the company is smaller and leaner. only 15 employees now. who handle everything from design to marketing. >> i hear when we program the sounds -- >> reporter: to zhuzhu pet voices. >> it plays songs like that. >> la la la la la la la la la. >> it's amazing, though, you've got millions of dollars riding on what a 5-year-old likes. >> yes. isn't that frightening? >> who knows what this? >> zhuzhu pet! >> zhuzhu pets! >> i love this. >> reporter: to test the pets' popularity we put together a panel of experts at the elegant child preschool in st. louis. what are zhuzhu pets? >> they're the hamsters! >> they're a good starter before pet. >> would you rather have a real hamster or a zhuzhu pet? >> i would have to say a zhuzhu pet. because you can turn them on and off but you can't turn a hamster on and off. >> we haven't opened all the boxes yet. i know i can hold a couple of those for you. try to get in later today because they're very hot. >> reporter: on tuesday, that toy store in scarsdale finally got its shipment. >> this is only about a third what was we're expecting. and most likely they'll be gone by the end of day. >> reporter: only then did ken levinson e-mail anxious customers. >> you're going to make a little one very happy with this. trust me. >> reporter: he sold out of his allotment in only an hour and a half. but you can bet there will be more. zhuzhu pets' creators say they'll have 4 million to 5 million in stores by christmas. the jingle says zhuzhu pets are everywhere. come christmas morning parents and retailers will be hoping that's true. vicki mabrey in st. louis. >> i'm fascinated that that is the "it" gift this year for preschoolers. >> if you want some real rodents come to my neighborhood. we've got plenty of them. the website says zhuzhu pets don't poop, die or stink. so that's part of the appeal. >> it should be on everyone's christmas list. holiday list i should say. 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"insomniac theater" time. i saw "blind side." vinita happened to be not the only one seeing that huge blockbuster. >> and in case you're wondering what team i'm on? that's right. team jacob. the movie, you know, bella is obviously the second book in the series, bella's 18 now, she and edward decided they're going to part ways because of her safety so she has a new love interest. i there say it starts off as a friendship. that's jacob black who she quickly finds out is a werewolf. >> what did you do to him? he didn't want this. >> what did we do? what did he do? what did he tell you? >> he told me nothing because he's scared of you. >> ha ha! >> don't! >> too late now. >> get back! paul! paul, get back now! >> this is just one of the many scenes you're about to see taylor lautner run out with his shirt off. don't get me wrong, i appreciate how many times you see him shirtless but it was a little bit excessive. from there the movie sort of progresses in a romeo and juliet manner in that edward and bella, edward thinks bella has died and he decides he is going to end up killing himself so he goes to the royalty, the vampire royalty, and asks them if they'd kill him. i don't want to ruin anything else about the movie so that was covered on the commercial. i think the dlolg is not nearly as strong as the first version of the movie. i also think there's a lot of shirtless scenes that are sort of unnecessary. i'm going to give it 3 kernels. twihards, don't hate me. i wanted to love it but the dialogue is not as good. >> if you want to see the guy shirtless check it out. i was blind-sided by "the blind side." this was an interesting movie. the true story of michael orr, an african-american child abandoned on the streets of memphis by a drug-addicted mom and a father he never knew, taken in by a lily white christian school and a rich white family. sandra bullock plays the wealthy southern mom. when she gives him his own bedroom she realizes just how bad his life has been up to now. >> i was not about to let that in my house. i got you something nicer. >> it's mine? >> yes, sir. what? >> never had one before. >> what, a room to yourself? >> a bed. >> now he's soon recruited by every college football team in the country. it ends with him being drafted in this draft. i give it 3.25 kernels. - are you chronically ill and can't work? are you mentally ill and can't work? are you physically disabled and can't work? then the law firm of disability associates should be working for you. for years, disability associates has been working with our clients to get them the social security benefits that they deserve. don't be just another client at another law firm. - depend on disability associates because social security disability law is all that we do. yah! [horse whinny] [wood breaks] crack! help meeeee! somebody help her! c'mon deputy, let's go! hold on! yah! take my hand! what are you guys doing out here? dad was just helping me take care of katie. you know... runaway stage. well, dinner will be ready in a few minutes. imagine what a little time can do for your family. >> how nasa broke the news to an astronaut in space about a bundle of joy here on earth. it's monday, november 23rd. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> you know how they always wake the shuttle crew up with a different song pertinent to what's going on? they woke them up with that song "butterfly kilss." has the lyrics "she was sent here from heaven she's daddy's little girl." >> a nice way to come home. good morning and thanks for being with us. i'm vinita nair. >> i'm jeremy hubbard. the senate has agreed to take up debate on a health care reform bill when they return from the thanksgiving break. >> democrats call it a major accomplishment. but passing it could be a huge challenge. here's david kerley. >> reporter: saturday night's vote moves the health care debate from committees and the media to the senate floor. >> we can see the finish line now but we're not there. >> reporter: now the country's in for what could be weeks of a bruising debate. >> we're going to do anything and everything we can to prevent this measure from becoming law. >> reporter: to get to 60 votes, two centrist democrats and an independent did vote to start debate. they now say they won't support a final bill unless it takes their concerns into account. >> my vote today to move forward on this important debate should in no way be construed by the supporters of this current framework as an indication of how i might vote. >> i'm prepared to vote against moving to the next stage of consideration as long as a government-run public option is included. >> i want to solve health care problems but i don't want to do it in a way that inhibits our recovery from this terrible economic recession. >> rank and file democrats say they won't support a bill that's watered down by a handful of holdouts. but did if they lose one vote republicans could filibuster. >> i think the wind is at our back. every democrat from the most liberal to the most conservative very much wants to get a bill. >> ordinarily when you start debate on a bill like this it ends up passing. most of our constituents are saying, you need to do everything you can to stop it. >> reporter: senators go home for the thanksgiving recess preparing for the intense debate ahead. david abc news, washington. 150 employees were sent home as a precaution after the leak was discovered over the weekend. the unit had been shut down for refueling and maintenance since the end of october. nuclear regulatory officials say the leak was small. >> that while there were some contaminated individuals and possibly some intake activity, we found nothing that indicates that there was anything significant, anything that exceeded nrc regulatory limits. >> and of course of course back in march of 1979 there was a partial melt-down in three mile eye land's unit two reactor. american college student amanda knox will soon learn her fate. italian courtroom. >> rest of her life in jail. gloria riff riviera is live with more. >> reporter: the prosecution believes the night the murder took place amanda knox and her roommate had a fight over rent money. they are painting amanda as a narcissistic, controlling young woman with the potential for psychotic behavior. her father called it a character assassination. as the prosecution started closing arguments, amanda knox managed a smile. but she would soon burst into tears. when it was over, she was stone-faced. >> she was sad. she was very touched by the terrible words that were used against her. >> reporter: amanda and her ex-boyfriend, rafaeli, are accused of the murder and sexual assault of her roommate, meredith kercher, two years ago. the prosecution contends the two forced meredith into a drug-fueled sex game that went wrong. the two girls had a fight, the prosecution said, and it was amanda who slit her sditds's throat with a kitchen knife, staged a break-in as a cover-up, and fled the scene. it was all too much for amanda to hear. meredith was my friend, she told the courtroom. the idea that i would take revenge against her is absurd. the prosecution requested the maximum sentence, life in prison. amanda's defense team compared that to what the worst of italy's mafia bosses get. not a 20-year-old young woman with no prior record. >> we have to have faith. she's hanging in there. you know, she has her ups and downs. we all do. >> reporter: her family is praying she will be home by christmas. >> i hope so. more than you know. >> reporter: the verdict is expected in early december. her parents say they have already bought her a plane ticket home. gloria riviera, abc news, london. >> the prosecution went one step further by requesting that amanda spend the first nine months of her life sentence in solitary confinement. that's the penalty they believe she deserves for initially trying to blame the murder on a local man. jeremy, vinita? >> so much interest in this case. gloria riviera, thank you. a lawyer for one of the five men to be tried for the 9/11 attacks says they will plead not guilty then use the trial to explain why they did it. the attorney says the five suspects, including khalid shaikh mohammad, will say u.s. foreign policy justified the attack. attorney general eric holder has been criticized for his decision to try them to new york but he says they will be brought to justice. iran is sending another defiant message to the west. state tv reports large-scale war games are under way aimed at protecting the country's nuclear sites. it as five-day drill and covers one-third of the country. one military commander said the country could repel a strike by israel. the doctor at the center of the michael jackson death investigation will return to work today. dr. conrad murray has returned to houston where he has a cardiology practice. according to his lawyer, murray had been hiding in his las vegas home but has been forced back to work to pay mounting bills. murray has admitted giving jackson a powerful anesthetic on the day he died. northern england is in for more rain today and more misery. the heaviest rainfall on record has fallen on the country's picturesque lake district. a police officer was swept to his death when a stone bridge collapsed. thousands of homes have been flooded and it could be some time before the people who were forced out can return. now here is a look at your monday weather. several inches of snow from central nebraska into kansas and rain from kansas city to the twin cities. fog in the southern plains. more rain and mountain snow from seattle to portland. and a wet day in new york, philadelphia, and washington, d.c. >> boston 50 today. 