steven. >> just give me a chance. >> sorry, son. i'm saving your life. >> what is a typical day in the life of chris evans when he's not working? >> when i'm not working? those are the best days. >> what happens? >> i'm a late -- >> you get up in the morning -- maybe you get up in the afternoon. >> i was going to say, morning? a.m. hours? probably not. no, i like to sleep in. i have a dog. and i'm a huge dog guy. >> so am i. >> love my dog. so my day is p ptty much -- >> what kind of dog is he? >> american bulldog. his name is east. >> east? >> yeah, yeah. he's great. so i spend a lot of time with if i'm back in boston and the weather's nice my buddies and i will go out and play some sports. pickup basketball, football, things like that. if i'm not working i'm usually reading scripts. if you're not working you're looking at the next thing. >> it's time for the last question. >> bring it on. >> this is every guest that't' n this show. >> write it on. >> it always involves song. i leave this up to you, chris. >> i'm ready. >> this song is yours. >> i don't know -- >> what did they sing to you, your parents, as children? >> my mother sang the kenny loggins song. pooh corner? ♪ christopher robin and ialked along under branches lit up by the moon ♪ do you guys know? song? come on. that's it, come on, i did it, i gave you a verse. >> that's sweet. he's a cute actor. we do need to say that was made by marvel studios which is owned by disney. >> rotten tomatoes already 71%. the e reviews have not been goo. oh, that's the sequel. >> that's the real captain america, take it away. challenge that with olay regenerist night elixir. its gentle glycolic formula resurfaces at night for the smooth skin of a light chemical peel. sleep tight. regenerist, from olay. my name is lacey calvert and i'm a yoga instructor. if i have any soreness, i'm not going to be able to do my job. but once i take advil, i'm able to finish out strong. it really works! [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] make the switch. take action. take advil. thank you, ma'am. this is peggy's final day with us on "world news now" after five months. we have cupcakes here. >> i can't believe it. >> sparkling cider. the bourbon's in my office. >> you cannot ask for a better crew. you guys are the best. i've only been here for a short time. everybody's been so fantastic. i can't imagine working with nicer people so thank you so much for being so great to work with. >> we're going to miss you. thank you so much for doing these crazy hours and having so much fun. it makes such a huge difference on the show. >> cheers to everyone. cheers to all the viewers at home too. >> to you. salud. >> it is friday. so say it one more time. >> whoo-hoo, let's foal ka! ♪ 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 ♪ ♪ it's late at night you're wide awake and you're not wearing pants ♪ ♪ grab your world news mug and everybody dance ♪ ♪ have some fun be a pal every anchor guy and gal ♪ ♪ do the world news polka ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ they y ke us work the graveyard schiff 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 tongue in cheek and the world news polka ♪ ♪ do the world news polka ♪ i said now do the world news polka ♪ thank you, thank you very much. >> all right, all right, all right scla. >> a a you ready? >> yes. ♪ welcome home! you'veve served your country. and now that you've completed your service... you've g lots of opportunities for r your future. but health comes first. sign up for hethcare at your nearest va. or are you thinking about a job or school? e g.i. bill can help pay for college.. and va's job assistance can prepare you for a career. want to buy a house? see if you qualify for a zero-down vava home loa. it's your va take advantage of your benefits. [ malennouncer ] find o more at va.gov/myva. this morning on "world news now," millions in misery. the giant heat dome that is trapping the eastern half of the country in a hellish air mass. it is taking its toll. >> the northeast, temperatures should hit the triple digits, an unprecedented danger. it is friday, sxwrjuly 22nd. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, i'm peggy bunker. >> i'm rob nelson. happy fridayayeverybody. on top of the heat and humidity, even the air quality in many cities is in the danger zone. as people turn up the ac, power companies are taking precautions to prevent blackouts. it is amazing the the ripple effectctwith so much of the country in this oven for the last several days. it could go well into the weekend. >> i can't walk the dogs, i can't take the babies out for a stroll. it's too hot to leave the ac. >> let's leave now, get a cold beer, call it a weekend. lawmakers on capitol hill are also feeling the heat over federal debt negotiations. they could be a step closer to a long-awaited deal. if you're not outraged about this, perhaps you have deal fatig fatigue. most americans are pretty upset. this seems ridiculousshat the people we elect to be able to pull this off have not been able to do so until now. >> we keep saying august 2nd but they have to get a bill crafted and passed before august 2nd. they have to get it done several daze before then. we're in crunch time but at least a glimmer of hope. air conditioned movie theaters sound like a wonderful idea for your weekend. we'll preview two hits coming out. one, justin timberlake's film "friends with benefits." we've all been there. and look at the "captain america" superhero picture in our insoomny yak theater. >> did you just say that? >> i said it. >> we're going to go into detail that that a little bit later. the enormous heat wave melting records across the country. >> half the nation is wrapped in a hot and potentially deadly shroud. t.j. winick has the very latest. >> reporter: good morning, rob and peggy. here in new york city, we are expecting a high of 101 degrees later today. that would tie the all-time record. how hot is it? the crown of the iconic statue of liberty in new york was closed to the public at 2:00 p.m. thursday because the temperature inside reached 110 degrees. 