swept away by floodwaters when he responded to a report of a submerged vehicle. for the sake of the rescuers and your own safety, officials say to follow the rules, stay safe and stay out of the water. linsey davis, abc news, wilmington, vermont. >> please just stay out of the water. they ask people that, seems every storm somebody says, it will be okay, they go out and don't ever come home. >> it's bad enough too risk you own life, you're risking the lives of rescuers. >> service on amtrak between philly and boston will be restored today. that's impacted tens of thousands of people. today hopefully a smooth sailing. >> philly to lots of points north, big delays. >> slowly back to normal. take a look at your wednesday forecast now. a stormy day in bismarck, fargo, and sioux falls. windy with downpours around minneapolis, chicago, detroit, des moines, st. louou and cleveland. showers in the desert southwest and montana. heavy rains in south florida. >> 80s along most of the east coast. 79 in the twin cities. 92 in kansas city. 102 in dallas. just 666n seattle. 80 in boise. just shy of 100 in colorado springs. all right, switching gears now, imagine taking a pill to cure cancer. it's shrinking tumors in lung cancer patients. abc's chief health and medical editor dr. richard besser explains how it works and who might benefit. >> reporter: it's hard to believe last february, tina miranda was given weeks to live. she had stage 4 lung cancer. >> my oncologist basically said there was absolutely nothing he could do. >> reporter: a nonsmoker who was used to helping her husband run a winery and raising two young boys tina found herself barely able to move from the bed to the sofa. >> i would beg my kids to play right in front of me so i could be around them. because basically, i could do hardly fig. >> reporter: realizing she was dying, her husband searched the internet for hope. and found it. he learned that patients who had tumors with a rare mutation, in something called the alp gene, were being enrolled in a new study. 3% to 5% of lung cancer tumors had this rare mutation. >> they tested me, and it was like winning the lottery, i had it. >> reporter: the new pill goes after the gene it makes the tumor cells go out of control. the drug attaches itself to the cells and shuts thehe cell down. when the drug works it works quickly. >> within hourur 24 hours, i started getting better. and today i'm off all painkillers. i've got more energy than i've had in three years. and it's just wonderful. >> reporter: and her tumors continue to shrink. >> 90% will have some type of response. and 60% actually have a very significant response. >> reporter: and while it is too soon to know how long the drug will work, for tina it has made life liveable. >> i'm loving life. they're loving life. i'm glad to be back tolmost normal. >> reporter: this is a reaea breakthrough for personalized medicine. more and more doctors are testing tumors at the beginning of treatment to understand what makes them tick. helping them depict drugth in a smarter way. this gives real hope that we're making progress on the war on cancer. dr. richard besser, abc news, new york. >> so good to hear. >> really good, especially with the type of cancer tina had. it's considered especially aggressive. only 1% of the patients live five years after the diagnosis. so that's one reason that this pill is considered a huge advantage. >> examples. lung cancer affected 200,000 americans every year. hopefully this pill can help a lot more people. encouraging news. moving on now, actress daryl hannah has been arrested during a sit-in at the white house. hannah and other activists were protesting a planned oil pipeline. it would go from canada to refineries in texas. hannah said the protesters want to be free of the "death and destruction that fossil fuels cause." the wikileaks website was temporarily shut down because of an apparent cyber attack. the site had just made public test of thousands of u.s. embassy cables. the publication has once again caused embarrassment for the obama administration and its diplomats around the world. it's still not clear who was behind the attack. it's not unusual to see throngs of nearly naked people on the southern california beaches. but camped out in front of a mall, perhaps not so much. >> oh, really, in front of a mall. it was all part of a santa monica store's grand opening promotional campaign. the first 100 folks to show up in their underwear got a free two-piece outfit, and don't get it twisted, we're not talking about gar began basement stuff. some people walked away with clothes valued at more than $1,000. >> most of those people look pretty good in their skivvvvs. a couple maybe should have opted against it. >> it's a recession, get a free thousand bucks worth of clothes, you go for it in your drawers, nothing wrong with that, go for it. >> we'll be back with more "world news now." hó [ female announcer ] eyes feeling 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[ male announcer ] swiffer gives cleaning a whole new meaning. ♪ we know how to do it time now for what? you know what it is. it is our favorite story. oh, nice timing. >> that was good. >> we're on a roll today. you can call the headline on this one, "just in the nick of time." >> it all went down in arkansas. while a homeowner was up in a small plane, he saw something that was not quite right at his own home. blake ewan reports. >> he was flying over his residence in an airplane. he noticed two people burglariring his residence, taking items. >> reporter: 10ty sheriff philip wheaten says he never would have dreamed of getting turn by turn directions -- >> they're taking a northbound turn -- >> reporter: from an airplane all to catch a couple of suspects. they was following a vehicle and they was giving us county road by county road, which way they was turning. >> going north on 625. >> reporter: david hudson and stev steven lynn were sightseeing by airplane friday. when they noticed something suspicious. >> when i took him over his house there were guys in his yard loading up a bunch of air conditioners and stuff. >> reporter: this is lynn's home from the air. when they were flying over friday they saw what appeared to be a burglary in progress. >> man, someone's stealing something down there. >> reporter: lynn was flying for the first time. >> it was awesome. everything was fine until we seen what was going on. >> reporter: lynn called his uncle who went to check on the home. when he arrived the suspects fled, which led to a chase with police guided by the eyes in the sky. >> they're headed to highway 158. they're