48 in baltimore. 53 in atlanta. mid 50s for omaha, chicago, and indianapolis. mostly 40s in the rogggy rockie today. >> pete, i know you were watching this today. >> i was watching every bit of it. >> he was in hot pursuit of a nascar dream and yesterday it came true. >> jimmie johnson raced into the record books. he became the first driver to win four consecutive championships. the 34-year-old clinched the historic title with the fifth place finish even though any spot in the top 25 would have done the job. >> johnson said he grew up on two wheels in the dirt and never expected to be a champion. at the same time he warned, we're not done yet. >> were you watching? >> no. were you? >> no, i missed it too. >> pete can give us all the details on this break. >> i can't wait to hear about it. we'll be right back with 94 "world news now." >> lots of left turns? >> pretty much. . welcome back. the senate will formally open debate on health care legislation next month but there was plenty of sparring on the issue on sunday talk shows. >> discussion included the sticking point of the public option. to last week's controversial breast cancer screening recommendation. >> "face the nation" with cbs news chief washington correspondent bob schieffer. >> i'd just like to get your reaction, senator schumer, on what happened last night. >> well, i thought last night was a very good night for us. look, there are still many bumps in the roads, discussions, arguments, disagreements. but i think now the wind is at our back. there's real momentum. the good news here is we still have a very diverse caucus but every democrat, from the most liberal to the most conservative, very much wants to get a bill. >> and on the other side, every republican, from the most liberal to the most conservative, voted against it. >> and the reason is because ordinarily when you do start debate on a bill like this it ends up passing and most of our constituents are saying, you need to do everything you can to stop it. and the best way to stop it is not to start it but rather to go back and start over again with more republican ideas in the legislation than is currently the case. so that's why you had every single republican saying no, not this. >> orrin hatch said the republicans will launch a holy war of delay. is that going to happen? >> well, first of all, the american people by public opinion surveys have made it very clear they want this whole thing aired out. they would rather have us to it right than do it quickly. >> this is "meet the press" with david gregory. >> let's get to a bottom line which is, is it negotiable? i've talked to senate sources who say there is a backup plan, which is that you ultimately scrap the opt-out optionyou put in a trigger which means that somewhere -- there's no public option down the road if there's not adequate competition a public plan gets triggered. that's how you might get centrist democrats and senator snowe as well potentially. is that negotiable? >> there are many variations of the theme. i'm committed to public option. i think we put together a good bill. we are open because we want to pass this bill. at the end of the day we want insurance to be more affordable, we want to stop the insurance industry abuses, we want to give american people a choice in this decision. >> so the public option is negotiable? >> it has been. putting in the opt-out was clearly a variation on the theme from the beginning. >> all right, senator feinstein? >> no developed country on earth has the huge for-profit medical insurance industry that we have. 480% profit in eight years. premiums going skyrocketing. >> so would you vote for a plan, a bill that did not include the public option? >> i would vote for it if it had authority to be able to control the increase in premiums, at least to keep it to medical inflation. >> we don't have to tear down our whole system, and the choices that we have and the quality health care we have, in order to give more affordable health care. there are two things in this bill that could be modified to do what everyone says we want to do. >> "this week" with abc news chief washington correspondent george stephanopoulos. >> what's unfortunate is that the republicans and ms. blackburn have, for the first time, politicized breast cancer. we -- >> that is incorrect. >> no, it is not. and i'm a -- as you know, as a breast cancer survivor -- >> that is incorrect. it's in the bill, debbie. and i have great respect -- >> as a breast cancer survivor are i came out against these recommendations. every major cancer organization has come out against these organizations. the task force language in that bill actually makes sure that prevention -- preventive services like mammograms and colonoscopies and other cancer screenings would be free. the task force recommendations, the language in the bill, ensures that more women would get access to -- >> that is -- excuse me for a second, that is true, but let me clarify a little bit. because under the bill, and we have the language as well, it says that a group health plan and health insurance that you're offering a group shall provide coverage but only under -- if the preventive services task force rates it as an "a" or b." >> that's right. >> actually under the task force they said that these mammograms for women 40 to 50 is rated "c." so they actually wouldn't be covered. you'd have a great expansion for a broad part of the population but actually these guidelines would be controlling for ages 40 to 50. >> these recommendations on breast cancer exams, that sort of thing, we've been hearing so much about, the timing so is peculiar in relation to health care reform. debbie wasserman schultz getting into it with her opponent across the aisle, she's actually recently proposed legislation that would make women even younger than 40 get breast cancer exams. >> it's interesting because a lot of people don't realize why these guidelines are put into place. it was for the benefit of women. people are saying there was too many false alarms which led to unneeded biopsies. so of course they're telling people, be specific with your health care provider. i think the initial thought was to help women, even though the backlash is understandable. >> and there's lots of backlash now. still ahead the big winners and the memorable moments and the pratfalls. unsell sam's big beef with michael phelps. i experience ♪accoustic guitar doing that community service, showing that i care about someone else, it was more than any words could describe. i got the opportunity to visit a u.s. army base in south korea. my sister and i got the chance to speak to a few soldiers. now our efforts support all troops. ♪patrick and soldier greeting one another♪ i may be changing the world for the better, some way, somehow. it all started on behalf of my one, and only, awesome, special, and spunky baby brother caden, who was born with a hole in his heart, having to go under three open heart surgeries before his very first birthday. ♪boy cheering no matter how young, or busy you are, you can make a difference. [female announcer] if you know middle or high school students that volunteer, encourage them to apply for prudential spirit of community award. visit spirit dot prudential dot com. much baby oil on the back. >> you've got to use talcum to slow things down. adam lambert has a bit of a misfire here as well. where he does a little trip and roll. he actually made it look like he knew what he was doing. >> when i saw this one i didn't think it was a blooper. well done to a less-seasoned performer. >> right. he knows how to handle these things. i this think they all learned from beyonce, when she had that real bad tumble. >> i know this will end up on youtube. >> right, exactly. when it's live you can count on stuff like this to happen. there are the bloopers. i guess we should get to the real news of the night which was the winners of the big show. and taylor swift and michael jackson really were the big, big winners of the night. i think we've got a graphic to show you who won one. taylor swift, artist of the year, female artist, favorite in three different categories, favorite country album. this comes on the heels of those other big wins for him too. michael jackson, favorite male artist in two different categories. favorite pop rock album, that greatest hits release that came out. big night for those two, a big night for a couple of people who fell on their butts. >> it's funny she's so surprised. it seems like she needs to get used to winning these things. it seems that's the if it for that young girl. >> dust off the mantel. >> so our next story this morning is about michael phelps. who is the spokesperson for it seems like everything, between speedo and omega and power ball, visa. he needs to pay up. according to the government, for his 2005 and 2006 taxes, he owes the state of california just over $23,000. i mean, keep in mind his estimated worth is about $50 million. these are long-standing bills. right now there's a tax lien on him and he thus far has not paid them. keep in mind, three years. it's just interesting timing because it seems like this is sort of the trend right now among celebrities. we've talked about nicholas cage and joe francis. i think both last week. these tax liens. i think people need to realize, you have to pay your taxes. >> i wonder if this was oversight, did he forget? >> yeah, i don't -- >> he's been busy the past couple of years, busy getting ready for an olympics. >> right. >> i guess we can cut him some slack. >> doing other stuff as well. >> good point, that's true. >> might have helped him for-get. >> that's true, i didn't think about that. hey, so nobody knows how to throw a party like sean diddy combs. he turned 40, and man did he do it in style. he spent a whopping $3 million on a champagne-flooded 40th birthday party. it was the plaza here in new york. 500 guests. he created this fantasy garden of eden themed room with a $30,000 orchid display. he installed his own black dance floor and black chandelier. and he treated the guests, which included jay-z, bono, nelly, martha stewart, christie turling ton, kim car bashian, denzel washington, treated all them to a silver confetti drop. >> what does that mean? >> i think it's confetti