are now on. even if congress made all of these cuts, the current trillion dollar plus deficit would become a $200 billion deficit by the year 2015. in other words, it would be enough to make a serious dent in the deficit, but not enough to get to a balanced budget. jonathan karl, abc news, washington. the investigation into the engine blowout on that qantas a-380 jumbo jet shows it may have been caused by an oil fire. the jet was forced to make an emergency landing when it returned to singapore last week. now investigators say the fire caused the engine's incident grace. other carriers using the same rolls-royce engine on a-380s have been ordered to make more inspections. there are disturbing new details about that cargo bomb plot last month. the bomb which was discovered by british police was apparently timed to explode over the east coast of america. pierre thomas has more now from washington. >> reporter: the more detail we learn, the more chilling the story becomes. british authorities said that their forensic investigation shows the bomb would have detonated at 5:30 a.m. eastern. likely location, the eastern seaboard of the u.s. our sourcing reveals the cargo plane's flight plan would have taken it over nova scotia, cape cod, and on to philadelphia. what that means is it could have blown up while flying over a highly populated area that includes boston and new york. think of it. large chunks of plane and cargo raining down, potentially killing or injuring people on the ground. sources believe the terrorists may have used u.p.s. flight tracker to try to find out when would be the best time to blow up the plane over the east coast. they also appear to have done a dry run to test the system. our sources are saying, thank god for the tip that led authorities to discovering the bomb. pierre thomas, abc news, washington. the internet's top retailer, amazon.com, is taking some heat this morning over an electronic book for sale. that book is called "the pedophile's guide to love and pleasure: a child lover conduct of code." the author says pedophiles are misunderstood and advises pedophiles to abide by the law. >> if it was just something that the child didn't have any problems with, maybe a fine of some kind. but if it was actual physical harm or mental trauma, a few years in jail, perhaps prison. >> in a statement, amazon says it believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable and amazon does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts, however, we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions. sears is looking to get a jump on black friday and the holiday shopping season. for the first time in the store's 124-year history the retailer will be open on this thanksgiving day. bargain-hunters will get to snap up rock-bottom deals from 7:00 a.m. to noon. door-bester sales include diamond and ruby pendants from $19.99, and cotton sweaters from $8.99. here's a look at your thursday forecast. afternoon showers from oklahoma city to the chicago area. up to 3 inches of snow around denver. snow showers around western nebraska, rapid city, and the northern rockies. rain in the pacific northwest. >> 50 in seattle. 45 in boise. 34 in colorado springs. 60s in chicago and detroit. 71 in indianapolis. 53 here in new york. 70s in atlanta, new orleans, and dallas. time is just flying by. the zoo in atlanta. one indication of that, the only giant panda born in the u.s. this year is now a week and a day old. >> we still don't know if it's a he or a she. zookeepers say while it's still pink the usual black and white coloration is slowly starting to develop. >> not sure why they can't figure out if it's a girl or guy. the cub's mother lun lun is becoming more comfortable leaving the little one alone for short periods of time. >> that is considered important because it will give veterinarians a chance to do a preliminary checkup. i think that's why. he's the size of a cell phone right now. >> now i understand. >> we'll be right back. [ female announcer ] we don't just want to say natural instincts looks healthy. we want to prove it. take the natural instincts challenge. get healthier color in 10 minutes. guaranteed. or, we'll buy you 2 boxes of your old color. for details, go to naturalinstincts.com. army specialist lambda does not look like your average enlisted man. he is the first sikh to graduate basic training. by special exemption he is allowed to keep his long hair and turban. the military says they made the exception because of his rare skills. he as combat medic who speaks two indian languages. veterans day is a special day for so many americans who serve in the military or anyone who had a loved one who served. many people show their respect by donating machine to veterans charities. >> one charity we found wasn't honoring the vets, it was scamming them. the man behind it had help from some very powerful politicians. brian ross investigates. >> reporter: it's a scam in patriotism called the u.s. navy veterans association. the appeals on its website, to help u.s. navy vets, to brought in more than $100 million in charitable contributions in the last eight years. 99% of that money is unaccounted for. >> this is in the charitable sphere what bernie madoff did in the investment sphere. it's shocking. >> reporter: the address of the u.s. navy veterans association in washington, d.c. is actually a u.p.s. store on "m" street. and this mailbox, number 275, with a phone answering service somewhere else. >> this is the washington, d.c. office of the united states navy veterans association. >> reporter: authorities say the charity's scam is the work of one man who goes by the name of bobby c. thompson, but whose real name and whereabouts are unknown and who frequently alters his eccentric appearance. >> he's a shadowy person who's been operating under assumed identities out of the tampa area for some time. to take advantage of people who want to give to veterans organizations, that's the lowest of the low as far as i'm concerned. >> reporter: authorities say a key to thompson's charity scam was his attempt to buy credibility by becoming a big-time campaign contributor. using tens of thousands of dollars of the charity's money to do it. thompson then passed himself off as a respected veterans leader. pictured with president bush, karl rove, john mccain, rudy giuliani, and john boehner, all of whom by boehner declined to talk about the money they took from thompson. >> what about this man, the ohio attorney general says it's now a complete scam? >> reporter: boehner and the other republicans have since given the money away after the scam was first reported by the st. peters during florida times. >> at some point over the years, one would have expected that somebody would have looked up a donor to say, hey, i can't find any evidence this person exists. >> reporter: ohio authorities have now launched a nationwide manhunt for bobby c. thompson, who is wanted on charges of fraud, identity theft, and engaging in a corruption enterprise to rob needy veterans of almost $100 million. brian ross, abc news, new york. >> disturbing story. coming up next, a lighter note. a younger gymnast known for her leaps and bounds. >> despite a major obstacle. you'll never believe what it is. you're watching "world news now." 