coming out by the farm. >> reporter: the two men were caught by aa state trooper. >> they're coming to 158. it looks like they see an offic officer. >> there was three of us in the airplane. it was wild. when we see the cops pull up with a a the lights and got them stopped, getting them out of the truck, it was pretty awesome. >> reporter: the home ope enown himself? >> i'll be nervous until i see there's nobody there. >> i love that story. what are the chances? i mean, what are the chances? >> life is all about timing. all the stuff those guys were trying to steal got recovered. that family got its stuff baba. >> sometimes you feel there is justice in the world. >> every now and then. little guardian angels. >> it's a nice, neat story tied up with a bow. >> there it is, all done, good. coming up, important information for insomniac parents worried about their newborns' fashions. >> this story bothers me to the core of my being. is your baby rocking the latest designer diapers? yeah, designer diapers. >> sagging a little low. >> this story's full of it. we'll be back on "world news now." ♪ oh baby i love your way every day ♪ >> i'm not going to sing it. but you know. you know the lyrics. baby, i love your way. not only your way but also what you're crawling around in these days. those designer diapers. >> shockingly, these are all the rage with moms these days. although it seems those wearing them really don't know they're being fashion forward. melissa ryecroft has more. >> reporter: welcome to a baby party. not just any party. these babies are showing off a whole new side to diapers. there's argyle. ruffles. dots. and camouflage. it's fashion week for the under 2 set. as these babies are rocking the latest in designer diapers. that's right. designer diapers. >> parents today are very unique. they grew up with their own sense of style. they like to share that. we live in a very highly styled world. this is something that parents really seem to like. >> reporter: diaper leaders huggies and pampers have caught on in recent years that fashion-savvy moms want more for their babies' posteriors. it's next to impossible these days t t find a non-adorned piper. cute and sweet. just like e u. >> my tydiaper is full. full of fashion. >> reporter: huggies limited run of denim diapers for babies last summer was a smashing success. 60 million sold in a couple of months. that's why the denim diapers returned t this summer. now gracing walmart shelves are huggies' latest. camouflage diapers. pampers partnered with cynthia raleigh last year to create fashion for-ward diapers. and this year it unveiled four new looks with promises of more to come. suzanne cohen, a speaks person for big city moms, one of the nation's largest new mom support groups, says it's a no-brainer. >> diapers are a baby's main accessory. because sometimes it's really the only thing that a baby has on. and even if a mom can't afford an spire outfit, at least they can have a great designer diaper. >> if you're interested in more than denim or ruffled diapers there are literally dozens of websites that will customize a diaper for you and your by. it can include a name, a nickname, even your own photo. there's a lot at stake when it comes to creating winning designs. diapers are a $5 billion industry. and after a four-year decline in births manufacturers are looking for ways to boost sales. while the babies we consulted had no official comment, their actions seemed to suggest that when it comes to designer diapers they're raring to go. i think this little one would look best in the florals. >> i don't know. >> what do you think, mom? >> do they do the job? are they absorbent? can you get through a whole night? >> do they serve a practical purpose? that's the point. >> what brandt are you wearing? >> i just got home from the club. >> you have the cotton ones. do you have to send them out to be laundered? >> they're dry cleaned. ladies love it. hey, i'm troy polamalu, and i owe my great hair to head & shoulders. it gives me a healthy scalp and great looking hair. you making fun of me? no. you making fun of me? yes. [ male announcer ] head & shoulders. 7 benefits. 1 bottle. "world news now"delivers your "morning papers." >> all right, it is now time for your "morning papers." >> indeed. >> this first story perhaps should be filedunder, do not buy your electronics in the parking lot of mcdonald's. but anyway. a woman was approached by two men who were selling ipads for a cut-rate price of 300 bucks each. she thought, great bargain. she only had 180 bucks on her at the time. they said, all right, fine. she takes itt home, it's the i-plank. they even went to the effort of putting on the little ple. it's almost like a slap in the face. >> a wooden ipad. >> which of course was a worthless piece of junk. >> that she paid $180 for. >> they have no idea where these guys are. they're far away with her $180. >> today's password is "moronon >> yeah. sorry. >> this story i love. this is for the fell lows out there. from the "new york daily news." there is a larry flynt gentleman's club on the west side of new york. apparently a guy had a few too many and rang up a $30,000 bill. so after he wakes up the next morning, says whew, had a rough one, now is trying to sue the club to say, i was way too drunk to have possibly spent that much money in your club. he's trying to sue, denying he spent 30 grand. >> this is the secondimilar lawsuit against that club. there's a second guy who blacked out and emerged with a $30,000 bill as well. said, wait a minute, i was out cold. >> a couple years ago a o in missouri charged $41,000 in a club. >> that's a lot of lap dances, that's all we're going to say about that one. hot for teacher much? a teacher in the uk, a sex education teacher, turns out was having a secret life as a stripper and he's got fired. but you know what? he says, look, you get what you pay for. i know my stuff. he is a sex education teacher, after all. you know, apparently the students would ask him questions about everything and he would answer openly. >> they would ask him graphic questions about adult topics. >> they would ask him pretty graphic questions. this is out of "the daily mail" in the uk. he made the point there are drupgs who are teachers and that's not appropriate either. >> drunks, crackheads, that's great. >> he was a professional. >> he is. quick story out of detroit. police spot two girls walalng along the street with a goat in hand, they're walking in their pajamas, they stop the girls, what are you doing? they lie, my mom bought it for me, we found it, whatever rethey stole it from a zoo and took the goat home. they got busted. man: ♪ i'm home and i i love it ♪ ♪ i'm home woma ♪ i'm home ♪ where i belong announcer: it's always nice to come home. but many americans are at risk oforeclosure and losing their homes. making home afforordable from the u.s. govnment has already helped over a million struggling homeowners like these. the sooner you act, the better chance we can help you. manan: ♪ i'm home woman: ♪ i'm home ♪ where i belong this morni on "world news now," president's plan. detailed new information about barack obama's new effort to create new jobs. >> the president will announce this aggressive new plan next week. put this morning there are questions about what it will do and how much it will cost. it's wednesday, august 31st. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, i'm tanya rive rivero. >> i'm rob nelson. with new numbers on unemployment released later today, people who have been pounding the pavement looking for work are running out of patience. we'll show you what the president is planning to do to stimulate the job market and see if all this will actually make a difference. >> certainly need it at the time. also ahead, the destructive fires burning around suburban neighborhoods of that is and oklahoma city. the flames have already destroyed at least 20 homes in texas in these dangerously dry conditions. and later this half hour, if you have a 49 thumb, there is a job opening out there for a gardener and one of the most famous people in the world is looking to hire you. >> a lot of gardens to work on. >> yes, you won't believe who it is. >> nice. but first, new details about the president's plan to create jobs. it's an issue of critical importance to millions of americans. >> and it could be a deciding issue in the upcoming presidential race as well. >> reporter: it is a painful reality for nearly 14 million americans looking for a job. >> i need a job. i came here looking for a job. i came here figuring i'd get a break. >> reporter: and political reality for one man trying to keep his. >> our economy has to grow faster. we have to create more jobs. we have to do it faster. >> reporter: abc news has learned the president's plan with focus on three areas. first, tax relief. including tax credits for companies thatire new workers. >> get someone in the door, gives them an opportunity to learn the skills necessary to compete for the job. and also lowers the cost of hiring for the company. >> reporter: second, infrastructure investment. funding for building projects like transportation, schools, and clean energy. and third, targeted assistance for the long-term unemployed. more than 6 million americans out of work for six months or longer. the white house points to ideas like georgia works. >> it's a win-win scenario. i decided that if i could go somewhere, volunteer for a while to see if it's a fit for me, and they get to see if it's a fit for them, then there's nothing to lose. >> reporter: jacqueline willis has a job at a college today because of a georgia program that gives workers on unemployment eight weeks of training at participating companies at no cost to the company. >> basically, this is our new flyer -- >> reporter: georgiaiaays 24% of workers in this program were ultimately hired by the company. about 60% found work somewhere. analysts say all these programs do help people get in the door. but staying in the door might be out of their hands. unless these new jobs make americans confident enough to spend more. >> what is the final demand for the products and services these workers are going to produce? if the final demand is not there, the workers are simply not going to be hired. >> reporter: now, we know what you're thinking. how much will all this cost? the white house says that along with the jobs plan the president will offer specific savings and spending cuts so his jobs program, they say, will not add to the deficit. john berman, abc news, new york. >> a lot of pressure on the president. got quite a lot of flack for going on vacation to martha's vineyard during all the fiscal crisis. even democrats, we want a big, bold plan, we want something very specific, he's getting pressure from both parties. >> the unemployment rate is going to be a big rallying cry for republicans in the upcoming election, so definitely the president is going to want to work on this one. >> the race is all about the economy. >> absolutely. in other news now, dozens of homes are going up in flames in texas and oklahoma as fires rip through communities parched by the historic drought. a wind swept wildfire that scorched 7,500 acres in north texas has destroyed at least 25 homes and nearly 200 others are still in danger. it's the same lakeside neighborhood where 160 homes burned to the ground in april. a fast-moving wildfire is also forcing evacuations in a wooded section of oklahoma city. several hundred people had to leave, about a dozen houses were destroyed, and 7,000 homes and businesses have lost power. firefighters are battling the blaze from the air but high winds are working against them. flooding is still a major threat here in the northeast. national guard choppers have dozen towns in vermont that have been cut off by those floodwaters. meanwhile in new jersey about 50 people had to be rescued from their homes after a river overflowed their banks. dan harris reports now from paterson, new jersey. >> reporter: one by one they came. entiti families with their belongings, their children,nd their pets. basically in the upper level of your house you see the water coming. >> it's rising more. >> reporter:r:ou realize you have no choice. >> no choice at all. >> reporter: what did you bring with you? >> what we could grab. food. clothes. >> reporter: the fire tent says they brought in roughly 1,000 people. some of the rescues captured live. on local station wabc's chopper cam. have you ever seen it this bad? >> never, not even close. >> reporter: we gave a small camera to the rescue crews who gave us a close-up view to how high the waters are. floodwaters are still wreaking havoc throughout the northeast. snarling railroad lines. washing out highways. cutting off entire communities. there are still 3.3 million people from maine to north carolina who don't have their power back. back here in paterson, we did see frustration, sadness and anger, we saw also the better angels of our nature on full display. a grandson's kindness. and a little boy's resilience. how were the fire crews who picked you up from your house? were they nice? >> they were really nice. i want to be just like them. >> reporter: amtrak announcing as of wednesday morning it will be resuming its train service between boston and philadelphia. this has been a massive service outage inconveniencing tens of thousands of people. so this at least is one bit of good news. dan harris, abc news, paterson, new jersey. >> 3 million people still without power. several days later. oh, man. >> the effects of irene continue, no doubt about that. here's your wednesday weather. large hail and 70-mile-an-hour winds in the dakotas. stormy with heavy rain around minneapolis, des moines, kansas city, chicago, detroit and cleveland. showers in the desert southwest and montana. downpours in florida. >> 80s from miami to boston. 