45% of the entire u.s. population, 141 million americans across two dozen states, are now under heat advisories. chicago is experiencing its warmest july in 34 years. >> it takes your breath away. it's very hot, sweaty, gross. >> reporter: as temperatures soar across the midwest, utility crews tackle wididpread power outages. >> we don't even have fans. so it's -- no air moving. >> reporter: in fact, demand on a grid which transmits electricity to all or part of 13 states and washington, d.c. may have hit record levels thursday. new yorkers are bracing for a similar situation. power outages are expected to pop up over the next three days. >> if we need to deliver dry ice, we can do that. if we need to roll generators, we can do that. >> reporter: back in philadelphia, runners quickly climbed the steps that rocky made famous. the mercury rising almost as fast as they did. >> humidity makes it really tough. the air is kind of heavy and thick. and so with that it was sometimes hard to breathe. >> reporter: doctors warn that in these extreme conditions, our bodies even at rest can lose a quart of fluid an hour. that's why considers say we should wear light clothing, not go outside unless we have to, and of course, drink plenty of water. rob and peggy? >> oh my goodness, that water looks so the good. if you're up right now watching us and you're not used to being up this late it could be you have insomnia. hot weather can make you an insomni insomniac. your body's cooling system isn't working as well so it keeps you up. >> take a cool shower to help cool your body down. cool showers are oftentimes a good thing. >> sounds like a good idea. as the big apple bakes, new yorkers have somewhere safe and cool to seek a little bit of refuge. 500 cooling centers have been and they'll remain open most of the weekend. everyone is welcome to go there and cool off but officials are especially concerned about the elderly. and here's one way to beat the heat in michigan. grand rapids ice scucutor randy finch carved out ice chairs to cool off on for a good cause, part of a red cross fund-raiser to help the homeless. that looks refreshing. i'd take a seat. >> cools off one area. you need the whole effect. >> it's an important area. okay, let's take a look at your friday forecast now. because this is going to be the top story today. hail and gusty winds from billings to the dakotas, minneapolis, chicago, detroit, and cleveland. thunderstorms from louisville to the gulf coast. showers in florida and northern new england. down pours across colorado and new mexico. >> 98 in albuquerque. 106 in phoenix. 86 in fargo. upper 90s in the dallas and kansas city. the northeast also hovers around the 100-degree mark. 93 in atlanta. and 90 in the big easy. and on to our other major story this morning. it is an emerging deal to resolve the debt crisis. the white house and republicans are in serious talks over the plan. it would cut up to $3 trillion in spending over the next 10 years. now this would also include a commitment to tax reform and also to increase revenue by lowering rates and closing loopholes. all sides agree that a deal is needed urgently. >> we are going to not let -- the u.s. government cannot default on its obligations. >> the congress must act before august the 2nd. >> i'm going to keep members of congressssere as long as it takes to get it done. >> that's good to hear. we could hear more details about the deal when president obama hosts a town hall meeting later this morning at the univivsity of maryland. more political nits now. john edwards faces even more costly legal problems. the federal government says the edwards campaign should repay the government more than $2 million. auditors say the edwards campaign understatedts cash on hand and overstated its expenses. last month edwards was indicted for illegally accepting campaign contributions. nfl owners and players are now edging toward a new labor deal. the owners yesterday approved a new tentative ten-yes, sir agreement to end the current four-month lockout. ayer representatives did not vote on this. their union chief was quick to say there was no deal just yet. the league has canceled its annual hall of fame game which kicks off the preseason schedule. a major dedelopment in the case of a san francisco giants fan who was severely beaten back in march. two new suspects have now been arrested. brian stow was beaten after watching his team play the dodgers on opening day. he was in a coma for months. last month he was upgraded to serious condition. is they new arrests could mean a suspect already in custody will now be exonerated. two women are dead after an accident involving a commuter train and a car in suburban chicago. investigators in oak forest say the victims were in the car that was dragged about a quarter of a mile after the crash. the front of the commuter train derailed. none of the passengers was seriously injured. thousands of workers in central florida are getting layoff notices today now that nasa is out of the shuttle business. 