nation to call attention to the country's human rights abuses. the north koreans say the missionary crossed the border from china christmas eve. despite britain's protest china has executed a british citizen accused of drug smuggling. relatives say akmal sheikh was mentally unstable and was duped into bringing the drugs into china. china executes more people than any other country. an arctic blast is delivering another frigid and blustery day to western new york. 1 foot of snow already fallen in buffalo. the city will have to cope with another foot by tonight. that means more whiteout conditions as strong winds intensify off lake erie. you've got to go get some of those wings and warm up i guess. >> just don't drive. >> stay home. >> yes. >> watch "world news now." >> that's one option. >> one of many. here's your tuesday forecast. more snow and gusty winds in parts of michigan and northern new england where temperatures will feel like single digits or teens. snow from the southern rockies into oklahoma, kansas, and north texas. and rain and mountain snow from northern california to the cascades. >> 40s in the pacific northwest. 32 in billings. 37 in albuquerque. fargo is only 15. omaha 21. detroit 23. it's 26 here in new york. 32 in baltimore. 52 in atlanta. well, you know snow piled up in the midwest. it's a problem for a lot of drivers but at least one central wisconsin resident cannot get enough of it. >> that resident is leah the lab ra doodle. she is the confine of the hills in wausau and faster than any sled. leah growls, she sounds vicious when she's doing it. she's racing down the hills, chasing sleds and people, growling all the way. >> hope she doesn't get run over. her owners inis it it is all in good fun. i can attest to the fact dogs love the snow. they don't care, they'll stay out it in, play in it, get covered in it. >> cats, not so much. >> cats don't enjoy it as much. it looks like leah's digging life in wisconsin in wausau. >> and the growl, scary but i like it. >> i think we added that for dramatic effect. >> oh, that's how that works. >> i'm not sure that's leah. >> we'll be right back with more "world news now." there's so muc. i just shut down. but liberty walked me through it all ...like when i test ...at night or after i eat ...makes a big difference. vo: a good diet and testing your blood sugar regularly can help you manage-even reduce-the risk of complications. vo: that's why liberty offers accu-chek aviva meter, that lets you test right the first time. vo: if you're over 65, have diabetes and are on medicare... vo: ...call now and we'll send you a free meter. vo: it offers alternate site testing, so you can test on your arm. no more pricking your fingers. vo: and to make it even less painful, the cost of your diabetes testing supplies may be covered by medicare. vo: join over a million others who have chosen liberty medical. vo: call now and receive a free accu-chek aviva meter. vo: plus, for a limited time, get a free cookbook when you join. end tag vo: call the number on your screen. live look at times square in new york where if you look closely you can tell that it's snowing outside. we just got a report from willis it's snowing in new york city as well. cold and plus teary. >> flurries, they're hard to see. >> all eyes on times square a couple of days from now, new year's eve. they're stepping up security, especially in light of what happened in detroit over the weekend. and speaking of that, many people asking if anything could have been detected in terms of the explosives taken onto the northwest airlines plane headed into detroit christmas day. >> there are high-tech machines that might have made a difference. here's abc's david wright. >> reporter: they're called whole-body imaging machines. nicknamed naked scanners because they do a virtual strip search. >> you are now entering a safety zone. >> reporter: technology plucked straight from science fiction movies that's already a reality at 20 u.s. airports as part of a tsa pilot program. the agency hopes one day these devices might even replace walk-through metal detectors. they cost up to $170,000 apiece. and they work by beaming high-frequency radio waves, or low-level x-rays, to create an image of your whole body. as one manufacturer showed us the procedure is quick and painless. >> only a few seconds. about the same amount of time it would take you to walk through the metal detector. >> yes. >> reporter: any hidden objects stand out. >> we can highlight an object which looks like a bottle of liquid you have in your breast pocket. >> nail polish remover. >> reporter: this type of machine would almost certainly have spotted last week's underwear bomb. >> this is important technology to meet the threats we're facing now. >> the only downside is they show you completely naked. it's basically an anatomically correct vision of the human body. >> reporter: including breast implants, body piercings and other intimate features people might not like to advertise. last summer congress blocked plans to make these machines mandatory in some u.s. airports because of the privacy concerns. but some now say we can't afford to be squeamish anymore. >> you're going to learn to live with that. just as we've learned to live with all kinds of other things that people thought were privacy invasions when they first occurred. >> reporter: there are two tsa-approved companies that make these types of devices, both of them working hard to address the privacy concerns. you can see on my scan here, not much in the way of identifiable features. features that are identified to a particular passenger. but it would take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars to put these machines at every checkpoint in all 450 airports across the country. david wright, abc news, arlington, virginia. >> pretty obvious why people are concerned with their privacy but they do say as far as private parts go, they're obscured so you couldn't tell one person from another. you have to wonder, a lot of people probably don't want breast implants and piercings being revealed to just about anyone. >> do you think about that? would it be upsetting for you? >> given the current climate i don't think it should be upsetting anymore. people need to realize security is important. that's just me. >> i think you're right. we don't have to tell you this, you already probably have noticed that restaurants across the country have been struggling due to the recession. and every penny counts toward profits. >> the trick for many businesses is finding those pennies. here's abc's barbara pinto. >> reporter: kevin mall is part penny pinscher, part sleuth. the kind