made of silver if you can believe it or not. also a live performance by al green. they really did it up at the plaza the other night. some people were joking, one of the kids from twilight trying to jockey to get into the vip area. here are some stories to watch today on abc news. a search for missing victims from saturday's mine accident resumes. at least 104 miners were killed after a gas explosion in a coal mine. it is the deadliest mining accident in china in two years. a busy day for president obama who's attending a science and technology event in washington. he also meets with the secretary of state before presenting this year's robert f. kennedy humanitarian award. and two astronauts from the shuttle "atlantis" will take the crew's final spacewalk of the mission. they plan to do some maintenance work outside the international space station. finally this half hour, conflicting schedules because of the shuttle mission. >> astronaut randy bresnik is on the international space station 220 miles above the earth. but his wife gave birth to their first daughter yesterday. >> abc's gina siseri reports from the johnson space center in houston. >> reporter: what a day for astronaut randy bresnik. his first spacewalk. and his first daughter. >> at 11:04 last night, abigail maylie bresnik joins the family. mama and baby are doing very well. >> reporter: the "atlantis" crew woke up to the song "butterfly kisses" which starts off -- ♪ she was sent here from heaven and she's daddy's little girl ♪ >> reporter: in an exclusive interview with abc news before the launch bresnik's wife rebecca joked about the timing of the birth conflicting with her husband's space middle. >> after being told for about five years we'd never have a biological child, i can't squabble about a delivery date. >> reporter: flight directors, more comfortable discussing launch dates, were instead answering questions about due dates. >> the doctors and rebecca realize this is nasa and i've got a very well thought out, well planned, meticulous time line and they are not abiding by it. >> reporter: abigail has a big brother, 3-year-old wyatt, adopted from an orphanage in the ukraine a year ago. he suggested nemo as a name for his new sister. dad randy still has one more spacewalk on monday. he'll get his first chance to hold his new daughter next weekend. "atlantis" is scheduled to land the day after thanksgiving. what a homecoming it will be for the bresnik family. abc news, houston. >> i kind of like the name nemo, that's not too bad. on the list of great days, this has got to be one of the best. you do your first spacewalk, you see the heavens like nobody else has, then you are welcoming into the world your own baby girl. >> as hard as it is to believe this this happened to another astronaut in 2004, another astronaut was in space when his wife gave birth. >> again, they had just adopted a baby too and dad said, we're fortunate enough to witness the miracle of adoption as well as the miracle of childbirth rob, what's up? how's it going? how's it going? guys, this is my cousin rob from michigan. whazzup! he's a teenager. totally. hey, what's up? rob: all right. whoa. hey, you wanna slow down? no. really? huh. hey! do you know what a beautiful animal is? a horse. a horse. yeah. beautiful mane. unbelievable muscle tone. when it runs, it looks like poetry in motion. it's the most beautiful thing on earth. and sometimes when you feed a horse, its lips will tickle your hand. just, just tickle it just a little bit. it makes me giggle sometimes. i don't know. i guess what i'm trying to say is, if you don't slow down, i'm going to bite into your head like an apple. and thanks, guys, for listening to my horse stories. i could talk about ponies all day long. [vibrates] g morning, sunshine. wakey, wakey. text me back. [chattering] [vibrates] hey. did you tell your parents about us? let's skip first period together. did you get all my texts? is practice over yet? where you at? are you with your friends? that's laaaa-mee. capital "x," lower-case "o," capital "x," lower-case "o," i love you. jk. i hate you. jk. are you ignoring me? we're in a huge fight right now. is it something i did? i can see your lights on. i'm coming over. this isn't a joke. what did you dream about? [overlapping] is it me? i'm lonely. holla back. holla back. let's try something new. nude pics. send me some. text me. divide the democrats. how the senate's health care bill headed for debate has split the party. fatal floods. the damage and devastation in britain as survivors try to pick up the pieces. and, sweet sensation. why trend-setting cupcake cafes are suddenly so popular. >> i'm sort of like mystified by the whole sort of cupcake phenomenon. >> it's monday, november 23rd. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> i recognize that guy because i watch the food network all the time. we're a couple of blocks away from one of the most famous cupcake places in new york, magnolia, and they never send any over. >> it's amazing to see how big the cupcakes have gotten, muffin-sized, enormous, which i'm all for. >> bring them on. good morning, thanks for joining outside this monday, i'm jeremy hubbard. >> i'm vinita nair. now that the senate has agreed to debate health care reform a democratic lead ever says the bill must pass by the end of the year. >> dick durbin of illinois says if debate stretches into next year the issue will become much more complex. david kerley reports on what's at stake. >> reporter: it is a big victory for democrats, getting the 60 votes just to allow the senate to start debate on a bill. but already a couple of those democrats are saying unless their concerns are taken into account, they may not vote for the final bill. under the senate bill, like the house version, more than 30 million additional americans would be covered. insurance companies could not deny coverage for preexisting conditions. and there is a public option, a government-run insurance plan which states could opt out of. and that is the problem, even for some democrats. >> i'm prepared to vote against moving to the next stage of consideration, as long as a government-run public option is included. >> i don't want to fix the problems in our health care system in a way that creates more of an economic crisis. >> reporter: republicans only need to pick off one democrat to start a filibuster and kill the health care reform effort. >> we're going to do anything and everything we can to prevent this measure from becoming law. >> reporter: senators are now on thanksgiving recess but when they return, the real debate begins. and expect the public option to once again be at the center of that debate. david kerley, abc news, washington. a lawyer for one of the five defendants to be tried in new york for the 9/11 attacks says they will plead not guilty. the attorney says the men want to explain why u.s. foreign policy justified the terrorism. critics have feared that moving the trial from a military to a civil court could give the men a platform for propaganda. but a spokesman for the justice department says the court will bring the men to justice. leaders in iran thousand say they could repel a military strike by israel. state tv reports iran is launching a large-scale war games to protect the country's nuclear sites. it's the five-day drill and it covers one-third of the country. last week iran backed out of a deal to send enriched uranium to russia to be processed. more rain is forecast for england's picturesque lake district after the heaviest rainfall there in history. inspectors are urgently checking the safety of the hundreds of bridges which cross the region. some of them are more than a century old. a police officer was swept to his death when one old stone bridge collapsed. six more bridges were closed yesterday. more than 1,000 homes have been flooded in northern england. some people are being warned to stay away because it's too dangerous to return. judith morris visited with some survivors with a huge mess. >> reporter: after the flood, the mess. though the flood has gone its legacy is everywhere. >> the emotion hasn't hit yet. it's a matter of being practical and getting the stuff out. i'm sure that when you realize you ain't got anywhere to live, because we're staying at friends', ewe starting to go back to work and that, it's going to be a completely different set of emotions than what we have at this moment in time. >> reporter: those who have managed to get into their houses have been confronted with a stark reality -- this is not going to be cleared up overnight. in some ways those who have been able to get back are the lucky ones. many others are still waiting. as the worst-affected part of town, this area is still very firmly out of bounds for those who normally live and work here. the buildings are still considered to be too dangerous. but whilst every property is being checked there are many who are desperate to get back in. and they're being asked to be patient. chris and rachel free are want to get back to their house. with a baby in tow it's not easy being away. when we tried to get there, it was impossible. >> but we're going to respect they've got the slightly bigger pick that you are than we have. we're going to sit and wait. >> reporter: it will be many months before the displaced people can move back into their houses. ♪ >> reporter: the community spirits tea and coffee are flowing. but it's not like home. rescuers are searching off indonesia's sumatra islands for 20 missing passengers after a ferry sank in stormy weather. 250 survivors have been pulled from the sea but at least 29 people have drowned. the captain said there was no sign of bad wed where the ferry set out. survivors say the accident happened suddenly and some passengers jumped into the water without life jackets. investigators say a fire that destroyed several businesses along atlantic city's famous boardwalk started in a pizza shop. the flames quickly spread to two clothing stores and a photography shop, damaging others as well. it took firefighters several hours to bring the three-alarm fire under control. the fire chief reports there was no structural damage to the boardwalk itself. the doctor at the center of the michael jackson death investigation goes back to work today. conrad murray has a cardiology practice in houston. according to his lawyer, dr. murray has been heating in his las vegas home but started seeing patients to earn money to pay his bills. murray has admitted giving sdwrak son a powerful anesthetic on the day he died. lawmakers in south carolina are set to officially impeach the governor. a list of ethics charges is expected today. a panel has been looking at sanford's use of campaign funds since his secret trip to argentina in june. the governor has admitted an affair with a woman who lives in argentina. an ugly battle between congressman patrick kennedy and a roman catholic bishop is escalating over the issue of abortion. kennedy was asked by the bishop not to take communion because he supports a woman's right to choose. kennedy, who represents rhode island, the nation's most catholic state, said his views did not make him any less a catholic. two crew men from the space shuttle "atlantis". randy bresnik's second walk in space but the first since he handed out cigars to celebrate the birth of his daughter back on earth. baby abigail was born early sunday morning but she will not get to meet her bad until the "atlantis" returns on friday here's a look at your monday forecas forecast. snow in parts of nebraska and kansas and rain from kansas city to minneapolis and fog in the southern plains. rain and mountain snow in the northwest. >> 40s from seattle so fargo. 