79 in the twin cities. 90 in omaha. 102 in dallas. phoenix hits 110. ohio springs 99. mostly 60s in the pacific northwest. and 86 in sacramento. now to a new report on national security flaws just released this morning by a federal anti-terror group. it's the in 9/11 report card and it calls for better national security coordination and oversight. the group demands improved screening for explosives at airports and a more thorough system of monitoring foreign visitors. the full report will be outlined later today in washington. a seemingly clever moammar gadhafi is still on the run but this morning libya's rebel leaders say they are closing in on him. that cleverness is what has helped gadhafi generate sympathy for a deep personal loss but a loss now that is likely a complete hoax. abc's jeffrey kofman is in tripoli now with the details. >> reporter: no onon disputes that an american bomb hit gadhafi's compound on that april day in 1986. ronald reagan ordered the attack on the mad dog of the middle east after libyan agents targeted american soldiers at a nightclub in berlin. killing two and injuring dozens. >> this monstrous brutality is but the latest act in colonel gadhafi's reign of terror. >> reporter: gadhafi survived. but he has always claimed that that bomb killed his infant daughter hannah. there was a very public funeral. after the gadhafi regime crumbled rebels found the room in one of his houses with medical books belonging to dr. hannah gadhafi. regime insiders now admit her death was all a lie. this is the building that reagan bombed. gadhafi never repaired it. instead it became the ultimate propaganda tool. for years, it served as the backdrop for his diatribes against america. for years, skeptics had wondered if hannah ever existed. this week, a tripoli hospital confirmed dr. hannah gadhafi was on their staff. but hasn't been seen since last friday. the woman who never existed has disappeared. jeffrey kofman, abc news, tripoli. > a new mexico police officer has been caught in a compromising position. security cameras set up to catch vandals captured the officer in full uniform having sex with a woman on the hood of a car. the incident took place at a county-owned ranch in santa fe. the officer has been placed on leave during an uncertainal investigation but it's not clear if he will face disciplinary action. >> you have the right to remain horizontal. >> we can't show you the complete photo. >> no, we can't. tv and movies make shooting a gun look really simple. in reality it's a skill acquired after hours and hours of practice, especially if you're trying to be as quick as you are accurate. >> b.j. norris is one of only a few people in the world who can claim the title, world speed shooting champion. at this year's competition he shot his way through the eight-stage course in 81.8 seconds. >> he says he e eps his fishing nimble and in shape by playing video games. >> that's a talent. >> don't want to see him in a dark alley. >> no, no. said i don't games and guns. >> that's right. good mix. more "world news now" coming up after the break. you go next if you had a hoveround power chair? 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[ male announcer ] so there's no trace of evidence... new scope dualblast. for his dentist, the choice is clear. fact is, more dental professionals brush with an oral-b toothbrush thananny other brush. trust the brush more dentists and hygienists use, oral-b. welcome back, everybody. bernie madoff is speping another night in a federal prison. but every now and then he does speak out from inside its walls. >> a fox business correspondent recently wrote made to have and a couple of weeks later madoff called him back collect. carlos gasparino talked with the convicted ponzi schemer with abc's bianna golodryga. >> his voice is the most amazing, soothing voice. >> really? >> you feel like you're talking to your uncle. your nice, rich uncle who's a nice guy. you don't feel like you're talking to an archcriminal. >> reporter: so began a six-week-long interview process that included numerous e-mail exchanges and occasional phone calls. madoff says he is trapped into the greed of others and wall street corruption is an everyday occurrence. >> insider story is pretty simple. it's, listen, i was kind of victimized too. i was part of a racket which was wall street and my clients all knew i was ripping people off and by the way they were forcing me to do this because they have hutch sigh expectations so i'm kind of a victim too. >> what's his time right now? it's got to be delusional. he says things that are so patently false that you can check so easily like this thing with harvard. harvard is interested in doing an entrepreneurial course with him and working with him out. >> reporter: when talking about harvard's interest, some strange turn of events, huh? but harvard says it's completely untrue, they aren't working with madoff on anything. madoff has given few interviews since being sentenced in 2009 to 150 years in prison. those he does give capture a man seemingly unapologetic for his crime. listen to this audio interview. >> did i make a lot of the money for people? yeah, i made a lot of money for people. you know, did people lose profits that they thought they made? yes. >> would you describe him as a sociopath? >> he's a pathological liar, there's no doubt about that. >> are you surprised that this is the path he's taken to coming out and telling his story? there wasn't more remorse, there wasn't a sense of let me correct my ways? >> he has other aims. his aim right now is not to help regulators find out exactly where the street is wrong. his aim right now is to sort of create an alternative reality for himself and for the general public to think he wasn't such a bad guy, to have -- he doesn't want that to be written on his tombstone. and also, let's face it, he still wants to feel important. so to keep his sort of aura and his feeling that he is an important guy going, that's what