of guy who can save a restaurant from going under. consider this. the margin is so razor-thin to make $10 in profit, a restaurant needs to sell plate after plate. $100 worth of food. not easy in this recession. just ask the owners of la estralita who are sinking fast. >> we've lost about $30,000 a month in sales. we're down about at least that much. >> reporter: john montoya's parents opened the restaurant in the 1950s using old family recipes, a tradition now carried out by his children. are there points which during this time you thought, i wonder if we're going to make it? >> every day. >> reporter: the montoyas called in kevin mall to rescue their struggling restaurant. how does he do it? we went undercover, outfitting mall with a hidden camera. this pen. to get a firsthand look at his begin interview-sharp talent for finding savings in ways you might not imagine. in the dining room, the kitchen, the bar. >> when you look at this, what do you see? >> waste. >> reporter: two for one margarita night nearly did him in. >> a free margarita is six bucks. you are a prime candidate for a $12 margarita. >> i am? >> absolutely. >> reporter: from his perspective, restaurants have to trim the fat. >> here we have 25 cents that i may or may not drink. >> somebody might say, what's a quarter? >> what a quarter is to a restaurant operator is $2.50 in sales. a quarter is everything. >> reporter: so why not skip the freebies like chips and salsa? >> nobody wants to feel like they've ever been short-changed. >> reporter: there are other ways for restaurants to make money that are invisible to the consumer. the subtle manipulation starts with the menu. >> and so the way that your eyes go is one, two, three, four. >> reporter: where the eye goes, the appetite and the dollars follow. >> because that's what you see first? is that what you're most likely to order? >> yes, it is. pretty consistent. >> the power of suggestion? >> absolutely. >> reporter: we head to the kitchen. >> i think there's an opportunity to save some money here. here's a four-ounce scoop. >> reporter: mall brings his own scoop. >> you get that size portion. or do we give that size portion? who knows? >> reporter: bean counting with the refried bean. not even the garbage escapes scrutiny. >> i might suggest to the family they get rid of one dumpster, they'll save $1,000 a year. >> a lot of money. >> real fast. >> money in the trash. >> just like that. >> reporter: in a matter of minutes mall has managed to find at least $1,200 worth of savings for the montoyas at that 10-1 profit margin, $12,000 they didn't have to earn. >> it's not going to be easy. it may be a little painful. that's just part of the natural process. >> struggling, it kind of hurts. hopefully this will put us over the edge. >> reporter: who would have thought going out for a meal could be so complicated. to mall and his clients, it's rocket science. >> pretty reliably, man can get to the moon repeatedly. but can you make that person in the corner order a cheese cake after their lunch today reliably? probably not. do you know what your sales are going to be tomorrow wind $2? probably not. >> reporter: that's why with his menu of money-saving tips kevin mall may be the busiest man in the restaurant business. i'm barbara pinto in denver. >> fascinating, all the little things that you can do to help yourself save some money to make your restaurant hopefully boom. >> i think a lot of people think when it comes to the bar, there's no way that you could possibly be losing money. but they say one of the biggest tips is a lot of times bartenders don't measure. you're pouring more than a shot for every drink, which we like, except the restaurant is losing money. >> that's my fear is the consumer stands to lose in this equation. because you saw that, we're going to get fewer refried beans, less alcohol, more ice in our drink. all that stuff. i can say that when i worked at wendy's, they made us weigh the french fries. >> back then? >> way back then. they brought out a food scale. just to show us what the right weight was, have us put the fries in the little cardboard thing and weigh it to see did if we were giving out the right amount. >> it's interesting because this story is about a family who runs a business. for people who are in franchises that profit margin is even smaller because you're paying the company that has lent you their business plan and their food and their secrets. >> and they're sticklers. if you don't adhere to the letter. >> napkins cost them money, packets of ketchup. >> talk about dessert, you've always got to suggest a sale. not only did i work at wendy's, i was a waiter, they were saying push the dessert, push the alcohol. >> the upsell. >> you've got to make them buy more. >> i wonder what you were like as a waiter. >> well, if this doesn't work out you might find out. 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. and you're still fighting to sleep in the middle of the night, why would you go one more round using it ? you don't need a rematch-- but a re-think-- with lunesta. lunesta is different. it keys into receptors that support sleep, setting your sleep process in motion. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. stop fighting with your sleep. get a free 7-night trial on-line and ask your doctor about switching to lunesta. discover a restful lunesta night. "world news now" delivers your "morning papers." >> you know, yesterday we had a girl empowering story about a new female ref at a super bowl, at a football game. >> okay. >> i would say this one cancels that one. >> oh, really? >> yes. >> okay. >> i'm trying not to be offended by this but a shopping center in china has opened a car park that offers women drivers bigger than normal parking spaces. they say it is an attempt to address women's strong sense of color and different sense of distance. translation, they think women can't drive. these spaces are one meter wider than normal parking spaces and they have installed signs and security monitoring equipment that correspond more to women's needs. >> so this -- you're saying this is a stereotype -- >> it is because i'm a good driver. >> are you? >> i'm not a good driver i'm a good parker. >> you can parallel park? >> i lived in chicago, i had to learn how to parallel park. i can park in the tightst of spots. >> i can't. >> i'll teach you one day, hubbard. >> it was in chicago i realized i couldn't parallel park. >> you have to really be good. >> we had to get out, my wife had to switch seats, sheet do it. it's bad. >> i do it in our house. os, get out, i'll park. >> i need one of those wider spots. this guy, he saves up forever to