50s in detroit. 55 in chicago. 52 for the twin cities. dallas climbs up to 72 today. new orleans will be 70. miami's 85. 55 for boston. 53 in atlanta. we haven't heard from her in a while. the overnight sensation who's turning her newfound celebrity into cold, hard cash. >> she dreamed a dream, and the dream came true. the much-anticipated debut cd by scottish singing sensation susan boyle is released today. can we hear the lyrics? ♪ it's a big hit. she already has more global preorders on amazon.com than any recording artist in history. boyle, of course, became an internet instant hit on youtube after wowing simon cowell and others on "britain's got talent." >> her album is called "i dreamed a dream" and she will have everything from a madonna remake to "silent night." >> hopefully they have liner notes so you can know the actual lyrics. >> all you need is that line you sang. ♪ she dreamed a dream >> you have that look. >> i think -- wait. we'll be right back. 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"nightline" looked at that a year after the melt-down on march 26th, 1980. >> one year ago this week, three mile island became a part of the american vocabulary. the vocabulary of nuclear politics. the vocabulary of energy crisis. the vocabulary of fear. before the three mile island accident last march, industry was on top in the debate over nuclear power. since then anti-nuclear forces have assumed the lead. now as charles gibson tells us it's a battle for the minds of the public. >> reporter: this is the office of the march 28th coalition. the anti-nukes in harrisburg, pennsylvania. they have a big weekend coming. you'll see them on television and in the newspapers staging marches, vigils, concerts, protests, you name it, all to mark the three-mile anniversary. >> the whole world is watching tmi at this moment. harrisburg is in the limelight. and we have an opportunity here to make a strong statement that can be heard around the world. if we can shut down three mile island we can shut the whole thing down. >> reporter: they've already started their protests. this one outside pennsylvania governor dick thornburgh's house. the anti-nukes know well how to exploit the emotional aspects of their argument and politicians can't ignore that or the tv cameras. even for this small demonstration, thornburgh came out in the rain. >> governor, we had enough radiation and we really don't want any more. >> i understand your courages and i sim pa these with them. i live in this area myself and i went through the same thing you did last year. >> reporter: the nuclear industry has studied the opposition and has learned and admits it will copy their ta tactics. memos recently went out. by arranging its own forums this week, the memo said, the industry can shift media focus away from the accident. so tuesday morning -- >> i'm proud to report that the industry has acted quickly and forcefully. >> reporter: the industry held a national news conference to pat itself on the back for what it had done since three mile island. the industry started its new media push with newspaper ads, by putting pro-nuclear spokesmen in airports, by putting out a handbook for organizing pro-nuke groups. for there is a lot of stake. the 108 reactors being held up now represent a $100 billion loss to the industry. that argument is not mentioned. instead, the industry stresses -- >> that the major threat with respect to nuclear power is the threat of a future without it. >> reporter: and so, like the vietnam issue a few years ago, it becomes a battle for the public's hearts and minds. the weapons being emotional issues. fear of the unknown and unseen for the anti-nukes. fear of a society without power for the pro-nukes. and it's an escalating battle you'll witness as both sides have now determined to use the media to project their message. charles gibson, abc news, at three mile island. >> of course, that happened back in '79. they think some of the fear afterwards may have been stoked by a movie that had come out 12 days before the incident at three mile island, "the china syndrome." jane fonda played a reporter at a nuclear plant doing a story about nuclear power when there's a big melt-down. they fear the timing may have made people think the worst at the time. >> i think they said there's a line in the movie where she references a melt-down could render an area the size of pennsylvania uninhabitable, which is also ironic. >> a lot of similarities. baking up profits at the cupcake cafe. >> mmm-mmm! the money-making secret behind these sweet treats. oh, yeah, that looks good. we we've noticed something walking around new york city, there are an awful lot of places to get it. believe it or not a cupcake. >> we know new york is not the only place where that's going on. david wright on the cupcake phenomenon. >> reporter: what starbucks was to the '90s the cupcake seems to be to 2009. every corner, another cupcake joint. comfort food in uncomfortable times. >> yeah, we have the caramel apple, pumpkin spice, a jinger peach coming out next year. >> strawberry, coconut, key lime, red velvet. >> reporter: thesises opened georgetown cupcake on valentine's day 2008. on most days the lines of people waiting to buy $3 cupcakes are out the door. >> we sell up to 5,000 cupcakes a day. >> 5,000 a day? >> yeah. we've hit 6,000 last week. >> reporter: but is there appetite enough to support a dozen or so cupcake joints in weekend alone? probably not. all of them have their gimmicks. some promise organic, locally sourced ingredients. others are cruelty free. each of these bite-sized indulgences is guaranteed to bring out the kid in every grownup. >> mm, creamy filling! >> reporter: a retro treat. that cameo on "sex and the city" icing on the cake. now the cupcake craze has gotten so crazy neiman marcus is featuring cupcake cars as a lavish christmas gift idea in a variety of flavors. >> soofrlner or later the bubbl going to burst. >> reporter: jeff goldman certainly qualifies as an authority. not only is he the food network's ace of cakes -- >> so this one cupcake's going to have 90 eggs. >> reporter: he briefly held the guinness world record in the cupcake category. >> it gives me great pleasure to announce today that we have set a new guinness world record for the world's largest cupcake. >> reporter: guinness later questioned his baking methods. >> i think the only thing better than winning a world record is having it revoked. >> reporter: that may have left goldman with a bad taste in his mouth regarding cupcakes. he's skeptical this fad will last. >> i'm sort of like mystified by the whel sort of cupcake phenomenon. i mean, it's amazing to me. it's kind of ridiculous. it's like, okay, there's a lot of cupcake shops. vary it up a little bit. when's the danish craze going to happen? i want danish houses everywhere. >> perhaps this is the moment we should take these out. >> oh, you did not bring cupcakes. >> we did. >> reporter: not just cupcakes. magnolia bakery's kaup cakes. this is from the mother of all cupcake places, magnolia bakery. >> fantastic place. >> reporter: nearly $40 a dozen. that's about ten hours in the gym per cupcake. >> that's just the icing. >> reporter: duff goldman would rather spare calories for some of outside outlandish confectionary creations. will it sting you if you touch it? >> i might if you touch it. >> reporter: the cupcakes? to him they're just hockey pucks with frosting. give these magnolias a try. >> reporter: i'm david wright in baltimore. >> they're good. >> that is sacrilege. at least he did eat some of the icing. >> there's a place up here in new york called crumbs. and you know those hostess cupcakes with the squiggly icing on the top? they do a take on that and it is heaven. >> hopefully someone will send us free cupcakes after all these -- >> hopefully they're up baking cupcakes. >> magnolia, crumbs, we'll eat it if you bring it. 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"world news now" delivers your "morning papers." >> jeremy. >> yeah? >> for once the fact that i'm tone deaf is going to benefit you. >> okay. >> because i won't need you to sing to really properly set up this next story. >> all right. >> you ready? >> yes. >> you know that song how sweet it is? ♪ how sweet it is to be loved by you ♪ ♪ >> go, daddy! >> on the heels of that song do you want to hear a story about how sweet it is to be divorced by you? ♪ how sweet it is to be divorced by you ♪ >> we live to sing. there is a really funny story and it comes to us from, where else, the uk. more or less, rather than save a cake for you and your loved one for your wedding day why not save one for yore divorce? there are a series of bake hoarse say they are creating cakes like this one where you can see the woman is stabbing a knife in they are husband's back. they're creating something called divorce cakes. they say they're huge in the u.s. so they decided to take the idea. on this one she's kicking him off the top tier and in icing somewhere on that cake i think it says "free at last." so they're not cheap. they're anywhere from like $90 to some of them range up into almost like thousands of dollars. but they're saying the idea is really funny and while some people think it's sort of crass and insensitive, others say it's a fitting end to a period in their lives as well as a chance to have a really good party. >> i think it's, you know -- it doubles the business for the cake decorator. >> right. >> you make the cake for the wedding and give them a card and say, when you get divorced. >> hopefully that's not what the card reads on the day of the wedding. >> double your market share there. >> is the cake good? >> that doesn't matter, does it? all cake is good. >> you don't eat it, you throw it at the ex. ♪ you were better to me than i was to myself ♪ >> you're done singing, hubbard. that's it, wrap it up. >> so you know how it's tough for kids to get into college? there's all this competition. you know, tutoring, all this sort of thing. well, this has sort of been taken to the next level. admission tests for kindergarteners and the competition that it takes to get into some of these schools it's a booming business. test preparation