18,000 people once earned their living as part of the shuttle program. wftv's kevin oliver reports on the end of an era. >> reporter: 30 years and three months after nasa's first shuttle debuted, "atlantis" slipped into the kennedy space center just before sunrise and brought the shuttle program to a close. the commander radioed mission control after rolling to a stop, a tradition since the first landing. >> after serving the world over 30 years the shuttle earned its place in history and has come to a final stop. >> reporter: as the sun came up and the convoy moved in to get the final four astronauts out, dozens of workers came out to the runway to see "atlantis" and greet the crew. >> i saw grown men and grown women crying today. tears of joy. to be sure. >> reporter: within 24 hours of "atlantis'" tlanding 2,300 workers will be laid off including 1,800 at kennedy space center. nasa ended the program so billions spent to maintain and lodge the orbiters could be diverted to a yet to be designed rocket which would allow astronauts to travel farther than the space station or earth's orbit. when the crew emerged the commander said he hoped the shuttle served as ann inspiratin even in retirement. >> if we set those steps right now and they continue with that next generation of space explorers, then i consider our job here complete. >> reporter: workers didn't put "atlantis" back in the barn right away. instead, they allowed the shuttle to bask in the sunlight a little bit longer so workers could take in the end of this era. at the height of the space shuttle program there were 16,000 workers out here at the kennedy space center. the center director says by the time all the layoff notices go out, only 9,000 will remain. at the kennedy space center, kevin oliver for abc news. >> historic moment yesterday, record crowd out there and parts of the shuttle will be relics in museums across the country. >> a lot of folks want the one of those shuttles to end up back in houston where they had the space center there. not to be. >> glad d e guys bar back home on the ground safely. a southern california man could go home as early as today with a new lease on life. frank murdoch is one of the few people in the world to receive three transplanted organs. just recently the navy veteran was given a new heart,t, new kidney too. surgeons admit the operation was a challenge for this very grateful patient. >> to me, this was a miracle. and i bless anybody who's an organ donation out there and let them know that, you know, this is where they go. they go to veterans. they go to people who need them. >> yeah, it's a tricky surgery. it's tricky because he had first lung transplant so it made the heart transplant a little more tricky. and as far as the kidney transplant it's tricky because we have to balance all the different functions of the organs and make sure that the patient's not on medications that will damage the kidney. >> the miracle of modern medicine. doctors say that murdoch can now expect to live a long, healthy life and also see his 11-year-old son grow up. >> amazing story. lucky guy. there is some medical ingenuity in this next story as well. this involves a tortoise that is rolling on with life after a serious injury. check this out. >> i love this story. 12-year-old gamma is sporting a prosthetic wheel in place of his left front leg which had to be amputated. it's believed he suffered a severe burn and that's what made the amputation necessary. >> poor little guy. this is where it gets scientific. veterinarians say that the wheel cost about 7 bucks. they bought it at ace hardware. they're calling him at&t, all-terrain tortoise. good brain power put to work there. >> keep on rolling. >> 7 bucks and we're on our way. >> we'll be right back with more "world news now." 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[ male announcer ] and now new and improved febreze fabric refresher with up to two times the odor elimination so you can breathe happy, guaranteed. with up to two times the odor elimination from body and bath shops? with olay get what you love at half the price with new olay body collections, tantalizing fragrances and olay moisturizing ingredients that transform lathering into lavishing. olay body collections. as members of congress and the president, as we've mentioned, have been inching towards a debt deal all week long during heated talks as the rest of the country says, what is going on? get this done. >> even outside the beltway everyone was talking about the literal heat around the country. for everything else that made headlines the last few days here is "the week in quotes." >> my hope is we can start gathering everybody in the next couple of days to choose a clear direction and to get this issue resolved. >> we're going to stay in session every day. >> every day, monday through sunday. and get this problem fixed. >> we've had enough. we want you to work together. >> get it done, for god's sake. >> there's no way that a reporter can come in with the kind of salacious, page one stories that "the news of the world" was running without an editor saying, how'd you get that story? who was your source? >> how powerful was rurkd in britain? >> immensely