remodel his kitchen, $13,000, the whole nine yards, he's got the chrome. >> stainless tell. >> the whole nine yards, beautiful. he goes away for a weekend, comes back, and the kitchen's gone. somebody stole his kitchen. >> stole the appliances? >> stole everything. the fittings. they looted the place. all of it's gone. he's like, what happened to my kitchen? for whatever reason, he gets online and he realizes that the whole thing is on ebay. somebody who lives like 30 miles down the road has put the whole kitchen on ebay. so he poses as a potential buyer, goes to the place, checks it out and finds out, sure enough, there's all his stuff and then some. sure enough they bust the guy. >> there was some sort of shake-down? he said, this is my stuff? >> no, basically the cops got involved and they realized that it was his and he got it all back as you can see. but man. >> item 14. i wonder how the burglar made away with. >> what is it? >> an enormous fridge. it doesn't seem like something you could wheel out of there quickly. >> apparently he had a dolly and a couple of workmen. >> this next story, on it a litigation hokie but cute. in new york they had a good riddance day in times square. more or less what it was is a shredding of all your stuff. people came with everything they wanted to get rid of from the past year. so i'm people said they had past year. so i'm people said they had cards with past year. so i'm peopl[vibrates]y had cards with 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. nobody cares what happens to her money. well, that's just not true. for 75 years, the fdic has protected the money you deposit in banks. those depositors have never lost one penny in the history of the fdic. so here's the bottom line -- you just can't put your money in the bank and not know how fdic insurance works. you have got to make sure your money is 100% protected. so i want you to go to myfdicinsurance.gov and click on "edie the estimator." in just a few simple steps, edie lets you know if all your money is safe and sound. if i were you, i would want to know that. who cares more about your money than you? me -- and the fdic. suze's right. visit myfdicinsurance.gov and use edie the estimator. because the more you know, the safer your money. what she said to a 911 operator. it's tuesday, december 29th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> i'm back. >> we didn't know if it was ever going to happen. >> i'm here. >> but you were working a lot, people don't realize you were not on vacation, he was working. >> did you have a good christmas? >> i did, how was yours? >> pete? >> good. >> we're all just catching up right now. trying to do it throughout the morning. glad you're with outside this tuesday morning. i'm jeremy hubbard. >> i'm vinita nair. there's a new demand for answers after the christmas day plot to blow up an airliner. the chair of the senate committee which oversees homeland security says there will be hearings next month. >> and we are learning new details about the man who tried to take down the plane and how close he came. john hendren has the latest from the federal prison in michigan. good morning, john. >> reporter: good morning, jeremy and vinita. we have new details on the man some are now calling the underwear bomber being held at this prison outside of detroit and a promise from the president to get some answers. as al qaeda claimed credit for the botched christmas bombing, president obama promised to respond. >> and we will not rest until we find all who were involved and hold them accountable. >> reporter: umar farouk abdulmutallab allegedly smuggled this bomb, seen in government photos obtained by abc news, onto the northwest airlines flight by sewing it into his underwear. it contained more explosive than shoe bomber richard reid used in his failed 2001 attack. the potential power of the blast shown in this demonstration. >> it's very clear it came very, very close. the explosive device went off, it became an incendiary device instead of an explosive device, which is probably what saved that airplane. >> reporter: in a message posted by an alleged al qaeda affiliate in yemen the group released this picture of a smiling abdulmutallab boasting he was able to overcome american intelligence and penetrate security barriers at the world's airports. critics say the government missed numerous signals. >> paying for the ticket with cash, no luggage. all these red flags, warning signals. bells should have gone off. this was a failure and a breakdown from beginning to end. >> reporter: al qaeda also warned attacks are coming soon like none ever seen before. >> yemen is in many ways the new afghanistan. it is the new sanctuary. the new al qaeda base where people from around the world who want to be trained are sent. no longer to afghanistan. but to yemen. >> reporter: as the white house pursues an investigation of the nation's airport security system, abdulmutallab remains here in a federal prison where he's recov e bu jerema? some of the in-flight restrictions put in place over the past few days are now apparently being eased. it is now up to the captain of each flight to decide what guidelines passengers m brad wheel >> reporter: from germany, england, and canada. to tampa, st. louis, and los angeles. everyone boarding an airplane in the u.s., or on an international flight headed here, dealt with heightened security. >> makes me not want to travel by plane as much. >> reporter: friday's attempted bombing on northwest flight 253 has put world governments on alert. >> we immediately enhanced screening and security procedures for all flights, domestic and international. >> reporter: passengers noticed longer lines, more bomb-sniffing dogs, and increased screg most also experienced a pat-down search. >> they just went through every single thing in your bags and you were frisked as well. that's for all flights going to >> reporter: once on board m oneur r passengers can't get up during the final hour of the flight and allowed on your lap alleged flight 253 bomber umar farouk abdulmutallab tried to hide his explosives under a blanket. many travelers say the stay in your seat rule was the most difficult. >> for us poor people who had weak bladders they had an hour to wait until they could go to the toilet again. >> reporter: how long the new security measures will remain in effect isn't clear but most travelerprepo de >> slony amnd >> even if it slows you down? >> even >> reporter: brad wheelis, abc news, los angeles. >> there are additional restrictions for those flying from canada. canadiaals most carry-on bags from u ight passengers may only carry certain medical devices, small purses, cameras, laptop computers, diaper bags or other approved items. the restrictions will be in place at least several days. experts say new technology could have detected the explosives brought aboard that northwest flight. they're called whole body imaging machines. just 20 u.s. airports have them. security analysts tell abc news this type of machine would almost certainly have spotted last week's underwearo but there are some privacy concerns. >> the only downside is they show you completely naked, it's basically an anatomically correct vision of the >> you're going to learn to live with that just as we've learned to live with a thoe tre >> the amsterdam airport where the northwest flight originated has more of these machines than any airport in the world but for some reason they are not used on u.s.