in places like new york city where the clients are 3 and 4 year olds whose parents hope a little assistance at a cost of up to $1,000 for several sessions will help them win spots in the city's very hard to get, gifted and talented public kindergarten classes. there's this booming business. some of the schools are saying, look, this is bad news, we're going to try to filter out parents who are actually sort of stressing out their kids by doing this. stressing out their kids by doing this. the [shouting] [swords clank] watch out! all hands on deck! ...but when it mattered most... give me all your treasure! imagine what a little time can do for your family. ah, ha! take that! missed me! uhh! rob, what's up? how's it going? how's it going? guys, this is my cousin rob from michigan. whazzup! he's a teenager. totally. hey, what's up? rob: all right. whoa. hey, you wanna slow down? no. really? huh. hey! do you know what a beautiful animal is? a horse. a horse. yeah. beautiful mane. unbelievable muscle tone. when it runs, it looks like poetry in motion. it's the most beautiful thing on earth. and sometimes when you feed a horse, its lips will tickle your hand. just, just tickle it just a little bit. it makes me giggle sometimes. i don't know. i guess what i'm trying to say is, if you don't slow down, i'm going to bite into your head like an apple. and thanks, guys, for listening to my horse stories. i could talk about ponies all day long. radiation scare. why investigators are taking no chances after a leak at the three mile island nuclear power plant in pennsylvania. then, emotional toll. americans suffering from depression due to the recession. >> it's just devastating. very emotional time in our lives. and, insomniac theater. from an inspiring sports story. >> come on. >> to the wolves and vampires in "new moon." we'll check out the weekend's big movies. it's monday, november 23rd. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> sandra bullock looks really good in that movie. >> you should check out that taylor lautner who you saw turn into a werewolf. >> $140 million in the u.s. >> that tally is going to tick up as well. >> we'll talk more about the two movies coming up in insomniac theater. thanks for joining us. i'm jeremy hubbard. >> i'm vinita nair. for hundreds of people living near the three mile island nuclear plant it is likely a feeling of deja vu. the pennsylvania plant leaked radiation over the weekend. >> a nuclear accident closed the plant in march of 1979. this time investigators say there was no danger to anyone around the plant. here's stephanie sy. >> reporter: a radiation leak at central pennsylvania's three mile island nuclear power plant lacked the magnitude of 1979's partial melt-down. but it was enough to warrant the nuclear regulatory commission to send out investigators. >> they have stopped all work in the containment. they are still trying to determine what the cause was. >> late saturday afternoon an airborne radiological contamination alarm sounded in the unit one containment building, sending about 150 employees home. that unit had been shut down for refueling and maintenance for nearly a month. exeline nuclear, the company that operates the plant, says they are testing employees for possible radiation exposure and stress that the leak posed no public health risk. radiological surveys showed the contamination is confined to surfaces within the building and so far, worker exposure appears to be low. >> while there were some contaminated individuals and possibly some intake activity, we found nothing that indicates that there is anything significant, anything that exceeded nrc regulatory limits. >> reporter: 30 years ago, a partial melt-down in three mile island's unit two reactor core sent fear through the surrounding community. and for years cast a pall on the nuclear industry. according to the nrc the unit two reactor is permanently shut down and defueled. the cause for this weekend's leak remains unknown. and plant employees there will not return to work until the area is completely cleaned. stephanie sy, abc news, new york. a lawyer for one of the five men to be tried in new york for the 9/11 attacks say they will plead not guilty so they can explain why u.s. foreign policy justified such an attack. that reforms critics' fears that moving the trial from a military to a civil court would give them a platform for propaganda. a spokesman for the justice department says the court will bring the men to justice. efforts at health care reform in the senate have taken a major step forward. senators have agreed to begin debating a version of the bill after thanksgiving. the public option appears to be a sticking point. rachel martin reports from washington. >> reporter: senate democrats know this is the beginning of a long fight. still, they chalk the vote up as a victory. >> before this journey is over we will have passed national health care coverage for all americans. >> reporter: the bill would extend health care coverage for an additional 31 million americans. it would prevent insurance companies from discriminating against patients with a pre-existing condition. and it includes a government-run insurance program that states can then opt out of. but this just gets the democrats to first base with health care. home plate is still a long ways off. >> we're going to do anything and everything we can to prevent this measure from becoming law. >> the $848 approximately senate bill pays for itself this way. taxing so-called cadillac health care plans and putting a new tax on elective cosmetic procedures. but republicans say in ten years, when the bill is fully rolled out, the final price tag will edge near $2 trillion. >> i think bernie madoff went to jail for this kind of behavior. >> move over, bernie madoff. tip your hat to a trillion dollar scam. >> reporter: the people with the real power in this debate are moderate democrats like blanche lincoln who reluctantly signaled her yes vote after hours of debate. >> i believe it is more important that we begin this debate to improve our nation's health care system for all americans, rather than just simply drop the issue and walk away. >> reporter: some moderate democrats are absolutely opposed to a public insurance option, so senate majority leader harry reid has said he will work until he comes up with a public option all democrats can support. to be sure, this will be the sticking point when democrats convene for full debate of health care reform after thanksgiving. rachel martin, abc news, capitol hill. overseas more rain is forecast for england's lake district after the heaviest rainfall there in history. inspectors are urgently checking the safety of the hundreds of bridges which cross the region after one span collapsed. six more were closed on sunday. more than 1,000 homes have been flooded and some people are being warned to stay away. rescuers are searching off indonesia's sumatra islands for 20 missing passengers after a ferry sank. they've already managed to pull more than 250 survivors from the sea. at least 29 people have drowned. survivors say the accident happened without warning and some passengers jumped into the water without life jackets. two crewmen from the space shuttle "atlantis" will make the third and final spacewalk of their mission today. it will be astronaut randy bresnik's second walk in space but the first since he handed out cigars to celebrate the birth of his daughter back on earth. baby abigail was born early sunday morning. but she won't meet her dad until after the "atlantis" returns on friday. now here's a look at your monday forecast. it is still stormy in the northwest with more rain and mountain snow in washington and oregon. snow also in parts of nebraska and kansas. rain in kansas city, omaha, des moines and the twin cities. fog in the southern plains and showers from washington, d.c. to new york. >> highs around 50 in the northeast today. 85 in miami. 70 in new orleans. 50s for much of the midwest. 49 in seattle. 53 in portland. 41 in boise. for the southwest, phoenix 75. california, sacramento, 63 degrees. michael jackson has made history yet again winning four american music awards. posthumously. country cross-over star taylor swift edged him out with five. swift was named artist of the year, favorite female artist three times and she earned the favorite country album title. >> good year for taylor swift. jackson was voted favorite male artist in two categories and his album "number ones" was named a favorite twice. jermaine jackson accepted for his brother wearing a glittery white glove in tribute. the awards are decided by online voting from the public which accounts of course for michael's success this. >> michael jackson's popularity was also looming large right here in new york. >> yeah, the trademark rhinestone-encrusted glove wore at the motown 25 special was auctioat nrk's we told you about this. a japanese businessman snagged it for a whopping $350,000. that's about seven times more than expected. >> the black jacket jackson wore during his 1989 "bad" tour went for $225,000. fans who showed up for the auction screamed in delight as most of the items soared far beyond the presale estimates. >> we'll be right back with more "world news now." there is a medicare benefit that may qualify you for a new power chair or scooter at little to no cost to you. stay tuned for this important medicare benefit information and free scooter guarantee. imagine... one scooter or power chair that could improve your may entitle you to pay little to nothing to own it. one company that can make it all happen ... your power chair will be paid in full. the scooter store. why should you call the scooter store today? because their mobility experts are also medicare experts. and that means the scooter store is your best shot at qualifying for a scooter that costs you little to nothing. hi i'm doug harrison. pay little to nothing out of pocket. how do we do it? we know what it takes to get you your power chair it's our strength. it's our mission. and we back it up with the scooter store guarantee. if we qualify you and medicare denies your claim for a new powerchair or scooter, i'll give it to you absolutely free. i paid into medicare all my life, and when i needed it the benefit was there for me. the scooter store made it so easy. i didn't pay a penny out of pocket for my power chair. the scooter store got me back out in the world again. talk to. there is a medicare benefit that may qualify you for a new power chair or scooter at little to no cost to you. headaches know when you're stressed. tired. running on empty. to relieve headaches doctors recommend tylenol... more than any other brand of pain reliever. tylenol rapid release gels... release medicine fast... to silence headache pain fast, so you can feel better... knowing you can stop a headache... as quickly as it starts. an ugly battle between congressman patrick kennedy and a roman catholic bishop is escalating over the issue of abortion. kennedy was asked by the bishop not to take communion because he supports a woman's right to choose. kennedy, who represents rhode island, the nation's most catholic state, said his views did not make him any less catholic. some economy news this morning. our new abc news poll shows three out of every ten americans says someone in their household has lost their job in the last year. >> dealing with unemployment can lead to a lot of psychological stress. abc's david kerley takes a look at how one family is coping. >> reporter: ron and vicki fields' american dream fell apart this summer. >> came back from the store and he was home. when he was supposed to be at work. and my heart just sank. >> reporter: ron had just lost his job managing a restaurant. but it wasn't just the money. it was the worry. >> we were going to have to go to a homeless shelter or what would happen. it was just devastating. very emotional time in our lives. >> reporter: with their final paycheck they rented a u-haul and moved from north carolina to their in-laws' in florida. this is now their daughter's makeshift bedroom. >> i was walking around in a haze wondering what happened. you get really sad and depressed. >> reporter: and the fields are not alone. our poll shows 90% of those laid off are feeling stress. 