powerful. the view of every prime minister in the last 30 years is no one can get elected without the blessing of the patriarch. >> i would just like to say one sentence. this is the most humble day of my life. >> so today the guy's testifying in front of particle a.m., gets hit with a pie. police aren't sure whether it was curly or mo. >> is she or has she left florida? >> i certainly couldn't disclose anything like that. >> she'll probably be able to wrestle out of this about $1 million. >> people may not want to touch casey anthony because they don't want her to profit from what they see as someone who got away with murder. >> very hot today. >> it's too hot. it's so hot. over 100 and something. >> unless we can get humanitarian aid into this part of the world, unless we can scale up our operations to meet the growing need, this could -- this crisis could turn into a catastrophe. >> it is japan's world cup! >> they'll be able to see how far japan can go, evevewith everythi everything. >> pretty amazing week when you look at all of that. >> it isis amazing on many leve, in fact. as you announced yesterday, this is your final day here. >> my final day on the show, on overnights. i'm going to miss you all so much. everyone's been fantastic. final day. >> how's it feel so far? >> good. bittersweet always. >> of course, exactly. we have a few surprises up our sleeves. some pictures and some music for you. some good stuff. looking good in front of the anchor desk, i like that, nice pic. >> all right. when we return, more animal stories. i can't get enough of them. >> when wild bears venture into not so wild places they get unwanted attention. we'll get into that and more when we come back on "world news now." bear sightings should be reserved for nature hikes and the discovery network. that's about it. but now they're getting a little too chose to home. >> they come into our turf or we go into their turf. they're showing up in backyards. they're looking to more than a picnic basket. >> reporter: what do a new jersey pool, a seattle-area home, and the new mexico governor's mansion all have in common? >> he's up a tree! >> reporter: bear trouble. big bear trouble. >> it's a black bear. i cannot belieie it. it's in our yard. >> reporter: wildlife officials are already calling it the summer of the bear. >> the reason that we're seeing more bears coming down into these areas is because of the hot, dry weather. and the lack of natural forage that they would depend on. >> reporter: in pennsylvania, another bear in a backyard pool. this time playing w wh a ball. outside seattle, cameras captured a standoff between police and a bear in a driveway, just blocks from an elementary school. >> we're talking about an adult bear here, jumping all sizes of fences with ease, growling and charging people. >> reporter: not far away, one was shot with a frank lieser to get it out of a tree behind some apartments. after a semi-soft landing it was hauled off and banished to the woods. in new mexico, the governor is now asking the public to be on guard for bears displaced by wildfires after seaing this not so little guy strolling outside the governor's mansion. in a strange way, officials say there is good news in all this because it means there are more bears after years of urban sprawl driving them away. >> really doesn't bother me. i've lived in this neighborhood, i'm here all the time. >> reporter: best advice, keep your garbage locked up tight. bears don't like people, they just want your leftovers. neal karlinsky, abc news, seattle. >> working in news we've done tons of stories on bears. they say at least from when i did the story, your barbecue and bird feeder are the main reasons you're going to get a bear in your backyard. >> that's what brings them in. that's when the bear got in your backyard. >> i'm not a hunter, bears are welcome in my house. >> you've got the bear under control. i'm impressed. ake 'em out, throw 'em away and never see them again. 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"captain america" is get something reviews saying this is a terrible movie, that it's not really worth going to see. others are saying they love the story line so much they want to check it out. we have new faces that are starring in this movie so you might go for fresh folks that are in it. also someone from the cnn.com, rather than fight against the character's flag-waving, nazi-bursting roots embrace it. take a listen to what we're talking about. >> i did it. >> yeah, yeah. i think we did it. >> how do you feel? >> taller. >> okay. so if you like the generation period films and costumes, maybe you'll like it. got some good action. that's the one thing all the reviewers are saying, g gat action. >> this may not be a movie you necessarily go see. >> i think it looks pretty good. you and i are having a debate over whether this is possible to have the friends with benefits, something that's even viable. >> are you saying you've nev my name's reggie. just recently, my wife and i took in her sister's children. now, we already had 4, so i went from becoming a family man to a man witith a bigger family. and you can't eat love, so i don't know how i'm going to feed them tonig. how w was that, reg? i think i look more like denzel. that's cold, man. anuncer: play a role in ending hunger. visit feedingamerica.org/hunger and find your local food bank. you walk into a conventional mattress store, it's really not