-bound flights. we'll continue to bring you developments from the terror investigation throughout the y stay tunhi an american missionary is being held in north korea this morning accused o en country illegally. activists say 28-year-old robert park went to the communist nation to call attention to the country's human rights abuses. the north koreans say the missionary crossed over illegally from china on christmas eve. president obama is condemning iran's government for attacking demonstrators with what he calls the iron fist of brutality. at least eight protesters were killed during sundaoy unc's tto >> reporter: one day after the worst violence since the contested election, the regime blamed the opposition. arresting organizers, accusing them of staging deaths. but sunday's deadly crackdown on a muslim holiday when violence is forbidden has raised anti-government anger to fever pitch. killing muslims on this holiday, one protester told us, is like crucifying christians on christmas. protesters lashed back. these riot police, cornered, begged for forgiveness. the demonstrations spread across the country. across wide swaths of iranian society. "the crowd included young and old, religious and nonreligious," she said. "lots of people are unhappy with this government." some protesters found particular hope in this. videos which appeared to show police giving up and joining the crowd. a sign, they said, of a regime face to face with a growing opposition. jim sciutto, abc news, london. china has executed a british man convicted of drug smuggling. british leaders protested the execution of akmal shaikh, whose relatives say he was mentally unstable. chinese government officials say they saw no evidence and insist shaikh's rights were preserved during his half-hour trial. he'd been held at a prison hospital in western china. china executes more people than any other country. nine people are dead, six of them children, after a fire gutted an apartment in starkville, mississippi. the apartment building is described as run-town ask tenants had complained about electrical problems in the past. investigators don't suspect foul play. a tenant allowed four of the victims to move in there because they had nowhere else to live. well, the snow is not letting up this morning in central new york. the syracuse area can expect another slow commute. up to a foot of lake-effect snow is expected on the ground by tonight. temperatures are dipping near 10 degrees and gusty winds will make it feel like 5 below zero. >> brr. now your tuesday forecast, snow extends from michigan to northern new england with 40-mile-an-hour winds. up to 6 inches of snow from the southern rockies into oklahoma, kansas, north texas today. rain from san antonio to houston. rain and mountain snow in the northwest. >> 44 in seattle. 32 in boise. 27 in salt lake city. the teens in fargo and the twin cities. mostly 20s in the northeast. 68 in miami. and 54 in new orleans. further evidence that you just need to go through your old things because you just never know what you think is junk and might not be junk. a slice of american history turning up in an unlikely place. >> listen to this, a florida woman found a stack of lost black and white photos of president kennedy. they were stashed in a cardboard box at a thrift shop. amber osborn paid $30 for the candid jfk pictures apparently taken during a 1962 interview. >> osborn doesn't want to sell the photos, she says she'd like to find a museum to put them on public display. you know whoever put that box in the thrift shop must not have had any idea those things were there. >> she said she went to the internet, she found a name on the back of one of the photos, you saw that name right there. started doing some googling and searching. she knew what she had but she realized they were probably authentic at that point. >> and how noble of her, too. i'm not going to make any money off this, let's put them in a museum, let everybody see them. >> very cool. we'll be right back with more "world news now." whoo! i'm doing another one of my sleep studies. looks like aches and pains are keeping these people up. so... advil® pm or tylenol® pm? middle of the night. awake again? blissfully asleep. with advil® pm she is spending less time lying awake with aches and pains and more time asleep®. he should switch to advil® pm. the difference is a better night's sleep. welcome back to "world news now." there is a heated custody battle involving sarah palin's daughter and her former boyfriend. bristol palin wants sole custody of her 1-year-old son tripp and she is also demanding child support. in court documents levi johnston denies he has avoided his responsibilities but palin's custody petition calls johnston's recent pictures in "playgirl" magazine risque. actor charlie sheen is scheduled to go to court in february on accusations he assaulted his wife on christmas day. >> the actor and his wife, brooke mueller sheen, apparently argued when she asked for a divorce and she wants custody of their 9-month-old twin boys. mrs. sheen told a 911 operator in colorado sheen health a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her. >> you're having a domestic disturbance, okay. tell me exactly what happened. >> my husband had me with -- with a knife. and i feared for my life. and he threatened me. >> are you guys separated right now? >> right now we have people separating us. but i have to file the report -- >> where is he with the knife? >> he's in the other room. >> okay. is someone in the room with him? >> yes. >> who is he with? >> he's with somebody packing. if i don't file the report -- >> okay, i understand that. i'm sending officers. i need the information. does he have any other weapons? >> no. >> okay. what's your name? >> brooke. >> what's your husband's name? >> charlie sheen. >> interesting 911 call. a