he's got such an inflated sense of himself. >> reporter: and ever the puppet master, madoff is keeping everyone guessing about his next move. >> he's only contacting a few people pack. called me back. a handful of other reporters. he's only giving selective tv spruce. >> is there anytytng that the american public would be able to find, , en an ounce to sympathize with? >> you know, he lost his son. son killed himself. that's a tragedy. that makes me sympathize more with his other family. and i feel bad for anybody that lost a kid. but he didn't come across like he cared much about that. >> i think there's very, very little sympathy anywhere for bernie madoff. his release date, counting time for good behavior, november 14th, 2139. >> all that is academic. he will clearly die in prison. >> few tears i think will be shed, considering the crime. >> yes, that is true. coming up, a modern-day gold rush. >> see who's going high-tech to search for some golden nuggets that are worth a mint. you're watching "world news now." ♪ dance the night away >> very nice musical selection. >> very cool, always good. all right, we have reported about the sky-high price of gold. i guess it's no surprise people are going out of their way to get more of it. >> in australia, going out of their way means heading out into the bush where australia's gold rush of the 1800s took place. nini bryan of the bbc checked it out. >> reporter: in creeks and hollows that were once the focus of a 19th century gold rush. important-day prospectors have come in search of their fortunes. nugget by nugget. speck by tiny speck. but old-fashioned techniques have given way to new fang angled technology. sensitive metal detectors are now the tools of the trade. for some like kim ellis it's become a career. she gave up her job in the construction industry to prospect full-time. kim, this can be a life-changing event if you strike it lucky. >> yes, it can be a life-changing event and i've heard of people who are actually finding a large enough nugget to pay their mortgage and things. but now it would probably pay the mortgage, buy another few cars, and do something else. >> reporter: it can n back-breaking work. even in the favorite haunts of local prospectors. most digs end in failure. but it's the lure of striking it rich that keeps mike coming back. he's deaf and what started as a hobby has become a lucrative sideline. >> gold. there it is, gold. all right, that's 6.6, what's that? that's about? >> $300 worth. >> reporter: gold prices have risen almost 25% since the beginning of this year alone. no w wder so many people are thinking of giving up their day jobs. nick bryan, bbc news, new south wales. >> well, of course, the price of gold is now $1,829.80 per ounce. >> the price has gone up 13% just this month alone. i mean, you get why people are doing it. >> how much could i -- >> let's go. oh, there we go. >> oh, nice. >> if this tv gig doesn't work out, that is where you'll find me. made. when i got my medicare card, i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement nsurance card, too. medicare is one of the great things about turning 65, but it doesn't cover everything. in fact, it only pays up to " 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare, call now to find out how an aarp... insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, not paid by medicare part b. that can save you from paying .up to thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endorsed by aarp. when you call now, you'll get this free information kit... with all you need to enroll. put their trust in aarp p medicare supplement insuranc. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. the prices are competetive. i can keep my own doctor. and i don't need a referral o see a specialist. call now to get a free information kit. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. and the advantages don't end there. choose from a range of medicare r supplement plans... that are all competitively priced. we have a plan for almost everyone, so you can find one that fits r your needs and budget. with all medicare supplement plans, there are virtually p no claim forms to fill out. plus you can keep that accepts medicare. p your own doctor and hospital and best of all, these plans are... when they told me these plans were endorsed by aarp... i had only one thing to say... sign me up. and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. you'll get this free information kit... as with all medicare supplement plans, you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts # medicare, call this toll-free number now. the answer... it's all in the wrap. new covergirl !lashperfection mascara perfectly wraps each lash for up to 3x more volume. new lashperfection. wrap it up. easy, breezy, beautiful covergirl. ♪ i'm watch iing american television ♪ all right, finally this half hour the british royal family is looking for a little help. more specifically, the queen needs a new gardener at one of her castles in scotland. >> like any other employer she's placed a help wanted ad. o ourardy green film correspondent nick watt reports. >> reporter: deep in the misty mountains, balmoral. and she's the bossss applicants should be experienced in all aspects off gardening reads the want ad on the castle website. capable of meeting the high standards required. >> these are for the house. these will go maybe on the piano. we know if the queen wants the weeding done because she'll pull some weeds herself and she'll leave little piles for us. then you see, she's noticed we're not keeping up with it >> reporter: like most of her subjects she just loves a garden. garden parties, organic vegetables, and charles at his country house, high grove, he talks to his plants. >> charles at high grove, oh my god, i had a guided tour by prince charles himself. it went for two hours. the man lives and breathes for his garden. as do most of british people. >> reporter: my own mother is a good example. she takes her summer vacation in november because, she says, during the proper summer, she's too busy in her garden. honestly. that's notot a joke. so is this balmoral gig the best job in principle? >> this britain? >> this is the top, i would say. >> proroding plants and flowers and vegetables for the convene. what's not to like? you should go for it. >> reporter: i'm a weird brit. i hate gardening. the free house on offer is bound to be drafty. and she'd be a scary boss. nick watt, abc news, london. >> i don't know, i think the queen might be a sweet boss. >> you think so? i do plastic plants myself. i keep it simple. >> i can see you