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. far too often kids with disabilities are told there's some things they can't do. >> 111-year-old disabled girl never listened to talk like that and said she took an amazing leap of faith. >> reporter: she thinks of hers as just one of the kids. just another student at black hills gymnastics. lola walters is kind of a screwball. she's famous for her fashion walk. she's co-creator of a cool handshake, too. when you hear things like this -- >> she's just amazing. >> reporter: and this -- >> she is like a hero to me. >> reporter: you take a closer look. then you realize there is something different about this girl. you can see it in her eyes. >> if you don't know about it, you can't really tell how hard it is for me. >> reporter: the judges don't know it. other teams don't know it. some newer teammates don't even know it. but lola competes in this most visual of sports and she is legally blind. she has something called achiasma. when she looks at the bar she doesn't necessarily see blackness, she sees a mushy blur with no depth perception whatsoever. >> she can't tell if the bar's five feet away or if the bar is 25 feet away. >> reporter: hers is a leap of faith. >> i'm pretty used to it. like i know where it is and i know how far i have to jump to get there. >> reporter: and so every day, she takes that leap. lola doesn't even seem to understand the guts it takes to do what she does. >> you can't tell that i'm legally blind. if i can do everything that everyone else can do just as easy. >> reporter: but of course, it's not just as easy. lola falls more than most in her training. >> she will never, ever, ever, never heard her use it as an excuse. she works twice as hard as everybody else and i've seen her fall harder than anybody and she'll get up and go again every single time. >> reporter: her teammates know how hard it is for lola because they know how hard it is for them, with perfect vision. so they make sure she never feels alone. >> come on, lola! >> i pick up what i do, doing the exact same thing. i think about doing it with my eyes shut and i'm scared to death. and i think that what lola does is very special. >> reporter: the vision and the depth perception, the constant quivering of the eyes, make the balance beam her most challenging event. but there she is on a four-inch piece of wood, giving everything. her mom watches it all. proud? you have no idea. >> even if i wasn't her mom, i'd say she's one of the most amazing people i've ever known. >> we all know the kind of coordination gymnastics takes. to do it with blurred vision is incredible. >> i've spent a lot of time around someone who has visual impairments in my own family. he often memorizes the number of steps. i'd think that would be so much easier than something like this. she's competing with different variables, different gymnasiums, different arenas. one call i mad. when i got my medicare card, i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement nsurance card, too. medicare is one of the great things about turning 65, but it doesn't cover everything. in fact, it only pays up to " 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare, call now to find out how an aarp... insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, not paid by medicare part b. that can save you from paying .up to thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endorsed by aarp. when you call now, you'll get this free information kit... with all you need to enroll. put their trust in aarp p medicare supplement insuranc. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. the prices are competitive. i can keep my own doctor. and i don't need a referral o see a specialist. call now to get a free information kit. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. and the advantages don't end there. choose from a range of medicare r supplement plans... that are all competitively priced. we have a plan for almost everyone, so you can find one that fits r your needs and budget. with all medicare supplement plans, there are virtually p no claim forms to fill out. plus you can keep that accepts medicare. p your own doctor and hospital and best of all, these plans are... when they told me these plans were endorsed by aarp... i had only one thing to say... sign me up. and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. you'll get this free information kit... as with all medicare supplement plans, you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts # medicare, call this toll-free number now. why go one more round ? you don't need a rematch, but a rethink. with lunesta. lunesta is thought to interact with gaba receptors associated with sleep. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. lunesta has some risk of dependency. 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. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a co-pay as low as zero dollars at lunesta.com discover a restful lunesta night. the house was rocking at the 44th country music awards last night. brad paisley was the big winner taking home entertainer of the year awards. >> pamela hoon is in nashville where she caught up with all the celebrities on the black carpet to ask them the questions on the minds of millions of fans. >> we're here on the black carpet behind the scenes with so much going on. it's a very exciting night. we just got done talking to kid rock. he's back po perform tonight and we can't wait to watch. one of the things we're asking all the celebrities is what people online want to know about the most. do you know what people want to know most about you guys? like the number one question? >> i have no idea. >> what? >> our ages? >> what we like to eat? >> what we put in our air? >> is it our real hair? >> is it? >> yes, it is. >> so what do you think it is? >> they want to know how we got our name, i guarantee you. >> what kind of hair care products we use. >> what do people want to know most about you? >> is my hair still curly or did i shave it all off? that's what people seem to want to know. >> is it? >> it's curly now. i have no idea. >> well, what they want to know, people are actually typing into the search bar, is dirk bentley married? >> wow. that's disappointing, i guess, for some. that's flattering to me, so thanks. >> you got all the single ladies out there thridrooling over you >> nice. well, it's your guess. go to wikipedia. i'm kidding, don't do that. >> the most-searched thing about you, your wife. >> i'm actually comforted by that. it tells me people are rational with their searches. what they're searching for me, there's nothing to find that's interesting. >> country music is just a fun group of people. i've gained a whole new appreciation for country music and i can officially say i am now a country music lover. i don't even know how it happens. all right, you guys, right back to you. >> pamela just needs to be a little more excited. she's too low-key. >> the biggest two stars of the night they're saying are miranda lambert and blake shelton. it was her birthday. she won they awards on her birthday, what a cool thing. >> icing on the cake, good for her. that is the news for this half hour. of course as always remember to follow us out on facebook. >> that's right, you can see "the skinny" and "morning papers" there any time. [vibrates] g morning, sunshine. wakey, wakey. text me. [chattering] are your parents home later? we can hang. l.u.v.