lot of questions now about this. why is charlie sheen still allowed to be on tv? you see ads for him, he sells t-shirts, underwear, that type of thing. he's still on the air with those ads. tiger woods' ads have been pulled off and some experts are saying it's because he has history of being a bad boy, this is not a surprise, he's done all this stuff in the past. the heidi fleiss stuff. >> and domestic violence charges lobbied against him prior to this as well. >> i guess the notion here is that, oh, it's just charlie sheen, no big surprise, we'll just keep using him as a pitchman. >> as we saw with tiger woods it took awhile for sponsors to pull the plug. maybe that could be the future for charlie sheen. >> yeah, you're right. for charlie sheen. >> yeah, you're right. when we return an unus [ music box playing ] [ baby grunts ] [ grunts ] stronger, healthier babies. learn more about healthy babies at... the world is usually dark and scary enough on its own. why go to a circus that matches that image? >> you might be surprised but cirque berzerk, a circus that lives on the dark side, is suddenly a bright spot for audiences in southern california. here's mike von fremd. >> reporter: it's called cirque berzerk. truly the circus reimagined. produced straight out of hollywood. a dark, seductive play, part circus, part love story, and it truly is as berserk as the name suggests. >> if it's been done and you've seen it a million times why do you want to see it again? >> and it's funny. a lot of people ask, it's a sexy show, is there nudity, is there this, is there that? no, because that's been done, that's easy. we come up with our unique variety of sexy. ♪ i do regret, i won't forget >> reporter: in other words, this isn't your ringling brothers or cirque du soleil. >> just like in music. i mean, there was -- the beatles always did the really bright, really fun, psychedelic stuff. there was the rolling stones too. there was the dark side and people love that. we wanted to bring that to circus. >> reporter: before the show starts you get a frightening preview of that dark side. after hours of makeup, costumes, warming up and a preshow group huddle, it's show time. >> we begin with a girl. >> reporter: but for all the glitz, the show takes place in downtown l.a. far from beverly hills. and has provided valuable jobs to a place that needs them most. and at a time when people are holding tight to their jobs, these co-founders quit their former gigs as tv producers and editors, to invest it all in this show. >> i was the single biggest investor into the circus, yes. >> you put the mother lode into this? >> yes, i put -- i put a significant portion of my wife and our family savings into this circus. >> you risked your future? >> yes. i did, absolutely, i did. >> reporter: well, the risk is paying off. >> i don't ever give money back but she's getting a free sweat shirt. the most expensive sweat shirt she ever got in her life. >> reporter: with the reviews in, this audience is not just thrilled -- >> it's gorgeous, it's scary, it's literally one of the best shows around. >> reporter: they are completely over the top. >> it's bizarre in an exciting way. because it stimulates you to think about how something could be. it's not ordinary. ♪ >> reporter: it truly is a 90-minute journey into the extraordinary. complete with burlesque dancers, exquisite choreography, a wild trampoline act, contortionists, fire-eating clowns, and even moments of comedy. for the behind the scenes stage crew, just how dangerous is what's going on here? >> i sit up there in the house every night calling the show and i've got one hand on my phone with 911 predialed. i've got the other -- >> you're not kidding me? >> no, no. >> you truly do? >> my cell phone is right there, 911 is ready to go. >> reporter: beyond that danger there's a heart-warming story. >> we went from 40 volunteers, our life savings on the line and credit cards, to all of a sudden an entire team of people, 150 people on payroll. >> reporter: word of mouth so far is priceless. >> and there is fire under there. and you're inside. the big tent full of fire. but it's working. it's worth it. it's worth risking your life, that's how good the show is. >> reporter: this is mike von fremd in los angeles. >> it really does pique your curiosity. >> it's totally visually stimulating. and they encourage people to come out early, almost like tailgate if you're at a football game, have a picnic, make a day of it out there. you can see why, it looks cool. >> after that you get to meet the people who you saw perform which is very cool. they say the best thing about the picnic is you get to see the skyline of downtown, having a picnic before and after. >> let's check it out. >> get the show on the road. when we come back a special holiday treat, a special song b right here in the 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. there's so much to learn. i just shut down. but liberty walked me through it all ...like when i test ...at night or after i eat ...makes a big difference. vo: a good diet and testing your blood sugar regularly can help you manage-even reduce-the risk of complications. vo: that's why liberty offers accu-chek aviva meter, that lets you test right the first time. vo: if you're over 65, have diabetes and are on medicare... vo: ...call now and we'll send you a free meter. vo: it offers alternate site testing, so you can test on your arm. no more pricking your fingers. vo: and to make it even less painful, the cost of your diabetes testing supplies may be covered by medicare. vo: join over a million others who have chosen liberty medical. vo: call now and receive a free accu-chek aviva meter. vo: plus, for a limited time, get a free cookbook when you join. end tag vo: call the number on your screen. ♪ seven candles seven principles ♪ ♪ it's kwanzaa oh kwanzaa, new african celebration ♪ ♪ it's kwanzaa oh kwanzaa friends and family are feeling good ♪ ♪ seven candles seven days and seven nights ♪ ♪ young and old they just can't sleep until the candlelight is on ♪ ♪ in this season we reflect another year is at a close ♪ ♪ it's a new year, bless our harvest to grow ♪ ♪ it's kwanzaa oh kwanzaa, new african celebration ♪ ♪ it's kwanzaa oh kwanzaa, friends and family are feeling good ♪ ♪ it's kwanzaa oh kwanzaa, new african celebration ♪ ♪ it's kwanzaa oh kwanzaa, community and neighborhood ♪ ♪ red black and green overhead the banner have no fear ♪ ♪ from liberty, liberty we were blessed just seize the time ♪ ♪ we pay respect and build a future everlast ♪ ♪ celebrate i can't wait, oh oh a new year's night for all ♪ ♪ because it's kwanzaa ♪ ♪ oh a happy kwanzaa, they