gardening. >> really? i see you as more the gardener type. >> really? i do like my flowers. that's true, i do like my flowers. >> are you able to garden anything here in new york city? there you are in central park. >> i have absolutely no outside -- there's nothing outside of my apartment. a windowsill. that was my windowsill. a little plant of basil, thyme. >> that's what she's growing. that's the news for this hal this morning on "world news now," river rescues. the raging waterways in the northeast flooded by the rereants of hurricane irene. >> dozens of people were killed and the national guard is in a rush to get those still out of danger. it is wednesday, august 31st. >> good morning, i'm rob nelson. >> i'm tanya rivero. it's still too early to tell how mumu storm damage there is and how much it will cost to clean up after irene and there's still no power in millions of homes and businesses from north carolina to maine. >> believe it or not there's another major storm system out there, katia. out there producing way out the coast of africa. >> no rest for the weary. >> it will not affect the u.s. but they're keeping an eye on it. >> never know. also ahead this half hour, the florida father who's facing a long list of charges after police say he was videotaped beating his son's friends. wow. my, what's going on? it apparently happened all of this after the teens' street fight moved into the backyard. later this half hour, the 86-year-old man from tucson who is counting his blessings. he was the victim of a freak accident involving his gardening shears. find out how surgeons had to remove the sharp tool from his skull. >> you may want to look away for some of that. the x-ray's painful enough let alone the real footage. >> i don't know if i can handle that. >> no. lucky to be alive, that guy, man. before all of that, 30 truckloads of relief supplies have been rushed to vermont where a dozen communities have still been cut off by floodwaters. supplies are being flown in by helicopter after roads and bridges were literally washed out from hurricane irene. >> more than 2 million people on the east coast face another day without electricity. abc's scott goldberg is joining us this morning from new york with more on the lingering effects of irene. scott? >> reporter: rivers still haven't crested in some areas and last evening a mandatory evacuation began in wallington, new jersey, because of major flooding from the passaic river. this after a day full of rescues in states where the full extent of damage from irene still isn't clear. in vermont, you won't hear anyone saying irene didn't live up to the hype. the national guard is airlifting food and water to people in a dozen communities surrounded by floodwater and effectively cut off from the rest of the state. more than 250 of vermont's roads and 30 bridges are closed. new jersey, crews already have rescued 1,700 people from their homes. some rivers still haven't crested. and in new york, governor andrew cuomo took a second tour through flooded areas in the catskills and adirondacks. in 11 states, irene hahaclaimed at least 40 lives. in new hampshire, there was a close call when a father and his two young daughters lost their jet ski in the merrimack river. they were clinging to buoys until emergency crews could reach them. >> he was very disappointed in himself but he saved his own family by first having pfds on and keeping them all together. >> reporter: up and down the coast the millions who lost power are slowly seeing some of it restored. >> i think the highest number i saw was almost 7 million people without power during the storm. all of that power now has to be repaired and turned back on. >> reporter: in a year plagued by floods and tornados, federal disaster dollars are running low. that means some long-term recovery projects won't go forward unless congress authorizes more money. that sets up another potential battle between the white house and republicans o say, no new spending unless it's accompanied by matching cuts. rob and tanya? >> speaking of spending, the damage estimates are now between $7 billion and $10 billion from hurricane irene. big but still far below the $100 billion from hurricane katrina. >> a lot of money concern, this was just a tropical storm, minor category 1. think about major storms like katrina, it's staggering. >> absolutely. shifting gears to our national security this morning and a new report that points out serious flaws in detecting terrorism. a federal anti-terror group is releasing the 9/11 report card and it's safe to say we did not get an "a." the group is demanding better coordination and oversight of national security, improved screening for explosives at airports, and also a more thorough system to monitor foreigners visiting the u.s. the full report will be outlined in washington later today. and to politics now and the suddenly hot republican race for president. mitt romney has been forced to step up his game now that texas goveor rick perry has joined. >> on top of that we're getting strong new clues about romney's campaign strategy. abc's karen travers is following the race. good morning to you, karen. >> reporter: good morning, rob. good morning, tanya. labor day is right around the corner. that usually means the start of that sprint to the primaries. and the republican presidential race is certainly heating up. for months mitt romney has been the clear front-runner in the republican presidential field. but enter texas governor rick perry who just in a few weeks has shaken up the race and vaulted to the top of several polls. perry hasn't even finished setting up his campaign office. but the most recent poll from cnn has him crushing romney by 14 points and michele bachmann by 20 points. suddenly there may be a shift in the republican race. >> i spent most of my life outside politics. dealing with real problems in the real economy. career politicians got us into this mess and they simply don't know how to get us out. >> reporter: that's romney's not so subtle shot at perry who's served as texas governor since 2000 and has been in politics for almost three decades. romney delivered his jab in san antonio, practically perry's backyard. perry spoke from the same stage in front of the same audience in his remarks to the vfw. perry sounded similar to another texas govern history made it all the way to the white house. >> as the tenth anniversary of the attacks of 9/11 approach we must renew our commitment to taking the fight to the enemy wherever they are before they strike at home. >> reporter: romney heads to south carolina on monday. his first campaign stop in