about you. thy y say, "well, if you want a firm bed you can lay on one of those, if you want a soft bed you can lay on one of those." we provide the exact individualization that your body needs. this is your body there. you can see a little more pressure in the shoulders and in the hips this is your body there. then they start telling us, "well, yeah-i feel sore right there in the morning." my lower back. that's right where i've been experiencing pain. now you can feel what happens as we raise your sleep number setting and allow the bed to contour to your individual 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heat warnings and advisories impact nearly half the american population. it's having an impact on farm crops as well. you can expect fewer tomatoes at the market. we're going to tell you why that's the case. >> that's the real tragedy, tomatoes. >> there's a lot of animals that are suffering. >> that's true. >> there's not a lot of water so crops are really suffering everywhere. we're hearing about animals -- chickens dying from lack of ac. >> it's crazy. >> very hot. >> i was watching the local news on my way in about 11:30 tonight. heat index in new york was 97 degrees at 11:30 tonight. >> and very soupy. >> it is hotter than two squirrels making love in a wool sock. >> i was waiting for a good one, ththe you go. also this half hour, president obama's former chief of staff and new mayor of chicago refused to answer reporters' questions about where his kids attend school. we've asked you on our facebook page, was rahm emanuel's conduct out of line? >> oh, boy. politicians hate this question. they really don't want to answer personally. >> politicians of that level are wealthy and most of them go to private school. most everyone realizes that's the reality. it's not politically correct. >> this is a big issue when the obama girls went to d.c., where are they going to attend school? of course they went to a lovely private school. also the new england guy who bought a used car and insisted this car he bought was a lemon. you're going to see how he took action after discovering this problem and got in trouble with the police. >> a little bit of parking lot rage in effect with this story. >> back to the squirrels and the sock. >> i lived in the south for a while. we begin with the stubborn heat putting a strain on power grids across the country. >> we're talking about excessive heat. the warnings have been issued from kansas to massachusetts. philadelphia canceled summer school for today. big cities like new york are offering cooling centers and free swimming. >> let's get the latest from abc's t.j. winick. good morning, t.j. >> reporter: good morning, rob and peggy. here in new york city we're expecting a high of 101 degrees later today. that would tie the all-time record. it is hot outside. but life goes on. you just deal with it. even if you're on this construction crew in philadelphia. >> can't describe it. just very hot out. the humanity, it just kills you. all you can do is try and stay hydrated and keep an eye on each other. >> reporter: it's expected to hit 101 in philly, breaking the all-time record. but it's not just there. 45% of the entire u.s. population, 141 million americans across two dozen states, are now under heat advisories. the weather is being blamed for at least 22 deaths nationwide. chicago is experiencing its warmest july in 34 years. >> it takes your breath away. it's very hot, sweaty, gross. >> reporter: as temperatures soar across the midwest, utility crews tackle widespread power outages. >> it's very difficult because we don't even have fans. so it's no air moving, difficult to sleep. we don't have any hot water. >> reporter: new yorkers are bracing for a similar situation. power outages are expected to pop up over the next three days. with a city likely breaking its record for power consumption. back in philadelphia, runners quickly climb the steps that rocky made famous. the mercury rising almost as fast as they did. >> humidity makes it really tough. the air is heavy and thick. with that it was sometimes hard to breathe. >> reporter: doctors tell us the best thing to avoid a problem is dress in light clothing. don't go outside unless we absolutely have to. and of course, drink plenty of water. rob and peggy? the ultra-hot conditions are also taking a toll on roads especially in the midwest. repair crews had to scramble t t fix two lanes on a busy highway in st. louis. it buckled in the heat and backed up traffic for miles. the heat wave is putting the squeeze on this year's tomato crops. wild tomatoes need heat to thrive. too much of it dramatically cuts down production. some farmers in tennessee are complaining their first crop of the summer only yielded half as million tomatoes as usual. >> we'll see that reflected at the grocery store i'm sure. take a look at the forecast. strong storms with a chance of tornados montana to minnesota and also ohio. thunderstorms louisville to memphis, birmingham and new orleans. scattered showers in maine and florida. don't make me laugh. heavy rain in the four corners region of the southwest. >> phoenix is the hot spot at 106. colorado springs hits 98. mostly 90s from the twin cities to dallas and along the east coast. and expect 97 in boston and 102 in baltimore. it does look like the white house and republicans are in serious talks to resolve the nation's debt crisis. it's probably about time now. the plan w wld