just can't sleep ♪ ♪ yes it's kwanzaa ♪ it's kwanzaa oh kwanzaa, new african celebration ♪ ♪ it's kwanzaa oh kwanzaa, community and neighborhood ♪ ♪ it's kwanzaa oh kwanzaa, community and neighborhood ♪ ♪ it's kwanzaa oh kwanzaa vo: in the event of a car crash, three t of four kids are not asece as they shoulde bec their seats are not usedorrectly. buthe latch sysm mes it easier get rig and to hold your kids tight. anchortether. latch. learnore safercar.gov. explosive underwear. exclusive pictures of the christmas day terror suspect's briefs and what could have happened. then, critical questions. how did the suspect come so close? >> all of these are red flags, warning signals, bells should have gone off. >> now a new order to review security. and, no thanks. unwanted gifts and innovative ways to get rid of them. it's tuesday, december 29th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> we were talking about those gifts and i made the joke i should think about some wedding gifts and perhaps logon to some of these websites. >> did you get some bad ones? >> i only got one that was particularly bad and i'm not going to talk about it. not going to mention it. involves porcelain thimbles. >> we want to hear more. who did this come from is who i'm curious. >> it's going to be on that website later. you'll hear more about that website coming up. good morning and thanks for being with us. i'm vinita nair. >> i'm jeremy hubbard. we are learning new details about the suspect accused of trying to blow up that airliner using explosives hidden in his underwear. >> al qaeda has claimed responsibility for the plot. with more, chief investigative correspondent brian ross. >> reporter: this was the bomb smuggled onto the northwest flight, sewn into the crotch of the suspect's underwear, his briefs, seen in government photos obtained by abc news. in this photo the packet of actual explosive powder was removed from the slightly charred and singed underwear and displayed separately. a six-inch-long packet of petn. less than a half cup in volume, weighing about 80 grams. a government test shows what would happen to an airplane with only 50 grams of petn. that's the amount in the bomb carried by the so-called shoe bomber, richard reid, over christmas 2001. the underpants bomb would have been one and a half times as powerful. tragedy was averted only because the detonator, the acid in this melted plastic syringe, caused a fire but did not make enough contact to explode the petn. >> it's very clear it came very, very close. the explosive device went off. it became an incendiary device instead of an explosive device which is probably what saved that airplane. >> reporter: the 23-year-old nigerian suspect told fbi agents he received the bomb from and was trained by al qaeda in yemen over the last few months. in a web posting the al qaeda group displayed a picture of abdulmutallab calling him a hero who overcame legendary american intelligence which showed its fragility. the group said a new attack was coming like never before seen. >> yemen is in many ways the new afghanistan, it is the new sanctuary, the new al qaeda base where people from around the world who want to be trained are sent. no longer to afghanistan, but to yemen. >> in the statement posted online monday the al qaeda group said the attempt to bring down the jet was in retaliation for u.s. air strikes in yemen. but the first of those air strikes took place on december 17th. abdulmutallab's mission was already under way then as he had bought his ticket to detroit on december 16th. brian ross, abc news, new york. the white house is facing increasing criticism over missed signals in the failed bomb plot. now congress may schedule hearings next month on the issue. jake tapper has the administration's response. >> reporter: the president interrupted his hawaiian vacation to try to reassure the public he's on the case. having ordered reviews of both airport security screening and why abdulmutallab was on the terrorist database but not on the no-fly list. >> i've ordered a thorough review, not only of how information related to the subject was handled but of the overall watch list system and how it can be strengthened. >> reporter: the list of signals missed about abdulmutallab is growing. last month, the suspect's father, a prominent banker, took the extraordinary step of going to the u.s. embassy in nigeria to warn the u.s. his son was being radicalized in yemen. the next day the embassy sent out a cable containing this information to u.s. embassies worldwide and to the u.s. counterterrorism community. nothing was done beyond adding abdulmutallab's name to a terrorist database of 550,000 names. he retained his u.s. visa, even though the british in may prevented him from entering that country because he claimed he was attending a fictitious university. as the british home secretary said -- >> it was refused. and as soon as a visa is refused he's put on a watch list. >> reporter: on december 16th, in ghana, abdulmutallab bought a plane ticket at the klm airport office with almost $3,000 cash. he gave no contact information or address. on december 24th, he boarded an international flight in lagos with no luggage. >> paying for the ticket with cash, no luggage, all of these are red flags, warning signals. bells should have gone off. this was a failure and a breakdown from beginning to end. >> reporter: the president's appearance followed what some democrats called a less than reassuring performance on sunday by homeland security secretary janet napolitano who emphasized how well the government functioned after the attempted attack failed. >> everybody reacted as they should. the system, once the incident occurred, the system worked. >> reporter: napolitano delivered a different message monday, as did president obama, saying they would fix the parts of the system that did not work in this case. jake tapper, abc news, the white house. >> some of the in-flight restrictions put in place the last few days are apparently being eased. it's up to the captain to decide what guidelines passengers must not distanced follow during the last hour of each flight. at airports passengers can expect delays because of new security measures. each carry-on bag is checked by hand and passengers get a pat-down. >> they need to be on their toes, really. keep care. i don't mind the extra delay. >> we can't just be static. so we will take this incident. there will be lessons learned that we deal with and fix. >> and the delays add up. the extra security takes an additional five to seven minutes for each passenger. and canada is stepping up security for airline travelers. the canadian government is banning nearly all carry-on luggage for u.s.