--love you. jk. holla back. holla back. holla back. are you with your friends? that's lame. we're in a huge fight right now. x.o. what'd you dream about? me? [overlapping] is it something i did? are you on your way to the mall? i'm lonely. nude pics. send me some. [beep] text me. president's pause. barack obama's veterans day observance. the presidential message on a very busy day overseas. ship stink. a brokendown luxury liner finally heads to port after a forgettable cruise. and, spell-binding. harry potter cast members and their next movie chapter. >> i'm ready to walk away. >> their comments and the big premiere. it's thursday, november 11th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> it is, of course, veterans day. and rob knows as i'm sharing random pieces about veterans day. did you know there are 25 million veterans in the u.s. 2 million of them are women. >> that's right. i'm impressed by your research today. >> i do good. >> you do. >> good morning and thanks for being with us on this veterans day. i'm vinita nair. >> i'm rob nelson. the president is observing this holiday in south korea where he spoke to u.s. troops who were stationed there. >> this morning the president faced tough questions about his commission's aggressive plan to cut the national debt. karen traverse is with the president in seoul. good morning, karen. >> reporter: good morning, rob and vinita. president obama said he would not comment on that report from the debt commission but said there would be difficult decisions in order to handle the u.s. rising deficit. president obama cautioned against political rhetoric and said before people start shooting down some of the ideas and suggestions from this commission they need to listen and get all of the facts. this trip started out already with a setback. there was no seal on the long-delayed korean free trade agreement. >> we don't want months to pass before we get this done, we want this to be done in a matter of weeks. >> reporter: this was the top issue last year when president obama was in south korea, and both presidents have set a deadline of this summit for working out the sticking points. they center around opening south korean markets for u.s. cars. earlier today, mr. obama marked veterans day with some of the nearly 30,000 u.s. troops currently stationed here in korea. >> on this day we honor every man and woman who has ever worn the uniform of the united states of america. we salute fallen heroes and keep in our prayers those who are still in harm's way. like the men and women serving in iraq and afghanistan. >> reporter: as the g-20 summit kicks off the global economy is no longer on the brink of collapse. the focus now for each leader is sustaining economic growth and creating jobs in their countries. but disagreements still persist about global trade surpluses, deficits and currency issues. mr. obama says he expects leaders to reach consensus. president obama's sit-down for meetings with chinese president hu jintao and german chancellor an angela merkel. both have been highly critical of the fed's recent decision to buy $600 billion of u.s. treasury bonds in order to stimulate the u.s. economy. rob and vinita? >> karen traverse, thank you. that sweeping proposal aimed at cutting the $14 trillion federal deficit set off political fireworks. it's a preliminary plan by president obama's bipartisan commission. it recommends huge cuts in social security, medicare and defense spending. it also includes raising the retirement age to 69 and increasing the gas tax. one panel member says the debt is like a cancer. >> we're on the most predictable path towards an economic crisis that i can imagine. >> we present this only as a guide and a directive of where we could or should go. >> even members of the commission were among the critics. if congress agrees to make these cuts it will not lead to a balanced budget in five years. election workers in alaska are now processing 92,000 ballots to decide a key senate race there. so far, 19,000 ballots showed incumbent lisa murkowski winning a big majority of the write-in vote without dispute. murkowski is hoping of course to make history as the first u.s. senate candidate since 1954 to win as a write-in. the 46 million americans who smoke cigarettes will soon see some very graphic images on packs of their favorite brands. >> it's a government effort to persuade smokers to quit. john hendren has more now from washington. good morning to you, john. >> reporter: good morning, rob and vinita. in a couple of years just reading a cigarette pack could get scary. the warnings are about to get stronger than ever. the cautions could hardly be more stark. warning, cigarettes cause cancer. cigarettes cause strokes and heart disease. and even more direct, smoking can kill you. >> we want to make sure that every person who picks up a pack of cigarettes is going to know exactly what the risk is that they're taking. >> reporter: by this time in 2012, the fda will be putting those, or messages like them, on a cigarette pack near you. >> for the first time ever they will say that tobacco products are addictive and they will say, in the bluntest of terms, that tobacco can kill. >> reporter: and look at these pictures. a smoker exhaling through a hole in his neck. a baby in agony. and here's an unambiguous message, a toe tag. those warnings will get equal billing with the brand name. half the front and backs of cigarette packs, 20% of ads. >> every single pack of cigarettes in our country will, in effect, become a mini billboard that tells the truth about smoking. >> in the history of tobacco control today, this may go down as one of the single most important days. >> reporter: perhaps, but many smokers think crackdowns like this one smack of big brother. >> the government's going to tell us what we can eat and can't eat. >> reporter: cigarette companies said they would abide by the new label rules already in use in 37 other countries. it's all part of the federal government's plan to cut tobacco use from 20% now to 12% in 2020. so in two years, labels will go from this to something a little more like this. rob and vinita? the so-called barefoot bandit has now been indicted on five charges which led to a long prison sentence. prosecutors say colton harris-moore pulled off a two-year string of robberies from washington state to the caribbean. he was captured in the bahamas in a dramatic take-down. he got the nickname after police found footprints at crime scenes. today is the day about 4,500 people on board a disabled cruise liner in the pacific have been waiting for. >> yes, today they will finally be back at port. diana alvear is in san diego waiting for them. good morning, diana. >> reporter: vinita and rob, good morning. i bet we've never seen a group of passengers happier to see dry land than those aboard this voyage. these poor people have been camping on what should have been a luxury cruise. it's something that carnival is well aware of. the cruise to nowhere is headed to port. not a minute too soon. considering this dream vacation has turned out to be anything but. >> it's just gross everywhere. anything that's in closed doors