slash up to $3 trillion from the budget over the next 10 years. this would also include cuts to entitlement programs and higher medicaid premiums for wealthier retirees. also there would be a commitment to closing tax loopholes. and now to that question that led chicago's mayor to walk out of an interview. a reporter asked rahm emanuel who's of course known for his short fuse about his children's education. abc's jonathan karl reports on what h hpened next. >> reporter: newly elected chicago mayor rahm emanuel's famously hot temper was on display in an interview. with wmaq-tv chicago. when he angrily refused to answer a question about where his kids will go to school. >> oh, marianne, let me break the news to you. my children are not in a public position. and as long as i'm -- >> you don't think it will be news where they go to school? >> no, i think you will do that, but let me be really -- you're asking me a value statement, not a policy. no, no, you have to appreciate this. my children are not an instrument of me being mayor. my children are my children. >> reporter: political leaders, of course, have a right to family privacy just like everyone else. but the where do your kids go to school question is not a new one. last year, president obama was asked if his daughters would get as good an education in a d.c. public school as they do in private school. >> i'll be blunt with you, the answer is no right now. the d.c. public school systems are struggling. when new jersey governor chris christie was asked about his kids on a pbs call-in show. >> you don't send your children to public schools, you send them to private schools. so i was wondering why you think it's fair to be cutting school funding to public schools. >> first off it's none of your business. i don't ask you where you send your kids to school, don't bother me about where i send mine. >> reporter: as for rahm? >> i have so many questions to ask you -- >> and i look forward to a future interview. >> reporter: after storming off he called another station to say his kids will be going to private school. jonathan karl, abc news, washington. >> this is our facebook question of the day. it's definitely stirring up a lot of conversation in our news room. is this okay to ask a political figure who's making decisions about schools in their town, is it okay to ask them about their personal situation? >> people chiming in already on facebook. >> a lot of people of saying it's open territory. it's open turf for them to say. chuck says so. >> chuck says it. >> chuck says it's okay to ask. chuck says it's not okay to walk off in an interview. see what else chuck is saying. >> chuck says a lot. this is an old argument, people have been asked for many years and most of these politicians are wealthy and send their kids to private school. very few are in public schools. a lot of big metro area public school systems are not in great shape and politicians know that. i don't think it's shocking. may not sound good politically but it's not shocking. >> a lot of folks don't have the resources to send their kids to private schools so they want to know what their political leaders are doing. the parliament testimony from rupert murdoch's son about his company's phone-hacking scandal is now in question. on tuesday james murdoch told british lawmakers that he did not know t t full extent of hacking done by the staff at "news of the world" but his former legal adviser and a former editor are now claiming that there's e-mail evidence that murdoch knew about the scope of the hacking that took place years ago. james murdoch is denying any misleading testimony. also, the man who tried to hit rupert murdoch with a shaving cream pie is due in court today. 26-year-old jonathan may-bowles has already been charged for that attack. in new england an unhappy customer is in trouble with the law after a smash-up at a used car lot. police in new hampshire say david cross was not pleased with a van he brought. so when he brought the vehicle back, police say he got some attention when he expressed his ououage by crashing the van into six other cars on the lot. >> he wasn't happy with it. he described it as a lemon. and when they wouldn't work with him he got angry over it and decided to go over there and damage other cars as a result. >> cross then flagged down a squad car and confessed to an officer. the car dealer says repairs to the damaged cars will cost about $20,000. a little rage. some pets have exactly the right name and here's a classic example of one perfect fit. >> meet this cat. this is lucky the cat from colorado. here's why he's so lucky. >> lucky settled down for a nap last month right under the family lawnmower. and of course it was just about time to cut the grass. >> oh, no. he wound up losing a leg and suffering a broken jaw but he's alive, using one of his nine lives and lucky is feeling better every day. >> he is now down to eight lives, if not five or six. after that pretty close shave. that is very -- >> happy to see lucky, he's got a cute family taking care of him. we'lbe right back with more "world news now." things burning up there in times square. >> oh, man, yes. >> and all over the country. that's for sure. it should be no surprise the heat was a topic burning up the yahoo! search engines this week. another hot one, the nation's debt debate. >> yahoo! web life edidir heather cabot joins us with the week's scorching trends online. good