-bound flights. only medical devices, purses, cameras, laptop computers, diaper bags and other essentials will be allowed in aircraft cabins. passengers can expect additional searches as well. as you can imagine, passengers and crew members were the ones forced to take action when they saw trouble aboard that northwest jet landing in detroit. no air marshals were on that flight. the passengers are now reliving what happened aboard flight 253. >> we all heard a bang. >> there was yelling and screaming and the people saying "fire, fire." >> there is only one thing you can do in a situation like this, actually. if you wait you might die. when i saw the first flame coming up, that's when i just knew it was absolutely wrong and i jumped over seats to the suspect. i really had to rip like a whole object out of his pants. it took some foam to actually get the fire. i had him in a headlock standing up. then together with another flight attendant who was holding the legs, we dragged him all the way to first class. he couldn't say anything because i choked him. >> that was the first thing that caught my eye was the extent of damage on his legs and how severe it looked. the skin was gone, it was completely gone in large patches on his legs. this entire time he's completely calm, he's not making any eye contact with anybody, his face is completely blank and emotionless. >> the passengers say there was a round of applause for the crew when the plane landed safely in detroit. of course, stay with abc news throughout the morning. we review the administration's response to the attempt and look at the suspect's past. the mayon volcano in the philippines continues to spew ash as high as a mile and a half into the air. scientists are warning mayon could have a huge eruption within days. many locals and tourists are ignoring those warnings so the military is under orders to stop foreigners from entering the danger zone. more than 50,000 villagers have been evacuated. time for a look at your weather for today. here in the u.s. the coldest day of the season in parts of the northeast with windchills below zero. snow in northern new england. also upstate new york and the great lakes. up to a half foot of snow in the rockies. several inches in the southern plains including vinita's beloved texas. >> it's going to be a snowy 37 in dallas. 23 in kansas city. 20 in chicago. 28 in boston. 26 in new york. phoenix climbs to 60. sacramento 51. and portland will be 40. all right, pete, try not to get too excited about this story, okay? >> okay. >> tamp down your feelings. we're about to give you some eye candy. some women in the florida keys have turned themselves into pin-up models baring it all for a good c >> these women, and this is why pete should pay attention, they range in age from 44 to 78. they're all posing au naturel for an environmentalist fund-raising calendar. some are totally topless, others are draped in fabric or foliage. the environmentalist who came up with the calendar was inspired by california governor arnold schwarzenegger who says environmentalists should be more sexy. >> somebody over in the corner is getting a little too excited about this. >> i hear some whistling over there. >> $25 each by the way. the first printing of the calendar sold out immediately. so petenot thesexynot vegetarians, itk a >> i guess so, lok t. . >>one whinyod >> that we. >> we'll b if you've taken your sleep aid and you're still fighting to sleep in the middle of the night, why would you go one more round using it ? you don't need a rematch-- but a re-think-- with lunesta. lunesta is different. it keys into receptors that support sleep, setting your sleep process in motion. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. stop fighting with your sleep. get a free 7-night trial on-line and ask your doctor about switching to lunesta. discover a restful lunesta night. welcome back. 2009 is leaving us with many memorable moments. last january we first heard the name captain chesley sullenberger. >> hard to believe almost a year ago. it was also the year we said good-bye to michael jackson. now a look back at some of the voices of 2009. >> 1529, turn right to land at teterbo teterboro. >> we can't do it. >> okay, which runway would you like at teterboro? >> we're going to be in the hudson. >> it was almost like he used the hudson river as his runway. >> we had a plan and it was the execution of that plan that was essential to getting us safely to the surface. >> i, barack hussein obama, do solemnly swear. there are going to be a host of tough decisions we are going to have to make. we will go forward with the confidence that right makes might. the reforms i'm proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally. >> you lie! >> you have to be supportive of this health care bill. until people who are out there looking for work can find jobs and they're able to support their families and their mortgages and send their kids to college. that's my job, number one. >> twitter. >> twitter. >> twitter. >> twitter. >> twitter. >> twitter. >> i think this is the king of all ponzis. >> he had what's called chutzpah. and he did whatever he wanted. >> some of these people put all their money with him so they're finished. finished. >> you can't carry on a fraud for decades and decades and ruin so many lives and then turn around and say, oh, i'm sorry. >> the senate has voted to confirm judge sonia sotomayor as our nation's 111th supreme court justice. >> i, sonia sotomayor, do solemnly swear. no words can adequately express what i am feeling. >> and so the bottom line is this. i've been unfaithful to my wife. i would ask her forgiveness. forgiveness is not an immediate process. it is in fact a process that takes time. >> if i've learned one thing, it's that life is about choice. and i know when it's time to pass the ball for victory. it would be apathetic to just hunker down and go with the flow. only dead fish go with the flow. >> he's not breathing. he's not breathing. >> the legendary king of pop, michael jackson, passed away on thursday, june 25th. >> daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. >> i believe it was foul play. i do believe that. >> it's still so difficult to believe. you have to accept what is. but it's hard. ♪ all i want to say is that they don't really care about us ♪ >> wow. what a year it's been, right? you forget all those huge stories that happened over the course of the last 12 months starting with chesley sullenberger that january day here in new york city. >> looking back at the year you also have to look back sort of at the