smells just like rotten food. just like a -- the lowest grade of living available, pretty much. >> reporter: joey noriega is on board with his new bride stacy. they were married on the beach. then joey, stacy and their guests embarked on carnival's "splendor" voyage, a honeymoon marred by an engine fire early monday morning. joey spent his first few days of married life cleaning out the toilet to keep the couple's room from stinking. >> conditions on the ship have been challenging. and we are very, very sorry for the discomfort and inconvenience. >> reporter: contrite carnival officials explained how the ship is being towed to san diego by two tug boats and escorted by coast guard cutters. >> first the safety of our guests and crew is our top priority. second, we want to get them home as quickly as possible. third, we're trying to make it as comfortable for our guests as we can. >> reporter: comforts are scarce. forget coffee. there's no hot water. meals consist of spam and pop tarts. a far cry from the promised sumptuous buffets. >> the food's all going bad and the stuff that's not going bad -- it's just disgusting. nothing's good anymore. it's almost like you're afraid to eat it. >> reporter: the best news by far, the ship is expected in san diego by thursday morning. working toilets and warm showers await. carnival tells us they're hoping a few perks on board may help keep up morale. they said there's live music and that the bar will be open indefinitely. rob, vinita? as we told you yesterday morning, all 23,300 employees at google are getting a 10% pay hike next year, along with a $1,000 holiday bonus. all but one, the worker who leaked word of the windfall has apparently been fired. the former employee was canned hours after leaking the memo that told the staff about their good fortune. a lot of debate as to whether the memo actually told people, don't tell anyone. >> oh. >> one person who doesn't like google very much right now. >> yeah. here's a look at your thursday forecast. rain from portland to seattle. snow across the central and northern rockies. parts of south dakota and nebraska. afternoon showers from oklahoma city and st. louis to chicago and summer-like in the southeast. >> 81 in miami. 73 in atlanta. 77 in new orleans. 50s in the northeast. 52 in the twin cities. 56 in omaha. 64 in the windy city. a mild 71 in phoenix. sacramento at 65. it's the kind of bling you don't see every day. it's incredible here. one of the most desirable gems in the entire world. >> what you're looking at is an enormous rare pink diamond and it is expected to set a new world record when it hits the auction block in geneva next week. the so-called fancy intense pink emerald cut stone is more than 24 carats. sotheby's is expected to sell it for $27 million to $38 million. >> i'll take two. after polishing the diamond, it may be graded internally flawless. it was last sold by jeweler harry winston. maybe your hubby can get you that. >> maybe jenny should be looking in the holiday stocking. >> let's go to commercial break real fast. we'll be right back. n honking. a short time ago, this woman suffered from around his house. these people chose freedom over restrictions. independence over limitations. they chose mobility. they chosehe scooter store. and this is the team of mobility experts who made it all happen. ii great news, you've been approved for payment. dr. cruz, i'm calling on behalf ofmarie stanford. and they can make it happen for you. hi, i'm doug harrison, if you're living with limited mobility, call the scooter store today. i promise, no other company will work harder to make you mobile or do more to ensure your total satisfaction. i expected they'd help me file some paperwork with medicare and my insurance. i never expected them to be so nice or work so hard to get me a power chair at no cost to me. if we qualify you and medicare denies your claim for a w scooter or power chair, i'll give it to you absolutely free. that's the scooter store guarantee. we'll wo with your insurance company, even help with financing. if there's a way, we'll find it. when they delivered mom's power chair, i expected they'd show her how to use it once or twice. that man stayed for hours! whatever it takes, as long as it takes. that's our guarantee. why do we go to < uch great lengths? because making you mobile is our mission. we'llwork wit your doctor. we'll work with medicare and lçur private insurance. we'll even service your scooter anywhere in the country. call the sco÷"er store today. why go one more round ? you don't need a rematch, but a rethink. with lunesta. lunesta is thought to interact with gaba receptors associated with sleep. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. lunesta has some risk of dependency. 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. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a co-pay as low as zero dollars at lunesta.com discover a restful lunesta night. you know rob, i'm not sure what kind of a handyman you are. >> hm. >> for those who are just like you, not that good with tools, there's always contractors to do the work. >> of course, as we know they're expensive and before you shell out that kind of money how do you know if your contractor is safe or even legal? elisabeth leamy reports. on one state's investigation into the dangers of crooked contractors. >> reporter: this may look like an ordinary house in need of repairs but it's actually a setup. a sting. the homeowners who invited contractors here are really new york city inspectors. as soon as somebody offers to perform contracting work, they have him. listen. >> reporter: actually, he's not. in new york, and at least 41 states, to be a contractor you must be licensed or registered. inspectors say this guy works for a company that's had 21 consumer complaints. owes customers $160,000. and had its license yanked nearly two years ago. >> some contractors, once we take away their license, go back out there again and try to keep getting some business. so what we decided to do this year was put together a sting house operation. >> reporter: the sting also targeted companies that brazenly advertised their services, despite being unlicensed. like this ad that reads, fully licensed and insured and brags about the company's integrity. all lies, according to inspectors. >> reporter: notice he doesn't answer the license question. >> reporter: a proper license is more than just a piece of paper. in new york and many other jurisdictions, if a licensed contractor does you wrong, the government will pay you back. >> the license is really the safety net for people when they're using those contractors, and that's why we take enforcement of this issue so seriously. >> reporter: back at the sting house, inspectors eventually nab a dozen companies. and issue $65,000 in fines. >> we're inspectors, i think you know that by now. >> reporter: even more powerful, they impound their vehicles. >> once we've got their vehicle, we've got their attention. >> reporter: because your can't do any deals if you don't have wheels. and that sting would have netted a 13th contractor, but when inspectors identified themselves, he fled. just took off. they say they will have to get him next time. in washington, elisabeth leamy, abc news. >> so many shady business