morning, heather. >> hey, guys. for the second week in a row rupert murdoch dominated searches as the media mogul and his son faced a hearing before the british parliament. lookups for the word contrite shot up as did questions about murdoch's wife. who dramatically leapt to her husband's defense when a heckler acompaniesed him with a shaving cream pie. across the web this week the news corp. scandal even overshadowed the budget troubles here at home. searches for murdoch are double those for president obama. this is the white house signal that would be open to a compromise that would temporarily rate the country's debt ceiling. but with the august 2nd deadline looming anxious americans, mostly women over age 65, consulted the yahoo! search engine to findnd out if their social security checks would still arrive on time or at all. the deadly heat wave that's claimed the lives of 22 people already commanded people's attention online this week. the scorching weather zeroing in on the east coast right now scored lots of lookups for how to handle the heat, including even some quirky searches for air conditioned clothing. to beat the heat many people cooled off by reading up on the latest celebrity news. among the breakouts tim robbins and the musical debut of the oscar-winner's new album. searches of the actor and his band are up over 800% as the group heads out on tour. lots of buzz about maya rudolph's new baby boy. searches for the "saturday night live" alum are up 368%. fans also wanted to know more about rocker gwen stefani's new clothing line for babies. and also lots of interest in why tennis star caroline wozniacki was having dinner with rory mcilroy. just a day after the u.s. open winner split with his long-time girlfriend. a blogger snapped photos of the two looking cozy at a london cafe sunday and d w lookups for caroline jumped more than 300% this week. stay cool this weekend, guys. back to you. >> that's right, stay cool. no matter how you can do it. >> if you can across the country. everything has definitely been steamymy here's a couple of things coming up that people are going to be talking about. katie perry, she just got nine nominations for the 2011 mt vchv video music awards. >> i think she's at the top of her career right now. she's doing. >> she's great. >> on the more serious side of things, john edwards likely will be back in the news. they're asking he pay back more than 2 million bucks to the feds because they're saying he overstated his expenses and understated his revenue a little bit on top of his other legal issue. these are issues trending now. so people are buzzing again about edwards, not in the most positive way. >> not in the most positive way, definitely a big talker next week, that's absolutely sure. giant sink hole forms under a guatemalan woman's bed. >> breaking news. >> sound like something you need to see. >> i have a feeling you may be trending later today too as we say good-bye to you on the show. very sad, i'm very sad. >> me too. >> we have some surprises coming up later today. when we come back the big dispute in arnold schwarzenegger and maria shriver's divorce another mess there. >> life as one of charlie sheen's goddesses. we're going to let you know from the inside story what that was like coming up in "the skinny." and time now for your friday morning "skinny." we've got lots to talk about lately with the sheen stir. and the goddesses. we sat down, abc has an exclusive interview with bree olson who was one of the goddesses. remember how he introduced them, charlie sheen introduced us to them somomtime ago. they were very involved with helping him take care of his twins. well now apparently bree is talking abouou what was really going on behind the scenes. everything wasn't hunky-dory. >> stunned. >> yes. also she talks about looking this is what she had to say.bob. take a listen. >> that is so absurd that, oh, a porn star is not capable of being around children. just because i've chosen to do what everyone else does in this whole entire world on camera does not make me ineligible to be around children. >> she's done a lot on camera. >> that does not make her uneligible to do that. that's right. the one thing you have to say, really is this in the best interests of these two kids? in fact, right now they are currently in the custody of their mother, that is sheen's ex-wife brooke mueller. she's admitted to having some drug issues. how she's really been struggling with addictions but wants to be able to take care of her kids. brooke's mom has really stepped in to help take care of these twins. >> someone needs to. >> bree olson, one of the goddesses, said sheen was a great father. >> who really knows what's going on with all of that. >> there you go. you can see the interview. abcnews.com. pop by if you want to see more of that interview. >> speaking of children. >> yep. >> a little update on the palin clan. i think we talked about this earlier yesterday. this photo basically came out showing brita hansen, who is the life of sarah palin's eldest son whose name is track. gawker first published this photo showing her very, very pregnant. now they say less than two months after the wedding she is several months pregnant. do a little math there, carry the one. >> some people are saying she's like seven -- >> shotgun. >> seven, eight months along, could be a shotgun wedding. >> this would be her second grandchild -- >> that was -- came along perhaps before the