decade. that's what a lot of people are talking right now. "new york" magazine called it the decade from hell when you look at the past ten years. what decade hasn't been exciting? that's what i always find myself thinking. >> this has been a pretty bad decade. >> a lot of scandals in this one. >> starting with 9/11. it's just been a bad -- maybe the next one will be better. we can only hope, keep those fingers crossed. in a moment separate but serious family members it's the return of jeremy hubbard to "skinny." >> my first "skinny" back. >> we are excited to have you back. in light of that, we've picked some great stories. >> oh, good. >> i tried to sell it. >> you didn't. >> sorry. apparently there's been a custody battle going on for a little while now between bristol palin and levi johnston. of course they have the 1-year-old boy tripp. it appears she is not only wanting sole custody of the boy, she also wants child support, she also wants a visitation schedule for levi johnston. she says more or less, according to the affidavit they pulled for the story, more or less he has only exercised sporadic visitations. he says it's totally not true. he says he hasn't avoided any of his responsibilities and on his end he's saying he wants shared custody of tripp. i'm sure we're going to be hearing a lot more about this. >> sounds like basically she's saying, dude's off posing for "playgirl" magazine, he's not exactly father of the year. and i think when you look on the surface you could make that argument. gallivanting around the country, ing to any public appearance that's going on. any tv show that would put him on the air. >> the flip side of it all is she said she wanted all of this to be closed proceedings, he's the one who said he wanted it to be all open. he's saying more or less this family's so big i want everything out in the air, i want everyone to know exactly what's going on. i don't know, that's just the flip of it all. >> we know, we know every lurid -- >> sordid detail. >> little detail. >> yes. >> some we don't even want to know. >> right. >> speaking of that. that we d ien, re and the iseht haves. there are reports this may have had to do with something about one of the daughters he shares with denicha apparentla his daughter sam about a christmas gift and it's this cut litng tve the allegations are his new wife brooke mueller was upset he doesn't have a similar song for their kids and perhaps that's what fueled the big fight. we also have the 911 call that led to this. >> you're having a domestic disturbance, okay. tell me exactly what happened. >> my husband had me with a knife. and i feared for my life. and he threatened me. >> okay, are you guys separated right now? >> yeah, right now we have people that are separating us. but i have to file the report -- >> where is he with the knife? >> he's in the other room. >> now, charlie sheen is basically saying or at least he told police she had been drinking and that she asked for a divorce. somebody had said that too. and they've been having marital problems lately. there's allegations that he pulled out a knife, like a switch blade, a pocketknife. she didn't have any obvious injuries. suffice it to say it was a really bad night for the two of them in aspen. it looks like it's going to proceed perhaps with a divor >> sounds like there's a l of sheen's people are telling her to be quiet and not come forward in all of this, arguing he has a $20 million contract with "two and a half men" and they d't want this in the public. >> there's a lot on the line. >> this 911 call easily not helping that it's been released. >> there's a lot on the line. this is one of the most howsad i hows thfolstanythappee. >> speaking of successful shows, after five seasons, tyra banks. >> she's out. just like oprah. >she she actah i she's saying right now she's forming a new production studio with plans to make movies so he'loings next top model" t she'll also continue her abc show "true beauty." she's saying the spring of 2010, the fifth season is wrapping up and it will be lights ou for i lot of people thought this was a very empowering show for women. she's saying she's going to continue working. >> how about that, tyr here some are stories to watch today on abc news. china executed a 53-year-old man from england convicted of drug smuggling. the british prime minister is slamming the decision. north korea admits it has detained an american accused of entering the country illegally. missionary robert park slipped into north korea last week. and two gay men made history after they were married in southern argentina. it is the first legal same-sex marriage in latin america. all right, finally this half hour, practical question. what do you do if you received a gift you don't want? >> yes, we have all been there. turns out there is a practical solution. here's abc's becky worley. >> reporter: there are good presents. >> oh my god! >> reporter: and then there are bad presents. like in the movie "a christmas story." and then there are really bad presents. >> a used plate. >> a ceiling fan. >> actually gave me a lump of coal. >> you got the lump of coal! >> reporter: this website is a catalog of the worst gifts ever. like this. oh, terrible. and this. really? and this. oh, that's the worst. but fear not. the web can help you get rid of that lunch box banana protector. first off, returns online are pretty easy these days. most sites let you print a return label and call for a mail pickup from your front doorstep. unloved gifts can also fetch a pretty penny in auction land. ebay says they see a 30% uptick in listings for gift certificates the week after christmas. this is a great venue for dumping that red lobster gift card. poor aunt susan forgot you're allergic to shellfish, oops. badgiftemporium.com is an online auction site just for bad gifts. hey, i like sherry lewis and lamb chop. who doesn't need a bedazzler? one man's trash is another man's treasure. another option? swaptree.com is a cashless exchange site. i could swap that sherry lewis cd for free to be, schoolhouse rock, or the wiggles. sweet! and finally, you could hold on to that hamburger angel and regift it next year. >> we now know what to do when you get a bad gift. how about how to respond when you get a bad gift? take a look at, this 3 1/2 years old, michael helms, one of our editor's kids. look at what he does when he gets a bad gift. >> books? >> yeah. >> books for christmas? what the heck is that? i don't get books -- that's not toys, that's books! i don't get books for christmas! >> you don't get books for christmas? >> no, i hate it! >> you [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.