know on the issues we fought for, we can change things for the better. we can do so much more by working together. i don't remember much from that horrible day, but i will never forget the trust you placed in me, to be your voice. thank you for your prayers and for giving me time to recover. i have more work to do on my recovery, so to do what is best for arizona, i will step down this week. >> gabrielle giffords' decision to resign comes after an extraordinary journey back. six were killed. there was the national vigil held outside the tucson hospital and from inside, that first image, giffords' hand held by her husband, mark kelly, at her side from the start. he documented her recovery, her triumphs, her tests and they bravely shared it with our diane sawyer. just 20 days after the shooting gabby giffords was sitting number a wheelchair learning how to nod. >> that is he a nod. >> reporter: they had begun the journey for her to unlock her words. >> you try it with me. ♪ i love you >> reporter: gabby giffords and her husband told diane that one of the reasons they decided to let the world see the tapes was to show what's possible using music to retrieve lyrics to the other side of the brain to get her words back. ♪ >> reporter: and when diane asked about the husband by her side from the beginning -- >> is there a word for mark? >> brave, brave. >> thank you. >> that's what i think of when i think of you too, tough as nails. >> tough as nails. >> reporter: during their time together, diane asked about the decision that would come. >> and so you think to yourself i'll go back to congress if i get better? >> yes, yes, yes. yes. >> reporter: and that's where you arright now. >> yes, yes, yes. >> reporter: in fact, this sentence practiced during speech therapy. >> i will return -- return. >> reporter: though she steps down this week in that new video today a clear indication that gabby giffords believes her career in public service is not over. >> i'm getting better. every day my spirit is high. i will return and we will work together for arizona and this great country. thank you very much. >> the congresswoman in her own words today. she'll be at the president's state of the union tuesday in washington and before officially leaving office giffords will hold a private gathering with some of the people who had gathered at that meet and greet that day at the supermarket determined she says to finish her congress on your corner event cut short a year ago. i want to bring in dr. richard besser tracking all this. rich, i want to play two of the doctors on giffords' team and what they said to diane sawyer during her reporting on this. it was very encouraging when we heard it. let's hear it again. >> i think patients continue to recover for two, three, even four years. >> she hasn't plateaued. she's not going to plateau but i have great faith that she'll make a sound decision for her so what i'm saying here is if gabby thinks she can go back to congress, she can. >> reporter: at the time saying she hadn't plateaued. three to four years to recover and you're saying this resignation doesn't mean she's peaked. >> in no way. i was totally blown away watching that video. the progress she's made so far is absolutely incredible, but recovery is hard work and so taking the time now to focus on that recovery is going to maximize the recovery but it says absolutely nothing about whether in the future whether she could come back and run for congress. >> she could be back. all right, rich, thanks to you tonight. there is the political component of all this, her seat in the 8th district of arizona which she won in a hardly fought race two years ago. arizona's governor will hold a special election and have been encouraging her husband to run for her seat but every indication so far is that kelly will not do so, instead continuing to help his wife in her recovery as he's done so far. we move to the other major headline of the day, the death of penn state football coach joe paterno who died of lung cancer today at the age of 85. from the moment the news broke, people gathered there on the campus visiting the famous statue honoring paterno. many placing flowers or saying a prayer. abc's david kerley is at penn state with more on the life and the now tested legacy of joe paterno. >> reporter: he was born joseph vincent paterno in brooklyn, 1926, but penn state and the world came to know him simply as joe pa. joe paterno's record-breaking run as head coach of the nittany lions began in 1966, and he quickly distinguished himself with his team's winning ways on the gridiron and his players' academic success off the field. victory with honor was his motto and it wasn't long before the nfl took notice. but paterno, who was becoming a household name, stayed put in happy valley. >> i stayed because i felt this is where i would be happier and that i could do more good. >> reporter: the victories and the honor grew season after season, finally reaching an unparalleled 409 wins, 2 national titles and more than $4 million donated to the university by paterno and his wife sue and paterno was immortalized with a larger-than-life bronze statue outside beaver stadium in state college. but paterno's accomplishments were dramatically eclipsed in november of 2011 when his former assistant coach, jerry sandusky, was arrested on child sex abuse charges, an explosive national scandal, word paterno might have known of the abuse but never went to police. the revelations toppled the icon in a matter of days. >> joe paterno is no longer the head football coach effective immediately. >> reporter: his abrupt firing triggered an outcry on campus, angry students rioting. >> they made him look like a freaking villain. you call him a legend, treat him like a legend. >> reporter: but paterno appealed for calm and again told students to hit the books. in the midst of the turmoil word came that paterno had another battle on his hands, lung cancer. two months after the scandal broke, his health declining the former coach finally broke his silence giving his first interview to "the washington post." he described his reaction when first told of the abuse allegations. >> i called my superiors and i said, hey, we got a problem, i think. would you guys look into it 'cause i didn't know, you know. i had never had to deal with something like that, and i didn't feel adequate. >> reporter: unsure how to handle the situation. >> i don't think i