that key early voting state. and rob and tanya, he's going to have some company. rick perry will also be there and he'll be at the same political event. this will be their first time meeting face to face since both became candidates. rob and tanya? >> we can expect some fireworks there. thanks so much, karen. the fbi is looking into a shooting incident at a congressman's office in houston. gunshots rang out yesterday morning damaging windows and shattering an entire pane of glass in the office of democrat gene green. police don't believe the congressman was the intended target. green was not in the building at the time and he says he does not feel threatened. witnesses say it was like a scene out of the movie "fight club." a florida man set up a fight between his son and another young man so he could make sure it was a fair fight. it all went horribly wrong, ending with that man in custody. wftv's kevin oliver has details and we warn you some of this video is pretty violent. >> reporter: it was like a scene from the movie "fight club" except this was no movie and it was hardly an even match. now 35-year-old gary johnson jr. is looking at prison time for this beating of a 16-year-old half his size. police say johnson in the white tank top had just refereed a street fight. the fight was between his son, who gave up -- you can see him walking into the backyard -- and another teenager you can see in shorts on the left side of the screen. police have not released the name of the victim because he is a teen. authorities say he came to the johnson home for the semi-organized street fight. when the teenager started talking back to johnson the roles suddenly changed. the 6'5", 220-pound man clocked the 16-year-old in the head, knocking him to the ground and continued to beat him. eventually, johnson's own son returned to try and break up the fight by holding his father back. we went by the johnsons' home. >> what's this about? >> about his arrest last week. >> reporter: johnson's father slammed the door. according to the police report johnson said he agreed to monitor the fight between the teens to make sure it was fair. but police say he should have never allowed the first fight to take place, let alone join in. >> what do you even say about that kind of story? >> just makes you wonder. some parents. >> what kind of role model? the whole thing, i don't get it. the beating took place about two weeks ago and the teen's mother says the victim still has not recovered. you saw the guy whale on him like that. >> twice his size. >> 6'5", 220 pounds. the guy works as a technician in ththemergency room and sent this teenager probably to the emergency room. it's just -- >> mind-blowing. >> what do you say? in other news a fast-moving wildfire has destroyed more than two dozen homes in north texas and is still threatening more than 200 more. powerful winds have pushed the flames more than 7,000 acres so far in the lakesese community of possum kingdom lake, the same neighborhood where 160 homes burned to the ground in april. here's a look at wednesday weather. severe storms from bismarck to sioux falls. heavy downpours and gusty winds from the twin cities to st. louis, chicago and cleveland. sunny from boston to d.c. showers across much of florida and the four corners region of the southwest. >> albuquerque 95. salt lake city 92. boise 80. 79 in minneapolis. 92 in kansas city. 85 here in new york. 88 in atlanta. 94 in new orleans. well, we all know money does not grow on trees. >> unfortunately. >> really. it does fly out of moving trucks or at least it did on a highway in the netherlands. >> look at all that money. when a huge truck full of bills spilled out of a cash in transit van motorists couldn't jump out of their cars fast enough. to scoop up the euros and take off. police were able to close off the roadway but it took more than an hour for traffic to start moving freelelagain. hook at all toes euros. >> i wonder how much money those folks made. i think most folks would get out of their cars. >> those are 20s and 50s. >> oh, man. kidding me? >> a euro is like 40 bucks these days, right? >> i'd be out on the street too, getting that money, are you kidding me? >> we'll be right back with more "world news now." what percent of women want to cure their yeast infection? one hundred. how many can cure it with vagisil? zero. monistat both relieves your symptoms and cures the infection. get the cure. get monistat. [ male announcer ] that onion after taste after you again? new crest complete with scope dual blast technology blasts away bad breath germs and food after tastes. new crest complete with scope dual blast. blast your way to fresh breath. all right. first off, we have to warn you this next story is not for the faint of heart. some of you may want to turn away. we do guarantee you will be talking about it today. >> this story involves an 86-year-old man in arizona who had a near-death experience while doing some outdoor work. kgun's jessica chapin has the remarkable and gory details. >> i couldn't believe it. i just could not believe it. >> reporter: neither could the doctors when 86-year-old leroy ledger showed up like this, pruning shears lodged in his face through his eye socket. after he fell while trimming some bushes. >> this was excruciating. i can't tell you how much it hurt. i sort of pulled on it and it seemed real solid so i just left it alone and realized that it was the clipper. >> reporter: conscious the entire time, he ankled for his girlfriend of 12 years, arpy, who called 911. >> i don't know how i kept myself composed, i really don't. i guess in times like that, you do. i was just thinking of him. trying to do the best that i could for him. >> reporter: the head of the shears was stuck just above his carotid artery. a team of surgeons made two careful incisions to take it out. >> and we were able to loosen it up enough to where we could slide it out carefully. and he just did beautifully. >> reporter: dr. lynn polanski has worked several traumas and was on the team that treated congresswoman gabrielle giffords after she was shot in the head. he calls this case one in a million. >> for this kind of direct impact, next to his eye, he's very lucky. >> reporter: he says he knows he's lucky that these doctors had the skills to save giffords and countless others, including himself. one in a million. >> the care that she got, it was just amazing. but i had no idea that i would get that same kind of a doctor. it was amazing. >> reporter: reporting for abc news, i'm jessica chapin. >> i believe the moral of that story is if you have a serious injury, pray that you're