63% are angry. 58% say they're depressed. add it all up and a quarter, one-fourth of this country's population, is feeling some stress about the bad economy. in michigan, with the highest unemployment rate of 15%, linda, a teacher, is now fighting not only joblessness but illness. >> i don't want to go to the doctor anymore because i keep finding new things wrong with me. >> reporter: in alabama, truck driver stanley is having trouble putting food on the table. >> sometimes i tell you it makes me feel less of a man. >> reporter: banker amy says her self-esteem is battered. >> you feel worthless, you feel useless. there's just some days you sit there, why am i crying? >> reporter: experts say while it's difficult you have to separate money problems from your self-worth. >> refuse to say that my job is me. you're a person who can do different things. if you say that my entire worth is dependent on this particular job, then you're really done for. >> reporter: ron fields adjusted. he took a job not as a manager but as a chef and a 30% pay cut. >> actually be able to know that there is light and that we're going to be on our own again shortly and doing much better. so -- very grateful. >> reporter: even with some difficult days still ahead. david kerley, abc news. >> and the reality is he's lucky he has that chef job, because so many people can't even find work that's not in their field. we talked about how the unemployment rate nationally is now over 10%. but there are several states, 14 states where the unemployment rate is even higher than this. >> this statistic didn't surprise me 86% of people are reporting problems with money. it did surprise me to hear 62% say it's serious problems with money. when we return what may be the breakthrough toy of the year. >> stores cannot keep zhuzhu pets in stock. o is a bond that we share to help us stay close. [male announcer] find out how you can help at uso dot org the uso until every one comes home. i'm sorry. i can't hear you very well. announcer: does someone you know have trouble hearing on the phone? dad. dad, let me help you with that, okay? announcer: now, a free phone service shows captions of everything a caller says. i'd like to make an appointment to see the doctor. announcer: to learn more about captioned telephone, call 1-800-552-7724 or go to our website. i'll see you at 3:00! announcer: captioned telephone - enjoy the phone again! hard to believe it's already here. but the sprint to find that perfect holiday gift for the season officially starts on friday. >> but lots of parents seeking this year's hottest toy have already been striking out. they're looking for an artificial rodent. >> more affectionately they are called zhuzhu pets. vicki mabrey has more. >> wake up, zhuzhu pets! >> reporter: this holiday season, brace yourself for what might be the next must have toy. cuddly, on the go hamsters known as zhuzhu pets. they squeak, they roll, they drive, they do everything but make a mess. and retailers like ken levinson in scarsdale, new york, are hoping they'll be the hamster that saves christmas. >> based on the demand, it's going to be hot. >> reporter: trouble is, he's got none to sell. like fads of old, berbie, tickle me elmo, cabbage patch dolls and beanie babies, supply seems to grow short just when demand is high. levinson's been waiting for another shipment for nearly two months. >> clearly the demand is there, the product is not, and it's very frustrating. >> it's easier to get a swine flu shot than to get zhuzhu pets. >> reporter: it isn't just small independents like levinson. even the big retailers claim they can't get enough. >> hi, do you have any zhuzhu items? >> reporter: at toys "r" us in times square they don't bother putting them on the shelves. every shipment is sold out in a matter of hours. how lucky did you get today? >> very lucky. very lucky. the cars are going for quite a bit. on ebay. i'm just happy to get some. >> reporter: chris burn, known as the toy guy, has seen all the fads come and go. so, is this the hamster that's going to save christmas? >> ta-da! you know, it may be the hamster that saves christmas because it's a rising tide lifts all boats, it's got people coming to the stores, they're looking to find these. >> reporter: is there a chance that this is a manufactured, let's hold them back, let's not release them, and that's how they're getting people so excited about this? >> you know, that issue comes up whenever there's a fad toy. at the end of the day, you can't predict a fad. some people tell you you can, but it's not possible. when something really catches the imagination, then you've got people who wouldn't normally buy these toys looking for them. >> reporter: here at zhuzhu headquarters near st. louis the pet's creator, russ hornsby, says they didn't make many at first because he didn't know if his little $9 invention would catch on. so the response has been? >> phenomenal. on zhuzhu pets? unbelievable. never, ever seen anything like this in my entire life. ♪ >> reporter: now he credits zhuzhu pets' popularity to fair price, novelty, and the nag factor. >> when you've got an item that's under $10 today, the consumer will rally towards it. and that's provided that fact the kids are excited about it. the excitement is, hey, mom, mom, did you see that hamster that just drove across the tv set? i want one, mom. >> reporter: hornsby has played this game before and lost. he won big with power puff girls and rumble robots. he eventually lost the hits and sold the company. now he and daughters natalie and ashley are back on the board with zhuzhu pets. the company is smaller and leaner. only 15 employees now. who handle everything from design to marketing. >> i hear when we program the sounds -- >> reporter: to zhuzhu pet voices. >> it plays songs like that. >> la la la la la la la la la. >> it's amazing, though, you've got millions of dollars riding on what a 5-year-old likes. >> yes. isn't that frightening? >> who knows what this is? >> zhuzhu pet! >> zhuzhu pets! >> i love zhuzhu pets. >> reporter: to test the pets' popularity we put together a panel of experts at the elegant child preschool in st. louis. what are zhuzhu pets? >> they're the hamsters! >> they're a good starter before pet. >> would you rather have a real hamster or a zhuzhu pet? >> i would have to say a zhuzhu pet. because you can turn them on and off but you can't turn a hamster on and off. >> we haven't opened all the boxes yet. i know i got the hamsters and i can hold a couple of those for you. try to get in later today because they're very hot. >> reporter: on tuesday, that toy store in scarsdale finally got its shipment. >> this is only about a third what was we're expecting. and most likely they'll be gone by the end of day. >> reporter: only then did ken levinson e-mail anxious customers. >> you're going to make a little one very happy with this. trust me. >> reporter: he sold out of his allotment in only an hour and a half. but you can bet there will be more. zhuzhu pets' creators say they'll have 4 million to 5 million in stores by christmas. the jingle says zhuzhu pets are everywhere. come christmas morning parents and retailers will be hoping that's true. vicki mabrey in st. louis. >> i'm fascinated that that is the "it" gift this year for preschoolers. >> she made the point you never really know what's going to hit. if you want some real rodents come to my neighborhood. we've got plenty of them. the website says zhuzhu pets don't poop, die or stink. so that's part of the appeal. >> it should be on everyone's christmas list. holiday list i should say. 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"insomniac theater" time. vinita and i picked the two big films of the weekend. i saw "blind side." vinita happened to be not the only one seeing that huge blockbuster. >> and in case you're wondering what team i'm on? that's right. team jacob. the movie, you know, bella is -- obviously the second book in the series, bella's 18 now, she and edward decided they're going to part ways because of her safety so she has a new love interest. i should say it starts off as a friendship. that's jacob black who she quickly finds out is a werewolf. >> what did you do to him? he didn't want this. >> what did we do? what did he do? what did he tell you? >> both of you calm down. >> he told me nothing because he's scared of you. >> ha ha! >> don't! >> too late now. >> get back! paul! paul, get back now! >> this is just one of the many scenes you're about to see taylor lautner run out with his shirt off. don't get me wrong, i appreciate how many times you see him shirtless but it was a little bit excessive. i guess in this one he's not. it is excessive through the the movie. from there the movie sort of progresses in a romeo and juliet manner in that edward and bella, edward thinks bella has died and he decides he is going to end up killing himself so he goes to the royalty, the vampire royalty, and asks them if they'd kill him. i don't want to ruin anything else about the movie so that was covered on the commercial. i think the dialog is not nearly as strong as the first version of the movie. i also think there's a lot of shirtless scenes that are sort of unnecessary. i'm going to give it 3 kernels. twihards, don't hate me. i wanted to love it but the dialogue is not as good. >> if you want to see the guy shirtless check it out. i was blind-sided by "the blind side." emotionally i was blind-sided. this was an interesting movie. the true story of michael orr, an african-american child abandoned on the streets of memphis by a drug-addicted mom and a father