workers. they say good advice is to check the license, check reputation, and they always want to get paid up front, those businesses. they say pay 25% or less up front, demand to see the goods or work done before you start shelling out your cash or credit card. >> often they say they'll give you a deal if you make the whole payment all at once. that's certainly not the way to go. >> doesn't smell right, probably ain't right. coming up next, serious allegations against a teen idol. >> and country stars are shining on nashville's biggest night. it's all coming up next in "the skinny." welcome back, everybody. well, here at abc you may have caught of course the cmas, the country music awards this year. we wanted to give you a quick run-down of all the big winners last night. it was miranda lambert's big night last night. she cleaned house big-time. she won album of the year, she won female vocalist of the year, song of the year, also music video of the year. she had a huge, huge night last night. congrats to her. entertainer of the year went to brad paisley. he also took home a big honor last night so congrats to brad. they were the two big names last night. if you're wondering who else, lady antebellum won single of the year and vocal group of the year as well. blake shelton, musical event of the year and male vocalist of the year. but of course, what everyone may be talking about is gwyneth paltrow's live debut as a country singer, take a listen. ♪ >> that's vince gill singing along with her. the title track from her film coming out a few months from now called "country songs." acoustic guitar, sounded pretty good. i had no idea she was branching out into a musical career. she probably did well last night. >> i have to say action acoustic guitar is pretty gutsy. the hardest way i would imagine. some really shocking allegations this morning against demi lovato. so according to radaronline, they haven't seen it but there is footage of her caught on camera snorting cocaine in a shocking booze and drugs binge. according to the amateur cameraman who is now shopping the video around, you can see her snorting the drugs through a rolled-up bill. it gets even worse in the sense another student who was at this party -- keep in mind, she reportedly was 17 at the time of the party -- he says he also saw lovato doing cocaine at the same party. she has openly admitted she's had problems with bullying, cutting herself, and body image issues. she said that was the reason she decided to check into rehab, now there are all these allegations that it could be drug-related. her reps have put out yet another statement saying she's not in treatment for drug and alcohol addiction, they said she decided to seek help for the emotional and physical issues she battled through. in terms of what's going to happen with season two of "sunny with a chance," disney's apparently preparing a plan "b" for the future of her tv show. they're saying her health and well-being comes first. this could be a change in terms of how her career is progressing. >> let's hope, too. unanswered questions of that story line. let's hope she gets the help that she needs on that. lighter note here. lou dobbs, you guys remember him from his cnn days, left in november of 2009, after 30 years with the network. a lot of folks had speculated, maybe he's going to make a run for public office, become a huge voice in the immigration debate in this country. he does have a new job lined up. he's headed over to the fox business network where he will start his own brand-new show in the first quarter of next year. he's not going the political route, he's jumping back into tv. and apparently he's going to revive his long tv career. >> speculation he might go into politics. >> yeah. >> keith richards is doing -- of course, rolling stones, is doing an interview. ten minutes into the interview he realizes the someone he's doing an interview with was a guy who gave him two of five stars during a concert and described him as an amateur. he ended up hitting the guy during the interview. 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[ female announcer ] sorry, duster, but swiffer 360 dusters attract dust with over 500,000 fibers and lock it away to clean better than a feather duster. swiffer's built smarter to clean better. ♪ she blinded me with science why go one more round ? you don't need a rematch, but a rethink. with lunesta. lunesta is thought to interact with gaba receptors associated with sleep. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. lunesta has some risk of dependency. 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. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a co-pay as low as zero dollars at lunesta.com discover a restful lunesta night. it shattered his tissue with hurricane blows. no person or place was safe from the spray. but his mom had new puffs ultra soft & strong to save the day. with lotion-free pillows to cushion the force. puffs holds up better than value tissue of course. next time oliver blew his horn, he reached for puffs ultra soft & strong. a nose in need deserves new puffs ultra soft & strong indeed. when you prefer a lotion tissue, try puffs plus lotion. and here are some stories to watch today on abc news. first lady michelle obama observes veterans day in germany. she's visiting one of the biggest military medical centers outside the u.s. repair crews will be busy at kennedy space center today after engineers found cracks in the shuttle "discovery's" fuel tank. the latest report on foreclosures is just out this morning. there were filings last month on more than 330,000 homes nationwide. that is down slightly from september. finally, it has been ten years since the first harry potter movie cast a spell on the world. sadly, the magic is coming to an end. >> "harry potter and the deathly hallows part 1" holds its world premiere today in london. the bbc caught up with the film's stars to talk about their spell-binding run. >> they're coming. >> reporter: it's the beginning of the end for the stars of the potter series. >> go! >> aahhh! >> reporter: since their first outing on the big screen it's not just their physical appearance that's changed. movie magic has transformed daniel radcliff, emma watson, and rupert grint into three of the most famous faces on the planet. >> i've really enjoyed working with everyone i've got a chance to work with. i was given this mind-blowing opportunity at the age of 11. >> and their reaction when filming on the series finally finished this summer? >> it just felt like the end of a world. >> hard to kind of adjust, really. because it has been such a huge kind of part of my life. >> if you could give your 10-year-old self any particular advice about how to cope with the next decade, what would you tell him? >> suppose i'd say to myself everything my parents said to me, which was never, never read anything about yourself, and never go in and look at yourself. all that's tough because that is what ultimately will turn you round the bend. >> reporter: all three believe it's been a life-changing experience. >> i'm kind of ready to kind of move on. it's kind of a good time. >> excited to see what the world has in store for me next. >> ten years is a long time and it's now, you know -- i'm ready to walk away. >> reporter: it's that time where millions of fans will have to do the same, when the final movie is released next summer. >> you know, the first six movies of the series earned $5.4 billion. they're saying no single title alone has gone over $1 billion but the prediction is should they do this in 3d, which there is talk for the second part, one title alone could cost $1 billion in global sales. >> am i totally a nerd for saying i've never seen a harry potter movie? >> apparently you've been in one, though. >> looking good, willis! deep cuts. aggressive plans to address the nation's deficit. the potential impact and immediate outcry. store surprise. crime-fighting heroics on camera from a shopper in a wheelchair. ♪ and nashville's finest. big winners on country music's big night. ♪ this is country music >> it's thursday, november 11th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> and now more veterans day trivia with vinita nair. >> throughout the course of the morning i've been giving random tidbits. this isn't that exciting. i was going to say google changed their doodle. i think so often we get a day off and we don't think about why we're getting it. if you know a veteran or someone who served you should say thank you. >> a big thank you. now and to the folks still overseas fighting. let's not forget about them either. good morning, everybody, on this veterans day, as we said. i'm rob nelson. >> i'm vinita nair. president obama is calling on lawmakers to hold their fire and work together on his commission's b b plan to cut the national debt. >> it calls for drastic tax increases as well as deep cuts in federal spending. steven portnoy is in washington with more. hi, steven. >> reporter: vinita and rob, you know the cliche in washington. you never want to touch the third rail, social security. the two men who have been tapped to lead the president's commission on reducing the national debt have leapt on it, proposing to cut social security benefits, raise the retirement age, and raise taxes too. there's been a harsh response. in south korea on thursday, president obama hopes to make key advances on security. while navigating tough negotiations on currency and trade. back home, even tougher stuff. sharp criticism of proposals to rein in the nearly $14 trillion national debt. the cochairs of the president's bipartisan debt commission unveiled their ideas to raise taxes, and cut benefits, with a dire warning. >> we are on the most predictable path towards an economic crisis that i can imagine. >> reporter: the fix has something for everybody to hate. a 15 cent a gallon hike in the gas tax. cutting social security payments for high-income seniors. raising the retirement age. tting defense spending by $100 billion, including closing one-third of u.s. military bases abroad. eliminating the tax deduduion for home mortgages over $500,000. slashing farm subsidies. eliminating 10% of the federal workforce. >> i think we left no oxes ungored. >> reporter: but -- >> we present this only as a guide and a directive of where we could or should go. >> reporter: is there any chance congress will pass the proposals? outgoing house speaker nancy pelosi has already called the plan simply unacceptable. at this point it's not even clear the commission would approve the chairman's recommendations. for now the white house is laying low saying the president won't comment until the full panel releases its report by next month. vinita, rob? prprident obama has marked veterans day at a u.s. army garrison in south korea. the president saluted the bravery of those who served in the korean war. and he criticized north korea for continuing on what he calls a path of isolation and poverty. there are about 28,000 u.s. troops stationed in south korea. now the president faces tough challenges on global trade as the g-20 summit gets under way. first mr. obama meets with the chinese president, then the german chancellor. after tonight's formal dinner the g-20 meetings run through tomorrow, then the president will travel to japan. political deadlock had been broken in iraq. in a deal meant to establish a new government there, the prime minister nuri al maliki will serve another four-year term. the other top government positions will be divided among iraq's other political parties. the obama administration has praised the deal. british police now say the maililomb they discovered on a flight from yemen was timed to blow up over the east coast of the u.s. the explosives were discovered hidden inside printers on cargo jets. investigators say a timer was set to explode over very populated areas as terrorists tracked the plane's flight online. the space shuttle "discovery" is facing an extended delay before it blasts off one final time. nasa discovered two cracks on "discovery's" fuel tank yesterday. those are in addition to a larger crack also on the huge tank. engineers believe the cracks can be fixed on the launch pad, but "discovery's" november 30th launch date is now in jeopardy. the federal government wants to scare 46 million american smokers into quitting. the plan calls for graphic warnings on every cigarette package. here's linsey davis. >> reporter: toe tags, cancer patients, cigarette packs are about to get a makeover. changing from this, to this. >> this is a watershed event. the american people turning back the tremendous influence of the tobacco industry on policy-making over the last 60 years. >> reporter: forget fine print. the fda wants pictures. pictures that will cover half of the front and back of cigarette packs. >> every person who picks up a pack of cigarettes is going to know exactly what the risk is that they're taking. >> reporter: the united states was the first country to require health care warnings on cigarette packages in 1966. but the u.s. is now playing catch-up to more than 30 countries that already require large, graphic cigarette warnings. studies consistently show these disturbing images are effective at exposing the health risks, discouraging people from starting, and getting smokers to quit. canada started using warning labels like this in 2000. since then, the number of smokers there has dropped about 20%. a recent law now grants the fda authority over tobacco products and one of their aims is to tackle the 20% of high schoolers who admit to lighting up. every day, about 4,000 teens try smoking for the first time. the fda is currently considering 36 images. they'll ultimately narrow them down to nine and the cigarette companies will have to start displaying them by the end of 2012. linsey davis, abc news, new york. there's also news about the military's don't ask, don't tell policy. this morning's "washington post" says a pentagon study finds that repealing the policy would have little effect on the nation's fighting force. the report says more than 70% of troops believe the effect of repealing the policy would be either positive, mixed or nonexistent. a final version of that pentagon study goes to defense secretary gates in about three weeks. the so-called barefoot bandnd has now been indicted on five charges which could earn him a hefty prison sentence. prosecutors say colton harris-moore is a suspect in 80 crimes across the country. he's accused of stealing a plane in indiana and he was indicted on those charges yesterday. harris-moore