in tucson at that hospital. what amazing work. >> pray you get gabby giffords' doctor to work o oyou. that doctor is phenomenal, clearly. >> unbelievable story. lucky. >> that's true. we say that a lot, that someone is lucky to be alive. i think that story pretty much points out - - >> perfect testimony to that. good luck, dude. stay out of the garden. take a little break. just relax. >> do not apply for the job as the queen's gardener. >> very good. all right, coming up next, beyonce's fans cannot stop tweeting about the singer's big news. >> that's right. and the celebrity couple rekindling their flame next in "the skinny." all righty, itits time for "the skinny." funny one of our stories has to do with being skinny. we'll gegeto that in a moment. we're going to start with beyonce's baby bump. let me tell you, that made a bump in twitter action. >> yeah, buddy. >> of course as you'll recall beyonce had a pregnant performance at the mtv video music awawds and that performance sparked a twitter record. sunday night there were 8,868 tweets per second. twitter says that rate is a record for their service. i don't know what that tells you about what we all do all the time. >> we are a celebrity obsessed nation for better or worse. think about it, a brand-new record for twitter. that's saying a lot. all the things that happen on twitter that people talk about. beyonce's baby set it off like that. >> kind of nice, everyone's excited for her. it's a positive thing. everyone was happy. >> let's hope the baby gets mama's good looks. all right. speaking of good looks, you know i have a little obsession with kim kardashian. >> you? >> i think she's stunning. but anyway. back in march she was on ryan seacrest's radio show and released her single at the time. actually there was a video for it that never got released because there was not a lot of interest in the song for reasons you're about to see. take a look at the video clip that's just been released. ♪ i'm going out tonight going down ♪ ♪ heading straight to the front of the line ♪ ♪ i can't stand still >> in case you missed those lyrics, i'm going out tonight, it's going down, headed straight to the front of the line on the fly on the floor, i can't stand still, i'm going to work like i'll paying my bills. if that's not poetry, i don't know what is, folks. >> that is high art. >> that is poetry. kim kardashian. and the reason i put that on "the skinny," against all my better instincts i'm going to the event here in new york. she's having a big party. i'm not in the party. i'm like one of those morons standing next to the red carpet and shouting questions at her. we'll have that in a few days. i'm going to check it out. see everything in person. >> he's going to check it out. >> check out the story, i'm a journalist getting to the truth! >> hard-hitting journalist going to come back with details of kim kardashian. we can't wait. all right, moving on. guess who's back together, according to radaronline. justin timberlake and jessica biel, apparently, are romantically involved once again. they were snapped taking a leisurely bike ride together in toronto. according to friends of the couple, jessica nevevewanted to break up in the first place. she was holding out they would one day reunite. friends of justin say he tried to date other people but it was morerebout sowing wild oats. >> maybe justin's had a beautiful array of women, maybe he's finally found the one he'll settle down with. beautiful girl, i'm glad they're back together, good for them. >> they are a hot couple, no doubt about that. >> not a hot couple. leann rimes and julia ransick. you may recognize her from the red carpet. i think she works for one of the entertainment networks. married to the guy who won "the apprentice." anyway. she gave an interview, basically called leann rimes too thin. wait a minute, you get criticized all the time for how small you are, invite me out to dinner, i eat like a normal girl believe it or not. >> people who live in glass houses should not throw stones. >> we'll keep an eye on that, see how the battle of the skeletors works out. coming up, the tennis star and his egg-shaped obsession. captain. unidentified object. it's a cascade complete pac. the best of cascade powder and gel combined in one vessel. re! ♪ [ mom ] wow! [ female announcer ] cascade complete pacs. love it or your money back. ♪ >> you know what this song is? you're a music buff. >> no. >> stumped. finally this half hour, what we must call an egg-straordinary story about the top men's tennis player at the u.s. open. >> he advanced to the second round after an egg-straordinary victory that took just 44 minutes. >> brilliant writers. abc's john berman cracks the story on what might be behind his success. >> reporter: need a good way to get onstage at the grammys? try a big giant egg like lady gaga. need to get from planet ork to earth? try a big giant egg like mork from "mork & mindy." need help getting in shape for a grand slam? try a big giant egg like world number one tennis player novak djokovic. he's the latest athlete to use the cvac pod which looks a lot like a big giant egg. its makers say it simulates training at high altitude. >> the changes in the oxygen level in the blood that are very similar to very effective forms of exercise. >> reporter: in a pressurized chamber it uses a valve and vacuum pump to stimulate muscles. >> athletes that have a greater ability to deliver oxygen to their tissue are going to have a tremendous benefit in terms of their athletic performance and in terms of their ability to recover. >> reporter: it has some big-time enthusiasts including axl rose from guns and roses. he finds it takes him to a fitness paradise city. ♪ oh won't you please tata me home ♪ >> reporter: the company thinks it has health and medicinal benefits for everyone. >> egg me. do you think this will make me a better reporter? >> reporter: it does make your ears pop. most athletes spend about 20 minutes inside a few times a week. novak djokovic says hehe not using it now. as for me, i'm ready for a grand slam. or a trip to ork. or both. john berman, abc news, new york. >> looking good, john. >> i want to know what goes on in axl rose's egg. that's what i want to check out. >> there's a hollywood story waiting for you. apparently that tennis player's having problems with his right shoulder but he won yesterday so he's not doing too bad. >> he's a great player. go, djokovic. >> oh, that was the music, the "mork and mindy" theme. >> look at how high-waisted jeans were in those days. that's very what, 1984, 1983? '70s? >> '70s. nanu-nanu. more from abc next.