he never knew, taken in by a lily white christian school and a rich white family. sandra bullock plays the wealthy southern mom. who takes him under her wing. when she gives him his own bedroom she realizes just how bad his life has been up to now. >> i was not about to let that in my house. i got you something nicer. >> it's mine? >> yes, sir. what? >> never had one before. >> what, a room to yourself? >> a bed. >> now he's soon recruited by every college football team in the country. it ends with him being drafted in this year's draft. great story. a little sacchariny-sweet. i give it 3.25 kernels. ♪ doo doo doo doo doo ♪ ♪ doo doo doo doo doo ♪ ♪ green, green ♪ green ♪ it's your home, it's your dream ♪ ♪ radon testing, keep it healthy and clean ♪ ♪ make it green, green, green making it green is making sure the air in your home is healthy for your family to breathe. make sure you test your home for the presence of radon. it's easy. to learn more, call... preserve your family's health and well-being. get your home tested. now, that's living healthy and green. ♪ green, green, green ♪ it's your home, it's your dream ♪ ♪ radon testing, keep it healthy and clean ♪ ♪ make it green, green, green ♪ to learn more, call... health care reform advances on capitol hill. >> we're going to do anything and everything we can to prevent this measure from becoming law. >> the republicans' fight and the democrats' challenge. then, closing arguments. the american woman on trial in italy in a sensational murder case. the courtroom drama and what's next. and, delivery day. >> abigail mae, 6 pounds, 13 ounces. >> how nasa broke the news to an astronaut in space about a bundle of joy here on earth. it's monday, november 23rd. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> you know how they always wake the shuttle crew up with a different song pertinent to what's going on? they woke them up with that song "butterfly kisses." has the lyrics "she was sent here from heaven she's daddy's little girl." that's sweet. >> that must be so hard for him to be up there. >> he'll be home this week to check her out. >> a nice way to come home. good morning and thanks for being with us. i'm vinita nair. >> i'm jeremy hubbard. the senate has agreed to take up debate on a health care reform bill when they return from the thanksgiving break. >> democrats call it a major accomplishment. but passing it could be a huge challenge. here's david kerley. >> reporter: saturday night's vote moves the health care debate from committees and the media to the senate floor. >> we can see the finish line now but we're not there. >> reporter: now the country's in for what could be weeks of a bruising debate. >> we're going to do anything and everything we can to prevent this measure from becoming law. >> reporter: to get to 60 votes, two centrist democrats and an independent did vote to start debate. they now say they won't support a final bill unless it takes their concerns into account. >> my vote today to move forward on this important debate should in no way be construed by the supporters of this current framework as an indication of how i might vote. >> i'm prepared to vote against moving to the next stage of consideration as long as a government-run public option is included. >> i want to solve health care problems but i don't want to do it in a way that inhibits our recovery from this terrible economic recession. >> rank and file democrats say they won't support a bill that's watered down by a handful of holdouts. but if they lose one vote republicans could filibuster. >> i think the wind is at our back. every democrat from the most liberal to the most conservative very much wants to get a bill. >> ordinarily when you start debate on a bill like this it ends up passing. most of our constituents are saying, you need to do everything you can to stop it. >> reporter: senators go home for the thanksgiving recess preparing for the intense debate ahead. david kerley, abc news, washington. there has been a radiation leak at pennsylvania's three mile island nuclear plant. 150 employees were sent home as a precaution after the leak was discovered over the weekend. the unit had been shut down for refueling and maintenance since the end of october. nuclear regulatory officials say the leak was small. >> that while there were some contaminated individuals and possibly some intake activity, we found nothing that indicates that there was anything significant, anything that exceeded nrc regulatory limits. >> and of course of course back in march of 1979 there was a partial melt-down in three mile island's unit two reactor. american college student amanda knox will soon learn her fate. it tappian prosecutors trying her for the murder of her room mate have delivered their final arguments. >> they say knox should spend the rest of her life in jail, the stiffest punishment in italian law. gloria riviera is live in our london bureau with more. >> reporter: the prosecution believes the night the murder took place amanda knox and her roommate, meredith kercher, had a fight over rent money. they are painting amanda as a narcissistic, controlling young woman with the potential for psychotic behavior. her father called it a character assassination. as the prosecution started closing arguments, amanda knox managed a smile. but she would soon burst into tears. when it was over, she was stone-faced. >> she was sad. she was very touched by the terrible words that were used against her. >> reporter: amanda and her ex-boyfriend, rafaeli, are accused of the murder and sexual assault of her roommate, meredith kercher, two years ago. the prosecution contends the two forced meredith into a drug-fueled sex game that went horribly wrong. the two girls had a fight, the prosecution said, and it was amanda who slit meredith's throat with a kit chn knife, staged a break-in as a cover-up, and fled the scene. it was all too much for amanda to hear. meredith was my friend, she told the courtroom. the idea that i would take revenge against her is absurd. the prosecution requested the maximum sentence, life in prison. amanda's defense team compared that to what the worst of italy's mafia bosses get. not a 20-year-old young woman with no prior record. >> we have to have faith. she's hanging in there. you know, she has her ups and downs. we all do. >> reporter: her family is praying she will be home by christmas. >> i hope so. more than you know. >> reporter: the verdict is expected in early december. her parents say they have already bought her a plane ticket home. the prosecution went one step further by requesting that amanda spend the first nine months of her life sentence in solitary confinement. that's the penalty they believe she deserves for initially trying to blame the murder on a local man. jeremy, vinita? >> certainly been so much interest in this case. gloria riviera, thank you. a lawyer for one of the five men to be tried for the 9/11 attacks says they will plead not guilty then use the trial to explain why they did it. the attorney says the five suspects, including khalid shaikh mohammad, will say u.s. foreign policy justified the attack. attorney general eric holder has been criticized for his decision to try them in new york. but he says they will be brought to justice. iran is sending another defiant message to the west. state tv reports large-scale war games are under way aimed at protecting the country's nuclear sites. it is a five-day drill and it covers one-third of the country. one military commander said the countuountry could now repel a e by israel. the doctor at the center of the michael jackson death investigation will return to work today. dr. conrad murray has returned to houston where he has a cardiology practice. according to his lawyer, murray had been hiding in his las vegas home but has been forced back to work to pay mounting bills. murray has admitted giving jackson a powerful anesthetic on the day he died. northern england is in for more rain today and more misery. the heaviest rainfall on record has fallen on the country's picturesque lake district. a police officer was swept to his death when a stone bridge collapsed. thousands of homes have been flooded and it could be some time before the people who were forced out can return. now here is a look at your monday weather. several inches of snow from central nebraska into kansas and rain from kansas city to the twin cities. fog in the southern plains. more rain and mountain snow from seattle to portland. and a wet day in new york, philadelphia, and washington, d.c. >> boston 50 today. 48 in baltimore. 53 in atlanta. mid 50s for omaha, chicago, and indianapolis. mostly 40s in the rockies today. phoenix gets up to 75. albuquerque 56. pete, i know you were watching this today. >> i was watching every bit of it. >> he was in hot pursuit of a nascar dream and yesterday it came true. >> jimmie johnson raced into the record books. at the homestead miami speedway. he became the first drer to win four consecutive championships. the 34-year-old clinched the historic title with the fifth place finish even though any spot in the top 25 would have done the job. >> johnson said he grew up on two wheels in the dirt and never expected to be a champion. at the same time he warned, we're not done yet. >> were you watching? >> no. were you? >> no, i missed it too. >> pete can give us all the >> can'to we'll be right back with more "world news now." >> lots of left turns? welcome back. the senate will formally open debate on health care legislation next month but there was plenty of sparring on the issue on sunday talk shows. >> discussion included the sticking point of the public option. to last week's controversial breast cancer screening recommendation. >> "face the nation" with cbs news chief washington correspondent bob schieffer. >> i'd just like to get your reaction, senator schumer, on what happened last night. >> well, i thought last night was a very good night for us. look, there are still many bumps in the roads, discussions, arguments, disagreements. but i think now the wind is at our back. there's real momentum. the good news here is we still have a very diverse caucus but every democrat, from the most liberal to the most conservative, very much wants to get a bill. >> and on the other side, every republican, from the most liberal to the most conservative, voted against it. >> and the reason is because ordinarily when you do start debate on a bill like this it ends up passing and most of our constituents are saying, you need to do everything you can to stop it. and the best way to stop it is not to start it but rather to go back and start over again with more republican ideas in the legislation than is currently the case. so that's why you had every single republican saying no, not this. >> orrin hatch said the republicans will launch a holy war of delay. is that going to happen? >> well, first of all, the american people by public opinion surveys have