was captured in the bahamas in a high-profile takedown. valuables once owned by convicted financier bernard madoff go up for auction saturday here in new york. federal marshals previewed items they seized from madoff's two homes in manhattan and long island. they include underwear, t-shirts, slippers and 250 pairs of shoes. >> this is all the belongings, all his belongings from a new york city penthouse and montauk beach house. last year we raised approximately $1 million just on the auction itself. that doesn't include the homes, cars, boats. just on the auction itself, we raised $1 million. >> all those proceeds will go to the federal fund to compensate madoff's victims. a high school basketball coach in mississippi is in some hot water this morning for whipping playersrs the video shows coach marlon dorsey whipping his players right in the gym. he has since apologized saying he did it to save the kids from what he calls self-destruction. a lawyer released the video after two families sued dorsey and his assistant, among others, for not protecting those kids. also news out of mississippi this morning, a high schooler who was booted from his football team for doing something the pros did during the last month. corey shepherd was thrown off his team for wearing pink cleats. nfl players wore pink in october in support of breast cancer awareness. shepherd says he was just doing the same. his family is suing, not for money, but to have him simply put back on the team. now here is a look at your weather. rain from seattle to portland. windy in the los angeles area. several inches of snow in the rockies and northern plains. afternoon showers in st. louis, chicago, kansas city, wichita, and omaha city. >> 50s from boston to baltimore. 77 in new orleans. still warm in the midwest. 71 in indianapolis. 64 in chicago. 60 in detroit. 34 in colorado springs. 42 in salt lake city. 52 in portland. well, now to a very rare collection of lost films from a late president deeply rooted in hollywood. >> our santa barbara affiliate stumbled upon some forgotten footage. sharyn alfonsi reports the films show ronald and nancy reagan in the very early political years. >> reporter: it was sitting in a storage area at our santa barbara affiliate, deteriorating away for 40 years. mysteriously labeled film that had been forgotten. until a curious reporter from the station decided to see what was on those fragile old films. it was more than anyone could have imagined. >> i believe in local economy and control. >> reporter: rare footage and interviews from the late 1960s with the then-candidate for governor, ronald reagan. >> well, i hope they continue with those. normally with this kind of money left over, government finds a way to spend it. you have these penalties imposed at the same time that a tax. >> reporter: there was more. an interview with a radiant young nancy reagan. >> do you see each other much right now? >> no, we don't, no. and that's the bad part about the campaign. >> reporter: the films are now being archived by the reagan presidential library. the director says they are historically important. but to one of ronald reagan's biggest fans, they've meant so much more. nancy reagan writing to the station, watching these films has been a wonderful walk down memory lane for me. and now for all of us. sharyn alfonsi, abc news, , w york. >> a few days ago we did that story on the "life" magazine photos of jfk, 50 years after his election. now we have footage of reagan emerging too. it's so interesting treasures found after being are gone, decades later. [ such a lucky find, too. they said the tv station, keyt, basically says they were digging through archives for a regular piece they produce, something they do in november. one of the reporters stumbled upon this and immediately knew what gold he had found, he or she. >> next year marks what would have been ronald reagan's 100th birthday and there will be two year-long tributes beginning in january. we'll be back with more right after this. hó oooh! you ruined mom's tablecloth. not this time. what's that? my get out of jail free card. no way. you're busted. [ chuckles ] [ male announcer ] tide stain release. an in-wash booster that works with any detergent, to target and remove tough stains the first time. see? hey, look who's home. huh. what's that? [ male announcer ] tide stain release. stains out. no doubt. now also available in a pre-treat spray. remove tough stains the first time or your money back. why go one more round ? you don't need a rematch, but a rethink. with lunesta. lunesta is thought to interact with gaba receptors associated with sleep. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. lunesta has some risk of dependency. 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 remembebeng 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. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a co-pay as low as zero dollars at lunesta.com discover a restful lunesta night. well, we've all seen it in the movies before. the hero risking his life to save innocent people from the evil criminal, and we all wonder maybe, would we do the same? >> one vancouver man did. jumping into the middle of a crime despite the fact that he is a paraplegic. as you can imagine, he is redefining what it means to be a superhero. ctv's john woodward has more. >> reporter: the moment of astonishing bravery was captured on security camera footage. a man threatens a convenience store clerk and another man in a wheelchair rolls up, grabs the man by the throat, they wrestle and end up on the floor. other store patrons hold the man until the police arrive. >> what made me do that was inside of me. and it's not -- has nothing to do with disability. >> reporter: that unexpected heroism has landed larry scopnik on national news. >> larry scopnik, vancouver. thank you for talking to us today, congratulations. >> it's been really crazy. lots of phone calls, lots of people wanting my time and attention. >> he always helps, you know. he helped the community. that was just larry all the time. >> reporter: james willis has known larry for 15 years. the pair fly gliders with the charity called the b.c. mobility opportunity society. he says skopnik is proof people in wheelchairs can do anything. >> people look at people in wheelchairs differently now. just by seeing that, you know. maybe, you know, a little bit of maybe we should. >> reporter: scopnik's good deed is making waves in vancouver's disabled community. even former mayor sam sullivan was blown away. >> i was amazed that he would -- that's a risky thing to do. robbery in process, you know. you don't just jump in there. t there you go. that guy's got a lot of guts. >> reporter: scopnik was quick to step up when he was needed but he says the spotlight is a bit overwhelming. >> i don't really feel like a hero and i'm not really comfortable with this limelight. it's been a pretty hectic 36 hours. >> reporter: he does want would-be criminals to think twice about committing a crime when there's a man in a wheelchair in the room. john woodward, ctv news, vancouver. >> he's literally been in that wheelchair since ten years ago when he was involved in an atv accident. just incredible. >> it's nice to see him remain so humume with all that international attention. >> nice