deviated from my -- what i'm all about and what i thought was important. >> reporter: in the end the interview did little to settle the debate over paterno's role in the scandal. a legend tarnished, but a coach still beloved by so many. and that statue on campus, a wall along it reads, joseph vincent paterno, educator, coach, humanitarian and is inscribed with his own words, "they asked me what i'd like written about me when i'm gone, i hope they write i made penn state a better place, not just that i was a good football coach." and moments after the announcement we watched as supporters arrived here at the statue right behind us leaving those mementos you mentioned. we talked to many and admit joe paterno's legacy was tarnished by one mistake they say but that his legacy will actually be treated well by history. one other note, david, the investigation continues. a prosecutor says he has not closed it and could mean more defendants and more victims. already jerry sandusky and two school officials face criminal charges. david? >> all right, david kerley at penn state with the gathering there to honor the penn state coach. david, thank you. we turn to politics. "your voice, your vote" the south carolina results rocking the race for the white house. newt gingrich pulling off a huge win beating romney by 12 points. when we started looking into the numbers behind the win, look at this voters saying, electability, who can beat obama in november, was that the most important thing they were looking for and on that which had been a strong one for romney this time going to gingrich by a wide margin. abc's jon karl is in columbia, south carolina, with the results and the reaction tonight. >> reporter: for newt gingrich, it was a smashing across-the-board victory that has up-ended the race for the republican nomination. >> we're going to make the establishment very uncomfortable. we're going to demand real change in washington. >> reporter: how did he do it? first, debates. by trouncing mitt romney and the moderators, he convinced south carolina republicans that he could win in november. two-thirds said the debates were important. most went for gingrich. more than half decided who to vote for in the last two days again favoring gingrich and there was apparently little concerning about his divorces. he won decisively among evangelical christians and women. gingrich succeeded in portraying romney as a massachusetts moderate, trouncing him among those calling themselves very conservative. today gingrich stepped up his attacks on romney as someone just pretending to be conservative. >> he's a very good salesman. very much wants to sell. but he has a really weak product, and so i think he's been dancing on eggs trying to figure out how to find a version of romney that'll w >> reporter: as for romney, his support collapsed as he gave evasive answers about his eturime tll >> maybe. you know, i don't know how many years i'll release. >> reporter: today, romney finally gave a definitive answer. he will release 2010 tax returns and an estimate of his 2011 tax return on tuesday. >> we just made a mistake in holding off as long as we did. it just was a distraction. ptohe rgn r: as the race moves wi the case ingr too much personal and professional baggage. >> character is a big rtf leadership, as is vision, sobriety, steadiness. these are attributes which i think people want to see in >> reporter: by releasing a barrage of attacks on gingrich's character, romney and his allies are trying to demonstrate that gingrich fail the number one finding the candidate most likely to beat barack obama. david? >> jon karl reporting in again tonight. i want to bring in rick k and, rick, i want to widen out the big picture. we'll have a big fight between romney and gih.o re-election teald like to o do they mos want to run against come november? against come november? chse be newt gingrich gingrich could drag e are still training all their fire on mitt romney which could boost gingrich's chances in florida and beyond but the lesson is that when it comes to newt gingrich be careful what you wish for. >> all eyes on florida. rick klein tonight, thanks to you. reminder, diane sawyer and george stephanopoulos will ao li coverag of pr3 n addre and the republican response. tuesday night, 9:00 eastern right here on abc. we turn overseas now and searchers recovering another body today in that shipwrecked luxury liner off the coast of italy.panda a week now since that sha raaground now comes new worries of th ship moving. abc's lama hasan is on the sea again for us tonight, lama? >> reporter: good evening, in a f offer will decide if they can start g o,000cide if they can start gallons of heavy fuel from the "costa concordia." it has been perched on a rocky underwater ledge for the last nine days slipping half an inch an hour. protective booms have been dep des the situation as an ecological time bomb because the ship could easily plunge into waters 300 feet deep. because of the danger they only searched above the water line today and recovered another body. leaving at least 19 people unaccounted for. among the missing, the minnesota couple barbara and jerry heil, their son and daughter were here on the island of giglio earlier meeting with the ceo of the company that owns the "concordia" and he could only offer his support. david? >> lama, thank you. the new modern family. why "the waltenings" might not be as outdated as you think. then the 9-year-old who escaped her kidnapper. tonight she tells us what her father taught her that helped her escape. later here, the silent movie in 2012 that might prove silence is golden. today my journey continues across the golden state, where everyone has been unbelievably nice. mornin'. i guess i'm helping them save hundreds on car insurance. it probably also doesn't hurt that i'm a world-famous advertising icon. cheers! i mean, who wouldn't want a piece of that? geico. ah... fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent oh dear... or more on car insurance. and get a cold... ...you need a cold medicine with a heart. only coricidin hbp has a heart, right here. it's the only cold and flu brand that won't raise your blood pressure. coricidin hbp. powerful cold medicine with a heart. mid grade dark roast forest fresh full tank brain freeze cake donettes rolling hot dogs bag of ice anti-freeze wash and dry diesel self-serve fix a flat jumper cables 5% cashback right now, get 