made it very clear they want this whole thing aired out. they would rather have us do it right than do it quickly. >> this is "meet the press" with david gregory. >> let's get to a bottom line which is, is it negotiable? i've talked to senate sources who say there is a backup plan, which is that you ultimately scrap the opt-out option, you put in a trigger which means that somewhere -- there's no public option down the road if there's not adequate competition a public plan gets triggered. that's how you might get centrist democrats and senator snowe as well potentially. is that negotiable? >> there are many variations of the theme. i'm committed to public option. i think we put together a good bill. we are open because we want to pass this bill. at the end of the day we want insurance to be more affordable, we want to stop the insurance industry abuses, we want to give american people a choice in this decision. >> so the public option is negotile? >> it has been putting in the opt-o was clearly a variation on the theme >> all right, senator feinstei >> no developed country on earth has the huge for-profit medical insurance industry that we have. 480% profit in eight years. premiums going skyrocketing. >> so would you vote for a plan, a bill that did not include the public option? >> i would vote for it if it had authority to be able to control the increase in premiums, at least to keep it to medical inflation. >> we don't have to tear down our whole system, and the choices that we have and the quality health care we have, in order to give more affordable health care. there are two things in this bill that could be modified to do what everyone says we want to do. >> "this week" with abc news chief washington correspondent george stephanopoulos. >> what's unfortunate is that the republicans and ms. blackburn have, for the first time, politicized breast cancer. we -- >> that is incorrect. >> no, it is not. and i'm a -- as you know, as a breast cancer survivor -- >> that is incorrect. it's in the bill, debbie. >> excuse me -- >> and i have great respect -- >> as a breast cancer survivor i came out against these recommendations. every major cancer organization has come out against these organizations. the task force language in that bill actually makes sure that prevention -- preventive services like mammograms and colonoscopies and other cancer screenings would be free. the task force recommendations, the language in the bill, ensures that more women would get access to -- >> that is -- excuse me for a second, that is true, but let me clarify a little bit. because under the bill, and we have the language as well, it says that a group health plan and health insurance that you're offering a group shall provide coverage but only under -- if the preventive services task force rates it as an "a" or b." >> that's right. >> actually under the task force they said that these mammograms for women 40 to 50 is rated "c." so they actually wouldn't be covered. you'd have a great expansion for a broad part of the population but actually these guidelines would be controlling for ages 40 to 50. >> these recommendations on breast cancer exams, that sort of thing, we've been hearing so much about, the timing so is peculiar in relation to health care reform. debbie wasserman schultz getting into it with her opponent across the aisle, she's actually recently proposed legislation that would make women even younger than 40 get breast cancer exams. >> it's interesting because a lot of people don't realize why these guidelines are put into place. whether you agree with them or not. it was for the benefit of women. people are saying there was too many false alarms which led to unneeded biopsies. so of course they're telling people, be specific with your health care provider. i think the initial thought was to help women, even though the backlash is understandable. >> and there's lots of backlash now. still ahead the big the big fancy american music awards a few hours ago, we'll get to the winners but we have our priorities here on "world news now" on "the skinny." we really want to show you the pratfalls and the mess-ups. >> the best part. >> those are the things we concentrate on. there were a couple of doozies from the show last night. we want to show you these bloopers right now. i think we're going to start with j. lo. watch closely because there's a little bit of a slip-up. oh! ouch. but she reserve cored nicely. here it is again in slo-mo. boom, boom, pow. >> someone will be fired for too much baby oil on the back. >> you've got to use talcum to slow things down. adam lambert has a bit of a misfire here as well. where he does a little trip and roll. he actually made it look like he knew what he was doing. >> when i saw this one i didn't think it was a blooper. well done to a less-seasoned performer. >> right. he knows how to handle these things. i this think they all learned from beyonce, when she had that real bad tumble. it was caught on youtube. >> i know this will end up on youtube. these two. >> right, exactly. when it's live you can count on stuff like this to happen. there are the bloopers. i guess we should get to the real news of the night which was the winners of the big show. and taylor swift and michael jackson really were the big, big winners of the night. i think we've got a graphic to show you who won one. taylor swift, artist of the year, female artist, favorite in three different categories, favorite country album. this comes on the heels of those other big wins for her too. michael jackson, big night for him posthumously. favorite male artist in two different categories. favorite pop rock album, that greatest hits release that came out. big night for those two, a big night for a couple of people who fell on their butts. >> it's funny she's so it seems like she needs o ge she has really won a lot. it seems that's the future for that young girl. >> get used to it. dust off the mantel. >> so our next story this morning is about michael phelps. who is the spokesperson for it seems like every speedo and omega and power ball, visa card, what necessarily. >> subway. >> he needs to pay up. according to the government, for his 2005 and 2006 taxes, he owes the state of california just over $23,000. i mean, keep in mind his estimated worth is about $50 million. these are long-standing bills. right now there's a tax lien on him and he thus far has not paid them. keep in mind, three years. it's just interesting timing because it seems like this is sort of the trend right now we've talked about nicholasg and joe francis. thilast >> yeah, we did. >> these tax liens. i think people need to realize, you have to pay your taxes. even when you're famous.c1 o wondis w did he -- you know? ht. he -- you know? >> i guess we can cut him some psl . . s tr >> might ha forget. >> that's true, i didn't think about that. hey, so nobody knows ho thry liddy pco he turned 40, and man did he do it in yl listen to this. he spent a whopping $3 million on a champagne-flooded 40th birthday party. it was the plaza here in new york. 500 guests. he created this fantasy garden of eden themed room with a $30,000 orchid display. he installed his own black dance floor and black chandelier. and he treated the guests, which included jay-z, bono, nelly, martha stewart, christy turlington, kim kardashian, denzel washington, treated all them to a silver confetti drop. >> what does that m >> i think it's confetti made of silver if you can believe it or not. also a live performance by al green. they really did it up at the plaza the other night. some people were jockeying, even one of the kids from "twilight" trying to jockey to get into the vip area. here are some stories to watch today on abc news. a search for missing victims from saturday's mine accident resumes. at least 104 miners were killed after a gas explosion in a coal mine. it is the deadliest mining accident in china in two years. a busy day for president obama who's attending a science and technology event in washington. he also meets with the secretary of state before presenting this year's robert f. kennedy humanitarian award. and two astronauts from the shuttle "atlantis" will take the crew's final spacewalk of the mission. they plan to do some maintenance work outside the international space station. finally this half hour, conflicting schedules because of the shuttle mission. >> astronaut randy bresnik is on the international space station 220 miles above the earth. but his wife gave birth to their first daughter yesterday. >> abc's gina sunseri reports from the johnson space center in houston. >> reporter: what a day for astronaut randy bresnik. his first spacewalk. and his first daughter. >> at 11:04 last night, abigail mae bresnik joins the nasa family. mama and baby are doing very well. >> reporter: the "atlantis" crew woke up to the song "butterfly kisses" which starts off with the very appropriate lyrics -- ♪ she was sent here from heaven and she's daddy's little girl ♪ >> reporter: in an exclusive interview with abc news before the launch bresnik's wife rebecca joked about the timing of the birth conflicting with her husband's space middle. >> after being told for about five years we'd never have a biological child, i can't squabble about a delivery date. >> reporter: flight directors, more comfortable discussing launch dates, were instead answering questions about due dates. >> the doctors and rebecca realize this is nasa and i've got a very well thought out, well planned, meticulous time line and they are not abiding by it. >> reporter: abigail has a big brother, 3-year-old wyatt, adopted by the bresniks from an orphanage in the ukraine a year ago. he suggested nemo as a name for his new sister. dad randy still has one more spacewalk on monday. he'll get his first chance to hold his new daughter next weekend. "atlantis" is scheduled to land the day after thanksgiving. what a homecoming it will be for the bresnik family. gina sun certificatory, abc news, houston. >> i kind of like the name nemo, that's not too bad. is it? on the list of great days, this has got to be one of the best. you do your first spacewalk, you see the heavens like nobody else has, then you are welcoming into the world your own baby girl. >> as hard as it is to believe, this happened to another astronaut in 2004, another astronaut was in space when his wife gave birth. >> again, they had just adopted a baby too and dad said, "we're ro boss:hey, glad i caught you. i was on my way to present ideas about all the discounts we're offering. i've got some catchphrases that'll make these savings even more memorable. gecko: all right... gecko: good driver discounts. now that's the stuff...? boss: how 'bout this? gecko: ...they're the bee's knees? boss: or this? gecko: sir, how 'bout just "fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance." boss: ha, yeah, good luck with that catching on! anncr: geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.