guy. >> we'll be right back. country music's biggest stars were out last night for the 44th annual country music awards show. >> joining us live from las vegas with last night's big winners and performances is our very well dressed music and media consultant bruno del granado. you look great but i'm confused why you're in vegas and not nashville. >> what happens in vegas stays in vegas and i'll leave it at that. >> oh, well, all right! >> well said. >> you go, bruno! >> we'll start off with the evenings's most coveted award. everyone's talking about entertainer of the year. who exactly was the big winner? >> the big winner was miranda lambert. she had nine nominations. the singer of the year award is the most important award, it was won by brad paisley, finally. he deserves it. he's b bn nominated a couple of times. he finally won it tonight. he was a co-host. you can say he paid his dues. it's very well deserved. he was up against keith urban as well. i've got to say this was brad's year for entertainer of the year. >> other big awards, female and male vocalist of the year. how did folks do with that? >> well, you know, it's interesting. because it's the it couple of country music, blake shelton won male vocalist and his girlfriend miranda lambert won best female. miranda was nominated for nine awards. huge, this was a record. keep in mind that the reality show, "nashville's biggest star" a couple of years ago, she is now nashville's biggest star in reality, in real life, and very well received album. they're saying this is the next taylor swift, the next faith hill and shania twain. very big winnenetonight, miranda. >> interesting given that miranda lambert and carrie underwood were t tre and they both have similar stories. of the public anointing them. when asked about the women of country music last night, we of course have been talking about gwyneth paltrow appearing on stage. who else really shined on stage to you last night? >> it was certainly taylor swift's turn to shine again on stage. the last couple of weeks i think the world is really taylor swift's and we all live in it. her new album debuted at number one, sold 1.4 million copies in one week. those kind of numbers are unheard of now. she is certainly the reigning queen of country music. and there is nobody who can even match those kind of sales numbers right now from any genre, country, pop, rock, you name it. >> did kanye show up? just checking, you never know. honestly, what was your opinion of gwyneth paltrow's performance last night? it was her big live debut. >> well, i've got to tell you, i was one of the skeptics. i thought, hm, this was not good, hollywood stars should not be doing country music, should not be doing music at all. i was impressed. she has a good voice. but she has a good teacher, her husband, chris martin, coldplay, and tim mcgraw and faith hill helped her a lot. she's giving them credit. a big push for this country song. i think considering she's not really a country artist she shined pretty good up there on stage. and listen, she got standing ovations by keith and nicole kidman. they got up p d clapped for her and cheered for her. >> very impressive to have vince gill behind you as a backup singer as well. last question. everyone always talks about the speeches the next day. was there any speech in particular you thought was the most moving of the evening? >> well, brad paisley by far. i mean, he talked about his grandfather. you know, he just -- it speaks volumes about how humble this guy is. he has a reputation for being one of the nicest guys in the business. his speech was kind of cut off but he just really came across as a nice, nice man. and really a genuine kind of person who seemed to be so touched by receiving the award tonight. >> thank you so much for joining us, we appreciate it. have a great time in vegas but apparently you already are. >> absolutely right, thank you, rob, thank you. >> thanks, bruno. we'll be right back with more after this, everybody, don't go far. if you fight to slslp in the middle of the night, why go one more round ? you don't need a rematch, but a rethink. with lunesta. lunesta is thought to interact with gaba receptors associated with sleep. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. lunesta has some risk of dependency. 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 remembebeng 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. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a co-pay as low as zero dollars at lunesta.com discover a restful lunesta night. "world news now" delivers your "morning papers." >> these ladies take the cake for the best bridesmaids ever. >> really. >> so bridesmaids are arriving to the church. as you know the bride usually gets there earlier and the bridesmaids, sometimes they come later for pictures, what have you. the bridesmaids are in a limo outside of the church, and a carjacker comes up, orders all of the bridesmaids to get out of the car, as well as the driver. get this. they kept it a secret till after the wedding because they didn't want to upset the bride. isn't that unbelievable? >> those are good friends. >> yes, apparently the guy broke into the limo window with a hammer outside the blessed mother teresa church. this happened on the weekend. ordered the driver and bridesmaids out. those girls just kept their mouths shut. isn't that impressive? >> not to stress out the bride on her big day. >> girls, if i do it again, send me your name and contact information. >> that poor carjacker. i don't know. all right. this is a funny press conference here. rex and rob ryan obviously grew up in oklahoma doing football together, now they respectively work for the jets and the cleveland browns. rex, who works for the jets now, pretended he was his brother rob during a press conference. take a listen, it's a funny joke. >> i do have some concerns. i have some concerns that some of our players may bounce off, to be honest with you. >> funny, their careers have paralleled each other from oklahoma state to oklahoma now with the jets and the cleveland browns. the two teams are gogog to meet this weekend. he had a little fun at his brother's expense with the press, joking atathe other squad. hopefully we'll see the grudge match come sunday. >> he must be the attractive brother if that's what the other one lookoklike. so there is this place in arizona called the heart attack grill. as if the name is not bad enough, this place is basically offering free meals to anyone weighing more than 350 pounds. >> amen. >> yeah. their nickname is home of the double bypass burger. that's what you're looking at. and they've apparently enlisted plus-size spokesman blair river. i don't know who blair river is. he tipped the scales at 570 pounds. >> you go, boy. >> so basically the takeaway is they're saying we're not the place if you're going to come and order a diet coke, we're the place if you really, really want to get -- >> if you want to die young, come on in. >> right. >> i love it. weird story here. apparently there's this new city hall -- city hall in chandler, arizona. apparently the restroom signs, the new ones, are kind of making people scratch their heads. telling people not to drink out of the urinals or the toilets. that's just a warning given to the employees.