5% cashback at gas stations. it pays to discover. we're goin we're going to turn to the economy tonight. a new portrait of the modern family, one that doesn't look so modern after all. here's abc's linsey davis. >> reporter: first to move back in with mom and dad was daughter jessica along with her husband, son and dog. >> show to great gram what you made in school. she's going to want to see that. >> reporter: then came grandma and grandpa. >> you've got someone if you need someone, someone to depend on if you need it. >> reporter: in all, seven members of the family, ages 5 to 85 all living under one roof. >> good night, elizabeth. >> good night jim bob. >> reporter: this kind of living arrangement used to be common in america. the great depression forced families to live together, remember "the waltons." >> someone left it on our doorstep. >> reporter: today, tough times mean more than 51 million americans are living in homes with more than two generations. this family is not only able to split the bills, but the responsibilities. >> and we have a lot of built-in baby-sitters. >> reporter: jessica's grandparents can watch little tony while her husband and parents earn the money. >> we got 9 ae-mails. >> reporter: and jessica takes care of the home. >> if i'm going grocery shopping and my mom needs groceries, i just pick up her groceries. >> reporter: one survey found 82% of adults living in multi-generational households felt it enhanced family bonds. experts say to make this work, it's important to have a clear divisi everyone tothei space, so this family built an addition. >> once you get a snapshot of how the house is designed, you know, we have our privacy. >> we love it having everyone here. >> good night, connie. >> good night, tony. >> good night, jess. > night, gram, good night, good night, mom. >> reporter: one house, >> good night, jesse. wssachd night, jesse. >> our thanks to the family for inviting uin. the escape kidnapper. way.her that helped her o1 o custom categorize your expenses anywhere. save time and get back to what you love. the latest innovation. only for ink customers. learn more at chase.com/ink i had[ designer ]eeling enough of just covering up my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. i decided enough is enough. ♪ [ spa lady ] i started enbrel. it's clinically proven to provide clearer skin. 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[ male announcer ] one pill a day. 24 hours. zero heartburn. and we h and we have a follow-up tonight on the 9-year-old we told you about last night here who outwitted her kidnapper. calysta cordova is back home with her parents tonight. still showing the bruises and the black eyes from her ordeal. she was abducted while walking home from school but eluded her captor at a convenience store and then called 911. abc news paid an exclusive visit to the family's home in colorado as a constant stream of friends came by bringing gifts. >> yes. >> wow! >> what is that? >> justin bieber. >> justin bieber. you're not a justin bieber fan, are you? >> yes, i am. >> she deserves it and told our reporter, her dad told her to stand up for herself and remembered those words. that's how she got away and called 911. we'll be back in a moment with much more on "world news." people with a machine. what ? customers didn't like it. so why do banks do it ? hello ? hello ?! if your bank doesn't let you talk to a real person 24/7, you need an ally. hello ? ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. and get a cold... ...you need a cold medicine with a heart. only coricidin hbp has a heart, right here. it's the only cold and flu brand that won't raise your blood pressure. coricidin hbp. powerful cold medicine with a heart. come soups that you'll love getting to know. new slow kettle style soups from campbell's. extraordinary taste sensations crafted from premium ingredients. slow kettle. new from campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. 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[ male announcer ] antacids don't relieve gas. gas-x is designed to relieve gas. gas-x. the gas xperts. the lunar new year begins at midnight. the celebrations have begun around the world. fireworks lit up the sky above beijing as the year of the dragon approached. tradition claims it brings energy and prosperity and american billionaire warren buffett who is very popular in china for investing there and for his wealth popped up on chinese tv with a happy new year wish and a classic american folk song. ♪ i've been working on the railroad all the live long day ♪ >> who knew warren buffett to sing and why is he saving it just for the chinese? we'll look into that. finally, the oscar nominations and why many are talking about the silent movie again proving silence just might be golden. ♪ >> reporter: in thomas edison's studio, dancing, no words, those steps saying it all. from there, thousands of films would be produced from the birth of a nation to slapstick comedy, so many from charlie chaplin. at the time as many as 800 silent films a year from some 20 movie studios. it was october 6th, 1927 whts films of hollywood broke their silence opening night for this movie known for breaking the barrier, you would hear the words ♪ mammy >> reporter: believed to be the first movie with speech and sound, a smash hit at the box office, the movie's profits proof to an industry to talk even more. so eight decades later why did they move to go back to a time when facial expressions and dance moves said it ail? the artist by hollywood standards is a small film shot in 35 days. critics now celebrating its simplicity, one acknowledging he didn't know what he'd been missing all these years, what we've been bombarded with until he saw this. >> i looked at the artist and i thought we're missing something now where everything is just shoved in our faces. >> the brilliance of the artist. >> "the artist." >> already winning several golden globe, the lead actor surprised that silence even in 2012 is golden. an agent once telling him he would never star in a movie because his face was too expressive. he found a part and the artist finding his place more than a century after those first fils s was silent and all. by the way those oscar nominations come this week. you can watch them live tuesday morning on "good morning america." diane sawyer right here on "world news" tomorrow night. i'll see you back here next weekend. good night.