vows. whatever. >> just pointing out. >> arnold schwarzenegger is refusing to pay wife maria shriver spousal support. which i think this is jaw-dropping to a lot of folks. so far he's indicated in court filings he does not want to pay his soon to be ex-wife maria shriver spousal support or her attorney fees for that matter after they ended their 25-year marriage. they're saying this dispute is probably going to heat up a little bit here in the courtroom because these papers were sort of unexpected. most people thought he would maybe quietly do what needed to be done. >> you would think. >> apparently he's recently filed papers on wednesday saying i'm not willing to fork over any cash. >> let point out this is spousal support, not child support. >> sure. >> i'm not saying right or wrong. >> some of the kids are past the date where they'd probably be able to get child support. some of them are younger so they might be eligible for that. >> just so messy. i'd think he'd want it all to go away. all right, arnold. last thing up here. chris brown. this guy's always in the news for something fun. now he's claiming there's some kind of conspiracy against him in the neighborhood he lives. the people in his building have it against him, they want him out. two pieces of evidence. the photo from tmz of his car parked there in a handicapped spot. he says his spaces that were assigned to him have been painted over with handicapped and no parking signs. and also on the rightthere, you see "c.b." carved into the elevator of the building. they're saying, chris, you vandalized our elevator. he's saying someone else set it up to make me look bad. chris cannot find peace. >> he sure can sing but he's got some issues there it sounds like. let's do this. you're a little early! [ female announcer ] prepare to ace your dental check-up. fight plaque and gingivitis and invigorate your way to better check-ups. new crest pro-health invigorating clean rinse. here would you go next if you had a hoveround power chair? the statue of liberty? the granancanyon? it's all possible ith a hoveround., tom: hi i'm tom kruse, inventor rand founder of hoveround., when we say you're free to see the world, we mean it. call today and get a free overound information kit, that includes a video and full color brochure. dennis celorie: "it's by far the best chair i've ever owned." terri: "last year, 9 out of 10 people got their hoveround for "little or no money." jim plunkitt: "no cost. absolutely no cost to me." breaking news...when you call today, we'll include a free hoveround collapsible grabber with the purchase of your power chair. it reaches, it grabs, it's collapsible and it's portable. it goes wherever you go. get it free while supplies last. call the number on your screen to get your free video, brochure and your free hoveround collapsible grabber. call the number on your screen. ♪ don't you forget about me ♪ don't don't don't don't >> peggy bunker. >> you guys are making me sad. everyone's been so nice today. >> it's a happy day, though, >> getting nostalgic already. >> it's a happy day. moving on to bigger and better. it's a happy day here. it is your final day at "world news now" after five months doing the program. back in february. so we thought what would be more appropriate than to kind of present a highlight reel of peggy bunker's best, including the april fools prank you may remember. >> oh my goodness, yes. >> take a look. >> let's polka. come on. >> and of course it's friday. you know -- >> oh, ew! >> oh my god, what is it? april fools? >> oh! >> oh my god! >> that's disgusting! what is on here? >> look out, ya! congratulations, you're back. >> i'm not kidding. i'm not going to say there's not a muffin top when i sit down but standing up they look rather fetching. >> you could wear this out later. >> he loves me, he loves me not, he loves me. why big diamonds are all the rage. kim kardashian, eat your heart out. rob, let's do this. >> i iyou like breast milk put your hands up, let me hear you! whoo! ♪ >> i'm sorry. it's not me. >> haven't you ever done tae bo? >> i kind of avoid exercise. >> this song especially, come on. get into it, rob. >> no. you know what? >> your five months have been many things but uneventful has not been -- i'm really going to miss working with you. i've had a great time doing this. you were such a pleasure to work with. cool and sweet and smart. you're so good at what you do. >> you're so nice. i'll pay you later. >> i've brought you gifts. >> you did not. >> one, a packet of skittles. >his is how we got through the night. clearly sugar is my m.o. everyone's giving me the candy that i live on. >> outgoing anchor, your book full of all the fun graphics we've done all the year, all the good stuff. >> remember when we worked at mcdonald's together? that was fun. >> a very nice bottle of champagne i hope you open sunday night when you don't have to come back into this place. >> you've just been the very, very best. thanks to everyone. i have to say thank you to my husband for putting up with my man: ♪ i'm home and i love it ♪ ♪ i'm home woman:n: ♪ i'm hom ♪ where i belong announcer: it's always nice to come home. but many americans are at risk of foreclosure and losing their homes. making home affordable from the u.s. govnment has a already helped over a million struggling homeowners like these. the sooner you act,t, the better chance wwe can help you. manan: ♪ i'mhome woman: ♪ i'm home ♪ where i belong